Varmint

I prefer Eastern style that is done properly, primarily because you get a good mix of the light and dark meats. The problem is that there are so few decent places that cook an entire pig. There are far more decent Western-style places, simply because it's much easier to cook shoulders, and when done correctly with a simple sauce and a light hand, they can be equally smoky and almost as tasty!

Don't push it! And the respective vendors will likely serve the appropriate sides wth their barbecue, so there can be a slaw degustation, too, if you please.

Today's Raleigh News & Observer had a story today that Raleigh will host a barbecue festival in October. This ain't no ordinary festival, however, as many of you know that North Carolina is no ordinary barbecue state. Here, we have a long, divisive tradition of barbecue. Places east of Raleigh make what is referred to as "Eastern Style" barbecue, which is whole hog slowly cooked over wood and sauced with a vinegar and hot pepper sauce. To the west is the domain of "Western Style," also known as "Lexington Style" barbecue, which is generally pork shoulders or butts slowly cooked over wood and served with a vinegar and pepper sauce with a bit of ketchup and, sometimes, sugar added. Honestly, there are more similarities between the styles than there are differences, but our State General Assembly has actually argued about which barbecue is better or the "official" style of North Carolina. The Tar Heel Barbecue Classic will be held in my fair city, where we don't even have a good barbecue restaurant. However, because we're pretty much neutral ground and the unofficial dividing line between the styles, it makes sense to have this event here. A great thing about the festival is this: the vendors selling eastern style Q will set up on the eastern side of Fayetteville Street, and the western style vendors will be on -- you guessed it -- the western side. So let the debate begin on these fine pages of the eG Forums until the true judging occurs on October 6 and 7.

Actually, it's this summer. June 29 to be exact. Of course, a couple of the L'il Varmints are quite anxious to see it.

The Moore Square Farmers Market in downtown Raleigh operates on Wednesdays from 10:30 until 2. It's a small market, but the produce is great, the prepared foods are top-notch, and the vendors are committed to making it work. Well, it appears that traffic has been slow, causing some to be concerned about the future of the market. It would be tragic if this venture does not succeed, as the market is truly committed to local farmers and artisans. So, what do you like about the MSFM? What don't you like? What messages could be sent to its Board that you think would increase the numbers of customers?

Brawny Pick a Size. With kids, it saves the amount of paper towels we use.

Starbucks also has contributed generously to Reconcile New Orleans and its restaurant/training grounds, Cafe Reconcile.

Potatoes -- hash browns, oven-roasted, even mashed -- taste better with duck fat. I'm lucky that a chef friend supplies me with all the duck fat I need. And I need a lot!

And phlawless is too modest to mention that she is "Scratch Baking." I purchase two of her tarts (strawberry/ricotta and chocolate/sea salt) plus two of her pot pies last week, and needless to say, they were fantastic. She uses local ingredients whenever possible (no local chocolate right now), and the taste is top-notch. This farmers market is a wonderful step forward for Raleigh. It may not be the biggest or with the most variety, but it's a wonderful scene with very committed vendors. And, of course, with great pie!

Actually, I think this is very important, Doc. My local Whole Foods does a great job with this, as they'll slice several pieces of meat, and then separate them with that thin tissue-like paper from the next several slices. They keep doing this so that at most you'll only have four or five slices that stick together. They also tare the scales based on the amount of paper they use, so it all works out. I used to see them do this only when they sliced the prosciutto paper-thin, but they do it with my thicker turkey, too. I love it!

Kathy Purvis of the Charlotte Observer had an article discussing the effects of the cold weather on North Carolina's growing wine industry: Click here for the article

Yes, I could be overcooking the juice, but not the clams. I generally use littlenecks or cherrystones. The other thing I may be doing is starting with too much liquid. Using a very hot pan as Sam suggests may be the ticket.

I certainly finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. After cooking the clams, I remove them into a bowl (and generally remove the clams from the shells). I collect all that juice and return it to the pan. I've used lots of garlic and parsley (and sometimes basil). I'll reduce those juices. It's still not the super-flavorful taste I want. Maybe I'm just not getting good clams (slthough we get them trucked in from the coast 3-4 times a week).

Every time I've made this dish with fresh clams only, I just don't end up with enough clam flavor. I could have 60 clams in the pot, steam them, save the resulting juice, reduce it, and it still doesn't taste right. Why oh why?

What started as a discussion of a mediocre representation of linguine with white clam sauce at a NYC restaurant led to a thread on the best dish in the city. What I want to know is the best way to make the version at home. I've found that even when making this dish with fresh clams, I still need to add some clam juice to get the flavor I want. Is that just because I'm overly used to that salty jarred flavor or is that because it's just what the dish needs? C'mon, help me out on this.

Yes, the linguine was also my least favorite dish, even though it looked as if it would be great. I agree that we should start a new topic on the keys to good clam sauce.

Here's a few more pictures. The ultra-chocolate pancakes at Annie's. Proper technique for eating a soup dumpling at New Green Bo. Platters of food at Tony's di Napoli. Fat Guy contemplating whether or not to share any dessert.

We pretty much have the same rules, Heather, but I think the host can set whatever rules he/she wants. Of course, if the host is a rule dictator, then there may not be many repeat guests!

Of course, it may be wrong to assume that sock-covered feet that have been in warm shoes carry any less bacteria. I think the host sets the rules, and it's simple as that. If the guests don't like the rules, they won't come back again.

A return visit to Annie's for Saturday breakfast (apple pancakes and pumpkin waffles -- mmmmm) was followed by our single worst meal in the city. Some deli across the street from the Carnegie Deli had room for us, and we were in a bit of a hurry. Well, let's just say that this place ain't Katz's, and it wasn't cheap, either. It was a complete rip-off, and I'm glad I can't recall the name -- wait, it was Ben Ash's or something like that. My daughter -- the picky one -- made the mistake of ordering ravioli in a deli -- well, they were hard as a rock and had freezer burn on them. My mushroom barley soup was flavorless. Pickles were limp and lifeless. Just not a good place. Dinner at Tony di Napolis was surprisingly good. We went with Fat Guy and his family, and we had a great time. Mozzarella and tomatoes were very good (the tomatoes actually had flavor). Caesar salad was crisp and not overdressed (we asked for it lightly dressed). We then had shrimp scampi, linguini with white clams, ravioli di Napoli, chicken parm, veal saltimbocca. Maybe another dish, but I can't recall. Dessert was a huge chocolate cake/ice cream thingy and a sweet strawberry shortcake. Oh, we also got some mini-canolis and a brownie sundae. Really, it was pretty darned good, and I'd go back. I have a picture on my home computer that I'll load later. So, we're home now, having had a great trip. My kids got to eat at an authentic deli, an authentic Chinatown restaurant, classic NY pizza, Belgian food, Peruvian chicken, great bagels, a top-notch NYC dining institution, NYC diners, and, of course, they had lots of egg creams. I'm learning how to make them, as I came home with several bottles of U-Bet syrup. More importantly, we came home with lots of memories. Thanks everyone!

Breakfast was bagels and muffins in the apartment, and lunch was some no-name, quickie pasta/panini/pizza place in Midtown. Actually, it was pretty good. We had dinner at B. Cafe, a fairly new Belgian place on 75th Street. The moules frites were loved by my wife and oldest son, and I REALLY loved the Belgian ales. I mean, LOVED them! Tomorrow is our last day in the city. The kids have requested a return to Annies for breakfast. Lunch is an unknown, but dinner is going to be at Tony di Napolis on the UES. Local friends who have never been before will be joining us. We're not expecting a great culinary experience, but it should be lots of fun.

Breakfast in the apartment, lunch at Mars 2112 (food not as awful as it could have been). We then worked our way down to Soho and stopped at Otto for dessert. They initially told us we had to stand in the bar area, but when they saw my 6-year old's head didn't even reach the top of the tables, they graciously gave us a table. Olive oil, lemon lavendar and hazlenut were my choices of gelati, but I really loved their caramel -- more like an uber-brown caramel with an initial bit of bitterness followed by a great richness. We then joined some friends for dinner at New Green Bo, where we sampled all kinds of great things. We're dead tired, as it was cold and windy (and yes, we got a bit of that snow!). Tomorrow is a matinee at the New Victory Theater. Meals? I haven't a clue.

SHOPPING! Bagels and chocolate croissants in the apartment, followed by a long walk down Madison Ave. to satisfy my pre-teen daughter's shopping angst. We'll likely hit Mars 2112. Chinatown this evening.

The rain today was a pain, as it really limited what we could do. We had a very nice breakfast at Annie's. After spending the morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we had a most lousy lunch at Burger Heaven, where the burgers were far less than heavenly and our waitress could only hope to get to Purgatory. We got take out chicken from Pio Pio, and I have to say that I wish I could take that green sauce home with me. Great stuff. I've also learned to make egg creams, as the kids have become very fond of them. So have I.

Just a couple of photos. Here are the children at Katz's. Maybe we can get them to put this photo on the wall. My daughter's first attempt at a Katz's turkey sandwich. Ah, nothing like a Grimaldi's sausage pie. Note that my 6 year old already has her "folding" technique down.