Alex

I only cultivate friends who have well-equipped kitchens and who know when and how to assist and when to stay out of the way. (Now that I give it some thought, this actually is true. I didn't do it on purpose, but that's how things turned out.) Basic requirements, imnsho: -1 chef's-type knife, 1 paring-type knife, 1 bread knife -1 stock pot, 1 medium-sized pot, 1 small pot -2 large skillets, 1 small skillet -a couple of spatulas (turning + scraping), a couple of wooden spoons, tongs -a good peeler, a good cutting board, kitchen scissors, ice cream scoop -a baking dish or two -a timer, or a stove with one -thermometers (instant-read, oven, fridge) -up-to-date spices, herbs, oils, etc. -a beverage for the chef to enjoy while cooking Great questions, Tammy!

In West Michigan, ditto for me.

I'm not sure what you mean by "creamy." If you use a ratio of 1:4 or 4½ cornmeal to water (plus some salt, of course), then stir in a good-sized glob of sweet butter just before serving (and some grated Parm-Reg, to make things even better), you'll be eating a soft, very rich, and very, very tasty polenta.

To answer the original post: 1) Yes. 2) Ghiradelli nonpareils. Tootsie Roll Pops. Bottled water. 3) Intellectually, I know that the concession counter at a movie theater is akin to the wine list at a restaurant. Emotionally, there's absolutely no way I'm paying $3 for a box of Raisinettes or $6 for a tub of popcorn. This is how I rationalize smuggling in my own goodies, as I'm not actually taking any revenue away from the theater. It really ticks me off, though, that our local minor league baseball stadium won't let fans bring in so much as a bottle of water. Even Wrigley Field makes that one concession (pun semi-intended) for up to 1 liter, if memory serves. So, you know what'll be in Ms. Alex's capacious shoulder bag come game time. And, at least in this case, I will feel rather pleased for having struck at least a clandestine blow for common sense.

I guess that's why Gourmail charges $39.95 for 5kg of Callebaut or Cacao Barry vs. ~3 kg of Valrhona or El Rey.

So how is that different from any other time? It sounds like Moto needs some time to pull a few things together, so two or three months from now would be about right for a general Heartland visit. Plus the weather will be so much nicer for us potential visitors. Obviously I haven't been there yet, but please let me cast a vote for 86ing the techno music.

I second Coney Dogs for Detroit. Grand Rapids: Hmm. Dutch through and through, of the Christian Reformed Church + Reformed Church in America variety, with a bit of "ethnicity" around the edges. If I were being flippant (but accurate), I'd say the signature dish could be anything cheap, bland, meat-related, and plentiful. Not being flippant, I'd nominate banket -- puff pastry filled with almond paste -- along with windmill cookies.

True evil = 1) Natto. I tried it once when I lived in Japan, much to the amusement of my Japanese companions. They later told me that half the native Japanese can't stand it, either. There also was some slimy mountain potato -- the Japanese name escapes me -- that I didn't even want to get near enough to try. Okra, for some reason, though, is ok. 2) Brains. On my first trip to a real French restaurant, when I was about ten, my mother ordered calves' brains in brown butter. 'Nuff said. Even without mad cows. 3) Cool Whip. Someone please tell me why this product should be allowed to exist?

Good place! One of my few regrets about not working in Lansing any more is that I'm now about an hour's drive to Restaurant Villegas. I'll have to poke my head in and say hi the next time I'm in the area.

I seem to remember that a Costco is in the works for the Grand Rapids area, but it hasn't materialized yet. There are several in the Detroit/Windsor area, but that's 2 hrs. away, and of course I'm not a member. I do have a business membership at Sam's Club. Could that substitute, or would that be cheating?

Thanks for a wonderful report, Ronnie. Opera's now officially on the list for my next Chicago visit (especially now that I have that $25 gift certificate). Should we just call you Mr. Creosote?

If there's just some green in the center but no shoot, I'll try to excise it. If some gets chopped in with the rest, no big deal if the garlic is getting cooked. If I'm using the garlic raw, or if there's a shoot, I'm more dilligent about removing the green part. In my case, I'd say that perhaps ¼ of the time the clove is too dessicated or moldy to use.

I just did some figuring. At your estimate of 12" per book, 56,707 books placed end-to-end comes to 17.28429 km. (Trying not to be USA-centric here.) As part of your offices -- Keeper Of The Count and Vice-Mistress of Heartland Fun (or is that Mistress of Fun Heartland Vice?) -- I suggest a declaration of an International eGullet Day of Revelry when we hit 20 km -- 65,617 books. (Now that I think of it, pretty much every day is an eGullet day of revelry. But this would be official. )

I think for a place in downtown Ann Arbor to succeed, it would have to be pretty small. You're not going to get 50 covers a night, I don't think. How many tables does EVE have? I also think that you'd want to do a 3-course prix fixe for somewhere around $50, which would make you competitive with the corporate restaurants that line Main. Then you could have a 5 and/or 7 course for more adventurous/monied diners. Throw in some wine pairings, and now we're talking someplace that I could get excited about. What she said. Except I'd try to keep the 3-course prix fixe under $40. Rationale by request. I'd also vote for A² rather than the Detroit burbs.

Good point. So how long a drive would you say it is on average? (if such an average is possible to estimate, that is...) The Metro Detroit area is quite spread out, so times will vary. It's been a while since I've lived there, but for example I'd estimate about 30 min. from Birmingham to Milford.

Thanks for the info, MM. However, the study was done on anchovy patties -- essentially raw fish cakes made with ground anchovies. It's not surprising, therefore, that the quality started declining quickly and that the maximum shelf life was six days. Anchovies packed in oil (and refrigerated) should keep much longer. As I mentioned, I noticed no rancidity after a couple of months, but I imagine ymmv. Salt-packed ones do last a very, very, very long time.

I don't know what the official line is, but I've kept anchovies in olive oil in a glass jar in the fridge for a couple of months with no ill effects. I wonder if your Tupperware will become permanently infused with essence of anchovy; I recommend a transfer to glass or similar. Cook's Illustrated has a recipe for a simple anchovy sauce for broccoli that I've used on kale and other greens. It's basically a warm vinaigrette: warm the anchovies in olive oil, mash them up, combine with vinegar and Dijon mustard. Black pepper and a little more salt if desired. I concur with using them in slow-cooked meat dishes, especially lamb. edited to add stuff

From my twelve years of having lived in both Detroit and the burbs, I very strongly suspect not. I believe that there are only a very small percentage of such people who would be motivated enough to drive 45-60 min. (with reasonable traffic and weather), especially during the week, for a Tribute-type dinner. Detroit, unfortunately, is not Chicago. What about the Five Lakes Grill? Milford is pretty far from anything, and yet people are willing to drive out there, aren't they? True. However, Milford is closer physically and and more connected geo-psychologically (if I can coin a term) to the NW suburbs, where much of the money resides. (On a related note, lots of people I've met here in Grand Rapids are amazed that we'd drive a half-hour for dinner at a favorite restaurant in Holland.)

From my twelve years of having lived in both Detroit and the burbs, I very strongly suspect not. I believe that there is only a very small percentage of such people who would be motivated enough to drive 45-60 min. (with reasonable traffic and weather), especially during the week, for a Tribute-type dinner. Detroit, unfortunately, is not Chicago. edited for grammar

Pacific Rim just faxed me their Valentine's Day menu. (It's not on their web site.) They call it a tasting menu, but to me it looks more like a five-course meal: butternut squash-chestnut soup; choice of one of three appetizers; watercress-frisée salad with jicama and dried fruit; choice of one of four entrées; choice of one of two desserts (warm chocolate cake w/persimmon ice cream and cardamom whipped cream or coconut panna cotta with tropical fruit and a mango-coconut sauce). $58 for the meal, $25 for accompanying wines.

Yes, Arie's. (Pronounced OAR-ies, btw.) I haven't been to the kzoo branch, only the two in Plainwell (about 10 min. down the road), and at that it's been many years. I liked the original Arie's very much It's a charming place, perhaps the embodiment of casual fine dining. It was my introduction to Whitefish Grenoble. The other is Arie's London Grill, also British pub-type food.

I live in Grand Rapids, so Kzoo is not a food destination for me unless I'm visiting a friend or going to a concert there. However, imho these are, or at least appear to be, the most worthwhile downtown spots: Food Dance Cafe: eclectic menu, Niman Ranch meats Webster's: in the Radisson, dinner only, Wine Spec Award Just Good Food: deli and specialty grocery, sandwiches Epic Bistro and Bin 359: dinner only, wine bar (I haven't been there) Mediterranean Cafe: breakfast and lunch (haven't been there in a while)

At room temp, in a closed paper bag, with an apple to keep it company.

One more, and a pleasant surprise -- I had completely forgotten that I ordered it a couple of weeks ago from one of Amazon's booksellers. Secret Ingredients: The Magical Process of Combining Flavors, by Michael Roberts

I don't think they have a preference re color or varietal. I'm thinking that a mix of larger and "boutique" wineries would be the way they'd like to go.