AnnaC

Thanks for the thorough recommendations! So far, I've made a reservation at Blackfish for Friday night, and if we're in town early enough I think we'll take a swing at the taqueria first. We'll look into the yakitori place you mentioned as well, possibly, and report back . Thanks for taking a look at the list that eatmywords posted, philadining - if Saturday night goes as well as expected, we may be up for the drive to Jong Ka Jib for soondubu jjigae to get Sunday morning started!

The boyfriend and I will be at the Marriott Philadelphia West (West Conshohocken, PA) next weekend, Aug 6-8, for three nights. Saturday night is devoted to wedding festivities, but other recs for awesome food? We'll be in the city Sunday hitting the usual suspects (Capogiro, etc), but looking for things Friday night that are not too far away. Props for anything Korean, especially nearby noraebang .

Kim, those are adorable. Have you thought about confectioners' coating? I know that a few makers (Wilton and I think Merckens) even make it in a sort of ghastly green Halloween color. It would look appropriately horrible as the hair dripping down and sets up pretty quickly once a cookie was set on top.

I have to concur with everyone above who has used CI either as a reference or for a likely source of reliable recipes. When the boyfriend requests a new dish, I always look through back issues of CI and their books to concoct a balance of technique/recipe, or at least consult their intros in re: potential difficulties. Also, I think that for ambitious new cooks the exhaustive instructions (and sidebars on techniques that we all think we know) can be very useful. While Kimball et al. may generate the world's most time-consuming recipes, I'm always willing to try out their directions for items that I think I already do pretty well! And to their credit, the perfect pie crust (from American Classics) turns out well even when you dyslexically use 12 T shortening and 8 T butter as opposed to the other way around. I was too stubborn to start over, even if it was a PITA to roll out. Needed a ton of time in the fridge to chill out, let's say.

I would suggest talking to a book distributor like Ingram or Baker & Taylor (there are others depending upon what area of the country you are in) - they distribute books from all of the major publishers and many of the minors. You won't get the kind of discount from them that you might from a major (40% or less as opposed to 46 - 47%) but you'll be able to order one or two copies of a particular title and not have the kind of minimums that a major like Random House (or even Ten Speed, which has great books) would impose. They've also all got various online systems to search inventory, ordering, etc, as well as return policies for whatever you don't sell (although you'll take a loss on shipping things back, but not as badly as if things just plain don't sell). You could even use systems like this to special order things for your customers. You might not make as much money as going through a single publisher (or many) but could be a lot easier and less time intensive for a small business owner who's got a lot of other stuff to be dealing with. Just my many many cents. PM me if any of this sounds interesting to you but you've got more questions about it - nope, I don't work for any of them, just have some experience with it! Ingram Book Company Baker & Taylor ETA that I should have noted that I'm agreeing with Pam R.

I don't think anyone's mentioned Rancho Gordo yet - mmm, heirloom beans.... I know summer's coming up, but still, what a treat. Rancho Gordo Not only delicious but you'd also be supporting a fellow EG'er!

I usually lurk and rarely post, but... this Southern girl wishes that you were my MIL, Rachel!

We're just back from the meadows, and ate the following: Bouchon Weekday breakfast - Lovely service, and the legendary quiche as enjoyable as you can possibly imagine. My boyfriend, startled at prices, ordered the standard eggs-and-whatever, and his sausage was really nice and potato croquettes just yummy. I appreciated good coffee (a restaurant rarity in my hometown) and munched on a strawberry croissant the rest of the day. Our waiter pointed us towards Vic & Anthony's when I asked for advice on downtown dining, and he was right. Jean Philippe As others have said - unh-hunh. I had the rose macaroon, lemon tart, chocolate eclair, cheesecake, and several other things I can't remember - I'm sure that "O" was awesome, but it's hard to recall through the sugar coma. Delightful. I know that macaroons suffer over time. but 24 hours after I purchased my last four pack they sure made our delay-filled trip home easier. Bellagio - Buffet My mother would have been proud - four glasses of champagne plus smoked salmon and leg-o-lamb for elevingses. I think I ate some blackberries as well, but really I just wanted to experience the Vegas buffet - we got a fabulous one, and at $60 dollars a couple felt we got a great value, even without a view. Craftsteak I know that this wasn't the most adventurous option, but when you're out with a beloved who is nervous about anything haute? Totally enjoyable experience for both of us. I was a little nervous when our waiter advised my boyfriend that they recommended the rack of lamb medium, but the bf pressed ahead and we both had a delightful meal. I got to order a half of wine that I very much enjoy (Biale Petite Sirah) and we both had a great meal. The learning experiences can wait! We had a great weeekend. Thanks to everyone on this thread for their commentary - your guidance was invaluable in our planning process - EG is really an essential companion for your favorite travel guide!

I agree! I think you'll be pleased with how easy your gelatinous stock will make it to construct lovely pan sauces - no more wondra flour for you!

tim, your wife's work this year and last is amazing. Can you give us any hints as to her baking/design background or yours? My godson would flip over her "Thomas" display! Thanks for sharing her work with us.

It's a general vegan cookbook rather than a baking book, but La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer has some great stuff in it - you would not believe the spice cupcakes and "cream cheese" icing. And I'm not a vegan. The other recipes are yummy too.

Miniature marshmallows. But only if everyone's back is turned. Really, they're best if one is alone in the house.

Hey, Ylee - I like the Whimsical Bakehouse a lot - they have some good practical information about cake construction (layers, tilting, etc) and fun decorating ideas. Colette Peter's books are amazing looking, but the instructions are definitely wordy - if you are a visual learner, they take a little thought. I've seen the Confetti Cakes book, but not for long enough to form a useful opinion. The one name I don't see on your list that I think is very useful instructionally is Toba Garrett - she's written books about cake / cookie decoration and is a well respected instructor. Her books aren't glamorous, but I've found them to be very practical and extremely educational. Take a look at The Well-Decorated Cake if you have a chance.

Sazji , any chance you could share or point us towards an English-language recipe for the khavidz? It looks wonderful!

Kerry , I used the s'mores bar recipe you linked to upthread, knocking back the brown sugar by ~1/3C - they worked out very nicely - thanks! I would provide a pic, since they were also pretty good looking, but all were eaten within an hour or so. Anna