Carolyn Tillie

For me a visit to San Diego is never without stopping by Ichicban for whole-in-the-wall Japanese (although you have Gardena so there may not be a purpose) and Extraordinary Desserts which truly are extra-ordinary. http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/extraordinarydesserts/

← Too easy. ← Way too easy....

I was initially concerned that perhaps her own words might have been over-edited... the clip proves otherwise and I will also look forward to a full read!

A lovely Sunday evening was shared with eG Brit Andy Lynes... After years of correspondence, it was fabulous to meet an old friend. We started with cocktails at the Cafe Monaco which is my favorite spot in the city for such things... We then headed to Andy's hotel, The Hotel Vitale, to dine at their restaurant, Americano. Not one that is usually impressed with hotel food, the Americano was very impressive and worthy of a visit for those not staying in the hotel. Being there on a Monday evening showed relatively peace, but apparently Friday and Saturday nights are quite happening. We started with a glass of Domaine Carneros Blanc de Noir because Andy doesn't get to try enough California sparkling wines. For me, this was paired with a salad of blood orange, avocado, fennel, and greens. Fresh, clean and well thought-out. Andy had a grilled artichoke salad that I did not try. The waiter insisted that we try the salad of the day, a confit of duck with kumquats and a huckleberry dressing. After the freshness of my salad starter, the confit seemed heavy and too rich. Neither of us could finish it... My entree for the evening, suggested by waiter Ben, was fresh Wala served with two small, crispy horseradish puffs, wilted spinach, fresh baby beets, and Kalamata olives. The Wala was firm and buttery, with all the accompanying flavors coming together quite nicely. I had this with a glass of Alsatian Riesling, the name of which I didn't even bother to get -- I was just enjoying the evening and the company. Having seen them emerge from the kitchen earlier (despite the waiter's suggestion of a sorbet sampler), I couldn't resist the fresh fritters served with dipping jam and melted chocolate. Ethereally-light and sugar dusted, I showed great restraint by only eating a few and taking the rest home for breakfast... A note on the Americano's decor; dark, olive-colored walls are contrasted with warm wood floors and a bar made up of river stones. It is elegant and austere, but warm and inviting in its sparcity. The kitchen space is open and the light bar above the service area is decorated with various shapes and sizes of cream-colored lamp shades. There are touches of modern art throughout the hotel and restaurant and if you ever go, make sure to look at the paintings which are mounted on the ceilings. They are quite disconcerting at first, but I could not keep from glancing up at them and ultimately welcoming them as guests to our meal.

Very nicely presented, Ken... And pleased that I have enjoyed your Foie Gras preparations!

An afternoon shooting pool at a local dive-bar found me across the street from Alaturca, a Turkish restaurant at 869 Geary. Being lately enamored of all foods Turkish (via meeting Musa), I had no difficulty talking Kevin into a light afternoon snack... Not being terribly hungry, we opted for a hot appetizer; Ispanakli Borek, made of yufka dough and baked with feta cheese and spinach (basically, a spanikopita-like concoction of a light, buttery pastry and not-quite-enough filling) and a meat pide of sucuk (a chorizo-like sausage) and a mixture of cheese. The pide was somewhat like a thin, open-face calzone. I regret that I did not ask what the cheeses were as they were quite flavorful and rich (Mozzarella-like but seemingly sheep or goats-milk based). There was a dried spice on the table that included dried thyme and mint which added to the flavor and both the appetizer and pide were served with a side of salad (mostly shredded cabbage and lettuce with diced bell peppers and tomatoes with a vinaigrette). It was interesting that late on a Sunday afternoon, in a mostly full restaurant, we were the obviously only non-Turkish diners in the establishment and that made for somewhat aloof service. Kevin's biggest complaint was that everything seemed a bit dry; but he likes foods with sauces. Looking forward to going back and trying some more substantial entrees and platters.

Indeed, older... there Egyptian heiroglyphs depicting the force-feeding of geese that pre-date the Ancient Romans by several thousand years.

There is inbreeding between the two groups, so one is never sure...

But these pots are not solid aluminum but a pure aluminum core that is fused between a brushed aluminum-alloy that must be able to take a higher heat than 663. I'd be willing to put a bet on it. ← The logic that by sticking something else to aluminum you can raise its melting point is completely absurd. That said, Aluminum melts at 660*C not F. ← Actually, it is not absurd at all -- there is a jewelry technique that I employ using an 80/20 silver/copper alloy called reticulating silver. The mere fact that there is more copper bonded to the sterling changes its melting temperature entirely. Bonding one metal with another will not change the BASE metal's melting temperature, but will interfere with the heat's ability to melt the metal with the lower melting temperature. You are right that it is Celsius - and many All-Clad pans are lined with stainless steel which melts at 1371 Celsius. Are you saying that the Aluminum is going to melt anyway if brought up to 700 degrees even though there is a lining of stainless? It won't because the stainless will act as a heatsink.

But these pots are not solid aluminum but a pure aluminum core that is fused between a brushed aluminum-alloy that must be able to take a higher heat than 663. I'd be willing to put a bet on it.

Actually, whenever I had houseguests, this was the place THEY wanted to eat so they could watch people. That is all it is about. I hated it because even when I was a paltry size 8 or 10, I still felt horrendously fat next to the size 0 and 2 plastic women who frequent the neighborhood. It was all about what shoes you were wearing, what bag you were carrying, talking loud enough on your cell phone to be thought of as talking to your manager about your next film, and the tan you were sporting. One part of SoCal I do not miss... edited to add -- the food is entirely inconsequential; if you ordered anything other than a spa salad (if you aren't already beeing ignored), those around you will look down on you in a way that is most discomforting.

Don't discount deep-fried foie gras -- I've had it and it is amazing. With a light egg-and-panko crust, the interior turns molten and is almost orgasmic... I've also had deep-fried ants which are quite crunchy and interesting when served on fries...

For some very odd reason, the Boom Boom Room was closed last evening -- needing a jazz fix and being hungry, it seemed a good enough excuse to finally head to Biscuit and Blues, where I had been wanting to go since before my move into the city. The appetizer sampler seemed a reasonable offering; yam fries, chicken wings, corn and shrimp fritters, and biscuits. I'm not usually a chicken wings fan (something about the hated sports bar mentality or something) and no one else was interested so I finished them all; instead of a sickly sweet, bbq-style coating, the glaze was both spicy and piquant. I'm not a spice fan but I enjoyed these. The fritters were also quite good; crispy on the outside with a tender filling. The yam fries were the clear winner (although I miss Joachim Splichal's version with fried ginger). The real disappointment came in the biscuits themselves. Cold, pale, and dense with a meager honey-butter spread that accompanied them. The sampler plate was served with three sauces; a cucumber cream dipping sauce, a mango ketchup, and something with jalapenos that I didn't bother trying. Too full to order fried chicken or jambalaya... The highlight of the evening was obviously the jazz. This is a great club for accoustics and Ron Thompson, the performer last night, was fabulous. I've gotten to know the guys at that Boom Boom Room well enough that I don't have to pay a cover, but on the occasions where a $10 cover is acceptable, I'll gladly head to Biscuit and Blues. The drinks, also, were quite butt-kicking...

Cherie; You are correct -- their website says that Cafe Cacao is closed until the end of February. The last time I was there was at the end of last year and hadn't realized it was closed. I hope the reopen soon -- great sandwiches and amazing desserts!

The factory has an adjacent bistro that is quite nice -- you may need reservations there as well. The closest nearby eateries are on 4th street and include Cafe Rouge and Bette's, both pretty decent. They are NOT within walking distance. The factory is in an industrial part of town and there is not much to eat nearby.

Ian, you might want to make a phone call to John Stewart - owner of Healdsburg's Bovola and Zazu restaurants. He is now the owner and operator of Black Pig Meats devoted to all things pork. You can read Heather Irwin's article about him here.

Back issues of Gastronomica are available for sale -- for the first time -- for $5.00. Order Here.

Perusing their site, I had no idea there were so many more designs! I had never seen the castle - although I have long been using the cathedral for years...

Was given the Tagine as a SanFran house-warming gift (it IS gorgeous!) and will look forward to trying it out this weekend. I have been told that a diffuser is not needed specially since I cook on electric. Interesting about the cleaning issues but since browning meat in a tagine is never part of a recipe, I wonder if I'll have the same issues...

Find your local BioDiesel club -- they are converting cars to run on used frying oil... (I am serious - a friend of mine recently converted a Cadillac to run on BioDiesel and is in the process of selling the rest of his gasoline-driven cars).

I was given a bottle and have been doing killer martinis (with THREE, huge gourmet olives). Love it.

My final move out of Napa occurred over the weekend -- after a 24-hour packing blitz and word of a death in my family, I arrived in the city on Saturday evening way too hungry and exhausted to want to wait for anything to be delivered. A new sushi restaurant opened two weeks ago just under the apartment I moved into; Sushi Boom II on Fillmore near Webster (the original is on Geary). We ordered the spicy tuna roll (mediocre at best - the tuna had been ground into a paste which I found quite mushy). Their maki "Geary" was a California roll topped with unagi. The unagi was downright cold and seemingly barely grilled so I found this quite unappetizing. A spider roll was filled with soggy fried soft-shell crab so I only had one bite. Lastly, I ordered a tempura appetizer (wanting *something* hot to eat). This was sort of a breaking point in hoping for something close by that might be acceptable, to no avail. The vegetables were cut way too thick (a carrot which was cold in the middle) and was not served hot enough. I think the oil they fried in was not hot enough. Won't bother going back...

OHMYGOD... another favorite that I ADORE is Feast at Midnight. F****ng Brilliant!

I did single out Vatel, at the top of this page (but I didn't provide a link). ← My bad - mea culpa.

I have made a concerted effort to collect food movies on DVD and/or VHS. Then I got obsessive/compulsive and started collecting films with great food scenes. Rented and watched just last evening is Après Vous which, while not directly food-related, is the love triangle of a head waiter in a swanky French bistro who saves the life of a suicidal man and gets him a job as the sommelier... Charming! Alan Bates' monologue on a fig in Women in Love is decidedly erotic. And the character, Gorodish, in the film Diva as a great scene-stealing moment explaining the proper way to butter a baguette. There is a wonderful oyster/snail scene between Lawrence Olivier and Tony Curtis in Spartacus. Eating Raoul is a perfect cannibalism film (and I know of a number of those, if we want to start a discussion in THAT direction)! And, last -- but certainly not least -- I'm shocked that no one has mentioned the lovingly-filmed Vatel. I'm sure other scenes and movies will come to me later...