slkinsey

Well, the East Coast of the US and the West Coast of Scotland are two sides of the same puddle. Scotland is a good bit further North, though, and a different ocean environment, which may be responsible for the difference in the quality of softshell clams.

What you might consider is doing a variation of Doug Psaltis' technique at Mix: puree a bunch of flavorful clams (razors, for instance) to simmer in the chowder, then add some smaller, more tender clams (I like cockles) off the heat at the last minute to cook in the resitual heat of the chowder. In New England, most of the clams used for chowder are those which are too large and tough to be eaten as-is. They are chopped up and used for chowder. This is to say that a little chewyness in the cooked clams is not inappropriate.

GOOEY-duck.

"Ark shell" is kind of a catch-all for clams of the genus Arca with a "heavy toothed shell with a deep boat-like inner surface." They look like this.

Not to mention that Waltham is "Wal-tham" (with the 'th' sound elided) rather than "Walt-ham." And then, to make matters even more confusing... Waltham = "Wal-tham" but Chatham = "Chat'm"

Were the gnocchi cooked before you froze them?

Saint Joseph's day, also known as San Giuseppe is the traditonal day of Saint Joseph, just like Saint Patrick and Saint Andrew and all those other guys have their own day. It is quite traditional in Italy to have more of a celebration on your name day (i.e., St. Joseph's day if your name is Joe) than your birthday. San Giuseppe is a very big deal in Southern Italy, and especially in Sicily. I'm going to be making sfinci this weekend as my nod to the tradition (deep fried dough lumps filled with sweetened ricotta, etc.).

Adian, are these potato gnocchi? Have you frozen them successfully before? Also, how long do you plan to have them in the oven? Potato gnocchi are very delicate and temperamental. I wouldn't think that they'd hold up well to extended baking, and would likely turn into mush (especially given the disturbance of being frozen). Have you thought of maybe making gnocchi di semolina? This is a traditional Abruzzese dish, and is always baked. I would think that the semolina gnocchi would hold up quite well to freezing, and you could easily just toss the frozen gnocchi into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, etc. and throw it into the oven.

Clearly a conspiracy, designed to weed out interlopers posing as natives. In my youth, we Bostonians could always spot a "foreigner" because they never understood that Framingham and Waltham were pronounced with a "ham" on the end whereas Dedham and Needham ended with a "h'm."

What about the Pacific soft shell clam, the geoduck (Panope generosa)? There is also the Pacfic littleneck clam Protothaca staminea, a "rock cockle" rather than a clam, and Protothaca semidecussata the Japanese littleneck clam (also actually a cockle). Then there are the "basket cockles" Clinocardium nuttalli or Cardium corbis on the Pacific coast.

I am given to understand that top grade sushi/sashimi grade tuna is better slightly aged (we're talking a day or two here). This is no doubt true with respect to other kinds of fish as well. When one is considering the ingredients at a place like Masa, which is clearly getting the best of the best, I think it is a given that all the fish will be at optimal freshness. Then, the handling of the fish, as well as its provenance, etc., becomes much more important.

I hope he knows what he's done here... He's going to wake up next to a severed horse's head if a bunch of eGulleters drop 450 bucks a person at Masa and aren't transported into flights of gustatory ecstasy.

If the owner wants to stay in business after this, regardless of his personal feelings on the matter, I don't see how he could possibly continue to employ the manager.

My thoughts exactly. Daniel, this is a very small place. I find it hardly credible that this was all going on without the owner's knowledge. Luckily, their drinks really aren't all that good, so we're not missing much staying away. I'll be interested to see what this report does to their business. If the owner's smart, he'll immediately fire the manager, make a public statement condeming his activities and offer the complaintant a free party in the private room.

I was just made aware of this report by CBS 2's "Shame On You" segment. The deal is that they are denying reservations of their private rooms to black people and granting them to whites. This place is in my (multi-ethnic) neighborhood, and I am now ashamed to say that I've had drinks there a time or two. Never again.

This sounds really amazing. I had thought it couldn't possibly be worth it, because I was not sure I could tell the difference between a really good piece of o-toro and a ten-times-the-price best-in-the-world piece of o-toro. But, on the other hand, I'll neve know unless I try it! Sounds like an experience to remember for a lifetime, and therefore well worth the money.

I know! What's up with that? It just doesn't seem like a nice trattoria meal unless the host plies you with local grappa which is, of course, "much better than the stuff from that other town people talk about."

Best place I know for quirky selections, low prices and a staff that is incredibly helpful in picking out wines is Nancy's Wines on Columbus around 74th Street. Nancy's turned me on to the joys of Prosecco, and they offer the excellent Nino Franco Prosecco Rustico for something like 15 bucks a bottle. Another great place for bargains and quirky selections is PJ Wine way up on Broadway and 204th Street. PJ has more of a "bargain warehouse" atmosphere, though, and the staff are not nearly as helpful in selecting bottles as they are at Nancy's. That said, if you can engage the wine buyer, he can steer you to some interesting stuff. As for Italian Wine Merchants, this place is more for the serious Italian wine drinker with seriously deep pockets. Most of the wines they sell there are priced North of 50 bucks a bottle. I've never been, but Vino sounds interesting and more reasonably priced.

I was served my first Black Velvet by bartender Patrick O'Sullivan at the Seppi's Irish Whiskey Dinner. It is made with Guinness and champagne. A Black and Tan is made with equal parts Guinness and bitters/pale ale (often either Harp or Bass), and makes a nice effect with the stout is poured slowly down the stem of a bar spoon into the glass so it forms a distinct layer above the lager. I am given to understand that the layering trick is a largely American-Irish affectation, though.

Ah... but French omelettes can be filled too, right? I'm just wondering where you think the line is between a stuffed omelette and a French omelette. Mostly, though, I just wondered whether or not there was a substantial difference in technique. Isn't there a kind of omelette that's done by cooking the eggs alone, opening up the cooked omelette and putting in a filling? Yes, a "stuffed omelet" is a "filled omelet" in which someone has put more filling than you would like. Interesting... I could swear I didn't say anything about how much filling I would like.

Interesting that they used the word "today" in this article. This nut was cracked back in 1999 (see this page and this page for details). I guess these new guys just caught the phenomenon on film at a sufficiently high speed. Nice to know we're not all crazy, though.

What is a "stuffed omelette?" Is it basically a French omelette with way too much filling, or is there more to it? Is the technique different?

Had dinner there last PM. Everything was excellent, as usual. One thing we noticed was a group of Brits (Australians?) at a large table, all of whom had brought a bottle of red wine, all of which were open. This is now the second time I have noticed this group at GSIM. Joe and I couldn't help thinking, and remarking to each other, what a waste it was of both wine and food.

You know, I don't understand why Calphalon doesn't deal with that problem by going to a thicker gauge (aluminum is cheap, after all) or some kind of cladding (either internal or external).

Yep. That's the problem with Calphalon. Notorious warpers. You should be able to have the pan replaced for free, and I encourage you to do so.