rancho_gordo

Hey! Who am I supposed to have tea with now?

Sounds like fun. I would also recommend a quick lunch at a a taco truck. it's very different than the SoCal kind and I think just as vital to the bay area dining scene as any of the restaurants you've mentioned. Come and say hi on Saturday at the Ferry Building!

As a war-torn veteran, I can say that in general, the public wants, or insists on, lots of pretty, fresh, colorful vegetables to look at and then goes and buys prepared foods. There's a small faction that actually cooks and wants vegetables but it's surprisingly small. And now every chamber of commerce wants a farmers market so attendence is down across the board because there are so few and the grower has to go to more markets to make less money. And then people bitch about the price (which adds scandalous pennies per serving) or complain that the market is too touristy and in the case of San Francisco, head to the Civic Center market which is so much more "real" and "cheap" but in fact is mostly supplied by "farmers" who buy their vegetables from the produce mart. I'm not sure what the answer is but the whole thing is in a new era that no one has quite figured out. That Andy and Julia from Mariquita have pulled out is not a good omen!

I wouldn't add any acids, sugars or salt until the beans have "given up" and are clearly on the road to softening. I've added salt to fresh beans and there was no problem but the acids and sugars aren't a good idea. So this would include tomatoes, wine and molasses. Does mustard have acid?

I think a lot of posters who felt she shouldn't eat anything if she didn't want to (or rather, cave to the wicked mother in law) were doing the same thing. I'm glad MargyB decided to stay and continue the conversation. My hunch is she's still sorting out her feelings. My personal feeling is that who was paying is irrelevant and the 3pm timing gave her a built-in excuse to be gracious and say, "I'm not hungry yet but you go ahead and enjoy your Latin-Cajun Turkey a la King Fiesta Noodle special. This iced tea is lovely." Some of you call this lying, I call it just getting through what can't be a whole lot of fun. And there's also a chance the menu looked worse than usual because it was only 3pm.

And by the same token, it happens in life that you can get what you want and the other person can get what they want with a little thought, tact and consideration.

I'm always curious because I'm as much a food snob as anyone, yet I get by without rude comments and name calling. The occasional "ewwww" but you, know that's going to happen if you order tripe. Perhaps going along brings about a little getting along, as the saying goes. And the making an issue of the whole "I will not have *anyone* dictate my behaviour concerning food" thing when the "anyone" in question is an elderly relative who asks little more than that you join her in lunching seems a little...I don't know... ← Rude? Inflexible? Food is where I, personally, draw the line. I won't waste it by ordering it and not eating it and I certainly won't order it and pick at it at an attempt to appease others. What's the problem? I.don't.want.the.food. I'd love to sit and talk to my dear grandmother but without.the.food. Big deal. -shrugs- ← So don't eat. Again, you can say the heat got you, you're tired, blah blah. What's the point of hurting her feelings? Do you need to teach mother a lesson?

I have to wonder if the posts aren't strong because despite the original question being one of taste, it becomes clear that it's really an issue between daughter and mother-in-law, not good food. She could have eaten a Cobb salad. She could have said "The heat is killing my appetite. Go ahead and enjoy yours. This tea hits the spot." In my world, your right to be rude is superseded by an elder's right to spend a nice meal with her son.

I know Jaymes has a similar story about a Mexican restaurant, but I was shopping with a self proclaimed foodie friend who insisted we go to lunch. I went. The place had a nice view and I knew I was in for a very not so good Italian meal. I was right. It was fine but I wouldn't go back under any circumstances. I was asked what I thought and I replied it was very good. What's the point? Do I need to teach this person a lesson? Well of course it gets back to everybody that I loved this place and it kept coming up. I wanted to correct the situation but in the end, so what? If someone had asked me point blank, I could have said, "I don't remember it being as good as Billie Jo does but it was awhile ago." My point is sometimes you just have to roll with it and now you've given the mother a story to tell for the rest of her life!

The only thing I take seriously is my beans! Here's a thread on bean pots. I would put the pot in the video in the fireplace but I might prefer one that's squatter so it won't tip over. I am embarresed to tell you how many pots I have.

Once the clay is warm and the water is simmering, I think it's about the same. But the initial bringing the water to a boil on the stofvetop is considerably longer. I can turn the LeCruset up to high but the clay rarely gets to medium. It's interesting, I saute the mirepoix in the bottom of the clay pots and the olive oil (or lard or duck fat) starts right away. It's the heating water part that takes so long. I have to admit I haven't tried the Parsons Method with clay yet but it makes perfect sense. I was thinking I'd even try it with my clay in the fireplace soon. I hold off adding anything until about 3/4 of the way through. You are going to think i'm nuts (and I'm ok with that!) but the pot starts smelling like beans and less like the mirepoix. You can sample a bean and tell that it's "given up" and you are now the master. Now salt and season as needed. This isn't the "no soak" method but I have a short video , if you want the easy version.

A quick correction, they're $5 and there's a flat $8 shipping fee for one pound or a thousand. I compare it to tomatoes. You can get tomatoes for .39 a pound and you can get heirlooms up to $5. That can always be fixed!!! I make beans two to three times a week and I know my stock and I still get surprises now and again. I always say there are no absolutes and while there are millions of tricks to make better beans, you really have to work hard to screw up a pot of beans. Thanks to the Wolfert influence, I've been almost exclusively cooking with clay pots but lately I've had to make pots for work and used the le Cruset and it's a little surprising how much faster it is. But so what? In general, you shouldn't make beans in a hurry.

His beans are definitely good, but the price is staggering. On more than one occasion I have stood at his stand in the Ferry Plaza, staring at the 1lb bags, wondering how I could possibly justify their price to myself. ← Hello? I'm in the room!!! It's ok. Actually it made me laugh. As someone who grew up on pintos, the first time encountered Anasazi beans in the supermarket I was a little confused by the price. Well, floored is more the word. All I can say is the yield on heirlooms is different than a hybrid, they're harder to grow and it's much more expensive to grow and clean beans in California than Mexico and especially now, China. Growing smaller quantities means we can baby the beans and you're not dealing with old stock. And it's quite possible you're going to try them and decide it's not worth the extra money. But they're still pennies a serving and I'm doing a pretty good business so there is a market for fresh, heirloom beans.

HINT: Be sure to order any of the dishes that feature beans!!!!

Amen to that. Bouchon is fine if not great but it's too long a drive, especially if you're having dinner (wisely) at the General's Daughter. that is unless you really are itching to see Napa Valley. I'd explore Sonoma more.

But there will be a stiff financial fine imposed on those who use the terms "Anthony Bourdain" and "bad boy" in the same sentence ever again. It's so ten minutes ago. There has to be a better way to describe him.

Before the prices really go insane, try our own Marlene Spieler's Pasta al Limone from the NYTimes this week. I am not going to eat anything else all winter!

Any idea why? ← No. But I heard it from a vintner friend (and his wife) who was sold on the place and I've been seeing less than stellar reviews on CH and OA.

Just a warning: The buzz on Redd recently has not been good, and often from people who liked it before. I'm not saying this will be the case but be aware it's fallen from grace in some circles.

That's a good tip! I didn't know you could request it. Is this a marketing ploy? ASk for burgers and fries and you get carnival food but ask for the secret onions and cripsy fries and it becomes palatable? In general, I'm with Gastro888 on IAO. It is much better than McD but I can't help thinking that almost anywhere in California there's probably a taco truck lurking nearby with much better, cheaper and even healthier fare.

They aren't my beans, in case you were curious. If you go during the farmers market (Saturday am), be sure and check out the Primavera stall in the back. They are famous for their tamales and more recently, their chilaquiles. And then come see me! I'm im in the front and it's almost like a food salon with all my foodie and bloggie friends. (Major shill: And if you want to try my beans when it's not a market, check out Village Market in the Ferry Building itself.)

I think there are some funny regional differences going on here. I would never dream of ordering Clam Chowder at Hog Island but your photo makes me think I should! I don't like that roux-based thick chowder that is traditional. That soup looks great. And with actual clams! I think it's fair to say food in the area is more influenced by Italy than New England. Whether it was a hit or not, I don't think it was geared towards tourists. If it were, it would be in a bread bowl and you wouldn't see the actual shells. And the clams would have been from a can. I can see what I'm having for lunch tomorrow!

There are a lot if variables but a pound (which is just over 2 cups) can yield from 6-7 cups of cooked hominy. That's a lot. If you go to the trouble of making your own, from prepared or from scratch, make a lot and it's ok to freeze. Here's another idea for pureed leftovers.

I had Famous TV "Chef" at the farmers market this fall. She used our market as her backdrop and disturbed our business and and had a big entourage. During a break, I gave her a bag of classic Borlotti beans. She looked at them in disgust and said, "What am I supposed to do with these?" and then looked back at my stall and said, "I would like some of those tortilla chips!" You would think she was one of the good guys from TV. Mario Batali came through the market by himself. He seemed a little grumpy but who wouldn't with everyone and his brother coming at him and he seemed to want to just check out the market. It wasn't like he was filming. Deborah Madison is really nice and gracious and funny as well. Another Famous TV Chef, who actually was a chef, came through the market with a crew and I was steaming mad. Why isn't he looking at my gorgeous beans? Later I found out they had already cooked the food and were just on a fake shopping trip to back up the footage. I met Rick Bayless at the first Terra Madre conference and he just wandered around by himself and was very engaging unlike Famous Chef Not On TV, who had a huge entourage and was so obnoxious I wanted to punch her in the nose. Paula Wolfert is a REAL DIVA and insists on her own dressing room and it must be stocked with Violet Crumble candies and imported pistachios. What? She posts her on eG? I had no idea! I have some Famous CLients but I won't kiss and tell!

...and I should add that Miss Tillie dines out a lot more than I do.