phaelon56

Ironic that this topic should appear now... a few weks too late for me. I can distinctly recall drinking "33" Export beer at a neighborhood bar back in the late 1970's and really enjoying it. The finish was rather dry - a bit like what are now called dry beers, I imagine (I'm just guessing as I stopped drinking alcohol long befotre "dry" beer was introduced). The "33" that we were getting back then was brewed in a Parisian suburb by a subsidiary of Heineken but it was definitely a French beer. I tried in vain to find some a few weeks ago for a French themed dinner (we have a mix of beer drinkers, wine drinkers and non-drinkers in the group). The descriptiosn I've read here and elsewhere of the Vietnames "33" indicate that it doesn't match up to the French product. I think that in this age of robust and flavorful microbrews and craft beers, the original French "33" might seem a buit tame but the subtlety and the dry finish were very appealing at the time as it was so much different than the other products available to me back then.

I've read a fair amount about this system - I think it comes in a variety of shapes and colors with a couple competeing products that are either the same thing with a different brand name or else a clone sort of product. Reviews have generally been good in that it is very good at what it does. The output is not really espresso just as the output of a moka pot is not espresso but Senseo makes a good cup of what might be considered as close to Cafe Crema. I think the cost of the pods would be an issue for some of us. I'm curious - are the pods the same as the ones used in pod style espresso machine portafilters or could espresso pods be adapted somehow for use in a Senseo? There are some excellent espresso blends now becoming available in pod form (Intelligentsia's Black Cat among them).

Sea foam frosting. My mother first made me a chocolate cake with sea foam frosting when I was about six or seven years old. I loved that frosting and still do. She's 80 years old now and does very little baking but still makes me that cake for my birthday if I'm in town at the time. It tastes as good now as it did then Here's one recipe for it. Very simple to make. The caramelization of the brown sugar and the fluffiness created by the beating process makes for great flavor and a nice light texture. Sea Foam frosting

Here in the Northeast produce prices seem to stay high most of the year with short windows of lower prices for particular items. Even the local growers prices seemmmuch higher than two years ago but I think this is due in part to their staying just below supermarket prices. Cauliflower in my area is still running $2 per head for a decent sized head, red, orange and yellow peppers are $2 - $3 per pound and even sweet corn is 3 or 4 ears for $1. Soem of those prices will plummet for a few weeks later in the summer but for a very short window of time. If I was buying and cooking for a family of four I could probably keep the cost at a reasonable per serving price but buying/cooking solo I often have to buy differently in order to avoid waste due to spoilage (e.g. I buy bulk mesclun salad mix at $6 per pound instead of getting individual lettuces by the head).

I actually considered going to Casa Mono for a first date of sorts many months ago when I was in the city for a weekend visit. It was a friend I knwe via email but had not had an opportunity to sit with in person. She suggested Casa Mono as one choice and Etats-Unis as an alternative. I chose Etats-Unis and am glad I did - we were able to really talk at length over dinner and get to know one another much better. This discussion does have me wanting to try Casa Mono. The loud music/first date scenario just doesn't make sense to me but perhaps current thinking for younger people (I'm in my 40's) is contrary to my mind-set. I wouldn't dream of doing anything on a first date that precludes conversation - movies, concerts and any other event that either drowns out or discourages conversation are all out of the question. Oh definitely not That's the whole point of the first date - to get the weeding out process done so one can decide whether a second date is in order. It's probably an age/generational thing but I'd choose a noisy, lively place like Casa Mono for a second or third date (moot point for me but the theory is valid).

I really don't have that option unless I shop at Sam's and BJ's in which case they scan my membership card anyway so it's the same situation. There is a loophole - all the chains in my area now have "dummy" cards available to the cashiers for shoppers who forget their card. You don't really have to use a card of your own. My grocery purchases are mundane enough that no one will ever be scouring my data to figure out what the hell I'm up to but I can understand why people are irritated buy it. What I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that these cards replaced the tear-out/clip-out "store coupons" that appeared for years in the weekly grocery store circulars that appear in most newspapers (traditionally on Thursdays and Sundays). Redemption of those coupoons was used to track the efficacy of advertising dollars spent. They just bumped it up a notch by selling the tracking data from loyalty cards to marketers. In an intersting marketing shift, the new Bloom Grocery store in Charlotte NC does not offer or utilize a loyalty card system. They do offer hand held scanners for people who want to scan their own purchases in the aisles as they shop and that device requires one to be registered with the store. If one does not use the scanner there is no card required for the discounts. What interests me is that this store, a pilot project by Food Lion (who plans to open many more of them), was supposedly designed in response to two years of focus group studies and consumer surveys about what people want most in a grocery store experience. No need to use a loyalty card was very high on the list!

I see enormous benefit for smaller shps in having the ability to roast smaller quantities. The short shelf life of roasted coffee and the minimum weight of beans required by many commercial roasters presents a problem for the smaller specialty shop. It's desirable to sell a good selection of varietal coffees but not if some goes to waste due to spoilage being able to roast a few pounds at a time of one coffee would enable a retailer to develope a trade of loyal cusotmers who come for their specific varietal or blend, which could be roasted in small quantities. The elimination of smmoke is a huge benefit for small roasters in urban areas - absolutely crucial. I find the comment about robusta smell particularly intriguing. Hiroyuki - can you comment more on the prevalence of robusta use in Japanese coffee culture? Some large Italian roasters add a small percentage of good quality robusta to their espresso blends and handful of American roasters also do so (David Schomer's Caffe Vivace being one of the most well known US practicioners). Robust has a bad reputation in the US market among discerning coffee drinkers for good reason becasue quality robusta rarely makes it to this market in any quantity. Some of the green bean purveyors will have Uganda Nanga farms robusta and on occasion some of the better Indian washed robustas (which are said to be very god). The reason I inquire about the Japanese market is because it is generally believed that that the vast majority of the annual premium robusta production goes to Japanese buyers, who are willing to pay a premium. Robusta has a higher caffiene content but even the better ones can have a bit of a bitter edge (not always a bad thing, especially in an espresso blend). Are there specific blend types, desire for higher caffiene levels or other issues you're aware of which influence this or is it just tradition?

In my opinion they have an ethical responsibility to disclose the price of such offered extras if the price is unreasonable relative to the typical menu item cost in that establishment. More to the point, it's just plain bad business to foist overpriced extras in any restaurant and expect people not to get a bit miffed. I'd guess the evarge diner at ADNY is fairly well heeled and $42 won't break the bank but even folks with money to throw around get justifiably irritated at being ripped off. Not nearly as egregious but many, many higher end restaurants now routinely open an extra bottle of sparkling water when the first one is cloes to being empty, even if your glass is full and the meal is close to an end. they did it to us at Danube where San Pellegrino is $14 per bottle. I wanted to say something but my GF was paying the bill for my birthday dinner and she didn't want to rock the boat. At Tangerine in Philly, a few months later, they pulled the same stunt (where the water was being sold at bargain basement prices like $11 per bottle ) and we called them on it. We never ever asked for more water and had actually finished our dinner when they magically appeared with the extra bottle. We politely pointed out the fact that we never ordered it and they immediately removed it from the bill.

Okay - cool. A pan of boilng water and a lower temp it is. IIRC they called for 350 degrees. The surface had puffed a bit in the center, had a slight bit of jiggle and had just two tiny spots that started to get a tad golden brown (each spot about the size of a dime - that was on one of the two tarts - the other had not spots. I did not see any cracking nor did I see pulling away from the edge but it was baked in my GF's electric oven. She lacks an oven thermometer (she doesn't even have a sharp knife in the house but I love her anyway ) - it may have been a tad hotter but I'm not sure. The balance of sweetness to cream cheese flavor was waht I was looking for - I just needed creamier texture. I'll be making a few more on August 12 for a party and will report back on results.

Yes it's a bit nit-picky but Grand Central Station is their mailing address and Grand Central Terminal is their physical location. I just call the whole darn place Grand Central.

Tongs Wooden spatula Pastry cloth and roller cover for pie dough Second the motion on a good coffee grinder - lowest price grinder that is a good long term investment would be Starbucks Barista if its on sale for $80 or so or the Solis Maestro at about $100 (the Barista is actually the old Solis 166 nut the Maestro has a few advantages). For espresso a Solis Maestro Plus at about $150 is lowest acceptable entry level. Stainless steel bowls Multiple plastic cutting boards to use in addition to the big wooden cutting board Swing-way brand manual can opener - they are the best and skip the Junior model - its not worth saving a buck or two Can someone convince me what I need a stand mixer? I have an immersion blender for basic whipping and blending and do my limited dough mixing and kneading by hand. How often do you use your KA stand mixer and for what purposes?

Not yet. I think that for some of us there's an inherent cloying quality to the sweetness that Splenda creates but it may be just that the manufacturers need to throttle back the sweetness a bit. Awhile back I got in the habit of ensuring that I always had some Edy's "no sugar added" ice cream on hand for a diabetic friend who visits periodically. It was pretty good stuff (the Butter Pecan flavor) and I started eating some of it myself (can't let it expire ). Recently their lable started touting the fact "Now sweetened with Splenda". I'm reasonably sure they used to use Nutrasweet. The new stuff is almost too sweet to be edible. The Splenda has radically altered the character of what was a pretty good sugar freeproduct. It appears to be the same problem with sodas.

I recently spent a day visiting an online espresso buddy, Steve Doxsie, owner of Olympic Coffee in Bremerton WA. I'm gradually testing the waters and researching in anticipation of a possible career shift into the coffee business. Steve was kind enough to spend most of a day mentoring me, sharing ideas and discussing many apsects of the business including roasting, brewing and espresso production. I have long had the impression that the reason Starbucks coffee is so frequently bitter is due primarily to their using a greater weight/quantity of coffee per ounce of water than their competition. If I recall correctly, I read this in an article several years back in Consumer Reports magazine. They assessed the coffee offerings from Peet's, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and a few other chains. Their contention was that Starbucks uses more coffee per ounce of water than anyone else. Part of the supporting evidence they cited (which may well be the only evidence they had) was a higher caffiene level per ounce. Okay.... I know the 'bucks roasts way too dark and I won't digress on what the probable reasons for that are (but they're easy to figure out). I have had Starbucks coffee in people's homes using whole beans that were freshly ground and brewed. The SCAA standard coffee measure (two level tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water) was used. The resulting coffee was far smoother and more drinkable than any coffee I've ever consumed in a Starbucks Cafe. Long story longer.... my friend Steve contends that they grind their coffee finer than is appropriate for drip coffee and actually use less than the standard recommended amount of grounds per ounce of water. This yields coffee that costs less to make but is "strong". Have any of you experimented at home or in your business with different grind levels in a drip maker? Care to share the results? The theory (which I suspect is supported by verifiable facts) is that particles of an excessive fineness have too much surface area exposed to the brewing water and allow too many of the bitter alkaloids to be released during the brewing process (relative to coffee that is ground more coarsely). The higher caffiene level of Starbucks Cafe coffee makes sense under this scenario - more surface area would mean more caffiene extracted in the same brewing time. I do know from experience that espresso which is ground too fine will yield more bitter shots, regardless of tamping pressure. So.... what of the possibility that we can get better brewed coffee by grinding a bit coarser than normally recommended but using a slightly larger amount of coffee? What do you think? I do believe that it's reasonable to assume that consistent results suitable for doing A/B comparisons can only be easily done with a good quality grinder that yields consistent particle size (i.e. the grinder itself is too much of a variable if a whirly blade or cheap burr grinder is used).

Etta's just past the north end of the Pike Market. I've only eaten there once but the Dungeness crab cakes were incredible and it really does taste different than blue point crab. I also had the best spinach salad I've ever eaten in my life. On second thought... make that the best salad I've ever had - it was that good. I've been to McCormick and Schmick's a few times and the raw oysters were very tasty (Quilcene's in particular) but you can just go to the little counter at Jack's Fish Spot (next to Three Sisters Bakery - across from Pike Market). I was less than impressed with the service at M&S on the three visit that I made there.

Ahhhh... the joys of roasted red pepper with anchovies. I make my own roasted red peppers and then add anchovy filets in with the peppers along with capers and chopped garlic. Let it sit in some good olive oil for a few days and allow to meld. I can just spread this on bread and call it dinner. Now my curiosity is aroused. Is it worth trying the salt packed (and much pricier) anchovies for any of these methods? I know they cost more and are more work (deboning anfd also rinsing to remove salt) but if the taste is significantly different I'm inclined to try it. Best recent anchovy story: I belong to a small cooking club that meets every few months or so. One of the coupel has tewo charming young sons, aged 9 and 11, who join us for dinner. Last gathering was at my place and we did grilled veggies along with a build-your-own Salade Nicoise. The older boy came running in from the deck where he and his brother were eating and grabbed a couple anchovies from the bowl. Surprised, I asked him if he liked anchovies. "No... they just taste like leaves and salt to me. - they're disgusting." A moment later I hear him saying to his little brother "Come on... you've got to try these - these things are great!"

Ahhhh.... dilution. No - the Melitta and Chemex methods do not involve adding water although one could simply make the coffee stronger and then do that. I'm curious - is the goal to have a smoother and more mellow taste profile or is it to reduce acid? We have discussed the Toddy cold brewing system here on a few occasions. It yields low acidity and like the Matsuya method produces a concentrate that is subsequently mixed with hot water for hot drinks or cold water for iced drinks. Auto drip makers are by far the most popular method for home coffee production here in the US. I used one foir years after starting out with the Melitta but eventually went back to the Melitta for the improved taste. More recently I began using a vacuum pot coffee maker on weekends and have been very happy with the results. It takes more coffee than drip methods but yields excellent results - robust and flavorful like press pot coffee but without the sludge in the bottom of the cup. It is a bit more time consuming than drip methods and does not lend itself to hurried mornings on a workday. I make espresso before work and reserve regular coffee for weekends or for when guests visit.

Over on the Dinner thread, hathor had a great suggestioin for me to try next time on my fresh mozzarella and tomato salad: mash some anchovies with fresh basil and a bit of the anchovy oil and use it as a dressing on the tomatoes. I'll be trying that this weekend. I like them straight from the jar/can and on all kinds of things but not on pizza.

That fact remains a truism in my life (I am the "other person" ) but I've taken to bringing a home made fruit tart for my GF 'cause she just loves 'em (it's hardly secret but we live 600 miles apart and do have "rendez-vous" visits). Chocolate dipped strawberries Grapes Chocolate anything Cheesecake Although I wouldn't bring them to a rendezvous - artichokes eaten by tearing off the leaves and scraping the meat off with your teeth..... that has a major sensuality factor.

I remain in pleasant anticipation for your next post on the superheated steam roasting process. I will also read the Matsuya drip method post with interest but will respectfully suggest that it appears to be more or less identical to the process used with Melitta and Chemex manual drip systems. I'm not sure whether Melitta clearly states it in their literature but the common practice for those using a Melitta paper filter (identical in shape to the one shown in your picture) is as follow: 1) Prewet the paper filter with hot water 2) Add the coffee and then add 1/3 to 1/2 of the water to be used, pouring the water in such a way that the grounds are fully saturated and the initial quantity of water has dripped through 3) Add the remaining water and pour it so that the grounds are floating in the water in an equally distributed way (i.e. do not just pour all the water into the center of the filter - pour it in around the edges so it loosens any grounds that have settled against the filter). Some believe that the use of unbleached filters produces a very small but perceptible improvement in flavor, as chlorine is used in the bleaching process when white paper filters are produced and tiny trace amounts may be left int he paper and released by the hot water. My taste buds are not discerneing enough to confirm this but I choose the unbleached filters because they are more environmentally friendly (relative to how they are produced). Just curious - what is the most common method for making coffee in the home in japan? Is it auto drip makers as is the case here in the US?

You mean to tell me there's some kind of a Gimlet made with anything other than Gin? Next thing I know some wag will be insisting that you can pour any old kind of liquor into a Martini glass and call it a Martini As a reformed and unrepentant Gimlet lover, I do know that many places make their Gimlets too sweet - an excess of Rose's is a bad thing. It's also conceivable that it taste much better before the introduction of HFCS. I sure remember it being tastier 20 years ago but back then I had a healthy does of gin with every splash of Rose's. My default apertif / digestif when out for dinner is tonic water with a big splash of Rose's. Traveling south of the border (Belize and Mexico) a couple years ago I discovered that Rose's was unavailable in the fine establishments that I was hanging out in but fresh lime juice could be had in abundance. I switched over to about an 8 to 1 ratio of tonic to fresh lime and love it but there is that extra little aftertaste in Rose's that can be really appealing in very small amounts. Try a very small splash in a glass of diet cola and you'll be pleasantly surprised - takes the edge off the artificial sweetener aftertaste.

NIce article Dean. I spent last weekend in Charlotte (where I plan to be living by 2005) and we wandered out to Matthews on Friday afternoon in search of some Italian goods. Regrettably, the Domenic's Italian food store adjacent to the Matthews Farmer's Market is now permanently closed but in researching the Farmer's Market I discovered that heirloom tomatoes are a big deal around there. Tomato Joe sells there and at a few other area markets - they are based in that area. Of great interest to many is the fact that they now sell both seed and seedlings for many heirloom varieties and ship by mail anywhere in the US. Although we were travelign on saturday and not able to attend the market this time, we did have some outstanding yellow and red tomatoes from a local farmstand along with some mediocre fresh mozzarella from Harris-Teeter. Made a pretty passable tomato and mozzarella sald for Saturday's dinner when we visited friends.

The nitrogen flush works but has a distinct limitation. Illy packs its whole bean and ground coffee in a nitrogen flush environment in pressurized cans. Their claim is that the coffee will keep in hte can at room temp for up to two years and stay fresh. That's a bit of bunk but the fact is that when first opened their product is generally fresher than competing canned espresso coffees (e.g. LaVazza) but, possibly because it often sits in storage for awhile because of the "extended shelf life" offered. The down side is the fact that it goes stale really fast once its opened.

To me the notion that a specially shaped wine glass can somehow deliver critical taste components more effectively to certain areas of the tongue and specific taste receptors is hysterically crazy and laughable. However, it's easy to understand how the placebo effect can work. If smelling the bouquet of the wine becomes an integral part of the experience and a particular shape does a better job of delivering the goods to your olfactory glands a "better glass might help. More significant to me is the fact that for many of us food and beverage consumption is part of a seamless overall aesthetic experience. I don't even drink alcohol but when I drink Ame with a meal (my non-alcohic beverage of choice), I drink it in a really nice crystal wine glass and it tastes better to me. There's a certain point at which visual and physically tangible enhancements (good flatware that fits comfortably in the hand, appealing china, proper lighting, good company, the right music..... all contribute to the drinking and dining experience in ways that can't realisticlly be measured or spearated from the overall experience. And if they could be I wouldn't want to do it.

Rereading this thread I'm reminded that this tradition exists up here in the Northeast among many parts of the African-American comunity but most specifically among families with a direct connection to the south. My buddy's mom passed away two years ago and the hosue fileld up immediately with enough fod to last the family and visitors for days and days. Nearly al involved have roots in Alabama - I see it as a continuation of that Southern tradition but like many traditions, it seems to be declining in frequency with younger generations.

In my neck of the woods (central NY state - about 120 mles south of Ontario province Canada), Molson has always held a good local share, dating back as far as the 1970's. IMHO Miller shot themselves in the foot in this area back in the early 1980's when they bought the right to the Lowenbrau name and started pumping out some crap beer that in no way resembled real German Lowenbrau. Despite having opened a huge brewery here in Fulton NY (about 25 miles north of Syracuse) back in the 1970's, they never regained market with anything new after Miller Lite was introduced and then all the better light beers came along. They shut down the enitre Fulton operation some years back and it still sits empty. Apart from Coors Light, Coors has never ever had any real market presence around here. Back in the day (1970's) we considered it to be a big deal to get some Coor's Golden that someone might bring back in an ice chest from a trip out west. It didn't keep well at room temp and the only time it resemebled the "real" Coors was if it got hand delivered chilled and transported with care. There are no "mergers of equals" in anything but name.