weinoo

No - I was referring to the video I watched initially, which directed me toward that product. Not @torakris's.

OF course.

The blog was probably a Japanese housewife blog.

Nothing tastes like a backyard tomato, even if your backyard is in your living room.

Deliveries this week included some weirdness: Oh yeah, I was watching a video about chirashi prep, and this is the specific brand recommended. If I grow a third eye, you'll know why. I'm quite interested in trying this allegedly 100% wasabi powder, and I think the stuff in the tube is also alleged to be pure. Moving to France: One of our favorite cheeses, this is a 30-month age Comté. And it's freakin' delicious. Ain't that America: Mini-heirlooms. From an upstate NY farm, women-owned, via Fresh Direct. One of the reasons I don't mind Fresh Direct is because they help some of these smaller farms sell their product, and that's good for the farmers and customers. They taste as good as they look.

Simplistic ratatouille. Everything just cooked in the pan (sans zucchini). Significant Eater asked: "Is this caponata?" I had to roll my eyes.

A couple of recent dinners included: My new favorite herb of summer of confinement: dill. An old skool NYC Jewish deli cucumber salad. This is the don't tell the old skool NYC Jewish deli pork and (of course RG) beans, and collards and pork. Another new favorite due to its ease, chicken a la Jacques. Gussied up. Whole (yes Joyce Farms' poulet rouge) chicken butchered, skin removed and crisped in the steam girl. Backs and assorted tips make a couple of cups of express stock. Breast tbd.

Where do you find that?

One of the last 2 meals (from other than our own kitchen) pre-confinement was a pizza from a quite local pizzeria, Scarr's. They grind their own flour, etc. etc. For lunch one day earlier in the week on my daily walk, I stopped by, ordered, and took this home... And it was so freakin' good.

The hot cherry peppers are a favorite ingredient (scarpariello!) - I wonder if they're known or used much outside of our area?

the problem is with leftover (mostly) Chinese restaurant food, not with food being made at home.

This is an excellent idea (though the food may be secondary, it's certainly got an historical significance).

After peeling, I also used a big chef's knife - you just want to make sure you have a flat side to keep steady on the cutting board. My friend at Hot Thai Kitchen does a good job...

Bought some nice ginger this morning; can you point to a recipe please, @liuzhou?

You could reheat it stovetop, and then add a touch more slurry. Or, as I often do, just drain off most of the sauce before reheating. So many of these Chinese/American places overuse the cornstarch.

It'll be interesting to see how well it freezes in slices, as that's how I did it. But wrapped very, very well.

They also tended (at Le B) to not be huge desserts, as at some other places. Though there was probably another dessert served with this one!

And already frozen.

And only a little scaffolding! Cafe Katja (of course, food much different) has a really nice outdoor setup as well; they'd already set it up nicely, as that part of Orchard St. had already had the parking spaces taken away and given over to the restaurant - he's even covered in case of rain.

Many? Not really here in Manhattan - they're few and far between. That's why I referred Paul to a Brooklyn place. When was the last time a weather forecast was right 8 days out?

Agree about the book - I'm casually acquainted with both Karen and Andrew; we've been out to eat a number of times and they know their stuff. And generally matching some of the foods that you're eating, with wines from the same region as the foods, often works well. So a Vinho Verde with Portuguese inspired seafood and you can't really go wrong (as well as being a great value, that wine). This is the bottle drank a few nights ago - Beaujolais Blanc is an interesting wine, from a region known for its reds, and only 2% of the acreage is planted in this grape. Not much like classic Burgundian chards, I doubt these are very age-worthy - drink 'em when you get 'em. (I suppose if one has proper storage, buying a few cases of this at this price and seeing how they change over the next five years, would not be a terrible thing to do. Might be wise, as a matter of fact.) Another "organic" "natural" wine ( as that's the stuff we like these days, despite not knowing or really caring what it means), and no oak. Expect the flavors of summer fruit and minerals and citrus, which is okay by me. Significant Eater got hints of cidre funk. Under $20.

Wu's now has street dining! But then you're on the street. By a subway entrance. Noreetuh has always been a fave - and the wines! Fine dining? Not necessarily. I think one of the things you have to be cognizant of when street dining is the possibility that it might not be that nice out! Last week, out friends were having a beautiful anniversary meal somewhere around Mulberry and Prince streets. It was 8 PM. All of a sudden, a construction crew rolls up, and they start, yes, opening up the street - you know how they do that! Destroyed the meal. Gardens would be one of the only ways I'd think of doing this...I've heard good things about Olmsted (as well as their trading post). And last week, other friends ate outside at Ernesto's and said it was pleasant enough, but probably better for deuces. I just don't see how they can make room for more at any table. Fuck Jean Georges and that building.

But theoretically, they're writing these books for home cooks, and adjusting recipes accordingly. I mean, they're no sweeter than Lebovitz's (who of course was also a fine dining dessert chef).

You guys... I'm already dealing with milk powder, cornstarch, tapioca starch, corn syrup (sorta glucose?), cream cheese non-UHT milk and cream...just tell me how I can make those work better than Dana and Jeni do! By better, I just mean a little less sweet by cutting the table sugar. I really like the ice creams I'm making for texture, mouth feel, etc. I'm not looking to add too much else - okay, I'll get some dextrose (and I think I have xanthum gum).

As we've discussed, my next step! I have 2 cans each of the Maesri curries, which will be well doctored. Sadly, no du jardin.