Mano

For anyone interested the Thermapen is now on sale + $6 shipping: Winter Inventory Reduction Only $79 each (normally $96) Good Thru Jan. 31st. Order now before your favorite color runs out! thermapen

Artichokes are doubtful. I like the flowery/flinty counterpoints. Kind of like American oaked chard/chablis? Any specific recs?

Yes, and the host hasn't responded to my email asking that same question. I'll send another but may not be told as a) our wine and dinner group likes to assign difficult challenges or b) she may not decide until just before the dinner which is in two weeks. As of this time the folks assigned the two meat entree's are given no more information than that. The hosts are fairly straight forward cooks so my best guess is grilled and not poached. Don't know about spices, sauces or other prep info.

I've been given a wine challenge to pair wines with salmon but they cannot be French or American. No information on how it's being prepared but it'll probably be grilled. I need two bottles at up to $50 each. Here are my thoughts and I welcome all input: Spain Albariño Verdejo Tempranillo Germany and Alsace Pinot Noir (I've heard there are good ones out there but need direction) Full bodied Riesling Alsatian (Tokay) Pinot Gris Italy Pinot gris Barbera New Zeland Sauvignon Blanc Australia ???

Colicchio was simultaneously setting a time standard and giving a good demonstration as to how the contestants might go about preparing their quick fire dish. Anyone who knows what it really takes to be at his level as a chef knows he has major cooking chops. It was good entertainment to see him walk the walk while all the contestants craned their necks watch one of the masters at work. The old lady's "racist" comment was appropriate and amusing. It made me chuckle. Having had dim sum at that particular place and many others I'll bet most all the first generation Chinese patrons were thinking something similar. Even though they're told why the cameras were there, "WTF is going on here?"

Not that their opinion is the final word, but the night I was there the four cooks at Dmitri's in No. Lib. were from Thailand and all of them said there was no authentic Thai food in the city. Americanized restaurant Thai food is fine if we want variety, but we've gotten to the point that we make our own pad thai at home.

Oxtail ravioli, hanger steak argrodolce and a chocolate raspberry tart are for certain. We'll decide on the rest during a morning trip to Philly's Italian Market.

No, that doesn't count and it's too judgmental.

My mother, who is unwittingly vying for the Guinness' Book of World Records Most Anxious Woman on Earth, and who is equally well meaning and eager to please roasted a chicken. I was working nearby it was clear she was used to cooking for herself and my dad using only the toaster oven to save money (of which they have plenty). Thinking she timed the microwaved frozen vegetables and potato with the chicken we sat down to eat, but the bird was still red and bloody. Her attempt to break it down into pieces was a good idea. But instead of using a knife, she took two forks, one to hold the chicken and the other to try and separate some breast meat, pulling some small chunks away but mostly mauling the un- and under-cooked meat into a stringy mess. Frantic to get the chicken cooked she popped it back into the toaster oven and took it back out a few minutes later hoping it was done. She repeated this ritual on different parts of the chicken about three times, leaving the toaster oven door open each time she worked on the bird. It was truly disgusting and sad and my mom was in a tizzy. Eventually I told them it was time to get home to the wife and baby daughter and the most important thing was spending quality time with them.

I understand Jason Cichonski left Lacroix for Fond. Who's the new chef and what's the skinny? Did they promote the sous chef? We were given a gift certificate when Cichonski was promoted and thought by now he'd have his sea legs. Now he's gone so not sure how long to wait again.

I’m not talking about bat-shit crazy owners who scream at staff in front of a full house, or someone delusional who chats up customers about the gun in his sock to protect himself from his enemies who want to steal the $100,000 he gave to his brother for safe keeping in Mexico. I mean owners who make things worse by getting in the way of their staff. Without checking the reservations, one owner told us the wait without reservations was 15 minutes. Twenty minutes later, the hostess said it would be at least another 45 minutes as they were booked full with reservations. When the power went off at one of his restaurants, another owner sent people with reservations to his other place, one half the size, 15 minutes away as he wanted to keep customers. He didn’t pay attention when told they were already packed.

An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite ravioli wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen, where if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were hundreds of his favorite ravioli. Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man? He threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the ravioli was already in his mouth. With a trembling hand he reached up to the edge of the table, when suddenly he was smacked with a wooden spoon by his wife who said: "Va fanculo!" "Questi sono per il funerale." (Translation - Fuck off - these are for the funeral).

A friend purchased a “Generic” bottle of wine in outside of Pennsylvania is looking for a similar wine or a wine in that style here. He gave this information: (from top of label to bottom): Red Vin [Picture] “wine from Dornfelder Germany” 2008 Sweet Red Red wine Rheinhessen Germany [back] Made from the native Dornfelder grape . . . Imported by prestige wine group, Princeton, MN [then other stuff: shipped by, bottled by, . . .] Any suggestions about what he may find here in PA that may be similar or in that style?

Thanks again for all your recommendations. While my wife and I appreciate good food and are willing to pay for it, the other couple are not and demurred, stating "those places are a bit rich for our tastes." Looks like we'll end up at the chain, Macaroni Grill, another all purpose Italian joint or a Japanese hibachi house. Nothing wrong with any of them, as we're most interested in the company. We'll certainly go to Blue Point and Ferry House another time.

Looking for a good moderately priced BYOB in Princeton area for this Saturday. We'll be going to a show at 8:00 in West Windsor. Thanks

Parigi, These two experiences were exceptions and were more a fun topic of dinner discussion than anything else. During the same shop, I was seriously considering returning to the butcher for better lamb than they had at the Monoprix across the street. By then we were so accustomed to the super-high prices everywhere that we put quality ahead of how much things cost. I don't know how the locals afford to live there unless they are paid commensurately, like in Manhattan. Also, as in Manhattan, the culture may be caveat emptor. If you allow yourself to be a rigolo, then someone may take advantage of you. Paris is a wonderful city, and if we can afford to go again, it'll be during the spring or summer when the flowers and landscaping are in full bloom. Happy New Year to all!

Thanks to everyone who posted here and sent emails. They were all helpful and supportive. We arrived in Paris Christmas morning and took a cab to Neuilly-sur-Seine, a posh suburb with chocolate shops selling a kg for 200 euros. Overall, Neuilly is like an extension of Paris as it’s about a mile from the city limits and the architecture and city-like feel is no different. Most stores were closed but we went for a long walk and bought sausage from a small butcher, various good cheeses and pate’s and a dozen large oysters from the back of a van. Add two fresh baguettes and several bottles of wine and that’s a late lunch for six of us. A word on wine in France. Like anywhere else, good wine tends to cost more. Average wine here tends to be 30-50% less than in the U.S. so a passable Bordeaux runs $8 instead of $14. Champagne is no bargain at all, but that may be because it was around New Years Eve. 7 p.m. dinner (early by Paris standards) at a local pizza place. Expecting the worst, I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent thin crust, perfectly cooked toppings (eggplant, etc.) + a decent bottle of wine. All restaurants serve water in a clear Burgundy type bottle and the tap water is excellent. We usually had lunch at a brasserie and on the second day I mistakenly ordered what I thought was grilled steak and fries for my son, but it turned out to be good ground steak tartar. Vegetable soup had no broth, but was a large bowl of various fresh properly cooked vegetables. It was very good and in the U.S. a similar dish would probably have been a bland mushy mess. We went to a recommended wine shop in Paris, and the owner, a man after my own heart, favored wines from the south of France and the entire Rhone region. He relegated the “same tasting Bordeaux” to a small area on another floor. Most evenings we’d buy meat from a butcher in Neuilly, vegetables, pate and wine and have a great country French dinner at home. In Neuilly we popped into an “organic only” wine store where the owner tried to steer us away from a small Moroccan restaurant in favor of a Bistro (“Why would you want to eat American food in Paris?”), but our collective oppositional nature resulted in a fine meal. The lamb dish was sweet and savory, the Moroccan salads and cous cous with a tureen of broth and vegetables were all very good. We found Parisians to be patient and understanding when we explained we spoke little French and asked if they spoke English. Every morning we brought in fresh baguettes and croissants and after several days some of the local merchants knew us. We had only two negative experiences, one after the other. In Neiully, the very friendly lady at the pasta shop first tried to oversell us on how much pasta we needed and then tried to overcharge us by 20 euros. Two bottles of the same wine (9.50 euros each), less than a kilo of pasta and a small bag of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for 53 euros! She didn’t speak English, but after some going back and forth she blamed the calculator for the problem even though it was pretty clear she was trying to take advantage of foreigners. Then the butcher, from whom I’d bought sausage and chicken, and that night purchased pork chops and very expensive beef, tried to cheat me! Foie gras was 45 euros a kilo and a smaller vacuum sealed package had the amount I wanted, about a quarter kilo. The butcher pulled it from the case and removed the price sticker thinking I wouldn't notice and said it was 33 euros. I didn’t confront him and just said “No foie gras.” My wife’s only request for the trip was reasonably priced prix fixe classical French cuisine, and at 6:00 P.M. on New Years Day (most places were closed) with no reservations she and one of our travel companions went on a fool’s errand to find a place, while the rest of us warmed up and drank at a brasserie. We had just visited the Eiffel Tower and a half hour later they returned and we had a wonderful dinner at Le Clos des Gourmets. The inside was more contemporary than a bistro and the classics had great innovative twists. The wine list was limited but reasonable and our waiter was young, awkward, spoke no English and was intent on doing his best. I really liked him and the slightly snooty manager/sommelier. It was the perfect nightcap for our 9 days in Paris. Edited to add: Five of us went to the Champs on New Years Eve and brought along a bottle of Mumms. They had a great time and really enjoyed the warning from a mounted policeman about drinking in public. Paris offers free Metro service after 6:00 that night.

Bibou for the food and French bistro atmosphere, but it can get a bit noisy. If you want to sit at their "bar" it may give a sense of intimacy. Branzino has a lower noise level and IIRC there's an area upstairs that's more intimate. Regardless of where you go it's up to you to create a sense of timelessness and closeness.

Thanks kindly! According to Google maps and satellite views we're not too far from Paris.

We will be staying on Boulevard de Chateau right near Rue Edouard Nortier in 92200 Neuilly Sur Seine. Are there any worthwhile markets to purchase very good oysters, foie gras, cheese, quail etc. for a great NYE dinner? Or do we need to go to Paris proper?

You've convinced me. We'll spend the money on good wine and go to Paris to food shop.

I fear you are mis-informed, I understood Paris to be as bad as the US (if not worse) on NYE as far as restaurants go. I'm actually glad to hear you say that, but do you have first hand knowledge? One member of our group heard otherwise, while I'm of the opinion we should stay in and cook a nice NYE dinner at home, like we usually do. The last thing I want to do is eat bad food, get stuck on over crowded public transportation and then get crushed by a mob on the Champs Elysées.

I'll find out more specifically where we're staying. The flat is a place we'll begin and end the day and not a whole lot more. The restaurants I'd be interested in would be in Paris, where we'll be spending most of our awake hours. Thanks for the recommendation of Baratin. For New Years Eve we're thinking of an early dinner in Paris and then going to Champs Elysées to join the crowds. Any thoughts?

Six of us will be staying in a flat in Bois de Buologne arriving Christmas morning and leaving Jan. 2nd. We'll be doing the usual sight seeing around Paris and day trips to the Catacombs and whatever else strikes our collective interest. Breakfast and most dinners are at the flat and lunch at restaurants. We'll go out for a couple of dinners and are particularly interested in New Years Eve dinner, which we hear is special in Paris. (Here in the US restaurant food on New Years Eve is typically at its worst). A National Geographic travel edition from 2008 recommended Bistrot Paul-Bert, Chez Michel, Le Baratin and Restaurant de la Grille, among others. We're generally inclined to pick a spot that looks interesting wherever we happen to be but are fine walking a bit for someplace worthwhile. All of us are pretty fair cooks (any food shopping recommendations in our area are welcome) and adventuresome eaters. The dollar is weak so $100 p/p is probably the most we're willing to spend for dinner and $20 p/p for lunch. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

I have six waiting for me. Other than opening and tasting, any way to tell if the bottle is good or bad?