I hope (fingers crossed!) all the computer bugs are straighten out this week. So, as promised, more reader mail. We usually answer questions on Friday, but here are the letters I couldn't post last week:
QUESTION: Hi Patricia! I am a beginner cook, but I love to try new things and experiment as well as create old standbys. Second Helpings was a truly awesome idea; I am an avid reader of the food columns in the Journal and was so excited when you and Eric began blogging. It is one of the few websites that I visit every day. I was wondering if you knew of any other good websites for recipes, ideas, shared thoughts, etc. Since I am just starting out, I really don't have a collection of recipes to look to for guidance and am looking for ideas for foods/meals that seem interesting. Sort of a go-to website (besides yours, of course). Thanks! Dawn
ANSWER: Hi Dawn, Thanks for being a Second Helpings reader. For recipes, I like www.epicurious.com. If you want to read opinions about restaurants (not from critics) www.chowhound.com is always a fun read. http://blog.ruhlman.com/ can be fun too - it's written by Michael Ruhlman, a well-known food writer and Anthony Bourdain sometimes is a guest blogger. It can a little "insider"ish though. http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ is a favorite of many as is www.egullet.com. Those are the ones that come to mind
QUESTION: I've been going to Rehoboth Beach for a couple of weeks in July (with children and grandchildren) for more than 20 years. Way back when the upscale dining choice was very limited and then it became a great area for fine dining. But, sadly, I think that upscale dining has slipped in the past couple of years. There are, of course, exceptions but they are becoming harder to find. I have a suggestion. It would be great if News Journal Online would have a blog where individuals could comment on the restaurants in the Rehoboth area. It would be great to obtain input from visitors to this wonderful beach area. Larry Rasero
ANSWER: Hi Larry. We do have a culinary blog - Second Helpings - and your letter is on it. I do post information about Rehoboth Beach and Sussex County dining as often as I can, especially in the summer. (Click on Sussex County eats label below.) I just had a review about Half Full, a new and very good gourmet pizza restaurant in Lewes. Eric Ruth just wrote a review about Catch54, the new seafood restaurant in Fenwick Island. (Other reviews are on our dining page.) I think "fine dining" in general is giving way to a much more casual approach. See Eric Ruth's July 10 posting. I'm going to make my rounds in Rehoboth very soon, but I've always enjoyed meals at Espuma and the Back Porch Cafe. What places do you feel are slipping and why?
QUESTION: Upon recently visiting a widowed friend of mine, he offered me a drink from a cache of assorted "hard stuff." He hardly ever drinks any alcohol, so I questioned why he had such an extensive array of bottles and he explained that his wife was a "connoisseur." Well, his wife has been deceased 15 years or more. Of course, I refused the offer. Are these alcoholic beverages safe to drink? Thank you for a response. Sincerely Milly Alderson.
ANSWER: Milly, interesting question, actually according to www.askyourbartender.com, distilled spirits (Liquor) doesn't really go bad - unlike beer and some wines . But if not cared for properly, it will lose it's potency and nuances. The primary rules of proper liquor care: Keep away from harsh light, avoid temperature extremes, keep snuggly capped when not in use.
Still, it's better to be safe than sorry: When in doubt - throw it out.
2 comments:
Here's a beach restaurant that seems to have definitely gone downhill since my visit last summer. That's Striper Bites in Lewes. It used to be my favorite "go to" place at the beach but it seems to have fallen out of favor. I was there this past Sat. nite and was surprised to walk in, with no reservations, and be seated. A year or 2 ago that would never have happened.
Our appetizers (crab bisque & crab nachos) were excellent but the main courses were pretty off the mark. The seared scallop dinner, well, what can I say? I expect more than 4 scallops, 2 thin strips of zucchini and a small hard blob of mashed potatoes for $24. My friend's crabcake dinner wasn't much better, same potatoe blob, good sauteed spinach, and one of the weirdest crabcakes ever. It looked like a crabcake, it smelled like a crabcake, but taste like a crabcake?? Not exactly. We couldn't figure out what it tasted like. My dining partner was ready to kill me when I just had to throw in the Chinese buns made with cardboard story while he tried desperately to figure out exactly what this dang crabcake was filled with. We gave up and decided Striper Bites was great for appetizers but dinner...not so much!
On a happier note - lunch at Cafe Azrafan in Lewes-incredibly wonderful as usual. And those award winning Derby Bars for dessert, oh so worth the trip!!
I also like to visit http://www.mainlinedine.com/ It's a blog for restaurants in and near Philly.
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