bushey

Keep it in the freezer and serve as an after dinner drink. Pretty wonderful stuff.

Well then, by all means abstain.

I like the Mouli grater also, though it's been a long time since I got rid of mine for some reason I can't remember now. I also had a Mouli-type grater for herbs and it worked wonderfully well. (Note to self: spring for a new mouli) For table-side grating we have a round grater that you turn like a pepper or salt mill. Works very well for parmesan and hard cheeses unless they're extremely hard or down to the rind (we like the reggiano till the last drop!) In a recipe that calls for a substantial quantity of grated cheese, however, the box grater does a better job, faster.

Nick, I know they taste sweet when they're fresh. I love to order them when we go out for sushi, either as is or in a roll with spicy sauce. And I'm a sucker for any type of pan seared scallop. I just haven't been able to get the quality I'd like for home cooking -- just means I need to make my sweetie take me out more often .

Dave, thanks for the link. I'm still a little scallop-shy about buying them for home cooking, but at least I'm better informed now thanks to you and Nick. I have bought "dry" scallops from a local market (a general grocery with an excellent meat department and they'll special order any meat-poultry-fish you request) and they looked wonderful but had that dreaded metallic taste. Maybe I'm just super sensitive to it. Hey, maybe I'm a super taster and didn't even know it.

Nick, what is Tri-Poly and why is it used? It it something that most fishmonger's or fish department managers would know about if I asked?

I'm not sure if it helps, because I always do it, but the fish is almost always wonderful. Ages and ages ago someone I worked with gave me a recipe for baked fish that called for soaking in milk. Don't know where she got it from, but her heritage is Italian. I think it also helps sweeten the fish, both in taste and cooking smells.

I've gotten burned every time I've purchased scallops to make at home -- they just don't taste right. Even when the scallops are "dry" and fresh I can soemtimes detect a metallic taste that puts me off. On rare occasions I taste the same thing in restaurants. Sometimes I think it's just me and I should give up trying them at home. I usually soak white-fleshed fish, such as flounder and haddock, in salted milk before cooking. Does anyone else do that?

Siomn, I do believe you meant "fleishig" out. I have a friend who is always experimenting with liver pate and gives us sample to try. Last week, when I dropped my daughter off at her house to make Christmas cookies (my kids get to experience the whole Christmas thing at their house), she gave me a couple of ramekins of liver for us to try. The texture looked smooth as silk and there were currants in it. She said "Have some of this and a glass of red wine and you'll be in heaven". I can't bring myself to try it. I like the texture of chopped liver and the earthy smell. Don't like any of this gussied up stuff.

I found the Beaucastel at a wine store in the French West Indies last year for 40 euros and brought back two bottles. The storage conditions appeared to be good and the owner spent a while chatting with us -- he only has wine shipped during the cool months and he had cases and cases of really high end stuff for the big money winter crowd. I wish I had bought a few more...............twenty years, huh? What am I gonna drink in the meantime?

Speaking of which, at lunch yesterday my husband mentioned he would be stopping by our favorite wine/gourmet type store to pick up some bread and cheese, and asked if I wanted him to get anything. So I answered "Sure, pick up a bottle of the $100 wine I want, the '99 Clos de Tart". And he did! Thanks for all the Beaucastel advice. I've set all of my 98 CdPs on one side of the wine rack in a "do not touch" area. Guess I'll have to label it "do not touch until 2010".

Jumping in here with an observation and a couple of questions: Observation: Cabby, if you're still following this thread, the Wine Expo is a totally different beast from the festival you describe. Boston Wine Expo Question #1: Since participants on this thread collectively have more information on Beaucastel than I could ever hope to have, how long should I hold onto my '98s before drinking? (I only have 2 bottles) Question #2: Steve P., do you think they'd still love you even if they weren't blind?

Lesley, I believe it's magret I have in mind. Thanks for the recipe and instructions!

Steak frites, haricot verts and '99 Beaulieu Vineyards Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.

I've gotten it into my head that duck breast would make a wonderful meal for an intimate New Year's Eve dinner. Now all I need is a good, foolproof** recipe. I remember seeing one in the NY Times food section last year, but now I can't find it. **foolproof as in can still be followed after several glasses of champagne

wawairis, I'm with you on the grits. In fact I stood in the cereal aisle for a long time staring at the grits as well as the Irish oats (now wondering why I didn't buy both). I love to make my grits on the thicker side, then dot with butter, salt and pepper, sprinkle on some grated sharp cheddar cheese and run it under the broiler. Great with a side of scrambled eggs and hot sauce.

stellabella -- Do you add the additional ingredients before you cook, and if so, how do you adjust the proportion of liquids? This thread is coincidental to my buying some Irish oats yesterday at the supermarket. Now that the cold weather is here to stay it's the time my mind turns to hot cereal also. I went grocery shopping alone yesterday and decided I was worth the splurge for a cut above Quaker . I had some this morning for breakfast and it had great chewy texture. I cook it in the microwave at work, with milk instead of water, and drizzle it with real maple syrup. Meant to bring in some almonds to top it off, but I forgot. It was just as yummy without, but now you're inspiring me to experiment.

Nick, I'm a sucker for profietoles . Liza, I think I saw the same Strawberry dessert battle episode a couple of weeks ago. Was it the one with the very attractive female challenger? I liked the one where the strawberry sorbet sort of melts into the soup. The sugared strawberries on sticks looked like something my kids would love to have presented at the table.

I usually cook it stellabella's way, but instead of dried hot pepper, I sprinkle on a little cayenne powder while it's sauteeing. Buy more than you think you'll need -- it cooks down a lot, just like spinach does. Occasionally I spread the washed and dried leaves out on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil, and bake for about ten minutes at 350-375. The leaves stay whole and get nice and crispy.

Nick -- How did the Pompano sell last week? It is a favorite of mine, rarely seen on menus in the Northeast................. Love to see your menus posted here, but I miss seeing desserts listed. How can I decide what to have if I don't know what delicious treats I should save room for ?

Are you interested in specific baby bistros (e.g. Les Bookinistes, Rotisserie d'en Face) that are the offshoots of some of the starred chefs or some of the up-and-coming bistros such as those listed in the bistro moderne thread?

Turley "Old Vines Zinfandel Napa" 2000 Baphie, this is the only wine on your list that I've had this year and I gotta tell ya, my immediate reaction was "Robitussin with a splash of vanilla extract". We had it about about six months ago, at a steakhouse. My husband ordered it based on one of his past experiences with Turley. Let's just say he was not best pleased with my assessment but was most happy to drink most of the bottle himself. We were with another couple, one of whom also was not wowed, so he and I shared a bottle of '98 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon, which was much more to our liking. Just before dessert my husband stood up and announced he'd be in the car. We found him shortly thereafter, out cold. We've since had many good chuckles about that night.

Kim, is The Hatchery still open? I've had some great breakfasts there on sub-zero mornings over the years. I love Okemo -- it's the place I first learned to "really" ski -- but we haven't been back in several years. I've heard good things about Harry's just up the road. Brattleboro is a pretty good distance from Bennington; it's more towards the center of the state and a straight shot up route 91 from Springfield and Northampton. I've heard there are some good places to eat in Williamstown. And if you're in that area this coming weekend, there's a Holiday Stroll going on Saturday and Sunday. I assume the merchants of the main downtown area in Williamstown have special sales and events.

Here's a link to an old (1999) Travel & Leisure article highlighting six Paris bistros. The only one I've been to so far is L'Ardoise.

nesita -- I've made the adzuki bean paste for facial scrub also (I wasn't so nice, though, I made it for myself. I used to use The Body Shop Japanese Washing Grains and when I ran out I noticed that the only ingredient was adzuki beans. So the next time I went to Bread & Circus I bought some beans and, voila! (I store the ground beans in The Body Shop container) I love the idea of dry ingredients in a nice jar with handwritten instructions. Tres artisanal. Just needs an artfully tied ribbon.