Gifted Gourmet

More than likely, therese, she (not unlike many of us who read your extremely knowledgeable posts) trusts your culinary judgement ... she knows that your choices are made from experience and values that ... it is a compliment, to be sure!

Looking through the pictures in this exceptional recent thread on beautiful wedding cakes will probably get you in the mood for your big undertaking! Click here for Wedding Cake displays see pages 2 & 3 for pictures and then the eGullet bakers will no doubt offer you tips and advice to help you plan .. Welcome to eGullet and congratulations on your upcoming wedding! You came to the right place for the right people ...

Dinner at Watershed last night among fellow local food enthusiasts: marvelous! Tuesday is the night when Scott Peacock, the chef, brings out his classic southern fried chicken .. and many decided upon that as their entree ... to a person, everyone was quite pleased! I had the rare duck breast with greens, french fries made of salsify(?), figs poached in port ... excellent! My husband had salmon croquettes, creamy grits, tomato basil soup and was quite pleased. Dessert was a buttery pecan tart with a crisp shortbread crust: still dreaming of the flavors .. Very complete, full wine list rounded out the pleasures Watershed offers its clientele. I have to say that I will most definitely be returning!

One place to begin might be The CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council) website and possibly this : kosher lists from the CRC

Mitch, realizing that Sean Brock's place, CG, isn't an option, please consider these as possibilities ... fine, finer, finest dining options

gift from Hammacher Schlemmer Who would buy this item for $50? I found it humorous to even consider this .. how difficult is it to prepare hotdogs? anyone else? So, what food-oriented gifts have you either given or received that made you laugh? Or, by the same token, were items you loved?

That is basically the premise behind much, not all, reality television ... My only question is simply "when can we expect a change to something less reality based??" Soon, I would hope .. to everything there is a season, as the Good Book says ...

by way of explanation to your question ... even better: from CBS News

Entertainment is, as with many things, often in the eye of the beholder. I am no fan of wrestling nor of crashing drag race cars but acknowledge that there is an audience for many things I avoid scrupulously! Moi? Give me PBS television, a fine wine, and Mozart ...

How about something here? various options on different levels (price, food, etc.) links from Fodors Nashville Good luck, Gordon Cooks! Lots of great food in that city!

Wait a moment, Paula, are we blaming him for all of these things? Many people have horrific jobs for demonic chefs and don't do the things you have elaborated here ... and were some employees perhaps even better off financially for working for/with him? Would believe that adding the line "employed by Gordon Ramsay restaurant ______" would give someone a chance for a better job actually ... He cooks, he entertains ... remember the song from Gypsy? "You gotta have a gimmick" (if you want to get applause) ... his gimmick is acerbic hostility with a soupçon of verbal abuse rendered at high decibels ...

Of course, Eden, I considered it (with apologies to Robert Palmer! lyrics (out of nostalgia!)) simply irresistable!

This all reminds me of the intent of this humorous, yet real apparently,website: GPS panties ... Back to your comments, Deb: The children with special conditions often have parents who are considerably more aware of the foods those children ingest .. at least after the initial diagnosis and education with physicians about their respective diseases ... I taught a few Type 1 diabetics who had been trained about how to eat and, for the most part, I, as a classroom teacher kept things on hand for them if their blood sugar dropped ... the nurse was also well aware of each child and his/her needs ... but the article really seems to be focused upon kids in good health ...

Deb, while your point is well taken for a Type 1 diabetic (who are not typical of the general child population), the overall intent of this program (almost wrote pogrom! ) is to watch and monitor ... I really dislike this in all respects .. it shows a lack of trust in one's kids, and now with the drug monitors available in drug stores, it is quite a sign of the times ... I know that when "tightly monitored kids" hit high school, all hell will break loose ... has to come out somewhere ...

Is there actually supposed to be any learning going on here? I think that, for me anyway, was the biggest disappointment ... being abusive for the cameras, which was probably part of his "abusive persona", really left me cold ... Now this is reality in my book: Chicago Tribune review of the show

Is this not actually Simon Cowell but in a chef's jacket? More reality television with dramatic hamming it up for the cameras ... well, it is only FOX who loves the veneer of real life ... PBS show with Ming Tsai, Michael Ruhlman, and Todd English seems more "on the level" and well done ... actually, more real, and smarter ... and Jamie Oliver's show with the same premise at least realistic and human(e) ... I give it a resounding D- overall ...

You certainly got that right!!

Interesting personal note: seems that the foods that take one longest to prepare are the ones we seek to keep hidden to be consumed, and enjoyed, by ourselves because we know about the amount of effort that went into their production ... However, those poptarts are an exception, obviously!

Cholent recipe from Rabbi Ribeye the article: Cholent: Kosher Ambrosia, Spark Struck of G-d and, finally, the discussion (including my review of his actual recipe)

From a personal viewpoint, I am in favor of sharing and ordering a variety of things to taste ... but it also depends upon who I am with, because not everyone thinks that this is a good idea and some have their own idiosyncracies. Dish duplication as I have used it in my initial post doesn't carry any pejorative or derogatory meaning ... as usual, this is just my own insatiable curiosity!

I make any number of dairy desserts for Shavuot ... cheesecake among them ... but I dearly love eclairs and their half-sister, cream puffs with creme anglaise fillings ... Shavuot foods span myriad cultures makes for marvelously informative reading!

Looking for a light in calories, but tasty entree, and remembered about Asian lettuce wraps ... I would think that this dish would be great for hot summer days. The cool crisp lettuce makes a nice wrapper, and certainly won't leave you overstuffed like a starchy wrapper can. Lotsa questions: What meats do you use? What spices/sauces? What vegetables? What types of lettuce are best? Sauces for dipping them?

a translated recipe which looks simple and then there is this one in English

eggplant ...

That is exactly what prompted me to open this thread! Inquiring minds want to know .. and all that ...