Food4Thought

cutting edge 2

lizfeltham — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:26:50 +0000

…and this is after

cutting edge

lizfeltham — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:24:43 +0000

reason for having a very sharp knife: for trimming the silverskin off whole beef tenderloin.
This is before….

It’s all about the company, part II

lizfeltham — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:44:17 +0000

One of my favourite haunts for consistency and value is the True North Diner in Bedford, and the turkey pot pie with handcut fries was my go-to comfort dish. Imagine my disappointment when, upon a recent visit, I noted the turkey pot pie was no longer offered, along with a few other things; in fact, I thought the menu was looking remarkably bland, indistinguishable from 1,000 other middle of the road eateries.
And then I found out the the owners of True North Diner, Jim & Carol Macauley, had just sold the restaurant to the Grafton Connor group.
I don’t know that it was the ownership change from hands-on proprietors to a large company that’s responsible for the menu change. I hope not. Grafton Connor holds some interesting eateries in their portfolio; good (Five Fishermen), bad (the Esquire) and indifferent (Pizza Pizza). I won’t give up on TND just yet, I won’t focus on the menu change, I’ll wait to decide on the quality.
In the meantime, THANK YOU to the Macauley’s for a fabulous diner. My stomach sends love and best wishes to you both!

It’s all about the company

lizfeltham — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:26:48 +0000

It’s all about the company, our gracious hostess said, as I ooohed and aaaahed over our meal. We’d been invited out for dinner, and I just love it when someone else cooks for me. Having been a chef and a critic, some people has expressed a discomfort or unwillingness in preparing a meal for me, a trepidation that somehow, whatever they offer will not “be up to standards”. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s precisely because I was a professional cook that I enjoy so much when someone else cooks, and I don’t care what it is. Grilled cheese? Yum! Canned soup? Spoon please! Sh*t on a shingle? May I have some more? As far as being a critic, that’s too much work when I’m eating recreationally.
I have to say that on this particular evening, I was completely blown away. Our hostess had chosen to prepare a Chinese dinner, having perfected her skills out of necessity. Originally from the West Coast, she had problems finding the style that she was used to on our side of the country. We started with a platter of shrimp toasts and fried filled wontons, made from scratch (as was all the meal), and throwing restraint to the wind we scarfed down far more than was polite. (I thought that not pulling the plate right onto my lap showed at least some manners.)
Now, I love to host dinners, and I always have a theme around which I build the menu, but holy cow, this woman put my careful planning and preparations to shame! The table was set beautifully with Chinese dishes, chopsticks at the ready, and with each setting there was a gorgeous Chinese art envelope with a coin inside, and a Chinese New Year stamp (a symbol of good luck and prosperity, I think she told us). There was a large pot of real Chinese tea (as in, a friend had brought her tea from China, that’s how real it was) and a large ‘lazy susan’ upon which all of the dishes were served, family-style. No detail was left undone, certainly to the eye.
And it quickly turned out that what we tasted lived up to what we saw–an incredible array of expertly cooked pork, salmon, noodles, scallops….the list goes on.
It was the most incredible dinner experience I’ve ever had in someone’s home, and I was quick to tell my hostess this.
At the end of the evening, we waddled out to the vehicle, sated in body and mind, giddy with the pleasure of both the table and the company. (And no, we were not hungry again in a hour).
I’m really going to have my work cut out for me when it’s our turn to have them for dinner…

conFusion

lizfeltham — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:15:34 +0000

Having a bit of an identity crisis with my blog,trying to settle on a theme that’s simple and organized, easy to read and easy to post.
Kind of like those days back in the late 80′s when “fusion” cooking began to sneak into the restaurant world. Some made sense–French/Asian, Indo/Caribbean. Complementing or contrasting flavour profiles worked, but some combos were just disasters (Slavic Japanese? Scandinavian Mexican?); these were not Fusion. They were conFusion.
So over the next bit you’ll be subject to a bit of conFusion as I look for my blog identity.
Feel free to make suggestions!

Hungry? Just take a nibble at your dress (11 photos)

lizfeltham — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:19:49 +0000

Reblogged from theBERRY:

Click HERE for more edible outfits!

The lotus root dress is kind of cute, but I’m not sure I’d wear the enoki outfits.

Foodie souvenir: the Ugly

lizfeltham — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:22:18 +0000

Vegetarian haggis. In a synthetic skin, with the warning on the side not to eat it. What was I thinking? I’ve had it for years, terrified to unleash the monster in the can. Should I ever work up the nerve to open it, I’ll share the pictures.

I’d love to hear what food oddities are hidden in the deep, dark backs of your cupboards!

Foodie souvenirs: the Bad

lizfeltham — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:12:46 +0000

Mead.

Seemed like a good idea at the time. The Tower of London, despite the throngs of tourists and commercialization, still managed to whisk me back to medieval times, to the romantic notions of knights in shining armour (is there any other kind?) and fair damsels.
Mead, the fermented honey wine of yore. Perhaps, dear England, I should have left it “yore”.

Foodie souvenirs: the Good

lizfeltham — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:49:34 +0000

Whenever I’m lucky enough to travel, I always bring back some food item. It could be the specialty of the region, something from a local market, or an unusual ingredient that I can’t get at home. For the most part, I like what I bring home and am very happy, as in the case of this 20yr balsamic vinegar from Stresa, Italy.
Aged balsamic vinegar is syrupy, fragrant, and sweet enough to be sipped straight. This bottle is no exception. When I finally cracked it open, after being stashed for 6 years while I waited for the perfect occasion, it was everything I could have hoped for. We paired it with an excellent olive oil and focaccia, and gave our thanks to the Italians for all that is good in the food world!

Braised lamb & gnocchi–thx jon at elements on Hollis!

lizfeltham — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:32:12 +0000