SobaAddict70

Wow, no wonder I'd never heard of "Church's" until I clicked on the link. Just a handful of stores in the Manhattan area. I should get out of NYC more often. Soba

*ahem* I think it would be helpful if folks could please keep in mind that the topic of this thread relates to Jeff Smith the TV chef and cookbook author, not Jeff Smith the alleged pedophile. Please try to keep discussion on topic. Thank you and regards, Soba

Kinda afraid I don't remember Max's. Refresh my memory pls? Soba

Is this limited to blogs outside eGullet? We have several worthies here for your perusal. My top five eGullet food blogs are: Mongolia, Seriously (Ellen Shapiro) Pim's foodblog (pim) Eating Holidays In Japan (torakris) A Semi-Atkins Food Blog (ronnie_suburban) and A Day With Curdnerd (Ellen Shapiro) Who needs foodblogs on the Internet, when I have eGullet? Soba

So, which is it? If you have a favorite that's not included in the trio above, what is it? This thread is not limited to American chains, btw. Our eGullet friends from overseas are most welcome, indeed. Personally, I prefer KFC Original recipe, extra crispy. I've always found Popeye's to be too salty (hell, their jambalaya is SALT overload) and I have no experience with Roy's. What are yours? Soba

What do you think of his TV show? I have a fuzzy memory of his shows -- long on information and short on actual cooking. I call him the "Charlie Rose" of cooking demo shows. That's not necessarily a bad thing mind you. YMMV however. Soba

The End of An Era: La Côte Basque [1958 -- 2004] (Julia Reed) (from this weekend's NYTimes DIGEST update. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Another swan song as another legend exits, stage left. If the end of an era is upon us, will the new one be just as good? Thoughts and opinions, please. Soba

NYTimes Weekend Update Friday, 26 March 2004 -- Sunday, 28 March 2004 Dining In/Dining Out Section The End Of An Era: La Côte Basque [1958-2004] (Julia Reed) Recipes in today's issue: 1. Oyster Velouté with Black Caviar (Adapted from Paula Wolfert) 2. Lemon Caramel Pots de Creme (Adapted from ''Luscious Lemon Desserts,'' by Lori Longbotham) Click here to discuss the article. Branded For Life (Rob Walker) Boston Raw Bars (Nina Simonds) Restaurants: Journey's End The Reign of Terroir (Tony Hendra) Sidebar: If you navigate your web browser to the page of the article above, you can hear an online audio interview given by Lawrence Osborne, author of "The Accidental Connoisseur: An Irreverent Journey Through the Wine World". Click on the hypertext link provided next to his picture to begin the presentation. Bar Masa (Sam Sifton) Click here to discuss the review or contribute your experiences. Have a good week, folks. Soba

You'll probably want to reserve. That's not usually been a problem in my experience but I can see how it could be, given their rating from the Times. Soba

My roommate is a freelance photographer who occasionally goes on these student exchange programs where he travels to a foreign country, takes pictures and stays with a host family. One year it was New Zealand, another year it was India and a third it was Brazil. On one particular instance, he went to China for a three month extended visit. The first evening of his arrival, he was served a multi-course dinner....and one of the entrees was a boiled grasshopper (or maybe it was a cicada). Not wanting to offend his hosts, he took a bite. All went well until later in the evening when he retched and threw a vomiting fit. Of course, the host mom figured what was wrong and proceeded to mother him for three days on a diet of congee and porridge. No, it's not Ellen's Mongolian foodblog, but it comes a tad close. Soba

Hm, I'm not sure I want to go visit now. It's a shame -- because offal is high on my list of favorite things to eat. Perhaps the service will improve with time, so Mario, if you're reading along, a little talk with the staff might be in order. Soba

Yay, finally some pix to Jin's food! Very nice, Jin. Soba

Do your husband and daughter know about eG? More importantly, do they lurk? heheh. Looking forward to your blog. Soba

I COULD like it, but the tinkerer in me would want to, well...tinker with it. For instance, it'd be probably a lot better if it were fried or something served in a stone bowl thing. Omuraisu doesn't sound too far off from spam and vienna sausage cuisine, now come to think of it. Soba

Pasta with meat-based or vegetable-based sauces as a first line of defense. Any type of soup -- from vichysoisse to potage to gumbo to borscht to ciopinno to consomme, etc. etc. TRIPE!!! Filipino comfort food if all else fails: dinuguan, pakbet, pancit, adobo, sinigang, kare-kare and above all, paksiw. Soba

The fact that you missed out on a Vongrichten fantasy? All you need is Mr. Roarke and Tattoo, and you're all set. Soba

Bar Masa (Sam Sifton) (from this weekend's DIGEST update. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Interesting that price points, usually a staple of the $25 and Under column, would be mentioned no less than four times in the space of two paragraphs in this Diner's Journal. It's almost as if the Times is trying to make a point....

Are the quantites for the various components in a "jerk" generally proportioned, or do they vary wildly from cook to cook? I would imagine that the allspice flavor profile would be toned down as opposed to the scotch bonnet pepper (which has a fruity flavor profile on top of the spiciness/heat factor.) Soba

If you don't care for anko, Kristin, something tells me you won't like the Chinese version of anko soup: red beans rock sugar ginger water Take a piece of rock sugar and dissolve it in a pot of boiling water. Reduce to a simmer, add red beans and a 2" piece of (peeled) ginger. Cook, partially covered for up to an hour and a half or until beans are tender and the water is tinged with a slightly reddish color. Let cool slightly and serve in small bowls as a tonic or as a dessert soup. Soba

The Spotted Pig (Eric Asimov) (from this week's NYTimes DIGEST update. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Chef April Bloomfield, formerly of River Cafe and Chez Panisse, offers New Yorkers a post-modern revision of a British style gastropub and largely succeeds, according to the review. Note that Bono, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich are investors in the restaurant whilst Ken Friedman is the principal owner. What have your experiences been like? Soba

NYTimes Weekly Update Wednesday, 24 March 2004 Dining In/Dining Out Section An Ancient Vegetarian Cuisine In A Post-Modern Setting (Julia Moskin) When Shooting The DJ Is Not Enough (Eric Asimov) Sidebar: Click here for related discussion regarding appropriate music and loudness in restaurants. The Chef (Matt Lee and Ted Lee) Bits And Pieces (Florence Fabricant) A Spicy Chicken In Every Pot (Mark Bittman) Spice Market (Amanda Hesser) Click here to discuss the review or contribute your experiences. The Spotted Pig (Eric Asimov) Click here to discuss the review or contribute your experiences. At America's Table: Grits (Kay Rentschler) Click here for related discussion regarding grits cookery. All About Halvah (Melissa Clark) Wine Talk (Frank J. Prial) Silicone Magic For Pastry Chefs (Barbara Revsine) Recipes in today's section: 1. Tuscan Onion Soup (Carabaccia) 2. Creamy Grits With Fontina Fonduta and Mushroom Stew 3. Halvah Honey Sauce 4. Flourless Chocolate Cake With Halvah Honey Sauce 5. Chicken Soup With Chipotle Sauce Have a good week, folks. Soba

Tuesday: dinner at Bianca (which you can read about in the NY forum). Of note was the pasta, which is handmade at the restaurant and PERFECTLY al dente, perfectly sauced and just wow. Wednesday dinner was bad Chinese takeout: crispy orange beef, brown rice and wonton soup. Only because it was getting late and I didn't feel like making dinner. Soba

In a discussion about various cuisines in the Caribbean, jerk chicken (and jerk beef) come up as responses to posters' favorite Caribbean foods. What exactly is jerk chicken? Is it chicken that's been rubbed with a spice rub and then roasted or baked? What makes a "jerk" good? What are your combinations of spices in a typical "jerk"? What do you like to serve it with? Is this limited to chicken and beef, or can you for instance, do something with squab, pork, shrimp, crab, lamb, buffalo, or goat? Soba

Spend a little, live a little is the motto I would use. Probably not applicable or appropriate in your situation but on some level -- perhaps in the not too distant future -- you might be able to. Many of the menu selections in the review sound interesting. Whether they're actually GOOD or well worth getting is another story. Fwiw, I'd sooner trust the opinions of some on this board than...well, you get my drift. Soba

Oh btw....as for the next vic--er, blogger, I think the prize should go to Mr. Mayhaw. Although Mardi Gras has come and gone, that doesn't mean that things aren't interesting down in Louisiana... (unless someone more interesting comes to the fore...heheh.) Soba