moosnsqrl

I was curious about that as well. CAG, Dave? Did you finally take my suggestion and order some logo smelling salts for the impulsive collection?

If you're reading this thread you probably already know just about everything about Limoncello, but in the event something has escaped your attention, current Saveur has a nice piece about the lemons of Sorrento and it includes what looks to be a fairly traditional recipe/methodology.

Great idea - bocconcini golf balls! And maybe you could add "tees" (carrots? bell pepper?). And divot repair tools made of what? I can't think of anything naturally occurring that bears any resemblance to one but I'll work on it. One of my favorite summer sides is a salad made of just about anything with some grilled raddichio and romaine as a base, tossed with a simple vinaigrette. There is just something about grilling the two that really makes them special.

KC Media Digest for week of May 18-24, 2006 In the Kansas City Star Food Section Jill Silva officially opens picnic season in A Meal That's Good to Go. Because approximately 20% of my disposable income (plus ALL of the big bucks I get for media digesting ) goes to support my KetelOne habit, it was with great interest that I read Anne Brockhoff's piece on super premium vodkas. In the Star's [newly revamped] Preview Section Lauren Chapin returns to weigh-in on our own John McClure's Starker's Reserve. If it's true that we eat with our eyes, the Roselle Court at the Nelson is certain sensory overload (and don't get me started about the new building!). Also note the inclusion of a local chef-designer in Thirty Under Thirty. Lastly, if you're like I am and can never find the Food Q&A on the Star's website, the new design is a godsend. If you scroll down to the bottom of the Entertainment homepage, there are links to all of the entertainment-related Q&As. Lauren Chapin's Food Q&A is here if you wish to bookmark it. In The Pitch There are a few times when I am happy to be a humble media digester. Charles Ferruzza's visit to Dave & Buster's makes today one of those times. Having only seen and smelled the food, I still feel confident that his review is easier to digest than the menu offerings. And in My Big Mouth we get a short history of the latest Dos Hombres outlet and the early 4-1-1 on Thomas (newly opened in the old Matadors space on 39th). On Sunflower cable (Channel 6 in Lawrence, for those able to get it) Jayni Carey is having a Spring Fling in her TV kitchen. Recipes and airtimes can be found on the Lawrence Journal World website here. In Ingram's Magazine Chris Becica reminds us that it's time to vote for KC's Best. <><><><><> 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. <><><><><>

Judge Judy, here! If this is a place you love, I would go to the owner and essentially let him/her know that you feel taken advantage of and you would really like to understand what happened so you could feel better about it and NOT have to stop dining there. If they have any sense at all they will realize that it's far cheaper to keep existing customers happy than to cultivate new ones and also that disgruntled customers are far more likely to share their experience than satisfied ones, so the bad "press" (word-of-mouth and eG, for example) will end up costing them far more than the extra room charge, another server, or a reasonable volume discount on food would have cost. If they can't understand that they've made a bad business move, your next post can be ISO new pizza joints in your area.

I know I'm going to regret this...where I come from, brandade is pretty cut and dried (pun intended). Pray tell what else are people trying to pass-off as brandade? ← Yeah, for the unimaginative (or reasonable-mind), it would be hard to think of any other way of preparing brandade. Would you believe I've had brandade made from things other than cod? - everything from monkfish to sea bass... or even vegetarian versions - tempeh and tofu brandade... Also, I've had brandade rolled into a ball and deep fried (not bad, but not traditional). In Spain, at a tapas restaurant, an order of brandade materialized as a filet of re-hydrated salted cod under a light layer of tomato sauce and melted mozerella cheese. While traditional brandade is supposed to be thickened with potatoes, I've also had brandade thickened with dried bread, sweet potatoes, turnips and even cereal.... I've also had dessert brandade, which went something like this: shredded coconut and squeeze-dried pineapple - thickened with brioche... I think it was called the "pina colada brandade"... needless to say, curiosity got the better of me when I ordered it. It rated high creativity... and I think it even succeeded... it's just a pity they couldn't have come up with a better name for it... u.e. ← I guess, with that in mind, I am reminded of a pretty-much-no-holds-barred use of "carpaccio" which, in modern menu parlance, has come to mean anything uncooked, thinly sliced. I'm afraid I am a traditional kinda gal. Brandade is made from dried, salted cod, rehydrated in milk, processed (via tami or other device) and otherwise not too much adulterated (save from the addition of primo olive oil and, perhaps, herb). Not unlike what Chef Crum (and several million little old French mothers) would describe.

I know I'm going to regret this...where I come from, brandade is pretty cut and dried (pun intended). Pray tell what else are people trying to pass-off as brandade?

The bitch is back et la bouche n'est pas amuse, Z.

Agreed - I'm not terribly shy about sending food back if it's improperly prepared, not fresh, etc but I don't feel anyone should have to work for a good meal (plus it throws the whole meal off if you're waiting for replacement food while everyone else is enjoying their foor; although I find you generally get some "sympathy bites" while you're waiting ). I will encourage Dan or Cody (Exec Chef, Chef de Cuisine) to join us - sounds like they could benefit from hearing some of these things, since I know they are quality conscious. It never hurts to be reminded that every plate going out may be someone's first/only impression of their food.

I'm truly surprised to hear that, cwench! If I had to guess I'd say we've eaten there upward of 100 times in the 8+ years they've been open and I've sent 2 things back (excessively bitter rapini - I know, I know, it's SUPPOSED to be bitter, but...) and some calamari that had gone 1 minute too long and was rubbery. Other than that, my food and all that I've been able to cadge from dining mates - surely amounting to hundreds of dishes in all of that time, have always been impeccable. Just based on my experience, I'd have to call your visits anomalies.

Dana, I don't know when in June you're going but there are some special events you might want to be aware of (whether to attend or avoid if you just want a normal Lidia's experience). See the Heritage Food tour thread and/or Lidia's website for specifics.

Now, having fully recovered, slept a couple of nights and sneaked up on some food again, I'm ready to make a couple of additional comments. The oyster/avo/lotus root chip may be the most intriguing thing I've had in a long while. Much as I hate to agree with Zeemanb, this is a keeper. I hope it make future appearances. The sherry sabayon was mentioned but not raved about; it should have been. Re: 'not enough brandade' well, you're not hanging out in the right (French) places, but the use of brandade to make this dish work opened my eyes to its versatility. I will no longer view it as merely something to slather on a good baguette. I (rather foolishly) tasted the fish/saffron broth full-strength and was taken aback. Then I caught onto the intention and introduced the brandade into the next bite -- ah, now I get it. Brandade as condiment. It gives me ideas (ideas that will drive-up the cost of bacalao in the metro area). I had not eaten lamb in at least 15 years; the first bite I wasn't sure if I could do it...I had another and it began to smoothe-out for me. In the end, there was nothing left and I couldn't even feel badly about it. Good stuff. I'm not a dessert person but I felt as nearly rhapsodic as I ever get about sweets (and stopped just short of licking my mirror clean, which is a compliment coming from this savory-inclined diner). Otherwise Z did a fairly decent job of describing the experience.

A small winery "Lang & Reed" makes some enjoyable cab francs. Check them out here.. No idea if they're available retail in your area, but worth a look!

KC Media Digest for week of May 11-17, 2006 In the Kansas City Star Food Section Looking for a special place to celebrate Mother's Day? Some suggestions here. Digester's Note: The Eats portion of the KC Star Preview Section returns next week after a three-week hiatus. In The Pitch Charles Ferruzza is lucky to snag a table for dinner at Room 39.. And you have ten days to call in your reservation for La Croix's Second Annual Crawfish Boil. Free lessons offered if you need help pinching 'da tail or sucking 'da head (as they say). In the Lawrence Journal World Want to have a safe kitchen? Here's some news you can use. <><><><><> 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. <><><><><>

Dude, what table were you at? I am SO jealous

I'm so glad that our dinner could inspire at least one party to cancel their reservation! Well worth the time and $$ I can't argue with anything Z said (well, I think the asparagus was pecan crusted, but as he subtly alluded, I was 0 for several in my predictions and procalamations (note to self: limit use of absolutes like always, never). But kidding aside, c-wench, it's not like the regular tasting menu is a bad thing - just stops five courses too soon I'm not sure I'm down with sous vide bbq, either, but maybe it's a guy thing (power tools).

Not having tried D&W I can't offer comparison but I have noticed Boar's Head moving through our market like kudzu and they are quite proud of their products as evidenced by their ubiquitous patio umbrellas and other logo swag that is invariably takes over whatever grocer allows them to get their trotters in the door. I don't find their quality that impressive, though. Certainly not to the extent it would cause me to abandon a lifelong favorite.

I'd first like to point out that bad coffee blunders are like the 60s: if you can remember them, you weren't really there. One of my favorite tricks is to leave the water in the carafe, turn on the electric drip coffee maker and wonder why the thing hasn't beeped to indicate it's done...and what IS that smell? Oh. It's overheated dry coils, dummy. Second favorite trick is to swing the cone/filter/coffee arm into position, start it, and return to discover that the cone wasn't quite in place, folded over when I swung it into the closed, brewing position, and there is hot water and coffee grounds running all over the counter top, small appliances, cannisters, knife block. Not a good way to start the day but the second one does generally result in waking me up, pretty much.

So, Fress, do you "Apply, lather, rinse and repeat" when you wash your hair, too? And they say real men never read instructions. Ha!

KC Media Digest for week of May 4 - 10, 2006 In the Kansas City Star Food Section Gail Borelli encourages residents to leave the grocery produce aisle and walk the rows of you-pick farms in our area. Included is a handly clip and save list (which, if you're like me, you won't be able to find a week from now, let alone when the apple crop comes on, but give her props for trying). Local wine guru Doug Frost takes exception to the high praises given by the mainstream wine media to the recently released 2003 Bordeaux. Lauren Chapin (and your humble digester) anxiously await the season's first new potatoes Jill Silva reminds us that muffins can be part of a healthy diet if they're not super-sized. In The Pitch Charles Ferruzza visits The Thai House, where he finds potential, but a disturbing lack of herbaceous Thai flavors. And describes how a large multi-national corporation decided to flex its muscle against a tiny local business in what can, at best, be described as a frivolous threat of a law suit. So the next time someone invites you and your pooch to join them at Lill's, be very glad you're going to a quaint canine-friendly restaurant on 17th and not a stuffy, boring hotel lobby coffee shop! <><><><><> 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. <><><><><>

A bunch of neighbors gather to make mass quantities of povitica for the holidays, a labor-intensive Croatian loaf rolled with nuts, cheese or fruit. By forming an assembly line we can crank out dozens of loaves in the time it would take to do 2 at home alone and it generally gets a little slap-happy after a time. Our particular group isn't ethnically bound, but there is a significant Croation population around here, concentrated in the Strawberry Hill area historically, so the food traditions have spread to many honorary Croats.

It's in the same vicinity, but on the north side of Town Center. ← It was, apparently, La Dolce Vita in a previous life.

And much of it is farm-raised as well. A couple of years ago many of the states and regions formed associations to actively promote their wild-caught shrimp, attempting to educate consumers and thereby save their livelihood, since competing with farm-raised and SE Asian imported product without differentiating themselves was becoming impossible. Edited to add: I was going to include a link but there are many of these groups and I don't want to promote one or the other but, if you just google "wild shrimp" you'll get about 10 pages of them.

KC Media Digest for week of April 27-May 2, 2006 In the Kansas City Star Food Section Janet Majure takes us inside what is fast becoming a local treasure and gives us commoners a look at The Upper Crust. And invites us to visit a local couple who are living the CSA lifestyle in In My Kitchen. Lauren Chapin showcases local food producers - old timers and newcomers - in It Takes Time to Make Food this Good. In The Pitch Charles Ferruzza confirms that Cafe Provence is still alive and well. Vive la France (in JoCo)! And (amen!) tries again to dispell the rumor that the BBQ sauce named for our fair city is indeed The Kansas City Treat. On the Air Don't forget to listen to KCUR (89.3FM or streaming here, then click Listen Live) tomorrow at 10am (CDT) when The Food Critics join Walt Bodine to celebrate the bounty of fresh foods available in the KC Metro area. <><><><><> 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. <><><><><>

It certainly worked on me.