alacarte

Absolutely fabulous. I especially loved your ode to Salvador Dali. Congratulations on graduating! I got a kick out of seeing "Graduate" boldfaced in your signature. Good for you!!!

gsquared, how did you learn to plate like that? It's lovely. Are you a food professional, or a talented amateur?

I think I already raised my hand for this event, but I'll stand up & be counted again.

I'm still waiting for my order to arrive. Every day, I check the mailbox for a package slip....waiting is driving me crazy!

I've seen the "really big calzone" phenomenon once before. Sal Anthony's used to have a pizza joint below their restaurant on Irving Place (the restaurant still is there -- the pizza joint is no longer, and has evolved into a "lounge"-type space). My husband and I ordered a "large" calzone for take-out, and doubled over with laughter when we opened a large pizza box...to find that the calzone was merely a large cheese pizza, folded in half! Regarding the next pizza outing -- a colleague just told me on Friday that Grimaldi's pizza is absolutely wonderful, and worth the trip to Brooklyn. Sherri, awesome pictures. I can almost smell the pepperoni pizza!

Time Out NY -- Cheap Eats

I loved that book too. I had the unexpected honor of meeting Betty Fussell at an event recently, and she says they are making the book into a play! The play is supposed to debut in March here in NYC. You heard it here first.

I think you just found your new signature, lauren. LOL, too true. I'm making Algae Puffs as an hors d'ouevre. Don't ask. I'm asking. Do tell...what are the ingredients for algae puffs?

I have a nice recipe for beef stew -- I'm told it's like what Dinty Moore wishes its stew were like. Never tried Dinty Moore myself. "Alacarte's Better 'N Dinty Moore Stew" --Brown beef cubes in a deep pot -- remove from pot & set aside. --Saute onions until soft. Add olive oil if you need to, though the beef should leave some fat for sauteeing & flavor. --Return beef cubes to pot. Add baby carrots or carrot slices and chunks of potato. (If you have other vegetables, add them too at this point.) --Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower flame & allow to simmer until it reduces to a thickness you like. --You can also add corn starch to thicken the reduction if you like. Enjoy!

Baby Got Back Lyrics the lyrics offer no insight whatsoever into appropriate "booty food." Sorry folks.

*giggle* No, it's a 20-oz bottle. Just drinking slow today!

I'm still slugging on the same bottle of DC with Lime. It tastes a helluva lot better when it's cold...the warmer it gets, the more it tastes like just plain old diet soda (yuk!).

Triple sampling is fine. It's the double dipping that is frowned upon.

I just bought a bottle and I'm pleasantly surprised. I was expecting an ersatz-lime-lollipop flavor, but it tastes surprisingly real. I'm a fan of regular coke with (real) lime. I only saw a diet version of the drink though, so I can't compare with my usual.

I've had the whole fish at Thalassa (in Tribeca). This has become one of my favorite places. Ethos in Murray Hill offers similar whole fish, served Mediterranean/Greek style. Milos (W. 55th St) is another good choice.

I can't see this group reaching a consensus on the top 10, 20, 25 places in NY. Is there a way to conduct a poll to make this a more objective process? i.e. we could enter our "picks" into some kind of voting tool (or send them to one co-ordinator to tally up). I think otherwise we're all gonna be bickering about the finer points of this place vs. that place. I like the idea of being able to sort by ethnicity & price.

Bond Girl, it's a good thing that you are savvy about the financial world. I bet more than a few restaurateurs get taken by their would-be financial saviors. And I'd bet that more than a few are forced into near-bankruptcy because they don't know what they are getting themselves into. Do culinary school programs/ restaurant management programs typically include a finance module? If not, then it should. Though lots of culinary school graduates go on to work for restaurants, hotels, and other organizations, a high proportion seem to go on to entrepreneurial careers.

I think you just found your new signature, lauren.

I have to tell you guys, just reading this thread is excellent therapy! The story of the waitresses who keep Snicker bars in the freezer to "tame the beast" is just priceless. That's what I need to do. I've heard of people who use cooking as therapy...but are there any therapists who specialize in treating cooks' anxiety? I think I smell a new field. If behavioral finance can be a burgeoning field, why not cooking psychology? P.S. Bloviatrix, your sorbets rocked -- especially the mango sorbet!

Here's my update: I'm happy to report that the Chocolate Eclair ice box cake went over well -- I noticed lots of empty plates! Here's a link to the recipe I used. It's not lost on me that the banner ad at the top of the screen is for Weight Watchers -- this is a pretty calorific cake! Thanks again for everyone's ideas and support.

I've baked for a crowd, and I'm actually nervous about how my cakes will be received. Deep down I know this is pretty silly. Does anyone else get "stage fright" when you are cooking for a large group, or a small group of important guests? I'd especially love to hear from professional chefs. Anyone still get "stage fright" before the dinner rush, like even experienced stage actors say they get the butterflies before every performance?

Thanks!

welcome merstar, and happy first post! Thanks for the recipes -- they both sound exceedingly yummy. Last night, I hunkered down and made four "chocolate eclair" ice box cakes for tonight's event. I'll let you know how they are received.... By the way, the irony was not lost on me that I am making ice box cakes while the weather outside is a bitter 25 degrees! BRRRRR.....

I resemble that remark.

Suzanne and HWOE, thank you for being such hospitable hosts! It was a pleasure seeing everyone. I'm going to avoid a MidSummer Night's Pie Potluck...bad for my summer wardrobe.