Jinmyo

Welcome, nicos. Hm. That saucing sounds pretty heavy. But then I think of monkfish liver as ankimo, in a Japanese context.

I make butterflied loin chop sandwiches with fresh chipotle mayo and a mixture of raw and fried onions.

Whaaa? I'd never heard that. A thin slow stream.

Not to speak for fifi but I believe what was being spoken of is buying them at Whole Foods etc rather than at Asian markets.

This is very true. So much so it rarely occurs to me to mention it so I'm glad that fifi did. One of the most egregious and obvious examples is dried shitake. But it runs across the gamut.

Hm. I must admit: caviar as merely an ingredient or condiment in a dish. Salmon roe, bottarga shavings, even lumpfish roe will often do.

Good for Amanda.

Yes, this is a charming book by the abbess of a Rinzai Zen nunnery that serves shojin ryori kaiseki. Very simple and approachable seasonal menus and recipes with great and useful photographs.

Well, Charlie Trotter's Vegetables perhaps.

Ha ha ha. How is wee Rebecca? Adrian's (Basildog's) situation at Margot's Bistro is not typical but not unique. As a cook who became the chef who became the owner who became the maitre'd, there is no real division between FOH and BOH for him. And he tries to foster this sense of community amongst his staff. Margot's is a small and enough intimate enough operation that this really works for him. But divisions between FOH and BOH are much more common.

Is it not still the case that FOH staff in the big places are still somewhat trained in the traditions of service as a profession? The dedication of such people is similar to that of the cooks. A problem I remember is that FOH are often basically outsiders. They come and bus or wait or pour drinks for a few months or years and then go off to their "real jobs". I remember someone saying that FOH were just customers who happened to put on an apron for a while and then went back to being customers without ever understanding the business.

Holly, this is so. Basically, there are at least as many gates to wonder that open around a fresh summer tomato as there are seeds in its heart. All are glorious.

Chad, formaggi frito is bene, true. Yes, try folding the bottom edge up over the top. I pleat a bit (pul and press, turn, pull and press, turn).

I'm a toasted sourdough sort. Fresh seeded plum tomatoes, fresh mayonaisse, much pepper, fleur de sel. Then one can get into a few leaves of basil, bacon, etc etc etc. But a simple tomato sandwich is bliss indeed.

That's the one. Sadly, my copy has now passed through many hands and is unavailable to me or I would scan it in for you.

fresco, there was an interesting piece in the New Yorker a few weeks ago on Stein and Toklas during the occupation. It's not online but you might be able to turn up a wooden copy.

Chad, it depends upon the moisture and fat of the cheeses you are using. Certainly, using less cheese would help with this.

1) Serve with slivered smoked salmon and salmon roe with wilted arugula and a bit of mint. 2) Serve with crumbled chevre etc etc. Or with a vodka sauce. 3) Not bother, really. Perhaps with cremini and porcini mushrooms with chile and scallions.

Now we're talking. Jason and Rachel?

That would be pretty creepy.

The Kids 4 is terrifying.

Tailored and made by whom, Jinmyo? Or do you have your own tailor? Yes.

Oh, one of my favourite things is going through 20 pounds of cremini mushrooms on a block with a Henckel. I really love that. Really, the obviousness of cutting boards for knives instead of holding and hacking has caused me much puzzlement. Many cuisines, such as Moroccan, seem to have no idea of the use of cutting boards from my own personal experience. I understand not using one if one is making small quantities of something and dragging out a board is just more time spent. But taking fifteen times as long to do something as it would take with proper knife technique and a board (as is standard with French, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines) makes no sense to me.

I know what you mean. One has to gather the fabric at the back in a rough pleat between the fingers when beginning to don apron. But my stuff is tailored.

Hm. Seems some people do not yet have a Margot Cam running continuously on their desktop. Not to name names.