Suzanne F

My report on the "American Barbeculture: Who Owns It?" panel is here.

I'll take a crack at describing the panel today at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. For those not following the action live on the NY Board, this was the second annual event put together by Danny Meyer, showcasing barbecue from around the country (and providing us needy New Yorkers with the REAL DEAL). Anyone else who was there is welcome to make additions, corrections, etc. I didn't take notes, so I'm sure to get some things wrong. Jump in any time. Panelists were: Lolis Eric Elie, a columnist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and author of Smokestack Lightning (and, iirc, former tour manager for Branford Marsalis) Jack Hitt, a native Carolinian (I forget which) and contributing writer for Harpers, GQ, Lingua Franca, and the NY Times Magazine Colman Andrews, editor in chief of Saveur Robb Walsh, cookbook author and eGullet member, who moderated. Lolis Eric Elie (I've never heard him referred to by anything less than his full name) spoke on the Southern origins of barbecue, from both black and white cultures. He alleged that because people from the South are viewed as somehow less intelligent, less accomplished, etc. by people in the North, possibly especially the Northeast (we who believe ourselves to be the font of all that is right and good), so barbecue is not taken seriously. (Well, I think he is wrong about just about all of that. I hope someone will say I got his presentation wrong.) He also scoffed at the idea that barbecue could possibly mean a few hot dogs and hamburgers thrown on a grill with lighter fluid-doused charcoal briquets (invented, incidentally, by Henry Ford to use up the waste products from wood-framed autos) and cooked in 15 minutes. (He's right about that, though.) Jack Hitt presented a clear case of politicization of barbecue, as it happened in South Carolina. Some background: there are three styles of barbecue sauces there: mustard-based (hated by most of the rest of the country, and most popular with angry-white-guy supporters of Bush); tomato-based, somewhat like the sauces of the Midwest (favored by progressives, I think he said); and vinegar-based, as popular in North Carolina (beloved by ??????? Anyway, some academic actually charted the sauce preferences against voting patterns). Shortly after the decision was made to (finally) stop flying the Confederate flag over the state capitol, a mustard-sauce-favoring barbecue purveyor named Maurice Bessinger literally surrounded Columbia with gigantic Confederate flags atop his stores. This led to quite a brouhaha, with boycotts, pronouncements from prominent clergymen, and such. His sauce was banned by supermarkets. But wait! Another mustard-based sauce appeared, made by . . . Mel Bessinger, his long-estranged brother. People suggested that it might be a ruse, and it was really that racist Maurice's sauce. But Mel swore that he hadn't even spoken to Maurice in 25 years, and his son (David) said he was ashamed to carry that name. For a while, they took the Bessinger name off the sauce. When the governor was going to have a big barbecue fest at his inauguration, he had to be dissuaded from offering only the mustard kind, lest he commit political suicide. Someone said something about how awful it was that barbecue should be so politicized; after all, what would be next, French fries? Uh, yeah: "freedom fries" came about shortly thereafter. Colman Andrews spoke on the distinction between barbecue as a cooking method and as a culture unto itself, much the way the word art has evolved from a meaning of creative work to one of high craft -- which is what he said applies to chefs. (I kind of lost concentration while he was talking, because HWOE arrived with brisket and sausage from Salt Lick around then.) In talking about the research he did for his Legends of Texas Barbeque Cookbook, Robb Walsh mentioned how he initally was given the story that barbecue came over with the German and Czech settlers, who adapted their roasting methods, and developed by cowboys, particularly a rancher with the initials B.Q., whose ranch was known by its brand, Bar-B-Q. But the more he dug into real history, he found evidence of what sure looked like barbecue being cooked by black slaves long before either of those groups even existed in Texas. He questioned an historian friend -- how could those stories be so widely accepted, ludicrous as they might be, when clearly barbecue came from blacks? Well, said the friend, after the Civil War, the rest of the country romanticized Texas as the home of the cowboy. And Texans, wishing to distance themselves from the defeated South, decided to become part of the West and base their myths on the same ones the rest of America was believing. So anything based in Southern culture was tossed out, and belief in the dime novel took over. After the presentations, the floor was open for questions from the audience. Both =Mark and slkinsey asked good questions, which unfortunately by now I've forgotten, along with the answers. A woman from Smoki O's in St. Louis (the pig snoot people) asked about the contribution of Native Americans to the development of barbecue; the answer acknowledged that indigenous North Americans were doing it for years before anyone arrived from elsewhere, but mostly dealt with the Caribbean Indians on Hispaniola whom the Spaniards saw cooking that way. Finally, Fat Guy asked about the Jewish contribution to the development of barbecue, particularly with pastrami -- a spice-rubbed, smoked, slow-cooked form of beef brisket (a cut of meat widely used by many barbecue practitioners around the country). After fumferring around for a while, saying among other things that pastrami is smoked and smoking is not barbecuing , Colman Andrews said there has been no Jewish contribution. And then it was over, and the eG crowd chatted amongst ourselves and with others, and went off in search of short lines.

At last! The one and only time I had it -- got a sample, that cute little individual packet, at IACP -- I dipped Rolld Gold Sourdough Special Pretzels in it. I could easily become addicted to that, and I don't even much like sweets. But yeah -- sweet and salt, mmmmmmmmmm.

Hamburger Helper, eh? Isn't that the afterschool job that kids get, you know, flipping them?

Is The Dubliner still around?

We arrived at 2:00. I made HWOE stand on line for cue-pons while I went off to find Picaman and KirkL. Once I found them, we went back to where I assumed HWOE would still be waiting on line. But no! He, it turns out, had headed up to where we had been, and . . . that's the only good reason for the existence of cell phones. At least we got to hear a little bit of Jane and Michael Stern talking about roadfood -- Q and other good stuff, including my most beloved Stroud's fried chicken. More to the point: what did we eat??? I wanted to wait until after the panel discussion, but HWOE was starving. So he got on line for Salt Lick (it appeared to be one of the shorter ones. HAH!), and the three of us walked around, ending up back at the panel presentation area. Meeting and greeting other eGers as they popped up, at least those whom I could identify. We did have a pretty good turnout, and it was quite thrilling to be acknowledged. Oh yeah, what did we eat? After about an hour on line HWOE finally returned with portions of Salt Lick brisket and sausage, with bread and sauce only, as they had run out of coleslaw. (The snoot place was already closed when we got there. ) I liked the brisket all right -- pretty lean, nice smoke ring, tender, but not all that much flavor -- and LOVED the sausage: juicy, snappy, well-flavored. Also liked their sauce: slightly thick and reddish but vinegary. I espied Picaman and KirkL nibbling on a rib -- provided by Mr. Cutlets?? -- and they were kind enough to share it with us. It was from Blue Smoke, and it was GREAT: smoky, tender, flavorful. Looks like they're finally getting it right. After the panel, the custard stand opened up again, and we had some: excellent, I thought: very vanilla-y, creamy, sweet but not too, rich but not too. I can't wait to see what kind of fruit flavors they might do. Then we walked around some more (this time, HWOE, BondGirl, and I), and first had the other brisket, from K.C. Baron. Me no like. I found it very tough, with too much fat throughout, and not enough flavor, either of smoke or meat. Liked the sauce, though: very very heavy on the black pepper. The pickles were . . . dill pickle chips. Eh. The Memphis Championship ribs were okay, what there was to eat on them, but had a fairly low meat-to-bone ratio. The beans were as terrific as already mentioned: tangy, beany in flavor, not at all like the usual gloppy too-sweet baked beans that are standard fare with hot dogs and burgers. Since we hadn't really eaten all that much -- and all BondGirl had eaten was the custard -- the 3 of us went down to NY Noodletown for bowls of Chinese noodle soup. A lovely end to a very enjoyable day.

A quick update on Sherribabee's behalf (I ran into her yesterday): she's alive and well, at least until next weekend when it all happens. She's doing it without fondant, and no fancy fillings. Planning on baking/decorating at the reception site. Her mom has already bought all the ingredients. I expect she'll fill in the details when she's back here in a few weeks.

How nice that others are finally discovering Thalassa. It's one of my neighborhood favorites, as you see on the thread tommy linked to. It's a pity you didn't have dessert: their take on galactoboureka is one of the best!

Sounds like it could be worth schlepping uptown. What's the address for Exito, and how close is it to the A train?

We all just want your avatar to smile someday.

Thanks to all of you. This is for a book I'm copyediting. I started from the list published (in print) by the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, just because that's what I had at hand. Eventually I remembered about Webtender, and found a few others as well: http://www.barfliers.com/baropaedia.php http://www.drinkalizer.com/ http://www.drinksmixer.com/ And when necessary, I've just googled on the name of the product as I have it, to get to the official site. I'll check out cocktails.com and BevMo as well. Again, thank you all for your help. Edit to add: cocktails.com is currently "under construction." And to Sam, below: this book calls for lots of brand name products, so I want to be sure I've got the entire name correct. Actually, I think with all the sources already suggested, I've got what I need. No need to worry your pretty little head about it.

Hey you guys over there! Are you aware that this is now an *official* eG event? Check out Fat Guy's pronunciamento here.

May I take first crack at answering Jon's question? In my experience -- when I was the antipasto plater at Zeppole -- it was to get those take-out folks from staring at me and muttering under their breath while they waited. The antipasto bar was right out there, where anyone coming into the place could see it. And that's where the taker-outers would wait for their stuff, breathing down my neck and trying to make conversation. The dining room was pretty well past the antipasto bar, and difficult for diners to see what was happening there. So in order to get rid of the annoyance of taker-outers, I would usually stop work on the tables and fill the t-o orders first. I'm not saying it was right, but that's why it was.

Yup. At the moment, I'm working on a book of cocktails from NY restaurants and lounges (well, that is, I should be working on it, but I'm here instead ) and there's a recipe for a cocktail with cucumber, Licor 43, and shochu, among other ingredients. The author says shochu comes from Kyushu and the western part of Honshu, and might be made from barley, rice, sweet potatoes, or sugar cane. (The Korean soju I've had was from sweet potato.) He also mentions three brands available (online) here in the States: Takara Jun Shochu, Yokaichi Kome Shochu, and Yokaichi Mugi Shochu.

Well, there ARE limits to clean-as-you-go. At the very least, I do try to get the empty pots and pans into the sink, to fill them with water so the food residue doesn't glue itself on. But, then, I've got an warming tray on the pass between the kitchen and dining area. The filled plates/bowls go on the tray to hold until I get the pots into the sink. I can recommend few kitchen "toys" more than a warming tray: for heating the plates, and for holding the food, it is fabulous. And it's great for melting butter and chocolate (I've never gotten the hang of that nuker thing). If you can find one by Salton, that's the best. The one I'm using now is at least 15 years old; other, newer ones from Maxim self-destructed in much less time.

I didn't see them on a quick trip to the site, but I'm pretty sure that Broadway Panhandler has them. When I'm there for the Yard Sale tomorrow, I'll check.

What are some other Web sites I can use to check the correct names of various eaux de vie, liqueurs, and spirits? I need to confirm spelling, type, etc. but not price. I guess what I'm looking for is the alcohol equivalent of the Cook's Thesaurus. (While the products should be available here in the USA, the site doesn't have to be limited to such products.) Thanks for the help.

The one and only time I ate at Babbo -- about a year ago? with a small group of eGulleteers -- I did not notice the music, probably because we were talking so much. But I certainly noted the crowding. And right there is reason to lower a rating. Rich, it's not merely the type of music, but that there's music AT ALL. My favorite place, which has bounced between 4 and 3 stars, is a beautifully spare room, save one major decorative piece at one end. The tables are well spaced, and of just the right size: neither so small as to be covered when all the food arrives, nor too large to prevent engaging in a bit of kneesies if the mood strikes (discretely hidden under the tablecloth, of course). The service is well informed and discreet. And there is no music whatsoever. Music is a distraction from food, an obstacle to conversation. Even if they played something I normally enjoyed, I would be unhappy.

Another possibility for drying is to simply lay the sheets of dough out on towels on sheet pans. (That's what Marcella Hazan prefers to drying racks.) An advantage is that you can keep the sheets in a speed rack, and the whole thing will have a relatively small footprint for the variety of pasta sheets you stock. And you can always cover the sheets with more towels and plastic wrap if they start to get too dry.

1. Practice. The more you do it, the faster you get. And the better you'll understand what you're doing, so that you can multitask (as Malawry says). 2. Fearlessness. The less you worry, the faster you do it. 3. Abandonment of the ideal of perfection. See #2 above. The less you want to do things "perfectly," the better -- and faster -- you'll do them. 3. Abandonment of the idea that the recipe writer is God. Hey, you're talking about Bittman here. But seriously, very few time estimates are accurate in the real world. Don't judge yourself by what the author says. The author is not you. 4. Remembering that most likely, no one you're feeding knows how the recipe/meal is "supposed" to look and taste. (See also #2.) This is not to advocate hasty, slapdash work; rather, to remind you that cooking and putting a meal together is a pleasure, not work.

Pan: Rival gossip columnists, just as we here tend to be (albeit to a smaller, more select audience). I am firmly on the "good start" side. The literal content of the piece -- with so many pinpoint focuses hitting on many, many topics in a limited wordcount -- is not so much a concern to me. Yes, this was less a review than an introduction to an oeuvre. He told us some of his dislikes (more important than his likes); he engaged in a little wordplay, some of it clever, some not-so; he wrote about the restaurant, not himself (as RR was wont to do). Yes, he wrote about a terrific, well-known restaurant, and pointed out both its glories and its faults AS HE SEES THEM. Isn't that his job? And, again, I doubt the choice of restaurant was entirely his, so let's complain to his editor if we didn't like it, not blame him. This was a test piece in terms of the readership. Clearly, he has our attention. Whether we (eG) have his -- does that really matter? But I also hope he explains the distinction he makes to divide the 2s from the 3s, and especially the 1s from the 2s. Four-star (and even 3-star) restaurants are not everyday choices, after all. The "lesser" places are the restaurants most of us are more likely to frequent regularly. If he gives us that information, I may even forgive him that stomach jig.

Okay. Thanks. But I'm sorry to inform everyone that there seems to be a prohibition on interstate shipping of hazardous materials -- vinegar, green chiles -- and on certain agricultural products. So you'll just have to come here if you want a taste.

Oh, you mean the stuff that "Makes your Mouth Happy"? I am feeling more and more blessed: this too is available in NYC, at the Food Emporium.

Another meal that made me wish we had a camera: Roasted Copper River Sockeye Salmon fillet Melange of seasonal veg: fiddleheads, ramps, asparagus plus fingerling potatoes Salad with artichoke vinaigrette Paumanok Barrel-fermented Chardonnay Now I understand why the anticipation of Copper River salmon was so great: this is what salmon is supposed to look and taste like. Mmmmmm.