beans

Glad you qualified that! I work in a job that I'm expected to throw a party for all that enter into bar and yes that does entail drinking on the job. *hiccup* LML: Ou, ou, OUCH. What substantive material would be left if the snipe were surgically removed, with the utmost precision, from your recent posts! Can I dare say it is becoming tiresome? *hiccup* Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to be counting out my drawer. *hiccup* ********** Okay, other than the above, I have been following this thread as there hasn't been one restaurant I've worked for wherein these issues were not present. The drugs, the slackers, the boozers, the moral disapproving sneer of those from the high ground, the zero tolerance, the subjective sliding scale tolerance. It could go on and on. But I'm wondering where this idea of the employer is responsible for an employee's well being and attempting to save them from themselves. (the tonyfinch writings) Where is that common place? Not where I've resided and worked. The 'Dude you have a problem and now after several noted office discussions, it's time for you to go. Good luck' is more the reality from my personal observations in my employment experience.

a-nomad: Don't do it! The stuff is vile! Yuk!

EGQuan: Somewhere in this was a comment on her episode with the hunky firemen and the sexual tension was almost palpable. I saw the gleam in her eye as she asked one of them if she could touch their pants! (read: yes, I could have been potentially jealous! *wink* ) I'm still on the fence with this one. There are a few instances I heard distinct irritation in the tone of her voice, which I am sure is understandable given the set of pupils she is attempting to whip into culinary shape, but I don't wish to tune in to see it in action for the substantive material nor as entertainment. (Where do these students come from???) And the Cocktail wanabe dude behind the bar irritates the bejesus out of me. Oversized martini glasses that are not properly chilled and with small pours. He's just there for the oohs and awws factor because he can juggle a cocktail shaker/bottle. Does FN feature his bio to lend credibility to his mixology? I haven't looked. Welcome to eGullet from one who is still new too. I'll warn you -- you may dream about it; spend your days off or the quick jaunt while still at work over here! It's addictive. I for one am glad.

Suffering any CLE is tough. I thought I was going to *die* on reading up on maintaining/removal of underground storage tanks and remedial efforts of groundwater contamination. What's with this sons of the soil?

Who is talking about what here? The BYOB or the wine purchase off the wine list at the restaurant? Clarification please! Seems carpet bagger is talking about the BYOB of his expensive bottle of wine and tips on the wine service. (very nice) Tommy were you asking about that? Or the purchase of that $400 bottle while dining?

Welcome Sparkitus. Nice post.

Patience is what always kills me when making these sorts of drinks. Of course someone orders one when we're at our absolute busiest. Bleh. Practice (oh, that's fun with the boo boos and "let's try that technique again!) and try pouring very slowly over a marachino cherry or a small spoon. re the Cocktailmaster: I've never seen one of those thingys nor worked with such a gadget.

Oh I LOVE these! Watermelon Soup (with a nice hot pepper bite to it) Berry Soup in Saffron Broth Champagne Infused Blackberry Soup with Sour Cream Sorbet Chilled Coconut Lemongrass Soup with Warm Pineapple Dumpling Melon Soup with Red Wine Granita Roasted Peach Soup with Peach Sorbet and Butter Cookies (an Emeril recipe) Chilled Bing Cherry Soup Of course, I love gazpacho. I've had a few nice chilled dilled cucumber soup and a tomato basil too. YUM

I recently searched and printed a bunch of pistachio recipes from FN. Here are a few savory ones I found that were of interest: North African influenced Lamb Shanks with Pistachio-Mint Couscous (Emeril) Shrimp Sates with Spiced Pistachio Chutney (Sara Moulton) Pisatchio Crusted Rack of Lamb with Goat's Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Peasant Style Sauce (Emeril) Fragrant Green Chicken Curry (Jamie Oliver) Here's the whole search list for some other ideas. Enjoy!

I tried durian in Bankok. It wasn't until after I tried it I saw at my hotel they were not permitted! I understood!

I live in an employment at will state. No such thing as in unfair dismissal. It is a two way street and does not require any forewarning on either the employee or employer's part.

Insulted? Hardly ever. Worked in too many lawfirms, law departments and courtrooms to take much to heart. A few kitchens too. But this turning into what a lawyer can do as a result, oh brother. Can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of those trial advocates wanting to initiate legal recourse. But, in all earnest, this does not diminish in any part whatsoever the tragic death of Chef Dempsey. That indeed is motivation and reason enough for one to mournfully review with bitter respite of how that horrible loss could have been precluded. edit from sore hands from busy weekend....! Can't type to save my life today! Uggh, typos.

Tonyfinch Don't attempt to insult me with such a shallow snipe. It's unimaginative, unoriginal and unattractive. I was not in any way diminishing the merits of Spencer or Anthony Bourdain's "entertainment". That was what I felt was the crux of all the hoopla. The age old legal debate of what an employer should or shouldn't do with respect to employee rights was with regard to litigous action what I found waning. If you don't like it, I don't care. Spare me.

Damn. This thread has gone so many places and I was totally DIGGING Anthony Bourdain and Spencer's tête à tête but now it has evovled to the employer's and employee's rights treatise. Bleh. Here's a few random, somewhat disjointed thoughts -- I spend more time than I intended reading through this thread (shame on me for not keeping apprised in an otherwise timely manner) but I have a Dad worth doting upon this afternoon. Personal choice. If there, for whatever reason, is an imbalance to your activities, choices and job performance, then it's time for that perfect "I'm in your shit." quiet but stern talk al a Bourdain. Maybe it was the former wanabe lawyer in me, employers being sued for a perceived "duty of care" toward an employee is rubbish and frivolous litigation when that individual voluntarily made the personal choice to use their poison of choice to excess. Ciao. Will reinvest this evening's time to jump right back into this...

booze is running around my brain! strawberries and champagne strawberries and a fine balsamic melon and port (!!!!!!) dark chocolate and a fine whisky shot of Bushmill's with a Guinness chaser? *sublime* Oh, mise en place, I've prepped a lobster with vanilla mayonnaise (I made from scratch). It was great! beans on beans? hmmmm. awbrig, sorry I don't eat many other than an occasional bowl of chili or riboletta; or when somewhere Cuban themed cuisine and I have black beans and rice (or red). How about Stoli Vanil (beans) and diet, tall?

ginger and carrots beef and horseradish beef and mustard beef and blue cheese come to mind at this instance, I'm sure more will follow. Does this count? Peanut butter and Jelly?

Excellent post Nevan!

sonny: Ouch y'all. Over edited? Simple sentence structure? Detached? Lacking poetic style? Something amiss? Really??????? On the contrary. I found beauty in his well chosen words and stories. I find it more succinct and compendious. I just purchased and read in nearly one read. I was glad not to find his writing pithy, verbose or loquacious, which at times may be deemed as quality traits of the writings of a cook book. It was what needed to be said and to the point. Somewhat how I feel he views his cooking. To the point of how it is made, done in the tradition of how he himself learned. BTW, the man that stole and owns my heart, and influences my reading (among many things), is a wild Northern Irishman that is truly an eruditous sort that has lived, written and taught in Paris while earning his doctorial thesis. La joie de vie. Many fine and lovely Europeans I know write as they speak. I enjoy that too.

While this doesn't add to or offer solutions, I have recently come to understand "dry" butters when I shopped for something for the Christmas holiday celebrations and came up with Echire. It even advertises it is a "dry" butter and I understood from my own endeavours. Maybe I haven't run around some of the best of the top notch pastry kitchens, but I know of plenty of professionals that reference Frieberg, Torres, Silverton that do not necessarily constitute homemakers in any sense of the word.

"Nectarine Carpaccio" As in Dominique and Cindy Duby's Roasted Nectarine Custard Cake, Nectarine Carpaccio, Lavender Honey Bruleeand Citrus Cracker Dough Rounds

Yep. In Alaska (although "city" is something of an overstatement). It was named by those insolent folks that lived in the area as a response to the better-known and more nobly-designated Alaska town called "Eagle." Or depending on whom you ask, because no one knew how to spell ptarmigan.

Yeah, Tillamook is hardly artisanal, but it is one of those regional things. I don't think the weather inspired blues are isolated to the Pacific Northest at all. I remember actually considering a joke gift bottle of Everclear once last winter when we were snowed in, all businesses were closed and a state of emergency was declared for all travel by car. The weather can suck just about anywhere you go, but it may afford one some much needed down time to pamper one's self. edit: opps! A dreaded typo!

Words fail me! Particularlly the "cold so bad it hurts to breathe" !!!! However what a hoot to watch all those scurry about in a ice/sleet/snow storm in Seattle! It's been awhile for me to witness this, but it was kind of a scream when I had to endure and became a little more accustomed to some of the arctic blasts off of good ole Lake Erie.