weinoo

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.

I've only used the internet search for a helper once; it wasn't Angie's List, and now I forget, but I needed an electrician to change a light bulb switch, as well as replace and hang a new ceiling fixture. The person who came had a bunch of references; $75 was paid thru the website (I forget), and I tipped $20 on top.

When we started thinking about our kitchen/bath renovation, asking around, the same 3 contractors' names came up. And when our architect had our plans ready to be quoted, the same 3 contractors' names came up. They built themselves a nice, steady business, and there's no way they're about to screw that up by hiring people who ought not be in the buildings. And watching over the subs and who they hire like the hawks flying over the park outside.

I don't know how I've survived for years decades without one, though we did put one in the DC pied-à-terre, so Significant Eater could use it for various purposes (like preparing her amy's frozen burritos or whatever). Oh, now I remember - kitchen real estate, and the fact I can melt butter as well as bring water to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove.

In progress, using fresh littlenecks and a can of Spanish cockles. Started out similar to making paella, and then added clam juice and stock (a cup at a time) made from shrimp shells, stirring occasionally. Clam soupy rice with chorizo, shallots, garlic, tomato, peppers, espelette, saffron, stock. I don't use my broiler much - sucker gets hot! These wings could've probably been moved down a shelf, but I rescued them in time.

Here in these apartments in NYC (there are close to 1,700 apartments in our complex), only like 3 or 4 contractors are used. They know the buildings, what’s inside the walls, how to get permits, etc. etc. so you see the same workers over and over - which doesn’t mean they always do a great job - but it does lead to a sense of security in that these contractors want this work, and they’re not going to hire screw ups if they can avoid it. Someone is always watching, be it security, management, neighbors, whomever.

Indeed.

I wish they could leave well enough alone. Those labels are iconic.

Enjoy those labels while you can.

Fucking contractors...that's just lame - someone could actually get a bad injury from that work. One day I went to check on work in the apartment in DC we were gut renovating. On the floor, and strewn about, a bucket of water, wet rags, etc. etc. On the floor that had been just installed. Without anything protecting it.

Oh that sounds nice! Which one?

I keep trying to tell some friends who are interested in one that yeah, it's an oven. And not a great one, at that.

All this talk of cabbage and whaddya know? A head of cabbage in the fridge met its demise via coleslaw and the above stir fry which was lunch today. Beef, red pepper, jalapeño, celery, carrot, CABBAGE, ginger, garlic, scallions, chili paste, soy, Shaoxing, chicken stock, vinegar, Szechuan pepper.

Oh, now I remember what I forgot... This thread got me thinking about the head of cabbage in the fridge. So, cole slaw was made. Hand shredded (with a knife). And lunch, too. In the post above the cabbage is hand and knife torn.