weinoo

We have some pretty good beer places too! https://www.thegranddelancey.com/

New (used) books purchased and one has been received... And...

A couple of simple dinners as we complete a birthday week. Here's the lasagna, mentioned previously and picked up from I Sodi, and the asparagus beurre moussant: There was a smallish (2.2 lbs. about) Joyce Farms poulet rouge needing heat. As it's getting warmer, didn't feel like turning on the big oven, so back to the steam girl... Nice crispy skin and tasty. And finally... Tagliatelle with black truffles, butter and parmesan.

Absolutely. They also get up really early to bake.

This is kind of what I always tell myself, especially when it comes to baking breads, pizza, etc. I'm sure if we did it every day, they would become increasingly more professional; but we don't, so notes, impressions, taste, etc. are what's used to help us along. Even when we finally bake that perfect ciabatta, loaf, pizza, etc. the next time maybe the weather's different. Maybe the temperature where the dough is rising is different; maybe the flour is different. And on it goes.

I'm sure it's delicious. But let's say next time you're in Nashville; order a chicken burger with pickled fennel...and see what happens 😉.

Do you weigh anything, to really get a precise baker's %? Might help if you're planning on making ciabatta frequently, and really want to get better at it. A ciabatta (along with their other Italian breads) I always liked was the one by Il Fornaio bakery, in San Francisco. I've owned the book since it was published in '93: The Il Fornaio Baking Book. (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). It's quite a bit different than baking books published now, for any number of reasons. Here's what that baker had to say about ciabatta: (ignore my scribble, I try to work in grams now) \ Oh - the biga...

Yes, indeed. Imagine how good it might be without the fennel?!

Thanks...I get around 12-14 pancakes using 125 grams of flour.

The request was for lasagna. But we started with aperitivo and snacks... Baccalà mantecato, topped with crumbs and heated up. Along with carciofi fritti. Two types of lasagna from I Sodi and asperges au beurre moussant. For dessert, torta di cioccolato.

Yesterday was Significant Eater's birthday, so I started it off with one of her favorites (other than a giant breakfast burrito from the Frontier, which wasn't happening). But blueberry pancakes were. For not making pancakes often, and for not making them in a long time, these came out really good. Mine even had some banana.

A few of the newer bakeries which have opened here offer 100% ryes. They're intense and great. The Times published a recipe from Claus Meyer (Noma co-founder), who opened the Nordic food hall in Grand Central, and was selling a delicious rye. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018537-nordic-whole-grain-rye-bread

It quite appears as if this stuff is not available any more.

Last night's pre-birthday dinner (it never ends) for Sig Eater was just a little weird, as I was going to pick up sushi from Sushi Noz. But when I couldn't get the order through on their website, I called...only to be told that they had a kitchen emergency and were closed for the day. Fortunately, I had some soaked salt cod. And made brandade, a true fave of her's. (Obviously, not even able to wait for me to take a picture). Along with brouillade aux truffes, a salade, some toasts, it was dinner. This stuff is rich.

I do go to Chinatown, but I'm still waiting to head into any of the bigger markets. Now, as far as the Huy Fong Sriracha, I believe Thai people have the same response to that stuff as @liuzhou mentioned his Chinese friends have to the Lee Kum Kee brand. At one time (published in 1988), this book was a pretty good reference for Asian ingredients available here in the US... And I'd used the brand pictured on the left as my go to chili paste for Szechuan cooking... It was actually the brand I was hoping to find, to replace the jar in my fridge that was on its last legs, but I couldn't find it...hence, the LKK.

A proper, authentic spaghetti all'Amatriciana was made for dinner last night. After melting the guanciale in a glug of olive oil, a few red chili flakes are added and then canned San Marzano tomatoes are cooked down a bit. Oh, about guanciale, @Maureen B. Fant says: The "they" being the people for whom this dish (and probably carbonara) are credited as being the originators. The rest of the "meez" for the dish. Two types of pecorino, Tuscano and Romano. And freshly cracked black peppercorns. Spaghetti all'Amatriciana. With a tiny bit more of the sauce atop for Sig Eater.

Now that you point that out, it probably was the leaf end that was cut and showing, and they were selling the greens separately.

I was kinda being cheeky...I'm sure, as probably all your neighbors might say, it's insanely overpriced. I should've taken a picture, but there were a number of street sellers yesterdays showing off their celtuce, by displaying it with an open, cut end. Is that a thing?

You say this like it's a bad thing 😉 . As we say in yiddish, "nu?" Gimme names, and when I force myself into a real grocery store in Chinatown, as opposed to a Chinese or Vietnamese owned bodega, I'll bite. So, sorta like I laugh at people who think smoked bacon is ok in carbonara? Here's one I just found... It's $30 - you think it's worth it?

Walked over a few blocks today to resupply/replace a few ingredients in my fridge. If my memory serves me correctly (a stretch, I'll admit), these are very likely the same brands I used when I first started playing around in the kitchen with attempts at Chinese cooking. They were probably some of the few brands available, back in the 70s in Santa Barbara. They've fancied up the jars, but at less than $3 a piece, they're the anti-hipster stuff. They're so anti-hipster that they're actually cool.

The Dead Rabbit is a wonderful bar too!

Looking at the two pies above, first one could've used another 45 seconds to a minute of time under the broiler.

In what might be the final pizza bake of the season (it's getting warm in that kitchen), two pies were made last night. simply made with King Arthur "00" at 68% hydration, salt and yeast. Overnight fermentation, divided and refrigerated (after an hour's rest) for a few hours. Taken out an hour or so before baking. Pie above was an experiment, so on half the pie I put some cut-up cherry tomatoes, some Calabrian chilies, and some roasted red pepper. That side was a bit soggy, but still had decent structure... Second pie... This one is just cheese and sauce, more to my liking, and a nice, even char all around. Using the term "round" loosely here.

Salad with house-pickled shrimp, celery and onions. House-made Orawasher's seeded rye, to my taste still one of the best classic NY rye breads around. They only make the real deal corn rye on weekends.

It's what I do as well. Farmer's market for locally caught seafood (whole body) and harvested shellfish. Or trusted sources for the same. My scallops don't often come from Maine (I noticed Regalis had live Maine scallops in the shell this week), but they're still great. My forays into frozen include stuff such as salmon and halibut from Alaska, where I believe what they're selling is what they say they're selling, because they've been selling that stuff to a lot of customers for a long time.