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I think the recipe is in the Babbo cookbook. ← It is, it's listed as 'ceci bruschetta'. I've made it at home with great success. I would post the recipe for you, but I'm not sure if that would be a copyright infringment. ← You can post the ingredient list and paraphrase the directions.

I believe I'd be correct in saying that the only thing that can be kosher that's unquestionably haram (not halal for Muslims) is alcohol. Otherwise, everything that's kosher is ipso facto halal, except for Muslims who've decided that there's some doctrinal reason to avoid foods slaughtered and blessed by non-Muslims, period. (As in the Jewish community, the Muslim community is full of diversity on the details of how to observe various commandments.) Going the other way, however, many halal things are treif.

It was not a daily special but an "addition to the menu" recited for us by our waitress. It's a primo piatto, but we shared it as if it were an appetizer.

I had dinner at Lupa tonight as part of a party of three. We shared a pasta special as a first course. It was delicate - made with artichoke hearts, some kind of bean (I forget which kind), tiny asparagi, ramps, and other little spring vegetables. For our second courses, I got Pollo alla Diavola and the others got Tuna Belly and Crispy Duck. We ordered the farrotto with mushroom ragu' to come as an accompaniment and shared it. The main dishes were all excellent (the duck may have been the best of the three), but the real standout of the night was the farrotto. Chef Batali really loves and is inspired by this grain. The taste was so deliciously mushroomy, with an admixture of excellent cheese, and the texture was great. It was just as good in its own way as the farrotto my brother and I had for lunch (described two posts above) with squash puree. For dessert, we shared the Tartufo and the Spiced Apicius Dates with Mascarpone. Both desserts were worthwhile. The date dessert seemed small, as there were only two dates, albeit large ones, with just a little mascarpone, but we were all stuffed at the end of our dinner. We shared a bottle of pleasant, uncomplicated white wine whose name I forget with our meal. It cost $33, and even so, including a bottle of Lurisia acqua minerale as well, our total came to $60 apiece including a good tip for our waitress. I love Lupa!

You were her Shabbos Goy.

I seem to remember cream sauces in Kashmir, but perhaps they were made from very creamy yogurt or something. I don't know what it means to say that they "don't use curry." Does that refer to a particular set of spices, or to spiced dishes with sauces? As far as I can remember, they do use spices and do use sauces, so I wouldn't think that they don't have dishes that someone might call "curries." I'd love some clarifications.

Thanks but no thanks. I'd ask here. But note that I was talking about 1996, when neither site existed.

I think you're referring to Cafe Pertutti, which recently underwent a renovation.[...] ← Yep, that's it. Should we talk about Striver's Row, too? That's from around 135 St. to 150 St. or so on 8th Av. Has anyone been to Londel's recently? I used to go up there from time to time to hear friends perform (they hire jazz musicians) and always found the food pleasant, especially the desserts, but I remember hearing from others that they were inconsistent (not my experience -- as I say, I found them pretty consistently good). I also liked a cheaper, more casual place close to there called the Sugar Shack -- it had a Jamaican vibe and offered eclectic Caribbean- and Soul Food-influenced cuisine that included things like good seafood pasta dishes and friendly service. Anyone been there lately?

Well, in some places it's not rare to eat horse meat or/and camel meat. Horses are treif (not kosher) because they split their hoofs internally, not with separate toes in the manner of goats, sheep, cows, etc. Are camels the same way? I know they aren't kosher, but they are definitely halal for Muslims. Rabbits and other rodents are treif because although they have separate toes, they don't chew cud.

What's that pasta place called on the east side of Broadway near 112 St. or so? I ate there a couple of years ago, I guess, and it was alright. Is it decent now? If I were living up there, I'd check out all the Latin American restaurants below 110 St. on Amsterdam Av.; there are a whole bunch of whole-in-the-wall places, featuring food from various different countries (I recall that one was Ecuadorian at a certain point - Mi Tierra, I think it was called, but this goes back to 1992!). Another area to check out is near City College in the 130s and 140s. I have a feeling there are some good Dominican places up there with serious clientele - big diners that put some care into their decor and ambiance and serve large menus featuring seafood. I haven't frequented that area in years, so I couldn't give you specific advice, but explore and let us know what's up there. I have pleasant memories of getting a coco pina (very rich cake with pineapple jam, coconut-laced batter, and plenty of butter) at a bakery between 137th and 138th Sts. on the west side of Broadway every week after chamber music rehearsals at City College, but that was back in 1988!

Even on the East Coast, it can be hazardous. I remember having a horrible meal in an "Italian" restaurant outside of Worcester, Mass. in 1996. Of course, there are doubtless way more bad than good Italian restaurants within major cities on the Eastern Seaboard, too.

I don't understand the question.

Before eGullet was an idea in anyone's mind, I looked for Greek diners with some Greek food on the menu and found that a pretty decent opportunity to get food that was at least OK. I actually found a more upscale Greek restaurant in the German Village part of Columbus, Ohio that was quite pleasant and good enough to eat at repeatedly. Even their regular and dessert wines were worthwhile.

Yes, that would be on Central Park North -- which is really nothing else than the segment of 110 St. that goes past the northern end of the park.

I had a pleasant meal at Le Monde, a brasserie on Broadway between 113th and 114th I think (I realize that's further west than your specific request). It really feels pretty much like a Parisian brasserie. Nothing fancy, but quite inexpensive for what it is, by New York standards.

Could she have been frustrated? It's a hell of a lot harder for a native English speaker to learn to read Chinese than to read Spanish menu items and say a few words of Spanish. That's why I care. But it's not like I feel those little eateries are doing anything wrong; obviously, they are catering to a clientele who can read Chinese.

Search results of a search of the Cooking Forum under "fennel," title only. I don't see any thread about the seeds, though. I love fennel seeds, and there are so many things you can do with them! Lots of Indian dishes use them, but so do excellent Italian sausages. You can even make a tea from them that soothes the stomach.

I wonder if the Phoenix Cyclo is a branch of the New York Cyclo, or vice versa?

I just thought of an interesting idea: Parsley granita or sorbet. Have people tried those?

Daniel, when I used to go to a Dominican place in University Heights after teaching days at Bronx Community College, I ordered in Spanish. It wasn't hard for me to learn to say "Quiero un especial de pollo, cuarto de muslo, con arroz blanco y habichuelas rosas." And this was in a place where staff did in fact speak some English but did much better with Spanish. If you're dealing with a specialty place whose clientele is very largely Spanish-speaking and they don't speak English, learning how to say "Para quedar" ("To stay") and "Para llevar" ("To go") isn't too taxing. Now, the little eateries in Flushing that have signs only in Chinese -- that's something else. But the fact is, many stores and restaurants really don't need to speak English, and we're the "foreigners" there.

Part of me wants to say "authentic, shmentic," because let's not forget that the chili pepper originates from the Americas. Whether a sauce is in customary current use somewhere may be more at issue than whether it's "authentic" to the region. Sorry for nitpicking.

Sure, it's quite an undertaking, but remember that they are able to do things in a kind of assembly line fashion, whereas you did all this almost by yourself.

That was fascinating! I'll be curious to see your tally of expenses, but surely the photos and commentary were the biggest draw here.

Wendy, you haven't failed! I just think many of us have no idea what to post other than that your creations look great, wonderful, and other such-like adjectives, and that we're amazed you can upload and post so much after a full day's work. I'm not sure people know what other line of discussion to broach. What kinds of things would you want to discuss in this blog, not only in Pastry and Baking?

Ji-Young, the passage you bolded seems to indicate Vietnam as a likely originator of sushi. The Mekong River flows from mountains in southern China through Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam.