SobaAddict70

Is rice and peas the Jamaican equivalent of rice and beans? I think I saw one version made with coconut milk. Is goat prevalent throughout the Caribbean or just Jamaica in particular? What other preparations of goat are involved, besides curry? Roasted for example? Soba

Suddenly, I don't feel so bad for Amanda anymore. If only Gill were the NYTimes critic. Wouldn't that be fun. hah. Critics, in my humble opinion, are the gardeners who pull up the weeds that threaten to devastate a carefully planned garden. They're the innocent children who point out that "the emperor has no clothes on". They may sell papers for those who are cynically minded (and with good reason, no doubt), but they also serve a useful function in lending legitimacy to those establishments that are deserving of such legitimacy. That said, there are good critics and bad critics. There are critics worth their salt and critics whose salt is so worthless as to be mere grains of sand on a well-trod beach. For every good food critic, I'm pretty sure we can name five bad ones and just as many mediocre ones. Would that every food critic could be as good as Craig Claiborne. Soba

And another thing: I don't think that the "complexity" argument, an old chestnut on eGullet, even needs to enter the picture at least with relation to Hearth. Can't simplicity compete against complexity? Does complexity need to necessarily win out everytime? Sometimes a still life needs to be appreciated for what it is, as opposed to a comparing it to a da Vinci or a Picasso. Getting back to the thread (and after having read the review -- note that when I initially posted the preview post I skimmed it briefly), a thought struck me this morning as I was on the subway train: you could perhaps explain the rating and the review if you think, as many people have noted before, that the Times is shifting its focus to a younger, hipper crowd than before. There has been a slightly noticeable shift in attitude, writing selections, writing style and authors over the past few years that seems to suggest that the paper (or at least some parts such as the Styles section) is trying to make itself more relevant to parts of its audience and the generation that part represents. I don't know about you, but the review (apart from being a rubber stamp for JG's latest venture) practically screamed out "Generation X hype" to me. Soba

Like most things in the resto industry, the pendulum will swing back to full-size dinner entrees eventually. There was an article in the Times that was written up not too long ago about the small plate trend. Unfortunately, it's probably been archived by now so its not simply a matter of getting off my duff and doing a web search. Soba

Babbo doesn't use super-duper expensive ingredients and it's a three star restaurant. Biltmore Room isn't Blue Hill and it's a three star restaurant. On the other hand, Jewel Bako uses top notch ingredients all the time and it doesn't have a three star rating. You can eat very well at Babbo for approximately the same prices as at Hearth. If price differential were the main defining factor in handing out stars, then we'd have more three star and four star restos in New York than hairs on a donkey's tail. Matters of taste being what they are, in my opinion, the food at Hearth easily compares with that at Craft or at GT. Soba

Tuesday evening, had dinner at Bianca with Bux and Mrs. B. I concur with everyone above, this is truly an East Village gem and more of a solid neighborhood place than a hot-spot-of-the-moment. Apps: Fried baby artichokes and parsley (me) Special of fennel gratin (Esilda) can't remember what Bux had. Perhaps he'll weigh in. next time I definitely will order the chicken liver app. I'm kicking myself for not having done so. Mains: Fusili with sausage and red pepper (me) Lasagna, in the style of Emilia-Romagna (Bux) can't remember what Esilda had. must be getting on in my years. I would've had a secondi but I was approaching my limit. (Maybe I shouldn't have eaten all that bread beforehand though...) Dolci: Ciabatta with mascarpone sauce (me) Ricotta cheesecake (Bux and Esilda. split.) (Esilda felt that the cheesecake would work better without the accompanying fruit coulis.) With espresso, wine and mineral water, a total bill of $131 (with tax and tip included). Definitely one for the books. Soba

Coq au vin. (thanks, Mrs. B!) Soba

Actually the small plate "craze" started a lot earlier. Honmura An, for instance, has been offering small plates/large plates of appetizers and some mains for several years now. Tabla is another instance where the small plate phenomenon took hold. I think the current trend is an outgrowth of what was offered in years past. It's just like evolution, yet very retro. Unlike retro, it's probably here to stay. Soba

If only she had rated it four stars so we know where she REALLY stands. Soba

Apparently, JGV still does with respect to Spice Market. At least the Times critic thinks so. Click here to find out more... Soba

Spice Market (Amanda Hesser) (from this week's NYTimes DIGEST update. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Finally! A review worthy of its subject. Way to go, Amanda. Soba

Can you please describe a typical Puerto Rican day of food, from breakfast to midnight snack? (I realize it varies from place to place, so I guess what would be typical for you is a fair question.) Soba

can i ask where people have eaten instances of the cuisine that they're basing their selections on? thai food in the u.s, for instance, wouldn't be on my top 10. thai food in bangkok, on the other hand, knocked my socks off (steam came out my ears, bells rang, a cartoon fireman hit me on the head with a hammer). and sichuan and hunan aren't the same thing are they? also anglo-indian has a very different sense in india (evokes pictures of people eating anything but spicy food)--is it used generally to describe south asians in england and their food etc? Perhaps not at the Thai restaurants you've eaten at, but there are two Thai restaurants here in New York that could probably give you a run for your spice money: Sripraphai, located in Jackson Heights, is one of them, and the other is that place in Hell's Kitchen that Eric and Sam went to the other day, the one I could do a search for in the NYC forum but I'm too lazy to do at the moment. Sichuan and Hunan cuisine are NOT the same thing. Click here for a concise comparison of various regional cuisines in China. Soba

I can't imagine that any fast food places have actual people chopping onions, much less whipping mayonaisse. You haven't seen disgusting until you've seen a skin form on top of mayonnaise that's been sitting in a tub filled with ice cubes for at least 30 minutes to an hour. It was part of the routine we had when I worked in a BK. You had to change the ice cube tray on a regular basis because god forbid the ice cubes melted -- that meant the mayo would warm up and then we'd have to ditch the tub. If a skin formed, we had to remove it and stir the mayo around to get it all mixed up again. As for onions and tomatoes, we used an industrial mandoline. (Metal with a blade sharper than Zorro's sword.) Oh, cleanliness?!?! Let me show you icky cleanliness. Let's talk about changing the oil at least once every two or three days because the fry station was uber-greasy. Let's talk about melting a block of vegetable shortening in the fry station. Let's talk about the walk-in freezer which was probably cleaned about once a month, if that. Let's talk about the sinks in the back with all the gunky salad bar station trays, jars and containers. Let's talk about the grody crap on the red-tiled floors that we'd have to scrape up after sweeping and before mopping. Let's talk about the grease covered pit in the parking lot in the rear of the BK I used to work at whilst in high school, where we dumped the daily garbage. Let's talk about the eternal overhanging odiferous cloud that seemed to follow me whenever I entered the restaurant -- that strangely pungent smell of burger grease and stale lettuce that never seemed to go away even when the uniforms were washed. I have bad memories. Calgon, take me away! Soba

And not just any pineapple, but fresh RIPE pineapple. Oh god, the aroma alone is worth the price of admission. Like peaches and bananas with a hint of melon. I think though that oranges are close behind, followed by pears. Soba

Oh yes, lumpia. Be still, my tongue. How do you like yours? Fresh (with a sweet sauce), or fried (with a sour sauce)? What do you like to fill it with? Wrap it with? Soba

Ooooo!!! Ackee: someone mentioned to me once that ackee is the Caribbean durian. Is that true? Sort of like scrambled eggs and great with chiles. Soba

Tommy: pork belly is typical for adobo lechon, although I've seen recipes that use pork butt. In addition, many versions add either pork or chicken liver. (I sometimes use both.) One version of this dish adds peeled whole hard-boiled eggs towards the end of cooking. (Not to my taste though.) Jaymes: you don't need a lot of pig's blood for dinuguan. 2 cups is plenty. You know those small containers for wonton soup from takeout Chinese places? You can get one container's worth of pig's blood and that'll be more than enough for one pot of dinuguan. The blood provides a way to thicken the sauce without reducing it or adding a thickener like cornstarch. The sauce turns black whilst cooking. Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. Looks nasty but it tastes great! Toliver: Filipino food is mostly mild, mostly sour and mostly garlicky. True, we have Chinese and Malay influences but for the most part the use of spicy (hot) ingredients such as chiles and Sichuan peppercorns are almost nil to non-existent. You might have an occasional flub like whole green chiles which are sometimes used in dinuguan, but on the whole, Filipino/Pinoy cuisine is not for the bold-tongued. Most of the "spiciness" comes from liberal amounts of garlic, vinegar, ginger, star anise and aromatic herbs. We use A LOT of offal. A LOT. In fact, if you don't like sweetbreads, brains, tongue, pig's feet and tail and the like, you won't like Filipino food. Some dishes offhand I can recall: pork tongue asado (braised pork tongue in an aromatic soy and vinegar sauce) pork lengua estofada (oxtail or pork tongue, braised in soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and beer) callos (ox leg, ox tripe and blood sausage stew) Bopis Another aspect of Filipino food is that we will readily use a lot of ingredients that (eGulleteers and) other people look down upon -- such as vienna sausages and spam. It's part of what makes Filipino food, well...Filipino. We are the melting pot of SE Asia, and that American influence shines through quite clearly. Soba

Sage tempura. Soba

spaghetti with EVOO, garlic, chopped Italian parsley, capers and cracked black pepper. So simple and SOOOOOO good. braised celery in chicken stock and white wine. green salad. Pellegrino. no bedtime snack, altho I meant to make a shake. Soba

During a recent dinner at Hearth in New York, I asked Mrs. B what Puerto Rican food was like. My experience with PR food is limited: rice and beans; arroz con pollo (with or without pigeon peas); pasteles; batido (fruit and milk shakes). So, what else is there? And what are your favorite Carribean cuisines/dishes/specialties, other than la cocina de Puerto Rico? (For instance, I really dig Jamaican pepper pot and Trinidadian blaff.) Soba

Welcome to the New York forum and eGullet. It might help us narrow our rec range if you could please provide us with a) preferred locations (within X number of blocks?); b) budget limit; and c) what kind of picky preferences we're talking about. (no meat? vegetarian? nothing overly garlicky? (so Provencal is out...; etc.)) Thanks, Soba

Betel leaves are essential ingredients in paan, which is a digestif that figures prominently in Indian and Cambodian culture. Betel leaves are also used as a mouth freshener and may have other properties common to herbal medicines. Curry leaves are a type of herb used in Indian cuisine. Do a search for "curry leaves" in the Indian forum. Lotus root is a type of vegetable that's used in many Asian cuisines. (Chinese/Japanese and southeast Asian cooking). You can find many of the ingredients above in specialty shops in Indian cuisine, in Jackson Heights, Queens. You could also try Kalustyan's or Sahadi's. Okra and jicama are vegetables you should be able to get at just about any supermarket. Soba

coq au vin rice pilaf green salad with a white wine viniagrette Pellegrino. Bedtime snack: protein shake Soba

NYTimes Weekend Update Friday, 19 March 2004 -- Monday, 22 March 2004 A. Dining In/Dining Out Section and the Sunday Magazine Océo (Sam Sifton) Click here to discuss the review or contribute your experiences. Restaurants: Central Park Delights Cafeteria Politics (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes in today's issue: 1. Cafeteria's Meatloaf (Adapted from David Honeysett) 2. Tomato Relish 3. Condé Nast Cafeteria's Raspberry Pudding (Adapted from Danita Halt) B. Elsewhere in this weekend's Times... Hollywood's Adam Tihany (Julia Chapin) After The Renovation: 2 Kitchens (Penelope Green) Theater Review: "My Kitchen Wars" (Anita Gates) Canadian Mad Cow (Associated Press) When Cheap Labor Became Automated (Eduardo Porter) The New New York Industry: Fish Farming (Corey Kilgannon) Have a good week, folks. Soba