jsmeeker

Thanks for that review, Chris. I'm glad you had a good meal while in town.

I got a wiff of that when I was at TCC the other weekend. That's some seriously potent stuff!

In my experience with juicing limes at home, I tend to get about an ounce of juice per lime. But like Chris has experienced, sometimes you get ones that just come up really dry. Bought at the same time from the same bin at the store. They appear the same on the outside. Same weight. Stored the same. It's just the way it goes. For storage, I tend to store limes and lemons at room temp. Occasionally, I'll put some in the fridge. Maybe if I buy more than I need for something, in hopes that last a bit longer.

I usually use Plymouth gin for my gin cocktails, and that's what I have been using in Pegu Clubs. Also, I won't use Regan's bitters in this drink. I think it's much better with Fees. What other gins should I check out? I've made it with Plymouth, Tanq., Beefeater, and Bombay.

I brewed some of the Irish Breakfast I bought from the Cultured Cup. This tea is from their "cup of value" line. I really enjoy this tea. It has the good, bold, full flavor I was looking for in a tea to drink in the morning. It takes milk nicely, too. Previously, I usually wasn't adding anything to my teas.

Thanks for posting all of these details on your trip to Las Vegas. There are a lot of questions out there, but I'll try to address some of them. Is this sort of event good for Las Vegas and the food scene there? Without question, I think the answer is yes. How much of it is boastful showing off? Based on what I see here and based on regular visits to Las Vegas, a lot of it is. But that's OK to me. To me, Las Vegas IS all about showing of excess. I personally don't think there is anything wrong with it. It's a place to go and do things and live live in a way you may not do on a regular basis at home. I enjoy the "over the top" aspects of the Strip and the hotels and try to go "all in" when I am in town. Right now, I think Las Vegas needs as much positive attention and stories as it can. This event sure seems to deliver. Does it really do more than that? I think it may. But I need to experience it for myself. As far as the issue of sourcing food. I am wondering how different this is in Vegas than it is in lots of other cities. Like, Dallas for example. Certainly, most regions have their own challenges. Las Vegas may have more than others, but even in a place like New York, restaurants still source many things from all over the world. Is it any worse to get seafood flow in from the Med in Las Vegas than it is to get fish from Japan in New York? Is there a long history of regional Las Vegas cuisine to build upon? Probably not. But is that bad? Texas and Dallas has it's own food history. But that certainly doesn't mean the restaurants are limited to doing food that matches that history. In some cases, I think NOT having that history can be liberating. There is nothing that might hold you back. No pre-conceived ideas as to what is right and wrong. Anyway, I really want to experience this event myself. Seriously considering it for 2010.

Made a pot of the Assam Tara I picked up today at The Cultured Cup. Nicely full flavored. Very smooth. I like this tea a lot. I drank it straight. No milk or sugar. Brewed 1.5 tsp per cup. Water at full boil. 5 minute steep. In my new Bee House teapot that I also bought today at TCC.

I finally made it back down to The Cultured Cup in Dallas to "stock up" on some every day tea. I wound up with two teas. The first is an Irish Breakfast from their "Cup of Value" line. 4 ounces for $9. The other is a Mariage Fréres Assam Tara. 4 ounces for $16. I just got back home, so I haven't had a chance to brew up a cup. of either. When I do, I will certainly report back on them. But for the time being, I think I am set on tea for a while.

I'm having a very hard time finding this in the Dallas area. About the only "regular" grocery store I shop at is Tom Thumb. The one near my home doesn't seem to carry it. Most of the rest of my shopping is done at Central Market and Whole Foods. They don't carry it. I DID see a few cases of the Mountain Dew Throwback at a Super Taget. But I really wante the Pepsi. Oh, and this seems to be a limited time thing. It's not supposed to be a permanent addition to the product line. So, I guess this really isn't the start of a trend.

drinking a Mint Julep now. using Knob Creek Bourbon. Still having issues making good crushed ice. My ice from the ice maker in my fridge just seems to stay solid in one piece. Dunno why. I put a bunch in a linen dish towel and whack the heck out of it with a big rolling pin. I get some fine crushed ice, but still have lots and lots of large pieces. There must be another way. In any case, they have been very tasty.

after watching Top Chef: New York, I think the city is essentially meaningless. NYC is arguably the culinary Mecca of the United States. But they didn't really showcase the city too well. Seems that the producers don't want the Cheftestants to be seen running around town. Kind of a shame, really, but I guess word travels fast via the intranets these days, and they don't want anything spoiled..

Looking over the current tasting menu it doesn't appear that there is any difference in what used to run $250 and now runs $185. There are still plenty of luxe ingredients like foie gras, caviar and prime-grade beef. The portions were never large at Alex. They couldn't really save much in terms of cost if they cut out things like an Amuse or Petit Fours, so I really think it's just a symptom of lowering prices and cutting back on hours to reduce some costs. There doesn't appear to be any cutbacks on the large ala carte menu either. They are currently offering 8 appetizers, 8 entrees and 5 desserts. There are plenty of high-quality ingredients on the ala carte menu-foie gras, sweetbreads, langoustines, john dory, veal loin and kurobata pork among them. The cost of the ala carte menu didn't seem to be much lower than what I remember from last year. Appetizers run $15 and up, entrees begin at about $40 and desserts $15 on average. This is the current tasting menu at Alex: Kaimin Kanpachi Sashimi Yuzu-Lemon Panna Cotta, Golden Osetra Caviar, Compressed Pear, Jalapeno and Manni Extra Virgin Olive Oil Rice Crusted Sea Scallop Parsnip Veloute, Roasted Chicken Jus, Quince, Golden Raisins and Puffed Rice Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras Pickled Turnips, Maui Onion Compote, Salad of Steamed and Confit Matsutake Mushrooms Crispy Rouget de Roche Eggplant Puree, Orange-Burgundy Sauce, Roasted Bell Pepper Marinade, Coriander and Piment d'espelette Japanese Wagyu Beef Loin Parmesan Bone Marrow Custard, Black Mission Figs, Arugula and Red Wine Syrup Coconut Tapioca with Passion Fruit Glaze and Tropical Fruits Warm Apple Saute with Maple-Black Walnut Cake and Sour Cream Parfait ← you know, I said ala carte, but I think I meant the pre fixe menu. Wasn't that the way it was? a pre fixe plus a tasting (this was before the Taste of Wynn 'value' menu)

I hear the same thing from a pretty reliable source.

Thanks David. Do you think there is a difference in the tasting menu at $185 v $250? Is the number of courses the same, or are there cutbacks in the size of portions or types of luxury ingredients? Also, did you happen to catch the price of the ala carte menu at Alex?

I FINALLY got around to making this, using the recipe posted by jneu. I can't recall if it's an exact match, but it's really great. It's got some spice to it, but nice sweetness, too. A great way for me to use my Gosling's Black Seal and a perfect way to use the ginger syrup I always used to make a ginger gimlet.. This is certainly going in my regular rotation when I whip up some ginger syrup.

I think this is the method I need to try next time I make enchiladas. Which could actually be soon. I still have sauce. And tortillas. And even some chicken. If I get a good smooth workflow, this may actually be better than baking since it should yield a plate of food in less time. ← Yes. However, it doesn't work when enchiladas are your main course at dinner for ten. And up. That'd be 30 enchiladas at minimum. And as much as I adore Ranchito, and Dios knows I do, I think even at his house, the frijoles would be cold by the time the last guest got his enchiladas. I routinely had dinner parties for 10, 20, 30, and more. Way more. I suppose if you want to do enchiladas and didn't want to put them in the oven, you could do them as an appetizer rather than the main. But that's still a lot of time-consuming enchiladas to be standing there frying while your guests are out on the back patio sucking down the margaritas and having a good time. ← fortunately (or maybe unfortunately??) I am usually cooking for one. Still, I'm sure there are ways to get some "bite" to the tortilla in a baked enchilada. I've actually pulled it off my self in the past. I think the amount of oil and time in the oven is pretty critical. Also, the brand of tortilla could make a difference. And as suggested by others above, the freshness probably matters (fresher actually makes it harder )

I think this is the method I need to try next time I make enchiladas. Which could actually be soon. I still have sauce. And tortillas. And even some chicken. If I get a good smooth workflow, this may actually be better than baking since it should yield a plate of food in less time.

All of my ingredients were cooked. The chicken filling was a mixture of poached chicken breast (from when I made stock on Sunday), some of the sauce I made, and some cheese. FWIW, Rick Bayless also suggested the oven method for softening. But he called for brushing oil on instead of spray oil, and also called for stacking them two high. Maybe part of the problem I had was that it took a lot longer than 15 minutes to get everything hot. The sauce and chicken came straight from the fridge. By the time the oven heated and what not, they warmed up a bit, but were still cool. Maybe some of the components need to be pre heated?

@Rick_Bayless has great stuff. most of his Tweets have TwitPic links too. Dishes being served, pics of setups on the line, etc.

I made the enchiladas tonight. To soften to tortillas, i did the spray oil and in to the oven thing. But I must have over done them. After I filled, rolled and baked, they totally fell apart and were all mushy. They tasted good, but didn't hold up. This is usually the problem I have when I make enchiladas. What am I doing wrong? it was so bad, I didn't even want to take a picture. I also notice that a lot of people here aren't baking their. If I simply dip in oil, then dip in sauce, how do I fill and roll without making a huge mess? Should I forgo baked enchiladas all together??

co-opt away! My intention was to make this pretty opened ended not not just about a quick bread I want to make. Brownies, cakes, etc. are all fair game. I'm sure we'll both get good answers.

I have a banana nut bread recipe I like. The recipe calls for a 9x5 loaf pan. I have some bananas to use up and it's been a while since I have made this quick bread. I thought of baking it Thursday night, then taking it into the office. That's when I got the idea "Why not make them as muffins?" So, what do I need to know about going from a 9x5 pan to a 12 cup muffin pan? Will this batter make 12? The real number I get really doesn't matter. But I need to know how much to fill each cup. Half way? 2/3rds ? When it comes to baking, do I need to adjust temp? Time wise, I am going to guess it will take less time than a single large loaf. Also, what if I were to want to make jumbo muffins? Or mini-muffins? How to adjust/adapt for that? Not really thinking of just this specific recipe, but rather recipes in general..

My sauce is simmering away. here is what went into it guajillo chiles arbol chiles garlic onion fire roasted tomatoes (canned) salt cumin pepper mexican oregano chicken stick Combine all but stock in blender. Process well. Strain into a sauce pan on med-high heat with some olive oil. reduce down until thicker add in chicken stock simmer. taste and adjust seasoning as needed. I am going to make a small batch of chicken enchiladas with this sauce tomorrow. I should have enough to freeze for later. Really, thinking beef enchiladas would be great with this. But that is another day.

Have you made it without the tomatoes? It's pure chile heaven. I find the guajillos can be plenty hot. I'd add some anchos for body. Just some thoughts. I know tomatoes are delicious, but it's fun to see how far you can go without them. ← I have not. I'll have to try that one time. This time, I think I'll go with tomatoes. But maybe next time. I also want to try to make enchiladas verde. To do that, would I make a salsa verde with tomatillos, or some other way (fresh green chilis??)

I made some chicken stock over the weekend and have plenty of left over breast meat from some of the chickens I used. It's been a while since I have made enchiladas, so I figured they would be a great way to use up some of the lefotver chicken. I am going to make this in stages. First, I will make the sauce tonight. Tomorrow, I will assemble and bake The recipe I will use is from Rick Bayless' 'Mexian Everyday'. I've made it before. It calls for dried guajillo chilis. I have some of those, but will also toss in some arbols for a bit more heat. Some canned fire roasted tomatoes, some of that chicken stock, garlic, cumin in there too. I think that's everything, but can't recall without the book infront of me. It gets cooked down. I'll do all that tonight and save for tomorrow. More details later.