lullyloo

Hey Tommy, Check out CathyL's brine link on the Chicken thread. It was enlightening with lots of recipes from pork to chicken. I'm definitely going to try it with chicken this weekend. will report back results. happy meat-eating. lullyloo

Thanks all for the brine info, especially the Brine Time link Cathy L gave. Fascinating. I'm definitely going to try it. I hate dried out white meat and always think that is the downside of roast chicken. Wilfred and Jim, does the sugar make the meat noticeably sweeter or just add to the potency of the brine?

Would someone mind explaining the brining process? How long, how much salt, etc. And what does it do?

Due to my current work-full-time-school-at-night schedule, I usually cook something on Sunday that I can take for dinner all week long. This week I'm thinking of roasting a big chicken. I've roasted turkey at Thanksgiving and a pork shoulder once; I've eaten tons of roast chicken especially now that I live in Washington Heights, whose huge Dominican population spit-roasts crusty, garlicky chicken on every corner. But I've never roasted my own. I've seen several people mention it on the Dinner thread but would like to give it its own special thread, so people might share their expertise on the subject - favorite versions, tips, etc. (Note to Jinmyo and Liza: Could you please expand a little on your discussion of leaving the innards in?) Thanks in advance!

Tried Jim Dixon's recipe for pasta with fermented black bean sauce last night, chock-full of ginger, garlic and fresh cilantro. It was something else. There are so many possibilities for this sauce. I used linguini (my favorite long noodle), added sauteed chicken breast, snow peas, jalapenos, and topped with chopped fresh plum tomatoes. Sided it with fat asparagus roasted briefly in olive oil. Juicy delish. black bean sauce (scroll down)

SobaAddict, do you mind sharing the recipe for Lion's Head meatballs? They sound delish.

More! More!

Why doesn't Texas bbq deserve "serious merit" Mogsob? Maybe you're envisioning some stereotypical fare old Cookie served up from the chuckwagon glopped up with some dark supermarket sauce full of imitation smoke flavor. Jane and Michael Stern did a mouth-watering article about a whole slew of old bbq joints in Texas some months ago in Gourmet (anyone remember the issue?), and their regional specialties include, besides brisket, a whole array of sausages. I've been dying to do a tour of these places. In fact, some of the best barbecue I've eaten in a long while was a week ago in the Dallas airport where I had an hour between flights. I was perusing the food court and almost walked right past a bbq counter (in an airport?! thought I my nose in the air) when lo and behold, I spied a fresh hunk of bbq'd brisket on the cutting board still steaming and oozing juices. The man behind the counter sliced some up for me and slapped it on a bun, sauce was my choice. It tasted as delicious as it looked and believe me a bbq pork/beef sandwich ain't as easy to pull off as it seems. Had my fair share of dried out, tasteless ones. Fat Guy is right. Either it's good or it isn't, and he is also correct in his analysis of bbq joints across the bbq belt. Most are mediocre at best. It's the same syndrome as a lot of restaurants in the midwest. Most consumers don't/can't? distinguish between excellent food and crap. Or maybe I should say most people (if the town in southern illinois where I grew up is any indication) don't care about food. Most anywhere around this country, you say bbq and people say delicious - no matter what they're served but especially if it's saucy. Just look how packed Dallas BBQ's in this city always are. But I've digressed, too. What has your experience with Texas bbq been that you don't consider it serious?

Mamster: "the description of Beanbender's Beer Garden in The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death (also in 5 Novels) brings tears to my eyes." Poking a hole in the roasted potato with your thumb and filling it with butter that drips down your wrist when you eat it and chasing it with creamy, frosty beer?! Yes, yes, yes! I think Pinkwater is the king of foodwriting in kid's literature - in any literature for that matter. He is a kindred foodie spirit. How about the descriptions of hot dogs from the cart, the tight pink skin and bright green relish. The avocados, the napoleons???!!! Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death may be one of Pinkwater's best in terms of food descriptions. I don't think he's written one book that does not include some description of food somewhere, but in Snarkout Boys they're on practically every other page and seem to evoke this nocturnal parallel universe somewhere between beat-nick era Chicago and Hoboken, cities where Pinkwater grew up (yes, I was sort of obsessed with him when I was a kid). I keep meaning to start a thread about his books but have been too shy. Does anyone remember which book it was where a character ate a whole peeled onion like an apple? Pinkwater wasn't describing a fool but a food radical with tastes sophisticated enough to appreciate the delicious sweetness of a truly good onion. And the mysterious drink (was it in Dharma Bums?) the taste of which was slightly disappointing but left one with a magical, peaceful feeling? Not exactly children's but I read it when I was younger: Roald Dahl wrote a fabulous short story about a shrewd wine aficionado who can name the vintage and vinyard of any wine he tastes with very detailed and visceral descriptions of how he swishes the wine around on his big, fleshy tongue. Can't remember the name now, but could find it if anyone is interested. And how about the description of Christmas dinner at the beginning of Great Expectations? I seem to remember Pip giving the escaped convict a whole mincemeat pie which he eats with relish.

Sorry, Baruch. I just have to testify to bbq in lllinois. Most people don't realize that the southern tip of the state is two hours south of St. louis, 2-3 hourse north of Tennessee, 3.5 hours from Memphis. There's bbq all over southern illinois, little roadside shacks and even drive-thrus. Murphysboro, IL, the town where I was born, just so happens to be the home of 17th Street Bar and Grill, World BBQ Champions for several years in a row. I've eaten my fair share of bbq from Kansas City to Memphis to Texas to near-perfect homemade in a smoker in the backyard, and on a good day, 17th Street makes some of the best dry rub pork ribs I've ever tasted. Ribs plump with tender, moist pink meat with just the right flavor balance between seasoning, fat, pork and smoke. mmmmmm. So don't knock Illinois. ;)

Thank you, Pitter. I get the picture.

Pitter, Goose - How long does it take to reduce your stock and when you want to turn this reduction back into stock how much water do you add? Once cup per cube as you mentioned, Pitter? (thank you in advance)

Why stock in cubes???

Homemade banana pudding with fresh ingredients is really otherwordly. I recently tried it at Magnolia Bakery in New York City, the quintessential purveyor of comfort/nostalgic American desserts - mile-high and pillowy, moist cakes, buttercream icing . . . red velvet! It's tiny and packed at night. A fun place to visit if you're ever in the city, Stellabella, and cute counter boys.

Why stock in ice cube trays? In case you only need a small portion, say for gravy or something? Peas, yes!! It's the one non-fresh form of a vegetable I actually have a thing for (besides canned corn. . . . comfort food?) and is a great addition to lots of dishes as Fat-guy mentioned. Bread, yes. (I'm single, so I can never get through a whole loaf before it goes bad.) Stock in plastic quarts, grandma's freezer jam, minced fresh parsley and basil in ziplocs (great for tomato sauce and that way I don't waste a whole bunch of parsley when I want to buy it for one dish. But what do you all do with cilantro? I can never seem to use a whole bunch up before it goes bad and the only times I ever use it are when it's fresh and raw. maybe in the frozen form for Indian cooking?), tomato paste in a ziploc, mom's pesto, occasionally a roll of spicy breakfast sausage (functions similarly to peas) and boneless, skinless chicken breast, tofutti, almonds, nuts mmmmmmmmmmmm, and of course candy bars!

I've never done a retro comfort food dinner party, but I would love to hear how the tuna-noodle casserole turns out. I never had it growing up and have always had this secret taste for it (like another American classic bologna, Velveeta, and white bread). I'd love to see your recipe. Your party sounds like fun! I love pineapple upside cake, too.

Chocokitty, me and my momma do the same with the cornstarch (I think it keeps the chicken juicier inside, rather than becoming sort of stewed in its own juice) and then it makes a nice gravy when you add it at the end with the other liquids.

Was visiting Philly last weekend with my parents. The City Market looked like foodie paradise but it was too crowded at lunchtime, so we decided to take a cab to Morning Glory at the recommendation of a friend. (Perhaps a local can help me out. I don't remember it's exact location, but it was in Old Town on Tenth? and a few blocks from Washington where the Italian markets begin.) Anyway, we got there at around 1:30 and the place was still packed. We waited fifteen minutes in their cute and kitschy patio area and were seated at a comfortable table in a warm and sunny spot by the window, which had a gorgeous, fresh bouquet of sunflowers, daisies and tulips on the sill. I went to college in Portland, Oregon, and it reminded me of a lot of restaurants there: young, slightly bohemian, very affordable, casual and homey; the food hearty, a little retro ("comfort" food), with an emphasis on quality, often upscale (creme fresche) ingredients - fresh, lots of greens, and often healthy. Brunch was still being served, regular menu plus specials. Coffee was dark, bracing, and hot! (another reminder of the pacific northwest). We ordered pancakes and scrapple for the table. The scrapple was not what I expected. I thought it would be like a fried salami and it was more like a breakfast sausage meatloaf, very heavy on the filler and ground fine, so it was softer and much mushier than meatloaf. We found it tasted best as a Thai version (as my father dubbed it) with some habanero pepper sauce (the restaurant has quite a collection of really interesting bottled hot sauces to choose from; help yourself) and homemade blueberry jam. The pancakes were light, fluffy and steaming hot; they had a certain flavor (buckwheat??) that I've tasted before in certain pancakes that is not to my liking, but I know some people love it. ANd you can get them with a warm fruit topping that I've heard it wonderful. If the little ramekins of warm, spiced apples that come withe the egg breakfasts were any indication . . . mmmmmm. I ordered an egg sandwhich special which was scrambled egg with mushroom, arugula, and smoked mozzarella on a toasted Italian roll. The eggs were actually on the wetter side and tasted like they had been cooked slowly in a pan rather than done to that dried out spongy consistency on the griddle. Cheese and vegetables mixed in, the arugula and mushrooms, cooked til just tender. The mozzarella lent the perfect amount of flavor, and was thankfully not an overwhelming, gloppy mess. And the roll was actually good bread (maybe toasted a bit longer?) not just an afterthought. It was really a treat in simplicity. Potatoes were satisfactory, not too exciting. My father's fritatta was yummy, everyone else ordered regular eggs. Service was friendly and attentive. My mother ordered her eggs over-medium and the waitress actually communicated this to the cook and the cook actually prepared them that way. I know Carman's is the place to go, but if you are looking for a relaxed, cozy weekend brunch place where simple brunch fare will actually surpass your expectations, Morning Glory hits the spot.

Here, here. I vote we all contribute $$ for provisions and Jinmyo cooks for us all!!

Finally tried the burger at McHale's on 46th and 8th the other night. It was a revelation. For one, they actually cooked it the way I asked for it. Medium rare came with a nice crust on the outside, pink and juicy on the inside. (However, I must note, if you are looking for dripping all over your plate and soaking your bun juice, this is not that kind of burger. Much leaner.) And you could actually taste the beef! The flavor was so delicious, I almost wished I hadn't dressed it. Next time i think I will eat it with some salt and maybe a little grilled onion.

Interesting article in the latest Atlantic Monthly (March) about fleur de sel (or flor de sal, in this case) being harvested by marine biologists in Portugal. Unlike the French kind, it is of an "unparalleled whiteness," because of the sunny climate in Portugal. To quote the author, Corby Kummer: "I crumbled the fragile wet crystals and licked some salt off my fingers. It vaished as fast as if it were ineed snow. The flavor was wonderfully sweet and nuanced." It is available at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor. www.zingermans.com

The only other place I've seen them is in Oregon. With fried chicken. A Pacific northwest thing?

Interested in your thoughts on how you like to cook with salt and how you like to eat it. I'm sure Fat-guy and those of you more schooled in the culinary arts could tell me the basic philosophies of cooking with it. Sea salt? Sel de mer? regular old iodized? While you're cooking, or after it's on your plate? Do you add it to everything or believe it destroys the true flavor of food? For instance, I have a thing with salt on steak. I have to have it, and find I keep adding it as I eat it. It never tastes over-salted to me, and never as delicious without it. However, I never salt steamed vegetables. With tomato sauce, I find that the flavors never seem to come alive without a good dose of it. Also, do you have gripes about restaurant cooks over-salting, under-salting? And how do you find that very fine powdery salt used on salted almonds and other savories? Soy sauce, fish sauce?

I've never been, nor have I been to Pearl Oyster Bar. I'm dying for their type of seafood menu. Wanted to go for my birthday, but just read really mixed customer reviews on citysearch. It sounds like people either loved it or hated it. It's too pricey for me to risk it. So what's the scoop on Mary's, my trusty e-gulleteers?

Helena, what is your recipe for paella in 40 minutes?