eG Foodblog: chrisamirault - Place Settings

[therese]

I'm pregnant.

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Heh heh. Did (or will) Chris have a wee heart attack when he saw that?

More baby pictures, please. Food-related, of course, but pictures with cute babies always very good in a blog.

And I'm also one of those people who needs to steer well clear of halvah lest she eat herself into a coma.

[Chufi]

Actually, today is our anniversary

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congratulations!!

will there be a special celebration dinner tonight for us to witness?

Do you usually celebrate anniversaries and such with food-related things?

[little ms foodie]

Happy Anniversary!!! How cute is Andrea?? and FUNNY!!

question on the chorizo, so is Portugese chorizo raw where as the Spainsh is ready to eat (dry cured??)

[viaChgo]

Happy Anniversary!!! How cute is Andrea?? and FUNNY!!

question on the chorizo, so is Portugese chorizo raw where as the Spainsh is ready to eat (dry cured??)

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Happy Anniversary!

And while on the subject of chorizo, another question (or 2). Is Portuguese chorice spicy, like an andouille? I would love to make caldo verde tonight but I probably will not be able to track down the authentic stuff today with limited time. I'll have to figure out something to substitute. I can get Spanish chorizo & andouille easily. Are either of those the best substitute in lieu of the Portuguese stuff?

[Chris Amirault]

My goodness!

So, in keeping with the spirit of his beloved eGullet community, I have a bit of a public announcement!

I'm pregnant.

I'm kidding.

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Well, since folks asked, when I read that, I was surprised and happy!

My goodness!

And, (though we said we weren't going to do it) I want to publicly give you your anniversary/holiday gift:

My anniversary gift to you is a trip for two to StudioKitchen. Mmmm..

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Well, this kind of deception I can take! What a sweetie!

In case people don't know, Studio Kitchen is the restaurant of Shola Olunloyo, located in Philadelphia, in which eight guests arrive with wine in tow and enjoy outstanding food. Some eGullet people dream of El Bulli, Alinea, Fat Duck, or Per Se, but I've been dreaming of Studio Kitchen!

I'm so psyched! I suppose I'll find out more details later. Thanks, Andrea! (And, because I can guess at least some components of this plan, thank you Southwest Airlines!) You are the bomb!

[Chris Amirault]

It looks like you're pissing off that lady in the center. 

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Yeah, I noticed that too!

Do you have a fridge and microwave at work for the teachers?  If so, who cleans the fridge?  When I worked outside the home, I took a toaster into the kitchen -- it was very popular.

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Big fridge, microwave, full kitchen downstairs, toaster, coffee machine, a few other things. I had hoped to do a photo shoot around the office but got caught up in something -- I'll do it before the week's out!

Happy Anniversary!!! How cute is Andrea?? and FUNNY!!

question on the chorizo, so is Portugese chorizo raw where as the Spainsh is ready to eat (dry cured??)

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And while on the subject of chorizo, another question (or 2). Is Portuguese chorice spicy, like an andouille? I would love to make caldo verde tonight but I probably will not be able to track down the authentic stuff today with limited time. I'll have to figure out something to substitute. I can get Spanish chorizo & andouille easily. Are either of those the best substitute in lieu of the Portuguese stuff?

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Again, I'm not too sure about Spanish chorizo, but Portuguese chorice is spicy and cured. (You can get mild, probably, too, though I wouldn't.) I think that linguica, andouille, and other spicy cured sausaged would work pretty well. It's gotta be the good stuff, though, since it is the principal flavoring besides the onions.

[Daniel]

Thats so great, what a terrific present..

[slkinsey]

Real Spanish chorizo -- which is to say the dry cured paprika-loaded sausages (not Mexican chorizo, which is entirely different) -- should stand in for Portuguese chorice nicely.

[Smithy]

Happy Anniversary, you two! And what a great surprise!

What is the difference between linguica and chorice?

[Susan in FL]

Happy Anniversary to you both! And what a sweet way to announce the gift of Studio Kitchen and express an anniversary greeting... That is well deserving of an Awwwww.....

(I've long been regularly checking Chris's profile page to see the pictures of Bebe in larger size than an avatar, and going Awwwww, then too. What a beautiful child!)

[Chris Amirault]

Lunch, today, was in the office. I had my sourdough roll, a smoked makerel filet from Ducktrap Farms in Maine, a wild pear, and some Brown Cow maple yogurt.

I gotta use that damned flash more often; there is NO ambient sun whatsoever. Fall in Providence....

While I was snapping my lunch, I thought I'd snap a few photos of my own little office area's food set up. Here's my wonderful teapot, which boils water in 60 seconds flat for tea:

And here's my current selection of teas:

I've really been enjoying that Tazo lemon maté tea; it's perfect for, well, afternoon tea!

Finally, when I'm not coordinated enough to have a decent lunch, I have my Clif bar stash:

Off to run an errand!

[little ms foodie]

what brand is that teapot Chris? that is exactly what I need in my office!

[Daddy-A]

Actually, today is our anniversary and I wanted to send a shout out to my loving, skilled,  and in-all-ways wonderful husband. He is every bit as smart, funny and committed as he appears in his posts. And, (though we said we weren't going to do it) I want to publicly give you your anniversary/holiday gift:

My anniversary gift to you is a trip for two to StudioKitchen. Mmmm..

I love you very much darling!

I'd say she's a keeper Chris! Happy anniversary!

A.

[SobaAddict70]

I see that Chris and I share the same tastes when it comes to Korean-style instant ramen.

[Chris Amirault]

what brand is that teapot Chris? that is exactly what I need in my office!

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It's a Toastmaster -- and like most of my purchases, I found it at a garage sale. Or was it Salvation Army? Or perhaps Savers? Anyway, you get the idea! It's perfect, just perfect.

I see that Chris and I share the same tastes when it comes to Korean-style instant ramen. 

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Why anyone buys non-Korean ramen is beyond my ken....

[snowangel]

Why anyone buys non-Korean ramen is beyond my ken....

Begging pardon. Please search out MAMA brand noodles. You saw them in my blog. They rock.

I have been eating these since you were in diapers (I think)!

[kayswv]

Happy Anniversary to you both!!!

Really enjoying this blog. Grew up in Providence and lived on the East Side. Lived on Chace Ave, near the Pawtucket line, as well as 4th St, Hope Ave and Cole Ave. Fun to see some of the scenes there now. The bakery this morning is very near where a bakery was when I was young.

Also remember a truck type stand downtown near the Mall/Marriott that sold only sliced turkey sandwiches. Really great. Was only there for a few hours a day. Sure it is long gone. Lot of great bakeries/small stores to get lots of ethnic food, especially in North and South Providence.

Last time we were there was five years ago when our son was married in Newport, RI.

Kay

[Chris Amirault]

Back from the errand (and a couple of meetings; I just learned the ASL sign for "sarcasm" from a parent, which I'm finding quite brilliant!). I went to Asiana Market on Warren Ave in East Providence:

This place is Korean food heaven (with some Japanese stuff there, too). I just love well-stocked, wonderful stores like this, so I took lots of photos, including the extensive pickle selection:

The wide array of soy and other sauces (among other things):

The amazing selection of non-rice grains available, which frankly intimidate me:

And, though I am sorely tempted, I did not buy one of these $300 rice machines:

I did buy some Nishiki rice for the bibimbap tonight, as well as a few other items, including two dolsots. You'll see them a bit later on tonight.

Asiana happens to be across the street from a fantastic Korean restaurant, Sun and Moon:

It's a family-run business that was mentioned in the 2004 Gourmet restaurant guide; everything's cooked to order and fantastic. Didn't stop by because I had to rush back to work, but now I'm dreaming of their seafood pancake....

[Chris Amirault]

One of the things that I thought I could do in this foodblog was offer up some information and/or advice about food and cooking to anyone out there with young children. Since our preschool focuses on children 3-6, I've done a good deal of research into young children and food, and it's pretty fascinating.

As we like to say in early childhood education, you can't make 'em sleep, poop, pee, or eat; as a result, we have no rules about food consumption here (you don't have to eat "this much," for example) that aren't tied to children's choices. Instead, we facilitate their engagement with food by thinking carefully about when, what, and how much they are able to eat, and we help them think about the relationship between their choices and the consequences of those choices (putting only what you think you can eat onto your plate, for example -- that only for kids who can control serving utensils, of course!).

As for cooking, well, it's very well established that cooking is a fantastically good way to learn a great many things. Some of them are pretty obvious -- measuring ingredients for cake batter teaches about collaboration, math, and science -- but some are less well known. For example, children really benefit from learning about weights, textures, temperatures, and other sensory components of cooking because their bodies are integrating all of their senses in this developmental stage. Squishing cookie dough between fingers, cracking an egg, or seeing if the water is "luke warm" are all very good things for little kids to do!

I'd be happy to try to answer any questions you have about young children, food, and cooking -- and would be interested to know what sorts of things you've done with the young'uns!

[snowangel]

Chris, here in the Twin Cities, there are some Korean restaurants and a few markets, but by and large, the Asian "scene" revolved around Hmong/Thail/Laotian/Vietnamese. There are plethoras of the latter (restaurants and markets) sprinkled everywhere in the Cities. What about Providence?

[lesfen]

I'd be happy to try to answer any questions you have about young children, food, and cooking -- and would be interested to know what sorts of things you've done with the young'uns!

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Ooo... ooo! I have a question!

I have a two year old and I am having a hell of a time getting her to eat meats that aren't coated and deepfried or stuffed into a casing. She loves her veggies and cheeses, but I can't get her interested in meats... or dried beans, for that matter. I'm worried that she's not getting enough protien. Any suggestions?

[bergerka]

I prefer my young'uns braised in milk, actually. Baby - the OTHER other white meat.

(YES, I'm KIDDING. I like children, especially the ones that belong to someone else).

Happy anniversary!!!!!!

[Chris Amirault]

Chris, here in the Twin Cities, there are some Korean restaurants and a few markets, but by and large, the Asian "scene" revolved around Hmong/Thail/Laotian/Vietnamese.  There are plethoras of the latter (restaurants and markets) sprinkled everywhere in the Cities.  What about Providence?

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Asiana is really the only Korean market that I know of; until I found it, I was usually kimchi-deprived. (I remain soju-deprived, alas.... Anyone have ideas about that?) There's also the Chinese American market:

Every time I look at that sign, I think to ask SobaAddict70 about a few good Phillipino dishes to try!

So, there are some purveyors out there serving folks from across different parts of Asia. Having said that, Providence and the Twin Cities share a large southeast Asian population, focusing primarily on Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Thai folks. Indeed, my go-to market is New Battambang, named after the town in Cambodia. Here's a few photos from a sunny day last week, while I was scouting around for something:

There are, easily, a dozen similar stores within two miles of my house. There are also a jillion "pan-Asian" restaurants, which basically means that you can get nime chow/goi cuon, pho, pad thai, mee grob, chicken with lemon grass, lort, larb... a smattering of "southeast Asian" dishes. Most are good enough, a few have excellent particular dishes, but we don't yet have a real break-through place that tries to take it a slight notch higher. One can dream....

[Pan]

Happy anniversary, Chris and Andrea!

I was going to ask you to talk more about your teaching and how you work food into that, but you already addressed that.

It's been raining all day here and figures to rain continuously through tomorrow at least, I think. Has the rain made it up there, and do you eat differently when it's chilly and rainy than when it's mild and sunny? I think I do; I probably have more carbs to try to get more energy.

[mizducky]

Gee, Chris, I'm glad to be reading this blog! I think I feel a bad rhyme coming....

A Providence blog from our dear Mr.Chris

Begun with a peek at his mid 50's dish!

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Heheheheheh ... for a moment there, I thought you were heading into a limerick. You know, like "There once was a young man from Prov'dence" ... (it does scan if you omit the middle syllable of Providence like that...)

Actually, today is our anniversary and I wanted to send a shout out to my loving, skilled,  and in-all-ways wonderful husband. He is every bit as smart, funny and committed as he appears in his posts.

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Mazel tov!!! (And welcome to eGullet!)

Asiana happens to be across the street from a fantastic Korean restaurant, Sun and Moon:

It's a family-run business that was mentioned in the 2004 Gourmet restaurant guide; everything's cooked to order and fantastic. Didn't stop by because I had to rush back to work, but now I'm dreaming of their seafood pancake.... 

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Love the restaurant's placement right next to the tattoo parlor.