The eel is a specialty from Antwerp iirc. I'm not a fan of eel to be true (except unadon...).
Cooking wise there are differences between North and South, but there is more in common between the two regions than in between Flanders and the Netherlands or in between Wallonia and France. Many families have a mixed heritage.
Chicons au gratin needs some care otherwise it can be quite terrible. Take good, thick cooked ham so that it can stand the cooking without shrinking too much. Let the endives drain thoroughly or their water will ruin the bechamel. I'd personally use a cheese with a stronger taste than grated Gruyere or I'd do a 50/50 of Gruyere and Munster.
Cooking wise there are differences between North and South, but there is more in common between the two regions than in between Flanders and the Netherlands or in between Wallonia and France. Many families have a mixed heritage.
Chicons au gratin needs some care otherwise it can be quite terrible. Take good, thick cooked ham so that it can stand the cooking without shrinking too much. Let the endives drain thoroughly or their water will ruin the bechamel. I'd personally use a cheese with a stronger taste than grated Gruyere or I'd do a 50/50 of Gruyere and Munster.
Munster has several personalities here. If you go to the supermarket you get the tasteless relic from post war Americana, but in a cheese shop you can get the real imported washed rind one a "10" on the stinky scale.
Munster (the real stuff is nice). But I like stinky cheese (stinking bishop is a fave) as jerome K jerome was well aware
Three Men in a Boat - Chapter IV. (by Jerome K. Jerome)
Fish pie used to be a staple in my house, but we added hardboiled eggs and prawns and precooked the fish in milk. But I am a fan of traditional english stodge.
Three Men in a Boat - Chapter IV. (by Jerome K. Jerome)
Fish pie used to be a staple in my house, but we added hardboiled eggs and prawns and precooked the fish in milk. But I am a fan of traditional english stodge.
Fish soup -- if you are ever stuck at LaGuardia Airport you can make your way over to "La Roja de Todos" on 108th and Northern Blvd. (7 minutes by cab) Great "Paila Marina". As a side benefit, the "Louis Armstrong Museum" is only a block away.
I know folks whose first stop at LAX is the "In and Out Burger"
I know folks whose first stop at LAX is the "In and Out Burger"
We get Stinking Bishop here at few places, interesting my idea of Munster is at least that stinky if not more. Washed rind cheeses are best cave aged unwrapped (to prevent anaerobic/ammoniated spoilage) until they are almost liquid.
That story is great. I laughed when I first saw the stinking bishop cheese because my childhood community was Austrian and the church was under the auspices of the discalsed Carmelites. I had to serve 5AM mass and, bless his heart, one of the portly priests was definitely one.
Valentines dinner went well. The red pepper, carrots and sweet potato you see, were augmented with rice, pork belly and lamb balls.
I am enjoying the grinder attachment for the mixer. Boneless shoulder has just the right balance of fat, sinew and moisture.
No other pics, it was Valentine's Day after all.
Nudge nudge wink wink
I am enjoying the grinder attachment for the mixer. Boneless shoulder has just the right balance of fat, sinew and moisture.
No other pics, it was Valentine's Day after all.
Nudge nudge wink wink
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Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao is a key ingredient in the tiki drink world. It's part of the "three hundred dollar Mai Tai" which is so named because purchasing one bottle of each of the ingredients easily adds up to more than $300. On the other hand you get at least 10 Mai Tais from those bottles and boy howdy are they good. The rest of the ingredients are:
Appleton Estate 21 year old rum (Jamaica) ... $115
Clement XO Rhum Agricole (Martinique) ... $200
Teisseire Orgeat Syrup (France) ... $13
Trader Vic's Rock Candy Syrup (US) ... $7
Fresh Limes ... $2
Crushed Ice
Appleton Estate 21 year old rum (Jamaica) ... $115
Clement XO Rhum Agricole (Martinique) ... $200
Teisseire Orgeat Syrup (France) ... $13
Trader Vic's Rock Candy Syrup (US) ... $7
Fresh Limes ... $2
Crushed Ice
I would keep all the spirits from the (former) French Empire myself .
El Dorado 21 from Guyana.
Time after time, mai tai blind tasting panels overwhelmingly prefer a blend with one rum from Jamaica and one rum from Martinique. Consulting mixologist Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, who lends his name to Latitude 29 among many other restaurants, suggests (and offers as the top line Mai Tai in the cocktail menus he supplies) the mid price combination of Clement VSOP from Martinique ($30/btl) and Appleton Estate 12 year from Jamaica ($30/btl). I agree the results are spectacular. And the cost is low.
BTW the very first mai tai, the 1944 original from Trader Vic, used Jamaican rum only. The legendary and long out of production J. Wray and Nephew 17 year old. An original unopened bottle sold to a collector for $50K which is crazy but then I'm not a collector.
BTW the very first mai tai, the 1944 original from Trader Vic, used Jamaican rum only. The legendary and long out of production J. Wray and Nephew 17 year old. An original unopened bottle sold to a collector for $50K which is crazy but then I'm not a collector.
Me either, we all know I'm contrarian. We picked up a lineup last time we were in Montego Bay at the duty free (prices are great!). I was not a fan of the Appleton 21 (neat) at all, but we rarely do mixed drinks so I wouldn't know.
The Trader Vic's in the New Otani hotel in Tokyo is going strong. "The East's most western hotel" according to many.
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They also brought back the long-dead Trader Vic's in Scottsdale AZ (USA), on the property of the Valley Ho motor lodge if you can believe it. Then they let it die. Again.
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They also brought back the long-dead Trader Vic's in Scottsdale AZ (USA), on the property of the Valley Ho motor lodge if you can believe it. Then they let it die. Again.
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I get headaches thinking of "piano bar" when the local sales force would entertain their guests from stateside.
We were fortunate to be put up in the Okura when on biz. I guess it has had a major do-over and is reopening soon.