dls

Hi Susan - Fishing was great. Second time for my daughter and she had a blast. Wife, as usual, stayed behind at the pool. Caught and released a lot of grouper. Also hooked a bull shark and one big ass tarpon that was around 100 lbs. Got 4 dolphin (mahi). Released 2 and kept 2 (21 lb and 25 lb). Gave the smaller 1 to the boat capt. who in turn cleaned and iced down the other for us. Now in my freezer in Sarasota so I guess I can't say it's fresh. Since I'm back in Chicago I probably will not have a chance to enjoy it for a few weeks. Still looking for the ever elusive marlin. Maybe next time.

I concur. I don't live in Birmingham but travel there frequently on business. Normally stay at the Tutwiller. I've been to a couple of places you mentioned but was kind of giving up on the dining / nightlife scene in Birmingham. Just printed your post and put in my briefcase for my next trip in a couple of weeks. Thanks much.

Dave - Im suprised that you had no luck in the Atlanta area. I've purchased Steen's at Publix, Albertson's, and (I believe) Winn-Dixie in Sarasota a number of times. I believe all 3 chains are represented in Atlanta. I have found, however, that individual store managers have a lot of latitude in what their particular stocks. Try calling around or, if you're not in a great hurry, contact Steen's on Tues. for a list of local retailers. Can't help with a substitute. Woodburner's might work. BTW - thanks for the memory jogger. I've made this sauce a few times but it's been awhile. I'm picking up a couple of missing ingredients to make up a batch today.

Hi all - Thanks for the responses and the recs. Just got back from the Keys and had a great time. Met my wife and daughter in Miami but, between weather delays getting there and construction delays getting out of MIA (that place is a mess), we did not get to KW until about 8:30 PM. After settling into our guest house (Ambrosia on Fleming), we decide to take a stroll and find a place to eat with recs in hand. Cafe Marquesa was immediately encountered since it's essentially next door to Ambrosia. Unfortunately, it was a slow night for them and they could not seat us since they had already started closing the kitchen. Had a drink there and, on their rec, we ended up at Alice's La Te Da. A fun place with some very good food. For starters, we shared cajun spring rolls stuffed with blackened shrimp and cuban pork empanadas. For mains, we had wild boar barbeque ribs, grilled mahi, and spinach salad. The following day, we had lunch at Kelly's - blackened grouper, mango barbeque pork, grilled chicken sandwiches. All were very good. For dinner, we went to Opera, which was excellent. I chose the yellowtail snapper, my wife had ravioli stuffed with shrimp and ricotta, and our daughter had spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce. The ambience, service, and food were outstanding. Did not get to Blue Heaven as planned the next morning because my daughter, on her 12th birthday, opted for a biplane ride over the lower keys instead. We then moved on to Islamorada where we stayed at The Cheeca Lodge. Chose to have dinner at the property's signature restaurant, Atlantic's Edge, which ended up being a huge mistake. It's a beautiful room and the food was quite good but the service was a disaster. Being off season, there were no more than 6 or 7 tables seated with a comparable number of servers. The time gaps between ordering and receiving drinks, apps, and mains was about 30 minutes each time. We finally ordered coffee and a mini birthday cake for our daughter. After 30 minutes, I checked with the hostess and was told that they could not find our server. Being just coffee and cake I suggested that someone else could serve it. She responded that all of the other servers were busy (3 tables left at this point) and they would get to it as soon as they could. After 10 additional minutes, we chose to leave. Since I did not have a check, I gave the hostess our room number and told her to add the charges to my bill. We then adjourned to the outside tiki bar/lounge where the coffee and cake were served in about 5 minutes (same kitchen BTW). A few minutes later, I was approached by the restaurant manager who apologized for the poor service and informed me that all of the restaurant charges (easily $200+) were removed from my bill. The following evening, after a half day of fishing, we went to Lorelei's where we chose to share a platter of apps (conch fritters, crab cakes, shrimp, fish dip, etc) accompanied by drinks and a georgeous sunset. Due to business issues, I had to cut the trip short so, the next day, en route to MIA, we stopped at the Fish House in Key Largo for lunch. My wife and daughter each chose the conch salad and I went for a platter of shrimp, clams, etc. Everything was very fresh and quite good. Thanks again, everyone, for your recs. They were very much appreciated. Coincidently, I have a business associate who leaves for Islamorada tomorrow for a few days and I emailed the list to him earlier.

Cheese Milk Coffee

I'll be in the Keys in a couple of weeks (2 days Key West-4 days Islamorada). It's been a long time so I'm clueless as to the current dining scene. Any recommendations - from ultra casual to fine dining - are appreciated. TIA

I agree. SC decisions apply immediately and the 6 states that have discrimanatory intra-state / inter-state laws must deal with the fact that those laws are now unconstitutional and, essentially, unenforceable. Those states are FL, OH, CT, IN, MA, and VT. What remains to be seen is what will happen with the remaining 15 states that ban any form of shipping. My guess is they will continue as they have in the past. That said, I don't think you'll find any winery shipping to NY or MI today or for some time for that matter. I would think that they are being advised to hold tight until there is some clarity. Even if they wanted to ignore that advice and ship now, carriers such as FedEx or UPS will not take the shipment until the dust settles.

Just received an e-mail alert from the Wall Street Journal. Lead text follows: High Court Bars State Limits On Direct Shipment of Wines Associated Press May 16, 2005 12:47 p.m. WASHINGTON -- Wine lovers may buy directly from out-of-state vineyards, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, striking down laws banning a practice that has flourished because of the Internet and growing popularity of winery tours. The 5-4 decision overturns laws in New York and Michigan that make it a crime to buy wine directly from vineyards in another state. In all, 24 states have laws that bar interstate shipments. The state bans are discriminatory and anticompetitive, the court said. "States have broad power to regulate liquor," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. "This power, however, does not allow states to ban, or severely limit, the direct shipment of out-of-state wine while simultaneously authorizing direct shipment by in-state producers."

See a recent announcement from FedEx here .

At the moment, drinking a Becks Dark while I'm smoking a pork butt. Que & beer are inseparatable.

Corned ham - Now, that's an item that I pretty much forgot about. When I was young (a long, long time ago) my Southern born and raised mother would "corn" a ham several times a year. It was always a centerpiece fixture for a large New Years buffet that my parents would host. As I recall, and as Varmint mentioned, it is very simple to make. My mother would salt a fresh ham, wrap it well, and refrigerate it for 2-3 weeks. During this process, she would pour off any liquid that had accumulated and refresh the salt 3-4 times. Following this, she would soak the ham in several changes of water for 24 hours. It would then be roasted, thinly carved, and served (either warm or at room temp). Inspired by this thread, I called my butcher and ordered a fresh ham for delivery tomorrow. After processing, I'm thinking about smoking the ham instead of roasting it. I figure if I take to an internal temp of about 160F-165F, it would be sliceable. 190F-195F would be in the area of pulled pork. Anybody out there have an opinion about this method?

Is this what you are seeking?

I agree with iriee - your method sounds good to me. A recipe that I used not too long ago from Emeril Legrasse can be found here. BTW - for more recipes, simply go Google and type in "veal cheek recipe".

In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 cup each honey, freshly squeezed OJ, dijon mustard, and dark brown sugar. Add 1 tbs coarsely ground black pepper, and 1 tsp each smoked paprika and chipotle chile powder. Warm over medium low heat until glaze blends and thickens somewhat. Score the ham and stud with 1-2 tsp whole cloves. Generously brush with glaze and place in oven. Apply glaze 3 more times before finish.

Yeah - I think that is what the topic starter, MarkinHouston, was referring to. Corned flats should be plentiful this time of year but a whole brisket corned might be hard to come by. That is why I suggested buying a whole fresh brisket and corning it himself.

elfin - why don't you inquire by e-mail here.

Made the following with some prawns last night...... SHRIMP WITH GINGER, LIME, AND SERRANO PEPPERS A. INGREDIENTS: 1. 3 TBS EACH: FRESH LIME JUICE, OLIVE OIL. 2. 1 TBS. EACH: MINCED FRESH GINGER ROOT, LIGHT BROWN SUGAR. 3. 1 TSP. EACH: GRATED LIME ZEST, TOASTED SESAME OIL. 4. ½ TSP. EACH: CUMIN, GROUND ALLSPICE. 5. 4 GARLIC CLOVES – MINCED. 6. 1 TBS. SERRANO PEPPERS – MINCED. 7. 1 LB. LARGE RAW SHRIMP – PEELED AND DEVEINED. RESERVE SHELLS. 8. 1 CUP BOTTLED CLAM JUICE. 9. 1 TBS. OLIVE OIL. 10. 2 LIMES – CUT INTO WEDGES. 11. 2 TBS. CILANTRO – FINELY CHOPPED. B. METHOD: 1. ADD INGREDIENTS 1 THROUGH 6 TO A MEDIUM BOWL AND MIX. 2. COMBINE RESERVED SHELLS AND CLAM JUICE IN A MEDIUM SAUCE PAN. BRING TO A LIGHT BOIL THEN COVER, REDUCE TO SIMMER FOR 15 MINUTES. ALLOW TO COOL, STRAIN, AND ADD LIQUID TO BOWL. 3. ADD SHRIMP TO THE BOWL AND TOSS TO COAT THROUGHLY. COVER AND REFRIGERATE FOR 2 – 3 HOURS. TOSS COVERED BOWL EVERY ½ HOUR. 4. ADD OLIVE OIL TO A LARGE SKILLET OR SAUTE PAN. TURN HEAT TO MEDIUM HIGH – REMOVE SHRIMP FROM MARINADE AND ADD TO SKILLET. COOK UNTIL SHRIMP ARE UNIFORMLY BRIGHT PINK – APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES – TURNING ONCE MIDWAY THROUGH. 5. PLACE SHRIMP ON A SERVING PLATTER, SPRINLE WITH CILANTRO, AND IMMEDIATELY SERVE WITH LIME WEDGES. C. NOTES: 1. AS AN INGREDIENT ALTERNATIVE, REPLACE THE SERRANO PEPPERS WITH 1 TBS. CHIPOTLE PEPPERS IN ADOBO – FINELY MINCED. 2. AS A COOKING ALTERNATIVE, THREAD THE SHRIMP ON SKEWERS - INTERSPERSED WITH THE LIME WEDGES – AND COOK DIRECTLY HOT GRILL.

Mark - If time allows, why don't you just buy a brisket and corn it yourself? If you can't easily find a whole brisket in Houston, something has gone terribly wrong. A fairly simple method for doing this can be found here. Also, note the link on smoking a corned beef. BTW Fifi - I "borrowed" your recipe and method for slow braising a corned beef some time ago. Made a few alterations based upon personal preferences (added ginger, anchos, Chimay Ale, etc), and since then it has been my "go to" recipe. Not traditional, but the some of best corned beef I've ever prepared and eaten.

Odd club but great scam. Initiation fee of $100 + $40 annual fee. What do you get once you've paid to join? Nothing, it appears, other than a membership card. I'm once again reminded that I may be in the wrong business. That said, I could not resist. Thanks to 4 years in the Air Force, many years of international business travel, and an ongoing quest for something new and different have qualified - 103. No wonder Im so tired. Think I'll save the money for something else.

Nice article Bux. Thanks for sharing. Here's one other passage that I found interesting: "Ibérico ham is best eaten unembellished. Ideally it is placed on a special stand and the carver uses a long, sharp knife to cut paper-thin slices. "Anything you do with this product is going to make it worse," Ullibarri says. "For chefs, it's a bit of a problem." The best chefs have the self-confidence to present it naked." Brought back a pleasant memory. I was in Salamanca last fall and one evening my host offered slices of Iberico (Joselito). I was astonished. Quite simply the best ham I have ever tasted. Upon my departure to the U.S. he gave me a small package with about 1 lb. of the ham, thinly sliced with slightly dappened wax paper between each slice. After departing Madrid, I thought to myself "It's not legal to bring this into the U.S. but I'll risk it anyway". I then thought "What if I do get stopped - I'll just play dumb. I won't go to jail and probably won't get fined - It will just be confiscated but, my name will probably go into some data base and I'll be detained everytime my passport is scanned when entering the U.S." I approached the FA and explained my problem and suggested that I share the ham with other passengers in the cabin. She thought it was a great idea and, moments later,came out with a couple of trays of the ham,rolled with a toothpick, and glasses of fino. Needless to say, I became very popular. One older gentleman, a native Spaniard, approached me and stated "In all of my life, and in my home country, I have never tasted jamon of this quality".

I go through 5-6 airports each week and have been doing so for far too many years. Try as I may, I cannot recall any facility in any airport as somewhere where I would want to dine. But then, I don't consider an airport as dining destination. It's a place to get on or off a plane. Only positive off premisis experience was a few years ago when I had a delayed departure from the tiny St Bart's airport (pilot overslept). Walked accross the street to a little market, bought an excellent quiche, salad, and a half bottle of wine. Strolled to the beach at the end of the runway and had a lovely meal.

I've been been following this cook off since it began while doing a lot of domestic (US) and international travel and think that it's the best yet. I have not done gumbo for quite some time and intend to do so this coming weekend when I finally get back to my home. No need for cookbooks or other sources - Everything that I might wish for is here. Great job everyone. One question though - Little has been mentioned of rice other than it's mandatory ( I agree). What do most of you do? Plain old Uncle Ben's converted or some such thing? I normally make a couple of cups of rice with chicken stock, a couple of tbs of minced onion and celery, and a little garlic. Would you consider this redundant to the ingredients in the gumbo? Thanks - And, once again, great job.

Yes - For about 10 years. Then I filed for divorce .

Thanks everyone for the recs. Noe seems to be the consenus pick so that's the choice.. Been to Annie, Mark's and Hugo's a few times each and just wanted to try something new in the area. Checked the menu which looks very interesting. Plus, since I'm staying at the hotel, they're giving me some flexibility on the reservation time (going to be a long day of intense labor negotiations that can end "whenever") Thanks again. ← We would love a brief --or extended-- report about the place after you check it out . Elie ← Certainly, though it may be a couple of days since I'll be traveling. ← Well, I made to Noe - sort of. My meeting went longer than planned (no suprise there) and we did not get back to the Omni until around 9:30 P.M. My associate and I dumped our bags, checked in with the hostess, and decided to peruse the dining room menu over a much needed drink in Noe's lounge. The bartender informed us that they also had a limited lounge menu (8-10 choices as I recall) derived, for the most part, from the items offered in the dining room. With a very long day behind us and fatigue moving in, we took the lounge menu route. My associate had tuna carpaccio (I sampled a little) and I had the short rib sandwich. Both were excellent and were served with a simple light salad. Even though my experience at Noe was limited to the lounge menu, I have no hesitation in recommending it. In fact, I'm returning to Houston in a couple of weeks and have already made reservations even though I'm not staying at the Omni on that trip. Thanks again everyone. Good call.

Thanks everyone for the recs. Noe seems to be the consenus pick so that's the choice.. Been to Annie, Mark's and Hugo's a few times each and just wanted to try something new in the area. Checked the menu which looks very interesting. Plus, since I'm staying at the hotel, they're giving me some flexibility on the reservation time (going to be a long day of intense labor negotiations that can end "whenever") Thanks again. ← We would love a brief --or extended-- report about the place after you check it out . Elie ← Certainly, though it may be a couple of days since I'll be traveling.