Shermar

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like the "greens" idea. It's the perfect time of year(greens are harvested after the first frost). By next week the best examples of everything should be in markets. Also in anticipation of holiday meals, tasting an assortment of greens might encourage people to use them as "sides". I'm sure the Pilgrims probably had them on the table since they were a part of the Native American diet. They are, of course, traditional in Southern, African and Caribbean cuisines. It took me so long to figure out what to do for this get together, can I do it pleeeze, pleeeze?

Not that I don't understand the concept of a vertical tasting, Rather I thought people might want to clear their palates with undressed salad between bites of other things or actually have salad after the tasting is completed. But bread is probably sufficient for that. Seriously, I would like to bring "Greens": Mustard, Turnip, Collard, Kale and possibly Dandelion if I can find them. All prepared identically. I'll also bring samples of the uncooked greens as well.Thoughts?

I'll make a big salad. Tell me what you would like in it. Dressed or undressed?

ALL RIGHT! I'll BUY the BOOK! I'll be the FIRST one one line to buy the book! You could not have chosen a better way to make sure!

I will help with prep and clean up. Anything else?

NOW I think I understand!

Thanks for the info Mr. Jones. I also found the discussion on the other Claret thread enlightening as well. It was the claret/port intersection which was dimly going off in my head.

I keep running into Coppola's Claret in the liquor store. I look at it and put it back. I like his other wines. I'm not sure what to do with claret though. When is it served? After dining or before? What goes with it? What type of glass is used for serving? An inquiring drinker wants to know. Never mind...now I scrolled down and see that the topic is already on the board. Sorry about that.

WHEEEEEEEE! Thinking about what to bring...open to suggestions!

Fresh cranberry sauce with minced ginger, diced granny smiths and orange zest. Warm brussel sprout slaw with bacon. For color: sliced baby carrots with ginger and shallots Confit of onions and red wine Lentils with port-glazed shallots

MOMO my HERO!!!

This has been enlightening, boring, funny and pedantic discussion. There is no answer. I sense a class war approaching. Let's just eat the dead horse and move on.

Look into Ashes Cigar Club at 33 Broad Street(downtown Red Bank). It's a steakhouse and raw bar. Nice atmosphere, grown ups at the bar. Your French friends can smoke. I've only had drinks there but the place seemed congenial. I would go back. Don't know about live music but they played good jazz on the sound system when I was there.

I want to come and bring my gent. Will tasters be welcome? ?

Cold meat tastes wonderful because you're usually too hungry to heat it up. Amost anything you choose to eat when you're very hungry tastes terrific. The operative word here is choose.

Plonk is poor quality wine. I happen to believe Beaujolais Nouveau is perhaps the biggest, most successful marketing rip-off on this planet. It is a plan the French hatched to rid themselves of mediocre, young wine that THEY would never drink.

The third Thursday in November(Jeudi troisieme de Novembre). Quality? Usually plonk. n'est-ce pas?

I look forward to reading your book whenever it comes out! Can Momo come out and play?

Jamaican Pik-A-Pepper

If you just MUST go to Little Italy, go to Il Cortile on Mulberry Street. Get a table in the garden room(very pretty). Old school service and serious food. Bring money. Special occasion only. The Big Man is correct. We New Yorkers don't need to go to Little Italy for good Italian. It's too far out of the way and it has lost what little cachet it had years ago. Most of the waiters aren't even Italian any more. Little Italy is rapidly being consumed by Chinatown. Go now before it disappears completely.

Aggressive vegetables: broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, lima beans. 1950's style succotash, peas and carrots, green or string beans YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! GAAAAAAG ME!!!! Egg Nog...just the smell of it makes me nauseated. When I was four I got sick after eating egg nog flavored ice cream. It was probably unrelated but I've never been able to get past it.

A friend of mine went hunting and brought me back two pheasants and 12 quail. I made a dinner for six on very short notice that is still fondly recalled. I roasted the pheasants on a bed of aromatics and root vegetables. The quail were wrapped in bacon, stuffed with sage, garlic and rosemary and served on a bed of polenta. An accidental masterpiece occurred once when I combined braised lamb shanks in a white bean stew with leftover roasted duck meat--two days later WOW!

I saw it in person back in the early 90's. It was a Moet anniversay year I think. In a restaurant they opened the bottles by sabre and poured champagne over about 100 coupes that had been stacked in overlapping rings almost to the ceiling. A sort of manual fountain effect. Outrageous! Using a sabre is a battlefield tradition we should bring back. On the hood of a Hummer maybe?

Most of the other places are new to me (I'm class of '77). I've only recently started spending time there again. Some of the ones around Palmer Square look promising though.

I'm fond of Alchemist and Barrister. It's on Witherspoon. There's a back garden and a pubby barroom as well as the formal space up front. Great nachos with andouille sausage!