tommy

made a dish inspired by yum nam sod tonite, which seems to be a happy little cousin of larb. my version was basically larb with the addition of a few peanuts and ginger slivers. quite satisifying, although the next time i would actually have *less* dressing and a lot more herb and heat. this dish, to me, should be very herbal and spicy.

first time miss j? i can't stress enough that most recipes don't call for enough fish sauce/lime juice. right or wrong, most people like it a little more "wet". don't be afraid to make a mixture of fish sauce/lime juice/sugar to serve on the side. i find that people tend to spoon some on the finished product.

because some people's taste is better than others, and those people will generally go to great lengths to prove it.

i don't think anyone's suggesting that. but the general understanding is that dull knives can be more dangerous than sharp ones. something about pressure and all of that.

luckily, sandra, this doesn't seem to be one of those threads where one's opinion can be proven wrong by circular arguments and diversionary tactics. no question mark necessary. have faith. be confident.

i didn't use butter for years...under some sort of misdirected concept that it was "healthy" to avoid butter. now i'm smart(er).

right. so many home cooks, that i know, have horrible cultery. i've actually brought my own to dinner parties. and, since i'm not beyond reproach, mine is always way too dull.

tasting with your eyes.

ming tsai recommends "three crab" brand. and he's (one of my) hero(s). i use three crab. it stanks like feet raw, but needs little cooking.

fancy word for: might be really good. or fancy word for: you paid a lot and probably can't tell the difference...leave the price tag on. or "alot" isn't a word or i dunno.

american baby. American. good pickle.

Some of the best clam chowder. Ray's in Long Branch and Klein's in Belmar are in fierce competition. still ignoring.

found myself at gaffer's in west orange recently. Rosie was right about the burger. it's quite a good burger. nicely charred, not too much cheese, served with a great pickle spear and some steak fries. cooked perfectly to med-rare. just what the doctor ordered. oh man, it was good.

agreed on gaffer's. really good traditional buffalo wings.

don't forget this thread

this has been the subject of, well, not enough discussion. there are too many specifically american turns of phrase for any sort of "exact" translation. posters have pointed me (us) to resources on the web, but i still have yet to come up with some sort of answer as to how they make that stuff flow so seemlessly, and so naturally.

i should persue this on another thread, but... just because the meat is 180 doesn't necessarily mean the cavity and by extension the stuffing is 180, or so says alton brown. but, i'm of the thought that people have been stuffing birds for quite some time and i haven't read of any huge outbreak of sickness because of it. i'd imagine you could always nuke the stuffing from the bird after you take it out to be sure. you've got a better chance of getting in a serious care accident going to dinner on thanksgiving than you do getting sick from stuffing in the bird, or so says tommy.

my thoughts on this dish mirror those of macrosan and wilfrid. the name is more intriguing than the dish. the dish had nice acidic notes and something that that could have been cinnamon, which i thought livened it up a bit. it was *good*, but probably not memorable. i like the room though. casual, sleek. my kinda place. tables way too close together however. friendly if a little amateurish server. ralph lauren was sitting behind us. i didn't ask him if he enjoyed his poached duck. i also found it odd that the tasting menu consisted of only 3 savory courses. with 2 desserts. this was 65 if i recall. i'd expect 4 savory courses offered on a standard tasting menu, but perhaps i'm a glutton. i think i'd return if i lived in the neighborhood. however, i probably won't return until i get through the ever-growing list of places that i haven't yet tried.

No fair, you edited---oh Grupenfheurer Perlow-- Did Rosie's edit make it within the alloted time or was she granted special priviledge? I don't see an edit note or time on the post yes, it was certainly within 12 hours. but that still makes her a sneaky little devil. and rosie's a site coordinator and needs no special privilege. i gots ta get me a new job.

yup, wasabi right from the tube. hot sauce made from sriracha and mayo. used a squirt bottle for the first time. it was rather enjoyable. i plan to do it more. this stuff impresses non-foodie friends no end.

fettuccine bolognese with a bit of ree-gawt on top, 'cause we eye-talian americans like it dat way. green salad with japanese cucumber, scallion and chives.

i for one look foward to returning and being teated like a Maharanee.

just my luck, i get to attempt to follow that outstanding meal prepared by g. maybe i'll hold off on posting until tomorrow (not that *all* of the meals posted here aren't anything less than spectacular). had a raw fish hankerin, and made a tuna and salmon appetizer. after spending some time thinking of a way to delimit the two fishes, varmit suggested something akin to a earthy/salty vs spicy/citrus approach. i ended up with a sea and earth approach. tuna mixed with a bit of spicy sauce, crumbled nori, topped with salmon roe. opposed by salmon mixed with ponzu and scallion. mostly the tuna side, although you can see a bit of salmon on the other.

all i know is that my bucket is better than yours.

rachel may very well be like that in real life. but she's someone i'd never hang out with. that fact translates into my lack of interest in her show. and blue, c'mon, *that's* the dumbest show of them all!!! (he said, opening up the thread to suggestions of even dumber shows. )