nightscotsman

Is this the web site you are referring to? http://www.patisfrance.com/chocolatebonbons/ Or is there another you recommend?

I'm sure you're Mom would be happy to write a note for you: "Dear UW administrators, Please excuse my little mamster from class today as he has been diagnosed as a "foodie" and must receive treatment for his condition at lunch today. He is really a very sick boy, but the on-line group therapy sessions have been helpful and we're hoping he can soon walk past a 'Subway' sandwich shop without yelling 'You fools! Don't you know you can get real food at Bahn Mi 88 - and cheaper, too!'. Regards, heyjude"

I'm in for Friday. Since I'm a pathetic, lonely single person, I don't have any Valentine's Day plans.

Cool! We can always use another bakery/patisserie. Please keep us informed if you hear more info. By the way, I think the Seattle Culinary Academy is the name of the cooking school at Seattle Central Community College. Do you know if this is where the owner went?

So has anyone cooked with these things yet? How do they handle? Hotspots? Heat retention? Clean-up?

Sorry, not the Baba au Rhum - French baker invented it, Polish king named it.

nightscotsman, thank you for that fabulous WSLCB site. That will come in so handy. Although, when I looked on that site, I could not find the address of the liquor store on 6th some of you were recommending on another thread that is near near Safeco Field. I was in that area today and stopped at the liquor store on 4th just behind the new Seahawks stadium. That's not the liquor store you are referring to is it? There was an island of single malt scotch, as klink had mentioned the one by Safeco Field has. I'm confused if I was at the right place that you all were recommending. Is it on 6th or 4th? Yep, that's the right one - it's on 4th. Get anything good?

I love sushi rice. I could even be happy eating it without fish, though the combination is perfect, of course.

I like it. Can we have a contest? 3 oz. Knob Creek Bourbon 1 oz. Ginger Beer Shake and pour over ice in a rocks glass. Fill with Bitter Lemon. Now THAT'S a Slippery Slope to slide down... That actually sounds pretty good, but I don't think it would be a good idea to shake the ginger beer in a closed container. Perhaps just pour over ice and stir?

The site actually helped me find an alternative for the excellent, but very expensive and hard to find Clear Creek Framboise. I saw that a couple stores carried a French brand I hadn't heard of before, but that was less than a third of the price of Clear Creek and had good reviews from several web sites. Also, I see there are a lot more stores carrying Maraschino these days, which is a very good thing.

Glad I could help. It's nice to know that the Washington Liquor Control Board got something right.

I saw the magic spatual/whisk/tongs last night for the first time. It was the "but-wait-if-you-order-now" "free" add-on to some kind of lame rotary grater. Have to say I was intrigued, but I'm sure it's actually a piece of useless crap.

I usually just slice in half, steam or boil them until barely tender and then saute them in butter and olive oil (or even better, bacon fat) until they begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper. I'm interested in hearing about roasting techniques, though. I love the little things.

If you know the brand name, you can search for it at Washington State Liquor Stores here. It will show you the per bottle and per case price and let you find out which stores currently have the item in stock, as well as how many bottles they (supposedly) have.

That nougatine sounds really good - I may have to give it a try. Based on the recipe on page 186, yes? Edit: I just took another look at the Bras recipe, and not only is it complicated, it doesn't actually make sense. He says to spread the caramel and banana pate sablee mixture out on a silpat, but then he moves on to spreading the nougatine between parchment sheets and heating it in the oven - never again mentioning the banana mixture. Are they supposed to be combined in some way? Something is either missing or wasn't translated properly here.

At least he didn't add garlic. The thing that bugs the crap out of me when he does desserts is he only knows one way to garnish them. Every dish, no matter what it is gets a) dusted with powdered sugar, b) mint sprig, c) scattering of raspberries. This is NOT kicking anything up a notch.

Ahem.... http://www.dirtydrinks.com

I just wanted to resurect this thread to mention I tried the Jean-Georges warm, liquid center chocolate cake recipe tonight. I know it's a dessert cliche, but damn if it wasn't really, really good, as well as very fast and easy to make (if you have all the ingredients you can be eating it within about a half hour of opening the cookbook, but you can also make the batter several hours ahead of time, pour into molds, and just bake off when you want to serve the cakes). I got the recipe from the "Jean-Georges: Cooking at home with a Four-Star Chef" book, but it's also available on-line here: http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/warmsoftchocola.shtml Other recipes I've seen involve inserting a cold chocolate truffle into the batter before baking, but this one just uses a very simple, rich batter baked briefly at a high temperature to acheive the soft center. Has anybody else made a version of this cake that they recommend?

Recipes, you bastard. Here's a link to the chocolate cake recipe (super fast, easy and really good): http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/warmsoftchocola.shtml The lavender creme brulee came from the Herbfarm Cookbook and the sorbet I just threw together from some raspberry sauce I had in the fridge mixed with simple syrup and a dash of framboise. As for the FoodTV shows - is Jacques showing anything new, or are they repeats from previously broadcast shows?

sorry - can't talk - eating warm liquid center chocolate cake from the Jean George recipe, served with raspberry sorbet and lavender creme brulee.

OK, before everyone piles on with the Le Pichet posts (yes, it is wonderful) I would just like to mention one of my favorite places that doesn't seem to get much attention: the Capitol Club in my neighborhood, Capitol Hill. Fun, funky and romantic Moroccan decor; creative menu fusing Moroccan, Spanish, Italian, and French; very reasonable prices; and a willing bartender. The upstairs bar is a great hangout - very comfy and a veranda overlooking Pine Street. Check it out here: The Capitol Club Happy hour specials are served from 5:00 to 7:00 pm daily. Happy Hour menu here. By the way, a useful guide for both visitors and locals is Best Places Seattle.

I and my friends were absolute derelicts in college, but this . . . this is so so wrong on so so many levels. In some circles, you would have to pay substantial sums of money to have this "service" performed.

Ah, yes - Friday buffet at SCCC. The meal that can last all weekend. Some good stuff this time as Blue Heron and Seawakin outlined. I was especially suprised at how good the duck was considering it was served from a steam table. Moist and tender. By the way, here are the new menus for the next couple of weeks - looks like some tough choices here: One World Menu February 11-13 and February 18-20, 2003 Appetizers Soupe a l’Oignons Gratinee - $1.95 French onion soup with golden brown gruyere topping Soupe du Jour - $1.75 Please ask server for today’s selection. Salad Paysanne, Vinaigrette a a Moutarde - $1.95 Duck confit, mesclun salad, and apples dressed with mustard vinaigrette. Entrees includes your choice of soup or salad Salade d’Escalope de Saumon Chaud - $5.50 Seared salmon served over fresh greens, with vinaigrette dressing Canard Confit, Haricot Vert et Poire Pocher au Vin - $6.25 Duck confit with French green beans and wine poached pears. Filet de Poulet Sautee, a l'Estragon - $5.95 Sautéed supreme of chicken served with tarragon sauce. Boeuf Grille, Sauce Béarnaise - $6.50 Grilled top sirloin steak served with béarnaise sauce. Cuisse de Grenouille a la meuniere - $6.50 Sautéed frog leg with brown butter sauce. Oie Roti, Sauce Bigarade - $6.95 Roast goose with sweet and sour demiglace sauce. Poissons aux Olives et Herbes de Provence - $6.95 Papillote of halibut and squid with olives and herbs de provence. Square One Menu February 11, 12, and 13, 2003 All entrees served with your choice of hot and spicy shrimp soup, Galangal coconut chicken soup or green salad with Thai dressing. Paw Pia Tod (Vegetable Spring Rolls with Plum Sauce) Filled with bean sprouts, bean threads, shredded carrots, cilantro, and garlic. Served with plum sauce and jasmine rice - $5.50 Grilled Pork Skewers Pork tenderloin marinated with roasted peanuts, coconut milk and scallions. Served with jasmine rice - $6.00 Pad Thai (Thai Noodles) Made with rice noodles, chicken, scallions, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, ground red chiles, and cilantro - $5.75 Goong Gratiem (Garlic Prawns) Prawns sautéed with fragrant garlic, cilantro, and white pepper. Finished with a light broth and served over red leaf lettuce with jasmine rice - $6.25 Halibut in Green Coconut Curry Halibut and pea pods simmered in a spicy coconut green curry broth with fresh basil and Serrano chiles. Served with jasmine rice. - $5.00 DESSERTS Fried Banana in spring wrapper with vanilla ice cream - $1.50 Sweet Black Rice served with warm coconut milk - $1.50

Those look really nice, Klink. Next time you make pie, give me a call and I'll give you a lesson in crimping (if you like).

Can't say I'm really surprised. I thought it sounded like a stretch for them, though I probably would have joined just to try it out. Those aren't muffins - they're cupcakes.