rozrapp

It's obvious that the most difficult aspect of this situation will be that your grandfather will have to accustom himself to a different style of eating. But if he can adjust to that, there are lots of different things that can be prepared and served to him in pureed form. A blender and a food processor are both essential in this kind of situation. While he will probably have to forego the meat part of his former diet, he certainly does not have to give up potatoes. They can, of course, be prepared mashed very smoothly with additions such as s&p, milk, cream, butter -- if he is permitted these -- to make them tasty. There's also pureed leek and potato soup, which can be served hot in cold weather and chilled as vichyssoise in warm weather. In fact, pureed soups will probably become a mainstay of his diet, and many other vegetables can be used. One of my favorite recipes is the winter squash soup in James Peterson's Splendid Soups. I also make my own combination of winter root vegetables -- chopped onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips & parsnips -- cooked until soft and then pureed with a little cream and butter. Asparagus make an excellent soup, either hot or chilled. And when tomatoes are in season, they make a delicious soup on their own and can also be incorporated with other vegetables -- onions, peppers, cucumbers -- and spices to make a pureed gazpacho. Also in summer, chilled, pureed borscht is wonderful. Fruits can easily remain part of this new diet. I make smoothies with all kinds of combinations, depending on the season. The basic formulation I use is fruit + yogurt (or sometimes ice cream) + milk (either soy or skim). And, for dessert, there are, of course, puddings, custards and ice cream. Hope this helps.

The Inn at Manitou, in McKellar, Ontario, Canada, about 2-1/2 hours north of Toronto, is open only from early May until mid-October. It's an absolutely gorgeous property (Relais & Chateaux member) which includes a tennis academy and spa facilities. When we were there several yeas ago, the excellent cuisine was French, but they also offered such other things as an Asian buffet. The owners, Ben and Shelia Wise, told us that they hire an entirely new staff each season. You said you are "open to virtually anything," so you might contact them. They have a web site with employment information, and you can even file an application on-line. http://www.manitou-online.com/contact.html

Received a postcard in today's mail from Restaurant Serenade. "Asparagus Extravaganza!" The only info on the card was the date, April 15th, and the time, 7 p.m. I checked their site.* No menu provided, but it did say that there will be 5 courses and 6 wines at $120/pp. Perhaps there will be menu specifics as the date gets closer. (The card also says that they will "celebrate asparagus througout the month of April.") * http://www.restaurantserenade.com

it's refreshing to see someone besides my self use that phrase. Call me an illiterate putz but, uh, isn't the phrase, "chomping" at the bit. Acc. to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Edition: champ v.t. 1. to bite upon or grind, especially impatiently 2. To crush with the teeth and chew vigorously or noisily; munch 3. to mash; crush Champ at the bit to betray impatience, as to begin some action Also, chomp

Forgive my ignorance, but are water chestnuts and bitter melon really vegetables? The names certainly don't sound like it. While I have never eaten bitter melon, I have had water chestnuts -- which I love -- and would never have thought of them as being in the vegetable category. But, then, I'm not sure what other category I would put them in.

Do you mean Eastern restaurants in Asia? All the Asian restaurants that I know of have only "private" seating. As for communal tables, if you go to the Pennsylvania Dutch area, the restaurants there serve meals communal style. Also, many years ago, we stopped at a place in Reno which served Basque cuisine. (We had read about it in Jane and Michael Stern's Road Food.) All the tables were communal. Finally, the concept of communal tables has been adopted by some restaurants in NYC, in addition to private seating. Le Pain Quotidien springs to mind.

I was so pleased to hear Alice say that peaches are her favorite fruit because they are mine as well. That peach galette had me drooling. As the chef was slicing those fabulous peaches, I wanted to jump right into the set and grab some. Now that, to me, is reality t.v.!

Here's the review in today's New York Post. The reviewer, Steve Cuozzo, splits up his stars. http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/nycuis...rants/71157.htm

not today. 1.5 at tabla instead. sorry to let everyone down. So, no Tommy review. Well, perhaps we can temporarily make do with this report: http://www.chowhound.com/boards/manhat/mes...ages/64597.html

I am not in any way close to being a steak expert like so many others here, and I don't order steak that often in restaurants. But I do like hanger steak. And while I detest Les Halles for several reasons, their hanger steak is not one of them. As with all things cuisine related, I go by what tastes good to me, and the hanger steak I had at LH was cooked just the way I requested -- medium rare -- and had good flavor. Park Bistro also serves good hanger steak, though it is not always on the menu. And I recall having an excellent hanger steak at Montparnasse, a French bistro, on E. 51st St. Caliban, a bar on 3rd Ave., used to have a very good French restaurant as part of its operation. The chef, who was French, served a terrific hanger steak -- as well as lots of other very good bistro dishes. And they have a garden out back which was a very pleasant place to eat in nice weather. They gave up the French cuisine operation a couple of years ago. Now they just serve pub-style food. I haven't tried it.

Where did you find Fat Guy's Guide to Meat? Was it on the original fat-guy.com site or on eGullet? It's on this board in the "Best Steak in Manhattan" thread a few slots down from this thread. Here's the link: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...ST&f=4&t=18281&

Review in this week's New York Magazine. http://www.nymetro.com/nymetro/food/review...taurant/n_8470/

We are very fond of D'Artagnan's merguez which I have always been able to purchase at Delicious Orchards. At the Manalapan Wegman's, which is much closer to my home than DO, I noticed that they carried various D'Artagnan sausages, but not merguez. So, a couple of weeks ago, I spoke to the manager of the meat dept., and not long after, they began stocking it. That's what I call customer service!

Bryan Miller, former New York Times restaurant critic and current restaurant editor for Citysearch, writes about Loiseau's suicide in today's Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/15/opinion/15MILL.html

Are you referring to the trendy molten chocolate cake? If so, then you are right. However, the old-fashioned souffle in various flavors that used to be ubiquitous is now found in only a few French bistros.

So, I guess that means you'll be skipping Becco with its all-you-can-eat pasta deal for $21.95.

Trattoria Trecolori, on W. 45th St., off B'way, offers an excellent tiramisu. Made on the premises and totally delectible.

We were at the Hofbrauhaus once during Octoberfest many years ago. It was at night, so I can't comment on the view. (Didn't realize they had one.) But I can comment on the food. It was thorougly mediocre. That's why we never went back.

In warm weather, we like to go to Rooney's Ocean Crab House, in Long Branch. They have a large room facing the ocean with doors that completely open, so you are totally shielded from the elements, but still get the effect of outdoor dining. The food is quite decent, and they have a key lime pie that I think is seriously delicious. We generally go during the week for a late lunch. It's busy then, but we have never had trouble getting a table. We would never go near the place on a summer week-end when I understand the place is a zoo.

When it was fairly new, we used to have dinner at Le Rendez-vous regularly -- always mid-week – but we hadn't been there for quite some time until a couple of months ago. We rarely eat out on Saturday evenings; however, circumstances did find us there on what was a Saturday. Between our earlier visits and now, the restaurant has become much more well-known and popular, so I was, of course, curious to see how the food compared to our many earlier visits, and what dining there on a busy Saturday would be like. Rosie’s complaint about the service really surprised me since it had always been excellent, and that was still the case on our Saturday visit. While our reservation was for 5:30 p.m., and we were the first diners to arrive, the place quickly filled up, and all tables were occupied by a little after 6. Until we left at around 7:45, the service never lagged. As to the noise, while I was concerned that this would be a problem, the only time I was bothered related to a party of six. The first couple arrived and was seated, and when the other two couples arrived at the table, their greetings were way too loud. However, I think they realized the error of their ways because they immediately piped down. The rest of the time, I did not find the level of noise at all bothersome. Perhaps, on the Saturday evening of Rosie’s visit, the place was populated by particularly loud talkers? Yes, the tables are a bit close, and the chairs could be more comfortable. (If you want to experience what I would consider the true definition of "close" tables, have dinner in NYC at Les Halles where you’re squished more than a canned sardine!) But, above it all, there is the food. During all our earlier visits, it had always been quite wonderful. So we were ecstatic to find that the food on that Saturday was superb in every respect, even up several notches from what we remembered. While our Saturday experience was fine in all respects, it was only one time, so I can’t say if Rosie’s experience was an aberration.

For those who would like to read the article, here's the link. (Paul, Hope it's o.k. with you that I have posted it. ) http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/08/nyregion/08WINE.html Despite the fact that the article is about a political statement being made by this restaurateur, I will refrain from making any political comments. However, I will comment about the food at the Old Bay. It has been many, many years since we last ate there and, at that time, the food was nothing special. If that has changed, I certainly have not heard about it. And when it comes to drinks, what most people seem to go there for is the very good draft beer selections.

FG, I readily admit that I'm rather naive when it comes to this business of shills, trolls, etc. That's why, for me, it's good that eGullet has administrators and moderators like you and Bux who look out for that sort of thing. But now that you have opened my eyes to the possibilities, I read the subsequent post by pa32rt300 (Fat Guy Posted on Mar 6 2003, 04:59 PM : "As if on cue . . . ") in a whole new light.

Although it has been quite a while since we last had dinner at Fleur de Sel, I had an excellent lamb main course one time which was accompanied by the most outrageously delicious mashed potatoes (served in a separate little pot) that I have ever had -- and I am not usually a fan of mashed spuds. So, I'd say they do those sorts of things very well. When it comes to dessert, I really liked the apple crepe. If it's still on the menu, I recommend it. Hope your dinner is an enjoyable one and Happy Birthday!

FG, When I clicked the link in your post in order to read the review of Thali, what came up instead was a review of a seafood vendor in Ipswich. So I did a search and found the Thali review. Here is the correct link: http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/0226...seasonings.html Bux Posted on Mar 6 2003, 11:03 AM Bux, It never occurred to me to be suspicious about these novice posters, but what you say does give one "food for thought." Keep in mind, however, that it was Fat Guy who started the thread, and who talked positively about this restaurant, a place he has tried more than once. (See above.) I should think that would make a difference to you as to whether or not to try it. While I would not go very far out of my way to eat here, if I were in the neighborhood -- perhaps when passing through Connecticut on our annual summer trip up to Quebec -- I would probably be willing to give it a try, even with only a novice's opinion. Last year, I got a tip on Chowhound from a poster about what he felt was a good African restaurant in White River Junction, VT, which is along our route. While I knew nothing about this poster, I figured we should give the restaurant a shot. The food turned out to be as good as he claimed. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed soon after. (The owner intended to look for a new location.)

While I do not do any Indian cooking, I always have cilantro in my fridge. I know there are many people who detest the taste of cilantro -- I have heard them say that it tastes "soapy" -- but I really love it. On my palate, it has a unique flavor, fresh and zingy. I use it in any number of dishes; for example, I incorporate it into certain bean salads; I sprinkle it on chili; and I use it as a garnish for baba ghanoush. I mainly use the leaves. While there may have been a time when it was difficult to find in my area of NJ, and only one specialty food market -- Delicious Orchards -- carried it, now it is in just about every supermarket. But I still prefer to buy it at DO because it is always freshest and cheapest there. I keep it wrapped in plastic in the fridge.