KatieLoeb

Mendocino Mustard, hands down. Sweet and hot and absolutely delicious on virtually anything. There's also a brand of Polish mustard I'm fond of that has horseradish in it. Can't remember the name. Awesome on roast beef, though!

Because Tuscan Tea is more alliterative than Amalfi Tea or Sicilian tea...

Lauren and Herb: I'm jealous I couldn't join you, but I'm glad you enjoyed the place nonetheless. I really love that restaurant and find the food incredibly interesting and creative. I'm surpirsed you didn't have the upscale Rice Crispie treat for dessert. It's one of my favorites. The cheese plates there are always interesting, and since they also have such an unusual selection of wines by the glass, it's always a treat. Herb - you are so fortunate to possess the metabolism of a hummingbird. Are you going to be hungry by Tuesday? Don't forget there's a Mexican feast awaiting you...

Pyewacket: Thanks - I'm just afraid it won't freeze! I had this problem once making Vodka-Honeydew sorbet. There was just a tad too much alcohol in the mix and it wouldn't freeze solid. It did make for some very tasty "adults only" slurpees though! PS - love your moniker. I had a friend with a cat named Pyewacket.

Thanks Vengroff! Yeah - the other pastry chef said the same thing, but real vanilla extract is SO expensive, even if we end up using this homemade extract in something else (I'm thinking vanilla/vodka sorbet?) I suppose it's a worthy experiment nonetheless.

Hi All: One of my pastry chefs wants to be frugal and use the huge piles of vanilla bean casings we have left as by-product every day. I could easily order her some Everclear or over-proof vodka, but I am wondering if the alcohol content of the final product will be stronger than regular vanilla extract and if that might react differently in a recipe. Also, what other ingredients might have to go in there? Some sugar of simple syrup? Other flavorings? If anyone has ever done this before, please let me know how so I can pass along the information. Thanks in advance - I know someone in this creative bunch will have an answer for me.

Try this thread: Buttermilk Recipes Lots of stuff in there to keep you busy. Both desserts and other items.

Try this site: Via Travel Design The owners specialize in foodie and wine destinations throughout Italy and France. I'm certain they'll have some great advice and be able to assist you in getting vineyard tours, restaurant reservations, etc.

Could it be The Vanilla Pod, in Marlow? Just a guess backed by some tedious internet research...

PMills: I can't offer a link to Greek food, but I'd recommend my favorite cookbook as a great resource. The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by the St Paul's Greek Orthodox Cathedral has the best Greek recipes I've seen, and they're quite easy to follow. It was the "church ladies" recipe club that put this book together and the recipes have all the hallmarks of good ethnic home cookery. Lots of "classic" Greek dishes and maybe some things you aren't familiar with, but everything I've made from here has turned out very well. I can't name any particular favorite, but the things I make most often at home are Tzatziki and Melitzanosalata. I love having easy stuff to dip vegetables and/or pita bread into on short notice. My favorite Greek restaurant in Philadelphia, Chef Theodore's, sadly closed it's doors many years ago, but I still remember the scorched rings on the ceiling from the Saganaki! OPA!

Jeniac42: Check this thread: eGullet Limoncello Thread I included my directions in the last post. I got the recipe from an old Italian gentleman that owns a restaurant in Germany (nearby the Evil Ex's family). He always served a shot of his home made limoncello to guests at the end of the meal. I convinced him to tell me the secret recipe and it's pretty easy. I've done this twice and it's come out delicious each time. As for the Meyer lemons - I don't know if the peel is any stronger or weaker in flavor than other lemons. Once you soak it in alcohol I think any flavor gets leeched into the liquid. Good luck and don't forget to include a link to your article when it's finished!

These were included as the "control" wine, I think. Very middle of the road in terms of the criteria we used to evaluate all the wines. Dry (low sweetness), medium acidity, medium fruit intensity, barely noticeable oak component, low tannin, low-to-medium bodied (in terms of alcohol percentage). Of course this left lots of room for improvement for the better wines. Also, the Mouton Cadet is (perhaps sadly) a pretty typical example of what the world at large thinks of as Bordeaux, so it was a good starting point for the purpose of illustration. We usually taste 8 wines per class, so the absence of the St. Julien was unfortunate, but understandable. We did discuss terroir and soil, I just neglected to mention it in my original post. It was late and I was sleepy, having attended two wine tastings in the afternoon, prior to class. I had to spit at those, knowing I had a class coming up that evening. The Chateau Bertineau-St. Vincent was quite a bargain (at least in PA) at $13. Considering that the Mouton Cadet retails at about $9 here in PA, the 4 dollar price increase was a pretty big leap in quality. Finding any drinkable Bordeaux for under $15 I think is a feat. The classes are only $45 per person for a 2.5 hour class and eight or nine wines. Considering that, I think we tasted some pretty decent wines and received a facinating and well prepared lecture. I certainly feel like I walked out of there with more knowledge than when I went in.

Hi all: Just returned from a most informative and interesting Bordeaux class this evening, taught by my good friend and mentor, Marnie Old. We discussed the historical aspects of Bordeaux production, a bit about the geography of the area and quite a bit about the tradition of blending wines to create the style for which Bordeaux is so reknowned. Finished up with a discussion about the 1855 classification system. Fascinating stuff. The wines we tried this evening were (in order): - Baron de Rothschild "Reserve Speciale" Blanc 2001 (the only white we tried, as the discussion focused quite naturally on the Merlot and Cabernet based blends) - Baron de Rothschild "Mouton Cadet" 2000 (a good "training wheels" Bordeaux selection) - Chateau Bertineau-St. Vincent Lalande de Pomerol 1999 - Chateau Simard St. Emilion 1990 (an excellent example for the class on the effects of bottle aging - this was DELICIOUS I might add ) - Chateau Greysac Medoc 1998 - Chateau Haut-Beausejour St. Estephe 1996 (also a fave of mine) - Chateau Croizet Bages Pauillac Grand Cru Classe 2000 (a little tight, but still, you could sense the future potential for this wine. This is going to be unbelievably delicious in a few years!) - Chateau Peyraguey le Rousset 1998 Sauternes - Finished up with some potable and bargain priced ($13/375 ml) Sauternes that was pretty tasty. I really enjoyed myself and feel that I definitely have a clearer picture of the geography and history of Bordeaux. If anyone thinks I've missed anything crucial feel free to pipe up while this is still fresh info. If I wait too long it all enters that void in my brain where old information goes...

I had the pleasure of attending a Bordeaux class this evening and the final wine was a Chateau Peyraguey le Rousset 1998 Sauternes. Not the highest quality I've personally ever tasted, but a good example for many folks that had never tried Sauternes before. At $13 for a 375 ml, definitely a bargain too - particularly in Pennsylvania, which tends to be rather Draconian in it's wine availability, as has been discussed on other threads.

He's widely known for his abusive language and foul temper. He's the very charicature and textbook example of a screaming, pan throwing chef. Did you see the interview with him in Philly Magazine last year? The article begins with him saying someting to the effect of "Everyone wants to F**k Georges Perrier up the ass..." Charming. He's widely known as a bit of a despot, for lack of a better phrase. This scenario doesn't surprise me in the least.

What? Basenjis? Either you are very clever or me not so smaaat. Basenjis are a breed of dog native to the African continent. What makes them so unusual is that they CAN'T BARK! Very clever indeed...

I don't think it's a "cheat" if the winemaker is honest about the process. One could presume that a consumer that is educated enough to choose barrel aged wine vs. volume/mass produced plonk that's pumped over oak chips to simulate barrel aging is willing to pay the extra freight for the subtle nuances that imparts, and the implication of higher quality in general. But the other issue comes in the actual process and raw materials. Are the wine makers pumping their wine over Limousin French oak chips or American White oak chips? There's apparently been some recent experimentation with suspension of a single new oak plank in a barrel to impart oak flavoring. Is it scientifically proven that you're still achieving slow steady oxidation with your alternative "wine receptacle"? There's more to the barrel aging process than just the "oaky" flavor and vanillin it imparts to the wine. By taking the cheap alternative method, what other flavor and textural factors are being sacrificed? If the winemaker is trying to bring a "consumer friendly" taste to the general public at a more affordable price that's one thing. But if the winemaker is just flat out lying about it to make money at the hands of less educated consumers, then he/she should be tied to a dunking stool and dipped into a vat of their own low class swill!

Dude - you're killing me! Holly's right! Didn't you ever get your chewing gum stuck on the end of your nose 'cuz you didn't bring enough for everyone?

Craig: Thank you for the clarifications. I was thinking more about the strictly IGT wines from great producers that are forced to declassify because they're being "punished" for being progressive and modern winemakers. It's funny how strict the regulations are in some cases, and how fast and loose they play it with some other things.

Jason: The Ceretto winery is widely known for being one of the more progressive and modern wineries in Piedmont. I have not tried the particular wine you just purchased, but we carry the Ceretto Arneis here on our wine list and it's delicious and quite popular. A bottle of Barolo from such well regarded producers for $39 seems like a pretty good value to me. Report back on both bottles! I also must ask. Does the bottle of Ceretto Barolo say DOCG or DOC on the label, or not? That would explain a lot about how it was produced, and whether or not the winemakers stayed within the rigid rules of Italian wine law. If it doesn't say either, it's not necessarily a bad thing. It might mean that the Ceretto brothers decided to do something scandalous like mix another "non-approved" varietal into the blend, or age it in a different manner than law permits. Without "outlaws" like that, Italian wine would be stagnated in it's development and there would be no such thing as "Super Tuscan" wine. The world (and I) would be far worse for it, IMHO. edited to add last question

Eric: Do you have a car or know anyone that could give you a lift 8 minutes into NJ? Head over to Moore Brothers Click HERE and bring them a copy of your menu. Every single salesperson is a trained sommelier and will be delighted to assist you in your quest for a fabulous dining and wine experience. And they have lots of wines for the budget conscious. If you really are stuck with only PLCB choices and you already know what you're ordering, PM me in advance and I'll give you my best suggestions for what I know is available at 12th & Chestnut. Enjoy and good luck with finals!

Mamster: Thanks for the link to these articles. Hot damn - I feel really smart! I guess I really did remember some of the stuff my old boss used to tell me...

A restaurant where I used to manage (which shall remain nameless) had a bit of a mouse issue. Since there was an under the street drainage ditch that ran directly behind the restaurant all the way to the Schuykill River there were occasionally visits from their big cousin RATS as well. The mice were unusually bold and liked to come out during lunch time and scurry through a completely filled dining room at the height of lunch service. I once had a table call over their waiter and point to a wee mousie under the next table and say, "There's a mouse over there". The waiter put his hands on his hips and indignantly said in his best and most obnoxious exasperated tone, "Well, you didn't FEED it, did you???" I couldn't stop laughing hard enough to smack the waiter as I should have I finally got us an adopted cat to try and control the mouse problem. Our new orange tabby was promptly named Chutney, and given free run of the restaurant over night (he stayed in the office during the day). Chutney was a prodigious mouser and was totally earning his keep. Problem was, it seemed that the mice's faces didn't taste good or something and he'd leave those behind. So whomever was in first in the morning had to be on "Mouse Patrol" and go sweep up the little mouse faces before service. Our head bus boy, who had a very distrurbed sense of humor, once taped a mouse face to an index card and left it on the G.M.'s desk with a note that said, "Say that to my face..." Strange lad, that one. He also said he suspected that Chutney was leaving the faces behind so the little mouse families could identify their dead

Holly: To quote another infamous eGulleteer: I'm in! Keep me posted on the date. Week nights are much easier to book in this lifetime given Shola's popularity, and easier to do in summertime for me. I'll be happy to play sommeliere too, if the menu is in my hot little hands with enough lead time. The train is a good idea for any out of towners that would wish to join us. It's a ten minute walk or a three minute cab ride from 30th Street Station to Studiokitchen.

Yessss! This is why I make my own every Passover. Just made it on Tuesday evening. It was deadly and delicious. I used to put it through the processor, first using the shredding disk, and then using the chopping blade with white vinegar, a little water (not quite the 1:1 ratio =Mark recommends) and sea salt. Then I'd add a few canned baby beets for color. This time, since I now possess the technology, I microplaned the root into the processor bowl (had to stop 7 or eight times when overcome with the fumes - I wish I could have found my damned ski goggles ) and then proceeded to whirl it up as above with the blade. It seemed that the additional surface area freed and horseradish "juice" let out by using the microplane grater made the resulting mixture MUCH STRONGER than the way I used to approach it. My cats pointed their little noses skyward, took one sniff and TOOK OFF UP THE STAIRS like little banshees I didn't have any canned beets in the house and was going to just leave the horseradish white, but it was virtually inedibly strong so I actually went off to the 24 hour grocery at 11:30 PM just to get beets so I could tone it down a tad before my Seder hosts would want to kill me! The other thing I do with fresh horseradish root is grate a little into plain unsweetened applesauce and serve it on the side of pork chops, ham, or even cold roast beef. It's a Bavarian thing, I think. I first had it on the side of Tafelspitz in Austria and decided it would be a new condiment in my house.