What's Cooking?

[ness]

2 hours ago, rps said:

I learned cabbage  rolls from the Lebanese families I grew up with. I did some reading and the origin probably was European, but the Jewish culture seems to have spread them everywhere, including the middle east.

Where did you grow up? Not too many Lebanese folks around that I know of. My mother's parents were both born there and immigrated to Pennsylvania coal country in the early 1900s. They did grape leaves with labneh, and talked about other Lebanese foods but I don't remember anything else traditional being made.

41 minutes ago, MOPanfisher said:

My wife had a recipe she has been wanting to try called baked eggs, or Mediterranean baked eggs or something like that.  looked extremely good, similar sort of thing.  I don't believe I have even had stuffed cabbage rolls, I have had stuffed grape leaves at a Lebanese restaurant in Springfield, hey were good, a little different in texture and flavor but good.  Don't know that I would order them again.  Also had some of the darkest, strongest, most evil coffee I have ever drank there, bottom 1/4 of the cup was all grounds, supposedly they Lebanese stirred it up and drank it grounds and all.  I tried and nearly choked to death on the grounds, I ended up putting a dash of cold water to settle the grounds out to drink the coffee, had a little cardamom in it which was also different for me. 

The grape leaves are an acquired taste. I've had several different kinds but the ones I like best are simple with beef, rice and some seasonings. The ones at Tasso's in KC are excellent and come with a lemon/egg sauce that makes you want to lick the plate.

I've made them a few times, but it's pretty labor intensive.

 

[ness]

Hey rps -- finally found some dilly beans and tried them in a martini. That's a good fit!

 

[David Unnerstall]

21 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

That looks awesome, Gavin.  There used to be an Italian restaurant on Natural Bridge Road near the airport that did a table side Caesar.  That was the best dressing I've ever had.  I'll never forget.  My wife says, "they put in anchovies in their Caesar dressing?"  I can't remember the name of the place though.

Romines Restaurant (once voted RFT's best fried chicken), here on the north edge of town used to have an anchovy based dressing that they called Mayfair.

[snagged in outlet 3]

20 minutes ago, David Unnerstall said:

Romines Restaurant (once voted RFT's best fried chicken), here on the north edge of town used to have an anchovy based dressing that they called Mayfair.

Balducci's in Maryland Heights has that too.

[David Unnerstall]

On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 9:54 AM, Flysmallie said:

Can we go back to the frog leg thing for a minute. What has happened to them? I don't think that there are that many people out chasing them like many years ago. So where did the frogs go?

I just heard this on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/10/493296149/in-the-battle-to-save-frogs-scientists-fight-fungus-with-fungus

It appears a fungus is killing frogs around the globe.  Actually it is sad.  The pond on my property was loaded with them and when we camped there Labor Day we heard very few.

[rps]

Ness, I grew up in Tulsa. The Oklahoma land run coincided with a large immigration from Syria/Lebanon. As a result Oklahoma has a higher concentration of Lebanese. Most practice what they call Greek Orthodox beliefs and the Catholic boys school I attended had Gaweys, Besharas, Massads, McSouds, and Naifehs.

[ness]

39 minutes ago, rps said:

Ness, I grew up in Tulsa. The Oklahoma land run coincided with a large immigration from Syria/Lebanon. As a result Oklahoma has a higher concentration of Lebanese. Most practice what they call Greek Orthodox beliefs and the Catholic boys school I attended had Gaweys, Besharas, Massads, McSouds, and Naifehs.

Interesting. Never heard that. My relatives were Lebanese Catholic too but not orthodox Greek. Name was Mansor. 

A little Googling shows a lot of Lebanese stuff there still -- restaurants, festivals. Who knew??

[ness]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Balducci's in Maryland Heights has that too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfair_salad_dressing

But, I think Gavin's recipe is (like?) the classic Cesar salad dressing. But, upon Googling -- they look to be pretty similar to each other anyway.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Tornatore's!! that's the name of that restaurant that did the table side Caesar. 

[Gavin]

Mayfair is rather thin with lots of onion and some celery. Good too. Here is the 1905 dressing from the Columbia down on the FL Gulf Coast. They usually mix table side with the lemon and Worchestershire but think you could mix ahead.

1/2 C EVO

4 cloves garlic

2T dried Oregano

1/8 C White Wine Vinegar

Put in the fridge for a day or two

Add when you mix

Juice of one lemon

2T Worchestershire 

Salad

4C Iceberg see note

1 large ripe tomatoe

1/2C ham in small strips

1/2C Swiss cheese in small strips

1/2C green olives

1/4C grated Romano or parm

Usually like it with a better lettuce.