MatthewB

A bargain-priced Burgundy would probably run $15-20 US. Is that a decent range? Or should I seek out something from Carneros, the Russian River Valley, or Oregon, perhaps? G's suggestion of a beaujolais would be absolutely fine, too. (Heck, I might even use a lightly-oaked cab!)

I'm for the bourguignon & challenging veggie dishes. Seth, as soon as my outside weekend work ends--read: leaves stop falling or it turns into winter--I'll be working on my charcuterie. I'll be happy to work with you. My plan is to usually cut the recipes into half-quart amounts. This weekend or next? (Looks like I'm doing a bouillabaisse for Guajolote on Saturday. )

It turned out fine. What do others think of the Beef Bourgonionne?

*tag* You're it, Heather. Pick!

I looked at the beef recipes & I'm pretty comfortable with all of those. But I'm always open to beef. Is there a recipe that grabs you? (I was hoping to find a beef wellington recipe.)

I used yellow onions--non-Vidalia. And we had bread. A large loaf from a local Bosnian bakery at the right price: $1.10 out the door & still warm. Oh, BTW. Returned the J & J. Got a refund & then found a remainder copy for $16.

Will do, Chad. Please note that this is my first kitchen scale, so I'm not the ideal person to report on the 6001. I'll do my best though.

Great post, Seth! Some thoughts . . . -- Potatoes I believe that a traditional boulangere utilizes beef stock. I'd try this again but with that stock rather than chicken. Also, I would use a heavy half-sheet jellyroll pan (rather than a gratin dish) & reduce the amount of stock accordingly. As far as garlic, I too sliced thinly but I didn't find the dish too garlicky. I didn't soak the potatoes at all. Did I miss something? -- Chicken I, too, learned a bit from the sauteeing. I was surprised by how quickly the chicken cooked. And, I also wonder about the strengths/weaknesses of a fricasse versus roasting. Christmas list: poultry shears added (edit: or cleaver?)

I'd have to go back & look as to boning the breasts. (I like bone-in breasts, so perhaps I was tainted. On an aside, I wish I had half a dozen or so chickens last night. It's a bit hard to learn a technique like that with only one chicken.) General question: Any advantage to poultry shears? Potato gratins: I fiddled with gratin dauphinois last winter. Steingarten's--read: Villas'--recipe was by far the best. Dave, Seth, and/or others going to weigh in on their experiences with the current menu? And, as far as another menu, I'm up for this weekend. (Probably will cook it on Sunday night.) I'm focused on techniques. Would someone like to make a suggestion from J & J?

Cutting up my first chicken was quite easy. (I did have assistance from FarmGirl©, who watched & repeated the mantra, "Find the joint." ) However, I did unintentionally debone one breast. My experience with the chicken dish was much the same as Heather's: too much sauce. Yet the chicken was very good. I used Yukon Golds for the potato dish. It was fine, if just a slight tad soupy. The salad was great & I enjoyed learning from Jacque as to the techinque for cleaning Boston lettuce!

I, for one, would prefer to hunker down here.

As far as Vietnamese cookbooks in English, the following two are probably the best place to start . . . Mai Pham, Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid, Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia Some notes: Hot Sour Salty Sweet centers on food that the authors encountered along a trip down the Mekong. Nonetheless, the Vietnamese recipes are well worth the price of admission. Pham calls for vegetable oil. Just substitute peanut oil. Your biggest challenge will probably be finding Vietnamese herbs. Pham provides a very good guide for what you'll want to look for.

Dinner's over. (Apple torte for dessert coming up.) I'm ready to discuss in the morning.

Thanks for the tip, FG. I bartered for a new 6001 & received it yesterday. So far, so good.

FWIW, I picked up an 8-inch granite that looks the same for $25 at a local Asian market. Also, check Sur La Table for marble sets. Much less expensive than W-S.

Yesterday, my day went sideways. So, I'm on for tonight. I think I'll do the gratin this morning & warm it up at the last minute.

Thanks for bringing up A New Way. I've been trying to think of a soup for dinner tonight. I'll do the curry-fennel broth from A New Way & add roasted root veggies. Yum.

I highly recommend A New Way to Cook. Looking forward to doing this dinner tomorrow night. And, Seth, keep talking. You're a refreshing voice.

Oatmeal soup

Meow-Mix, Most gins that one finds in the US are "London-style" gins. One shouldn't drink these gins straight. However, "Dutch-style" gins can, and are, drank straight as well as mixed. Albeit, this doesn't hold true in actual practice.

Alcoholics.

Gin from the freezer is absolutely fine for martinis. Just don't offer one to Sam & no worries!

:hears an echo:

I didn't mean to veer us off-topic. This is the last thing I'll say about it. Due date: November 1. But if (s)he's as early as our Leah was (s)he'll be born, um, yesterday. Congrats, Seth! (And don't worry about going off-topic. I, for one, will not needlessly chide you.)

Martini glasses offer both presentation & the ability to assist keeping the drink cold if you handle it by the stem. Gin doesn't "breathe" like wine. Martini & Rossi is "OK," at best. For more vermouth info, see this thread.