moosnsqrl

KC Media Digest for week of June 22-28, 2006 Digester's Note: I hope you all appreciate the willpower and discipline involved in filing this report BEFORE heading to La Super Rica Taqueria for a midday repast. In the Kansas City Star Food Section Jill Silva's been watching Semi-Homemade again, I think. Read Some Assembly Required and decide for yourself. This week's food calendar makes me wish I could be in two places at one time. Get out and support our local farmers at these markets. In the Star's Preview Section Lauren Chapin visits Overland Park's quirky Hawaiian fast-food outlet, Maui Express. And checks out the latest cocktail trends at bluestem's wine lounge, JP's Wine Bar, One80 Lounge and re: Verse. If you've always wanted to play mixologist but didn't want to spend the $$ buying entire bottles of liqueurs when you only need an ounce, note the June 29 event. Doesn't everyone dream of having a drink named after them? Reminds me of an old joke about a grasshopper named Melvin. In this week's Pitch Charles Ferruzza burns up some more gasoline trekking out to The Legends to report on The Yardhouse. And, in My Big Fat Mouth, visits with Lisa Cordes (an old friend and Exec. Dir. of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival) about kettle corn and the Bard. In The Lawrence Journal-World If you don't already know this, please heed the warning: Bay leaves can be hazardous to your health! Seriously, spread the word - I nearly lost a friend this way. On KCUR-FM Don't forget The Food Critics on the Walt Bodine Show tomorrow. 89.3 on your FM dial or streaming at www.kcur.org. <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

While vodka is really a blank canvas, if you drink it straight (whether up or on the rocks) it does have subtle flavor. I like Tito's, am typically a KetelOne person, and eschew the more high-dollar Chopin, Grey Goose, etc. To my taste, they do have flavor and it is not particularly pleasing to me. I was curious about Chiroc when it was first introduced, but it also failed to wow me, and gave me a pretty bad headache in the bargain. I believe Tito's is priced somewhere in the $16/L range in our market, FWIW.

I've had better luck with the Hen House on 64th (not PVille, but northerly), plus they have the "buy fresh, buy local" stuff. They actually employ people who understand cuts and can think outside the cryovac. I had a similarly frustrating experience seeking a standing rib roast and, although they didn't have one sitting around, there was someone there who understood that he had the essential meat and equipment to 'engineer' one. You're also not that far from Trimble, MO, where the Berkshire stuff is processed and sold. Not something for a week night but perhaps a weekend trip when you're feeling flush enough to fill your freezer.

Summer usually finds us at Mambo Grill or Frontera in River North. Small-ish patios but great refreshing mojitos/margaritas in a festive atmosphere.

The KC Royals (under David Glass), not content to have the worst team in baseball, also features THE WORST food. Every time I visit another park (essentially, every time I travel to another MLB city) I am reminded of how good it can be and how pathetic the concessions are. Lamentable.

the core of lettuce, cabbage, radicchio - I don't mean the "hearts of ..." as seen in menu descriptions, rather the actual core. I sang their praises to the S.O. (who thought I was nuts for eating them) and he finally tried them. Now it's a fight to see who gets them. I'll never again go out of my way to convince him that something I love tastes good. What was I thinking?

Maybe it's just too early in the morning but this is kind of making me cringe. Can you elaborate or does someone have a picture they can post? Is it dressed (read: drowned, covered, enveloped, disguised ] in anything?

I came, I saw, I Graze[d]. Finally a reason to push on past Tucumcari - Graze by Jennifer James. Stopped in for dinner after a short 12-hour stint behind the wheel. I had a glass of bubbly to celebrate the end of that, then on to. . . Bread and butter: the former OK but unremarkable; the latter a wonderful combo of parsley and orange zest. A good omen. Soup du jour: a Spanish-inspired blend of garlic, bread and tomatoes with a poached egg. Flawless, packed with flavor and the texture was other-worldly. I could have had several more bowls. Scallops: Three large, perfectly done medium rare scallops with just enough carmelization to highlight their inherent sweetness. I've come to judge all scallops against those at my local (KC) go-to place (bluestem), having had better ones there than on either coast (ok, go ahead, flame me but seriously. . .). These were on a par with them. The only weakness was an incongruant pile of spinach with strawberries in the center. Spinach had been sauteed and cooled, leaving a greasy mouth-feel and the berries were too tart to eat without adversely affecting the scallops so I just steered clear after one bite. Thanks for those who posted about the place - it was definitely the highlight of a long day!

Rats, KC is snubbed again in favor of Chicago. No wonder we have a collective inferiority complex I know you can't go everywhere in season one, though, and 'get' the need for 1st and 2nd-tier media markets for success. Just promise you won't giggle or do a prolonged "mmmmm" or say "yum-me" (or any variation thereon) and I'll be happy and proud.

KC Media Digest for week of June 15-21, 2006 In the Kansas City Star Food Section Anne Brockhoff introduces us to a local Serbian couple celebrating the feast of Krsna Slava. And briefs us on the new smoother, lighter gins. Jill Silva's Eating for Life extolls the health benefits of berries. Lauren Chapin has a suggestion if you still don't know what to buy for Father's Day. This week's food calendar includes a Bengali cooking class and several 'taste of' events. In the Star's Preview Section Lauren Chapin adds another link to her chain of chains, Bonefish Grill. Join the 10th Anniversary of The Chef's Classic to benefit Harvesters. In this week's Pitch Charles Ferruzza makes a follow-up visit to Red Snapper three years later and reports that it has found its groove. The next venture of Snapper sibling, Max Chao, will be a Hawaiian bbq joint in the old Baja Fresh location (in front of Whole Foods). In My Big Mouth he offers a tease of the featured fare, and wonders if KC will be eating Spam-alot. (Hmm, if I were Chao, I would have a special in the works for when the musical plays here later this summer.) At eKC Online Lisa Waterman Gray reviews The Governer's Meeting House. <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

When in doubt, toss it out. I feel your pain, having done exactly the same thing more than once myself, but live to eat another day.

The snarky bad angel on my left shoulder wants to say "Tavern on the Green" but I won't.

I asked about corkage: Providence has a two-bottle limit. Each bottle has a $25 corkage fee. You can always ask the sommelier, if you have further questions. ← Thanks, Russell, but you'll make me lazy(-ier) if you do my homework for me. My dining companion is in the wine biz and consequently has access to, well, revelatory (if I may appropriate Russ Parson's word) bottles that never make it to my part of the world. I'm not opposed to getting house pairings but it seems kind of unnecessary and if often disappointing compared to what we have when we're allowed to schlep our own.

Graze looks like a winner but I'll be traveling and pretty casual. If I stopped in for a weekday lunch in shorts or jeans (and a top as well, of course ) would I be ok? Any particular favorites from those who've dined there? Anything to avoid? TIA.

Has there been a bribe level established yet (to convince you to pick our respective cities, I mean)? I hope you'll consider parity, so the big coastal markets don't always win (as in baseball) . You seem to be taking this so calmly. I'm not sure I would be - but that's probably why you're doing it and I'm not (among other reasons). I know you've got to be busy but really appreciate that you're taking the time to share the experience so we can enjoy it vicariously.

I've been subjected to the "Big" guy's white gazpacho and trust me, it will cure almost anything that ails you (except, perhaps, for over indulgence). Sante'

We're convinced the put opiates in their eggs. They are positively addictive. And the toast. The toast!

This reminded me of the uses many have mentioned here for Miracle Whip. Also the recipe has a significantly larger amount of vinegar (cider) than a mayonnaise and is also cooked as Badiane noted. The "fat" here is provided by eggs, cream and butter rather than soybean oil. I've made a boiled dressing for coleslaw before that includes celery seeds and it is actually a favorite recipe. Here is a version of the boiled dressing in "The Gift of Southern Cooking" with my version of the directions in case you want to try this as a substitute for purchased Miracle Whip. (The ingredients are bit more real!) I suspect the texture will be thinner than Miracle Whip so it would not serve as a substitute in all applications. 1 cup cider vinegar 3 egg yolks 2 tsp granulated sugar 1 tsp dry mustard 2 tsp all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 Tbs unsalted butter 1/3 cup heavy cream Place egg yolks in a small bowl and mix in all ingredients except for the vinegar, butter and cream. Bring vinegar to a good boil in a saucepan and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. Pour dressing back into pan, stir constantly and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter; then stir in cream and cool. Will keep for 2 weeks in fridge, covered. I would be curious if anyone tries this and thinks it has a similar flavor profile to MW. (One could also add in paprika, dried garlic, etc.) ← As mentioned above, I've been making a boiled dressing with cider vinegar and celery seeds for years as my standard cole slaw recipe. In Jean Anderson's "New DoubleDay Cookbook", she refers to this as an "old-fashioned carolina coleslaw with celery seed dressing". I love it; it's creamy, tart and a little bit sweet but not overly thick and I think it makes a great classic coleslaw. Do you still make a boiled dressing similar to that given above? What are your favorite things to use it with? Edna Lewis, above, mentions the following: potato salad, coleslaw, in deviled eggs, on a cold pork sandwich, and over hot boiled potatoes. ← Wow, I just made Ms. Lewis' recipe and it's too tart for my yankee palate. Whew! I'm going to take half of it and try to tame it into submission for a slaw I'm taking to some neighbors.

jgm and I did a drive-by of Robata a couple of weeks ago and it still looks like it has a way to go prior to opening. I noticed that they posted a job opening earlier this week for a cook, so that's usually a positive sign. Chef (to-be) Terry Barkley taught a class in the art of Robata at the Culinary Center of KC, but sadly I don't see another on the schedule at least through August.

I wish him the best on this but must admit I am worried about his price point. I'm sure the food is worth the $ and it is a good value, based on past Tatsu experiences. I'm less sure that the market in that area, especially at lunch, will bear it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him, though, and hope I'm wrong (as I so often am).

KC Media Digest for week of June 8-15, 2006 In the Kansas City Star Food Section Carlton Holton, Overland Park pastry Wunderkind is the object of Jill Silva's attention. [And this poor digester has had the Eurythmics living inside her poor, addled brain for over 36 hours now, thanks to the title.] Lauren Chapin discovers garlic scapes. In the Star's Preview Section Lauren Chapin answers the siren call of Ted Turner's foray into the dreaded realm called "upscale, casual dining." She likes most of what she finds at Ted's Montana Grill. Am I the only one who waxes sentimental about a day when phrases like "upscale, casual" had yet to be uttered? And there is a little French boite in Liberty that seems to require my attention. Martanali Cafe has vol-au-vents on the menu and that's all the excuse I need to pay a visit. In this week's Pitch If you have not yet tried Pangea, Charles Ferruzza says your should check out their lovely [tectonic] plates. And in My Big Mouth the trials and tribulations of the husband/wife food team - with a couple of upbeat stories thrown in for good measure. On KCUR-FM 89.3 It's time again for The Food Critics on Walt Bodine. Tomorrow they may or may not be talking about foods you never thought you would eat, or enjoy. [sorry to be so wishy-washy - someone there has commitment issues.] Just go to their website at 10am CDT and click on "Listen Live." <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

How did you ever slip through the "no actual knowledge of food" net? Kidding aside, that's great and good for you! I always use your blog when I'm looking for an off the beaten path place in your neighborhood, so I will look forward to it. Did you mention (I failed "reading for comprehension 101") how long the show will be in production and when it might air?

A little background for the ignorant, please? Is this another Tulsa treat for me to look forward to? u.e. ← Darrell Merrell, "the Tomato Man with Garlic Breath." He is a legend to those of us who love both (tomatoes and garlic, I mean).

John, I'm sure the opinion of someone in KC is not worth the butcher paper it's written on but . . . Regardless of the current reality of that organization, your participation (if you have the time) can only lend it more credence. I say this secure in the knowledge that the true home of true 'cue is, of course, KC. You would be amazed at how politically charge bbq (esp competition bbq) is, but it is still a source of great fun, great comeradrie, and great food. Wherever we go, simply mentioning that we're from KC elicits lively conversation. It's all good.

Not to worry, Dividend. We like to scuffle 'verbally' but the border is largely peaceful these days. I haven't personally witnessed an arsonist sortie in months. You just want to watch out for the redneck "ladies" from JoCo wielding their over-sized Kate Spade bags and driving minivans. Apart from that, you'll be fine