jm chen

After watching their pilots I was definitely cheering for Guy. Reggie lost track of his whole "updated Southern" hook and his "Hey Girl! Be sassy!" manner doesn't play well when there's no visible or audible audience. Guy was fun and semi-educational. So I think he was the right choice. Ratings must have been terrible. They had been doing one show a week and then burned off four new episodes in about ten days... they really rushed it to yesterday's conclusion.

I was in Paris earlier in the week and found Gerard Mulot's chocolates very tasty. P. Roger I didn't get to taste but the shop smelled absolutely wonderful. Laduree is a must for pastries -- they may only serve it in the tea shop upstairs, but the rose-raspberry Gateau St. Honore is incredible.

He's so adorable when he smiles. Plus, he's good with food. Seems to have his head on straight. Loved his whole handling of the who-should-go-to-Cannes question -- so complimentary of Tiffani, yet giving credit to Dave for their success. I think it'll come down to him and LeeAnn. Or, if they do it Project Runway style and go directly to the winner from a final three, it'll be those two plus Tiffani. Stephen should have gone home last night, but Miguel was tapdancing on my last nerve, so that was fine too. Unless something miraculous happens, Dave is next.

I'm annoyed with Miguel for giving all the responsibility to Andrea in the first place, but not for blaming her in front of the judges. If he really thought she was responsible, he should say the things he said: it's not like they were going to throw her off, she had the immunity. Like I said, though, I think it was a stupid move for him to just do whatever she said in the challenge. She is not a strong chef. As Tom C kept insisting -- why would you listen to a chef who's already been thrown off the show once before!?

I hate to say this, because I hate Stephen so much, but apparently his yuzu tamale was just a little ahead of its time. Hm. Teriyaki empanada?

This will not stop me from ordering Manhattans, even if the yahoos do have to go back and look it up. Gimme whiskey!

I lay in bed last night trying to think of decent Latin-Japanese street food. It's much harder than the others. The best thing I came up with was ceviche sushi, and I know I sure wouldn't buy raw fish on the street, so even that is sketchy. Harold really seemed to feel geniunely guilty for getting Lisa kicked off. My sense was that she stepped back and let him dictate most of the content -- was that the sense others got, or did you think they were equal partners? When they did a paired challenge like this on Project Runway, they kicked off both members of the losing team. I think I like this way better.

I've seen a couple episodes of this, and in contrast with Top Chef, it seems to really target the challenges to the task: can these contestants do things that a person with a show on Food Network would have to do? The answer so far seems to be: maybe. I agree with the above that Guy is probably the strongest contender at this point. My personal favorite is Andy (it's an Iowa thing) but he doesn't seem able to turn the charm up high enough when he's on camera, plus, the network already has plenty of shows aimed at beginning cooks, which seems to be his "point of view." My pet peeve with the show right now is that during last week's episode, they showed a preview of next week's episode -- clearly showing the face of every contestant who would still be in it at that point, and clearly giving away who would be eliminated during the episode I was currently watching. Not that I couldn't have figured it out, but isn't that, like, reality TV rule #1?

Update: that rhubarb and honey thing is delicious. Next time I'll probably leave out the orange rind -- it dominated the flavor too much. And I didn't taste the sauce to balance it at the end, so it was a touch too sharp. So a little extra honey and a little less orange would be my recommendation. But the crust on the outside of the meat is fantastic, and both of us really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I tasted a little of the reheated pork pot roast from the other night, and I'm just not fond of the flavor. Also I think it needed a longer cooking time than Molly called for: I left it in the full two hours, but it's still chewy. Would leaving it in for longer help, or does pork shoulder just not get fall-aparty-good like beef?

I've had some great success sauteing cubed butternut squash and shallots in butter, then plating with buttered noodles and a splat of ricotta on top. Not exactly a sauce, but when you stir it all around, it acts and tastes like one. Also had a nice restaurant pasta dish the other day with gorgonzola and apples. Could essentially be prepared same as above.

Two more braises from the book this weekend: one turned out great, and the other... we haven't eaten yet, so I can't say. The pork chops with creamy cabbage got raves, although I left the cream out of the cabbage. And I learned something: between browning the chops and toasting the caraway and mustard seeds, let the pan cool down. Because it was still hot when I threw the seeds in, and all the mustard seeds IMMEDIATELY started flying around the kitchen, smacking into my arm, the wall, the sink, etc. So, if you make this recipe, take the pan off the heat before you put the butter and seeds in. I am still finding mustard seeds several yards from the stove. That said, both the chops and the cabbage were flat-out excellent. I'm not so sure about the pork pot roast with apricots, cardamom, and ginger. It smelled fantastic but the meat wasn't falling apart the way I wanted it to. I put it in the fridge so I could skim the fat, and when I took it out to do so, I tasted a little of the mushy veg-sauce, and didn't like the taste. But that might have been because it was cold. So, we'll see how it takes the reheat. Sure did make the house smell nice, though. And there was rhubarb at the market Saturday, so I'll be doing the pot roast with rhubarb and honey. I'll put the spice rub on the beef tonight and cook it either tomorrow or Wednesday.

I do too. While I think his plating is beautiful, he's gotten by without having to pass the taste test. ← Agreed. I do not find him nearly as impressive as Harold, who can make pretty things that also taste good. Miguel, same deal: tasty, pretty food, and not too much attitude.

Stephen is one of those people who hams it up to get more screen time. I don't think he even believes half of what he's saying. That said, I find him obnoxious and would like him off my screen. Just like with Project Runway, the challenges often fail to test the real skills a person would need to be in the industry. However, I'm enjoying the dynamics of Top Chef. I'm glad they got rid of someone obnoxious right off, and then were very angry at Tiffany for her condescending comments about cooking for kids. A chef can't just be the stereotypical angry artiste genius, and this show demonstrates that. Plus, the judges pick up on things -- when Brian tried to throw Dave under the bus, for example, by claiming he'd been the group leader. If you watch The Apprentice people get away with stuff like that all the time. These judges immediately picked up on it, and tossed him. They dub in WAY too many of the comments afterward, though. It's terribly obvious when they switch from in-the-moment voice to dubbed-later voice, especially with Tom.

Oh heavens yes. Can't believe I forgot to mention it. So three of your five nights should go to minibar, Corduroy, and Citronelle... that schedule does fill up fast. You'll want to call now for reservations to minibar, and you'll probably have better luck on a weeknight than a weekend. 12 seats a night, clearly, ain't much. If they're already booked, have them put you on the waiting list, that's how I managed to get the night I wanted. I join in the anti-recommendation for Sequoia. Good for large events, but far from your best option for a cozy delicious dinner.

You can get a great wine list, cocktail access, and small Italian plates at either Dino (Cleveland Park) or Sonoma (Capitol Hill). Both also serve main courses, but are great for grazing, and serve a wonderful variety of wines by the glass (or less than a glass, for true samplers.) Hit Firefly for their Wined Down Happy Hour for delicious wines by the glass, and/or have one of those gorgeous cocktails. It is just south of Dupont Circle and is almost certainly within walking distance of your hotel. Love the cheese plate, too. I would also consider Corduroy a must; it falls in the fresh/local category and it's also just really darn good. Get the lamb with mini ravioli if it's on the menu. Or the scallops. Or... okay, it's all good. For snacks, there is a branch of Teaism in Dupont Circle right behind one of the Starbucks locations, they have delicious teas as well as ginger scones, salty oat cookies, and light lunch foods with an Asian accent. If you do indeed eat everything I think a trip to DC isn't complete without trying some Ethiopian food. We are quite proud of our variety and quality in that area. The Ethiopian thread linked above should give you quite a few ideas. For a non-expensive night, there is a great little Afghan place called Afghan Grill in Woodley Park, just one metro stop from Dupont. There are also tasty pizzas to be had at Pizzeria Paradiso (tiny in Dupont, larger in Georgetown) or 2 Amy's (great food, but a location that's not close to anything, except maybe the Cathedral -- go off-peak hours and midweek, it gets crazy crowded.) Enjoy DC and I hope you'll eat well every day you're here!

For extra-long lingering I'd head to Teaism and sit downstairs. Order a handroll bento box, some edamame, and a big ol' cup of whatever tea sounds good. Protein-y, tasty, leisurely. $10-15, and you order at the counter, so, low-price. I bet you could also find something tasty and not too starchy at Mitsitam, the cafe in the American Indian Museum on the Mall. Salmon, or buffalo chili, they have lots to choose from.

Glad to find there's been some discussion of Parisian cheese shops here -- we're making a trip there in mid-April. The suggestions here sound good, particularly Alloesse and La Fromagerie Boursault -- any other cheese shop recommendations?

I live in DC so we've had these for a while. My boyfriend used to get one every morning. When we started watching our weight he tried the low-fat one once, was disgusted by it, and hasn't eaten one since. But if you're not concerned about fat and calories, the sausage, egg, and cheddar is tasty. They really don't slow down the line at all because of the prepackaging/countertop oven reheat model. But that would change with volume. If everybody was ordering a sandwich that needed heating, there would be a wait for the oven, thereby creating more wait for the sandwich.

I really only have small dinner parties, so my advice is mostly focused on less formal gatherings of friends. But I love to serve family-style, so people can take whatever amount they want of whatever dishes they want. When you're planning a menu, the timeline question is essential. Write out how long everything takes and figure out what you can do when. If you're serving a roasted beet and goat cheese salad, you probably want to roast the beets the day before. And make sure you're not trying to do three things on the stovetop, or three things in the oven, simultaneously. Pick dishes that don't interfere with each other (roast the squash in the oven, cook the chicken on the stove, prep the salad on the counter, and serve a tart you baked yesterday and let come up to room temperature while the main course was being served.) It's also handy to pick one course that is assembled instead of cooked, usually an app or a dessert. No one is going to be angry that you didn't personally marinate the olives yourself. Appoint someone else to help you manage the crowd. Spouse, older child, good friend, roommate, whoever. If you're going to be doing a lot of the cooking, make sure there's someone else who shares the responsibility -- pouring cocktails, cleaning up red wine spills, going back to the stove to ladle out more mashed potatoes, et al. You'll go nuts trying to do it all yourself, especially if your kitchen isn't visible from the dining table.

The Big Head and the Big Ego against the Big Belly and the Big Grin. Yeesh. It's Frankenchef. I don't know who I want to root against more. If the secret ingredient is EVOO I will shoot somebody, and no mistake.

I've never had a bad meal at 701, so that would be my recommendation. Their food isn't outrageously innovative but it is tasty, and you should be able to feed all five of you at dinner for under the $250, especially if you go during pre-theatre hours. I haven't been to Cap Grille, though, and all I know is it's expensive. Still, with a $250 discount off, there'll never be a better time to try it...

The feeling is very different between the two, at least in my experience. Alinea, although the food was whimsical, had a much more serious, traditional dining feel to it. Formal presentations. minibar, because you're sitting there right across from the chefs while they put this all together, is flat-out fun. At Alinea the waiter explains things to you, about the mace pillow and the burning oak leaves and all that. At minibar it's the chefs who do the explaining, and you've watched them assemble the dish right there in front of you, from ingredients that have been resting on ice like at a sushi bar. Personally, I enjoyed minibar a lot more, but I didn't do the Tour at Alinea, and I did minibar first and enjoyed it so much that it would be hard for any other restaurant serving similar cuisine to measure up to that experience. I would say if you like Alinea you will like minibar. Each is inventive in its own unique way, with minibar tending a little more toward experimental food science (noodles made of feta water) and Alinea tending a little more toward combining traditional flavors in untraditional ways (matsutake bread pudding, or the celery shooter with pear juice.) And, on the vegetarian question: I'm looking at the fax form right here and it asks you to check one of the following if necessary: vegetarian, vegan, lacto, kosher. Also it asks you to list food allergies and "please be very specific." I was not hungry afterward, although I did snack in the mid-afternoon just to be sure I wouldn't be ravenous.

I absolutely never cry when I am cutting onions... IF I am wearing my contact lenses. But if I start cutting with my glasses on, I have learned NOT to try to put the lenses in, because the only thing that makes me cry harder than onion fumes is onion juice placed directly in my eye. Anyway, if you have a contact lens wearer in your household, I recommend assigning them to the onion-chopping job.

It's my mother's advice, and she didn't mention any blooming -- I'll ask her about it and drop you a PM. Keep the great pictures coming! One of the things I love so much about these blogs is to see the documentation of not just beautiful plating, but the other parts of cooking -- the shopping cart, the MIP, the before-and-after shots. And now I am hungry for tater tots.

Semi-freezing the squares of cheesecake also makes them easier to dip. Though, as others have said, they certainly look good enough to eat just as you made them!