Blondie

Daniel Libeskind

The cans or bottle with the nitrogen cartridges will give you the closest approximation of a pint pulled in a pub. I’ve tried the cans and find them acceptable if there’s no draft Guinness available (that’s what I get for living in the boonies). The bottles are newer, but I believe the cartridge is similar to the cans. It’s worth a try. The bottle without the cartridges, the extra stout, is a completely different animal. You’d see the ole fellas holding up the end of the bar in rural Ireland drink it. It’s said to be stronger and hoppier than a creamy draft pint. When you open the can or bottle with the cartridge, pour it at a 45 deg. angle til the glass is 3/4 full. Wait for it to settle, then pour the rest. Enjoy

Congratulations Nick!

Travel four miles out of Fort William and you can eat at the very wonderful Inverlochy Castle. Click Thanks, Gavin. That looks like a great place to celebrate completing the West Highland Way.

I’ve been obsessed with the thought of walking the West Highland Way ever since a month-long trip to Scotland several years ago. Has anyone here done it? Solo or supported? g., FWIW my visit was mid-September to mid-October and it was very dry and mild. No midges to speak of. In my limited experience, I’d have to agree with Fort William being the worst place to eat. The proximity to Glen Coe and the falls at Glen Nevis *almost* makes up for it.

Smokers drink more than non-smokers, making them more valuable to bar owners certainly, and arguably to many restaurant owners.

I’ve bought Formaggio di Fossa at Citarella out here in the boonies. Both stores on the East End have a varied, well-kept selection. My favorite cheese guy, Walter, who worked at the East Hampton store during the summer, is at the UES location now (which I’ve never visited). I’m hoping he comes back during the season. I like Murray’s for the decent selection of Irish cheeses, including Gubbeen and Durrus, which I’ve had trouble finding in good condition in NY.

One of my current favorites is Majorero, a hard goats' milk cheese from Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands (does that count as Spanish?) In the past few months I've also purchased Garrotxa, Manchego, and Mahon. I liked the Mahon, *loved* the others. They're all in the regular rotation now. Instead of membrillo, I serve guava paste (Goya) alongside.

I made this the other night. I used a Microplane grater (coarse, I think). I grated them only halfway (to save my fingers) and tossed the intact halves in the oven to roast with EVOO, S & P. I haven't tried the Lupa dish yet, but my version is pretty good. I love the color and texture of the shaved sprouts and plan on doing a bit of experimenting with them.

I had the porcini and Talleggio pizza. I really liked it, but then I’m a big fan of thin crust pizza. The slightly dry texture of the crust absorbed the oils/fats of the toppings without getting soggy and greasy, so I can’t find fault with the crust as a topping-delivery method, but probably wouldn’t like it on its own. It was very much like a pizza I had in Rome a few months ago. Bond Girl gave a very good assessment of the apps. The olive oil gelato was simply outstanding. The service was very friendly and professional. Overall, a great experience

My, Blondie is being cheeky this week. I guess she is just going to have to experience the magic herself . I've been waiting months for you to disappear. Don't keep us in suspense.

Just because you practiced a lot doesn't mean you ever got any good at it

I find that one step critical. It gives a great texture to the dish. I forgot to mention I made this last week as well. I did puree the sauce, but only grilled some of the chicken, partly because I was lazy but I was also interested to see how it worked either way. It was delicious. Since the spice proportions are the same in both parts of the recipe, is there any reason I shouldn't make up a bunch of the spice mixture and keep it in an airtight container?

I really enjoyed that meal. Yvonne's right, the breading didn't overwhelm the oysters, the salumi was very good, and the duck ham/talleggio/hen-of-the-woods panini was among the best I've ever had.

Well I was at that meal in question. And the reason we didn't enjoy the meal as much as you is because we have more experience both at that restaurant and probably eating that type of meal then you do. So our sphere of experience is different then yours. That is my entire point. Your liking it is relative to your sphere of experience which is fine. But maybe if you had eaten there a half dozen more times, and you had eaten in a half dozen contemporary Paris bistros recently, you would have felt differently about it. Yeah, jaybee, maybe if you were more experienced you would have hated it too. Don't feel bad; you'll get there

If that's the case, why did you choose Congee Village for the eGullet banquet?

I've gotten good results nuking the larger ones for 30 seconds.

The fisherman taught me how to do a version of this with the back of a big ole chef's knife, using the bottom knuckle of the forefinger and thumb for leverage. I've managed it a few times (without hurting myself). Looks impressive (and dangerous)

I have these plus Malden. The fisherman can't figure out why I need five different kinds of salt. He's a minimalist and thinks it's bizarre.

I'm baffled by this. It would never occur to me to allow the waitstaff's possible reaction to govern what I choose to order. If I don't want dessert or cheese I don't order it.

I thought we had already discussed/nit-picked/analyzed the food at Blue Hill pretty comprehensively. I thought it was funny

I am I the only one flashing back to that Beggin' Strips ad with the dog running around: "Bacon. Bacon. Bacon. What's that say? I CAN'T READ!" That's one of those stupid things that cracks me up every time I miss Irish bacon.

Isn't that better than poncey?

I think it's Grana Padano