jeffZ

I think the Sicily episode was the best yet. And I especially liked the exponentially increased swearing throughout the episode. Nice touch. Looks like things are shaping up. The Vegas preview looks great too. Maybe they're figuring out what works.

I steel the chef's knife (8" Wustoff) every usage, without fail. Sharpen on a stone when needed (average, every other month).

Jacques Pépin - Fast Food My Way (KCET in Los Angeles) but I think KQED elsewhere. No frills, good cooking, great stories.

My definition of decent pie would be nicely browned (on the bottom, slightly charred) and a good cook through with a slightly chewy crust. Toppings are another story. But I feel like I'm not able to achieve this with my current cook method. My oven only goes to 500 degrees and because of that my pies are taking between 12-14 minutes to cook. And when you get to this amount of time the dough seems to get almost cracker-like if you make it thin. Maybe I should do some more experimenting with the dough to compensate.

From what I can see by reading, eating and learning about pizza much has to do with the high heat that a proper pizza cooks at. Most suggest between 800-1000 degrees. Some suggest wood-burning, coal-burning, brick, etc. but the thing most everyone agrees on is the high heat. I've experimented with the flour. My dough is pretty decent. I now like the 00 flour that the folks from Naples swear by. I think I've kept the simplicity and quality of the actual pizza pretty well no matter what toppings I go with. I preheat my oven as hot as it can go, 500 degress, and I use a pizza stone (at least 30-45 minutes pre-heated). I just still can't get the results I'm looking for. Short of buying a pizza oven which would make no sense for me, can I pull it off on my Weber grill? Maybe with some burning wood in there? Some have said they can get much hotter temps that way. My last white clam pizza came out OK, but just wasn't cooked fast enough and with the proper crisp... thanks in advance.

I was excited when I first heard about it. No details though. Then I found out it was a sitcom and was disappointed. Then I heard T was in town shooting some of it at a local restaurant in L.A. Then I read that he really didn't have much to do with it at all. Then most of the critical reviews came out. But the marketing apeared OK. And then I finally watched it. What a roller coaster ride. Unfortuately after all of that I didn't really dig the show. I'll keep watching and hoping they turn it around. So far it just seems like one of those shows that makes you squirm a little because you feel embarrassed.

The website lists these as the next three: October 10th 7:00PM/10:00PM (WST) Sicily In Sicily, Tony also eats some tripes at a local frittola stand in II Capo Market, a spleen sandwich with Sicily's President, and salt salt encrusted fish. Later, Tony also debates where you can get the best cannoli. October 17th 7:00PM/10:00PM (WST) Las Vegas On assignment and with deadline looming for a major food magazine, Tony's got four days to cover the "very best" of the new chef-centric Las Vegas. He visits The Double Down, Bouchon, El Sombrero, Beauty Bar, Freemont Street and much more. October 24th 7:00PM/10:00PM (WST) Uzbekistan Tony is in for a wild trip as he journeys through Uzbekistan's 2000-year-old capital, Tashkent, dines at Jumanji, goes to a bellydancing club, gets acquainted with the culture by visiting a local mosque, shops for a wedding present and much more.

Not sure when they will air but I know he's talked about Sicily and a couple other places that have not shown yet. So I assume there are some episodes in the can. Anyone know when the next round of shows will be?

Italians sometimes consider Amarone a wine "to contemplate life" to, without food. But if you must, the above suggestions are good - something distinctive and full-bodied.

I don't agree with the tomato=bad for wine. Most Italian wines stand up to the acidity because of their acidity. I drink Barbera and Chianti with tomato-sauced pizza. I especially like Chianti, Dolcetto or southern Italian varietals like Nero D'Avola, or Aglianico with a long-cooked tomato sauce. The slow-roasted osso buccos and short ribs I make have some tomato paste and in some cases tomato added to the roasting sauce and then Barbareso and Barolo work very well. So there are many instances where a good Italian wine works perfectly with tomato, hence the regional pairing of cuisine and wine.

My cleaning regimen: 1. Never wash the same night you finish the wine 2. Rinse immediately with hot water and let soak overnight 3. Hand wash (no soap) with a wine glass sponge 4. Dry with a lint-free towel so no little specks Only broken one glass is 10 years. And that was because I was at someone else's house and I pressed the Spieglau a little too hard. Normally I am more careful.

I have always wanted to model a wine bar off what I've seen and been to in Milan. A location near restaurants so that a patron can come in for a before dinner glass of wine or a wine geek can do a tasting depending on the night. Since I always have wine with food I loved that there were free little appetizers sitting around (but quality ones - good olives, bruschetta, etc). I did all of the research and put the business model together for a Los Angeles location. In the three years I've been looking around and contemplating the idea (because I realize I'll have to devote my life to it) 3-4 wine bars have opened up. It is definatley a trend right now. For me I would do a retail/winebar. Keep the store area open when the winebar is happening. People can buy. Important. Also I haven't been to any winebars that have live music but something small like a little jazz thing might be cool. Or at the very least some good stuff spinning in the CD player. Good luck if you decide to pursue it!