Ron Johnson

If you accidentally knock your ten inch chef's knife off of the counter while you are clearing the cutting board, please suppress the reflex to try to catch it before hitting the floor. I learned that it falls point first and a well-sharpened Wusthoff will pierce the palm of the hand to a shocking depth. It is also helpful to suppress the next reflex, which is to extract the knife as this greatly increases the loss of blood from the wound.

You drink 1.5 liters of cheap Chianti every night after work? Wow, I guess that does go down like lemonade. Upgrade to $12 Cote du Rhone. It will be much better and you will cut your consumption in half because most come in 750's. Look for any imported by Kermit Lynch, Eric Solomon, Peter Weygandt, or Robert Kacher.

She should, as I have been her most ardent defender on egullett. As I stated before, I, for one, enjoyed the food diary thing. My only point was that I do not believe it is fair to champion Nigella and belittle Amanda when their modus operandi is so similar in essence. Of course, that was before she undertook wine tasting.

Nigella likes her friends and Amanda does not? A difference? Perhaps. A distinction? Not really. Self-absorption is still the commonality. That coupled with marginal ability and a savvy (or not) marketing angle get you on TV or a column in the NYTimes. Nigella as food-porn. Amanda as food elitist. No wonder Fat Guy isn't NYTimes material He is the real deal. Although the fact that cool and smart people like Mario Batali and Alton Brown have made succesful TV shows gives me hope that Fat Guy will soon have his own on-air gig. One thing about Hesser that does irk me considerably is her new status on the wine tasting panel of the Times with Asimov, Grimes, and Prial. Some of her comments regarding wine are absolutely hilarious. Her tasting notes are even worse.

It is interesting to witness the disdain that most have for Amanda Hesser and the appreciation that those same individuals have for Nigella Lawson. What's the differece? They both have the same concept: they write about themselves, their friends, themselves, their lovers, themselves, their family, and then themselves some more. At least Hesser calls her column a food diary so as to explain the abundance of first person prose. Although, I do think Mr. Bourdain did nail it with the Amy Sohn lite comment. (BTW, what's she look like?) No, I think the primary difference is that Nigella feigns common and slutty mannerisms, whereas Amanda is trying to fit in with the NYTimes asthetic. Both are equally ridiculous and offensive to certain groups of people. Isn't it really just two sides of the same marketing coin? "Don't hate me because Tad is marrying me" or "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful and just spilled all this chantilly cream down my cleavage." You say pOtato, I say potAto.

Red: Michel Ogier Cote Rotie is the most special wine on earth, no other area can make syrah taste this way, and the good producers (Ogier, Jamet, Jasmin, etc.) make magic with these grapes. White: Leon Beyer (why not?)

Well, I still think veggie means vegetarian.

Jinmyo, I made your recipe for riceballs. In a word, excellent! My hosts were very impressed and they paired perfectly with the seared ahi. I was amazed at the amount of flavor in the umeboshi. I used both umeboshi and pickled mango in the center of each ball. Just a great simple dish. Thanks.

Glenn, as I am sure you are aware, there really isn't a Yugoslavia anymore, not in the sense that it once was, but I am aware of a thriving wine industry in Slovenia.

Told you that Plotnicki would kick all of our asses. Some people dream of breaking into Fort Knox, but for me it is Steve's cellar.

Ok Jinmyo you win. Now, how do I make these things? and whats umeboshi?

Some neighbors have invited me for dinner this weekend, and I offered to bring the wine and a side dish. They informed me that they are making seared ahi tuna with a sesame and poppyseed crust. I am supposed to bring a starch side dish that will accompany the tuna. Because the tuna will be served ultra rare, I was thinking that anything like mashed potatoes or risotto would be too much softness on the plate. The dish also has some slight asian influences so that is another factor. Any suggestions are welcome, and if mashed potatoes or risotto is acceptable then please advise that as well. Thanks.

If they think they want 100-200 bottle capacity, tell them to look at 200-400. People are always amazed how quickly they fill one of these things and how badly they underestimated the storage space that they required. I usually tell people to get three times the amount that they originally thought they required.

I can't wait for Steve Plotnicki (aka Tenacious P) to weigh in on this one. He will blow us all out of the water. It will either be Bordeaux, Rhone, or Burg. I am guessing it will be one of those rare and perfect red Burgs. Anyway, for my measly addition I offer: 1990 Ogier Cote Rotie (Brune) My favorite winemaker in the world. 1996 Clos De Lambrays 1988? Gaja Barbaresco

Radio Free Fat Guy

Jaybee, you are on the right track. Now just make it part of your routine. Don't try to lose more than a pound or two per week, and the weight that you lose will not return. 6 months from now you could be 30 lbs lighter. Good luck!

Here, try some of these ; : , . ? !

Brining does work. It is not a myth. However, I have never brined ribs. It is my understanding the brining primarily imparts flavor into the meat, not tenderness. It is the internal fat in the meat that causes it to be tender. If you cook it low and slow, the fat slowly renders and bastes the meat. People who boil or bake their ribs first are doing so because they are going to place the ribs on direct heat just to sear on the barbeque sauce. This is a terrible mistake, and in my opinion misses the whole point of cooking ribs. Ribs must be cooked slowly with low indirect heat and lots of hardwood smoke. Prior to cooking remove the membrane over the meat and coat well with a dry-rub. If you like your ribs "wet" then use a mop soaked with your favorite sauce during the cooking period. Good luck.

In my freezer: Ice Phyllo Dough Vodka Limoncello I generally don't like to freeze food items because you have to thaw them before eating. This requires either a lot of time or a microwave. I have neither.

Franklanguage: Please forgive me if I do not put too much credence in your source for these anti-dairy claims, when it is called milksucks.com. Hardly a name that inspires confidence or an image of objectivity.

Franklanguage, I don't agree that this thread is laughable because it is "all fat people telling you how to lose weight." I, for one, am not at all fat. I am simply telling Jaybee how I maintain my weight and health. I would also like to know what impact cheese has on one's ability to breath. I certainly recognize that cheese is high in fat and should be consumed in moderation, but I have never had a problem breathing as a result. As for milk containing blood, pus, and fecal matter, I am interested where you get this information, and what effect pasteurization has on the presence of these contaminants. Are you under the impression that this is limited to milk, and that other types of food do not come into contact with bacteria or unpleasant substances? Apples are often full of worms, leeks are full of dirt, etc. etc. I mean food is natural and it is dirty. I think most people would be surprised at what fod looks like before it hits the supermarket.

Jaybee, it can be done. However, it cannot be done with a "diet". When you diet, your body actually slows down the metabolism because it is concerned that it does not have enough fat. So, when you resume "normal" eating, you gain even more weight in the form of fat because your metabolism has been slowed. Couple revolutions of this vicious cycle and you are pushing 350. The answer is to make changes in your diet that you can live with forever, and that do not slow your metabolism but speed it up. Here is what I do: (1) Exercise; no one wants to, but it is the best way to keep your metabolism cranked up and burn off that steakhouse dinner. At least 3 times a week do 25 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular/aerobic work like stairmaster, treadmill, etc. (2) Lift weights; the more muscle that you have, the more your body must burn calories to maintain it. Nothing major here, just some moderate lifting. Try it after you have finished your 25 minutes of cardio so you don't have to be in the gym everyday. (3) Eat less at each meal, but eat more often. This also keeps the metabolism cranked up. Not eating all day and then pigging out at night is the best way to gain a lot of weight. (4) Try to be sensible at some meals. Not every meal has to be a blowout gourmet experience. I try to eat "healthy" during the week, and then eat whatever I want on the weekends. That is when I am usually dining out or with friends anyway. If you take these four steps you will be healthy, slimmer, and most importantly not locked into some crazy fad diet where you can only eat pickles and sausage. Just my $.02

Project: The meat in Memphis is, in fact, coarsely choppped. The term "pulled" is just what that type of meat is called because the shoulder is pulled apart before the meat is chopped.

Fat Guy: I agree, outside of the midsouth, Memphis is primarily and mistakenly known as being rib-centric. I have been to too many places billing themselves as "memphis style barbeque" restaurants and been baffled by the fact that no pulled pork shoulder is sold. You are further correct that this misperception is due to the fact that so many tourists only encounter Corkys or Rendezvous where ribs are pushed as the main deal. As for the competition, I only mention the Memphis in May contest because it is considered the World Series of barbeque. If they think pork shoulder is the thing, then who am I to argue? At any rate, I was very interested to read your account of Texas 'cue. I have a friend from College Station (go Aggies?) who has prodigious cookouts at his home, but always disclaims that they are nothing compared to those in Texas. I guess everything is bigger in Texas. I wonder if the Fat Guy moniker is still as apt when you are in Texas?

Tommy, it isn't that a music critic needs to like all types of music, but that he/she needs to be able to appreciate quality, talent, or skill in all types. If the critic shows an abject disdain for a type of music and a consequent unwillingness to experience it in order to render a criticism then they should find another line of work. Its not anything wrong with the person per se, its just that they aren't qualified to be a critic. The same is true for food. If one is neither willing nor able to experience all types of food and equally willing and able to render educated opinions about the same, then they are not qualified to be a food critic. I would hate to think that in some city an entire category of food goes unreviewed because the critic doesn't like it.