SobaAddict70

The History of DiFara's (as told to Jeff Vandam) Soba

When A Quest For Local Vegetables Becomes An Odyssey Of Epic Proportions (Julia Moskin) (from the NYTimes DIGEST update for 21 July 2004. Scroll down for the appropriate link.) Soba

So now you need to have Four Treasure Rice: Soy sauce chicken, a fried egg (ideally sunnyside up), and sliced lap cheung over steamed rice. The lap cheung should have steamed with the rice so that it's infused with lots and lots of porky goodness. Oh, and maybe a thimbleful of ginger-garlic paste in sesame oil. (A little goes a long way.) YUM! Hits the spot especially for lunch. Soba

So....is it any good? How are the portion sizes in relation to a typical deli sammich? Do you feel that your experience was worth the hype and the $9? Soba

And a good thing too! Because if we hadn't ordered the tasting menu, we'd have missed out on all those absolutely amazing pastas. The garganelli with porcini and the short ribs stuffed pyramids were two standouts in particular, if memory serves. Soba

So is it aiming to be three stars in anyone's opinion? Sounds like one or two to me at the moment. Soba

If they're going to be charging $9 a sandwich or per salad, you can probably bet the portions are going to be slightly more if not just as comparable to that of a deli or a Quiznos. I can just imagine an irate customer waving a sandwich in front of a Starwich manager saying "you're charging me $9 for a skimpy little sandwich? how dare you!?!?" Or perhaps not. As for the smart cards, there's one really glaring issue that just screams out "trouble" to me, and it's not technology or compatibility, but privacy issues. What if you don't want a smart card? What if you want to order a sandwich the traditional way? There should be an option for this in place, especially in these days of identity theft and online scams. Soba

Nullo's blog has been added to the eGullet Foodblog index which you can find pinned to the top of this forum. Soba

LCB Brasserie Rachou (Frank Bruni) Soba

Nullo -- is it whey protein isolate or wheat protein isolate? had to google "wheat protein isolate" because I've never heard of it. also, can you post a recipe please? amounts need not be accurate -- proportions can be approximate if you want to be vague. Thanks, Soba

NYTimes Weekly Update Wednesday, 14 July 2004 A. Dining In/Dining Out Section The Pour (Eric Asimov) The Chef: Peter Hoffman (Dana Bowen) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Bits and Pieces (Florence Fabricant) Resurgence Of Wild Salmon On Restaurant Menus (Marian Burros) V Steakhouse (Frank Bruni) Minca (Eric Asimov) Sicilian Classics (Nancy Harmon Jenkins) When Is A Chain Not A Chain? (Christopher Hall) Nobu 57 (Mervyn Rothstein) The Secret Behind Le Cirque (Adam Platt) The Hostess Diaries (Coco Henson Scales) Recipes in today's section: 1. Anchovy Pistou 2. Cherry Tomato and Grilled Bread Salad 3. Goat Cheese Cake With Poached Sour Cherries 4. Spicy Roasted Chicken Thighs 5. Sautéed Chicken With Green Olives and White Wine 6. Baked Mustard-Herb Chicken Legs 7. Chicken Kebab, Turkish Style Elsewhere in today's Times: Serious Flaws In Mad Cow Testing (Donald G. McNeil, Jr.) Soba

Having said that, do you think it deserves two stars? Fwiw, I can't see a steakhouse -- ANY steakhouse getting a three star review. The genre is inherently self-limiting in my opinion, but that's probably food for thought for another thread. Soba

Pictures are fine on this end. (Of course, I have DSL so they load up just fine.) YMMV. I'd like to take this time out to make an appeal to all y'all who are viewing Nullo's foodblog. We need people to volunteer for future installments. The success of this series thread depends on people such as Nullo who are willing to devote their time and effort to letting us take a peek into their lives, foodwise. If you'd like to get in on the action, send a PM to me, the eG Foodblog Czar, so that I can add you to the request list. Thank you for your time. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog program. Soba

That depends on which breakfast you're talking about. (I have two.) Breakfast #1 usually consists of something like a whey/dextrose shake and maybe a bowl of cottage cheese or some fruit. Usually have this prior to working out or as soon as I get out of bed. Breakfast #2 is usually more substantial, like the breakfast burrito I'm having now, or something like an egg white omelette. My breakfasts are varied, yet fairly boring...compared to most eGers. Soba

For the same reason that people use saffron instead of turmeric, I suppose. Just a difference of flavor, I guess. Soba

What do you count among the greatest culinary contributions that the UK made with respect to its former colonies and territories? No, Nigella doesn't count. Soba

Could you tell us a little bit about your eventual plans for autumnal and winter menus? Thanks, Soba

Fish eyes. Works like a charm, every time. Soba

You could say the same for many restaurant dishes on all levels of cuisine, I daresay. Sweetbreads sound better than "lamb thymus glands". Linguine with caviar and white truffles sounds A LOT better than "cooked flour/egg mixture with uncooked fish eggs and shaved fungus harvested by pigs and dogs". I could go on and on. Why is that any different from what PF&W is doing? Or at Trio, where one dish called "salad" consists of nothing but shaved ice? At the end of the day, it's all about food that tastes good. Soba

My apologies...I have not been updating the Times DIGEST on a regular basis as of late. If someone would like to split the DIGEST duties with me, feel free to PM me. Thank you and regards, Soba

So? The flattened oysters at WD-50 don't make any sense either -- but that doesn't stop people from ordering it. I mean, oysters are meant to be slurped up, juices and all, not made into a square of compressed gray-green playdough and eaten with a fork and a knife. Whether or not it makes sense is irrelevant. The point is, PF&W is in the business of conceptualizing new takes on old standards and if that means creating a lasagna that has nothing to do with pasta layered with ricotta and cooked ingredients, then so be it. What it really boils down to is whether or not the food tastes good, at least imho. Soba

Just because you've never heard of a term used in that manner doesn't mean it can't be conceived of in a new manner or fashion. Whilst tartare is usually defined as a preparation of finely chopped meat, fish or shellfish, tartare can also mean a preparation composed of finely chopped vegetables. This is a sample dish from a dinner that took place at The Beard House on December 17, 2001. Chef Robert Barral, of the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, presided. Soba

But do they plump when you cook 'em? Soba

You haven't had egg rolls until you've had them stuffed in tofu skins and deep fried. I think I'll stick with egg rolls made the traditional way -- like in Jason's photo. Soba

Stewed with lamb, onions, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and honey; (use chopped dried apricots although I imagine that you could add apricots that had been cooked down; add these in towards the end of cooking) Sliced in half, stuffed with goat cheese and pine nuts, chilled, as an appetizer (again, use dried apricots); Stuffed with almond paste or almond pastry cream and dipped in chocolate. (dried apricots are perfect) Soba