Sandra Levine

Yes, my first choice, too -- not just for the food, but for the attitude toward it: an expression of the redeeming power of food, as art and sustenance and therefore, true spirituality contrasted with the spiritual emptiness of the "religious" true believers. It's one of my favorite movies.

There was an episode of the Alfred Hitchcock tv series in which a woman murdered her husband by bludgeoning him with a frozen leg of lamb and then neatly disposed of the weapon by roasting it and serving it to the investigating detectives.

Gourmet Garage has started selling Peet's Coffee & Tea -- never before available in NYC, according to an ad in Wednesday's NY Times. I'm eager to try it after all the good things I've heard.

For a special treat, try the Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. sheep's milk (naturally) yogurt sold here and there in fancy grocers. It's thick and rich, almost more like sour cream than yogurt and much too expensive.

A have a couple of recipes for Beer Rye Bread that I haven't yet made. Sounds hearty, to say the least. A Google search for beer bread turns up many more. It would probably be good with the brats described above.

Years ago I saw "swamp rabbit" for sale in a fish store on Cape Cod (can't remember which town, but mid-Cape).

I use Maille Dijon Originale straight out of the jar for a very simple fish preparation: just spread the mustard over thin fish filets, and broil without turning them over. Sprinkle some capers over the fish and serve with lemon. Or, use chopped fresh cilantro and lime. Delicious with roasted cauliflower. The same technique works equally well, with a completely different taste, using mayonnaise. You may need to use a lower temperature than usual and/or move the fish farther from the flame to avoid burned spots on the mustard or mayonnaise. I usually line a Le Creuset low-sided casserole with aluminum foil for this, so I don't even have a broiling pan to clean.

I wasn't "comparing" the two rooms or restaurants, but providing an example of the way the New York City Landmarks Law works.

Do you mean Pommery?

Nineteen or twenty eGulleteers enjoyed the food and each other's company at China 46 on April 7. Twelve courses, including an assortment of five cold appetizers, ensured that no one got up from the table (four hours after we sat down) hungry. The consensus seemed to be that the best dish was the pepper and salt shrimp in shell -- lightly fried, cooked to perfection -- edible, shell and all. Rail Paul said after that dish that he's waiting for the 40 virgins to lead him into paradise. Those of us new to China 46 found it to be everything those who knew it had promised -- extraordinary versions of dishes found elsewhere and other dishes none of us has encountered before. The menu is on the China 46 planning thread on this board, so I won't repeat it here. Even Tommy shared his wine --(well, Rosie sneaked his bottle away when he wasn't looking.) Many different beers were brought and shared, as well as Prosecco and Extra Dry Champagne. I drank too much and am too tired to be able to write a coherent report, so I hope others will elaborate. It was great fun -- both the food and the company. Oh yes. I've mentioned the high point, so I may as well mention the low point. Only one course, steamed fish, did not reach the heights of the others. It was described as sea bass, but tasted more like muddy catfish to some palates, at one table. The other table did not seem to have the same problem. Toward the end of our banquet, Cecil brought the entire kitchen crew out to meet us. We gave them an enthusiastic round of applause. What were other favorite dishes? Moments? Oh yes, the dumplings, the dumplings -- but which ones? The spicy capsicum cellophane noodles. Cecil brought out a small dish of the golden pepper oil for us to smell and taste plain. I don't know if this an infused oil or an oil actually pressed from the peppercorns, but it is a long, slow build-up and a deep, subtle warmth. A great evening.

Gougeres are small savory cheese puffs, similar to the shell of cream puffs, but with cheese added to the dough before baking. They are not generally filled with anything but air.

LOL

Well, nobody is actually going to come out and say that they are ordering it for status, but if that is the case -- in NYC, it is, (unless they order bubbles) then ice does not defeat the purpose.

Correction: NYC's Landmarks Commission was formed following the destruction of Penn Station, which certainly was a wake-up call. England does have very fine programs to preserve and protect its landmarks -- the National Trust, which owns certain sites and opens them to the public and English Heritage, which identifies additional sites and confers recognition on them. In NYC, and it may be true in London, as well, use is not protected. In the vast majorityof designations, only the exterior of the building is the designated landmark and the owner can do whatever he or she pleases inside. Even if an interior is protected, as is, for example, the Four Seasons Restaurant in the Seagram Building, which is also designated, the use is not protected. Should the owners decide to close the restaurant and lease the space to another business, they could, but that business would not be able to alter the interior (except for the movables, like furniture, which are not protected) without taking receiving permission from the Landmarks Commission. In most cases, for major work, a hearing is held, during which the public is invited to submit testimony concerning the proposal. I don't know how it works in England or if the Connaught is even a listed property and how that would affect the restaurant. I'll try to find out more.

They are just cream puff pastry with cheese added. Very easy to do if you press them out with a pastry bag rather than fumbling with two spoons. Malawry - taramasalata is very good with endive as you've described.

Wow! Great report, Steve. Good to hear from you again. It sounds as if Charleston has changed a lot since Alan and I went there 25 years ago. Getting a decent meal was not easy. There were only a couple of decent hotels, and the food at ours (don't remember the name) was extremely bland and generic. We were sent by locals to a place downtown that made its own "limehouse" sausage for breakfast, but by the time we got there, they had stopped making it and were serving only a commercial brand. The grits were good, though, for those who like grits. Charleston was beautiful and still a little rundown. There wasn't much money, but people still had their houses and silver. I was very impressed by the architecture and ambiance. I'm sure that by now it has been restored to a fault.

Generic term for Microplane

You need register with The New York Times only once, not for each article you choose to read. I have found it to be worthwhile.

William Grimes likes the food: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/03/dining/03NEW.html

What happened to the recession?

Ditto on the dough scraper. I like my rasp handy, too, in addition to most of the other stuff every has mentioned.

We experienced the bottled water shakedown taken to a new level last week at Sapori d'Ischia, one of Queens' best Italian restaurants. When offered either still or sparkling, we instead requested regular tap water and were out and out refused, on the grounds of "It's the restaurant's policy." So we stuck to our wine and are re-considering further patronage. (Our waiter somehow managed to find us a half-bottle of water, for which we were not charged, but he had to sneak it to us, or pretended to.)

Thanks for posting the recipe. I will definitely try it.

Oh, no. Something Sweet's macaroons are much better than the canned Passover varities, which are all based on coconut and artifically flavored. Simething Sweet offers genuine almond-paste based macaroons that come in flavors like mocha, vanilla and lemon. They come as a petite sandwich, rounded sides out, the exterior gently crisp, but the whole cookie melting in the mouth after the slightest nutty resistance. There's something I love about canned Passover macaroons, too, but it has more to do with nostalgia.

Well?