Andrew Fenton
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Posts posted by Andrew Fenton
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Ah yes. It's always good fun to watch Bourdain serve up a delicious dish of snark, using as ingredients only the hand that fed him...
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I find that, as often as not, it pays to know what a Chinese restaurant's specialties are. Often, hidden among the pages of beef-with-broccoli, there will be a few dishes that reflect a regional identity, or are just really good. That's certainly the case in big cities-- you don't order all menu items at all restaurants-- but it's also true in smaller ones.
One of the best Chinese meals I've had was at a restaurant in a strip mall in suburban Cincinnati. It's not a hotbed of immigration, as far as I know; but we went with a couple of Chinese friends, who knew what to order, and were able to convince the servers that yeah, we really did want to order that room-temperature tripe dish. I'm not sure it was even on the menu, but we did order it, and it was fantastic.
That's the tricky part, and it's been addressed in many threads in the past: how do you persuade the restaurant to bring out the good stuff, and not the stuff they assume you want? If you can do it, you'll have a better chance of getting a good meal.
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The best outdoor dining spot...
If you were on Jeopardy on TV, the question would be..
"What is the code name of James Bond's immediate Boss"
Hint : Dame Judi Dench.
Vadouvan, I think you haven't watched Jeopardy, or you'd see the problem with asking a question...
Just sayin', is all; and the suggestion is a very good one.
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Okay, I didn't think of it for a while, and this is maybe overkill. But overkill is what the interweb is for, right? Anyway, some photos of the jar-froth method:
EXHIBIT ONE: cold skim milk in a clean jar. (The windowsill-- where the light is good-- isn't so clean, as that's where the cats sit. Please ignore the footprints. Thanx.)
EXHIBIT TWO: the milk, shaken for around 30 seconds, then microwaved for another 30 seconds. Please note the large increase in volume. There's still some hot, unfrothed milk at the bottom of the jar.
INTERLUDE: while I'm doing this, the coffee's a-brewin'.
And finally, EXHIBIT THREE: a cup of coffee topped with froth.
As you can see, this produces a very stiff foam. Usually I shake it a little less, to get a softer foam. I imagine that a higher-fat milk would also produce a softer foam.
CONCLUSION: this is one of those situations where the easy, cheap and effective all come together to produce an optimal result. Rock!
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"The Wonderful Wizard of Ooze?"
You could have your sandwiches delivered.
By FLYING MONKEYS.
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And aren't we awaiting a review from one of our regular posters?!?
Bah, it's only been a week...
Anyway, we had a very nice dinner at James last Friday. I started with a Martini-- a drink I don't often order, but which seemed called for on a warm almost-spring evening-- which hit the spot nicely.
For an appetizer, we split the pappardelle. I'd been a little skeptical about this-- chocolate? seems like kind of a stunt pasta, y'know?-- but I enjoyed it. The duck is rich, and the shaved chocolate gets all melty, sort of like Parmesan cheese from an alternate universe. Whoa.
The missus had the veal loin, which was pretty good: straightforward, flavorful. Phil is absolutely right in praising the presentation, though; all the dishes were lovely, including this one.
I had the pink snapper with baby artichokes two ways: fried and raw/dressed. The fish was really lovely, and the artichokes were wonderful: tiny and delicious. This is one of the best dishes I've had in a while.
For dessert, we had the cheese plate. No fudgy aftermath, thank goodness: instead, a Delice de Bourgogne, Hoch y Brig and a third: maybe Red Hawk? Again, the presentation was lovely. The Delice was particularly nice, in a little tuile ice cream cone. They're also not afraid to pair cheeses with savory accompaniments (the cone wasn't sweet, and one of the cheeses came with a tapenade), so kudos there.
Service was enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable, and I had a good time. My wife liked it better than Osteria, for a few reasons, mainly because she was more interested in the menu. I don't know that I'd go that far; and it's not an apples-apples comparison anyway. But by any measure, it was a very good meal, and I'll be happy to head back.
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I received in the mail the "charter issue" of Cook's Country. I'd describe it as basically Cook's Illustrated for Dummies. There's very little discussion of the science and technique behind recipes, and the recipes themselves are pretty middle-of-the-road stuff. Cook's Illustrated at least makes a nod to teaching technique, and to presenting a broad spectrum of modern cooking (with recipes for dishes like biryani and enchiladas). Cook's Country, on the other hand, seemed geared towards 30-minute meal sorts of dishes, and focused on stuff like hamburgers and brownies.
I chose not to subscribe.
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It's sad that they disco-ed DC with Splenda... Zero has that nefarious sweetener Aspartame. Along with that, Diet 7UP just disco-ed Splenda and went back to aspartame!!!
Is aspartame cheaper, or is there another reason for these companies to prefer it?
"Disco"?
Oh wait, you mean "discontinue". Nothing to do with ABBA.
Anyway, are you sure that Diet Coke with Splenda has been discontinued? I just bought a 12-pack of it yesterday.
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I find the constant use of the phrase "pan fried" very irritating. As opposed to what ? Sink fried ? Microwave fried ?
deep fried?
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I was told by one of their well dressed delivery drivers
They are well-dressed, aren't they? We went back last week, and I was struck that all the guys waiting around to deliver orders were wearing ties. Not something you see very often.
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Ah, too many places! The store I was thinking of is indeed on Walnut, next to the 7-11: it's "International Spices" or something like that. Anyway, they did have dhansak masala, so I'm all set.
Ducksredux, I take your point about the relative freshness of whole spices vs. mixes. The thing is that I cook Indian food so rarely that I hesitate to buy the spices for it. (In fact, that's one of the reasons why I rarely cook Indian, Chinese, etc. food. I don't really have the space for a separate section of spices, oils, etc., and I figure they'll go bad/ lose their flavor before I get to them; I'd rather get them from a restaurant. But that's another topic.)
If/when I do get more into Indian cooking, I'll head out to Bensalem, for sure.
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Andrew, a few years ago it was almost impossible to find it, but lately I have seen it at a few places. Not sure of specific places in Philly, but anyplace with a decent Indian spice stock should have it or be able to order it for you.
You could make your own by grinding a mixture of Coriander seeds, chillies, tumeric, cummin, badyan (star anise), bay leaves, pepper, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon and garlic. Some versions also have some pumpkin.
That actually isn't too bad: I have most of the items on the list, and the others aren't hard to find. I was planning to make the dhansak tomorrow, so I'll check to see if I can find the premade masala today. If not, I'll whip up a batch myself. If I fail utterly, I may just take you up on your offer of leftovers.
Ducksredux, why don't you like the 42nd and Chestnut (that's right-- not Walnut) place?
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Plus, it mixes better with alcohol, and that's important. No cloying aftertaste to fight with the rum.
See, there's somebody who has her priorities in the right place. Kudos!
For what it's worth, I agree with kellycolorado's observation that Coke Zero tastes like European Coca-Cola Light:
I got a bottle of Coke Zero for my husband to try- I haven't had diet sodas in a few years, but it reminds me a lot of the Coca Cola light in europe we had a few years ago( in Italy and France I believe) which was also made of a combination of diet sweeteners. Actually I wonder if it is the same thing. It tastes OK at first.... and then that aftertaste kicks in!I'd have to do a head-to-head taste test to know for sure, but I've drunk a lot of Coca-Cola Light, and Coke Zero seems like a dead ringer to me.
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Okay, where's the best spot for Indian groceries in Philly? In the past, I've gone to the store on Walnut Street in West Philadelphia (next to the 7-11 at around 42nd St.) Where else is good?
In particular, I'm looking for dhansak masala; I'm planning to follow Percy's recipe for dhansak (which was stupendous when he made it; we'll see how I do). Percy, do you have any recommendations for a source?
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i like a big pile of barbacoa, though, so maybe a return visit is in order. or maybe i'll hit that up in south philly on sunday... mmmm weird spaghetti....
You think it's open on Easter? Because I'd definitely up for some goaty goodness. And odd spaghetti...
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Quickly, the top five were Mama's cheese steak (sentimental favorite, but deserving nonetheless), the veal marrow on toast with pink sea salt from Ansill, the raspberry ganache Easter Eggs from John and Kira's, the Thousand Layer bread with chicken curry from Rangoon and the lime gelato (either with ginger or cilantro) from Capogiro Gelato.
Those are some good choices, dude. That 1000 layer bread is probably one of my top ten favorite dishes in Philadelphia (though I prefer the potato curry as an accompaniment). I've been meaning to go to Mama's for ages now. Some day...
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I think it's a typo. Canella means "cinnamon" (which I suppose could be a pasta name, though it seems strange). I don't think that canela (with one L) is an Italian word at all.
Canela with one L has been used by the Portugese for Cinnamon.
And? Last time I checked, Osteria isn't a Portugese (or Brazilian) restaurant.
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It's like at Sunday's Brewers' Plate, where someone asked me which beer I liked best. Silly question. I paraphrased the old Yip Harburg lyric: When I'm Not Near the Beer I Love, I Love the Beer I'm Near." Same with mussels. Or pizza. Or Chocolate. Or just about any other food.
Whereas I'd respond with the old Hank Williams lyric: "there's a tear in my beer, 'cause I'm cryin' for you, dear." Which doesn't necessarily have much to do with the subject at hand; but hey, do you really need a reason to quote Hank? Of course not.
Anyway, of course calling one restaurant's mussels (or anything else) is artificial. I think we all understand that there's a big ol' IN MY OPINION implicit in each and every one of the posts in this thread. But given that understanding, where's the harm in ranking one's favorites? If you're explicit about the criteria you use-- which mussels have the most flavorful broth? which joint always presents a perfectly-cooked batch?, etc.-- then brother, you've got yourself a list.
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I think it's just a typo, intending to be "candele", but is there such a thing as "canela" pasta? There are so many names for the various shapes and formulations that I can't keep up, so there might be... I'm just curious!
I think it's a typo. Canella means "cinnamon" (which I suppose could be a pasta name, though it seems strange). I don't think that canela (with one L) is an Italian word at all.
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Sounds like a terrific dinner, David. Folks out in that neck of the woods are lucky to have TT around.
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The steak sounds great, Todd. Potato croquettes, yum!
Another very good BYOB steak can be found at Rx. It's $25, I think. But you can get it as part of their midweek prix fixe for a $5 supplement, which is a great deal.
(you know, I haven't been back to Rx since the fall. I'll have to rectify that situation soon.)
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I'm sorry, but if "fudgy aftermath" is a phrase that the waiter has practiced, and gives to all his customers-- as opposed to a spontaneous mistake for "aftertaste"-- then he ought to be fired. Or at least given a remedial English lesson. Because "fudgy aftermath" is just gross.
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I know Professor Fenton has mentioned Marra's.
Really? I'm not sure I've ever had Marra's mussels; maybe a couple from somebody else's order, but never a full order of my own. Not that lack of direct experience has ever stopped me from sharing my opinion in the past, but I think you may be confusing me with somebody else. Perhaps this Shack attack:
My wife and I have for years always loved going to Marra's for pizza and mussels (red). It's been a wihle because we had little kids but we brought them last night (after 5 years probably) and its just like we remember. The kids were so well behaved and ate so much I think we can begin our regular visits again. My little 2 yr old was slurping the red sauce from a mussel shell - my genes, good boyAnyway, Evan's recommendation, plus Marra's reputation for mussels suggests that it'd be worth a go; whether or not they're the best mussels per se, they've gotta be the best mussels and pizza combination in the city.
Left pie out overnight
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
Funny, the current issue of Cook's Illustrated-- which arrived at my house a day or two ago-- raises this same question. I don't have it at hand, but their response was that cooked fruit pies have enough acid to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. They specifically mentioned pies such as berry or apple, but I'd imagine the same would be true of lemon pie.
They do recommend refrigerating cream pies, though.