If you are looking for spices by the pound, I recommend Sullivan Street Tea nad Spice Co. I just stumbled on them. Not sure how the prices compare, but it is the only shop in the City that i know of where you can get whatever amount of spice you want, so it definitely can be a cost savings. http://www.yelp.com/biz/sullivan-stre...

For my secret santa at work the person I got really likes Tabasco sauce (strong brand preference!). There are lots of fun tabasco gifts on their website (e.g. collectors edition bottle), but I doubt any would get here in time for our gift exchange. Any ideas for stores in the City that might have something?

strong rave for this. they also have a similar salmon--it isnt as good. the cod is great!

To save others from calling, Back Forty isn't doing a seder; they hope to re-institute it next year.

Just bought 3 cake pans (9") to make a layer cake. In the past I just used disposables. I was surprised that the pan's side were a little tapered--basically the base is 8" and the inner edge on top is 9". Will this still work for a layer cake? Should I return them and get the disposables?

We had reservations at Brooklyn Fare for my husband's 34th bday and decided the new price was obscene. So now we are thinking of going a totally different route, instead of super-fancy we were thinking of fun, but with great food. When we were in Vancouver on vacation we had some wonderful meals at Izakaya places. Any suggestions in NYC?

Margaret Palca in redhook offered me a great price for a 3-tiered wedding cake and her cake is delciious. but ultimately we just bought 3 cakes from black hound, their cakes are lovely and delicious--not wedding cakes but you said you wanted something more informal...

Thinking Eately might be a nice place to buy a food gift in the $30 or so range for my husband's aunt and uncle for christmas. but that place is overwhleming. any suggesitons?

or if you have a suggestion for something from limelight, or anyplace else in that neighborhood that would be great.

i think 12-24 on wet brining, a few days for dry. i love dry-brined chicken, so i will definitely be doing that for the turkey

good food for thought on the grate issue.

thanks. why don't you use the grate? CI recommended it so I was planning to. BTW I will be having a 12-14 lb turkey (some of the guests are vegetarians).

First time really hosting thanksgiving for the whole family (12 people!) and I'm excited, but have some questions.

1- Cooks Illustrated said we could just use the broiler pan, instead of purchasing a roasting pan (and then trying to figure out where to store it the other 364 days of the year): http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/ND99_ISturkeyroasting.pdf . I am planning this approach, (probably lining the grate with foil to catch spills), but am now getting paranoid that it won't work.

2- Planning to do this sweet potato recipe (someone on chowhound recommended it, it is delish!): http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/spicy_roasted_sweet_potatoes.aspx . Thoughts on whether all or part of it can be made ahead of time?

3- Planning to dry brine monday night, pat dry first thing Thurs. am, and then let it dry off in the fridge for a few hours, before heating the stuffing in a microwave (per Alton Brown) and popping it in. Do I then use time estimates based on a stuff bird or an unstuffed bird? Any reason this wouldn't work with gourmet's "turn up the heat" approach? http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s...
And finally, would it be better to give it less dry brine time and more air drying time, but drying starting Wed. night?

thanks all!

sorry i meant a dry brine--3-4 days is standard.

I would brine it. That seems to be a good way to keep a bird fresh for longer. Don't start the brine before Sunday though (3 days brine and 1 day to dry off).

liquor stores in NY can't sell ginger beer b/c it is not alchoholic. but jamaican restauirants (including golden krust) sell ginger beer.

nope it is gas.

Recently moved to an apartment with a smaller, older stove. My previous stove used to beep when it was preheated. I have seen probe thermometers that will let you know when a meat has reached the right internal temperature, but is there anything that i can put in my stove to tell me when it is hot enough to pop the pie in?

I am intrigued by this recipe http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/hea... from the NY Times for cornbread stuffing from last year. Especially happy because (1) it doesn't have sausage/bacon (one family member says no to pork) and (2) doesnt have chicken stock (another family member is a vegetarian, but somewhat flexible). But stuffing is really important to me for thanksgiving and I wonder whether the recipe is too low-fat. Thoughts from cornbread stuffing afficionados? If this recipe is not the one, is there another one you recommend that is pork-free even if it has chicken/turkey broth?

Thanks for your quick reply. I actually tried--and hated--Casa Mono. I'm sure I just got them on an off night (and it didn't help that my dining companion--my mom--doesnt eat pork). But hard to motivate to go back.

Just found a decent reservation time at Annissa so I think we will go there. Lovely space, gets great reviews, slightly more inventive and I think it will be a little less pricy too (same price entrees basically but at annisa they include sides). Went there a long time ago and still have fond memories. Hope I am not making a mistake cancelling craft...

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Casa Mono
52 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003

Have a reservation for Craft for tonight (just got the res, so have no guilt about cancelling with such short notice) for our anniversary. Looked at multiple reviews and it looks like the food is good, and I've been there for RW lunch and the food/atmosphere was great. But I am still having a hard time getting excited about this. Seems like they are not very adventorous.

I think I just am looking for something more unique. On recent big occassions we have been to Brooklyn Fare, Ko and EMP--all were amazing, and I have to assume Craft just won't live up to that. I don't really want EMP-level fanciness for tonight but something like Brooklyn Fare or Degustation uniqueness would be great--but I've been to those. Anything else along that line?

Or maybe something that is not new american--I love Tia Pol but that's too crowded and don't want that for an anniversary dinner. but I was thinking of Sala 19 but they dont have any reservations as a normal time. Anything in that vein?

Thought about the tavern at Grammery Tavern, on the theory that if I am not going to get my socks blown off maybe I should spend less $$ (and they dont take reservations, so that can work if we get there early enough). Thoughts on that?

The other issue, I'm pregnant so uninterested in places where wine is the real focus, or raw/undercooked food.

Sorry for the whining, must be the weather or the pregnancy!

thanks all!

[Edited to correct typos]

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Tia Pol
205 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Just made this over the weekend, using some (but not all) of montecoretiger's modifications. I used only 2T brandy, a little more than 1/2 lemon and added a couple tablespoons brown sugar to 1/2 c. sugar (not sure you could taste the brown sugar, next time i might add more). I thought it was quite good when it was first made, though slightly heavy on the sour cream. Two days later though I think it got better--the peach flavor intensified.

Heading to Sunset Park today and the board has been great about getting me excited about dumpling and banh mi and mexican. But what about roast pork buns? I prefer baked to steamed (reheats better I think). Any places to recommend?

thanks for the quick reply. i'll let you know how it turns out!

I am making this delicious looking blackberry buttermilk cake: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

And the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Does that sound like a typo or could that be right? Quick answers requested b/c the flour and baking powder have already been measured!

Bumping this to ask whether anyone knows if this place still exists and, if so, what their hours are and are they open Sunday? sounds delish!

EDITING MY OWN POST--is this the place http://www.obxconnection.com/Corolla-... ?

Second the midtown lunch reccomendation. on 49th street is good indian (indus express) and good chinese (forgetting name). there are also a lot of street carts that are better than hot dogs,

saw one at 2 little red hens a few days ago. havent tasted it.

Hatsuhana is the best--a little pricy but if you ask in comments they will give you fresh wasabi. they are on seamless.

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Hatsuhana
17 E 48th St, New York, NY 10017

How about some fancy chocolate? I havent tried it but johnandkiras.com are on my to-buy list--and there are lots of other good options out there too. That seems like a good all purpose gift.

Frijoles Maneados Sonorenses does sound delish--has anyone made it?

funny that we both asked this question at the same time! thanks striper guy for the response. i've made brandied cherries with sour cherries (no recipe, just put them in brandy) and they were good but not very firm, so i am excited to try your recipe.