Really Nice!

Even more weird is the same chefs aren't even nominated every year. Just look at who's missing from this year's list, Keller, Trotter, Waters, Boulud... I'd have to agree that it's political. I think that once you win, you've set the bar for which you will be measured in the future. It doesn't matter what's going on around you or what the competition is doing, you have to far surpass the effort and imagination that got you that first award.

That's a shame. It's one thing to enjoy being anonymous while in the general public, but to be a person of his caliber in excellence and be unrecognized among your peers... Da bastards! This is a topic for a book I would love to see coming from the French Laundry. I already have two, the CIA's, Remarkable Service, and Charlie Trotter's, Lessons in Excellence. To read how Thomas and Laura train their staff would make a great read for me. Each time I'm there I'm overwhelmed at how they do it.

I checked; Escoffier, The complete guide to the art of modern cookery, and it's not in there. I checked; The Escoffier Cookbook, A guide to the fine art of french cuisine, and found a 'jacqueline consomme (page 209). "With a small spoon, cut out from some carrots twenty-four little balls, which should be cooked in the consomme. Prepare two baba-moulds of royale with cream. "Put into the soup-tureen the carrot balls and the royale cut to the shape of pastils, one tablespoon of peas, the same quantity of very green asparagus tips, and one tablespoon of rice. "When about ready to serve, pour one quart of boiling chicken consomme over this garnish. I checked; Le Repertoire de La Cuisine, and it's not in there. I checked; Herring's Dictionary of Classical and Modern Cookery, and it's not in there. I checked; Mastering the art of french cooking--volumes one and two by Julia Child and it's not in there. I checked; Sauces by James Peterson, and it's not in there. Rather than you sit there waiting for no response, I thought I'd pass along my search failures. Grrr.... If you find it, pass the recipe on this mysterious sauce along. I'd be curious to its origin.

Oooooh that!!!!! I got the flags hanging off my roof, and I used the egullet sign as a table cloth for a back yard table.

Salt, when properly applied, should make you salivate. If you actually taste salt, then you've added too much. Pepper has a long history, just do a search on the spice trade to find its purpose and you should gain a lot of insite. As to why we continue to use it today, it adds a certain depth to food that isn't there. To say that the reason we use it "is that so many recipes call for it" is a plausible argument. Much like recipes that suggest you sift flour for a recipe when there is no apparent reason for it. Those directions come from our grandma's mothers. It's just copied from recipes handed down the generations. Pepper, when properly applied, should make you pause to an unexpected sensation in the back of the tongue. Too much and you end up coughing due to its hot and spicy picante characteristic. I agree with Suzanne's experiment (geez, that's twice today!). Try the same dish with and without it. You'll probably agree that it needs it. A little bit of history: Pepper was used in 400 BC by the Romans and was a valuable item both as a currency and for trade. Pepper grows green, turns red from the sun, burns to black, white is the inside of black pepper. Mélange includes those four plus allspice. A couple of notes about various peppers (notes are from culinary school): There are basically four kinds of pepper. Green, red, black and white. In this order, pepper becomes more aromatic (from green to white); however, the inverse is true in flavor (white is the strongest in flavor, green weakest). All come from the Piper nigrum vine and are mostly grown commercially in Asia and South America. The main difference is what happens after they are harvested. • Green pepper: This is mildest in flavor and has a fresh taste. It is the most aromatic of the three peppers. It comes from unripened, immature berries. While weakest in flavor, it is the strongest in aroma. It is brined or freeze-dried to stop the ripening. • Red pepper: This berry left to ripen in the sun. (Pink peppercorn is pepper that is not fully ripened.) • Black pepper: Has a sharp, pungent aroma and flavor. It is less earthy than white pepper. It is the same as red only scorched in the sun. • White pepper: This is the inner hull of the black pepper. It is strongest in flavor (hotter than the others), and it is weakest in aroma. Also, use this in dishes that are lighter and little black flecks are not preferred. Personally, the white peppers that I have purchased have a notedly 'plastic' smell and flavor to it. The same results come from separate purchases at Sur La Table and Williams and Sonoma. Does anyone else detect this?

Err, umm, uhhh... I never got one when I signed up!

I'm going to go. It's amazing how unemployment can open up your schedule so you can do anything at anytime. Remember, everyday is Saturday!!!!

It's actually $1,100 to $1,400 for two days. I have an article in the New York Times from September 4, 2002 in the dining out section titled, How to Boil Four-Star Water. It might be on their Web site but I don't like subscribing to online newspapers so I don't know. The article focuses on how ametuer cooks can intern at a four- or five-star restaurant anywhere between two and five days. If you want to intern at The French Laundry (Chef Thomas Keller) , Daniels in NY (Chef Daniel Boulud), L'orangerie in L.A. (Chef Ludovic Lefebvre), L'Arpege in Paris (Chef Alain Passard), Restaurant Guy Savoy (Chef Guy Savoy), Gary Danko in S.F. (Chef Gary Danko), Charlie Trotter's in Chicago (Chef Charlie Trotter), etc., etc., etc., you can find more information at here or call, 212 856 0115. A five day internship costs $1,900 to $2,600 and a two-day program costs $1,100 to $1,400. Cost does not include your transportation to and fro, nor lodging while there. You also need to bring your own chef's uniform (including the proper shoes) and a knife kit that includes tweezers, scissors, saucing spoons, and a variety of knives. FYI, the following U.S. restaurants are booked through the end of 2003: The French Laundry, Daniel, Jean Georges, and The Inn at Little Washington. The site says to check back after November 1, 2003 at which time the new calendar for 2004 will be open for booking. From the Web site: Have you ever dreamed of watching a world-renowned chef in action? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to cook in a famous kitchen? Now, for the first time ever, there is a way to realize this dream. Through an innovative one-on-one internship program known as L'École des Chefs Relais Gourmands, many of the world's greatest chefs have opened their doors to amateur cooks with a desire to learn and a true passion for fine food.

First trip to FL was me alone. Tasting menu was $105. With wine, gratuity, and tax, the bill came to $220. Second trip to FL was with my girlfriend. Tasting menu was $105. With wine, gratuity, and tax, the bill came to $650. Went higher with the wine.

Katherine, how do you make yours? I buy 8 oz of heavy cream and add 1 teaspoon of sea salt to it and let it sit overnight. The next day I pour the heavy cream into the kitchenaid mixer and mix it for about 15 minutes until the curds and whey separate. The curds eventually make a big ball. I get about 2.5 ounces of 'buttah' to every 8 ounces of cream. Thanks for any insight you can provide. Mike

When I reverse engineer something like this, I develop it in small portions until I get it close, then I build from there. With the ingredients you provided, separate them into groups of parts. I'm guessing that the soy sauce and sugar are in the same quantity, the sesame oil and rice wine are in the same quantity (but different from the soy sauce and sugar), and the corn starch and ginger are different from the others. Start this by starting with: 4 parts soy sauce and sugar 1 part sesame oil and rice wine 1/2 part corn starch and ginger One part can equal one teaspoon. So the 'recipe' for the above is: 4 teaspoons soy sauce 4 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon rice wine 1/2 teaspoon corn starch 1/2 teaspoon ginger How does it taste? What flavor stands out compared to what you've experienced at the restaurant? If it stands out too much, reduce it in the next attempt. How is the consistency? Is it too thin, too thick? Adjust the corn starch. It may take four or more attempts before you get it to taste and feel the same. Your final recipe may look something like this: 4 teaspoons soy sauce 3 teaspoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon rice wine 1 teaspoon corn starch 1 teaspoon ginger I hope you get the idea. Oh, and apply Chef/Writer Spencer's method. Good luck!

You can find wood at any bbq store. Do you have a Barbecues Galore in your area? They have all the woods I mentioned. Check their store locator at Barbecues Galore. I wish they'd open a store here in Seattle. We get ten sunny days a year! Don't let rain keep you from doing it, just take it into consideration when you smoke or bbq. It's usually cooler when it's rainy than when it's sunny. Cooking time will be longer. Oh, another reference is the BBQ FAQ. It's available in many locations including: Home of the BBQ FAQ and More.

The best butter I've ever tasted is Isgny Saint Mere. It's available at whole foods for about $4.50 per 8 ounces. It's imported from Normandy France. It has a very intense butter flavor. A little goes a long way.

If you're going up with a bunch of people, he is open to giving demonstrations on his craft. He explained why he uses the metal he uses, how he makes them, how to care for knives etc. We had about 10 people go up there in 2002(?) Fish can verify the date. I think he charged $30 a person for the 'lecture' and demos. It was very worthwhile. We dropped off our knives and had them back within two days via UPS.

There's a very good Web site dedicated to this. Vitual Weber Bullet. ALthough it's geared specifically towards the Weber Bullet smoker, you can apply the information to a grill or any other smoker. Also, here's some info from my family's cookbook. SMOKING FOOD from Mike First, follow your smoker's directions. You should get the basics from its documentation. (This is especially true if it is gas or electric; I accept no responsibility if you follow these directions and blow yourself up.) These instructions are for a water smoker, as the recipes are not designed to dry the food but rather slow cook it. A 'cylinder-style' charcoal and wood blocks/chips water smoker is the most common smoker. It looks much like a capsule or a bullet about 1 yard tall and 18 inches wide. It is divided into 3 sections. The very bottom holds the charcoal or wood; the lower middle is a water basin used to keep the food moist and the upper 2/3s is where the food cooks. Water smokers can be found in hardware stores for about $30 but can go as high as $300 at specialty shops. One of the main problems in smoking food is the inconsistency of temperature during the cooking process. This is where an electric or gas smoker clearly has the edge. However, you shouldn't use an electric smoker if it is raining or where the ground is wet or damp. When using charcoal and wood, the secret is to start off hot. Each of the smoking recipes included here use a 250°F (120°C) as the target temperature. It is easier to start hot and maintain a high temperature than it is to boost up a low one three hours into cooking. Also keep in mind the usual variables, season, air circulation, moisture, weather temperature, wind, and quantity and proximity of coals used can hinder or vary cooking times. Where and when are you smoking? Christmas Eve in Chicago is significantly different than Christmas Eve in Sydney, Australia, expect different weather patterns to change your finishing time. A 12-pound turkey can take 4 hours in the summer, 7 or 8 in winter. Water smokers usually have a thermometer built in. Unfortunately, the temperatures warm, ideal and hot are not very descriptive readings. To get an actual reading I drilled a hole in the cover of mine and inserted a meat thermometer. The best way to maintain a high temperature is to use a smokestack charcoal starter. (Never use lighter fluid... yeech!) They sell for about $12. It's just a round metal cylinder with a wire screen inside to hold the charcoal. Fill it up with your coals, crumble up a newspaper underneath and light the newspaper. 10-15 minutes later your coals are red hot and ready to add to the smoker. At first I thought it to be a little ridiculous to buy a gadget like this but it makes sense to use it. Without it, when you put coals in the smoker, the energy that is used to cook the food is transferred to getting the coals hot, not cooking the food. Putting coals in while they are reaching the red hot stage allows additional energy to cook your food and you don't have to wait 20 minutes for the coals to get ready and the temperature to get back to where it was. It works wonderfully. Another aspect to achieving and maintaining the 250°F temperature concerns water. For the same reason you don't put charcoal in the smoker without firing it up first, boil the water in the microwave before pouring it into the basin. I use a long plastic funnel (designed for putting oil in a car) that works really well for funneling the water through the small opening at the bottom of the smoker. Try to keep the water at a reasonable level. Not too much, not too little. The more water you have, the more energy required to boil it; the less you have, the dryer your meat will be. I usually use between 1 quart (litre) for stuff like ribs to 6 cups (1-1/2 litres) for whole turkeys. Another problem I have encountered is the charcoal smothers itself out after a few hours. I solved this by buying a good quality metal colander (the kind you use for draining pasta). Inside the smoker I put my coals in the colander. During the cooking grab the colander with a tong and shake it about every hour. The ashes fall through and the coals show their red-hot surface. Using the right wood can add some nice flavor to your food. Soak the wood for about 15 minutes before adding it to the fire. You want the wood to smolder, not flame up. The listing on the next page, SMOKING FOODS - A GUIDE TO USING THE RIGHT WOOD, should help guide you along. Don't add your wood to the smokestack charcoal starter. After adding the charcoal to the smoker place the wood blocks on top. Also, if you are smoking for more than two hours, you will need to add additional water and charcoal/wood. I alternate every half hour between adding wood or water. For example, if the food goes on at 2 p.m., I’ll add more charcoal/wood at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 and so forth. I’ll add additional water at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 and so on. This method helps make that 250°F (120°C) goal as close to being a constant as you can. So basically, the steps for a good smoke are: 1. Take the weather into consideration when smoking or barbecuing. Is it windy, raining and cold? 2. Let meat sit in room temperature for 1 hour before starting 3. Start off with a lot of charcoal in a smokestack charcoal starter (the goal is to get to 250°F 4. Soak your wood for about 15 minutes 5. Place a metal colander inside the smoker 6. Boil about 1 quart of water in the microwave 7. Place charcoal and wood in the smoker 8. Insert basin and pour water in 9. Place food on wire racks above the water basin 10. Keep smoker covered because it takes about 30 minutes to recover the heat after opening 11. If you are cooking more than 2 hours, keep an eye on the thermostat and add charcoal/wood and water; alternating every half-hour or when necessary 12. Don't open the cover except to check the temperature of the food (if you inserted a thermometer into the meat) or to remove it. No peeking! Other things to do I also experiment with adding things to the water. Sometimes adding 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot wine in the water basin along with some fresh herbs, whole peppercorns, mustard seeds, or liquid hickory smoke can add nice flavors. Stove Top Smoking I have also smoked foods on my kitchen stove. I use a fish steamer and wood chips. Soak the chips for about 15 minutes and place them in the steamer, no additional water is necessary. Place the tray above the wood, add your food and cook over medium heat. Cooking times are about the same as a barbecue. I've tried this with chicken and fish and have had favorable results. SMOKING FOODS - A GUIDE TO USING THE RIGHT WOOD from Mike Sorted by wood Alder - A medium, tart smoke taste goes well with beef, fish and game. Apple - A light, sweet flavor goes well with game, pork and poultry. Cherry - Distinctive and delicious goes well with beef and game. Grapevine - A strong smoke flavor goes well with beef and poultry. Hickory - Heavy smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, fish and lamb. Maple - Sweet, hearty smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, fish and lamb. Mesquite - A light smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, beef and pork. Oak - Heavy smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, jerky and pork. Pecan - A rich, sweet flavor Goes well with everything! Sorted by food type Bacon Wrapped Roasts - Hickory, Maple, Mesquite, Oak and Pecan Beef - Alder, Cherry, Grapevine, Mesquite and Pecan Fish - Alder, Hickory, Maple and Pecan Game - Alder, Apple, Cherry and Pecan Jerky - Oak and Pecan Lamb - Hickory, Maple and Pecan Pork - Apple, Mesquite, Oak and Pecan Poultry - Apple, Grapevine and Pecan Use about 4-6 wood blocks to start with charcoal barbecues and smokers. Use wood chips with gas or electric barbecues and smokers, or, if you want to smoke over the stove in the kitchen. Soak wood or chips in water for 15 minutes for best results. This prevents the chips from burning too rapidly which gives a bad charred flavor.

Bob is incredible. He made me a couple of knives back in 2001. A 10" Chef's knife and an 8" boning knife. I'd love to see him forge the steel if I could.

I pour mine into the ice cube trays. Each cube ends up being two tablespoons. After they freeze throw them into a ziplock bag. Pull out individual cubes as you need them. Use them as the fat in any dishes that goes with duck. Apples, cherries, figs, mushrooms, potatoes...

I've only had the oyster and pearls once and that was my first visit. Is it a 'regular' item? I also noticed no rabbit on the menu. I was quite surprised at the chicken dish. As for deals on the wine, I can't recall anything specific other than noting that the prices were much closer to retail than some places in and around Seattle (home for the moment) such as Rovers, Canlis, and The Herbfarm. Most restaurants put their prices 2 - 3 times retail. I also noticed there's a lot of burgendy on the list. I guess that's because the acidity in the pinot noir makes it more agreeable with the wide variety of dishes. A few years back I read that the FL wine list contained mostly young wines (< 4 years old). There were some bordeaux from the early '90s that I noticed. There were also quite of few half bottles, which makes sense for a tasting menu of this caliber.

Yup! Everything is the same, the menu, the wine, the atmosphere... The only thing that's different is it's still daylight when you leave.

That's a very nice goal to have. I just had lunch there last Saturday. It was my fourth visit in four years. The attire is dressy. Men are required to wear coats (ties are optional) women can wear slacks, but I usually see them in dresses. No jeans, tennis shoes etc. They have three menus, a tasting menu, a five-course, and a nine-course vegetarian. The price is $135 per person for the tasting menu, $115 for the five-course menu, and $115 for the nine-course vegetarian menu. Gratuity is 18%. Lunch/Dinner for two is at least $330 and that's not including beverages or foie gras. If you've never eaten there, I highly recommend the tasting menu. Also, bring a camera. I always bring my digital camera to take pictures of the dishes. Otherwise, I'd never remember how to describe them. Keep the flash off, however. Do you have the cookbook? The food is just as pretty. As a side note: A couple other foodie friends and I recently put together a 13-course dinner using recipes from The French Laundry Cookbook. You can view the photos here. There's a long thread discussion going on in the California area of Restaurants. Click here. To make a reservation you must call two months to the day before your visit. The phone line opens at 10AM Pacific time. I usually start calling at 9:55AM and just hit redial. The phone number is: 707 944 2380. Once you get the reservation, you need to call two days beforehand to confirm your reservation. Call 800 944 1224 and leave a message to confirm. As I wrote, I've been there four times. You can view the first three menus at Pbase. Go to the bottom of the page, and the second page as well. For your convenience, here's my post on my most recent visit. ------------- Well, what can I say. It was spectacular. I'll dismiss with the usual metaphors and adjectives used to describe an aesthetic meal such as this since I can't present it better than what has been previously stated. Of course we started our stay in Napa with a visit to In and Out Burger on Imola. It almost has the same mecca appeal as does The French Laundry. Here in Seattle, we tend to lack decent hamburger joints, although 'decent' is subjective. We had Double Doubles animal style and the fries well done. Very nice way to start the week. The price is $135 per person for the tasting menu--$115 for the five-course menu, and $115 for the nine-course vegetarian menu. Gratuity is 18%. Lunch/Dinner for two is at least $330 and that's not including beverages or foie gras. Before showing the menu, here's a list of notable items you might enjoy: 1. New Sommilier. His name is Paul Roberts and he is coming from Cafe Anna in Houston. He should be there at the end of May. 2. The French Laundry is now giving out four chocolate bars for you to take with you when you leave. There is an embossed clothes pin on each bar, it is wrapped in silver foil and presented in a clear plastic bag and tied with a white cloth ribbon with the words "French Laundry" printed on it. 3. The construction of the French Laundry Bakery should be completed by June. It's right next door to Bouchon on Washington Street. They will be making breads for both restaurants as well as for the public. 4. The French Laundry China Collection will be available in August starting with 20 different pieces. They are being created by Limoge and will be the same style as the dishes in the restaurant. I don't know prices yet, but you can bet they won't be inexpensive. You can get them from Raynand, Neiman Marcus and Gumps. In December, they'll add an addition 50 pieces to the line. Here is the menu including a couple of derivations from the regular menu. My apologies for the capital letters but that's how it's printed on the menu, and the scanner scans it as it sees it. I really don't have the time to retype it today. CHEF'S TASTING MENU APRIL 26, 2003 CAULIFLOWER "PANNA COTTA" WITH BAGADUCE OYSTERS GLAZE AND CALIFORNIA WHITE STURGEON CAVIAR Wine: NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve, Mareuil-Sur Ay --------------------- MARINATED HOLLAND WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH "CONFIT" OF FIELD GROWN RHUBARB AND WINTER TRUFFLE SYRUP Note: We did not try this. - or- MOULARD DUCK "FOIE GRAS AU TORCHON" WITH BERGAMOT ORANGE "MARMELADE" AND TOASTED "BRlOCHE" ( $20.00 SUPPLEMENT ) Wine: 2000 Maculan Turcolato Breganze, Veneto Italy My girlfriend had this and our waiter offered me the sautéed foie off of the regular five-course menu: SAUTÉED MOULARD DUCK "FOIE GRAS" WITH "CONFIT" OF FIELD RHUBARB, BLACK PEPPER "BRIOCHE" AND BANYULS VINEGAR "GASTRIQUE" Wine: 1996 István Szepsy, 6 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú, Hungary --------------------- "BOUDIN DE BROCHET", SLOW ROASTED ABALONE MUSHROOMS, SAVOYARD SPINACH AND FOREST MUSHROOM "GLACAGE" I had this as my girlfriend doesn't like mushrooms, but I did get her to try a taste of the forest mushroom 'glacage.' This is a major breakthrough in our relationship! OR "TARTARE" OF HAWAIIAN BIG-EYE TUNA WITH PIQUILLO PEPPERS, HAAS AVOCADO AND "HUILE D'ESPELLETTE" My girlfriend had this. The wines from the foie gras carried over to the above fish courses. --------------------- "MACARONI & CHEESE" SWEET BUTTER POACHED MAINE LOBSTER WITH CREAMY LOBSTER BROTH AND ORZO ENRICHED WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE Wine: 2000 Texier Chateauneuf du pape Blanc, White Rhone --------------------- "PITHIVIER" OF FOUR STORY HILLS FARMS "POULARDE" WITH CELERY BRANCH, DRIED MICHIGAN CHERRIES AND BLACK TRUFFLES Wine: 2000 Joseph Roty Marsannay Pinot Noir --------------------- RIB-EYE OF ELYSIAN FIELDS FARM LAMB "EN PERSILLADE" WITH A "CASSOULET" OF SPRING POLE BEANS AND THYME-INFUSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Wine: 2000 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley --------------------- "LIVAROT" SLOW POACHED ROYAL BLENHEIM APRICOTS AND TOASTED ALMONDS Wine: 1996 Hans Lang Hattenheimer Schüzenhaus Auslese, Goldkapsel Rheinham, Germany --------------------- GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLE SORBET WITH A FUJI APPLE "TATIN" --------------------- It was at this point we were served creme brulee and creme anglaise sabayon --------------------- "FANTASIE DE FRUITS TROPICAUX" PASSION FRUIT "CHIBOUST" WITH ROASTED MAUI PINEAPPLE AND SPEARMINT "GRANITE" --------------------- MIGNARDISES We started at 11:35A.M. and left at 3:05P.M. We finished the evening at Bouchon and shared a cone of pommes frites.

Bobby Stuckey is gone, I forget where he went to. I'm sure it's posted somewhere but I can't find it. There's an outdated article here. Yes, we had wines with the meal. Please forgive me, but I'm having difficulty reading the writing, so I apologize for any errors. Here's what we had. With the salmon tartar cone and cauliflower panna cotta: NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve, Mareuil-Sur Ay With the foie gras au torchon: 2000 Maculan Turcolato Breganze, Veneto Italy With the sautéed foie gras: 1996 István Szepsy, 6 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú, Hungary Both of these wines carried over to the fish courses (Boudin de brochet and Tartare of Hawaiian big-eye tuna) With the macaroni and cheese: 2000 Texier Chateauneuf du pape Blanc, White Rhone With the pithivier poularde (shredded young chicken encased in a puff pastry): 2000 Joseph Roty Marsannay Pinot Noir With the rib-eye lamb: 2000 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley With the livarot cheese (an orange wash stinky cheese from Normandy: Good stuff!): 1996 Hans Lang Hattenheimer Schüzenhaus Auslese, Goldkapsel Rheinham, Germany I always go with the wine flight when I visit there. There was a bit of a delay so I took a good look at the wine list for the first time. It's one of the most expansive I've seen. One thing that shocked me was the price of some of the California cult wines. $350 for '97 Dalla Valle Maya and $950 for '97 Screaming Eagle. These prices are very affordable compared to auction prices. If I hadn't lost my job in February, I think I would have gone for a bottle of the Screaming Eagle.

Well, what can I say. It was spectacular. I'll dismiss with the usual metaphors and adjectives used to describe an aesthetic meal such as this since I can't present it better than what has been previously stated. Of course we started our stay in Napa with a visit to In and Out Burger on Imola. It almost has the same mecca appeal as does The French Laundry. We had Double Doubles animal style and the fries well done. Very nice way to start the week. The price is still $135 per person for the tasting menu--$115 for the five-course menu, and $115 for the nine-course vegetarian menu. Gratuity is currently at 18%. Lunch/Dinner for two is at least $330 and that's not including beverages or foie gras. Before showing the menu, here's a list of notable items you might enjoy. 1. New Sommilier. His name is Paul Roberts and he is coming from Cafe Anna in Houston. He should be there at the end of May. 2. The French Laundry is now giving out four chocolate bars for you to take with you when you leave. There is an embossed clothes pin on each bar, it is wrapped in silver foil and presented in a clear plastic bag and tied with a white cloth ribbon with the words "French Laundry" printed on it. 3. The construction of the French Laundry Bakery should be completed by June. It's right next door to Bouchon on Washington Street. They will be making breads for both restaurants as well as for the public. 4. The French Laundry China Collection will be available in August starting with 20 different pieces. They are being created by Limoge and will be the same style as the dishes in the restaurant. I don't know prices yet, but you can bet they won't be inexpensive. You can get them from Raynand, Neiman Marcus and Gumps. In December, they'll add an addition 50 pieces to the line. Here is the menu including a couple of derivations from the regular menu. My apologies for the capital letters but that's how it's printed on the menu, and the scanner scans it as it sees it. I really don't have the time to retype it today. CHEF'S TASTING MENU APRIL 26, 2003 CAULIFLOWER "PANNA COTTA" WITH BAGADUCE OYSTERS GLAZE AND CALIFORNIA WHITE STURGEON CAVIAR --------------------- MARINATED HOLLAND WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH "CONFIT" OF FIELD GROWN RHUBARB AND WINTER TRUFFLE SYRUP Note: We did not try this. - or- MOULARD DUCK "FOIE GRAS AU TORCHON" WITH BERGAMOT ORANGE "MARMELADE" AND TOASTED "BRlOCHE" ( $20.00 SUPPLEMENT ) My girlfriend had this and our waiter offered me the seared foie off of the regular five-course menu: SAUTÉED MOULARD DUCK "FOIE GRAS" WITH "CONFIT" OF FIELD RHUBARB, BLACK PEPPER "BRIOCHE" AND BANYULS VINEGAR "GASTRIQUE" --------------------- "BOUDIN DE BROCHET", SLOW ROASTED ABALONE MUSHROOMS, SAVOYARD SPINACH AND FOREST MUSHROOM "GLACAGE" I had this as my girlfriend doesn't like mushrooms, but I did get her to try a taste of the forest mushroom 'glacage.' This is a major breakthrough in our relationship! OR "TARTARE" OF HAWAIIAN BIG-EYE TUNA WITH PIQUILLO PEPPERS, HAAS AVOCADO AND "HUILE D'ESPELLETTE" My girlfriend had this. --------------------- "MACARONI & CHEESE" SWEET BUTTER POACHED MAINE LOBSTER WITH CREAMY LOBSTER BROTH AND ORZO ENRICHED WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE --------------------- "PITHIVIER" OF FOUR STORY HILLS FARMS "POULARDE" WITH CELERY BRANCH, DRIED MICHIGAN CHERRIES AND BLACK TRUFFLES --------------------- RIB-EYE OF ELYSIAN FIELDS FARM LAMB "EN PERSILLADE" WITH A "CASSOULET" OF SPRING POLE BEANS AND THYME-INFUSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL --------------------- "LIVAROT" SLOW POACHED ROYAL BLENHEIM APRICOTS AND TOASTED ALMONDS --------------------- GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLE SORBET WITH A FUJI APPLE "TATIN" --------------------- It was at this point we were served creme brulee and creme anglaise sabayon --------------------- "FANTASIE DE FRUITS TROPICAUX" PASSION FRUIT "CHIBOUST" WITH ROASTED MAUI PINEAPPLE AND SPEARMINT "GRANITE" --------------------- MIGNARDISES We started at 11:35A.M. and left at 3:05P.M. We finished the evening at Bouchon and shared a cone of pommes frites.

What is the 'usual way?' What is the oven temperature? How long are you cooking it? What is the temperature of the water in the bain marie? What temperature are you cooking the terrine to? What else is in the dish? Did it ever turn out correctly? If yes, what has changed? I wish foie wasn't 80% fat. But then, the melted remains do make a good foie gras butter.

I've been to the French Laundry three times: July 5, 2000, March 29, 2001, and September 3, 2002. All three menus are framed on my dining room wall including the one with Keller's autograph on the March 29 menu. (It's all about finesse!) Due to circumstances beyond my control, I lost my job in February 2003. Also due to circumstances beyond my control, I happen to have an inner group of wonderful friends who decided to cheer me up with a lunch reservation at FL for April 29th. I say I have friends beyond my control because I never dreamed they would do something like this, and if I could control it, I would have graciously declined. (Yeah, right...!) So what can I expect for lunch, having been there for dinner three times? Thanks! -lav

I was in a group of eight that went to Earth and Ocean Tuesday night. The place has potential, I liked how he plated everything, and the flavors were good. But there were many things wrong. The service was lacking in attention to a fundamental detail. Mr. Toast swayed from the $25 menu and went with the $49 menu. They offered a three wine flight for an additional $20. For some reason, they had the regular wine prices alongside each of the wines. When the bill came, the waiter charged the regular price instead of the $20 for a flight of wines. It took about 15 minutes for him to present us with a bill that had the right price. Was my friend the first one in 25 days to order the flight? The same person who ordered the $49 menu had a dish of potatoes and baby octopus. The first time it came, there was no octopus. The second time it came, there was octopus, but it was diced into 1/4-inch cubes. I've never seen baby octopus presented this way. One couple chooses not to have pork (for religious reasons) and they ordered the fish without bacon. When it arrived there was a distinct bacon flavor in the fish. Obviously, the skillet used to cook other fish dishes was used to cook this dish. The venison dish had been in the oven way too long. The menu on the Web site was no where near what we had presented to us.