ScorchedPalate

I sent most of this to FaiJai privately, but I just realized that I hadn't posted anything here. We went to the Pagliacci location on The Ave on Wednesday night: Everything was super. The folks behind the counter were nice, and the pie was really good, although I concur with the "hell, that is one greeeazzzy slice!" consensus. We're no pork-fat-haters, but we soaked through two or three napkins per slice and we could easily have kept blotting. I took 2 leftover pieces to work yesterday for breakfast, and I couldn't make it past the first one -- it's that rich. I think you could hurt yourself if you ate this one to fast. We both loved the Mama Lil's peppers: now I will buy them in stores instead of wondering if they're good. The finocchiona sausage is so strongly peppercorn flavored that I don't know if I would have known there was fennel in the sausage -- or realized those slices of vegetable were fennel -- unless I had been told. But these are not complaints ... it was super-tasty and the overall combination works. Now I really miss having Pagliacci pizza delivered. ~A

Stopped in to get my quarterly coffee drink the other day and discovered that the 'Bucks at 23rd and Jackson now serves Top Pot donuts. I really don't know whether that makes me happy or sad... Guy behind the counter says they've had them since mid-January and they're selling well. ~A

Oh, puh-leeese. How juvenile can you get? If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen! We ate there recently, and Matthew's review was totally justified. In fact, I think he was a little soft on them, if you can believe that. ~Anita

We don't usually make reservations unless we're going to be bringing folks along or coming at weekend primetime. But as Lago starts to get even more popular, I'm sure that's a luxury that won't last. In fact, the last couple of times we were in, I said as much to Cameron. ~Anita

More kudos for Lago in an almost-unlikely spot: Penelope Corcoran's review of the Montlake Alehouse next door:

Brining this back to the top for Mardi Gras... So, it says on the Restaurant.com page: We have a $25 gift certificate that expires this month, so I guess we'll be able to check it out in person. ~A

Speaking of papered-over windows, ditto at Maguire's on 15th.

I agree with Cam's assessment: they're getting the crust issues resolved. And the temperature isn't quite a stifiling as before. But... ...I still say the mushrooms are crap. I pulled two of them out of my calzone leftovers for closer inspection, and they are indistinguishable from tan-colored canned/sliced/brined mushrooms of the supermarket variety. I think they're still in a zip-loc in the fridge, if anyone wants a photo. They're easily picked off, but I think the Via Trib folks are on crack to think they're somehow better than fresh, or even a palatable substitute. The welcome remains gracious, service is friendly to a fault, and the pizza is getting better. I'm willing to overlook canned mushrooms, even if I don't grok why they're being served. ~A

Locally, the best price I've found is at Whole Foods' bulk section. QFC also sells them in the bulk sections of some of the nicer stores (UVillage, etc) but they're not as fresh. Sorry I don't have the exact price, but I was making a huge batch of vanilla bean cream cheese icing a while back, and I priced them for a week everywhere I went before buying 4 beans! Sounds like the mail-order price is soopa, if you can wait. ~A

Yeah, I meant to do that. Unfortunately I added the macaroni before remembering to remove the portions destined for the freezer. D'oh! ~A

Not to keep being Kasma's PR agent, but she has 3 really interesting fish sauce articles on her site. I think I also recall her saying in class that Tiparos isn't really a good brand for Thai cooking, as its flavor profile is more filipino than thai. [Edited to say: Yes, I know this makes no sense, as Tiparos is a Thai brand...] I have never tried it myself, so obviously I defer to those who have. ~Anita

I finally finished the last bowl of minestrone yesterday for lunch. It's a good soup, but I am going to turn into a chickpea if I so much as think about it anytime soon. How's this week's soup going? Nobody's posted yet other than Maggie. I'm not a fan of fruit soups, so I myself am sitting this one out, but am anxiously awaiting next week's selection.

I had that lentil-and-salumi dish a couple of weeks ago, and it was yummy!

Didja sample it yet? C'mon, Jason. You're holding out on us.

My officemate says Whole Foods has them, too, in the bulk section (very cheaply). I think we've covered everyone but Safeway and Albertsons now. ~A

I've bought them at the QFC in UVillage, and at Larry's.

You and your friends were not obnoxious. You guys were exactly the folks I meant when I said Cam is taking the foie gras class at the end of the month, too, so your paths will cross again.

I'm using bergamot zest in bergamocello and their juice in cocktails. Never heard of ertrogs before. Sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings. ~Anita

Man, I was led astray by FLC! I had a funny feeling that didn't seem right. By the way, welcome to eGullet. ~Anita

If indeed 'pierogi are larger versions of piroshki' as the Food Lover's Companion suggests, then: Piroshky-Piroshky 206/441-6068 1908 Pike Place piroshky@piroshkypiroshky.com (Forewarning: www.piroshkypiroshky.com does not yield their web page, or anything remotely related!)

I could be way off base, but I thought that "Gkuay Dtiow" and its variants just meant "noodles". E.g., - Beef Noodle Soup (Gkuay Dtiow Neau Nahm: Noodles/beef/water) - Stir-Fried Noodles with Soy (Gkuay Dtiow Pad Seeyew: Noodles/stirfried/soy) Can anyone verify or clarify? ~A

Now having taken three classes at CC, I feel I can weigh in. The short version is that I've been very pleased with what I have learned. Chef Gabriel is a good teacher, and there's lots of hands-on work ...although as Lauren pointed out, not everyone gets to work on everything. That said, Gabe is good about calling people over to watch key steps of each item so you go home with a working knowledge of the whole curriculum. My first class was a pickles-and-preserves class in the fall. I've been a home canner for a while, but I really appreciated the chance to get some solid info, try things I wouldn't have made at home, and pick up some new ideas. I came home with lots of great recipes and a small selection of finished product. (That's probably my only disappointment: It seems like the take-home quantities can feel a bit skimpy compared to the cost of the class. I think we got 2 pints each for pickles/jams, for example, which was not even enough to bring home examples of the items I worked on.) My second class was a charcuterie class in late fall/early winter. We made a bunch of fresh sausages: lamb loukania wrapped in caul fat, bulk mexican chorizo, chicken-apple breakfast sausage, and the like. We also smoked a side of bacon that Gabriel had pre-cured due to timing. (He explained the curing process, too, so we could do it ourselves.) There was lots of good safety and sanitation info at both classes, which impressed me. In this case, each student got to take home 2 pounds each of meat: I chose 1 pound of amazing bacon, 1/2 pound of chorizo, and 1/2 pound of chicken-apple. Cam and I took another charcuterie class on Saturday... my favorite of all the classes so far. We made a few fresh sausages (chicken poblano, merguez) but also a fair number of cured and/or smoked meats: kielbasa, spanish chorizo, andouille, tasso, bacon, pancetta, etc. Again, we got to take 2 pounds each: We've got a pound of bacon, a 1/2-pound merguez sprial, and 1/2 pound of bulk chicken poblano. We'll go back when the curing is finished and get our other 2 pounds. My one caveat about the classes is that a lot of the fun has to do with the group dynamic, which can be thrown off by even one bad egg in groups of this size. At the preserving class, for example, one person was really obnoxious, peppering the chef with off-topic questions while he was trying to explain things, monopolizing the conversation at the post-class dinner, and generally trying to be the center of attention for the whole time. It was really annoying, but obviously beyond the control of CC. The other students in the group were mostly older women who had a lot of patience, but I can imagine a situation where it would have been even more uncomfortable. The charcuterie classes tended to attract a more serious crew (mostly men, both times) and there was a lot less mucking about. We got a LOT done -- especially at the second class -- due to plenty of cooperation, good communication, and a high level of student engagement. Gabe says that there are lots eG folks who come to his classes, so I know you're all lurking out there. I'd love to hear what you think of the classes you've taken. ~Anita

I made my minestrone tonight, combining two recipes: One from The Romagnoli's Table, that was too convoluted for weeknight use, and one from Cook's Illustrated that was simplified past the point of reason. Here's what I came up with: Just-Right Minestrone 1 large onion (divided use) 2 medium carrots (divided use) 2 stalks celery (divided use) 2 oz. salt pork 2T olive oil 1 white potato, peeled 3 c. spinach (or other hearty greens), cut into strips 1 can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped 8 cups hot water 2 tsp salt 1 parmesan cheese rind (2 x 5") 1.5 c drained, rinsed garbanzo beans (canned or precooked) scant 1/2 cup small elbow macaroni Roughly chop 1/2 of the onion, 1 carrot, and 1 celery stalk; dice the salt pork. Put all 4 ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and process to a paste, scraping down as needed. Saute the paste in the olive oil over medium heat until golden. While the batutto is sauteeing, cut the remaining celery and carrot into 1/4-inch dice, along with the peeled potato. Once the batutto is golden, add the water, salt, and parmesan rind to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Add the diced vegetables to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Slice the remaining onion into slivers. Add this to the pot, along with the spinach, chopped tomatoes, and macaroni; simmer 15 minutes more. At the end of 15 minutes, or when all veggies are done, mash half of the garbanzo beans. Add the mashed beans and remaining whole beans to the pot, and cook an additional 5 to 15 minutes, to desired thickness. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings, and serve. (Serves 4 to 6)

Do you mean running it as slices on Wed + Sun? Or are those the only nights you'll be making the primo at all? ~A

Reporting back from the front lines of the bergamocello operation: The zest infusing in the 100-proof vodka. (I used Absolut, since it was the only brand on offer at our crappy state store.) This is shown at approximately the 2-week mark; I wish I had taken pictures earlier in the process to give you a comparison, but I didn't. Here's the infusion with the zest filtered out, the 750ml of 80-proof vodka (again, Absolut), and the 1:1 simple syrup. This is the vodka, simple syrup, and infusion, poured into the big bottles before blending. I though it was pretty like this. The mixed bergamocello, in its flasks. (I need to get some more!) ...and a finished flask with the label. (I couldn't get a clear enough shot of the label, but it says "January 2004 -- Bergamocello -- Bergamot digistivo" The finished product is really interesting and good. Not too sweet, reminiscent of grapefruit with hints of spice and spicy herbs. It's almost middle-eastern or indian in flavor: cardamom, nigella, coriander. It's definitely similar to, but distinctly different from, the flavors in the bergamot juice. I wish I could upload a glass for you all to try! I'm pretty happy with the first effort. ~Anita