Laurie Woolever

does the passion and anger inspired by psaltis' book not uncover a larger issue in the world of canonized chefs, 'our' closest thing to celebrities or papal personnel? some are angry that keller has been 'slandered.' some feel psaltis has a right to tell his story. there is a clear rift between the handful of chefs who've risen to the level of food & wine in aspen guest chef/lecturer, for example, and the vast majority who toil in greater or lesser proximity to the star-power of said handful. (this is not meant to pose a challenge to anyone's post, but possibly to get the whole thread relocated to the 'existential navel-gazing' section of egullet, if it hasn't already been moved there.)

For those who plan to read the book (or have already read it) and want some clues about the identities of the anonymous or name-changed persons in the text, see here: www.snack.blogs.com The September 13 post teases the information, ultimately letting the reader match the proper nouns to the obscured names.

Was in Minneapolis in July, can second the vote for Solera; also for Levain. And can also get behind Auriga, and especially Alma, probably the cheapest of the four and good, simple, elegant but very 'come as you are.' None are particularly cheap or ethnic but you'll have a great meal.

Has anyone eaten there, and can you tell me about your experience? (edited to read: Gifted Gourmet has helpfully directed me to the account above (thanks!); if anyone else has comments about the food, I'd love to read them.)

For anyone else who's looking for Maui eats, I just got back and can recommend Mark Ellman's Mala Ocean Tavern, in Lahaina (on Front Street). Not a hole in the wall but also not flashy -- just very, very good, fresh, smart, tasty food. And there's an excellent natural foods store, Mana Foods, on Baldwin Avenue in Pa'ia. And I know they already got a shout-out but Mama's Fish House (also Pa'ia) is worth mentioning twice. Chef Perry Bateman's cooking is as soulful and smart as it gets. He knows how to cut his fish and tweak his flavors. Not cheap but well worth the price.

From your post to god's ear...

Ive never even heard of that magazine. ← Yikes! www.getartc.com It's been around since 1986, published as a hardcover quarterly, aimed at chefs and industry professionals but with appeal (I hope!) for non-pros as well. 85 full-color pages, 50 (well-tested) recipes/issue.

Just curious - any non-professional cooks/chefs cook from Art Culinaire? (Full disclosure - I have been exec editor since November)

Why powdered pico de gallo as opposed to the fresh salsa? I guess my parents wanted to exactly recreate the dish their friend served them - cucumbers bathed in lime juice and dusted with pico de gallo powder...and as the only person they know working in 'the food business', i felt compelled to help them re-create the experience. of course, when i showed them the online link, they said 'thanks, but we don't shop online' (...) so if anyone knows of a place in manhattan that stocks it (i imagine there must be several), let me know. and as a relative newcomer to egullet forums, let me just say how happy i am to be here, and happy to have found like-minded, curious folks to whom no food topic is too esoteric!

My parents in upstate New York had something they swear is pico de gallo over the weekend - a friend had brought it back from Southern California. It was powdered and had the color of cayenne pepper. It piqued my curiosity...and thanks for the link, John, and the welcome, Linda.

Have been challenged to find pico de gallo in powdered form, if it indeed exists. All searches thus far have turned up recipes for the salsa cruda with which i am more familiar. Any leads? Am I crazy?

Can anyone define pectin NH for me, and describe its common applications in the pastry kitchen? Many thanks!

I just (today) came from a meeting hosted by the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York in which they distributed copies of, and discussed the results of, a study of working conditions for restaurant employees in New York City. Their basic theses are: the industry is thriving, even in the face of 9/11; and, workers, especially immigrant workers and workers of color are far too often deprived of deserved overtime pay, denied promotions based on race or ethnicity, denied health insurance or even basic health and safety training on the job. The executive director was careful to point out that the organization does not intend to "go after" restaurrateurs or even unionize workers, but to push for legislative reform and enforcement that will combat the 'culture of non-compliance' so common in NYC restaurants. They also acknowledge that they are only at the beginning of a very long process, and they express a sincere desire to have an open dialogue between workers and owners. Check them out: www.rocny.org