KatieLoeb

Another excellent Alsatian producer is Domaine Barmes-Buecher. The Pinot Gris, Rieslings and Gewurztraminers are all delicious. Good price/value ratio with these guys too. The Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim 2000 is glorious - all rose petal and lychee fruit with a deep amber color and a hint of apricot on the nose as well. Had it with butter poached lobster and parsnip puree at a dinner several months ago and I swear I can still taste it. Truly one of the best food-wine pairings I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. Barmes also makes a lovely Cremant d'Alsace that we serve by the glass as a sparkler. Very refreshing and a lovely aperitif.

Cool! Let me know how they go over after they arrive. Certainly they can function as "wine methadone" for the mother-to-be, and they actually taste like wine, or at least like incredibly high quality grape juice, rather than like "de-alcoholized" wine, if you follow my analogy here. Cheers and enjoy!

Hi Tommy: Come do lunch/brunch at Striped Bass. It's a relative bargain at $26.00 for three courses. Lunch Mon-Fri.- Brunch Sunday. If you call to place a reservation ask for me. I'll hook you up with the manager on duty and make sure they're good to you. They're always nice anyway, but it's nice to get a little extra attention, right Pasion is excellent Nuevo Latino cuisine. The ceviches are fabulous. I wouldn't miss this for a fabulous dinner while you're here. Instead of remortgaging for dinner at Le Bec Fin, I'd suggest eating at Le Bar Lyonnaisse downstairs from the main dining room. A better option is to have an order of their phenomenal escargot, perhaps another appetizer and a glass or two of Vire-Clesse at the bar. Way less expensive, and the food comes from the same kitchen. I'm not necessarily in agreement about Jack's Firehouse. I'd skip that if there are only so many meals to go around. I LOVE the bar there, but the food and the menu have often left me cold. And then there's that tendency to have "road kill du jour" on the menu that never really did it for me... If you like Thai food, I'd recommend Vietiane Cafe in West Philadelphia at 47th and Baltimore Avenues west of the U. Penn campus. Excellent food, reasonably priced, charming service and BYOB to boot. And definitely NOT a dressy place. There's great food to be had in Chinatown too. Pho Xe Lua at 9th & Race has delicious Vietnamese and a few Thai selections on the menu. Shiao Lan Kung is the best Cantonese (try the oysters with ginger and scallion - the oysters are HUGE but still tender), and Lee Ho Fook makes the best Hot & Sour soup ever, period. Delicious lemon duck at Lee Ho also. If you're in the mood for Japanese I'd say skip Morimoto and head for Fuji in Cinnaminson, NJ, about a twenty minute ride from downtown Philly. I think Chef Matt Ito's cuisine is just as good or better than Morimoto at about 1/2-2/3 the price. Of course the atmosphere isn't the usual "Starr Theater", but I'd rather eat better for the same money, and skip the pushy waiters with the rehearsed speeches and hard core upsell, IMHO. Several of us had an omakase dinner at Fuji last week that was to die for, and only $65.00 per person. I'll be writing that up this week and posting it to the PA board. Standard Tap is a great bar with excellent food in the Northern Liberties section of the city on North 2nd Street. Pigalle is on the same block and also a very nice place. Dmitri's is a BYOB of longevity and infamy in the Queen Village section of town, on 3rd Street at the corner of Catharine. Great Mediterranean fare, grilled fish, hummous, great side dishes, etc. No reservations, but worth the wait. The New Wave Cafe across the street functions as their waiting room, but the food that Chef Ben McNamara puts together there is nothing to pass by either.

Paul: Just let me know when you're coming. If you'd like, an advance post to the Dangerous Dining Club forum on Yahoo.com (Yahoo.com - Groups- Dangerousdiningclub typed in as all one word) would solicit plenty of friendly advice and offers for companionship eating and imbibing whilst in the City of Brotherly Love. If the timing's right, perhaps you could join us for one of our DDC dinners? Always fun, always reasonable, usually at least somewhat "dangerous" and we haven't had a dud yet! Let me know what your other "must visit" choices are for dining here as well. Chances are I used to work there Looking forward to meeting you!

Paul: I was up in my office until 10 Pm last night. Wish I'd known you were right downstairs! I'd have told them to give you the eGullet VIP treatment ! So glad you enjoyed yourself. I'm priveleged to work with a lot of truly professional people, from the managers, chefs and waitstaff, right down to the bus boys. I think the food and service here is top notch (NOTE: not a shameless shill, just a statement of fact after years in the Philly restaurant scene) so I'm delighted that came across. Also glad you enjoyed the wine list. Since a good part of my job is keeping that in order and well stocked, I'm particularly pleased that you were favorably impressed. The room is beautiful - it's a former brokerage house. I would have loved to show you the wine vault - it's literally an old vault with the HUGE swinging foot thick metal door on it and the old safety deposit boxes inside. Next time you're blowing through Philly, let me know! I've had such fun meeting some the other eGulleteers

Hi Lauren: Sounds like a great birthday! Sorry I missed it! Hugs, Katie

All this stuff is true. Actually, winemakers in MANY countries are realizing that the U.S./U.K./Canadian palates and wallets are what they want to shoot for. Look at the stylistic changes in N.Z. and Aussie wines or South African wines for a great example of that. The exception in this particular case is that most of the Austrian wine makers are really expediting their vintages right out to market, so invariably, the wines are always young. I don't think I've ever seen an Austrian wine at retail that was over three or four years old (it's hard enough to find a good retail source anyway, at least around these parts), and only on a wine list at a really upper end restaurant (Danube had some really nice Gruners on their list) that had the storage space to age stuff themselves. Sometimes I wonder if the Austrian winemakers realize they're the "trendy" thing right now and are afraid it'll wear off or someone will remember the Antifreeze scandal and it will all come to a screeching halt I'll heartily agree with the Fuzzy Navel vs. Cosmo analogy, though.

Gordon: Of course, you're right, there's always exceptions, but generally speaking, I wouldn't recommend Gruner Veltliner as a "starter" wine as it is more often than not, quite dry. I just drank a bottle of '99 Prager GV on Wednesday evening with a fabulous Japanese omakase tasting. Also had some Ratzenberger trocken Sekt along with it, and a chilled bottle of Denshin sake as well. All great choices with the food, as was echoed by my dining companions as well.

Haggis: So glad it all worked out. I pre-soak all manner of dried peas and beans in boiling water and it works just fine. I don't have enough forethought to soak stuff overnight! When I decide to cook - I'm ready to roll! Not of the patient sort I guess The soup sounds great. Are you freezing some for later or just chowing it all now? Did you end up putting any meat in it? I always wonder if my "throw-together" recipes are anything like anyone else's...

Navarro Vineyards makes Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir juices that are astonishingly tasty and high quality. You can order them online from the vineyard directly Navarro Vineyards and they are really good.

(Bolding added)I must jump in and state that Gruner Veltliner is the white grape of AUSTRIA, not Germany. The wines are delicious and very food friendly, but BONE CHILLING DRY (think fignernails on blackboard), and generally not sweet in the least. Probably not a good "training wheels" wine choice. All the Riesling and Gewurztraminer suggestions are good ones though. The wine categorization system in Germany is based on the ripeness of the grapes at the time of harvest. That being said, the Kabinett (second level above QBA or Gemany's "vin du table" equivalent) means the grapes were picked earlier than the Spatlese grapes which are riper. Then come the Auslese which can occasionally be as sweet as dessert wines, the Beerenauslese (literally translated "picked by the berry") and trockenbeerenauslese (means Dried {trocken} berries" - literally hanging on the vine until raisin-like). Clearly the longer the grapes get "hang time", the riper and sweeter they'll become. Add to that the drying effects and concentration of sugars as the water evapoates out and the grapes begin to wither and you have some gloriously sweet dessert wines in the trockenbeerenauslese category. Not stuff for quaffing with dinner, but a nectar like treat for after dinner. This is all true, but the books that have been suggested are all excellent choices. I'd also suggest picking up a copy of a "user friendly"wine magazine like Wine & Spirits, which reviews wines for quality and value in terms you don't have to be a sommelier to appreciate, or a bank president to afford. The articles are also written in a style for either the beverage professional, or the lay person. On the note of doing, I'd say try and find some "Wine 101" classes in your area. The American Somelier's Association (Click here) gives classes or could steer you to some more introductory level classes since their members are likely the instructors. I've taken many wine classes in my day, but really enjoyed one that I took with Willie Gluckstern at what is now the Instuitute for Culinary Education (Click here) in New York. Many culinary schools have a wine education program, and some of these classes may be open to the public. Also, check the "Food Calendar" section in your local newspaper's Food section for any classes or tastings in your area. The only way to learn what wines you really like are to try as many as you can. Read and see what intrugues you and then TASTE it! Cheers and have fun!

I very clearly recall going to the local Chinese restaurant with my parents and always ordering the Lobster Cantonese. This was the first Chinese dish I loved beside Wonton soup and I still love it today. Shrimp in Lobster sauce can still call up those tastes and textures for me. I also remember watching my Cuban mom make her infamous pots of Frijoles Negros. I still wish I'd written down that recipe, but have gotten a reasonably close facsimile through practice. I still adore that smoky aroma of cooking black beans and boiling rice wafting through the house {sigh} I used to love to watch my mom cook. She wasn't a particularly accomplished cook, and wouldn't follow a recipe to save her own skin, but the few things she made well still have no equal.

Best quote ever, from a waiter with no wine knowledge whatsoever. We'd opened a bottled of corked wine during service so I figured this was big chance to show the pretty inexperienced staff what "corked" actually meant. Saved it for after service and served it side by side with a newly opened fresh bottle. Upon smelling the corked wine, one waiter piped up with: "Eeeewwwww! It smells like a dirty hot tub!" Brilliant! Slightly chlorine-like, slightly "sweaty" smelling, slightly moldy smelling, wet towel smells, all wrapped up in one spot on comment. Think of it as the smell of "cooked fruit" like a compote with sherry or madiera, versus the smell of fresh fruit or grape juice. The oxidized smell is also what you get when you leave a bottle open too long. It just doesn't smell "fresh" anymore. Another dead giveaway that your wine is cooked is if the cork is bulging or there are drips down the sides of the bottle emanating from the area of the cork, or the foil is glommed on to the bottle from these "leakages". Definite heat damage there. Beaujolais often smells like grape bubble gum, or as I prefer to say, smells like the color purple, rather than like anything ever resembling a fruit. Like grape soda and lollipops smell "purple", not grape like, if you follow what I'm saying here. I've had Cotes du Rhone that had a faint smell of Band-Aids as well. Sometimes these odd smells in wine kind of "blow off" after a few minutes in the glass and some vigorous swirling, so be certain that it's not something transient before you judge an entire bottle. edited for spelling and clarity.

I'd try two more bags of peas, just barely covered with boiling water until they plump up. I'd then add these after they absorb all the water (an hour or so) and add more cubed up veggies (carrots, potatoes) as well. Cook until the "new" peas and veggies are tender and see what the consistency is like then. You could always take some of the soup out and puree it, and then add it back in to thicken up the whole lot. I don't know if you add meat to your soup or not, but I just made a big batch of 16 bean soup the other day, and used smoked turkey necks in it instead of ham hocks. It tasted just as smoky, but the soup didn't end up with as much residual grease at the top, which was great. I made this all in the pressure cooker, and the meat just fell right off the bones and I could shred it and add it back into the soup making it quite a bit thicker in consistency. Hope this helps!

Suvir: Although this is a subject perhaps for another thread, does this mean your dad is allowed to have homemade food now? Is he eating better? I sincerely hope the love in the dosas and the chutney proves curative Best, Katie P.S. I shall be looking up this thread in summer when the ugly lumpy but delicious Jersey tomatoes are at their ripest and most abundant and test driving this for myself!

I don't know about everyone else, but I thought this place was great! They set up a lovely room, almost reminiscent of a wedding reception banquet hall, and the food and sangria and wine and beer just kept on coming! First there were appetizers including fried calamari, chorizo, garlicky clams and mozzarella sticks (Portugese style?). Once we sat down, the large platters of side dishes which included french fries, a semolina cous cous like offering, garlicky Portugese collard greens, fried bananas, black beans and rice came out. Then the skewers started arriving. Grilled meat of every description - short ribs, beef wrapped in bacon, turkey wrapped in bacon, grilled sirloin, filet, etc. Yikes! The Atkins dieters were in heaven if they could resist the side dishes, but it was tough. Everything was pretty tasty, particularly the grilled sirloin. Then a dessert buffet which included flan, a rice pudding and coffee and tea was set up. All in all an absolute steal for $25.00 a head with tax and tip inclusive. Definitely one of our better DDC dinners, although there hasn't been a dud yet. We seem to have an incredible string of luck in terms of having great food and great company. Perhaps Fat Guy would like to add his thoughts on this, since it was his first DDC event and he can be more objective than those of us in the "clique"? We will continue to post our invitations here on eGullet for any of you all that would like to either make a road trip to the Philadelphia area or meet us in the middle on our next road trip northward. It's always fun and the food and the comraderie is always excellent. It's looking like our next two dinners will be for Mexican and Persian food!

Doesn't it help if you refrigerate the "dipped" (or schnitzeled, if that's a verb) items to "rest" for a few minutes before dropping in the hot oil? The "one-quick-flip" theory makes sense too.

Carpet Bagger: I had an absolutely lovely stay at the Ink House (Ink House B & B) in March of 2000. Very centrally located in St. Helena, and the owners are about as helpful as you could hope for. A lovely parlor in which to sip port and sherry (provided) as well as a "Happy Hour" in the afternoon with hors d'oevres. The rooms are decorated in lovely antiques and every room has a private bath. Really a lovely place and truly what staying in a B & B is about - it's like being an honored guest in someone's home. The breakfasts are plentiful and truly delicious and their recipes are well catalogued on the computer if you want them. Really nice people. I'll also chime in with a recommendation for Terra. Absoultely fabulous restaurant with great service and an interesting wine list. I also enjoyed hitting the Oakville Grocery store and stocking up on picnic supplies to munch on while visiting the various wineries. Bring a blanket, a corkscrew and stemware (plastic if necessary) to keep in the trunk of your vehicle and you'll be good to go at a moment's notice. Also, drive up Silverado Trail rather than Rt. 29 and you'll find lots of smaller and more interesting wineries (Robert Sinskey, Arroyo, Goosecross Cellars, S. Anderson) rather than the "refineries-not-wineries" like Sutter Home and Mondavi that are on the main road. Chateau Montelena at the northern end of the Valley near Calistoga has beautiful Japanese gardens and a nice tasting room as well. Merryvale hosts a very interesting wine class and tour that teaches you about the basic elements of tasting wine. A sunrise hot air baloon ride over the Valley is a fantastic way to start your day, and quite romantic to boot! Have a blast and report back when you're done!

There's a Thai restaurant in the Northern suburbs of Philadelphia called White Elephant. Sounds like you're purchasing used food/stuff no one else wanted!

Will never forget being in Austria and Germany in May several times, when the white asparagus comes into season. Ohmigiosh - it's absolutely EVERYWHERE - on restaurant menus, at roadside farm stands. The entire population goes asparagus crazy for about 4-5 weeks while it's in season. And it's prepared in a bajillion different ways, as soups, in omelets or crepes, as side dishes of all sorts, etc. My personal favorite was as a very rich gratin. Yummmy! Of course the rest of the meal was always heavy duty dumplings and schnitzel, but the asparagus was always divine. And no matter how rich the meal, there was nothing a good shot of schnapps (or two or three) couldn't cure as an after dinner digestif Stateside where I don't have access to kilos of white asparagus that was just picked by farmer Wolfgang, I usually steam it upright in my asparagus pot or make a soup that's similar to Pricilla's, although doesn't sound quite as "fancy". I set a pretty table too, but those elegant napkins sound really lovely!

Some Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and Vouvrays can age as long as red wines and still improve or not go "over the hill". Depends on the residual sugar content and as always, the providence of how it's being held. If you've had your wine in good cellar conditions (dark and cool with no extreme fluctuations in temperature or humidity) then you could probably hold it for a while longer. But if it were me, I'd drink it for sure! I don't really have the storage to hold wines indefinitely - the only thing truly noteworthy in my collection right now is a bottle of 1997 Isole et Olena Cepparello. I'll be holding that for another few years, but I wish I had a few so I could taste it at various stages. Too bad it was so heavily allocated. It's always best to remember that 97% of the wine produced in the world is meant to be drunk within three years of it's release. The anxiety people experience over drinking wine at the exact right nanosecond on the space-time continuum is antithetical to the purpose the wine was intended for, IMHO.

I agree with the busy folks here. In the summer time I can go to the Italian Market and buy a peck of overripe tomatoes for next to nothing and make a cauldron of sauce and freeze a lot of it. But in the winter time, the tomatoes are bland mealy nasty things I wouldn't give a second look. Having the canned/jarred stuff around to doctor up makes my busy life that much more tolerable and keeps me from having dinner at midnight! I'm fond of the Muir Glen organic tomatoes myself, as well as the Healthy Choice jarred sauce. Not too much salt or sugar. Once I doctor it up with some canned diced tomatoes for texture, some herbs and sauteed veggies, you'd never know it wasn't homemade. I also make a mean Turkey Bolognese that's pretty healthy too. Good stuff on short notice!

One of the tastiest things I've tried lately was a small scoop of Bloody Mary sorbet atop a Kumamoto oyster on the half shell. Yummmmmm.... I served an Apple-Rosemary sorbet as the intermezzo at my wedding reception. That went over pretty well too.

I wouldn't recommend making gravlax with previously frozen fish. Having done it both with achingly fresh and previously frozen fish, there is NO doubt that gravlax should always be made with fresh salmon. The previously frozen fish leeched out far too much liquid in the curing process and the texture was far inferior to that made with fresh. I think the excess liquid also washed away some of the seasonings so the taste was inferior as well. I second the recommendation for salmon mousse. Although I can't say that without thinking of the Monty Python skit where Death visits the dinner party. "It was the Salmon Mousse..."

Can anyone in the Chesapeake area post when the local crab festival/festivals take place? Is it always the same weekend every year or do the dates move around? Is there one festival that shouldn't be missed? I would love to make a weekend roadtrip out of this from Philadelphia, but want to plan my visit around one of the food fests. Thanks in advance for your help.