| Author | Message | ||
     joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 680 Registered: 07-2006 |
padraig and i discussed this sometime back, so i thought i'd give it a go and tell you about some of my fave eats of late. not to say the thread is beyond the "preferred breakfast cereal" or "coke or pepsi" stakes. my respective responses are cheerios and pepsi. anyway, i'm mad for korean at the moment. and i've recently started cooking it up too. fried kimchi might actually be my favourite food. with rice cake, mushroom of choice, tofu, etc. and no one seems to be complaining about the staggering amount of garlic this involves... to my face anyway. and i found a grocer in town who sells that smokey/spicy/chilli sauce that usually accompanies one's hotpot. had some great greek the other night too, all the usual suspects alongside this baked (in a small tagine, i suppose) cannelini bean thing with eggplant and yoghurt. for dessert we had something which involved layers of dessicated coconut, ice cream, pistachios and drizzled with honey. all washed down with a couple of bottles of pinot... my kind of saturday night! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 2989 Registered: 05-2005 |
One of the great joys of living in Australia is the restaurants from all over the world, most of which are reasonably priced too. My current favourite restaurant is a Lebanese one called Jasmine. It's completely on the other side of the city (south west to my north east) so I don't get there very often. But it's always great when we do. They are very good with kids too. The last time I went was with a Lebanese friend of mine. It was nice to hear him speak Arabic with the owner. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2069 Registered: 03-2005 |
Padraig, my absolute favorite restaurant in Los Angeles is a Lebanese restaurant in a crappy little strip mall in a grungy part of east Hollywood. I'm constantly taking new people there as an excuse to go again. We'll order the meza which is kind of like Lebanese tapas so you get a huge variety of dishes. I'm addicted to the kibbeh nayeh and the tabouleh and, well, just about everything. And Lebanese wines turn out to be pretty decent too. The Lebanese coffee is like mud. I spend hours there. | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 600 Registered: 01-2006 |
Two slices of bread, a little butter, heaps of pickled onions & lots of ground white pepper. All washed down with a big pot of Barry's tea. Bingo. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 466 Registered: 04-2005 |
I have very fond memories of the wonderful resturants in Melbourne, from my visit in '86. What a city for food! One of the best was a Turkish one that was next door to a Turkish baker and the bread came directly to the table through a hole in the wall. You could just survive on that wonderful bread and dips. And the 'bring your own bottle' policy seemed to be pretty widespread too. Where I live in SW France, we don't tend to eat out that much. The majority of our local restaurants serve the same traditional fare (goose fat with every course!) and with my partner being vegetarian it makes things a bit difficult. The French seem to think that a quiche lorraine is vegetarian as it only has small pieces of ham in it. However the upside of where we live are the markets and some amazing local produce, so we tend to eat in more. We are also much more in tune with the seasons. I like the fact that just for a few weeks there are strawberries, asparagus or wild mushrooms for example. A couple of years ago was a bumper year for cčpes and they were a topic of conversation for the whole village; where people had found them, how many etc It reminded me that in France food is such a vital part of life and somehow I couldn't have imagined these conversations taking place in the UK. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1542 Registered: 01-2005 |
Cholula Chili Lime sauce is the bomb! http://www.cholula.com/ | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1699 Registered: 10-2004 |
I feel pretty lucky being in the Bay Area, as it is an awesome place for food. There's every ethnic restaurant you can think of, plus farmers' markets galore as well as some excellent "brick and mortar" organic produce shops (one in particular has the best wild mushroom selection and totally addictive medjool dates). Funny you mention cepes, Andrew (or porcini, as we call them here), as I'm practically addicted to them. In fact, I had a mind-blowing dish at my favorite Italian place a few nights ago: pappardelle with braised hen and porcinis. This dish, with its rich, earthy, fresh, potent flavor, was absolutely earth shattering. Not only that, but it instantly transported me back to Tuscany where I've had similar dishes. Plus, an antipasto involving the most tender, potently rich braised lamb shoulder I've ever had will be permanently etched in my memory. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 681 Registered: 07-2006 |
i daresay i know where you're talking about andrew. my parents actually owned a fruit shop for a brief while on sydney rd brunswick, which had a turkish restraurant and cafe on every corner - bestill my heart! and i concur, you really could spend an entire night contentedly wolfing down freshly baked loaves with twenty different kinds of dip. i'm not terribly well-travelled, but i could not believe the quality of the food i ate in tuscany. i still dream about it. who'd have thought minestrone with bread could be such a revelation! | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 468 Registered: 04-2005 |
Is Melbourne still a great city for eating out Joe ? Seemed whatever ethnic food took your fancy it was available! I stayed for a couple of months in Northcote and remember loads of cafés populated by elderly Greek gentlemen. Also great memories of listening to 'Liberty Belle' for the first time (cassette version) on my Walkman at an outdoor swimming pool... With the garden in full production here and some fine weather, it is tomatoes and aubergines a go-go! Fine apple and cassis crumble recently too.... Joe, I like the idea behind the Italian 'Slow Food' movement. The notion that food is an important aspect of life, and one that is not respected in a take-away burger. I'm off to slowly simmer that tomato sauce for hours... Here's a recipe for a great cake. Best with organic (or untreated) clementines as you eat the skin as well. 6 clementines 6 eggs 250 ground almonds 225g castor sugar 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder Boil (entire) clementines for 2 hours. Drain, cool & liquidise (remove pips if any, but include skins!) Beat eggs & sugar together. Fold in remaining ingredients. Place in lined & greased round (8-inch) tin. Cook at 190 degree (gas mark 3?) for about 1 hour. Cover after 40mins. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1548 Registered: 01-2005 |
I don't eat burgers these days unless they are salmon or veggie burgers, but for you meat burger lovers here is a keeper: Mix 1 pound of lean ground beef or sirloin. (Buffalo is a great low fat substitute) with: 2 Tbs. minced onions 1 Tbs. course grain mustard 1/2 tsp. of each: dried basil, organo, thyme, ground cumin, cracked black pepper and sea salt. Divid into 4 equal portions, form into patties. Broil/BBQ 7 minutes, turning once. Egg twist or your favorite bun with the burger, lettuce leaf, tomato and onion slice. Don't use ketchup as it will overpower the taste of the meat. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 683 Registered: 07-2006 |
i've made that cake andrew! except i put a buckload of chocolate on top of mine. i'm tasteless like that =D i think we have great food here, especially in the inner north. northcote is great and not far from our old fruit shop. they actually have good pizza there now too since the hipsters moved in/couldn't afford to live in fitzroy anymore! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 2998 Registered: 05-2005 |
Right now I'm having a rather lovely hot chicken and tomato sandwich with miracle whip. Two slices of wholemeal bread with a toasted heal slice in the middle. All washed down with Twinings afternoon tea (even though it's morning here). | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 954 Registered: 08-2004 |
What does miracle whip involve? It sounds over-rated in the least. Today I had home-made chicken tikka masala followed by equally home-made lemon cheesecake. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 684 Registered: 07-2006 |
i was wondering the same thing too. i think any foodstuff with the word "miracle" in it sounds promising. the tikka and cheesecake your own work jerry? | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3002 Registered: 05-2005 |
Miracle Whip is just a brand of mayonnaise guys! I used to see it advertised on TV when I was a kid but we never got it so I always assumed it was because we couldn't afford it and resolved to make it my brand when I reached adulthood! (True story btw!) | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 955 Registered: 08-2004 |
That's strangely beautiful Padraig. Did it match up to expectations. No Joe, my wife made the curry & cheesecake. When I make dinner I tend to cheat with curry paste & lazy garlic. None of thst spice blending etc. I did toast some crumpets for wife & daughter this morning, by way of thanks. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1707 Registered: 10-2004 |
Jerry and Joe, keep in mind I'm *really* bad at remembering where people on this board are from, but you're obviously not from the states! Miracle whip is pretty much a household name here. I reckon it's a 50s holdover. I only eat something with mayonnaise on it about 4 times a year, typically. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2074 Registered: 03-2005 |
Actually I screamed when I originally read Padraig's entry. As I recall Miracle Whip is not really mayonnaise. It's one of those scary 1960s things where science improved upon nature. Only it didn't. Isn't it sweet Padraig? That's what I remember anyway. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1709 Registered: 10-2004 |
It's mayonnaise, it's just slightly reduced in fat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_Whi p | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1552 Registered: 01-2005 |
Most people outgrown Miracle Whip when they become adults, about the same time they stop putting ketchup on hot dogs. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1711 Registered: 10-2004 |
Whoa, what's this about not putting ketchup on hotdogs? I apparently did not get that meme! | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 685 Registered: 07-2006 |
that's lovely padraig! serve our depriving parents right. i concur jeff, the idea leaves me cold. besides, most processed meat/fake meat products would be all but inedible without a good splurt of ketchup and mustard. i'm really not good with low cal anything. diet coke (etc) makes me bloated and antsy, margarine tastes like nuclear fallout and any sort of "skinny dip" is for the trash. i say, enjoy real food and go for a run! that's what gyms are for. you should see the size of the toblerone in my draw i plan on polishing off after my creamy egg and pineapple (i know, i know) sandwich for lunch. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3004 Registered: 05-2005 |
Joe's in Melbourne Jeff and Jerry's somewhere in England. I'm in Sydney and Miracle Whip is only carried by one supermarket chain here. Well, there really only are two chains, but even the chain that does carry it doesn't have it in every store. Jerry, I love it! I had no idea it was lower in fat, higher in sugar, not really mayonaisse, improved upon by science and something I should have grown out of in childhood! But I couldn't outgrow it Michael; the whole point was I didn't have it when I was a child. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1397 Registered: 08-2006 |
Spoken like a true Midwesterner, Michael. I can't vouch for Detroiters, but in Chicago putting ketchup on a hot dog pegs you as a transplant or a tourist. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1713 Registered: 10-2004 |
I eat approximately one hot dog per year. Sometimes simplicity is best, hence the reason I only put ketchup and mustard on it. I want to taste the hot dog, and all that other stuff drowns out the flavor. I'm the same way with hamburgers: ketchup, mayo, and cheese *only*. As soon as you've got lettuce, onions, mustard, pickles, etc... you simply can't taste the burger anymore, no matter how juicy, flavorful, and grass-fed it is. And what's the point in that? I don't get the mayonnaise is something you grow out of bit. I mean, 4-5 times a year I have a sandwich that needs mayo. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1398 Registered: 08-2006 |
I've got a place that might change your mind about burger toppings, Jeff: http://www.kumascorner.com/html/food.htm l I realize it's a bit out of your zip code : ). Note the burger names. How can you NOT order a burger called the "Goblin Cock"? Oh, man, now I'm hungry... | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1714 Registered: 10-2004 |
Oh wow, that place must be run by metalheads! The Iron Maiden and the Judas Priest sound good (blue cheese on burgers rocks!), but I dunno, can you still taste the actual burger? I put truffle oil on a burger once. But truffle oil makes just about anything taste good. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1399 Registered: 08-2006 |
It totally is, Jeff. The wait staff tends to be copiously tattooed, there's usually some racket on the stereo, and people wait up to two hours for the burgers. They're quite good, but not worth a two-hour wait (considering you're simultaneously taking a year or two off your life, as well). As for whether you can taste the burger, Kuma's are HUGE, and only the most copiously topped drown out all the burger taste. Depending on the topping, that's not always a bad thing. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 957 Registered: 08-2004 |
I didn't know there were burger-philes. Of course there are but they're too big to leave the house.  | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3007 Registered: 05-2005 |
(My daughter wanted to know how to put the smiley faces on) | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 686 Registered: 07-2006 |
impressive rob... i quite like the entire notion of assembling one's own mac & cheese. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1553 Registered: 01-2005 |
Rob, Ketchup on our many fine Detroit area Coney Island dogs(with skins) is looked on as sin! We don't drag our dogs thru the garden like you Chicago folks do, but the coney dogs with chili sauce, onions and mustard are just fine with me. Kraut dogs are my second favorite. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1554 Registered: 01-2005 |
Jeff, Mayo is fine with me, but Miracle Whip has a sweet taste that ruins everything from a sandwich to potato salads. I agree with you on burgers, keep the combos simple with no more then 2-3 items. Swiss cheese and mushrooms on a burger is a nice combo. Try my recipe from my 7-31 post which I ripped off from a Cybill Shepherd ad for the Beef Industry back in 1987. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1401 Registered: 08-2006 |
Michael: My grandparents lived in Birmingham, and I have many fond memories of my grandfather taking us downtown Detroit for coneys (can't remember the name of the place). I've yet to find a convincing version here in Chicago, which I think is odd considering our proximity to y'all. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1555 Registered: 01-2005 |
Rob, It was probably either Lafayette or American Coney Island. They are next to each other on Layayette and both have the entertaining Greek staff that is very much like the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago. Coney Island joints are all over the metro Detroit area these days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoeEJEkwu wg&feature=related | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1402 Registered: 08-2006 |
Bingo! I think we went to both. I definitely remember the Greek staff being super nice with us kids. We always ended up with those paper grill hats when we left. Mmmm, coneys. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1717 Registered: 10-2004 |
Okay, maybe this deserves its own thread, but on the off-chance that everyone here is lactose intolerant, I'll be more low-key about it. So, cheese. Name your favorites! Me? Nothing can compete with the potent, full, earthy flavors of the blues. Favorites are Roquefort (especially the sublimely potent Papillon and the sweet, fruity Societe); Bleu Des Causses, which is probably the most intense of them all (you can *so* taste the caves it was aged in); Spain's Valdeon and Cabrales are also really great (and I swear you can almost taste the pasture, which sounds weird, but it's great!); And Italy's got the bold, creamy Gorgonzola piccante and sweet Verdi di Capra. I just love how complex and rich the flavors are. You don't even need to eat these with anything, although it never hurts to slice up some pears to go with 'em. Also, I can never resist a good Chevre. And I love Boschetto, a blend of cow and sheep's milk that's got truffle shavings throughout. (I have a nasty truffle addiction...) And of course, Brie and Camembert are great, but it's not easy to get these (imported) at a perfect stage of ripeness in even the best shops. When they get ammoniated, it's not pretty! At any rate, I'm definitely guilty of liking the strong stuff. Of course I love all sorts of others, but these are the cheeses that send me into some awesome, euphoric state. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 3290 Registered: 05-2005 |
English mild jeff. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1721 Registered: 10-2004 |
I also like a good Stilton. And Kraft Singles. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 688 Registered: 07-2006 |
i've yet to find a cheese i don't like - my all time favourite foodstuff. perhaps only because i ate a plateful of it last night with my gnocchi, i'm going with gorgonzola. also, anything melted on top of an inch of branston works for me too. oh god, i need breakfast. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3017 Registered: 05-2005 |
Just had a sandwich with Virginian ham, Cracker Barrell cheddar, back potato, tomato and, of course, Miracle Whip. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3018 Registered: 05-2005 |
That should read baked potato! | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1727 Registered: 10-2004 |
I'm about to make/eat one of my favorite salads: mixed greens with beets, crumbled gorgonzola, and virgin olive oil/balsamic vinegar combo for dressing. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 959 Registered: 08-2004 |
Oh wowzer! Bacon & courgette lasagne, absolutely stunning! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3025 Registered: 05-2005 |
Right now, potato soup (made by me with real potatoes!) and a ham and tomato sandwich. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1559 Registered: 01-2005 |
Applewood smoked cheddar is my current favorite yellow cheese. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1560 Registered: 01-2005 |
My current white cheese is raclette, but it has to be from Black Star Farms in beautiful Suttons Bay, Michigan. http://www.blackstarfarms.com/creamery/c heese/ Favorite white wine to go along with that is Eroica Reisling. http://www.ste-michelle.com/wines/eroica /release/33 | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 476 Registered: 04-2005 |
Michael, Do you actually have a raclette set ? In France a raclette evenings with friends is quite a social occasion,. The 'melting' apparatus (no idea of the correct terminology, a raclette grill maybe) sits in the middle of the table and you all have a little metal dish. You put whatever you want on the dish (lots of charcuterie generally!) and put a slice of raclette cheese on top, put it under the grill until it melts. Very civilised way of eating and slows down the speed of eating too. We all probably eat too quickly; I met someone recently that told me he now tries to chew each mouthful 20 times. We have a wonderful goats' cheese maker nearby; Monsieur Bortolin of Carves (if anyone is ever passing through the Dordogne). | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1562 Registered: 01-2005 |
Andrew, No I don't! Black Star carries a raclette grill made by Swiss Mar. http://www.blackstarfarms.com/files/bsf/ 115.pdf | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1587 Registered: 01-2005 |
Death (almost) by the super hot Four Horseman hamburger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQPp3Tg61 A4&feature=related | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1747 Registered: 10-2004 |
Holy crap, candy-stripe figs are my new favorite fig! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/dining /20figs.html I LOVE figs, especially the black mission and Adriatic varieties. The Adriatics are green on the outside and beautifully red on the inside, and when fully ripe tend to look like preserves and have an awesomely sweet/tart flavor. But the candy-stripes (green and light green vertical stripes on the outside, red inside) are even better. Like the article says (and shows), the insides really do look like raspberry jam, and they're a bit sweeter than the Adriatic. Sorry, fig season is kicking into high gear and figs are possibly my favorite fruit. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3089 Registered: 05-2005 |
My daughter gave me a box of dark chocolate mints for father's day. My favourites! (I also got the requisite two pairs of underpants of course!) | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1422 Registered: 08-2006 |
Man, Jeff, I had some figs with mascarpone at this little bar/restaurant in Paris almost exactly three years ago, and even though I have a pretty wimpy sweet tooth, I dream about them sometimes still. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 483 Registered: 04-2005 |
Jeff, It has been a bumper year here in SW France for all the fruit trees and our fig tree is absolutely laden. Not sure what variety it is though; a very dark purple skin ? For someone who's only exposure in early life to figs was through the dried variety eating a warm fig directly from the tree was a revelation. Indeed our dessert on Saturday lunchtime, eating in the garden was fruit direct from the trees: figs, peaches and apples. And in the very enjoyable company of someone from this very board ! The thing that astonishes me round here is the quantity of fruit that is wasted. I can't imagine it was always like that, but with a lot of old farms (which all have orchards) being sold to foreigners as holiday houses, there is often no-one around when the fruit is ready and it simply rots. I once carried out a nighttime liberation raid on a neglected abricot tree in our village only to discover that someone arrived the next day for 2 weeks holiday! | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1751 Registered: 10-2004 |
Wow. Rob and Andrew, nice stories, both! Give me a yard with a couple of fig trees and I'd be a happy man. I don't think I've been in Europe during fig season, but I imagine it'd be nice. I don't know for certain, but I have a suspicion that figs are a bit more respected and more plentiful in parts of Europe than they are here. In California, you can only get 'em at farmer's markets or yuppie food stores. Good thing fig season is relatively short: if it were longer, I'd wind up penniless, begging in the streets to feed my addiction. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2111 Registered: 03-2005 |
Wow. My family had a place on a big lot in Fresno when I was a kid. There was a line of five or six fig trees at the back of the lot as the area where they built the house had formerly been all fig orchards. We had no clue what to do with them. I grew up thinking fruit was only edible once it was canned and drowned in syrup. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3096 Registered: 05-2005 |
I recently tasted a fig without realising what it was. It was so sweet and beautiful. Like Randy I thought figs were meant to come in cans with syrup. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1752 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yeah, the canned/dried figs are pretty underwhelming, especially considering just how amazing fresh figs can taste. I was talking to my dad a couple years ago about my love of figs, asking him why no one ever bought them when I was a kid. His response, oddly enough (but not if you know him), was, "If you like figs, you'd REALLY like those canned figs. My brothers and I used to eat those when we were kids, and boy they were tasty. My dad used to snack on those all the time. I'll have to see if I can track *those* down." I think I mentally rolled my eyes and just said nothing at that comment. But, yes, fresh figs seem to remain sadly underrated. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 700 Registered: 07-2006 |
growing up in an italian family, figs were everywhere. i could never ever eat them fresh, and i really could just about eat anything. to this day, the thought still makes me queasy... but everyone else was mad for them. one of those things i really should sort out, i know. never ate them out of a can (again with the gross), but i have fond memories of my father cutting up dried ones for the two of us with his pocket knife at his mother's dinner table. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3100 Registered: 05-2005 |
BLT just now! | ||
| frank bascombe Member Username: Frankb Post Number: 449 Registered: 01-2007 |
excellent houmous and roasted vegetable sandwich. Carbo loading doing a half marathon tomorrow |