Bricktop

I emailed Shola for an ID and password, but haven't heard back. No problem, he's a busy guy. I hope it returns soon, because the food and the photography are inspirational.

:drool:

Seriously? ← Seriously.

That was indeed odd. My gripe is on the typeface used in the recipe notes. The lowercase "s" really is irritating.

I like to drink GM straight up. Does that mean I have to give back my membership card?

I just got a shipping notice from Amazon on my copy.

Of all the books I have got in the last few months (incl. Alinea/Fat Duck/Under Pressure), this is the one I will probably use the most. I like Carmellini's style of food and prose, and obviously the food is far more family friendly than the others, which clearly have their place in my library. They just won't get as foodstained.

Thanks! I just watched the first two episodes, and caught Stefan's silliness. I almost always throw a teaspoon of mustard in my vinaigrettes precisely to emulsify them. That dude is way too full of himself, with the facepulling when he was rated poorly in E02. He's already this year's "Douchebag and a Tool" in my book. Jill or Ariane could have gone this week to no great surprise, but I would have booted Ariane. Bullet Dodger. (And I though Jill was very cute).

A GREAT line. Stolen for future use.

Seems everytime I dvr an episode it's one I've seen. The website didn't give a recipe for his mayo. Can you give me a quick run down on how he did it. I've tried using a mortar and pestle in a simple Spanish method of just garlic and oilve oil which work well but would love to hear how he did it. ← It was a while since I saw it, but he had the egg and oil in a tall beaker, and used an immersion blender. The blender started at the bottom, and he slowly raised it emulsifying more oil in as he rose up. Very cool, but I am sure there were other details I forgot.

Heartsurgeon, what did you think "Made in Spain" would be about? Coq au vin and Linzertorte? Lemongrass and soy sauce?It's obvious why you're not "Brainsurgeon".

I just got an email from Amazon that my copy of Under Pressure has shipped.

Dammit Bill, I'm just a chef, not a miracle worker!

Wow, indeed she does. I just watched the braised chicken with green beans episode, and she seemed to use it by the handful. For the beans, super salty cooking water, super salty chill bath, and then another load when she reheated them in the garlic oil. And a big handful in the braised chicken. The chocolate sauce was spared, but she may have sneaked some in the pate a choux too.

"The absolute start" and "the beginning".... hmmm... Maybe this ? ← To quote Carl Sagan, "If you want to bake an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe

Gwyneth, didn't you hear the maxim about never appearing with anyone hotter than you? Claudia dusts ya, baby! Off to set a wishlist for this on the Tivo.

Another update: This is one FIRST CLASS operation. Based on everything I have seen so far, this book looks like it will be a stunner.

My wife had a mirto and scotch based cocktail at Union Square Cafe this past July. I have the recipe on a scrap of paper somewhere. It must have been good, because she had two.

It's on Chef Andres is an engaging and passionate host. The show whizzes by. It's cute to see him cooking in DC in the same outfit he wears in Spain.

This afternoon, after re-reading the thread from the beginning with the new posts, I decided to play around with the Negroni based on ideas presented. I've always made them the 1:1:1 way, playing around some with the gin (usually Tanqueray) and vermouth (Vya if feeling flush, M&R otherwise), but today was a day to put a different spin on it, so.. 1.5 Tanqueray Rangpur 1.0 Carpano Antica 1.0 Campari A few good dashes of Fees Orange Bitters. Built over ice, and served on the rocks. Freaking amazing! Best Negroni I have had by far. Most complex certainly. I can't point to specifically if it was the gin, the Carpano or the bitters, any two or all three, but this was a dangerously good drink.

Ruhlman is always entertaining. The hairball from Bon Appetit is not. Except when Ruhlman slaps him around. THAT is good TV.

I would love to be the waitperson has to deal with a table of these four drama queens. Ay caramba! Good that TC5 will be on by next December though!

At a hole in the wall liquor store near my office, I found and bought three bottles of Carpano Antica. I'd only ever seen a bottle of it in Manhattan. Score!

Yeah, because you have mastered the Boston shaker, where I have to go to the rubber mallet a lot, which costs me cool points when making drinks. /feels shame. But we are getting too far off topic. It's about Bittman's inadequacies not mine.

Don't worry, I would never go below the belt. I am not usually dogmatic on something as cocktails, but I just don't like the effects of shaking a drink that IMO is better stirred. The cloudiness is offputting to me in shaken Manhattans, and makes them too cold for my taste. I am not a Martini drinker so I dare not comment on that score - those guys are nuts, and can fight their own corner.