Carrot Top

I tried that one several times and couldn't get into it for some reason, but it may have been my mood. Right in front of me now is a new collection "gathered and introduced" by Joan Reardon. "A Stew or a Story" - An Assortment of Short Works by MFK Fisher. From a brief glance I think it looks very enticing, very satisfying.

A big fat globe artichoke freshly steamed to dip its leaves and then its center right smackdab in the yolks of poached eggs. Frizzled prosciutto on the side if you absolutely must.

I would give you an opinion if they would decide to deliver the magazine. I ordered it through Amazon back in the beginning of December 2006 and have not received a single copy yet. Two phone calls to "the publishers" were made (initiated by me, performed by Amazon) with promises that information as to "when it would be delivered" would be telephoned back to me by the publishers. Neither time did I receive any phone calls back with any information. I've just today asked to cancel the subscription. I'll now be richer by forty-seven dollars. But, unhappily, unable to answer your question, SB.

One of my questions would be about any restaurant review: What does it tell me beyond what I can find from popular opinion on the internet forums? There are a lot of people who post "reviews" of restaurants on the internet each day, all across the world. Many of them have well-educated tastebuds and broad horizons in terms of dining experience to base their (unpaid) reviews on. Many of them stand on their reputations in terms of the quality and consistency of their offerings. What is it that the (paid) reviewer has to offer above and beyond these (unpaid) reviewers? It might be advanced knowledge of some sort that can be shared with the reader. It might be writing skills, in terms of being either entertaining or just being able to format a review into a "story" that reads really well. It might be a new way of looking at things. Tying together A and B to create new thoughts about it all. It just might be style, which is surely worth paying for, as anyone who owns a Ferrari knows. Those four things make a professional reviewer worth their salt, to my mind. Otherwise, it all can be found in popular opinion on the internet or in a guidebook that has little post-it sort of notes.

It makes me wonder if there were as many restaurant reviewers around during that time. And I would guess not based upon the different status of restaurants of note at the time and their relative accessibility to the wider public. So either their level of writings should be the milestones to aim for in writing reviews (to my mind) or else the genre itself was broken out of by them, or else the genre itself has changed to be a bird of a different feather, or all of the above. Each of them did, I believe, what I ask for in a review. "Tell me something I don't know." That is, beyond the price of tea in China as it stands today (to be slightly obscure about it all). My kind of guy. ............................................... I'd guess the excerpts posted above are from your new book. I've been looking forward to reading that. 'Cause you're my kind of guy, too.

Interesting, Rogov, that when I think of either of them I think of them as "writers" not critics. And the term "restaurant reviewer" would not even *attempt* the merest nibble at the edge of my mind at the sound of their names. And you've reminded me (thinking of quote-worthy authors) of two things, both from Anatole France: "The good critic is one who tells of his mind's adventures among masterpieces." and "A tale without love is like beef without mustard: insipid." Seems to me that both de la Reyniere and Cur non sky were writers whose words were filled with adventures of mind *and* expressions of love, non? And how often does that happen.

I like Robert for at least three reasons though I don't know him at all in person. First, if there is anyone that has not read the eG forum The Symposium, I can say that there is some really good stuff in there, a lot of it by him. Second, he has an expansive frame of mind, I believe, and seems interested in many things. A thinker. Third, he just sounds like the nicest guy from his posts. I think he smiles a lot. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Brown.

The full article can be found here. ← Yes. They are starting even younger these days, too. Tsk, tsk, though. Somebody didn't do their spelling homework on learning how to spell "celebrity chefs" names. Paula D E E N. (That will obviously reduce the grade point on their spelling test. )

Outstanding link to the youtube video where he makes nadeshiko. Thanks.

Mmm hmmm. I thought of adding another Ur-Answer to my list that had to do with something along the lines of Sense and Sensibility or alternately something expressed in Zen-like or Martial Arts terms but simply couldn't pare it down to a simple expression. Yes, I know what you mean. (As you can see, below. ) Earlier I also started to write a rant about poor management to post here, but just got exhausted at the whole thing and gave up on it. Thank god for the voices of old German women that cry out in the wind through the sizzle, spark and pizazz of being oh so cute in chef's whites, voices that are angry about Sauerkraut Made Wrong. And woe to all the poor managers who think dullardly thoughts about profits that are "good enough" built on shoddy performance. Could be, if there is an afterlife, they might have to eat moldy cold pizza made with a dough based on baking powder and cheese made from chemical leavings, for Eternity.

Interesting how the Spring itself has taken on the aspect of a ritualistic day such as a standard holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, in your story, Chris - with a food that is summoned to mind along with the specific time and the memories. One of those flip-flop mindthings where one feels one is supposed to be celebrating but somehow . . . well of course there is always that somehow. And you are not alone in feeling this thing, this holiday oddness, about the tastes of the food and how the the date(s) the food is linked to simply take on an odd tenor that is totally opposite of what is "expected". A lot of people have these holiday food and memory hot-links that are not so jolly-making as one might wish. Not that that makes any of it taste any better. But there is something I found that might be useful for the season of memory and odd tastes. Something to wear as either a warning to those around that indeed this is the time to beware of pushing the wrong buttons inadvertantly, perhaps, or else just as a rebellious waving of a fist in the air at the world, a fighting back with a jolly brightness of its own. Here it is. (Scroll down to see closer detail.) I might get one for myself, just because it's sort of cute. In an odd way. P.S. Credit where credit is due: Found the link to this from the blog Will Work for Food.

Yes, that's the one. I still have the book if you want the recipe. But I would serve it rather than as an intermezzo as a sort of side, during an outdoor picnic. A side to barbecue. You know, the stuff you make over charcoal? I can imagine. He said beer. ← Any good dictionary will tell you that "Budweiser" is colloquial American English for "beer". And indeed, where would our great country be without it?

I knew there was another good beer recipe rattling around in my brain, and it just rattled itself out of hide-and-seek-land. Marcel Desaulniers (of The Trellis) used to make a Budweiser Beer Ice. Like a sorbet, you know. But beer-y.

So really, what you are saying is, the answer to the question "Why does so much food suck?" is one of the two Ur-Answers. The two Ur-Answers are: 1. Time and Money 2. Sex and Money I didn't notice anything in any of these responses that had to do with Ur-Answer 2, so I will guess that the correct answer to the question is Ur-Answer 1.

Mmm. New? Well, maybe. Depends on the time frame being considered and the definitions included in the term "food-writing" perhaps. Is it the category of food "journalism" that is catching the ethical bug and taking their ethical turn on the dance floor at this moment in time? This, from Molly O'Neill in her introduction to the newly released "American Food Writing" (an anthology covering 250 years of American writings on food): But you did use the term "contemporary" which would seem to infer that the time frame would be the post-MFK Fisher era. After discussing MKFK a bit, Molly has this to say: .................................................. A question: Did Upton Sinclair start "The Jungle" as a journalistic piece for a newspaper? For some reason, I have it in my mind that he did, though I could be wrong. And, would you consider "The Jungle" to be in this category of "food writing" that is being discussed? Or would it be in the genre of food writing at all? I'm curious as to what people think about this question.

Who would'a thunk it. You too, can cook like Homer. (Scroll down page a bit to see links to recipes.)

Welsh Rabbit. Yes, the taste of the beer *can* matter, but of course this recipe is something often put together quickly for families or children, so . . . maybe we can excuse a bit of imperfection in using one sort of beer rather than another with finesse. I used to make beer and honey glazed ribs with sage and chili. Country-style ribs. Simmer beer, honey, fresh sage, chili powder, mustard, a dash of Worcestershire, S & P together to blend. Cool and use as marinade and glaze. While searching to see if that recipe was on-line, I came across this one: Homer Simpson's Duff Beer Marinade.

So I could have a drink cooler on my right and a drink warmer on my left. All I need now is a small blender to make pina coladas in the middle of it all and I'll be set. Slow-scrambled eggs are the best, it is true, but someone would have to invent some sort of thing to cook them in for easy clean up. Maybe plastic wrap-scrambled eggs/sous vide? Just lay the notebook upside down, put the plastic wrapped eggs on top and poke at them now and then with your fingers to scramble them nicely till done. Fascinating site. And I think Google translations needs to win a humor award of some sort. Yes, in practical terms it does seem a bit nutty if one actually stops to think about it. But who would want to do that? P.S. Besides the travel oven that works in a car, I've also come across (by the same line of manufacturer) refrigerators and slow-cookers.

The other day I happened to come across some photographs of wagashi which I've been totally mesmerized by. They are simply too beautiful to not share. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Or more like chilled drinks to barbecue. USB Beverage Chiller USB-Powered BBQ ( ) Have you heard of any other USB-powered cooking devices?

"One hell of a cook" says many things, Jeff. And each thing that it says is good. Put together in a sentence, or in a person, what exists in those words is a natural stature of self in some way. And to be "one hell of a cook" to my mind, there must be great love offered in the food cooked. This is no small matter, and is something to be rightly impressed by when it happens, for it is not just technique. I seem to remember that you started a fund for a culinary scholarship in Philip's name. This is no small matter either, for within this offering someone can learn and grow and go to school who otherwise might not have that opportunity for one reason or another. The opposite of "oversell" is to give. And the opposite of things that are not easy, such as culinary careers, is the magic of people who care to be kind. And that, makes the pudding of any culinary school, proofed, and a fine thing indeed, for the one who has that chance to carry it all forward.

Oooh. I've been thinking of buying The Goomba Diet for some time now. Thanks for reminding me. Not that I'm aiming to be large, but goombas are wonderful things.

Well, you know, Pontormo. It wasn't from saved knowledge in my little head. There's not a whole lot there that makes much sense. My finding of the treasure began with a book. It was sitting on my shelf and I pulled it out and looked at it. I've always found that to be a useful method. Besides being greatly enjoyable and a fantastic way to waste hours and hours of otherwise useful time.

Answer to 24. " The Feast of the Monkeys" by Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Scroll down for further info. And here's 27. Titled "Mother". More on Yasumasa Morimura.

There's one really interesting and great thing about becoming a chef (which means "chief" of course, top dog, head honcho, lead banana, or fall guy take your pick) as opposed to becoming the same thing in many other fields. Aside from the plain old "I love food and I love to cook and I am doing something wonderful for the world" part of it all heh heh. In many places, many kitchens, you do not *need* a degree to become this thing. As a matter of fact, many "top chefs" do not have degrees in "the culinary arts". What you do need is to be able to cook. Well. Better than the other guys, or if there are other guys who can do some things better then you have to have superior knowledge of some *other* ways of doing it that they don't know. You need to know your business. You need to be able to perform well under all sorts of pressures and in various situations, some having to do with food, some having to do with people. All things best learned in the kitchen, some of them only learned in the kitchen, not in a classroom. What you do not need, in many cases, in many places, is a degree, to do this. Unlike in many other businesses or careers. The door to the kitchen is still cracked open in this way. And isn't it wonderful, really. This may be changing in some places. But not all places. I'd really hate to see the culture of the professional kitchen become as formally-educationally-credentialized as most of the rest of our culture. That would really suck, to my mind. What a loss.