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A couple questions: Is it kind of a waste to use copper on electric coil stove top? Or is it just as good on electric coils as gas? Also, I think of sauteing as shaking or moving the pan around alot, does the weight of a copper saute pan make this more difficult or do you use a different method? Thanks.

Looking over all the great threads we have going on in this forum, and being in a reflective , thankful holiday kind of mood it made me think that we have an awful lot to be thankful for in terms of all things food related here in Philly and the surrounding areas. (That includes Delaware! ) Things I'm thankful for: Studio Kitchen (and Shoala's patience with my numerous cooking questions) BYOB's Cheese Steaks Reading Terminal Market Italian Market Dmitri's (one of my favorite restaurants anywhere) Moore Bro's Wilmington The fact that Philly is a short drive from Wilmington So what are you guys thankful for this Holiday Season?

gkg680, no apology necessary. I appreciate your help.

If you haven't already left for Paris, I would suggest a trip out to the flea market in Cligancourt. In October I saw lots of crystal carafes, wine glasses, table linens, etc, both old and new, for good prices.Also, a stop at the Batchelor stand for old copper cookware, wine carriers, old bottles, and old crocks. My kids love all the different candies I brought back. Just stop into any grocery store and you can get all sorts of candy not seen in the US.

The water bath is where the investment is. I believe. Maybe a chef can weigh in here.

If restaurants are charging more for sous vide preparations, it could be to recoup the cost of equipment to do this correctly. I think professional sous vide equipment could be expensive. But I'm not completely sure of this.

Just went on artcopperware.com and apparantly the on site store closed on 10/1/05. I tried navagating the site and, eventually, you can link to Mauviel's site. But there is no option to purchase on their site. It's all a bit confusing actually, but it appears you can only order thru Dehillerin on their site.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try art copper today, as I am still awaiting a reply from Dehillerin. I was in the store in Oct this year, but my suitcases were already bursting from visits to other parts of France!

Is the copper cookware at Dehillerin comparable in quality to the Falk product? I'm looking at the 11 inch stainless lined saute pan offered for 120.72 euros (about $142) on Dehillerin's website verse $280 for the same pan on Falk's site. I realize there are shipping cost and tax, but that is still quite a difference. Is there a difference between the two?

Second the reccomendation of the Warwick or Latham. I've stayed at both a couple times each. Check their websites for package deals including parking and breakfast. Breakfast at the Warwick is really pretty nice. Nice dining room, good buffet, etc. The Warwick also has a classic lobby. The Warwick or Latham will put you close to Pasion, Brasserie Perrier, Monks, Matyson, Audrey Claire, Pumpkin. Pasion isn't exactly Carribean, but the food is Latin American influenced and of a high level.(Not a BYO) Melograno is the best bet for Itailian in that area.(BYO)

"Don't knock it until you've tried it." Not knocking German pinot, as I'm always on the lookout for interesting juice. Just seems like they trying for Burgundian prices also. I'm sure there are some good examples however.

If you scroll through the Reading Terminal Market, what I found on my most recent visit, thread, you will get a good idea of the most seasonal offerings from the vendors. I'd suggest apple cider from Benuel Kaufman, if it hasn't sold out. Go early for this.Fyi, it's unpasturized.He has one of the Amish stands and always has excellent seasonal produce. Other ideas, an assortment of cheese from City Cheese,Anything that looks good at Fair Food Farmstand. Check the map when you enter the RTM for vendor locations. If you drive to the market, park in the lot right next to the market and get your parking ticket stamped by a rtm vendor once you've spent $10. you will save a mint on your parking fee. Another FYI, I imagine the RTM will be very crowded Wedneday. Another idea that would be a local specialty, Capogiro Gelato. The best gelato I have ever eaten! This stuff is seriously good. (There is a thread also.) It wouldn't suprise me if they had some Holiday flavors. Not in society Hill, but a short cab ride or drive to 119 S 13th Street. I just checked www.capogirogelato.com and they have Zucca.Italian for, you guessed it, pumpkin.

Has anyone tasted any truly memorable pinot from Germany? I have had a couple and one from Alasce. In all cases I was underwhelmed. Maybe I am missing something?

"Do you think that his review of Moro is still accurate?" No. If Chef's Table is two bells then Moro is two bells. I have been disappointed with two recent meals at Moro. When I saw the three bells next to the revisited date I was incredulous. That's why I posted the questions. So does LaBan routinely revisit places just to see if a previous review is still accurate? If he was going to change the bells awarded, does he only do this in a new review? Have you ever noticed a "bell change" in the margin of another review?

Yesterdays Inqy had a review of The Chef's Table, here in the good old First State. It's a good restaurant and if you are in the New Castle area it's well worth the visit. In the margin Mr Laban also suggests ,Moro (with three bells) located in Wilmington. It has the note "revisited October 2005" attached. I don't remember a recent write up, and the review on philly.com shows an April 2003 date. So how current is his rating of Moro, or any restaurant, listed like this? Does "rervisited" just mean he's been there recently and his original rating still holds? Does it mean a review is coming soon? If a new review isn't in the works, and he was lowering or raising his rating would that be noted in the margin? I know my fellow philly egulleters probably shrug when the dining scene in Wilmington is written up, but inquirering minds in the First State are wondering.

next time you guys are there, when you come out after dining, and i'm hawking tie dyes with psychadelic images of lychee vinegar foam, you have permission to call the police, or social servcies,or ....buy one or two...........

john, max's suggestion was sincere and friendly. scrolling thru entire previous posts is a little tedious. please take this as a constructive, friendly, sincere observation.

on my way up to sk the other night, i had this giddy feeling that felt familiar, but i couldn't quite place where or when i had felt this way before.something gurgling up from the past. then it hit me. Grateful Dead concerts! yeah, it made sense. you know; shoala opened with...., then went right into..... but this time he played it with a funkier beat..... and for an encore........ can anyone relate? or have i completely lost it? my god what's happened to me. i really need to get back to work...........

also, thanks to the advice upthread, godshalls quickly packaged up 12 lbs of chicken for me on a friday morning. i also bought a whole duck from them for $4 something/lb. i used it to make two recepies from paula wolferts new book. the duck was delicious and at that price i may be working duck into my weekly meals this winter. from fair food i purchased a bag of dried pasta/ noodles made from spelt. they were unmarked and the girls there weren't sure how to prepare them, so i just boiled them quickly and gave them a little bath in some rendered duck fat. really good. a nutty flavor and chewy texture. i'd reccommend them if they still have them.

paper bags for breathability? or some other reason? thanks in advance.

Welcome Ferky! No problem bringing beer. I don't believe spirits are allowed at SK. Beer actually would work well with some of the food at SK. If Shoala is aware of your allergies, I'm sure he won't forget. You are in for a real treat.

Last night at SK, 8 of us had a meal and experience that really is hard to put into words. For those of you who have been, you understand. For those of you who haven't, what are you waiting for? Okay, here goes what will probably be an inadequate description of a phenomanal meal. (Alas, we forgot our camera.However, there are some cell phone picturres that we may be able to post later.) Last nights (11/15) menu: Lemon Cured Scallop Sashimi Fig-Olive Tapenade Cucumber Sorbet Lemon Balm Mint Oil Extremely refreshing mix of flavors here. This was a new creation for Shola and he really wanted our feedback.We loved it. We paired this with Thierry Triolet Brut Les Vieilles Vignes 2002. Lovely Champagne that matched really well with the subtle cucumber, and more assertive mint and lemon. Shola said ,"All the flavors and temperatures are there" Foie Gras Custard Speck and Black Truffle Panini Lychee Vinegar Air Shola at his whimsical best with this course. He told us he really enjoys taking serious ingredients (foie gras) and matching it with something fun (a soup and sandwich presentation). The foie custard was served in a small coffee cup underneath a lychee vinegar foam.The panini was was along side almost begging to be be dipped through the foam into the foie custard.In short, this was incredible.I can still taste the black truffle. for wine, 1999 Johann Peter Rienert Kanzemer reisling Auslese. An ideal match. Wild Striped Bass Serrano Ham Chestnut Cream Black Trumpet Mushrooms Jerez Sauce I believe the fish was cooked sous vide and quickly sauteed for color. Whatever, It was sublime. Chestnut Cream? Unreal! Two burgundies with this course. Claude Dugat Bourgogne Rouge 2002, and Henri Germain Bourgogne Blanc 2002. Good matches, but this dish was so good the wines took a backseat here. Salt Baked Lamb Loin Mache dressed with Walnut Oil Opting to skip the amuse earlier, Shola snuck this in on us. Very simple preparation and a little fun also. Lamb lettuce (mache) served with lamb. We talked a bit about how high quality ingredients prepared in the right hands are wonderful. A 1997 Fattoria Palazzo Vecchio Vino Noblie was at it's peak and worked really well here. It was fun to revisit a wine I hadn't drank in a few years. Wagyu Beef Flatiron Steak "Cuit Sous Vide" Braised Oxtail Ravioli Sweet Parsnips Thyme Oil Shola skipped the parsnips here and chose to add a Japanese beef stew with squash.So, we really had beef three ways. I left my notes, so I don't remember the name of the stew, but it is a traditional Japanese preparation using miso, mirin and other ingredients I can't recall. We were swooning at this point. One of our party, after biting into the oxtail ravioli said, "This is so......." his eyes then rolled into the back of his head and he was unable to finish his sentence. We all knew he was going somewhere good and the table broke into laughter.This was the course of the night for me. A 1999 GD Vajra Barolo Bricco della Viole worked amazingly well with the Japanese stew. Peach – Ginger Soup Yuzu Sorbet Orange Granola Apricot kernel Oil Lemon Balm What else can I say? Shola passed around the ice cold bucket with the remaining Yuzu Sorbet, kinda like Mom letting her kids lick the bowl and beaters after making cookies or frosting. Two wines here: 1997 Chateau Soucherie Couteaux de Layon and 2001 Domaine Baumard Quarts des Chaumes. Both Loire Valley Chenin Blanc. All in all, an incredible meal. Shola was engaing as usual and we can't wait to head back.

Paula, Thanks for participating here. This Q and A is very imformative. You mention how much you enjoy Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, especially with garbure. I frequent a merchant that carries this wine, but only in its sweet form. I always assumed this was the only style of this wine. Were you drinking a dry version? what other foods are consummed with the dry version (assuming there is one). Any other info on this wine would be appreciated. ie ageability, foods consummed with sweet version, etc Thanks.

Sorry if this was already discussed but........... What if a post contains a blatant lie, will it be deleted? Will the poster be reprimanded in any way? I ask because, the moderators/management know the real identity of who is posting and have control over this. For example, in the Psaltis thread (which sparked this thread) a poster claims to have been a member for sometime but always "lurked". Thereby negating the comment that he/she recently joined in order to post on the thread. The mod's would obviously know if this was true or not. There could many examples of people posting misleading and false comments, that could be controlled because of the moderators knowledge of their real identity. How are these situations handled?

yes, beaujolais' reputation has been tarnished by it's nouveau version, much the same way blue nun has tarnished reislings image here in the us. i'm not sure people got down on bojo because they didn't like nouveau, it was just not seen as a serious wine. most americans didn't know cru beaujolais even existed. so, imho, alot of people dismiss beaujolais to show they know something about wine. which is a really good way to show knowledgable wine drinkers you don't know what your talking about. morgon, chenas,fleurie,moulin a vent, etc are wonderful with food and can age wonderfully. but lets keep the secret to ourselves.i have been enjoying squirelling away cru bojo for years at very nice prices.