What did you have for lunch today Part 2

[huiray]

Tell us what you had for lunch or your meal around noon or so - whether at home, or in a restaurant, or from the office coffee room vending machine. All types are welcome, and meals with a non-Western bent would be especially interesting to read about.

What I had today:
Zucchini from last weekend's Farmers' Market, sliced into fat sticks, sautéed with Californian olive oil and sea salt;
Chopped chicken legs stir-fried with chopped garlic in peanut oil and oyster sauce, drizzled with sesame oil, and finished off with fistfuls of trimmed Mizuna from the Farmer's Market.
Boiled basmati rice.
Several glasses of Radog Riesling 2007 (Santa Lucia Highlands) beforehand - very modestly priced wine but not bad at all.

Yesterday:
An Indian (mainly Northern Indian-like) Buffet Brunch:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8527... .

On Saturday:
Leftover beef short rib, winter melon, garlic & white pepper soup; with white rice.
Flash-sautéed (lots of wok-hei) fresh broccoli florets from the Saturday Farmers Market.

On Friday last:
Spaghetti carbonara.
Chopped Swiss chard in chicken stock.

[iL Divo]

...

[huiray]

This thread is getting long.

Come on over to Part 3 at http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/859983 .

[huiray]

Sunday lunch/brunch buffet at the Indy location of Granite City (national chain): Bloody Mary, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, Caesar salad, mini croissant, mini blueberry muffin, potatoes au gratin, thin-sliced prime rib (no thick slicing allowed), mashed potatoes, beef jus. Pretty mundane to forgettable stuff. Very much doubt I'll return. Strange how packed it is with (Middle America) Folks - just like at a Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden.

Granite City Food & Brewery
150 W. 96th St (at N Meridian St), Indianapolis, IN 46260

[klyeoh]

Wow, don't think *I* can afford to indulge in buffet spreads these days - funny how one's metabolic rate hits the brakes after a certain age :-(

[Harters]

Breakfast - or at least elements of breakfast.......baked beans and fried mushrooms, on toast.

[klyeoh]

A rather heavy Sunday family lunch - Beijing food (Singaporean-ized: lighter, less sweet, less greasy - but still heavier than we're used to)
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/859806

But I'd rather share what I had a while afterwards - kaya-butter toast with local Singaporean Hainanese white coffee ("kopi-c")

[huiray]

At Killiney kopitiam, so I see. :-) [Not that much butter on the kaya toast?]

Tell us more about "Double-boiled snow-frogs' glands with red dates & wolf-berries, and lemongrass-scented jelly." :-)

[klyeoh]

The snow frogs' glands were soft and jelly-like - much like whale sperm (shirako). Served warm here, the dates gave the sweet clear soup base a familiar fruity taste whilst the wolfberries lent a slightly "herbal" flavor to the whole concoction. Forgot to add that the dessert also contained crunchy lily buds for added texture.

The lemongrass jelly was a "surprise" to me - but I'm not a big lemongrass fan in desserts or drinks.

[huiray]

Ah, yes. Hasma. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasma ; http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=248
As distinct from certain organs of these folks: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define...
;-) :-D

No longans in it? The wolfberries are not a usual addition in this "tong sui", I think?

[klyeoh]

No longans - it's not frequently used in Cantonese desserts here in Singapore. In fact, I couldn't even remember the last time I saw or ate longans!

Yes, the wolfberries were certainly unexpected for a dessert. Don't really think introducing a bitterish element actually worked, IMO.

[huiray]

Sayur asem (chez huiray)
Nasi lemak (just the rice part)

[breadwinner]

After a late night of drinks with a friend, we needed something fresh but hearty (woke up a little late, but yay it's Saturday). We just moved to a new apt, so I haven't been cooking as much until today. A late lunch of peppery baby mixed greens (straight from a very reliable vegetable wholesaler) with juicy heirloom tomatoes, sliced cucumber, a pinch of freshly grated romano, and some croutons made from leftover Dutch Crunch bread, all topped with a touch of raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. Then, a plate of sea shell pasta tossed in a quick tomato sauce that's seasoned with red wine, fresh basil, and slightly browned minced garlic. And romano cheese on top, of course.

It's nothing especially gourmet, but sometimes the simple things really hit the spot.

[calmossimo]

Dutch Crunch bread makes everything better!

[klyeoh]

Malaccan chicken rice balls, with poached chicken - from a stall at the Malaysian Food Street, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore :-)

[huiray]

That deep yellow skin here seems more reminiscent of kampong chicken than the French-type common in S'pore?

Looks good, is the Malaysian Food Street improving over when it first opened?

Hopefully you had other things to eat to fill one's tummy besides this. :-)

[klyeoh]

Nope - standards here have *not* improved at all. In fact, they may have actually deteriorated. Most of the foods tasted *nothing* like what I'd tasted in the *real* Malaysia.

Anyhow, my *real* lunch today was at Pita Pan, a fabulous Israeli casual eatery churning out probably the *best* kosher food in town:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/859693

[jmcarthur8]

Today we stopped at Howard's, a little place in Monck's Corner, SC. It was only 10:30, and we went in for coffee and pie after doing some sightseeing. The pie and cake lady had made a coconut custard cake this morning and that's all we needed to know. It was heavenly! By the time we finished that, and gabbing with their famous waitress, Wanda, it was 11, so we ordered a cheeseburger to split for lunch. Perfect cheeseburger, great fries. Now we have another favorite place to go near Charleston.

[mamachef]

I want that pie NOW, jmc. But I shall console myself with bread pudding and peach/rum sauce. so there.

[huiray]

Late lunch:
An enormous platter of Caprese salad, with Cherokee Purple and Black Plum tomatoes; sliced fresh mozzarella, and a forest of basil. Drizzled generously with Alziari olive oil, sprinkled liberally with coarse Italian sea salt and snowed over freely with fresh ground pepper. Leftover tomato juices and oil etc after devouring the salad was slurped up completely. :-)
Yum.

Never got round to the fried rice, too full.

[mamachef]

OMG, the way you describe that salad.....I don't think I've ever heard of a better-sounding caprese.
Fried rice? Bah. It'll wait.

[Bacardi1]

Today I enjoyed some leftover "Spicy Asian Cod" I made last night for dinner.

[mamachef]

Bacardi1, have you got a recipe for that? If you do and you feel like sharing it, I'd love to know.

[Bacardi1]

Here ya go - simplicity itself!

Bacardi1 Spicy Asian Cod

1 pound of Cod filet (or other firm white fish filets)
2 tablespoons Chinese Black Bean Sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese Chili-Garlic Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Thinly-sliced scallions for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine bean sauce, chili-garlic sauce, & soy sauce in a small bowl. Lightly oil a baking dish & place fish filet(s). Spread sauce mixture over fish, & bake on center rack of preheated oven for 30 minutes. (Timing is for thick cod filets; thinner filets will most likely only need 20 minutes.) Plate & garnish with sliced scallions, if using.

[mamachef]

.........adding cod to shopping list...thanks! This looks simple and delicious.

[mamachef]

Bacardi1, this was fantastic. Thanks again for sharing.

[mamachef]

Planned lunch is pretty plebe: Wedge salad that totally didn't go with what we ended up eating last night. So Yeah. I just have to run out and buy some dressing. And something to go with. No idea what. So, half-planned lunch is more appropriate.

[huiray]

Good ol' oil and vinegar? (good evoo and good balsamic or whatever, of course!)

[mamachef]

I was thinking of going whole hog and purchasing some Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing to go with the gorgeous blue cheese that will be judiciously crumbled over it. All depends. I really do love the cheese when it melds w/ a beautiful vinaigrette to make its' own dressing.

[eclecticsynergy]

Good bleu and buttermilk does the same thing. Needs almost nothing else...

[Harters]

Fish & chips from a chippy on New Brighton promenade. Sat on a bench and gazed at the river.

[mamachef]

Sounds like a lovely respite, Harters. I know you enjoyed it. Were they delicious, crunchy-flaky haddock fillets or did you choose plaice or salmon? And most important, do you use malt vinegar on your chips?

[Harters]

Plaice or salmon rarely appears in chip shops. At least not here in the north, where it's always haddock or cod (although, increasingly, with these becoming expensive, you're likely just to see to it as a generic "fish"). Haddock is the fish of choice in much of the north, but there are strong cod enclaves, like today.

And, yes, malt vinegar. Both fish and chips were given a good drenching.

[mamachef]

Mmmmmm....
Thanks for the information. I didn't know these things and it's always good to be brought up to speed. The gal who used to rave about the Fish/chipperies lived in London in the '70's, and those were the fishies that she loved.

[jmcarthur8]

Fried chicken, fat rounds of steamed carrots and mac & cheese . Shoofly pie and lemonade. Lunch was at a little Mennonite restaurant in Blackville SC, on our way to Charleston. Hubby had meatloaf, broccoli rice casserole, turnips 'n greens and the carrots. And half my pie. ;-(

[huiray]

Yum. Any pictures? Is this restaurant of some repute or a "random" Mennonite place? (Name?)

[jmcarthur8]

It's Miller's Bread-Basket, I think they said they've been there over 75years, and I wish I had picked up a couple of loaves of bread, too. Next time, I will. The pie was delicious. This place really has a "pie lady".

[mamachef]

I'm not sure he'd have gotten half, girlfriend. Not shoofly pie. Not from me. You are a very nice wife indeed.
For lunch, I took it easy with cottage cheese and a melon/berry salad: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, Crane, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries. On the side, I had half a stack of Ry-Krisp crackers and I used them to shovel up the cottage cheese. Maybe not the prettiest scene in the world, but a very nice lunch. And I do believe I forgot to mention that all this was washed down with lemonade tea.

[suzigirl]

I agree, not my shoofly pie. Damn the man who messes w/ my molasses and strudell crumbs. Same w/ chess pie. Don't mess w/ my pie.

[huiray]

You can have my portion of shoofly pie. Too rich, too "sweet", too sticky, too teeth-destroying. Too promotional of contributions to the retirement funds of dentists. :-D Pass.

OTOH, I'm sure the fried chicken and meatloaf were suitably "rustic" and delicious. :-)

[jmcarthur8]

Well, he said he didn't like it, so I made him keep eating it till he admitted it was good. (don't ask)

[staughton]

What's "Crane"? I googled it but I can't find anything--unless you're eating a big bird that might be on the endangered species list... You always have good stuff to share, so I've been following your posts, and somehow I don't think that's it!

[mamachef]

The crane melon is grown close to where I live, staughton; if you google it with a lowercase "c" you'll find what you're curious about. Somehow, I don't think a Crane would be very tasty; sorta tough, and stringy and fishy. Anyway, the crane melon absolutely delicious and I'm sorry you can't have any. I don't think it would ship well. :)

[staughton]

Thanks. Reading about how it was developed (what was crossed with what), it sounds delicious. Certainly better than stringy, fishy fowl! ; )

[huiray]

Thai-style tofu & basil coconut milk & green curry soup.
Chopped marinated chicken thighs & sliced Andouille sausage stir-fried with chopped onions & baby bok choy.
Boiled Basmati rice.

[klyeoh]

Lunch in Singapore: Grilled chicken, sausages, coleslaw & onion rings - Singaporean-style "Western" fast food at Aston's, Katong.

[klyeoh]

Oops, forgot pix:

[huiray]

Interesting. Curious.
Those sausages seem reminiscent of Vienna cocktail sausages...grilled...
How was it?

[klyeoh]

Overly-cooked. Astons is a very, very popular chain in Singapore offering low-priced steak dinners. This lunch plate costed just SGD12.90 or about USD10.30..

[Harters]

Trawled the salad bar at the supermarket. Crisped up some shards of bacon that were in fridge and slung them over the mixed salad.

Not even approaching a successful lunch. I'd bought a mismatch of stuff - none of which went with each other. Nor with crisp bacon.

The best that can be said is that I'll not be hungry till dinner.

[huiray]

Darn. But your intentions were healthful (of sorts).

[Harters]

Gosh, no. Health never forms part of my eating decisions.

That is why I am a short, fat, middle aged man. Instead of just being a short, middle aged man.

[huiray]

Heh. :-)

[jujuthomas]

today's lunch will be leftover dinner: Shrimp Orzo with Cherry tomatoes and romano cheese.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/shrim...

yum!

[huiray]

Chả Giò Chay (Vietnamese vegetarian spring rolls; deep fried), and
Chả Giò Tôm Cua (Vietnamese spring rolls with crab & shrimp; deep fried);
both on a bed of chopped Wong Nga Pak (Napa cabbage).
Nước Mắm Pha San (mixed fish sauce – dipping) with chopped scallions added.

Krupuk Udang (Prawn crackers, freshly puffed).

[mamachef]

That's freakin' beautiful!

[huiray]

:-)
It was greedily gobbled up pronto too. Everything.

[mamachef]

Planned lunch is a BLT salad w/ red wine vinaigrette, and the leftover potato soup, but only garnished w/ chopped parsley, and cold this time. Lemon fizz to drink for me.
Hope everyone's having a good day!! :)

[klyeoh]

Back in Singapore - what else for lunch but curry laksa! Prawns, tofu puffs, quail's eggs, fishballs, shredded cucumber, sprouts and rice noodles in a rich, spicy soup. It's good to be home :-)

P.S. - This is *not* Katong laksa, but a variant.

[huiray]

Well, so where did you have it?

[klyeoh]

A food stall on Pasir Panjang Road - West Coast area, as opposed to Katong in the East Coast :-)

[huiray]

D'you mean at the Pasir Panjang Food Centre (121 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118543)? (Seng Huat?)
:-)

[klyeoh]

No, Seng Huat sells Katong-style laksa, which I'm reluctant to try outside Katong (except at Sungei Rd). This one's a rather anonymous stall at Pasir Panjang Food Centre.

[huiray]

Aha. Thanks.

[linguafood]

Let's see -- a fantastic rye-mix breakfast roll with Landrahm (some addictive concoction of, I believe, cream cheese, quark & scallions), smoked mackerel & horseradish, soft-boiled egg, pineapple.

Man do I love our brunches at home.

[Harters]

Breakfast - mushroom omelette (organic mushrooms and eggs); smoked bacon (free range pigs), bread (homemade).

[gixx0r]

roasted turkey breast sandwich with basil oil, aioli, jack cheese, organic mixed greens on a toasted french roll from Autobahn Cafe in Oakland

[mamachef]

Love that place.
]

[mamachef]

Lunch today was excellent: smoked liverwurst on a Kaiser roll with thinly sliced red onions and a good schmear of hot horseradish mustard. Shredded Romaine topped the whole thing off. Side of sour pickles and tomatoes, and a very very very, infitesimally small bag of salt-n-vinegar Kettle chips. Russian Iced tea: anyone remember that? (Only time you'll ever see me w/ Tang. That's right, Tang, spices, and iced tea, over crushed ice. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. baby. :) That was one good lunch on a great day.

[jmcarthur8]

Wait, mamachef, I think I had that exact same lunch in 1976!
Including the Russian iced tea.

[huiray]

Prime Food "Hong Kong Style" (港式) Shrimp & Pork Wonton with XO Sauce
Nature's Soy soy puffs
Chopped "Wong Nga Pak" (Napa cabbage)
Zucchini sliced into sticks
Chicken stock

[suzigirl]

A delicious gyro w/ nice crisp veggies and sauce. Had a nice side of Greek yellow rice sprinkled w cheese. Yum. New place around the corner from me. Run by a Greek and a french man. They make sweet and savory crepes and Greek specialties. How can that be bad??!

[mamachef]

You're pretty much right; with International Flava like those two, the food must be pretty darn outstanding!

[suzigirl]

Its an open kitchen so watching them is a bit of a riot. But the food was great.

[jmcarthur8]

Egg salad sandwich (Duke's and farm eggs) with lettuce on whole wheat
Dill pickle potato chips
Iced tea, unsweetened

[huiray]

Finely chopped kale in chicken stock soup.

Fresh spaghettini tossed with a sauce of sautéed sliced shallots, smashed garlic, chopped Red Zebra tomatoes and chopped fresh basil.

Fresh wild keta salmon fillet, de-skinned; marinated w/ fresh mustard w/ jalapeno sauce, ryori-shu mirin, veggie oil, sea salt, ground white pepper. Pan-fried/poached.

Baby zucchini, flash-sautéed.

Fresh Thai-type mango slices.

[klyeoh]

Nyonya lunch in, where else, Malacca ;-)
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/858694

[huiray]

Nice report there. It *is* sad about the super-commercialization of Malacca. :-(

[klyeoh]

Indeed. Anyway, lunch today enroute back to KL was much more rewarding. It was a surprisingly popular "nasi lemak" stall at the Nilai truck-stop: warm, freshly-cooked coconut milk- flavored rice, fried egg. and generous drench of sambal ikan bilis sauce, served on a banana leaf. RM3.50 = US$1.

[mamachef]

I made an entire recipe of wontons with black mushrooms, water chestnut, bamboo shoots, ground pork and chopped prawns; seasoned with rice wine, sherry, ginger and soy. Stock I had on hand so I just floated those little devils and topped with some whole prawns, sliced hardboiled eggs, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Hit of chile oil just for me at the last and damn they "were" good. Weirdly I accompanied it with a cruller because I was jonesing for something sweet/savory at the same time, and it all worked out just groovy.

[huiray]

Sounds delicious!

However, with that mixture of ingredients you listed the resulting dumpling does sound more like what is called "shui kao" rather than wonton. :-)

[mamachef]

huiray, I always hesitate to name dumplings because I always get it wrong. What would be a more classic filling?

[huiray]

The classic wonton filling is either a mixture of seasoned ground pork and shrimp (either chopped or whole), maybe with some finely chopped Chinese chives or spring onions; or just shrimp. The "most desired" wontons are the pure (lightly seasoned) shrimp ones. Folks do add other stuff to it, including either water chestnuts or slivered shiitake mushrooms to it as they please, as you do, but as one adds more and more stuff to it (like bamboo shoots; and black/wood fungus, etc) - and leave out or reduce the shrimp content - it goes further into "Shui Kow" territory. Shui Kow also tend to be larger and the "shape" is more elongated, somewhat like gyoza/pot-stickers.

Some links:
http://www.chinesesouppot.com/1-soup-recipes/221-shrimp-wonton-soup
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/283736
http://rasamalaysia.com/wonton-soup-recipe/2/
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumwonton/r/wontons.htm

Have a look at these too (amongst others):
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/705330#5589186 and the subthread from there
http://www.chinesecookingrecipes.net/2011/12/shrimp-and-mince-meat-dumpling-with-bak-choy-soup/
http://rasamalaysia.com/sui-kow-dumpl...

[mamachef]

Thank you for the good information, huiray. I appreciate about you that you never put people down and answer in a timely way. :)

[huiray]

You're welcome. :-)

[huiray]

A Chettinad-type South Indian-influenced chicken curry.**
Boiled basmati white rice.

** Fine brunoise of yellow onions, ginger, garlic - sautéed in generous vegetable +peanut oil till browning; spice mix of ground coriander, cumin, turmeric; washed curry leaves (Murraya koenigii; கருவேப்பிலை), chile powder; whole cardamom pods; chopped & trimmed chicken leg quarters added; de-seeded hot chile peppers (Indian; sort-of Serrano-type), salt; seasoning; simmered till done.

[klyeoh]

Reading this is making me hungry for Indian food again!
When I was in Chennai recently - Chettinad cuisine = ultra-spicy cuisine, to the locals.

[huiray]

Heh.

Yes, Chettinad cuisine is indeed ultra-spicy – which is why I said "Chettinad-type South Indian-influenced". ;-) I made it spicy enough but toned it down from "true" Chettinad heat levels - I'm not exactly a chilehead and like to retain sensation in my mouth when I eat stuff. :-D

[fara]

leftover Salmon Choo chee which is a very mild curry they made for my 4yo.

[Erinita]

Leftover Taste of Philly sub with cheese wiz...even better the next day!

[breadwinner]

Had some leftover Mexican rice from dinner last night, so I fried up an egg, melted some jack cheese on top, and had a super easy lunch of huevos rancheros. With lots of fresh garlicky salsa and cilantro.

[huiray]

Fresh linguine* tossed with a sauce of sliced andouille sausage** cooked with sliced shallots, chopped de-skinned tomato***, trimmed basil***, Italian oregano# and English thyme#, and green zucchini*** sliced into sticks.

* from Nicole-Taylor (1134 E. 54th Street, Studio C, Indianapolis, IN 46220).
** from Smoking Goose (407 N Dorman Street, Indianapolis IN 46202) via their stall at the Broad Ripple Farmers' Market.
*** from the Broad Ripple Farmers' Market (behind Broad Ripple High School, 1115 Broad Ripple Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46220).
# from my deck.

[mamachef]

Nice meal, huiray. Something similar happened here: capellini w/ a fresh tomato and basil sauce, which virtuosity I spoiled by also inhaling 1 1/2 sourdough artichoke rolls w/ sharp cheddar baked in, loaded with room-temp. unsalted butter. And a Martinelli's sparkling lemonade; crushed ice. Dessert is yet to be determined, but I'm pretty sure there's a Caramello bar in the freezer.

[jmcarthur8]

mamachef, you and huiray win the Excellence in Lunch Award every day, as far as I'm concerned! I want to have lunch with both of you!

[huiray]

:">

[mamachef]

And you'd be welcome here!

[huiray]

Heh. Well, shortly after I finished that plate of pasta I found myself munching on seeded whole grain lavasch crackers... :-)

Oh, pic of that plate of stuff:

[staughton]

Leftover 7 Layer salad that I tweaked with Green Goddess dressing from CH (do it!), and some blackberries.

[huiray]

"7 layer salad" ?

[Harters]

Walked to the village and had lunch at the Italian.

Lasagne on one plate. Pizza marinara on the other - a not overly generous topping of tuna and anchovy - but I'm not complaining due to the cheap prices.

[huiray]

Do tell - which was on which? :-)

[Harters]

My companion in life had the lasagne.

[jmcarthur8]

I had a Filet O Fish at McD's. It's not my fault, it's the fault of the CHers talking about it on some of the threads here. Got me jonesin' for one.

[huiray]

:-)

[staughton]

LOL!~! I've been craving one ever since that guy on here was bashing the chef for loving Big Macs!!! As soon as it cools down a little here (or I'm hungover--whichever happens first), I'm definitely going to McD's.

[huiray]

Heh. Yes, McD's is part of the culinary landscape here in the USA. One ought to "enjoy it" for what it is, as occasion arises!!

[klyeoh]

Lunch yesterday: Penang Nyonya "Nasi Kunyit" (steamed glutinous rice, flavored with coconut milk & turmeric), with "Inche Kabin" (spiced fried chicken) and "beef rendang".

[huiray]

Looks delicious.

Heh, were you thinking of a certain thread on the SF board? :-)

[klyeoh]

Yes :-D

[huiray]

:::verybiggrin:::

Where did you have this?

[klyeoh]

It's from a Chinese streetside vendor located near where Jalan Tengah meets Jalan Sultan Ismail - outside Menara KH (formerly known as Menara Promet), opposite Crown Prince Hotel (which used to be KL Hilton in the 1970s-80s). KL CBD's changed a lot!

[mamachef]

Wait, what is this spice? That sounds SO good.........

[klyeoh]

Are you referring to the spiced fried chicken, Inche Kabin? Recipe here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8576...

[mamachef]

I was, so thank you!! I see dinner in the near future....

[mamachef]

I had bbq pork baos from the food truck at Sather gate, plus some vegetarian fried noodles. GOOD STUFF!

[chocolatetartguy]

We seem to be around the same places a lot. I ate just 3 blocks west of you!

[mamachef]

Were you at the prof's lunchroom again? We should coordinate the factors and hang out. Noodles, anybody? Fondue?

[huiray]

Lunch at Mississippi Belle again. 2170 E 54th St, Indianapolis, IN 46220.
NB: Cash only.

Today:

Rubbed ribs. (Pork) Talk about fall-off-the-bone tasty. [*not* BBQ-sauced type, of course]
Mac n cheese.
Green beans.
Collard greens w/ extra pot likker.
Hot water corn bread w/ raw onion slices.
Southern-style sweet tea. (You can feel your teeth falling out as you drink this)

[chocolatetartguy]

Ray, you have an iron stomach and a heart of gold!

Haven't eaten yet, but will buy lunch from a Mexican woman who sells out of her car to the workers at the carwash nextdoor. She is a fabulous home cook and makes the best red sauces, fluffy rice and creamy refritos. Later in the summer she makes agua frescas but only when the fruit is maturo.

[chocolatetartguy]

Today Maria made a beef/potato stew in a red chili gravy and chunks of porkchops in a thin red chili sauce. I went for the latter. Her gravies are infused with chili but not overpoweringly hot. But if some should go down the wrong pipe, you will be in some distress. She also gives you a big stack of commercial corn tortillas with the meal and all for the princely sum of $7. I'll be eating her food on Sunday too. Hope she makes ceviche.

[huiray]

Sounds good!
How does she "stage" her operation? Out of the back seat or out of the trunk? I imagine the clientele (any policías?) is largely local - or do folks come by from further afar?

[chocolatetartguy]

She sells out of the back of her station wagon or van. I believe that I am her only "gringo" customer. I did take one local restauranteur there when I ran into her at the carwash. One or two co-workers may have bought from her. Otherwise her clientele are exclusively Spanish-speaking workers.

I can't think of any other Mexican food venue that I would rather eat at. It is distinctly home style with very concentrated flavors in the sauces. Her chili gravys make me swoon.

[huiray]

Sounds delicious. You expect to eat her food on Sunday too - I guess ypu'll be working on that day? :-(

[jujuthomas]

Corned beef and cabbage, red potatoes at the Irish Pub down the alley from our office. very comforting to me, reminded me of "boiled dinner" my mother and grandmother used to make.

[huiray]

Yum. Corned beef and cabbage pleases me anytime.

[huiray]

Lunch Part 1: Insalata Caprese.
Lunch Part 2: Sun Noodle Pork Ramen; with fish cakes w/ onion, baby bok choy and julienned scallions.

[klyeoh]

Kuala Lumpur - Indian-Muslim "Murtabak" (pancake filled with curried minced chicken, egg & onions), with pickled onions on the side.

[huiray]

Heh. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murtabak

The murtabaks of my youth tended to be those round types with heavy "piling effects" in the thick layer of dough.

[Berheenia]

Made a fast ham salad in the mini food processor with leftover ham steak, onion, garlic salt and pepper, green relish and mayo. Eating it on an onion roll with a big cup of coffee.

[huiray]

Food processor - did you make the mixture into a paste-like "spread"?

[Berheenia]

I pulse it and try to stop before it becomes a paste-like spread which is hard to eat as a sandwich and becomes a dip.

[huiray]

Fried Rice*: with chicken**, chopped Chinese chives, julienned scallions, egg***.
Pickled sliced hot green long chilis as a "side"/"accompaniment".
Edys Neapolitan Ice Cream afterwards.

* Using day-old cooked rice, left out at room temp overnight. The best fried rice is with such rice. Frozen/refrigerated rice is not preferred.
** Chicken thighs, deboned, sliced, marinated w/ Shaohshing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, fish sauce (nuoc mam).
*** Two eggs, lightly beaten w/ oil, a little salt, diluted w/ water; fried in a hot pan w/ veggie oil to give a bubbly/"wok-hei" imbued omelette; then sliced into strips and tossed w/the final fried rice prep.

Preserved plum (Chan Pui Mui) and preserved plum (seedless) (Chan Pui Ying Che) as "finishing chews".

[huiray]

A late lunch yesterday:
Steamed whole black sea bass** - smothered with scads of julienned scallions, chopped cilantro and finely chopped fresh ginger, over which was poured a warm sauce of sautéed ginger & a bit of garlic quenched w/ soy sauce.
Sautéed zucchini (farm-fresh).
Boiled white rice (basmati).

** Pre-marinated w/ sesame oil, a bit of salt, Shaohshing wine, white pepper, chopped fresh ginger, chopped garlic and the emsemble then steamed. The fish (alone) is then taken and placed on a fresh platter and the (fresh) scallions etc put on it & warm sauce poured over.

[klyeoh]

Now *that* is what I'd like to have for my lunch!

[huiray]

:-)
[Note the square-top-half bamboo chopsticks too]

[klyeoh]

Kuala Lumpur: Feeling rather adventurous today, so I went back for a plate of "Nasi Melayu" or Malay-style rice (something which has given me tummy problems 7 times out of 10 in the past) for lunch today.

My lunch plate consisted of a mound of steamed white rice, served with:
- Curried black pomfret steak, which used distinctly South Indian spices. Spicy!
- Local aubergines cooked with chilli sambal. Super-spicy!
- Half a salted duck's egg, served in its shell (Chinese influence here);
- "Perkedel", a Malay potato croquette - the name probably originated from the Dutch word "frikandel", since the Dutch colonized the old Malay kingdom of Malacca from the 15th-19th century. The croquette was tasty, with minced fish-meat, onion & mild spices added for flavoring;
- A nightmarish dish which I chose by mistake: poached fresh duck's egg smothered with "tempoyak" or fermented durian. Now, you folks who thought that the durian had a nasty odour, you haven't smelt *fermented* durian yet! The smell hit me the moment I was about to start to eat. Ugh!

Overall, okay lunch - still waiting to see if my belly acts up again!

[huiray]

My my. I would need twice as much rice to go with the interesting stuff you had. :-) I hope it went well, 5 hours later now? Sounds like this place has a heavy hand with the chili.

Fermented durian - hmm, hmm... I dare say it *is* definitely an acquired taste, then? (I think you do like unfermented durian, right?)

[klyeoh]

Normal durian is manna to me. Maybe fermented durian's effect on me equates what ordinary durians do to some folks who couldn't stand it.

P.S. - Am afraid to report that it did *not* go quite so well. Am feeling minor discomfort now. And to think that I'd NEVER experienced the Delhi Belly in all my trips to India, nor the Bali Belly in all the weeks' stay in Indonesia :-(

[huiray]

Darn. Perhaps that is a place to be definitely "taken under advisement" for the future.

[klyeoh]

Not just "that place", but "that area", namely Putrajaya-Cyberjaya precinct, which is wholly Muslim-Malay when it comes to things culinary. No Chinese establishment exists there!

BTW, I had the Malay-style chicken rice for lunch yesterday and, sans the sambal, seemed perfectly okay for me :-)
One thing to note about Malay-style chicken rice though:
1) The chicken is *always* fried. Malays have an aversion towards any chicken that's poached or steamed;
2) The "chicken-flavored' rice itself do *not* resemble Hainanese-style chicken rice in *any* way - it's less greasy (no chicken fat used for flavoring), it does not have the "Hainanese trinity" of ginger-garlic-spring onions, and
3) It has a queer clove-staranise-lemongrass scent.

Anyway, pic of me Malay chicken rice lunch from yesterday ;-)

P.S. - I MISS BOON TONG KEE CHICKEN RICE IN SINGAPORE!! Lucky am back there next week, ho-ho! Home sweet home.

[huiray]

Aha, you had lunch in Cyberjaya-Putrajaya! Yes, you have talked about it elsewhere and described the absolute "halal-domness" of the place, by law & regulation, with no pork AT ALL to be found anywhere within it in any commercial establishment. It's a reflection of certain tendencies of the government - especially as Putrajaya is the Federal administrative center of Malaysia, otherwise a multi-racial, multi-cultural/multi-cuisine nation (yet Putrajaya is almost wholly Muslim, with its population largely government workers...interesting...)

Heh, yes that plate of Malay chicken rice looks very different from Hainan chicken rice. Enjoy the proper one you will obviously be getting when you are back in S'pore!

[huiray]

Dim sum brunch, such as it is, in Indy, at On Time Restaurant (3623 Commercial Drive, Indy IN 46222).
Nothing too exciting.
Po Lei tea (pu'erh)
Shrimp siu-mai
Shrimp dumplings (har gow)
Tofu skin rolls [fu pei guen; a.k.a. 蠔油鮮竹卷 ;-) ]
Chicken feet (fung jaau = "Phoenix claws")
Egg custard tarts (tan tat)
Deep fried red bean paste dumplings (called 豆炒角 here)
and a plate of dry fried beef thick rice noodles (干炒牛河粉).

Best was the shrimp siu-mai. Worst was the beef noodle dish, the noodles were hard and overly broad, salty & over-fried beef, not much "wok-hei" - I left much of it behind.

[jmcarthur8]

I had a can of tuna with 'sweet and spicy chili' flavor oil in it, and I mixed it up with some corn, chopped onion, tomato, green pepper and cucumber. Put it in a flour tortilla with baby lettuces and shredded cheddar and sour cream.
Darn it! I just realized I had cilantro in the fridge and totally forgot to include that!
Well, it was good anyway. The cilantro would have finished it off perfectly.

[Uncle Bob]

Some Sushi...and my daily bread.. slathered with Duke's and vine ripe D'mater's....Big glass of tea!

[huiray]

• Chinese Okra soup with chopped chicken thighs sautéed w/ smashed garlic.
• Trimmed pea shoots stir-fried w/ finely chopped garlic, finely sliced shallots, sambal terasi and prawn paste in soy bean oil.
• Boiled white rice.

J&B whiskey on rocks.

[jmcarthur8]

My first 'mater sandwich of the summer! With Duke's, of course.

A few of my husband's homemade dilly beans and a pickle.

[huiray]

I had lunch today at a relatively new Buffet place styled as "Formosa Seafood Buffet" (6304 E. 82nd Street, Indianapolis). The seafood part was minimal as it turned out, at least at this weekday lunch, and not surprisingly the food was heavily Americanized/toned down in my opinion. Edible, nothing to be excited about, AYCE fodder for about $8.80 with tax. I wonder if it is more "traditional-tasting" on the weekends.

My selections: fish maw soup, hot & sour soup (both - not enough flavor, too gooey); stewed tripe w/ jalapenos, pig trotter (not soft enough), garlic stir-fried spinach, stewed chicken feet (decent); sautéed green beans, Chinese-style "fried" thin rice vermicelli (mei fun) with misc stuff, fish fillets (corn starch coated) fried/simmered/poached w/ julienned ginger & scallions (meh); fresh Napa cabbage, sliced cucumber salad, honey & chile pepper chicken leg "lollipops" (the best thing in this meal), grilled shrimp on skewers (very bland); Honeydew melon & Alfonso mango slices (1/2 strawberry).

[kubasd]

Dang.... if that was in my area it would be the LEAST Americanized place around!! Ive never even SEEN chicken feet, fish maws, or pig trotters in restaurants near me.

[huiray]

Well, what I sampled was picked from perhaps 4x to 5x as many more savory dishes than what I selected.** Those others were definitely American-Chinese dishes, and many were pure USAmerican/Western stuff (roast ribeye joint, potatoes au gratin, etc) There was also a selection of sushi but they looked like other "sushi" in NON-Japanese buffets - desultory at best, skimpy on the not-too-fresh fish, mostly California-type rolls. There were folks who loaded their plates with it, though. More than anything else, it was the taste and seasoning of the dishes that I had in mind when I said it was heavily "Americanized" or the spicing toned down. I asked for chili sauce to try to jazz up those insipid grilled prawns on my plate, for example, and it turned out there was no chili sauce in the place, except for one small pot of chili condiment as part of the salad bar (almost entirely Western-type salad ingredients) which tasted like it came straight from a jar of generic chili paste [it wasn't "sauce"] meant for cooking with other things. The chicken feet, tripe and pig trotter came from a tiny corner at the very back of the "selection hall" containing clearly non-Western selections. The clientele was almost wholly non-Chinese. I think I saw maybe a half dozen Chinese-type folks in there besides myself, out of perhaps more than a hundred diners. (Yes, it's a big place. It claims to be the largest [and "most elegant" (snort!!)] restaurant in Indy.)

** i.e. excluding the dessert/fruits/cakes selections and salad bar, both of which were basically "Western" except for a half-dozen or so selections of canned lychees, canned kumquats, canned mandarin orange segments etc. Separate selection of about 8-10 tubs of Western ice-cream from which you scraped scoops yourself.

[kubasd]

ahhh yes. I know the type of place you're referring to. And thank you for the clarification, it makes me feel a LITTLE better re: the americanization.

[huiray]

Heh.
I would contrast this place with the other (much, MUCH smaller Szechuanese) place I had Sunday brunch/lunch at and which I described here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8535...
:-)

[kubasd]

Oh yeah, I remember reading that post and absolutely drooling... You'd think with the large Chinese population in my area that the restaurants would be more authentic (or at least the markets!!). I live right near Mohegan Sun Casino, so that's also not far from Foxwoods.... yet nothing. A true culinary wasteland. Well, except in the casinos themselves... but I only have two arms and two legs to give, and that'll only get me two meals.

Of all that's on there that I haven't had.... the jellyfish is the most intriguing to me, I've heard it has an awesome texture.

[huiray]

Darn.

Well, Groton/New London or Hartford or Norwich aren't that far from you - any better Chinese places around there?
How about a drive to Clinton one fine weekend? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/650170#5136233
It seems good dim sum is available in Uncasville? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/823932

In the meanwhile, have you tried this place called Ichiban Asian Bistro? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8188...

[Berheenia]

Thinking about heading to the Food Truck for an egg and eggplant sandwich. The humidity is giving me second thoughts though...

[huiray]

Hmm, Brookline, MA...or would it be downtown Boston? Aww, go on ahead.

Tell us more about "lunch time" food trucks in your area...

[mamachef]

I woke up STARVING this morning, and polished off a quarter-breast of fried chicken for first breakfast. This basically worked only as an appetizer, so after two large Americanos I commenced w/ a blueberry muffin with lemon curd, followed by two poached on leftover fried rice (onion, egg, sprouts and lap cheung), washed down with Pepsi. So much for my lunch plans, which involved cleaning out the refrigerator for grocery shopping, but now breakfast is done and so is the chore, and I am full and happy. Have a great weekend, y'all.

[huiray]

Wowza. Nice b'fast medley there. :-)

[Harters]

Two sandwiches. One free range chicken and organic mushroom. The other potted ham.

[huiray]

Organic mushroom? What kind?

[Harters]

Just ordinary chestnut mushrooms

[suzigirl]

Sounds like the angels halo and the devils horn for lunch. A little good/ a little bad. Yummy.

[huiray]

• Yesterday's Bak Kut Teh, deepened in flavor from being left on the stove at RT overnight. :-) Reheated, of course.
• Basil (lots) scrambled with eggs.
• Boiled white rice.

[Harters]

Kippers. Soft bread roll.

[huiray]

Aha. Do say more about your meal - anything else that comes to mind!

[Harters]

Nope, that was it.

Two kipper fillets; two soft bread rolls.

[huiray]

Well, would kippers and bread be a common or unexceptional lunch around your parts?

[Harters]

Not really common - but not that exceptional either. I mean, folk round these parts wouldnt be surprised if I told them I was having kippers for lunch, although not too many of them would have had them themselves - if you see what I mean

[mamachef]

Not yet time, but there's about a quarter of a large marinated grilled leg of lamb, a lot of pita, and tzatziki, which sure sounds like lunch to me!!

[huiray]

It sure does!

[klyeoh]

Kuala Lumpur: Lunch at a rickety Malaysian-Chinese restaurant under the shade of a large rain-forest tree near the Stadium Negara:
- Crisp-fried prawns (shell-on) covered with a thick buttery sauce thickened with mashed salted duck's egg-yolk, and perfumed with Indian curry leaves;
- Steamed whole threadfin, with a spicy assam (tamarind) gravy, studded with pineapple chunks, string beans, okra & tomatoes;
- Bittergourd-egg omelette.

[huiray]

YUM!!!

Hmm, what was the exact location of this place & it's name? Has it been there long?

I never thought of doing a bittergourd omelette. I'll have to give it a try!

[klyeoh]

Oh my, I didn't imagine *that* little place even has a name! I usually try and collect a restaurant name card so I can blog about the place, but didn't think this place would have one. It's along Jalan Sultan/Jalan Hang Jebat(?). I had wanted to take a photo of the restaurant front on our way out, but was distracted by my colleagues' conversation :-(

[gaffk]

It's July 4th! Hotdog, small cheeseburger, chicken (thanks to my cousin who willingly manned the grill in 100 degree heat and whopping humidity while we all hung out in the air conditioned house). Potato salad, pasta salad. Fresh fruit salad. And a delicious lemon walnut cream concoction made by the grill master's wife. Yeah, I'm skipping dinner.

[huiray]

Bak Kut Teh. With baby ribs plus sort-cut ribs.

Did this today with yet more/additional star anise/cinnamnon/cloves besides the medicinal mixrure of herbs etc, plus dark soy sauce plus oyster sauce; with tofu puffs, sliced silken tofu.

Boiled long-grain American rice. :-)

Trimmed Farmers' Market kale, stir-fried/poached (sort of), seasoned to taste.

[RUK]

It simply didn't taste that good using the mixture package only?
I had bought it, but bailed out the couple of times I made this dish in the meanwhile and simply used the spice mixture as been taught /see your addition.

[huiray]

It normally tastes fine using just the mixture packs. I added the extra cinnamon/cloves/star anise today just for the hell of it, but not as much as I would have used if doing this dish without the packs. Extra garlic too. :-)

[RUK]

Thanks.

[huiray]

You're welcome.

Try the medicinal spice packets next time, if not anything else just to see if they are to your liking. (Which one do you have? There are several kinds/brands) Yes, I usually do the cinnamon-cloves-star anise seasoning - but of late I find myself liking the "traditional" herbal mix with Tong Kwai (Angelica) too. Of course, I ate a fair bit of BKT with the herbal spicing way back when, as you probably know.

About the garlic - I used three whole large heads for this pot of BKT, two entire with skins as-is (meat smooshed into the soup with a ladle after about 3/4 hr simmering when they were soft) and 1 head smashed and deskinned before adding to the pot. :-)

[RUK]

Had to take a look what I bought - it is Seah's spices, "Singapore Bak Kuet Teh Spices" and yes, it does contain the Chinese Angelica too.
Next time I will try it.

[huiray]

Darn those typos.
I meant "short-cut ribs" and "mixture", of course.
Kikkoman soy sauce was added as well besides those components previously listed. Chinese-type light soy sauce is fine too and used on other occasions when I prepare BKT.

[Bill Hunt]

Deep Fried Chicken Breasts w/ Mustard Potato Salad and Smoked Paprika. No wine, though we WERE approaching a holiday.

Hunt

[sandylc]

Homemade bagel toasted and topped with cream cheese, minced red bell pepper and carrots, fresh dill, and sunflower seeds.

[mamachef]

One of the better BLT's I've ever had: Thick-sliced white bread from Arizmendi bakery, thick-sliced peppered bacon, shredded romaine, and sliced Early Girl tomatoes with pepper and Best Foods with a tot of lemon squeezed into it. Side of salt/vinegar chips because I almost never eat them and then I read about them in another thread here and then HAD to have them, like, today. And 7 green grapes for healthy, and yes I counted them, but only because the amount was so small....and a presse citron. Yum.

[gaffk]

I almost forgot . . . I made your peppered bacon last weekend. Man, is that stuff addictive. You are truly evil ;)

[mamachef]

Just admit you love me for this, and we can move on. :)

[kubasd]

*like* i've never made my own bacon... i worry that i'd contribute to the heart disease etc of every member of my household if I did. :P

[mamachef]

see below, kubasd. :)

[gaffk]

Oh, OK, I admit it. But I still say you're evil . . . I can't have too many days when I incorporate bacon into all three meals.

[mamachef]

<snortlaugh>
Self-control. A thing of beauty; a joy forever. Except as it applies to the outstandingness of bacon, in which case the rule is always: More is Mo' Bettah.

[kubasd]

bahaha *like*

[huiray]

Tomato, celery & basil soup, drizzled w/ good olive oil. Topped with fresh basil leaves.

Duck, port & pear sausages; pan-fried with sliced shallots.
Sliced fingerling potatoes; fried in the pan after doing the sausages.
Green beans; sautéed in the dripping & pan residues from above.
Chioggia beets; simply boiled in salted water, then de-skinned & sliced.

[klyeoh]

Gosh, these looked real good!

[sandylc]

I am drooling.

[klyeoh]

Another Cantonese dim sum spread in Kuala Lumpur ;-)

[huiray]

Heh. Looks good. So - one of the "super-superstitious" places. :-)

What's the one on the right?

[klyeoh]

I was kinda hoping you wouldn't ask - they were the politically-incorrect sharksfin dumplings (minced pork-prawn mixture, topped off with strands of sharksfin, wrapped in wanton skin).

P.S. - I'm a big fan of sharksfin actually.

[huiray]

Oops, sorry! But - eh, I eat sharksfin if the opportunity presents itself too. Just as I eat foie gras readily, and even more gladly (and gluttonously) if it is from a place like Hudson Valley Farm.

Please, do continue to post about your delicious lunches and associated meals. :-)

BTW, was that other dim sum meal you had last week at Oversea?
(http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8535...)

[klyeoh]

It's a new spot in Cheras - opened when I was away in Germany the fortnight before, recommended by my KL colleagues. I'll need to go back for its name - at the moment, they all called it "that new dim sum place".

P.S. - Don't think it's Oversea, I just Googled and their website didn't mention any place near where we lunched.

[huiray]

Aha. I was wondering if it was Oversea because the crockery looked like the stuff used at Oversea (those rectangular plates blue-edged on the two shorter sides, for example) and the siu mai as a foursome...

[klyeoh]

Oh, you meant those Japanese-style sushi plates? I didn't even notice them until now!

Siu-mai served in fours - very common in Singapore!! I don't know why many KL/Penang places switched to 3s :-(

[NoodleQueen]

I had a whole pineapple and a whole honeydew, and a few slices of yellow watermelon. Sometimes I really love living in the tropics and being on this diet (well, until dinner, at least).

[jmcarthur8]

Today I had a can of yellow hominy fried up in the crusty bits of bacon left in the breakfast pan after draining off the fat. Put it in a container and nuked it at work to eat at my desk while working on a design.
Then a little cup of unsweetened applesauce for dessert, and some iced tea.

[mamachef]

I absolutely must remember to keep not forgetting about hominy. I almost never think to use it in anything but pozole, and yet: I LOVE the stuff. Your lunch sounds perfect.

[huiray]

I dislike grits and hominy. Don't hate them, but they're definitely not things I'd go for.

(OTOH, I don't mind polenta and I like rice congee)

[kubasd]

a bunch of seedless green grapes, and a tomato/avocado salad... I love this time of year :)

[huiray]

Pork spare ribs (short-cut against the bone, individual riblets): steamed w/ julienned ginger, sliced deseeded long green hot chile, sliced shiitake mushrooms, black bean – garlic sauce, sesame oil, ground white pepper, splash of light soy sauce, large splash of mirin.

Cavolo nero kale (lacinato): coarse chiffonade, simple stir-fry w/ a little chopped garlic.

Boiled white rice.

[Bacardi1]

Today I had some spinach linguini with some of my own "Mediterranean Tuna Sauce" (olive-oil-packed tuna, Kalamata olives, halved grape tomatoes, capers, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, baby arugula).

[Miri1]

Spread some tortilla chips on a sheet of parchment paper, dumped on a half can of Worthngton vegetarian chili, sprinkled a couple of handfuls of cheese over the mess and shoved it in the I
Oven till the cheese melted. Noshed myvway through my instant nachos with a can of diet Squirt over ice. Finished with a cup of Arrowhead sparkling water over more ice. Heading to the beach with my sister where we plan to get ice cream and walk the Venice boardwalk.

[huiray]

• Insalata Caprese; with fresh tomatoes, basil & mozzarella from the Farmers' Market, Alziari olive oil, sea salt, black pepper.
• Spaghettini con pesto alla Genovese; with fresh pasta and previously-made pesto, plus quartered potatoes and fresh green beans (quasi-Ligurian style?)

[mamachef]

Today's one of those classic lunch days: vegetable soup, and half a Dutch crunch roll with unsalted butter, mustard and thin sliced salami. And a Pepsi Next that I purchased by accident and which is nowhere near the real thing.

[suzigirl]

I butter almost every sandwich I make. No it's not good for me but I don't eat them like I used to. In my twenties I ate tons of sandwiches. My bf is underwhelmed at my choice of butter. Oh well. I like it.

[mamachef]

Me too, and I can't tell you how many people have told me how weird it is to butter a sandwich. Why so much weirder than mayo? Anyone?

[suzigirl]

If it's okay to substitute mayo for butter on the outside of a grilled cheese then I can butter the inside of my bread. And its just yummy.

[mamachef]

You too, eh? That's PERFECT. But I do draw the line at a friend who used to mix the shredded cheese w/ mayo, and then butter and grill in mayo. Waaaaay too much.

[Uncle Bob]

Fresh Ground Chuck Burger......
Duke's Mayo..
Home Grown D'mater.........
Dill Pickle kicked up with Garlic and Cayenne peppers....
Moo-Stard-O
Thick sliced and cold Vidalia.....
Fresh basil Leaves???? Hmmmmmmm,,,, I'm thinking so.........

[linguafood]

Two dim sum (Thai dumplings) at my favorite market in Berlin. Unfortunately, they were out of the spicy ones, but these were just as delicious. Ok, almost.

[huiray]

Do tell us more. Who runs the shop or stall selling these? What other offerings are there? How is the "state of dim sum" in Berlin?

[linguafood]

The stall is run by three Thai ladies and a farang who's presumably married to one of them. Their offerings range from a very delicious wonton soup to a variety of curries to satay to sometimes hor mok (see pic below) to mango salad to laarb......

Since lunch is usually my breakfast -- if that makes any sense -- I can't eat all that much, so the dumprings are my absolute fave to get. Plus they leave room for something else... just in case some other stall catches my eye :-)

Today I topped it off with mango & coconout parfaits from a Guadeloupe lady. I wish I could beam half of that market, or at least my favorite stalls, back home to the US.... >sigh<

[huiray]

Thanks! Sounds intriguing. This market you seem to habituate appears to be quite an interesting one. :-) I can envision why you might want to beam a lot of it back to the US.

Is "standard Cantonese" dim sum widely available (or not, as the case may be) in Berlin?

[linguafood]

There are a bunch of Chinese (which, in Germany, means for the most part Cantonese) restaurants along Kantstrasse in Charlottenburg, including the very popular "Good Friends".

I lost my heart to Sichuan food a long time ago; the only times I'll indulge in dim sum is in Chinatown, NYC. That doesn't mean the dim sum available in Berlin isn't any good -- it's just that there are too many other cuisines & favorite restaurants here for me to go out of my way (and my hood) to have stuff I can have on the other side of the pond pretty much whenever I want to.

That said, it's certainly available here, though not on the scale as in NYC (no carts, for example).

[klyeoh]

The hor mok (and the Thai dumplings) sure looked good!

[linguafood]

It's some of the best Thai food I've had (including Thailand).

There is a park in Berlin where Thai families gather on the weekend and sell their home-cooked goods. I won't make it over there today, but *have* to check it out before I leave Berlin, for sure.

[huiray]

linguafood, I never did ask - but, for the record and for the interest of folks (and myself) - where is this market with the Thai ladies and the Guadeloupe lady; and where is this park where Thai families gather on the weekends? (Addresses, locations, hours)

Thanks!

[linguafood]

The market is Winterfeldtmarkt on Winterfeldtplatz in Schöneberg, Weds & Sats (with Saturday being the more expansive one, tho I believe the Thai stand might also be there on Weds). Not sure about the hours, but my guess is 8 AM to 4 PM, Weds likely a bit shorter.

The Thai families gather Sats & Suns at Preussenpark in Wilmersdorf near subway stop Fehrbelliner Platz. Don't know about the hours, as I've yet to go. It's likely google-able, tho.

[huiray]

Thanks, linguafood. Good info.

[klyeoh]

Cantonese dim sum: loh mai kai, fung chau (chicken feet, yum!) & siu-mai.
P.S. - At Leong Kee dim sum restaurant in Penang, Malaysia. Total cost of lunch (inclusive of a pot of Ti Kuan Yin Chinese tea)? MYR7, or about US$2!

[huiray]

Sigh. Looks good - and darn cheap too. (The siu-mai does looks kinda, uh, big) In Penang for the weekend or for the week?

(I just spent US$60 at the local Farmers' Market - for some kale, beets, basil bunches, tomatoes, fresh pasta, fresh mozzarella, "artisanal" sausages, green beans...and I still have to cook or prepare them.)
:-(

[klyeoh]

Only in Penang for the weekend, unfortunately - but 2 huge festivals happened then: a Hindu festival where 80 priests from South India and Bali came to offciate the opening of a huge new Hindu temple near Penang's botanical gardens, and a massive Taoist religious festival celebrating the life of Tang Dynasty general, Chen Yang-guang, and 50,000 clansmen with the surname "Chen" ( 陳) came to Penang from China, HK, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, etc. Many streets in Georgetown last night were closed as street processions took place - I ad to cancel a food excursion to Kimberley Street :-(

Eating out in Penang's cheap - especially after the EUR60 meals in Germany.

[kubasd]

those siu-mai look amazing.... about 4 bites of amazing, lol.

[klyeoh]

The siu-mai had that "old-fashioned" flavor & texture: more non-meat ingredients added to boost pork-shrimp mixture. The taste was robust & rustic - not the subtle, refined flavors one would compare to, say, HK's Michelin-rated Lung King Heen, but very similar to those served at neighborhood dim sum breakfast spots in HK's Shatin & other parts of the New Territories.

[huiray]

More of yesterday's beef short ribs w/ daikon & mushrooms.
White rice.
Sautéed chopped Napa cabbage.

[mamachef]

Good stuff, huiray. I'm inspired to make some short ribs for dinner.

[huiray]

Beef short ribs with mushrooms & daikon.**
A squat short-leaved, long-stemmed variety of Chinese mustard greens, simply stir-fried.
Boiled white rice.

**Korean-style thin-cut beef short ribs, cut into single riblets – browned w/ chopped smashed garlic & good Japanese light miso paste, water added and braised/simmered; reconstituted Chinese “Far Koo” (花茹) added, braised for a while, sliced daikon added, seasoning adjusted, simmered for a while more till judged ready.

[jujuthomas]

weeellll... after several days of decadent eating I'm trying to eat light today so I have a lean cuisine-type meal and some leftover steamed veggies. But I am going to hit the cafeteria for their a.mazing Thai carrot, ginger, lemongrass soup. can't wait. :)

[klyeoh]

Back in Kuala Lumpur - dim sum lunch today ... felt great to have some good Chinese food for a change - I loved Northern German food, but 2 weeks of smoked fish, rollmops, potatoes & wursts were all I could take.

My fave at lunch today was the giant "Dai Bao" (大包 ) - a huge steamed bun filled with loads of meaty goodness - flavored with Chinese wine, ginger, shitake, sweetness from shredded turnips, all complementing the chicken, pork & Chinese sausage filling, plus a quartered hard-boiled egg. Liked this ever since I was a kid :-)

[huiray]

Yum!

Did you have this at Oversea Restaurant (海外天) ?
:-)

[huiray]

Dumplings, tofu puffs & wonton noodles in chopped garlic accented chicken stock, w/ chopped Napa cabbage, green onions & fried shallots.

[huiray]

Couple of glasses of Stag’s Leap 2009 Viognier beforehand.

• Cabbage & Chicken Legs soup, w/ chopped parsley, seasoned w/ only sea salt.
• Young Roma Beans, halved lengthwise, stir-fried w/ sliced garlic & a splash of fermented rice vinegar.
• Omelette of lightly-beaten eggs, sautéed chopped Chinese chives, chopped tarragon (from my deck), one deseeded green long hot chile sliced diagonally, several grinds of white pepper and a small splash of Kikkoman light soy sauce.
• Boiled Basmati rice.

[cgarner]

yesterday's lunch was pasta salad... my kid started camp for the summer and she's not a sandwich person, so I have to come up with alternative lunches for her (oh and no nuts)
I can't seem to make small amounts of pasta salad... farfalle, green & red peppers, cucumbers, snap peas, radishes, blanched broccoli, soprassata, sharp provolone, cured olives, I stirred in some pesto and a splash of cesar dressing.. it was delish!

today's lunch... tomato pie from Sam's italian Market and some cubes of watermelon

[huiray]

Yes, when one adds this and that ...and this...and that...the volume of the final combination can be, uh, more than one might have vaguely thought of before beginning. :-) Been there, done that.

Sounds delish. Presumably your daughter will get more than pasta salads for her lunches. ;-)

[tardigrade]

We're cleaning out the fridge in preparation for a trip, so we're using up a lot of leftovers. Lunch was ramen (the cheap packaged stuff, with the "flavor" pack replaced by an open jar of homemade chicken stock that was lurking in the fridge), with thin slices of leftover state, onion, ginger, and basil. Dinner is a pizza with a meat sauce (the last of some Italian sausage and a half-used jar of spaghetti sauce) with tre formagi (mozzarella, feta and Monterey Jack - may be good, may be just interesting) and a green salad.

[jgonzcray]

I usually do it big for lunch, but today I was running short on time (typical Monday) and I settled for Cup of Noodles Hot and Spicy Shrimp with Lime, and a chicken, cheese, and mustard sandwich on Sara Lee whole wheat bread with a handful of Doritos in the middle. The meal was very tasty, and even more satisfying was knowing that it was all Free!!!!!

[mamachef]

Mapo tofu with an extra hit of chile oil, and a good sized side of spicy dan dan noodles, along with a Martinelli's classic lemonade over crushed ice, and a serving of plum cobbler with ice cream!

[huiray]

Sounds good.

[Bacardi1]

Today I had some leftovers from last night's dinner: Wild Alaskan Salmon Piccata with a side of Citrus-Flavored Rotini pasta (from "Rossi Pasta").

[pie22]

actually brought my lunch in to the office today. had leftover thai spicy vegetables over white rice and a handful of cherries. i also had a chocolate pudding but that may have to wait till the afternoon, i am stuffed!

[Mer_Made]

Leftover corn salad topped with leftover crab and a Dt. Cherry Pepsi. That first hit of Pepsi was so so sweet. I also eyed the birthday Oreos that someone dumped in the break room, but I won't eat random foodstuffs unless I know who brought it.

[huiray]

Sautéed zucchini (from Saturday's Farmers' Market)
Steamed Lap Cheong (wine flavor)
Boiled white rice (Hitomebore)

[huiray]

Yesterday:
•Tomato soup – fresh tomatoes from the Farmers’ Market, good olive oil, sautéed smashed garlic & chopped shallots, fresh basil from the garden.
•Sautéed young broccoli florets from the Farmers’ Market.
•Pasta carbonara.

Today:
A Szechuanese buffet brunch-lunch.
(This place has the real stuff on Sundays, clientele almost wholly Chinese. Weekdays lunch buffet is American-Chinese fare, clientele very largely Caucasian)
• Daikon slices & pork meatballs in a very peppery clear broth.
• Cold hors d’oeuvres:
Tea-smoked duck.
Marinated sliced "jellyfish".
Beef tripe in spiced chili oil.
Pork maw in garlic sauce.
Pork tongue.
Chicken slices in spicy chili oil w/ sesame seeds & scallions.
Glass noodles in spiced chili oil w/ sprouts & scallions.
Marinated cucumber chunks.
Marinated mung bean sprouts.
Dan-dan noodles.
• Stewed daikon chunks & beef brisket (“ngow lam”).
• Stewed carrot chunks & fatty pork belly (sort-of “kow yook”).
• Spicy dry pan-fried large shrimp. shell-on.
• Stir-fried deshelled shrimp & scallops w/ garlic & peas.
• Stir-fried baby bok choy.
• Pan-fried savory thick pancake w/ spices, Szechuan peppercorns & scallions inside.
• Mapo tofu (properly done) with boiled white rice.
• Hot tea.
(also various other stuff that I did not have some of)

[klyeoh]

"(also various other stuff that I did not have some of)"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You mean to say you tried all those which you listed down?!

My lunch on Sat, 23 June, was pretty "unreal" - on an Emirates flight from Hamburg to Dubai, and, though the plane was travellingthrough differenttime zones, "lunch" meal service inexplicably commenced at 5pm Hamburg time:
- Pumpkin soup, with Greek salad
- Pine-nut/almond encrusted cod fillet with overcooked celery & mashed potatoes topped with grapefruit segments. Fish was drizzled with some white-colored sauce which didn't taste like cream nor sour cream. The overall taste of the entree? Don't ask :-(
- Almond cake with berry compote. Cake was edible.

Overall rating of the meal - Nasty.

[huiray]

"You mean to say you tried all those which you listed down?!"
-----------
Yes. :-)

Ouch, it sounds like your in-flight meal was pretty bad.
Which airlines in your experience serves the best food?

( http://www.smh.com.au/travel/activity... )
;-P

[klyeoh]

Consistently? Singapore Airlines. Especially enjoyed a Japanese kaiseki lunch on a flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, a couple of years back.

[linguafood]

That's so funny! I've only flown w/Singapore Airlines once (for a 3-week Thailand vacation), and that was the first one that crossed my mind. Great (by plane standards) food, great service.

[huiray]

Indeed. Singapore Airlines was also the first one to cross my mind (like it did lingua's). :-)

[Bacardi1]

Wow - after reading all that deliciousness, I'm almost ashamed to say what I had for lunch yesterday: Sauteed chicken livers done my grandmother's way - sauteed in an obscene amount of butter & seasoned with the juice from one lemon, salt, pepper, & caraway seeds. A real memory meal.

[linguafood]

Love chicken livers, but you lost me at caraway seeds. One of the very, very few things I cannot abide. Though who knows, maybe I'll get over that. Worked with cilantro, oysters, and a few other things.

[huiray]

Nah - your meal sounds simple and delicious too.

Chicken livers in butter - I've never done that. Done it with butter, that is. On the other hand, I rarely cook with butter. I probably use more butter in baking stuff, and THAT I almost never do in the first place. :-)

[Bacardi1]

While I just eat them as a meal, chicken livers made this way were one of my grandmother's favorite hors d'oeuvres. She'd cook 'em up, then serve them on a platter with each liver piece stuck with one of those fancy cellophane-frilly toothpicks.

[Uncle Bob]

Minner & Cheese Sammich.....slathered with extra Dukes, and slices of D'mater.........

[mamachef]

Having done the (usually) unthinkable and missing breakfast altogether, lunch was actually more like "lunge." It's a little cool here today, and one of my weird concoctions that's actually remarkably good totally worked: Campbell's (Only!! Ever!!) Cream of tomato soup tricked out with a good nub of butter and whole milk, poured over a good scoop of cottage cheese. I know, I know.... w/ a plate of tuna mixed w/ white beans and diced red onion and some lemon juice and a ton of pepper. At least that part <sounds? like normal food. :)
Cheers, yall. Here's to a good safe weekend for us all!!

[huiray]

"lunge"?

Do you mean "brunch"? ;-) But then "lunge" evokes an image of you lunging for stuff here and there to make this interesting meal. Glad there are folks like us who eat mashups of disparate stuff - but tasty, of course - as occasion arises. :-)

[gaffk]

I had a 9 am dentist appointment (I moved to the burbs, but kept my city dentist) so no breakfast for me today :(

(Just Pepsi, coffee and ice water; it's been 90+ the past few days). so I had lunner . . . a salad with grilled chicken that was fantastic. Lots of fruit and nuts with the greens; enough dressing on the side to last two weeks' worth of salad.

[mamachef]

Well I hope you're feeling better now!! And you're a brave soul, to go after nuts like that. Purty intrepid, you!! You needed all that dressing, to make it slip down nice and easy-like.

[gaffk]

Nah, it was just the semi-annual cleaning--no pain involved. And I made up for it today--went to the farmer's market and had a big chocolate chip cookie and a fresh lemonade for breakfast (had my Pepsi and coffee before I left). Then came home with my baguette, fresh butter and farm fresh cheese.

And I know what I'm having tomorrow too--bakery fresh croissant with the raspberries and blueberries I got this morning.

[klyeoh]

Friday lunch in Hamburg: grilled bratwurst topped with "curry sauce" (if you think Japanese curry sauce is sweet & fruity, wait till you taste German curry sauce), with farfalle pasta & braised zucchini-peppers.

[klyeoh]

Forgot to post the pic:

[huiray]

Heh. I presume this packed more of a taste punch than the schnitzel yesterday? Oh, wait...you did put tomato ketchup onto the schnitzel...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currywurst
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php/topic/70732-german-curry-sauce/
http://www.food.com/recipe/german-cur...

[klyeoh]

If you look very closely, you can also see that I'd added a splash of Thai sweet chilli sauce on my pasta - it tasted very Lingham-like, too, I should say.

[huiray]

:-)

Around here one can sometimes (rarely) find a sweet chili sauce called "Sambal Bangkok" made by a company called Kokita (Indonesian!!) which has similarities to Linghams.

[Berheenia]

Lunch is the meal I'm most likely to buy as it is often eaten at the office with friends who like to pick up lunch, but the heat in Boston has resulted in brown bagging it all week. As I walk to work my lunch has to survive the trip in a backpack. Roast beef with horseradish mayo on an onion roll; leftover spinach strata packed in a plastic tub secured with rubberbands; leftover chicken breast chopped up with scallions and doctored with another Kraft flavored Mayo, chipotle, on pumpernickel; and today is the chief's birthday so we are having free pizza and salad from the local - not a chain but not great - pizza shop. There will be a cake from a good bakery- yippee! The heat is getting to me. I want to eat a salad in a leafy park or go to a food truck for something gooey.

[huiray]

Are you having this nice stuff before or after the pizza and cake? :-)

I was going to ask why not just dash from the air-conditioned office into an air-conditioned car into an air-conditioned restaurant - then realized you said you walked to the office; so I guess you and co-workers would be hitting the streets entirely on foot...

[huiray]

Steamed Tai Pow (Chinese rice flour buns w/ pork filling), Siu Mai (dim sum type pork dumplings), Fu Pei Kuen (dim sum type tofu sheet rolls with a pork meat and veggie filling), sliced shiitake mushrooms.

Deep fried silken tofu slices.

Stir-fried “kai choy” (Chinese mustard greens)

Lingham’s Hot Sauce
Pickled chopped hot long green Chinese chile peppers

[chocolatetartguy]

A few leftover deep fried tator tots from breakfast, half of a turkey salad sandwich on whole wheat, some corn and flour tortilla chips given to me by a co-worker, a small slice of each of 5 different Coldstone Creamery ice cream cakes at a retirement (not mine!) get together (the Chocolate w mocha ice cream was best). My stomach hurts!

[huiray]

Tums!
(Too late now, I suppose)

[klyeoh]

Lingham's hot sauce - is that the Malaysian sweet chilli sauce? I'd never tried it in Singapore but it turned out to be one of my greatest food finds since I moved to KL!!

I loved the sauce with: Yangzhou fried rice, *any* type of fried noodles, spring rolls, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, pasta, deep-fried wantons, fish crackers, norimaki sushi rolls, steamed glutinous rice (lor mai kai), ALL types of dim sum (but especiallly with har-gau & siu-mai), nasi lemak, Indian vada, pizzas, wanton noodles (the Singapore type, not the black-sauced KL/Penang sort), grilled steaks/sausages, roast chicken, super-great on musubi (even loco moco, pork kalua & saimin), savory French crepes, etc. Doesn't work on Spanish paellas though - when I visit Madrid or Barcelona, I pack ultra-spicy Nyonya sambal belachan ;-)

[huiray]

Yes, I believe so, if what you mean by "the Malaysian sweet chili sauce" is this: http://www.lingham.com/products_my.htm

What I get and use is either normally the "standard" variety (US version) or sometimes the "Thai" variety (US version).
http://rasamalaysia.com/linghams-hot-sauce-saveur-100/
http://www.lingham.com/products_us.htm (I hardly ever see the ones other than the standard and Thai ones)
The label (in English) on the US-market regular bottle is very similar in my mind to what it looked like in Malaysia back then (I think), years before the changeover to Malay labels.

You might have seen these in London... http://www.lingham.com/products_ukoth...

Yes, I like it a lot too and also find it enjoyable with a great array of stuff - similar to that huge list you describe. :-) It's very addictive! I had not, in fact, savored it for many years after I left Malaysia (a long time ago) then found it in a store one day. Oh Joy!

I can't imagine it isn't available in Singapore; I guess you are saying you never actually tried it there?

Heh. Packing Nyonya sambal belachan...any wrinkled noses and frowns on people's faces looking around for the source of a weird "smell" (perhaps from a bottle with a not-so-tightly-screwed-on-lid after a transcontinental flight) as you wander through the Barcelona and Madrid airports? :-D

[klyeoh]

Oh yes, that's Lingham alright. We do have them in Singapore, it's just that I'd never had the compulsion to try it as we have so many local brands already.

The last time I was in Barcelona (for 2 weeks), I brought a jar of Kee's sambal belachan chilli paste - opened it during lunch on my first day, and all my Catalonian colleagues wanted to try it with their paella & fiduea - they loved the surpising spike of flavor which they said reminded them of Thai food. My jar of sambal ran out in 5 days :-(

[huiray]

You must have been a very popular chap that trip!

Any particular reason for that sambal sauce? (http://www.chngkees.com.sg/content/pr...) Just your favorite? Perhaps your colleagues ran out to the supermercat asiàtic the next weekend to look for something like it. :-)

What would they have eaten with the paella and fiduea if the sambal wasn't there?

[klyeoh]

Thursday lunch in Hamburg: Wiener schnitzel (pork) with pommes frites, peas & carrots - may have been a bit *too* plain for my tastes. Precious little Technik in cooking to achieve that Vorsprung where international culinary stakes are concerned :-(

[huiray]

Looks a little burnt...

[klyeoh]

Oh, no, it's not *that* bad :-)
But I snapped this pic before adding a huge dollop of tomato ketchup!

[huiray]

Tomato ketchup on Wienerschnitzel? Heehee. I wonder if the purists here are going to descend with shrieks of horror! (I'd certainly have no objections) But one could argue back that it is just a variation on Paprika-Schnitzel. :-)
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/schnit...

[huiray]

Well, your schnitzel made me think of pork tenderloins again.

I scratched that itch today with another Indiana Pork Tenderloin sandwich on toasted sesame seed bun, with a raw red onion slice, lettuce, tomato slices, pickled dill slices, and *mayonnaise*. Chips on the same plate. Tomato ketchup went on French Fries as a side. Oh, plus battered deep fried onion rings with shrimp cocktail sauce. Ice tea.
:-)

[chocolatetartguy]

Where did you get the sandwich this time? This Sunday is Alameda Point Flea Market day and I plan to have the pork schnitzel plate again.

[huiray]

I was lazy - went back to Pawn Shop Pub. :-) I actually ate it as a "schnitzel plate" towards the end by deconstructing it - pulling apart everything, discarding the remaining bun, eating the tenderloin, lettuce, pickle, tomato, onion (raw as well as the rings) and fries in separate bites.

It was weird - I mentally slipped into English Mode because the waitress mentioned their Friday special being a fish sandwich - haddock, upon inquiry; and my mind got subconsciously sidetracked into "fish & chips". I still ordered the tenderloin, the onion rings, then chips; there ensued brief confusion when the waitress murmured something about chips will also be served with the tenderloin - and I realized she meant *crisps* with the tenderloin (uh, chips, I mean) and I really wanted that side-order of *fries* with the tenderloin plate, corrected the order, and the waitress stopped blinking in confusion herself. Then, at the end, more hilarity as she asked if I wanted the remaining stuff taken, I said "No", she drew back, and after a rapid double take on my part I said "Yes", she blinked, and the situation became clear that I wanted the remaining food taken away, not taken back (home with me)(doggiebagging is relatively rare in England) I'm sure I got more strange looks than normal from the guys with baseball caps on at the bar within earshot and sight. :-D

[jmcarthur8]

Today DH and I shared lunches at a pretty outdoor cafe at a lovely display garden in North Georgia. I had a pimento cheese sandwich on jalapeno cheddar bread, he had chicken salad on cranberry walnut bread. We swapped halves, both were excellent. Dessert was cream cheese pound cake. We walked the gardens for 3 hours, and burned off all those calories.

[huiray]

Tai Yee Ma Kar Lui* (big maternal aunt marries off daughter)
Wat Tan Tung Koo Ching Chee Yook**
Boiled basmati rice

* 大姨媽嫁女
Big maternal aunt = mother’s elder sister.
Hairy gourd, peeled, sliced into “sticks”; chopped garlic sautéed in hot peanut oil, softened dried shrimp (har mai) added, tossed, cut hairy gourd added, tossed, chicken stock added, a few bundles of fun see (dried mung bean threads/cellophane noodles) added, stirred/noodles pressed into simmering dish; entire dish simmered covered for a few minutes.

** Minced pork & sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms & julienned fresh ginger marinated w/ nuoc mam, sesame oil, fresh ground white pepper, Pearl River soy sauce; a farm-fresh egg diluted w. water well beaten, mixed in w/ the meat mixture; steamed in an enameled metal plate.

[klyeoh]

Something *really* local for lunch today: Labskaus ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labskaus

[huiray]

Interesting!! After perusing the reference you included I see you had the full-blown version too, with the beets and herring included. Does it eat "better" with each ingredient sampled by itself, or together in joint chews?

[klyeoh]

You really *need* to have the "harder" ingredients, e.g. beetroot, gherkin, or even rollmops, together with that pink mash. Otherwise, it can be quite babyfood-ish, I'm sure you know what I mean. Yech ;-)

The sharp astrigent flavors from the pickled parts of this dish were very important to offset the meaty-fishy-mealy taste of the main component of the dish.

This was only the 3rd time I'd had Labskaus - of all German cuisines, I still have a personal preference for Swabian at the southern end of the country, e.g. Maultaschen, Linsen mit Spätzle, Gaisburger Marsch.

[seattlesuze]

Hard-boiled egg, celery sticks, salmon candy, grilled Gouda and tomato on multigrain bread, homemade fig cake.

[klyeoh]

Bagels, with turkey, ham, lettuce and good German cheeses.

[klyeoh]

:-)

[huiray]

You're eating lightly today. ;-)
Looks tasty. How were the bagels?

[klyeoh]

Not too good here, actually - not *all* bakeries are good even in Hamburg.

[huiray]

Ground beef chuck, "pan-cooked" with julienned fresh ginger in veggie oil, Hoisin sauce, chili-garlic sauce, cubed silken tofu, chopped cilantro & green onions. [i.e. a non-"ma" somewhat Cantonese-like version of Mapo tofu]

Served over boiled premium short-grain Californian "Hitomebore" rice.

"Flash-sautéed" sugar snap peas.

[chocolatetartguy]

I had what passes for a classic American (Southern) lunch in the Bay Area. Deviled ham (I would call it ham salad) sandwich with red onion, lettuce, tomato, light mayo on whole wheat bread; celery and carrot sticks; dill pickle spear, black olives, pepperocini; small bag of Lay's potato chips; Dr. Pepper. It was great!

[huiray]

Sounds relatively healthy. :-) I suppose (as mamachef also intimated in the thread further up) there aren't really places such as Mississippi Belle (in Indianapolis) in the Bay area?

[chocolatetartguy]

Well actually there are a number of small soul food restaurants that I think would be similar to Miss. Belle. You just have to go to the right 'hood.

I go to Dorsey's Locker for beefy short ribs, Friday gumbo, stewed turkey wings and sides of blackeye peas and greens. No hot water corn bread, but they do make sweet little corn muffins. There are other places like that in SF Bayview and Oakland. I think there are restaurants like that in every Black neighborhood. Back when I started my 1st job in West Berkeley, I cut my soul food eye teeth at The Albertine and The Barn, the favorites of my Black co-workers. At The Barn, you couldn't park too far away from the restaurant or you risked having it broken into.

[huiray]

Aha. Thanks for the info, duly noted. Heh, in some places around here one also tends to be anxious about parking one's car too... and in some places like Lexington Market (Baltimore) one worries about parking your car in the car park right next to the market. :-)

[mamachef]

OMG. The Albertine was on San Pablo, right? Crazy portions for no money, and GREAT "dressing," not stuffing? And creole eggplant? That place marks my very, very first exposure to soul food, waaay back in the day.
I've seen Dorsey's and haven't been too sure about stopping. Same w/ Soul's kitchen, although it gets mixed reviews anyway. My best find around here is Brown Sugar Kitchen

[huiray]

Heh. So you all *can* get southern/soul food around there, not *too* far off the meat n 3 you mentioned upthread.

[chocolatetartguy]

Yes, on San Pablo a few blocks south of Dwight. It was almost like eating in someone's home. I can't remember any specific dishes but I worked down on 8th and would often walk up and have soul food for lunch. Another place I really liked around that period was the lunch counter at the University Ave. COOP store: shortribs, oxtails, smothered steak, etc. The other place on my lunch route was Granata's Italian Restaurant below San Pablo: sausage and peppers, osso buco and the best minestrone.

Dorsey's is pretty safe I think. They have a small lot, but I can usually find parking within a block. There is a bar in the front, but I have never seen any problems. I have been meaning to go to BSK, but my impression is that it is somewhat refined soul food and not quite as down home. I am sure I would like it if I was ever in that neighborhood.

[mamachef]

Well, the food at BSK was really, really good. The fried chicken was actually pretty special. You are right that it's more refined than the average meat n three - she aims for a lighter touch, and she achieves it. It's where I'd take my mom instead of Lois the Pie Queen.

[huiray]

Y'know, around here in Indy there are places like Kountry Kitchen (amongst various "fried chicken" and "southern food" places I had made reference to upstream) that are definitely part of the 'hood in one type of majority black area. http://www.kountrykitchenindy.com/
It's the kind of place - iffy-looking building with no visibly open windows/seemingly boarded-up windows in a gritty neighborhood - that might alarm some folks ;-) but is in accordance with what you say about needing to go to the right 'hood.

[chocolatetartguy]

I went to a place like that in New Orleans: Chez Helene where chef August Leslie? made his famous fried chicken. You had to cab in and out and I got cased by a carful of kids when I was waiting out on the veranda.

For some reason in the Bay Area, rib joints seem to take precedence over soul food places. More meat, fewer sides.

[mamachef]

Yes, it's true we can get soul food around here, if one looks hard enough. I mean, if I was going clean out of my mind, I'd go to Jack London Square for chicken and waffles!! I'll give Dorsey's a shot, for sure. I guess what's missing in these parts is a spot with the entire menu and feel of a meat n three, and all the sides, of which one vegetable choice absolutely must be macaroni and cheese. I think it's actually being somewhere Southward that makes the diference.

[chocolatetartguy]

I only know about meat n three from this site, but out here I only recall 2 sides with the meat. And it seem that some of the more labor intensive sides are available on the weekend only. Does the cornbread count as one of the three down South? If they have blackeyes and greens (which they usually do,) that's what I order.

I saw one place in Oaktown on Check Please and heard about places in Hunter's Point, but I am seldom in those neighborhoods. Surprisingly, Dorsey's is not much more than a mile from Oliveto in the heart of Rockridge!

[mamachef]

We do have some weird geography here, real-estate wise!! Nope, down South a basket of cornbread and/or biscuit was never included as one of the sides.

[chocolatetartguy]

Tell me about it!. I live in W Berkeley midway between Cafe Rouge and Popeye's, my 2 favorite neighborhood restaurants.

So you had to pay extra for the cornbread/biscuits? Up here I see the meat coming with 2 sides and 1 piece of cornbread. I guess baby wouild make three.

[mamachef]

No, not a centime extra...it came automaticallly and counted not a whit against the trifecta of sides. Next to a free bowl of half-sours and tomato pickles, the best free "app.' ever in the world entire.

[mamachef]

The bread pudding at Chez Helene is absolutely to freakin' die for and I'd eat it almost every day if I could get the recipe.
Yeah, it was a rough spot. But that food was celestial.

[chocolatetartguy]

I probably had it. I think I went there on my first full day in town and I ordered 2 meals worth of food. I took fried chicken back to my hotel but was so full I only ate one piece for a midnight snack. I think I ordered gumbo, greens, chicken and some other appetizer. It was too much of a good thing.

I guess it was too rough because shortly after I was there in mid 90's they moved. I think some of his recipes are in book form. Your could ask on the Nola board. MakingSense seems to know everything about the city.

[mamachef]

That's a meal and a half...no, that's two...no, three meals. But if it didn't cause lifelong burnout...guess what I found?
Bread Pudding Chez Helene
Oven, 350.
Cream two c. sugar w/ w sticks butter, nice and light and fluffy. Add six welll-beaten eggs, 1 13-oz. can evaporated milk, 2 T. nutmeg, 2 T. best vanilla, and a loaf of the crappiest white bread you can lay your hands on, torn into irregular hunks and chunks. (I'm guessing you can cheat and use higher-quality bread, but it should be really, almost "Wondrously" pourous, with not a huge amount of crust.) Pour into a deep greased casserole; bake two hours, stirring well at the first hour.
I'm going to make this over the weekend and will report back!! :)

[chocolatetartguy]

Lucky you!

That dinner at Chez Helene, convinced me that I could not eat four meals a day in New Orleans. Three was more than enough to keep me full and happy.

[mamachef]

I forgot to ask, where did you find this sandwich? Sounds like something the Rockridge would put out....

[chocolatetartguy]

The hidden gem is the Men's Faculty Club on the UC campus. Since I had rediscovered them and had a 2nd meeting nearby, I tried the turkey salad Thursday and it was good too. I love the fact that they have the 50's sides of carrot and celery sticks, black olives from a can and pickles and peppers. Just don't buy the $2 can of soda! They also have 2-3 hot entrees, 15-20 sandwiches and the usual grill and a full salad bar. All are good, but the sandwiches are best.

[kubasd]

snap peas steamed and chilled, dipped in sriracha. Two slices toasted Martin's potato bread with Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful.... yummmmm

EDIT: the sandwich was open faced.... for some reason I NEVER eat peanut butter in a closed sandwich

[mamachef]

kubasd, that may be one of the most disjointed, best-sounding lunches I've ever heard of. It's almost as good as Caroline1's ice cream breakfast the other day.

[kubasd]

yeah i'm really weird about lunch like that :P well, breakfast too... lately i've been grabbing whatever is handy and can be eaten while studying (while trying to maintain SOME semblance of nutrition) But It almost always consists of some spicy vegetable and something else. And PB is brain food, right??

[LA Buckeye Fan]

One beet/goatcheese crostini
Caprese salad.
I wanted a double double. Sigh.

[Bacardi1]

Today enjoyed Radiatore pasta with spicy tomato sauce & turkey sausage left over from a couple of nights ago.

[huiray]

Leftover braised beef shanks from yesterday, on softened mei fun (skinny rice noodles).
Limeade on ice.

[Uncle Bob]

Standard, must have lunch this time of year when the maters are rolling in... is....Ta Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......... a mater sammich!! ~~ Anything else would make the dogs howl, the children cry, and the fish quit biting!!

Sound Familiar??? ;)

[mamachef]

Only one?
I'm jealous, jealous jealous.

[Uncle Bob]

Aw shucks gurl.....Ya know I always make one for ya!!

[mamachef]

Don't mess w/ the mama when she's eating. Mmmmmnom nom nom. Hell's Bells I wish!! Lunch today is a classic: Homemade white bread, Skippy pb and apricot jam; a big mug of chicken noodle soup, and Lay's potato chips. Glass of milk, because I can't, for whatever reason, drink my Pepsi w/ a pbj, but I'll have one after, w/ dessert: a very squidgy walnut/cream cheese brownie.

[Uncle Bob]

Skippy (Chunky) P-Nut Butter!!!! ~~~~ Standing Ovation~!!!!!!!

[kubasd]

mmm walnut cream cheese brownie... my used to make AMAZING ones!

[mamachef]

These.Are.So.Good. A layer of walnut brownie and then a layer of cheesecake with chocolate chips in it. And I've got more. So happy. So so happy.

[kubasd]

drool....

[huiray]

You must have a field of plants in your backyard. :-)

[jmcarthur8]

Just ate my fill of yesterday's leftover squash and eggplant sauteed in butter and Penzey's Forward spice blend. It was excellent last night for dinner, and excellent today for lunch at my desk.
To finish that off, some zero calorie jello/ fruit salad I made yesterday with mini marshmallows and walnuts in it.

[huiray]

Interesting mix, this spice. I presume this is the one? http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspenzeysforward.html
Seems Wisconsinites like it too... http://fitinthemidwest.wordpress.com/...

[jmcarthur8]

That's the one. We go to Penzey's every few months, and their freebie a while back was a gift box of four spice blends. I'm not really familiar with blends.. with all the spices and herbs I have in the cabinet, I just make my own. But we've been experimenting with the Penzey's ones, and this was a real hit on the squash and eggplant.

[klyeoh]

Posting from Hamburg - lunch today: meatloaf, root vegetables & mash :-)

[huiray]

Ah, you are on your travels again and just checked and see your posts on the Europe board. :-)

[klyeoh]

Couple of weeks in Hamburg - gaining a million pounds from fat & carbo-laden Germanic lunches.

[mamachef]

Lunch is simmering right now. I had a half-jar of home-pickled beets, and I shredded them and used their juice along with some strong beef stock as the base for a borscht: adding diced potato, shredded cabbage, chopped tomato, cut green beans, cooked white beans, sliced carrots and celery, shreds of leftover pot roast and letting the whole thing bubble away while I make parmesan cheese toasts out of sourdough bread and butter whipped w/ fresh garlic and the parm; toasted on the stovetop grill. Gooooood stuff.

[huiray]

J&B Scotch on rocks.

Beef shanks browned in smashed garlic-infused oil; braised w/ chopped onions, bay leaves, sea salt, red potatoes, yellow & red sweet peppers (towards the end), rubbed thyme & fresh Italian oregano from the garden.
Served over fresh al dente radiatore.

Chopped Mizuna tossed in hot olive oil.

Stag’s Leap 2008 Petit Syrah.

Fresh lichee (from the Chinese grocery), Edy’s Neapolitan ice cream.
Taylor Fladgate 10-year tawny port.

Turandot (Pavarotti, Sutherland, Caballé, Mehta) screaming in the background. My old vinyl record set, Thorens turntable, SME arm, Shure cartridge, KEF speakers. The analog detail of the recording was *lost* when transferred to the digital CD, alas. (Yes, I have the CD version of this too)

[huiray]

Ah, Caballé's "Signore, Ascolta" with the marvellous float and subtle dip at the end (lost on the CD); Sutherland's "In Questa Reggia" and Pavarotti's "Nessun Dorma" in full Technicolor (both diminished on the CD) and the final "Il suo nome é Amor" (sob) - sublime!! Plus ice cream and lichees. :-)

[mamachef]

This is actually retroactive - Saturday's lunch, which was cold rice noodles tossed w/ bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, basil, mint, strips of carrot, cuke, green onion, and a big handful of cold, steamed giant prawns. Tossed along with good old nuoc cham, it was basically banh trang filling in salad form. And it was dang good, too.

[huiray]

Sounds dang good, mamachef!

Well, my lunch in my post above yours was for Saturday too. I was going to have fried rice w/ the leftover rice from that Hainan Chicken Rice meal, fried w/ sliced lap cheong (fresh, but pre-steamed/cooked before slicing and adding to the fried rice), loads of Thai basil and chopped shallots - but I was sort of full after the spring rolls and tofu (I had a whole block of tofu and half of the whole pack of Chả Giò Chay) and was feeling sleepy... :-) So I had the fried rice for dinner, with spoonfuls of pickled chopped Serrano peppers.

[mamachef]

Mmmmm. I love that sassidge, and the fried rice sounds terriffic too, huiray. Isn't that just one of the most comforting bowlfuls of food in the world? too bad the prep. can be so labor-intensive, though. But yet, I'm thinking fried rice for dinner, or maybe lunch, sounds like it would completely hit the spot...hmmm.

[huiray]

Heh, it took me a few moments to realize you meant the lap cheong when you said "sassidge". :-) I used "Taiwan Flavor" sausages.

Contemplating what to eat for lunch here...while having a glass of Riesling and listening to Bach's Well-tempered Clavier by Edward Aldwell.

[mamachef]

Very nice. Enjoy the day!! And if you're a dad..HFD!!

[huiray]

Chả Giò Chay (deep fried Vietnamese vegetarian spring rolls);
Deep fried soft tofu slices;
both with leftover chili sauce from yesterday's Hainan Chicken Rice.

[chocolatetartguy]

Dude, this post has some legs!

Usual Friday lunch of crispy pork chops, mixed veggies with tofu, white rice and half of a VN iced coffee.

Maybe I should start a breakfast version of this topic :) Yesterday I had my best meal of the week in the am: Voskos plain Greek yogurt with half a basket of plump, fresh boysenberries.

[huiray]

:-) Glad you came over to this thread.

Your lunch sounds good. Tea too sweet?

There actually is a currently-running thread for breakfast - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/851948 . Do join in.

[chocolatetartguy]

I usually have Vn iced coffee on Fridays (with the crispy pork chops) because I can sleep in and don't have to worry about the caffeine.

Today I had a densely flavored VN style chicken curry and garlicky mixed vegetables and tofu and white rice. And I finished Friday's coffee beforehand.

I see that you are enticing my neighbors with the delights of Indianapolis home cookin'.

[huiray]

:-)

All your VN meals sound delicious. I like VN food myself, and partake of it as occasion and desire arise. (Cook some of it too)

It's interesting, some folks who are used to the generally stronger-flavored curries of Malaysia/Peranakan/Singapore cuisines do tend to find VN curries much less flavorful - but I can readily see how that can be.

[mamachef]

Why is that your usual Friday meal, chocolatetartguy? Do you dine out at a certain spot, and that's always what you have, or do you make it yourself as a critter of habit?

[chocolatetartguy]

Crispy pork chops are a Friday special at Le Petite Cheval. They are on the steam table, so you have to time it right. I have had them freshly prepared and after they cool off and sometimes they are more crispy after they cool. Last Friday I had the crispy pork chops in preference to a free falafel at Maoz.

[Bacardi1]

Last night I had sauteed up a big bag of "Power Greens" (that's the brand), which consists of baby spinach, baby Swiss Chard, baby beet greens, baby Bok Choy, etc., etc.) in a little extra-virgin olive oil, lots of chopped garlic, some crushed red pepper flakes & a few dashes of seasoned dry breadcrumbs, to accompany some seared tuna steaks & baked potatoes. Had some of those delicious sauteed greens left over, so nuked them topped with some shredded Parmesan cheese & enjoyed them for lunch today.

[Uncle Bob]

Standard, must have lunch this time of year when the maters are rolling in... is....Ta Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......... a mater sammich!! ~~ Anything else would make the dogs howl, the children cry, and the fish quit biting!!

[mamachef]

And THAT cannot, I say Can NOT, be allowed to happen. On that note, you should have two. :)

[Uncle Bob]

Sometimes I do.....one for me...one for you!! :))

[mamachef]

Yeehaw! I'm eatin' mine outside by the bbq area, okay?

[Uncle Bob]

You got it babe!!! :))

[mamachef]

I had a liverwurst sandwich on a Dutch crunch roll, with hot/sweet mustard and thinly sliced onions and pickles. I love the unctuous, meaty livery taste and texture of that stuff, and my tube suffers from fingerpokes and knifedips, so nobody eats it after me, not that they like it anyway. I sided it with pickled green tomatoes, Lay's potato chips and a Vietnamese iced coffee. Weird meal, and topped it off with forkfuls of lemon meringue pie.

[huiray]

Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Chicken poached w/ smashed ginger, salt; Japanese cucumbers; Kikkoman soy sauce; green onions.
Chicken livers & shallot sauce; grated ginger & chopped green onion sauce; chili & garlic sauce.
Chopped kale in poached chicken stock.
Basmati rice boiled w/ poached chicken stock + additional rendered chicken fat.

[NoodleQueen]

Incredibly jealous.

[cgarner]

a "Healthy Choice" entree
:-(
(I shoulda gone out to eat, but I am trying to get as much done as I can before vacation and I knew I'd be chomping and working at the same time)

[JerryMe]

Um, Jimmy John's #5 8" for a dollar. . . .

[steve h.]

hard salami and parmigiano reggiano.

[boogiebaby]

Today's lunch was leftover homemade fried rice with chinese lap cheong, some "thai flavored" sprouted tofu, and copious amounts of siracha. And a special treat -- Diet Coke, something I rarely drink nowadays.

[huiray]

"sprouted tofu" ?

[boogiebaby]

Yes, it's made from sprouted soybeans. It's supposed to be easier to digest, and contains more nutirents than regular tofu. It was quite good -- my first time trying it. Normally I buy regular tofu.

[suzigirl]

Two street style street tacos with lots of lime cilantro and onions and salsa Verde. Peach nehi. Yummm

[jujuthomas]

met an old friend for lunch today, had a lovely crab cake sandwich from a fish monger in the basement of our building.

what I'm really craving tho is a good jamaican beef patty! don't know if there's any place to get such a thing near my office, but I'm on a quest now. ;)

[cgarner]

Leftover dinner from last night = jambalaya... I didn't have andoille sausage so I made it with Chorizo... (does that make it more of a paella without saffron?)

I don't know, but it sure does taste good!

[anakalia]

I had leftovers from dinner last night -- a Heidi Swanson recipe of cold soba noodles, tarragon, ginger-sesame-lemon dressing, pepitas and baked tofu. It's always nice to have a lunch you can throw in tupperware, not worry about leaking in your bag, and eat without reheating!

[pinehurst]

Today, caponata, a couple of nice slices of Italian bread, a small chunk of parmesan, a handful of cherry tomatoes, and a Diet Pepsi.

[huiray]

Hmm...I haven't had caponata or a caponata-like dish in a while, maybe it's time for another. (Not generally too keen on eggplant)

[pinehurst]

You know, it's a craving I get now and then...I ate a lot of it as a kid (eggplant, in various dishes) so I crave it rarely, but when I do....watch yer fingers.

[cgarner]

my great aunt made the BEST recipe for caponata., unfortunately, it went when she passed away

One of those elusive recipes that when you try to recreate it, just never quite measures up
(I make a pretty close second)

[linguafood]

I found a fantastic recipe for caponata (though I've tweaked it by eliminating - IMO - superfluous ingredients like olives and red pepper). I can post it on HC if you like, or here.

[roxlet]

I love, love, love both those ingredients in caponata, lingua. Without the brine and snap of the olives, in particular, it just ain't the same!

[linguafood]

I still aim to recreate The Caponata (my first one ever) I had at a restaurant in Berlin -- a very stripped down version consisting basically of eggplant, celery, raisins and toasted almonds. Incredibly rich and luscious. Though I do add capers to my version, for the salt.

[huiray]

Rice congee (chook) cooked in a braise of short-cut pork spare ribs & sliced pork belly (sautéed with oil & finely julienned fresh ginger), salted to taste.
Dressed with chopped cilantro & green onions, Tianjin preserved vegetable (tung choy) and crisp fried sliced shallots.

Edible rape (Yu Choy Sin; cultivar of Brassica juncea): blanched in oiled boiling water; drained; generously drizzled with Ponzu sauce & sprinkled w/ fresh ground white pepper.

[jmcarthur8]

Braunschweiger with aged swiss on seeded rye with yellow mustard. A few tortilla chips on the side for crunch.
If it had been a cheese sandwich, the tortilla chips would have been inside.

[huiray]

Coarse or fine Braunschweiger? ;-)

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612091
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/301871

[jmcarthur8]

Huiray, the fine kind. I had a coarse one once from my favorite sausage maker in Michigan City Indiana, Lange's Meat Market, but I did not like the gritty texture at all. I prefer it smooth and kind of dry.

Will Owen, the egg sounds interesting. If I hadn't been meeting a client after lunch, I would have added a nice crisp slice of Vidalia onion.

[Will Owen]

What an interesting coincidence! I had the version that's been my favorite sandwich for about 60 years: braunschweiger with Swiss cheese and sliced hardboiled egg, interleaved with smears of mayonnaise and a good bit of Gulden's under the wurst. Today's bread was the La Brea three-cheese semolina. Small mixed-greens salad with crumbled feta alongside, no dressing. The braunschweiger was not the best - it was the pre-sliced Jones stuff. I need to get up to Schreiner's and see what they have; there was a German deli in Santa Clara, back in my Silicon Valley days, that had about five different kinds, including goose liver with pistachios. Yum!

[huiray]

Southern Fried Chicken (pan-fried).
Collard greens w/ pot likker.
Fried cabbage.
Mash potatoes w/ gravy.
Hot water corn bread.
Onion slices.
Crumbs n juices n seasonings licked off fingers.
:-)

[suzigirl]

That picture makes me hungry. I want that plate in front of me right now.

[huiray]

:-)

I had it at a place called Mississippi Belle here in Indy. Great "down home" Southern food.

[suzigirl]

It looks so very southern. And i love southern food. Pass the peppered vinegar for the greens and a big pat of butter for the cornbread. Mmmmmm

[mamachef]

Get the hail up in my tummy! Mmmmmmmmmmmm! did you make this, or were you dining out?

[huiray]

I had it at a place called Mississippi Belle.

[suzigirl]

I live in the south and I cannot for the life of me cannot think of a restaurant in my area that the food looks that darn tasty. And we have alot of restaurants around me.

[mamachef]

You can see the jealousy all over my jealous, green face.

[huiray]

@ mamachef & suzigirl:

Oh dear. But surely you must be able to get at least great fried chicken around where either of you are?

Mississippi Belle is well-regarded in my area. I do concur. :-)
http://www.google.com/search?q=missis...
There are other choices & specials, like smothered chicken, (fall-off-the-bone) pork ribs, fried whole catfish (Fridays), etc etc. I really like the hot water cornbread there too, really good.

There are a number of places here well-known for fried chicken, amongst which is another local institution (even "Mid West institution") called Hollyhock Hill which is a chunk of old-time Americana and where they still deep-fry their chicken in LARD.

[mamachef]

OMG, huiray. I ate ate Hollyhock Hill many many years ago, on a family road trip, of a Sunday. And it was the quintessential Sunday Dinner After Church. Relish plate, the array of cottage cheese and relishes......and then, that chicken and the dippin' bowls of gravy, and biscuits, and mash.....carb heaven on a plate. And the chicken was never, ever greasy. Around here, there's some decent chicken. I can go to Brown Sugar Kitchen and get a plate fulla goodness with gravy and pepper on top. BUT it lacks the whole gestalt of a meat n three restaurant, and you get to have it and I'm happy for you, yet still weirdly jealous.

[chocolatetartguy]

If you liked Hollyhock Hill, you will like Miss. Belle. Last year, I was in Indy for a conference and made the long trip from downtown to Hollyhock HIll for the chicken fried in lard. A couple of days later huiray took me to Miss Belle. My only regret is that I was feeling under the weather and didn't eat my usual trencherman's portion. The next day I was sick in the hotel. I ate the leftovers from Hollyhock Hill and watched movies on TCM while my poor colleagues had to have dinner with a difficult co-worker.

[huiray]

I'm sorry you were under the weather that evening, but it was a pleasure to chow with you and glad you enjoyed Mississippi Belle.

[suzigirl]

If you watch ManVFood they were in my stomping ground here in Sarasota. Yoders has great chicken, but the sides are weak at best. And they are Amish, not southern. No Collards, no buttered cabbage, no smothered green beans,

[pinehurst]

A small order of shrimp chips (cheap! tasty! shrimpy!), a baggie full of radishes from the garden, and a Diet Dr. Pepper.

[huiray]

Shrimp chips...do you mean krupuk?

[pinehurst]

I just googled the term and yes indeed, I do. I've been going to the same place for 20 years and never knew the name. Live and learn.

[mamachef]

Nice you asked for the Western bent, because it fits right in w/ today's lunch, which was: the proverbial Pepsi and crushed ice, accompanied by a pounded breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and bbq 'tater chips!! And some Jolly Rancher chews, which by the way are NASTY.

[huiray]

Aha - a pork tenderloin sandwich! "Indiana-style"? :-) It sounds like you made it yourself. There's an old thread on CH about looking for Hoosier pork tenderloins in the Bay area - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/708827 .

I've never had those Jolly Rancher chews, I think.

Yes, both Western and non-Western bent meals are welcome. :-)

[mamachef]

You are correct!! dingdingding!! Yep, I used 1/2" thick pork tenderloin slices, and hammered the hell out of them, and then seasoned them ( seasoning salt, 'cause nothing else would be quite right. :) Used crackermeal to bread them and they were delicious on a big sesame bun with dill pickle slices, finely-shredded lettuce, and mustard. Just a down home classic, right?
Re: the Jolly Ranchers? I have no idea what got into me, but obviously when one craves, one must satisfy or be left wanting 'til forever, right? Anyway. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as it turned out I took one for the home team and nobody here ever ever ever needs to subject themselves to this particular exercise in uggh. Y'all can thank me later. :) and this one was FREE!

[suzigirl]

Jolly Rancher crunch and chew are nasty also. Sent the whole bag to work with my boyfriend. His Co workers will eat anything.

[calmossimo]

Probably about 3 cups of cubed watermelon that I sprinkled individually with salt and pepper as I ate each bite -- the watermelon was just okay, but it hit the spot because it was warm and I'd been walking outside right before lunch. And cream of tomato soup with some saltines.

[CCSPRINGS]

Greek yogurt with strawberries, granola on the side. Water.

[LaLa]

Butter lettuce salad with sugar snaps, green ohion, homemade buttermilk dressing and a baked potato with butter, extra sharp chedder and salt.