Matt_T

Thanks for the suggestions! Stage 10 is on a Sunday, which might work well. Also gives me some time to shop. Paris-Brest is a great idea.

Hello, all. It's been a while since I've signed in, and I hope this isn't an old topic - if so I'd welcome a pointer to the relevant threads! My wife and I had the idea to host one or more home dinner parties to coincide with the Tour de France. We're not cyclists but enjoy cooking (and mostly eating) French recipes, out of Julia Child and elsewhere, and thought it'd be a fun theme. We could turn on the Tour rebroadcast during cocktail/coffee hours (with the sound off), and it might be like looking out the window at the French countryside. Last year I saw a blog on which an admitted Francophile presented a traditional recipe for each day of the 2010 Tour, chosen from the region where the riders were competing that day. It looked very well done and while I only found it in the closing days of the event - too late to plan a dinner - it gave me this idea for this year. The author said s/he would be back in 2011, but I can't find the blog. Only this one, which might be great but I don't think is by the same people as the one I saw last year: Culinary Tour de France Does anybody else recall the old blog - which I'm pretty sure wasn't affiliated with the official Tour site - and know if it's active again this year? Any suggestions for our little party (or parties)? I'd welcome suggestions from cooks who follow the Tour, about days when the riders might be passing through regions of special culinary interest, and from anyone who enjoys French food ideas for recipes, menus, decor, fun stuff....whatever. I'm hoping to design an entire menu (including wine) around the region where the Tour is riding on the day of the dinner. Or, if one region on the Tour really begs for this kind of tribute but they happen to be riding it on an inconvenient day, I guess I could DVR it and replay it later for the party. If we actually pull it off, I'll post a writeup of how things went (with pictures if I can get any decent looking ones out of my little camera). Here's the official site for the Tour de France, with the route and schedule: LeTour2011 One reason I posted this to eGullet, even though I'm only an irregular visitor, is that from what I recall of the community others might enjoy this kind of thing, and it might be a fun topic for ongoing discussion or even cook-offing. Merci!

Just placed my order with RAC, for a Weber S-650 for $1493 shipped. It was only about $150 more than the 620 and I figure if we're going to be spending over $1000 might as well have the bells and whistles. Near as I can tell, the difference is the 650 adds a special rotisserie burner, as well as a smoker boxer which sounds like something fun to play with. Thanks for the tips and links! I'll post when it arrives and review RAC's service.

Thanks for the replies! I figure i can't go wrong with Weber but was just wondering if there might be some alternative I was unaware of. I'll check out MHP and RAC too, before buying. Any thoughts on Kenmore Elite? i don't know anyone with a Kenmore grill but think well of their appliances. Not much detail in this listing, but this looks like a possible deal: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07117676000P?vName=Outdoor+Living&cName=Grills+%26+Outdoor+Cooking&sName=Gas+Grills#specs

Hi all. I hope I can get some help once more with shopping...this group hasn't steered me wrong yet! It's my job to pick out a new gas grill for our firehouse. We've gone through at least three hand-me down grills in recent years and are ready to pitch in and spend a few dollars for a decent grill that will last a while. I'm only familiar with the Weber brand (positive experience) and Char-Broil (negative), and not with any of the brands I see mostly on mail order like Ducane, Broil King, Napoleon and etc. We have a natural gas connection, and need about 640 sq in cooking surface....that's what we have now and I don't think we'd want any less. This will be used probably 3-5 times a week to cook for a dozen people. We'd need something good performing, with enough BTU to put a nice crust on steaks and decently even heating. Above all it must be very durable, low maintenance and easy to clean. Fancy features like sear burners, rotisserie and etc might be fun to play with but not important. Cosmetics are of no importance at all. A high enough lid to do a large turkey would be nice, but not necessary. Any suggestions or experience for a sturdy, simple, high-value natural gas grill would be welcome! ---- edit: I didn't state budget...I don't want to spend any more than necessary but we have 30 people pitching in for this so up to $1000 would be ok... or maybe a little more if it would make a difference for durability and cleanability compared to cheaper grills. I really don't want to pay extra for any gadgets that most of our cooks won't learn how to use properly. We have some great cooks but they don't all like to read manuals or handle tools gently!

You get what you pay for, I guess. Althought the little plastic RSVP works pretty well in home use, with judicious application of force. How small holes would be required to reliably seed tomatoes? In my shopping I've seen mills with minimum hole sizes in the finest included disk of 2.5, 2, and 1.5mm.

+1.

Cuisipro won Cook's Illustrated's test but lots of people on Amazon don't like it, either. You're not the only one who's had problems. And I don't see it for under about $90. The JB Prince item looks like what we need, but price is a little high. Anybody have the stainless version of the RSVP, the Endurance?

Surprised when a search didn't turn up anything on food mills (at least going back several pages of results). Reviews at Amazon are all over the place. A little help choosing, please? I have a plastic RSVP mill at home that I like, but it's too small and probably too flimsy for the kitchen at my firehouse - where I'm in charge of stocking the pantry and kitchen. Can someone recommend a mill that: - Will sit properly over a 12 qt stockpot (about 11" diameter) - Is sturdily built to resist rough use by eager but inexperienced, ham-fisted kitchen helpers? - Comes with a disk fine enough to seed tomatoes - Is easy to take apart and clean - and hopefully dishwasher safe? - Value priced? Thanks!!

Is 428F high enough for a Infrared thermometer? If so that combo unit looks like a great buy.

Thanks for the quick replies! I'm glad to known it's"real" though I'll gripe a bit to the seller about how it was listed. This is a great community...I haven't been active here in a while but need to go see what's up with the cookoffs and other forums. Thanks again!

I just unpacked a saute pan I bought on EBay. It's a 3 qt pan in stainless-lined copper, with cast iron handle. It was listed as a Mauviel Cuprinox 2.5mm, and the thickness and dimensions seem about right. I don't have a micrometer but with a ruler make the thickness about 3/32". The handles and overall form sure look like Mauviel (to my eye from looking at web pics; I've never owned a French pan). It just doesn't say Mauviel anywhere on it...the only trademark is stamped to the left of the handle and reads S T L MADE IN FRANCE. I'm guessing this was made by Mauviel and marketed by Sur la Table. If so, I guess I'm ok with it since I care more about functionality than designer brands, and the price was pretty good. But if it's a counterfeit or factory second or not as good as "real" Mauviel-branded Cuprinox or anything like that, I'm going to try and send it back. My first visit of course was to the Sur la Table website, and they do sell Mauviel pans that look alot like this one....but they're stamped Mauviel. I've had bad luck pasting links to EBay listings, but if you're curious about the listing just search EBay for 260366663652 . Thanks for any help.

Thanks for the reply, we're going to try Campton Place next week. Tonight we were casual and the location was convenient so we tried Plouf on Belden Lane. The wife's mussels were excellent and plentiful, my monkfish was tasty but small of portion. First courses were a somewhat watery bisque and ho-hum green salad that was noticeably gritty. Service was friendly and probably competent but understaffed. Fish of the day was "whole" roasted petrale in lemon caper sauce, the woman at the table next to us got it and it looked fantastic. MT

This year's DAT is underway: DAT SF 2009 In past years the wife and I have made January visits to Tommy Toy's, Postrio, One Market, Bushi Tei.....where should we go this year? Bonus points for spots where the DAT menu is representative and the prix fixe represents a significant discount! MT

Update: We tried the crab and pork soup dumplings at both Joe's Shanghai and Shanghai Cafe, the Chinatown locations. Both are very good - better than almost anything we can get in San Francisco - but the wife and I agreed Shanghai Cafe was the winner. Thanks for the tips....Next visit - Flushing!