KatieLoeb

Outstanding! Looking forward to it. And the explanations. You got some 'splainin' to do...

Make celery syrup with the ribs and some crushed celery seed. Can be used for non-alcoholic homemade Cel-Ray soda topped with club soda and a splash of ginger ale, or in cocktails that you can then use the leaves to garnish.

O.K. Lee Produce had an abundance of tomatoes in $.99 grab bags today. Red tomatoes on the vine, loose yellow tomatoes and loose orange tomatoes. Boxes of red grape tomatoes too. Small seedless watermelons, cauliflowers and heads of Napa cabbage were also $.99! Amazing haul today that I'll be enjoying into the coming week. Since there isn't a decent tomato left at the Farmer's Markets it's time to head back to RTM for that fix. Needed a bunch of them for a tomato syrup experiment I'll be launching later, so better not to overspend in case of an epic failure. The $3.99/lb. Ugly Jersey tomatoes from Iovines will be reserved for my Caprese salad at dinner this evening. Might mix in a few yellows and make it pretty...

You had me up until the blood cake in the Bun Bo Hue. Blech. Maybe my hypersensitive palate, but it makes the whole bowl taste like sucking on a paper cut.:shudder: I always ask if they use it before I order it, and if they do make certain they leave it out. That soup does look delicious though!

If you find a way to make the delicious flavor of the flesh translate to the drink without the slight sliminess/gelatinous texture let me know. Perhaps double straining?

Does Daphne Oz have any credentials other than being born into the Oz family? I love her dad, since he makes the unwashed masses think about their health at least a little bit, but what's her story? Education? Expertise? Anything?

Scott, thanks so much for the voyeur's view into your life. Fantastic blog! And thanks for letting me live/eat vicariously/virtually along with you!

I'll check on that! There's also really great pre-made gnocchi available at the Italian Market so perhaps this might be more easily accomplished than I thought. Problem is I have a ton of work to do today and don't really have time to cook. Might have to put off scratching the foie gras itch until the weekend when I can really relax and enjoy it. Just so you know, I'm easily suggestible and easily led by photos and descriptions of gorgeous food. This blog has been quite challenging for me to read every day!

Gnocchi with Foie Gras sauce. You're killing me, dude. I have such a craving now that I can't get immediate gratification for. Might have to make do with some other form of foie satisfaction. Even if it means heading to the local gourmet shop and snagging a slice of pate...

Wow. I'm uncharacteristically speechless over that one. There are no words for that...

Just finished a batch of pink grapefruit-lemongrass cordial. Like Rose's Lime but better and prettier! There's a wee bit of rose flower water in there for aromatics so it seemed a no-brainer to make myself a Ruby Gimlet with some Hendricks. I could get used to these...

Speaking of ice chips in the drink. I actually had a customer ask me once where to purchase "the gadget that makes the little ice chips in the martini". Seriously. Thought there was some specialty device for it. So apparently there are folks that really want those little bitty bits of ice floating in their cocktail glass. Who knew? I'm guessing that the commercial grade shaker machine would probably do really well in that regard if using the usual sort of commercial ice, not the big solid Kold-Draft cartoon cubes.

OK. That makes sense. But still doesn't answer the question about the rotating motion vs. full length of the shaker. I suppose a side by side taste test would be the only way to see if there was a measurable difference. I'm pretty sure the machine is going to beat a whole lot more air and ice chips into the drink. That may or may not be desirable.

Right. But I think it only fits those plastic bubble tea cups. It would need to have a Boston Shaker with some kind of airtight seal on it for cocktails. I wonder about that sort of wheel like motion as opposed to a human shaking it having the liquid pass through the ice in the full length of the shaker. In theory, when shaking that's what you're trying to do. Not sure if this machine mimics that well enough or not. :shrug:

I've seen those before. There's a couple of bubble tea places here in Philly that have them. They are cool looking. I often wondered if an old paint shaking machine could be reverse engineered for a bar. Now that these exist that wouldn't be necessary. In a cocktail context, the only thing I think it would be useful for is something really labor intensive like a Ramos Gin Fizz. Other than that, in the time it takes to load and unload the shaker and pour, I could have that drink in front of a customer already.

Scott: Can I be your friend? Pretty please! Love the "casual" dinners you make with friends. Are they other culinary professionals or just really ambitious home cooks?

That steak is pornographic. Seriously. Great blog. Carry on...

What they all said. Especially Toby. If your city (which isn't listed in your profile) has a chapter of the USBG (United States Bartenders Guild) I'd recommend joining. It will allow you the opportunity to meet your local colleagues on the same side of the bar and there are often opportunities for tastings, educational programs, etc. that you might not be made aware of in your current position as a barback. I'll chime in again on the reading. All those books mentioned are excellent, and I'd avail myself of the vast array of cocktail blogs and newsletters one can subscribe to on the interwebs as well. And of course, the Spirits and Cocktails forum here on eGullet is the home of some awfully lively banter and is always a source of excellent information.

Throw a little white wine and clam juice in with the rest of what you mentioned and you've got some great clam sauce for linguini.

Bob: Who had paw paws at Headhouse?? I still have a few fresh ones in my fridge as well as a small baggie of frozen puree in the freezer. If I had a few more I might be able to make ice cream or something, provided I can figure out whether my ice cream maker is still functional.

ScottyBoy: Really looking forward to this! Your food looks amazing and I love how passionate you are about your work. Thanks in advance for sharing your work, your life and your week with us.

There's a middle eastern market? I must admit that in my two years in Philadelphia I have only rarely ventured out of center city and the immediate surroundings... The Middle Eastern Market is Bitar's at the corner of 10th & Federal, just southwest of the Italian Market. There's also a little luncheonette in the back. Best grilled felafel ever! Not greasy because it hasn't been fried. Big fan of their vegetarian platter too. The hummos, baba ghanoush and stuffed grape leaves are all available in the little market up front. Lots of Middle Eastern products and great fresh pita bread. You should check it out. The Polish market (Krakus) is in Port Richmond and the Russian market (Bell's Market) is in the far Northeast. I'll let you know next time I'm going if you'd like to join me. Thanks for the great blog this week! You've done us PhilleGulleteers proud! I didn't even know about the tortilleria! Awesome to find out about somewhere new so close to home. Great work, my friend. Well done.

There's tons of great foodstuffs here and markets to purchase them. nolnacs is doing a great job showing off our fine city, but you haven't seen the Polish market, Russian market or Middle Eastern market yet. One week isn't really enough time to properly showcase all the great stuff we have at our disposal. It's an embarrassment of riches, I tell you. We're very fortunate.

Thank you andiesenji! As usual, you come through in the clutch...

dcarch: Pure unadulterated genius. Really. Won't ever try that any other way from now on. You rock. Thanks for sharing.