bloviatrix

I'm eating a Macoun. It's nice and crunchy, and with a sweet-tart flavor. (I broke down at the greenmarket and bought some apples.)

Poor Eagle Hunter, humiliated. BTW, how were you feeling at this point? Any lingering signs of sickness or had the "horse blood" tea worked miracles?

There's an abandoned station on the 1,2,3, & 9 line at about 90th street. As the train goes by you can see it all covered in grafitti. Apparently, someone gives a tour of the station -- the only way to access it is by having the 1/9 stop at the platform.

I wonder if my saute pan was too small for all the zucchini? It's a 10" pan. I sliced the zukes in the food processor using the 2 mm blade to ensure even thinness. The pan was packed with zucchini slices - I was afraid I concerned going to lose some to the range top. I sauted everything for awhile. And there was a bit of color. Then, I used a slotted spoon to transfer the zukes from the pan to the bowl. Because the quantity of mixture was so large I used 2 qt souffle dish. I wonder if the dish is part of the problem. Fortunately, this was for a casual weeknight dinner - just the husband and me. It was a bit drippy but very flavorful. I guess I'll try to perfect it next summer.

Wow, I'm impressed. How long did that take?

Yeppers! Where Diet Vanilla Coke has a mild taste of vanilla, Diet Pepsi Vanilla seems to be more in your face, like "I got yer vanilla right here, pal." I think my taste buds must be on the fritz. Blovie handed me a glass and said "drink." I thought it was diet Cherry Pepsi, but turns out it was Diet Vanilla. Has anyone else noticed this similarity? Or is it just me?

I made the flan for dinner tonight. Although it tastes good, I had problems with it. I used about 3 pounds of zucchini - which was way too much - it's was very difficult to saute it all. Then, the mixture of zuke, cream and eggs was too much for an 8 x 4 pan, so I went with a larger dish. Did the water bath, and although the top was firm, it was all runny in the bottom. I'm frustrated.

I created my technique after reading an article by Amanda Hesser in the Times (1/19/00). She gave a recipe from Greg Sonnier of Gabrielle in New Orleans. I place the duck in a dutch oven along with diced root vegetables, some sprigs of thyme and salt and pepper and put it in the oven at about 300 for 2 1/2 hours. Then I pull the duck and vegetables out and strain the fat. I save the fat for future use. Roast the vegetables at a high heat and quickly crisp the skin of the duck in a saute pan.

That spoon is wonderful. What a great keepsake. Ellen, your story is wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

William Grimes reviews Rocco's on 22nd St in today's Times.

I don't want to cause any alarm, but this article ran into today's Times: Police Fatally Shoot Home Intruder (A Large, Furry, Four-Legged One)

I have a subscription to The Observer and this it first time I've noticed Bryan Miller's byline. Is this a new gig for him? Or is it me, not paying attention, as usual?

Roasted Steelhead Trout and cauliflower.

If the brisket isn't good, what about braised short ribs? The Le Creuset will be the perfect medium.

That's me baby-- suave and sophisticated man about town! Love the powder blue jacket. Very stylish. Clooney has nothin' on you.

Suzanne, you're one of the few that realize the Levana started as a bakery and dairy place. People are suprised to find that out. I remember going there for sunday brunch back in the early 80s with one of my Great-Aunts. As an aside, Levana Kirschenbaum, who is the name behind the restaurant, gives classes. She teaches at the JCC on the UWS and had a series at Lincoln Square Synagogue. She also published her first cookbook last spring. I've incorporated a lot of her recipes into my rotation - I give her credit for my love of artichokes. If you're looking for a kosher cookbook to give as a gift, this is nice one.

Thanks for all this wonderful info. What kind of food is Trevere? I remember seeing a kosher Italian place on the upper East side (meat), but cannot recall the name or the precise location -- so never got to try the place. Could this be it? Would love to take my husband out for osso buco. Trevere 84 is Italian. I believe they focus on Roman cooking. There's also a Trevere in the neighborhood which isn't kosher, so you have been careful with the names. Another meat Italian restaurant on the East Side is Domani. I haven't been there in about 5 years, so I can't comment on their menu. Domani is owned by the guys who owned La Fontana. La Fontana was a tiny, 8 table restaurant that was wonderful -- their sweetbreads were outstanding. I could never figure out how they made any money because they had what seemed to be one seating. Of course, it's long gone, so that answers a lot of questions.

How about overpriced, then? I recall from what must be a fair number of years ago now that a typical dinner there cost at least pushing $30, for sucky food. That might have been as many as 10 years ago, actually. I'm not sure what the prices at Kasbah are, but Kosher restaurants will tend to be more expensive than their treyf counterparts. Especially when it's meat. Kosher meat is more expensive. The cost includes the shochet (the slaughterer) and the fact that a significant portion of the animal can't be sold. Additionally, kosher ingredients tend to be more expensive. There's the cost of hiring a mashgiach. And you'll only be open 5 nights a week (maybe 6 in the winter months when shabbos ends early). Finally, a lot these places don't do the volume/turn tables over with enough frequency. It's not just restaurants. When I read on this board the prices people pay for meat and chicken, I'm amazed. I pay $12/lb for first cut brisket - and that's cheap! (One day I'll post my story about the $100, 6 lb brisket) Duck is $5/lb (I checked out the price yesterday). I might be able to get my hands on foie gras for Rosh Hashana and it's $59 for 6 oz. Kosher chicken, on sale, or outside of Manhattan, will cost $2.49/lb.

Yes, Madras Cafe. I've been a regular there since shortly after it's opened, and I've brought many friends there over the years. No-one's ever been disappointed. Even my arch-carnivorous ex-girlfriend grudgingly admitted to liking their vegetarian cuisine. One of the things I love about Indian is that it's so flavorful that I don't miss the meat. They manage to raise simple ingredients like potatoes, chickpeas, and spinach to a higher level.

Say, I'm trying to remember the name of the upscale kosher place on West 85 St. that I really hate(d). We used to go because my godmother lives right near there, and my stomach reacted like I was eating motor oil. EVERY TIME! So I simply refused to go there again after a few times. Is there something about kosher meat restaurants and overuse of fat? The place on w.85th is Deli Kasbah (I think they're going by Kasbah currently) which is far from upscale. I refuse to eat there. I think it's filthy.

This list is fairly up-to-date. The places on here would be acceptable to someone who follows orthodox supervision. It's compiled by the synagogue I attend. I'm about to do a brain dump..... I should point out that my husband and I don't go out a whole lot. So, I can't give reviews on all these places. For super casual eating, we're most apt to eat at either Dairy Dougies or Dougies BBQ. Dairy Dougies has the disctinction of being one of the few places with a pastry chef on staff (at most places the desserts are awful. And there's no excuse for this, IMO, at dairy places, where butter and cream are allowed). Stay away from the mozerrella sticks and jalepeno poppers. At Dougies BBQ, I like their burgers. I get them nice a rare, and layer tomato, onion, pickle, etc. We like the wings and ribs. I had a sliced steak sandwich last time we were there. The carmelized onions were good, but I found the meat tough. Josh's Place has been undergoing a transformation. They've recently gone to waiter service. We were there 2 weeks ago. I had the avocado wrap which was ok. I liked the vinagrette they used, but found the "bread" raw tasting. We're not sure what we think of this place. It's only 6 blocks from us, so our fingers are crossed. In the east village there's Village Crown which is Morrocan. The nice thing about this place is they have outdoor dining. I ordered the beef shish in July and found it well flavored. I think the appetizers are pretty good. A nicer, but still casual morrocan place is Darna (UWS). It's been awhile since we've eaten there, so I can't really comment. I do like the room. Plus, I'm friends with the owner. On the east side, Galil is a tiny morrocan place. I've had some good tagines there over the years. But again, I haven't been in awhile. There's a new steak place that opened on Amsterdam between 92nd and 93rd called Talia's. I think they're still getting the kinks out. I haven't eaten there yet. There are a bunch of indian places - both in Curry Hill and then there's a place on 2nd ave and about 5th street. I like Pongol. Dosa Hut has a really cheap lunch special if you're in the neighborhood. And finally, there's Mendy's. They have a large restaurant on 34th street. But they have a stand in Grand Central Terminal, a small shop in the Rockefeller Center concourse, and a place in the Galleria. Basically dogs and deli. I'm sure there are other places that I'm missing. If I think of any worthwhile places, I'll post.

This list is extremely out-of-date. They have places listed that have been out of business for 5 plus years.

Foams haven't caught the imagination of the kosher diner. And honestly, I don't think it ever will. I can just see the reaction....."I paid what? For flavored air?"

Pan, Here's a link for Shallots. We had a mixed a group at dinner last night - not everyone keeps kosher. My brother, who is very hard on anything related to kashrus liked his meal. He had the risotto as an appetizer and said it was excellent. I haven't been to Box Tree yet, but I hear it's lovely. Apparently, there was a review in New York magazine this week. Another nice place is Levana. I like this place a lot. I had a venison dish there some years ago that I still dream about. It was slices of venison on a bed of arugala with dried fruits and some sort of reduction. At another memorable dish I had was 3 morels, eached stuffed with different mousse. I will say that I've been disappointed with the way they prepare duck. Levana frequently does special meals with wine pairings. The steakhouse you refer to is Le Marais, which is actually owned by the same guys behind Les Halles. As a matter of fact, Les Halles, downtown was in its prior life Le Marais 2. I love the onglet here. My complaint is that the restaurant is extremely noisy, but they know how to prepare steak (bloody!!) and the frites are fabulous. Back in my expense account days, this was a place I was willing to take non-kosher steak eaters (I had a lot of them as clients). No one ever complained. Also, when it comes to steak is The Prime Grill. This place is fancier than Le Marias, but just a noisy. I've only been there once (Christmas Eve,'02) and didn't love the steak I ordered. But, I plan to go back sometime in the future. Other nice kosher places include: Abigails. This place draws mixed emotions from people. You either love it or hate it. I know people who have had bad service here, but I've never experienced it. Trevere 84. The people who own this place own some other non-kosher places. One is called Lattanzi. Again, this place gets mixed comments. I don't particularly like it. But I know others who do. Haikara. This is Jewish Japanese. There was a time when we would go here a lot and I got burnt out on the menu. Everything I've mentioned is meat. For dairy: Va Bene. Pasta and fish. I was there back in May. Very noisy. My Most Favorite Dessert. This place is hit or miss. Good for brunch or a bite after the theater. Stay away from the Lemon Tart. I had it last month and it was awful. They also have a small cafe that sells sandwiches and assorted salads. Gusto va Mare. It's been awhile since I've been here, but I liked this place. That's my list of nicer kosher places. There are also very casual places. If you're interested, I would be glad to provide a list of those. I will save my litany of complaints about the lack of sophistication of kosher eaters for another time.

My husband made dinner again. Of course, he didn't have choice considering he bought a whole rainbow trout and I refuse to touch any fish that still has it's head on. He stuffed the fish with fresh mint and slices of lime. It was really quite good - his cooking skills are improving.