SobaAddict70

My mom uses A LOT of vinegar and slightly less than a quarter amount of soy. I tend to use roughly the same proportions. I can't give you exact proportions, it's a little like cooking with feeling. hehe. When you've managed chicken adobo, you've got to try PORK adobo. (OMG!!!! So good!) Then maybe we can move on to dinuguan. Now that'll be a revelation. heheh. Soba

That's interesting. My mom never fried chicken afterwards, although I do half fry and no fry, depending on my mood. (I'd say I prefer wet adobo to dry, but either is fine. The recipe below compromises between the two styles.) --Soba distilled vinegar water garlic (preferably whole or slightly crushed) bay leaves (2 or 3 is fine) salt to taste pepper to taste (whole black peppercorns are even better -- I like a lot of peppercorns) chicken, cut into serving pieces mushroom soy oil Combine vinegar, water, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper or peppercorns in a large pot or dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cover. Bring to a 2nd boil. Reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is tender. (I prefer our chicken literally falling off the bone.) Sprinkle with soy sauce and cook for another five to ten minutes. Remove chicken, and reduce till slightly thickened. Meanwhile, fry chicken till browned. Return fried chicken to pot, toss to coat with sauce. Serve IMMEDIATELY with steamed rice.

Oooo. Make turnip cakes (you know the ones for dim sum). I dunno though how many turnips that requires. Soba

Puree them and mix with lots of unsalted butter, cream. Fold in herbs, adjust seasoning. A little white truffle oil is amazing but not necessary. Roast them, along with winter root vegs, and toss with a lemon balsamic viniagrette. Make a vichysoisse, except add in a couple of turnips. Make Szechuan pickled turnips. I could come up with a few more, I think. Soba

Tommy/Jaymes: Skin on definitely. One of the joys of chicken adobo is that the chicken releases a lot of collagen if made properly, so in addition to all that chickeny goodness, what you usually end up with is a rich, vinegary sauce that is SOOOOOOOOO amazing the next day, since as with most stews and braised dishes (of which adobo is one), it gets better the longer it sits in the refrig. If your chicken adobo isn't garlicky or spicy enough, add some more. More garlic can't hurt. I'll dig around for some recipes. prasantrin: can't speak of the cuisine of the southern Philippines since my family hails from Luzon. also did forget about merienda, mostly because I haven't had it in many years. thanks for reminding me. Soba

Roasted, I believe. Soba

So, ended up having dinner at Hearth with Bux and his wife tonight. (Originally had a table for two, but tried to extend it to three when my friend cancelled. Thankfully, we managed to secure a table.) A minor, minor point of criticism (but understandable considering it was a Saturday night with lots of turnover for tables): we felt a bit rushed, with staff clearing our plates before we felt we were done. Otherwise, altogether an amazing experience, and I will definitely be back again. There are so many wonderful things on the menu that I want to try, that we didn't get this time around. I'll let Bux talk about his selections and the wine. (Interestingly enough, I liked the wine which is a huge statement for me because I prefer whites to reds. This was a red with a pleasant bouquet, heavy on fruit and very little tannin.) In addition, the menu has changed slightly to a transitional spring menu. I expect that the changes will become more apparent as the season progresses. Amuse: Warm yellow pepper soup, served in a mini-shot glass. Creamy, good mouth feel, with tones of sweetness but not overly so. Nice balance of piquancy and sweetness. Apps Game Bird Terrine [shaved brussel sprouts, red cabbage, green apple] (12) (me) Red Wine Braised Octopus [celery root, celery, potato] (12) (Bux) Roasted Quail [farro, tomato preserves, quail egg] (10) (Esilda) Mains Braised Lamb Shoulder and Ribs [lamb tongue, escarole and borlotti beans] (22) (me) Roasted Sirloin [braised short rib, trumpet royale mushrooms, shallots] (26) (Esilda) I can't remember off the top of my head what Bux had. In addition, we had a side of gnocchi. (These were ethereal. Just enough solidity with an accent of cheese (parm-reg?) to make a difference. Well worth getting.) Very nice combinations, especially the lamb. (I'm very partial to lamb, so my opinion is a bit biased. ) The octopus had, according to Bux, a very meaty texture. Desserts goat milk panna cotta [huckleberry compote] (8) (Bux) warm pound cake [candied kumquats, vanilla ice cream] (8) (me) The bill came out to a little over $200 (we had incidentals such as espresso and tea), not bad for a dinner for three; factor out the cost of the wine and it comes out to $52 a piece (tax included, but not tip). I highly recommend it. Chef Canora, if you happen to read this, where do you get your dishes and serving ware? They're beautiful, in keeping with the restaurant's style. The room is well-designed and looks great. Warm, soothing colors. So much for "bandages in a cozy infirmary". Soba

Well, it is kinda true that lamb isn't as popular here in America as say, chicken or beef. (Probably due to the "grassy/gamy" flavor that turns some people off.) What can I say? More for us! heheh Actually, I'm a HUGE fan of braised lamb shanks, but that's another topic for another thread. Soba

Every year at my firm, they give you the option of roses or Godiva chocolates on the date of your anniversary hire. Guess which one I chose. As I've been at my firm for 14 years going on 15... ...I have quite a big box of chocolates. I can't eat all of them at one sitting, so I snack on a piece whenever the mood strikes me. About to go home and have dinner. I just couldn't resist having three more. (Saving the liqueur filled ones for last.) Soba

Fred, have you tried Craft? I recommend going to Craft the next time you are in the city, so perhaps you'll have a fresh perspective to learn from should you return to Hearth for a second go round in the future. Regards, Soba

So anyway, tomorrow I'm having dinner at Hearth. I was supposed to go with a friend but he cancelled out on me a week ago. (I REALLY hate dining alone.) Since it'll be my first time and since I just took a look at their February menu (omg!!!! So many good choices to choose from!), I can't decide what to have. I was thinking I'd do the tasting menu. (Maybe Chef Canora has changed to the spring menu. If so, that'd be really cool.) Any suggestions? Also, I'm probably going to emerge out of my self-enclosed no-wine shell. Just a peek mind you. How is the sommelier at Hearth? (Full disclosure: I prefer whites to reds, purely because of taste. That said, I usually don't drink and in fact, can count on two hands the number of glasses of wine I have had ever since I turned 21. ) Soba

Not that this is a good accompaniament this time around, but try making a sauce for pasta out of the pan drippings. Very Italian, btw. And you can always use leftover lamb for sandwiches or gyros the next day. Soba

Please, please, feel free to post. Don't let the gourmet stuff scare you away. Those posts are what I aspire to. They inspire me to cook better, to strive to make every meal as best as it can be. Especially Jin's. And welcome aboard, btw. Glad to have you along. Soba

Sounds like you have to go in order to satisfy your curiosity. There are a number of variables that need to be taken into consideration in order to truly make a valid analysis of the Masa experience. (And you can take my input fwiw, given that I've not yet been there. However, to paraphrase Justice Frankfurter, a culinary convert knows perfection when he sees it.) For instance, as in ADNY, the table is yours for the evening. Secondly, practically all of the dishes and implements have been designed by him. Thirdly, consider that dining at Masa is probably the equivalent of dining at Trio except that you're being personally served by the chef every single instance that you visit. (Not many chefs can make that statement.) In my opinion, we can debate ad infinitum whether the freshness issue adds to or detracts from the Masa experience. Let's face it, freshness will always be an argument given that a fish begins degrading the moment it's taken out of its element. I suppose if you really wanted a truly fresh specimen, you gotta do as Gollum says, "eat it when it's raw and wrrrrri-gggling!" He's not only impressed Tony but also Chef Keller, so that's good enough for me. Soba

I won't speak for Tony, but given the fact that your experience at Masa is akin to studying yoga or music or ____________ from the hands of a living master, I somehow don't think that the QUALITY of the fish is a viable issue (and even if in the infintesmally small chance that it was, it'd be an EXTREMELY minor issue at worst). Obviously, it won't be as fresh as from a fish that was just swimming seconds before. There are so many other aspects of the entire experience that quibbling on the "freshness factor" is a distraction. Regards, Soba

I think Food Network has become the beast we all love to hate. Sandra, fwiw, fills a niche: she fulfills the need for people to see how truly abysmal her brand of "cooking" is, so that when they experience the real thing, they'll flee for the hills and never ever look back. Soba

Authenticity varies from person to person, unless you're Heidegger. I think Andrea was talking about the Form of authenticity. Soba

Halo-halo is a Filipino dessert that's usually composed of shaved ice, adzuki or sweetened red beans, sweetened corn niblets, coconut meat (macapuno), evaporated milk, jackfruit (langka), pounded dried rice (pinipig), sweet yam (ube), sweetened plantain (saba), ice cream and flan (leche flan). The taste is indescribable but someone once described it as a little like a combo of liquid Jello and iced tea, only ten times better. The name of the dessert comes from the Tagalog word "halo", meaning "mix", literally, "mix-mix". I used black monggo (mung beans) instead of red beans, no jackfruit, pinipig or ube, a little saba, a little coconut milk, lots of evaporated milk, pureed cantaloupe, tapioca balls in syrup and mango ice cream. No flan though, cuz I didn't feel like making it. Adding flan makes it amazing. Ideally, you should have an inch or more of evaporated milk at the bottom of your glass. Halo-halo is typically served in a tall ice cream soda glass, to be eaten with a spoon and a straw. Alternately, a deep bowl works just fine. Soba

More Vietnamese: leftover pho braised squash in coconut milk (because I couldn't find any pumpkin) sticky rice with chopped peanuts, crispy shallots, minced scallions, toasted sesame seeds and mint green tea halo-halo for dessert. (ok, so its not quite Viet, sue me. ) Soba

Before you go, I might add that Masa's (the restaurant) telephone number is unlisted. Don't worry, Alex Wichtel's article from Wednesday's NYTimes DIGEST update mentions it. Where Perfection Reigns Supreme (Alex Wichtel) (Scroll down for the appropriate link.) Soba

I'm guessing that sake or green tea is probably offered. Tony? Soba

At this level of quality, to paraphrase Eric Asimov, I'd prefer if the fish were the last flavor in my mouth as I departed from the restaurant. Not that dessert is a bad thing. Soba

It's a bit along the lines of a spring vegetable ragout that Lespinasse used to offer, where each vegetable was cooked separately and then combined at the end prior to service. Done this way, the integrity of each ingredient shines through while at the same time becoming part of a harmonious whole. Soba

It depends on the pickle and the slaw. Most times either one or the other barely makes it past the passable mark. A pickle should be crunchy and briny all at the same time. Properly made slaw should have a nice balance of vinegar and sweetness without one aspect overwhelming the other. (Otoh, I have had slaws that are just underseasoned shredded vegetables in milky buttermilk. ) Sometimes the sides are just fit for the circular file. Sometimes not. Soba