feedmec00kies

Thanks for starting this thread, Fat Guy. It's good to know where the butter is, since I'll be moving into the city in a matter of weeks. I've only went to the UWS Fairway once, to pick up something from the organic "health-and-beauty" section that was hard to find otherwise. Being familiar with the suburban version of Fairway - I live 5-10 minutes away from the Plainview (Long Island) store - I was absolutely blown away by the sheer quantity of products, and the bustle, and everything else. It was unlike anything I'd seen, and I was in love. Only thing is, I'll be living in the East Village, so if I were to go to Fairway I'd have to travel. I'd consider doing it, but my boyfriend (from Westchester) doesn't understand my love of Fairway, and I am incapable of explaining it, so I might be on my own with that. But I can always stop and get some of that delicious frozen yogurt from Zabar's if I do. Now, my notes on the Plainview store: Unfortunately, it seems to have declined since it first opened, and I think the issue is there just isn't the sheer number of customers necessary to make it worth their while financially. Store hours were shortened (closing at 10pm instead of midnight), and some employees were cut down from things like the bakery. In an area already somewhat saturated by supermarkets, Fairway was a latecomer and seems to be categorized as more of a "specialty store" I think. I could be wrong, but I feel that there just aren't enough people here willing to buy all the kinds of things Fairway has to offer (especially since the things they would buy are carried more and more by other supermarkets), so the Plainview location hasn't grown since it first arrived.

It's interesting how preference for sandwich cuts reflects personality, habit, taste, etc. I prefer not to cut my sandwiches, for fear that ingredients will become smaller and therefore more prone to escape. Well, if it's really big I'd cut it, but I don't make my sandwiches really big. What's more important to me is that, when fully assembled, the pieces of bread-type-material is aligned so that it is exactly as it was before anything was put inside. In other words, the sides that were touching each other originally are still facing each other each other, and that all shape features are aligned (an indent/slit in the top crust is aligned on both halves), etc. And if I'm making multiple sandwiches, bread pieces must stay with their pair. Most people think this is nuts, but obviously I don't. I also spread things on my bagels/bread meticulously to every edge, though. And I sometimes open and re-arrange sandwiches I buy.

Hehehe, believe me, there was a second where I speculated the effect to my credibility in general when I posted this question. Thanks Fat Guy. East Buffet is definitely something that would work for them I think, but I'm not sure how easy it will be for them to go there. They're all students at Brooklyn College (though they all live in different areas), so with NYC public transportation as it is in the "outer boroughs" and the variation in where they all live, it would be a real PITA for most of them to go outside of Manhattan for dinner. LPShanet: Yeah, the main reason I asked for this information is because, as you said, "The biggest concern with cheap sushi is, of course, safety, so you can't go TOO low end." My sister figured I could get some more information to help them avoid anything really sketchy, since she (if no one else) is concerned about it. She'd probably be happy with Esashi, but 1. she's a foodie too (same parents, after all!), and 2. she is more willing and able to spend more if it's worth it/necessary. I think the group is probably willing to spend more since it's somewhat of a special occasion, but they do seem to want to try and keep it within reason. Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'll pass the info on to my sister. (edited for grammar)

Yeah, if they were going for lunch at Todai it would be one thing, but they can't go until dinner because they have classes during the day... and weeknight dinner (they're going on Tuesday) is 26 dollars. So under 20 per person is ok (it is sushi after all), but Todai for dinner (including tax) is pushing it a bit for most of them, because only 2 of the group eat that much. I actually found something (barely anything, though) on the NYT site on Esashi, and it sounded good, but I couldn't tell. I'll let them know about that suggestion.

update: I brought up the matter of price - these "sushi buffets" aren't cheap, if you don't eat that much and go for dinner - and they're trying to figure out what her birthday-celebrating-friend wants to do (if it's just dinner or a movie also). So I'm probably going to need some good non-AYCE places more likely... but thanks for your response, Nathan! They might go with it after all... I have no idea at this point.

Ok, so my sister's friend's birthday is next week, and they're going to get together for dinner to celebrate. She turned to me for help, because the first thing she thought of that would be appropriate (Minado - they call themselves "The Ultimate Sushi Buffet" ) no longer exists in Manhattan. Here are the guidelines: - The boy likes sushi, so they're looking for sushi. He's not extremely picky; he likes the sushi they sell at his college, which is along the lines of store-bought sushi (I won't criticize that fact too much; I've been there, where it was one of the only things I could eat using my mandatory college meal plan without feeling absolutely disgusting, especially when I was still a pesco-vegetarian. Ok, moving on....). - They want something in Manhattan, because it's the most accessible transportation-wise for everyone. - They're poor music students, so the more possible "bang for their buck", the better (AYCE that's decent would be excellent). Obviously, the "best of" thread for sushi in NY can't help me here. - At least one person (my sister, who is discerning about food) will care about the quality, so obviously she wants me to find somewhere fresh. Otherwise, she says none of her friends are that picky, so "the masses" should think the place at least beyond passable (and if they find it great, that's even better!). - It needs to be good for a group (7-8 people). Thanks for any information you might have! (Edited for wording, b/c I'm neurotic)

hey, at least you're not chugging a bottle of good ol' aunt jemima's pancake syrup.. i have a college friend who loves making a contest of it, super troopers style. if i do crave sugar, i usually pay the price. significant amounts of sugar usually make my tummy angry. doesn't stop me from craving candy (usually fruit jam-filled dark chocolate)! although those hot cocoa marshmellows are mighty tasty!

Yeah, it really was. I hope he is at peace now; he certainly will be missed. (Btw, I didn't realize it was linked in Lew Bryson's tribute that appeared in the OP.. sorry!)

Here is the last column he wrote for All About Beer magazine ("Did I Cheat Mort Subite?" Michael Jackson, August 22, 2007). It is quite poignant to read, especially in light of his passing.

What I do with scallion is wrap just the bottom of it, near the root, with the wet paper towel, and put it back in a bag (I leave it open). I'm not sure how effective this method is, but it seems to work! For onions, I heard somewhere that the best way to store them is to put them in the legs of an old pair of pantyhose, tying off between each bulb, so that you can hang them and keep them from getting wet and mildewy/moldy. (You can then just cut the pantyhose above the next onion, which is why it's supposed to be old pantyhose... though I'd probably just untie the knot instead.) I haven't tried it, but it seems like a good idea. Oh yeah, and in the dark is a good idea. Mushrooms are best if you put them in a paper bag to store them, which will keep them from absorbing the moisture in your fridge so that they stay longer. I usually change the bag or something if the bag starts to get too damp. Also don't forget not to store them next to anything with a strong odor, like onions! Berries (particularly raspberries) are supposed to be best if you wash them, dry them, and put them spread out in one thin layer on a paper towel-lined plate. It'll keep them from harboring any of that pesky mold-producing moisture as well, because the little pad thing they put in the package is pretty ineffective by the time you buy them. Actually, I think most fruits and veggies that can handle washing can be washed before going in the fridge, really, as long as they are dry before they actually go in. Someone mentioned those veggie bags for leafy greens. No matter what, I never tie off the bag (whatever type it is) for anything leafy. I'll leave it in the store bag, often times, but roll down the rim of the bag to make it shallower and maybe put a knot in the bag at one point of the opening just to make it a little narrower. Veggies like to breathe! Now, if someone can suggest the best way to store ginger without burying it in dirt or putting it in a jar of alcohol (or something else that might effect the flavor), that would be awesome.

Yeah, I read that first, I think, and it set of my whole search for more info...

Yeah, I just wanted to point out the obvious

So I've heard in various places (NYT, Eater) that Spitzer's Corner just opened. Well, actually, I'm behind on this, because apparently all sorts of talk was going on about it b/c it was supposed to have some guy from Top Chef, Sam Talbot who backed out (I didn't care much, since I have no cable and therefore no Top Chef). I've tried combing the interwebs for more information, but I haven't found much in the way of a beer list. Yes, yes, I hear that they have around 40 tap beers and some more bottled stuff, but I want more detail! Their site isn't up yet, there's no listing on Ratebeer, and anything I did find online only mentions a few beers/breweries... names that were dropped were St. Bernardus, Southampton, Dogfish Head, Old Rasputin, Aventinus, and Young's. It sounds good, but I want more specifics. One site mentions that supposedly, the owner believes this place to have "the single greatest selection of beers ever assembled in the city". I want someone who's been there to tell me how good this selection really is, and how it stacks up to some other places in nyc (Hop Devil, Blind Tiger, Spuyten Duyvil). And, on a side note, how's their food? It sounds pretty good (though I won't lie; port fat popcorn is a little frightening, but I'd probably still try it.. probably after eating only salad all week!).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that what matters more is what kind of fat you cook your fries in and the process you go by cooking them, more than the actual potatoes. In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser points out that the same one or two companies produce and supply most of the fries in this country because, well, they have a monopoly. The reason those McDonald's fries were known for tasting "so good" was because they were fried in beef fat, which subsequently made them more rich in saturated fat than their burgers. When people complained about the , they started putting flavoring in to duplicate the taste of the fries being cooked in beef fat, which is why they are "questionably" vegetarian (I think McDonald's has admitted the source of the flavoring is originally meat, making them non-vegetarian; this was a big deal in India where there were religious restrictions on consuming beef, but apparently they skip the flavoring there). So Tri2Cook is right; just get your own potatoes, and work out the best cooking process instead. If you do, you'll have more control over the quality of the actual potatoes, the size of the fries, etc etc.

Haven't seen the movie, but that sounds like Ethiopian. Check here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=46255

(etc etc about recycling...) Oh god, I know all too well about that. My mom is a severe packrat, and she has piles upon piles of washed and saved take-out food containers (all possible varieties - flat round dish types, the old-school pints, metal trays, paper chinese food cartons, etc) styrofoam trays from meat or "reduced for quick sale" veggies, the plastic wrap from the aforementioned veggies, cereal bags, plain yogurt/cottage cheese/otherwise refrigerated food plastic containers, glass jars, bottles, etc etc etc. These range from good ideas to ridiculous and not worth it at all. She hasn't used a garlic press in who-knows-how-long; instead, she pounds garlic in an old heavy plastic bag (like a cereal bag, the baggies that some particular fresh refrigerated asian noodles come in especially) using her kitchen mallet - that's a good one, especially if you need a ton of garlic in as little time as possible. She always has containers to transport food in (to an unnecessary degree) of all sorts of quantities/volumes. This one, would be great, if only she were willing to part with them a little sooner and cycle through the piles faster (especially since she just took 10 more home today from my grandmother's apartment!) ::cries:: She reuses the plastic wrap from those on-sale veggies instead of using /new/ plastic wrap or dirtying another dish to cover it. She also tried to train my sister and I in the fine art of pulling that plastic off in as whole a condition as possible, but it failed. If it wasn't such a pain in the *(&% it would be a great idea, but often times it seems they use a little heat to keep the plastic wrap shut the long way. She also uses those styrofoam trays as cutting boards way too often, and I remember quite a few times when she reused them a few too many times and we found oddly green or blue specks in our food. However, her much better disposable cutting board idea is to open up those paper chinese food containers by removing the metal handle and spreading it out, leaving her with a nice large surface to work on. She does this a lot for meat so she can just throw it out afterwards and avoid spreading the germs. At least she doesn't wrap everything (including the clocks) in plastic wrap like my grandmother. She even has 2-inch-cube clocks in little plastic sandwich bags! Anyway, on a different note, rarerollingobject, I tried the tea bag thing today, and to my amazement it worked! I couldn't believe it! Something about it just seemed so counterintuitive for some reason...

I asked my boyfriend (who knows more about glassware than I do) if he had seen anything that fit your description/picture, and he pointed out that the picture that you have is not of kolsch glasses (which you said was possible). Kolsch glasses are apparently always straight-sided. According to Wikipedia, the glass for altbier is a becher, which is similar but with a taper. However, the taper I've been finding on glasses isn't quite the same, and I think it'll be harder to match those glasses. Beer advocate suggests substituting with a Tom Collins glass, and that might be easier to find (and might have the shape you're looking for). However, they are twice the size volume-wise than a kolsch/altbier glass. If you're willing to do some investigative work and are really determined to try and find this exact shape, you might want to try contacting brewery that got those glasses printed (maybe the club did it, I don't know) and see who they got the glasses themselves from, and try tracking it back from there. However, unless you're really determined, that might be a lot more work than it's worth. Sorry, that might not have been much help... you might just want to go with Anna N's suggestion...

Hehe, sure Jensen. And rants are my thing, I must say! The main reason i call it "democratization" is because i borrow the term (and it's specific use) from Michael Schudson, a sociologist, in his book called "Advertising: The Uneasy Persuasion" (further subtitled with "Its Dubious Impact on American Society"). It was assigned reading for a class called "Culture and Consumption," and so in talking about the chapters of the book and using it when writing a paper for the class, I've gotten in the habit of putting it that way. Otherwise, I'd be calling it "making food suck to not scare anyone away so that most people have low expectations." BTW, the book is interesting, if you happen across it. It's on Amazon, of course (and for used you can buy it pretty cheap, if you'd like). The book was written in the 80s, and though some little specific things might seem a little dated (say, the unforseeable impact of the Internet on the transfer of information), but it's actually broader than just advertising. For instance, there was a very interesting chapter on the history and development of cigarettes as a commodity... Thanks for the pics pansophia!

Yeah, I'm almost certain that these table practices only became distasteful culturally after Westerners discovered ::gasp:: disease! To think, Europeans used to think that bathing and changing underwear daily was weird! If I'm with friends, we usually establish double dipping as OK, since we'd usually let each other try something from each other's glasses as well. As for the chopstick thing, when I was little my mom told us to flip our chopsticks around to the "wrong" end to take things from common plates and assist: probably a synthesis of Chinese and Western table manners/culture. I also think it's amusing that my Jewish dad prefers to use chopsticks when he makes salad and is mixing in the dressing! He insists there is no tool or utensil better suited.

Well, if you did get suckered into buying that avocado scoop, at least you could know that it would double as a costume prop if you ever wanted to be Captain Hook, or perhaps some sort of "Kitchen Gadget Monster" (a la Edward Scissorhands on acid) for Halloween!

Ditto, Jensen Also, this goes back to something I mentioned in another post (where I went on a huge rant about commodification and "artisanalization" of food): the "democratization" of food. Basically, the gist of my argument is this: food industries try to appeal to the largest number of people by trying to create goods that are standardized, reliable, and easy to ingest. Their goal isn't to provide a variety of products, but to be able to appeal to the largest number of people, without scaring them off. The "democratization" part is about making products more "egalitarian", not giving people choice. The way they distinguish themselves and appeal to people are in other ways, by their brands themselves - advertising, and/or using some schtick (say, claiming to be "cage-free"), or something else. (If you want to see the full rant for whatever reason, look here.) The sad thing is, and you see it with these cage-free egg things... they're being "democratized" in the same way too. It's easier to get people to go along with your schtick and buy your eggs if they don't differ much from the eggs they're used to if you appeal to their soft side. Oh, and Pebs: Thanks for your input! You're right that region certainly has something to do with it, and it was nice to know its not all downhill.

Yeah, some of them totally look like they're going to dive-bomb into the crowd. It's like more of a mosh-pit than a comfortable living situation. It's unfortunate, because as much as the idea behind it appeals to me (you know, the whole humane thing), it seems to be becoming more watered down. I also fear that (although it's happening already) because of high demand, there will be too many large corporations trying to take advantage of this as a marketing ploy, obviously, until it becomes more and more impossible to get your hands on really "cage-free" eggs. There was a discussion about this kind of thing a class I took; it was more directly related to fair trade, but the issues are similar enough. The discussion was about the pros and cons of these kinds of movements becoming akin to a brand or label, one that can be marketed as protecting/supporting human rights through consumerism, instead of employing more traditional "activist" approaches. A major issue within the class was whether the possible awareness by the consumer that was created by these goods was worth it. Do a significant number of people actually learn anything from buying these goods, or are they simply purchases? Does it make up for the fact that it still encourages a level of consumption that wasn't necessarily conducive to change?

Rest of article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/dining/0...html?ref=dining Has anyone here tried raw milk? What's it like? I have to say, all this article does is pique my interest in it more. Sorry about all the article-posting, but I've nothing more pressing to do besides surf the web at the moment.

article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/us/12eggs.html?ref=dining What do people think of this?

this looks like it: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=104886&hl=