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mnemonic Memory Never Escapes Me Once Nothing Is Certain

Katie: Thanks for the recipe. It turned out great. I did a little further experimentation on your recipe and here's the results: I took a portion of the batch and substituted some very strongly flavored buckwheat honey that I got from a bee keeper at the local farmer's market for some of the sugar in the "simple syrup". The new mixture did not taste as clean and fresh as the original, but it took on a new complexity. It transformed into a very different drink. After that, I took some of the buckwheat honey laced limoncello and mixed it with some hot Darjeeling tea. I served it to guests after dinner. Kind of like an alcoholic tea with lemon and honey. It is important to not get the limoncello too hot or it will cause the alcohol to evaporate. Next I think I am going to try throwing some of this in the ice cream maker. B

Jogoode: There's actually a discussion of Jonathan Gold Korean issues here: Gold-Korea

Check out Fritto Misto 601 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica, 90401 310-458-2829

eunny jang: I don't think you will have any problems cooking it using any conventional method. You just want to sear the outside at high heat, then turn the heat down a bit and then cook the steak to your desired temperature. It would cook fine on a grill, in a pan, in the oven or under the broiler. Turning the meat every few minutes and using tongs instead of a fork will keep it more moist. Good luck. I'm sure you will do fine and it will turn out yabadabadelicious.

This weekend's experiment: I ordered a filet and a New York strip from MyButcher.com and from Lobel's in order to compare their products. I also ordered a Wagyu (Kobe Beef style) New York strip from Lobel's (MyButcher.com did not carry any Wagyu product for comparison). Both companies sent the product via overnight courier. Lobel's sent their product priority overnight and it arrived in the morning. MyButcher.com sent their product standard overnight and it arrived in the afternoon. Both shipments arrived in perfect condition. All of the steaks were USDA Prime. The MyButcher.com filet was their "triple trimmed" variety. All of the meat was seasoned only with McCormick's Grillmates Montreal seasoning. The filet and strip on the right were from MyButcher.com. The filet and strip in the middle were from Lobel's. The strip on the right is the Wagyu filet from Lobel's. The meat was seared on the outside and cooked rare using a Solaire infrared grill. Four people tasted the steaks and all four people came to the same conclusions: The MyButcher.com filet was preferred to the Lobel's filet. It was less fatty and more tender. The Lobel's New York strip was preferred to the MyButcher.com New York strip. It had a better texture and was more flavorful. The Lobel's Wagyu New York strip was preferred to the other two New York strips; however, the consensus was that the difference in quality did not justify the premium in cost.

La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara (tacos, tamales) 622 N Milpas St Santa Barbara, CA 93103-3032 Phone: (805) 963-4940 Cassell's (2/3 lb. burger, potato salad) 3266 W Sixth Street Los Angeles, CA 90020 Phone: (213) 387-5502 Apple Pan (Steakburger w/cheese) 10801 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064-2105 Phone: (310) 475-3585

CT, FG and JP: Thank you very much for all the great feedback. It is appreciated very much.

Can I get some opinions on the best source for mail order steak? I tried Omaha Steaks( Omaha Steaks ). The steaks were good, but not great. The following are a couple of sites I found researching on the Internet that appear to have high quality product: My Butcher.com Prime Access Steaks Lobel's Niman Ranch Uptown Prime Allen Bros. Has anybody tried any of them? Does anybody know of a better mail order source?

This event takes place on the back lot of Universal Studios in Los Angeles this Saturday. The event is expensive ($250 per person, advanced ticket; $300 at the door), but it is a very good food event and it is for charity. I have gone for the past couple of years and wines have been good and the food has been first rate. If you do decide to go, come early as some of the attendees run low on food later in the event and definitely come hungry. Here's the blurb from the Gayot site on the event: Los Angeles, CA—21st Annual American Wine and Food Festival Master chef Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff celebrate the 21st anniversary of Southern California's largest culinary collaboration at Universal Studios Backlot in Universal City. The 2003 event brings together a great line-up of 34 of the world's most talented chefs joining 16 of Puck's executive chefs and 60 of our country's most respected vintners for the great-American cookout. Among this year's chefs are Marcus Samuelson of Aquavit and Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger), the recipient of the James Beard Foundation Awards for Best Chef Northeast 2002. Other luminous guests include Jasper White, of Boston's Summer Shack, Dean Fearing, of Dallas' Mansion on Turtle Creek, Sam Leong, of Singapore's famous Tung Lok in the Four Seasons Hotel, Drew Nieporent, of Tribecca Grill, Mario Lohninger of Danube and Zarela Martinez of Zarela's. The funds for the Meals on Wheels Programs of Los Angeles will provide more than 250,000 hot nutritious meals for our community's disabled and homebound elderly. Tickets are $250 per person with advance purchase and $300 per person at the door. The event will be held from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. For further information and ticket purchases the public can contact Pam Korman at 310-777-3707 or by email at festival@wolfgangpuck.com. Here's a posting from E-Gullet on last year's event: Post

Better news today: August 20 article

At least according to the Old Van Winkle website (the page is dated 2002), Buffalo Trace is producing (as of the date on the page) Old Rip Van Winkle and W.L. Weller. Old Rip Van Winkle page I tried the W.L. Weller at the recommendation of MBE (and TNB) and I have to agree that it is the equal or possible even better than Maker's. The good thing about Maker's is that it is very widely available, especially in restaurants and bars.

Article in today's (August 19, 2003) Los Angeles Times on recent number of San Francisco area restaurant closings. Article

MBE: You might want to check periodically on E-Bay for things like this. I bought some "collectable" Maker's Mark bottles (different colored wax) as Christmas presents for people last year. I checked and none of the items you are looking for are presently available. But I checked past items and found: 86.8 Proof

ILB: These guys appear to sell the Russel Reserve 10 year: Bourbon

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it. Much appreciated. Here's the site address for more info. on the Van Winkle's products (and the other products in their line) that I mentioned: Van Winkle Bourbons (Note coincidentally that Van Winkle originally produced W.L. Weller and that Van Winkle now has partnered with the company that now produces Weller).

I have tried most of the bourbons mentioned here. I think the Hirsch is interesting due to its complexity, but overall, I find the Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve to be my favorite. It is interesting like the Hirsch, but to me, smoother and more elegant. It still has the heat, but with less bite. It has a rich, "caramel-y" character. It comes in a 20 year old and a 23 year old variety. The 23 year old costs about double that of the 20 year old. There is a noticeable difference; but the difference does not necessarily make it any better. It is darker and sweeter. The difference certainly does not justify the extra price. For a less expensive bourbon than the Van Winkle's Reserve, I would recommend the Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit. It is half the price of the Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 year old version and still world class. The Booker's is nice, but hot, with a unique "orange" character to the after taste. It is best served with ice and left to sit for a few minutes or cut with a little water. For everyday drinking, I don't think you can do any better than Maker's Mark.

I have dined at Sona on several occasions and my experiences have been consistent with the comments in this thread. The food has been consistently good and at times "adventurous". On more than one occasion I have thought to myself with regard to certain dishes: "this is great, but not everyone is going to like it". For example, as an amouse bouche one evening, the chef served a thin, narrow piece of hamachi marinated in strong citrus and heavily dusted in coarse sea salt. Definitely a bold choice for such a delicate and fresh piece of fish. It worked. The sharp bite of the sea salt and the acid of the citrus set off the mild and buttery character of the fish that might be lost in a more conventional soy and/or wasabi preparation. Would it work as a main course? No. Definitely not. Did some of the people at the table immediately dismiss the dish as too salty? Yes. Was it worth trying for everyone at the table? I think so. The ingredients have been of high quality and thoughtfully prepared. The price-fixe menu items have evolved over time to slightly less "adventurous" faire possibly as a result of negative feedback. That could possibly be remedied by a call to the restaurant a day or two before informing them specifically that you would like something more exotic. The staff is courteous and knowledgeable. When not stretched beyond their means, the staff is nearly faultless. When they are busy, short on staff or there is some other hiccup, things noticeably suffer. I have never eaten at Sona on a weekend and I am not sure that I would want to. I have had several wine dinners by this chef at this establishment as well as others. Little effort beyond matching white wine with fish and red wine with meat is made (if he even does that). He is focused primarily on his food and not apparently interested in deviating from his ingredient choices to accomodate particular wine choices. As an example, several years ago I attended a wine dinner at an establishment where he was cooking. The wines of the evening were first growth wines from the Bordeaux region from the 1970's. All big, tannic wines; mostly Cabernet or Merlot. He served some amazing dishes, but other than one beef tenderloin course, the courses of fish, fois gras, duck, pork belly, sweetbreads etc. were totally inappropriate for the wines. As such, to best enjoy your wine choice, you may wish to educate yourself on specifically what you will be eating beforehand and selecting an appropriate wine for yourself as opposed to hoping the chef will make adjustments in his cooking choices to accomodate your wine choice. The wine service is generally professional and the glassware of good quality. The pastry chef is as good as there is in Los Angeles. She too can and will be "adventurous". Everything may not be to everyone's liking, but she definitely puts a lot of thought into her work. If you order fois gras for dessert, the watchword should be buyer beware. If you order liver for dessert, it is most likely not going to taste like strawberry shortcake. She's a chef, not an alchemist. In short, these guys are walking on a high wire. This is a "foodies" restaurant and not necessarily a place to take someone who would not tolerate well an occasional strange ingredient choice or slow service.