Really Nice!

See!?! I'm not the only one who does this! Wonderful event indeed. Thanks to all very much!

They have one at the downtown Sur la Table but it's about 2 inches across and 1/2 inch high for $25. But it's not the dimensions in the link you provide.

I'm not sure there is a place specializing in baking supplies, but try: Bargreen and Ellingson 1275 Mercer Seattle, WA 98109-5514 Phone: 206-682-1472 Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6; Sat 9-1 Seattle Restaurant Store 14910 Aurora Ave. N. Shoreline, WA 98133 Phone: 206-362-4900, 800-343-6890 Hours: Mon-Sat 9-6 Sun 10-4

"Typically" a restaurant will charge enough to recover their cost of the wine in two glasses. Their cost is approximately 30 percent less than retail. They tend to get 5 glasses out of a bottle. So, if a bottle costs the restaurant $20; (about $30 retail) they'll charge $10 a glass. 2 glasses recovers their cost and they have the opportunity to make $30 for the remaining 3 glasses. However, depending on the preservation system they use, they might not be able to serve the remaining 3 glasses, if for example, they just cover the opening and no one else orders the wine for a week the wine is pretty much unservable. This is why they have to charge so much; it's a risk they are taking by opening the bottle. They are gambling that it will empty within a short period of time. This is why you don't see 1982 Lafite Rothschild being served by the glass. Would you pay $300 for 5 ounces? The major disclaimer comes on bottles that usually sell for less than $10 retail. This is where restaurants have an opportunity to make a lot of money. Wines like Woodbridge, Mondavi, Gallo... are some of the most popular low-end wines in restaurants. They also cost a restaurant around $5 a bottle, but the restaurant will charge $5 for the glass giving them a 500 percent markup on their cost; if they can sell the entire bottle, which is usually a no brainer for those brands.

It adds a certain amount of creaminess to the mositure inside the meat. I first read about this in The Foods of France by Waverly Root. Somewhere around page 211 (book isn't with me at the moment... shhhh... I'm at work!) he talks about the chicken from Bresse and how they are the finest in France. If I recall correctly, they feed the birds milk pellets in their final weeks to add a certain "quality" to them. This along with the genetic makup of this specific breed including flavor and color (red head, white body, blue feet = colors of the French flag) make the Bresse chicken the most prized chicken in all of France. After reading that passage I decided to brine a bird in milk. We were overwhelmed at this significant improvement in flavor. Since then I've done a little testing and have found that adding more than 25 percent milk is a waste of milk. We can't tell the difference between a bird brined in 100 percent milk or 25 percent; but we can tell the difference between 100 percent water and 75 percent water/25 percent milk (all other things being equal).

Really Nice! will be bringing Ms. Really Nicer!

Mine are for 6 P.M.

For the liquid I use a mixture of 75 percent water, 25 percent whole milk for all poultry and fowl. The milk adds an extra dimension to the flavor. For the salt I use 1 cup kosher salt for every gallon of liquid. I brine mine starting on Monday night for 24 hours. Tuesday night I rinse it under cold running water and pat it dry; very dry. Rest it on paper towels and let it air dry in the refrigerator from Tuesday night to Thursday morning. (A dry skin makes for a crispier skin.) Another thing I do is freeze butter pats on Wednesday night and then insert them between the breast meat and skin before placing the turkey in the oven.

Put the sauce in the fridge for about 10 minutes to give the fat time to rise to the top, and then use a baster to suck up the sauce from the bottom. Works every time!

I suppose we should start with what made it bland? What kind of meat did you use? Is it ground or diced? Did you dredge the beef in flour and saute it first or did you just throw it in the pot? Did you use water, canned broth or homemade beef stock? What seasonings did you add and when? Did you boil or simmer the chili? How long did you let it cook? Did you use a crockpot or stovetop and finish in a slow oven? Did you let the finished chili sit a day or two in the refrigerator before judgement?

This is a recipe I've had every Thanksgiving for over 40 years (except one when I spent Thanksgiving in Italy). It comes from my grandma who, according to my mom, had been making it for 40+ years herself before I came into the world. Those of you who are interested in lowering your cholesterol, consuming less fat, dieting through Atkins or South Beach, or counting calories can stop reading now. In my grandma's words: Cube two large loaves of bread for stuffing. Cook, drain and crumble 1 pound of bacon; save drippings. Add two large onions, chopped, to bacon drippings. Cook on medium-low heat until opaque and tender. Add bacon and onions to stuffing bread. Cook 1 pound of mild pork sausage. Do not drain. Pour over stuffing mixture. Add 1/2 jar or more of poultry seasoning, to taste, and 2 tablespoons of sage (optional). Add salt and pepper as desired. Slowly pour 1 cup of water over mixture and stir with a fork until moist. (I usually add one or two finely diced ribs of celery with leafy tops to the dressing. Other items may be added, such as water chestnuts, mushrooms, and so forth.)

Esquin wines on 4th and Lander has Ironstone Cabernet Franc on sale for $6.99 a bottle / $83.88 case through the end of November. This very good wine is marked down 42% from the regular price ($11.99). Ever since Parker 'discovered' Crocker & Starr Cabernet Franc, which then caused a 150% jump in price, this has become my favorite CF.

Hmm, I'm trying to think what would make a good foil to smoke and the only thing I can think of would be a dip made with a base of lactic acid: sour cream, yogurt... Salmon is typically smoked with alderwood so maybe a sour cream/yogurt-based dip laced with some nonsmoked salmon. Then again, what does one usually have with smoked foods? Beer. Maybe a good pilsner or a Belgium ale to go with them? BTW, the cheapest price I've seen for Tim's chips is at Cash and Carry. They have a box of 24 individual-sized servings for about $11.00 (if memory serves me correctly). Anyone else have an economical source for this habit? Idet for speling.

Alberto, Do you have the orginal Italian cookbook? Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi.

When I was in culinary school Tim's daughter was also in my classes. Wonderful young lady. Too bad I was about 20 years her senior. One day she brought to class about 30 individual serving bags. All different types. She revealed that the most popular potato chip and the one that generates the most revenue for the business is one that is not available at the retail level. It's cheeseburger flavored potato chips. Their market: prisons. My favorite is the sea salt - vinegar as well.

I do my "meez" before leaving for work in the morning. This includes putting the pots/pans on the stove; measuring and combining the nonperishable ingredients; and putting the utensils that I'll use on the counter. This saves me a lot of time.

Finally got my copy from Amazon. Has anyone taken the butcher paper off and looked at the actual cover? Cool artwork! So far it's a great read. I especially like the intro about the importance of getting your "meez" together... great advice that you seldom see outside of a school textbook. My only issue, actually an observation, is the text for the recipe titles. Tony, who at Helicopter chose this font? It looks like a font used in the Betty Crocker cookbooks from the early '70s.

Dinner Delivery

There is not one theater in western Washington that is showing this movie. Is it a limited release?

David, I think the best way to sum up your article is a quote from Nubar Gulbenkian. "The best number for a dinner party is two - myself and a damn good head waiter."

???

What's bitter? Chocolate, coffee, nut skins, poison...

Huh. I get sucked in by Barking Frog 25 for 25 every year or so; I guess it's about time again. Background: We live just a couple miles away from BF. The menu is tempting; they get some pretty good reviews. I really want BF to be a favorite of mine. But every time we go there I leave disappointed. The food is generally good, not great, and the prices always feel high to me for what I'm actually getting. Still, it's been a year or two since our last visit so if there's an eGullet gathering at BF count us in. ← And every year I have to listen to Mr. Toast's review. If there's an event here, I'd like to tag along just to watch his disappointment develop with each course.

The most popular nod to this creation says in 1935, chef Herbert Sachse at Hotel Esplanade in Perth Australia created Pavlova after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. He wanted to create a dessert that was as light and airy as her dancing. The circular meringue represents Anna's twirling skirt. Check out Rare Bits if you're into this kind of food history. It's a good read.

People who apply too much perfume or cologne.