Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

@skeetereats: Loved the crispy chocolate-coated cookie stars! And like Carey, I'd love to know where I can get more :).

Aside from the chocolate stars, my favorites were Alaina's Three-Way Gingersnaps (crispy, buttery), Chichi's Bizcochitos (a salty, lardy shortbread), and LeeAnne's Korova Cookie Remix (a salty chocolate shortbread). But swappers also loved Nikki's Cranberry Turtle Bars -- I saw Chichi spirit away a tidy little bundle ;).

@NoPunyNerd: Thrills! Good luck.

@sakewoman: Thanks for catching that! The entry has been corrected. As always, we appreciate the insight of our readers. But let's play nice, shall we?

@wookie, Remander, phatshanghai: DIY pho is the bombdiggity. And a dangerous thing, too! Because it might just ruin you to anything a restaurant could offer.

@tatianak: The day after we wrapped production, the weather turned warm. Curses! But pho can be eaten year-round, and in Viet Nam, you'll find people hunkered over humid bowls even on blistering days.

@Eaterlover: Oh man, don't get me tallying opportunity costs :). But I'm a-okay losing the billable hours because (1) a pho of just-oxtail is hard to find; and (2) the flavor and textural differences between a 4-hour stew and an 8-hour stew are startling. Most restaurants can't commit to production of the latter.

@지방kogi: Ah ... the smell of pho does trigger such specific memories.

@chriskobler: Your commitment to excellence is thrilling! You might also dig Shola's interpretation of this rustic meal.

Thanks, all!

@lizicle: The tart's fine at room temperature. (Served hot, the oil from the cheese can start to separate.)

@mookie: Cumin seeds work well, too. The seeds are just an accent so omitting them won't fundamentally change the flavor of the tart.

Thanks for these expressions of hot pot enthusiasm!

@hungrychristel: The last time I disemboweled a squid was 9th grade Biology. There's something really mesmerizing about the process. It takes a deft and delicate hand ;).

@hmw0029: I'll keep an eye out for kurozukuri. I'm intrigued by this jet-black pudding!

@erikachan: Nabe 24/7, yes!

Love this place! And looking forward to meeting you all!

We've since tried Manhattan Motorino to compare. What's interesting is while Motorino's thinner crust has a more pronounced char flavor, it's actually spongier to chew through. Not objectionable, but just not at all crispy. Motorino is also more heavy-handed with its cheese, if that's your thang.

Tteok! I'm in love.

Do you have any details on the electric ice shaver? Does it crank out a sufficiently powdery fine snow?

I watched a woman suckle these dainty digits at dim sum last weekend. She nibbled at each finger with such relish; I felt a little embarrassed to be spying. I shoulda given her more privacy.

Speaking of which, would you be interested in joining some of us for a Flushing food crawl this Saturday? Would be pleased as punch to finally meet you!

Oh, man. These off-the-cuff crab jaunts make me miss home!

I grew up in Florida so my crabby memories are of 5 AM car rides, Piggly Wiggly packs of chicken neck, and sand fleas and sunburn at New Smyrna Beach. With a family of eighteen (twelve cousins = cheap child labor), we'd haul home crab, crab, crab and bathing suits full of sand.

Once home, the catch was divided. Some were boiled in mix of spice and beer and the men and children would eat that first.

Our mothers would then handpluck the others to make Vietnamese crab noodle soup or bun rieu. Feast! Sup! Play! Feast! Summer was so exhausting.

With the top image, I'm suddenly reminded of the elegant inventory-style of Karl Blossfeldt.

Nice! I just bought a bone-in Surryano for my boyfriend's birthday, to compare it against last year's birthday Redondo Serrano from Spain.

We're just waiting to have a critical mass over to justify splitting the puppy open ;).