ngatti

Perhaps i didn't read this thread as carefully as I should have. But I don't recall anyone suggesting that the duck hang for a few days. Very important IMO for a whole roast duck. Not so much to let the duck get high (although it may a very little), but rather to let it dry out. Most important in achieving a good crisp skin. You'll find the difference between a duck roasted 'out of the bag' and a duck that has sat on a rack in the fridge, unwrapped for 3-4 days quite remarkable (irregardeless of the marinade used to achieve color). The cooking time becomes less and the fat tends to render better, resulting in a just right cooked duck that remains moist but not too fatty and greasy. The skin a rich dark mahoghany color that is extraordinarily crisp, yet not burnt at all. Slow roasting works best for me. A conventonal oven set about 250-275 for a bit of time. How much? Well until it's cooked! Really it depends on the sugars in your marinade and the temperature of your oven. Keep checking, you'll know. What's that famous tag line. "When it's brown it's cooked. when it's black it's f***ed." Wilfred is right about scoring the skin but I would limit the scoring to the the fat pockets on the backside of the bird ( its non-presentation side). Score lengthwise along the bottom of the thigh from top of the thigh towards the parsons nose on each side. There are also two fat pockets just south of the wing/breast joints that should also be scored. Hope this helps. Cheers Nick (who has eviscerated, decapitated, depaddled and roasted much 'Four Seasons' Farmhouse Duck and misses it)

From Larousse Gastronomique, by Prosper Montagne', 1961 first American Edition. "Pommes de Terre Macaire_ Choose big potatoes, bake in the oven, cut in two and scoop out the pulp with a fork. Mash this pulp incorporating in it several tablespoons of butter, allowing 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of butter per 6 cups (kilo) of pulp. Season with salt and pepper. Put the potato pulp into a frying pan in which some butter has been heated. Spread in a flat cake. Fry golden brown on both sides. Serve this flat cake on a round dish." Sounds like twice baked potato pancake to me. Nick

Business was off. All those dark empty corner tables. Nick

Consider the source when making your decision. Nick

Too bad, You're quite right Rachel. Good place for a quickie. My wife's favorite all around joint. Nick

Won't know till tomorrow as they were usually closed Mondays. Nick

I have it on good authority that the Roadhouse on Madison Avenue in Cresskill, shuttered its doors after weekend service. I'll post if I hear anymore. Nick

This past Friday's 'GO!' section of the 'Bergen Record' carried a review of the 'Park Steakhouse' in Park Ridge by David Bonom. The following points are in contention: A quick kitchen poll of 4 cooks and chefs found questions over the number of stars handed out (3). With explanations for the questions raised focusing upon the general tone of the review. The consensus was that the piece read as if it were a 2 star review. Given my disdain for the quality of 'The Record's' reviews, I found myself in bemused disagreement. My own opinion was, that based on the review, 'The Park' warranted its 3 stars. Careful reading of the review shows that Mr. Bonom found much to like. It is his 'sturm und drang' criticism of dishes (which seem to only mildly disappoint) that tend to make people feel that the criticisms are much worse than they actually are. My main criticsms of the review have less to do with food and more to do with Mr. Bonom's constant and wrongheaded kvetching about prices. (emphasis mine)Mr. Bonom is perfectly within his rights to opine that a $14.95 appetizer is pricey. He is entitled to his view and will get no argument from me over expressing it. BUT...the use of the word measly? A quarter pound of jumbo lump crabmeat with accoutrement is considered a measly portion? A gavonische attitude (to say the least!). I'll be sure to use this the next time someone needs an example of a good oxymoron. The fact is that Fresh Maryland Jumbo Lump Crabmeat wholesales for $28.00 per pound and pasteurized Thai/Malaysian Jumbo Lump Crabmeat wholesales for $21.00-$24.00 per pound. That puts the food cost with incidentals for this particular dish (I'm assuming some type of plate garnish AND the cocktail sauce and lemon), excluding labor and overhead, between 45% and 60% depending on the type of crab used. Pricey?...Yes! Particularly from the Chefs point of view! What prices are Mr. Bonom talking about?!? This a dry- aged PRIME new York strip with a minimum 21 days on the hook. At these prices I'll take TWO, and hold the damn fries! Suffice to say that Mr. Bonom betrays a huge ignorance about the wholesale price of beef and how it relates to a restaurants pricing structure. He'd be much better off limiting his criticism to the food. Handcut fresh fries vs. frozen? I've had plenty of horrible frozen french fries. I've eaten more horrible hand cut so-called fresh french fries. YMMV. Clearly he didn't like these. Is spaghetti squash served as a side now considered mundane? Or was it the salt and garlic which made it so. The specific food criticism I can figure out, but can anyone help me with the mundane aspect. It's quite unclear to me as is the use of the word mundane between two food terms. Someone get this guy a style handbook. If he uses the word 'toothsome' I'm gonna barf. Mawkish, nuff said. Finally as a piece of restaurant criticism and as a piece of sophisticated food description I give you the last line. This is the quality of 'The Record's' restaurant reportage. I offer it as an example of what the 'The Record' Dining Out reviews have to offer the dining public and the professional Restaurant community! YMMV All opinions expressed are my own Nick

No, but how many times have I filled the fryer without making sure that the cock was closed. o/' slip slidin' away o/' Nick

I'm so glad you're okay. That particular thing has always been my greatest kitchen fear. :wow: The sound of the machine still unerves me. It's silly but it's almost a phobia. Not that I won't use one. It's just that I obsess about someone getting hurt whwnever it's in operation. Nick

A very intersting thread. My own natural arrogance has always come down on the side of: "it's cooking dummy, it ain't rocket science!" But that is indeed an arrogant, and perhaps insensitive view. I suppose that some recipes, chefs, and cookbooks can be quite daunting and intimidating to a home cook. Particularly to one who doesen't venture into the kitchen often. Even to an experienced amateur who does. Yet from my dim experience as one who was once a home cook who took to the stoves as part of a serious avocation and who now cooks professionally (alas nowadays not actually cooking nearly as much as I would like), I must say that I agree with Steve Klc and many others (if I read you all correctly) and come down on the side of 'sourcing'. It is indeed the quality of your ingredients that will most importantly determine your success or failure. Fundamentally, cooking is quite the algorithmic process and indeed, the quality or type of your equipment will play its part in determining your result. However it is also a dynamic process and my experience has taught me that an equipment work around has always been easier than attempting one because of bad ingredients. You may not have an expensive duct system or a Bonnet equipped kitchen. But with a little effort you can have access to exceptional ingredients (especially here in NYC). By working with those ingredients and using them within the 'context' of your physical work space one should be able to produce some exceptional results. Exact reproduction may be something else. But does one need exact reproduction? Or will an outstanding dish that shows good thought, planning and cooking skills within an existing kitchen framework (whatever that may be) suffice? Thanx for listening Nick

Wrong. If you think you can 'Pittsburgh' a steak on a medium flame etc. Well that water you threw on the fire splashed back at ya, making you all wet. Whoa now. A thick enough steak on a medium heat in a properly conductive pan on a home stove top will no doubt achieve a pretty respectable result. Butter it up and the 'noir' may sub for the natural charring. But "B & B' ain't gonna happen. Black and rare won't happen either. On the other hand our definitions of what constitutes a superb result may differ Nick

Heartwarming, truly heartwarming! Ya gotta stop posting like this, Tommy. My face is starting to break out. Thanks mucho, all! I learned more on Huevos Rancheros in two days in this site, than in a 25 year culinary career. Nick

Huevos Rancheros...ummm...They're on ROUND toetillas with the eggs and such used as a filling. Kinda Like... well kinda like a ..PIE Nick

Why right this minute I'm about to retire to the kitchen for some leftover 'Q on a soft roll, courtesy of 'Finks' I say we give dodge a permanent seat at the eGullet table for this little turn on. Nick

Tommy, you were on River Road (not River Street, Hackensack) in New Milford. The bar was Henly's and in their last months of operation, the White Manna people took a concession on the Kitchen. They got to put a large sign outside. The entire operation tanked soon after. Henly's is no more. But the sign remains. If you're really interested in details and dish, message me Nick

Re: Lindy Washburn's review of The Mona Lisa Cafe in 6/14 edition of 'The Record' This is the "diamond" review in 'The Record'. The equivilent of Eric Asimov's: 'Twenty Five Dollars and Under' NYT's column. This week "the Record' seems to get it right as 'The Mona Lisa Cafe' is BYOB with no appetizer costing more than $8.00 and no entree priced over $16.95. The type of restaurant that, IMO, belongs on the 'diamond' reviews pages. Now for the cons: Empahsis mine; delociousness = ARGHHH!! Dried cranberries?, Goat cheese? Duhhh? Get out much Lindy? Food criticism 101. The 13th grade version. Could we get on with the description and critique of the food and skip the methodology of dish selection. Factoid: Veal alla Casa = The House Veal Factoid: The French version is called Chasseur (shallots instead of onions) The Italian version is called Caccitore The English call it Hunter style etc. etc. etc. Well the sauce may not have overwhelmed, but I'm overwhelmed simply reading about the gauvonische combination of ingredients. Isn't this a violation of 'Restaurant Reviewers Code of Conduct'? Considering both the tautology contained in the specific dish descriptions and within the general copy of 'The Record's' reviews, is it therefore assumed that the readers can deduce what 'Bindi' desserts are from this one line? All opinions are my own YMMV Nick <--gionconda smiley

Three or Four reviewers!! Pat Mack Rene Mack Marge Perry Nancy Thorpe Lindy Washburn Geoffry Paige David Bonom John Foy Gawd knows who else?? Like that old transmision commercial with the guy holding the hose: " Gee boss, I never worked on a transmission before." "Gee boss, i never reviewed a restaurant before." It's a train wreck as far as any kind of consistancy is concerned. A real crapshoot, and it bugs a lot of people. Nick

Re: 'Rene A. Mack's' review of Sabor in the 6/14 edition of 'The Record' I don't particularly care for bringing the description of this dish down to the subatomic level. The breadcrumbs are starting to quantum tunnel into the salpicon. Factoid: Though the 'underlying heat' may be derived from cayenne, I doubt that the curry or cumin contribute much fire to the dish. Too bad we don't get to hear about them. I see only THREE appetizers described, and this after two visits. Well...we are awash in something Two visits, I must assume at least two diners and all I get are these two desserts. I'm still hungry! Just my opinion: Real whipped cream = dog bites man. Faked whipped cream = man bites dog. All opinions are my own YMMV Nick

Rachel, you went to the right spot. When you click on entertainment, on the right side of the screen click on dining. There's a link to the last 3 or 4 reviews. Nick

Gentleman and ladies (and after reading much of this thread, I use the term loosely), could we get back to the topic of critiqueing 'The Records' reviews? There were TWO in this past Fridays 'GO' section. Nick

Circus Food! Popcorn & Cotton Candy! (In a prior life I was a popcorn butcher for the Garden Bros. Circus of Toronto) Nick

Slightly off topic. But what we need in bergen county is a good old fashioned 'Comidas, Chinas y Latinas' BTW Migdalia(sp) in Bergenfield makes some of the best damn Tostones I've had. Worth the trip and the wait. Tostones have to made from scratch. Can't par 'em off. Nick

Fenugreek!!. Wow,what a bitchin' idea! can't wait to try. Thanx Nick