What are you eating?

[Harpo]

Dave, the komono dragon is the only thing I remember from that movie!   It's been awhile.

I believe it's "komodo." if anybody cares. Don't you remember Brando parodying his Godfather role?

[toledobass]

A while back I ate at Michelle's in Bar Harbor.  I've written about it before.  Although I deeply love these kinds of restaurants, it's amongst those old school places where dining there once a year might even seem like over exposure. So I've dined here once a summer for three years now and decided to go really over the top this year.  I ordered steak tartare, onion soup (which  was just as delicious as I remembered it) and the ridiculous dish known as Lobster Thermidor.  Its a whole lobster, in this case a 2.5 pounder that the meat is picked out of and cooked, then doused in mornay sauce and to guild the lily, topped with gruyere and browned under the broiler.  A ridiculously over the top dish. 

One of the things I really love about dining in this kind of restaurant is the wait staff.  Truly impeccable service from people who are professional 'lifer' waiters.  Somehow they gain a 7th sense and can magically appear when needed,  they know how to listen to to a conversation without being in the bit intrusive only to jump on that exact moment when it is right to perhaps take the order or ask if another cocktail is needed.  And of course the skill to pull off table side service in the case of some of the salads and some of the desserts shouldn't go overlooked.  Bravo to those fine people who take the art of service to a high level.

Below is a pic of the Lobster Thermidor and Ceaser salad table side service.

Allan

[toledobass]

I made a childhood favorite of mine today.  It's a Filipino dish called Pancit Palabok.  Here is a wiki entry for Pancit.  Scroll down a bit for a little info on Palabok.

Allan

[Bogey]

Nice, Allan, very nice!

[SonicMan46]

Nice, Allan, very nice!

Allan - agree w/ Bill, you've been eating too well! 

Now, I've 'downed' many lobsters in my life, including those prepared other that just steamed/boiled, but have not had one cooked in the fashion described; although, a few weeks ago we spent a couple of nights at the Washington Duke Inn on the Duke University campus; one night in their excellent restaurant, we both had a nice 'half' broiled lobster stuffed w/ a shrimp/corn hash - quite delicious!

Just returned from a visit to our son & DIL in Indianapolis - plenty of good eating:

Susan & I shared a dozen (or more) Oysters three nights out to dinner - the selection at Mitchell's Seafood Restaurant included 4 different selections from the East Coast, Prince Edward Island, & the Pacific Northwest - just wonderful!

One night, I had Walleye or yellow pickerel, a Great Lakes fish that I just can't resist (grew up on the western shore of Lake Erie) when an ordering option (a rare event!); Swordfish grilled & blackend another night - hmmm!

Our last night, Susan & I shared some wonderful Sushi, a wide variety of choices and all just superb!  A nice visit - 

[Harpo]

[Just returned from a visit to our son & DIL in Indianapolis - plenty of good eating... A nice visit - 

Our son and his wife were just as enjoyable as the cuisine. 

[DavidW]

I see that the son takes after the father.

[jlaurson]

Would have been worth a picture, alas, none taken:

After a hardy day of riding some 35 miles on bikes, most of it through the rain and too much (ca. 50%, since it was a round-trip  ) uphill, there was a tuna steak waiting... just ever so slightly 'herbed' (...de Provence and mustard seeds), pan fried in the olive oil which had just hosted the garlic and red bell peppers for the arugula/goat-cheese salad. With that mashed ginger-carrot-potatoes. (With some sort of frothy cream cheese instead of butter; borne more out of curiosity than calorie-consciousness.) Halved apricot & basil leaves for decorative purposes.

[bwv 1080]

Went to Austin on business a few days ago, perfected the "road food" logistics

in the morning up 71 to Hruskas - pan sausage & sauerkraut kolache & a pan sausage, jalepeno & cheese kolache







back through Lockhart (the BBQ capital of Texas) and bought a pound each of brisket, ribs & sausage at Kreuz Market



http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=587

[toledobass]

Cool I just heard about Kreuz Market on the Splendid Table Podcast.  Glad you got to experience it. Actually now that I think about it I had never heard of kolaches until a report on the on Splendid Table as well.

As for me, I tried to make a Chicago style pizza last night.  My crust blew chunks but I still devoured half of the pie and will probably finish off the rest tonight.  Not so much that the crust tasted bad, it was just too thick.  I've got to lay the dough into the pan waaaaay thinner next time I try to make one of these.

Allan

[Bogey]

Cool I just heard about Kreuz Market on the Splendid Table Podcast.  Glad you got to experience it. Actually now that I think about it I had never heard of kolaches until a report on the on Splendid Table as well.

As for me, I tried to make a Chicago style pizza last night.  My crust blew chunks but I still devoured half of the pie and will probably finish off the rest tonight.  Not so much that the crust tasted bad, it was just too thick.  I've got to lay the dough into the pan waaaaay thinner next time I try to make one of these.

Allan

We call that Mountain Pie in our parts, Allan!   Scroll down to the 5th page of the menu....we sell it by weight in these them thar parts.
http://www.beaujos.com/menu.html

PS Ever travel our way, the pizza and beverages are on me.

[Harpo]

As for me, I tried to make a Chicago style pizza last night.  

Sonic has requested that I desist from making pizza at home, mostly because he wants a thin crust, which I can't seem to master. Last time I bought some pre-made whole wheat dough and put the sauce and toppings on without pre-baking it, so it came out really soggy and we ended up ordering delivered Chinese. I really do have a good sauce recipe though, based on Hunt's Tomato Puree.

[jlaurson]

Sonic has requested that I desist from making pizza at home, mostly because he wants a thin crust, which I can't seem to master. Last time I bought some pre-made whole wheat dough and put the sauce and toppings on without pre-baking it, so it came out really soggy and we ended up ordering delivered Chinese. I really do have a good sauce recipe though, based on Hunt's Tomato Puree.

One of the tricks for successful thin crust is to use WAY less sauce than you think would be necessary. Just when you think: But this isn't half-enough, you've already put on too much!
One little ladle, just enough to make sure some sauce has touched all parts, but the sauce must not actually cover (visually) the dough in any place.

And the right oven helps, of course.

[matti]

Porcini fried in chopped slices of bacon, smoked perch & new potatoes with some dill. Oh mama!

[Harpo]

One of the tricks for successful thin crust is to use WAY less sauce than you think would be necessary.

That's a good tip. Any suggestions for making a thin crust, besides buying pre-baked semi-thin ones in the store? I don't particularly want to make one from scratch, letting it rise, etc. How about Pillsbury?

[jlaurson]

That's a good tip. Any suggestions for making a thin crust, besides buying pre-baked semi-thin ones in the store? I don't particularly want to make one from scratch, letting it rise, etc. How about Pillsbury?

Can't tell you, really. I have only participated (from afar, mostly) in making Pizza in a restaurant, not at home. Letting the dough rise in the latter isn't a problem, since one makes so much and in advance. Stuff gets stretched out really thin, put on metal trays, covered in said fashion, and off to the oven.

Made tonight: Pasta with Red Beets, Red Lentils, Coconut Milk, and Parmesan. Tasted better than it sounds.

[Haffner]

Homemade bean and beef burritos with green peppers, onions, pepperoncini. Sides: Tostitos and O'Doul's amber beer.

[Dr. Dread]

Tonight I had some chicken wings, a Caesar salad, three grilled pork chops, applesauce, a baked potato and a martini.

[SonicMan46]

Well, Susan wanted an 'herb garden' this summer - I was willing to build 'something' small outside but w/ the vagaries of the weather, local animals, etc., she wanted one inside; so, this led to the purchase of the AeroGarden 6 - an indoor hydroponic solution - after weeks, her 'garden' almost looks like the one in the picture, and is ready for intermittent harvesting! 

Last night, she clipped off some basil, oregano, & thyme, and w/ some garlic & olive oil, spread the mixture underneath the skin of a locally grown chicken (from the Farmer's Market, I believe) - roasted in the oven - and then served w/ some orzo pasta & peas.  The chicken was flavorful and the breast meat in particular was juicy w/ all of those herb flavors prominent - hmmm - 

Now, maybe another try at a thin-crust Margarita pizza w/ a LOT of fresh basil?

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Am I correct, someone here is on a diet? Look at my supper, and I am not even on a diet, a combination of fresh local fruit and hard boiled egg, or some nuts, is my regular evening meal!