Suzanne F

private joke: I stand corrected!!!!! (well, actually I'm sitting down) Big place, no reservations, very popular. Huge holiday business, Mothers' Day and the like.

Hmmm, that means it could be on Restaurant Row, and/or it could be Italian --- if it's both, it could be Becco or Lattanzi. Or it could be Joe Allen. Or I could be picking up on the wrong characteristics entirely -- in that case, I give up.

Barbetta?

What if I just give the basic outline of the preparation? I don't think it's ever been published, but I don't want to infringe on Gary's intellectual property too much. Besides, I've only got the operational restaurant recipe, with large quantities. Corn Stock Fresh corn on the cob, shucked: chop into 1" lengths; set aside 1/2. Cover 1/2 of the corn pieces with a mixture of half water, half chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain out corn and discard. Return liquid to pot, add other 1/2 of corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain out corn and discard. Keep the stock. Corn Bisque Add cut kernels of fresh corn to the stock. If you cut the kernels early, chop up and add the cobs to the stock along with the other chopped corn, 1/2 at a time. Cook until tender. Purée mixture in a blender. Strain through chinois. Thin with more stock if necessary. Add heavy cream. Season to taste. When reheating, do not allow to boil. We made this in the restaurant with a whole case of corn for the stock, 5 - 6 Q of chicken stock (+ = water), and then 20 ears for the cut corn and about 2 Q heavy cream.

Jimmy Buffet(t)? Georges Du Buffet? The Three Buffeteers? (Oh, all right, I'll try to be good.)

You can get pissed on water??? Wish I'd known that years ago, would have saved a lot of money I've spent on bourbon.

Margaret P: the recipe .calls for cooking the tomatoes whole first for 45 - 60 minutes, then puréeing them, and THEN simmering for another 3 hours or so until the purée is reduced by half. Would you still want to add acid, in that case? My tomato-purée-canning recipes say to process PINT jars for 35 minutes, so I'm more concerned about the brief processing time suggested. Do you think the long cooking of the purée obviates the need for longer processing?

I've got a recipe for a dynamite Corn Bisque from Gary Robins. Will post later, have to run out now.

Yup -- frozen quiche never bakes up right. Also, freezing the components separately lets you mix-and-match different crusts (plain, whole wheat, herbed, etc.) with different fillings. And they take up less room in the freezer. AND that way you can just thaw a package of whatever frozen veg you want to add, sprinkle it over the crust, and then pour in the custard, for even more no-brainer mix-and-matches (and no thaw/refreeze/rethaw problems). That is such a GREAT idea! I wish I'd thought of it. You can also make up some basic sauces, like Indian korma or everything for avgolemono except the eggs, and then when you want to use them thaw them and add eggs, cooked beans, cubed potatoes, chopped veg, etc. Cook some rice, and bingo! (Or dare I say it, just buy some canned or jarred Patak's sauces.) You and the baby should continue in good health. Kinnehorra.

Oh, bushey, that's on the order of the stuffed cabbage recipe my mother and her sisters passed around to each other: regular cabbage rolls filled with chopped beef, onions, rice, etc., but instead of tomatoes, it was cooked in a jar of grape jelly and a bottle of chili sauce (e.g., Heinz). Sorry, but that was the only year we did NOT have stuffed cabbage as part of the Rosh Hashanah meal. Since 2 of my aunts are still alive, I can't place the blame yet. (I thought about posting this in the "Worst Meals" thread, but it seems more appropriate here.) On the other hand: for Dstone: sounds like a superb chopped liver. Of course, WE would use only schmaltz, for cooking as well. My mother cooked the onions after the liver, in the same pan, until they were well-browned. And chopped it by hand in a wooden bowl, with an instrument not-quite a mezzaluna (who knew from mezzaluna??). It's the hand-chopping that keeps the texture interesting.

Steve S: What's your opinion of the Wild Edibles counter at Grand Central?

I know this is cop-out, but what about getting a warming tray? Salton used to make them, then Maxim (although the Salton hold up much better). If you've got a sideboard, you can keep it there, plugged in, and keep serving dishes hot during the meal. I use mine all the time, not just for company. It keeps the table less cluttered, too. Just a thought.

Okay, a serious question for all natto lovers: what happens to the gluey "sauce" when natto is used as an ingredient in another dish? Since that's the part that turns me off the most, if it sort of disappears I might be able to give natto another chance. Maybe.

No, just lucky.

Thank god nobody's brought up MarkJoseph as a paragon of steak-cooking virtue. Thank god nobody's mentioned it at all. What a horrible place. Nina -- how about simple burgers -- or not so simple -- with a pat of herb butter in the middle to make up for the extreme leanness? Unless you like your burgers black-and-blue, as I do, in which case the butter won't melt. But you could always mix in a little heavy cream instead. Now that you mention it -- gonna have to get me some bison at the Greenmarket. Yum!

Granted, you said "dinner buffets," but what about some of the better lunch buffets at Indian restaurants? Never tried any, but I've heard very good things about Salaam Bombay, in Tribeca. (And when I've eaten off the menu there, it really was quite good.) And (again, hearsay) -- the still-extant cafeterias mainly in the South? Please note, I'm not saying these really are good; just asking for opinions of those who have experience.

I'll go out on a limb and suggest you follow the "ideas" from this past Sunday's NY Times magazine -- an assortment of the best possible canned goods you can find, in interesting combinations. If you have a decent "gourmet store" in your vicinity, all you have to do is go shopping, then pick up some good bread the day of, cut and toast it for bruschetta, and lay everything out for people to take as they choose.

Thank you to everyone so far, and in the future! I love wheat beers, but I'm just a rank amateur. I had no idea there were so many variations among the German and German-style! Thanks for the education.

Perhaps, but not necessarily. If you were a supplier, would you rather disappoint a regular, high-volume customer just for a couple of extra dollars from a once-in-a-lifetime buyer? I wouldn't.

Rich, I hope you are able to duck way, way down. I'll bet you'll have lots of nice, ripe, juicy tomatoes thrown at you! (As you can guess, I disagree with your opinion.) Let's see, what are some of the differences? Speed Accuracy Consistency Repeatable, teachable recipes Adaptability Ability to handle VOLUME while keeping quality consistent Ability to manage others (e.g., prep and line cooks, dishwashers, etc. who are vitally necessary in the professional kitchen) and, yes, Access to ingredients -- for example, a few years ago when there was a foie gras shortage, you can bet it all went to folks like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Eric Ripert, and not to Jo Shmoe, however "serious" s/he might have been. Now I'll get out of the way while others start flinging responses.

Re #7: Oh, you mean Should they list waters on the menu (wherever they list the other bar items/beverages)? Yes, absolutely. And with prices. I DO want to know ahead of time what things will cost me, and wish specials' prices would always be given. I suppose if I really, really wanted fizzy water, I'd get bottled. Not every restaurant takes the best care of their guns, and the bartenders or servers don't always squirt out whatever was last served.

1. No; I never order bottled water, so brands do not matter. Amendment: I did order bottled water once, at Alain Ducasse NY. I figured, what the hell, I'm already spending so much, I might as well... 2. No; see #1 above. 3. Oh, I know about which waters are trendier than others, but to me it's all ridiculous. The only aspect that makes a difference to me is if the place seems to assume that you want bottled BECAUSE bottled is trendier in general. Then my opinion of the establishment falls a notch or two. 4. No; n/a (see #1). 5. What is your favorite flat water? NYC DEP. sparkling? None; I dislike the taste of sparkling water, no matter what kind. Reasons: NYC tap water quite consistent; its flavor is neutral, so it does not interfere with my food or wine; most important, it is free and I'd rather spend my money on something I can't get at home. Sparkling water always tastes off to me. 6. I hate to pay for water. I mean, it's just WATER, for goodness' sake! (see #5 above). 7. s water on the menu at most establishment you frequent? Yes, definitely. Do you think it should be? Sure, there are always suckers who are willing to pay for it, and since the markup is so high, that helps keep other prices down for me. 8. General comments? If you ever ate with me and my husband, you'd understand my reluctance to pay for water; he can go through several glasses -- even a couple of liters -- in the course of a meal. Perhaps if we were in a location that does not have tasty (or neutral) water, I'd consider bottled; but in NYC it's no necessity. Also: others here have already mentioned the perception that bottled water is somehow "healthier." I perceive it as far less likely to be safe and healthy, because I do not know the standards and conditions under which it is drawn, processed, and bottled. Finally: since one is very often served machine-made, tap-water ice cubes in one's bottled water, what's the point? 9. Since I'm not looking for it, I rarely notice whether or not the price is on the menu, nor do I ask. If I ever were to order it, though, you can be sure that I would want to know BEFORE I ordered it, if only to be able to check the bill later. Oddly enough, I almost never ask the price of specials.

Princeton, NJ, 1968. I was 19, on a work-term from Beloit College, building costumes at McCarter Theatre. One of our English dept. faculty (a published poet) was at P'ton as a visiting professor. He hosted a Sunday lunch for his colleagues, and kindly included me. The only food I remember was the soup: half-and-half beef and chicken consommés, with a touch of lemon juice and a lot of black pepper. It was the first time I felt like an adult. (Probably the only time, in fact.) Thanksgiving, Washington, DC area, 1979. The managing director of the theater I was working at invited me and my SO to join her and her SO and some of her friends at dinner somewhere out in the country (probably Virginia). The meal was the usual turkey, dressing, etc. It was the setting that made it so special: sitting outside an old farmhouse, in unexpectedly warm weather, with people we knew and people we got to know. Doing exactly what Thanksgiving is supposed to be about: sharing food and talk, until late into the evening under a clear, starry sky. I tell these 2 stories because I believe there is so much more to a "great meal" than just the food and wine. The physical setting, the cameraderie, the talk -- all these can make a good meal into a great one in our minds.

Ah, natto. David, your description is dead on. A friend (a Westerner, who had a Japanese boyfriend and roommates) gave me a taste once. People I know either love it or hate it. I'm in the latter camp.

FYI: The September & October 2002 issue of Cook's Illustrated has one piece on creamy dips, and another on proper veg prep for crudités / crudites. Oh, and their directions for "How to Pan-Roast Chicken" did, in fact, work perfectly.