BryanZ

I like gaf's suit/car analogy in regards to the price and feel of Grammercy Tavern. It's undoubtedly a very good restaurant and, for many, one that is transcendent and priced at the upper end of dining spectrum. If one is used to spending $100+ p/p on a meal (or $4000 for a suit), however, then it simply become a very a good restaurant but in no way measures up to the "best of the best."

Here's a great one for older readers, Redwall. The entire series is filled with scenes of feasting and abundance and being grateful for nature's bounty. I still love those books.

These are all fascinating threads. Being technically underage the world of mixed drinks is entirely new for me. I've always spent my money on learning about wines. Lots of great ideas in both threads though I could never see myself drinking a snickers martini or drinks of that nature.

My views are clearly stated above. That "headline" is not even remotely close to anything I said or even suggested. Give me something that actually adds something to this discussion and I will attempt a response.

I'm confused. The bigger online booksellers are saying this won't be available until later in the month (like the 28th of Nov.). Can anyone clear this up?

I've got the opaque Solo cups down. But thanks for all the feedback so far. I'm learning a lot myself.

Honestly, the underhanded personal attacks need to stop. They add nothing to the topic. I think a little common courtesy goes a long way in a debate. If I may flatly state my beliefs for those who enjoy bashing them: 1) The average American or W. European woman now cook less than her forebearers. 2) The above-named group likely cares less about cooking than their forebearers for numerous personal and sociological reasons 3) Ramsay is correct in making the above observations. 4) It upsets me that women are choosing to cook less because I like people who cook 5) In my experience I have less respect for people who can't cook (yes this includes, but is not limited to, young women) because I am a judgemental individual and like to cook These are not sexist beliefs. Anyone is more than welcome to refute those, but to nitpick on the semantics of the word "hate" or to take quotes out of context is both immature and unproductive. Again, the majority of posters, who also happen to see the truth in Ramsay's statement, reinforce the fact that my beliefs, except for possibly the last one, are not that outlandish. Unless deborah, or Irishgirl, or carrottop, or anyone else can bring in pertinent information (perhaps a figure that dictate more women are cooking recreationally now than ever before, or something to that effect), I'm done here. I feel I've outlined my point sensibly and have backed up my beliefs with pertinent anecdotal evidence.

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was a staple of my childhood. If only we lived in a world of hailing truffles and raining pinot noir... We made stone soup, inspired from "Stone Soup", in class one day in second grade or something. A great book.

I actually have seen a lot of women my age (& some baby boomers) who view my cooking skills, amateur though they may be, as a sort of sorcery. They are completely flabbergasted as to how food gets from shopping cart to serving platter, as if my hair should go white from my "life force" being drained out of me by the magic of cooking. I know that over a century ago, critics were lamenting that young women were getting their recipes from Fanny Farmer instead of their own mothers & grandmothers. So the disconnect from family tradition ain't exactly a new phenomenon. And it seems like with a lot of baby boomers, including my mother, there's a sort of defiance against time in the kitchen, like it's a form of slavery, or something they don't have time to "waste" on. And with my generation... a lot of us did not see our mothers cooking, and so for some, I can only guess that it appears to be a skill well beyond the scope of mere mortals! Because of this, I really can't be offended in the least by GR's accusation, it seems quite spot-on with what I see around me... namely, folks watching TV Food Network like it's the Discovery Channel: "Oooh, lookit that, how the hell did they do that?" as they just watched it BEING DONE for the past 20 minutes. ← Yay! Another rational and objective post I can appreciate.

I COMPLETELY agree with nibbs' bread commentary. The foccacia was passable but the baugette was severely disappointing. I actually wrote that in my notes but couldn't include it in the review because of space constraints. I'd say you'd find a pretty decent split between people in the Nana's and Magnolia camps. Magnolia has a wider reputation, but generally I've found people leave merely satisfied or underwhelmed based on their preconceptions. Nana's is somewhat lesser known and therefore pleasantly surprises a lot of people. I like both.

I'm new to the drinks forum, so I don't know what's been discussed of late. Anyway, I'm the food editor of my college's newspaper and we're starting a "Drink of the Week" featurette. I'm looking for funky, cool drinks, or old-school classics that are easily made in a dorm-type setting. Perhaps the ambitious of you can give me a drink recipe dumbed down to the college level. Any ideas are appreciated and background info. on the drinks would be a plus. I'm more of an amateur wine guy and don't know ANYTHING about mixed drinks outside of what I can buy from a lounge chair at a beach resort. Thanks a lot.

I'm a judgemental person. There's not a much more I can say there that pertains to this topic, so I'll leave it at that. I wholeheartedly agree with this. I refuse to eat Safeway cakes.

The semantics of the word "hate" aren't exactly pertinent to the points I was trying to make. Though I will admit that in the literal sense using "hate" was inappropriate. To judge people based on their cooking ability or their initiative to cook brings up an interesting point. Initially, I would say, yes, there's a good chance I'll like a girl more (and I use girl here only because I prefer female romantic company) if she knows how to cook. But again, this isn't because I expect women to cook, it's because I like people that like food. We're kind of extrapolating Ramsay's initial claim wayyyy beyond what he might've intended, but I still think this is all part of a very cool intellectual discourse. Anyway, I undoubtedly place one's involvement in food in the "important" category when "evaluating" members of the other sex. I admitedly place greater importance on a girl's respect for food than a guy's. Somehow, the context of making a romantic dinner with a close male friend doesn't have the same allure that cooking with/for a young lady does. Maybe this is a weird quirk of mine, but I know that many eG foodies seek out friends and partners who share similar interests in food. When I find a dearth of females who have even a remote interest in food, it simply upsets me. I don't see much sexism in that.

This is the story of my life. Magnolia is a good, but not great restaurant. Undoubtedly, I can't compare with the big boys in the big cities, but that's been discussed ad nauseum. As others have also noted, Magnolia does some pretty creative New Southern cuisine but seems to put too much on one plate. The flavors get muddled instead of highlighted; instead of flavors singing vibrantly, they hum a satisfying tune (that was a whole lot of trite, Frank Bruni-esque metaphor). In general, it's one of the best in the area but no better than Nana's or the other big names around here.

I don't deny my arrogance when it comes to food. In fact, I'm proud of it. I think that most people on eG are food snobs to one degree or another; they're here to share their knowledge and to learn from others. I find that in most situations amongst my peers I'm doing most of the sharing (though I have learned a fair amount about more obscure ethnic cuisines during my time at Duke). The "I hate you" line was included not to directly show off my arrogance but instead to bring the story down to the human level. This girl is one of my closest friends. We all live together, eat together, go to classes together, and spend about 20 hours a day together. I would NEVER say this to someone I wasn't comfortable with; that's simply bad manners. As to the supposed inherent condescension of my posts, perhaps you're right. But I (unlike some of you) am not attacking specific indiviudals for their beliefs. As Megan notes, to many outside of the food world that fact that the most of general public, men and women, can't cook is pretty irrelevant. To me, however, the fact that young "people/women/whatever you politically correct individuals feel is the most appropriate epithet" is very unsettling. This would be analagous to a militant feminist discovering that young women don't care about women's rights or equality (and yes, that was meant to be somewhat inflammatory). The general public doesn't care the Ramsay says women can't cook, it's only within the context of eG that this becomes a very interesting discussion. I'm just passionate about food, just like Ramsay, and find some trends in modern culture upsetting. I like that my grandmother can make an old-school pot roast, that my mother can still recall the Japanese staples of her youth. They, for better or for worse, know how to make these things, and this is a good thing. My father can't cook a damn thing and I hate him for it. I don't discriminate based on sex. I discriminate based on lack of initiative and ignorance. edit: This thread still owns. One of my favorite ideological debates on eG that I've taken part in.

A short take on Mt. Fuji Asian Bistro in the Brightleaf Square. I felt as though I really had to sacrifice my own beliefs and standards when writing this. To be honest, this place blows. But then again, I've travelled to Japan many, many times and have stayed in Tokyo and Kyoto's best ryokans, eaten at top restaurants, etc. This place even sucks across the board on NYC sushi standards (and I'm not even remotely talking about the the big names like Yasuda). But the lack of good sushi in this area is an entirely different thread. Electronic version: http://www.chronicle.duke.edu/vnews/displa...7/4360c318db907 Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham has long provided a culinary world tour, from El Rodeo’s Tex-Mex favorites to Chamas’s all-you-can-eat Brazilian meat extravaganza to Nikos’ traditional Greek offerings. Now, with the recent opening of Mt. Fuji Asian Bistro, Brightleaf Square provides its visitors with a passport to the Orient. Mt. Fuji’s large menu encompasses new takes on the most popular dishes from Japan, Thailand and China. The restaurant’s exposed brick walls, stylish sushi bar and flat screen televisions provide a chic setting for the east-meets-west cuisine. Much of the inspiration and spice that went into Mt. Fuji’s design, however, seems to be lost in the actual preparation of the food. A seared garlic calamari appetizer was tepid and much too chewy. Squid should be served either pleasantly crisp when cooked or slightly firm when raw; this was like eating rubber marinated in garlic. Similar trends continued throughout the meal. A traditional fried tofu appetizer, agedashi, used quality tofu but was poorly prepared. Two Thai dishes, both known for their strong, spicyflavors, were dull and unmemorable. The raw seafood items from the showpiece sushi bar (see below) were perhaps the restaurant’s only saving grace. Throughout the course of the meal, dishes were brought out at random and illogical times. One entree was delivered as an appetizer, and another dish was forgotten numerous times by the waitstaff and only arrived after most of the other food had been consumed. The item was removed from the final bill, making it the only dish that was worth its price. Mt. Fuji will undoubtedly attract customers with its convenient location and attractive setting, but it will not flourish unless it improves the quality and impact of its food. Mt. Fuji Asian Bistro Brightleaf Square Durham, NC Prices: Appetizers - $4-9; Mains - $11-15 Perks: Chic design, specialty drinks, extensive sake selection Picks: Pad See Ew Thai noodles, Mongolian Beef, sushi

Ling! Where are you? ← Here I am...didn't see this thread until now. I'm a college-aged woman and I love cooking! I am actually one of the earlier active members in the Vancouver forum. I've been baking from scratch since I was in grade 6, and I haven't looked back since. I bake almost everyday. One of the items I'm putting together this week is a 4 layer chocolate cake, with each layer made from a different premium cocoa (I am running a taste-test to see how they stack up against one another.) The cake will contain an Italian caramel buttercream, and be enrobed in Pierre Herme's caramel chocolate ganache. I love perusing the gourmet markets for different chocolates, Granville Island, Les Amis for cheeses, and going to different bakeries for breads. Quality ingredients are very important to me, so I buy the very best that I can afford. My friends love that I can cook, because I feed them all the time. Sadly, I don't know anyone else my age who cooks, or loves food half as much as I do (one of the reasons why I spend so much time on Egullet), but my friends are slowly learning. They can tell the difference between a baked good made from a quality chocolate like Valrhona, and a decent chocolate like Baker's now. My friends who have moved out are living on Subway, McDonald's and instant noodles. They are always asking me how to do the simplest things, like how to boil an egg. I don't dismiss them as being inferior in any way, merely because they don't have the same cooking skills that I do, or even chide them for eating McCain's frozen pizza (and enjoying it), because I understand that food is less important to them. However, it is a bit disheartening when I see many people my age unable to appreciate the joy that making a meal--from sourcing the best ingredients, to cooking, to plating the dish artistically--can bring to the cook. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the revelation on someone's face when they taste a quality version of a dish they've had for the first time. There are a lot of factors why I think many of the people my age don't cook, and can't cook. A very common reason, unfortunately, is laziness. Food is cheap in Vancouver, and there isn't much motivation to learn how to cook when you can get something decent for $6. Also, many of my friends don't know where to start--they were not taught how to cook when they were younger, and aren't interested in reading cookbooks or even watching FoodTV (I know, I know...but everyone has to start somewhere!) And lastly, they are all busy people...there's school, work, friends, bfs and gfs, the gym, sports...the list goes on. Learning to cook isn't a priority because they know they can get run to McDonald's if they're hungry, and since eating is often just to fill a void, it doesn't matter what is going in their stomach (and this is true for both guys and girls). I don't think agree with Ramsey's views as they seem to pertain solely to women, and is therefore sexist. Perhaps it is debatable whether the direct quote (which is used loosely in the title of the article) is sexist, but certainly his general tone comes across as being quite offensive to me. ← Ling, you should take a study away semester at Duke. We can cook together and educate the Subway and McDonalds eating masses. Seriously though, people like us are few and far in between. I think it says something that we hardly know anyone our age who has an notable interest in food. There seems to be a general lack of interest and prevalence of laziness, but, as you mentioned, educating people is half the fun. I took a group of my friends to Jean Georges (a personal favorite of mine) in for lunch in NYC and cooked for them pretty extensively over Columbus Day Weekend, and they began to truly understand my passion. It's especially cool to see friends, girls especially, who previously had no interest in cooking suddenly come alive when confronted with good and challenging food. If I may cite another anecdote (which, if you've been following this thread over the past couple pages, is what got me into this whole mess in the first place), I would like to recall the story of one of my closet friends from Miami. Up until our trip to Jean Georges, she had been accustomed to eating the traditional Cuban food of her housekeeper. She had never tried any kind of raw seafood, didn't even know what kind of seafood she liked (remarking that "my housekeeper knows, not me"), and was afraid to try many different types of ethnic food. At our extended luncheon, she tried, and enjoyed, raw hamachi and foie gras, two items that were well-entrenched in the "gross" category. I honestly believe that experiences like this are what motivate people to get into food. She plainly states that even in the short time she's known me, she has learned more about food than any other time in her life. It is not my belief (nor is it Ramsay's) that women cannot cook by their nature; they simply choose not to and do not suffer for this decision because of the availability of convenience food and the breakdown of traditional gender roles. Outside of communities like eG, cooking still has an oppressive connotation associated with it, and for that reason young women are not motivated to become involved. Only through education, from a mother/grandmother/father/good friend who respects food, will the oppressive conotations of cooking be lessened.

Over the top but well-written. I enjoyed that very much. And yes, I feel like many of us here are that guy.

Enjoy Nana's, it's about as good as it gets in the immediate area. I have a particular interest in the American Tobacco Plaza (or whatever it's called), as Duke owns a significant amount of the land in/near that venture and is supposedly involved in recuriting businesses and restaurants to fill the commercial space. I had no idea another Jap. place was opening up there. Does anyone have any other info?

If you go to Fearrington, report back. One of the few big names I have yet to visit yet. I wish I had someone who would spend that much on a meal with me in the area.

By the dirty South I meant Durham and the surrounding area, North Carolina. Though the presence of white truffles in the South is an entirely different topic.

I see two trends being discussed here. 1) The difference between women choosing to cook and being able to cook. As far as choosing to cook goes, that is each individual's perogative. It cannot be denied, however, that fewer young women today are cooking than in previous generations. Some may see that as a good thing, others may see it as bad. I side with Ramsay on this issue not because I'm sexist and believe in traditional gender roles, but because I think many women are missing out on the joys of cooking and are losing touch with culinary traditions. 2) The other issue is when and why women started cooking. It seems that the general trend amongst posters here is after college, either by marriage or living in one's own place. While this seems to be the tradition, I, as a young poster on eGullet and in the food world, hope to see this change. I hope that both young men and women get involved in food at a younger age. This is much easier now than it was before because of the globalization of food, but I can count on one hand the number of my peers who I personally know that are interested and involved in food. This is disappointing aspect seems to be what Ramsay was highlighting, only he focused the lack of involvement on young women.

Thank you, Rinsewind. I concur with most of your observations from my own personal experiences.

Probably not many, but raising a family necessitated that many women learn. Additionally, they probably had more experience in the kitchen, simply learning from their mothers. There seems to be a major disconnect now, with big time push in convenience food that actually tastes [cringe] not [cringe] that bad. To me this seems counterintuitive since now one is able to procure better ingredients that were previously completely foreign only 10 years ago, but that is neither here nor there. edit: I'm so enthralled with this discussion that my typing accuracy has rapidly degraded; sorry for all the edits, they're superficial typing changes.

I echo these sentiments. It doesn't bother me that women are cooking less much more than it bothers me the average guy can't cook at all. And to those who believe that I am using a "broad brush", I admittedly am. I was simply citing one example of many in which people (both men and women, mainly young though) express complete bafflement at my obsession with food. Generally, conversations in this same vein include me talking to the frat boy who eat dried ramen and washes it down with beer or the average girl who, in my experience, truly has no experience with cooking food. I am not exaggerating when people say "I can make toast," or "I can boil pasta," or "I love Kraft Easy Mac," or "I can make grilled cheese on my George Foreman Grill." The only reason that Ramsay's (and my) statement could have been construed as inflammatory is because they generally focus on women. For me, the disgusting thing is women who cook becacuse their boyfriends expect to be served. And, more broadly, that America and Europe are losing out on their culinary traditions because of the movement toward fast/convenience food. Trust me, there is NOTHING more attractive than a woman who can cook and who owns the kitchen. She cooks because she can and loves the sensuality of food, not because she thinks she has to subscribe to traditional gender roles But, unfotunately, women like this at my age are, in my experience, completely absent. eGullet is an exception but, even so, I don't know of any truly active college-aged female posters. To each woman (or man) her own. Cook if you like, or don't. But I think that women who choose not to are missing out a big and rewarding part of life. Edited to add: I did not use simpleton to imply that women are simpletons. But personally I wouldn't want some putz (man, woman or otherwise) using anything that I highly value without close supervision.