James Silverton wrote:
> On 10/10/2011 5:48 PM, sf wrote:
>
>> Helpful person wrote:

>>
>>> For me both taste excellent. The reason is that I very rarely order
>>> at a restaurant what I make at home. I'm very fastidious and am
>>> nearly always disappointed if I order something that I can cook
>>> myself.

I don't eat at exotic restaurants, and i choose restaurants with menus i
can understand. Where i have some idea what i order is. Often times
ordering a "chicken fried steak" if its on the menu, but since moving to
California i have been so consistently disappointed i had to learn to
make it myself.

>>>
>>> I can't speak for risotto as it's not one of my favorites, however I
>>> take issue with Bouillabaisse. I make my own fish stock and have
>>> never had anything that comes close at a restaurant.

I have never made enough bouillabaisse to get good at it. Plus im on a
phone tree that alerts me when a certain Lady in Berkeley pulls out her
big cauldron and starts boiling down her seafood over an open wood fire,
on her terrace, creating a hugh amount of her locally famous bouillabaisse

>>
>>
>> I don't usually order what I make with any regularity at home either,

I am often curious about meat loaf on a menu, but i don't patronize
"chains" or franchises, really don't consider them, along with macdonlds
& burger king & their ilk "restaurants".

>> but I would order bouillabaisse because I don't make it at home. Same
>> with paella (although I haven't had a restaurant version that I like
>> yet) and risotto... I love most of the restaurant versions I've had.

There are a number of very complex dishes, recipes i have not even tried
to make, a few i have like gumbo or an estouffade while .... successful
and actually quite good, i never the less make so rarely as to be unable
to claim any expertise in either making or eating them
..
>
>
> I've generally found that a lot of Middle Eastern and Indian broiled
> foods taste better at restaurants than when I make them; kebabs and
> tandoori food are examples. The rice they serve is usually better than
> mine too.
>

2 thing i consistently notice are French fries and falafel.

I have never been able to make them at home as well as those produced in
some restaurants (though better than in others)

I have been told that many places re use the oil that both the french
fries and falafel's are deep fried in, and done well, this creates a
flavour in the foods cooked in the oil that cant be had with one use of
the oil to cook one batch of food the way i sometimes do at home.
--
JL