bilrus

I've actually seen at least two episodes of Molto Mario where he has been one of the guests. I think its cool that when he introduces people on the show, Mario just says "these are my friends, Michael, Tom and Bob (or whatever)" regardless of whether they are an actor, another chef or staff from one of his restaurants.

I found that I was able to stick to the plan and lose weight the most when I did allow my self to go off-plan occasionally. I would normally set one meal a week aside for going out / or cooking something really elaborate that I didn't count against my points. I only did this after I had lost my first 25 or 30 pounds though. I know its not what the leaders would tell you to do, but it kept me in the game. Typing this made me realize that as I get back on it, I shouldn't be allowing myself this luxury quite yet.

I'm not sure I'd go there.

My recommendations, as a tourist with two visits last year - Chez Panisse is one of my favorite restaurants I have been to - the cooking is not going to blow you away with its elaborate recipes or presentations, but it is a place that makes me smile. And that is a good recommendation. I've only been to the upstairs Cafe, but I know many people recommend that over the downstairs, prix-fixe dining room. Slanted Door, at its previous location was a disappointment to me. The food was OK, but the atmosphere felt like being in a huge Pizzaria Uno to me. This of course could have changed with the move, but I am more fond of something slightly more intimate than what I found there. Zuni is a fun place with a buzz and good, simple food cooked well. I am a fan of Farallon - excellent seafood in a cool, "underwater" setting. This was a pleasnat surprise on our last trip. Do Dim Sum somewhere. We did Yank Sing, which was good, but not super cheap. Others certainly will have more suggeestions.

Its nice to see Fox News standing up for the dis-enfranchised and taking such a liberal, "fair and balanced" view. Edited to add - Or as PC-apparatchiks are we being liberal here? I've never understood the idea of Politcal Correctness as being a fault. It seems like people who criticize people for being "PC" are really looking for a way to say whatever's on their mind, regardless of the consequences on others. I guess I'm saying I'd rather be too PC than not PC enough.

Just this morning on Good Morning America, where she did segments for years, Emeril was doing his segment and wished her a Happy Birthday and they showed a little montage of clips of hers over the years. My wife mentioned that she didn't realize that she was in her nineties, because she is burned in our memories from years of shows from ten, twenty or more years ago.

The best thing about being my size on WW is that I currently would need to lose 120 pounds before I leave the highest points level. Lime juice with corn would be pretty good, the sweetness of the corn might offset any bitterness. If you wanted a little more substance (and fiber) a little bit of black beans would be good in a corn salad.

I was "flipping through" Zagat's "the other day" and I "seemed to agree" more with the "comments" than I did with the "ratings"

I normally meal plan, but as I mentioned above I am a political consultant and in late Summer and early Fall (like right now) I start having a very upredicable schedule (I am still at work at 8:40 as I type this). This ends up meaning lots of wasted food - especially stuff from the farmers markets. At least I can freeze any meats. This is what knocked me off of plan two years ago and started me back up. I need to figure out good things to have that I can make for myself (and my wife) without messing up the kitchen in about 5 minutes. This might keep me from stopping off for something on the way home too often.

My wife and I did the 1 veg and 1 regular option and on about half of the courses we liked the veg option as much or more than the regular dish. You can read about my meal somewhere upthread.

Statistics will also show that these people are also more likely to be no fun to be around and have a generally unpleasant life. I'm not sure that eating/drinking everything in sight automatically makes a person more fun to be around. Unless of course, one celebrates with eating contests. No but someone who never veers from the same regimen every single day of their life is just as crazy as the person who puts no limits on themselves.

Statistics will also show that these people are also more likely to be no fun to be around and have a generally unpleasant life.

I love Thai food and two things that I like to make with ground poultry - although I normally use chicken - are Larb and Kaprow (chicken with basil and chiles). I ususally eat the Kaprow with rice, but then again, being a really big guy I get the maximum number of points. Larb is good because it can go on a salad. And for turkey breast, how about a chef's type salad with grilled turkey strips?

I'm confirmed for 2.

I've heard a lot about the meatloaf.

For me, and I would suspect a lot of people here on eGullet who cook, the best feature on Weight Watcher online tools is the "recipe Builder" which allows you to input a recipe and it will calcuate points per serving on the overall finished product. This is better and more accurate than piecing it together using the ingredients.

We had talked about the idea of having a Weight Loss forum a while ago, but it kinda fell through under its own weight (no pun intended). I have always thought that eGullet's format would lend itself well to the support that should come from a typical Weight Watchers meeting without the faux rah-rah BS and nasty food suggestions that come from most WW leaders. Three years ago, I lost a little over 100 pounds on Weight Watchers, but drifted off the program around this time two years ago (before the 2002 elections). I'm back on now (after several starts and stops) and have lost 15 lbs in the first three weeks. Most of my success was what others have mentioned - trying to lighten up (less oil, or cheese or fatty meats) regular recipes or, if I needed to have the real-deal just better portion control. Or just going for the really good things that are available and aren't bad for you - fresh vegetables, grilled instead of sauteed, etc. As for specifically developed "light" recipes some of the recipes in teh Weight Watchers / CIA cookbook are pretty good and the points are calculated for you. They mostly come from another CIA book here: Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking Although I must say that some of the ideas in here can make some not so tasty results. Cooking Light is also a good resource - I nearly always find a few recipes I want to try out of there.

I'd be a bilrus+1

I'd be in, but is a sushi restaurant the most manly place to start?

I'd be in for that one.

I was four for four with dinners at Yanyu and Corduroy, lunch at Colvin Run and brunch at Bistro Bis.

Since we're still talking about it, where I think the whole "Chef" thing seems a little strange (at least strange sounding or seeing it in print) is that if you said "Doctor" at an American Medical Association conference, everyone would turn around too. But it would be unusual for a doctor to call themselves simply "Doctor", rather than "Dr. Jones" or even, in less formal circumstances by their first name. Patients and staff at the hospitla would still call them "Doctor". The fact is that it seems like this is more of a nickname that you have picked up over the years. Like the country doctor who becomes "'Doc". How's that for beating a dead horse?

I'm sure at this point she loves us so much that she'll stick around for the long term - right?

There is a very good gelato stand in the food court area between the two buildings of the Smithsonian's National Gallery of Art. That's about it though.

I think there are two reasons why there has been less criticism in this chat that expected. First off, you have come off as being much more reasonable and pleasant than your reputation would lead one to expect. Not that you care what "a small group of snooty white people" think about your personality. Or should you. Secondly, the daSto thread did get a little overheated and like a car many people blew off their steam there rather than here. Speaking of reputations, is part of being a chef/owner of a restaurant playing at least a little of the "PR game"? I'm not talking about hiring an expensive firm to test and masasge your menu and image, but not doing things that might adversely affect the number of customers coming in to your restaurant every day. It is obvious that you are an interesting charming person in some settings, your restaurant probably being one. But for many of us here our first exposure to you was your letter to Tom. The second was the email signed by Chef (which didn't strike me as being a very big deal). And the third exposure we had was your response to the daSto thread that called us all overeducated, snooty white people. For many people you would have been called out after the first strike. I'd say that you've generally won over some converts here in the last few days and I for one am going to try to "darken your doorstep" for the first time in the near future.