Pan

Really?! But you'd still remove a lot of the "bark" from the plant, though?[...] ← I don't remember that anything was removed (it wasn't extremely tall lemongrass), but I wasn't the one doing the cooking. In any case, if there's an inedible part, it's best removed before the lemongrass is used, when that's possible. If I remember correctly, we ate the entire stalk and the outside was chewy but edible and delicious. Unfortunately, we liked it so much we snipped all the plants and then there were none.

The first time I can remember eating Thai food was at a neighborhood restaurant in Bangkok in 1975. It was a somewhat humid but reasonably mild night (probably in the low 80s Fahrenheit with a slight breeze) and we were sitting on a terrace and looking at geckos on the wall. All the tables were filled with Thai customers, and I'm not sure how we knew to go to the place; perhaps we just stumbled in. Anyway, the whole experience was magical. I even thought the geckos were cute -- something I no longer felt when they got into my cereal repeatedly during the next two years I was living in rural Malaysia. I also remember the first time I had roti canai. It was also in 1975, just a bit later in the year. My father and I were taking Malay language courses at the Sekolah Bahasa-Bahasa Moden (School of Modern Languages) near the Pasar Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur. Before each class, we always went to the same roti-maker, an Indian man who had a griddle set up in a closed-off street and made each roti to order with an expertise comparable to a master pizza maker. After class, we always went to an Indian Muslim restaurant, Alim, for lunch, and that's the place where I had my first tastes of liver curry and okra curry. Yum! Firey, earthy, cheap food that was lovely.

Of course! If I were in Italy, I'd have gelato most every night and never eat Haagen-Dazs. But we're not in Italy anymore, Dorothy.

Congratulations on your great work, Steve! And I love this one, too: [Hope you don't mind me borrowing your photo for this post, Sherri.] Also, the bonsai cake is simply amazing! I'm sure all of us have our own favorite cakes, but they're all so impressive and I really appreciate all the time Chefette, Sherri, and Mukbo took to shoot and post those photos. So, I have another question: What if any elements in these cakes are inedible or otherwise wouldn't be meant for eating, if the cakes were in fact delivered for a wedding reception? Or is that the wrong question?

Complete eGullet search results for "Arthur" in the New York Forum

Of course! If you want to sterilize your hands, you have to use alcohol. But I don't think anyone expects their food to be sterile. Bacteria are flying through the air all the time. My brother found that even doubly-distilled water contained bacteria within two days, which is a problem because it was supposed to be sterile for lab work.

I particularly think that fresh lemongrass makes a huge difference. Lemongrass was growing as a weed in our yard in Malaysia, and we snipped it with scissors and had it in soup. If you can't chew up your lemongrass, it's either older than it probably should be or not optimally fresh.

I'd have to disagree on both counts. It's rare that I get truly blindingly hot Thai food in New York, but when I do, it's too hot for me to really notice anything else much, even though other tastes are present. Conversely, very spicy Indian food is normally bursting with flavor. Actually, I think that while Thai food is very different from every type of Indian food I've had any exposure two, the commonality is the combination of fragrant ingredients into a mixture that could be said to be greater than the sum of its parts even though of course, strictly it is that sum.

I tried a new flavor today, Caramel Cone. As stated on the Haages Dazs website: It really was pleasant.

Thanks, Pan. There are many things very easy to find in New York and very difficult to locate in the Metropolitan-DC area. Another one is outstanding Jewish deli food. Does eGullet have a Jewish deli thread(s). That would also be deeply appreciated. ← I don't know of a catchall thread, but we've discussed Katz's a great deal, there's a long thread on good kosher places, and other kosher and non-kosher Jewish delis like 2nd Av. Deli, Barney Greengrass, and Carnegie Deli have been discussed, as well.

Teresa's serves kasha, as I assume various other Polish restaurants do. If you want garden-variety kasha, I would have thought you could get a package in most any grocery store; no?

Really? Not at the really excellent pizzerie I go to. ← Okay Pan, where is this place? Unfortunately I've found this horrid practice at many so-called upscale pizzerias. Also, soul food with no soul. A certain amount of grease/pork fat is expected[...] ← Agreed on that. For the pizza I'm talking about, you'll have to travel to New York. If you do, look through the NYC Pizza Survey thread.

Thanks for posting those! They're impressive. This one is my favorite: How did they do that? The one with all the writing on the sides and the purse on top is also beautiful.

Really? Not at the really excellent pizzerie I go to.

There are a whole bunch of lakes all over Beijing, but I have a feeling you're talking about one north of Beihai whose name slips my mind.

I really couldn't help you in picking out really high-quality radicchio, as I don't like it enough to buy it for its own sake, but I've had some really good stuff in some Italian restaurants that used it as part of a salad, etc. (I'm actually thinking of one place in particular, Li'l Frankie's, just about 6 blocks from my apartment.) I'm with you on endives, though; those things are great!

It looks like French tourtes and Italian torte fit the definition of tarts, rather than tortes (at least most of the time). They have cross-hatching on top, if any crust at all, and are filled with some kind of fruit or vegetable mixture. So I think that helps perpetuate confusion of terms.

Nadia, I like radicchio only when it's really fresh and of excellent quality. Then, I can have it raw or cooked and enjoy it.

That looks pretty much just like hummus, except for the lampascioni.

I must be dense, but what does CSA stand for?

Actually, I always find it a little dumb to be asked whether a completely empty plate can be taken away. I'm always tempted to suggest that I need to eat the plate, but I resist being a smart aleck. But I don't mind it when the waiter, upon observing a couple of empty plates says: "I see you really hated the food." My response is "Yeah. Can't you tell we thought it sucked?"

I'm by no means convinced antibacterial soap is a good idea, though. Might the routine use of antibacterial agents tend to promote the growth and spread of multiple-resistant bacteria, as with the overuse of antibiotics?

Hey! I like red bean-flavored things!

You're welcome. I call it the way I see it, and you've done a good job with your blog. But don't be a stranger; come around more often to share your discoveries with us and join in discussions about cuisines, shops, and restaurants and carts you like.

Oh, another thought: Either of the two branches of El Malecon would be a quick detour from the West Side Highway: El Malecon Restaurant II 764 Amsterdam Avenue (between 97 and 98 Sts., west side of the avenue) New York, NY 10025 (212) 864-5648 El Malecon Restaurant 4141 Broadway (southwest corner of 177 St., if I remember correctly) New York, NY 10033 (212) 927-3812 Great pollo a la brasa, or if you get a spot, you could order one of the specials of the day and have a nice, cheap, filling lunch in about 30 minutes. If you decide to go that route, we can discuss particular specials for the day you're travelling, but aside from poultry, their red meat (oxtail, goat) dishes and mondongo have always pleased me.