Pyewacket

Hi AbbeyNormal Welcome to the neighborhood. I live in Bxville or more affectionately, Yonxville (ie. the zipcode, but not the schools. We have been here for five years and have found the food in Westchester to be abominable---from the grocery stores to the restaurants. Everything is just OK; meanwhile, you pay for genius. There is a little deli on Tuckahoe Rd, next to Staples that is very good, so is the Pork Store in HighRidge Plaza on Central Ave near the Pathmark. I buy my meat there ( the guys that work there are really cute!) Can't think of any decent Chinese that we've found--I'd rather cook it myself. I must say though, there is an awesome Southern food joint in Pelham, very close, called Yvonne's. We just found it and as we're southern transplants, it's like walking into Mama Dips kitchen. The BBQ ribs and fried chicken are great as are the vegetable plates and yummy sweet tea. They even roll their eyes if you ask for unsweetened! Enough about me---For decent produce, go ahead and drive to Fairway at 125th--Jaime is always willing to get me just about anything-forget that in Wchester. Gourmet Garage sucks as do all of them even in Manhattan. Sorry to disappoint you, but I just haven't begun to figure out what happens to everyones tastes here once they get off Metro North. Maybe I just need another 5 years.

I don't know how others may feel, but I like the changes at Gourmet since Ruth Reichl took the helm. The magazine had become stodgy in my view, targeting an older, more conservative market. It seemed more focused on travelogues and dinners at high end restaurants. Their recipe writing style was more about showing off than actually crafting a recipe someone could use and reproduce. Now Gourmet seems younger, fresher with a more modern viewpoint. I'm glad they write about unfair trade policies with developing countries. Tomatoes, chocolate, coffee, GMOs--it's important to get the word out about how the big food corporations control what and how food is grown, processed and shipped. These issues are far too rarely addressed within the editorial food world. Yeah, we love our good food, but shouldn't we take some resposibility for the people who grow it and bring it to our tables? To Ruth R--You go girl, use the bully pulpet while you've got it.

This thread got me thinking.... is it southern cuisine if you serve fois gras? I tend to think not. Just because a restaurant is located in the southern tier and makes terrific food doesn't mean it's southern cuisine. I believe that to be representative of a particular region, a dish or menu must necessarily pay homage to its indigenous cultural and culinary roots. Mrs. Fitch created in Fearrington House a place that raised the culinary standard by which southern cooking is judged while graciously reflecting its southern roots and traditions. I believe Bill Neal did the same thing at Crook's Corner, elevating the food from a different southern socio-economic strata yet remaining true to its origins. Sad to say, both Bill Neal and Ellie Fitch are gone now.

My God!!! If you are going to Chapel Hill and eating at Crook's, how can you skip the Shrimp and Grits?!?!?!?!?!!!!! It's the dish that put Crook's Corner and Bill Neal on the map and still the best thing they make---aside from the Eggs and Country Ham Benedict that's served at Sunday Brunch.

May I bring the banana puddin' for dessert? This thread is making me homesick sumpin' awful!

I ususally buy them at Fairway at 125th St. They may also have them at the downtown store, but I can't ever find anything there. You may also try Garden of Eden on 23rd or 14th Sts.

They are much better than water crackers, by far. Carr's might as well be communion wafers. Bath Olivers have the perfect combination of flavor and texture to balance highly flavored toppings without disappearing altogether.

I made vanilla extract in pretty bottles for Christmas gifts this year--I started them in September. The extract was ready to use in January, but it's much better now. It takes about four months for the vanilla flavor to steep into the vodka. I used the ratio of 2 vanilla beans, split to 1 cup of decent, though not expensive, vodka. Try to use the fresh, soft and oily vanilla pods, not those crispy dried out ones. I buy them from a source on the net. MMMM...vanilla-vodka sorbet---that sounds yummy! Try here to order the vanilla pods-vanilla

Have you ever tried Bath Oliver crackers from England? They are about 3"round, white, puffy and crisp. I've never had a better one. By the way, to us southerners, "Cracker" is a slight---akin to the "N" word. It can refer to any white southerner, not just those from Georgia. But try not to use it. It's not complimentary to either the user or especially, the person you are referring to.