Suzanne F

That's because you've never had mine! Let me know the next time you're in NYC.

So, Gary, how do you cook your patootie? It's a very bittersweet movie. Kind of like an American Eric Rohmer. Malik, I wish we'd been sitting at the big table at Piperade, so that we could ALL talk to each other.

This thread is actually a good complement to the discussion here. To me, the whole point is that we can snicker in private, but we must still be mildly corrective, if at all, in public. Sorry if I'm being a wet blanket.

According to one of my language teachers, the word bistrot came from Russia via the Napoleonic Wars: "bistro" means "quickly" in Russian, and the idea was that a bistrot (I don't know why the French added the t at the end) served food fast -- dishes that were simmering on the stove and just had to be scooped out and served, or could be put together quickly from supplies on hand. So to me, a good bistro serves braises that are not overcooked or burned from reheating; salads that are fresh and not over-dressed; thin, crisp frites and steak cooked "to my likeness;" and so on. I suppose the chef at a bistro(t) could always tweak the food; but it's really all about basic French comfort food.

Welcome AzRael, if no one else already has said it. For your choice of paring knife, go with what feels best to your hand. That is what I would advise for absolutely ANY knife. And if you can't check out the feel of a knife, go with the one you can test that feels best to you. This is especially true with a paring knife, which you will use constantly. Comfort of use is paramount. To give you an idea: I love Messermeister chef knives, without any bolts through the handles. I like Sanelli slicers, Granton edges, Forschner bread knives, KitchenAid boning and paring knives , Furi paring knives, etc., etc. No single company makes the best of all knives. So if you've got the cash or credit to play, hey, go ahead! So: what do you like to cook? What/where do you like to eat?

Then who'll do $25 and Under?????

When I worked for Gary Robins, he used a Tamarind Sauce with monkfish (I think). Also a sweet one as part of a Mango Sundae. I'll put both into the Recipe Archives. (And Maukitten, I hope you'll enter yours there as well. Pretty please???)

First of all, keep the jar really really well-wrapped. Add teeny, tiny amounts to anything savory -- especially chutneys, relishes -- for a hint of unusual flavor. Don't be constrained by the idea of only using it in SE Asian dishes. Think of it more like fish sauce, to the third degree. Have fun with it! (Anyway, I do!)

Gary Robins's Tamarind Sauce for Desserts To make tamarind pulp, cover packaged tamarind with hot water; let it sit for a while to soften, then squish it with you hands to separate the pulp from the seeds and stringy bits. Pass it through a strainer, pressing hard to push through the good stuff. This recipe will make about 1 quart, which is an awful lot. But it keeps well in the refrigerator. It is especially good on coconut ice cream, or as part of a mango sundae with ice cream (coconut or vanilla) and diced mango. 10 oz tamarind pulp 1 qt simple syrup lime juice Combine the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve or china cap. Adjust to taste with lime juice, if necessary. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Sauce ( RG769 )

Gary Robins's Tamarind Sauce for Desserts To make tamarind pulp, cover packaged tamarind with hot water; let it sit for a while to soften, then squish it with you hands to separate the pulp from the seeds and stringy bits. Pass it through a strainer, pressing hard to push through the good stuff. This recipe will make about 1 quart, which is an awful lot. But it keeps well in the refrigerator. It is especially good on coconut ice cream, or as part of a mango sundae with ice cream (coconut or vanilla) and diced mango. 10 oz tamarind pulp 1 qt simple syrup lime juice Combine the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve or china cap. Adjust to taste with lime juice, if necessary. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Sauce ( RG769 )

Gary Robins's Tamarind Sauce for fish To make tamarind pulp, cover packaged tamarind with hot water; let it sit for a while to soften, then squish it with you hands to separate the pulp from the seeds and stringy bits. Pass it through a strainer, pressing hard to push through the good stuff. 12 oz Tamarind pulp 6 fl oz Pineapple juice (canned is ok) 1 Habanero, stemmed, seeded, and minced 1 piece Orange Zest, 1" by 2" 5 fl oz Water Salt Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Pass through a sieve. Adjust the consistency with water or pineapple juice; correct the seasoning if necessary. Keywords: Sauce, Easy, Hot and Spicy ( RG768 )

Gary Robins's Tamarind Sauce for fish To make tamarind pulp, cover packaged tamarind with hot water; let it sit for a while to soften, then squish it with you hands to separate the pulp from the seeds and stringy bits. Pass it through a strainer, pressing hard to push through the good stuff. 12 oz Tamarind pulp 6 fl oz Pineapple juice (canned is ok) 1 Habanero, stemmed, seeded, and minced 1 piece Orange Zest, 1" by 2" 5 fl oz Water Salt Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Pass through a sieve. Adjust the consistency with water or pineapple juice; correct the seasoning if necessary. Keywords: Sauce, Easy, Hot and Spicy ( RG768 )

No, Olivia was the moderator. The translator was someone else, who did a much better job (as far as I could tell) than the translator in Lost in Translation

If you feel even a little ashamed (not that there's any reason why you should, truly), buy a few turkey wings and make some stock to use when you make the sauce in the roasting pan. That will make a big flavor contribution.

Yes, the stuffing (or in this case, dressing, since it's cooked outside the bird [this was one of the best things I learned in culinary school ]) can definitely be made ahead of time and reheated. It's only a danger to stuff the bird ahead of time. Alas, the fried corn has to be a la minute (but it's worth it). Gravy: buy a few turkey wings this weekend and make stock with them. It should keep all right in the fridge until you need it, or give it a reboil on Tuesday or Wednesday if you're concerned. Then on T-day, grab the roasting pan before she dumps all the good stuff, and proceed as you normally would, with a little of the fat, that wonderful fond (I think lemon/garlic/bacon will make an excellent, if untraditional, gravy), flour, and your stock. Or if you're afraid the bacon fat will overwhelm the other flavors, completely degrease the drippings and use beurre manie to thicken. But you'll be fine as long as you hang onto the roaster. Between the two of you, you'll have a great meal.

Just remembered a line from a play I worked on, re crabs: I'm with you, Dick: it's fresh and live, or I'll stay crabless.

If it's not too late -- I just had a taste of a vegetarian cassoulet that would satisfy ANYBODY. The regular beans, veg stock, aromatics, crumb topping, and: - vegetarian "sausage," which I normally avoid but which worked really well here; - roasted onions for deeper flavor; - confit shiitakes, which were just wonderful! edited because I originally said smoked shiitakes, which is wrong, but would probably also be delicious.

I'm in, if someone can give directions via public transportation.

send the ferrets, please.

Irwin, I used to like you a lot. Now I'm too jealous. Brad: how come you can spell here? My greatest crab experience was buying a couple of cooked Dungeness at Pike Place Market in Seattle to eat on the train down to San Francisco. The crabs, some raspberries, cucumbers, and HWOE: heaven. And I didn't used to mind going to Florida in the winter when we could have stone crab claws. Is it true they only harvest the claws, and the crabs regenerate them? If so, does that mean that people who won't eat a living creature who died can eat stone crab claws?

Suzi, if you get to rm, I hope you won't be disappointed; I know I was. My list as of this moment: St. John (London) March (NYC) Jai Yun (San Francisco) Mustards Grill or Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen (Napa, CA) The Corn Exchange (Rapid City, SD) Bacchanalia (Atlanta) Amma (NYC)

Back to "how are you going to seduce your audience?" if I may (I know zilch about photography): even if the audience is wholesalers, I think it's good to show both the package and the food. As in, whole wheel of cheese and cut wedge; jar of olives and some out in a dish. And while you don't want the cheese sweating, you want it more reflective than normal, if it's not a usually-shiny type. That is, a runny Brie is fine as it is, but a dull-surfaced aged gouda will just suck up the light and look horrible. Ditto the olives -- oil them a bit so they don't absorb all the light. Just my 2¢

Yes, that was my reason for being there. And Chef Nei was on the same program with Charles Phan -- it was a compare-and-contrast between Chinese and Vietnamese. I forget the name of the woman who translated for him, but he too was a terrific presenter. Wish i'd taken more notes. At my table, we were a bit disappointed at the hot-and-sour soup he prepared, but put it down to the folks in the kitchen making the big batch, rather than him. I hope to try Jai Yun on a future trip.

Well, I had lunch there this past Saturday, and enjoyed it a lot. It was not spectacular, but it was tasty (Spiced organic haricots verts with honshmeiji, and Cellophane noodles with crab), the service was good, and even as it filled up it did not get too loud. Definitely classier than the "authentic" Vietnamese restaurants I go to in NYC. And I loved the drinks, and the jackfruit ice cream. Then on Monday, Charles Phan did a master class for the conference I was attending. He was very informative about the fundamentals of Vietnamese food, and the dumplings, hot-and-sour soup he demoed were deliciously complex and delicate. So I can't say whether or not it's overrated or overpriced, but I was definitely glad I finally had the chance to try it.

Oh good, you are here. You do have me and HWOE, right?