Lisa1349

There's another one, Maggiano's. It's modeled after Carmine's. As anti chain that I am, maggiano's has good food. What happened to avatars here? Conserving space? Lisa

Hi Holly, Philadelphia Magazine did a spread on him 3 months ago. He has the recipe down to make money, and close places before he loses too much. Also did time in the slammer, and I believe he's not allowed any ownership of airlines. Don't quote me on that! Lisa

Add one more for me (Boyfriend) I noticed coleslaw mentioned a few times... good time for a cole SLAY? Coleslaw contest... I'm one of the judges. Have been critiqueing for 24 years. First ever egullet recipe contest! Receive the Golden Whisk award... I will bring large stock of PA Wine, Mint Juleps and Victory Beer from Downington, PA. I know it's in there somewhere, but can we confirm the date? Some were asking about NJT, take bus #197 or #196 when 197 is out, from gate 233, port authority. Limited schedule, $9.70 one way. Picturesque ride through greenwood lake and reservoirs. Other side suggestions: cornbread, collards, mac and cheese. Chess pie is also not out of the question! Edit: Found the date: 9/21 1:30 PM Lisa

Also note the Mitsubishi presence, Coors, AMEX, Motorola, Baldor, and the party rental place. I recognized one of my former bosses in the kitchen there. Shock! The only other person who really got named was the kitchen manager besides Rocco, so I don't know what Tony Acinapura's job is there. He was at Terrance Brennan's Seafood and Chophouse, and Blue Ribbon Sushi before that. Hmm. Wonder what the NYT review will say? They WILL be there! I wonder if Grimes will be shown there? Lisa

My experience has been that waiting at the CF is very UNcomfortable. There's like 2 benches. People stalk the bar so don't think of getting 2 seats together. I've also seen food run through the entranceway, past all the waiting people who all seem to have the sniffles. I'll take my food without the germs, thanks. Drinks are big and fairly priced. I was also told by a recruiter that she has to PAY to get job references from the CF. Totally unethical! Lisa

Can anyone tell me the flavors in wavy gravy? I forget... it was so long ago. Thanks Lisa

Bovinity Divinty was served at an all you can eat charity fundraiser last weekend in Philadelphia! Maybe they were cleaning out the freezer for the event.. LOL. BTW I am let down by the brownie batter ice cream. Lisa

If the salary is $25k, is it white collar? FG: I think that something else you're looking for is: the beyond resonable amount of stress placed on a cook to perform. Here's a typical progression for a cook: 1. Crap job in crap place. 2. Better job in crap place. 3. Crap job in good place (vegetable cleaner, salad plater). 4. "Better" job in good place - cook. It is here where the drama begins. Where chefs scream at you 2 inches from your face while you're skin is peeling off on a skillet that holds the best venison you ever cooked but he found something wrong with it. Events like this cause you to drink, or worse, and you are aged 2x faster than normal. You know what day it is only by what the special is and you've lost contact with anyone outside the biz. If you're married, it's in shambles, if you have a significant other, they're gone. It is this step with which I gripe. I'm not saying special labor laws should apply here, just enforce the ones we have now. Someone said you're not allowed to work 60 hours a week. It was a minimum for me for almost 3 years. If I didn't do it, they'd find some one who would. If I was compensated properly, I wouldn't have been making just above minimun wage. I did have health coverage, and a 401k that no money other than my own went into. These benefits still didn't make this worth it. Sure, I could've gotten out, and found other work in less than 3 hours. This is the price paid for 3 stars. It was a paradise compared to the 4 star places. I also don't care to work at TGI Friday's. 5. Great job in crap place. Someone once said to me, "You get over things having to be all about the food. Then you go where the money is." Smaller, less expensive restaurants have to pay chefs more to keep them. I know everyone thinks they're not paid what they're worth, and no one will ever be. What I don't know about is if people are aware of the vagrancies of labor standards in the business. A huge gripe about Bloomberg's smoking ban: he said he was doing it out of concern for restaurant employees. If he had real concern, he'd make sure labor laws were enforced. He'd make sure people didn't work 12 hours with no break. It's coincidental that people in the business of feedng people, rarely have time to feed themselves. AND NYT reviews aren't always anonymous to restaurants. They share Grimes' picture from video surveilance in establishments and names he uses for reservations and credit cards. You can be surely positive he's treated better than average Joe. Lisa

I haven't seen someone's stub from Daniel, but I can attest that typical 4 star entry level kitchen pay is about $400 for 50-60+ hrs of work. Truly. Different story if the place is union (Jean Georges), which means they probably won't keep you past day 89, inless you're exceptional. Union minimum is around $13/hr. Lisa

Most in the biz know that big restos don't pay their bills on time because they can't. Most sales are with plastic which delays actual payment to the restaurant for awhile, limiting cash flow. Suppliers keep supplying to brag that Bouley buys from them. Same thing with Bolud and Jean Georges. Employees at these places are also paid minimally, barely above minimum wage. They accept it as part of the honor of working there. If they put in enough time there they can work just about anywhere they want after that. They tolerate working 12 hours and getting compensated for 8. They tolerate not getting breaks or other luxuries afforded in a normal working environment. Things will not change until they put their clogs down and walk out. Truth is, if things went totally on the up and up labor wise, no one would be able to afford to eat there when actual cost is reflected in the menu prices. My $.02 Lisa

Good to know, I didn't mean Striped Bass in particular. Restaurants in general! Lisa

Joan: Thanks for the report! I love your descriptions, "moat". One of my gripes though is having to guess what some of the food was. Was is explained to you upon delivery? As a cook, I know much effort is spent on explaining to the staff what things are accompanied by and I hate when the message doesn't get through. I don't mean Striped Bass specifically, just restaurants in general. Once in NY I gave the afternoon staff meeting about the specials and we'd review one signature dish daily to keep it fresh. After I went through what I thought was an entertaining presentation, I asked for questions, none. Then I handed out a quiz on what I just said. The results were disasterous. They paid attention from then on. Ugh! Lisa

Coffee Heath Bar is still in supermarkets here in Philadelphia. I like it very much. It amazes me how they make the PB filled fudge covered pretzels in Chubby Hubby. Another favorite is Half Baked. Have you had the Oatmeal Cookie? It needs raisins. Lisa

Of course, I'm in! Bobolink Visit Lisa

It's taught in culinary schools that Delmonico's is the oldest. Once again I'm embarrased to say I've n ot been there though. They were one of the first for that cut of steak too - Delmonico, NY Strip, Kansas City Strip - all the same breed. Why ya askin? Lisa

Hi Everybody, After much ado, I finally made it to Bobolink Dairy and Bakeyard last week! I arrived Thursday afternoon after a picturesque bus ride through Greenwood Lake, NY and past many of the reservoirs that just last year were drying up and now they seemed as if one more drop of water were added, they'd spill onto the road. As it turns out, it continued to rain for 4 days and 4 nights, no overflow, although I was considering fashioning an ark from all the trees nearby. Warwick is a great little town with eccentric cafes and shops but then the bus stop is smack dab right at the only fast food place, a Burger King. It was depressingly bustling with activity. After our hellos, and a tour (the ripening room and bread centers are converted cargo containers, painted red to fit in with the barn!) it was time to get ready for the 5 farmer's markets coming up between Friday and Sunday. The markets have stringent hygeine policies and do not permit cutting cheese to order. Of course, the cheese is cut as close to the market time as possible to retain moisture and flavor. I cut Spring Frolic and Tarte de Vache which were both incredible. I'd call them the most well known cheeses from there in addition to the cheddar. All while Jonathan is preparing the oven for baking on Friday. Much attention is required to ensure proper heat for the next day. Not long after this I saw my first cow milking, which happends twice daily at the farm. The Herdsman (Josh, who is the male equivalent to the stereotypical farmer's daughter - tasty!) directs the cows into the stalls (see Ellen Shapiro's pics -http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=22841&hl=bobolink ) and the milk is pumped into the dairy, where it will remain to await the morning's milk. The two are combined to make cheese, which takes place 7 days a week. His cows sure are happy animals and they have a better life than most New Yorkers. Dinner that night was takeout from an outstanding seafood place in Warwick called Harpoon Bay Clam Bar and Restaurant. We had soft shell crabs, stemed mussels, frield calamari with an Asian spicy dressing followed by sweet, soft, fried plantains. I would never expect to find such a great place in the mountains! Visit www.harpoonbay.com. The decor is what Red Lobster was trying to do before they overdid it. Various fishing paraphnalia and cool bamboo chairs that remind you of the huts on Gilligan's Island. All served with Belgian Ale from Jonathan's stash. On the way there I saw the expanse of the Bobolink property, some located in Warwick, and some in Vernon, NJ. Offroading in a Volvo through the fields while not knowing how much mud is under the grasses sure is stimulating. Upon exit we found 1/2" pile of insects on the car, far less than the NYC Subway! It was off to sleep because the next morning was the first bake of the weekend. I awoke at 3:30am with such energy and exhilaration to get to do things I had only read about. First Jonathan swept out the ash from the fire, then mopped it clean. He's constatntly checking the temps in different parts of the oven to know what the bake will be like. We went in and expanded the starters that he'd been working on. He made : plain rye, onion rye, garlic rye, plain "Mommy" bread (which qualifies as sourdough), rosemary epi (very fun to make), cranberry walnut (which made wonderful french toast!) and then the grandaddy of them all - onion cheese bread. This was onion rye dough with pureed cheese scraps folded in. This is made last because it makes a mess in the oven. The messy cheese oozed loaves look so appealing, anyone who inquires what that is ends up buying one. Because it reaches nearly 1000 degress, it's also the world's first slef cleaning oven. It's not even 11am and we've worked a full day and have a full day's work left to do. We break for breakfast, sunrise focaccia with eggs from the hen house cracked on top. Lucky me got to gather the eggs and meet the rooster, Chanticleer. I walked up the hill all proud of myself, how many other girls from Bensonhurst have gathered eggs from underneath hen's asses? The rooster quicky stole my thunder. It was a staring match to just get in the door to the hen house. I got in and he attacked me from behind, pecking and scratching at my calves. I had permission to fight back, and I thought I did. I was slightly reserved in fear of injuring him. There were only 2 eggs, and 2 more I thought were laid rotten or something, because they were really heavy. I bought them to Jonathan after trotting down the hill quickly to outrun the rooster. Turns out the heavy eggs were decoys, designed to make the hens want to lay more eggs. Nice going, Lisa. I earned the title, 'City Girl'. The focaccia was terrific, it had some red onion, cheese and Amish Bologna on top with the eggs cracked on the last few minutes of baking. The yolks are so yellow they look like dried apricots and so substantial and filing that one would be enough for breakfast. As discussed before, the fact that they feed on cheese, bread from the oven and bugs around the farm, especially maggots is what makes them so tasty. Also of note is the black hens that lay light blue eggs. Raw milk in my coffee was enough to ponder lobbying the government personally against restrictions. Later we cleaned up and began the fire for the next day. Everyone was away from the farm with commitments, so I made dinner. It's remarkable to see Jonathan and Nina both work enough hours in the day to qualify as 2 jobs each, and raise 3 wonderful children at the same time, while maintaining a friendly demeanor constantly. Everyone could take lessons about this. Dinner was grass-fed beef stew with garam-masala, lentils, garlic and prunes. A dallop of yogurt on top, more Belgian ale, and we were set. Dessert was a peach-cherry pie from another vendor at the farmer's market. YUM! Here it is 10pm, we've been going since 4am. I don't recall when I've slept so soundly, out of sheer exhaustion. Next was Saturday, when a store is set up next to the dairy for on site sales of cheese and bread. Most customers are repeat, while many are new with the mix of those familiar only with Kraft American. It's notable to see people taste the cheddar, when they think they've had cheddar before. Production can hardly keep up with demand. My personal favorite - the pyramid, which when fully ripe is the Fallen Pyramid and when less ripe a Tower of Bobol. This is a return to what retail was meant to be. Lenghtly conversations with customers, learning more about them, about their families and what they know about cheese. A far cry from the supermarket, "Beep, beep, please bag this yourself, scan your own items, pay quickly and move, NEXT!" People today are not forced to develop the art of conversation. Jonathan also maintains high customer service on cowsoutside.com while expanding the site to handle more sales with no help from 'farmed out' computer techs. More preparation for the next day, Sunday is the busiest market day. Jonathan and Nina must coordinate 2 booths plus sales on the farm, and a tour group is coming in the morning for a cheese and bread lesson and are then to be served lunch. Dinner was leftovers, tasting even better now accompanied by raw snap peas from the farmer's market and buttered and dilled potatoes. The kitchen table has magically expanded to seat 9, more employees have arrived to work at the markets on Sunday, and all this pulled together seemingly without effort. More Belgian Ale, dessert supplied by a NYC bakery via a resident who works at the market on Sunday. Strawberries are also procured from the market, I reserve them for the guest house breakfast the next day. I am a strawberry fiend and have been trying to go picking in PA but the weather has thwarted my efforts for 4 weekends. Alas! Wonderfully ripe, sweet berries that have never even been to California! Sunday was fun. To listen to Jonathan explain how to make cheese and bread numerous times and never get the feeling the he's reciting script or isn't excited to be doing what he is, leaves you longing for the same in yor own life. The tour group was fun, no one fazed by downpours while cranking out various focaccias and passing slices aournd from a peel. Clean up and then I had to rush to Brooklyn where my Mother had Sunday dinner waiting. Stuffed shells and meatballs, complemented by some amazing bread. I often tell the story of how I became a cook because my Mother wasn't one. Yet, I long for her food, because it reminds me where home is. Clearly, if you haven't been to Bobolink, you MUST go as soon as possible. I left and took the rain with me. To those reading this, I hope my emotions are conveyed fully. To Jonathan and Nina, thank you for setting such an example and for making the world taste so good. Thanks for listening, Lisa

Hey FG, feel free to donate those duplicates to me! Maggie, I will count tomorrow. 2 bookcases worth Favorites: The Armchair James Beard (Pancake recipe awesome!) The Pie and Pastry Bible Lisa

Here, here, FG! While working in NY it is hard to find people actually FROM NY. Everyone's there after something. I think it helps diversity. BTW, no part of Jersey shall ever be considered NY, not even the town of West New York, NJ!! Lisa who loved NY so much she had to leave

Can it be bought via news stand or exclusively by subscription? I see it's $60 a year for membership which includes the mag. Lisa

Gnocchi consistency isn't hard, I used to make a bunch of sheeps milk ricotta gnocchi. When you say they were rolled... just into a log and cut or rolled on the ridged plank to make them rigate? I should know the proper name for the gnocchi liner... anyone? Some use a fork in place of the roller. We also made an indentation on top to hold sauce poured over. Lisa

I have seen D'Artagnan duck products (fat, legs & breasts) at Chef's Market on South Street. I never have a prob with them, but I'm sure something in Chinatowm would be less expensive. For me, cooking duck is easier is separate parts. i.e. roasted breast, confit from legs, etc. I once came across a whole pack of duck tongues in a Chinese market. What would someone do with those? Lisa

Sorry I missed out, my cat had to get some charcoal juice to fix her stomach. Looked like she ate tulips. Even she can't restrain herself from sampling the delicacies of my backyard. The 1349 is my address, my b-day would be 11-10-78 - just a baby. Had Tony Luke's for lunch today - yum. I'm in Brooklyn for the weekend, have a bridal shower to go to tomorrow. Will eat at my favorite Italian American joint in bay ridge, Gino's on Sunday. Have a great weekend! Lisa

We will definitely be there! BF is tall bald guy, I'll be wearing red clogs and black rimmed glasses. Hope it stays sunny! Anytime is a good time for togas, BTW. Roman or not. True traditional Greek attire in the style of some of the first Olympics, would be nothing at all! I don't think it's quite warm enough for that yet... but I'll bring a camera anyway. Lisa

Katie, Boyfriend and I would love to meet you and everyone else there, closer to 7, just let me know exactly where! Lisa

$800 for 2 at Charlie Trotter's. $250 was for a different glass of wine for each of 9 courses. I don't feel bad because I would have paid double. You'll have a great time, enjoy the goody bag everyone gets! Lisa