Holly Moore

"Theory and Practice of Good Cooking" by James Beard. A very solid reference.

Prussan-Persian fusion - I picked up a pack of cooked brats at Trader Joe's the other day, but really didn't want to simply grill em up and throw them on a bun. Had also picked up a box of Sugar Buster's allowable whole wheat couscous. Got to thinking. Sliced and fried up the brats in a little oil til brown on the cut edges. Sauted some mushrooms and an onion. Cooked up a cup of couscous with a cup of water and some butter. Mixed the sliced brats, mushrooms and onions, tossed in the couscous, added a few spurts of balsamic vinegar. Kinda good.

A nostalgia interruption. Anyone remember Matter's (or perhaps Motter's) steak house on Route 22 in, I think, Westfield. I went to Admiral Farragut Academy with the son of the owners, and had many a fine steak there as a result. Have long since lost touch. Would be curious when they closed and if anyone else remembers the place.

Had El Rey Sol build me a custom burrito a couple of days ago - chicken, mushrooms and black beans plus a bit of rice, lettuce, tomato and onion. Not authentic, but damn good. I'm about four blocks away from their new location where I expect to be a regular. Hoping they'll be delivering.

I've been a regular at Sonny D'Angelo's for years and can say two things. I never noticed he wears a toupee. I'm spending all my time checking out the sausages and pates and such. And there is no butcher I know of that cares more about his product. I can trust him with all my meat requirements. That said, and I've told Sonny, I wish he had not switched from the dry aged beef he was carrying (I'm assuming Wells though maybe he ages it himself) to the Wagyu Beef. Dollar for dollar the stuff he used to carry out classes Wagyu and since he's selling the Wagyu for about 50% more than he got for the dry aged beef, I'm not seeing the value. Which sucks, because Sonny D'Angelos is the only butcher I know who was selling aged beef. Not sure if Harry Oaches does. Don't remember seeing it. There's always certified Angus at the Chef's Market. Very good, but not dry-aged. As to fish, I never thought I'd be saying this, but I've switched from buying fresh in the Italian Market to frozen at Trader Joes. The prices can't be beat, and the quality is outstanding.

Whereabouts is that enlightened grocery store?

There is no such thing as a Philly Steak. That's just what out-of-the-area joints aspiring to serve a Cheesesteak or a Steak Sandwich call it. However, here's a good thread from the Pennsylvania Forum on what makes a cheesesteak. What Makes A Good Cheesesteak? I've never cooked one at home, but have gulped down more than my allotment of them hereabouts. I think if I were making my version I'd slice the steak thicker and attempt to approach medium rareness. And I'd have to buy some CheezeWhiz which would be a first for my pantry. Not that there's anything wrong with that as it's for a good cause.

The fault lies not in Grimes but rather in the those who follow his or any other critic's reviews. Grimes has no power save the power that his readers give him.

Greetings Slobhan ... and welcome to eGullet. Nice you chose the Pennsylvania forum for your first post. Romantic isn't my forte, but top of mind for me is Deux Cheminees - but that might be pushing your budget. CitySearch does both Reader's Picks and Editor Picks for most romantic in Philadelphia. City Search - Most Romantic In Philadelphia. Astral Plane was my second choice, "romance" up the wazoo - so there's some agreement here. Fri Sat Sun is a good restaurant, but a tad crowded for romantic. I am sure some more romantically inclined Philadelphians will have some good suggestions too. If you can get away for breakfast during your stay try Carman's Country Kitchen. Let Carman know it's your anniversary. She'll make it special.

I think of Maine shrimp being very small. Bigger than the tiny salad shrimp, maybe twice the size, but no more than an inch long, probably less. But I have only had them between late spring and early fall. Am I right, or are their bigger Maine shrimp that have eluded me.

Cooked brats, as all have stated, are not as good as fresh. However cooked brats do not require the precooking (simmering in water or beer or seasoned water or beer). That's why they are called cooked brats. Simply toss them on a grill or skillet and cook til heated through. No problem getting fresh brats from Usingers through their website, Usinger's Web Site I've learned to only go to that site after dinner, when I'm stuffed. Otherwise I blow a week's profits on sausages. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Thanks again, Irwin. Curious if out paths have crossed. Knew Kroc and met Simplot. Both cut out of the same mold, which is why Kroc took so quickly to Simplot and the rest is the history that you describe. Some further questions. Measuring Brix. I know how to measure the brix of soft drinks, but how does a restaurant do that with potatoes? And if you happen across the brix for potatoes.... Yukon Golds. Having spent my formative years with McDonald's I'm a believer in long french fries. Not shoestring though. My problem with Yukon Gold potatoes is that they are short and round, resulting in short French Fries and a lot of scrap pieces. My issue with the Belgian places in the US is that they fry up everything. The frites I've remember from a couple of trips through Belgium were nice and long. Rubbens Fryers. What makes them superior? Is it that they cook small batches? An internet search gives the impression that they are expensive - maybe 4 or times more than a heavy duty Keating or Pitco. Is it worth it / necessary for a restaurant that wants to serve a top quality, twice cooked french fry?

Thanks all for the info. I leave bright and early tomorrow morning. Where I get to stop depends on hom merciful the Cross Bronx express deigns to be.

Great info. Thanks. I worked Product Development for McDonald's just as they were changing over from fresh cut to frozen (the first of many operations compromises). Back in the fresh cut days they used to keep mountains of bags of fries in the basement of the stores and would rotate them. I know it had to do with sugar content, but never really understood the process. Could you go into greater detail on the potato storage/curing and the brix? I'm assuming the storage process is to convert some of the starch to sugar. How long should russets be stored and what is the idea brix. In fact, how does a restaurant measure a potato's brix? Marketing has it that Idaho Russets are strictly controlled. Do you know by chance if over irrigation is also a problem with Idaho's? As a side note, I'm amazed that more restaurants don't take the time to fresh fry potatoes.

A neat, picturesque and authentic taco stand in Reading PA's Mexican neighborhood - North 6th Street, on the right, just past Buttonwood and before the railroad overpass. Basic Menu On the counter, a bowl of radishes to eat with your tacos. A much shorter drive than Nueva Laredo.

I'm constantly looking for a no carb, no sugar snack that is neither carrot nor celery. Recently I've fancied brussel sprouts as my snack of choice. A couple of bites each, good sharp flavor to zap my taste buds and fairly filling. I just steam them and toss with butter and plenty of black pepper. Or I get them from Whole Foods prepared food sectin. They marinate them in balsamic vinegar, canola oil and sliced onion.

I'm at La Colombe at least once a week. Often more. Have found their espresso to be totally consistent. Will admit that I get a triple latte as opposed to pure espresso, so I'm may be missing nuances a home roaster / purist who opts for straight espresso might detect.

Yes and no. The meat is great. But I have grown tired of the trend towards oversized burgers that I can't fit in my mouth and that fall apart as I eat them. I understand they have to make it so big to justify the price tag which fits their menu pricing, and still feel it is a very good. But it is just too big to eat comfortably. I do know how to spell Rouge now, though.

CHOCOLATE MILK SHAKE 2 oz Chocolate Syrup 5 oz Milk or Light Cream or whatever 3 #24 Scoops (about 1/2 pint) of a good quality Chocolate Ice Cream (use coffee for a mocha shake or vanilla for black and white) Method 1. The colder everything is, the better, so consider prechilling your mixing container. 2. Add the ingredients to the mixing container in the order shown. 3. Mix at a lower speed to start. Then increase the speeds. My blender has three speeds. Mixing takes about three minutes for silky smooth maybe a little longer. 4. Serve immediately. Makes a 16 oz shake. Keywords: Non-Alcoholic Beverage, eGCI ( RG700 )

BREADED ONION RINGS 4 each Giant yellow onions 2 c Flour 1 tsp White Pepper 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 2 tsp Garlic Powder 2 each Eggs 1 pt Whole Milk Bread Crumbs 1. Peel and slice the onions into 1/4 inch slices. Separate the slices into rings. Put the slices in a bowl of water. (Only use the large ones for onion rings. Use the inner portion of the slices for other things like fried onions for the cheeseburgers.) 2. Prepare the flour mix by combining the flour with the white pepper, cayenne and garlic powder. 3. Prepare the egg wash by combining the eggs and the milk. Buttermilk is a nice substitution. 4. Set up your breading station. Bowl of onions in water to the left, then the seasoned flour, egg wash next, bread crumbs to the right. 5. Using your left hand remove a few onion rings from the water and shake off the excess moisture. Place in the flour. Use your right hand to toss til coated and then transfer to the egg wash. Using your left hand, remove the onion rings from the egg wash and drop into the bread crumbs. Then use your right hand to toss the rings in the bread crumbs until coated and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until all onion rings are breaded. The basic theory is left hand for liquids. Right hand for solids. Keeps your fingers relatively unbreaded 6. Preheat the cooking oil to 350 degrees. Drop the rings into the oil one or two at a time. Cook 1 or 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the fryer and let drain on a paper towel 7. Season lightly with salt (optional) and serve immediately Keywords: eGCI, Side ( RG699 )

FRENCH FRIES 4 Idaho potatoes Salt Cooking oil to fill your frying apparatus. 1. Peel the potatoes. This is optional. I like the clean look of peeled potatoes. Some maintain it is healthier to leave skins on. Some maintain it is easier to leave skins on. Restaurants leave them on because it minimizes the labor cost and improves the yield. 2. Cut the potatoes into fries. I have a french fry cutter that gives me a quarter inch french fry. Others may be able to figure out how to achieve this on a mandoline. Or it's the cutting board and french knife. The goal is a consistently sized, thick french fry. I am not a fan of shoestring cut fries. Too thin to achieve perfection in two step frying. 3. Chill the cut potatoes in cold water for at least two hours. Spin or thoroughly pat dry before cooking so the moisture won't spatter when potato hits the oil. 4. Preheat the oil to 275 degrees for the first cooking. Use a fry thermometer for all temperatures. The proper temperature is crucial. Place the fries into the basket (or in my case the pasta holder and immerse into the oil. Cook for approximately 4 - 5 minutes. If they clump together, separate them with tongs as they are cooking. The object is to cook the fries through, but not to brown them. The fry is cooked when it is the palest of yellows or still white and it is limp. Spread out on paper towels to drain and cool off in the refrigerator 5. Remove the chilled fries from the refrigerator. Preheat the oil to 375 degrees. Place 1 -2 portions in the fry basket and cook to golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from fryer, shake off the excess oil. (Note: If the oil is fresh, the first few batches of fries may not brown well.) 6. Salt to taste and serve immediately Keywords: eGCI, Potatoes ( RG698 )

THE HOT DOG Texas Wiener Sauce 12 oz Ground Beef ½ each Minced Onion - Chop the other half to top the dogs. 2 T Chili Powder 1 tsp Cumin 2 tsp Paprika Salt and pepper to taste. Water as needed (Approximate 2/3 cup) Texas Wiener 4 4 or 5 Count All Beef Hot Dogs - I'm using Usinger's Black Angus 5/Pound 4 Hot Dog Buns, buttered Texas Wiener Sauce Mustard - Your Choice Chopped onion Method for Sauce 1. Brown the ground beef. 2. Stir in all the other ingredients except for the water. 3. Thin with water until reduced about 50 percent. Method for Hot Dog 1. Split the hot dogs, but don't separate the halves 2. Place the split side onto a well heated skillet or griddle. Fry till nicely browned 3. Flip and fry on the other side until done 4. While frying, fry the buttered side of the buns to a golden brown. 5. Assemble the hot dog. Place the dog in the bun. Top generously with Texas Wiener Sauce. Top with chopped onions and mustard. Hot dog common law. The dog goes on the bottom. Everything else on top Keywords: Beef, eGCI ( RG697 )

THE HAMBURGER Sliced Onion (Centers from the Onion Rings - halved and then sliced medium thick) Butter or a butter/cooking oil mix 1-1/4 lb 80% lean ground beef 4 each Hamburger Buns Mustard Salt and Pepper Optional: Fresh sliced tomato, sliced raw onion, grilled bacon. And all manner of cheese and anything else that sounds good. One of my all time favorite chain burgers, Roy Roger's Double R Bar Burger 1. In a skillet, sauté the onions in butter until soft - longer if you wish for a caramelized brown. Remove and set aside. Keep warm. No reason not to fry up a bunch and keep them in the fridge for the next time. Adding some cooking oil to the butter keeps the butter from burning/browning. 2. Form the ground beef into 5 ounce patties. These patties should be loosely packed not firmly pressed into shape. About 1/4" thick. Maybe 3/8". And the diameter of the bun. I'm not a fan of super-sized 8, 10 or 12 ounce burgers. Harder to cook a perfect medium rare and too unwieldy a burger once topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and such. Then again, from his Q&A, Evan Lobel's burgers weigh in at 10-12 ounces. I won't be saying no to one of Butcher Lobel's burgers 3. Pull apart the buns and spread on a light coating of butter. If the butter is cold, slice it thin and spread a few pieces on each side of the bun. By the time to toast the buns, the butter will be soft and spreadable. 4. Preheat a cast iron skillet for the burgers and a second skillet or griddle. Medium high flame for the burgers, medium for the buns. Toss a tablespoon of butter into the burger skillet. You don't need to fry the burgers in butter; the grease from the burger will suffice. But butter seems to bring out the beef's flavor. It's the way I've been doing it since my parents let me near a store. 5. Once the butter has melted, add the burger. The goal is to fry the burger to a medium rare. Nice brown freckled crust on the outside, pink leading to red inside. Since e-coli has become trendy, health departments want the patties to be cooked to medium-well. I've been lucky I guess. Have been eating rare to medium rare burgers all my life and have never once been knocked about by e-coli. But if you're worried, or cooking for kids who are evidently more e-coli prone, grit your teeth and cook the burgers over a lower heat to medium well-done 6. Once the burger is nicely freckled, about three minutes, flip it. Here is where the skillet, as opposed to a griddle, comes in handy. After the burger has cooked on the second side for about a minute, top it with the cheese and cover the skillet. The steam heat will melt the cheese. With a griddle you can achieve the same effect by inverting a stainless steel bowl or if you have it, topping the burger with a pot lid that has some height. 7. After you've flipped the burger, place the buns, buttered side down, onto the second skillet. The goal is to have the entire bun flat against the surface of the skillet. I weight the buns down with a glass casserole lid to get a nice even golden browning. The downside is that this flattens out the buns. Less photogenic, but more drive-in verite. 8. Time to assemble the burger. Cheeseburger onto the bottom (heel) of the bun. Then some of the still warm fried onions. Tomato and onion if so inclined. Spread the mustard on the top (crown) of the bun. Mustard isn't really a northeast thing. You see it mostly in the midwest and the south. Give it a try at least once. 9. Place the crown on the cheeseburger and enjoy Keywords: Beef, eGCI ( RG696 )

Cool. Enjoy and take a pic or two. If you didn't order Usinger's fresh brats this time, do it with your next order. I get the feeling you will be ordering again.

Think the picture pretty much says it all. Did you order their namesake DillyBurger or just a hamburger.