Carolyn Tillie

Check your local Bristol Farms -- many of them have teaching kitchens with one-off classes that might be beneficial. I taught a few classes at the one in Manhattan Beach several years ago when I lived in So Cal.

Ohmygod, I'm doooooooooomed! My BF taught me to play blackjack and poker (a new thing for me!) and we go to Reno every two or three months or so just to get in a fix as I've never bothered with California casinos. I have to laugh though -- their website isn't very forthcoming about telling you where the heck Thunder Valley is! I'm probably pretty safe then...

Nice to hear from you, Casey! Hope all is going well for you...

Welcome indeed. Bear in mind that 1.5 pound lobe is pretty big for two people. Consider cutting it in half and making a small terrine with one half (which will keep a really long time for continual enjoyment) and then you can cut slices from the remaining half to sear for immediate gratification with your friend.

You have become my romantic heroine in one fell swoop, Carolyn. Meatballs roasted on the open carburetor and all. Keep up the good work. ← I should be so adventurous now! Actually, for the first time in my life I live with a dishwasher and have contemplated the "cooking" of a whole fish in the dishwasher. It was discussed in another thread, but I believe the gist is that the fish is first wrapped well in Saran wrap, then double or triple wrapped in aluminum foil before being put through a wash cycle.

No! Fight for your right -- and tell them that a number of knowledgeable people have informed you that the Silver Oak tasting is more than a waste of time. Not enough wines to warrant stopping and those that are available are young, hot, and not the classic Silver Oak of days-gone-by! Send 'em to this thread!

Be aware that Coppola (now Rubicon Estate) now charges $25.00 per person just to get in the place. I believe this also includes a tasting of 5 wines. More on the website here. ← Heck, I'm going to a tasting that charges us $40! But I'm told its (del dotto) well worth the steep price. ← I dunnno.... there's enough wineries in Napa who don't charge at all; many of whom include barrel tastings (like Del Dotto) and other quality wines. I guess I'm jaded in that respect. I hate paying for tastings at all.

I'm with you... although my current two fridges are freezer-top, I miss my old side-by-side which had door compartments that could fit gallon containers of milk. I loved having multiple layers in the freezer which the top- and/or bottom-models don't contain. My folks had a bottom fridge and my mother could never see what was on the bottom.

Jim, out of curiosity, are you compiling your impressive collection of tasting notes into a database at all? I love reading them and realize that over the years, you easily have the most expansive collection of notes Doing a comparison reading of similar bottles and vintages would make for a fascinating read!

Depending on its use, I suppose it be bruleed as well -- freeze the butter and press fine sugar onto the surface. Wouldn't the blow torched sugar create a hard crust to encase the melted butter? Just brainstorming...

Chad is on the right track but a more extensive search engine is Book Finder.com which scans Alibiris, ABEBooks, and a number of additional antiquarian book sites. This has the advantage of being able to filter by language, first edition, and signed copies. I have conducted and have four listings although they are the 1974 edition (using the First Edition filter).

Pilar. (For me, end of sentence... thank you.) Look no further -- although a quick search will produce dozens of threads, many with the same thoughts on other great places to try including Bistro Don Giovanni, Bouchon, Terra, Ad Hoc, Redd, and Bistro Jeanty all rate very highly. For me, they are all just that: Great. But there is something special about Pilar that makes her greatness exceptional.

Keep in mind these were the original British Mini Coopers -- not the silly German knock-offs! I drove a '62 purple Mini Moke. There were about two dozen of us. We also did a Mexico to Canada run and the best food memories of that trip included stopping at the now-defunct Petaluma Cheese Factory for curds and some pie shop off the beaten track in Oregon.

Several years ago the Getty in Malibu had an exhibit of sugarwork from the 1800s which was absolutely stunning and breathtaking.

For the past two weeks I have been travelling through Panama, Chile, and Argentina. So far, there has been McD's in all countries as well as Burger King and KFC. Street food has abounded in all three countries and I've been making a point to dine more on street food than in restaurants. In Panama, there is chorizo that is cut in a spiral and grilled on a stick as well as very mediocre empanadas. The empanadas here in Argentina are (not surprisingly) stunning. While wandering the streets of Santiago, there were a number of street food vendors grilling up various meats right in front of the KFC and Pizza Hut stores! Also, in Panama, we've eaten what is akin to a pupesa; sort of a stuffed tortilla with chicken and cheese. I'll see if I can get some pictures as I hadn't even bothered thinking about it!

A dozen years ago I was on a Mini Cooper car rally through the Arizona dessert. My BF at the time had pre-prepared sandwich-sized meatballs and his "special sauce," assembling just before the start of the ralley onto large rolls, wrapping them multiple times in Saran wrap and foil and placing them in the engine compartment. By the time we had our first stop, two or three hours into the rally, we had the most amazing meatball sandwiches!

Thought I would drop a quick note regarding a great new find in Panama. Thanks again to Vinobiondo for the Hotel DeVille recommendation. They have upgraded their own rooms service from our last visit. At that time, they would simply advise you to order off the dinner menu and they have now established a full room service menu. I´ll upload pictures later but I almost felt guilty NOT going out and opting for room service on a number of occasions which included a fabulous burger, tuna tartare, cream of mushroom and leek soup, and great filet medallions. The bigger find, however, was around the corner, across the street from the Marriott. It is a restaurant called Beirut and it drew my attention first by the sign, which boasts a larger-than-life depiction of the chef, Chef Bilal. Secondly, it was packed while four or five restaurants on the same stretch of road were empty. The first night our guests arrived we ordered a table sample for four and we feasted on the best Middle Eastern food I have outside of Paula Wolfert´s kitchen. In four days, we went back three times! When posting more than just from a local internet cafe, I´ll expand on this great restaurant with full pictures.

When I worked for the Patina Group in L.A., I saw TONS of celebrities grace the Music Center for opera and symphony performances. Of note that I recall as being especially graceful were David Hyde Pierce and John Cleese (who liked his steak). Needless to say, there was Essa Pekka Salonen and Placido Domingo as well as every guest performer for both groups. Mandy Patinkin did a Christmas Eve show and he was fabulous.

I Love this wine!

Copain is a favorite of mine -- but it is one of those "waiting list wines" so actually finding it might be problematic.

I am continually surprised that this place is getting the rave reviews (see Food & Wine magazine and many of the wine chat boards. Your review is considerably on par with most of the people I have spoken to about Cyrus: Uninspired. Devin, thanks for taking one for the team on this one! I'll spend my money elsewhere, thanks.

I don't think so... the third one to open will be in Napa -- there is a redevelopment near Copia that is being done by the same folks who did the San Francisco Ferry Plaza. They are modeling it similarly with many of the same vendors.

My first gut reaction is that it is simply a matter of consistency. They probably have a policy in place and it may just be too difficult for them to make exceptions in one case but not another.

Something you have to keep in mind; you only have one ShakeShack and I understand it has quite a following. The thing about IAO is that there are hundreds of them; it IS a chain, not just a one-off. That is why there is such a following at places like ShakeShack and Taylors Refresher (although there are TWO of those and soon to be three). IAO has a following because it is infinitely better than McD's and Carl's Jr and Jack in the Box. Of course it is not going to be as good as a specialty place like SS or Taylors, but for what it is and how accessible it is, it is damn fine. (oh yeah, and you have to order the fries crispy to get them beyond the limp stage). Perspective, please, when comparing apples to oranges...

All great suggestions here and I'll add one more -- instead of refrigerating it as a fully round ball, I form my just-made dough into a longish slab; when it comes to rolling it, the dough will once again be worked less as it is already somewhat flat.