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cmballa's Profile

Website: http://sometrajectories.com/

Location: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

About: Writer and gallerist with a penchant for buying meals with invisible money.

Favorite foods: Fatty pork, cheeseburgers, goat butter, bitter greens, oily coffee, citrus fruits, crusty bread, fried chicken, coconut-type desserts

Last bite on earth: A slice off the moist end of one of my dad's barbeque briskets, with white bread and pickles

The Ten Most Recent Posts By cmballa

From Talk

Smoky Kitchen, Need Some Exhaust

The recent gift, albeit wonderful and life-changing, of a Lodge two-burner griddle/grill pan has left us with a smoke-filled Brooklyn apartment on marathon meat-grilling nights.

Our stove is right next to a window. I figured setting up an exhaust system would be simple enough but all of us are hopelessly unhandy. Anybody have experience with this? Our place smells like a barbeque joint (not a bad thing, but, well, you know).

From Talk

Sesame pancake sandwiches @ Dumpling House, Chinatown

118A Eldridge St, NYC (at Broome) --

This place is apparently lauded for its fried pork dumplings (5 for $1), but most people I saw when I passed by last week were munching on these triangular sandwiches -- cut from a giant circular fried bread, crusted with sesame on one side, with sliced beef, cilantro and carrots. I was on my way to get a bahn mi on the other side of Canal, but these (at $1.50) are certainly a better deal. Delicious quick lunch. Check it out check it out.

From Talk

I bought some salted pig jowl.

At the nearby Mexican market.

I was thinking at first about using it for a substitute for guiancale in a pasta carbonara but it's obviously missing the cure found in the Italian version. So I'm probably just going to make a pot of beans with it.

Anybody have experience with jowls?

The Ten Most Recent Comments By cmballa

From A Hamburger Today

In Fort Worth, Kincaid's Lets Us Down While Fearing's Picks Us Back Up

Burger House in Dallas (the original one, on Hillcrest next to SMU campus) is excellent, and a perfect exemplar of Texas burgers.

http://www.burgerhouse.com/index.htm

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

I've been making these for quite a while, from the Good Eats recipe. It's one of the winningest combinations.

From Talk

Recommendations for knife sharpeners

Don't do it yourself, you'll end up doing more harm than good. Take them to a professional.

From Talk

Ketchup On Burgers...

I grew up in Austin. Mustard is the standard condiment in Texas, as far as I know. I prefer mayo however, which isn't out of the norm either. If you want ketchup, you generally have to that yourself.

Regardless, I despise ketchup on burgers.

From Talk

What foods seriously put you off your feed?

With the exception of frog legs, I enjoy everything that has been mentioned here.

From Talk

Advice for beef marrow bones?

I feel like I read something recently that bones of younger animals have more marrow than those of older ones (so in this case — and in that Fergus Henderson recipe — it would be better to use veal bones)

From Ed Levine Eats

The Usual Mayors' Super Bowl Bet Seems One-Sided to Us

Woah wait, Kuban isn't into pastrami ?

From Talk

Banh mi in Austin, where can I get one?

I am an Austin transplant to New York City. Vietnamese not only exists there — beyond Mexican it's one of the best ethnic cuisines to be had, primarily in the North Lamar / 183 area.

That said, I was unaware of the banh mi during most of my years growing up there (discovered it in Houston), and have had two mediocre sandwiches, but in South Austin. I hear Tam Deli is good (I believe it's still open), but chances are that you won't find Saigon Bakery or Ba Xuyen quality, though I couldn't give you a good answer why. Chowhound is your best friend for these matters; they have an active Austin community.

Perhaps consider making the two-and-a-half hour drive to Houston — Viet food there is some of the greatest in the states.

From Talk

Wrapping sandwiches, deli-style

I used to wrap sandwiches for a living once —

Start with a piece of parchment longer than it is wide, with enough clearance on either side of the sandwich to fold securely on each end. Center sandwich on bottom two-thirds of sheet, and tightly roll over once; tightly fold over sides, roll again; with the remaining bit of paper, fold corners (like a paper airplane), and tightly seal with tape. There should be a cute triangle.

This should be explained visually, I think.

From Required Eating

What Are Serious Eaters Doing on New Year's Eve? What's Your Favorite Brownie Recipe?

Killing the last of the X-mas leftovers (goose enchiladas with mole) before a potentially problematic dance party tonight. Brownies sound good though ...

Responses to Comments by cmballa

From A Hamburger Today

Five Guys Open in Brooklyn Heights

5 Guys rules!! Better I think than Jake's which is another place around me...

But, this is my fav Burger joint:
http://www.redrobin.com/

This is my first time on the Burger site, so I am not sure if you have rated this place yet...But, OH SOOO GOOD.

From A Hamburger Today

Five Guys Open in Brooklyn Heights

Awesome! Glad to hear it, Phauxtoe!

From A Hamburger Today

Five Guys Open in Brooklyn Heights

Wow,
Very good Burgers. Good Fries.
Its a great Hamburger experience!

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Throw some cinnamon in, too.

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Also made this for T-day '07. It was a hit and now I make this regularly. However, if you really want to mess with your guests... make this the day before. The chipotle heat intensifies after 24 hours! Reheat and watch the fun unfold.

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

I made this for Thanksgiving at my MIL's house (from a Gourmet recipe) and it got raves.

From Talk

Recommendations for knife sharpeners

Just so you know, a steel does not sharpen knives. It straightens the blade. This also assumes that the steel is harder than the knife. With many Japanese knives the steel is too soft to do any good.

From Talk

Recommendations for knife sharpeners

I've never tried to sharpen serrated blades. I found that the fancy electric sharpeners actually ruined the edges of my straight knives. I send them to a pro now.

From Talk

Recommendations for knife sharpeners

Google "Sharpening Made Easy" by Steve Botoroff.
He has a website explaining whether your serrated knife can be sharpened and how. Looks like a site for grinding pros, so unless you have a wheel, it might not be possible to DIY.

From Talk

Ketchup On Burgers...

This is too funny! I was just having a conversation over lunch today about how in Chicago, you can NOT put plain ketchup on a hot dog. I'm guilty of this however, as well as putting ketchup on a burger. Ketchup was made for both of them I swear!

Hillary
Chew on That