MobyP

Maybe Pacaud can do a part exchange deal? Kidney of future michelin chef must go for a fair price these days.

Actually I think that's Norman Van Aken - but we were making the same mistake. He looks like Trotter - plus 40 lbs in weight. We ended up (amongst ourselves - and I apologise Mr Van Aken) calling him False Trotter. Cantu's display was great. At the end, both Arzak and Adria were asking for copies of his demonstration film which showed footage of his sealed class IV carbon laser, his use of liquid nitrogen and various other goodies.

Reasons to get there for the black truffles... pt1 (check out the "Feuillete de Truffes Bel Humeur" if you want to have truffle nightmares - and that scallop dish was beyond breath-taking...)

A brilliant idea. But try and get there before the end of the black truffle season (what - mid march?). Bernard Pacaud is a god.

I might post some more later, but here's a couple to show some of the particpants... Adria with Homaro Cantu and ... Apologies for poor quality: Joseph and Thomas Keller with Harold McGee and Wylie Dufresne Some (but not all) Left to right: Capel, Norman Van Aken, Paul Prudhomme, Adria, Martin Berasetegui, Arzac, Michael and Ariane Batterberry, Charlie Trotter, Mark Miller etc

Make the most romantic dinner possible - yourself!

Unfortunately the expressions on the faces of the rapt foreigners were probably determined by two other factors aside from just admiration - first, the stuttering of the translators over unfamiliar language ("Er... I don't know what he just said" was not an unfamiliar refrain during Adria, Rocca, Beratesetegui), and second, that the translation broadcast level was set at a lower volume than the stage, so, like listening to someone talking moderately in a loud night club, you had to really focus. Adria is a remarkable speaker - I saw him the night before as well at another ceremony - not only for the content, and perhaps I noticed this because I'm not a native speaker, but his level of relaxation before a crowd, his ability to talk extemporaneously, was greater than most other speakers over the three days. What was perhaps the most striking was the apparent sense of community among many of the Spanish chefs. It was rare for the Americans (Wylie Dufresne noted it as well. "I don’t think anyone considers the Americans as united as this"), and practically unheard of amongst the Brits (of which there were a few notable names in the crowd, having paid their own passage).

Hi Gerry. Nice to have met you at the conference. Although I don't speak Spanish, it seemed to me from the translation - as Alexandra says - he wanted to start a conversation rather than make a proclamation. "This is just something for us to talk about" was the quote I wrote down. I would be interested, did he actually call it a 'manifesto?' He seemed to me to be very modest about the nature of his offering. Almost as if - impressively - he is working on an 'open source' type aesthetic. Trying to achieve a communal truth, rather than an hierarchal one. He was also promoting his new book on food science (sorry, I don't have my notes infront of me for the title), and very much wanted everyone to contribute to the contents, for it to be representative of the community, rather than some culinary oligarchy.

I heard mythical things about buccleugh beef when I first came to the UK. Having now consumed at least 2 steers worth, I can't see what the fuss was over. Please supply account details in plain brown envelope...

Agreed, although I think you'll find that's butlers and Jamie Oliver.

Jay - Moens - definitely one of the greats. Top 3. Stunning place. Matt - I would say Lidgates has gone the way of display food at ferociously high prices, with a certain loss of old school butchery. It's them Nottinghill Ladies wot done it.

This comes up fairly regularly, so let's make a list. Feel free to add or comment. Best butchers in London. The Ginger Pig 8-10 Moxon Street, Marylebone. - Rare breed pork (among the best in the UK) - High quality French and UK fowl - Aged beef (not to my taste - I think they over age it, sometimes 6 -8 weeks) H G Walter Barons Court - Buccleugh beef - v. good organic and free range chicken. Kingsland Butcher 140 PORTOBELLO ROAD - Excellent rare breed lamb (salt marsh) from Kent and Wales - Good beef. Randalls Butchers 113 Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham Dove Butcher Northcote Road, Clapham - Buccleugh beef - Good lamb, - Game Harvey Nichols - V. good foie gras - Good beef - French and UK poultry

Went quite recently. Superb foh but hit and miss cooking. And I was really hoping that night to find somewhere special.

i haven't stopped thinking about that goddamn pie since i first read it. i'm gonna have to make one soon. my problem is, since i've never had one i'm not sure if i'll be doing it right... ← If it makes you feel kinda dirty... a little ashamed... slightly embarassed... then you know you got it right.

Funnily enough I just came across his name in some - ahem - Spanish liter-achoor ("In a relatively short space of time, Sat Bains has made a huge impact on the British restaurant scene..." which was a surprise, as I'd never heard of him), and thought "By 'eck, that Bapi should wonder thencewards right soon and no mistake." Is it slightly odd that his first restaurant should be eponymous?

You know, even at the best places it almost doesn't matter. I never met an Italian who was happy eating their own regional cuisine cooked by someone they were unfamiliar with. If it's not la mamma, it better be cousin giuseppe. Everyone else gets a sniff of mild opprobrium, even if the food is fantastic. That said - is Carluccio in Neal Street much better than his other cafes? I found them (sniff) not very good at all.

I bet Gordon is eating his sous chef over getting the same award as Heston.

Welcome, Monsieur Le Capitan. Those fish and chips are exceptionally good. Possibly sinister in their beef dripping goodness. Also (from the deli) the haddock and clotted cream cornish pasty. Forgot to say that I saw, remarkably, some glorious looking Charolais beef on sale at one of the shops. Do we know where he gets this from? And may we ask what your connection is to the joys of Padstein?

Oddly enough, there's a S. African food nostalgia store called . . . SAFRICA on the North End Road in West London. Two dooors down is a Polish food nostalgia store. Five shops down from that (which just closed) was a Russian food nostalgia store. We obviously spend too much time waxing lyrical about the old coutries 'ere in West London.

"Honey - no stay still! - have we ever spoken about bean casseroles..?"

17 trips to my butcher, much begging, 3 special orders, 2 rejections, and finally they got it right - and then they charged me an arm and a leg, and they weren't all that good. Too lean. And this is the cut that most butchers use for mince, so I wasn't a content bunny. By the way, Randalls butcher on Wandsworth bridge road know about short ribns. So long as you order them on a Friday, they can have them for you on a Monday. But don't tell anyone. Edit to add: the best Short ribs I've found were without doubt from the place near Marco Polo's - ribs of devon beef from Dart's Farm - click for his description. They were exceptional, reasonable, froze well, and completely unavailable in London.

Yep. That's short ribs. Similar to these

Craig - welcome to eGullet. May I ask, how many animals do you produce, and how long have you been selling beef in this style? Have you had any interest from chefs?

Matt that looks effing incredible. How was the crust? Did it have a good crunch to it? And what did you think of the spicing for next time?

The River Café Cookbook Green is very speciific about month to month seasonality. Worth a look.