buckytom

i have three to offer that i think have not been mentioned. tomatoes, peeled or sliced, soaked in worcestershire sauce. cheddar cheese on a whole wheat cracker, with spicy mustard and chopped raw onions or shallots. dried seaweed. either korean style roasted laver with grapeseed or sunflower oil, or irish (red) dulse.

I started with s.o.p.: water at a full rolling boil, then scalding a very large mug. Waiting for the temp of the water to drop a bit (to around 200 degress) I added about 3 teaspoons to a chrome plated brass tea ball placed in the mug. The hot water was poured over the ball, and it was left undisturbed for a good 5 minutes. Finally, I bobbed the tea ball a few times and removed it.

My family and I have eaten at the Warehouse Grill a few times, when we were looking for a house in Sparta last fall. It's a great little spot, and I agree; the food is good at very good prices. I remember having pork chops during one visit (brined, I think), and an octoberfest plate on another. My boy had fish in a buerre blanc-like sauce each time, and after long days of wandering through strange houses, he devoured every bit without a battle. Not a small feat for a four year old. I can't recall what my wife had, but I was surprised that we escaped at less than $50, including tip. That included salads, entrees, soft drinks, and a shared dessert. I hope we'll be house hunting in the area again this fall, if for nothing else but to get back there for dinner.

I know it's hokey, but an ambrosia salad sorta marks summer picnics and gatherings for me. Chris, if you have the grill going, how about grilling some pineapple? Even cold, grilled pineapple is like candy. Or maybe grilled peaches, glazed with brown sugar, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. I'm guessing that we'll be grilling. Probably grilled chicken legs and split breasts, sauced with bbq at the end. Man, am I bored of that. Maybe I'll try to get a nice piece of steelhead, or whole rainbow trout to grill. I've been jonesin' for crustacea, so if I can make it to the store, boiled lobsters and butter fried soft shell crabs will be on the menu, maybe Sunday. If nothing else, I really want to try squid on my searing burner. Just a minute or less per side, then served with sweet chili sauce and fresh cilantro on a bed of iceberg lettuce. I'm getting hungry.

My wife gave me the Tung Ting Jade Oolong from Teavana a while ago, and I was finally able to try it. It was delicious. Definitely on the floral, lightly sweet side of the spectrum. It took me a few cups to really appreciate it, as I'd gotten hooked on the much stronger Earl Grey Supreme from Harney and Sons. Also, I think I was brewing it wrong. In any case, when I want something light, with nice aromas and not too astringent, then it's the one I'll pick.

Another fan of Sriracha on pizza, but you have to add diced raw onions as well. Something about the texture and bite that raw onion adds brings out the flavor in the sauce. I agree that it's not that hot, a bit sweet, but I'm not trying to impress anyone by melting my face off at every chance. I likes what I likes, when I likes it. It's also good on tuna salad sandwiches, and if you want more heat in a Bloody Mary, nix the tobasco and add Sriracha.

I don't know if northern New Jersey is too far for you, but I just saw Ramapos (Ramapoes? Where's Dan Quayle when you need him...) at Bergmann's Greenhouses on Midland Avenue in Saddle Brook. 493 Midland Ave., to be specific. It's a little side of the road greenhouse/nursery where I've bought most of my garden veggie plants for the past few years, at less than $2 per 6 pack of plants, or an indiviual plant in a 5" pot. I have yet to have a bad year with their plants. They harden them off well in cooler years, and I've had minimal problems with bugs and diseases with some t.l.c. and good soil. By the way, if you go there, check out the scented geraniums called Mosquito Plants they offer. These geraniums are amazing! I rub my arms and legs against them before going into the garden, and it's a natural mosquito repellent smelling much like a citronella candle.

Yay for me. My first post on eGullet! I've been working on a few things this year, attempting to replicate favourite dishes from oft-visited restaurants near my home and office. The first one is a shrimp and white bean salad over mixed baby greens in a light lemon vinaigrette. The sweetness of the shrimp is accentuated by the earthy starchiness of cannelini beans, with the vinaigrette adding a slight acidic touch. A delicious salad from a small mom and pop pizza joint in Saddle Brook, NJ named "La Mezzaluna Trattoria". I haven't gotten the vinaigrette just right, yet. It's a mixture (I think) of finely minced celery, minced red onion, lemon zest, parsley (maybe basil and oregano, too?), olive oil, and vinegar. It can't be too powerful, or you lose the interplay of shrimp and beans. The second one is grilled Caribbean style pork chops, from the now defunct "Jimmy Armstrong's Saloon" in NYC. Actually, I've been trying to make these chops for a few years now, but have only recently come close to the real thing. Well, as real as I can remember. Armstrong's was a great little restaurant on the northern reaches of Hell's Kitchen which sadly went out of business when Jimmy died a few years ago. But, without a doubt, Jimmy made the best grilled chops in the world. A few weeks ago, I tried making the marinade more like a brine, and that seems to have done the trick. I could never figure out he got so much garlic and bay flavorings into the meat, and how he made them so juicy. My last attempt was a little over the top, having let them sit in the marinade for 2 days. So now, I just have to back off some of the spices, and reduce marinating time, and I think I'll have it. The last new thing that I've tried this year was my first Manhattan style clam chowder: http://www.recipezaar.com/Buckytoms-Manhat...-Chowder-354393 I made it for a pot luck "soup party" that my sister threw for my family in January, and it was a big hit. It was the only soup that everyone went back for seconds. I incorporated both fresh and canned clams, using chopped large clams as well as whole baby clams for different textures. Everyone asked how I got it to taste so "clammy". I'm just beginning to tackle Korean food, so I hope to be able to make a good kalbi jim and/or naeng myun this summer.