ludja

Lots of info on Foams!

Thank you, Steven and Hest88. Sorry we didn’t get to visit more, Hest88; but I’m very glad that you came upstairs before you left. Also, now I’m looking deliciously forward to trying monkfish liver after reading your cited observation in Carolyn Tillie’s definitive review of the evening linked above! I regret that I didn’t espy another Wolfert-inspired offering on the menu described in Carolyn’s article: Abbaye de Belloc avec Confiture de Figues Vertes aux Noix; A Pays Basque Sheep Cheese served with a green fig and walnut jam

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I actually switched to a sweet potatoe pie several years ago. The recipe (from "Bill Neal's Southern Cooking") has bourbon in it as well and as GG mentions, it adds a deep, rich flavor. This recipe also has a wonderful pecan streusal topping which could also be replicated on a pumpkin pie. The eggs are separated in this recipe so it also has a great texture. I'm not sure it would supplant the aforementioned sweet potato pie which has really become a favorite, but I've also been meaning to try recipes I've seen for French pumpkin tarts. Some of them have creme fraiche, lemon or orange and vanilla as flavorings. Some places to look are Loomis' "French Farmhouse Cooking" or Gavin's "French Vegetarian Cooking".

I've had Penelope Casas' "Tapas" book for a long time and have enjoyed it as well. A friend just loaned me a copy of Penelope Casas' new book, "La Cocina de Mama: The Great Home Cooking of Spain" (1995). It looks quite good just reading the recipes in the sense that there are a lot of recipes I would like to try. While the flavor of the cookbook is homecooking, there are a bunch of slightly updated recipes of classic dishes by chefs. There are some interesting recipes that call for a soft semi-cured chorizo, many use piquillo peppers, Spanish cheeses and ham, and bacalao. Some dishes will have substitutions for ingredients more easily available in the US, BUT, she seems to make a point in describing the use of the source ingredient available in Spain as well. That is, the recipes do not appear to be 'dumbed down' too much by available ingredients--of which many are accessible in the US with mail order in any case. The dessert section looks interesting as well-- Orange Cake, Segovia's Custard and Marzipan Cake, an interesting cheesecake made with Torte de la Serena cheese, Felix Duran's Almond and Egg Yolk Tart, Meringue Wafers with Almond Butter, Walnut Flan with a custard sauce, Almond Soup. I love almonds so that is probably why they appeal to me so much!

Hmmm, if you can recall any other details re: location or part of the name I'd be interested, purplewiz! I live nearby to Mountain View but usually end up near or in SF for Chinese restaurants. Thanks so much for the great blog, Chris!

Lidia's Family Table does have a recipe for Braised Pork Shoulder with Onions that makes a Salsa Genovese. It's kind of a long recipe to type out else I'd pm it to you. There is a good chance that it will be at a local library though as mentioned above if you would like to scout the book out before buying it. And yes, the photos of her grandchlldren are amazingly cute!

Yeah!!! Looking forward to this, Swisskaese

Sorry for your experience... I'd heard of the dish before but didn't really know how it was prepared. click

Enjoyable post Steve Blaski and a good question to pose in the "Adventures in Eating" forum. (I can picture feeling somewhat similarly queasy also having house cats about the size of rabbits at home...) I haven't yet dressed or cooked any type of wild game so it would certainly be a challenge for me to try something like this. Maybe this thread will spur someone to try this dish and then post their experience...

My understanding is the same as your re: the relative popularity of the chowders--including that Rhode Island chowder is by far less common in states other than Rhode Island. I don't even know how popular or widely distributed it is in Rhode Island nowadays; just rather, that the name "Rhode Island chowder" signifies, or used to, in some circles, the clear version. I'm sure we'll have some comments from Rhode Island people re: the current distribution. I have a "long history" with Rhode Island chowder as the clear chowder is a favorite of my Dad's. So for the last forty years he will always look on a menu at a place with chowder to see if they have, "Rhode Island" chowder. (He was also stationed in Newport for part of his military service so maybe he picked up the habit there). According to my recollections, we did run into offerings occasionally in CT (as you did!). We also went to Rhode Island a lot to the beaches in the summer.

I wonder why Rhode Island style is even avaliable in Connecticut? ← Not sure what you mean in your question... (unless I'm being dense and missing a joke!) I've seen all chowder styles available in CT, but "New England" style is the most common, followed by Manhanttan and then Rhode Island. Also, I grew in central CT and don't really know as well what is or would have been traditional re: chowders in, say far southern or eastern CT. Those areas could well be influenced more by their neighbors, namely, Rhode Island to the east and NY to the south.

Good article mizducky! It sounds like there could be variations according to geography and ethnic groups, even in tiny Rhode Island. And of course, things change over time as well. I'm pretty sure that the original clam chowders in New England were all without cream or tomato at some point. I can also imagine that while the clear broth type may have survived in parts of Rhode Island that were more "yankee" in character, the tomato version could have surfaced with Italian and Portuguese immigrants, especially in Providence. I"ll try to dig up one of my New England cookbooks but I've always heard of Rhode Island chowder as being traditionally clear. Growing up in CT, it was always "red" for Manhattan clam chowder and 'clear", i.e. no milk or tomatoes for Rhode Island Clam Chowder. My father growing up in CT said this was the norm as well back then. I think it's probably more difficult nowadays to get the clear chowder b/c people want to enrich it with tomatoes or cream. Witness the article mizducky posted, the NE clam chowder wins in Rhode Island! I actually like the clear broth version quite a bit; although for me, all three versions have their virtues and proper time and place. Can't help you on a restaurant rec though; it's been a few years since I've been in Providence.

Wow, maybe "the butler" didn't do it, but it is quite a coincidence (as I understand it) that the crooked businessman who was asked to remove all his wines from the facility did so just a few days before the fire and then was in the builiding the day of the fire! I guess this story will evolve. Quotes for posterity and/or later acess:

We were lucky to attend a special dinner party at Zuni Café last Thursday in honor of the release of Paula Wolfert’s new edition of The Cooking of Southwest France. It was indeed a wonderful evening that I will remember for a long time. But then, the combination of Zuni Café, Judy Rodgers and Paula's dishes is an unbeatable combination. So, although Judy Rodgers rather than I cooked these recipes, I think they may still serve as inspiration to try some of them oneself. The dinner certainly had that effect on me! The menu was a combination of Zuni and Wolfert recipes. Listed below were the dishes from “The Cooking of Southwest France” that were offered on the menu: La Tapina's sardine and potato cake Duck liver flan with caramel vinegar sauce Salade aux géssiers de canard: confit of duck gizzards with a salad of mixed chicories Moules paysannes: steamed mussels with ham, shallots and garlic Poulet a la Basquaise: sauté of chicken with peppers, ham and tomatoes with "armottes" Compôte de lapin aux pruneaux: Lucien Vanel's compôte of rabbit with prunes Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Gauteau Basque I posted a full review of our dinner and lovely visit with Paula on The Zuni Cafe Thread , but below are my excised comments on the dishes we tried: “I brought three friends to dinner and between us we tasted all of the cookbook dishes offered except for the mussels and the Poulet a la Basquaise. The Compote de Lapin aux Pruneaux was excellent. The rabbit ‘compote’ is actually a rillettes-type of preparation in which the cooked rabbit is shredded and then enrobed in mixture of the reduced cooking liquid, cream and shredded sorrel. The prunes were an almost voluptuous accompaniment to the tender rabbit. Buttered, brioche toasts added a nicely contrasting crunch in texture and the frisee provided a bitter counterpoint in flavor. Two of us ordered the rabbit; another had the grilled sea bass with romesco sauce, leeks and sea beans and another, the grilled pork chop with quince apple compote and watercress. … We loved all the “Wolfert” appetizers which we shared between us. First though, we perused Zuni’s extensive oyster list and settled on a plate of exquisite Miyagi and Hama Hama oysters from Washington. I’ve enjoyed Miyagis for a long time but the Hama Hamas are now definitely added into my oyster list rotation. They are smallish, plump oysters with a wonderful hint of cucumber. I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite between the sardine potato cakes, duck liver flan with caramel vinegar sauce or the chicory salad with confit of duck gizzards… The sardines were so fresh and were excellent with the simply spiced, buttery potatoes. The duck liver flan had a smooth quivering texture and a delicate flavor reminiscent of fois gras; the sauce was a perfect complement. I’ll also be trying to rustle up some duck fat soon in order to make the duck gizzard confit at home to recreate the salad. I brought a bottle of 2003 Storrs Monterey Riverview Vineyard White Riesling. Our waiter thoughtfully chilled the wine in an ice bucket for us. It is a dry Riesling with the famous hint of petrol in the nose and also has a slight sweetness which worked very well with the full flavored duck and sardine appetizers. Here were the two desserts from the cookbook that were offered on the menu: Marie-Claude’s Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Gauteau Basque with Pastry Cream Filling Rodgers served the Gateau Basque with a warm compote of black cherries on the side which was a happy combination. In her book, Paula calls this variation (with the preserves served in the cake) Bayonne Cake. In addition, this was the nicest Gateau Basque I have had with a tender crumb, delicately flavored pastry cream and a top crust with the perfect amount of crunch. I'm also eager to try this recipe. Somehow I missed tasting the chocolate cake but I can report on appreciative murmurs heard from the other side of the table. … It was wonderful evening!

We were lucky to attend a special dinner party at Zuni Café last Thursday in honor of the release of Paula Wolfert’s new edition of The Cooking of Southwest France). It was indeed a wonderful evening that I will remember for a long time. But then, the combination of Zuni Café, Judy Rodgers and Paula's dishes is an unbeatable combination. The menu was as follows (dishes in italics are from Paula's newly updated release of The Cooking of Southwest France): House-cured anchovies with celery, Parmesan and niçoise olives La Tapina's sardine and potato cake Duck liver flan with caramel vinegar sauce Rymee's house-made air-dried beef with green beans and crème fraîche Zuni Caesar Salad Salade aux géssiers de canard: confit of duck gizzards with a salad of mixed chicories Gudelia's mesclun salad with garlic croutons and Banyuls vinaigrette Bowl of polenta with mascarpone or Parmesan Potato-celery root soup with fried leeks and capers Moules paysannes: steamed mussels with ham, shallots and garlic Fettucine with guinea hen-dried porcini sugo Grilled white sea bass with romesco sauce, leeks and pickled "sea beans" Poulet a la Basquaise: sauté of chicken with peppers, ham and tomatoes with "armottes" Chicken for two roasted in the brick oven; warm bread salad with scallions, currants and pine nuts [Zuni's famous signature dish] Compôte de lapin aux pruneaux: Lucien Vanel's compôte of rabbit with prunes Grilled house-cured pork chop with quince-apple compôte and watercress salad I brought three friends to dinner and between us we tasted all of the cookbook dishes offered except for the Moules paysannes and the Poulet a la Basquaise. The Compote de Lapin aux Pruneaux was excellent. The rabbit ‘compote’ is actually a rillettes-type of preparation in which the cooked rabbit is shredded and then enrobed in mixture of the reduced cooking liquid, cream and thinly sliced sorrel. The prunes were an almost voluptuous accompaniment to the tender rabbit. Buttered, brioche toasts added a nicely contrasting crunch in texture and the frisee provided a bitter counterpoint in flavor. Two of us ordered the rabbit; another had the grilled sea bass with romesco sauce, leeks and sea beans and another, the grilled pork chop with quince apple compote and watercress. We also got an order of Zuni's wonderful shoestring potatoes which were served with a side of aioli that we inquired about and which was not listed on the menu. Although I haven't cooked rabbit before I am officially inspired to make this dish. In fact, I had only eaten rabbit once before at another restaurant in SF and in that case, it was not a good experience. With the main courses we had a very agreeable red Burgundy, but unfortunately the name escapes me. The Zuni grilled sea bass with romesco sauce, leeks and sea beans was also excellent and a very successful combination. I’ve been intrigued by sea beans ever since learning about them in Judy Rodger’s excellent “Zuni Cookbook” and they do indeed have a very pleasant flavor of the sea and an enjoyable crunchy texture when lightly pickled. We loved all the “Wolfert” appetizers which we shared between us. First though, we perused Zuni’s extensive oyster list and settled on a plate of exquisite Miyagi and Hama Hama oysters from Washington. I’ve enjoyed Miyagis for a long time but the Hama Hamas are now definitely added into my oyster list rotation. They are smallish, plump oysters with a wonderful hint of cucumber. I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite between the sardine potato cakes, duck liver flan with caramel vinegar sauce or the chicory salad with confit of duck gizzards… The sardines were so fresh and were excellent with the simply spiced, buttery potatoes. The duck liver flan had a smooth quivering texture and a delicate flavor reminiscent of fois gras; the sauce was a perfect complement. I’ll also be trying to rustle up some duck fat soon in order to make the duck gizzard confit at home to recreate the salad. I brought a bottle of 2003 Storrs Monterey Riverview Vineyard White Riesling. Our waiter thoughtfully chilled the wine in an ice bucket for us. It is a dry Riesling with the famous hint of petrol in the nose and also has a slight sweetness which worked very well with the full flavored duck and sardine appetizers. Here were the two desserts from the cookbook: Marie-Claude’s Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Gauteau Basque filled with Pastry Cream Rodgers served the Gateau Basque with a warm compote of black cherries on the side which was a happy combination. In her book, Paula calls this variation (with the preserves served in the cake) Bayonne Cake. In addition, this was the nicest Gateau Basque I have had with a tender crumb, delicately flavored pastry cream and a top crust with the perfect amount of crunch. I'm also eager to try this recipe. Somehow I missed tasting the chocolate cake but I can report on appreciative murmurs heard from the other side of the table. We were pleasantly surprised when our waiter also brought us a complimentary dish of Zuni’s strawberry balsamic vinegar sorbet to share. The sorbet had a truly suave texture and intense strawberry flavor. The regular house coffee was excellent! We had a merry time speaking with Paula and also got to meet Judy Rodgers at the end of the evening. Squeat Mungry, Hest88 and Carolyn Tillie came up to visit us as well before they left. We were seated upstairs in the mezzanine overlooking the bar which is one of my favorite places in the restaurant. At night you have an 180 degree view through the upper glassed windows of the restaurant to the lights and bustle of Market Street outside. (Other favorite area is downstairs near the wood burning oven with glimpses of the kitchen behind). Paula was up in our area quite a bit, behind our table, cycling between the upstairs and downstairs, visiting friends and guests and signing books. It was quite a sociable affair with great food. We really enjoyed our evening and I can’t wait to start cooking out of the new edition! Also, I surely wouldn't be sad if some of these dishes showed on Zuni's menu from time ot time... Many thanks to Paula Wolfert, Judy Rodgers and all of the Zuni Café staff for a very special evening. There is also an ongoing discussion on cooking dishes from the new “The Cooking of Southwest France” here. Edited to add: We had a small mishap when a guest at a neighboring table knocked over our bottle of red wine. Luckily there was only a glass of wine left in the bottle and the wine did not make it onto anyone’s clothes. However it did also break a wine glass. Our waiter was extremely helpful and handled the situation quickly and gracefully. In addition, he immediately replaced a full entrée, came back with a complimentary half bottle of the same full bottle we had ordered, and later brought us the complimentary strawberry balsamic sorbet mentioned above. The service was very good as usual, even when confronted with this glitch and on this extra busy evening. Having just re-skimmed some of the previous posts, I must say that in the two dozen or so times I've eaten there in the last 10 years we've received very good service. There may have been one or two visits where our waiter was slow or on the inattentive side, but that has really been the exception.

Thanks molto e. Good to see what "expensive" means. Ouch! But then, if you have to ask... edited to add: And if the food is well prepared using good ingredients, I would then turn back to Margaret Pilgrim's general, but perhaps even more so in this case, very apt advice regarding "knowing yourself" and what would make a successful and/or memorable dining experience for yourself.

For a benchmark, can anyone comment on comparisons with Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon? I had it once and thought it was pretty good, but perhaps these others are better? (This is rather widely distributed, including at Trader Joes and at least some Whole Foods. Pigs are fed natural grains and are not given hormones. Niman Ranch products can also be ordered via their website.)

Alice Medrich has both sweet and savory recipes using coco nibs in her book Bittersweet. ← and check out this thread for some other ideas: click

That sounds really good; any opportunity to combine sage and butternut squash. Another add in option (instead of the spinach) would be mushrooms sauteed over high heat with plenty of salt and pepper to brown them and remove the water. A combination of wild and button mushrooms would be very nice. Another idea: roasted eggplant and roasted garlic, basil and red pepper flakes Perhaps a good way to incorporate the garlic puree would be to coat each piece of eggplant with the puree before layering the slices in the "meat layer".

self-edited to save discussion for Paula's upcoming Q&A.

Also excellent in a dark chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream.

That does sounds nice as does the Vanilla Malt ice cream. Is the latter made with something like Horlick's malt powder? Willing to sketch it out a bit? Thanks!

Thanks, fyfas, for clarifying my description of a "second" Joseph's Table restaurant to explain that the current restaurant opened in the La Fonda Plaza location some time after the original location was closed. That is, there is one Joseph's Table restaurant in Taos! We had a very nice dinner there about a month ago. We were offered a choice to sit in one of raised banquettes that line one wall of the restaurant in which you are seated on pillows and have curtains that you can partially close. It was a fun experience and was actuallly pretty comfortable. The majority of seating is at 'regular' tables so have no fear if this option doesn't strike your fancy. Here is a descripbtion of the dishes we had: Vodka Cured Wild Salmon served with toasted brioche. Organic Mixed Greens with Five Nuts, Manchego, Green Apples,and Tarragon Vinaigrette Peppercorn Crusted Organic Elk Tenderloin on Organic Smashed Potatoes with Madeira Mushroom Sauce Grilled Petit Organic Beef Tenderloin on Smashed Sweet Potatoes & Horseradish Sauce with Onion Rings Chimayo Gina's Bay Leaf Panna Cotta with Blackberry Espresso Sauce We drank a 2001 Jaffurs Santa Barbara Syrah. The main courses and the dessert were the standouts of the meal for our visit this time. The combination of sweet potatoes, crispy onions and horseraadish with the perfectly cooked beef was really a wonderful combination, so much so, that I think I will try to re-create this at home. The elk was very tender and the rich mushroom sauce was a perfect complement to the rich flavors of the meat. While I am an admitted fan of panna cotta, the flavors combinations here made it one of the more intriguing desserts I have ever had and I am always on the lookout for interesting desserts at home in SF and travelling elsewhere. The combination of coffee, bay leaf and blackberries was very successful. It was reminscent of a complex wine. We were less entranced with the vodka cured salmon. There were some strong flavors that seems to clash with rather than enhance the salmon, although I can't recall details on the spicing at this point to describe it more carefully. We both enjoy sushi and were surprised that we did not enjoy the dish more. The salmon was fresh, maybe the vodka or other spices were just not for our palate. Nice combination in the salad although here I must admit that the greens were a little tired. (It seemed that they may have been dressed a little too far in advance of service). That being said, we would definately enjoy returning there. The menu had many truly imaginative items that tempted us and our main courses and dessert, in this instance, were superb. The service was attentive, friendly and not overly intrustive, and the room is beautiful. I hope the duck seven ways is on the menu next time...

Thanks for the 'inside info" sazji and welcome to egullet! Hopefully enough people will continue to insist on the good stuff. It's sad to see that this is a battle everywhere to some extent.

I agree. Its not as if it's the latest Harold McGee opus is it? I reviewed the book and it didn't take me long to finish the thing at all. I'm sure they're really busy but everyone has to read something on the loo don't they? ← Andy Rooney also agrees. http://www.tmsfeatures.com/tmsfeatures/sub...d=67&catid=1054 ← quote from Andy Rooney: