Gifted Gourmet

more .... and more ....and ...

Frozen novelty icecream ratings ... Still my choice remains Carvel Flying Saucers .. in chocolate, if you please ... Love any kind of an ice cream sandwich actually ..

the Saltpeter Principle

Had I known then, what I know now, I would have entitled this thread "Cork octopi -- not bats!" ... and then Sammy Sosa would have been spared much grief ...

Is this something new?? Starbucks chain hopes to broaden its 'concierge services,' including music, wireless, movie sales ... does this seem to be a smart move business wise? Are you interested in this extra amount of service or just enjoy their coffees? Or is this more of "you gotta have a gimmick if you want to get applause"? Gypsy revisited ...

Not only am I going to be up all night on this chocolate smelling baked potato thing, tomorrow I will do the experiment in my own oven, and then run up a long distance phone bill locating Shirley Corriher ... actually, I am sending her an email ... but she'll say "buy the book" ...

and the recipes say either red or white wine corks are fine ..

from Mark Bittman, October, 1999 ... the cork tannin softens the animal, as I understand it...

seeing is believing! this is just one of many using wine corks ... seems everyone does it .. even Iron Chef!

Thanks for saying that! I think it is always fun to find things people don't actually talk about and then get into a great, stimulating discussion! Where did they come from? you asked ... actually a number of sites .. some Greek, some Scandinavian, etc. I didn't do links for them because there were too many ... but if you use "food superstitions" as your search words, you will locate a lot of interesting ones! or there is this which will get you started: the link Fascinating reading, to me anyway!

Not in polite society anyway .... in a line from Mel Brooks film "History of the World, Part 2" ... wherein he is King Louis the 14th, and I will paraphrase his script, "you Google, I Google, and in a few minutes, you're gonna want to Google again!" .. funnier when it comes out of his mouth ... But I will stand by my statement that anyone who will be dining with a bona fide chef, ought to know that person's strengths and interests culinarily ... hence the website can offer that "sneak preview" ... see? back on topic ....

Certainly only Shirley Corriher would have the best answer to this .. but I think it has to do with the heated starches turning into sugars .. Nestles or Hershey?

agar to gelatin ratios .... mid page actually

Way I see it, Deb? Everyone needs to be "prepared" before meeting someone like Chef Cruz, and reading his website is the very best background one can get! Don't people today even self-Google??

Chef Juan-Carlos Cruz biography FN... and a little "background" as well but, even better yet, here is his website: cruzinthekitchen.com

Do you have any particular food-related superstitions? Are they handed down from family members? Do you persist in believing them although there may be perfectly logical reasons for the outcomes? (unless they are brother and sister, of course!) (The only reason I selected this forum for this topic, is that, upon reading jhlurie's definitive way to know where to post what, I saw the words "weird" and "strange", both of which made this highly appropriate!)

Rachel Perlow's pickle photographs are not only particularly pleasing to the eye but the selections at Picklelicious are positively pulchritudinous and appeal to my prurient pickle pleasures!! Thanks for the link, Jason!

Any more famous chefs beating a path to the Cognac domicile? We want full, unexpurgated lists and, until such time as we get them, we will camp out on your doorstep! Clinton booksigning in your den by any chance??

Chef Juan-Carlos Cruz? Calorie Commando?

When I visit my daughter who lives in the town where Bonny Doon is produced, I go to their tasting room and one of my favorites is his "Cardinal Zin" ... all of his labels are incredibly clever! Thanks for reminding me of Randall Grahm's genius for words and wine......Bonny Doon labels galore

I absolutely agree with you on this point! And, yet another addition to your thinking, I think we will see an entirely new appreciation of teas .. we are already!

Thanks, Milt, for this lead to the type of restaurant I am anxious to try! Actually spend a lot of time in Sandy Springs and will go by there shortly. I hope you will encourage Kevin Tran to join eGullet and post here as he has done on other local sites ... would love to hear his "take" on the restaurant business and what his newest concepts are on Vietnamese cuisine. His website is lovely and appears to mirror your "review" closely! Permit me one very tiny correction on Tran's website, Milt: Ricesticks website

I am merely the messenger who read and wanted to share this article ... that said, Craig, which rose wines would you suggest to someone with a desire to learn more about them and try them? I'd love to hear from you, in particular, for your opinion is well-grounded and an educated one as well ...

article in the Independent on rosé wines Does the summer make a difference in the type of wines you prefer? Are you a rosé wine enthusiast? How has rosé fared in recent times as a favorite choice? Still as popular as it once was back in the 60's and 70's? Or is it sooooo over?? Does the list offered in this article contain some merely adequate, rather good, truly excellent, or poor choices? Let us hear your opinions!

I will wager that indeed this city will not only be ready, but will welcome just such a level of dining with open arms. This is the New South and, as the posts on the eG Southeast Forum will cheerfully attest, we ain't just about 'cue 'n' sweet tea any longer. There is a thread by jeffj, complete with a photo essay on his dining experiences here in Atlanta: here I think Atlanta is actually on the precipice of a new growth spurt both business-wise and culture-wise. Restaurants and sports and entertainment will all compete for the dollars .. whether one will prevail over the others or all will reap success remains a moot point. Time will tell. But, after all, why would such restauranteurs sink this kind of investment in a city about which they had doubts??