Alex

I think that perhaps what we're seeing is the down side of the Obamas' up side, so to speak. His public persona -- and therefore by extension Michelle's -- centers around the concepts of change, hope, and reason. The Obamas, therefore, are the recipients of the projected hopes and dreams of those who identify with those concepts in a particular way. Ergo, because they're noted food enthusiasts, we see well meaning articles like Hesser's or ridiculous blog posts like Frank Bruni's.

How about Rösti, maybe with a bit of smoked salmon from Zingerman's across the top, and a sprig of watercress as a garnish?

I'd go to Carlucci on River Road. Not far. Good food, fine wine list. ← Here's the website for Carlucci in Downers Grove; the site for the Rosemont branch (www.carluccirosemont.com/) isn't showing up.

Here's a Rosemont thread, although most posts are 1½+ years old and the content pretty much strayed over to Thai food. There's a Gibsons Steakhouse and a Giordano's (Chicago-style pizza) in Rosemont.

Welcome to eGullet, Smitty, and thanks for all the information. It's great to have a resource in the Lansing area. Go Spartans! (Ms. Alex is a grad.)

Depending on your schedule, you might want to consider Gumbo & Jazz, on East Grand River, right next to Bell's Greek Pizza. They're open only until 8 p.m., and it's a pretty small place, but the food is excellent. Here's an MSU student's blog post about the place. I'd definitely call first, though -- I just got a recording saying they'd be on vacation until May 12, and today is the 18th. I like the cafés at the two Schuler Books & Music stores in the Lansing area. They don't serve dinner per se, but you can get soups, salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, or quiche.

I used Cook's Illustrated's recipe for ratatouille, in which the eggplant is peeled, cubed, salted, rested, and rinsed, then pressed between several thicknesses of paper towels. As Tim said, it cuts the oil absorption dramatically and eliminates extraneous liquid.

Of the 20 kitchens I've lived with over the past 40 years (I've moved a lot), the current one is the most user friendly. (I've been in this house 8+ years -- longer than any other residence, including during childhood. Scary.) However, about two years ago, a couple of friends and I (mostly my friends) installed a new KitchenAid ProLine range hood. I'm happy with both its performance and appearance, but in my more paranoid moments I think it's out to get me. We installed the hood at its maximum possible height, creating the optimal distance between the fan and the stovetop. Unfortunately, though, this also put the lower front corners exactly at my mid-forehead level. You'd think that after two years I'd have completely adjusted, but you would be wrong. The Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize ought to go to the first appliance company that eliminates sharp corners. ("The annual $1.5 million dollar award honors a charitable or non-governmental organization that has made extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering anywhere in the world.") Here's the accident waiting to happen (btw, the countertop is almost never that unoccupied):

Here's a special Tea Dinner being done by The Cooks' House in Traverse City, Michigan, on May 17. The teas are from Light of Day Organics, also in TC. The menu (I've corrected a few typos): Hummingbird Nectar tea is described on Light of Day's web site as a blend of "Montmorency Cherry, Hibiscus, Blueberry, Grape, Currant, Elderberry, Maple Syrup bits." Lemony Ginger tea is a blend of organic"Cinnamon, Coriander seed, Chicory root, Ginger root, Lemongrass, Lemon Balm, Orange peel, Hibiscus."

West Michigan has an active local-foods circle. If you PM me I can give you an introduction to these folks, from whom I buy regularly: Lubbers Family Farm (I'm part of their cow share program) Crane Dance Farm Grassfields Cheese (and meats) And here's our local food guide.

I imagine "aldermen" and "good taste" don't appear in the same sentence very often. Following the recent un-banning, I was half hoping that someone would open a foie gras stand and call it "Go Foie Yourself." Or maybe "Chicago: Liver or Leave It." Anyhow, continuing the Felony Franks story, we have a legislative contrast to Alderman Fioretti: Full story here Here's another story, with pictures.

The full AP story, via Foxnews.com

I have nothing much to add to the above posts except that for excellent coffee (Intelligentsia) and pastries, Sarah's Pastries & Candies is just a few blocks from your hotel, at 70 East Oak. If you get any chocolate cravings, I recommend their Dark Chocolate Delights.

My D.C.-based cousins are enthusiastic foodies and wine collectors. They enjoy eating out, of course, and like to bring their own wine whenever possible. They're going to be in Manhattan for a few days and, knowing my eG connection, asked me to assist them with some restaurant choices. They already have a reservation for the tasting menu at WD-50. 1) They're meeting their wine broker for dinner on a Monday night. They'll have two spectacular bottles of Burgundy with them, one white and one red. The broker suggested Tribeca Grill, but they're wondering about the quality of the food. The alternatives they mentioned were Perilla, Perry Street and La Sirène. What's the quality at those places? 2) For another evening, they're debating between Aureole (which they said looks great but pricey -- they can afford it, but maybe WD-50 is their splurge for this trip); Telepan (reasonably priced); and Alto (currently waiving the corkage fee). Any thoughts about these? 3) They wrote, "We are considering La Grolla for...dinner with one of our price-conscious relatives on the Upper West Side." A good choice?

And now Fiddleheads is gone. Sad.

Check out these books by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (do an Amazon search on their last names): Hot Sour Salty Sweet (Southeast Asia) Mangoes & Curry Leaves (The Subcontinent -- India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, etc.) Beyond the Great Wall (outlying regions of China -- Tibet, Mongolia, etc.) Flatbreads & Flavors (the world) And speaking of food and travel, if you've never read anything by Calvin Trillin, you should. I recommend starting with Alice, Let's Eat.

I agree with the others about the ice cube trays. I also use them for pesto, demi-glace, and tonic (for David Rosengarten's The Frosty Plymouth Gin & Tonic.) I'm curious -- is it the alcohol in wine that makes it verboten? If so, are you aware that not all the alcohol evaporates during cooking? The percentage depends on the cooking method. Here's a table from a study by the US Dep't of Agriculture's Nutrient Data Laboratory. The wider the pan and the longer the simmer (uncovered, of course), the more alcohol will evaporate.

I take the lazy person's way out and make my pb from Planter's unsalted roasted nuts. I stock up when they're on sale, usually for $2.50 a large jar. I usually have to process them for several minutes before they turn into a proper paste, but sometimes I need to add a little flavorless oil (peanut, grapeseed, etc.). The mistake I made when I first started doing this was not waiting long enough for the proper texture to form.

Three hours might sound like plenty of time, but I think it's barely enough *if* you're efficient (and assuming, of course, that the plane is on time). Here's what I'd recommend if you still want to pursue this course: I agree with figs about avoiding a cab. Take the Orange Line CTA train ($2.25 + .25 for the return trip) to the Library stop. It's less than two blocks from there to Shawn McClain's Custom House, which I think you'll like very much. I've never taken the CTA from Midway, which is the terminus for the Orange Line, but I'm guessing it'll take about 10 minutes to walk to the station from the airport. (Someone please correct me on this if my estimate is off.) Trains leave every 10 minutes, and it's 23 minutes to the Library station, then a few minutes' walk to the restaurant. The return trip will take about 35 minutes. If you cut it close and arrive back at Midway 50 minutes before your departure time, that leaves 50 minutes for lunch. Your call. Custom House Orange Line schedule CTA maps

Beef and bourbon is a classic combination, and probably is what I'd use (although I'm seldom out of cognac or brandy ). Scotch should work fine, too, as my predecessors suggested. Vodka would be pretty much pointless, though.

Can you not get propane in Moab (or Cavan)? You'd have to have a professional run a line from the tank to the house, of course. You then can convert a conventional gas stove or cooktop to work with LP, a simple enough process. The stove still wouldn't be powerful enough for true wok heat, but for everything else, well...

However, all of the La Shish locations have been closed for about a year. There was a Charlie's La Shish in Ann Arbor, which originally was part of the franchise but separated from it a couple of years ago. It's now renamed as Charlie's Mediterranean Cuisine.

Alex- Have you ever been to the Third Street Saloon by Wayne State? At one time they were my favorite dive bar. But, I have not been there for a long time and they might have cleaned themselves up a bit ← I haven't been there, but I've been away from the Detroit area for quite some time. Back in the mid-70s, though, when I was living in Hamtramck, three other WSU grad students and I formed a bowling team. After league, we'd head to a corner bar on Conant (whose name I've long forgotten) to drink 25¢ shells of Stroh's and play game after game of air hockey. Good times.

The Coney Island certainly is a Detroit institution, but I've never been a fan, so I can't speak to the great Lafayette vs. National controversy (although most of the press I've read about this favors the former). Therefore, I vote for: 1) in Hamtramck, either Under the Eagle (my preference) or Polish Village Cafe, for great Polish food in the great Detroit-area melting pot city; 2) in the Wayne State area, the ur-dive bar with great burgers, Bronx Bar; 3) in the vicinity of Corktown, as san mentioned, Slows Bar BQ, for the quintessential Detroit experience of an oasis in the midst of decay (we miss you, Tiger Stadium). Review/info links: Hamtramck Bronx Bar Slows

For a fast food-type sub, I like Quizno's a lot, for their generous portions and good-quality ingredients. Even though it's only a half-mile from my house, I usually buy my sub untoasted, with lettuce on the side. Then, when I'm ready to eat, I do it up for 6-7 minutes at 350 in my toaster/convection oven and add the lettuce at the end. 'Cause they are toasty subs!! Beware of paper cuts!