Carolyn Tillie

There is a recipe I got from Epicurious but their site is down now so I'll give you the gist. They call Moroccan Chickpea Soup and their directions are complicated, needing to start with dried chickpeas. I cheat and used them canned and can put this soup together in less than five minutes 1 large can chickpeas 1 large can chopped tomatoes 1 large onion, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 cup lentils 2 oz. dried capellini, broken into 1" pieces, or fine egg noodles (optional) 1/2 cup chopped parsley Accompaniment - lemon wedges Sauté onions and celery rib in butter melted in soup pot until the vegetables are wilted. Add all the spices and continue to sauté for other two or three minutes, until fragrant. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, stock, and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for approximately an hour (to cook lentils). Add parsley and capellini (which will cook in about three minutes). Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice. A couple of notes -- I will frequently leave out the capelllini entirely because it swells so much after the initial service and I like to make soups that stay around for a few days. Also, the Epicurious recipe has cilantro in it which I don't care for at all. They also have you buy canned whole tomatoes and purée them in a food processor but I like the chunks better. I like this soup because it has a few ingredients, is incredibly flavorful, and beyond chopping the onion, really only requires opening a few cans to get on the stove and cooking VERY quickly. Yes, I prefer to make wholesome soups from scratch, but this is a great one to have in the repertoire for emergencies.

I suppose it helps that I enjoy the sport of Sumo (as a spectator). I'm heavy, yes, but not quite THAT heavy to participate! I have a number of books and studied the philosopphy and throwing techniques and I really miss the fact that in SoCal, bashos were broadcast on television. Not in Northern California, though.

The Anglophile in me loves Pasties... I have been having a serious craving recently for British sausage roll which I have yet to find in NoCal (probably available somewhere in the city, but doubtful I'd find it in the wine country). Raquel, Empanadas Place green sauce is probably parsley-based -- and, I think, mint - but not overpoweringly so. Please go do some reconnaissance for me as I just remember the flavor in my mouth but am having a hard time breaking it down into components. I forgot that the Mushroom one was more Queso-based. Lastly, Chunkonabe really shouldn't be in this thread -- it is just a longing desire from SoCal. Chunkonabe is the soup that is made and served by and for Sumo wrestlers. Next to Shin-Sen-Gumi's yakitori restaurant on Western is a small, intimate, SEPARATE restaurant that is only open during sumo bouts. Folks gather there to watch the bashos and eat Chunkonabe. I am going to have to research when the next basho is slated and plan my trip south accordingly. It is like going to an extreme, food-based sports bar except that no one speaks English and it all seems so terribly civilized because most of the women who go are Geisha-like in their kimonos... Okay, now I am REALLY missing SoCal!!!

Okay, here is the ultra secret about Empanadas Place -- now that I have all this coming back to me in waves of lovely memories (especially the Criolla! that one and the Mushroom, which I don't see on your list, were my favorites!) But onto the secret -- a sauce. A lovely GREEN sauce that is not part of the regular serving! You have to ask for it and sometimes they won't have it. When the son was running the store in Redondo, I used to try and get out of him what the ingredients were in that special, lovely green sauce to no avail. It is herby and oil-based. Not a thick, mushy, pasty sauce. I'm thinking there is a going to be a road trip in store for me soon. Must have Versailles' Garlic Roast Pork, Shin-Sen-Gumi's Chunkonabe, and now Empanades Place amazing green sauce on ANY of their lovely empanadas!

Consider going to Japantown! The kids will love (regardless of age) and it can be great fun as well as great food. Shawn and I met up with Squeat and wandered around there for several hours, enjoying the shopping as well as the eating. A quick look at this site: http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Calif...anciscowest.htm shows that Japantown is a great place to bring kids and I think you will enjoy eating there as well -- I know I do!

Do a Vatel and fall on your sword -- or go to the newspaper's chief muckety-muck and have a one-on-one. Doing nothing is not an option!

WAY too far away from the airport...

I second Muffin's suggestions that you stick to the south beach cities. I used to live in Redondo and getting to the airport could take as little as 20 minutes, even in rush hour. But go a little bit north (Sawtelle or Santa Monica) and the traffic patterns seem infinitely worse. Downtown Manhattan Beach is a delight to walk around with shops and fine eateries as is Hermosa Beach (gads, I miss Creme de la Crepe!) The beach route to the airport is fast and much easier and you could have a lovely afternoon wandering around outside!

Premium quality in a shake is NEVER a waste as it is the basis of the shake -- and I think Double Rainbow is a great choice! It isn't like there are tons of other ingedients that would be covering up the taste or pastiness of a bad ice cream!

I think it should be this.. No BLENDER at all, but a shake mixer. I've got an antique Hamilton Beach from a soda shop that does three at a time... Would never destroy the molecular structure of ice cream by BLENDING it....

Ummm... according to Larousse Gastronomique, it is Croquembouche.

I learned from a French pastry chef that it can be infinitely easier to assemble the croque INSIDE a parchment-lined cone if it is going to be transported somewhere. It is safe and then when you arrive, remove the cone, placing the croque on the serving plate, and finish the piece. In no way would I attempt to assemble on site. I have, however, assembled and transported a croque in its entirety, but it tends to be a bit messy. I'm also not sure I would make a monster croque for a hundred that would have to be transported -- way too risky as the size would necessitate a huge empty space inside that could potentially collapse. You could assemble a "solid" one with lots of puffs inside, but those inside would be less tasty and you'd have to make way too many of them to support the piece. I'm now thinking of making a few for the holidays! Thanks!

I think it depends on who you really like and why. Ladera's wine list is a pre-release list where the Spring release is always at least one bottle of Howell Mountain cabernet + something else the owner chooses and the Fall release is Lone Canyon cabernet + somethink else the owner chooses. Our wine club members get the wine at a significant discount than can be purchased retail (the more they commit to purchasing, the bigger the discount), they get it released to them a full six weeks before a general release with the option of buying more before the general release, plus private bottlings that are NOT offered in general distribution (this coming Spring, our club members will get a Howell Mountain malbec that will never get distributed). When I was in Gundlach Bundschu's wine club, I enjoyed similar privileges with wine club-only releases and bottlings. THOSE are the wine clubs I prefer -- the rare and hard-to-find kind. I don't belong to any now, but working ITB, I've got connections to get rare bottles that used to be elusive.

I want the El Bulli cookbook but doubt anyone is going to spend that kind of money on me...

Okay, then if in downtown, the place to pitch a movie is R-23; 923 E Second St #109. Really amazing sushi in long a warehouse district classic. Totally minimalist in setting and the perfect spot to wow clients.

From today's San Francisco Chronicle: Guess I need to head into the city to check it out...

Aw, heck -- ANY of the Versailles! I so miss their Cuban roast pork with Moors et Christianos and fried plantains! (I used to go to the one in Manhattan Beach because I could walk in, order the meal to go, and be out and on the road inside of two minutes.)

OHMYGOD - I just remembered! Empanadas Place on Venice Boulevard, up by Sawtelle! Amazingly good and Shawn and I rarely spent over $10 a person! Gads, I miss that place. The family all too briefly tried to open one in Redondo Beach but then I ended up driving to Venice for empanadas!

Actually I am from New England, not NY. The Times in this case functions as a national rather than local paper. I guess the assumption reflects a Californian's view of the world, the mirror image of Steinberg's famous New Yorker cartoon. But perhaps Carolyn had some other contacts in mind besides mine. In fact the NYTimes article was in its Sunday Travel section where it regularly covers out of town dining. ← You weren't the only one -- but I did assume you were in New York as you referenced the article. Slightly true that to us, if you are on the East Coast, it is simply "the other side of the US," but not necessarily all New Yorkers...

Port lasts considerably longer as it is fortified. A regular red will taste oxidized after a day, but a port can easily last a week or two (I've known some folks who keep them open much longer, but I tend to notice a change). You can always use the gas-in-a-can to preserve it a bit longer. But, heck, a glass or two an evening and it should be gone within a week!

Paula Wolfert's latest Slow Mediterranean Kitchen has a few recipes that utilize bottarga (a favorite of mine is an appetizer, Crostini with Sardinian Caviar (Bottarga di Muggine), Tomato, and Celery) and her index indicates it can be mail ordered through Manicaretti-Market, the Pasta Shop, and Corti Brothers.

On the heels of John Whiting's question regarding the next best thing, I'm curious about your opinions of the "cutting edge" aspects of food service. With restaurants like Bulli and Alinea attempting to process food into something beyond what the senses expect (or possibly desire), what do you think of this avant garde form of food preparation?

Oh, dahling, to be seen, yes -- but to pitch a movie? Never. Too loud to be heard and EVERYONE is simply looking at everyone else, not paying attention to the pitch.

For pitching a movie: Dan Tanas Ago Jerry's Famous Deli Jaxx on Sunset Mix Trust me.

This explains why two different New Yorkers contacted me about where to eat in Napa in the next few weeks -- one already had indicated a desire to dine at Bouchon when she had read the article and another was chosing between Auberge du Soleil and Pilar. I was surprised that a NY newspaper was reviewing Napa restaurants but hadn't the time to hunt out the review. Thanks, Squeat!