stefanyb

Tomala, Its the tahini. You need Asian sesame paste. You've had hummus or babaganoush, thats tahini flavor. What you want is Asian sesame paste! yikes Trust me, this is something I know.

Asian sesame paste is made with toasted sesame seeds. Middle Eastern is not. Its a whole different flavor, just like sesame oils. Leave out the sambal. What you add to a dish after the fact changes it in a different way than if added into the original mix, imho.

Don't use tahini. The sesame paste must be Asian not Middle Eastern. You can use part Asian sesame paste and part peanut butter but the original recipe, I believe, did not use peanut butter. For thinning of the paste its a good idea to use oolong tea (brewed and cooled) together with soy sauce. Those are my suggestions. I'm not familiar with using sambal in this dish either.

Thats what I was saying way back on this thread. But his behavior, both in his email to Hans and his posts here, is clear evidence of his overarching feelings of ENTITLEMENT. Thats what makes his behavior so egregious.

At the beginning of this thread I felt that drrevenue was 100% correct in his assessment of the situation. If you all recall, he did not immediately name the restaurant either. As posts accumulated on this thread it became more and more apparent that he is the kind of person who feels entitled, based on his financial standing and feelings of self-importance, to experience the world in a special, protected way. Well drrevenue wake up and smell the rancid coffee. Are you his friend? Are you his "gold nugget"? Are you his business associate? Make up your mind. Bad things happen to rich, food-savvy people, my friend. No one died becuase of this bad meal or bad treatment. Get over yourself.

You realize that if he had written, "I am disappointed about your reaction on Saturday night" it could have been interpreted as- he was hoping all would be well while he was away and was disappointed to find out all was not well. Its not impossible that that was what he meant to convey.

Bux, I just thought, given your reference to the halibut topping, that you presented the perfect opportunity to discuss in further detail what it actually contained. Do you think it contained anything other than tomatoes, breadcrumbs and butter, s&p ?

Does canned count? If so Muir Glen Chunky Tomato Sauce in the can not the jar is pretty damn good. Not that you don't have to doctor it up (you do), but its very flavorful in an authentic tomato way, not sweet from corn syrup or sugar, and its organic. Definitely my first choice if not making my own.

The "unkindest cut"

That is a knockout idea. I wonder if anyone has ever actually done it. Bring the toothpicks for that one.

What about the bread crumbs on the halibut? You've got me there! Actually, though, didn't that topping on the halibut really function as vegetable. After all, it was not crispy or even bready. We had a long debate about the ingredients it contained and it took quite a few minutes before anyone suggestesd bread. We all were puzzling over whether or not there were carrots or squash in there. Actually, I think it was the combination of the tomatoes and the butter with the bread that fooled our tastebuds and our eyes. (butter in tomato sauce always seems to turn the color orangey).

Last night's dinner at Blue Hill was great fun. Having never before met Nina, Jordyn, Toby or Bux, for me the food would have had to be pure ambrosia to beat out the crowd. I have to say, it didn't. The Tomatoes! course was truly exceptional. I could have eaten a bowl of it and been perfectly happy to then conclude with the predessert and the dessert. Upon mentally reviewing the whole menu, I realize that there were no starches in any of the dishes. The lamb had no cous cous or potatoes (one chunk in the eggplant tart that I failed to notice) and the halibut was on a bed of tomatoes (appropriately, of course). In retrospect, I think I liked the lightness of all the courses but that's probably why Bux said that this is not a place for fressers and I agree. Considering that it was a Tuesday night and we didn't get up from the table until 12:30, the lightness of the meal was actually welcome, by me at least. I think Cabby was still hungry, though (I guess it was too late for Pommes Frites for post-dessert). Summary: Great experience, good food, excellent company

Andre Soultner, Lutece, NYC

Welcome, bean. Do not miss the beef brisket, as mundane as that may sound. Also any charcuterie, or salumi they may offer. It'll be a great time, I'm sure.

Thom-Thom, Yes, I actually brought a plant of lemon thyme with me to the Cape. I bought the plant at the Union Square Green Market. It may be a bit more difficult to find it now because planting season has passed just a little but I bet you could find it at a plant nursery in NJ. Otherwise, online for sure.

Today I made a special salad that ended up surprising even me. A friend of mine was able to obtain two softshelled lobsters that a diver friend had brought home. These are not like ss crabs where everything is edible. Just that the shells are softer and they actually have less meat than the usual lobsters we get. We steamed these and removed the flesh and chilled it. To that, after they chilled, I added mayo, salt, pepper, vidalia onion, a little lemon juice and a fair amount of fresh lemon thyme leaves. Something very extraordinary happened. It tasted heavenly. The lobster flesh was succulent and the lemon thyme added just the right extra layer of flavor which "matched" (a la Iron Chef) with the lobster. I'm just loving this herb! It tastes something like mint and lemon, not thyme which tastes to me more like soil. We had the lobster with cut up tomatoes and a baby spinach salad to round out the plate. Seven grain bread and fresh farm butter was the accompaniment. Simple but gorgeous.

Robert, There is the green dye, of course. Heh, heh. I suspect that many more people will read the review than will read the book. Based on the review alone, a person may come to a different and more negative conclusion than someone who has a broader and more varied experience with Daniel, and/or who reads the book in its entirety. What I wrote was that the REVIEW would help sell books but may not help sell Daniel which is very different than saying the BOOK wouldn't help Daniel (whether he needs help or not). With respect to the matter of Bruno Jamais, even if he is no longer working at Daniel, when a patron telephones for a reservation and is told, not in so many words, that he cannot get a table in prime time because someone is getiing paid off, I submit that he will be somewhat less enthusiastic about calling in the future (you can include me in that assumption). Eventually, that will take its toll. Calling the regular folk who would like a reservation, schmucks, is not very good public relations, I would say. I've said this before on these boards. Someone should research the correlation between palming and longevity. Anyone who reads the review but not the book would be unable to flesh out their impression of Daniel much beyond these criticisms.

If anyone missed it, Thomas McNamee reviewed Leslie's book in the NYTimes Book Review, Sunday, June 23rd. He was rather unkind about her abilities and writing style but ended by saying he couldn't put it down literally if not figuratively. I think it will sell a lot of books but may not be so helpful to Daniel.Review This link will only be available for a week or so.

I have had cow's lung stew, but not for many years. Actually, upon inquiring, I was told that cow's lung cannot be sold anymore. The texture of the lung is wonderful, juicy and more like the texture of a hot dog than a steak. Of course, I never cooked it myself but I'm craving it right now. Anyone ever had it or cooked it?

From a voyeur's perspective, I think its a top-notch idea. If I was in the business maybe I would have a better sense what the down-sides are but I'd personally be thrilled to see the inner workings of a restaurant on an ongoing basis. I hope you actually do this. Maybe we could link it here.

Thats a Zamboni

Actually, Jinny, you're right because what I should have said was that it was in the pronunciation of those who emigrated to this country from Southern Italy and Sicily. I'm always impressed with the breadth of your knowledge. I bet you like pizza, too. It is, after all, pie.

Southern Italian dialect does some interesting things to Italian (Why do I feel we've covered this, maybe it was mm.... you know where). Anyway, most final syllables are dropped; p's are pronounced as b's; c's are pronounced as g's; an extra syllable on the front of the word often appears usually a schwa sound. There are many more peculiarities but I'm sure someone here can flesh this topic out. mozzerella=mootsarelle capicola=gabagool risotto=rizote ricotta=arrigote sfogliatella=zhvoyadelle ahtsa tastey meetaball Whats the name of that large sausage-like thingy you boil?

yes, no, yes, yes

Is boobah the same as bubbeh, aka grannie? Oy vey, where did she come to tarragon? Certainly not in the land of milk and honey.