laniloa

More importantly, will you personally deliver some free hot chocolate to me at work? I could really use some cause its too cold during my commute.

I'm jumping on the soup wagon with you guys. It makes such a fabulous lunch at the office. Last weekend was chicken tortilla very similar to recipe already posted upthread. Not exactly the classic style you may have in mind, but I just finished a hot-and-sour chicken noodle soup adapted from a Cooking Light recipe from a couple of years ago. Soften banh pho in boiling water, drain, rinse in cold water, place in serving dishes. Top with bunch of spinach leaves and cilantro. Sweat a large onion adding about an inch chunk of ginger and 2 cloves minced garlic. Add 6 cups chicken stock, juice of 3 limes, zest of 1 lime, 2 Tbs brown sugar, 1 Tbs fish sauce, 2 tsp green curry paste, dash of chili sauce, 14 oz light coconut milk, 1 can bamboo shoots. Bring to boil and then simmer about half an hoour or until your house smells amazing. Add a slurry of 1Tbs cornstarch and 1Tbs water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 pound chicken breast sliced into thin strips and cook through. Ladle over noodles.

I was a camp counselor one summer. A factor in taking the job were dixie cups for snack each afternoon. But I like the vanilla and chocolate ones, not the strawberry. Nathan's french fries. I like the hot dogs too, but mostly they are just the cover to call it a meal and eat the fries.

Add another vote for the hanger or the flank steak. Besides, what do you have to lose? If it isn't everything we promise you it is, you'll just have to go back and try the filet!

Nope. But sounds like you are suggesting I add it to my list this winter.

Oyamel's hot chocolate isn't overly sweet and has some kick to it. Go to Ceiba and get the churros with hot chocolate. Talk them into making a big cup of the chocolate instead of just a dipping cup. Of course, not too nice to consume this next to a South Beacher, but he can have some wonderful ceviche to make up for it. Let Bank Cafe on Wisconsin near Friendship Hts. Thick, wonderful stuff.

I prefer to let the creaminess come from the rice itself. Sometimes, I even skip the parm. I know, crazy. I look forward to trying your tomato recipe. It sounds wonderfully fresh. I'm into roasted squash, roasted asparagus and lemon, and pesto as add-ins these days. Not all once. I also like to toast the rice a little longer then typical to give a nutty flavor to it. That works really well with squash. I typically use arborio.

I particularly liked her comment that Condeleeza Rice had not been seen out this week. Gee, I wonder what could be keeping her busy?

Excellent news. I may have to work out of our Silver Spring office more often. Michael -- keep us posted on the progress so that we can properly welcome you to the neighborhood.

I had a magical dinner at the Fearrington House when I was in school. Of course, I can't comment on whether it was the food or the companion but I remember the evening fondly. The setting is absolutely beautiful. The servers were very gracious, never batting an eye at our young age. I look forward to hearing how it is now.

I've gone to poetry readings at Iota and the food was much better then I expected from a low frills bar. However, they serve red wine not just room temperature warm, but hot. You've got Minh's very tasty Vietnamese north of Iota on Wilson and Boulevard Woodgrill across the street. And I know what you mean, NoVa throws me.

← Actually, the Coca-cola brined turkey is a tipoff...Pepsi ponied up $100,000 to the inauguration so they'd need at least half the brine. Or maybe they can use Pepsi to glaze the hams.

I grew up on LI and when I was maybe 8 years old my mom took me to tea at the Plaza after going to the Museum of Natural History. It was a wonderful adventure. I remember being in total awe of the ornate room and the elaborate service. It was definitely a fairy tale moment my mom and I both enjoyed.

I could go for that. What time? ← I plan on being there around 545p ← OK. Things seem to be calming down at the office and I should be able to get out at a reasonable time. Of course, I've probably just killed any chance of that happening by typing it here!

I could go for that. What time?

Went with friends to Mendocino Grille last night and had a great dinner. The entire menu was available with a couple of surcharges. Some of us arrived early for a drink but the bar was full. They graciously offered to seat us then so that we could still enjoy the drink and the bar patrons wouldn't be crowded. Duck bacon, wild boar sauasage, marlin, persimmon sorbet -- excellent combinations of texture and taste.

Any chance of doing a Q&A with Judy Havemann so that we can welcome her properly? As for the section, I agree with previous posters about recipes and features from area chefs. I've enjoyed some of the stories challenging area chefs with certain tasks and I'd like to hear more about their own cooking choices as well as some of these gimmicks (using that word in a good way). I find myself checking various resource guides over the year -- cooking classes, farmers markets, pick your own fruit -- and would welcome more of this sort of theme piece. Where to get loose tea, quality chocolate, dry aged meat, hard to find spices, knife sharpening, etc.

Just back from a great meal at Corduroy. They certainly seemed busier then I've seen them (every table filled) so I'm guessing RW works well for them. They definitely do it right -- offer the entire menu with a couple of surcharges for higher priced dishes. It was the first time my friends had been to Corduroy or out for RW. They couldn't figure out why RW happens but were more then happy to just keep ordering. We all got dishes that have been raved about in the Corduory thread but the highlight was one guy's reaction to the pineapple sorbet. He kept saying how unbelievable it was and that it put him on the beach in Hawaii. You can't argue with that! Bilrus -- Corduroy, Tosca, Cafe 15 would all make great lunch choices in that general area.

I'm putting myself in their hands Wednesday night. Tonight I'll be introducing some friends to Coruroy.

I thought some of it was also a status thing -- the honor of being able to enjoy the best sushi, first sushi of the new year. I did a quick search but could find the article, but I remember that the first toro of the new millenium went for something ridiculous like $25 a bite. It was a very pricey fish.

I've heard that the Post is going to run a story tomorrow listing local fundraising events.

There's one at 64 Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan (Financial District) and one opening in Februray in Midtown at 535 8th Avenue. ← Excellent -- I'll be not far from the midtown location early March.

I love the flavor alae salt adds to simple vegetable sautes and sprinkled over fresh tomato in summer. Rather then add salt to a vinaigrette, I'll sprinkle the alae over the dressed salad so that I get the flavor and crunch. Rub it with cracked pepper over a nice cut of meat and roast.

In the US, measures are being taken to reverse the decline of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod. Abundance of other groundfish stocks has increased quite a lot from record lows in the 1990s. Depending on who you talk to the measures go too far or not far enough. It is being litigated. While we may see stocks fished to commercial extinction (the point where it is no longer profitable to catch them -- fuel, salaries, equipment costs exceed price of catch) this would happen before biological extinction. The Canadian cod are there, just not in numbers that can yield a sustainable catch.

Where are they in NYC? I get there more often then I get back to Hawaii and would love to get a fix on my next trip.