Lesley C

Claire 797, the finicky pastry chef in me would like to see that icing dripping down the sides. Consider doubling the icing recipe next time.

There was a recipe years ago in Gourmet mag for buttermilk sorbet. It was terrific paired with berry cobblers and crumbles.

Whoa Chopper! Great avatar. Fernand Point...my idol! Apparently he polished off a dozen bottles of Champagne a day! Did you know Andre Besson of Laloux was baptized by Point? Bet they used Champagne.

I hear there's live jazz at the Savannah brunches. Is that correct?

I think if I made a Boston Cream Pie again, I'd slice the cake into four, lighten the custard with an extra 1/3 sweetened whipped cream, and throw in a few fresh raspberries between the layers. And I might just sprinkle a bit of Kirsch or Eau de Vie Framboise on the cake to moisten. But then I wouldn't have a Boston Cream Pie would I?

Domaine Agrilia Extra Virgin Olive oil 500 ml $42.50 It's expensive but it's also friggin' amazing

At had mediocre food at Souvenirs d'Indochine and good food at Thai Grill. Just goes to show... I don't remember the Thai Grill food as sugary. However, it was very very spicy. The green papaya salad almost killed me. The kitchen staff at Thai Grill is close to 100% Thai. If they aren't authentic, who is? BTW, Chao-Phraya is not closed.

Banana Bread This banana bread is best the day it's made because it has a crisp crust and cakey texture. The olive oil gives the bread a fruity flavour, but if you don’t have a good extra-virgin olive oil, use vegetable oil instead. 1-3/4 c (240g) flour 2 tsp (10g) baking powder 1/4 tsp (1g) baking soda 1/2 tsp (2g) salt 2 eggs 2/3 c (125g) granulated sugar 1/3 c (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil) 1 c (250 ml) mashed bananas (about 2 large or 3 small) Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Butter and lightly flour the bread mould or use a non-stick spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until doubled in volume. Blend in the olive oil. Alternately stir in the dry ingredients and the banana puree. Pour the batter into the prepared mould and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, unmould, and let cool completely before slicing Keywords: Dessert, Snack, Bread ( RG391 )

Wow, interesting stuff. Can anyone be more specific about price? What's the price of the tasting menu? And how many courses? I hope at least two desserts.

Hi champignon, welcome to eGullet

Wow, that sounds very, very exciting. Tell me, is the wine list 100% French like Rosalie's?

I think Torres uses Barry/Callebaut no? I find this talk so finicky. I really think there are enough couvertures on the markets. I recently met a pastry chef (who is really second rate) who was bitching about all kinds of couvertures. When I hear someone complain about the taste of Valrhona I can only roll my eyes. We have enough great chocolate out there but we don't have enough great chocolatiers. Give me less variety and more technique. When I worked in France I never heard any chef complain about the taste of the chocolate. I can appreciate the difference between Callebaut and Valrhona. But custom blending couvertures for chefs seems like a stretch.

Yeah we are splitting hairs here. But I know a terrific chef who worked for Bras who says everyone one goes around stealing his ideas and taking credit for them. Mi-cuit and coulant kind of mean the same thing to me. The technique may be different but the result is basically the same. I would think, though, that the ganache cube is the more reliable technique of the two.

Aha! It depends how it is described on the menu. If this cake is called a mi-cuit or a coulant, it had better be half-cooked and runny. You say your carrot is mi-cuit that's fine, but otherwise I'll think it's a mistake. I'm not wild about undercooked carrots.

Pixelchef, all maple syrup isn't the same. It varies from producer to producer. I had some maple syrup from the Eastern Townships this weekend that knocked my socks off (Grade A), and I had some from the Beauce that was darker and not as nice. I think the best place to buy syrup is on site at a sugar shack. The supermarket bulk stuff is never as good. I think they get the dregs.

Hi Chewie, and welcome to eGullet! Well I remember seeing Jean-Georges making the molten cake on Martha Stewart and he claimed, right there in front of millions, that he invented it. I think he also makes that claim in his book. The technique is different (and inferior I think) but the idea seems to have originated with Bras. I've also seen versions by Frederic Bau and Raymond Blanc using different techniques. But in the end, hey, it's a molten chocolate cake. Right now, it seems Bras did it first. If any of these fellows would like to come on here to defend themselves, I'd be thrilled to hear their side of the molten chocolate cake fiasco.

Delouvrier is writing his memoirs. This will give him the chance to get out there and plug his book.

Pixel, I'm the fine dining critic for the Montreal Gazette. It's my job to be "in the loop" of my city's scene. Chefs rip off each other dishes all the time. Especially young chefs who are still searching for their style. If a chef has worked for a famous chef and repeats that dish at a new restaurant, I don't mind because he learned it at the hand of the inventor. If Laurent had worked at Trio it wouldn't quite be the same would it? But I recently reviewed Chez L'Epicier and I thought the food was very special and the tastes were interesting. I didn't see the bloody mary dish. I think he's at his best outside of such gimmicky dishes.

For an authentic bistro, try Aux Fins Gourmets on the Blvd St-Germain. I also like the Fontaine de Mars in the 7th on the rue St-Dominique.

Actually, the molten chocolate cake was ripped off from Michel Bras.

SteveW: I went to Melies when it first opened, but it has been renovated since. I've also been to Continental, but long ago. I haven't yet reviewed either at the Gazette. I can't figure out if Cafe Melies is casual or fine dining.

OK, first of all I think the booing reflects the intelligence of the hockey-going crowd. Especially these days with the Canadians doing so so poorly. Second, it had to do with the timing. There's no denying this city's tie to the Mother land. As much as it causes problems in such political situations, it's also what makes us different. However, when it comes to consuming wine or cheese, we should try to remember there is a person or a family behind that bottle -- not a country, not a politician. I'll tell ya, I've seen a lot of Americans in Montreal this week for the IACP conference, and -- generally -- it has been a lovefest. I've always felt French Canadians have a much stronger tie to Americans than to English Canadians. I knew a lot of separatists back in the nineties who would have been happier to see Quebec as America's newest state than as a province of Canada.

Wait, did the hockey game booing happen in Montreal?

Toque!'s wine list never hit me as anything special. Not sure why. It has certainly gotten better. I've had some nice tasting menus there with mediocre wines by the glass. Even the Xavier Pellicer dinner's wines were forgettable. I've never been to Continental or Cafe Melies. I hear Melies's wines are a steal.

Les Chenets also has an incredible wine list but when I was there half the bottles I was interested in were part of the private collection and not available. And like Bistro a Champlain, the lower-end bottles are overpriced.