Richard Kilgore

Sharon, A tamalada sometime next year sounds great then. But first we have to drag you out of Mexico before your VISA expires or your VISA card explodes. You, uh, are coming back this year, aren't you? Or do we have to send in an eGullet squad to extract you?

That's great, Suvir! Congratulations on another review.

Tani -- Welcome to the eGullet Texas Forum. Please let us know what you find out when you go again.

You can get 6X6 inch unglazed tiles at Home Depot for about 75 cents each. (They are gray or red. When I told the sales guy what I wanted to use tiles for, he knew exactly what I was talking about and led me to them.) I use six of them on the bottom rack of my oven and leave them there. I have not done a pizza yet on it, but it works fine for other things. You can wrap aluminum foil over it if you're woried about cleaning the tiles. I would think that if you use cornmeal on your peel or cutting board that you use as a peel, it should work fine. The tiles are also great at holding heat when you have to open the oven door to check something.

There are very few pheasant experts, because pheasants are experts at very few things.

Paula -- As a fellow clay pot addict, I am intrigued with doing one in stoneware. What kinds have you used? Ramekins in porcelein, Emile Henry, or something else?

Congratulations on the great reviews, Suvir. While I will not be able to make it to the city for a while (and may need a six month lead due to your sucess), I am sending several friends in Manhattan and Texas who will beat me to your front door. (You've got mail.) Richard

Welcome to eGullet, Venado. Hope you enjoy the place as much as we do. This is a great thread and a Texas Tamalada is a great idea, theabroma! Can we have it tomorrow night? I am drooling. We don't have any comments from San Antonio. Does anyone have the lowdown on SA tamales?

It's possible to get in and out to eat, but more trouble than most people want to go to. Why Colleyville? A restaurant there in particular?

Suvir -- So how did the ring molds work out? Are you using them at Amma now?

For the Dallas Morning News review of Aurora, click here. Has anyone been recently?

Alicia -- Welcome to eGullet! I can recommend The Tree Room at Sun Dance. It's only a short drive from Park City, even in driving snow. The menu changes, of course, but we had Grilled Trout with Leeks, Mushrooms and Toasted Pumkin Seed Vinaigrette; Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Lamb Sausage, White Bean Puree and Roasted Garlic; and Grilled Rib Eye with a Zinfandel Butter and Horseradish Mashed Potatoes. There was a Roasted Beet, Arugula and Orange with Shallot Vinaigrette; and Mixed Baby Greens with a Smoked Green Apple Vinaigrette. There was more and everything was wonderful. Call ahead for reservations. Also, there was a decent Sushi place on the main drag in Park City.

I received a copy of the book in beautiful shape last year. And the Bemelmans line drawings certainly fit my memories of the place. My clearest food memory was of the marinated herring. And the recipe is in the book.

Yes, glazed Mexican clay pots are potentially leaded. Maybe Paula Wolfert will jump in here, but in her recent book, "The Slow Mediterranen Kitchen", and in her recent Food & Wine article on clay pots, mentions a product that you can get at most hardware stores that will test for the lead. I can't find the name of it at the moment, but will try to find it if she does not find this thread. Paula also says to soak clay pots in water to cover for 12 hours. You have to be careful not to set a hot pot on a cold surface and to start the pot in a cold oven which you then bring up to temperature.

All great ideas. I would add Emile Henry pottery -- gratin and baking pieces, a casserole (fait tout ), pie plates (large, small and mini), and tart pan are some of my favorites. The EH tableware also is worth checking out. Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma both carry different versions in different colors of the EH cooking and baking pieces. Dinnerware is harder to find at a brick & mortar, but check the eGullet Amazon link. Also Pillivyut French porcelain for baking pieces, serving pieces and table ware. This stuff is white and luminous, sets off any food well, and is nearly indestructible. Both Emile Henry and Pillivyut can go from freezer to oven, broiler, or stovetop and to the table. Great stuff.

Thanks for posting this digest, Carolyn. Fascinating and wonderful. I will have to start reading through these issues.

I got an email from Tom at SpiceAirUnlimited.comand thought I would pass it on --- oh yeah, I have two, full blown ears of Fresh Huitlacoche lest from last nights, Central Market event "20 Years of Smoke & Spice" (I was the Spice portion) and have about 50# of frozen, premium off the cob. best Tom Tom also mentioned that he can provide small, as well as large quantities of any of the great produce they grow and source from other growers. Thanks, Tom.

Thanks to chefrodrigo for coming up with this Dallas source for frozen huitilochoche: Spice Air Unlimited. Unfortunately, it is shipped with a four pound minimum at $26 per pound. Spice Air Unlimited is a wholesale and retail produce supplier. So the question remains, is there anywhere in Texas you can get fresh or frozen huitilocoche in smaller amounts?

Thanks for all the suggestions. Katie, I tried the Amazon search and cracked up when I found that it, of course, found all uses of tart as an adjective!

Judith -- the Tomato, Eggplant & Sausage soup sounds great. Would you be willing to add it and the Chowder to the eGullet recipe archive? Thanks for posting.

Thanks, rickster. The EH tart pan is 3/4 inch deep by 11 inches. My guess is it will be only slightly too much filling compared to a 9 inch pie pan. But I'll look at Baking with Julia, too, since that sounds similar to what I have envisioned. Thanks for the simple syrup tip. I want it to be tart, but not too tart.

Thanks Katie. I'll try to find it locally first. Are you folks trying to tell me I need to do a pie, or can I adapt these to a tart? If so, what do I do? Richard

Thanks, Betts. Help my ignorance. Will the filling do just as well for an open face tart, or will it be too liquid and need modification? Does it matter what kind of Vanilla extract I use?

Okay, to clarify. When I said that presentation is as important as taste. I am talking about presentation in a pretty basic way. No flames, no exploding tarts. Just attractive in a rustic kind of way. Arranged apple slices? Rough chopped? Ideas?

I am going to do a couple of apple-cranberry tarts for Thanksgiving. This will be my first tart ever. Can't be that hard, but I don't have a recipe or model for this. (And despite my Jinmyo quote below, I do use recipes. I just appreciate her sentiment.) I was figuring a ratio of 2.5 to 1 of apples to cranberries. Sound about right? Please humor me by assuming I can figure out how to bake a shell, but I need suggestions for how to do the filling. Though the nature of the shell is undecided as yet. I plan on doing this in two of those Emil Henry tart pans, cream interior, red exterior. I am as interested in presentation as taste. Thanks, Richard