SobaAddict70

McMuffins and McBagels count as sandwiches. Sure! By all means, please. Although I should note I've never been a fan of any of the chains' breakfast offerings. For me, I'd be happy with just a hashbrown sandwich. But no, alas, such has never been the case. Soba

Or something else? I remember the first time I had a Big Mac. I was 10 years old at the time. All that cheese, onions and Russian dressing and I thought I was going to hurl. Now, it's one of my favorite McD's sandwiches when I go to McD's (which is not all that often these days). Big N Tasty burgers (hold the cheese) comes second. McGrill Chicken comes third. Never been a fan of fried fish sandwiches -- even BK's sandwiches (which you can get any style by having it your way apparently). Behind McDonald's, Arby's comes a close second with Burger King and Wendy's tied for third place. So what are your top three places and top three sandwiches? Ignore the raving foodie behind the curtain. Soba

All you have to realize is that even Sandra Lee serves a purpose, and that is, to epitomize the absolute nadir of cooking so that people who "learn" under her tutelage can unlearn all that they've absorbed once they become truly enlightened. Soba

I too have mixed feelings about TotG. I haven't been there in several years, and only whilst during private parties that my firm gives every so often to the non-legal staff. My recollection is that the plat de fruits de mer is good to very good (how can you go wrong with shrimp, oysters, clams and cockles is beyond me), the pastas are very good (but not quite on the level of the tasting menu at Babbo), and the Caesar salad is a good rendition of a timeless classic. That said, TotG has decent food for its price range, but is in my humble opinion, more well known for the setting, ambience and at times, quality of service. Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 2 January 2004 -- Sunday, 4 January 2004 A. Dining In/Dining Out Section and the Sunday Magazine Diner's Journal: Cantinella (Marian Burros) A Redoubt of Middle-Class Food (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes in today's section: 1. Schrafft's Lobster Thermidor 2. Simmering Irish Stew With Dumplings Restaurants: Where You Can Celebrate Tet Sidebar: Wine Bargain of the Week B. Travel Yam Mojo (Jeffrey Gettleman) C. Elsewhere in today's Times The Atkins Revenge (Julie Dunn) The Pizza Caper (Bloomberg News) Uncertainty In Mad Cow Solution (Sandra Blakeslee) eGullet Burger Club's 15 Minutes Of Fame (Alan Feuer) Click here to see what our Burger Club is all about and join in the discussion. The Can-Do Diet (Linda Lee) H.K. (William L. Hamilton) Click here to discuss this article. Have a good week, folks. Soba

Any speculations as to whom that might be? Eric Asimov? Florence Fabricant? Sam Sifton? R.W. Apple, Jr.? El Gordo? (just kidding) Soba

I thought it was fairly surprising when he says: which is all the more surprising given that Atelier merited only three stars in his review. (my emphasis) The "best" French restaurant in New York only gets three stars? That alone should be telling. Soba

Can't. Have another engagement immediately afterwards, which if I change at this juncture, would involve coordinating among a large number of people, some of whom don't check their e-mail as often as I would like. S'ok, not the end of the world. There's always Rib Club. Soba

hah. tomorrow is chest/triceps day. I'll be thinking of those burgers while my body's screaming at me for mercy. Have to add that if you go to Veselka's, ask for the sweet potato fries as a side to their burgers. They're a tad underwhelming at times, but otherwise plentiful (as in a MOUNTAIN) and good. Soba

hah, thanks anyway. Can't make it, but hope you have a nice time. Was looking forward to it actually, not just for the burgers of course. S.

Jin: What's the traditional method for making gari? Also, does it matter how thinly you slice the ginger? Typical pickled ginger is sliced razor thin, but I could see the case for thicker slices. Soba

I'm going to have to pull out of tomorrow unfortunately. I had forgotten that I had made an appointment to see my personal trainer tomorrow at 2, and there's no way I'm going to be able to be at Blue Smoke and meet him in time for my appointment. Hope you have a wonderful time in any event. Soba

I LOVE pickled ginger. In fact, in some instances, moreso than sushi or sashimi itself. When I was first introduced to sushi, it was my least favorite part of a sushi meal. Now it's the opposite. Besides sushi/sashimi, what other uses for pickled ginger are there? And how do you make your own? What goes in the pickling solution? Fresh pickled ginger (not premade) is undyed and a pale beige in color, whereas the premade version is a slight tawny pink. Any suggestions? Soba

Fitting indeed. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. Let's hope that his successor will have as much oomph in his or her reviews as did his predecessor. Soba

Then you've never had tacos con tripitas, Jason. (Tacos with tripe cracklings) Try it next time, it's a revelation. It'll make you a believer of tripe, and that's a short step to tripe, 'Cesca style. Soba

'Cesca (William Grimes) (from our year-end DIGEST update. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Chef Tom Valenti, also of Ouest, offers "honest, uncomplicated food with strong, clearly defined flavors" in an informal Italian-style trattoria in the Upper West Side. Soba

And if you like Vedic vegetarian cuisine, I heartily recommend "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking" by Yamuna Devi. Soba

ok, help me out here. What IS buri-daikon, anyway? S.

Of Criticism And Introspection (William Grimes) (from our year-end DIGEST update. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Tomorrow's issue of the Times will contain William Grimes' last review as main restaurant critic for the Times. I'm sure y'all are waiting with bated breath. I think a more interesting piece (not that this article isn't interesting), is the online audio presentation given by Grimes himself, as in this instance: What are your thoughts regarding Grimes' overall performance as a reviewer? Are you sad to see him step down from the podium? How does he compare to his predecessors? Do you have any bets as to who shall take his place? And finally, what are your thoughts regarding his assessment, both in terms of the evolution of the New York's restaurants during the past five years, and the dining public in general? Soba

NYTimes Year-End Update Friday, 26 December 2003 -- Wednesday, 31 December 2003 Today's DIGEST will be done in two parts -- a preview now, as I post this, Tuesday evening, and later tomorrow, when I update the post with material that will appear later on, on nytimes.com (i.e., Mr. Grimes' last review as restaurant critic for the New York Times). --Soba edit: Mr. Grimes' successor will be named at a later date this winter. In the interim, Marian Burros will act as in his stead. A. Dining In/Dining Out and the Sunday Magazine The Bagel Capital Of The World (Ed Levine) Of Criticism And Introspection (William Grimes) If you go to the Dining In/Dining Out web page for the Times, you can hear an audio presentation given by none other than Mr. Grimes himself, relating to his impressions and experiences during his tenure as the Times' main restaurant critic. A particular gem as a teaser: Click on the box marked "A Grimes Retrospective" to begin the presentation. Click here for a discussion of this article. Where's The (Safe) Beef? (Marian Burros) Sidebar: Alternatives to Supermarket Beef The Chef: Sam Hayward (Nancy Harmon Jenkins) The Minimalist: Jook (Mark Bittman) 2003: A Very Good Year (Frank J. Prial) Luxury Amid Comfort (Julia Reed) Recipes in Sunday's magazine: 1. Lee Bailey's Pasta With Golden Caviar 2. Mary Cantwell's Steak in Champagne 3. Lemonade Souffle Steak: It's What's For Dinner....In Vegas, That Is (R.W. Apple, Jr.) Bits And Pieces (Florence Fabricant) You Never Know Who's Watching...Or Reading (Marian Burros) 'Cesca (William Grimes) Click here for a discussion of 'Cesca. Bar Jamón (Eric Asimov) Where Art And Food Hold Hands (Julie V. Iovine) Correction Recipes in Wednesday's issue: 1. Goat Cheese Pudding With Poached Cranberries 2. Jook B. Elsewhere in the Times... New Rules Regarding The Sale Of Beef (David Stout) Ephedra Ban Coming Soon (David Stout) The Rise And Fall Of Parmalat: Part The Third (John Tagliabue) Business Editorial Calling All Dieters: Whoopi Goldberg To Slimfast's Rescue (Sherri Day) No Mad Cows In Canada (Bernard Simon) Expert Assessment On Mad Cow Disease (Donald G. McNeil, Jr.) Bovine Detective Work (Denise Grady) Call For Widespread Vaccination Against Hep A (Anahad O'Connor) 'Tis The Season....For A Martini (Alex Kuczynski)

Mamster and others: You can use all parts of the cauliflower for the soup, but I would recommend not using any part that's too brown or black. When I make the soup, I usually use those parts that aren't overly brown. You can if you want to, the cream is meant to lighten the resulting soup. Potato gives it a bit of body, the addition of carrots lends a bit of color. Mamster: Yes, I usually roast a whole head. It's not remarkable in the sense that it's a "wow" recipe. But I like the taste of roasted cauliflower enough that I'm continually tweaking it to see if it can be carried over to other dishes in entirely new forms. A variation that I sometimes use is to introduce warm Indian spices in the step before addition of the leeks and carrot -- you want to add a hint of a flavor, one that accents the cauliflower rather than overwhelming it. Another variation is to whisk crab roe butter along with the cream into the resulting soup. Yet another variation omits the caviar -- finish the thinly sliced cauliflower in some almond butter, and use that to garnish the soup. Soba PS. Jason's pasta LOOKS amazing.

want to take the taste of roasted cauliflower to a whole new level? Try this: Roast a head of cauliflower as normal. When done, let cool and reserve a small portion. Chop remaining cauliflower coarsely and set aside. Slice reserved cauliflower thinly. Saute onions and shallots in unsalted butter. Add thinly sliced leeks, diced carrot and diced potato (optional; one potato should do the trick). Cook until leeks are translucent. Add cauliflower, cook for an additional one to two minutes. Add chicken stock; adjust seasoning. Simmer for five to ten minutes, take off heat and let cool. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor and return to pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for an additional three to five minutes. Remove from heat. Add light cream or creme fraiche, stir until incorporated. Adjust seasoning. Assembly: Ladle soup into shallow soup bowls, top each bowl with thinly sliced reserved roasted cauliflower and a spoonful of caviar. Serve immediately. Soba

There's also mental attitude. If you have the right mindset, then nothing is impossible. This is an oversimplification but it holds true for a lot of things, including weight problems. Soba

No thoughts yet, since I'm not using any. I've been told to keep it to fresh food, vitamins, LOTS of water, rest, etc. etc. I use a high protein/low carb shake as a post-workout meal and also prior to beddie time. (I don't always have it as a beddie time meal -- I find that having it prior to bed reduces the soreness significantly the day afterward.) Later down the road (like around 6 mos. to a year) I might use creatine, but right now I don't see the need. Given my recent gains, creatine at this point would be just a waste as far as I'm concerned. Marlene/tryska/EJRothman (anyone?), your thoughts? FYI, the GNC sales rep where I got the mass builder powder from REALLY tried his hardest to sell me a batch of creatine. I had to verbally put him in his place after the third try. hah Soba

I had steak last night for dinner. Beef is such an integral part of my diet, I don't think I'll be giving it up any time soon. Soba