MatthewB

Thanks, Flocko! Moab is the primary destination behind this trip as the SO wants to visit there again. Any recommendations in that area will be very welcome, too.

Anyone have any experience and/or opinions with/on the Calphalon Tri-ply Copper?

Guess i don't need to mention what i used to use the edge of my bankcard for. Wait . . . Ummmm . . .

Zilla, welcome to the use of, what I term, "The All Purpose Party Utensil Tool."

Great info, loufood! Thanks much. I'll update as we make plans.

This is a fine workaround provided what you're grilling doesn't require more than half the grill. When cooking for four or more adults, I usually need the Weber's entire surface. Also, I often find it necessary to remove the entire grill to bank/rebank and add new fuel (and, yes, my top grill has those nifty flip-up wings). It'd be a lot easier if you could just raise or lower the thing. You're right about this issue. But that's why I want one of these. However, if I were to purchase that now, it would mean giving up a vacation in the fall. So, I'll wait.

I'm currently picking up 2001 Sancerre marked down to $12.50 retail. I'm not complaining.

Another vote for the banked method. I grilled a 2 pound flank steak last night & I started in the middle & ended on the high side as I was losing heat. Without the bank, I would have been screwed.

Interestingly, one of the distributors here tried to raise the price on a Pic St. Loup that received a high score in Wine Spectator. (It was at about $12 & went to $19.) They had to drop the price within 2 weeks as it wasn't selling.

Craig, Any idea what's occurring with Rhones? My friends in the wine industry are saying that *all* French wine sales are down. Can Rhones go even lower in price?

Jancis, thanks much for participating in this forum. (Your How to Taste was the first book that I read when I decided to learn more about wine. I continue to give it as a gift!) Summer has finally hit here in the Midwest US & I'd like to add some Italian whites to my lazy choice of Sancerre. What Italian whites would you recommend that I purchase for drinking this summer? (Price range of US $10 to $20/bottle would be interesting.) As far as reds, I've been drinking primarily Rhones and, as of the last few months, various Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St Loup. Am I missing other good reds from southern France? Thanks in advance.

The SO & I are beginning to plan a fall trip centered on national & state parks in Utah & some surrounding areas. Wonderful woman that she is, the SO has suggested that we fly into & out of Salt Lake City and dine there those two nights. Neither of us have been to Salt Lake City. So . . . Where should we eat? (I would prefer recommendations that would be mid to high priced. I.e., no diners, etc. )

Kate, congratulations & best wishes!

Last night . . . Grilled flank steak (marinated in lime juice, Thai fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, peppers, etc.) Thai cucumber & red onion salad w/ Thai table sauce dressing Steamed jasmine rice Fresh peaches w/ vanilla ice cream

Pretty much the standard Weber 22 1/2 inch charcoal grill. I have one & I enjoy it immensely but I'd really like the Ranch Kettle grill. Someday. You do realize that you can purchase the Platinum Plus (the one I have) for half the price? Same grill but no stainless-steel shelving, etc. & no propane starter.

I've been rich (for me) & I've been poor. When I've been poor, PBR was the beer. 'Nuff said.

Hey, PBR in bottles--must be ice cold--ain't all that bad. Much better than Pudwiser.

The company (& dinner) was wonderful. Nearly perfect day on Lake Michigan--mid 80s, little humidity & little wind & very few clouds. Beautiful sunset. Gorgeous! The starters all turned out well but the hit was the tapenade. (I used Wells' recipe in The Paris Cookbook. The marinated peppers & mushrooms were from there, too.) Our hosts started us off with a young Italian white that had a hit of apricot with a slight bit of underlying saltiness. They also added a plate of melon wrapped in prosciutto. (Some guests staying at their B&B joined us & a bottle of Viognier was added. At a leisurely pace, I warmed up the soup that I made--leek, asparagus, & herbs. The hosts opened a bottle of lightly-oaked Chardonnay. The main course was served & our hosts opened a bottle of Italian red-- 90% Sangiovese & 10% Merlot. The turkey turned out very well--the 36 hour brining helped quite a bit. The hit was the salad. I followed Nigella's recipe using canned Fava beans, frozen peas, & fresh Asian long beans (the long beans standing in for the haricot verts--thanks again, Jin). Otherwise, everything else was fresh & according to her recipe. I'll definitely be making variations of that salad as summer continues. Dessert was a summer berry pie w/ vanilla ice cream & cups of strong Italian coffee. By then we were all tired. Thanks again for all the help! Everything worked out, as they say.

I'm planning on purchasing one of these soon. So, talk. But the dinner's over!

Found a pot o' gold yesterday . . . Went to my favorite Asian market (KB's) for fresh long beans. Couldn't find them. Asked one of the owners & she told me that, "Not enough call for them, so we're not carrying them anyone." I asked if she knew where I might find some (figuring that she'd laugh & say that I wouldn't find any locally.) She told me to check "Hong Kong Market" down the street. I figured what the hell & drove down the street. Whoa! There's a small indoor strip mall on the NE corner of 44th & S. Division that contains a pho shop, a ba shop, a dim sum place, & a *HUGE* Asian grocery called "Hong Kong Supermarket"!!! (There's also a locally owned Asian bank, a jewelry store, & "Saigon Video.") Now, the Supermarket, to the best that I could tell, is really a Vietnamese market which is fine by me. They have just about anything one could want as far as Asian food--tons of dry goods, tons of fresh stuff, tons of frozen stuff, a full meat counter, etc. I'm going to have to find a couple of hours just to wander the aisles. And three new eating places to try--pho, ba, & dim sum! You'll know where to find me over the next few weeks.

Belatedly: Great article, Dave! (I didn't know it was around until today.)

Thanks, Jin. While the cooking will be fun, the best part will be the company. My friend had a stroke recently--at 39--and thankfully he's recovering very well. So, we going to have an al fresco dinner on his & his wife's deck overlooking Lake Michigan. The weather here is beautiful & the sunset should be wonderful. It will be a dinner to say to him: "We love your presence. Here's to you being with us."

I'm going to start cooking later this afternoon. Here's the final menu . . . The same as I posted a couple of days ago except between starters & the main course I'm taking Suzanne up on her idea for asparagus soup (I'll warm it up on-site). As far as the veggies in the pasta, I'll probably drop the fava beans & rely on peas. I'll take up Jin's advice on Chine long beans. I'll see what I can get at the farmer's market tomorrow AM & adjust the veggies accordingly. Thanks for the help everyone. I just need to do a bit of shopping this afternoon--which includes a bottle of Tavel to tide me over through the cooking. (Not the whole bottle.) I'll let you know how everything turns out! Edit: klink, we started the turkey brine last night.

Why not? I've got time. Start with Petrus is better than jug wine and work from there. It'll make a lot more sense than Heidegger. Agreed on Heidegger. Your first move is fine. Make your next move. (But I don't think you have enough time to reinvent philosophical aesthetics. That's OK though. Keep movin'.)

I'm *not* saying that the issue of taste is down to whatever I or anyone else "likes." What I *am* saying is that this issue has a long history that our discussions here ignore. FG, I've enough respect for you to believe that you wouldn't try to reinvent the wheel. So, why reinvent philosophical aesthetics?