jhlurie

To my surprise look what Google finds. Pepsi Light still exists... in Russia.

Has anyone here actually ordered their syrup?

That's always a good sign. A nice supplementary test? Drink a glass on water immediately after eating one of these suckers. I've never been able to precisely describe what it tastes/feel like, but you will know it when it happens, and if it just seems like a normal drink of water, you'll know you aren't getting the full sichuan peppercorn effect.

Aren't the Japanese the ones who usually face that charge--that they have to "translate" food items to appreciate them? You know... putting corn on pizza and the like?

Although some of the other comments (i.e.-"dehomosexualization") puzzled me, this one made sense. The concern about actors on this show has never really been that it's all that unusual to see actors working in a restaurant, but that maybe they were HIRED to look good on TV or act a certain way. I don't even think that it necessarily follows that they'd be reading scripted lines in this theoretical circumstance, just that they'd be "playing" to the cameras. Of course, it winds up that non-actors "play" to the camera too--they're just worse at it. Uzay, though, has earned my respect because he's stayed with the restaurant (although frankly, if he'd become famous enough from the first show to get some big role somewhere he'd be a fool not to take it). But that doesn't mean that others--particularly others we saw on the first edition of the show--may not have been working in the restaurant purely to be on for those weeks of taping. It's not unusual or atypical that five or six months later so few of the people we saw working in the restaurant in the first season would still be around, because turnover is huge in jobs like that. But it's also not surprising that at least a few people look at that situation and speculate that at least some of those departed people may have only been there in the first place to be on TV.

Daily Gullet contributor Ingrid Tischer has a few things to say about the "magic" which drives the best restaurants. In her opinion, it's not so much a matter of where you are, but how you are treated . . . --------------------------------------------------------------------- Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

I wonder more what they will do about top shelf "ethnic" restaurants. And by that, I mean things as high-profile as Babbo or Diwan. Or for that matter, Blue Smoke. Sure, they aren't likely to get a star, but will they even be listed or are they below the notice of Michelin?

Okay, some of the information on this TV Tome page for Cooking Lessons is a bit freaky. "Professor Mocha"? In the Library with the Candlestick, perhaps? Played by some guy who was on Ally McBeal? So is like... every person who used to be on Ally McBeal going to get a food-related show as part of this trend? Calista Flockhart doesn't even eat. IMDB also has a page for the show, which literally popped up overnight, but with less detail. Lackey is indeed faux-Amanda, although faux-Amanda is named "Olivia" so that we don't dare confuse her with Amanda Hesser. Because, you know... "Professor Mocha" doesn't sound anything like "Mr. Latte". Faux-Amanda apparently works for a "Cooking Magazine" and not a newspaper. I suppose "Cooking Magazines" are less likely to sue over being misrepresented. Reitman is apparently directing the Pilot, which means that as a project he's taking this somewhat seriously. TV Tome also has a page for Taste. Not much there (yet) except for additional casting details.

Similar to the rice thing... if you ever have to actually deal with frozen vegetables I'm somewhat convinced a microwave is the way to go. EDIT - actually is what I'm talking about really cooking? Maybe partially... at some point you are transitioning from defrosting to actual "warming", especially if you are using a covered dish of some type and getting a "steaming" effect too.

Brooks, she's already been cast according to that linked article. I believe it's this woman, Elizabeth Lackey. EDIT - actually, I'm assuming a lot based on the fact that she's first in the cast list. Constance Zimmer and Paula Marshall are also in the cast and approximately the right gender and age to play a faux-Hesser. Then again, from this picture Zimmer doesn't really seem very... "Winsome", and Marshall is a bit too old, even if she can pass for younger. The presense of all of these women in the same age range in the cast makes me think they are really going for a "Sex and the City" angle with this. Isn't that what the book is supposed to be like?

It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you, my fellow New Jersey eGulleteers, that there was a fire in the building occupied by one of our favorites--Saigon Republic in Englewood. This brings to mind the fire which destroyed Little Saigon, in Nutley, although thankfully Saigon Republic isn't even close to that state. It is with much relief that I can ALSO inform you that our fearless (but absent tonight) leader Jason Perlow spoke briefly with owner K.T. (and then called me), and that it is at least initially estimated that the restaurant will only be closed for a few weeks. After speaking briefly with Jason, I drove by the location myself and looked in the window. The fire--wherever it was in the building--doesn't seem to have been serious enough to mark the dining room area. The Chinese takeout restaurant two doors down has also been closed, although again... at least from the front window there didn't really seem to be major damage. Jason will probably post more details here when he gets back. For more on Saigon Republic, click here. May 25, edit by JHP: Saigon Republic has re-opened as of last week.

I hope the creative team behind the show has at least half the vision you do, Steve.

Isn't this the actual cut of meat a lot of Korean groceries/butchers already sell in big frozen pre-sliced packs? Assuming you live in an area with Korean butchers, I mean.

The Reitman attachment to "The Amanda Hesser Story" aka "Cooking Lessons without Mr. Latte" struck me as interesting too. That increases the chance of it actually being picked up, although admittedly Reitman is not the powerhouse in TV he is in movies. As for Rufus Sewell? Man, I have problems imaging the broody guy from Dark City in a fluffy comedy. Actually, here in the U.S. at least I think his career has kind of stalled. One thing I know is that networks always over-order pilots. But some small number of them get second chances as mid-season replacements or even summer replacements for the following summer. So stuff being pitched now might not show up for more than a year. Still, it will be interesting to follow the development of these shows. Maybe if people involved with them are actual food people we can recruit spies.

This preview of the pilots CBS has ordered for consideration for next season reveals that they are considering not one, but TWO possible shows around matters culinary: and Considering CBS' status as the number one rated network, they are not likely to require many actual new shows--so the likelihood of EITHER of these pilots being picked up is probably pretty low. Still, until that becomes clear, I suppose we can at least speculate on what kind of Television the life of Amanda Hesser would make.

Frankly those pictures don't do Sandy's justice. I kind of wish I'd been able to drag my ass out there one last time, but... too late. Frankly, the sides were a big part of the place too, so I suppose it would have already have NOT BEEN THE SAME.

How can you eat Portuguese food without the extra taste of cigarette smoke infused into it? I don't know. As much as I hate cigarette smoke, for me it's endurable for short periods if the food is that superior. It's not the pinnacle of rodizio (it's fairly good if not the pinnacle), but the Seabra's Mediterranean Manor (site of a long ago eGullet gathering) has always seemed relatively breathable to me. I think they stick the smokers near the bar and leave the rest of the place smoke free. Except... you know... the roasting-meat smoke from the kitchen.

Oh come on folks. Don't tell me that not even ONE of you reacted with enough disgust to complain about my lame badly thought-out comparison to "Alice's Restaurant" in the Daily Gullet Hot Topics this week? I spent all of five minutes thinking of it! FIVE MINUTES people. That's more time than Rocco spent in the kitchen for the whole run of this show!

Bill Kloster was a stubborn man--particularly about Dr. Pepper. Bill started, at 14 years of age, as a bottle sorter paid 10 cents an hour at the Dr. Pepper plant in Dublin, Texas (the oldest surviving Dr. Pepper bottler in the world), and eventually worked his way up to general manager of the plant. When the last member of the owning family died, Bill inherited the plant and bucked the trend to change the output of his plant from Imperial Pure Cane Sugar to corn sweeteners. Bill died on Sept. 27, 1999--after a 67 year career at the plant. But apparently Bill's principles have survived him, because the Dublin Dr. Pepper plant still boasts that it's product is made with Cane Sugar--the same formula for the 112th year in a row. The full story here...

phaelon56, I don't think they are talking about normal Diet Dr. Pepper--which has been available since 1991. I think this is a reference to a new Caffeine-free line (the topic name should probably be changed to reflect this--EDIT: okay, that's been done). Here's a picture of "Diet Caffeine Free Dr Pepper". Here's a picture of the non-diet "Caffeine Free Dr Pepper". One thing I notice is that they are using the same "gold paint" scheme used by Coca-Cola to indicate Caffeine-free-ness. It's odd they'd copy that.

Tim, I don't think it's necessary to explain to people here the concept that this show is on, and made for TV. And there is also an opposing concept--that editing can leave things out, but has trouble constructing things (in other words, if we see Rocco yelling at someone... it happened... although the reasons WHY may be obscured somewhat by editing). Is the show reality? Of course not. Even if every moment shown was accurate, there's still the basic fact that the people involved are playing for the cameras. On the other hand, the mere fact that something is in front of a camera doesn't make it false either. The fact that there's a lawsuit? It's real life. The fact that the food in the Restaurant reportedly is nothing special--that the "description" of it as a "one-star red-sauce joint" may not be inaccurate--that's real life. The fact that Rocco is rarely there? The reasons or rationale may be bent by editing, but it's real. The dollars and cents of the "loss" the restaurant is supposedly having? Well, it's hard to verify it now, but I imagine if there is a day in court someone will have to show something real at some point.

Well, this may be nitpicking, but Rocco could NOT have told Chodorow "that Mark Burnett, the creative force behind several phenomenally successful reality television shows, including Survivor and The Apprentice, would be producer of the show", because The Apprentice didn't exist yet. Pick, pick, pick. It's just sloppy hyperbole, I know, but it's annoying. Paragraph 118 is funny. It blames the tourists and fameseekers. You know... the same ones Rocco spent so much time schmoozing with in Series 1.

It comes from old English refering to the salt crystals. A form off rock salt was used that was the size of a corn kernal. I think there's an echo in this topic.

As I said earlier, I don't think we've "learned" much beyond the fact that Laurent admits to seeing monthy P&L reports. We don't know if he showed them or hid them from Rocco, the guy who was supposedly his "boss". The range of possibilities here seems pretty large: Rocco, at some early point, says "don't bother me with this" and Laurent slavishly follows that. Rocco, at some early point, says "don't bother me with this" and Laurent tries to bring the issue up and gets shot down continuously, until in self-defense he gives up. Laurent is incompetent and brushes off the significance of the reports himself. Someone at Chodorow central--some liason--tells Laurent not to worry about the numbers. Rocco is perfectly informed about all of the numbers and simply wouldn't admit it on camera. There are two sets of numbers floating around. This has all been arranged for TV. Did I miss any? I really don't think we fully know what to make of the fact that the restaurant appears to be losing money, according to Chodorow's team, and the fact that Laurent acknowledges to seeing reports about this and Rocco doesn't. Certainly it's easy to believe the two extremes, since the possibilities in the middle seem almost too numerous to count.

I think the concern is that it's losing money while it's packed with people. It might be different if it was a normal restaurant, without the leg-up of network TV and tourists by the bus-load.