Gifted Gourmet

This is worth it because of the quality of Chef Scott Peacock .. cast your fate to the wind and give this to your cab driver: It is quite a meal .. check out their menu .. southern but very au courant ..

You might just want to check these reasonable places out ... and a few more ... As far as locations go, anything labeled "Midtown" is not far from Buckhead ... nor is the area called "Virginia Highland's" ... Buckhead is the home of many fine and expensive restaurants but I have tried to avoid those in this thread based upon your specific request.

Actually, it isn't particularly close ... but there is a ton of great food in Buckhead ... your local transportation?

I watched the episode tonight on PBS wherein Mark Bittman took on Daniel Boulud .. they prepared lamb dishes ... I was quite impressed with the format and participants .. very natural and educational .. especially Boulud's lamb chop kebobs. website for this series on PBS the episodes guide

California Dreamin' article: Creative Loafing Atlanta Tuohy goes on to explain some of his ideas on seasonal cooking which he employs at Woodfire Grill, many types of asparagus dinners, and his primordial wood grill ... this is a fine insight into an equally fine chef ...

Have you checked out (on the right side of the page)the finalists' journals? Quite revealing! and then there is the poll: Who will win? where you can vote and see the numbers for each contestant ...

I do .. and I found some in my local Buford Highway Oriental Farmers' Market last week... much pleasure at seeing this springtime treat! I have used them scrambled with eggs or fried with potatoes .. I sometimes use them raw or cooked in any recipe that calls for scallions or leeks and, because ramps aren't available for long, I sometimes chop and freeze them in air-tight containers for cooked dishes.

Mendel is a wine store at 218 Ben-Yehuda Street in Tel-Aviv that sells only kosher wine produced in Israel and internationally. Barring that option, Daniel Rogov has some ideas on his website but it is a 2001 list: list needs a bit of updating ...

I have to heartily concur with both of these statements, Chef Brock! and the latter actually makes one hell of a splendid sig line ...

We will hear from Daniel Rogov shortly, I presume.

As with a new restaurant opening, things do improve with time and experience .. to judge either by initial impressions is foolhardy ... if, as Michael says, it "gets stronger with each successive one", I am more than pleased to watch the entire series develop ... so I reserve judgement for later. I tend to believe that it has potential .. and I have personally learned new things already, even if only how to "finger a banana" to prepare a proper dice, as Ming Tsai says ...

Possibly both, and, at times, either one or the other ... no hard data here .. I tend to view this as something of a continuum with possible "sliding" variations, depending upon time and energy, interruptions, etc. One day, I find myself organized and very much into a mis en place cooking activity .. while I am more casual on other days ... lots of variables ...

Interesting sidebar: Part 2 of PBS' new show, "Cooking Under Fire", has an entire show dedicated to how the potential chef candidates decided to make up their respective mis en place presentations ...

Bet you will have a wonderful time in that area of Tennessee! Here are some opening options ... do click on any links which may please your personal tastes: Gatlinburg dining Pigeon Forge and Sevierville dining and, when you return home, hope you'll share your opinions and advice on where you ate!

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 Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week has as the lead article, Passover cooking ... while I would have expected it last week before the actual holiday began, it is still most appreciated for the remaining five days ... Not surprisingly, this week's AJC recipes include: Passover Peanut Brittle One-Apple Charoset Moist Baked Chicken With New Potatoes Creamed Spinach The other relatively new column which I now enjoy immensely is by the former restaurant critic of the Journal-Constitution, John Kessler: Lamb: Pare the fat, love the taste Kessler describes past experiences cooking lamb and offers up his most recent "find": Three-day Persian-style Lamb Kebabs .. and it is definitely all about the lamb fat, as the title of the piece says ... Atlanta Creative Loafing never disappoints me and the articles this week are certainly no exception to this rule: * Not Off The Hook Yet: Oceanaire's inconsistencies make for a fishy dining experience ... BY BILL ADDISON * Southern Misgiving: A trip to new Nancy G's, plus an encounter with Paula Deen BY CLIFF BOSTOCK * A bite of Big Apple pie: Taste of New York offers hard-to-beat, hefty pizzas BY CYNTHIA WONG * Mouthful: Margaritas * Chef's Table: Clothes Complete The 'Cue BY SUZANNE WRIGHT * Kitchen Witch: A Puckery Picker Upper BY KIM O'DONNEL * Food Book Review: Prime Time BY CURT HOLMAN * Corkscrew: Talk Tight, Get Heavy... How to speak wine-geek BY TAYLOR EASON The Charleston Post & Courier has a number of worthwhile stories to check out: Fish for the future 'Sustainable seafood' supporters want consumers to be environmentally savvy when then choose fish and shellfish. BY TERESA TAYLOR Wow! Talk about a marvelous article! Do yourself a favor and check this one out ...Other articles here include: * A journey to Fetzer's Five Rivers BY ANDY FELTS * Easy kugel uses yogurt * Here's the rub for some tasty, tender rib-eye steaks The Charlotte Observer is, as always, a true pleasure to read ... the articles this week include: * The reign of Spain: It's all about Spain. * Spanish pantries * JUST RECIPES: Spain * Humble peas and pasta (includes recipes) * Cook to cook (includes recipes) * 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 * Will syrah's taste make it a hot item?: Experts disagree about future of ancient wine Will syrah be the big wine of 2005 or does that honor go to pinot noir, still basking from its star turn in "Sideways"? BILL DALEY / Chicago Tribune * Suffering from cook's syndrome? This is something I have just spent an enormous amount of time discussing with a fellow cook and friend ... I always advise: only you will know how you wanted it to taste!" He always disagrees with me ... Thank you, Kathleen, for saying it so well, as you always do ... Charlotte Creative Loafing offers us a "bouquet" of distinctively different articles this week: * Wing Ding: Two local joints serve up tasty chicken treats by tricia childress * Cinco For Cinco: Celebrate at these Mexican eateries by tricia childress "The date 05/05/05 comes around only once every 1,000 years, right? That in itself is something to celebrate. Officially, Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican holiday to commemorate the 1862 victory by Mexico over the French." * My Mango Muse by kim o'donnel " From the summer of 1999 until summer 2001, I traveled to Barbados eight times. The farthest east of all islands in the Caribbean, Barbados was my growing-up classroom in my early 30s. There was plenty of romance," * It Sounds Familiar: But I can't put my finger on it by linda vespa * For The Splurge Of It: Wines so good you may even forget the price - for a minute by taylor eason Memphis Commercial Appeal has some terrific "reads" as well this week: * A new world market * Bring an international dish, jam the kitchen and enjoy * Stir-fry peas on high heat for bold taste * At last, two sought-after recipes from popular Dale's Good things come to those who wait. We've all heard that, and this time it's true. * Let your nose be your guide to ripe pineapple Q: How do you tell when a pineapple is ripe? What is the best way to store the pineapple, and how long will it keep? * Bring an international dish, jam the kitchen and enjoy Someone strolling past June and George Owens's East Memphis home last weekend could have suffered olfactory overload or, at least, confusion. * Artichoke: an edible thistle You might not have known this, but April is right in the middle of peak artichoke season. While available all year, production is highest between March and May. The Nashville Tennessean has some marvelous articles this week: * Steak out: Grill a big, juicy bite of beef to perfection * Grilling with gas comes naturally, too * A summer that sizzles By JIM MYERS, Staff Writer * Local authors back at it with cowboy, cupcake-doctor cookbooks * Finding Nero The Raleigh News and Observer offers its readers (and ours!) a load of great articles: * Clayton goes gourmet * 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. * Bread of love: For Greek Orthodox Easter, the braided loaves of tsoureki are a sweet tradition. * Homemade crackers have healthier snap: Many ready-made crackers are loaded with unhealthy ingredients. * Bakery puts icing on the cake: Could you please ask the chef at Once in a Blue Moon Bakery in Cary for his recipe for Buttercream Frosting? It is absolutely the best. * Wahoo! Grill up some fish The American Heart Association believes the positive benefits of fish seem to outweigh the risks. * TV host lives it up: Food Network host Paula Deen shares more special occasions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This concludes the Southeast Forum Digest for this week ... I want to take this opportunity to welcome eG's newest regional forum, the Florida Forum ... and its new host, Susan Burgess! Wishing her well and knowing that I will miss my reporting on such outstanding papers as the St. Petersburg Times and its food editor, Janet Keeler, as well as The Orlando Sentinel and its food editor, Heather McPherson. Have a great week!

Since beginning this "discussion", I find that I am consciously becoming more and more a mis en place type of cook! With this discussion forcing me to examine more closely my 'style', I leave less and less to chance. Casually creative now finds no one at home here ... Now? I am regimented and organized to a fare thee well! Bowls sit all over my counters, ranging from tiny to large ... measurements are handled with seriousness ... precision is my motto! But somehow, it all seems to work well! Wonder when my former personality will emerge ...

Sunday Brunches of note: The Boathouse on East Bay Grill 225 Blossom Poogan's Porch and a million more options! Enjoy!

It appears that we have performed the first long distance kosher l'Pesach mitzvah for this year here at eGullet .. wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles ... Thanks for sharing this bit of good news, Elie!

Special congratulations to my fellow state host(ess), Susan Burgess .. I see she is taking on both beer and hanging chads ... Florida is very much in the news nowadays and, sometimes, even for the food! Give brother Jeb a big hug and kiss for me ... count your ballots carefully, and, above all else, see that the rest of us get our share of Joe's Stone Crabs! a little bit of heaven, Florida-wise! Welcome, Susan!

A friend whom I consider an expert chef in Greenville, South Carolina, John Malik of 33 Liberty, gave me a packet of Hawaiian red salt after a meal I had at his restaurant. Needless to say, I use it sparingly but consider it a very special treat to use.

Much appreciate your explanation .. I tend to be exceptionally sensitive at times on such issues .. I did like the question as well as a great majority of the positive responses ...

None, really, Caroline ... my offbeat sense of humor ... But, this did cause me to do a bit of research on gefilte fish in more depth .. and I read this highly interesting article on the subject: When Hearty Gefilte Fish Kept Shtetls Stuffed by the Forward food editor, Matthew Goodman (no relation)

Jewish restaurants and the arrondissements

Before I went to Paris, I read this for a great deal of insight and historical background: the article from the Jewish Virtual Library .. but as to how updated the recent information actually is, I am still uncertain. While I was in Paris about two years ago, I visited Chez Goldenberg on the rue de Rosiers, a popular spot for spicy kosher-style cooking, and was pleased with the food as well as the ambiance. more on the area of the Marais and the Jewish population there

article from Slate Online Extremely interesting reading for anyone interested in this most basic form of seasoning ... What type of salt do you use? If you use a pricier type, is it worth the extra expense? Love to hear your input on this topic!