Suzanne F

Captions for the pictures above: 1. We mark our territory. 2. The weigh-in 3. Taking baby's temperature (and those fabulous fries!) 4. Bun looks better than it was; good pickle chips, though 5. NYC Burger Gothic 6. Mmmmm, chocolate Thanks, forkAndPen for helping Sherribabee!

Actually, I like the idea of New Year's Day. Not before noon, though, or maybe even 1pm. Although that conflicts with New Year's Eve in Chicago, if anyone is thinking of going. Then again, if we CAN'T go to Chi-town, this would be good consolation (I hope). Do tarts count? Bloviatrix, I thought you were a nice Jewish girl. What, is Jaymes coming to NYC? (I wish she would. )

Yes, that is a yummy, yummy cake -- we split one piece three ways and still all got looped. But it ain't chocolate.

And when you start getting sick of poached pears (if that's possible) puree some with the syrup and turn it into a granita (or sorbet if you've got an ice cream maker).

Now, now -- just because you and Soba and I have no life outside of eG , doesn't mean all the others are the same. Once the boring workweek starts, they'll be here. I hope.

You know, that doesn't look half bad! I wonder how much bacon you'd need to substitute??? Mine is Blackout Cake, the way the Garden Bakery in Glen Oaks, NY, made it, oh, 45 years ago. Chocolate cake, filled and frosted with chocolate, and coated with chocolate cake crumbs. Second fave is strawberry shortcake, even made too sweet with cheap cake and phony whipped cream, as long as the strawberries are fresh.

But Herb, as far as I can tell, Grimes has 2 books under his belt: one on cocktails, and one on the chicken that showed up in his backyard. Not much in the way of career development, eh? Amanda Hesser's books are much more to the point. (Not that I'm trying to compare the two of them, or that I love or hate either; just thought it's interesting.)

I ordered mine black and blue (I was sitting next to Glenn), and it had not the least bit of char on the outside; it was just cooked enough to turn the outside a grayish-brown and warm the inside to 104 degrees. Which meant there was no crust to hold it together. And it was too loosely formed (a 5" diameter, 3/4" thick patty only weighed about 6 ounces). Slop slop slop. The meat was tasty -- unlike Molly's, at least these folks sprinkled a little salt on the outside. But damn it, the BLACK is as vital as the blue. Elyse's replacement was much closer to what I had hoped for. So I stole a few of her fries: superb! And the pickle slices were very good, too: sour but crisp, and quite thin. Cole slaw, eh. Salad (instead of fries) okay: mostly escarole, but with a couple of grape tomatoes and a decent Green Goddess dressing in an adorable little pitcher. The mushrooms for a topping were very good: fresh, sauteed with a little garlic, and just the right amount for the burger. Service was very good, especially considering that, as at Molly's, there was only one waiter and one busboy on duty for the whole place. Good beer (once they brought the correct ones ordered) and even good coffee. And THE BEST COMPANY which made up for the disappointing burger.

Well, FG, you missed a good time but not a great burger. The fries, however, were stupendous! Fresh russets, fried twice in corn oil, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. This burger probably rated below Molly's overall, mostly because of inconsistencies. Although the lighting was better.

Amen, brother.

I do pretty much as stevea and Mixmaster b describe (no beer or molasses, though). Chiffonade the leaves (make a pile of a few, roll up tightly, and cut across in strips). I add a pretty good amount of liquid, because if the water boils out, OMG you would not believe the stench. And I always always add chilies, and a splash of vinegar near the end. I've also used smoked turkey for flavoring with less fat, and done a kosher-style version with kosher smoked turkey. I suppose there are more trendy ways to deal with greens, but why mess with a classic?

Maybe not so crazy. Have a look at the threads on Chikalicious, probably on the New York board.

Mudbug, do you cook it first? Or cook it IN the congee?

For those who are picky about names, or get confused easily the name of the place is actually Tavern on Jane. And yes, it is at 8th avenue and Jane street, so don't y'all go running up Hudson looking for it. I'll have the NEW! IMPROVED!! forms, pencils, thermometers, and the scale. See you soon.

On the menu for Monday night. I've never made it before, got any good suggestions? What Huevos del Toro said. (Although I don't cut up the pork; I just let it cook until it falls off the bones in chunks. It should be really soupy; one of the joys is slurping up the broth, apart from eating the solid stuff. And of course you can also have some shredded queso blanco, and salsa verde, and salsa rojo on the side, too. Part of the fun in making each mouthful a little different from the one before.

I should have mentioned before that sometimes -- especially when alone -- I will order roast chicken because: 1. it's one of my favorite dishes, and 2. it's such a standard, I find it a good way to judge a place new to me. When SobaAddict and HWOE and I ate at Annisa, the menu was full of tempting dishes. I ordered the roast chicken, because the sides were intriguing and because I figured it would be incredible (it was ). If HWOE and I order the same thing, it usually means the menu isn't all that thrilling.

Diner's Journal are always about this length. It's where the Times give its first heads-up (or tentative thumbs-down) on a place. Not considered a full-blown review. but wonderful to read, nonetheless.

Oh, no, Suvir, please don't think that "eGullet has been largely unaware of Amma" -- not at all! Some of us are simply trying to figure out when we can get there. And after that piece today, I'm afraid we may have to fight to get in. At least, for your and Hemant's sake, I hope that's true. Oh, the tomato chutney the basil chicken the lemon rice the prawns and Hemant and Suvir

Thank you, endless autumn and Adam Balic (and Basildog via pm): My search is over. With your help, and that of various websites and my class notes, I have my answers. Collar of pork is indeed the neck-end of the shoulder; Collar of ham is what we refer to as "picnic ham" or "picnic shoulder;" it is indeed from the front of the animal (not real ham, which only comes from the rear leg); Bacon knuckle -- or at least knuckle -- is from the front leg; but since I'm not sure if it is widely available here, I will leave it as such with the alternative of using smoked hocks. Again, thanks. I love you all and I love eGullet!

Suzanne F, where do you get the Italian chili pepper paste? I've been looking for it in local stores (Austin, TX) but haven't been able to find any. Here in NYC, I can get it on my local Food Emporium, an overpriced sibling of the A&P. Also in Fairway and Citarella. The brand is Dal Raccolto. I've seen quite a few other products of theirs -- vinegars and other condiments, mostly -- in the same stores. Maybe if you find anything they put out in your stores, that store can get the "Italian Red Chili Pepper Sauce" for you.

Ah, country-style ribs! Great for making pozole.

Thanks, but this is a contemporary cookbook, and the author uses the terms "collar of" pork/ham, referring to a cut.

Definitely in, for 2. HWOE knows he'd better order a burger, OR ELSE.

Ooooooooooh . . .

I hate to get back on topic, but: I prefer Italian chili paste to red pepper flakes. It mixes through better, so there are no little sudden jolts later from a seed stuck in the teeth. Then again, we've been together for almost 30 years.