Lochina

Water or chicken broth as liquid (Julia Child says water)? Cook only in butter or add some pork fat? How do you make your leek and potato soup? I'm hoping to make this soup in the next hour, so fast responses appreciated--thanks!

Update: while in Baltimore, I went to Helmand my first night and LOVED IT--great food, nice space, large portions and very low prices. For our anniversary, my boyfriend and I went to the Ambassador Dining Room, and it was great, as well. We sat in the garden and it was all very nice. Thanks for the suggestions!

Thanks for the reccs. Brewer's Art sounds particularly interesting. In doing a little research, I also came up with the following restaurants; any comments? - Tapas Teatro - Samos - Banjara - Peter's Inn - Chameleon Cafe - Ambassador Dining Room Thanks.

Preferably downtown or easily accessible. Please let me know if reservations are reccomended. Thanks! Edited to clarify: reasonably-priced, that is.

I'm going to San Diego for spring break this year and would like some reccomendations for dinner under $20. Thanks!

Cheap for me is anywhere from $8-20 for dinner--the lower, the better. Thanks.

I'm planning/hoping to take a 4- or 5-day trip this summer, either to Montreal or New Orleans (very different options, I know). Anyway, if I end up in New Orleans, I'm going to need some suggestions for dining. I'm a student on a budget. Any suggestions for me? Thanks a lot.

I had completely forgotten about creme fraiche. Definitely going that route. Another question--I like to have tarte tatin warm, but do I have to make it a la minute? Or can I do it ahead of time, unmold, and pop into a warm oven beofre serving? I'd like to be able to do it ahead (it's for a Valentine's Day dinner, and I don't want to be in the kitchen cooking it over the stovetop during the meal), but I'm afraid the crust will go soggy. Any suggestions? Thanks again.

That's the question. It's probably a matter of preference, but please state yours. Thanks.

You could do a frangipane (sp?) fruit tart.

I'm planning on making some nice grilled steaks with chimichurri sauce. I'd like to make some sides that complement the South American flavor of this dish, but I'm not exactly sure what the traditional accompaniments are. For a starch, potatoes seem to be the most logical choice, but prepared how? And what about a vegetable? Your suggestions need not be extremely "authentic," but just ideas for what would complement the beef. Thanks!

Yum yum yum! This sounds like a great idea...thanks, Carolyn!

I'm really in the mood to make soup, but it's hot and muggy here in New York and I can't have something too heavy. I'm looking for ideas on light, vegetable-y soups. I was thinking along the lines of Soup au Pistou. Any other ideas? Thanks.

Eric--YUM! What noodle shop?

Yeah, I was also thinking sauteed spinach--plain (a little nutmeg), or with slivered garlic?

I'm planning on trying out Alton Brown's baked stuffed lobster, and will serve it with buttered, parslied new potatoes (by the way: which are better in this preparation--the tiny white potatoes or the tiny yukon gold ones?). The question is, what vegetable to serve alongside? Something hot? Cold? A salad? I was considering a spinach salad, perhaps with slivered pears, toasted pecans and broiled goat cheese...but perhaps this is too luxe alongside an already-rich menu. Suggestions? Help, please!

Adding a healthy dollop of plain yogurt to ground turkey keeps the burgers really moist, as does cramming them with chopped veggies, like onion. I like to do a Greek/Turkish style burger--I add chopped onion, dried currants, parsley, salt and pepper, cinnamon, and coriander.

Thanks for the replies! Pan--ha. I thought of this, but it's more of a nice gesture than anything else. My other thought was to make a surprise meal of all his faves--he tells me his favorite ingredients, and I tailor a menu around them...we'll see. P.S.--Pan: I believe rocket=arugula.

A friend of mine is going to be spending 3 weeks in France in July. I was thinking of putting together a (relatively) simple and (very) delicious French-themed meal for him before he goes away. I'm sure there's a lot of room for debate here, but what are some classic French recipes that shouldn't be overlooked? I'll probably just do a salad/appetizer course (frisee aux lardons?), a main, and a dessert. What dishes would YOU put on a great French menu? Thanks.

My damn sister was logged on, and I thought it was me. -Eric

Awesome! I lived in Ecuador for 5 weeks over the summer, and this brings back SO many great memories. Wow. It's so funny, because I clicked on the South America forum looking specifically for Ecuador, and here it is. I was even planning on making llapingachos this weekend. I was thinking that the closest cheese to use might be firm farmer's cheese? I'm not sure. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! P.S. Here's a doozy--on my second-to-last day in Quito, my host family insisted that I eat the national dish--ceviche. I was of course apprehensive, having taken great care the entire trip with food and water and not having gotten sick even ONCE--but I just said screw it and dove right in to the (delicious) shrimp ceviche. Boy, did I come to regret it. On the morning of my flight, I woke up at 4 AM and proceeded to vomit for the next 2 hours. Fun, huh? To this day, the word ceviche makes me ill, and I feel quite confident that I will never again eat it--even though I do remember it as being quite tasty. Sorry--one more thought to share. I consider myself a very adaptable eater, especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables, but I could never come to enjoy the very distinctive taste of the tomate de arbol. Ugh, I shudder to think of it. I never really like naranjilla, either! I used to down them in one big gulp to get it over with and not appear rude to my host mother. I also found the fritada to be one of the most repulsive dishes I've ever sampled--greasy and slimey; but then again, I've always disliked pork. In terms of absolute favorite dishes--ANYTHING with mora, particularly my morning jugo; the helado, which is much lighter and sorbet-like than our ice cream (oh my god, I'm having a clear memory of an ice-cream cone I bought in a drugstore for a nickel--a scoop of coconut with one of mora--fabulous); llapingachos; the thin flank steak; tiny coconut empanadas as well as, surprisingly, the cheese empanadas topped with crispy sugar! OK. I'm really done now. Please continue to share!