bleudauvergne

Absolutely, I take the time to eat. A big part of my logistical planning (which I will describe in detail later on) is to create situations in which things can be getting ready and I don't have to ... ← I have found that a group of 10-12 is very liberating for me. They tend to themselves, have a great time, and that of course is the point of throwing the party. It's inevitable that if you're going to be serving quality food you are going to dissapear for a few minutes here and there. That's what friends and spouses are for. You co-ordinate. And also you invite enough people to dinner so that conversation continues even when you slip away. This was something I discovered long ago and always when I invite people to dinner, unless they are very special guests that we want to concentrate on specifically (and in that case things are planned accordingly), we normally invite enough to keep not only one, but two or three conversations going at a time. I think that Sam is going to be fine, considering the number of people he has at the table. The table will not fall silent and sad and everyone thinking to themselves, "Where's Sam?" They know where he is. And they'll be thankful for it.

I have something to add tonight to the list. ABONDANCE.

Thank you Zoe. I'll be sure to check it out next time I'm in Paris. How much did your meal cost, btw?

Hey bavila, I have a friend who's family is also Alsacian. She comes to work every year with gingerbread cookies made by her grandmother. This is not generally French, but specifically Alsacian. You might also look into the wonderful wines that the region offers. I wish I could be more help to you. I'll keep thinking about possible cookbook resources.

Thank you soo much for sharing this.

Dear Madame Willinger, I have such admiration for your work, and I am delighted to have the chance to exchange in this venue – I hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you regularly here on eGullet. My question is regarding your vocation. At what point in your life did you realize that being a writer about food and Italy was your true vocation, something that you had to do in order to fulfill your purpose in life? I speak with such conviction about you having discovered this because I read it between your every line. It is a rare gift indeed. Were you involved in writing as a profession before you went to Italy, or was it the country that brought out in you the need to put it down, as you so eloquently have done so far? Do you have anything to share about what, in the expanse of your writing career, have been the motivating factors, saving graces, tips and techniques, in order to garner the courage and work the system to arrive at presenting it in full to the world? My last question is, did you present your first book in its finished form to a publisher, or did you receive a stipend to write it after submitting a sample of your published work? Kind regards,

I've tasted a BN that was served by my butcher to his clients that was actually rather nice. However I have also had some really terrible stuff somewhat resembling Boone's Farm. I can't remember what it was. But it was just terrible. A local Lyon Magazine wrote an article two years ago about the terrible terrible product that was finding its way to the store shelves and the official Beaujolais Nouveau conglomerate promptly sued the magazine and shut the whole house down. They are not to be messed with. NYT Article

Eunny, That sounds so familliar. I'm so sorry you went through that. Loic's notorious for tossing out my carefully cultivated bits and pieces ! He tossed the roasted garlic I made for Bux's soup the night they came for dinner! They were sitting there at the table and I went back to put the last touch on the soup - I had to go in and ask him if he knew where it was, I couldn't find it anywhere, and he was so funny trying to keep a stright face and not look nervous! Anyway I had a backup plan. So glad you had those giblets going...

Definitely sacrilegious! ← It's a matter of taste, my dear. Don't you worry a bit.

I'm loving this idea. Thanksgiving and fennel are inextricably linked for me and those fronds are about as pretty a garnish as it gets. Hmmm. I've never pureed fennel. This is well worth a shot. ← This is an appealing idea. I've made a fennel puree soup before for Thanksgiving, and it worked very well. The fennel would, I think, have to be pureed as I am looking for a denser but still smooth texture for the hidden element. Fennel goes with cauliflower, I think. How well do we think fennel goes with curry flavors? Fennel would go with curry, no question. A subtle and interesting flavor transition from the cauliflower to the fennel as well. Please tell more about the bowls and the experience of reaching the bottom layer. Are the bowls see though so you can see the layers? Should the color be distinct to emphasize the experience of reaching the under layer? Have you devised a plan to keep people from stirring their soup?

Love your door, my dear. Thank you ever so much for showing me all of the wonderful things that Seattle offers. You've done a service not only to us, but your home town.

Don't forget the butter!

When something turns out well, I say "I could serve this!". Also when my huband says "I hope you have the recipe for this", I know he loves it. No kids yet, so no new words but I will never forget when a friend's child described a chicken dish as "succulent!" I gathered this is a common word with his friends...

So what about Hollys turnover concept? I'm considering this idea - people follow the rules here without question... But to get regulars during slow times, i.e. If someone said free wifi with afternoon tea order (snacks, big pot of organic tea or infusions- €8, something like that), to get people (students) to park, you know, keep up the ambiance, become known as the place where you can find what's-his-name, a meeting place... What kind of scenarios might I end up with? (this is a rhetorical question, my hobby's writing up fanciful business plans in French, and figuring out how to do something like this without putting my home in jeopardy)

I am printing these notes as from this discussion we've made the decision to go back for a visit. Kind regards.

Sam, your garnish sounds nice. As for the under layer, when I think caulifower, I just don't know about the spinach, I think it might get gritty on the teeth. I'd instead do something la little different like a chevril /parsley soup, with bunches - I'm talking several of finely minced chevril & some parsely, the herbs parboiled so they keep their color, and then pureed with just a little potato, salt & white pepper to give it body and enriched with whole butter and cream. You could try this too with spinach but I'd try it first.

It seems like a really nice recipe, why not try it? If it works, you can only benefit. I think I might try it out anyway, on just a normal day... I'm not sure I would use so many cookies, those things pack a flavorful punch... I'm assuming that the cookies are crumbled into the sauce. Yes?

Melkor I completely agree with you! So what do you do, when the basic menu is not being delivered sucessfully?

No, my question does not imply malicious intent, but yes, it does imply a concern about whether it's appropriate for a person to be posting negative comments. I want to know if this person has or is taking a discussion of a restaurant seriously and not just their gut or emotional response. Of course the level of existing discussion on a thread speaks volumes about that. I differ here in that I think that the "gut or emotional response" is valid, perhaps more valid than a "considered" response. It's more honest and more likely to reflect the true experience. Too much intospection leads to rationalizations and evasions. "Maybe it was me," "maybe they had an off night'" "maybe my date put me in a bad mood." It reminds me of those avant-guarde art exhibits where you have to read the manifesto before you "understand" the art. I think that if a restaurant, or a piece of art, fails on a visceral level, deeper consideration is pointless. (On the other hand, if it succeeds viscerally, then deeper thinking can add tremendous value.) ← I completely agree that a very basic visceral response to the food is in order, on every level of dining from fast food to the best we can imagine. But you have to admit that it really depends on whether you think the discussion is a "take the pulse" kind of discussion or an in depth exchange on the nuances that certain restaurants represent; both kinds take place in every region on this site. Different threads discuss restaurants differently. You might find a "where's the best place for [name your dish]" where people give their surface impressions one after the other and that's not only entertaining but educational. Or the always interesting "tell us your story" thread - I love these threads an participate in them regularly. In discussions of fine dining experiences (which is what pastramionrye's initial beef is about, I gather from his first post), people who are involved in these discussions go to a good deal of effort to accurately place a restaurant and exchange on a plethora of issues. There's a whole lot of discussion involving history, influences, technique, mis en ouevre, all about the kitchen, you name it. And when someone comes out with an "it sucks" post, you just have to ask where this person is coming from. Yes, discussion will follow, and the truth prevails. But you have to wonder where that's coming from, that's all. I'm not saying don't post your experiences on these threads. Everyone has the right to do so. If you go and you pay top dollar and you feel slighted or otherwise in a position to complain, by all means, understand that you have the power, when dining in these establishments, not only to talk to the floor manger, but to the chef, and to the owner, who are normally on site. And they care a great deal about what you experience.

Rachel - This idea of doing the lasagne for Thanksgiving, is this something you usually do as a family tradition? I ask because today I tasted some pasta and now I'm convinced it is perfect to include in my first course soup. A truffle ravioli, prepared by a caterer at Les Halles. It just seemed like the perfect match for the Poulet de Bresse consomme I'm going to serve, but I was wrestling with myself about this idea of serving pasta (even if it's going to be just four small bites floating in the soup) as a starter at Thanksgiving, because my instinct is to go light light light in the beginning. About the butternut squash recipe, I find the amaretti cookies really intriguing as an element in that dish. They could harmonize with the rest of the sucre / sale and then again they might make things complicated - Do you plan to test this recipe in advance? - edited to say I think you should test it.

I think that my mother's recipe for lasagne was the first recipe I ever prepared on my own. I was 17 years old when I got that first big charge. I fondly remember serving it to my Turkish friends from school. They said it was the best lasagne they'd ever had.... (but what do they know?) It featured: cottage cheese mixed with egg and pepper (no doubt the American substitution for Ricotta) meat sauce started with minced bell pepper, onion, and celery sauteed, then meat , tomato and herbs added Cheddar and "mozzerella" mix What can I say? It always turned out great. Better the next day, and even better the next. I have been served the lasagne with bechamel. But I've always found it heavy. This was the impression made during my youth. Sorry. I did make lasagne this last week. It was well received. Since cottage cheese is not available here, I used sheeps ricotta. But I made sure to add pepper and an egg for consistency (the egg lightens things considerably and allows you to appreciate the pasta) and flavor. I also used buffalo mozzerella and topped it off with a picorino/parmesean mix provided by my local Italian goods provider. It actually tasted a lot like the lasagne my mom used to make. It must be the egg.

My 1997 Cook's Illustrated May/June says that you can use 3 1/2 sheets gelatin to one package powdered geletin (volume = 1 tbsp of powdered) ← Hey Lil Miss Foodie - A sheet of gelatine weighs about 7 grams, it's roughly the equivalent of a packet of knox. ← Hey Wendy - so glad you caught that before you made the potato foam, I guess sheets of gelatine here in France run slightly bigger... Please pay my equivalents no mind. Can't wait to see the foam!

No, my question does not imply malicious intent, but yes, it does imply a concern about whether it's appropriate for a person to be posting negative comments. I want to know if this person has or is taking a discussion of a restaurant seriously and not just their gut or emotional response. Of course the level of existing discussion on a thread speaks volumes about that. I completely agree with you on the fact that all opinions are equally welcome. I'm pointing out that speaking from my own personal standpoint, my answer to pastramionrye's question is that I'll decide which ones I feel are valid based on how appropriate I think that person's response to their experience was. If a person is just going to say - "I just got home from [restaurant] and let me tell you I'll never ever go there again. I didn't like it, the service sucked, I got a server with an attitude, snotty, supercilious, pretentious, etc." I will wonder if that person is having such a strong emotional response to that server (and their own personal reasons behind it) that perhaps their judgement of the restaurant on the whole has been tainted by it. I can also completely understand that there will be people who post about restaurants with a theme of discussion in mind, having already in their mind rejected a certain kind of experience you typically find in that kind of restaurant. Sometimes this kind of post can be fruitful when its well written, because of it gets your gears turning, and there's plenty of room for discussion there.

Anna, I am so sorry.

I see that you judiciously did not mention the name of the restaurant, Suzanne. You shared that experience with us because it was an example of what you consider bad service, and you shared it with us, from Suzanne F to eGullet. Your mention that if you had time to communicate your experience to the manager you would have also strikes me as something that I would do. You did what you could, under the circumstances, and I agree with you, it was not right for them to lose your ticket. You have every right to complain. What I was talking about are people who go to fine dining establishments, no comment card, no mention to the manager, and say "[name of restaurant] gives bad service. Don't go there."