The Blissful Glutton

I did a search and could not come up with a thread specific to the restaurant. Please move if necessary. Has anyone dined here? I have an upcoming birthday and was thinking of going here to celebrate. Is it worth the hefty price tag?

Yep, it is really Madonna's brother. http://www.nypost.com/seven/08172007/gossi...g__pagesix_.htm Seems he might be getting a show on Bravo or something. Regarding the quickfire challenge, did anyone see Casey smashing down her burger with the spatula while cooking for D.B.? I was horrified. That is like burger making 101. I am still not convinced that she can cook. And as funny as I think Dale is, what chef admits they have a poor sense of smell?

I have been making lots of ceviche. So easy and minimal prep. Have been serving with fresh corn tortillas because I am not frying any totopos (chips) in this Atlanta heat.

Probably Taillevent or Guy Savoy in Paris many years ago. Recently, Guy Savoy in Las Vegas. After wine and tip, it was probably a bit above $1000 for 2 people--it was worth every penny (at least that is what I am telling myself ).

It is kind of pricey, but I always have good meals at Nobu in the Metropolitan Hotel.

I had another moment last night was I was cooking for a chef friend. Was making fries and had the thermometer in to monitor the temperature. Have a new puppy who decided to go to the bathroom on the rug, so I had to abandon the oil (the fries had just been blanched). Came back after cleaning up and the thermometer had shattered into the pot. Had to go get more oil and dirty another pot, but the fries were still good. I won't be making that mistake again...

When you grab a bit of dough, it shouldd stick together without falling apart. Kind of like making a pate brisee.

I hate to be a spoilsport, but the movie was painful to watch--especially since I have an affinity for the original German movie. I went in with an open mind and was still very disappointed. I suggest you see the original if you have not already.

I wish I could get Early Girls at my farmers' market, but no dice. I used to eat tons of them every season when I lived in SF. You guys are making me jealous.

I like them sliced or in stick form with fresh lime juice, salt, and ground chile piquin. I also like to add some jicama and carrot, but they are just as good on their own.

I think a bread that is soft enough (like a white sandiwhc loaf), but can still be toasted is key for making a sturdy sandwich. I find that crustier breads make messier sandwiches. I am a BLT addict, but I have been adding a fried egg and using arugula for my lettuce. I can't say there is a better sandwich in this world. I find that using the egg eliminate the need for mayo...it also makes things delightfully messy and very sinful.

When I was growing up in Atlanta, my parents--both were born in raised in Mexico City--were definitely out of their element. All of their family was still in Mexico and their only consolation was visits from my Grandmothers, who would sneak all sorts of hard-to-find Mexican goodies like Churrumais, Mexican candies, and homemade quesadillas--think of an enclosed quesadillas made with masa and variety of fillings like cheese, huitlacoche, refried beans, etc. The quesadillas were always my favorite and I learned how to make them as a young girl. My sister and I still make them to this day--especially for large parties because they are always a hit and very simple to prepare. I get a lot of questions from people about these thinking they are empanadas, but I grew up calling them quesadillas and the stores I frequent in D.F. call them quesadillas as well. I asked a local chef when I was in Cabo and he told me that the nomenclature is a matter of which region they are in. It warrants more research. Does anyone else make these out there? What do you call them? But, back to making the quesadillas. I coaxed my lovely sister into 'modeling' for me as we prepared a plain cheese version for our guests on the 4th of July. I have to warn you in advance, we ate them so quickly there is no requisite gooey cheese oozing out of the crisp crust shot. But, hopefully you'll get the idea. How I do it: Before making the masa, I grate a round of Oaxaca cheese and set aside. Making the masa is very easy. I normally use fresh masa I get ground to order at a local store (Chicago on Buford Highway for all you Atlantans), but we just went with Maseca because we were short on time. Just follow the direction on the package. I like to add a bit of salt. Here is my sister kneading the dough. Make sure it does not get too dry. After kneading the dough, divide the dough into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. I then press the balls out into a thick tortilla using plastic wrap. You can also use a cut up plastic freezer bag or wax paper. After taking the tortillas in the press, fill with grated cheese and whatever else you'd like to add--the possibilities are endless. Fold in half and seal the edges very well so the fillings don't come out during frying. After ensuring the quesadillas are well-sealed, fry them in oil until they turn a very light brown, but not cooked all the way. Take them out of oil and drain on paper towels. I like to do this before company comes to save time. You can also freeze them at this point. To finish and enjoy, fry again and top with some killer salsa and crema Mexicana.

I don't have an exact recipe, but do have one that I created over the years for when I make ceviche at home. The ratio pretty much depends on your taste and heat tolerance--there should be more onion than chile. Working with gloves on, I seed and finely dice the habaneros and red onions. I then do a quick pickle (using a little sugar, water, white vinegar, and salt) and bring to room temperature before chilling until very cold. I like to make it a few hours before I plan to use it. Never fails. I'll see if I can find a real recipe for you.

I was just there a couple of weeks ago and went to Michael Mina, Craftsteak, and Noodle. I honestly felt that my meal at Michael Mina was just ok. The service was fine, but all of our food was cold and the famous lobster pot pie was over-salted. Desserts were very nice though. I have to say it was several levels below my experience at the SF location. I loved my meal at Craftsteak. The menu is so well thought out. I had the braised veal breast, shaved fennel salad, and roasted hen of the woods mushrooms. Probably one of my favorite steakhouses in the U.S. Noodle is a good bet for a light lunch, but it is nothing out of this world. Still a nice spot for pan-Asian food if you need a bowl of some noodle soup or some dim sum.

It has been over a year since I have been, but I adore this place. I used to eat here all the time when I lived in SF. It is a very large and warm space with good Greek food. I especially like the small plates and normally make a meal out of those instead of getting main courses. Never had a bad meal there.

Thanks. La Fonda is also a great option with a large menu so everyone found something they liked. We had a lot of food there and I liked the atmosphere. A welcome change from the tourist traps most people seem to end up in Cabo. The grasshoppers were part of the dish. They were just ok--kind of smoky, earthy, and very crunchy. I had not had them since I was a kid, but I can't say I will be running to order them again.

I just posted a roundup with photos from my trip a couple of weeks back. You can find it by: CLICKING HERE

Our annual family trip to the beach took us to Cabo this year. I am lucky to have Mexican parents who know their way around the area and cuisine. I am normally the one who chooses where we eat, but I just let my Dad do the organizing--I was not sorry. Our first meal was at the ceviche bar at our resort, Las Ventanas. I chose the local white fish ceviche and a margarita on the rocks. Fresh totopos (chips) and salsa for the ceviche My ceviche--is there a more perfect food? Random beauty Whenever we are in Mexico, my folks load up on all their favorite goodies at the grocery stores. The great thing about the supermercados is that they normally have some food stands. We chose gorditas at Dona Tota--a chain. Gordita guru at work Good foods takes time The finished product: gordita with beans and cheese We then headed to a seafood spot called Rossy that serves huge cocktails full of local seafood and some amazing fried fish tacos. Menu at Rossy Aguachile: Raw shrimp, cucumbers, and red onions in a very spicy chile water. So fresh I thought the shrimp were going to jump off the plate. Seafood cocktail full of snails, octopus, scallops, shrimp, and white fish. The fill the glass with chilled shrimp stock and you mix in of the many salsas at the table to your taste. Fried fish tacos before and after toppings Afternoon michelada with Pacifico Dinner that night was an odd little place in San Jose del Cabo called El Chilar. They aim to be a wine an tequila bar with some very off-putting fusion dishes (e.g. pasta with cilantro pesto and ground beef), but there are a few dishes that are amazing. Great selection of tequilas and their sangrita is spicy and tart--a perfect compliment to the heat of any of their tequilas. My Dad found this spot called La Fonda which features specialties from all over Mexico. Nice spot with an open kitchen and great service. I would definitely recommend it if you are in the neighborhood. Sopes with green chorizo Sope Aztec-broth is beneath the platter with all the toppings Quesadillas with shrimp, huitlacoche, and squash blossoms. Towards the end of my trip, we got very lazy and had lunch a couple of times by the pool. Here is a photo of my lunch one day. That habanero salsa was killer. My view at lunch On our last night, we went to a restaurant called Don Emiliano in San Jose del Cabo for dinner last night and it was a big surprise. Seems the chef is a member of the Slow Food and her food was better for it. The thing I liked was how she featured dishes from her friends on the menu. Antojitos platter Closeup of the guacamole--grasshopper tacos, anyone? Huitlacoche quesdailla--yum My main was the lamb cooked underground in a banana leaf—so tender and delicious. The chef makes a special salsa with chorizo fat and ten chiles that was so good, we asked for some to go which they were nice enough to put in a water bottle for us to take home. It was a lovely vacation with plenty of good eats and I can't wait to go back soon. Our next trip is Asia in the fall/winter...stay tuned. I'll leave you with some more random beauty from Cabo.

Yea! Finally have imagegullet up and running so lots of catching up to do. Here is a sampling on some of my dishes this summer. Seem to be cooking pretty pasta and sandwich heavy... My version of a lobster roll since I could not find the proper buns. Pesto with fingerlings and green beans Grilled hanger steak burger on a brioche bun with aged cheddar and homemade chips. Tomato, basil, and bufala salad. Sprinkled with black salt. Korean beef and spicy pork cooked on my Weber and served with store-bought pan chan like noodles, braised daikon, pickled garlic, etc.

This article is pretty much spot-on. I have my own CCA experience. I was a career changer and desperate to get out of my corporate job. I visited The Cordon Bleu in Paris, but realized I did not want to leave San Francisco because I loved it so much. I made the impulsive decision of going to CCA--this was a couple years after they sold. I signed up for their program that promises culinary arts with a strong business focus. Being a a business major in undergrad, it seemed like a good extension of my previous studies and would give me knowledge I needed to open a restaurant. I was very wrong. During my first week, I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach--that feeling that tells you to turn around and run away. But, I am one of those people that likes to finish what I start. You know what they say about listening to your gut. I only had 4 teachers in my entire stay at CCA. Hardly the range of culinary experience I had been sold up front. Classes were too simple and I got a 4.0 quite easily--as did many of my peers. We did learn some valuable things, but hardly enough to warrant the hefty price tag. The consensus among students was they felt cheated and some of them started a lawsuit against the school. I don't know how that ever turned out. After a year of study and a 3 month externship, I felt like I just wasted a year of my life and could have learned much more by just immersing myself in the industry. I am not saying all schools are bad. I do think there are schools out there that do provide an immensely positive learning experience, but I urge all of those considering it to do their research--I wish I had.

How sad! R.I.P.

I don't have any hard statistics to share, but both my parents, who are D.F. natives, seemed overly concerned with our safety versus our last visits there (and I have been going there since I was 3 years old). To see my father, who is in a different country every week, compulsively lock our car doors and remind us to do the same even when riding around during the day, was enough to make me overly cautious and I consider myself to be a seasoned traveler. A trip to a relatively nice restaurant had me shocked at the armed guards out in front. Some of the stories we heard from our family were enough to make me be covert with the picture taking especially at night. I would not recommend anyone make themselves stand out as a tourist in any way. Just my opinion though. With all this being said, a trip to Mexico City is still fabulous and worth it. I wish I could have been there longer.

I have been searching for the best tasting chicken for quite some time. My personal favorite is still Bell and Evans, but am open to suggestions. I used to like the Smart chickens, but my local store stopped carrying it. What are your favorites?

I just had a lovely salad in Paris at a Lebanese restaurant that used sumac in the vinaigrette. It was loosely-based on fatoush.

How about you make me some JMO?