Rachel Perlow

Sealing it in an airtight container is the best way to keep it from hardening in the first place. If you need to use the sugar right away and can't wait overnight for the bread to soften it, you can always grate it. Or, you can do what I do: use white sugar and add a spoonful of molasses.

Just a reminder to please RSVP for this dinner by March 31st. So far the following people have said they are coming: Alan and Sandy Levine Jon Lurie Jason and Rachel Perlow Paul and Dee Reis Lou Reda Lowell and Rosie Saferstein Mark Stevens Tommy and the Mrs. (aka Diane) I look forward to seeing you all (and hopefully some more people) on April 7th!

Joke? No way. Thin mints rule. The "stoned" comment reminds me of the episode of Friends when Ross is trying to help a Brownie Bell (?) win a trip to space camp. He first succeeded by selling a huge amount to the people leaving the laser show at the Planetarium, then starting hitting college dorms around midnight. "Cookie Dude!"

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, I recall a tip for making stuffed cabbage I read on a yahoo group freezer food forum: Freeze your head of cabbage instead of boiling! That is, throw the whole head in there, you don't even have to wrap it since the outermost leaves are usually tossed anyway. About a day before you want to make your stuffed cabbage, remove the head from the freezer, place in bowl to collect drippings and defrost. The leaves will have softened in a way similar to boiling, but you don't have to heat the pot of water and risk scalding yourself.

Yes, it does. That's how the NJ Dinners have happened. One person needs to volunteer to take charge and just plan something.

Why is leg of lamb not kosher, but shoulder is?

I cooked a boneless rib-eye as per Ducasse's recipe (sans marmalade) this past Thursday. I was able to get a uniform crust without a hint of char. It ended up being medium instead of medium rare (I think because I overcompensated for using a cast iron skillet) but was very delicious and tender. It did not render as much fat as indicated in the recipe, perhaps the butcher trimmed too much? However, in general I find that cut just too fatty for my taste. Could anyone recommend a cut that has the exterior fat to render, but less interior fat that needs to be trimmed away before eating?

Huh? Potato is acceptable. Some friends even use boiled potato (instead of the parsley I think) on their seder plate. Sandra, do we have the same Aunt Ida? Sounds like pretty much the same recipe. No one so far has mentioned Passover Rolls. I've never or heard of any other family having them, but they are a tradition in my family. They are basicly pate a choux made with matzo meal and they (should) come out like cream puffs, a little underdone in the middle and puffy. They are great filled with tuna or egg salad for during the week.

ROFL! Seriously, we went to Little Saigon in Nutley and this girl had taken all the shrimp tales and put them on as like acrylic nail tips, very funny. I can't believe it's March and I never got a 2002 calendar for my Filofax, oh well. March 31 is Easter, the week before is Palm Sunday, the week after (April 7) is the NJ dinner (not that you sophisticated New Yorkers care, but I'd like to be able to attend the NY dinner). Hey Steven, any chance of arranging this for a Saturday night? I'm sure that's a lot to ask of Bid, but who knows, maybe they aren't that busy and would appreciate us filling the place up. All the reports I've ever read mention how there were only a few tables occupied, maybe this applies to Saturday? On the other hand, why don't we do the more casual dinner first, then do the Bid dinner in June when Steven can be there too? Would someone please take the reigns and plan something concrete already?

Let me guess... A Shop-Rite? I remember wondering (as a kid) what Appy was supposed to mean.

Report. I like that.

This word seems to be one used primarily in writing, whether it be in an eGullet description of a deli or in neon on a store window. I've never actually heard anyone speak the word in context. You say, "I'm going to get bagels" which usually means Bagels and lox, cream cheese, smoked whitefish, pickled herring (with or without sour cream), etc. All of this stuff is the "appetizing" but I've never audibly heard it referred to that way.

So, the idea is, instead of using a word like sublime, to use your reasons as a definition of the word and skip the actual adjective? I'll have to practice that. Of course, most of my "reviews" are really long already. PS - I need another word for review. I think of that word as reserved for people who get paid for professionally published restaurant evaluations. What should we call our amateur eGullet reviews of restaurants? Do you think "evaluation" is acceptable? It seems to fit the bill but I don't really care for it.

I have two non-sticks currently in use. Both are primarily used for eggs. A six-inch Circulon for omelets; you'd think those ridgy circles would get in the way, but they don't. And a rectangular pan specifically designed for making Japanese tamago (rolled egg omelets for sushi). For any non-stick, the best tool is a heat proof rubber spatula. My Circulon has lasted over five years with fairly regular use.

Just out of curiousity, how would you describe something that is fried perfectly and doesn't have that soggy greasy look that poorly fried foods can have, without calling it greaseless? Also, please give me another word besides sublime to describe that feeling I get when eating something really, really good? Let me describe how I react when taking the first bite of something that good: I close my eyes, imagining I'm getting this dreamy look on my face, kind of smiling while chewing. And, if my dining companion (usually husband) is talking, I generally hold up my hand in such a way that indicates "please be quiet for a moment, I'm concentrating." This only happens a few times a year (if I'm lucky) and if that's not sublime, I don't know what is.

FYI, the Gross National Income for Colombia is just over $2000 per capita. Now that's per capita not per family. So, let's assume four people to a family, so $8000 per family annual income, which is a low estimate. I don't know any "middle-class, middle-aged and middle-educated" who could afford to spend that on a single meal. Colombia is considered a Lower Middle Income country. Now if you had used a different country, perhaps your argument would hold water. Wait, no it wouldn't. I had to search though a lot of South & Central American countries to find one considered a Low Income county (most of them are Lower Middle). The lowest I could find was Nicaragua, with a per capita income of about $420. Using our 4x calculation, that would make a family income of $1680. Now, I'm hardly saying that this is a lot of money or anything, but come on, very few of us have spent that kind of money on a meal. I know I never have and I'm pretty sure I would be considered upper-middle class. I pretty much dissagree with this assessment. I think Samuelsson has been very influenced by his time in NYC. I feel that in this city that quote is 99% true. But for must other geographic areas it is less true. There may be a few examples out there of world cuisine, but the primary restaurant cuisine in most countries will be that of the country itself. Any fusion/world/chef driven cuisine will always be a distant second or third.

Well I certainly haven't been eating Indian food since I was in diapers! I think the first time was probably in high school or college. Also, that's where my mom & I would go when it was a girls night because my dad doesn't like it. So, no one's up for BBQ tonight?

Oh! As Homer Simpson would say, "Mmmm, marathon bar" Used to get them frozen from the snack bar at the pool. They'd start off frozen, but by the time you finished it, it had defrosted and was all gooey.

Boy tommy, you are getting so adventurous! Just a few months ago you didn't even want to go into a Chinese or Thai restaurant. Now you're a regular and eating duck tongue! The last time Kinara was mentioned you didn't sound ready for Indian, now you definitely do!

I was thinking of going to Cubby's Q in Hackensack (249 South River St, 201-488-9389) to celebrate National Pig Day. In fact, I just called there and spoke to the manager to tell him it was NPD. Can you imagine? They didn't know! Anyone want to join us there? Figure on 7:30-8 PM, send me an rperlow@hotmail.com email to let me know if you're coming. Rachel

I bet those Mini Mint Skittles taste and chew like Mentos.

I rarely had mashed potatoes growing up. Maybe sometimes in restaurants, but my mom & grandmas never made them. Might be something to do with being jewish & kosher. There's usually dairy in mashed potatoes yet they are mostly served with meat, and they all grew up kosher and the grandmas kept kosher homes. I suggest soup as the most likely universal comfort food. I don't think there's a culture on earth that doesn't consider some form of soup either a necessity at every meal or a cure-all for what ails you.

Thanks, all makes sense now. (Not very articulate right now cause I just noticed how many posts this site has generated in so short a time and am flabergasted!)

My parents were part of a group that did the first kind. There was a group of 6 couples. Every month or so 1 or 2 of the couples would get together to plan a meal. They'd pick the theme and research & select the recipes. The recipes were then distributed among all the couples. They kept track of who did what dish so one couple wasn't always stuck with the expense of the (usually) most expensive main course. On the appointed day they'd get together at one of the couples homes and bring the dish they were assigned. They, and all us kids, referred to this as the Gourmet Group. They kept this up for 10-15 years. Eventually, they started going to restaurants more frequently. Now, one of the couples is divorced (the wife & new husband stuck with the group), two couples live out of state, and the others "snowbird". But they still get together (if not the whole group than 2-4 couples at a time) a few times a year. I have done the second kind. For the last Thanksgiving I assigned various tasks (bring a green veg, bring dessert, etc.). Actually one gentleman is particularly cool about this. He is part of one of the aforementioned family friends (see above), who retired a couple of years ago. Ever since then he's been in charge of the kitchen. He's not very creative, but you can give him any recipe and he does a very good job of it (I think being a retired pharmacist helps with following the recipes, he's like a chemist in the kitchen). So, when he offered to make dessert he also asked me for a specific recipe. I gave him a pecan pie recipe I had been meaning to try - it came out very good. He's also learned to make many of the dishes his wife is famous for at holiday time (and he makes'm better).

I'm sorry tommy. I forgot you are ignorant. The "sauce" on lo mein gets its slickness from the starch of the noodles. Once you stir the noodles into the other ingredients it'll naturally thicken a little without having to add cornstarch.