nightscotsman

I have a love/hate relationship with Trader Joes. I swear I can't get out of that place with spending at least 50 bucks. Now I have a kitchen full of sauces and condiments and no actual food. They have great snacks, organic cereal, some good cheese, excellent frozen scallops, and their house brand of extra virgin olive oil (no, I'm not using the acronym) is really not bad and has become my standard when used in cooking. Lately I've become addicted to these packaged cookie things called "rocks and rolls". They are very hard, low sugar and fat, and come in almond and lemon flavors. Not the tastiest, but for some reason once I start eating them I can't stop. Good with a glass of sweet sherry.

Yes, the "Gateway to Japan" book is excellent. Lots of historical and cultural detail and covers many small, out of the way places not usually mentioned in more mainstream books. I especially like the section on Kyoto. However, the Gateway book can be a little overwelming, so for the first-time traveler I also recommend the "Frommers Japan" book. Not as comprehensive or authoritative, but offers very practical advice and guidance on where to stay and eat (categorized from cheap to expensive), as well as help on choosing the "must-see" sights. I read both books as well as "New Japan Solo" (also from Kodansha) and ended up taking the Frommers book with me to Japan with a few key sections xeroxed out of the other books to fill in details and maps.

They still make the Sky Bar. I've never had one myself, but I remember seeing how they're made on FoodTV. Ancient, massive, complex machines with all these little molds moving along a conveyor belt. You can get them here: http://www.oldtimecandy.com/skybar.htm Lot's of other old, hard to find stuff at the same site. And I definitely want to take a look at that book - thanks

Maison recommended the Shramsburg Winery tour and I have to second that. Reservations are required and they charge a small fee, but it's really worth it. You get to taste several wonderful champagnes, the tour is very informative and the setting is beautiful.

Oops - sorry! I should have gone back farther in the thread and got my story straight. Just so we're clear: Dark Milky Way - a good thing. Triple Decker Bar - sounds good, I want to learn more. Dark or white Kit Kat - I'm dying to try these, wish I could find them in a local store. By the way (to recomplicate things), my favorite discontinued candy was the seven-up bar: seven different sections, each with it's own different filling, all covered in chocolate. Like a whole box of chocolates in a handy bar form!

According to M&M/Mars the "Forever Yours" was renamed the "Milky Way Midnight". Are you sure this is the same as the "Triple Decker"? From the corp. web site: "The MILKY WAY® Dark Bar used to be called FOREVER YOURS® Bar back in 1936 and was discontinued in 1979. However, due to popular demand the FOREVER YOURS® Bar was reintroduced in 1989 and was named MILKY WAY® Dark Bar. Based on consumer studies we found out that the chocolate in MILKY WAY® Dark was not what people would think of as dark chocolate and we wanted to reposition the bar to appeal to a broader audience so it was renamed MILKY WAY® Midnight in 2000 and is what you see on the shelves today. The bar still retains its bold, rich chocolate, fluffy nougat and the best caramel ever, the change was only in the name." I only ask because the candy that Eric_Malson mentioned sounds good, but I couldn't find any mention of a "Triple Decker Bar" using Google, even on the discontinued candy lists.

It's not the meat, it's the...... bun. Like heyjude (I think) said in another thread - hate it when there's more bun than dog. But then, I've never been a size queen myself

I'd go with a classic (from the 19th century) 1-2-3-4 cake: 1 cup (230g) butter (room temp) 2 cups (400g) sugar 3 cups (360g) flour 4 eggs (room temp, separated) Also: 1 Tbs baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar slowly and cream until light and fluffy (don't under mix). Add egg yolks one at a time beating well after each. At slow speed mix alternately the flour and milk, beginning and ending with milk. Stir in vanilla. In another bowl whip egg whites until stiff, but not dry. mix about 1/2 cup of the whites into the butter mixture to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites. Bake at 350 in two 8- or 9-inch pans for 30-35 minutes, or 1 9x13 pan for slightly longer. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before unmolding. Makes a moist, rich, buttery cake that isn't heavy or too sweet. For a basic "yellow" cake that's a bit thicker in texture you can use 5 eggs, but don't separate them and increase milk to 1-1/4 cups. You can also easily change the flavor by adding lemon or orange juice and zest, coconut, spices, etc. (by the way, this recipe is in lots of books, but the above directions are paraphrased from "A Piece of Cake" by Susan Purdy) (edited to add ingredient weights)

No answers here - sorry. However I have seen raw turkey consumed on Iron Chef. Looked really vile, but nobody died that I know of.

Cooks Illustrated actually did a story about this last year. Their conclusion after much testing was that blended wines (we're talking red here) worked the best. I've been using a blend they recommended from Coppola that works very nicely and is very inexpensive from Trader Joes. It's called Rosso and is mostly Zinfandel with some Syrah and Cabernet added to round things out.

Thanks for the great review Steve. This place has been on my list for a long time, but I think it's time to bump it up a few notches. Too many restaurants, not enough time (or money ) By the way, do you happen to remeber any of the other dessert choices? Did your dining companions order anything that looked interesting?

YES!

I have a friend who swears that cooking risotto in a pressure cooker gives great results, indistinguishable from the traditional method, but in a fraction of the time. Has anybody tried this? Is my friend completely nuts?

OK, my latest peeve? When manufacturers reduce the size of their packaged goods, but charge the same price. Especially when recipes call for a specific size of canned product - condensed milk, tomatoes, chicken broth etc. - but the new standard size is one or two ounces less. So you either have to use less, which can affect the outcome of the dish, or buy two cans and waste most of one. Grrrr.

Uh... don't look now Steve, but you're wine glass is dead. Oh, and please post us a review of your experience at Le Gourmand when you have the time and inclination.

Welcome sfroth! Thanks for the interesting post. I've really gotta get myself to Rover's. Told ya you'd get hooked

Interesting - I had dinner at the Spoon Food + Wine in Paris in May. It was much lower key than your experience sounds and there was no fucking loud music at all. The interior was done in soothing, inoffensive pastels and the most creative touch were the place settings: each one was unique and non-matching. The staff was extremely enthusiastic about the menu - almost too eager to explain and be helpful - and the food was delicious with very creative presentations. And I don't remember the bill being quite as high as yours. Also, after dessert (which was killer) I was presented with a little bag of warm, freshly baked cookies to take away: chocolate/chocolate chunk and oatmeal raisin. Sorry your experence at the London Spoon (an Alain Ducasse restaurant) wasn't wonderful, but do try the Paris Spoon Food + Wine when you can.

Be sure to checkout Taco's recipe (click "Now Playing"). He uses the sheet pan method and recommends draping with bacon.

Thanks so much for finding and posting the article Blue. It's interesting to read about restaurants that were here before I moved to Seattle 8 years ago as well as those that closed before I had a chance to try them out. I actually did live here for a year about 20 years ago while I was going to school, but back then I couldn't afford McDonnalds let alone Settebello. Speaking of Settebello, isn't it sad to watch the string of half-hearted attempts at "restaurants" take over this location after it was such a classy and upscale place? I also appreciate the article's description of service issues in Seattle restaurants. The author made the points I was trying to get to, but I couldn't get my brain to put the words together right.

No hibachi. Shabu shabu.

And....? It's a novelty. ya know - for fun. Doesn't have to be Berthillon to be worth a try.

OK, I just got back from Hoffman's Bakery. I got two items: Princess Torte: wonderfully moist and tender yellow cake layered with whipped cream, pastry cream, and raspberry jam and covered with marzipan. Fresh, light, yummy and not too sweet Raspberry filled shortbread: this was kind of like a very upscale pop tart. Just the right amount of raspberry jam sandwiched between thin rounds of tender shortbread and sprinkled with coarse sugar. Based on this limited sampling I would have to say: "big thumbs up". Not exactly all that I was hoping for from an upscale european patisserie - the selection is heavy on the cookies and cakes with fairly common flavor combos and formats, and I didn't see any croisants or puff pastry - but the quality is definitely there. Thumbs up on the liquor store too, but that's another thread

I want to clarify my "immature" statement above after reading the latest posts. I was referring mostly to the front of house experience with this label, but even more so to the dining public. As evidence I point to the Cheese Factory getting the "best new restaurant" nod in the Weekly with people standing in line to get in, while tables are empty on Saturday night at many of the best independant places. To our credit we have surprisingly few of these chain places in the inner city. I think that alone gives us an advantage. Is it fair to compare Seattle restaurants to those in New York? Not really, but if I were a restaurant owner and/or chef that is the level I would want to aspire to, so the comparison might be useful. On the other hand, I do think it's entirely fair to compare our scene to Vancouver, and in that case I think Seattle is a little lacking in both front of house service and culinary creativity. I think I agree with this. It seems like we get charged top-level prices for an experience that would be closer to mid-range in San Francisco or Chicago.

Thanks for the tip on Hoffman's - by the way, Google says the address is 226 Park Lane in the Park Place Center shopping center. I'll check it out this evening while I'm over in Kirkland picking up booze on Schielke's advice. I'll also revisit Essential this weekend and report back. Oh, the things I do for you guys...

Le Fournil used to be close to what I mean by a "good european-style pastry shop", but their quality has really gone down lately. A couple things I got there recently were pretty much inedible. Most of the other places you mentioned have a very limited product line geared mainly to breakfast-type pastry (I would rank the Essential Bakery in Wallingford highly here). I'm talking about a patisserie that would be up to the standards of a good neighborhood shop in Paris or Vienna. They should have a mix of croisants, puff-based pastries, cakes (multi- and single-serving), mousses, tarts (sweet and savory), custardy things, and cookies all made from scratch with the best incredients, refined and elegant rather than rustic and homey. A line of house-made chocolates would also be nice, but that may be asking too much. Closer to home, I think that "Senses" in Vancouver hits the mark. I would also credit the cooking school at Seattle Central Community College for emphasizing artisan breads in their pastry program. You can purchase their products at a pastry case inside the school at rediculously low prices - if you can get there before they sell out.