waves2ya

And I guess I'm two for two (that won't happen again, soon!)... Anyhow, in my neck of the woods and with a little research, eminently discoverable. $14 a bottle... A very nice, well balanced Italian red - rather in the tradition of a Chianti Classico (albeit lighter). Noticed prior poster suggested a coupling with merguez, so we tried with cassoulet (duck); don't think it married well. I bought 3 of these, since I had the opportunity, and I'd venture a guess that the better pairing is a good cut of steak properly grilled. We found the wine straight forward, clean without alot of gravitas or contemplation (tho' still 14%). At the cheese platter, better with the stiff cheeses than the runny. Very different than last WOW offering and - don't get me wrong - delicious. Thank you for the suggestion...

Fingered thru these threads a week ago and thought about our festive imbibing; we drink (as opposed to collect) wines - and things - so don't always have the scratch for vintage. Our favorite is Perrier Jouet but also seem to have Nicolas Feuillatte or Taittinger around, as well; however... I am very fond of Boyer Brut, a blanc de blancs. Wotta price. So smooth and delicate - tho' certainly not as complex as aforementioned champagne brethren. During the season I often find myself with a bottle at the ready - or ready to go -and it does a great job of lightly setting a tone & opening the palate...

This invite was an excuse to pair wine up with our Xmas Eve dinner - Roti Duck l'orange, gratin dauphinois & haricot verts. Tho' I am a newbie to describing a wine (certainly not drinking them), I read WOW notes and hope to contribute. I was struck by how well balanced this wine nosed and drank. Not overly fruity or tannic, the libation was a perfect compliment to the duck and stood up well to cheese course that followed. We undoubtedly buy again but also believe this would benefit from cellering. Great presentation, as well; luv the foil design - thanks for the suggestion!

In no particular order... Epernay ~ Montclair Blue ~ Surf City Bangkok Kitchen ~ Caldwell Wazwan ~ West Caldwell Moghul ~ Edison And our own home.

Stumptown's Hairbender is really excellent; enjoying that cup of espresso and will buy again (after pounding around a bit more on this, er, well beaten roasting path). Has one of the most impressively rich crema's I've seen while remaining boldly even - toeing the line but not going over... Also purchased their El Salvador Montecarlos Peaberry (Cup of Excellence). As posited prior, this of the elusive drip/long candidates, was - ok. Best with just about nothing in it (like, black. or almost black). Made me realize that my notion of an early morning cup of joe (drip) has a little half/half in it and is kind of a vat of joe. Not every bean's gonna stand up to that regardless of pedigree. Maybe Terroir next...

I am a Philly boy, too. I don't agree. The most easily discovered and some of the best cheesesteaks & hoagies are found in the Philadelphia area but to say there are none outside I think is a stretch. Phila folk reside liberally in the tri-state area, are experts in their particular culinary delights and love to share said eats with new people. There's good bread all over, and capable (I'm not saying the Phila style best) treats can be found made - even by folks not from the city of brotherly love. Water Ice is a different matter.

Tho' I am not the baker that can be found in these forums, I have recently scoured the iNet in an attempt to find a good mixer. The drill down (epinions, amazon, etc.) seems to be that the smaller 325 watt 4.5 KA is considerably more reliable than the newer pro KA mixers. There are alotta nightmare stories out there about the 525 watt Pro series... Folks wax absolutely poetic about their KA's, much more so than any other model. Invoking a blessing, I have purchased that model for the baker in my life...

As most folks on this board will attest, selection is critical; I am willing to pay nominally more, include shipping (lose tax) for breadth. Mouse around (unsung heroes, etc.) at their site and I think you'll find they are in acceptable range. Not Costco, but (donning suit; this may start flamewar)... At least they have a capable French selection at compelling price points. American fondness for 'big wines' (higher alcohol %) and low prices have made places (er, mgmt, too...) like Wine Library cheerleaders for Aussie, Cali, etc. wines. Not that they can't be spectacular (pulled rack of pork (3 hrs) last night, pair w/ Norman's Cab Merlot; perfect) just I am firm believer in 'symphony of dining' modality. Players need to work together for truly memorable meal, from beginning to end... {thud} (falls off soapbox)

Next time you might try Sherry Lehman as they've a fabulous collection and are NY based. I live in N. NJ and still use 'em (freight kills me, tho'); also use Wine Access, a kind of buyers consortium where you can identify you local shop, select online, etc. SL still has the better selection...

It's on Broad Street in Bloomfield, right on corner of Watchung. Thankfully caught in a timewarp.

I went out to Kitchenaid's site: New KA Dripper When do you think these guys will just say something to the effect of "... brews at 195 to 205 degrees..."? How hard is it to get the SCAA's stamp of approval - you'd think building a better dripper was rocket science. Always wonder if all this 'low end coffee brewing temp' stuff was due to the McDonald's 'hot cup of coffee' litigation. Like having a governor on your throttle of your new sports car... Grrr.

... then their relish, alone, makes a trip worth it!

Hey... You spend good money for your dripper; congrat's. If you are not opposed to spending that again, and you have the space, the argument ends with a purchase of a Technivorm... Clubline/Technivorm I think I could have mustered the ducats but do not have the space; I bought a Kitchenaid Pro Cup 12 (KCM400WH) - now impossible to find except for on Ebay. It gets plenty hot (195-205; I've measured and returned other brands that didn't) but has a hot plate (a no-no for coffee) and don't break the carafe. Equally as elusive to replace...

I know this has become a 'bash $bucks' thread, but I've never had an espresso from 'em in anything but a cup (yes, I've had to walk out). In fact, when they state they've 'no espresso cups', I have often receive a doppio in a cap cup/mug. Most every chain I've been to in my life sucks for some reason or another (short Whole Foods) - the issue is the degree to which they suck. Starbucks is better than most. Americans (in all things) get what they want/deserve.

How 'bout that... Hot sauces do look more difficult than a miro-brew list - anyhow, my favorite doesn't look listed - yet. Panola is a wonderful, full bodied yet balanced spice that is not too, too hot - and, as I wish all premium sauces could be - is available in 1.7 oz bottles (sold by box). Panola Scored Woman for bite... Cajun Garlic Power - fried seafood... Sriracha for asian flavor... All kinds of others - I luv sauces...

Wow! Listen - I was curious/little skeptical about the 12 oz 'unit' dilemma - but it did not mean I wasn't going to try your brew; can see from site you folks are passionate, umm - perfectionists. And that can be worth a premium... Great answers - got some coffee to go through but I've found good roasters rare and I'll be dropping you folks a line. Thanks!

My Stumptown delivery just arrived. Those Dino Q threads are making me want to pull some ribs (or buy some pulled!). The Terroir Coffee site is very impressive. Only thing I found curious was the 12 oz pounds that are sold; and I queried 'em - they say... We strive for freshness in every aspect of the production of our coffee. We have found that an average consumer drinks 12oz of coffee between 5 and 7 days. One lb often takes longer than a week to consume. Since our coffee only lasts 5 to 7 days once the seal on the bag is broken, we have found that 12oz packages are more suitable. Now - being that you are in the coffee biz and all - I wonder if this isn't more bizarre than earnest. I mean - let's say you drink enuf to last 5 days. Well, you'd easily finish a 16 oz lb in a week (that's, er, me.). And even if you don't (u r the 12 oz in 7 day profilee), shouldn't the house pound be priced accordingly? It's not like they are selling $8 pds over there... Oh well. I would like to see his spoon... (The Tick: "Spooooon!") Gonna pester my local Whole Foods about Counter Culture coffee; would be drop dead ridiculous if I could get yet again another great thing from the Fresh Fields group. They are going to conquer the planet (really; check out corp practices. My favorite 'best in class' model for a service based quality programs). Great to hear biz is keeping ya socked in - gotta love that!

'k... When I started this threads I hadn't thought about the various kinds of coffees, and brewing methods; really - it's drip I go through. Tho' many roasters signature coffees are 'espresso roast' brew, I find drip and drippers the day in and out grail. I approach my pedestrian cup of morning joe with the alchemic passion I do my espresso - and have found capable roasts for drip elusive. Again, many thks for Stumptown rec's as I've started from this thread there...

In the 'ding, ding, ding-a-ling; ding, ding, ding-a-ling' (sleigh ride) season we are in... A really *hot* hot chocolate can be had at Rockefeller Center's La Maison Du Chocolate - expensive, too - but a must have on the trail of choco grail.

Tana - got a recette for that turkey soup you chatted about...? Don't see any veggies in there... Got lots of gravy left... Really owe ya now; maybe our family choc truffles recipe...

So - thank you, again, TB for recette; roti'd (!; outdoors; lump coal 2 1/2hrs) 14pd Eberly turkey; no brine. Coupled with above guidance, stuffing from prior threads - meal was a resplendent success. Here was the feast for 12 (3 small kids)... Raw Veggies, dip; shrimp & cocktail sauce; Champagne Fois gras; Sauternes Squash Soup w/ dollop of creme fraiche Turkey; Beaujolais Nouveau 2004 Stuffing (matched gravy) Haricot verte Brussel sprouts in a cream, bacon, cheese sauce Sweet Potato (corn flakes on top) Cranberry Sour Cream Apple Pie Pumpkin Pie Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse Think that was it; looking forward to the leftovers as the chef never really eats... ;-) Opps - forgot Spice Nuts! Also wonderful...

Yes and it was frighteningly horrendous. So much so think I didn't write about it anywhere (er, till now) because I wanted to give 'em a second chance. But everything - service, food, prices - really... I guess the place itself is kind of cute... But that second chance is looking far off.

Have eaten at... Pandan 406 Broad Street Bloomfield, NJ 07003 (973) 748-9997 ... twice now, enjoying each time. App's included Lumpiang Shanghai - a spring rolls (6) type concoction and Siomi, dumplings (5) with a special side sauce. Both good and different from the Thai type rolls one often finds. The Tom Yam Soup (variation on Tom Yum?), better left to the Thai's... Main dishes in this Filipino restaurant are the star. Last night's Crispy Pata (deep fried pork leg) was a very different treat. Well fried leg is served crispy w/ a vinegar shallot dipping sauce. Sizzling Pusit (squid) was an entire squid, grilled, and served on a skillet sizzling with onions in a kind of hosin like brown sauce. Marinated Chicken in Pandanus Leaves - wonderfully light and lemony, extremely moist treat. Grilled Spare Ribs were tasty but, ah... spare. Have also had a Jumbo Shrimp & okra/tomato dish that was sublime. I, for one, am thankful for the tastefully nuanced orange decor, bamboo chairs, exotic plants with Harry Connick Jr. played cloyingly in the distance... If only more restaurants would brave Broad Street in Bloomfield and successfully dislodge the stronghold of nail salons, we might be on to something.

Thks Rosie. Yumm... Can't wait.

Greetings... Jason Perlow posted an alluring article on Mai Tai's, principally a rum drink. Like many things culinary, I believe the first try of what seem like complicated recipes are best left to professionals. In that forum I queried JP... So Jason - convenient knower of all thing culinary & NJ - where can ya get one of the 'originals' locally ( NYC counts)...? Undoubtedly a busy person, our site admin - so do Rum masters know where I can try an Original Mai Tai in N. NJ, NYC area? Thks! ~waves