Chris Amirault

Um, yeah. It was, er, interesting.

Dinner and a movie is being done all over the country right now. Here in Providence RI, the Providence Place Mall cinemas have a wine bar and café in the lobby, for example -- and of course most mall cinemas have a food court nearby. But I think you may be thinking more along the lines of the Castle Cinema Café. Before its demise, it operated as both a stand-alone restaurant and as a wait-staffed service within the cinema itself. They had converted an old theater into this set-up, and it died after a few years of not very strong activity. Part of that had to do with location, but part of it had to do with execution as well, I think. I went only twice, and I think that the comparison is worth noting. One time was for a raucous Elvis impersonation contest, at which the servers interrupting and the fairly lame appetizer food (see the The Providence Phoenix review for details) didn't really take away from the experience. Another time I went to see a film I was eager to watch attentively, and the service disruptions and not-so-good food were more an annoyance than part of the fun. Missing a few seconds of a toddler Elvis to get my buffalo wings I can live with; missing a few seconds of crucial plot for them is another matter. I don't think that there's much additional challenge to managing a restaurant and cinema in the same complex save, well, the challenges of managing both a restaurant and a cinema. I'm also not sure I see the point. For example, before the café opened up, I'd do like we all do: grab a bite at one of several restaurants in that area and get to the cinema just before the previews roll. I think that the restaurant-in-a-cinema could be figured out with a little help from a smart interior or restaurant designer: effective layout for service and sightlines; easy-to-eat menu items; small tables that can accommodate enough space for food but allow for packing viewers into the seats. You've also got the benefit of movie goers being used to paying titanic markups for movie food. However, it's hard to imagine most people wanting to combine those two experiences. Do you really want to eat good food in the dark? Do you want to shift your gaze from screen to plate to screen over and over? Fun finger food I can understand, but beyond that.... Now, if you really want to improve the experience of watching films in the US, I'll just say that I'd settle for a swell pint of bitters as I watch my flick, as I did at the Curzon Soho in London.

Strike one. Has anyone tried the KA grain mill?

Thanks, again, everyone, for the kind words. Armenian, primarily. Sonia and family are Armenian, though the shop features products from throughout the middle east. If you bought a block of the fruit, they keep for a very long time; the fruit in pods keep for months, especially under refrigeration.

Saveur just announced that -- yep -- Rhode Island is the home of the true and the pure clam shacks. All the gang's there, and, last weekend with the in-laws, we headed down to Flo's to celebrate the triumph of clammy reason with some fat bellies. Oh, baby.

Galangal keeps like its relative, ginger, so you can store it at room temperature for a good week or two, in the fridge, or, if you're feeling like it's going to be a while before you use it, in some clean dirt (being, after all, a root!).

Great turn out and time for the shop 'n' eat! As planned, we hit Compare Foods on Broad St, Sunny Market on Reservoir Ave (Rt 2), Sonia's on Park Ave at Rolfe St, and Chinese American Market on Park Ave at Rolfe St, before enjoying a great meal at Minh Hai on Park Ave: goi ga: shredded chicken salad goi bo: grilled beef salad (spicy) goi cuon: fresh shrimp and noodle rolls tom muc haoc ca xao lan: shrimp sautéed with noodles and coconut milk (spicy) ca chiem mam me: fish in tamarind sauce ca sate: fish in saté sauce (spicy) bo hoac ga xao rau cai: beef sauté in oyster sauce ga cuu long: marinated sautéed chicken with lemon pepper sauce (spicy) rau cai xao lan: sautéed vegetables in curry and coconut milk dau hu xao ca tim: tofu sautéed with eggplant in plum sauce (spicy) What'd people think?

Yikes. A trio of op ed pieces on seafood that, together, seem to suggest that an entire category of food, its preparation, and the restaurants associated with it are about as worrisome as a Jack in the Box E. Coli burger. First up: in "Catfish With a Side of Scombroid," Taras Grescoe tells us why our entire supply is seething with imported, disease-riddled seafood: Next, Trevor Corson tells us why shuddering Americans are all wrong when it comes to our relationship with sushi and its chefs: Finally, our own Fat Guy, Steven Shaw, tells us that, when it comes to seafood paranoia, we might all be "Chicken of the Sea": To what extent are folks anxious about eating seafood -- raw, cooked, at home, at restaurants? Last weekend I consumed a massive platter of raw (and some cooked) shellfish at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal without a first thought about safety, so I may not be in the demographic. What do you think?

The articles bring up one red herring -- blogs? -- and misses the point about Whole Foods's golden brand. Mackey has worked hard in the press, on his web site, and particularly in his exchanges with Michael Pollan to cultivate a public persona as a CEO possessing extraordinary sincerity, integrity, and honesty. Some shark CEO could have played this off as a joke, saying he's just playing the Big Game, but Mackey has tried to convince us that he's just a real guy doing a good day's work on our and the planet's behalf. Of course, that "real guy" is at the center of the corporation's brand. This excerpt from the news piece (both links worked for me) is very telling: "They're trying to embarrass me" and "many people do it" are classic dodges familiar to most junior high school kids throughout the decades. But you've gotta love his new information-highway spin: "sometimes I'm me, and sometimes I'm not me." Add them up and they really take an axe to the persona I described above.

But, if we can all agree that lousy products are lousy, why is good butter better than good olive oil? Ten years ago we'd be talking about butter instead of oil. Maybe in three years we'll be complaining about shoddy rillettes.

Flank steak is one of the cuts that responds incredibly well to complex dry rubs. Dry off the steak, grind up some spices and peppercorns, bit of brown sugar if you're feeling wacky, add some kosher salt, rub it all in, and let the steak come to room temp while you create a massive fire with real wood charcoal. 4-5 min per side on that grill and let it sit. You want a sauce? Make a sauce and pour it on. But I think marinades detract from the beefy wonder of flank.

Update: I have both a KA meat grinder and a grain mill, the cal, and the will to move forward. Now all I need is some good quality corn. Sources? Nothing listed at Rancho Gordo, though it's not the right season, I think.

Had a great meal last Saturday at APDC. We had been walking around the city earlier in the afternoon when we happened upon Duluth, so we walked by the restaurant to check it out. It was far more cozy and unassuming than either of us expected. No sign, either. When hours later we arrived for the meal (having changed our reservation easily with the gracious folks in the front of the house), I was surprised to see chef Martin there. He was talking with several chefs, manning different stations and overseeing the front with a calm seriousness. The ex-pizzeria space itself affords him a good spot: right between the garde manger station and the stoves, where the ex-pizzeria's counter breaks and he can see, on the right, into the front dining area and, on the left, down the slimmer back area. Through most of the meal (he left around 9p, after we'd been there an hour and a half), he either stood guard or helped out here and there, dipping fingers in this or poking that. When we walked in, he saw us, too. He didn't break into a cheery "Welcome, my good friend!" smile, nor did he seem to expect that we kiss his ring. It was as if he was wondering, "Here's two more. Let's see if they get it." We made eye contact; I nodded; he nodded, and we sat down at a deuce just off his left. We started with the cochonnailles, the pork appetizer plate, which we polished off quickly as they prepared the smallest ($48) seafood platter. It was all great, with the rillettes, a kind of summer sausage, and the most finely ground paté standing out. Then came the titanic seafood plate. The crawfish (is that what they were?) were unimpressive, particularly on the same shaved ice as rest of the remarkable oceanic bounty: three different kinds of oysters, razor clams, littlenecks (best I've ever had), whelks, mussels. The best things on the ice were a couple dozen periwinkles, which I haven't eaten since I gathered them with my mother off the North Atlantic coast as a child. They had been cooked and then tossed with an inky, sticky sauce that tasted of licorice. I'd have better notes if they hadn't thrown me into ecstasy. Next up were our two mains. The duck in a can was very good -- whatever complicated timing or sourcing issues lead to tough duck were not in evidence -- but the plogue a champlain was stunning, one of the two best foie preparations I've ever had (the other in the Loire valley). I can see why some would find this overpowering, particularly early in the meal, but we both thought it was stunning, and the quality of the ingredients (especially the maple syrup, bacon, and foie) was particularly wonderful. I don't know how we did it, but we polished off a pouding chomeur before we waddled out. While we were hanging around a bit at the end, I got into a conversation with the guy in garde manger (didn't catch a name), and he kept saying, "There's no place like this. No place like it." Apparently most of the entire team has been working with chef Martin for years (six for him); the supposed informality that some people read among the very visible staff in the open kitchen is, to me, a sign of ease, familiarity, and collaboration. We had a great time. It's hard to capture the feeling of it all, particularly given that much of the food has deep emotional resonances with this French-Canadian New Englander. So, to sum reductively: it was one of the best four or five meals I've ever had.

What didja get at Primo?

Thanks folks. Flax seed? Eewwww.... I read this and thought, "How horrible to have your relation to Fiestaware ruined!" Or, perhaps, both! I think that there's a metaphor in there, somewhere....

Why sous vide?

I'm out in Montana and have been really enjoying "beef loin flap meat steak" from Rosauer's here in town. I made a yum nua (Thai beef salad) the other day and am planning fajitas for tonight. Any other fans? Has anyone see this east of the Rockies? And does anyone know from where on the animal it hails?

Thanks. New question: I'm having a hard time finding a good internet source for information about the cords. This page has some information about Farberware -- but of course the skillet I'm trying to fix is a 100-series, for which cords are no longer available. Does anyone know of a better listing?

In the last two days, I've made two batches of quick pickles. Red onions sliced into thin wedges, kosher salt, and lime juice to cover in the fridge for two hours. Served as as topping for burritos. Yellow onion and cucumber (I used english, but kirby or persian would work; those industrial behemoths don't) in 1/4" slices, salted for an hour, rinsed, drained, and squeezed, then in a 1:1 water/cider vinegar with about 1 T sugar and some dill from out back. Served with some fried chicken and hushpuppies. One question for the experts. I've noticed that I like the squeaky, crisp texture of pickles that result from a very strong squeezing in a dish towel, as opposed to a simple drain or gentle squeeze. It also seems that the flavors absorb more quickly when I do this, which seems to make sense at a cellular level (squeeze out the liquid and the cukes absorb more to recover). But most of the directions that I've seen say to squeeze very gently. Is this just a taste/texture thing, or am I committing the kind of horrible crime that would get me tossed out of a state fair?

I'm bumping this up to see if anyone has any shopping tips for buying a used electric skillet. I see them all the time at yard sales and at thrift stores, but I'm fearful of a blown thermostat or something. Is that unreasonable? Thoughts?

Great news. I'm sure I speak for many here in saying that -- if you can hand a digital camera to a by-stander while you toil! -- I'd love to see the production in process. Now that you're about to open, can you share with us some of the business information? What is your price range? How does your supply chain work? Who's staffing it?

Even though some of us knew that her health was failing, I still received the news as a shock. It's hard to believe that a person with such vibrant presence is dead. I got to know her very well on-line in our related volunteer work here and also had the chance to talk to her on the phone. As Maggie said, "fifi" she both was and was not. Linda had a personality that only a fool would for take frivolous or one-dimensional. She was more like a well-seasoned 24" cast iron skillet than a bon-bon eating French poodle. She knew far more about food than all but a handful of us around here, but you'd never know it from her tone or demeanor. She was a tireless worker, particularly on behind-the-scenes stuff, the sort of work that administrators know will never be appreciated. I'm currently in Montana helping my mother-in-law prepare a chili competition, and all I can think is "1/2 inch dice...." I just wish that everyone who knew her in eG Forums could have heard her sudden, throaty laugh a few times before she died. Goodbye, Linda. You'll be remembered and missed.

We announce with regret that circumstances have forced hzrt8w (W.K. Leung -- or as he is known on eG Forums, Ah Leung) to step down from his role as an eGullet Society specialist after two years of volunteer service. We thank him for that service and look forward to his continued participation as emeritus staff. To honor Ah Leung's service, we've started a topic in the Member News forum here.

As we announced here, circumstances have forced hzrt8w (W.K. Leung -- or as he is known on eG Forums, Ah Leung) to step down from his role as an eGullet Society specialist after two years of volunteer service. Please share your thoughts on his tenure here. I personally don't know where to begin, since Ah Leung has contributed mightily to eG Forums and to my own dinner table over the last two years. I've now got better shaoxing, a new beer snack, and a host of remarkable home options from his remarkable Chinese food pictorials, a highlight of eG Forums. We wish you well, Ah Leung, and thank you for your service!

As someone who is (also) in the former camp, I think Sam hit the nail on the head.