Busboy

I got no problem with bone spitting, though I would have thought the French had a special chicken foot fork or something to make that unneccessary. It was the idea of sitting in a darkened room surrounded by people making that little "thhhpt" sound and the tinkle (as my friend described it) of bones and nails on concrete that kind of put me off my (chicken?) feed.

I had a friend who told tales of Taiwanese movie-goers buying a box of chicken feet the way Americans purchase popcorn, and then noisily spitting the toenails out while the movie rolled. Perhaps that image subverted my one foray into feet-eating; I got down a couple but quickly found other delights on the dim sum cart. GG: Maybe old Tommy Keller had an Ashkenazy bubbie, as he is also a strong advocate he foot-in-stock technique (as, through the work of the master, I have become).

I do not think that meaning of "authentic" is what changes, I'm quite certain the abstract concept is not dramatically different in most people's definitions. What can be extremely different is the set of value that defines that meaning. To make a simple example, when Melissa writes the following, I do not agree: For my set of "values" Mario and Lidia are much closer to authentic Italian cuisine than chef Boyardee, but they're not authentic. Almost there, but not quite, for a series of reason which would be too long and off topic to describe here. And yet I perfectly understand why Melissa made the example, although I might not have made it myself, and I find it appropriate. ← People have many different views of what is authentic and what is not. I have no doubt that buried in the morass of opinions, there is probably one authentic version of fried chicken, baked beans or Bolognese sauce. But then....how are you going to know? Soba ← I'd disagree. I think there are many different but equally "authentic" variations on a number of dishes. The cooking we're talking about isn't Escoffier, it needen't adhere to one Uber-recipe and it never has. Authentic cooking adheres to the spirit, ingredient and techniques of its place of origin, not necessarily to a single recipe. Remeber, the people who "invented" this stuff cooked like you and I do at home -- the same dish changes with mood and whatever's on hand. Got some salt pork? Throw it in the beans. Trying to save the pork for Sunday dinner? Don't throw it in. Got some canned tomatoes? Why not? And put a little extra molasses in because Grandma's eating with us tonight and she likes 'em a little sweet. In France they have bitter debates about what constitutes a proper cassoulet. Not surprisingly, regions with a lot of geese think geese should be part of the dish. Other areas use duck. Some use lamb, some don't. Is any version more authentic than the other? Nope. Because, depite their differences, everyone's paying attention to the spirit, ingredient and techniques of their region. Of course, "authentic" isn't a synonym for delicious. And, as someone said upthread, liberal use of the word on a menu is usually a red flag. On the other hand, a cook or restaurant that strives for authenticity or its near approximation is probably going to be serving up honest food with a respect for ingredients and the art of eating. There's no reason to be bound by something that an Italian peasant did in 1643 that became part of the Bolognese recipe you're using, but trying to think the way she did is likely to lead you down a good path.

Interesting thought (perhaps). I live in a neighborhood with a significant hispanic population and Latin ingredients available in every store. We cook a lot of "Hispanic" food at home, but rarely eat at the Salvadoran or Mexican restaurants nearby or get Hispanic carryout. On the other hand, we almost always get Asian food from a restaurant, though we do cook it on occasion and there are two Asian grocers in the 'hood. Not sure how this fits into the larger picture -- if the "trend" is based on restaurant consumption or accounts for home cooking as well.

Haven't been to the Mayflower in a while. In my youth, they used to employ perhaps the most aptly named bartender in the business, an affable fellow named Tom Collins.

Hey -- there's always a Chinese jor "fusion" (Cuban Chinese, Puerto Rican Chinese) joint in Hispanic neighborhoods. On the other hand, how many Asian neighborhoods have Mexican joints? I think, as a test, one of the Denver eGulleters should go out to Federal Boulevard (Denver's greatest dining resource), mark the point at which the Vietnamese/Asian restaurant and groceries (towards the south end) begin outnumbering the Mexican/Hispanic places (on legendary North Federal), and watch for six months to see if the line is moving north or south. I'll keep and eye on my neighborhood and Northern Virginia for the same dynamic. Do Charlie Changs and Taco Bells count? Or only "real" food.

The Tabard Inn. The lounge, not the bar.

I'm with you on the "many versions" point. In fact, in my less literal moments, I'd even consider that the idea behind the dish is as important as the actual preparation, to the extent that the farmwives or small restauranteurs who invent, say "hunter's soup" with mushrooms and pork weren't hewing to a formal definition, they were simply using a tried and true combination to make a good meal out of what was at hand. If you try to make the same thing, and you have dried, rather than fresh 'shrooms on hand and that's how you make the soup, that's pretty "authentic." Those farm wives would have done the same thing. Now, if you tart it up with foie gras, you lose me.

I don't think that's the way it's used. If you see "authentic" fried chicken and biscuits on a menu, the clear implication is that this is in the style some Georgia country cook, not the chef's own riff on the classic theme. You might expect that if you get "chef's special" or in a French joint "a ma facon." So yes, "an authentic Keller appetizers," but no "Keller's authentic 'Peas and Carrots'" appetizer since, for that to be authentic, it would have to taste like a school cafeteria or someone's grandma's kitchen.

Nope. Words don't mean whatever you want them to mean. Pan: 2b gets it pretty good.

For food? "Prepared in the same fashion, with the same ingredients, as the original versions of a dish were prepared in the nation or region of its origin." 'Course, there's a lot of leeway there, as there are dozens, if not hundreds of versions of classics like chili, bouillabasse or cassoulet with reasonable claims of authenticity. Since most dishes arise organically from home-cooking or commercial cuisine bourgeois, and techniques and ingredients for the same dish can change from village to village -- even household-to-household -- there can be many authentic versions of the same dish, based on place of origin. Culinary authenticity may be something like "legal proof." There's no mathematical certainty available, but we can render judgement beyond a reasonable doubt. Is the dish based on a recipe from a reliable source? Does it rely on ingredients available and appropriate to the dish, status and region in which it originated? Do the ingredients used get into the pot in the same form in which they would have in their region of origin (ie fresh vs frozen or dried; raw or blanched, etc...) Is it prepared in a fashion consistent with techniques available to its originators? In a way, the search for authenticity is something of a snipe hunt. If you're in Mexico eating fish soup at a small restaurant on the beach, it's authentic almost by definition. And if you're not there, you can't ever really capture the taste and, dare I say it, the "karma." And, if it tastes good, and you're not an anthropologist, who really cares?

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce) Chateau Taillefer, Pomerol, 2001 Burgandy in the dish and Bordeaux in the glass? Who picked this combo? Well, at least it wsn't a left bank. ← And another Bordeaux with Terrine Alsacienne! Oh well, I mix and match at home, too.

PS, aren't you supposed to be eating haggis, shortbread and whisky on New Year's Eve? Surf and Turf seems a little bit Yank to me.

The trendy and delicious way to cook them is to "poach" them in butter. For a more detailed explanation, treat yourself to Keller's French Laundry Cookbook for Christmas, but it's a relatively simple (meaning even I can do it) procedure. "Lightly kill" (as Monty Python would put it) your lobsters by dousing them in boiling water for a minute or two. Remove tail meat and claw meat. Put a tablespoon or so of water in a small but heavy saucepan and then add about a pound of butter over low heat, stirring constantly. The idea is to get the butter warm enough to melt, but not to separate. Throw the lobster in and poach until warmed through. Serve. If that seems a little much, you might consider sticking a rack or something in the bottom of a large pot and steaming the lobsters, rather than boiling them. It's a lot less mess when you start hacking the little buggers up. Whatever you choose, be careful not to overcook, a too-common occurrance in the world of lobster cookery.

That area is kind of a wasteland. But, depending on curtain time, you could eat at Montmartre on Capital Hill and then head down 3rd street to the Freeway and be at the theater in less than 10 minutes. Similarly, you could munch in Dupont at Firefly or Pesce and catch the GW Parkway at P Street and make another quick dash. Depends how well (if at all) you know your way around the city and whether Arena offers parking, of course. You'll find little worthwile within walking distance of Arena, however.

And lamb sausage casings, too. I guess once I get my kilo of caul and football field of casing (minimum orders:2.5 lbs, 100 yards respectively), I can spend all winter playing out my bizarre fantasies of becoming Monsieur le Charcutiere without ever leaving the house. ← That's what friends are for. Call people to go in on it with you. ← What, you think I'm complaining? I really do have fantasies of spending the winter amongst fatback, farce and internal organs.

And lamb sausage casings, too. I guess once I get my kilo of caul and football field of casing (minimum orders:2.5 lbs, 100 yards respectively), I can spend all winter playing out my bizarre fantasies of becoming Monsieur le Charcutiere without ever leaving the house.

Good luck hunting it down. I'm searching, too, and will post here if I find some. Most people behing butcher counters here don't even know what it is. Scratch (so far) Union Butcher in Eastern Market; Wagshal's in Spring Valley.

Filomena has a pretty mediocre-at-best reputation. I enjoyed the Circle Bistro the one time I was there, and believe it got a good review from the Post some time ago. Here's an eGullet thread on it. It's evidently also known as a place for dipsomaniacal Brit expats to drink breakfast, but I have only heard this second hand. If you're considering something as "distant" as Filomena, you might also want to look at the Mendocino Grill on 29th and M, which puts down some pretty decent grub, or even Bistro Francais, which offers a pre-theater menu. The key, if you're walking, is just to stroll along the river bank or cut down the Rock Creek bike path (once you pass the Four Seasons on M St. to get to KC, rather than cutting back through Foggy Bottom) -- probably not much further off than Circle Bistro if you know the short cuts.

In fact, my -- admittedly slim -- experience with Paris eating and drinking establishments is that it's much harder to get out quickly than it is to linger for a while. It's a very different pacing over there, one that can take an American a couple of days to get used to (and that I am convinced is at the root of many "rude French service" perceptions).

By terrined: put it in an appropriate container, cook, covered (?) in a water bath at a low temperature and then, when it's cooled a bit, layer on a little duck fat?

Whole foie gras being so spectacularly cheaper than processed or the cryovaced slices available at Dean & DeLuca, I had a lobe delivered from D'Artagnan yesterday. Assuming we get through only a portion of it tonight, what's the best way to preserve the rest so that I can be spreading it on toast for, say, Christmas dinner? Thanks.

"... you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."

The fact that it was so good was the amazing thing. No, but it goes from 3-star to 4-star. But can you poach the lobster utterly perfectly every time? How fine is your hand as you adjust spicing? How sensitive is your palate and how many times have you tasted that recipe so that you can make it just exactly right, making the tiny incremental adjustments that lift something from wonderful to etherial? ← I'm guessing it was talent and practice. Remeber, 4-star is the product of the best 200 or so chefs in the world. They didn't just get there because of their sea salt.

Maybe I'll meander by at 10:15 after my class...