eGullet NJ Pig-BBQ & Potluck, Sunday, 9/21/03

[Varmint]

Yes, I made sure Rachel did it in the correct order of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Um, sorry to out-geek you, Jason, but that would be the visual spectrum.

Stick to law Dean.

The visual spectrum is a part of the electomagnetic spectrum, so Jason was right. more

Yes, the visual spectrum is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but what was displayed was only the visual part. Thus, I'd argue that I'm more precise here.

And I do have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry!!

[tommy]

I've learned from attending these types of functions that you should not try to make enough to feed everyone.  If there will be 80 people at a potluck, and everyone makes enough food for 80 people, you'll end up with enough food to feed like 400 folks.

80 x 80 = 6,400 portions

Assuming a normal person eats 5 portions of food to make a complete meal, we're still talking about enough food for 1,280 normal people.

Assuming an eGulleter eats 3 times as much food as a normal person, we get very close to =Mark's 400 number.

[alanz]

When Rachel was having difficulty unmolding her jello, I suggested that she simply put a spoon in it and let people dig in. (It was Jello, afterall < s >)

The stunned look on her face was precious. She was not about to do that!

At the time, I had no idea of the spectral spectacular lurking within the mold. I'm glad she finally shed some reflected light on the matter.

[Rich Pawlak]

Finally got a moment to chime in about our fabulous hosts, truly the warmest of hearts to have all of us over.

All of the mac and cheeses were outstanding: Steve's and Jonathan's set new benchmarks.

Fink's pig was the best I've ever had, even better than the pernil we recently savored at Mambo's in Trenton. The mustard BBQ sauce was pure Carolina in a bottle. Rosie's health salad was a pleasant surprise and relief. Katie's and Gary's moussaka was irresistable, and that grill roasted corn dish--please post that recipe!

I will never make fun of jello again; Rachel, you rule.

And I can't say enough about those Bobolink cheeses and breads; had some as soon as I got home on Sunday. Fabulous. That rosemary braid bread is a keeper.

Thanks to Jason and Rachel and Kim for assembling the potluck for the ages. Pure eGullet.

[SobaAddict70]

Thanks for the kind words all.

Not coming in this weekend was NOT an option, as things were quite busy over the weekend, what with some things coming to a head and my vacation so close I can practically taste it.

On the plus side, we ended up being in our midtown office throughout the weekend, so meals weren't a problem.... Probably nowhere near as good as the pig-o-rama. Saturday dinner was from Diwan. Sunday was from Grand Sichuan (the Hell's Kitchen location).

*sigh*

Soba

PS. Was the mac and cheese made with Bobolink cheddar? Definitely a mac-and-cheese cheese.

Edited September 22, 2003 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Bobolink's mac and cheese was made with their blue cheese.. very very funky stuff.

[jhlurie]

Yes, I made sure Rachel did it in the correct order of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Um, sorry to out-geek you, Jason, but that would be the visual spectrum.

Stick to law Dean.

The visual spectrum is a part of the electomagnetic spectrum, so Jason was right. more

Yes, the visual spectrum is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but what was displayed was only the visual part. Thus, I'd argue that I'm more precise here.

And I do have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry!!

My good buddy Roy G. Biv has no room for Mr. Radio or Mr. XRay.

[madziast]

gorgeous pics, thanks for the close-ups! everyhting looks so damn good and what a party it must have been. how many ppl showed up in the end? aarrgggh, poverty sucks!

the jello is absolutely out of this world and rachel, you have to promise you will make it for every e-gullet event! hell, sell tickets to see it! (add'l revenue for the site?) anyone got hypnotized just looking at it? and the moussaka, cheeses, bread, mac & cheese, cakes and pies, salads, everything else, damn, i'm going back to look at the pictures again

[Rachel Perlow]

Somebody noted that the rainbow jello mold was actually in the correct rendition of a rainbow, from violet to red.  There might have been ultraviolet &  infrared layers, but since these fall outside the realm of human vision they could not be seen... 

Good Ol' Roy G Biv!

I've previously done this Jello mold with the red on top and the purple on the bottom. However, I somehow ended up buying the double sized package of red Jello. Since I had so much extra of that color, I figured it would even out (layer-depth-wise) if it were the last/bottom layer (where the diameter of the bundt pan was largest).

Also, according to Jello, red is the favored Jello color. I used raspberry, but you can, of course of course, substitute strawberry, cherry, watermelon or heck, even strawberry-banana.

how many ppl showed up in the end?

Around 70.

the jello is absolutely out of this world and rachel, you have to promise you will make it for every e-gullet event!  hell, sell tickets to see it!  (add'l revenue for the site?) anyone got hypnotized just looking at it?

I'd be happy to make the same mold for every potluck type event. My fear is that I'd be expected to top myself with each creation!

Hmm, I could change the colors around whatever the theme is...

Fortunately no one got hypnotized because Elyse cut into it right after Jason took the picture, breaking the visual mesmerization effect. I encouraged this because I didn't want anyone to go unconcious and fall over and hurt themselves (I just finished reading FlashForward by Robert Sawyer), and also because I wanted it eaten, not stared at it like a work of art. Besides, no matter how much pig (and multitudes of sides) you'd consumed, there's "Always room for Jell-o"!

[dumpling]

Yes, I made sure Rachel did it in the correct order of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Um, sorry to out-geek you, Jason, but that would be the visual spectrum.

Stick to law Dean.

The visual spectrum is a part of the electomagnetic spectrum, so Jason was right. more

Yes, the visual spectrum is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but what was displayed was only the visual part. Thus, I'd argue that I'm more precise here.

And I do have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry!!

Dean- told my Mom you were a lawyer and had a Phd in BioChemistry and that I was having lunch with you on Saturday. She said, "Sounds like a smart man. What's he doing having lunch with you? " She operates under the delusion that she's funny. But she's a Phd in Mathematics(my Dad too). So axiomatically, they're crazy. I wanted some greater sanity. That's why I went into law (J.D.- Justifiably Damaged).

[dumpling]

I just got home about a half hour ago and I'm very glad I didn't try to make the trip last night.  I had a great time meeting you all and wish I didn't live so far away.  Many thanks to our hosts and all of those who helped organize things.

I think it was one of my ABTs that did Jason's stomach in.  He was the only one who complained about them being too hot. 

The food was exceptional and I was sad to see so much thrown out.  My biggest regret was being too full to sample any of the cheese.  I thought about buying some unsampled, but decided I was too full to even think about food or make any decisions about what to buy.  If we do this again next year, I will attack the cheese first.

Time to go feed my starter.

Jim

Man, those ABTs were great Jim! Really popping with flavor. I didn't find them too hot.

[herbacidal]

how many ppl showed up in the end?

Around 70.

we did get 70? cool.

looked like less when i remember looking around.

[Rosie]

Didn't realize that there were other chemists at the pig out. Lowell has a PH.D in chemistry and 17+ patents. Gee guys. We were talking about food all afternoon and we could have been talking about really interesting stuff!!!

[slkinsey]

the jello is absolutely out of this world and rachel, you have to promise you will make it for every e-gullet event!  hell, sell tickets to see it!  (add'l revenue for the site?) anyone got hypnotized just looking at it?

I'd be happy to make the same mold for every potluck type event. My fear is that I'd be expected to top myself with each creation!

A real Jello Artist would constantly seek to push the envelope and expand the realm of what is possible in the Jello medium. Next time, we all expect you to recreate one of the designs from the ceilings of the Sistene Chapel in brilliant Jello tones. I am quite certain that Michelangelo would be a Jellist if he lived today.

[KatieLoeb]

how many ppl showed up in the end?

Around 70.

we did get 70? cool.

looked like less when i remember looking around.

That's because at any given moment half the folks were down buying bread and cheese or looking at the chickens or the cows or playing with the kittens

[rlibkind]

Wow!

Let me say it again: Wow!

Just got back this evening, since we overnighted in Warwick. It seems everything that can be said about The Day Of The Pigs has been said, but I have to add these six salient observations:

1. Great people

2. Great food

3. Great place

4. Great people

5. Great food

6. Great place

But I repeat myself...

One emendation: Among all the superb photos Jason posted, the baked beans were attributed to me. The pictured beans were fantastic, but they weren't mine. They were the work of Hscott. (When the photo was snapped, mine were oven in the oven warming up for the second shift.)

I mentioned we stayed overnight. What we did was to visit the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery (and pick-your-own apple and pear orchard) where Jonathan said I might be able to find antique apples. Well, most of the apples weren't antiques, but they had my favorite dessert apple, one that is excruciatingly hard to find on this side of the Atlantic: Cox Orange Pippin. Yum. And Doc's Hard Apple Cider is a winner! Another Warwick orchard, Och's, had the elusive Rhode Island Greening. Pie Time!

[rlibkind]

the jello is absolutely out of this world and rachel, you have to promise you will make it for every e-gullet event!  hell, sell tickets to see it!  (add'l revenue for the site?) anyone got hypnotized just looking at it?

I'd be happy to make the same mold for every potluck type event. My fear is that I'd be expected to top myself with each creation!

A real Jello Artist would constantly seek to push the envelope and expand the realm of what is possible in the Jello medium. Next time, we all expect you to recreate one of the designs from the ceilings of the Sistene Chapel in brilliant Jello tones. I am quite certain that Michelangelo would be a Jellist if he lived today.

How about a hologram in the middle?

[herbacidal]

the jello is absolutely out of this world and rachel, you have to promise you will make it for every e-gullet event!  hell, sell tickets to see it!  (add'l revenue for the site?) anyone got hypnotized just looking at it?

I'd be happy to make the same mold for every potluck type event. My fear is that I'd be expected to top myself with each creation!

A real Jello Artist would constantly seek to push the envelope and expand the realm of what is possible in the Jello medium. Next time, we all expect you to recreate one of the designs from the ceilings of the Sistene Chapel in brilliant Jello tones. I am quite certain that Michelangelo would be a Jellist if he lived today.

no, no sam,

we gotta think 3 dimensions here.

that's only 2, well maybe 2 1/3 dimensions once the curvature is worked in.

i think we need to expect The Thinker, or David, or Nike of Samothrace.

[Varmint]

Didn't realize that there were other chemists at the pig out. Lowell has a PH.D in chemistry and 17+ patents. Gee guys. We were talking about food all afternoon and we could have been talking about really interesting stuff!!!

I wish I was there, Rosie. Plus, I got my Ph.D. and ran straight to law school. It was my objective to retire before I was ever gainfully employed. I failed miserably.

[tommy]

Man,  those ABTs were great Jim!  Really popping with flavor.  I didn't find them too hot.

ah dude. my first was comletely not hot. my second was very very hot, and cold-beer-inducing. they went both ways.

[hscottk]

Wow... you egulleters know how to kick ass!

Mrs. HscottK (aka Sarah) and I had a blast getting to meet you all, and chowing down on such amazing creations. We had to wait all summer for its most glorious day, and gorging ourselves just seemed the right way to celebrate.

Fink, what can I say.... you are a magician with a pig carcass. You have brought barbecue to a new level. I just hope all this doesn't go to your head, and you raise your prices.

South Jersey Epicurean: You will be happy to know that I am back on Atkins, and hating every minute of it.

Rich P: mmmmmmmmmmm.... beer.

Ad rock: The name fits... that sangria rocked.

Elyse: Your Mayan Love Cookies will cure anything from the common cold to fallen arches.

Oh, and a few disorganized snatches from y'all:

By the way the samosas were purchased from a place called Chowpatty on Newark Ave in Jersey City.

I KNEW those samosas tasted familiar! I used to live about 5 doors down from Chowpatty. Everyone has a past, and that's mine.

rlibkind's Baked Beans

Um... you should expect to hear from our attorneys on this one, although I don't think a jury would convict anyone who could make such a beautiful jello mold.

Oh, and I think it' only right the wife made the photo album, since she was the one who made the baked beans, although I did copious amounts of stirring all weekend.

[elyse]

Time to go feed my starter.

Jim

I'm happy to report that mine is alive and well and taking over the kitchen. I hope yours is too!

Can't wait for the bacon! Mmmmm bacon.

[Jason Perlow]

I would like to add that Katieloeb's mousakka is even better on the second day. We had it for dinner tonight.

Question, was the omission of a potato layer on purpose, because your friend is on Atkins? Or is this a legitimately potato-free mousakka?

[suzilightning]

Wish I could've been there.

i wish i could have made it too. i sent a fat-headed prick in my place, apparently.

No, that was you.

tommy-

you look sooooo different from the front. sorry i didn't get to see/meet you. was counting migrating hawks

glad all had a wonderful time. maybe the next get together? after 1 dec?

jason - all that food porn made me hungry....but it is now too late for me to eat :

[tommy]

i hate to mention any dish in particular, as i don't to take away from the excellent dishes that i don't mention. however, i want to mention doc's apple cider, which really moved me in a strange way. "strange" as in "apple cider has never moved me". it was so pure, so good, so perfect. oh yes, it was very good.