Potsticker How-To (with photos and illustrations):
Around for centuries -- the crescent form is said to have been popularized 1,500 years ago -- potstickers have become deeply ingrained in Chinese culture. . . There are hundreds, if not thousands, of dumplings in the Chinese repertoire. There are boiled jiaoze, basically a potsticker without the pan- frying. There are delicate Empire-waisted shu mai, translucent har gow, fluffy bao stuffed with a jammy filling of roasted pork, and countless more types. But as Martin Yan, Bay Area author, restaurateur and cooking show host, notes, the potsticker is special because of the contrast of a succulent filling inside and a crispy bottom outside. People also like the play of the dumpling with its dipping sauce, often a blend of soy, vinegar and a little chile.
London food critics have turned restaurant reviewing into a blood sport:
In their rush to be the first on the case, British restaurant critics forgo niceties common in France and the United States. They don't give chefs a few months to hit their stride, but instead show up on opening night, as on Broadway. They don't go incognito, but rather appear under their own names, often with a pack of friends, sometimes expecting star treatment. And if things don't go well, they relate the experience — or at least a very rough approximation of it — in prose that can only be described as a chef's worst nightmare: " `Would you like any dessert?' " Matthew Norman of The Sunday Telegraph wrote in a 2001 review, quoting the waitress at a London restaurant. "Ah, you're very kind," was his reported reply. "I'll have the Listermint and a large spittoon."
"When they walk in, it's terrifying," said Will Ricker, who owns four restaurants in London, including the trendy E&O in Notting Hill. "If they have a bad meal or they don't like you or they're not properly recognized, they will absolutely rip you to shreds. They can be so vitriolic. And if they really have a go at you, you think to yourself `What have I done?' "
NYTimes Diner's Journal William Grimes visits Matsuri.
Lockharte Steele on the just opened Public.
Cereal Box Gallery (via Muxway)