bleudauvergne

Keeping the subject of this thread in mind, as a question asked by someone who works in the kitchen and has no control over the service, the question of intention of the reviewer comes to mind. You asked in particular about situations where a person was dissapointed with their service and puts it up on eGullet. If a person posts a negative review of a restaurant experience, my first question is - What is this persons intent? Is this person concerned for me a prospective diner in that particular establishment, or are they adressing their own anger? Is that person slamming a restaurant because they are personally upset and are trying to "punish" the restaurant, or because they are honestly concerned that other members of this community might have their evening ruined in a place that definitely does not merit a good reference? Sure I think everyone has experienced at one time or another disappointment when dining out - the sources of this kind of disspointment are varied - the number one source of dissapointment in my book is seeing cut corners coming out of kitchens (anyone who is passionate about cooking as I am can understand this), then there are the ever so dissapointing having made reservations far in advance and built up unrealistic hopes of a perfect experience, or an ill-timed brush with the staff that left me feeling uncomfortable. That does not mean I am going to right away rush to the Gullet and tell everyone not to go there. I'll be the first to admit my mood always has something to do with my perception of service. Service is, after all, an interaction, and you have at least two (imperfect) human beings involved. After some experience we come to our own method of weighing a dining experience and if we put some effort into it, we come up with a realistic and consistent gauge to apply. As for fine dining experiences, before I post anything, positive or negative, I try, in the best way I can, to understand my own frame of mind. I do my best, in my own journal, to describe my experience as exactly as possible in order to bring out the facts of the matter, and I think about it. If something is bothering me, I take some time to cool off and above all I ask myself: Given the whole experience, will I actually be doing this community a service by warning other members of eGullet about a problem, or is my urge to complain a personal need of a more impulsive nature? Is there something outside of this experience contributing to my reaction? Of course service is a really important factor in the dining experience. But I certainly hope that the reviews that members post here are put up with the good of the community in mind, and are taking into account that two way communication to establish your expectations and how they are going to meet them is necessary. When I read about people who slam a restaurant because they made very difficult requests that were not met exactly to their satisfaction, I just shake my head. When people trumpet about threatening not to tip if they don't get this or that, it makes me pretty much disregard anything else they have to say. Blanket statements of "bad service" in a fine dining establishment, or impulsively written emotionally charged posts also don't count in my book without further investigation into the source of the criticism. Having realistic expectations is important in this venue. Members of this community definitely build reputations on posting habits and actual content in their posts as well.

Hey Lil Miss Foodie - A sheet of gelatine weighs about 7 grams, it's roughly the equivalent of a packet of knox. Your blog is simply beautiful -

For awhile there I was hiding candies in an old mustard jar on the spice rack so there would be some when guests came.

This reminds me of the Search for mama's pie recipe thread. Question : for these recipes, any thoughts on substituting walnuts for the pecans? I live in a place where walnuts are much less expensive. Thanks.

I'm floored. I find it easier to make mayo than to go out and buy it, and it tastes better. Ketchup, on the other hand, is something we buy. I do have a recipe for it, though. The recipe I have takes a long time to make. Anyway, I was floored when we went to some friends for dinner and they said they made a "special sauce" made of mixed ketchup, mustard, and mayo, and they were churning Pringles around in it. I politely dipped a chip in the disgusting vaguely orange chemical bath as I sipped on my muscat when they mentioned they made this sauce just for me - being American they knew I would love this! At that point I almost choked. They were being quite sincere, and other than this wierd anomoly they have been nothing but friendly and supportive people. I thought it was a joke at first but then I realized it was true, they really thought that this is what Americans like to eat. If course I couldn't say anything. When I think back on meals we've had at their house I always thought it was because they have kids that we were served things like breaded fish sticks and tater tots, but I really think now that maybe they thought that's what we like to eat. We served Mongolian Hot Pot once to them in the past. And the sauce made with the fermented tofu and sesame paste was I think something they'd never had before, so maybe they got some strange impression. The next time we had them over I prepared the fricasee de Poulet de Bresse with fois gras sauce, they seemed to like it. We'll see what happens next.

Just a delight to visit your blog, Wendy. Your seafood looks wonderful. And the herbs, we do that too. I have been taking herb bouquets as house gifts since they really appreciate them and not only are they beautiful but add to the person's quality of life.

The Roquefort visit sounds just wonderful.... The first thing is to determine what your favorite cheeses are, and the next step is to contact the tourist bureau (there is always someone who speaks English at the tourist offices, remember to speak slowly and clearly) of the town where they produce the cheese to find out if there's anything special there to see, and if you need to make an appointment with the cheese producers in order to visit. They can take your address in many cases and send you material on visiting the area or direct you to the website. If your French is up to speed, you can also call the cheese producers directly. Considering that certain French cheeses are legends the world over, there is commonly a shrine devoted to the more famous cheeses for the benefit of the public, but these towns remain generally unspoiled by huge mainstream tourism. This could mean that cheese freaks are a rare breed. Your discovery process of these places is bound to be rich and full of interesting little details that you might not get if you hit the regular tourist spots. There is a magical thrill that comes with plotting your way along cheese making roads and finding the little towns. A few weeks ago, while on a road trip, we were enjoying the scenery of the herds of cows of the Charolais and I began thinking that it would be a good a time as any to look for a roadside steak frites... Being the navigator, I was hit with the revelation that we were a stones throw from the town of Epoisses at lunch time. The town itself is very small, has only one main road running through it which rarely sees much traffic, but there is a chateau/monestary to visit, and the fromage making operation is open to the public. In fact I saw a little sign hanging for the fromagerie Berthaut, and it was so nondescript and normal looking I thought that the sign was for a cheese shop and not for the actual cheese making operation. We didn't have too much time, so we had lunch in a restaurant right on the courtyard and ate the "Menu Epoisses", which included a bavette (which I doubt was local beef) with an Epoisses sauce for the main course. The meal was rather plain and I was slightly dissapointed because the cheese plate featured cheeses that were definitely way too young for optimum flavor, and chilled. Slightly silly, I know. But necessary to go. What Epoisses lover in their right mind, when driving by the actual town at lunch time would not stop there? I got a thrill out of it even if the reality was that it was just a normal town, and a very normal meal... The Relais de la Pomme d'Or The bavette served at lunch The two cheeses served after the meal I have this very bad touristy habit of stopping at the entrance to cheese towns and having my photo snapped next to the sign. My husband knows now that we must stop and always slows down in time for me to spot a place to pull over. Here's a link I found for Fromagerie Berthaut

Dear Mr. McGee - I'd like to say that every since I was a teen I have read and re-read your books and have purchased everything you've published. Thank you so much for coming to answer our questions here on eGullet. I almost sent you a letter some time ago, after reading the fifth chapter of your book, The Curious Cook, which gave cathartic hindsight into our situation after a harrowing brush with topinambour. If only I had gone back to re-read your chapter before I skipped happily to market and returned home with my basket brimming with the lovely purple roots. So lovely. I cooked them up right quick with a simple sautee in butter. My husband was delighted with crunch and the flavor, and I was a little bit less enthusiastic about them. He ate a good deal more than I did. That night we thought my dear husband was having a heart attack for awhile there. In the early morning hours I suddenly remembered that you had written about it at great length, having mentioned the French word for them only once or twice in your book, I didn't make the connection in my mind. The reason why I was going to write you a letter was that you see, my husband is French. You mention in your book that in historical food literature the topinambour has been thoroughly panned by anglophones on both sides of the pond as the devils incarnation due to its wind producing properties, although in France not a word is mentioned about it. You venture to wonder if the French are immune to what seems to be an Anglo-Saxon intolerance to the root. My husband is living proof that the French are definitely not immune, so you can cross that off your list. However, since learning to cook the French way, I wonder if French braising methods, which traditionally involve rather lengthy cooking first on top of the stove and then in the oven, wine often playing a role in the process could be a reason. I admit that since our initial scare, I have not ventured to prepare this vegetable again, although I think that to master a successful cooking technique could be a good thing for me to do since it is cheap and plentiful in the winter months here. Have you had any further meaningful exchange or discoveries involving the topinambour since writing The Curious Cook, and have any of your readers sent you more recipes or suggestions about how to best prepare it? Thank you and kind regards,

What's the second bottle? This is very exciting.

I've been having a love affair with Cantal these couple of few weeks too.

So happy to be following you along in this journey. Your menu from last year looks simply wondeful. How many do you usually have at the table?

It should be alright. How are you feeling?

Wow I'm just loving your blog. figs, shallot, port, thyme! figs, shallot, port, thyme! figs, shallot, port, thyme! figs, shallot, port, thyme! figs, shallot, port, thyme! figs, shallot, port, thyme!

I have memories of the coffee can on the stove (never refrigerated) where all bacon drippings were deposited and spooned into the hot pan for making everything from cornbread to fried eggs. Now I save everything - not because I want to save money - but because drippings, scrapings and itty bits add flavor. Leftover duck fat from the confit, bits of scraps, extra cloves of roasted garlic, drippings, sauces, even veggies which add depth when added to soups, things guarded over to use as garnishes, etc. everything is saved in my kitchen.

This is one of the bones of contention in our house, what wine is used for cooking. My general habit is to use what I've got open. Just the other day I deglased the pan in which I seared filets de rascasse with a simply beautiful Sylvanner, and the result was sublime. If I must purchase for a recipe, I choose by region of the recipe and make sure it's drinkable first. My husband winces from time to time when I do that but I stick to my guns. If I can't drink it, it does not corrupt our carefully chosen ingredients. Vermouth. I keep a bottle of dry - not the sweet stuff, next to the stove for things to grab - in line with the salt and herbes de provence - and use it liberally in any and every vegetable I braise. As Marie-Louise mentioned earlier, I picked this up from Julia Child's lessons and have always enjoyed the results. A few tablespoons of a fine chablis (the really good stuff at 35 bucks a bottle) finishes a simple pate made from simple chicken livers. This was a chance discovery but one I now live by, whenever we have leftover good chablis I'm at the butcher demanding what he's got of livers. It makes it beautiful. I add it after the livers are cooked with onion and when I am in the process of mashing. We went though a stage early on here where we were buying a rather in-your-face Cote du Rhone direct from the vigneron in 5L boxes - it was perfectly OK table wine, and we were quite proud of ourselves. It averaged out to about 1€ a bottle. I took the opportunity to do everything with it from braise pears to Paula Wolfort's cuisses de canard to Julia's Beouf B. Later I did these dishes with wine local to the recipes and found that the cuisses gave much better results with a bordeaux, etc. If the wine plays a major role in the dish, I now tend to choose from the region the dish came from. They turn out much better that way.

Update on the Gourmet de Seze - I was browsing a newspaper the other day and read that Gourmet de Seze is officially a 100% non-smoking restaurant. This might be of interest to anyone who is planning a visit.

That coffee looks very nice and the cups and saucers are simply beautiful. Any story behind those? Excuse me while I go off in search of coffee....

Mel - welcome to eGullet, we're very happy your first post is in the France forum. The Marais is simply wonderful, my favorite place to walk and shop. You'll see when you get there that all you'll have to do is step outside and follow your nose and you'll find plenty. Paris residents and frequent visitors to Paris on this forum will also have plenty of personal favorites, I'm sure. There is a recent thread on cheese shops in Paris which should be pretty helpful. The first thing to do is search the forum on the Marais. There are bound to be plenty of threads mentioning the quartier.

Here's what we finally ended up buying over the three days we were there. We tasted 5-7 of each group. (the list is not in order): VAL DE LOIRE – VENDEE 1. DOMAINE ROUZE Jacques 1er GVC, SC1 Reuilly 2002 €7.50, Reuilly 2003 €6.20D – 32 Mme Adele ROUZE 2. DOMAINE DES VARINELLES 1er GVC, SC1 Saumer Champigny 2003 €6.00 D – 25 3. DOMAINE DESCHAMPS 1er GVC, SC3, Pouilly-sur-Loire, €6.00 C – 92 ALSACE EST 1. VIGNOBLES MUHLBERGER François 1er GVC, SC1 Sylvaner €4.50, Tokay Pinot Gris €6.70 - A – 81 2. HUTTARD Jean 1er GVC, SC1 Gewurztraminer 2003 €6.20 D – 85 VALLEE DU RHONE 1. CHATEAU LA DECELLE 1er GVC, SC2 Valréas Cuvee St. Paul 2003 €8.95, Cotes du Rhone 2003 €6.60 B – 28 2. DOMAINE DU PESQUIER 1er GVC, SC2 Vacquyras 2003 €8.50 B – 40 3. FAURE Jacques nc Clairette de Die, €6.70 B – 6 BORDELAIS-AQUITAINE 1. CHATEAU CASTEGENS 1er GVC, SC1 Côtes de Castillon 2002 €6.20 D – 24 2. CHATEAU LARDIERE-DOMAINE DE JEREMIE 1er GVC, SC1 Premières Côtes de Blaye 2001, 6.90€ D – 100 3. CHATEAU DE BEAU SITE 2ème GVC, SC2 Graves 2001 €8 E – 100 CHAMPAGNE See post above BOURGOGNE-BEAUJOLAIS 1. DOMAINE DES CRAIS 1er GVC, SC2 St Veran Vieilles Vignes €8.10 C – 58 2. DOMAINE MOSNIER Sylvain Chablis 1er cru Côtes de Léchet 12€, Chablis Vieilles Vines 2002 €9.50 A – 45

Hi Andre, this is what I had for lunch outside the fair this year. I agree, I think one of the best things about the fair is a chance to talk to the winemakers, for 10- 15 minutes, without the long chateau tour and high pressure visit to the tasting room. I think they mix the stands to try and make it difficult to make direct comparisons which would give the better vignerons a direct advantage over their neighbors. However, if you are looking for the best wines it's best in my opinion to do your homework and compare. Having a chance to taste and compare several of the same type wines made by different producers at one time, given that you're organized enough to do your research in advance, is one of the best features of having 500 winemakers in one place at one time. Tchin!

Ore, I went to get Italian cheeses yesterday... I am absolutely loving your inspiring beautiful journey.

I think that's a very good point, and one that is often overlooked. People tend to assume that French women eat everything they want to eat and stay slim. I say that in France a lot more thought is put into what they eat, and they do keep a priority of maintaining their figure. I think this is a rather exaggerated statement. I am always wary of French researchers who generalize like this with the term "Anglo-Saxon". I'm not sure what the British members think of this, but I imagine that they do have dining room tables and use them. If this were such a non Anglo-Saxon concept, this eating together and enjoying their food, would the Anglo-Saxon culture not have done away with dining tables long ago? Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that contemporary culture has abruptly changed in the latter half of this century to less tolerate the time spent in communal eating activities. But then again that's not so provacative, is it. I think the article was well written, the essay does its job - makes me want to go out and get the book.

One fabulous roadtrip.

Liver and onions. The butcher had "fois de genisse" and when I asked him what that was he said it wasn't beef and it wasn't veal, but somewhere in between. I am still not clear but it sure was delicious, simply seared. Velvety smooth. I softened 5 thickly sliced onions in duck fat, added 2 T. of sticky rice, 2T. demi glace, and a cup of riesling, covered and simmered 1/2 an hour.

I wish I could describe the wine in a more succinct way, I really need to take a course on the common language used to describe what I'm tasting! It may seem very simple, but this year it was very exciting to know in my mind that my scale of judgement somewhat correlates with someone else's. We have been in complete agreement with the picks made by the guide, and at the fair it was a real opportunity to put that to the test and taste and compare a lot of wines.