bloviatrix

I'm not sure if any of the instructors are still checking the early eGCI lessons, so I'm duplicating my question here. I finished making my reduced stock. I started with a 20 qt pot and 7 pounds of chicken carcasses. I finished with about 18 ounces of liquid. The color is deep brown like apple cider. I need to convert some of the stock into chicken soup. I though I would take 3 ounces of stock, add 2 quarts of water, a mirepoix, aromatics, and simmer. Is my thinking correct? Do I need to add more chicken? Are my ratios wrong? I need to do this today in order to have chicken soup ready for the pre-fast meal, so a quick answer is appreciated.

The stock already quite gelled when I took it out of the fridge, plus there was minimal fat, so tonight I skimmed it off and further reduced to about a quarter of what I had originally. I divided the liquid into one ice cube tray and two pint containers with about 3 ounces of stock in each. Which leaves me with a question -- I need to convert this into chicken soup. I figure I'll take one of the 3 ounce containers, add 2 quarts of water. Then add some more carrots, celery, onion, dill, s&p, etc. Do I need to add any chicken pieces? Am I thinking this out correctly?

So, how did the dinner party go? I expected a full rerport before you went to sleep.

Last night Blovie cooked. We had turkey burgers - me with basil mayo, he had ketchup I froze all food left over from Rosh Hashana. So tonight's dinner will be: Yellow Tomato Soup (usually I serve it chilled, but tonight we'll have it warm) Broiled Flank Steak with a mediteranean spice rub Sweet Potato and Carrot Tsimmes with apricots and vanilla Cranberry Smush Sorbet

If this is the place I'm thinking of, it's been immortalized in A Cool Breeze on the Underground by Don Winslow. Maybe the appearance of burger joint in fiction should be one of the tie breakers?

The guys who own Les Halles also own a kosher steakhouse in NYC called Le Marais. The atmosphere sounds alot like Les Halles - butcher when you walk in, noisy, crowded, and good simple food. Awsome frites (except at Passover when they change the oil) and perfectly cooked steaks. No boudin noir or pig's trotters though.

Best tuna salad sandwich I ever made, hands down, was tuna packed in olive oil, drained and the chunks broken down into smaller pieces, on a french dinner roll schmeared with homemade herb mayo. Simply Heaven.

I love going into supermarkets where ever I travel. You come out with an amazing insight into how the natives eat, how products are packaged and the marketing that goes with it, as well seeing unusual products. It's particularly fun going into markets where you are completely ignorant of the language i.e. Prague, Budapest, etc. I love the idea of workers on rollerblades. I doubt we'll ever see that in the states due to liability issues and workers' comp.

For me, proof summer is really over happened this week. All summer I've been making iced tea. This week, for the first time since last May, the kettle came out. I've begun to drink hot tea again.

I finally got around to making the stock. I used about 7 pounds of chicken carcasses with lots of meat still stuck to the bones and the necks attached. I put it up at about 10:30 pm and continued to strain off scum, in the beginning and then the congealed fat until about 2:30 am (we keep late hours). Woke up this morning and strained the stock trough a cheese cloth lined strainer. It's now chilling in the fridge. I think I got the bulk of the fat off last night, but this afternoon I'll skim off whatever accumulated and reduce. My plan is to use some of the stock to make chicken soup for the pre-Yom Kippur meal. The rest will come in handy now that the weather has turned cool.

Fifi, great question. I've wondered how to choose good garlic as well. The only thing I know is that you want heads of garlic with tightly packed cloves and that it should feel heavy for its size.

I realize it will be awhile until I get an answer, but what did J do to keep busy (once she recovered) in UB the week you were gone?

Richard Sax, in his book Clasic Home Desserts has a great section on Cobblers and its relatives. He tries to trace the origin of pandowdies and explains that the dish is of American not English origin.

I've heard another derivation for the name. Using the definition of "to cobble" meaning "to piece together," a dish was cobbled from various ingredients found around the house - fruit, flour, eggs, etc.

You mean Raw Umber? (where's the quizzical emoticon?)

My f-i-l turns it into a game and tries to get as many turkey's as possible (Shop Rite in NJ offers kosher turkeys). It's gotten so bad, my m-i-l yelled at him to stop. She was embarassed.

I do. It's either Honey Bunches of Oats or Coco Pebbles. But now that the weather is getting cooler I'll move to oatmeal. Then the cereal and milk become a late-night snack.

This may be true, but Venice is the most fun place to get lost in that I know of. I agree about getting lost -- we discovered some great neighborhoods, off the tourist trail because we made random turns down alleys. But eventually you need a good map to find your way back.

I hadn't heard that (and here I am thinking I'm so on top of publishing gossip). What happened? Wouldn't the big guys have seen the cover before it was published? I just remember a stink. I don't remember the details. I try to purge this minutae from my head every so often. But not always with success.

I think it may have already be mentioned, but pick up the DK Eyewitness Guide for Venice. It has the best and most detailed maps. You will not get lost if you have that book. Furthermore, when at the Train Station, pick up the multi-day vaporetto pass so you can jump on and off the vaporetto without thought. If you plan on visiting the Campanile in Piazza San Marco, go first thing in the morning before the crowds get there. You don't want to get stuck waiting in line. Additionally, the audio tour of the Doge's Palace is long. Budget enough time for it.

As of now, what days of the week are you open, and what are your hours? One more question...how many seats?

fifi, I think you answered your own question. Chicken is reasonably priced and it's plentiful. Because of the price, people are willing to experiment. There isn't the same fear of screwing up a chicken as there is with messing up a prime cut of beef. As others have said, it's good eaten alone or with friends. If you're making a chicken for one or two people, you're guaranteed left-overs for a future meal. And then there's the taste issue. A perfectly roasted chicken is a thing of beauty. The taste of the meat. And the crispy skin. Even the necks are a delight to munch on.

Thanks so much for participating in the Q&A. Your Muscat Vin de Glaciere has long been one of my favorite ways to end a meal. Why do you think many Americans tend to be afraid of wine? And what do think is the best way to introduce them to it, and learn that one doesn't have to be an expert to enjoy drinking wine.

Please excuse my ignorance, but does this mean you can't eat in a place that isn't kosher? Well, since we're in the midst of the "Days of Awe," I'm being super good and won't eat in any place that isn't certified Kosher. However, as we get further from this time of year, I tend to lapse into my old habits, and I'll eat vegetarian items only at non-kosher places. This usually means a lot of salads and tuna. I will never eat meat, chicken or sea food.

Congratulations on the restaurant. I look forward to sampling your vegetarian offerings.