zeitoun
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Posts posted by zeitoun
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What are your experiences cooking with Caul Fat?
I used it for the first time last week, I consider myself lucky enough to have a butcher who can supply it to me, he gives it to me frozen, so I kept it in water for 24 hours to bring it back to its original condition and texture. Although I was skeptical at first, I pretty much succeeded in doing this without undermining the integrity of the “net”.
I was initially quite nauseated by the strong smell which I would qualify as rancid. Cooking went fine and it cooked beautifully, the problem I had was with the taste of it once I cooked it with my wrapped ingredients (chicken thighs and vegetables). It tasted just as it smelled…rancid!!!
Is that normal with Caul Fat? Does it usually have that kind of taste and smell even after it is soaked in water? Should it be prepped and handled differently?
Your help and expertise is much appreciated!!!
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I live a few blocks away and for some reason, even though i have walked in front of it nearly every week for the past 5 years (on my way to sahadi's or other middle eastern groceries), it never occurred to me to stop by
. Thanks for the reports... -
Made Creme Caramel tonight. Although oven floor has not recovered from the spill yesterday, but hell, I put a foil over the spill and hopefully everything will turn to ash in a few days. I had a lot more success with this than with the quiche. One step that made me really uncomfortable was putting plastic wraps in a hot oven...somehow that was a bit too adventurous for me. Otherwise, the steps are surprisingly simple and while my custard did not look as pretty as the one in the book, it's still pretty damn good.
Hey.. looks pretty good to me, so what happens to plastic wraps when you stick them in a hot oven?
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How about olives? If this information is correct, then I have been frying, poaching, sauteeing, curing, eating all sorts of meats with fruit juice!!!
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These trotters have to be divine. It only emphasizes my need to try them out. Thanks for the pics folks!!
I was tempted to make the leg of lamb a couple of times but never got to it.
Was it easy to seperate the muscles?
From reading it I figured I might need a longer cooking time as well.
Great work everyone, Keller would be proud
...I thinkElie
Elie - I'm not sure if this answers your question:
I also thought i was going to spend a whole afternoon preparing the log, the thought of performing what came close to surgery on a pig's foot (i.e. separating meat from tissue, tendons, fat, bone and skin) was quite discouraging at first.
I actually found it easier than what I intially thought. If you are using the whole feet with the hock, then I'd say you are in for a (not so fun) treat and a long one at that. The upper part of the hock is what contains most of the meat and it will easily separate from the bone in big chunks. So if you can, i'd say buy the hock even without the feet which contain just fat, bones, tendons and very little meat.
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McDuff, your trotter log looks great! Did you follow Keller's instructions for cooking and plating?
I cooked my leftover log yesterday. I was amazed at how well it kept in the fridge (I made it 6 days ago!). This time around, I did not use mustard for the panko coating, I used heavy cream instead. No sauce gribiche either but a light vinaigrette, and no mache, frisee instead.
I liked my arrangement better than Keller's (
) with a less harsh vinegar and mustard taste, I felt I was able to better enjoy the wonderful flavors of the pork meat and skin. Bond Girl - I tried Keller's version of leek and potato soup this week (didn't you make this also?), I was frankly not expecting much but i was in for a surprise!! I have tried other recipes before (Delouvrier's in "Mastering Simplicity" being one of them), and Keller's surpassed all the others by far.
I actually used the cooking liquid of the pork tortters that i had kept in the freezer as a liquid base, along with a little water to dilute it a little. After I blended the whole thing, I strained it in a chinois which gave it a smooth and silky texture, and in my chinois, I had a delicious leek potato puree that i ate the next day for lunch!
Nothing goes to waste!!
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What else can ya leave festering in the trunk of the car all day and not worry about it killing you when ya cook it for dinner? We had seared foie gras and scrambled eggs for breakfast last weekend before skiing, so maybe I'm not the right guy to ask about reasonable ski trip food. But that won't prevent me from adding my 2 cents.
Perfect ski trip food in my mind is something that tastes good, can be mostly prepped at home a day or two in advance, doesn't require much in the way of cookware (most rental houses are poorly equipped), is roughly the same amount of work to cook for 2 to 10 people, and most importantly - it doesn't turn out awful if you forget about it while soaking in the hot tub.
I'm curious to see how the shawarma reheats, maybe I'll cook another one before we go skiing and we can just reheat it the next day. It seems more likely to taste good than kabobs that have been left under the broiler too long because everyone is too lazy to get out of the hot tub and check on them.
ok, you have a point there..
And, please report back on the reheating experience, i'd like to know how well it reheats..
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This marinade would be perfect for lamb kabobs, and lamb kabobs would be a perfect dinner on a ski trip.
That really caught my attention, and a little off topic:
I am a ski nut myself, and I have never thought of lamb kebobs as a perfect dinner on a ski trip , maybe fondue or raclette, but kebobs?
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Not bad indeed, I admire the bravery! Shawarma is something I grew up with but nobody I know (at least not in my house) dared to make it at home. In Lebanon, shwarma is marinated with olive oil and loads of vinegar with other spices. This is what gives it a very tangy taste. I would suggest trying that next time.
So what did you end up eating it with and how?
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This is a tough one, not because one has to choose between France and Italy but because making such a choice would also exclude all the other wonderful cheese producing countries. I love cheese, and since I grew up in France, it would be easy for me to be biased and a snob. As a true cheese lover, I cannot be.
I have developed a particular affection over the years for some French favorites of mine: St marcellin, Vacherin, Chaource, Rocamandour, Epoisses, Crottins de Chavignol and the list goes on...
But I equally love a good Caciovallo or Pecorino from Italy, a good Garrotxa from Spain, Stilton from the UK, Emmental from Switzerland, Kashkaval from Bulgaria, and so on...
Cheese in the US is on the rise also!! Some cheese makers that come to mind (east and west coast): Sally Jackson, Sprout creek farm, Andante cheeses, and that guy in Long Island who only makes camemberts with a handfull of cows and only sells down the road from his farm. No joke, the best camembert i've had so far.
No pick for me.
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Bruni said that his visits were over months, not just one month. He might not devote that much time to every restaurant, but he did for ADNY. That probably compares pretty favorably to the number of times Ben Brantley sees a Broadway show before weighing in with his reviews, which invariably appear just after opening night, and are seldom followed up. The NYT has reviewed ADNY three times, and I'm sure they will again.
The Times doesn't have the same objectives as Michelin. The Times is a newspaper. "Point-in-time" snapshots are what they do.
I would also dispute your premise. After 4-5 visits, a competent reviewer should be able to write a dependable point-in-time snapshot. For a majority of restaurants, if the initial review is competent, it should remain sustantially valid for a considerable period thereafter. If a restaurant is important enough, it will get a re-review periodically. That's about all you can ask a newspaper to do. They're in business to sell newspapers, not to maintain a restaurant database.
I think the NYT does much more than carry a "point in time" snapshot of a restaurant, or if it does , at least not in the eye of the general public. What are Daniel, Le Bernardin or JG in the public's eye today? Although some may have reviews that are outdated, they remain four star restaurants and not restaurants waiting to be reviewed.
You also say, and rightly so, that the NYT times is not in the business of maintaining a restaurant database, so is the case of the Michelin guide which is primarliy a road guide. The only thing I knew of Michelin growing up was the tires on my parent's car and the road map in the glove compartement.
That being said, it is undeniable though that the Michelin guide became the reference of choice over the years when it comes to restaurant ratings. The NYT might be in the business of selling newspapers but their reviews now carry an incredible clout over the restaurant scene in NY. Their objective might not be the same as in the Michelin guide but the incredible influence it has on the general dining public remains the same.
Going back to my original point, I still maintain that there is too much time going by between restaurant reviews. If an entity of any kind, be it a newspaper or not, ventures into the business of reviewing and rating restaurants (again, a different concept than providing point in time snapshots), I would think it more fair if that rating was re-assessed every year on a continuous basis as is the case with the Michelin guide. My comment was to be read in a more general context. ADNY was lucky enough to have been reviewed somewhat frequently, the same cannot be said about other four or three star restaurants in the city.
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I think Bruni’s three star review of ADNY underscores one of the most evident flaws of the NYT review system. I feel a great deal of injustice was committed by docking one star, not so much because some of us might seriously question Bruni’s objectivity, qualification or taste, but chiefly because NYT reviews, as is the case for ADNY, are too spread apart.
I find it hard to comprehend how one single person could in 3 or 4 dinners, in a one month timeframe, encapsulate what that restaurant has done in the past 4 years. This, to me, is injustice. Accidents at fine dining establishments happen as I stated earlier. I was served a chewy soft shell crab at Daniel, I also read a story from a former Charlie Trotter cook who plated a fish mousse and served it to the customer with the plastic wrap on! These things happen everywhere and at bad times too.
My “so so” experience at Daniel is there to remind me that there is more to Daniel than my petty dining experience. Beyond the chewy soft shell crab, there was obviously a greater intent and still a great chef. There was also years of extraordinary service and food that I had not been a part of. My single experience cannot predispose me to think that Daniel is not in the four star league. Only in four to five years and with frequent visits during that timeframe, will I be seasoned enough to formulate an answer.
It is impossible to rate a restaurant based on infrequent visits and with so much time gone in between. For a restaurant reviewer, a sound and valid opinion can only be established within the greater context of what this restaurant has accomplished in previous years, the level it has maintained and for how many years. This is a principle that the Michelin guide seems to observe more carefully than the NYT. This is also why I would give it a little more credibility.
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We rented a large loft space (with terrace) in midtown manhattan and had our food catered. Having good food at our wedding mattered greatly to us obviously, but we also thought that spending a fortune on fine dining for a wedding was ludicrous. Truth is, people tend to focus on the booze at weddings more than the food.
So, since I am of middle eastern origin, we served an all middle eastern meal. It is good, original and much cheaper!!!! The guests (my side of the family flew from France and hers from Japan) loved it!!
You can always PM me if you have any questions on rental spaces in Manhattan.
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I have never been to ADNY and by virtue of this, I am incapable of passing any kind of personal judgment on the restaurant. However, I have eaten this past year at other four star restaurants in NY (JG, Daniel and Per Se), and I cannot recall having one perfect meal from start to finish at any one of them. Each experience was indeed marked by severe letdowns: a foie gras that was insipid at Per Se, a soft shell crab that had “a not that soft of a shell” at Daniel, a shrimp salad that was too salty at JG (I had to ask the waiter to take it back). It would have been very naïve of me to think (and I did I admit) that four stars would yield perfection across the board. This is not what four stars means. I agree with Fat Guy that there is a bigger picture to look at here.
I think every restaurant regardless of its stature will inevitably yield dishes that are unsatisfactory every now and then, either because they are flawed or fail to suit one’s palate. Having said that, I feel it is a critical error to judge or view a restaurant within the context of one or several particular meals, instead of doing so while also looking at the bigger picture behind it all. There is more to a restaurant than a broken toilet, a snotty sommelier or an overcooked piece of meat. These factors do play a significant role indeed when formulating an opinion, however I object to the idea that such factors would be important enough to cast a shadow on all the extraordinary things from a food and services point of view, that such a restaurant has brought to our food scene. ADNY has raised the bar of fine dining in America, this is a fact, and with a handful of other restaurants, it has propelled our understanding of fine dining to another level. An overcooked piece of meat will never take that away. I am personally dumbfounded by the narrow-mindedness of Bruni’s review.
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Looks great so far, can't wait to see the final product...
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I was exactly in your shoes up until very recently. My wife and I wanted a wedding in a "countryside" setting so we looked at Blue Hill Stone Barns, fell in love with the food and the property but were also turned away by the exorbitant price.
If you would consider doing this further upstate in the hudson valley there is always John Novi at the Dupuy Canal House and Oliver Kita who cater for wedding events. I would not describe their food as extraordinary but it is above solid. If you are really settled on westchester county then you could also consider the Surf Club in New Rochelle. I am not familiar with the place but I have a friend who is getting married there this spring and he is very picky when it comes to food. Knowing him, it cannot be that bad.
BTW, after months spent searching, we ended up getting married in Manhattan
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There are so many ways to have it, with harissa is certainly one way, tahini (as Foodman suggested) or yogurt sauces are other options. I've seen people eat their shawarma with a heavy dose of raw garlic puree and nothing else.
I am not too sure about cooking (and eating) it partially and repeating that process the next day. The shawarma shops i frequent here in NY make a new batch every day. It might have some negative effect on your meat but I might be wrong though. Chefzadi's expertise could definitely be of help on this one..
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Pretty cool thread, I'm curious Melkor, how are you serving your shawarma? Are you going to eat in a sandwich or a platter? What condiments/garnish are you planning to eat it with?
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you must subscribe (80 Euros a year) by going to www.omnivore.fr; no newsstand sales, unfortunately.
Thank you for the information John, I tried the above website but came out with no result. I found it at the following address instead:
Edit: My mistake, both web addresses are available.
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I stabbed my chopsticks into my rice when I first starting using them. Everyone at the table gasped and got a little upset. I don't do it anymore.
I do not know what is the significance of this in Korean culture but in the Japanese one, sticking chopsticks into rice is associated with death because it is reminiscent of a ritual performed at funerals. I have seen many people at restaurants rest their chopsticks in rice in this manner and it is a great sign of disrespect.
Really? I thought it meant the same think in Korea, China, and Vietnam as well as Japan - basically anywhere you'd find both Buddhism and chopsticks.
Well, I guess your question has answered mine! I wasn't sure if the Japanese superstition was there because it was reminiscent of a Buddhist or Shinto funerary practice. So if a Buddhist practice it is, then you are right, sticking chopticks in rice is a big no no as well in the other countries you named.
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I stabbed my chopsticks into my rice when I first starting using them. Everyone at the table gasped and got a little upset. I don't do it anymore.
I do not know what is the significance of this in Korean culture but in the Japanese one, sticking chopsticks into rice is associated with death because it is reminiscent of a ritual performed at funerals. I have seen many people at restaurants rest their chopsticks in rice in this manner and it is a great sign of disrespect.
And to this I would add that it is equally disrespectful when eating noodles with chopsticks to raise your noodle-laden chopsticks above your head and slowly dip the whole thing into a wide open mouth. No death connotation here but it is just nauseating!!!
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Whether the review was fair in its final assessment is certainly a debatable point. But what seems totally unfair to the restaurant is that of the 19 written paragraphs, only five were dedicated to food. The other 14 dwelled on the misadventures in the life of the reviewer. Is this any way to assure readers that the ultimate rating of ADNY is credible?
I had the same observation as I was reading the review. In addition, I personally felt that there was little to no sense of mitigation in Bruni’s recounting of his actual meals. Based on this review, and if we were to look at food only, it seems that the four star standing remains. With Delouvrier (a four star chef) at the helm of Ducasse’s (four star) kitchen, you really wonder what could possibly go awefully wrong. If this is the case and considering what is at stake when revisiting a restaurant’s four star rating, I find it preposterous that his comments on food were encapsulated in 5 short paragraphs.
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Thanks for the notice. It's always nice to see small businesses such as these open in the neighborhood. I'll check it out when i get a chance.
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I finally had a chance to try the pork trotters again. This time, i asked my butcher to give me hocks only instead of the whole feet. The hocks yield most of the meat. The recipe is pretty much straight forward and not that time consuming. For the first time i got to work with pig's skin in that manner and i have to say, pig's skin is great in this dish. It is not rubbery nor fatty and has a tender texture that compliments the meat very well. The one thing i was not too crazy about was the coating of mustard before the pig"puck" is dredged in panko. I think it overwhelms the wonderful taste of the meat (which is already mixed with mustard) with an even stronger vinegar/mustard flavor. I'll use either an eggwash or heavy cream next time.
Pictures of the log after it came out of the fridge:
Plated dish:
Yemen Cafe & Restaurant
in New York: Dining
Posted
From what I know, I'd say it is mainly kebobs and meat stews. Not much I can elaborate on here since my only experience with Yemeni cuisine was at the unnamed Court Street place Lambretta76 mentioned. I personally was extremely disappointed by that place and would not recommend it to anyone.
I am glad to see through this thread that my one bad experience was not representative of what Yemeni cuisine has to offer. Maybe i'll stop by this week and snap some pictures
. It'll be interesting to compare it with other Middle Eastern cuisines. I know that culturally, Yemen has more in common with the countries located in the horn of Africa (Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti...), than the countries of the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine etc...).