Jason Perlow

It depends on how fine a restaurant it is. If there are obviously serious pastries or cake or similar offerings avaliable then yes, by all means. I always leave room for dessert -- and even if the dining party is stuffed, I usually insist on ordering something so at least everyone can have a taste.

Nice closeup photo of the crab/avocado appetizer... what kind of digital cam did you use for that? Or is it 35MM slide film scanned?

Browsing around the web I noticed that several of the ultra premium rum companies that we we adore also own tequila companies, and vice versa. Todhunter Imports, who owns Cruzan, also owns Porfidio (http://www.porfidiotequila.com, an award winning Tequila brand. St Maarten Spirits/Patron Tequila (http://www.patrontequila.com, another high-end tequila brand, is also the owner of Pyrat rums. I happen to have a bottle of Patron Silver and it is great stuff. Like the Pyrat XO it is also sold in a hand blown glass bottle, very smooth, makes a really good margarita. The Patron/Pyrat web site also has an interesting story on the origin of Pyrat and its chinese saint mascot, Ho-Ti.

all kinds of stuff. Dried chilis, dried shrimp, dried scallops, fermented bean paste, brandy, shallots, to name a few. The kind I have at home is from lee kum kee, and its a hong kong based company. However there are some recipes for it. XO is cantonese in origin even though its very spicy, I beleive. Here's about.com's entry on XO: http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekl...y/aa030702a.htm

Actually the Texas Steak Cantina in Cedar Knolls makes a #### good steak (you can order filet by the ounce) and they have a really good salad bar to go with it. Plus they make a serious margarita. Just dont go on a friday or saturday night unless you like long waits and big crowds. I concur with Rosie of Sammy's Ye Old Cider Mill but its a bit overpriced. I thought their pork chops were better than their steak though. Sabastians in Morristown is also very good if you are looking for a pure steakhouse experience. Good cuts of meat and good sides. Since moving to Tenafly I havent found anything worthwhile in the Bergen County area yet, but I hear that River Palm Terrace in Edgewater is good, although very pricey. Usually if I am craving beef around here I go for korean barbeque or cook the steak on my Weber...

And el Bandito makes a mean mole' sauce too.

Having lived in Mexico studying Spanish at the University of Guanajuato for four months through the summer of '84, I can truly say I know what true Mexican food is. Sounds good!

Negimaki: It must be called something else in Japan, or its a specifically Japan-american dish. Essentially, it is a cut roll of green onion in the center, surrounded by ribeye steak and broiled in a teriyaki sauce. sometimes served as an appetizer or a main dish. Apparently you -do- have something similar, but you call it a "beef roll" http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/English/Beef/e00284.html also one with bean sprout http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/English/Beef/e00318.html

Ixtapa was ok, it tries too hard to be "nouvelle" mexican and thus was far less effective in producing authentic mexican food. Don Jose on RT10 in east hanover with the shopping center with Penang is a nice family owned mexican restaurant. Also theres one in Chatham in the old diner next to New Main Taste thai (used to be called Mexico Lindo) but not sure what they call it now. Jono's in Edgewater is ok but I like it mainly for fajitas, their menu is somewhat limited.

So what you're saying is, I bought a bottle of Bacardi? lol!

Its difficult to say what is my favorite, but I love curry noodle soups, with other kinds of nabe in second place. I reallly like sukiyaki (but with not so sweet broth) and udon soups. Sometimes I have huge cravings for yakitori and teriyaki -- and hibachi. Its difficult to find authentic yakitori or hibachi in the US though, mostly its at places like Benihana or Gasho. Its not bad for what it is but its not the same as an authentic japanese steak house. sushi is great, although I consider it to be completely separate from japanese cuisine.

being a freelancer myself for the computer industry, I feel your pain.

Its against our policy to edit for content based reasons even if they are spelling errors. However from time to time I do check the URL tags on peoples posts to make sure they link properly.

Unfortunately, there is just so much those lactose pills can do -- They are basically designed so you can have a bit of ice cream, milk or cheese here or there without ill effect. The problem is, Its the butterfat that kills you ,heavy alfredo sauces and such have a ton of butterfat. Lactose pills dont do jack for butterfat, not to mention kassein (sp?) intolerances which is rarer (its an ammino acid thats is in many dairy products including milk), but I happen to have it. its in my family. And besides the fact its another pill I would have to take on top of the several I already take for allergies. Beleive me I would rather suffer in the bathroom for a few minutes on occassion.

Who needs an excuse or reason to drink good wine? Just drink it!

By far I prefer the most simplistic of pasta sauces. Simple garlic aolio or a marinara or meat ragu is what I usually go for, alathough sometimes I have these immense cravings for sphagetti carbonara. I love all the cream sauces like alfredo and pinks like alla vodka, but they bother my stomach.

holy cow... will be of great use when Rachel and I visit paris is October!

Bought a bottle of Havana Club gold rum from a local liquor store in Hackensack today (Home Liquors) and noticed that the country of origin was Bahamas... Also picked up an interesting looking Ecuadorian rum called San Miguel, 5 years old. Havent tried it yet.

So for example, the 83 could very well be a Wray and Nephew or an Appleton, but Gabriel & Andreu bought a few hundred barrels and bottled it privately?

I tried the Cubby's "Special" hot dog today. Wow. When I ordered it, I asked the owner what was on it and he looked at me with an evil smile and said "don't worry, you'll like it" It was a foot long thumann's dog with HOT chili, melted cheese, and 3 huge strips of crispy premium bacon served on a toasted fresh Italian hero roll. evil. Pure evil.

http://www.roboticsushi.co.kr/page02.html

Supposedly Footlong is still in the post-production stages according to their website. Should be a pretty wild movie. They have a few trailers you can download on their site.

Its a toss up between really moist carrot and dark chocolate cake for me. We're assuming that "flourless" death by chocolate cake and cheesecakes are not cakes by the strictest definition here, since those two are really some of my favorite desserts. Although a serious pound cake topped with strawberries and fresh whipped cream is a very, very close second.

Beer would make a good choice as well. I really don't know enough about islam to make an informed statement about why they don't drink hard liquor. In general its all or nothing, but I have seen people of various muslim cultures drink beer and wine. I think it depends how religious they are. Either way, its usually ok to bring alcohol into a muslim owned restaurant -- most moraccan places I have eaten in around the country were BYOB.

Cuba, hands down. Except the best Cuban food can only be found in the States, in particular Miami, so it might be disqualified. My second would be Jamaica, based solely on my incessant craving for Jerk. Third would have to be Puerto Rico. Gotta love crab asopao.