Gifted Gourmet

I don't know how you tracked this article down but I am most appreciative, Joe!!

Usually, I find things that I need and want to use as I cook, but recently I have received some items which I least expected from my husband (now more diligent at seeing what happens in the kitchen): a beautiful knife block by Wusthof which takes better care of my nicer knives than the drawer I had been using, he picked up the tab on my Boulud santoku without questioning why one needed this item, and buying a new roaster for Thanksgiving which I planned to buy one fine day, which never seemed to arrive ... so, I guess, the answer is a resounding "yes" to how very supportive my family has been of my cooking obsession. My daughter even sent me the cookbook "Bouchon" last year! Now that is a book requiring more of a truss than merely light support ...

Bravo to the chef on a job well done! The photos are testimony to your devotion to the turkey roasting process from beginning to end .. thanks for sharing this experience, Russell ... no longer a "roast turkey virgin"!

Wasn't it a Jack-in-the-Box which had the awful publicity of having a lawsuit over the e Coli in a hamburger that some unfortunate person ate (subsequently died from)? I recall, at the time, that many restaurants were very careful in cooking their ground beef even more completely as a result. I learned about grilling the surface of a piece of beef well but that the inside need not be well done. When it came to ground beef, the surface is ground into the entire meat and can be full of microorganisms which are not good. Does this apply as well to Mad Cow Disease?

Ah, yes, Raleigh ... we have a number of great references (and even not so impressed reviews) of restaurants in the city itself and the Triangle as well: thread on Enoteca Vin thread Best Restaurant in the Triangle thread Review: Bloomsbury Bistro -- Raleigh(NC) Anything reviewed or even mentioned by our own Varmint (Dean McCord) will be a place well considered and personally tested by him! And he knows the foods in Raleigh quite intimately ... Thread on Mama Dip's

Have you ever made the RC Stuffing? .. not Ritz-Carleton, I imagine ...

Which is precisely what I plan to report back upon, Katie ... I think that this sounds more like something one can offer without apology .. and with complete confidence ... have ordered a couple of bottles from the website for Chanukkah ... and I very much appreciate this information, Bloviatrix .. will begin to look into buying a bottle of the Merlot and Chardonnay as well .. also for guests on Chanukkah ... Many thanks for these "tips"! Worse luck: Kedem sparkling Merlot and Chardonnay not online ..yet!

which is exactly why I was unhappy to read something which echoes your dismay, Ptipois ....

Thank you both, loiosh and Katie, for your links! and yes, I am most definitely going to place my order tonight! Both of these are considerably more appealing (no pun) than just the Martinelli's and/or Ocean Spray ... Does anyone else indulge in sparkling fruit juices, holiday or no??

I had quite forgotten about these freegans and their professed desires to save themselves from the evils of capitalism ... and how annoyed they made me in this thread last year ... now more sanguine ... from the London Times, November ... circa 2005 ... Case in point: Healthy diet, vacations, designer labels ... hmmm ...

I know that mulling has to do with using spices in wine or cider ... everyone wants a warm drink which has a bit of zing in the cold weather ... I know about hot buttered rum, but what of mulling different drinks? And there is something about the types of spices and how to tie them up in cheesecloth ... any ideas?

considerable use of lard in this savory recipe for Pumpkin Tamales

I wish that I could answer your questions on these in an authoritative manner but the article caught my eye, as well as piquing my interest, and I am hopeful that someone here at eGullet has more information on the topic ... anyone know more?

article from San Francisco Gate For a number of years, I served sparkling fruit juices to my guests who were either under-age or non-imbibers ... and everyone was satisfied ... always used crystal for this purpose ... stunning presentation made everyone feel that they were drinking "the real stuff." This year, I looked at the usual Martinelli's Apple and noticed that Ocean Spray has a Cranberry Sparkler, as does Knudsen who makes Sparkling Pear, Cherry, etc. At any rate, the pear and cranberry were "hits" with Thanksgiving dinner and I would serve them again in a minute ... very pleased. Do you buy these drinks for holidays? Which do you enjoy most? ever try these by Izze? Gavioli fruit sparklers?

Lucy, everything you do is done with panache and an eye toward perfection! I have enjoyed each and every moment of this blog .. you serve as a true role model for many of us .. I often find myself asking "How does Lucy do it?" when I make a large, more complicated meal .. beautiful, comme d'habitude! et merci!

article from Telegraph UK Is anyone aware of this trend, if it may even be called that? Is this simply the Telegraph's way of doing a bit of "sniping" at French cuisine?

I am sorry that the Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal doesn't offer all of their articles online free of charge but, should you be able to pick up a copy of the current issue from your newstand, you will find that in their "Cooking" section is "Secrets of Chefs". The WSJ polled some 60 chefs to find out which ingredients can dress up everyday dishes. Because there has been such a boom of specialty foods, home cooks can now get the results that heretofore only professional chefs could obtain. Examples abound! The article, for example, speaks about how, at WALLSÉ in Manhattan chef Kurt Gutenbrunner uses Styrian pumpkin-seed oil on dishes where he wants to produce a deep-roasted nutty flavor. Chef Roy Yamaguchi drizzles argan oil on sashimi and carpacchio. Nancy Oakes of Boulevard in San Francisco uses vin cotto, a syrupy vinegar which rivals aged, expensive balsamic but costs considerably less. The chart called "In Pros' Pantries" shows how many different chefs use different spices and oils, etc. to produce the effects they use in their restaurants ... Michelle Bernstein of Michy's in Miami uses zatar, a blend of sumac, thyme, sesame seeds, and salt on her roasted meats. Uses for verjus, citrus salts, truffle salt, alternative vinegars, etc ... Great reading! Pick up a copy of the WSJ Weekend Edition and enjoy yourself! I know that you will not be disappointed!

article from Smart Money.com Smart Money article from June, 2005 "10 Things your Caterer Won't tell You" Found this to be a fascinating article which you may enjoy, or at the very least, from which you may learn some new things ... some brief excerpts to begin reading... but take a look at the article ... After you read the article, what surprised you the most? The least? What did you know already? Will this affect how your purchase your meats from butchers?

I have made the following recipe and thoroughly enjoyed it: Turkey Hash Not only delicious but the colors of the bell peppers made it look festive, even when we consciously knew the holiday had ended ...

So, we have threads by members who were agonizing over the size of their turkeys for this year's Thanksgiving feast .. too small? too big? A Hummer turkey? Turkey hash? Turkey shepherd's pie? Pot pie? Eggs and turkey over easy? Where do we go from here? Your turkey leftovers? and, while you're at it, what to do with a lot of turkey stuffing which is also leftover?

There is some interesting information right here on the vinegar mother , Greg. See if it helps you with your ideas.

That's what Dave the Cook used to say about beets ... "life is too short to eat things that taste like dirt" ...and I won't try okra, based on the same idea ... never ever ...

The onions kept much of their color in the final dish ...

more here from the Chicago Tribune

Thought that I had purchased pretty much everything for tomorrow and now this!! Off to buy more crudites! Thanks everyone for these great ideas!