richw

Thanks to ALL of you for your great suggestions. I'll post back - hopefully with the good news that my search turned out to be successful. And I cannot believe that I couldn't find a single one on eBay. Thanks, Rich

Perlow family, Much thanks for the great feedback. I'll be trying your suggestions on my next visit to Rockland county (I stay in New City) Rich

Col Klink, Thanks for the details! I 'll certainly post back when I get a chance to give it a try. Thanks Rich

I think those massive wine & champagne bottles are so cool!! I am wondering if anyone knows how I can obtain one, preferrably an empty one. I know the distribution of them is limited and the wine reps probably give them to their clients for decorative purposes. If nobody here knows how to get one, then I know that they are truly rare. I searched eBay--no luck Thanks Rich

What do you all think of Kervan? That is, if you have ever dined there. They have two locations - Fort Lee & Tenafly (I think). Whenever I visit the area I eat there. It's pretty much the only Turkish restaurant I've ever eaten at and the Iskender is tasty. Since I have never eaten at any of the other Turkish restaurants in the area I don't if I missing out on anything better. I visit Rockland county several times a year and I'm pretty lost up there. I like the area but the people I visit don't dine out much. If you know of any good, ethnic restaurants/or markets please share. Thanks Rich

col klink, I really would like to give your oven roasted corned beef a try. I have a few questions if you don't mind. [*]Oven temp and how long? [*] Do you put in a covered roasting pan with or without liquid? [*]Do you soak or rinse the corned beef before the roast? I would think that it remains much saltier without boiling. Thanks, Rich

Thanks to everyone for their great feedback I think Jaymes' last post has it exactly right: And if you have a crock pot, you simply cannot mess it up. I'll be adding mirepoix and a bay leaf or two this time. Rich

Hi All, I bought one of those supermaket slabs of corned beef to simmer up this weekend. It says on the package that one should try to retain all juices from the bag and place them in the water with the corned beef. I was wondering...do any you add anything else to your water? Maybe mirepoix? Curious, Rich

I think falafel should be the first recipe in the cookbook...

I think Jin's onto it. Rich, when you say,"What I mean by mealy is that even after cooking the peas long enough to break them down, they still seem almost dry even thought they been fully hydrated." - you're describing old peas/beans. You can cook them 'til hell freezes over and it won't do any good. Okay Jaymes, I hear ya. But, I can see you cranking that A/C for all it's worth and sitting there with a good hot bowl of hearty pea soup. Dave, you know how to shame a dude. Now I'll have to come clean. Only thing is, now I'm going to have to make a pea soup and keep notes. I just do it. Don't have anything written down. It's definitely a possibility that the peas are too old but I am doubtful. I buy my legumes at a Latin-American market where they turnover the dried legumes very very quickly. I'll be sure to post the results of my next attempt at pea soup. Thanks! Rich

It's a possibility, but in an effort to dispel that myh I've even bought Streit's brand pea soup mix. The reason I did this is because the peas in the soup mix package look like they have been put through a buffalo chopper and are in much smaller pieces. Like crushed split peas. Still no success.

I would think that the 'general' pea soup is stock-based and that the thickness is pretty much the same in the South and the North. We're talking about good, old pea soup; Not pea foam or fresh pea puree. What I mean by mealy is that even after cooking the peas long enough to break them down, they still seem almost dry even thought they been fully hydrated. Tough to describe.

I've tried a wand blender as well. I have made it vegan style with some Indian spices, southern style with smoked ham hocks and jewish-style with Flanken. I am convinced that in order to get that smooth texture, I need to get my hands on some type of dehydrated and processed pea powder that restaurants use. BTW, croutons rule over the top!!

I love split pea soup. I just love it. I order it whenever I am presented with the opportunity to. I even order it when it's 100 degrees Fahrenheit here in South Florida. Here's the problem: I've tried making it several times at home and it just never has the smooth, viscous texture of the pea soup at any average diner (that probably uses a pre-mixed powder of dehydrated peas and flavoring). There is always a mealy texture when I make it, even if I soak the peas overnight. Here are the some of the things I have tried to replicate 'diner-style' split pea soup. - add no salt to the stock/dried pea/mirepoix mixture - cook in a pressure cooker - simmer for 4+ hours - Run any of the above through a food mill Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I’ll be in New City/Rockland county this weekend visiting family. Last time I was in the area I visited Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and was treated to a fantastic educational tour by Izzy, one the founders. I would to like to visit some other food businesses in the area and was hoping somebody would know of a few. This could include recommended restaurants, food emporiums or farms. Thanks, Rich

Where is Famous Daves? I will be in New Jersey this weekend.

Scruby's is definitely one of the top BBQ places in South Florida. You should also try: Jack's BBQ - Fort Lauderdale Tom Jenkins - Fort Lauderdale They both have big follwings with Tom Jenkins being more established. I believe that Jack is a relative (and former employee) of the owner of Tom Jenkins. He went out on his own earlier this year.

The only thing I've ever used rendered duck fat for is to pan-fry blocks of firm polenta in. It was tasty

That's definitely a possibility. My gut tells me it has something to do with superstition. I'll post the my research findings.

Every time I have ever been served orange slices at a Chinese restaurant, I've noticed that the oranges are sliced perpendicular to the blossom & stem end. The oranges are sliced down the equator, exposing the fruit in its multiple sections rather than in wedges that can be easily removed from the skin. Does anyone know why it is that oranges are served this way at Chinese restaurants? I don't consider this a wrong or a right thing, I'm simply curious to know if there is some logic or superstition behind this. Thanks, Rich

Nick, I completely understand. I'm curious to know what area of the country you live/work in that Escolar is readily available. Is it an item your seafood purveyor has often? Thanks, Rich

All, Thanks for your reponses. I must say that I'll take my chances and eat it anyways. It's that good. I wonder why I've never seen it at any fish markets or on menus in restaurants? Maybe it's just catching on and poised to be the next Chilean Sea Bass. We'll see. Rich

I have always wondered what cut of meat (from the pig) is a riblet. I ordered them from a local applebees and for the life of me could not figure it out. I originally thought they were spare ribs cut on a thin bias, but they are loaded with "chine" bone. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

The Sushi bars in South Florida have been serving this fish Nigiri style and as Sashimi for a couple of years now. They call it "White" Tuna or Escolar. It's an off-white, oily fish and I suspect it is in the toothfish family, similar to the Chilean Sea Bass a/k/a Patagonian Toothfish. I haven't seen it served anywhere else in my travels. I was wondering if any of you are familiar with it. As a veteran sushi fan I find that it is excellent. It is rich with oil and has a mild flavor that's reminiscent of butter in my opinion. Rich