janeer

No eggs for me, but lotsa butter, and I like currants in mine, soaked in the cognac.

Ditto. Also, I make a sweetish, black pepper biscotti that are great with cocktails. Maida Heatter has recipe for black pepper pound cake, as I recall.

Here are some sources: http://newyorkstreetfood.com/ http://roaminghunger.com/ny http://www.thebrooklynnomad.com/new-york-food-trucks-and-street-food-guide/ also search NYT and WSJ; they both write articles on food carts and food trucks almost every year

I like gas for cooking and electric for baking; this is what I've always had in my own houses. Electric drives me wild for anything but making tea. So I am presently wild--have electric in the condo I rent in Nashville during the academic year. I've cooked on glass top and traditional coil, new ones and old ones, and find them equally annoying. I'm open to trying induction, though.

From the NYT travel section this week, a review of JG store

I suppose I could get up and look in my bayless, but I'll just ask. Tomatillos? that looks like tomatoes (jitomate) in the sauce. Whatever it is, looks fabulous.

I suppose using a wine bottle for a rolling pin is one of the most common things I have done. Hammers come in handy, too. It's surprising, when you are at other people's houses, what they don't have in the kitchen.

I love fermented black beans and Tianjin preserved vegetable.

I don't think that the authors often get the last word on the title of a book. I love a cookbook with stories in it. I'll look it up. Thanks, rg. I, too, love this book. But then I adore everything about Frida and Diego, and am crazy about the movie, so I may be a little prejudiced in its favor. I particularly love giving fabulous dinner parties wherein I screen the movie, and then I serve the very most magical dishes featured in it while wearing a beautiful outfit evocative of Frida and that era. Actually, I haven't really done that yet. But I think I would particularly love it. _____________ Me too. And the photos are...just gorgeous.

Is that the one where you take the chocolate wafers, smear each one with whip cream, stack them together on edge, coat with more whip, let sit until the the wafers are blissfully soft, and cut on the diagonal so you get zebra-stripes? A childhood favourite. Yes! I saw them on the supermarket shelf the other day and the picture of that cake is right on the front of the box now. I think that cake is what keeps them in business.

I will pretty much buy anything that looks good, and eat any street food. Once on the way back to the airport from visiting a client way down in Lafayette, LA, I stopped at a truck parked on the road and bought a ton of fresh crawfish, shrimp, alligator, and rattlesnake, took it straightt onto the plane, and had a big party with it--etoufees, creoles, etc. That was back in the 80s. Probably the riskiest thing I've bought, but didn't think anything of it at the time. Delicious.

Generally, agree. HOWEVER: I confess to sometimes freezing doughnuts and then reheating them in the microwave (not oven)for bare seconds. Acceptable (not the same as fresh, of course, they lose some of that airiness). If you have time just to fry before you go, you can shape/freeze, then drop them (carefully) in the fryer shortly before you leave for your party.

Expensive wine as a regular thing, especially French Chablis. Sigh. But I am drinking from my store of vintage port...not sure if that's false economy..

I have a lot of old New England cookbooks; several have a section or chapter at the end with household and medicinal "rules." Here is a favorite, from A Rhode Island Rule book, 1939:"For sick cats: 1/2 teaspoon of whiskey forced down its throat will kill or cure a cat having convulsions. Probably cure. Whatever the result, there is much satisfaction."

I don't live in Philly anymore but for the 7 years I did I thought La Colombe exceptional in every way. Corsica for me, too. Outstanding people who have your order ready by the time you get up to the counter. Wonderful atmosphere (19th and Walnut). Still my favorite coffee house of all time, anywhere.

One word says it all!

Ditto. And ditto on the foil pans--because an exhausted pregnant woman too tired to cook is too tired to clean up. Bring her something in a lovely real dish AFTER the baby is born.

I am a professor at Vanderbilt. Dining Services runs numerous full-service dining halls, specialty restaurants, coffee shops, and grab-and-go delis across the campuses. They offer many of the things you describe. They have a brick pizza oven. Last fall I was amazed at a farm-to-table dinner they held for students. They set up banquet tables on the lawn--all white tablecloth, china,stemware, flowers, etc--and had local farmer/provisioners attend whose food was served. Many other similarly fine events, especially authentic barbecue with country music, etc (this is Nashville). Dining services also caters major events for the U. The food, drink, and service I have had at Dean's, Chancellor's, or Provost's parties has been outstanding. The Director/Exec Chef is a CIA grad, certified exec chef, and has won many awards both in his earlier career and his work with institutions, including for best dining hall last year.

This may sound weird but I will try almost any recipe for a baked good that calls for lard. I worship lard.

Sorry Didn't mean to be picky. Actually, I think there was still a Horn and Hardart in Philly in the 90s when I lived there with a sign outside that said "automat" but no automat features inside. Does anyone remember? Around the corner of Sansom and 16th, I think. Anyway, going to the automats in NYC was one of the great treats of my youth.

Aren't you going a little further back than the 70s? The automat? (which I miss IN GENERAL).

It would be terrible if RTM went the way of Quincy Market in Boston (which I knew in the days when the old purveyors were still there). I can't imagine RTM with Harry Ochs. Get him on a payment plan, but find a way to keep him there. Maybe he needs some business advice.

I love Mexican corn soup, which is essentially a cream soup (although made with milk) and can be made successfully with frozen, pureed corn. I also like chestnut soup. Make it around the holidays, but why not anytime?

Assume you have ruled out The Modern as too expensive. The Roger Smith Hotelat Lex and E 48th is a kind of arts-focused hotel with a restaurant, Lily's (which I've never eaten at) that can be rented out for events; they also have a rooftop bar. The hotel is full of art and runs arts events so the venue itself might be fun--worth looking into.

Emmi Swiss yogurt. The real deal.