SobaAddict70

All the chatni I'm familiar with consist of either fruit-based, veggie-based or a mix of both. Didn't know about the meat or bean based ones. Chatni to me can be either fresh or cooked versions. Ditto with salsas. They're both sauces or sauce-like mixtures, except that the balance between ingredients seems to be more important or accentuated in a chatni than in a salsa. That could be my preference speaking though. Salsas can be either chunky or smooth, liquidy or more solid-based. They can be sweet and mild to incendiary and suitable for asbestos lined throats. Ditto with chatni, but I think the key here is that the spice components need to be identifiable and contrast against each other, something that salsas don't have because the accent is on a harmonious whole -- for the more liquid versions anyway. Not sure if this is clear. SA

I like both. What can I say? I'm easy. Altho I use chatni more often than salsas, probably because salsas are so seasonal. Chatni you can serve with just about anything and at any time. but what do I know? heheh SA

I think you have me confused with my evil twin brother....ASS. We were switched at birth. ba-dum-bump hehe SA

I've never been there. Maybe with all this vitriol, I should go. But only in a group, pls. That way, I can duck and cover when the tomatoes come flying, as they're sure to do. hehe Seriously, I've had steak less times in my life than I've had chicken. Like enough times I can count them on two hands. By steak, I don't mean chopped steak. I don't mean Swanson's Salisbury. I mean porterhouse/filet mignon/T-bone oozing with beef juices and an obligatory pat of butter. A major beef eater I'm not. So gotta be honest with you, I may not be able to discern that special something ppl keep talking about. Or I might. I dunno. Sooooo confused. Mr. Demille, I'd like my money shot now. SA

What Jin said. heh I knew I was missing something. SA

Togarashi is basically the Japanese version of red pepper flakes. Its powdered, grains about the size of a grain of salt, and has a kick similar to a hit of wasabi...which is to say, not hot at all. (well, at least not to me) SA

Fish ball soup: chicken stock, fish balls, glass noodles, minced scallions, shredded pickled ginger. Broiled tofu, topped with miso paste, minced scallions, nori flakes and gomasio. BROWN RICE (see? I do eat the stuff on occasion. hehe). Evian. Apricots.

they must sell this stuff in commercial or restaurant-worthy form. every single Japanese restaurant has this dressing in one form or another. Maybe you can look into it, FG? If not a blender, how about your trusty La Cuisinart? It slices, it dices, it even does the kitchen sink. heh SA

dunno about the ones at Yaffa. (or perhaps Dojo?) for the Japanese ones, I assume grated or shredded carrots grated or finely minced/pounded ginger yuzu or perhaps lemon juice mirin or rice vinegar sesame oil? sugar? I'm trying to deconstruct the ingredients here. I'm sure I'm missing a couple of elements. SA

Danke, Herr FG. Sounds like I need to have lunch there one of these days...at G&T. Anybody wanna come wid me? SA

Its not a competition, folks. In the larger scheme of things, keeping in mind modern sensibilities, wouldn't you rather eat something because it tastes great than because you'll live longer? I know I would. I eat pretty healthily -- my cholestorol count is 120 and my blood pressure is 110/70 at age 31, among other things. Wheat grass juice might be good for my long-term well being, but wild horses couldn't make me drink it on a regular basis. Ditto with brown rice. I'll eat it every so often, but I wouldn't recommend making a risotto with it. eeek! brown rice shrimp risotto...sort of on par with pad thai -- Roxanne style. SA

Jin, you're preaching to the choir. At least, this choir anyway. hehe Show me a piece of nigiri sushi made with brown rice, and I'll gag. SA

Fried clam bellies are the BEST. Its almost like slurping down oysters, they're so good. Pity you can't get them here in NYC. Well, at least, I've never heard of a place that serves clam bellies. SA

Well, for one thing, it seems to come out perfect every time -- separate grains, no clumpiness, etc. I like the pot method better though. SA

BklynEats, As the Austrians are fond of doing, why not serve schlag (sweetened whipped cream) just for schlag's sake? Or with ripe peaches/plums/nectarines/berries? Personally, I could eat a bowl of schlag and call it breakfast, but that's just me. hehe SA

Taking a page from the NYC e-gullet potluck, try foie gras and strawberry jam sandwiches. These you can prep on bread of your choice and make highly addictive offerings. And ppl will wonder if you're a culinary genius or something. You could also do a cheese and sausage/salami plate. Simply knock out four or five cheeses, and slice up some hard salami or a variety of sausage, maybe some chunks of baguettes or Italian bread, champagne grapes or apple slices, and that's it. Or tomato confit -- bake some sliced tomatoes, covered in EVOO in an oven, serve the tomatoes and the oil with baguettes or good bread, add a nice red wine and you're good to go. SA

Perfection is sooooo subjective. I'll post a few of my favorite combinations -- none of which should take you longer than 45 minutes at most to prepare: garlic and olive oil sauce (at LEAST 7 garlic cloves, olive oil, red pepper flakes); salsa di verdura (any fresh seasonal vegetable sauteed in extra virgin olive oil ("EVOO") until tender, then pureed in a blender with salt and pepper until creamy. Add as much EVOO as you like, as you puree the vegetables. Thin out the sauce if necessary using the pasta cooking water); cauliflower, garlic, Gaeta (or other type olives), capers, anchovy fillets (be sure to get the salt packed anchovies), Italian parsley; Italian oil packed tuna, EVOO, lemon juice, lemon zest, Italian parsley, garlic, capers, freshly cracked black pepper (amount of EVOO in this sauce combination should be at least 1/3 c. since it forms the basis of the sauce). For an exact recipe, click here. For a recipe for tomato base (useful for a quick pasta sauce), click here. For detailed discussions, try the thread that shugga bumped up for you, or do a search. This is a recipe for Bolognese sauce that borders on the authentic, but will take about 5 hours. It is, however, markedly close to "perfection", IMHO. Clickety-cockle-doo. Good luck, SA

Dinner party tonight with a group of e-gulleteers: myself, Toby, g.johnson, yvonne johnson, Sandra Levine and Mr. Sandra, at Toby's place. Toby and I did the shopping and cooked everything. I was worried that there would be a shortage of food, but everything turned out fine in the end. Wines in no particular order (perhaps Toby or someone else will respond with the proper order, but I can't remember): Walter Filiputti Pinot Grigio 2000 Domaine Miguel vin de pays d'oc Syrah 2001 Ridge California Coast Range 1999 Allende Red Rioja Wine 1998 Josmeyer Vin d'Alsace Pinot Blanc 1999 Chateau St. John Fume Blanc 2000 Quince cordial in cognac (served with dessert; I did sample the cordial) Lurisia spring water (for me, since I don't drink) Antipasti: Socca (pancake made with chickpea flour), served with fresh ricotta cheese and blanched arugula; Tomato salad (red currant tomatoes, Verna Orange tomatoes, Hughes tomatoes, German Green tomatoes, Marisol tomatoes, EVOO and basil.); Roasted sweet peppers, stewed with garlic, EVOO and herbs; Roasted beets, finished with EVOO, sea salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and a tiny pinch of sugar. -------- Primi: Spaghetti, with a sauce of red currant tomatoes, garlic, EVOO and basil -------- Secondi: Oven-roasted chicken stuffed with lemon and rosemary. (Sandra took care of part of the prep -- rubbed olive oil on the skin, stuffed lemon quarters and herbs in the cavity, etc.) ---------- Contorni: Gateau de pommes de terre L'ami Louis (L'ami Louis's potato cake -- essentially potatoes sliced thinly using a mandoline, sauteed in unsalted butter, salt and pepper, then baked in the oven -- mixture of finely chopped parsley and garlic scattered on top; the potato cake didn't come out as a "cake" per se, but turned out all right for our purposes) Beet greens and Swiss chard, stewed in EVOO, along with caramelized onions, sea salt, a couple of dried red chilies, lemon juice, and a couple of anchovy fillets. ---------- Dolci: Tarte au sucre (brioche, topped with butter and brown sugar; Toby opted for this option as opposed to creating whipped cream from scratch since it was running so late) Vanilla ice cream, served with roasted white peaches and peach sauce (chopped some roasted white peaches, and whisked them with a couple of T. of Toby's homemade peach preserves, bits of unsalted butter, lemon juice, peach liqueur, then pureed with a hand blender; added half and half and reduced volume by half, stirring constantly; a miniscule amount of black pepper/white pepper added in at the last minute.) Note: We had started late around 3:45 pm and despite running slightly late, managed to get everyone out the door by 11:30 pm. Next time, we'll do better re timing, I'm sure. Edit: added minor details and note. SA

FG, I assume this is the ubiquitous dressing served to you in salads in Japanese restaurants? SA

Tonight for my roommate and a couple of friends: Lamb vindaloo; basmati rice with shredded carrots, golden raisins and coconut; sak (buttery spinach cooked with spices, currants and cashews); tomato raita; spicy date chutney; fresh fruit. SA

Ok, I know this is restaurant lingo, but what is a 4-top? SA

Your standard workout dinner: broiled chicken tenders, veggies, rice pilaf. Broiled the chicken with white pepper and a t. of EVOO. Topped with zucchini and red pepper slices, also a little more EVOO. (Hey, no one said that workout dinners needed to be boring. I don't even like egg whites. hehe) Rice pilaf -- caramelized onions with a smidge of unsalted butter and a couple of t. of garam masala; chicken stock; finished with a bit of chopped Italian parsley. Evian. Apricots. SA

ewwww.....beetles. I foil the eggplant because that's the way I've always done it....but good idea. SA

Stellabella, Have you ever tried using caponata as a dip? This is a pretty easy recipe I use, and serve with toasted pita wedges (for scooping). Roast eggplant, wrapped in foil, until soft. Unwrap and let cool. Saute onion, celery, bell peppers (a mix of red, orange and yellow peppers is great) and oregano in some EVOO; cook until vegetables are tender, add one or two tomatoes, and cook until the mixture breaks down into a sauce-like consistency. Add a little balsamic vinegar, stir, and remove from heat. Peel, seed and chop the eggplant; add to pan, along with raisins, capers, (oil-cured) olives and a pinch of sugar. Stir briefly and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, then take off heat and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle some more EVOO, and adjust seasoning. SA

Erm, I've had halal meat. And I've had regular meat. But I've never had kosher meat. To me, meat is meat. What does it mean, that meat tastes "kosher"? Is there some identifiable flavor characteristic that makes something like meat (or cheese, or celery) "kosher" -- AND -- identifiable by taste NOT just to someone like Steve who has past experience consuming kosher/kashrut food, but also to someone like moi who has none? (Ok, matzah brei -- but those tasted like cardboard to me.) Probably a separate thread, but I just wanted to comment on that. SA