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smithhemb

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Everything posted by smithhemb

  1. smithhemb
    And an aesthetic question. I rarely seem to want appliances from the same manufacturer. But I’m kinda worried about ending up with 5 different variations on stainless steel in a fairly small kitchen. (Not to mention 5 different repair services.) How did you handle this? Or is it a non-issue?
  2. smithhemb
    A jar of sesame paste lodged in the toebox of each shoe, lol! For once, my wide feet paid off. I resented having to check a bag at all, but was unwilling to risk confiscation.
  3. smithhemb
    Anyone know anything about the Hestan rangetops? Can’t find any reviews online.
  4. smithhemb
    Another 99Ranch fan! There’s one near my parents’ house in CA and I keep a mental list of things I can’t find here to pick up there when I visit. Glad to know there’s one within driving distance now.
  5. smithhemb
    Opening a second one in The Collection @ Chevy Chase* — expected in December. *aka the same shopping center as Clyde’s
  6. smithhemb
    Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake
  7. smithhemb
    We went there last weekend and will probably stop by again this weekend! Really pleasant space. Looked slammed when we arrived, so we sat at the bar (which had surprisingly comfortable stools). Service was friendly and not too slow, given how busy they were (and the fact that it was fun to watch the bartender at work). We just had queso fundido (with chorizo) and tacos. Quite good (though Chaia and Oyamel do tastier potato tacos) — especially the carnitas. Looks like outdoor seating doubles the capacity. And the line to order included a fair number of people doing takeout. For us, too, it’s a bit out of the way, but worked well as dinner before a movie at AFI Silver. And I knew that if we liked it, we’d have another shot at going there this weekend since we have an errand to do at House of Musical Traditions. (Though I will admit that the combination of Cinco de Mayo and Sietsema’s favorable review in this Spring’s restaurant guide has me thinking our timing isn't great.)
  8. smithhemb
    That is cool! Sacher torte was my intro to Viennese pastry, and dobos is an impressive feat of engineering, but my true love is rigo jancsi.
  9. smithhemb
    Weirdly, they are both Hungarian restaurants. Paprikas Fono in San Francisco (in the late 1970s) and Cafe Budapest in Boston (1981). The first was chosen by my HS debate coach, who got tired of endless drives and nights spent in Motel 6s, so insisted that we have at least one good meal per tournament and schlepped the lot of us from Berkeley to Ghirardelli Square. The second was the first Valentine’s Day I spent with with my future/present husband. We were juniors in college and I think he knew Cafe Budapest because *his* HS debate coach (in NH) took the team there. Desserts were the highlights of each meal (sacher torte and dobos torte) and I remember thinking Cafe Budapest was beautiful/charming because it had lovely china and multiple small rooms, each decorated with a different color scheme.
  10. smithhemb
    We had a great dinner at Urban Hearth in Somerville. Get reservations — it’s really small. Felt like being at an excellent dinner party,
  11. smithhemb
    https://www.nouillesdelanzhou.com/ Cheap, great, atmospheric (fun people watching and a busy grocery store downstairs), be prepared to wait in line/outside (but not too long). Veggie daughter was happy too. Depending on the kids and what’s in season, Jean Talon market might be fun. We had amazing corn on the cob and seascape strawberries, but this was in September (go figure!)
  12. smithhemb
    Still no brunch at Little Beast AFAICT.
  13. smithhemb
    I have favorite directors and favorite scenes and films I admire and favorite movie-going experiences, but I don’t think I have favorite films. I rarely rewatch films (or reread books, for that matter). Don’t know whether that makes me weird (among cinephiles or bookaholics), or if there’s just a basic split between people who gravitate toward intensive vs extensive approaches (wrt particular pleasures). Food (making and eating) and music are categories where I appreciate regularly revisiting favorite things. Visual arts and games occupy a more middle ground for me — I appreciate both novelty and revisiting in those cases, with games closer to the movies end of the spectrum and visual arts closer to food.
  14. smithhemb
    You might want to add Little Beast (on Connecticut Ave just south of Chevy Chase Circle). From the folks who own Bakers & Baristas. Vigilante coffee and they make their own pastries.
  15. smithhemb
    Open for coffee/pastries now, but not lunch (yet). Had a nice capuccino and an excellent cinnamon roll this afternoon. Kinda empty then (this is their first week with the new hours, so that may not last), which made it a very pleasant place to read.
  16. smithhemb
    Thanks for bumping this up. You just solved my “need a good/easy snack post-dental work” problem! When I make hummus from scratch (rarely), I’ve been pretty happy with the results from the first Silver Palate Cookbook. I just cut back the olive oil and leave out the added salt. I probably increase the lemon juice too. Very fast/easy/cheap with canned beans and a Cuisinart. I keep thinking I’ll upgrade with dried beans and artisanal tahini, but never get around to it. The basic version beats grocery store hummus. And maybe I don’t want to get hooked on restaurant-worthy hummus, given the convenience food niche hummus occupies in my diet. That said, swapping out the WF or Joyva tahini for Soom would be effortless, so I should try that next time and see how much and what kind of a difference it makes.
  17. smithhemb
    Thanks — I don’t think I’ve read that before! You might also like Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers.”
  18. smithhemb
    DH indulged me, so we headed over to Little Beast for opening night. I’ve been consistently underwhelmed by the restaurants in Chevy Chase, but as a Bakers & Baristas fan (and eternal optimist), I had high hopes this time. AND THEY WERE MET (maybe even exceeded)! Pizza was Neopolitan style but with a slightly thinner crust than I’m accustomed to. Lots of char and no sogginess. We played it safe (pepperoni), so it’ll take some experimentation before I can compare it with my faves. But I can confidently say it’s the best pizza we’ve ever had in walking distance of home (Friendship Heights for the past 20-odd years). Thinner crust turned out to be a plus (no leftovers). We also had a lamb ragu, which was the highlight of the meal, and roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic. Reasonable prices and portions. Nothing was revelatory but everything was very tasty. The space was clean but not sterile (we ate inside — outside looked more popular). Lighting might benefit from some tweaking (bulbs in recessed canisters were too blue — bugged DH more than me — I was facing the incandescent fixtures). Service was friendly, attentive, and thoughtful. Basically, Little Beast looks like it has the makings of a perfect neighborhood restaurant. A comfortable hassle-free place with food at least as good as I could make myself. And a place that’s welcoming to all ages and can handle parties of different sizes. It’ll be a couple of weeks before the cafe hours/menu kick in and I’m eager to check that out as well. Pastries look more interesting than Little Red Fox’s. I think the all-ages thing may be trickier to pull off in a cafe.
  19. smithhemb
    I chose it; DH was quadded. Single rooms plus lots of kitchens proved irresistible to me. Once there, I appreciated living next to a real neighborhood with little kids and older people. Cabot and PhoHo were North and South back then. Red Line stopped at Porter Square. Been back a few times in recent years. Depressing to see what a wreck Hilles is now, but both Davis and Kendall Squares are more interesting than what I remember — which is partial compensation for the blandification of Harvard Square. Had a great meal at Urban Hearth in Davis Square.
  20. smithhemb
    ‘82, Currier House, Social Studies — married to the same, LOL! He and his roommate gifted me (and my roommate) the suite they won in the housing lottery Senior year, in the hope/on the theory that we’d cook or bake for them. Worked out well for him. Not so well for his roommate.
  21. smithhemb
    Dolci as #1?! Does anyone here agree? My only experience with them is buying a pint from Whole Foods once and wondering WTF they were thinking when they decided to stock it. ITA re 2Amys. I’m not a vanilla fan, but I love theirs (served with the almond cake with cherries). Hmm — now would be a perfect time to make the custard for gelato later tonight....
  22. smithhemb
    Washingtonian seems to think the Chinatown Graffiato has closed as well: "Mike Isabella's Graffiato Appears To Have Closed" by Anna Spiegel on washingtonian.com
  23. smithhemb
    That’s one I bought but never really cooked from (and, having just pulled it off the shelf, I can verify that both it and my daughter came out in the same year, LOL!). I was *so* wrong re DM’s Vegetarian Suppers that it’s a relief to see that Vegetarian Planet is much more my kid’s speed. Re the broccoli and rigatoni recipe. Any advice on what you’d substitute for the Gorgonzola if the cook wouldn’t eat any kind of blue cheese? I’m guessing a tangy goat cheese.
  24. smithhemb
    Thanks! Though I haven’t sold my daughter on cookbooks per se*, she grew up on Deborah Madison recipes! Even made a pilgrimage to Greens. But this is a good reminder to me to flip through the half dozen or so DM books I own and pull out stuff that would work well for a college kid. Sounds like a job for Vegetarian Suppers.... *I’m still a cookbook buyer/reader/user, but the kid just wants recipes and, ideally, ones that she knows should work. I don’t think I’ll ever turn her into a cook or a baker. But she cares about eating healthfully and cheaply, and she’s used to eating well, so the challenge is to find low overhead ways she can do that on her own.
  25. smithhemb
    Pinterest board is a great idea. We shared one for dorm decor, and I’ve made my own for recipes but didn’t think about sharing recipes with her there. I’ve been texting her links (which she loses) and she keeps pushing Google docs (which I hate). She’d probably love the energy bar idea. And white bean/fennel spread appeals to me as does jap chae. I’ve never made cookies with the food processor, but I did have a permanent cookie readiness policy senior year of college when my two person suite came with its own kitchen. Made a different type of dough every day or two and only made a few cookies at a time, so there was always something in the fridge or freezer that could be baked at a moment’s notice. On second thought, maybe not a policy I should encourage her to adopt!
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