FoodMan

Osso Buco Me? Osso Buco You! One of the most fun restaurant reviews/investigative jouranlism pieces I have read in a while. Portofino’s owner actually threw Robb Walsh out because he dared to complain about one of their “signature dishes”. I guess he did not think he will be reading about it in the Houston Press. A fun read that could lead to an interesting discussion. Anyone ever had a similar problem? I sure haven’t. Elie

Houston Chronicle Sunday edition: Ultimate Houston: Food and Drink check out who is named the ultimate in Houston’s Food and Drink. Interesting listing with categories include “freebies”, “coconut cool”, “culinary catalyst”, “French Bistro”, ”Vietnamese Crepe” among many others. A Fun read. Elie

Yeap, he calls it baker, baker...not sure why. It is great though. Elie

I do that to many of my spices and spice mixes, since I ordered a whole pound of these peppercorns I wanted to be sure this is ok to do. Thanks. Elie

Thanks for the reply, I will do that. I am very glad to have checked here first, I would've been very upset if my wonderful layers got soggy with liquid caramel...hmm...that actually does not sound too bad but might not look nice . I'll make sure to add that comment to my recipe instructions. Elie

It is, however you need top be a subscriber or have bought an issue to be able to access their recipes now. I will PM you the recipe if you like though. Elie

I started working on my cake last week, following Sinclair's helpful suggestions I made the gelee layer (I had to sub some guava puree for the passion fruit as I also did not have any on hand and had no time to go out to the store and get some ), and the caramel layers and froze them both. Yesterday I made the honey cake, came out very moist and tasty (I triead some scraps). I baked it in one 9 inch cake pan and cut it in half. Now it resides in my freezer. I should assemble the whole thing this weekend and I will update this thread hopefully with some pics as well. I am a little worried about my caramel now after reading Keith's commnets. Should I melt it, cook a little more to thicken, and stir in an ice bath before assembeling? I really do not want it to leak out after all this work . Elie

I tried the one in Nose to Tail a couple of days ago. It was delicious and came out perfect. I really loved the tart shell, it needs no rolling and bakes blind perfectly without any beans or weights. So consider this another recommendation to use the syrup in a Treacle Tart. Elie

I made Eggplant and lentil stew with pomegranate molasses, the recipe from a Paula wolfert article in Food and Wine. I had cooked the whole thing slowly in a clay pot and let it sit like she recommends for several hours. It was luscious and very satisfying. Served with fresh yogurt and toasted pita bread. dessert: Alton Brown's apple crumble. Hollow the apples and stuff with honey and crumble mixture. Served with vanilla ice cream. I love this because it is quick to prepare, tasty, looks fantastic, and there are hardly any dishes to wash. Elie

Houston Chronicle Dining Guide: Churrascaria a breed apart Alison Cook reviews Avenida Paulista, the new Brazilian place that took over the Rodizio Grill's location. An Aftertaste For Tradition From cookies and milk to S'mores, Dai Huynh tracks top notch Houston restaurants and their take on comfort desserts. Houston Press Dining section: Boring by Design It really is not all bad at Spencer's for Steak and Chops, a review by Robb Walsh. the decor might be boring but the steaks are good. Elie

nothing really worth mentioning in today's W&D Elie

chicken stir fried with bell peppers, black beans, ginger, garlic and a sauce made from soy, rice wine, and peanut butter. Very quickl and good. served with steamed rice, homemade pickled ginger, and homemade chilli oil. dessert: I know it has nothing what so ever to do with this meal and it sounds a sort of odd ending: Fergus Henderson's Treacle Tart, I simply had to see how it tastes. Suffice to say there are no leftovers of the tart or the whipped cream that went along with it. That almond crust is perfect. Elie

I say the same thing everytime I see this commercial. STOP squeezing the damn burger.

What is the proper way to make Harissa, the north African spice blend/relish? I made one recently to go with my bulghur pilaf following Caludia Roden’s recipe, because it was easy and I had all the ingredients. She uses coriander seeds, dried chilies and caraway as a base. However Paula Wolfert uses onions, sundried tomatoes and no caraway in her “Slow Mediterranean Kitchen” recipes. How do you make yours? Is there a “proper” or “authentic” Harissa recipe or is it basically a generic name for a spicy condiment? Elie

1- Johnny Walker Black Label on the rocks or 2- a VERY dry Grey Goose Martini with 2 olives. Elie

ok, can someone please explain to me how can Bruni secure several reservations (4 I think) in such a short time while res. are so hard to come by supposedly? how does this work? Elie

What is the best way to store these for maximum flavor protection? Is refrigerating or freezing ok? Elie edit to fix typo

Wow, I think this is the best price for these I have seen yet. I might have to give them a try. Thanks for the tip. Elie

Here’s my basic Baba Ghanooj recipe/method: -Roast a whole large eggplant (skin on), preferably on a charcoal grill. This is what gives it a smoky flavor, I seriously doubt the Lebanese restaurant you were at actually smoked the eggplant. Make sure you prick a few holes in it with a fork before roasting/grilling. Roast until it is very soft, you can tell by squeezing it gently with a pair of tongs. - When it is cooked through let the eggplant cool to a manageable temperature, then peel the skin off or simply cut in half and scrape the flesh out. -The rest of the ingredients are pretty much to taste, you can add more or less of them. I like to throw in 2 garlic cloves in the food processor first and chop them up with a few turns, then add the eggplant flesh and process some more. Now add a few tablespoons of tahini (maybe ¼ cup), be careful with this, you do not want it to be overpowering and you can always add more later. Last goes in lemon juice, cumin (about a teaspoon), and salt, all to taste but I like mine on the tangy side. Process till the mixture is nice and smooth. -Serve garnished with chopped parsley, a few dashes of paprika or cayenne and drizzled with virgin olive oil. Sorry I have no exact amounts but it really is very simple to make. If you omit the tahini sauce and add olive oil, then you have “the poor man’s caviar” another excellent eggplant dish. Like Jason and many others said, a strong raw garlic taste is essential as is a cumin...for me at least. To give it an extra dimension add some pomegranate molasses isntead of lemon juice. Elie

Keep us updated

Ok, it’s been almost 2 months now and I am not sure if the mother is dead or still active. How can I tell? It just seems to be at the bottom of the jar and does not look like it is spreading/growing. Elie

I am sure the bad Pita bread is the culprit. Once you try a good Falafel wrap with nice soft bread, you will never go back to platters. Elie

I think I know what you are talking about. The Octopus sandwiches are amazing, you can get very good ones in El-Mina as well as out of this world spicy fish sandwiches (samke harra) at a place called -if I am not mistaken- Abu Fadi. Elie

A crispy Pita with Falafel is alwasy dissapointing to me as well. These sound very good, what exactly goes into Israeli salad? Rachel- I love the Falafel bar idea (I chose to ignore the crispy Pita for now ). I wonder how come we do not have them here in Houston? Maybe I should open one up. I am a little confused about not being able to eat it neatly though? Even the largest Falafel sandwiches I've had were not harder to eat than a regular burger. Is the falafel not wrapped properly maybe? Elie

Houston Chronicle Dining Guide: Depend on La Fendee Alison Cook reviews this latest Middle Eastern eatery. their Babba Ghanooj sounds excellent. A force to be reckoned with Dai Hyunh talks sandwiches, from Shawarma to Torta, and wher to getg your fix in Houston. Houston Press Dining: Fruits of Franchising Robb Walsh cools down at La Paletera. I have to try one of those popsicles!!! Elie