It's getting hot in the kitchen (food appreciation thread)

[ChloeCoeur]

When I bring salads for lunch to work, I bring them in a plastic container, Such a photograph would be well beneath the photographic standards set forth in this thread, and the thread starter likely wouldn't appreciate the denigration. So the description is always going to sound a lot better than the visual presentation. If I am eating lunch or dinner at home, it's a different story, but I have salads like that at work every day of the week.

it's true I do love thoughtful plating haha, but nothing that celebrates food would be a denigration!

 

[Julia Sky]

I made bread last night

 

[EagerBeaver]

It looks like sourdough? Which is usually made in that shape and style. It's a hard bread to make and get right, you need a good starter.

 

[Julia Sky]

No, it just looks like that because I put a tad too much flour on top LOL. I want to get into sourdough in 2026 but I'm scared of messing it up. (A friend told me it's hard to mess up sourdough, but I'm still scared lol)

Heres another one I made.

 

[EagerBeaver]

A friend told me it's hard to mess up sourdough, but I'm still scared lol

Either your friend lied to embolden you and not stifle your confidence, or else he/she does not know the difference between really good sourdough bread and shit. It's really hard to get it right. I know this for fact after getting an expertly baked batch from one of the paralegals at my office and then watching as my father, using the paralegal's own starter, make 5 attempts to replicate, none with complete success. My father was an experienced baker and his attempts to recreate the paralegal's sourdough bread, with her starter, did not result in shit, but something was always off: either the level of sourness, dough density, cooking too long or not enough etc. He always had theories on what the issue was but could never get it to be as good as the paralegal. I also had probably 10 or so sourdough breads cooked by the paralegal and some were less than perfect while the majority of her efforts were near perfect.

If you try it, you may need multiple attempts to get it right so I would not get too discouraged. What you posted in your first photo above is what it should look like.

 

[Julia Sky]

If you try it, you may need multiple attempts to get it right so I would not get too discouraged. What you posted in your first photo above is what it should look like.

Thank you for the words of encouragement lol! I've been practicing giving myself grace when trying new things (I can be a perfectionist which has led me to give up on some things early on), so I'll keep that in mind when I do start experimenting with sourdough.

 

[Vardhan945]

I used to cross to Vermont in the states to get Longhorn steaks, with double mash potato

View attachment 101993

Lol why cross to Vermont? Food quality standards are higher in CA.
As far as im aware, Montreal is the mecca for food in that part of North America.

Imo only rivalled by NYC which is way pricier

 

[Skym]

Lol why cross to Vermont? Food quality standards are higher in CA.
As far as im aware, Montreal is the mecca for food in that part of America.

Imo only rivalled by NYC which is way pricier

NYC has way better pizza than Montreal, imo.

 

[EagerBeaver]

NYC has way better pizza than Montreal, imo.

And so does Connecticut:

New Haven-style pizza - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The pizza in Montreal is generally crap from my experience. Even at the better places. What I was never able to find in Montreal was either a good or even solid pizzeria or a good pure seafood restaurant serving clam chowder, lobster rolls, baked and fried seafood. In my trips to Montreal I generally ate at Asian restaurants in the Chinatowns, Middle Eastern/Lebanese, the Portuguese chicken places making chicken with peri-peri sauce, Italian (D'Emma being my favorite) and Steakhouses (Gibby's being my favorite). It's overall very good, but below average in pizza and pure seafood.

 

[Julia Sky]

In my trips to Montreal I generally ate at Asian restaurants in the Chinatowns, Middle Eastern/Lebanese, the Portuguese chicken places making chicken with peri-peri sauce, Italian (D'Emma being my favorite) and Steakhouses (Gibby's being my favorite). It's overall very good, but below average in pizza and pure seafood.

Do you mean Da Emma ? It's in my bucket list! Looks so good

For middle eastern I cannot recommend Damas enough. I have a feeling you've probably been before but to anyone reading this, if you haven't been to Damas, go and thank me later

 

[Smokemeal2]

NYC has way better pizza than Montreal, imo.

I have travelled all over the US. No it`s not true that NYC has better pizza than Montreal. But no need to argue on that, as eating a pizza at Joe`s on Broadway, or Lucia in SoHo, or Tribeca Pizza in Tribeca is pure magic.

But you can have better in Montreal.

That said, in the US, you do have some magic.

The fried chicken of the Southern US should be protected by UNESCO

Or my personal favorite are the vegan plate of California. Who needs meat when they serve you the wonders of veggies in such incredible fashion?

 

[ChloeCoeur]

But you can have better in Montreal.

name names pls

 

[ChloeCoeur]

Thank you for the words of encouragement lol! I've been practicing giving myself grace when trying new things (I can be a perfectionist which has led me to give up on some things early on), so I'll keep that in mind when I do start experimenting with sourdough.

i have a starter if you want some!