phantom tollbooth on tcm now.
"Soon after the election, the Administration began corralling the big liberal DC interest groups into a variety of organizations and communication networks through which they telegraphed their wishes -- into a virtual veal pen. The 8:45 am morning call co-hosted by the "liberal" Center for American Progress, Unity 09, and Common Purpose are just a few of the overt ways that the White House controls its left flank and maintains discipline."
murray! murray! oh, wait, this isn't the tennis page?
very excited to go (nytimes below)
Kajitsu
414 East Ninth Street (First Avenue), East Village, (212) 228-4873.
New Yorkers have recently embraced the animal pleasures of Japanese food, like pork-belly ramen and chicken-tendon yakitori. But now comes Kajitsu, an elegantly sobering reminder of Japan’s ascetic traditions. On entry, only gleaming wood surfaces and a naked slab of counter for the chef, Masato Nishihara, are visible.
“Vegan” is the closest term, though an inadequate one, for his shojin ryori, or “devotion cuisine,” derived from Buddhist temples near Kyoto.
The menu changes entirely each month, though thin house-made soba noodles are a constant. There are four-course ($50) and eight-course ($70) menus: the last includes dessert and hand-frothed green tea.
In each course, vegetables, from earth and ocean, are twisted and turned, salted and seasoned, spun and cut and carved into jewels, like a slice of sparkling aspic with tiny summer vegetables embedded in it. For saltiness and spark, it’s served in a pool of soy sauce seasoned with yuzu; tiny jun sai, a freshwater vegetable with a natural casing of jelly, also bobbed about. A tomato course (the chef is experimenting with local as well as Japanese vegetables) included poached tomatoes with dots of Japanese mustard, one cape gooseberry (a botanical relative) and a white swirl of noodles made from yam starch in a sweet tomato sauce.
Some were interesting and delicious; some seemed pointless. Occasionally, revelatory flavors explode in the mouth; a creamy soup of white miso and celery root, ornamented with a pink slice of radish, was a perfect dish. But others — notably the desserts, with their sticky textures and grassy flavors — will only mystify New York palates.
For those who mindlessly enjoy dinner rather than study it, Kajitsu is more of a curiosity than a canteen. But for vegans, and students of the endlessly unfolding Japanese food scene, it is a must.
Kajitsu
414 East Ninth Street (First Avenue), East Village, (212) 228-4873.
New Yorkers have recently embraced the animal pleasures of Japanese food, like pork-belly ramen and chicken-tendon yakitori. But now comes Kajitsu, an elegantly sobering reminder of Japan’s ascetic traditions. On entry, only gleaming wood surfaces and a naked slab of counter for the chef, Masato Nishihara, are visible.
“Vegan” is the closest term, though an inadequate one, for his shojin ryori, or “devotion cuisine,” derived from Buddhist temples near Kyoto.
The menu changes entirely each month, though thin house-made soba noodles are a constant. There are four-course ($50) and eight-course ($70) menus: the last includes dessert and hand-frothed green tea.
In each course, vegetables, from earth and ocean, are twisted and turned, salted and seasoned, spun and cut and carved into jewels, like a slice of sparkling aspic with tiny summer vegetables embedded in it. For saltiness and spark, it’s served in a pool of soy sauce seasoned with yuzu; tiny jun sai, a freshwater vegetable with a natural casing of jelly, also bobbed about. A tomato course (the chef is experimenting with local as well as Japanese vegetables) included poached tomatoes with dots of Japanese mustard, one cape gooseberry (a botanical relative) and a white swirl of noodles made from yam starch in a sweet tomato sauce.
Some were interesting and delicious; some seemed pointless. Occasionally, revelatory flavors explode in the mouth; a creamy soup of white miso and celery root, ornamented with a pink slice of radish, was a perfect dish. But others — notably the desserts, with their sticky textures and grassy flavors — will only mystify New York palates.
For those who mindlessly enjoy dinner rather than study it, Kajitsu is more of a curiosity than a canteen. But for vegans, and students of the endlessly unfolding Japanese food scene, it is a must.
if any of you use SIGG bottles, they are replacing the older models for newer ones bc of BPA in the old linings.
When should I be watching tennis Dave?
gmail down?
Lots of bloggers wank, but if you're looking for professional-grade meta wank, you must go to a professional.
floating weeds up next
Hurricane Bill? Whatever happened to that guy? Oh, I remember--nothing. Sometimes it takes a woman to do a man's work. Hurricane Bill, Bah. Or better yet Bah Hah.
I think there was a paper airplane thread somewhere.
it was either this or a bud light. ok, not true. theres miller lite and coors light in cans too.
with a tip from a friend I broke my usual Chinese spot(s) to try a new one and out in Brooklyn 18th Ave, it was fantastic Sichuan......the eggplant app and fried flounder main were the best Chinese food I have had in NYC, the cuke app beat any before, pea shoots same, only the chicken dish was sub par to Spicy and Tasty and Grand Sichuan to me....
its byob, we were the only gringo's, and I will be eating there more often, maybe we all go out one day....
Bamboo Pavillion 6902 18th Ave, open 3 years now
Voice Article
its byob, we were the only gringo's, and I will be eating there more often, maybe we all go out one day....
Bamboo Pavillion 6902 18th Ave, open 3 years now
Voice Article
top 100 indie restaurants grossed over 1.5Billion not up much from 2008 if anyone cares to know what they are its here
bruni q and a
Jeffrey, our butcher
sweet jesus
"UPDATE: According to Scahill (via email), Todd approached him after the Maher show and the following occurred:
Right as we walked off stage, he said to me "that was a cheap shot." I said "what are you talking about?" and he said "you know it." I then said that I monitor msm coverage very closely and asked him what was not true that I said on the show. He then replied: "that's not the point. You sullied my reputation on TV."
Media stars are so unaccustomed to being held accountable for the impact of their behavior -- especially when they're on television -- that they consider it a grievous assault on their entitlement when it happens."
"UPDATE: According to Scahill (via email), Todd approached him after the Maher show and the following occurred:
Right as we walked off stage, he said to me "that was a cheap shot." I said "what are you talking about?" and he said "you know it." I then said that I monitor msm coverage very closely and asked him what was not true that I said on the show. He then replied: "that's not the point. You sullied my reputation on TV."
Media stars are so unaccustomed to being held accountable for the impact of their behavior -- especially when they're on television -- that they consider it a grievous assault on their entitlement when it happens."
((down w/ Spoff))
Big Wine and an “Omnivore’s Dilemma” to Expose It
Hannah Wallace
August 20, 2009 Hannah Wallace
Thanks to the slew of recent books and movies about our food supply (led by The Omnivore’s Dilemma Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and Food Inc.), more Americans than ever are aware of where their food comes from and what’s in it. Readers of this column also know that mass-made juice can be loaded with “flavor packs” and concentrates from up to 12 different countries.
But what about wine?
This may come as a surprise, but most of the wine sold in the U.S. today has been processed and adulterated beyond recognition by corporate growers who are intent on maximizing profits. Is nothing sacred?
Over the last 24 hours, I’ve been devouring Alice Feiring’s excellent book The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and am quickly discovering that the wine industry in many ways mirrors the food industry. At many big wineries (both here and around the world), the life is processed out of the grapes even before they appear on the vines (with over-irrigation, which increases yield but also leads to shallow roots and extraripe fruit). Then, during the fermentation process, meddlesome winemakers add everything from industrial yeast, bacteria, and enzymes to tannins and microbial agents—all to “improve” the taste and mouthfeel of a wine, often so it will appeal to a mass-market palate. (OK: they also throw in these additives to speed up the fermentation and control the process. You know, to make the whole thing more scientific.)
Some winemakers are also brandishing hi-tech processes such as micro-oxygenation and reverse osmosis (also called “ultrafiltration”), techniques that allow them to further manipulate wines.
Fiering writes:
In today’s globalized wine scene, winemakers would like to make wine as standardized as possible. Adding industrial yeast to the wine helps. It ensures that fermentation will start and finish when the winemaker wants it to, not according to the whims of nature. This is extremely important when Costco is expecting its new shipment of wine from Gallo in April—plus, the retailer doesn’t want the customer to bring the wine back complaining that it doesn’t taste like last year’s model.
Today, there are hundreds of industrial yeast replicas, including one genetically modified strain that was recently approved for use in the U.S.
At issue here is not food safety or even nutrition (though I wouldn’t be surprised if organic, biodynamic and naturally-made wines turn out to cause less of a hangover and are proven to contain more antioxidants than their processed cousins) but diversity and complexity of flavor.
Feiring believes (and I agree) that these wines are uniformly bland and characterless—they are artificial, their unique terroir masked by the introduction of such “designer yeasts,” chestnut tannins, oak extracts, and other indignities. Often, as Feiring shows, scheming winemakers mess with their vintages solely to achieve a higher score from influential wine critic Robert Parker (which, of course, leads to a surge in sales). After Parker awarded Helen Turley’s rich, syrupy 1993 Zinfandel a whopping 95 points, for example, he started a trend that hasn’t stopped to this day. “The paradigm of a great wine shifted to one big, jammy, oaky fruit bomb,” writes Fiering. “And the whole industry adjusted accordingly.”
To me, the central dilemma with Big Wine is actually one of transparency. Though I can choose to drink wines that are made in the natural Old World-style, there is no wine labeling law that requires that GMO yeast, tannins, or bacteria (or new-fangled filtering technologies) be disclosed. Even artisanal producers have begun using these “scientific” techniques—but it is unlikely, as Feiring points out, that they’ll divulge them on labels anytime soon.
Part of the pleasure (and risk) of drinking wine comes from savoring its subtle flavors and the ineffable qualities bestowed on the grapes by the terroir, the weather, and the irrigation (and cultivation) methods. Wine made in the Old World style is alive—it changes from year to year and even, once uncorked, from day to day. It has a sense of place.
Feiring’s book is an Omnivore’s Dilemma for the world of wine and winemaking. I just hope it raises the same level of awareness and appreciation for Old World winemaking techniques as Pollan’s book has for polyculture and sustainably-farmed, honest-to-goodness food.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to seek out small producers who create authentic natural wines—people like Oregon vintners Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente, Jason Letts at Eyrie, and John Paul at Cameron. (These wines are at the forefront of my mind since I’ve just returned from Oregon. Know any amazing natural wines from other regions? Please share them below.)
Big Wine and an “Omnivore’s Dilemma” to Expose It
Hannah Wallace
August 20, 2009 Hannah Wallace
Thanks to the slew of recent books and movies about our food supply (led by The Omnivore’s Dilemma Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and Food Inc.), more Americans than ever are aware of where their food comes from and what’s in it. Readers of this column also know that mass-made juice can be loaded with “flavor packs” and concentrates from up to 12 different countries.
But what about wine?
This may come as a surprise, but most of the wine sold in the U.S. today has been processed and adulterated beyond recognition by corporate growers who are intent on maximizing profits. Is nothing sacred?
Over the last 24 hours, I’ve been devouring Alice Feiring’s excellent book The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and am quickly discovering that the wine industry in many ways mirrors the food industry. At many big wineries (both here and around the world), the life is processed out of the grapes even before they appear on the vines (with over-irrigation, which increases yield but also leads to shallow roots and extraripe fruit). Then, during the fermentation process, meddlesome winemakers add everything from industrial yeast, bacteria, and enzymes to tannins and microbial agents—all to “improve” the taste and mouthfeel of a wine, often so it will appeal to a mass-market palate. (OK: they also throw in these additives to speed up the fermentation and control the process. You know, to make the whole thing more scientific.)
Some winemakers are also brandishing hi-tech processes such as micro-oxygenation and reverse osmosis (also called “ultrafiltration”), techniques that allow them to further manipulate wines.
Fiering writes:
In today’s globalized wine scene, winemakers would like to make wine as standardized as possible. Adding industrial yeast to the wine helps. It ensures that fermentation will start and finish when the winemaker wants it to, not according to the whims of nature. This is extremely important when Costco is expecting its new shipment of wine from Gallo in April—plus, the retailer doesn’t want the customer to bring the wine back complaining that it doesn’t taste like last year’s model.
Today, there are hundreds of industrial yeast replicas, including one genetically modified strain that was recently approved for use in the U.S.
At issue here is not food safety or even nutrition (though I wouldn’t be surprised if organic, biodynamic and naturally-made wines turn out to cause less of a hangover and are proven to contain more antioxidants than their processed cousins) but diversity and complexity of flavor.
Feiring believes (and I agree) that these wines are uniformly bland and characterless—they are artificial, their unique terroir masked by the introduction of such “designer yeasts,” chestnut tannins, oak extracts, and other indignities. Often, as Feiring shows, scheming winemakers mess with their vintages solely to achieve a higher score from influential wine critic Robert Parker (which, of course, leads to a surge in sales). After Parker awarded Helen Turley’s rich, syrupy 1993 Zinfandel a whopping 95 points, for example, he started a trend that hasn’t stopped to this day. “The paradigm of a great wine shifted to one big, jammy, oaky fruit bomb,” writes Fiering. “And the whole industry adjusted accordingly.”
To me, the central dilemma with Big Wine is actually one of transparency. Though I can choose to drink wines that are made in the natural Old World-style, there is no wine labeling law that requires that GMO yeast, tannins, or bacteria (or new-fangled filtering technologies) be disclosed. Even artisanal producers have begun using these “scientific” techniques—but it is unlikely, as Feiring points out, that they’ll divulge them on labels anytime soon.
Part of the pleasure (and risk) of drinking wine comes from savoring its subtle flavors and the ineffable qualities bestowed on the grapes by the terroir, the weather, and the irrigation (and cultivation) methods. Wine made in the Old World style is alive—it changes from year to year and even, once uncorked, from day to day. It has a sense of place.
Feiring’s book is an Omnivore’s Dilemma for the world of wine and winemaking. I just hope it raises the same level of awareness and appreciation for Old World winemaking techniques as Pollan’s book has for polyculture and sustainably-farmed, honest-to-goodness food.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to seek out small producers who create authentic natural wines—people like Oregon vintners Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente, Jason Letts at Eyrie, and John Paul at Cameron. (These wines are at the forefront of my mind since I’ve just returned from Oregon. Know any amazing natural wines from other regions? Please share them below.)
i just cant believe how jaw droppingly distainful networks are of their viewers. they will throw endless promos for upcoming shows on at any time during a show and with ever increasing screen size right over the actors faces! i can only imagine they consider it justice for tivo users fastforwarding through commercials. on a related note, explicative filled emails sent to said networks may not make it past email censors and be returned posthaste.
california here i come
