chefzadi

Zeitoun- After you eat at Chez Omar you can get a haircut at Farid Coiffure. Regulation Algerian man's buzzcut. I'll get you the address if you want. You should post some Lebanese restaurants in this thread, I know I'm interested for my next visit. I'm sure your homemade is better though.

You're correct. My typo. The very reason I posted this in the Middle East and Africa thread is to focus on Arab influences in Sicilian cooking without getting too off track with all the other influences that have informed the island. All of those influences are of course worthwhile and Sicily has shaped them into something very special.

Never, ever frozen vegetables in a FDR. Daily delivery is fast enough. At home if you find that frozen is better than the fresh available to you, use them.

I see what you are saying. I think that Clifford Wright addresses some of the points you mention. I understand the same. The intent is not to have an Arabist-centric point of view, but rather to trace to certain aspects of history. It is interesting to me that the Saracens were in Sicily so long ago, then the Italians who were mostly Sicilians came to Algeria. The Basin is layered and woven. I don't offer a "Meta-narrative." EDIT: I am also very surprised at the number of Sicilians who have written about this. DOUBLE EDIT: I'm trying to understand the Algerian web through this, at least along the coast.

This has to do with the Moorish influence in Spain who of course went to the new world. I wouldn't have made the connection were it not for my wife who knows her World History better than I do. I'll be starting another thread. We'll have several threads going on at the same time.

Best of Sicily Magazine A little online reading for quick background information.

According to Clifford Wright. According to Waverly Root in The Food of Sicily (as quoted in Mr Wright's book) According to Clifford Wright I will look through the recipes that I can identify as Algerian based on the ingredients and preparations alone and also note the dishes that have a linguistic connection to an Arab influence. In this way we can go back and forth between what the Saracens took to Sicily and what the later Pied Noirs Sicilians brought to Algeria.

Isn't there a Biblical reference to catching sparrows (or some small bird like, definately not quails though) in nets and eating them?

Actually it's the eggs that will provide the puffing. The flour is there to give some added structure and keep the eggs from curdling when they're fully cooked. A true clafouti is basically a baked custard thickened slightly with flour. Too much flour will make the finished dish heavy and chewy. ← mnfoodie, try baking flour without a leavening agent. Nightscotsman knows of which he speaks. Martha Stewart's recipe looks okay to me. But I'd recommend Paula Wolfert's. I think that she posted the recipe on egullet and there is a photo of the finished product in the France forum in this thread.

Algerian escargot preparations Most of these dishes begin with "Boudjeghelou" or "Djeghlelou" Djeghlelou b'tomatiche or Boudjegheloul bsal Tomatiche Djeghelou b'zaatar Boudjeghelou biyad Boudjeghelou bel qedid Boudjeghelou be Dersa I wonder if someone can guess at what some of these preparations might be like? Recipes to follow...

Of course I don't have a cultural bias , but everything I've read supports your statements.

Yes, the Turks got it from us. Just in case that wasn't clear upthread. I'll post a recipe in the Beautiful Algeria thread. At the moment my wife is also researching Moorish and Spanish cooking. She's putting together a timeline from as many sources as she can find which will be verified by "experts" ( a few are egullet members and professional researchers).

The cuteness of an animal has never deterred me from eating it. The larks sound tasty after being fattened with figs.

Aside from North African I rarely tried "ethnic" food untill I moved to the States and met my wife. When we took our daughter (who was 6 months old at the time) to Paris we ate at Mansouria. This was about 6 years ago. I remember the food as being very good, the lamb especially. Moroccans prepare their semolina couscous a bit differently it's not what my palate is used to, but I can say that it was prepared properly according to the Moroccan way. The service and the decor are pleasant. The place is better than most North African places in the States and better than the tourist traps in Morocco. Maybe not as good as home cooking, but it's not like all the North Africans I know are fabulous cooks. As for Algerian I can't recommend a specific place because I get all the great home cooked stuff. I've had homecooked West African, Senegalese is not my most favorite. One of the most famous dishes they do is a stew of sorts with lots and lots of peanut butter in it. I think Black African in Paris or London is better than what's available in the States. I would follow Ptipois selection.

Concarneau was where I was! I saw a postcard somewhere showing the place I stayed at. I was there 19 years ago. I would think things have changed. If it becomes too sophisticated though I'll have to change my plans for retirement there. I'm very curious about Roellinger's use of spices. I'm looking forward to PIM's report.

Interesting. I can certainly see that there would be less preparation of foie gras at home in the U.S. at anytime of year. But is it really true that fine dining restaurants in Paris treat it as a seasonal dish? (i.e at Christmas and New Year's) ← Apologies, if I didn't make myself clear. I didn't mean to imply that FDR's in France view it as a seasonal ingredient. I meant that consumption peaks during the Winter holidays. You'll also find more restaurants even in the middle range serving foie gras this time of year. Even wild ducks and geese would have fattened themselves up at this time of year. So maybe farmers don't need to use a rod during this time. During other seasons maybe they do. I've seen both. Ruth Reichl has written in The New York Times, "the dish that no restaurant can do without...the ultimate guilty pleasure." I can't think of a comparable French restaurant critic/food writer who would say that about restaurants in France or the French public believing this to be true. Besides we don't associate pleasure with guilt. Just what is that anyway? I have no concept of this notion "guilty pleasure." I ate it, I liked it, done.

The smaller livers that can result from artisanal farming actually have superior flavor. That's not too say smaller livers in of themselves had superior flavor. That's to say artisanal animal husbandry overall produces superior products. And sometimes smaller livers are a part this and those smaller livers have just as much flavor. Foie gras in France is not consumed the same way as it is in the States. Most of it is had between Christmas and New Years when lot's of "everyday" folks indulge as part of traditional meals. Whereas in America, foie gras and truffles by the way have become so strongly associated with FD that it symbolizes it for many.

You're correct gavage is traditionally used. I also got the impression that he was trying to sort degrees of mechanization. Hand feeding is very different from machine feeding. If a feeder had to literally "force" each animal it would be impossible. If he also means to accept smaller livers of foie gras I personally agree with that.

It's been too long since I've been to Bretagne to reccomend specific places. But the cooking here is very simple, rustic. The region isn't known for alot culinary depth, but the things they do that have already been mentioned upthread are done exceptionally well. It's one of my favorite regions of France. First time I saw a beach. Photos of Bretagne.

Pascal Aussignac, the chef/proprietor of the Club Gascon has some things to say about this that of special interest to me. Important point. Other farmers and artisanal makers in the area would also suffer. The continued production of terroir based foods are intertwined, the winemaker, the cheesemaker, the baker, etc and the chef... We would lose our food culture and end up shopping at hypermarches, eating at Chez MacDo, drinking California swill. I've visited foie gras farms in France. I prefer goose foie, but the ones I've seen have usually been much bigger than 500 grams. Anyway,Pascal Aussignac makes good points about artisanal husbandry.

Hi Wendy- I can't even believe you're doing this after a full days work! What is the average number of desserts the club sells per day? Price range? WIll you be getting an oven and a frigo in your station eventually?

I'm wondering the same thing. I have an idea why someone might say that. But I also know that on a Wednesday, Monday's catch can be served. Oooh even at the top tier places.

I also checked out one of Clifford Wright's books. The one on Sicilian cuisine and Arab influences. My wife does the academic research for me. I have some help from a few egullet members as well. I'll be posting about that book, later today or tomorrow.

It looks as if it's labeled as a letter, rather than an editorial, which seems to me like less of an edorsement of the views expressed. I agree, many people would do that for a friend. It seemed quite unexceptionable to me except for that tiny paragraph at the end, because the tastelessness was (as pointed out above) in what T. said. ← Okay. It's the editorials section, under voice of the people (letter).

I sympathize with Michael Kornick coming to the defense of an old friend. I would do the same thing. I would also tell an old friend privately he chose his words poorly. It was nice of the Chicago Tribune to publish an editorial that is essentially a glowing mini-biography of Trotter. I don't see it has continuing the debate so much as calming it, which is a good thing.