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Whether Cilantro plants (Coriandrum sativum) bolt is influenced both by length of days and heat. Depending on your climate, it probably pays to stagger seeding the plants if you want a continuous supply. There are also varieties available which are a little slower growing and somewhat less prone to bolting. Look for "Slow Bolt" or "Santo" varieties. The plants have a long tap root (they are in the same family with parsley, carrots, and celery) and don't transplant all that well. Even if you can keep them from bolting quickly, cilantro plants are fairly short lived annuals which will go from germination to flower in 6-8 weeks. If you live in a very hot climate, you might try growing its relative Saw Leaf Herb or Culantro (Eryngium foetidum). Some folks even suggest growing the unrelated and somewhat weedy Vietnamese Cilantro or Rau Ram (Persicaria odoratum) as a substitute; but, I think it has a pretty different flavor. -Erik

Install the google tooldbar and it will do spellcheck for you. ← I don't know anything about the back end of egullet; but, on high volume sites, a spell checking feature can be fairly processor intensive. If you are using firefox, the spellbound spelling extension works quite well. Spellbound -Erik

I added some to a fresh lime juice, natural pomegranate juice, and simple syrup punch this evening and actually thought that the flavor of the bitters combined in an interesting way with the tart, slightly vegetable, pomegranate flavor. Personally, I'm not sure what they were thinking with that bright neon green color. Certainly isn't natural. FDC Blue and Yellow, to be exact. Trying them on their own, diluted in water, I hate to quibble; but, they don't really seem bitter to me. Just minty-fresh, or as Alchemist put it, pretty Listerine-like. -Erik

I confess I have yet to try the mint bitters a friend gave me. Is it really so strongly flavored that it will turn any drink it is added to, to mouthwash? In any case, I find it hard to believe that it is stronger flavored than Fernet Branca, which is most often utilized in combination with orange juice, Gin or Pastis. Perhaps a drop of mint bitters would add an interesting note to cocktails made with those ingredients? -Erik

Part of the interesting part of this to me is none of these are bars. They are all restaurants first and bars second. You won't get a cocktail at any of them much past 11:00PM. As far as bars attached to restaurants go, I was surprised they did not include Medjool or Cortez in their list. I've been to Cortez and thought both the cocktails and food were pretty great. Recently all the remotely cocktail interested folks I know who have been to the roof top terrace at Medjool have raved. As always, I'm interested in other folks recommendations for new places to try. -Erik PS. Thank you moderator, for adding the article link to my post.

Where have you tried so far and what have you thought of them? I think Thep Phenom is a great recommendation; but, there are plenty of other good places, depending on your tastes.

Never been a big fan of warm coffee drinks, so I will contribute this recipe for Hot Whiskey, as taught to me by an Irish friend. I believe it is technically a "toddy". Recommended as a "cure" any time you might be feeling under the weather. Especially good for sore throats and colds. Hot Whiskey 2 ounces Jameson Whiskey* 1 tsp. sugar (or to taste) Lemon Slice (1/8 lemon, longitudinally sliced) 3 cloves** Hot Water Put the kettle on the stove. Combine Whiskey and sugar in the bottom of a mug or tempered glass cup. Stud lemon slice with cloves, and put in glass. After water boils, let stand for a few minutes to cool slightly, and pour into cup. I prefer not much more than two parts water to one part whiskey; but, others add more. *Don't tell my friend; but, it is also good with bourbon. **Sometimes I add half a stick of cinnamon, too.

Sorry, I guess I should have said, they will prepare dim sum for you, if you order it at any time. Uh, yes, your stay in any restaurant would be quite a bit longer, if none of them started making any of your food before you arrived. I don't really expect Italian restaurants are making the ravioli or tortellini from scratch after I order it, so I don't expect that Chinese restaurants would be making the dumplings either. edited - thought of better example.

COCKTAIL CHIC 'Bar chefs' revitalize cocktails with fresh, seasonal ingredients article link Gotta admit his Pomegranate Manhattan sounds awfully tasty! If only I had another liver to give to the cause! Recipes include: Pomegranate Manhattan From head bartender Duggan McDonnell at Frisson in San Francisco. Ginger Kaffir Limeade A cocktail from Thad Vogler at the Slanted Door restaurant. Temptation Courtesy of Range Restaurant. Moderator's note: edited to include link.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Section for Thursday, September 29, 2005 Cocktail Chic, Laura Compton Recipes: Temptation from Range Restaurant Pomegranate Manhattan from Frisson Restaurant Ginger Kaffir Limeade from Slanted Door Restaurant Talking to 'Bar Chefs' from many bay area restaurants including Absinthe, Aziza, Frisson, and El Dorado Kitchen. Wine Business Insider: Grape harvest may exceed expectations, Cyril Penn Winemakers cross fingers for a few more dry weeks...Vincor rejects hostile takeover attempt by Constellation...Opus One stays as it is...Constellation announces agreement to purchase HRM Rex Goliath brand from Hahn. Letters to Wine Pairings:Viognier dances to salsa and pan-seared fish, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Tomato, Avocado & Asian Pear Salsa with Pan-Seared Fish THE CHRONICLE'S WINE SELECTIONS: California Viognier Liberate this Swiss cheese from the fondue pot, Janet Fletcher Bargain Wines: Pinot Noir and Syrah: opposites that just might attract, W. Blake Gray

You can order a la carte (or off the cart), too. In fact, they will make you dim sum to order most any time of the day. I like to get my favorite, taro root dumplings, whenever I go there.

My wife and I go back and forth on Yank Sing. I think Yank Sing is over priced and not that great, and she enjoys it. I think Ton Kiang on Geary has some of the best dim sum you can get anywhere. Period. I also love their salt baked chicken and other Hakka delicacies. In my opinion, a few undersung Asian restaurants include Eliza's, Eric's, and Alice's. There is some sort of familial relationship between these places that I've never quite figured out. Anyway, they are definitely California/Chinese/Asian Cuisine; but, really tasty. I just love their Shanghai Chicken. I've had good and iffy experiences at Koi Palace. Let's just say, it's not the place to take your somewhat elderly parents, if they are craving Kung Pow Chicken. Waits can be interminable, and the service is not always friendly. They do take reservations, if you are concerned, and the food is really pretty outstanding. -Erik

Some more thoughts after reading the article. I'm curious from the bartenders in the group, if a lot of customers order bourbon or rye cocktails. I know I've been to a few "cocktail" bars here in SF that don't even have a dusty bottle of Jim Beam rye behind the counter. In a lot of bars, I find ordering an Old-Fashioned is a leap of faith, let alone a Sazerac. RE: Anchor Whiskey Took the Anchor tour (free!) earlier this year, and sadly they are no longer allowed to pour the whiskey or gin in the tasting room. I tried the 19th Century Rye once in a bar and thought it quite lovely. Never been able to justify the cost for a whole bottle at home, however. I would imagine the 18th might be a bit rougher, given the lack of aging and the 125 proof. I don't think they export the 18th Century outside of CA. -Erik

Sadly, I've never seen either Pikesville or Rittenhouse here in SF, so perhaps they are not sold in CA. Of what I consider the "sipping" ryes, I haven't seen either the Sazerac, or my personal unmentioned favorite, the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye recently. Anyone know if either of these are available somewhere in the Bay Area? My favorite mixing rye is the Wild Turkey. -Erik

The tropical fruit Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) is closest related to is the Cherimoya or Custard Apple. Other plants in the same family include Ylang Ylang, Guanabana and Sweetsop. -Erik

I've been to incanto a few times and to A16 just once so far. Overall I guess I would say I prefer incanto; but, there are some high points in the A16 menu that incanto hasn't surpassed. We had some excellent first courses, salads, and some of the best frozen desserts ever at A16. In fact their amazing trio of blueberry, caramel and apricot "ice creams" inspired me to get my own ice cream maker. In the middle part of the meal, pastas and main courses, I prefer incanto. -Erik

Central American/American, I think. I seem to recall he closed Alma to move to Tahoe or Reno, so he could be closer to the slopes. I don't remember if he was planning on being involved in Food Service there. Found article: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...FDGC5DDCFI1.DTL -Erik

I bought the Germain-Robin fine Alambic Brandy for mixing after reading an article about them in our local paper. Since then, I've tried a few more well known French Cognacs, and I have to say, for the money, you can't do much better than the Germain-Robin. It really is a smooth wonderful brandy. I'm also curious about Jepson's Rare Alambic brandy; but, haven't made enough sidecars yet to justify having another brand under the bar. -Erik

I've never quite worked up the courage to try them. They are such bright "danger" orange. However, I understand the interesting thing about them is that the orange color comes from a certain type of fungus which is a parasite on the fruiting structure of another fungus. I guess there are around 3 different similar fungi which can act as host to the orange colored parasite. So potentially, depending on what mushroom was acting as host, I could see that the flavor might be a bit different. I think, though, that the color is the main attraction. -Erik

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Section for Thursday, September 22, 2005 Uncork New York , Dave McIntyre New York now the third largest wine producing state after California and Washington. NY Wineries now allowed to ship wines direct to consumers. Tasting a few NY Rieslings, Chardonnays, and Merlots. Wine Business Insider: Trade agreement preserves 'California Champagne', Cyril Penn Trade agreement reached last week between the US and EU allows certain CA sparkling wine producers to continue labelling their wine 'Champagne'...The Sanfords leave Sanford: Richard and Thekla Sanford are leaving the Buellton winery they founded in 1981...Massachusetts is considering making it more difficult to buy wine online or through catalogs...Sales of so-called "adventure" wine brands have more than doubled in the last two years... Copia Wine Awards Andy Beckstoffer (right) of Rutherford-based Beckstoffer Vineyards receives Copia's "Grower of the Year" award. Letters to Wine Pairings: Feeling peckish? Try squab and Pinot Noir, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Four-Spice Squab with Onion Compote & Herb Salad THE CHRONICLE'S WINE SELECTIONS: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Roaring Forties Blue blows in from an Aussie isle, Janet Fletcher Blue Cheese from Tasmania! The Cocktailian: The Professor finds a quick study for the Stanford Cocktail, Gary Regan Recipe adapted from a recipe by Colin Field, head barman at the Hemingway Bar at Ritz Paris Hotel in France: Stanford Cocktail Winning picks for tailgating, Leslie Sbrocco Informal, easy to drink reds and whites. BENEFITS Doobie Brothers benefit at B.R. Cohn...108th annual Valley of the Moon Festival in Sonoma...Former 49ers coach Bill Walsh will be one of the hosts at a fundraiser Sunday in Woodside...Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County will hold its annual black-tie gala and auction Oct. 15 in Windsor...Rohnert Park's PBS affiliate, KCRB, will host its annual Wine and Epicurean Auction Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 14-16...Robin Williams will tell jokes and Ken Frank, of La Toque restaurant in Napa Valley, will cook at "Diamonds in the Rough," a $2,500-per-person dinner on Oct. 8 to benefit the Parkinson's Institute.

Speaking of English comfort food, you know Fish Pie is also really tasty. I was really doubtful when I first tackled it. It seemed to violate everyting I held holy about fish. Poach some cod or haddock in milk. Use the poaching liquid to make a stiff mustard spiked bechamel. Combine the sauce and fish, drop in a couple quartered hard boiled eggs. Pipe over some buttery mashed potatoes and bake until the top is golden brown. It seems wrong; but, tastes so right. -Erik

I don't know much about this beer, beyond the fact that it is from France and has goats, hops, and barley on the label. Brasserie Lebbe L'Amalthee Pours a cloudy brown amber like an unfiltered cider with a decent head. Initially, I thought it a bit dry; but, as it warmed, it opened up with a delicious richness. I guess I would put it in the same family as Saison Dupont or Foret. However it is richer than either and has none of the "bubblegum" flavor common in Belgian Ales nor the sourness of a farmhouse ale. Unique and delicious. To continue with the goat theme we also had a bottle of Anchor Bock. Initially when I tasted this I thought it was closest to their holiday beer without spices. I still stand by that; but, have identified the primary flavors as rich creamy caramel. It is nearly too sweet and rich for me to finish half a large bottle. -Erik

Off the top of my head: Lemonade, Aviation cocktails, Lemon Drop cocktails, Sidecar cocktails, marinades, salad dressing, tabouleh... -Erik

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Section for Thursday, September 15, 2005 A Highly Polished Drink, W. Blake Gray Including "sake basics" and tasting notes for a few daiginjo sakes. Wine Insider: Bourdeaux Wineries Cut Production, Cyril Penn Pairings: Fried green tomatoes go from standard to sublime, Lynne Char Bennett Pairing Pinot Grigio with Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches Recipe: Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches The Cheese Course: Snack on an affordable Vermont cheddar, Janet Fletcher Vermont's Cabot Creamery Vintage Choice Cheddar North Coast harvest reports show far less Pinot Noir than expected, W. Blake Gray Mount Eden Chardonnays stand test of time, Linda Murphy Tasting Mount Eden Chardonnays 1976-2001 A new generation brings change to traditional Alsace winemaking, Diane Teitlebaum

One of my favorite early spring time tubers is Jerusalem Artichoke or Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus). It is a tuber from a perennial (and somewhat invasive) member of the Sunflower family. They have a wonderful sweet nutty taste. Great in a gratin. Another sunflower relative I've been meaning to try is Yacon or Bolivian Sunroot (Polymnia sonchifolia). By the way, I've read that both of these plants store carbohydrates in a polymer of sucrose (inulin) that the human body cannot metabolize. So while they don't have much nutritive value, they are acceptable sweet or starchy treats for dieters and diabetics. -Erik