ludja

Thanks for mentioning it again. I did also, in my first post, after the section on recipes, but maybe it was difficult to spot. (The article mentions that Chef Zadi helped in converting some of the recipes for the home kitchen.)

Thanks for the great link to La Glace bakery in Copenhagen, John. I loved looking through their cakes!

You'll have to wait until you have a beer belly.

If the berries really have a distinctly good taste, maybe he could also approach better restaurants to feature them on their menus seasonally. The berries could be identified as *** Farm berries and this would help with the marketing of his brand name in addition to creating some regular bulk purchasers. I would also include the name of the type of strawberry so that people can begin to associate the presumably better taste and texture with a particular unique product. Based on your description of the berry it seems that it's special characteristics would be best appreciated in a non-processed form. So I would at least explore some options for selling them this way, as with the restaurants above. Farmer's markets and pick your own are other options if there is sufficient population density close enough. (I realize that the processed items help make it a year round thing, etc, but if you build up a good reputation with the fresh berry it may also help selling the other processed items.) Do you know what the varietal types are for the raspberry and strawberries? (Curious b/c we've had threads on flavorful berry varieties.)

Thanks for the nice write up, therese! The unsweetened crepes/thin pancakes that are cut up as noodles for a soup garnish are called "frittaten". I love Leberknoedel soup, as well as Wurstsalat or Fleischsalat. The quark dumplings (Topfenknoedel) w/strawberry rhubarb sauce sound nice as well and nice that you saved room for them! Typically in Austria they and other "Mehlspeisen" would be eaten as a meatless or light meal and maybe just after a soup and salad as you ordered. Do you remember if the boiled dumplings were rolled in dried bread crumbs and then lightly sauteed in butter? This is how my grandmother would do it. I always wait (and usually miss) making these stuffed with apricots during their short season. I should just get on with it and make them now and serve them as they did with just a fruit sauce. (Off topic aside: Based on your past recs I sent a friend attending a conference in Atlanta this week to Mary Mac's. I'm jealous I wasn't there....)

Thanks Priscilla! I need to look at Craig Claiborne's book again as well.

Thanks for sharing your recipe, nightscotsman. I think I might try a commercial paste and then your homemade one to see how they compare in this type of application. I love almonds enough that it would hardly be a hardship!

You could have said, "If I'm a genoise, you're a milquetoast!"

Waaah. I want PBC next to MY copy of PB&P. Yesterday scored for a buck a crispy-newlike Mayhaw-Man-endorsed Cotton Country Collection. Have been meaning to buy regular-price for ages, but the gods of thrift shopping finally hadda step in. Happens. ← We share a mutual envy, Priscilla---I bet I would really like the "Cotton Country Collection" as well. It may be too difficult to describe, but how do you see it fitting in with other Southern Cookbooks, if you have them. (Maybe if I look back at Mayhaw Man's previous posts I can get an idea here as well.) A silly question probably, but are the recipes mainly Cajun/Creole? ← I found some of Mayhaw Man's comments and looked at Amazon comments--this goes on my list...

Is it honest for French winemakers to insult the use of oak alternatives while secretly using them? Or is it nobody's business? ← Apparently the French government is going to make honest winemakers out of those that choose to use woodchips. France to Let Vintners use Woodshavings For wines produced in the US, is there any regulation or required disclosure related to the use of wood chips or planks? Most of the articles above mention the use of chips in some Australian wines. Does anyone know how widespread the practice is in the US and if it extends to any premium wine producers?

Do you ever add almond extract to add some of the bitter almond flavor? I not sure if most commercial almond paste usually has some bitter almond in it. The flavor, as I recall, seems to have some of that bitter almond profile. A can of Solo almond paste I have on the shelf, lists: blanched almonds, sugar, water, natural flavorings and potassium sorbate as a preservative.

Waaah. I want PBC next to MY copy of PB&P. Yesterday scored for a buck a crispy-newlike Mayhaw-Man-endorsed Cotton Country Collection. Have been meaning to buy regular-price for ages, but the gods of thrift shopping finally hadda step in. Happens. ← We share a mutual envy, Priscilla---I bet I would really like the "Cotton Country Collection" as well. It may be too difficult to describe, but how do you see it fitting in with other Southern Cookbooks, if you have them. (Maybe if I look back at Mayhaw Man's previous posts I can get an idea here as well.) A silly question probably, but are the recipes mainly Cajun/Creole?

Thanks for the additional commentary, Ptipois. I think the article did intimate that more commercially available Maghrebi pastry of higher quality was part of the reason for the upsurge in popularity among non-Maghrebi, although they may have described it somewhat more obliquely by saying that "less sweet" or more refined versions were helping to disseminate them to a wider audience. In any case, it is great to hear the perspective of a native Parisienne who has her fingers on the pulse of the food scene there--especially where sweet things are concerned! Thank you for the other pastry shop recommendations, as well. More good information for me to store away for my next trip to Paris. Before then, maybe I will try the cornes de gazelle recipe for myself.

Thanks for the legwork on the Yucatan cookbooks, Caarina. I will scan my libraries to check them out as well as looking through those DK books again.

Here's the recipe. And now, if you'll pardon me, I have to go buy almond paste. ← I love his suggested fruit compote suggestions, as well. Plum and raspberry is really a great combination that I've used in other desserts and I think it would go great in addition to the classic peach or nectarine combination with almond.

I was thinking I might try making the brulee topping on a single crepe under the broiler and then just add it to the top of the stack with some filling underneath it.

Yup! For the pasta dish, I was wondering if a puttanesca type sauce would work. The flavors are strong, but somehow they might be reminiscent of some Chinese flavors such pickeled and fermented ones. It would be relatively easy to bring in capers, anchovies and olives... chiles you would have there. I guess there is the issue of olive oil though--availability and diner's unfamiliarity with it. Also I'm not sure if olives would be too strange a taste for people not very familiar with them. If not puttanesca, maybe some other anchovy- or chinese ham-accented dish. Think of chinese ham as a sub for pancetta. The chinese ham might be nice with sauteed onions and garlic and cauliflower or eggplant over pasta.

To Lure the French: Don't BeToo Sweet The article will only be available for a limited time but there are also three recipes: Dziriate (small pastries filled w/a rosewater-honey ground almond fillilng) Cornes de Gazelles (small pastries filled w/ground almonds flavored with cinnamon and orange water) Hazelnut Baklava Other pastries mentioned without recipes: ghribia -- a mound-shaped cookie made from semolina flour, butter, and just a touch of sugar makrout — soft, Fig Newton-like cakes made from semolina, honey and dates Chef Zadi is mentioned as a consultant on adapting some of the recipes! Parisian Maghreb Pastry Shops mentioned: La Bague de Kenza ("BK", an Algerian pastry shop w/several locations including near the Bastille and in the 11th arrondissment) Pâtisserie Malika (Morrocan pastry, Boulevard de Ménilmontant in the 20th arrondissement) Cookbook: Les Douceurs de Kenza by L'Hassan Rahmani and Samira Fahim (Minerva, 2005).

Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful and scholarly list, Caarina! It does indeed give a good idea of the unique aspects of Yucatan cuisine. My mouth is watering and I'm sure your preparation will pay off in your trip---Have a great time. I need to make a note for the upcoming Munoz book, especially if it will feature Yucatan cuisine. I"m fascinated by the dish descriptions. Huevos Motulenos is a favorite egg dish of mine but that is nearly the extent of my experience w/Yucatan food except for some fresh and cooked habanero salsas. I"m particularly intrigued by the various pickled/vinagrette meat dishes; the various salpicon. I really like flavor of habeneros as well, and the way it is combined with tomato and citrus. Does anyone have recs on cookbooks (in English) with Yucatan recipes? I have a few recipes scattered throughout some Bayless books. Is there a particular Kennedy book to recommend among her many tomes?

No - to the locals it is not that exotic and for the foreign touists it is, I guess, part of experiencing a new country. I do not persists day after day with game - that would in itself get a bit boring. Some more common game such as Kudu, Impala and Springbok is fairly widely available. For others such as Eland, crocodile, warthog you need speciality suppliers. ← Fascinating, thanks for the answers. On a related note, I can't remember if you mentioned it in this, or in your previous blog, but are these meats from "farm-raised" animals? I think in the US that "game" animals in restaurants have to be farm-raised. It would be definately be exciting to taste these different meats. Here, I feel slightly exotic eating rabbit or elk! edited to add: I think the April Fool's Day menu is pretty funny; I would enjoy it if I were a guest.

Do any guests balk at the non-chicken-pork-beef-lamb meat offerings? Also, are warthog and impala, for example, readily available at local markets or do you have to search out specialty shops?

Are there any good French or Italian bakeries in the Triangle now? Good French or Italian bakeries have many smaller non-cake items that I would purchase frequently. I love Southern baked goods but personally I tend to bake Southern pies and cakes at home quite a bit. That doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of people in a different demographic than me, but I guess I tend to buy pastries rather than cakes or pies from bakeries. That being said, there are probably lots of people that don't bake enough to make homemade Southern caramel cakes, coconut cakes, fresh orange cake or fried fruit pies, for example. I could almost picture a bakery anchored with these items since they are more time intensive but could also potentially be quite popular. The two cakes seem like they would be a natural for birthdays or other celebrations. The fried fruit pies, as a smaller item, might bring in more frequent buyers. The other item that is really diffcult to find well done anywhere in the country are very good breakfast danishes and/or cinnamon rolls. These might also bring in a lot of repeat business if they are done well for the right price. As someone who bakes alot, the other thing that would bring me in (besides items for takeout like fried pies, danishes and cinnamon rolls that I don't really bake at home) would be if the pastry shop had a spot for eating items in house with a cup of coffee or tea. For someone who bakes, that would also bring me in for slices of cake, etc. that I might usually make at home. In any case, I guess there are more people who don't bake than do, so my comments are probably not too helpful. Disclaimer: I lived in the Triangle for awhile but am not there now.

Has anyone made the citrus risotto (w/grapefruit and lime)? If so, how is it and do you think it might work with sauteed shrimp as Rodgers mentions in the recipe forward? I'll probably have to try this slightly improbably combination myself just to satisfy my own curiosity but I thought I'd also check with other's experiences. I thought that with the shrimp it might make a nice first seafood course for Easter.

Thanks for the report Paul B. Glad you had a nice experience at both The Thirsty Bear and at Jardiniere. I've always enjoyed both these restaurants, but I haven't been to either for awhile. Yikes on the dinner at Popolo! I've never even heard of that place, sounds like extra wine was a good strategy.

I heard on the news this morning that with rain in the forecast for the next few days, this is shaping up to be a March with record total rainfall in the Bay area. (Yesterday felt like the first warm, sunny spring day.) Happy to hear that the extra rain should be ok for the vineyards even while there will be some extra complications with respect to accessing the vineyards with farm equipment. Thank you for the explicated pruning example. To this layperson and non-gardener, the pruning looks quite dramatic in scope.