Not to state the obvious, but you really can't go wrong with lasagnas, vegetable soup or chicken soup or a hearty tomato rice soup, beef stew, stuffed cabbage, a quiche, muffins or breads - anything like that will defrost like a charm

Prime KO and Prime at the Bentley both have outdoor seating - Prime at the Bentley has the added benefit of an AMAZING view

how many people? i was at a beauiful bar mitzvah at prime at the bentley - maybe they would do a sheva berachot?

i can't stop laughing. it was a bad day, and i really needed this laugh.

Kosher delight on avenue j

i've always ony ever eaten dry salads. chopped peppers, red onions, grape tomatoes - and i'm good to go. sometimes i'll throw in some pickled jalapenos or chopped pickles, roasted mushrooms or eggplant, or hard boiled egg slices for a nicoise version

a capon is typically boneless - easier for stuffing and slicing, and very popular with caterers - typically served with a kishka or wild rice stuffing

Pizza shop on 55 and Madison - in the Sony atrium

I grill right before shabbat - keeps my kitchen cooler, food is fresher, and shakes up my repertoire somewhat. this week i'm doing veal chops and grilled veggies - eggplant and sweet potatoes and mushrooms.

i really enjoy the mushroom soup from prime butcher baker - it's the mushroom veloute that they sell at solo. it's pricier than canned and it's not 'cream', per se, but it's really really good.

ditto on the roasting idea - olive oil, kosher salt and a high temperature - sometimes i'll grill 'em instead. bacon bundled isn't a bad idea either -

I would love to have a cookout/barbecue with Ron Swanson of Parks and Rec. "I had two calves. My dad said I had to kill one of them to eat. I couldn't choose between them so I killed 'em both. And they were delicious".

fresh is always best, but if you have absolutely no choice, make it tomorrow o-

i have a wedding there in the summer - can follow up then :)

i usually do pancakes for the first night - kids love it

I"m doing arancini, stuffed fried mushrooms, mac-n-cheese muffins, cheese latkes - and i'm roasting up some broc and/or cauliflower for a balance to the heaviness

beer battered or tempura battered mushrooms, onion rings, asparagus? crostini with mushrooms or a mushroom-onion tart?

there's a kosher pizza place in staten island that makes pretty reliable fish and chips -

I've been there a lot and have never had that experience. The Sony atrium makes for a great place to enjoy the solo pizza, but i guess sony doesn't always take such good care of their public space. i'm going next Sunday with the family - i'll keep you all posted on the status of the atrium!

My mother loves coffee. Growing up I always thought that once I was an "adult" - an elusive stage that I thought I would hit at 19 or 20 - I would like coffee. I've tried coffee. I've tried it black. I've tried it white. I've tried it decaf. I've tried it flavored. I've tried it iced. I don't like coffee. Love the smell. Really, I'm happiest in a starbucks, sniffing away. Just hate the taste. Curiously, I love coffee ice cream. Coffee cake. Coffee flavoring in barbecue sauces. Just don't like coffee.

please offer up some feedback, tips, advice - etc.!

use it for cooking -

i'll sometimes buy interesting-flavored sausages, open up the casings, and brown the meat, using that to fill the taco shells. i'll also usually caramelize up some shallots or pearl onions, and roast some garlic

Yes to the chicken meat, and I usually put in some beef as well (marrow bones, bone-in short rib meat), sometimes turkey necks. I add thin egg noodles at the very end. No potatoes, yes parsnip and carrots and celery and onion (onion i usually remove before serving, along with the dill and parsley). No peas or corn, and no sour component (although I have made a sweet-and-sour soup, that is not my chicken soup).

I had high hopes for the Trader Joe's couscous. i thought that the inclusion of chickpeas and lentils would make for a food product that was not only tasty but texturally interesting. Everything kind of cooked to the same mushy consistency (excuse my un-ch use of the word 'mushy'). I cooked it the way that I always cook up couscous, but the chickpeas and lentils, rather than lending satisfying crunch, cooked to the same texture. It was tasty, but boring.

i spent time studying abroad, and i learned very quickly that a sandwich maker is a wonderful creation. i made turkey-tomato grilled sandwiches, nutella grilled sandwhiches, meatball grilled sandwiches - you name it, we grilled it. were they all quality dining experiences? i don't know if ripert or pepin would agree but we ate and enjoyed every bite!

they're open but questionably kosher

Prime Butcher Baker will ship meat, and they have duck breasts. I've ordered and shipped meat packages to people in california, florida, and texas, and it always arrived timely and fresh!

oh, i love the shuk! the smells, the colors, the very aliveness of the whole thing! know that whatever you bring home you will enjoy, if only because it will remind you of the amazing place you bought it in!

the new pizza shop in the sony atrium - 55th and Madison