shacke

So it is... I have learned something new today.... http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/how_to/f...y/entry?id=5087 Evan

Lucky you. MrB. When I was there Thursday, I asked if they had any spare sweetbreads in the back they could whip up for me. The chef came out to tell me they just got them in and they werent cleaned so come back tomorrow or the next day. He pointed me toward the offal brochette instead. I am glad you got them and I can live vicariously through your palates. I had them there recently in a grape verjus and it was killer (wonder if thats what you had?). I will sometimes ask if they have them even when they are not on the menu just in case I can get lucky. The best thing I ever had there was monkfish liver and I just asked if that is ever coming back again. He said the season is autumn so be on the lookout. Not to be missed. As stated above, I hope it stays just as good with the change in the back.... Evan

Thanks for the help. I am going to try my best when I get there. Evan

Was at Pif last night with some francophile friends. David Ansill is giving up the chef's job to concentrate on being an "owner" and his long time sous chef, another David, is taking over. I have seen him in the kitchen there for years for a while David 2 has been there frequently flying solo. They are also going CASH only and they have swapped out linen tablecloths for homey brown paper. Must have some bill to pay for the new restaurant David A is opening in Queens Village. Anyway, the food is still great. I had the blessed entrecote with a black truffle sauce and also shared and a braised lamb shoulder - falling apart tender - upon a bean ragout and broccoli rabe. For appetizer, I had a brochette of veal heart and kidneys. After multiple people told me how good it was (including David A) I tried it and it was pretty darn good. They also had skate wing bordelaise which was ordered by 2 others and it was sensational. It was totally empty last night. After coming off vacay for a week, people probably decided to make plans at other places for this week already. I think you can walk right in for a bit! Evan

I have made these and they are great. I got the recipe from a great baker and true friend. It helps to have the traditional mamoul molds. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mamoul.htm I experimented with all sorts of filling and the sky is the limit. Pistachio was terrific as is the given date filling. This makes a lot more filling than you need so be creative. I also use the mahlab and it is traditional. • Pastry crust: • 1 cup unsalted butter, or margarine, room temperature • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar • 1 1/2 tsp brandy (if desired) • 1 1/2 tsp orange-blossom water ( or rosewater) • 1 egg • 1/2 tsp ground black cherry kernels (mahlab), if desired • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup fine-grade semolina(not durum flour) • dash of salt (about 1/8 tsp) • Powdered sugar for sprinkling • Date Filling: • 1/2 pound pitted dates • 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, room temperature • 1 teaspoon orange-blossom water (or rosewater) • To prepare filling: • Cut up dates. I cook down, with butter, the dates, they'll cook down, in a few minutes, on very low heat, and just mash them, until they are completely pureed. Do not overcook, this takes only about 10 minutes, or so...if overcooked, they'll turn into a toffee-like substance, due to all their sugar content. • Additional fillings...nut, walnut or pistachio • 1 1/2 cups either walnuts or pistachios • 1/4 tsp cinnamon ( I also use cardamom here) • 1/4 cup sugar • 2 tablespoons either rosewater, or orange flower water • Grind to a paste, in food processor • For all of these, have the "balls" of filling ready to go, made up in advance of actually shaping the dough...greatly speeds up the process! To prepare the pastry shells: Preheat oven to 330F...butter or grease(parchment) baking sheets. Combine butter or margarine and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cream until light and fluffy. Stir in brandy and orange-blossom water. Beat in egg. Add cherry kernels, if desired (ground). Gradually add flour, semolina and salt until dough pulls away from side of bowl. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Pinch off pieces of dough 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter. Shape into balls. Pat into 3-inch circles. Place one tablespoon date mixture in center of a circle. Pull edges of circle over filling and pinch together to enclose filling. Place cookie in decorative mold, or "tabi". Pat down gently in mold. Knock or "thwack" molded cookie out of mold dome-side up onto greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling. Bake about 17-18 minutes or until bottom of cookies are pale golden. Do not let cookies brown. Cool on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Makes 16 to 20 cookies. Good luck. Evan

My wife and I have for years always loved going to Marra's for pizza and mussels (red). It's been a wihle because we had little kids but we brought them last night (after 5 years probably) and its just like we remember. The kids were so well behaved and ate so much I think we can begin our regular visits again. My little 2 yr old was slurping the red sauce from a mussel shell - my genes, good boy Warning though. Awesome top notch pizza and great mussels in red sauce but most other things are pretty darn mediocre. A huuuge pizza is like $10 and a big bowl of mussels was $7.50. Its good cheap eats! Since my little guy was so brave, we headed over to Capogiro. Both kids had a great time. 5 yr old had the white chocolate and boy plain chocolate. I had them both try my rosemary honey goat milk. One thought I put acid on her tongue. Mussel boy?..... "mmmm" As I said, good boy................ Evan

Or me if I am in town

Actually there is stock left and I also found out today that the vineyard was sold off and the new owner is making good wine with other varietals on the chateau. There is no word on future crops of the monbazillac but there is great hope as the producer does seem to be aware of the prized vines they have purchased. stay tuned I guess..... Evan

It would have taken my eye out had I been facing you. That noise you heard was my skull cracking but hey - we're friends. Evan

I have a 5 year old and a two year old and we frequently go to Lakeside Chinese Deli. Don't let the funny name fool you - its good stuff and they are very accommodating with our kids! Plain this, leave that off, make this for them - no problem! Good luck..... Evan

Kabocha Soup Pickled Spaghetti Squash Black Truffle and Goat Cheese Gnocchi Shola said someone told him he should open a place called Soupkitchen and this is why. Packed with flavor both subtle and bold, it was wonderful. Foie Gras Poele Pineapple Poached in Pineau Des Charentes Endive Marmalade Loupiac Emulsion Orange Flower Water I just totally dig foie gras and this was superb. At first glance I said to myself "endive marmalade?" but I trusted the force and you should too. Lobster Roasted With "Paella Spices" Chicken "Salmorejo" Ravioli Sous Vide Carrot Confit Cardamon Emulsion Esplette Oil Perhaps my favorite of the night, the lobster was perfect in every respect and the spices on the lobster were enhancing and in no way dominating. The ravioli was just Shola showin' off. It didnt need to be there but it was icing on the cake. Kurobuta Tasting #2: Pork and Beans Three Ways Slow Roasted Belly, Haricots Tarbais, Licorice Jus Pistachio and Sharp Provolone Crepinette Salicornia, Hibiscus-Prune Puree Lardons with Escargot and Puy Lentilles, Lentil-Cumin Emulsion Last time I was here, there was pork 5 ways but somehow the triumverate last night seemed like a ton more food. We were advised that there would be no hard feelings if any was left over. Yuh-huh. right. Each portion was terrific and I can't choose which may have come out on top. I thought by far the more interesting was the combo of lentils, snails and bits of porkiness mixed in the serving cup. Well, maybe this was my favorite. Its academic. Confit of Berries Cara Cara Orange, Meyer Lemon, White Chocolate and Chaource, In Two textures Crispy Rice How these flavor combos get dreamed up is beyond me but I am glad I was the recipient. Cheese and fruit? Yeah punk - cheese and fruit! Wow! As always, Shola was a great host and open with advice on technique and other things. We sampled his favorite oils and vinegar and as always just kibbitzed a lot. Many thanks to Philadining for including me. I don't know how he can go so frequently. Not that the magic gets lost but the recovery time is rough and on a work night no less. Percy got all the wine stuff written down so I will defer to him. Evan

Thanks for the reply and ANY help is greatly appreciated. It appears from your links that you are what I call a "dough-nut" as well. I hope your baking contacts can come to the rescue. I suspect in Italy it is not so hard to find these things and I would love to bring them home with me! You would think that, with the number of bakers in the US, finding a rosetta stamp or real pandoro mold would not be impossible - huh? I have looked for years. thanks again. I will keep my fingers crossed. Ciao Evan

Hi I will be in Italy in a few weeks - Roma and Naples. I am an avid bread baker and I was hoping to find a place in either of these two cities which would have the following items. One is a stamp to make rosetta rolls, also called michetta or sometimes bigne I think. They are nowhere to be found in the US. The other item is a pandoro mold, the real authentic ones are only made in Italy with tall sides. The ones in the US are not true pandoro molds and are pretty much portugese manufactured star shaped bread molds. If someone can steer me toward a place that may have these items - I would be very grateful. If there is a website to preuse before my trip - even better! If its in Italian, that is not a problem! Thanks for any help I can get!! Evan

Bigger thanks to YOU Deidre for the notes. It was a great evening and what perfect weather for a night in the yard. As always, new and old faces abound and it was great meeting you and some other familiar screen names. This is an event worth repeating for sure and I think that JeffL is already planning round 2 at his place. Let him do the preparatory yard work this time! For the price of a $25 bottle, we all got to try a host of new and interesting chairman selections and it was everything I hoped it would be. The leftover bottles made for great rebates. Thanks to all and big shout out to Katie for her help - boo yeah! The pot luck was a great idea of Capaneus'. I can barely move this morning but I can roll just fine! FWIW - I liked the Lancaster red as my WOTN (wine of the night) Evan

Eastlake - first post and 1000 thanks. When are we all going???? Hot rabbits - ding! Evan

The wait can be pretty bad too - no reservations unless that's changed recently. Especially if its cold out. Not a problem in good weather. Evan

A repeate-gullet outing is a great idea. Such a great new place - I hope Michael Marigoldizes more than Marigold Vetrizes. Having said that, meeting somewhere in the middle is unavoidable and would seeem a natural evolution of the restaurant. Time will tell. Evan

Still recovering 24 hours later....... I don't think I could tolerate anymore edge pushing.

You wont find that in PA - the licker license is too expensive. Ooh - I am hijacking this thread with terrible jokes. I ban myself from it further. really. It's post SK narcosis. Evan

Hurry - click here!! http://www.zymetrical.com/product.asp?3=241&dc=301x4g4ro Evan

It was downright nuclear. Great group, great food and Shola was at his best - as always. Why I got up so early afterward is a mystery. Speaking of nuclear, that cabrales might well have been named "Little Fat Boy". The intensity literally made my fillings sting like one was chewing on tin foil. How can a cheese do that? I mean its only milk, enriched extracted and centrifuged milk.... but still milk. The hot water he poured under the cheeses in the lavender laden tray gave everything a subtle floral scent. Very chic. Thanks to everyone for a terrific evening although it lasted till the wee hours of this morning.

I'm with you on that. I had the pleasure of being treated to a meal at LBF last year, and it was absolutely one of the most--if not THE most--memorable meals of my life. Truly outstanding dining, service, and elegance--but WAY outside of what this struggling artist can afford, except maybe once a year, tops (and probably for lunch, at that...) ← Lunch at LBF was one of the best deals in the city and you got the endless dessert cart. Think price has increased but I suspect it is still a deal relative to dinner. Evan

Have you noticed that the anagram of "Lauren" without the u and n and adding c,h and i spells "Charlie"? Sneaky devil but I think you are onto something here PhilA...... Evan

Was she at the dinner? cuz thats what we ate. I was hoping for additional recs for next time Evan

as it turns out it's called culantro http://www.caribbeanseeds.com/culantro.htm ← Reminds me of a funny story. When I went to Pasion, I told them I was allergic to cilantro and could not have any, anywhere. So my entree comes totally loaded with it. In shock, I asked the server what the deal was. He said "It's not cilantro sir - it's culantro." When I got home I looked it up and found out it was a stronger cousin of CI-lantro. Still keeping a promise I made to the manager right after my meal, I have never been back......