Gifted Gourmet

Sadist! How I long to hear the intonations of the automated "Mind the gap" once again .... and then chow down on some frosty morning on a typical British breakfast? Oh for the bangers and baked beans and eggs and grilled "tomahtoes", thick oatmeal toast with a bit of marmalade and a cuppa hot, steaming English Breakfast tea! But, not a chance, here I am stuck in the hot and humid climes of Atlanta, Georgia, and becoming all misty longing for the home I so desire... but isn't autumn so divine for the creative cook?

so, do you give directions to your place? or must I rely on Mapquest? this all sounds too divine and I am sincerely hoping that you make this all on one day ... I'll be there! Delicious!

In my humble opinion, you might have gotten pretty much the same response had you asked it in any other season as well. I really think many of us foodies are programmed to enjoy fall cuisine which then culminates in Thanksgiving (the high point of gustatory excess...think "home", "family") and then moves into Christmas/New Years with their unique culinary delights, joys, festivities revolving around food ... Perhaps it is primarily a feeling of nostalgia and longing for "warmth and comfort" that makes autumn so popular ... or, from a more practical standpoint and ignoring "emotional response", perhaps nothing more than the fact that it is more pleasant not to add heat to the house by cooking for long lengths of time during the summer ... and running up a huge airconditioning bill (told you I live in Hotlanta!)

Can't tell you how much this validates my thinking! When everyone was brining their Thanksgiving turkeys all over television last fall (prior to deep frying them on EVERY channel 24/7!), I thought back over all the very salty Empire birds we had consumed without even using the term "brining" ... Once we bought chickens from a local kosher butcher and, upon eating one of them, I announced "hey, this isn't kosher! No salty taste whatsoever!" My husband was appalled at my surprising declaration, as was the entire community later on when the butcher had his "hechsher" certificate summarily removed ... seems I was correct ... and, yes, you CAN taste the difference!

I have very frequently contemplated just that idea with virtually similar results ... I try to run a "seasonal kitchen" myself .... ersatz Alice Waters, to be sure .... I positively treasure those first thin asparagus spears and fragrantly sweet new strawberries of spring ... the availability of juicy, sun-ripened fruits in summer, and a steaming bowl of thick sausage-lentil soup with crusty sourdough bread in winter .. or even a steaming cassoulet ... but, like you, I have a thing about the coming of autumn and the food I serve on those first cool, crisp days .... the marvelous apple dishes ... and my acorn squash brimming with its ruby, tart-sweet, cranberry-orange, jewel-like filling (looks superb on my Thanksgiving table!) ... Like you who lives in Austin, I live in a fairly "clumid" climate (hot, damp long summers) here in Atlanta ... and long for the snows of winter, but not the attendant shovelling and layered clothes ... thanks for this topic thread!

You're only half-Jewish, right? I'm 100% Jewish, though I have one non-Jewish grandfather. But the yeast version is the one favored in Israel, as well as the one made by Green's and sold at Zabar's. I have a fundamental problem with Green's rugelach, and any of the yeast based rugelach for that matter - they're pareve. This means they don't have any milk product in them, and as far I'm concerned, the best rugelach are dairy. actually, sometimes one has to have pareve desserts with a meat meal, if kosher dietary laws are to be properly followed That said, (audible sigh) all of the best desserts are always dairy and, preferably, made with real butter .... (second sigh)

I actually am in the process of writing an article on what the trends are in the buying and using of cookbooks today ... in fact, there are a number of conclusions to be drawn by publishers of the cookbooks ... And, yes, I, too, needed the "validation" this thread has so generously provided ... I own some 78 hardcover/softcover cookbooks .... please add those to your total ... I have stacks and stacks of "Bon Appetit" and "Gourmet" dating back to the 80's ... sometimes I have the courage to sell them to used book stores who want to buy them ... but, still more and more are piling up ... kind of reminds me of a line by George Carlin, to the effect that "we need stuff and then have to buy an new house just to hold our stuff"... Then, too, I have also begun to buy used cookbooks and, even more than that, books on food writing (which I am currently doing myself) ... every time I see something used online, I distract my husband while clicking on "Go To Checkout" and, when it arrives by mail, I feign ignorance ... perhaps it is a gift? I offer by way of explanation ... then quickly hide the invoice ...

since I made a large Greek salad for dinner tonight .... will add the dressing just prior to serving, I make the salad from romaine, tomatoes, red onion slices, cucumbers, kalamata pitted olives (now available here in Atlanta) and Vigo feta ... the dressing is all done in an unmeasured, to taste, fashion: fleur du sel salt, freshly ground black pepper, oregano, red wine vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, EVOO, and 2 cloves of pureed garlic .... I let that sit for the flavors to meld and then add to the salad .... most people don't add garlic, but everyone here likes it so I have continued to use it in spite of its inauthenticity ...

I really think the past episodes of "The Restaurant" might best be classified under the all-purpose (or simply perhaps no-purpose) term "irritainment" ... namely: "Irritainment is a word we've come up with that means something is so annoying, you can't stop watching it. Present all but that" from Wordspy.com

One of the nicest pieces I have seen was about "The French Laundry" and Chef Keller and it was a segment by Tony Bourdain on "A Cook's Tour" .... and, from that, I learned a great deal about Keller's concepts and remain, to this day, very anxious to visit TFL when I am in the Bay area. Reality programming could, with a bit of effort, be a little more classy, you realize ...which is what I see on "Into the Fire", for example, with their show on Trio ... but then there are those pushy, insistent sponsors to deal with ...

Legend has it that Emeril can only, and I do mean ONLY, do his own improv stuff and wilts completely when handed a script ... hence the disastrous "scripted sitcom" which tanked after 2 or 3 episodes ... He is at his best with a vehicle like "Emeril Live" .... unfortunately, he does tend to be quite repetitive in those shows but he is, at the very least, personable .... and, while he might do a show on "building" a new restaurant because it is what he does best, and is currently doing right here in Atlanta, my bet is that he isn't going to fall into NBC's Rocco-pit ... especially with those constant product placement things ... his agent would probably scream a resounding, "Are you crazy? You can't afford to even consider that as an option!" but then who knows? Stranger things have happened ...

Perhaps that little "zit" on his cheek during the closeups? I have clothes in my closet older than Rocco ...none of which is particularly significant in the overall picture ... his age probably belies his really fine cooking skills at Union Pacific which, in fact, did help to build his reputation ... the awards he got there were genuine and no doubt deserved ... all this other stuff will probably work against his public image but, in the long run, he may be able to overcome his newest, blackest press reviews, move on to other things ... however, will he be able to find a monied, wealthy backer who did not see "The Restaurant" ?? Time will tell .... Re: Tony Bourdain ... again ... Tana, I think he will be fine whether messy or clad in his best tux ... it must be those incredible vibes he gives off .... but, primarily his writing and cooking skills ultimately prevail over his appearance ... sometimes ... sex sells, it has been said ....

Ah...... Finally, someone who won't sell out ... and remains true to his vision of whom he chooses to present to the public .... Tony Bourdain, you are indeed not only an inspiration, but a "classic" every sense of the word ... thank you!

His age has probably less to do with his inclination to get into this program than the lucative offers extended by NBC, possibly even American Express ... then too, very possibly, some publicity agent probably told him that this was the "ideal vehicle" for him to become more widely known ... not his Mitsubishi ... in any event, he fell for the idea, however it was presented and the rest, as they say, is history ... coulda been worse, he could have been in a potboiler like "Gigli" which would have left him careerless but then he'd have JLo, about whom something appeared earlier in this thread .... ah yes, mediocrity ...ain't it grand? As Albert Brooks said in "Broadcast News", the devil will come to you, not in a red horned suit with a tail, but as mediocrity, and will slowly devour your soul, or some words to that effect ... I still remember that after many years ... mediocrity as the antiChrist ... hmmmm?

Bourdain ... ? Uh, no. I'll second that opinion, Jason! As much as we would absolutely cherish the idea of a Bourdain show, this just ain't his type of vehicle ... he is far too intelligent to put his name on something over which he is ultimately unable to exercise some large degree of control over the final product ... and I think he is a very wise person to maintain his own standards ... I think he probably manages the details of "A Cook's Tour" quite closely, and for that he has my respect ...

It would seem to me, and I am not in the business of television programming, that NBC is more than satisfied to "rest on its laurels" and declare "The Restaurant", as the French are likely to say, un succes fou .... witness the decision to look for yet another "vehicle" for food lovers ... and the general population as well ... For a summer replacement, it has done precisely what the objective was, namely, to find a viewing audience and "watch the numbers" to determine whether or not such programming is viable in the more competitive fall or spring season ... And as for the 'quality'? Not everyone is particularly concerned with that and to sell Coors, Mitsubishi cars, and American Express, just how much 'quality' is required? Truly discriminating viewers can always retreat to the "intellectual safety" PBS ostensibly provides... What may seem elitist to some is simply the reality of life today ... "reality television", no matter how crass and annoying, will remain until the numbers show it unprofitable, unsaleable, and the sponsors are off to yet another jackpot ...

and if this piece of nonsense (the stand-up stuff) is being included in the footage actually running... just think about what is "edited out" .... maybe it was an easy way to increase their 13 minutes of fame to extend to the requisite 15? ... just a thought ... and certainly not as profound as some of our cynical posters would offer up!

kinda reminds me of that recipe somewhere in the eGullet threads for Velveeta Fudge ... oddly enough, the response was rather positive .... when I crave sweet & salty tastes together, I opt for a spinach salad with a sweetish dressing and crispy bacon pieces .... luscious!

Wow! Not only prescient but a genuine "slam dunk" for those of us who either didn't recall this piece or, quite possibly, never actually read it the first time! Guess one need not be a Nostrodamus to see character traits early on ..... Thank you for locating this item and for bringing it to us for our deeper edification ... the Ruth Reichl comment rather echoes my initial humorous aside, made in total innocence. More to Rocco than NBC allows us to see? Very probably!

I actually do recall that "Moment of Zen", as John Stewart would say .... Would have liked to get a better view of the dish in question ... looked mushroomish ... but under red sauce, even Trojans look dubious ...

I guess this must be Rocco's "reality ".. and, to emphasize the point here, these chicks do love him (witness the one who joked about "renting" him to work for her! ) Wonder if Ruth Reichl would feel similar vibes about him? about the food? Very honestly though, wouldn't it be even cooler to have Tony Bourdain covered with lipstick kisses? Like he'd even let THAT happen!

Possibly because it gives the restaurant some cachet, some panache .... or just that the presence of these two reknowned chefs not "trashing" the food, lends Rocco's a certain touch of class (at least for those of us who respect their work) ... I know that they shook me out of my torpor and I really tried to focus on their conversation ... which was difficult with all the editing .... I think Eric Ripert should ask for royalties if the footage continues to exploit his appearances .... or maybe an extra Coors, which, come to think of it, was noticeably absent from their table ....

Actually, I think this was a more watchable show tonight ... with the exception of that piece on stand up comedians, which was really tedious, I found this episode less histrionic, less hyperbolic, less annoying than the previous three episodes. Fewer folks seemed angry and no one was hyperventilating .. and not even one Vespa in sight! Rocco's dealing with the three lying employees gave it a bit more credence ... the interplay between the exhausted grill cook and the female server who liked him .. also more real than the phony stuff on episodes 1-3 ... maybe I am just getting more mellow since it is coming to an end next week .. or maybe I have read enough on this thread to make these "characters" more lifelike, possibly even more sympathetic... I still miss Topher Goodman, however ... and the blackout at Rocco's? Heaven knows how that went ... maybe just the night off was needed by all, especially the mama! .... and the cameras ...

never thought of it that way heretofore ... but you are absolutely right!

I was in London some time ago.... some places I really enjoyed there: enjoyed a delightful dinner at Brown's on St. Martin's Lane in the heart of the theatre district (tube: Leicester Square)... good food and reasonable priced ... near the British Museum is the famous Wagamama (tube:Tottenham Ct. Rd.)kind of high tech noodle shop ... there are the delights of Chinatown, namely Lok Ho Fook on Gerrard Street, and Wong Kei on Wardour Street (tube:Leicester Square) but there are many great, not too expensive meals, to be found in that very small concentrated area. High tea at either Harrod's (tube: Knightsbridge) in one of their many restaurants, or, my favorite, Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly Street (tube:Green Park or Piccadilly Circus). I never miss high tea if possible! Coming from the small city serenity of Santa Cruz where everything is quite convenient (mostly on Pacific!), London may seem quite enormous and difficult at first sight, however, their Tube makes everything quite manageable and one can see how simple it is to move about with relative ease. Mind the gap and have a great visit!