Stone

Anyone know where I can find this in Manhattan? I'm trying to make white torrone.

Yes, I meant the raw product. I'm going to start calling around.

anyone know where i can get them in Manhattan?

I think there's a discussion somewhere of the difference between schwarma, kefte (?), gyro, donner, etc.

Use chicken broth (flavor) instead of water (no flavor). Cream. butter. Bacon. Egg whites.

Sacred and Profane

Use a thin kitchen towel to pull a skillet out of a 400* oven. The blisters are going down slowly.

If i'm thinking what you're thinking, it's just chicken stock with a little corn starch slurry. Usually garlic and ginger in the stir-fry for more flavor. Other spices depending on the dish.

Probably more appropriate to discuss this either on the actual Masa topic or its own topic, but I hope this is intended more as provocation than as a serious statement. What the statement demonstrates to me, mostly, is that if you evaluate sushi through the lens of European-derived culinary expectations, there really isn't much to say about it. That, however, is a limitation of European-derived culinary expectations, not of Japanese ones. ← It was semi-serious. Maybe I don't know what he's doing with "sushi". Are we talking nigiri, or wildly creative rolls? I assumed it was the former. With nigiri, what does the chef do beyond select fresh fish, handle it properly, slice it, form it and serve it? Toro is terrific, but is that due the "preparation" or the proper selection/slicing of the fish? (Yes this discussion is for a different thread.) I guess my question is similar to the question of whether preparing a good steak can be "four star." Sure there are good steaks, great steaks, and fucking amazing steaks -- but it's grilling.

How much can be said about sushi? It's good. It's fresh. It doesn't taste fishy. It does taste fishy. It was sliced very nicely. They used ingenious bamboo sticks to serve it. It's sushi. Can one truly have a four-star experience sitting at a sushi bar and having pieces of sushi handed to one (with or without plates). How much service is involved. If Masa was on 53rd St, between Lex and 5th, seated 100 and they charged $75 for the omikase, would it be four stars? (assume they could serve the same stuff for $75 a head.) And if stars were handed out on the "whim" of the reviewer, it would be a silly system. But, putting aside people's thoughts about Bruni, the stars are not supposed to be handed out on a whim. The reviewer is supposed to have a meaningful system in mind.

what is the temp we're looking for when roasting a goose?

Technically, you mean the "point" not the deckle. The deckle is the connective tissue and muscle that connects that flat to the rib cage. See below, 118-120 http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/imps/imps100pc.pdf

I think they did perfect what they were trying to do, to the point that it was good. I don't think their original pizza, or more accurately the crust, was a "style" that they were trying to sell. I think it was just a poor crust created by the (rumored) limitations on cooking method.

Went back again last night. We walked in about 8 and the place was almost full. I couldn't really get a fix on the fitness of the crowd, there were thin people and less-than thin. we ordered regular tasting menu and a vegetarian. The food was excellent as usual. I think my favorite parts about the meal were the simplest -- the manchurian cauliflower and the fried okra. And of course that massive shrimp. I would expect that such a big shrimp would be tough and tasteless, but is was a moist piece of flesh. After riding the fence a bit, I've decided that I'm not a fan of the lambchop. Last night's was a bit too mushy. It just doesn't have the texture or meaty flavor that I think a chop should give. The chops I saw at other tables, served as a whole entree, looked more substantial. I also tried the liver and brain buschetta. O.k, but nothing special. The liver had a nice earthy, musty flavor. I don't mind it, but don't love it. The brains were topped with a soft boiled quail egg, so I didn't notice much about the brains. for dessert we had the pineapple 2 ways and trio of creams. These are two of my favorite desserts anywhere. Easily as good as any dessert I had at French Laundry/Per Se/Danko/Fifth Floor.

Back again with a large crowd. As usual, people raved about the antipasti, enjoyed the charcuterir, were somewhat mixed about the pizza, and loved the gelato. To satisfy the palate of a Red-Stater, we ordered some chocolate and vanilla. The vanilla was very good. I didn't think the chocolate was anything special, but i'm not a fan of chocolate ice cream. It didn't have the soft, creamy texture of the other flavors. The olive oil and pistachio were excellent. My favorite of the night was the pumpkin. I love pumpkin and this was laced with wonderful spices .

It really is.

I was there early in the summer. I think I had papardell bolognese or something of that ilk. It was excellent.

I like the electric hand saw they use to slice the schwarma. (Talk about lazy.) It's very Jason meets Michael. Glad they added lamb to the mix.

I hear there's going to be an all grilled cheese and shake shop in Jersey City soon.

Does that make you a lacto-ovo-liver-vegetarian?

If you like Sweetbreads or have ever considered trying them, this is your opportunity. I'd never had them before, went over to Babbo and ate them at the bar. They were amazine. I've had them a few times since, and none were as good.

Another night of getting lost in Queens. Why can't they put up some street signs? What's up with that? The detailed directions from Mapquest were quite helpful. They inform that the Queensboro Bridge on-ramp becomes the Queensboro Bridge and then that the Queensboro Bridge becomes the Queensboro Bridge. Getting off the bridge, there is a sign for Queens Blvd, but apparently no way to get on it without first getting on Queens Plaza. Then, having gotten onto Queens Blvd., there is no sign announcing the veer left onto Roosevelt Blvd. Returning home, there is a sign for the upper level of the bridge, sending you down a rather non-descript road. There appears to have been a turn-off off that road to the bridge, which isn't marked as such. What a pain in the ass. (For various reasons, the subway was not an option.) However. Sri was, of course, terrific. The new room is a shame. It's a little more upscale without much style. It loses the 1950's linoleum kitchen look. But the food was still great, and I ordered way more than necessary for three people. We had: Tom Kha Gai (absolutely amazing) Shrimp wrapped in wonton (good, but nothing special) Green papaya salad (crisp, fresh and spicy) Fried softshell crab (the only poor dish -- the batter was much too floury) Soy sauce noodles with chicken Penang beef (is there a better curry? i don't think so) Fried snapper with basil and garlic (I thought the fish was over done, but it tasted great) tofu with chili and peppers Me Krab (what is this stuff anyway? it's like deep fried bits of noodles and bits in a tangy, kind of sweet something. Very good.) $86 for everything (before tip), plus $7 for a six-pack.

This turned out really good, but for my icing problem. Most of the apple melted and added a terrific subtle aroma. The cakes were incredibly moist, with a little tang. I added a t of ginger powder to the icing which also gave a great aroma, though not much of a taste on the tongue.

Dudette. It's your recipe.

I've been making a carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and I have one consistent problem -- the icing never firms up. Even if I stick it in the freezer. When it gets back to room temperature, it starts sloughing down the sides of the cake, and sometimes the top layer slides off. Here's my recipe (from Epicurious): 10 oz Cream Cheese 5 T butter 2 1/2 C powdered sugar 1/4 C maple syrup With this last batch, I could only find mass-market syrup. And I added a t of powdered ginger. But I doubt that make a difference. I did beat it rather fast and for a longer time than usual because I had some powdered sugar lumps. Any thoughts?