robyn

<<In just over 25 hours, not only did we eat the TDF at Trio but we also ate at Harold’s Fried Chicken, Al’s and Johnnie’s Italian Beef, SuperDawg, and Gino’s East. Needless to say that by the end of the trip we were absolutely stuffed.>> In what order did you eat at these restaurants? And all in 25 hours? Robyn

<<i think a few chefs in the US would disagree with you.>> They probably would Tommy - but when I have reason to believe that a certain food item doesn't "travel well" - I'd rather stick with the local stuff. Whatever it happens to be. Robyn

<<I live in a neighborhood that is called, I think, in zoning parlance, the "Red Zone," which means you basically can't have a sidewalk cafe. Several bar/restaurant owners in the area have recently made the case to me that, with the recession and the smoking ban, they could really use a financial boost -- and that having sidewalk cafes set up for the summer could be just the thing. Now, of course, as a resident I'm not crazy about the idea -- sidewalk cafes can be loud and intrusive, especially if you live above them, and they cause pedestrian congestion. But they also add character to the neighborhood, and they're good for businesses and therefore employment, tax revenue, and the economy. I'd therefore be willing to support a broad-based increase in the number of sidewalk-cafe permits, and an expansion of the acceptable zones, in New York City. Anybody with me on that?>> I can't speak as a resident - just as a tourist who used to go to Manhattan every couple of years - spending thousands of dollars each trip on hotels, restaurants, theater, etc. I'm one of the 1/3 of adults in the US who smokes. Yes - I know it's not good for you - and it will probably kill me - but that's not the point of this thread. I never minded going to big deal restaurants like AD and the like where smoking is usually off limits. I do resent not being able to go a bar and not having a cigarette with my drink. So - until things change in New York - I'm spending my travel dollars elsewhere. I will note that in places which have similar smoking bans - like Los Angeles and all of Florida now - well restaurants in places that are warm have simply moved parts (in some cases large parts) of their facilities outside. We were in LA a couple of years ago - and while the inside restaurant at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills was almost totally empty every night - the outside patio where people could smoke was always full. I didn't know the names of all the familiar movie star faces I saw - but they were all smoking. Where I live - in north Florida - there aren't as many outside dining facilities - and a lot of places are going out of business. Except for the normal chain garbage - the Ruby Tuesdays of the world - where people never wanted to spend more than 30 minutes or 30 dollars feeding a family of 4. And the steak house chains where large corporate groups tend to congregate. I know that when Florida voters voted on the smoking ban - the dominant ad for the ban was an 11 year old saying she didn't like to eat in restaurants where people smoked. I hope she's spending the approximately $6,000 a year that I'm not spending now eating at local restaurants. I will be going to London in the spring - and I will be dropping a lot of money there at restaurants that I otherwise might be spending at home - or in New York. Robyn

I won't get into the "I like" or "don't like" truffles debate. I will tell you that they're a food item - like stone crabs - which doesn't travel well distance or time-wise. So unless you're someplace where they come from - don't even bother to try them. Robyn

<<As I sit writing, my peach tree, which lost all her leaves last week, is now in full bloom. This is a first; she has never bloomed in November. Of course, there won't be enough time for the fruit before a freeze hits us, unless we are extremely lucky.>> I live in north Florida. Climate similar to yours - probably a bit warmer (we are zone 9a - you are probably 8). In all likelihood - you don't get enough chill hours on a regular basis for something like peaches. Everyone worries about whether plants will freeze in certain zones - but not enough retailers tell us how many chill hours we need for certain plants to flower/fruit successfully. We have had a very warm winter across the south as of today - so a lot of our plants which would rather be dormant now have been forced into late season blooming/growing. We're getting the flowers now we would otherwise get in the spring. By the way - one thing that always works for me in the spring (late February to early May) is Martha Stewart spring mix seeds from KMart. Easy as pie to grow and tasty to boot. Gotta love Martha . Robyn

<<Georges Deboeuf 2003 $7.99>> I don't drink wine that often - but my husband does. Georges Deboeuf was at Costco yesterday for $6.49. For what it's worth - Costco sells more French wine than any retailer in the US - including a fair amount of high end stuff. Robyn

Perhaps it's because it's something we can't get at home - and we miss it a lot - but every time we're in Vancouver - brunch at the Pink Pearl (dim sum) is a must. Robyn

<<I agree with almost everything you say, Robyn. Indeed, most of the salmon we eat is the farmed Atlantic variety, because it is a lot better than no salmon at all. But fresh sockeye is mighty tasty.>> I agree with what you say too <smile>. I happen to live in a "non-fresh-wild-salmon part of the world". I enjoy eating all kinds of fresh wild salmon - mostly plain thank you - when I travel - but - without farmed salmon - it wouldn't be as common on my dinner table as hamburger (and it's more common than hamburger - because I'm not a big beef eater). My favorite preparations are cooked in foil (basted with a bit of olive oil - and some basil and tomatoes on top) or cooked on the grill on one of those planks they sell at Williams Sonoma. Robyn

<<OK... I am confused. What is so bad about farm raised salmon? That is a serious question. I really don't know if I would know the difference. And hasn't aquaculture been encouraged to supply much needed protein? After all, the Polynesians were practicing aquaculture hundreds of years ago. Enlighten me, please.>> Fifi - You are right to be skeptical. There are issues about farmed salmon. But there are many issues about non-farmed seafood that don't get nearly as much press (if they get any at all). Like the FDA warning for women of child bearing age and children regarding fish they should only eat in very limited quantities (if at all) due to mercury levels. Hepatitis problems with shellfish. Ciguetera <sp?> in reef fish (this is a nasty neurotoxin that occurs naturally in many larger reef fish - including grouper - I've seen a fair number of lawsuits involving it). Worms in fish. Etc. Some of the problems are related to what people do - some just occur naturally and were around long before people were around. When I used to go to the Bahamas - there was an old native custom. Feed the junk parts of the seafood you catch to the cat. If the cat is ok the next morning - you can eat it yourself. Overall - our food laws regarding seafood are almost non-existent compared to the laws that govern the production of things like beef, chicken and pork. I'd put produce in the middle of the regulation spectrum - especially when it comes to imported produce. I have never read anything particularly bad about the health consequences of eating farmed salmon. And I am old enough to remember when I never had to worry about salmon at all - because it was so expensive that you only ate it occasionally (whether at home or at restaurants). In addition - I am sure that a lot of the same people who say that farmed salmon isn't as tasty as wild smother it with sauces that obliterate all traces of the natural taste. Too bad I can't take on some of the people who complain about farmed salmon with a blind tasting. Robyn

<<Sorry for the commercial, but the Sterling Silver line is good stuff.>> Didn't in any way mean to disparage your former client. As someone who cooks for perhaps 2-4 people in a home setting - the cost doesn't bother me (no matter what it costs - it's cheaper than eating a steak at a place like Ruth's Chris or Morton's). I believe you can order off the web site I looked at - and I will take another look at the offerings there. Robyn

<<One last thing about knife safety. with the knives of today, the practise of food prep while drinking can lead to accidents. -Dick>> Agreed - my husband combined some fancy knife work with a martini and cut off the tip of a finger. I bought a video from Henckels which does a good job of illustrating (safe) knife techniques. Also - if you're doing work with sharp knives on stuff that's slippery (like fish and chicken) - it might be a good idea to invest in one of those gloves that you can't cut through - the kind that butchers use. Robyn

This is the best corn pudding recipe I have - it is more like a corn pudding souffle. It's delicious. 5 large eggs 2 cups frozen corn kernels thawed and drained on paper towels 1 package frozen cream style corn defrosted (I usually defrost both corns in the microwave) 1 1/4 cups whole milk 1 1/4 cups whipping cream 1/3 cup all purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Put rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 8x8x2 baking dish (I use pyrex). Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until well blended. Pour into prepared dish. Bake until top is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean - about 1 hour and 10 minutes. That's it. The recipe is best out of the oven (after a bit of rest - like 5-10 minutes). It's ok reheated - just ok. Takes so little work in my opnion that there's no reason it shouldn't be eaten at its best.

My husband and I once stayed overnight in New Iberia. Instead of the normal chocolates on the bed - there were little bottles of tobasco sauce. You gotta love it .

<<However, my most joyful portion of the visit was Acme Oyster on Iberville, off Bourbon St.>> There are Acme people - and there are Felix's people. Think it depends on how you're stamped at birth. Robyn

I have been going to Felix's every time I have been in New Orleans for about 25 years now (I'm a retired lawyer - and I used to argue cases in the appellate court there on a regular basis). Last time I was there was 2 years ago. Felix's always seems to stay the same - and I haven't been disappointed. It's like an old comfortable pair of shoes. Only problem is sometimes I think I'm out of my mind eating gulf oysters without a hepatitis shot (I live in North Florida and read too many articles about problems with the oyster beds). One restaurant no one has mentioned is Dominque's in the French Quarter. We had our first meal there on our last trip. It is a "big deal" restaurant. It is not "world famous" - but it is excellent. I have to add one note about the cooking in New Orleans. Just about every restaurant we went to (once we got away from raw oysters) used way way too much salt. I would wake up in the middle of the night dying of thirst and chug down a bottle of water. I live in the south - so I am not unused to too much salt - but I think New Orleans restauraurants set a record in my books. I think that using too much salt is the sign of a poor chef. There are so many interesting herbs and spices in the world other than salt - and - when I cook New Orleans style food - I manage to make tasty dishes without risking congestive heart failure. So why are most of the chefs in New Orleans so heavy with the salt shaker? This overuse of salt - among other things - is probably why the people in New Orleans are the unhealthiest people in the US. Also - no one has mentioned the zoo in New Orleans. It is a world class zoo - and the ride to it on the trolley through the Garden District (particularly in the spring blooming season) isn't too shabby either. Robyn

Suzanne beat me to the punch - but I agree with her. The best knife is the one that feels best in your hand and does the job. I am a short person with very small hands. I like the Henckels 4 stars because they have small handles - but I like even better my really old Case knives (because their handles are even smaller). My husband has larger hands - and he likes different knives. So we have "his knives" - and "her knives". Based on the size of our hands - and what we each do in the kitchen. I bought my husband a Wusthof Santoku knife - and a Wusthof offset slicer - last year as presents - and he loves both of them. By the way - the most important piece of advice I can give you about knives is get them sharpened professionally at least once in a while. We found a fellow who does knives for restaurants in his panel truck - and he comes around to our house about once a year to sharpen our knives. Robyn

<<Just received in the mail a advertisement from the Excel Beef's Company's, part of"Cargil", "Sterling Silver Brands" that offers the top of the line Excel Products for purchase. Again they don't guarentee Prime only claiming that they offer products of Choice "AAA", and Prime. Just marketing as "AAA" is questionable. Choice grades for Quality, and 1 to 5 grades for yield, same goes for Prime would be more appropiate. 21 days aging, not mention dry or cryovac. Most interesting product offered at $10.00 per pound in pre-cooked Sterling Silver Boneless "PRIME RIB" Roast in 2 sizes 7 pounds and 13/15 pounds. All the other prices were very expensive, higher then Whole Foods or any Seattle specialty market or butcher. I've got sticker shock.>> They're expensive because they probably pay a lot for those full page ads in the Wine Spectator (I'd never head of Sterling Silver brands until I looked it up after reading one of those ads). Robyn

I don't eat beef very often so I am far from an expert. Most of the time I eat beef - I eat rib eyes bought on sale at Harris Teeter under the Harris Teeter Rancher "brand name". Up until recently - the sale price was usually about $3.79/pound and the steaks looked and tasted terrific on the grill. The sale price is up to about $6/pound recently and the steaks don't look as good as they used to (so I haven't bought any). I would have guessed that I was getting "choice" before - but - these days - I wouldn't be sure. Robyn

I think Joe's is where people from out of town first eat stone crabs when they're visiting Miami. We lived in Miami for over 20 years - and I love stone crabs. But - when you get right down to it - most stone crabs pretty much come from the same place (the Florida Keys). And they're cooked where they're caught and shipped to food stores and restaurants. So - basically - no matter where you buy or eat them - you're only dealing with 4 variables: how fresh they are (which means they're not selling you crabs from day before yesterday); how big they are (I tend to prefer large - not medium or jumbo); how well they're cracked; and how good the mustard sauce is. Despite all the hassles with Joe's - their crabs are always very fresh, you can pick the size you want, they are cracked well, and the mustard sauce is great. When you're spending as much money as you spend on stone crabs - you don't want any surprises. When we lived in Miami - we weren't fond of dining at Joe's - but we liked to do take-out. Joe's has a web site where you can get detailed instructions about cracking crabs - and the recipe for its sauce. You can also buy the crabs on line and have them delivered by overnight fedex. Robyn

None of my relatives has ever given me any of my useless gadgets. I can only blame them on myself :). Most have long since hit the trash - but - like the ghost of Christmas past - they come back to haunt me. Hard to pick the worst - how about the plastic container thing which was supposed to allow you to microwave eggs? About the only good thing I have to say about it is that the eggs didn't explode. Robyn

I'm feeling like such a schmo, but I'm actually muttering to myself, "Hmmm. I need a tea ball. I couldn't find one when I needed one the other day. Hmmm. I have been eyeing a ricer for months, but my wife says it's too much money. I want a ricer." The most useless thing in my kitchen? A cast iron corn-bread mold shaped like fish. Attractive, yes; but heavy, difficult to clean, and cornbread baked in it doesn't actually look like fish. Well - you need a tea ball if you want to make a small amount of tea and don't want to use a tea pot with loose tea for that cup or two. If you don't make small amounts of tea - you probably don't need a tea ball. Just like I always wanted a beautiful espresso machine. But I drink one cup of coffee in the morning - that's it - and I never drink espesso. So I doubt I could justify a $1000 espresso maker. As for the ricer - if you make only one dish - mashed potatoes - it will pay for itself. If you're on the Atkins diet - forget about it :). My favorite ricer is the one I bought at Williams Sonoma a few years ago. Plastic - goes into the dishwasher and cleans up beautifully. Robyn

I love my garlic baker (if only because it reminds me to roast a head of garlic now and then). Robyn

Oh good. Then it wasn't just me. How does a company like Kyocera make such a no-good product? How can a company like Williams Sonoma actually sell something like that? Doesn't someone try this stuff before they crank up the manufacturing and marketing? Sheesh. ming seems to endorse it. Endorsing isn't the same as using :). I am always on the hunt for the holy grail of gadgets that will overcome my meager knife skills. I wound up buying a Benriner that does a much better job. Robyn

I have a small wood mortar and pestle. It isn't good for much - but you can use it to crush small amounts of things like cumin seeds. Robyn

OMG! I have one of those, too. I found it in this quirky hardware store in a little town in the Texas Hill Country. I had to have it. What is really dumb is that it only makes 5 "fish". I guess I should have bought two. How do you make batter for and then what do you do with 5 cornbread fish? Well, I guess from what you say I would have 2 pans that make cornbread that really don't look like fish. *heavy sigh* I got one of those grapefruit cutter things that was on late night TV a few years ago. It has this corer and then these arc shaped cutters on the lid over a bowl. You core the fruit, jam it down on the cutters, turn the lid and, voila! Actually, the damn thing really works. The challenge is finding all of the pieces. I eat a lot more grapefruit (love to put it in salads) since I discovered the pink grapefruit sections in jars. As for cast iron skillets - including corn bread skillets - I don't have enough years left to season the things properly. About all I ever made in my cast iron skillets was rust. Robyn