joler

Ahh, but have you tried chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels?

Fried Chicken Livers (lots of salt) Chocolate Ben and Jerry's Triple Caramel Fudge Chunk (although I admit, that I could consume a pint almost any time of the month). Peanut butter!!!

83 - not including books about food such as Bourdain's books or Ruth Reichl's books (although Ruth's do have some recipes in them). I thought that was excessive until I read how many you all have! I guess I'll have to log on to Jessica's Biscuit later today and spend some $$$.

Wow! This is all very impressive and the photos have my stomach grumbling. But really, do you cook like this every night??? I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you? Like the other night, I ended up eating a bag of microwave popcorn sprinkled with tobasco, an entire pan of roasted asparagus, some peanut butter and 2 glasses of Oregon Pinot Noir.

I was told add water - not milk - it makes the eggs fluffier. Also, add small cubes of chilled butter to eggs whilst scrambling. It keeps the eggs from drying out and of course adds wonderful flavor.

Is El Naranjo on your list of places to go? I will be interested to hear your critique of the food there. I ate there last summer, not long after it was written up in the NY Times.

oh yea, lots of cream and cheese.....mmmmm Bread Pudding. Sara Foster's cookbook has THE BEST recipe for Bourbon Bread Pudding.

If you have not been to Barcelona before, you might be interested to know that you can request a menu in English at most of the finer restaurants (a fact I learned about 2 days too late - but better late than never). There are some nice seafood restaurants along the waterfront in the Olympic Village - follow the crowds. Don't miss Parc Guell or the Sagrada Familia.

If you make your grits with chicken broth instead of water they will be much richer and creamier. White truffle oil actually DOES work with grits. Did anyone mention Hush Puppies? There are so many bad ones out there, but if you can find a place that does them well...mmmm. Slaw Banana Puddin'. Brunswick Stew (although, I am not personally a fan of this dish, I know many who are) Chicken pot pie (not strictly southern I realize, but oh, with a biscuit crust!!) Peach Cobbler Strawberry Shortcake Red Velvet Cake fried catfish mountain trout deep fried turkey (was the deep fryer invented in the south? Seems like it came along about the same time as the cotton gin...)

shrimp cocktail shrimp salad fried shrimp shrimp po boy shrimp and grits shrimp omelet shrimp bisque shrimp benedict shrimp gumbo well, you get the idea...

So sorry, I assumed since the originator of this topic is from Maine, we were discussing US Customs.

There is a Starbucks "tea equivalent" franchise just beginning to grow here in the Southeastern US. Teavana. I was at their shop in Atlanta, I have to say, I am as hooked on their product as any Starbucks junkie. Check out their website at www.teavana.com. I highly recommend a blend of half Mate Carnival and Half Rooibos Chai. As for Starbucks, I'm happy to hear they bought Seattle Coffee, I think the Starbucks coffee is a much better product. I try not to frequent Starbucks mainly because their pricing strategy irritates me.

You were very fortunate. I was behind a woman in the customs line returning from Spain and they actually confiscated canned asparagus from her luggage. My sister had to forfeit canned pate that she purchased in France on her trip. I confess, I did not claim the jamon and sausages or the olives I returned with from Spain. Too risky. Enjoy your Manchego - it's divine.

Is anyone really having that much trouble draining their pasta? That commercial makes me laugh.

I recently used them with a whole beef tenderloin. Split the tenderloin in half lengthwise, spread with dijon mustard, sprinkle with green peppercorns and top with fresh sage. Tie the roast, brush with melted butter and season with salt and peppercorn blend. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. This was a real hit at my dinner party.

I really can't recall ever having a problem with it.

I did not have a good dining experience at Les Halles when I was there several years ago. I was merely commenting on the popularity of Anthony Bourdain on this site.

Emeril can be difficult to digest at times, however, I have never had a problem duplicating any of his recipes. I think he gears his show toward the average home cook and that makes him popular with a large percent of the population (he must have a very good PR person). Also in his defense, I have to say that the meal I ate at Nola was one of the finest I've had anywhere and the presentation was superb (he limits his use of the powdered sugar garnish for the TV shows). As for Sara M., the last time I watched her show she couldn't even figure out how to get the top off of the food processor so I was less than impressed.

I'm so surprised. No mention of Les Halles?!? It's been a while since I've been to NYC, but I assume they are still there?

you beat me to it.

Capriel Pence also has a nice site with a searchable recipe database. www.sautewednesday.com has links to several food magazines/recipe sites.

Don't worry, I'm not going to lose it. In fact, I was born and raised in Chicago and lived and worked several years in Manhattan. Why does a chef come here? For a couple of reasons probably, some that you mentioned, burn-out, stress, there is certainly less competition here, and it is definitely less expensive to go into (or out of) business. Sometimes, it is just because this is just a very nice place to live. So we enjoy our beaches, our mountains, our cars, our slow-paced leisurely lifestyle and then we all get together and bitch that there are not enough good restaurants to choose from... So once in a while, we hop on a plane to NY or LA and and eat at the places we see in those fan-cy food magazines.

No, I got that Hop. I understand you can't sit back and wait for the fame to come to you, but I also think that a lot depends on your connections, and yes, how much $$ you are willing to put forth. Maybe it doesn't make sense to do that here. Maybe that's why we get so little recognition. Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, not exactly destinations where "culinarians" are going to be coming and seeking out those special spots (not like New Orleans or even South Beach). So maybe the responsibility does lie in our local media. And no, I do not know what kind of effort has been made by the chefs at the establishments I mentioned previously. But I can say that the effort is certainly being put forth in their kitchens - isn't that what it's all about anyway?

Another thought... if your GF is located near Salisbury, there is a wonderful restaurant there called "La Cava", located in an old church. Spectacular wine list, impressive food, romantic atmosphere.

I have to admit, I agree with Steve on one point and that is, that in the end it is all about the all mighty dollar. A tiny restaurant with mediocre food in Greenwich, CT owned by Martha Stewart's 3rd cousin twice removed is much more likely to get a column than our local favorite.