maher

my most embarrassing story still plays out in my mind in full glorious detail even though it happened over 15 years ago. i flew into LA latenight from London and got into the Biltmore Hotel downtown around 2am. After a few hours of tossing and turning i was so bored that i decided to have the hotels buffet breakfast. I normally totally skip these things but on this jetlagged morning, i was there at a bright and chipper 7am. i figured maybe the coffee would make me feel like a human again. I sat down with the sunday paper, had a couple of cups of coffee, and started to feel up to having a bite. I noticed at this stage that the entire restaurant had filled up with what seemed like one group of elderly japanese tourists. i guess they must have had an early start to their site seeing day as they were all wearing identical tour group tags. i then went to the buffet and proceeded to load a cereal plate with a mix of cereals, a whole bunch of sliced fruit, sunflower seeds, coconut shavings. i have never before or since loaded a cereal plate with so many possibilities. I topped it off with a generous soaking of milk, and then weaved between the Japanese tourists back to my table. You know what happened next of course. i tripped, and managed to score a full and total cereal fruit seeds hit on this elderly gentleman at the table next to mine. the guy was soaked. he had honey smacks stuck in his collar, and even had a corn flake caught in his eyeglasses (i got him from behind). I dont think i got a single drop of that cereal on the floor (or in my plate). it was a full and total hit. the worst part is that the story isnt even at the worst part. I apologized profusely, despite his lack of english and my clear lack of japanese skills, and then his wife wiped him down with a couple of napkins while i slunk off to my seat. i couldn't pay for their breakfast (package deal) and i couldnt get their room number to send a gift. somehow the sight of a large clumsy foreign looking man was not conducive to a friendly conversation. I sat down and waited for them to leave so i could make my exit, but he sat back down to eat his breakfast, still dripping, and with that damn honey smack still stuck in his collar. i had to endure thirty minutes of wait where i didnt have breakfast (i wasnt heading for that buffet again, the Japanese tour group would have taken refuge under the table) and i wasnt squeezing past this guys table before he left). The poor man sat through his meal of Japanes pickled fish with cereal and milk (mine) and then headed to his tour wet and sticky, at which point i finally beat a retreat to my room. i dont think ive actually eaten a hotel buffet breakfast since.

for immediate consumption, ill raise a bit of a dissent from all the calls for the 88 and take the 70. my experience with the 88 recently was not fantastic. i think it showed a lot more promise than is being realized in it, so i wouldnt necessarily buy it to cellar either. my one tasting of the 70, a few years ago now, still stands out.

from the Lobel website: marketing hype or superior product? "Kurobuta Pork: Chops, Ribs and Roasts From the land that has given us Wagyu beef, we are proud to offer the most highly prized pork in all of Japan: Kurobuta pork from pure-bred Berkshire pigs. Lobel’s Kurobuta Pork looks and tastes like no other pork. Unlike commercial, or “white” pork, Kurobuta pork is visibly different in two important ways: The color of Kurobuta pork is darker and richer and the meat is well-marbled, a unique characteristic. Kurobuta pork offers a unique taste experience, as well. Its texture is exquisite—supple, yet meaty. Its flavor is lush, distinctive and abundant. And the marbling yields unparalleled juiciness for pork … the meat glistens when you cut into it. "

give me a couple of sticks, some wire mesh and a bag of charcoal and ill be happy. i think most of the people (certainly not all, but i dont think im generalizing too badly when i say most) would be far better served spending their time and money buying some meat and practicing good technique with a basic grill/smoker of their choice. ive had some of my worst meals at houses that were best equipped and used the best ingredients, and vice versa

that looks fantastic Alejandro. one question, how are you getting the right amount of heat to the thicker parts (leg, arm) are you piling up coals under them? it seems that since the fire is on one side it would cook a whole lot faster. if you can get pictures of your grill and explain it to us that would be great, its quite a unique looking thing.

they did not put any sugar in the roasting pan. i should say though that almost all coffee roasting in that region is done in open pans (a very heavy cast iron pan with a long arm, usually sold link by a chain to a long armed stirrer that is basically a two inch wide flat metal disc attached to a long arm. it is known in arabic as a 'mihmass', literal translation: roaster. the date sugar is indeed a semi solid resionous mass, and not too dry.

eat the prunes, drink the armagnac, sit back and marvel at all thats good in the world!!

i was at a restaurant in Beijing .... one of the places that specialized in Peking Duck, i forget the name right now... that claimed to be the largest in China. they had about 70-80 tables on each floor and the restaurant was spread over six floors. i dont know if its the worlds largest in physical size, but it has to rank fairly high up on the list.

ground roasted cardamom pods and dark roasted ethiopean yirgechaffe (sp?) are the closest thing to the coffee part that you'll get, and a reasonable approximation of the real thing. the problem is the sweetener. they use unprocessed date sugar, which comes in solid blocks, and adds a really nice flavor component. its a bit too sweet for my taste, but im guessing thats what you had. unfortunately i have no idea where it is available if at all in the us

frozen marrow is actually pretty easy to use, and while it doesnt have the appealing (debatable to some) texture of fresh marrow, you can easily heat it in a pan, add a bit of parsely and garlic, and spread it on toast. Depending on the fat content, or how much other bits you froze with your marrow, you can use it for frying scrambled eggs. sounds crazy, but it makes for a delicious lunch... you can add whatever other ingredients you want to make a spicy fritatta.... i add chili and finely diced tomatoes.

thanks for a tremendous 'ode to a pig' ... or several pigs in this case. i have always done more beef and lamb in my summer barbq, but you have inspired me to push friends to pork this summer! thanks for a triple order of weekly blog, and please keep sharing...

on a family vacation when i was 10, i was constantly fighting with my brother and sister because they wanted McDonald's and i wanted to try every 'real' italian dish i could find.

i use wild fennel mainly as a bed for roasting or even grilling fish, it lends the most amazing flavor, and its all you need. add a drizzle of olive oil at the finish and a pinch of sea salt and youre good to go if you want to eat it, the flavor is fantastic, but you have to peel off the fibrous bits. if you twist near the bottom of the stalk, you will see a bunch of twisted off strands of fiber which you just have to grab and peel all the way to the top of the frond. start eating at the tender part at the top of each stem, and throw away the rest when it gets too fibrous. if youre worried about the dogs, just wash the stuff well, we get nastier stuff on most of our fruit and veg from human handling every day.

i second the suggestion of cold brewed or toddy coffee. they actually sell it in ready made concentrate, and lots of supermarkets have it. i use it mainly for iced coffee and it works amazingly well there. i have to say though that their presweetened ice coffee mix is way too sweet for my taste. if you decide to make it yourself though its idiotproof, and their kit is quite cheap. it will make almost any coffee a lot less acidic so if thats what your looking for, just use your favorite coffee with a toddy cold brewed coffee maker

liguria is home to one of my all time favorite foods, focaccia col formaggio, from the small town of Recco. This is something that bears as much resemblance to the thick doughy focaccia common in the us as pizza hut does to proper italian pizza. here are a couple of links to recipes and photos: http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection/...focaccia_e.html and http://www.consorzioreccogastronomica.it/N...sefocaccia.html

i suppose its doable, but having burned out two small hand blenders making marshmallows, i cant imagine how long its going to need to get the right airiness by hand. Id suggest using machine power, and make sure you use something with a good strong motor or it will burn out!! the other problem i would have with a very small batch is that i find no matter how fast i work, the last bit of marshmallow that is in direct contact with the both the cooking and mixing vessels is harder and less airy than the rest and is fit only for the bin. i never mix it into the rest of the marshmallow mix because it degrades the quality (similar to the situation you get with caramel). with a very small batch im afraid you're likely to just get the 'bad' bits.

if you are looking to invest, i agree that you should be looking primarily to the first growths. i would also look to a reputable merchant who can get you an allocation on the 2005 futures. there is so much interest in the 2005 vintage that wholesalers are having trouble getting an allocation from the chateaux, this is addition to the fact that the vintage was quite a small one. i also dont know how good an investment in the 05s will do since the pricing coming out of the chateaux is stratospheric. if you still decide to go ahead, the best thing to do is contact any of the larger wine merchants. Berry Bros, Armit, Lay Wheeler, Farr can all help you buy the futures, and they can store the wine for you when it is actually released from the chateau in a few years in a bonded warehouse. this will in turn give you more flexibility at sale time down the line.

i guess it all depends on how high end/popular the restaurant is. The only place i have had trouble is where you give the maitre'd an impossible task. if you walk into a place with 8 tables at peak times on saturday night, there is literally nothing he/she can do. i have found though that by targeting slightly off times... pre seven pm, post nine thirty, or lunchtime, there is always room to get in. I sometimes couple this with not just a tip but also a promise not to linger, especially if i am coming in for an early dinner. this gives them a lot more leeway to slot you in. obviously this works better in some countries than others. at the risk of stereotyping, it works better with an older male maitre than a younger female one. the times it has not succeeded in getting me a table i have ended up with the maitre business card and phone no, and that is always helpful, because you can always call when you are back in that town and say im here from x to y days when can you slot me in. the times i dont know how effective it has been are when i have been sent to the bar to cool my heels, and gotten a table an hour or more later. in these cases i suspect just showing up dressed well and positive would have given the same result. one thing that i have certainly found is that in most cases if you look like you know what you are doing, people at these high end establishments will try their best not to embarass you, which mostly means you get what you want.

im amazed that people are so shocked by this practice and yet take it perfectly in stride that a certain level of donation to the political party in power at the time got you an invite to a white house dinner, and another even a night in the Lincoln bedroom!! I have pretipped/bribed at a number of places, across the US and europe, and while sometimes it did not result in a massive increase in the level of service (tough to tell in a place you are not a regular at on the best of days) i have never had my tip turned down. It is a fat of life that if you show up at a concert the day of you have to buy tickets at a price higher than the people who booked in advance, and you have to do the same at restaurants, clubs, even ballparks. on one occassion, even on a flight.

it reminds me of that old joke where the explorers get to choose their method of execution...

a new study links cooking meat till it chars (read any crust on the grill) with prostate cancer. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060403/hl_nm/cancer_bbq_dc i dont know if this isnt just more scaremongering, but im not giving up a good rare on the inside crusty on the outside steak for no one

the difference between shish and seekh is only one of language Shish is in turkish, seekh is arabic, and they both mean skewer. so sheesh kebab is just kebab on a skewer. in most of the arab world, kebab is the ground lamb that is flavored with spices and onion and grilled. Cubed lamb is normally referred to as mashawi (grill) or Lahmeh Mashwiyeh (grilled meat... it is practically redundant to say lamb) i also have to agree with the posts suggesting you need a higher fat content. Shish Kebabs flavor comes from the basting action of the fat as you turn the skewer. (it is typically a good idea to turn the meat a quarter turn at a time to make it hold its shape as it cooks

thanks for all the great advice. i ended up with the most basic approach possible. i grilled it whole over charcoal, to a quite rare doneness, gave it 30 minutes to rest, and sliced it paper thin into crusty sandwiches with basic sides of lettuce, mustard and caramelized onions. i love the smoking idea, but i think ill save that for a slightly tougher cut in a couple of weekends maher

deep fried offal of all kinds!!! after a long day barbequing spring lamb (and rather more wine than reasonable) some bright light came upon the idea of deep frying the uneaten bits for desert. .... sweetbreads, liver, kidney, heart and lungs. I dont know if i would do anything other than the sweetbreads again, but it was totally delicious then!! also, deep fried risotto balls, as a side to fried lamb or pork chops mmmmm!!

Bill i hope you realize how lucky you are, and how vivid the shade of green that you have turned all of us is