slkinsey

Good point about the shitty oil. But I don't think adding oil to water-packed tuna would quite be a stand in for "tuna packed in high quality olive oil." There's something about actually canning the tuna together with the oil (preferable olive, of course) that greatly affects the quality of the tuna.

There's a thread going on Bouchon here from some time ago. Maybe one of the SW&W mods can merge 'em up.

I'm with tommy on this one. Warm tuna salad? Oog.

Um... no, there isn't. There's a little place called Napoli that I believe has permanent rights to that title. On the other hand, I suppose it depends on the basis they are using for making that claim. Most pizzerie per capita? Who knows.

Oh, I don't know Dean... by then we'll probably be down to evaluating the differences between Ray's, Famous Ray's, Original Ray's, Famous Original Ray's, Original Famous Ray's and Seriously We're Not Kidding This Is the Real Original Ray's Everyone Has Been Talking About.

No reason to use expensive sea salt when it will be dissolved in liquid. The perceived difference between types of edible salt has >90% to do with the shape of the salt crystals. Edit: Exactly what Paula says. No reason not to use the cheapo sea salt, but every reason not to use fleur de sel or something like that.

Inspired by this thread, tonight I turned this: Into this:

Good grief. How do you get all that in your mouth? Hey! That's two different kinds of sandwich there! Only 6 ingredients each!

We don't have tuna salad sandwiches very often, but when we do I like: oil cured Italian tuna, minced onion or slivered scallions, finely diced celery, chopped pickles or capers, chopped hard cooked eggs, homemade mayonnaise (usually with lemon juice) on toasted sourdough with ruccola. We also like Italian oil cured tuna with white beans, red onion, salty black olives, parsley and spicy evoo.

That's not the way anyone does it who subscribes to the star system model. I can understand that you have other priorities in evaluating a restaurant, and I'm not saying that I disagree with them. But those priorities are not really germane to a discussion of whether or not the decor at Asiate should merit at least a one star rating in the NY Times. The assumption behind such an assertion is that the food is at least within the range of "one star quality." There are plenty of unstarred places making food in the one star range that will not earn a star primarily due to reasons not having to do with the food (decor, location, service, etc.). Similarly, one can understand that there are places that are perhaps making what one would judge "very good one star food" who will be bumped up to two stars based on decor, service, etc. The one thing that does not tend to figure into this kind of rating system is price. The reviewer might mention that a two star place is charging three star prices, but would be unlikely to bump it down to one star based on this evaluation. In my view, it goes a little something like this: Things like service, decor, etc. will figure most prominently in those "judgment call" areas.

Definitely after. You don't want to cook the prosciutto.

thanks for the link. although i just slapped the crap out of my screen. Can we kill her? She's like the mutant lovechild of Fran Drescher and Rachel Raye on crack. College students could play a drinking game by taking a shot every time she said, "that's what I'm tawkin' about!" I thought it was hilariously appropriate that Dom didn't pay any attention to her and simply went about his business as normal around her frantic histrionics.

A little something, and a little something else on Spice Market from NY Metro.

Sounds like the prices are quite reasonable, too. I have loved his other places (inclufing Vong, for the record) and will definitely check it out.

Can't wait for the day I walk in there with you two! It's hard to get anything very spicy when it's being delivered. I think they need to see in your eyes that you want it as spicy as they're willing to make it. Yea, well... let me know when you're usually free. We're there at least 3 times a month, if not more frequently.

Yea... the bones can be a real hassle with that dish. If it weren't for the fact that it's like half bone, I'd order it more often. As it is, I have it around 40% of the time. Dude, they must have dumbed it down because you ordered takeout... or maybe they know Eric Malson and me enough by now to know that we like things really spicy. Because, let me tell you, that's the hottest thing I've ever had from their menu. Definitely hotter than the braised beef fillets in red oil, and that's saying something. Asking for that dish "very spicy" -- man, I can't even imagine that. They would have to serve it with a shot of Pepto Bismol and a side of Tucks.

I was thinking in terms of whatever herbs one might put in with the item to be cooked.

Yea, I'm with tommy on that one. Esca is probably my favorite fish place in NYC. The thing with fish is that you're dealing with a very expensive, very perishable raw ingredient.

are these otherwise known as hot-cross buns? No, these are yeast risen buns where the top is cut off and the inside hollowed out. Then a filling is made with the torn up bread that was removed, sweet almonds, cream and maybe some spices. The "lid" goes back on top. I think we ate them warm, but I might not be remembering that correctly. Now that I look around the Internet, it seems that Shrove Tuesday Buns are a Scandinavian thing. My father probably picked up the idea when he was a postdoc in Upsala, and that's how it became a tradition in my family.

The Sazerac is a great drink. Interestingly (to me, anyway) it is one of the few drinks where it really does make sense to "wash" the inside of the glass with the secondary liguor (Pernod or Richard) and dump out the excess. Even that tiny bit flavors the drink nicely and anything more is too much.

Yum! It's interesting to me, however, that this "holiday" has become so associated with the New Orleans tradition in the minds of so many Americans. To me, it was always an Anglican thing -- I knew it as "Shrove Tuesday" long before I had ever heard of "Mardi Gras" -- and is associated in my mind much more with things like pancakes and Shrove Tuesday buns, etc. The idea of such foods, BTW, is that they are convenient ways for the cook to use up all the fat in the house before Lent.

We used to have Shrove Tuesday Buns when I was a kid. Might be nice to revive that tradition.

Well... it will have a different flavor is all. Sometimes you don't necessarily want that Maillard flavor, and might be going for something a little cleaner, fresher, greener. One can always, of course, brown the meat either before or after cooking sous vide.

Now that's what I'm talking about! And they said it was crazy to visit the Patsy's branches in one afternoon. Hah!

Man... chicken liver risotto! In my mind, one of the greatest things about a dish is when you find yourself slapping your forehead and thinking, "of course! why didn't I think of that?" I mean, I like dirty rice with chicken livers and gizzards... I like chicken livers... I like chicken liver ragu... I like risotto... I like risotto con ragu... so why not chicken liver risotto? This is a must-try at home.