mhberk

That's great!! At what point did you add the matzo meal?

Is there an "ideal" amount of consomme to make at one time? In Jack's course, he uses 1 Qt. of stock. But what if I have 6 Qts? Would the consomme turn out better in smaller batches or would it not make a difference if I were to make the whole 6 Qts?

I know that Fabio Trabocchi (now at Fiamma in NYC) uses wonton wrappers for one of his signature dishes - Lobster Ravioli. He says that wonton wrappers can be cooked at a lower temperature. "...Take, for example, another signature dish, the lobster ravioli, made with chunks of lobster. “I don’t like puréed fillings in ravioli,” Mr. Trabocchi said. “It’s too commercial.” He uses wonton skins instead of pasta dough because they cook at a lower temperature, so the lobster remains tender. And he seasons the dish with a hefty dose of ginger..." (NY Times - 2nd to last paragraph)

I know that this thread is a bit old, but here is a shrimp, asparagus and brown butter risotto I made not too long ago: Blanched the bottom two-thirds of asparagus and then pureed them with a little chicken stock. I reserved the tips for garnish. Made the risotto and added the puree after the last ladle of chicken stock was almost completely absorbed. Sauteed the shrimp and then topped the risotto with the shrimp and asparagus tips and then drizzled the brown butter on top just before serving.

If you buy your pans from Williams-Sonoma, they will replace your pan with a brand new one when the non-stick part starts to wear down/off.

I've read several comments about the KA 6-quart bowl being too large to do smaller batches. I haven't read through the whole thread to see if this has been addressed yet, but KitchenAid also sells 3-quart bowl (and whip) attachment that fits the 6-quart models (and 5-quart models) for those doing smaller batches. KitchenAid sells it for $69.99, but you can find it cheaper at other places (Williams-Sonoma has it for $59.99). Also, for those who are paying full price for the 600 Pro, consider buying it at Williams-Sonoma. They have a lifetime warranty on all their products (even if the manufacturer offers a limited warranty). I've bought several All-Clad pans from them over the years and when ever something happens to one of them (like the non-stick coating wears down), they replace it with a new one with no questions asked. When I bought my KA 600 Pro over the weekend, I asked the sales lady about the warranty on it and she said that Williams-Sonoma offers a lifetime warranty on it.

Thank you! I used plain old Arborio. I've been experimenting with risotto quite a bit recently but got inspired to make asparagus risotto after watching Mark Bittman's "The Best Recipes In The World" over the weekend when he had his Rice Recipes episode and Mario Batali made risotto. I didn't really use his recipe, but I was inspired by the ingredients he used and the way he waited until the very end to add the asparagus puree. I was also impressed by how little stirring he actually did. When he added the rice to toast it, he spread it around with his fingers to increase the surface area and then just let it sit there without touching it. Even when he added the broth, he just let it sit there and simmer away. Overall, it was very good, but the nutty flavor of the drizzled brown butter on top, along with the shrimp, REALLY added a nice compliment.

Sounds great! I'd be willing to host that one. ← I'd be up to doing this sometime in December. I felt inspired, so I made some asparagus risotto and added some shrimp that I sauteed in brown butter and then drizzled the brown butter on top of the risotto. This was probably the best I've ever made.

We look forward to having you at one or more! We are baby tolerant. And I come with a built-in babysitter. For anyone else out there, space is available and -- even if you're not coming -- any commentary on creative side dishes is welcome. ← I might have to take you up on that! Any chance of a future risotto get together?

Just thought I'd point out that the Food Network's Throwdown With Bobby Flay is showing its crab cake showdown tonight at 10:00. He's throwing down with a couple of guys from Maine (what do they know about crab cakes anyway?). This looks like it will be a great time! Unfortunately, Mrs. mhberk and I are taking Roberto Donna's Risotto class the day before in Virginia and that's about all the driving a pregnant Mrs. mhberk can handle from Columbia in a weekend. I'd be interested in future events though.

I visited Murky coffee a few weeks ago with my cousin (who's a coffee snob from Berkeley, CA). He wanted to go to a great coffee house in our area, so I figured that this would be a great opportunity to check out Murky Coffee. I'm no expert when it comes to coffee, but cousin said that the coffee he tried was "nothing special" and that this place would probably go out of business if it was in the Bay area. He did, however, say that the mocha was "exceptional"! So there you go...

I don't have the issue in front of me, but I DID find it odd that 2 Amys got three stars ahead of places like Galileo and others that were more deserving. Not to discount their pizza (arguably the best in town), but I just didn't feel that the restaurant as a whole deserved to be ranked that high. EDIT: Didn't notice that Busboy had already covered this.

Does anyone plan to give up either their Friday or Saturday reservation? Please let me know before you do so. Or I'd be willing to trade my IndeBleu (Friday @ 7:30 for 2 (but could try to switch to 4 if needed)) for a Vidalia, Galileo, DC Coast/Tenpenh, etc. Thanks!

When do they start posting the list of restaurants for 2006?

OK, went to Palena again over the weekend and the service was exceptional! I don't know what happened the previous 3 times I went, but Palena redeemed itself with my last visit. I guess I'm just a sucker for their chicken! Speaking of their chicken, have any of you narrowed down what might be in the brine? As we were sitting there over the weekend, we noticed a hint of vanilla bean and cardamom.