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Got it; understood and thanks. The recipe does end up with a pan sauce; composed of sherry, honey and thyme.

So I'm reading a recipe, a "Test Kitchen" if you will in the new issue (January 2004) of Fine Cooking magazine... titled "Cook Duck At Home, It's Easy". In the article they specifically say not to use a non-stick pan and I'm wondering why. I've both non-stick and regular saute pans (Calphalon Commercial and All-Clad) and I've cooked duck breasts before without problems. I understand the idea of scoring the skin but not the meat so the duck fat will render. I almost always grab a non-stick skillet; can't really say why. What is happening in the pan and what is to be gained by not using non-stick ?

I finally found the Spanish Hickory-Smoked Sea Salt discussed in an earlier thread. I used it night before last on some oven-roasted halibut plated in a red-pepper coulis. I did the coulis in case the halibut needed an accent flavor but wanted the fish to be nearly plain so I could taste the salt's impact independent of the coulis or any sauce. Most notable thing is the very strong hickory smell off the salt (bacon-y) and, yes, the salt IS strong so use it cautiously. I would consider using it, for example, on seared sea scallops to put on a dinner salad where often the scallops are bacon-wrapped and grilled. All in all the salt is terrific as a simple add-on seasoning; when the essential flavor of the item, fish-meat-whatever, is desired. Until I know more, I'd use it in simpler dishes much the same way I use Herbs-de-Provence.

some thoughts for aliaseater who seems a bit skeptical of the concept of "layering" flavors - Yes reducing does create a very intense concentration of the flavors developed to that point. Alone that concentrated substance would not taste good but would "assault" the taste buds. The next liquid does dilute the creation but in so doing adds another flavor which is then concentrated before adding something else. I agree that in a stew or something like beef burgundy the result may seem like it is a single flavor rather than an assortment of tastes but as one does this - repeatedly - you will find that, as an example, in a complex sauce you can still discern the flavor of, say, the thyme or the sage or some other component. I recall that among my frustrations when I first began cooking, while I got o.k. looking sauces, once the sauce was on the entree (chicken, fish whatever) I only tasted the sauce. Conversely eating in a better restaurant I got the flavor of a sauce but could still taste the specific taste of the item under or above it (seared scallops, say). I could then taste a companion's plate and experience the same thing but all different flavors entirely. I've found that as I forced myself to be patient when cooking and to be concious of layering flavors as I cook, I've been able to achieve the same thing at home. I'm not always confident when I sit down at the table but when it works - and it mostly does now - it is for me an accomplishment and enough of one that when I have a dish I really like out I do try to re-create it. It is as much a challenge as it is a desire to re-experience something. Another thought... cooking is essentiall food chemistry. In college I had a summer job in a printing ink research laboratory. We developed printing inks for things like Coca Cola cans. Formulas were constantly being revised to allow for things like scratching of the can. If I took someone else's formula and dumped everything together and stirred I did not get the required ink. If I followed the steps and added things in order and did the mixing as the formula suggested, different ingredients reacted with each other each time creating something new that then reacted uniquely with the next item to yield the desired product. The most minute deviation from formula yielded a "dud" and the collective scratching of lots of heads. I believe that our kitchen attempts at sauces is a similar proposition even though in the kitchen many of us are proud not to use measuring spoons but to measure by eye.

Yup, Topic now closed... Mottmott said it all - we do the wine first to get the bottle open ! That poured glass while doing the prep and work is key, integral to our culinary success. Also explains why I've screwed up when I have !

Gotta take exception, too, to speaking of Il Fornaio in the same sentence with Olive Garden ! My experience with Il Fornaio is in Southern California and they are uniformly very good even if they might be a bit "below" a few other single-restaurant operations or the four or five places around Los Angeles fathered by Celestino Drago and operated by his brothers. I've personally always liked Il Fornaio's seafood pasta dishes and often think of a fall lobster ravioli they make for days afterwards as Nan_Kat has been with her squash past dish. Imagine how good it would have been with some wine !

Isn't it all really about concentrating flavors and building layers of flavors ? I'm tugging on my memory but it seems to me I've alway read recipes to call for wine first then stock then whatever fat (if any) is called for; i.e. heavy cream/half-and-half then the tablespoon(s) of butter.

As to possibly having gotten "Maine" shrimp not necessarily as to where they were harvested but as a variety, I believe that the lobster and shrimp caught off Scotland are identical to those from Maine so the possibilities are really vast. I know Scotland is the only place other than Maine where I've had fresh lobster that tasted like Maine lobster. That said, I cannot imagine it being economically viable to sell shrimp from European waters here. And, another thought as to whether your shrimp might have been frozen... it is my impression that all shrimp are frozen unless the shrimper intends to literally sell them dockside or off the boat upon returning to harbor. Just because they are displayed for sale thawed does not mean they were not once frozen.

Just speaking to a friend in Maine (a non-cook) and asked him your question. He said it is too early; that they go shrimping after lobster season - usually beginning in December. My own experience whenever I get shrimp (from any area) where the meat is mushy is that they are long out of the water and have been frozen, perhaps thawed and refrozen.

Reading the portion of this thread about cheese with beef on sandwiches... Try some brie with roast beef on a baguette; salt, pepper, some peppery arugula leaves and a bit of a honey mustard. Mustard I use is something out of Canada called Honeycup, distinctive here because it is sharp rather than cloyingly sweet as many honey mustards can be.

El Farolito restaurant in El Rito… About 25 miles north of Santa Fe you’ll come to the small city of Espanola. You’ll be on US 84/US 285. In town they will split off to the left, towards Abiqui and Chama. (Bearing right would take you to Taos on NM 68 through the Rio Grande gorge). Outside Espanola, US 285 bears right and will take you to Rancho de San Juan, your hotel. Staying on US 84 north takes you to Abiqui; about fifteen miles, and eleven miles further to Ghost Ranch, one of the two O’Keeffe residences. Her beloved Pedernal mountain will be on the left. Before Abiqui, watch for NM 554 on the right. Take it and go thirteen miles to El Rito. The restaurant is across the street from a “General Store” on the right approaching from Abiqui direction (possibly cash-only; don't recall). Should you wish to, stay on NM 554 out of town to Rio Arriba County 111; turn right and go a short distance (mile or two ?) and meet US 285 just above Ojo Caliente, all north of Rancho de San Juan (by about ten or twelve miles). Right turn onto US 285 returns you to your hotel. ***************** A note about Taos… I was there last Saturday and had an extraordinary lunch at a new “resort” in town, El Monte Segrado on Kit Carso Road about two miles away from the main drive through the center of Taos. The restaurant is called De La Tierra. The resort is very high-end and, as such, is a bit out of character ( just my opinion) for Taos. That said, should anyone ever want a “destination” in the Taos area; either for a small business conference or a Honeymoon, this is surely it. Spa, suites with hot tubs etc. The main area in the dining room is a bit “fussy” for me but the garden area where lunch is served (nearer to the bar) was very comfortable. The food was as good as I’ve had anywhere in New Mexico and rivals that had in California. Being a resort, it’s priced to match. At lunch I had a Horseradish-Crusted Halibut on a Red Pepper sauce with a julienne of vegetables and my wife had something called The Duck Duck Duck Burger. This is a “riff” on the Boulud burger Daniel Boulud started in New York whereby foie gras is incorporated into ground meat. Lots of chefs have taken liberties with the idea. In New York it mainly gained notoriety for being priced at about $ 45. The Taos version is ground breast of duck stuffed with leg of duck confit and foie gras. At $ 16 it is a must-have. It is served with a sherry mayo, a red pepper ketchup and a carmelized onion relish plus truffle french fries. The wine list is extremely good, especially by New Mexico standards. There are $ 4,000 first growths and pages of California wines, many very fairly priced at a little more than two times retail. Only area that was not well represented on the list was California syrahs and boutique California pinot noirs; some representation just not as many as one might expect given the overall length of the list. With this lunch we drank by-the-glass; the duck with a Schug pinot noir, the fish with a Trimbach reisling all at $ 12 per glass. ****************** You mention that you are friends of the O’Keeffee curator; assuming you are referring to Barbara Buehler Lynes, see if she might allow you onto the O’Keeffe property at Ghost Ranch which is private and separate from the Ghost Ranch Conference Center nearby. The home is NEVER open to the public (unlike the Abiqui home which is) and is extremely interesting if you have an interest in O’Keeffe. Simply walking the grounds is like walking into an O’Keeffe landscape

Note for Tofino... Eskes Brew Pub just got a big write-up in the Santa Fe New Mexican yesterday. While I don't usually put much stock in their restaurant criticism, it was a rave. I wasn't trying to in any way diminish the "experience" at Rancho de San Juan; owners are friends and my wife and I go there for a weeknight dinner probably five or six nights a year. The solitude offered by a place like Rancho de San Juan is exactly what kept me visiting New Mexico years ago and is why I suggested the stop for some good "provisions" before they arrived on-site. Not knowing where the visitors who posted earlier were coming from or what "sense" they might have of New Mexico roads and distances (and police) prompted my comments. Though your thoughts of the Trading Post in Taos are good, I'd be just as cautious negotiating the road back from Taos after a bottle of wine or a bunch of margaritas, too. Another place they might want to find is the tiny, storefront Mexican place in El Rito. (If anyone is interested, I'll try to post usable driving instructions.) I went searching for it a couple of years ago after someone wrote it up in the New York Times; it has since been in Gourmet (the Sterns Roadfood page). I wouldn't say it was "spectacular" or "worthy of a detour" to paraphrase the Michelin guides, but it was quite good New Mexican in a very "funky" setting. And, the drive there was amazing since it IS O'Keeffe Country.

Note to docsconz... I agree about Pahlmeyer being quite enjoyable; did not intend to suggest otherwise. I simply recalled the time with amusement. Only "negative" I'd have about the Pahlmeyer chardonnays is that they've never been "good QPR". Pity but true of all Pahlmeyers from day one (I recall buying that first year of the meritage and thinking that it was as expensive as Opus One... a BIG DEAL then.).

Agree on the Miramar Torres, always felt it to be good QPR. A note for Gordon Cooks... the Pahlmeyer (very big, buttery, oaky) was noteworthy as the wine Demi Moore sent an assistant out to buy in the film DISCLOSURE when she was about to try and seduce/sexually harrass Michael Douglas. Everybody in Hollywood just had to have it/rave about it/be seen drinking or serving it.

You'll like Rancho de San Juan but know you are REALLY a long way away from Santa Fe. Thirty minutes that will seem like an hour and VERY remote. Sometimes I like remote so I'm not trying to be negative but you should know. In town, all of the places you mention are excellent; Geronimo is probably the very best, SantaCafe is my personal favorite with Ristra right behind it (especially if you want something like elk or venison). Wine prices in Santa Fe are across-the-board OUTRAGEOUS. Nothing you can do about it; corkage is not legal. Old House in the Eldorado Hotel gets lots of attention - and it IS good - it's just not a personal favorite because it "feels" too much like a hotel restaurant which, of course it is. The restaurant at The Anasazi is very good but not what it once was. It is perfectly located right off the Plaza; possibly a lunch possibility Before you head up to Rancho de San Juan, stop at Whole Foods for cheeses, salami etc for watching the sunsets. Stop, too, at Kokoman Liquors in Pojaque (just before the Los Alamos cut-off on the right and south of Espanola) for the best wine selection anywhere around Santa Fe. Place looks like a dive but the back room has lots of good stuff, all at full price however. Just a cautionary note about the drive back to Rancho de San Juan after a night out in Santa Fe... the highway going all the way to Espanola from just north of Santa Fe is under construction and is very heavily patrolled by all sorts of Police - State Troopers, County Sheriffs (two counties) and Native American Tribal Police (you'll go through two Pueblos); probably seven different jurisdictions, driving Crown Royals to Mustangs and Trans Ams. Speed limit is 45 mph and enforced. New Mexico has a TERRIBLE problem with drunk drivers, too, so be very careful unless you don't mind a State-of-New-Mexico-Savings-Bond.

For the most part I agree with you but a couple of things I'd take exception to (just opinions, no big deal)... 1. Everything to me at Il Vicino is tasteless. Only thing good about the place is the thin-ness of their pizza crust. Caesar salad at the very ordinary Osteria is better (and, of course, more expensive). Is it "worthy" ? Not really. (Osteria is owned by The Palace which I agree is bad.) 2. I LOVE the "idea" of Dave's Not Here, the overall funkiness. The rellenos are terrible (to me and I know they are often written up for them). Even the hamburgers are no big deal in a town loaded with 8, 9 and 10 oz burgers. Plus the place is plain, dirty. Best relleno I've had lately was out at a place on Rodeo Road called Castro's. My favorite used to be at the much-missed La Tertulia (and it probably was not as good as my memory wants it to have been). 3. Guacamole at Gabriel's... what's so special ? That it's fresh-made, tableside ? O.K. It would help if they had someone who speaks english come tableside so when you tell him "Hot" he might do it. I always have to grab the Tabasco and add it and add it some more no matter what I tell him. And, at $10+ ?!? Please ! All minor points... love everything at Bert's La Taqueria; love Posa's on Alameda too. Like the pizza at Pranzo, owners of Il Vicino but better pizza. Love everything at Rociada (except the wine prices) and Ristra but go nuts with happiness whenever either of them do something with scallops. Memorable stuff, all.

I'm not ashamed to say I quite like California chardonnay and don't even mind a little oak and malolactic from time to time. That said, I concur with the mentions of Forman, the Kistlers, even the always reliable Grgich. But there's one (new to me this year) that just blew me away...2002 Novy Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay. Novy, as most know, is from Siduri, the makers of terrific pinot noir. It is, sadly, probably already gone and was a mailing list item. I DO see occasional Siduri bottles at better retailers and, more often, in better restaurants. If you see this chardonnay, do not hesitate; order it or buy it. At about $15 from the winery, it was almost "criminal" to get it.

For Alex who asked and anyone else interested in cross-ownership of brands of appliances... First off I mistated it when I said KitchenAid was owned by Maytag; they are owned by Whirlpool. Whirlpool also owns a brand I've not heard of before, Roper. Roper is the maker of many Sears appliances sold as Kenmore. Amana, too, is part of Whirlpoool. Maycor is the parent of Maytag. Maytag makes appliances as MagicChef, Admiral, Jenn-Air, Crosley and, on the high-end, Dynasty. Elsewhere in this thread someone states that if one has a unit with the freezer on the bottom, that unit was made by Amana. While Amana was first to do this and makes many of that configuration, they are no longer the only maker; Sub-Zero makes everything that they sell themselves. Which brings up another point... for the most part, the highest end appliances - Viking, Dacor, Thermador, Wolf, Garland, SubZero - are made by the selling company. Wolf and SubZero are now one company, a merger. Appologies for it taking so long to get this additional information.

I love the idea of "plastering" the larger bird with a bunch of quail... I see an I LOVE LUCY episode here or something similarly entertaining. I'd have backup restaurant reservations.

Your comments about salespeople and commissions in general are correct. From what I know of kitchen appliances in these price ranges,however, I was told the commision structure was so close as to be not relevant. Here in New Mexico, both retailers had their people on salary only (does not mean they are not pressured with quotas). That said, there were "promotions" floating around for, say, an additional 10 % off if one ordered all Sub-Zero/Wolf or Thermador (two that were available when I was shopping. It was a salesman who cautioned me (and I had done extensive web-research and on-line/discussion group questioning) about Thermador's approach to achieving a "true simmer" and that the constant on-off/"clicking" drove many cooks crazy. And it was a salesman that showed me - even when I was skeptical - that the interior of Thermador's wall ovens was the largest (compared to similar cabinet cut-out size models). He took a large roasting pan and it would not go in a Viking sideways, only on a diagonal. Then he told me he "worried" about the long-term viability of the same Thermador's flip-over control panel and whether the plastic display would withstand the heat coming out from an opened oven door. Dacor's ovens seemed to be safest in that regard. All of that is to say that a good salesperson CAN be very helpful and most I talked to were very willing to invest a lot of time and answer the same questions over and over again. As to the question regarding Amana making refrigerators/Maytag making dishwashers, I'll post back as I find out details; may take a day or two.

Bud, interesting reading and excellent comments. Just two things based on my own very recent experiene with a to-the-studs remodel... I did not choose Viking for they seem to be going through a reliability problem the last year or so. Part of that could be a regional, service issue (I'm in New Mexico). Both of the sellers locally (Albuquerque and Santa Fe) discouraged me on Viking but were glad to recommend DCS/Wolf/Dacor etc. I went with Wolf and, so far, am very happy. I note your Viking is ten years old, correct ? Ten years ago they were defining the concept of high-end kitchens for other than the carriage trade. They changed it all for everyone who came afterwards. I wouldn't be surprised if their products then were different/better than today. Secondly, as to Kitchen-Aid... a few years ago I redid a small high-rise condo in Los Angeles and used Kitchen-Aid across the board. Because of that experience and because of their reputation for the quietest dishwasher, I put their best in this remodel; the only Kitchen-Aid appliance bought. Well, it is the only thing that has failed. Four times and it is only six months-installed. All computer circuitry failing. It is in the process of being replaced under the State's "lemon laws". Their serviceman, who represents several brands, said Kitchen-Aid went downhill once Maytag started making certain products for them. (Serviceman, by the way, hotwired around the offending circuitry so the machine "worked" each time Kitchen-Aid would attempt to replace different parts. Meantime, I moved a new fire extinguisher close by.) All of that to remind anyone reading this and about to embark on a major project, determine who actually makes the item you're buying for whoever puts their name on it. Another example: Amana makes many of the refrigerators sold under other names.

I think the problem is Ruth Reichl. And, I do not at all question or quarrel with a mandate to increase circulation or lower the demographic to a more advertiser-friendly one. I feel Ms. Reichl is a very good "wordsmith" but not necessarily a good editor. Too, I think she is prone to think things like the TV issue or the Vegas-Rock-Star-Chefs cover are "cool". When she was restaurant critic at The Los Angeles Times she regularly wrote her reviews with little "dramas" concerning her accompanying husband, referred to as "The Reluctant Gourmet"; no matter what she ordered off the menu, he wanted a steak. She tried it while reviewing for The New York Times but not as often; perhaps she thought New Yorkers were too sophisticated for that sort of stuff. Just an opinion. I do personally feel that her writing, over time, gets tired. I do applaud her for paying excellent writers from other fields to add short pieces that are lifestyle, even food-oriented. Ann Patchett, the novelist, comes to mind. Oh, and as to the Gourmet restaurant reviews being too often positive reviews, I believe they approach restaurant reviewing from the point-of-view that there are just too many places to cover to waste time and, especially, space on the disappointments so we'll root out the "finds", the discoveries and feature them to a national/world audience and leave the weekly, newsprint reviewers to come behind and cover the places that are lacking.

I buy the Spottswoode every year but, that said, my favories are Dunn (Howell Mountain) and Forman. The Forman is relatively speaking a bargain these days. While I won't say Opus One disappoints, for the price it is over-rated. I've had a fair amount of Dominus and never been "blown-away"; always expected and wished for more. The early wine experience that remains memorable was with a few bottles of '78 George de Latour consumed in the mid-nineties.

Dislike the Bayless products, too, as being just "not good enough". Of course. nothing can beat fresh-made; surprise is that some commercially prepared aren't that bad... Mark Miller's (Coyote Cafe) line comes to mind.

Sorry, Suzanne if I wasn't clear enough... Oddly (to me at least), being "distant" to the guest, not at all personable; even making the regular wait longer than usual/customary yielded across-the-board increase in tips. Minimally 5%; some checks more. Not at all what I would have expected