David Ross

I didn't realize I had the makings for a delicious cocktail until I looked on the shelf and saw that the run I had made to the liquor store to stock up for the holidays provided me with: Blood Orange Soda Crater Lake (Oregon) Vodka I'm sure blood orange juice and vodka isn't original, (someone can provide a name I am sure), but over ice and with a slice of lemon it was refreshing and delicious and even had the color of the season.

Here, here. Was it really necessary to reward Robyn with a trip to the Napa Valley and tempt us with the pleasure of seeing her Sous for one of the finalists? Thankfully we were spared the indignity. Robyn will live on in next Wednesday's "reunion" show and no doubt will reign as the "bitch" of the 2009 season. What a legacy.

Just finished watching Finale "2" and saw Michael win. While our discussion will definately go deeper in the coming days, my short version of what I viewed--Kevin made some uncharacteristic mistakes in terms of technique and couldn't bring it up enough to win; Bryan was more technically correct but his flavors were somewhat average, (pretty on the plate just nothing memorable): Michael the rebel with a cause who reached out further and won, (although he clearly allowed the cake in his dessert course to be over-baked). Personally I was disappointed in all three of the Chefs and their final dishes. I expected more. After what I would say was the most talented field of Chefs so far, the efforts in the final, final show seemed flat overall.

That looks yummy. Where one might find the recipe? It's really an easy recipe. You can find it here. Just follow the instructions and be delicate with rolling the cake. You'll roll it twice, once when it is warm to "shape" it into the roll--then you'll roll it again after spreading in the filling. Just be careful and go slow so the cake doesn't break. And it's rich, a small slice is really all you need to be satisfied, although I had to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it more rich!

For my tastes, all three are quite different tasting. Now assuming we are talking about wild animals, (as farm raised venison and elk taste much different than their wild cousins), I prefer elk as I personally think it is more tender in texture and a bit milder in flavor than venison. I'm lucky to have an employee who brings me a yearly supply of elk steaks and tenderloins--the choicest cuts in my opinion. He usually hunts the Rocky Mountain species out of the high mountain ranges of Eastern Oregon. Elk tenderloin with a wild huckleberry sauce is divine. I've only had moose a few times and it was terrible-stringy, tough and tasted "off." As I recall it was a roast. It may have been the animal, may have been the way the hunter harvested it or may have been a bad cook. In any case, it left me with a bad memory and one I don't care to revisit! I'd rate moose at the bottom of the scale next to the bear meat I've eaten.

Thank you so much for the recipe. I long for the lost days of tasting my Grandmother's Mince Pies-only made with venison that came from the mule deer that my Grandfather procured in the ranges of Central Oregon. All this modern stuff out of a jar, and only containing fruit, really isn't true mince "meat."

This is the first of many Holiday sweets to come. While the Pumpkin Roll is typically associated with Thanksgiving, I think it's a totally appropriate dessert to serve throughout the holiday season and it would be welcome at our Christmas dinner table. I was pretty nervous about making a jelly roll type cake as this was my first attempt, and the directions didn't ease my anxiety. The recipe-from Libby's-called to start rolling the cake hot out of the oven. I was sure it would fall apart on me, but it worked just fine. Once you roll the cake "warm," you then let it cool, add the cream cheese filling/frosting, then roll again. I'm thinking I'll use this basic technique for a "Buche de Noel," a perfect Christmas cake. Pumpkin Roll-

Sorry for the late reply but I hope I'm not too late to chime in on a recommendation among the three you've listed. All are of course quite different, steak, French/American and Seafood. All are in the same expensive price range. The service is good at all three, albeit a bit less refined at Bartolotta and Carnevino than the grand setting and service at Alex. My choice would be Alex.

As a cook, I actually like the example of "Lamb with Apples." It's just the sort of reference to a dish that intrigues me and would lure me to consider looking at the recipe. I can easily see lambs grazing in an apple orchard in the late fall. (But I suppose by that time of year they really wouldn't be "lambs.") Once I delved into the recipe I would then decide if it's a dish I'd care to take on. And knowing that a recipe like "Lamb with Apples" came from a respected cook like Paula Wolfert would substantiate in my mind that it's a quality, tested recipe. I regularly go to Andre Soltner's "Lutece" cookbook for traditional French recipes. A dish may sound as simple as "Frog's Legs," but I know that I can trust Chef Soltner to guide me through a classic preparation. Silly titles from a less-trusted source may not produce the same delicious end results. But "Lamb with Apples" is about as far as I care to take creative liscense when it comes to recipe names. I'm quite bored with "Confit of Mountain Strawberries served on a Flaxseed Biscuit with Preserved Tayberry Coulis and Black Pepper." Fewer words are much more seductive.

I avoid buying OXO "good grips" products. I got a spatula as a gift about five years ago and have despised it ever since. Why I keep it in the kitchen tool canister I do not know. I hate the large handle and the feel in the hand, which seems to be overly cumbersome. Odd isn't it, that a product that is advertised as having a "good grip" is anything but in my opinion.

I leave fresh thyme out on the kitchen counter for about 3 days and then simply press my fingers down on the stem and pull "down" against the grain (direction) the leaves grow. It's a sort of starting to dry out method for fresh thyme leaves--you have the benefit of semi-dried leaves pulling off easy yet with the fragrance and taste of still fresh herbs. Seems to work just fine.

I would set your sights on something at CityCenter, which is scheduled to officially open on December 14. Michael Mina, Julian Serrano and the Maccioni family are all scheduled to open restaurants at City Center, but I would go for the top if I was you and make a reservation at Pierre Gagnaire restaurant.

Sorry, I know I should be lauding the efforts of the Chefs this week and providing some encouragement for next week in Napa, but one of the primary thoughts that has stuck with me since last night is the gift the judges finally gave us last week. I can't stop thinking how thankful I am that the judges spared us the horror of having to sit through watching Robin present a Bocuse D'Or quality platter last night to Thomas Keller, Alex Stratta and Daniel Boulud among others.

Rice Krispies are an excellent coating for fried shrimp and even lobster. I haven't tried it myself, but I've tasted the results and it was delicious. It's really no different than coating seafood with rice flakes and deep-frying, but the novelty of using actual Rice Krispies adds to the fun of the whole thing. ' I tasted this preparation with chunks of fresh lobster. The Chef dipped the lobster meat in a basic mix of cornstarch and water to act as the "glue," then he dipped the lobster in coarsely ground rice krispies and deep-fried the lobster for just a few minutes. Don't remember the sauce he served it with, but I'm sure that was delicious too!

I start by roasting the squash in a 400 oven for about 30 minutes or until it's tender. Then just seed the roasted squash and scoop out the flesh. I wrap the squash "meat" in cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as I can. That leaves me with more of a pure squash taste in the filling. I keep the filling pretty basic--the squash, butter, some nutmeg, salt, pepper, a bit of fresh chopped sage and maybe some chopped toasted hazelnuts or some roasted garlic. I usually make my life easy and use store-bought wonton wrappers for the ravioli pasta. Last week I made a delicious pumpkin vinaigrette that would go really well with butternut squash ravioli. It's got a nice tang and varies off the path of the traditional brown butter sauce. The recipe is based on a recipe from Chef Larry Forgione in his American Place cookbook. His pumpkin vinaigrette uses pepitas, (green pumpkin seeds), and calls for pureeing some of the nuts into the vinaigrette using a blender. I don't like the final texture of the vinaigrette when it's pureed, so I just whisked the nuts into the vinaigrette. I like the sweet taste of hazelnuts and they are native to the Northwest so are a natural accompaniment to ravioli made with our local butternut squash. Pumpkin Vinaigrette with Toasted Hazelnuts: 1/2 cup fresh hazelnuts, toasted, husks rubbed off and chopped 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 clove minced garlic (or use roasted garlic) 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tsp. sugar 1/2 cup walnut or hazelnut oil Salt, pepper and fresh grated nutmeg Whisk the pumpkin puree with the cider vinegar, sugar and oil. Add about 1/4 cup of the toasted hazelnuts and the garlic and continue to whisk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. All you would need to do is simply blanch the ravioli until done, drain, then toss with some of the vinaigrette and garnish with more of the toasted hazelnuts, some fresh chopped sage and freshly grated parmesan. Delicious.

Another really low-brow decision on the part of the Producers. Really, do they think we don't have anything better to do on a Wednesday night other than watching Marcel. Again. And Again.

Among other frozen bits and pieces; -Sweetbreads I bought from D'Artagnan. Date of purchase, unrecorded but estimated to be in the freezer for 9-12 months. The label says "U.S. Inspected and Passed by Department of Agriculture, est. 2745." Lord only knows if the little nuggets are burned beyond compare or are still salvageable- -Frozen Pink Gooseberries that I bought this Summer just North of Salem, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley. They will be delicious in a holiday pie and a conserve for roast turkey and pork- -A bag of frozen fruitcake batter, date of creation unknown but most likely 1-2 years old. While the mix is still quite good, (its got a whole lotta booze in it), I'm actually a bit late for turning this batter into this season's fruitcakes. Good fruitcakes, really, really good ones, take at least two years stewing in brandy to be good-

At first, I wasn't really saddened or shocked at the news of the sudden closure of Gourmet. I had become increasingly frustrated with the Conde Nast corporate layout of the magazine in recent years—you know, the ubiquitous formula where the first 100 pages of a magazine are chock full of ads with barely a whimper of editorial content. One must slog through all the commerce to even get to the start of a piece about artisan cheesemakers, only to find the article opens with one photo and two paragraphs of type, then is shamelessly broken-up by more ads and a frustrating “continued on page 278” notice on page one of the piece. But as the days after the news of Gourmet’s demise passed, I reflected on what that magazine has meant to so many generations of cooks and the influence the magazine and its writer’s had on the way we dined and thought about food. Every year during the holidays, I bring out old copies of Gourmet and Bon Appetit to remind myself of how we’ve celebrated the holidays with food and drink through the years. When I heard the news of the passing of Gourmet, it hastened my annual search through the boxes for the oldest holiday issue of Gourmet in my collection—December, 1974. The editor at the time was Mr. Earle R. MacAusland. The slate of writers whose works were included in the December 1974 issue included such standard bearers in the food world at the time as Jay Jacobs, whose “Specialities de la Maison-New York,” was one of the most popular monthly features of the magazine. His reviews in this issue included Le Cirque, One if By Land…Two if By Sea and Ristorante Il Rigoletto. Go back in time 35 years ago in the history of Le Cirque and Sirio's kitchen was run by Chef Jean Vergnes. Mr. Jacobs review described dishes of “Consomme Celestine,” “festive” seasonal dishes like “Roast Baby Pheasant a la Souvarov,” served with wines like a 1967 Saint-Julien for the princely sum of $15 per bottle. (Entrée’s averaged $9.00 in 1974). Along with Mr. Jacobs, the issue included, among other pieces, Caroline Bates monthly feature, “Specialities de la Maison-California,” “London Journal” by John Bainbridge and additional pieces on “Skiing in Val Gardena,” “Madrid’s Café Gijon,” “Ductch Cookery,” and of course, a Gourmet Christmas Dinner feast with recipes. Losing Gourmet to me isn’t so much about the loss of learning new recipes, I can find other resources for recipes. And it isn’t so much about not having access to reading restaurant reviews. But there was something different, something old-fashioned and wise, something sage about the writing and the restaurant reviews printed on the pages of Gourmet. I’ll miss that voice of food writing from the past. This December, I won’t have a new issue of Gourmet to add to my collection. I won’t be adding new Gourmet memories to the memories of Christmas’s past. I think that’s the thing I’ll miss the most about losing Gourmet.

Yes... ish. I get what you're saying but I don't think a little creative license with culinary terms is always too over-the-top. I can see it being more fun for a group of vegetarians if a little creativity goes into the menu descriptions. It's sometimes more fun for non-vegetarians, so why assume vegetarians aren't into creativity as well? As long as the flavors back up the gimmicks, I'm fine with it. I mean, soy milk ice cream isn't ice cream but that sounds better on a menu than "frozen non-dairy soy product". Fair enough and a good argument of the other side of the issue--especially as it pertains to the naming of dishes in a vegetarian menu. At least I haven't harped on the "tomato confit" issue this year--until now. I seem to have heard one of the Cheftestant's using the term on one of this season's episodes. I'm not a big fan of tomatoes stewed in duck or goose fat, but I guess we live in times where anything can be called a "confit"--a liberal description of what is a specific form of cooking. Tomato "sashimi" or tomato "confit"--I suppose in the end what matters most is what the judges tasted.

You gotta love it when a Cheftestant calls a raw slice of tomato "sashimi" and then watches with anticipation as the diner's ooh and aah over this earth-shattering culinary technique for putting vegetables on a plate. Thankfully the judges on Top Chef are smart enough to look beyond these gimmicky, trendy menu descriptions and focus on the flavors of a dish. Kevin demonstrated his skill through bringing out the natural flavors and textures of the mushrooms and kale without relying on the often silly types of techniques I described above. And the results prove it.

The Scottish Grouse average 10 to 14 ounces each. One bird will easily serve one person. I haven't had domestic American grouse, but from what I've learned, the wild Ruffed Grouse from the West are slightly larger than the Scottish birds.

I think part of the intrique of this "low and slow" oven cooking method is that it is somewhat of an arbitrary process in terms of the length of cooking time. Unlike the saute/oven roast technique of searing meat for a few minutes on the stovetop and then finishing it for under 30 minutes in the oven, the boundaries of this "low and slow" oven process are much looser. The basics of the method seem to be the same-meat and a pot with a cover. Salt, pepper and other seasonings appear to be optional. Unlike braises where additional liquid is added, the natural juices and fat in and around the meat serve as the cooking liquid for the "low and slow" technique. Oven temperature is in the very low-ranges. The big variable seems to be cooking time-lamb anywhere from 6 or 7 hours up to 24. I won't venture to place hard parameters on cooking time, but I'm sure the scientists in our group can chime in on the chemical processes that take place with slow roasted meats at differing hours--the 6 hour, 12 hour, 18 hour and 24 hour marks. In my little world of "low and slow," I've gotten wonderful results with lamb and pork at the 8 hour mark under a temperature of 250-275. I think it would be safe to say that lamb roasted at 250 for anything under 3 hours won't produce the results we're looking for.

I tried this on Friday/Saturday. I only got to the 12 hour mark though as I could not stand the "intoxicating" porcine aroma that filled my tiny little house. And following on that "I could not stand" statement, I was so focused on the pork roast that I didn't take any photos. Not a one, even though the camera was right on the table. The end result of the "low and slow" cooking method was pork that was the closest to what I remember from my childhood, (in the days before pork became "the other white meat."). It was fatty, juicy, porky and delicious. No other cooking technique would have come close to this result. This week I am still savoring the pork--in cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, sliced and eaten cold, sliced and eaten hot, and with pinto beans. Low and slow is the way to go. Thanks Maggie for the recipe.

Well, it wasn't an earth-shattering show of cookery in "Battle Cora vs. Walzog." The secret ingredient was cherries--three varieties including Bing, Ranier and Sour. Cora took the win. Walzog nearly the blew two of the judges off the panel with his cherry salad with chiles--lots of chiles. His lamb chop, while getting decent praises from the judges, looked nearly similar to the afore-mentioned, (in my post above), raw veal chop. Apparently it was saved somewhat by the accompanying cherries.

You can dine at Boulud in Wynn--but only until April. Word on the Strip is that the lease won't be renewed when it expires next April. I'm not sure if Boulud made the decision or if it was Wynn--or they mututally agreed to part ways. Too bad as it was one of the better restaurants not just at Wynn but on the Strip. Any of the charcuterie plates are delicious.