alacarte

I haven't seen the Rocco series. But juding by zenial's account, it sounds like things were deliberately rigged to make things more "dramatic." An evening in which all goes smooth does not make for compelling TV. Just like a reality series about couples with untroubled relationships would probably be a snoozer to watch.

Me too. But Coca-Cola wins the Dumbest Marketing Trick for what they've done with the label: it doesn't say "Vanilla Coke," it just says "V," with the words "vanilla coke" whispered inaudibly in tiny red text on a red background. I suspect this is a failed attempt at street cred-worthiness?

Hmm, what would happen if you tried this with a slice of Dave the Cook's pork cake?

I passed by the Union Square market earlier this week, en route to the subway, and I saw huge buckets of peaches!!! how exciting! guess where I'll be tomorrow AM....

That's a good story! A couple of weeks ago, I was up by the West Point military academy. I drove around a bit & saw a sign for the Army commissary, so of course I had to stop. Not sure what I expected to find -- chipped beef on toast? -- but I hoped at least to sample some genu-wine army vittles. Once inside, it was an enormous supermarket. How disappointing! I wasn't allowed in b/c I have no military ID, so thus ends my report.

Fried cheesecake sounds like a cross between Baked Alaska and deep-fried Twinkies.

Boston Globe – July 23, 2003 Well, the Boston Globe Digest is back (and so am I!) but it’s slim pickins this week. But I suspect that everyone at the Boston Globe's food section must be vacationing in Nantucket: the section is mostly one-paragraph updates of truly local goings-on in the Boston area, and a few assorted recipes. If that’s your idea of heaven (it’s sure not mine), the front page of Boston’s food section is here. And here are direct links to a couple of notable features: A case of romance This loft kitchen is open for entertaining (third in a series on “renovated kitchen designs for people who really cook.” Ethnic dishes liven up Lowell's annual music fest

We had chilaquiles too! After eating very little at our wedding (truly a shame, as the food was lovely) we spent our first night as newlyweds at the Beekman Hotel. First peach Bellinis at the Top of the Tower, as we watched the lights of Manhattan (and my engagement ring) twinkle and listened to the jazz piano. But we the kitchen had closed, and we were STARVING, so we ordered room service -- chilequiles and thin-crust pizza, and we polished off a bottle of champagne. Pizza, champagne, and starry-eyed dreams of romance. A fine way to start a marriage, I'd recommend it to anyone!

Just returned from Amsterdam -- Shazam, thanks again for your recommendations! My sister & I enjoyed the rijstaffel at Kantjil, and a late-night falafel at Maoz hit the spot. We had a great time, and some great meals! that said, we had some pretty ordinary meals too. My opinion is that Amsterdam is a lovely city with its canals and carillon bells, but it's not a place to go for serious eating. one thing surprised me -- the sheer number of South American restaurants -- Argentinian, Chilean, you name it!

Here's my suggestion: go to Three Sisters. It's not cheap in terms of face value, but they have an AMAZING, gut-busting buffet that will allow you to sample virtually every regional delicacy your heart desires. So in the end, you will save $$ in terms of not having to dine at a half-dozen places to sample all the good stuff, and certainly it will economize on time -- more time to spend in the jazz clubs! Here's what I remember trying at Three Sisters: crawfish, gumbo, jumbalaya, corn bread, all kinds of fishes and stews and cheeses and desserts....YUM! If all else fails, find a deli that appeals to you and get a Muffaletta sandwich. And I'll fall into line & agree, Cafe du Monde for coffee & beignets. Enjoy!

Please let us know how Eat stacks up. If it's good, I might consider ordering some issues myself. yeah, Gastronomica can be a tough read. But I did like their piece about Women Who Eat Dirt.

I agree. I think this Eat Magazine is sort of the Gastronomica model. Food as cerebral, not corporeal.

THANK YOU for that wonderful rundown, Shazam! I am boarding the plane to A'dam tonight, and the printout from this thread will be in my pocket.

mmmm....hold the bread.

Apparently this is a Japanese publication, also available in the UK. More info on that is here.

That site appears to be different from this "Eat Magazine", which is based out of Canada, apparently. I have to admit that the "can't eat" section of the website fresh_a mentioned is interesting. It's not often that a food site/publication addresses hunger and homelessness.

Is MSG included in the Chinese version of Mexican food?

It took me a while to get to it, but I just read Amanda Hesser's piece on the Wine Spectator award. Much as we "love to hate" her, I'll step up & admit that it's an excellent piece. I won't even say "grudgingly." I do like it. Here's why: First, the award would never have entered my radar, so this brought something new to the table (pun intended) and broadened my horizons. Second, I never would have thought to question the award. Brownie points awarded for skepticism. Too often, food journalism is unabashedly congratulatory and celebratory, without that much-needed element of skepticism. Third, it was a well-researched piece. Fourth, it was a well-written piece. (I think we all agree that Hesser's pieces are usually well-written. It's the well-researched criterion that tends to be debated on eGullet.)

mmm, I want a lobster roll.

Asparagus is nice with lobster. Either hot or cold.

More annoying than sisters? Now that's a grand-scale "dis."

The list sounds like something from the back of a WWII pamphlet on rationing.

I didn't say stellar. I said flawless. Ed Levine is not, in the end, a stellar writer. He's just a good writer. The power of his writing has always come from the depth of his research and the competence of his judgment. The ice cream piece is a good example of newspaper food-reporting at its finest: extremely thorough research, independent and excellent judgment, and a comprehensive readable presentation. It's the type of piece I would give to aspiring food writers as an example of what they should aspire to. If that's the criteria, then I'm inclined to agree. It certainly was well-researched and readable, and it seemed frank & objective as well.

The Discovery channel recently ran a bio - documentary on Kerr. I had never seen him on screen before. It looks like he was a hoot, and probably fit right in with all the kitschy variety-hour stuff than ran in the 60s & 70s.

Would you mind elaborating on what made the piece "flawless," in your opinion? I thought it was a good read, but I wouldn't have considered it stellar.