Daniel Rogov

Lalitha, Hello.. With apologies, I do not know you or your posts well enough to know whether your comment about being oppressed was to be taken as metaphor, sarcasm, full humor or complete seriousness. Thus, forgive me if I am "preaching to the already converted" but many women who are beaten by their husbands accept that as part of their "just role in life". Those women may not perceive themselves as "oppressed" but ineed they are. As are the many women working in precisely the same jobs as men and receiving only 60-70% of the same salary. Etc........

Moopheus, Hello... Indeed it is interesting, perhaps even symptomatic of the problems to which I refer, that many women are employed in the role of chef-instructors in various schools. That is as true in Europe and Israel as in North America. I would suggest that this is true because whereas women are often hired on a full time basis, the salaried employees of most such schools do not earn a great deal of money. I cannot speak about America but in Europe and Israel, the "star" chefs that come in to the schools from time to time to offer either a series of lectures or perhaps a course are sometimes paid more for single lectures than many of the salaried employees earn in a month. You are also correct in that most of the teachers at schools have little (often far too little) contact with the real world of cookery and restaurants.

Karen (Carrot Top), Hi.... First, apologies for time lag in my response but being on the "other side" of the Atlantic causes a significant time lag between us.... To answer your questions in the order in which they were put. (1a) In defining the term "great chef", two words need clarification. I used the term "great" in the sense ofeminent, distinguished, illustrious and possibly even important (important in the specific sense of the influence he/she has on colleagues and/or diners). I used the word "chef" to describe that individual who is in charge of and gives direction to the staff and culinary quality and style of a restaurant. Continuing with part one of your question – most traditional bistros have a minimal staff, certainly not a brigade, and I would suggest that most of those in charge of those kitchens are cooks and not chefs. In a more modern sense, of course, the bistro can be a far more prestigious establishment with far more than traditional dishes. In such cases the person in charge is indeed a chef. (1b) I smile a bit when thinking about a "temple of gastronomy" – to me a fine neighborhood bistro, trattoria or even tavernna can be a temple of gastronomy. Nothing to do with prestige or price in that one. (1c) As to categories – indeed the categories within the world of chefdom are quite similar across national lines – and certainly the chef-entrepreneur can exist in the USA as well as in France (e.g. in the USA, Wolfgang Puck, in France and other locations nowadays, Alain Ducasse). The executive chef, the chef-owner also exist in most locations. As to the chef de partie, the saucier, the pastry chef, the dessert chef, the conditore, etc.... much the same system prevails. (1d) Concluding from the above, the "great chef" is thus one who has a notable impact on his/her own kitchen, on the kitchens of others, on the dining habits of those who come to dine at their establishment. (1e) As to "media chefs" – those do not enter into my formula in the same way that writers of cookbooks do not. Julia Child may have had an enormous impact (positive, negative or not at all, depending on one's perspective) but she was not a chef. As to most of those who appear on television – some are indeed chefs, others are poseurs, but it is not their television appearances that qualify them in my book as great or even mediocre chefs – simply good or bad teacher/entertainers. (2) As to America's most accomplished woman chef, I would have to list Alice Waters, and that partly because of her own restaurant, partly because of the influence on American dining patterns in a very broad way. (2a) Lists of "great chefs" is always somewhat of an ego trip, perhaps more for the critic than for the world of cuisine. I won't therefore fall into that self-enhancing trap, but will say that among America's most accomplished women chefs I would have to include in recent years Anne Rosensweig, Monique Barbeau, Johanne Killeen and Elizabeth Terry. (2b) I have not done a statistical analysis of whether the number of top women chefs is approximately equal to the number of women at the top of other professions. I would have to say though that from personal experience, I think there are a great many more women in law, medicine, academe, psychology, etc than in the culinary arts. I think women are woefully under-represented at the top level of nearly all professions but cannot help but think as well that they are even more poorly represented in the professional kitchen. (3) Finally (at least for now, for I look forward to continuing this dialogue), at this point in time, not one of the top twenty restaurants in Israel has a female in charge of the kitchens as chef. Two of the countries most talented and creative chefs, Tamar Blay (formerly of Arcadia) and Dahlia Renaud (formerly of her eponymous bistro) are now working as "consultants". It should be mentioned that at least 15 male chefs, also now currently unemployed, are earning ther keep in this way. From my own experience, a large part of the Israeli public is still rather conservative on such matters and although many will gladly accept women in "amami" (that is to say simple, working class) restaurants, they prefer to shake the hand of a male chef when paying the bill in a more prestigious restaurant. From another perspective, there are a great many women who serve as either sous-chefs or chefs de partie in the better restaurant. Part of the problem for those women is that few are willing to take them on as full chefs in other restaurants. More than that, should these women want to open their own establishments they find that the banks are very hesitant to lend money to them, almost invariably insisting that they have at least two male partners.

I thank all for the kind words. As to Luchi disagreeing with me from time to time....there can be no more legitimate statement. Thinking people never agree with critics all of the time! The critic who claims to be infallible is a shlemazel (and believe me, being a shemazel is one firm step below being a shlemeil).

It is currently estimated that by the year 2010, two out of every three meals will be eaten out of the home. That most surely converts into the reality that people are cooking fewer meals at home. That does not, however, fit the hypothesis that people are eating less well or that cooking at home has lost or is about to lose its popularity. What it may fit is the increasing amount of data that demonstrates that people (in the Western world) are becoming fed up with "cooking" pre-frozen things that are called "dinners", that second-rate tinned and jarred produce are no longer the rage that they once were with many people. It also fits the hypothesis that an increasing number of people, although cooking less frequently, are now cooking far better - many devoting time to experimenting at home with various ethnic or even haute-cuisines, even more experimenting with foodstuffs that are new to them. What is happening in kitchens around the Western World may have something distinctly akin to what is happening in the world of wine - that is to say that as people (especially in western Europe) are drinking less but insisting on better wines when they do drink; they are preparing fewer meals in the home but those that they are preparing are more adventurous and more tempting than those that had been prepared previously. And let us also keep in mind that in at least some socio-economic circles there is a clear movement back to the preparation of "real food" in the home - real in the sense of genuinely national, regional or ethnic as opposed to popping frozen or chill-cooled pre-prepared Thai, Chinese, Italian or Greek meals into the microwave. My prediction (and I'll be glad to respond to counter predictions in 6 more years) - by the year 2010 two out of three meals will indeed be eaten away from the home but those meals prepared in the home will be prepared increasingly by men and women who really give a damn about what they put on their tables. ....and who gain genuine pleasure from creating dishes and meals that they and their cohorts truly enjoy.

I would have to say that there is most certainly not an overall Jewish cuisine. Perhaps to understand that a bit, a somewhat serious, somewhat amusing peek at history, for if one wants to give thanks to the adent of what people today consider Jewish food, it is to Nebuchadnezzar, that somewhat schizophrenic king of ancient Babylonia that such kind thoughts hsould be addressed. Jews had been settled in Israel long before the Babylonian invasion of 587 BCE and, although the dietary laws of the Old Testament (the kosher laws) had taken firm root among the people, matzoh and mannah do not a national cuisine create. By destroying the Holy Temple and driving the people into exile, Nebuchadnezzer, in addition to becoming a somewhat unloved character, also became, albeit by fiat, the father of kreplach and chopped liver, for it was only when the Jews were in exile did they develop a unique set of gastronomic specialties, those largely based on the cuisines of the nations and even villages in which they settled. One may gladly report that such Jewish cuisines have survived with far more popularity than the memory of Nebuchawatsisname. As reflected in this thread, it was primarily those Jews who eventually made their way to central and eastern Europe who evolved the cuisine that is today most often associated with the Jewish kitchen. As I pointed out earlier, that is somewhat unfair because those Jews who made their way to North Africa, Spain, the countries of the Moslem world, and even the Far East also developed cuisines of their own. With the exception of the Jews of Central Europe, however, Jewish fare did not vary enough from the cuisine of the region to assume, at least metaphorically, a life of its own. It is true that everyone makes beef stew but cholent is a very Jewish dish; lots of people make stuffed intestines, but a kishke by any other name is Jewish. It is also true that many people make couscous but with mild variations between versions, couscous is Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian, etc, and with the exception of being kosher, not Jewish. The same is as true when comparing gefilte fish and chraime. And a hundred other examples..... As to what, precisely is Jewish...let's put it this way ... the other evening I dined in a new kosher Aviv Restaurant, "Doda" (Translated losely as "Auntie"). Tel Aviv is largely a Jewish city in a largely Jewish nation, the chef and all of his kitchen staff were Jewish, the waitstaff were all Jewish and at least on the day of my visit, most of the diners were Jewish. Among the dishes on which I feasted (it's a damned good restaurant): as first courses Syrian kubbeh chamusteh soup, Kurdish kubbeh matafunia, and stuffed grape leaves that might have had their roots as much in Greece, Turkey or Lebanon. As main courses we had a Moroccan pastille, Egyptian style drumfish in tchina, and a rather French-Lebanese entrecote steak with za'atar. Was that Jewish food? Darned right it was! Was it Jewish cuisine - no way! Tomorrow I shall lunch with friends and family at Tel Aviv's Batia - I am looking forward to tatings of gefilte fish, kashe vernishkes, chopped chicken liver, calve's foot jelly, roast goose, baked beef, and of course, cholent with kishke. Is that Jewish food? Again, darned right it was. Was it Jewish cuisine? Well - certainly by consensus. And that's it while standing on one foot.

Mmmm..... "baseball".........I've heard that word.. perhaps in the old days while I was eating Sabrett hot-dogs, kraut and deli mustard on and squooshy rolls, all while drinking beer (I was underage back then but who cared) at Ebbett's Field in Brooklyn. And of course, I was the enemy then because I was a Giants fan. Ah well.....never liked baseball but I continue to enjoy Sabrett hot-dogs, especially with lots of spicy onions piled on. Would you believe that last year, the morning after a superb meal at Boulud during a several day visit to NY, I stopped at a hot-dog cart on Fifth Avenue and ate three of those.

Elie, Hi.... First time I encountered the recipe was in Fez. I now encounter it on a regular basis in the Moroccan shops at the Levinsky Street Market in Tel Aviv as well as in Arab restaurants in the Galillee and on the Golan Heights. North African/Middle Eastern? Hard to say. As I have written on too many sad occasions, we live in an area where recipes cross borders far more easily than people. Best, Rogov

Tim, Hello.... With all due respect, any act done in public is subject to being criticized. That is as true for the plastic arts as it is for literature, music, wine, and/or restaurants. It is not the critic's job to tell people what they should enjoy. It is, however the critics' job to analyze why this or that endeavor does or does not meet various standards. The criticd must, of course, base his/her opinions on given standards and a repertoire of experience and in that has to convince an audience (including the chefs in this case) that theyknow what they are talking about. Criticism of any kind is a natural human endeavor. Some do make a profession of it. I would agree that too many critics have neither the background, the experience, the knowledge or the "feel" of the field they are involved with. That does not invalidate the critics' role...it only says that those are bad critics. If you bother to read my own little article (referenced and with a hyperlink above) you will see that I feel strongly that no-one is more open to criticism than the critic. After all, criticism is also a public act and thus open to all of the commentaries of any other profession.

No problem to make Moroccan salt-cured lemons: scrub the lemons well and thenslice. Sprinkle the slices with salt (be generous), let stand for 24 hours in a colander sothey can drain. Transfer to a sterile jar,sprinkling paprika between each layer, pour over olive oil to cover, seal the jar and let stand for 3 weeks. These are the ones used most commonly at Israeli, Egyptian and Lebanese felafel joints.

Don't misunderstand - I adore dining and few things give me greater pleasure than a dish, simple or complex, that has been well prepared and gives me both immediate and longer-term satisfaction. To me, however, it starts before that... for to paraphrase Brillat-Savarin "Animals eat, men and women dine, and men and women of good taste dine well" The things we eat, the way we eat them and the reasons we eat them are far more than what goes into our mouth and comes out either as fat or from our lesser parts. These are no less than a reflection of what makes us human - we eat when we are not hungry, we avoid eating the foods of our perceived enemies, we eat for reasons that are often social and have nothing to do with the need for food, we eat for reasons normal, masochistic and sadistic, and we avoid eating those things that our God or gods have forbidden to us. In a phrase, food and dining are reflections not only of our history as human beings but of our sociology, psychology and philosophy. Culinaria is an art-form no less elevated than any other separated from the others only in that in order to appreciate a great culinary creation we must destroy it (that is to say, to eat it) and one of the roles of the chef, unlike the painter or sculptor, is to re-create his/her masterpieces on a regular basis. And, of course, dining well and leisurely in good company is a social experience par excellence.

As a man who has earned his keep quite happily by being a professional restaurant and wine critic for more years than I will admit in public, these are issues I have faced on a regular basis. One important thing to keep in mind - As it is impossible to claim that all restaurateurs are honest or that all chefs are talented, neither are all critics knowledgeable or particularly moral. This does not mean that a malicious or unknowledgeable critic can get away with everything. Because criticism is a public act, the critics themselves are also subject to constant criticism. No one is more critical of critics than their readers, who do not hesitate to write letters to the editor when they disagree with what the critic has said. By the very nature of their work, editors are also critical for, as news must be accurate, criticism must be based on firm, well recognized standards. And, as a chef may disagree with a critic's evaluation of his restaurant, so may the critics disagree with each other. The ultimate critic of both restaurant and those who write restaurant criticism,is the public, for these are the people who will eventually determine whether a restaurant thrives or eventually goes out of business. Critics have influence. They are not gods. Anyone caring to read a few more of my opinions about this issue, you might want to see my little article "Who Criticizes the Critics" at http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/criticize_the_critics.html

One of the most charming traditions about dining on Succoth is that there are no traditions, this being one of the holidays that is associated primarily with dining in the Succah on whatever dishes most please at the moment. Following is a brief expose about two meals I had several years ago and the recipes from those meals. Hope they prove useful. +++++ Several years ago I was in Europe during the entire week of Succoth, and was invited to share holiday meals with two families, the Levis of Rome and the Cohen-Barthes of Paris. Even though these families do not know each other, both were true to the spirit of the holiday in that the meals they served were based heavily on the use of fresh fruits and vegetables. In both cases the company I shared was stimulating and delightful and the meals served were excellent and the daughters of the families beautiful. Following are the recipes for the dishes served at both of those meals. The recipes are designed to serve 6. Because neither of the families I visited keeps kosher, some of the recipes combine meat and dairy products. Changing these recipes to kosher versions will present no problem at all. SUCCOTH IN ROME Goose Breast and Melon 3 medium honeydew or canteloupe melons, well chilled 18 very thin slices smoked goose breast, rolled up Halve the melons and discard the seeds. Cut each half into 4 equal slices and then remove the rind. On each of 6 serving plates distribute 4 slices of melon and 3 slices of the rolled goose breast. (One may substitute green or purple figs for the melon). If not served immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve well chilled. Stuffed Tomatoes 6 medium tomatoes, ripe but firm 1 1/2 cup cooked rice 150 gr. cooked veal, diced 3 anchovy fillets, chopped 3/4 tsp. oregano salt and pepper to taste 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped Remove the top 1/4 of the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Drain the excess liquid and chop the pulp. In a small mixing bowl combine the pulp, rice, veal, anchovies, oregano and salt and pepper. In a small jar combine the oil and lemon juice and pour this over the rice and meat mixture. Allow to stand 1 hour and then add the mayonnaise and mix gently. With this mixture re-fill the tomato shells. Serve cold, sprinkling over with the parsley just before serving. Consomme with Egg 3 Tbsp. butter 1 Tbsp. olive oil 6 slices Italian bread or baguette 6 eggs, poached lightly 4 cups chicken or beef consomme salt and pepper to taste In a skillet melt the butter and the olive oil and in this saute the bread until golden on both sides. Transfer the bread slices to individual bowls and on each place a poached egg. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and then pour over very hot consomme. Serve immediately. (Serves 4). (Note: Italians traditionally sprinkle the eggs with grated Parmesan cheese before pouring over the soup, but this can be eliminated for the purposes of kashrut). Veal with Marsala Wine 3 Tbsp. flour 1 1/2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped 1 tsp. dried oregano about 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper 1 1/2 Tbsp. each olive oil and butter 1 1/2 kilos very thin veal scallops, in 6 portions 1 cup Marsala wine or dry sherry 1/2 cup chicken stock In a shallow bowl combine the flour, parsley, oregano and salt and pepper, and then pound this seasoned flour lightly into the veal pieces, coating well. In a heavy skillet heat the olive oil and margarine and in this brown the veal on both sides. Add the Marsala and let the meat cook for 1 - 2 minutes longer. Transfer the veal to a preheated serving dish. To the pan add the stock and with a wooden spatula scrape to loosen the drippings from the pan. Pour this gravy over the veal and serve immediately. Fried Peppers 12 sweet red or green peppers 2 eggs, well beaten salt and pepper to taste olive oil for frying Wash, core and cut the peppers into eighths. Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper and into this dip the peppers and then fry in at least 1 cm. of hot oil until golden brown. Spinach with Anchovies 3/4 kilo spinach, picked over and washed well 2 Tbsp. butter 1 Tbsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 4 - 6 anchovy fillets, chopped salt and pepper to taste In a large heavy skillet heat the margarine and olive oil. Add the spinach and garlic, cover and cook over a high flame until it begins to steam. Reduce the flame and simmer until tender (5 - 6 minutes). Correct the seasoning, stir in the anchovies and serve hot. Zabaglioni Custard 8 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup Marsala or Madeira wine Mix together the egg yolks and sugar and beat until very light. Place this mixture in the top of a double boiler over but not in boiling water, taking care that the bottom of the pot with the ingredients does not come in contact with the water. With a wire whisk beat until the custard is foamy and then add, gradually, while continuing to beat, the wine. Continue to beat until the custard has doubled in volume and begins to thicken. Remove from the heat. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold these into the custard. Serve while still warm in wine or sherbet glasses. SUCCOTH IN PARIS Potatoes in Mustard Sauce 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. each vinegar and sugar 6 spring onions, whites only, diced 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2 tsp. powdered mustard salt and pepper to taste 6 medium potatoes 1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped, for garnish In a small mixing bowl combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, spring onions, garlic, mustard and salt and pepper. Cover and let stand at room room temperature for 1 - 2 hours. In a kettle with lightly salted boiling water cook the potatoes until done but still firm. Remove from the water and peel. Let the potatoes cool until lukewarm and cut into bite-sized cubes. With a wire whisk, whisk the oil and vinegar mixture well and then immediately pour this over the potatoes. Sprinkle over the par- sley just before serving. Consomme Madrilene 2 cups chicken consomme or strained vegetable stock 2 cups tomato juice 1 tsp. onion, grated rind from 1/2 small lemon salt and pepper to taste dry sherry to taste In a saucepan combine all of the ingredients except the sherry and heat just to boiling. Strain the mixture and flavor with the dry sherry. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Breaded Sole in Wine 3 thick sole, about 675 gr. each salt and pepper to taste 3/4 cup butter, melted 6 shallots or the white parts of 8 spring onions, chopped 2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped 1 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 3/4 cup dry vermouth lemon wedges for garnish Remove the skins and clean the fish, making an incision along the bone. Salt and pepper the fish and then dip into the melted butter. Grease a heatproof casserole dish and sprinkle the chopped shallots and parsley in the bottom. On this place the fish and sprinkle the upper sides with breadcrumbs. Over this pour the vermouth. Bake in a hot oven until the breadcrumbs are browned. Remove the fish to a preheated serving platter and set aside to keep warm. Let the liquids in the casserole boil until reduced to 3/4 of the original volume, remove from the flame and add the butter. Swirl in well and then pour this sauce over the fish. Serve immediately garnished with lemon wedges. Green Peas with Onions 1 medium romaine lettuce 3/4 kilo frozen peas (may use frozen) 1 bouquet garni made by thing together 3 sprigs of parlsey, and 1 bay leaf 6 spring onions, cut in 5 cm. lengths 3/4 cup butter 1 Tbsp. sugar salt and pepper to taste 1 Tbsp. flour (if needed) Shred the lettuce coarsely and place it in a heavy saucepan with the sugar, bouquet garni, spring onions and half the butter. Cover and simmer over a low flame, shaking occasionally, until the lettuce is wilted (about 20 minutes). Add the peas, stir well but gently, cover again and continue to simmer just until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat. Discard the bouquet garni. If the peas are dry add the remaining butter, shaking the pan until the butter is melted and evenly distributed. If there is too much liquid in the pot mix the remainng butter with the flour and add this to the mixture, shaking occasionally over a low flame until the liquids thicken. Correct the seasoning and serve. Glazed Carrots 3/4 kilo large carrots, sliced 3 Tbsp. butter 1 Tbsp. sugar about 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped In a shallow saucepan or skillet combine the carrots with the butter, sugar and salt and barely cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the flame and simmer, uncovered, until the carrots are nearly tender (8 - 12 minutes). Bring to a rapid boil until the liquid has evaporated and a glaze has formed. Be sure that the sugar does not caramelize. Correct the seasoning and immediately before serving garnish with the chopped mint. Orange Mousse 3 Tbsp. Cointreau or other orange liqueur the peel of 3 oranges, grated the peel of 1/2 lemon, grated the juice of 4 oranges, strained 6 eggs, separated 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. cornflour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup sweet cream, chilled and whipped stiff mint leaves for garnish Pour the liqueur into a measuring cup and to this add the grated orange and lemon peel. Pour over just enough of the orange juice so that the contents measures 2 cups. In a mixing bowl beat together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow in color. Beat in the cornflour and then the orange juice mixture. Pour the mixture into a heavy saucepan and, stirring constantly, cook over a medium flame until the mixture is heated through but not yet thickened, taking care that a simmer is not obtained. Remove from the heat and beat for 30 seconds. In a separate bowl beat together the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle in the remaining sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff. Fold the egg whites into the hot orange mixture and then refrigerate until well chilled, folding occasionally with a rubber spatula. Fold the stiffly beaten cream into the mousse, transfer to individual dessert cups and chill for 3 - 4 hours. Immediately before serving garnish with the mint leaves.

A short while ago this evening, Jason asked if I had written anything about the etrog (you say tomato, I say tomahto, some say etrog, others say esrog). Oddly enough, after writing about food,both Jewish and non-Jewish for close to what seems like a zillion years, I have never written a word about an etrog. What can I say....I guess I'm just not an etrog kind of person. I am, however, definitely a Succoth person and on reflecting about why I have always gained special pleasure from the celebration of Succoth, I have concluded that as opposed to both Rosh ha Shannah and Yom Kippur which have preceded it, Succoth is a "light" holiday. It is not difficult for Succoth to be light, for in addition to celebrating the journey from slavery to freedom as the Hebrews left Egypt, the holiday also coincides with and celebrates the period that was considered the end of the fruit harvest in ancient Israel. Lightness, as I think of it, is primarily found in the absence of heaviness of the holiday. Compared to the celebration of Rosh ha Shannah or Yom Kippur, for example. the celebration of Succoth is like passing through a decompression chamber and entering a lighter atmosphere. This lightness means reflection without pain and introspection without soul-rendering implications. It mean among other things that during Succoth, unlike the holidays that preceded it, one enters into conversations in which topics are skimmed rather than exhausted. It also means an absence of ponderousness. It also means that even though Rosh ha Shannah, like Passover, is associated with festive and celebratory dining, the meals of Succoth are easier and less formal. Because Succoth continues to be associated with a mood of thanksgiving and meals continue to be served that are at least a symbolic celebration of the harvest, this also means that while one can dine extraordinarily well, there is no need to leave the table feeling that one has overeaten. And, because no specific dining patterns have developed among Sepharadi or Ashkenazi Jews with regard to Succoth, one can be either as traditional or as inventive as one cares to be. In a phrase... a fun holiday! Enjoy!

With all due respect to the SF gate (which in truth I do not know) and to Claudia Roden (for whom I have enormous respect), let me call to mind that the issue here is not at all "Jewish food" but the food of those Jews who originated in the shtetls (small and generally poor peasant villages) and cities of Central and Eastern Europe. Giving dishes such as gefilte fish, cholent (with or without kishke), kugel, tzimmis and pirogen, sweet and sour beef stew and knishes an exclusivity as to claims on representing the Jewish kitchen is to ignore the fact that those Jews of Sepharadic origin had a very different but no less "Jewish" cuisine. To such Jews their "Jewish kitchen" does not smell of gefilte fish but of sicj treats sd chraime, couscous, fattoush (bread salad), sardines wrapped in vine leaves, Circassian chicken, sambusak, shisliks and kebabs. None of which of course is to "knock" that kitchen that has come to be associated with Yiddish. I'm am absolute sucker for it and no matter how large the first portion, will never refuse a second helping of cholent (with kishke, dammit, with!!!)But then again, who would I be if I refused a second portion of couscous royale? Best, Rogov

Apologies in advance for long,long post, but the following is an article I wrote some time ago on this subject. Although the article was originally directed at a professional audience, the rules are much the same for the at-home cook. Best, Rogov Restaurateurs and chefs love showing off their talents, and one of the ways in which they can best do this is by offering a menu de degustation, literally, a "tasting menu" in which a meal can consist of as many as ten or twelve different courses. Such menus, which are a challenge to any serious chef, also offer an exquisite advantage to diners, for they give an opportunity, in a single meal, to sample a broad range of the dishes offered by the restaurant. Best of all from the diner's point of view, even though such meals are invariably expensive, they involve far less of a cash outlay than if they had to return to the same restaurant three, four or even five times to sample the same range of dishes. Contrary to popular belief, the roots of the degustation menu do not go back to the Middle-Ages. Even though it was then considered appropriate to serve 12, 16 or even 20 courses at a single meal. Unlike true degustation meals, those Medieval dinners were unplanned and unsophisticated and, because they relied on terribly heavy sauces, would be considered basically inedible by any sophisticated diner today. There is a good chance that the very first versions of what we now know as the degustation menu, were those offered between 1880 and 1910 by the great chef George- Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier, whose restaurants were in the Ritz Hotels of Paris and London, was the chef whose self-appointed task was to satisfy the appetites of the most royal and the most wealthy members of European society. Escoffier loved nothing better than impressing his guests. He saw no reason why they could not start their meal at six in the evening, work their way through as many as fifteen full courses and finally leave his restaurant at three in the morning. On one occasion in 1908, for example, Escoffier prepared a special tasting menu at the London Ritz for twelve guests, including among them the future King George V. After opening the meal with melon halves filled with Beluga caviar, he went on to serve two soups, the first a clear turtle soup and the second a cold veloute of chicken soup. The next course was of roast chickens that had been stuffed with wild rice and truffles, and this was followed by a course of Welsh lamb that was served with fresh peas. A lemon- ginger sorbet was served and this was followed in turn by trout that had been filled with fresh herbs before grilling, duckling breasts in port wine aspic and quails with grapes. After another sorbet, this time of pink grapefruits, the waiters served artichoke hearts in a delicate mustard sauce and a lettuce salad that had been sprinkled over with a mint and honey flavored vinaigrette sauce. In addition to peaches that had been poached in vanilla sauce, the dessert tray also included petits fours and a selection of fruits. That Escoffier was a culinary genius, perhaps the greatest of our century, is beyond question, and perhaps without his having being consciously aware of it, this meal set the pattern for the modern degustation menu. If there was a fault to such meals it was only that every course was a full one - two large bowls of soup for, half a chicken, two whole roast quails, and half a kilo of lamb for each diner. One suspects that by the time they had finished their chicken, most people had already become anesthetized and could not even dream of the eight courses yet to come. It would also prove inconvenient for most people to take up to nine hours for a single meal. Fortunately for both chefs and diners, Escoffier's rules have been modified, and even though a degustation meal may still consist of as many courses, each course is far lighter and far more refreshing than in Escoffier's time. Nor do most degustation meals last more than three hours, a time span most people willing give to a great meal. As there is validity to the adage that states that a chef is in charge of the pleasure of his clients from the moment they enter his restaurant, there is even more validity to this in the case of the tasting menu. When ordering from the regular a la carte menu, clients have all sorts of options from which to choose. They can build their meal from whatever combination of dishes they choose and, rightly or wrongly, can let either their caprice of their logic determine the order of courses. In the case of the degustation menu, however, clients place themselves far more fully into the hands of the chef and more or less waive such privileges, thus leaving the responsibility for nearly all decision making to the chef, for it is he who determines what dishes are to be served and in what order. Several years before his death, Alain Chapel observed that "a degustation menu is, in a sense, the most personal offspring of a chef ... it is his creation, he is the one giving birth to it, and he is the one responsible for elevating the meal to whatever its maximum potential may be". The degustation menu offers another major advantage to both restaurateur and client, for by sampling so many of the chef's talents, clients will invariably return on another occasion in order to dine on those dishes they most enjoyed during their degustation. These special meals are rapidly gaining popularity among the general public and there are indications that more and more restaurants are considering offering them. In order to avoid the excesses of either the Middle-Ages or Escoffier and to guarantee that such meals will not overwhelm either the senses or the stomach, such meals have to be planned with infinite care and there are certain nine general and several specific guidelines that should be followed. General Guidelines - The sequence of courses in a degustation menu should be such that earlier dishes do not overpower those that follow them. On one occasion when visiting Lyon, I remember when chef Jean- Paul Lascome of the renowned "Leon de Lyon" served a course of veal tongue in a Madeira wine sauce that was followed by another of boiled lobster that was served with a sauce based on a reduction of green asparagus. The veal had been superb but because the heavy sauce had coated the palate, the far gentler flavor of the lobster had become lost completely. Later in the meal, when the chef somehow became aware of what had happened, he was so embarrassed that he appeared at our table swearing that he would never forgive himself for his faux-pas and inviting us to return on any other night of our choice to dine compliments of the house. - Courses should compliment and flatter each other. When Yonathan Roshfeld, then the sous-chef at Tel Aviv's "Tapuach Zehav" prepared a degustation menu for myself and visiting California winemaker Robert Mondavi, our third course consisted of two separate portions. The first of these was a locus carpaccio, paper thin slices of fresh raw fish that had been wrapped around cooked but well chilled calamari rings and shrimp. The mullet fillets that made up the second half of the portion, were served warm with an essence of green herbs. Both dishes were enormous success in their own right. They were made even better however because the textures of the two dishes were so well suited one to the other that the palate at all times felt simultaneously refreshed and stimulated. Even more than this, the green herb essence highlighted and brought clearly into focus each of the individual flavors, converting the offering from one that might have been merely excellent to one that became absolutely unforgettable. I also remember the pleasure on Roshfeld's face as he stood in a corner, unobtrusively observing us as we feasted on his creation. - No matter how daring a chef wants to be, none of the courses served should shock the diners, because that will invariably destroy their ability to enjoy whatever else is served. Several years ago, while dining at the very prestigious but not always very good "Windows on the World" in New York City, the chef decided to "impress" us by serving Spanish style snails as one of the first courses in his menu de degustation. The brandied, herbed tomato sauce in which the snails were served was exquisite and the dish delighted me in every way. My companions were not as pleased for even though they had all dined on the French version of this dish on many earlier occasions, they were unaware that the Spanish cook snails only until they are tender, and not until they are dead. With the realization that the snails they were eating were still alive, my companions were so shocked (one of them actually threw up) that there was no possibility of them continuing the meal. - Every course should be generous enough in size that diners do do not feel frustrated, but no course should be so heavy or filling that it does not leave appetite for those to follow. Normally, if a waiter brings me a first or second course with merely four shrimps on the plate, I rebel, wondering why I am spending so much money for so little food and simultaneously planning on where I can find a good slice of pizza before I return home. When those same two shrimp are served as part of a degustation menu, as they were recently when I dined at An- ton Mosimann's restaurant in England, however, my eyes and stomach are were both delighted, especially because the shrimp had been butterflied and arranged attractively on a puree of garlic flavored peas. - The size of every dish offered should be related to its "heaviness". That is to say, heavier more filling dishes should always be served in smaller quantities than those that are light and refreshing. Barcelona's "Jaume de Provenca" has been one of my favorite restaurants since I first dined there in 1978. On my last visit, chef Jaume Barges served us a thirteen course degustation menu. The crab raviolis in clam sauce were so light that it did not seem unusual to find six of them on each of our plates. Wisely, however, the lobster romesco, which is a far heavier and more filling dish, was served in an appropriately tiny portions, perhaps two generous tablespoons per person. To make this particularly small portion especially appealing to the eye, the chef had wisely placed it in the center of an oversized white plate and had set it on a bed of basil leaves. - No dish should be so dominated by its herbs or spices that it will hide or impose upon the flavors of whatever dishes are to follow it. Even when I was a very young man, first starting to write about food and wine, I knew that the greatest palate of all belonged to Curnonsky, who even then was known as the "Prince of Gourmets". One one occasion Curnonsky invited four young food writers to join him at Paris' "Laperousse" restaurant. Curnonsky had telephoned a full day in advance to consult with the chef on the degustation meal we would have. As we dined, it was apparent that Curnonsky had been delighted with each of the first six courses. As the waiter approached with our seventh course, however, the usually talkative Curnonsky became completely silent and for his face turned almost bright red in color. With no ceremony at all, he pulled the serving plate from the waiter's hands, picked it up to his nose, inhaled deeply and, with not an instant's hesitation, then smashed the plate on the floor and ordered all of us to rise and immediately leave the restaurant. Curnonsky was far too furious to explain his rage, but several days later when I met him by chance at the Cafe de Flore, he explained: "The lamb had been seasoned not only with pepper, as I had requested, but with rosemary. I knew of course that our next course was to be of partridge, and, as even the most moronic of chefs knows, the rosemary that would have lingered on our palates would have completely destroyed the delicate flavor of the partridge meat". When I asked him if he had not over-reacted just a bit he answered that "when it comes to the palate of Curnonsky, there are no over-reactions". - Every dish offered should be so good that guests marvel over its virtuosity. On another occasion, at which I was unfortunately not present, Curnonsky dined on the degustation menu of the great chef Fernand Point. According to the memoirs of Robert Courtine, who was Curnonsky's dinner companion, "as the meal progressed Curnonsky ate with gusto and spoke about everything under the sun except for the meal we were eating. He spoke about the execution of a convicted murder that had taken place several days earlier at the Palais de Justice; he held forth on the inherent anti-intellectualism of television; he told me of his reactions to Simone de Beauvoire's latest book ... he even told me about his most recent visit to his dentist". Only when the meal had been completed did Curnonsky request that the chef come to the table. Even the great Point (who was the teacher of Paul Bocuse, Jean Troisgros and Alain Chapel) was surprised when Curnonsky rose, planted six wet kisses on his face, and then preceded to tell him precisely how magnificent each of the courses had been. Twenty years later Courtine wrote that "even though the meal itself had taken a mere three hours, Curnonsky's dissertation lasted not a minute less than four and a half hours. By the time we finally left the restaurant at nearly four in the morning, Point and I were both thoroughly exhausted. Curnonsky was correct in one thing, however - I will never forget the flavor, texture or aroma of any of those superb courses, each of which had been a masterpiece in its own right". - Despite the number of courses served, at the end of the meal no guest should feel they have eaten too much. Over the years I have dined on hundreds of mediocre meals some of which consisted of only one or two courses, many of which have left me feeling far too full. Over the same number of years, I have dined on the degustation menus of forty or fifty of the best chefs of France, Italy and the United States. Some of those meals contained as may as sixteen courses. None contained less than eight. At none of those meals did I ever have the feeling that I had eaten "too much". - The sequence of wines, the selection of which should be guided either by the chef or the sommelier (if there is one), at degustation should be selected with as much care as the courses themselves. As French poet Charles Baudelaire reminded us: "There has never been a better marriage made in heaven than that between food and wine". During most meals, the usual rules of white wines before red, light wines before heavy and young before old are adequate guides. During a degustation, however, even more care must be taken. In fact, each of the rules that apply to the construction of the meal should also apply to the selection of wines. Whether the meal features two, three or four wines, each should be selected to that in addition to complementing each other they should also complement each of the dishes being served. Different Styles For Different Chefs When it comes to specific details of degustation menus, different chefs react in different ways. Chef Alain Ducasse at his "Louis XV" restaurant at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, feels confident enough to build a meal of thirteen courses, "each course dependent on the last for its texture, flavor and heaviness". Chef Marc Veyrat of Veyrier-du-Lac, 6 km. from Annecy, on the other hand, feels that instead of an uninterrupted series of courses there should be "a cycle of dishes, each cycle being complete in itself but, at the same time, having a kissing relationship with both the cycle that came before and the cycle that will come afterwards". The following menus, on which I dined during November of 1995, demonstrate the difference in styles between the offerings of the two chefs, both of whom are considered among the most important of Europe. Also following are two degustations menus I sampled in Tel Aviv. Tasting with Ducasse November 12, 1995 Cold Scallops with Truffles Raviois of Pecorino Cheese Provencal vegetables with a ragout of truffles Cappuccino of Foie Gras Clams in a sauce made from beef marrow Shrimp with Girolle Mushrooms Blueberry Granita Locus fillets in a reduction of tomatoes and parlsey Veal sweetbreads with truffled artichokes, Pressed Duckling Baked in a Brioche Roast Pigeon with Lobster Lamb with coriander Creme Brulee in Pastry Tartlets Petits Fours Tasting with Veyrat November 16, 1995 Coquilles St. Jacques with Wild Fennel Consomme of Almonds and Wild Flowers Veal Kidneys with Oregano Sauce Granita of Ginger-Flavored Grapefruit Lake Perch in an infusion of herbs Cappuccino of Tomato Essence Warm Truffle Salad Millefeuille of ris de veau Rosemary Sorbet Potato Soup with Lean Bacon Veal Kidneys with Oregano Creme Brulee made from Goats' Milk Pear Tarte With Israel Aharoni at "Tapuach Zehav", Tel Aviv June, 1997 Canapes of Pate de Foie Gras, Herbed Shrimp, Terrine of Goose Liver and Vegetable Pate Hot and Cold Nova Scotia Lobster Meat in Lobster Sauce Locus Carpaccio Wrapped Around Chilled Calamari Rings Warm Red Mullet Filets on an essence of Green Herbs Zucchini Flowers filled with Finely Chopped Morille Mushrooms Chilled Goose Liver Pate with Lentils alongside a Port Wine Sauce Capucino of Foie Gras Sorbet of Pink Grapefruit Medallions of lamb with Demi-Glace Sauce Caramelized Spring onions, Forest mushrooms Miniature Cream Puffs with Chocolate Cream Chilled Strawberries and Pink Grapefruit Sections in a hot lightly caramelized vanilla sauce Coffee and Armagnac With Chaim Cohen at "Keren", Tel Aviv Canapes of Eggplant Filled with Goat's Cheese on a reduction of Red Peppers Crab Shells Filled with Grilled Seafood Mushroom and Crab Cappuccino Tartar of Farida with olive oil, dried tomatoes and the juice of fresh tomatoes Garnish of Crisp Baby Asparagus Vegetable Terrine of Fennel Artichoke Hearts, and Swiss Chard with a sauce based on Chive oil and a blend of mushroom essence and balsamic vinegar Foie Gras with Vanilla Sauce Granita of Tea Giant Shrimps Grilled in their Shells Shrimps with Sesame Seeds Fried Fillets of Red Mullets with a "broken sauce" of beet juice vinegar and oil Sorbet of Grapefruit and Basil Flowers Lamb Chop garnished with Polenta Carpaccio of beef filet served with a confit of garlic Miniature Apple Pie Caramelized Bananas with Vanilla Ice Cream Coffee and Cognac The Viability of the Degustation Menu The most critical factors for degustation menus to be truly successful and not merely trendy parodies on themselves (as they often are at expensive but mass-market restaurants, especially in the United States) are the talents and creative abilities of the chef. These are not adequate in and of themselves, however, for in addition to these however, no chef can prepare a truly good degustation menu without a competent staff, a kitchen that is well enough designed that it can cope simultaneously with the demands of the regular a la carte menu and the tasting menu being offered. In this, only chefs with exceptional organizational abilities can control both their staff and their kitchens in order to assure the required quality of the dishes being prepared. Because a degustation menu puts a strain on the kitchen staff, some restaurants avoid them completely and very few are foolhardy enough to offer them on a daily basis. Chefs who decide to offer such menus generally do either once a week or twice a month. Some also allow clients to order a degustation menu in advance, generally requiring between two and three days notice. No chef will deny the difficulty of these menus, but those who do offer them feel that in addition to giving them a chance to demonstrate their talents, such menus are also "good for business". That is to say, the announcement of such a menu encourages people to return more often than they usually would. They also give restaurant critics a reason for returning to review and write about their restaurants sooner than they might have otherwise have. The best chefs in the United States concur with their French - colleagues and do not "overdo" the degustation menu. In the last five or six years, however, many American restaurants have started to use degustation menus as their major attraction. Most serious chefs and nearly all serious food writers agree that this is a fad that appeals primarily to snobbish and frequently not particularly knowledgeable diners. Such abuse of the degustation menu may be good for business but in the long run it harms the reputation of both the chef and the restaurant. Within Israel, the degustation menu is a fairly new phenomenon. The first to offer such a menu were probably Chenny Farber and Leon Alkalai at the now defunct "Zelig", and then at "Gargantua" when it was still located in Jaffa. The other restaurants now offering such menus on a regular basis are "Keren" and "Tapuach Zehav". "Gargantua", which has only recently shifted its venue to the industrial area of Herzliya Pituach will soon rejoin the still small group. In each of these places, the degustation menu costs about 20 - 25% more than the average meal, and, as a consumer and critic, I judge this to be fair. As not all good restaurants in France have such offerings, neither should they become everyday fare anywhere else. If wisdom, rather than faddism prevails, such menus should be offered only by chefs and restaurateurs who are among the nation's most talented and creative. At this writing, that probably includes between ten and fifteen restaurants, because if such offerings become too popular they will become "common", and that in turn will devalue them in the public eye. In addition to the appearance of such menus in privately owned restaurants, I would also hope that several of the nation's hotels allow their chefs the freedom to create such menus. This would give the few truly talented chefs now working at the hotels the chance to go beyond the limitations ordinarily imposed on them and allow them to show off talents that are too often buried in the traditional hotel framework. Such a move would also make the public aware that at least several hotels offer the potential for exceptionally fine dining. Tasting At Jean-Marie Amat, in Bordeaux Until twelve years ago, great dining was simply not available in Bordeaux. Jean-Marie Amat is the man who returned the joy of dining to the region. His restaurant, the "Saint James" is perched on a green hilltop overlooking the city of Bordeaux and some of the best and most famous wine fields in the world. His beautiful restaurant, housed in a large villa built of white stones, sits in a garden on the hill. The atmosphere is one of singing birds, fresh air, peace and quiet, all less than 15 miles of the heart of Bordeaux. So in demand are his talents that no one except the owners of the most famous wine growing estates in the world and the richest landowners in Bordeaux have a chance of getting a table without a reservation. Our degustation menu opened with a several appetizers, each of which was quite unique. There were, for example oysters wrapped in spinach leaves that were served with Beluga caviar that had been sprinkled over with a delicate vinaigrette sauce; a sublime foie gras en gelee; fillets of sole that had been poached in red wine and allowed to come to room temperature before being served with piping hot escargots all in a richly flavored reduction of fresh tomatoes, and exquisite green raviolis with spinach and green peppers. These were followed a large plate in the center of which was a small cup of duck bouillion that contained crisply fried noodles and near the edges of the plate, two small fillets of fresh water bass that had been lightly fried in a rosemary scented oil. After this came a breathtakingly fresh duck foie gras and then a magnificent sampling of Pauillac lamb with garlic cloves and rosemary that had been baked until the meat was nearly falling of the bone. The dish had wisely been garnished with nothing more than per- fectly sauteed baby potatoes and carrots in a mild honey and mustard sauce. Everything had been served such an intelligent progression that even now we were waiting to see what would come next. What arrived delighted us, for on half of a large plate was a portion of a sublime saddle of rabbit that had been seasoned lightly with thyme, and on the other half a grilled spiced pigeon that had a captivating Chinese feel to it. After several exceptionally good goats' milk cheeses we went on to two unforgettable desserts, the first an apricot mousse pie and the second the most superb coconut creme brulee that I have ever sampled. Along with five other journalists, I had been the guest of Chateau Margaux for dinner so it seemed perfectly logical that after opening our meal with the Brut Champagne of Ayala, we continued first with a 1988 Margaux, then with a 1982 and then with a 1953. With our dessert we had a magnificent Sauternes wine, the Chateau Yquem of 1945. The dinner bill came to FF 850 (about $150) per person. Considering that we had dined in one of the most charming of restaurants and with one of the great chefs of France, I considered this superb value for money. Fortunately for my hosts the wines, which included samplings from some of the very best vintages of the last 50 years had come from their own cellar and were not included in the bill. I estimate that the bill for the wines would have added another FF 28,000 (about $7,500) to the bill. AMAT: Place Camille-Hostein, Bouliac (9 km. SE of Bordeaux via Route D10). Do not even dream of going here without an advance reservation. Telephone 56 20 92 58.

Best I've heard was from one of my readers ("Debbie") whose put-down to a truly egotistical idiot was: "Are you aware that by being here you are depriving some village of an idiot" Rogov

Ah....sweet memories of youth.... My own fondest memories of the screaming munchies involved my brother, for after an evening of good food, good wine and good grass we would wind up at an ice cream parlor in Harvard Square, there entering and telling whatever person even younger than we who was working the ice-cream counter to make us chocolate sundaes - three scoops of chocolate ice cream, lots of hot fudge, lots of whipped cream, a cherry on the top (of course). When he/she would ask us how many sundaes we wanted we would simply respond "You start makng them. We'll tell you when to stop" Five sundaes each usually did the trick ... well, until about two in the morning when we were again at our respective apartments munching peanut butter straight from the jar (chunky for him but smooth for me,thankyou) Best and smiling Rogov

There was a time, somewhere until the late 1980's when many restaurant critics felt obliged to comment not only about the quality of the food and service at the restaurants they were reviewing but also about the various attributes (positive and negative) of the restrooms in those restaurants. Happily, those days have past, and most critics (including myself) will visit the rest rooms only if the need arises to actually use those facilities. Two anecdotes worthy of possible note: About a decade ago I visited and wrote in superlatives about the food at a restaurant in Haifa, "Ma'ayan ha Biera" ("The Well of Beer"). This long established place is not so much a restaurant as it is an institution within Israel, a hyper-simple joint with no physical charm whatever but with food that often has godlike qualities. Several days after my own critic was printed, that of a well-respected colleague Gil Hovav appeared in another newspaper. Gil also raved about the quality of the dishes he received but the best of all lines was: "I had to use the toilet so wandered into the back of the restaurant. I entered the toilet and thought to myself - 'my god, I have never seen a toilet so filthy in my life. And then I paused in shock, almost swooning because I realized I had not gotten to the toilet but had entered the kitchen". That has got to be one of the best lines I have ever read in any restaurant review. Second anecdote - in 1968 two Yale divinity students took a year off from their doctoral studies to visit Paris. The results of their trip was an eighty page pamphlet "The Pissoirs of Paris" in which they reviewed in detail the public toilets of Paris as well as the rest room facilities of 124 different restaurants in the city. The book may not have sold as many copies as the Michelin Guide but it did make for absolutely charming reading. One final note - visit the most "in" bars of Paris, London and Tel Aviv these days and you will find that many of them are designed so that clients who ...mmm...shall we say, "meet their match" while at the bar, no longer have the need to ask "your place or mine", needing nothing more than adjourning to the restrooms of the bars in which they find themselves to continue whatever entertainments they feel most appropriate. Should any e-Gullet readers require a partial list of such places, simply let me know. Best, Rogov

I have been dining at and writing about restaurants for more years than I will admit in public. Believe me, it's been enough years to have had some pretty weird experiences. The restaurant at which I dined (or did not dine as the case may be) that was probably the strangest, albeit absolutely charming, of all was a place in Tel Aviv called "Cafe Ke'Ilu". For that 99.74% of the world population that does not speak Hebrew, "ke'ilu" means "as if". Following is the review that I write in HaAretz Newspaper on 19 May 1998 and in the International Herald Tribune on 22 May 1998. Once Upon a Time on Shenkin Street Daniel Rogov It has long been part of the conventional wisdom that in order to appreciate the art of a chef, one must destroy his work. That is to say, in order to appreciate a culinary masterpiece, one has to consume it. In Tel Aviv, starting during the first week of April, with the opening of chef Philippe Kaufman's Cafe Ke'iilu conventional wisdom was at least temporarily suspended. According to his curriculum vitae and stated clearly in the introduction to his book, Kaufman was born in Switzerland, studied the cuisines of France, Italy and Japan, and worked for several years in New York. Kaufman, who concluded that fusion cuisine, as well other recent Franco-Japanese-American culinary innovations are nothing more than wrong interpretations of other chefs, devised his own cuisine. More than this, Kaufman states that his own newer, lighter, tastier and more tantalizing "conceptual cuisine" depends as much on the openness and cooperation of the diner as it does on the chef. All of which may sound like a good deal of pompous chutzpah mixed together with a tremendously outsized ego until one realize that (a) Philippe Kaufman never existed, (b) the pages of his book are blank, and © the only food or drink served in his restaurant was that conjured up by the imagination. Cafe Ke'illu, in all of its culinary glory and in a scenario that might slide comfortably into a novel by Umberto Eco was nothing more than a postmodern venture into hyper-reality. Nearly everything at the restaurant was perfection. The handsomely set tables with their linen tablecloths, attractive dishes and silverware, like the wine bottles with their remarkably attractive labels, and even the jars that were said to contain caviar, truffles and goose liver were splendid. All were designed especially for the restaurant. Considering the physical amount of food served, it was entirely appropriate that the wine bottles and caviar jars were all empty. Even the menu was brilliant, offering innovative but tempting dishes as cigar leaves filled with asparagus and goats' cheese; a soup of poppy flowers; lamb chops in a sauce of black currants and mint; creamed seafood with asparagus served in saffron sauce; and confit avaz in sabra sauce. The bread was served with truffled butter; the water came from the North Pole; the service was polite, prompt and professional; and the tiny little restaurant was remarkably attractive. Only the most hard hearted patrons could have failed to be charmed by the wall-sized portrait of the chef dozing off in his kitchen. I could not have been more pleased but my thoughts and reactions during the meal on which I "dined" were somewhat mixed. At times, I found myself bursting out with peals of laughter as I played the game to the hilt, even "tasting" from the plate of my dining companion, at moments trying to conjur up the precise flavors of this dish or that, and at other moments reflecting on the not entirely friendly parody of what is happening in far more real restaurants both here and abroad. At midnight, on the 4th of May, with no advance notice and with not even a note on the door, the restaurant or, if you prefer, the show, simply disappeared. All of which is just as well, because conceptual food, like conceptual art, has a specific time limit, and vanishing into the night may be the most graceful way for such places and events to say their goodbyes. Rumor has it that the whole affair was arranged by a group of students at the Ascola school of design, and that an exhibit, including a reconstruction of the entire "restaurant" will be held at the school's gallery starting in mid-July. At this writing, all that remains of Cafe Ke'illu are the already fading memories and a telephone number (03: 6200442). Chef Kaufman and his marvellous cuisine may never have existed. Nevertheless, he still gets a solid round of applause from this critic.

Alas, some of the menus one sees these days are so offensive or silly that no one could possibly take food seriously. The menu of a restaurant that I visited several years ago in the State of Maryland, not far from Washington, D.C., described one of their dishes as follows: Finest Fresh River Trout Fillets, gently sauteed in breadcrumbs to a golden brown, with fresh garden peas simmered in butter, light and crisp French-fried potatoes, and a lemon wedge There was even a photograph to whet the appetite for the dismal anticlimax of the reality. The "fresh trout fillets" were actually two firmly frozen rectangles of some unidentifiable fish that rattled when they hit the skillet; the fresh peas came out of a freezer bag; the butter had so little fat content that it would be illegal to call it by that name in France, Holland or England; and the soggy chips were made out of potatoes which had been boiled, mashed and reconstituted in some factory before being fried in oil that was far too old. With the exception of the lemon wedge, which was fine, this meal, like the menu on which it was listed was simply a bad joke. Best, Rogov

Several of my own rules of thumb: Regardless of whether they have chosen to eat in a fast-food hamburger or pizza joint or a luxurious and expensive French or Italian restaurant, clients have certain rights and restaurateurs and chefs should be familiar with and respect these rights. At the same time, owners, chefs and waiters also have rights and these too must be acknowledged. A customer is entitled to return any dish that he has ordered if, in his/her opinion, it has not been properly made or does not meet any special conditions he may have specified when he ordered it. Even if the customer is wrong and the decision was based entirely on likes or dislikes, the request that a dish be replaced should be honored. The knowledgeable customer will ask for a dish to be replaced after taking one or two bites. That, after all, is quite enough to know whether the fish is off, the meat has been overcooked or the sauce has curdled. Customers should be aware, however, that it is never appropriate to ask for a dish to be replaced after he has eaten one-third or more of the portion. If, up to and including the main course, a customer has been so disgusted by a dish that has been served and cannot continue his/her meal, the customer should not be charged for anything but the wine or other beverages consumed. There are two stages at which a table may return a bottle of wine. The first and most obvious is when the wine is first offered to one of the party and he or she rejects it as "off". Because not all of those who are allowed to taste the wine before it is poured are knowledgeable, there is a chance that he will accept the wine but, when it is poured there is agreement at the table that the wine is not as it should be. In such cases, as long as each of those at the table has taken only a small sip or two of the wine, it should be replaced. In cases where one third or more of the wine has actually been consumed before the bottle is returned, the restaurateur has the right to charge for the entire bottle. I have been at restaurants and have seen clients return four bottles of wine before settling on one that they find acceptable. Frankly, I find that practice vulgar. Best, Rogov

True. Thus the decision of every publisher and editor as well as of every writer to determine their ethical stand. And the decision of every reader as to which publications are which following. I am reminded of the old (very old) joke about the man who approaches a woman at a cocktail party and says: "I find you very attractive. Would you spend the night in bed with me for one million dollars"? The woman hesitates for a moment and responds: "Well, for a million dollars, yes". The man smiles and says, and what if I offered you twenty dollars. She slaps his face and demands "What do you think I am?" He responds:"We have already determined that. Now we are just bickering over price"

Chai, Hello... You raise a valid point. In some cases yielding to economic pressures can indeed be more tempting for smaller publications and that for purely economic reasons. Despite that, succumbing to that temptation is no less whoredom for the small publication than the large. In my eyes, however, that temptation offers no validity for yielding. Decisions as to integrity must be made at the highest editorial levels of any publication. I suppose I have no problem understanding the decision to allow oneself a fall in ethical grace. On the other hand, that does not mean that I have to look at such publications with any sense at all of respect, for if such is the case with tainted restaurant or wine criticism presented as genuine, so may it well be with the next political candidate or social movement. Believe me, I'm far from being a Puritan in life. I do, however, believe that nearly all important questions in life deal with morality and ethics. And, as I did say before, I am somewhat of a curmudgeon. Best, Rogov

Many years ago, Dr. Johnson proposed that "most journalists have the ethics of monkeys". As his statement was correct then, it remains correct today. Thankfully, there are those jounalists and newspapers (and I am aware that we are talking here about the culinary and oenological side of life) with integrity. Simply stated, there are newspapers and there are whores. Whores of any kind have to make a living so they are more to be pitied than censured but whatever our attitude, if we are discriminating readers, they are not to be read or otherwise supported. From a very personal point of view, I am no saint because the fate of saints is not often very pleasant. I have no desire whatever to have my body pierced with arrows, to be burned at the stake or to suffer the tortures of an inquisition. On the other hand, the critic has only one thing to offer to his readers and that is his/her integrity. The moment you sell that you have nothing left of value. For that reason, I have never and will never write a word for any newspaper where advertising and editorial policy are not permanently and fully separated. But then again, I suppose that is one of the reasons some people consider me more of a curmudgeon than I actually am. Best, Rogov