Chris Amirault

Well, I'm still me. Lookit: I 'fessed up largely because I, too, can't quite believe I do it. The first step to reform is recognition, right? Sure, I've got to do some self-reflection in the produce aisle. I doubt I'll ever do it again, actually. However, I still bet that pound of bacon that nearly everyone does something like this. pastrygirl, you don't take two samples sometimes when the sign says "one only"? Or allow the cashier to charge you for industrial when you bought organic? Or...?

You're completely right. I have no justification for it whatsoever, and like to think I'm a pretty ethical fellow. There's just something about those big fat stems that bugs me. Perhaps I need some retail therapy of a different sort!

Was "Club Cocktails" a brand or genre?

I doubt that Manichean pronouncements work in this situation. I'd bet a pound of bacon that that most of us nibble a cherry, grab an extra produce bag, or somesuch now and then in grocery stores. At least for me, it's also pretty illogical. I bring my own grocery bags and rarely use produce bags, and I only nibble if I want to find out whether something is worth buying -- green beans, usually. But, for whatever reason, I'll often pop those damned stems off of shiitake mushrooms. I don't even do it for any other mushrooms. I can't figure it out, honestly.

Edible Rhody, Saveur, Imbibe! and Food Arts.

I ate at Shake Shack last week. Just sayin'....

I should add that I don't do it with any other produce: broccoli, leeks, asparagus, lettuce, cilantro. But shiitake mushrooms: guilty as charged, your honor.

I know! I can't believe I do it. I know. See above. Probably not. You think I should stop teaching my kids to do it?

I didn't say or imply that it was sleazy. And if his intent was to drive website traffic, I'd say he succeeded. However, I feel that this topic has nothing to do with food or cooking, so what is the purpose in posting it? We can let Fat Guy answer that one. But, along the same lines: when I break off the stems of shiitake mushrooms and put just the caps in the bag, leaving the stems behind: no big deal or evil incarnate?

Thank goodness for that. Let me take a moment to say that this Fifty-Fifty (Broker's & M&R) was made heavenly by Scrappy's grapefruit and Regan's orange bitters. So there.

A room-temp infusion of rhubarb, cinnamon, orange, grapefruit, Everclear, water, agave nectar. The recipe makes a point of avoiding pith, oddly enough. To my palate, there's nothing remotely bitter in there.

Are we sure we're not conflating bitter and astringent?

Just because language changes doesn't mean it's always for the better. I certainly hope that Imbibe doesn't start using bitters for any flavoring -- or "martini" for any drink.

Grilling fish and meat in banana leaves is one of life's great, simple pleasures. Pick your favorite SE Asian treatment/marinade, tie the protein in the leaves with strips of other leaves (or wrap in aluminum foil), and grill until done. Corn husks are also a great wrap for Mexican grilled meats and fish.

I think that mace is even better than nutmeg.

Well, how about just salting to the right %age, making up the spice mixtures, and then making just one small patty for each mixture?

Oh my goodness.... You've got me panicking.... Sonia's for Middle Eastern items; the Chinese American Market for Chinese items, heritage pork, and excellent produce; Narin Market for Khmer and other SE Asian items and produce; Asiana Market for Japanese and Korean products; Sanchez Market and Tortilleria for Mexican stuff; Compare Foods for Central American produce; the carnicaria whose name I can never remember for variety meats, chorice, and rabbit....

Why not grind up a few pounds of meat and then scale it out into, say, 100g portions? Start each batch by salt it according to your preference, and then create scaled spice mixes that you add to each 100g batch. Cook 'em, test 'em, record the results.

You'd think that Imbibe in particular would bear that standard. I'll see what I can find out.

There are some tasty SE Asian salads with dried oily fish. My favorite is with pomelo, coconut, lime, fish sauce, and green herbs like mint, basils, etc.

For me, the bind for breakfast sausage patties needs to be minimal, the sort you can get by hand in a bowl. I don't even use the KA paddle for 'em. As for ingredients, I feel like the key item (in addition to S&P) is sage; beyond that, with good pork you're gilding the lily.

The room looks great. What is rabbit porchetta?

The set-up: red leaf lettuce, rice, the sauce referenced in the Saveur article above, daikon, carrot, and cucumber pickles, bean sprout namul, store-bought kimchi, and grilled scallions, mushrooms, and green chile peppers (cheonggochu, I believe). With lots of beer. So the main innovation this time around involved using boneless beef short ribs (on sale at Whole Foods) that I scored in a checkerboard pattern on one side of the meat, cutting through about 2/3s of the way. That allowed the marinade to penetrate more and created more surface area for crispy grilled bits. I also vacuum sealed the meat to promote the marinade. They turned out absolutely fantastic.

Success! Whole Foods has agreed to order a case of this Ener-G rice bran, which has also been stabilized in the way _John describes. When I get my boxes, I'll report back.

So I could skip that step in the recipe you listed above, then.