Ellen Shapiro

Oh it sizzles alright. If you've ever dripped water or coffee on that plate when it's going full tilt you know it's powerful enough to do some damage.

Jin: Only the condiments come from Taco Bell and the chains. They're great sources of individual packets of hot sauce, little plastic specimen cups of salsa, and such. But we're talking real meat, as in purchased raw from the grocery store, sliced with the Spyderco or Laguiole, and cooked up right there on the coffee maker hot plate. Tortiallas are a dime a dozen even in the Midwest at grocery stores these days and they keep without refrigeration so those will hold 'til the next day when they can be made again but in a veggie version (unless the hotel has a minibar fridge, in which case you can cook beef all week).

Jin: I have only been a witness to the procedure, never engaged in it myself. My friend who is quite the aficionado of coffee-maker cooking, however, is a master of fajitas. The hot plate is just the right size to warm a small tortilla from the grocery store, into which is placed grilled strips of flank steak, peppers, onions, and assorted condiments gathered from Taco Bell et al. I hasten to add that he is quite conscientious about cleaning the "kitchen" after use.

Could you guess that I was one of the people who "got the heck scared out of her" by the live, still-moving shrimp?

Back in the day, I was a marketing person for a couple of big publishing companies. That means I spent a lot of time on the road and stayed in a lot of hotels. Though one goes into such an endeavor with a pretty much unlimited dining budget there are plenty of situations where dining out is undesirable or, in the case of smaller cities where nobody lives and where restaurants close at sundown, impossible. The most creative approach I've ever witnessed is: Cooking with the coffee pot. You know that cheap coffee maker you find in most middle market hotel rooms across North America? Well have you ever noticed that under the coffee pot there's this metal plate that keeps the coffee warm after it's brewed? Has it ever occurred to you that this metal plate is also known as . . . . . . a griddle? Imagine the possibilities. What are the most creative ideas you've all heard or come up with for feeding oneself under such circumstances? Here, I'm not talking about a road trip where you can pack your van with coolers and portable burners. No food preparation at home packed for travel, either. This is about what you do when you've got seemingly zero options.

And it's like I've told Fat Guy a number of times--the majority of people who are sending these gifts are probably sending them on expense account so the contributing factors of 1) ease of ordering; 2) pretty packaging; 3) "gourmet" foods that can ship anywhere in the country; 4) an impressive order department that reminds you of the gifts you sent--and to whom--the previous year; and 5) an overall appeal to the general population, make for perfect corporate gift giving. Perhaps if people had to pay out of their own pockets, they'd be more discriminating but I have heard of people who send these products and foot the bill themselves. Our tower of treats (or whatever it's called) reminds me of those gift baskets I see everywhere at this time of year--bath products for women, baskets with an Italian theme packaged in ceramic pasta dishes, etc. These gifts are tremendously appealing and I'd be thrilled to get one because they look nice and seem like fun. In the end I wouldn't know what to do with half of the stuff and the other half I'd likely never use anyway--but there is something very appealing about these sorts of gifts (and at least I know that the person who sent it not only thought about my gift but also didn't go bankrupt in the process). To me it seems that with the prices that Harry & David charges it's like the emperor’s new clothes of holiday gift giving.

Jinmyo don't thank me thank Canon. Nina I'm no authority on Pepe's but as I learned it The Spot is the original Pepe's store and the current Pepe's is the expanded newer store (The Spot for those who have never seen the layout sits in the lot behind Pepe's). They are in theory supposed to be serving the exact same thing controlled by the same family. If there's a quality difference I'm not aware of it. I'm not permitted as a loyalist to actually admit I've been to Pepe's but were I to discuss the theoretical differences between the pies it's the Sally's crust that makes the most lasting impression. But both are excellent pizzerias (theoretically of course). I don't remember ever having a calzone at T&L's.

Marcus I agree the sauce is understated but that's the pizza-making theory over there. They don't want every ingredient screaming for attention "me me me!" But I'm with you and I like the sauce to be a big thing. That's why I order . . . . . . extra sauce. It's the easiest way to turn up the volume on the sauce -- you just get more of it. In fact my favorite pie at Sally's is a "red" with no mozz. It's just crust, a lot of sauce (like as much as sauce and cheese put together on a regular pie), olive oil, and a sprinkling of parm. My second most favorite pies there are the "white" with just mozz -- no sauce. Those are great especially in season when fresh tomatoes from Connecticut come in -- some customers like my parents bring them from their gardens. They slice the tomatoes right on there, super-thin, and they're better than any sauce could be. Zucchini and summer squash also work. Also they do a white with broccoli rabe, and one with black olives and onions. It's always worth asking what specials are available. I haven't eaten much at Pepe's as we've always been a Sally's family. I'm also not into clams, but I hear the one definitive pie at Pepe's is the white clam -- no mozz, just fresh clams and olive oil and maybe some parm. Sally's doesn't specialize in that pie so they don't keep live clams around. Other than that one pie, the people I trust say Sally's is the better pizzeria. Also I always recommend going on a weeknight (closed Monday) because the lines are killer on weekends.

I'm simply the photographer, so I'll leave it to others to explain why Sally's Apizza ("apizza" is a regional Italian spelling and pronunciation of pizza, pronounced "uh-beets") in New Haven, CT, makes the best pizza in North America. These are just some photographs taken last night on Wooster Street on the occasion of my birthday: Bobby Consiglio, second generation Sally's stick-man (the original, now departed owner was Sal Consiglio; the restaurant is run by Sal's wife Flo and several of her children), prepares the coals for optimum performance in the ancient, massive oven: Pizza creation is a by-hand (dare I say artisanal?) affair. Note that the house-made sauce (from tinned Italian whole tomatoes) is spread with fingers, not a ladle: A three-pie order ready for its trial-by-fire, being drizzled with olive oil (plastic water bottles with holes punched in the caps are the vessels of choice for this task): A pizza baking on the hearth (believe me, not an easy flash situation from the photographer's standpoint -- I'm working on growing my eyebrows back now): Pies coming out: And ready to serve: Okay, bye.

To get back to the original point--I certainly think you can have a great meal without wine--and not be punished for it. It will depend on the restaurant and the server you end up with but any top notch restaurant worth its salt should be accustomed to diners who drink and diners who don’t. If you don’t like wine—and you’ve tried it—don’t punish yourself. But as I’ve done on many occasions, I will often ask for “just a taste” of FG’s wine or order a tasting portion. Obviously not a whopping tab for two ($135 with the tip and tax)—with wine—the Schonfelds (Robert) ordered a single glass of wine at each course to be split between them. If the restaurant/servers were going on price and profit alone, it seems to me that the Schonfelds would have had a sub-standard experience. Based upon my own personal experiences, when you have a good server the difference in the dining experience is less about the end tab than the interest you express and the pleasure you derive from the meal.

Score! At the Fairway in Harlem they are selling a selection of candy bars imported from the UK--Cadbury and similar quality (can you believe it?). There at the checkout line I found the KitKat chunky. In my haste, I ignored the other varieties but I have noticed this trend around the city because when I recently visited Economy Candy downtown, they had a selection too (no KitKat), though not as good.

I think you should bring your own bread next time. Not that they would change anything because of it but you'd certainly establish yourself as a serious eater--and I'd bet the counterman would nod knowingly and give you a better sandwich--or just think you're crazy and throw you out. I'd give it a 50-50 split on odds. I have to admit that I never eat the bread. Takes up too much room I'd rather utilize for the other stuff.

Steven and I, along with a friend (yes, we have one but we sometimes have to pay for his dinner to keep him around), had dinner at Katz's last night. With three of us, we were able to order--and eat--a good selection from the critical offerings. Granted, each of us stuck with our favorites (all the better to test quality control), but we covered a lot of ground. Our menu included: Two pastrami sandwiches Turkey sandwich (my favorite) French fries One knockwurst Two hot dogs A baked potato knish (round) Sour and half sour pickles Sauerkraut Various Dr. Brown's sodas My turkey, by all accounts, was as good as ever and I think the best turkey in the city (and totally unsung, as in, "Why would you go to Katz's to eat turkey?" Answer: Because it's the best.). It received high praise by all voters at the table. The pastrami was still "damn good and better than most but a little tough and fatty but not in the good way." It was agreed that this was simply batch variation. I didn’t eat it but that was the consensus of the other two. Fat guy can give further details. The garlicky, crispy-skinned knockwurst is one of the best items there and often overlooked. The franks are skinnier than I like but are excellent and still win high praise for everything else and the fries—though we got an overcooked and cold batch on the first go round (we exchanged them for fresh from the frier)—are still my favorite steak fries in the city. All in all it was a very good meal. They were offering potato latkes on account of the holiday but we passed. I’ve never had a good potato latke in a restaurant. We did bemoan the absence of all of the old Catskills comedian type waiters who have been replaced with younger, humorless, rude waitresses. We now sit in the self serve area. A compromise we never forget to mention with each visit.

If I remember correctly (and how could I forget), my first coffee with sweetened condensed milk was in Thailand. After university, I lived for a brief while with a Thai family in Chiang Mai and with breakfast I was served a delicious cup of coffee. When I expressed my enthusiasm the secret ingredient—the can of sweetened condensed milk—emerged. I was astonished, dumbfounded, incredulous. And it was oh, so very good.

Oh! Those poor Western tourists. Missing out on another great opportunity. That's more sweetened condensed milk for us!

Your Cambodian/Vietnamese coffee sounds very similar to the Singaporean coffee I am addicted too—but have only had the opportunity to drink while in Singapore (probably better for me—and those within flailing distance). It's one of those coffees where, like Suvir, I found myself drinking multiple cups in one sitting. I felt like I had a dependency. The sweetened condensed milk doesn’t hurt any either. Why don’t we use more sweetened condensed milk? I’m outraged.

Many of the dishes that are considered traditional Jewish fare are foods that were common in the region where those Jews were living (which explains why you get kishke served in Jewish homes and Polish restaurants). This is why the Ashkenazi Jews have different traditional foods than Sephardic Jews—they had different regional influences and a different selection of readily available ingredients (amongst other things).

Perhaps one of the most obvious mistakes (to my taste buds) is the relentless attempt to cut the calories and fat out of each recipe as an end in itself. I know one such cook and I will be subjected to a feast of her low-fat dishes and desserts (try, just try to do this with potato latkes) very shortly.

To elaborate: The best napkins come from Wendy's. They're yellow but they don't run. Wendy's is also the best source for plastic utensils because they're heavy-duty and individually wrapped. Wipes are worth purchasing. No chain establishment has good ones that won't wreck your skin and make you smell like a bus-station bathroom. McDonald's is the leader in straws, with nice durable thick ones. It's amazing the condiments you can acquire. In addition to ketchup (even if a place uses pump dispensers, they'll give you packets if you ask), don't overlook things like hot sauces (from Taco Bell, for example) and mustards (you can get quite a range if you make a habit of picking up a few packets everywhere you go). Most bizarre condiment: "Cajun Sparkle" from Popeye's which must be 99% supercharged MSG. This may not be available anymore but we still have some. Supermarkets, not restaurants, are the best places to get food on road trips, but that doesn't get you much in the way of hot food and eating cold food meal after meal gets depressing especially when it's cold out. Fast food chains, however, provide good meal supplements if you know how to use them. For example the baked potatoes at Wendy's are very good and can be ordered with chives only (they use fresh chives) for 99 cents at any Wendy's in America. As an addition to a supermarket-based meal a hot baked potato makes all the difference. Many of the fast food chains also now offer basic garden salads for a dollar or two and the produce is usually in better shape than what you get at some of the supermarkets in Yennevelt. The trick is not to use their dressings. When we roadtrip for longer than a few days we expand the pantry to include olive oil, vinegar, and other staples so we can make things like dressings. On really long trips, we also travel with a Glowmaster catering stove, real kitchen knives and tools, cutting board, and a skillet.

I can not attest to the milk chocolate or dark chocolate KitKats but I did, on my flight over to Nepal (I can't remember if it was the AA flight or the BA flight--I actually think it was on AA from JFK to London), have the opportunity to sample a mini chunky KitKat. SO superior to our American skinny! So much so that after my trek while I was wandering around KTM I tried to re-live the experience and ended up with a sad imitation--an Indian KitKat (same skinny bar different chocolate ratios and components). Could it be that I actually had a dark chocolate KitKat chunky? It really was so superior to our skinny that I now think it's unlikely the improvement can be attributed to the chunky factor alone. Maybe I'm just hungry.

I like it when the guy puts the egg on his hat.

Not to beat a dead horse--or yak, as the case may be.

I could use one of those right now--but then I'd sink in the pool (going swimming) and then they'd have to rescue me--it would be a terrible mess so I guess it'll have to wait. Anyway, if I had it now, I'd suppose it would qualify for breakfast, not a snack. Of course, I don't eat bacon (I know, I know) and I'd probably get kicked out of the Y (it's the YM/WHA)--but that has nothing to do with snacking anyway.

Hey! Carrot Top IS funny! I've taken Larium before and never had "Larium" dreams. I'm off to India in a couple of weeks and have my scrip for Larium (filled). Now I'm starting to wonder. It's two weeks in India and then off to Nepal where I don't need to continue to worry about malaria but will have to continue the medication for four weeks--my entire stay in Nepal. I suppose I could always quit the meds if they're making me ill. Have any of you actually had "Larium dreams" or just your travel companions? The Larium lore is incredible.