peter_nyc

I scored a reservation for 6 this weekend at Babbo. It will be my second time to the restaurant, and I want to order straight off the menu instead of doing the pasta tasting (which I enjoyed on my first visit). I can't decide what to order though, and I'm getting nervous as the date is quickly approaching. So I will put forth this question to all the Babbo lovers out there on eG: If you were going to Babbo tomorrow, what would you order? (Let's pretend that the only limiting factor is appetite)

Been to Osaka once... probably will never go back. The way they cut their fish (ridiculously long pieces) really annoys me. It's too unwieldy. I do remember enjoying the gyoza though. Osaka's decor would be the polar opposite of what you'll encounter at Taro. It's plain jane, to say the least.

I read a blurb on this place called Taro Sushi on Dean St. between 5th and Flatbush Ave. in Park Slope, and decided to go today for lunch. Apparently they are the "sister" restaurant of this place in Japan also called "Taro Sushi". The chef-owner is the son of the main branch's proprietor. The decor is pretty nonexistant, but the fish was incredibly fresh and reasonably priced. They had uni from Japan, horse mackerel from Japan, and even botan (jumbo sweet) shrimp. Everything down to the green tea ice cream mochi was great, but I only hope that these guys stick around (they've been there for 6 months, but when I was there at around noon the place was empty). They are also very upfront about which fish is fresh and which is not, certainly appreciated. Has anyone else discovered this gem?

I just purchased the Westbend Versatility 6-qt. So far, it's been great. The only drawback is the silly design of the lid, which can fall into the pot a little too easily. But on the whole it's a solid product.

They are open now, yes-- that is, unless they haven't closed again, but I can't see why that would have happened.

Since I just recently moved to an apartment down the street from the Chocolate Room, I felt it was my civic duty to sample their offerings in my humble attempt to support neighborhood business (and who can resist when chocolate is on the menu, let alone the ONLY thing on the menu?) I was there on their second night, only after discovering at around midnight or so on opening night that they close at 11pm. My companions and I agree that a place like this should stay open much later than 11pm, perhaps to 1 or 2 am. But we can only hope that sometime down the road this will actually happen. Okay, so regarding the offerings: there are 7 choices currently: -Chocolate Layer Cake -Frozen White Chocolate Raspeberry Mousse -Espresso Chocolate Flan -Chocolate Crepes -Chocolate Trio -Chocolate Fondue for Two -Lemon Buttermilk Soufflé Besides the fondue ($12) and the Chocolate Layer Cake ($5), everything is $6.50. I sampled the Chocolate Trio (a ridiculously rich chocolate ginger tart, a somewhat dry chocolate pear financier and a shot of ridiculously rich, soupy hot chocolate), the Chocolate Fondue for Two (very good), and the Lemon Buttermilk Soufflé (which I found to be delicious, if not a bit too airy for my taste). I must mention the hot chocolate. In addition to the shot that comes in the Chocolate Trio, I sampled what they call a "Hot Chocolote" (made with 60% bittersweet Belgian chocolate), a "Classic Hot Cocoa" (made with a blend of Michel Cluizel 45% milk chocolate and pure Tahitian vanilla), and, a special that evening, a "banana hot chocolate" (made with banana puree). All three were incredibly rich and thick. It was like drinking melted chocolate. The homemade marshmallows were puffy and also quite good. I intend on going back after they acquire a beer and wine license as they intend on doing wine pairings. And for the curious, the Classic Hot Cocoa and the Hot Chocolate are $4.50 and $4 respectively. They also serve coffee for $1.50, a cappuccino for $3 and an espresso for $2.

The palm sugar is for the curries, yes. Thanks everyone for the rec's. I'm still on the fence about whether or not to use pre-made curry paste. I've never tried making one from scratch, so I wanted to give it a shot-- we'll see how adventurous I'm feeling once I get to the market. edit: spelling

I just got my hands on David Thompson's Thai Food and Hot Sour Salty Sweet... really looking forward to trying a bunch of the recipes. The only problem is that I don't know where to get some of the lesser-known ingredients. Does anybody have any recommendations on where to get galangal, holy basil, kaffir limes and/or their leaves, and palm sugar? I've tried the Vietnamese markets down by Grand Street, but no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I actually had the thing on high for the last 10 hours after noticing little effect while on low (you can see the color change dramatically after hour 20). It's a brand new crockpot, so I had no real idea as to how hot each setting is... but I suppose spending an imtimate 30 hours together is as good a way as any to find out

I just had to try my hand at the confit after reading this thread... Here are some photographs of my 30 hour long adventure (I think that leaving the crockpot on low overnight led to the extended cooking time). I followed fifi's recipe, but skipped on the bay leaves and used store bought beef demi-glace. Here are the onions I started with. Very large: Into the crockpot. Zero hours: 2 Hours in. Sweating onions: 10 Hours in. Set the crock pot on low and went to bed: 20 Hours in. Woke up to very little progress... turned up the heat immediately after snapping this photo: 25 Hours in. Finally the color is getting deeper; took cover off to reduce excess liquid: 30 Hours in. Finally, confit! The final product, yum!

Ack! My mother also experiences this sensitivity and is a migraine sufferer. I'm 20 and hoping that I was spared the migraine-prone gene... I hope this isn't a bellwether of things to come...

I'd be the first one to accept that its just psychosomatic... but I can go years between experiencing any symptoms--enought time for me to forget about my "allergy" altogether--and then it hits without warning. It's definitely not saltiness, either. I have been known to eat a whole jar of pickles in one sitting.

Admin: Threads merged. Ever since I can remember, I've had a strange allergic reaction to MSG that involves a sense of pressure on my face that starts a few minutes after I start eating; it feels strangely like a vice is slowly tightening around my head. Has anyone else experienced this odd reaction? Now that I think about it, I'm not entirely sure its the MSG that is the culprit, although I've just assumed it was as I only got the feeling after eating at certain asian restaurants, and never after explicitly asking for no MSG. edit: spelling

I'm still holding my breath for a great Banh Mi joint to pop up in NY. This past summer I visited Little Saigon in Orange County CA and sampled the most delicious Banh Mi at this chain called Lee's Sandwiches. Truly a transcendental experience. And completely authentic (so I'm told). There was a piece in the NYT the other day about new ethnic sandwich shops in NY, but from what I gathered it seemed like they were compromising on authenticity in order to cater to the western palate. I hope it's not true. :edited to add mouthwatering photo:

I found an amazing recipe for turkey, but can't find a fresh turkey in London (don't have time to thaw one out, I think). Would it be safe to use a turkey recipe on chicken instead? How should I adjust cooking times, if necessary? HELP!

Yep, I think my heart just stopped beating...

If you are looking for either the filter or some decent Vietnamese coffee beans, head over to www.bluecloudcoffee.com. Makes for a pretty authentic tasting ca phe sua da

Go for the anago (sea eel). Grilled to perfection.

For bubble tea in NYC, the buck stops at Ten Ren in chinatown.

Woops. Thanks to my crappy wifi connection, I posted twice. Please ignore this one.

Could milk in recipes be substited with, say, soy milk? In terms of beverage, I've recently made the switch to soy, but still cook with real milk for fear of a totally inedible result. Is my fear justified?

Although I have not been to Yama on Bleecker, I find Yama on Carmine to be utterly underwhelming. The gargantuan sized rolls don't adequately compensate for the lack of quality of the fish, and more importantly, the rice. At roughly the same price point, you can have a much more enjoyable meal at Kura Sushi (4th & 1st). I'm curious if there is a significant difference in quality between Yama's various locations. Has anyone been to more than one Yama?

Aren't the xiaolong bao at Joe's Shanghai way too large?

Ate at Babbo this past weekend... ordered the pasta tasting with the wine pairings. Was seriously disappointed by the Pappardelle Bolognese and the Marco's Pyramids with Passato di Pomodoro, both of which were very bland compared to the other courses (all of which were phenomenal). It seemed like the primary intent of the Pappardelle was to fill you up so you wouldn't leave hungry (the portion was much larger than the other dishes and it was served last before the cheese and dessert courses). Did anyone else feel the same way? I also found some of the wine pairings underwhelming, especially in the reds.

the sake pairings were $59 pp, a little more than expected...