Andrew Fenton
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Posts posted by Andrew Fenton
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Hold the event in the fall when scrapple-making season is in full swing. Bring in a live hog. Butcher it and make scrapple from scratch. And bloodwurst and headcheese as long as we're at it. Maybe Gallagher could be invited to lead the demonstration. (Bring plenty of plastic sheets.)
Wow, I can only imagine the squealing (no pun intended) that would result if somebody killed and butchered a hog in the Reading Terminal Market. Now that would get some publicity. Which is always a good thing.
Personally, I'd like to see the application of molecular gastronomy to scrapple. I mean, everybody has been eating sous-vide'd scrapple for years now; it's pretty much a cliche. But where are the scrapple foams, the compressed air infused with scrapple essence? We've gotta take it to the next level.
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"Ah, memories of chicken at Zuni Cafe... we thought that we had been exaggerating how good the chicken there was in our memories of our first time there, but we were back two months ago and had our minds blown yet again."
da- you may know this but, zuni cafe presalts their chickens (and many other things) up to 3 days before roasting. this cooking method may be one aspect of what makes their roast birds so memorable. it's all explained in the zuni cafe cookbook.
There's a good thread about pre-salting from this fall. It includes a link to the Zuni Cafe recipe. Which is really good.
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I would dtae the fish ther to 10 to 12 days old and in most case, unless you are deep frying it twice, I would look for better fish.
So where would you recommend looking, V?
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Glad to see this thread revived. About three years ago, I read it and decided to upgrade to a Kuhn Rikon. In many ways, it's an ideal can opener:
* it leaves a nice round edge on the can. No jagged points or a sharp edge, so you can reuse the can;
* it's pretty fast;
* the little built-in set of pliers is handy for other things; and
* it looks really cool.
But there are also drawbacks:
* there's a little bit of a learning curve. It took me a couple of minutes of fooling with it to figure out how it worked. I gave one to my mom, and she gave up;
* sometimes after you cut off the lid, it remains stuck. It takes a second to peel it off; and
* it feels like it's starting to get a little dull. My feeling is that a $25 can opener ought to last pretty much forever.
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Ahi Tuna
it's like saying ono Wahoo or mahi-mahi dolphin
or, you know, "tuna fish."
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While we're on the subject of French etiquette, I have heard that one does not use the WC at a dinner party in another's home, regardless of how much wine one has poured (or, for les dammes, had poured for them). True?
Bien sur, monsieur-- zat is what zee potted plant in zee corner is for, non?
That cracks me up-- I've had French people go to the can at my house, for sure. I think somebody was maybe having a little joke at your expense...
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this is weird how suddenly, people start trying the same thing at the same time!!
well, it is the middle of winter, after all...
Anyway, I'm a big fan of good frozen vegetables. Has anybody mentioned those haricots verts from Trader Joe's? Because they're awfully good.
Peas, too. The season for fresh peas is so short that most of the year, the frozen kind are a lot better.
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Martin Luther King, Jr., and lutefisk
Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended Dr. King's funeral in place of the president;
Before becoming vice president, Humphrey was senator from Minnesota;
Minnesota is a major center of lutefisk consumption.
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At least the disagreeable woman did not dine at the restaurant. Last month in San Francisco the woman at the table next to me SENT BACK her amuse, which included some foie gras, because she didn't eat the stuff. One of my dining companions was appalled at this behavior, which she felt was a major faux pas and outright rude.
Why on earth would that be rude? She didn't order the amuse, and since she doesn't eat foie gras, she sent it back. Seems entirely appropriate to me.
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This is why China is the greatest nation in the world:
Stamps released in China to celebrate the Year of the Pig taste like sweet-and-sour pork.
That is *so* much better than those Skinny Elvis stamps that tasted like... er, never mind.
Edit: you can use one to mail one of these edible postcards made out of squid!
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By the way--I am not saying that the original poster should have "set policy" on her own. Rather her restaurant should at least have the internal discussion.
And on this we agree. I'd encourage all restaurants-- given the very real constraints of time, etc.-- to think about the ethics of their food, and have that discussion with their employees. (Of course, most restaurants won't have that discussion, for a variety of reasons. But that's another issue.)
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I don't think my advice even comes remotely close to "picking a fight" it simply and politely informs the customer of the restaurant's policy regarding an obviously sensitive (to some)issue.
No debate. No insulting the customer.
Let me cite you:
IMOP we need to stop this ridiculous concept of political correctness and concern about "offending" people and stand up when we are in the right.If you're serious about this, it's tantamount to picking a fight. But I'll assume that you meant it in a general context, and not in the specific case at hand.
In fact, I believe that politely informing a person of policy is respectful and thoughtful.Of course, in the overwhelming majority of cases (and in the case that opened the thread), there isn't a policy: the restaurant serves foie gras because it tastes good, and whether or not the owner and chef have looked into the ethics of it, they haven't formulated anything like official restaurant policy, one that has been communicated to the staff. Nor should they, necessarily. But I'll repeat what I said before: in the absence of an official policy, it's not the job of the person taking reservations to formulate one. They should let the customer discuss it with a manager.
(And to be clear: none of this is meant as criticism of Meredith380, who as far as I can tell, acted with aplomb in a difficult situation.)
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"one persons facts are another person's ideology"
Sorry, facts are facts.
I stand by my statement. I've seen enough foie gras debates on this website to know that while each side believes that their case is based on cold, steely logic, in reality that case is often as much about emotions, a priori assumptions, or political biases. If that weren't the case, then there wouldn't be disagreement among the many educated, intelligent folks who make up the eGullet membership. But that's not relevant to this thread, and I'll let it lie.
If the women had called and simply said I am canceling my reservation because you serve foie gras and I am against this. Or words to that effect then fine, simply thank her for calling and hang up.However, this woman engaged the restaurant further and I believe it is well within the restaurant's right to simply and politely inform her that they are not just blindly serving products to an unsuspecting (or unenlightened) public. This was her implication.
IMOP we need to stop this ridiculous concept of political correctness and concern about "offending" people and stand up when we are in the right.
No. There are plenty of times and places when it's appropriate to stand up for your beliefs, even if you piss people off. At work, in a service industry? That's not one of them. It's about being classy. And picking fights with customers isn't classy.
The appropriate thing to do would be to let the person rant, hang up politely, and go rant on eGullet.
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And having said that, now I'm thinking that the employee's reply might even include "That's your choice, madame; I hope you don't intend to legislate away our other customers' freedom of choice. Anyway, I've cancelled your reservation, and thanks for letting us know. (Enjoy the veal or chicken wherever you do wind up dining!)"
We're going to have to agree to disagree here.
As I see it, it is NEVER appropriate for an employee in a service industry to lecture-- especially lecture passive-aggressively-- a potential customer. Ever. Even if they aren't dining with you that time, even if they will probably never come back. It's tacky, it's not your job, and it runs the risk of biting you in the ass.
If the owner or manager wants to lecture somebody, fine. He or she is in a better position to do so-- though it's still tacky.
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Anyone who calls a restaurant and raises this issue should be told very politely, they are appreciative of the person's concerns but the restaurant is aware of all the facts and serves foie gras because knowing the facts, they can, in good conscience serve it.
I'm going to disagree with this for a couple of reasons.
First, because when it comes to an emotional subject like foie gras, one person's "facts" are another person's ideology.
But more importantly, even a polite version of this statement runs the risk of turning into an argument. It's not worth it to argue with a stranger over the phone. This is doubly true for an employee: it's not your place to argue about this kind of restaurant policy, let alone about issues of culinary ethics. If the caller wants to discuss this, take their number and tell the manager or owner to call them back. (Or, more likely, not call them back.)
But the best response is to just say, "we're sorry that you won't be eating with us" and hang up.
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Yes, but after 4am, they re-broadcast something quite original from their road series - "Debbie Does Dallas."I agree, FN needs to put more hardcore food stuff on their line ups.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have achieved consensus.
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more exotic en francais??SOUP OF THE DAY: Soup Du Jour
Peut-etre... it struck me as the menu equivalent of staring at two mirrors facing one another.
whoa. trippy.
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I've seen plenty of misuse of 'au jus'....
Oh yeah. And I've seen a sign reading:
SOUP OF THE DAY: Soup Du Jour
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My favorite failed attempt to bloviate was a menu in an Italian restaurant several years ago. I'm sure you're all familiar with Pasta Puttanesca ("whore's pasta"). This place apparently came up with what they thought was a seafood version and called it Puttanesca de la Mer -- yup, Hookers of the Sea.
Actually, I'd say that the real atrocity there is combining French with Italian: it ought to be puttanesca di mare.
Puttanesca doesn't mean "whore". It's an adjective; the noun is "puttana". And it's totally normal to use just the adjective to describe a dish: you might talk about a bolognese, or when it comes to steak, a Fiorentina. So there's no problem with a puttanesca di mare.
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I would just like to note the appearance of the words "wuvs" and "simulacrum" in this discussion. Who's got trump?
Well, I *wuv* Capaneus. So there you go!
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BYOBs aren't necessarily "cuisine", nor, I would argue, should they be. Ideally, they would serve the function tascas filled in Lisbon. Or bistros originally served in Paris, before the Americans ruined everything by winning WWII and overstaying their invitation
They're supposed to serve good, solid food around which friends can sit and enjoy themselves. And since the economy of this country somehow doesn't allow for the $1 glass of wine, they let me bring my own. All of which is a necessary component of the model. In fact, if they have a flaw, it's that they're often too expensive for daily use, which limits their suitability as neighborhhod hangouts. That's what this country needs lots of - not clones of Alinea, with all due respect to a great chef. The original will suffice.In fact, that's what we all here, on some level, really crave, it seems to me. That's where our constant talk of the rarity of bistros, of the greatness of Italy's trattorias, really leads: we want public spaces where we can eat and hang out. We got none, really. Whatever happens in most bars is a pathetic approximation.
I could no more disagree with this sentiment than I could march in the Anti-Puppies-and-Kittens celebration, held annually in the city of Evilsville. We're all looking for that Great Good Place. But I kinda don't buy the idea that there's something about the Philadelphia BYOB model that's inherently better at providing that ideal, or even a simulacrum of it, than lots of other models. Especially when most of those BYOBs are following a trend, not setting one.
So I'll stick to my guns: I'd prefer more Roman or Sicilian or Emiliana or Provençal or Austrian restaurants in this city. Because that would be more interesting than what we've got.
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And as to the whole BYOB/LCB discussion, I continuously fail to understand why only the restaurateurs' viewpoint is ably represented in these discussions.
Pedro, I realize that there's a wider context to your comments-- and for what it's worth, I agree with most of what you said. (I also think that complaining about the PALCB will have about as much effect as complaining about the sun rising in the east.)
But I want to drag this, kicking and screaming, back to the article, and attempt a point of clarification.
As I read White's article, "BYOB" doesn't refer to any restaurant without a liquor license, but a particular subset, described right at the beginning:
Tell me you’re opening a restaurant in Philadelphia, and I’ll tell you what it will be. It’s a BYOB, a husband-and-wife-owned storefront with a sentimental name. He’s in the miniature kitchen; she’s in the dining room with the decor straight out of the Pottery Barn catalog. The food is fresh, local; the farmers who grew the baby bok choy and raised the free-ranged chickens are listed right there at the bottom of the menu."BYOB" is a pretty handy shorthand for that stereotype; it's one that most of us use and recognize. As far as I can tell, White is referring to that stereotype (as was I). White's point isn't anything about the sale of alcohol in Pennsylvania, it's about a stagnation that has followed the growth of this style of restaurant over the last five or so years.
And wkl raises a good point. The PALCB doesn't control the number of liquor licenses in Philadelphia; there are also lots of liquor license-free restaurants in New Jersey.
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The reason I'm posting in this thread is to find out if anyone ever uses balsamic vinegar for flavoring without adding butter or meat. I would be willing to try this so that I could try and taste the greens before serving.
Yes, I often cook this way, especially with Swiss chard. Saute a little onion, add the rinsed, damp chard, steam away, add balsamic at the end. Good stuff.
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As to the current dining scene, White mentions the stereotypical Yet Another BYOB; I'll see that and raise her Yet Another Small-Plates Restaurant. If I were the all-powerful restaurant deity, I'd happily sacrifice both of those in favor of a focus on less creative food-- that is, on traditional, regionally- and culturally-based food traditions from all over. And yeah, Italian would be a good place to start.
as would french. why is caribou the only non-fancy french place in town?
More non-fancy French? Yep, that'd be good. Though to be fair, there's Pif (for now, anyway) and St. Tropez (where I've never eaten).
I know that lots of people pooh-poohed Blue Angel, but I liked it best of the Starr joints, and miss it...
Subliminal Advertising during ICA
in Food Media & Arts
Posted · Edited by Andrew Fenton (log)
Why sad and nauseating? It isn't PBS; they've always had ads. And I bet that viewers of the Food Network eat at Mickey D's way more than they (or most eGulleteers) would like to admit.
If this is real, I suspect that Reefpimp is right, and that somebody in the production booth was having a larf. If McD's paid money for this... well, mainly it shows that their marketing wing have come down with a bad case of what's known in psychological circles as "being idiots": subliminal advertising doesn't work.