ScorchedPalate

I still haven't made this week's minestrone, but I probably will on Sunday.

I was prowling around on Kasma's site, and I found this article on "cooking to taste" that explains better than I was able to upthread. The third paragraph from the bottom, in particular (and the article it links to) has some useful hints on tweaking dishes that don't taste right. ~A

Always happy to turn folks on to Kasma I actually made a list of her favorite brands that I sync to my Palm, so I always have it handy when I am shopping. I don't buy these items often enough to remember! One of the coolest things we did in Kasma's beginner class was a coconut milk tasting of about 15 brands. Mae Ploy won, followed closely by the widely available (and cheaper!) Chaokoh ...which is not to be confused with the nearly identical Chaodoc, which came in close to last. The mnemonic she gave us for telling them apart is hilarious: Chaokoh is "A-OK" (its middle 3 letters) and Chaodoc will make you feel like you need to see the doc. Scrolling back to Patti's tom kha recipe question: We also made a curry where we added the fish sauce a tiny bit at a time, tasting as we went, to see how the flavors opened up. It was an unforgettable lesson in using your mouth, not your measuring spoon, to tell you when you've got enough. (Ditto with palm sugar.) ~A

Just got an email from XO Bistro (in the former Cassis space):

Don't be afraid to keep adding more fish sauce and lime/tamarind/vinegar until you get the mix right. Sometimes it takes a lot more than you think.

sadistick: asian-food guru Bruce Cost's recipe for Hot and Sour Soup is in this month's Gourmet. Here's the Epicurious link. I've made the version in his Asian Ingredients and liked it a lot. It has a long ingredients list, but itsn't difficult to make. In a pinch, you can leave out some of the hard-to-find ingredients; the flavor remains balanced and still feels 'right'. ~Anita

Thanks for the good wishes, Maggie... I'm up to poached eggs and cultured yoghurt as of this morning. No fennel in the fridge chez Scorched, alas. But I am sure I'll be up for this week's minestrone in a few days. ~Anita

So, what's next week's soup? ..asks the woman who has spent the last 72 hours unable to eat anything other than clear broth (and who is ravenous) :(

I meant no offense to those who feel that $200 is a fair price (and in fact I doubted there would be any lack of people who share your view) but to me, it's disappointing, and it doesn't sound like I am alone. I stand corrected: I was going off the prices listed on Union's website. But even if you add $17 to my original estimate, you're just a few bucks over $200.. for a meal by Ethan -and- a meal by Bouchon chef Jeff Cerciello.

I don't mean to be disparaging -- especially as Judy and Kim are such gracious hostesses -- and I truly love Union as much as anyone, but once again I say: $200 is crazy. We ate at Bouchon the last time we were in Napa. We had a stunningly good meal there, but it is no FL, nor does it attempt to be. It's a phenomenally good bistro -- and I highly encourage you all to go -- but in the end it's still a bistro. (And it's not at all difficult to get reservations.) To put it in perspective: You could buy the tasting menu at Union with wine pairings, a blow-out dinner at Bouchon, and a copy of the book... all for less than $200 per person. Copy of Bouchon on Amazon.com: $31.50 Tasting menu at Union: $48 Union wine pairings: $40 5-course dinner at Bouchon: $71.25 - $15 oysters - $9.75 salade frissee aux lardons - $26.50 steak frites - $12.50 cheese tasting - $7.50 lemon tart Total for all: $190.75 Admittedly, I am omitting wines from the Bouchon dinner, but I did choose the most expensive items in each category and stretched the bistro genre to include 5 courses. (Cam and I are not shy eaters, and we only managed 2 courses plus a shared dessert at Bouchon.) Hell, if you watch your e-fares, you could fly to San Francisco, drive to Napa, and eat a nice dinner at Bouchon for not much more than $200. I guess the thing is that I am sorely disappointed. I've been looking forward to this meal literally for months, holding off buying the Bouchon cookbook (and telling people not to buy it for me) in anticipation of getting my copy at the C&B dinner. I guess I don't have to wait any longer: Basking in Keller's glow isn't that much to me. I'm sure there will be no shortage of people willing to pay for the privilege, though... Sadly, ~Anita

De-lurking to say: Holy ****! This is the Bouchon cookbook, n'est pas? Bistro cooking?! Dinner at the French Laundry itself only costs $175... I love Ethan, and I love Keller, but that seems a tad nuts. ~A

I just finished making and eating Bourdain's soup, and it is *such* a winner. I actually made it last night, pureed it with a stick blender, and then reheated it, adjusted seasonings, and added the sherry tonight. We'll definitely be adding this to the regular repetoire. ~Anita ... who's looking forward to next week's selection

Bourdain's Mushroom Soup from the Les Halles Cookbook. He says it's easy, and it is. And I just happen to every ingredient. And I want mushroom soup! ← On the way home tonight, we stopped at the grocery store for one missing dinner ingredient, and I thought "oh, I should get stuff for this week's mushroom soup. I wonder what Bourdain's recipe has in it?" So, on a hunch, I picked up tarragon, cream, fancy mushrooms, shallots... none of which I need! Fortunately I already have everything that I -do- need on hand, so I will get to find something fun to make with the other stuff. I am thinking Julia Child's tarragon chicken may be in my future. ~Anita

Absolutely! 'Tis the least I can do. ~Anita

Saw a bottle of Mint on the shelves today at DeLaurenti in Pike Place Market. I'm a big fan of the Peach, and (a distant second) the Orange. ~A

I bought a dozen Bergamots today at Whole Foods, and my test-batch of Bergamocello is steeping happily on the counter, while I sip a Friday After Five cocktail made from the juice. I'm a happy girl. :D ~A

I'm planning groceries and menus for next week -- What will the next soup be, Maggie? ~Anita

If you don't take pictures, we will come and find you and ... um.. tell bad knock-knock jokes at you. (this, more than ever, means we NEED a Madison Valley branch of Pagliacci )

How funny, I just spent the last hour doing exactly, precisely that. I'm sitting here sipping my Friday After Five, taking a break from portioning out juice into an ice-cube tray. ~A <edited for a cocktail-induced typo>

I would wholeheartedly recommend any recipes from Kasma Loha-unchit, including those on her Web site, Thai Food and Travel, and her two books: It Rains Fishes and Dancing Shrimp. The website also features articles about the best brands of ingredients (Mae Ploy is her answer to your red curry question, and I agree) and a directory of markets that carry Thai ingredients. Hope that helps, ~Anita

Bellevue El Rinconsito: The blubbery carnitas are the worst thing I have tried there (SeaGal can back me up on this), and the rest of it ain't so hot. I keep going back because I keep hoping it will live up to the hype. The best meal I've had there was just "pretty good". I tried La Cocina del Puerco last week after the Times review. Yep, it looks just like Puerco Lloron in there, right down to the mouldering decade-old chiles behind plexiglas decorating the counter (shudder). The menu's largely the same, too, but there are a few differences -- tiny but very tasty tortillas (yes, smaller then EPL's) and LCdP's relleno sauce is tomato-y, rather than the odd broth-y stuff at EPL... but that's not saying it's good. It had the distinct tang of the can. I may go back and try the tamales and/or the tacos, but I'm not rushing back. ~Anita

I made lentil soup the night before last from the Staff Meals at Chanterelle cookbook. It's drizzled with garlic vinaigrette at the end, which was tasty. So, Maggie, what's next week's soup?

Ed Debevic's is more of a show than a meal. If you go there, you ought to be expecting it. ~A

Yup, it's totally uncured unless otherwise mentioned. It's also sold salted but not smoked. Salted (cured) and smoked belly = slab bacon. Yes, you eat the fat. Although it mostly melts away into unctuousness. For recipes of all sorts, search on “Pork Belly” in the eG ‘site search’ window. (I bought twice as much as I needed for my New Year's day choucroute garnie, and wanted ideas on how to use up the rest.) ~Anita

I seem to recall, from her visit, that Jaymes established herself as the queen of the Carnitas thread.