Dr. Susan

ooh, great site to satisfy our bacteria concerns, thanks. It's on my favorites list now. My husband is way more paranoid about this stuff than I am...but then again, his stomach is much more sensitive and protests when he eats vs. store-brand chicken vs. Purdue wingettes.

Wow, thanks project for an awesome post. You certainly cover the bases and provide lots of food for thought, yuk yuk. My husband is just about to make a Home Depot run for other stuff, so I asked him to check out the oven thermometer choices. Also glad to hear I'm not the only one who has had trouble cooking roast beef! From what you, Lori, rlibkind and others are saying, chuck is a good choice--though I feel armed to start anew with some of the cuts you and others have mentioned.

Okay...I realize I may be revealing my ignorance of the topic--but, couldn't cooking at the low temperatures, as you and others suggest, increase the risk of bacteria=>food poisoning? What's the minimum safe temperature? I am not a risk taker at all when it comes to this sort of thing...so what you're saying about leaving it at room temperature 2-3 hrs and aging it makes me very nervous. Please explain why I don't need to worry about this.

Hi RJ. Thank you, I've enjoyed eGullet in the time I've been here. To answer your questions (and I understand the need for them!): We have an old oven without an inside thermometer. I do have a pocket thermometer that I've used for turkey successfully, but I've never tried it for roast beef. Most recently, my husband cooked the beef about 30 minutes/lb. at 325. He likes it medium to well-done, I like it medium to medium rare.

Hi everyone, I'm pretty new to eGullet and thought I'd see if anyone has advice about a vexing problem I've had for 18 yrs. No matter how hard I try, or what different recipes I use, whether I keep the beef covered or uncovered, bagged or unbagged--it always comes out tough! The only roast I was able to make that came out tender was a standing rib roast. Given the prices of that cut lately, it's out of the ballpark. I first tried making roast beef from a top round cut on and off, for about 10 years. It always came out tough (though it was invariably quite tasty). Then I did the standing rib roast which came out great but was expensive. I gave up. figuring it wasn't worth it. Then recently my husband (for whom roast beef is a favorite meal) tried making a brisket (1st cut brisket). He even used his mother's recipe and it still came out tough (btw, hers is always tender regardless of the cut). My husband blamed the shoe-leather consistency of his brisket on lack of quality of the meat. His mom always says,"You can't ruin a good piece of meat." I don't believe this, because out of the many round roasts I made, at least some must have been decent! What are we doing wrong? Any ideas? Could the size of the roast have any impact? It's just the 2 of us, so we get only 2-3, 4 lb. cuts at the most. Or, do you think it is the meat? If so, any tips on how to pick out a good piece? What temperature (we've been using 350)? How long to cook? We're really at our wits end on this, so any suggestions are appreciated!

Elmora Ave was great. I really didn't know what to expect, and it was much better than I anticipated. We stopped at the stationery store near Goodman's, then went to the dollar store and on to Elmora bagels, where my sister and I got fresh bagels--yummy! My brother in law insisted on getting a prepackaged bag, which were not nearly as fresh. but he didn't seem to mind. We capped our trip off with visits to the Elmora and main branches of the library. We attempted but were not successful in digging up historical info on Elmora. So, Goodman's was definitely a highlight. There was an interesting mix of people there while we were eating, a motorcycle cop, several people with accents who spoke about doing business internationally, a woman and her elderly mom, and a long line of people getting take-out.

Okay, here goes: <ul> <li>Lentil soup - as hearty as it looks <br><img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1134153930/gallery_39718_2167_51626.jpg"> <li>Corned beef - as you can see, my brother-in-law scarfed this down so quickly I couldn't get a picture of it in its pristine state <img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1134153930/gallery_39718_2167_62574.jpg"> <li>Chicken wrap - new on the menu and very good! BTW, the photo doesn't do it justice (camera angle, maybe). <img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1134153930/gallery_39718_2167_67126.jpg"> <li>Stuffed cabbage - just like Momma used to make. Thank goodness he was getting full by this time so I could get a nice pic. <img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1134153930/gallery_39718_2167_37660.jpg"> </ul> Thanks for the instructions, Daniel. Between that and my rudimentary knowledge of html, I got it to work. How I love learning new things!

Well, Goodman's proved to be a great choice for lunch. They had a wide enough variety of food, so everyone was happy. My sister got the lentil soup, which she said was excellent and very hearty, along with an egg salad sandwich. My brother in law got the corned beef sandwich AND stuffed cabbage--which he later referred to as being similar to what his mom used to make. As for me, I tried a new item--a chicken wrap--which was excellent. The only disappointment was my matzah ball soup, which had a single dumpling that was, shall we say, not ultra-light. But, everything was fresh and the portions were large (which met with our approval, as we are all big eaters). Thanks again to all for your advice. Our lunch at Goodmans and talking to the man who now lives next door to our grandparents' former home were the highlights of the trip. hmm..I wanted to add pix of some of the entrees but I don't see how to do this.

Mmm. Now I am definitely leaning toward Goodman's or Jerusalem. Perhaps Goodman's,since the idea of going to a place that may have existed when or near the time my grandparents lived there is very appealing. And, we will probably stop at Elmora bagels - bagels are another "exotic food" that my brother-in-law likes! thanks, everyone! I will let you know what we end up doing tomorrow.

How I wish we could do Indian food!! But, I doubt this will be an option...not for my sister, who might be convinced to try it, but because of my brother-in-law, whose idea of exotic food is American Chinese. He's a meat and potatoes kind of guy, from Arkansas...need I say more?! But, thanks for the info, Indian is one of my favorites and I will definitely try one of those you listed. ← LaGaviola is after my time, but Kampy's Korner is a sandwich place a couple of blocks away from Cleveland. Haven't been there so can't speak to it. As I said earlier, I think Jerusalem is the best bet for veggie in the immediate neighborhood. Now, if you want to go down the Garden State Parkway 10 or 12 miles, there are probably lots of vegetarian Indian offerings in Edison. Most of them are clustered on Oak Tree Road. Here's the Google map of them. ←

Thanks, Daniel. No, she doesn't eat fish, unfortunately. Do you know of a restaurant called La Gaviola? When I go to Google earth and plug in the address on Cleveland where my grandparents lived in Elizabeth, I see that this restaurant is marked as being nearby. Also nearby is another restaurant called Kampy's Korner. But, I have looked up both of these names on the web and have not found either one.

Okay, she does like salads--so perhaps that will work. Thanks. Elmora Avenue remains a highly interesting food street, both for Goodman's and other Jewish spots and for Hispanic. I'll respectfully disagree a bit with dbrociner about Goodman's, at least as it was when I last visited about a year ago. For many years the restaurant (open only for breakfast and lunch, closed Sunday) was owned and operated two brothers Julie and (I believe) Abe Goodman. When they retired about 20-25 years ago they sold it to a Greek and trained him and his people very well. I find that nothing has changed, not the corned beef, not the pastrami, nothing! They still buy their meat from the same supplier, they cook it the same way, and take it out of the same steam cabinets to slice when you order it. Even their menu system which is supplemented by paper plates attached to the side wall with items and prices hasn't changed (other than the prices, of course). Goodman's is not kosher, but two other eateries are. Last time I checked, the Dunkin Donuts at Elmora & Grand was was certified kosher. A block down Elmora from Goodman's is Jerusalem, which serves kosher pizza and Israeli style salads, hummus, etc., cafeteria style. On the other side of Elmora Avenue from Goodman's is Elmora Bagels. The store has been there since the 1960s, I think, and is operated by the same family that ran the late, great Watson's Bagels of Newark and, later, Irvington. They also operate a kosher bakery at Millburn Mall off Vauxhall Road in Union, the same strip mall that's home to Syd's Hot Dogs, the hot dog of my youth at its original location on Chancellor Avenue in Newark, and a hot dogthat remains my favorite. The Millburn Mall is also within an easy drive of Ikea, no more than 15 minutes if there are no traffic jams. (Elmora Avenue is more like a 10 minute trip, tops. Do make the trip to Elmora Avenue, and also to Spirito's (but I don't think they're open for lunch; just dinner). Another good spot for Italian, both sandwiches, pizza and plates, would be Cioffi's on Stuyvesant Avenue in Union Center; again, not as close to you as Elmora Avenue, but only 15 minutes away. They make a pretty good Italian style hot dog, too. In warm weather, after eating at Spirito's, you'll want some Italian ice (what they call water ice here in Philadelphia) to fill in the cracks in your stomach. About a block away, on Fourth Avenue (Spirito's is on Third) is a tiny shack with two or three flavors of ice for sale (lemon is the preferred variety). It's better than any water ice I've ever had in South Phila. (But I may be biasted; like Syd's hot dogs, it's a food from my childhood.) For take-home Italian delicacies, try Barone's on Third Avenue. If after work you're in the mood for beef, and lots of it, there's the 640 Club at 640 South Street in Elizabeth: steaks, roast beef, chops. Years ago, when doctors still smoked and ate red meat, this is where they'd have lunch, because it was smack dab between the city's three hospitals. Enjoy! ← ←

Hello, I have just discovered eGullet after doing a web search for Elmora AND Elizabeth, NJ. My grandparents used to live on Cleveland St off Elmora Ave, and my sister and I are going up there right before Thanksgiving to see if we can find the house and have lunch somewhere near there. Not knowing the area, I was hoping someone could help! As a coffee addict (even more so after news of a recent study in women emphasizing its anti-oxident benefits), I was pleased to see there is a Dunkin Donuts close to where we're going so I can get my afternoon dose of caffeine. But--where to go for lunch? Does anyone have suggestions for lunch that includes some good vegetarian options for my sister (I can basically eat anything but want to make sure she has something she likes). Please advise--thank you! Dr. Susan Elmora Avenue remains a highly interesting food street, both for Goodman's and other Jewish spots and for Hispanic. I'll respectfully disagree a bit with dbrociner about Goodman's, at least as it was when I last visited about a year ago. For many years the restaurant (open only for breakfast and lunch, closed Sunday) was owned and operated two brothers Julie and (I believe) Abe Goodman. When they retired about 20-25 years ago they sold it to a Greek and trained him and his people very well. I find that nothing has changed, not the corned beef, not the pastrami, nothing! They still buy their meat from the same supplier, they cook it the same way, and take it out of the same steam cabinets to slice when you order it. Even their menu system which is supplemented by paper plates attached to the side wall with items and prices hasn't changed (other than the prices, of course). Goodman's is not kosher, but two other eateries are. Last time I checked, the Dunkin Donuts at Elmora & Grand was was certified kosher. A block down Elmora from Goodman's is Jerusalem, which serves kosher pizza and Israeli style salads, hummus, etc., cafeteria style. On the other side of Elmora Avenue from Goodman's is Elmora Bagels. The store has been there since the 1960s, I think, and is operated by the same family that ran the late, great Watson's Bagels of Newark and, later, Irvington. They also operate a kosher bakery at Millburn Mall off Vauxhall Road in Union, the same strip mall that's home to Syd's Hot Dogs, the hot dog of my youth at its original location on Chancellor Avenue in Newark, and a hot dogthat remains my favorite. The Millburn Mall is also within an easy drive of Ikea, no more than 15 minutes if there are no traffic jams. (Elmora Avenue is more like a 10 minute trip, tops. Do make the trip to Elmora Avenue, and also to Spirito's (but I don't think they're open for lunch; just dinner). Another good spot for Italian, both sandwiches, pizza and plates, would be Cioffi's on Stuyvesant Avenue in Union Center; again, not as close to you as Elmora Avenue, but only 15 minutes away. They make a pretty good Italian style hot dog, too. In warm weather, after eating at Spirito's, you'll want some Italian ice (what they call water ice here in Philadelphia) to fill in the cracks in your stomach. About a block away, on Fourth Avenue (Spirito's is on Third) is a tiny shack with two or three flavors of ice for sale (lemon is the preferred variety). It's better than any water ice I've ever had in South Phila. (But I may be biasted; like Syd's hot dogs, it's a food from my childhood.) For take-home Italian delicacies, try Barone's on Third Avenue. If after work you're in the mood for beef, and lots of it, there's the 640 Club at 640 South Street in Elizabeth: steaks, roast beef, chops. Years ago, when doctors still smoked and ate red meat, this is where they'd have lunch, because it was smack dab between the city's three hospitals. Enjoy! ←