hwilson41

I learned "clean as you go" the hard way, I suppose. But once you get used to it, now I find that if I'm cooking a multi-step dish that uses a lot of pots and pans, it's far easier to do on the spot as things simmer, sweat, or whatever. Have also found that if I'm using a number of larger pots, such as Creuset, cast iron skillet or a big stock pot, it's far easier just to soap, wash, rinse and dry than to take up a huge amount of space in the dishwasher. Save the d/w for small utensils, glasses, etc., that don't need so much space. You can wash three measuring cups and god only knows how many glasses, spoons, etc., in the same space as a 5 Qt Creuset pot requires. THW

My apologies Chef, but I've been very badly burned more than once with Breadline's sandwiches. Ordered a Reuben mid-day that I ended up (literally) feeding to a dog. Fat, poor seasoning, etc. Tried the El Cubano a year or so later, same story. Anyone who had ever tasted Antonio's (7th & D?) Cubano before they closed would throw rocks at the one Breadline served. I may try them again one of these days, but I'm in no hurry right now. THW

Native Texan (now transplanted) here. I'm with Fifi on this one; unsweetened chocolate is not at all uncommon in chili recipes. Sweetened chocolate sounds like an ill-fated attempt to "improve" something that doesn't need improving. THW

Even the Russian dressing? I'm very impressed . THW

I can't wait for this one to get off the ground. I grew up in Ft Worth, and in the 1960s Joe Ts was considered THE Tex-Mex place to eat by many of us. I still go back when I visit "home", but it is rather different now. It will be interesting to hear what Lanny has planned for Alta Cocina Mexicana. THW

Although she never knew it, Julia was my first - and is still my favorite - culinary instructor. A sad day for all who love good food, and good folks. We'll raise a glass to her tonight. Actually, probably several glasses, as she would have liked. THW

Squashblossom; Don't know about others, but I'd be very interested is the detailed life of a tomato crop, especially one grown in a tunnel (heated and/or unheated) during the cold weather. My wife and I will be moving to the Chesapeake Bay in less than two years, and one of my fondest fantasies (that's printable ) is of a tomato greenhouse or tunnel so I can get decent tomatoes year round. Is that doable? TIA. THW

Fifi; Wouldn't the alcohol boil away so quickly that it wouldn't be a problem? I don't remember exactly, but I know it boils way lower than water (175F?). THW

Hi folks; I'm a little late to this party, and won't be able to join for at least three weeks due to vacation, but a word about Johnny Boy's Ribs on Rt 301 just south of La Plata. They used to be the best Q in that part of MD hands down. But it has passed from an older head to an heir, and the word I get from one who definitely knows is that all the wood smokers have been replaced by ovens that run on natural gas. It used to be Hickory. NG BBQ might be good, and can be great, but IMHO it'll never touch the genuine wood smoked stuff. Just a thought, and a comparison with one who is doing true wood smoking would be very interesting. THW

Brooks; What a great story, and what an incredible gift from your Mom. I would kill for something like that from my paternal grandmother who was a superb country cook, but alas, she's been gone for many years. A treasure - and a story - to be remembered. And if you'd like to share the recipes with some of us, I know several who would be most grateful . THW

Browniebaker; I'm sure a lot of us would be very interested in what you find if you do an item-by-item price comparison. Even at "bargain" prices, spices are rather expensive, and if The Spice House is a better bargain (in addition to being more attentive to their customers) that would be a huge plus. Thanks for taking this on. THW

I'm not sure this applies to the fresh variety, but I checked my McCormick spice bottle, and they claim they are selling Spearmint. Unfortunately there are no botanical names, but presume it is the Mentha Spicata that's been discussed above. THW

No offense intended, Kahrs, but I'm going to disagree right back. Battering, if done properly (seasoned flour only, applied with a light hand) is just fine. An overwhelming batter would be a disaster. The only fish I can think of that a heavy duty batter would be good on would be the talapia I cooked for us last night. It tasted like nothing except the caramelized onion, lemon and oil I cooked them in. No flavor...zip. Could have been eating cardboard with embellishments. But a fresh soft shell, lightly floured and cooked in hot butter, then onto a good sourdough roll with homemade tartar sauce. It might not be heaven on earth, but it sure ain't bad . THW

Tommy; I agree completely. The places with the well and thoughtfully chosen wine cellars were the ones I was talking about. Sorry if I wasn't clear. I live just outside DC, and we have way fewer first rate restaurants that you folks in NYC, but we do have some, and I love to go to them. But when we go, I order whatever I damn well please. To me, dining out at a fine restaurant and having to say to myself "Damn, we really can't afford this." while I read the menu just doesn't make sense. If you have to worry about that, you shouldn't have gone in the first place. The mom and pops who are gouging get whatever they deserve. I am perfectly capable of choosing my own crappy wine cellar. I know, because I've done it more than once . In the case of the mom and pops, I either don't go, in which case you're right and everybody loses, or I just grin and bear it. But the food better be over the top if I'm willing to get screwed on a lousy wine. More likely, I'd order the food and either drink water or beer. THW

Slkinsey came close to this, but let me state it explicitly: holding a wine cellar is expensive even if you only mark it up "a little". What is not being considered is the time value of money (check the interest bill on your mortgage). Even in these days of preposterously low interest rates - which won’t last - money sitting around is worth something, and if it’s tied up in wines in a cellar that may or may not move in the next 3, or 6, or 12 months, then the folks who have allocated that capital to the wine cellar are entitled to a return on it. Does that justify a 500% markup? No, of course not, assuming the wine cellar is chosen intelligently, but it does justify a markup of more than, say, 10%. A side of aged beef that will be carved into ribeye steaks and what-have-you will last maybe...two or three nights. Three (or 5, or 50, or whatever) cases of a good wine could last a year, maybe more, depending on the circumstances. Holding the wines in cellar is relatively inexpensive now, because of the low interest rates, but it wasn’t always so, and the day is not as far away as we might wish when it probably won’t be all that inexpensive again to hold onto them for six months or a year...or more. My wife and I go out to dinner less frequently that I would like, for exactly these reasons. I can prepare a meal as good - or close to as good - as a medium to upper level restaurant for a hell of a lot less money, and I know damned well I can buy the wine cheaper. And it's no big deal to me because I enjoy cooking. But when we go, I don't bitch, because those folks have to make money too. If you think you’re being gouged - on the wine or the food - don’t go, or at least don’t go back. But if you decide to go to a restaurant, pay the freight. You are the one that made the choice . THW

I'm with FG on this one, despite his lack of scientific testing . Maybe we should keep in mind that all cast iron was new at one time or another, and it's only within our lifetimes that pre-seasoned pots, griddles, etc., were available. I have a friend who grew up in coastal NC, and she said that every so many years (no idea how many), her grandmother would take her old cast iron skillet out in the front yard and set it on fire when she thought the "patina" was getting a bit heavy. Then she'd wipe it out, and start accumulating the patina again. Of course, she hadn't done any scientific tests either, I'm sure, but from the reports, her food was superb. Lard in the oven a few times sounds like a good idea to me, but just cooking with the griddle, seeing that it doesn't get "cleaned" again, and it should be fine within six months, maybe less if you use it a lot. THW

Brooks; Superb, just absolutely superb. Your description of growing up in the South just about brought tears to my eyes, and I am way too damned old to be crying. Living your life vicariously for a week has been a real high point for me and many others, and a joy I wouldn’t have missed for anything. Thanks so very, very much for such a great job on the blog, and for sharing it all with us. THW

Brooks; This is such a great blog that I can't think of a single thing to say that hasn't already been said. But thanks...thanks a bunch for such first class info and entertainment . THW

Red. To go with the red meat, or salmon, or whatever.

IMHO this is not bad news, it is good news. The new CEO seems (from the article) determined to bring Sutton Place back to its former glory, and has the capital behind him to pull it off. SP was apparently undercapitalized for years, and took the Giant route of raising prices and letting quality slip to try to make more money. A smattering of Econ 101 will tell you that is probably not the way to go. And so what if they call it Balducci's? As far as I'm concerned, they can call it Fred Smurf's if they want to, as long as the quality and some sensible pricing are restored. I say more power to them. THW

Superb blog, Brooks. And the pictures are great too. Makes me wish I still lived in Texas so I could just pop over for a few pounds of crawdads . Up here in VA, we're still ages away from any decent tomatoes. Saddens the heart of us real tomato lovers. Please keep up the good work. THW

Bleudauvergne; I am almost in tears (of envy) looking at the smoked magret stuffed with foie gras. How incredible beautiful. Count yourself lucky (I'm sure you do). THW

I just got back from the Total Wine and More in McLean, VA, and they have six cases left and didn't know when they were expecting more. The manager opined that this was replacing some other beer in Dominion's line, but wasn't sure. THW

LJ; Please report back after you've tasted it. Would also be interested in where you found it. Thanks. THW

Woodburner; Not sure where you are, but here in northern VA there is a Latino (Cuban, I think, but not sure) grocery a few miles from my house and they will supply whatever you want, in whatever form you want. When I'm making hot, spicy sausage, I go in and tell them I want 3 lbs of lean pork, which they cut to order, and 1 lb of fatback, which they buy in large cryovacs. Then I grind my own, sometimes in the KitchenAid, although like some others here, I now prefer the Cuisinart. I had trouble getting the right lean to fat ratio on successive batches, and finally came up with a more or less foolproof method. Trim the lean of any fat if necessary (it usually isn't in my case), grind and weigh the lean first, then grind the fatback separately. Weigh the lean, divide by 3 and add that much fat for a 25% fat sausage. Or weigh the lean, divide by 2 and add that much fat for a 33% sausage. Obviously, you can fiddle with the numbers however you like, but I've found that for sausage that will be smoked, the 33% ratio work out very well. After I have the ground meat, I mix it by hand, spread it out in a large layer, and season it. Then mix again by hand, and you're ready to stuff the casings. Re Cuisinart vs KitchenAid for grinding, when I tried some pork shoulder, I found that the KitchenAid grinder tends to clog up if there is any significant amount of soft, connective tissue, whereas the Cuisinart cuts right through it. THW