Suzanne F

So. Is THAT why the Flaming Orange Gullies we were served at our table at Beacon were pre-flamed, as opposed to the flamed-in-my-face version at the bar?

Who, me? I worked briefly at a place on Restaurant Row. I NEEDED McHale's each day when I finished work.

Will you bring it to meetings of the club that we can't talk about?

The wedge-shaped place at #1 Mott Street, across from the Citibank, with its other side on Worth Street divided by the entrance to "Dr. Toothy's." The place that was Hunan Garden for umpteen years until a year or two ago, then had a couple of other names and looked like a gangster hangout. That's the place called A & B Lobster King House that I'm talking about. Is that the place you are talking about?

Hey . . . Boris! Just ONE not-too-big book to cover all of American food? That's a toughy, because there really are many different regional styles. There's always Joy of Cooking and James Beard's American Cookery, but while I like and use them, I'm not thrilled by them. The volumes on American food in the Time Life Foods of the World series (from the late 1960s and early 1970s) are probably great, but hard to find, especially in Switzerland I suspect. Two others I really like are: American Food: The Gastronomic Story by Evan Jones. Published 1975 by E.P. Dutton, ISBN 0-525-05353-0. I don't know if it's still in print, but I see it a lot in used-book stores here; maybe you could get it on Amazon? Also is I Hear America Cooking by Betty Fussell -- Penguin, 1986, ISBN 0-670-81241-2 (hardcover)/ISBN 0 14 02.6332 2 (paperback). Both are histories as well as recipe books.

Really? But A & B has only been open as such for a few months!

Bet I know what's up for Monday: FASTING!!!!!!!!!

i can tell you right now that McHale's is pretty seedy. I know; I've been there a few times. Only for beer, though, not burgers. I love that place.

I woke up craving dumplings today, so we tried it out for dim sum. Arrived around noon, and the place was packed. They have carts, but not all items seemed to circulate; those that I noticed included: har gow, shumai, stuffed peppers, stuffed eggplant, that clam-coated-with-mayonnaise-and-broiled thing, vegetable dumplings (both steamed and fried), sweet egg custards, sesame-coated balls -- that's all I can remember right now. There is also a menu for dim sum, congee, etc., but we didn't realize it existed until we were done. We saw other items then, that looked very good, such as meaty racks of bbq ribs, and what might have been a savory egg custard tart with vegetables in it. We stuck with basic stuff, mostly: har gow -- a little salty, otherwise a bit bland, but very fresh shu mai -- larger than many, and with big toothsome chunks of meat lightly 5-spiced (not all mashed up and of suspect content) steamed vegetable dumplings -- which also had chunks of shrimp, along with very finely minced chives, carrot, mustard greens (I think) -- these were superb eggplant stuffed with shrimp -- on the oily side, the shrimp filling copious if a bit bland, very tasty sauce Nothing was still hot when we got it, but that's what I expect from carts, so I didn't mind. All the dumpling wrappers were very good, none too thick to obscure the filling. We also pulled the "Bring us what they're having" pointing trick for a sparerib/noodle dish our tablemates ordered first: chopped pieces of rib meat in a slightly sweetened, soy-based sauce with sliced hot pepper and garlic (a lot like the ribs-with-black-beans I'm used to, but no beans, and spicier), served over tightly-wound 1/2-inch strips of white (rice?) noodle. The meat was meaty, the sauce was well-balanced, and the noodles were a perfect foil. We asked our tablemates what the dish was called, but they didn't know an English translation, and didn't realize I wanted the real name, anyway. In any case, a lot of tables were getting it. Total for the 5 dishes (before tax) was just under $14. Seemed reasonable, especially since each order of dumplings had 4 pieces, the eggplant was 3 thick sandwiches, and the ribs/noodles was quite a good size portion. We probably will go back soon for dinner, since it is the closest Ctown restaurant for us. And it is worth more visits.

Picaman: great work. The most important comment I have is that it's not caramelization, it's Maillard effect. An oft-made error, nothing to be ashamed of. Is the idea that we have a numerical scale, and rate each factor? We can always assign different weights to different factors, which takes care of elyse's valid concern that the meat should come first. Will we have to work out objective criteria (e.g., for juiciness, 0 = dust in the mouth, 1 = requires condiment to be swallowable, 2 = moist enough to swallow, but still on the dry side, 3 = moderately juicy, 4 = very juicy, 5 = requires wristbands), or just rely on each club member's subjective interpretations? Then we average the scores across each category? And the columns are for individual club members' scores, so we can total each person's scores? I would have the toppings as the tiebreaker. Maybe also the Toastiness and Seediness, because neither of those is absolutely necessary, but can add to or detract from the overall burgerness. After all, a good burger requires nothing but a good burger and a good roll. Everything else is commentary. This is really exciting! Once we get this system set, we can go on to rating sushi, and foie gras, and pizza, and steak, and finally force the NY Times to use some consistent standards!

Definitely the wrapping. I used to think that bulk cheese cut in the store (supermarket) was at least a little better than the pre-packaged stuff. Until I found out that there's something in the store wrap that rubs off onto the cheese, and makes it taste like disinfectant. and yes, there are goat cheeses not wrapped in plastic, but you won't find them in the supermarket. As Placebo said, you have to go to a decent cheese store that knows how to cut and wrap the stuff.

You don't. I don't. But the folks whose street food it is are the ones who are mystified. Just as I would be if a fancy restaurant in Mumbai were selling dirty-water hot dogs for the equivalent of $10.

Ooops. Double post.

Well, SHE (the manager) told me that sometimes they round up, sometimes down. I still think the whole argument is specious. Why round at all, WHEN MOST LIKELY PEOPLE ARE NOT LEAVING CASH????? Not that it's okay when it's a cash transaction, either. But there's no reason of convenience to the customer, in any case. BTW: while I was there (Balthazar), two Italian women sat down at the table next to mine. One of them ordered a cappucchino; both ate pastries out of bags from the Balthazar Bakery, attached. You should have seen the daggers in the eyes of the server!

Of course it's dicey, but: if you all have a great time, you all have a new place to go back to; if it's a disaster, you've got a bond for life.

Linguine fini, sauced with Fresh artichoke hearts stewed in artichoke "stock" with shallot, chopped capers, Jordanian zataar, lemon juice and zest, and finished with creme fraiche and Parmesan and Romano; sprinkled with chiffonade of parsley. "Product" (frozen deviled crab cakes). Mixed lettuce leaves with oregano vinegar and olive oil. Paumanok Chenin Blanc

May I ask all those who add egg: why? I don't "get" it. Either you make tuna salad or you make egg salad. Why a hybrid?

Tommy, you and I and other non-Indians here on eGullet are probably the exception in knowing that bhel puri is something akin to a dirty-water hot dog (even if it does taste much, much better ). As rks pointed out, " . . . American friends have no clue it's considered street food but know it as some sort of Indian salad." In additition, we here are at least more willing to pay more for better quality food (as opposed to expecting QUANTITY, damn the quality) and for food that is less common to us. That's definitely a difference between us and the majority of Americans. So even though an item may be common somewhere else, if it is unusual to us -- and well-executed -- we'll pay. And so too, I guess, will the others who seek out well-made food from other cultures. Which is why a good Indian restaurant in NYC can charge $6 for "street food." Whether one on North Kakalackey could get away with it is still up in the air.

Like Tommy, I am a non-Indian who will pay more-or-less willingly for a well executed version of any dish. Yes, I know from reading Ved Mehta that bhel puri is street food. But it is something that would be difficult for me to make, first having to find all the ingredients, and something that I would not know if I were doing correctly. What is common street food in another part of the world is, forgive me, enticingly exotic here. And I so wish to try it, I would be willing to pay the $6, even though a comparable item here-- say, a pretzel or a beef patty -- is only about $1. But if I were to visit another country and find a fancy restaurant selling those items for a similar markup, I'd probably expect them to be superior examples! Knowing that Suvir is responsible, I trust that Amma's bhel puri will be an excellent version -- all the more reason to pay the (relatively) high tariff. I'm not so sure I'd be willing at some of the cheap, not-very-good places I know.

Tommy: the manager I spoke with had no balls. Female. But yes, she looked as though she knew she was BSing. Al Dente: what a good idea! Truly. Do you know how I locate such a group? To all: Since this was at Balthazar, I wonder if it happens at Pastis, and other restaurants under the same ownership??

I wouldn't dream of fucking Big Nick. I've got HWOE.

Finally checked out the new Borders that replaces the one in the World Trade Center: 3 more food books, none a cookbook: the 2004 Time Out NY Eating & Drinking guide; Food Mania, which appears to be all historical pictures; and the paperback version of Cooking Ingredients which I didn't realize I already have in hardcover. (I'm only 3 away from a total of 600, unless I include some of the journals like Gastronomica and OptArt, in which case I'm at 614. But I'll never catch up to Ms. Amster. )

Something on another thread reminded me: Tuna melts. Why would you take a cold sandwich filling that's just fine the way it it, top it with something that doesn't belong (quasi-cheese), and heat the whole thing just enough to make it neither cold nor hot? Please, what is the attraction?

Tuna: whichever can is on the top of the pile. Could be the cheapest, junkiest dark, or albacore, or some other variety. Actually, I prefer the junkiest. Mayo: Hellman's usually. Celery, finely chopped. Lemon or Lime juice. Sweet pickle relish. That's the basic. Other add-ins may include (not all together at the same time): Chopped home-pickled white onions Finely grated carrot Curry powder (and then sometimes also a bit of chopped mango chutney) Heinz Chili Sauce Finely diced water chestnuts Whatever flavored mayo (bought) I'm trying to get rid of (And when I was a kid, Milani's 1890 salad dressing: a sweet/sour gloppy "French" dressing) Bread: just about anything, although preference is for toasted seeded rye, toasted whole wheat, hero roll, kaiser roll (if it's the old kind with a flaky crust and fluffy crumb), onion roll, or hot dog/hamburger bun. I'm not always the fancy eater.

Ah, but rounding in this case takes it to the closest 5¢ -- which, since 8 is only 2 down from 10, but 3 up from 5, means that it will push up. Have I thoroughly confused you?