Jinmyo

Saint Jacques Pepin says to always crack eggs on a flat surface because using the rim of the bowl will drive tiny pieces of shell into the egg. Which one then has to fish out with a larger piece of shell for their sins.

I really enjoyed that article and had bought the issue of Esquire for it. Thanks for the site, Special K.

I have nothing to add here except some exclamations about how fantasically delicious ox tail and short ribs are. I don't do them in this season so it will be a little while before I have them again.

Mike, what kind of ingrediemts do you enjoy using for acidity and heat? Do you make use of dried chiles? Smoked chiles? Or are these flavours too pronounced?

No, I don't imagine that natto would be useful at Blue Hill. I have my doubts about using Japanese ingredients (except perhaps wasabi, shoyu, sake, and su) in Western cuisines unless it is done with the greatest of care. Japanese cuisine is water based rather than oil or butter based in terms of cooking methods and miso with butter alarms me. I don't live in NYC (or even in the US) and so don't know where to buy natto there.

Definitely. Many Japanese dishes are solidly part of Korean cuisine now. Often the approach to sushi/sashimi/miso is not as nuanced or subtle. But kimchee is gooooood with toro.

Rochelle, I think you'll really enjoy butchering. It's strange, but it can give one a new and profound sense not only of meat but also of vegetables and grains as, well, lives. It's difficult to explain.

Very interesting, cabrales. Thank you.

Mmmm. Egg whites. All right, and what were you doing with the egg whites?

Rochelle, did you scale the fish in the sink? Or inside of a large mixing bowl? Are you going to be doing any butchering from primal cuts? What was the fat you used for the chips (crisps)? Thanks as always for your journal entries.

is very

Winsome lose some.

Wilfrid, I must admit that my favourite way to have tongue is still in sandwiches with butter and mustard, a little cress.

Blue Heron, there's the germ of a good new thread in that story.

One cannot help but wonder whether Her Winsomeness was the cause of the disinterested (perhaps even hostile) service. Has anyone else been?

The needs of the dish outway the needs of the many, or the one. Surely, surely.

Of course not. Who would expect someone to order bistecca medium let alone well-done? It's like asking for the camembert to be crumbly like Wensleydale. Objectively, this is clearly insane. Perhaps a sign: "No Crazy People, Please."

Good for you, Beachfan. The angels of your better nature kept you from it. I've eaten at Moosewood and it was dire. No. 1, don't bother trying. I've done it with grains, with tofu, with meinjin (gluten), and on and on. Edible but pointless. Better to go the grilled portobello with chevre in a bun if they want to pretend it's a burger, I think. Or just make hamburgers and lie. Just say it's a new Japanese "beef-flavoured" product made from micro-fibres and inverted barley or something.

I would say that only someone who is exploring food and cooking in an engaged manner can have a palate worth speaking of. Otherwise they merely have likes and dislikes based on habit. Less extremely, James Beard said that no one under 30 years of age can have a palate because they simply lack experience. Hm. Has anyone ever tasted a palate? Sure, ground up into head cheese or in a hot dog. But on its own? Wilfrid?

Artichoke and chicken. Can't go wrong. To grill artichokes, boil or steam them first. Just until the bottoms pierce easily, or you can pull off a petal. Drain, cool, clean. Marinate in something nice for at least an hour. Perhaps oil, balsamico, shallots, garlic. Then put them cut side down on the grill until lightly browned on the cut side, mebbe 5 minutes. Turn them leave until the tips are charred, about another 5 minutes.

Oooooooooh. Don't get me started. For a quick bunch of ideas, check out anything by Mario on the FN site.

Israeli couscous cooked with leeks, portobello, shitake, oyster, shimeiji mushrooms, served cold with lots of parsley and a bit of citrus. Beet gaspacho topped with grilled chevre. Frittata with fruilano, roma tomatoes, huge shelled shrimp. Deep-fried shrimp shells and heads. Tempura red snapper. edit: Forgot to mention aioli dip for the snapper.