Suzanne F

Well, yeah. But still.

That's pretty charitable to refer to a "dining room" at McHale's

I heard that piece as I was waking up this morning. Wondered who would be the first to post about it. For those in the U.S., just wait until Fergus Henderson's book The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating is out in the spring.

Alcohol is bad for me; I drink it anyway. Farmed salmon is bad for me; it tastes lousy so I don't eat it anyway. Scallions could give me hepatitis; I don't eat them raw. Butter is bad for me; it tastes good so I eat it anyway. Beef could rot my brain (see first entry above); it tastes good so I eat it anyway. Soy products may be good for me or may kill me; I'll eat the ones I want to, if they taste good, and ignore the others. With all due respect to the real journalists here (and I really DO respect the ones here), I'd bet that most of the reports one reads/hears/sees are not thoroughly researched; the latest press release from [whomever] is what you're seeing.

I've made pasta dough following the non-American recipes* in the KitchenAid booklet that comes with the pasta roller/cutter attachment, with the one change of using half semolina flour and half all-purpose (plain). Worked just fine. I had no problems rolling it and cutting it with the attachment. If you've already got a KA stand mixer, you won't need to take up any more room. *Why the recipes are different, I have no idea. They just are.

Stewed bunny, with lots of herbs (got to give them something good to eat) Fried bunny (does NOT taste like chicken); how come that bird had 4 legs??

I can tell you with absolute belief that it used to swim in my grandmother's bathtub. Nowadays -- ??? I suppose it must have migrated.

Thanks for the correction; I guess I stopped reading after the shock of the $$$ without seeing it was for several. In any case, yes, it is a terrific peeler, especially for when you want to take off just the thinnest layer. I'll check to see if Knife Merchant carries the serrated kind; that's where I usually get my Messermeister stuff.

This will probably make everyone here , but I have seen -- and, I will admit, bought -- "Masala Tea Bags" here in NYC, under the Tea India brand, packed by a company in Moorestown, New Jersey. They contain black tea, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and "natural flavors." The directions call for brewing, as any other tea bags, and specfically say: Having no background in Indian tea, I cannot tell you how "authentic" they are. But they do make a very nice hot beverage. (I add milk and sugar after the tea has been brewed, as I do with other black teas.)

When we've asked, we were told it's kind of a little of this, a little of that. Sort of: whatever there isn't room to keep, goes into the congee. I don't know about that, but I think maybe we just liked the basic congee best at Congee. (We also like the sampan porridge at NY Noodletown, but since we're prejudiced toward the place, I can't say whether or not it really is that good.) Let's face it: fresh pea shoots are great, wherever we have them! Yummmmmmmmm. All the good things about pea flavor without the possibly nasty texture and off-taste of peas themselves.

Soba!? You??? I can't believe it. Wow, isn't getting older getting better?

Are you sure you're not my long-lost (younger) sister? I liked the borscht just fine; it was the cooked-out beets I hated. (Waste not, want not ) Then when I got my first paid restaurant job in 1996, one of the antipasti I had to make was roast beets with red onion and fresh basil, tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. Where have you been all my life!!!

I can't believe that they sell it for $17.50!!!!!! That's the same one (Kuhn-Rikon) that JAZ showed at Sur La Table for $3.95. And it is wonderful!! I used to buy them for my staff at Broadway Panhandler. Takes off such a thin layer that if the skin is thick, you may have to run it over twice. The only drawback is that the blade can pop out of the plastic cradle; but it can then be popped right back in again, so no loss. I also love the Oxo swivel peeler. Years of use, never dulled. (true of the Kuhn-Rikon, too).

And for simple-but-superb, the Mushroom Noodle Soup at NY Noodletown. As well as the Seaweed Noodle Soup, the Roast Duck Wonton Noodle Soup, the pea shoots, the "chinese vegetable" (HWOE always asks for it with "just a little oyster sauce"), and any of the roast meats on rice -- enough to feed a family of four for a week. (Can you tell we've been trying to "eat cheap" lately?) Sampan Porridge at Congee. Not Congee Village, but Congee. And another vote for the roast chicken with fried garlic at Dim Sum Go-Go. Oh -- I'll get back to you when we've been to A&B Lobster House more; a very promising place, and the closest of all to us.

Welcome, Nat! I see no reason to whomp you, except maybe because you DIDN'T post a link to your writeup (it's not selling anything, is it?).

Hey, heyjude! If you get a chance to look at Baking 9-1-1, I'd be interested in what you have to say about it. But no rush; the new wee one is far more important!

My skimming spoon is much smaller (even though I assume that picture is less than life-size. It is like a flat sieve with very, very fine mesh, about 2 inches in diameter. Works really well for the itsy bitsy particles.

3 o'clock is exactly what I was thinking. And it's a holiday for some the next day (MLK jr), but yes, for those for whom it is not, that should be a good time. There's plenty of room for hubbies. And even kidlets (too bad, yeah, I was looking forward to meeting SethG's). Once again, whoever is coming and needs the address and directions, PM me.

Whatever the animal source, mine rarely last long enough to make it into any real dish. That is, if I leave them out on a paper towel on the counter to drain, I just pick, pick, pick and all of a sudden OH! where did they disappear to? However, if I manage to safely store them, I use them mixed with crumbs for the topping of cassoulet, or mixed into hash. Or it they're big enough, I am tempted to make a "Chicken Skin Po Boy" (or other equivalent quadri- or bi-ped) like the one John Thorne discusses. Mmmm.

Can you post a floor plan of what you have now, and what you want?

I've seen it spelled both ways.

Well, hey, you wanna take my name in vain, go ahead. Just wait 'til you see what I refer to as "tommy." AzRael and Phaelon beat me to it, actually. Although being the notorious stickler that I am (gotta add that to my sig line!), I must correct Phaelon: while it is indeed "le scum," it is "la crud." Equal gender opportunity, and there are very slight differences, anyway.

You think NYC is ready for this??? (sorry, I couldn't copy the photo)

Oh no, not the flu! Picaman, hope you're on the mend. And boy, am I glad I was at the other end of the table. (The only reason I haven't added to the praise on the radio performance is that I didn't hear it. But I'd really really like to know if there's any way to hear it after the fact.)

When I reviewed James Peterson's Glorious French Food for The Daily Gullet (click here if you want to read the whole piece), I tried his Roast Chicken, which calls for an absolutely plain (not even salt) 4-pound bird to cook for 50 minutes at a very high temperature. This did not produce a fully cooked chicken, at least not to my taste: the breast was just barely done (still slightly blushing), and the legs were raw at the joints. I'm not all that surprised that Wannabechef's took that long and still wasn't done to their liking. For one thing, all that basting meant the oven was getting opened A LOT and losing heat. And what with changing the temperature, that poor oven just got so confused! And yes, it is possible that the vegs all around blocked some heat -- although I wouldn't think that would make more than a couple of minutes difference. Well, there's only one thing to do: roast another chicken! Mmmmmmm, roast chicken