David Ross

I was planning for 40! It's an easy dish so the biggest task will go to Hennes-frying the rice stick noodles, and Jeff-plating. I wonder if I can plate with a cocktail in my hand? Yes, it's been done before.

I was planning for 40! It's an easy dish so the biggest task will go to Hennes-frying the rice stick noodles, and Jeff-plating.

Don't forget the other Robuchon option-L'Atelier. Read through all the reviews and you'll see lots of photos of the setting and the dishes. It's a great time-you sit at the tiny counter and watch the Chefs craft the dishes. You can order ala'carte or a tasting menu. The service is not at all formal, you can dress casual and the food is exceptional. While the dishes are French-focused, I could easily see them served at an American Bistro too. But if you don't fancy caviar, foie gras or oysters, probably not a good idea. Stripsteak gets good reviews, but I stick by Wolfgang's CUT as the best steakhouse. The side dishes are what set it apart. If the waiter winces when your wife orders a steak well done, just remind them who is paying the bill. Haven't been to Scarpetta but it is getting good reviews. You may want to think about Milos for Greek-style seafood. It's in the same row of restaurants at The Cosmopolitan as Scarpetta. The price points at Scarpetta, B & B and Sinatra will be within the same range, Sirio less so. There is a new Chef at Le Cirque and he's getting good reviews from those in the know, and of course the service there is always exceptional. Do lots of reviewing of online menus before you commit. And have a great time.

Yes, please do. I haven't had a Gimlet in probably 30 years. I think it's time.

er, "Rice Stick Noodles."

I'll be doing a Stir-Fried Pork with Sweet Bean Paste and Rick Stick Noodles.

Don't let Jeff fool you with bologna sliders. He makes a furiously good pea risotto-and we have photos to prove it.

In all my years of travelling to Las Vegas I never got to Rosemary's, but I know many locals and they are in mourning for the loss of another non-Strip fine dining restaurant.

I'm looking forward to a lot of photos-especially your wonderful seafood dishes.

Your photos are wonderful. How do you get such refined definition? That's some good-looking food photography.

Nancy do you have an idea of what type of equipment will be available in the kitchen on Saturday? Deep-fryer, grill, flat-top, ice cream maker, et al?

Wow, thanks for adding to your Cook-Off. I've learned about a whole different type of dough and a new type of oil for frying Empanadas.

Simmering the baby octopus in plain water, (no salt), for about 45 minutes resulted in it being very tender. It still had the chewy texture of octopus, but it wasn't what I would describe as rubbery at all. The only seasoning in the water was a bay leaf. I read a few recipes where they recommended the pounding of the octopus before cooking, but that was for the large ones, not the itty-bitty baby octopus. Crab Louis with Dungeness and a properly made Louis dressing is a thing of beauty.

Yesterday I visited my fishmonger Mike of Williams Seafood, in his new location in Spokane. (The only stand-alone fish market in town). Mike has both an expanded fresh and frozen selection of seafood in his new shop. On a whim, I bought some frozen baby octopus. I love octopus but had never really thought about cooking it at home until I spotted the little gems. Then I bought some fresh swordfish that Mike had just gotten in. What kind of an octopus dish would go with swordfish? On the way home I started thinking about seafood salads-we're into the summer season full-swing and a cold, refreshing salad of seafood is perfect for the hot days of summer. I decided to use the baby octopus in a Mediterreanean-style potato salad to accompany grilled swordfish. I trimmed the heads off the octopus and poached the tentacles in plain water with a bay leaf for about 45 minutes, then cooled to room temperature. The baby red potatoes were cooked in boiling, salted water for about 15 minutes. I combined the octopus and potatoes with some diced red onion, capers, diced red bell pepper, a mix of green and black olives, thyme and oregano. The dressing was simply 1 part lemon juice to two parts olive oil, salt and pepper. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results-a delicious, simple seafood salad perfect for a warm summer evening. What is your favorite seafood salad?

I was just dreaming about fresh, local corn today. We won't see it in Eastern, Washington until August, and the sweetest, largest corn on the cob arrives in September. I have a hard time waiting all summer for it. Two ideas for your summer corn-roast the ears on the barbecue to get some char and a bit of smoke. Then slice the kernels off the cob and turn them into a cornbread batter. Or, if you fancy a bit of bacon with your corn, puree the kernels, add some heavy cream and toss in some crispy bacon bits. Turn it into a cast iron skillet and put it on the barbecue. Add some wood chips and cover for about 10 minutes. You've got the most delicious smoked, creamed corn you can imagine.

I'm about as far across the country from NYC that you can be. (I'm currently a few hundred miles from the Pacific but spent most of my life in Portland, just an hour from the beach). So speaking as a Westerner, I can't imagine "not" toasting a bagel. My reasons why-it adds a thin layer of crispy texture that enhances the otherwise one-dimensional chewy texture of a bagel and it provides enough warmth to just begin to melt the whipped cream cheese and lox I like on my toasted bagel.

They look delicious, especially the chicken filling. Your experiments with the dough will really help me when I make my next batch.

I think they figure quite prominently-a savory filling encased "en croute!"

The Pastry- I tried three different types of pastry for the Empanada: -Refrigerated pie dough -Frozen puff pastry dough -Homemade pie dough (without sugar and lard substituted for the vegetable shortening). Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Dough- My first attempt at filling the Empanada using store-bought pie dough was a disaster. The filling was still warm out of the pan, and the heat of the filling literally melted the pastry away. I couldn’t work fast enough from the time I spooned the filling into the center of the pastry round before it started to melt and holes began to appear in the dough. From that point on I realized that regardless of the type of dough I used, I would have to let the filling cool to room temperature before I began the stuffing and frying process. The refrigerated pie dough was convenient and easy to work with, but as you would imagine, it had some major flaws. It didn’t have any flavor whatsoever, nothing. The texture of the fried store-bought dough was crisp and the crumb was coarse, holding up well to the deep-fry method and holding up well in the hand. It just didn’t taste like homemade, buttery pastry dough and it didn’t have a light, flaky texture. Nothing unique about it. Pepperidge Farms Frozen Puff Pastry- I always keep some puff pastry in the freezer, typically Pepperidge Farms brand, or Dufour Pastry Kitchens if I’m feeling an urge to spend a little more money to get something of higher quality. Pepperidge Farms frozen puff pastry seems to work just fine for simple, quick dishes. The main problem I have working with Pepperidge Farms is that they fold it, which creates this seam that tends to break when you pull the pastry and try to lay it out in one rectangle. I’ve found the easiest way to avoid the problem is to let the pastry thaw at room temperature before unfolding it gently. If there is a break at the seam, it’s easily fixed with flour and a quick rollover. I still hadn’t learned from my first attempt at stuffing pastry dough with hot, or warm, filling. One spoon of the hot filling and the puff pastry immediately withered and I couldn’t get the Empanada formed. At that point I stepped back and let the filling cool in the refrigerator a few hours before another attempt at stuffing. To get the Empanada at the final size I wanted I used an empty can as the template for cutting the dough. Then about 2 tablespoons of filling, a brush of water on the edges of the dough, then crimped to seal the edges. I’m not exactly an artiste when it comes to fluting pastry—I used my fingers or a pasta cutter to crimp the edges of the dough, nothing fancy but it worked. The puff pastry was easy and convenient, and the deep-fried Empanada was crisp, yet light, flaky and buttery. Deep-frying, (in 350 canola oil), the puff pastry gave the surface little blisters which added to the light texture. One problem with the puff pastry is that the interior dough was still basically raw around the filling, and that was after about 4-5 minutes in the deep-fryer. It tasted better and had a better texture than the refrigerated pie dough, yet it still lacked the amount of flavor I was looking for. Cutting the puff pastry dough- An interesting coffee cup for a dough template- The stuffing on the pastry- The shaped puff pastry Empanada- The fried puff pastry Empanada- The fried puff pastry Empanada- “My” Pastry Dough- I’ve been making this pastry dough recipe for about 15 years now and it typically doesn’t fail me—at least when I use it in baked dishes. This was the first time I've attempted to deep-fry “my” pastry dough. The basic recipe calls for both butter and Crisco shortening to give the pastry both flavor and an incredibly flaky, moist and flavorful crust. I use a combination of both all-purpose and cake flour. The finely milled cake flour gives the finished pastry a delicate crumb. Recipe- 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cake flour 1 tsp. salt 1 stick (1/2 cup), chilled butter 1/2 cup Crisco Ice water Mix the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter and Crisco by hand with a pastry cutter. Add the water and stir with a fork to bring the dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before rolling out. For the Empanada version of my dough recipe, I decided to substitute lard for the shortening because I thought it would add more flavor. I left the sugar out and added some dried chipotle chili powder and black pepper. "My" pastry dough ingredients- The finished dough ready for resting in the refrigerator- Tools for cutting the pastry rounds for the Empanadas- The filling with a sprig of fresh cilantro- Deep-frying in 350 canola oil- With a sprinkle of coarse sea salt- Buffalo Empanada with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa- I already had the roasted tomatillo salsa on hand from a recipe I did a week before. It couldn't be easier and was a perfectly piquant dipping sauce for the rich Empanada- Hull and halve some tomatillos. Broil in the oven just until soft and the skin begins to blacken. Place the roasted tomatillos in a blender and combine with olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, parsley and chili powder, (I use dried chipotle chili powder). Making your own pastry dough takes time, but it’s always going to result in the most flavorful finished product-you can control the amount of fat and moisture that goes into the pastry, and controlling the amount of flour gives you the leeway to experiment with the “mouthfeel” of the crumb in the dough. The deep-fried Empanada using the homemade pastry dough had the best flavor-incredibly rich, buttery and fatty. The only problem was that it took almost twice as long in the deep-fryer to get a golden-brown color than either the refrigerated pie dough or the frozen puff pastry products. The crust was light, flaky and cooked through, but the biggest problem was that after one bite, the pastry fell apart and left me with pieces of dough and filling. In my mind an Empanada is to be eaten with your fingers not a knife and fork. I think cutting down on the amount of butter and lard and excluding the cake flour in the pastry would probably leave me with a more sturdy finished Empanada. But minor technical criticisms aside, I’ve come upon a savory-filled pastry that I’ll be making many more times in the future.

The Savory Filling- I try to not spend too much time preparing for a Cook-Off other than a cursory look through an old cookbook or a glance at something online. If I’m going to prepare a dish I’m not familiar with, I’d much rather go into it as a true novice without the influence of hours of research telling me an Empanada must be this or that—I’d rather allow the discussion of the topic to teach me based on the personal experiences of those of you who join in. I settled on preparing an Empanada for my entry into our Savory-Filled Pastry Cook-off. I have a basic knowledge of Mexican flavors and so I figured that I could easily concoct a meat filling stuck into a little pocket of pastry. The filling was easy, but then I quickly found that the pastry would present me with a whole different type of challenge. I tried two different meat fillings. The first was a basic “taco” style mixture of ground beef, salt, pepper, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, chopped onion, minced garlic and beef stock cooked down to a thick consistency. While good, it didn’t give the finished Empanada the unique flavor that I was looking for-a mix of sweet, spicy, fragrant filling with a crisp, pillowy crust. The ground beef turned out to be your basic taco filling that could have easily been spooned into a corn tortilla shell, wrapped in a flour tortilla or stuffed into a pocket of pastry. What I needed was a filling with unique, robust flavors. I wasn’t sure if an Empanada filling should be “dry” or have a sauce mixed into the meat, but relying on the theory that basic cooked minced meat can be dry and tasteless, I decided to combine it in a sauce to help avoid the dryness problem. So for the second filling, (which I hoped would be more tasty than the first), I settled on making my red chile sauce to give the meat a kick. Making red chile sauce at home is very simple, but it does require some attention to detail. Plastic gloves are a must for handling the dehydrated chiles once you reconstitute them. (Forget your kitchen gloves and you’ll end up with hands, arms and other body parts that burn and itch). A blender or food processor is needed to bind the ingredients of the sauce into a paste. My basic red chile sauce- 16-20 dried chiles, (I use a combination of Ancho, Chipotle, Guajillo or whatever I've acquired and have on hand) 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 yellow onion, diced 2 tsp. dried oregano 2 tbsp. sugar or honey 1/8 tsp. liquid smoke Salt and black pepper A mix of dried chiles- The chiles reconstituted in hot water- With gloves, peel the chiles and remove the seeds, then mash in a blender, adding some of the chile soaking water to make a thick paste- Saute the onion and garlic in vegetable oil until soft- Then add the chile paste and stir to combine- Return to the blender and add all the other ingredients, then blend, adding more of the chile soaking water to make a sauce. Once the sauce is finished it can be covered and refrigerated indefinitely. It’s delicious when brushed over meat on the barbecue. For the second meat filling I chose to combine ground buffalo meat with a bit of ground pork. I’m lucky to live in Eastern, Washington, which is not far from some of the big buffalo ranches in Montana. We have a regular supply of different cuts of buffalo meat in most of our local markets. The buffalo in this recipe happened to be sourced from the Durham Ranch of Gillette, Wyoming. (One curious note on the label: “USDA permits no preservatives in this product.” Apparently buffalo meat is banned from being injected with preservatives. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing). For my tastes, buffalo meat is sweet and slightly gamy yet still close enough to the flavor and texture of beef that it isn’t off-putting like say wild venison. The one caution cooks deal with when cooking buffalo is that it is very lean, making it a challenge to cook a buffalo steak beyond the point of rare yet still retaining moisture and flavor. I solved the problem by adding some fatty ground pork, about 5 parts ground buffalo to 1 part ground pork, sautéed the meats and then added the red chile sauce. Ground Buffalo and Pork- Fresh, Lean Ground Buffalo- Buffalo in Red Chile Sauce- The next step would prove to be the most challenging-finding the right pastry dough for the Empanada. (And I tried three different types of pastry and I still don't think I've got the "right" dough).

Yes of course, no limitations to the savory fillings we'll be stuffing into any type of pastry dough.

And the measure of a great Chef is his Mother's meatballs? Maybe he's the meatball.

Welcome back to the long-running eGullet Cook-off Series. Today we're launching Cook-Off #56: Savory-Filled Pastry. Click here for the Cook-off Index. In the UK, they call them "Pasties," in India they are referred to as "Samosa's," and in Latin countries they are called "Empanadas." Savory-Filled Pastries are the perfect little bite-combining multiple flavors and textures-crisp yet light, flaky pastry enveloping a warm cocoon of savory filling. They are the definition of street food-you eat them with your hands and just a few bites will sate your appetite. Often the simplest, most humble dishes are ones that open the cook to a myriad of creative possibilities--should the dough be made exclusively with butter or should we work in some vegetable oil or rendered pork lard for another flavor and texture element? Will the pastry hold up to the hot, juicy filling and shock of frying in oil? We talked about the best pastry for Samosa's here. Should the filling be ground beef or braised, shredded beef? What about minced lamb in a spicy chile sauce? We can make a savory filling with seafood, perhaps spicy shrimp in a peanut curry sauce? What about a vegetarian pastry filled with pickled eggplant spiced with ras el hanout? Do we deep-fry our savory-filled pastries or fry them in oil in a skillet? If we bake our little savory-filled bundles are we still being true to the intent of the dish? We've relished in Great Moments in Deep-Frying here. I'll admit I never knew how much I would fall in love with these tasty bites until I made a batch-now I'm addicted. So let's get cooking and showcase our best savory-filled pastries.

Absolutlely yes, whether it be dishes at a restaurant or at home-I smell the aromas, lifting the plate to within a whisker of my nose, (although I get some very pointed looks from the diners sitting around me in a restaurant).

I agree, Ted would have been a better choice.