ronnie_suburban

This is my scheme as well. They cost around $30 and I buy a new one about every 2 years. =R=

From the article linked by HeatherM above: =R=

Unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me at all =R=

So, after it's all said and done, the winners apparently get a 6-episode (mini) series which debuts this Sunday at the highly-watched hour of 8:30 a.m. CT. I'm not sure but I believe that's actually fewer episodes than the series which determined the winners. And it's not exactly a prime-time slot either. Anyone else get the feeling that the Hearty Boys are going to have a 6-episode "career" in television? From today's Chicago Sun-Times: Tune in =R=

September 14, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Cooking for the ages...Joe Gray reports on how one local family has cultivated and celebrated its food traditions over the course of generations. Rolling with peppers for a clean, efficient cut...James P. DeWan with another installment in his Prep School series. A bottle of red, a bottle of white...Bill Daley assures us that when we're in doubt, the best course of action is open 2 bottles. He also lays out several other angles for solving the age-old "red or white?" question. Apples...Robin Mather Jenkins provides a useful guide. One singular sensation...Nancy Maes reports on Chicago dessert veteran Gina Sedivy's new venture, Sensational Bites, which bowed in Wrigleyville back in July. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Chicago area restaurants contribute to Farm Aid week...Dave Hoekstra reports on how some local restaurants are participating in the festivities. Top old Smokie with fruits, veggies...food editor Sue Ontiveros waxes poetic about one of her faves -- Smokie Links -- and explains how she finally got that pesky craving to go away! Grinding to a halt: Katrina slams coffee distribution...Leah A. Zeldes reports on Hurricane Katrina's impact on the coffee trade. Green Tie ball guests to enjoy visit to Candyland...Denise I. O'Neal previews several upcoming charitable events in the food arena, including the annual Green Tie Ball, which benefits Chicago Gateway Green, an organization dedicated to the beautification of Chicago. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk with her weekly preview of upcoming food events, which includes happenings at Sam's Wine & Spirits, one sixtyblue, Lyfred Winery, Starved Rock State Park, Faltz Family Vineyards, Lawry's, Smith & Wollensky and Scoozi. Most of these events center around Illinois Wine Month, which lasts through the end of September. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Chef du jour...food editor Deborah Pankey spends some time with chef Keith Willis of Le Piazza Cafe in Naperville. Chef Willis worked with Charlie Trotter, Grant Achatz and Thomas Keller before coming to Le Piazza last December. Meet an original 'kitchen chick'...Laura Bianchi visits with a Wheaton woman who owns 25 sets of dishes -- and she doesn't even keep Kosher! Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== In Dish from Chicago Magazine, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on sommelier Alpana Singh's recent departure from Everest. ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you.

Agreed. Almost nothing troubles me more than an important decision being left in the hands of politicians -- especially this particular group of politicians. =R=

Since no one addressed this I'll give it a shot: I don't think "fusion" as a rule needs to be reconsidered. There are some great "fusion" places all around the city ("Spring" comes to mind!!). Like any 'newer' trend, the wheat will separate from the chaff, the cream will rise to the top, etc. Particularly because these places tend be pricier than your 'local, cheap' places, the standards they are held to are higher. I think, particularly in the case of Monsoon because that's where I've been, that they don't meet those higher standards. For the money, I can get better food and service, even better INDIAN food and service. Also, as to Monsoon, it's in a tricky area that has a rather fickle crowd - most of the people in that area have SOME disposable income and COULD support a restaurant like Monsoon, but they aren't going to throw their money away just to be seen at a trendy restaurant (if they want that seen they'll go down to the Gold Coast) if the food and service aren't up to snuff. ← Indeed, fusion lives but Monsoon has closed. =R=

I have one and it works extremely well. It produces a well-smoked final product, and provides excellent temperature control during the smoking and cooking. There is also some adjustability to the smoke level: dry chips produce more smoke, more quickly and soaked chips burn more slowly and produce less smoke, albeit a more consistent level of smoke (than dry chips). This unit is great for many applications but I especially like it for ribs (which require a shorter cooking time than many other foods) and for winter use because it's easier to maintain a consistent temperature than with my "all wood" unit. It also requires a bit less watching over than my "all wood" unit because the temperature is controlled by thermostat -- and it's wholly separate from the smoke producing process. Since most meats stop taking on smoke at about 140 degrees F, there are certain applications where the gas-fired smoker is optimal. However, when the desired result is something really smoky, it's best to use the "all wood" unit. I do think that it ultimately comes down to personal taste, but the gas-fired smoker is extremely useful and turns out some excellent product. =R=

I've cooked and smoked so many non-varietal, non-graded briskets over the years (usually with great success), that I am definitely curious to try an upgraded version. But I'm a bit skeptical about whether there would be a discernable difference or not. Still, $2.95 per pound isn't much more than I pay for locally-sourced stuff, so unless the S&H is absolutely outrageous, it won't be a big sacrifice to try the stuff available through the link provided by dls above (thank you, btw ). My #1 local butcher is excellent and he did source for me 2 whole briskets. But, even though I asked him not to trim them at all, he did so anyway and they were much "neater" than I wanted them (didn't discover this until after I got them home). In this case I was smoking them. After the fact, I mentioned to him that they'd been trimmed and that my final product came out a bit dry. He admitted to trimming them because he felt bad "selling" me all that fat. I explained that the next time, he shouldn't trim them at all because you "need" the fat when smoking them for 16+ hours. Reluctantly, but with a smile, he agreed. We'll see if he comes through next time. But, a whole, untrimmed brisket is really only optimal for smoking, IMO. For the traditional "jewish-style" braised brisket I do most often, I wouldn't want that much fat. Yes, I still want whole briskets but trimmed down is ideal. Also, while I can't recall seeing a specifically Prime-grade brisket, I know some prime only butcher shops which must -- by default -- sell it. If they're breaking down prime sides in-house, then the briskets produced from those sides must also be as prime as briskets can be. Just ask your butcher and he'll give you plenty of information. =R=

Well, it lasted about a year. I noticed, about a month ago, that they had become Filippo's Ristorante and Pizza, or something like that; a change which didn't seem to be a good indication. Today I drove by and noticed a "Restaurant for Lease" sign over the door. The Filippo's sign was gone. Not a big surprise here. =R=

I'd go with some variety of mandarin or seville. =R=

About 2-3 oz. each. And, if we finished a pour before we'd completed all the courses with which it was supposed to be paired, our thorough server Scott would pour us a bit more. I don't have time to read back through this entire thread right now but I seem to recall 2 folks possibly splitting one wine pairing with their Tours but I don't remember for sure. Certainly, it would be worth asking. =R=

I don't think that the Tour is too much food. It's intended and designed to be filling without being ridiculously so. It's clear that the menus at Alinea are ever-changing but here are the wines (and other pours) we were served with the Tour when we were last there in late July: Lillet Blanc, Podensac, France Au Bon Climat "Hildegard" Santa Maria Valley 2000 Bisson "Marea" Cinque Terra Italy 2003 Pol Roger "White Foil" Brut Champagne Tommaso Bussola Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2001 Masumi Arabashiri junmai Ginjo Sake, Nagano, Japan Guy Larmandier Premier Cru Rose, Vertus Domaine Ehrhart Pinot Gris "Im Berg" , Alsace 2002 Georg Breuer Riesling "Charm", Rheingau 2002 I Portali Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata, Italy 2002 Achaval-Ferrer "Altamira" Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2001 Ramos-Pinto 20-year Tawny, Oporto Lheraud Vieux Pineau des Charentes Ochs Blaufrankisch Beerenausiese, Weiden am See, Austria 2002 Don PX 1971 Gran Reserva, Montilla-Moriles, Spain =R=

I received the email too and I think it's a really cool idea. Over 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes will be used in the multi-course menu. A couple of the dishes sound absolutely delicious: Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Fried Green Zebra Tomato, Plum Dandy Tomato Syrup Chilled Roma Tomato Bisque, Basil Flan, Summer Herbs Roasted Hamachi, Heirloom Tomato & Pine Nut Salad, Tomato & Grapefruit Jus There's another course which sounds very cool, although it reminds me of another chef in town just a bit: "B.L.T." . . . Cherokee Purple Tomato, Lettuce Jus, Bread Foam, Bacon Dust =R=

September 7, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Cachet crop...Bill Daley reports on the burgeoning success of award-winning Illinois winemakers. `A' for is for autumn ... and apple pie...Donna Pierce with some timely information about one of fall's favorite treats. Pattypan squash...Donna Pierce provides a useful guide. School-lunch smarts...Brian McCormick checks in with some experts who lay out some great advice on healthy kid lunches -- and getting kids to actually eat them. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Shopping the pyramid...food editor Sue Ontiveros teams up with registered dietitian Dave Grotto and reports on how to practically apply the U.S. government's new food pyramid nutritional guidelines to our eating regimens. Turning up the heat...Sandy Thorn Clark spends some time with "The Pope of Peppers," Dave DeWitt while he swings through Chicago to promote his new book (co-authored with Nancy Gerlach), The Spicy Food Lover's Bible. Revamp lifestyle to save kids' health...Sue Ontiveros lays out some important information about how to help our children eat more healthfully. Book jam-packed with advice...Leah Zeldes files this favorable review of Madelaine Bullwinkel's Gourmet Preserves Chez Madelaine, an updated version of her 1984 release. A growing appreciation...Denise I. O'Neal previews this weekend's Outstanding in the Field farm-dinner, which will showcase Blackbird's award-winning chef, Paul Kahan. Also previewed are several other upcoming events. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk with her weekly preview of the weeks' upcoming events at Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 404 Wine Bar and Geja's Cafe. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: 'Mise en place' applies to cooking and life...Annie Overboe on the importance of Mise en Place as it pertains to baking . . . and life in general. Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you.

Bill Daley has a very informative piece about Illinois Wine in today's Chicago Tribune: Cachet crop =R=

Jason's shots were so good, I felt a little strange even bothering to take pictures. But, as I discovered when I got home a couple of hours ago, my wife managed to snap a few . . . An absolutely beautiful day and setting for the event. Before the event, Mummer gives a brief lesson. Sections of pig carcass, removed to the chopping table after being gently smoked over pecan wood for about 15 hours. The ribs, which were picked and then brought up to the house to be picked again by the hungry kitchen crew. Breaking down the pork a bit more . . . . . . until it's just the right consistency. Up north, we call this "flipping the bird." Puppy perfection in progress. Katie's homemade Limoncello was absolutely delicious. Our intrepid host makes a passionate plea for each and every attendee to make large Katrina donations directly with the charities of their choice. =R=

Actually, my son won the banner in the raffle. I've been told that it's going up in our great room The two local pops were Cheerwine -- a damned fine runner up to Dr. Brown's Black Cherry and Sun Drop which is, as Varmint described it, a local version of Mountain Dew. Jason, thinking strictly of the others, grabbed a few bottles of Dr. Pepper just in case but I don't think they moved at all. Edited to add: I didn't see any Mr. Pibb but Coke products always seemed to be slightly out of reach, compared to Pepsi's, in most stores I visited. I think Raleigh is a Pepsi town. =R=

I know Grant Achatz was using one for a while to create a dish he actually shelved without ever serving at Alinea. You can read about the details here. I'm not sure if he's still using one or not. =R=

This has been a wonderful weekend, with absolutely amazing food and drink, and many good friends; both old and new. Varmint and family are incredible hosts. It takes a special kind of person to pull off an event like this without completely losing it. Not only did he not lose it, but he was completely in his element, and seemed to enjoy the perilous moments as much as the easy ones. At one point, I glanced into the kitchen and saw at least 15 people all bustling about; performing their various tasks. I turned to my wife in amazement. "Can you imagine what my mood would be if this were our kitchen?" I asked her. "It would be anything but a party," I quipped, answering my own question. She just laughed. But for Varmint, it was a moment of true bliss. My hat's off to him. He hosts with grace. Beyond the smokey-licious pig, chicken and goat, I loved everything I stuffed into my mouth today but there were a few standouts for me. First, the hush puppies turned out by Malawry were spectacular. They were, by far, the best, most perfect hush puppies I've ever experienced. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, perfectly golden brown and they carried a light aroma of vidalia onion. If I ever cooked anything as perfectly as those puppies, I could die happy. The Brunswick Stew was out of this world. DtC's Squash Casserole was so rich and satisfying I wanted to sneak off with one of the pans. The okra -- both preparations -- was terrific. The collard greens, potato salad, slaw -- even the pickles, made by the Perlows (and others) -- were remarkably stand-out. Debbie's deviled eggs were just wonderful -- especially the Bloody Maries. The desserts . . . hell, I usually don't even like desserts and these left me wanting more (if I'd only had room). The banana pudding, the caramel cake, the ice cream, the coconut cake; well you get the idea. The hotel is very nice but frankly, I'm downright pissed that we don't have a fridge or minibar in our room. Leaving this shindig without leftovers was truly painful. Thanks again to everyone who worked their butts off to make this event happen. I'm just so appreciative of the dedication and effort you laid out. Other than the leftover thing, I feel like a very lucky person right now. =R=

Not surprisingly, the food was absolutely delicious tonight, as were the cocktails. The short ribs were even better than they looked in the picture. They needed nothing more than a gentle tug to pull away from the bone -- but the tender beef wasn't mushy in the least. The ribs held the perfect amount of semi-melted fat. All in all, a terrific precursor to tomorrow's pork. The bbq shrimp were amazing -- especially served atop the delicious risotto turned out by Rachel. The biscuits were ethereal and oh-so-tasty (I had 3!!). The tomato-cucumber-basil salad was the quintessence of the season. And Varmint produced the best Peach Cobbler I've ever eaten in my life. After the meal, I felt like I was part of something very special when I helped carry the pig out to the cooker. Once it was in place, Mummer broke out his accordian and put the perfect ending on the evening for us. A sweet moment to be sure. We've fested and feasted for 2 days and the main event has even happened yet. Good stuff =R=

I stood outside, shaking my head because these guys dared to eat some more. ← I wasn't exactly hungry. It was purely research and I considered it to be a case of "taking one for the team." =R=

The dinner and the post-dinner "research" were both delicious. Thank goodness for diet coke I really enjoyed the shrimp and grits but my favorite dish may have been the watermelon and tomato salad. BTW, the rice dish pictured above is called Hoppin' John, IIRC. What time is breakfast? =R=

What a nice tribute to your dad. I remember my dad teaching me the joys of eating marrow. I was probably about 5 or 6. One night at dinner I watched him remove the marrow from each bone, spread it on some toast and suck it down. When I asked what it was, he said it was called the "treat." Of course, once he called it a treat, I had to try it and I've loved it ever since. My dad, as he loved to recount, worked in a deli when he was 14 years old. 30+ years later his connections were still paying dividends -- even for me! His former boss, Alex, had become the manager of the old Sinai 48 Outlet Store on Pershing Avenue, before it was bought by Best Kosher. Anyway, every once in a while he used to send me down to "see Alex" which meant picking up a with box loaded with salamis, hot dogs, polish sausages, corned beef, bologna, tongue and a kosher variety of imitation bacon called beef fry, IIRC. Alex would always be sure to ask if I wanted a sandwich -- an offer I never refused. They were just perfect; thinly-sliced hard salami or tender corned beef, piled high on perfectly fresh rye bread with a generous schmear of Plochman's yellow mustard. Dad definitely knew the coolest folks. My dad's been gone for a little over 10 years and I think about him every day. So many of the foods I love are ones to which he introduced me, so he's never very far away. =R=

On the 22" Weber, my guess is 1 whole brisket per grill. I think you could fit 3 flats on 2 grills, but not whole briskets, which usually range 12-14 pounds and are fairly bulky because of their shape. =R=