SobaAddict70

I haven't been to Wallsé oh...in like, three and a half years. I remember because the last time I was there, I was dating someone who didn't care for travelling outside his relatively limited circle of favorite restaurants. It was like pulling teeth. As I recall, if it involved walking more than five blocks in any direction, he wasn't interested. Needless to say, he and I are no longer together. I haven't been to Danube in a while either. I like just about anything as long as it doesn't involve stinky cheese, insects on a stick or jellied eels/freshly made gefilte fish.

Tryska -- thanks. I'm still a long, long way from where I want to be. Kristin -- I hope I live up to expectations. Prasantrin -- Thanks for your reply. It'll be quite a long time before I'm comfortable enough to call myself a "bodybuilder". Right now, I'm just glad I'm not a skinny twig. Speaking of bodyfat analyses, I'm reading up on that. There's a specific type of diet that I've been looking into called UD2. Another diet that I might utilize in conjunction with UD2 is PSMF, short for Protein-Sparing Modified Fast Diet Program. Both work, although the principles behind each are not necessarily for everyone.

Hi Megan. Whilst I'm always open to going to Hearth, part of the reason why I'm doing this Foodblog is so I can go to some place that I haven't tried before. I'm in the midst of reading Ruth Reichl's memoir Garlic and Sapphires, and it's all I can do to imagine myself having dinner at a place like Lespinasse. Lespinasse closed a few years ago, so perhaps Cafe Gray might be a possibility? I've heard that La Grenouille isn't particularly good these days. It's funny you mention Eleven Madison Park; in addition to EMP, I've been experiencing a craving for Gramercy Tavern lately. Click here for discussion relating to Cafe Gray. It just occurred to me that with all this talk of NYC restaurants, that some of you might find this thread an interesting read.

It's the spirit that counts. It does get progressively more difficult as you get older, which is why it's better to start as soon as possible when it comes to getting in and staying in shape. If only I'd started in on this process when I was 13. *sigh*

I had tried working out several years ago and things didn't go anywhere. Why? Because I wasn't eating enough. You really need to force yourself to EAT if you hope to go anywhere. It's been quite a journey, and I'm only getting started. This is the heaviest I've been in my entire life. I never thought that three years ago I'd be contemplating going on a cutting diet.

Abra -- The reason why I eat so much is because I'm trying to gain weight -- muscular weight. In the time I've been working out, I've put on roughly 50 lbs.; I was 190 a couple of weeks ago. Weight's been in flux between 186.5 and 190 for the past month or so. About 50 to 60% of those pounds is probably fat; I've probably gained about 20 lbs. of lean muscle in the past twenty-two months. I hope so, anyway. Oh yes, if it hasn't been mentioned it before, let me just say that high-intensity weight training will accelerate your metabolism like never before. I thought I had a metabolism like a race horse. I was wrong. Optimally, I should be eating every two or three hours. I haven't eaten since 2 pm this afternoon and right now I'm sooooo hungry, I could eat a couple of Big Macs. (By the way, I haven't had a Big Mac since like, um...April.) My daily meal plan is to consume approximately 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per lb. of bodyweight, at roughly 3500 to 4000 calories a day, broken down over six to seven small to moderate sized meals. Very occasionally I'll add in an eighth or ninth meal. A whey shake counts as a meal, on the premise that it's easier to drink your calories than to eat them. Add in 1 gallon of water, and you can see already that this is a prodigous amount of food. I go to the gym three to four times a week and do cardio twice a week for about 15 to 20 minutes. I try to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, although sometimes it's less and sometimes it's more. An adage to keep in mind, especially when you're weight training is, that you grow OUT of the gym, not in it. Basically this means, that if you eat properly and sleep properly -- in addition to training properly -- you'll grow.

Hi, folks, I've been running myself ragged all day and so forth. Breakfast #1 was a whey shake -- two scoops of chocolate-flavored whey mixed with a glass of milk and a teaspoon of creatine, along with about six hardboiled eggs and some toast. (I discard most of the yolks, so usually about 5 egg whites and 1 whole egg.) Breakfast #2 consisted of a bowl of 4% cottage cheese, a couple of pieces of fruit and a glass of milk. Lunch was roast beef, some candied butternut squash, roasted rosemary potatoes with EVOO, a small salad, and a glass of milk. I usually eat two lunches -- the second lunch is more of a snack really -- but I've been swamped with work so haven't had time so far today. I'll probably get some peanuts or something because I'm starving now. I'll get to your questions and comments later, but I wanted to step in for a moment. Early to bed tonight -- it'll be a looooooong day tomorrow especially since I want to get to the gym in the morning before the crowd comes in. Early in the morning means 6 am. Should be interesting.

I'll try, Joie. Unfortunately, I'm of the opinion that Filipino food (at least Filipino restaurants) don't seem to have caught on in New York. We have three that I know of -- Elvie's Turo-Turo in the East Village, on 1st Avenue between East 12th and East 13th Sts., Cendrillon and a place in Queens whose name escapes me for the moment. I'll probably make my way down to Cendrillion one of these days...if not within the confines of this mini-Foodblog, then soon. Hm, Lupa or L'Impero. I've been to Lupa twice (but not in recent memory; their bollito misto is something I want to try); Chef Conant's food is also on my "to do" list. We'll see. Click here to read all about L'Impero, or here for Lupa Osteria Romana. I'm a career paralegal. Just as hobbits are known to be notorious packrats, so too are paralegals. Regular readers of eGullet may also recall that a couple of years ago, prior to the release of LotR: The Return of the King, I had a signature that changed daily which counted down the days until the film's release. The signature was both a parody of Varmint's signature -- which back then, counted down the days until the first Pig Pickin', and a real countdown until the film's release. I also identify with being a hobbit in Tolkien's setting, but that's another topic for a different web site. The term "professional hobbit" is a term of endearment that I use to describe myself. Ok, breakfast #2 in a minute. What's that, you ask? A second breakfast? Yes, that's right, Gentle Reader. Soba has something like seven to eight meals, sometimes nine meals a day, in his quest to pack on pounds.

It's a different corporate cafeteria now. Different firm, different part of Manhattan, different quality of life. By and large, selection has improved quite a bit. Yes, there are some things that the new cafeteria doesn't do as well as the one at my previous firm, but that's ok. There's always things like ox tongue and tripe with chili viniagrette if I get bored.

Click here for The Tale of the Corporate Cafeteria. WARNING: This is a Foodblog unlike any other. There won't be very many pictures. Not only do I not own a digital camera, I'm not quite a techie. For instance, it really does take me more than two minutes to figure out how to use a cell phone. Yes, I'm hopeless. My eating habits have changed drastically since late 2003. In December 2003, I weighed something like 138 lbs. soaking wet. Fast forward twenty-two months and countless trips to the gym, and I'm now 187; furthermore, I'm contemplating going on a diet for the first time in my life. It's been quite a ride. This week promises to be fairly interesting. You'll get to see how a professional hobbit deals with having seven to nine meals a day, in ways that make Frodo Baggins look like an amateur. In some ways, meals are an adventure every day. At other times, eating tends to be a chore. Lest you think that my food life consists of endless bowls of cottage cheese topped with tuna and Mrs. Dash, I do plan to actually cook a dinner or two that's worthy of the Dinner! thread and not the infamous Dinner II thread. What these will consist of shall remain a secret for now. I'll give you a hint though -- one of them involves a dish only an eGulleteer could love. Sunday evening I'll probably want to have dinner someplace in the city. This is where you, Gentle Reader, come in. Take a look through our New York forum and pick two or three restaurants that you think I might have a reasonable chance of securing a reservation on short notice. It doesn't matter if you don't have any familiarity with restaurants in New York. I have a feeling that if enough readers weigh in on this Foodblog, I'll run a relatively good chance of going to some place good. I don't have any food dislikes apart from stinky cheese (so things like epoisses are out), jellied eels and extraordinarily weird food such as although it's worth noting that something like doesn't phase me. Weird, huh? So without further adieu, welcome to my world. I promise it won't be too bad...

I absolutely adore lamb. As for the nay-sayers, how do they know they'll hate it if they've never eaten it? I've never been able to figure that one out.

With all due respect, it's worth noting that Steven has disclosed the nature of his relationship with the Psaltis brothers in many, many instances -- click here, here, here and here for examples. One of these predates this topic by at least five months. Should he have disclosed once again at the beginning of this thread? Possibly, particularly if you subscribe to the notion that full-fledged transparency is good for public relations. However in my opinion, it misses the point that the truth is out there for all to see. I will say that after this memoir, I wonder if there will be anything else that might be written now or in the future that has the power to cause such a tempest in a teapot. Yours, Soba

In re Concord grapes, I am reminded of a Concord grape tasting menu that once appeared at Blue Hill restaurant in New York City: Click here to read more about Blue Hill.

I see that Chris and I share the same tastes when it comes to Korean-style instant ramen.

I replied via PM to Matthew, but I'm going to answer here for the sake of people who might be reading this thread (now and in the future). Seating at the pass is first come, first served. Since Hearth opens at 6 pm, you'll probably want to reserve as close to that time as possible. Our dinner on Sunday was for 6:30, and we sat at a table. I'm not certain about walk-ins. It's probably best to call the restaurant to find out their policy. I know that I've never waited more than five minutes for a table, if that. However in my experience, I tend to favor early seatings, so that could be a factor. Soba

This past Sunday, as a matter of fact. I didn't post it because I don't remember all the details -- two full glasses of red wine and one of port will do wonders for one's memory -- but I can say that it was worth every penny. There was a half-glass of Gewürztraminer that I forgot as well. If you've been keeping up with my posts on eGullet, then you'll know that this clocks in at the most alcohol I've ever consumed in one sitting. A veritable record as far as I'm concerned. Amuse: roasted yellow pepper soup Apps Me: grilled quail, farro, tomato preserves, poached quail egg Suzanne: wine braised octopus, celery root, celery, potato Paul: marinated sardines, soffrito crudo Mid-course gift Me: ribolitta Suzanne: chicken consomme with vegetables and chicken dumplings Paul: stuffed cabbage, broth, veal and sweetbread dumplings Mains Me: roasted sirloin, bone marrow, braised short rib, mushrooms, pearl onions Suzanne: veal breast/sweet breads Paul: roasted cod, artichoke, beans Side of gnocchi. Hearth's gnocchi are a must order. Get them the next time. Desserts Me: trio of ice creams (vanilla, burnt sugar, raspberry sorbet) Suzanne: olive oil cake, burnt sugar ice cream, roasted figs Mignardises, coffee, tea Total came to a little over $210, split three ways. If the autumn menu is this good, who knows what winter holds in store. Sorry about your dinner, oakapple. Usually the foie gras is pretty good. I rarely order it though because there are more interesting things on the menu that I always want to try. Soba

Those were excerpts from the article, I believe. I just report things as I see them. If it wasn't clear and I apologize for that, along with my regular site duties, I am responsible for a weekly DIGEST of the New York Times. (I know I haven't been keeping up to date, but that's neither here nor there.) Raoul's may be a relic, true. A better question to ask is whether a Diner's Journal should have been devoted to the restaurant, but alas this isn't the thread for that.

Raoul's (Frank Bruni) Click here for archived discussion regarding Raoul's during 2002. Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the star system can be found here. Soba

The simplest version I've had was just red beans, rock sugar, maybe a slice of ginger and water. Never had one with coconut milk. Must try this.

On eGullet, a post is eternal. (Usually.) Live and Memorex.

They look like moon cakes for some reason... I see that Tepee beat me to it.

I'm looking forward to this week as well. We have two future Tag Teams in the works. One will be called "BBQ and All That Jazz" (working title) and another will be "The Modern Norman Conquest". Those are a ways away though.... Soba

New York Times Weekend Update Friday, 30 September 2005 -- Monday, 3 October 2005 All articles in section A can be found on the NYTimes Dining In/Dining Out home page. All articles in section B can be found on the New York Times web site. ======================================= A. Dining In/Dining Out and the Sunday Magazine A Day of Food with Al Sharpton (Amanda Hesser) Recipe: 1. Smothered Chicken 2. Sauteed Cabbage The Julie/Julia Project (David Kamp) Click here to read an excerpt from Ms. Powell's book. Click here to discuss the article. Cercle Rouge (Frank Bruni) Click here to discuss the article or contribute your experiences. Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the star system can be found here. Caspian Beluga? Nyet, Comrade (Felicity Barringer and Florence Fabricant) Good Eating Wine Under $20 (Howard G. Goldberg) B. Elsewhere in this weekend's Times... Freedom to Indulge (Doreen Carvajal) The Art of Shucking (Anthony Ramirez)

Click here for the first Tag Team Foodblog: A Tale of Two Kitchens. This is the second of a series of recurring threads and a special feature of the eGullet Foodblog. As with the first Tag Team, two Society members will be blogging and will be coordinating menus throughout this week. Out of seven days, they will commit to a set number of matched meals, in this case five. (The number of meals may change in future installments, depending on the participants, their schedules and other factors.) The execution doesn't have to be the same, or even the recipe, but the overall meals have to be essentially similar. Snowangel previously appeared in Midwestern Thai. Torakris was previously featured in New Year's Festivities in Japan, A Week of Fun in Japan, and Pocky and the Geisha. Susan and Kristin will post later today, but in the meantime, here are a few highlights during the upcoming week: Tuesday, 4 October: based on trips to the farmer's market, or Kris's coop basket. This could be interesting....This will really be a "wing it" night, and suggestions from members will be solicited. Wednesday, 5 October: dinner on the run. Susan will be doing a soup from her husband's new cookbook, which will be featured in a separate topic. Thursday, 6 October: Recipes from RecipeGullet. Advice and feedback from members would be greatly appreciated. Some of this may be predicated by trips to the market. Friday, 7 October: Three recipes from Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. As with Thursday's dinner, this will depend on what is available at the market. Saturday, 8 October: Kristin is going to a festival with her family. Susan's family will celebrate a birthday, and she will smoke brisket, in addition to baking a cake. Sunday, 9 October: BBQ. Kris and her family are going to friend's for a BBQ, and Susan's family will have a neighbor get-together. Monday, 10 October: Homemade pasta. Wish our bloggers luck! As before, we've started the thread a day early so that everyone can orient themselves and get their bearings. In addition to all of the above, they will be blogging their daily eating. Let the games begin! Soba

New York Times Weekly Update Wednesday, 28 September 2005 (This weekend's update will be posted tomorrow. --Soba) ====================================== Dining In/Dining Out Section All articles can be found on the NYTimes Dining In/Dining Out web page. All About Kugel (Joan Nathan) Recipes: 1. Killer Kugel 2. Jerusalem Kugel 3. Broccoli-Potato Kugel Tales of Kashrut Folklore (Marcie Cohen Ferris) The Pour (Eric Asimov) When Tailgating Goes Gourmet (Ed Levine) The Chef (Melissa Clark) Recipes: 1. Sweet Onion Braise with Fingerling Potatoes 2. Pan-Grilled Onion and Chive Relish Ready-to-Eat as Ready-to-Wear (Luke Jerod Kummer) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Recipe: 1. Chili Shrimp Nobu 57 (Frank Bruni) Click here to discuss the restaurant or contribute your experiences. Discussion regarding Nobu can be found here. Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the New York Times star system can be found here. Out: Charlie Trotter; In: ???? (James Barron) Click here to post your opinions on this article. Bits and Pieces Assistants to Star Chefs (Dana Bowen) Mo' Pitkin's House of Satisfaction (Peter Meehan) Coming Soon: Frankenwine (Craig G. Smith) Correction