Wilfrid

Retsina? Perhaps I exaggerate - I was just trying to get across the extreme oakiness of some white riojas. Maybe I should've stuck with the sherry comparison. Stephen: I have certainly drunk white riojas of that kind of age. I don't know how old they can get.

Thanks for the salsa. I will endeavour to add it to my grilling preparations for tomorrow. Last night, the final round with the pork shoulder. Sliced into strips, tossed in a hot pan, and served in (store-bought) soft tortillas, with salad (raspberry vinaigrette) and a smear of mustard. No pork for me today, I think. And then I discovered my Beloved had given away the tub of ice cream I had bought. To some childrens' party or something.

Credit where it's due. I regard him as something of an innovator as far as UK food TV is concerned. He was the first to break down the tremendously wooden kitchen-demonstration format, engage with the people around him on- and off-camera, leave the mistakes in the final cut, and add some spontaneous humor. Bit of an oddball, I gather, but refreshing in his day. On second thoughts, I suppose he made Jamie "Tongue Implant" Oliver possible

I sometimes forget that you need that little extra bit of assistance. Thank you for baring with me.

i think it's being suggested that mario is no longer a part of esca. No, Tommy. If your read slowly you'll see it's suggested that Mario is no longer involved in Esca because of a dispute with the other part owner. If the same ownership team is involved in Babbo and Lupa, obvious but unlikely consequences would seem to follow.

I thought the same ownership team were proprietors of Babbo, Esca and Lupa.

Much the same eating with groups of eGulleters, I have found Jinmyo, I would be more enthusiastic about the small portions for tasting menus if just one course could be a reasonably sized portion of fries, or mashed potatoes, or something similar - just so I don't have to raid the fridge when I get home.

Maybe Tommy will one day have a folk hero museum dedicated to him: "Museum honors Jonathan Luther "Casey" Jones, folk hero and engineer. Mississippi railroading interpreted. 1923 oil burning steam engine on display. Museum (fee). Souvenirs. No camping." I am sure Tommy wouldn't want any camping either.

if that ain't the nerd calling the kettle dork. I'm a nerd? Plenty wrong with me, but...a nerd? you sure have a nerv]

All wines are, once you open them. How ephemeral depends on your chugging habits.

Alton's too geeky for me. Also, his crew can't point the camera straight and keep it still - my big complaint about "A Cook's Tour" too. (And "Nigella Bites", come to think of it.)

Yes, you might consider burning some of them. You might also consider not doing so.

I am looking forward to the other black mark on the face of the New York Times!

Yes, I made that mistake and am now struck dumb. Maybe I have never eaten a good meal I also thought too much about Cabby's request for elaboration on my Emeril's comment. I can't think of any sensible response except to go through the dishes one by one, and my tasting notes would first need to be retrieved. One thing sticks in my mind: an edible wild thistle and caviar in mussel shells, garnishing a chilled mussel soup - unexpected, remarkable but harmonious - it was all a bit like that, and much more delicate in preparation and presentation than the hearty dishes on the carte.

Interesting comment from John. One distinctive reaction I have to colds is to want lots of sugar in my tea or coffee - I normally take none. If the sweet/sour receptors are the least affected by the illness, that may be the explanation.

Gordon Elliott's voice is so annoying, I sometimes watch the show just to mimic him (try "Follow that food!" with the Gordon bray full on). I do the same thing with the Great Puck. Rosengarten's out? He used to be informative, if somewhat twee.

If morels are harder to cook than any other mushroom, I've never noticed. Sautee in oil or butter - I would prefer butter - and once they have started to color and relax, add a liquid of your choice to finish them. Heavy cream - of course, of course - or red wine, or port, or calvados. Or forget the sauteeing and introduce them directly into a poached (not coddled) dish, such as capon cooked in champagne (or white wine) and cream. Buy some white wine from Jurancon, and make poulet vin jaune aux morilles. Does anyone accent the morels by adding chopped fresh herbs?

I went a very successful second round with the pork shoulder last night. That's the great thing about a lot of the kind of cooking I do - you get a second chance! Although I had let the joint stand a long time before serving yesterday, another night in the refrigerator improved it enormously. The whole thing seemed to relax. I started my favorite simple sauce in a large skillet - equal parts mustard and butter creamed together over the heat, then add a little non-chilled white wine. I also added a little of the pan juices, which had turned into a cute brown jelly overnight. I had enough sauce only to moisten the skillet. I cut thick slices from the joint, and put them in the skillet to warm trhough gently. That done, I removed the meat to hot plates, and finished the sauce in the pan, checking the seasoning. The meat was tender now, the sauce worked against any blandness, and I garnished the dish with fresh peas cooked with mint. An inexpensive young Cawarra Semillon Chardonnay from Lindeman's to drink, and the end of bucheron de chevre to follow.

I would be interested in that salsa, Soba. I must get back into making salsas again - it's been a long time. I tried making palette de porc fermier au forn yesterday, from the Paris in a Basket book. The recipe suggested asking my butcher to bone the pork shoulder. I did it myself, because I value a tough aerobic work out. Wiping my sweat from the boned joint, I stuffed it with fresh thyme and garlic, tied it up, and threaded lots of thyme and some bayleaves through the string. Essentially, the joint bakes in white wine. I scored the skin to get some crackling (very successful), but although I extended the baking time beyond the recipe's recommendations, I found the joint a little rare in the middle after I had rested and sliced it. The sauce made from the pan juices, with a little more wine, was pleasant, but a somewhat bland dish overall. Might be nice served cold with some salsa - I do have rather a lot left!

Jaybee, as I have mentioned in various contexts before, I think one of the best things to do at Le Cirque is to look at the plats du jour, which tend to be traditional - even rustic - dishes, which I think exhibit a little more passion than the signature dishes on the menu. This contravenes the Plotnicki theory that, if you go to a restaurant for the first time, you should eat the well-known stuff. But that's my view - and the rotation of plats is to be found right here.

The meals I have enjoyed most have not been in well-known restaurants. One was taken in a restaurant which may not, even, have had a name. Which makes me reflect that "best" is a different measure from "most pleasurable". I think the best restaurant meal I have had on the American continent was a tasting menu at Emeril's (the N.O. flagship). Diversity, imagination and precision of execution. Sorry, but it's true.

Yes, there's an important distinction there. You may have a chef of your own, but it's not as if you are invited to say: "Okay, I want you take whatever fish you've got, and make a fish pie with mashed potato on top. I liked my steak with a fried egg on top. And if you must make sauces, please serve them on the side." It's very much Gian Piero's own agenda, but tailored to your likes and dislikes. Wouldn't the concept be difficult to execute if there were significantly more covers?

I may be a greedy bastard too. I have been peckish following a few multi-course tasting menus recently. Seriously, I think it may be because of the absence of starch/carbohydrate from many of these menus. Raw tuna does not fill much of a hole.

I recall flying Singapore Airlines first class on a short-haul trip. I didn't want to get off the plane - it was excellent. I have found Air France to be pretty good too - at least they don't ration the wine. Bad experiences are too numerous to mention, but I once travelled Delta with a vegetarian colleague. The dinner was beef in a soft bun. When my colleague asked for a vegetarian option, the stewardess sweetly offered to take the beef out of the bun.

The garlic puzzles me in that initial recipe. If I was just rubbing the dish with garlic, I probably wouldn't finely chop the clove first. Or does it call for the garlic crumbs to be rubbed around the dish and left there? I never use garlic in a gratin. I learnt to make the dish by watching a French friend, which also involved cutting the potatoes for her.