Why are we here?
For many years, we ate meals like everyone else. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, even the odd snack. Anyone who has lived through the college years, surviving poverty, malnutrition, and walking the thin line to scurvy, finds out a few facts about food:
- You can almost survive on rice alone (a majority of the world does).
- Ketchup is a poor man’s spaghetti sauce.
- It is possible to eat baked beans for four months straight (our poor roommates).
- Butter makes almost everything palatable.
When we finished our college years, finalized our voyage into adulthood and started to make a decent living, one question haunted us. Can we eat better? As closet gourmands, we both experimented with food, but when a major book tour was married with the first home made bacon episode, we were both bit by the culinary bug.
Now the pressing question is, which is best? Cheese from France or from Canada? Beef from Alberta, Argentina, Texas or Tokyo? Where can you get the best sushi? Is first-pressed extra virgin olive oil really worth its weight in gold? We don’t know, but through this site we will test products, try out new kitchen gadgets, rank restaurants, and offer up what we consider to be the best use of your time and money and things to stay away from. We will review cookbooks, not only for their usability and value, but for their sheer entertainment value. Come with us as we pull back the curtain and look at the true underbelly of the culinary world. We hope that underbelly proves to be a succulent, smoked belly of pork.
John, forgive me for speaking to the Irish on anything around potatoes, but I have also had great success with potatoes through a Food Mill, but I think the ricer probably does the same job with less clean up. Maybe someone will trade me a never used reamer for a ricer? Paul? Takers?
p.s. Ming Wo loves the hanging pig.
Chris
Never used a mill for the spuds, but ya got me curious.
I don’t have a ricer (yet), but I have used my food mill in the past. It does a great job – but it takes considerable effort and it’s messy.
John:
I see there is a wide range of models and styles of ricers available. Since you seem to be very pleased with your purchase, could you post the model?
Chris:
Why don’t you send me over a photo of the reamer; I will determine fair market value, and then see what I have to offer for trade. I’m thinking slightly used apple-corer. Let me know.
The ricer I bought is manufactured by Brown. No other markings or packaging available. I just picked it off the shelf at Ming Wo.
Sorry that should be Browne for the ricer.
Ah John, a fine looking Chili, but Fletti does chili like no body’s business. It’s all about the fresh beans and different types. I soak these little babies in hot water for four hours, pressure cooker for 20 minutes and then into the pool. I like to think of it as the beans going to the ’spa’ before their big date to loosen up a bit. Made this last night with a beef and pork mixture and it was amazing. The brown sugar secret has been mine until now. Well done!
C/
WTF with the kale? I used to use that stuff as garnish back in the restaurant days. You have a lemon slice and parsley recipe too?
Fletti,
I like the respect shown the beans, nice one. That Pressure Cooker of your’s is supersonic, might get one. Kale must be for me what the cacao bean was to the Aztecs —- it just makes things better.
I’v a recipe with lemon and parsley but it involves a glass and liquids!
Im checking it out dammit
p 67 – 121 you say……
I agree. The food is good but the service is the shits. Heather and I went there for a business lunch and I had to ask one of the cooks to sit us. All there servers noticed us, but they didn’t think to come over. Sets a bad taste in the mouth of customers and we’ve decided not to give them any more business during meetings. It would be nice if they had a floor manager in place or someone who can implement standards. Fletti rating: Four steaming piles of shit.
A timely reminder of a fantastic and under appreciated dish, like the
salad idea. Nice one.
I just put on 5 lbs after reading this—-and it felt good man.
Made lasagna with home made pasta last week, Im having a store bought
pasta sale this week!
Chris,
The pics are amazing! Good call on the salad.
Folks,
“Remy Martin’s XO Cream of Chanterelle and Mitsukake Mushroom Soup” is the Hanging Pig’s signature starter. Not cheap to make – but we’re talking premium cognac, harvested pacific rim wild mushrooms sauteed in the fat of well-cared for, loving, swine, and supported by local, organic ingredients. Who among you would not be excited to see this as an offering on the menu of your local bistro?
Great review John. I actually didn’t like this dude on his show “Chef at home”, but he has a new show where he travels the world and he marries an important interest in food with a respect for culture and I now really enjoy his show. I’ve started borrowing cookbooks from the library before I buy them just to make sure they are up to snuff. Today I picked up Ratio, by Michael Ruhlman and “Jam Packed – Jam it, pickle it, cure it” by Karen Soloman. Of course Ramsay and Nigella always get included in the personal library before a screening process.
Cheers,
C/
Sounds amazing. I’m going to try it when I’m in town later this month!
C/
I love porkchops! I can’t wait to try this recipe soon.
glad to see you have not lost the taste of good food no matter where you live. but you still cant beat European chocolate especially yorkies
This is some good work John! I really do try to use eggplant well. However, even with access to many different varieties and some of the best quality eggplant that money can buy, my results have been consistently below-average.
I suppose it’s possible that I just don’t like eggplant, but I think that it has more to do with the fact that I just don’t know how to prepare it properly. Even when I try to keep things simple, it turns out either bland or bitter. At any rate, this gives me one last bacon-fueled inspiration to continue the quest!
Thanks Paul. I find Japanese eggplant less bitter, Iv done this wih
zucchini too, excellent!
Great lookin meal my man.
Right on girl, especially the Irish ones from 81 ish!!
I has the pleasure of meeting you one night at William-Sonoma. You were very accurate about this challah recipe. It is definietely one of the better ones. Thank you for sharing it with me!
I’ve eaten this creation in it’s original form and it is not only delicious, but it’s what I’m making for dinner tonight.
John! You darling. For a great review like this one I will feed you scallops anytime. In fact I will travel around in your motorcycle sidecar, grilling them over the engine. I blushed at the review but I am also a media slut and loved every minutes.The secret to a divine scallop is: a.) get them directly from the scallop farm, in this case Qualicum Beach scallops and b.) for a really crispy on the outside, translucent and succulent on the inside, make sure the scallop is washed, bone dry and cold when you put it into a searing hot pan. Enjoy! Su G.
This is why I LOVE blogs! Thank you John and Su for thoroughly entertaining me and giving me simple steps to try the execution on my own. Inspiration! Thank you!!
I have had similar experiences with attitude and sense of entitlement from staff at the Irish Heather. Nice to read an honest review of an overrated pub. Their pot pies, though, are pretty good!
Very nice Maria. As a rule, I try to apply your Valentine’s Day advice to all of the other big holidays. If I am planning a meal out, I arrange it a day or two before. On the celebration day itself, I prefer to cook something special at home. Thanks for sharing the best of Seattle with us.
Thanks Paul – great tip to apply it to all holidays. Actually, come to think of it, the best V-day meal we ever had was when my husband made bacon-wrapped filet mignons and potatoes dauphinoise at home….mmmmmmm…..
Great choice for the inaugural Hanging Pig post from the Caribbean. Fried flying fish, topped with fish balls and served with a side of macaroni pie sounds like my kind of meal. Some real good, honest eating happening there. I had 1/2 a rotisserie chicken from Costco for dinner…
Seriously over-rated. Authentic? Heh.
Barf.
I have had good times at the Heather. From what I remember… Usually drinking lots though…haven’t tried the food yet.
The Irish Heather is a little bit Irish. And a little more what Canadians might imagine a real Irish pub to be
I thought that smell was the Club Deuce….turns out it was your breath. See ya at Porkapalooza 2010.
A lovely post about pizza, and all I can remember is the bowel comment.
Hello?? If I’m not babysitting anymore, how am I supposed to get my ice cream treat?? Don’t be a tease.
I use these crackers all the time for dips and spreads. They are strong enough to be used as a a tool to eat pate or run through thick cheese spread.
Good news! Foodista is inviting you to attend this year’s International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle on August 27-29! There also are sponsorships offered that you can take advantage of! For more information, check this page out.
Hope to see you there! Keep on blogging.
Use to go there all the time when it was in the other building across the way, however the new establishment is just terrible; from the decor, to the layout, to the staff(at least the ones we encountered the night we were there)to just about everything.
There is no absolutely no atmosphere to the place and it is a mere ghost of what it use to be…
Won’t be going again!