Carolyn Tillie

Food aside, ultimately I will be very curious where you end up going to grad school!!!

This had brought back a flood of memories for me as well... Yes, the Brach's Chocolate-covered Caramels - used to swipe one or two when shopping and once a year would buy a pound or two. Wolfgang Puck's frozen desserts. There were three I remember, two that were simply defrosted and one that had to be baked. The baked item was a tarte tatin and a separate packet of caramel sauce that you would put in hot water while the tart was in the oven. The other two were mousse-based; my favorite being a chocolate mousse through which ran a river of raspberries. It was wrapped in dark chocolate and had a raspberry sauce packet. The other mousse was a layered confection of dark and milk chocolates with a hazelnut layer. Don't remember its sauce... They were really, really good. Continuing in the frozen food theme, I miss the Stouffer's Lobster Thermidor. Odd, but true. Also, Lean Cuisine made a country lamb stew that was quite nice. Trader Joe's has a variety of products that come and go, but I am most whistful about a mushroom risotto. And while apparently still made and sold in Canada, I have been long-lamenting the loss of Pim's Pear - they are making and releasing hideously bad chocolate mousse and lemon fluff versions, but the Pear was exceptional. Lastly, does anyone else remember when Special K cereal were small, little cup-shaped flakes? Somehow when they made them into big flakes the taste changed. I'm going back 30+ years on that one...

Thanks, Shellfishfriend! Never curious if anyone reads my silly rants or not... ~~~ It is always with fear and dread that I anticipate visitors -- will they want to go to the tourist traps or be happy with mediocre chain restaurants? Last week proved delightful with the visit of a dear friend and Nevada-based journalist. Being an art collector, "J" and I had great fun catching lunch in between perusing galleries. Our first day started wanting to see the local art scene in Sausalito but, having over an hour wait before the next ferry, we decided to head towards Pier 39 for a cocktail and bite. Eagle Cafe <415.433.3689> was the closest and most inviting with its open, white walls. Saddling into picnic benches overlooking the water, three of us shared oysters on the half shell, crab cakes, and a crab salad. All offerings were as expected; adequate and filling, but hardly ground-breaking -- although "J" greatly enjoyed the simplicity of an abundance of crab served on a chilled bowl of ice with cocktail sauce. As an art note, she was very disappointed that the 20-30 art galleries which used to fill Sausalito are mostly gone and very little decent original art was found; we were entirely done in about an hour-and-a-half with nary a purchase. The second day proved much more lucrative; food-wise and art-wise. Staying close to Union Square, we started with lunch at the Rotunda Restaurant in Neiman-Marcus. <150 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108; (415) 362-4777> Stunningly located under the gorgeous leaded glass dome, the menu is expensive. The meal starts with a demitasse of chicken consomme. Then there is the arrival of the monster popover. If nothing else, go for a popover. I will definitely be returning - if only to have a popover; crisp and perfectly brown over the entire exterior; eggy, light, and ethereal on the interior. I had the Ahi Niçoise which is hardly a salad as much as a composition of browned fingerling potatoes, haricot verts, sliced fresh baby tomatoes, redolent olives, and a seared ahi steak. Almost too rich, I was quite full when not even half done (of course, my popover was gone so that may have something to do with it!). Art-wise, the galleries along Geary were the choice for the day; Weinstein mostly along with Lutece. Found a number of items worth considering, but the work of Charles Becker stands out for me. The website does no justice to the luminous quality of this work. Day Three started with something different for both of us; a rather touristy bus tour: San Francisco Movie Tours. Being an avid movie fan who cannot be beat when it comes to obscure trivia, I was extremely impressed with the format and presentation -- while driving around in a large van, an improv actor shows clips from movies at various locations while pointing out the actual locations and also providing inside, little-known info about the movie and/or location. For 3 1/2 hours, I was enthralled and excited to see places like where Jimmy Stewart jumped after Kim Novak in Vertigo, or where Jeff Bridges stood on a building edge in Fearless, or the house from Mrs. Doubtfire. In all, they showed several hundred clips from over 60 movies. We stopped several times to wander around so the 3 1/2 hours went by very quickly. Starting and ending at Union Square (and seeing scenes from The Conversation), we headed towards Maiden Lane for some al fresco dining at Mocca <175 Maiden Lane, San Francisco , CA 94108; (415) 956-1188> It was a surprisingly warm day which beckoned sunshine on one's face and made me crave their various vegetable offerings; putting together a platter of grilled eggplant, asparagus, olives, mozzarella, and a few croutons with spicy tomato compote, a glass of chilled white wine brought it all together perfectly. However, all that at a $25 price tag was a bit hard to swallow. Their tri-tip sandwich is quite famous and a share bite showed why - a rare interior with that much-desired, brown crusty edges on fresh bread is quite satisfying. "J" a tortellini salad with grilled shrimp that was also quite good. A great location and good food, it is simply hard to get past their exorbitant prices. ~~~ Lastly, I have to report a separate shopping adventure taken over the weekend with Ms. Spieler to the East Bay... After a stops at the Bargain Bank, The Spanish Table, and The Cheeseboard Collective, we were horribly stuck in post-football game traffic when we stumbled on the recently-opened and much-touted Ici Ice Cream store <2948 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705> opened by Chez Panisse alum Mary Canales. We tasted and shared the Chocolate (okay, but hardly awe-inspiring), Cinnamon (delicate and subtle), Black Mission Fig (rather mediocre and "green" tasting as though there were fig stems ground into the ice cream), Huckleberry (lovely and pungent), and Rum Raisin (the clear winner and favorite!).

I loved and fell in love with Jeff Smith's (Frugal Gourmet's) waffle recipe -- he separates the eggs and whips the whites making for a VERY light, fluffy interior and a crisp, crunchy crust. My SO is a consummate waffle lover and saddened at his last attempt at an admittedly soggy sourdough waffle, we combined his sourdough version with Jeff Smith's idea of the egg separation and never looked back. Indeed, we often make multiple batches for the freezer and had some breakfast just yesterday -- even re-heated after several months in the freezer, they are great!

Funny... I was sitting in an emergency room of a hospital the other evening and lying there was a copy of Gourmet from the mid-90s. Not only were there a number of restaurant reviews (Masa's in San Francisco had just opened and was considered quite cutting edge in the review I perused), but there was also an extensive article about the faux-finishing/painting industry with LOTS of pictures of various finishes and students working on chairs and whatnot -- now THAT surprised me!

I used to buy mine from the Bristol Farms in Manhattan Beach so I'm pretty sure their chain carries them.

I'm a Berenbaum fan (prefering her Pie & Pastry Book for inspiration than her Cake book), but when I want to blow someone away with a cake, I keep turning to the array of Marcel Desaulnier books; Desserts To Die For, and Death By Chocolate. The former is not chocolate-specific and has my favorite carrot cake recipe. I do not have his Death By Chocolate Cakes book, but would pick it up in a heart-beat if found used (I never by a new cookbook...)

I have that and encouraged Kevin to look at that from my collection as well -- I think he was put off by the fact that there was so much non-bread/loaf baking in it (Martha's wedding cake, for example), but I adore that book. I really appreciate these suggestions, everyone! Looks as though I might have to break down and buy more than one!

I feel really spoiled to live with a guy who loves making me fresh bread. He has always had a starter or two and has gone by his standard recipe for years. But he was delightfully intrigued with my Breads from La Brea Bakery, having made several loaves from that book. But always looking for inspiration, I started perusing a handful of gorgeous books in the bookstore last night and got overwhelmed. Heck, I thought, I'll just check with the consummate bakers on eG and see what they like before I spend hard-earned moolah on another book... What'cha think? Some that intrigue me are: The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Ron Manville The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum (I adore her Pie and Pastry Book) Bread Alone by Daniel Leader Yet another Bread Bible but this one by Beth Hensperger... Or is there one I am missing that is specially good? I really only want to buy one more bread book. The top two on my list are my top two, but would love a discussion from other bread-aficiandos.

Champagne Glasses -- for the millenium (geez, SIX years ago!), I purchased 60 or 70 glasses that were sold in six-packs for $2.99 each = .50 cents a glass! I still have 40 or 50 of them. I also bought white and red wine glasses in those same six-packs but they have broken over the years. Take a look at the "As-Is" department -- it will be hidden in a cubby-hole by somewhere around the check-out counters. I have found amazing bargains in the way of bookshelves, teapots, couches, lamps, etc. It got to a point where I would stop by my IKEA, just walk straight to the As-Is department and peruse and walk out if I didn't see anything. During my college days, I would go once a week as the selections changed daily. Seriously discounted stuff!

It was slightly ironic that a day or two ago, I was looking to contact St. Amant which begat this Copyright thread. From Tim's son: I felt honored to have met and interviewed Tim. While many "old timers" in the business barely fight to hide their weariness for "youngsters" just coming into the wine business, Tim displayed a rare spirit and generosity that touched me deeply. He was a mountain of a man who was well-regarded in the industry as a master of Port wine. I know he consulted to many additional wineries on their ports and sat on a number of panels on the grapes and the production. His insight and knowledge are not the only aspect of this great man that will be missed. His humour and graciousness will be as well. Cheers to you, Tim Spencer. I raise a glass in respect, regard, and remembrance.

Playing pool around the city is an on-going challenge, most tables being decades-old, bar-sized tables in otherwise dark and dingy bars with little or questionable food. Jillian's Billiards is a place we have tried to go to on numerous occasions -- once the entire pool hall was booked for a private party, on a Friday evening, a $20 cover-charge and a two-hour wait for a table easily disuaded. Third times the charm when we walked in early last evening as multiple tables were available. Jillian's is quite large inside, seemingly attracting more diners than billiard aficionados based on the amount of seating that existed. There is a huge bar and a DJ station which makes me believe that Friday-night, $20 cover charge is for a large, 20-something party scene which does not interest me whatsoever. The billiard room, however, is quite charming. Ten tables, regulation size, under good lights has a number of things going for it. For starters, these are tables that are sold by the hour ($8.00 to $15.00 depending on time and day) instead of the bar tables which require the constant feeding of quarters for each game. The other advantage is the existence of food. Not great food, mind you, but sustenance nonetheless. We tried an "Italian pizza" with sausage, mushroom, and kalamata olives -- quite good when it arrived as the dough was thin and crisp and the more-than-abundant cheese (always a good thing), very melty and gooey. A teriyaka salmon kabob starter was just okay, but satisfying to have something more original that other standard bar food offerings. The rest of their menu seems quite mundane; salads, burgers, pasta, and ribs. There are a few promising offerings including mussels cooked three different ways which I am sure I'll be trying in the future. Undoubtedly we'll will be returning to Jillian's simply to have access to a regulation-sized table in such a nice setting. This is prime real estate so I don't really mind the prices considering the atmosphere. I'll simply be going during non-prime time hours and ordering beer instead of premium drinks.

Updated, aparently... "FDA: Don't eat bagged spinach." The bold is mine -- too many people jumping to the conclusions that ALL spinach is bad when it is the BAGGED spinach that is suspect. Just goes to continue the confirmation that freshly-grown, farmer's market-obtained ingredients are better for everyone. It is the over-wrought processing of our food stuffs that are causing problems.

I don't see a photograph of anybody at that URL. ← Well, they removed that pretty darned quick! Fascinating...

Chez Pim posted an obvious plagiarism from none other than Irene Virbila in the LA Times. I also recall reading a thread (can't find it now) of a now-infamous scenario of one Indian restaurant "stealing" the online photos of dishes and representing it as their own. I bring this up as I have found some of my own work swiped and am curious what others' experience has been. As a point of reference, I gave up blogging at the end of last year for a variety of personal reasons. But the blog is still out there as a resource and is obviously being used. I found out this morning as I was researching to find out if a beloved winery, St. Amant has a website yet. Clicking through google to other other listings, I was shocked to find that Appellation America has used the photograph I took of Tim Spencer. No, I haven't contacted AA yet and I have no idea how many other pictures they might have swiped from my blog. I don't particularly want to click-through their entire site to figure it out. I will drop them an e-mail, but I am tad annoyed that my copyright notification is being ignored by a seemingly reputable organization:

A classic pairing is apples and a Calvados-braised rabbit -- I add a touch of ginger to mine and serve with fingerling potatoes...

On being short with headhunters -- don't forget the Murphy-thing that when/if you want to start looking to move, you will want to be on the good side of those very headhunters! Careful who you piss off... you might being doing business with them some day!

That's a pity because the brand of gin and vermouth is important. I prefer Vya vermouth and Tanqueray's 10. But dealing with what you have, I would pour a cap-full of vermouth into a frozen glass, splash it all around, and then dump it out. Add the well-shaken (i.e., chilled) gin to the glass and garnish with a single olive on a toothpick (although I tend to like two or three olives...)

In Healdsburg, I'm a big Barn Diva fan; something about their shepherds pie... They are also next door to Selby Wine which is a must-try. You did well by booking Manzanita -- that's another fav in the city. Also consider a lunch stop at Bavolo, inside the co-op market. The pork cheek sandwich is amazing.

I don't know that tableside preparation is dead; I do think that it has mutated. For example, there seems to be a growing number of restaurants that prepare guacamole at the table. Zabaglione prepared at the table is awfully good too. ← I dunno.... Steak Diane vs. Guacamole -- just doesn't cut it for me.

I forgot - Chicken Kiev and Veal Cordon Bleu!

No, no, no... carnage would be bottles on their side and bodies waking in a drunken stupor, not knowing what hit them. Your picture has all your bottles neatly lined up, with corks! You obviously weren't wasted enough!

Thanks, Abra! Thank helps. I'll give mine another few weeks at least since I started late. But I am impressed at how it is tasting already!

I sound like a broken record: ANY dish that requires table-side service. I really want to go to a restaurant that makes Steak Diane, Caeser Salad, Bananas Foster, or Crepes Suzette table-side. I know there are a handful of such restaurants on the East Coast, but here on the West, I believe it is a dead or dying art. Gee... think I'll make Bananas Foster tonight!

Great timing on this thread - I was curious about when to filter as well. Mine has only been going for about six weeks; doesn't actually taste that bad, but still very young and chewy, not necessarily vile! What would be the detriment of letting it sit on its mash until Thanksgiving? Anybody?