ChefGrrl

Just a suggestion -- my mother's recipe for tuna noodle casserole (which does in fact include canned cream of mushroom soup -- atypical of her recipes) has a topping of sliced almonds. This is amazing. It really makes the dish, and I think strikes a nice balance between too retro, and too tarted up!

I went to college in New Haven, and every time I go back, for any reason, I have to get pizza. Not even Pepe's or Sally's Pizza. Just regular old New Haven pizza, at Naples, or Bar. So NYC is kind of a wasteland. The best I've found (and they deliver to my place!) is Arturo's. It's not New Haven pizza, and they do this weird thing where the sauce is on top of the cheese, but it tastes pretty good, has a thin crust and good sauce. People kept telling me to try John's on Bleecker -- Yuck! What are they trying to pass off as tomato sauce? I heard rumors of a good new place in the East Village -- will have to try.

Simon - I know you have ambivalent feelings about Nigella Lawson, but her clementine cake seems to be just what you're looking for (and it's fabulous -- I made it for christmas) It takes about a pound of clementines, boiled for 2 hours with the skins on and chopped finely. 6 eggs, beaten with 1 cup plus 2 T sugar, 2 1/3 c.ground almonds and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Add the clementines, and bake at 375 F for about an hour in an 8 inch springform pan.

It may have to do with the type of flour you are using. According to Shirley Corriher's great book, Cookwise, cookie doughs spread more when there is more liquid in them, and different flours absorb different amounts of liquid. It's possible your mother was using a higher protein flour -- try unbleached if you've been using bleached. Northern brand flours (like Hecker's) also have higher protein and more liquid absorbtion than national brands (Gold medal, Pillsbury's)

Of course they're not true pubs, because it's New York, and we have a different culture and ethos when it comes to drinking. That said, two of my favorites for afternoon pints are Puck Fair just south of Houston on Lafayette, and Swift's Hibernian Lounge, on fourth Street off Lafayette. During peak times these are annoying and smoky, but I like the atmosphere at both the rest of the time.