Mano

But if you're making an educated decision, then surely you're also considering that the chemicals in dishwasher detergent may be harsher than those for handwashing dishes, and that those chemicals can harm the item in question. Good points I hadn't thought of. Factoring them and FG's success putting it in the dishwasher (I know, sample size of 1) it would be up to me to make an educated decision.

I don't know that's a matter of smugness as opposed to making an educated decision. In the oven Silpat is exposed to 350F and higher while in the dishwasher the maximum is probably 212F for both washing and drying. A better analogy is washing clothes marked "dry clean only." Dry cleaning uses harsh chemicals, which get out the dirt and stains, but depletes some of the oils found in natural fibers such as wool and cotton. Washing at home is more gentle and if you're careful not to burn the fabric while ironing there's no harm done.

Fresh pasta with embedded basil leaf. 1. Make pasta from scratch and roll it very thin (#7 on my KitchenAid pasta attachment). The pasta will be about 4 - 5" wide and up to several feet long, depending upon how much dough you've processed. 2. Leaving the width the same, cut the pasta to desired length (in my case, about 2"). 3. Place a fresh medium sized basil leaf length-wise on one side of the pasta, about 1/2" from the edge. 4. Fold the pasta in half width-wise so the basil leaf is covered. It'll be translucent. The small sheet is now twice as thick. 5. Set the pasta roller back to 4 or 5. 6. Run the small sheet with the basil leaf through and then run it through again at the next setting; 5 -6. 7. The basil leaf will be clearly seen through the pasta, but it'll be stretched and probably broken apart a bit. 8. Cook the pasta and serve with sauce around the dish making sure you don't cover the basil leaf. I used this pasta for a sea food ravioli/Napoleon with a lobster stock reduction sauce. Someone took pictures and put it on their facebook.

Today LaBan gave it Three Bells, (I love it when I'm right!) plus there's a good review in the NY Times: Bibou

In the 1960's I remember reading a sports memoir in which the author wrote about someone from the deep south ordering a steak in Wisconsin. He told the waitperson he wanted "The biggest stahk you have." He was served a huge stack of pancakes. I have two, both involving the French. Whenever I need game meat or restaurant quality food a local French chef obliges me and orders it through his purveyor, usually D'Artagnan. I ordered some quail and quail eggs and we discussed how to stuff, cook and serve them. In a heavy accent, he recommended serving them "On a nest of 'toas". "Toast?" "Yes, 'toas. Grate it, make a nest and fry. Put the quail on top." Pie faced, I just nodded and said, "Okay." It wasn't until I got home that I realized he was saying potatoes. The best new restaurant in Philadelphia is Bibou. I called and spoke with the French chef, Pierre Calmels, about a tasting menu on Sunday, versus the regular menu on Saturday. He went on about Sunday's prix fix "small menu." Of course, I opted to eat on Saturday. When we arrived I saw signs for the next night's snail menu. If he'd just said escargots, I would've understood. Anyone else?

I'm glad this thread has taken the turn from slamming things that other people have that are a total waste of money to things that I have that are a total waste of money. In fact, I vote that unless you own it you can't dis it. When finances allow we remodel a room every 2-3 years. Last year was a totally new kitchen. After moving the sink clear across the room and having an available cold water line nearby the stove, I bought a $700 pot filler on ebay for $150. We use it several times a week for the usual (e.g. pasta) and when making stocks. Granite counter tops are beautiful, warm and practical when making fresh pasta. I bought higher-end cabinets on ebay and then on my own fitted them with slow-close drawers and doors. They're really nice to have and impresses guests when I tell them I put them in myself. Bought an air switch on ebay for the sink disposal. Big button right in front of you; no wondering which electrical switch is for the disposal or the lights. Now, every single one of these things is completely unnecessary for me, a pretty fair home cook who isn't close to being wealthy, or most any home cook for that matter. Things that I own that are a total waste of money include a moderately expensive espresso machine, that I ended up using occasionally to steam milk for my coffee. It sits in my appliance garage, which I had fitted with a xenon light and four outlets so everything is always plugged in. Just slide out the appliance of choice and use it. Egg coddlers (sp?).

I agree and that's why I'm not as interested as I thought I'd be. What I think is missing is the hungry competitiveness we've seen in Top Chef. There's bragging rights and a big donation to a charity versus an obscure chef competing for $100K and winning national television and magazine exposure.

The waiter (damn, I forget if his name is Robert or Michael) told me. I'm delighted they're profitable with even a single seating.

Enjoyed our third meal at Bibou and it appears that we’re considered regulars. Charlotte knows my name, gave us French/European kisses (a peck on each cheek) and Pierre came out to greet our table before returning to the kitchen. But that may have been because he was called before he could make the rounds to other patrons. We always bring guests who’ve never been, this time NYC foodies. The four of us shared our appetizers of marrow bone, foie gras, escargots and a mushroom fricassee. Mains were Pieds de Porc, Noix de Saint-Jacques, and a veal medallion special. Desserts were a blueberry cobbler and something else I forgot because I was too full to share much. The good news is that everything was excellent, as usual. The bad is that because the menu is limited to about five items per category with only two of them that are different from the last visit, the menu is already looking too familiar. That didn’t keep me from wanting to return the following week with some other visiting friends. We'll give it at least a few more weeks, but as busy as Bibou is, they may not be turning a profit. There are 30 seats and we were told that the break even point is 2.5 turns. Saturday evening they had reservations for about 50. I knew profit margins for restaurants were slim, but not razor thin. There should be a full review in the August Philadelphia Magazine and something online from the New York Times.

Having worked with him for about six months back in the 1980's, what you see on TV is how he really is.

We'll be in OC for two weeks and are looking for new or excellent restaurants (preferably BYOB) within a 10 mile radius (e.g. Margate area to the north). I know OC is a dry town.

When choosing a hood with about the same parameters we chose a Zephyr 600 cpm, although there are other hoods that are just as good for about the same price. When comparing the dozen or so we looked at all of them were loud at their highest level. But at the lowest setting, which we use about 90% of the time, it's pretty quiet. Ours has two filters that pop out easily and go into the dishwasher.

Thanks for your helpful input. I bought Moscato Passito di Pantelleria, which should pair well with the cannolli.

Okay, the host just told me it's cannolli. I love cannolli, but what wine do you pair with cannolli? Katie Loeb here recommended Moscato d'Asti or Brachetto d'Acqui if having chocolate. Anyone else?

With only 24 hours notice I was given the wine pairing assignment for dolci, who I always thought was an Italian painter. A google search for dolci also came up dolce, an Italian pastry or cake. Suggestions please? Price isn't much of an issue as I'm willing to spend $100 for two bottles. Grazie!

Holly, I think I figured out why you're so tenacious in this thread about dogs. You must be part terrier.

Excellent point, especially when dealing with obnoxious or overbearing customers and those with a sense of entitlement. I've seen teenage bank tellers and supermarket checkout clerks who do their best to mollify the most unreasonable customer. Even if it doesn't work the other patrons appreciate the effort. Why put even one customer in the potentially uncomfortable position of having to vote?

Depending upon the behavior of the dog owners I agree that the owner could have demonstrated better customer relations. Showing sympathy and some understanding would have helped. But why should the owner have comped the two meals? Packing them up in a doggy bag, sure, but a comp because they chose to bring their dog? From a patron's point of view it's unfair for the owner to put customers in a position of deciding whether or not the cute little puppy should be allowed inside. Pet lovers can't understand that there are pet haters among us who wish to remain anonymous. Even if the dog was made "comfy" there's a chance it might begin to bark or whine. For many, dining out is an occasional pleasure where the only decision is what to order and not having to deal with crying babies or loud cell phone talkers, much less a dog that doesn't belong there in the first place. FWIW, I would be fine with voting to allow the dog in.

Sorry about your experience, but whether or not the restaurant was almost empty is really beside the point. Any patron who brings a dog knows the animal is not allowed inside. That's why you and your wife ate outside. Also, there were two of you so one could have gone inside and asked for your meals to go or brought the dog home. The owner has enough on their mind than trying to figure out even one of 100 ways to make you happy because you brought the dog and had to sit outside. Finally, why so upset about restaurants following a regulation that may lead to a fine and possibly lost repeat customers who don't want to eat with a dog?

The taxonomy of overbowling falls into two broad categories, each with their own subsets. Conscious overbowling for aesthetic (contrasting colors of a relatively small amount of food in a large white bowl) or practical (no spillage) reasons. Unconsious overbowling due to cognitive deficits (poor spacial relations) or underlying psychodynamics (overeaters feel compelled to fill the bowl). These are offered only as examples.

Now there's an original observation. Given Steinberger's poor opinion of Philadelphia restaurants in general, it is telling that his review opens and closes on Vetri's reputation. Sir Steinberger heroically slays a backwater dragon to defend his beloved preconceived notions. When a reviewer writes: you just know he plans to be disappointed. ← yeah like I'm going to read a British publication to read about good food. ← Obviously, he hasn't gotten over the fact that it was in Philly that the first Continental Congress was convened and the Declaration of Independence was signed, followed by the British getting their asses whupped.

Returned to Bibou last night with two friends who are part of our wine/dinner group and who are good home chefs. Their favorite upscale restaurant is Vetri and both thought for bistro fare Bibou was its equal. Again, the foie gras app was the biggest hit, but I really enjoyed the duck terrine. A a salad with quarter sized discs of fried goat cheese, was very good, with a nice crunch on the outside and thick, warm cheese and herb mixture that had a nice intense flavor. Our griends' only complaint was the chocolate mousse dessert, (which we recommended) was "nothing special." The tatin dessert was also very good and I wish there was more of it. The apples were al dente, soft but with a bit of snap to them. Unfortunately, I only got to taste one new main as three of us had the hangar steak and the odd dish was the pigs foot. During our previous visit Pierre's description made it a must order. The lentils were superb and as philadining's description is accurate, it's a taste and texture that may not be for everyone. As an interesting side note: After making reservations for Saturday, I called back to ask about the Sunday prix fix, which I'd read somewhere was $35. Pierre answered the phone and in his heavy (heavier than Charlotte's) French accent said what I thought was, "The Sunday prix fix is a small menu of four courses for $55." Not wanting a small menu, we kept our Saturday reservations. A few days later I received an email for Sundays' snail menu.

The people I know who have modest incomes but go big ticket once in a while are good at saving that extra $20-50 a week so at the end of of the year they can afford it without incurring any debt. Now that I think about it, although we earn more than the average person, that's how my wife surprised me with a week in Napa for my 50th birthday.

Richman was on the Today Show with Al Roker. Funny guy who did an excellent job of succinctly describing what made the top pizzas his choices in the two minutes they gave him. After 15 years finally returned to Taconelli's last month. Eight of us at half dozen pies and brought two white pies home. No special ingredients that I'm aware of but they make the best pizza in Philly. I wonder if they do takeout. Edited to add: Answered my own question. Per their website: Closed Monday and Tuesday Take-Out available to closing time. No credit cards will be accepted • Cash Only

This is a fascinating idea that, in theory, may have merit, but in practice, I'm not so sure. Holly, who has owned restaurants, doesn't agree, but it probably is true that within minutes a restaurant will shift into a higher gear when they know a reviewer is in the house. Whether or not the reviewer visits before or after their review meals, the restaurant will have considerable time to get their act together (and they surely will) if they approve a day or two at the restaurant. Given my profession my immediate thought was the Hawthorne Effect from the 1920's. Factory workers increased productivity when observed by someone, particularly management. So either consciously or unconsciously restaurant staff will best behavior and perform at a higher level for a day or two. I'd bet editors of "reality" shows have to go through hours of tape to give viewers a few minutes of what participants are really like. And those people are screened to see if they'll be themselves with a camera present. When a reviewer makes a reservation, eats a meal and leaves there are far fewer variables at play than if they were to observe, interact and have the authority and audacity to pull a plate off the line and try it. To come anywhere close to neutralizing their own biases the reviewer must have a working knowledge of psychology and sociology, but maybe that's taught in journalism school. What if the reviewer is a jackass and the staff telegraphs their dislike? Or what if the reviewer takes a shine to the staff? All reviews mention how they were treated during their meals so are they going to say how they personally feel about the people with whom they've spent a day or two? As far as the small sampling of three review meals is concerned, that's plenty. Hell, if I'm spending my hard earned money on food usually they get one chance.