I rarely deep fry, but when I do, I often wish I had a deep fryer. If I had one, I would probably use it a maximum of a dozen times a year -- spring rolls, fries, empanadas....For those of you who have one, do you love it, or is it just clutter?
I would like to learn as much as I can about Japanese cuisine -- the full range -- what cookbooks do you recommend as primers?
My mom used to by a "brick" of neapolitan ice cream (a quarton gallon? I don't know the official size but it was the size of a brick, hence the name). She'd then make 2 waffles and put a slice of the neapolitan ice cream between the waffles.
And "strawberry shortcake" ice cream bars. These ones are still around.
I spend a lot of money on food, travel a lot for food, and don't mind spending a lot of money on food. I draw the line here:
We live in Toronto. About 1.5 hours out of Toronto is a restaurant called Eisengein Farms (sp?). The chef is Michael Statdlander. The cost per person is $250 flat, no alchol (it's a BYOB restaurant). Because it's so far out of town, you would either have to stay at a local B & B, have a driver, or don't consume alcohol. So after buying wine, gratuity, $500 for 2, plus either a limo or a B&B, you are looking at close to $1000 for one night. A bit too much for me.
That said, I have heard only excellent things about the food.
I 100% agree with macarons from Pierre Herme. Fleur de sel is great but you can find it, imported, at home. Not so the macarons.
Thanks everyone, for the feedback. Believe it or not, I hadn't considered getting a fryer basked for my regular deeper pots -- I think that's what I'll try first. Storage is a bit of an issue for me -- I imagine storing it in the basement and getting it when I need it but, as I type this, I imagine it never being pulled out of the basement. If I do decide to give a deep fryer a whirl, I will keep LunaPierCook's advice in mind.
I used the recipe from Julia Child and it was delicious. We sat outside on a chilly Hallowe'en, shelling out goodies to the little ones, and eating oeufs en cocotte a la sauce de cari, with toasted baguette. A neighbour blasting Vincent Price reading Edgar Allen Poe into the trees. Another neighbour sharing her becherovka across the hedge. It was a Hallowe'en to remember.
Popping popcorn. And melting butter for the popcorn. That's pretty much it.
Smooth pb on whole grain toast. With the butter on top of the peanut butter.
Pork chops in mushroom soup, baked in the oven, very hot.
I usually eat lunch out 2 times per week. On the other 3 days, it's a salad -- usually a tossed green salad with whatever veggies are in the fridge and a can of Italian tuna, or a caesar salad with bacon and reggiano shavings. I make it in the morning before I head off to work.
My husband and I and a friend are planning to start with apple pie and a bottle of Condrieu. Then heading out for dosas for dinner. And then give thanks to David Cronenburg by watching Eastern Promises!
When I first moved to NYC I seriously thought I'd have to choose between paying rent and eating. At all. A few months of exploring later, and I've found some real gems that have been fine for my palate AND my wallet. I'd love to hear some of your picks for cheaps eats, and you're welcome to check out mine.
www.fruglebuglenyc.blogspot.com
I once, yes, just once, had a vanilla-flavored popsicle. It was blue and absolutely wonderful. I have never seen one since.
In the 1950s, Hoodsies had pictures of actors and actresses on th einside of the top lid, For some reason, they were printed in blue ink.
At Fenway Park, vendors sold 3 flavored Hood ice cream cups.
Chester Bars from New Hampshire, though I'll be damned if I can find the first bit of information about them online!
I know some people are going to cringe but I use this mainly
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-3280762-5325524?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=presto+kitchen+kettle
That is right a 20 dollar kitchen kettle. I have 2 of them and I use them for deep frying. They are non stick so they clean easy, they have a temp gauge so you get good and even hot oil. The basket is easy to clean.
We also use it for a on the quick pot, you can cook right in it.
I cannot tell you how many chili cookoffs this item has been to. I do not own a crock pot (OMG) but I have one of these. It is by and large the best cheap thing I ever purchased.
I am curious about storage. I am a healthy cook and dont intend to use a deep fryer often, so how long can the used oil be stored? Would freezing it make it last longer?
L'Orangerie. And it's too expensive if it is more than you'd budgeted or less than you'd expected. Outrageous if both.
I think of fine dining as theater, an indulgence of all the senses. When done well, you are entertained, surprised, elated, and amused. A great example of this was my birthday dinner at Sushi Zen. Chef Suzuki created a custom 12 course meal of exquisite beauty and harmony that moved like a symphony for more than two hours. My companion and I were deeply moved, nearly to the point of tears (of joy). I am happily waiting for the next occasion to go again, and would be happy to pay the $150 per person. And that's a lot of money for me, more than I spend normally in a month in restaurants.
My point of comparison is theater, which in NY is far more expensive than almost any restaurant. Could you imagine having a ballet performed for you and your companion by one of the great dancers of the world for only $150? Its a lot for dinner, but not a lot for an unforgettable experience.
Having dined at some of America's "best" restaurants including The French Laundry, Gallileo, Masa, L'Orangie (sp), Joe's Stone Crab, Radius, Al Forno, Lutece, LeCirque, Daniel, etc. Some have been grat and some have been OK, but over the years ingredients have become increasingly expensive, as has real estate & payrolls. The question of value vs. quality is not a simple one, but here is some perspective. Pizza - Franny's vs. Grimaldi's - Grimaldi's is a full size pizza with quality ingredients and enough of them (yes, a pizza is $16, but you will leave full) Franny's is a small personal size uncut pizza (yes, a pizza is $16, but you will leave hungry as it has fine quality ingredients, but not much of them) I had to get a slice somewhere after eating here. A Subway sandwich vs. a hero from Alidoro for about the same price, both will fill you up, but quality - no contest! A burger from hamburger heaven and a hamburger from BLT Burger - same price, but no contest. Go to Westville for a whole trout for $16 or a mediocre fish house and pay $25. Yes, you will have a table cloth, but an inferior fish and why did you go out to eat to begin with? A homemade gnocchi @ MaxSoha for $9.95 or Olive Garden pasta for more money and lesser quality. Look for quality and craftsmanship when you dine. It could be a great hot dog or pizza or hamburger or it can be a shortrib or lobster - cheap can mean cheap, but care what you put in your stomach and know how to compare apples to apples. Are there expensive restaurants that merit big dollars, yes, but make sure the chef who's cooking you are paying for is in the kitchen. Ouest, A Voce, Fiamma, Park Avenue (season), Union Square Cafe, all deserve a nod because the chef is in & running the show...pride = value.
what else could i be doing with the money? that's my question. if i can spend 20 on a pizza and not be full or 16 and be stuffed, then it feels better to be full. obviously if i had greater income, i would just order more of the 20 dollar pizzas and be done with it, but i think a better question would be:
how much do people spend on meals out of their own pocket in a calendar year?
$600 for a meal is a form of economic discrimination-exclusion, for lack of a better term. Like the person above who remarked about the Bentley owners. It's obvious, to me anyway.
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