VMBrasseur

We have reservations on Saturday for Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa. My friends have been before and greatly enjoyed it, but they're not culinary experts. I was wondering whether eGulleteers have had the chance to check this place out. FWIW, it actually garnered 3 stars from the Chronicle review (click). Considering that French Laundry and Chez Panisse get 4 stars (out of 4, of course), I think this bodes well for my meal at the Bistro. --V

I'm always glad to help preach the gospel of Toddy, Jeff. I've never tried to do this in anything other than my toddy maker, but I'd imagine that if you have a good enough straining mechanism (maybe a few layers of cheesecloth in a sieve) you could probably make this without any special doodads or paraphenalia. Here's more or less how it's done: 1 pound FRESHLY ground coffee 9 cups cold water The coffee should be kind of coarsely ground. I normally get it done at Peet's rather than at home. They always set their grinders to a "7" for this. Pour the coffee into a large container (I use my toddy maker, of course and highly recommend it; makes the entire process much easier). SLOWLY pour five cups of cold water over it, wetting as much of the grinds as possible. Let this mixture rest for five to ten minutes. SLOWLY pour the remaining four cups of water over the mixture, again making sure to wet as much of the grinds as possible. Place this mixture into the refrigerator and let it sit for 12-24 hours. If you're using the toddy maker, you can just pull the plug at this point. If not, you'll need to strain the entire mixture in one go in a large sieve lined with cheesecloth or maybe a jelly bag or something like that (I'm making this part up as I go along). When it's done dripping, put the coffee concentrate into an airtight container and refrigerate. It's a breeze to use: one part coffee to three parts water/milk/etc. Or to taste. Or, for those mornings when you just don't have the time to boil water, you can just do shots of concentrate. It works for me. --V

Oh...my... The price on those roasters is a little too tempting for someone who loves coffee. Especially someone like me who doesn't have the room to stow a lot of kitchen stuff. I almost wish I hadn't found out how easy it is... --V

My absolute favorite way to make coffee is TODDY. Cold-brewed coffee concentrate which is so smooth and rich you'll just want to die. Sure, it takes 12-24 hours to make the stuff, but it's sooooo worth it. And what you make not only lasts you a week or so, it's a week or so of almost instantaneous coffee bliss every morning. Check it out (click). I can't say enough good things about it. --V

So what exactly is involved in home-roasting your beans? Do you need all sorts of arcane and expensive contraptions which will take up acres and acres of precious shelf-space? Or can you just toss the beans in a crock and slide them into the oven for a few hours? --V, who's pretty sure it ain't the latter...

Actually, koalas only eat eucalyptus leaves. As for why I try to eat things I've historically never liked, it's because I feel so darn limited. I go to restaurants and can't order most of the menu because the dishes include either seafood or mushrooms or both. Does that mean I won't like them? Odds are I probably would. I actually enjoy the mahi mahi I order now, and I've had many a pleasant accidental run-in with a dish which includes mushrooms (but wasn't listed as such on the menu). Now that I'm older and my tastes are more refined than when I originally decided I didn't like seafood and mushrooms, I think I'm open to the possibility of actually liking them. At least that's my working theory. --V

I have to chime in with another vote for Peet's. Their Sumatra is one of the most full-bodied coffees I've had the pleasure of tasting. It makes some damn fine toddy. If you're just looking for something winey and pleasant for mornings, I'd suggest locating a Tanzanian Peaberry. It's a lighter brew which definitely falls into the "winey" category. --V

Inspired by the "Worst thing you eat" thread, I'm curious about what things we DON'T eat. Things which are otherwise accepted as great by the rest of the food-loving world. For instance, I can't do mushrooms. I try, but I just can't do it yet. And seafood. Any idea how much these things limit me when I go to a restaurant? I'm trying very hard right now to get over the seafood thing. Progress is being made, but I'm certainly not ready for caviar yet. --V

Totinos frozen pizza! OK, I have to second that one. What is it about those things? They're soooo bad but still soooo good. Thankfully I'm able to resist buying them often, but it's always a struggle. --V

I don't often eat things which would qualify as "bad" (although, in the interest of being completely honest, I have to admit giving in to many very tempting and attractive little pastries in North Beach in San Francisco this past weekend), but I do occassionally get an insatiable deep-rooted NEEEEED for a Little Debbie Fudge Round. Which, I discovered the hard way, are almost impossible to find in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thankfully my brother-in-law brought me a shipment from Michigan.

I'm relatively new to the cooking scene, but I've already noticed that it has theraputic value for me. Keep in mind that I'm a skeptic for most forms of "organized" therapy (encounter groups, psychologists, etc.), so I'm not entirely comfortable using the phrase "theraputic value" in conjunction with anything I enjoy this much. ;-) When I come home from a long tense day at the office, it's very relaxing to be able to forget all the day's little traumae by diving into something as creative as cooking. Sure, the stress of work will return the next day, but for a few hours it becomes easy to forget all of the boneheaded things which are going on there. BTW, this is my first post. So, um...howdy or something like that. --V