SobaAddict70

Why is there a second seder? (Is that how many nights it lasts? I seem to remember something about a seder every night Pesach lasted but I can't remember if my memory is going or if I misread it.) heheh, thanks Cakewalk. When you wrap the matzohs (matzahs?), do they get wrapped in napkins or cloth? I mean at the table. Soba

A common saying is that "familiarity breeds contempt" and that probably isn't more true than in the case of chefs and the restaurant industry. The temptation to coast using a tried and true winning formula is especially great given that the restaurant world abounds with mountains of failure. Yet for every five Jean-Georges Vongerichtens, there is a Ferran Adria or a Grant Achatz lurking behind the scenes, doing his own thing and caring not a whit what the general population thinks. How do you define whether a chef is successful or not? Does a chef such as Alain Ducasse need his cuisine to evolve? Is there a point at which a chef's cuisine stops evolving or is it a continual process? Is it better to be familiar and popular or unfamiliar and avant-garde? Soba

Go sit at the bar. Please. Your JB experience will be significantly downgraded if you opt to sit at a table instead of at the bar. It's a different experience altogether having a chef cook for you from a distance as opposed to having a chef at your immediate disposal right there in front of you. This quote from robert above, although applicable to Sushi Yasuda, is especially true at JB: (my emphasis)Speaking of JB, perhaps it's time for me to revisit. (Haven't been in a while.) Soba

Thanks, man. I knew I heard of an apple kugel somewhere but didn't want to put my foot in my mouth. One of these days there has to be a Passover blog. (but probably not likely. would make for interesting reading though, I'm sure... Soba

I could google for this but it's so much more convenient asking y'all (not to mention you'll get a million different responses. ) I thought kugel was a noodle/potato pudding? Tzimmes is that grated carrot dish? man, I've always seen these bandied about on eG but I've never had the courage to ask till now. (*ducks from incoming*) heheh Soba

Where does Elijah's cup come in? Or maybe I have the wrong holiday? I thought that matzoh brei was for Passover? Gack, help me. lol Thanks, Katie. I've never seen any of Mr. Heston's movies btw. Soba

What, no okra? heheh. No file either. Do you prefer either, or both, in your gumbo? Soba

Would it be entirely too off-topic to describe what a typical seder is like from start to finish? I've never been to one and would love to go to one, one of these days. Oh well, maybe next year. Are there differences in proceedings, for instance, between Askhenazim and Sephardim? Thanks in advance, Soba

tonight: broiled steak, brown rice, steamed asparagus. grapefruit juice. Am on my sixth glass of water today as I type this. Soba

Baking in general. (It's why I use prepped pie crusts for things like quiche. ) Yes, you read that right. Soba

A bit late perhaps, but better late than never: Bargain Wines (Howard G. Goldberg) (from the New York Times DIGEST update for the weekend of 2 April to 4 April 2004. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Future weekend DIGESTS will cross-link to this thread. Soba

At Per Se? Not yet, but I'm sure it's possible. At other restaurants? All the time. A recent dinner at Hearth was for dinner at 7 pm. An upcoming dinner at Blue Hill will be for 7:30 pm. It's possible to eat "at a reasonable time" in any restaurant provided a certain amount of effort is expended on the part of the person making the reservation. That includes making calls to the restaurant to see if there are last-minute cancellations (always a possibility) with the opportunity to upgrade your reservation to that magical time slot. Soba

Ah, I see. Well then, if only Eric Asimov were the interim critic. Fwiw, I thought there was a markedly different tone in this week's review of Compass compared to Spice Market's. (As in the sound of a hand being slapped. ) I could be wrong though -- it wouldn't be the first time. Soba

Hold on for a second here. There is such a thing as ethics which is almost de rigueur among writers and journalists. It's regularly practiced by 99% of all journalists, writers and reporters, the 1% who don't being people such as Jayson Blair and his ilk. Why would you view FG's connections as a weakness? I view it as a strength, in fact it's BECAUSE of El Gordo's connections that his writing is that much more informed. There are layers of nuances in his material that would be sorely lacking if someone with half or even a fraction of his experience were to submit the same material. Everyone in the industry worth reading knows pretty much everyone else. It's almost incestuous really. Are you suggesting that all of THEIR writing is automatically suspect? Soba i am talking about reviewers and reviews--should have been more specific. i am not interested in a positive review of a restaurant by someone who is a friend of the owner/chef or a negative review by someone who likewise dislikes them. a more general food-writer on the other hand (especially one writing about the food industry) is well-served by knowing enough about how that industry works. I was thinking of restaurant reviewers actually --for example, Marian Burros' review of Casa Mono (where she discloses her relationship with the restaurant's principals). Based on your statement, her review is automatically suspect even though there was full disclosure in her review. Right? Soba

Hold on for a second here. There is such a thing as ethics which is almost de rigueur among writers and journalists. It's regularly practiced by 99% of all journalists, writers and reporters, the 1% who don't being people such as Jayson Blair and his ilk. Why would you view FG's connections as a weakness? I view it as a strength, in fact it's BECAUSE of El Gordo's connections that his writing is that much more informed. There are layers of nuances in his material that would be sorely lacking if someone with half or even a fraction of his experience were to submit the same material. Everyone in the industry worth reading knows pretty much everyone else. It's almost incestuous really. Are you suggesting that all of THEIR writing is automatically suspect? Soba

NYTimes Weekly Update Wednesday, 7 April 2004 A. Dining In/Dining Out Section Clay Pot Cuisine (Mark Bittman) Sidebar: The Minmalist (Mark Bittman) Life In The Checkout Lane (William Grimes) Masters of Wine (Sam Perkins) Sidebar: Sample Questions for the Wine Erudite Among Us Bits and Pieces (Florence Fabricant) More Precious Than Gold...Or Saffron (Florence Fabricant) Compass (Amanda Hesser) Click here to discuss the review or contribute your experiences. Tanoreen (Eric Asimov) At The Nation's Table (Dana Bowen) Wine Talk (Frank J. Prial) Delouvrier Comes To The House of Ducasse (Florence Fabricant) Click here to discuss the article. Letters Recipes in today's section: 1. Pork Clay Pot 2. Grapefruit and Jicama Salad 3. Shrimp with Vanilla 4. Vanilla-Braised Carrots and Turnips 5. Marie Louise's Rice Pudding 6. Halibut Filets with Creamy Saffron Sauce B. Elsewhere in today's Times... Health Code Violations At The Carnegie Deli (Sabrina Tavernise) A Tropical Fantasy In Glen Cove, N.Y. (Ken Druse) Soba

I think it's hilarious that in every Hesser review thus far, she has to -- just has to name drop a restaurant or two, as if the restaurant in question somehow isn't worth it. Did we have to know that previous chefs have been from Lespinasse or from Aix? Really, Amanda? I thought a restaurant review was a brief summation of a critic's assessment of the food, the decor and the ambiance. I didn't know that mention of previous chefs who hailed from famous restaurants was a necessary element. So, Amanda, talk to us. Tell us what you really think about Compass. It's clearly apparent that it's so not a Vongerichten fantasy. Is it a Lespinasse fantasy? An Aix fantasy? A Quilty's fantasy? Which is it? Inquiring minds want to know. Soba

Ever since I started working out again, my dinners are pretty blah compared to past dinners (and that's saying a lot, especially for those of you who consider skinless boneless chicken breasts to be a crime against nature). (Just being facetious, here, heheh.) I'll post them for as long as there's an audience though, lol. I have my physical therapy appointment one or two nights a week now, in the evening from 7 to about 7:45/8 pm. Since by then I'd probably have eaten, I didn't feel like making rice from scratch so I stopped by a street cart and got a package of lamb gyro, veggies and rice for $4. Then broiled some steak and had that, mixed with some chipotle hot sauce, along with the lamb. Water and a banana for dessert. I can still cook, mind you. I just don't do it very often now. Soba

There's a diner in San Francisco, on Church (can't remember where exactly but it's close to Market) that serves meatloaf sandwiches just the way I like it -- nice thick slices of meatloaf with just the right amount of onions and spices mixed in, on crusty slices of Italian bread. Best is when you can get it with caramelized onions or sauteed mushrooms, maybe a side of guacamole too along with some crispy bacon. OH GOD! Just thinking about it makes me want to fly out there now. heheh. Their sweet potato fries could use some work though. edit: Said diner is right across the street from Chow. Maybe Squeat can chime in on this thread and correct me. Soba

It was a different glass for each course. The waitress I had seemed fairly knowledgeable with the wine list and gave good guidance to a non-drinker who's trying to educate himself about wine, like me for example. I stated my preferences -- whites over reds, light and fruity over deeper full flavored, and let her guide me from there. Cost was not an issue; knowledge about what tastes good and what went well with what I was having was more of my focus. I'm glad to say that the red in this case didn't turn me off as most reds usually do. Yes, I'm a lightweight when it comes to wine, but we all have to start from somewhere, eh? Soba

Hey, guess what holiday the last supper was on? LOL It's a trick question, kids. Soba

New York Times Weekend Update Friday, 2 April 2004 -- Sunday, 4 April 2004 Dining In/Dining Out Section and the Sunday Magazine When In Macao... (Daisann McLane) BLT Steak (Sam Sifton) Click here to discuss the article or contribute your experiences. Grecian Feasts (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes in today's issue: 1. Taramosalata 2. Chicken Magiritsa (Chicken and Lemon Soup) 3. Avgolemono (Egg-Lemon Sauce) Restaurants: Lamb, Lamb, Lamb Everywhere... Sidebar: Bargain Wines (Howard G. Goldberg) Have a good week, folks. Soba

Dinner tonight at Hearth. I'm glad to report that the restaurant continues to amaze and astound. Marco's cooking is, as Christopher Walken would say, "da shiznits". If you have not yet been, I urge you, URGE you to reserve now. The spring menu is definitely in rotation as was evidenced by dinner tonight along with the rest of the menu offerings. I had a seat at the bar in front of the open kitchen and was able to observe the choreography of the kitchen during several service peaks. Marinated sardines [soffrito crudo, parsley] (11) The sardines had been slightly pickled in a white wine vinegar marinade, and topped with a brunoise of carrots, celery, onion, fennel and parsley, served with EVOO and frisee. Light and refreshing throughout, with the fennel adding a nice counterpoint to the acidity of the sardines. Braised veal breast [fiddlehead ferns, morels, spring onion, roasted sweetbreads] (24) Veal breast is braised in veal stock, white wine, and aromatic herbs -- tender, luscious, simply divine. The sweetbreads were an unexpected touch that just added to the luxuriousness of the dish. Chef Canora sources his ferns from Virginia; the morels are from Turkey. I was comped an order of gnocchi. A tiny bit too much Parm-Reg there, but still the same consistent quality as my previous visit. Banana cake [mascarpone frosting, chocolate sorbet] (8) I wasn't exactly thrilled with this dessert -- although to be perfectly honest, the banana cake works entirely by itself. Nix on the chocolate sorbet; perhaps I had expected it to be less bittersweet -- and if so, that's my own failing. I should have gotten the apple cider doughnuts instead. Oh well, next time. My wine education continues, although I don't remember what I had except that there was a riesling (with the sardines) and a light to moderate red with the veal. Total with wine and tea, came out to $70 (includes tax but not tip). FYI, the spring tasting menu ($48) is as follows: Marinated sardines [soffrito crudo, parsley] Tasmanian sea trout [potato and leeks] Duck leg confit [fava beans, asparagus, shallots] Yogurt semifreddo [rhubarb soup, rhubarb compote] Soba

Ack! I'm so sorry, Ya-Roo. Based on yours and El Gordo's reports, I won't be going. Pity. Soba

It's the first time I had seen that on any menu and I knew I just had to try it. Incidentally the other thing was mochi ice cream. Maybe I should've gotten both, come to think of it. Soba