Jennifer Iannolo

Grr...I still haven't managed to get my hands on these. My friend told me that rotten egg is the most foul of them all. Some friends and I are planning a Harry Potter-themed Halloween party, and these will DEFINITELY be on the table. Muahahahaha.... FYI, they are available on Amazon. Edited to clarify improper use of singular noun.

Well, I think we can solve both issues, actually. If we want to move ahead with an eGullet event, let's continue that discussion here. For personal gatherings, we can make arrangements via the Gallivanting Gourmands section of my discussion board over at GM. This way we won't disturb anyone. (The forum is free -- you just have to register.) Better, Doc? I'm tryin'.

Sorry Doc! I didn't see that part of the policy, so I apologize. How does the get-together dynamic work in terms of becoming official? I've seen what looks like that scenario in other eG areas, and I thought we were doing the same thing, but I seem to have gone about it the wrong way. I would love for there to be an eG Hudson Valley gathering if such a thing is possible. Help.

Good Lord, man, what bars are you going to?

Thank you, Chirag. You are going to LOVE the autumn here. Hmm...there are so many things to choose from, perhaps we should start a list, and then we could gather at one or a few? I'll work on that over the next couple of days, so if you have any favorites, PM me and I'll add them. Anthony, the Road Rally will definitely get listed. I'm gettin' all excited over here... :::happy dance:::

Ooh, I forgot about that one! I hosted my 30th birthday dinner at Dupuy, as I wanted to celebrate my Hudson Valley "roots." They did such a lovely job, giving us a private room, creating special menus, etc. I loved every minute. It was really quite funny, because I brought a huge contingent from la famiglia, and they are more about comfort than haute, so they were a bit gob-smacked by the bill. I did check with them first, so they were fine with the individual prix fixe, but I think the grand total shocked the hell out of them. It is now in the annals of Iannolo family history as "Jennifer's Thousand-Dollar Dinner." Which, quite frankly, given the number of people, was pretty damn good.

I just saw a spot on the news where they went through the French Quarter, and it looks as if much of it is still intact, and is now being protected from looters. They specifically pointed out Le Croissant d'Or, which looks to be unharmed.

Ant, that's wonderful to hear! I'm in Cornwall, but I'm open to wandering wherever there is a culinary adventure to be found, so let's keep each other posted of happenings. I may indeed check out the Wine Fest, but I'd much rather be in Paris. Have fun!

Yes, I have insomnia. No, I do not rise at 4:30 AM, so if you are a farmer, please do not invite me to breakfast after reading this post. We are about to begin the most *magnificent* season in the Hudson Valley, and I get all sorts of spastic thinking of the tastes that are just around the corner. The catastrophe is that my work cohorts are scattered about the country, so they can only partake on occasion -- and it just isn't enough, dammit. It is so much fun to share the experience with others who appreciate food and wine on the same manic level as myself, so this is a gastronomic S.O.S. If you live in the Hudson Valley, travel up here for weekends away, or hell, even if yer just passin' through -- I'd love to meet up with you for some culinary mayhem. I have references to prove that I am a marvelous dining companion (how could I not be? I'm Italian and Scottish). There are also tons of festivals in the coming months, so if you plan to attend one, please do let me know. Look, you could always lose me in the crowd.

Fantastic! I've pulled out my menu, and now remember why I was so full when we left -- this was an eight-course dinner that lasted about four hours. The cheese to which I'm referring was a Bleu de Trizac cremeux -- wow! I'm also reminded of the course with cucumber foam where each bite tasted quite different, depending upon which area of the plate I spooned from. It truly was a fascinating, cerebral adventure in dining. I'm sure the menu is now quite different, but I'll post mine here for the hell of it. I can't wait to hear how things go, Doc! *** June 2002 Thon rouge confit a cru, gras de seiche, murex et foie gras de canard; gelee de povron au piment d'Espelette Galette de langoustine bretonne au curcuma, marmelade de citron de Menton au concombre (amazing!) Royale d'asperge blanche aux orties; fleur de courgette, gambas fraiches et salpicon de tourteau Turbot cotier saisi au gril, feuilles de fenouil croustillantes; un jus Guiness-Jurancon aux abricots secs Un bouillon printanier: grenouilles, feve, petits pois, olive taggiache, gousses d'ail de Lautrec et champignons sauvages Supreme de pintade chaponnee cuite en cocotte aux herbes fraiches; papaye verte aux noisettes, oignon cebette et charlotte de Noirmoutier confite a l'origan Croustillant de chevre frais a l'huile d'argan; Bleu de Trizac cremeux assaisonne d'une chapelure de chou-fleur; salade de riquette; Tomme d'abondance de Savoie; infusion <<prise>> a la gentiane Le grand dessert Pierre Gagnaire (we opted for chocolate souffle) **** Wow, just writing all that out was a mouthful. Bon appetit!

Oof...I have been away too many days, and now I think I missed replying to Doc's message in time. I was going to warn him about the seemingly innocent little bell-shaped dollop of blue cheese I had at Gagnaire that packs a punch (dollop with a whallop?). Doc, if you're still here, brace yourself. If you want more details, I can dig out my menu for reference. It was all memorable, and extraordinary, though I remember it now as one big feast. I *do* distinctly recall, however, being instructed to eat certain courses in a particular order on the plate so they traveled appropriately across my tastebuds. Rather fascinating.

Maggie, I am now craving marshmallows at 7:00 AM. That's just not right. Thank you so much for this culinary voyage, and for a look at what cooking used to mean in the pages of glossy magazines. That the set sold for such an amount proves that there are still plenty of serious cooks left, and it makes me want to dance a jig. I bought my first Cuisinart a couple of years ago, and life has never been the same. Now, time to go conjure up some corn syrup...

This just seems like so much more work (and not as good) as plain grilled cheese. What's the f-ing point, Sandra? Explain, PLEASE! ← I was...going to say the same thing. The canned cheese fiasco actually seems like more work. Oh, the humanity.

This may be one of my favorite eGullet threads. The fan site is definitely a mockery, because the more I read, the more I sense that most people there are doubled over in laughter as they post words of praise. Fabulous.

You can say that again. As for that other board - MAN! Has anyone had a look at the "Things that used to make me skiddish (sic)" thread? I am dying here. A link (you do have to register - ). ← ROFL -- or chopping that "icky" garlic! I can't stop looking -- there has got to be a sadistic streak in me somewhere. Muahahahaha...

Edited because Jennifer clearly needs to understand that Donna Hay comes under "D" and not "H".

This list is...astounding. Thank you so much for pulling this list together, Greg. Crikey -- your obsession, when well-directed, is a sight to behold!

Ok, my curiosity got the better of me -- so I looked. I cannot help but think that some of these "sweet" posts from "fans" are actually a scathing mockery of the genuine ones there. There is simply no way people can be this...lacking in judgment. (Jell-O as hairspray?) Though I did see this regarding someone they saw as "copying" Sandra: Maybe Sandra should contact her legal team and search for ways to protect her trademark hair, cooking tricks, recipes and tablescapes so that nobody can ride her coat tails. I always advise the celebrities I know to trademark their hair immediately -- otherwise, who knows how many evil idea stealers might copy it!

I think this reporter's negative comment illustrates a great deal about the antagonistic relationship between critics and restaurateurs, and is a bit defensive ("any experienced journalist"). That was quite catty, actually. I agree with Steven that there is an "investigative" aspect to restaurant criticism -- one perpetuated by the media itself -- that seems to present a good (consumer) vs. evil (restaurateur) scenario. To contradict Mr. Yardley, any worthy journalist is able to retain objectivity while still getting to know his subject matter.

I won't say much here, as I'm reviewing the book for my site, but as I've said to you privately, Steven, I think Turning the Tables brings a lot of important things to light -- things that needed to be said. Congratulations on your first book -- I do look forward to the coming volumes, and I'm happy the world has one less lawyer. You may be the best thing that's happened to restaurant criticism in a long while, and you've certainly given me new insights on its inner mechanisms. Well done.

I'm not mad at all, Greg! In fact, I should have read your post more carefully -- sorry about that. I'm actually glad you started this list, because there are a ton of publications I wasn't aware of. There is one here in the Hudson Valley called The Valley Table. It's been around for about seven years, and it's excellent. They focus on the HV agricultural and restaurant communities.

I hope you will pardon the shameless self-promotion inherent in listing my own site, but somebody has to do it! I launched an online magazine in February, Gastronomic Meditations, which is focused on exploring the sensual and philosophical pleasures of food, including the philosophy of some of the world's greatest chefs (Charlie Trotter is up for this month). We publish new articles and recipes weekly. Since we are in startup, the magazine is evolving, but our content will get meatier as time goes on, and will include more in-depth gastronomic inquiry. My reason for starting the magazine is here: Our Food Philosophy I was essentially tired of reading about foodtainment, and wanted a little more intellect. Hopefully we will live up to that. Our traffic has grown 1,000% since we launched, and we've gotten subscribers at both the professional and amateur level from seventy countries, so it seems we're doing something right.

Jenny, I think you hit upon something important in your comment: It is, in the end, an individual preference. If a person disapproves of force-feeding ducks, then by all means, the person is free not to eat foie gras, serve it, or condone its production. The free market -- if left alone -- will take care of the rest. Patrons seeking foie gras can simply eat elsewhere when such a fancy strikes them. What makes me hit threshold are the gangs of social police, whether they are hugging trees, ducks, or recycled goods. Many environmental and social causes have been built upon false premises and scare tactics, all done with the hidden agenda of forcing others to conform to some ideology that has been touted as the "moral" way to live. It gets worse with every year that goes by. A bully is a bully, whether in the playground or at PETA headquarters. (And Martin, thanks!)

I find it interesting that Eric Ziebold (former Exec Chef at French Laundry) offered the quip that being the White House chef "wasn't a good career move." The position does have rather an industrial feel to it. It seems Julia Child was quite adamant about trying to make the White House a temple of cuisine, but had little success. As a point of comparison, I'm trying to imagine a scenario where the French President would not serve anything but the best cuisine to dinner guests. Granted, I would be concerned if every State Dinner featured foie gras and truffles, but after looking at some past menu items I'm just left with a big question mark. Ronald Reagan served a purple dessert at one of his functions (can't remember what it was - perhaps a sorbet?) with canned fruit. In the 80s. Sigh.

Doc, did you get a reservation at Gagnaire? My evening there was one of the most memorable eating experiences I've ever had. My description for his cooking is "cerebral food," as each dish seems to be its own little gastronomic exploration. I do hope you're able to go.