Jaymes

I sure hope you get back with us and let us know what you did and how it worked out for you. Very interesting...

As it does indeed appear to be the fruit of a cactus, and Liuzhou mentions he is in "very hot southern China," perhaps it doesn't grow as much in the regions of China where you have visited?

Ditto in the Philippines. At least that's how it was when we lived there. We soaked all fruits and vegetables bought from the local markets in a solution of 1/4 C chlorine bleach to 1 gal bottled water. And, although I hesitate to ask (for obvious reasons), I can't help myself... That pink fruit in the foreground of the photo with the grapes and the woman kneeling looks like what Mexicans call "tuna." Is that what it is? And, if it is, what all do they do with it? Jams, jellies? Probably not Tuna Margaritas, but any beverages?

Well, since we're talking about Bay Area bookstores, want to mention Book Passage. The main location is up in Corte Madera, but they also have a location in the Ferry Building. In addition to having excellent regular bookstore sections, their food and wine books are absolutely outstanding. In addition, they often host seminars, book signings, classes, book-launch parties, conferences, etc. You can go to their website and click on "events" and "food and wine" and see upcoming events where you can go hobknob with your favorite famous chefs and cookbook authors. A quick click produces info about: Food & Wine Events; Cooks with Books; Literary Luncheons; Cooking Classes; and Upcoming Dinners with Writers. I see Dorie Greenspan has an upcoming event there, as does Bryant Terry, a rising chef that specializes in Afro-Vegan. http://bookpassage.com/

Not sure how much you want to spend but he'd be over the luna with a bottle of Cuervo Anejo Reserva de la Familia. Most people consider it to be one of the best in the world, but it's pricy, when, and if, you can find it. Barring that, get Cuervo Anejo, or Extra Anejo. I'm with others that say to get him what you know he likes. It's a present. Maybe it would be fun to "introduce" him to another brand, but buying him something you know he likes shows that you've taken the time to find that out. And it's a safe bet. If you buy something else, you are running the risk that he knows all about it, but chooses to drink Cuervo for a reason. The most obvious of which is that he likes it better.

Most of the Vietnamese restaurants in Houston offer Durian Smoothies. Not the same as eating the fresh fruit, but that distinctive "durian" flavor definitely comes through. IMHO, it puts one in the mind of a pile of dirty, sweaty gym socks that have been rotting in a locker somewhere for a couple of months. Houston has an enormous expat Vietnamese population, so there are hundreds of authentic restaurants that cater to them. Not sure what your Vietnamese restaurant situation is like, but you might start there in your quest to sample durian.

Your posts are always enormously entertaining and interesting, and this thread certainly qualifies. I was enjoying looking at the fruit, and wondered about mangosteens. Do you get them in season? Are they popular? I think they're my favorite fruit.

Sometimes I think that the worst, most unforgivable sin is success.

Wow, impressive on every level. Impressive that you thought of this. Impressive that you're following through. Impressive guest list. Huge kudos to you. Wish I could make it. Was just through Albuquerque a few weeks ago. Rotten timing on my part. I'll be eagerly following this thread and, should it be successful enough that you plan another one, will do my very best to make it!

Just want to say that Whole Foods does have some pretty good store-branded products. In particular, we're fans of their 365 Balsamic Vinegar. Here's a link to a review from Cooking Light: http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/best-store-brand-products/whole-foods-365-balsamic-vinegar

The folks that started Whole Foods had initially opened a really small natural foods store that they named "Safer Way," appealing to others that weren't big fans of Safeway.

I remember back in the early 80's in Austin, there was a funky little natural foods store that had just opened on Lamar. Austin was the unofficial, but undisputed, Hippie Capital of Texas and the new store was an immediate hit. But these sandaled natural-foods store proprietors turned out to be ambitious practitioners of capitalism as well, and almost immediately, they began a phenomenal expansion into a powerful national chain. Of course I'm talking about Whole Foods. Here's a bit about their history: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info/whole-foods-market-history#wholefoodsmarket Everybody has heard the criticism regarding their prices (high and catering to an elitist and entitled Volvo-driving consumer base) which has resulted in the popular and disparaging moniker, "Whole Paycheck." Over in a "Visiting San Francisco" thread, whether or not WF is deserving of this unflattering nickname, has intruded into the conversion. So it got me to wondering... ARE the prices at Whole Foods appreciably higher than those for comparable goods at comparable markets in the neighborhoods where they're located? Has anyone done an actual factual price comparison? Or are they just being damned by reputation, rather than empirical evidence?

This to me is yet one more interesting example as to how times have changed. I remember that, when I was very young, getting two table knives and cutting the butter into the flour was a kid's job. I liked doing it, watching the knives flash as the butter and flour morphed into tiny beads. And that was a pretty common task among all my friends, as well. Along with other routine chores assigned to the family's children, like cleaning the shrimp and polishing the silver. Other household chores which seem to have gone the way of starched linens and cloth diapers.

A great many corn aficionados very much prefer fresh field corn to most of the varieties grown for human consumer sales today, and that definitely includes my family, who consider these sweet varieties to be far too sweet, with very little old-fashioned "corny" flavor. I remember that when I was a kid we lived for a time in rural Nebraska while my father was stationed at SAC Headquarters at Omaha. The farmer right next to us grew field corn and said we could have as much as we wanted. Mom made us wait until she had the big pot boiling on the stove to send us kids running to the back fence to pick the corn for that night's dinner. I never had corn that good again. Today's super-sweet varieties don't even come close.

Since buying the corn cutter featured in this recipe, I've been making my corn this way:http://ruhlman.com/2010/09/baked-buttered-corn-2/

Did anyone see that cooking show hosted by the biker chick? I thought that one was pretty awful. But the one I hate most is Hell's Kitchen. Hell, indeed. I can't stand the language, the vulgarity, the brutality, the screaming, the hollering, the pillorying, the humiliation of one another. Hell indeed. So why would I intentionally want to put myself in Hell? Turns out, I don't.

I loved that, too. The series I saw was filmed in Canada, I think. Some of the evenings did seem pretty ghastly. As I recall, several of the hosts thought that it would give them a big edge if they provided some sort of special entertainment presented by themselves - like a bad cello (was it?) performance by the host that lasted half the night. It was particularly enjoyable when a smug, conceited host lost. And, although I get that not everybody is as familiar with Mexican/Spanish names as folks such as I that live in the US Southwest, I found it particularly grating to have one hostess go on and on about her special "OX-ican" meal, complete with OX-ican cheese, recipes, etc. The mispronunciation all by itself would not have been so grating, but she had a rather superior and condescending tone in her voice as she explained all about it to her "ignorant" guests. I couldn't help but think that if I were trying something new, and I had planned a little lecture on the subject, I think I'd make an effort to learn how to correctly say the name.

Got an especially huge kick out of this line discussing reaction to the repeal: "It's a coup for restaurant industry workers who petitioned in support of a repeal, arguing that hand washing is as effective as wearing gloves, without the added cost or environmental effects of what would amount to millions of discarded gloves." "...millions of discarded gloves." Those silly Californians. Here you can't even get your loaf of bread and lettuce head and jug of milk in a plastic bag out there anymore. But they had passed this "do-gooder" legislation that would have created "millions of discarded gloves." I mean, c'om. You gotta laugh at that.

Depends on what "style" I'm cooking. Tony Cachere's for US southern/Cajun. http://www.amazon.com/Tony-Chacheres-Special-Herbal-Seasoning/dp/B001EBSRGS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1403897504&sr=8-2&keywords=tony+chacheres+seasoning Cavender's for Greek: http://www.amazon.com/Cavenders-All-Purpose-Greek-Seasoning/dp/B004H81QOA/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1403897568&sr=1-2&keywords=cavenders+greek+seasoning TexJoy Steak Seasoning for all-purpose seasoned salt, yes, even for fish: http://www.amazon.com/TexJoy-Seasonings-12-16oz-Containers-Seasoning/dp/B00CHVOY1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1403897622&sr=1-1&keywords=texjoy+seasoning Although seriously, for fish, often use a lemon pepper blend, rather than salt.

There's an easy enough solution to this unforgivable sin, which I learned back when I was about ten. Every time you order a malted milk, you say, "with extra malt, please."

Boy, do I ever feel your pain. Was commenting to someone just last week that I didn't understand how we got from a time when malted milks were so popular that there was a "malt shop" on practically every corner to a time when the majority of folks younger than what - forty? - don't seem to even know what a malted milk is. Only a few months back, at a local hamburger joint, while perusing the menu, I asked the counter girl, "Do you have malts?" She said, "Yes, we do." So I said, "Great. I'll have a small chocolate malt." A few minutes later, she gave me my "malt" to suck on while I waited for my burger. One long draw told me that was no malt. "This isn't a malt," I said. "Yes it is." "No, it isn't." "Well, it's a chocolate milk shake. Same thing." "No, it's not the same thing. A milk shake is a milk shake. And a malt is a malt. And this isn't a malt." "Our manager says it's the exact same thing." "In that case, you AND your manager are wrong. They're not the same thing." Now I get a snotty look, and the irritated 'valley girl' accent, "Really? Then what's the difference?" "A malt has, well, malt." "What is malt?" "Oh, forget it. I'll just go suck on some Whoppers." "Whoppers? Is THAT malt? I like Whoppers."

In Chinatown, I'm sure others will have great recommendations but, for me, I never miss a trip to R&G Lounge, finished off with an egg custard tart from Golden Gate Bakery. http://www.rnglounge.com/ (If you click on the youtube link in this ad, you'll see Anthony Bourdain at the R&G Lounge - fun - and I sure understand what he means when he gestures to a nearby table full of Chinese and says, "I want to be at that table." Happens to me all the time, Tony.) http://www.yelp.com/biz/golden-gate-bakery-san-Francisco And here's a hint for Golden Gate Bakery. If you stand there for a bit, you'll notice all the clueless 'tourists' queuing politely at the door, while the Chinese 'regulars' are part of an 'egg custard tart' scrum up by the cash register. Took me several visits to figure out why they were always all out of tarts by the time I worked my way up to that cash register. It's because the 'regulars' had elbowed their way to the front of the line and walked back out with their pretty cardboard boxes full of steaming hot tarts. And, no matter where you're planning on taking your box of tarts, be sure to eat at least one right away, while they're still so hot and flakey. Does food get better? I dunno. But if it does, not by much.

It was I that said that, and I believe it. If you look at a list of restaurants that are currently using the prepriced, "no tipping" policy, they're all pretty big boys in the culinary world, and it sure hasn't hurt their business. I honestly think that, from everything I've read about your restaurant, here and on other websites, you could definitely get away with it. And look at it this way, if not, you can always revert to the previous policy. Nobody's gonna fuss about your prices going back down.

Well, that was sorta my point. If you can't come up with what should be a reasonable, rational, fair explanation... That might be a pretty solid indicator that banning him is not a good idea.

So I'm quoting myself, here, but want to add that I also owned a business - a travel agency - for about 8 years. There does come a time when a customer/client just ain't worth it. In all that time, I only had two. But on both occasions, after trying everything to come up with a more congenial and mutually beneficial professional relationship, I finally stood up and said, "I'm sorry, but it appears that we are unable to offer you the service you require. You'll have to find another agency that suits you better." In my case, it was easy to come up with something to say. I wonder, gfron1, what exactly you'd say to this customer by way of an explanation if you decided to ban him. Trying to come up with an appropriate reason could give you a clue as to whether it's a good idea or not. "Um, people like you from....." .