SobaAddict70

Maybe we should hold an egullet NATIONAL convention one of these days. hehe

I would add that try to use UNSALTED butter whenever possible, when cooking or making a sauce, the reason being that you will usually add salt later in the cooking process and salted butter will only add an undue level of saltiness to the final product. I third the motion for LOTS (aka vats) of butter. I like butter...

Interesting that you say that Mr. P, the pork advertising campaign notwithstanding (pork: the OTHER white meat"). Years of people overcooking their pork chops and spare ribs to the point of inedibility for fear of trichinosis probably killed that trend.

Jim -- by any chance, have you gone to Craftbar? They serve an app there that's deep fried stuffed sage leaves, topped with gremolata. It's just that this reminded me of what I was served when I visited Craftbar not too long ago. Orik -- do you mind sharing the recipe for the shrimp falafel? Most of my falafel experience has been ground up chickpeas mixed with spices and deep fried. Or is this something completely different? Thanks in advance. Jinmyo -- It's all in your mind. You're imagining things. *wiggles his fingers at Jinmyo* Those weren't the droids you're looking for.

Steve P. -- that begs the question of "is it a trend because Tom Colichio (or other celebrity/well-known person) first offered this dish"? Is it often the case that trends begin with well-known people, or can anyone get their shot? Although I have to say, that fresh bacon/pork belly is a staple at Cantonese or Shanghai restaurants and has been for years. Kind of late for this trend, if you ask me. Suzanne F: It seems to me that foodie trends begin in "the big city" and eventually trickle down to the rest of the country. A good example is the tall food one. Two or three years after it faded away, you saw the trend continuing in small places found in out of the way locations, not in well-known establishments in New York or Chicago. I suppose that's because local, country establishments are seen as places that rarely change, or bring influences from places where trendsetting is part of the cultural norm. On the other hand, its possible IMO but not the rule, that trends begin in unknown restaurants or locations. I just can't think of one right now to support my theory. I suppose The French Laundry -- not necessarily an unknown place, but it isn't exactly located (I think) in a megametropolis either -- counts as one. An aside: what is the difference, if any, between trends and fads insofar as each applies to the foodie/restaurant industry, and also, are they substantially different from the standard as applied to the rest of the world (i.e., other industries like film, music, fashion, etc.)?

Wingding (or anyone else): so you think that marketing/food purchases help define or set a trend? Would it be safe to say that word of mouth helps not only on the consumer end, but also on the supply end? As an aside, the greengrocer who reserves quality stuff for Mr. Bouley (just to pick a name), is it necessarily the case that the greengrocer would want to spread the word on the newest food of the moment, knowing that he has a sure cash cow everytime he gets an order from his premium customer(s)? I would think that oversaturation of the market (i.e., arugula and pollen) is certainly a risk to consider. I suppose the corollary to "trendsetting" is creating something and putting your own stamp such that no one else can copy it. But I guess patenting doesn't apply when it comes to the restaurant scene. Or does it?

Tony, Ruby, Nina: I think you're reading too much into my statement. I value ALL opinions, yes everyone who posts here. Its just that IN MY OPINION (which should not be construed as fact), I place a great deal of value on those individuals' bases of knowledge insofar as they can add to my own base of knowledge. I guess what I wanted to say is that I'm especially interested in hearing the opinions/experiences/anecdotes of those individuals, not that I'm not interested in hearing yours or anyone elses. *shrug* I'm sorry if things were too unclear but anyway, moving onwards... Ruby: I suppose I should clarify -- where do these trends come from? CIA graduates? Chefs working overtime, experimenting in the back when no one's looking? Chefs on sabbatical? Idea cards ala Zagat left in the suggestion box? Mr. P: But what is it exactly, do you think, that makes it a trend? Is it because it hasn't been done before? Is it because of the "coolness factor"? There are a thousand things floating around in our sphere of interest on any given day, but not everything is a trend. And also a question for everyone: Do you think trends are cyclical? How much time passes before what happened ages ago becomes new again?

Something that I thought of but failed to raise at last night's pot luck: What defines a trend in so far as the food/restaurant industry is concerned? Who decides what is a trend and what is not? When is a trend considered to be passe and "out"? Is there an official "trendmaker/trendsetter"? Taking for example, the "tall food" trend -- the practice of plating the final product, propped up vertically, to achieve a sense of abundance/height/substance -- who started it, why did it go away, and was it a noteworthy trend in that do you think it influenced people's opinions (customers, not chefs) on what a dining experience should be like? Comments are welcome. Especially yours, Messrs P., Bux and Shaw...

These are the recipes as originally posted. For the pasta with brussel sprouts, I used farfalle in this instance. I should also add that the sauce also includes about 1/3 c. of olive oil (preferably NOT EVOO). When saucing the pasta, be sure to take the recently drained pasta and pour directly into the pan containing the sauce; toss to coat. You can top off each serving with a drizzle of EVOO. Other differences: for the sauce, I used 4 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 shallot, minced; and LOTS of freshly cracked black pepper as a finish. For the bread crumbs, I used about 2 cloves of minced garlic. I had forgotten to get the bread earlier in the week, so used half a fresh loaf instead. The crumbs turned out fine. The fried bread crumbs are good for just about anything, not just the pasta. Oh and one other thing before I turn in -- the blintzes were great! I want the recipe.

From what I've read elsewhere, racasse is a local trash fish in France and does not export well, which is probably one reason you can't find it here in the United States. I could be wrong however.

its been a while since I posted -- I've been working a lot, oh well. the past few days are the first normal evenings I've had in a while... Sunday: Broiled chicken breast, mango pickle, couscous with golden raisins, dried cranberries and chopped parsley; fruit. Monday: Sinigang (which I made on Saturday), steamed rice; steamed egg custards (which I bought from Chinatown). Sinigang is a Filipino soup/stew that consists of pork, white daikon radish, long green beans, bitter melon, tomatoes, onions, ginger, tamarind juice, and sometimes vinegar. Well-made sinigang should have a clean, sour taste or feel, not puckerish. yesterday: Leftover chicken breast, stir-fried rice with garlic, egg, bits of chinese sausage and chopped asparagus; fruit. We're eating out at Lupa in the West Village tonight. Have to take a well-deserved break, don'cha know...

thanks Suvir on the whole, this seems less complicated and daunting than most recipes I've seen. thanks again

I'm interested in making panir and chenna, having never attempted either. Any tips and/or basic recipes would be appreciated (to supplement the one presented in my main source Indian cookbook at home, the name and author escapes me at the moment however -- its an Vedic vegetarian cookbook though if that helps). Thanks folks.

Only if you're a masochist, I suppose. Or if you want compost.

The version I'm familiar with includes burying an onion in the crock of beans, and the addition of a piece of salt pork, scored to expose the maximum surface area and placed on top of the beans. The pork is seasoned with a mixture of brown sugar and molasses, and spices, and melts or permeates the beans as the dish slowly cooks in the oven. When the dish is finished, what you have is a great crock of baked beans topped with a crisped and browned piece of salt pork that's the icing on the proverbial cake...

Well, Tommy, I too have good vision, but if I or my companion(s) have to squint and hold flashlights/candles next to the menu just to read the print, then something's wrong and its not our eyeballs...

I have three pet peeves when it comes to restaurant dining: insufficient lighting (Craftbar); bad acoustics or a design that makes for an inordinately LOUD room (Drovers Tap Room when it was open; Cornelia Street Cafe; Pastis), although sometimes the patrons are at fault; and cramped tables (most but not all Indian restaurants in the Village; Po; Meet Cafe).

I mean Amma. And, I will say that the room and layout is quite nice -- tables aren't too close, lighting is muted, etc. Their rogan josh is not overwhelmingly spicy as in other places -- I could actually TASTE what I was eating. Isn't their a saying about too much pepper I've heard about from somewhere? "Too much pepper catches the throat." Or something like that.

eeek! "Pity that the methionine it contains makes your p** smell." er, thanks, Andy...I think...

Just an observation: If it walks like a troll, smells like a troll and acts like a troll, it probably is a troll. Troll, as in someone who haunts the Internet and web discussion groups and posts inflammatory statements with the intention of spiteful or malicious verbal attacks which have no bearing on the discussion at hand. And while mikemkie is the most obvious example of such, there are one or two other posters on this site who spring immediately to mind. Suvir et al.: Sounds like I have to revisit Tabla one of these days, and also not when they're doing Restaurant Week. Any recommendations? There's a place across the street from my apartment building on 51st Street between 2nd and 3rd. The name of it escapes me at the moment, but there's a yellow-gold awning on the front with reddish lettering. I've only been there once, but their breads (in particular, their naan and poori) are excellent.

My attraction to Madame Lawson stems not from her photogenic qualities but from the quality of her writing, which for me seems closer to Ruth Reichl, another fan fave of mine. Amanda occasionally comes close but some things like her ongoing relationship with her boyfriend/fiance/family/relatives/immediate friends strikes me as something us Gentle Readers have no business knowing. I don't know. When I see Nigella, I think -- poetic, descriptive without being cliched or burdensome. I mean, Nigella just blows Amanda's writing away -- and previous to the divine Madame L., I vastly preferred Amanda over William Grimes or Regina Schrambling. Now, there's no going back. *sigh* Now if only the NYTimes could entice Nigella to be Grimes' replacement. Of course, I have no experience with Mr. Nigel Slater, so any links to his material would be helpful in helping moi form a more nuanced opinion.

Your avatar did.

Monday: Leftover hoisin pork from Saturday dinner; stir-fried rice (my basic recipe is leftover rice, garlic, minced scallions and a few shreds of ginger, and mushroom soy if I feel like it; occasionally I'll add some chopped Chinese sausage, beaten eggs and/or sliced black mushrooms; sometimes I'll stir-fry until the rice forms a slight crust in the wok, but usually only for about three to four minutes or thereabouts) Tuesday: Baked chicken thighs (marinated in yogurt, turmeric, garlic, chopped onion, cumin, fennel seeds and ginger); sauteed kale; coconut rice pilaf; vanilla ice cream with leftover Calvados apple compote from Sunday's brunch.

Why can't we have more writing like today's article by Ms. Lawson? Amanda Hesser (of Food Diary fame), eat your heart out. Some tidbits: "The kitchen should not be a fearful place, hot with menace." "good, juicy, flavorsome loin meat, an extravagant six and a half pounds of it." "it is only the French who affect disdain for the boullion cube; the Italians, no slouches in the cucina, after all, are unapologetic about using dadi and so am I" "makes one feel about as near to sensation heaven as it's possible to get at lunchtime" My only quibble is her product placement within the article. As if we needed a subtle reminder to GO BUY HER BOOK!!! Otherwise, a refreshing piece of writing from The Sultry Chef. Menage a Lawson

this entire thread, the "interesting" issues raised by Wilfrid et al. notwithstanding is about as interesting as my teeth getting scaled (which is an equivalent term for deep cleaning of the gumline) -- something scheduled for tomorrow morning... joy Malawry, pray for me...