David Crum

I would think the reason for Kevin being angry was the undercooked lamb as it relates to Laurine being sent home. I would imagine that since he was responsible for the cooking of the lamb, even though it was not his dish, he felt partially responsible fo Laurine being sent home. I assumed when he said he was angry that he was angry with himself.

Congratulations Joe, keep up the good work.

Will be going to New Orleans this coming week, looking for suggestions for Sunday brunch, lunch, dinner and drinking establishments. I have reservations for dinner at Luke, Restaurant August and Brigtsen's so far, where else should I go? Thanks, Dave

Yes..Thank you. I use Dartagnan quite a bit as well. However, they don't import REAL Kobe beef. I do like US or Austailian Wagyu, but am interested in Kobe in particular. ← Jon Telge at Arrowhead Game recently had some available. His web site is www.gamemeats.com

I'll throw my hat in as well. This from a small local organic farmers perspective as well as a chefs. 1. Kansas tomatoes are the best. Please don't argue with me on this one. 2. There is not enough demand for small farm organic produce in Kansas City. The chefs that want the product almost always have to supplement with fedex not just for exotic items, but for interesting organic vegetables that could be grown here but aren't due to lack of demand.(except when they force their parents to buy acreage and farm organically ) Every year farmers we know have to cut back on farming and go find "regular" jobs because they can not make ends meet on farming alone. Farmers want to farm, restaurants want to buy, but not enough to keep enough farmers in business to supply even a small restaurants needs. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE ASKING FOR LOCAL PRODUCTS ON RESTAURANT MENUS. As I said at the growing growers forum, until the guest that sits down in the restaurant demands it, most restaurants will not supply it. 3. Organic farming in the mid-west is an uphill battle. Most of the government programs designed to help small, organic or family farms in MO have been cut (thank you Mr. Blunt). Kansas on the other hand belives that Monsanto seed was created by god and doesn't even require us to teach the theory of organic farming . 4. We need a centralized distribution system for our local farmers. Who, where, how and when are questions local farmers and restauranteurs have been asking for years. David Crum

I would second the rec. for Paradise Locker in Trimble as well as Bicklemeyers, high quality fish is harder to come by, try McGonigles or Whole Foods. As for all the small local producers I am convinced that there are as many here as anywhere else in the U.S. P.M. me to let me know what you're looking for and I'll let you know where to find it. dave

What? Closed by Dec. 3 - who's going to fuel me through the dire months? When do they re-open... I'm assuming they will reopen. u.e. ← u.e. Yes they will re-open, she closes down every winter, usually by the second or third week in November so we should count ourselves lucky this year. I think she re-opens in mid to late March if I'm not mistaken. Dave

I had forgotten thet Mid-America Gourmet has a retail store. I can tell you that most fine dining restaurants in Kansas City buy most of their pastry supplies from Mid-America. They carry bulk chocolate for sure (callebaut, guillard and valrhona for sure), nuts, vanilla (extract and beans), nuts, sheet gelatin, nut pastes, fondant. The other thing they carry that may be of interest (although off topic) is high quality frozen boiron fruit purees, perfect for things like ice creams and sorbets. dave

I seriously do not understand what anyone is talking about here anymore. I know I had a hand in leading things off topic and for that I apologize, but could we please return to the issue at hand. Dave (BTW the issue is Lauren Chapin, lest we've forgotten)

I would also venture to guess that this is why when bashing local and national reviewers, critics and publications it is why you handle Lauren Chapin and The Star with kid gloves, you know, don't bite the hand that feeds and all that. Dave

Just to clarify, currently Le Fou Frog and SO redux are the only restaurants with 4 star reviews, The American, 40 Sardines and Cafe Sebastian have had 4 stars in the past but no longer do. Dave

I would hate to be a food critic and thank god I'm not! My hate mail would be tripple as what it is now already. A critic is just an opion it's not a grade that remains on your tombstone it's not life or death. The critic at the pitch is a joke, I've known him 12 years or so, Judy loves him cause he tosses her name around on the hotdog and chili show on 89.3 that show is a total waste of radio waves. The KC mag food critic is a really jacked she came into my restaurant and professed she was a vegan and turns around and proclaims Ruth Chris has the best steak in the city(on that same hot dog show) she so bad the editor of KC mag won't let her do the hot dog show any more, she does it now. I think maybe Katie is so stuck on herself and wants to be someone that why she does the show also. Chris at Ingrams is a very sweet lady but I wouldn't let her decide where I should dine at. The KCstar has issues also, I know if some one served me a piece of shoe leather I wouldn't give them 3.5 stars, but she takes alot into thought when she reviews. Some of the best critics are bloggers, but most of them don't know sweet breads from pastries. But hey look at us on this site do we have such a lowly life that this is our hobby? Or we have to swoop down on a restaurant and "take one for the gang" hmmmm....I think we should keep all the critics we deserve them! ← I would very much like to know which critics opinions do you respect? (be they professional, blogger, local or national) Dave

Check The Heartland forum, apparently he is working (consulting?) at Tru in Chicago.

I think Zagat is different. It's a public rating not a single critic. Therefore it works better with that system. Sorry this CAG on Dave's computer

QUOTE(monkfish_103 @ Jun 29 2006, 11:26 AM}[url=http://kansascitymenus.com/soredux/) http://kansascitymenus.com/soredux/ ← Chef, I was wondering if you have worked for Michel Bras in the past? I see a lot of his influence on your menu. Dave

I was not going to get involved, but.... This is a ridiculous statement. I do not believe that "experienced chefs" can tell how a dish tastes simply by looking at a photo, but then again I've only been working in fine dining restaurants for 10 years. We can make assumptions on how a flavor combination may taste but no way would I assume to form an opinion on the overall flavor of a dish from a photo. In many cases being a chef could be a hinderence in trying to imagine what a dish may taste like. For instance take risotto, now I see the picture of the risotto, but unlike many "foodies" I have cooked risottos with different styles of rice, different liquid base (fish stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock, shellfish stock, red wine, white wine, fortified wine....), different cheeses (parmesan, pecorino, pecorino jenpiro, cacciocavallo...) many different aromatics (onions, shallot, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, celery, basil, parsley...), different spices, etc., etc., etc. and all of these things make a risotto taste DIFFERENT. Now mabe as a "foodie" you think that risotto just tastes like risotto but to me there are a thousand possibilites as to how that risotto may taste. And thats just the risotto. Dave

Calocybe gambosa, que los vascos adoran y a la que llaman `perretxiko` ("perros chicos") Calocybe Gambosa (latin name), which the Basques adore and call perretxiko ("perros chicos") I do not know if the author means that perros chicos is the direct or phonetical translation for perretxiko. The calocybe gambosa mushroom is sold as St. George mushroom in english. Other Spanish names for this mushroom are: Vascuence: Ziza (Baztán, Aézcoa, Basaburúa, Santesteban, Larraun) ; Perretxiko (general), Perrotxiko ; Udaberriko zizazuri, Usun (Roncalés); Maiatxako ziza en Torrano (Ergoiena); Ziza y Susa (Guipúzcoa) ; Susie (Bergara); Susa (Mondragón). Aragones : Sisón (alto Gállego), Usón (norte de Zaragoza, Roncal, Hecho, etc), Muchilón, Muxerón, Mojardón Rioja : Perrochico (general) ; Seta fina, Fina, Seda, Seta de primavera Castilla : Mansarón, Lansarón (Sistema Ibérico por Soria y Burgos) ; Nazarón (Moncayo); Blanquilla (Palencia) ; Seta blanca (Cervera de Pisuerga) ; Seta fina, Seta de mayo, Seta del pecu, Seta de Cucu (norte de Burgos). Otros : Seta de San Jorge Cantabria : Cristianu, Hongu cristianu Astur-leonés : Fungu del rayu, Seta l'rayu, Cucumiellu blancu Catalán: Moixernó, Bolet de Sant Jordi ; Moixeró y Moixerró (Pirineo).

Tipical brandade made with salt cod, olive oil, garlic and a bit of potato. The salt cod was soaked in water then poached in milk and pureed with blanched garlic and potato, the oil was then emulsified into this base and we passed the mixture through a tamis to smooth it out. Thats it. Dave Crum

I think it may be 4 preperations, salmon belly, dover sole, lake trout, monkfish Airline breast is a chicken breast with the last wing joint still attached, when viewed as a whole breast it still has wings, hence "airline." Not an unusual thing not to know if you've never needed to order "50 each 14-16 oz. airline chix breasts" from a wholesale meat purveyor.

La Belle produces stricktly duck foie gras. "ABC" is Au Bon Canard. Possibly try Great Ciao in Minneapolis. Great Ciao 1201 Dupont Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55411 PH: 612.521.8725 Fax: 612.521.1253 Good Luck!

Back to you question call John at arrowhead game 816.628.2099, or try the middle eastern market in the city market they also the buy from fisher-blane just like John does. If you are after foie gras don't mess with John all he has is La bella farms. I am afraid you are mistaken about Arrowhead Game, John does not buy meat from Fisher-Blaine. He was partnered with them for a short while for storage and distribution purposes, and, since his meat was being delivered by their trucks their products were available as well. This is no longer the case. He is a wholesaler as they are and as such sources his own product (he supplies specialty product, they market mainly to retail stores). Also I would like to say that I have been quite pleased with the La Belle foie gras. As with any product it must be carefully scrutinized for quality every time it comes through the door, but I find it to be no lesser quality than Hudson or Sonoma Valley, i use 15-18 lbs. per week and have to send back a lobe only on rare occasions. If great artisanal foie gras is what you are looking for you may try Au Bon Canard Foie Gras, 507-724-1042 and speak with Christian Gasset, he produces beautiful product right here in the heartland in Caledonia, MN. Another aside about John is they will soon be raising wagyu beef in Holt, MO which should bring in a whole new world of premium offal meat to the Kansas City area. As for u.e.'s insatiable appetite for offal, if all else fails give me a call at bluestem, 816.561.4321, and ask for Dave. I should be able to dig up what your looking for, and if it comes in a quanity too large for you, we can always use what you can't take in the restaurant, besides we just began getting Elysian Fields lamb and I'm dying for an excuse to order some lamb's brains David Crum Chef de Cusine, bluestem The first 2 lines are a quote from monkfish_103, I apologize for my computer illiteracy.