Suzanne F

MatthewB and ideefixe: I disagree with both of you; MatthewB: that wasn't venom so much as ignorance. ideefixe: the "food revolution" that Alice Waters started has had repercussions well beyond "the rich people in this country." I don't know how long you've been shopping in supermarkets, but the range of fresh produce available now is many, many times greater than it was when she started. (I shop at a Pathmark on the edge of Chinatown/Little Italy/the Lower East Side -- where the privileged like me are far outnumbered.) While I can't point to a clear cause-and-effect here, I do believe that by her getting people interested in food, she helped that happen. To say that because one experiment failed, she hasn't had any influence, is disengenuous. Yes, agribusiness is supported in the USA to a disgusting degree; but how does that bear on the issue? And what are YOU doing to change that? You are right to be angry, but your anger is misdirected. What proof do you have for your statement that "most family farmers are sneered at by the PBS/Chez Panisse crowd" -- and, by the way, who exactly makes up that WHOLE crowd? It sounds to me as though you might be practicing a kind of reverse snobbism. Alice Waters does not need me to defend her; many others are happy to do that. But if you are going to denigrate anyone, you'd better present a lot more facts yourself.

There was no pot. It was a special type of water that holds its shape when boiled. It was an experiment that failed, alas, because no one could figure out how to cut off a chunk to make only one cup of tea.

If he likes Chinese food: CONGEE!!!!!!! aka jook, aka rice porridge. 1 cup of rice (preferably short grain) rinsed and simmered for one to two hours in 8 cups of water or stock. For him, I'd use stock (chicken, turkey, vegetable, mushroom) so that it tastes more like "food." Season with soy sauce when done. If he can't even have shredded ginger or scallions, add them in big pieces during the cooking and fish them out before serving. You could probably add some tofu while it's cooking, that would kind of dissolve and increase the protein component.

Awww. Thanks, elyse. I don't know why a container would be absolutely necessary, except from a hygiene standpoint. And you'd probably get a lower yield, because you'd be bouncing kernels in and out of high-energy zones. Dave is, of course THE AUTHORITY on that sort of thing. (See what you got yourself into? ) If I were to consider that . . . naw, I wouldn't even consider not confining those little buggers. Because 1) I hate cleaning the inside of my nuker, so lord knows how they'd end up flavored; 2) I'd worry that some kernels would get caught under the carousel and mess it up; and 3) I'd worry that some kernels would get caught in the grate on the side (is that where the evil beams come out?). Although it sure would be fun to watch them bounce all over the inside. But I would definitely NOT use a good old brown paper bag. I believe the stories about the kind of materials that might be in it, and suddenly burst into flame (whether they're true of not).

Steve, the "point you made" is fallacious. When you say you are not putting forthinformation, you are merely citing YOUR opinion. A restaurant customer does not generally bargain for his or her meal. One pays the listed prices for the food one has chosen to order. When I marvel at what a "good value" a restaurant is, it means I would be willing to pay more, if they asked me to. How often have you heard that applied to your beloved French restaurants, other than with respect to their much lower-priced lunch deals?Your reasoning of: - I go to a restaurant because I want to eat the food that restaurant serves, which I prefer to the food other restaurants serve. - The restaurant charges a fixed amount for the food I order, which is higher than other restaurants charge for the food they serve. - I pay the amount the restaurant charges. - Therefore, the restaurant I have eaten at is worth more in the greater scheme of things than those I bypassed. has so many holes I could drain pasta in it. When will you realize that we do not live in a world of perfect supply-and-demand? edited to correct a spelling error, which I wish Plotnicki would do more often. Has it ever occurred to him that by using such poor spelling and grammar, he cheapens his arguments?

Rozrapp -- I HAVE had the cassoulet at D'Artagnan. I didn't like it, for many reasons. Jackal, go read Pickled, Potted, and Canned for a better education on the history of food preservation. As for your cassoulet comments, I sincerely hope you are being ironic. Because if you are serious, I feel very sorry for you -- that you should be so locked into an unattainable ideal. Go sit in the corner with Plotz.

For one thing, the restaurant is the first in the country to be "certified organic" right down to the waiters' uniforms. Sorry, I forget the name of the certifying organization. Since my own opinion is that "organics" from small producers just plain taste better (think Alice Waters), I believe Nora's food (and wine) is quite delicious. Last week we had a wild mushroom soup and beef tartare as apps. There were many lovely-sounding mushroom dishes on the menu, but the soup appealed most. It was intensely mushroom, and rich without cream. The tartare tasted, well, like beef. With hints of the other flavorings. But it tasted of ITSELF. For mains we had grilled salmon, and crab cakes. Now, I never, EVER order salmon in restaurants; far too often it is horrible, tasting rancid and not at all like salmon. Nora's was perhaps a bit too strongly grill-flavored for my taste, but there was no mistaking that this was salmon as I remember it. And the crab cakes were just right: lots of crab and not much more. The vegetables that accompanied each plate were crisp, fresh, sweet, and there was an astonishing herbed potato cake that I would been happy to make a whole meal out of. The ingredients are top quality, and present their own flavors as they should. Even when "strongly" spiced.

Well, Steve, you may know how to make money off of popular "culture" but I wish you would not try to apply your "standards" to a business you obviously know nothing about. Perhaps the Italian restaurateurs know better than the French how to run a business, and therefore can maintain a lower pricepoint. And maybe (although I recognize that this is really pushing it ) the South Asians are more business-savvy still. Restaurants do not base their prices exclusively on what the market will bear. Yes, the target customers' perception of worth comes into play to some extent. A place like Jean Georges is thought to be one of the best in the city. But that alone cannot justify his prices. Of course the price of a meal at Jean Georges is high; the guy roasts off perfect specimens of chickens just to make a sauce, and then tosses the birds. Sure, the sauce is wonderful. BUT HE'S THROWING AWAY MONEY. He MUST charge higher prices than a place that uses its inputs more efficiently. I'll bet Phil Suarez makes a bigger profit (as a percentage of sales) off Gigino than he could ever make off Jean Georges.

Stellabella, that sounds wonderful. But you'd better duck now (no pun intended) since, as Ariane Daguin of D'Artagnan quotes her 2-Michelin-starred father, And, need I add, among eGulleteers.

Sure; and you can pop regular kernels in the microwave: I've got a two-part "corn popper" contraption with a high domed cover with vents on the top. Pour in the kernels, turn it on High for about 4 minutes, and voilà, popcorn to flavor any way I want. Could probably do it in a nuke-able plastic bag with a few holes poked in it. Popcorn pops when the moisture trapped inside the kernel turns to steam. So as long as it's not too dried out (I just recently finished up some kernels I bought in 1994 ), it will pop if it gets hot enough.

I finally watched it yesterday afternoon. I found it rather boring -- all those talking heads! Maybe 15 minutes of content, repeated over and over again. And nothing about her or her work that I didn't already know. An hour wasted. I was really hoping that it would include what I saw in real life, and described in this post. But no. The mystery continues.

Physician, heed thyself. Well, I for one am mightily relieved that you have such compatability with the missus. How difficult it would be for you if she liked such a boring, unimpressive, underpriced place as Babbo. But then again, if you only had a rushed hour and a quarter to eat, well, of course you couldn't appreciate anything; even I take a minimum of three hours for a really serious meal.

My gut feeling is that you should check travel sections of newspapers, and travel magazines, and look for summer resorts. (You don't want to cook at a kids' summer camp, do you? ) Then do your research on the place and the chef, and get in touch.

Jinmyo:

This may sound heretical, but one of my favorite uses for tofu is in chili con carne. Freeze it; thaw it; crumble and drain. Then use it as you would ground meat. Not very Asian; sorry, I'm a fusionista at heart. But I also cube very firm tofu and add it to Thai soups.

Oh, Stone, that is so beautiful. May I say, in the best sense of the words: HEY DUDE, IT'S PINK.

Ditto music. Large, droopy plants on dividers between tables. They invariably end up tickling the back of my neck. Other items horticultural: flower arrangements within smelling distance of the table. I don't mind displays at the entrance, à la Chanterelle; in fact, I rather like them. But I do not want to smell them when I am eating.

Sierra Nevada for breakfast?

Here's a link to the story in this week's Nation's Restaurant News. (warning: the link may not work because of blocked access for non-subscribers)

These might not be "romantic" enough settings (not my forte; I'm not into romance much), but what about Nora or Asia Nora? We ate at Nora this past Monday night, and had a wonderful meal with excellent service. And Asia Nora is a lovely place, also with excellent food. But I have heard great things about Ris and 1789.

I have not eaten there yet, but know I would like to. The food sounds very interesting. However: everytime I walk past and look in the window, I see what look like Formica-topped tables and Eames-knockoff-looking chairs that would not be out of place in a 1960s junior high school cafeteria. These are right out there, visible from Church Street. Are they comfortable? Is that what the dining room actually looks like, or is that only the bar? Somehow it strikes me as far from the height of modernist luxe. I just can't get my mind around the idea of eating J-G's food while in a setting that makes me feel 13 years old.

After following your link, I think I have a Pop-up Ad Allergy. But I have noticed that if I eat hazelnuts with the skins on, I can't breathe. (Only happened once, but that was enough!). And walnuts give me, um, heartburn. So I avoid them both. So does that make me your buddy?

I know Taka. I worked with him at Match Uptown. Or, to be correct, he was the sushi chef there when I worked in the kitchen and did pastry. I love Taka. RUN, do not walk, there. He's terrific.

If you can find a copy of Tess Mallos's The Complete Middle East Cookbook, you'll see that Iraq has a varied and interesting cuisine. After all, this is part of the region where Western "civilization" began. And Baghdad was for a time the capital of the Islamic world, and a center of trade.