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slarochelle

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Everything posted by slarochelle

  1. I was wondering that also. I thought the chat was little hostile too. Guess it's the pressure of the holidays. I wonder how many drinks at lunch it will take him (Tom S) to forget about it.
  2. Content-wise, the show didn't seem much different then Tyler's Ultimate. "Let me show you how various people/regional areas make a certain dish". I thought the show would be him discussing/visiting/making Italian-American dishes, as opposed to the classical Italian he usually does. I was looking forward to it, but I guess I've been let down. After seeing the premier, I wouldn't make a point to watch it, but I'd stop flipping if I saw it were on. I'll stick to Molto Mario.
  3. Very cool looking. That first picture looks like it could be in a brochure. Thanks for posting them. Steve
  4. Just to bring this thread back up in the list......I'm sure many people would like to see the finished result and hear any final comments you have now that the construction has been completed for a few months.
  5. Jason, I'd like to see the pics of the finished kitchen too. I think our kitchen/dining area layout are very similar, and we may be going through a major kitchen remodel in the near future. And while you are at it, how about a final summary of the remodeling experience. Anything you'd do differently? Anything you're glad you did? It would be a nice way to close out that thread. Steve
  6. There was an article on them in the Post some time ago, and like you, I didn't realize they were "around the corner". I stopped by their Rockville facility, bought a couple pounds and got a quick tour. Wasn't much to see actually.....a few roasting machines and many, many sacks of raw beans. But the coffee was good, and quickly became my preferred brand. They are opening (opened?) a coffee shop and more (art display, live entertainment?) in downtown Silver Spring. That should be a more interesting place to visit.
  7. I've been using Washington's Green Grocer for almost a year and think it is great. The quality is better then what you'll find in large grocery chains; the vegetables/fruits are fresher and keep longer then what you can get at Giant, Safeway, etc. I'm sure you can get fresher, more selection, better prices through a local farmers market; but I don't have time to. Price wise, I think its a little more expensive then buying the same basket of goods at Fresh Fields, but Fresh Fields isn't at my door when I get home from work, so the extra ~$5 a week is worth it. I've turned some friends and coworkers onto them also. They like it for the same reasons I do; better quality and convenience. True, you are limited to what fruits/veg they have on hand, but that's never caused me a problem. I usually take the offering as is, with minor additions (garlic, lemons, limes, herbs) and occasional changes. My wife's a vegetarian and I rarely cook beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc. The service works well for us because we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. For the most part, I plan our meals around what's being delivered. They've even gotten me to try vegetables and dishes I never would have had otherwise. Since there is no commitment, I'd say it is definitely worth trying it for a couple weeks. If anyone's interested, I still have their weekly emails and can post what they've made available. Steve
  8. I had the same Kitchen Aid mentioned above....fat jar, leaky bottom. I purchased it ~5 years ago, and KA has since changed the design of the jar. Still fat, but the leak problem is gone. The old jar was attached to a collar (for lack of a better term), which then attached to the base/motor. All that held the jar to the collar was 1/4 turn of the jar in the collar with tabs then holding the jar and collar together. One wrong move after blending and the jar moves off the tabs...suddenly everything in the jar is on its way out, via the bottom. KA fixed the problems by creating a new collar that screws onto the jar, ~2 revolutions need to affix the jar to the collar, not 1/4. Anyway, I emailed KA customer service to ask if they would replace my old jar and collar for a new jar and collar. After some cordial back and forth (responses w/in a couple days), they offered to replace my blender for a refurbished newer design. Two weeks later I had the new model in hand, and the old one back to them. No shipping cost on my side, they didn't even ask for a credit card to insure return.
  9. I used ricotta salata, and it does crumble. There is a slight mush happening at the same time.....some of the crumbling end ups stuck to your finger, which was fine with me. But overall, it crumbled nicely. The dish was a success. Fresh made pasta, steamed leaf spinach, canned plum tomato, and the salata. It had an amazingly fresh taste. Very nice, considering it was ~ 20 degrees outside when we had dinner. Again, thanks everyone for your input. Steve
  10. So, FoodMan, if you are familiar with the recipe, have you tried it? As Jimnyo said, it is Jamie Oliver, so it's not about exactness. I'm sure I'm being more anal about it then need be. But now I have an excuse to try something new, ricotta salata, and will know the difference when I hit the store for it. Although it doesn't specifically say salata, its crumbliness is what I want. Thank you all.
  11. La Nina, it definitely said "ricotta (pref Buffalo)", no mention of salata. HOWEVER, in the same book was another recipe w/ "ricotta (pref Buffalo)" (but not crumbled), and in the picture, it looked like a slice of feta, but more creamy. Unfortunately there is no picture of the dish in question. Maybe I should mention this is from a Jamie Oliver cookbook. Could ricotta salata be the standard in England? Steve Washington DC - ish
  12. I've got a pasta recipe that calls for crumbled ricotta (preferably Buffalo). I don't think I've used Buffalo ricotta before, but if it's like the ricotta I have used, it's not something that would "crumble". Feta, that would crumble. Ricotta? Seems to have too much moisture to crumble. Not as much as say, cottage cheese, but enough to make crumbling a challenge. Am I missing something? Will the standard ricotta give the same effect? Steve (FWIW, the recipe is pasta w/tomato, spinach and crumbled ricotta)
  13. At Dusit, I've had (and enjoyed) the red and green curries, drunken noodles, and a couple others (can't remember w/out menu here). My wife's always loved whatever vegetarian item she's gotten, although we haven't checked on the use of fish sauce. We have heard that some Asian cultures consider fish products to still be vegetarian. As a result, and because of an argument with Oodles Noodles (?) Bethesda management, we aren't eating there ever again. Oh, and the potato puff curry at Dusit is delicious. I'd like to figure out how to make the filling...... Steve
  14. If you are in the Rockville area, Wheaton is just down the road. On University, east of Georgia Ave is Dusit (sp?), a great Thai place. The restaurant is nothing fancy but the food is always great; it's our take-out choice, so the decor (or lack of it) is irrelevant. A friend who spent a summer in Thailand said the food/flavors are pretty authentic.
  15. Malawry, As usual, a great read. I'm looking forward to more Grapeseed trailing stories, and eventually reports from externing. I've seen the kitchen at Grapeseed and can't imagine not being in the way there. It seems small enough to be crowded with two people, much less three or four. Steve
  16. This same topic was just covered in the latest Cooks Illustrated (Nov/Dec issue). Their testers came to the following conclusions: None could tell the difference between curly and flat when used as part of a dish; stew, sauce, seasoning, etc. However, when the parsley was to be the primary component, flat leaf had the better taste. Less bitter, fresher. The first dish that comes to mind where parsley is the primary flavor component is pasta with garlic, oil and parsley. I can imagine curly leaf parsley being too bitter for the dish.
  17. Suggestion for which side to place the garbage disposal......I don't remember from your pics exactly how everything is set up, but I'd put the disposal in the sink that's on the same side of the counter on which you expect to do most of your prep work. So you can easily slide in the scraps. Another thing to consider; do you plan on using the space under either side of the sink? If the disposal takes up space underneath, you'll be limited to shorter items, like cleaning products, instead of a waste or recycling basket. Steve
  18. Congratulations on the test result. I know it's not as high as you expected, but it's nearing perfection and I'm sure the instructors have high standards. Regarding trailing in DC/Bethesda professional kitchens, is that something chefs/owners are accustomed to doing? Are there any liability issues with having a non-employee around the equipment, food and customers? Is it common for students to trail at multiple restaurants before selecting one for the externship? I guess I'd like to hear more in general about how the trailing and externship process works. Thanks for keeping up with the reports, I hope you can continue them into your externship. Steve
  19. I usually keep my beans in the bag/container they came in, in the freezer. Scoop out whatever I need and grind. I never thought of "thawing" the beans before grinding. Are they really frozen to the point of needing to be thawed? My Krups grinder never had a problem. Have I been lacking something by not allowing my beans to thaw?
  20. slarochelle

    Potato Leek Soup

    Thanks for the input. SuzanneF, I would have added more cream, but I ran out. I didn't want to add more broth or water; I was afraid it would deaden the flavor. Actually when I saw it done (on a Jacques and Julia special maybe?), they said to use water only and that stock/broth would hide the flavor of the leek and potato. Even then, they only used enough water to cover the potatoes. I don't remember how much cream they used, but I'm sure I was way short. Next time; more leek, less potato (Yukon), maybe more water to cover potato, and keep more cream or half and half on hand, like a couple cups. Maybe then I'll get something that will be a consistency that can be served warm or chilled. Thanks all.
  21. I tried my hand at potato leek soup last night. I'd seen it enough on TV and figured I could do it without a recipe. The results tasted good, but did not turn out like expected. I was going for a smooth, thin soup, and got something more like paste, hardly pourable. What I did: Saute 1 1/2 leeks (usable end) sliced thin in butter for a few minutes. Added 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed. Stirred to coat w/leek and butter, added salt and let cook for another minute. Then covered with water, brought to boil, and returned to simmer till potatoes were tender. Removed it from the heat and took a stick blender to it, adding ~2 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup cream, pepper and salt to taste. Return to heat to keep warm. The outcome looked more like a mashed potato derivative then a soup. I was going for something that would cover the back of spoon, not something the spoon could stand up in. I think I had the proportions and potato wrong. Can someone here confirm this? Next time, I'll try 3 leeks and 1 potato, instead of 1 1/2 leek & 2 potato. I used a russet thinking the higher starch would help thicken things up. It looks like I don't need much help thickening things, maybe there's a better potato choice? Thanks, Steve
  22. Malawry, I don't mean to return you to old posts, but I made Kung Pao Tofu last night and remembered you had done the same (well, chicken at least) a few weeks ago, and loved it. I can't say I was as excited about my result. Even though our ingredient list was similar, somewhere our paths must have diverged. If you have a chance can you review my process and give me any pointers? I'll try to be brief. (FYI, I tried to follow the recent Cooks Illustrated Kung Pao Shrimp if you have that handy, modifying it for me and my vegetarian wife) 1 lb tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes and pressed/drained on paper towels for ~15 minutes. Marinated in 4 Tbsp rice wine, 4 Tsp soy sauce for 10 minutes. Pan fry (correct term?) in ~1/4 - 1/2 inch veg oil till golden brown, turning over when a side browns. When all is done (2 batches), drain on paper towel and salt. Sauté 1/2 cup peanuts in 1 Tbsp oil, with chili peppers. I wish I knew what kind they were.....got them at the Takoma farmers market (thanks for recommending it btw). 3 peppers were ~2 inches long, red, and a litter fatter then a pencil. They were halved and seeded. After a minute or two, remove peanuts and peppers, and save w/tofu. Tbsp veg oil back into non-stick 'wok'. Add 2 chopped red peppers, 1/2 inch pieces. Sauté for ~2 minutes. Add 2 tsp each minced garlic and ginger, and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Sauté another minute. Push peppers to sides of wok and add sauce mixture: 6 oz vegetable broth (from Whole Food veg powdered broth), 2 tbsp Hoisin (was supposed to be 1, and 1 of Oyster sauce, but I could not find vegetarian Oyster sauce, so I doubled up on Hoisin), 2-3 tsp corn starch, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar. Let that heat up a minute and mix with red peppers. Add reserved tofu, peanuts and chili pepper. Mix and cook another couple minutes till sauce has thickened. Add 3 sliced scallions. Serve with rice. What I didn't like about it was that it didn't have a "unified" taste The sauce was a little weak, and the dish tasted like everything was thrown together, yet still separate. It wasn't like take out Kung Pao, although maybe that was the point of the recipe, to replace the sauce drenched standard. Maybe that's what I wanted; Kung Pao sauce drenched tofu and peppers. Does my sauce sound like yours? You listed sugar, maybe I needed to sweeten mine up, or maybe it just wasn't enough for 2 peppers and 1 lb tofu (recipe in magazine was for 1 lb shrimp and 1 pepper). How would you have handled the same dish differently? Thanks for any input. Steve
  23. We're heading to a B&B in Nags Head in a few weeks for a 1 year wedding anniversary weekend. Does anyone have any dinner recommendations in the $75-150 range (for two, wine, tip incl)? I'm hoping for French, Italian, American; just about anything, as long as they offer vegetarian entrées other then "Vegetable Platter" (eggs and dairy ok). That's the wife's requirement; me, I'll take whatever is freshest, which I'd assume to be some sort of seafood. If that's not the case, please steer me in the right direction. Anything with an hours' drive would be great. While I'm in that area of NC, any regional dish I should try to experience? Lunch or dinner, fancy or not. Thanks, Steve
  24. I was very happy with the kosher deli platter I got from my (luckily) local family-owned grocery store. I don't know if delivery is an option though, but they are just off the beltway in Silver Spring if picking it up is a possibility. I placed my order one afternoon and picked it up the next morning. Everyone said the quality was fabulous. http://www.sniderfoods.com/ Good luck, Steve
  25. Malawry, I join all the others in saying thank you for chronicling your adventures in cooking school. I just found this site and your diary a couple days ago. Since then, I’ve read every post and am eagerly waiting for your next entry, and look forward to following you through the school. It’s a small world after all………I found your personal site (Malawry) while searching for the web site of a local family grocery store. It’s amazing what you find on Google; somewhere on your personal web site, you wrote a few paragraphs on your favorite food stores, and it was mentioned, as was the eGullet diary link. I still have not found the web site for the store, but I digress… If you didn’t already figure it out, I’m local; Silver Spring to be exact, grew up in Rockville. I’ve even taken a class at L’academie de Cuisine, the Bethesda location however; it was a one weekend recreational class. I did enjoy it, but would probably more enjoy/appreciate a more professional slant to the class, thus my interest in your writing. You mentioned having many “IT refugees” classmates. Deep down, I wonder if that’s where I’m headed. I’m in IT now and neither love nor hate my job/career. I doubt I’ll be able to do this for the next 30 years though; I guess I can be ambivalent about my work for only so long. I do enjoy cooking however and find myself wondering more and more if a career in the food industry would make me happy (happier). Your writings have already given me more to think about. Maybe one day I’ll make the same leap you’ve made. Enough about me; now a question for you, hopefully you didn’t already cover it. Class is over at 3:30. How do you (or classmates) spend evening/weekends outside of class as it pertains to the school? Is there a lot of reading? Do you go home and practice what you’ve done in class? Review notes? Work at a night/weekend job, in or out of the food industry? Again, thanks for allowing all of us to participate in your advancement, and thank you for introducing me to eGullet. Steve
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