SobaAddict70

sorry forgot to clarify. I dunno what they taste like, having never had crunchberries at home (or at school) so I can't relate. I think they're multicolored.... Soba

I was a deprived kid when I grew up. Cap'n Crunch and Cocoa Puffs, those were out the window. Grape Nuts (yecch) otoh were pretty acceptable. Is grad school a totally different experience? Soba

more ideas, as promised: (shellfish course) salt roasted mussels with roasted pepper aioli pan-seared prawns or langostinos with garlic, mint and fennel (this is from Mario B's Simple Italian Food, but when I make it, I usually leave out the chiles that he calls for in his recipe, and substitute either lemon zest or a little preserved lemon instead. I once tried Meyer lemons (both zest and juice) and it worked like a charm) pan-seared scallops and roasted cauliflower [balsamic brown butter sauce, chopped parsley] ------ (salad course) cranberry beans, broccoli rabe and pancetta salad [red wine vinegar, with pancetta pan drippings for a minimalist dressing.] mixed greens with pan-seared goat cheese and golden beets [white wine and honey viniagrette] ------ (entrees) braised duck thighs with sugar plums braised lamb shanks with red wine, honey, dried apricots and sweet spices (yes, I know this is more like a winter dish, but I love this dish and make it pretty often. it's a mainstay in my repertoire.) while paging through Simple Italian Food, I came another favorite -- chicken thighs with saffron, green olives and mint. The following are from "How to Cook Meat" by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby. If any grab you, let me know and I'll PM you the recipe: Roast Pork Loin with Apricot-Sausage Stuffing and Rosemary-Garlic Jus Roast Lamb Saddle with Peach-Pomegranate Sauce and Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes Honey-and-Bourbon Glazed Roasted Loin of Veal with Crusty Sweet Potatoes and Smithfield Ham-Raisin Jus Vegetables and starches are too dependent on what's on hand at the market. Since this is summer, I like to cook them as simply as possible and serve them with as little dressing or sauce as possible. Just EVOO and lemon juice, salt, pepper and maybe some herbs. (dessert) panna cotta, topped with macerated berries and shaved white chocolate RIPE strawberries, with a sprinkle of white pepper, a light sprinkle of sugar and a splash of either balsamic vinegar or cassis roasted bananas tossed with a sauce of melted butter, brown sugar, allspice, dark rum and banana liqueur; serve this alongside vanilla ice cream. Top with chopped crystallized ginger. Soba

I'm afraid that coffee, like alcohol, will forever more be relegated to the realm of Things That I Don't Get. Thankfully I can approximate coffee conoisseurship (sp) through tea, one of the Things That I DO Get. Oh well, all is not lost. Nero....5 cups?!?!? Carry on, Soba

Why pummel? There aren't any more sacred cows these days. (j/k) Soba

More asides: Why was it mandatory? (Sorry if this is a silly question.) Were there mess halls or large cafeteria and did people regularly go there? Could you, for instance, eat in your room? Were meal times regularly scheduled? If someone had a craving at like 11 pm for a slice of pizza or a couple of pickle spears, was there a problem in fulfilling the craving? Soba

On the third floor of Hunter West (this is the nice "modern" looking building on the corner of East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, the one outside the #6 train stop on 68th Street), is the infamous Hunter cafeteria. It's a full-service cafeteria which means they have everything from breakfast in the morning to dinner and snacks late in the evening. I used to go there and get either pancakes and sausage or bagel sandwiches for breakfast, or salad/sandwiches and soup for lunch. Quite a steal since a lot of the meals are subsidized under the tuition plan. After a few weeks of this, I learned quickly what to avoid and what not to pass up -- pretty much salads were ok except that the selection of vegetables ranged from poor to mediocre. Tomatoes were usually cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges, for example. Soups were all right, if one stuck to chicken noodle or lentil soup. Cream of broccoli was way oversalted. Pea soup, likewise. Otoh, the falafel guy outside Hunter North (across 68th St), was a mainstay for much of my college career....all nine years of it. I was on the Nine Year Plan. A side question I have for many of you is, how much were your meal plans and did you take advantage of them during your college careers? What is the typical meal plan now, how much does it cost, and is customization available? What kinds of cooking facilities (if any) are on campus, and do people take advantage of them? Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 15 August 2003 -- Sunday, 17 August 2003 Yes, I know it's late by a couple of days. Sorry for the tardiness, I had a few things to take care of courtesy of the blackout and recovery effort. On with the report. Soba -------------- Adventures in Gastronomy with Nina Griscom (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipe: 1. Nina Griscom's Haricots Verts Restaurant Capsules: Small Plates and Tiny Bites Destination: Warsaw, Poland (Alistair Horne) Mediterranean Fusion In Park Slope (William Grimes) When Hot Dogs Become Gourmet (Jonathan Reynolds) Recipes: 1. Choucroute-Style Sauerkraut -- Adapted from La Coupole, Paris 2. Hot Dog Buns -- Adapted from Daniel Boulud's ''Daniel's Dish''

In the spirit of exploring new culinary frontiers (and also because I'm a bit curious), how would you describe your experiences with college cafeterias and dorm food? Is it every bit as bad as say...English boarding school food? High school cafeteria food? Tasteless glop and ramen noodles? I went to Hunter College in New York City (B.A., class of 1999). Let me tell you that the chili and nachos were items best avoided. At least their soups were ok. Soba

Can't help with the cocktail, so I'll defer to others' expertise. but the rest of the menu, sure np. With the tuna tartare, try it with a side of toppings, including crispy fried shallots, minced scallions, shredded pickled ginger, toasted black and white sesame seeds, the aforementioned wasabi caviar and strips of toasted nori (for crumbling). Maybe you can mix it with some hamachi. For the shellfish course: Ceviche might be nice. If this has been suggested already (sorry, haven't read through the thread), consider the following: Clear soup, Japanese style, garnished with yuzu or lime zest, a clam or oyster, and a shiso leaf or sprig of watercress. I like the version served at Jewel Bako, where they include dumplings composed of ground or finely chopped yellowtail, but that might be a little too ambitious for a family get-to-gether... ; chilled flan -- served in individual ramekins. Sort of like a chawan-mushi, but less complex. Fold in pureed shrimp or cooled chopped shrimp that has been initially sauteed in garlic, herbs, white wine and butter, into the custard mixture. A version done with crab or lobster is divine. or a seafood risotto. Oysters, with a couple of mignonette sauces. I like a simple green salad with a basic viniagrette. Sometimes simple is best. Otoh, not sure how complex you want to go -- so one salad I sometimes make consists of shredded duck meat, tossed with julienned yellow, red and orange bell peppers, along with watercress, mint and/or Thai basil, arugula and Boston lettuce. Maybe some crispy duck skin if I can get it. I cheat whenever I make this salad by getting the duck from a Cantonese takeout palace. I usually ask for a half duck, and it comes sliced. I remove the bones and separate the meat and skin -- shredding the meat and skin separately. Usually, the skin won't be crispy -- which is fine by me, I'll have that to snack on while I'm cooking. It just occurred to me while I'm typing this edit addition that you could easily substitute either broiled/poached chicken breast or crispy fried fish for the duck, although you'd probably have to change the dressing based on whatever you substitute, so as not to overwhelm the ingredients. I just had another flash of inspiration in that the next time I do this, I may substitute either soy sauce chicken or red-cooked chicken for the duck. The duck is usually BBQed Cantonese style, so it can take a fairly strong dressing (see below). Dressing changes, but the basics are mirin, tamari, roasted garlic puree, a couple of drops of sesame oil, a couple of drops of chili oil, EVOO, rice or sushi vinegar and a little orange zest thrown in. You can vary this as you prefer. As for mains, sides/starches and dessert, I could post some more when I get home when I have access to resources such as my cookbooks. A little direction would be appreciated, as in people's likes and dislikes, allergies and how much work you want or are willing to do. Soba

butter, honey and mustard sandwiches. in fact, butter and condiment sandwiches are my favorite. When I was a kid, I was infamous for consuming entire sticks of butter in this manner. Soba

Chocolate-Sour Cream Poundcake Don't have a recipe for it Aurora (I don't bake if I can help it), but there's a recipe for it. I would imagine that if you wanted mocha, just sub some coffee or espresso in there somewhere. I just made it up. heheh, thanks to the Googler, there's a real recipe somewhere out there. Soba

less butter-based sauces and more of a showcase of Italian regional sauces? It seems to me like there is a heavy concentration of northern Italianate regional cuisine. Why this is, I have no idea. Maybe it's just me...don't get me wrong, having had the pasta tasting menu the last time I was there, it was great. And if I went there again and had the chance to have it again, I might do it again for a second go'round. And so, I was wondering if Mario has considered retooling it. No biggie if he hasn't. Next time I go, I may go the primi/secondi/contorni route. Usually when I go, I have an appetizer, primi then dessert. Soba

I see eGlutton continues, blackout or no blackout. Ewwww....pomace oil. Sounds like hair pomade. Ok, where's Day 2?!?! Soba

What's pomace oil? I'd say the others, with the exception of EVOO and OO would probably have kind of a neutral taste....right? Soba

mmmm, Mocha Marble Sour Cream poundcake (coffee, chocolate and sour cream) Soba

So, a question: would Mario ever consider retooling the pasta tasting menu? It's my perception that the elements have remained the same for the most part, for quite some time. (Not that there's anything wrong with it remaining the way it is.) Correct me if I'm wrong. Soba

Not London, the novel? Can't remember who wrote that. Chronicles the lives of several families with intertwined histories from early Roman times to present-day London. Thanks, I'll check it out, but not sure when that'll be. Soba

Yes, unbelievable, isn't it? An Asian-born Asian-American who doesn't know how to use chopsticks! (You wouldn't believe the looks I get when I ask for a fork instead of a pair of hashi.) I used to know how to use them....they were practically de rigeur at home in the Philippines, but then that was before we moved to the States, and over time, I forgot how to use them, much the same as I now know not a single Chinese character, much less 90% of spoken and written Tagalog. Sad, huh? Anyway, not sure where to post this question, either here or in General Foods (so please feel free to move the thread if inappropriately posted). I dunno how to use chopsticks without dropping things, so help would be GREATLY appreciated. Any time is as good a time to learn as now, eh? Soba

Have children's menus always been with us? It seems like they've been a recent invention (well, "recent" meaning within the last 30 years or so). I'd be interested to know if the concept existed say, around the '60's. Soba

It's not the same though. Mine is the freeze-dried version. Soba

In no particular order: Kitchen Confidential, no need to introduce the author. heheh. Masterworks of Latin American Short Fiction (various authors -- one of them is an incredibly funny short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez) Bleak House (Dickens) Washington Square (James) The New Making of a French Cook (Kamman -- one of the things I love to do is read through a cookbook right before I start working on things from it. My newest cookbook, short on photos and long on instruction, which is probably just as well -- I could do without the food porn) Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis) Histories (Herodotus) Can anyone recommend any food-focused modern British literature? You know, Dickens mentions quite a lot in A Christmas Carol, and George R.R. Martin is famous for providing quasi-medieval descriptions of meals in his Song of Fire and Ice series. Tips please. Cheers, Soba

Do they happen to bottle this secret ingredient and where can I get a sample? Soba

So that was Topher. During the 5 or so minutes that I saw bits of T-R on Sunday, I had an inkling that that was Topher -- during the bit which followed the departure of the waitress from hell -- but I didn't want to voice my T-R newbishness until now. It's possible things don't follow the formulaic reality show script, and there isn't a happy ending...which would pave the way into a sequel, assuming the numbers justify a sequel and the corporate will is present. (IS there such a thing as a formulaic reality show script?) Anyway, between a certain...er, inspirational post on this thread, and Patricia's well-executed interview, I'll be watching on Sunday. See what y'all made me do. Soba

NYTimes Dining In/Dining Out Section Wednesday, 13 August 2003 On eGullet, It's Larb. In Hanoi, It's Pho. (R.W. Apple, Jr.) The High Priest Of Reinvention: Jeremiah Tower And "California Dish" (William Grimes) 13 Days -- The Julie/Julia Project (Amanda Hesser) The Argentine Peter Luger (William Grimes) East Sixth Street's Newest Entrant (Eric Asimov) Squid A La Plancha (Mark Bittman) Did Someone Say Pork? (Sam Sifton) Florence Fabricant Q&A Wine Talk (Frank J. Prial) Bits And Pieces: Toma Bellas, Gourmet Fruit Syrups, South Carolina Stone Crabs, Curry Truffles, and Chefly Migrations (Florence Fabricant) Memphis-Style BBQ In Pawling, N.Y. (Ed Levine) Correction Recipes: 1. Grilled Pork Chops With Glazed Peaches 2. Grilled Squid Salad Maybe we should invite Mr. Norstein over to the NJ pig pickin', eh? Soba