Elissa

thanks CC :droppedjaw: what a handy file!

would you do anything differently for an early fall seduction? (autumn, not impatience i mean)

from a Janis Robinson Wine of the Week

But Czech beers here little resemble what you find in Bohemia. The tiny pubs in the north, rolling hills of Stara Paka. Pubs' beers distinguish its rolling hills, long without cars or electricity. Bohemian hops like French grapes only travel so well

You are correct. The laws don't "prevent" importation, but the local (state) laws make it a real pain in the ass. For example: any beer over 4.0% abv sold in the state of Texas... If I recall correctly, several Czech beers get up to and over 5% abv

Agreed, few things turn my stomach quicker than ketchup and eggs. I don't even like ketchup in my fridge. However scrambled eggs with a dollop of tzatziki on the side: now that's fine eatin'. On the other hand, in Prague circa 1991 I met plenty of folks to whom ketchup symbolized America and democracy and freedom et cetera, so much that it had become a favorite sandwich: two nice slices of Czech bread with nothing but ketchup 'tween 'em

imho Czech beer puts the rest of the world's to shame, but only when consumed in the Czech Republic. The US does not allow the real stuff to be imported Of US microbrews Bridgeport's Blue Heron is my favorite. Tragically, never have seen it in NY. Alas, a lack.

As the NYTimes reports: Ken Starr and Robert Bork square off.

Good morning/afternoon Andy. Have things cooled down? The name surpirsed me as well (pommes dauphinoise on the menu) but not as much as the potatos: mysterious, mini-ufo globs. I thought they were somehow extra-flavorless, as if whipped with canola oil or maybe manioc. But my friend enjoyed his and also managed to eat a couple of mine. The room a study in restrained elegance: a tall tall arched ceiling canopied or draped (surely there's a French name for this) with simple light-colored material. I liked the spidery iron chandelieres, four or five of them and less than two feet each in diameter, whose thin dark lines showed well against all else that was light. However the faux topiary perched on a ledge about 15 feet in the air gave us cause to guffaw. The head waiter was an utterly charming and funny French fellow who has been there for 12 years. The busboys were attentive with our bubbles, but seemed to leap at our plates too early too often. The porcelain was gorgeous: the sea bass on rectangle and the foie on almond shapes; white and light green-grey if i recall correctly with a band of silver around the edge. The French waiter said that Chef had designed some of the plates himself. As I said, not a bad meal. Certainly the wild striped bass and the foie were as good as one's likely to find in the States interms of quality, presentation and imagination. We went at 8pm and there were maybe eight other tables in the main room when we left. Two or three rooms upstairs were empty and unlit, but it's August and likely their customers are out of town.

a wee bit after the fact, went to lutece this evening. what facts we are after might be debatable, but 'after' seems clear. my fault i suppose: a friend said he was in the mood for french...i'd never been...however le bernardin would have been the better choice. what else would you recommend: chanterelle? l'absinthe? it wasn't bad: we both had the tasting menu: five courses, plus the amuse. the amuse: yellow squash chilled soup: quite lovely and fresh, dancing, airy squash soup. maybe a touch of cinnamon and/or cardamom that served the delicate squash flavor well. also deeply fried risotto ball with what i'll assume was serano, though all the waiter said was 'Spanish ham.' soup 8, rice ball 4 1. marinated striped bass with a "ten herb salad" in a ctirus vinaigrette and hint of truffle. exxxquisite bass, fabulously simple and complex at once as only lemon and 10 herbs can render a raw bass, with the intimation of complexity a truffle lends. 8/10, closing in on 9 2. seared fluke, shallot cilantro sauce, avocado puree and rices. fluke nothing about which to write home. the avocado was good, tho not as good as my guac. rice fun: white plus a few fried grains and green onion to enliven. 6/10 3. foie fras with dark chocolate sauce and bitter orange marmelade. exquisite foie, imported from perigord with deepest darkest chocolate and the wee orange punch: 10 4. cote de boeuf, 'spicy' turnip, chanterelles, pommes dauphinoise (deep fried mashed potato balls) in a peppercress sauce. the meat was really quite good, but plus unforgiving potatos plus root vegetable plus fungi: all i ate was a bite of the meat and a few shrooms, as really enough already. i found this dish quite out of proportion and lopsided. if your are eating 6 plates you don't need a family-sized entree. in my humble opinion i mean to say. 7 5. berry souffle and meyer lemon sorbet. the souffle (as one might expect) flawless and miraculously crusty on top if shy of flavor, inspite of the rasberry sauce in which my waiter doused it. the sorbet's lemon not nearly enough distilled, rather bland which was dissappointing as i was quite looking forward to David Feau's desserts 5/10 to drink: one bottle of krug and a glass of 98 margaux to go with the cote de boeuf quite enjoyed the krug that averages 6.6 which comes out a little short, but even adjusting for expectations and convention. shall not soon return. :harumph:

miro's catalan "festa calcotada" preparation for roasted scallions and roasted baby leeks to dip (with hands) in a salsa of roasted tomato, roasted garlic, chipotle and toasted almonds matisse's fish soup: crabs mussels clams in a boil with melted tomato/onion/leek, solids discarded; to broth added new shellfish with saffron. watercress salad white rhone my guest brought fruit with mint, ginger and zest mixmaster: for Beverly Pepper's [blackout] lemon spaghetti: to hot oil and butter add a tin of anchovies til disolved; an onion minced, then zest of one and juice of two lemons. add pasta cooked (in water with a third, thickly sliced lemon) to the sauce, then some creme and reggiano, s n p. to serve: lemon skin strips (from lemon #2) and parsley chop. how does hazan differ?

Was just invited to a wine event at Chanterelle with a menu to include "Steamed Zucchini Blossoms with Lobster-Shrimp Mousse Lemongrass and Basil Butter." Steamed hadn't occured to me, but this sounds interesting if potentially overwrought...To be paired with JN Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet "Clos de la Maltroye" 1998

my friday post-blackout dinner party menu: gazpacho * spaghetti al limone (barbara pepper's recipe - cold) artichokes with vinagrette (cold) raw thinly sliced fennel/yellow squash/red pepper/parmesean salad * chilled, grilled asparagus strip steak with red wine (tempranillo) reduction (hot) * fruit salad (mint, ginger, blueberries, mango, cherries, papaya) berry sorbet to drink: sergio prosecco mosel riesling an italian white the spanish red parallel 45 i making august gazpachos

second attempt at a 'thai' fish curry: lemongrass ginger cilantro basil onion garlic in cuisinart fry up a couple few tablespoons add sea bass for a couple mins add coconut milk and tumeric remove sea bass add green beans (pre-steamed and lemon-zested long beans) reduce liquid reheat fish thru serve over rice with basil/cilantro chop not yet great a great dish, but not half bad. considerably improved with chili sauce. maybe fish sauce lacking. would that be best added with coco milk? watercress cuke and red pepper salad mango/papaya/ginger/lime/mint

Few things pair as well as fresh cold fino and crispy hot bocerones: spain's fried mini-fish. makes me wonder why sherry isn't more popular than say, chard. didn't the Duke of Wellington bring fish and chips to the UK from Andalucia? Bux said tempura and tonkatsu too found their way from Spain to Japan. Makes me think think the wines travel poorly or especially delicate? Nice pictures btw! Flor is seriously funkified goo

Jeeze you'd think all of life were a football game. Though it does seem none of the best cheeses leave home... But can we return to ricotta for a second? What you find here in the states is a wee bit sweet and bland. Is cheese cheese unless it's been aged? What distinguishes the ricottas you like best? While surely a ricotta wouldn't overtake a flower's flavor, I can't see what an aged goat would hamper. Please enlighten.

Welcome back Con! Lovely to have you here with us. Is it okay to call you Con for short? Anyway NeroW: Sorry! Ain't got it. He'd never divulge, but if you rent the movie I'd bet you can transcribe it.... goddamn it I want one now too. But it's after noon: are they still allowed?

eGullet

i'd like one floating on a soup as a water lily, or stuffed whole and in folded open ravioli, but can't see chopping them up. doublestuff

in the Culinary Olymics **Fleurs de courgettes are better than Zucchini Fiori: Go!** do teams have to be national?

how do diversity and variation differ?

Noting that your enthusiasm for your adopted home is sweet indeed CC, it does not seem to me neccesary to assert that Italy's zucchini fiori are 'better' than France's fleur de courgette. Weren't the squashes and their flowers embraced by all Med cuisines? Also, mint and walnut so far neglected from zook blooms

no offense intended, but isn't chevre more tasty than ricotta?

i like mine more simple: saute onion or shallots, garlic, then add capers, goat cheese, parsley and chervil or tarragon, stuff, drizzle with evoo and bake for just a couple few. why in the world deep fry something so delicate?

Anyone remember the scene in John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 (shot through an ice cream cone!) when a motley gang takes out a little girl ordering from an ice cream truck while her father, on a nearby pay phone, watches helplessly? Somehow quite a guffaw.