Liza

Jinmyo, If you're comfortable and have the time, could you provide a basic gyoza shell recipe? Many thanks, Liza

Nick et al, You can order The Best of Art Culinaire issues 1-15 and 15-30 - they're two large hard-bound collections with photos and recipes. If there's anything you're looking for, I have both collections. Liza

Edited.

Opinion is used to refer to matters of taste, belief and judgment. However, it depends on what definition of opinion you have in mind. For example, you may ask a friend about your new car to which he would reply that it is ugly. In this case, it would be foolish not to challenge his opinion, for it’s obvious that by opinion he means his personal preference. What you disregard is another use of opinion which is based on objective judgment and which forms standards that are there to follow, accept and learn from. For instance, consider when the Supreme Court has delivered its opinion in a controversial case. Obviously the justices did not state their personal preferences, their mere likes and dislikes. They stated their considered judgment at which they arrived after thorough inquiry and deliberation. Their decision was based on following certain standards, rules and regulations that allowed them to achieve a judgment that can be objectively validated. I still haven't seen it written anywhere - and by that I mean, as a law or rule - except here on Egullet, that a prepared fruit dessert is better than plain fruit. Do you really believe that Supreme Court justices do *not* state their personal preferences? What about the likely scenario of the overturning of Roe V. Wade - will not personal preference likely influence the decision?

But that statement doesn't get us anywhere. Does the person who thinks that frozen strawberries are as good as perfect fresh ones have a credible opinion? No, frozen strawberries fail because of objective reasons that have nothing to do with what one likes. We discuss these things like they haven't been decided already. It's already been decided that fresh fruit is generally inadequate to be served as a dessert in a nice restaurant. If that wasn't the case you would see them serve it more often but they don't. And that is the case even though you might not prefer it that way. Sorry, Steve. I'll just have to keep disagreeing with you even as you change the goalposts (regarding fresh vs. frozen strawberries and the people who prefer frozen). It doesn't matter to me what *everyone* has decided is appropriate to be served at restaurants - that, to me, does not make it the *best*. What I like is the best to me and no one can disuade me of that, just as surely as no one can disuade you that what you like is the best. I'll just posit that why you don't see fresh fruit served at restaurants is because patrons want the chef to have futzed with it - otherwise, you'd be hearing "I could have done that at home". That's a very different justification - and a valid economical one- for fruit desserts, and one which makes sense to me.

Each one has something to offer *the person who wants it*. It's funny, because I think you are describing preference, not me.

I disagree again, Steve. A prepared dessert may be 'better' to people who prefer a prepared dessert, just as plain fruit may be 'better' to people who prefer that. We cannot say which is 'better' - we can only prefer one over the other.

Macrosan, I sincerely hope you told the waiter to hold the creme anglaise between his knees.

I think it's really a matter of opinion.

This is maddening. Personally, I have yet to eat a fruit dessert made with a fruit that I love in its raw state, that is in any way better than the raw, ripe fruit itself. Just because someone f*cks with it, does not, in my opinion, make it better. Also, just my opinion, my expectations are usually low as I'm fifty percent pessimist, and therefore there's almost always something that meets or exceeds them, as I'm also fifty percent optimist. Keeps me balanced.

Matt and anyone else seeking monkfish liver in NYC, When the season comes round again, I think in the spring, Alex Villani of Blue Moon Fish carries freshly caught monkfish and monkfish liver. As he is the fisher and the proprietor, his is monkfish of very high quality. Blue Moon Fish is at Union Square greenmarket on Wednesdays and Tribeca Greenmarket on Saturdays, end of March through December. Before steaming it, I soaked it in orange juice for 30 minutes, them steamed and sliced.

I'm as easily pleased as I am easily peeved, and can switch from one to another within one meal quite easily. That said, I try to look at the complete experience of dining out - even though I'm Egullet finicky, the food is just one factor.

Just another thanks for the article, D the C. I'm a big fan of debunking - also, have you read Steingarten on salt? Similar results vis a vis the crystal size making up most of the difference in the taste test.

Yes, please. Either one.

I second Azuri, which is on 51st between 10th and 9th, though closer to 10th.

Art Culinaire vapid? I beg to differ. AC is the one I drop everything for and read and keep and refer to all the time. They have recipes from chefs around the world; their themes are explored and deconstructed and re-formed by the chefs, not by a features article turned food writer; they list every ingredient and source and technique necessary to replicate the dishes; the provide real bios of the chefs; AND, they're hard bound, which makes them easy to keep. If I could subscribe to only one food publication, it would definitely be Art Culinaire.

(That's Gordon's black lab - he's the executive producer of Paula's show).

It was pretty arduous, but turned out alright - a worthwhile experiment but not likely to be repeated unless the space time continuum opens up and we have way too much free time.

Sara's other show was called Cooking Live Primetime. It was meant to be more relaxed, more involved with cooking - no phone calls or e-mails. A lot more chefs were able to visit, as it was recorded live at 10PM. Poor Sara would actually tape Cooking Live, wrap at 8, go home for dinner, and come back around 9:30 for CLPT. Re: Iron Chef. FN owns the concept now and has more episodes coming down the pike. But yes, they are all 'old' episodes as FujiTV is not taping any new ones. Hopefully, we'll get to see Yutaka Ishinabe, the original Iron Chef French and Koumei Nakamura, the second Iron Chef Japanese - after Michiba-san.

Thanks to all. We ended up doing Julia Childs three cooking method - steam then braise then roast. Ended up with a finely toned, beautifully browned bird that we were so tired of looking at we didn't even eat. Should sample it tonight.

Hey now.

Hmm. About the 'reality'. This won't be filmed at UP, but rather at a specially-built site. I read that as: filmed on a set. And they'll be arranging the 'patrons'. I read that as: actors. But I'm the skeptical sort.

Leaning, Jin, still leaning. My mind is rarely made up, preferring a state of deshabille.

For what it's worth, Mr. Mayo County recalls simply 'stew'.

Dash the thought, Mighty W! As I was able to wade through the four responses to my initial query with some ease (ahem), I looked round for other solutions.