CathyL

Which brand would you recommend, Suvir dear? I've been thinking of buying one, and you just talked me into it.

Here are the reception and dinner menus: IN HONOR OF HIS HOLINESS THE FOURTEENTH DALAI LAMA AND SUPPORT OF THE TIBET FUND AUGUST 12, 1999 W NEW YORK RECEPTION MENU MELON VELOUTE WITH GULF SHRIMP, LEMONGRASS, PURPLE BASIL AND KAFIR LEAVES YOUNG CARROT SOUP WITH LOBSTER, LIME AND CORIANDER CREAM CUCUMBER SOUP WITH YOGURT, DILL, SMOKED SALMON AND CAVIAR DANIEL BOULUD, DANIEL - CAFE BOULUD ORGANIC VEGETABLE TARTARE IN A SAVORY TUlLE ROAST BISON ON RUTABAGA WITH CHERRY MARMALADE MICHEL NISCHAN, HEARTBEAT JUST PULLED MOZZARELLA HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND TOASTED PUMPKINSEED RELISH ON RED CORN CRISPS MARK TARBELL, TARBELL'S – BARMOUCHE CAVIAR PURSE SHRIMP SATAY WITH SPICY SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN & KERRY SIMON JEAN-GEORGES - JO JO - VONG - PRIME - MERCER KITCHEN - LIPSTICK CAFÉ BOUVET SIGNATURE BRUT SANFORD SAUVIGNON BLANC 1998 CHRISTIAN MOUEIX MERLOT 1995 ****************** DINNER LOBSTER SALAD ON A BED OF GREEN ZUCCHINI AND YELLOW SQUASH WITH MATSUHISA DRESSING NOBU MATSUHISA, MATSUHISA - NOBU FLORA SPRINGS BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY 1997 BAKED CHILEAN SEABASS RED AND YELLOW PEPPER COULIS ROGER VERGE, LE MOULIN DE MOUGINS - CHEFS DE FRANCE JOSEPH PHELPS GRENACHE ROSE 1996 RACK OF LAMB CREOLE-STYLE GOAT CHEESE POTATO GRATIN ROASTED SHALLOTS AND HARICOTS VERTS EMERIL LAGASSE, EMERlL'S RESTAURANTS RAYMOND RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1996 SPICED SAUTEED PINEAPPLE AND PASSION FRUIT LIME-FENNEL SORBET AND VANILLA BEET SAUCE GEORGE McKIRDY, HEARTBEAT MICHELE CHIARLO NIVOLE MOSCATO D'ASTI 1998 AUGUST 12, 1999 W NEW YORK

Col., you are embarking on a grand adventure! Thanks for taking us along. If you haven't already, consider buying 'Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing' by Rytek Kutas. It can be ordered online through several sites; here's one that also offers a lot of information about, and products for, sausage-making: Allied Kenco To guard against spoilage and the microbeasties it nourishes, curing agents like TenderQuick are more useful than salt. Should you wish to swap stories with the fanatic, you can subscribe to a web mailing list for sausage makers here. Choose the digest version or you will be blizzarded.

That may be the most positive review Eric Asimov has written since he took over (or whatever) for Grimes. I'm certain Diwan owes at least one of those two stars to the 'charred, smoky tomato chutney.' Thanks so much for organizing this, Suvir. Oh, and a bow to our Official Booze Coordinator as well.

A Wine Spectator article on Michel's activism regarding small-scale/organic farming: Kitchen Crusader This piece was a contender for the 2002 Beard Award for Internet Column and Feature Writing...which went instead to FG for 'A Week in the Gramercy Tavern Kitchen.' edited to include the above factoid

We are rather dessert-heavy, aren't we? (Not that this is a BAD thing.) Instead of brownies & apples I could bring a few versions each of baba ghanouj and hummus, with pita for dipping.

D the C, excellent treatise on brining. And ditto on letting the brined bird air-dry overnight.

Tommy, I own that blue platter. Conclude from this what you will, and then tell me all about it. Gawdjus duck confit. At what temperature did you roast the duck? What did you do to it before it went into the oven?

I thought FG's segment was excellent. The in-line skater said it all: "Scars and injuries heal, but the glory goes on forever."

Here's the link to the series segment about Steve: In-line skating first, puhleeze FG in heavy rotation!!

Thanks, Helena. I've tasted it at the restaurant but never tried making it. You saved me!

Is Prune too funky?

Toby, it does sound lovely. Eric Hubert did a somewhat similar dessert at Jean Georges - an apple confit of thin-sliced Granny Smiths, sugar and orange zest, layered in a baking pan and baked at 300 for 6 hours. The recipe is in JG's first cookbook.

Shiva, that's a great idea. I have a pair of poultry shears but they're a little anemic for turkey (I like to cut down the center of the backbone rather than to either side). Thanks!

At the Aspen Food & Wine Festival this year, Jacques' station had a tray of small bittersweet chocolate cups. He took your hand, placed a dab of chestnut honey below the junction of thumb and forefinger, and gave you a chocolate cup filled with port. Lick the honey, toss down the port, eat the cup. Chocolate shooters! Spectacular. [Not to mention the frisson of having hunky Jacques smear honey on your skin... ]

Sorry, Toby, that was many posts ago... I was thinking of several varieties of apples for tasting raw. And/or dipped in hot caramel/peanut butter, a lowbrow treat I'd be embarrassed to serve if it weren't so scrumptious. Overnight in the oven apple dessert? Wow. Tell, please.

I can't do the 18th, but if that works for most please carry on.

And a lot of cursing. It's occurred to me that if anyone could see what I put a poor turkey through before it hits the table, they might be less interested in eating it. I put the butterflied and brined bird skin side up over a water pan (because my heat source is directly under the grill) and smoke-roast it at 325. It takes roughly 15 minutes per pound. A rich stuffing under the skin keeps the breast extra moist and helps the skin brown and crisp. Butterflied turkeys are much easier to carve than whole ones, and look very impressive on the platter.

Maybe we could score some lardo, for comparison. Would that be diagonal?

Apples. Does anyone else have dibs on apples? 'Tis the season. Brownies too, of course.

I'm not sure of the % cacao, but Ghirardelli bars are waxier in texture and wimpier in flavor than Scharffen Berger or Valrhona. It's not as good for baking or eating. I haven't tried their unsweetened or 'baking' chocolate, though. Here's another perspective : High octane chocolate

Dave, even prime brisket is tough as nails. Poultry seems to absorb smoke more readily than meat, or maybe it's just because the flavor is subtler to begin with. When I started smoking I was so entranced with it that I poured on a lot. I find I'm happier now with much less. I'll investigate the possibility of an eGullet visit...

Shall we organize an eGullet outing?

I've only been once and need to go back. The brisket was smoky on my visit; the pulled pork and ribs were not, although all three were moist and tender. Steve, did you try the smoked foie gras? Quite something. Danny Meyer & company took on a huge challenge with Blue Smoke and it's definitely a work in progress. I understand they're constantly tinkering with the equipment to intensify the smoke flavor. Meyer never claimed he was aiming for 'real barbecue,' but of course it's impossible to avoid comparison with Q joints in Texas or North Carolina. Or Kansas City, for that matter.

Grant, if it helps I'll PM you a list of everything that's wrong with it. The biggest drawback is the size of the grill... There's a competing ceramic product called Primo Grill; it's a bit less pricey, and people seem pleased with it. They make an oval one with considerably more capacity than a large Egg.