nightscotsman

I had lunch last May at Pierre Gagniere, and while I don't have a large amount of experience with starred estabishments, I thought it was amazing and well worth the price of 85 euros. The meal consisted of an amuse, 6 different appetizers, a main course, 4 desserts, and a generous 3 trays of mignardise. I was there for well over two hours and the service was impeccable and gracious.

Champs Elysees 1-1/2 oz brandy 1/4 oz Chartreuse 1 oz lemon juice (though I prefer a little less - like 3/4 oz) 2 dashes Angostura bitters Shake with ice and garnish with a lemon twist.

I have a memory hazily floating to the surface of my consciousness of some guy who could open a beer bottle with his eye socket. Am I completely insane, or did I see this on TV somewhere?

According to the cocktail books that I've read, the water from the ice melting during shaking or stiring is an integral part of the drink and should be allowed for in a proper recipe. 15-20% sounds about right. Oh, and don't let my sig fool you - most of your post, while interesting, went flyin' over my head.

...and looks dorky doing it. I will most definately be trying out the new Flaming Queen... I mean "Orange" Gully as soon as we hear back on how much rum to use in the Falernum recipe. When I've perfected my flaming technique (where ARE those high-heals?) we'll see about getting together for a tasting.

"Cocktail: the Drinks Bible for the 21st Century" is my favorite. I think it's out of print now (if you ever see it, grab it - hard to find and going for more than the cover price, used), but a lot of the contents are available on-line here. I far prefer cracked ice for shaking as the larger surface area chills the drink much faster. It's also very important to use really cold (close to 0 F), fresh from the freezer ice, not sitting in a pool of water in an ice bucket.

My understanding of his techinque is that he holds the ligher or match in front of the glass and sort of bends/snaps the orange peel to release a fine spray of orange oil through the flame towards the surface of the drink. It's the fine mist of orange oil that actually ignites, not the alcohol in the drink. You can then drop the peel into the glass as a garnish, or use a strip of orange peel like he has in the photo.

Sorry - I was kidding (mostly). Although because of all the variables you mention, knowing what the differences are between brands would be extremely useful. I certainly didn't expect you to jump right on it.

A question about the recipe for Velvet Falernum Syrup: it says "one bottle of white rum". what size bottle would that be? Sounds like a very nice drink - I'll have to try it. Thanks so much to Dale for taking the time to think of us. Is it just me or does the name sound kind of.... uh.... gay?

That's West Coast gastronomy. A Southerner would have at least included pork. I don't think that's "kosher" bacon on the list.

Great article! It may seem silly, but this information is really important when you're dealing with fine tolerances in a recipe. So now how about tackling brown sugar?

Just table and kosher. fine table salt, by the way, is a better choice in baked goods, so I use it quite a bit. You don't want to bite into a chunk of undisolved, course salt in the middle of your muffin.

Is this book in English or Japanese? English with dish titles also given in Japanese. Ingredients are listed by weight in both ounces and grams.

I have the "Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art" book, and while I don't think I've actually cooked from it, I know it's very often referred to as the definitive English language Japanese cookbook. Having an introduction from M.K.F Fisher doesn't hurt, either. Last week I got a new, just published book from a restaurant in Japan called "Shunju: New Japanese Cuisine". Certainly not basic or comprehensive, but it uses some traditional techniques and ingredients in creating very modern dishes. The food is sort of like Japanese Michel Bras. Absolutely gorgeous photography. There is a section in the back on techniques with step-by-step photos as well as a list and photos of non-western ingredients.

If you want to get it locally I would try a large art supply store like Seattle Art. Just make sure it is real "gold" gold leaf and you should be fine using it on a dessert. There are also metalic gold colored "luster dusts" available at Sur La Table and that very funky cake decorating store on Roosevelt. By the way - welcome to eGullet!

According to the Chocolate Bible, it looks like the Spanish were the first to drink hot chocolate (up until then Aztecs and other native Central and South Americans drank it cold). They used boiling water, never milk or cream, and added stiffly beaten egg whites to give it some froth. They also added spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and ginger, but only sometimes added sugar.

This doesn't look good. The Web site is terrible with the pointless opening animation that you CAN'T SKIP, errors on several pages, Nothing about the chef, and no photos. The name change makes no sense (can you say "equity"?) and seems to point to a general "dumbing down" along with with the new menu, which - as Cabrales pointed out - doesn't look nearly as interesting as it used to. Why do they play up the pastry chef so much in the PR when the true star (up until now) in the kitchen is certainly Hawksworth? But you'd think that if he was gone they wouldn't even mention his name, and instead play up the new chef. What gives here?

This thread should be moved to the "Vancouver, British Columbia, and Western Canada" board, since I assume you are not considering dining out in Vancouver, Washington? Unless you were refering to the "innovative styles" of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster?

Thanks for the link lizziee. I'd love to read the article, but their registration policy is particularly draconian and invasive.

OK, I finally had lunch at Le Pichet today and can echo all the raves - it was fabulous! We shared a rough country pork pate with honeyed walnuts (perfect), and I had the salad of curried brandade fritters, frisee, red wine poached pears and toasted pecans (amazing). We finished by sharing a cup of their insanely thick and rich hot chocolate (not on the menu) with a side of whipped cream - there is no way one person could eat (too thick drink) an entire cup of this stuff. Not at all expensive - I think my half was about $15. You must eat here. It would be great if you could join us for Dim Sum! Of course, even though I think Jumbo is quite good, there is no way it could live up to what you must be used to in Vancouver, but it'll be fun anyway.

That's what's so great about America - we've got the NBA (National Beaver Association) to tell Congress to keep their stinkin' hands off our beavers. No permits, no waiting periods, no mandatory safely locks. Damn it.

I hear Trader Joe's has excellent frozen beaver. However, they recommend against using them as a weapon.

But what kind of cherries? sweet? sour (mmm... cherrie pie)? red? black? yellow?

I think I've even seen Maldon at QFC. Unless I was halucinating again.

I've eaten at Sazerac in the Hotel Monaco a couple of times and it's quite good. Think upscale Southern food. Do not eat there if you're on a diet - Rich and heavy, but in a good way. Across the street you'll find Earth and Ocean. There are several reviews from members here in the PNW board, but I think the general feeling is the food is interesting and creative, though portions can be small. Famous for their truffle french fries. The Lobby bar is particularly chic. Tulio, an Italian restaurant just a few blocks from the Monaco is also very good. Understated and plush rather than fun and funky, though. Best dinner deal downtown is definitely the bar menu at Brasa. The prices are very reasonable all the time, but during happy hour all the food on the bar menu is half price. Read all about it here. Of course their regular menu in the main dining room is excellent and should not be overlooked. Tom Douglas's Dahlia Lounge is always excellent, though I haven't been there since they moved to their new location. One of my favorite fun and funky places is The Capitol Club just up the hill from downtown (walk-able). Very reasonable creative Mediterranean/Moroccan inspired food, and a good bartender. The menu leans toward appetizers, so I usually order 3 or four starters - kinda like Moroccan tapas. I know Le Pichet is a huge favorite around here, but I still haven't eaten there, so I will leave it to others to rave about. Same with Matt's at the Market. And of course, there's always the Cheesecake Factory.