divalasvegas

I just finished watching the "Decoding Ferran Adria" episode. I think I have a new favorite. I will definitely be re-watching this episode when it repeats in a couple of hours. It left me quite astounded and even a bit light-headed, in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute, but in particular: - Bourdain's nervousness and a bit of giddiness as to what he could expect from a meal at El Bulli - Adria's mischievous demeanor throughout the meal and how much he seemed to want the diner's experience to be not just enjoyable or interesting but fun - How blown away Tony was by everything he tasted and how well he described what he was eating - It was actually quite sweet that Adria wanted people to know that he and his team weren't just a bunch of cold, clinical types but that they approached their work with excitement and curiousity and even joy All in all, a great episode. A couple of questions: is there a source for the entire menu served that evening, and how many/what kinds of wines were they drinking?

Oh that's right soon-to-be Daddy-oh! Congrats to you and the missus again my dear! But I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific. How would you like the item prepared in my new toy: grilled, griddled or baked? Uh, on second thought, nevermind, no need to answer that..... really....... I'm begging you.

First of all racheld, I hope they paid you well for your masochistic culinary service! My knuckles feel raw and my face is burning just reading your recap. I promise my device is much more user friendly. Wow, you must've done a great job considering how much they ate. I'm trying to picture this thing, but I can't, Hellish skewers and all. Did you at least taste the fruits of your labors? Four people, 5 lbs. of cheese and 10 lbs. each of vegetables and ham? Geez. And yes, I think fajitas will be among the first things I make.

Oh no judiu you are most certainly not an idiot and your description of the traditional raclette "like a gyro, but with cheese" is quite appropriate. Like annachan and mizducky said, the traditional one is for melting a large quarter or half wheel of cheese. The device I have is sometimes called a raclette and sometimes not. Here's a link which shows some of the traditional ones: Traditional Raclettes mizducky's description of my gizmo is spot on. It allows one to do a lot more than the traditional raclette, going way beyond potatoes and melted cheese. Thanks for the Trader Joe's tip annachan. I had no idea that they had properly sliced cheesesteak meat. Thanks to you all.

Thanks Ah Leung. Great suggestions, especially the Vietnamese option. Grilling some marinated shrimp for spring rolls would also be doable. Maybe for the Italian option I could use the vegetables you suggested to make a grilled ratatouille. Thanks again for your ideas.

Really, really humble. Food is served on trays, paper cups, styrofoam. But it really is so very good. One sees plenty of Indian families and office workers there as well. It's also a definite Ballywood experience as they have a couple of tvs in the dining area and THAT'S ALL THEY PLAY! But that's fine with me. What sort of thing are you planning re: the Secret Service? I'm sure it would make for interesting tv, but as a native Washingtonian it doesn't seem like the best way to get any kind of authentic DC experience. I mean would you be accompanying them as they retrieve Official Presidential Snacks a la the Jelly Bellies the SS used to buy for Pres. Reagan? Also, re: MD and VA, it really is all right there via the Metro. You're only a few stops away from downtown DC to Arlington and Alexandria, VA and Rockville, Bethesda, and Silver Spring in MD so no worries. I personally don't see Annapolis as part of the DC experience, but I'm sure that others here may disagree. Are you and your production team still looking for off the beaten path type places?

Hello there. Congrats on landing your own show. May I humbly nominate a rather out of the way Indian restaurant, the ever humble, inexpensive and tasty Delhi Dhaba. One of the entrances to this place is quite literally in an alley. I've eaten there many times and the food is always terrific--I especially love their curried goat. But really pretty much everything I've ever had there was top notch. They have two more outlets, one in DC and one in Maryland which I've never frequented so I can't vouch for them. Their address: Delhi Dhaba Indian Cafe and Carryout 2424 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 524-0008

Thanks for the tips on carne asada Torrilin. Sounds pretty easy and delicious. As for the cheesesteaks, you're right, very thinly sliced would be the only way to go. However, I think I could probably manage the fixins for two cheesesteaks at a time since the cooking surface is approximately 18 x 12 inches and gets incredibly hot. The stuff they were demonstrating was sizziling quite noticably and the onions and peppers appeared to be raw not precooked and were done in no time. Thanks again.

Wee!!! Thanks mizducky, great ideas. I can totally see grilling some of the season's finest vegetables on this thing, especially asparagus using suggestion #1. Ah yes, melted cheese prepared in the bottom of the raclette to anoint those lovely grilled vegetables. Yum. We don't have a huge Mexican population--largest group is from El Salvador--, but we do have many Hispanic people here from many different countries and lots of stores that carry those types of foods; I'll have to do research on whether or not carne asada is available here (or make it myself). And as for suggestion #3, I LOVE THE FISHY SMELL, so no worries there. #7 sounds delicious as well; the idea of making my own fajitas using decent meat and seasonal vegetables sounds delicious. Thanks so much again for your suggestions.

Those look amazing Ah Leung and I know they must taste amazing as well. Your demos always makes Chinese home cooking so approachable. I would never think of making potstickers at home, but after your demo, why not? We even have the same frying pan.

I received this a couple of days ago and have yet to break it in. As some of you may know I have a disability that makes it difficult for me to stand for long periods of time. Because of this I'm always on the lookout for multi-tasking cooking tools. I admit I had been lusting after this device for some time and when it went on sale with free shipping and handling, well, I just couldn't resist. Anyway I was planning on breaking it in tomorrow, doing something totally boring like pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs, using the little pans to heat up the maple syrup. Like I said: BORING. So I've come to the brilliant minds of eGullet for help. Any suggestions? I'd especially like suggestions on the best types of melting cheeses to use. Wolfgang Puck demonstrated the raclette live and made all types of yummy stuff including Philly style cheesesteaks and one of those rectangular Belgian crepes. Any and all ideas welcome. Bring 'em on!

To each his own. I would not be happy if a chef served me pork cooked that rare. Ick. Which is why I don't like, cook, or order pork loin in a restaurant. As for the overcooked pork everyone is complaining about, it is actually possible to cook pork done and have it remain juicy and delicious. I can, so could my mom. Makes me wonder why it's so difficult for these "professionals" to do that. Reminds me of an episode of that old David Rosengarten cooking show, Taste. He had a cookoff between him and his dad. Wow, did that man (the dad) know his way around meat. One of the meats were lamb chops. David said how he liked his cooked medium rare. Dad, being older and wiser, cooked his to medium. He told sonny boy that in his opinion cooking it that way brought out the flavor of the meat and even David had to admit that his tasted better. Dad made a return visit and cooked a variety of seafood using different methods. Stellar. I'll take a properly prepared meshwi or a thick, lovely stuffed baked pork chop any day over bleeding lamb or pork. But like I said, to each his/her own.

Also from The Original Star Trek: Scottie and his love of Scotch (scotch is a food, isn't it?). Monster masquerading as a long lost love of Dr. McCoy who enjoyed sucking the salt from her human victims right through their pores. Mr. Spock, a dedicated vegetarian. From Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Klingon, Lt. Worf and his love of prune juice and blood wine, but not at the same time. Captain Jean Luc Picard to the replicator: "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot!" Counselor Troy and her chocolate obsession. From Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Commander Sisco and his devotion to all things Cajun. Dr. Bashir and his love of Gaaaaaack (living, squirming Klingon Delicacies). Oh Dear Lord.................. I'm a Trekkie!

Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld who served the rest of the gang gourmet food prepared in his shower while he showered.................. Jerry Seinfeld and his never ending supply of cereal................ The hard luck restaurant owner (bad location); I think his name was Babu(?)........ Kramer, while observing an operation, accidentally dropping a Junior Mint into the open body cavity of the patient............. So many of their food related episodes always seemed to end badly. As a matter of fact, the link below demonstrates a pretty healthy list of food-related Seinfeld episodes. Seinfeld Show and Food

You know you're a cocktail snob if.................... .................... As you gaze lovingly at your personal collection of premium vodkas--Ketel One, Grey Goose, Chopin, Vox, Belvedere, etc.--AND your "artisinal" vodkas AND your vodkas that you've carefully infused with the finest of ingredients, you die a little inside every time you think of this: Smirnoff Wins NY Times Taste Test

Wow, what a debate! Who knew that the pros and cons of fondant could inspire such passions? Well, obviously Mayhaw Man did! Almost as passionate as a discussion of whether one loves or hates okra--the QUEEN of vegetables. The Old Foodie put it best when she asked: And Sugarella answered the challenge with: Sounds like she's found the happy medium, so to speak, which satisfies the desire for a gorgeous cake that also tastes delicious. So Sugarella any chance you could post a pic or two of cakes you've made using your thin fondant over buttercream technique? I sincerely hope that you do patent it and make million$, laughing all the way to the bank.

Amazing post Reefpimp! Freshly caught fish, shrimp and crabs....... shrimp stock, cream.... truffle butter, MORE crab...... wine--sigh. I second racheld's praises. A multi-dimensional lily gilding experience. Congrats on taking gilding to the next level. You are what all of us wannabe gilders hope to be when we grow up. One complaint, however. No pics of that delicious dinner or those "scrimp" the size of boxing gloves?

Thanks for the lovely and informative demo Pam R. Like CaliPoutine said, mine never looks that "purty." A couple of questions: Do you ever strip the meat and re-add the bones to the stock at the end for more flavor? I heard about doing this somewhere and sometimes, if I'm not totally pooped, I'll do that. In addition to the chicken parts you chose, do you ever use chicken feet?

Forgot to mention one of my favorite favorites: tabouli! Love it, but it appears to me to have a high glycemic index; shoots my sugars all to he!!. ← Damn, judiu that's too bad. The version of tabbouleh I learned to make contained a whole lotta parsley, a small amount of bulgur wheat, scallions/green onions, and tomatoes, seasoned with lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. The family who prepared it this way were Palestinians from Jerusalem. Seems like the only thing in the dish that would really send your sugars out of control would be the bulgur in versions containing a large amount of bulgur and just a little parsley. Could that be the problem?

So many of my favorites have already been mentioned, such as cobb salad and salad nicoise. Like FabulousFoodBabe said, there are so many salads that I love, it's hard to choose just one. However, if I had to choose one that I could easily eat several times a week, it would be the salad platter I've had several times at a local Moroccan restaurant that included an array of salads: beet, carrot, potato, chopped salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, hot peppers), green bean, eggplant, and lentils. Each of these beautifully plated and served with warm loaves of Moroccan bread, butter and harissa.

I love this thread. My last trip to the grocery store was this past Sunday. I think I'll officially start this experiment tonight through next Thursday or Friday. I haven't gone through every item in the my fridge/freezer/pantry, but off the top of my head: Fridge: Leftovers of ham, potato salad, green beans, corn on the cob, turkey. Just made blue cheese dip. Meats: Whole Chicken, Ground Beef, Chicken Wings, Sweet Italian Sausage, Beef Roast, Beef bones that I never got around to making stock with (how long do these hold up in the freezer anyway?), Hot Dogs. Dairy/Eggs: Regular Butter, Irish Butter, Light Cream, Whole Milk, Buttermilk, Vanilla Yogurt, American Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan, Cream Cheese, dozen and a half eggs, Sour Cream. Produce: Garlic, Ginger, Onions, Celery, Mushrooms, Red and Green Peppers, Apples, Lemons, Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapple, Watermelon, Tomatoes, Avocado, Corn, Spinach (Frozen), Green Beans (Frozen), Okra (Frozen). Pantry: Assorted Tomato Products (Whole Peeled, Puree, Paste, Rotel), Sauerkraut, Capers, Tuna, Sardines, Tomato Soup, Assorted Pasta, Oatmeal, Cornmeal, Grits, Baked Beans, Walnuts, Raisins (Dark and Golden), Butterscotch Chips, Rice, Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Flour, Baking Soda/Baking Powder, Peanut Butter, Mystery can of beets (hey, I didn't buy them ). Condiments/Misc. Ketchup, Yellow Mustard, Deli Mustard, Chinese Style Hot Mustard, Sesame Oil, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, Various Vinegars (Red Wine, Rice Wine, Balsamic, Apple Cider), Mayo, Miracle Whip, Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Olives, Jams, and Jellies, Sriracha, Chinese Black Beans, Plum Sauce, Chinese Style Chili and Garlic Sauce, Hoisin Sauce. There's more for sure, but for now that's all that comes to mind. Any suggestions? Edited to add many, many commas.

Impressive. A little twisted, but impressive. I'll have to try that. Reminds me of a drink I used to make when I was a kid: coke or pepsi and milk. Maybe worth a revisit.

Butter in coffee Lilija? Oh what the Hell, WHY NOT!? Amazing. In one post you've managed to list five of the most indespensible "gilding" foods: butter, cream cheese, whipped cream, mayo, and chocolate. Hmmm, what are some others? Truffle oil, creme fraiche, devonshire cream..................... okay everybody, what are your favorites?

While trying to decide what to have for a late afternoon snack I remembered that I had some cherry vanilla ice cream with two kinds of cherries. Yum. So dished up some and, well, it just looked kind of nekkid so I added some chocolate sauce. Then I remembered that I had some slivered almonds in the pantry; I mean almonds and cherries, perfect match right? And then I remembered someone at eG mentioning that he adds cream to his ice cream, so since I had a small carton of table cream in the fridge I figured why not so I drizzled some of that over my treat as well. Wow, double cherry ice cream, chocolate sauce, almonds, drizzle of cream. Excellent. Finally, I remembered where I saw that: right here on this very topic. After glancing through it I was reminded of all of the delicious excesses, but noticed that the last posts were made in the fall hence all of the gilding of things like oatmeal, mashed potatoes, and chili. So, now as the we're in the warmer months of the year, I thought I'd ask about everyone's summertime lily gilding. Now, back to mine............................

Doc-G I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that you have indeed gone way above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you. No doubt, for performing this public act of culinary self-flagellation you are most definitely the shit! (BTW, in America-speak, that's a good thing.) As for your observation on your website that...... ............well they've already done that. Behold: The Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddle Eerily similar to the Luther Burger is it not? Note that the pancakes for this breakfast treat are sweet, just like the Krispy Kreme donut. Care to go for the hat trick and take a bite outta that?