Suzanne F

To be honest, I don't remember a specific brand of butter being used; mostly it was the generic stuff from Harry Wils. NOT Plugras, of that I am sure. As for it not being true puff pastry -- dunno, it was made the way I was taught in school, except that in school we didn't have sheeters for rolling the dough. Maybe they meant the other varieties, such as whole wheat, chocolate, or margarine?

Anna N -- I hope that when you discarded the stuff in the cavity, you still kept the body meat. You know, the bits just above the gills in that sort of half-moon-shaped honeycomb framework of cartilage. To me, that's even better than the tail or claws!

Including everyone who has responded on this thread and HWOE (gotta include him, he lives here!), we're up to 14. More will be no problem, as long as people are willing to stand part of the time. We will NOT be able to use the communal roof deck, but that's probably safer. And easier -- no schleppping stuff up a steep flight of stairs. I hope everyone is thinking about what to bring. We can coordinate that as the date gets closer.

Zilla, for a second I thought you'd blown up jhlurie (that used to be his avatar).

The "double everything for a 12" skillet" came from me. I too tried Snowangel's recipe because it was so easy. And I shall keep on making it because it is so good. Mine came out more golden, but then my oven is somewhat unreliable and tends to do its own thing on temperature, usually getting high(er). We had it with pulled pork in bbq sauce (not real barbecue, alas). Yum. It's nice to be from a non-cornbread-making background. That way we get to try everybody's traditions and make up a few of our own.

Yes, that one is quite nice, actually. Makes me want to read the novels. Along a similar line: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes by Charles Elme Francatelli, Late Maitre d"Hotel and Chief Cook to Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. I just happened to open to recipe number 73, Belgian Faggots, which begins: The same friend who gave me the Cage Mud Book gave me this one. Says as much about her as it does about me.

High-Test Hummus I make my hummus with canned chickpeas. With everything else going on in it, I doubt you'll notice. But feel free to use freshly cooked dried (or even fresh) ones. This recipe is for a big crowd: it yields about a quart and a half of very thick hummus -- about 3 pounds (1.3K). You can thin it with more olive oil, and cut down on the raw garlic. But then it will be decaf instead of high-test. 3 pkg (15.5 ounce cans) chickpeas (about 6 cups) 38 g raw garlic, peeled 6 fl oz tahini 60 g roast garlic puree 1 T Boyajian garlic oil 2 T Boyajian toasted sesame oil grated zest of 1 large lemon 6 fl oz lemon juice 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1 T kosher salt 4 T olive oil, plus extra for garnish 1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika Sturdy stuff to dip: toasted pita triangles, crackers, vegs, etc. 1. Drain but do not rinse chickpeas. 2. Here's your first chance to cut down on the garlic. Place garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process with steel blade until chopped fine. 3. Add the chickpeas to the processor bowl; process until they stop moving, which won't take long. Scrape them down, and try again, a few more times. 4. When you despair of ever having a dipping consistency, add the tahini, roast garlic paste (chance #2), garlic oil (omit if you don't have or want chance #3; add an extra tablespoon of olive oil in that case), sesame oil (substitute Chinese if you must; do not omit, though), lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Process until a very thick, somewhat chunky puree. Stop and scrape down as necessary. 5. With blade spinning, add the olive oil through the feed tube. Process to desired consistency. This will never get liquidy; if you want a looser hummus, add more olive oil. 6. Turn out into a serving bowl (at least 6-cup size). Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. 7. Dip, eat, enjoy, and live through the night! Keywords: Beans, Hors d'oeuvre, Easy, Snack, Vegan, Middle Eastern ( RG552 )

Reason I was, and still am, unsure: I used to work at Dufour Pastry Kitchens, where they used regular butter, the same kind used in restaurants to cook/serve. And their puff pastry dough is terrific. Maybe there's something about American flour that compensates for the water in the butter??? And French flour is different from American, of course. I did just check Nancy Silverton's puff pastry recipe, and she says to knead the butter and blot off any water it gives up. Which doesn't help my confusion, but certainly adds credence to what everybody else is saying.

How nice to see some new faces here! And cooking one of my favorite cuisines. Welcome, Vikram! I finally cooked again last night; it's been a while 'coz I didn't have time. Marinated baby octopus in red wine, olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano, marjoram, basil, a touch of hot pepper flakes, S & P (octopus from Thailand, bought frozen in a Chinatown supermarket); cooked them in cast-iron grill pan. Squid-ink penne alongside. Sauced with a reduction of the marinade, extra red wine, and stock made from the octopus trimmings. Mixed salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Wagner (Finger Lakes) 1998 Cabernet Franc.

Call. At least that way you'll know for sure. They always do that, saying they'll call, and then they don't. Not out of malice or not wanting to be the bearer of bad news; often they just don't get around to it for a while because they're busy with so many other aspects of opening. But if you really really want the job, it helps to show that you've got the initiative. And if you can't get him, don't say "Oh, I'll call back another time." Leave a very specific message, to the effect of "I spoke with you on (date) about a prep cook position; just checking to see if you've made a decision" and your name and phone #. Make it easy for him to remember you and to get back to you.

Well, they were all the same recipe, just posted on a couple of different sites. Sounds like the kind of thing Leonard's of Great Neck would do (sans marinating in spices) when they miscalculated on a bar mitzvah. But dare I say, it doesn't sound that much stranger to me than Deep Fried Turkey? And lord knows, you'd get one hell of a crust. Not that I'm about to try it. But . . .

I'm no chef, KN, just a former line cook and KM, but to me the most important attributes of a manager are knowing how to run a business and and how to manage people; food and wine knowledge are just below those -- as long as he/she understands what the BOH is talking about and doesn't put the kabosh on some idea without full and serious analysis, I don't care where that knowledge was gained. Come to think of it, knowing how to run a business and and how to manage people are pretty damn important for a chef, too. Because what good is rampant creativity if it can't make a profit? And if the chef can't keep good staff, there goes the business, too. Inventolux, I'm a little confused: did you agree with what I said, or not? Either way, I definitely agree with what YOU said.

And don't forget "cooked to your likeness."

But it can be applied to fresh pasta that has been frozen, as opposed to dried pasta that had been frozen(Like that would happen) Hey, my mother-in-law keeps saltines in the fridge; why not dried spaghetti in the freezer?

That's the best so far, IMHO. Oh dear, now perhaps the best is the one directly following -----

That may be, but if the service improved (and MichealZ said: "'pleasant, but not compelling' The room and service were welcoming."), is it that likely to have gone back to cluelessness again as before your visit?

I'm confused (so what else is new?). Why would you want low-water butter in puff pastry? I mean, isn't it the STEAM that makes it puff? Then again, the water content in the butter is minimal anyway compared to the rest of the recipe, so why bother?

Hey, you're young, but you're not THAT young!

I hate to say this, DWT, but you sound too smart to be a manager in this field. To establish MY credibility, quick precis: BA in Theater; MBA in Organizational Behavior; AOS in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management; worked as a stage manager and techie for a couple of years; ran a concert hall box office for 6 seasons; did a lot of government computer and management consulting work; also did field research in industrial psychology. THEN: went to restaurant school 8 years ago and since have worked the line, done pastry, managed a kitchen, and now do consulting (for back-of-house) and writing/editing. But enough about me. Back to you. Are you crazy? Well, of course; anyone who chooses to work in the foodservice industry has to be. But the lucky part for you is that you can get your training AND get your feet wet in the industry without giving up your day job. (And from your resume, I can't imagine that you've got a huge cushion of savings to live off.) If I were in your position, I'd go to school, make contacts, and try to work for the best indie restaurant or restaurant group in my locale. And believe it or not, I would not turn my nose up at working for a chain; the food may be horrible, but business-wise most of them ARE doing it right. Cooking, one can learn on the job; but for the technical tools of good management, I think school is absolutely necessary. Anyway, welcome. Stick around here -- even if you don't make the switch, this is a great place to scratch that itch.

I ate there a few times back in 2000, when I worked nearby. I loved the food, especially the chicken livers on soft polenta. However, back then the service ranked at the bottom of the worst I've ever had -- and NOT because I was a woman eating along; those waiters were just totally clueless with everyone. So it's great to hear from FG that the service is good now. Macellaria opened around the same time as Chingiale -- but must be doing something much more right! BTW, the space is really cool -- a former meat locker that still looks like one. Love the brick and massive doors.

caramelization, when they mean Maillard reaction That ahi tuna was beautifully caramelized from its searing in Cholesterol-Free Vegetable Oil.

Um, the Greek place closest to me just uses Uncle Ben's. And water.

Thank you. I truly appreciate the sacrifice you made on my behalf.

Welcome, Dennis I just bought a 10" non-stick AllClad Stainless "Fry Pan" (actually a saute pan) at the Broadway Panhandler Yard Sale (NYC), which I intend to use for 2-person omelets and egg dishes ONLY. (The 7" is great for one person.) I prefer regular for everything else, for the same reasons as JAZ. My most-used pots and pans are AllClad; then cast iron; and finally Le Creuset (mostly a 33-year-old set). I've still got one Magnalite covered frying pan that started out non-stick in 1968, and is otherwise still going strong: it's a well-made brand. But anything else, even Leyse, has not held up: the saute pans warp

Mud Book -- How to make pies and cakes by John Cage and Lois Long