The Naughti Literati

I was just wondering about this...I have it somewhere, I think? I live alone and as I cook vicariously through you all in the cookbook threads and especially the dinner thread, I find myself wishing I were more motivated to cook, but it IS hard to do all that shopping and cooking for yourself when you just have tons of leftovers to deal with. I am going to cook today though and actually contribute a picture! I have been on here for six years and have probably cooked about as many times. SAD!!!!

My GOD...you people are absolutely ridiculous!!! I heated up Papa John's because I'm a lazy douchebag who hasn't turned my stove on in MONTHS. This thread is a masterpiece. I am always referring friends and patients to it!

What amazing pictures, I just got The Family Meal cookbook last night and knew this was the place to look for details on the dining experience! I'm cracking up at the emails/reservations/rejections because it sounds just like the angst my other writer friends are experiencing as we gear up for MFA application season.

I saw this book at Strand last night and couldn't stop touching it and staring...came home and ordered it from Amazon for $20 in savings! LOL I haven't been on in a while but since I know it's fall cookbook season I knew you all would be rockin and rollin over here and actually COOKING from it! Chris has yet to let me down!

Oh boy. I got my copy yesterday (Dorie, I just sent you a request on Facebook talking about how I hoped this very thread would be here!) and am looking forward to cooking from it...after I watch you pros for a little while first! My boyfriend is a chef and does all the cooking but since fall is around the corner and the horrific NYC heat will be GONE, I will be a little more motivated. Yay! Chris, these photos are AMAZING. You guys never disappoint.

I'm reading it now and love it so far! My favorite chapter is the literary food porn tour of his favorite meals around the world. Sit in a bookstore and read THAT even if you hate the man. Amazing.

Great review on EatMeDaily (I'm on my mobile so I'll let them say it better than the hours it would take me to peck and blather and rave): http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/09/beyond-the-bayou-my-new-orleans-by-john-besh-cookbook-review/

Ohhhhh my Goddddd...I saw this in Borders yesterday and had a very, very hard time walking away from it. I used my 40% off coupon to get Gourmet Today (I effing love when I get those - I always splurge on a cookbook I otherwise can't afford and won't use anyhow LOL) but I will be going back tomorrow to get this one too! I did a search and only saw it mentioned in the cookbooks you most anticipate in '09 thread; I *know* some of you already have it and are cooking from it! Please direct me to the thread and food porn at once. LOL If you haven't seen it, run out and do so - absolutely stunning. It is a cookbook/memoir with beautiful photographs throughout and so many recipes I can't wait to try! Thoughts?

I was browsing Amazon and was reminded of this thread because this book came up as one of my recommendations: The Widow Clicquot It's not out yet, not until the end of the month!

Picked it up last night and now am happily lying in bed reading it. Thank you so much for posting and to the others that agreed! I am only about 40 pages in but I'm REALLY enjoying it so far; she IS a great writer. I love spicy food and this book is making me crave some spicy Chinese! I think I may be hitting Chinatown as soon as tomorrow once I know exactly what to look for. LOL

I *so* want to read this book now. I'd seen it a few times but didn't pick it up, yet this past weekend I found myself in Chinatown four times in three different cities while taking the gloriously inexpensive bus to visit family and friends for Mother's Day - New York, Philly, and DC. I busted a STOOPID grub each time I was there and can't wait to walk around NY's Chinatown (and read some of the threads about it) and explore and eat some more. SOLD!

LOL Meatpacking is not THAT bad; in fact, the best club and crowd in the entire CITY (Cielo) is on Little W 12th. I will definitely be going to Merkat on a Wednesday before I go and get my deep house fix from Louie Vega and Kevin Hedge. I'll report back, in the meantime I'll be trying out stuff from the cookbook right at home.

Can't wait to go, hopefully sometime this or next week. His newest book, The Soul of a New Cuisine, is the BIZNESS and one of my favorites now.

NYT article on Beefsteaks!!! I *have* to go to one...the video is making me NUTS! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/dining/3...&pagewanted=all

I thought I had seen a few books with the same title, as recently as a few weeks ago at B&N Union Square! I guess since The New Yorker is such a heavyweight they weren't concerned with confusion or even creativity when it came to naming the collection because people were going to buy it regardless. I know I was pining for it when I saw the ad in the food issue back in September! I haven't read anymore lately because I got into Best Food Writing 2007, but am at a Bill Buford piece on oysters. Not all that crazy about them, but the writing is great. I agree, Sherry!

Yes, congrats to the Egulleters in this collection and thanks for the correction! I'm REALLY enjoying this book. I will probably end up reading it cover to cover within the week. My favorite so far (I've only read a few) is Feast of Burden by Sara Desaran of San Francisco, originally published in 7x7. I also liked the piece on tuna (Rare Tuna, Todd Klimore, The Washingtonian) and why good tuna is so hard to find. LMFAO @ the Japanese chef saying that over there, "white tuna" is considered cat food!! Definitely cover to cover reading.

I went to a mac and cheese RESTAURANT this weekend (posted about it in the NY forum), and the food was off the fuckin RICHTER. One of the posters said she would try to make some of the dishes at home until she was able to make it there, and I think it would be fun to try some when I go to my grandmother's in Philly since that is one of her most famous dishes! I'm looking for a be all and end all recipe myself. This is a great list of ideas though, not your ordinary mac for sure! Smacnyc.com/what.html

You're welcome! I like the site too, especially the "Who" section that details how they came up with the idea. I read about this place in a Daily Candy email when it first opened! I'm guessing that a restaurant supply store or somewhere like Zabar's would have those pans, aren't they cute? If you try some of these at home, start a thread and let me know! The Nosh size was quite small (I think it's pictured on that page with a Mongo size), just a tad bigger than making a circle with your hands, but would be VERY filling for lunch or dinner. The Major Munch was big enough to eat in three separate servings, and you can't beat the price. When my mom put her Brie Mac into the microwave the next afternoon and took the first bite, she did the Holy Ghost dance!!! My boyfriend works a few blocks away, so I'm going to have some delivered there tonight so he can bring it home. I see they have a $15 minimum so now I gotta figure out what to get since what I wanted isn't enough...a Mongo size of Brie? A Major Munch of Brie and and a Nosh of Cheeseburger Mac, or Cajun again? Or maybe Manchego or one of the specials like Turkey Mac? Or three different Noshes? I can't take it!!!!!! Very much worth a trip there (again and again). I guess there are about 12 tables and window seats, and the place is bustling. I will be incorporating it into my weekly Strand ritual since it's right down the street!

I have been wanting to go to this place since it opened, and when my mom and aunt came up this weekend I finally did. Now I can't stop thinking about the place and have to go back sometime this week! We each tried different dishes - I had the Cajun Mac, which was so spicy and cheesy...perfect amount of seasoning, the celery and green peppers gave it a nice texture and balance, and the andouille sausage took it over the top. My aunt likes hers plain, so she had the 4 Cheese Mac, they do NOT skimp on the cheese. The winner of the three was the BRIE though!! Good GAWD!!!!!!! It has brie, shiitake mushrooms, roasted figs and rosemary. That is what I'm going back for. So rich and cheesy, and the figs make it a knockout. I should have gotten a small size (Nosh) to take home for myself, but after a few bites of my own Major Munch size, I was stuffed. We tore the leftovers UP later on and the next day! The place is small, and was PACKED. I like the way the macs come in a personal pan, hot and bubbling, and it seemed that people came as folks left so seating wasn't too hard to find and worked out fine. We met a couple from Westchester who said they saw the place on the news and HAD to come and try it, then head off to see Jersey Boys. Great choice! After we left, my mom just HAD to ask about Rice to Riches, so we ended up going there to take some dessert home. Thanks, Mom. LOL I tried searching the boards a few times for a thread on this place, but wasn't able to find one...please direct me to it if it's already been discussed! S'mac is on 12th Street @ 1st Ave, here is the site's menu...I plan on trying them all very soon! They also have delivery, AND you can even take a dish home to refrigerate and bake when YOU are ready. http://smacnyc.com/what.html

I finally got this book this afternoon and I'm so glad I did. I'm about to lie down and dig in, with the pouring rain as background music. No better way to end the weekend as far as I'm concerned. I love this series, I now have 2001-2007 and will be buying 2000 as well!

This book definitely deserves a thread of its own and I'm glad you started it! I snatched the book up the week it was released and am reading it from cover to cover when the mood strikes. I've enjoyed everything but standouts were the history of beefsteaks and that LONG profile of Euell Gibbons, the forager. It was also interesting to read about the fisherman culture (the oyster folks and then Joe Pasternack). I'm looking forward to the fiction section! My favorite cartoon is the one where the man is sitting at the dinner table in front of a place setting with his dog, and when the wife arrives home, the dog points to the hubby and says to her, "Thank God you're here! His bowl is empty." LMFAO! Damn, now I gotta go read some more RIGHT NOW.

Pear butter??? YUM!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone has a tried and true recipe they'd like to share, please do so. I love pears, the only thing I drink these days is pear nectar!

CanadianBakin' (what a great name!!) - You were right...today I lured my boyfriend into Barnes & Noble by reminding him that The Bourne Ultimatum was out on DVD. He offered to get me The Secrets of Baking if I let him watch his new movie in peace. I'm extremely happy with these three for now though!! You'll love Desserts by the Yard, I hope you get it soon! Mukki - I think what got me were the Amazon reviews for The Secrets of Baking, I didn't see it the other night but had to go for a look. I love the way it's organized; for someone who doesn't do a lot of baking like myself, it makes it so much less daunting and easier to be creative! I'm really looking forward to reading this one as well and tinkering with recipes from both. I want to make almost EVERYTHING in this new book, but I'll start with something simple. That White Chocolate-Buttermilk and Strawberry Cake is just *calling* me though. I have a few more hours to decide, and boy are the choices stupefying!

That is beeyoooootiful!!! Today I'm going to bake a carrot cake cheesecake and I'm thinking about doing the Brrrr-ownies from this book and perhaps something else I'll let my mom, aunt and grandmother request. This thread is spectacular. It's what made me buy the book, I'm so glad many of my questions have already been answered too!

I've got SOME experience, but not nearly as much as some of you in this forum seem to have! I asked my boyfriend who is a chef if he baked at all, and he said, "I bake CHICKENS." He wants no part of it, and he hates sweets cause he ate too many of them as a child in India. And all those rasgollas and burfis, etc stuff are sweeeeeet, so I understand. Thanks for your help, I like the way you describe the fruits as just flavoring components, that makes it easier to have fun experimenting with my own twists. I can only imagine how exciting working that event was! Here are some of the recipes I thought were cool, and the pictures...sheesh!!!!!: Charlotte Russe (the cover photo) Zeppoli (Italian doughnuts) Rainbow Room Chocolate Souffle (funny story behind that one about having to get it from a different floor without having it fall before it reached the table) Coffee Stracciatela Ice Cream (I need an ice cream maker now, my mom would LOVE this!) Pain Perdu with Concord Grape Poached Pears Souffleed Creme Fraiche Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce (inspired by her trip to Austria) President Clinton's Oatmeal Cookies (created when she learned he couldn't eat chocolate) Chocolate Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Gelato Honey-glazed Spago Corn Bread Mango Pudding Doggy Treats (created for her dog and doggie guests of The Campton Hotel, says to serve with a big bowl of Fiji Water ) Forbidden Rice Pudding (saw that in Dorie's book - beautiful photo in this one!) Yuzu Lemon-lime Meringue Pie Pistachio Gelato with Deep, Dark, Decadent Doughnuts Lime-scented Floating Islands with Yuzu Curd Ice Cream ETA: I lied, now I want The Secrets of Baking too. LOL