Megan Blocker

Fair enough. And, BTW, this is my new favorite quote for the day. ETA: Though I wouldn't put my money on Sheraton not following the history of the place. I'd be more likely to guess that she knows, and doesn't care, and still believes that a restaurant should put out a good meal whenever it's open, regardless of how different the lunch menu is from the dinner one. She most likely gets the idea of "a new paradigm," but doesn't think it's any excuse for a crappy lunch.

Though I like to think of myself as someone with a well-developed sense of irony and blessed with a healthy appreciation for sarcasm and general tomfoolery, I can't see that as anything but lame (not on your part, Nathan, but on Chang's part) if it is indeed true. Misdirection? For what purpose? Ha, ha - fooled you! Now you're stuck with a poopy lunch that's nothing like what you thought it would be?!? Edited to correct my spelling; though I'm a laugh, I apparently cannot type.

Mimi Sheraton has filed a complaint with Eater about her experience at Momofuku Ssam... Not having eaten at Momofuku Ssam for lunch (and only once at dinner time), I really can't say anything in support or denial of her claim, though I do trust Ms. Sheraton when it comes to these things. And I can't help but agree with her about that last point - if you can't deliver a quality lunch, then don't serve it. Click here to read the full text of her note to Eater.

I have to agree on most counts, though I did really enjoy the sweetbreads on my last visit about three weeks back (which was the first time I'd tried them). Yeah, there was a lot of sauce, but since the sauce was so good, and since we were sharing and I had just grabbed a sweetbread and taken it to my plate, it didn't bother me too much (all the better to sop up with my bread). I was less impressed with the spaghetti with lobster and chives - it was fine, but nothing extraordinary (Sort of what Mark notes above - the pasta was good, the sauce was fine, but why together, and what was up with all the tomatoes?). The one other dish that really made an impression was the goose liver ravioli with balsamic vinegar and brown butter. Hard to mess up anything with those three ingredients. It was really delicious. Maybe it's just me, but I don't go into Babbo expecting to be blown away by the creativity, but more by the intense flavors in each dish. It's not a place where I expect a huge amount of subtlety. Maybe that goes to show that when in doubt at Babbo, one should stick with the organ meats?

Any updates on what you've chosen?

I'm a combination of Fresh Direct, Schaller & Weber, Agata and Valentina, and Likitsakos (the one at 87th and Lexington). Mainly I try to stick with FD and A&V, but Likitsakos is convenient if I'm on the way home and need salad fixins. I mainly order staples (flour, sugar, butter, eggs, condiments, sometimes chicken - legs and thighs) from FD, and probably do that once or twice a month. I only order produce from them when absolutely necessary - I find it tends to get bruised in transit, plus I like to pick my own in any case. Produce shopping happens about once a week, and I do try to visit the Union Square greenmarket when I have time. Any other cuts of meat (steaks, lamb, ground meats, roasting chickens) I tend to buy as needed, usually at Schaller & Weber, though sometimes at Lobel's or at A&V. Like Fat Guy, I tend not to eat fish at home, save for the occasional mussels or shrimp.

No rhubarb to go with the strawberries? ← Nah, it didn't fit in with my menu too well. I had some around for a while, but it was pretty mediocre. I should have just juiced it and kept it around in retrospect. Maybe next year. ← Was there any to be had, even though you didn't want it?

Noted! The Gourmet recipe calls for a wooden spoon - I, too, was surprised by the Delia recipe's use of a mixer. Seems wrong for such a rustic, traditional dish.

Gourmet's May issue was a travel special, with dishes from destinations all over the world. One of the featured dishes from Europe was aligot, a dish of potatoes whipped with Cantal or Tomme cheese, often served with grilled meats or hot sausages. Here's the recipe Gourmet published, an aligot and horseradish gratin, and here's a standard aligot recipe. I've never had aligot, and my question is this - is it as good as people say? A quick search revealed the following words of praise: So what's the deal? Is aligot as awesome as promised? Do you make it, or have you? Any tips? Help!

No rhubarb to go with the strawberries?

$88 fried rice from a place that keeps a limo idling outside during the winter season (the better to accommodate smokers) is not entirely surprising, eh?

I know nothing about sfusi lemons in particular, but I do know that it's far easier to import processed food products than fresh ingredients, due to restrictions meant to keep out pests, etc.

Entertainment Weekly (though hardly an arbiter of food literature, they are usually concise and not all that far off) called it entertaining but a bit preachy, if memory serves. Kingsolver and her husband were interviewed on NPR's Weekend Edition last week...

I believe the finished product is made on premises from a liquid mix that has been shipped. This is a pretty good system, allowing for laboratory-level control of the mix but fresh, on-site production. However, I think such a system can hardly be called artisanal. It's industrial. Good industrial, but industrial nonetheless. ← Steven, I agree with you completely, if the mix is pre-fabricated then it is definitely not artisanal. They serve the same gelato as the hundreds or thousands of places that buy the same pre-made base. Molto E ← I don't think it's a shared pre-made base; I think it's made by GROM in Italy for all their outlets (I think they have about 10 or 15), and shipped accordingly. ETA: So while it's not artisanal, it's not generic, either - just clarifying my implied point.

Feel better, Klary! That dinner looked superb...I love the thinly sliced sweetbreads. The ratio of crunch to smooth does look like a good one! I never thought I would crave sweetbreads, but then I had the fennel-dusted ones at Babbo, and I changed my mind.

FYI, for those who haven't seen it, I'm assuming this is the fracas to which Nathan refers: Click here for more, via Grub Street. And here's Eater's own coverage.

Klary, Degustation here in NYC was doing a really yummy scallop dish last year...very simply seared, then served on top of a tomato-garlic puree...would probably be good doctored with a bit of heat!

It's a CRIME!

Like Ed from Serious Eats! I'm so glad people are giving him crap for that in the comments to his post. I mean, I understand, it's a long line, you're bored, you make your friend hold your bag and you go to Barney's Co-Op or whatever. But, still - bumping into someone and joining them on the line? Eh.

From Eater (they also have a photo of the menu): There is, of course, a pork belly starter on the menu...

Indeed!

I made Ina Garten's Lemon Meringue Tart (from Barefoot in Paris) on Saturday afternoon. It turned out really well, though I ended up with about 1/3 more filling than I needed (have been eating it as a yogurt topping since then). I don't have a pastry bag, so I just used a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off to do the piping...I think it's time to invest in a bag and some tips!

The woman behind me, who kept trying to cut in front of me, was disappointed with the size. I believe her exact words to the person serving her were "This is a medium?" I, too, like the smaller portions - they make me feel less guilty, and they allow me to savor the flavors without becoming numb to them before I'm done.

Oh, YAY! I love a good Chufi foodblog. Those photos of the canal and the white asparagus are stunning. I'm sending you sunshine from New York, Klary! ETA: I love the little clear cap on your Sriracha bottle. Mine doesn't have one - I don't think any of my bottles (I buy the giant litre-sized ones, which last me a loooong time) ever have. I WANT one, since the top tends to leak little bits of hot juice. Hmmmm...