Chris Amirault

Lucy, this is stunning, beautiful work -- and the first installment, which I saw today for the first time, is the same. Thanks so much for it. You are transporting those of us who pine for cool spring days in France (we were in Paris two Aprils ago for a week... sigh...). As for a baby food blog, Soba, I could do one here with Bebe (five days old) and Andrea, but there's not too much variation on the breast milk theme -- yet! Chris

This is a bit off topic, but did anyone else read John Thorne's review of the new McGee in Saveur this month? I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that the author of Simple Cooking had few good things to say about it, but it seemed overly critical, and inappropriately so. For example, while there is certainly a lot of "scientific jargon" in the new McGee, there is a great deal that is NOT jargon -- and jargon is another word for precise, discipline-based language anyway. I dunno... it seemed like a editing stunt that didn't work. edited for formatting -- ca

Can you share your recipe with us? Photos, too, would be nice!

Wow! Who'd a thunk it? The wonderful aroma of fried chicken wafts across the globe.... I agree with Susan that the smell of fry is great, but I can understand why other folks don't want it in their bed sheets for a week. We open two windows on either side of the stove, which seems to work pretty well. Chufi, your wok idea is a great one! I have a Le Creuset cast iron skillet I was going to use, but I fear that the sides are too small. I think I may get out my wok and make mine in that. Meanwhile, Rachel asked a question a while back today: Folks can correct me if I'm wrong (and will I'm sure! ), but most flour dredges contain some salt and a LOT of black pepper. However, in my chicken nugget recipe, I add half of my seasoning mix to the pieces and the other half to the flour. That recipe's seasonings change according to what we're feeling like: Cajun, Mexican, curry, whatever. I think that the flour prevents the seasonings from burning -- or it seems that way to me. I didn't get a chance to get the chicken today, but perhaps tomorrow.... Soon, though!

Thanks, Mitch. I appreciate the detail a lot (as does Andrea, who's reading alongside me). You clearly have a far more sophisticated appreciation for bread, and bread making, than I do. Since I prefer learning to ignorance, perhaps one day we can sit down at Seven Stars and talk about a few things! You mentioned the "truck" -- and lost me. Oh, and, yes, "tasteless and poorly served meal" sounds like Don Tequila's, on Atwells near where Gracie's used to be and the hill slopes down again.

Forgive me: I should have checked the book before posting. The text to which I was referring, Copeland Marks's Indian and Chinese Cooking from the Himilayan Rim, discusses Kashmiri Muslim cooking (bakra ka pasanda, or royal lamb in nut sauce, being an example). Which is to say, it is Indian, and not Chinese, Muslims to which Marks refers. Sorry about that...!

One more thing: this thread talks about wine shops in Providence.

Just a quick fyi in case anyone is interested: Copeland Marks has written a few cookbooks in which Chinese Islamic cookery is discussed a bit. If anyone is interested, I'll go downstairs and dig out the one or two that I have stored in the basement.

Seems so to me, too. I'm going to start looking at Savers (resale store) for a used one from now on. Anyone have any opinions about which to look for? Sunbeam seems a winner.edited to clarify that I shop at second-hand stores far, far more often than retail (and, truth be told, than I should) -- ca

All this little chicken (chicken little?) discussion has me hankering to take a trip up to Federal Hill here in Providence to visit Antonelli's Poultry, wherein I can point at live birds in cages and watch as they prepare a few for frying. Now that I'm on parental leave for three weeks, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do! Perhaps I should bring my digital camera with me.... Eh?

Hey, boulak! Another denizen! Where do you bake? And can you say more about why you like Olga's less than Seven Stars? I'd appreciate your explanation. Whole Foods is closing the Waterman store pretty soon; the newer place, at University Heights, is staying open (and is just a drive down N Main St from you, Erin). It's great that there'll be a WF in Cranston where Shaw's is. Of the two big groceries, we really prefer Stop n Shop, where you're likely to get foods intended for more than the white folks who just want meat and two veg sans seasonings; Shaw's is just good for staples, I think. And, yes, Mexican in RI really truly sucks: Catcus Grille is a joke; Tortilla Flats is, too; Don Tequila's isn't bad but it is outrageously expensive for tiny portions. I started a thread on Mexican restaurants in Boston and Providence, which confirmed my suspicions. Having said that, I must say I'm enjoying this thread, even though it's wee. It'd be nice if we could get a strong Providence presence on eGullet!

There is a sizable Liberian population here, and a few other West African folks around. Elea's on Broad is the hot spot for Liberian food, apparently. There are probably other places that I haven't found. Yet.

Hold onto your seat, Erin! If you're moving to Providence, you are coming to a vibrant immigrant community with dozens of stores serving dozens of communities. This list is by no means exhaustive; in fact, I'm inspired to drive around tomorrow and find more places! For example, there are Portuguese and West African shops that I've never visited and that are, I'm sure, worth a trip. In any case, I think that you'll find that Providence is a food-lover's paradise.... grocery stores Whole Foods (two locations) and East Side Marketplace are the two best general grocery stores in the city. You can get most things there -- fruits, meats, vegetables, cheeses, fish (ESM not so good on fish; WF much better). There are other fruit and vegetable stands that are decent: Donabedian's in Cranston is the best I know of, open only in the summer and fall. All the good little ones on Federal Hill are gone (sniff); the only one like that is the Cole Avenue fruit and vegetable shop hidden in a residential area near Blackstone Blvd. farmers' markets In addition to the farmers' market at Hope High School, in season there are at least three other CSAs and/or farmers' markets in town: one on Broad Street on Sat, one on Wickenden Street on (I think) Tues, and one at West Broadway Neighborhood Association on Broadway. Having spent some time at the Madison WI farmers' markets around the state house (astonishing), I wouldn't say that the selection is excellent, but they're quite good for different things in season. cheese Farmstead on Wayland Ave is, without question, the best cheese shop. They win Boston magazine awards, for crying out loud! WF has a good selection, too. bakery Lots of folks like Seven Stars on Hope St, but I think that Olga's on Point St is much better; I've been warned not to try to steal their sourdough starter! There are quite a few Italian bakeries on Federal Hill, but I'm not much of a fan, so I can't recommend. meat and poultry Since the demise of House of Veal on Atwells, the best butcher I know of is the Butcher Shop on Wayland Ave. They aren't fantastic, but you can make requests and get special cuts now and then. WF also seems to be interested in providing support for more specific meats, too. There is a carniceria (spelling?) on Gano Street near the Dunkin Donuts that caters to a Portuguese, Cape Verdean, and Latino crowd and has excellent chourice, pork, and other items. They often have interesting stuff like rabbit on sale, too. Antonelli's Poultry on Federal Hill has live chickens, ducks, rabbits, and usually a few other things. You go in the back (holding your nose if you're not used to it!), point at a cage, and decide whether to watch the demise of your feathered or furry friend. A bit later, it's cut up, on ice, and ready to go. They also have eggs, fantastic eggs. There are a couple of other live poultry places in town, but I've never been to 'em. fish Speidec is right: there are no good fish mongers in town any more. WF is the best place to get fish. There's a horrible bar called "Fish Co." on the spot where, indeed, an amazing fish store once stood, but, alas, they're gone...... Asian Speidec mentioned Asiana in East Providence for Japanese and Korean, but there are at least a dozen good stores for Southeast Asian ingredients. I regularly visit three in my part of town on Elmwood Avenue (going south: one at Public, one at Potters, one at Longfellow) for pork, duck, herbs, vegetables, rice, etc. etc. There's also a large Asian store called Sunny Market on Reservoir Ave just north of the Cranston line where I've found fresh quail and a few other harder-to-find things. There's a store on Park Avenue in Cranston near Pontiac Ave called something like "Chinese Store" that has excellent Chinese ingredients, including a small but interesting produce section (fresh water chestnuts last week). My hunt for fermented tofu ended happily here. Latino/a and Mexican South Providence (the neighborhood in which I live) has literally dozens of Latino/a shops and stores selling just about anything you'd want from the Dominican, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Since we make more Mexican food than Latino/a food here, I go most often to Sanchez Market on Broad at Princeton for produce, some meats, and ingredients. There's a tortilleria on Atwells and Academy called Tortilleria Pixatla that has some tasty food in the back and that sells a few Mexican items that Sanchez doesn't have. Russian Just south of Pawtucket on Hope Street is a strip mall with a small shop called International Foods that specializes in Russian food. If you're into Russian stuff, let me know; there's a big Russian community here but I'm not as familiar with it. Jewish/kosher Barney's Bagels is in the same strip mall as International Foods, and they are one of the two places with good bagels in Providence. The other is Bagel Gourmet on Brook Street at Power. There is a great Jewish shop on Hope Street near Rochambeau whose name I'm forgetting, which has the usual stuff, albeit a small selection. Middle Eastern Baroudi's is a small Middle Eastern place (I think the guy is Lebanese) that sells olives, canned goods, some frozen stuff, bread, on (I think) Chalkstone Ave at Smith St. There's also a place called Middle Eastern Market in Cranston on Reservior Ave that has a better selection of most things. The place on Mineral Spring is not as good as the one in Cranston. Indian Not Just Spices (and, across the street, Not Just Snacks) offers most basic Indian ingredients and a few produce items. There's another Indian and Pakistani store on Mineral Spring Ave in North Providence (different city). Italian Finally, Providence is home to many excellent (and, thanks to the tourists, pricey) Italian shops: Tony's Colonial, Venda Ravioli, and many others line Atwells Ave on Federal Hill.

Oh, come on! Surely someone has some thoughts on this subject. I'm very interested to know myself....

Jeez Louise! You go have a baby, come back, and ka-boom! I gotta, say, I've had the same opinion of this from the get-go. If you are in service (and I run a preschool, so I know of what I speak), sometimes you take one for the team, business, whatever. Instead of repeating the jillion reasons for this that others have posted, I want to add something to Bruce's points, with which I heartily agree: And -- to the point of this thread -- if I point out a problem with a dish and the chef or server says, "Sorry for that. We'll comp it," I will become a regular, return again and again, and tell everyone I know the story and to do the same. Yeah, I know that there are flaming assholes in life to which one must smile and nod emptily and for whom one does not want to comp a truffled foie gras app, but thats not what this thread is talking about. The $8.95 (or whatever) cost on a return app seems an excellent investment in producing loyal customer happiness to me....

I may have missed it, but I'm surprised that no one has mentioned halal or kosher diets, in which certain foods are associated by some with profound impurities. Corrupting their soul seems like a good reason to let people know that they're eating something forbidden, don't you think?

Just a note to those of you who are coming to this cook-off later than others. Thanks to the internet, remember that you're never too late for an eGullet cook-off. While all have a specific starting time, none have a end time, and there are many of us eager to see what you will do with the cook-off recipes. So don't hesitate to contribute if you're finding this thread weeks or months after its start: your posting your own ideas, questions, or results can bump activity back up on this thread in no time!

Just a note to those of you who are coming to this cook-off later than others. Thanks to the internet, remember that you're never too late for an eGullet cook-off. While all have a specific starting time, none have a end time, and there are many of us eager to see what you will do with the cook-off recipes. So don't hesitate to contribute if you're finding this thread weeks or months after its start: your posting your own ideas, questions, or results can bump activity back up on this thread in no time!

Just a note to those of you who are coming to this cook-off later than others. Thanks to the internet, remember that you're never too late for an eGullet cook-off. While all have a specific starting time, none have a end time, and there are many of us eager to see what you will do with the cook-off recipes. So don't hesitate to contribute if you're finding this thread weeks or months after its start: your posting your own ideas, questions, or results can bump activity back up on this thread in no time!

I refuse to believe that you have room in the back of your fridge! If you actually, do, please share your secrets, as we're fresh out of space!

Just a note to those of you who are coming to this cook-off later than others. Thanks to the internet, remember that you're never too late for an eGullet cook-off. While all have a specific starting time, none have a end time, and there are many of us eager to see what you will do with the cook-off recipes. So don't hesitate to contribute if you're finding this thread weeks or months after its start: your posting your own ideas, questions, or results can bump activity back up on this thread in no time!

Thanks, everyone! We're resting here and defrosting the first of our many meals that we made in the last few months before Bebe's arrival. Speaking of which, here are two photos of the peanut (everyone says, "Oh! What a peanut!" when they see her), one with Andrea. Though consistent with the purpose of eGullet, a breastfeeding photo seemed to push the usage rules! Bebe Andrea and Bebe

Refusing to celebrate her birthdays with green beer for life, Bebe Esme Castaneda was born at 11:57 pm on March 16th. Her mom, Andrea (arc), is sore but doing fine. Andrea broke her water a day before the induction was scheduled, and delivered with the help of some pitocin but no pain meds. And, for the record: jello and water throughout the eight hours of labor (5 1/2 active, 2 transition, 20 min pushing!), then some mediocre hospital food. The next morning, more bad hospital food -- until our friend brought a loaf of sourdough raisin and walnut bread that we wolfed down. Since then, it's been more misses than hits. However, concerning the important food consumption, Bebe is nursing like a vet!

Sorry Holly, but I have to agree with speidec on this one. It's a great bar, one of the two or three best in the city. And a trip there is fun, no doubt. But the food just doesn't compare to New Rivers, Al Forno... I mean, fill in the blank. Capriccio -- and Joe Marzilli's, Blue Grotto, etc. -- all have an important place in the history of dining in Providence. But the bar is higher now.

Ditto this. The newest edition is an amazing thing to read, melding history, science, linguistics, and lore. I found the first edition required slogging, whereas I keep picking up this one because, like a good novel, I want to be in it. In addition, it seems to answer literally EVERYTHING about food. The first edition covered an amazing amount of territory, but the second is encyclopedic.