alacarte

I remember this thread had some discussion of Lady Baltimore Cake, and someone had wondered where it originated. I found the answer (courtesy of the The Food Reference Newsletter. P.S. Thursday, October 23 is National Boston Cream Pie Day. (another tidbit from the Food Reference Newsletter, I didn't make that up.)

Thank you for the tips, this is giving me hope! Varmint, I can only give you my opinion -- I bet there's a thread somewhere in the California boards, though. Of course it's all subjective. I think the first thing that makes a fish taco superior is really good, fresh fish. I've had tacos with shredded fish and strips of whole fish (my preference), and both are suitable if the fish is good quality, fresh and firm. I think Mahi-Mahi is most often used, but other white fishes or even tuna steak can be used to pleasing effect. All the rest is variable, but a good taco shell (read: not stale) is a priority. And toppings should be good quality too -- lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, maybe a spicy chipolte sauce, maybe innovative additions like jicama or mango. And no beans, unless they're on the side!

A California friend turned me on to fish tacos -- which are amazing when done well, and not worth the calories when done poorly. I've found a couple of places that do great fish tacos -- B Bar in the village and Dos Caminos (park ave & 28th, I believe). Is there anyplace else worth trying? I may have to make a pilgrimage back to CA if I can't get my fix here.

Boston Globe Digest for October 22, 2003: Muscle teas -- “Power teas” for businessmen – “a new ritual that has been popping up in big city hotels,” such as the Four Seasons Hotel. “The fancy finger food is designed to appeal to executives who don't have time for lunches or long business dinners.” (I don't know anyone in the business world who would meet for tea, do you?) Cracker makers chip away at fat content (David L. Harris) Make your meals mythic with pomegranate seeds (Galen Moore) Blending for a bigger stage (Steven Meuse) Sakonnet's winemaker wants to raise his vineyard's profile a notch with a prestigious reserve label Also, a companion piece on Sakonnet: A great wine means finding right balance

Judging the Quality of Supermarket Sushi from the Washington Post.

I think we are about five minutes away from the Wall Street Journal writing a trend piece on pop rocks pastry.

I think that non-burger eaters should be allowed to tag along to the Burger Club. BUT....they are not allowed to opine about anything. They must sit quietly with hands folded primly in laps. They must eat with silverware. They must say "please" and "thank you." Carnivores have final say on everything, and first dibs on the ketchup. No burger, no opinion.

I noticed that the recipe for Claypot casserole of chicken and salted fish includes MSG as an optional ingredient. What's the point of adding MSG? I'm not trying to elicit a heated debate on MSG -- I'm just curious what it's supposed to add to the dish.

The Wall Street Journal has a front-page story on this "phenomenon": Off the Candy Shelf and Into the Fryer. As usual, you read it here first.

And I thought the Harry Potter line of booger-flavored jelly beans were gross. This has to be a new low of some sort. Definitely one of the most gleeful gross-out threads ever.

What's a WaWa? Is that like a 7-11?

Reminds me of the Woody Allen movie line about tuna-mint-chip cookies.

Apparently I'm the last person to read the O'Neill article (how'd I miss this thread?) but it was worth the wait. Excellent article.

I think of Cite as a business lunch place. For that reason, I avoid it.

I like Capsouto Freres. I've been recently for brunch, and the food was good if not particularly memorable (save for the outstanding souffles!) and the space is very light and spacious and pleasant during the day.

I'll be out of town too, sorry.

Thanks for a great lesson, and fantastic pictures! A few of the "derivative" sauces were new to me. What would you recommend to serve with a Sauce Tyrolienne, or a Sauce Verte? Another question -- I hate when sauces develop a "skin" on top. Do you have any recommendations for preventing that skin from forming, or removing it once it forms?

Don't waste it on cooking. Drink it, straight up, with a liberal squeeze of lime.

Ling, thanks for the blog. What are traditional Canadian Thanksgiving foods? Is there anything that's different from American Thanksgiving foods? Thanks!

How much is the membership? I've attended a couple of "Greens" events (under-40 divison of James Beard) and they've been a lot of fun (and a lot of food!)

I had fun at the "Burger Club" -- how was the post-BC greenmarket run? It was nice to meet everyone! I thought Molly's burgers were pretty good. I'm surprised at low the scores were -- 69-point-something? That's a C-minus, or a D-plus, if I remember academic scores. That's the kind of score that gets most kids grounded for a week. Offhand, I would have expected a solid "B" rating. Well, something had to set the baseline, right? On the bright side, I'm looking forward to consuming the burger that merits an A-plus rating. I wonder if Molly's has recovered from watching us whip out a scale, meat thermometers, spreadsheets & pencils to "rate" our meals. [Note to Orik (and other lurkers): please come say howdy next time. Lurking online is acceptable behavior. Lurking in person is creepy!]

This is so cool. I can't believe you're almost there! Have a GREAT time, everyone! I can't wait to see the pictures. And I've heard great things about the hush puppies Malawry is bringing.

I'm officially backing off -- this is turning into a non-food-related discussion, and a rather heated one at that!

I'm perfectly happy to bash anyone who lets nepotism dictate business decisions.

Pizza. Always. Anywhere.