caseyell

Heading to Phoenix the end of the month -- any updates to the suggestions here. Is See Saw still great? Other suggestions? Much appreciated.

I thought the pastry show this past saturday was absolutely terrific. Thank god for TIVO__I plan to keep this one on hand for regular reference.

A delightful read. The best h.d.s I've eaten have been at parties catered by Bay Area food genius Paula LeDuc. Her cocktail fare is not only creative and delicious, but each piece is *always* tiny enough to consume in one bite.

I had such a disappointing meal there last June. I'd looked forward to eating there for years--but only some of the dishes were interesting, others were mediocre, and a couple were downright bad.

I ate there once, years ago--the food was delicious. He was very famous for his roast duck, for which I had the recipe, but unfortuantely I no longer have it. I *do* remember that you braised the duck pieces ahead of time and the reheated thenm in a very hot oven--or, maybe under the broiler--just before serving.

Orangette's wonderful blog has a delightful post about making the cookies from the Gourmet recipe

damnit! I missed this; must see if there will be a repeat showing.

Mine just came. I've only read the first few pages, but I'm loving it.

I recently sliced radicchio leaves chiffonade-thin and used them to top mashed white beans (with some good olive oil and a bit of crushed garlic to facilitate the mashing) on bruschetta. An idea from London's Rver cafe --and Fabulous.

I had a sensational meal at Cav last Friday night. It was my second visit and even better than the first. Every single dish --from the hamachi crudo to the veal cheeks to the cinnamon beignets (and a bunch of others in-between) was absolutely first-rate. I sat at a table, but they also have bar seating.

I freeze small tomatoes (never Heirlooms) whole and love having them on hand. I don't make sauce ahead of time becasue sometimes I only want the equivalent of a tablespoon or two of tomato pulp to enrich a pan sauce.

I just bought -- and am dazzled by --"Demolition Desserts" by Elizabeth Faulkner, chef/owner of Citizen Cake in San Francisco. It's a dazzler of a book --crammed with great fotos and intriguing recipes (with lots of helpful tips) and entertaining commentary. If you can't get to San Francisco as often as you crave great cupcakes, for example, you now can create them in your own kitchen. A brief, personal review on my blog: http//:caseyellis.blogspot.com

That might be it. Tiny little space with a counter along the left side as you entered--then small, cherubs-and-flowers bedecked dining room beyond.

out there in blogland, dorie greenspan and "paris breakfasts" frequently discuss pastry shops

I'm still mourning the closing of the elegant little pastry shop that stood near the church at the end of the Tuileries Gardens. The name has escaped me, but their financiers were sublime. It is now a wheatgrass/yogurt/etc shop. <sob>