Richard Kilgore

This may help clarify why cranes are protected in California, but eaten in Texas. The Sandhill Crane protected by the state of California is a different subspecies (Greater Sandhill Crane) from the subspecies in Texas, the Lesser Sandhill Crane. Neither is protected by the U.S. government. In Texas, the Lesser Sandhill Crane is protected in a region east of Ft. Worth in an area about 1/4 of the state. There are three other zones which allow either two or three birds. The only sandhill crane protected by the U.S. government is the Mississippi sandhill crane, which apparently lives primarily on what is now the Missisippi Sandhill Crane Federal Refuge.

I used to stop in at Turtle Kraals, down by the docks, to have a bite to eat and watch the Tarpon roll in the water off the back of the restaurant. A little bit of important Key West history in this place, too. It's been several years since I have been there, and the restaurant scene changes frequently, so I can be of little help. But you could call Jeffrey Cardenas or his staff at the Saltwater Angler in the Hilton, or the folks at the Island Bookstore, and ask them where the locals eat. There are at any one time usually several good breakfast places, good Cuban places, and higher end places -- and most of them a block or more off touristy Duval Street. Good luck and please let us know where you eat and what you think.

I picked up some Valrohna at Whole Foods, but it is not any of the types called for in the Herme book. It is labeled Valrhona Caraque 56%, which is a much lower % than most used in the book. Is this good for anything in the book? If not what can I use it for?

I don't know how hot for how long, but I have a related question. I picked up a jar of French Chestnuts at W-S. Now what to do with them? Any ideas for soups, purees...or anything else appreciated.

Here's a link to three Bamix models. I don't have one, but the Deluxe model is on my wish list. Irodguy, what brand is that you have pictured?

An alternative would be to take a one-cup Melita coffee filter set up that sits on top of a cup. Take good ground cofee with you. Add hot, off the boil water.

Last night I made a pot of Huevos del Toro's "Work in Progress Chili", which he contributed to RcipeGullet. A great recipe to riff on, this time I subsitited Ancho Chili Powder for the usual, and a smoked Spanish Paprika for the Hungarian I used last time. A sample was good last night, but should be better after aging in the fridge today.

I received this email from Tom Spicer at SpiceAirUnlimited.com. Tom continues to have impressive specialty produce offerings for our best restaurants and for retail. Here's the current crop from his Sugoi Farms. Richard Sugoi Farms, Mineola, TX Organically Grown and Wild Salads: Pea Tendrils - fat and fluffy, not pea shoots... 3" in length dark green. Mixed Lettuces - baby heads or cut leaves of crisp head lettuces to custom blended Mescluns from Mineola, TX Arugulas - Wild Sylvetta, Runway and traditional Arugula... mostly baby and medium sizes Asian Greens - all sizes...lolitas, baby and large Braising Greens - includes a variety of hearty greens from Tuscan Blue Kale, Purple Kohlrabi greens, with Tatsoi, Chards and other thing like Kales and Chicories. Micro Greens - all kinds, cruciferous vera duras and the likes as well as chards with beets mysterious accents like cucumber salad burnette and chervil. We can custom blend these if you like. Upland Cress - dark green, crisp and turgid. Wild Salad Components - Wild cress, wild dandelion, wild sheep sorrel, wild mache and wild arugula... born to be wild. Frisee - blanching in progress, limited for today but good through the holiday. Salad Burnette - Looks a bit like a small flat parsley leaf with a strong cucumber flavor. We use it to accent our micros and custom salads. Herb Stella - very fine leaves, like a spider grass with mellow flavor...excellent mystery garnish. Veg: Petite Breakfast Radishes - ready now Tatsoi Heads - like skinny baby bok choy, very tasty and dark green, spoon shaped leaves...flea beetles favorite Baby Purple Kohlrabi in a week Herbs- African Blue Basil - about the only remaining basil on the farm this late in the season, limited (2#- 5#) Chervil - limited Chives - thin to thick in size... take your pick. Cilantro Dill - Oregano - Sage - East Texas, Jack Rabbit Sage. Full, fat leaves. That's all I have time to tell you about other than more carrots in a month. Happy Thanksgiving ! Call us... Ronnie Mac will hook you up to your choice of delivery 214-325-1951, question for me? leave them on voice mail 214-325-1951 or reply to Tom@SpiceAirUnlimited.com. Recommend American Food Service for best, far reaching and quality distribution. Questions about that, hmmmmm... ask or call Joe Dodd Morrison @ 972-385-5970

Whole Foods should carry Valhrona in NYC Seth. I'll go along for the ride and do as many of these with you as I can. But I am not going to be able to do anything between now and T-Day. I'll look forward to reading your reports, though. Thanks for kicking this off. As a reminder to others, you can often find the Heerme Chocolate book used on Amazon or in a local used book store for about $13.

Thanks for the traveling Texas report, Liz. Sounds like you had a good time. " Does anyone have any ideas about this. "Brie from straight from the freezer sounds like an odd error. Did you ask them about it, Liz? Did you have them warm it up? Does anyone know what this pickled fish is? Sounds tasty. Thanks again for sharing your culinary tour with us, Liz.

You should be able to find Le Cruset seconds (and sometimes firsts) at a drastically reduced price at Marshall's and TJMaxx right now. For example, 5 qt for $100. Also follow the Amazon link at the bottom of the page and check out each color variation of the size LC you want, because sometimes a particular color is reduced. There have been some incredible bargains there. The Chasseur, Paul Bocuse and Staub are made by the same factory. The Staub is more attractive and may be thicker iron with better enameling, but both have dark interiors, which I don't like, in contrast to the light interiors on most LCs. I do have a 3 qt. Chasseur and I do use it, but the dark, textured interior is much more difficult to get clean.

Thanks for posting about your food adventures in the West End District in such detail and with photos, percyn. I think that most people here would agree that Sonny Bryans in the West End is not the same as it was in the original ramshackle shack on Inwood Blvd. I hope on the next trip you have the opportunity to explore some of the truly outstanding Tex-Mex and Mex-Tex eateries, as well as barbeque at Peggy Sue's. Not to mention Monica's and some of the outstanding fine dining restaurants Dallas and Ft.Worth have to offer. Let us know the next time you visit.

Yes, Wendy. I use sheet pans otherwise. A non-stick cookie sheet would not have occured to me as important, except that Herme recommended having one (no brand mentioned) in the Chocolate book. If he was recommending a specific product as a paid spokes-chef, I would have thought less of it.

You mean I am supposed to read the manual??? ← Well, not if you are taking an empirical approach to the problem. Let's see, wire brush -- oops! AJAX..oops! Copper scrubber thingie...oops Metal spoon...oops!

I second LonghornGal's recommendation of asking the produce staff at CM. Let them know what you want to use them for. They are very knowledgeable and they'll let you sample. CM is great that way.

Hmmm. The ridges and little knobs (much like the point of a pencil) Sam and I are talking about are on the inside of the lid.

If you only have experience with enamel coated steel, the LC enamel coated cast iron is a completely different kitchen animal. I agree with all that Linda has said, except --- As LC owner's guide says, use only wood or nylon/plastic/silicon utensils on LCs.

wkl -- Can you post a photo of your mystery pot? Does it say France on it anywhere? Anything in addition to "26"? In tracking down the origin of a mystery French Oven on another thread, I discovered that the same company that makes Staub also makes several other lines of French ovens, all of which have the basting knobs on the lid, as Sam described, or in the case of the Bocuse branded ones, knobby ridges in the lid for the same effect. So any ridges or tiny knobs in the lid?

Here's the link to the King Arthur Two-Bite Pan. Looks like the on-line catalogue shows the finished product, but not the pan, which also shows in the print catalogue. The cups appear to be straight-sided.

Thanks. I focused on the cookie sheets after noticing that in the Herme Chocolate book he recommends using them rather than sheet pans, since due to the lipless side(s) you can slide cookies and tarts directs onto a cooling rack without having to lift them as you would do if they were in a sheet pan. He sees it as protection given the fragility of tart shells. So Dave are you saying parchment on top of the silpat on top of the sheet pan, which would effectively raise the cookies high enough to slide them off easily? Herme also suggests having at least one non-stick cookie sheet as necessary for making certain cookies, such as tuiles. So part of my question had to do with the effect of non-stick vs unfinished metal -- dark vs light and any effect on various applications. Anyone?

I saw some Wilton (XLX Lifetime Warranty) very heavy non-stick cookie sheets at TJ Maxx. Clearly these are a good thing in that they are heavy enough that they are not going to warp. But is the non-stick surface a good thing? Or is it a matter of good for some things, but not for others?

Thanks to eveyone for all the interesting ideas. I also should point out Foodman's wonderful eGCI course, Introduction to Lebanese Cooking, which includes a recipe for Falafel. He writes,

It may benefit from the rubbing with bacon-grease and heating in the oven at about 350 for say three hours another time or two. Then fry chicken in it with about an inch of oil in the pan..once or twice, before cooking anything that may stick. After that, it should be fine.

JSkilling -- They have what appear to be the same ones at King Arthur for about $27. Check out their latest catelogue or website.

Boy, have I been waiting for the weather to change! Here's a partial list of what I have been waiting for -- Various versions of carne guisada -- I still use Jaymes clear, helpful guidelines. Huevos del Toro's Work in Progress Chili. And cornbread. Posole. Beef and lamb daubes. Caldo Verde. Black Bean Soup. I will also start doing some savory, rustic tarts.