Pan

Getting rid of artificial color is a good thing.

magic, pan. why do you ask?

Tommy, you haven't used a phone??? How, incidentally, do you access eGullet?

When I visit my parents, my mother takes phone calls during dinner, although I always suggest that she just let the answering machine get it and call them back. My father seems to agree with my idea but realizes that my mother will do what she wants, so he sort of shrugs. It's no major issue, but I'd rather she not take the call.

I tend to think of only things that are synthesized in laboratories as "synthetic." Stevia is a naturally-growing plant, is it not?

I've never eaten at the French Laundry, but I would tend to agree that a concept of #1 in areas of life where there are no clear winners and losers (as there are in sports competitions, for example) is a bit silly.

Victor, have you eaten at the French Laundry and found it wanting? Which restaurant, if any, would you consider the "best in the world"?

Thanks for the beautiful pictures, Kris! That food looks good! What is shiso dressing made out of?

What are the rest of the top 10?

Herb, I know the place you're talking about - obviously authentic, very popular with Japanese people - and I now know what those names mean. I haven't tried their food yet, and I appreciate the reminder.

It's a free country for management, too, in that they're free to eject people who make a scene.

"Swiss cheese" is actually a worse term than "Champagne," because the cheese is really Ementhaler.

Of course I can't answer for Fat Guy, but keep in mind that he's not a scientist working on this. But basically, his argument as I understand it is that theories can be and have been disproven before, and this one could be disproven as a result of further scientific studies. Or, I'd add, it could be much more conclusively proven; we just don't know.

It didn't? Nope. " To cause to aggregate into a flocculent mass" is a circular definition. Thanks for the explanations, Sam and Brooks.

m-w.com didn't help me with "flocculate." The best I could get was "resembling wool especially in loose fluffy organization" for "flocculent." So does it mean congregate in this context?

Adam, I'm glad I asked! What a wealth of knowledge you bring to the table!

So do you feel that these restaurants are ever appropriate for family gatherings on special occasions? For that matter, can anyone recommend high-end restuaurants for special occasions that accomodate children? Keeping in mind that even fancy Cantonese banquet places in Flushing and Manhattan's Chinatown aren't really expensive, I think they're a good pick. Ditto for a classy but moderately-priced Korean place like Kang Suh, where they'll put your party in a private room. We're basically talking around $30/person, give or take, which is not remotely comparable to the prices at any of the places Bux listed.

I hold my fork the same way I hold a pencil or pen - "incorrectly." My Japanese friend also finds fault with how I hold my chopsticks (too high), but I think I hold them better than I hold a fork. The main thing, though, is to get the food into the mouth.

And what do Swedes call turnips?

I like really good grappa, but it is definitely a unique taste.

Thanks for the interesting report, Kris. Sounds like fusion from a Japanese starting point.

I'm wondering if any of you have had bagels, bialys, or onion rolls from Moishe's on 2nd Av. just south of 7th St. I think their bagels are pretty good and a good value for 40 cents apiece (IIRC), their bialys aren't flavorful enough, and their onion rolls are good.

See this answer for a start [the link I provided above on a previous discussion]: Right. And Grappa has a very distinctive taste (one could say an acquired taste). My brother swears he can taste the difference between different vodkas, for whatever that's worth. I doubt I can because the alcohol taste is too strong for me to tell the difference, I would guess.

Cool!