ingridsf

If I remember correctly from The Restaurant, Round 1, Rocco had a vision: Celebrate his heritage as an Italian-American. Good, great, go for it. But what does that have to do with having an Italian chef "update" his menu? And does a 6-month old "fun-dining" restaurant's menu need updating??? Sounds like "retooling." A much more appropriate verb when you think about it.

I'm probably going to get flak for this but Mama is working my last nerve. Like everybody else, I wasn't expecting her to do much but be on her own kid's side and make the meatballs. But give me a break. If I routinely huffed my way out of business meetings while holding many peoples' livelihoods in my hands, Mama Ingridsf would have taken me by the ear, marched me down to the kitchen I claimed I wanted, and told me to take off the asshat and get to work. There was a spirited (DiSpirited?) discussion elsewhere recently about children in restaurants. A common opinion was that, as difficult as some children can be, we need to remember that it's the parents who are accountable. Yeah, I know, Rocco's 36 but I'm talking emotional intelligence here. As for tonight's show, that gossipy waiter was Carrie, who earned an asshat of her own (from the Spring '04 Vapid Collection) for her shrieking endorsement of getting "hot girls on the floor." Alrighty then. Carrie...You're fired. Heh. Fair employment, shmair employment -- such an UNHOT concept. Did enjoy seeing Rocco's dorm room and Chowdorow's Fortress of Ultimate Darkness.

I know, I know, what does poetry matter in comparison to food? Poetry does matter! It does! It does! Especially poetry about food! **** April 29 Twas the night we made scampi And through windows all starlit Came beams of white moonlight That shone on the garlic. The shrimp were in piles On ice in the fridge In eighteen or so hours They’d be a midriff-based ridge. We got out the butter The wine with a clatter Sprang back for a shallot And a towel for spatter. A bit nervous we were For shrimp overcook in a trice We wanted them rosy and hot And buttery with rice. When what to our wondering eyes did appear but a battered old cook holding an icy cold beer. He set his beer down on the counter and heated up the pan so quick we realized in a moment it must be St. Shrimp! He threw in the shrimp with the shells all a-clatter Looked at our worried eyes for a moment, Said, “What the f—k is the matter? “Set the table, you civilians, Make yourselves good for something. Get the soup plates and the napkins But forget the good linens. “Scampi you eat with your hands And get plenty of bread To mop up the butter, So quit worrying your heads.” The butter sizzled and spit We feared the shrimp would be tough. But he shook the pan briskly With a hand that was calloused and rough. The shrimp were crisp and juicy The garlic pungent and sweet It was all bathed in butter, And wine and the sea. We cared not for the shells But peeled away like the blazes And he laughed at our messes, Called us pigs for the ages. We begged him to stay This cranky old lout But he said he had to go To see to his gout. We heard him exclaim Ere he lurched out of sight, “Happy Scampi to all, And to all a good night!”

Hi, Maggie, I was wondering why the only winner showing up on the Round 19 announcement is the 3rd place champion, yellow truffle. Technical glitch? Esoteric mystery of eGullet Competitions? Are only the initiated able to see the 1st and 2nd place winners? Just, you know, checking. Ingrid

I have also heard Ehrenreich refer to chicken gravy as a beverage. Clearly, her thinking is first-rate.

As someone said earlier, Wal-Mart has already prompted a number of substantive posts on a range of issues -- economic, environmental, etc. I object to the largest private employer in the US, and the largest retailer in the world, increasing their net profit at tax-payer expense. Many full-time Wal-Mart employees qualify for government aid -- and no, that's not because public assistance funds are so generous that they're feeding middle-class children. It's called corporate welfare. We do not permit corporations to fatten themselves without regard to citizens' well-being. The abolition of child labor, the eight-hour work-day, etc. are limits on the free market. Corporations, moreover, have shown no tendency to safeguard individuals without being legally obligated to do so. Barbara Ehrenreich's Book, Nickel and Dimed, is an excellent source of information. Ingrid

Now that was a low blow! At least Rocco didn't do anything patently illegal. I don't know about that, Rachel. I work with public interest employment lawyers and they've been surprised by the blatant violations of labor law -- late paychecks, "forgetting" workers' comp procedure, etc. getting prime-time air. A lot of us who don't work in hospitality/restaurant industries are getting an eyeful of some pretty crappy working conditions. Not much of a silver lining but something.

I have an anthem. No "sports," but then, how could I possibly improve upon the one that involves firing a rifle while skiing down a mountain??? Did Pennymoney make that one up so Bond could get a gold medal? Here goes. Battle Hymn of the Caloric Our guts are filled with gravy That I made with wine and cream. It covered the potatoes So they could not be seen. The mounds of pork that we consumed Made us Wilbur’s worst bad dream. I think if I don’t burp soon I will have to flee the scene. Eek! – Des-sert is coming out! Ah, the burp’s released I’m feeling good, I’m ready for some pie. If I have a piece or two It’s unlikely that I’ll die. Dear God! -- these pants-are-tight! There’s concern around the table Though I cooked them this fine meal. High-carb it was And high-fat, too. Eat with me and that’s the deal. If you want a naked chicken breast Go ahead and be my guest. There’s the kitchen stove, Good luck and do your best. Right now I-need-a-rest!

This course gets me so excited because, for once, I think the focus will be on pleasure and accomplishment, rather than a bunch of able-bodied people having a dry-as-dust-discussion about optimum calorie intake versus service provider hours. Frankly, any cooking course that begins with the idea that I can cook for myself is a damn milestone. If it goes well, we should have a similiar one for cocktails! PS Nothing against good nutrition or anything but, c'mon, wouldn't you pick hedonism over "a sensible diet" any day? This link kind of says what needs to be said: http://www.freedomclearinghouse.org/network/buttertarts.htm PPS Additional topic: "The All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet: Ethical Boundaries, Physical Disabilities, and Asking Your Friends to Get You a Third Plate of Shrimp."

I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I let out a most Homer-like "Woo-hoo!" when I read this. But now I'm curious as to details. Can you give a fuller description of it? Sad to say, I've never heard of such a course being offered so have no context. For me, cooking classes look like fun but not my kind, so to speak.

I would 100% agree that my appreciation of the things that remain is heightened -- just as you, cusina, feel about corn and tomatoes. (I share your love of them seasonally.) I think one thing that spurred me to open this discussion is that so many plans for shared meals seem to be based on exclusion, i.e., no meat, no potatoes, no dairy, tuna's got mercury, and so on, that my attitude about cooking is becoming frighteningly like a frustrated parent's: "You'll eat it because I cooked it!" There's that article about this topic already but I wanted to try to look at all of this in a more positive light. Mabelline, actually what I wondered was what other folks are doing. Do you have any adapting of your own that's improved your cooking or just improved your palate?

Everybody's got something that limits their daily cooking and eating -- money, space, time, allergies, etc. My primary limitations are around mobility and manual strength. Yet, even though I might have assumed my cooking skills and eating would erode as the limitations increase, this hasn't been the case. I think more and more about how MFK Fisher described her first kitchen in France as lacking in what were to her basic amenities, but how she believed she prepared some of her finest meals there. Because wielding a knife and other ordinary home-cooking tasks are becoming near to impossible, I tend to cook dishes that have as few ingredients as possible, buy ingredients whose quality makes up for my lack of ability to monkey with them, and bash with a mortar and pestle instead of chop, etc. These are my individual adaptations to a very particular situation. I'm curious about how other peoples' cooking has been improved by working within a form. Does anyone take pleasure in what they might have once considered an unfortunate restriction?

Anticipation makes a lovely appetizer.

Speaking of galvanized rubber... The NYT reported last year that farmed salmon's pink color is derived from a dye -- which has been pretty well known -- that is derived from petrochemicals. Haven't heard of any research proving it's harmful to human health but find it hard to believe ingesting petrochemicals could be a good thing. Stuff like this is why I get less worried about the health risks of eating bacon than I do about what may have been added to my food by the producer. So many hazards, so little time....

I couldn't get the link to work but, hey, I kind of enjoyed that rant. I have to guard my bacon around a few self-described vegetarians. It's the same rationalization that you're not a smoker as long as you're just bumming someone else's cigarettes. Part-time vegetarianism: the preferred diet of sort-of virgins everywhere.

Still thinking... Got a couple that fit your needs: open Monday, not too far from Market Street, open lunch/dinner, not fusion or seafood focused. Le Charm at 315 5th Street is open for both lunch and dinner. I had a great time here. Also has a heated patio and terrific prices. (3-course prix fixe for $25.) http://lecharm.citysearch.com/?cslink= If you want to go to North Beach, L'Osterio del Forno at 519 Columbus Avenue is actually open for lunch and dinner. Hard to believe -- North Beach is basically closed on Mondays. Renowned for their roast pork braised in milk. Always wanted to go but haven't. Just saw it's cash only. If you do go, you MUST go to nearby Vesuvio's on Columbus and have a drink and then buy a book of poetry at City Lights Bookstore next door. (There's a holy trinity for you -- drinking, reading, eating.) Ingrid

Alas, Delfina is also closed on Mondays. Ya GOTTA come back on a non-Monday. I'm going to send you afield for a sit-down lunch at the Slow Club on Potrero Hill. http://www.slowclub.com/slowclub_lunch_page.htm You can have lunch and go walking afterward on the Embarcadero, then get on the F line streetcar and head to dinner at.... Don't hate me for sending you to a fusion restaurant but it's really good. Called Ma Tante Sumi on 18th St. in the Castro. Tiny place, excellent French/Japanese food, warm service. http://matantesumi.citysearch.com/ Take a cab if you want to get around -- DeSoto is the company I use every day and if you're having any trouble hailing one, call 970-1301. Have a great day. Ingrid

And I thought the $16 strawberries at Molly Stone were bad. But hey, if anybody wants a Great Deal, Trader Joe's organic nuts are ridiculously cheap compared to other places. I keep bags of hazel nuts, pistachios, pine nuts in my freezer. Makes me feel like I have a trust fund or am one of the Hilton sisters. (No jokes, please, about Paris Hilton and frozen nuts.) nyuck nyuck nyuck

I am a fan of the salty snacks so that could explain. The wild mushroom reduction was quite intense though not too salty for me.

I like the following in a tall glass on the rocks. We call it a Bitter Screw. Measurements are approximate! (I'm a very novice-level cocktail maker.) It includes: 2 oz. vodka 2 oz. fresh tangerine juice squeeze of lime topped with tonic Cheers!

Words to Live By: "Butter it lavishly." -- Clarissa

Do either have home-made tortillas by any chance?

One of my favorites has been the roasted loup de mer with truffled gnocchi and wild mushrooms. My friend gets all dreamy-eyed remembering the duck he had with the poached pear stuffed with Camarague (sp?) rice. Sigh.

Well, the recommendation was from my field agent (co-worker) who prides herself on her ability to consume our favorite three food groups (sugar, salt, and grease). She said she's heard good things about Pearlie's recently. She was right-on about Mariposa Cafeteria but take it with a grain of (seasoning) salt! Ingrid

I really miss Swamp Chips. They were similar to Terra Chips but a whole lot better.