vengroff

The Slippery Slope is now at http://recipes.egullet.com. Thanks Katie. [Edit] Please upload a photo if you have one.

Bone-in cowboy cut rib steak.

What are the laws in DC, VA, and MD concering bringing one's own wine to a restaurant? Obviously the normal etiquette rules about not bringing a bottle on the restaurant's list, expecting to pay corkage, etc... apply. I just want to know if there are any state or district laws regulating the practice, and whether it is common.

I don't suppose Schrambling is likely to pop in for a Q&A any time soon?

Interesting point. I'll buy it for beef, although I can't say I make a habit of eating much beef at Chinese restaurants. Do you think this argument extends to seafood as well, or do you think the better Chinese places source their fish and shellfish from closer to the top of the market?

The chromium in stainless steel oxidizes in a very thin layer at the surface. The layer of chromium oxide protects the metal below it, which consists of a combination of chromium, iron, and varying amounts of nickel and/or molybdenum depending on the type of steel. Gold does the same thin oxide coating thing, but it costs a lot more than chromium. Other metals don't produce this kind of self-protecting layer when they oxidize; they just keep ozidizing all the way through. This is why gold and chromium are so shiny and don't tarnish or rust, but silver, copper, and iron do. The reason we use stainless steel instead of pure chromium has to do with cost, ductility, and heat conductivity. You can play with all kinds of percentages of different metals in the alloy, to get one stainless steel that is good for knives, one that is good for pots, and one that is good for decorative trim.

This is absolutely correct. One strategy that I find works very well is to identify a couple of dishes on the menu that are unusual in some way, for example because they use ingredients not typical of the cuisine of the restaurant, or because the preparations are unusual. Once these have been identified, you can engage your server in a conversation about these dishes, related dishes you may have had, how they differ, what sort of statements the chef is trying to make, etc.... If the server is good, the message will get back to the kitchen that you are a serious diner who is interested in something more than filling his stomach, impressing a client, or looking at the art on the walls. You may end up being offered tasting portions of a couple of dishes, one of the dozen really exceptional scallops the fish guy brought in this morning, a sampling of something the chef really likes but hasn't put on the menu because it's hard to make in quantity, etc... In this case, you are depending on the staff's ability to recognize and communicate your interests to the kitchen. To the extent that they are able to do so, I am happy to compensate them with a larger gratuity.

I'm with Steve P. on this one. I like the Club Gascon approach a lot. I never though of it the before, but it is exactly what Craft, or at a minimum CraftBar, should be. As Cabrales pointed out, it's a very different experience than you would have at the Square. N.B. for Cabby: Laurent Manrique told me CG is his favorite place to eat in London. But he's from Gascony, so that makes sense.

I've done something like this before, but I boned the thighs, stuffed them with julienned veggies, then rolled them in pancetta, tied them closed into little bundles, and sauteed. The skin plus pancetta is really an amazing taste and texture.

Two-Spice Chicken Tamales Serves 4 as Main Dishor 12 as Appetizer. These tamales are hot, but not overly so. You can adjust the proportion of spices to suit your particular tastes. In addition to habaneros, these tamales have just a touch of cinammon in the dough. This touch bridges the gap between the hot filling and the sweeteness of the corn kernels embedded in the dough. This recipe makes a dozen tamales. For wrapping 24 corn husk leaves water to soak the leaves For the dough 1-1/2 c white masa harina 1/2 c sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 c chicken stock 3 T bacon drippings, or substitute lard or corn oil 1 tsp habanero sauce, such as El Yucateco brand For the filling 3 chicken thighs, skinned and boned, about 4oz each salt and pepper 2 T light olive or corn oil 12 oz sofrito sauce. You can use a commercial brand like Goya, or make your own from tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro. 2 tsp habanero sauce, or to taste At least two hours ahead of time, preferably eight hours, seperate the corn husk leaves from one another and place them in a wide shallow dish. Cover with water. You may have to put a plate on top of them to weigh them down, otherwise the top ones will not get wet. Begin the tamales by making the dough. Mix the corn into the masa. If you are using fresh corn, be sure to squeeze the corn milk off the cob into the mix. Stir in the liquid ingredients and form the dough into a ball. Set it aside while you work on the filling. Begin the filling by sprinking the chicken with salt and a good amount of black pepper. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Add the oil and then the chicken. Cook until golden brown on both sides and just barely cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. In the mean time, put the sofrito in a medium saucepan and warm it over medium heat. Add the habanero sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and dice it into 1/2" cubes. Put the chicken into the softrito and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. In this time the sauce should thicken and be partially absorbed into the chicken. Now, it's time to assemble the tamales. Take one large or two small corn husk leaves out of the water and pat them dry. They should be soft and flexible. Lay the leaves flat on the work surface, overlapping two leaves by 1-1/2" if they are not large. The top (pointy end) of the leaves should be facing away from you, and the flat side where they were cut should face you. Place roughly 2T of dough in the center of the leaves, and spread it out into a rectangle. The rectangle should come to withing 1" of the bottom of the leaves, and about 1-1/2" of the sides. Leave a little extra room at the top where the leaves are pointy. Place about 2T of filling in the center. Roll the corn husks up from both sides so that the dough meets at the top and seals in the filling, then let the husks lie back flat on the table. The filling should be completely enclosed in a layer of dough. Patch with additional dough if necessary. Now, fold the bottom of the leaves over the dough, then roll from one side to the other. The fold on the bottom should hold the dough in as you roll. Tie the top closed with a short length of butcher's twine. Tie a second length around the tamale about 1" from the bottom. If you want to be extra authentic, you can tie your tamales with thin strands cut from an extra corn husk instead of using string. As you are assembling the rest of the tamales, bring some water to a boil in a large pot with a steamer insert. A stock pot with a pasta/steamer insert is ideal for this. The water should come up to just below the insert. You can also use a bamboo steamer. Once all the tamales are assembled, place them in the steamer. Let them steam for 45-60 minutes. You can tell when they are done because they will feel firm. If you want to be extra sure, remove one from the steamer and open it. The dough should be firm and should release from the corn husks. If it is still soft and sticky, tie it back up and return it to the steamer. When the tamales are ready, serve them up with some refritos and your favorite salsa. Keywords: Chicken, Main Dish, Mexican, Easy ( RG186 )

Crispy Buttermilk Waffles Serves 4. These waffles have a crispy exterior and a light spongy center that is great for soaking up maple syrup. I make these on a thin American-style waffle iron. If you have a thick Belgian one, you may need to be extra careful in handling them as there may be too much sponge in the center to keep the crisp crusts together. Makes 10-12 4" square waffles, more or less depending on your waffle iron. 6 oz all purpose flour 2 T sugar 1 tsp salt 4 tsp baking powder 2 eggs, seperated 2 c buttermilk 1/4 c vegetable oil vegetable oil for spraying the waffle iron Preheat your waffle iron, and set the oven for 200 F to keep the waffles warm as they are ready. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together into a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks just until combined. Add the buttermilk and oil and stir together until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until large limps are gone. At this point, the batter will begin expanding rapidly, to the point of becoming more a foam than a liquid. In a seperate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, trying to keep as much volume as possible. Some loss is inevitable, but more than half is too much. One the waffle iron is hot, spray both sides with a light coating of oil, then use a spatula to put some batter in. Take care to spread the batter all the way around the iron, as it does not flow like a thinner batter will. You should have a nice thin layer of batter all around before you close the lid. Baking time varies a lot from iron to iron, but generally these should go for a longer rather than shorter time. I set mine on 7 and these come out great, but that probably means nothing to you. Another hint as to when they are ready is that the flow of steam out the sides of the iron reduces noticably. When the first batch of waffles are done, remove them from the waffle iron with tongs and place them on a rack in a warm oven. Leave them uncovered or condensation will ruin their crispness. Proceed to make the rest of the waffles. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup. Keywords: Breakfast, Easy, Brunch, American, Waffle Iron ( RG177 )

And the cheeks ain't too shaby either.

For reasons I still do not fully comprehend, I ordered one of those a few weeks ago. It was the worst coffee-based drink I have ever had. It was sickeningly sweet, and other than that the only recognizable flavor was one like the smell of that high school science experiment where you pour hydrochloric acid over sugar and it burns and bubbles up out of the beaker.

Thanks, Craig. The unknown storage is certainly going to be the key. I googled for the producer and the first thing in English that came up was the Felidia Wine List, which has both vintages (bins 1420 and 1421). The label in full reads:

I was browsing around Schneider's of Capitol Hill when I ran across these two bottles, priced at $39.95 each. I asked about them, and was told, "with Barolos of that age, it's a crapshoot. But if you open it and it tastes like shit, just bring it back for a refund." I bought one of each, given the non-corked or your money back guarantee. 71 and 78 were good years, so how bad could it be? If it's well preserved, but just not the greatest Barolo around, I certainly won't take it back. Any comments on these bottles or odds on whether I'll find them in drinkable condition?

Josephina Howard's book Rosa Mexicano, A Culinary Autobiography has a whole chapter on cuitlacoche (her spelling). It includes both recipes (including ice cream!) and some information about suppliers she has used. In one case, a farmer had it growing on his corn, and thought his crop was ruined until she offered to buy it.

I've been wanting to visit Ortanique for a while. As everyone here knows, it's Malawry's current home away from home. I finally had the chance to visit today. Someone suggested Red Sage, and I countered firmly that we should head a few blocks over and give Ortanique a try. I had the whole red snapper escovitch. It was the special fish of the day. If you happen to be there when it is the special again, I would absolutely recommend it. The whole fish is dipped in a light batter, curled so the head and tail nearly meet, then fried. It is served standing up on the plate, covered in a julienned vegetables and a very flavorful, medium hot and almost mustardy sauce. The batter was good and crispy--not at all greasy tasting; The fish itself was moist and tender, cooked just enough to make it easy to slide off the bones. The beans and rice that came with it didn't add a whole lot, in my opinion, but the fish, vegetables, and sauce were a marvelous combination. I also had an avacado and citrus salad. The salad as a whole may have had just a bit too many things going on at once. However, when the rest was stripped away, the combination of the avacado, the liberal turn of fresh ground pepper that covered it, and a section of grapefruit really came together and worked for me. Service was timely and attentive, but there was a bit of confusion at a couple of junctures as to which food went to which table. I chalk this up to the fact that we were sitting in the area that is, on most nights, the dance floor. Still, even if there are only tables there two nights a week, the numbering scheme should be well known to the staff. The room itself is beautiful, with 20+ foot ceilings from which rich golden fraperies hang. The bar at the front has a large fishtank, closeup images of which are rebroadcast on a giant screen above it. The lamps next to the tables in our section were perhaps just a bit bright for the overall mood of the place. I look forward to going back again on a night when there is music, to see how the vibe of the place changes.

Vincent Feraud is the sommelier's name. He was previously at Lespinasse in DC and Jean-Louis at the Watergate. In any case, he is a charming and very knowledgable fellow who has put together a very broad and rationally priced list. Cabby, in particular, might appreciate the vertical of Opus One half bottles.

That sounds great! Do you know who the manufacturer is?

I saw the same thing when I looked on the web. Guess it's been too long since I lived in the tornado belt. Re: the wind, are structures generally pushed over by it, or does it peel the roof off first? If the latter, isn't this just a Bernoulli effect, which is really just low pressure caused by high wind speed? The point I was trying to make about the tornado and house case vs. the vacuum and box case is that in the tornado case, the high pressure is inside the house and the low pressure is outside, whereas in the vacuum case the low pressure is inside the box and the high pressure is outside.

Thanks. Now, please. Here's a meteorological one: In a tornado, the low pressure is outside your house, so it pops like a balloon. It's just the opposite of what happens to the box when you vacuum out the air. Otherwise a great article. I've been looking at ventilation (among other things, as I'm redoing an entire kitchen) and almost nobody I've talked to has any clue about the need for make-up airflow. They just point at the big high-CFM blowers and say they are better. Also, regarding the noise issue, some manufactures offer remote blowers that sit outside the house at the end of the ductwork and suck the air out from there. Did your research turn up anything on these, or on how much is lost in the ductwork, based on cross section and length?

Does anyone know how if this law has any provisions for giving restaurants better access to out of state sources? At Maestro last week, the sommelier told me that because of Virginia state law, he has essentially no access to the world's secondary markets for wine. He can only get what the licensed in-state distributers offer. For example, there are some lovely 1990 Barolos for sale in major wine markets elsewhere in the country, but he can't get them shipped in.

I have Tom Douglas' book (a gift from in-laws in Seattle) but I've never made this soup. I'll have to give it a go.

Never went to Campton Place, but I did have Manrique's food when he visited Lake Placid last summer. I enjoyed it and made a mental note to visit CP next time I am in San Francisco. I guess I can cross that off my list...

Sorry Steve, I should have mentioned we spent $112 per person for the seven course creazione. I think three courses went for $74, five for $94 plus or minus a couple of dollars. With wine, the bill broke $400 pre-tip for the two of us.