tigerwoman

Yes, the first seder is on the 16th. If you are going Sephardic, you are permitted to serve rice, couscous or other similar grains, which Sephardic Jews do eat during Passover but which are verboten for Ashkenazi Jews. Lamb and couscous are an excellent combination. So, perhaps you might do a braised lamb shanks recipe. I just came across an excellent and interesting cookbook called a Fistful of Lentils about Syrian Jewish Cookery. It is not holiday specific but has some recipes that would work, and may have a holiday section. Check it out. It's a lovely sephardic Jewish cookbook in any case. Hag Samach - Happy Holidays everyone.

you are of course referring to Askenazi Jews and their traditions. As for Sephardic Jews, their traditions are somewhat different. I remember being surprised as a little girl that our sephardic in laws had a very different passover celebration, such as eating certain legumes, vastly different harotses and carrying the affikomen on an elders back rather than hiding it. Speaking of harotses it's really fun to do a medley of different ones from eastern european to yemenite. The middle eastern/sefardic versions tend to use dried fruits rather than apples.

Take the Long Island Railroad to Rockville Center - about a 35-40 minute ride from NYC, (you can drive there easily too) Walk or take a short taxi ride to Bigelow's Seafood Shack on Long Beach Road just off of Sunrise Highway. GREAT Ipswich Belly Clams breaded and lightly fried. Last time I had them they were almost raw in the center, perfectly crisp and greaseless (they blot both the fries and seafood with real cotton kitchen towels- you can watch them!) DELICIOUS and market price I think we paid about $16 for a good sized portion with delicious shoestring fries. Paper plates, good cocktail and tartar sauce, yummy white clam chowder, all kinds of other seafood goodies (and a few chicken and beef things to satisfy the other person) It's a U shaped counter which seats about 20 odd guests. The cooking goes on in the middle, including the fresh battering of the seafood when you order. And you can always take another taxi ride down the road a bit to Long Beach walk the board walk and eventually take the train home from there, or take a short ride a few towns over from Bigelows to Valley Stream for great homemade ice cream

shake shake shake

I have enjoyed the goat cheese and caramelized onion tart at Balthazar a lot. It is as you say something that gets you so hooked, it is difficult to try other things. I too love the Banana and ricotta tart. It used to be GREAT when they first opened. Sometime in the last 2 years they changed their recipe. I was sad at first. But still the tart was excellent. Something about Balthazar is very comforting. I never tire of it. We ate there at the bar last month - for the first time- and walked away happy and content. The banana tart was outstanding. The salads were execellent, especially the frisee, other dishes ranged from good to outstanding. The main bartender, Joe was personable and fun to talk to without being intrusive. Overall a good solid experience.

I really like the clams and linguine in red sauce when Maggie makes it. It isn't really red sauce, more like chunks of stewed tomato with lots of roasted garlic and clams and if you are lucky clams in the shell. About $11-12 for a large bowl. Yum

Tal bagels with branches on both the east and west side makes good cheesecake - very moist. Venerio's cheesecake is better than Junior's in my opinion and better than most of the rest of their stuff. But hey, they are very popular with Joe public so who am I to say.

You are being kind - it looks dumpy and that's after a recent paint job!! But - BUT - THE PIZZA and food (as pointed out especially when Maggie's cooking) is amazing and so is Dom. It's an experience unparalleled. I think a regular large (and it's really large) round pizza is either $12 or 15 and the toppings are about 3-5 extra. Sometimes if we remember we order a pie on the way over and then don't wait as long when we get there to start eating - while waiting for some pasta or other goodies. We really like their pasta with clam sauce - either white or red. Both have some tomato in anyway and when available have delicious baby clams in the shell too. Of all the kids Maggie is the best cook and the son with the ponytail is the worst (relatively) Now a days if he's there we just order pizza. And try to go during the week when it's not as crazy - even the pizza can suffer a bit on the weekend (though still in a different league of its own) Nina = do you know what days Maggie usually works?

When we were in COSTCO outside of London, the snack bar sold jacketed potatoes (baked potatoes) with choice of toppings including broccoli, butter or coleslaw (common in UK), along with the infamous COSTCO hot dog and soda deal. And in the branch up near Leeds we bought a chocolate UK version of Monopoly (it was right around Christmas time). They also sold this stuff they called Chinese Seaweed - which I have only had before in London's Soho Chinatown. It's actually the very green cabage which is thinly cut (chiffonade) and deep fried quickly then sprinkled with salt and sugar. It's very tasty. This was in a clear deli like container and was called Mrs. "something or another" - hey it's been a few years so I forgot!

Count me and hubby in for two more if there is still room I just came across an old recipe for grilled pizza dough Rhode Island Style - a la Forno's - haven't made it in years but if there is a grill...

Nina I know you like Beirkraft and I do to. Have you ever tried the cheeses and breads from Panarama? I haven't been there lately but have always liked it in the past. Nice cheese selection - reasonably priced and good breads (which sell out early). My friend who lives around the corner and shops at both B and P (aformentioned) told me that Panarama was really hurting for business. It's not easy being a small business owner of a perishable luxury item. I hope they can all sustain and the neigborhood supports them. So many people seem to bitch and moan about the prices at Bierkraft - they don't appreciate the cost of doing business among other things. ANyway I am ranting so its time to stop I also love DiFara's pizza and hanging out with Dom - he even knows to give us extra grated parm for the pizza without asking now. But don't get there as often as I would like - it's a huge trip from my house !! (and worth it) This summer we took some friends on a food safari to Brooklyn and hit up An Dong and DiFaras - went to An Dong first so that whilst we were waiting for the maestro to complete the pizza we wouldn't be starving....He just makes the best pizzas.

the bakery on Steinway near Ali's is LaZiza's of New York They have great cookies and pastries as well Lots of butter, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc. besides the usual baklava stuff

Corona Heights Pork Store near the Lemon Ice King off of 108th Street in Corona makes their own fabulous delicious sweet ricotta. Nothing like the stuff from the supermarket and fairly reasonable too. They also make fab cured and fresh sausages, incredible but slow to make chicken parm sandwiches, great mozzarella., etc. etc. They are nice people and hard working too. Tiny store. Also nearby is Parkside Restaurant and of course the famous Bocce Courts. The ricotta makes a nice dessert with some fresh raspberries. - no enhancements needed, it is naturally sweet.

Just a reminder - if you are interested in bidding on the wine or other goodies, the auction is closing this Friday. It's for a great cause and you get to enjoy the benefits!!! www.ice-ny.com is the schools web site, below is the direct link to the food and beverage page. wine auction bid page Thanks for your support.

Box?? Where do you get that? We get 8 sheets in a plastic bag and they coset over 6 dollars. Is that about right? Suvir - I was in Restaurant Depot in Queens (not too far from Tangra Masala) today and they had a box of 1000 sheets of parchment for $25.81. It is full sheet pan sized, 16 3/8 x 24 3/8. It is called Easy Liners for Baking. You need to become a member (free) but must show tax id - resale info, etc. Maybe you can bring stuff from Divan. They have all sorts of goodies from produce to frozen to equipment for the trade. It is cash and carry but you can use a credit card or company check too. PM me it you want the address and phone number. I would be happy to meet you there one day if you want to check it out.

Here's a old pastry chef trick if you only have a springform pan. Wrap the pan in a single oversized sheet of HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil. Then the water from the bain marie won't leak in and you can use the springform release method. You could also subsitute a roasting pan for the bain marie pan but that might change the results as it won't be as close to the other pan (reflective heat???)

If this is part of the same chain as Amandari, these hotels are known for their incredible service and beauty - they usually tie into the native land. Amandari, which is in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia is quite incredible and spawned a few others such as the Four Seasons to follow in their footsteps.

Hey - this is a prime example of something else that could be converted into a quesidilla.

You already have alot of potato things but we make a cheaters masala dosai using a whole wheat tortilla, mashed potatoes and coconut cilantro chutney (that we assimilated based on the Hampton Chutney Company's Cilantro Chutney). Could do other types of Dosai this way too What about curried egg in a wonton cup (cut wonton sheets to size spray with oil or pam and press into mini tartlet molds. Again the wonton cups could be used as a vehicle for other savoury things. Another thing that comes to mind is rice pilau stuffed mushroom with cashews and almonds. - you could add dried cranberry here if you wanted the thanksgiving connection. We made a asian vegetarian stuffed mushroom once with sticky rice and fermented black beans with a touch of basil - it was very tasty and reheated well.

not having the right tools to do the job. Not just dull knife but wrong knife. Not enough counter space. Stove and or burners don't get hot enough.

I live in Forest Hills and there are a number of Uzbeki Bakeries and Restaurants that use Tandoori Ovens to bake their Lavosh Bread and meat kebabs. These are very eastern asian - european cultures. In this area all of them are also kosher - an interesting mix. The restaurants also serve lots of kebabs and samosas, although the tastes are quite different from Indian per say. I think Indian food is far more refined. Having said this, I do love the lavosh bread - but there aren't too many freshly baked breads that I don't love! I am going to Istanbul next week - it's so cool to stand on the edge of the Bosphrus and actually have Europe on one side, Asia on the other. Was this the birthplace of fusion cuisine

That sounds intriguing - pretty please post the recipe. TIA.

My son's high school, a small alternative NYC public school is having a silent auction and there is an on line component. One of the items is : 1 case of Chateau Canon 1989 Description: Chateau Canon 1989, 1er Grand Cru Classe, St Emilion (12 bottles). For those who love the refined style and caressing texture of a great bottle of St.-Emilion, Château Canon is a Bordeaux estate with a solid pedigree. Wine Spectator Magazine Retail Value: $1,200.00 Minimum Bid: $700 There are also several pieces of art by well known artists who are connected to the school via children and grandchildren, etc., as well as a great vacation house opportunity in a Canadian National Park and gift certificates to various restuarants. Obviously the money is for a great cause, and this is not a wealthy school, we have a huge range of and diversity of kids , including some in foster or group homes. The money goes for basics that the board of ed is continually cutting, blah blah blah, Silent Auction Fundraiser/ click on SILENT AUCTION Catalogue Hope this finds a good home - thanks for your support.

I second the DiFara recommendation - but try to go during the week if possible, because the wait on weekends is long and the place is a real hole in the wall. They recently painted it, but not much of an improvement. Dom is a master pizza maker but it takes time and he has a process. Best pizza I've had in years - wish it were closer to home.

When life gives you lemons try to make interesting lemonade... Airport layovers I have enjoyed: Browsing at Lush - a foodesque “body shop” (lotions and potions like no other) in Heathrow Sausage from German airport (I think it was Frankfort but don't recall) Sampling jerking, looking at deerskin and Native American crafts in Alaska Watching native dance in Papua New Guinea and then shopping at “native” kiosks at 2am in the morning! Great crafts and interesting wallets in Seoul (right after the Asian stock market crash so things were extremely cheap). Beats trying to sleep on those shaped chairs that us discount fliers are relegated to...(alas, no first class or business lounge for this traveler...)