I_call_the_duck

Yesterday, we started off with the Dumplings in Spicy Sauce, and proceeded to the Szechuan Twice-Cooked Pork and Ginger Shredded Duck. Such nice chunks of garlic in the dumpling sauce, and just spicy enough without hurting. The pork? Amazing. That had such a nice kick to it, and so flavorful. And the duck was great — nice and mild, which was a good contrast to the spice from the pork. Oh, and fried bananas for dessert. Excellent all around. I don't know why I don't go to this place more often. mrbigjas, do they indeed deliver to your house? I didn't think they delivered that far, and you're just a block away from us.

Actually, I do think it's that easy in the sense that most in C-town (I can't vouch for other parts of the city or world) are using exactly the same recipe. I've had them maybe 50x in various places. Show me where they differ so drastically and I will go there this wknd to compare. As for the whites, you're correct. The standard is made with yolk. But Custard King offers whites only (that's what caused my brain fart) and I tried one based on the employees rec. And it was great. You should try one. Re the apple pie comparison, I don't get your analogy. Maybe because I've had it made so many different ways. ← To elaborate on Gastro's theory, if you give five pastry chefs the same recipe for an apple pie, you're going to get five different pies. Same with dan tats. Gee, it looks like a dat tat crawl may be in the future.

FG, I agree with Gastro. You're missing out. Heaven when they're still warm. I usually put them in the toaster oven for a few minutes if I bring them home.

No, that ain't the one. Did Chatham Square use to be Hop Sing? Haven't been since the new regime. But anyways, I'll be in the 'hood this weekend, so I'll get the correct name. I'll have to ask my mom what sugar balls are called in Cantonese. We just called them sugar balls. Sooooo good.

I think that's the one. It's a few doors down from a shop that sells candy from a bin. Mei Lai Wah, eh? Thanks Gastro. Gotta score me some honey bows this weekend. Sugar balls are ball-shaped fried dough that's covered in granulated sugar. Nice and crispy on the outside, light, eggy, and airy on the inside. Good anytime, but best when warm. Like Chinese donuts maybe, which I don’t think I’ve seen in shops either.

There is a warming drawer in my stove, and I love it. (The stove is a Frigidaire, and came with the house.) Actually, sometimes I forget that I have it, since it's still a relatively new concept for me. I use it because I still have trouble timing everything so it comes out at the same time, or when I need to use my wok for more than one dish. I've also used it to warm plates, and of course, it's a good storage space. Yes, I can probably use the oven for the same purpose, but I'm guessing that the warming drawer uses less gas/electricity than turning the oven on does. When it comes time to get a new stove, it won't be high on my priority list, but for now, I'm glad I have one. Mayhaw Man, you're funny. I like the idea of warm drawers too, but the idea of shlepping down three flights of stairs while half asleep to the basement just isn't appealing.

Egg white tart? Honeydew? Banana?! No, no, no. That's just wrong. Why mess with perfection? There's a store on Mott Street (around Division) that's been around for years. Is that still around? That was my favorite for dan tats. They used to have sugar balls and honey bows, but I haven't seen either of those anywhere in years.

Ooh...duck jook is my favorite (is anyone surprised?). My mom used to get duck heads and make them into jook. I usually just make jook from whatever bones are in the freezer. My favorite toppings are chopped scallions and choong choy. Crullers of course. I could just eat those plain.

Thanks, Nathan. I had a feeling it was around there. I'll definitely put it on my list of places to try.

Where? Where?!

BUMP. Mr. Duck and I will be in Framingham in a couple of weeks to attend a Bar Mitzvah, and will be looking for a place to go for a light dinner. (The chances of us being hungry by dinnertime are slim but I wanted to keep my options open.) I haven’t been back to Worcester for about 15 years (former Clarkie), so time and soberness permitting, I’d like to check out the art museum, show him the campus, and have dinner. The suggestions upthread look promising, but I just wanted to see if there is anything new and exciting. I’m pleasantly surprised that The Sole Proprietor is still around. It was my favorite place — I remember all-you-can-eat steamers on Monday nights. We like all types of food, and are looking for someplace casual and your average entree being no more than $25. I’d appreciate all your suggestions. Thanks! edited for grammar

Stopped by the market last night I picked up some duck rillette and baby bok choy with garlic. Both were really good — the bok choy was perfectly cooked with lots of slices of browned garlic. The rillette was less rich than pork rillettes that I’ve had, but great nonetheless. They also threw in some cornichons and caperberries. sigh. On a previous visit, we sampled the oxtail terrine, which was fabulous. As mrbigjas said, they’re really committed to getting feedback from their customers. They’ve recently added some roast meats that you can purchase by the pound and some fresh produce. I’ll probably be stopping by at least once a week. This is a great place, and a real welcome addition to the neighborhood. GO, GO, GO!

Is that Down and Out in Beverly Hills?

My hubby hates tripe and fermented shrimp paste, but I decided to overlook that. Last month. Mr. Duck: "Is it OK to go out to M's birthday party next week?" Me: "You mean I can have stinky shrimp for dinner!? Woohoo!"

How do you feel about your father's ire? ← When the incident first occurred I felt he overreacted. (I didn't witness the incident myself, so I don't know what really happened.) Although BIL did pour him tea since, Dad never forgot the first transgression. Dad was very, very traditional, and as someone who grew up very Americanized, I didn't understand until I got older. When I started appreciating my heritage more, I realized how important being respected was to him. So I can see how he felt that the act, or lack thereof, was disrespectful to him. I do think he carried his anger too far, but I can understand it more now. Gastro, I don’t know what my brother was thinking when he started dating that girl (well, maybe I do ). But I’m sure that Dad didn’t pitch a fit when that happened was because he was dating Only Son. What that incident did teach me how important it was to inform my (non-Chinese) boyfriends of proper behavior.

(Paraphrasing Homer Simpson) Will it be this pig or just pig?

Three examples: My entire family was at my sister’s house for lunch, and for some reason for another my brother-in-law neglected to pour a cup of tea for my dad. Growing up in a Chinese household, I was taught to pour tea for my elders. BIL is not Chinese, but he and my sister had been married long enough by that time for him to have known. My dad was furious, and from that day on until he died, my dad kept saying how he hated SIL, citing that particular event. (A little melodramatic maybe, but he found it to be a personal insult.) My brother brought his girlfriend home to meet the family. My parents prepared a great meal, but when girlfriend (who is not Chinese) sat at the table, she flat out stated that she did not eat Chinese food. Not only that, she want on to proudly state the (incredibly long) list of foods she did not eat, many of which were on the table. I think all she had was white rice that night. My parents were not happy, and during the my brother and she were together had to bend over backwards to please her, grumbling all the while. My friend invited me and another friend to his parent’s house for dinner before we went to a baseball game. His mother cooked a delicious Turkish meal, which included an eggplant stew. Back then, I was not a big fan of eggplant, but I ate since it was the polite thing to do. Not only did I love it, I’m still trying to get the recipe from her. Twenty years later, he tells me that his mother still talks about that night, how nice we were, and what a great time she had. Yes, I think you were rude. This is something that your in-laws will remember for a long, long time. Not only that, what's going to happen the next time you visit them? You're setting yourself and them up for a very uncomfortable situation. Everybody has different tastes and styles of food, and there will be many situations when you go out with friends or relatives that don’t share your taste. Particularly in family situations if you want to keep peace, you should have just sucked it up and ordered something — anything.

I was just thinking about that one. What's Up, Tiger Lily? ← You got it! I always thought it was a very funny movie. The full line from the movie is: "It is written, 'He who makes the best egg salad shall rule over heaven and earth.' Don't ask me why egg salad - I've got enough aggravation." ← Yeah! I didn't even have to Google this one!

Went to Osteria yesterday. I had the tripe and candele with boar ragu. Both dishes were well prepared but just a tad undersalted. I loved the candele — the ragu came as a nice surprise as I normally think of ragus as tomato-based, but this was a wonderfully light rosemary-lemony sauce that made the boar stand out. I humbly agree with Andrew in saying that while nothing was mind-blowing, it was the best Italian meal I’ve had in Philly. But since it’s not really fair to make a judgment based on only two dishes, I’ll have to go back and try more.

I was just thinking about that one. What's Up, Tiger Lily?

I was hoping you were joking, but found this from PhilaFoodie's blog. Weird indeed. Then again Ruth Reichl was no stranger to using disguises. Any chance somebody could follow him backstage or to the men's room?

I see your point, philadining, and I think it was the tax and tip that was the biggest blow. We were there for two hours after everyone left, going around in circles playing "yes you did" "no you didn't". It was just so tiring after awhile. I do think those who didn't come should cough up their money. No fair making Herb pay.

I went by there on a Thursday night a couple of months ago and it looked very closed.

What Marlene said, but without the Maldon salts.

I think I'm getting better at this game. Roxanne