Jason Perlow

Not Ouzo... its like 80 proof and is not a liqueur, its similar to Sambuca. So is Raki and Arrak for that matter.

HanAhReum has a Philly store: Philadelphia Since Dec. 19, 1998 7320 Old York Road. Elkins Park, PA 19027 Store Hours: 8:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM Tel : 215-782-1801 Although if you are in Western PA, that could still be a hike.

For mail order theres a ton of places out there if you go to froogle.google.com and search on "Korean Groceries" http://www.ikoreaplaza.com/ikp/index.asp?p...sp&dept_id=4090

http://www.hanahreum.com/eng/index_eng.html thats Han Ah Reum, but I don't beleive they do mail order. However, they have quite a few locations in NJ and DC/VA/MD.

Just mail order it... tons of Korean mail order places. That or make a trip to NJ or the DC area. Han Ah Reum has it by the gallon.

First of all, no self respecting gelateria in Italy would EVER serve gelato that came out of a factory. All the top ones produce their gelato onsite, and if its good gelato, it doesnt stay good very long and certainly doesnt hold up well to transportation. Gelato has to go straight from the machine and into the tubs where it is held somewhat above freezing temperatures -- if it freezes, its ruined. And the best stuff doesnt have many stabilizers in it at all so that it keeps like Ciao Bella does. Its produced, put in the bins, and then sold and eaten, in fairly quick order. So while I agree Ciao Bella produces a good commercial ice cream product when compared to some of the other crap that is out there, artisinal gelato it 'aint. No Italian would ever agree with your statement.

Ciao Bella, of course, is a chain. This is not to say that its a bad chain -- I actually think they make a fairly decent mass produced gelato. Their sorbets are actually their strongest product, in my opinion. http://www.ciaobellagelato.com/ Their stuff is centrally produced out of a factory on 40th street and they have a large distribution center and production facilty in San Francisco as well.

If C2 or Pepsi's equivalent tastes better than their "Diet" versions, I'm definitely going to be a convert.

Add BHOJ, a small Indian restaurant in Elmwood park. Does tandoor and breads and South Indian stuff very well, and has a nice sunday buffet. Very popular with Indians. Great Dosas. Not at all afraid to be spicy, either. Bhoj Address: 430 Market St, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Phone: (201) 797-6800

Yeah, but look at it this way, you can't get decent Ethiopian in New York.

Jeez, Cream Soda and Root Beer is taking a direct shot at our working class culture which made this country what it is today. Two uniquely American things that should NEVER be screwed around with, or questioned, EVER. Vanilla Coke in the can or pre-made is vile. Mixed a la minute from a professional soda jerk and soda shop, another American working class icon that should never be screwed with and should be revered, is a thing of beauty. Pepsi Vanilla is not a completely horrible product, though. Soup Slurping -- ESSENTIAL to the Asian noodle soup dining experience.

Critical to the enjoyment Moo Shu Pork and Peking Duck. And Pho. Sorry.

Actually, I find that Greek diners generally tend to make pretty good Matzo ball soup. I wonder why that is.

Oh man, two things I couldnt disagree with more. Some of us have no choice but to use non-dairy creamer. And now that I am used to it, I actually LIKE the taste of Coffee-Mate. And as to ranch dressing -- just what the hell else do you expect me to eat my onion rings with?

There's a new-ish Sushi/Japanese place in Madison, which I forget the name, in the same shopping plaza with Gary's Wines, which Rachel and I ate at recently. Its Chinese-owned and was clean and attractive, and the fish was of excellent quality for a suburban sushi joint. Of particular interest is a HUGE appetizer menu and some interesting salad-type things, such as a Amaebi appetizer which was a huge pile of Amaebis (sweet shrimp) in a sort of light mayonnaisey-mustard-yuzu sauce over shredded daikon radish, which I liked a lot. They also have a section devoted to katsus as well as a section of spicy rolls. Their standard toro and other basic sashimi cuts were very good. We ate at the sushi bar, and the sushi guys were attentive and interactive.

Really, what's he raising his basic slice price to?

Bad dinner, Don?

As promised: A lot of stuff went into this, so Rachel will elaborate.

Yes. There's this couple we know that lives in Manhattan, that we occasionally dine with. He's a former attorney and his wife is a travel writer and pro photographer. They have this great Bulldog...

Wow. Thats rediculously Teutonic sounding.

If we're maintaining the analogy, both!

I like Matzo balls like I like my women -- In all shapes, sizes and colors. Any way I can get them But seriously, I think the size of the matzo ball must be proportionate to the amount of "trimmings" in a particular bowl of soup. So if the main focus is the matzo ball itself, it should be a pretty big one. But if theres going to be other stuff in the soup, such as other veggies, pasta and perhaps chicken meat, then I would go for a smaller or medium-sized matzo ball. Here is a bowl that was prepared from a batch that Rachel made for me today.

Tonight we are doing shrimp and tofu stir fry with noodles and veggies... So yes, feeling much better.

Yeah, the blends aren't bad, but my attitude is that Tropi already charges an arm and a leg for their juice compared to most brands, so I'm not going to pay their premium price for their blends that they already charge for their pure OJ. I figure if you want a blend of juices, just buy some pure Tropi and a few other juice flavors and mix your own.

So Passover has come and gone, but Rachel made a hell of a batch of Matzo Ball Soup today for me, as I am recovering from a nasty flu-like illness: Personally, I can eat Matzo Ball any time of the year, not just Passover. The Matzo balls have parsley in them, as does the soup. The pasta is egg noodles. I prefer to have the long thin egg noodles, but this is what we had on hand. Some purists would say that you don't put noodles in matzo ball soup since you already got the matzo balls. But this is how my grandmother served it. I like having it for the contrasting texture. Note the copious amount of black pepper added during serving, which I think is necessary.