Adams’ Ribs
Oct 18, 2008 | From the kitchen of Rose
We certainly have come a long way from the Garden of Eden! For one thing, we are no longer in a state of blissful ignorance and contentment nor are we easily provided with for all our needs. But lacking all that, and after generations of struggle, mankind must have done some things right as we were rewarded with Google?!
I use Google in innumerable ways and one of my favorites is whenever going to a new restaurant I love to see the reviews and other people’s comments on favorite dishes. Being in the NY area, the review I usually head for is the one from NY Magazine, written by Adam Platt. His reviews are well –written and reliable. This brings to mind a story of how I first met Adam.
The late Vinnie Scotto had just opened Scopa and Elliott and I were pouring over the menu trying to decide between pasta and grilled rib steaks. In an Italian restaurant the pasta always tempts me most but out of the corner of my eye I discreetly (or so I thought) viewed the magnificently charred rib steak at the next table at a slight distance from ours. The man enjoying it looked over at me, smiled, and said: “Hello Rose; would you like a taste?”
When he introduced himself as Adam Platt, I explained that it was the rib I was after not the steak itself. He offered at once to hand it over to me as he didn’t plan to nibble on it (or maybe he was just saying that and being a gentleman!). I told him I’d have to share it with Elliott as he too loves ribs, and to my utter astonishment Adam replied: “Oh! My friend Adam here also doesn’t eat the rib so that one’s yours too!” It would have been funny enough with one Adam and one rib but the amazing coincidence of two of each was staggeringly hilarious. I promised I’d someday write up the story as “Adams’ Ribs',” but I hesistated for a long time because it seemed highly fictional. But who could think to make up such a thing! So with apologies and trepidaton, there it is!
Incidentally, some of my favorite things in life are coincidences of which I’ve enjoyed many small and large. If you’ve read or seen the movie the Celestine Prophesy (which I highly recommend) you may look at coincidences less as some unlikely occurrence and more as being open to the universe which is a good part of its message and the way in which I now have come to view them.
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Bob Lagatta
10/23/2008 01:36 AM
It’s good to know that I’m not alone when it comes to writing articles about quality, good food. And I love sharing good recipes too. I'm into cakes and cookies so I'd better dig in those...
I’ll better check the archived posts from your site. Ciao!
http://www.technocooks.com
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Rose
10/22/2008 11:52 AM
miquel, something so similar happened to me and my brother years ago in gascogny. a very old man--i think in his late 80's--was sitting at the next table and invited us for an after lunch armagnac. he told us how he had planned his retirement around having lunch at andré daquin's wonderful restaurant every day for the rest of his life. sadly andré eventually sold his restaurant and is now head of all the chefs in france. an amazing family. his daughter is arianne of d'artagnon--a good friend.
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Rose
10/22/2008 11:49 AM
bill, i am wondering if those friends let you return home! everyone so adores that sourcream coffee cake, they no doubt will want you to stay on as their permanent baker friend!
i hope things are going better this week by the way. i'm struggling to catch up but very happy with the progress of the book--posting re the most recent phase to come nov 1!
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Rose
10/21/2008 01:44 PM
oh boy! i have a few more great stories of connecting with people in restaurants--one in paris if you can believe it. but they will have to wait til i catch up. need to post phase 12 book production--the mgm of photography week!
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John taylor
10/21/2008 01:35 PM
I absolutely love it when you can interact with other people in restaurants - it doesn't happen nearly enough in Washington (where I live).
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Rozanne
10/21/2008 10:29 AM
What a great story Rose! I love the title.
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Julie
10/21/2008 06:20 AM
Rose, what a great story, it made me laugh! Funny how New York can seem like such a small place sometimes, running into people and sharing food.
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Miguel
10/20/2008 01:20 PM
Hi all;
talking about sharing a table,,,,
feeling hungry one morning during my recent visit to Hawaii, and after pumping some gas on my brother's car I decided to walk to a McDonald nearby and well offcourse, where else in the world you can have a mandatory rice and spam in the McDonald menu. .. for here please,,,, got my tray,,, turn around,,, and .. well... unlike in my hometown where you can sit whereever you want, ,, in Hawaii I couldnt find a single empty table,,, I said,, dam ,, targeted an old guy, and asked him if I could sit besides him,, lamenting my luck..
well... the conversation turned out wonderful,, and afterall I was grateful to be able to meet such a nice old man.
evidently wiser, inteligent and more humble than me.
I guess I still have a lot to learn.
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hector
10/20/2008 12:05 PM
bill, I am going thru much work too, my flower shot still looks like the dumps, but I cant wait to see photos of your cakes on the forum!
my kitchen won't be reassembled till spring 2009, but I do plan to make cranberry chiffon pie and salty chocolate cake cram cookies for the holidays!
oh and this week I want to make bread on my induction cooktop as now I run electric and can't afford a bill over $50 a month. my freezer is completelly out of bread and I have been relying of luca's sent from hilo. he is in love with the Basic Sourdough Bread recipe and because this week he is working/living on Mauna Kea, he is going to bring starter and flour to his scientist quarters... it is going to be the real Mauna Kea bread.
bake your life away.
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Bill
10/20/2008 08:49 AM
Rose:
I loved reading this piece. One of the things I love about the space problem in New York restaurants is that I've often met some very interesting people due to the close proximity of the tables. I've never shared food with people at the next table (I'm just too shy for something like that)...but with your warmth and celebrity, I can see how it could happen. Thanks for sharing this story, it brought a smile to my face during a little stressful period that I'm going through. By the way, I will be visiting friends on the Jersey Shore this weekend and I will be bringing them a Sourcream Coffee cake for breakfast, and a Chocolate fudge cake iced with White Chocolate Mousseline Buttercream (their favorite dessert)for dinner. I will be doing all of the baking Thursday night and anticipate another 2 AM evening as I scrape buttercream out of the grout of my kitchen floor (I'm a sloppy baker). I also wanted to let you know that I had my first "professional" baking job...LOL. I was asked by one of my co-workers at the hospital to bake the cake for her parents' anniversary party. Stayed up really late to get this one done... In my obsessive/compulsive way, all the piping needed to be PERFECT...I got an e-mail from her that the cake was a HUGE hit, and thanked me profusely. It made me really feel great (and ofncourse the extra cash is always welcome). Once again, thanks for your wonderful books. I could have never learned to bake like this without them.
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hector
10/19/2008 08:44 PM
Luca has made me behave with manners at the dinner table you won't believe people still follow. On my first trip to Italy, I had the most uncomfortable and unfair policy during meals: no sharing, no asking for changes or substitutions on the menu, no looking around, no public photography, no standing up to help, and no doggie bag!
On my second trip, I gave months of advanced notice that I will be the food paparazzi, so I changed the above 'no' into 'yes.' We all had a blast, and I didn't gain as much weight!
I have to take you to my Mom's favorite dimsum place, a small restaurant where you often have to share your table with others due to space! Heavenly cakes!
For the love of our food profession, food is always above manners.
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Back from Switzerland--Well...Almost!