Ask Martha: Difference Between 3 Hard Italian Cheeses

I'm saving this as a reminder of the difference between Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano! (Source: Martha Stewart Living Magazine, September 2021, p.48)

Oyster Ice Cream: A Thanksgiving Tradition Mark Twain Could Get Behind

Something to consider for your Thanksgiving meal. 
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

the salt (NPR's food blog)
11/23/2011

Chef José Andrés grew up in Spain, but he has embraced Thanksgiving as a window into American history. That's why the guests at his Thanksgiving dinner might be starting off with oyster ice cream.

Oyster ice cream was a favorite of Mark Twain's, Andrés explains on NPR's Tell Me More, and it shows up in Tom Sawyer. Now, the dish is featured at America Eats Tavern in Washington, D.C. That's a collaboration between Andrés and the National Archives, and is designed to explore classic American dishes and how they have changed through history.

Oyster ice cream may taste less peculiar than it sounds. The base is made by gently heating oysters and cream, "almost like you make the oyster stew," Andrés says in his accented English. "You will get that cream, with the beautiful oyster salty, briny flavor." Run it through an ice cream freezer, and he says the result is "this amazing oyster-flavored ice cream" – one that's savory, not sweet.

Oysters hold a prominent place in American food history, as NPR's Eliza Barclay has reported. New York City was Oyster Central in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, with oysters sold on street corners and at huge open markets. A dish of oyster ice cream topped with a single raw oyster on the half-shell "would be an amazing snack to start your Thanksgiving celebration," Andrés says. "That might seem very modern, but it is almost 200 years old."

Andrés also finds inspiration in Amelia Simmons, who wrote what is considered the first American cookbook, American Cookery, in 1798. "Many books at the time were copies of English textbooks. But she put her own take on those recipes," he says.

He is charmed by her "pompkin" pudding, a precursor of the pumpkin pie made with cream, eggs, nutmeg, ginger and mace. It's not unusual to see ingredients persevere through history, Andrés says. "But technique allows us to make recipes that are lighter, more flavorful."

Simmons also describes how to use cranberries to make a tart, rather than the traditional cranberry sauce. "The recipe is very simple, only three lines," Andrés says. Simmons strained the cranberries into a thick sauce, put them in a crust, and popped it into the oven.

And even though Andrés is a fan of turkey, he won't be serving it this Thanksgiving.  "This year, I'm making a baby roasted pig," Andrés says. "Traditions are there to be kept. But also traditions are there to be created. So I don't want to feel guilty, but sometimes, [it's] not only honoring the tradition of turkey but bringing new foods and items to the Thanksgiving menu."

Source:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/23/142669973/oyster-ice-cream-a-thanksgiving-tradition-mark-twain-could-get-behind

"Sex. Coffee. Two things we can't seem to live without."

"The Coffee Wars Get Recaffeinated"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhanlon/2011/10/26/the-coffee-wars-get-recaffeinated/

Interesting Forbes article on the coffee wars -- I love the last line which is the title of this blog entry.
Personally, I still love Starbucks as my 'third place,' but then again, there aren't any other options other than Dunkin' Donuts here in town (which is so sterile and uncomfortable to me).

The Next Thing: Nordic Cuisine

Reindeer Blood and Sheep Sorrel

Shrimp & Sea Urchin Powder

Trout Roe in Pig's Blood Pastry

Wild Greens with Dried Cod Roe and Sheep's Cream

Interesting dishes.  I keep reading about Nordic Cuisine . . . Chef Rene Redzepi (and his restaurant Noma) and Chef Magnus Nilsson (and his restaurant Faviken Magasinet).  There's a big story on Faviken Magasinet in the September issue of Bon Appetit. 

Below are a couple of excerpts from a recent New York Times article on Nordic Cuisine.  I wonder how the it will translate here in the U.S.  Does anyone know of a restaurant employing these ideas/techniques?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/dining/new-nordic-cuisine-draws-disciples.html?_r=3&ref=dining

The style of cooking is most closely associated with FoodCamp’s host chef, René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen. It is sometimes called “new Nordic,” although he and some other chefs from the region prefer the broader label “authentic cuisine.” It is earthy and refined, ancient and modern, both playful and deeply serious. Instead of the new (techniques, stabilizers, ingredients), it emphasizes the old (drying, smoking, pickling, curing, smoking) with a larger goal of returning balance to the earth itself.

Using rutabagas and whey; pine and juniper; and shells, hay, and twigs as its kitchen tools, it seeks to turn the culinary dial back toward the natural world.

Evidence of the Nordic invasion is everywhere, once diners know the signs: cellared vegetables, unripe fruit, conifers, buttermilk and whey; rocks, shells and twigs used as serving pieces; garden scraps like radish leaves, turnip tails and nasturtium pods whorled, piled and clustered on the plate as if by waves or wind. In the era of El Bulli, high-end plates looked tight, geometric, slicked-down; the new Nordic dishes have bed head, with artfully ruffled herbs and tufts of grass sticking out everywhere.

Pinkberry, Yogurtland​, Yogurtlici​ous, Yogurtini, Cherry on Top, Orange Cup, Red Mango, TCBY, Fresh Berry, Berry Berry

Interestingly, frozen yogurt has made a comeback is all the rage.  New places keep popping up, and I'm starting to get them all confused.  Yogurtland, Yogurtlicious, Yumilicious, Yogurtini. . . and then there's, of course, Pink Berry and Red Mango. . . and Cherry on Top, Orange Cup and Fresh Berry.  Didn't TCBY start it all years and years ago?

I saw the following article in the Wall Street Journal.  Interesting that the average ounces in an order is 14, and average check is $5.46.  14 ounces???  My husband and my yogurt TOGETHER are just a little over 14 oz.  Who are these people that are eating that much?  (I want to say something mean but am going to refrain from doing so.) 

My favorite Yogurtland flavors these days are Double Cookies & Cream, Kona Coffee, and Pistachio.  I always have to get Heath Bar as a topping.  Yogurtland seems to have the best price at about $0.36 per ounce.  However, I feel heathy eating Red Mango's yogurt.  I just had Red Mango this evening (dang it - I forgot to take a photo of the lovely and perfect swirl & cup), and the new mango flavor was delicious.  I recently learned that Red Mango has the BEST probiotics (they partner with the best scientists in the industry) that's much better than Pinkberry's.  There are some other things I learned from a source close to the company but probably shouldn't share, but they're all good things that make me want to support the company and eat their yogurt even more.

By the way, did you know that the frozen yogurt trend all started in South Korea?

Here's the WSJ article:

Yogurt Chains Give Power to the People 

By JAIME LEVY PESSIN

A growing number of frozen-yogurt chains are trying a new strategy to keep business hot in a cool economy: do it yourself.Some new chains—and some of the biggest existing ones—are letting customers portion out their own dessert, add toppings and then pay by the ounce. The idea: Snackers are lured in by the expanded choices the stores offer—and may end up digging deeper than they would otherwise."People are doing things on their own that they wouldn't feel comfortable asking someone behind the counter to do," says Tim Casey, CEO of Mrs. Fields Famous Brands LLC, parent of industry leader TCBY, which is on target to open nearly 100 self-serve stores this year.

With weight-based pricing, the average self-serve ticket is $6.32, compared with $5.61 at a traditional store, says a TCBY spokeswoman.Of the 71 frozen-dessert franchises tracked by research firm FRANdata, at least 17 have self-serve options. All of those chains opened in the past five years. For TCBY, the growth in self-serve is coming as traditional shops shut down. The chain closed 33 stores in 2010, and will shut 11 more this year, says Mr. Casey.Why the new focus? People want the freedom that self-serve brings, he says: "If calories are an issue or budget is an issue, they're in control."Make-your-own also eliminates waiting for employees to handle each order, says Natasha Nelson, co-founder of self-serve chain Yogurtini, of Tempe, Ariz. "The lines are out the door at night, and the lines move quickly," she says.

What's more, Yogurtini shops generally need just two employees to cover a shift, keeping labor costs relatively low, Ms. Nelson says.  Do-it-yourself does have drawbacks. For one thing, it can mean higher start-up costs for franchisees. FRANdata estimates the initial investment at about $277,000 to $521,000, compared with about $234,000 to $482,000 for a full-service shop. A large chunk of that comes from yogurt machines. They can can cost $15,000 apiece, and self-serve shops often offer more flavors than traditional stores.Another major expense is space. With customers moving around the stores to get what they want, self-serve shops need 1,325 to 3,700 square feet, compared with 900 to 1,225 for counter-service models, FRANdata says.Edith Wiseman, FRANdata's vice president of client solutions, says sticker shock may end the trend. Snackers love all the choices, she says. But "humans aren't known for self-control, so after loading up on toppings, the price shocks many consumers."

Ms. Pessin is a writer in New York. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.

Article: Must sign contract to secure dinner reservation?!?!

So what do you think of the policy?  You can see an image of the contract at:
http://dc.eater.com/archives/2011/08/15/here-is-the-contract-you-need-to-sign-to-eat-at-rogue-24.php


Here Is The Contract You Need To Sign To Eat at Rogue 24
Monday, August 15, 2011 by Eater Staff

UPDATE 08/17/2011: In a new interview with Eater, chef/owner RJ Cooper explains his reasoning and changes the dining contract.

Get your pen out if you want to have dinner at Rogue 24, because first you have to sign a two-page contract to cement your reservation at the newly opened conceptual restaurant serving only 24- and 16-course tasting menus in the middle of an alleyway. And if you're keyed up about snagging reservations at the buzzy new restaurant, don’t get so excited that you tweet about your meal in between courses or take a snapshot of your favorite dish — cell phones and cameras are explicitly banned during the three-hour plus long dinners. The contract states, “All guests should be able to enjoy the experiences that surround them at Rogue24 free of distraction.” Apparently, you can’t send out a tweet to chef RJ Cooper in his own restaurant; you have to wait until you get home and you’re released from your contract.

Beyond that, diners must agree to the restaurant’s cancellation policy and give up their credit card information. If reservations are canceled within 72 hours of the dinner (up to 3 p.m. on the day of the reservation), diners are on the hook for half of the check. Cancellations after 3 p.m. on the day of or showing up more than 30 minutes late for their dinners earn a 100-percent charge. Considering that meals run $175 per person for the full 24-course Journey menu with beverage pairings, forgetful and tardy diners can quickly run up a hefty charge without enjoying a single bite.

The contract also asks patrons to list allergies and dietary restrictions, commit to either the 24- or 16-course tasting menu and decide whether they want drink pairings. Oh, and this contract must be returned within 72 hours of making the reservation or the reservation is voided. Best of luck.
—Nevin Martell