phaelon56

I think.... not absolutely sure but think.... it may be available in North Jersey but only in 2 liter bottles. I know they have the regular raspberry ginger ale. What really rocks and is definitely on the shelves in North Jersey is Schweppes Diet Dry Grape Ginger Ale. Have you tried that one?

Wow.... so many memories (some drunken and some not). My grandmother had little to no money but always made sure some National Bohemian was kept cold in the fridge for visitors. Back in the 80's I slammed down a few thousand of those Labatt 50 Ale's in the stubbies. I'd completely forgotten about a few of the other classic goodies that we used to drink here in central NY and when we went to southern Ontario in the summer.... John Labatt's Extra Stock, Labatt's Velvet Cream Porter, Moslon's Brador... mmmm.. I wonder how many bottlers had the infamous "Bigmouth" style? It was either Pabst or Utica Club that had it for awhile back in the 60's in this region. There was a fairly aggressive marketing campaign that would be considered tame by today's standards but was pretty racy for the times, using lots of double entendres related to the name.

I agree that the thought is cool - certainly more appealing than "cat poop" coffee (aka Kopi Luak). Apparently, legend has it that monks trained special monkeys to pick the fragrant leaves but for at least the past few hundred years, it's been picked by human hands - Monkey picked tea

A big late of collard greens and az mound of leftover cheaddar cheese grits. really -that was it. Unless you count the popcorn at the bad movie that I rushed off to see. Tonight will be better - grass fed beef skirt steak is marinating right now with garlic, ginger, habanero, allspice, honey, soy, coriander, salt and pepper, onion and key lime juice. I haven't a clue as to how I'll prepare it but with some garlic smashed red potatoes and broccoli on the side I believe it will be tasty.

The variety of green beans that you experiment with should be broad enough initially to allow for a good feel with the characteristics that varietals can offer. I suggest starting with the sample pack of greens from Sweet Maria's and then branching out from there. Acquiring a pound or two of beans through your local source might be an inexpensive way to start testing out your roasting levels and techniques but with approximatley 3 - 4 ounces of beans per batch in a popper, you'll find that not much coffee is wasted in the learning curve. I only scorched two small batches when learning on my Poppery and have repeated that process only twice on the Alpenrost. Sweet Maria's 4 pk or 8 pk sampler You'll have to scroll to the bottom of the page to see these - at $32 plus shipping for a package of 8 separate 1 lb bags, this is a great way to start. You'll find slightly cheaper prices some places that SM's offers (they usually ruin $4 to $6 for green beans and some places are $1 to $2 less per pound). It's important, when buying green beans, to obtain them from a source that you can trust to be shipping you current year crop or at least stuff from late in last year's crop. Green beans are good for about 2 years after harvest and drying - some of mine sit for up to a year or a bit more in my cupboard before I roast them. I like knowing that what I get is fresh when I receive it. I'll also suggest that, regardless fo where you buy the bans, you look through the cupping descriptions and roasting recommendations on the SM's web site. It makes it easier to pick and chose what beans will work best for you. In addition to your own personal taste, which will obviously be the leading factor in which beans to use, you may find that the brighter note and more acidic varietals, such as the Mexican and Central American's, can be a bit much when roasted with a hot air popper. I personally like those varieties when they're drum roasted for a longer roast profile (i.e. 15 - 19 minutes) much more so than I do when they are roasted in the 5 - 6 minute range with a hot air roaster. Keep in mind that it's strictly personal taste. For example.... Kona coffee, even the finest grades properly roasted, is not high on my list of favorites, despite the fact that it's a popular and highly regarded coffee. It has a delicate and subtle flavor profile with floral notes. I look for a bolder and more robust flavor profile in my coffee - it's not better - it's just what I like. OTOH, I really like Jamaican Blue Mountain because it has a bit more body but is so remarkably well balanced. My personal preference is mostly for the low acid Indonesian coffees and the African's such as Ethiopian Harrar and Yirgacheffe. Experimentation is the key. If you do espresso blending it becomes even more complex - some blends work well as straight espresso but less so with milk and others are great for iced drinks but not as appealing when served hot. You've touched on a point of interest for me when mentioning Viet style iced coffee - I'm about to try a few blends for that, one including a bit of roasted chicory. It's worth noting that most US based Viet restaurants used either Cafe du Monde or Community Coffee foir their iced coffee drinks. These are both New Orleans brands and are dark roasted - a roast profile to consider when doing this at home.

I guess it depends on your definition of "mid-level" restaurants. I can't recall the last time I went to what I consider to be a mid-level restaurant and had a Caesar salad that was properly tossed with the Romaine well coated. Granted, mid-level restaurants in NYC are typically far better than in many other cities, but ever since the salmonella scare re/coddled eggs, I don't seem to find places that make what I consider to be a real Caesar dressing.

That's also the name of one of the better restaurants in Key West FL but they spell it as La Te Da. I can't help but asking what beverages they serve - do they have the stuff that astronauts drink? My favorite here in the Syracuse area seemed innocuous enough to me until a Jewish colleague who had moved here from Long Island pointed it out as a poor choice if your customers know the phonetic pronunciation of some basic Yiddish words. It's a local submarine sandwich shop chain named after the initials of the original partners - named: Jreck Subs. My friend's comment - "so they serve what... a shit sandwich?"

Here is a link to more than you could possibly want to know about The Nutritional Aspects of Bone Composition As it turns out... yes it does have fatty components - now wonder it tastes so darn good when properly prepared. I know there's mono-unstaurated fatty acids in it and the healthier the bones, the higher the levels are.

Misconceptions will always exist.... even among the serving trade. Back in the days when I was slamming down gin on a daily basis at an alarming rate, my neighborhood barmaid insisted that clear liquors, gin in particular, were known to be "bad for you" to a much greater etxent than brown liquors such as bourbon. despite having a snowball's chance in hell of scoring with said barmaid, I switched to bourbon (only when drinking in her establishment). A month later she advised me that she was all wrong.... it was the other way around.... the clear liquors were much better for you than the colored ones. Apparently it did not occur to her that my excessive alcohol consumption was the factor that completely overshadowed the trivial detail of what type I was drinking

Damn. I shouldn't have gone and paid all that money at The Star Registry to name a star after Mom for her special day. I coulda just had some guy at Jazz fest chug a beer her name for a lot less money. I am such a sucker I'm just curious about the handling charge... do you suppose they use special gloves to pick that sucker up? I mean really..... stars were very hot last time I checked.

Not sure when you were originally resident in Ithaca but do you recall Auberge du Cochon Rouge? It closed in 1992 after a respectable run as one of the only authentic French restaurants in central NY state. Chef/owner Etienne Merle had a role in the Pascale's Restaurant operation in Syracuse for awhile but has reopened a place of his own in Ithaca called Valentine Cafe. It's said to be very good, reasonably priced and makes good use of seasonal local produce and locally raised meats etc.. The menu is described as eclectic - he no longer focuses on classical French cuisine but his background is very deep in that area. Other Ithaca possibilities: * The Thai restaurant on the Commons - did not impress me at all * Thai Cuisine on Rte 13 - used to be stellar but has slipped - the owner sold it to his brother. Quality is okay but has declined noticeably. * Nouvelle American type place next to fall creek Cinema - used to be Renee's Bistro - I believe it's now called Willow. Have not tried it but hear that it's very good. * Gimme! Coffee - excellent espresso bar/Cafe - they have two in Ithaca and one in Trumansburg (and one in Brooklyn!). These guys and gals know their stuff - it's a must visit if you like good coffee and espresso. Syracuse: * L'Adour is good - there's a chef's tasting menu upstairs - I think both a five course and seven course are offered at $55 to $80. I've only eaten in the downstairs which is a bistro menu - think of the food at a place like Steak Frites (the place just west of Union Square on 16th Street). It's good and reasonably priced but reservations are a must - they're jammed every weekend. * New Century Vietnamese on Kirkpatrick - very good * Alto Cinco on Westcott Street - one of my local favorites - Mexican and Mexican influenced dishes. Very good food, nice cozy (if crowded) little bistro atmosphere and good wine selection (limited but good). Eva's rocks - I love that place and it's ridiculously cheap despite the great food quality. Be sure to leave room for dessert. Hopefully you'll have a few people with you so you can share dishes? (I'm officially volunteering to join you if you need company!). Recommended: * Bigosz (a pungent hunter's stew) * Potato pancakes (order the ones with sauerkraut and bacon in the batter) * Gulasz - the steamed barley side is good but I get the dumplings - they're so light as to almost be feathery - best dumplings I've ever had Al the desserts are terrific but I tend towards the sacher torte or the fruit based tarts. Her cheesecake is good but I can get cheesecake anywhere - European style pastries that are delicate but not overly sweet are difficult if not impossible to find anywhere else in Syracuse - hers are worth sampling. As for "local specialties".... those include Italian sausage sandwiches made with Gianelli sausage and smothered with onions, peppers and sauce but that's fair and festival food. Salt potatoes are another likely suspect but not one you'll find in restaurants. Clark's Ale House downtown on Jefferson Street has the BEST roast beef sandwich you're likely to have. Heid's hotdogs (in the village of Liverpool) is another local tradition and good for a snack but hardly a dinner destination. There really is no "local cuisine" per se. Italian restaurants seem to predominate in the area but IMHO none of them are exceptional enough to mention. Last but not least is Kettle Lakes Inn. Located in Tully, about twenty minutes south of Syracuse, they offer an eclectic menu, are said to be very good and are also active in a CSA program with local producers for their seasonal produce.

The Mazzer (and most other grinders as well, I suspect) also has some grounds that can not be removed by sweeping the chute. The only way the final bits can be expelled is as you desribe - by running the girnder for an extra second or two after the beans have gone through. This, of course, requires that one is grinding a specific weight or quantity of beans and there are none remaining in the hopper after grinding. I grind for espresso every day and leave about a three day supply of beans in the hopper. if I'm grinding to make a pot of vacuum coffee (usually just on the weekends), I empty the hopper of espresso blend and put a weighed batch of beans in to grind for that coffee making session. There's much to be said for weighing beans when making both espresso and regular coffee - once one has a good system and methodology established that yields best results, it can often be eyeballed, but weighing beans initially and trying various amounts is a very helpful technique in establishing a baseline method.

For you urbanites that aren't able to use a smoker.... consider trying these Finnish Savu Smoker Bags I'm told they they actually work reasonably well - perhaps not as effective as a real smoker but good enough to lend a genuine smokiness to the food. Great blog thus far - I'm really enjoying it. What is the "pond scum" in the jar? Somehow I missed the description of that. NYC deli espresso - yuck. Give me a cafe au lait (I think they call it a "cortadido"?) from a Spanish luncheonette any day - way better than bad espresso and about $1 most places.

I use a Mazzer Mini but I believe the basic issues are the same. I'll confess to being very lax about "cleaning" per se. I've been in some cafés that are very conscientious and seem to really clean their grinders every day but they likely grind more in a day than I do in a year. There is no minimum amount that one must grind. I've ground as little as 7 grams at a time when making single shots but more typically I grind about 17 - 21 grams at a time, depending on which portafilter assembly I"m filling for the espresso machine (the la Marzocco assembly uses up to 21 grams for a double shot and the Isomac stock basket uses 17 or 18 grams). I'm sure it's not news to you but I follow the recommended practice of using a small brush to get the remaining grinds out of the dispersal chute of the grinder where it enters the dosing bin. There can be anywhere from 1/2 gram to as much as 1 gram in there after grinding is done. Doesn't seem like much but coffee that is ground and sits in there for a day or two before the next time you grind is going to be noticeably flat and stale. There are those who contend that it can't possibly make a difference when one adds that small amount to the new grind that will be used to make an espresso shot or a pot of French Press but I disagree. Show me the pastry chef who's willing to use a small amount of old stale flour or butter that's past its prime simply because "you really won't taste it when it's all mixed in with the fresher stuff". It's easy enough and really doesn't cost me anything extra aprat from time to ensure that all the coffee used in any batch is at its absolute freshest. It's conceivable that I'm being too anal about it but it costs me nothing to stick a small brush into the chute and sweep out the grinds. I used to weigh the beans for each shot but at this point find it easier to just time the grind. The Mazzer, by chance (or perhaps by design - I"m not sure which), grinds about 1 gram per second. This makes it very easy to guesstimate the right amount to grind and have very little waste to contend with. I have a very small brush - about the size of a flux brush for soldering but with a round rather than a flat tip. This one gets the grounds out of the chute and a larger brush with natural bristles gets the remaining stray grounds inside the dosing chamber down to the flat surface where the sweeper vanes expel them. I'll guess that my little brushing ritual adds twenty seconds to my espresso or coffee preparation routine but I think it's worth the effort. I have not cleaned the inside of the machine (burr assemblies, internal areas etc) to remove accumulated coffee oils but I don't tend to use beans that have surface oil, thus the inside of my grinder still looks very clean.

I think the point that's been well established here is the fact that in most higher end restaurants, the saled is in fact a unified dish. A particular dressing is proscribed for a specific sald construct, the salad is dress in the kitchen and it is in fact done far more effectively than one can do it at the table without making a mess. A few cases in point: * A traditional, properly constructed Caesar salad, regardless of whether it is assembled at tableside or in the kitchen, will be superior to taking the same lettuce, creating the dressing separately and then justy pouring it on yourself and stirring with a fork. * The best salad I have ever eaten was at Etta's in Seattle. Every single piece of baby spinach was perfectly coated with a light vinagrette in a way that couldn't possibly be done by a diner at the table. There wasn't one excess drop of dressing on the plate - an ideal balance. * Low end local restaurants where I eat on occasion or perhaps a chain I might eat at when on business travel (or with friends who insist on eating there): 90% of the time the dressing is a rather gloppy Sysco style bottled product and yes, it's nearly always applied to liberally. I typically use less than half of the dressing "on the side" initially and then add a bit more further down in the salad only if it really needs it. It just isn't a one size fits all situation.

Is canned or frozen durian tolerable enough to allow one to appreciate its characteristics? I haven't tasted it yet, thus I'm reserving judgement but want to hear from those who do appreciate it. Just had dinner at my local Viet restaurant tonight - they have a durian shake on the menu as well as a sticky rice, sweet cream and durian dessert. Might one of those items be worth trying?

Adrober... or someone... anyone... please tell me that they have good coffee and better yet... properly made espresso. It will be so encouraging if that's the case.

I think Lucy has zeroed in on a fact that is often left out when discussing how the food situation has come to be where it is in the US. For most of us, living in small to mid and moderately large cities/suburbs, the very process of trying to get foodstuffs from specialty retailers has become a challenge that's difficult toovercome. By chance, there's an excellent fish vendor on my end of town - I drive by them on my way home from work but they open at 10 AM and close at 6 PM. If I work past 5:30 (happens quite often) there's no way to get there for fish. The problem is exacerbated if looking for good bread or meat. To obtain bread from my favorite artisan baker in town would require me to sacrifice my lunch hour very other day for the sole purpose of driving there, finding parking, getting the bread and getting back to the office before my hour is up. Specialty meats and good Italian imports? The only time I can get to those places is on Saturday unless I choose to sacrifice my remaining lunch hours. We have a local farmers market that open to the public Thursday and Saturday mornings but with our five month long winter and cold spring season, the length of time local produce is available spans bit less than four months - perhaps five if one includes early strawberries and late root vegetables. I'm not whining and I make the best of it. In my area we're fortunate enough to have Wegman's grocery stores. I haven't been to Stu Leonard's but suspect that, apart from not having mechanical bananas, the two stores have much in common. Yes it's a loud, distracting carnival like atmosphere but I nearly always find someone in the fish, meat or produce departments who knows their stuff and enjoys providing good customer service. Until returning to this area recently and finally gettign a house with a decent kitchen, I cooked only on rare occasions and paid little attention to the quality of the goods. Now that my own activities, not to mention eGullet enhanced awareness, have raised my consciousness.... I'm horrified by the limited selection, medicore quality and lack of employee knowledge I find in other local chains apart from Wegman's. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to live in an area where there are no real quality grocers. There is light at the end of the tunnel - perhaps not a sea change that will be widespread throughout the masses but one that is becoming more widely available to those who seek it out. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is becoming more and more widespread, individual farmer who raise heritage breed poultry, grass fed beef etc,. are finding larger and larger markets for their products (and recognition that the highr price is justified) and artisan bakeries are finding increased support. I'm no apologist for the wastefulness, corporate greed and indifference to quality that permeates the food distribution system in the US but IMHO it's important for our overseas bretheren to recognize that positive change, albeit slowly, is occurring here. The nature of our economic system, employment culture (i.e. long hours) and the geographic structure of shoppiing and residential life (suburbs predominate - that's not going to change) makes it clear the we'll never see the sort of food utopia many of us would like to live in but with a bit of effort, one can shop, cook and eat well here in the good ol USA.

I think this might be the answer - boneless, skinless breasts do NOT lend themselves to broiling - not enough exterior fat or mass. The skin makes the difference - I'd done broild chix breasts this way (with skinb) and it works. I more often tha not use a little Foreman grill to cook the boneless, skinless ones but I still have to rub them with EVOO and monitor carefully lest they overcook. The Foreman grill does get them nice and brown.

I was inspired enough by this thread to dig up the bage I had long ago put in the cupboard without ever opening it. The label says "Callaway Farms Speckled Heart Whole Grain Stone Ground Grits". I won't tell ya how long these have been in the cupboard (I'm thinking it's more than 2 - 3 years) but they've been wrapped tight in plastic and the original paper bag had not been opened. They smelled okay and there were not critters in them. 25 minutes later with a bit of coarse salt and a dab of butter cooked in, I tossed in some 5X NY state cheddar (saving the 7X for straight gnawing). Wow.... these were incredible. I'm sure they'd be better if fresher but they're so much better than supermarket grits are here in the northeast (the regular cooking kind - not the quick ones). I made darn sure to have enough left to cut 'em up and fry tomorrow or on the weekend

The fact that desserts can be changed and rotated in and out with a bit more ease than restructuring an entire menu is certainly a possible justification. It's also conceivable that if the dessert menu is being offered only when people ask about desserts, it means not as many regular menus have to be printed. menu printing is yet another fixed cost that can't be easily reduced, but having the full menu include desserts means that some copies of the full menu will be tied up with folks choosing dessert while others are being seated and need to make dinenr choices. As for dessert menus already on the table all the time? I see that as okay for your basic neighborhood place but for "nice" restaurants it seems inappropriate. I'm not talking destination restaurant, just a more upscale local place (where I live that means entrees from $16 - $27 and you won't see anyone wearing t-shirts and jeans). What I like.... and I wish more places did it.... is an "after dinner" menu. It includes: * liqueurs, cognacs, dessert wines and other after dinner drinks * alcoholic coffee drinks * capuccino, espresso, coffee and coffee drinks * tea selection * desserts This approach fills a number of useful requirements: * Provides ordering possibilities for those who want "something" after dinner but hadn't thought of trying something other than dessert. If someone else is ordering after dinner drinks or liquers I'll feel more comfortable being the only one ordering dessert (I don't drink alcohol). * Exposes people to the concept of dessert wines - wait staff need to be educated and motivated but this is a great potential source of revenue - outside of some upscale restaurants in certain markets and a select group of folks who know and consume dessert wines, most people are unfamiliar with the concept and would try it if properly encouraged (I'm not talking about the average eGulleteer - just the average dining patron). * Creates new revenue opportunites for the restaurant - let's face it folks - although superb desserts can be labor intensive to create, good quality coffee drinks have a huge markup. * Allows the restaurant, if it has a bar or bistro area, to develop business as a destination for coffee and dessert or coffee and after dinner drinks. I may go out for Vietnames or Thai fod or even eat at home but want to go somewhere for a really good dessert. Don't know what it's like where you live but in my area we have only one really good coffeehouse and they're not even open at night.

Damn.... the great things I learn on eGullet. Went to my favorite mexican influenced restaurant last night for a Cinco de Mayo meal and spotted Jarillos in the cooler. They had stopped carryign the ginger beer I liked and I hadn't ordered a beverage there since then. Tried the Jarillos grapefruit and it was excellent - no match for Ting but it was pretty darn good and I"m ready to try the other flavors now.

The grits I've typicaly seen and been served in restaurants (and people's homes) are white grits - I believe they are also called hominy grits. Once, while dining on an Amtrak train, I was served what the waiter referred to as "yellow grits". It had much more flavor and was more like a runny polenta (which I believe is what it is). My local Italian market sells three grades of golden durum wheat flour. The one that's about the same granularity as cornmeal is labeled as "semolina", the extra fine variety that I use in my pizza dough is is labeled as "golden durum flour", and there's a third bin labeled "Polenta" but I haven't looked at that one to see what the texture is. I was in an airport gift shop down south somewhere lastyear and found a bag of "yellow grits". Haven't tried it yet but this thread has inspired me to do so.

Not so odd at all. I may have to try this at home as I just acquired some NY State xxxxxxxsharp cheddar (not a typo - that is 7 x's). I've had a couple different GF's who made cheese grits but always on the stovetop - never anything souffle style and there was never any heat (i.e. no cayenne). The most sublime breakfast I have ever eaten was at Blue Heaven in Key West FL: white grits with sharp Vermont cheddar and fresh gulf shrimp. It was better than very good - the cafe con leche ain't bad either

Is this some kind of curse? I shattered a crystal vase during my blog! Did I mention that the 'special" EVOO sucked? It was totally lacking in fruitiness and flavor - really bland. I bought it specifically for dipping and ended up using it just to cook. It's okay - I now have a stylish square glass bottle ideal for decanting the cheap Bertolli into from the big plastic jug.