adegiulio

When using Fage (my latest addiction) as a starter, does the final product have that extra tangy, extra thick, greek yogurt quality. I guess my question is, are you making Fage yogurt at home, or is it not quite as good, though still great? The thought at making fage yogurt at home is making my head spin with delight. Please tell me this works!

Prosciutto and salami

I'm not really sure who would go to Café Boulud expecting an experience similar to Daniel. Are you saying that Café Boulud is a poor restaurant on its own terms? Or, are you just saying that diners expecting a second Daniel will be disappointed? ← My post was a response to a post in which the poster posed the idea that if CB was in any way similar to Daniel, she would be happy. I was responding to that, and while I never used the word "poor", I don't think Cafe Boulud is worthy of its namesake or price. Wow, thats a lot of "post"

We ate dinner at Cafe Boulud on Sunday. If you are hoping for an experience close to Daniel, you will be disappointed. The menu is geared differently, the service is a comparative joke, and the "polish" just isn't there. Our meal was lackluster at best. Eating at Daniel last month was a treat, CB is just something you get through. We ate there in the Carmellini era also. While the food then was much better, the service still lacked. I hope your experience is better...

Go to www.sweetmarias.com for beans, roasters, and help...

Daniel, what a coincidence, we too will be staying at Auberge St. Antoine for New Years. We are heading up that way tomorrow and will be there till the third. My wife has all the details of our trip, so I am not sure where we are eating each night, but I am looking forward to it. One annoying little sidenote is that the Winter Festival has been called off this year for lack of interest. My first time to Quebec and they cancel the festival...

I cook a ton of venison. My favorite preparation was searing the loin dusted with finely ground cacao nibs (with a mortar and pestle). Deglaze with 3 parts zinfandel, one part port, then veal stock or glace. I think people are just as guilty about undercooking venison as they are in overcooking it. True, while it is a very lean meat, there is still a postive textural change as the tempurature rises. There is a fine line between undercooked and overcooked. Simply lacking fat does not mean we should serve it underdone.

I'm with Tommy on this one. The steakhouses in NJ charge just as much as their NYC cousins, but don't offer the same experience or steak. Yeah, the Brick House is fine, the River Palm is ok, Mignon has its appeal, but it says a lot when the best steak I've had in NJ was at South City Grill in Rochelle Park. Whole Foods in Ridgewood has consistently good steaks, and on occasion will offer dry aged prime. Its one of the few things I miss from NJ. Northern Dutchess county REALLY needs an upscale steakhouse. I'm saving my pennies... A

Which charcuterie books do people consider the "bibles" of the art? TIA

Use "Goo-gone" to get the greasy stuff off. Then wash the whole thing in a sink of hot sudsy water. Rinse, then blow-dry. I use my shop air compressor, but I would think using a hairdryer and some patience will get the job done. I've washed mine several times (my wife uses is to roll gum paste), and I don't have a problem at all with rust (I owe that to the thorough drying)

Yeah, creme fraiche is probably a better comparison...

On a recent trip to Adam's Fariacre farms, I saw a product I hadn't tried yet, Greek yogurt. They offered several varieties (fatty, less fatty, and less less fatty) as well as flavored packs. The flavored packs resemble those Cottage cheese "Doubles" with the dairy on one side and the fruit (or honey in this case) on the other. Wow! Like eating tangy whipped cream cheese, but more yogurty. The texture is completely different from any yogurt I've ever had, so much so that I don't even eat it as yogurt. I pour some honey on it and eat it as dessert. While the yogurt we got in Europe (which was made in France) is the best for my taste when I am in the mood for yogurt, this Greek stuff has a place all its own. Anyone else addicted like me??

Funny you mention that, we just went to Swoon again last night. Since Mina in Red Hook closed, Swoon is the best selection in this area...

What?? They don't make "soda" with sodium carbonate anymore. It gets its fizz from introducing pure carbon dioxide to water. On the topic of "soda", drink companies don't refer to these beverages as soda. They call them "soft drinks".

We havent been in a few years. Food was good, service was lousy. I wouldn't go back. I never understood why people were so positive about this place...

LOL....just goes to show, everyone is different.... I guess this is a good time to ask....when you say "shiny brown" do you mean they were oily or just smooth? Oily, in my book, is overdone...

For my taste, finishing second crack is overdone. I usually begin the cooling cycle when I start to hear the second crack and see two beans with oil (don't ask why I wait for two beans). I am usually done in around 11 minutes, but the fact that you go longer doesnt necessarily mean that you aren't going fast enough, though I do think you are roasting too long. So, that is my long way of saying, "try roasting a little less." Of course, look for a reputable seller of beans. I don't know if they ship overseas, but Sweet Maria's seems to be the hands down favorite for internet coffee beans.... Good luck.

We're swimming with them up here...Can't throw a dead cat without hitting a winesap. But, alas, we live in Upstate New York now... Mmmm...winesaps..

Nueske's...'Nuff said

Terrapin is a joke. Go there if you feel like laughing. For good, solid food, go to Le Petit Bistro in Rhinebeck. Better than Gigi for sure. Sure, Mina was the best and cant be replaced, but Swoon up in Hudson is quite good and worth the trip from your neck of the woods, Stone. Avoid 40 West in Rhinebeck. I'd rather eat at Terrapin. The area does seem like it is in a funk lately. With Mina and Cripple Creek (which wasnt fantastic, but better than whats there), gone, and Larry Forgione long gone from the Beekman, it's tough. Things will change though, as soon as we find a space in Rhinebeck...

I'll be grinding them in with a mortar and pestle, then dusting some veinson loin with it....

Ooh, I didn't know they had a store. Fantastic, thanks to everyone...

I'm looking for some cacao nibs, but don't have time to have them shipped. Does anyone know where in New York I can find them?? Thanks!

I took a bootcamp there last year. My wife got it for me as an anniversary gift. It was fun. It wasn't at all educational. The name "Boot Camp" is very misleading. I assumed that it would be a rigorous educational experience. Instead, it was a nice chance to forget everything around me an get back into a professional kitchen. If you have any kitchen experience and are looking to build some new skill, this isn't for you. If you are a beginner, this class will prove fun and a bit educational.

I think the answer goes something like this... If you CAN cook, than of course you can appreciate fine food whereas a non-cook can't. How can you expect someone who doesn't know what goes into making fine food to understand how good it is? If you CAN'T cook, then obviously you can still appreciate fine food the same as someone who does cook.One need not be an artist to love art. I appreciate food, jazz, baseball, and grasping objects between my finger and thumb. Unfortunately, I can't appreciate my car (never designed or built one), the Empire State Building (not an architect), or the Statue of Liberty (never dated a tall chick).