weinoo

I think your perceptions of weak/strong/bitter/insipid might be off, as MikeHartnett points out. No matter what you do to that crappy coffee, be it French press, Technivorm or having the infusion made by hand maidens, it is never going to be good. I like Chris' suggestion that you brew some coffee with the pour over method, by using the filter and carafe from the Technivorm - having absolute control over the water temperature. No need to make a liter all at once - make a 1/2 pint - use the right amount of coffee, and go from there...fwiw, I think your grind is probably too coarse for pourover - I go the just the upside of an espresso grind for my pourover coffee. And buy some good roasted beans - Sweet Maria's is great - but you really have to understand the roasting process before you can be absolutely certain that the beans you produce are any better than, say, 8 o'clock's. You could buy some roasted beans from them, or Intellegentsia, or...

I just think you're using crappy, stale coffee. Also, what's your water like?

That's Hall of Shame! Yeah, this one's gross!

In today's Times, there's an article about "local sourcing" - a bit tongue in cheek, I do believe. Now - who doesn't have a guilty pleasure? Even Wylie, per said article... has one. A pretty damn good one, I'd say. What's your's?

I get around the whole olive question by mostly not ordering a drink with an olive in it. On a similar vein there are bartenders, who when asked for a dirty martini, will literally pick that little tray of olives up, and use their fingers as a strainer to decant some of the olive liquid into the glass...shoot me now. Of course, since it's summer, I have to bring up my #1 complaint about the failure to use enough air conditioning.

Pineapple juice comes in 6 packs of 6 oz. cans (about $3) - and Dole's is not from concentrate. Probably as close as you can come to freshly juiced. Then you'll have some leftover for tiki drinks at your next get-together.

I happen to like the Algonquin, and it's a pretty accesible rye cocktail for those who think they don't like cocktails: 2 rye, 1 pineapple juice, 1 dry vermouth - shaken and strained and you really can't beat a Manhattan. Why do you need 10 - 12 cocktails on your drink menu for a dozen guests? Make 2 or 3 good ones, and enjoy your party.

Yes, salt! Usually I cut the radishes in half, but whole will work. Just toss them with a tablespoon or so of kosher salt, and let them sit. Them rinse and dry before serving. You'd be surprised that a proper blanching (or even griddling) will actually bring out the crunch.

I normally hand wash and play by the rules. Is there any reason that lime juice and/or lime zest would have caused this?

So, for the first time since I've been using my Blendtec, my blender jar turned cloudy. And even a run through the dishwasher didn't clear it up. I don't blend spices. I don't blend rocks. What I do (as I've always done), is make sorbet base in the blender - that's sugar, water, flavorings, etc. Last night I decided to make the base for a lime sorbet. So into the blender went sugar, water, freshly squeezed lime juice and the grated zest of 1 lime. Next thing I know, cloudy blender jar. Why?

I always salt the radishes an hour or two ahead of time - takes some of the bite out, and makes them a little pickly. And a quick heat-up on a hot griddle will make your sugar snaps even more delicious.

Oyamel is pretty loud. Not been to BlackSalt. What about Proof? Excellent wines, good food.

Roasted peppers, marcona almonds, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, etc.

I think that's Mike Mills.

I think it depends on what's being cooked. If I've got a lamb shoulder, a pork butt or even a whole chicken, I like to salt copiously and let sit in the fridge for a day or two before cooking. On the other hand, if I'm cooking a skinny filet of flounder, I salt right before cooking.

Ryan Sutton in Bloomberg News awards MCFNY 2.5 stars...

Of course something medicine-like is what real tonic is made from!

What gin are you using? What proportions of gin, tonic syrup and club soda did you use?

I think it's more than a water filter that makes clear ice.

This is what should have been done...it's management's job. If people get loud and obnoxious in a bar, they're asked to leave (or shown the door). Same thing should happen in a restaurant. We're unfortunately at a time in the "evolution" of society where there are people who don't respect boundaries when they are in public places. Sometimes they need to be told how to.

What the fuck is a Rachel?

If they put a show on TV, and nobody watched, is it still a show?

James' Peterson's Fish & Shellfish: The Cook's Indispensable Companion is one of the best as to the who, why, when, what and where. And David Pasternack's (along with Ed Levine) The Young Man & the Sea is a great guide.

In Italy, they sell a version which actually is alcoholic (I think it's called Campari Soda), which makes it just that much better.

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping - because after an hour or two, I'd be started to get worried about food safety.