dvs

i'd do quince AND delfina instead of redd. and i had a great low key meal at cook in st helena recently.

i'm sure i'll sound like a complete looser by asking this, but are all the restaurants considered equal? meaning if i wanted to plan a trip to visit one, is there one over another i should focus on?

i'm NO baker... but couldn't you just wrap the perimeter w/ ribbon to present and give a card w/ ideas to decorate & serve? (thawed, heated, creme anglese, whipped cream, ice cream...)

that looks wonderful! thank you! edited to ask... when you say you add more stuff after cooking, is that just to complete the "cerealness" of the granola? i'm looking for something that clumps up to give my daughter as "cookies"

i think he's ignoring you jason

most of the shipping companies have these funny things called x-rays nowadays... the cost to ship something as heavy as wine should make this kind of crap shoot not cost effective. honestly, i'd call the winery directly and have them ship it for you.

does anyone have a nut free recipe for granola? low sugar would be ideal. thnaks in advance!!

oh!! i forgot... ghetto pops aka:

in what way? according to the french laundry web site: "The French word "bouchon" describes a particular style of cafe that has existed in the province of Lyon for centuries. Bouchon, opened in 1998, lives up to this designation, offering authentic French bistro fare of a quality not to be found elsewhere in the United States." from what i can see, at least in the united states, bistro and brasserie are terms used interchangeably to mean a relatively casual french restaurant serving some common food items like: steak frites, frisse salad, french onion soup, etc. i haven't eaten at left bank (but my husband has), and we have both eaten at bouchon...i think they fall into the same category as restaurants like balthazar, l'express, etc. that you can find in nyc. just because it is thomas keller, doesn't mean it can't be compared to other restaurants of the same ilk. and to be honest, i didn't find the service, food or atmosphere so rarefied at bouchon (unlike the french laundry, i'm sure) that it could be held above left bank to the degree of a comparison being "apples and oranges"... to beat a dead horse, their menus are very similar and they are both multi-location endeavors. ← ok.... to each their own i guess. but i have eaten at both. the food quality at LB is seriously lacking and the service far from professional. whereas at bouchon, the food is great & the service wonderful. but again, to each their own.

thanks for taking my post with a grain (or two) of salt! unfortunately, there are decent restaurants here, but i don't think there is much that is great. actually, if you like steak, alexander's steakhouse is pretty darn good. i would say on the level with new york steakhouses. just avoid the desserts. their menu concept is a little different as they sort of fuse the steakhouse concept with high end sushi...haven't tried the sushi though. but i have seen lots of japanese and other asian businessmen eating there. edited to add: for what it's worth, the left bank would probably have been a decent choice if you like french bistro style food. i don't think that it is much lower on the scale than bouchon in yountville. ← apples and oranges...

i used to HATE, with a capital H A T E, blue cheese. then i had a baby and now i LOVE it. crazy. i don't think there is anything else i hate, but i dislike: mussles (cooked or raw) & clams (raw) - love oysters though foie gras - i will eat it if i have to, like at TFL, but otherwise i'll pass. love all pate though sweetbreads - blech tongue - blech

i'm going to call the wine institute,,, will report back. called. its illegal. so dumb. i guess those pesky drinking age laws get in the way or something

it was hotter than FORK in the wine country today (and this weekend)... so, i resorted to firing up the grill at 9pm last night and grilled off a flank steak marinated in olive oil, s&p, garlic & parsley and a bunch of chicken breasts marinated in tj's mole sauce. i didn't even think of eating them last night... but they sure tasted great in salads today

I pickle my cherries in a mixutre of white wine vinegar, cider vinegar and sugar. I just mix until it tastes about right, so I don't have any proportions. The Bouchon and Napa post is in production. ← i hope you had a wonderful time at bouchon... they lost their best and one of the valley's most beloved bartenders saturday night. i wanted to stop by and say hi, but... my heart is really breaking. sorry to add this to this blog, but if things were askew, its because he was supposed to be there today...

if you can stop by post ranch inn post ranch inn and talk your way into the infinity hot tub bar just outside of the bar (i have some names you can drop if you need to), it is sooooooooooo worth it!! beautiful & amazing & spectacular don't even come close to describing how cool the view is.

if the guest is not leaving and you have the table booked for another reservation, offer to buy the table dessert / a drink elsewhere (the bar or another table). if they resist, politely explain your situation to them - another party has a reservation, they have a special occaision & they specifically requested this table. buy their desserts if you have to. if you need to embellish, do so. but above all, be polite. if you did not tell the guest at the outset of thier seating that you would need the table back, you are almost obliged to kiss their ass to get the table back if you should need it and they want to camp.

here it is on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Spoon-by-Alain-Ducasse...1QQcmdZViewItem edited to add, its $21.60 w/ 12.06 for shipping and if the link doesn't work, go to ebay & search spoon & ducasse

sounds wonderful!! happy 21st! for chocolate, how about a chocolate truffle w/ some wonderful salt sprinkled on top? i was just reading about them here http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=26 and now i'm jonesing!

i just saw a commercial on TFN for "The New Walmart Organics"... does this mean organic growing is really going mainstream?? or has Walmart found some loophole where they can call something "organic"??

i was only half watching & missed that... what happened?

thanks for all the replies!! i wanted to add that i don't drink crystal light as i heard the phenylneurotics (sp) in it are bad for you... what i do add to a btl of water a day is that EmergenC stuff you can buy by the bushell at TJ's. i'm sure that stuff is much better for you but i am glad to hear that it'll count towards my daily water intake

so, i was watching a commercial on tv (crystal light or some such) that claimed that their stuff added to h2o would count as one of ones 8 glasses a day of water. is this true? i always thought that anything added to water counteracted why one needs the 8 glasses a day.

.....Always a pleasure. ← thanks! you rock

ingredients for toast dope please

... or you call ahead to make sure your favorite bt's will be working