Chris Amirault

So... don't we think that this concoction could use a bit of the hair of the dog? Has anyone tried dosing it with some hooch?

Holy cow. Anyone have any idea about what happened? It's one thing to have an off night, but to transform a shrine into a vending machine? It doesn't make sense.

If I recall correctly (don't count on it!)...I think they told me the Slope was 2:1:1. ← Having found a bottle of Apry (for Bostonians, at Kappy's in Saugus/Revere) finally, I made a Slope following Sam's receipt: 2 oz rye (Wild Turkey 101) 1/2 oz Punt e Mes 1/2 oz MB Apry I really liked it. I'm a Red Hook fan, but this brings out different dimensions of the rye than that drink. I can't imagine bumping up the PeM and Apry to 1 and 1 as Nathan suggests, though; it'd overpower the rye, at least for me.

I think that the bulk of the contestants were purveyors of other regional 'cues. That wicked brisket ain't indigenous Maine, no sir.

Just grabbed a ruler: I usually slice up my bacon into 3/16" for slices and 3/8" for lardons.

Let's get some measurements! How thick is just right? Too thin? Too thick?

The Sterns' American Gourmet is indeed a great book on the subject (and many others). Thanks, Gus. Susan, the Pu Pu Platters at most places I know have a set list of ingredients, though that list can be different at different places. That is to say: no substitutions. There's usually only one, though at the Kowloon there's an upgraded version including beef teriyaki -- which has been in the top two or three appetizers at the restaurant for fifty years.

The Kowloon, in all its glory. The interior is just as luxe: I sat in the Volcano Room: My Peninsula Pu Pu Platter: (Blame the canted frame on my potent, yet umbrella-free Fog Cutter.) Egg rolls, chicken wings, pork tenderloin, spareribs, and fried wantons, served with sweet & sour sauce and hot mustard. Note, please, the evocation of Krakatoa in both the mural and my platter's sterno pot. What's not to love?

You'll want this classic topic, of course. North of Providence, I recommend the Clam Box in Ipswich myself.

I'm working on a magazine article about the pu pu platter, that remarkable conglomeration of fried goodies, sweet and sour sauce, hot mustard, and sterno that was an essential part of "Chinese" restaurant fare in the 1960s and 1970s. It's my contention that the pu pu platter stands at the center of an important cultural phenomenon that happens to have been housed in some stunning architectural wonders. Take, for example, my boyhood favorite: The Kowloon Restaurant on Route 1 in Saugus, MA. Their "Peninsula Pu Pu Platter" (it was originally just the "Peninsula Platter"; click on the "Nostalgia" link and go to the 1960s menu page 1) is the ne plus ultra of crispy, salty, sweet, meaty and spicy wonder: egg rolls, spare ribs, chicken wings, fried shrimp, pork strips and crispy wontons. It's not a stretch to imagine that many of the appetizers that crowd the menus at your standard sit-down chain restaurant found audiences whose taste buds were primed at these suburban palaces to food. I'd be very interested to hear about members' experiences with the quintessential pu pu platters in their area. Where did you get them? What was your favorite? What was on the platters? Do you have any classic Polynesian/tiki restauarants in your area that served -- or still serve -- them?

I'm confused. Is it Strunk & White (rules about execution) or a glossary (a list of words and definitions)? Or both?

The open end is locked over the top of the spine; the closed end is in contact with (at least part of) the blade, as in this image from the eGCI course on knife maintenance and sharpening: They stay on pretty well -- though I don't have lots of experience personally with them. They're also damned cheap, so you could grab one or two for a few bucks and see what you think.

Hi matthoffman, and welcome! eskay, that case is fantastic. Where do you keep it when you're not traveling? I just counted: I've got 99 in various locations, most in Penzey's jars in two dining room sideboard drawers. Plus the surplus in the freezer downstairs. Yikes. I'm a bit stunned. I'm sure that at least some of it needs to be tossed....

My parents have those (for the Wusthof knives I got them that are banging around in a drawer -- don't get me started -- ), and they are cheap and made to fit specific knives and sizes. They stay tightly on the blade and they've sized to add about 1/2" to the top to prevent poking. The base of the guard won't slide beyond the thickened bolster. From a quick look around, I'm not sure that the Messermeister (and, according to this supplier, the identical Wusthof) guards aren't basically the same.

We announce with regret that Katie Loeb, long-time host in Pennsylvania and active member for years, has stepped down from her role as an eGullet Society host. We thank her for that volunteer service and look forward to her continued participation as emeritus staff (and as her vivacious self!). To honor Katie's service, we've started this Member News topic. Please post your food- and drink-related reminiscences here. My fondest memory of Katie was sitting directly across from her at StudioKitchen for this meal, at which we tasted, rolled our eyes heavenward, tasted again, sipped, talked a blue streak -- and beamed with joy. Her passion for food, drink, and the people who enjoy them is titanic and shall be missed among the volunteers. Thanks, Katie!

We announce with regret that Katie Loeb, long-time host in Pennsylvania and active member for years, has stepped down from her role as an eGullet Society host. We thank her for that volunteer service and look forward to her continued participation as emeritus staff (and as her vivacious self!). To honor Katie's service, we've started a topic in the Member News forum here.

150,000 people? Holy smokes. $7 markup for slaw and fries? Holy smokes.

Sounds like you need to give it a try and make a report!

The Corriher method that Steve quotes above (and for which several other authors, including Bittman, I believe, vouch) is my go-to method and works every time. I use at least 2" of water and make sure I stir them a few times in that 16 minutes to distribute yolk evenly. Want easy peeling? Use older eggs and peel under the tap. Works like a charm.

Nope: I'm hale, thanks for asking. It turned out fantastic, I must say. I used the scored skin method detailed above, smoked it for, I dunno, eight hours with hickory pucks in the Bradley until it was over 140 or so, foiled it, and finished it low and slow in the oven. The juices caramelized in the oven, too, so I scraped them into a pan and reduced some chicken stock to break down the fond: lovely.

Sounds fascinating, Mark. I hope we'll get to see the inside of a few of the shops you frequent.

Yes, dumped in a slew of ice cubes, about 2/3s of the freezer container. That's worked in the past -- but in the past it hadn't been over 90F for several days, warming up the basement.

Fried on top of pasta. Scrambled in a lot of butter and placed on good toast. Zabaglione. See, also, the eG Cook-Off, Eggs, Beaten, with Stuff in Them.

RI Monthly's 2007 best list is out. Most of the cocktail discussion relates to the bar scenes and not the beverages. There is a list of five "top-shelf mixed drinks," but they're a pretty tired list: Bloody Mary at Up River Cafe in Westerly, Martini at Capriccio, Margarita at Cuban Revolution ("This not-from-a-mix concoction..."), and Manhattan at Capital Grille ("a Manhattan's all about the bourbon, and the selection here shines"). Only the Mojito at XO, prepared by Ted Newcomer, sounds interesting, if gimmicky. Also noticed in Providence Monthly that Michael Sears claims to be mixing at his Loie Fuller. We left there without ordering the one time we tried to dine, so I can't report.

Thanks, everyone. My butt's in the fridge and getting nice and cold. My nice, cold butt came directly from the butcher's case, went into my fridge for a few hours, then into a very cold brine with lots of ice. And then, because it's been very hot around here the last few days and my cool cellar spot isn't very cool, it warmed up more rapidly than I had expected. When I got my butt out of the brine this morning I discovered my miscalculation: there was no ice left, making it merely cool, not cold, to the touch.