LaNiña

Thanks for such a post. But it makes me oh so sad.

Oh Suzanne, I've been wondering about Sophie's. Do tell.

I like New York Noodletown. Ollie's is okay if you can't get someplace else. I had two lousy Ping's experiences last month but prior to that I loved it.

That new diet coke with lemon is truly vile. I love pecan sandies. Nobody ever talks about pecan sandies. How about those mini-oreos? I like those.

Okay, I'll bite. DiFara Pizza Sripraphai Sahara Rainbow Falafel New Green Bo (although lately I haven't been thrilled) - somebody jump in with more Chinatown stuff... plus Banh Mi in Sunset Park - An Dong is the best I think sandwiches at Dafonte's in Red Hook (to die for, truly)

YES. And he wants to be comfortable in his work environment.

And of course we can move right into how people are dressing down more and more, even in the "fancy digs." Grrrrrrrrr.

I thought about that too. But so many people I spoke to pointed me back to the IWC class, it seemed the thing to do. And really, anyway, if you find some place which reviews the courses, how are you going to know if it's truly objective, or whether or not there is some behind-the-scenes affiliation?

Yes, that's pleasant, but it ain't cold beet borscht. You'd have to call it cream beet cold soup or something.

So glad it's a hit! It *is* straight from my Hungarian grandmother. She didn't have a big repertoire, but this was near the top of the list. Good paprikash, too, and stuffed peppers...

Ah, FG, you're one of those, are you?

You mean *jewish* haggis, right? The pedant in me can't help but say it. Yiddish is a language.

I've made cholent in August too. Meshigeh. Kishke is stuffed derma.

Oh god don't blend the sour cream in a blender with the beets. Serve the sour cream on the side. It's gorgeous, that dollop in the middle as the white bleeds into the red...

Peel and halve the cucumbers lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Slice thin. Squeeze out what liquid you can. Add salt, white vinegar, sugar, white pepper, paprika, sour cream, a crushed clove of garlic, a small white thinly sliced onion. Do it ahead of time a bit, so it can sit. OR...same but with no sour cream, and add plenty of dill.

cucumber salad (with or without sour cream) cold red beet salad actually maybe a nice cold borscht to start? you want recipes?

Who the hell is "they?" I can buy fantastic ground meat if I want to. It's still a totally different experience than the un-ground version.

I haven't been to this restaurant yet, but it has a very good reputation so far. Slope Cellars is a good shop, too. The Minnow Rose Festival > In Collaboration with Slope Cellars and Douglas Polaner Selections > Monday, July 15th 7:00 PM > $60 + tax + gratuity > > Scallop Ceviche on Pita Chips > Fried Salt Cod Fritters, Creme Fraiche > Sliced Heirloom Tomatoes with Rossos' Mozzarella, Calamari Noodles > Renardat-Fache Cerdon de Bugey "Cuvee 2001" > A clean sparkling Rose made from Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais) with local grapes, in the foothills of the Alps. A zippy wine with hints of raspberry. > > Chilled Cucumber Soup w/Grilled Prawns and Garlic Croutons > Bart Marsannay Rose 2001 > Vin Gris made from 100% Pinot Noir from the Burgundy region of France. Rich, long flavors, meduim to full bodied. > > BBQ Halibut with Sweet Carrot and Cabbage Slaw, White Truffle Potato Salad, Roasted Pepper Coulis, > Corn on the Cob Cooked in Buttermilk > Cantalupo "Il Mimo" Rosato 2001 > Well extracted Rose made from Nebbiolo in Piedmont, land of the white truffle. Deep textured, full of cherry and spice. > > Sweet Musk Melon Soup w/Lime Sorbet and Spicy Ginger Cookies > Perrone Bigero "Cuvee 2001" > A sparkling Rose made by blending Moscato and Brachetto, also in Piedmont. Highly aromatic with a bittersweet finish. > > Reservations - (718) 832-5500 > The Minnow > 9th Street at 7th Avenue > Brooklyn, NY 11215 >

I am a steak lover and an experience steak eater. Ditto for hamburgers. Sometimes I want a burger, period. I absolutely do not buy the steak is better argument. A great burger is a great thing. And it's completely different - I don't even understand the need for comparison. I could understand comparing different cuts of steak, or different qualities of beef within a category, but not this. It makes no sense to me. It's like comparing poached salmon to a salmon burger.

I had lunch at J-G last month, and it was a delight all the way around.

I have one of those old fashioned meat grinders that mounts onto a table/counter like a vice. I love it. The worst is when I have overground the meat - by doing it too much, or too fine. I always go coarser than I think, and I'm always glad.

Yes, it's like giving someone a compliment when you say you think they have good taste. That just means that their taste is similar to yours. Or what you aspire to.

I'm interested in reading bulletin boards, like this one, that are wine focused. Any recommendations? thanks.

But the only reason a diamond is "interesting or compelling" is because the marketeers TOLD you it is. And that's the only thing that determines their cost (and worth, in this case, in my opinion). Plotnicki, if you argued about things you actually know about it, well, then you'd actually be arguing about things you know about.

Metals are a great example, thanks, Jordyn. I was in the fine jewelry business for years (still dabble). Diamonds are not scarce, yet they cost a helluvalot. And that's because of an artificial market, a syndicate, and some very good marketing/brainwashing. The cost of a diamond is only what the market, and human foolishness, will allow. I personally would never waste a penny on a real diamond, but does that mean a diamond has no objective worth? For some people, spending thousands of dollars on a diamond is certainly worth it, because it has meaning. For me, knowing that even the big experts are hard-pressed to tell the good fakes from the real thing makes the idea of spending money on a diamond as ridiculous a thing as I can imagine (suckers!). It's the same with wine for some people. We had this discussion in that fine food vs. flute discussion. Worth is determined by what something is worth to an individual or group of individuals. Cost is determined by what the market will bear.