weinoo

I rarely throw stuff out, trying not to be wasteful. But if (and when) I find something that's of questionable age or provenance, why take chances? Should I eat something that is obviously way past its prime, or something that might make me not feel great? Makes zero sense.

I'd throw it out. But that's just me.

Heirloom tomatoes, with feta, pesto (sans cheese) and olive oil. What might be my favorite cut of lamb (well, there's the neck, the belly and the ribs, too) - round bone shoulder chops, with pan sauce of drippings, white wine, shallots, stock, mustard (and if I only had a grill...). Potatoes, string beans, onions, garlic, red pepper, pimenton, saffron, stock, tomato, all kind of casseroled together, which turned out really great.

Do you have a cat?

Walked up to the "east village" last night to have some sushi. Started with this for an app: Fried soft-shell crab. Served with a really nice ponzu dipping sauce. Sig Eater enjoys the white-bread roll combo (3 rolls, miso soup, salad - perfect for she/her). I go for the chef's special... Which last night came with a toro roll (on the left) and a giant piece of eel. A bottle of sake was consumed as well. At Kanoyama.

That's a brand carried by Fresh Direct here in NYC...amongst others...https://catchwordbranding.com/portfolio/natures-promise/

There was so much of this stuff in the market I was in yesterday (the one at Hester and Elizabeth). Like tons, but pre-bagged so one is forced (at least at this market) into buying like 4 lbs. at a time. Last night was paella night. Don't tell the purists, but chicken and chorizo. @Duvel - yes, there was good socarrat!! (Possibly due to the use of a real paella - and extra heat). Along with some lovely corn.

I was curious about a newish restaurant in Chinatown called Hakka Cuisine, after a friend ate there, and after I'd read a write-up or two about it. Located near the very beginning (or end I guess, depending on which way one is walking), I decided to walk down to the end (or beginning, I guess) of Division Street for lunch yesterday. Obviously, a solo lunch is not great for any grand pronouncements about whether a new-ish restaurant is worthy, so none will be made here. They have lunch specials, which I'm on the alert for at Chinatown restaurants, when having lunch by myself. So that's what was ordered. (The specials usually include soup and rice, at a reduced price and portion size - good for a solo diner). The "soup" was basically lukewarm, though I don't think any amount of heat would've helped it - clear and pretty tasteless...not even a scallion in sight. I ordered a Hakka specialty: Pan-fried tofu stuff with pork. This was tasty, and I guess it's a fairly classic dish of the Hakka canon. Big portion, though I ate it all. Rice was fine. Diet Coke was good. Wouldn't mind returning with a group, in order to try some of the larger format dishes.

Falk. I like Falk.

A couple of pasta dinners recently: Pasta with green beans and pesto. The pesto seemed to want to cling to the green beans, and the pasta (cavatappi) isn't the greatest shape for pesto, but...whatever...we ate it. Last night, I made socca to have with our martinis and snacks pre-dinner. It came out okay, using the steam girl, but I think it really needs a regular oven. Dinner... Gemelli with porcini and cremini mushroom sauce. Based on an old Marcella recipe. This one was good.

Almost any pasta can be made pretty quickly (obviously, not a ragu of meat or similar). Cacio e pepe. Amatriciana. Gricia. Garlic and oil. Bottarga. Canned clams. Tuna. Sardines. Etc.

Stuff I bought today which is a regular buy at TJ's: 1 Haas avocado - hard and green 1 Tuscan Melon 2 ears of corn - just uncrated Organic Broccolini 2 bananas - still somewhat green (Sig Eater will eat no banana unless it's hidden in a smoothie or somewhere else) Organic Button Mushrooms Empire Kosher skinless/boneless chicken thighs (probably for paella)

Tried some mini chicken tacos for the first and last time. Still think the samosas are one of the better items without rocks. Or insects.

I guess in the wilds of Minneapolis, people just have more time. Except not enough time to read: “without the ability to vent.”

I’m surprised you don’t talk to your devices!

No, it really doesn’t…if you live on the 15th floor of an apartment building in NYC, without the ability to vent to the outside. Not everyone has a garage; not everyone live in the metro area of Minneapolis. What makes it easy is finding a good roaster that roasts consistently, offers good variety, and is able to deliver my freshly roasted beans within a day or two of ordering,

As a search on "Kimball" will reveal, @btbyrd, you're far from the only one! https://forums.egullet.org/search/?q=Kimball&quick=1

who?

Exactly!

Prior to a show last night, we had dinner at the "new" Pastis. The original Pastis, a Keith McNally restaurant, had closed in 2014, and this one opened in 2019, now with both Keith and Stephen Starr as partners in the operation. After cocktails and starters (nicely prepared fried artichokes)... Significant Eater never met a cheeseburger she didn't like. Fries, as always at a McNally restaurant, were stellar. And my duck breast, often served too rare, was cooked to my medium spec, and was delicious...with cherries and sorrel.

We had one of these in our small DC apartment - worked great, as do most of their products: Breville Mini Smart Oven

Yes.

That’s right around the same size as the one from Clearly Frozen. I still had to rearrange most everything in my freezer, but I got it in there. One good tip is to remove them before the bottom part is totally frozen. Note the part which holds the cubes, but the liner.

I bought one of these: Ice cube makers, after seeing a friend extol its virtues. Indeed, I've now made the clearest ice ever in my home freezer. However, it's a bit of a pain in the ass, and takes up a fair amount of space in the freezer while it's doing its job. Clearly Frozen (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

Pan-fried steak, with a sauce made from drippings, stock, horseradish, mustard and butter. Well-braised haricots verts; braised in butter, olive oil, stock, garlic, shallots. The steak is described thusly, to the skeptic in me: 100% Grass-Fed Local Edge of Eye Steak This extremely tender (and little-known) steak is named for its source — the area between the chuck and the ribs, called the eye. East meets West dessert: Jersey peaches and blueberries. Washington Ranier cherries. California (decent) strawberries (the fancier ones, but still commercial).