David Ross

Was the "Thrush" actually the small bird known as the thrush? Did they de-bone the little creature?

Well that is what I think shall be a quote that will live on-"Adria in the land of Dali." Wonderful.

How could I forget fava beans. Delicious. (And I'm going to try that dish you described).

I watched the "reunion" show rerun this morning. I especially liked the exchange between Colicchio and Elia. She apparently chose to say some not-so-nice personal things about Colicchio to the press. I didn't know about it until I watched the reunion show, but I'm sure there are plenty of blogs and snippets out there about their spat. In a nutshell, Colicchio gave her a dose of reality. When she basically said he was a "sell-out" for the Diet Coke spot, he said he goes by the mantra that if he likes something, (aka drinks Diet Coke), and he sells it in his restaurants/bars, he'll hawk the product. I totally agree with him. If a diner wants a rum and diet coke at the bar at Craftsteak, by God serve the damn drink to them Elia. If you are only going to procure au-naturel soft drinks to serve in your bar, you are going to highly limit the parameters of your customer base. They also had a disagreement on the grass-fed, corn-fed beef kerfuffle. Elia claimed she went to Craftsteak in Las Vegas twice and was told they only served grass-fed beef. She was strikingly surprised to find that isn't the case-she discovered Colicchio also serves horrific corn-fed beef. (That's odd Elia, I ate there in September and had a delicious corn-fed steak. A steak I chose over the grass-fed varietal as I prefer corn-fed beef). Elia apparently thought Colicchio was again a "sell-out" for serving beef that isn't up to her sniffy, herbal standards. The discussion between the two of them at the reunion show went along the lines of her saying an icon like Colicchio should have the highest of standards and only serve the most divine ingredients, i.e. exclusively grass-fed beef that is sung lullabies to at night. Tom simply said that she had an unrealistic idea of how to run a steakhouse in the U.S. and that by a wide margin, he would not be in business if he only served grass-fed beef. In other words Elia, customers at Craftsteak want a choice and the most favored choice is corn-fed beef. Good responses Judge Colicchio. Nuff said.

After what seems to have been a terribly long, cold winter in the Eastern part of the Pacific Northwest, (where we had snow last week), it finally appears as though Spring is on the way. We haven't seen our beloved local asparagus yet, but I'm hoping we'll see it in the market in about two weeks. In the meantime, there are plenty of other tender, delicious, Spring vegetables cropping up throughout the country. I recently converted one of my television shows from CD to YouTube. It's a segment we did when I was cooking on local local television . The dish was a Spring Vegetable Ragout that included fresh, local asparagus from the Walla Walla area and wild mushrooms. I didn't use morels in this dish, but I prefer them if they are in the market. We source wild morels from the forest about 20 miles out of downtown Spokane. Ragout of Spring Vegetables- Video Here. What are your favorite Spring vegetables and how do you like to prepare them?

Thanks, I'd love to have the Pat Chapman recipe.

Most of the spices listed are used in Indian cuisine, with the exception of the rose petal and grains of paradise which give a distinctly different flavor. To really appreciate Indian cooking, I do suggest, if it is possible, that you get yourself a selection of individual spices and experiment with those rather than using store bought mixes. Thanks for the info. What exactly is grains of paradise?

Sorry, but I don't use a thermometer to gauge temperature when I cook meat. I've perfected the technique-pan saute and then finished in the oven-to the point where I know that about 10 minutes on the stove top (5 min. per side) and then another 6-8 minutes in a 550 oven will cook the steak to what I call medium-rare. (Albeit steaks that are more on the rare than the medium side of the pendulum). The only technique I use is the "finger poke"-I know based on how the meat springs back when I touch it that it's done. You may want to try my timing and push the oven roast another 1-2 minutes but I would be careful and not go too far. Remember to let the steaks rest after pulling them out of the oven and while they rest, they'll continue to "cook" and bring you closer to the medium side of medium-rare. Thanks for asking.

Thanks everyone for replying. I know I'm going to learn a lot from those of you out there who have far more expertise cooking Indian-Style Lamb than I do and I'm asking for your advice in helping me along that path. Let me clarify a few things by answering some of the questions that have been brought forward. As a reference, this is my original post: Thanks Jenni for the tip on the mustard oil. I have two lcoal markets that I think may have it. Your assumption of my comments are correct- I thought it was an infused oil so I thought of trying to steep mustard seeds in canola oil. Thank you for steering me away from that. I chose to start with lamb because I'm comfortable cooking it in American and French preparations and the lamb recipes in Jaffrey's cookbook were tempting. Jaffrey didn't mention in this particular recipe that mutton or goat were preferable to lamb. Maybe she just assumed mutton and goat would be hard to source in most of America and lamb is more readily available. Trust me, I would prefer mutton if I could find it. I've been on an ongoing search for mutton online for years and have not been successful. I have two sources local sources for mutton, but I have to buy a full or half carcass and have to call the farmer to see if/when it's available. I don't want 100lbs. of mutton in my freezer. Does anyone know of a US online source for mutton? What caught my eye about the Punjabi style lamb dish from Jaffrey was the fact that it had the texture and flavors of lamb roasted/broiled. I wanted to start with a technique and flavor result I'm familiar with before venturing into the other styles you mentioned like hot/piquant, creamy/aromatic or moist stews. As I mentioned in the opening post, I'm a novice at Indian cooking so I was beginning with what I've heard is a trusted source for beginners-Madhur Jaffrey. She offers a number of substitutions in her recipes, (like using cumin seeds, cayenne and lime juice if you can't find Chaat Masala), so I didn't think it would be a problem. Whether it's out of compromise for her audience or she actually uses the stuff, Jaffrey does suggest using prepared Garam Masala in her recipes. "Store-bought is fine" is her quote for the Punjabi Lamb Kebabs that I used as the base for my dish. I'm certainly in tune with the fact that buying and roasting your own spices is preferable to the commerically bottled product, and as I delve into this Indian-Style lamb quest further I will more than likely get comfortable crafting my own spice mixes. I didn't find the tumeric and cumin overpowered the saffron in the rice. In my mind I was going for hints of the flavor of saffron with overtones of cumin. I primarily used the tumeric to give the rice color, and it barely added any flavor. The Ras el hanout was store-bought and composed of tumeric, white pepper, black pepper, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, anise, safforn, long pepper, cardamom, rose petal, nutmeg, mace, fennel, and grains of paradise. Are some of those spices used in Indian cuisine? I chose to add the Ras el hanout to the lamb marinade and to sprinkle some of it on the finished lamb because it had an exotic scent and spice that gave me a sense of the aroma of Indian-Style Lamb. I now realize that Ras el hanout is not a traditional purely Indian spice but I couldn't resist in the moment. I do agree that starting with the basics-one protein (lamb) and the basic Indian spices, is probably a stronger beginning position than immediately taking things "fusion." Thanks again for your suggestions. Any more ideas out there for Indian-Style Lamb Dishes?

I'm starting to dabble in Indian cooking and thought that the best way to ease into this vast cuisine would be to start with one ingredient-Lamb. I've started a new topic on Indian-Style Lamb Dishes here. Marinated Indian-Style Rack of Lamb with Basmati Rice, Cucumber and Pickled Red Onions-

I'm just beginning to venture beyond my preferences for American and French cuisine and exploring the cuisine of India. As a novice cook in terms of the variables and subtleties involved with Indian cooking, I thought I would start with just one ingredient-Lamb. I've been reading through At Home with Madhur Jaffrey as a reference to my introduction to Indian cookery. I started with Jaffrey's recipe for "Punjabi Lamb Kebabs." While staying fairly true to the recipe, I substituted rack of lamb for the boneless lamb meat called for in the recipe. I couldn't find, (nor did I take the time to make), the mustard oil called for in the recipe so I used a combination of Chinese Chili Oil, Sesame Seed Oil and Olive oil. And due to the cold, wet weather in the Northwest today, I wasn't able to barbecue on the outdoor grill like I wanted, so I used the recipe suggestion of broiling the meat. The rack of lamb was marinated overnight in a mixture of yogurt, the three oils, salt, garlic, ginger, garam masala and I added some curry powder and an incredibly fragrant Ras el hanout mix I bought yesterday. To accompany the lamb I made some pickled red onions and served them on a bed of sliced cucumber. And a simple steamed basmati rice seasoned with saffron, tumeric and cumin. I welcome your suggestions and discussion on how you like to prepare Indian-style lamb.

The aisles of our local stores are currently lined with row upon row of chocolate Easter bunnies. I bought two bunnies, "Honey" and "Sunny" made by the RM Palmer Company of Reading, PA. They're my favorite kind of Easter bunny-hollow milk chocolate. My Father prefers solid chocolate Easter bunnies, and I'm pretty sure he goes for the higher end Bunnies from the Godiva or Dove chocolate camps. Do you have a favorite chocolate Easter bunny?

Very easy. I slice the shallots into thin rings then soak in milk, then dust in either flour or a prepared deep-fry mix, then deep-fry in canola oil for about a minute. You have to watch them so they don't burn because if they do they taste awful. In a pinch, I'll buy fried shallots at the local Asian grocery store. Crispy and tasty but never as good as homemade.

A couple of dishes from recent dinners using the Pan Saute and Oven-Roasted method that we've been discussing here. Monkfish with Blood Orange Vinaigrette and Tangerine, Sauteed Red Chard, Crispy Shallots- New York Strip Steak-

L'Atelier is a great recommendation. You have the opportunity to taste the food of Joel Robuchon but in a casual setting. You sit at a bar that rims the tiny kitchen giving you a view of Michelin-Star level Chefs at work. If you like steak, Craftsteak at the MGM is also a good choice. They serve the full menu at the bar and the bartenders are very accomodating. You'll get the full treatment at the bar-placemat, place setting and the full menu. For Italian, I like the Cafe at Valentino in the Venetian. The food is just as wonderful as the menu in the formal dining room in the back, yet the setting more casual. I've always found the restaurants in Las Vegas accomodating to single diners whether you want to dine at the bar and be more unnoticed or if you want the full experience in the dining room.

Today I had the opportunity to showcase the pan saute/oven-roast method using a beautiful prime grade NY strip steak that I found at our local Costco store. The prime grade beef is always available at our Costco, and is only a few bucks more per pound than the choice grade meat. Herewith is my method for cooking steak using the pan saute/oven-roast method: -Brush steak with olive oil and season with Cajun mix and black pepper. -Sear in a cast iron pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side. (This steak was about 1 1/2" thick). -Into a 550 oven for another 6 minutes. -Remove the steak and place on a rack over a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Reserve any juices. -Serve the steak and pour the pan juices over the top.

Not any specific eGullet activity at Uncork'd, but it is more than a worthy treat for the Mother's Day Weekend.

My Mother always gave our butcher a Christmas gift. It was typically some cookies or a fruitcake that she baked. I suppose you could consider that it was a tip, but really it was a token of appreciation from our family for the wonderful meats and service he had given us over the course of the previous year.

I'd like to see Chef Stratta show his stuff to the viewers and the judges--and stick it to the people at the Wynn who suddenly and with barely a thank you, shuttered the doors to restaurant Alex a few months ago. He's still tending the kitchen at the casual Stratta restaurant at Wynn, but it's a far-cry from the cuisine he did at Alex. Very talented and gracious Chef and the pr from being on Top Chef Masters is seemingly coming at the right time for him.

Vegas Uncork’d celebrates its 5th Anniversary this year with the annual bacchanalia set for May 5-8 in the city of indulgence. For a perspective on how the dining scene has changed in Las Vegas since Uncork'd debuted in 2007, you can read our previous reports on Uncork'd- 2008- Vegas Uncork’d-A Bon Appetit Epicurean Experience 2009- Klatsch: Popping the Cork in Las Vegas 2010- Vegas Uncork’d 2010-Big Flavors and the Bright Lights of Las Vegas The Press Release for Vegas Uncork’d 2011 promises that “The four-day extravaganza, held each Mother‘s Day weekend, draws the world‘s culinary superstars while celebrating Las Vegas as a global culinary destination with truly international appeal.” Not to be outdone by other foodie festivals in America, the highlight of this year’s Vegas Uncork’d fete will be the Saturday gala “Toques off to Paul Bocuse” dinner at the MGM. The “Four French Masters”-Robuchon, Savoy, Ducasse and Gagnaire will lead a team of noted Las Vegas Chefs in creating a sumptuous French feast in honor of Chef Bocuse and his contributions to “Le Grande Cuisine.” One noticeable personality that will be absent this year is Barbara Fairchild, former Editor-In-Chief at Bon Appetit magazine, a major sponsor of Vegas Uncork’d. Barbara was the star of the Uncork’d show so to speak, taking on the lead role from the birth of Vegas Uncork’d up to her departure from the magazine in 2010. Ms. Fairchild’s exit stage left over the past year caused some to call into question whether or not the annual event would survive. You can read our topic on the changes at Bon Appetit here. Adam Rapoport, Ms. Fairchild’s replacement as Editor-in-Chief at Bon Appetit, will take over top billing at this year’s festivities representing the interests of the magazine and the Conde Nast empire. In his new role, Mr. Rapoport commented on Uncork’d by saying “There‘s a reason why the world‘s elite chefs and enthusiastic food lovers look forward to this event every year. Through their visionary culinary programs, Las Vegas resorts not only elevate the standard for hotel dining everywhere, but also inject a singular kind of excitement into the global culinary scene.” As is our wont, we shall once again tempt you through reports and delicious photos as to the treats and some of the new restaurants that await you should you trek to the desert Southwest. Since packing our bags and leaving Las Vegas in May of 2010, the Cosmopolitan Hotel opened with literally a stable of cutting-edge restaurants never before assembled under one roof in Las Vegas, including China Poblano and Jaleo by Chef Jose Andres, Scarpetta and DOCG by Chef Scott Conant, Estiatorio Milos by Chef Costas Spiliadis and Comme Ca with Chef David Myers. If our schedule allows, we’ll dine at some of the establishments in the Cosmopolitan and let you know if Comme Ca has mastered the technique of a proper Cassoulet and if the Mediterranean seafood grilled at Milos rivals the fresh crustaceans served by Paul Bartolotta at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn. The trend in dining in Las Vegas in 2011 is moving away from the haute French formality and cuisine of Robuchon to the less-formal conviviality and deep flavors of cuisines like the Spanish Paella dishes that Joe Andres prepares over an open-flame pit at Jaleo in the Cosmopolitan. And later this year, Chef Michel Richard will open Central at Caesar’s Palace, a sister restaurant to his highly successful French Bistro in Washington, D.C. You can access the 2011 Vegas Uncork’d website here. Click here for the terms under which this event is listed in eG Forums.

Well, about 7 weeks since the kitchen ceiling paint job fall and I'm still seeing the Chiropractor. But the kitchen looks fabulous.

I'm lazy tonight. On the drive home I started going through my mind all the possibilities of dinner with what I had in the refrigerator. Oh yeah, that braised chicken I made Sunday night. The leftover bit of cream of chicken soup, (and in the cupboard a can of cream of celery soup). Now I seem to remember I had both half and half and a bit of cream, some shredded cheese. Hmmm, maybe a casserole? Maybe a rice casserole? It won't take long to boil the rice and add all the other stuff, I could have a casserole ready in an hour...and lots of leftovers for lunches. I've always been in love with rice casseroles. My favorite-the "Hellsapoppin" that my Mother made and took to holiday potluck suppers. Hellsapoppin was a classic of the 50's and 60's. A combination of cooked rice, a box of frozen chopped spinach, grated cheddar cheese, melted margarine, Worcestershire sauce and seasoned with salt, pepper and dried marjoram. Mother added some chopped canned water chestnuts for texture. Certainly we all have some type(s) of rice in our pantry. What is your favorite classic rice casserole?

Tonight I prepared a filet of monkfish using the pan saute/oven-roast method. The filet was almost 2" thick. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and then sauteed in olive oil in a hot pan on the stovetop for about 6 minutes. Into a 425 oven for another 10 minutes. During the last 4 minutes I added some salted butter to the pan and spooned the butter over the filet as it finished roasting. Monkfish is a bit testy when it comes to determining doneness-it has a texture and flavor like lobster and it just won't taste well if it's not done, but turns rubbery if overcooked. I use the old-fashioned poke with the finger test for doneness. The fish comes to the table with a hint of browning and crispness on the outside yet fully roasted on the inside. The other components of the dish were red chard sauteed with bacon and shallots, fried shallots and a blood-orange vinaigrette. I added some shallots to the roasting pan, deglazed with white wine and then some blood orange balsamic vinegar. A douse of blood orange juice and a knob of butter to finish, with a garnish of tangerine supremes. I wasn't sure how a sweet and sour orange vinaigrette would work with monkfish but it was delicious-the perfect foil for the buttery fish.

Tonight I'm going to be cooking a nice, thick, filet of monkfish. My preferred method for cooking thick cuts of meat, (be it pork, seafood, beef or lamb), is to first saute over fairly high heat on the stovetop and then finish the cooking process in a hot oven. It seems to be a failsafe way to insure that I get a nice sear on the meat and then roasted to the desired doneness in the oven with little work. Do you get good results with the saute/oven-roast method?

Great questions, thanks. As for my background, no, I am not a "professional" chef. I'm what I would describe as a very studied self-taught home cook. And while I've cooked and worked in restaurant kitchens, I've never done so professionally. I'm an average guy with a day job that happened to find a love in food and cooking, and that led me to cooking on television-which has led to me writing about food, cooking and dining. Unlike most people who find a career in television, I didn't start in a small market and then go Hollywood. I actually started my stint in tv by entering a competition that was filmed in Hollywood and ran nationally on PBS-"MasterChef USA." Years before there was "Top Chef" on Bravo, "Iron Chef America" on Food Network, and the abysmal "Hell's Kitchen" on Fox, "MasterChef" on the BBC was the pre-eminent cooking competition on television-with competitions for both professionals and amateurs. The BBC brought "MasterChef" to PBS in 1999 and thus began the competition to name America's top "amateur chef." I happened to catch an episode of Season One of "MasterChef USA," and at the end of the program, I decided to write to the producer's for information about the competition. The competition format for “MasterChef USA” began with written entries. About 20 of the written recipes were selected and the "chefs" were invited to regional cook-offs where three would be selected to be a part of the show. The final group of 26 amateur cooks from around the country came together in Los Angeles for filming a 13-week competition. After 12 weeks of eliminations, I “survived” as one of the top three contestants that would go on to vie for the title of “MasterChef USA,” in the 13th and final episode. You can read about my adventures and travails on “MasterChef USA” on PBS by going to these links: http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_1.htm http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_2.htm http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_3.htm http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_4.htm After starting my television cooking career on PBS at such a lofty level, I guess there was one direction to go-back down the media ladder to cooking on local television. But I wouldn’t call it a fall from grace. Rather, after my fast start on PBS, I returned to my roots and found a home cooking on local television in Spokane. I didn't know "who can talk to who"-I didn't know a producer, director or cameraman. I just sent them a letter telling them my story and they responded by inviting me to come cook on "Sunday Morning Northwest." Once I settled in at KXLY, I discovered a respect and admiration for sharing the craft of cooking through the intriguing medium of television. I don’t think I would have found that same appreciation had I gone directly from “MasterChef USA” to become the star of a cooking program on the biggest food network on cable television. One could say that in my case, being humbled by starting big and then finding my way back home became a gift. KXLY-ABC 4 in Spokane, 1950’s television studio architecture at its best-- We tried to vary the people who came on the show to present a dish. One week I might be showing the viewers how to mash potatoes, then the next week it might be the junior winner of the Hershey's baking chocolate competition at the fair. The next week might showcase a local Chef cooking a specialty from their restaurant, or a group from a local Church promoting a Holiday cookie drive. That variety of cooks, chefs, kids and just plain people who liked a good molasses crinkle cookie is part of what makes live, local television so fun and memorable. After a lot of work, I've finally begun the task of putting my shows up on You Tube. This is the first appearance on MasterChef USA on PBS back in 2001 cooking in the Northwest Regional Round. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImOogN6SLCw