devinl

You could always rent a lobster trap for the year. http://www.catchapieceofmaine.com/

I couldn't find any Fage at the market, but they had Chobani on sale so I picked up a couple. I'm still working through some older yogurt and haven't tried it yet. Anyone here eat the Chobani brand stuff?

I just had a pack of Pulmuone brand Naeng Myun. It was very tasty and refreshing for the hot weather. I used to eat the instant Bibimien to get my fix of cold spicy korean noodles. But then I discovered that the korean market had a whole category of noodles that were semi-fresh. The noodles come 2 in a pack and you just boil the noodles for a few minutes, chill the noodles and add the hot sauce pack. Not as good as the restaurant, but world's better than the instant stuff.

MarkJoseph used to be pretty reliable and good. But on my last visit in February, I thought the steak was only ok.

I ran into this last night. I made pasta and I usually make 1 box of pasta with 1 jar of sauce. I mixed both of them together and was thinking that there was less sauce than normal. I went ahead and mixed them and ended up adding more sauce to make it look right.

I wish I could do this in my own home. Roast duck is one of my favorite meats. I always wondered if it was possible to make it at home. Thanks for proving that it can be done.

That pork belly looks wonderful! What does puncturing the skin do? Does it help dry out the skin in the oven? Once the roasting is done, is there any hint of vodka flavor?

I have several stainless steel all-clads as my first pieces. They're pretty good, but over time, I found that the thicker anodized aluminum was better at heat distribution. So for non-stick, i go to the restaurant supply stores and always look for the thickest anodized aluminum I can find for a fair price. Emeril's non-stick used to be great. It was made by all-clad and used anodized aluminum all the way around. But I would never by an anodized aluminum pan if it didn't have a non-stick or stainless interior surface. The material is just too hard to clean.

I believe stainless steel can be used in the microwave. But you have to be careful though. I know of someone who microwaved a steel bowl, but the handles was another metal (I can't remember what), that didn't spark in the microwave. Unfortunately for him, the metal handles were super hot and stuck to his hand.

The wife and I were in the mood to have some Cuban food Friday night. We've been to Cabana's before, but wanted something more traditional. I noticed a recommendation on Chowhound/Yelp for Rincon Criollo in Corona, right near the 7 train Junction Blvd stop. It's a decent sized place that can seat maybe 50 or so people. The waiter was very nice and kept making sure we were ok throughout the meal. We ordered Yuca Frita, Tamale Cubano, Madeiros, Vaca Frita, and Ropa Vieja. The Yuca was excellent. Crisp and fluffy. The tamale was ok, a little bland for my taste. Ropa Vieja was pretty good, but the Vaca Frita was also excellent. Nothing was too garlicky or saucy. You do feel like you drank a cup of oil afterwards, but it was worth it. It was a nice alternative to Cabana and we'll definitely be going back again.

I've been wanting to get a Cadco for some time now. Do you know how many amps the oven draws? I'm getting close to overloading my circuit and am trying to figure out how to balance my kitchen power.

I like the OXO stuff too, but I find that it's hit or miss sometimes. The tongs are great. The flexible spatula? Not so good. I really like their knives though. They're very comfy and are well balanced. The one downside is that the blades tend to be thicker than what I'm used to.

I think you should try making Pernil with a large pork shoulder. Bittman's recipe looks tasty and easy to make. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/dining/02mini.html

I'm not fond of Deluxe. I don't trust the quality of their meats. The butcher I've used for years is on Mott St. About two stores away from Deluxe, towards Grand St. It's a little butcher shop but I've always felt that their meat was pretty good quality. If you're not satisfied with what they have on display, you can also ask them to check the back for more cuts.