Peter B Wolf

Apologizes here, my post above should have gone to the next post "Six Rests...." But it seems to fit pretty well here too.

Tommy, to your post 25Jan09:21, read on about funny lawyers and judges. The following was sent to me just a few days ago from a friend in the Military, stationed in Germany. Here it is "Most of the country has heard of the Darwin Awards given annually to the individuals who do the most for mankind by removing themselves from the gene pool. Now, we have the Stella Awards given to the individuals who win the most frivolous lawsuits ever. The Stella Awards are named in honor of 81 year-old Stella Liebeck, the woman who won Ū.9 million for spilling a cup of McDonald's coffee on herself. The following are candidates for the award: 1. January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded 辬,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle, tripping over a toddler who was running amuck inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the verdict, considering that the misbehaving little fellow was Ms. Robertson's son. 2. June 1998: 19 year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won ๚,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps. 3. October, 1998: Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pa., was leaving a house he had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage door to go up, because the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't reenter the house because the door connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation. Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found in the garage and a large bag of dry dog food. Mr. Dickson sued the homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of a half million dollars. 4. October 1999: Jerry Williams of Little Rock Arkansas was awarded พ,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The dog was on a chain in its owner's fenced-in yard at the time. Mr. Williams was also in the fenced-in yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog may have been provoked by Mr. Williams who, at the time, was repeatedly shooting it with a pellet gun. 5. December 1997: A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pa., 贑,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her coccyx. The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson threw it at her boy-friend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. 6. December 1997: Kara Walton of Clamont, DE., successfully sued the owner of a night club when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to avoid paying the ū.50 cover charge. She was awarded ผ,000 and dental expenses.".

Wilfrid, just found this about Cajuns (Acadians) http://www.cajunculture.com/Other/grandderangement.htm

Tommy, read my BIO, but yes you have heard the name as Peter Wolf, bandleader in the late 60s early 70s, and married to Fay Dunaway. That is not I.

Of course Jason, you are right. Don't know why I had Mongolian BBQ vs KBBQ on my mind. I apologize to mislead anyone.

If you want to schlepp yourself and the purchases back to where-ever, my data base (self-made) gives this info: Foodmart International 100 Boyle Plz Jersey City, NJ (201) 656-6950 Take PATH train to Newport/Pavonia station in Jersey City, walk on 6th st west 3 blocks to Munoz Marin Blvd. Go north 4/5 blocks to plaza.

Far from considering myself an expert on this subject, but seeing and eating some of the best (choicest - as you and only you have the influence of tastiness!) Korean BBQs. Wilst working for the DoD, and traveling to many US military bases, finding KBBQs was easy. This seems to be an "institution" in Officers' Clubs, especially in the far east. The way I got to know them is as follows. Buffet tables are set with bowles and platters of raw meats, all slivered "carpaccio" style. Such as beef, pork, chicken or turkey (actually the gamut can be quite large), raw vegetables, especially far eastern ones, to include water chestnuts and bamboo shoots and grated ginger root. Cabbages, onions, leeks, carrots, mushrooms and even fruit such as pineapple and coconut and you name it. All this is followed by seasoned waters and oils. The eater will select all and or any choices in quantities he or she likes, placing all this into a bowl and adding the flavors and seasonings. This concoction is given to the chef, who in turn cooks it on a special grill. The authentic ones are round, a bit cone shaped towards the center, with grooves running from the center to the outer sides. They are usually gas fired, as high heat is necessary to cook all ingredients quickly. The finished product should never be mushy, nor overly crisp. Again, you are the selector of all ingredients plus seasonings, so there is no such thing as the best tasting in such and such place, but of course available quality and variety of raw products play the major fiddle here

Won't find Fat Guy for a few days. I thought he mentioned on another post he is BBQing down south somewhere. And yes, quitting smoking enhanced my tasting abilities for 20 years longer. The not-Drinking anymore had the same effect. Maybe not tasting food better, but enjoying it more!

Even if it's "bad", it can be had. This site explains a bit more: www.exoticaoils.com

here is the Washington Post's review http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59730-2002Jan3.html

Steven, about this "Butterbell" devise/gadget, from clicking on their web page and clicking Information, the diagram that comes up shows the butter "hanging" upside down right in the water. Can't comment on that, never seen it before. The one I used to have was something more like a "bain marie"/double boiler type crock with lid. No water ever touched the butter, but again, the cooling was achieved through the water soaked porous pottery. The physics principle lies in the evaporation of water creating a cooling effect. It is the same principle people in arrid regions use by taken glass bottles with liquids, placing them into a soaking wet sock and hanging them on a clothes line, any, even the slightest, moving air will cool the beverage. (thanks or Bagel and Cheese info)

Steven the answer about the cold marble is a "culinary professional" one. Right on the money. Also the worry about the, YES!, danger zone (40F - 140F).

No, I do not have one anymore. The one my mother had got losted in the hasty departure from East Germany. My sister obtained one for me at a flea market in Muenchen, and that one got broken. Do I recommend one? yes, if it is not overly expensive. It's also a conversational piece. One word of caution, do not put ice in the cold water, it would only keep the butter harder than desired.

Bux, fresh Goat cheese is it for me (on a toasted bagel - you can't eat them any other way here in Maine), but then I top that off with a smearing of good Florida Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. Anyone: how do I get NY Bagels to Maine? Steven, where does one "find the real" Cream Cheese in NY. I remember seeing something about that a while back on your "Fat Guy" website!!??

I don't know if this ever altered my butter experience fundamentally. But I do have to say that this gadget, as old as butter itself, was standard kitchen utensil when I grew up in Germany. We had no refrigeration. We had iceboxes, and the iceman came only once a week, and after '42/'43 not at all. Well, we didn't have much butter either, but what we had was kept in one of those "coolers". The principle was an unglazed earthenwear/clay pot with lit, plus a glass insert. The glass part was smaller than the clay pot. The clay pot was filled with enough cold water to hold. Not being glazed allowed the water to saturate the clay, becoming a natural insulation agains warm temperature. The glass insert, when placed (with butter in it) into the cold water and covered, kept the butter at a temperature just right for spreading. Today, if you leave butter out of the fridge overnight, it's too soft, if you leave it in, it's too hard to schmear. So there. Hope to have answered your puzzlement.

Steven. And a phenomenom it is, but keep your ears open when with the ladies. There has to be someone in your circle of friends who knows about it, or better yet, is a distributor (or knows one). Could send an email to their contact site, asking for one nearby. My wife swears by their products, qualitatively and economically. Sample is shaving cream, a can lasts me six months. Do you need to change threads?

Steven, a proven preservation technique I have used in Europe, was to place the Truffles submerged in Armagnac or Cognac in a jar with tight fitting lit. They will keep refrigerated for months.

I promised myself I would not join this bandwagen, so I am jumping only onto the "tender". Markstevens says it right (I hope) They are sending their cooks. RailPaul, who is Uncle Nick? And once I know, jhlurie, you don't have to trust him, he is just a customer? Steven, I believe Robert is eating at these places, because he knows how to visit olive gardens (no Caps). And Tommy, the word "chef" is a misnomer (in my eyes) as the word in French simply means "Boss". You even have a "Chef d'Epandage" ( that's the sewage system in Paris).

Steven, I agree with those pads ripping everything into shreds, but ... and here is the "but": If you use the ones AMWAY distributors sell, you will have superior product, hardly shredding and most of all not "really scratching" your utensils. I have used on good china. (Did not let my wife see it while using)

Robert, please provide address, as we have family in Queens, who would like to go, Happy New Year

Just for clarification, but who am I ? Slice the "Homes", chop the "Hashs", dice the "O'Briens" with Peppers, Onions and Bacon. Shredd the "Roesti", Brown saute them whole they are "Rissolee", melon baller scooped-out ones are "Noisette" or "Parisienne". I am sure there are hundred others.

Bye, Have a nice trip Wilfrid. Yes, 4sided grater just fine. For potatoes use the largest holes, for the root vegetables the finest ones. Always hold the product on a bias, as to get longer strands. The middle holes are for grating potatoes for ladkes or Kartoffelpuffer. Want to know how we got to this Roesti thread? Go to next post "Making Home Fries" (or is it home fried?)

Nothing less than three eggs per person. Always pinch of salt, no pepper (added only on finished product). A teaspoon of light or heavy cream is nice, reserve the use of water for omelets only. Beat with a fork (not whisk - don't ask why) in a suitable bowl. Do not over-beat nor ahead of time of use. Non-stick pans are preferred, although I do not have any, I just have so many that an "egg" pan is never sticking because it will never get washed! Here is a little trick, when the eggs need to be cooked a bit in advance, and are maybe served in a pre-heated china or pottery dish: as soon as they are placed, scraped, ladled or whatever in that vessel, add a "shot" of cold!!! heavy cream, stirring well. This will prevent the eggs from continued cooking through their own heat or the heated casserole on a "Rechaud/Chafing Dish". I have held eggs that way for more than 15 min, without detriment to their quality

I did not mean to imply "pre-cooking" of the potatoes for Roesti. The effect of the boiling as mentiond above, can almost be achieved by having the shredded pots in a pointed "chinacap" or sieve, and letting very hot faucet water run over them. One can then also sort of squeeze out the water by pressing down. The result is a prewarmed potato with some of the outer starch removed. Pressing this product (about half inch thick) into a well heated skillet with the cooking medium (fat), will almost guarantie a "holding-together-pancake-like" Roesti. General cooking time for this should be no more than 5/6 min on the first side, then placed in a hot 400F oven for about 8/10min, now flipped and moved to stovetop, for second side browning Steven, the important factor of pre-cooking, and not slicing or chopping until cold, for "Homes" and "Hashs", should not be neglected. Absorption of fats will be less!! When separately sauteeing onions, don't brown them, but salt them, and add to pots when those are almost finished. Yes, onion flavors will then combine with the pots. The desired flavor-mingling effect will be achieved.

Ok, not two cents but a nickle's worth this time: A lot has been mentioned, styles, tastes and concoctions. I like to separate: Hash Browns and Homefries. Both from cooked potatoes. Always waxy Mainers, Fingerlings or Yukon Gold. Boil in skin a day ahead, they must be cold when being sliced! (for "homes") and chopped! (not diced for "Hashs"). Added onions to sliced pots will be Lyonnaise. Yes, cook onion separate, incorporate last few turns of browning. I like to use home rendered goosefat or clarified butter. Always finishing off with a lump of good fresh butter. Salt and white Pepper right from the start, pots will absorb better. Mamster mentions: "potatoes to stick together into a cake", this type I know as "Berner Roesti", where one takes russets, raw grated, more shredded, placed into a colander and boiling water poured over, well drained, even padded dry, and fried brown without stirring on one side, then turned and browned on the other. If I forget to mention the usage of salt in any of my given (not often) recipes, please forgive me, as those things are common knowledge and I sometimes assume too much of others who are not in the trade.