CathyL

A bottle of beer. I know this recipe has appeared on eGullet before, but it's worth another click.

Ali, what a beautiful place! I love your note about Bella and her kitchen. Congratulations on your success in a VERY tough business.

Dana, don't you just love that chorus of pings?

Joyce Goldstein says Negroni is her favorite.

That is nice. Prosecco for me, please. And welcome to eGullet, paliopeter.

I love a glass of chilled dry sherry, like La Gitana Manzanilla.

ONE OF the Chutney Queens?

St. Pierre = John Dory, Macrosan. Does that help? The meat is firm and mild in flavor. Suzanne, I know the space has been vacant for a while...not sure what previous plans might have fallen through.

Liza & I had an excellent dinner here last night. The owners are the world’s largest importers of Greek foodstuffs, and have pristine fish flown in daily. Preparations are simple and the quality is stunning. With our drinks came a plate of spanakopita: shatteringly crisp filo, tender spinach, nuggets of cheese. We split two starters. Grilled “sushi quality” octopus, tenderized in a (dedicated) washing machine, was sliced in thick disks, nicely charred, dressed with lemon, olive oil and capers. Whole calamari were stuffed with cheese and tomato, then grilled; the plate held three of them, each striped with vertical grill marks and capped with its own tentacles – a clever but unfussy presentation. Both apps were superb. There is a handful of ‘composed’ main dishes (including a few non-fish items), but the menu focuses on grilled whole fish, priced by the pound (a la Milos, where the chef worked previously). Our St. Pierre arrived split and boned, and was divided between us; we asked for the head also (a first, said our server). The fish was perfectly cooked and tasted just-caught, its snowy flesh accented by the crisp-charred skin. Gorgeous. We expressed interest in cheese and asked the server to select three of his favorites: a standout feta, an excellent kasseri, and a third whose name I didn’t catch that was slightly crystalline in texture like a Parmesan. After learning we were neighborhood folk, the chef sent a complimentary plate of galaktobouriko: lemon custard, not too rich or sweet, sandwiched in layers of filo. I know nothing of Greek wines but the two we sampled by the glass were very good: one reminded me of Pinot Grigio, the other of Gruner Veltliner. The place itself is lovely. Blond wood, high ceilings, red brick, subtle lighting, sinuous white marble bar, and a splendid display of whole fish and shellfish on ice. Tables are well-spaced. Our young server was so knowledgeable and attentive I didn’t even notice his studded tongue. Liza did. Appetizers are priced around $12 - $14. Whole fish prices per pound are in the $24 - $28 range. Thalassa is at 179 Franklin between Greenwich and Hudson.

FoodMan, the tomatoes for my last batch were purchased at a farmers' market but were not very flavorful on their own. To compensate, I added another 6 oz. can of tomato paste to Suvir's full recipe. The whole process of making this is fun and satisfying - shopping for the ingredients, measuring out the spices, inhaling the aroma as curry leaves hit hot oil, watching the color deepen as the chutney simmers...

Sonzy, are the raisins actually hot, as in hot-pepper-hot? Apples should be peeled, yes? I sampled the apple chutney at Diwan but there were so many other wonderful flavors going on I forgot to notice.

I believe Stone, Esq. is implying that you're not an attorney, and that you should be grateful therefor. Oh Priscilla, papadums with chutney! How brilliant, albeit heretical. Must find some...to be eaten in the privacy of my own home, of course (of course).

Always a good practice. When I'm cooking with fresh tomatoes I never drain them unless the recipe says to - e.g., a tomato tartare that would be soup otherwise, especially made with heirloom tomatoes.

Depends on the recipe. In this case, the tomatoes needn't be peeled, seeded OR drained, just cored.

I recently made my sixth batch of this wondrous chutney, and I think it's the best yet. Suvir gave me permission to use sorry winter tomatoes; I added another 6 oz. can of tomato paste to compensate. After trying it with the tomatoes either chunked or puréed, I've settled on the latter. The textural contrast with the mustard seeds and the bits of curry leaf is very pleasant. I also strip the curry leaves off their central vein; in one batch these didn't dissolve into the chutney, and while the taste wasn't affected the appearance was. Of all the ways I enjoy this chutney, my favorite is to mix it with mayonnaise as a dip for roasted cauliflower.

I have two smokers, a largish one and a little one. I'm hardly in the Col.'s league, smokewise, but I do love playing with fire. Thanks, Nina & Stef, for the recipes. I'm going to try & forget I ever saw the cheesecake one...

Yes, the Bandol was lovely. One of the whites was Ca' del Solo Big House White, a Randall Graham production - inexpensive and fun to drink. The other (courtesy of ahr) was a very nice Bordeaux - Chateau du Cros sauvignon blanc. Such a treat to have friends over who do most of the cooking! Thanks to everyone for helping with cleanup too. A consultation is in progress here as to whether the leftover pork, coleslaw and greens should be shared with the friend stopping by and probably staying for dinner, or whether we should hoard it and order Chinese.

It was and I did. Not quite 'set it and forget it,' but close. I would have been happy to make a meal of the shrimp and cornbread. Lord, what a heavenly combination. The collards, dirty rice and sweet potato casserole were just as fabulous. The sauce for the pork is mostly cider vinegar, tarted up with ketchup, Worcestershire, onion powder, ground chipotle and a little Kitchen Bouquet. It's based on a Lexington NC-style 'dip' from Bob Garner's "North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by Time." I also want Stef's cheesecake recipe, and Nina's secret vinaigrette. Fantastic food, great company and SO much more fun than almost any restaurant experience I can think of.

Boys, take it outside. Please.

Thanks, FG & Missus FG. Great report, fab pics.

From www.reynoldskitchens.com: Can I use Reynolds® Cut-Rite® Wax Paper in the oven? Cut-Rite® Wax Paper may be used as a liner in baking cakes, quick breads, muffins or any baked food in which the batter completely covers the wax paper lining. Wax paper should never be directly exposed to the heat of an oven.

I began using parchment several years ago, mainly because I was seduced by the look and feel of the unbleached kind (very pleasant to work with). Before that, I used wax paper to line cake pans. I never noticed an off taste in the finished product. So, Stef, go for it.

Chiam is still there, on East 48th. Some years ago I hosted a Chinese banquet for my clients in their wine cellar. It's Hong Kong-style Cantonese, not bad but not really noteworthy. Sorry, SA, I don't recall the roast pork.

So where's the no-yeast hamantashen recipe?? [Thanks, Nina, for reminding me why I don't give money to Barnard. ]

How was the pork belly prepared? I assume it was braised, but I'm curious about the seasonings and how it compared to, say, Tom Colicchio's lovely dish at GT.