Recipes & Cooking: Delicious & Nutritious Dishes

[Astronuc]

. . ., but her [Lidia] restaurant here is not very good. I've been there too many times as it is a common place to take clients as it is never that busy.

"Could not believe poor quality and prep. Evidently kitchen ran out of seasonings. 3 pasta special must have been donated by a bitter enemy. No one in party willing to finish order. Desert (seen only with magnifying glass must have been run in from Dairy Queen)."

In all fairness I've had some average, but overpriced meals there.

I read a couple reviews on-line. It seems whenever a reviewer shows up, the food is good and well-presented.

I doubt Lidia is getting the full story. I think that is a problem with franchises, where the quality is determined by the local manager and not the name owner. I didn't realize that Lidia's was a franchised restaurant.

I have been disappointed at most franchise or chain restaurants. We have one restaurant owned and operated by graduates of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA to us locally). Food is always excellent.

Some of the best food I have ever eaten was at obscure restaurants. The best blackened (Cajun) redfish was at a local diner near the New Orleans airport. The place was about two or three blocks north of I-10 and located in a mini-strip of shops. The fish fillet was tender but the outer layer was seared and crisp. Every other time I eat fish, chicken or meat which has been 'blackened' Cajun style, the food is dry.

In Wilmington, NC, there is a small restaurant in a strip mall that server gourmet food. I had a roasted chicken in cilantro sauce, and it was served with a Chardonnay, which perfectly complimented the cilantro flavored chicken. It was incredible. The entre was served with a black bean chutney, which really didn't go with the chicken. Oh, well. The meal was very good.

 

[fourier jr]

I challenge anyone to come up with a better french toast recipie:

First, grow some fresh mint.

Mix eggs, milk, and anise in a bowl. Dip diagonally-cut genuine french bread slices in batter. Start frying. sprinkle cinammon. Cook till slightly burnt. That's right slightly burnt.

Chop up strawberries, preferably fresh peaches. Place in center of plate, place toast about the pile. Place 1 and just one scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Sprinkly with freshly cut chopped mint (just a little bit). Cover with powerded sugar and honey.

Just had some. :!)

mwahhahah i can slaughter that...

get an old stale loaf of walnut/apricot bread (just like the kind we make at our bakery when it's too old to sell as fresh bread ) slice it & then slice the slices almost all the way through. so you have something that resembles a hamburger bun. then mix up some cream cheese and either maple syrup or honey in a mixer until you have something reasonably spreadable & spread that inside. & for good measure put some frozen berries inside also. then get your egg mixture (5 eggs, some whipping cream & small tsp of vanilla) soak each piece of bread in that & saute in butter over high heat. dang that's tasty french toast!

 

[fourier jr]

remembered more good breakfast stuff, baked eggs :!)

there are a bunch of different ways to do them. i partially cook ~5 slices of bacon (so not too much fat will come out) & line a cereal bowl (use a ramekin if you got one) with the slices. then crack 3 eggs into the bowl & put into the oven @~400 degrees. once the eggs start to turn white take them out, pour in a generous amt of whipping cream, add salt & pepper, & grated swiss cheese & put back in the oven until the eggs finish setting up. yesterday i thought i used way too much whipping cream by mistake but in fact it tasted better than ever before. i guess it takes a bit of practice.

there are plenty of variations of this. the book i got said brush the ramekin with butter & line it with ham instead of bacon. you can also add all kind of stuff like put bacon on top, chunks of ham on top, different cheeses etc etc. got to use your imagination. & of course if you got a smaller bowl/ramekin only use 2 eggs. etc etc