Jump to content

Banco

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,211

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Banco

  1. Banco
    I think our Dear Leader is playing a trick on us...
  2. Banco
    Not a dumb question at all. I've thought about pork belly, too, but I think it tends to be too fatty for my purposes. I don't know what part of the pig proper lardons come from, but the kind I want to make are relatively meaty--the kind you would use in a bourgignon stew, a salad, or a coq au vin. I guess it would be similar to "streaky bacon," just in one piece and not smoked.
  3. Banco
    Anyone know where I can get this?
  4. Banco
    If I had the skills I would compose a poem in Chef Itoh's honor. Makoto is not just a restaurant, it is a window into Japan and its culinary culture. Despite its small space, Makoto was a broad and open-armed refuge after my first visit to Japan taught me the beauties of its cuisine. I will tell my grandchildren about Makoto, but I intend to enjoy it many times before then. My sympathies to Chef Itoh's family.
  5. Banco
    I was disappointed with West End's version when I had it some time ago: too soft and creamy, not enough acid, just not my style.
  6. Banco
    I've lost count, but for me Bistro Bis has consistently been the gold standard. Some like a different style, so they may prefer the mayonnaise-ier, less acidic versions I've had elsewhere.
  7. Banco
    I was here at the bar for the first time just a few hours ago. I came from a 3-hour rehearsal of a Wagnerian opera that I was dying to get out of and was lusting for a Liebestrunk to relieve the pain of incessant diminished chords, and entered a genuine Bistro world, in all its vagaries. The steak tartar was made fresh to order, so I was told, and it tasted like it: nice cherry-red chunks of beef chopped up with cornichons, capers, shallots and chives, topped with an egg from a fowl I didn't note, probably quail. The accompanying potato crisps were baby-fist-diameter slices beautifully fried, some still with a bit of chew, which I liked. After that of Bistro Bis, this is the best tartar I've had in DC. My Manhattans were good, the bartender receptive and eager. The true bistro atmosphere was provided by the clientele, which I think happened to include a few of the valedictorian/debate-team-captain staffer types that arrive wide-eyed in DC this time of year. One woman was patronizingly educating a man with a receding hairline but advancing marital prospects on points of French cuisine she had obviously picked up during a junior year abroad--an unreflected year, by the tone of it. Another was trying hard to flirt by describing her debating skills with men who could not have cared less. Slices of life--that's what bistros are good for, no?
  8. Banco
    We use the Finish powerball thingies. I think it's important not to use any kind of "gel" style detergents or packets that are encased in a soluble jacket. Both rely on gums or thickeners that build up in your DW and decrease its performance. I think Consumer Reports made this point some time ago. BTW, Bosch usually tops out the CR reports, though I haven't looked recently. They are very well made machines. But I think they assign a heavy priority to water and energy efficiency which the European (esp. German) customer values perhaps more highly than most Americans do. We want something that scrubs our barbecue sauce and fried eggs off our plates and we don't want to dick around with it. The higher-end Bosch models have a special compartment for water softener that allows you to compensate. They even come with a litmus paper to test your water so you know what setting to put it on. We did that when we got ours, but the test showed our water was fine as is. Deutsche Grí¼ndlichkeit.
  9. Banco
    We have a $900 Bosch in our kitchen and like it OK, but in many ways prefer our old Kenmore because it is easier to load efficiently and less finicky with what you put into it. It seems that most DWs now have simply a filter system that you must clean regularly and that means you must carefully remove all solids before you load. Models with food grinders do not have these restrictions and therefore are far easier to maintain and less susceptible to the clogging of the filter that can cause dishes to remain dirty. I looked into this again recently and discovered that Kenmore does not make food-grinder models anymore; Kitchen Aid does, so I would suggest looking at KA very closely. It's often said the disadvantage of the grinder models is that they are noisier, but at the high end I don't think there's much of a difference. In fact, our new Bosch is less quiet than our old Kenmore was. And really look carefully at how the racks in the Bosch are designed and if they fit your daily needs. I find it a constant struggle to fill the space efficiently.
  10. Banco
    Took the kids there last night and had an overall delightful meal. The crab roll my daughter was able to snag before they ran out was served on a roll with a kind of pretzel-like crust. The crab was not the freshest but overall the dish was very good, with well-balanced flavors. I had a beautiful tomato salad with deep scarlet, meaty heirloom tomatoes and basil that had that wild spiciness of plants lovingly grown in some dedicated gardener's back yard. The duck confit papusas were rich and savory, though I would have preferred a crispier texture. I was not entirely comfortable watching my kids eat the infamous Ron Jeremy spring rolls from next door, but they were delicious as always. My Catoctin Creek Manhattans were excellent. I loved how the space was laid out, and the long, serpentine bar has got to be one of the most inviting and attractive in town right now. Baby Wale aims to deliver elevated bar food and they certainly meet that standard. There are still some kinks to work out in terms of service and communication. I ordered the New Jersey hot dogs, was told several minutes later they were out of them, so I substituted crab rolls and was told several minutes later they were out of them but that I could have a lobster roll instead. Then I was told there was a misunderstanding with the kitchen and that there are no lobster rolls. All this fairly early in the dinner service. There was a similar comedy of errors when the check arrived and had to be corrected twice. I'm sure these things will work out in time and am eager to return, try some more items, and enjoy the beautiful bar.
  11. Banco
    I'm embarrassed to ask this, but here goes. During a kitchen reno a year ago the contractor wired part of the new electrical system into the panel for the tenant apartment below us (in a Cap Hill row house). Until then these were entirely separate electrical systems with separate billing. Now, our tenant is in effect paying for part of our electricity. We only discovered this last week when this circuit tripped and we eventually found the breaker for it was now in the tenant's panel. My questions are 1) Is this snafu code compliant; 2) should I lawyer up if the contractor refuses to correct the error? Ugh. I'd really rather talk about food.
  12. Banco
    L'ing OL.
  13. Banco
    Congratulations, Chef. I'm a fan and wish you the best.
  14. Banco
    Sold.
  15. Banco
    I have yielded to Crate and Barrel's sale on the Hasty Bake and now have a perfectly respectable Weber 22.5" One Touch Gold kettle (click) for sale. It is retrofitted with the cast iron grill from cast-iron-grate.com (click) and with the Smokenator, with which I have produced excellent ribs and brisket. Well seasoned with delicious residues worthy of a Carolina BBQ joint, it also comes with the OEM cover. About two years old, in well-kept shape. $50 or best offer. ETA: Pick up on Capitol Hill
  16. Banco
    Serves her right for reading a boy's magazine.
  17. Banco
    Does Black Salt sell true sole? I seem never to be able to find it around here, seems everything is flounder. But I gave up looking quite a while ago so things may have changed. (What I really like is to poach it and serve it with shrimp in a JC-style Parisienne/Allemande sauce, which I used to do often on the West Coast but haven't done here in years.)
  18. Banco
    What Mark said, rolled in butter and parsley.
  19. Banco
    It sounds like they've changed this entree from when I (and Don, apparently) had it several months ago. At that time it was about a 1/4 chicken, not cut up, and disappointing because of insufficient sear. It tasted more poached than roasted, and since then I haven't risked ordering it again. But these changes sound like I should give it a try.
  20. Banco
    That would be cool. I'd rather see hardware than gastronomy in that space. (But who knows? If Ninella can do as well as it apparently is, perhaps the curse can be lifted.)
  21. Banco
    We walked by here last week on Tuesday or Wednesday and it was packed, inside and out. I'm glad (and surprised) that they're doing so well.
  22. Banco
    Nadya, you appear to share some habits with the seven-year cicada, though far more pleasant to look at. Please re-emerge more often!
  23. Banco
    Have you considered something in the way of chutney (a bit like the salsa direction you were going)? I would just reduce the hell out of them with the bourbon until they're a mildly chunky compote, then maybe use some curry-ish or winter spices, adding sugar and salt as needed. A Provencal direction would also work, with rosemary, lavender, thyme, maybe even a bit of orange zest (which would play well with the bourbon). When I think of pork and cherries I think of a stuffed loin, which is often done with apricot but would work with cherries very well. Maybe making a "stuffing" for the chops and serving on the side would also be an option. (Very sorry to have missed your party, BTW).
  24. Banco
    I'd say that's a conspiracy theory in the making. People can disagree about MF's article, but must we drag it down to this level, where there always must be a convenient agenda and ulterior motive to an argument for it to be refuted? That's more typically Washington than the food culture MF is criticizing.
  25. Banco
    Whatever their viewpoints, I think almost all the posts in this thread give interesting interpretations of MF's article and the DC food scene. Although I don't share many of Josh's objections to the article, I found his views as a former New Yorker and the positive impressions he has gained despite the badmouthing of DC interesting and revealing. There is much in DC food culture to be thankful for, and that is something MF and his critics here seem to agree on. It's just a matter of emphasis. MF chose to focus on the empty half of the glass, and in a situation where the glass is gradually filling up, that can be seen as an ill-mannered swipe. Although tiresome to some, debating the question of whether DC is or can become a great food city is a sign of civic interest in a healthy and growing gastronomic culture. If this thread is any indication, MF's article contributed to that debate.
×
×
  • Create New...