cakewalk

One of the vendors at the Union Square Greenmarket explained the same thing to me a couple of years ago. It takes some getting used to, but it does actually work.

The only coffee I drink with sugar is Turkish coffee. (By which I mean thick black coffee made in a finjan on the stove.) Any other type of coffee -- espresso, filter, french press, drip pot, cappuccino, you name it -- I cannot swallow it if it has sugar in it. It literally makes me gag. But Turkish coffee is the opposite, it must be sweet (and the sugar is added while it is cooking.) When I was living in Israel, Israelis couldn't get over the fact that I drank "regular" coffee without sugar. "No sugar? Not even a little? Would you like sucrazit? (sweetener)" It was just amazing to them, this business of no sugar. But Turkish coffee, which I learned to drink over there, simply must have sugar in it. Don't ask me to explain it, because I cannot.

Those aren't real black and whites!!! No self-respecting New Yorker would consider those the real thing. Oh my! Those are on a par with blueberry bagels!! Worse, in fact. BTW -- we never ever called them black and white cookies. They were simply called black and whites. Because they're not cookies, really. They're not even close to a cookie. I blame Seinfeld for this misnomer. And, um, nix on the mocha. Although I've seen black and whites in all different sorts of colors these days. Sometimes with the Yankees logo, sometimes with the Mets logo, with a pumpkin face on Halloween. They're very pretty, but I can't quite bring myself to buy one. There have been other black and white threads on eGullet, IIRC, so perhaps they contain recipe links. Black and whites.

Good way of putting it.

People are inconsistent. It's our right -- perhaps even part of our definition -- as human beings, y'know? I mean, take this place, for example. There is thread after thread in praise of junk food, and they're pretty dern particular about it, too. And in almost the same breath there's the adulation of all the biggies (I don't want to go through the whole list, I'm sure I don't need to spell it out for you.) And there's stuff like the precision necessary for perfection in baking (1/2 tsp soda, no 1/4 tsp soda, no 1/4 tsp plus a little pinch, etc.) vs. the ecstasy of deep fried twinkies. So how do you reconcile that? I don't think one is very different from the other. BTW -- I'm in the camp that will only buy healthy cereals, but I buy regular milk. And I buy cheap butter unless I'm baking something special. And I use regular eggs in baking but I try to get organic free range eggs if I'm just gonna eat the eggs. There's no rhyme or reason in any of that. But we're all entitle to our idiosynchracies.

Check this out: www.superbee.com.au/products/powderedhoney.htm Who knew? I wonder if there's a significant caloric difference between powdered and regular honey.

Mmmmm, a ginger streusel topping, that does sound nice. Making up recipes in not my forte ( ) but I think I'd try something with a combination of crystalized ginger and powdered ginger. And brown sugar and flour and some butter. And maybe just a bit of finely grated lemon rind. Would some finely chopped walnuts be overkill? If it had a topping like this, do you think the recipe would need a bit more of a rising agent? (Have I just killed the recipe?)

Never eaten a taco? Really? You must be rich. There are a lot of things wrong with Bittman's article (one of which is not telling people to buy hard shells, which aren't tacos in my book), but i'll quote Patalarga from the NY times message boards on the subject: That's just a start. But yes, if it gets people to try thighs over breasts... it's a good thing. ← Thanks. Oh that Ed Levine .... Not rich, I just attempt to keep kosher. Tacos seem to be very meat intensive, so I must learn to make my own. And I am disappointed to find out that Bittman has misled me! But I appreciate the heads-up, and I will now read about tacos on the NY Times message boards ... or maybe start my own thread here.

Okay, okay. So what's inaccurate about it? I never ate a taco, never mind made one, and I found that article interesting. I even bought some [packaged, forgive me] taco shells (from corn meal) so I can eventually get to it. So now I find out it's all wrong. Is there a "how to make a taco" thread? Is it time to start one?

Hi Rodney, I've enjoyed this thread a lot (as have many others.) And now ... the moment we've all been waiting for ... has it arrived? You mentioned that you were still tweaking a thing or two. Or is take 10 pretty much complete? Just wondering ... Thanks, 'cause I'm looking forward to trying these.

Rodney's recipe might not be for you, but you are being unfair with the rest of your comment. For me, and perhaps for others -- and perhaps for Rodney as well -- I am learning a lot from the process, and I appreciate his patience and forbearance in this task. Whether I decide to use Kool-Aid or not, Rodney's experiemnts have helped me to learn what the Kool-Aid might do to the recipe as opposed to a different ingredient. It's not only about the end product; it's also about how you get there. So thanks Rodney, because I am learning an unbelievable amount of stuff from following this thread. (And I am selfishly awaiting the final recipe!)

Mmmojitos! Ah! (And some guacamole.)

Ever hear of the Boston Tea Party? It was over 200 years ago, but generally speaking, we're still not a tea-drinking country. I think the article is intended as a piece of humor. Bad, terribly overworked humor, but still. The kind of stuff you hear so often that you have to roll your eyes whenever it comes up again (as it inevitably does). Then again, most of us who don't like it are Americans, so I guess he's hit his mark. But I do think there's a difference between a status symbol and a luxury. (I see Starbucks as neither, BTW. At first they were a trend; now they're just there. Do you look twice at a person carrying a Starbucks cup?) I see a status symbol as being something you would buy in order to make a statement to others; but a luxury I see more as something you splurge on for yourself, for enjoyment, but recognizing that it is a splurge. So Starbucks may well be a luxury for some people, depending on what their financial situation is. But a status symbol? I don't think so.

Pedestrian, yes. Took the word right out of my mouth, you did. An absolutely pedestrian meal, that was. Truly wonderful blog. An eye-opener way beyond the realm of food. Have a safe flight.

Hey, that's why we have delivery. But seriously, I do understand the difficulty. I don't drive. (I literally do not know how to drive.) And I live in midtown NY near 12th Avenue, where, until about a year ago, there was literally NOTHING. (Except my building.) And there's not much now, either. So I understand the difference a block or two can make. But the whole thing just sounded so funny when I read it, the difficulty of walking three whole blocks!! That's all.

Yep, that certainly works great with collards, including the splash of sour at the end. Other acids also work great--I especially like a nice tart red wine vinegar. When I'm not doing the full-fledged ham hock thing, I often do collards by starting with some sauted garlic and onion/shallots/etc.; I then give the greens a bit of a toss in the sauted veggies, add a smallish amount of well-flavored broth (chicken or vegetable), and braise, covered, till tender. Oh yeah--many recipes say to discard the stems, but I love 'em--just slice them up into small pieces and they'll cook at the same rate as the leaves. (Ham hocks, by the way, are cuts from the lower portion of a pig's leg--I think of it as their ankles--smoked/brined with skin and bones intact. Cooking with them is like cooking with a nice well-flavored ham bone--really perks up beans, rice, and other long-simmered dishes. However, they do tend to be really salty--I usually parboil ham hocks before adding them to a recipe. Smoked turkey parts, becoming more and more available, are a great substitute--they tend to be significantly lower in fat, though not so much lower in sodium.) ← I didn't see this before. Thanks mizducky. A few friends of mine mentioned that they also eat the stems, I think I'll keep them on for the next bunch. And I have some chicken stock in the freezer. I guess the possibilities are endless.

Interesting. I had brunch at Aroma several times during my last visit (the friend I was staying with likes them better than Cafe Hillel.) I enjoyed it (it was certainly crowded on Friday mornings), but I can't say that anything in particular stands out in my mind. They seem to be rearranging their menu for the US, so it will be interesting to see exactly how much of a similarity there will be between Aroma here and Aroma there. I wish them luck here, that's for sure. Actually, I wish anyone luck if they're giving Starbucks a run for their money. I'll certainly pay them a visit, but I have to say I was a little put off by this comment, however true it might be: “We discovered that whereas once the average American was willing to pay a buck for a coffee cup, today he does not hesitate to spend four dollars on a cup of coffee, after Starbucks has educated him to do so.” "Nireh"

I made and ate collard greens for the first time last night. Damn, they're good. I was looking up recipes and was a little discouraged because just about every recipe started like this: 2 lbs collard greens 2 ham hocks ... I figured leaving out the ham hocks would leave a major taste-gap, to say the least, so I was looking for a recipe that didn't have them in the first place. (Full disclosure: I don't even know what a ham hock is!) So in the end I combined two recipes. Slice collards into two-inch pieces, boil in water for 15 minutes, drain. Saute sliced red onion, minced garlic, S&P in olive oil until the onion is soft, then add the collards and cook on low for another 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat, add juice of one lemon. It was great, and I am now sold on the stuff. Who knew?

No pie. CAKE.

I can't help thinking of the Seinfeld episode where people are eating Snickers bars with a knife and fork. This also usually comes to mind whenever I see people eating pizza with a knife and fork. (I do, however, use a spoon when I eat soup.)

There is a recipe on the Chocolate and Zucchini site for blueberry coffee cake that looks wonderful (although I haven't made it yet.) Take a peek, you might like it too.

Mango. I never tasted a mango until I was in my late twenties. A friend of mine (who was from Hawaii) thought this was unacceptable. He made dinner, and fresh mango was the dessert. I absolutely couldn't believe that anything, anything could taste that good. In truth, I still can't believe it. And also, my first taste of pesto. I was with a friend at an Italian restaurant and I saw it on the menu. I had absolutely no idea what it was, but I ordered it. I remember when it was served I was disappointed. I mean, it was green! I always expected red stuff on my spaghetti. But the first forkful knocked me out. I had never tasted anything like it before, and I still love pesto, and basil, tremendously.

I noticed this as well, and was surprised (and not a little dismayed) since there's another Ollie's so close by (44th and B'way. And I still like their vegetable dumplings and their scallion pancakes.) But there are so many tourists in the area now, and I don't see that letting up any time soon. I never ate at Bistro du Vent, but I always thought the corner of 42nd and Ninth was a strange choice for the place. It's too much of a hub where everything seems to happen quickly, including the eating. (Especially eating: Dunkin' Donuts, pizza places, sandwich places, etc.) Exhaust fumes from buses, cars, trucks, go all over the people who eat at Bistro's outside seating. I think they might have done better if they were a block or two off 42nd. (But what do I know?)

I think this would make a great article (or series of articles) in a current Gourmet issue. Take photos, etc. Send it to their publishers, see if they go for it. Good luck with the dinners.

These are one of my favorites (and I usually ignore cookies that don't have chocolate in them.)