mikeycook

Jim, Excellent posting. Thanks for all of the notes. I will definitely be hunting for more special cuvees of the top crus.

Back to the question about size of bird, it is important to note that turkeys over a given size will not fit into the fryer. I prefer 12-14 pounds, but have done as large as 18. Stuffing is done separately, in the oven. No brining (as much as I have had some good brined turkeys, I have never found it necessary with a fresh, fried turkey, although it can be done).

Balthazar's Red by the Glass Cabernet de Touraine Clos Roche-Blanche ‘03 Bourgogne Passetoutgrain “Les Champs de l’Abbaye” A & I Hasard ‘02 Nuits-St-Georges “Les Trois Bouquets” J Pochet ‘02 Chinon “Les Granges” B Baudry ‘04 Fronsac La Sacristie de la Vieille Cure ‘00 St-Émilion “Cuvée Balthazar” Château Franc Lartigue ‘01 Graves Château Olivier ‘96 Syrah, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes “Sotanum” Les Vins de Vienne - Cuilleron, Gaillard & Villard ‘02 Carafes CRU BEAUJOLAIS“Régnié” J Rochette ‘01 CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE-VILLAGESVal Bruyére ‘03

Patrick, I found that it is hard to cut through, but if you wait until it is completely cool at room temperature, it is not terrible. I was going to refrigerate it first, but was afaid it would not cut cleanly. I tried the knife sprayed with Pam and without and it didn't seem to make a difference. Made 2 batches, one dipped in chocolate, one not. I started the honey much earlier this time and watched the temperature. I think the honey was at around 250 when I put it in. It made a huge difference in how well the stuff held together. I do still find that if you leave them out at room temperature for a few hours, they begin to sag slightly, but my apartment might have been running kind of hot last night. I poured each batch into a 9x9 brownie pan lined with parchment sprayed with Pam and that seems to give it the right thickness. Then I put another piece of sprayed parchment on the cutting board and flipped the batch onto it. Then I cut it into 8 long strips and cut each strip in 3. I think next time it might be worth trimming the edges so each you can see almonds and pistachios all the way around. I am going to try my next batch with lavender honey, although I would also like to figure out if tupelo honey is a good or bad idea.

I have noticed that the biggest difference between brasseries in France and the ones that have been recreated in the U.S. is that Beaujolais plays a larger role on most of the french menus. The standard "red by the glass" is usually a Beaujolais (like a Morgon) with multiple other beaujolais usually available by the glass. In the U.S., even in brasseries, you would be lucky to find one Beaujolais by the glass and maybe a few on the wine list. Even french wines by the glass are much more commonly a Bourgogne or from the Loire than Beaujolais. Even Balthazar, perhaps the epitome of recreating the french brasserie in the U.S. serves no Beaujolais by the glass (they have one by the carafe and five by the bottle... they have 18 Loire by the bottle by contrast). On our last trip to Paris, we ate primarily in brasseries and I tried to have a number of quality beaujolais. We had special cuvees from both Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent and were surprised at how delicious they were and what a great compliment they were to a lot of basic foods. I am far from a wine newbie, but somehow Beaujolais (outside of the Nouveau) was not on my mental radar as something good to drink. (It has subsequently found its way only my Thanksgiving menu). I recently noticed some bus stop advertising in New York promoting Beaujolais and was wondering if it was having any effect. In reality, very good Beaujolais are at a great price point to make them attractive in restaurants. Are eGulleteers drinking more Beaujolais these days? Do you think drinking Beaujolais Nouveau (and not liking it) has biased many wine drinking Americans (like me) against trying its better cousins?

I have an eating trip that I have wanted to take for quite a while, but haven't yet found the right time. It would cover the Northeast corner of Spain and Southwest France. Would probably land in Barcelona and spend a couple of days eating, take a day south in Priorat, travel north up the Costa Brava through Girona, Figueres, etc. to Perpignan. From Perignan, west to Toulouse, then probably west-northwest on backrounds through Dordogne (eating as often as possible) and eventually to the coast and down to Bayonne/Biarritz area. From there, south through the french, then spanish, Basque country to San Sabastian. Spend a couple days eating in San Sebastian, then go further west to Bilbao. Finally, east through Pamplona and Zaragoza and ending up back in Barcelona. Probably couldn't do all that I am thinking possible, but among the possibilities of the trip would be: - Multiple great eating cities (Barcelona, San Sebastian, Toulouse) - Great countryside food (southwest France, not so sure about inland Spain) - Restaurants with legendary chefs (Adria, Arzak, Guerard, to name a few) - Wine territory (Rioja, Priorat, Languedoc) - Opportunity for night life (Barcelona) - Beach (Mediterranean, Atlantic) - Mountains (Pyrenees) - Culture (Guggenheim in Bilbao, Gaudi in Barcelona, Barcelona Museums) - Potential Death (running of the bulls in Pamplona) - Possible Side Trips (Andorra, Lourdes, Montserrat) Am I missing anything?

Going to try a couple more batches tonight (I guess in about 10 hours), same basic recipe, but getting the honey to a higher temperature this time (didn't get it to a boil before the sugar syrup was at 330. It needed to be just a little firmer as when it got to room temperature it was never really solid (just kept it in the fridge). Will probably dip one of the batches in chocolate. Another question... I was thinking about trying the non-chocolate version with tupelo honey, but when reading a little about it at the Savannah Bee Company website they said that it had "a rare sugar makeup that prevents it from ever crystallizing". Would that make it a bad choice for nougat? Also, has anyone tried making nougat with a lavender honey? Is it something that is done commercially?

I use a copper sauce pan lined with stainless and, while it sticks a little, I found it pretty easy to get off. Multiple soaks in hot water should dissolve the hardened glaze off any surface, seeing as it's still just sugar.

I took a look at Korin in NYC and see there are three different Masamoto lines. There are a couple of versions that are more at the Wusthof, Henckels price point (like the VG-Western Style).

I bought four bottles of the Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent Cuvee Prestige through Winebid and just got them delivered, so it should be hitting in the marketplace now.

I would have to agree with Dougery. If you need to buy a set, buy these, then keep your eye out for a nice 10" chef's knife.

Don't tempt me. I almost found myself pricing flights to Tokyo.

I have occasionally done single-class sessions at ICE on the subject of restaurant web sites, particularly how to build a basic site, how to do basic marketing, how to keep things cheap, and what is appropriate functionality for different concepts. I feel strongly that a basic web site is within the means of even the smallest restaurant and it has become a cost of doing business these days. Various domain hosts, such as Verisign and Network Solutions, have decent packages for as little as $10-$20 per month that allow updates as frequently as you would like to make them and more than fit the needs of most restaurants. They include not only the ability to design and host pages (i.e. through an online wizard), but also the ability to build email lists and send out email marketing pieces, etc. Since most restaurants already have a graphic designer who creates logos, menus, advertising, etc. they already have a ready source of images (and can suppliment with a digital camera) that can be modified for the web more cheaply than developing graphics from scratch. There is little functionality that most restaurants should have that would require a lot of development (i.e. programming) work. For the very high-end restaurants (Bouley, Daniel, etc), additional custom development might be a good idea to differentiate their sites from competitors, but those restaurants usually have substantially larger budgets to devote to this. At a minimum, the site should have basic contact information (name, address, phone, etc.), directions and a map (free from various online map services), information on how to make reservations (whether by calling or through an online service), and, ideally, a menu, as well as some other static information as desired (chef's bio, recipes, etc). If you are going to post a menu, you should update it as frequently as it changes. That and email marketing around special events, offers, etc. are the areas that should get the most focus in terms of frequent updates. These updates should not be that cumbersome and, in most restaurants, should be doable by an assistant manager prior to service when necessary. The real key cost for a restaurant in doing this is getting a computer and internet access in the restaurant, which a) a lot of restaurants already have and b) is not completely necessary if there is someone who can update it from a home computer. Of course, beyond this functionality, there is a lot you can do. It only depends on how much money you want to spend. The only overall guideline I give is that the site should reflect the restaurant. If your restaurant is fun, you should try to make the site fun. If you are running a high-end restaurant, the site should look as professional as possible with focus on high-quality graphics and pictures, with possibly some flash for visual appeal.

Forschner definitely makes a good knife. I have used them a couple of times. They are very popular in restaurants because they are good, inexpensive and durable, so they can replace them cheaply if stolen or lost and often they put labels on the handles if they are being used for specific tasks (to help avoid cross-contamination, etc.). My only personal objection is to plastic handles, so I would probably spend the extra $10 on the rosewood, but that is just a personal opinion. I would also have to adjust to the lack of a bolster. I would love to get a Masamoto, personally, but I am not yet at the point of mentally being able to puchase a $800-$1500 knife (I may get there eventually, though).

Personally, I have found that investing in a couple of good knives is the most important decision I have made in relation to my cooking. A good knife can literally last you forever and sharpening is a very learnable skill (most of the time you only need a few passes on the honing steel anyway). I think it would be more worth your time and money to invest in a quality chef's knife (10" recommended unless you have small hands) and a quality paring knife, as well as an honing steel. Buying a block set is not worth it because you almost always wind up with a smaller chef's knife than you really need and you will use the chef's and paring 90% of the time (you can always get one of the magnetic wall racks instead of a block or purchase the block on your own). I would save up, buy Wusthof or Henckels (I personally own Henckels), and use it as often as possible.

When it's just my wife and I for dinner, particularly during the week, I would say the overall table setting is sparse, but I do make an attempt to make an interesting presentation if possible. Really, most of the thought that goes into it happens right before plating, unless I've had a thought ahead of time. I will usually try to choose a plate of the right size and the right color to show off the food best and do the best arranging I can with what has been cooked, but I usually don't prepare specific garnishes unless they are already close at hand. When making a rustic type preparation, I will give some thought to color and composition in the dish, maybe choosing a particular color pepper (red vs. green) to add color variety, etc. Or I might prepare a different color sauce for a green asparaus vs. a white asparagus. But that's about it.

My wife and I came from NY to DC over the weekend for a conference. After reading about Mini-Bar on eGullet, I tried to get a last minute reservation on Friday night, but we were unable to so we decided to go to Jaleo instead. It wasn't until we got there that we realized that Jose Andres was also responsible for Zaytinya, which we went to after a previous conference shortly after it opened and absolutely loved. This obviously was a good starting point for the meal. I am usually not a huge fan of having to fight for a seat at the bar, but when I saw they had an '02 Pesquera by-the-glass I felt a little more patient and grateful. We had a drink and our table was available within about 30 minutes (we got there around 6:45). Zaleo was crowded and somewhat loud, but my wife and I were able to have a conversaion without yelling at each other. We initially planned on around 5 or 6 items for the two of us. After looking at the menu, though, it was tempting to order 15 or 20, as the menu contained a number of our favorite classic tapas as well as dishes we hadn't encountered before, most of which we suspected, after dining at Zaytinya, would be excellent. Anywhere, we settled on 8 (and another glass of Pesquera). They were, in no particular order... Buñuelos de bacalao Cod fritters with honey alioli Bacalao is one of my absolute favorite things. I have made numerous cod cake/fritter recipes and order them in restaurants whenever I have a chance. This was one of the classics I had to get. However, there were two things of particular interest here. First, the fritter was more of the creamy variety with well-shredded cod, which I prefer over the variety bound with potatoes (ironic, since I am originally from New England, where cod and potatoes are as natural a pair as lobster and butter). Second was the honey alioli. To be honest, I prefer my alioli without honey because I like the fish and garlic flavor to be dominant, but it was still very good and that is only my personal preference. Cazón en adobo al estilo de Cádiz Marinated fried shark like people do in Cádiz I have had this dish several times in Spain, at least once near Cadiz, and this version was very similar to those. That being said, as often as I have ordered it, I have never really fallen in love with it. I do like it, though, and would say this was an excellent version. Codorniz con allioli de miel y salsa romero Grilled quail with honey alioli and rosemary sauce A truly do love quail and found this to be an excellent dish, a single, semi-boneless quail in two sauces, one sweet and one savory, the honey and garlic and rosemary all playing off each other and the richness of the quail. It was also an easy dish to share, splitting the quail lengthwise. Arroz y setas con queso Murcia Traditional rice with mushrooms and Murcia cheese I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this, but what I got was like a mushroom risotto with a slice of Murcia cheese over the top that was warmed perfectly. I am not sure, but I assume the rice was one of the Calasparra varieties, since it is in Murcia. Espinacas a la Catalana Spinach sautéed with pine nuts, raisins & apples Since I wind up cooking spinach a lot, I was very pleased to have this. The pine nuts are toasted, then sauteed with raisins and apples and tossed with the spinach. The raisins, in particular, retain a lot of heat and it seems to keep the spinach warm for a very long time and feels like a more substantial side dish than most spinach preparations, rich without being heavy. I thought this might be of moorish influence, but am not sure (maybe I related all use of fruit and nuts in spanish cooking to the Moors). In any case, I will be stealing this recipe for my own use at home. Conejo con frutos secos Rabbit in a dried fruit sauce This was probably the best dish we had all night. It was the first item we picked, largely because we remembered a rabbit dish with lentils from Zaytinya that we both loved. This dish is very different from that one, but it was absolutely excellent. The rabbit was perfectly cooked and a stock-based fruit sauce contained dried figs and apricots, which together with the rabbit was a very rich pairing. Trigueros con Romesco Grilled asparagus with Catalan ‘Romesco’ Until I went back to look at the menu, I did not recall this being a romesco, but rather a smokey tomato sauce. It was excellent nonetheless, with pencil-thin green asparagus, and served only slightly warm. This is another dish I will likely try to replicate (good side dishes can be so hard to find). Fava Beans with Clams I couldn't find this one on the online menu so I can't provide the spanish translation. Maybe it was a special. In any case, this was probably my least favorite dish. I am not sure if they had run out, but the beans were definitely not favas. They were more like a butter bean (like larger versions of the beans in Campbell's bean w/bacon soup). Perhaps this was part of the problem, but the combination of clams with beans was a little too heavy and the clam flavor was too concentrated for my liking as the beans didn't seem to offer much other than substance. I think the flavor of fresh favas would have provided a better counterpoint. I am hopeful that they were just out of favas and would ask before ordering this again. In any case, the night we were there was the first day they had Andres's Tapas book available and my wife and I were suitably impressed enough to buy a copy (the waiter told us he believed we had bought the first copy). In addition to the dishes we ate, there are numerous other dishes that we wanted to try that are in the cookbook. I would highly recommend Jaleo to anyone who hasn't been there. Having enjoyed it and Zaytinya, we will likely try to get to Cafe Atlantico and Mini-Bar on our next trip.

On a general note, I bought a the FL cookbook upon its release and it was apparent to me from the first read that this would be a substantive book that I would continue to read for years, rather than the typical restaurant cookbook that you are no longer using after six months. While I agree the recipes are complicated, that, to me, is entirely the point. Most of the cookbook world is filled with cookbooks with simple recipes, small numbers of ingredients, and little or no theory or even introduction to a dish, meant for amateur cooks for whom speed of preparation is paramount (not an unrealistic aim, by the way). The problem with these books is that one is very much like another, just a book of recipes. With FL, even the most basic stock recipes give you a ton of things to think about. Even if you don't make the FL recipe exactly as is, you can use some of the suggestions from Keller in your own similar (and perhaps less elaborate) recipes. The FL cookbook is a great read, even if you never make anything from it (although personally I highly recommend the foie gras torchon and the cote de boeuf.) The only problem is that it's too big to read in bed. While I expect to purchase Bouchon eventually (when the price is right), I had been reluctant to get it because I already had a number of bistro cookbooks, most of which had come out just prior to Bouchon (including Balthazar, Bourdain's Les Halles book, and Gordon Hammersley's Bistro Cooking at Home). That being said, and even though I have enough bistro/brasserie recipes to last me a lifetime, I will eventually buy Bouchon just for the tidbits that are mentioned within the recipes, which to me have proven worth their weight in gold.

Sorry for the long delay in answering, but I just happened to be looking at this thread. I am primarily a home cook and, as such, have only prepared foie gras a few times (including the torchon) and this is my feeling. When using a packaged foie gras, such as from D'Artagnan or Hudson Valley Foie Gras, I have found very little, if any, blood still in the foie gras. Even when cutting out the veins, I see very little evidence of blood still in evidence, so personally I am not sure this step is even necessary. If your issue is lactose intolerance, you might consider a lactose-free or soy milk for this process (preferably a lighter soy so as not to affect taste), although I have not done this personally.

I think one of the central questions here is what is a "modern" technique and what isn't, as well as what is an objectionable modern technique and what isn't? Is there more concern about techniques used in winemaking as opposed to techniques used in viticulture? For example, the use of oak, particularly the use of more new oak, seems to be a "modern" technique that is objected to, however, prior to the early 90s, Spain was known for using oak extensively, which limited the popularity of their wines worldwide, despite the preference that the Spanish wine-drinking consumer had for oak (try drinking an early 90s Rioja from an average producer, for example, the oak will almost make your mouth burn). So, what is "modern" about the use of oak? Another example is low yields. Prior to the last 20 years or so, very few wineries paid close attention to reducing yields, even though the wineries that did turned out a much better product. While widespread thinning of crops to reduce yields has been a growing trend, is this a "modern" technique (it is just basic farming, after all)? If so, is it objectionable? What about the fining and filtering of wine? This is a practice that Parker objects to and, to a certain extent, has led to more wineries in California (where the practice seems to be more rampant) to bottle their wines unfiltered. So, is making unfiltered wines a modern practice? Or, is fining and filtering the modern practice? There are numerous other techniques one could mention (bio-dynamic farming, for instance) that is a modern technique that really isn't, but that is besides the point. I would be curious to find out what specific techniques people object to and why, particularly in the concern about creating wines that are too global or Parker-like. My personal feeling is that the market will dictate the wines that are produced. If the market wants it, there will be a variety of wines, made in both modern and traditional styles, to drink. If a traditional wine cannot find buyers for a few thousand cases of its wine then, no matter the style, perhaps this wine should either reduce production or not be made at all. While I do not think that wineries should change their style of winemaking just to please Parker, I am not completely convinced that this is the only reason they do (although certainly many of them do.) Romanee-Conti got great scores from Parker in the late 80s and early 90s prior to the change in style and had gotten great scores for the 2003s as well (post-change). One would not look at the Parker ratings of Romanee-Conti's wines prior to the change and think that it was an influence on the decision to change styles. Perhaps they decided that consumers, as well, preferred wines in the newer style.

I would second this. Went to Jaleo for the first time over the weekend and bought the book. I hadn't realized until this weekend that Andres was also behind Zaytinya, which is also excellent, but that cinched the purchase for me. The book is laid out very well and includes a few dishes inspired by the top spanish chefs, including Adria, under whom he worked (there is also an Arzak recipe).

I grew up in Maine and am thrilled to hear this. Maine shrimp salad sandwiches for me.

Maybe I should have been more specific. What about so-called "world class wines", i.e. the wines that would typically be reviewed or rated by a Wine Spectator or Robert Parker. What percentage of those wines would you say have moved to a more modern type of winemaking rather than traditional? From the many articles and posts I've seen, you would think traditional wines have already become rare.

It seems to me that there have been a lot of posts in this forum about the demise of traditional winemaking methods and the tendency towards global wines and those that appeal to Robert Parker's tastes. Over the last ten years, I have read numerous stories of wineries changing their approach, such as Domaine de Romanee-Conti, to a more global style. I thought it might be worthwhile to note as many wineries as possible that are still clinging to tradition and "older" styles of winemaking. The first example I thought of is, ironically, a favorite of Parker's, namely Chateau Rayas. Rayas had remained traditional in a number of ways, particularly the continued use of foudres (as opposed to aging in barriques) and continuing to use 100% Grenache in Rayas (as opposed to the much more common Syrah-Grenache blends that have become more common). Anyone have candidates that leap out at them?

Thanks for the notes. I am off to purchase some rice paper.