slkinsey

Maybe those who react adversely are sufferers of this metabolic problem, rather than victims of some great conspiracy to market poison to the masses? This specifically refers to people with phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is a rare inherited disease in which individuals cannot properly metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. This is why all products containing aspartame in the US feature the warning: "Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine." I don't think its possible to have a "mild case of PKU" or to be a phenylketonuric and not know about it. It is a very serious disease.

Um... so what? There still remains the fact that the vast majority of reputable, peer-reviewed science does not support the assertion that aspartame is any more unsafe than, say, mangos.

I think it's important to understand that we're talking about the classic NY pizza, not the typical NY pizza.

Um... the Coliseum in Rome is made of concrete, with travertine for the piers and arcades. Point well taken about the durability of granite, though.

1. From a letter in The Lancet: 2. I note that Ralph G. Walton's study (aolready of dubious reliability, due to being a meta-analysis) is not published in a peer-reviewed journal. 3. The reason the FDA stopped tracking adverse reaction reports on aspartame is because they determined that they did not have any merit. More information on the various anti-aspartame scams may be found here. As the good folks at about.com suggest, if the word of the FDA and the mainstream medical research community is not good enough for you, read through the last 20 years of research on Medline and decide for yourself.

I am actually surprized more people don't mention soapstone. I'm definitely going with a mixture of soapstone and end-grain butcher block when the time comes.

A New York style pizza should look like this.

How about Genesis Ale and Messiah Bold from He'Brew - The Chosen Beer.

Wow... this is a controversial topic, to say the least. IMO, authentic NY style pizza has a thin crust, not too many topings, is baked in a coal-fired oven and has some char on the bottom. There may be some commonalities in terms of sauce and cheese -- I don't know. Patsy's in East Harlem strikes me as the archetype. Others will no doubt have something to say about that.

I've grilled brats outside Lambeau Field in subzero windchill. Had to dress like this:

Ugh. Me too. Whatever this flu/cold thing that's going around, I have it. Rats... I like pie.

Robin, I am not sold on the whole Calphalon One thing. I hate nonstick, except for very specific applications (delicate fish, eggs, that kind of thing), and there is nothing about this new line that makes me think Calphalon has solved their warping problem. As for the steamer basket, most people find that it's difficult to do better than a cheapo hardware store collapsible metal steamer.

Um... what is a Buchner filter/funnel, and what does it do? A brief google search seems to indicate that it is some kind of scientific equipment? What, exactly, do you propose to filter? Could you, for example, puree tomatoes and then filter out the tomato water? Or would the filter be so fine that the flavor components wouldn't make it through?

Opening a champagne bottle by sword is actually pretty easy. Something to do with the structural design of the bottle. You can even do it with the back of a heavy chef's knife.

Joe, if I am not mistaken, some of the outfits in the Union Square Green Market sell wild boar.

Looks like a pretty good deal, at 40 bucks less than Falk Culinair. However, as with some of the Mauviel deals referenced elsewhere on this thread, I must mention that it always concerns me when I see a relatively unknown player offering a price much lower than what all the better known outfits of known reliability are offering.

Buffet Casserole

Well, in my book any excuse for deep frying is a good one! That said, while good seasoning can mitigate iron's reactivity quite a bit, it does not entirely eliminate the problem with respect to long/wet cooking and acidic ingredients.

Cool. I really do feel that this is the most versatile pan in the kitchen. That said, I prefer enameled cast iron for really heavy-duty braising. These pans are available in a number of configurations (in order of preference): stainless lined heavy copper (e.g., Bourgeat, Falk Culinair), stainless lined heavy aluminum (e.g., All-Clad MasterChef and LTD), fully clad copper (e.g., All-Clad Copper Core), fully clad aluminum (e.g., All-Clad Stainless), aluminum and copper disk bottom (e.g., Sitram, Paderno). Not all of these configurations are available in the 11" size, however. AFAIK, these are only available in heavy copper or clad aluminum. This is okay, because I think it makes the most sense to get a straight-gauge pan of this type/size anyway, as opposed to disk bottom. The only cookware with a copper interior and a stainless interior/exterior is All-Clad's Copper Core line. I don't think they make an 11" sauteuse evasee, and anyway I think the line is absurdly expensive for what you get. Personally, I think you're likely to get the best deals on the Internet. If you decide on heavy copper, I recommend Falk Culinair. They have an 11-inch "saucière" for 235 bucks. Buy an 11-inch stainless lid elsewhere (this one from Paderno fits very well, and is 50 dollars less than Falk's coper cover). If you'd rather have aluminum, I recommend All-Clad's MasterChef line. This line is the least expensive and also has the thickese layer of aluminum, so it's a winner on both fronts. SuzanneF, who is no stranger to good equipment, has plenty of this stuff. They have 10.5-inch "saucier" which retails for around 180 bucks. You should never pay retail, of course, because you can get a slightly flawed one from Cookware and More for 120 bucks. There is a slight difference in design between the copper manufacturers and All-Clad. Ths sides in All-Clad's design are a little higher in relation to the diameter of the pan -- 38% as opposed to 33% in copper. This means that the 10.5-inch All-Clad piece has 4-inch tall sides and holds 5.5 quarts as opposed to the 11-inch copper pieces which have 3.6-inch tall sides and hold 4.5 quarts. The best cookware stores in NYC are, in my opinion: Bridge Kitchenware, Broawday Panhandler, JB Prince, and Zabar's. That said, I don't think the salespeople at Broadway Panhandler or Zabar's really know all that much about the products.

I, for one, totally disagree with the philosophy that a restaurant should tailor its wine cellar and menu to the lowest common denominator. If a restaurant does not find a white zinfandel or pinot grigio of sufficient quality that they feel matches well with their menu, there is no reason they should offer one. If the lack of such wines proves to be a barrier to repeat business for certain customers, it is up to the restaurant management to decide whether or not to make a change. More important, in my opinion, is that the sommelier be friendly, approachable and takes the initiative in offering (and describing, if necessary) his or her services. I think a lot of customers who are unsophisticated with respect to wine are often intimidated by a 650 wine list and reluctant to seek the assistance of the wine professional. They feel like they are required to make a choice, and seek out something they know. In cases like Mark's where customers are choosing pinot grigio based on familiarity with the cheap stuff expecting one thing and being unsatisfied when they get something different, I think it makes sense to take pinot grigio off the list. I don't know much about wine beyond recognizing a good one when I drink it. What I want is a sommelier who will find out what people are eating, ascertain a price range and never pressure for an upsell, incorporate whatever wine preferences the customers might express into the recommendation, and make a recommendation in such a way as to make the customers feel as though they participated in the decision. It doesn't hurt to make the customers feel as though they are being let in on something special and unusual, as well. It also doesn't hurt to present the customers with several recommendations from which to choose, so they feel empowered. If customers complain that there is no white zinfandel on the menu, the sommelier can easily ask what it is that they like about white zinfandel and say, "we don't have white zinfandel on our list, but if you like white zinfandel, you're really going to like this riesling, it's blah blah blah."

There are two issues here: First is that the word sauté is often misunderstood and misapplied. Sauté comes from the French verb sauter, which means "to jump." Foods which are "sauté" are "jumped." Specifically, they are jumped around in a pan. This means that one takes irregular chunks of food, places them in a pan over high heat and shakes the pan back and forth to jump the food around in the pan and brown all the pieces evenly on all sides. It is important to use high heat because, at lower temperatures, the ingredients will exude their liquid and suddenly the items are being stewed in their own juices. When food is just sitting in the pan, it is not being sautéd, it is being fried. Second, understanding the foregoing, I don't see how it would be possible to sauté with water instead of fat. First of all, there would be no browning -- one of the primary goals of a sauté. Second, the presence of excess liquid makes jumping the ingredients around difficult at best. Third, I don't quite understand why this technique wouldn't be more accurately described using already existing and commonly understood cooking terms (steaming, stewing, simmering, braising, sweating, etc.).

is it really that much of a problem? most times, a tomato sauce will be darkish, so discolouring won't show, and a little iron can't be harmful, anyway. only thing i can think of is that the casserolle might slowly rust away... The problem is not the discoloration, altough that is certainly an issue. The problem is more that the reactive iron causes off-flavors. If someone doesn't mind, or even appreciates the iron flavor, like Big Bunny, then it's not a problem. Personally, I don't want that flavor in my tomato sauces, braises, stocks, etc.

You're not challenging my vocabulary skills at all this week. I get to use the same word again! How many ways are there to say "informed?" In 1991 the EPA lowered the maximum contaminant level for lead in drinking water from 50 parts per billion to 15 ppb. According to the EPA rules, the City of New York must test at least 100 "worst case" dwellings per year to ascertain the lead levels. Upon doing so, 90% were found to be below 24 ppb. These are, mind you, the worst cases. In addition, for over 10 years the City has been adding orthophosphate to the water supply. Orthophosphate is an anticorrosion agent that forms a coating on the inside of pipes, thereby preventing lead from dissolving into the water. (Information from the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection). Since my filter can reduces the presence of lead by >97%, I could start with, say, 100 ppb and still end up way below the EPA's MCL. But you can always do what I did. I already know my water is fine straight out of the tap. You know you can get the city to test your tap water for free, right? Just call (718) DEP-HELP.

Basically there are several issues here: 1. Polytetrafluoroethylene, otherwise known as PTFE and sometimes branded as "Teflon" is one of the most biologically benign substances we have in terms of tissue reactivity, etc. 2. The OP on this thread spoke of "emissions from a teflon coating facility," which is not the same thing at all. There has been some concern that ammonium perfluorooctanoate ("C-8"), a chemical used in the production or PTFE, is causing health problems around plants and factories. This does not necessarily have any bearing on the safety of PTFE once manufactured. 3. The animal deaths, etc. related to overheated PTFE have to do with the fact that PTFE, like many substances, will shed "ultrafine particles" when heated above 550F. These particles get into the delicate and small lungs of birds and other small animals, clog them up and cause the animals to die.

I grew up in Boston, and we always called them subs. I saw a show once that explained where the different names came from, but I can't remember.