VivreManger

I just wanted to thank all those who responded to my query. My wife and a large group from her meeting went to the Bukhara Restaurant which on the whole they all enjoyed. Particularly favored was the ostrich tandoori. She ordered a vegetarian curry that was only so-so. She had a very good meal at the Bayside Café, 51 Victoria Rd.,Camps Bay Beachfront, Thebaysidecafe@freemail.absa.co.za where she liked the Cape Salmon and another fish whose name she thought was King Calp. In Stellenbosch she visited an Afrikaaner store and restaurant -- Oom Samie se Winkel -- where she picked up a quaint group of spiced recipe packets -- South African food for idiots. The packets contains a detailed recipe accompanied by the actual separately measured and packed spice mixtures that are to be added at each stage of the preparation. I will describe the wines in a separate post. Oom Samie se Winkel did freak her out since it was the most blatant example she came across of unreconstructed Afrikaaner racism. The store displayed for sale souvenir rods with which to beat people, persuaders, as they were called. The restaurant prominently displayed a notice that it reserved the right to refuse service to anyone, the only instance she noticed such an assertion during her visit, mostly spent in the Cape Town area. The bobotie which seems like a South African-Indonesian moussaka was tasty. Oom Samie se Winkel reminds me of the redneck barbeque pits in the South.

Thanks for the warning about Ma Bourgogne.

Nothing has been written about Jewel Bako in the last month, although questions were raised about chef-changes. Has it lost its appeal or is it still as respectable?

The original Savenor's, in Cambridge, was made famous by Julia Child who bought her meat there. Years ago I used to shop there, but while the butchering was good and the variety of meats impressive, the owners were so full of shtick that it wasn't worth the bother. I don't know the Savenor's on Charles St., but in that high-rent location, I doubt that they are famous for meat. Currently the most-respected meat shop in Boston is probably Dewar's on Beacon St. in Newton Centre. They have a wide variety of game and specialty meats as well as dry-aged beef.

"Well first it shouldn't be a batter, but a rather dry to the touch coating by the time its ready for the pan. The last dip is into the flour. It also helps to use a sufficient amount of fat in the pan and to touch it as little as possible during cooking. preferably just one gentle flip with a deft utensil and thats it." The question of how to make it stick is one that Wilfrid and I discussed sometime ago. My instinct, like Ron's, is to try to keep the coating as dry as possible. I think it will also require a lot more oil at a higher temperature. I am also willing to commit the heresy of avoiding the batter entirely and just coating with a well-spiced combination of corn-meal, flour, and matza meal. But I realise that is not a chicken-fried steak. By the way, how did it get its name? My assumption is that it is a variation of the preparation for fried chicken, in other words steak that is fried as one fries chicken. In that case whatever works for fried chicken, i.e. thick batter, flour, and a lot of rolling boiling oil, should work for chicken-fried steak.

I finally got around to picking up the stockpot trio and have started playing with it. I am curious about others' experience. The pots are attractively-designed. The tempered glass lids are particularly servicable. As I cooked pasta this evening the tidal wave of boiling water and pasta about to breach the lid was fun to watch. The base is solid and strong, though I have never been a fan of the thin stainless steel siding. My trusty old aluminum Leyse and Toro-ware still has its uses. In that regard, have any of you ever gotten beaten aluminum saucepans? I use to buy them as wedding presents, but they seem to have gone off the market. One potential weak point in the Chefmate appears to be the seam of the metal rim around the lid. That looks like the first point to wear through, but it will probably be a few years before that happens. I did want to learn more about how they cook, for ahwile we were stuck in metallurgy. (PS Thanks to Jason for helping me rediscovery this thread).

Shameless shilling for a distant cousin. And this is probably too late to do you any good, but... If you have a car and want to go off the beaten path, may I suggest, Trattoria ai Gessi, via Gessi 15, Gessi, Zola Predosa (Bo). It is about 20 to 30 minutes outside of town, depending upon traffic. The owner-chefs are Jill & Luigi, 39-(0)51-758136. My great-grandfather is her great-great-grandfather so the relationship is distant enough for me to have no claim on her success and fortune. She is from London. He from Bologna. They run this place together -- she cooks, he hosts. They live over the restaurant. It is not super haute cuisine, but it is very imaginative local cooking. In season, they make a wonderful nettle pasta. Their desserts are a combination of Italian-English puddings. As in Zuppa Inglese ala Inglese. Jill has taken a lot of ideas from Luigi's mother. As a kid she and her family spent a lot of time in Italy. The gall of an English chef setting up shop near the center of Italian gourmandary has attracted some favorable local reviews. I have eaten two meals there with great enjoyment. If the story piques your curiosity, give them a call and tell them Jill's cousin, Ben from Boston sent you. At the very least, the curiosity of it all is worth an inquiry.

John Brunton, some months ago listed ten of his choice brasseries, The Observer, Sunday October 20, 2002. In no particular order, as I recall them they included, in addition to the usual Flo and other suspects which have already been mentioned: Les Grandes Marches, 6, place Bastille. I believe that Bux has recommended this too. A modern retake of the classic brasserie. L'Européen. Two entrances: 2 rue de Lyon, 21, bis, boulevard Diderot. 12th. Tel: 01 43 43 99 70. Metro: Gare de Lyon, 75012 (Tel: 43 43 99 70) Opposite the Gare de Lyon, Tacky decor, pleasant outdoor terrace. Au Pied de Cochon, 6 rue Coquilliere, 75001 (Tel: 40 13 77 00) Brasserie ma Bourgogne, 19 Place des Vosges, 75004 (Tel: 42 78 44 64) The distinction here is that the cuisine is from Burgundy, Auvergne and the Beaujolais cuisine, rather than Alsace. I join those who down-grade La Coupole. Been there over the years. Each visit was worst than the previous one. As for Lipp, I won't go unless somebody famous takes me, other wise I don't think its worth the effort.

Au Petit Marguery, 9 bd du Port-Royal, 13th (01.43.31.58.59), Mº Gobelins. closed Sunday-Monday For sometime I have been meaning to write up my meal at this well-known restaurant, that, if my perusal of the Paris postings is correct, has not gotten much attention on this board. We dined there in early December. This was within a month or two of its sale by the long-time owners and managers, the Cousin Brothers. Since at that time, they were, I believe, still managing it, the six month (?) transition to the new regime had yet to end. It would be useful to see what changes, if any, are now taking place. Au Petit Marguery makes appearances in most of the standard gourmet guides as a moderately-priced (3 courses around 40 euros w/o wine) and reliable venue for game. Unfortunately -- with some irony -- the circumstances of that evening were not the best. Our Moroccan-American-Jewish hosts in Paris had served us a huge hand-rolled couscous meal that Saturday afternoon. The broth was superb, the best I have ever had. The accompanying mezze, delightful -- including a very fine fennel crudite -- and the flourless chocolate cake that finished the meal, delicate and satisfying. Under the circumstances not all of my family, daughters (11 and 14) and wife were up to the rigors of a second major meal later that day. Force majeur, the burden fell on me to do most of the eating. The kids wound up ordering salad and appetizers, sharing the main courses with us. We split one desert, but the mignardaises alone would have been enough. My wife and I shared half a bottle of wine. Our eldest daughter had the sea-food ravioli as her starter. It was a surprisingly good combination of oriental style shrimp-based ravioli in a Mediterranean zuppe de pesce-like broth. We all gladly shared tastes of this dish, a successful fusion not expected in a traditional French game institution. My order of pheasant terrine, something I expected them to do well, was disappointing. I could have had better charcuterie from almost any corner-deli in town. And the cornichons were nowhere to be found. The pleasant French couple at the table close by ordered the assortment of terrines. I did not taste theirs but by appearance, the food did not look significantly different, i.e. better, than mine. At this point the kids moved onto their salads. True to form, this is not the course to order in a game restaurant, but they needed their rabbit food after all that couscous. My wife ordered the Cousin Brothers' mixture of five wild mushrooms, sautéed in garlic and roasted to finish. I ordered the biche (i.e. doe). I tasted a few of my wife's mushrooms, nothing too exciting, a judgment she shared, although she had no trouble finishing the plate. I found them a bit dry and stringy. The garlic was not as assertive as I would have liked. On the other hand my biche was superb. It was one of the tastiest bits of meat I have ever eaten. I had never ordered doe before since I don't think it has appeared on any menu in the States. Perhaps restaurateurs fear that serving bambi might drive even some dedicated carnivores into the arms of PETA. In my case however, it only reinforced my carnivorous instincts. Doe, as prepared at Au Petit Marguery, is superb, even better than any venison dishes I have enjoyed. About four-five years ago I had venison at Jean-Georges' NY restaurant and this Paris dish was superior. The doe was very simply prepared, seared to a pleasing crispness on the outside, the outer flesh, almost caramelized in sweetness. Inside the flesh had a gamy richness that everyone at the table enjoyed (I did not tell my daughters they were eating bambi -- just steak). The meat was poised on a richly buttered bit of toast and surrounded by large tear-dropped shaped purees of winter root vegetables, different turnips and potatoes. The tastes complimented each other well. I passed on a dessert of my own, content to taste the well-made crème brulee, which our 14-year old pronounced one of the best and devoured with gusto. The mignardaises consisted of crystallized citrus peel and lovely light and tasty butter cookies, more than enough for the four of us. We sat at the entry of the restaurant, designated for no-smokers. None of the other diners, all French, smoked either. The interior of the restaurant is lovely, perhaps more attractive, but the bright airy room where we dined suited us well. The restaurant is definitely worth a return engagement. Their well-known lièvre à la royale is my next meal there. I really liked the Petit Marguery, but am very sceptical on what it will be like from now on...might eat again there soon, as it's nearby my apartment...will keep you all updated

Basmati Rice (Version 1) 1/2 onion finely chopped 1 T ghee/canola/or corn oil, in order of preference 1 c basmati rice 1 bay leaf 2 to 3 cardomon pods 1 to 2 cloves 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp salt 1-3/4 c water Let rice soak in 2 cups water for 30 minutes. The quality of the rice determines whether or not it should also be washed, but most basmati rice sold in North America should not require much washing. In a heavy oven-proof pot lightly saute onion until it is translucent. Add the spices and saute quickly . (The amounts listed are approximations and should be adjusted to taste) Sometimes I add 1/4 t of Patak mild curry paste. Strain the rice and saute it lightly as well. After the rice is very lightly tanned and mixed well with the spices, add the water and bring to a boil. At this point you can either, lower the heat and cook on the stove top for about 20 minutes or move the pot to a low oven, 300 F, and let cook for about 15 minutes. The oven-baked rice has a richer taste, but you must be careful not to let it overcook. Keywords: Side, Easy, Indian ( RG183 )

The version I have come up with is: 1/2 onion finely chopped 1 T ghee/canola/or corn oil, in order of preference 1 cup basmati rice 1 bay leaf 2 to 3 cardomon pods 1 to 2 cloves 1/2 t whole cumin seeds 1/2 t turmeric 1/2 t salt 1 3/4 cups water Let rice soak in 2 cups water for 30 minutes. The quality of the rice determines whether or not it should also be washed, but most basmati rice sold in North America should not require much washing. In a heavy oven-proof pot lightly saute onion until it is translucent. Add the spices and saute quickly . (The amounts listed are approximations and should be adjusted to taste) Sometimes I add 1/4 t of Patak mild curry paste. Strain the rice and saute it lightly as well. After the rice is very lightly tanned and mixed well with the spices, add the water and bring to a boil. At this point you can either, lower the heat and cook on the stove top for about 20 minutes or move the pot to a low oven, 300 F, and let cook for about 15 minutes. The oven-baked rice has a richer taste, but you must be careful not to let it overcook.

For what it is worth, I would not put Oleana in the same category as the others under discussion.

I have been to two on the list, but neither recently. L'Ardoise in December 2000 Les Bookinistes (now Bouquinistes) in May of 1997 For what it is worth: I would recommend the former over the latter. Although the former is a bit cramped. The food at L'Ardoise was considerably more inventive than that at Les Bouquin... I was quite disappointed with what was offered in the latter. L'Ardoise also offers better quality for its price.

Julia Child's broil on one side/then roast method works well with a butterflied leg, if live coals aren't possible. I like bone-in also but there's something rustic and summery about a charcoal-grilled butterfly, especially if a few rosemary sprigs are tossed on the fire before the lamb goes on.

My simpler method is to preheat the oven to 450-500 (f). Put in a Lodge Iron Griddle, flat side up with a thin coating of EVOO and reduce the heat to about 400-450. After the griddle has heated up sufficiently (maybe 5 minutes). Put in the cut potatoes, so that each potato is directly exposed to the grill. How they are cut depends on what they are. Russets, I cut into long quarters and cook unpeeled. Yukon golds, I cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick silver dollars. Then I let them cook for about 20 to 40 minutes, turning over about mid-way and reducing the heat as necessary to prevent burning. The exact time depends on the nature and thickness of the potato. Salt, herbs and garlic get added in the last ten minutes or so. This method yields a low-fat french-fried like roast potato.

Thanks. I think that the dry sherry might be the key. Margaret Pilgrim graciously PM'd me a similar version but w/o the wine. By the way since the leg of lamb is frozen and a month distant from the butcher's counter, I won't be cooking it butterflyed, but more generally I have not been enamoured of butterflyed leg of lamb. I like my meat black and blue and removing the bone means that the meat tends to be more uniformly cooked so that one loses the contrast between crispy well-cooked outside and the rare juicy meat near the bone. On the other hand the marinade does penetrate a boned leg better. I will just have to let the creature soak a bit longer.

This is going to be a slightly weird query. I am planning to make a leg of lamb in a couple of days. Normally I use the Bertholle-Beck-Child rosemary soy mustard glaze, but I want to try something different for our guests since she cooks that one as well. There is a marinade I remember smelling when I was a teenager, visiting a masterful cook, an eccentric scholar of English literature who made dandelion wine, wrote wonderful books about Blake, and taught for many years at Brown University. He had the delightful name of S. Foster Damon, a Rabalesian walrus-like character, of great distinction. He always reminded me of someone who had stepped out of an illustration from a book by Lewis Carroll. Lamb in this marinade had a wonderfully meaty, gamy quality. There was probably some lemon juice and garlic in it, certainly some rosemary, but what else I cannot reconstruct. Remembering it recalls his summer cottage that bright day on the North Shore of Boston, in the very waspy village of Annisquam, near Cape Ann. His kitchen was cluttered and suffused with herbs grown in his garden, pots filled with sauces, bubbling away, and that marinade. What could create a marinade of such abiding savory richness? I would love to recover that phantom marinade and its rich aroma. Any lamb-lovers out there who can offer some suggestions?

Today's Boston Globe ran an article on the close connections between Boston Magazine's Food Editor and the local chefs she praises. Chowhound's Boston Forum has more discussion of this issue. Here is the Boston Globe story: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/036/livi...d_editor+.shtml

Loufood: "Our yogurt containers here in France are clear glass and terra cotta." Not so fast and superior. Some come in flimsy plastic and paper containers, little stronger than dixie cups, particularly the non-artisanal corporate no-fat brand. Is it "svelte" or something ssing about?

ALERT. ALERT. The small containers (8 oz. -- 227 g.) of Stonyfield Farm yogurt no longer have lids. They have been replaced by a tin-foil covering (similar to Yoplait). They claim the new lid will reduce land-fill usage by 270 tons. Save your yogurt lids, Stonyfield will NOT rise again. Perhaps we must start a black-market in recycled lids? It gives a new meaning to buying a lid.

I just called the local Target in western Mass. They have the 3-pot -- 8-12-16 quart -- $69.99 offer in stock WITH lids included. Steve, maybe I missed it, but did you specify the precise size of the $19.95 medium sauce pan? During my phone call, I did not get all the details, since I hope to stop by Target later today, but they also have a smaller 4-piece that includes a strainer.

Did a Google search and came up with many links of which the most interesting were http://www.allaboutbeer.com/news/world/97hardy.html http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-001097.html http://beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/177/3267/ This is Barley Wine Style Ale comparable to Anchor Old Foghorn, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. Stephen Beaumont tasted a 1994 vintage Hardy Ale a few weeks ago and felt it could use a few more years of aging. http://worldofbeer.com/ktt/hardys.html

I have three bottles of Thomas Hardy's Ale, two from 1995 and one from 1994. I bought them a few years ago and they have been stored in my cellar whose temperature ranges from about 45 to 50 (f) in the winter and as high as 70 plus in the summer. The bottle's label claims that 55 (f) is the optimal storage temperature and that the beer will improve with age, maturing "like a fine wine". It is supposed to last for at least 25 years. I have probably had it for at least 5 to 7. I did a quick search in this forum and found no discussion of the beer. For the record it is a barley malt, hops, yeast, and water only brew, produced by Eldridge, Pope & Co. in Dorset, England. I am curious if anybody else has ever tried this beer or has heard of it. If there is any expertise out there, any advice as to how best to enjoy it. I suspect that it is a winter beer and should be drunk at about 55 (f), certianly not fridge-chilled to 35/40 (f).

A few variations on the other recipes: For the Food Network recipe, drop the carrots and instead of making a separate tomato sauce, after you have browned the shanks and reduced the wine sauce, set them aside and simply chop up a pound or less of fresh tomatoes, add a bit of butter to the skillet, and saute them up into a sauce, adding it to the shanks as they cook. The recipe is a bit quicker if you use one skillet (preferably cast-iron) for stove-top browning and a large dutch oven or creuset type covered pot for the oven roasting. You can start the cooking by putting the shanks into the oven along with the reduced white wine sauce, as you are preparing the tomatoes. To create a richer sauce, I also add demi-glace to the wine-based cooking sauce, and in addition to the shanks I also brown up a pound or so of meaty veal stewing bones and add that to the pot. Later they become the basis for an amuse boche for another meal or a treat for the cook waiting to serve the main course. Elizabeth David classic, Italian Food (1954, oft-reprinted), has the base recipe I use.

Brick/Brik is related culinarily and etymologically to the Turkish borek (that is o with an umlaut) and the Sefardi boreka. Maghrabi Arabic (that is the language of the Western Arab World, North Africa) drops vowels in colloquial and thus borek can become brk/brik. The dough used in the Tunisian version is one more variation on the phylo-type that has been previously discussed by Steve Klc and others. Each of these savories require meat, fish, vegetable, egg, or cheese to be wrapped or covered in a single sheet or multiple sheets of dough of variable flakiness and then cooked. The cooking method like the precise type of dough varies. The Turkish borek is deep-fried. The Sefardi boreka (and similar dishes I have had in Bosnia) is often baked. The item may be individually wrapped and cooked like the borek or boreka or it may be cooked and only cut after, as in a large tray of spanokopita. I have never had a fruit borek/boreka, but no reason it does not exist. A good Armenian/Greek/Middle Eastern store should stock the necessary ingredients. If Eastern Mediterranean, the store clerk should know the Turkish borek and be able to guide you to the proper dough. I am not a fan of Paula Wolpert's cooking advice. You might see if Claudia Roden has any good details. She has several borek recipes in her Middle Eastern cookbook and probably in her Jewish book as well.