FoodMan

Houston Chronicle Dining Guide: Where Ranchers and City Folk Meet Alison Cook reviews Carol's, a seemingly charming restaurant in Cat Springs. Sensational Citrus T'is the season, for Meyer Lemons that is. Dai Huynh reports on who is selling them, planting them and cooking with them. Houston Press Dining: The Next Chef Boyardee Link to eGullet discussion about the article. Robb Walsh reviews Wolfgang Puck Express. Read and see why he thinks "Wolfgang Puck, creator of Spago in Hollywood, has lost control of his name". elie

This week's W&D is still pretty lame and uninteresting. However I could not help but provide my humble opinion about two of the "recommendations". First the Zinneckers recommend Panda Garden on Weslayan. I have to say it, they are right about two things, the prices are reasonable and the portions are large, but the food ranges from crappy to mediocre. Even my 16 month old son would not eat their limp flavorless noodles. For good Chinese try out Fung's Kitchen. Second, which is more disturbing, is Mr. Wilson who is "always looking for a good Thai restaurant" and the result is .....drum roll please...... "best so far is Thai Spice Buffet". Seriously??? this is the best?? I know taste is subjective and all, but this establishment sucks, their buffet is nothing but bad Chinese food with some coconut milk and other "Thai" seasoning thrown in the mix. It is the worst Thai (and I use the term very loosly) restaurant in the city. For a good Thai meal please head over to Nit Noi, Thai Gourmet or Arawan among many others. What do you people think? Elie

NOTE: Both Molokhiya threads have been merged. edit to add: and the title edited to more clearly define the subject matter

It's great that you enjoyed them so much! How did you serve them? On their own or as a salad? Elie

Dim Sim, welcome to eGullet!! To answer your question, yes there is a difference in taste and -IMO- the perfect falafel uses a mixture of both fava and chickpeas (I use 1.5 cups fava and 0.5 cups chickpeas). However it really is a matter of taste, so try both and see which ones you like best. A question for you, what is "pide" bread?? Elie

Peanutgirl- This looks amazing! thanks for the pics. All I care about is that you made it and enjoyed it, so I am not offended at all. The pearl onions would be a very classy and nice addition. The same goes for those long slender onions if you can find them. Wolfert- I have to say, I love samen but had no idea it could be so interesting . Thanks for sharing the info and recipe. Elie

Zietoun, Welcome to eGullet!! Thickening with an egg white is the traditional (or original) method. My mom used to do it all the time. I just like the corn starch method because I feel it gives me more control. Especially when writing a recipe I would like all criteria to be accurate and simply saying one egg white (or two) could cause some confusion and/or failure since eggs (sizes, freshness,...) can vary from my fridge to yours. Buerre Noisette would be a good alternative if you do not have Samen, thanks for the tip and for not using Maggi . Elie

In Lebanon they are either called "Fatayir bil Sabanikh" (spinach pies) or "Sambusik bil Sabanikh". I make them with walnut pieces in the filling a plenty of pomegranate molasses. Elie

This is great!! I am very pleased that everyone who tried it, loved it. Thanks for the nice comments. Bash, first of welcome to e-Gullet and we hoep to see you more on the board. I am sure pickled spicy mangoes work great as an additional garnish. To answer your question, the leftovers heat wonderully. I heated mine up in the microwave a couple of day after I cooked it and I saw no discernible difference in taste or texture. Verjuice, for lamb fatteh I would follow the procedure for any fatteh with laban (yogurt). Cook all items seperatly. So, cook your lamd until done but still hot, the same goes for the chickpeas, and eggplants if you are using them. Fry the pita bread in oil instead of toasting them, this way they taste better and they do not get soggy too fast. Mix the yogurt with garlic and salt and pepper, keep cold. To serve, assemble the fatteh in a large dish with lamb on the bottom, topped with eggplant, topped with chickpeas, then the pita crisps. Dollop the yogurt all over and serve at once. EDIT to add: check this thread for more info Elie

Ok, I know this is lazy but I do not want to have to wade through all 12 pages of this great thread. I plan on making some confit pretty soon. Here is my intended procedure: Slice about 6-10 yellow onions throw in the slow cooker or in a large pot over very low heat with about 1/4 olive oil and 1/4 cup butter (can duck fat be used ?). Cook on low for several hours, stirring a few times until nicely brown and caramalized. Am I on the right track here? should I use more fat or less? edit to add: I just noticed Lovebenton's recipe on this page, I will use that as my starting point. Thanks, Elie

Disclaimer: I am not a rich businessman and do not have any connections what so ever. I am in as well!!! I actually got the date I requested in May, our anniversary date, even though I made it clear that any day in May should be fine. The way this worked out was as follows. I had sent an e-mail in April of 2004 requesting some information about when the 2005 reservation season starts. I got a very polite response informing me that no more requests are being accepted anymore. I saved the response and replied back to it on Oct 18 2004, with a reservation request for a specific date in late May or any day in May actually. On Nov 22nd I recieved another polite and very apologetic reply from Mr. Gracia for taking so late to reply and informing me that I actually have reservtations at 7:30PM for the specific date I requested!! Seriously, dealing with the folks at El Bulli is easier than dealing with many mediocre retsaurants' reservations people in Houston. Now, the juggling starts to plan the trip and take days off from work and find a baby sitter... Elie

Sorry to be a little thick-headed but what does this mean: Flour 4000 72.73% 400 14.1 Is this it? 4000grs is by weight 72.73% is baker's percentage (i though flour is always 100%) 400 is ???? 14.1oz is by weight (ounces) Elie

I really would like to read this article, however from what a couple of you said it seems that the reviewer was fair and gave Masa a chance. Maybe he just did not care for it. Personally, I would not pay this much money for sushi. I like sushi just fine but a $1000 for two to eat sushi is not worth it for me. Taste is subjective and if your idea of the perfect meal is a perfect slice of raw tuna then who am I to tell you you are wrong if you decide to spend your paycheck on it. Elie

Verjuice and Baoziko, please do let us know how it turned out. I hope everyone enjoys it. Baoziko, it really means "It's mother's milk" since Laban = milk (or yogurt) and Ummo = It's mother. However, if it makes it more platable we can call the recipe "Maddira" , which is the name used in an old Arabic literary work whose name escapes me right now (I think Claudia Roden mentions it in her book when discussing Laban Ummo). Elie

Tonight we had pan seared milanesa steaks, the pan deglazed with a little lime juice to make a tangy sauce. Topped the meat with chopped cilantro and served with white rice and avocado. Dessert: toasted banana bread (yeast kind not baking powder) with vanilla ice cream and homemade peach "honey" . Elie

FM, is your falafel recipe somewhere on eG? Looks so wonderful! A tremendous run of fabulous meals from everyone here on Dinner! ← It is in my eGCI class on Lebanese cuisine, here Elie

Behemoth- you sure did, I apologize and thank you for your kind comments. I make my preserved lemons by topping them with lemon juice not water, so I guess it's the North African way. Honestly I've never had preserved lemons before I made them. It certainly was not a staple at my home in Lebanon. Elie

They were tossed in butter, sage and dried orange peel. Elie

Here's how I like my falafel, this was tonight's dinner

Percyn, that Foie is magnificent tonight we had homemade falafel with all the fixins including pickled turnips, parsley, mint, radishes, tomatoes, tahine sauce and of course wrapped in pita bread A little late but here is the photo for the pumpkin "lune" I made a few days ago... Elie edit typo

Peanutgirl- Other than rice I really would not know what to serve it with, but like you said, it is quiet rich and complete on its own and needs no accompaniment. If I have to suggest something I would say something spicy and tangy, say a roasted carrot and onion salad with a cumin and chilli flavored vinaigrette. Dejah- Like I said the preserved lemon is totally optional, so do not let it stop you. I make my own but you should be able to find some in middle eastern or morrocan markets. Wolfert has a recipe for them in a couple of her books as does Claudia Roden. The recipes are pretty easy to follow and the resulting lemons will last a long time in your pantry adding flavor to all kinds of stuff. Elie

Peanutgirl- It is all a matter of taste and texture, fresh mint is different than the dried one in both of those regards. If you have to use it, try chopping it fine and use it sparingly. Elie P.S. thank you for being the very first to respond to this thread, I think you should win some kind of prize but I am not sure what...

Last night I had a very fast and simple favorite of mine, avocado slices, sea salt and tomato chutney sandwich on homemade multigrain bread. Elie

Oh, c'mon 66 views and not a single comment!! Anyone ever had this before? Do you care to make it? Do you think it sucks? Anything but silence . Elie

Houston Chronicle Dining Guide (11/25/2004): A longing to linger Alison Cook visits Arcodoro to partake of their annual truffle menu. If you have the money, this seems like its worth it. Houston Press Dining Section (11/25/2004): Bordeaux on the Bayou La Tour D'argent to reopen under a new chef, Robb walsh gives us a sneek peek ant the new place. Landmark Fajitas Is everything really better with bacon? Robb Walsh visits Herrera's Mexicatessen and tries to decide. The place has great fajitas but nothing else worth trying. Houston Chronicle Food (12/01/2004): Buche De Noel In this clumsy article SYD KEARNEY is trying ,I assume, to tell us that this classic cake is not that complicated. I just cannot tell if he actually likes Julia Child or not, or if he likes baking. Decide for yourself. On Rue Tatin cooking classes focus on food, local culture Barbara Karkabi reports about Ms. Loomis' wonderful cooking school in France. A good read. Elie