Megan Blocker

MiFi, it looks like you have mastered the art of the gratin...any chance you could post your tips/tricks/how-to's to the Au Gratin Challenged topic?

Would have to be the Bouchon and French Laundry Cookbooks. The photography is wonderful, obviously, but the recipes are beautifully written, too. I also love to read Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking, which includes neat little stories about each dish and its origin/creator. This next one is a sentimental favorite...Silver Palate's The New Basics. My mom was devoted to that book in the early '90's, and every recipe reminds me of her. I love reading it and remembering being 10 years old and completely bowled over by my mother's ability to put together a fabulous party. Oh, and one last one...Ruth Reichl's Mmmmmmm...A Festiary. I bought it last year on eBay after she mentioned it in her eG conversation. It's fabulous - full of family recipes and stories, many easily recognizable to anyone who's read her three memoirs. A really fun book. The Les Halles Cookbook is also a stellar read.

I used the Gourmet Cookbook to make gratin dauphinois for a dinner party a few weeks ago, and it was such a hit that I made it for 20 people on Christmas Eve. They claim the method used was Jaques Pepin's - they put the potatoes and half-and-half in a saucepan with some garlic, salt and pepper, then bring it just to a boil before transferring to the gratin pan and topping with Gruyere - works like a charm every time, even with non-mandoline sliced potatoes. The potatoes come out toothy but not crunchy, and lightly garlicky.

I'm flattered, Judith! Question - what did you use to give your shrimp the heat?

Hope, not expect. Would I be surprised, in a place like EMP, if, say, my little brother was carded? Sure. But would I maintain that he should be served? Not on legal grounds. Would I make a fuss or feel that I had a right to be upset? Not really, though I'd probably be a bit frustrated (of course, I would feel better once I had MY wine - sorry, little bro). While I agree with many here that the law is ridiculous, I recognize that it is, in fact, a law, and also understand the proprietor's right to decline to serve underage drinkers. The risk may be minimal, but it's still a risk, and the law may be dumb, but it's still a law, and whether or not they would like to break it is their choice, not mine. My gratuity in the situation would therefore depend on the server's handling of the delicate situation.

True, many bars (who obviously have much higher risks when it comes to underage drinkers than, say, EMP or USC) alleviate the issue by carding every single person at the door, no matter how old they do or don't look. I suppose I'm still in the window where carding is legit (27), but my mom (56) gets carded when she comes with me to a pub, too.

It's interesting...this dicussion reminds me of the book I'm reading right now (La Bella Figura by Beppe Severgnini) and its explanation of Italians and their relationship to regulations - how everything is relative and can be re-evaluated based on circumstance (witness Italian traffic). Sorry to be a little OT, but it seemed an interesting parallel.

Thinking it over, probably (or at least possibly) what happened is that the server took the order, and then went to the back and asked somebody, "I just took a wine order for someone I'm pretty sure is underage. Can I serve him?" And of course, whomever the server asked felt he had to answer "no". I think the REAL policy is, "don't ask don't tell." I think most servers understand it that way, and I think management prefers it that way. ← Probably. I certainly preferred it that way when I was underage.

Maybe it's just your babyface that does the trick?

While I agree that our alcohol consumption regulations in this country are overzealous, I don't disagree with the waiter's decision not to serve someone underage. I mean, the waiter didn't write the law, and the law of averages (since I know no one who agrees with 21 as the legal drinking age) says he probably doesn't agree with it, either, but it is, unfortunately, his reponsibility as a server to follow it. However, that said, from a service perspective, better to deal with the situation up front, before taking and accepting the order. Definitely.

Yes, please! I got the Bouchon cookbook for Christmas, and the cauliflower gratin was one of the first things that struck me. And my little bro just dies for profiteroles, will have to make those at some point...

Hathor, I love the shot of the poaching butter! I've been traveling a bit the last few weeks...went to Minnesota (my aunt and uncle live in Red Wing) for Christmas, and we had standing rib roast (18 pounds!), popovers, and roast winter veggies for dinner. I was in charge of the popovers and veggies...Aunt Joan did the roast, which was wonderful. We didn't have a pan big enough to cook the whole beast at once, so we cut it in half. Here it is before surgery: And after... The veggies (butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and brussels sprouts, roasted and then glazed with balsamic, topped with some parsley): Since I've been back, I've made a few meals. The other night, it was roast chicken and gratin dauphinois. One afternoon a few weeks back, it was carbonara with peas and chicken! I think I'm all caught up now...

Where are the restaurant and entertainment?

Or, is it a possible representation of New York's finicky nature? In other words, do high-end restaurants close because the market can't bear the number of them that exist? Or is it that New Yorkers are unwilling to commit to more than a handful of favorite high-end places, and constantly demand change and renewal?

Wow, Tim - beautiful! Is that a mini version of your house? It's wonderful. I'd like to shrink down and live in it!

I'm a little concerned with the short shrift she gives to men! Real men eat salad.

How crazy is it that I grew up right outside of the city, and have lived here for my entire post-college life, but I still have yet to make it to the RTR? Do they have a good/fun bar? I don't want to use one of my mom's few NYC meals on it, but it might be a fun place for a drink...she does love her vodka.

Thanks, Kent! Yours are beautiful...the food in them is so impressive! I also love BonVivant's blueberries...

I do have this picture from my trip to Prague tacked up on my bulletin board at work... n

Yup, it's Taste/Share...had dinner there the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and it was pretty over-priced for what it was. But enjoyable none the less.

These photos are gorgeous - can I ask what kind of camera you use?

Oh, don't worry...I'll be back eventually!

I was in Dallas for Thanksgiving this week, and we had dinner at Lonesome Dove on Friday night. I thought it was ok, but no better than ok - and it's very overpriced, in my opinion. (Apologies in advance for the fuzzy pictures...I was using the night setting, so as not to disturb people with the flash, but had no tripod.) We were seated in the back room, next to a table of extremely loud children - well-behaved, but loud (a party of about 20). Started with a cocktail - my Manhattan was pretty good, and my cousin enjoyed his G&T. We also had a nice pinot noir with dinner - don't recall the name, though. We were pleasantly squidgy by the time we left. We split four appetizers between our table of seven - the foie gras, the ribs, the kangaroo carpaccio nachos, and the dayboat scallops. Of these, I liked the scallops best...my mom and aunt went on about the nachos, but I didn't think they were too special. A sampling... I also really liked the pickles served with the ribs! Here's a shot of the foie gras toasts: For my second course, I had the romaine salad, which was tasty, but overdressed. A few people went with steak for their main, which was probably a good call. I had the duck breast, which was underdone (and this is a girl who likes things rare). The haricots verts on the side were lovely, though - crisp and dressed in a vinaigrette. A really nice counterpoint to all the rich food. We had several desserts, including the bread pudding (shown below), the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, and the ancho chile chocolate cake. Overall, I thought the main issue is that the food seems to be serving the gimmick here, rather than the other way around. For instance, the concept of the foie gras toasts was a good one, but there were too many flavors competing for center stage, and, in the end, it seemed a waste of foie gras. You couldn't really taste it, only the four different spice rubs and the butter soaked into the toast. The service was very friendly and patient - I give the FOH staff a big thumbs-up.

That was my guess, too...

That's what happens when the creative force leaves the show. Sigh.