Gale

rats. I just returned from a week in Paris and didn't see this thread in time. Spring is on my list for my next trip!

great links, schnitz - Just in time for the holidays!! Of course, I will have to try some of the others, too.

Hey s'kat - Wolvie here - if it was me, I'd clean them, chop them up, dry them, then spread them out on a cookie sheet and put said sheet into the freezer. Once frozen, bag them up and put back in freezer. Then you can take out as many as you like for soups, etc. Works great with any type of pepper, actually.

the problem I have with the FN is the continuing trend of dumbing down. The ads they accept are not geared towards folks who really cook (for the most part), the shows aren't either (in prime time), and I don't have the inclination nor the time to wait for a good show to come on. I mean really, Sandra Lee? please. The number of totally inane shows well overshadows the good ones. Newbies who turn on this network are going to think that pre-packaged food is the way to go. Terrible. Just terrible. Give me PBS anyday. Not that some pre-packaged items aren't good - it's just that anything that bills itself at the ultimate, and FN does, ought to have many more from scratch shows than convienence shows. Does that make any sense at all?

You're welcome! Ming's soy-lime syrup is so versatile and easy to make. Goes with just about everything! For my trip to MA in April, I have reservations at Blue Ginger, of course. :-) April 17th at 6:30 - if any e-gullet folks are going to be in the Wellesley/Boston area and want to meet for a drink!

Wed: braised beef bottom round (braised until falling apart tender) shredded then served over roasted cumin carrots, sliced capirani tomatoes and scallions. Thursday: Ming's soy-lime chicken breasts with cauliflower - absolutely delish! This dish is cool because it doesn't take long to make and the results are great. You blanch the cauliflower just a bit, and then after searing the chicken breasts, the cauliflower goes in the pan with the breasts, gets the soy lime treatment, and roasts at 500 until done ( maybe 8 minutes). I was surprised at just how tasty this was. http://www.ming.com/simplyming/showrecipes...firChicbrst.htm I must get a camera. It was beautiful, too. Tonite - going out for some fab sushi at Jos's in Annapolis!

a really good side with ham and that in my experience reheats well is butternut squash/corn gratin. This stuff rocks!! Very easy to add the breadcrumbs and heat thru to serve Butternut Squash and Toasted Corn Gratin - recipe by Paul Gaylor 2 corn on cob ( if using frozen, I would thaw, toss with a bit of oil, and roast for 8 -10 minutes, just until is starts to brown) (use about 8 oz, more if you like corn!) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 # butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" dice 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted (or 1 tsp ground cumin - I've done both) 2 small chilies, seeded and cut into rings ( I used serrano) 1 - 14 oz can coconut milk, unsweetened 2 tbsp breadcrumbs Salt and Fresh ground BP These directions are written using corn on cob: Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush the corn with a little of the oil, and roast for about 30 minutes, until litely browned. Leave to cool. Put squash on a baking sheet and toss with half of the olive oil, then roast for 10-15 minutes until just tender. Litghtly grease a gratin dish with the butter and arrange the cooked squash in it. Season to taste. Scrape corn kernels off cobs with a sharp knife. Mix the corn with the cumin and chilies, and sprinkle this mix over the squash. Pour the coconut milk over this, then scatter the bread crumbs on top. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the crust is browned and crisp. Edited to add - this can be made 3 days ahead, then just assemble onsite and heat. I have held the components of this dish at least that long with no problems.

I hope, and predict, that will not be a consideration. If his lifelong commitment to perfectionism is any indicator, Keller has too much integrity as a chef to go back to Napa or reopen French Laundry one minute before he is certain that his absence from Per Se will be completely and utterly undetectable on the plate. One assumes, also, that like Ducasse he will travel back and forth often. But, ultimately, a successful restaurant kitchen is about delegation. The chef, for the most part, cooks nothing during meal service. Moreover, in most restaurant kitchens, it is a sous-chef or expediter who works the pass and gives the final okay on every dish. The chef's job has to be essentially completed before the meal service starts -- otherwise he's likely to be a failure as a chef. Opening two restaurants simply adds an additional layer of delegation to an already delegated structure. A chef worth his mettle can make that happen without any loss of quality, creativity, or spontaneity. I'm certain that these considerations have been foremost in Keller's mind all along, and that he has done everything imaginable to make certain that the delegation is effective and that nobody will be able to accuse him of "spreading himself too thin." And I'm actually looking forward to seeing what Jonathan Benno does once the restaurant establishes a clientele of repeat customers and it comes time to cook off-menu for them. When I first met Jonathan, he was the line cook at Gramercy Tavern responsible for putting out the foie gras and several other difficult dishes -- he worked the hardest station in the kitchen. Later, I had some good discussions with him when I was working on a piece for Gotham that featured Tom Colicchio's three most promising sous chefs: Marco Canora, Matt Seeber, and Jonathan Benno. These are three names that will, as the next generation of chefs comes to prominence, become household names in the gourmet community. Most young cooks aren't secure enough in their own thinking to argue with journalists, but Benno had no such reservations: when he disagreed with me -- and he disagreed with me on a lot of things -- he said so, slowly, carefully, and articulately. Of the three, Benno was always the dogged perfectionist. He had worked at French Laundry and bought into the Keller idealism about food and kitchens, his cuts were the straightest of all the cooks, his stoicism during meal service no matter how deep in the weeds the kitchen was earned him the nickname (always behind his back) "iceman," and he was tremendously respected by everyone who worked with him. I've long had a fondness for him and his great attitude and even greater skill, but wondered if there could ever be a restaurant in New York that would live up to his ideal. And then the mountain came to Mohammed. In 2000 or 2001 when the rumblings about Keller's New York project started, I don't think there was any question in anybody's mind that there was one guy in all of New York who was the inevitable choice for the chef-de-cuisine position: Jonathan Benno. If anybody can do Keller as well as Keller, it's Benno. With him in the kitchen executing Keller's vision, I feel that we're safe. thnaks for all of this info. I was just getting ready to try and get reservations at Per Se - planning all the way ahead to my sister's birthday in mid-Sept. I am looking forward to it even more now.

I started my subscription to BA back up again in 2002 - end of. They have really gotten good again IMO.

Hmm...a little dry ice, a plastic-lined shipping container... Shall I PM you my address? Drat. You beat me to the punch!

I solved this problem at my home by cutting in a whole house water filter. I have well water which used to require a water softener. My fridge and such have their own filters, but it left me with water softener water, which is pretty bad. The whole house filter works great, is easy to maintain, and actually helps your appliances like the DW and W/D out because they don't get the sediment or mineral build up. Some of my friends with public water have done this as well, and really think it saves a lot of hassle.

I like this cookbook very much, and I like going to the Magnolia Grill even better! Last nite, I made grilled delmonico steaks marinated in a bit of Mings soy lime syrup, garlic and ginger, and finished with a bit of the syrup. (The recipe for the syrup is at his site Ming.com, or in his new book. I am a big fan of Ming, and of Blue Ginger. ) With the steak, I served chard sauteed with shallots and garlic, in a bit EVO/butter mix and roasted roma tomatoes. I have to get a digi cam so I can post pics!

aren't the newly created flavor compounds also natural?? Obviously, I'm going to have to research this mehtod. I am awfully fond of the crispies tho. ;-) Sure, that's what I said. okay..... I'm not normally slow on the uptake, but - I must've been here. I'll go get some more coffee.;-)

I think duck fat would be great! I always keep some around. That, a few olive oils, grapeseed oil, and canola oil. These constitute my "major" oils. Of course, I do use butter, and other nut oils, but these are my basics.

aren't the newly created flavor compounds also natural?? Obviously, I'm going to have to research this mehtod. I am awfully fond of the crispies tho. ;-)