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winesonoma

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    Absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions (Part 1)

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I have a question that I have never been able to get an answer:

    How do you make store bought spaghetti sauce not so sour?? Everytime I cook with the jar spaghetti sauce, it's really sour....

    Thanks!!

    My first thought would be to add sugar, which would help combat the acidity of the tomatoes which is what you're tasting. Don't overdo it though.

    Of course the first response is "make your own sauce" but it's not always tomato season. :wink: You can go halfway and use the whole peeled stuff (run it through a food mill or the like to get the seeds out and mash it up a bit) and make your own -- it really doesn't need to cook for all that long.

    Add grated carrot not sugar, Works every time.

    :biggrin:

    Sonoma Restaurant Scene

    in California: Dining

    Posted

    This week's LA Times Food Section (1 June 2005) features: SONOMA COUNTY!

    Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration.

    One of the articles talks about the restaurant scene in Sonoma County:

    At last, the scene blossoms / by S. Irene Virbila

    Elegant tasting menus, hand-thrown pizzas, oysters al fresco: Sonoma's restaurants have arrived. Despite producing lamb, chickens, eggs, cheeses, heirloom vegetables and the like, Sonoma County has never had a restaurant with the high-profile of the French Laundry, say, or even Mustards Grill in Napa Valley. However, restaurants like Cyrus, Will's Seafood & Raw Bar, and Zazu, may change all that.

    Enjoy!

    That's the county not the town. Still we have a lot to offer in town.

    Michel Bras, Laguiole

    in France: Dining

    Posted

    I think I was more interested in finding out about the area rather than about Michel Bras!! Not much more needed to know about him.

    I am making my plans for a year from now..which may not be too soon, as others are having trouble with fall reservations there now.

    Be sure to buy a Knife and a Corkscrew when you go. That's what the town is famous for.

    Charles Shaw 'Two Buck Chuck'

    in Wine

    Posted

    actually, the Wine Enthusiast broke down the numbers on how you could more or less make the economics of TBC work, even at $2 or $3 a bottle.  needless to say, all getting-what-pay-for rules apply.

    Well spit it out. Glass, label, bottling, shipping, profit says the wine is $ .20 in the equation.

    I will never again . . . (Part 2)

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Deglaze the skillet I just cooked sausages in with red wine, and turn up the heat to high to reduce it and cook out the alcohol. Pop, POP,POP! Had purple polka dots <everywhere>! :shock:

    Drink red wine with a mustache. You should see my keyboard and my shirts. 55 gallons of Wine Away in the garage. I wear the color Burgundy all the time now

    :laugh::laugh:

    Napa During "The Crush"

    in California: Dining

    Posted

    Don't miss the Frank Family Winery, just north of St Helena. Be sure to read the historic plaque I put up last year. Real friendly people and great wine. Eat at the Martini House in St Helena. :biggrin:

    Chateau d'eau doen't happen to ahve a restaurant with a newly hired chef de cuisine moving from NYC soon does it?

    No, unfortunately. We have 5 chefs each with a specialty. We all cook then eat on the deck overlooking the valley and drink large amounts of wine.

    :biggrin:

    Sonoma Restaurant Scene

    in California: Dining

    Posted

    The Farmhouse inn 20 minutes north of Sonoma is excellent as is Santi in Geyserville (there's also a great Taco Truck in Geyserville).  I've never really been wowed by anything in the square itself, the Girl and the Fig being my favorite place in Sonoma itself.

    45 minutes to 1.5 hours is more like it on travel time. 20 minutes gets you to Glen Ellen or Kenwood.

    :biggrin:

    Sonoma Restaurant Scene

    in California: Dining

    Posted

    Heading back to Sonoma shortly (the town). Sadly, there were lots of closings this fall ( Cafe Le Presse, Sonoma Saveurs, two Italian ones on the corners of the square, maybe Maya. These are all restaurants we will miss.  Anything taking their place? Is there a reason all these good ones are dying??

    Vaquero closes on Sunday. The old Paitti reopens on June 2 with a new name El Dorado Kitchen. Ryan Fancher formerly of the French Laundry is head chef. Calif-French-Mediterranen on the menu. Generals Daughter has reopened and is quite good. Dying because of rent prices on the square. Deuce is very good down on Broadway. PM me with specific questions, it's my home town.

    :biggrin:

    Cleaning the office refrigerator

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I was on break on night in the lunch room when our maintenance guy decided to clean out the fridge because he was having a slow night and had nothing else to do.

    I was talking to one of my coworkers when i heard Our maintence guy suddenly haul off with this "What the hell?  "DUCK HEAD"  I look over at him and he's holding this mallards head, feathers still on it and everything. :blink:

    The next day i went out and bought one of those playmate coolers with a few ice packs  and i havent used that fridge since

    :shock: Where the hell do you work?!! I think that would terrify me more than anything. I would definitely be looking at my co-workers a little sideways after that. Yikes!!!!

    Heh. Our place used to have a full-blown biological research lab, water quality lab and general chemistry lab. One never knew when one would open the refrigerator and find dead sparrows, fish parts, or jars with mystery materials. Eventually the Management sprang for an "R&D" fridge so the science experiments would stay separate from the food.

    Those scientists really get upset when you eat their stuff.

    :laugh::laugh::laugh:

    Artisan Cheesemakers in Sonoma

    in California: Dining

    Posted

    We're at the Vintner's Inn in Sonoma.  Winery visits are already confirmed since I knew it would crowded during the holiday weekend. 

    We figured a Sonoma cheesemaker would be a nice way to sober up and learn something at the same time.  As always, thank you very much for the suggestions...I will start calling tomorrow.

    Eat at Cafe Le Haye or La Sallette

    Artisan Cheesemakers in Sonoma

    in California: Dining

    Posted

    We're headed to wine country in July and in addition to our food and wine ventures, would like to tour an artisan cheesemaker.  Some don't appear to do tours at all and others aren't open on the weekend (when we'll be in Sonoma). 

    If anyone has suggestions, I would greatly appreciate them.

    Where are you staying? The town or the county?

    :biggrin:

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