SiseFromm

Crispy Duck Breast with Sherry Thyme Sauce

No doubt. As with Creme Brulee, I'm a purist of sorts when it comes to cheesecake. I don't go for anything other than vanilla creme brulee and I don't fall for anything other than classic cheesecake. I do like the responses relating to citrus though, as lemon in particular is a natural compliment. Candied zest or a simple sauce along with a plain cheesecake is an obvious fit. Sweetened berries seem to go well also, though I would add any additional flavor components as accompaniments after the cake is finished. That's just me though.

I love the "We're in SF so we're better than OC" mentality. It's fantastic! The great city pecking order continues. People in Paris think they're better than people in NY who think they're better than people in SF who think they're better than people in LA who think they're better than people in OC who think they're better than people in all parts East and South respectively. It's quite hilarious. You guys are killing me.

Our meals at Lucques are always perfect. Suzanne Goin is something of a hero to me. I love the commitment to fresh, perfect, locally-acquired ingredients. The dishes shine.

Last night at school was: Tenderloin Medallions with Exotic Mushrooms, Madeira/Veal Stock Reduction Prime Rib Roast Au Jus and Creamy Horseradish Oh yeah, and: Veal Milanese

I really enjoyed the short-lived and wildly funny "Restaurant Rookies" concept. I thought the two characters were quite funny, particularly the guy that challenged you to a pizza contest and wanted to make something with a fruit juice reduction. In all, Restaurant Rookies was quite different from the typical "Food Finds" and "Best Of" programming that bores me to tears. Is there any chance you would give it another go-around, or was the experience more aggravating than satisfying?

4th of July grill party: Melted, Caramelized Maui Onion Dip with Kettle Chips - Spice-Rubbed Rocky’s Chicken with Grainy Mustard Sauce - Grilled Corn with Chipotle Butter - Grilled, Herbed Flat Bread - House-Made “Bomb Pops” with Watermelon, Lemon, and Blueberry Ices - Minted Raspberry Vodka Lemonade

We recently bit the bullet and paid way too much for 24 pieces of fruit from Frog Hollow Farms but I would do it again in a heart beat. The best nectarines and peaches I've ever had. The very essence of the flavors of those fruits were in every luscious and juicy bite. I wish I lived up there so I could stop by and pick up fruit whenever I was in the mood. We were originally going to use the peaches for a tart, but they were so good on their own, I couldn't possibly do anything other than eat raw and in their perfect state.

As if my love for the Beastie Boys didn't run deep already. I always noticed their foodie references but never really put them all together at one time like this thread has done. God love the Beasties. The new album, but the way, is their best work since Check Your Head.

Halibut on Grainy Mustard Potato Salad with Truffle Nage (Copied from Rick Moonen from his Chefs A' Field appearance) The fish was seared and crispy on a small bed of potatoes tossed with mustard, shallots and creme fraiche. Moonen used a mushroom stock with his sauce, but I used chicken stock I had on hand in the freezer. I also substituted Halibut for the striped bass around which the show was based.

I love that place! Jing is shit and we talk on a regular basis. He's driving over here soon enough to deliver a rare cookbook and 10" chef's knife I've had on order. He's great, and is more obsessive about food and food culture than anybody even on these boards. He's a madman really, and sources out rare products for lots of dedicated customers. He's produced vinegars for me that I would never find anywhere, and gives me a chef break to boot. They sell insanely difficult to find cookbooks and French Laundry china for crying out loud. Of course it's expensive and crazy high-end. It's worth every penny too.

We just ate at the Bungalow a few weeks back. The shortribs were good.

I've always thought of Las Brisas more of a seafood restaurant with Mexican/Californian influences than a straight up Mexican restaurant. It's sort of a classic staple in that town. The view is great of course. Wilhelm's influence in Orange County is still around so you can always check out French 75, or head a little further South to Aqua at the Monarch St. Regis. If you head North to Crystal Cove you can eat a nice breakfast at Pacific Whey Cafe. One of the partners there was formerly at Haute Cakes in Newport Beach. Apparently she was the more talented of the husband/wife team, because Haute Cakes has gone down hill and Pacific Whey still pumps. Get a pastry. They rock. Vertical Wine Bar is a must try, as is their crispy sweetbread club sandwich with foie gras. Have fun!

Crispy Salmon, Asparagus in Beurre Noisette, Aioli. Yesterday was Tom Dougals' Mussel Chowder.

Like TJHarris, I would go the "South of the border" route. Rubbed with a spicy herb sauce of cilantro, parsley, chiles, lime juice, garlic, and olive oil, grilled, then served on tortillas. A little bit of Mexican crema, cotija cheese, shredded cabbage and you're golden.

Dinner for one tonight since Holly is out of town. Pan-roasted steak with mushrooms and brown sauce: Before - After - I really need to get some proper lighting. My digital camera and overhead kitchen lights certainly don't show a favorable image of this dish.

Rack of Lamb with Grilled Potatoes and Lemon Aioli.

No problems at all. The steak was barely medium rare to begin with and the cut was nicely marbled, being a ribeye and all. The temperature of the grill was in the 600 range so the pizza was only in there for 5 or so minutes. The meat cooked up a bit, to around medium, but because the cut was so fatty it rendered a bit onto the potatoes and into the creamed spinach. The cheese above it protected the medallians which were sliced around 1/4" thick. It was brilliant, though I can't take credit for the idea. Daniel Boulud's "Cooking in New York" talks about steakhouse pizza with leftovers from Peter Luger's.

Steakhouse pizza with leftovers from Ruth's Chris. Basic pizza dough rolled 1/8" thin, topped with creamed spinach, shoestring potatoes, sliced medium rare ribeye, and mozzarella. it received everal good cranks from my peppermill and a couple of solid glugs of olive oil before it was fired up on a stone in my Weber grill. Putting leftovers to good use is the greatest, even when they might give me a heart attack.

I think that salad is one of his primary dishes at the restaurant. A crowd pleaser I'm sure. I'm going to make his brined roasted pork belly soon enough.

I typically buy beef bones and veal bones for the same price per pound so it might just be an assumption that veal is more expensive, or hard to find for that matter. Any butcher that sells veal should have bones on hand as well so give it a try. I find beef stock to be more pronounced in flavor with less subtlety and that luxurious, velvety goodness found in veal stock. I think chicken and veal stock are my two primary stocks with vegetable coming in third. I use beef and fish stocks sparingly and only when recipes specifically call for them. I can use veal stock on a whim to make everything better.

I agree that good veal stock is liquid gold. I can't imagine not having it on hand all the time because it makes everything I cook that much better. I think the Balthazar cookbook sums it up best: The long cooking time extracts every bit of the protein from the gelatinous shin bones of the veal, which translates to an unbelievably silky stock, enriching everything in its path. Without a doubt, making veal stock at home is hard-core, the domain of the most dedicated cooks. But 8 hours of cooking time is rewared with a stock that can transform a dish. Sorry the stock didn't work out. Lesson learned at least. When I make a kitchen mistake the benefit is that I learn what to look for the next time. That's how I justify my failures anyway. ;-) How much are you charged for veal bones by your butcher? I think I pay .99 cents a pound from my local Bristol Farms. It's the only good deal in the whole store. Ironic of course when veal demi-glaze is sold fresh for about $10 a pint from the same counter I pick my bones up from.

I just made a big batch of veal stock on Thursday! I've been pouring over the Balthazar cookbook recently and like all good French food, veal stock is in order for all the best recipes. You can obviously tell by my signature I've been making it a lot lately. Anyway . . . I think the suggestions so far have been on the mark. If the bones weren't off-color or odor when you received them, I'm sure they're fresh. It was probably marrow. I typically roast mine at around 400-degrees, rotating them often. Brushing them with tomato paste during the last part of the roasting is also great as you get a great caramelized finish on them. Rob Feenie's recipe from the Lumiere cookbook calls for coating them in honey, though I've been reluctant to do that lest they completely scorch during the last few minutes. All that patience during the roasting process just to lose them at the end. So did you end up tasting the stock or not? I'm curious if in the end the funny smell ended up affecting the stock or not. Veal stock in general has a pretty robust aroma as it's cooking, so maybe it was just the normal smell?

This thread inspired me to fire up my Weber and make some pizzas tonight. I use a couple of old 14" round stones, though I can't even remember where I originally purchased them. I'd like to have something custom cut to fit the inside of my grill, but these work just dandy. Tonght's pizzas of shallots, chives, whole milk cheeses, prosciutto, basil, and parmesan were divine. They were all the more sweet with that murdering of the Kings by the Lakers. The whole thing was washed down with a few Boddingtons. Umm . . . victory.

I don't make the dressing with straight olive oil. I find, even with milder olive oils, that it can overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. I use a mix typically of 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 grapeseed oil. A touch of anchovy paste will do wonders. I tend to skip the anchovies all together because the average citizen doesn't want to bite into whole ones anyway. Fresh made sourdough croutons (never over-toasted) and lots of shaved parmesan cheese (old and high quality). Caesars, as with most things obviously, are best when the best ingredients are used. There aren't very many ingredients in a good Caesar so make sure everything you put in will help make the final product shine.