ZenFoodist

My vote goes to Empire Meats in College Point, Queens. As a matter of fact my husband should be there right now picking up three pounds of the foot longers that I've put on hold. Nitrate free, 90% beef and 10% pork, they have the best snap around! Slathered with Kosciusko mustard on a potato bun and I'm in heaven :) We've gone on hot dog frenzies in Chicago, Germany, and whatever nabe we happen to be exploring and still think Empire is best. It's a really old place and they take their dogs very serioulsy. If you go, try the nitrate-free apple smoked thick slab bacon. Yum.

Here in Flushing, it's kimchi city. I too love the cubed daikon- gakdogi. Whenever I step foot into any of the restaurants where we're regulars the waitress always puts a heaping dish of this crunchy stuff in front of us no matter what's in the pan chan rotation for that evening. I'm trying to get my fave chef in downtown Flushing to make me a sort of kimchi bokkum bap, but instead of using napa cabbage, the gakdogi. I'd love the crunch against the rice. Mash-i-da :p

Manducatis is excellent when Ida (the co-owner) is behind the stove and preferably in the early Autumn when she's returned from a long holiday in Italy armed with fantstic fresh ingredients.

Back from the London/Seville trip. Had a fab time and will properly post about the extensive food fest when I have a bit more time (Borough Market was especially cool even though the chorizo guy was marching in the anti-war rally apparently and I was unable to taste his offerings and decide for myself if the piquillo pepper is necessary....alas..) Anyway, while in Europe, I'm always struck by how strange it is that no one takes their leftovers home. We're not talking a gnawed osso bucco bone for an imaginary Fido, but a good three quarters of a wonderful entree that just couldn't be consumed at the mo'. One of my British friends was preggers and she barely touched her Shepherd's Pie, which at the Ivy was no bargain (don't even say it, Simon :) ) and yet she didn't even think to have it wrapped. When I suggested it, she basically shrugged the whole thing off. I've noticed this on many occassions and not with only my friends, business pals as well. Here in NYC, I routinely have my food wrapped. Sometimes the waiter even creates a grotesque looking swan out of the wrapping paper. Most of the time I end up giving my package to a homeless person on the way home. Something about throwing away perfectly good food (or books for that matter) makes me crazy. What's your take on this guys?

I always leave Parkside content. It is what it is, a neighborhood favorite that draws an interesting mix of Manhattanites, Cosa Nostra insiders, and people from all over The Island who come because of its excellent reputation and fantastic, consistent food. I've thankfully missed the "authenticity" debate and can't seem to ever get this site's search component to work for me so I'm not even going to bother sussing it out. Parkside is Italian-American- they're not pulling hundred year old aged balsamics off the back shelves or using olive oils from their own groves or pecorinos from their own sheep, if you catch my drift. It's not Slow Food. It's not at all like eating at your favorite farmhouse in Toscana or at a neighborhood trattoria in Pantelleria as the fishermen haul in the day's catch. It's simply well prepared food made with excellent, fresh ingredients, superb service, and a management that seems to be dedicated to keeping the restaurant's reputation well-maintained. I have had absolutely breathtaking (pardon the drama, but it's true) meals throughout Italy. Parkside is on a different scale- for NY, however, it remains my favorite Italian. I have never been disappointed and would go out of my way to eat there from anywhere in the tri-state area, yet I'd choose my fave restaurants in Italy over it in a sec. I hope I'm making sense. If you decide to go, I'd be happy to discuss the best dishes with you :) Ci sono molti. Ciao

Parkside, in a word, is exceptional. We've had the same monthly reservation there for years and have never been disappointed. We've eaten at almost all of the Italian restaurants listed in this three page thread, as well as extensively throughout Italy each summer and I still maintain that I've had some of my most memorable meals at Parkside. The bread basket alone- that crusty semolina, decadent sausage bread and tomato bruschetta..... mmmm lisa

After splitting them, blanching them and laying them in a well olive-oil-ed casserole dish I liberally add a few handfuls of seasoned breadcrumbs, grated locatelli cheese, black pepper, and a few tablespooons of chopped pancetta...drizzle with a bit more EVOO and broil for a bit. Lisa

Thanks..please do. I generally do a search before I post to see if something's been covered, however nothing came up for Sicihuan peppercorn that was related. A bit frustrating. I'd love to see the link though. Thanks, Lisa

Inspired by Mark Bittman's recent pressure cooker piece and my cold-weather soups and stews passion, I set out to make the Asian braised short ribs recipe that followed Mr. Bittman's article. I had everything on hand, save the star anise and whole Sichuan peppercorns. I picked up the anise from Fairway on Sunday night, but was unable to procure the whole peppercorns. No biggie, I figured I'd pick them up in downtown Flushing today after my re-organizational Day of Hell at the Board of Dread was over. I discovered the pronunciation, hua jiao, in my Asian Grocery Store Demystified book and set off with a teaching buddy to do my culinary errands. No exaggeration: we went to SIX markets, pored through all of the shelves (I'm there all the time, familiar with everything) and could turn nothing up. All of the workers knew what "hua jiao" was and waved their fingers at us. They seemed downright surprised we were looking for this spice and attempted, on three occasions, to get us to buy Five Spice powder instead. No way. I was on a mission. Finally in my fave fish store I asked the monger, a man I've known for fifteen years, why I couldn't find my peppercorns. He, in very broken, English seemed to be telling me that they were illegal. He must have seen the dismay in my eyes because much to my delight, he took me by the elbow, led me across the street and brought me to the small shop where I regularly buy nuts, loose teas,and strange herbs to make my skin more luminous :) A lot of Chinese, way too quickly spoken for this first year Mandarin student to decipher, was exchanged and next thing I know, my friend and I are being led to the back of the shop, past the curtain, to an elderly white-haired woman who clearly is not happy about this request and barrages us with a litnany of "WHYs." I show her my freshly cut short ribs, the cilantro, mei-wei/ how-chur/yum-yum/ I rub my belly..smile...Shin nien kwai lau...many riches onto you during this Year of the Ram. I am my most charming, smiling, patting my belly. I want these coveted peppercorns big time NOW. I've clearly made a good impression or maybe she just wants me out of her small space. The moment has arrived. She takes a big, big, big bag down from a shelf. I definitley do not want this many peppercorns, I think. God, I hope I don't insult her. I show her the desired amount with my hands. Too small, she tells me with her eyes and pours about a cupful into a plain brown bag and waves me out. I attempt to pay at the register. The older woman pushes my money away. She absolutley refuses the cash. Very strange. Are these peppercorns illegal? Would the exchange of money have made it criminal? Have I watched too many movies? Was the twenty dollar bill I put forth too little, too insulting? I check out the web when I get home and I see , on a few sites, that unroasted Sichuan peppercorns are, in fact, prohibited: Notice: This product is currently under an import ban in the whole, unroasted form because of the citrus canker that infected the crop in Southeast Asia. We will not sell it whole as it must be ground and roasted at it's origin to satisfy US import regulations. Stay tuned for updates. I'm curious as to whether Aphrodisia or Adrianna's Caravan sell these bloody things. These ribs better be worth the trouble, considering I have contraband in the house, according to my paranoid lawyer husband. Thanks for the adventure Mr. Bittman :) Lisa

Fritatta with broccoli di rape, crumbled, browned Corona Heights Pork store sausage ( I went yesterday and picked up some great pasta alla chittara from the pasta place next to Leo's Latticini-- dinner tonight with a quick sauce), and pecorino Grilled polenta slabs with truffle honey Fresh strawberries with aged balsamic Cappucino NYTimes, Penelope Casas, and lots of essays to grade

Nope....I shook the paprika out of the cannister into the browned chunks of meat and apparently their camouflage defense was working. I only noticed them after I added the liquid and they were floating on the surface.

This probably be posted in the Disasters thread, but I feel it needs its own forum. Friday night, 10:00 pm. Up since 6:00am, full day with my ESL junior-high schoolers, afterschool hours spent tutoring around my kitchen table, last kid gone by seven, dinner served at eight, everything cleaned up, exhausted-beyond belief....culinary martyr that I am I decide to make.... goulash! I'd been doing a lot of stew-y, things all week....pulled pork with pozole in chipolte-adobo sauce, braised short ribs, chicken cacciatore, lamb and white beans etc... why not goulash? A recent trip to a tiny Hungarian place in College Point, Queens, "Taste of Hungary," a few weeks ago had inspired me and I had my heart set on whipping up an Eastern-European extravaganza. The plan was to make my 'lash the night before, let the flavors meld in my fridge, and serve it for dinner the following night with a crisp cucumber salad, sauteed wild mushrooms, and some toasted barley. So here I am, basically crying from exhaustion, my husband repeatedly yelling about what a nut I am, swearing he'd be happy with a lifeftime of turkey sandwiches if it meant not hearing me whine (how bad a life would that be?), begging me to just go to bed...but NO. I must make my goulash. I brown my beef cubes with some onion and garlic, pour a few generous shakes of imported Hungarian sweet paprika and a quick scatter of the hot, stir it around to brown it a bit. Next, a few cups of water, quick stir, cover, turn around to rinse some dishes. I de-lid a few moments later and am greeted with.....WORMS!Tons of them! Floating upon the surface of my lovely goulash. I pry the tops off my recently purchased paprikas, shake the cans a bit and there they are...squirming bitsy larvae-like worms...meal worms, maggots, not quite sure but they appear to be cousins of the crittters that turn up in my King Arthur bags on the exact day I decide to make Christmas cookies year after year. I hate these bloody things! I feel like I am going to cry. SICK PART: I actually contemplate skimming them off for a millesecond. Who would know? Hell, friends in the PeaceCorps have eaten far worse. Protein sources, they'd say. I am a girl who combs the tassles on her rugs, vacuums every other day, dusts the vacuum CLEANER, cleans the condiment jar caps with boiling water..there is no way I am going to eat a soup in which bugs were macerating. I am so annoyed that I wasted all this time cubing meat, peeling and chopping potatoes and carrots etc... Sucky-Ducky. What annoys me more is that my husband will not allow me to flush the remains down the toilet which has been standard practice in my parents' house for as long as I can remember. Instead he walks down the block of our Queens neighborhood and dumps it down the sewer, which he argues, is where it will end up anyway. I think this is weird. Two Questions: 1. Where do these pests come from? How do I prevent them? Explain maggots showing up in dead flesh while you are at it, if at all possible. I'm fascinated. 2. Where do you dispose of liquidy, gooey things that have gone bad? Nothing worse than wasted effort. One Good Thing: Since I had no dinner prepared, we went to Sun Young Spring in downtown Flushing and continued our week-long soupy fest with big steaming bowls of spicy beef and noodle soup. Lisa

Well, I've certainly proved myself to be quite the speller these last few days what with the San Sebastian faux pas earlier in the week :) Nothing like a bit of public humiliation to round my ego out a bit. My friend Soph had called from across the pond and mentioned that she'd be going to Mougins (never heard of it...gasp!) and knowing she doesn't have a working computer in her flat, figured I'd post here and ring her up tomorrow with some info for her spur of the moment trip. I could have sworn I heard Nougins...must be that posh English accent or the fact that at the time I was tending to a roux that was going all too dark on me. Something to be said about attempting to do two things at once. Thank you for the detailed response. It certainly seems as though Sophie has a few days of feasting in her future. Lisa

My dear friend will be spending some time away from the UK, in Mougins, for four days next week- a bit of skiing, and good dining hopefully. Any not-to-be-missed places, in Mougins or environs, she should be thinking about? Merci, Lisa I've edited the spelling of Mougins in the topic title as well. So the rest of you can disregard the flap over Nougins. -- Bux

Any thoughts on what I should be munching on as I meander about? I've been told there's a Neal's near by..... Lisa (Getting very excited about her 24 hours by the Thames)

For what it's worth, I was at the PL in Great Neck last weekend. I've eaten at both locations countless times and EGADS...find the LI branch almost identical to Brooklyn although I prefer Brooklyn for whatever the reason. The waiter's surlieness and the fact that they give me extra schlagg, perhaps. My Gotham friends sniff at this. Anyway, if I haven't already been dismissed due to my LI patronage, I will say that the onion rolls, beefsteak tomatoes, creamed spinach, Extra-jumbo shrimp cocktail, bacon, and porterhose were all fantastic. I brought a homemade peanutbutter/choco/banana cake (with permission..a tradition) for our birthday-girl and our waiter plated it up and even brought schlagg for all to enjoy. Of course we gave him a huge slab. My fave part of dining in the LI chain is sitting next to all the trim heart surgeons from the famed hospital down the road. Watching them dig into their cholesterol-laden steaks gives me pure pleasure and I take great delight in pointing this out to my dining companions who think eating steak should be reserved to once a year, special occasion- type of events. I, however, have no food phobias and need no such excuses and go to PL ANY chance I get. AND I've never had a bad meal. lisa

I probably should have not clued Soph in to my horrible attempt to marry her off. However, I did, and here is her response: What a vile phrase - 'not even for a legover'. I do NOT want to meet him EVER. He's quite right though - if he lives in north London then never the twain shall meet.......... Please make sure you relay all of the above. **** I still think it would have been an interesting meeting. I had no clue what a legover was. I probably wouldn't have passed the thread along had I had an inkling. : I personally prefer "booty-call" myself. My Queens upbringing I suppose. Alas, St. John prevails. Many thanks to all. Next bit of help will be with Sevilla. I have a huge file filled with stuff relating to Andalusia but will post on the proper board, lest anyone get annoyed. E-gullet is cool. I'm happy to have joined. The playful banter warmed my frigid morning here in NY.

excerpted from an e-mail Soph just sent me (I wisely didn't forward "The Swamp" mention or she certainly would not be invoking your assistance Simon:) By the way I have just made a reservation for 5 at the Ivy 5.30-7.15pm on Sat 15 Feb - we don't have to use but we've got it if we do. Stacey reckons The Ivy is a must over St Johns..................... Does Simon know if anywhere (particularly South London - Clapham, Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, Battersea way) to eat on the Fri after 11pm. The ONLY options I can think of are Vingt Quatre a 24 hour restaurant (but not desperately near home) or a traditional British experience - dodgy kebab out of paper following a number of beers............... ****** anyone? I avoid dodgy at all costs. Especially when uttered by a Brit. Lisa (stuffing her face with Jacques Torres dark chocolates)

Simon you are almost as witty and jaded as my friend Sophie-Clapham-Woman....My husband, who's been peskily reading over my shoulder, just declared emphatically with a roll of the eye: " Those two should run off......" I know egullet is not match.com but hey, if you don't find women offensive, happen to want to meet anyone who scorns V-day as much as yourself, AND, bonus point... shares your love of squirrel, let me know and I'd happily introduce you to a lovely 31 year old marketing director from the Mother Country. She's climbed Killy, had foot long prawns in Zanzibar, cooked dulce de leche over a fire in the jungles of South America, and even been nipped by a tarantula. Quite the cv. P.S. I just happen to be landing on Valentine's Day and am looking for a meal relatively late....No desire for votive candles, heart-shaped molten cakes, or Sade on the sound system...

Thanks for the suggestions. Clapham-Woman was quite pleased and agreed with the advice. I will give in and have a lunch at Mr. Conran's Butlers Wharf "Chop House" where I will probably enjoy a Gammon Leek and Montgomery Cheddar tart (the menu on the site looks good). Off then to the Tate Modern where my husband will whine about modern art incessantly. I will humour him, however, because he will probably be picking remnants of my sticky pudding off his coat from the top of the London Eye shortly thereafter (we're culture-less Americans, we MUST ride the EYE:) Then, in my food-centered estimation, he will refuel me with yet another large meal at St. John (what should I have Simon?) and finally on to Jerusalem Tavern where I will, ineveitabley listen to him pontificate on the subject of warm beer. Alas, I will not care as I will be fanatasizing about devouring my eccles cake (not even sure of what it is yet...but I want it already) on the plane ride to Seville. Thank you for the info. Any ideas for a late meal Valentine's night? We'll arrive at Heathrow by nine and be ready to dine by eleven, I'd imagine. Somewhere a few pieces of carry-on wouldn't be too gauche....

wish it were Bangkok, but it ain't so. (couldn't resist...hehe) Actually, I LOVE London and I'll be staying with a friend in Clapham before flying from Gatwick to Seville. What do you recommend for a truly classic, Brit experience. Rules: No Terrence Conran, no mushy peas references, no ethnic. I live in NYC so I eat my share of everything from Taiwanese to Uzbeki and am simply craving somthing pub-by and quaint and plain but exquisite. hmmmmm? Yours in Marmite and Branston Pickle (spicy) Lisa

Almost forgot to mention- the PIZZA!!! I really enjoyed my potato, anchovy, and fried sage 'za. However I was a bit surprised by the cheese addition. In my house the marriage of cheese and fish has always been a mortal sin. While I didn't mind the light layer of melted cheese that was beneath the toppings I think it might have been better senza formaggio, with a bit more olive oil instead. The clams in their shells on the vongole pizza didn't bother me. As someone here commented, "Italians like to see that their fish is fresh." So soes this NYer. :) Of course our party had to compare Mario's pizza vongole with Pepe's in New Haven- a place we drive up to on a regular basis at whim so enamored are we of the bubbling, clam-strewn pies. Quattro stagioni was excellent and we particularly enjoyed the almost black chard in one quadrant. That's all for now.

My husband, his cousin and fiancee braved the arctic air yesterday afternoon and headed to lower Fifth for a wonderful sharing-fest at Otto. Having recently returned from a loooooooooooong Tuscan/Ligurian sojurn it was pretty cool to be in what we considered a "true" Italian establishment once again. I particularly loved the marble-topped standing stations heaped with Corriere della Sera newspapers. The handsome host, Sergio, chatted up a storm in Italiano and implored us to come back for breakfast for homemade cantucci and cappucino. Yum. There's very little I can add to Suvir's excellent assessment, however the pannelle which were the fritto of the day deserve some accolades. Quite different from Joe's of Avneue U's thin rectangular sheets layered on a hard roll and smothered with ricotta that I pine for every couple of months. Quite different from the pannelle dolce that I whip up in my Sicilian kitchen for Easter. These were triagular, plush and almost polenta-like- crisp outside and creamy within. Celestial. I also loved the sliced paper-thin beets with horseradish and walnuts, although eight dollars for what amounted to a fourth of a large beet (thats' being generous) seemed a bit steep. Quite delish nonetheless. I enjoyed the crunch of the julienned celery root salad with citrus a bit more. The caponata and Sicilan cauliflower were alomst identical to my mom's which is the highest praise I can bestow. All gelati that we tasted were phenomenal in every sense of the word. I was partial to the deep, dark chocolate which I happily found not to be too sweet. Meyer lemon, hazelnut, vanilla and the the two specials- huckleberry and ricotta with walnuts and braised figs were very dense and creamy. The best I've had in NY, including Ambroseus. I'm looking forward to a Wednesday visit to sample the fritto daily offering, arancine. Sergio told us that instead of the usual ragu to which our Sicilian-American group is accustomed, Mario stuffs the interiors with chicken liver. Outside of one vendor at Palermo's Vucciria we haven't had any innard-stuffed rice balls:) We'll see how it goes. All in all a very pleasant lunch with great service. Strange comment: Did anyone else find that the red painted-tables didn't exactly do it? I'm never one to comment on interiors..generally an all-about-the-food type of girl...buuuuuuuuuuuut the tables should have been more rustic I thought...they gave the room a bit of an Ikea feel. Just my .o2. Ciao ragazzi, ZenFoodist