divalasvegas

Looks delicious Rachel especially the one with the whiz/Easy Cheese! Just one question: upon eating did you and Jason consume them using the appropriate stance, meaning the Philly Stoop?

Just a thought - people who actually lose sleep over this probably won't be buying the lobsters. I mean, I see the point of free-range, organic chicken - we're talking about treatment over a longer timespan, and it does make tastier chicken - but concerns over how lobsters are treated just before they die? You're going to cook the thing alive, man! If you're down with that, are you really worried about the tank it's in? Just wondering who they think this "marketing ploy" will appeal to... Absolutely - which is why I treat every animal I eat with respect, and why you should, say, try to use every piece of the animal for some true purpose. And, also, why you should try not to pretend that an animal is something it's not. ← I'm not sure exactly who those folks are either Megan. But in the very competitive, low profit margin world of supermarkets, perhaps management felt it couldn't hurt to give the "appearance" of caring about lobsters. What's scary is that according to the article above which sparked this, as usual, lobsters are just a starting point; there are movements afoot to extend this "concern" to the steaming of crabs and crayfish, with the suggestion that these crustaceans be sold dead and raw. Ugh.

Give them time Siren, give them time.

So let me get this straight, according to Chef Greenwood's attorney Marvin "The Mangler" Wagner: You mean that food I pay for still belongs to the restaurant? What exact law is he citing? Apparently Chef Greenwood has never heard of bad word-of-mouth, blogs, eGullet, or the internet in general. What an idiot. Perhaps we should submit respectful inquiries to her attorney to direct us to any specific laws prohibiting paying customers from taking pictures of their meals and the strict legal guidelines defining how said photos can be used. BTW, Attorney Wagner, the word is spelled: "proprietary." Bitchy, but I just felt like it. Edited for grammar and additional comments.

Oh My Gawd Daniel! So they said you were lying? Again, in the same vein as Holly Moore did they think you were lying about the fries or the indiscreet security guard? A similar thing happened to me at a hotel in Miami. But at least your girlfriend had you. I was alone, late at night in a hotel in Miami. BTW, our organization had a large meeting being held at the hotel, spending thousands of dollars. Ironically, I was watching a Dateline program entitled "The Murder of Misty Moore." I thought I heard a noise, but dismissed it until I saw the feet and legs of a man stepping into my room. Demonstrating a complete inability to scream, I managed to say "uh, what are you doing here!?" I think the poor fellow was as stunned as I was and explained, with apology, that he had been told to come to my room to adjust the air conditioning. Of course, like you, I failed to secure the in-room lock on my door. Well this hotel was pretty nice and pretty old school in their customer service, didn't accuse me of lying, treated me to lunch and comped me a free night since I had already decided, before this incident, to stay a couple of days after the conference. The hotel is the Deauville and really know how to treat you. Keep us posted.

I only use my trusty chef's knife. I lay the wing out on the chopping board, position the knife at the joint between the drummette and "long" part, and slice down hard, with the tip of the knife pointing down and touching the board and the backend of the knife resting on the wing. This takes all of 2 seconds. Then, also taking only another two seconds, since I always start off with whole wings, I do the same with the joint between the wing tip and that long part. In both cases my right hand is holding the knife and my left hand is on top keeping the wing spread apart and steadied, and especially to make sure I don't slice through anything I intend to keep. Toss the finished wing pieces into a waiting bowl (wing tips tossed into another bowl or freezer bag for later use to make chicken stock) and out of the way and grab the next one, maybe another 4-5 seconds? So that's 8-9 seconds per wing; pretty quick work I say. I think the trick is to hit the connecting joints at the right place. The more you do, the faster you'll be. Frankly, I couldn't imagine using kitchen shears for this. Good luck.

After posting my reply Daniel I thought well maybe because of the Zagat's ratings that they, and most likely many other restaurants as well, just start looking out for the bottom line. Of course, with such slim profit margins all restaurants have to do that. What I mean is if management sees that their number of customers and profits remain the same and that they can get by with lousy ambience, indifferent/rude service, and mediocre food and charge the same prices, then why not? In this case perhaps (as well some others mentioned above) if they lose their faithful clientle, but those customers are rapidly replaced with those who dine based on Zagats and/or that if something costs a lot, then it's got to be good, well then why try to maintain past standards? I know that people get criticized because they might base their poor opinion of a restaurant's performanced based on one meal, but in your case I think you did everything right from calling ahead because your party was running late to taking your complaints to management, and that they screwed up so badly at every level you are in no way obligated to give them a second bite at the apple. BTW, a blessed and Happy New Year to you and yours.

You know Daniel I always look forward to your reviews. As I was reading this I was saying to myself that certainly you were going to bring all of these issues to management's attention. But, when I read their reaction to your complaints above, I was actually sitting here with my mouth hanging open. With all of the stellar reports that preceded yours about the food and the service, notwithstanding the Zagats rating, it's baffling that a restaurant would allow every aspect of their establishment to hit the skids, as it were. Sorry about your group's lousy (and not cheap) dining experience.

First of all, totally agree with all of the above. Just wanted to add that this is just another dopey marketing ploy on their part. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain since their regular customers probably don't give a damn either way and it's just a way to add to their customer base by appealing to those out there who actually lose sleep over this issue. Brilliant.

Not only did I taste it, I made it! It's pretty good, but I wish I'd made the effort to find my mother's recipe before doing this. I didn't use canned shrimp at all, but two pounds of absolutely gorgeous gulf shrimp, donated by my BIL, who is an avid shrimper. Other ingredients include cream cheese, mayonnaise, two packets of unflavored gelatin (Knox), chopped celery and scallions, Tabasco sauce, and one can of condensed tomato soup. It doesn't taste exactly like my mother's, and I'm not sure what I'm missing in the recipe. The shrimp were boiled in Louisiana Shrimp and Crab Boil. Honestly, I think the name is what turns people off. ← Frankly patti after you generously gave up the recipe, it doesn't just sound pretty good, it sounds delicious. As for what you may be missing, the only thing that comes to mind in reading your recipe is perhaps a bit of lemon juice and/or a creamy horseradish, perhaps to give it a bit of acid kick. Really, no kidding, I could really see making this. The two pounds of gulf shrimp (roughly chopped in a food processor I'm guessing) and the Louisiana Shrimp and Crab Boil (might use Old Bay in these parts) totally sealed the deal for me. BTW, what do you serve it with--crackers, toast points, assorted bread rounds? If I'm gonna do it, I want to do it right. Thanks.

At the risk of appearing hopelessly declasse patti, I think that looks just fine. Did you taste it, and if so, what did it taste like? After all people have absolutely no problem in going to an "upscale" restaurant and ordering a "gelatine" of this or a "mousselline" of that and paying top dollar for it. Do you have a recipe for it? Yes, yes, perhaps this rendition may call for canned shrimp, Jello gelatin (which I have no problem with, used in the right circumstances), Miracle Whip and other "non-gourmet" ingredients. But for me what will always be the determining factor in whether I like or dislike something is how does it taste and not the dish's pedigree. Happy New Year.

I didn't think to include this in my last post, but one of the most painful things ever is to crave a slummin' type of food and it just isn't around anymore. For very little money when I was a kid, there was a neighborhood carryout called Mr. T's. You could get all the usual carryout stuff such as burgers and dogs. But what I craved and really crave to this day was their fried chicken wings served with a condiment called Mambo Sauce. These were whole wings BTW, not like today when they split one measly wing and sell it as two pieces! You could get different amounts of wings of course: 2, 4, 8 or more, with slices of generic white bread, with or without fries, and my beloved Mambo Sauce. I've searched high and low for a recipe for that sauce but can't find one. I guess one of my projects for the new year will be to get into the kitchen and try to come up with my version of that sauce. Of course, being that this is eGullet, there just might be someone out there who knows what I'm talking about. Got a recipe?

Great first post BeeZee! Actually that Ro-Tel/Velveeta concoction is a much more "high class" version of that dish. As I've seen it, it's usually Velveeta and some generic jarred salsa. Welcome and Happy New Year.

Oh, you guys just want to know the "R-Rated" version of "How I found oout i'd be a hopeless dominitrix" ← Or perhaps a "hopeful" one? Heh heh heh. Actually, in this vein, I think you may have missed a golden opportunity. How often does a woman get to smack around a guy for being a lousy date? I'd call it sweet justice. Wanted to add, some of my major turn-offs by a date while dining is: a) Leaning over the food, gripping the cultery caveman style, and shoveling the food into his mouth, only pausing every third or fourth mouthful to actually chew or really taste the food (actually at home perhaps after you've gotten to know the guy and his good qualities, I suppose this could become endearing, to a point). b) After the food has been lovingly plated, Mr. Pre-school commences to swirl everything together "since it's all gonna end up in the same place anyway." Yes, that one really happened to me. c) Making a move on my plate, spearing a piece of food while saying "you're not gonna eat that are ya?" This last one might get you "kilt" for real. Edited for additional comments.

Pickled pigs feet. I mean it. And no they're not cooked at all, they're just put in some kind of brine raw and pickled. Not exactly Kosher, but damned tasty, especially the stuff around the knuckles.

Whew, glad to here that Bond Girl! And once again, this was a great read.

Like Mayhaw Man I too would like to know how all of this turns out. But actually, the more I think about that guy, the more creeped out I get. After all, the entire time he was dining with her, being Mr. Perfect, he knew he had this in mind. Also, the way he set it up, he couldn't lose since: a) If she was into that scene, they would've both gone back to his place with his treasure chest full of "toys" and a good time would be had by all, or b) Since she reacted the way she did, he still gets what he wants since calling a woman who is obviously repulsed by you and has completely rejected you is also a turn on for this guy. My question is when does this stop being amusing and crossover into something to be concerned about?

OMG I just read this. This is hysterically funny yet disturbingly familiar. Damn Bond Girl you were so close to the perfect date and then................ TOYS? I'm pretty much on the same page with you when it comes to that sort of thing. Besides, it would be hard for me to respect a man in the morning, if I had spent the better part of the previous evening whipping his ass! Edited for grammar.

Yeah Indy 67 liquor will do it everytime! Happy to hear that La Colline still exists, but I think I remember hearing some comments awhile ago that they had slipped significantly, so I think I got it into my head that they had closed. Still, I'm sure I can find something on the menu to satisfy. Cheers and Happy New Year.

You know Busboy it's very hard to respond to you when I have to keep wiping the drool off my keyboard. Cassoulet is a definite for me but the quennelles sounds luscious as well. I like old school French BTW. One of my first old school French meals was at La Colline on Capitol Hill, but I don't think they're there anymore. This was in the 80's and the food, ambiance, and staff were always wonderful, and one could always find a great meal within one's budget. This is a definite for my list now. Lunchtime is perfect for me. Actually, I think I'm almost there as to where I'm going that week. I've settled on, so far, two lunches and two dinners: La Chaumiere and Kaz for lunch; Courduroy for dinner. That leaves one more decision for dinner. Oh just one more thing: though it's during the work day and I'm a total wine novice, any suggestions for what to drink with the cassoulet? You always come through Charles and I am indeed grateful.

Oh thank you so much for you feedback Indy 67. As any one who has read my comments on this forum well knows, I'm all about the food. If the food isn't good I really can't be swayed by ambience, how chic the other diners are or any other stuff like that. However, even for good food, I will absolutely not tolerate being treated poorly by restaurant staff, so I really appreciate your heads up. I've always tried to be a considerate diner. I never treat waitstaff with disrespect or as if they're my servants. But in return I expect to be treated with respect as well. That is so odd that this person would act so condescending. I mean was he/she an idiot? Didn't they understand that it was indeed restaurant week and that even if it's a money loser upfront for many restaurants the idea is to at least expose people to that restaurant's cuisine and perhaps entice them back for more? BTW, did you speak with management? I admit sometimes I do go to management when I think that I'm dealing with a waitperson with a poor/hostile attitude; but sometimes I don't. Also while $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner isn't a lot of money in the great scheme of things, it's still my money and I'd much rather spend it having an enjoyable experience as opposed to one that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. As for flexibility, I assume that certain times are busier than others so I've planned on dining earlier rather than later for dinner. Now, if I can just get my co-workers--for lunch that is--to not always want to go to DC Coast (no slur against that restaurant, but they seem to want to go EVERY YEAR!) I think that week will be awesome for me. Thanks again.

Aah Cilantro. Everytime I hear someone say how much they just "love" it, I frankly want to smack the shit outta them. Sorry, that's a bit of a strong reaction, but not by much. Cilantro, at least for me, tastes like soapy dirt, like what people ate when they were desperate, when there was absolutely nothing--and I mean nothing--else around to eat. Not stones, insects, human flesh, weeds, fetid water........... nothing! However, the only cuisine IMHO that knows how to use cilantro where it actually makes sense and compliments the food are Mexicans. Yes, yes, I know it's used throughout the world in other cuisines, but I think Mexicans understand how to use it best: it's a strongly flavored herb, so they use it (fresh) with other strongly flavored things like garlic, onions, in-season highly flavored tomatoes, peppers and so on (especially in pico de gallo); if cooked, it's cooked with the food, in sane amounts, and mellows. Not how a lot of chefs/cooks use it in American cuisine which is to throw it in by the fistfulls (Bobby Flay: "Now take 3 or 4 cups of cilantro........"). Ugh.

Of course I remembered the name of the seasoning mixture for the artichokes only after I posted my last reply. It's called charmoula. I remembered this chef being featured on Food Network when they actually used to give a damn about actual cooking. The show was called "My Country, My Kitchen" and the chef's name is Rafih Benjelloun. He has a Moroccan restaurant in Atlanta. He posts recipes on his restaurant's website. Imperial Fez Restaurant Web Site Skip the intro, click on Restaurant at the top of the screen and then click recipes at the bottom of the screen. Best of luck.

Hello John DePaula I've always thought that those delicious Moroccan salads/vegetable side dishes might be a good idea. I remember always enjoying a lunch at a local Moroccan restaurant that would feature a salad plate that included these salads: carrot, beet, potato with cauliflower I think, chopped salad, zucchini, eggplant, and green bean. These were served at room temperature and would be rounded out with with loaves of Moroccan bread, harissa and butter, but for your vegan friends perhaps you could include some very high quality olive oil and and some mixed olives as well since they don't eat butter. I've also seen a wonderful side dish which was a tajin of artichokes. There is a Moroccan herb/spice/aromatic/preserved lemon mixture to flavor this dish, but sorry, the name of it escapes me. The only caveat is that many Moroccan recipes call for honey which is not eaten by vegans. Perhaps dissolving some raw sugar in water to a honey-like consistency and then substituting it for honey would work. I can't see why not. For the best advice, you might trying PM'ng chefzadi who is of Moroccan heritage, a member of this forum, a chef and culinary instructor. Good luck and Happy New Year.

You are so dear annecros and I totally concur with what you have said about how food is this country (and definitely elsewhere) is an amalgam of many cultures and I'm so grateful for it. Because of how well your personality shines through in what you post, I wouldn't worry about anyone here holding your DAR association against you. Peace, Have a Happy New Year, and dunk that cornbread in that pot likker at least one time for me.