moosnsqrl

Some friends introduced me to Pimm's with CelRay last summer during a particularly hot spell and I found it quite refreshing. I've never ordered it at a bar (I can't think of anywhere around here that stocks CelRay) so I am happy to say I've never annoyed a barman with my apparent lack of taste. Now that you've mentioned it, if the thermometer climbs to 90 again today, I might have to indulge but I promise I will neither muddle nor shake.

Probably a separate topic but has anyone tried the Salvadoran restaurant on Merriam? I just noticed an ad for it in the Preview section on Thursday and was intrigued. It's good to see we're getting some pan-Latino (if that's the right word) cuisine in town.

That brings back memories (not fond) of college days. The one in Lawrence had Texas Burritos for (IIRC) $1.99 on Tuesday nights. They weighed about 5 pounds and, of course, all of the chips, salsa, etc would pretty much fix you up for a week. Or ruin your appetite so you couldn't eat for the rest of the week, which worked out great with the college student budget. And there was a Baskin Robbins next door. Good times.

KC Media Digest for week of May 10 - May 16, 2007 The Kansas City Star Food Section Neil Salkind and Janet Majure on celebrity chefs, sites and blogs in the Online Epicure. Jill Silva notes Celina Tio's recent Beard Award; gets to the kernel of whole grains in Eating For Life; and last, but certainly not least, an homage to a rainbow of salts. Food TVs queen of butter paid a recent visit to Cowtown for a booksigning. Lauren Chapin visits with Paula Deen. The Food Calendar is here and the Farmers Markets are listed here. Doug Frost's Grape Escape for this week is a 2005 Santa Martina Rosso. Business Section Joyce Smith brings us various comings and goings in CityScape. Preview Section Eight years old and still living la vida loca, La Bodega gets another visit from critic Lauren Chapin. The Pitch Charles Ferruzza and his posse dine down at The Sunset Grill. And in My Big Fat Mouth he bids auf wiedersehen to the Berliner Bear of Waldo. Lawrence Journal-World Susan Krumm offers low-sodium alternatives for marinades. KCUR FM 89.3 The Food Critics join Walt Bodine at 10 a.m. this Friday. To listen online go to their website and click Listen Live. 710 KCMO (AM) From Jasper's Kitchen, with Jasper Mirabile, 11am-noon Saturday. Go here and click Listen Live.

Thanks for the readers' digest version. 'Nuff said.

Kudos to Chef Celina Tio, of The American Restaurant, for being named the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef of the Midwest.

Thanks for the report and the pics! I'll have to make a pilgrimage soon - although I found a certain charm to his earlier spots, I'm sure this will be great for him - and his staff.

The best herb salad I've ever had was a Po back in the day before Mario was a household word. I did some quick searching and I think this is as close as any of them come to my fond memory of it. I wish I had all of the ingredients and I'd make one right now.

Chopped garlic in oil/water in a jar causes me excruciating indigestion. Another reason to eat only where you know what you're getting. I made the mistake of eating some stir fry in the company cafeteria a couple of years ago and almost didn't live to tell the tale. I called the manager after a couple of hours of agony and he confirmed that they used it exclusively in their kitchen. Having only ever eaten from the salad bar, I had no idea. That was my first and last experiment with cooked food there. Ay ay ay. And jgm, I want to hear abut your aerogarden experience, too. I am very tempted by them.

Can you demonstrate this in July when we see you in Cleveland? ← Be sure to put bandaids on the shopping list!

My first thoughts are to keep varying the herb(s) - I have a thing for the combination of dill and salmon, for example, so I would probably try that early on. The other thing would be scallopini of chicken or veal - either lightly breaded or not - with your basic sauce and maybe some capers. And by all means go with the bleu cheese. The worst that can happen is you'll get to eat it all

As nearly as I can remember I've always done the horizontal cuts, without any ill affects. If it seems difficult or dangerous, I know it's time to take the knives in to the professionals. Onion dicing is the litmus test for the knife's ability to hold an edge. Some time ago it occurred to me that it would be easier to do the horizontal cuts first - and it is - but the habit is so strong I rarely remember to do it that way. It does improve the stability, though. And K8, your pix reminded me of my grandmother. I had been cooking with her for years before the girl scouts deemed us old enough to be taught how to handle a knife. It took all of my concentration to remember not to cut towards me when the troop leader or camp counselor was looking.

We have used Blues Hog as an addititive to our own concoctions in competition, too, although always against my protestations as I find it too sweet. As an aside, though, in my judging class I was in the vast minority in that regard - while the sweet/savory scale is entirely subjective and not taught as a criterion - most of my classmates leaned toward the sweet stuff. Maybe we're losing the battle and KC *is* going over to the dark (molasses-y) side

After The Pitch's Charles Ferruzza wrote an article wherein he likened KC BBQ to Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Treat, I wrote this letter to the editor:

KC Media Digest for week of April 26 - May 3, 2007 The Kansas City Star Food Section Long a rite of spring, asparagus gets an Asian twist from Jill Silva in Eating for Life. Lauren Chapin has found, with a bit of advanced planning, the once-exotic papaya can make a delicious treat and a great room freshener; and reviews the latest tome from our adopted Italian chef, Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italy. Mary Pepitone introduces Sri Lankan cook Rashmi DePaepe in Come Into My Kitchen. Doug Frost's Grape Escape features a Sicilian blend of Nero d'Avola and merlot. In Business Joyce Smith reports on the lasting legacy of the Gilbert Robinson empire. Preview Section Lauren Chapin explores KC's options for the most important meal of the day. The Pitch Charles Ferruzza steals a peek at Brookside's new darling sushi spot Domo. And in My Big Fat Mouth gives us a preview of the soon-to-open Zebra Room at the recently renovated Holiday Inn Aladin Hotel. Lawrence Journal-World Susan Krumm on the perils of ill-conceived cheese substitutions. On KCUR FM 89.3 The Food Critics join Walt Bodine at 10 a.m. this Friday. To listen online go to their website and click Listen Live. On 710 KCMO (AM) From Jasper's Kitchen, with Jasper Mirabile, 11am-noon Saturday. Go here and click Listen Live.

There must be something in the air - we just had a lengthy conversation on this topic Sunday. We had various Italian meats and they were all sliced what I would call "Italian-American Nonna" thin. You could almost read through them and I believe intended to be very tightly rolled for an antipasto (the more tightly rolled, the better in the circles I've been in but I don't know if that's a universal point of pride or unique to midwestern Italian-Americans?). Since the S.O. hadn't planned to use them that way, it didn't really work well for him. But then I used it to make some sandwiches for the baseball game the other night and, scattered about with other ingredients, they all worked well together. I always want to ask for an "etto" of this and that but it only works at real Italian delis. Everywhere else they look at you kinda like the 100-gram customer in Tracey's post upthread.

I still haven't made it to Joe's but there are other places we go if we're in the mood for a particular item that we like there, or for a different style of sauce for a change. I haven't been in years but the chicken at Rosedale used to be a favorite, although I've never cared for any of their other offerings. We like Quick's, too (there is one on Merriam Ln and one on 7th Street in KCK, near Bichelmeyer's). There is a place on K-32 called Mr. Epp's KC Barbecue that I've been dying to try but we bbq so much that we really don't go out for it all that often. And I think most of the visitors to KC tend to go to the same handful of places that have a rep. And, to Sandy (but too lazy for a separate reply), I still like Gates - meat and sauce. I don't know if it varies greatly from location to location or if I have just been lucky, but they haven't given me a reason to downgrade them. As always, a matter of taste. And I would throw-in that most restaurants/retail places make food very different from what is desirable in competition meat, so even applying that supposedly "standard" to the equation doesn't really make one opinion more valid that another.

They're called <<fiaschi>> (singular is fiasco, but I don't know if it's related to our word for an unmitigated disaster or not). I have notes somewhere from an Italian culture course I took in college. If a true expert doesn't weigh in before I get home tonight I will attempt to locate them. Please, someone, save me from that fate.

Sadly, due to artificially low prices and deplorable factory farming techniques, chickens are cheap. Regardless, I'm afraid this bird's gotta go. We're human and we make mistakes, don't beat yourself up about it but don't eat it. Live to conserve another day!

Yes, it's on Broadmoor.

I suggest you feed him a big herb salad for dinner tonight. If he wakes up in the morning, you're good to go. If not, tear them out and start fresh - new herbs, new bf.

Very entertaining and envy-evoking report, Sandy. You seem to have stumbled upon many of the same places we did on our visit a few years back - must be some innate midwestern-ness guiding us. Looks like the Seattle group could almost hold their own against the Heartland gang when it comes to finding and devouring good food. Maybe they should send their A Team to Cleveland in July for a little non-literary smackdown.

They have launched a "buy local" initiative (undoubtedly in response to the backlash from Michael Pollan's book. They are holding seminars/workshops for local growers who want to be qualified suppliers for their markets. Additionally they are offering scholarships to potential growers. Time will tell but this is a far better response to criticism than many other large corporate entities have managed, so good for them for listening and trying to right the wrongs.

At 45 minutes into the re-run and not having read the blog, my only guess is that TB might have been too easy on them, based on the comments here. Can I go to the way-back machine and get back 3/4-hour of my life? Why, oh, why do I do it? It's like reading the old "Nancy" comic strip. Train wreck, indeed.

KC Media Digest for week of April 19 - 25, 2007 The Kansas City Star Food Section Jill Silva celebrates the natural marriage of apricots and pork in Eating For Life. Mary Pepitone visits with Christy Rodes and "her kids" in Come Into My Kitchen. Doug Frost offers a taste of Bookwalter Merlot in his Grape Escapes. Farmers Markets listing for this week is here; and here is this week's Food Calendar. Preview Section Lauren Chapin is lukewarm about locally based hot property Red Robin and, in Good & Cheap, finds a quirky new favorite in a quirky old space. The Pitch Charles Ferruzza takes a twirl around Southwest Boulevard's Casa Grande. And in My Big Fat Mouth he tracks down Terry Barkeley, formerly of Nara, way down south. Lawrence Journal-World In Jayni's Kitchen welcomes Chef T.K. Peterson of TEN. And in a slightly less-appetizing vein, Gwyn Mellinger discusses food-borne illnesses and how to avoid them. Present Magazine Relish in Dulin & Co.'s take on the local market scene. KCUR 89.3 FM Join Walt Bodine as he welcomes the Food Critics at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) morning. Go here and click Listen Live. KCMO 710 AM From Jasper's Kitchen, with Jasper Mirabile, 11am-noon Saturday. Go here and click Listen Live.