Artichoke

I just received a whole set of these from my sister's as an engagement gift and while I felt guilty, I returned almost all of them. I just do not like drinking wines from these, for all of the reasons mentiond in this thread. I did save a few of them to drink scotch from though. I do like stemless, heavy bottomed bistro glasses for inexpensive, casual wine drinking and picnics, but I'll stick to my Reidel's with stems for everything else.

My all time favorite salad and one of the only salads I will ever order when I am dining out is served at Ouest restaurant here in Manhattan. Slices of smoked sturgeon with frisee, lardons and a poached egg on top. The warm yolk, mixing with the silky smoked sturgeon and salty, smokey lardons, all offset by the crunchy frisee, heaven.

That looks fantastic. I will be very curious to see and read how they turn out. A few questions. First, are the brains in tact? I would imagine thise would be good baked within the skull Second, it looked as if the tongues were still attached to the heads, did you seperate them and cook them seperately or did you bake them along with the heads. Other than poaching or blanched then braised, I would think the tounges would become tough simply baked. I am also curious if the eyes get dried out by simply baking them. Enjoy your feast.

I never travel without mini bottles of Tabasco, I keep them in my toiletry case. While technically not a food item, I also never travel without my flask, usually filled with either Kettle One or Lagavulin. McCormick's black peppercorn grinder and sea salt grinder are good as well.

I personally have not tried this recipe myself, but I have been meaning to for a while. The Amazing Five-Hour Duck Save your duck fat and render it out for the fat and cracklings Rendered Duck Fat I recently bought myself James Peterson's The Duck Cookbook , if you love duck as much as I do, it is a very worthy purchasse. Peterson gives instructions on how to handle all manner of duck preperations, butchering as well as fantastic recipes.

Andrea Strong reviewd North Fork Table and Inn restaurant in her weekly Strong Buzz today. As usual, the review includes some inane personal story of Andrea's and mentions yet another past boyfriend that is no longer, but with so few reviews of the place at the moment, its worth a read. Andrea Strong's North Fork Review

A little OT, but I've been wanting to try tripe, yet it seems to me to be the sort of thing one would eat in colder weather- you know, long-braised comfort food. I'm too chicken to try cold tripe for my first experience with it. Especially since you mention the unbearable heat later in your thread, I must ask: Did you find that the tripe dish you had was suited to the current weather? Did it seem too heavy? I'm glad this thread got bumped up, I'd never heard of the place but it sounds like food I'd enjoy. ← I know that people often do, but I have never been one to alter my eating habits as the weather changes. My favorite type of cooking is slow cooked, braised dishes, the weather does not effect that. My table felt as if it were next to a blast furnace, it would have been the same had I been eating tripe or a salad. By all means, you should try Peasant and you should try tripe, both are great. I have enjoyed some cold Szechuan tripe dishes that are very good.

I ate at Peasant on Saturday night, I have been eating there occsionaly since it opened, my previous visit was a little under a year ago. The food as usual was mostly very good and certain items were improved upon since my last visit. As always, the bread is excellent, crusty loaves with a well developed char, accompanied by a wooden bowl of creamy ricotta. I started with the trippa alla Fiorentina, tripe stewed in a crushed tomato sauce, topped with a bit of cheese and baked in the oven. I was dissapointed by this dish the last time I had it here because the sauce tasted very flat. This time the addition of a bit of crushed red pepper flakes added just the right amount of zing it needed. The tripe itself was cooked perfectly, tender and delicious. My fiancee ordered the asparagus which was topped with a sprinkling of cheese, a fried egg, and also baked in the oven. This dish was completely devoid of flavor. The asparagus were beautiful to look at, extremely fat, perfectly cooked, but no one seasoned them, you must season the water you cook vegetables in. The fried egg was a nice touch, but also needed a sprinkling of salt. We shared an order of cannolicchi, razor clams. Since Peaant opened, this has been a consistant winner there. Prepared simply with oilive oil, white wine, a touch of garlic, a light dusting of bread crumbs and then baked in an earthenware dish. The clams are always perfectly cooked, sweet and tender. The one thing that occasionaly mars these clams is the presence of a bit of grit. Having never prepared razor clams myself, I do not know if there is a fool proof method to purge them of sand or not. The broth in the bottom of the dish is excellent when soaked up with the bread. For entrees, my fiance ordered a simple, but wonderful dish of spaghetti with white wine, garlic, crushed red peper and clams. It was everything that dish should be, the clams perfectly cooked and tender. I had the porchetta arrosto, roast pork. Tender, pulled chunks of what I believe was pork shoulder resting on top of fingerling potatoes, topped with an ethereal shell of crisped pork skin. The skin made the dish, it had been roaasted until crackling, and had a tender blanket of fat attached beneath it. It was the kind of thing where you have to close your eyes as you eat it. So simple, nothing more than pork skin, salt and a hot oven, so good. We did not have room for dessert, although by the time we walked over to Mulberry street, we had the appetite for a few zeppolies at a street fair. Not at all the Little Italy of my youth, but that is for another thread. Two things prevented things prevented this from being a great dinner. One was the seating. If you dine at Peasant during the spring and summer, insist on not being seated at the two tables closest to the open kitchen. The heat was simply unbearable. Aside from the high heat associated with a proffessional kitchen in full swing, Peasant has a wood burning oven which gives off a tremendous amount of heat. Beads of sweat were literally forming on my forehead and my flushed fiancee was sitting there holding her hair off of the back of her neck. The waitress said the air conditioning was at full blast . Our table was closest to the kitchen, the couple at the two top next to us got up and left when told there was no where else to seat them. I finally called the manager over and asked to be seated at the bar, which we were. It was a hell of a lot cooler there. I do not mind eating at a bar, but Peasant's bar scene can be very active and it does not lend itself to the nicest dining experience. My other issue is one I have had with Peasant since it opened, why the hell do they insist on a menu with no translations. I dine out and cook a great deal, I have over the years made a point of teaching myself food and cooking terms, in French, Italian, Japanese, etc., but I struggle with parts of Peasant's menu, let alone what the majority of people dining there must go through. It does not dumb down your restaurant to have translations and it is asinine to have a waiter run through the entire menu, which is what happened at the tables surrounding mine. I guarantee that the majority of people eating at Peasant do not know the Italian words for, lamb, squab, razor clam, rabbitt, beets, etc. It makes patrons uncomfortable, not too mention that instead of relaxing, soon after settling in, they are forced to try and memorize the menu items being translated for them. It is pointless and frankly a bit obnoxious.

You are so right!!! Forget Gitmo, sit an al Qaeda operative in a room with tapes of this guy's show running and he will be singing in no time. Smith easily trumps Rachel Ray in the catagory of most annoying food personality. As long as we are ranking on him, whats with the three day growth he always happens to have? Did they shoot all the shows on one day or is it in his contaract to shoot the show, shave, shoot again in three days time. Perhaps he is too used to speaking to his baby son who is sometimes on the show, but he talks as if his audience is made up of wide eyed morons. Not to pick on my neighbors to the north, but the other Canadian tv food personality that makes me leap for my remote is Rob Rainford of License to Grill. Was he a motivational speaker in his previous carrier? Chill the hell out, "ohhhhh yeah, these shrimp are lookin gooood!" " Mmmmm, you wanna talk gooood!" I mean, I enjoy cooking more than most anything else, but nobody narcotic free can be that enthusiastic about griling a pork chop. Oh how I long for the days of my youth watching the warm and graceful Madeline Kamman or Pierre Franey. I pretty much have stopped watching TV cooking shows all together, with the exception Lidia Bastianich and Jacques Pepin. Instead, I recently bought the DVD collection of Julia's French Chef and watch that, what a joy, childhood revisited. I used to like Kylie Kwong, whatever happened to her? I do miss Nigella Lawson, I could not tell you what she used to cook, but damn she is beautiful to look at.

I do not think it makes a bit of difference, except to those that think "big business" is synonymous with evil. Sure, Kellogg bought Kashi, great, it has been very successful for Kellogg and has vastly expanded the distribution of the Kashi products. Instead of having to go to GNC to buy it, it is now widely available. Same thing with Silk soy milk. Personally, I would not touch soy milk, but Silk is popular and until Dean Foods bought them, they were a tiny, barely distributed Colorado based company. Plus, Dean did the same thing Kellogg did, kept lead people behind the products. As for not putting their name on it, sure, it is for marketing purposes, but so what as long as the product is good. If you think Kraft, you think cheese, so, why would they want to put their name on premium chocolate brands they own like Cote D'Or, or Toblerone. Plus, for Kraft, Cote D'Or or their other chocolate brand Milka, is sold in Europe, these are established European brands, the Kraft name need not be on there. The information on the brands the major food companies own is widely available by the companies themselves, for those who find it important to know. No, who a company is does not determine my purchasse. True, when the Soviet Union was still in existence, I would not buy or drink Stolichnaya, but that was the exception.

' Tabatchnick's? Have to respectfully and vociferously disagree! A shell of an unattractive store, smoked salmon is the "bargain" type (about $12/pound) and is pre-cut and pre-packaged. Very similar to ShopRite. There just isn't good smoked salmon in NJ these days. Just tuck your chin up, get the EZPass ready, and go down to Zabars. Case closed. ← From all I have read, I believe you are right. I shall have to rise early on the weekend, throw on a baseball hat and get into my car. Although instead of going to Zabar, I shall be going down the FDR to my regular smoked fish source, Sable's (1489 Second Avenue). If any of you NJ folks are ever in my neighberhood of the Upper East side, by all means check it out. The owner Kenny Sze was the Manager of the Appetizing department at Zabar's for 12 years before opening his own place. The quality is spectacular, smoked salmon, sturgeon, trout, mackrel and chubs. Herrings of all types including kippers, quality salmon roe, etc. All two block from me now, soon to be more than a bridges length away, I have to go, I am going get tears on my keyboard.

I am making a wedding along with my fiancee here in Manhattan on September 10th. It will be a casual affair, no black tie, held in a loft, 120 people, with a short ceremony held at 4:00 PM. Our purpose is really to make a fun dinner party for our friends and family to relax, eat, drink well and dance. The food is of utmost importance to me, so I have been interviewing quality caterers who will work with me to create what I want. The question is, what do I want? If I think about what I like, it is long, slow cooked, braised dishes, short ribs, lamb shanks, osso bucco (plus, in deference to the caterer, these items lend themselves to being cooked ahead of time), yet is it too early to serve something like that? Personally, I do not have a seasonality to my eating, cassoulet in July? Sure, bring it on. However I recognize that there are 119 other people attending this affair. I was thinking of doing a Moroccan theme, different tagines, couscous, etc., although I wonder if that has broad enough appeal. Any suggestions?

Don't say it like that! Teaneck is a very nice place to live and has an excellent school system. I myself am a product of both the township and the schools and am quite proud of it. Really, you could do much worse. And Manhattan is all of a 20 minute ride, even with a little traffic. A lot has changed since I lived in Teaneck last, but there's great bagels and Butterflake bakery on Cedar Lane still, as far as I know. And there's even better fine dining than there ever was back in the day. I'm kind of sorry I can't afford to live there anymore... ← My issue with moving to Teaneck has nothing to do with whether or not its schools are good or whether it is a "nice place to live." The schools are good and parts of Teaneck are very pretty. It is a perfectly nice place to live if you enjoy a suburban lifestyle, but having been born and raised in Manhattan, I do not. Its not a judgement of which is better, it is simply a personal preference based upon how one was raised and what they are used to. You say I "could do much worse" I never understand that logic, its just a rationalization. However, my issue is specific to food. Obviously it is not a fair comparison, but the fact of the matter is that with regards to having easy accsess to any ingredient created by G-D or man as well as with the greatest variety and quality of restaurants in the country, New York has no comparison. Now, for someone for whom food is not of primary importance, I can appreciate a response of "who the hell cares." Yet food is my passion and has been since I recall having a conscious thought. I work hard at my vocation, so I can persue my avocation, which is food and cooking. For someone who cooks regularly, Manhattan is the Garden of Eden with regards to the quality, variety and proximity of ingredients. As for dining out, aside from the obvious diversityof the New York dining scene, I do not have to settle for a diner if I work late, which I have to most evenings. If there is one thing that drives me crazy about suburbia, it is how early restaurants close. Surely some of you must eat past 10:00 PM. Again, I am not knocking Teaneck or NJ for that matter, I have had some great food in that State (I have enjoyed many a great ripper at Rut's Hut) and Mr. Perlow has done a very good job of highlighting places I intend to try (China 46, Sakura Bana, etc.). It simply is a massive adjustment for someone born and raised in the City, and quite frankly the fact that I am going to have to drive into Manhattan if I want to pick up some quality smoked fish for a weekend brunch is a huge pain in the ass. You are not the first to mention quality bagels in Teaneck, and so far I have not found them, Sammy's does not cut it. As for Butterflake bakery, I do not think it is good at all, however Patisserie St. Michael on Queen Anne Road, is fantastic and I am thankful for that establishment.

I am interviewing caterers for a wedding I am making with my fiance here in Manhattan. As both of our parents and a number of the guests are kosher, the wedding will be as well. Having never been impressed with most of the kosher catering options in the New York area, I was intrigued when someone told me about Creative Edge. From what I understand, they have a very good reputation and have recently set up a division that received an orthodox certification to do kosher affairs. I do not think they have done any kosher events yet, but has anyone ever been to one of their affairs or know anyone that has used them? I am meeting with them tomorrow, I don't know anything about their food, but they certainly have the best web site of any caterer I have reviewed so far. Creative Edge

These pictures are awesome. I have a question about the soup. Do seahorses add a particular flavor or body to the soup, or are they added simply for health/medicinal value. I see them sold in the Chinatown markets here in Manhattan, I was always curious how they are used.

What am I missing with rabbit? Perhaps I am, not having the right ones, it was cooked poorly or it is just my proclivity towards certain types of meat, but it does not do much for me. I have had it two ways, braised and most recently roasted on a rotisserie. Both times I found the meat rather dry and yes, very simlar to chicken. I recognize that rabbit is a very lean meat and perhaps that is my problem, my tastes run to fat; duck, goose, pork belly and rib eye, etc. I also wonder if there is an issue with the way rabbits in the U.S. are raised. I like my meat to taste like what it is and enjoy a gamey taste It drives me crazy when I have lamb, pork or venison that has been bred to be as mild tasting as possible. I have read European recipes that call for wild hare, has anyone tasted those? Perhaps that is the rabbit flavor I am missing. As much as I have wanted to, I have never had Civet de lapin. I think a rabbit cooked in a stew of red wine thickend with its own blood sounds delicious.l

Ahhh, Hog Island. My single greatest oyster experience to date was at Hog Island. I took a break from a conference I was attending at the Ritz Carlton, sat at the counter and had two dozen of the French Hogs, Hog Island's Belon oysters, shucked by a guy who looked like a tall Santa Clause. These were simply the freshest, most sublime oysters I have ever tasted. I do not get to San Francisco that often, but in addition to stopping again at Hog Island, I have always wanted to give Swan Oyster Depot a try.

If you were cooking a stew or braised dish that required you to brown the meat prior, a cast iron interior is much more effective at browning than an enamel lined one. This is not to say you cannot use the Le Creuset to make these things, I have, it just takes longer to get your meats nicely browned, which is essential for the eventual flavor of the dish. The one draw back is that it is more difficult to see if the fond at the bottom of cast iron pot is starting to burn. For rice, risottos, soups, white stews, anything that calls for long, slow cooking, Le Creuset is perfect.

I am surprised that with so many of my fellow Jews living in one area, no one has opened a store for smoked fish. Oh well, I guess I will be making some early Sunday morning fish runs into Manhattan.

I am getting married and because my fiance does not want to move until her son finishes high school, I am Teaneck bound for the next three years. Northern New Jersey eGulleters, lend me your ears, I come before you a native Manhattanite fish out of water. As a result of your past threads, I have already discovered (and thoroughly enjoyed) Patisserie St. Michael on Queen Anne Road, so, I have found my bakery. I have enjoyed sushi at Wild Ginger and very much want to try Sakora Bana (why does it close so damn early, even on weekends?) and have gorged myself at Picklelicious. However, the rest of my needs are many, I am forever indebted to you for any help you can offer. I realize this list is long, but I am coming in blind. While my future wife lives in Teaneck, she is not nearly as obsessive about food and cooking as I am. Kosher butcher - While I am not kosher out of the home, my fiance's house is kosher, who is the best in the area in terms of quality, variety (carries an array of winged and hooved creatures, offal, chicken and calves feet, bones for stock, etc.) and ability to customize orders (cut a short rib to a specific size, thickness of steak, etc.) Fish store - Obviously, who has the freshest catch. Smoked Fish Cheese - Who has the widest variety and ages their's properly. Produce - Who has the freshest and widest variety of vegetables and fruits. Wine Store - Who carries the broadest selection. Specialty items - Spices, olive oils, olives, anchovies, capers, vinegar, etc. Diners - Which is your favorite, any 24 hour ones? Pizza - I can't be without good pizza Indian Asian - Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese Italian Mexican Thank you one and all for any help.

No sources for kosher chicken feet? That is a travesty Pam, what is your address? I guess I am spoiled living here in Manhattan. I keep a kosher apartment and I am fortunate enough to have a great kosher butcher a few blocks from me with all the chicken and calves feet I want (I suspect I am one of the few who buy them, which is just as well). I learned to appreciate chicken feet from my grandmother as well. Although, I had one of the few Jewish grandmothers who did not cook, but she had a maid from Guyana, who was a spectacular cook and never made a chicken soup without feet. I agree with you on the necks as well, great for post soup or stock snacking.

Which books would people suggest for someone who wants to learn from the ground up, how to properly operate and cook on a charcoal grill?

I always add chicken feet to my soup and stock. Aside from there being a lot of collagen in the feet, which will assure you a firmly jelled stock, I absolutely LOVE to devour them afterwards. I also like to have some of the jelled stock or soup on its own.

Thanks woodburner. I want to go the charcoal route and was curious about how you effectively adjust the heat, Hasty Bake's option of an adjustable fire box does seem to give you the best of both worlds.

As the grilling season starts to get underway here in the United States, I have started to research ideal charcoals to use in an outdoor grill. In my research I have come across articles mentioning binchotan as a superior charcoal that is popular in Japan. I thought I knew a lot about Japanese cuisine and cooking, but I never heard of binchotan. What makes this type of charcoal so good to use?