I also use the LaValle whole tomatoes, squished by hand along with half the juice. I heat up 1/4 cup of some fancy olive oil with a single bashed head of garlic, a sprig of fresh basil (and sometimes a dash of crushed red pepper flakes) until infused. Then I toss in the tomatoes and juice and watch it bubble up and simmer down. Salt. Shut the flame off. It's a 3-4 minute process, tops. Not such a big fan of the clunky, oregano-y, sugary thick pizza sauces of my Midwestern youth.
Love a messy burger! But I always take the lettuce off of burgers and eat it first. I think it is especially useful with the chewy Portuguese bun at Zaitzeff's since that pesky leaf lettuce just ends up sliding around on me and compromising the burger's organization while biting. For me the chewier the bun, the more important it is the toppings be minimal to cut down on The Slide.
That bun is damn near criminal. I don't know how restaurants serving burgers even think to put out a product that is so off the burger-bun ratio and too tall to take a proper cross-sectional bite. It's as awkward to eat as it is ugly to look at. At least the bun was toasted.
@purdee – Looks perfectly cooked to me. Remember, done-ness is totally subjective. Almost every time I read a burger column at AHT there's always a few commenters criticizing the burger temp – too bloody, gross, raw in the middle...You will just want to imagine it medium or medium-well, then.
Aw, dang. And here I thought I was nobly keeping my bad mood to myself today...Sorry, AK. Let me just add I usually agree with your awesome reviews. But can't wait to see the new sandwich! Go, PhotograBop! You're awesome, too!
Yeah, I had their coronation chicken in the US, too. Not surprising their sandwiches use "restraint." It helps the bottom line, after all. But there's just way too little stuff in Pret sandwiches, and I am all for balance in a sandwich. Also, they're cold. And also, please correct me if I'm off the mark, but they're like, $9 now. For that much scratch I want a whole lot less restraint. They're coffee's decent, though.
I love this eggplant preparation. I usually steam the cubed eggplant until they're cooked about halfway before turning them out into a skillet for the rest of the process. I find I am able to use less oil that way, making a less greasy final product.
Longtime jiu cai lover here, too. I also grew up with it growing like weeds in the backyard. My Mom would cover a corner section of them to grow the delicate yellow version. Love them both! During dinner prep growing up my Mom would hand a pair of scissors to me and put her thumb and forefinger together indicating in diameter how much I was supposed to snip from out back. I, too, never realized people found them smelly until ordering take-out with some coworkers who practically wilted when the lid was uncovered, hehe.
@AK: Yep, sure did. Kenji's recreation is definitely on my list of ambitious weekend experiments. But definitely excited to try these EAT buns, guys. Thanks for the tip.
After reading this article I mentioned it to my husband whose horrified expression I found just hilarious. But I am a bit shocked by the concept, and intuitively feel it crosses some kind of intimacy line, although I don't know which one or why. I'd just sum it up as @AyeEat does. Thank you, but no thank you.
Some of us real Asians do make our own wrappers, thankyouverymuch! hehe.
I make a napa cabbage recipe almost exactly like this one but just swapping out the garlic for a copious amount of thinly-sliced scallion. Also, if I'm feeling fancy, I'll throw in a 1/4 lb. of minced shrimp. It adds a bit of bounce to the filling but they're definitely perfect with or without!
I have never heard of this place and I was born and raised in CBus! Gotta give this place a shot when I swing back in town before heading over to Thurman's. Hehe.
Okay. That's more than a dash of crazy craziness with your TMI, Mr. Partner! But it's a bummer they're shuttered. I had heard more than a few raves for this place and never had a chance to try it out.
I can imagine a lot of shin-bumping on that ride. He shoulda lowered the angle on that pedal strut piece-thingy. I think a shin bump makes me madder than a toe stub. But it's a close call.
Wow, thanks for doing a CBus posting! Born and raised. Don't know Jeni's but I remember the North Market when it was in that busted warehouse space, though. Definitely going to have to swing by and try some!
I'm not an expert, just an eater and a casual cook and the answer for me is no. I can not cook without salt.
Absolutely no manners here. Don't care how big the burger is, I never cut a burger in half. I take as huge of a first bite as I possibly can manage, with as much delicacy as I can manage lest I crush the juices out of the burger, to confirm the proper 'medium rare' has been achieved. Then I proceed with my shamelessly messy endeavor.
This article was equal parts horrific and enjoyable! Thanks for your wonderful story telling of a brave adventure! Going to Chinatown I love seeing those croaking frogs, patiently awaiting their fate and the older Chinese patrons who swat away the hands of the employee, insisting on selecting their frogs from the bucket themselves. This exchange always reminds me of the huge cultural range of Chinese Americans. For instance, being Chinese, I am familiar with eating frog, but it never occurred to me to try my hand at preparing it! Thanks again.
I don't know, my brain won't work that way for some reason: cheese and kimchi together, griddled in butter, no less! The midwestern in me loves an obscene amount of melted cheese in/on just about anything and the Asian in me loves all Asian relishes and yet...
Get a load of that sink! Woowee! Love her, too! I know it's already been said, but literally, two of my Brooklyn apartments could fit in that guest house kitchen! A fellow relocated midwestern girl can dream, though. One day...
That looks not good.
After a few years in the New England area, I've paid my dues and had my share of thick, gloopy, over-creamed chowders. I'll gladly go with it on the thinner side, but with plenty of the good stuff thrown in. No skimping on the clams and potatoes!
Yes, I would bring my well-socialized 55-lb. pit-lab mix with me to restaurants if it was permitted and if people weren't scared of my sweet animal simply because she is a pit bull (a whole 'nother issue but I will stay on-topic). And to answer the question, yes, if I eat outside, I would like my beast to accompany me since there's no other place she'd rather be than with me, and also, so she can enjoy some of my meal with me. She loves meat and the occasional fry.
I love eating alone. I never feel like anyone is staring at me, the poor lone diner. It does bug me when I go to a restaurant and the greeter asks, "Just you?" But otherwise, I enjoy it. Being the spouse of a night worker, most of my dinners are solo and I love going out to eat, so it works out to a lot of dinners out alone. Sometimes I bring reading material, sometimes I watch a baseball game if I'm at a bar, but most of the time I end up enjoying my meal so much, I don't feel a need to read.
I recently started trying to grind & griddle up my own burgers at home. I realize it's a controversial issue for some burger fans, but I have to admit I am partial to the brioche bun. Does anyone know of a good local bakery or market that sells a decent brioche bun I can set up with a hefty, well-seasoned, rare/medium-rare, American-cheesed soul mate?
I have decided to give sausage-making a shot. But while shopping around for meat grinders, I realize I don't know the first thing about them. I don't own an electric stand mixer, so I'm not able to go for the attachment type. Is the manual one a real work-out? Should I bite the bullet and get an electric one and consider it an investment? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!
I bought a pizza stone last summer. I read somewhere that it takes oven heat so well that you can leave it in the oven at all times, even if you're using the oven and not necessarily the stone. Yesterday afternoon I was making a couple of pies in my oven and as I was peering in through the glass vision panel, I watched my pizza stone crack! It split into two pieces with a pie blazing away on it. It was a ceramic pizza stone. I thought it was virtually indestructible! No?
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@DustinM, I thoroughly agree with your assessment of the sauce. I find it bright and tasty. It also balances nicely with the grated cheese sprinkle on top. I love Jiannetto's. It served me well when I needed to jump out for a quick lunch in Midtown.