Blue Heron

Over the years, I have seen many good recipes calling for flambe or lighting alcohol in preparation of a dish. I've always wished I could try this, but I am too overcome with fear to even attempt. Can one do this in a home kitchen, or is it best left to professionals? I have a hood over my stove...I don't want it to catch on fire (or myself for that matter). How dangerous is it? Does one need to go to a special class to learn?

hahaha. Good one! ;-)

Bleach... yes! I am also a fan of Chlorox w/bleach spray (or any other spray with bleach in it). I also highly recommend Lysol w/Bleach TB cleaner for the TB. The bleach in it really makes the difference. And I add a little chlorox bleach in with my Tide detergent, to get my white clothes clean. now, getting this back to related to food...For white linens, like my dinner napkins, I use Biz (non-chlorine bleach) to remove stains. Thanks for the tip on Mr. Clean Top Job.

Does anyone have a preference on what to use to clean tile floors? I use swiffer-wet on my Armstrong vinyl kitchen floor...cleans like a dream. But I'm never sure what to use on our tile halls and entry way (thus they don't get cleaned very often, just swept). Any suggestions? Would swiffer-wet be too harsh for them?

I was reading an article about socks yesterday, that might pertain to your question. The podiatrist was saying that her least favorite sock fabric was cotton, because among other things, cotton holds onto moisture (causing athlete's foot, etc). Using that same principal for dish cloths...perhaps once wet, it takes longer to dry out than a sponge, thus allowing bacteria to grow faster and thus causing smell? I don't know, just a lame theory. Also, I agree with you, growing up with a few germs is probably good for us (look at what Mexican's can eat without getting sick (not to pick on Mexico...ditto for food & water in many other countries that can upset our delicate digestive system). And you're right about the overuse of anti-bacterial soaps. We're creating super-drug resistant bacteria....a real problem for the scientists to come up with new and improved super anti-biotics. ...yechh, the hard to treat flesh eating bacteria come to mind. (Edited by Blue Heron at 9:45 am on Jan. 21, 2002)

actually, I confess, I do use frozen veggies sometimes. When I make meatloaf, or Joe's Special, I always use frozen chopped spinach. I also like frozen peas in something like Paella, or clear chicken broth Chinese soups. Frozen corn is good in Black Bean & Corn salad. Also, Trader Joe's frozen green beans, I think they are called baby French Green Beans, and come in a clear cellophane package in the freezer section, are pretty good, too. But, mostly I use fresh veggies when I can. Canned is the worst, and I hate when my husband comes home from the grocery with canned veggies (he likes them). I can dress up canned green beans with sauteed butter, onion and bacon, but some of the others are more difficult. Did you make a cream sauce for your fettucini or olive oil? Where is girlchow? I hope she has recovered from being sick.

thank you for the recipe. I'll be sure to get some of the nam prik pow you described... I love tips like that. Maybe I'll surprise my Thai friend and cook up some thai style gai-lin for her...won't she be surprised. She doesn't go to Thai restaurants because as she said, she can cook better Thai food at home. I also asked her about massaman curry when we had the earlier thread about it, and she said the Thai curries over here don't have enough flavor or spiciness (which is different than being 4 stars hot). ps..I also like Oscar Meyer bacon. As for the Trader Joe's Southern Blend, it isn't frozen. (frozen...frozen...we don't use no stinkin' frozen vegetables, at least not often). They come in a cellophane package like the pre-washed baby spinach or salads in the produce section. I'm glad you asked, so I can adjust the recipe to reflect fresh greens. Ditto for our garden greens. We cook them fresh and then chop them for our creamed chard and creamed spinach. Back to Joe's Simple Greens... We substitute 1 C. beef bouillon (made from Swiss paste, but cubes would work fine) for the vegetable broth. I think you could also use chicken broth with good results, too.

oops...I made a mistake on my earlier post. The Trader Joe's (Fresh) Southern Greens Blend package doesn't contain Kale. It contains fresh mustard, turnip, collards and spinach...1 lb for Ū, cut, cleaned and ready to cook (but I wash it anyway). I was at Trader Joe's today and picked up a pack, along with a good supply of cheeses, wine, etc. This is the recipe on the back that I like: Simple Greens - serves 4 1 lb. pkg. Joe's Southern Greens blend..these are fresh not frozen 1 clove garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 1/2 C. chopped green onion 2 T. Olive oil 1 C. vegetable broth 1 C. tomato juice salt, pepper and marjoram to taste Grated Parmesan cheese Sautee garlic & onion in olive oil in a pot large enough to hold greens. Add vegetable broth and tomato juice. Bring to a boil. Add greens & seasonings. Cover & cook over low heat for 35 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese & serve. I like mamster's idea of using curry in his greens. Sounds good, I'd like to try it. Any others? (Edited by Blue Heron at 11:06 am on Jan. 20, 2002)

mamster, your idea about using a bar mop towel to wipe hands sounds great. I'm forever using paper towels (Bounty, by the way). I have a question...where do you buy these bar mop towels? Are they the same thing as a white terry wash cloth that one can buy a big pack at Costco, or is it more like a flour sack tea towel or other type tea towel? Do I go to a restaurant supply house? Can a regular person even buy things in a restaurant supply house?

Next person to vote will put egullet above foodtv.com. we're at 4844 after my vote gets counted this morning. foodtv has 4848.

mamster, would you be willing to share one of your favorite vegetable recipes with us? I was surprised to read that 1200 Bistro did such a lousy job on the Kale. For a delicious kale recipe, I loved the recipe on the back of the huge package of mixed greens (kale, turnip, mustard) that I bought at Trader Joes. (It's the recipe that called for tomato juice). I recommended it to my neighbor, and she also tried it and loved it. Maybe 1200 Bistro should try it. During the garden months, I make a lot of creamed spinach and creamed chard. I don't use a recipe, but basically I sautee about 1/2 chopped onion in olive oil until cooked, add about 2 T. flour, cook 2 minutes stirring, add 1-2 t. swiss beef bouillon paste (you could substitute 1/2 c. canned bouillon I think, but adjust other liquids), add some sliced or grated cheese like jack or other easy meltable cheese, stir and let melt a bit, add maybe 1/c - 1/2 c. milk, and maybe 1 or 2 T vermouth (optional), stir, add nutmeg, pepper to taste. It should not be too thin or creamy at this point, but more of a loose glob. To this, I add microwaved chopped chard or chopped new zealand spinach with maybe 2 T of cooking liquid (those great nutrients) . If it is too thick, I add a little more milk. I serve this as a main course, with boiled potatoes on the side. You could also add your favorite meat to the side, or as we do once in awhile, a freshly cooked still warm hard boiled egg on the side. Can't think of too many memorable restaurant vegetable dishes. One that comes to mind is the Wild Ginger's Sezchuan Green Beans...they're good! Also when we used to go to Honey Court, they did a great job on baby bok choy.

I always put my sponge in the dishwasher every time I run it, along with those little green scour pads. I've done this for years. My husband recently gave me some flack over this, claiming it doesn't kill the germs, but I disagree. I also recently read an article in the Seattle Times on germs that if you drop a carrot (or similar) into your sink, and one also into your toilet, the one in the toilet would be safer to eat (germ wise).. I find that hard to believe, but then I'm not a germ expert. I don't suggest you try this at home :-) ps...for some shocking germ info .... (Edited'>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin....(Edited by Blue Heron at 9:30 am on Jan. 18, 2002)

Back in the early 80's when I used to make fried Vietnamese Spring rolls, I was advised by my vietnamese friend to use lumpia for the wrappers (for the fried version). It's found in the freezer section, from Phillapines if my memory serves me. It made the most wonderful crispy spring rolls, very different than the chinese style. They were so good, I don't know why I don't make them any more...maybe I should, just thinking about them gives me a craving for them. I've never tried to make the fresh version. Thanks for the recipe, I will be sure to try.

My swiss friends lament that one the of the main problems making a rosti in the States is that we don't have the same potato over here. The best potato to duplicate, though, would be a yukon gold. We also use russets or whatever we have on hand, but results vary. Anyway, one boils the potato in the skin until it's done, or some cook to 2/3 done. The key is to let the potato rest overnight, or if in a hurry, 4 hours in the fridge. That firms it up. Then peel and grate, using a large coarse grate. In the non-stick fry pan, use oil mixed with butter, for best flavor. As it's cooking, don't disturb until a good crust has formed on the bottom, other than pushing the potatoes down to form 1 large flat potato pancake. Season with salt & pepper. Then I put a larger plate than the pan over the pan, and flip. The pancake should be on the plate at this point. Then you slide the pancake back in the pan with more oil, to get a crust on that side, too. It doesn't always work perfectly, and then you just sort of piece it together again. I also like mine pretty crispy throughout, so if it looks like the middle isn't crispy enough, I fiddle with it a bit to make sure it's crisped to my liking, and then I reform my pancake. I usually serve this for breakfast or brunch in lieu of hashbrowns, but it also works will paired with a salad, sausage, or pork chops, or other meat, and maybe some green beans. Sometimes I cheat and use the foil packaged precooked rosti. This is a swiss product that you can sometimes find in German markets. It's the next best thing, just be sure to season it, and use a spatter guard when you use this product, as it really spatters. Some brands are Hero, St. Galler, and Kadi. ps.. another tip. Be sure to use a large fry pan, and don't use so many potatoes, that your pancake is too thick, or else you will have a problem getting the middle part crisped up. Pressing down on it also helps. (Edited by Blue Heron at 10:23 am on Jan. 10, 2002)

Are you talking about Swiss Rosti? I have never heard of a Rosti made by grating raw potatoes. In all the recipes I've seen, tried, and watched my Swiss friends and in-laws make, the potatoes are always cooked (boiled) first, refrigerated for at least a few hours or overnight, and then peeled and grated. They are dry this way, no need to dry or spin them. The rest of the recipe follows as you've described. The addition of other grated vegetables sounds very intriguing and delicious! Will have to give it a try. A few rare Swiss also add apple, more add onion, bacon, or cheese. (Edited by Blue Heron at 6:27 pm on Jan. 8, 2002)

I did a quick google search, and found the Seattle Weekly staff's 100 Favorite's article includes Typhoon and Tup Tim Thai, mentioning their massaman curry...who knows, maybe worth a try. I'>http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0117...ules5.shtml I haven't had massaman curry before, but as a side note to Thai Restaurants...mamster, or others... have you tried Thai Tom in the University district? It is my new favorite Thai place....great food, great show (best to sit at the counter and when it's not busy, it's really small).

Jim & Andy, Thanks for the recommendation on 'Bone', (and for Gone Bamboo, which I was also wondering about). Also for the tip on Dibdin, who I hadn't heard of before. I'm always looking for good mysteries, and combined with food, all the better. Even though I thought Bourdain's mobster violence might be too grisley, I had to remember, my favorite TV show is CSI, followed by Alias, that CIA gal who can really kick !!@*!. I think I can handle 'Bone'. Thanks!

My step mom received one this Christmas from an east coast relative. We looked at it and couldn't quite figure it out. I'm not sure if she's tried it yet. I'll send her the link, and Peter's interesting description of the origins...thanks. It does seem an unusual concept to store butter upside down, on top of water. If I am imagining this correctly, then you must wipe the water off the butter each time you use it? (Edited by Blue Heron at 11:32 am on Jan. 6, 2002)

Has anyone read his novel 'Bone in the Throat'? Any comments? I just checked it out from the library thinking it would be a mystery combined with food...perfect, since I love mysteries. However, after reading the jacket flap, it seems like more of a comedy, but an amazon review said it was a story of mob murder, dismemberment, and torture...ugh, sounds grisly. Just not sure now if I still want to read it. Is it a food mystery comedy horror novel? Any recommendations or clarifications appreciated. Thanks.

We ended up giving Top Gun a try on New Year's Day. It turned out to be a good choice. Not only was the Dim Sum excellent, we had good service, too. There must have been 6 or 7 waitresses/waiters going around with carts and they were very patient with me as I asked what everything was, and gave me some recommendations. One steered me away from tripe, which I wanted to try saying that the shrimp was much better, etc. If you go, GC was right, the hum bow was great. Actually everything we tried was good. Our favorite was fried prawn sandwiched between 2 slices of fried eggplant, and wonderfully sauced, don't know what it was called. Also the spareribs were a standout, also a dumpling thing with bay shrimp, pork and spinach (which was better than the dumpling with just shrimp in it). I need to learn the names of these dim sums, that would be helpful. I'd also love to try dim sum in SF or Portland sometime.

Did anyone try these champagnes besides Yvonne? How were they? The only one we tried was a bottle of Moet & Candon White Star NV, for New Year's Eve. We thoroughly enjoyed it, too. Thanks! Wish I could have tried more, but there was just the 2 of us.

I've still been wondering about this place, but haven't been yet. I did another citysearch.com search on it. 20 people have supposedly reviewed this place so far, mostly really negative. Not a good sign. Or it could be one unhappy competitor, posting 20 negative remarks ...I never know how much to trust those reviews. I guess for now, I'll stick to the sushi bars and traditional Japanese places.

I've got to learn to spell... that should have been bourdain.

Welcome IslandMom. There is a place called China Gate in the ID near Honey Court...could that be the place you are thinking of? On an unrelated note.. did anyone notice egullet's newest (860) member (boudain)? (see mamster's thread on Food & News re: boudain's new book). Now I've really got to get that book!

I would also like to hear more about it (the New Year's deal). I checked on the BOB website, and didn't see it mentioned.