MichaelB

I vote for the white "truffle" oil. Produced in a laboratory; never been near a truffle of any kind. I can smell it in a dish from across the room. Overpowering and no thanks! Now, for the real McCoy, black truffle of Perigord -- mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I have hadblack granite countertops for nearly 15 years now. They are wonderful. And, what's this about sealing? I have never done anything to my tops and they look like the day they went in. I laugh every time I think about the day I had "lent" my kitchen to a chef friend who was temporarily without. He was doing a dish for a charity event with 1,000 guests. I wasn't paying attention to exactly how he was doing things; but after about 10 hours in the kitchen, I pulled a hotel pan of rabbit confit out of the oven and set the pan directly on the countertop. He looked at me and said "you can put that directly on the top?" When I replied "sure," he told me how careful he had been all day not to put hot pans directly on the counters!

Those are both EV. I usually keep a 3 litre of neutral olive oilin the house also but ran out a week or so ago and have not replaced it yet. I have not opened my personal bottle of mas de gourgonnier yet. I have used bottles owned by others within the last year or so. Just smelling it is like taking a 30 second vacation to Provence.

I shudder to think about how many 3 litre tins I go through a year. Presently in the house, I have: Iliada (Greek, I suspect it is the one several if you have referred to) in 3 litre Olio Beato in 3 litre J. Leblanc in 750 ml Piccolo Molino, Dolce Verde in 750 mas de gourgonnier in 750. This is the "Oh, my God" olive oil as far as I am concerned. It was a Christmas gift from a very good friend -- very small production, very allocated.

There is a single answer to all of your questions, Grasshopper: Duck Confit.

Sparkling water on those rare occasions when I won't drink. Please give my regards to Tom and Anne this evening.

I participate in my office's annual Thanksgiving lunch potluck -- with success. I am begged to bring the same two dishes each year. Spicy whipped sweet potatoes and old fashioned chocolate pudding with whipped cream. I am amazed each year that some new employee (usually a quite young one) can't believe that it is possible to make pudding except from a package. And there is always a conversation that goes like this: What'cha doing with that wire thing and milk? Making whipped cream. You can't MAKE whipped cream! It comes from a spray can.

Look at Vent a Hood. (For some reason, the company's wesite doesn't work.) The main piece that collects the gunk (they call it "the Magic Lung") can go in the dishwasher, assuming you buy one that fits big things. They are all hard to clean, though. Grease is grease, and God did not intend for our necks to bend like that. Mine is a Vent-a-Hood. You are soooo right about the neck bending thing! When I want to avoid contorting, I sit on the warm (2 full time pilots under it) griddle for as long as I can stand it. I have not yet -- but will (and will so report on the Never Again thread when it happens) -- sat on a working burner pilot.

I'll be the odd man out on the subject of self cleaning. I have had a 60" US Range commercial range in my home kitchen for 14 years. Obvouisly, it is not self cleaning (I do also have a standard electric wall oven, Jenn Air, I think, that is self cleaning). I do not mind cleaning the oven. If you find one where the bottom of the oven is removeable like a true commercial range, it really isn't difficlut at all to clean both oven. It probably takes me 30 minutes every few months. Now, don't even talk to me about the 84" four fan hood. That thing takes me the better part of a day to clean well.

Many -- most -- of those wines should be fine; and some are probably not to their peak (the Diamond Creek, for example). If youare going to drink this all at one time, invite us.

I drank the 1937 Lafite 2 or 3 years ago. The bottle had been open at least an hour before I got offered tastes. Yes, the wine was still a bit tannic and the fruits had faded quite a bit. The wine was still s pleasurable experience nonetheless. Read the story of the tasting here: Read my post in the 59 Haut Brion thread

Mine have never been so clean since my wife started soaking them for 12 hours before washing in a mixture of Oxiclean and Biz. I used to get rid of them before I wore them out. Last week, I had to retire three that were worn completely out!

And for those of us who are not so privileged as to live in the New York Metro area -- and, therefore, cannot participate in BC, except, of course, vicariously, please tune your web browser to: WOR Live on the Web Note: Real Player required.

I had the opportunity to taste the '59 La Tour about three years ago. It is without a doubt the most memorable wine I have tasted. I was still quite youthful. If someone had told me it was a 95, I might have beleived it! I lucked into helping a friend cook lunch for 11 collectors who were in town for a wine drinking weekend. They drank 3 flights of 6 Bordeaux. We got invited to taste the last flight -- 4 1961's (I have lost my notes and don't recall which wines), the La Tour and the 1937 Lafite. Oh, and the the 1973 Y'Quem with dessert. All in all, al pretty good day for spending a couple hours helping with a 4 or 5 course lunch. The collectors were a bunch of really nice guys. They were all from Northern Ohio and Pennsylvania and get together twice a year in some city or another. The day I met them, the guys had lunch while the women shopped and they met up again for a Burgundy themed dinner. I have often wondered about the dinner that night. The guys got up from the lunch table about 4:30 and had 6:30 dinner reservations!

I try -- but often fail -- to refer to method champenoise wines from places other than Champagne as "sparkiling wine." It is only fair to everyone involved. This week, I have had two particularly good "sparklers." First, a magnum of Schramsberg Reserve 1981 from Napa Valley. The second was a first for me, a nonvintage Brut Cremant from Jura. It was private labelled but I am sure the producer was Tissot. Neither were vintage grand cru Champagne; but they were both special, exciting even, in their own way.

I do answer the phone at home whenever it rings. I am politely rude to telemarketers ("I don't accept telephone solicitations. Good day." Click). I will not talk on the phone at meal times and will not allow others to do so either. A simple "we are just sitting down to [meal] and will call you back" is all the caller gets. I take the calls because there are emergencies, etc. I have resisted all the modern conveniences on our home phones -- no voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, etc. If we are not at home and someone really wants to talk to me, he or she knows how to reach me -- or, if not, I am not interested in talking to that person..

I don't know if you were participating in the other thread; but I have poached my foie gras for soups and sauces. It will release some fat; so you should defat the stock you use for poaching afterwards. These days, I generally poach/confit foie gras in duck fat. Will it melt if you roast it? My experience is that it depends on the liver -- and the producer. I prefer Hudson Valley for roasting and searing. I think it tends not to fall apart. The Canadian foie from Palmex releases a lot more fat. I use it for poaching and for terrines. Edit to say -- Don't worry though. It is foie gras. Whatever you do -- and even if you completely mess up your soup, your soup will still be better than 95% of the edible stuff on earth.

Ice Cream! Custards -- Creme Brulee, Flans, Pot de Creme! In my house I have little containers full of egg whites that I swear I am going to use but most often end up throwing away.

Kramer's is Bob Kramer Knives.

I have a William Kramer that I will not part with. I forget what he calls his Japanese inspired shape, 8 inch blade. I have never had to do a thing to it except sharpen it. I have, however, rounded off the spine on several "store bought" knives. I may be the person who waited longest for one of his knives. I recall that it was over two years! Apparently, he lost my order and one day it just popped up on his desk. For my part, I kept reminding myself to get the old Saveur issue for his phone number and call him -- yet never did so. One day, he called and asked if I still wanted the knife; he shipped it later that week.

If I am only going to use part of a lobe, I always portion the entire thing and wrap the "leftovers" individually and freeze. I temper them only a few minutes and drop in a saute pan. Perfect. D'Artagnan sells an imported product that I have used twice. IQF portions in a foil zip lock bag. 20 2 ounce portions to the bag. I think they will only sell you a case of two bags, however. The product tastes good; but the sear is not very pretty. The package instructions are that you can saute them frozen or let them temper for 20 minutes before cooking.

This strikes me as the chef's riff on the D'Artagnan French Kiss described thusly on its website: Prunes marinated in Armagnac and filled with mousse of Foie Gras. A D’Artagnan original, is one-step this side of paradise. Serving suggestions: These kisses are best when stored in the freezer and they just need about 45 minutes to 1 hour to thaw on the counter. If kept in the refrigerator, they have a ten-day life once removed from the freezer.

I usually sear it a bit -- I am looking for that slightly caramelized taste in the soup. I have, however, poached it also. You will need to sieve the soup. You will get some veins, etc. that need to come out. I have always pureed the soup before sieving it.

The chili in Northern Kentucky would probably have been Dixie Chili -- one of the old line of the makers of Cincinnati's odd -- to most people not from here -- chili. BBQ, hmmmm? The most well known is a rib restaurant that does a very high volume of boiled ribs in a sugar and catsup sauce. Can you tell that I am not a huge fan?

a few weeks ago in Cincinnati. I am the lawyer (this place is crawling with them, stay away!) that your host waved over to your dinner table. I just stopped in here to apologoze for interrupting your meal.