SobaAddict70

My dutch oven, any day. Soba

The menu at Honmura An is structured a little like this: Appetizer plates (anywhere from $4 to about $9 for these) Cold soba Hot soba (from $15 to $20+) and a few specialties like sashimi and soba/rice casseroles on the side. Certain dishes have to be ordered in advance due to the advance prep time required. Keep in mind I'm going from memory so I don't really know current specifics at the moment -- this may be inaccurate or things may have changed. Typically people order a handful of appetizer plates and then go on to either cold or hot soba. A dinner for two will probably net you a bill of about $60 to $70, including tax and tip. I don't drink, so those prices don't reflect the addition of alcohol. Soba

Diner's Journal: Public (William Grimes) (from today's DIGEST. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Peter Gordon and Anna Hansen, owners of The Providores in London, as well as Brad Farmerie (the head chef at The Providores) bring their New Zealand-influenced cuisine to NoLIta. So, has anyone eaten there lately? Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 21 November 2003 -- Sunday, 23 November 2003 A. Dining In/Dining Out and the Sunday Magazine Diner's Journal: Public (William Grimes) Restaurants: Clinton Street Row, the Modern Cindarella A Country Where Thanks Is Given Almost Every Day Of The Year (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes in today's section: 1. Olivier Baussan's Chestnut Soup 2. Duck Breasts With Honey and Mustard 3. Honey Focaccia With Apple, Figs and Ricotta B. Elsewhere in today's NYTimes West Chelsea Gentrification: Chelsea Market and Food Network (John Holusha) Eating Less To Live Longer (David Hochman) Fusion Cocktails Make Their Mark (William L. Hamilton) Food-Borne Illnesses From Tainted Produce On The Rise (Marian Burros) Have a good week, folks. Soba

Charlie Palmer of Aureole Restaurant offers a corn pudding, with herb-braised chanterelles and spicy greens. Not quite haute cuisine either, but pretty good imo. NYTimes DIGEST from Wednesday, November 19 (you may have to scroll down for the appropriate link) Enjoy, Soba

A line like this doesn't seem to me like it would belong in a two-star worthy restaurant. There are other clues within the review, but the line above is something that was particularly memorable. Soba

I've always wondered why they call it "food porn". Now I know... Soba

I used to eat it by the spoonful. Soba

Balut or belut is definitely a Filipino dish, although one that's not usually offered to Westerners to try. The dislike factor seems to be particularly skewed even among Filipinos, along the same lines as natto and durian. My mom hates it, I gag just thinking about it, but there are people who really dig the stuff. Belut, as you may have guessed, is a chicken or duck egg with a partially formed embryo inside. In my experience, the embryo is not fully formed (so you shouldn't get the taste of feathers and chickie/duckling bits), but that may not usually be the case as Shiewie suggests. The taste however is intensely eggy, almost gamy, with an aftertaste of nausea that almost makes me want to hurl immediately afterwards. However, if you really DO want to try belut, you can get it at Elvie's Turo-Turo, a Filipino restaurant in the East Village (13th Street at 1st Avenue), here in NYC. Order it and be prepared to have the staff watch you as you experience your belut moment. Don't worry if they giggle at you while you eat it. Or on second thought, DO worry. Soba

Has to be on a weekend, due to my work schedule. As I'm just getting over the flu, probably not a good idea. Thanks anyway, E. Soba

I'd say either Eric Asimov or Amanda Hesser. Or it could be someone who's not on the radar. Soba

I don't know if there are any fermented soybean dishes or natto-ish foods outside of Japan that are indigenous to Southeast Asia (defined as the region south and east of China -- i.e., Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Singapore, Borneo, the Philippines, etc.). Shiewie, anybody? Natto is definitely an acquired taste, but not a food I would associate with this region. There may be SE Asian equivalents that I'm not aware of however. Soba

Acqua Pazza (William Grimes) (from today's DIGEST. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Isn't that just a little bit risky, given all the modern day pollutants that taint our coastal waters? Has anyone eaten here lately, and what were your impressions of it? The coffee pasta (tagliolini al caffè) and soffiato al limone (a kind of "soufflé brûlée") both sound interesting. Soba

NYTimes Weekly Update Wednesday, 19 November 2003 A. Dining In/Dining Out Section A Thanksgiving Feast Like No Other (Amanda Hesser) Recipes accompanying this article: Sausage Stuffing with Caramelized Onions (Tom Colicchio -- Gramercy Tavern and Craft) Braised Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and Toasted Bread Crumbs (Suzanne Goin -- Lucques and A.O.C., Los Angeles) Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup and Chipotles (Bobby Flay -- Bolo and Mesa Grill) Corn Pudding with Herb-Braised Chanterelles and Spicy Greens (Charlie Palmer -- Aureole) Creamed Red and White Pearl Onions with Bacon (Barbara Lynch -- No. 9 Park, Boston) Roasted Parsnips with Orange Zest (David Pasternack -- Esca) Winter Squash Braised in Cider (Deborah Madison) Wild Rice with Mushrooms, Cranberries and Walnuts (Alfred Portale -- Gotham Bar and Grill) Braised Celery Hearts with Tomato and Olives (Judy Rogers -- Zuni Cafe, San Francisco) Roasted Maple-Glazed Baby Carrots with Dried Grapes (Chris Schlesinger -- East Coast Grill, Cambridge, Massachusetts) Jerusalem Artichoke Pancakes (Michael Romano -- Union Square Cafe) Mixed Mushroom and Sweet Potato Stuffing (Charlie Trotter -- Charlie Trotter's, Chicago) The Chef: Rustic Simplicity (Amanda Hesser) Potatoes Now and Forever (R.W. Apple, Jr.) At Lunch With Egi Maccioni (Alex Wichtel) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Acqua Pazza (William Grimes) Mandler's (Eric Asimov) Bits and Pieces (Florence Fabricant) Pilgrim's Progress (Joan Nathan) Wine Talk (Frank J. Prial) Healthy College Food (Marian Burros) Food Chain (Denise Landis) Downfall of a Chef (Florence Fabricant) Recipes in today's section not included above: 1. Braised Ligurian Chicken 2. Turkey Braised with Cranberries 3. Cranberry Cornbread Soba

Well, probably not, but as SEAsianOutpost talks about in the infamous Laab thread there are a number of foodstuffs indigenous to Southeast Asia that are, more or less, acquired tastes. Things like fermented shrimp paste -- the composition of which varies from country to country -- and deep fried bamboo worms, Thai style. Never had the latter, although I'm told they're crispy and taste just like french fries. As for the former, the Filipino version is either fermented shrimp or anchovy paste and is called baguong. We Filipinos love the stuff, and eat it with just about anything and everything. As it's extremely salty, a little goes a long way. My grandmother taught me how to temper it by frying the paste with garlic until the baguong turns crumbly and the moisture evaporates. Fermented shrimp paste turns up in all sorts of places, even novels. James Clavell, in the novel King Rat, goes into picaresque detail about the production of the Malaysian or Vietnamese version -- where a tiny sliver will flavor an entire bowlful of rice. If it beats the durian test, it's in. Soba

Thanks. As Saveur typically does, the article is also accompanied by a list of places to go (and eat) while in Thailand. Keep in mind this list is from six years ago so things may have changed in the interim: Baan Suan Restaurant 51/3 Sankampaeng Road, Chiang Mai Hau Soi Chaiyen Baan Huay Khrai (located a mile past the village, on the right if coming from Chiang Rai) (this is the restaurant featured in the article) Waing Inn 893 Phaholyothin Road, Chiang Rai Hong Tauw Inn 95/16-17 Nimanhemin Road, Chiang Mai (Shu Chee Pla is a specialty (fish poached in coconut milk and red curry paste)) Soba

Saveur did a feature article on this in their April 1997 issue, so the minute I saw the first reference of this dish in the thread on Laab, I dug out the back issue. According to the article, there are different types of kao soi within Chiang Mai. The village of Baan Huay Khrai which specializes in kao soi, contains restaurants that have been serving kao soi for at least thirty years: (from ""Looking For Kao Soi", by Jim Gullo, Saveur Magazine, No. 18, April 1997, page 96) Soba

How efficient are people when they cook -- with respect to clean-up procedures? I try to clean up as I go, so I won't have nearly as much to deal with when the moment of truth arrives -- when all the guests have gone and the dishes are stacked in the sink, waiting to be rinsed before being placed in the dishwasher. Do you regularly experience guests who offer to clean up before, during or after dinner? Do you do it right away or take a moment to unwind? Are you the sort with an ironclad rule ("You're in my house as a guest, therefore stay out of the kitchen")? I myself have a rule: "If you've been to my house up to three times, consider yourself a guest; after that, I won't refuse the offer to help." I used to hate clean up with a passion, but having a dishwasher has changed that somewhat. Soba

What's the best part of cheese and macaroni, in your opinion? The crusty top layer? The cheesy, oozy, center? The crusty, crispy bottom layer? Me, I'm definitely a top layer person. Is Velveeta an option that people use? (To this day, I've not had a sample, so I wouldn't know what it tastes like.) I've seen versions of cheese and macaroni that had tomatoes and things like ham, mushrooms and peppers in there. To me, that's not cheese and macaroni. The panko thing is a new one on me (might try that next time). Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 14 November 2003 -- Monday, 17 November 2003 I'm currently fighting a relatively mild case of the flu, folks -- hence the late report. Things are on the bright side -- even though I spent the entire weekend sleeping with an occasional break, I'm 150% better than last week when I couldn't even eat. So, if you're out there, pray for me. Or, pray for good will and peace on earth. --Soba A. Dining In/Dining Out and Travel Seoul Food In Los Angeles (Mark Bittman) Restaurants: Thanksgiving Dining In New York Little Italy's Last Stand (William Grimes) The Culinary Mall of America (William Grimes) Bedford Bliss (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes in Sunday's Magazine: 1. Banana-Walnut Bread Pudding (Adapted from Blue Ribbon Bakery and Cafe) 2. Banana Caramel Sauce 3. Chickpea-and-Spinach Salad (Adapted from Moustache) B. Elsewhere in the Times The Return of the Brooklyn Brewery (Michael Brick and Ben Sisario) Dirt Dish (George Robinson) Hepatitis A Outbreak in Pittsburgh (Lydia Polgreen)

You mean Asheron's Crack and his wicked stepsister? Nah, I'm a Camelot addict all the way through. Trials of Atlantis (most recent expansion for Dark Ages of Camelot) simply blows the rest of its current competition out of the water. Cusina, have you ever done cheddar cheese soup? Isn't it a bit....thick? Soba

My Wisconsin memories are of the overpriced (!) brats that could be had at the old MECCA in Milwaukee (years before the Midwest Express version was built). They were good if a bit on the bland side compared to NYC hot dogs and sausages but that was the first time I had ever had a brat with chopped onions as a topping. For those of you not in the know, MECCA was Milwaukee's version of the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, only 4 times as big and connected to practically everything via skyways. The city of Milwaukee demolished the old MECCA in 1996 to make way for the new version, dubbed the Midwest Express Center (around 1998). The reason I know all this is because MECCA was for several years, the host site of GENCON, the world's largest convention for role-playing games, board games, computer games, science fiction/fantasy/comic books, war games and miniatures. In 2000 or 2001 (I forget exactly when), GENCON moved to Indianapolis, shortly after TSR was acquired by Wizards of the Coast. But this is probably too much information for most of you non-RPG geeks. Soba

I'm still in my RPG phase. I run two games a week, one on Friday evenings and one on Saturday evenings -- both online. Gelatinous cubes aren't monsters that I regularly use, even though I'm familiar with them. If you remember a Dragon magazine issue from about 8 years ago, they had a number of weird monsters including a Jello monster. (Not kidding, folks. ) Worked along the same lines as a gelatinous cube except that it was tutti-fruti flavored. So I guess there's your answer. Try making a rainbow of flavored jelly cubes. Soba

I like both, although the soba at Honmura An has a "smoother" texture. That's probably not the right choice of words but it approximates my experiences there. Honmura An is actually located in SoHo. (Mercer between Houston and Spring) Soba (the guy, not the noodle)

Shave thinly, toss with wild mushrooms and shavings of Parm-Reg, lemon juice, EVOO, sea salt (if you want). Eat. Soba