I_call_the_duck

I like the idea of the wrap and drop to break it down into smaller pieces. I haven't chopped large blocks of chocolate in years, but when I was in cooking school, I used to kneel on a stool when I chopped chocolate. People used to laugh when I did that, but I'm on the short side, so the majority of counters aren't designed for people like me. By kneeling on a stool, I could use my upper body strength to bear down on the chocolate, which made chopping those large blocks much easier.

Why bother rinsing? I save a lot of spoons that way. Melissa, I love that clip-on tasting spoon. Better than a spork, and I can carry it wherever I go. Never know when it might come in handy. Nerds have pocket protectors, eGers have the clip-on tasting spoon!

Shoot! After reading your post, I realized that I forgot to get oranges when I was at the market today. grrr. Anyway, it may seem pointless to you to bring your grandmother some fruit, but Mom taught me that oranges are an appropriate gift to bring. We sometimes bring dessert too, and that is always appreciated. edited because I didn't proofread properly.

I was dining with a group of friends when we got really bad service. To give the waiter some credit, it was busy that night, but he was extremely rude and made snarky comments to us all evening, then acted as if we were inconveniencing him for even the most simple of requests, such as asking to replacing a fork someone dropped on the floor. We did leave a tip, but my friend made it extremely clear to the maitre'd that the tip was to go to the busboys and not the waiter, and then outlined the reasons why. The maitre'd was very apologetic, and invited us to come back for free drinks at a later date. I don't think she took him up on the offer, but I thought it was a good idea to let management know why service was subpar.

Yet one more cannibal joke: Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other, "does this taste funny to you?"

Thanks for the great pictorial, rjwong. hzrt8w will be proud. I think. It almost looks like a crusty mac n' cheese. So did you dare taste this lovely creation? One question, though. What happens if I skip this step?

What's not to like? Bacon? Ice cream? Two of my favorite things.

How's this, Duck? ← Oh, Kermie, How did you know that Cookie Monster is my favorite muppet?

I don't know what it is about my brother and the women that he dates, but they all seem to have food issues. This one didn't know real Chinese food when she saw it. The first time he brought her home, she got really grossed out by the whole steamed sea bass that my father lovingly prepared. "I'm used to ordering #12 on the menu," she said. It's no wonder I made sure I weeded out the food phobics before I went out with them.

I feel as if I have been misrepresented. But damn, that pig was good!

Now who would have called the duck? I was thinking that if were just the two of us, Mr. Duck and I probably could have gotten out of the place ordering about five plates between us.

Sure we could have ordered less food, but I don't think the waiters took away any empty tapas plates. From what I saw, there was only some pig left. And you silly people wanted to go to Capogiro afterwards too . Of course, I was game, but fortunately(?) it closes early on Sundays. I'm ready for Porkapalooza II. Or just going back soon.

I had the pleasure of attending porkapalooza, and I think it was one of the best meals I’ve had, not just because of the company, but the food as well. Thanks, Diann for arranging this fun dinner, and thanks philadining for those great pictures. I’m still full, but am having fun reliving the experience. Since there were eleven of us, we got a good sampling of the tapas, but there was still more than half the menu that we haven’t tried. Oh well. Next time. I had the red sangria, and tried some of Mr. Duck’s white. The red was much lighter than most sangrias I’ve had, and I didn’t taste much cinnamon either. I loved both, but I preferred the white. The tapas were sooo tasty, and I don’t know if I could pick a favorite. If I had to, it may be the duck (of course!) and the squid in its own ink. Oh, I also loved the nutella-like sauce that came with one of the cheese plates. The roast pig may have been the best I’ve ever had. Most roast pigs I’ve eaten are usually dry and need something to give it some taste, and the skin is so shellacked that it is nearly impossible to consume. Not in this case. This little piggie was very tender, juicy, and packed with flavor—and the skin was crisped to perfection. I was almost done when I was passed a mustard that was to go with the pig. But it didn’t need it. This pig stands alone. The sides were also top-notch. Hail to the pig!! Hail to Amada!!

When Whole Paycheck opened in Union Square, I remember reading that there was concern that the Greenmarket would lose business because people would rather go to WP. I don't find that to be true. I'm only up there once a month, but I've found the Greenmarket to be just as if not busier than it's been. I wouldn't consider TJs as a replacement, but as a complement. And yes, Daniel, we do care about you.

Hrrnk is what happens when you don't Swallow to take the fish sand. Personally, I'd like to see a pic of "the onions pig picks." If they're any good, you may be looking at some cheap labor here. I've played around with those translation programs, and it just translates things word for word. My SIL is an English teacher in Italy, and she says she always knows when her students use those programs for their homework. Edited for clarification.

Thank you, Karen. You should have a few more good eat recipes "under your belly" to please your spouse. ←

I was shopping online today, and stumbled upon this book: 101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles. Some of the recipes are...how should I put it nicely...interesting. And, according to amazon, if I liked that book, I'd also like this one: Everybody Loves Ramen: Recipes, Stories, Games, & Fun Facts About the Noodles You Love.

Ditto! ← Foodwise, that would be my first choice too! And JohnL, the last time I checked, there are also at least four Starbucks in the Union Square area too. So no matter which exit you use on the subway, you don't have to worry about walking that extra 1/2 block to get your morning cup of joe.

Hest88, watercress was the only greens that Dad boiled the life out of, so I never developed a taste for them until I got older. I'll have to pick some up the next time I'm at the grocer's.

Milagai, what a great story! As the youngest of four, my parents had grown tired of testing perspective suitors’ food preferences by the time my turn came around. I pre-screened dates anyway, particularly after my brother brought home a winner. I think I may have posted this on another thread, but it's still a funny story nonetheless. This woman was a picky eater beyond reason. I won't go through the laundry list of what she wouldn't eat, but one thing that really stood out was that she hated Chinese food. Um...not only does my brother LOVE Chinese food, but hello? We're Chinese. That relationship lasted a lot longer than it should have. When I was doing my internet dating thing, my personal ad read, "no picky eaters." -Favorite restaurant McDonald's? Sorry bub, move on. -Don't like ethnic food? Next. -One guy was Jack Sprat. Wouldn't eat fat. Said he was allergic. What? No bacon? No chicken skin? Didn't see a future there. The Deal Maker? Asked if he likes food, the future Mr. Duck said, “I’m a goldfish. I eat everything that’s put in front of me.” On our first date we went for drinks followed by dinner in a nearby restaurant. I was all set to order when the waitron came and told us the specials. Duck was one of them. “I’d like the duck,” I said. Not realizing that it was the most expensive item on the menu. Note: on a first date (or second or third for the matter), I never order the most expensive item on the menu. But I heard duck, and when it presents itself, I must call the duck. I offered to split the check, but being the gentleman he was, paid for the entire bill. And he called the next morning as he said he would. So five plus years later, we’re still exploring the food world together.

I made this dish last night with a few variations. I used ground turkey instead of beef or pork, firm tofu since I had a senior moment when I was in the store and couldn't remember which kind I liked, and added shredded lettuce at the end. No pics, since my camera decided to misbehave last night. My husband said it was the best meal ever. Since he's been saying that for the past few days, I took for face value. I'm very critical about my own cooking, always looking for improvements, and I liked this dish a lot. Thanks again, Ah Leung for the pictorial.

Hmm...is there a time frame on this thing? Sounds like fun, and I'd love to give this a try, but need time to think about what to make.

yams, yams tastes better than spam. On that note, Mr. Duck loves yams. As a side, my favorite preparation is to simply oven roast them, as mentioned upthread. During the summer, we stick them on the hot coals when grilling. Cinnamon butter goes really well with them. And on weekends when I have more time to cook, I've also made a curried yam & chicken stew.

True, all true, but WFM and TJ's have been in Philly for some time now, and there's the Reading Terminal Market to boot. That new DiBruno's has also closed the gap somewhat in terms of specialty foods. Sure, there's no place quite like New York, but your new home isn't too shabby either. ← No it isn't, Sandy. I do love my new home, but you can take the girl out of New York, but you can't take the New York out of the girl.

OMG, Badiane. What the heck? Who does he think he is? What a boorish, obnoxious little piece of sh-t. That ranks among the top worst internet dating experiences I've ever heard (and I've had my share). Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I'm glad you found someone, and he still has his dog.