Mental Junk Drawer #3- FOOD et al.- Open topics

biscuits & gravy

we had a friend visiting from the netherlands last week, and i had the honor of introducing her to biscuits and gravy.  she wasn't exactly bowled over by them, but after adding some grape jelly (!), she thought they were quite passable.

not sure i have a favorite place to eat, but still in biscuits and gravy mode, i do love grits w/cheese and a poached egg (scrambled if you must).  yesterday i made curried carrots & lentils and put them on a pancake.  sounds odd perhaps, but it found it tasty, cheap and easy.  gos best with a cracklin-cold diet pepsi. :D






Lurleen on Twitter

---

by: Lurleen @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 13:50:06 PM CDT

Diet Pepsi!

Oh, I knew we had more in common- this is one of my weaknesses and has been for 25 years. I really work hard to limit my soda consumption, but they make these cute little cans of Diet Pepsi, which is exactly fills as my favorite coffee cup.

That, and a couple drops of vanilla, and I don't even want dessert.  

---

by: Louise @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 19:20:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I add Torani black cherry syrup

to my Diet Pepsi. The vanilla syrup is good, too.

http://www.torani.com/flavor/s...

I use the sugar free ones. It is better on ice.


When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.

---

by: Fritz @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 19:26:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cloud Nine

at Augusta's Senator Inn and Spa makes this wonderful treat, now off-menu:

Crab and Lobster Quesadillas

1. Mix crab and lobster meat with only enough mayonnaise to hold it together.

2. Spread evenly over a soft tortilla.

3. Cover with a layer of shredded gruyere cheese.

4. Place another tortilla on top. Bake until shell is toasted and cheese is melted.

5. Cut into quarters with a pizza cutter; serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

ABSOLUTELY love this dish- it used to be my usual order, whenever we would stop by the bar for lunch. The oysters on half-shell are delicious, too- when in season, they have a great variety.

While it's been quite awhile since we've been there, this is my favorite place in Augusta. The restaurant is fabulous and the dessert cart selections (easily over 2 dozen, any given day) are exceptional.

The spa is amazing (check the photos on the link!) and a day pass goes for "less than a movie", so have spent many a winter afternoon over the years splashing in the pool, soaking in the hot tub, then having "high tea" and desserts with our kid.

---

by: Louise @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 14:23:00 PM CDT

But to answer the recession question...

Not really, re: cut back.

We don't go out very often as a rule anyways, and both of us love to cook. It's hard to find someplace that can make a dish we can't make better at home for far less- we're kinda sociopaths, I guess! ;)

But when we DO find that rare dish, like this one, we get the ingredients and repeat it at home so we know how to do it. Among that list:

Chicken cordon bleu with dill
Chicken or veal piccata
Eggplant parmesan
Smoked salmon eggs benedict
Seafood etouffe
Turkey tetrazzine with tarragon
Pork roast with rosemary (learned a GREAT port wine sauce to accompany this!)
Roast Lamb with rosemary (raspberry sauce instead of mint- delicious!)
Red dill baked potatoes or Red dill potato salad
Hollandaise sauce from scratch
Bearnaise sauce (Hollandaise- then add fresh chopped tarragon!)
Ratatouille

I can take a tomato and come up with a few hundred recipes; same with beef. Don't get me started on fish or seafood...

We're also lucky enough to have our gardens pretty well established and they give us alot of fresh veg and herbs, although this year's record cold and rains in Maine have definitely slowed expectations down dramatically.

Any wonder I've gone from a size 4 to a size 18 over the course of our 20 years together? ;)

---

by: Louise @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 14:39:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I just moved to Phoenix

So, I don't have a favorite local place yet. (Locals feel free to give me suggestions.)

I used to live in Monterey and it is known for wonderful restaurants. I don't really have a Monterey favorite, such as you described (getting a craving, etc.)

When I lived in Los Angeles, I used to get cravings for the green corn tamales at a restaurant called El Cholo.

I recently discovered that you can buy them online:

http://www.elcholo.com/asp/sit...

I haven't ordered any yet. But, I'm thinking about it.

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.

---

by: Fritz @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 14:41:01 PM CDT

Monterey favorites

Most of my Monterey favorites fall under "pub food" category because, living in Hawaii, I am experiencing a distinct lack of British or Irish pubs. The few Irish pubs we have downtown have morphed into more of a sports bar. Anyhoo, Monterey foods I always crave:

Leek soup at Mucky Duck
Fish n' Chips at Britannia Arms
Clam Chowder in a bread bowl, hell, ANYTHING from bread alley during Tuesday farmer's market
Tandoori chicken from India's Clay Oven

And of course, tuna melts and Reeses' cake from Compagnos (right off post at Presidio on Pacific Grove side)

Fritz, you moved? Dammit, I was supposed to be in Monterey later this year and was hoping we could hook up for coffee at Bay Books or something! **sigh**

God save ornery old queens! - kevinchi

---

by: Keori @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 15:05:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

All of those are good

I'll add any of the wonderful cakes and pies from Rosine's.

http://www.rosinesmonterey.com/

They have to be seen to be believed. They are HUGE, delicious and will put you into a sugar coma.

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.

---

by: Fritz @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 15:14:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

There's no way to choose

Kev, I live in HAWAII. There is every kind of food under the heavens available here. There's no way to pick just one

For Vietnamese, I love Cuu Long, and I get pho.
For Cantonese style Chinese, I go to Fook Lam and have dim sum (heading over there in a few minutes for breakfast)
For Mexican, I go up to North Shore to Cholos and have the spinach enchiladas.
And of course, every day that I have to go to University of Hawaii for school, I stop at Down To Earth deli at University and King (vegetarian/organic grocery and deli) and get something from the salad bar or the hot food bar. I LOVE their avocado wraps and soy chai shakes.

God save ornery old queens! - kevinchi

---

by: Keori @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 15:01:28 PM CDT

I still have dreams of the burger I had at Kua Aina

in Honolulu...

and the shoestring fries...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mad Professah Lectures http://madprofessah.com
"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell

---

by: Mad Professah @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 20:42:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Any Poquito Mas here in LA.

Carnitas burrito with black beans is to die for.
Small local change does fast food fresh.  

---

by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 15:04:56 PM CDT

Chain

better than other local burrito chains like Baja Fresh and La Salsa.  Besides neither of those have carnitas.

---

by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 15:06:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Favorites in Austin

I have to name three places:

Eastside Cafe, fresh, upscale American food.  It's also lesbian-owned.  Their soups are the best, especially the Chicken w/ Mushroom and Artichoke.

Hoover's Cooking, Southern-style home cooking.  Too many great dishes here, especially the grilled fish and the mustard greens.

Manuel's, maybe the best in a city full of good Mexican food.  It's Mexico City style, not Tex-Mex.  Best mole in town.

---

by: JosephineTx @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 16:27:17 PM CDT

Gonna share a recipe

that Tavdy79 just sent me; omigosh does this sound seriously yummers!!

Pre-cook a load of thin pancakes; if you can make/get crepes they're ideal.

Melt together a jar of good plum jam and as much brandy as you want (I'd usually use about 1/2 mug) over a low heat then allow to cool; it should come out with the consistency midway between treacle and maple syrup once cooled.

But a little butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and refry the pancakes, them remove to a serving plate.

Add a few dollops of creme fraiche and a generous drizzle of the plum sauce, and roll up. Don't worry of the crepe cracks - it's meant to!

You can also use morello cherry jam and kirsch for the sauce.

Of course I know how to make crepes- I sweet-talk Charlie into doing it for me!!!  ;)

---

by: Louise @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 19:16:51 PM CDT

I used to make crepes fairly often

a couple recipes I liked:

chicken cheddar cashew crepe

strawberry devonshire cream (it's half sour cream, half whipping cream)

banana flambe  

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

---

by: peteyPornpig @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 20:53:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Crap!!

After reading Kevin's diary and all these comments I have found myself feeling the desire to munch down on something tasty. But, thanks to Pam and her "Show this to your fast food loving friends -- is it enough to make them go cold turkey?" post on the front page, I simultaneously feel like vomiting and never eating again.

Well, I do not to shed a few excess pounds anyway.

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

---

by: JohnVisser @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 20:38:24 PM CDT

"need" not "not"

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

---

by: JohnVisser @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 20:39:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

ENJOY!

If it has been more than eight hours since your last shower, every square inch of your body is covered in fecal bacteria anyway.

(Welcome to my OCD world.)

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.

---

by: Fritz @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 20:45:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks Fritz

You just made me feel better about my mild case of OCD.

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

---

by: JohnVisser @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 19:33:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry, FRITZ.... more like 8 minutes...

They did a study on 'healthy young volunteers' e.g. that means medical students.

Scrubbed their forearms. Swabbed and then scanned swabbing with a machine that readd viral RNA. Each and every one had between 200-500 different bacteria on skin site.   Only 10-15% were the same.

Same people redone weeks later.. and same result with different bacteria!

We live in a sea of bacteria...and though I am a surfa girl, I may never go in the ocean again!  (NOT, but it sounds good.) 

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

---

by: Orion45 @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 23:02:21 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

MSP

Granted, my tastes are not geared toward the high dollar places, so here goes (along with qualifiers):

Cheap, good lunch - Pineda tacos, any of the four locations

Italian - Cossetta's in St.P (great dine-in, great deli take-out, including fresh breads, sauces, pastas, etc)

Indian - Best of India, St. Louis Park (reasonably priced too)

Asian - Thanh Do (also SLP)

Italian quick - D'Amico and Sons (several locations)

Malaysian - Peninsula (Nicollet Av in Minn) try it, you will like it

Greek - Christo's (Minn, StP, Minnetonka) just plain great food, great lunch specials

Breakfast - Uptown Bar (no. 1, over easy, wheat toast dry, coffee)

---

by: bkmn @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 19:24:36 PM CDT

Nothing can top good ol' Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen

back down in Chapel Hill North Carolina, but all this food talk is making me hungry, and it sounds like there are some pretty good options up there.

---

by: Jake Gellar-Goad @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 19:54:20 PM CDT

Ok, Jake

YOU are the guilty one that sent me to Dixie Kitchen.

Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen, indeed!

Dixie Kithcen is not my favorite resturant in the Chicago area by the way, though the food is good for the price. Davis Street Fish Market is to DIE for. Costs a little more than I would like but it is worth the trip when I go.  

---

by: kevinchi @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 00:15:56 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Favorite is such a fickle word

because it depends on what I'm in the mood for.

Mexican is only good at Sal's Diner. In business since the 40s, they serve authentic Mexican food, not the amalgam stuff most places serve. Their habanero salsa is the most amazing stuff. They use the smoky sweet flavor of the pepper, and accent it with the spices. It isn't just hot for the sake of burning your mouth.

Chinese is only good at Chester's. Their shrimp with walnuts is an incredibly rich, almost dessert dish. Good food, good quality, and good prices.

And yes, we've cut down a lot. But we compensated for it by starting up a rotating monthly dinner at friends. We call it the Rolling Recession Dinner Party, and each month it goes to a new couple's house, in pot lock form. The hosting couple provides the main dish, and everyone else gets assigned something to bring. Of the 11 couples involved, 10 of us have a spouse out of work, and we've all had to make drastic cuts. This is a way to make sure we still see each other, and enjoy an evening out at the same time.

Cause any fool knows, a dog needs a home; a shelter from pigs on the wing

---

by: QueerInSoCal @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 21:28:42 PM CDT

what's a vegetarian carpetbagger to do here in BBQ country?

In Durham & Chapel Hill NC, there are lots of options, though my tastes (and wallet) don't extend to "fine dining."  The Thai Cafe serves a Thai green curry with vegetables that rivals curries I had at Thai places in San Francisco when I lived there.  The Flying Burrito offers a yummy black bean & sweet potato burrito and serves a positively radioactive salsa to delight your capsaicin receptors.  (It burns us!  It burns!)  Chai's has a Spicy Thai Basil Noodle dish that I can only surmise is seasoned with cocaine, because I think about it All The Time.  Then there's this local diner called Elmo's that has good basic food and a great huevos rancheros with home fries (super crispy on the outside).  But beyond the menu, Elmo's is known for spot-on, friendly, unobtrusive service ... it's a "Cheers" kind of place for the breakfast set (and lunch, and dinner).  Dale's has a great Indian lunch buffet, and—okay, I'll sit down now.

My eating out hasn't slowed as a result of the economy, however with a trip to Carolina Beach planned in a month, I see a lot of carrot sticks, celery, and hummus in my immediate future.  Somewhere inside me still lurks that skinny college runner.  (I think I ate him.)

---

by: 555catnap @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 22:15:04 PM CDT

If you are ever out in Wheaton

I know, scary, go to the Egg Lectic Cafe in Wheaton.  There's one right near the train station, about a block, and one a bit farther, kind of near the Morton Arboretum.  They are only open until 3PM, but they have really interesting breakfast food (which I'm not a big fan of in general) and really good sandwiches.  I'm particularly fond of their chicken sandwiches.  
Don't feel bad about getting passed over for cooking genes, the woman gods forgot to put that in mine too.  That's why you need a partner who loves to cook.  Works for me...

My America includes LGBT families.

---

by: Mena @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 22:48:43 PM CDT

I didn't know they allowed non-Christians to stop in Wheaton.

Ditto black folks.

---

by: Pollyanna @ Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 23:57:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Take your chances...

being queer, trans, non-christian... Wheaton's pretty scary; my partner was given an exorcism (not by choice of course) and a broken nose there.  And the police won't take reports on it (tried).

---

by: alang @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 17:08:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Eating out

I'm basically a good cook as far as typical home cooking is concerned. So when I eat out I want to find entrees that I'm not equipped to fix for myself.

What they are is not that important, since I like a wide variety of things. I like to go to Red Lobster. They seem to be able to prepare sea food a lot better than I can, for some reason.

---

by: BillWare @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 09:26:53 AM CDT

we don't go out to eat here too often

When we were in San Diego I enjoyed the Panda restaurant's crab rangoon. In New Orleans  Cafe Dumond has wonderful beignets
   http://www.cafedumonde.com/mai...

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

---

by: peteyPornpig @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 20:58:38 PM CDT

SF favorite restaurant

hmmm, depends on how you measure it but...

Old Siam Thai Restaurant, Ellis & Mason, SF
Kao Soy (chicken & soft + crunchy noodles in curry sauce)

cutting down not so much because of the recession as because of the waistline

---

by: charlessfo @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 02:00:15 AM CDT