cdh

Interesting principle. Where does it stop? If its fine and democratic to ban foie gras, how about other things that used to be within a free person's realm of choices? What difference is there in banning foie gras and banning pre-marital sex? I'd bet the polls on whether either is a good thing or a bad thing would come out about the same in a number of locales. It would be fine and democratic to criminalize it then, right? If the majority wants to govern conduct in your bedroom, then that is just fine, eh? Democracy is not about a tyrrany of the majority.

When you said "corned ham" I was thinking that to be an oxymoron-- the corned-ness of corned beef comes from the preservatives used on it... the large corn-shaped granules of saltpeter, which work their nitrite magic and give it that magic pink color. Ham has to be cured with something similar in order to keep its pinkness when cooked, no? So in your experience, corned ham is ham but without the full preservation technique applied. Interesting. Calling it after something that is notably absent rather than something that is notably there.

A dram is a unit of measure. A dram bottle contains one. A dram bottle could fit within the first two joints of my index finger. Please don't put my words and phrases 'in quotes' as if you think I'm making them up. Particularly when I'm not making them up. Again, I say that the aroma will be there regardless of how pure the extraction is, so judging on the presence and strength of the aroma is not a wise method of determining whether the extract is safe to consume. All the aroma and flavor is certainly in there... it's a question of what else is in there. Essential oils are extracted in a process like distillation... and we all know that distillation can extract things that are not all safe to consume. Look at articles about whisky distillation that talk about separating the head and tail from a run.

The safe-for-cooking query would depend on whether they're aroma grade or food grade extractions. I don't know the chemistry behind the extractions, but I've seen the difference noted elsewhere. Probably a purity thing. The aroma could certainly cover impurities that are in there in a less carefully extracted batch. So are your bottles the little dram bottles of pharmacy grade stuff, or the bigger bottles of potpourri scenting stuff?

Another tea that has been making me happy lately has been the Shantou Autumn Bloom oolong from Gray and Seddon Teas. They have a bunch of very distinct and unusual oolongs, of which that one is my absolute favorite. Its natural floral aroma is wonderful.

I'm going! Looks wonderful.

Bingo! I love it!

I don't know about that... it serves everybody best if both sides of an argument are clearly set forth. Somebody has to take the anti side... so why not help them build as strong a case as possible. Then when the argument plays out, both sides can feel that they have been treated fairly. This thread is not the argument (or shouldn't be) it is prep for one side of the argument.

It seems that ChefS's thesis is that irradiation is bad... and he's looking for data to back that up. I imagine that there are downsides to it... can we come up with a bunch of them? I've never really played with any food I know to have been irradiated, so I can't comment directly myself... but drawing from the earlier conversation the list might start like this: 1. Irradiation allows unscrupulous businessfolk to operate dirty facilities and rely on last minute irradiation to keep their customers from getting ill. 2. Irradiation is energy inefficient, taking more power to irradiate than to just run a clean operation. [this claim seems intuitive, but I don't have any data to back it up] ... Anybody able to think of any others?

Mighty exciting! Can't wait. Now I don't regret having failed to venture up and over to try Audrey's creations up on the Upper East. Houston St is a place I'm much more likely to find myself with an urge to get a fine cocktail.

I'm all for the option to use irradiation being made available. I don't believe that it should be banned, outlawed, stigmatized with a radiation hazard sticker that would unfairly torpedo it's market acceptance, etc. I imagine that it will prove effective on some products and less so on others. I think that the market will dictate where it is used. If it does open a competitive front against the bred-to-ship varieties of some produce, then all the better. If it doesn't, then the plant breeders are justified in what they've done. All I care about is improving the chances of getting better quality food at a better price point. If that means that supply of good tomatoes goes up when they're irradiated and don't rot (and hence lowers their price), then good. If good tomatoes start to taste like bad tomatoes after they're irradaited, then at least I'll have the choice of bad tomatoes that are bad in different ways. For those who have ready access to perfection, as Tana does, then yay for them! Maybe irradiation will help others get access to the same, or something closer to it than is available to them now. Speaking as somebody who has grown heirloom tomatoes for the past few summers here in meteorologically messed-up southeastern Pennsylvania, I'd point out that my tomatoes have in no way approached perfection... but they're still fun and taste good enough for me... even if the [drought/flood] afflicting the area at the time has made them seriously suboptimal. What I really care about is getting irradiation that will increase the shelf life of the obscure citrus fruits I buy like Seville oranges that are only available for a month or two each year. Nothing bugs me more than finding a Seville orange that has gone all powdery blue on the outside overnight. IF irradiation can kill those mold spores, then the more power to it!

Glad you enjoyed. It is a stellar drink.

I heartily recommend the The Jasmine as a wonderfully tasty pink drink that still tastes like a classic cocktail. 1.5 oz gin 1/4 oz Cointreau 1/4 oz Campari 3/4 oz lemon juice Shake with ice It's got the gin... but it is a close cousin of the Pegu, so everybody would be drinking very similar beverages, making your bartending much easier.

Another very successful beer tour this year! Plenty of very interesting options from which to choose, and great food pairings as well! Cheers, Rich!

Fee's themselves will send individual bottles to customers who ask. For those with recalcitrant retailers, go to the source!

Tabla restaurant in NYC does some interesting asian-influenced cocktails. A tamarind margarita, and a lemongrass infused pineapple something or other called a Tablatini, the details of which I could dig out. There must be more of their cocktails mentioned somewhere... they should provide good inspiration.

Had the opportunity to try one of Wild Bill's Pumpkin Ales a couple of days ago, and it was quite nice. The spicing was more subtle than I'd imagined it would be, and the body of the beer was quite light, which was also a surprise to me considering that the label indicates it was brewed with "pumpkin and spices". I still have memories of overspiced holiday brews in the past, which probably colored my expectations. I'd imagined that the pumpkin starchs/sugars would be less fermentable, resulting in a thicker bodied beer. Not the case at all. Overall, the beer was just a nice amber ale with a western style hopping, and a subtle undercurrent of pumpkin pie that I don't know I'd notice if I didn't know it was there. Not a beer that hits you over the head at all.

I've only seen it in Europe. Northern Europe, more specifically. I'd not be surprised if there isn't an importer who brings it into the US any more. Got any friends in scandi-land who you could ask for a bottle?

Interesting to see the interplay between the NYC and Philly markets with such stuff. The trademark issue mentioned would not appear to be much of a concern, particularly given the propensity for restaurants in NYC and Philly to share the exact same names and nothing else, e.g. each city's Django. As to Two Boots and their pizza, I'm not a big fan, actually. I find something in the sauce unappealing, as if some of the herbs are clashing and resulting in a disharmonious flavor remniscent of cleaning solutions. Maybe that's just my taste buds (I've recently realized I can't taste black truffles either.)

At a risotto-themed dinner party I threw a couple of years ago, a friend and I did a head to head comparison between Carnaroli and Vialone Nano, and the Nano came out slightly superior, and finished cooking much more quickly. The Carnaroli took a longer time to absorb the cooking liquid, and didn't form as creamy a consistency as the Nano. Both were quite good.

Just took a look around the lcb website. Only marc stocked in PA is a gewurztraminer from Clear Creek, a well reputed west coast distillery, so getting the real french stuff may be problematic absent a jaunt up to NYC... and might even be tough there. That said, a Clear Creek gewurz marc will probably be in the style of the good Marc d' Alsace..

Marc is the french take on grappa, turning the skins and seeds left over after winemaking into fermented sludge, and then distilling it. If marc is not available, either a grappa or a german grape eau de vie might come close to the mark. Check the lcb's website for PA inventory.

Had lunch there today, and it was great. Located in the building fronting the parking lot the lunch truck has always been parked in. The brisket sandwich was quite good indeed. The slaw with mustard seeds was also great. The beans were extremely smoky, almost like a campfire-cooked taste, actually. They need a bit of work, I think, insofar as the ashy smoke contributed a bit of bitterness that didn't work with the green peppers that were also in the mix.

Wasn't there some movie that featured a scene with a sambuca milkshake... on fire?

This thread is still a support group for us frozen food afficionados. That's no fun. If I wanted to hear it's OK to like frozen foods, I'd talk to myself. This thread seems intended to bait all the snobs out there into verbalizing the impetus behind the snipes elsewhere. So, bring it on! Tell me why I'm inferior for liking the occasional Stouffer's product, or for having failed to stuff my own wonton skins when I want dumplings. I welcome the opportunity to see your arsenal, and to respond. Sniping is out, justify yourselves!