robyn

Fifi and Chefdg - I went to the store today looking for a pork shoulder - or a pork butt - or whatever. Got a little confused (I don't even know if they're the same cut). What is the cut of pork I should be looking for? Fifi - I assume when you say braise the cut (whatever it is) in mojo - I can do it like a brisket (put the liquid on top of the meat - and in the bottom of a tin foil package - wrap it to make it air-tight - and braise it. Or do you do pork a different way? I assume putting some garlic on the top would help. Am I correct? By the way - I do brisket at 325 for 3 hours. Is that too much for pork? Robyn

Knowing the politics in general here - Rush Limbaugh has sometimes mentioned on his radio show that he almost always leaves 50% tips when dining in Palm Beach (where he lives). You be the judge . My husband and I tip 20% on the pre-tax bill. Unless there's something deficient about the service. Don't know if that's right - but it's nice to have a rule of thumb - and to live by it. Makes life easy. When we're with family our age - no problem. They think like us. We have picked up tabs for parents for many years - so that's not a problem either (even when - left to their own devices - they'd leave $5 on a $75 check). As for "friends" - if they don't see things our way - they aren't our friends for long. Robyn P.S. If we have dinner for the first time with people who won't become friends - and we know they're leaving an adequate tip - my husband will go to the bathroom while everyone leaves - return and go back to the table - and leave an appropriate number of dollars on the table.

I just finished reading an article called Twelve Restaurants in Tokyo in a 2002 issue of The Art of Eating. It contains a discussion of 12 different types of Tokyo restaurants - and the best examples of them that the author had found as of the date he wrote the article. I suspect the specific restaurant recommendations may be out of date (I assume that Tokyo is like any huge city - by the time you read about a place - it's ancient history) - but the article is excellent is terms of giving a general overview. It costs money ($10 for the back issue) - but I recommend it because it gives very specific information about the types of places that are there (I especially loved the discussion of food in depachikas). I agree that it is silly to try doing a place like Tokyo totally "on the cheap" unless you're a student. And even the Let's Go series (Harvard Student Guides) doesn't recommend doing it that way. Better to save for a while - and try to experience at least a little of what a world class city has to offer. By the way - one of the more interesting books I've read about Japan is - don't laugh - Dave Barry Does Japan. Dave Barry - for those of you who've never heard of him - is a very sophmoric comedy writer in the US. Usually real teenage boy humor (even though he's 50+). But his book about Japan is strangely informative and philosophical. Anyway - we are continuing to learn and prepare ourselves for our trip. In case you haven't figured out - when we go to distant places - more than half the fun is learning about them before we get there . Robyn

I'm not sure whether out-of-towners are allowed to vote here. Because we have limited experience. If we're allowed to vote - I'd have to say that the most overrated based on our last 3-4 trips to New York was Babbo (last October). Everyone here told me that we should have stuck to the pasta (which is excellent). But when I think world class Italian (and I've eaten world class Italian in Italy) - I don't think of a place where only the pasta is excellent. Especially since the place was relatively expensive (cheaper than Per Se or ADNY - but still a fairly hefty bill) - and the round trip cab from mid-town to the West Village wasn't cheap either. I hate to be negative - so I'll say that the 2 best things we had in those trips were the tower of seafood at Balthazar - with the fries - and a nice bottle of wine - an early after-shopping before-theater dinner. And the dessert trolley at ADNY. Perhaps if we'd skipped the whole meal at Babbo - and just did some pasta at the bar - with a nice bottle of wine - I would have left with warm fuzzies instead of disappointment. Robyn

The menu is enough to put me off. They don't even say what kind of ribs they have. There are lots of different kinds of of ribs. Look here. Even though I live in BBQ/smoking country - I'll be the first to say that it isn't one of the world's great cuisines. Even when done to perfection. Comparing any BBQ/smoking joint to ADNY or Per Se is just downright silly. Is this supposed to be a big deal restaurant in New York? Or is it just kind of a novelty? Robyn

No problem. Sometimes there's no substitute for a particular ingredient - and - apparently - there isn't one here. Robyn P.S. Thought a while. We go to a local BBQ place where the pork portions are huge. Might make sense to order lunch - and take home the leftovers for sandwiches. The pork is usually shredded - but I can ask for some slices and some shreds.

I am going to get some brickbats here. I am afraid this is what happens at Per Se - you have to know someone in the kitchen. For this reason, and because we had a disappointingly mediocre meal there, I would put it in the "overrated" category ← Our meal at Per Se was excellent (in terms of the food) - even though we had the 5 course menu which so many people said was sub-par compared to the tasting menu. Perhaps I thought it excellent because I picked out things I know I like eating - even when the preparation is simply average. The setting was plush - very well done. But there was something lacking. No "buzz" for lack of a better word. There were some things I really didn't like about Per Se. The ridiculous seatings for one. We had a 5:30. Other people here get 10:00. If you're going to strive to have a world class restaurant - well I don't think that works with reservation hours that are either too early or too late. Make the meal shorter (e.g., have a 6:30 and 9:00 seating). But don't ask people to eat at silly hours. Moreover - the restaurant *opens* at 5:30. So if you have a 5:30 seating - and want to have a drink before dinner at the bar - you can't. You arrive at 5:15 - and wind up standing outside in a mall lobby until the doors open precisely at 5:30. Just makes you feel stupid. And - if things stay the same in terms of seatings - I for one would never go back just for that single reason. Also - my husband's wine service was extraordinarily mediocre (even though he followed suggestions from the servers). He thought that since Keller was from California - he would have fine California wine pairings with the courses. Wasn't the case. IOW - my conclusion about Per Se was world class food - not world class experience. And we didn't know anyone "in the kitchen". Robyn

Thanks. You're talking about a Cuban sandwich. We were thinking of trying those (we lived in Miami for 25 years). If we don't want to take the time to make the pork shoulder (and it would probably be too much for 2 sandwiches ) - is there any kind of prepared pork product we can substitute? For what it's worth - we have Latin American products available here in both large non-ethnic and small ethnic grocery stores. And lots and lots of pork products (the south is full of pork products I'd never seen before I moved here). Robyn

I've mentioned before that on our last trip to New York in October - our favorite restaurant was David Burke & Donatella. Per Se was more competent technically (we ate there too). But we just had an overall better experience at DB&D (could have something to do with the fact that I really hated eating at 5:30 - I like to eat at 8 - not at the early bird special - or that my husband's wine was mediocre - whatever). Seems that other people really like the restaurant too. You can read what eGullet people have said about it here. We only ate once at ADNY - in 2001. It was a fabulous meal - but I don't know what it's like today. Robyn

I only ate once at Nobu. Family gathering. My cousin is a dentist for the chef's kids. And we had a table for 12 in the back - 8 pm on a Friday night (usually a difficult or impossible reservation). "Chef's choice" dinner. Outstanding meal. But I would not be surprised if it helped to have friends in the kitchen to get that kind of meal. And one shouldn't need to have friends in the kitchen to get a great meal at a very expensive supposedly great restaurant. By the way - we had a totally mediocre meal at Wolfgang Puck's in Beverly Hills too. People I've spoken to with "friends in the kitchen" there have had different experiences. Robyn

Thanks for those kind thoughts. It is especially hard on us because we simply haven't had time to grieve - or even take a deep breath. And now we have to deal with my Dad - 87 (but in good physical and mental health). As hard as it is on us - it's harder on him - because he's lost his life companion of 62 years. So we will try our best to deal with the living now - the last of our 4 parents - because that's more important than dealing with the dead. And - like you - I will note in response to a question that The Griddler has 2 sets of plates - one with ridges - one without (not one reversible set of plates). Both sets go into the dishwasher - and are extremely easy to clean. Robyn

I don't know why he quoted you - but I think his point was simply - if you think it's overpriced - don't buy it. No one's breaking your arm. The main complaint my husband voices is when he trusts the staff recommendations for wine (and he always does in high end restaurants) - and they wind up serving him mediocre (or worse) wine. This happened to him both at Jean Georges (terrible bottle - just awful tasting stuff) and Per Se (several mediocre wines by the glass). But not at ADNY (terrific bottle). He can hardly ever remember the names of anything (and who can - with so many thousands and thousands of wines) - so he doesn't know if he's overpaying. He just knows what's good - and what isn't. By the way - I agree with the recommendations about cocktails. We both usually have a martini before dinner. They are almost always a good value. I also recommend champagne (I don't drink still wine but I do like champagne). There are fewer bottles to remember - one acquires a general idea of that they cost - and one can pick a bottle one likes that one considers fairly priced. Robyn

I've had Marmoleum for about 10 years. Mine is black with slight hints of other colors running through it. I strip it and reapply the finish coat (2 coats) once or twice a year. If I didn't do the whole floor - well it wouldn't look right. It would look uneven. Note that I have a very bright kitchen (lots of light from windows and fixtures). Perhaps if you used a lighter color - or have less light in your kitchen - it wouldn't be as noticeable. Robyn

I've been a little down lately. Father-in-law died in late December. My Mom died a couple of weeks ago. So I figured I needed a new "toy" to play with - try to cheer myself up. Bought a Griddler by Cuisinart (at Linens 'n Things with a 20% off coupon). So far - my husband and I have worked with it on a simple project: trying to make the perfect grilled cheese (and the tomato soup to go with it). And this weekend we turned out a version that - although perhaps not definitive - was pretty darned good. It seems like a competent small appliance. Do any of you have one? What do you like making with it? And how do you make it? The only negative I've seen so far is that the recipes in the recipe book that came with the thing don't seem to give the best instructions about the best heat levels. So we've had to experiment. Now I don't mind experimenting with old moldy bread to make grilled sandwiches - but I'd prefer not to ruin more expensive things 4 times before getting it right . Robyn

I have Marmoleum - and it's fine as long as you don't mind stripping and waxing floors (I do) - and you don't do things like walk on it with high heels (I don't). It's a very soft surface (which has advantages - and disadvantages). Robyn

I ate at David Burke & Donatella in New York and thought it was great. Let us know if/when the place opens in Naples. I don't get to southwest Florida too often these days - but I'll make a point of trying the place when it opens. It's easier for me to get to Naples than New York . Robyn

OK - I am sure I will make a total botch of this - but I'll try. There's a county fair here in north Florida every year (Clay County) where they have an exhibit of old (but working) machines. One is a machine for grinding corn - perhaps late 19th century - early 20th century. It's kind of like a conveyor belt. The stuff that comes out at the beginning is very fine - cornmeal. The stuff in the middle is grits (which are then prepared in traditional manner by volunteers wearing settler garb). The stuff at the end is garbage - chicken feed. Perhaps I have the conveyor belt backwards - but that's the idea. No additives - like lye. It's just a question of grinding corn - and using the different degrees of grind for different things. I'm sure there are more specialized machines these days - and perhaps different ways of preparing stuff - but if you want to see the way it used to be done - go to the Clay County Fair . Robyn

yuba is often referred to in English as tofu skin, it is the skin that is pulled off the pot of soy milk as it is being heated to make tofu. It is also probably one of my favorite foods.... ← Do you have a favorite place to eat it in Kyoto? We will be staying in Osaka for 6 days - and using it as a base to see both Osaka and Kyoto. The only restaurants we rule out are those where my husband would have to eat sitting on the floor with his legs crossed (he has a bad back - and a bad knee - and - even if I could get him into that position - I could never get him out of it ). Robyn

"Of course" wasn't the first thing that came to mind when I saw the picture . Exactly what is it? Robyn

I went to Casa Tua last year and have written about it here before several times. Here's what I last wrote: "By far the best restaurant I've gone to on Miami Beach is Casa Tua (if you look it up - I'm sure you can find a bunch of articles about it). Classical high class Italian. Fits the bill for something like a big deal birthday. The patio is very romantic and I recommend it with 2 caveats. First - if it rains - you'll be out of luck unless for some reason there's a vacant table inside (unlikely). Second - the patio is very tropical and you can wind up with no-see-um bites on your ankles if they're bare. The inside is nice - but I'm glad I took my chances with the patio (no rain - but even lots of ankle bug bites didn't make me regret my decision). By the way - it's a very expensive restaurant - but - after London - heck - nothing in the US looks outrageous to me . Reservations are mandatory. Robyn"

Thanks for all the information (from everyone). I'm just following a lot of threads here in the Japan section for ideas. When it gets closer to the time for our trip - I might have some questions about the places that have been mentioned. What is shochu? Robyn

I disagree about Robuchon. I first ate at Jamin over 20 years ago when it had one Michelin star. What he was doing then might not have been shocking - like Duchamp's urinal. And - although it was certainly stuff that looked like food - it certainly wasn't traditional French cuisine. I'm not sure how much deviation from the mean is required to call something "avant garde" - but I think Robuchon's cuisine back then qualified. By the way - I don't think Patricia Wells was joined at the hip with Robuchon then - I don't recall the 2 names ever being mentioned in the same sentence. I do agree with your sentiments concerning the financial differences between food and the other arts. And - in fact - I think I had a similar discussion with several people here when discussing a possible trip to the Fat Duck. I love to experiment when it comes to art - music - literature - and - to a lesser extent- theater - because theater can be pretty expensive. And not only are you talking about a much smaller investment in terms of money - you're also talking about a lot less time. If I walk into a gallery to see an exhibit of works by a new artist - and I absolutely hate it - I can walk out in 5 minutes. If I love it - I can stick around for an hour or two. You can't do that with high end restaurants. Note that are some things that seem so compelling to me in the arts that I will go out of my way to see them (like the Louisiana Museum in Denmark or the Nasher Museum in Dallas). But these places are few and far between - and I usually know enough about them before I visit them to know that I won't be disappointed. Robyn P.S. This is a really a response to 2 different messages. Got the quotes jumbled up.

I've been to a lot of restaurants where the plates were more interesting than the food on them. Although I prefer restaurants where the food is worthy of the plates - and vice versa. Robyn (design addict)

No one can make me feel bad about my cooking. I eat at enough fine restaurants to know that I'm far from a world class chef - and at enough lousy restaurants to know that I'm not half bad . Moreover - my husband and I don't define who we were are by our cooking. It's simply a way to put a decent meal on the table when we don't feel like going out - or when we'd like to have some people over. IOW - we're in the middle - between the home delivery pizza crowd - and the artisan home cooks. Probably like a lot of people here. And I doubt after 35 years of marriage that we're going to change. Still - if I can say something here that might induce someone to try something at home that they're afraid to try because doing it all from scratch seems too hard - I will. Along those lines - I suspect you read Mark Bittman's column in the NYT this week about using frozen veggies for cooking. It was a great column. Because it's easier to keep bags of frozen veggies in the freezer and whip stuff up at the last minute than it is to run to the grocery store at 7:00 pm because you need to find some fresh peas. I in fact not only have a great recipe for spring pea soup from frozen peas - but it calls for all the bits of leftovers (you can mix the bag ends from English peas - snap peas - snow pea pods - whatever). If I ever find Bittman's email address - I'll send it to him. Anyway - enough philosophy - I'm not sure what you mean when you say that the problem with a pie crust is that "the custard is too shallow to cook properly and still maintain a crisp crust." Are you talking about a crisp crust on the pasty - or the custard? I assume the pastry - but I'm not sure. With regard to the ring mold - people here have said that it's 2". Do you fill it all the way to the top? I measured the Mrs. Smith's pie crust filled to the top (which I do) - it's a bit over 1 5/8". Like I said - my instructions (passed down from a friend) call for partially pre-baking the pie crust before putting the custard in. I use frozen pie crusts for several things - including pies - and all the recipes I have call for anything from no baking to complete baking of the crust before putting the filling in (different fillings have different cooking times - but you always want the crust to be as nicely done as possible). As long as we're talking about crust - what does everyone here do with the cheese? I buy blocks of cheese and put cubes in the food processor and grind them up with the metal blade until they're like little pebbles. If there are 20 people here following this thread - I'm sure you do it 20 different ways. How do you do it? Robyn

Don't be silly! That makes as much sense as a Cuban restaurant called something like 'Versailles'! Oops-there already is one-in California of course ← The most famous Cuban restaurant in Miami is named "Versailles" too. Robyn