LindaK

Great blog, Chris. You could have just posted pics of that coffee machine and had me swooning. I have a stash of chorizo in my fridge from a recent excursion to an excellent Spanish deli in Queens, NYC. Your soup is a great inspiration. Any other ideas? But as a fellow New Englander, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never eaten in Providence, unless you count the airport. Where to start?

Maggie, I must admit that after seeing the word "bowel" at the top of your essay, it took a few hits to eG before I clicked on the "read more" link. Not that there isn't a connection to food, but not the connection I generally want to read about in my spare time. But once I did, I couldn't stop reading. I wish I could write as well. I wish I always counted my blessings in the midst of my yuppie problems. Merci mille fois!

It's never too late on eG! In case you haven't noticed, many of us have been planning our new kitchen for a long, long time and still haven't begun...yet. I've reached the conclusion that there is no such thing as a (universally) perfect countertop material. It really is a trade-off between what you want functionally as well as aesthetically, and everyone's taste and needs vary. Not to mention budgets. In the end, the concrete v. soapstone debate may turn out to be academic for me if I decide to make the major plumbing moves I'm contemplating--in which case, I see laminate in my future.

Can't take credit for the comments...those belong to Philadining. However, if you are serious about flying in, we can let you know the next time we have some slots open. This has been a great thread. Thank you! I covet your breakfasts. Where is this breakfast thread people keep mentioning? I see the dinner thread but nothing about breakfasts. Does anyone know if there is anything further north akin to your Studio Kitchen? Maybe it's a reflection of local real estate prices, here in Boston I can't imagine the economics working. I'm jealous!

These are great recommendations. I esp. love No. 9 Park and Craigie. Since my budget rarely lets me venture into your category #1, I can't add anything there (though maybe would have included Mistral in that category--I wouldn't call it hip). Since my budget generally keeps me in your category #3, in Cambridge I would also suggest the Blue Room, Oleana, Salts, and Chez Henri. Rialto would be a slightly more high-end option. Re: OwnRewards recs, Dali is fun and delicious, but can be a long wait and usually very loud. Must be nice work to have places like this on your "to do" list, Busboy!

Has there ever been a demo or eGCI class on buttercream? I had a quick look over the pinned threads but didn't see one. Buttercream seems like a perfect candidate to me. There are many variations as well as basic technical information (temperatures, egg white: butter ratios, for example) where some detailed info would benefit both novices (me) as well as experienced pastry chefs. Not to mention pictures--I'd love to see one go from early "break" to emulsion. I have mixed experience with buttercreams and don't feel like I understand the "science" behind them to be consistently successful. Sorry if this is beyond the reach of this thread. Everyone's comments here are helpful but I would love something more systematic. note: edited because spell-check has made me lazy.

Wow. I've just resolved to start frequenting the dinner and breakfast threads, if you're a regular, Percyn. Thanks a lot, there goes the last of my free time. It would be great to learn more about Parsi, especially some advice on how a neophyte like me could learn to play with new spices and ingredients that you probably take for granted.

Your counters are beautiful, kiliki, just what I love about soapstone. Now I am really torn. I had a close encounter with some concrete this past weekend that left me totally enamoured. At an otherwise dull open studio group art show, someone was showing concrete--side tables inlaid with sea glass or agate, etc. as well as a simple concrete kitchen sink in apple gree. I loved it all, especially the simpler stuff. I asked the guy about some of the issues that have been raised here, esp. cracking and staining. I liked the fact that he didn't refute any of them, but made me feel confident that they weren't deal-breakers. Anyway, his web site is here Slab Lab Concrete but I've looked at the pictures, they don't do justice to how beautiful this material is.

Interesting. I've never heard of them or seen mention of them in Italian cookbooks. Where do you buy them? Mine is a slight French variation. I usually cook them for a lentil salad, with some carrots, onions, parsley,garlic, bay leaf, garlic in a light chicken broth--toss warm with a good vinaigrette, chopped parlsey and chives, and bacon lardons. My favorite flavor trick: stud the onion with a couple of whole cloves when cooking. They add a great spicy and aromatic quality to the lentils.

Lovely piece, busboy. It reminded me of an earlier thread on "therapeutic kitchen tasks," where I said more or less the same but not nearly so well.

Am I the only person who immediately thinks "what cheese should I be?" Me: roquefort. Somehow sweet and salty in the same bite.

Perhaps I missed this upthread, but what does this say about the popularity and influence of Zagat's? Anonymity but not necessarily knowledge abounds. I realize their review is not the product of "a" critic but multiple critics. How influential is this to most restaurants? I can't imagine the high end places care what their Zagat ratings are. Perhaps we need to differentiate who reviewers are writing for--various classes of restaurants (loaded word, I know, but it fits) and their respective patrons.

I don't have the book handy--it's on loan to a friend planning a big wedding cake--so I might not have the names correct, but there is a recipe for a chocolate chiffon cake that I adore. Light but with serious chocolate flavor, it's great for using up extra egg whites. I've also had great luck with a chocolate souffle cake that she recommends for a roulade. Roll it up with softened vanilla ice cream and a raspberry sauce, yumm. The grand marnier cake is also excellent. I have not had much luck with her genoise recipes. Not sure why, but they are always leaden. Now I want to try the banana cake and the waffles!

Oddly enough, my New Orleans memory is based on community, hospitality, and generosity and less so on the food or drink…well, maybe the drink. I’ve been there only once, sadly, about 10 years ago, for an academic conference. Not exactly debaucherie. But I went a couple of days ahead of time to get a taste of the city on my own. I don’t have vivid memories of any single meal or experience. What I remember is drifting about in an environment that seemed somehow mysterious and full of shadows. I didn’t seek out “name” restaurants but always stumbled on delicious food. After dinner, on my own, the clubs I wandered into somehow had great music, and I always felt like I was among friends. What sticks in my mind, though, was my last night there. End of day drinks with an academic acquaintance and his partner, who invited me to join them and local friends for the evening. And here it starts. A quiet drive through dark city neighborhoods bordered by cemeteries. Tropical plants and twisted climbing vines everywhere. More cocktails, in a humble shotgun house with unfamiliar architecture, vivid color and art that made it feel straight from a Tim Burton movie. People I’d never met but who made me feel like part of the family. Great seafood in an unpretentious neighborhood place that looked onto the dark waters of the Gulf, everyone sharing food and drink like it was Thanksgiving. Later, dancing to zydeko in some dive gay bar and never lacking for a partner, though I was probably the only straight person there. The ride back to my hotel in the back of someone’s SUV, everyone full of jokes and stories and these strangers laughing at my lame contributions. At the hotel door, hugs goodbye from people whose names I can’t remember and that I haven’t seen since. I’ve been thinking a lot about them this past week and pray that they’re okay.

Please do. I trust fifi's expertise here but I'm still having a hard time letting go of the concrete option.

Thanks for starting this thread...I'm one of those who digressed on the original Corian thread to ask about soapstone and concrete. Fifi, it sounds like you have nothing good to say about concrete. So can anyone explain its popularity? I love the look but don't want to invest in anything both stupid and expensive. As for soapstone, like jgarner53, I like the soft quality of soapstone over the brittle feel I get from granite. But I have two concerns: on the functional side, architect friends warn about how soft or easily stained soapstone is, but so much that I read says otherwise. What gives? on the aesthetic side, I look at various soapstone fabricator web sites and there is often an "oiled" and "unoiled" photo. My personal preference is for the lighter, unoiled photo. How important is the oiling?

It's hard to beat the fig-gorgonzola-proscuitto trilogy... but for the simplest dessert ever, try sliced figs over good vanilla ice cream, driizzed with honey.

Johnny, your fried clam throw-down on the New England forum got me started on my own local "clam crawl" this summer--though I've yet to post any pictures and reviews (sorry!). Looking forward to more challenges here. Please include recipes!

Interesting conversation. I think it's worth distinguishing an "expert" from a "professional." One is not necessarily the other. It makes me wonder what folks think about the professional who goes to great lengths to dine incognito. The most high profile example that I know about is from Ruth Reichl's most recent memoir, "Garlic and Sapphires : The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise." I'll admit that I haven't read it--though I heard many a radio interview--and probably won't unless I hear a thunderous recommendation here. I certainly understand and appreciate the premise. But the lengths that I understand Reichl went to disguise herself seem extreme to me, even a little creepy. While I imagine service and other elements of a meal would be affected by the recognition of a professional critic, can a kitchen really change its fundamental quality and nature on a moment's notice? If the answer is yes, then perhaps chefs do "run scared" of whomever they know has a captive audience, print or web.

Legal may never be the best, but it's always at least good. Can't say I go often but when entertaining tourist friends who suddenly decide they want chowder, oysters, fried clams, etc. there is usually a LS nearby. and we're usually pretty happy with what we get. For those of you mentioning Jasper White's, I assume you're talking about his eponymous high end place (which sadly I never tried, not living here at that time). Now he's down-scaled. What do you think about the food at Summer Shack as opposed to LS? There are three now, not sure if Jasper has ambitions to compete with the LS empire.

I'm one of the few people it seems who has not had much luck with this book. I bought it on the strength of reviews and user raves but have been almost universally disappointed. It made for a great read, especially the forward, but once I tried the recipes I was either underwhelmed or found them unreliable. That happens to me only rarely, so it's still a puzzle. The restaurant is great, so I had high hopes.

This is exactly what i'm worried about, although from much of what i've read it doesn't seem to be a very complicated piece of equipment, just a heavy-duty one. i mean, it appears to be a stove with no super electronically controlled whatnot and this and that. how hard can it really be to fix if it breaks? I finally located an appliance store reasonably close to home that carries Blue Star ranges. I've enlisted a chef friend to make the trek with me. It won't be for a few weeks yet but in addition to getting my hands on one, I'll be asking about all these service issues--and will report back.

Love to hear what you've found out about items 2 and 3. Has any one had experience with this manufacture? Repair history? Soup I've been doing a lot of research on Blue Star ranges, since I'm also anticipating a range purchase (hopefully) in the near future. There have been extensive, almost obsessive discussions of Blue Star ranges on the appliance discussion forums on Garden Web. The most recent thread can be found here and an archive of the past 2+ years' thread can be found here. Lots of discussions about the gas line as well as other installation issues. There seem to be more questions than answers about service, and it all seems to come down to the limited number of distributors for Blue Star products. The specs and user reviews of Blue Star ranges have put them on my short list, but I am wary of purchasing something so expensive sight unseen and what that would mean for service. I've asked at a couple of the better appliance retail stores near my home and both have said that the inherent service difficulties due to a lack of a regional distributor is the reason they don't carry Blue Star products, despite their belief that they are a good product and many customer requests for them.

I'd say you give Maureen Dowd some stiff competition!

I don't know about "superb" but I can think of some places. Jasper's Summer Shack. Jasper White's restaurant. The original and largest is in Cambridge, close to the Alewife T stop, if you're using public transportation. In Boston. there's a smaller outpost in Back Bay, off Boylston St. close to Mass. Ave. Legal Seafoods. A local chain but if that's what's handy, give it a try. They're scattered around the city. Food is reliably good for a chain, but can't remember their fried clams. Kingfish Hall. Part of the Todd English Empire. Located in Fanueil Hall so convenient for tourism. My memory is excellent fried clams, small portion, high price.