nymerical2

I presume your answer to those questions is 'yes'? Care to share any of that info with the rest of us? ←

I would welcome the opportunity to have you walk in my shoes for a day. I think it would be very instructive for you.

It appears the Phildelphia area has a problem with 'reading for content'. I have been observing the happenings at Majolica from the Philadelphia Inquirer and this is what I know. 1. Majolica closed for business on Feb. 28th. (2/25 issue of the Inquirer) 2. It had a three bell rating by critic Craig LaBan. 3. 'after weighing other options, the husband-and-wife team Andrew Deery and Sarah Johnson have decided to reinvent the Phoenixville BYOB.' That's a direct quote from today's paper. I've added the bold to help out the content challenged. 4. 'The changes we are rolling out are a direct response to these economic times' Again, direct quote. Again, from today's paper. Again, bold for the challenged. First off, let's get this out of the way. I'm in the business, however not in the Philly area. Because I work 7 days a week, I can offer all you a perspective that has been lost in today's blather. Cooking at the three bell level is personal. The decision to shutter a restaurant, especially one that YOU own can be heartbreaking. Was it a publicity stunt? These folks chose to close their business, their soul, two weeks ago. Philadining do you know the owners of Majolica? Do any of you? Are any of you privy to the soul searching that must have taken place over the past two weeks? I'm assming the answer to the last three questions is no. OK, let's go back to the 'reading for content'. 'After weighing other options'....that's the soul searching that I'm referencing above. They decided to open with a new concept. Same name, SAME QUALITY OWNERS, different concept. As for 'doesn't seem like a huge change, and cheaper, which sounds great.' I've seen pics of Majolica's food on this very site and I just got back from France, so I can tell you that the switch to a bistro-esque format is a huge change. I love this one, too. 'say your closing, people show up for their last meal, say their goodbyes' Hello? That restaurant did close. Majolica as you all allegedly knew it has closed and thankfully for you another one is opening. The internet gives ANYONE the ability to spout their opinions; right, wrong or indifferent. Coming from a guy who would kill to have people of the Deery's obvious talent(remember that three bells I referenced earlier) working in his town, I wish all of you would sit back, relax and be thankful that a family business is reopening, whatever the iteration and for goodness sakes, be happy for the Deery's. They're putting their neck out there, AGAIN.(BTW, all you cynics should try that sometime. It's an amazing feeling) I wish them the best of luck and hope that sometime I might be able to try the food at the new Majolica. Maybe you'll continue to be cynics. That's cool, too.

Just wondering why you might have snorted out your tea. Things are changing for the better in York/Adams Co.

Great Idea to start a York thread...there is some interesting food going on in central PA and some great collaborations.

Just wondering if anyone out there had any insight on how to get on Iron Chef America...obviously assuming the qualifications were there; what is the process? Thanks.

How can you be considered to be on Iron Chef America?

The hog maw I'm talking about is the stomach of the pig stuffed with sausage, onions, and potatoes. You make the raw mixture and stuff into the stomach, sew up the opening and roast whole. The stomach becomes very caramelized and crispy and the inside is basically a sausage casserole. I have been working on several new updates and was looking for condiment memories(a la ketchup or syrup on scrapple) One that I worked on today was making a terrine with layers of pork sausage, braised smoked ham hock, yukon gold potato, black winter truffle. The crispy part is not played by the stomach, but by maple glazed pork rinds. A baby arugula salad and verjus vinaigrette finish the dish. Still working, but it was a fun inspiration!

I have been working on a few ways to dress up hog maw at the restaurant and was hoping that I could get some food memories from cyberspace. Thanks, Andy

Scrapple and Hollandaise does sound like a bit of overkill. Or maybe just too rich with the eggs and all too. I'll let you know how our special does. The bread still hasn't been decided upon so I'll report back when it's really formulated. ← Katie, We put our own homemade scrapple as a first course on our tasting menu this past weekend with great success. Super crispy scrapple as the base, braised Lancaster County shoat and an apple, sage and mustard sauce. We converted alot of folks into scrapple lovers! I'll send you some...I think you'll enjoy it. Andy Little The Sheppard Mansion

Just wondered how TS or some other food writer has burned you.

I would suggest checking with Hendricks for lunch. They had been doing some selected sandwiches and quiches based on products grown on the farm. If they are still doing this you don't want to miss it...their meats and cheeses are AMAZING. Do yourself a favor; stop at a minimart, get a drink and eat some of the delicious offerings at Hendricks. If this sounds like an ad for the farm, it's very close. I used Hendricks cheese and meats on my tasting menu for close to two years and the products were REMARKABLE!

OK, guys. I'll try to reply to as many of the above comments as I can remember! As far as a place to go for Thanksgiving...I always had a great relationship with Michel Faure just down the road at the Golden Pheasant and spent some nights off in Doylestown at Slate Bleu. Both places are distinctly French. No.9 is a great suggestion, as well. In terms of my split with Evermay...it was just that; a split. We went through a change in ownership in late 2005 and with that change a change in philosophy. I decided to leave starting January 1 2006, in order to continue on my quest for 'the ultimate country inn experience'. In May 2006, The Dining Room at the Sheppard Mansion opened in Hanover, PA(incidentally and luckily for me, my hometown). At The Mansion, we are able to raise our own grass-fed Scotish Highland beef, smoke our own bacon from Amish pigs, make our own butter from local cream and that is just the tip of the iceberg. We are still in our infancy, but we are pushing very hard toward being a very interesting dining destination on many levels. OK..enough of the info. My concern with Evermay stems from the 'specials' button of the website still advertising my cooking for Thanksgiving and holiday events. Also, from the specials page you may still view the chef notes page. I was always very thankful for every guest that came all the way to Evermay to dine and would not want them to be mislead. I just want the best for every guest and if they are expecting to have my food and dining experience I want to be in the kitchen! :-)

I just wanted to bring this message back up to the top. I am supposed to have Thanksgiving dinner here and was wondering if anyone had eaten here since my last posting and if they could give me some recent feedback. Thanks. ← Susan, My name is Andrew Little and I am the former chef at Evermay. I felt compelled to write you to let you know that I am no longer cooking there although they have continued to post my name and likeness on their website. I don't know what the current situation is in the kitchen, but I do know that I am not there and a majority of the staff that was present in the dining room is no longer there. However, I have moved on to a very elegant 9 room country inn located in Hanover, PA and the former dining room manager at Evermay is running the dining room. We would love if you would join us for dinner there sometime. Please feel free to check us out at www.sheppardmansion.com Regards, Chef Andrew Little

Certainly chill your base overnight and then 'spin' the ice cream the next day. Also, try and avoid using the puree, it will only thin out your custard base. Spin the ice cream base and fold in chopped strawberries or whatever your preference. If you are going to use a puree, compensate by adding more yolks to your base for thickness.