Chris Amirault

Thought I'd give an update on this batch: Several days ago I strained and filtered this brew, then added the sugars. I ended up with a combination of Vietnamese burnt sugar, molasses, and demerara 2:1 simple. I didn't measure but I think that it was about 1T of each. I'm very happy with it so far. I can definitely taste the additions of mahlab and raisin, and though I'd like a bit more allspice and clove, I have learned to be wary of those two, especially the latter. I think it'll be a good fall bitters.

Perhaps, perhaps. But then I don't get to feed my butchering jones. I await those photos, Dave the Cook.

It's green (or string) bean season around here, and we're swimming in them. Went looking through the archives and found this topic. I did something like this last night using a tweak of something from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone: sautéed onions then garlic in olive oil, added a bit of anchovy paste, then a can of crushed tomatoes, S&P, and oregano. Stewed the whole thing until done and served it over brown rice with some sausages. Lots of leftovers, too, for work lunch. What're you doing with your green beans?

Like here. I'm a chuckaholic, and I've never seen it.

OK, I'm game. Let's say I want to cut me a chuck-eye steak from a chuck roast. Any tips before I give it a whirl? If I destroy it it's burgers for everyone.

What did you come up with, Klary?

I've been wondering about good cocktails in preparation for a trip to the Cape, during which I'll enjoy an annual ritual of steamed clams and lobsters. We've usually gone for crisp white wines, but this year I'm thinking about a clean and bright cocktail. I've got a few gin-based possibilities (White Lady, Corpse Reviver #2, Obituary) but I thought I'd see what else people have in mind.

I'd just like to say that the hand pump hasn't taxed my wrists at all. ETA: I'm 45.

Rob Connoley, aka gfron1, has stepped down from his role as host after 18 months of hard work, enthusiasm, and boundless energy. You can say thanks for that dedication here in this topic. Thanks, Rob, and good luck with the restaurant!

It sounds like it's been cooked at very low temperatures for a long time in some additional fat. I've done that with olive oil and homemade pancetta to very good effect.

OK, will do -- but what does "crash out" mean?

But I drove from Providence to eat there, so it's even better than some place in Queens, right? I mean, in the Bruniverse.

In re the butter: was it roughly 1:1?

Say more for your north-shackled many! What were your (and everyone's) initial impressions?

So the external skin (and all its oils) formed the interior of the cup? Sort of a reverse crusta shot thingie?

And "ya ka" means...?

What does "MASH" mean exactly?

Can the lame, moronic, and tourists get a basic definition?

I'm wondering what sides are traditional or even appropriate with jerk. Rice and peas with some fried plantains?

They look like the amazing clams that you get scrambled with eggs at Bar Pinoxto in Barcelona.

Baan Bakery Nikom Tanawa, baker 3/9 Suri(ya)wong (~200m S of Chiang Mai gate) Some places are loved by tourists because they are oases of home food in the midst of unfamiliar cuisines, and I certainly understand the appeal of regaining your sea legs after days of new flavors, textures, and preparations. Some places appear better than they might otherwise because they're located in unexpected places. Though both of those things could be said about Baan Bakery, that's not what I'm here to tell you. I have bigger claims. Meet Nikom Tanawa, master baker, who was kind enough not only to feed my wife and me breakfast and snacks for a week but also to talk at great length about his life and work: Nikom moved with his brother from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai long ago, and the two used their excellent English and intelligence to work as tour guides in and around CM. (Brother Sorapong, who goes by "Chai," is still an outstanding guide; stop by the shop in the morning and you'll likely see him soon enough.) On one tour, Nikom met his future wife, and they returned to her native Japan to live for several years. When he arrived there, Nikom decided to succumb to a long-standing desire, throw caution to the wind, and train and apprentice as a pastry chef. After seven years, he and his wife moved back to Chiang Mai, set up Baan Bakery, and started feeding expat Japanese and Western retirees, Thais appreciative of a refined style of pastries, and the odd tourists who spy his shop and venture in. We were profoundly grateful that Baan Bakery was on the road from our hotel (Tadkham Village, a bit further south on Th Nantharam) not just to catch some cappucino and smell fresh baked goods. Each day, we enjoyed some of the finest croissants, tarts, buns, and breads that we'd ever had. If Nikom served merely passable baked goods, the shop would be a triumph. But Nikom serves the sort of pastries that seem nearly impossible to comprehend in Chiang Mai. They are comparable to most high-end shops I've been to in Europe and are as good as or better than anything I can get around here. Take a look at that photo up there, in which Nikom is weighing brioche dough, and think about what it would take to crank out even mediocre stuff. I will help you. Here's a shot of his workspace: Note that the windows are opens to the 85-95F outdoor air. That's to cool off the room, which is usually around 120F. Of course, keeping the windows open means that the brutal Thai humidity, abetted by afternoon rains, is a constant challenge to the delicate, dry baked goods. (That's why some of the product on the racks are packed in plastic; otherwise they'd be stale in 15 minutes.) Across from the two ovens (which remain on the entire day, natch) against the wall you can't see on the left, you'll find a series of small, low refrigerators, in which Nikom cools his doughs between folds. The lamination machine on which he's cutting and weighing the dough is located in the lower right corner of the room, because it's nearer to the air conditioned front of the house. The machine's fabric is kept floured because it's his work station for cold items. He generally has to do cutting, weighing, folding, and the like in less than one or two minutes, or else the butter he uses for his doughs starts to melt and seep. He does his best to get a constant supply of quality flours, sugars, and so on, but Chiang Mai isn't Paris, and he has to make do. This is particularly true about the butter he uses, which is not high fat/low moisture European pastry butter but the sort of standard-issue material you'd find in any supermarket. So it's miraculous to be able to enjoy these: My photos don't do the banana pastry, custard tart, and apple pastry justice -- though the missing bite from the banana pastry gives you a sense of why we're lacking more photos. No matter what we tried, the product was excellent, and the quality of the laminated items was hard to comprehend, given that workspace. And though I'm not an expert on Japanese pastries, the red bean buns (with brioche dough, I believe) and sesame cookies that I tried were out of this world. That's Nikom's wife, who runs the front and wrestles with the tempermental espresso machine, on the right; a woman who also works in the front is on the left. (I'm ashamed to say that I lost my notes with their names.) Here are two shots of the interior: Note the pullman and pain de mie loaves in the center of the shot: It's odd to start a series of posts on Chiang Mai off with a tribute to a baker, I'll admit, but it's the proper tribute to this food-crazed city. The tremendous respect accorded all foods in Chiang Mai reaches an apex at Baan Bakery, and Nikom deserves his due propers even if there's no fish sauce or shrimp paste to be found. Needless to say, if you ever go to Chiang Mai, you must visit Baan Bakery.

We talked about this in re cocktails over here, and I think that a lot of the issues raised there can crossover to wine bars.

Few more listed at the Museum of the American Cocktail, including a Pimm's Cup, of all things.

Website's not currently functioning particularly well, and if there's a menu there I can't find it.

I'm getting my CM photos organized, but I thought I'd report back about a few things that Peter mentions here. Dr. Noodle has moved into a new venue (or a renovated one) on Soi 17, IIRC. The sign on Nimmanhaeman Road looks like the one above, but it's hard to spy. We went there twice and were happy both times (though happier the first). Just look for this sign on Nimmanhaeman (tx Peter!): Good View was the best restaurant we ate at, hands down. Everything was good and most stuff was fantastic. We went to Riverview once but were not particularly impressed -- and the three or four times we passed it by there were several tourist buses in the parking lot. The mango and coconut rice at Galare Food Court was, indeed, excellent. Not sure if it's the best in town, but we sure loved it. Moxie was overpriced, too clever for its own good, and didn't consistently deliver on flavor. But it's a nice oasis from that crazy part of town, and we only had Thai food, so can't judge the Western stuff. The timing was fine, but the place was empty save for us and they were training wait staff. Rona, we ate so many banana rotis that we nearly burst. The best stand was just inside the old city at Chiang Mai gate on the right side of Phra Pokklao just up from Bamrung Duri. I've traveled to a lot of food destinations, but nowhere I've been trumps Chiang Mai for food and food culture. I hope I can do it justice in my posts. More soon.