bloviatrix

All of those places (Bayard, Harry's, Financier) are owned by the same family. I believe they have a stake in most of the places on Stone Street. I agree on Payard. I love going in there for a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. I feel so "ladies who lunch."

How did this come about? Did someone at the Times read about BC on the board or did Blue Smoke inform them. So much for the first rule of Burger Club.

Tomatoes bought in season from the greenmarket. They taste so flavorful. And I can sit there eating different varieties and make out difference in flavors. As a result, we only eat tomatoes for 3 months of the year. Those mealy anemic pink things you get at the suppermarket are NOT ALLOWED in the house.

What is that building on the far right that looks like an eighth of watermelon standing cut side down? It's very cool looking. Kristin, how long did it take for you to become fully accustomed to the Japanese diet? Were there any foods that turned you off in the beginning?

My goal is to be able to consistently roll out pie/tart dough in one nice round disc. Try as I might, I can't seem to manage it.

Another good book on the science of cooking is Russ Parson's How to Read a French Fry. Although it isn't nearly as hardcore as McGee, you'll want to take a highlighter in hand. Russ is another egullet member. As a catch-all reference, I like Madeline Kammen's The New Making of a Cook.

Tonight I'm hosting shabbat dinner for 7. It's a pre-birthday celebration for Blovie. Butternut Squash Soup Spinach Salad w/Avacado and Hearts of Palm Sake Roasted Turkey (my first turkey ever, wish me luck!) Cranberry and Dried Cherry Compote Sauteed Mushrooms and wilted arugala Wild Rice and Orzo salad with Walnuts and Scallions Savory Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Mousse Fruit Haven't decided on the wine yet.

I have a Moulinex. I use it primarily for pureeing soups or whipping cream. Considering I paid $5 for it (they were blowing them out at Zabars) and I can stick the pieces in the dishwashers, I can't complain.

Especially the voices of the demure little actresses, who stuff large shards of basically repulsive foodstufs in their tiny gobs, and then giggle with demented pleasure. Repeat after me: Ooo, I love the texture. It's so crunchy on the outside, but so creamy within. And the flavor!! You capture the essence of <insert item of the day here>. And then there's the imperious politician.....

I love the dubbing and the commentary about the cooking. The voices they use are really funny. Ply me with enough drinks I'll start imitating the tasters.

Yep. Kosher with orthodox superivision. This is just a smattering of kosher places Manhattan.

I was in the midst of long overview of kosher burgers when I suddenly I got knocked off my connection. So, here I go again. I probably exaggerate when I say there are no good kosher burgers. It's just that I haven't had them -- we don't eat out a whole lot, and I'm not apt to order a burger if there's steak . Most recently, the only place I've eaten a burger is Dougies, where they use what I assume to be pre-made patties which are really pretty awful. With the exception of the steakhouses, I'm not sure who grinds their own beef. Le Marais (owned by the guys who own Les Halles) has a burger for $13.50 and Prime Grill has one as well (they don't include prices on the web site). As does Talia's. All three of these places only have the burger on their lunch menu. Other places include Mendy's (of Seinfeld fame) and Mr. Broadway, which is a deli. I think they form their own patties, but I don't know about grinding the beef. Then there are the kosher versions of Mickey Ds. Which, have their place, but if you really think about it, are awful. You've got to remember that kosher food is a minimum of 30% more expensive than non-kosher. With meat the price differential will increase further (probably 50%), so if you're willing to push the price point beyond $10 we can try Le Marais. Otherwise, I would suggest Mr. Broadway - it's got surly waiters and good sour pickles and the fries are fairly good.

Well our evening has come to an end. We're home and the friends have left. All that's left is the dregs of Laurent Perrier. Happy New Year y'all!

Pan, I'm total agreement with you. After reading the piece, and the comments here, I'm going to have to take a walk uptown to Absolute Bagels.

$18? And we're complaining they just raised prices to $10.50. It helps put things in perspective.

Isn't amazing how good vegetables can taste if you prepare them properly? Blovie and I frequently comment that if our moms had known how to cook the vegies back when we were kids we would have actually enjoyed eating them.

Yum. I hope they're open on January 1. They should be. Thursday is a big food shopping day in the Orthodox Jewish community.

Your best bet for a sandwich is probably a kosher deli. I know for a fact that Mr Broadway (B'way and 37th) has chopped liver sandwiches. But I've never tried them. Personally, my favorite chopped liver comes from Super Sol (Amsterdam & 85th). It's basically liver, onion, and ground pepper. Schmear it on a challah roll, and I'm in heaven. (All the kosher butchers/take-out places will carry chopped liver.) And no, you're not weird. Blovie and I eat chopped liver more frequently than we publicly admit to. It's actually rare that we don't have in the house.

I read that last summer. There are some interesting things in there.

You too? I always jump when the doorman buzzes up. It tends to be so unexpected, and the noise is extremely harsh. More often than not, the delivery is not for us. But the deliverymen can't speak english, so the doormen think they're asking for our apartment.

It's really just my own mishugas. IMO, latkes should only be eaten at Chanukah. Hence, if I want a fried patty of who-knows-what at any other time during the year, I call them fritters. But if you want to call them latkes go ahead. Just remember, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet. ( I probably screwed up that reference.)

You want horror story?? I'll give you one, and these aren't even my kids! Let me start by saying my bil's kids are the best form of contraception ever created. Spend one hour with them, and you'll swear you will never have children. EVER!! We out to dinner with my BIL, SIL and their 2 kids (now they have 3). It wasn't a fancy place, but still. The kids never sat down. The spawn ran around the entire time, and disturbed other customers. They even helped themselves to the food on strangers' plates. Meanwhile, my lazy-ass sil just sat there doing nothing, saying this is what always happens. My bil tried to pull the kids away, but they just started to scream. When Blovie made a comment (it's his brother's family) the response was "he should keep his opinions to himself since he doesn't have kids" I was mortified. Blovie went back and left extra money for the tip. And apologized to everyone, because the parents are too boorish to think about that. All I can say is thank goodness they don't live in NY so we rarely see them.

Well, I made a beef stew over the weekend, which means we're still eating beef. I was thinking of making a complete move over to bison, but there aren't the variety of cuts available, plus I miss the fat.

For those of you addicted to beef, but nervous about eating it, there is an alternative. I found this today: Kosher Beef Safe From Mad Cow

Thanks for sharing the experience. The photos look stunning. My mouth is watering.