phaelon56

If you have truly run out of places to travel to and odd festivals to visit.... consider a voyage to Penn Yann NY for their Buckwheat festival. Among the many exciting events is the cooking and consumption of the world's largest buckwheat pancake.

Any restaurant who fails to give good service and their best effort on food to non-drinkers doesn't deserve any of the business they get. Since when does consumption of alcoholic beverages of any kind, regardless of price or type, have some bearing on the value of a customer? If such a policy is in place in an unwritten and unspoken way in some places I'd sure as hell like to know which restaurants they are so I can avoid them. If I go out for a special dinner at a pricey restaurant (something I'm not financially disposed to do on a regular basis), I maintain the same decorum and pleasant demeanor towards the staff as those who drink (perhaps more so on some occasions), I tip well, I buy the horrendously overpriced mineral water ($14 per bottle at Danube for my last birthday dinner) and my table turns over faster than those of folks who have apertifs, multiple wines and perhaps cordials or dessert wines. The establishment and the servers may make less money on me than on wine-imbibing patrons when all is said and done but I should be a valued customer - it's a part of being a customer oriented business (last time I checked.... that's what restaurants are supposed to be all about). The fact is that I'm a recovering drunkard with no interest in drinking alcohol of any kind but interestingly enough.... my sense of taste is far more acute than it ever was when I drank wine with meals and I have complete and total recollection fo all my memorable meals - no haziness whatever on any of those memories. I consider to be unfortunate that neither the wine industry or the restaurant folks have made any real effort to develop and promote grape or other fruit based beverages that pair well with food and are not excessively sweet. It would seem reasonable to think that there are millions of US consumers who want a beverage wiht dinner other than water, milk, wine, beer or soft drink. Wegman's carries a product called "Ame" (with an accent above the letter e) that is available in an okay red, decent blush and a surprisingly good white. The white, in particular, has little sweetness and includes elderflower flavoring and other herbs. It is NOT a "de-alcoholized" wine. I've tried any number of those and they're horrendous. Suggestions for brands or alternatives that might fit the bill are appreciated. As long as I'm on a rant.... what's up with the fact that restaurants who have multi thousand dollar bottles of wine and $150 tasting menus seem generally incapable of serving a truly quality cup of coffee from fresh beans that are ground fresh and brewed/served properly? I roast and grind my own at hoem and although my standards may be a bit high for coffee, I have yet to have a cup in any restaurantt anywhere that is remotely close to being as good as what I produce in my own kitchen with a used hot-air popcorn popper for roasting, a cheap grinder and a $10 Melitta drip cone. I ahve actually spoken to a professional in the coffee service business who has tried in vain to sell the concept of quality coffee productio and service to some high end restaurants in NYC and thereabouts - he's met with resistance because "it costs too much".

I went in one night after dinner at Little Saigon just to see what the place was and check out the menu. Not impressed by the banquet hall interior and the menu (which was for catered events) looked decidely generic despite the Russian influence.

It sure does.... I think I'm gonna try making two of those and two pecan pies instead of just the pies this year.

Just when I'd started to think that no one else (even my friedns who grew up in the South) knew about yellow grits! I had them once in an Amtrak dining car and loved them. Finally stumbled across them in an airport store fo all places and have been meaning to use them - now I have a good excuse. In support of Jiffy Mix it should be noted that I added some to my sausage, pear and walnut stuffing a few weeks ago when I cooked Cornish hens for a culinarily challenged new girlfriend (perhaps not really challenged but she just doesn't like to cook). Used chicken broth for moisture, some pre-seasoned stuffing mix, added sauteed garlic and onion and some of my own spices. The sausage was just garden variety pan sausage from the local grocery store but this stuffing rocked! Best I've ever had and I'm pretty damn fussy about stuffing) it's almost always too dry and usually lacks the variwety of tastes that I seek.

I love oxtail and keep meaning to order it when I get takeout from Dev's Jamaican Cuisine (highly recommended - they're on Bloomfield Ave in Bloomfield). The problem is that I love curry goat so much I give in to my weaknerss and keep meaning to get it some other time - a friend did try it when she ate there with me and pronounced it excellent (she is from the Caribbean and in a position to know). I'm curious about the chicken with chorizo and black beans and onion frisee. Can you elaborate a bit on the manner in which the beans and chorizo are preared and served? I'd like to try this one at home as I have a hunk of chorizo left from an Ironbound shopping trip but don't feel like making another batch of paella at this point.

I'll throw in another vote in favor of "The Joy Of Cooking". What I like is the fact that the index is so well cross referenced and also the previously mentioned feature that tells "about" various things. I'm not an accomplished cook but like to experiment and am better than the average middle-aged bachelor in the kitchen. I use JOC as a starting point whenever cookign something I haven't tried working with before. It give sme the general guidelines and then I go from there. It also has a noce little red ribbon sort of thing attached to the spine that serves as a placeholder for the page you're on when you close it or go to the index to check other details. It's often available at wholesale clubs such as BJ's or Costco in the book section at a huge discount. When I'm looking for recipes in a particular ethinc category I try to find a book that is targeted at that cuisine and is specific on techinques and ingredients rather than just being full of pretty pictures.

Good ideas - thanks. This should be about the right amount, as I'm making four pies. They'll be in the disposable 10" pie tins but these are the deeper type that is now available. Any opinions on the turbinado sugar? I've recently been using a dash of it in my espresso and really prefer it to regular refined white sugar. It seems to have a different and more natural sweetness. Would it be a waste to use it in the pie due to the presence of stronger, heavier flavors and sweetness from the other ingredients?

I'm preparing for my annual holiday pie baking (I only make pies twice per year). I'm generally okay with the crust method I've been using - "Pie Crust Sticks" and I add a spoonful of orange juice in place of part of the water. Works really well and I plan to continue unless you folks can convince me that I'll get a truly superior crust if I make it from scratch (I'm open to discussion but please note that I have no mixer or food processor if that makes a difference). Here's the focus of my problem: in an effort to make a pecan pie that stands out from the ordinary and has a truly rich flavor to the filling, I've been experimenting with ingredient variations. For starters, I use 1/2 dark karo syrup and 1/2 light rather than all light syrup. I've also been replacing about 1/3 to 1/2 of the total amount of Karo syrup with real maple syrup for richer flavor. I have also been replacing the refined white sugar with dark brown sugar. People absolutely love the pies - the flavor is richer and more intense than a traditional pecan pie but I have a problem with consistency - the filling tends to stay a bit towards the liquid side. I recognize that the maple syrup won't "set" or thicken in the same way as the Karo syrup. Should I reduce the proportion of maple syrup or can someone suggest a way overcome this obstacle. Also.... is the use of dark brown sugar impacting on this in any way? Would using turbinado raw sugar perhaps be a better way to get a richer sugar taste but possibly with better results? Any and all suggestions appreciated. TIA!

I was curious about dinners at Blue Heaven and enjoyed your report. I've had breakfast there on a number of occasions and it's outstanding. The fact that they charge extra for real maple syrup is understandable but a bit annoying (regular "table" style maple-flavored syrup is already on all the tables). Their breakfast is outstanding. Very good cafe con leche and the pancakes made from scratch are incredible - I'd always thought that the quality of pancakes couldn't vary much from one place to another but they disporve that theory. We also had shrimp with vermont white cheddar in white grits. Sound weord btu it was possibly the tastiest breakfast dish I have ever tried. If you get back down to KW be sure to try dinner at Siboney's - very authentic family operated Cuban place. Reasonable prices and good food. My GF of that time was (is) Cuban and she was very pleased with the food, as was I.

Barbcutie - I will try to give you a heads up before I eat at Dinosaur again although my intermittent visits are usually for takeout - it's just so darn busy and noisy in there that I rarely have the patience to wait for a table and then deal with the commotion. I hope I didn't come across as terribly negative. The food there is really decent, the side dishes very god, the pulled pork outstanding and the sauces exceptionally good. the ribs tend to be fatty - I have yet to have really good ribs fromt he Dinosaur and I've had their ribs on 4 or 5 different occasions including eat-in, take-out and at a couple events where they did the catering. I prefer Texas style dry rub where the fat is cooked off but the meat still has plenty of texture. If you've ever tried John-John's ribs you'll have an idea of what my ideal rib is like. He has a red firetruck with one really big-ass grill behind it. He's sometimes set up at the corner of South Ave and West Onondaga in the parking lot of the Rite-Aid on summertime weekends. I do ribs on my home water smoker and can duplicate what he produces but now that I'm in a third floor walk-up with my smoker on the backyard deck it rarely gets used. I guess what bugs me is when I read accoutns from people who think it's the best BBQ in the Northeast ro even beyond - it's decent as I said but it just ain't all that (no offense intended but I have to be honest). Lemongrass? It's okay but Erawhan has much better food at far lower prices. Little Thai House on the Boulevard is almost as good as Erawhan and IMHO better than Lemongrass. I think you're paying quite a bit extra for the atmosphere at Lemongrass and the grapevine tells me that they don't keep a very clean kitchen. That is a completely hearsay but came to me from a fairly reliable source. Probably fortunate due to the onset of winter, but recently I've been in the 'cuse far less than usual. I did have a terrific dinner at Riley's last week and it was very reasonable. Outstanding black bean soup - spicy and tangy (lime I think) and sort of a thin broth - not like the Cuban style that I usually prefer - this is one of the best renditions of black bean soup that I've ever had. My new GF had Jambalaya - she's familiar with the version that Empire Brewing serves and pronounced this as better in that the ingredients seemed fresher and of better quality although it wasn't spicy enough. I had grilled duck breasr with some sort of mango or papaya salsa. very tasty and cheap at under $14.

Not really off topic.... did anyone see the Iron Chef episode recently with the young guy who is the world pasta champion? There's supposedly a competition held once every 5 or 10 years in Italy to determine who makes the best handmade pasta. He is a second or third generation and (supposedly) received tips from his father on the arcane parts of the process that are really known to very few. The cool thing was his presentation fo the prep process. He cooled the semolina flour in a tub of dry ice and then used a blowtorch to heat the surface of the stone where the pasta dough was to be mixed. When the stone was sufficeintly heated, he made the pile, added the liquid and then kneaded. A fast read digital thermometer kept going into the ball of pasta until some optimal internal was reached. At that point he rolled it all out by hand, his insistence being that using a press changes the character of the dough. Have no idea if you can really taste the difference but the showmanship of the prep process was great theatre.

I received a pizza baking stone for X-Mas a few years ago and have finally gotten into using it after it sat gathering dust for awhile. It's one of the rectangular jobs - my daughter picked it up at Williams-Sonoma and it's fairly thick - better than the cheap ones I've seen in so many stores more recently. I have a bottled sauce that I'm happy with and a good blend of fresh cheeses (Asiago, Fontina, a bit of Parmsean Reggiano and also some slices of fresh whole milk mozzarella). Toppings are completed with caramelized red onions and my favorite brand of Italian style turkey sausage (Gianelli's from G&L Davis Sausage Company in Syracuse NY - the only turkey sausage I've ever tried that compares favorably to Italian style pork sausage - I wish I could buy it here in NJ). The dough is the issue. A few winters ago after first getting the stone, I experimented with dough and once - only once - really got it right. i achieved a dough that made a thin crust pizza that browned reasonably well on the bottom and had the chewiness/texture of a pizza like John's from NYC (the Bleecker Street John's). Now, after a long layoff, I'm back into it and don't recall the exact formula that achieved success. I do know that semolina flour was involved. Here's my current recipe and results: 1/2 cup warm water with a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in it (about 110 degree F) and sprinkled with yeast. Wait five minutes, add two tsp of coarse salt and three tsp olive oil. Mix 2 1/2 cups each of white flour and semolina flour. Add gradually to water/yeast mixture, stirring in an additional 1 1/2 cups warm water in the process to achieve a flexible and moderately sticky dough mixture. Knead for ten minutes on floured surface unti pliable and then cover in warm place (85 degrees F or so) and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Cut in two pieces (each for one crust), punch down, stretch, and toppings and bake for 10-12 minutes in 475 degree oven. It's good but not good enough. The dough seems a bit crispy when baked to appropriate doneness level - almost stiff but not overcooked. It seems to lack the flexibility and mouthfeel of a good pizzeria dough. I also notice that when it's adequately cooked it's not really browned at all on the bottom (I am, of course, sprinkling a bit of cornmeal on the peel before stretching the dough and baking. I tried placing one half of the dough in the fridge overnight, then letting it return (covered) to room temp the next day before doing the punchdown, stretching and baking. It was better but still not good enough. Help! Suggestions and ideas appreciated, including an entirely different dough recipe. Inever got even close to what I wanted until I began including semolina flour but perhaps I need less of it or maybe more yeast?

If you like dry finish beer, look for a French import called "77". I only tried it once, many years ago before the dry beer fad came and went, but I recall it having a dry finish and being quite tasty.

Nick - To what do your refer? I don't follow but since it was my mention of Gablinger's I'm most curious. It's probably irrelevant but my surname is O'Neill and the beer in question was purchased (or pilfered, depending on who was drinking it) in Syracuse NY. As a Salt City native I also remember (not so fondly) the many bottle of Genny Cream Ale that I consumed on a weekly special at my local watering hole. The 16 oz longnecks were known locally as "the green Monster" for good reason. I was horrified years later when Molson chose to push their brand in central NY state by promoting and pushing Molson Golden, another putrid, cream finish ale. A baffling decision, as the original Molson Export ale was quite the tasty brew (and it grossly undersold the tolerable but not so special Labatt's 50.... but I digress).

I cpntinue to be baffled by the consistent crowds at the Village Gourmet but then again, Jim Dandy's Ribs opened across the street and they're also doing well. It may speak to the fact that plenty of folks in Rutherford eat out often but want something moderately priced when it's not a special night out. There's a liquor store on the traffic circle at Station Square in Rutherford that appears to have an upscale selection - I'm not a wine drinker so that's a guess but their closest competitor is up Park Ave on the north side of the street (past Dairy Queen) and looks more like a beer, wine and lotto spot than a specialty store with good wines. I have been to the Korean place once and enjoyed the kim-chee, pickled veggies and an okay BBQ. Nice atmosphere and okay food. The food may in fact be very good but I just haven't developed a real appreciation for Korean cuisine and I'm not the one to judge. The Villlage Gourmet owner is in fact also the primary owner/operator of Mignon. Those of you not familiar with Rutherford should note that there is municipal parking available. As you're heading down Park Ave past Mignon take your last left before the traffic circle at the corner where Bank of NY is. There will be a garage on your left just up the block and there's a pedestrian breezeway that gets you back out to Park Ave on foot without walking the long way. If you're in the neighborhood and want good Portuguese food with huge portions at cheap price, try going up Ridge Road into Lyndhurst and look for Teros Snack Bar on the left across from the cemetery. It's just one room with bar included but if you sit towards the back you'll avoid the smoke. It's as good as any of the usual suspects in Ironbound (Iberia and the like) but with easy parking and slightly easier on the wallet.

I'm absolutely certain I can top them all.... does anyone remember Gablinger's? It was the original "light" beer. My father drank it for several months one winter back in the late 60's or very early 70's when he was trying to lose weight. I pilfered a can or two and can attest that despite not having yet developed a taste for beer, it was the most putrid swill I have ever tasted. Actually, the only beverage I've ever tasted that is more disgusting is the novelty drink currently bing marketed as "A can of Whoop-Ass". It's an "energy" drink that tastes like a cross between Sweet Tarts and the super concentrated lemon mix that bars use to make generic sweet and sour mix.

To horrify the squeamish among you even further.... should I mention.... aw hell, I'll just say it: McDonalds has added an "espresso bar" to their glitzy new 42nd Street location in NYC!!! Yes, it's small and cheesy and focuses mostly on sweetened hot chocolate variations and prepackaged cookies, pastries and biscotti. It also uses a Nescafe product with a superauto machine. I don't plan on trying the drinks as it's likely to be far inferior to Starbucks (which ain't too great) but it does serve as an indication of how far espresso and coffee drinks have penetrated into popular culture. By the way - the Cosi at Broadway and 12th does have 'smores and it's a very lively place (albeit with a young and noisy crowd whereas I am relatively old and comatose). I agree that they've likely lost something as they have become a widespread chain but they still offer some worthwhile things in a pleasant enough atmosphere. Considering the alternatives that are often available it ends up being the least of possible evils for me when I'm in certain areas.

I've just been cleaning my aluminum omelet pan with a Dobie plastic scrub pad (less abrasive than Scotchbrite) and soapy hot water. It appears to clean up just fine. Should I have seasoned it before I began using it or should I do so now? I use it only once a month or so as my egg intake is limited but I'd like to ensure that I'm treating it properly and getting optimal performance.

I actually really like the eggplant variation. Peel, slice, salt, drain and cube Italian eggplant. Place on baking sheet with a bit of olive oil and seasonings and bake to reduce, stirring a few times. Roast a big clump of garlic cloves in foil or a clay roaster until they're mushy and sweet. half a big pile of good fresh plum tomatoes and bake on flat sheet until skin peeling off. Remove skins, throw in blender with olive oil and the garlic. Blend until pureed. Create layers of this sauce with the eggplant and the noodles and use your favorite cheeses with discretion. Withhe right amount of garlic and good tomatoes this is really pungent but sweet - much lighter than any other lasagne I'e ever tried.

Might that be a place somewhere between 38th and 40th on the west side of the street. It's got a name somethign like the "Wahamba Lounge". Weird fake stone on the fron that's painted fire engine red and IIRC they ahve little colored X-Mas lights hangin in the window. I've peered in walking past and there's a rather motley crew of working guys and slightly unsavory looking 8th Avenue types. Always a couple tall and voluptuous barmaids with short shorts working. Thus far I've resisted the temptation to visit.

I like their fillings and their bread but not together. I'm with jhlurie on the sandwich price..... $8.99 - WHAT? My MO is to eat lots of the free bread samples in line and then get a cup of coffee. They do a half decent job with coffee unlike Starbucks. Somethign they are doing that's nice - many of the urban locatiosn now have a full service liquor bar that opens in the evening. I have friends who drink and I don't - it's nice to have a place where I can get my evening caffeine fix and they can have cocktails. Should I mention that you can order s'mores to make at your table, complete with miniature hibachi to toast the marshmallows?

She seems to agree with you that both are good and in particular, are better than the typical Ironbound place. I'll have to check a few of them out soon - North Bergen is just as close for me as Ironbound (15 minute drive). have you tried any of the Peruvian places up there? Have any reccomendations?

I'll add a second vote for Marie Sharp's of Belize. their red sauces are based on carrot juice and habanero's. They also have a green sauce that's based on prickly pera juice and green habanero's - th elatter is mild and tasty on nearly anything. Both include some caye lime juice - adds to the unique taste. I'm surprised that Matouk's is tough to find in NYC - that must apply only to Manhattan as it's a staple in any West Indian community. I especially like the green one that looks almost like a thick marmalade or chutney with little chunks of yellow, red and orange mixed in. It's flavorful but absolutely blistering. I'd guess that nearly all the sauces discussed in this thread and several thousand more are available in my hometown of Syracuse at the Hot Shoppe. They also have an online store - selection is mind boggling Hot Shoppe

I've had pickled green tomatoes - not my cup of tea but some people like them. I think they'd probably be very good in Chow Chow - it's pickled sort of relish/side dish popular in certain areas of the South (the Carolina's if I recall correctly). There was another discussion of the fried variety in this forum (started by me after my initial unsuccessful attempt to fry some) Fried Green Tomato Discussion