Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Potato Crisps from Luxirare

she is the bomb. i want to live in her brain for a day.

laurbelle2 at 4:39PM on 08/24/09

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 81: A Frank Chat with Frank Bruni on Being 'Born Round'

while this is slightly off topic, i must say that sir bruni is quite a babe.

laurbelle2 at 4:37PM on 08/21/09

Happy Hour Veggie and Beef Burgers at National Mechanics in Philadelphia

keep the philly reviews coming!!
i just changed my booze plans tonight to include this place--thanks robyn!

laurbelle2 at 4:42PM on 08/20/09

Taste Test: Gluten-Free, Vegan-Friendly Shirataki Noodles

if you do a bitman "more-sauce-less-pasta" recipe, shiritaki can be a good replacement. i.e., i'll do a very chunky primavera sauce and then use the linguine noodles. when i was on weight watchers these things were a godsend--now, i'd rather just eat less of the real stuff.

laurbelle2 at 5:53PM on 08/11/09

What is your fantasy food business?

@sandn8r9

there's a plae in jerusalem called "marakia" (the soup place) and it sounds really similar--delicious, seasonal soup and insane bread. wow. i think about that place allll the time...

laurbelle2 at 1:27PM on 08/06/09

Omitting Soda Pop

@mdashkin--
i 2nd'ed your comments above--alcohol definitely needs a soda friend sometimes.

laurbelle2 at 9:11PM on 08/03/09

Omitting Soda Pop

i just officially "quit" soda 2 weeks ago, with a few lapses in between (baseball game, hungover lunch--you know, the usual). i'm pretty happy about my decision. free ice water @ the cafeteria certainly feels better than ponying up $1.50 every day for a diet coke that i never even really like all that much!

i know that there will definitely be exceptions, and i'm fine with that. i mean, well whiskey really doesn't do it for me unless there's ginger ale involved...

laurbelle2 at 3:22PM on 07/31/09

Sunday Brunch: Cheese Strata

my old roommate from ohio made one of these whenever we had big house parties--stuck it in the fridge the night before, instant hangover cure the next day. probably the only time i ate wonder bread without guilt.

laurbelle2 at 1:52PM on 07/27/09

My Week Without Corn

do you know what i don't understand? the core of the problem. why is the government subsidizing corn and soy farms? what's in it for them? wouldn't a large part of this problem be solved if farmers were encouraged to have diversified yields instead of these mono-crops?

laurbelle2 at 2:58AM on 07/26/09

What makes you feel better?

chinese delivery--steamed dumplings and veggie moo shu.

laurbelle2 at 12:39PM on 07/21/09

From Serious Eats: New York

The Simplicity of a Subway Breakfast

it's become an (unfortunate) once a week habit, but I love the egg white/turkey bacon/swiss/whole wheat english muffin sandwich at Starbucks.
I love how the cheese melts from their ultra-powerful-zapper-toaster oven thing and it acts as a very effective sandwich glue. yum.

laurbelle2 at 12:35PM on 07/21/09

Gus and Gabriel Gastropub: The Greek Coffee Shop (Diner) of Our Dreams?

another score for the UWS--this places looks AMAAAAAZING!

laurbelle2 at 10:39AM on 07/15/09

Snapshots from Greece: Fage Yogurt

it's because it goes both sweet and savory and never feels out of place! i end up using fage instead of sour cream on many a dish...

laurbelle2 at 3:16PM on 07/13/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

fresca
diet sunkist
diet raspberry snapple (does that count?)
kedem sparkling grapejuice (where my jews at??)

laurbelle2 at 11:50PM on 07/09/09

Weekend Cook and Tell: Going Solo

i live alone so this isn't anything new for me. i love to get ambitious with my cooking but since recipes are usually for 4-6 people i ALWAYS have tons of leftovers--it's frustrating.

anyway last night i made braised turkey legs in a sweet potato/mirepoix (sp?)/beer stew. pretty good as lunch today. let's see how many more times i can eat this before getting entirely sick of it!

laurbelle2 at 1:18PM on 07/09/09

Dear Food Network, Please Stop

so i doubt anyone will actually read this, but i just wanted to share that today after getting home early from work and flipping on FN, i watched 30 minute meals (in agony) and then wrote them the following note:

"Dear FN,

Every time I hear Rachael Ray talk about almost burning the bread, I die a little."

Regards,
Laura"

laurbelle2 at 1:58PM on 07/02/09

How to Pour Beer

am i wrong to say i don't really care if it's incorrect to tilt? slurping up 3 inches of foam is TOTALLY unsatisfying when you're getting ready to enjoy a cold beer. i'm also guilty of putting my pint glasses in the freezer--SO LOVELY after a long day of work ;)

laurbelle2 at 4:04PM on 07/01/09

Meet & Eat: Chichi Wang, Serious Eats Intern

most impressive intern interview to date. welcome!

laurbelle2 at 4:18PM on 06/30/09

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 93: Can Pizza Be Diet Food?

I cannot believe that I never put two and two together until just now. I have a copy of "A Slice of Heaven" that you signed for me while I was working at the Lombardi's in Philadelphia sitting on my bookshelf, yet the fact that it was the Ed Levine of Serious Eats fame who wrote it never crossed my mind. I was not really the foodie then that I am now, I was too busy eating pizza for two meals a day then. I feel special now. :)

annabanannas at 6:50PM on 11/13/09

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 93: Can Pizza Be Diet Food?

I order from my local pizzera asking them to take the normal amount of cheese and put a lot less on one half-- that's for me-- and the cheese they don't put on my half, put on my son's half. He is tall and 17 YO and can metabolize any amount of calories. I put loads of extra oregano and pepper flakes on it too. Yum.

Trilby at 4:18PM on 11/13/09

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 93: Can Pizza Be Diet Food?

Damage to your weight notwithstanding, you really do have the best job ever.

marchpane at 3:08PM on 11/13/09

nithya at hungrydesi at 10:18PM on 11/10/09

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

I made my italian variation of these tonight...I usually just crumble the tofu and pan fry it like Bittman suggests using as "ground meat". But tonight, I crumbled 3/4 of the block, food processed the remaining 1/4 of the block with two garlic cloves and mixed it all together with bread crumbs, arugula, italian seasoning, salt and red chili powder. Then pan fried like your recipe...Maybe my patties were thinner than yours, but I ended up with about patties. Delicious! Can't wait to try the Asian version.

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

I didn't try the slaw but did try the tofu-scallion-sesame burgers this weekend. They were very dry and apart from the taste of the seaweed and just a hint of sesame - very bland. perhaps with some serious modification this would be a good recipe but if you're looking for plenty of flavor and character you may find this recipe very lacking.

phaelon56 at 8:47AM on 11/10/09

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

thanks robin, and you are right--my kroger on 11th shepherd might just have something in the international or natural section, now that it has been half turned into a "signature kroger." i know they carry nori, so maybe i could try that. i am sure i can get it at wf or cm, but that is not on the drive home, and once i get in my car it's usually a straight shot home with as few detours as possible. (my bank account is going to be in serious trouble when the wf on west dallas and waugh opens . . . )

carriebwc at 3:37PM on 11/04/09

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

Hmmm...you can definitely skip the sea green in the slaw. Bittman says it adds texture and flavor to the tofu, but I mostly tasted scallion and just a bit of sesame--the sea green did not stand out to me there. If I wanted to try substituting something, I would use some kale (or cabbage from the slaw), steamed until just barely crunchy and then chopped fine, or chopped cilantro. But I think you could simply make the patties without the seaweed, too.

I grew up in Houston, and although I haven't been to Kroger in a while, Kroger is so big--and Houston is so cosmopolitan--that it might have a little international section, no? Of course, the seaweed would probably be more expensive there. They should have it at Whole Foods and Central Market, too, if either of those is more convenient for you.

Robin Bellinger at 2:22PM on 11/04/09

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

what can you substitute for the sea green? there is no way i will find that at my kroger here in houston, and i don't know when i'll get out to an asian market to find it. any suggestions?

carriebwc at 11:35AM on 11/04/09

nithya at hungrydesi at 8:32AM on 11/04/09

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

I do something similar with tofu but with Italian flavors but have never thought to process part of the tofu till its smooth...this sounds really yummy. I love your vegetarian posts :)

Meat Lite: Spaghetti with Tomato-Braised Kale

This is amazing! We made it last night, and both uniformly loved it! Kale is not in my usual ingredient list, but I'm trying to add more dark leafy greens to our diet, and you really don't even notice them in this dish. Yum!!

kate01 at 3:09PM on 10/27/09

Burger from Standard Tap in Philadelphia

@bjb39: Thanks for the recs! As for who recommended Standard Tap, quite a few people here and here.

Robyn Lee at 1:27PM on 10/27/09

Burger from Standard Tap in Philadelphia

From my experience (I was a 5-year Philly resident), there are only 3 really good burgers in the city

1. Sabrina's Cafe (910 Christian St.)
2. Caribou Cafe (1126 Walnut St.)
3. Triumph Brewing Company (117 Chestnut St.)

I don't know who told you that you'd get a good burger at Standard Tap... that place has an OK beer selection (better off at The Foodery around the corner), and the food is pretty average.

bjb39 at 1:20PM on 10/27/09

Meat Lite: Spaghetti with Tomato-Braised Kale

Thanks for sharing looks liek a stylish dish. Light pasta dishes are usually the best. I'm trying to expand my usual go-to pasta recipes...I'll add this to the list!

constantlysara at 7:08PM on 10/23/09

Taste Test: Mustard

I'm not sure which category it would go in, its probably more of a hot sauce, but I have to turn you all on to Dave's Gourmet Hurtin' Habanero & Honey Mustard: http://www.davesgourmet.peachhost.com/ct_PRdahhm.htm.
Its thick enough to be spreadable for your sandwich, and so hot you cant stand it but so sweet you can't resist - there's nothing better with cold, day-old pot roast.

squarefoot1 at 8:59AM on 10/22/09

Meat Lite: Spaghetti with Tomato-Braised Kale

@squeezebottle, did you have a traumatic experience with kale as a child or something? i didn't realize there was a "kale bandwagon," but if there is, i guess i have been on it for years. love the stuff and would eat it, or any other cruciferous greens for that matter, everyday if i weren't too lazy to cook everyday.

carriebwc at 9:46AM on 10/21/09

Meat Lite: Spaghetti with Tomato-Braised Kale

Weird. Kale was the first dark leafy green I was ever served other than spinach and it was the moment I realized, "Huh! I like dark leafy greens!"

So, I say keep the kale posts coming!

Amandarama at 7:45AM on 10/21/09

Meat Lite: Spaghetti with Tomato-Braised Kale

For some reason this sounded really good for dinner tonight. I am back from the store and no luck on kale so I subbed in mustard greens. Will let you know how it turns out.

climbhighak at 1:27AM on 10/21/09

Meat Lite: Spaghetti with Tomato-Braised Kale

Squeezebottle--I think maybe the kale excess relates to high number of CSA participants who write for the site? It's in season right now. I sure have had a lot of it in recent weeks. And I must say that my husband is typically not crazy for kale, but he ate this recipe and the leftovers enthusiastically. Another thing is that kale is so phenomenally nutritious that there's no such thing as to many encouragements to eat it.

Joy Manning at 10:51PM on 10/20/09

Taste Test: Mustard

Maille is what all the best Chefs in the world use. Dijon, stone ground, you name it - Maille wins.

ChefR0bert at 3:52PM on 10/20/09

Burger from Standard Tap in Philadelphia

Knowing Robyn's preference for a smaller, California-style burger I'd recommend Sketch Burger. Delicious hand cut fries too!

kessler at 1:50PM on 10/20/09

Burger from Standard Tap in Philadelphia

Go to Eulogy Belgian Tavern in Old City. I've had burgers all over the city, and Eulogy is the best in my opinion.

pahiker6 at 1:39PM on 10/20/09

Burger from Standard Tap in Philadelphia

wow. unhinge jaw, insert burger. i like it.

grace24 at 3:37AM on 10/20/09

Burger from Standard Tap in Philadelphia

I remember having great burger at Standard Tap, but I haven't been back since I began my own Philly burger quest (and started a blog about it). The Royal Tavern is tops for me so far but I've barely made a dent in the supposed top 10.

Tim F at 9:23PM on 10/19/09