ronnie_suburban

My newest hero! =R=

We're really looking forward to seeing everyone. =R=

Squeat, Thanks so much for the excellent blog and the detailed transcription of the FM notes...much appreciated =R=

=R=

I can't think of a better scenario for my first visit to Charlie Trotter's than going there with my fellow Heartlanders. =R=

Matthew, have you ever been to Charlie Trotter's? =R=

According to Dr. Atkins (I once saw an interview with him where the same question was asked), Asians generally eat considerably less overall than Americans, hence obesity isn't nearly as widespread in Asia. It was interesting because he also mentioned that the incidence of diabetes in Italian-Americans was 6 times the average, and suggested it was because of pasta consumption. =R=

We wouldn't miss it and a sitter has been secured. =R=

...but how did they taste? =R=

Biased is inevitable and better anyway (as long as you back up your opinions and conclusions with specific examples) I hope you enjoy it. =R=

I've done a few batches adding ground cumin (from seeds I toasted) and I've also done it sprinkled with the rub I usually use on my ribs. Both ways it turned out great. I'm sure it'd be great with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice too...I'll try to work that in next time. =R=

Mosca's was always worth the wait, but it's been years since I was there. =R=

I considered buying one (via The Baker's Catalog) when I was going through a serious, Silverton-inspired bread baking phase but they seemed a bit pricey. I've had good success with just a stone but I'd love to try one of these before investing the ~$200.... =R=

Mayhaw, I seem to remember hearing some bit of lore that the dish was actually invented at Pascal's Manale (or by its ownership). Any truth to that? =R=

hehe, I saw a few of their ads touting the newly-discovered nutritional friendliness of their products. One even mentioned carb/protein counts. Dr. Atkins would be so happy =R=

Dinner sounds like it was great. Thanks for the note about cheeses too. I just bought a small wedge of morbier yesterday but I'd love to branch out from there. Had part of a wheel of Livarot too, very nice but relatively tame compared to the morbier. Have you considered penning a "Toaster Oven Cookbook"? =R=

I live in the Chicago area and Nueske, which is located in WI, has decent distribution here. I like their bacon just fine but it doesn't blow me away like a couple of their other products do. Their hams, especially the peppered ones, are really nice. I also dig their smoked liverwurst. =R=

Squeat I'll be interested to hear your take on the Nueske bacon. Have you had it before or did you buy it speculatively? fwiw, we used to make eggs/omelettes in the bottom of an "old school" popcorn popper...worked pretty well too. =R=

Go Squeat go Really looking forward to your week...and thanks for the amusing exposition. =R=

Grilled mango...Yum! One thing we do with corn on the cob is take it out of the husks, wrap it in bacon, then foil and cook it on the grill for about 30-40 minutes, turning frequently. It's just awesome that way. =R=

they must be damm good friends. No doubt...if the same thing happened to me, I'd never invite the perpetrators back =R=

Some reasonable people might believe that what the FDA recommends in the way of daily allowances is irrelevant. Other reasonable people may understand that if one doesn't already suffer from high blood pressure, sodium intake may pose no health risk whatsoever. =R=

Are you talking about the 'Hackers on Atkins' article? That was a fun read. =R=

Better than on the way out . . . Absolutely =R=

My most memorable and least pleasant bathroom attendant experiences took place in the Czech Republic (and in Hungary to a lesser degree) where more than a few attendants were actually dispensing toilet paper and other necessities on the way in to the bathroom. Needless to say, this configuration required a level of interaction that was notably uncomfortable. It wasn't just at restaurants either--also at museums and other "attraction" type venues. If you didn't drop a coin or two on the platter as you entered, you could really find yourself in a pickle. Luckily, we were traveling with some well-seasoned friends who coached us through it in advance...otherwise it could have gotten very ugly. =R=