CooksQuest

Diverting somewhat from Saffy's helpful thread for a chicken wing coating, I am looking for a "buffalo" wing hot sauce (not a honey/garlic, mustard, soy or other sauce, but a simple hot sauce). Here's my dilemna. I like to buy wings from my local butcher, cook 'em on my pizza stone in a convection oven (avoiding frying) and then toss in a hot sauce followed by a quick broil or charcoal grill. I can't quite get the flavor that you can find in any good pub. Since I would like this prep to be quick, I don't mind purchasing the sauce. So... 1) any recommendations on a commercial brand of hot sauce that approximates the "pub" taste you find on buffalo wings; and/or 2) any ideas for a quick homemade prep? Thanks in advance.

Suzanne and Suvir, Thanks!

Any restaurant that makes a big deal about offering a diverse selection of hard-to-come-by bread but doesn't take the time to warm it, is my warning sign. I usually end up going down with the ship though...

Suvir, If there is room, please consider adding two more (Gary & Diana). Thanks in advance.

Tony, For Salvador, check out the 1997 New York Times article, "A Neighborhood Lives Again" by Susan Katz Miller. Really gets your blood going (though maybe not as much as aniticpating a cobra heart...). I highly recommend Tempero da Dada in Salvador (Pelourinho neighborhood). The Bobo de Camarao is unreal. Here's the article, still available for free online: New York Times Article Also, a great getaway from Salvador is Morro de Sao Paulo. It's off the coast of Salvador by boat. I almost didn't make it back though because of a "Perfect Storm" return trip. Even the captain was putting on a life preserver.

From Dunkin Donuts Website Dunkin and KK make both cake style (the classic Dunkin {no yeast}) and yeast raised style (the classic KK) donuts. Shiva, Thanks for the correction. I guess going to the source would have been a good idea. I got my info from Food TV's program "Unwrapped". Their focus was Krispy Kreme, so maybe they were just conveying the spin Krispy Kreme fed them...

Krispy Kreme's are different. They differ from Dunkin', in that *yeast* is added to the Krispy Kreme dough and then they are proofed for a short period of time. Krispy contends that this adds a more airy bite to the treat. Dunkin' does not have this addition.

FG, Thanks. Do you slice it "with" or "against" the grain?

Empanadas...

I love chicken backs. There is a better bone/fat ratio than other parts, a wonderfully intense flavor, and is *super* cheap. A 10 lb. bag costs about $1.15. I generally don't use meat for my stocks. (I think the CIA book talks about stocks=bone, broth=meat, but that may be for another thread). I'm curious as to whether people roast their chicken bones first, or just brown them in the stock pot. I prefer the latter (saving my roasting for my veal demi...)

I don't like to keep them longer than 7-10 days. After that, they seem to take on a slimy sort of feel. I usually buy the small cans. I don't know if there are any adverse health risks.

It's at 121 Washington St. (between 1st and 2nd). Tel: (201) 418-8600. I think it's only a couple of months old.

In Hoboken, Charrito's (on Washington Street) is brand new and offers some great Mexican home-cooking. The owner travels around Mexico looking for great regional dishes and then features them in his restaurant. I had "gringa", a spicy pork, on grilled cactus. Really outstanding.

Tommy, *Great* looking pie. Just one post-cooking question: Were you able to keep subsequent slices from getting soggy after you took the whole pie out of the oven and began to eat the pie? I've found that if I leave the cooked pie on the peel, by the time I get to the second slice, the crispness suffers. To counter that, I now take the pizza stone out of the oven and put the pizza stone on a hot plate on my serving table. Now, all of the slices stay crisp. (Had I left it in the oven, the cheese would have suffered). Just watch out for creating a fire hazard...

In Hoboken, at Amanda's, they've got an Egg's Benedict with roast pork. Not bad... I prefer 'em with salmon (which they also offer).

IMHO, Hoboken doesn't suffer from that syndrome. Maybe it's the proximity, or perhaps it's my own bias -- I live there.

Some years ago, I made an English Porter, an Irish Brown Ale, and a Belgian Raspberry. The belgian beer was aged in the bottle for almost 2 years. I've since chucked all my equipment (including the hydrometer) but regret doing so. It was a lot of fun.

A good Caipirinha trick with the limes is to: 1) cut out the center portion -- can be bitter; and 2) when pounding the limes, pound the flesh part -- not the skin. If you pound the skin, too much of the bitter oils will be released.

I loved eating at Ernie's. I do not know, however, if it is still operating. I ate there as a kid with my grandfather and still remember the steak with roquefort butter... yum... Pretty fancy place. Ernies, by the way, is featured several times in Hitchcock's "Vertigo".

Another "decent" inexpensive one -- other than Pitu (which others have posted about) -- is called "51". You can find it in Newark, NJ. and also in Hoboken. It retails for about $12.99 - $13.99/bottle. It's a staple cachaça for many of my friends in São Paulo. Hey, at least you don't have that "Pitu Lobster" staring at you...

Well, it's not quite dinner, but: I found some great veal bones on Saturday and spent the *entire* day making demi-glace... I may have to *buy* it next time.

I spent more than a month in St. Malo about 14 years ago (living with a French family). Most of my meals were home-cooked. I still remember those 2 hour lunches (and one hour naps afterwards). I have very fond memories of fresh haricots verts, soufflés, creamy goat-cheese, and lots and lots of Chinon wine (yep, from the Loire -- sort of far away from St. Malo). Oh yeah...holy sh*t. They have Chouchenne there! That's a honey wine. Unbelievable. Almost makes you hallucinate... I can't find it anywhere. Also fell in love with a German tourist... Haven't seen her either.

Thanks. Yeah, maybe the size of the pot and number of lobsters adds some minutes too...

I prefer steaming because then you don't have all of that water on your plate when you eat 'em. Fat Guy -- Does that "general rule" apply for steaming as well, or is it longer for steaming? The proprietor at the restaurant Noonan's (an unbelievably good no-frills lobster joint near Kennebunkport, Maine) steams the 1 1/2 pound lobsters for 20 minutes in heavily salted water. Comes out good enough to make me want to drive 6 hours to get there this weekend... You would think steaming would be less time though, since steam is slightly hotter than boiling water. ---Gary

Caped Chef, You might be on to something... Just to make sure, I should say that the exact fish I was to eat was presented to me before they started cooking it in a shed behind the beach. It looked as if it had been just plucked from the sea (i.e. not sitting in salt). I'm wondering...can a "salt cure" be accomplished in 5-10 minutes? The waiting time for the dish was about 30 minutes.