halloweencat

You almost make it sound as if there's no hypocrisy involved in a famous chef lending his name to a shop seeling food whose preparation he neither contols or supervises. The suggestion that its stock of foie gras dates back as far as his decision to no longer trade in foie gras, seems almost slanderous. ← no :), not at all. :) i think sometimes businesses/business agreements evolve in ways that are unexpected, that can certainly give rise to a situation in which someone lending his or her credibility can have a surprise at what might be going on under the imprimatur, and even more unpleasantly, a discovery that there is little or no way to control it. and mind, i was not stating that this was the case, but that (as the situation stood, and as my understanding of it stood) there was room for this to be. even in a situation in which a person (not necessarily a chef) is lending her/his name to a business, depending on how many other projects are being worked upon, it may be a (very reasonable) decision to let the day-to-day running of the operation fall to another person or team of persons. the presumption would be that that individual or group would carry on in a similar vein as the "big name" person would (if that was the understanding upfront). well, sometimes people misunderstand, or decide to break (even unofficial agreements). it happens all the time. again, note, i'm not necessarily defending trotter per se, but asserting that it is quite possible in a given scenario as this for the best intentions to go awry. which is, as stated, why i would like to know more (even if this is not ultimately possible). agreed, 'tho, it does not look good on a quick glance, and that quick glance leads to a lot of legitimate suspicions and questions. re fg....as i'm not aware of the following particulars (but i'm certain that many involved in this discussion would have greater knowledge, and i would welcome the information) 1) how much ahead of time did trotter commit to purchasing fg from suppliers? is this done, as in some other business arrangements, in a manner akin to "we are committed to purchasing x amount for the next 2 years?" (as is done by some coffee purchasers, speculating on coffee futures, in effect; or a committment over a length of time to keep the price down, which is done in many industries) or is it more akin to a rolling, unofficial committment, e.g., "we'll call you in 2 weeks, a month... you know we usually order x amount...we expect that you'll have what we need..." this may be something well-known to those in the industry (as opposed to myself). but, as i do not posess this information, i must keep the possibility open. 2) for how long fg can be stored (certainly most anyone here is more knowledgeable on this than i, but it is nevertheless an unknown that impacts my analysis, because +i+ do not know; i would be pleased if someone would let me know, or if it came up in the course of the thread.) 3) there is still a question (for me) of how the fg was acquired. again, if it was some gift or something similar, i think there's room to argue that, rather than letting it go to waste, he shared it with folks who would enjoy it. i can see the opposite arguement as well (that in just being the purveyor, he was helping to promote the consumption of something to which he had stated strong objections.) cheers :) hc

i'm curious to know the details of the (presumably) comped dinner. i suppose there is room for hypocracy (sp), but there seems also room at this point for details that would shape the analysis. e.g., from where did the fg come? was it a gift given to trotter that he shared with the other two, rather than let it go to waste? re purchasing fg-to-go...this seems more clear, but i would also like more details. i think it's possible that trotter might not be aware that this is happening (i would +hope+ that he would take pains to ensure that it does not, given his stance). but other questions come to mind...are they getting rid of existing stocks? is the to-go company under enough of his control (as opposed to business partners) that he can ban that item? i'd like to know more. also, i'd agree with those that opine that this exchange between the two seems to be about more than liver. cheers :) hc

just to ask.... is there no room to say in a diplomatic fashion...."beloved family members, we cherish you but must let you know that your coffee is, well, not good/unpotable/awful. i feel somewhat responsible to let you know, as i think guests and others might not feel up to the task. can i prepare you a great cuppa for comparison's sake? can i show you how you can, with relative ease, have and serve decent coffee? if not for your own sakes, perhaps for the sakes of your guests?" any variation on that, to tweak for personal ettiquette idioms....... cheers :) hc

thanks all and everyone for their great, informed input. my SO and i decided to go with the musso lussino...it's on the expensive side (decidedly), but we had quite a cache of amazon gift certificates kicking around between us (birthday and xmas gifts), plus amazon is giving back $25 if you spend $125 in kitchen&bath (thru this friday, march 31). that brought the price down +considerably+. i'm very excited to finally be able to try all the wonderful recipies i've been seeing in cookbooks (it's so frustrating to purchase a cookbook and have a good chunk of the recipies be unuseable because one doesn't have the right equipment). anyway, i'm +very+ excited. :) thank you all. :) cheers :) hc edited to add: the final price, given the additional gift certificates generally donated by my SO was $375. a great price for this machine, i think.

i believe all swans in britain (perhaps the entire uk?) are the property of the sovereign. i don't know if that aspect impacts how authorities might look the other way when one is consumed (as in the car accident incident). cheers :) hc

dining at the SO's house, per (enjoyable) usual. i'll be bringing over two or three vegetable dishes (which i haven't selected, but will do tonight or tomorrow). last year, we had an easter egg hunt for the adult children. it was highly competitive, and as a result, is discontinuted for this year. ;) cheers :) hc

this made me laugh out loud...but i also think it was inspired. some folks who are excessively late all the time might place a different value on time... for example, one could decide to keep that person waiting for an hour (to balance the time she/he kept you waiting). that might work, as it did for someone upthread. but i also know of members of the habitually really tardy club (HRTC) on whom this technique has been tried and proven to be ineffective. why? well, they're happy to shoot the breeze with strangers while they wait, or read or whatever. it doesn't bother them that much (which is why they probably have a harder time empathizing with others, when the situation is reversed). i do think that winesonoma's example... extreme need + extreme no wait.. might be the best technique i've yet heard of to combat this. cheers :) hc

on a related note... i find it a handicap to cook a recipie with which i have not yet attempted or with which i am still unfamilar without pictures. big, beautiful pictures. they inspire me and guide me. how food looks is a big spur to me to want to prepare it. cheers :) hc

owen, thank you. :) i returned to the reviews and the research, after your recommendations. i've done so much reading on espresso-making lately! it's worth it, 'tho, as i feel i'm in a much better position to make a selection. because the machines can have small variations that make personal use more or less agreeable (everything from valves to drip pans) i just wanted to make sure that i wouldn't have a lot of surprises, given the expense. your suggestions were invalubable, however, as they helped me hone in on what was necessary in an espresso machine for me, and my research on them led me to the andreja premium...so very many thanks! :) it may (or may not) surprise anyone to learn that after doing all my research i've decided to increase my budget slightly (by about $100-$200, at the budget's upper limit) and get the quickmill andreja premium from chriscoffee.com. it really is the best match to what i had been looking for...but hadn't looked at it seriously at first because it was a smidgen out of my original budget range. it won't be an immediate purchase...i have to save some. but i'm pretty sure i'll be very satisfied. i'm the type of person who only rarely regrets making purchases. i don't research them all as thoroughly as in this case...it's just a combination of knowing my needs, my tastes and (when needed) research. again, many thanks to all the folks who've contributed to these espresso threads. cheers :) hc

make sure to read the ingredients on anything labelled "non-dairy." a common ingredient is casein, which will not be in keeping with your vegan aspirations. also, just to say, i regularly substitute a vegan margerine (i forget the name, it comes in a yellow tub) for butter. i myself do not like the heavy, cloying taste of butter. this spread does not taste "funny" the way most margerines do, and i bake with it. i'm not saying it tastes exactly the same as butter, mind, only that it has a pleasant, light sweetness and that i've used it as a substitute, to my satisfaction. i'll look in my fridge and get the name. cheers :) hc

ok... : ) i've been reading all the espresso threads i can find, plus scouring coffeegeek.com. i'd like to request some suggestions on appropriate machines, given the following criteria... 1) most of the time this will be for my own use, but i will regularly have company over --- from 1 guest to 12 (dinners) or 20/30 people (max, parties). i could not invest $700 in a machine that could not accomodate my guests as well, in a timely fashion. aside from delivering espresso quickly, it would also need to deliver milk-based drinks quickly. (i know the sylvia has its champions, but i think the above precludes it). 2) while i'm willing to "grow my technique," i still need to be able to produce decent espresso pretty much out of the gate. not anything sublime, but definitely something good. room to improve is fine. :) 3) ideally, i'm looking for something under $1000, or not much over. suggestions appreciated. i'm not married to any particular brand. cheers :) hc

there's cafe metro.... it's a vegetarian place. i've been a couple of times and enjoyed it, but i'm not sure that's what you're looking for.... it's in denville, i believe. cheers :) hc

cheers to touaregsand for not backing down in her interactions. :) reflecting on this thread at large, i think one of the big arenas for misunderstandings is that one person's comment is another person's complaint. the second is the clash of two cultures, customer/civillian and restaurant/professional. just "simple" things, like language. "filler" having two or multiple meanings, some perhaps perjorative to a chef. perception, as in when the house feels like it's giving the customer extra care and attention, and the customer is agast that a simple comment (perhaps unwittingly solicited by the house) results in an important-looking person in a highly visible white costume coming to one's table. just some observations. cheers :) hc

i think it's +slightly+ different. i'm paying for a service and a product, when i'm asked that in a restaurant. very similar to when i'm in a doctor's office and she/he askes me, "how's it going/how're you feeling?" the reason i'm brought into the restaurant is an exchange of money for goods. we're not passing each other on the street outside, in which the "how was everything?" question might have a different social context. cheers :) hc

really? i have the opposite take...if someone...especially the managment...asks me how my food is, then that person should expect the truth, even if everything isn't perfection. if this is relegated to a social nicety, then the management is putting me in the position of being forced to lie if i don't care for something, which is a bit unfair. if i'm being asked my opinion and i'm the one paying for my food, why should it not be expected that i would tell the truth? cheers :) hc

not a collection question per se, but i'd like to know if wine can be obtained in half- or quarter-bottles. i don't actually like the feeling of an alcoholic buzz, and loathe the feeling of being drunk. because of that, i don't really drink alcohol. perversely though, i've got an interest in tastes of things. the idea (and practice) of tasting wines is pleasureable, but i'd try more if the bottles were smaller. my typical consumption is a half-glass, a glass at most (and rarely that). honestly, i appreciate the taste and aroma and would love to try more wines, but they are more costly, considering my consumption rate. cheers :) hc

i'm going to make this again tonight (i'm having someone over for dinner). we'll see how it varies. i wonder if the cooking time is influenced much by the amount of olive oil? i think i used more than a 1/4 cup.... i'll be sure to use a 1/4 cup tonight. i'l see if i can post a pic. also to add...i, too, was intrigued by the comparison to french fries. that and the volume of pages propelled me to try this. i'm heartily glad i did, for though i had no aversion to cauliflower, it had no strong appeal either. cheers :) hc

good details. :) thanks, andiesenji. jeni, thanks for the heads up on that model. btw....found another one.... does anyone have any experience with the delonghi 8500? http://www.sendicecream.com/delicecreamm.html cheers :) hc

luv wegmans! cheers ;) hc

andie :) re what you would get now.... what makes you pick the musso over the oxiria? there's a difference in pricepoint...do you feel the motor/mechanics are better with the musso? does the oxiria require some extra care (like one machine i read about that required something like 2 tablespoons of alcohol between the bowl and the interior...not sure i get that). i have $105 in amazon gift certificates, and amazon would take anothe $25 off (their current promotion)...bringing the lusso down to $475. that would make the lusso $475 vs. the oxiria at $360. i'm a little leery of the lello, for all the reasons mentioned above. thanks to everyone for all the replies, btw. :) cheers :) hc

did 5 minutes, then 5 minutes more (57 minutes total, at 400). for the last 5 minutes, sprinkled sea salt, nutmeg and cumin on it. i think it could have actually gone 5-7 minutes longer, to get crispy (it's not remotely crispy, but it is tasty). interesing that this varies so much. cheers :) hc

i live in this area, but feel i don't know too many good places to eat around here. anyone have any thoughts? i have friends that feel mee-lai (spelling?), a malaysian-chinese place, is good. we've eaten there as well, once. seems good. i know folks here have raved about moghul on oak tree road. we've gone there twice. we felt that it was very over priced. it's a poor place for folks who like their indian food on the mild side. we couldn't even talk, it was so hot (and we ordered mild -- i know that this will be a plus to many! ;) ). i recall liking the metuchen inn, but feeling that it was overpriced. i like stage left in new brunswick a lot. and there's an ethiopian place around the corner from it i liked a lot (only went there once). there's a place across the street called soho-something which we thought was overpriced and not so great. we love abraccis (spelling?) in metuchen. +very+, +very+, +very+ small, and byob...but they have a person there who will run to the liquor store to get anything you want. anyone else? cheers :) hc

"gibbles"! perfect! :) the second 20-minute mark passed. i tossed again and let them bake for 7 more minutes. i could +start+ to smell them a that point. the timer went off after the 7 minutes, and now they are starting to look brownish. took a taste. yes, starting to taste the way i'm anticipating. i set the timer for 5 more minutes. we'll see soon. btw, this will make 52 minutes at 400 (!) linda, i noticed you're always very generous with responding to questions. thank you so much. :) cheers :) hc

i have those 4-inch alpico souffle dishes....can they be used for mini casseroles and things like that as well? is this an awkward size? cheers :) hc

i'm actually cooking it right now. at the 22- or 25-minute mark, none of the pieces/bits have any browning around them at all. i set the timer for 20 minutes more. i used one head of average-sized cauliflower, and one half-sheet pan with tinfoil (i only have the one pan at the moment). i wonder if the greater density is preventing the browning? also, apart from a very few pieces, i don't see where the "flip" comes into play. my cauliflower always falls apart when i cut it, so it's in small, lumpy pieces that don't "flip" so well. i did give the whole thing a good toss. am i cutting my pieces too fine? is it that my cauliflower doesn't have a lot of moisture (the falling apart)? cheers :) hc