dumpling

Uh- Elyse- Bloomfield Farmer's Market? Why not go to the pie maven?

I respectfully contend that if one can eat an egg, one can eat most things on the planet. Fortunately the fact that unfertilized chicken ovum tastes great overwhelms the idea of what it is and where it comes from Okay, so I'm a wimp. Wanta make something of it? Chicken eggs at 40 paces...Go! In the immortal words of Ken Boswell('69 Miracle Mets), "I don't see how anyone can get so excited about anything that comes out of a chicken's butt".

Thanks so much Rachel. I am now officially blind....

Hey Bloviatrix! Right with you on this one! HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE(Did I say) HATE FISHHEADS! When I was a little kid, my father was convinced that these things were very healthy. He really couldn't cook much. But what he remembered from China from when he was a kid was Fish head soup. Also, he used to be able to get it really cheaply, intially for free from Western groceries here that just liked to throw it away and then for 50 cents a pound if he got a particularly big one with really good eyeballs. He'd bring these things in from the store and torment us with them and we'd run screaming from the room yelling, "FISHHEADS! FISHHEADS!" which he thought was very funny. While he was eating them at the table we'd hide our faces behind our napkins. "Umm, Umm," He'd say. "Nothing better then a nice juicy fishhead!" he said, chomping and slurping very loudly. "Would anyone like an eye?" My mother, who usually did not accede to our requests for special food, would, in this one instance, often allow us not to eat the fishhead and eat something else instead. I think that was because it kind of grossed her out as well. Later on, as an adult, the business side of me sort of emerged and I considered what one could do with this concept. What could you do if you had all these Asian people who liked fishheads and Western groceries often just throwing the heads away? Gather up all the heads you could get for some ridiculously cheap price, chuck them in a refrigerated truck, haul ass to Chinatown and sell them like hotcakes. My father and I actually discussed this idea at great length but I think what ultimately killed it for me was that I was going to have to be the one doing the transportation and the selling. I couldn't see myself riding in a truck and then standing on the street with those things for such a period of time. I could have made a million but I couldn't stand those stinky things!

Rent an Eddie Izzard dvd. I saw him for the first time the other day. He is incredibly funny. How can a transvestite comedian not make you laugh? Call your friends and have a celebration party.

Ate with alanz and his family-grilled sausage and peppers and some nice fresh melon. But made some dinner for my coterie before I hightailed to alanz's and to my practice-nice practice, learned more weapon movements. Alanz says I like to hit men but that can't be since he's still in good condition and I think he's a man. Made some nice penne al forno-penne, ricotta, onions, ground beef, sausage, basil, oregano, garlic, Prego roasted garlic and herb tomato sauce, all topped off with some slices of mozzarella and baked. We had a nice baguette and an apple tarte tatin(I ate some when I got in from beating people up). Haven't been posting a lot lately because really haven't been cooking.

I was wondering what your thoughts were on the Indian influence in the development of African-American cuisine. One of the things I've always thought fascinating about food is the exchange of foods between cultures and how that usually develops into something new and unique. There were in areas so much connection like in Florida and other areas in the South so I'm wondering how much that influenced the cuisine.

Finally got ino the Diner for dinner on Saturday. We had four people and had the turkey club, bacon cheeseburger, ravioli and meatloaf. Meatloaf(mine) was good, three big meatloafy pieces in a brown sauce with a swirled tower of mashed potatoes. Couldn't finish. Apparently turkey club and cheeseburger were good-turkey club was huge and the cheeseburger looked a pretty reasonable size too. Chef came over to personally deliver the ravioli and then subsequently to see if it was okay. Nice, cosy place. For the boys(Tommy): Waitress was cute. For the girls: Chef was plenty cute too. Always nice to look at the scenery during dinner.

VARMINT BIRTHDAY LUNCH, SEPTEMBER 27TH, SWEET N TART, 20 MOTT STREET, CHINATOWN People who will be coming so far: (question mark denotes maybe) Special Honoree - Varmint and Mrs Varmint(2) Dumpling and friends(3) =Mark(1) SuzanneF(1) ? JosephB and wife(2)? Blondie(1)? MHesse(1) Herbicidal(1)? Katie Loeb(1)

If it's good, I wouldn't blow it up with Tommy's firecrackers. Rachel, I can do the kids games. We run different really fun games at the school that I instruct at and I may be able to bring some stuff. You could teach them basic Kung Fu, for lack of anything else. I'll have them holding a position on one leg with their arms straight out in front holding Rachel's jello molds(to test how light and airy the jello molds are).

If it's good, I wouldn't blow it up with Tommy's firecrackers. Rachel, I can do the kids games. We run different really fun games at the school that I instruct at and I may be able to bring some stuff.

Wolfert -if my friend says he can send me some, I can send them on to you if you'd like. But I'd like to find some here if there were any.

Thanks for the link rickster. That's it, although the ones in the stores that I saw tend to be a trifle smaller- I think it's just a more easily marketable size-something around 10 inches. Although I did see the bigger ones.

Thanks Wolfert, you got what I meant even though I used the wrong name(sorry encroaching senility). I spent some time in the Pyrenees and that's where I saw it. I had thought it was Basque. I used to stay in Lourdes and it was in most of the bakeries, cafes shops, etc. Just watching it cook is an amazing thing; I saw a guy doing it outside a restaurant I was at up in the mountains and watched him turning it to get the layers. It looks so attractive and it just tastes wonderful-you would think that it would be dry and maybe rather plain but it has a vibrancy to it that's hard to describe. Since I've been there a lot and have friends there, I could have one of my friends who owns a cafe send some.

Does anyone know where I can find these in the NY/Nj area? I had these when I was in the Pays Basque in France. They are cooked on a spit, rotated round and round forming ring layers like a tree, and end up sort of in the shape of a Christmas Tree. I've had it right off the spit. These things are amazing and you can wrap them and keep them for a long time. I'd order them from France but i'd like to know if there were any here.

Didn't Big Paul Castellano buy it at Sparks? And Joey Gallo first fell in the clam sauce before he bit the dust on the curb at Umberto's? Going back a little, Joe Masseria, one of the old "Mustache Pete" gangsters was done in by Lucky Luciano in a spaghetti joint in 1931. Remeber the scene at the restaurant in "The Untouchables" where Robert DeNiro bashes the one of his lieutenant's head in while they are out eating dinner? Actually, that was not quite true. He actuall home runned two guys into their spaghetti at the dinner. The moral of the story? If you're in the Mafia, don't eat out. Or at the very least never let your bodyguards go to the bathroom. Classic trick when the bodyguard is in league to give you up(i.e. Joe Masseria).

I've been there many times over the years as I live rather close to it. It's very pretty, on the outside particularly. It's quite a cosy place, rather upscale in look and feel; a lot of locals like to eat there for a special occasions, business. Sometimes singles at the bar. I've been there a lot on business, couple of times on dates- good date place. Everything is good; I don't remember any real clinkers in terms of the food. I remember an excellent filet mignon.

Yes. Thanks for commiting, herb. Varmint- What has been your and Mrs. V's experience with Chinese food? The really neat thing about this restaurant aside from the fact that the cooking is wonderfully flavorful and subtle is that they have a lot of interesting things you really can't find on menus elsewhere(things Mrs. V might actually eat). They have fruit and vegetable juices and shakes. Hot and cold "soups" like a hot almond sweet soup. They have a menu online if you want to take a look at it and get an idea, or you can be suprised, which is cool too.

VARMINT BIRTHDAY LUNCH, SEPTEMBER 27TH, SWEET N TART, 20 MOTT STREET, CHINATOWN People who will be coming so far: (question mark denotes maybe) Special Honoree - Varmint and Mrs Varmint(2) Dumpling and friends(3) =Mark(1) SuzanneF(1) ? JosephB and wife(2)? Blondie(1)? Slkinsey(1)? Herbicidal(1)? Katie Loeb(1)

Varmint - how's 12:30 p.m. on the 27th at Sweet n Tart sound?. Then I can drive you up to Arthur Avenue for dessert. I'll try to get the soup dumplings mentioned. Let me know if there is anything you particularly want or can't eat. I'll let you know the menu once I have something of an idea of the count. Please, anyone else, if you intend on coming, post and let me know so I can get a count. If you're a maybe let me know that too. Is there anything else you or Mrs. varmint need or want to see that I can help you with ? What other chaperoning do you need? Herbicidal will you be able to come?

may i be excused for 3 minutes?

Strip Tommy Strip! And show us the pictures...of the kitchen.

And if they are going to strip...and paint for you?

Hunan Taste in Denville

i'll bring lawndarts and firecrackers. Yeah we can have kids play "pin the tail on the Tommy" with the lawn darts. The firecrackers can scare off any evil spirits and blow up any jello molds or extra baked beans anybody brings.