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I just discovered that I own a 1985 Yarden Galil Cabernet Sauvignon, purchased for Passover 1988 at Acker for $12. Was 1985 a good year in the desert?

Greetings from beautiful Bucks County, where a crusty film of snow and ice lingers in the fields. Last night, in a patriotic fervor, my friend John poured a number of old, reasonably valuable French Burgundies down the drain. An action shot: Some victims, awaiting their yet-entumbreled comrades: Of course, we'd first sampled them all in a vain attempt to find a bottle for dinner that hadn't been spoiled by improper storage. Moderators: Rather than risk association with the petty political and anti-political sentiments expressed in an existing, superficially similar thread on this topic, I've elected to start my own. Do with it as thou wilt (for this, of course, is the whole of the law). Edit: And merged they were, hours after even two moderators had posted to the new thread. Quel dommage. C'est la vie.

Killer sweetbreads. New motto: Always Trust La Niña.

There's the germ of a new Culinary Masochism thread.

Agreed, during the week. A recent Saturday (or was it Sunday?), however, was disappointing -- the place was empty, the buffet was set up on the bar, selection was more restricted, and some items, including the chicken, were cold.

NB: The Ouverture glasses are not of the same quality as the Vinum, much less the Sommelier.

Exceedingly cool. Will it also allow the entry of links to favorite copyrighted recipes on other sites, which would turn up in keyword and category searches, and, similarly, references to recipes in cookbooks by title/edition/page? A little more work on this and you'll be able to sell it instead of donating it.

At the risk of offending Dr. Death, who may already have attempted to do so earlier in the thread, I’d like to remove some of the confusion about objectivity and preference. Normally sighted observers in most any context of time, place, and culture will be able to identify some arbitrary object as being red, blue or green – though they may well differ in what word or sound they use to name it. This is an objective assessment, measurable as well with the instruments of science. (Note that I said “capably sighted;” no digressions, please, about the small segment of the male population that suffers from colorblindness.) When asked, however, which color they would like to see on the walls of a cell in which they were to be confined for the rest of their natural lives, these same observers might very well disagree. This is preference, which varies by observer, and probably by time, place, and culture. (Yes, I know. Experimentation has found that different colors can provoke different moods and emotions, but people have individual preferences here as well; strange to say, many prefer a lifetime of comfortable depression – or agitation.) Similarly, when our observers are asked to judge which of two dishes is hotter or colder, or sweeter or less sweet, they are likely to agree, within the limits of precision of human sensory organs. These, too, are objective assessments, irrespective of time, place, and culture. Now, here’s the important part: When asked whether Bux's delicious artisinal sausage is “better” served hot or cold, whether tea is “better” with one teaspoon of sugar or two (or none), or – Heaven help us – whether Stef’s beautiful challah (same thread) is “better” when served simply with cream cheese or prepared as French toast, our tasting panelists can only reveal their individual, subjective preferences. Yes, at any given time and place, collective preferences can be tabulated within a specific culture. When these are the preferences of the masses, say for McDonald’s hamburgers, they’re termed popularity; when those of a team of “experts” – whether designated by the French government or self-appointed – they do indeed become standards, for that time, place, and culture. I’m outta here. I hope this helped. Sorry if I was off-topic.

Upon returning from your chefly conference, did you not also report that the Sicilian sauce was cooked with prosciutto, which pig was removed before serving? And that this was also the sauce served for calzone-dipping (and in the other cooked dishes?)?

This discussion looks peripherally related to the food-as-art debate. Are “complex” preparations “better” because they provide intellectual, as well as sensual, pleasure? Should we separate these aspects when discussing dishes and how different people perceive or appreciate them?

Sea level. The instant-read was accurate, as was a similar, also mechanical, back-up unit. Interestingly, a newer digital instant-read was a degree or so off (though I now forget in which direction). Wouldn't I have to be 3250 feet underground for the calibration to be off 6° F in that direction?

The new Polder dual-sensor model, recognizable by the metallic cylinder atop its probe, is good to 572° F. It's about $25 at Zabar's and Amazon, though not always in stock. Compared to an instant-read previously calibrated in boiling water, the meat sensor is about 6° high; similarly, compared to a standard oven thermometer, the oven sensor is about 10° high. Polder has yet to respond to a week-old email inquiry as to whether these errors are within tolerance, and whether the unit is adjustable (ha!). The other annoying thing is that temperature setting is monotonic; to reset, for example, the meat alarm from 125° to 120° requires cycling all the way up past 572° and then around to 125°. Even if there's no room for a 0-9 keyboard (I have a prized count up/down kitchen timer with such a keyboard), at least there should be a Down button as well as an Up. Otherwise, the Polder seems to work well enough; in fact, its design is quite clever.

I caught the most recent James Bond flick today. Has anyone else noticed that Pearce Brosnan, in gaunt middle age, has come greatly to resemble eGullet Special Guest A. Bourdain? Edit: "Pearce" is not a verb.

A quick update from a twice-shy skeptic who, more than once burnt (as it were) by dessicated ribs and haphazard service, was persuaded to try Blue Smoke again today by Mr. Meyer’s Q&A: no complaints this time, none at all.

I’ve been to Pearl about a dozen times and to its sister/competitor, Mary’s Fish Camp, twice, though to neither within the past six months. Even when crowded, Pearl is the more rustic and genteel of the two, and Mary’s the more… industrial. While I prefer Pearl’s smoky chowder, most of the other items are a tossup, including the famous lobster roll, which will be better at whichever restaurant that day has refrigerated the lobster more briefly. It may be imagination or projection, but I think that the Pearl experience has been more perfect on those occasions when the proprietress herself was in the house. I’ve also overheard restaurateur talk, including a meeting among an investor, his accountant, and the chef of his soon-to-open restaurant. We got to chatting, and I was shown a prototype menu – uninspiring and typo-ridden, clearly not Otto’s. I never did try the place, nor do I know its name or fate. I can hardly imagine a more pleasant lunch than a lazy, protracted weekday afternoon at the Pearl counter, working through chowder, steamers, lobster roll (with those shoestring fries), maybe some grilled shrimp, and a bottle of wine. The bread’s good too, though I’m rarely served any – maybe it’s what I order, or maybe just my Atkins aura. There’s also a nice, gooey sundae. I’ve never been to either Pearl or Mary’s for dinner; in fact, I’ve ordered a proper entrée only once: a grilled fish at Mary’s that was distressingly over-peppered. Three paragraphs beginning with “I.” Well, you wanted personal observations. Edit (a minor ironic addition): Mary's Fish Camp is on Charles Street.

If it's of any help, here are some links I compiled for a friend who recently converted his sauna to wine storage. You may get what you pay for in features or reliability, but a Breezaire appears to cost about 35% as much as a Cellarmate of similar nominal capacity. Wine Enthusiast Breezaire Cool Kru Grand Cru Whisperkool IWA Breezaire Cellarmate Koolspace Whisperkool

Clearly a collaboration between FG and William Monahan.

HB, I can't really tell from squinting at your photo, though if forced to guess I'd say pointy.

I'm just a shy, modest fellow. No special treatment required for me.

HB, does your "Cuisipro" "Accutec Fine Grater" have flat teeth like the 35002, or pointy ones like the 38004? The puzzling thing about the 38000 series is that, unlike the 35000, it doesn't include a Fine model, going from Spice (which they call Fine/Spice) right down to Coarse.

I met an Indian friend for lunch yesterday at Diwan Grill. Everything looked freshly made and pristine when we arrived at 11:45. All concerned agreed that the variety and quality of food were spectacular for a buffet. Since it was not on display, I asked a waiter for some tomato chutney. He promptly brought a dish containing a small amount of reddish purée. It looked like…ketchup. It smelled like…ketchup. It tasted like…ketchup. (Good thing I didn’t step in it.) I flagged another waiter and tried again, this time asking more specifically for the tomato chutney I’d once had at dinner. He explained that it wasn’t normally available at lunch, but served us a full dish anyway. For the nonce at least, my friend plans to forsake the city's other Indian restaurants.

Chef Matt, what do you mean by we eGulleteers? You’re just a newbie here. (BTW, that last meal at Bid remains the stuff of legend. When do we get to taste your food again?) The post was originally to be just a request to the knowledgeable for a comparison of the different Microplane series and of the different models within each. It evolved into a minor research project, toyed with parodying a certain kind of eGullet excess, realized that it was having fun, became serious again, and then, perhaps, veered into self-parody. I'm still hoping for some guidance. Ben, I have no idea how well the thing grates butter or anything else; I’ve yet to purchase a Microplane. Aside from sounding like a cool thing to do, grating butter seems like a useful way to top pancakes (Atkins, of course), meats, salads, girlfriends, and all the other things that would be chilled or otherwise damaged when spread with fridge-temperature butter.

The last I heard, the good Doctor was alive and well -- writing, speaking, seeing patients, marketing products. The "heart attack" so gleefully reported in some quarters a while back was in fact an infection that spread to his heart; his CV and other signs are just fine.

Dr. Atkins is getting even richer now – which I do not begrudge the man in the least – marketing low-carb food and food-like items to a public that is finally ready for them. Here’s an experiment with one such item: I just made my first batch of blueberry muffins from his mix, and they are better than “not bad.” The crumb is different from regular muffins (very fine and tender), and there’s just a hint, more a slight aroma, of blueberry flavoring (which the label claims to be natural), but overall, I’m pleasantly surprised. The muffins even contain pieces of real blueberry, not as good as whole, fresh berries, but superior to those gummy fake buds that infest even bakery and coffee-cart muffins these days. A few supplemental berries would slightly up the carb count, but I’d consider adding them the next time, perhaps reducing the amount of water in compensation. I used only butter, not the mixture of oil and butter that is suggested, I’d guess, to appease the gods of political correctness by allowing the cholesterol count per muffin on the label to round down to zero. Besides fat, the home baker adds eggs and water to the mix. I filled a normal twelve-muffin tray, not the suggested eighteen-holer; cooking time turned out to be sixteen minutes, the lower end of the range in the directions. Adjusted for their increased size, each muffin contains under five grams of digestible carbohydrate and about 250 calories, making for a useful diet adjunct if not consumed a tray at a time. This initial report is based on a muffin twenty minutes out of the oven. I’ll follow up after I’ve tasted one aged a few hours and then grilled. - - - - - Follow-up: I broiled a muffin that sat overnight, wrapped, and my appraisal has not changed. Ditto for muffins frozen for up to a week. Before buying such a product as Atkins’ muffin mix, consider first whether you’d prefer to wean yourself completely from the enchanting scent and taste of cakes and breadstuffs.

The following product-line analysis is based upon the Microplane web site. Items are listed within each series in estimated increasing order of coarseness; suggested applications are lifted from the site. Clicking on underlined text will open the relevant Microplane page. The 40000 series looks to be identical to the original 30000 woodworking series, right down to the last two digits of the part numbers. These are the long, skinny (generally about 1”) jobbies with plastic handles and naked blades. 40016 Spice grater: Finely grates nuts; grates nutmeg; purées ginger; grates other spices. 40020 Zester/grater: Grates Parmesan; zests citrus; grates chocolate; purées garlic, ginger; shreds coconut. 40001 Zester (no handle): Zests citrus; grates Parmesan, nutmeg; purées garlic, ginger. 40021 Medium ribbon grater: Grates soft cheese; shreds cabbage; grates butter, chocolate. The 35000 series seems directed towards home cooks. These have shorter, wider blades (4 7/8" x 2") than the 40000 series, with plastic handles and blade surrounds. 35025 Spice grater: Same applications as 40016 spice grater. 35002 Fine grater: Zests citrus; grates Parmesan; shreds nuts; purées garlic, ginger. 35001 Coarse grater: Grates chocolate, Parmesan; shreds coconut; purées garlic, ginger. 35019 Fine ribbon grater: Shaves Parmesan; grates apples; shreds cabbage; grates carrots. 35009 Medium ribbon grater: Same applications as 40021 medium ribbon grater. 35037 Slider attachment: Protects fingers from those nasty little razors. The 38000 series is labeled “Professional.” These have stainless handles and blade surrounds, with a rubber cushion at the end farthest from the handle. The blades are slightly larger (5 1/4" x 2 1/4") than those on the 35000 series. 38004 Fine/spice grater: Zests citrus; finely grates nuts; grates nutmeg; purées ginger. 38000 Coarse grater: Same applications as 35001 coarse grater. 38008 Extra coarse grater: Grates soft cheese, Parmesan, horseradish. 38002 Medium ribbon grater: Same applications as 35009 medium ribbon grater. 38007 Small shaver: Shaves chocolate, Parmesan. 38006 Large shaver: Shaves chocolate, Parmesan. The 37000 series consists of two styles of handle with interchangeable blades. This seems like more trouble than the money or space it may save. The 39000 series is the rotary grater. Moving up the line from the 40000 to the 35000 costs about $2 per grater, and then another $2 to the 38000, making the cool stainless series an attractive choice but for one thing: there’s no fine grater. The teeth on the 38004 Fine/spice grater look identical in size, spacing, and shape to those on the 35025 Spice grater, rather than a compromise between that and the 35002 Fine grater. In fact, the size and spacing of the teeth on the 35025 Spice grater and the 35002 Fine grater also look identical, but those on the former are pointed and the latter flat. As a result, the 38004 Fine/spice grater is not recommended for grating Parmesan cheese or puréeing garlic, whereas as the 35002 Fine grater is; conversely, the 35002 Fine grater is not recommended for grating nutmeg, whereas the 38004 Fine/spice grater is. On the other hand, both the 38000 and 35001 coarse graters are recommended for Parmesan and garlic, though it’s not clear whether the fine or coarse is preferable for these items. Similarly, it’s not clear from their descriptions which among the 38002 Fine/spice grater, 35002 Fine grater, and 40020 Zester/grater is best for zesting citrus. For that matter, is the 40020 Zester/grater an adequate, if smaller and less sexy, compromise (between fine and coarse) substitute for a pair of its more expensive brothers? Subject to the answers to these questions, my own requirements (grate Parmesan, soft cheese, butter, chocolate; purée garlic, ginger; zest citrus) could best be satisfied by any of the following combinations, “best” meaning most functional, then most efficient in number of implements and cost, then coolest: - 40020 Zester/grater plus 40021 Medium ribbon grater. - 35002 Fine grater plus 35009 Medium ribbon grater. - 38004 Fine/spice grater plus 38000 Coarse grater and 38002 Medium ribbon grater. The table below, which should but does not appear on the Microplane site, summarizes most of the above. Further unfacetious comments from members who have used the products in question are hereby solicited. Just to complicate matters, Williams-Sonoma offers its own 38000-like tools, manufactured by Accutec, with a slightly different selection of blades.