CathyL

Priscilla, you need a Richard Olney book! Preferably Simple French Food. Much better written, and far less annoying, than his autobiography. It's a classic. (I don't recall any discussion of asparagus roasting in his work.)

Fat, unpeeled, roasted or grilled. (I do peel when I'm boiling.) A little EVOO and a touch of acid - sherry vinegar, lemon juice. Or romesco. Grilled lamb on the side.

I make a hibiscus infusion/extract of 8 oz. flowers and 6 cups boiling water. Let it steep for an hour or more, then strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. A spoonful or two mixed with sparkling water and a little lime is delicious. I like it unsweetened, but it's good with a little sugar too. A slug or two of vodka turns this into a great summer drink.

No, Coop, I pulse the meat in a food processor just before serving. I don't own a food grinder.

I second The Art of Fine Baking. No pretty pictures, but a wealth of sound practical advice, and some excellent recipes.

Here's a picture from John Thorne's site. The seam and the grain make it quite distinctive looking. It makes a killer steak sandwich too. Tony, I like London broil for steak tartare.

I prefer to grill it intact, to ensure a crusty exterior and a rare interior. Then I either slice across - it's easy enough to eat around the seam - or, for purty, carve out the seam before slicing. Ron, perhaps your butcher calls it by another name? Or maybe it could be ordered for you.

Almost everywhere I have looked it is spelled both hangar and hanger. Les Halles had hangar. FoodTV had hanger. It's called a hanger steak because of where it's situated in the animal. Hangars are for airplanes.

Cookbooks are not infallible.

It's hanger, not hangar, and it's the same cut as the onglet found in French bistros. Also known as hanging tender, butcher's steak and butcher's tenderloin (for the reason fyfas mentions). Perhaps because it's so fibrous, it takes a marinade better than closer-grained cuts of beef. I grill it over high heat, leaving it quite rare inside. Good stuff.

FM, I love that Rick Bayless dish, although I add some guajillo peppers to the anchos. The potatoes don't always cook through by the time the bird is done, and I've been cutting them into smaller chunks than those in your picture. I use Reed Hearon's recipe for pickled onions, which calls for red onions and a touch of clove.

i feel dirty. Me too. Ain't love grand?

Tommy, was it good for you?

Nick, I'm glad you were there. This is a great non-profit organization that trains public high school kids for careers in the food service industry. Check out their web site here.

Epoisses!! Stinky-cheese heaven. (If you have a cheesemonger who can smuggle in the good stuff, or even the demi-pasteurized.)

Existential Vagaries of Olestra. [sorry, long day]

Katie, I'll ask my mom-in-law - it's been a while. She has a store on Jewelers' Row, and I recall Cherrydale Farms had a retail outlet within walking distance, but it may be long gone.

YES!! With a side of steak tartare. I'm trying to remember the place in Philly where my MIL used to buy us chocolate-covered pretzels....Cherrydale Farms! Nice thick coating of gooey milk chocolate.

Kristin, I love the image of your little one with the garlic.

Suvir, hospital food sucks. Can you smuggle in home-cooked dishes that will tempt your dad? Or charm the hospital into serving them to him instead of the usual swill? Try offering a sample to the nurse or dietitian on duty - bribery can be effective.

Stef's point is a good one, as are all the others made in this fascinating thread. But 'immigrant' still leaves us with the conundrum of English, Irish, Australian and other immigrant-but-English-speaking populations, as Pan points out. How much of 'ethnic' has to do with perceived 'exoticism,' in either ingredients or technique? To me, the reason Tabla is not 'ethnic' isn't price point. It's auteurism (is that a word?). Floyd's food reflects his own sensibilities more than it does the food of India, although that influence is certainly apparent as well. I don't think any of us would call El Bulli 'ethnic' either. I'm tempted to say that cuisines typically considered ethnic are more rooted in home cooking - or attempts to replicate a feeling of home - than in restaurant cooking. That's imperfect too, I know.

Let's do that via PM, okay? Otherwise the boys may start tracking the tone of our posts.

Here's a recent thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=16076 Bittman's NY Times article caused a run on crockpots at Zabar's.

Especially Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. Stella, tell Simon about exercises to strengthen the Kegel muscle - I bet that would interest him.

Okay, boys allowed only if they're as funny as ASC.