Suzanne F

Pan-fried chix legs are one of the most variable foods I make. All you have to do is vary the flour and the seasonings (and then, of course, the sides). All of these suggestions assume that you first let the legs sit in acidulated water, and don't dry them completely (so the coating will stick): Instead of seasoned (AP) flour, use chickpea flour with ground fenugreek and other Indian-ish spices. Serve with basmati rice and chutneys. Coat with masa harina; serve with salsa, rice-and-beans, avocado, etc. Add some soy and/or fish sauce to the water; coat with water chestnut flour; serve with Asian sides. Und so weiter -- and so on.

I checked Ilo's own site, but the menues don't list any kind of fried clams. Neither do they have the Tidal Pool. They do, however, still have the excellent ragôut of grilled octopus and manila clams.

Maybe it's the concept of "branding?" If you push a brand enough, people will believe it's good. "Angus beef" comes to mind; not that it's inferior, just that it's an example of making a brandname where one never existed before in order to differentiate the product from all the others. As for Manilas, yeah, they're delicious, but man, they're tiny! Who would want to shuck a gallon of those?!?!?!?

Right, ahr. When I worked there in 1999, Larry Forgione did have "Crisp Ipswich Clams with basil tartar sauce" on the menu at An American Place (in its 3rd location, Lexington and 50th). Does he still? Dunno.

I've used wonton skins with decent results; the yellow square ones shape nicely into tortellini. Much thinner and more delicate than my pasta dough. Egg wash to seal. And if you make a lot and lay them out on a sheet pan, don't forget to dust the pan with starch (and don't tile the filled ravioli), or they'll stick to one another. Thanks, johnjohn, for reminding me of this. And thanks, Wilfrid, for the truc.

Just found a printout of this thread in the tower of papers on my desk. So, Bunny, how far have you gotten? How much of our advice did you take? And whatever happened with this situation?

Someone on CH very recently posted that Mavalli Palace seems to have closed. I cannot tell whether or not this is true, as it is far uptown from me But if true, perhaps it is not such a terrible thing??

No, no, please: next time your oxtails don't sell well, call me; I'll be MORE than glad to help you out. I kind of like Steve P's suggestion for how to get them to sell; or else maybe you could just call them "super-tender braised beef" for your non-francophones. I'll never understand why people don't want them; they are soooooooooooooooooo good. BTW: when I was at Zeppole under (not literally) Frank Crispo, he did the most fabulous spinach-pasta raviolini filled with calves' brains and I forget what-all-else. Just said they were filled with veal. That was one thing the entire staff would eat off the plates in dishwashing.

Understandable. But here are some hints, aka trucs: Standard size and weight of a square of baking chocolate is 1 ounce (by weight) Each little paper-wrapped piece = 1 "square." Huh? I agree. Then you have read the recipe carefully for clues as to what this stuff might be, what country it's from, what region, and then try find the cheapest air fare to go buy it at its source. Get yourself a microplane. Or several. They are THE BEST for grating just about anything, and it's hard -- although not impossible -- to hurt yourself. One of the greatest crossovers -- no THE GREATEST -- from the shop to the kitchen, EVER.

Phaelon, do you have to worry about what might be in the paper (like chemicals, dyes, etc.), or can you just go for it? Sounds like a great idea to me; I'm just wondering whether you have to use "clean" bags?

If you really want "healthy" make sure you rinse the bagged greens. Those mothers can carry all sorts of little (microscopic) bugs. Then spin dry, dress with good oil, then good vinegar, and a little S & P. That's all, folks!

Okay, babe, the basics: 1. Pound the hell out of the (veal, chicken cutlet, etc) so that it is FLAT and even. 2. Heat a little oil in a sauté pan. JUST A LITTLE OIL!!!!!!! enough to film the pan. 3. As the oil is heating, dip many pieces of meat as will fit without touching each other in seasoned flour; pat off the excess. 4. Slide the meat into the pan. Shake the pan so they don't stick, but then let them be. 5. When they're golden on one side, pick up with fingers or tongs and flip over. Cook until golden on the other side. All this cooking should only take a few minutes. 6. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm. Repeat until all meat is cooked. Add extra oil (and let it heat first) as necessary. 7. When all meat has been cooked, if desired add some minced shallots and/garlic and/or onions. Sauté them to golden. 8. Pour in some wine and/or stock and/or veg juice. Let it come to a boil. Add other stuff like capers, chopped roasted peppers, chopped olives, etc etc. Let it all reduce to the point you want, which shoud be "au sec" -- almost dry. 9. Squirt in a lot of fresh lemon juice. Remove from heat. Pour over meat. 10. Serve and accept the ooohs and ahhs for such a simple but tasty dish. The main point is, you DON'T need a lot of oil. Just enough so that the meat doesn't stick. And you need high, but not super-high heat; too high and the flour burns; not high enough and the meat takes too long to cook and gives up too much liquid. Enjoy!

First: I want to say first that it was absolutely terrific to meet cyber-acquaintances in person; I look forward to more such opportunites. What a wide-ranging set of interests member have! Okay, here's my full report: At the suggestion of SobaAddict, who wanted to try the Soft Clam Bellies at Gage and Tollner in Brooklyn, a few of us had an early dinner there last night. The group comprised SobaAddict, Jason and Rachel Perlow, and yours truly plus my husband, Paul (who loves to eat but is not a fanatic like me). To give the “TV Guide” version of our experience: Stick to the classics. A good, possibly even great, time was had by 80% of us, so take heed. The place is gorgeous: landmarked inside and out, with tooled leather walls, gaslights (more on them later), and the comfortable feeling of a fin-de-siècle fressers’ palace. It opened in 1879 – even before Luger’s – and in spite of some tough times and intermittent closings is a generous place to visit. And the service, after an initial glitch, was just fine. It didn’t appear that any of the current waiters had been there since birth (they wear insignia on their sleeves indicating length of service), but they did their jobs quite well. Of course, it helped that we ordered a lot, discussed the food and wine a lot, and in general were the kind of delightful, APPRECIATIVE customers any restaurant would just love to have. BTW: until almost the end of our dinner, no one mentioned eGullet, although the maitre d' kept asking if we (well, Jason in particular) were in the food business. Jason did tell him about eGullet before we left. The menu is a combination of classic dishes (some updated, most not) and attempts at trendy stuff. The table’s consensus: stick to the classics. Jason was impressed with the wine list, and the wine knowledge of Nicola, the manager/maitre d’. I didn’t see the list, but the choices Jason made with Nicola’s information were excellent. I would like to thank Rachel and Soba for drinking little or none of them; more for the rest of us. And now: what did we eat? Of course, the fried Soft Clam Bellies. Although not quite as soon as we’d hoped (this was the glitch with the silver lining). When Nicola conveyed the instruction, “double appetizer portion of SCBs,” the receiver of that information goofed. Soon thereafter we were brought Fried Calamari, with a spicy tomato sauce lightened with a touch of vodka and/or cream. Hey, clam bellies/calamari – anyway, when we pointed out the error, Nicola graciously let us keep the calamari gratis. We were all very glad he did that: tender, crisp, fresh, (to me, just a touch greasy, but not enough for anyone else to note) – quite a lovely version. When the correct clam bellies arrived, the few remaining calamari rings were removed – but returned to us when we protested their loss. The Fried Soft Clam Bellies were served with remoulade, on which no one commented. The clams had been dipped in egg and crumbs and greaselessly fried, then placed back on half-shells atop a mélange of brunoise vegetables and a touch of cream. An unnecessary touch, but mostly appreciated. Four out of five of us fell in love: the clams were fat, big, delicately melting; #5 thought they could have been fresher. But on the whole (on the half-shell?), a winner. “I could eat these all night.” With these apps we drank a Dr. Konstantin Frank Finger Lakes (NY) 2000 Johannisberger Riesling. To me, it had all the good characteristics of a Riesling (fruit plus acid) and none of the negatives (that bitter grapefruit-rind taste). All who drank it liked it. We shared one more app, because it called to all of us so loudly: the Pan Roast of Oysters. A unanimous winner. Oceanically saline oysters, barely cooked, in a light sauce of tomato and cream – well, light on the tomato, anyway. If we’d had straws, we would have just sucked up that sauce despite th consequences. As it was, some of the breads were perfect for dipping. (I did not check out the bread basket – a rarity for me – but there was a nice variety of white and dark, light and heavy.) A couple of individual apps were also ordered: Caesar salad, and she-crab soup (a classic from when Edna Lewis, the doyenne of Low-Country cookery, was chef there). We were all surprised that the salad was served already mixed and plated; we expected the whole tableside production. But the “Caesar dressing” was delicious, heavily- but not overly-supplied with anchovies. The soup, however, was a disappointment. Those who tasted it said it was more like just a bowl of warm heavy cream, with little or no discernible crab flavor and no hint of roe. We finally got around to entrées. From the sublime to the ridiculous: Crabmeat Virginia (one of their classics); a Veal Oscar special (seasonally adjusted and slighty modernized); Striped Bass special with olives and cherry tomatoes; and the regular sautéed Striped Bass with Asian veg and flat rice noodles. The last dish was another big disappointment: way out of balance, with too little fish for too much other stuff. And the noodles were considered overcooked. On to happier memories: the bass special was excellent: a sweet, fresh fillet over a mound of mashed potatoes, with sliced olives and tomatoes in a light but buttery sauce. Accompanying carrot batonets and haricots verts were a little overcooked (I thought), but buttery and garlicky. The veal Oscar was updated: the meat was lightly grilled au natur, rare, and actually had flavor; sautéed spinach instead of the classic but out-of-season asparagus; a ton of sweet lump crabmeat (YES!!), and just a light glaçage instead of a glob of Béarnaise. The same side vegs, and a molded cake of smashed potatoes with herbs, yum. Now at last, the big winner: pure lump crabmeat packed into a ring-mold about 2 ½ inches in diameter and 2 inches high, topped with crumbs, soaked with butter, and baked. Simple perfection, served over sautéed spinach on top of a potato galette. There was a light cream sauce with it. But the emphasis was the CRAB. Wow. We also shared a side order of creamed spinach, which should have been called lightly spinached cream. Delicious, just the right amount of nutmeg, but far too much cream for that amount of spinach. Have you noticed a recurring theme here? Can you spell, c-r-e-a-m? With the entrées we had an Umbrian Sagrantino di Montefalco 1998, Cantina Terre De’Trinci. Rather tannic at first, but it mellowed out over time and worked quite well with the food. Oh, and Jason ordered a glass of a sparkling white from Piemonte – I didn’t catch the name – which was full-flavored and delicious. On to dessert and coffee. Dessert? Oh my god. No one really had room but we pressed on valiantly in the interests of research. I made a point of asking which were house-made (sorry, that’s the former pastry chef in me). The overall selection included cheesecakes (ricotta and cream cheese), chocolate mousse, a chocolate cake creation,and crème brulée, among others. But we lit on the house-made Apple Crisp and the Pecan Tart. Unbeknownst to us, the orders went in for “à la mode.” A decent, not-too-rich vanilla ice cream, but talk about gilding the lily! (Oh well ant least no whipped ream in addition.) The pecan tart had an excellent nut-to-goo ratio, and the goo actually had more flavor than just sweet. Apple crisp was the better of the 2, though – a cinnamony, crisp cakey topping over tart apple slices with some bite left. We should have ordered another so that SobaAddict wouldn’t go home hungry. The double espressos were very, very good, too: strong but not bitter, with good crema. Oh yeah, the gaslights: all the light fixtures have electric bulbs at each end, but mostly the original gas fixtures. At 7:00 pm, there’s a big ceremony when they put candles on the tables, turn down the electrics, and someone goes around with what looks like a long-necked oilcan, lighting the gaslamps. (Then they turn the electrics back up.) Kind of impressive, but mostly hokey, And it gets considerably hotter in the place with the flames going. Still … (Personal note: this was my first encounter with other eGulleteers "in the flesh," and I must say it was terrific. What a multi-faceted group we are. Thank you, SobaAddict, for making this happen. I definitely look forward to future good times. Oh, and Paul had a great time, too; but Jason, it's good you didn't mention missiles until almost the end; Paul could go on FOREVER.

Geez, FG, I've come to love (or at least like) you -- but for a foodie, you'll always be a lawyer. This is not meant as criticism; I fully understand CYA.

I'll have a look.

Approximately how far back? I've got almost every issue back to July/August 1995.

I start with ground beef, and add sausage meat (e.g., a 12-oz roll of Jones or Parks) and dry stuffing (usually Pepperidge Farm). Together they pretty much take care of the seasonings. And lots of chopped veg -- raw if I want the texture, sweated if I want the moisture. An egg or 2 (not entirely necessary, but that's what my mother used to do, so I do, too). Wine or stock or whatever liquid I have in the fridge. The juices that come out, degreased, can form the basis of a very tasty gravy. Have you tried frying the slices, giving them a nice crisp crust? Very nice in a sandwich, or on their own. Clarification: I mean frying slices of leftover meatloaf. Although my mother used to make individual mini-loaves of meatloaf mixture and fry them, then add mushrooms and whatever to the pan and thicken the juices for gravy, I don't think of that as MEATLOAF. Gotta be baked in a loaf pan or free-form like Rachel's. Otherwise it's just adulterated hamburgers. As an aside: thank you, Tommy, for starting this thread. I'll bet every member has his/her own recipe, and I want to see them all!

I've used them wherever I've worked, but I never thought to use them at home. Because: 1. seasoning them is not all that obvious or easy; since they start with a smooth, not obviously porous, surface, and sice they are black, it is difficult to know when/how they are properly seasoned; 2. I never even knew that they could/should be seasoned. We would use them and then throw them to the dishwashers, who would of course scrub them with steel wool because no one ever told them the proper way to care for these pans. 3. They just seem so thin to me; I have trouble believing that they can withstand the same temperatures over time that multi-layer stainless steel can. That said, maybe I'll try one at home. Then when I'm again in a position to use them at work, I'll try to train the other staff in their proper use and maintenance. Yeah, right.

I can certainly try those other places myself, but the whole idea is that I need someplace a few minutes' walk from St. Marks Place. That's why I specifically asked about Dosaria.

We used to love the dosas at Tiffin, but have not had them since the place became Spice Grill (Murray Street between Broadway and Church). Any thoughts on Dosaria, on 6th or 7th? We're considering eating there before a Sunday matinee in the area -- my aunt keeps kosher, we're tired of Teresa's, and I refuse to go back to Miracle Grill.

The creaminess comes from the starch released from the surface of the rice grains. And the only way to tell if it's done is to keep tasting. Just thought I'd add my 2 centsentences, now that the thread is back on track.

Just the rind (zest). And as with fresh lemons, you remove the white part -- the pith. Who has a recipe for preserved lemonade lemonade? I know there's one out there. This is different from the lime drink (loomi) in another thread.

FG, you are so right. My Food Emporium carries Coleman Natural beef, which I find excellent. I did one earlier this week, as described in the sauteing, frying, searing thread: seasoned it on one side, seared it well (4 minutes over high heat) in a little oil, seasoned the other side, flipped it, another 4 minutes. Then let it sit maybe 10 before slicing. We ate half that night, and last night I used the rest for a Thai-style salad. Of course I would much prefer to use fresh meat, but when there's a special like this or the kind Snowangel mentions, it's really worth it to load up the freezer. There are always ways to compensate for the degradation.

Hey, awbrig, don't knock tomatoes and other vegetables in desserts if you haven't tried them. Wayne Harley Brachman's Fresh Corn Ice Cream (he's got both a smooth and a chunky version) is astonishingly good. He also has a Sweet Potato Ice Cream -- why not? sweet potato PIE is great. Come to think of it, PUMPKIN is a vegetable; bet you eat pumpkin pie, right? Carrot cake? Zucchini bread? And what's one of the best things about a ripe, juicy tomato? How sweet it is! I actually found a whole cookbook of desserts that include vegetables: Desserts with a Difference by Sally and Martin Stone. Haven't tried any, but some actually do call to me. How about "Creamy, Crunchy Jicama Lime Pie" -- a key lime pie with lime-and-chili powder seasoned shredded jicama? And don't forget the shocked but enthusiastic acceptance of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's White Pepper Ice Cream. Steve K: Thanks; great information in your post.

One suspicion confirmed. One relatively simple recipe (for 4 servings) calls for 3 leeks, 1 medium onion, 2 medium potatoes ("about 12 ounces"), 1 quart of chicken stock, and 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. So you needed more leeks, less potatoes, and more liquid. The onion bumps up the flavor a bit. Do you know that you could have just thinned it out with more cream and some vegetable stock (since you had used water in the first place, that keeps it vegetarian)? The couple of recipes I checked don't specify type of potato. I think the proportions are more important.