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LondonM

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Cambridge UK Recommendations

I agree with @ChristineB, but there is the Rainbow Cafe on Kings Parade. I haven't been there in a long time but I seem to remember that it was good, even for omnivores.

Relish Tray: Way or No Way?

Way! I wish I had a relish dish. I've put out assortments of pickled items (mm .. peppadews!) in lots of little dishes, but I could also see using such a dish for olives and bits of cheese, nuts, snack mixes, four different kinds of olives .. whatever. I've never had a super bowl party, so I don't know about fanciness for that, but I'd def use something like this for wine and cheese/snacks kind of party.

Cook the Book: Sweet and Sour Vietnamese Wings

@Michele Humes
@kw12345

My fault, I wasn't clear enough -- I'm not opposed to buying/drinking the nectar, and the recipe sounds delicious as is. It's just that I was trying to think if I could replicate the flavor (more or less) with something I already had. I was wondering if anyone else had the same thought .. :)
Thanks for your suggestions!
-m

Where to Eat in London?

Glad to help!

Re: Brick Lane .. if you're set on that, by all means go, but .. I really don't think that that is the best place to get decent Indian. I also don't like the atmosphere -- but then, I hate people coming up to me in the street and aggressively touting their restaurant. I know it doesn't bother everyone. Either way, if you have a specific destination in mind, something that's been recommended to you, then you know more than me :)

If, on the other hand, you aren't set on a place and are just looking for a great curry house, I recommend Lahore Kebab House, just off Commercial Rd (2 Umberston Street) in Whitechapel. Also, I've never been, but I've heard great things about Tayyab (I think that's the name) nearby Brick Lane, near Aldgate East tube.

High brow curry: Red Fort in Soho is wonderful.

Where to Eat in London?

Do you mean, less expensive but still "gourmet"? Or seriously inexpensive places to stop for a quick bite? And what kind of food do you like? Are you planning your holiday around food, or the other way around?

For instance, you could start your morning at Borough Market near London Bridge on a Friday or Saturday, get a Monmouth coffee and a bite at one of the stalls, then saunter east along the river to Gorden Ramsey's The Narrow Pub in Limehouse (get back to the center on the DLR). Although I was underwhelmed by the food there, most everyone else seems to like it and it is seasonal, classic, well-done pub food etc etc. Great view of the river, can be very crowded, possibly a good idea to book. They do a weird but good mojito if you're into that.

Or, if you're in South Ken for the museums, there's the Oratory between the V&A and Harrods. Good wine list, good (inexpensive) food.

Wild Honey and Arbutus are both very chef-y, seasonal restaurants (tasty and unordinary food) run by the same people. They are both fairly expensive, but both run a pre-theater menu (order up till 7pm, I think) which is a bargin (3 courses for about £20).

I really like Wahaca in Covent Garden for inexpensive yummy Mexican street food, and I've heard good things about Great Queen Street (a pub in that area) as well. By the way, the London Transport Museum rocks!

If you are just looking for basic, decent and cheap, then I guess the Wagamama or Leon chains work. They're certainly convenient, but nothing you couldn't get easily in the states (this may also hold true for Wahaca, my opinion is easily swayed because I'm so desperate for decent Mexican).

You could also check Time Out for London, and the London Eating websites.

Hope that helps!

Cook the Book: Sweet and Sour Vietnamese Wings

Sounds great, but I'd love to be able to make these without having to buy mango/guava/papaya nectar. Anyone have any substitute suggestions? I'm guessing a citrus fruit would be too acidic? What about apple puree?

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks

Sirloin -- chewing is fun!

Who wants to wok and roll?

Totally not gourmet, quick & easy peanut noodles for 1:
1 T Peanut Butter
1 T warm water
mix vigorously until emulsified. Add sprinkling of hot chili flakes to taste. Mix. Add
1/2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 T sugar
Mix again.
Mix in 1 portion of cooked rice noodles. Thin with a little extra water/vinegar/soy, depending. Also, vary proportions of soy:vinegar:sugar to your taste.

(I know you said you've got soba, so that might work, but I think the soba taste is a bit strong for peanut noodles)

Confession: I am a mustard junkie. What are you addicted to?

Hot sauces! I'm on a quest to have one for each pepper/region. My favorite so far: Marie Sharp Green Habanero.

(also, since it's come up, medicated chapstick. I import it from the US every time I go home. If I don't have some with me, I feel uncomfortable and prickly. I need a support group)

A Visit to London's Borough Market

I love Borough Market for imported cheese and Monmouth coffee, but I do sometimes feel like I'm in a crowed, touristy, open-air Waitrose. For guaranteed local food, it pays to visit one of London's Farmer's Markets, where everything has to come from within 100 miles of London. Mmmm .. lots of sprouts and Jerusalem artichokes just now.

Photo of the Day: Hot Chocolate Haiku

cocoa in munich
why does it taste so funny?
damn that mulled wine stand!

Why don't professional chefs use a garlic press?

It's definitely been my experience that garlic put through a press or grated tastes stronger and rawer. Also, when I've experimented with sauteing grated/pressed garlic, it never comes out properly. I use my press for salad dressings and paste making only -- applications where I want an aggressive taste or where the garlic is squished with something else before cooking. Otherwise, I find individual bits behave better and taste nicer when sliced/diced/minced.

Healthy Banana Bread Recipes?

I have the same problem with banana bread -- most of the recipes I've found are loaded with (yummy but evil) fat and sugar. The one I've been using recently comes from the FatFree archive:

http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/breads-quick/banana-bread-9

The recipe is super simple, and is dense but tasty, particularly toasted the next day. I know you asked for one with no sweetener, and this one calls for 1 C of sugar, but I regularly cut that to 2/3 C or 1/2 C and it still comes out fine. I'm not sure eliminating the sugar entirely would work out so well, but my food chemistry is weak. OTOH, you only have 3 bananas, so if you cut it in half and reduce the sugar, you're down to about 2T ...

In Videos: Weird Al Yankovic's 'Eat It'

Oh, please warn us furriners in advance when things won't play outside the US .. I had my hopes all up and everything [slowly expiring from lack of Weird Al fix] ..

Black Treacle Toffee: Scary or Delicious?

I substitute black treacle for molasses regularly with no ill effects. But, like you, I've never had access to both at the same time, so I can't say for sure how they compare. I've also tried golden syrup for corn syrup but that doesn't work as well :(

Things that make you go AAAAAAARGH!

1. Have you ever eaten horseradish? Yes

2. If yes, what would you put it on? Almost anything in one way or another.

3. Where do you shop for special meal ingredients? Farmers markets, specialty markets

4. Would you order ingredients online? If so, which sites? No

5. 1 to 10 scale, how adventurous are you at trying new foods? 9

6. How far have you driven to eat-out? I don't drive. But I've flown to another country, does that count?

7. How often do you prepare meals each week? 5 or 6 times a week, 2-3 meals a day.

8. What colors come to mind associated with adventure? Red

9. Do you consume artificial sweeteners? No

Do you wear an apron?

I love aprons! Retro and sexy. High heels a plus but only if you have an admirer around and no desire to get any actual cooking done.

For actual cooking protection, my favorite is this heavy duty number:
http://www.tate.org.uk/shop/product.do?id=25121

How could you not like them? Yet another opportunity to accesorize ;)

The First Meal of a Vacation

I'm always a little perplexed by the 'humane lobster-killing' debate. From a biological complexity point of view, lobsters are about as brainy as a mosquito or a tick. Why don't we have debates about the pain levels of a fly swatter versus the newspaper? Or turpentine versus a lit match? Even weirder to me, oyster eaters never seem bothered that raw oysters are still alive when eaten. To me, as long as you're paying attention to overfishing problems, and chosing your lobster accordingly, it makes not one bit of difference how you kill it.

What fruit could you eat every day for the rest of your life?

mangosteens, omg. but more realistically (for me): cherries! even more realistically (given English climate): blackberries.

Grocery shopping confessions...

Geez leave a country for a year or so and things change completely. What the hell is Fage yoghurt?

In my cart:
Ryvita Rye Crispbreads
Chicken thighs
Avocados
Carrots
Smoked Salmon

Where do you go for dim sum in Chinatown (NYC)?

I used to go to Jing Fong, but now I like Golden Bridge even better. The enterence is on the Bowery. The salt and peper squid is fantastic.

Milkshake: make mine______

Babe Ruth or Peanut Butter from the Nifty Fifty's diner in/near Chester, PA. I haven't had one in about 6 years and I'm still craving them ...

Gun to your head: 3 Favorite Sauces...

Aioli, pesto & sweet chili sauce.
Though one wonders: jam probably doesn't count as a sauce, but what about chutney? At one point does a dip/marinade/spread become a sauce?

want to make a special seafood dinner for that special someone...would love to get some of your favorite, most delicious, uncommon seafood recipes.

How about salmon in puff pastry? There must be about a billion different variations on this theme, but I particularly like Delia Smith's slightly Asian take:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/thai-salmon-filo-parcels,1730,RC.html

Do food writing fads annoy you?

I don't know if this counts as food 'writing' per se, but I can't STAND menu items described as "[verb] to perfection", eg. spiced to perfection, grilled to perfection, etc. I mean .. as opposed to what? 'Mostly well grilled'? 'Spiced fairly accurately'?

Serious Efforts: Recipe for Chinese-Style Braised Rabbit

I'm thinking something like this: brown and slow cook the rabbit until the meat is falling off the bone, cool, shred meat, reduce braising liquid, reheat, and serve over noodles. I'd like to have some Chinese eggplant in there, as well as to use a can of fermented/salted black beans I have. A rich, salty, spicy, slightly sweet taste is what I'm going for. I've looked around, and I've found rabbit braises over noodles, and black bean braises with other meats, what do you all think about combining the ingredients of the latter (for instance) with the technique of the former? Or will the second recipe work for what I want if I just cook the rabbit for longer? Can I add the eggplant as well or should I stir-fry it separately and add at the last minute? Advice most appreciated!

[Serious Efforts guidelines »]

The famous no-knead bread: does it work for everyone?

I've tried the no-knead bread (the one published in the NYT and blogged about by the Amatuer Gourmet and Chocolate & Zucchini, amoung others), but I can't get it to come out right. The dough is just too sticky coming off the first rise, and I can't shape it into anything ball shaped without a lot of additional flour. Another problem is the 'generously coat a kitchen towel with flour' step. The entire kitchen gets covered in flour, and the finished bread has an unappealingly thick coating of flour. It also doesn't rise nearly as much as what I've seen on various blogs. I'm in the UK, so I suppose I could be dealing with differences in flour/yeast, but I've followed C&Z's more weight-based instructions, also without sucess. Any hints from anyone?

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