Jason Perlow

The Japanese don't seem to be having too much of a problem with that.

In my opinion its a premium product if its made in an artisanal manner. This doesn't mean it necessarily has to come from a small producer, a large producer can make a premium rum as well -- examples of that would be J. Wray & Nephew (Appleton) and Cruzan, and to some extent Licorera Zacapaneca (Ron Zacapa/Ron Botran) is as well. Bacardi 8 is probably also a premium rum by that metric. While I think the age of the rum contributes to the desireability of a rum, its not mutually exclusive to premium -- a 3 year old rum can be a premium rum just as a 15 year old is.

I agree, the Island Fruit stuff is excellent. The only thing is, from what I have seen of the 7UP Plus brand, they seem to only keep the flavors around for short periods of time. Sort of like the Sprite Remix concept.

Terrific article on Japan and the rise (no pun) of the bagel in Japan in today's WSJ ... sorry that it isn't available online for everyone to enjoy ... Seems that the woman opened what came to be a very successful bagel store was the result of her visit to Ess-a-Bagel in NYC ... she is doing a marvelous business right there in Tokyo ... her name is Miho Inagi and her store is Maruchi Bagel ... when she began her business, the article notes that bagels were barely known in Japan. Now the article says that they are popular and almost a health food ... ← I can confirm that the Japanese are gonzo about bagels and lox. When I was working at Canon back in the mid 90's we always had our corporate breakfasts and luncheons catered with them.

While many of the South Louisiana citrus farms have been devastated by Katrina, I just spoke to Lynn Simon, owner of Simon Citrus Farms in Kaplan LA, in Vermillion Parish, and he told me that while the Satsuma season is going to start a little later than usual, he only lost 10 percent of his crop to wind damage. According to Lynn, just about every farm that was south of him was totally ravaged by Katrina. So if you want your Satsuma fix this year, you'll probably want to order from him. Lynn told me that while the website is not taking orders yet, it definitely will next week. The Satsumas are still green and some are a bit bitter right now, but he will be able to begin taking orders and shipping them out soon. So watch this space for details. http://www.satsumafarm.com Satsumas as Artillery

No Sam. He's no more real than Mr. Whipple, apparently. Although, a guy named Sam Breakstone may in fact have founded the company in 1882, but it was Isaac and Joseph that came up with the cream cheese. The question remains though, was Breakstone's cream cheese always whipped, or at some point, did Kraft decide that only Philly should be block and Temp-Tee be whipped, and the regular Breakstone cream cheese had to be sacrificed because there was too much overlap?

Breakstone's apparently did start out as an independent company, as Breakstone Brothers on the Lower East Side, in 1888. So it wasn't some name fabricated in some ad agency for Kraft as I feared. I'm curious as to -when- Kraft acquired the brand and decided that it made sense to have two brand names for cream cheese, though. Philadelphia Cream Cheese started in 1880, and Breakstone Cream Cheese started in 1888. At some point, there was a merger. Some more interesting stuff from FoodTimeLine.org

Here's an interesting page on the Kraft web site about the Philadelphia brand: Brand Close-Up: Philadelphia

It appears that Kraft owns Philadelphia as well. Since 1928 in fact. So really, Breakstone's is little more than a branding thing now, Philly and Temp-Tee are basically just ways of introducing the illusion of choice. Now that really pisses me off. This is far more serious than AT&T or Microsoft, people. A cream cheese monopoly? This needs to be brought before congress.

This week, in breaking perhaps a 60 year tradition in my family, I decided to buy a container of Breakstone's Temp-Tee whipped instead of a block or tub of Philly for my bagels. I like it, and I am ashamed. Its a lot easier to deal with than that annoying foil package, and it spreads a lot more evenly. I note though that I think when it comes to mixing in toppings, such as scallions, chives, etc, that block Philly is probably better. And am I crazy, or did Temp-Tee and Breakstone's used to be two different companies? Is Philly also owned by Kraft as well?

I love that 72 Eldo. What a gorgeous automobile. The next time I am in Vegas I will definitely take in Bouchon. Great to see Ruhlman in his element, although I think the preppie look suits him better.

If you could use all mexican ingredients, such as Azteca de Oro or Presidente instead of Brandy de Jerez, you could call it "General Santa Ana" or Mexican Firing Squad.

I think the NOLA.com article makes some legitimate points, but certainly, Emeril is a busy guy, and I can certainly understand if he hasn't been able to spend time in New Orleans yet. He has a relatively large business to run, and I am sure he is up to his head with problems in having to manage his various outposts from afar, as well as keep up with his media appearances. I'm sure his lieutennants themselves have been all over his New Orleans businesses already.

Very, very nice Melissa. Rachel and I don't celebrate Sukkot, nor do our respective families. But I always jump at a chance to attend a Sukkah dinner when invited. I guess you can say I have Sukkot Angst. Is it just me, or do Sukkah's absolutely scream for Tiki Bars?

DEFINITELY a "love" here. Especially in any Greek or Turkish preparation. Or Chinese or Indian even.

Something along the lines of the dark and evil secrets of Julia and Paul Child and their chamber of horrors might fit the bill. Just kidding.

Mimi, that's truly uncalled for. Steven has on multiple occasions disclosed his relationship with the Psaltises, on just about every thread on this site where their names are mentioned. Its not exactly a state secret. A bad meal however, is what it is. Plenty of good and talented chefs have served them, including the ones that were at the top of their game during your tenure at the Times. Per Se doesn't exactly have a .400 batting average when it comes to dishes that "work" either. So the dishes didn't work that night. Shit happens. I've had Psaltis's food during his tenure at Mix. I enjoyed it. Certainly, one doesn't end up as a sous chef and chef de cuisine at Alain Ducasse's restaurants if he was unskilled or untalented. It just doesn't compute.

So the 2-Liters were on sale this week and I decided to give it a whirl. It definitely tastes closer to regular 7UP than the previous diet 7UP with Nutrasweet did. I am not sure if it is a problem endemic to the particular 2-Liters they had at this particular supermarket, but I found the stuff needed more carbonation. Maybe its better in cans. The 7UP Plus stuff is now formulated with Splenda as well, but I haven't opened up that bottle yet.

So I've decided that after a 12 pack of the stuff, I find it to be overtly juvenile in its formulation. I hope it crashes and burns.

Its more impressive to play tricks on -actual- foodies, like convincing them that Tater Tots are in vogue or that Toaster Bags are the best thing since sliced bread.

Yep, same for my Dad's parents. My Mother's side are 2nd generation, their parents (my great grandparents) were from Belarus and Russia, respectively. My maternal grandmother wouldn't be caught dead pocketing Danishes, though. She was a Miss Brooklyn during the 1930's.

Nu, so you don't vant that the Danishes should go to waste?? Think of your zayde in Minsk--he never even TASTED a Danish! ← Warsaw and the Ukraine actually on that side, but yeah.

If you're REALLY Jewish, you eat the bagel, hoping someone isn't going to finish the Danishes, and you manage to pocket a Danish or two to bring home. Or, if your family is anything like mine, you eat the bagel, and your grandmother eats a bagel, and in a moment of pure horror, you watch her shove about a dozen Danishes into her giant sized pocketbook, along with a hundred Sweet-and-Low packets and a box of napkins.

Yep. And I highly reccomend it as well.

Well, as I have been made understand, Clam Chowder preparations are highly regional. Manhattan Clam Chowder I know is avaliable as it also originates from New England and is the second most popular variation, but as I understand the Rhode Island stuff is not a common variation. I'm guessing that in Connecticut its prepared by Rhode Island transplants?