eG Foodblog: hathor - Big Apple Blog

[balmagowry]

You could always say about this being a cult that at least taking pictures is a lot easier than having to shave your hair

Or drink Jonestown Kool-Aid!

[hathor]

Friday night is cook's night off! woo-hoo! Heading downtown to a nice, local Italian restaurant neighborhood place, Ennio and Michael's. Its been around for quite awhile, comfort food. I ragazzi are joining us, you know how college kids don't ever miss out on a chance for a free meal, so we should have some laughs and enjoy the beginning of the weekend.

Enjoy Friday night everyone!

[bleudauvergne]

Hathor, I went and shopped in Chinatown today, inspired by your fruitful spree the other day. I made jiaozi for lunch, and tonight we're going to have bitter melon. Thanks for the jump start!

[Wolfert]

Wolfert is an admirer of Davis' work, but she cautions against using some of Davis' methods today, because some of these slow cooking techniques can result in massive bacterial growth.  Some of the recipes in Wolfert's book attempt to get Davis' results without some of the dangers.

I admire Wolfert, but I'm always a little suspicious, on general principle, of cautions against bacteria. I mean, why "today"?

Adelle Davis was right concerning her temperatures and timings for poultry and meat. Long cooking, low temperature (LTLT) is accepted by the scientific community. The problem rests with the uncalibrated ovens, crummy thermometers and impatient cooks out there. What if someone with a damaged immune system was given some chicken that was cooked at too low a temperature? I just don't know.

by the way, this is a terrific blog.

[balmagowry]

Wolfert is an admirer of Davis' work, but she cautions against using some of Davis' methods today, because some of these slow cooking techniques can result in massive bacterial growth.  Some of the recipes in Wolfert's book attempt to get Davis' results without some of the dangers.

I admire Wolfert, but I'm always a little suspicious, on general principle, of cautions against bacteria. I mean, why "today"?

Adelle Davis was right concerning her temperatures and timings for poultry and meat. Long cooking, low temperature (LTLT) is accepted by the scientific community. The problem rests with the uncalibrated ovens, crummy thermometers and impatient cooks out there. What if someone with a damaged immune system was given some chicken that was cooked at too low a temperature? I just don't know.

by the way, this is a terrific blog.

Thank you - yes, that does make sense.

BTW, the other possible variable about which I really don't know enough to judge is the quality of chickens when Davis was writing - how they were typically fed and cared for, etc. If we had known enough to worry about it, would the danger of salmonella have been present then? or is that a more recent phenomenon, perhaps related to GM feeds and other such marvelous "improvements" in agribusiness?

[balmagowry]

Friday night is cook's night off! woo-hoo! Heading downtown to a nice, local Italian restaurant neighborhood place, Ennio and Michael's. Its been around for quite awhile, comfort food. I ragazzi are joining us, you know how college kids don't ever miss out on a chance for a free meal, so we should have some laughs and enjoy the beginning of the weekend.

Enjoy Friday night everyone!

Hope you did - but also hope you didn't think that bloggers get the night off when cooks do! You may not have had to produce it yourself, but enquiring minds still need to know the details of last night's dinner.

[Wolfert]

[

If we had known enough to worry about it, would the danger of salmonella have been present then? or is that a more recent phenomenon, perhaps related to GM feeds and other such marvelous "improvements" in agribusiness?

Salmonella is said to die at 150 to 155 over a period of a few hours. (One hour in an egg. thus my one-hour 3 minute egg.)

Actually, I wasn't worried about salmonella, I was worried about cooking meat and poultry at "the constant low temperature of a pilot light in a warming oven" i.e. 165 degrees. I didn't own a gas oven so I couldn't test it. It made me very uneasy. On the other hand, she later suggests , you can roast a solid or unstuffed piece of meat or poultry in a 300 degree oven for an hour to kill surface bacteria. That's when I went ahead and used her ideas and had fantastic results.

pg 56 Let's cook it Right. Adelle Davis

1970 Harcourt Brace

Edited May 15, 2004 by Wolfert (log)

[balmagowry]

Salmonella is said to die at 150 to 155  over a period of a few hours.  (One hour in an egg. thus my one-hour 3 minute egg.)

Actually, I wasn't worried about salmonella

Understood. I was more generically curious as to whether that particular danger already existed back then.

I was worried about  cooking  meat and poultry at "the constant low temperature of a pilot light in a warming oven" i.e. 165 degrees. I didn't own a gas oven so I couldn't test it. It made me very uneasy.

And how right you were! Today, of course, you can't even buy a stove with a pilot light, more's the pity - I don't know what I'd do without mine. But it sure isn't any 165 degrees! I use it for drying fruits, for starting seedlings and for incubating yogurt, because it maintains a perfect consistent 110*. Definitely not safe for cooking meat, even by my somewhat over-relaxed standards.

[hathor]

Sorry for the late check in..but it turned into a long, late meal.

Ennio & Michaels is on LaGuardia Place, where the shops and restaurants are set far back from the street. Michael just finished laying some beautiful new tile work on the front 'patio' of the restaurant, and it was so lovely to sit outside and enjoy the evening.

We've been going there for years, so we had to catch up on all the waiters lives, how the kids are doing, who got to be valdectorian, and how come all these guys, who have teenagers and older...now have babies! I was a little worried about drinking the water, 'cause there must be something in it!

I had some delicious fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with fontina cheese. Normally, I like my blossoms very clean and crunchy, but these were delicous. The mild fontina was a nice foil to the delicate blossom. And we shared some Cesear salad, but my heart wasn't in it, I could eat zucchini blossoms at every meal if it was at all possible.

Then we both had black linguini with calamari, another all time favorite. If you ever wind up at Ennio's and need a little spice, ask them for their home made chili oil. Use sparitngly!!!! That stuff is sear your tongue hot...bear in mind that I'm a bit of a spice weenie, but only a glass jar could ever contain that stuff. Last night's edition had a very healthy proportion of scotch bonnets.

Then we chatted somemore as old friends stopped by...and one glass of wine led to another. One of the waiters confessed that he likes to eat when he drives, it some sort of compulsion, you had to be there as demonstrated how to peel an orange while driving. Now that's an obssession. And there was a parting gift from Omar, another waiter friend, he waves good bye to us, then comes running back with a gift of 2 ripe mangoes. Now, I'm fairly certain there are no mango trees on LaGuardia, so where did the mangoes at midnight come from??

Today has been a bit hectic as we wanted to get to the Greenmarket on Washington Sq. to buy flowers and herbs for the gardens. They have a far better selection and prices that what is available here in No. Westchester. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your point of view, we have to go with already started plants as we don't have the room for seedlings and we have a short growing season, and not so much time and yadda yadda. We go for the instant gratification thing.

Check out radishes, aren't they gorgeous??

I spent a long time gathering up all sorts of interesting varieties of herbs: 3 kinds of basil, 2 kinds of lavender, english thyme, french thyme, greek oregano, catnip for the kitties, cayenne peppers, chives, tarragon, and fantastic lettuces.

And, lots and lots of nasturiums. I adore nasturiusm, they look gorgeous and taste soooo good. I feel like a deer out there grazing on flowers!

Check this out: the organic vegetable herb guy also sells all kind of pork cuts, so we've got some baby back ribs up for dinner, and I got some free scrapple. Can life get better than free scrapple??

Now we're in the country, the sun is shining, the lemoncello I started last weekend is ready for part 2 (adding the sugar), and the herbs are quietly begging me to go plant them. So, I"m heading outside for a little gardening.

Enjoy! Its Saturday!!

[Liz Johnson]

They have a far better selection and prices that what is available here in No. Westchester.

hathor,

It's a little out of your way, but consider Mattherhorn Nursery in Rockland for herbs. (Actually, for anything.) It's across the GW and up the Palisades off exit 12. Last weekend I bought lemongrass, Mexican oregano, four kinds of basil and lots more. They have an amazing selection. It's only about 15 minutes from the TZ and you're back in Westchester!

Liz

[Pan]

Hathor, I went and shopped in Chinatown today, inspired by your fruitful spree the other day.

There's a Chinatown in Lyon?

[bleudauvergne]

Hathor, I went and shopped in Chinatown today, inspired by your fruitful spree  the other day.

There's a Chinatown in Lyon?

But of course.

Those radishes look divine - those incredible mountains of roots look just amazingly fresh. Did you buy lots? I Looooooove radishes.

PICTURES OF THE LIMONCELLO PLEASE!

Edited May 15, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[hathor]

They have a far better selection and prices that what is available here in No. Westchester.

hathor,

It's a little out of your way, but consider Mattherhorn Nursery in Rockland for herbs. (Actually, for anything.) It's across the GW and up the Palisades off exit 12. Last weekend I bought lemongrass, Mexican oregano, four kinds of basil and lots more. They have an amazing selection. It's only about 15 minutes from the TZ and you're back in Westchester!

Liz

Thanks for the tip Liz! That would be a pretty significant detour, but I just might find myself taking a drive over. The selection at Greenmarket was pretty vast...lemongrass and all. After putting everything in, I realize I need lots more chili pepper!

[hathor]

Wolfert is an admirer of Davis' work, but she cautions against using some of Davis' methods today, because some of these slow cooking techniques can result in massive bacterial growth.  Some of the recipes in Wolfert's book attempt to get Davis' results without some of the dangers.

I admire Wolfert, but I'm always a little suspicious, on general principle, of cautions against bacteria. I mean, why "today"?

Adelle Davis was right concerning her temperatures and timings for poultry and meat. Long cooking, low temperature (LTLT) is accepted by the scientific community. The problem rests with the uncalibrated ovens, crummy thermometers and impatient cooks out there. What if someone with a damaged immune system was given some chicken that was cooked at too low a temperature? I just don't know.

by the way, this is a terrific blog.

Thank you for the input... you raise some very valid points. I don't have an interior oven thermometer, and do not trust the 'dial' temp. There are so many other ways of preparing fowl that are tasty, why risk illness when you don't have to?

[hathor]

Hathor, I went and shopped in Chinatown today, inspired by your fruitful spree the other day. I made jiaozi for lunch, and tonight we're going to have bitter melon. Thanks for the jump start!

What is "jiaozi"?? What will you do with the bitter melon? I've had some fabulous soups with it, but that's about it. Oh... I do believe we could have some fun in the Chinese markets. You have a lot more practical experience, I just have eating experience!

[hathor]

Hathor, I went and shopped in Chinatown today, inspired by your fruitful spree  the other day.

There's a Chinatown in Lyon?

But of course.

Those radishes look divine - those incredible mountains of roots look just amazingly fresh. Did you buy lots? I Looooooove radishes.

PICTURES OF THE LIMONCELLO PLEASE!

Radishes, a little dry saucisson, now that is heaven!

I'll have to post the limoncello pics tommorow, I'm in dial up territory, and life is just tooo short!! It is looking mighty pretty and yellow right now.

[Bombdog]

Today, of course, you can't even buy a stove with a pilot light, more's the pity -

Well, you have to violate a few building codes, but I have a commercial Wolf 6 burner with 3 pilots for the burners and one big one for the oven. I have never checked the temperature, but use it to dry herbs from the garden pretty much all summer long.

[hathor]

We had a super quick lunch, but it did the trick...I was starving after being in the market. I made some spaghetti with sardines, mmmm.....sardines....

A low heat saute of EVOO, garlic and chili peppers, then a tin of sardines, stir around until the sardines break apart and sort of melt. Then a little squirt of tomato paste to really bring all the flavors together. When the pasta is just a minute away from being done, pour a bit of the pasta water into the sardine mixture. Drain the pasta, and put it into the sardine sauce, stir well under the water is absorbed. I finished the dish with some dried grated orange peel, and fresh chopped chives. Quick and tasty.

Just a word of warning: if this sounds like a good quick meal for a backpack trip, it is a great meal. But...only make it on the last night of the trip, as you cannot get the sardine smell out of the pots, the tent or your hair. My sister was less than pleased with me.....

Well, it's almost time to make dinner. The baby back, baby back, baby back ribs are ready to hit the grill after spendng a leisurely afternoon in a wine, garlic, sherry vinegar, chili pepper, rosemary, thyme, crystal hot sauce marinade. There are fresh green leaves for a salad from the trip to the greenmarket. Some more pea shoots because I didn't make enough the other night, and we all want more. I went out and bought some gorgeous deserts. You will note...no deserts in the blog...I just fall down on the job when it comes to sweets. What can I say?? Everyone else has had a shower, and it is now my turn, and I really, really, really need one after putting in all the herbs.

So, I guess the time has come to turn over the blog to the next intrepid blogger.

NO MORE NEW YORKERS~~ Happy, Mr. Mayhaw Man??

We need a fresh perspective, someone who can tell us all about wine and food for a week! So, its time for Ms. DoverCanyon to step into blogland. She is hosting a Wine Festival tommorow, and I cannot wait for her to begin.

Its certainly been a fun week for me...many thanks to everyone for the moral...and the technical support!! ciao a tutti!!

[balmagowry]

Today, of course, you can't even buy a stove with a pilot light, more's the pity -

Well, you have to violate a few building codes, but I have a commercial Wolf 6 burner with 3 pilots for the burners and one big one for the oven. I have never checked the temperature, but use it to dry herbs from the garden pretty much all summer long.

Yes, but when did you buy it? I don't have to worry about building codes here - but it's my understanding they're not making them with pilot lights any more because other people do (have to worry about building codes, I mean). If memory serves, they year I bought my stove (1993) was either the last or the penultimate in which pilot lights were available.

[balmagowry]

OMG, yes, it's Saturday night, isn't it? Oh, well done, Hathor! If you've enjoyed doing the blog as much as we have reading it, then you've had a hell of a good week.

[Pan]

I know I've enjoyed a blog when I say to myself "It's over already?"

[Mayhaw Man]

NO MORE NEW YORKERS~~ Happy, Mr. Mayhaw Man??

I really enjoyed your blog and it just so happens that I have a ready supply of a few tins of decent sardines, I think I might give that a try for lunch tommorrow. I love those little devils.

Now, as for the New Yorker crack I, once again, should not rise to the bait but being a little fish out here in the woods and seeing that tasty worm dangled by a callous sophisticate such as your self......well.....let me make one thing clear-

New Yorkers are just fine by me. Hell, I even hang around with some who were bright enough to move where the weather and parking are better. I love to meet New Yorkers in New Orleans and show them our little backwater. They can then go home and tell tales of alligators, debauchery, and seafood and that makes their friends want to come down here. It is a beautiful cycle of people from New York winging it down with full wallets and going home with just enough money to get their cars out of the airport. Tourism is a wonderful thing. I just wish some of them would bring some jobs and leave them. We are a little short on those right now.

What's up with the turkey. Will you return with it?

[Pan]

Besides, the "Damn, another New Yorker" crack was mine, and quite obviously a joke.

[Bombdog]

Yes, but when did you buy it? I don't have to worry about building codes here - but it's my understanding they're not making them with pilot lights any more because other people do (have to worry about building codes, I mean). If memory serves, they year I bought my stove (1993) was either the last or the penultimate in which pilot lights were available.

I believe 1999, from a restaurant supply in Sacramento. It was one year old at the time, from a failed venture.

I believe you are correct as far as residential models are concerned; no pilot lights.

[Pan]

How do gas stoves without pilot lights work?