Does anyone know where in Manhattan I can find Arequipe, the caramel spread made by the Colombian food purveyor Alpina? Recs in Queens would also be good, but Manhattan would be awesome.

Thanks!

Does anyone know where in Manhattan a ham bone can be purchased? I'd like to prepare the traditional southern New Year's meal of black-eyed peas and greens, and I'd like to use a ham bone at least one of those dishes, if not both. I've made do with ham hocks in the past, and they work pretty well. But ideally I'd prefer a cured (but not smoked) ham bone.

Agreed. Note that many of those Chinese restaurants are entirely worth the trip.

I agree with the comments that you should get it to a simmer atop the stove before going to the oven.

But just to check, how comfortable are you that your oven is at the temp you set it to?

Uncle Nick's is low-key but serves very good food--on Ninth Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets. (For a spectacle, order the Saganaki--flaming cheese.)

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Uncle Nick's
747 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Another vote for Zoma--I do think it's the best Ehiopian in Manhattan. Atmosphere and location (close to the park) are additional pluses.

I love both Telepan and Picholine, but depending on what's going on a Lincoln Center, these two restaurants may overshadow the performance. Other lower key restaurants could be Cafe Luxembourg and (if not too far uptown) Tenzan.

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Telepan
72 W. 69th Street, New York, NY 10023

Picholine
35 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023

Cafe Luxembourg
200 W 70th St, New York, NY 10023

Tenzan
988 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022

We ate at Luke's Lobster the night we saw BBAJ. We enjoyed both very much.

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Luke's Lobster
93 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Can anyone recommend a reliable toaster oven or countertop oven suitable as a substitute for my regular oven?

With summer approaching, I am considering purchasing a toaster oven. I really like to roast and broil, but I hate turning on the oven during the summer because it just heats up the place something terrible. I have been reading a surprising number of "summer recipes" that involve the oven, and I have also just joined a CSA for the first time, so I am expecting to do a fair amount of cooking in the next few months. Reviews on websites are surprisingly mixed on all models, so I'm curious to see if anyone particularly loves their countertop oven.

I'll give Marseille another recommendation--very solid food, and I think you could get in without a reservation. It's not quiet or particularly elegant, but I do think it qualifies as romantic--or at least fun and romantic.

Also a nice spot: Mont Blanc on 48th between 8th and 9th. It serves Swiss and Austrian food and tends to have a lot of regular customers. For this one, I would recommend calling in advance--not sure what it's like at that time of night.

Using unsalted butter allows you to control not only the amount of the salt but the timing of when the salt is added. There are times when I want to saute things in unsalted butter so that the item browns better and moisture isn't drawn out of the food.

Sometimes I peel half of the cucumber--either entirely on one side or in stripes. Either peeling method makes an interesting bit of design flair when you slice the cucumbers.

I recently returned from a week-long road trip through Piedmont with a 2 night stay in Bra. We did eat at Boccadavino one night, which was very good. But the real standout for us in Bra was Badellino--absolutely delicious.

http://www.ristorantealbergobadellino...

I had dinner at Ristorante Mina two nights ago, and it was fantastic--an appropriate end to a ten-day road trip through Piedmont / Piemonte. Antipasti selections were especially wonderful, and it's nice to see Mina presiding over the place. Of ten days in Piedmont, we only spent two in Turin, and it really should have been more. Such a beautiful and interesting city, with very few tourists to boot.

Celeste (Amsterdam btw 84/85) offers good Neopolitan food at reasonable prices (cash only). A bit more pricey, but Bistro Citron (Columbus btw 82/83) is excellent classic bistro fare. La Mirabelle (86th, just west of Columbus) is also very good.

Where can I buy/find mayonnaise packets?

Certainly not the most glamorous post, but as economic times get tougher, I notice I'm not the only one storing my lunch in the office fridge. I'm trying to figure out a place to buy packets of mayonnaise so that I can pack them in with my sandwich and not have to have mayonnaise sitting on the bread for five hours. I'm curious if anyone knows any fast food places that just have condiment packages sitting out--that would seem in keeping with my newfound frugality. But I'm also perfectly happy to buy my own packets; I just can't seem to find them anywhere.

(Obviously, I could also just buy my own jar and put it in the fridge, but I don't think the economy has sunk to that level just yet.)

Any ideas as to where I can find fresh passion fruit in New York?

I live UWS and saw it at Fairway a couple of times several months ago, but no longer. I'm willing to travel anywhere in Manhattan, as well as to Queens (Jackson Heights, maybe?) or Brooklyn, but I was hoping to have a few targets before setting off on my journey.

Does anyone know where in NYC one can find Shasta?

I'm hoping to plan a cocktail party around the product, but I'd love to have it around the house just to serve my guests. "Can I offer you a Shasta?"