mikeycook

A couple other options, although I can't be sure they have all of your menu options. Bistro Les Amis (180 Spring @ Thompson) My wife and I have gone here a lot. It is reasonably priced by NY bistro standards. They had a hanger steak for a while that was very good. I haven't had it for a while. La Ripaille (60 Hudson betw. W. 12th and Bethune) This is actually where I proposed to my wife. It is also reasonably priced, but I am not sure if they have hanger steak or mussels. Both are relaxing, unstuffy places where you can linger for a while (at least in my experience) and both have solid food. If you want to go relatively cheap for mussels and frites, I recommend Petite Abeille, which is a chain of a small Belgian places in the city. I have been to the one in Tribeca and the one in the West Village and enjoyed both (almost nothing as good as mussels, frites, and Chimay rouge). I personally love Balthazar, but at these two places you can have a nice conversation and hear your dining companions.

This is the method I use. The only issue I found is I have to press them between two large books after the start to dry, otherwise they can tend to bubble and curl. But it is very fast.

An update for anyone who's interested. I ordered this book in September (live in NY) and the estimated delivery was Oct. 7-9. After much waiting, I have noticed the book is now being prepared for shipping. Only two months late. If anyone else has been waiting, check out your Amazon order for an update.

I have only shipped wine from California, not Europe, but have friends who had their entire wine shipment disappear, so I am leery of sending wine through the mail from Europe (they had their problem in the Rhone). I bought a 6 bottle wine carrier from wine enthusiast (soft body) that has been indispensable. I am not sure if they still sell them. In a pinch, the insert can be removed and it holds a large confit pot.

Our last few times in Paris, we have stayed at the Hotel Duc de Saint-Simon and perhaps my favorite coffee experience is ordering breakfast in the room with croissants, bread, etc. and enjoying their coffee (I am not sure I can stay anywhere else now). I have been experimenting with varieties to try and find the closest comparable blend and the best so far has been Yrgacheffe ground for espresso and run through as normal drip coffee.

Tonight, trying to survive the snow, I made a roast pork tenderloin (studded with garlic, rolled in Herbs de Provence) and roast dumpling squash with honey and maple sugar. Served w/ 2000 Markham Merlot Napa. To be honest, I am only posting the photo to show off the plates we got this summer at Laure Japy (on clearance, no less). I am so thrilled to finally have room in our cabinets. edit: image resized by Jason Perlow. Please do not link to images larger than 640x480!

Good point about the Chinese truffles (don't they call them Himalayan truffles?). I would almost say the same for the Black Summer Truffles, which are inferior to the Winter ones in aroma and flavor. I haven't had Oregon truffles, but I would avoid them as well. In addition to truffle oil, truffle flour is another interesting way to incorporate truffle flavor for relatively less money. Also, in January and February, a lot of top restaurants offer truffle menus. This is an excellent way to experience truffles.

It took me a long time to understand the attraction of truffles. I had gotten shaved truffle on my tournedos or pasta in the past, but it had never made a distinct impression. I had bought jarred or canned truffles a couple of times, but quickly concluded that buying them is a waste of time (they definitely taste like dirt.) Finally, earlier this year, my wife and I ate at Charlie Trotter's. One of the dishes was a potato salad made with purple potatoes and white truffles. When they put the dish down, the smell nearly knocked me over. It was so amazing that I hated to eat the dish (of course, I did, and it was delicious). Since that time, I started using truffle oil and, while I certainly don't use it like ketchup, it has definitely been a welcome addition to my cupboard. My wife loves to have it drizzled over haricot verts or peas. The key seems to be to use it sparingly. A few drops is enough for several servings. Any more than that is too overpowering and if I consume too much it doesn't agree with my stomach. To me, smelling it from the bottle does not make it more appealling (too strong), but a few drops on a dish gives a nice, though distinct, odor.

Thanks for the note. I am a big fan of the Givry's from Joblot, so it's always nice to have tasting notes from other Givry producers.

1. What are my most indispensable cheeses (the ones I use the most for cooking)? a. Parmagiana-Reggiano b. Gruyere c. Crottin 2. What are my favorite cheeses (purely by taste)? a. Brillat-Savarin b. Roquefort c. Manchego

Depends on the place. Certainly the new reviewer will want to put their own mark on the 4 stars. It's starting to look pretty crowded at the top and it would seem that if the new reviewer adds one they will need to take one away. I didn't mean to imply they would re-review all the top places. If Per Se comes in as a 4 star, any bets on who might be demoted or will they keep the current crop?

Frankly, I use it in everything. I no longer use iodized or even kosher salt. I am partial to the grey salt from Brittany, although the white Ile of Re and Camargue salt are both good. I also use Maine sea salt (born there) or Hawaiian sea salt on occasion. I even use it for baking, but grind it as fine as possible with a mortar and pestle so it can be sifted, etc. For most salt requirements, it is not overly expensive per dish. Occasionally I make Salmon baked on salt, which uses up a fair bit, but otherwise the required quantities are generally small. The only thing I don't use it for is for recipes that require a salt crust (i.e. a salt and egg whites mixture.) For that I buy boxes of kosher salt (because you need a ton.) Actually, thanks for the reminder. I have to get some Fleur de Sel on my way home.

I am in the same boat. I work in a galley kitchen in NY and have to clean up as I go to do any sizeable meal. The dishwasher and oven are often running at the same time. In some ways, it makes cleaning up easier, particularly if you do hot pans as soon after use as possible to avoid letting stuff harden. It also means you only have dishes to clear after dinner, not pots. I will admit that often, for smaller meals, I don't do this, but I always regret it later.

Depending on the size of what you are roasting, I would put the veggies later. I use a roasting rack and used to put my vegetables in at the beginning, but they overcooked, burned, and left an unpleasant taste, particularly when doing a large turkey. Now I try to time the vegetables based on how long they have to cook at the given temperature. If you are also using the veggies to insulate the meat from the bottom of the pan, I would try a rack. You can also leave some liquid in the bottom of the pan more easily if the meat is not sitting in it. I also agree with Marlene's roasting approach.

How do we start a write-in campaign? Who do we contact?

Not to mention that a lot of the top places will probably be up for re-review after they name a successor.

I have a 50 bottle Eurocave and have been pretty happy with it for the past 4 years. We live in a one-bedroom and NYC and it has been a good size. Haven't had problems, but haven't used other types. I assume, of course, that you have a good power supply in the closet in question (i.e. 3 prong outlets, etc.) I know Wine Enthusiast sells Eurocave as well as Lord Winston (never used one) in the smaller sizes (25, 50, 60 bottles).

We used to grind beans straight from the freezer, but were told to be careful because a frozen bean is a lot rougher on a grinder (we have a self-grinding Capresso). I would recommend letting the beans warm a little before grinding them, but otherwise the freezer is a good option.

I know the question asked for 1, but there are 4 books I consistently cook from (then a smattering of others). MAFC, Vol. 1 Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home The Cooking of South-West France (P. Wolfert) Cooking from New England (Jasper White)

Oh, almost forgot something. Last year I melted the butter with Calvados before dipping the cheesecloth, so it went into the cheesecloth and the basting liquid. Made the gravy much better.

I have started with the breast side down before. The only thing to make sure if that you grease the rack sufficiently to keep it from sticking. With a chicken or small turkey, I will sometimes start breast down, then do some time on each side, then finally breast side up. With a large stuffed turkey, this can be problematic, as a hot, greasy, heavy bird is not something you want to quickly spin around. A friend of the family suggested cheesecloth. I have used this approach for the last 3 years. Melt a bunch of butter and completely soak the cheesecloth in the butter. Then, cover as much of the bird as you can. I then put a combination of melted butter and apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan and use this as the basting liquid. You can do some vegetables in the pan as well to add flavor to your gravy base later in the cooking cycle (depending on the size of the bird) so they don't burn. I usually take the cheesecloth off for the last 45 minutes or so to let the bird skin crisp. This year I am trying two. One with the above method stuffed with oyster stuffing and one fried (stuffing tbd).

Edited this post. Somehow I managed to submit 2.

I make a lot of confit throughout the year, and I have found the most economical way to get duck or goose fat is to buy the large cans (either 28oz or 32oz, I can't remember) of goose fat from Dean and Deluca. They go for $10 apiece. I usually buy two and that is more than enough for a batch of 6 moulard legs, including the fat they are stored in.

They are not particularly high end, but we got Waterford Marquis glasses (they are sold on Amazon as well) when we got married. They were the best option at the time for a large clear wine glass (Macy's registry). They have held up well over the last 3+ years (have only broken one.) I haven't yet felt the need to upgrade to Reidel or Speiglau.

I went for the $120 Omakase in the spring with my wife (she went a la carte) on a trip down from NY. The lobster "apicius" and thin-sliced diver scallops in warm sesame oil were my favorites. Even the decor, which I initially thought was over the top, is oddly comforting, particularly the use of lighting.