MatthewB

Word. (And I never wear jewelry.) That's been the best part of the show for me so far.

The fine wines of Alvear are from the Montilla-Moriles D.O. and are made from Pedro Ximenez vine - even the Fino which makes it a much different animal than the Palomino wines of Sherry. Because they use 100% PX to make their wines they are understandably much more famous for their sweet wines which can be extraordinary. How did you like the Fino?? I enjoyed it & it went well with gazpacho & tortilla de patata. Half the bottle is left so I'll have a few more tastes. I wish I had a Palomino fino to make a direct comparison.

But if one has health problems--as Crinoidgirl noted she believes her GF has--wouldn't it make sense to see a good doctor, have a physical & a health baseline? I guess it would be interesting to hear from Crinoidgirl as to what issues she is truly seeking advice on. Is it, "How can I get my GF to eat the food that I like or the food that I think she should eat?" Or is, "How might my GF become healthier?" Crinoidgirl's post, IMHO, is more of a riddle that invites projections from subsequent posters rather than allowing for accurate--perhaps--advice.

I served a 2000 Alvear Fino En Rama this past Saturday evening.

Are trying to get me to do this in a couple of weeks?

Here's the version that I do on my smoker--Chicken on a Throne.

If one is to seriously address the issue that Crinoidgirl raises, I'd lean toward getting the GF to seek medical advice if health issues are the real concern. But perhaps I'm only seeing the obvious.

The stir-fried rice dish--one of my favorites--includes a good amount bacon. It crossed my mind earlier in the week that I might want to reconsider but I didn't pay attention as I should have. Next time, I'd just do steamed rice with the beef & cucumber salad.

Fresco is in charge of delivering the TO folks.

I think you might want to use a "non-reactive" pan for this. Let's see if others agree.

Find another girlfriend. Fast. Or at the least, someone to "hang out with." Then dump the current girlfriend. Fast. I hope you're already out looking this evening.

Wilde again: "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." Take heart, zenial. At least you're being talked about.

Of course, this thread overall calls to mind to Wilde: "The truth is rarely pure and never simple."

Thanks again everyone for all the help & suggestions. I've more recipes to try than last night's dinner would allow. (Guajolote & I will be making tuna tartare in two weeks. ) The dinner went quite well. Actually, very well as we had great guests! I was disappointed that I didn't think better about serving that stir-fried rice recipe with the beef & cucumber salad. The stir-fried rice recipe is much too savoury to accompany the other dish. Brain-fart. My mistake was make up for slightly as my SO noted that the tortilla de patata was, "Just like I used to eat in Spain." (And that was before the mismatched entree horror.)

Another reminder that people make the world go round. Thanks!

Oh, and my standard rice pudding ( ) recipe is from this book, too.

Farmer's market dictated gazpacho. The "hippie" CSA has tomatoes now & they're lovely. Starters: Guajolote's gazpacho & Jayme's tortilla de papata with a reserva fino sherry & Cava (in case the guests don't like the fino) Main: As above with Alsatian Gewurztraminer Dessert: As above with port Most of the early prep is finished. I'll report more later or tomorrow. (There's enough wine that I think I'll post tomorrow. )

Shawn is opening a vegetarian restaurant. My "source" says it's somewhat close to Spring and will be close to the same price point. I think with his talent this will be a very interesting restaurant. If you know me well, you can probably figure out who my source is . God bless Iris.

Steingarten has covered this in detail. Check one of the recent Vogue columns. (About 4 months ago or so.) Edit: His cholesterol was better in more than one way. Also, note that you didn't have your cholesterol checked at the time you started the diet. Maybe you were at 280 in December. As with everything, baseline baseline baseline.

IMHO, this is one of the very best "general purpose" cookbooks as of late. (One can ignore the "low fat" angle. It's not that pronounced nor is it that different from how I cook anyway. In fact, do ignore this angle. For me, if I had to get rid of most of my cookbooks, this one would stay with me.) Some favorites . . . The "Fool-Proof" Roast Chicken (my standard roast chicken recipe) French Winter Vegetable Soup (always a big hit) Roasted root vegetables The simple "steamed/saute" vegetable technique Curry & Fennel Seed Broth (wonderful when you add some roasted root veggies) The Tuscan-style roast pork loin The rubs & essences (as noted by marie-louise) Garlic Soup w/ Pasta & Ham But aside from specific recipes, one of the book's strength is the various "composed" sections that allow you to develop your own recipes. Can I gush more?

"Asian-style," or perhaps better "influenced," tuna tartare came up on this thread. (And non-"Asian-style" tuna tartare was discussed on this thread.) So, how do you make your Asian-style tuna tartare?

Sure. I'm going to take these ideas & run with them for more than one meal!

You're being much too modest. This is spot on since I'm going to the farmer's market tomorrow.

Wait 2 weeks and we'll do it together. I've been getting the best tuna lately. Please give us some info on the wine/drinks. Two weeks & tuna tartare sounds like a great idea. As far as wine . . . I'm thinking Cava, Riesling, Gewurtz, Gruner, Beaujalois, Rose as possibilities. (Edit: And port for dessert.) Suggestions?

Oh yes. I was just talking about the tuna tartare, not making a recommendation for the menu. Sorry for any confusion. Has there been an "Asian-style" tuna tartare thread? If not, shall I start one? (I'm very interested.)