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Sneakeater... I've fond memories Of the Lord Fletcher "pub" from some years ago. Terrific Chicken with Dumplings; excellent "comfort" food on a winter night. I had a 2nd home in La Quinta and would go to Lord Fletcher with British next door neighbors and somehow with them there the wait for a table was never too long.

I, too, wish they had left well enough alone. Every publication these days seems to think that more and larger graphics - "art" - is better/more compelling than type. Full page pictures of a plate of soup; please ! So now Fine Cooking looks more like Gourmet/Bon Appetit. I'll likely get used to it too. What I won't accept, however is elimination of that tear-out section at the back... now called "Fast and Fresh", "Make It Tonight", "30 Minute Meals"; which is it ? It used to be edited or compiled by a single person each issue I think; now everybody gets to submit one recipe it appears. No matter that every other magazine is doing the same thing. Fwiw, white space can draw attention in advertising, occasionally. When it becomes the "rule" in a publication and what type there is gets larger, I begin to wonder if they just don't have much to say. Sorry... I'm starting to rant. In the last year, how many different articles in assorted publications have we seen comparing saute pans or non-stick skillets?!? For that information, I look to Cook's Illustrated. How many publications in the past year have devoted space to how to butcher/bone a chicken ?

In yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle / Food section, cookbook author Jacqueline Higuera McMahan cited Lazy Acres in Santa Barbara as her source for meats used in a series of recipes published. I've no personal experience with this butcher but her mention of them was something I noted. Her background per The Chronicle is as follows: Jacqueline Higuera McMahan's family lived on one of the last Spanish land-grant ranchos in the Bay Area. She has lived in Mexico and now resides in Southern California, and is the author of "California Rancho Cooking" (Sasquatch Books, 2003).

Thanks. I like that. A bit of "sloppy" journalism.

Frank Bruni, restaurant critic of the New York Times, today continues his piece on the Top Ten New Restaurants in America. Discussing #6 - Fraiche in Culver City California - he speaks of a monkfish dish where the meat is sliced into thin medallions "which are floured, dipped in egg and sauteed in olive oil and white wine." So here's the first question... I don't believe I've ever heard of sauteeing in olive oil and wine. If I'm showing my ignorance, apologies. I've made many pan sauces after sauteeing where adding wine is part of the deal. Bruni goes on to extol the "character" that the monkfish had and that it had "the faintest suggestion of a crust". Other questions that come to mind have to do with the importance (or lack thereof) of variety of wine used and how much wine to use in relation to the amount of oil. As always, all comments are appreciated; I'm assuming you're all more out of the genius mold than I am.

As said, appreciate the comments. While i knew to allow the cooked breast to rest and every recipe I read did say 10 minutes, I was "cavalier". I doubt I allowed it to rest five minutes. So another unlucky duck's breast will be sacrificed tomorrow in the name of "science".

So, tonight I cooked a duck breast. Ashamed to admit it was a first effort. Duck is not a favorite mostly because I do not care for the fruity/sweet sauces that typically are called for. Thus I almost never order it out while the "significant other" does. Hence my interest here. The duck breast I made tonight was... tough. And I'm not sure why. I've saved many recipes from many sources and used one tonight from Lynne Char Bennett who writes for the San Francisco Chronicle. After the skin scoring that is a given, it calls for searing in a hot pan without any oil and reducing the heat to medium/low as the fat renders. After 7 or so minutes, it calls for the the heat to be raised to high as the breast is turned. 3 or so minutes on the second side and into a 350 degree oven to finish cooking to 125 - 130 degrees. No problem with any of this; only considerations being that I am cooking at 7500 feet altitude and I am prepared/expecting all times to possibly require a bit more. And, indeed, when it should have been done in the oven, the breast was still quite red and "bloody" so it was returned to the oven for an additional 2 - 3 minutes. The breast WAS now done/ still pink as Bennett had called for but it was tough enough that I thought of actually using a steak knife. Now, I do my learning/experimental cooking when I'm alone. That was the case tonight as "friend/wife" is away. The only "variable" I cannot address is what kind of duck breast was I cooking ? My local Whole Foods (Santa Fe) now has them boneless with skin on display daily but I've no idea if it is/was Muskovy/Pekin or from the Rio Grande River shot by a local. So, is duck... just tough ? Did I screw it up ? Were I served this in a restaurant I would not have been happy. The sauce; a wild mushroom sauce, was fine. The flavors were not the problem. Will appreciate all comments, with thamks in advance.

To Verjuice's excellent list, I'll add... - Hidden Chicken in the shopping center that includes a Smith's grocery; St. Michael's Drive near St Francis excellent Chicken Pot Pies with grenn chiles ! (closed Sundays). When ordering I tell them uncooked so I can cook them at home rather than reheating them. Top/crust is an excellent puff pastry. - Josh's BBQ; southside of town by the new 14 screen movie theatre (closed Mondays) - Whole Hog Cafe on Cerrillos Road around where Wal-Mart is, opposite side of the street; the other BBQ in town. Good enough IMO, not as good as Josh's (closed Sunday) - Jinja; in a separate building in the De Vargas shopping center; pan Asian menu all available to go - Whole Foods, while expensive, has mostly good hot and cold foods plus baked goods and cheeses - Kaune's Market; at Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta across from the Capitol, carries foods prepared by Angel Food Catering, the on-site caterers for the Santa Fe Opera during the summer months. Also closed Sundays. - The Pink Adobe restaurant (same area as Kaune's) offers their "signature" Green Chile Stew and Gypsy Stew to go at menu prices. - Dominic's in The Railyard/Guadalupe didtrict does excellent entree type salads or sandwiches all available to go - Chow's, same shopping complex as Hidden Chicken; just in case you have a craving for Chinese. There are several specifically Chinese places in Santa Fe. All but Chow's will make you want to cry they are so bad. More as I think of them

I bought this on a recco from a woman who was a script reader for me at Universal Studios who had just read it/couldn't put in down. The author, Nicole Mones, wrote LOST IN TRANSLATION which went on to be a well regarded 2003 film that starred Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray and was directed by Sofia Coppola thus I was interested. All of that said, this is an absolutely terrific book that would have fallen beneath my "radar". It is about a food writer who scoffs at the notion that "food can heal the human heart". Writer Mones proves her wrong. Just fwiw, apparently the book was excepted in Gourmet, first time they've ever done that. I subscribe but I missed it.

Jonathan Gold, the restaurant reviewer/critic for The L A Weekly has won a Pulitzer Prize for criticism. Much deserved in my opinion. L A Weekly Announcement

I think the place you are thinking of is on Olympic at Doheny; north side of the street. The place has been there forever and most everything they have is German-style. Excellent quality but subtle flavors. Definitely worth a visit.

Even though this is well after the poster asked for ideas, let me add this dish from San Francisco chef Joyce Goldstein written for the Wine Section of the San Francisco Chronicle; Friday, December 8, 2006. San Francisco Chronicle - Roast Lobster with Champagne, Lemon and Tarragon Butter The dish is meant for celebratory occasions, ideally to be accompanied by Tete de Cuvee Champagnes.

Have to agree... the issue more than anything else is portion size; 4 or 5 ounces MAX. That said, some people are more sensitive to escolar than others so it works like a food allergy, too. I especially like it when the weather is warm with a fruit salsa (diced mango, jalapeno, red onion) and steamed, green something or other - asparagus/sugar snap peas/snow peas. Oh, and a crisp white wine !

Andrea, just a fwiw... Sign on the door at what I knew to be B. Riley's (behind an old, boarded up Carrow's) on Juan Tabo just north of I-40 says their items are available in Raley's supermarkets. This was about ten days ago.

You might want to contact an eGullet poster who posts as "miss tenacity" directly for ideas. She is the restaurant critic for the Albuquerque Journal. Her name is Andrea Lin. I don't know her but I can vouch for her as a critic. Her profile here lists a homepage which might make contact easier.

Two more American viogniers that are personal favorites: - Calera Mt. Harlan; California (about $35) - Harlequin (Clifton Vineyard) Columbia Valley; Washington state (about $25)

Russ, Indeed many of us here in Santa Fe remember Cafe Escalera. Owner Brian Knox went on to open The Standard Market in the Guadalupe district with generous backing from, among others, Gene Hackman. His takeout food at Standard was really good. His right hand was a tall woman by the name of Kim who was also at Cafe Escalera. She wholesales excellent cheeses to restaurants in town and is somewhere in the kitchen hierarchy at The Compound now. Stadard Market ultimately failed being unable to compete with the behemoth that is Whole Foods. Brian Knox now owns and cooks at a wonderful, intimate place called Aqua Santa across the street (Alameda) from the Santa Fe "river". The spot was for years a tiny lunch-only place called The Noon Whistle.

And to think... they actually pay people good money to do this for a living !

As to what I prefer ? Simple, simple, simple. Call me boring but if I must have dessert, I'll take a flourless cake (chocolate, hazelnut; whatever). Or, something that highlights/makes use of the freshest fruit/berries in season. Please don't offer strawberries from Chile in December or peaches either. I'm sick to death of molten chocolate cakes and architectural creations that are as much about "engineering" as taste. Spectacular is not necessarily better imo. Those dessert "sample" trays are an abomination unless we're in Tokyo. A really well thought out and executed cheese plate is a treat. Usually overpriced but worth it done well. That does not happen often enough away from big cities or Europe. Sorry if just thinking about this has brought on a curmudgeonly moment.

Today's Sacramento Bee - Food Section has some ideas. Note the site may require a registration to read.

Guess I'm the merchant's dream customer... I buy one of just about everything, call me Curious Bob. Saw the onion dicer while in my Williams-Sonoma and, having too much time on my hands (or too much available credit on my Visa card), bought it. So now I continue to dice onion as I always have, with a knife; forgetting the thing is in the drawer.

A great, great loss. As others have said reading him he certainly did not suffer snobs or fools and did indeed seem to be a roll-up-your-sleeves type guy. His was a by-line that I always read; went back to. Probably as high a compliment one can pay a journalist. Sad day.

O.K... only because you asked. I know nothing about the Cosmonut Museum or the Wakening Museum except that Wakening is down the street from the O'Keeffe. I know what SWAIA is as an organization but am a loss as to what they are doing - actively - now that Indian Market is over. There is a Museum of Indian Art in a cluster of Museums run by the state near St. John's College. There is another just off the Plaza (also small) that might be run by SWAIA. That museum has an on-going museum of contemporary work I like by Bob Hazhous, son of the famous Native American sculptor Allan Houser. There is also The Wheelright Museum with Native American art in the aforementioned cluster. The O'Keeffe is a personal favorite mostly because I'm partial to her art, her "take" on the southwest landscape and the endless sky. It is a small museum, easily seen in an hour or slightly more. In addition to three room of pieces from the permanent collection the just opened show is Paul Strand,Southwest. Strand was a noted American photographer, represented by O'Keeffe's husband Alfred Stieglitz. He spent three consecutive summers in Santa Fe and Taos (1930, 31 and 32) with O'Keeffe as guests of Mabel Dodge Luhan. D. H/ Lawrence was another guest. The Strand exhibit (which is small) has been in Cincinnati and will travel to Seattle/Tacoma. Snata Fe Brewing is a good local brew. They've moved into a new facility on the southside of town with a food operation that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cannot specifically comment other than that they do serve the to-be-expected pub type food. Know nothing of their tours. Santa Fe School of Cooking is fun for either half-day or full day classes; southwestern dishes and non-participatory cooking classes. If you are a very serious cook you might find it not challenging enough. As to other restaurants... - Bobcat Bite: a MUST for the ten ounce green chile cheeseburger (note closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; cash only/no alcohol when open). - Cafe Pasquals: Another must. Breakfast or lunch and expect to wait some. Dinner is fancier, more ambitious cooking and very good (pricey) if not the very best in town. - Inn of the Anasazi: right off the Plaza; probably the best hotel in town (a Rosewood Hotels property). The restaurant is now run by Martin Rios who previously was the "star" at The Old House in the Eldorado Hotel. Up there with the 3/4/5 best in town for most interesting food and priciest menus. - Coyote Cafe: now nearly 20 years old; where chef Mark Miller kicked off the idea of southwestern tastes as cuisine. Expensive and very good in my opinion. Others will disagree. Oddly the locals have, long since satisfying their curiousity, left it to visitors and tourists and remained "loyal" to other restaurants. Go figure. While I don't eat there every night I DO go and have not had a bad experience; since they opened. They also operate a rooftop Cantina off the main restaurant that is excellent for a lunch or late afternoon snack/drinks. What sucks ? You asked, just my opinion... The Appletree in Taos. Location and setting is fine; food is ordinary and service is poor. In Taos I'd rather go to Doc Martin's in The Taos Inn a block away or to Joseph'sTable (lunch or dinner) in the La Fonda Hotel on Taos Plaza. If you still want New Mexican food, Orlando's a mile north of town is a MUST. Small and popular. Cash only; beer and wine available.

C'Mon ! Get the pilot off the golf course, hit Katz Deli for some sandwiches and tell the driver to get on to Teterboro ! You'll be here in time for dinner... Anyway, it's still nice today but the news/weather geniuses are talking about some possible rain and cooler early next week. That will accelerate things a bit. Rule of thumb in northern New Mexico is for the first freeze around October 15th. Overnight the last of the wildflowers, chamisa etc are brown and gone. Aspens on my land are bright yellow with one starting to go to brown. Hope that gives you some idea. We had a very wet summer which made everyone very happy. Talk is for a wet winter too with a returning El Nino in the Pacific; will mean good skiing.

Tommy, Only thing I'll say is, simply, get on the plane and get here. It is - as of today - a spectacular fall. Temperatures in the high 60's, low 70's. Trees are changing colors now (early); clear blue skies with loads of puffy clouds daily. True Georgia O'Keeffe type experience. As to food, ask any questions; answers/opinions will follow. This is a small place. Everythiing is within 20 minutes. Restaurant/meal choices are plentiful with very few that are to be avoided (and, no I do NOT work for any Chamber of Commerce; I am an ex-New Yorker if that counts for anything). Taos is slightly more than an hour away; further north. It's very nice but considerably smaller than Santa Fe but still has several interesting places to eat.