mixmaster b

They often have salt packed anchovies in the meat/cheese/olive deli at my local Whole Foods. I am not much of an anchovy connoisseur, but I thought they were good. It's nice to be able to get just a few to see if you like them. They also have capers packed in salt (mmm) and the guy behind the counter recommended the milk soaking method for both.

I am excited to hear about Monkeymay's restaurant. I would love to hear more! Here are some more ideas--mainly inexpensive sit-down places: Cha Cha Chicken (outside)- Jerk chicken stand in Venice by the beach. Yumm. I like to go there for food then spend all my money on drinks at Shutters (fancy beach hotel with a casual-yet-elegant lounge) down the street. Zankou Chicken- An institution. Get extra garlic puree. I go to the one on Sunset at Normandie. (The 2 above are both order-at-the-counter set ups.) There is good, inexpensive Ethiopian food on Fairfax between Olympic and Pico. I love Nyala. The best dishes are the ones where the meat is NOT on the bone. Also, the Kitfo (like steak tartare) is good. Versailles is favorite spot for Cuban style chicken with garlic and lemon, fried plantains, black beans. I think the best food is at the Venice Ave location. LA has some great Thai places. My favorite is Jitlada on Sunset; Palms Thai and Sanamluang Cafe are also well liked. For Chinese, I am very fond of Yang Chow in Chinatown; it is a favorite among westerners but I think it is SO good. Phoenix Inn is good too-a bit funkier and BYOB. If you are up for more of an excursion, go to Monterey Park. I had delish dim sum at Ocean Star seafood there, but I am no expert in the restaurant options in that area. You should have some sushi while you are here--anyone know any that are reasonably priced? If you are in Beverly Hills and need lunch, Mulberry Street Pizza on Beverly Drive has very good NY style pizza. Peet's coffee is nearby--best coffee. (Peet's is a Berkeley institution which is fast turning into a CA chain, but the coffee is still the best!) At some point (when you are hot and a little tired), go to a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and get an Ultimate Mocha Ice Blended. This is where Starbucks got the Frapuccino idea; the original is much better. A Los Angeles original! I like Baja Fresh a lot, but Poquito Mas is my favorite of the westernized Mexican places. For a more authentic place, Guelagetza is good for mole. I am sure LA is full of great Mexican spots--any other ideas? For your nicer dinner, my first choice would be Cobras and Matadors. It is kind of trendy and can be overcrowded (get a reservation), but the food--tapas-- is delicious (you MUST get the lentils, the octopus, and the bunuelos for dessert). They have no liquor license, and they charge a $5 corkage, unless you buy wine from the little Spanish wine shop next door. (The store is overpriced, but you still pay LOTS less than you would with a regular wine list.) Another nicer spot to consider is 410 Boyd. Has anyone been recently? I enjoyed the food (California style, very well priced, served in an artsy downtown space) but I haven't been back for a while. I would put in a plug for Taylor's Steakhouse, a great, old school place with fab martinis (right, Monkeymay?). But since you live in Chicago, maybe going for steaks in LA would not be the best choice.

I am under the impression that most peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts. It has a nice peanutty flavor, but the raw stuff tasted kind of starchy and stale. I have not had it in ages; perhaps it is no longer available. That would be lovely! Edit: Just saw Sandra's post--This thread moves fast!

I ate a lot of hippie health food. The worst was a pumpkin seaweed soup. Yech. Also raw peanut butter. Super yech. I started cooking pretty young!

Ron: How was "Summerland"? I adored "Kavalier and Clay", but could not get into "Mysteries of Pittsburgh". I am reading Paul Auster's "Moon Palace" now and enjoying it greatly. What other of his books should I read? The only other one I have read is "Timbuktu". Food related--recently finished: Escoffier's memoirs "The last Days of Haute Cuisine" I am a one-book-at-a-timer. If I try to read multiple book, I always focus on one, and never finish the other(s).

Had guests for dinner last night. (6 of us total--as many as my dining table will fit. ) Started with sage focaccia, crackers, and various cheese (a fresh pecorino, an aged pecorino, some chaubier, some cheddar) and olives, consumed at the coffee table with French 75's. First course seared tuna served carpaccio style with arugula, capers, lemon vinaigrette. Second course beef short ribs braised in red wine, served with "celery duo": celery root puree and braised celery stalks. This recipe was from Epicurious, a Daniel Boulud/Shiela Lukins recipe. I followed exactly except added a bit of brandy and a hunk of butter to the wine sauce to dress it up. Came out nice and satisfying for a rainy night. Dessert was apple tarts served with honey vanilla gelato. (These thin apple tarts are our fall-back dessert because my S.O. can whip them out in a flash.) Gelato was homemade (also by S.O.) and very delicious. Espresso.

I had monkfish liver for the first time last night at Mori Sushi in LA. (Part of a memorable omakase that I will describe in greater detail when I get a moment.) It was served with seaweed, thinly sliced japanese cuke, and shaved daikon, with a pit of lemon juice over the top. The liver was cooked simply (probably streamed), and served cold in smallish slices. I thought it was very good, very similar to foie gras, and with a smooth, buttery texture. A little goes a long way because it is so rich.

These sound wonderful, Jin! (As do all your dinner posts.) I have been in a dumpling-making phase and would like to try them. Is the asparagus chopped finely? Are there any binders in the filling? I assume pan fried, not deep fried? Also, a bit more detail on the dipping sauce would be lovely. Last night we had a friend from out of town staying with us. Luckily, he is an avid cook, so he did not mind the (extened) cooking and hanging out in the kitchen portion of the evening. My S.O. saw Mario Batali using the KitchenAid pasta rolling attatchment on TV, and ordered one on the spot. Last night was the first test, and it works beautifully! He made pumpkin ravioli based on a Mario recipe. He added a bunch of carmelized onions to the pumpkin before pureeing it. (The recipe calls for rather a lot of Balsamic, and he was not pleased with the results--the onions were great and helped balance the vinegar.) These were served with sage butter & parmesan. Then we had lamb chops with sauteed broccoli raab, and several kind of sauce, also based on a Batali recipe. This was okay, but a bit fussy-80's style because of the sauces (eg roasted red pepper jus). Dessert was thin, french style apple tarts. Oh, and we started with 2 kinds of crostini: some with mushroom spread and some with tuna tartare. We had lots of Foghorns (gin, lime jiuce, ginger beer) while cooking and various colors of wine while eating. My keyboard is loud, too...

Heehee. Thanks for the post, Liziee. I have been following the drama of Bastide with great attention. I truly hope things smooth out--we really could use a good, solid addition to the fine dining scene!

I recently used super fine sugar in place of granulated sugar for meringues and for a nut brittle. I wasn't happy with the results: the meringue seemed fragile and did not hold its shape well, and the brittle had a strange opaque quality--almost like the sugar had not dissolved properly. The superfine sugar seemed like it had been in the market for ages--it was starting to solidify into big chunks. I carefully sifted it before use, but perhaps it had too much moisture in it? I think I will stick with granulated in the future--it is cheaper, and sells through faster in the market, so maybe the quality/freshness is more reliable. It was a strange experience, though, because I thought super fine was superior, especially for meringue or for caramel. Oh well...

This is probably a stupid question, but did you parboil the potatoes and turnips? If you did, for how long and did you do them together? I'm still trying to figure this out. In his Q&A, Heston boiled them until almost done, but others have said a short parboil followed by a long roast. Tried Heston's way twice, but am thinking the other way might be better. Thanks, Nick nickn- I can't be bothered to parboil veggies for roasting and they always come out delish.. Into the oven at about 400 degrees with evoo, s&P, garlic, and maybe some rosemary, roast till tender--maybe 40 minutes, depending on size. Carrots, parsnips, rutabega, brussel sprouts, and small onions are also good like this, not the mention Jim Dixon's divine cauliflower. Thanks, Jim!

When I called, they told me wines could be paired with the $90 tasing menu for $45--it seems very reasonable. The list might be a different story...

Col Klink, Deep fried duck sounds amazing. Any pointers? I bet they take no time...

Yes--Brining is great insurance against a dry bird. The meat is moist, salty, and delicious. The pan drippings can be quite salty, so taste the gravy often as you are making it and have some good unsalted turkey/chicken stock on hand to dilute (depending on your recipe). I started brining my turkeys a few years ago and won't go back.

Maggie, I am with you on this. A Martini on the rocks is quite civilized. Especially when you are in the mood to sip a bit more slowly. Watery it may be, but there is nothing worse than a warm Martini!

We have a friend who is great fun to cook with, and a few years ago he became almost obsessed with the idea of making a Turducken. I ordered a boned turkey, duck, and chicken from a butcher here (LA) and we put the beast together as instructed by Mr. Prudhomme, with a few changes made for personal taste (no margarine, and also we skipped the eggplant gravy, because it didn't sound good.). We did use lots of the "Meat Magic" that he calls for--it was good, but I am sure that you could concoct a more original spice rub with a Cajun flavor. It is important to follow the instructions to use 2 roasting pans--1 to catch overflow. There is so much butter in the dressings, plus the fat of an entire duck, that the quantity of drippings/fat is almost overwhelming. Of course this, plus the bones and trimmings from the birds, are the makings for a great sauce. The results were good, though I agree with JD (London) that the flavors and textures of the different birds and dressings are not terribly distinct. The thing was a huge hit--our friends loved it and still talk about it from time to time. Some people leave the bones in the legs of the turkey so that it has a better shape (more turkey-like) after roasting. I will do this next time--ours was kind of ball shaped. We did a kind of Cajun/Southern theme for the other foods--collard greens, biscuits, yams, pecan pie, as well as the more traditional stuff. Really fun if you are looking for a major project and have help. And yes, plenty of time to consume lots of beer! Best of luck with the research, Human Bean; please let us know what you decide to do.

We deep fried turkeys last year. I thought it was pretty cool--but my (somewhat) macho fiancé did the hard work. We did a test bird about a week ahead. This was great because it provided us with bones to make stock for gravy, and lots of meat for the freezer. (We usually go to a big pot-luck style dinner with lots of great friends. It is wonderful, but leftovers are usually left with our hosts.) The kit we used was from Home Depot and cost about 60 bucks. Having the kit was good because all the stuff we needed was included. We did it outside on concrete. This is really important--you have to have a good place to do it where kids, dogs, and drunken revelers can be kept at a safe distance. We did 2 turkeys for Thanksgiving, one right after the other. They were on the small side and cooked really fast--maybe 40 minutes. They were kind of ugly looking, but the meat was fabulous--very juicy. We brined the turkeys, though, which also makes for juicy meat. It was really fun. I would do it again for a laid back group. Not really the best for an elegant dinner, but a fun adventure. I will check out your Turducken thread, too. We did one a few years ago and it was really a trip.

Hollywood- I agree with your take on LA restaurants 100%. Seeing that I can seldom afford to do the fine dining routine, I am better off in a city with lots of good ethnic food and more reasonably priced spots. It's just that I like to indulge once in a while... While part of me thinks I should just save my $ and eat at the fancy places while travelling, I do want to give the better LA spots a fair go, and also to support local places. We need to get a serious thread started about the great ethnic and asian spots in LA. Definitely a more fertile topic!

Southern Girl- There were only two of us. (Maybe we were a big pain in the ass!) We really did have a good time. LA is a strange restaurant town, lacking in really fine places, as has been discussed on the LA Restaurant Scene thread. I was raised in the SF Bay Area, and lived in NYC for a long time, and my fiance is a native Manhattanite. So we were definitely somewhat critical of Spago as were comparing it to some really good places. (Not that we have had the fortune to visit so many top spots.) We have had very diasappointing meals at some restaurants in LA that were supposed to be good (Valentino, Citrus, La Cachette, etc), and I am glad to say that Spago did not disappoint. The food was innovative and well presented, and gave us much insight into Puck and his empire. The one thing that would have made a difference was the service. They seem to differentiate between people they wish to impress, and the rest of the hoardes, and we were in the latter group. Ah well... I don't want to sound too negative--I would definitely go again. It was for sure some of the best, if not the best, food I have had here.

So, prompted by the good advice of several E-gulleteers, I took my sweetie to Spago for our anniversary. We went on a Sunday night and had the tasting menu with wine pairings. Overall, we were both impressed, and I am very glad to have gone. However, there were some less-than-perfect moments with both the service and food. First of all, the hostess was awful. We were on time for our reservation but had to wait about 25 minutes to be seated. (This did not bug me so much, but I would have preferred some sort of an apologetic tone when we were asked to wait, instead of an attitude.) As we were waiting, another couple came in who also had an 8:00 reservation--they came in at about 8:15. The hostess said "Better late than never" after she greeted them. This seemed incredibly rude-- their table was not ready, either. It was all I could do not to use the same phrase when she finally came to seat us!! We were led to a table in the main dining room. There was a young woman sitting alone at the table next to us, and she had no drink, menu, or water. She waited patiently as we were served water, our menus brought, and our order taken. We had been served our amuse by the time her waitress materialized—Spago did not live up to the level Southern Girl experienced on the “women dining alone” front! (She ordered the tasting menu, as well, and they rushed her through the first few courses so that we were all on the same schedule. We struck up a conversation with her, and she was quite sweet.) The timing on the menu was also off. Our second amuse came while I was still eating the first. Also, we waited about 10 minutes for the wine pairing on the third course. Yech! Later in the menu, there were some long pauses between the courses. Last complaint: there were 11 courses instead of 8, as listed on the menu. This was lovely, of course, but we were not told at the start. I didn’t pace myself properly, so I really was overly full by the end of the meal. Some of the courses were too big, in my opinion, to be served as part of an 11-course meal. Okay, enough bitching!!! Here is the menu—please excuse the lack of detail, especially on the wines. (I was a bit disappointed that they did not offer more info on the wine. I asked a few questions, and they showed me the labels, but I didn’t feel I learned as much as I could have.) My notes were written later, while in a food and wine stupor. Next time Iwill bring a notebook so the wine info is not lost. (Live and learn!) Amuse 1: Tuna tartare in a tuille cone Amuse 2: Raisin tartlet w/ foie gras mouse Wine: Billecart-Salmon Course 3: Oyster au gratin topped with Osetra caviar Wine: Pouille-Fuisse Course 4: Crabcake w/ basil aioli Wine: Testarossa Chardonnay All of these dishes and wines were fabulous--especially the crabcake--best ever! Course 5: Tomato medley: 1: Tomato w/ goat cheese, tiny micro-greens 2: Roasted tomato soup w/ some type of foam, served with a buttery caviar "breadstick" 3: Tomato “tatin” with goat cheese, atop puff pastry 4: Tomato “carpaccio” with capers Basil crème fraiche Wine: ??? I adore tomatoes and enjoyed this dish, especially the soup and “breadstick”, which were outstanding. However, I question the use of similar-tasting goat cheese in 2 of the items, as well as the use of red heirloom tomatoes in all 4 items. Course 6: White truffle risotto Wine: ??? (Too overwhelmed by white truffles to take proper notice) The smell of the truffles was underscored by the presentation: a flat bowl with a cloche covering the risotto. The cloche was lifted about 6 inches off the bowl and swung back and forth when the dish was served, to highlight the wonderful truffle aroma. I found the risotto to be rather undercooked. Maybe a style? Course 7: Black bass with parsnip puree, beurre blanc, pancetta, and chanterelles Wine: Verdicchio (do not remember winery) This was divine, though the course was large. I thought dessert was next, and that it was strange to have had neither red meat nor red wine in the menu!! Course 8: Crispy pork belly with pines nuts, spinach, and polenta Wine: Barbaresco The course was too large, IMO. 2 slices (3x4x3/4) were served—almost a full serving. I had not had pork belly (other than bacon) before, and would have preferred a small portion of this fatty meat. I did like it, especially the crispy parts. And the polenta was the best I have ever had. Course 8: Lamb chop with potato gnocchi, rosemary Wine: South African Pinotage—fabulous Very nice Course 9: Cheese plate. I had cabrales, a runny camembert-type stinker, and some garlic flavored cheese Wine: Veuve cliquot demi sec I found this wine all wrong with the cheese I chose. It seemed to bring out the sharper, more chemical flavors. The wine on its own, and with the other desserts, was lovely. They offered a nut-laden whole wheat with this; we requested a more neutral white to better taste the cheeses. Course 10: First dessert; Blackberry Sorbet Okay, somewhat odd after-taste. (Freezer flavor?) Course 11: 16-layer cake with chocolate ganache, pralines, and praline ice-cream Heaven! The tasting menu was $150 with paired wines (Seems to be the going rate in LA.) Espressos were extra, and a 20% tip is added automatically. (!!) So, it seems that they were on their best behavior when Southern Girl was there, what with all the luminaries in the house. However, this was one of the more impressive meals I have had the pleasure of consuming. All in all, a success!

Much good advice given above. The recipes given are on the medium side. I prefer a drier Martini- about 1/2 teaspoon vermouth to 1 1/2 oz gin. This is a matter of personal taste, so some experimentation might be in order. The vermouth is definitely what makes it a martini. I like shaken--the little ice splinters are much prized by many martini drinkers, though I think they are not part of the classic preparation. If your experiment goes well, consider getting a shaker. Good for many wonderful libations! Regarding the olives vs lemon peel, let your Beau's taste be your guide. I think personal preference is in play again here. I prefer olives. Stick to the traditional green ones stuffed with pimentos--Santa Barbara Olive Co is a good brand. For vermouth, Noilly-Pratt is a must. I like Tanqueray and Bobmay Sapphire for Martinis. Tanqueray 10 in too herbal, but tastes great in a gin and tonic. Must try Hendrick's. I have seen it in stores but never tried it. I have a weakness for small glasses. The drink stays cold and you get to have another! Actually, getting the drink really cold is probably the most important part--we keep our gin in the freezer. Cheers!

MMM I love Krispy Kremes... But then I was born in the South! I think the joy of the Krispy Kreme is driving through some small town in Georgia or North Carolina where there are so many rotten places (lots of Mikey D and Denny's), and coming across a Krispy Kreme store with the "hot now" sign on. Going in and expecting a regular donut, and instead getting this warm, airy, crispy, sugary whiff of a thing--one is not enough and two are too much.. you all know this feeling! But it only works when it happens by accident. These are not destination donuts!

Between drooling over the Tommy Family lasagne and having a batch of leftover bolognese, we were inspired to make the above mentioned Batali recipe on Tuesday. It came out well, but I think the bechamel he calls for is way too runny. I cooked it down a fair amount to thicken it, but the end product was still more liquidy than would have been ideal. (I don't want it to be so stiff that it comes out in cubes, but I don't want to have to serve it in a bowl, either!) Next time, less milk in the bechemel. (Or maybe bake longer?) The results were still delish--bolognese makes it very meaty. If you are up to making it, the fesh pasta really makes the dish. It is so tender!

Last night I made pizza. I can't seem to get it round--it morphed into a rather attractive rectangular shape. Toppings: sautéed dandelion greens and treviso with pancetta, drained, chopped tomatoes (from a can) sautéed for a few minutes w/Ovoo & garlic to get them dry. Arranged in stripes on the pizza, topped all with grated mozzarella (poly-o type) and good reggiano. It was good! The dough had been frozen and defrosted, and I was able to get it much thinner than usual. (Relaxed dough is a good thing!) Served with salad and leftover champagne.

Survir- Thanks for the input! I have asked Lesley to send me one of her books--copies in English are hard to come by-- but the author's autograph had not occurred to me till I saw your post. Great idea!