HungryChris

Don't overlook the Danial Packer Inn! It is at it's best off season for lunch. Show up early and sit in the little tavern downstairs. There is usually a fire going and the atmosphere is almost magical. The food will not dissapoint. Oysters are not on the lunch menu but ask. Another favorite starter is the bread with roasted garlic. Cheers, HC

I'm with woodburner on this one. I have found that brining the whole bird overnight has pretty much made this problem history. Even though I knew the chicken was cooked through, I would nuke the pieces in the mike, because I just couldn't eat chicken that looked bloody and I would never serve it to a guest.

I too, enjoyed the man's shows until the later years. When he started commenting about different cultures as "wonderful people", I started rolling my eyes and avoiding his shows. He just ran out of fresh material, like they all do. I didn't know at the time that he was in search of "fresh talent". In the early years, he was good to watch, but he just wore it thin. HC

Reading and looking at this thread makes me realize that we are one sick bunch, but I'm with you 100%! HC

Now this is one of my favorite subjects!!!!! There are a few things that must be right here. The romain must be flawless and not smell of bolt. If you smell a bolting romain head, you will know what I mean. The egg must be fresh ( I go to my sisters house and watch the hens). The romano cheese must be freshly grated. The anchovies must be mashed into a paste so that they dissapear into the dressing. The croutons must be still hot from the saute pan and they must have fresh thyme, garlick, evoo and paprika of the utmost quality. OMG how I love this dish! I made it with TJ's marinated shrimp the other day and it was killer.

I usually make my own soups, but sway on the side of Progresso when necessary. I am a fan of their Manhattan Clam Chowder which I do my best to "kick up". It's not related but kind of fun to remember a story in the news about 15 years ago that involved a Progresso clam chowder plant. They had a system that processed sea clams. It took in the product from boats and then washed them and eliminated rocks and such. Apparently one area that the boats had been given recent acces to had a trove of WWII grenades in it and those grenades made it past the screens for non-clam items. There was a period when particular places in the production line were quite hazardous. It just goes to show you that you are never really safe.

New Years Day.......The cooks and kitchen crew are not ready for the all day dinner crowd that's about to happen. The cooks come in and light the grills and go upstairs to change into their working garb. The kitchen crew brings out the greese screens that were the last items thru the dishwasher the night before. They put the screens on the grills that are not yet hot enough to alert them to the fact that this wasn't such a good idea.....a passing motorist, Thank god!!! rushes in to say "there is whole shitload of black smoke coming out of the roof exhaust fans!" I shut the grills off and emptied two 1 lb containers of Morten Salt (When it rains it pours) onto them just as they were about to go balistic...Happy New Year, but it could have been worse!!!

fifi, That looks like a whole lotta fun. When will the 2005 event be? I wanna go.

That pic of Momo is priceless....talk about a dog with a tude!

Pan, If I lived in the city, yes, I think I could try and get used to the peppercorns in the dish, but because we visit NYC on average about once a month, by the time we go again, we will have another place we are looking forward to trying. There are places in NYC that blow me away, like Gramercy Tavern, that I must go back to to see if they blow me away again, which they do, otherwise we just move on. Grand Sichuan was interesting and fun but NYC has so much to offer for the occaisional visitor that I just can't go back for good, I go back for great! Looking for great is such a fun pastime! HC

After all the commotion here, I had no choice but to go to GSIM on our most recent visit to NYC, Monday. I had the Kung Pao Chicken from the Fresh Chicken menue and Deb had General Tso' Chicken. Deb also had Wanton soup, I enjoyed my meal , but had a slight problem with the Sichuan Peppercorns. To me, they were like little pieces of walnut shell that when bitten down on, released a pleasent heat and intense flavor, but were unpleasent in that they had a texture that implied that they were there by mistake. I enjoyed the meal greatly, but if I were to try to reproduce it at home I would try to infuse the heat and flavor of the peppercorns in oil and then shitcan them! I would do this knowing that the overall effect would be to reduce the hot and cool spots in ths wonderful dish. Deb's Wanton soup was, I thought, good, but not great. I am not a fan of General Tso's Chicken, but I could tell that Deb liked her version. We are greatful to this forum for allowing us to approach Manhattan with a plan that we would not have had otherwise and discuss the outcome with like minded folk! HC

I had occaision to work with an older carpenter some years ago, who told me that he had grown up on an island off CT in the 1940's and 50's and his dad was the lighthouse keeper. He said there were two other families on that same island and they all cooperated with providing for each other. He matter of factly told me of one bad winter when one of the fathers of the other families slipped and fell in the pig pen and the pigs ate him!! I decided that pigs were not in my future on that day.

I'd like a walk in pantry off the kitchen with floor to ceiling shelves and hanging baskets for dry storage. Plenty of counter space in the kitchen, a fan that actually vented outside and not in my face, a salamander broiler and an industrial wok with a burner made by Pratt and Whitney.

We went Framingham, Mass over the weekend and noticed a Whole Foods Market up the street from Trader Joe's. We decided to take a look around and I found some really beautiful fresh Sardines (abeit at $6.99 per lb). I cut the heads off, cleaned them, pulled the spines out with my fingers and rinsed them quickly under running water. I put on a dash of sea salt, some lemon juice and brushed them with evoo. Then I skewed them on little bamboo sticks soaked in water and briefly grilled them up turning just once. They were fantastic! It is hard to believe that a fish with such a strong aroma when being cleaned developes into such a delicacy on the grill. I think next time I'll just cut the heads off, clean them and take the bones out after grilling them whole. HC

I got a cheese making kit many years ago. You could make about 8 oz of cheese with it. I scaled it up and started making wheels as big around as a phonagraph record (for those of you who might remember them) and about two inches thick. It is surprisingly easy, but one of the first problems you come up with is the fact that you need some kind of press to compress the curds into a homogeneous mass. Many pharmacies carry rennet, which curdles the milk to start things off. It's really quite interesting and can be a lot of fun. I'll never forget the look I got when I brought a big hunk of garlic cheese to a Christmas party and people found out that I made it myself.

I must say I love them raw, but I will not turn them down cooked. Wilt some fresh spinach, wrap the shucked oyster in a wilted spinach leaf, top with a cream/munster cheese/garlic sauce and a dash of paprika and bake until golden.

I would do some kind of oyster thing. In the shell, drizzeled with garlic scampi butter, chopped parsely and dusted with a mixture of grated parm cheese and bread crumbs and perhaps topped with a roasted red pepper heart, baked to a golden brown. A dry champagne.......... I've talked myself into it!

I get Gorganzola from Trader Joes that I am crazy about, but can't remember the name. I just look for a little blue and red circle on the label. A salad with leafy green and red tipped lettuce, homemade croutons with lots of thyme and garlic infused olive oil and carmelized shallots, julienned beets and plenty of crumbled Gorganzola cheese, dressed with vinegrette makes it happen for me! Throw in a hot buttered sourdough roll and a crisp white wine and I am weak at the knees.

I too, must speak up in favor of the Lodge cast iron DO. You can't beat it! I got mine in the camping section of Walmart and have never looked back.

Yeah, what he said. It's a molcajete.

Tommy, I am told by friends that the Cab is a much more uniform and a more stable product. After my experience with the merlot, I won't be buying that stuff again. It's too bad though, cause my first two tastings where damned good.

OK, In spite of anything I said in defense of Three Buck Chuck in the past. I have to admit that I opened a bottle of merlot last night and poured it right down the sink. It tasted like cheap grape juice and nothing like the first few bottles that I have sampled. I had noticed a slight variation of taste in the past, but nothing like this. This was just plain awful.

A "regular" grinder is a salami grinder and always has been, here in CT. It is made with cooked salami, provalone cheese, sliced tomatoes and iceburg lettuce that has been sliced thin, mixed with salt and pepper and olive oil. For the best one imaginable, visit Bennedito's near Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, CT. It is a tiny little place but well renouned in the area as the best. Just look at the line at noon, that says it all!

I believe that nonstick cookware is not allowed on US submarines for the same reason. I think I read that production of phosgene gas is a possibility from super heating nonstick cookware. Frankly, I just don't like the stuff and would just rather spend a few minutes scrubbing to get the finish back.