"New York State" news and stories

• By omitting the beef drippings from traditional Yorkshire pudding, Mark Bittman makes pillowy popovers.
• The Green Fairy takes a bite out of the Empire State: Cheryl Lins is the first distiller of absinthe in New York.
• The Southern Italian salami, 'nduja, has been dubbed "the spreadable Italian love child of pepperoni and French rillettes," and the "Lady Gaga of pork products."
• Restaurants are using different fonts, type sizes, colors and page placements to up-sell diners on their menu choices.

The Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a restaurant that was founded in 1988 in Syracuse, NY (now in three locations), by three bikers who loved barbecue about as much as they loved their Harleys, who picked up barbecue technique and recipes as they traveled through the Southern barbecue havens of Texas, North Carolina, Memphis and many other places. You'll find bikes outside, graffiti - much of it very clever - on the bathroom walls and lots of satisfied barbecue fans if you eat there. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse is a collection of the diner's best slow-cooked, wood-smoked and falling of the bone tender barbecue recipes.

To get an idea of what their food is like if you don't live in the area, take a look at their recipes of the month. To go along with the meat, there are plenty of sauces, including the spicy Mutha Sauce, which is a great base for many dishes, and more than a few sides, like salad and cornbread. There are tips for home and outdoor cooking, and the book is peppered with excerpts from the above-mentioned graffiti, promising a laugh or a smile on every page. As they say at the restaurant, "When life gives you lemons... add vodka" and if life gives you this cookbook, well, you'd better get ready to eat.

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As someone who's had the pleasure of making ricotta and usually keeps a hunk of double-crème brie in the fridge I can't possibly see why anyone would be opposed to a cheese museum.

Apparently New York State legislators and pundits don't feel the same way. When the state paid over $100,000 in 1986 to help create the New York State Cheese Museum in Rome, N.Y., many cited it as an example of pork-barrel spending. State Governor Pataki even came out against  "cheese museums" last fall when  talking about the budget.

As it turns out, the museum in Rome has been less than successful. But now $5,000 has been earmarked by the legislature for a museum in Cuba, N.Y. At one time the national price for cheddar was set in the town. Pork and politics aside, I hope this  museum is more successful than the first.

[photo: The New York Times]

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