rachiesarah

We had salmon croquettes at least once every 1 to 2 weeks. Always always with real mashed potatoes and frozen spinach. My Mom made them with a slice or two (or a bun or two) of martin’s potato bread torn up and soaked for a little bit in mayo with season all, mixed with egg. Formed into 3-4” round patties and pan-fried…. They were good and my sister and I like them, so I guess that is why we had them often. About 8 years ago, I asked for the recipe so I could make this seemingly easy dinner, as I never actually saw mom make these. I bought a large (tall) can of salmon as instructed and truly almost died when I opened the can and saw what I can only think of as vertebrae. I could not believe that this was something so often ate and what was looking at in the can. I had no idea and was shocked… sorry, but I threw out the can and probably ordered out that night. I was not in any way going to touch what was in that can. Eventually I figured out that for a little bit more, the smaller cans, like tuna, were just salmon, no skin or bones. Now I always buy a larger piece of salmon that I bake in the oven for dinner, and the next night I take the leftover extra salmon, mix with lots of season all, pepper, martin’s potato bread, mayo & egg, and make them myself. I feel better using the fresh salmon especially since I try to avoid buying farm raised. My Mom still makes them the best, and I saw a large tall can of salmon the last time iIwas poking around her pantry. For the interested, we grew up in the 80’s & 90’s, in a suburban mixed neighborhood and conservative jewish home outside of DC.

i have been inspired after pouring through this thread for the last few weeks. i made 3 kinds. the chocolate and gingerbread recipes from recipe gullet and marcy goldman's "almost like-a-bakery traditional hamantaschen" which were fantastic. i filled most of the chocolate ones with sweetened coconut mixed with corn syrup. (like a mounds of sorts) the gingerbread with apple butter after many taste testings. and the plain regular with diced dried apricot & apricot jam or diced dried cherry with cherry jam. I will say that the gingerbread needed a lot more flour kneaded in to allow it to be rolled. I had made some thumbprints filled also with apple butter. I used a regular glass to cut out the circles because I wanted smaller sized ones. There still is half of each dough in the fridge. I am thinking gingerbread with pumpkin butter. The thicker I rolled the dough the better they held the triangle shape. I have to practice my triangle pinching, but not bad for the first time I think. http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/12350462..._6528_63873.jpg http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/12350462...8_6528_1419.jpg http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/12350462..._6528_61693.jpg *sorry i have not figured out to embed actual pictures.*

In the city every few months - nothing like a better reason to see the funk play in the city. Always go to Becco, easy to get a reservation, can wear jeans (never sneakers though!). So, where else is completely decent in budget, yet thoroughly great through and through?? Tuesday or Wednesday night...... ** posted this in the other chow board but I trust you guys more ...

in a last ditch effort to save time a month ago I bought a large bag of frozen pre-cooked baby (salad size?) cooked shrimp. I defrosted a few and decided there was no way I was serving this for my sisters surprise birthday party. bleh. Is there any salvation for these?? I have 2# bag in my freeze, should I just throw it away and chalk it up to -- now I know better?

Is it possible to find GOOD Sushi - in Montgomery County? Affordable-ish? Locally? Not from a grocery store?? Please help....sub-par is fustrating. Thanks much.

since we are on the topic. we are doing "mexican" for mother's day at my aunts house. everything is pretty much covered but i was thinking about making a salad. i am sure we will have the usual standard guac & pico de gillo (sorry, too tired to look up the correct spelling). I was thinking about a roasted corn and maybe something else..dressed with lime juice or such.. but the question is, has anyone ever roasted frozen corn??? maybe just for a short time in the oven? sorry, not going to grill or roast whole ears at this juncture.. so, anyone ever try it??

if i am feeling lazy i just take frozen spinach mix with shallotts and cream cheese s&p and bake.. if i am feeling naughty I make creamed spinach (onions, shallots, roux, sour cream & nutmeg if i remember) then stuff the 'shrooms, then pack on breadcrumbs that have been seasoned with herbs mixed with melted butter and bake. i did the later with huge portobellos a few months ago and didn't par-bake/broil them. though they did take longer whether 'cause of size or 'cause i didn't prep them properly.

So has anyone been to the relocated Ambrosia???? The fam said that it wasn't as good, maybe they bought a new grill or something that isn't as well seasoned?? Ambrosia was the very best bang for your buck..and they were also extreally nice....for 6 or so years when I still lived at home that was my choice for my birthday dinners.

the only way to eat chopped liver is on tam tams........ okay, and if you have good challah, even giant challah wasn't bad before the sold out....with thick peaks of hellmans and juicy slices of ripe red tomatoes..... parkway makes the very best omlets in the area....for that kind of price, no flat fried eggs like you get at the diners here...bleh....

Sunday night: chicken breast tenderloins pounded and rolled around spinach (garlic, breadcrumbs & egg) baked, with a gently creamy mushroom sauce that didn’t thicken up properly. A+ for presentation. diced roasted sweet potato plain with just a bit of butter when re-heated kraft, shells & cheese. salad in the bag w/ken’s italian

Just my 2 cents but I certainly concur with everyone that to find all the necessary well-priced items on a weekly shopping list you MUST visit at least 2 if not 3 or more separate groceries. That being said, if we are valuing availability+price+customer service, ignoring what your own personal time will cost you. I sincerely vote for Super H in Falls Church?? Fairfax?? I have no idea where it actually is, I just take 50 West for about 20 miles. Can someone please compare the big Asian grocery store on Georgia Ave. to Super H for me, as I have never been to the Georgia Ave. store, though I understand that it is the same company. Lets also talk about cleanliness, Super H is basically spic and span and they have at least 4 different kinds of mushrooms always, roma tomatoes, which okay, not in season, but for roughly 99 cents a pound, you can let the ripe up enough, 3 different egglants, myriad of options. Pretty extensive selections. I have never gotten past my awful memories of going shopping with my Bubbie to the Magruder’s in Rockville. That place was sooo dirty, like TB says, if they let one part of their place look like that, imagine the places that you don’t see. That being said, I did get over my phobia of dirty floors to see the wonderment of Walmart over Target, so maybe there is hope for me yet getting to the smaller Asian groceries. Oh, and I am always pleasantly surprised by the produce at Shoppers, at least the one in Rockville, plus, their doughnuts are the closets I can find to Montgomery’s. However, I think that their prices are nothing great. My Safeway (social Safeway, though we are not supposed to shop there since their union is protesting or something like that), and Shoppers and for that matter Super Fresh prices are totally ridicules on regular everyday items. Sorry, but if I want my parmigiano reggiano, I must pinch a penny where I can. Though, The Mediterranean Bakery has a reasonably priced domestic parmigian with similar qualities that the imported stuff does (melting, bite). Thanks for listening to my ramble. Oh, and my sister loves the pizza dough at TJ’s.

brisket with hellman’s on challah chopped liver with lots o’ hellman’s, thick juicy tomato on challah or martin’s potato bread sun-dried tomato bagel with scallion & chive cream cheese, tomato & lox or sable plain gently toasted bagel with both sides mayo, one side kalamata tapenade, smoke turkey, lots of sprouts (clover that is). and there is no way I would eat anything with miracle whip, that’s just gross, sorry if I offend.

i truly apprecaite all the suggestions, and i admit that i did pop in to firefly, i can see how it would be a mighty nifty place on a tuesday evening, but the place was packed by 7ish tonight. so i just gave up figuring that all the places in dupont would be the same situation and came home and ordered chinese. sometimes i give up easily because i find myself in new teritory and am shy. i wasn't looking to spend more than $40 with frosty beverages, but i wasn't looking for cosi either, though i do like it there. Many a moon ago they could have put my name on a plaque on the bar at m&s in bethesda. can't beat their happy hour prices. i think i am looking for someplace that isn't necessarily a seen and be seen, but cozy, where they pour my drink before i even sit down. i suppose moving back to the area recently, and then moving from the 'burbs to dc forces you to look for new places that won't break the bank, which will only be found in due time. fwiw, i live in glover park, so its a quick bus ride to dupont. i will have to make it a point to get back over there when it isn't prime times, since it will be cold soon and it did feel cozy in there.

shhh...i posted this on "the other site" too... Where would anyone suggest a good metro accessible casual attire restaurant w/a bar menu, for a mid-twenty year old to have dinner with a good book this evening?

golly, i think i am going to have a moment here... I LOVE YA'LL, JUST LIKE I LOVE JULIE POWELL sorry, i'll try to contain myself from this point on.

leftover tomato onion tart (a combination of an epicurious recipe & that new york times recipe that ran this summer) and fig newtons

store brand peanut butter (because i was being cheap that day, it was a mistake, its too salty) and grape jelly my mom made on martin's potato bread. and two pieces of processed american cheese on the side.

I was going to roast them so perhaps the flavor would be a bit sweeter, or this was my thought pattern. Then maybe cut them up and layer with other veggies or such and use a custard mixture, then bake it, or maybe in a stir fry Or maybe I could stuff them, though seems messy. I live in the city, with an urban size kitchen. Maybe it is my craziness, but I would only want to dry them out and store them if I have a) grew them myself or b) if they were farmer's market variety. Is that so wrong??

I have another question. I went to the Asian grocery store and bought 8 peppers called "Red Long Hot" and a bunch of jalapenos. For less than 2 dollars, gawd I love Super H!! But now what do I do? I know that the chile peppers will keep for a while, but I would really like to use alot of them up. I thought about roasting them with some red peppers to take off the skins, but then what?? Moreover, there are only two of us.

i was looking for a topic board where suggestions could be given, like on epicurious where you give list of ingredients or menu ideas, but in return, someone(s) will help to bring your recipe ideas to fruition. i thought that i would ask the masses a question here, and see what thoughts could be given. and if this is the wrong place, just let me know. i made an onion soup (french, is there another way?) this saturday, and we are tired of it after 2 meals. what else could i do with the rest of it? and for the record we went to the hideous super-sized club store the other day and stocked up, so freezing isn't an option at this point. so what can i do with the rest of the soup, i have a quart and pint in the fridge. bread? strain out the onions and put on a pizza? reduce it down and thicken to a gravy for mashed potatoes? salisbury steak? (<---never even eaten that, just seen pictures of it in the frozen food aisle.) if anyone has an idea, its greatly appreciated.

for my first post, i couldn't even be the first to the punch... cheap all-you-can-eat seafood- (i.e. alaskan crab legs, fried shrimp, fried clam STRIPS!!!!) like chesapeake bay seafood house or buffets at the beach. i get up from the table disgustingly full, and get outside thinking that i certainly could have another few platefuls. real(as in, not frozen) bagels, with cream cheese, tomato, sprouts, thinly sliced red onion and most smoked fishes.