docsconz

No, it was consumed as is, in all that golden glory. I see the epicurious recipe suggests coring the head prior to baking - also a good idea but I didn't bother since mine was on the small side and when I twist/snap the stem I usually get most of it out. Stems get a raw deal. I used to throw out every broccoli stem I cut, until I peeled one and ate it. Its as good or better than the florets. ← I agree. I love both broccoli and cauliflower stems.

It was around an hour and a half at 350F if memory serves. There was a small chicken in the oven at the time. The florets look so golden because the whole head got a mist of olive oil from a manual pump sprayer before going in. ← Thanks! I'll have to try it.

La Tour by the train station is very good.

Stunning photo, Peter. How did you roast it - temperature, time, etc.?

I didn't mention it or show her and she didn't ask. She did see me throw it out though.

Yesterday I used the "poor man's sous vide" to cook some sirloin steaks. Both steaks were about 1.4 lbs and a little over an inch thick. I salted and peppered them and wrapped them in Saran wrap before placing them in the 130ºF oven with 0 browning for about 4 hours total time. I finished them on a hot charcoal grill, cooking a couple of minutes on each side to give a little external sear. They were served along with grilled lamb offal skewers, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus (that had been pre-cooked in the microwave on high for about 6 minutes). The steaks were flavorful having held onto the seasoning that was applied before the plastic wrap. Finishing on the grill provided the additional flavor boost one might expect. It was good to provide enough exterior char in a short period of time as the steaks were essentially done with very little effort before placement on the grill. I would definitely use this treatment again for steaks as well as other proteins.

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I did find a good use for the lungs, although I discarded the trachea. I ultimately followed maher's suggestion above and diced the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys, marinated them with salt, pepper and olive oil , skewered them and cooked them over a hot charcoal grill. I forgot the lemon juice, though in reality it didn't need it. As can be seen in this photo, there was more liver than anything else. A piece of heart can be seen at the bottom of each skewer, while the lung pieces are those lightest in color. The kidneys are notable for their lighter brown color and rounded shapes, which can be picked out in the middle of each skewer. After the grill. The lungs were a pleasant surprise. The texture was not off-putting as I feared it would be and the flavor was good. The heart was the most straightforward, as one might expect. Since it is muscle, it tasted like muscle. The liver was mild and good. The kidney, had the most distinct flavor - a bit grassy and barnyardy, but one that I really enjoyed, like one might enjoy a distinctive wine. In fact that was my favorite of the offal after the sweetbreads, which was my favorite part of the entire lamb. My wife and my eldest son joined me in sampling the variety, while my two youngest sons refrained as I expected them to. These were served alongside some beef sirloin steaks, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes.

While most high end dining is essentially apolitical in nature, there is plenty of dining that is not, such as certain elements of veganism, locavore oriented dining and potentially others. I will grant that that is the exception and not the rule, but it can not be dismissed out of hand. Indeed, it can provide its own brand of challenging dining which may or may not be pleasurable.

I agree, a meal does not have to be technoemotional or purely creative to be challenging. A meal of offal would challenge most Americans even if using purely traditional methods and recipes. I would say that any meal, however, is enhanced by being hungry.

Outstanding! Can you please tell us more about some of the dishes that you ate? I'm looking forward to your Rioja experience.

Certainly a memorable experience, David. Thanks for sharing it You have clearly demonstrated that their is a lot of skill and dedication in the kitchens of Las Vegas and a lot of money to support that skill and dedication. Soul? I'm not sure that it is the same thing or even that it necessarily matters in the end. What is apparent is that you had a grand time with grand people and grand food, of which I am extremely envious! Question about the crabs - did you catch where they came from or what kind of crabs they were?

Very strange, as the photo in imagegullet had the correct and same identifier as my original on my computer. In any case, here is the correct photo - re-uploaded: Thanks for picking that up.

Interesting observation as Seiji Yamamoto and Andoni Luis Aduriz are in fact very good friends. ← I didn't know that. It certainly shows though - there were several similarities throughout the meal. And I now rank them essentially at the same level (but that's a coincidence). My view of these two are that they are sort of an evolution of the Alice Waters philosophy (with which most eGulleters will be more familiar - I'm not suggesting that either is "following" Waters). A concentration on local fresh flavors but overlaid with a cultural emphasis representative of the local traditions. More of an emotional connection. ←

One thing that discussion and education such as art history courses provide is context. I know that my understanding and therefore appreciation for various schools of art increased tremendously after I took a course in art history in college because I was able to put someone like Jackson Pollock or the Impressionists in context. The same applies to food and dining. What puts a challenging meal above and beyond are all the contextual references that go along with the meal. One will enjoy them most with an open mind and some ability to put them into context. The more one is familiar with Catalan cooking and the recent history of western culinary tradition (since Escoffier), the more one can appreciate the cooking of elBulli. It is not that that cooking reproduces those traditions. It does, however, use those traditions as well as other s from the pantheon of world cuisine (especially Japanese) to come up with a cuisine that is on some levels familiar, but in others startlingly new. Whether one is into being challenged depends a lot on how receptive one is to creativity for its own sake. That is not to say that creativity alone makes for a successful meal, but that creativity is in itself an important element in a successful meal. The food must still be enjoyable, but is the meal heightened or reduced for an individual because of the creative element. Some people are simply turned off by the unfamiliar and don't give it a chance. Some creativity simply isn't good or useful to an individual regardless of context. Other examples of creativity resonate with a more widespread audience. I happen to love creativity when it resonates with me. To me that is the added element that makes a meal stand out. Of course, more traditional meals also can stand out to me when particularly well executed. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive. A delicious meal that is also creative feeds my mind as well as my soul.

Interesting observation as Seiji Yamamoto and Andoni Luis Aduriz are in fact very good friends. I wish I had this topic before I went to India so I could have looked for the Palash honey while I was there.

While not cheap (especially for dollars), that remains a relative bargain in the land of alta cucina.

Hi Lyn, I'm not sure what you hope I was mistaken about. We were not served anything from cardboard boxes. What I meant by my comment is that all varietals grown in Australia and New Zealand originated elsewhere, not that the grapes were actually grown elsewhere. As for the specific wine, I don't really know where those grapes were grown, though I doubt they were sourced from outside Australia.

Nice.

A bullet to the brain is quick and painless if it gets the right area. It is conceivable (and I have seen it in humans from botched suicide attempts) hwever, that the shot may not be fatal. That is not pretty. In addition, there is more inherent danger in shooting an animal as the animal either needs to be subdued anyway for a careful close-in shot or shot from afar. The method here was quick, accurate and efficient while being relatively safe. The quick slash to the neck severing the carotid arteries and the trachea immediately stopped blood flow and oxygen to the brain. It is difficult to imagine a quicker end. I was shocked by the suddenness of the whole process. The animal could not have known what was coming. One must also remember that this was done at a small family farm, not a slaughterhouse set up specifically for this. Overall, I was quite impressed with the humane way in which this was handled.

I will have to try some for myself. This is not good news. I was thrilled when I heard the news that they would be locating nearby.

I cooked the leg (actually a whole hindquarter) in my CVAP in a plastic bag with a little olive oil at 130ºF for about four hours with no browning cycle set, before taking it out to finish on the hardwood charcoal grill. I applied only salt and pepper after taking it from the CVAP and before putting it over the fire. The hindquarter shortly after it was put on the grill. The internal temperature at that point was only abut 103ºF. I left it away from the coals and covered for about ten minutes. I then put it over the coals to develop a little char. I did not want to overcook it, so I watched it fairly closely at this point. Removed from the grill along with some cumin-scented fingerling potatoes. The doneness was fine for me, although some of my family preferred to put theirs back on the grill for a couple of minutes. In retrospect, I should have left it covered on the grill for another five minutes or so, then everyone would have been happy. The flavor of the meat was incredible. I enjoyed the texture, though that was the primary turn-off for some of my family, especially our 8yo son, who is not a big fan of lamb. The hindquarter was enough to feed my family with only a little bit left-over, which I will bring for lunch when I return to work tomorrow. The bones were saved for stock.

I can't comment on your reaction to your meal, as one's preferences in this regard are quite subjective especially to reactions about instructions, etc., however, this statement perpelexed me, especially given that you appear to have had a very similar meal to the one that Ronnie and I shared. What serving pieces did you feel were "somewhat hostile" or "potentially dangerous?" Perhaps I am being obtuse, but I really don't see it.

gee, Ronnie, we had so many of the same dishes, we must have been there on the same night! Interesting coincidence with your friend's and Alinea's birthdays as mine happens to be the same as Alinea's too! Seriously, your photos and report are humbling. Very nicely done. BTW, I understand that they are no longer doing that lamb dish. It is extremely labor intensive.

Thank you for the suggestions. I think I may just try the diced on skewers over a hot fire approach. We had a leg last night. It was delicious. details will be forthcoming.

The reason they selected the site they did in upstate NY is because they felt the quality of the milk there is very similar to that in Greece where fage comes from. It may be that the quality of other ingredients such as the cherries is not comparable. Have you tried the plain yogurt, which has always been my favorite anyway? I have to admit, I haven't had Fage in awhile since I have been getting wonderful Greek style yogurt from a local CSA, which is actually not far from the Fage plant.