Rachel Perlow

I just picked up a couple heads for $1.50 each, after seeing them for $3 for the past few months. I wrote about my favorite produce store and buying the cauliflower, here.

Cinque Figlie and Pierre's. Two reasons to miss Morris County. Either would be an excellent choice, who will argue with Italian or French? And both are lovely restaurants, traditional decor, not overly "hip." Pierre's has a nice big bar, if you are into having cocktails before your meal.

What is it with naming produce stores "California Farm(s)"? I was starting this post to tell you about a local prodcue store that I just love, California Farms in Fort Lee. So I could provide the exact address, I looked it up on yp.yahoo and found not just that, but three other California Farm or Farms stores in northern NJ. I didn't think it was a chain, but I called to make sure, each of them are owned by different people and have nothing to do with each other. Weird. The other stores are in Westfield, Wayne and Emerson (actually that one is closer to my house, I'll have to check it out). Anyway, getting back to the reason for this post. I just love the California Farms produce store in Fort Lee. I was at Fairway Market in Fort Lee this morning, and I just couldn't bring myself to buy much produce at their exorbatant prices. For example, red peppers were 5 or 6 dollars a pound. Even though I needed them, I just couldn't bring myself to pay more than $4/lb, which is what is the usual non-sale price around here. So, leaving the store with a few tomatoes and a baguette, I head over the "the produce store" near where I used to live (I didn't know the name until I paid attention to it this AM), I haven't been there in a while, but it was close by where I was and I knew they had good prices. Here are some examples: Red Peppers (big & beautiful) $1.29 on special, yes $1.29. The green peppers were the same price, which is high-average for green bell peppers, but the yellows were only $1.99. Cauliflower were $1.49 each. Most of the supermarkets have been selling them for $3, and they've been kind of on the small side, too. Cut up fruit salad, hmm, I don't know the price per pound, but in the supermarkets it's like $3-5/lb, you know cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, sometimes pineapple, cut into large chunks. Well, here it was $2 for just the cantaloupe, $2.50 for the assortment. Big containers that I know would be more than $5 at Stop & Shop. I left there with 5 bags of assorted produce (they had some nice green beans today too), milk & juice. I didn't even pay attention when paying by cc, looked at the receipt in the car, $30. How is this even possible? So, anyway, not only do they have good prices, but the quality and assortment of produce is nearly always good. And they have flowers. A nice choice in dairy, juice, and nuts, whole and mixes. And dried fruits. I just love this place and have to remember to go back more often. It's worth the detour. California Farms - in the Pathmark shopping center off of Rt 46. Address: 1475 Bergen Blvd, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Phone: (201) 461-0388 In the summer I like to go to Farmers Markets, but there's just something about the reliablility of a good produce store. So, tell us about your favorite, be sure to include the address.

Jason and I visited Hearth last week with a couple of his friends in for Linux World. We sampled so much of the menu and we all passed the plates around as well, so I've probably tasted at least 50% of the menu. My favorite appetizers included the Rabbit Ballotine and the Red Snapper Crudo. Actually, the snapper is an excellent appetizer to share because it is several identical bites of sashimi with an excellent red pepper garnish. We also tried the Tuna appetizer. This was much harder to share, as it was tiny portions of four different raw and cooked tuna preparations. If, however, you are with someone who doesn't like to share, but you like to sample different tastes, I'd highly recommend it! I didn't care for the red wine braised octopus as much as some others upthread did. I could tell it was excellently prepared, I've definitely never had octopus so tender -- I guess it was just me. The sardines, on the other hand, was something I didn't expect to like as much as I did. The strongly flavored fish was held at bay by the tangy soffrito garnish. In addition to ordering four entrees and all the sides, Marco sent out a fish course tasting, so we were able to sample three out of the four fish dishes on the menu. I particularly enjoyed the Roasted Cod & brandade and the Black Bass with fennel. Heck, even Jason liked the Black Bass -- and he doesn't like fish.* We also tried the Monkfish Osso Buco, but preferred its accompaniment of risotto speckled with tender calamari to the monkfish itself. It just seemed plain in comparison. I had ordered the Chicken dish: salt baked breast as juicy as described and almost as tender as the braised thigh meat. Mmm. I also loved the garnish for that dish, a Swiss Chard Malfatti, which was like the filling of a really rich ravioli. Jason ordered the Roast Sirloin with braised Shortrib. I only got a tiny taste of the perfectly cooked as ordered sirloin, it was beautiful, but Jason had started getting possessive. The sides were polenta, hen of the woods mushrooms, potato puree, and gnocci. The waiter advised us to eat the gnocci while they were hot. Perfect little clouds of dumplingy goodness. A few remained on the plate and I tasted the cooled ones, he was right, they don't hold up as well, still good, but somehow they became more ordinary with time. So eat them while they're hot, dammit! Also, while the polenta and mushrooms were good, the potato puree was etherial. I don't want to know how much butter/cream/creme fraiche/or sour cream there was in there, but all four of us were ready to lick out the serving vessel. Mmm. I can't believe after all that we ordered dessert. But we did. I ordered the Milk Chocolate Tart, but preferred the peanut brittle ice cream accompanying it to the tart itself. After all that food, I just should have gotten the sorbet, if anything. Next time we'll be more sensible, but then we probably won't have people with us from out of state who felt this was their one and only chance to sample Hearth. Jason will talk about the wines, as my gentlemen companions had glasses paired with each course, and I only had a little bit of one of the whites. ~~~ *Cooked fin fish that is, he eats sushi and shellfish. He's working on it. After enjoying the miso cod at Nobu and this bass, he recently tried flounder at the NJ eGullet Chinese New Years Dinner at China 46 and enjoyed that as well. We're making progress. Maybe someday he'll let me cook fish at home again.

A Malasian place we like has normal signs on the doors, but what I love is the sign leading to the restroom hallway: "Nature Calls"

but this is what you made in a 4 quart pot, right? If you've defatted it, you could bring it all the way down to a pint for a 4:1 reduction.

If you can get that, even on a huge scale, I'm sure someone here would be able to help you scale it down.

Today would have been such a great day for stock making, with all that snow outside just waiting to cool down the reduced liquid gold. Unfortunately all that snow also made it impossible to get to the store. Oh well, I still have several containers left in the freezer. :)

After your stock cubes are frozen, you remove them to a freezer ziploc and clearly label. You don't want to confuse them with coffee or iced tea cubes! This pot seems like a decent deal, 20 quarts and it comes with a strainer insert, for $55.

That's probably the Chefmate I bought there last year. KateW - read through Fat Guy's stock making class in the eGCI for more inspiration. It'll make you want to have two stockpots!

I would (and have) get something at least 16 quarts in size -- if you're going to make stock, you may as well make a lot of it. Actually, by the time I'm done straining, defatting and concentrating, I get about 2-3 quarts of concentrated stock out of a 16 quart pot. I freeze it in ice cube trays and 1 & 2 cup containers for later use. Here is a link to a previous stockpot thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=16259 I'm working on an amazon link for what I bought at Target, will edit soon. Edit: OK, they don't seem to have the 16 quart Chefmate pot at amazon/target (as a search of amazon and a review of the above linked thread proved), they do have a 12 quart available for $25: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...7/egulletcom-20 But, as I said above, you may as well use the biggest pot that will fit on your stove and in your sink, so here are a couple other recommendations: Krona 20-Quart Stock Pot with Glass Lid, $45, compare to All-Clad 20-Quart Stainless Stock Pot, $120 (eek!) Hope this helps!

Boggle is a word game. There are these dice with letters on them that get shaken up and land in a grid. You look for words to make out of the letters (the letters have to be next to each other) and make as many words as you can during the time limit. Get your Boggle set today!

This thread is inspired by an idea on the onion soup thread. Tell us about a dinner where there was too much food, then tell us what you made of the leftovers. Conversely, if you need some help, tell us what leftovers you have in the fridge and hopefully you'll get some eGullety ideas for their resurrection. I'll start: A few days ago I made a roast pork tenderloin with a crust of heavily seasoned flour. I actually made two as they come two to a pack, and made sure to not overcook the pork. For another meal, I sauteed lots of sliced mushrooms with some garlic. I also have my concentrated chicken stock in the freezer (thanks Fat Guy). For the first pork dinner, we partook of the smaller of the two tenderloins, realizing the larger one would be slightly less cooked (since the less cooked one would stand up better to reheating). After the first meal there were several sandwiches of sliced pork -- we even used it for Cubanos. Last night I sliced up the rest of the pork (about half a tenderloin), which was slightly pink and reheated it in a veloute. The sauce was further thickened and seasoned by the crust on the pork, good thing I had reserved some stock to thin it out at the end. This was served with a risotto. It came out so delicious as it was made with the homemade stock. The leftover mushrooms were stirred in towards the end, but the flavor was really enhanced by some crumbled dried porcini mushrooms I keep in the pantry (soaked in the stock and added about half-way through the stirring).

Like some upthread, the only place that I know of that regularly omits the prices is my parents' country club -- only the host gets the prices, those menus have a special tassle.

18" is the standard backsplash height. However, I knew I'd have trouble using my KitchenAid Mixer with that space, and that our MixMaster just wouldn't fit there. Measure the tallest small appliance you plan to keep on your counter under the upper cabinets. Add an inch and make that your backsplash height. Ours our 21".

Thanks for pointing that out, Chad. I hadn't even noticed until just now. Wow!

Speaking of deviled eggs... Usually I buy large eggs, so that's what I have on hand, if I'm just making a few. But, if I were going to make deviled eggs for a party I would buy small or, at largest, medium-sized eggs, for a more petite portion.

Helena - thank Ken for putting up those pics and videos. He probably hadn't posted in several months, which is why his account was set to read only -- Jason refreshed his account for him. To get the "real life" effect from those videos, turn up the volume all the way! And watch them over and over for about a half-hour!

I doubt it's the best roasting pan ever, but for the price ($10 down from $30), this Wearever roasting pan set (12-by-16-inch roasting pan with rack and baster) can't be beat. It would make a nice housewarming present for the recent graduate with a new apartment or a great bridal shower or engagement gift.

That would be me. He was moving fast and Jason had the camera set to some funky closeup mode. I just snapped away hoping for something decent. I though that pic was kind of cool, it showed some movement. Edit: OK it sucks.

46 at China 46 The NJ eGullet crowd (along with some New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians) had a fabulous Chinese New Year party last night at China 46 restaurant in Ridgefield Park, NJ. For more details and pictures, click here.

Yes, there was the rice cake at the end. I assumed we should have some sort of long noodle dish at the end, but Cecil said that rice cakes are for New Years, and long noodles are for birthdays.

Cecil may have called it a "Lion Dance" but it looked and acted like a giant Maltese (dog) in Chinese costume, but in a good way -- really cute and the Chinese-school kids did a great job and earned their little red envelopes. I loved the Shrimp with Three Treasures and the Crisp Tofu-skin wrapped Flounder, both of which were new to me. This party was a blast, thanks to all who came!

Sounds the way I remember the Florida location. If you aren't into oil based beef fondu they also have broth for a hot-pot-like meal.

I agree. It's too late to change the time, and it's not supposed to snow until later in the night anyway. We'd prefer people don't drop out, but if you decide not to come PM me.