Alex

OH NO! I have these same knives! But I didn't buy them - they were given to me and I keep two of them handy because I can put an edge on them with my ceramic "steel" and I don't really care what happens to them so they are used for "rough cuts" -- anything I think might damage a better knife. They are strange knives and yet.......... I think I have the knock-off of the knock-off of them - the so-called Dione Lucas version (which I can't believe ever had even nodding acquaintance with the lady herself); trapezoidal shape, molybdenum composition. And I use and use and use and use them, and they hold an edge better than I deserve. They aren't for everything or everyone, but they are indispensable for all those miscellaneous items, all those unclassifiable odds and ends, all those unauthorized pass-through-the-kitchen-and-grab-a-hunk-of-cheese-on-the-fly moments. It can't always be haute cuisine! Confession #2: Several months ago, in a fit of delayed grieving for the two knives I sold, I picked up on eBay an unused 9" Dione Lucas slicer but with a Benihana of Tokyo logo. Ah, yes. I know them well.

In a few weeks, Ms. Alex and I will attend a six-course prix fixe "East Meets West" dinner at Friendship in Chicago. It's BYO, and we certainly could use some wine suggstions. At this point I don't know if it'll be just the two of us or if other eG'ers will be joining. Let's say two bottles for now, and I'm less concerned about a wine for the dessert course. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Here's the menu: I. Panko Crusted Crab Cake on Watercress with Szechwan Chili Aioli II. Seafood Cream of Corn Soup with Lobster Broth III. Peking Duck Wrap and Duck Confit in Taro Root Basket with Mandarin Orange Grand Marnier Sauce IV. Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass on Seaweed Salad with Gingered Sweet Soy and Chili Oil V. Wok Roasted Mushroom Caps on Chicken Flavored Sticky Rice VI. Ginger-Scented Tofu Cheese Cake and Sweet Purple Yam Ice Cream with Raspberry Coulis

OK, knife confession time: When I first set up housekeeping on my own, 30+ years ago, I redeemed most of my family's accumulated S&H Green Stamps and equipped my kitchen with red Club Aluminum cookware (one covered saucepan still remains, primarily for its nostalgia value), green and white Pyrex mixing bowls (two remain), and two Pyrex baking dishes (gone but not forgotten). I also purchased (via an ad in Parade magazine, if very hazy memory serves) a set of four Japanese-made stainless steel + molybdenum knives. The blades were trapezoidal, the handles were rosewood with about a 2/3-length riveted tang, and they sported an unusual circular fish logo. I hardly ever used the slicer and the quasi-cleaver, so they departed at one of my yard sales. I used the larger chef's knife until it literally broke in two, about five years ago. I continue to use (and abuse) the 5" chef's knife. It sharpens beautifully on the unfinished (underside) rim of a salad plate. It's the perfect size for mushrooms, shallots, garlic, cheese, etc. The tip is handy for tightening the often-loose handles of my Farberware. I remind myself from time to time to use my Kyocera Ming Tsai so it won't feel neglected.

Bargain Books to the rescue! Desserts by Pierre Hermé, by Dorie Greenspan (hardcover) Pasta, by Julia Della Croce

I will never, ever, eat natto. I also will attempt to shield my eyes and hold my nose whenever it appears. I will never look at something else while chopping vegetables. I will never eat a fast food hamburger of any sort. (A few years ago I'd have said that I will never drink wine that comes in a screw-top bottle. )

Thanks for the report, yt, and welcome to eGullet. Could you possibly post a link to Moto's web site; it appears to be eluding Google. I wonder if the kanji on the web site is moto.

That VillaWare looks like a very, very good deal. I've owned a bunch of different hand-cranked and electric ice cream makers. I'd go for an electric model if I were you, especially for $20! -- much less work, with better results. I'd also buy another item for $5.01 or more in order to get free shipping. One thing did seem odd to me, though: It is #2 in Amazon's sales ranking yet has no consumer reviews.

The original link is a bit off. Until corrected, this is the right one. From the Slate.com article: "What are these creatures? As I say, they're called spongmonkeys. I don't know why and neither did Hall. In your mail to me, you've called them: gerbils with birth defects; Mr. Potato Rats; drug-addled, castrato hamsters; and "hell lemurs" (which, while catchy, is not really accurate, as the lemur body type is far more ectomorphic). Whatever they are, they're clearly Photoshopped, and if pressed I would say the base element is a pygmy marmoset." A Real Spongmonkey? Yep. Good catch. One more vote, from me, for tarsier. But where's its hat?

The original link is a bit off. Until corrected, this is the right one. From the Slate.com article: "What are these creatures? As I say, they're called spongmonkeys. I don't know why and neither did Hall. In your mail to me, you've called them: gerbils with birth defects; Mr. Potato Rats; drug-addled, castrato hamsters; and "hell lemurs" (which, while catchy, is not really accurate, as the lemur body type is far more ectomorphic). Whatever they are, they're clearly Photoshopped, and if pressed I would say the base element is a pygmy marmoset."

That's true, the speed limit is 70 mph. IMHO, being a former employee, I liked the concept of Villegas a lot, and the food for the most part pretty good, but it seems to lack cohesion in terms of menu idea and the concept. The dining room is beautiful, and I haven't been there in 8 years so maybe things have gotten better, food wise, but I found better cooking the further east and west of Lansing I went. Love Cafe Cortina Farmington Hills (I think), there was a little place, Emily in Northville, Too Chez, Tribute. My travels have not taken me through the heart of Michigan in a while, so it is possible that things have gotten better. I haven't lived in the Detroit area for a while, either. I think Cafe Cortina is still around. I continue to hear very good things about Emily's. I think that Too Chez is gone. Tribute, of course, is on another level altogether. There's also Five Lakes Grill in Milford, which is closer to Lansing than any of the above. There are some excellent Chinese restaurants in the Detroit area, and especially in Windsor. If I remember correctly, terrarich currently is an apprentice at Villegas.

Well, maybe 45 minutes. Although, what do you think of Villegas, in Okemos?

Check out that AdAge.com article for the connection. An effective TV ad is designed to: 1) make you pay attention to it; 2) make you remember it; 3) convey some useful information about the product. I think these Quizno's ads succeed on all counts. I love these ads. Except now that jingle (or its progenitor) keeps popping into my head at random times. And speaking of bizarro, how about Jason Alexander pitching KFC? Now there's a good ad. :sarcastic wink: (Edited for clarity, so necessary in these murky and confusing times.)

Aïoli! (Easy on the garlic.) I wonder if the shower guests have ever had homemade mayonnaise. 'Twould be an eye-opener.

I don't think a non-buffet Chinese restaurant has opened in West Michigan for many years. I've seen several existing places add a buffet, though. Quick, cheap and filling, that's the ticket. I'm not a Chinese food expert by any stretch of the imagination, but a buffet seems the antithesis of what most good Chinese food is supposed to be. When I worked in Lansing there were no Japanese restaurants at all. What are the new ones like?

...or one that enlists a formerly overweight human being whose novelty has morphed into teeth-gritting irritation?

Yes, animal animation has come a long way since hampsterdance.com. As mentioned in the other Quizno's thread, they're spongemonkeys, which I suppose is what one calls hamster roadkill by way of Adam Sandler and the Taco Bell Chihuahua. Here's the progenitor of the Quizno's ads. We love this stuff, especially the punk kittens. You can view a lot of Joel Veitch's work at rathergood.com. His clever and somewhat less-bizarre ads for Switch/Maestro (British credit card) are here.

I really can't tell you, as I'm still running on my first tank, which surprises me. I guess if you did lots of peppers all the time, you'd run out quickly, but when you turn up the gas a little bit (so it roars), it is so hot that the peppers char incredibly quickly. It's great for peeling, and the peppers are still shapely after you peel them, so they're easy to stuff and bake or fry. But if you want peppers cooked through and collapsed, or ready to marinate (especially green ones, that seem to take longer to cook) it's probably not for you. Unless you like to play with torches. I think this has put me over the excuse edge for buying a (small) torch. Making crème brulée once every decade or so didn't quite do it, but throw in some charred peppers...

OK, Sam -- thanks for the tip. Here in the Heartland it's difficult to get really fresh newt eye, especially in the middle of winter, except occasionally at a specialty store in Chicago, Amphibians-To-Go.

It's a tomato-based sauce that I'll be serving with beef: tomatoes, peppers, roasted garlic, rosemary, eye of newt, etc. You know, the usual stuff. I hadn't thought to include cream, but a touch would pull things together nicely. I had roasted pepper (poblano) - cream sauce for the first time a couple of years ago. Yeah, good stuff. Thanks for the idea, Liz!

I will be making a sauce that involves puréeing, among other ingredients, red bell peppers. The sauce needs to be very smooth. I know that I can remove the outer skin using a vegetable peeler or by charring/roasting. Are there any other ways of doing this? Also, I remember reading about some chef's preference for also removing the silverskin-like inner membrane. I imagine I can do this with a sharp, thin paring knife. Do you think this step is necessary? If so, do you have any other removal suggestions? Thanks!

The New Basics cookbook has a wonderful, simple recipe for dried apricots with chanterelles. I've used it with great success as a sauce for both chicken and pork tenderloin.

Great map! Thanks, Bruce. Ms Alex immediately added it as a reference for students in her Business Communication classes. The only caveat is that for many counties the sample size is pretty small (n=1 ).

One vote for April 9-11.

Hey, Tammy or balmagowry -- could you possibly post a picture of your wooden stirrer?