Steve Klc

$18 for 10 issues--though from the press coverage it seems the firm commitment is for 4 issues and then they'll re-consider going forward.

Tony asks "I think there's a place for a "great" book about restaurants and their relevance to all aspects of life over the last couple of hundred years. Does anyone know one?" I think the better question might be--is anyone on the scene capable of writing such a great book that we'd accept in terms of scholarship, wit and palate? I think not. Who has shown the writing talent, the depth of palate, an open critical mind, the awareness and appreciation of culinary history, the passion for exploring ideas involving the relevance of restaurants, chefs and food, the media savvy, the global experience of dining at both the high and low end in so many countries and cultures--to write knowledgably of restaurants and relevance from Careme to Escoffier to Point to Bocuse to Robuchon to Ducasse to Gagnaire to Barbot to, well, you get the point. And that's just France and just at the elitist level. We can't even agree on what makes the best food writing or reviewing--take the objectivity in a review Britcook writes about--I'd be much more comfortable with blatant subjectivity and open expression of bias, of ideas, of direct assessment rather than this all-too-often anonymous contrived faux objectivity. Give me passion, persuade me in an opinion piece--for me, when it comes to food writing or reviewing--great, interesting and profound are not necessarily the terms I want to use to describe what is being labelled "restaurant criticism." With that I keep coming back to Nick's excellent question--"has the quality and relevancy of the writing kept up with the nations overwhelming interest in the subject?" I say no. What say you? And if so, what's holding it back?

KaryLou--use the Camargue as you would any sea salt--where you want to taste and feel the crunch of the salt crystal. (It's a waste to dissolve it. Use regular salt for that.) Sprinkle it on some foie gras just before serving (if you are so lucky) or toast up some brioche, drizzle the toast with melted extra bittersweet chocolate and sprinkle with a few grains. It can go well with many caramel or chocolate desserts. Drizzle some of the pomegranate molasses on a plate--pour a layer of olive oil over it--and then dip good crusty bread into it. I can't speak about Ms. Cushing, Jin, seeing as I'm south of the border, but that pomegranate glazed pork tenderloin does sound good. And that site sure looks pretty.

What would the "company" you keep now do if they found out you were a Crisco national chef of the month not too long ago?

Which brings us back to the separation of church and state as practised by some-- restaurant critic versus food writer. Here was our first go-round in case anyone missed it, called "Compromised Food Critics" http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...&f=2&t=3030&hl=

And here courtesy of Michael Laiskonis, who is the pastry chef of Tribute in Farmington Hills, Michigan is his: Vanilla-Sweet Potato Sorbet Hazelnut Biscuit, Star Anise-Milk Chocolate “Emulsion” Cider-Beurre Noisette Caramel, Milk “Jam” Maldon Sea Salt Sweet Potato Sorbet YIELD: approx. 1.5 liter 500g water 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped 50g granulated sugar 5g sorbet stabilizer 200g granulated sugar 50g glucose powder 400g sweet potato, roasted, peeled, puréed, and sieved 1. Place water and vanilla in a non-reactive saucepan and heat to 50ºC/122ºF. 2. Meanwhile, combine first measurement of sugar and stabilizer and whisk into the water. 3. Add remaining sugar and glucose and bring to a boil. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and chill, allowing mixture to mature for minimum 4 hours. 4. Remove vanilla bean and combine with sweet potato. 5. Process in batch freezer. For processing in a Pacojet, reduce sugar by 50g and remove sorbet stabilizer, if desired. Distribute base into two beakers, freeze, and process according to manufacturer’s instructions Milk Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscuit YIELD: one half-sheet pan/625g 35g granulated sugar 60g cake flour 150g milk chocolate, melted 125g unsalted butter, softened 75g pasteurized egg yolks 25g trimoline 125g pasteurized egg whites 30g granulated sugar 80g chopped hazelnuts 1. Sift together first measurement of sugar and cake flour. Reserve. 2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine chocolate and butter thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Stir in egg yolks and trimoline. Reserve. 3. Prepare a meringue with egg whites and remaining sugar, whipping to soft peaks. Carefully fold sifted sugar-flour mixture into meringue, then fold chocolate base into meringue. 4. Spread evenly into a sprayed and parchment lined half-sheet pan. Liberally sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over the biscuit. Bake 16 minutes at 205ºC/400ºF, turning once. Remove from oven and allow to cool before use. Beurre Noisette 500 g heavy cream 1. Place cream in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until solids and butterfat begin to separate. Allow solids to brown slightly. Remove from heat and strain through a chinois or fine mesh sieve. 2. Transfer browned milk solids to a paper towel, allowing the removal of excess fat. Cider-Beurre Noisette Caramel YIELD: approx. 1.5 cups/350g 250g granulated sugar 400 ml apple cider 25g beurre noisette solids 1. Combine sugar, and water to moisten in a non-reactive saucepan, and cook to a dark caramel. 2. Meanwhile, in a second pan, place cider over medium heat and simmer, reducing by about one third. 3.When sugar has reached correct color, remove from heat and slowly add reduced cider. Return to heat and cook to dissolve any bits of hardened caramel. Continue cooking until desired consistency is achieved (To test, spoon some caramel onto a cold plate and allow to cool. Generally, sauce should still be fluid cold or at room temperature). 4. Whisk in beurre noisette solids. Strain through a chinois. Chill. Star Anise-Milk Chocolate “Emulsion” YIELD: approx. 1.5 pint/645g 500g ‘half and half’ 10g star anise 10g cocoa powder 120g milk chocolate couverture 1. Place ‘half and half’ in a non reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add star anise, remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for ten minutes. 2. Return to a boil, reduce heat and whisk in cocoa and milk chocolate, stirring to thoroughly melt. Allow to simmer for one minute. 3. Remove from heat, strain through a chinois or fine mesh sieve. Reserve warm. 4. To serve, blend with an immersion blender until frothy. Milk “Jam” Yield: approx. one pint 1000g whole milk 300g granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped 2g sheet gelatin, bloomed 1. In a non-reactive saucepan, combine milk, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 2. Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has slightly thickened, or until it has reduced by half. 3. Remove from heat, add gelatin, stirring to dissolve. Strain through a chinois or fine mesh sieve. Chill. Tuile Craquante YIELD: 1.6#/ 750g 300g confectioner’s sugar 5g pectin NH 15g all purpose flour 240g unsalted butter 100g glucose 100g water 1. Sift together sugar, pectin, and flour. 2. In a non-reactive saucepan, combine butter and glucose and melt over low heat. Whisk in sifted ingredients, then liquid. Increase heat to medium. 3. Bring just to a boil. Remove from heat. Allow to cool and rest at least one hour. 4. Spread very thin onto silpat lined sheet pan and bake in a convection oven at 205ºC/400ºF until golden brown.

Hi Elyse--forgive me, but you're less lame than I am, because I was the person who promised they'd be posted on the site. Meredith and Colleen have already posted some of their recipes from the demonstrations on the IHMRS thread and I've received the recipes from Michael and Patrice--and will post them right now. I've just been too lazy to cut and paste them from my iBook. Here they are: This is courtesy of Patrice Demers of Les Chevres in Montreal: APPLE, BUTTERNUT SQUASH,MAPLE with GOAT YOGURT AND NUTMEG PANNA COTTA 2 Cups of goat yogourt 300 g cream 150g maple sirup 3 sheets gelatine, softened fresh nutmeg Reduce the maple sirup until it turn to a light caramel Add the cream and some freshly grated nutmeg Take out from the fire Add the gelatine Wisk in the goat milk yogourt and pour into small glasses Let set in the fridge for at least 3 hours BUTTERNUT SQUASH PULP 1 butternut squash 250g maple sirup Peel and diced the squash Cook the squash with the maple sirup on top of the stove for about 20 minutesm until the squash is tender. Let cool and reduce into a purée. Pass throught a small sieve. GREEN APPLE FOAM 6 green apples 500 ml fresh apple juice juice of 2 lemons 100 g sugar 4 sheets gelatine Cut the apples into big pieces, leaving the peel on them. Put the apples with the leon juice, sugar and apple juice in a pot and cook until the apple a very soft, for about 30 minutes. Reduce the apple into a very smooth purée For each liter of apple purée, add 4 sheets of gelatine Pour into a container and let cool in the frindge for one night. Pass the foam throught a fine sieve and pour into your foam canister. Macaron: 150 g egg whites 260 g confectionners sugar 25g confectionner sugar 180g almond flour Whip slowly the egg whites when they begun to make peaks, add the 25g of sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks. With a spatula, fold in the almond powder and the remaining sugar With a pipping bag, on a silpat, pippe your macaron Let them sit for about 20 minutes before you cook them to let them crust a little bit on top Cook them at 350 for about 10 minutes To serve: Pour some butternut purée on your panna cotta; Add some small dices of fresh apple on top; Finish the dessert with some green apple foam. Serve with the macarons

Why restaurants aren't covered differently is simply because editors don't believe they serve their readers by covering them any differently. Impose on Liebling and Trillin the same weekly grind, conditions, expectations and limitations of the form which are imposed on a Grimes or Tom Sietsema or whomever and see if you get the art or nuance you'd be satisfied by. But Steve, to your comment that "newpapers feel they can put almost anybody in that job is part of the problem. What did William Grimes write about before he reviewed restaurants, architecture? Would they make anyone the movie critic or theater critic? I don't think so." I can lend some support to the first: I've had conversations with two Food editors--one running a major newspaper Food section and the other overseeing the food and wine coverage of a major city magazine--and both have told me point blank they look to hire "voice" and writing ability first--and feel demonstrated food knowledge or awareness is, essentially, irrelevant. There was a sense that "writers write" if you know what I mean. If true--and more widespread--as I believe it is--the debate, then, seems to be is this necessarily bad and does this legitimately contribute to your dissatisfaction? Some at eGullet have previously expressed that they find Grimes lacking a joy or emotional connection to his subject--how much of that is simply a style choice or ingrained, is also open to debate. There was a long thread previously which essentially revolved around the accepted value of a restaurant critic remaining distant and anonymous--which would fit your consumer advocate model of food writing versus those like Fat Guy who said, basically, this anonymity thing is a canard and then innovatively argued for complete and utter lack of anonymity--and even more close relationships between critics and the beat they cover--as a way to break down any barriers and simply be about the content. A critic either had integrity and knew what he was talking about or didn't--why hide behind the wall of feigned consumer advocacy and why keep our critics detached from the nuances of their subjects? I would, however, gently disagree with you about reviewers assessing price point--I think we still need more direct writing on excellence achieved at all price points which transcends the transparent cheap eats-fine dining distinction. Plus this does nothing to examine the career arc of many of these food writers and critics--which is often pay your dues on a beat, writing food profiles and features and articles with recipes then graduate to the job of restaurant critic somewhere--then basically settle in for as long a ride as you can doing the same thing for years and years until you retire and move on to something else. Think Phyllis Richman--would you have wanted her kicked out as restaurant critic after 5, 10, 15, even 20 years and told, at some point, you've been reviewing restaurants for too long--go back to writing about food? And it may be off topic but I certainly believe lots of people are assigned the movie and theatre beats will little real qualifications other than they are smart, have a voice, and can write. What about theatre critics who move on to political commentary? Now on to Ian--yes, points all well-taken, but as an explosion of awareness and concern of food and chefs and cooking rises all around us--so too does minimal expectation in professional food writers of the very things Steve is postulating--things like an evolutionary flow chart of certains aspects of cooking and how it evolved throughout the ages is precisely relevant today. In ways that we wouldn't even have been aware of in the not-too-distant past--we now have average home cooks, watching the Food Network or reading some drivel in a glossy magazine asking themselves "Hey, I wonder who the first chef to make a creme anglaise was and how long it has been around?"

Yes Steve, for a sheep's milk yogurt Old Chatham Sheepherding is excellent--but I haven't had their goat's milk--do you know if it is 100%?

Is that for me Kim? The specific reason I use this particular Vermont Butter & Cheese product is because their fromage blanc is 0% fat. It gives a slight tang, body, texture and balance to an olive oil ice cream--but since olive oil is fat you risk an "overfat" mixture if you used dairy with a typical fat percentage. It's delicious enough to eat plain though--mix and mold into little forms or use in a cheesecake or scoop quenelles of the stuff onto little dishes of fruit salad. Here's the link to VB&C with a few ideas: http://www.vtbutterandcheeseco.com/product/blanc.html This is informative: http://www.hertzmann.com/articles/2001/fromage/ And there is also a nice summary of all this tang, cream and fresh cheese business, thickened, fermented, strained or otherwise, here: http://www.ochef.com/100.htm

Total brand yogurt is in the US--it's available through foodservice channels out of NYC and retail I see it in stores like Dean & Deluca. We get it trucked down to DC. I use it in a panna cotta mixed with some cream and love it as well. You could also hang and drain other yogurts to get the consistency, if not the flavor, of Total. To approach the flavor. you can mix about 1 part Lebne to 5 parts regular "pretty good" American yogurt and let it sit at room temperature for awhile--taste--and add a little more Lebne or lemon juice if necessary. Also, there is a wonderful family making a true Greek-style goat's milk yogurt in Ontario--Skotidakis--which I cannot recommend highly enough. I have their yogurt trucked down to DC as well. It is much more readily available in NYC and North. Here's the link: http://www.skotidakis.com/yogurt.htm In some ways and in some applications you will find this superior to Total. I use it in a mousse in a walnut, honey, caramel dessert. It is not too sour because it is blended with some cow's milk.

http://www.newsday.com/business/printediti...0,6152385.story An excerpt: "The publication, which is a size similar to Reader's Digest, will target harried homemakers with easy and fast recipes for meals, using ingredients readily available in supermarkets. Its small size is designed for the highly visible magazine racks at grocers' checkout stations. Everyday Food, which will sell for $2.95 per copy, is the first publication from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. not to prominently feature Stewart's name. The inaugural issue's cover has the word "food" in large capital letters with "everyday" overlaid in smaller type. Underneath, in still smaller type, is "from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living." I have the issue in my hands and it is, frankly, not awful. Let me be the first to say it is impressive--it's not just a perfunctory low-end recipe rag but very sensibly designed with clean direct photography supported by clean unintimidating text. Also, a surprising stylishness or deftness sneaks up on you every few pages or so which readers of other much more expensive food magazines will recognize. Given the small Reader's Digest format, the pictures still seem large enough--paper quality decent enough--and may actually have more impact on the target audience by seeming less like inaccessibly-styled food porn. Much less pretense and artifice than "Martha Stewart Living" or Martha herself. No tiresome "Chefs Recipes Made Easy" blather a la "Food & Wine" magazine. Just very simple but not too simplistic recipes with little overt personality--imagine a Sara Moulton "lite" if you will--and if given a chance I think the magazine could raise the standard of everyday food in the US in ways other glossies have not been able to. (Yes, I realize I just said "the magazine could raise the standard of everyday food in the US.") There are ads but they aren't obnoxious, nor are there too many of them. The usual gimmicky Reader service card is attached but we're spared a long list of credits, thank yous, and "created by" tags. It's not that kind of mag. So you're out of luck if you want to find out where the production assistants wandering around Manhattan found the rectangular plate that the very cool caramelized pineapple is presented on. The Food Editor for "Everyday Food" is Stephanie Lyness, who I believe is writing a cookbook with Suvir. I wasn't aware of her involvement with this project until I checked the masthead. All in all, it's a hard job well done. Congratulations Stephanie.

I'm a fan of this company as well Jaybee. It is widely distributed, Whole Foods Markets in particular, and many pros use their products as well because they are available in larger sizes as well as the little retail containers. Unfortunately for me, the one product of theirs I rely on more than anything else is the 0% fromage blanc which Helena mentioned--which is indispensable to making a fantastic olive oil ice cream. It only comes in the small 8 oz size. Butter can be had in log form as well as wrapped in foil. And do try their marscapone--it's impeccable. It's funny but this company made their name initially with goat cheese yet it is all the other products I find myself using.

No, I'd suspect not, that -4 thing is paramount--but while the freezer part of your fridge does not usually get down to that temperature, many home standalone freezers do. A nice article on chefs using the Paco here: http://www.pacojet.com/html/images/refer/artikel.jpg In 3 years, the price has come down from $3,600+ to $2,495.

That price sounds about right for the pro model. Their CEO is trying to gain market share and keeps dropping the price, which as JD remarked did once cost a small fortune. But JD--it doesn't take up much space--it's like a small narrow milk shake machine. Batch freezers are much bigger--my espresso machine is almost as big and my (personal home) Italian ice cream maker from Williams Sonoma, not as stylishly and efficiently designed, is bulkier as well. Noise--noise is relative. Not as much as a small convention oven, more than an espresso machine. How much noise does your machine make now--and what kind of machine are you using? The compressor in my Italian machine cranks for a half an hour making a quart--the Paco spins a quart in minutes. And there is another option for measurement which has not been mentioned--a refractometer for those truly serious about quantifying their degrees Brix or Baume in order to predict final texture and softness. 2 degrees is a very wide latitude and there is benefit in narrowing the range. Much more accurate than an egg or the glass vial bobbing up and down in a solution. Under 200 bucks for very good ones. Speaking of machines--what are you all using? Ben? I have seen a self-contained cooling unit down around $200 as well--Euro Pro was the model I believe. It used to be you had to spend $500-600 for a decent home model. And while JD covered the basics of what affects the freezing point--don't forget all sugar is not created equal--mixtures of different sugars with different properties affect the freezing point and resultant texture as well--glucose, dextrose, trimolene and inverted sugar, powdered (atomized) glucose, honey etc. That's why alot of pastry chefs like to say "simple syrup isn't so simple." That's also but one area where the McGee chapter didn't go far enough or explore.

Instead of trolling away for tips and recipes for HubUK David--in turn to reprint on your website--why don't you just put a link on your site to the discussions here--your readers will find that alot more helpful than a recipe anyway, especially JD's thoughtful commentary. And you're welcome to share some of your own efforts with your new machine here as well. JD--a Pacojet doesn't cost a small fortune for a pro--in fact, I bought two PacoJets for a restaurant for less than the price of the smallest commercial batch freezer--i.e. a Coldelite or a Taylor. It's very accessible and less expensive, actually, for a small restaurateur or caterer or affluent home enthusiast. Especially if you factor in its savory applications which the best chefs are using it for all the time. I also hear a home model of the PacoJet is now available in Europe with some plastic components and a smaller beaker size but for alot less money. Might be worth it for you Europeans to check it out, certainly if you'd like to make a good olive oil ice cream--it's much easier in a Paco. And re: sorbets--you might find it interesting to know that many pastry chefs use their Pacos for ice creams only and still make sorbets in a batch freezer. So, too, some ice cream flavors, like caramel just seem to work better in a batch freezer. You can't get the right flavor and texture in a Paco due to the sugar content. Ben, yes, I also feel a really good chocolate sorbet--made with chocolate not cocoa powder exclusively-- can taste better and more immediate than a chocolate ice cream.

Steve--then again, neither did Jean Louis. "And the service was great too but someone called ahead for us" And therein lies the longstanding rub Steve. And it ain't just tourists or rubes who leave underwhelmed. I've been there in the company of Beard award-winning chefs and sommeliers (from NY and Chicago) who left underwhelmed. This shouldn't matter at a restaurant deemed one of the very best in the country let alone DC. Of course power diners dropping nice money on wine and/or known to the house can be expected to be treated well there. I had one amazing experience at Citronelle in the company of several French chefs that is still possibly the best dining experience of my life--foods, wines, service transcendent. Then repeated poor or inconsistent efforts mostly dulled down by service or hospitality issues and often at times by perfunctory food--or food that should have been more special given the price point and ability of the chef. And I know my way a little around fine dining at this level in terms of expectation. We ate there last the week of Thanksgiving and had such an inept, comically indifferent server--though very very good food--that we actually also tipped another table's server as we left, slipping a $20 into his hand--because we struck up a relationship with him as he kept looking over our sad table, smirking, he kept folding our napkins, pouring our wine, replacing our silver, nodding to the busboys to remove our plates before the next course arrived, etc. as he weaved his way around his table not once failing to give them wonderful service. And they actually were tourists. As we've discussed on many other threads--you should be considered in the elite national class by nailing service and hospitality and graciousness and professionalism throughout the whole process--and for every diner. This is not to deny that there is and always should be a way for certain diners to receive an even more special experience--as you argue rightly for figuring out and then acquiring--but the "basic" experience has to be universally and consistently special as well. And this is before you even bring price into the equation--which you did not attempt to factor in in comparison to other high end meals you've had in other venues. To me, that's where Citronelle sometimes lets "the average high end diner" down. (Well, that and Citronelle's almost systemic arrogance--phone, host greeting, brusque waiters--excepting the valet guys, who are usually very nice but I think they work for the Hotel. Very few DC restaurateurs take the Gramercy Tavern/Danny Meyer lessons to heart--many don't even bother paying lip service.) What did the tasting menu run and how was it if you bring price to value considerations in? And you're right about Michel getting Asian spices, using them subtly, oddly even at first but always seemingly in just the right "genius" ways. I admire that instinct, that touch. Cranberries...with cumin, that kind of thing. Odd then wonderful. Too bad the restaurant experience is not just about the talent or palate of a chef. So if you are in the position to have someone call on your behalf, by all means do. Otherwise, try going to the four I mentioned above: Les Relais, Maestro, Cafe 15 and Elysium. Maestro would be the least overtly conservative. But what I've said all along is the high end is not what distinguishes dining in this city specifically in comparison to other elite food cites--as your comments about Citronelle seem to bear out, Steve. Is it correct to say that even though you had the best that Citronelle could offer to a power diner it still wouldn't rate as a very best in NYC let alone nationwide? Where DC is really starting to compete--and you wouldn't have much way to judge this Steve simply because you're not here often enough--is mid range and mid-to high. That's the story. Otherwise, the usual suspects underwhelm with conservative cooking which lacks interest and vitality--and which can't in good conscience be ranked against the best fine dining restaurants in the country at comparable price points. That's where the local reviewers sometimes let the locals down--but then their job is in part to talk up the local scene. And Steve, you also didn't mention the desserts or petits fours--did any stand out? too conservative? was there anything you could sample given your allergy?

Rochelle--of the four restaurant critics--the only one that I "know" fairly well is Tom Head who has some title like Executive Food & Wine Editor. We've attended some of the same functions usually arranged by restaurant publicists and I find him charming, erudite, sincere and knowledgeable. I trust his judgement and I believe if he didn't like my desserts at Zaytinya, for instance, he'd say so in print. I know the other critics--the ones assigned to "beats" like DC, MD and VA not at all. However, of the three--I feel I know and trust the Virginia reviewer simply because I eat at many of the restaurants she covers and I think she does a good job finding out about the worthy places and then says the right things about them. She was on top of the Elysium and Le Relais and Restaurant Seven before Tom Sietsema--and she nailed each one of them as excellent restaurants each with alot to like. Another thing I like about Tom and the VA reviewer is that neither are lazy--they're on top of what is going on. There's not much to draw me to Maryland that I can't get better or just as cheaply close to me in Virginia, so you'd be in a much better position to offer some critique of how good a job the MD reviewer does in timeliness and prioritizing. My personal opinion of the 4 star restaurants listed by Vengroff hasn't changed much since I've started posting on the site--and that is that they haven't been among the best in the country in their category or price point for some time, except for Maestro, which is so new it hasn't had a chance to start mailing it in or coasting. The very good pastry chef of Galileo is no longer there--she got married and opened a bakery--Pangaud and Michel Richard may be geniuses but their restaurant experiences have inconsistent troublesome service issues reported all the time, and the others are too conservative, too safe, hyped way past their due to generate much interest for food savvy people. I'd still go to Les Relais, Elysium, Cafe 15 and Maestro before any of the others at the high end.

T--so much depends on the recipe and having the right balance of lemon juice to yolks--but one little trick you might try next time: don't put the butter in until you've removed the curd from the heat and let it cool down a bit. Then add the butter and whiz with an immersion blender. Very unctuous.

Don't forget there are two Bras books--Essential Cuisine, which is the one Chefette was talking about--but also the Bras Dessert Notebook. Both are superb in their own way. (We've discussed them both on the site in other threads.) On my menu for new "New Year's Eve" desserts for 250 people tonight--"Coconut two ways with mango salad and lime gelee"--built as a parfait--lime gelee, brunoise of mango tossed with vanilla, lime and a Chilean "Botrytis" dessert wine called Montes, a jiggly coconut cream with the consistency of "tembleque," topped with a very light coconut espuma and also "Choco-Coco-Banana"--a warm chocolate cake with liquid coconut center, Venezuelan chocolate flan (with Michel Cluizel 72% VZ chocolate) caramelized bananas, caramel gelee and salty plantain powder.

You Canadians are all so coy--but this is still very good news Patrice.

Coop--you've made your case for your opinion as best you can, initially I thought you were simply unaware, though now just that you are unappreciative. When you say you "believe that the chefs we all respect are too busy running thier shops to participate in this ego building exercise. I speak of Boulud, Ripert, Keller, Torres, Hawksworth, Del Grande, Fearing, Gail Gand, Payard and many other who are unmentioned" well I'm sorry to tell you your list doesn't support your opinion: Jacques Torres and Payard both competed ALOT when they were climbing the ladder to fame and respect--Jacques to get the "MOF" and Payard in France and as recently as a few years ago during the Patisfrance US Pastry competition in NYC--where he did not win the Grand prize and walked off in a huff. But for both of them--competitions helped them get that "CEO" tag after their names. Though several you mentioned wouldn't have the skill to compete at that level, I don't hold that against them, nor should anyone, it does matter what's on the plate. Some people are just more well-rounded and skilled enough to compete--i.e. not only make killer desserts but also chocolate and sugar artistry and confectionery and petits fours--and some aren't. Most pros can admire the skills others possess. I guess it is good you're not still in the biz. I'm sure I can speak for all those young chefs already working at elite properties and "fine restaurants" as you like to say--who also happen to compete--that they won't miss the support you're reserving for others. Also, there seems little need to explore with you why you continue to dismiss competitions as "ego-building exercises" when there are so many other more worthy targets out there you could dismiss--like chefs appearing on some inane gameshow like "Ready, Set, Cook" with the pre-eminent food personality Sissy Biggers can be called anything but an ego-building exercise? We won't even get into chefs spending some quality time with Marc Summers and Gordon Elliott.

You said something interesting my friend "Steve, just tell us eGulleteers how the owner of Zaytinya had to pay for this review?" I know you are being a bit impish with this, since the review was so good, but I will answer this seriously because it is important--the ownership group--Jose plus Rob and Roberto as I mentioned--are all honest and experienced restaurateurs with other successful restaurants under their belt that have stood the test of time and remained both popular and relevant. That's no easy feat--plus, more than anything else, they hired passionate talented people to be a part of their team--and then let them do their thing. I am lucky to be part of that team, but just to give you an example--they hired the chef from Lebanese Taverna--a warm, gregarious, bear of a man named Abdoul--to come over and teach us how to make phyllo by hand--the way Abdoul's father's father did--the old-fashioned "artisanal" labor-intensive way. It would have made much more economic and practical sense to simply use commercial frozen phyllo--as even the lauded "best" restaurant in town--Michel Richard at Citronelle--does when he makes his creme brulee napoleon. But no, the Zaytinya phyllo had to be made by hand in-house. And part of that resulted from Jose Andres travelling around Greece and Turkey and seeing that phyllo there was many different textures and thicknesses, many different subtle styles and variations than just that ubiquitous frozen phyllo you and I and Michel Richard defrost. The owners knew who to turn to, secured the proper permissions, invested in the labor costs for training and voila--the spanikopita at Zaytinya impresses like no other. The owners paid for that good review by making good decisions like that all throughout the process--managing and motivating design, labor and creativity--and I'm sure countless other things I haven't even been privy to yet.

Vengroff--it is unsolicited anonymous reports like that that chefs love to hear--it means the average guy off the street--and his mother--get treated just fine. There is some value in Zagats after all. My first desserts there debut for the special New Year's Eve dinners--a coconut cream with lime gelee and mango salad in lime-vanilla jus and my "Choco-Coco-Banana"--a warm chocolate cake with liquid center of coconut, chocolate flan, caramelized banana, caramel gelee and sprinkled with a salty plaintain powder. (Those very same plaintains served with the duck. Maybe I'll start using so many of them they won't serve so many to you Vengroff!) The second seating is already sold out--the first seating has about 20 seats left. (It's a 122 seat restaurant.) I think the "cous cous" you had with the salmon was crispy quinoa--browned and slightly nutty, right? That stuff is so addictive--and yes, they make that garnish and the crispy dried arborio rice and the plaintain powder all in-house, all labor intensive but worth it. I'm trying to build a deconstructed dessert version of the Peruvian "dulce de quinoa" with molasses, cinnamon and raisins as we speak. But Cafe has been on the map of food-savvy New Yorkers for at least 5 years--Jose was doing some amazing stuff there which culminated in Food Arts doing an extensive piece on him--a real star turn--in 1999. He left to open a Jaleo in Bethesda but he's back now over-seeing things plus Kats is now in charge of the kitchen (latest Verbena in NYC and El Bulli.) He can really cook and those two have worked well together for years. Plus the sous chefs at Cafe are strong--Samantha Withall and Saul Herrera--Saul just recently came over to Cafe after opening Zaytinya with me. At Zaytinya he supervised the cold station--and was instrumental in my desserts being successfully and consistently plated. He was the first person I trained on the PacoJet--initially the only one I trusted.

Laura--I wouldn't look to Julia or Simone for much of anything as far as pastry is concerned. Most pastry chefs just use yolks, sugar and an "alcohol" component--champagne, a sparkling wine like Prosecco would be fine, Port and dessert wines as well. Just don't take it over 185 F as you whisk and than whip. If you plan to serve it warm--a la minute--you don't need to add gelatin either. Another way to "hold" a sabayon--or to serve a cold sabayon--is to fold some softly whipped cream into it as you cool it down slightly over an ice bath. Try 4 yolks, 40 g sugar, 70 g champagne--but that's variable depending on how sweet the rest of your dessert is. I tend to keep things less sweet.