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Dinner Tonight: Spanish Potato Omelet

An easier way to flip the tortilla is to slide it onto a plate from the pan, then flip it onto another plate, then slide it back. I'm always terrified I will forget the pan is hot and stick my hand on the bottom of it to flip or something similarly stupid, using two plates solves this nicely! (And I'd rather have to wash an extra plate than drop the tortilla on the floor/burn myself etc).

joker at 6:18PM on 12/03/07

From Recipes

Cook the Book: Beetroot, Red Onion, Red Cabbage, Crème Fraîche, and Chervil

I don't eat meat (I'm a fishytarian) and the three meals I have had at St. John over the years are some of the most memorable I've ever eaten. I still remember a bagna cauda I had there 10 years ago! It's also a proper vegetarian friend of my Dad's favourite restaurant.

joker at 8:38AM on 10/24/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

For me it also depends on how strongly flavoured the sauce is - I'd use a much greater quantity of a light tomato sauce than I would pesto for example.

Also the quality of the pasta - if it's regular supermarket/cheap imported pasta it doesn't have much flavour to drown anyway - I use that pasta for when I fancy a ton of sauce and not too much starch, and save my De Cecco (which is about four times the price of Sainsbury's pasta here - I'm a student) for aglio-olio or something else where the taste of the pasta is much more important.

I guess it's different in England though - Italian-American food doesn't really exist here (except in the truly disgusting Frankie & Benny's chain) - most of the Italian food I've eaten here has been fairly similar to that I've eaten in Italy (although I suppose that might be an artifact of having an Italian mother so being a bit of an Italian food snob! I guess some of the "Italian" chains are less authentic but I don't tend to eat in them).

joker at 5:42PM on 10/17/07

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Spanish Potato Omelet

An easier way to flip the tortilla is to slide it onto a plate from the pan, then flip it onto another plate, then slide it back. I'm always terrified I will forget the pan is hot and stick my hand on the bottom of it to flip or something similarly stupid, using two plates solves this nicely! (And I'd rather have to wash an extra plate than drop the tortilla on the floor/burn myself etc).

joker at 6:18PM on 12/03/07

From Recipes

Cook the Book: Beetroot, Red Onion, Red Cabbage, Crème Fraîche, and Chervil

I don't eat meat (I'm a fishytarian) and the three meals I have had at St. John over the years are some of the most memorable I've ever eaten. I still remember a bagna cauda I had there 10 years ago! It's also a proper vegetarian friend of my Dad's favourite restaurant.

joker at 8:38AM on 10/24/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

For me it also depends on how strongly flavoured the sauce is - I'd use a much greater quantity of a light tomato sauce than I would pesto for example.

Also the quality of the pasta - if it's regular supermarket/cheap imported pasta it doesn't have much flavour to drown anyway - I use that pasta for when I fancy a ton of sauce and not too much starch, and save my De Cecco (which is about four times the price of Sainsbury's pasta here - I'm a student) for aglio-olio or something else where the taste of the pasta is much more important.

I guess it's different in England though - Italian-American food doesn't really exist here (except in the truly disgusting Frankie & Benny's chain) - most of the Italian food I've eaten here has been fairly similar to that I've eaten in Italy (although I suppose that might be an artifact of having an Italian mother so being a bit of an Italian food snob! I guess some of the "Italian" chains are less authentic but I don't tend to eat in them).

joker at 5:42PM on 10/17/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

I and 1000+ years of Italian food culture agree with Mario.

danmassaro at 1:01PM on 10/16/08

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Spanish Potato Omelet

I'd recommend adding a teaspoon or so of crushed dried rosemary, and ideally some Manchego cheese as well.

elleon0 at 12:40PM on 12/06/07

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Spanish Potato Omelet

hmm. there was supposed to be a link in there...
http://eieo.blogspot.com/2006/05/recipe-simple-frittata-for-small.html

jcherry at 3:44PM on 12/05/07

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Spanish Potato Omelet


Another variation that works well

jcherry at 3:40PM on 12/05/07

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Spanish Potato Omelet

I lived in Spain for a short while and the Mama I lived with taught me how to make Tortilla Espanol the traditional way. She showed me how to fry the potatoes and drain them. I think it is fairly simple and probably takes a similar amount of time. My recipe uses far more onions which add a different texture to the dish.

izzy's mama at 9:27AM on 12/04/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

Goodness. Too many things to read. I think that you're just not comparing apples with apples here. Fresh pasta itself is perfect, needs very little flavoring, etc. So Batali makes sense. Especially if you've had his cacio e pepe pasta.

Bittman is discussing what's good for your health. It's definitely an American school of thought. Pasta as one of many ingredients in a dish. Still, there are lots of delicious dishes w/ pasta that aren't pasta-focused.

suzin910 at 12:11PM on 10/30/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

Geeeeeeeeze! All this who-ha about Italian vs Italian American! You'd think either one was homogeneous. Venetian pasta and saucing is different from Sicilian, Piedmontese differs from Neapolitan... and where your grandmother came from shapes the tastes of your perception of Italian American. Hell, even Chef Boy-Ar-Dee (aka Boiardi) from your childhood (or worse, Franco American) helped shape your opinon. Some of you act as if your sophistication sprang full-blown on your 21st birthday.
Instead, isn't it enough to acknowledge that Batali has a bias toward AUTHENTIC Italian -- and more specifically, probably, Tuscan. Perhaps tempered by the Bastianich Istrian influences (which are sometimes in history Croatian.) And unless I miss my guess Mark Bittman's grandmother's pasta probably had its roots in kugel. And he adjusts his recipes to the (generic) American palate and to American obsession with increasing fiber and protein and reducing fats and carbs.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way. It just has to taste good. If not, the insinkerator doesn't really care what it tastes like.

capcooks at 1:36PM on 10/22/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

I say it's much like Chinese food with rice.

Old country style Chinese is full of strong flavors, fat and salt. It's delicious eaten in small portions with a huge amount of steamed rice. But modern American style Chinese is more a standalone dish that can be eaten with just enough rice to support it on a plate.

Potent pasta sauce full of strong flavors, and salty is to be used in moderation with a lot of pasta. But mild American style sauce can be eaten with just a little pasta added for texture.

peekpoke at 1:45AM on 10/21/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

But WHAT IS AUTHENTIC ITALIAN!?!?! For many people that is Italian-American cuisine, which is no less authentic its just not traditional italian. A plate of spaghetti and meatballs better be drowning in sauce and meatballs or else to me that isn't authentic. If I am making something in the tuscan or northern Italian styles than it better be only kissed with sauce or else that isn't authentic either.

chasgoose at 12:06AM on 10/18/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

Who the hell is Mark Bittman? He doesn't sound Italian to me.

My vote: MARIO BATALI

:-)

paris221966 at 9:58PM on 10/17/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

I totally agree with Mario and think Bittman's ideas are non-authentic Italian and cockeyed yuppy tastes. I've acquired most of my pasta cooking expertise from MB and truly feel he's got it right.

dariqueen at 6:37PM on 10/17/07

From Serious Eats: New York

Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?

I think C. Both are right because it is really a personal preference. Personally I agree with Bittman because when I eat it, pasta is my main course, filled with tons of veggies. I never really have pasta as a side dish.

kplays at 5:53PM on 10/17/07

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