Replies: 62 Unseemly Comments
If I am going to have an appetizer with a meal I usually like soup. Of course when I eat Chinese, the appetizers are often better than the main course. This does not apply to most fast food Chinese Restaurants but to good sit-down ones. Also when I eat Japanese I prefer an apatizer of Shusi. I generally cannot make a meal of Sushi, but I like a few pieces before tempura, tereakki (spelled wrong I'm sure) or sukiaki. Otherwise if I'm having a appetizer it's usually soup.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/07/2003 09:50 AM PST
I was 20 minutes late to work today and we're having a bake sale so I was really up against the clock this morning. I'll have to think about the appetizers topic, even though I am quite hungry right now. I also overslept (just like Bruce) and don't have time to write right now.
Posted by George @ 04/07/2003 09:51 AM PST
Well, I never! (Actually, I occasionally...)
It's been absolutely minutes since Bruce's Notes went up, and no posts.
Me, I hate to say, I am still busy catching up the time I lost to my head cold and the Broadway Conference here, so my posts will be short. But a complete report on the Conference is coming. So's Christmas. So's Brad.
Oh, btw, if you didn't catch Donald's appearance in Newsday, look at the end of yesterday's notes and click on my name.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/07/2003 09:54 AM PST
I love that Varese Sarabande has announced four new titles in its Soundtrack CD club for collectors:
Hawaii -- Elmer Bernstein
Beloved Infidel -- Franz Waxman
Magic -- Jerry Goldsmith
Return of A Man Called Horse -- Laurence Rosenthal
The first title, subjected to much speculation over the past six months or so, is both a blessing and a letdown. As a blessing we get a 75-minute presentation of the music as heard in the film. The letdown is that it is in monaural sound. Another blessing is that a second CD features the original stereo masters presentation of the LP release.
The others are wonderful titles fromt he works of their composers. We have "NEVER" had enough Waxman represented on vinyl or CD and this is icing, icing, icing.
Goldsmith is nothing if not overrepresented, IMO, but he has written so many magical notes of music, many of which are indelibly attached to specific films. For many folks, "Magic" IS magic. Goldsmith, himself, believes his work to be overrepresented. But he SELLS and makes other, lesser appreciated by equally good or better works possible.
Rosenthal is a marvelous composer and this title is among his finest!
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/07/2003 09:55 AM PST
WFO: "So's Brad." Hee-hee. I get it. :)
Posted by Lulu @ 04/07/2003 10:04 AM PST
LOL Bill Orr....
Appetizers? Who cares...where's the beef? I'm from Indiana, we barely tolerate breadsticks!
Now I am racking my brain...wasn't there a title tune for "Beloved Infidel"? What the hell was the lyric?
"Like the chiming of a bell...
My beloved infidel...."
"Don't fall into the well..
My beloved infidel..."
"Writing songs can be hell...
My beloved infidel..."
"Scott Fitzgerald doesn't sell..
My beloved infidel..."
Huh?
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 10:09 AM PST
I thought "fame" was the bitch goddess?
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 10:13 AM PST
And, yet, Jrand, there's the
delicious black bean dip from
that wonderful resort in Little
Cayman, the dip that stings
and soothes at the same time,
the dip that won't stay in bowls
at my parties. . . . breadsticks,
indeed not! Not here, not in
Little Cayman, not anywhere I
can remember. Breadsticks. I
roll my baby blues just
considering such an item. It's
black bean dip nearly (but
never fully, no, never fully)
overloaded with cilantro;
virtually CILANTRO dip, not
black bean at all. And yet. . . it
is.
Posted by Kurt @ 04/07/2003 10:19 AM PST
LOL, Kurt. Okay...maybe if I was ever invited to one your parties, I could try it.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 10:21 AM PST
Back after a couple days of
errant truancy. Was off helping
a friend move. I think packing
and moving are some of the
most unpleasant activities
ever, so I frequently find myself
helping friends do it, so as to
keep them from suffering
through it alone.
Well, I haven't had the spinach
artichoke dip of which BK
speaks, but I am quite fond of
a lovely artichoke parmesan
dip appetizer. Also love
pickled asparagus and cream
cheese wrapped in turkey. Or I
also love to keep it simple and
have a nice crusty bread to dip
in some herbed olive oil and
balsamic vinegar.
Posted by Jed @ 04/07/2003 10:26 AM PST
but. . . but. . . you were there. I
saw you. . . we talked. . . and
then Constance came in and
ruined everything. . . well
maybe not the black bean dip
(which did I mention I love?) It
was. . . uh. . . sometime warm.
. .
Posted by Kurt @ 04/07/2003 10:28 AM PST
BK, bad bad to mention food again. Unfortunately, I'm not really an expert on appetizers. Although I do love mozzerella sticks, and anything Chinese.!
Btw, do you know what, I have never tried a Krispy Kreme donut.
Jennifer
Posted by Jennifer @ 04/07/2003 10:35 AM PST
Jrand: You can't fool me. People in Indiana LOVE appetizers: celery stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter, Kroger-brand spinach dip in a big round hollowed-out loaf of pumpernickel bread, Easy Cheese on a Triscuit. You can't tell me that Hoosiers don't adore their finger foods! ;)
Posted by Lulu @ 04/07/2003 10:40 AM PST
Appetizers - My favorite one, especially the way it prepared at my favorite Greek place here in town, is "saganaki". It's the "flaming cheese" - they take a couple of slices of a sheep's milk cheese, gently heat it to melt it, pour Bacardi 151 over it, then flambé it. "HOPA!" Quite delicious on it's own, and with a piece of good bread. Some places flame it at the table, but I also like watching the server come from the kitchen with a flaming dish. Always seems to catch the attention of other diners who follow the flames to it's destination table wondering "Oooh, what's that?"
Other appetizers: Calamari - especially the Thai style at Legal Seafoods. Warm, fresh made potato chips with bleu cheese and tomatoes (this is from the same place that serves my favorite dessert). Tostones - fried green plaintains served with a killer garlic paste. Vietnamese spring rolls - fresh and fried. And good ole Sausage Cheese Balls - the ones made with Bisquick. Hmmm, hmmm, good!
Jennifer: Krispy Kremes are good, but, even though I love them, I will admit there are better. -If you're ever in NYC, check out the Donut Plant. However, eating a couple of HOT Glazed Krispy Kreme's with a friend or two is quite the social experience. And they do literally melt in your mouth.
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 04/07/2003 10:56 AM PST
Well, fellow dear readers, the world finally makes sense again. The cafeteria had Cherry Coke, my egg salad sandwich was free from eggshells, and that loser from my history class left me alone to go chase after the blonde who sits in front of him. And to top it all off, I have a Krispy Kreme doughnut and some Reeses Pieces in my bag.
Jennifer, you simply must try a Krispy Kreme doughnut! Your life will not be complete until you do. Are there any where you live?
Posted by Sandra @ 04/07/2003 10:57 AM PST
Kurt:
Cilantro? What about... things like being careful with your coriander? Oh, a Bruce's close personal friend Stephen Sondheim reference.
aka "Chinese parsley". Wonderful on sandwiches.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/07/2003 10:59 AM PST
And speaking of Greed, what about Stuffed Vine Leaves, sometimes calles Stuffed Wine Leaves? mmmmm!
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/07/2003 11:02 AM PST
Greed = Greek
I should learn to proofreak.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/07/2003 11:02 AM PST
Jose --- Where is the Donut Plant? I live here and never heard of it.
Re Krispy Kreme - I like them but they are not popular here. The one that was near me closed in a year; it was replaced by a bagel place which lasted even less and is now a store that sells dogs and cats at outrageous prices when you can adopt one elsewhere for nothing.
The snow is so bad in NYC today that we're closing early. Of course the woman who lives closest is the one who complains most and insists on leaving early!
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/07/2003 11:07 AM PST
Appetizers, appetizers. Here are some of my favorites:
Cold fresh seafood, such as a plate of freshly shucked oysters, or shrimp cocktail or king crab legs with a heavy-on-the-horseradish cocktail sauce.
Stuffed mushrooms (the more garlicky the better.)
Escargots, in the shell or en croute.
Grilled eggplant with goat cheese.
At a steakhouse, tomatoes and onions. (At Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, they serve this with a secret recipe dressing and it's divine.)
Caviar, dahlink, caviar.
The best appetizer I ever had was at a very fancy shmancy restaurant attached to a very fancy shmancy boutique hotel in the Berkshires. It was seared fois gras, served with a slightly sweetened warm apple concoction. The waiter recommended a glass of Sauternes to go with it, and it was a most splendid culinary moment, indeed.
Posted by Jay @ 04/07/2003 11:13 AM PST
Snow? New York? April 7? This is a belated April Fool's joke, right?
Posted by Jay @ 04/07/2003 11:15 AM PST
Oh, and chicken livers
wrapped in bacon. . . yes, yes,
I know, they have some sort of
faintly Asian-sounding name:
Miyoshi Umeki or something
like that. . . those. I love those.
Posted by Kurt @ 04/07/2003 11:22 AM PST
Jay---
Unlike Dear Reader Laura's baby, snow in New York today is not an April Fools' Day gag. From what I heard Chicago got it yesterday and it was the worst they had this year. You're in L.A., right?
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/07/2003 11:30 AM PST
Dear Reader WEL--
Guilty as charged.
Posted by Jay @ 04/07/2003 11:33 AM PST
I want to wash my hair in snow...an Irving Berlin reference.
Oh...sorry Kurt...THAT party. Oh yes, I was there. The party crashed by the Shadowape. Oh.
All these things. Lulu, I think you mean Indiana people love food on their fingers. Peanut butter on a celery stalk, spray cheese on a Ritz...yup. You can have your Calimari.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 11:36 AM PST
I do not know if they have Krispy Kremes in Canada. I've never seen one.
Btw, re: snow, they had said that Montreal was supposed to get 25 cms on Saturday. But luckily we only got less than 5cms. I hate snow. That had better be the last of it!
Posted by Jennifer @ 04/07/2003 11:46 AM PST
Kurt, I think you're speaking of Rumaki... yes, a delightful appetizer. A few potstickers or chinese dumplings sound quite yummy right now. However, a new delight is the lobster pizza appetizer from Red Lobster.
Posted by Angela @ 04/07/2003 12:27 PM PST
Lobster Pizza Appetizer? That sounds like a great Chad Mitchell Trio song.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 12:30 PM PST
Oh, and didn't Miyosho Rumaki win an Academy award?
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 12:31 PM PST
Miyosho Rumaki! LMAO!
Posted by Tori Tora Torah @ 04/07/2003 12:35 PM PST
Tell 'em we said "Sayonara!"
Posted by Lloyd Gruver @ 04/07/2003 12:43 PM PST
oh, hey, I don't think she mentioned it, but dear reader Susan Gordon will be at Fanex in Baltimore this weekend! Maybe those in the area can stop by.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 01:02 PM PST
Nope...no Krispy Kremes in Canada.
This is one of America's treats we intend to keep here only.
: )
We hoped Canada would keep pemmican out of the U.S. as a form of protest, but Canada obviously chose a different tactic and introduced pemmican to spite us.
: )
Appetizers: spring rolls, if done well;
Fried Buffalo Mozzarella with a piquant sauce (Italian style)
Antipasti;
prosciutto and cantaloupe
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/07/2003 02:07 PM PST
Favorite Appetizer - Planet Hollywood (when they were open) served a Captain Crunch (that's a cereal for all you people not in the know) covered chicken strips with a mustard dipping sauce. The sweet and the sour was just divine. Another would be the simple task of pouring soy sauce over creme cheese and sprinking sesame seeds on it and eating that with crackers. Very yummy.
Krispy Kreme's seem to be very over-rated unless they are WARM. That's really when they are the best. Although, I must say I'm rather fond of the creme filled (not custard filled) chocolate donut - which is almost like a Twinkie but without the long shelf-life.
Ugh, all this on the day I started cutting back on the carbs!
Posted by Matthew @ 04/07/2003 02:13 PM PST
Here is the link to Fanex...click my name.
HEY...that hunkalicious Edward de Souza is going to be there, td!
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/07/2003 02:15 PM PST
Not meaning to be contrary, but in fact, we do have Krispy Kremes in Canada. I had one just last week.
And I agree about them being overrated. Perhaps I need to have one while it is still warm.
FOREVER PLAID update:
Five of us at call-backs. Asked to learn "Three Coins in the Fountain", in four-part harmony. Tricky. I don't think the director could cast the show with the guys he has so far, but I have contacted four more guys (all very talented), and it appears they will be auditioning this week. If so, there could be a very strong cast assembled for the show. I will keep you posted.
Posted by Dave @ 04/07/2003 02:18 PM PST
Matthew - Your suggestion of
soy sauce over cream cheese
reminded me of one of my
all-time favorites... can't
believe I didn't mention it
earlier!!!
Pickapeppa sauce on cream
cheese. For those unfamiliar,
pickapeppa is a wonderful,
tangy Jamaican sauce
consisting of such things as
tomatoes, raisins, tamarinds,
onions, mangoes, and more.
Mmmm...yummy. Topped with
some toasted sesame seeds,
it's fantastico on most any
cracker, Triscuits being my
cracker of choice for this.
Posted by Jed @ 04/07/2003 02:50 PM PST
Soooyyyyyyyyy Sauuuuuuuce!!!!!!??
Posted by Judith Tremaine @ 04/07/2003 02:52 PM PST
Yummy sounding appetizers all. I just had luncheon at one of those trendy Eyetalian jernts - ordered a salad with chicken breast, and it was one of those awful things with all kinds of bushes that look like they grow in your yard, and about three strips of chicken - all very bitter tasting in balsamic vinaigrette. Blechhh on those places, but I suppose it was very dietetic. Now, where in tarnation IS everyone. Let's get some postin' goin' on, shall we? And let's have a nice big crowd for our live chat, since I've already heard from Michael and Craig that they cannot attend.
Posted by bk @ 04/07/2003 03:01 PM PST
Oops, for some reason the page hadn't updated beyond the twenty-seventh post. Thirty-nine is a much better number - just ask Jack Benny.
Posted by bk @ 04/07/2003 03:01 PM PST
Your money or your life.
Posted by Thief @ 04/07/2003 03:31 PM PST
Your money or your life.
Posted by Thief @ 04/07/2003 03:31 PM PST
I'm thinking! I'm thinking!!
Posted by Jack Benny @ 04/07/2003 03:32 PM PST
Take my wife--please!
Posted by Henny Youngman @ 04/07/2003 03:37 PM PST
I don't usually like appetizers since they fill me up and I can't eat my dinner. However, if we're at a restaurant that serves a fried onion roll, I will partake of that.
Krispy Kremes aren't half as good unless you get them fresh out of the grease and glazing. I am lucky enough to lives only a few blocks from a KK store that makes them on-site. I sometimes go there in the morning for a few doughnuts in the morning, but it's easy to overdose they are so melt-in-your-mouth good. And for someone like me with a serious chocolate addiction, those chocolate covered-creme filled ones are DANGEROUS!
Posted by Matt H. @ 04/07/2003 03:38 PM PST
Appetisers would be entrees here (and in the UK & France). I have never understood why the Main Course is refered to as an entree in north America.
I'll go for chicken livers cooked in red wine. If it's soup, maybe a seafood chowder or lobster bisque as prepared my favourite local eatery. (and I usually avoid seafood!).
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 04/07/2003 03:39 PM PST
Tom from Oz: Us North Americans is da KRAZIEST peoples!
Posted by Lulu @ 04/07/2003 04:11 PM PST
Oh, Don!
Posted by Jack Benny @ 04/07/2003 04:11 PM PST
Oh, Jack!
Posted by Don Wilson @ 04/07/2003 04:11 PM PST
*glug glug glug*
Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh...
Posted by Phil Harris @ 04/07/2003 04:12 PM PST
*growl*
Posted by Carmichael @ 04/07/2003 04:12 PM PST
I don't want to say my uncle drank a lot...but twenty years after he died - his liver won a Charleston contest.
Posted by Jack Benny @ 04/07/2003 04:32 PM PST
Twenty minutes to Live Chat. Be there or be round, that's what I say and say it that's what I.
Posted by bk @ 04/07/2003 05:31 PM PST
A rather wonderful appetizer, or hors d'ourve if you prefer, that I like to prepare is cream cheese and mushrooms. It's really a bit more complicated than that, of course. I take a box of mushrooms, plain white buttons will do, and chop them up fine in the food processor. This fine mess I then slowly cook down in a skillet with some finely chopped shallot, salt and pepper (sometimes a shot of cayenne), until most of the moisture is cooked out. This condenses the mushroom flavor. After setting aside the mushrooms to cool, I fold it in with soft cream cheese and put the mixture into a pretty bowl, which in turn goes into the refridgerator to chill and let the flavors blend. When it's time to serve, I get out nice crackers or rounds of toast, and let the guests put the cream cheese/mushroom mixture on for themselves. Amazingly, many people don't realize that it's mushrooms they're tasting, only that they like the way it tastes.
I still haven't made a decent egg roll, however.
Posted by S. Woody White @ 04/07/2003 05:39 PM PST
Come on in, chat is open.
Posted by bk @ 04/07/2003 05:51 PM PST
We are having a wonderfully lively and sparkling chat, but there aren't nearly enough people in the room - right now we are a mere eight and we need to be a mere more than that, let me tell you. Get your butt cheeks in there right this very minute or pay the price ($5.67).
Posted by bk @ 04/07/2003 06:26 PM PST
Fun chat tonight but where was everyone? BK wil be bitch-slapping tomorrow.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/07/2003 07:04 PM PST
I got there a bit late, but the
chat was sparkling as always.
And for those of us who stuck
around, even Craig and
Michael who were anticipated
no-shows turned out to be
yes-shows. See, good things
come to those who wait.
Posted by Jed @ 04/07/2003 07:53 PM PST
Goodness, no Morning Posters? What *is* the world coming to?
Had fun at chat. :)
Posted by Lulu @ 04/08/2003 07:10 AM PST
Lulu---
There is usually so little early morning activity that if I have anything to say I wait until the new day's posts.
Posted by William E Lurie @ 04/08/2003 07:39 AM PST
Hurrah. . . purchased my new
computer last night and spent
the evening in a mountainous
learning curve. I will be among
the attendees soon. really.
Count on it. At least to 12.
Maybe even 13!
Posted by Kurt @ 04/08/2003 07:48 AM PST
I think I mentioned in the chat that Mr Kurt was getting his equipment installed - so soon there will be another merry chatterererer...????
Lulu - what do you think ever happened to those dresses from Lovely to Look At? Do you suppose they just turned to dust and rags in the MGM costume dept?
Or did Debbie Reynolds buy them?
Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/08/2003 08:44 AM PST
