WhiteTruffleGirl

Actually Bouley's are stuffed with foie gras, braised short ribs and black truffles.

CB, It may be a combination of factors. The old saying of "garbage in, garbage out" holds true. When I make tapenade, I only use the best olives I can find (usually kalamata), salt-cured anchovies, salt-cured capers, EVOO, S&P and whatever else strikes my fancy that day. If you've not used salt-cured anchovies or capers before, let me say, you are in for a treat. They are significantly more flavorful than their grocery store "packed-in-oil" counterparts. Use the best ingredients, and it will make a HUGE difference in taste. btw...the salt packed products can be found in any good Italian market. You will likely have to ask for the anchovies, as these are frequently sold on a per piece basis. They will not be filleted, but it is easy to do. Simply use your fingers to open up the fish, then remove the bone that runs the length of the fish. Rinse (both these and the capers) very well.

How about Mexican wedding cookies?

Hopefully, this will not spell the end of high quality couverture out of Scharffen Berger. Hershey may not be stupid, but they care a heck of a lot more about corporate profit than they do quality chocolate.

Kangarool, The version of vodka sauce I make is so friggin' easy, but so good, it's a standard for me when I'm feeling too lazy to cook. Saute some shallots, add garlic and saute some more. Add chopped whole canned tomatoes that have been lightly drained (I prefer Muir Glen), vodka and crushed red pepper. Saute to reduce for about 10 minutes, reduce heat and add cream. Let simmer (on low) for a few minutes more, and you're done. I do it frequently with shrimp or chicken (sauteing and removing before I start my shallots). Serve over a hearty pasta like penne.

Personally, wine never stays around long enough in my house to make a difference either. But, I do have a Vacuvin and do occassionally use it. I have found that it does help to extend the life of wine by a couple of days. And, btw...I am studying for my Sommelier certification...

The purpose of vodka in a vodka sauce is to bring out flavor components that are sensitive to alcohol (but not necessarily sensitive to other liquids). The alcohol by and large burns off, and leaves (at least IMO) no vodka flavor. You should not waste expensive vodka in this kind of sauce.

Very nice site...well done Jennifer.

That sounds good, but what about pot-roast, or stews, or things like that? They not only are okay when reheated, they're usually even better. ←

The reason meat never tastes as good when you reheat it is the unsaturated fatty acids which are damaged when exposed to oxygen. It starts the minute you put it in the fridge, and then speeds up when you reheat, which is why I never reheat a roast, but instead use it in salads or sandwiches.

I've not read this entire thread, so I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but an excellent book on the subject is Professional Charcuterie.

By far the best hot dog I've ever eaten is from Lobel's in NY. http://www.lobels.com/store/main/item.asp?item=116 They are so popular with customers (and they don't have them all the time), they sell out really quickly. Expensive, but well worth it. As for toppings, I can go a lot of different ways, but tend to fall back to my roots and have them Chicago style.

I too hate lames. I use my trusty little serrated Victorinox paring knife. Works great.

We freeze it all the time at work in desserts we make, and we don't add gelatin either. Works just fine.

Sorry I didn't see this earlier...I make quail stuffed with a hazelnut mouselline that is really awesome.

I second the vote for Tavel Rose and Bugey Cerdon! Two of my absolute favorite wines on a hot summer day.

Whatever direction you go, do not put too many flavors in there. I personally would stick with two that tend to be crowd pleasers...like a raspberry gelee and a lemon curd or mousse.

Thanks for the tip. Another great place over in Rockland County is Rockland Seafood on Route 304 in Bardonia. Very fresh seafood...the owner goes down to the fish market every morning. He's also very accomodating...will always try to get me whatever I'm looking for.

I second the vote for Pasha for good, cheap eats.

Wendy, All of the photos scrolling below the announcement of the winning teams are from this year.

Xaviar's and Freelance are my two top choices in Rockland (Piermont), although a bit far from Bergen County. Closer to NJ is the Citrus Grille, which is quite good

Boulak, I would agree with your assessment of the Forum...it was pretty much overall an "A" with a few "Fs," all of which are fixable. (God forbid they ever let a sponsor "dictate" the content of a class again...as was seemingly done with Gelato...everyone was completely disappointed, and frankly quite ticked off.) The JW Marriott was a great venue, although the food was not so terrific. Sad really...here, you have some of the finest chefs in the world at your door, and you stick to mundane, expected and poorly executed banquet food. I was very surprised when I asked a Carymax rep on the final day where they thought the Forum might be held next year. They said they hoped it would be back at the Marriott. I was surprised as I had it from good sources they had a heck of a time getting people to come to the event since who wants to come to Phoenix in the middle of summer? And, it's why the trade show was so small...many exhibitors pulled out fearing a lackluster turnout. But, as you and others have pointed out, this isolated resort is exactly what made the Forum so wonderful. Everyone stuck around during the evening, and the networking and comraderie amongst the students and Chefs was amazing. Truly a very special event for all of us who attended. I wish the Pastry Championships had produced as much in terms of stunning design and flavor combinations as the Forum did. I fear that the comment made to me about all of the best Americans having retired from competition holds a ring of truth. I wish Team Lhuillier the best of luck in the World's, but it's going to be a lot of work. We need to see something new coming out of the US Team to hope to compete on a world platform. When I asked a fellow student what he thought the most exciting thing he had seen coming out of the Championship, he responded..."it didn't come out of the Championship, it came out of Kanjiro's class...the Dragon Ball." I must say...it was beautiful...a sunset ball of blown isolmalt filled with coffee/cocoa nib mousse and praline ice cream served on a bed of creme brulee. The presentation was what was so lovely. When I asked Chef how often he served this, he said, "not often...usually only for the Emporer or the Iron Chefs." He was kind-of joking, but kind-of not. The dessert has a million possiblities...

Wendy, I only have a minute to reply, but to let you know, Team Lhuillier won. You can actually go view photos from the Championship at: http://www.pastrychampionship.com/ I would say that I was pretty underwhelmed with a lot of what was being presented to the judges, but then again I don't get to taste them. As one person commented to me, all the best Americans have stopped competing. I'll report more when I've got some time.

I have not personally used this method (I own a smoker), but I have a friend who does all of his smoking this way. (He's cheap and a gluten for punishment.) It does work. Wish I could offer advice, but I've never gotten into his ramblings about it.

Jason, It's so weird you bring this up right now...my best friend is currently trying to adopt a baby from Kazakhstan, and I promised her I would go with her once she got the "all clear" on it going through. I will definitely check out your suggestions (assuming you come up with something you like) while there. Thank you.