Alex

We just got back from our evening with Matthew and Michele, and I wanted to post before crashing. Everything indeed was wonderful, including (especially) the company. We did have the Pineau as an aperitif (my first experience with this -- it went down all too easily) followed by the Falanghina (also my first) with the stuffed mushrooms and chicken liver mousse. The beef with pan gravy turned out perfect, and the fennel was an unexpected but well matched partner. The electric Bodum vacuum coffee maker most assuredly rocks! Pumpkin cheesecake, ginger cookies, and Calvados -- now that was an inspired combination.

You know Ms. Alex and I are looking forward to this. The crust is graham crackers, hazelnuts, toasted almonds, almond extract, brown sugar, and Plugra. The filling is cream cheese, pumpkin purée, sugar, farm eggs, bourbon, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice w/extra cinnamon. Thanks for the Alton Brown turkey method. We're making ours on Sunday and will do it that way, with a simple brine. We'll start with chestnut soup; accompany the turkey with Mark Miller's Amarillo mole sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts, and bulgur pilaf; and finish with a cranberry-orange-ginger sorbet.

Never having been to Australia, I can't comment on its prevalence there or any restrictions. I do see it on menus in the US from time to time. It's available by special order from a local purveyor here in West Michigan but it's pretty expensive. I've had it only once in my life, as a tenderloin filet, at an Australian cooking class at a local college's culinary arts program. I liked it a lot. (We made crocodile, too.)

We went to a friend's house for an old-timey family-style dinner, so everything (except for some hummus to start and several desserts to finish) was served at the same time. Ms. Alex sometimes will get a migraine headache from red wine, so she drank the better part of a 2000 Callaway Coastal Reserve Viognier. I did the same to a 1999 Fritz Winery Old Vines Zinfandel. I love this wine -- great Zinfandel character without having to be in your face about it. Someone brought a lovely Washington state dessert wine that I unfortunately did not record.

Let's at least have some consistency here. I propose that any legislator who votes to ban foie gras should also be mandated to give up eating any commercially raised meat, eggs, and dairy; stop wearing any leather or other animal skin; and not use any item, bone china for example, that contains animal by-products.

I rather like Cabernet Sauvignon with chocolate (and I live in Michigan ). If there's some left over from dinner (ha!) I might have a few sips along with some chocolate. Port: agreed. Just a thought -- how about Quady Essensia?

Maybe Christopher's evil twin handcuffed him to his wood stove and took his place on the show.

Funny you should mention this. I was planning to make a bourbon pumpkin cheesecake to bring to Thanksgiving dinner (and maybe a couple extra for the weekend), so I printed off two recipes from Epicurious. The ingredients were similar, but one said to bake at 325 in a water bath for 1'45", the other said to bake at 350 with no water bath for about an hour. I took the no-bath option. Recipes that call for a springform pan to be immersed in a water bath generally also say that the outside of the pan should be wrapped in a layer or two of heavy-duty aluminum foil, as does the CI recipe. I'm surprised that your crust got soaking wet. Could the water have splashed over the foil somehow?

In what way? Somehow I don't think either will be seen on his website any time soon.

I'll second that recipe. There was a recipe in my local paper last month for a chocolate-chestnut cake. Pretty tasty. I'll check re copyright and see if I can post it. We're fortunate to have a local chestnut farmer. I picked up 5# last month, which should last into the new year (refrigerated, of course). Only a few moldy ones so far.

That is unconscionable. Don't let it happen again. Not all of us. Aurora brought a regular film camera. Edited for no particular reason.

I think that's exactly it. I'm sure that Nuevo Leon counts on quick turnover rather than markup for their profit margin. There was quite a waiting line by the time we left. I had a great time and one heck of a food hangover. I loved the mini-tacos, the guisada, and, of course, the tortillas. It was good to catch up with the eG crew I met in GR and the ones I hadn't met yet. I wish I could join the New Year's Eve party, but I'll call in my greetings from DC. Fresser, Nero, Aurora, and I finally wound up at Bin 36. The place was packed, but I spotted (and quickly grabbed) two empty couches by the coffee bar. We talked, drank, and watched people leaving the Tom Jones performance at House of Blues. Nero's screaming munchies hit at about 11:30 -- thanks to Fresser for buying cookies.

My most useless = a bread knife with an attached guide to facilitate uniform slicing. We had one in my childhood home (a Magna Knife, if memory serves) that I thought was the coolest thing since, well, sliced bread. I'm sure I bought it out of misdirected nostalgia, given that I had two bread knives already. It hasn't left the drawer since.

It's been a couple hours. You'd think Mr. Clip would've shown up here to defend himself by now. He was booted off eGullet.

I'll bring a cava (the same one we had Friday night in GR) and some beer.

I can get there earlier, too. (I'm on vacation. I can do anything [well, almost] that I want! )

I really really like Lavandou. I live in Michigan but visit my cousins in DC at least once a year. Lavandou is their favorite neighborhood restaurant, and would be mine too if I lived there. The food is reliably good, the prices are reasonable, and the specials are, well, special (e.g., no corkage fee on Mondays, $25 table d'hote on Tuesdays). Check out the Thanksgiving menu.

Off the top of my head...Poach in vanilla syrup, stuff with (or have leaning on) goat cheese or mascarpone flavored with cardamom, surround with bourbon creme anglaise, top with shaved bittersweet chocolate.

Especially if it's nearby a JC Peh-NAY.

How about Harvey Finklestein's "A Puppet Christmas Carol" at Live Bait Theater (N Clark near Irving Park) at 10:30?

I've used the Cook's Illustrated recipe with great success. I usually make an orange-anise version, using Boyajian orange oil and crushed anise seeds.

I just acquired my first fleur de sel, from our new local Penzeys store. I know that it's best used as a finishing salt, but I was wondering what foods/dishes benefit the most (or least) from its use. Any thoughts?

Rummaging through umpteen cartons of books while making room in the basement for our new freezer , I discovered nine more cookbooks: An Invitation to Indian Cooking -- Madhur Jaffrey American Cookery -- James Beard Fast Vegetarian Feasts, rev. ed. -- Martha Rose Shulman Main-Dish Grains -- Martha Rose Shulman The Mediterranean Pantry -- Aglaia Kremezi Italian Family Recipes from The Romagnolis' Table (PBS show from the 70s) Cucina Fresca -- Viana La Place & Evan Kleiman The Vegetarian Epicure, Books 1 & 2 -- Anna Thomas Also uncovered: The Man Who Ate Everything -- Jeffrey Steingarten The Art of Eating -- M.F.K. Fisher The Rituals of Dinner and Much Depends on Dinner -- Margaret Visser The Artful Eater -- Edward Behr

I'm sure. Viewed at a safe distance, the two threads can be entertaining and informative, plus provide an interesting reflection of what eGullet is all about (imho).

Raw, sliced very thin, with avocado and blood orange in a light citrus vinaigrette.