Dave Hatfield
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Posts posted by Dave Hatfield
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Dave, in step 4 you say "halve and seed" the apricots: do you also slice them? Or you lay concentric circles with the full apricot halves?
Chris,
If you look at Dave's blog, French Food Focus, I believe you'll see a picture of said apricot tart - very pretty, by the way.
Looks like "halved and seeded" but not sliced.
John
Thanks for looking at my blog & as per my post above my apologies for being slow to respond.
As it happens we just came back from dinner at a friends where she served apricot tart. She uses the same method as do I, but she added a glaze made of apricot jam, brandy & a bit of water. She boiled & reduced that a bit then glazed the tart & baked it for 15 minutes more.
The result was terrific! Think I'll try this addition.
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Dave, in step 4 you say "halve and seed" the apricots: do you also slice them? Or you lay concentric circles with the full apricot halves?
Chris
Sorry, I've been busy & didn't see your question until just now.
Concentric circles just using the halves.
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Simplest possible Apricot pie/tart, but delicious.
1) Roll out short crust pastry onto a circular flat pan. (I use a pizza pan.)
2) mix up a combination of equal parts flour, sugar and ground almonds. Roughly 1/2 cup of each for a 12" circular tart.
3) spread this around on top of the pastry. Spreading it fairly equally.
4) Halve & de seed the apricots.
5) Lay the apricots cut side down on the pastry with its dry ingredient mixture. Start with the outside leaving about a 1" edge. Lay concentric circles until the crust is covered. Then add to second layer on top of the first. When finished pinch the edges up using wet fingers to make a flouted rim which will contain any juices from the apricots.
6) Bake in a hot oven (375F) until the apricots are soft and slightly browned on top.
Easy, delicious and it looks pretty.
There's a pictorial recipe somewhere on my blog.
Try it you'll like it.
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I agree with you Dave.
The first time we went to La Tour D'argent in Paris, there was a finely dressed older lady at the table next to us by the window. She was seated at a two top with her poodle on the chair opposite her. The poodle had its own plate on the table. It was very well mannered, you didn't even know there was a dog there.
This is/was a top restaurant, very classy, and it didn't bother us at all.
And, none of the other patrons blinked an eye.
We would have done so, had the poodle a glass of wine at their place setting!
Edited to say: Responding to Dave Hatfield.
Yes, exactly. Although we don't allow our poodle to actually eat while in the restaurant he knows that he will get a treat once we leave.
Fortunately he doesn't like wine, but he does enjoy the very occasional bowl of beer at home. I say fortunately because I don't like sharing my better wines.
I find the no dogs in restaurants laws in the states and in other countries to be very narrow minded. Why I ask?
The vast majority of dog owners that would if allowed take them to restaurants are those with well behaved animals who are clean. In our experience the dogs seem to realize that they are 'on sufferance' are behave accordingly. Our guy for instance finds a place to curl up under or alongside out table and quietly watches everything that's going on. Most of the time other patrons don't even know he is there. If approached by others he is very subdued and polite in his greetings. He is not unusual in this, most dogs seem to behave this way. As I said earlier I've seen far more badly behaved children in restaurants than I have dogs.
The health reasons just don't wash. After all many of us live with dogs and manage to stay healthy. Allergies? Well yes, but lots of people are allergic to perfumes and/or after shave. Should we ban those who wear them?
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brescd01, my advice is to move to France where they have a more civilized attitude towards dogs & restaurants.
Namely that well behaved dogs are welcome. Our dog, my avatar & a large standard poodle, loves going to restaurants. Two Michelin stars is his top so far. He knows how to behave, no fuss, no bother, no begging. Most restaurants will happily bring him a bowl of water.
I've seen both here & elsewhere far more badly behaved children in restaurants than I have dogs.
I know that the law makes it impossible for restaurants in the USA to allow dogs. That's a shame. We've met some very nice people via conversations that started with the dog. He's a great ice breaker.
Our old poodle now deceased was quite a presence and at one of our favorite restaurants he was always shown the greatest respect by the proprietress. "Would M. like a table by the window? A bowl of water perhaps M. and so on. Afterwards it was; "did M. enjoy his meal." "please come again." It was great fun for all.
And please nobody trot out the hygiene argument. Most dogs are as clean as a lot of people.
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I'm not so sure about all of this.
I don't think you can beat a porcelain pot, pre-heated and scalded, then covered with a thick tea cozy.
Stainless may be OK being more inert, but silver definitely changes the taste of the tea. My wife who is from the North of England has proved this numerous time in blind tastings for skeptical visitors.
Still, the proof is in the tasting. If the tea is still good I guess anything that works - works.
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Great input and wonderful recipes, but...
I haven't seen one without pork in it. Markk has a problem with pork which leads me to ask?
What was it that he ate in Alsace?
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Think its a matter of personal taste.
My favorite is a combination of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
But, to each his or her own.
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I have been trying to find an authentic Tarte D'Alsace recipe lately, but nothing I have made has come close to the ones I enjoyed as an exchange student living in Strassbough about 15 years ago. Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Dan
Are you anywhere near a Trader Joe's? If so I'm told they do a great version.
Looking via Google confused me as there seems to be a savory version (onions & bacon) and a sweet version (plums). I'm not sure which you are referring to.
Try googling it.
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A very rare type of ice wine is produced near us in the Gaillac region of France.
It is called 'vin oblier' , the forgotten wine. The grapes are those left over after the normal harvest and then picked after the first freezing weather in the fall.
Like the more famous ice wine from Germany it is very expensive due to the high labor involved in picking the grapes and the small yield.
I'm told that its been made here since Roman times.
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Changing tack slightly and looking for help.
I used to, in the 80's, go to Huntsville, Alabama on business quite frequently. The locals would take us to a place out in the country, but not far from Huntsville to a BBQ place called the 'Greenbriar'.
Their specialty was a WHITE BBQ sauce that was fantastic. I've never seen it anywhere else.
Does anybody know about this place or even more importantly have a recipe for the sauce?
I'd be eternally grateful for a recipe.
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There are several legal options I can think of. Here they are in no particular order.
- Get accepted at a accredited school or university as a student. Once successfully into your courses options to obtain a work visa may will open up. Take a close look at what's available in all of the main EEC countries first though.
- Marry an EEC citizen. Easier to meet & fall in love if you've succeeded at the option above. Once married you should be able to get a resident visa and be able to work.
- Apply at lots & lots of restaurants for a job. The odds are low, but you just might get one to sponsor you for a work visa. Use any contacts you have mercilessly to try to help.
Not legal. but the easiest is to work 'on the black'. There are a lot of places that will hire kitchen help at a low wage (but nonetheless a wage). You'd probably have to move around quite a lot. And you could get lucky and have one of these places sponsor you for a visa.
Unfortunately, its just not that easy to get into the EEC to work these days. You can fairly easily come over and stay for quite a long time (I know somebody who has just gone back to the states after 20 illegalmonths in Europe) so long as you don't try to work or use the social services.
Good luck!
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Now that I'm retired I don't 'do it' as often as in the past.
Living in France helps as we have access to many places in Europe by car so we can take short visits to sample the food & culture. The travel cost of getting somewhere are a big barrier for most of us. Thus, if we're lucky these days we only get to the states or South Africa or Australia once a year. Still not bad.
When working I was lucky enough to travel a lot and to have a fairly generous expense account. Thus most restaurants were within financial reach especially if I topped up the company's allowance. Also, much of the time I was traveling Europe where my colleagues knew that I was a foodie & delighted in showing off the local, cuisine.
So, I was able to 'do it' out of sheer good luck. No planning on my part the career just evolved. I don't know about others, but I suspect that my story isn't all that unique.
Try to get a job in Export Sales or Management is my advice if you want to both travel and eat well.
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Well, I wasn't going to comment any further, but this morning I had such a perfect example of the difference between a comp and a freebie that I can't resist passing it on.
This happened at Limogne market where I had gone to stock up on vegetables, fruit and cheese. Its a lively market and was packed due to it being a beautiful Spring day.
First the comp.
I stopped to chat with a local wine maker who I know well. Now, although I like hi, and his wife I don't think much of his wine so never buy any. He likes me and knows my opinion, but he also knows that my views on local wines are well respected locally.
So, he gave me a bottle of his latest release. A comp if I ever saw one. His hope is that I'll like it and tell others and, maybe even mention it on my blog. Won't do him any good, but I can't blame him for trying.
Now the freebie.
I'm making a couple of tarte tatin' as we have ten for lunch tomorrow. Thus I stopped at a stand specializing in apples, told the lady that I wanted the best type for making tart tatin and that I needed enough for two. She did me a bag of nice looking apples.
I noticed that she had some nice looking, but expensive cherries. So I asked for a few. She put a couple of handfuls in a bag & I said that's enough. She weighed them, added thing up and then reopened the bag and put in another handful. That, my friends, is a freebie.
Hopefully the ethical or moral difference between the two actions is clear.
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David, excellent report which I enjoyed very much.
I don't wish to put you or the Klatsch team on the spot, but...
Re the recent discussion on the EG ethics code may I ask if you were comped for any of these events or activities?
Dave that is an excellent question. No, the Klatsch team did not sponsor or pay for any of the events I attended. I paid my own way for the airfare, hotel and all of the events I attended. (And by the way, many members of the "press" were given complimentary access to the events). I was given a complimentary ticket to the private screening of "Julie and Julia," and from what I know, it was an invitation only event and tickets were not sold in conjunction with Uncork'd.
I have attended "Uncork'd" for three years now, and while it is expensive, it is personally worth the expense. This year I had the great opportunity to turn my report on "Uncork'd" into a Klatsch discussion and bring it to our Members.
David - Thanks for the reply. Keep it up; as I said I enjoyed your report very much.
I'll look forward to next year.
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David, excellent report which I enjoyed very much.
I don't wish to put you or the Klatsch team on the spot, but...
Re the recent discussion on the EG ethics code may I ask if you were comped for any of these events or activities?
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Again, the comp/freebie distinction is not one the code acknowledges. The code says "Where a free or discounted product or service has been accepted, a corresponding disclosure is made." So while it's interesting to talk about that distinction as an intellectual matter (and I hasten to add I think the distinction is clearly nonsense), it's not relevant to the code.
And while some may be altogether opposed to comps, or writing about comps, I hope it's clear that the decision on that issue has already been made. The code, and the Society, are not banning comps or writing about comps. So, with that decision as a given, the question is: should comps be disclosed? Does anybody think the answer is no?
Well, that's as good a way to to kill off the discussion as any I guess.
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I don't really know if I'm factually correct as I don't have the relevant statistics.
Do you get comp'd or do you get freebies? Regular customers will often get freebies.
Do you regularly write up your restaurant experiences? For publication? On a blog?
I find it difficult to fathom why if you eat at a different restaurant every night many restauranteers would give you free meals. New York establishments aren't exactly noted for the generosity.
Still, I'd like to learn to the secret of your success. Please share.
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To be clear, the code is not just for eG Forums participants. It's for anybody -- blogger, discussion-forum participant, online writers of all kinds -- who wants to become a signatory.
In addition, the code doesn't really acknowledge a professional-amateur distinction. That distinction probably doesn't even make sense in the world of new media, where so many people are hybrids of what used to be called professional and amateur. Were there such a distinction being made, though, it's hard to see why professionals and amateurs would be held to different ethical standards anyway.
The distinction is easy. If you get paid for doing it you are a professional. If you do things for the enjoyment of them without thought of renumeration then you are an amateur. Whether or not you do it full time or not is irrelevant, its getting paid that influences the integrity of what one writes.
There is inference of a double standard in what I've written. You get paid or are comp'd you don't write about it on eGullet. Simple, no conflict of interest, no confusion. As a professional you can write for publication, on your blog or on any forum where you wish and get paid for it. On eGullet, however, I would contend that you should not post about those things or places that have comp'd you.
After all what are most comp's? They are a form of payment. The donor gives in the hope that a favorable write up or some form of publicity will ensue. This is why earlier I made the distinction between a comp and a freebie.
As a retired marketeer I'm very familiar with holding events, exhibitions, press conferences and the like. There were never any illusions on either side as to what was going on. I was in high tech where our average piece of goods was in the $100K region so, obviously, we didn't 'comp'our product. It would have been a pretty stupid journalist, however, who though I was buying that expensive meal just because I liked them.
Just because media has changed is no reason to alter the standards of professional behavior. In fact it a reason to reinforce them. I do applaud the effort on the part of eGullet to attempt to do that. I can't, however, agree on this particular issue.
Peace.
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My strong opinion is that one should not write about or express an opinion about any meal, event or product where one has been comp'd.
I think the place this reasoning is most obviously flawed is with repect to events. Are you really suggesting that press attendees at events like food and wine festivals -- who in my experience are nearly always comped -- should never write about those events? Do you really think it is never appropriate to write about a product sample provided by a manufacturer? I think if you review the general output of the mainstream food media and apply that standard, more than a few magazines would need to shut down.
The world of food writing, especially online but also in mainstream food media, is quite diverse. A minuscule percentage of food writers have traditional restaurant-reviewing or consumer-advocacy roles where it might make sense for them to keep entirely at arms length from the industry. But the overwhelming majority cover a variety of subjects that sometimes involve free stuff.
So, for example, I was just reading this in Food & Wine magazine's "Mouthing Off" blog. Kate Krader, the magazine's restaurant editor, penned a post titled "Just Another Monday at Joe Bastianich’s House." Restaurateur Joe Bastianich hosted an event at his home in Greenwich and invited some media. I believe he provided transportation too. Mario Batali grilled the steaks, etc. Kate Krader went and wrote about it. Presumably, she didn't pay to go. Big deal. The "Mouthing Off" blog is full of stuff like this, as are tons of other blogs, discussion-forum posts and other pieces of food writing both online and in print. It's the norm, easily demonstrable by citing a near-infinite number of examples.
The eG Ethics code simply looks at that norm and says the best way to deal with any potential appearance of ethical ambiguity that might be introduced by taking comps is to disclose them.
Its perhaps your last sentence that highlights the difference in our opinions. It would seem that your'norm' is my exception.
If I understand correctly the norm as defined in your post above is the professional food writer.
My norm is by my definition are those interested in food, not as a profession, but as a subject of interest. We amateurs for lack of a better word.
My assumption is that the majority of eGulleteers are amateurs. As such it is a rare event for us to be comped. If we are it would be pretty difficult to be objective in writing about the experience. Thus, I take the hard line moral stance that one shouldn't write about it at all. At least that is on a forum such as eGullet. On one's own blog which is by its very nature personal opinion I think its up to the individual.
There are of course many food professionals who are member of eGullet. I have no idea what percentage, nor who they are. I would say, however, that when writing on eGullet I would hold to my opinion that they should not comment upon events, meals or products they have been comp'd. When on eGullet they are not in my opinion acting in their professional capacity, but as individuals. If on eGullet there was a forum where food (in the wide sense) professionals could express their opinions identifying themselves as such then I'd love to see their posts. Yes, know there are some forums, but I'm primarily thinking of restaurant, event or product reviews.
In your example above I see no conflict. She is a professional food writer writing in a for profit magazine. I'd have been surprised if she hadn't been comp'd. Likewise food writers attending events and such get comp'd as a matter of course. But, when writing in their professional capacity most readers will make the assumption that they have been. No problem, no big deal.
We, however, are talking about eGullet. Not to my knowledge a publication that uses paid professional writers to generate any of its content. My assumption is that participants on eGullet are amateurs in my definition or, if professional are writing and commenting as private individuals.
Perhaps being a retired amateur I can afford the luxury of a 'purist' stance. Or, perhaps its age which makes me impatient with politically correct stances that don't quite do the job.
As I said before it makes for an interesting discussion.
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Is this a comp, or just kindness?
A more important question, for many here....you frequent a restaurant because you appreciate what they do. Because you appreciate what they do, you strike up a friendship with them. A camaraderie develops, and, lo and behold, you have the simple human act of making friends.
Does this mean you can no longer comment on what they are doing in the kitchen?
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To me its a kindness and nothing wrong with that.
Of curse you can & should comment upon your friend's cooking. That's a good honest relationship & if your friends want to to treat you to a free meal occasionally that's fine too.
As to business relationships all I can say is that your style is very different to what mine was before I retired. Some of my best friends are those I met in business who either worked for me or I them.
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Maybe what's needed is a more precise definition of what is or is not considered a 'comp'
Let me try this:
To me a comp is when one is provided a free meal, service or product. That is a whole meal, a kettle of fish, free tickets to XX or whatever.
Then there is what I might call a 'freebie'; something that is thrown in as an extra be it dessert, a glass of wine, a thirteenth egg or whatever. These are common as gestures of goodwill to a customer (particularly a regular customer) and a whole different kettle of fish to a comp.
Thus jesteinf & his wife were given a freebie, not a comp.
Oakapple, sorry to disappoint you, but I never look at Chowhound. I guess I'm more of the Michelin school of thought.
Sneakeater, I have no real problem with freebies. My problem lies with 'comps' as I define them. We eat out a lot and have done for a long time, but never get offered a whole meal on the house.
Makes for a good discussion doesn't it.
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I'm sorry to say that I find most of the code to be pretty self evident stuff. Motherhood & apple pie type statements. Who could possibly disagree?
I do, however, feel very uncomfortable with the several paragraphs dealing with 'comps'. My strong opinion is that one should not write about or express an opinion about any meal, event or product where one has been comp'd.
The moment a 'comp' occurs any vestige of objectivity goes out the window. No matter how hard the author tries to avoid it there has been an influence upon his or her opinion. Disclosing the comp does not really help. After all what is a comp other than a form of payment?
I suppose in the eGullet context we could have a topic titled "Paid advertisements" where members could post write ups about those things they've been comped on. Or in the blog context one could have a separate category of posts called "Paid Opinions".
The above is not meant to question the motives of those who wrote and commented upon this aspect of the code. I'm confident that all participated in good faith and with all due seriousness. I just can't agree that 'outing' a comp is enough.
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Glad to hear that Casanova seems to still be going strong.
It was a great place when we lived up in Carmel Valley, but that was nearly 15 years ago. It's nice when quality places last.
Wonder if the 'Running Iron' in Carmel Valley Village still serves some of the best baby back ribs in the world. (IOHO)
Summer Truffles
in Cooking
Posted
We were at Limogne market last Sunday buying our usual selection of vegetables, fruits, cheeses & so forth when I spotted an elderly lady with a very small stall. She isn't there normally so I went over to have a look at what she had.
Two things. A few Ceps. But she also had several small panniers of truffles! I couldn't believe it. Summer is not the time for truffles. Fall, yes and Limogne has a truffle market every Friday from October onwards. So I asked if they were truly truffles. Yes, she says they're white truffles. Now I'd never heard of white truffles (a la the famous ones from Alba) in our area.
I was thinking OK, that's interesting, but I can't afford them anyway when Linda picked one up & asked how much? The lady said 6 Euros (about $8.50) that's a pretty good price for a walnut sized truffle. Then the lady showed us here little slip of paper on the pannier. It was 6 Euros for the whole pannier!!! Here's a picture.
Naturally we bought them. Once at home I got onto the net and found out that they're really what's called Summer truffles. Never heard of them before this, but then again my ignorance is showing as usual. According to what I've now read they 're milder than the winter black truffles. I tried shaving them as one would normally do. This worked, but they're drier than what I'm used to. I tried using my micro plane graters and that worked as well. Here are a few more pictures.
It turned out that the coarse grater worked the best.
I made a simple scrambles egg dish putting the grated & slice truffle in at the last minute. Definitely truffle tasting. Not nearly as strong as winter truffles, but still the right taste. And the price was amazing.
Now, the question becomes how to use the rest of them? I'm looking for summer recipes and/or suggestions.