rancho_gordo

The Napa/Sonoma/Wine Country Slow Food event mentioned above was last night and it was pretty fascinating. He's a very interesting speaker, much lighter and funnier than you'd think, but the message is serious. I'm glad we have such a smart guy on "our side" of this issue. I think the book will have a huge impact and it strikes me that every "foodie" should read it before making another food choice.

I think they did it because they wanted wheat for the host. And it was a real struggle trying to find somewhere to grow wheat. I've had pretty good luck if the tortillas aren't too fresh and you fry them just right. I can't imagine a flour tortilla but there is a tradition of using flour tortillas in California cooking during the Californios and rancho eras, according to Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, who wrote Rancho Cooking a few years ago.

Naturally, my interpretation of the news goes back to the ingredients. We have more food, but it's crappy and unsatisfying so we eat too much to find some kind of pleasure and end up being obese. We've figured out how to yield 10 times the amount of tomatoes (for which we pay the grower $30 per ton) and yet they taste horrible. Add some corn syrup and chemical flavors and call it tomato sauce. Rubber cheese, cardboard dough, lots of salt and you've got a pizza. It's almost what we remember as pizza and if I eat one more slice, I might get the food buzz I'm craving. Maybe not but I blinked and consumed 5,000 calories and I'm still unhappy. And I need a nap. But if the ingredients were good, we'd probably eat less because we'd be satisfied. Good wheat, real tomato, simple cheese, drizzle of olive oil....I feel like dancing, not watching Food TV to learn how to make semi-homemade pizza that I'm too busy to try.

Following up this thread, I bought a set after reading the thread. The pans were fine and felt good. But I noticed a small bubble on the bottom of the smaller saucepan. It has now grown to gigantic proportions and covers half the bottom. I tried to find the company on the web to see what the warranty was but they don't seem to exist. I then did a Google search and it turns out this is not uncommon. One user even had a trajectory incident where the laminate completely failed and the inside disc shot out! The problems mostly seem to be with the sauté pans but mine was with the sauce pan. Not that it should matter, but I don't tend to cook at high heats and I never put them in a dishwasher, although the box said you could, but risked ruining the finish. Adios, ChefMate. Never again.

Another aspect is that in general, Americans want lots of cheap food rather than the best. They are fine with 10 year old garbanzos as long as they are $1 a pound. We have elaborate pork bbqs with secret sauces and hours of prep but the pork comes from Sam's Club at 69 cents a pound. We are recipe driven, not ingredient driven. But the canned ones are so easy and I'm so darn busy (watching Rachel Ray and the Food Network on TV, telling me how busy I am !!!!!!!!) It's getting better but we don't enjoy (this aspect of) a monoculture like Spain and Italy. They can agree what makes wonderful pork, paella, pasta, etc among themselves.

Yes. But the two Chez Panisses share the same cuisine, even if one is more casual and built around a wood stove. The Keller restaurants have much less in common.

I find the restaurant and the cafe compliment each other. I love eating downstairs, and actually prefer it to upstairs but I'm just so darn fancy, it's no wonder. French Laundry and Bouchon seem completely unrelated to me. The French Laundry is its own thing and Bouchon is a bistro, and oddly urban at that. Maybe I'm missing something.

Help me out - "logo'd?" ← GD is stamped everywhere you look and then you're sent home with it. But look, I'd do the same thing. It's branding; it's just not my aesthetic. The whole thing reminded me of a dark spa, especially after the restroom where there's new age music and lotions and folded towels. For us the service was a little rushed. There were mere moments between courses. My friend had a piece of bread he was eating in his hand and the busperson asked him if he wanted to keep his bread plate. Of course he does! And despite my comments upthread, I enjoyed the actual food. I'd say the whole thing was interesting rather than great. They're trying to create an "experience" and I felt like I was watching a performance rather than having dinner with a friend.

Everything is cooked and cooked (and cooked) so it's intense and dense. I found myself craving something fresh and acidic about 3/4 of the way through, even a simple dinner salad. Everything is logo'd and it gets a little odd. Even the weird muffin they give you as a parting favor. Why would I want a breakfast muffin? Maybe it's normal but I just kept thinking, Leave me alone, Gary Danko!

No cheesier than all the pretend Mediterranean villas! I think it's Persian, not Roman, by the way.

We had clay pot chicken that was out and out rubber and another dish where the shrimp were grainy. I think it's an awful place with attitude and a view. It was really something when it was in the Mission.

For me, the good doctor Sconzo's Culinary trip to Mexico is up there with the best. Great photos and a much better memory than I ever have when I travel.

You can meet him and get him to sign a copy of his book on 4/29. Details here.

You must come say hi to me a the Rancho Gordo booth and Chardgirl at Mariquita Farms when you visit. It's a tradition!

Hey! Hurry up! Some of us are on the edge of our seats! What a great thread. This is up there in the Top 5 for me. Thanks!

and led to more dancing... ←

In'n'Out Burger? I think the point was Wine Garden was a lot like many other restaurants. Thge orginal chef, Michael Bilger, is a really clever guy and lots of interesting ideas and enthusiasm. I don't know any of the back story but he was gone pretty quick. For me, I couldn't understand why they had a crappy logo, soft-rock hits of the 1970s as foreground music and tacky coupons for cheap dinners, all right out of the gate.

Lynette wrote: I don't think so. They're incredibly rich and I think they'd be almost too much (and I'm a pig!) We grow a beautiful cranberry style bean called Bayo (from Bayou) and I've been told it's an authentic bean for the dish. i sent almost all the seed I have to farmer in LA to help after Katrina hit and hopefully they'll be growing them out this Spring. For me with the Rio Zape, I'd cook them with a touch of fat, onion and garlic and then serve them with some minced white onion and a squeeze of lime. You'll get a hint of chocolate with this one. Tortillas and salad and you're home free. it's an amazing bean and if you garden, try saving a few for string beans. The cassoulet sounds SWELL, by the way. KitchenQueen says: They must be popular for a reason! I wouldn't argue with a southerner about this dish any more than I'd tell a Yankee how to make baked beans (although I do hear the hardcore baked bean freaks prefer Vermont Cranberry or Jacobs Cattle, depending on the region.) I hear the NYTimes is doing a piece on baked beans, by the way. Tomorrow in the magazine. BarbaraY says: You know, Babs, in modern terms, 3-4 years is not considered old! It's sad but true and some beans in the grocery store can be quite a bit older and stored improperly. I agree with you about the baking soda. In a word: Yuck.

Just want to add that lots of dark people who speak foreign languages are in fact, American. Often even US citizens. There are many reasons why the prices may be lower other than the fact that workers decide to organize and form a legal union. I'm going to guess that executive salaries might be just as much if not more, of an issue.

This is slightly off-topic but when people come to California, they sometimes don't realize that despite the rains, this is a drought state. I grew up never receiving water unless I asked and it was that way for years, probably because most people don't drink it and it's a complete waste, plus the energy for ice cubes that won't be enjoyed. Most years there is no rain from April to October. My long winded point is we should take water service out of the equation unless you specifically ask for it.

Thanks, Wolfert. I'm blushing! I have well water, too. We have some kind of filter gizmo on the whole system but it's still hard. I use the Brita filtered water for cooking, just in case. I can't remember where I read it but a chemist gave a big NAY to the baking soda thing and I can't recall why except it does something negative to the nutrients. After cooking beans twice a week (at least) for five or so years, I think it's still key to keep an open mind and remember there are few absolutes except that beans taste great.

I've never eaten there but you do see the chef and staff at both the SF and Napa farmers markets. I used to sell to Rutherford Grill (and may again one day) and many of the Houston's. Rutherford Grill seemed to have a lot of autonomy and choice with their menu compared to the other restaurants in the chain, from what I could see. And you used to see them at the St Helena farmers market all the time.

I am all over the map on this subject. I normally soak in the a.m. and cook beans in the afternoon. Fresh, normal beans really don't need soaking. You can just cook them and plan on them taking more time. All the old world beans seem to need a good soak. And runner beans and limas, too. How long depends on your source. andiesenji describes the "quick soak" method but I never understood this technique. If the beans are "soaking" in warm water, aren't you really cooking them? Why not just bring them to a boil and then simmer then until done, the normal way? They'll still be done in your 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. I think beans should really be eaten within 2 years of harvest, if you can. I've had luck with much older beans, but they did take some time. Pallee, I think 4-6 hours is plenty for fresh beans. the only time I've ever had problems with fresh beans (under 2 years old) was when they were soaked over 24 hours. It was as if they extra soak toughened them! BarbaraY, I think you're right about the texture. They are dense and fudgey. Not bad, but different. Now the next thread needs to be: do you change the water after soaking?

It's a little dramatic and out of context. But wine is good. So is food.

I had jury duty the week before and was picked and I was pretty upset but I was very happy to see one of my fellow jurors there! The Napa Register covers the event here.