Dave the Cook

I agree with this. But I also have to again point out the practical difficulties in trying to uncover bias: 1. My sister is the chef. 2. I hate my sister. 3. But I can forgive anyone who can make a great pasta fazool, and she's an amazing cook. 4. Except that time when she poisoned our little brother with blowfish. 5. But it was a blessing, because he was terminally ill and faced an agonizing end.

I think that statement, on its face, is illogical. It makes perfect sense to me. If you can write an honest review, then whatever you have to disclose is irrelevant. Conversely, if you can't write without letting personal relationships affect what you say, then you should find something else to do.

There's also the practical issue, which is that it is a lengthy task to disclose all potential conflicts, and probably impossible for a reader to interpret a comprehensive list, anyway.

Shrimp and Andouille Pasta Serves 6 as Main Dish. Like a lot of Cajun and quasi-Cajun dishes, this recipe has a lot of ingredients, but once you've done your mis en place (including the first four steps of the recipe itself), it goes together in a straightforward manner. Serve with crusty bread and a fruit salad in citrus dressing. 1 lb Shrimp (36-40), peeled (and deveined, if desired) (brining recommended) 8 oz Andouille sausage, sliced in 3/16-inch rounds 12 oz fettucini 1 c diced onion 1/2 c diced bell pepper (green is prettier, red tastes a little better) 1-1/2 c skinned, seeded and diced tomato (canned is fine) 2 c heavy cream 1/2 c unwooded dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc), or shrimp or chicken stock 1 T minced or pressed garlic 1/2 tsp ground cayenne 1/2 tsp ground white peper 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 3 tsp kosher salt, divided 1 c chopped green onions, divided 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp. dried 2 dried bay leaves, or 4-5 fresh 1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional) Pat the shrimp dry. Put on water for the pasta. Combine the cayenne, ground peppers, oregano, thyme, bay and one teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Divide the parmesan in half. If using lemon zest (highly recommended if you're using stock instead of wine), combine it with half the parmesan. In a large saute pan over medium heat, brown the sausage, heating it through, in the oil. Remove to a medium-sized bowl. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Sear the shrimp, tossing or turning frequently until almost cooked through, about two minutes. Add to bowl with sausage. Add onions and bell pepper to pan. Saute until slightly caramelized, four to five minutes. More importantly, watch the fond -- when it's medium brown, add the garlic and half the spice mixture (be careful not to breathe directly over the pan). Stir briefly, until garlic aroma blooms, about 30 seconds. Add the wine. Deglaze the pan and cook the wine down to a syrup. If your pasta water isn't boiling by now, this is a good place to stop and wait. Remove the pan from the heat. When the water comes to a full boil, add the remaining two teaspoons of salt and the pasta. Give it a stir to keep it from sticking and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Add the cream to the pan (if you've stopped, turn the heat up to medium-high) and reduce by about 20%, or until you can draw a clean stripe through a coat of it on the back of a spoon. Turn the heat down to low. Add the sausage back to the sauce along with the tomatoes, the rest of the spice mixture, half the green onions, and the zestless half of the cheese. Heat through while waiting for the pasta to be done. Just before pasta is done, add the shrimp to the pan and stir them in. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Turn to coat the pasta. To serve, ladle into bowls, topping with the lemon-parmesan and a sprinkling of green onions. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Shrimp, Pasta, Hot and Spicy, Pork ( RG785 )

Shrimp and Andouille Pasta Serves 6 as Main Dish. Like a lot of Cajun and quasi-Cajun dishes, this recipe has a lot of ingredients, but once you've done your mis en place (including the first four steps of the recipe itself), it goes together in a straightforward manner. Serve with crusty bread and a fruit salad in citrus dressing. 1 lb Shrimp (36-40), peeled (and deveined, if desired) (brining recommended) 8 oz Andouille sausage, sliced in 3/16-inch rounds 12 oz fettucini 1 c diced onion 1/2 c diced bell pepper (green is prettier, red tastes a little better) 1-1/2 c skinned, seeded and diced tomato (canned is fine) 2 c heavy cream 1/2 c unwooded dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc), or shrimp or chicken stock 1 T minced or pressed garlic 1/2 tsp ground cayenne 1/2 tsp ground white peper 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 3 tsp kosher salt, divided 1 c chopped green onions, divided 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp. dried 2 dried bay leaves, or 4-5 fresh 1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional) Pat the shrimp dry. Put on water for the pasta. Combine the cayenne, ground peppers, oregano, thyme, bay and one teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Divide the parmesan in half. If using lemon zest (highly recommended if you're using stock instead of wine), combine it with half the parmesan. In a large saute pan over medium heat, brown the sausage, heating it through, in the oil. Remove to a medium-sized bowl. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Sear the shrimp, tossing or turning frequently until almost cooked through, about two minutes. Add to bowl with sausage. Add onions and bell pepper to pan. Saute until slightly caramelized, four to five minutes. More importantly, watch the fond -- when it's medium brown, add the garlic and half the spice mixture (be careful not to breathe directly over the pan). Stir briefly, until garlic aroma blooms, about 30 seconds. Add the wine. Deglaze the pan and cook the wine down to a syrup. If your pasta water isn't boiling by now, this is a good place to stop and wait. Remove the pan from the heat. When the water comes to a full boil, add the remaining two teaspoons of salt and the pasta. Give it a stir to keep it from sticking and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Add the cream to the pan (if you've stopped, turn the heat up to medium-high) and reduce by about 20%, or until you can draw a clean stripe through a coat of it on the back of a spoon. Turn the heat down to low. Add the sausage back to the sauce along with the tomatoes, the rest of the spice mixture, half the green onions, and the zestless half of the cheese. Heat through while waiting for the pasta to be done. Just before pasta is done, add the shrimp to the pan and stir them in. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Turn to coat the pasta. To serve, ladle into bowls, topping with the lemon-parmesan and a sprinkling of green onions. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Shrimp, Pasta, Hot and Spicy, Pork ( RG785 )

I'm sure they'll keep it open if they know we're coming. Actually, I've already warned the crew of this possibility.

Thanks, Seth. It occurred to me that it would probably help if I could tell you what we want to see and visit, and then we could construct a series of half-day walking/eating tours. I'm collecting wish lists now; see the obvious stuff below. What would be really great is if these could become the basis for a comprehensive eGullet guide to New York. Your scenario plus some other material is a terrific start: You get the idea, I'm sure. As people try out the "tours," we can refine and update, but always with a food-centered perspective: the restaurants, the cookware stores, the markets. Eventually, you guys will never have to do this for a visitor again! On the list so far, in addition to what's already been mentioned: Times Square Rockefeller Center Empire State Building MOMA Central Park/Strawberry Fields The Dakota Broadway/theatre district The Apollo Statue of Liberty, though actually going to Bedloe Island doesn't seem to be mandatory Greenwich Village St Patrick's Museum of Natural History FAO Schwartz There's more to come I'm sure. Thanks, everyone, for helping out. Edit: the Cellphone Walking Tour looks awesome. And thanks for the design tips, Blondie. And the previous thread. I hadn't seen it before; lots of helpful stuff there.

This sounds terrific, Seth -- especially since brick-oven pizza is definitely on the must-have list. But it brings up one of my concerns: how cold is it going to feel out there on the middle of the bridge the dead of winter? Isn't there a restaurant right under the bridge on the Manhattan side? How's that?

All right. I'm jealous. As a fan of Bud, are you going to hit Chinatown in a big way too? You bet. That chicken better watch out.

An absolutely fascinating site, picaman. Thank you.

Don't worry -- go ahead and mispronounce it as frequently as you can -- the ability to get a room full of people to turn their heads and scream "HOW-ston" at you in unison is a lot of fun. I know! This happens in Atlanta all the time, as we also have a Hou(How)ston Street. And we had great fun going the other way when we lived in Houston, Texas. As a fan of Calvin Trillin for many years, I am not about to miss a chance at Russ & Daughters.

Collapsible steamer baskets are number three on my list of cheap kitchen essentials, after wooden spoons and bench scrapers. Not only can you steam in almost any vessel, you can use them as strainers or cooling racks, and to immerse buoyant items in marinades and brines. Plus, they are indispensible in the fabrication of Chicken Inventolux (scroll down about half a page). I can't believe Sam didn't remember this.

A good bit of the accumulated cast-iron wisdom of eGullet can be found here. Scroll about halfway down the page and you'll see my post with several other links. I would be personally remiss if I didn't also point you here.

I think you're right, fifi. I also think good ol' black pepper gets overlooked. To my taste, it lets you cut back on the salt somewhat, and rounds out the flavor. Certainly Prudhomme preaches the layering you're talking about. But he also uses more seasoning than just cayenne, salt and pepper.

I'm very interested, if we can clear the logistical hurdles. (Suzanne: )

PARTY AT DAVE'S! I'll bring pie and pao de queijo.... You serious? I figured we could just do it on the corner of 81st and Broadway. I once participated in a Po' Boy contest like that (ruined a new pair of white Adidas shoes, too -- Ugelisch's roast beef).

I'm not sure the rest of the party is willing to commit to the exacting scientific standards of the BC, so an official meeting is probably out of the question anyway. But maybe a non-voting, audit-type meeting, at one of the contending spots? My legion might be persuaded. Largest? I didn't know that. I'm not sure where churches rank among the sightseeing imperatives of the group, which comprises lapsed Catholics, lackadaisical Quakers and heathens. Certainly we're impressed by spectacular architecture, though. Lox good. Fish goo bad (someday I'll tell you about my introduction to rotten herring). While we're on the subject (sort of), what are the liquor laws, especially as concerns wine and beer? State stores/never on Sunday like Pennsylvania? Grocery stores 24/7 like Texas? Drive-thrus like California?

I'm sorry, Mr. North Cackalacky. Do you have jurisdiction here? (thanks) I have tourist jurisdiction. Plus, I know that you'll be quite impressed with Fairway's offerings. Indeed he will. Or else he's not the man we take him for. Thanks guys, but I'm not sure anything could beat the Raleigh branch of Whole Foods.

Is that the branch of the Metropolitan that has the Medieval stuff? ooh.

This of course has been a dream of mine for quite some time.

I'm sorry, Mr. North Cackalacky. Do you have jurisdiction here? (thanks)

This is great stuff. Thanks, everybody, and especially 'trix for the links. Now for what might be a naive question. We'll have a kitchen. I expect we'll be eating most meals out, but breakfast and possibly late-night snackage will probably be in, for the most part. Where can I get groceries?

I've been looking at maps. Y'all know there really isn't any upper west or lower east to Manhattan, don't you? By my compass, the former is in the Hudson River and latter is in Brooklyn.

Let's not overwhelm them with eGulls. I've already sent an inquiry.

I am perfectly willing to sponsor a bagel-off.