Gifted Gourmet

A hearty and honestly felt AMEN, Sistah Ingrid! I, too, like it more and more over time ...

There are strict laws against throwing away perfectly good chocolate, you know! or you can send them to me ... that is my favorite kind of chocolate ... Cashew Truffles ...

article from The NY Observer also mentioned in this thread by bloviatrix. Must be good if gourmets like Mayor Bloomberg and Madonna are regulars ... but how good are their steaks really? anyone have a comment?

I love hearts of palm and had no idea of this "connection"! Thanks!

Tonight the show was actually quite interesting ... from PBS.org websiteThe discussion of how the fish were fileted and prepared and the buerre blanc .. all looked fine to me but the judges thought otherwise in some cases ... at the end was the French chef telling Mina that he, Mina, had overused salt ... to which Mina said that the French guy should never wear his sunglasses in a nice restaurant ... and, yes, I agree with the others here who find a half-hour episode far too short.

The friend, a chef himself, has decided upon the seafood restaurant in that area, Six Feet Under ... a well written, positive opinion by an epinion.com reader here here

tons of savory types exist! or you can make your own with these ... curried popcorn ... mmmm...

It does seem quite comprehensive to me as it stands ... several of the items are more appealing to me than others ... but this does stand out ... and while he mentions the Sacher Hotel's torte in Vienna, I was not impressed with it, dryish ... their coffee, on the other hand, was divine!ahhh, Commanders' Palace in New Orleans: their creole bread pudding souffle ... with whisky sauce poured on at one's table ...

Thanks, ladies, for the in-depth reviews! Knew Chef Brock could count on you to be straight about both places ... and Chef Brock, do fill us in on which you chose and how you enjoyed (or failed to enjoy) your dining experience ...

As I re-read parts of this thread (which has actually lasted longer than some marriages! ), I never found the word 'boring' ... I think everyone likes to wax nostalgic and relive the food served at their weddings ... if they can recall accurately in the excitement of the moment!

Here you will find the collection of digests for a number of media which are located in the Southeastern states. (Some do require a free registration to access articles) This week's Southeast Forum Digest includes, in alphabetical order, by city ... The lead article in the Food Section of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is Kitchen pantries are stocked with more choices from the Washington Post originally ... This is well worth the few minutes that it will take for you to read through it ... I learned some new ideas which I hope will make for better pantry-stocking in my home .. see how your own food pantry stacks up ... Recipes this week include: * Tuna, Sun-Dried Tomato and White Bean Salad * Provençal Fish Soup * Mexican Chicken and Rice access atlanta from the AJC has an article, by Meredith Ford, food critic of the AJC, on a local restaurant, Com Vietnamese Grill: This is enough to make me take off shortly and try one of their dinners!Atlanta Creative Loafing offers its readers several options to read and savor: * Green Thumb Thumbs Up's East Point locale has shorter waits, but the cooking comes up a bit short, too BY BILL ADDISON * Deli-cious Muss & Turner's in Smyrna raises the bar for take-home treats BY CLIFF BOSTOCK * Yummi Yummi Conquer the colossal noodle bowls at Yanmi Yanmi BY CYNTHIA WONG * Mouthful Artisan Cheese * Chef's Table Shaping the Chefs of Tomorrow BY SUZANNE WRIGHT * Fava on My Mind BY KIM O'DONNEL * Southern Spread BY BILL ADDISON * Drink Blindly Lose the labels, double your fun BY TAYLOR EASON * Hawaiian Munch Corporate atmosphere dulls the luster of Roy's innovative fusion menu BY FLORENCE BYRD * Gimme a 'P' BY LAYLA BELLOWS An update on the much-discussed Blais from CL: and we always do ... good luck, Richard, your loyal dining public knows your creative abilities quite well now!Charleston Post & Courier has a fantastic article: Moonstruck For the Atlantic blue crab, the soft-shell stage is part of an intricate mating ritual. BY TERESA TAYLOR and there are recipes ... mmm... Something quite new: from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this week Myrtle Beach Online has some incredible articles worth checking out ... * One fish, tuna fish A new campaign tryies to make the dish popular top sellers: Blue crabs. Spots. Croackers. Shrimp. Scallops. Salmon. Tuna. Grouper. Flounder. Tuna's hanging in there, but it's toward the end of the list. By Russ Lane * A biker chef's motto: Eat to ride, and ride to eat One of cookbook author Biker Billy's recipes, "Killer Curry," almost lived up to its name. Biker Billy, also known as Bill Hufnagle, who will be cooking and giving autographs... by Russ Lane, The Sun News * Sweet scallops great for summer A simple marinade and some smartly combined seasonings give sea scallops just the right backup in this recipe from Martin Yan, popular master of Asian cuisine, cookbook author and television food-show host. * Beach buzz - information for the days of our lives AC Nielsen, a market research company, released a report May 2 stating products labeled as organic, low- or no-sugar are the leading "tags" on food packaging ... The Charlotte Observer articles this week look like this: * A Finger-Lickin' Competition 51 finalists gather for national cooking contest by Kathleen Purvis, Food Editor the winning recipes! All of them look great * Why the chicken came to Charlotte * Recipes from previous contests * Grab an apron Cooking classes are hot and folks are lining up at a variety of places for lessons. * JUST RECIPES: Cooking class extras * An update on recorking red wine * WINE Limoncello not something you play * Pick-your-own crops If you've never ventured into fields to pick your own bounty, here's what you need to know: * Our extensive list * How to pick the best fruit, veggies * Storing what you pick Charlotte Creative Loafing articles this week: * Extreme Makeover: Dining in the dark by tricia childress * To Market, To Market: A plethora of produce by tricia childress For those who have moved here recently, we don't have farm stands or produce stands. We have markets. Local markets are located from Waxhaw to Huntersville and many of these markets, such as the markets in Huntersville,... * Fava on My Mind by kim o'donnel In the vegetable world, spring means the arrival of two high-maintenance divas: the artichoke and the fava bean. At first glance, the artichoke is a real looker. But perhaps like a beauty contest queen, she makes it... * Size Matters: How big are your portions? by linda vespa In the 2004 Academy Award-nominated documentary Super Size Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock spent a month eating only McDonald's foods, much to the detriment of his health. Perhaps in response to the film, McDonald's introduced a campaign promoting... * Drink Blindly Lose the labels, double your fun by taylor eason It's sad to admit, but our culture is polluted by marketing. We seem programmed by advertisements on TV, radio, and yes, even in the pages of the newspaper you're reading right now. Wineries are fast becoming marketing... Memphis Commercial Appeal has an extraordinary collection of articles, nearly all of which are centered upon the glorious barbecue phenomenon: * Smack, rotate, smack, toss. Quinon Day of Jackson, Tenn., competes in the hot wing eating contest. Doug Slater won. Not for the dainty * Leslie Kelly and Dave Darnell blog about Bar-B-Q * Leftover beef has a special place in this French dish * Barbecuing on the Mississippi 'Cues & A 's There was a whole lot of flesh on display at Thursday's opening of the 28th annual Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, but it wasn't necessarily pork ribs and shoulders. * Creole eatery puts stamp on old post office What a recycling job! Horn Lake's old post office is scheduled to reopen this morning as Creole Quarter, a New Orleans-style restaurant offering everything from beignets to shrimp creole. * Readers take their 'cue to sound off We asked readers to give a big hooves up to their favorite barbecue restaurant and got a snout full of suggestions. * Biting into Memphis's best barbecue Welcome to Memphis: home of the blues, birthplace of rock and roll, and center of the smoked swine universe. * The critics' picks Kelly's and Koeppel's top five Memphis barbecue restaurants. * Light your grills: It's the great pig gig Just how much pig will teams put away at the 28th annual Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest? * Just add smoke Today, we're going to chew on that burning question: What is Memphis barbecue? Oh, sure, you think you know the answer simply by virtue of living in the center of the smoked pork universe and home of the swine spectacular Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest * Veterans of pork wars Pete Gross is a seasoned veteran of the smoked pork wars, better known as the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, which kicks off Thursday at Tom Lee Park. The Nashville Tennessean has this delightfully delicious tidbit: Berry beautiful By THAYER WINE and do look at some of the current crop of recipes on this incredible fruit of summer! More wine-centered articles in The Tennessean include: WINE IN NASHVILLE * South American vintners raise a glass to Malbec * Spanish coastal white tastes great with seafood, pasta * Try Vouvray for a new experience * In with the Old; they go well with many foods * Grenache makes its way to New World wineries * Short, sun-drenched season benefits Washington chardonnays * Blended reds from Washington are good to go * Try dry Rieslings from Alsace region * Tart chardonnays pair well with grilled chicken * 'Sideways' doesn't realize the magic of merlot The Raleigh News & Observer artcles for this week look exceedingly worth your time in reading: * Salute opening of burger season .* Now is the time to go for the green This is the point in the year to start eating lots of locally grown produce. * Solomon's blessing * The Wine List Each week, a Triangle wine shop recommends wines in three price ranges: under $10, $10 to $20 and more than $20. Wines mentioned are available locally; prices are suggested retail. * With summer approaching, our appetites increasingly turn to sandwiches, salads and other light bites. Thanks to several new restaurants on the scene, our options are more varied than ever. * Sharing the secret of Nina's ... Dined at wonderful Nina's in North Raleigh last week and had a fabulous appetizer, Eggplant Saltiletto. * Juicy jewels from nature Strawberries taste great and they're loaded with nutritional goodness. Have a wonderful week and watch for more great reading from the Southeast Forum ...

Since this was the last place of the two at which I ate, I'd say to go with Joel because it was a glorious meal and because I love Joel Antunes' culinary abilities ... but then Seegers is a damn fine meal as well ... yo, therese and Food Tutor, this one is for you ... Have you been to either, Chef Brock? and if so, which struck you as the better choice?

I should think so! There are some bottles of this vinegar shown here but they make Joy parfum look cheesy by comparison ... Thanks for the vinegar expertise, andisenji, and for your photos of whatever the thread demands! You are amazing! Does a dab behind the ears make for sensual arousal, or what?!

Oh yes, sweet and smooth and luscious! Good alone as a digestif or mixed with a very fine olive oil as a dressing for a few, well-chosen, delicate leaves in a salad .. So very well worth the price and, if you read the press on the Minus 8 website, you will find recipes and all manner of kudos for the stuff! Go ahead and splurge on a bottle ...

I have the usual for friends and family: you know, balsamic from Modena, red wine, apple cider, tarragon, sherry, champagne, and a lovely red currant ... but for my nearest and dearest? Only the very best will do, namely the highly prized Minus 8 from Canada .. as smooth as butter ...

I rather suspected that, therese, but had to run it by the Atlanta eG people to see if I was missing something ... Captive audience at "the Ted"?

A friend of mine is coming into Atlanta and taking in a Braves game on the 24th with 2 kids ... They are interested in any recommendations for a family friendly dinner with interesting food. If you have some ideas, please share! Thanks!

Actually, there are an infinite number of reasons which might cause a lack of reciprocity... one of which has to do with the difference in entertaining styles. If one is a good cook who knows the ins and outs of entertaining, others might be fearful of trying to entertain someone knowledgeable if their own ability is only average. When I have people over, while I don't automatically expect anything reciprocal, however it is common courtesy to extend the hand in friendship to show one's gratitude ...

Although I can fully empathize and sympathize with your "predicament", Rogov, I have been the recipient of newfound joys, even pleasures which heretofore went unexperienced over the holidays ... how so? In looking for ways to leverage the newest technologies to create variations upon a theme ... how does that "play out" in a realtime sense? My immersion blender ... what can it do to pick up the theme of gefilte fish? Of charain? Can it offer a new dimension to my vegetables? My microplaner brings me various grated citrus rinds to pep up sauces for my entrees ... The Cuisinart Ice Cream/sorbet maker offers me different frozen concoctions to add to existing dishes ... So, the holidays need no longer be merely repetitions of the amidah, so to speak ... novelty is a reward I now anticipate with real pleasure ... no longer dread ... More kvelling than kvetching to be sure ... as for food writing about the themes of holidays? Most rabbis rehash, rework, sermons over and over, finding new passion to try some variations on a theme ...

Anchovies are kosher (provided that the package has kosher certification). Any fish that has fins and scales is kosher, and anchovies fit into that category.

more to see: Etiquette Schmetiquette: ever wonder about _____?, Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn!

Lonely Planet.comSo, what is the most exotic food that you have eaten when you were traveling? Of course, Tony Bourdain could say any number of things in response: the beating cobra heart, or perhaps, fugu ...

so were the judges ...

Here in Atlanta, there is an excellent French restaurant, Brasserie Le Coze, which has served much-praised Skate in Brown Butter ... here are some recipes which look quite interesting: from innchef.com Skate with Five Spices Skate Wings with Beurre Noisette

Tonight's show (or the one airing here in Atlanta anyway) had the contestants preparing a dish using their mis en place from last show and adding duck, sausage, and shrimp ... I enjoyed it tremendously! The potential chefs were interesting in their presentations in general, talked about "selling the dish", and the judges are less stiff .. everything seems to be "falling into place" as the show gets its sea legs and grows over time ... more real and considerably smoother ... pretty much as Michael Ruhlman had initially stated.