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rlibkind

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by rlibkind

  1. When William Blight set sale on the HMS Bounty to the South Seas to collect breadfruit trees, his goal was to bring them to the Carribean to see if they could become a crop suitable for feeding slaves working sugar cane fields and refineries. You don't have to resort such extreme measures. They're available at Iovine Brothers Produce at the Reading Terminal Market for $1.99 a pound. When one of the cook's at the Down Home Diner, a native of Trinidad, spotted them he quickly grabbed a few for roasting. Despite its name, breadfruit is treated as as a vegetable, not a fruit. The fibrous flesh, a staple in many tropical regions, can be either roasted, baked, fried, steamed or boiled. It's taste and texture is loosely compared to potato or fresh-baked bread. In the Caribbean it is sometimes mashed with bacalao, olive oil and cooked onions. The seeds are also edible, and are likened to chestnuts in flavor and texture. Although primarily used as a substitute for other starchy vegetables, it can also be used as a pie filling, though usually in combination with chocolate, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, sweet yams or taro. The National Tropical Botanical Garden's website offers a number of recipes here.
  2. Beats me. I don't recall ever seeing that at the RTM. And I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone else in town who might have it. Maybe you can beg for some from the folks at Lacroix, it's usually served in the kitchen for the Sunday buffet. It's an interesting question, so I called Ippolito's. They've got seafood sausage . . . but it's a meat-derived casing. If you've got the time, you might consider making a very firm fish mousse/paté that you can float in the gumbo, though that would probably be too delicate.
  3. That was absolutely jarring, and made me think about sharks as hurdles.
  4. The addition of Beck's Cajun Cafe to the Reading Terminal Market brings a celebration of Mardi Gras next month. Becks will be supplying the food, including a giant pot of gumbo, with proceeds to benefit the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. A highlight will be the cutting of a King Cake at 1 p.m.; whoever gets the piece with the baby wins a prize. The festivities run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16, and will include Dixieland music. Now, if only someone would supply some Fastnachts, so we can enjoy Fat Tuesday in Pennsylvania Dutch fashion. During Dutch Country Meats brief tenure at the market a couple of years ago they brought in some Haegele's Bakery in the Northeast. Speaking of Haegele's, I just came across some interesting blog pages of photos and info about this 80-year-old landmark. To see them, visit The Dusty Cellar.
  5. Everyone's got their favs . . . and bones of contention here! I'll twist Alex's original question a little bit, interpreting it not as "which city has the best restaurants" but, as he originally put it, "the best cities for dining out". To find an answer to that question which has at least a little bit of quantitative analysis along with the qualitative, you've got to look at the relative populations, i.e., how many good restaurants per capita. On that basis, I'd wager NYC wouldn't do nearly as well as many other cities. I've visited a couple smaller Midwestern cities and university towns in the east and midwest that have far more excellent restaurants than you would think they would warrant based on population. Obviously, the per capita approach is no less flawed than any other, especially when dealing in matters of taste. The larger the city, the more quality restaurants it can support. But a city of 100,000 that can support half a dozen excellent restaurants is a "top city for dining" in my book.
  6. rlibkind

    Steel-cut Oats

    The Scots have been serving savory oatmeal for eons. They call it skirlie, and it can be used as a side dish to accompany just about any meat or as a stuffing for birds.
  7. Yes, it's much better. That's because what's between the walls of the bowl supplied with home ice cream makers (like my $50 Cuisinart) is, in essence, a freezer pack, much like you'd use to keep picnic goodies cool. In addition the food processors blade will create heat, which you definitely want to avoid! Just as important, the food processor will not create "overrun," i.e., add air to the mix, as is done by the rotation of the ice cream maker's bowl and/or mixing arm. Bottom line: I wouldn't even try using a food processor as an ice cream freezer. That said, you can find plenty of recipes on making home-made ice cream without an ice cream maker. They will be harder and more crystalline than what you could produce with a machine, but they will still be tasty. It will require frequent attention while freezing to break up the ice crystals as they form. Starting out with a rich, egg-based custard will also improve the odds of obtaining a creamier product. It's great consummed immediately, but doesn't have to be. In fact, I like it better after "aging" in the freezer for at least three or four hours. The rock-hard outcome can be an issue, and was the first couple times I made ice cream. But it need not be, and you don't even have to use commercial additives. Egg yolks contain lecithin, so you could go that route, making a custard-based ice cream. I usually just add a third of an envelope of unflavored gelatin to 1.5 quarts of base work; it works just fine. You also need to make sure you don't skimp on the sugar in making your base, since sugar helps keep ice cream soft. (I find it's especially important to use plenty of sugar in sorbets.) Replacing a little of the sugar with light corn syrup can help considerably, since it helps prevent crystallization. Alcohol, like sugar, doesn't freeze as easily as bases made without it, so feel free to add it as a flavoring (3 tbs. per quart; too much and your base won't freeze at all) or, if you don't want flavor, just its thermo influence, use unflavored vodka. In any event, after you've "aged" your ice cream, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before dishing out (or 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator compartment). Also, be aware that using fresh fruit can result in lots of hard pieces in your finished product. Again, I'm sure someone with more experience in ice-cream making than me can offer other solutions, but one would be to increase the sugar level of the fruit, often (assuming we're not talking delicate berries, here), by lightly cooking with sugar or, in the case of strawberries and similarly textured fruits, chopping to size, sugaring and letting them sit a while.
  8. A one-pound pack of strawberries for $9.99? Get used to it, at least for the next month or so. The freeze in Florida and heavy rains in California are taking their toll on off-season winter produce. At Iovine Brothers Produce at the Reading Terminal Market today, the clamshells of Driscoll California strawberries were as expensive as I've ever seen them, $9.99. In late January and into February, Iovines frequently features strawberries from Plant City, Floriday, at bargain prices, typically $1 or $2 for a one-pound pack. Don't expect to see them anywhere near that price this winter. The Florida freeze hasn't yet impacted citrus prices but Vinnie Iovine expects they'll start heading north over the next week or two. He's even, for all practical purposes, out of leeks! About one-third of Florida's total winter fruit and vegetable production has been lost to the freeze. The Dutch and other growers will take up some of the slack for some of the items, but they'll be priced to reflect the shortages caused by natural phenomena. Chilean fruit isn't expected to be heavily affected, since most of what they grow isn't duplicated during winter in California and Florida, but even the Chilean grapes have been dear, with better quality bunches selling for upwards of $4.99, though some smaller Chilean seedless grapes could be had for $1.99 today. Vinnie expects his display bins of specials will be heavy on the root vegetables, rather than fruit, in coming weeks. Supply, demand and inventory hold their sway over fish prices, too. At John Yi today the mackeral was selling for $1.99, vs. $2.49 yesterday -- they gotta move it before it becomes too old. Meanwhile, Golden priced mackeral today at $2.99. A similar price discrepancy could be found in sardines: $4.99 at John Yi and $1.99 at Golden; there was no discernable difference to my eye in size and quanity between the two fishmongers. Crowds were thick at the RTM at mid-morning today. Partly that was due to the opening of the home show across the street at the Convention Center, but also because of a soccer convention that ends today. Yesterday, DiNic's ran out of roast pork by 4:30 p.m., which Joe Nicolosi attributes to the soccer crowd.
  9. There's lots more room for piquant peppers at Iovine Brother's Produce at the Reading Terminal Market. In one of the refrigerated cases by the checkout a couple weeks ago, I spied nine varieties of hot (from mild to extreme) peppers. This is in addition to the bell, frying and Italian long hots found in the produce arks. Alas, all were pre-packaged in trays. The varieties: Serrano, Red Finger, Green Finger, Anaheim, Banana, Poblano, Habnero, Chilaca and Thai. Prices ranged from $2.99 to $7.99/pound.
  10. In case you haven't noticed, the Fair Food Farmstand has been importing a few items from quite some distance these days. Sea salt from Maine, oranges from Florida, salmon from Alaska. The latest are root vegetables -- parsnips, carrots and rutabagas -- from Deep Root Organic, a coop of 18 farms in Vermont. In the stall's weekly newsletter, product manager Emily Gunther is at pains to explain why: Pennsylvania farmers are only starting to exploit cold storage techniques for over-wintering produce, and Deep Root is ahead of the curve. She also emphasizes that Fair Food will only sell produce from Deep Root that is unavailable from more local farmers.
  11. Bill Beck has 86'd beignets at his Reading Terminal market counter, Beck's Cajun Cuisine. Reason: They've been awful. Although my first sampling found them just fine, with a reasonably light texture, he's had problems since. In two subsequent tastings, the outside was impossibly crunchy and the interior hollow. Beck's tried to figure out what's wrong, but for the time being decided to forget about them. And all this after spending bucks on a heavy-duty mixer whose sole purpose was to prep the dough. So, once again, the Reading Terminal Market will have to wait for a superior sweet fried dough.
  12. rlibkind

    Tomato Soup

    That's a great simple idea for a wintertime dinner. If you want something quick, don't even bother to roast veggies. Use a good canned tomato, sweat some veggies you like (I'd go for onion, garlic), heat up with the tomatoes (using as much or as little of the liquid as you like), adding whatever seasonings strike your fancy. Then puree with an immersion blender. Serve topped with chopped herbs parsley, or chives of whatever you like, croutons, etc. Or instead of croutons, rice, couscous or other grain of choice.
  13. Like most of the others above, I say Weber. I've had my Silver B (propane) for 10 years (and even moved it from Upstate NY to Philadelphia) and it's still going strong. I've only had to replace flavorizer bars and once, because I wasn't diligent enough in my cleaning, the grates. I don't think they make the Silver B anymore, but I think it would be just a tad small for your purposes. Assuming they make a similar grill in the size you need, go for it.
  14. I don't know about varieties, but in Pennsylvania Dutch country they frequently grow celery similarly to white asparagus, i.e., they mound the dirt over the stalk as it emerges so it's "blanched". I find it in season (November) at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. Now that I think of it, there are "varieties". Celeriac, a.k.a. celery root, is a variety grown for its root rather than its stalk
  15. It's a good show. I watched it "On Demand" on my cable system the other night (the new show sometimes shows up a few days ahead of the actual cablecast). Brought back memories . . . of Manuel Noriega, invasions, etc. The eye-opener (which really shouldn't have surprised me if I had stopped to think about it) is the presence of a substantial Chinese community (think laborers on the Panama Canal).
  16. I should have interjected this into this topic when it first started . . . Back in November, Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market held a "Forgotten Foods" festival. Featured were: Cape May Salts, a revived oyster Fried oysters and chicken salad, a Philadelphia classic Black walnut cupcakes Teaberry ice cream Corn pudding (using Copes corn) Catfish on waffles My initial report can be found in the Pennsylvania board's Reading Terminal Market topic
  17. Two guys open a cheese steak joint in DC. After they get the first and then the second store up and running smoothly, they decide to add roast pork to their menu, but they work to get the recipe just right. One of the partners, Chris Patten, uses John's, DiNic's and Tony Luke's as his guide. After finally perfecting the dish to his satisfaction, he adds to the menu. But, according to this Washington Post article, 'Nuff said.
  18. rlibkind

    Smoked Salmon

    The eggs recommendations are a good one. I'd say make a mousse, but that's actually a way to stretch your smoked salmon supply rather than consume it more readily. And that grilled cheese sounds outrageously good. Me, I'd pretend I'm Scandinavian. Get a bottle of Aquavit, some Danish-style rye bread or some flat bread, lots of butter, and eat, drink and be merry.
  19. Moopheus has got it right. There's no "official" definition. And based on the discusion here, there's no one "unofficial" definition, either, other than when it's alcoholic it's cider.
  20. It is fascinating collection. Kurlansky's introductory essays are enlightening and the original material, while quite variable in quality and interest, mostly compelling. For more: visit here.
  21. Not rutabagas, a.k.a. yellow turnips or "Swedes". I hate 'em, even when mixed (as is usual) with some potato. To my mind, they are over-appreciated! And they're pretty ubiquitous, and are especially popular as an accompaniment to that west Norwegian holiday favorite, Pinnekjøtt. Come to think of it Pinnekjøtt is a much under-appreciated food, except among hard-core Norwegian lamb lovers and their American cousins. It's mutton (or lamb) breast which has been dry cured and hung for a couple of months, then resuscitated in a water bath before steaming. Incredibly intensive lamb/mutton flavor, so if you don't like strong lamb you will abhor this dish.
  22. While there are a few gems in that collection, some of those recipes are downright scary! A few weeks ago on Gutenberg I found a Belgian cookbook comprised of recipes gathered in the UK from Belgian refugees during WWII.
  23. Any Norwegian provisioners left in Ballard?
  24. Many different fishes are under-appreciated in U.S. culture. Including: bluefish, mackeral, herring. Note that these are all "oily" fish. Somehow, while "oily" fish like salmon and tuna are largely appreciated, these three are not. Part of it, I'm sure, is that when served uncured/pickled/smoked, i.e., fresh, these fish need to be very fresh, indeed, particularly the bluefish. Organ meats of all sorts are pretty much under-appreciated, too. Tripe is pretty much reserved to ethnic eating these days, even though it's a patriot food, i.e., George Washington's troops ate it in pepper pot soup that winter in Valley Forge. (Though I guess pepper pot soup can't be too unappreciated, given that Campbells still cans it.) Other than chicken livers, a lot of folks avoid any organ meat. I don't eat many, though I'm a fan of smoked tongue (or when it's braised Mexican style) Mutton. You can't even find it anymore if you don't know a sheep farmer. (Once again, though, Campbell's uses it for making the stock in its Scotch Broth, though the little pieces of meat are lamb.) Turtle. Unless I'm mistaken it's pretty much only consumed (and even then not much) in certain areas of the Mid Atlantic and South. Here in Philadelphia, it's only in snapper soup.
  25. Rutabagas will NEVER! become a favored food. I say it's spinach and I say to hell with it! And don't gussy it up by calling it a Swede!
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