Maison Rustique
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Posts posted by Maison Rustique
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Ned, try here. It's not a very big picture, but maybe it will jog your memory!
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About seven years ago a friend and I decided to drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas. I'd probably read Fear and Loathing not long before and had some kind of early 20s lust for the road and aberrant behavior. Anyway around lunchtime, it's at least 95 degrees, we're in a cow town six or seven hours out of SF with a terrible need to relieve ourselves. I distinctly remember doing so in a bathroom in a bank the interior of which was covered in green faux marble Formica, walls ceilings, counters, everything (the bank and the bathroom), angles, cove ceilings, panels. Having solved the bladder problem we went on looking for nourishment and rolled by an art deco building with a red upholstered door. Went in and found a small bar, smoky and dusty with old men who looked to have been there for decades. In the back of the bar is a swinging door. We go through and find a giant room with long communal tables. Now this is getting good. So we sit down and a lady with very tall, stiff brownish-puce hair sets a water glass like you'd get in a high school cafeteria in front of each of us and pours wine in it. Everybody in the place is drinking this. She asks if we want lunch and we say yes. She leaves. The wine is undrinkably sweet. I think we may have chatted with the people next to us enough to find out that we are in a Basque restaurant. Hunh? I thought we were in mid-west California. Ok so the food starts coming out. Soup, then bread and then many many kinds of meat, from several different animals. The bill I think was twenty bucks for the two of us. We exit into the heat stuffed and disoriented. I can't remember the name of the restaurant or the town it's in.
Sounds a whole lot like the Noriega Hotel in Bakersfield. A fabulous place! Dinner is better than lunch and you can meet some real characters there. Once sat next to an ancient Basque sheepherder--toothless and had great stories! On Saturday nights you'll often see limos bringing groups of people from LA.
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Has anyone tried or heard anything about these folks?
I got a flyer from them in the mail today. The prices don't seem that much different from Henry's Marketplace or the regular supermarkets. I'm thinking of giving them a try but thought I'd see if anyone here had tried them.
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You could also lie and say that they are an exotic strain of black artichoke grown only in the Himalayas and fertilized by the dung of the rare singing yak.
Roflmao!!!!! That sounds like something I would do!
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Thanks for the suggestions! I'll post when I get back.
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Nice job! Tell Mrs. Stupid she isn't!
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Hi!
The first part of June, DH (dear husband) and I are driving over to Phoenix. He will be in meetings all day and we have dinners most evenings that have already been arranged by the group.
We're staying at the JW Desert Ridge Resort and Spa and I understand that there are some nice restaurants there which is good because I'm afraid (but don't know for sure) that most of the group dinners will be held there. I could be surprised!
Anyway, I'll have the days free. I have a friend in Scottsdale that I hope to spend some time with. We're tentatively planning to get together for a Sunday Brunch. Any suggestions?
Also how about lunch spots? I'll be on my own during the days unless I can convince my friend to go antiquing/junking with me. And if anyone has suggestions for that, I'm interested, too!
I want cheap antiquing places as it's for re-sale. As far as dining goes, there is no price limit. I like most any food except sushi/sashimi. Other than that, I'm open to adventure! Great food at local dives is great as long as I'll feel safe there alone.
Thanks!!
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Will you have a car? What kinds of food do you like? Price range?
And don't forget that mornings, evenings and sometimes even the days in June at the beach can be very foggy and downright cold. We call it June gloom. Please be sure to bring layered clothing. You'll want a jacket or sweater at night!
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Begging your pardon, but it IS Olvera Street.
Here's the website. -
While the Wat Thai Temple Songkran Festival will be on April 10 and 11, I just learned that the Thai Town area is holding their celebration the week before, on Sunday, April 4th. Hollywood Boulevard will be shut down in that area, with food booths (many of the vendors from the Temple and many of the restaurants we discuss on eG), a parade starts at 10am, with cultural activities and the whole gamut. More details are available here.
I know one of the organizers socially, and it sounds like it will be a great event.
Well, damn! We just keep striking out. We're attending a wedding on the 4th. And not anywhere near there.
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I feel like I missed something. What exactly do you mean by backyard Iron Chef? Is all the cooking done outdoors? Was there another thread on this that I missed? If I have a better idea of what it's about, I "might" be able to approach my alleged spouse about having it here.
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Yes!
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And we weren't disappointed with the food! As nice as the weather was we were a bit disappointed to be seated inside (there were plenty of tables outside that were never filled) where it was overly crowded and we had a screaming youngster behind us--a pet peeve of mine. I blame the adults who kept indulging the child, not the child.
Service and food were wonderful. I was very bad and had chocolate banana french toast with bananas Foster sauce, etc. I could feel my heart valves slamming shut, but enjoyed every bite! I justified it by having a salad first.
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Is potato starch the same as potato flour? My inquiring mind wants to know!
No.
Thanks! Now I'll be able to sleep tonight.
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For what it's worth, Peeps make excellent refrigerator magnets.
You're taking over for Martha while she does her jail thang, right? That's a "perfect" use for Peeps.
LMAO at both of you!! -
Thanks! After seeing those pix, I'll have a hard time sleeping tonight just thinking about it!! (insert salivating smilie here--why don't we have one!)
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Haven't been there. We are having brunch there tomorrow with the son of dear British friends and his wife. The wife selected the place. Good or bad? What to order or not to order? Do I need to dress frou-frou? I hope not or they won't let us in!!
Thanks for any advice! I'll let you know how it turns out.
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Cream of asparagus soup with roasted cashews.
Normally served with whole cashews and asparagus tips as a garnish, leave off the garnish, this would make a nice soup for the guest.
Just take any good COA recipe, make that, toast a good amount of cashews, add them in and blend.
Delicious.
Yum! That sounds great. I've got asparagus and was planning to make soup this weekend--I'll try it with the cashews! Got a favorite COA recipe you'd like to share? I was planning to wing it as usual.
Just start with some good chicken stock. Chop your asparagus and toss that in. Use your choice of seasonings, I like just a little thyme in mine. Simmer it until the asparagus is well done.
Add some heavy cream to your liking, and thicken with slurry or white roux. Add the toasted cashews and blend well.
I can't give you a ratio, when I make this soup, it's all by eye.
The soup should be a light pea green.
I prefer not to strain it. I think it has better body and flavor. But you have to blend it well, so no stringyness occurs from the fibres in the asparagus.
Check the seasoning and adjust, Salt and white pepper to taste.
I like to finish it with a little butter.
For those without swallowing difficulty, you can add some whole toasted cashews and asparagus tips as a garnish.
Thanks! I've got it on already and much the same, except I used dill instead of thyme and a splash of soy sauce. Haven't added the cashews yet, but can't wait to try it!
Edited to say/ask: I used potato starch as a thickener. Is potato starch the same as potato flour? My inquiring mind wants to know!
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I used to like them, but only when very stale--peep jerky, if you will. But I haven't allowed myself to have them in years, so I may have lost my taste for them.
Peep jerky! I love it! Much much better than Jones Peeps. Thank you!
You're quite welcome! I've called them (the way I eat them) that for years and everyone always knows exactly what I mean.
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I used to like them, but only when very stale--peep jerky, if you will. But I haven't allowed myself to have them in years, so I may have lost my taste for them.
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Cream of asparagus soup with roasted cashews.
Normally served with whole cashews and asparagus tips as a garnish, leave off the garnish, this would make a nice soup for the guest.
Just take any good COA recipe, make that, toast a good amount of cashews, add them in and blend.
Delicious.
Yum! That sounds great. I've got asparagus and was planning to make soup this weekend--I'll try it with the cashews! Got a favorite COA recipe you'd like to share? I was planning to wing it as usual.
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You could meet jschyun and me for a Chicago-style hotdog in Irvine. We had them yesterday and they are great!!! And hopefully it won't rain!
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I don't qualify just yet, but have emailed this thread to my DH who is over 60 and has wined and dined around the world. Can't guarantee that he will participate, but that's the best I can do!
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Well, now that my cash flow is lower, thanks to my latest eating rampage, I suppose this is as good a time as any to try the Ikea $1.99 dinner special.
Aaaack! You get that right outta your system before we have lunch! I want a Chicago hot dog and none of Ikea's meatballs!
Organic Express
in California: Cooking & Baking
Posted
I'm not clear on how I can support the farms directly. We have some "farmers markets" around here. The ones in my area are not on days/times that I can go to them and make reasonable purchases. For example the one in my city is on Friday afternoon. I work during the hours it's open. There is another that is actually closer, but it is on Sundays. I do the bulk of my cooking Wednesday thru Saturday. That means I'd be dealing with old produce. Organic Express delivers in my area on Thursday. And I can get some grocery items from them, too. It just seems to work out better for me timewise.
They do say that 90% of it is produced in California. Is that bad? I'm happy to ask them questions about the farms that supply them, etc. What should I ask? Clearly you all are in areas that know more about this. In my area we no longer have "local" farms. We just have concrete and buildings. Ther are still a couple of small farms that grow strawberries and corn, but not much more than that. I loved it when I could walk across the street in San Juan Capistrano and buy from the farm directly. Unfortunately the land was sold (it's now a community center) and we moved out of the area.