where to get specialty products?

[mrbigjas]

ok so capaneus started the 'where to get rare produce' thread, right here.

and dagordon started the 'where to get fancy meat and fish' thread, which may someday end up being more useful than as a simple 'well, you can't' reference--maybe it already has with the recent posts about those chickens that are so good. anyway, it's right here.

so here's installment #3: where to get specialty products?

i'll start: i was reading in the NYT today, that adaptation of the joel robuchon recipe for langoustines fried in brik pastry, which it said was available mail order from levillage.com. well, i like things fried in dough, who wouldn't? and that stuff sounds good. but who wants to mail order a few pieces of dough? not me.

a quick google turned up that no one makes their own, just like no one makes their own phyllo. so i thought, well, what the hell, maybe someone around here sells it.

anyone know of a place?

p.s. edited to fix coding and to clarify a bit further, i know a lot of the answers are going to be 'dibrunos' or 'assouline'. but here's a bad example of the kind of thing i'm trying to find: a couple of years ago, before midori mart, if you were looking for instant korean ramen (shin or neoguri), some nori, kimchi, or a 100-pack of chopsticks in center city, you used to be able to just go to 20th & spruce, where kitchen USA had all that stuff right next to the lorna doones and cans of folgers. i thought that was pretty cool, that the korean owners sold korean convenience store stuff along with american. ok that's not real high-end specialty, but it's something you can't get in wawa or superfresh. see where i'm going? ok good.

Edited March 28, 2007 by mrbigjas (log)

[Vadouvan]

Sir Big....

what do you mean by specialty products ?

There are only a few things outside the scope of what dibruno carries already.

I think ultimately it would have to be internet purchases from places like Latienda the specialise in a particular cuisine no ?

Hey can I drop off your wine tonight ?

Pm me......

[mrbigjas]

well, i wasn't asking generally, i meant specifically.

this week i want some of that brik pastry, but i don't want to mail order it. where can i get some?

(modeled on the DC thread where to get stuff? where, whenever you have a question about where to get something, you post it and people can help if they know where to get it.)

[Vadouvan]

Um.....assouline.

BUT I am not sure the liberty place retail store carries it which means you would have to go get it from thier warehouse on richmond street which should be called a "wherehouse" since you cant find it .......

Maybe dibruno sells it, I recall seing some crepe-like packages in the freezer.

You know you could make it, its just flour, water and a pan.......feeling ambitious ?

Back in the old country.......Morocco, we call it "WARKA".....

You can make zees....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe21.shtml

[mrbigjas]

wow, that looks like a big pain in the ass. no wonder everyone buys it.

maybe i'll just use phyllo. or maybe i'll go up on an assouline-finding mission...

[mattohara]

some of these might be well known but here's some other shops:

bitar's has all the middle-eastern goodness

9th and federal

there's an italian specialty shop that just opened across from varallo's

10th and morris

there are two asian supermarkets down here on washington ave. i've only been to the one in the plaza at 6th and washington. it's fantastic though! lots of exotic fruits and live animals. there's also the downstairs one in chinatown. great candy aisle and selection of cheap cleavers there.

assouline is definitely worth the trip. it's out there and not many people go to the shop (i had to yell to get somebody to come out of the back) but they have some cool stuff. my mom wanted a big container of Maille mustard so i got her a 9 lb. jug.

there's another italian shop just west of broad in south philly. i'll try to figure out the cross street.

[Andrew Fenton]

My understanding is that brik is a Middle Eastern (or maybe even Turkish) import to North Africa. Obviously there's not much of a North African community in Philadelphia, but I wonder if you couldn't get the pastry or something like it at one of the Middle Eastern food stores, even Bitar's. And while it's probably heresy to say this, it's not that different from phyllo. You could get away with a substitution.

I have some great memories of eating brik in Tunisia. It's amazing stuff: all golden and fried, and when you bite in, the egg yolk bursts open and you have to nibble around it to keep it from slopping on to your fingers. One of those ultimate street foods...

edit: I agree with Matt O'Hara's (crossed) post mentioning Bitar's. Also, it wouldn't surprise me if brik has made inroads in France, so yeah, Assouline could be a good bet.

Edited March 28, 2007 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[mrbigjas]

thanks for the tip matt, i'll check for it in bitar's next time i'm down there.

[mattohara]

the italian import shop is on 16th and mifflin.

[Vadouvan]

Brik isnt an Italian product.

Go to assouline.

[townsend]

Call Assouline at 1-800-521-4491 and ask them if they carry feuilles de brick (the french name). If they don't, and you know someone who uses Julius Silvert professionally, they may be able to get you one pack (10 sheets).

[mattohara]

i wasn't trying to source brik, just mentioning some specialty shops.

[townsend]

In response to the OP.

[brucedelta]

Since I live next door to Mr. Bitar I decided to ask about Brik, and the following is what I discovered.

At Bitar's they have carried Brik in the past but it did not sell and they were tossing it when it went bad, so they stopped selling it.

He thought he could probably source it from a supplier if someone wanted some but then got back to me saying he could not get it. He said that he did not know a place in the city that had it.

The suggestion made by a supplier who used to sell brik was to use chinese dumpling wrappers, as they are a close substitute.

[philadining]

Wow, those dumpling wrappers are good for everything aren't they?! Dumplings, ravioli, brik, repairing flat tires, emergency bandages...

Good to know, thanks Bruce!

[brucedelta]

Wow, those dumpling wrappers are good for everything aren't they?!  Dumplings, ravioli, brik, repairing flat tires, emergency bandages...

←

For Valentines Day this year I made Nutella Raviolli with dumpling wrappers. They were quite good

Edited March 31, 2007 by brucedelta (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

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?

Edited April 6, 2007 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[Ducksredux]

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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well I'm no fan of 42nd and Chestnut, that's for sure. Subzi Mandi in Bensalem is huge, they may have it

[percyn]

maybe i'll just use phyllo.  or maybe i'll go up on an assouline-finding mission...

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Mr Big, I have had Robouchon's langostine dish (twice - once in Paris and once in Las Vegas) and I don't think phyllo will do it justice.

[percyn]

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?

←

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.

OR, PM me and I will give you some of the extra I have.

Cheers

Percy

[Andrew Fenton]

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?

[philadining]

I think there are shops in West Philly on Walnut AND Chestnut, or did the Walnut one close? I (obviously) haven't been in for a while.

Anyway, there's a little shop out here in Malvern, I'll take a look and see if they have Dhansak Masala.

[Ducksredux]

Andrew, a few years ago it was almost impossible

Ducksredux, why don't you like the 42nd and Chestnut (that's right-- not Walnut) place?

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it's weird, poorly labelled, and the products look old. The Walnut store looks like it has higher turnover. But really check out Subzi Mandi, it's an experience. Freshest coconuts in the Philly area, to boot. There's also a smaller place in the NE called Malik's Mini Mart which may have what u need. I think it's a little nutty to go looking for a packaged masala. Cardamom in particular loses its volatility within weeks of being ground. Some masalas, like chaat masala have weird twigs and stuff you'd never be able to find, so they're worth buying.

[Andrew Fenton]

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.

[Ducksredux]

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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eh, just stick the seeds and red powders in the fridge. Don't need too many oils, just sesame, peanut and vegetable. Some recipes call for coconut oil but not many.