Ore

Ciao, I am here in London with a friend (works at GR!!) and we are looking for pointers on chippy shops. Any help? Thanks

NICE!! Calabria was a fun region - did you have a chance to try a salumi the chef might have brought - it was a large, thick thing that seemed a bit raw but was SUPER SPICY and was eaten with a spoon?? I can't recall the name. It looks like you are having a blast. Any favorite region yet? Field trips? keep it coming - say hi to everyone there... Ore

I too will rec. Divina from the three initially mentioned. The market tour with Judy was awesome and a lot of fun...I want to go back and buy a jar of that honey with white truffles...it was really special...and if you are nice Judy will tell you where the good butcher is - so you can try the famous meatball and SPECIAL red pepper jam!!! Ciao, Ore (in Edinburgh on the way home to the US)

Ciao, I just arrived in Edinburgh. I am staying near the station for two nights. Then Dublin. I look forward to some recomendations on good eats...and drink!!!! Thanks! Ore

Thanks everyone. So - a more realistic itinerary... 4/24 (Sunday evening) - land in Newcastle - spend the night. 4/25 Monday, take trip to Leeds. If it is nice, I will stay the night (and have dinner at Anthoney's - cost??) (if it is not nice - get to Edinburgh) 4/26 Go to Edinburgh. I hear this city is beautiful. I will plan on staying two nights and within those three days, plan a day trip to here and there (dont know yet). 4/28 Fly to Dublin on Ryan Air for 14.99 pound. Will stay Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. 5/1 Sunday, get to London by way of the Fat Duck?? 5/4 Flight home to Los Angeles How bad is that plan!?! Ore

Thanks! How many days do you think I should spend in London? That info will also form my trip as I must leave from London on May 4th. Ore (what about the rest of the cities I mentioned??)

Ciao, Looking for more help, I am hoping to get some more info from the eG crowd. I just bought my ticket and here is the plan... I land in Newcastle on Sunday, April 24th in the evening. My plan is to then go up to Glasgow and Edinburgh, then over to Belfast, down to Dublin - cross into Liverpool, then Manchester and end in London. The only rule is that I must be in London on May 4th to catch my flight to Los Angeles. All ideas or open. I will be travelling ONLY by bus or train and I will be 'backpacking' around. I saw a nice thread on Ireland but any other info is always useful! Grazie, Ore

Ciao Kevin, Time for me to catch up on this AMAZING thread. Awesome job on all the recipes. When do you have the time to do all this cooking!?! I must have missed when you laid out what you do!! The idea of blanching the bacon and re rubbing with spices is great - but the real stuff is always gonna be the real stuff...but then again...its always better being close to the real stuff! I look forward to more posts. Ore

I know...sorry Tana...next time. A reason to go back is always a must. Tonight, my last Sunday staging in Italy...this next month is going to be interesting! Anyone know how to get to Le Calandre by bus?? I have a reservation for Saturday the 16th of April, and will get to Padova from Parma by train, but a taxi might cost just as much as my meal...any help?? Ore

so it wasn't a mistake of spelling for the italian 'crazy' ooooohhhhhhh

Bar stools aren't comfortable...if you are gonna go enoteca italian ish...the bar is for standing...tables are for sitting. I would also look into half tastes, maybe a 1.5 oz. taste of a taste may be quite profitable and nice for the customer to try those 90+ point wines!

Soon to be Dutchess County...where?? is this where the enoteca will be? Rhinebeck? Hyde Park? Poughkeepsie? New Paltz? Could be interesting...and if you can get them...CIA part timers are not a bad choice for staff...and some might even know a thing or two about wine and service!

I do agree, the eggplant parmigiana today was very good, my two bites weren't enough...but I was trying very hard to eat in a civilized manner with all the students around me! I think you are a good group in there...you should have a good time...too bad my damn backpack is missing...rotten luck...oh well! What kind of trees Hathor??

Judy, Yes...Hathor is in Jesi, I hope to meet up on Thursday and Friday. That place you told me about in Sienna, Le Logge, really was a quasi awful meal. It isn't your fault though, all your recs. were great, I just think the place had an off night because every one says this is THE place in Sienna. If it was up to me, I would have gone to TanaB's place...but I was with six other Italians, not foreigners, and our meal was blahh. I haven't caught up yet with the blog, but I will get there. How is Firenze?? Ore PS - Hathor, if you make your way over, you have to meet up with Divina! Lots of fun!!

Pim, What you did is totally fair. I remember reading it and being thankful! As for Michelin and them being inacurate...that doesn't seem like something new. Back to the point though...Et Alors, was this your first French Michelin starred experience? If so, maybe you should give others a try, if you can. Here in Italy, I tried Enoteca Pinchiorri as my first 3 star experience, and then the week after had another 3 star experience, and they were both very very different. This may lead to some balancing effects but een then, the diner must try and let go...almost like when you have a recipe for something you know works well, but your chef has a recioe for the same thing, you use his/hers. I try to eat with an open mind...but there are always some things that shouldn't be done that way...it happens...its our life. Ore

My time at DP was great. As Alberto mentioned, we ate there together on a Sunday night. I thought the food, in general was all prepared very well. For me, the only disapointment was with the main course, the secondo that they called capello di prete but which was very different from what I had imagined. It was a braised piece of beef, that could have been more interesting. The wines we drank were very good, thanks Alberto. FOH service wise, I thought for a three star, it could have been tighter, yet more tranquil. Eating the weekend before at Enotecca Pinchiori, both these two 3 star restaurants can't really be compared to eachother. I hope to eat at Le Calandre April 16th, so I will give my opnion about that experience soon...I can't wait! Ore

Ciao, Yes, I will be in Jesi this weekend and will actually be meeting up with Angelo Recchi on Sunday...something about Tagliatelle...sounds interesting. The website for the Slow Food School in Jesi is www.italcook.it Check that out for more info about what and where Jesi is, and what we are talking about. Ore PS = I will keep posting once back in the US but I do think this Dinosaur of a thread will die out just like the others. Maybe Hathor or another student will replace me, and make a thread even better. That would be nice too!

Hmmm... No one has mentioned this yet, so maybe it is more an Israeli thing, or even more a Ramat Gan thing but the best falafel I have had was near my grandmas house on uziel street...i think it is falafel ha' noar and they put a deep fried slice of potato on top of the sandwhich like a crown. I always would ask for more, and regret it at the end cuz it was pure oil soaked potato...but it was also luv!! I am ashamed to say that my last trip to israel did not yield one falafel sandwhich...although a few time i had Sabich...which is another story all together! Ciao, Ore PS - my falafel has to include: Tchina, parsley, pickled cabbage salad, NO TOMATOES, pickles, some spicyness (schough) and a touch of amba - some pickled turnip on the side and if there is still room, the filler, israeli salad.

FZ...I think you are right. If they are told it's cool, then sure, it will be alive but will have a super short PLC and close/change ownership really quickly. It may though succeed, branch out and take over the world...hmmm!!!! O r e

Does the San Ysidro Ranch match any of the above listed necessities?? Hip, I am not so sure about, and sophisticated either, as I don't work there anymore and don't know the chef or the menu, but it isn't too far from SB and has a killer view with an awesome garden (while I was there at least). Ore

Seems like it's time for an update... The blog is going well...I am sure you can find links for it elsewhere. I am two weeks away from ending my 'staging' experience in italy. My visa is up in May, I am taking off a bit short of my year, but I feel confident in what I have learned both here in Parma (Al Vedel) and in Nusco (La Locanda di Bu). The time was great and I would reccomend anyone who is interested in Italy and its cuisine just take off, if you can...and yes, it's hard...especially when every month 600 dollars are due to the student loans...thanks dad...although I hate asking. Please don't hesitate to ask anything...I would love to help. Ciao, Ore PS...Los Angeles seems to be my final stop, some time around May 10th, 2005.

Al Vedel trully has been a dream. I have taken on such a new direction culinarily with the artigianal art of salumi making, the way we make it here. I am actually sad to leave this wonderful place. If you read my blog, you can see that the people here are soooooo nice. The other week we took two days off to go to tuscany and drink wine. The week before it was a michelin starred restaurant for lunch, the week before, the weekend off for florence and enoteca pinchiorri, then the next weekend off for dinner with Alberto and a meal at Dal Pescatore. What I have learned here I hope I can bring mback to the US with me...I will be back soon...mid May 2005...so watch out!! About the GARLIC AND WINE... If Alberto says it is part of the guidelines, then I trust him. We dont use any of it directly on our culatello in any way. When placing the pork bladders in water, to re-hydrate, we may add some vinegar, crushed whole garlic cloves, and white wine to the water, for a bit of aroma, but it is never directly placed on the meat. The bladders smell so bad that you need the wine and vinegar just to work in the smae room with the stuff...but that is what it's all about when you are making the REAL STUFF... I hope my ventures in Los Angeles or it's area will yield close to the same results! Anyone looking for a dishwasher!?! Ciao, Ore

Francesca is really, really beautiful...and do beat that,,,damn smart too! The library, like MMerrill says, is very beautiful and comfortable as well. While on our tour, I really liked the idea of the flowing stream of water running throughout the barrel rooms. Very nice report. The food seems the same as when I was there, the few times. The same, but of course, a bit different. And yes it is good, they are all DIRECT RELATIVES of LA PERGOLA in Rome under Heinz Beck!! Ciao, Ore

Ciao, Here in Parma you should see the way the true Parmigiani eat this cheese. The typical plate here, tortelli or ravioli with a ricotta and herb filling is plated dry, or with s splash of grated parm. on the bottom of the plate, then melted butter (amazing quality counts) over the raviolis, then a heaping fistful of grated parm. over the plate. I am talking about one large fistful of cheese for 10 ravioli, one order. How about that as satisfying your MSG craving!! I read Steingartens writings a few years (maybe 1) ago and with the story on MSG, I was even more convinvced that parm. is a very addicting source too! Luckily it a tiny bit more expensive for the good stuff in the states then here. Ore

Ummm...fried chicken and grease are in this sense equal terms...why would you want to drain away the fried chicken from the fried chicken!?!?!?!? The best fried chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside...I pull my chix early and let it carry over the extra 3 or 4 minutes - i get good chix and i will eat it a bit on the rosy side without even a second look at its color... dont kill the chicken more than you already have...45 minutes in the oven...is your oven at 180 degrees (f)?? Jin - awesome technique - will try ASAP