SobaAddict70

*jingles in* Like Highlander, there can only be one.... *jingles out* Soba

Oh god, I LOVE fish eyes!!!! And yes, I eat the hard eyeballs too. And they're really great deep fried. I'd have to say I prefer eyes to fish cheeks, but I'm weird that way. My mom otoh is in the opposite camp. They're just a wee bit disgusting (for her). Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 12 September 2003 -- Sunday, 14 September 2003 Choice Tables: Asia By The Thames (Mark Bittman) Diner's Journal: Chic Food For Chic People (William Grimes) Is Norway the New Spain? (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes in today's issue: 1. King Crab Soup With Saffron 2. Reindeer, Venison or Beef With Mushrooms and Berry Sauce Have a good week, Soba

"Hi, my name is _____________ and I'll be your server tonight!" Makes you want to reach for the Barney plush toy. Soba

it figures that things would pick up at work two weeks before my vacation. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able ot make the potluck. I might be required to come in over the weekend and that would just about suck. Unfortunately I won't know until towards the end of next week, so more gory details TBA. Soba

Makes my trip to San Francisco later this month seem positively boring by comparison. I guess now that you're back Stateside, there won't be any more gourmet mutton for you, eh? heheh Soba

Speaking of more embarrassing things, I suppose the bottled dressings in the refrig could count. Well, there's only one atm and only because I was kind of curious one day what it would taste like. (Newman's Own, for those of you who care. ) Actually, it's pretty good...for a run-of-the-mill bottled dressing that's not too far off the mark from the usual non-creamy "Italian".....which is a long way of saying that it's just ok. Soba

Make some French kisses. Give some away...preferably to a hot date. Sleep with date. Rinse and repeat. Soba

you know what's more embarassing than Special K? A box of Special K that's been left open on top of the kitchen counter. We now have a mouse problem because my roommate is incredibly forgetful. How many times I've told him -- if you're going to eat Ovaltine out of the container straight, the least you could do is to wash the fucking spoon when you're done instead of leaving it lying on top of the (hopefully closed) container. Ditto for the boxes of Special K. Close the box and stow it away, lame-o. Throw away the empty cookie and junk food boxes instead of leaving them on top of the counters. Oh, and two glue traps on top of the kitchen counter isn't going to make the mouse problem go away, dumbass. Try cleaning up the mouse droppings and being clean for once. I'd move out in a heartbeat except that the apartment is in a great location for the price that I'm paying, not to mention that he's a great roommate in other respects...that is when he isn't so fucking forgetful. end of rant Soba

My roommate loves junk food and Special K. As for myself, its Mrs. Dash, Cup O'Noodles and jars of pre-cooked Campbell's Soup. The ones in the Mason jars. Soba

NYTimes Dining In/Dining Out Section Wednesday, 10 September 2003 Nosh Heaven in Singapore (R.W. Apple, Jr.) The Michelin Road Waits For No One, Not Even Those In Mourning (Steven Greenhouse) Ducasse's Newest Spinoff: Where No Chef Has Gone Before: Mix (Florence Fabricant) Not Ready For Vegetable Prime Time (Matt Lee and Ted Lee) Sueños (William Grimes) Hot Diggity Dog! (Eric Asimov) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Bits and Pieces: Rainbow Carrots, Cucumber Salsa, Vesuvio Cafe, Black Cracker Jack and Openings/Closings (Florence Fabricant) Wine Talk (Frank J. Prial) Savory Shortbreads To Go With Wine (Melissa Clark) Corrections Recipes in today's section: 1. Gazpacho with Lobster and Shrimp 2. Parmesan Crackers 3. New England Clam Chowder 4. Elbow Pasta With Ham 5. Corn Flan Cheers, Soba

Yes, I thought that was a bit Trotter-esque. But he does have a three-star Michelin restaurant, so I suppose we can forgive this bit of "chefly mania". heheh Soba

It's only "strange and barbaric" because people who label it as such are coming from a different cultural context. Horses, snakes and insects are and were routinely used for food in American history and culture, and you very rarely hear anything about THOSE traditions or practices being called "strange and barbaric". Cutting up a dog that's been raised specifically for food is somehow to me, less of an issue than say, slimeball warlords and corrupt politicians in Africa and Asia stealing food that's meant for the starving masses and lining their own pockets with their ill-gotten gains. Your view may vary however. Soba

While spending the weekend with my friends in upstate NY, I came across a book in their cookbook collection by Chef Robuchon, of the restaurant Jamin, located in France. Now, "Simply French" was written in 1991, along with Patricia Wells, so perhaps the book is a bit dated....but I was astounded by the amount of truffles that Chef Robuchon uses in his food. One of his salads is simply radicchio and thinly sliced black truffles, tossed together. A recipe for a viniagrette calls for something like 2 T. of finely chopped (or a brunoise of) black truffles. There was a potato cake that was just thinly sliced potatoes, bacon and Gruyere cheese, layered together and baked. Confit of chestnuts, onions and turnips (I think). Mint and strawberry sorbet. Whipped potatoes with LOTS of butter. This was food porn at its finest. Anyone have experience with this book? Soba

Do these count as dessert? (scroll down to the link that references grilled chocolate sandwiches) Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 5 August 2003 -- Sunday, 7 August 2003 Sorry for the late report folks, I was away for a good part of the weekend. --Soba ------ Chocolate Surprise, Part One (John Tagliabue) A Sense of Mediterranean Adventure (William Grimes) Restaurant Capsules: Cheap Eats Chocolate Surprise, Part Two (Michael Boodro) Recipe in today's issue: Maury Rubin's Grilled Chocolate Sandwich When Supermodels Dine Out (Michael Boodro) Entertaining 101 (William Norwich) Life Aboard A Megayacht (Penelope Green)

this weekend I spent with friends upstate in Suffern, NY. Saturday dinner: grilled chicken and mahi-mahi -- these were first marinated in store-bought mojito, although I'm sure homemade/from scratch mojito works just as well if not better. (Recipes, anyone?) steamed vegetables Cuban black beans and brown rice. The black beans had been cooked with onions, salt, pepper, bay leaves, garlic and mojito. brie, some cave cheddar and a couple of unidentified blue cheeses from curdnerd's Bobolink farm, along with sesame crisps. (Brie won out, followed by the cheddar. I'm soooooo not a fan of blue cheeses, and these were a bit strong for me. Oh well. More for Jinmyo and El Gordo, I guess. ) Poland Spring and Crystal-Light lemonade. EXTREMELY chocolatey chocolate cake with whipped cream (from a can) and almonds. Port wine. (I had a relatively small amount of port.) -------- Sunday breakfast: fresh squeezed orange juice -- WOW stuffed omelettes -- with onions, tomatoes, olives and leftover grilled chicken, bound together in a spicy tomato and mushroom sauce; roasted herbed potatoes (red skinned and white potatoes, tossed with EVOO, kosher salt and roasted at 350 F for 40 min., tossed with chopped parsley and a balsamic viniagrette) bananas and strawberries more cheese from Bobolink ----- Sunday dinner (in NYC): takeout from Grand Sichuan East -- see the thread on Stir-Fried Chicken Skin for more details. Cheers, Soba

It turns out that Grand Sichuan East (GSE) does takeout and delivery, so that's what I had for dinner tonight: stir-fried chicken skin, dumplings with chile oil, and pumpkin, home style. The chicken skin had been cut up into small pieces and each piece stuck onto a toothpick. These were stir-fried with LOTS of chiles and what turned out to be a nice, finger-smacking mixture of minced scallions, red peppers, salt, oil, and sesame seeds, which formed the base of a complex sauce. I think I'll try to replicate this in the future. A version's forming in my mind now to see if it can be done like a version of salt and chile pepper shrimp. Soba

I'll be in San Francisco (flying out on 9/26), so unfortunately I can't. I expect a report though. Soba

Danube, Heidelberg, and Zum Schneider are three places that come to mind. Yes I know that Danube is known primarily for Austrian food, but its also an elegant restaurant and you'll have a great evening. Soba

that's ok Rachel, I'll take the heat for you. sounds delish. last night: broiled skinless boneless chicken breasts, rubbed with a couple of T. of EVOO and Patak's eggplant chutney before popping it in the oven. Cracked black pepper and garam masala. Red onion marmalade on the side. couscous, cooked with a new batch of chicken stock that I made over the weekend. Tossed that with peas that had been sauteed in a little ghee, pinch of asafoetida, and a smidge of tahini folded in at the last minute. steamed broccoli. Evian. Rose water lassi for dessert. Soba

Entemann's chocolate chip cookies, by far. Soba

A little tahini in the dressing does wonders. Soba

And pasta: Spaghetti with EVOO, garlic and herbs. Penne with fresh tomato sauce, either P-R or fried breadcrumbs. Linguini with Italian tuna, lemon and caper sauce. Farfalle with EVOO, anchovies, sauteed onions, Italian parsley and cracked black pepper. Fettuccine with ricotta, caviar and vodka. Bucatini with eggs and cream. Spaghettini with pecorino and cracked black pepper. Soba

Congee. Quick (less than half an hour), easy (prepare the toppings as the porridge cooks), and oh-so-comforting. I like to keep things simple: minced scallions, shredded shiso leaves, toasted nori, sesame oil, white pepper. Maybe a spoonful of fermented black beans. Soba