bloviatrix

Here's the menu I've decided on for tonight: Chilled Golden Borscht Roasted Turkey Breast in apricot sauce Diced Sweet Potato in a Dijon-White Vinagrette Sauted Mushrooms w/arugala Strawberry-balsamic sorbet Instead of challah, I picked up a sesame pugliese from Alan, my bread guy . Wine will be a white, probably French It's going to be hot and steamy tomorrow. So I picked up some Southern Fried Chicken at the market for lunch. We'll do a big green salad with shredded pastrami with it. Blovie made a 3-bean salad for shalah sheudis.

Varmint's Pig Pickin was another great one. Egulleters descending upon Raleigh for great food and fun. It was vicarious thrill for those who couldn't make it.

Although it wasn't a favorite, yesterday I found myself having flashbacks about Greener Pastures which was a vegetarian restaurant on E. 60 btw Park and Lex (I was walking down the block, hence the memories). Back in the early 80s when I was allowed to come into Manhattan on my days off from school this was the place we always went to for lunch (perhaps because it was so close to Bloomingdales). They had a glass-enclosed dining room which was really nice to sit in. And I still remember their salad which had nuts and raisins in it -- that was a new concept to me -- plus they brought to the table cruets of vinegrette. I always ordered the same entree: Eggplant Parmigana. Sigh.... memories.

I bought my Peugeot at Broadway Panhandler on sale for about $24. If you come into Manhattan, you might want to check them out.

Based on Sam's graph I would have to infer that New York is the Lake Wobegon of restaurants -- they're all above average.

Does anyone know how much one cup of brown sugar, packed weighs? There are different degrees of packed so this actually makes a difference. And therein lies my complaint with volumes.

Blovie and I re-visited Prime Grill last night for a belated birthday dinner. If you're looking for a quiet, intimate dinner (or you're entertaining people who have hearing problems) this is not the place for you. Jews tend to be a noisy people and this room was extremely noisy. On the other hand, they have outdoor seating, which in evening might be quieter (but it's 49th street which is a bus route). Anyway, we split an appetizer of barbecued duck spring rolls, which I was a little disappointed with. I thought the duck was going to be smoked. But it wasn't. Rather it was shredded duck wrapped and deep fried with barbecue sauce for dipping. I ordered the hanger steak which is supposedly chili -rubbed (I didn't pick it the flavor). I enjoyed it enormously. The meat was tender and flavorful and perfectly cooked - pink to red in throughout. Blovie ordered the 22 oz Rib Eye. His came perfectly rare as well. -- according to him it's one of the best pieces of meat he's ever eaten. I had a small sample and the meat had a great beefy taste and was almost buttery on the finish. Each serving came with fried onions -- imagine the canned Durkee onions, but fresh right out of the deep-fryer. They were addictive. There were also some greens. We order a side of fries, and there were also excellent. They were on the well done side so they had a great crunch to them. They actually reminded me a bit of potato chips. We were stuffed so decided to skip dessert. The bill came to about $100 for 1 app, 2 mains and a single glass of wine.

Being that I'm the ultimate urbanite (I think grass is over-rated ) , this blog fullfills my need for the rural life with out actually having to leave the city. Thanks.

Blue sounds like a devoted and loving dog. The label is a lovely tribute.

I like the label on the Menage. Does that pup appear on all your labels or just this one? What's the story?

It's nice to see the plans for global domination by eg are working.

I walked by Kitchen Arts & Letters (the cookbook shop in NYC) the other day -- they have copies of the book in the window.

I think it's naive of the editors of the book to think that the public doesn't was want weights. I would think the audience that this book will appeal to are somewhat advanced home bakers who own scales (or are willing to invest in one). The fact that they are unwilling to embrace weights is a setback for use serious home bakers.

What exactly is suckering? I've never heard that term before.

What about a berry fool? You can cook down the fruit a bit (add some sugar if the berries are tart). Then whip up some whipped cream and fold the fruit in.

We spend a lot of time at the office, and decided we would like to dine well, or as well as possible, so we bought some plates, glasses, silverware and placemats. It makes us feel much more civilized! You mean a plastic container from the corner deli isn't the height of civilization? Damn, and I thought I was so classy.

The most common hechshers are the O-U and the O-K. But there are others. This is a pretty good list according to one of my kashrut experts.

Is that a placemat under your plate? If so, I'm impressed with your work formality.

As usual, I'm procrastinating on getting started. But here's my planned dinner for tonight: Steamed artichokes w/basil-garlic mayonnaise for dipping Osso Bucco bianco (Marcella Hazan) Zuchinni smothered in tomatos and fresh basil (more Marcella) Asparagus Bulgur Pilaf Apricots and Nectarines for dessert Tomorrow's lunch will be a big salad with strips of grilled chicken.

In addition to GG's suggestions, Bartenura has two balsamic vinegars. The "regular" and the "reserve." There a couple of fake balsamics to stay away from. Can't remember the brands. Carmel under the Chef's Choice brand makes red and white wine vinegars. Rice Vinegar from Nikano also has a hecsher.

I love duck. Thanks for sharing your wonderful story.

It was already an oasis in the middle of the city when I got there. Eating lunch there was a great way to recharge one's batteries in the middle of a stressful day. But I remember what the park was like in the 80s and it wasn't pretty. The carousel is one of my favorite additions. Its so charming.

Do you ever take your lunch to Bryant Park and eat there? That was one of best parts of having an office on 40th & 5th in my corporate days.

Bright colors? They must be visiting from someplace else. Those look delish. Now I want a second breakfast.

What do you guys use to remove the ice cream from the canister? The ice cream/sorbet that comes in direct contact with the canister starts to set up while I'm transfering, and I need a way to speed up my transfer.