Wolfert

The new chef doesn't reinvent Sonoma-style cooking, he simply does it better, making food more refined and adds little touches of his own. His tuna tartare with fresh apple and fennel shavings is a great starter. I also liked the juicy marinated shrimps perked up with a dash of Tabasco over an amazing bed of grilled grits. I really liked the halibut atop a bed of fresh fava beans and surrounded with a pile of wild mushrooms. There was a lovely cheese platter but I opted for the brioche french toast with Frog Hollow peaches and house-made butter pecan ice cream. I'll let Bruce and Carolyn tell you their thoughts........

For those heading to Sonoma for an exciting new culinary experience: the kitchen at the General's Daughter is really worth the trip. There are lots of inspired dishes you won't find anywhere else in the valley. And the talented Chef Preston cares about the provenance of the food he is serving. Soon I will post descriptions of each dish.

Chefzadi:Thanks for the correction. Instead of going on the web looking for the magrebi sites you suggested, I went to your blog. This is the sort of food blog I've been waiting for ---a rich, illuminating one.

Are these entrepreneurs calling North African food 'maghrebi'? If so, they most likely come from the Middle East, perhaps even Lebanon. Doesn't Maghrebi mean the land to the west?

This is just an aside to your splendid photos and description of your trip. Here is a photo of a Tunisian abriq....the one in the center. Thanks to you and Almass I now know what it is called! Note that this Tunisian version has a really small spout. The jug is made of incredibly thick clay and glazed inside and out. Unlike the ibriq it is used to keep stock, soup, or milk hot until needed. For example, I've only seen it used for moistening bread, condiments, egg mollet, and spices in a bowl of leblebi, and for keeping milk hot.

Thanks for giving me the information on what it is called. My ibrik holds about 1 quart of water and the opening provides enough water to fill an open mouth. It is hard to judge the size of the spout because I had to photograph it from an angle. It is on a high shelf and fastenend in with quake-proof gum. I'm loving your pictures and seriously considering going next year . The only thing that is keeping me from making a reservation is your warning about weight gain.

Nadia: First, I want to tell you how much I am enjoying your post. I never want it to stop..Thanks for taking so much time. Second, is the attached picture of a Syrian water jug similar to the one you used? I purchased this pot in Syria and never knew its proper name.

One of the mistaken notions people have about Moroccan cooking is that it is highly spicy. A few fish dishes are hot, but Moroccans, for the most part, actually seem to prefer sweetened foods. Lots of spices are used but in very restrained proportions, and the emphasis is on the sweet. For example, to intensify the sweetness of certain tagines, a Moroccan cook will add a rich mixture of spices called ras el hanout. Just as every Indian cook has her own formula for curry, so each Moroccan has her own recipe for ras el hanout, but the spices used are more sweet than hot.

They do have them at gourmetsleuth, but not easily found using their search bar. check through the el salvador claypots and you'll find " clay comal, el salvador 10" " Comales are large clay "platters" used typically to heat tortillas. This comal is approxiametly 10" in diameter. Hand made, lead free. $24.95 - EL-COMAL10

I think in a microwave, all the heat is absorbed uniformly within the food, and it is quickly cooked producing something that doesn't have much 'chee' or life. Why can you always sense when food is cooked in a microwave? On the other hand, in sous vide cooking, the outer surface of the food absorbs the heat first, and this heat then moves slowly inwards. This takes a long time at low temperature and the resulting food can be very intense in flavor and succulent in texture. If you didn't know that the food was cooked sous vide you would be more apt to think it is just 'perfectly cooked.'

A French food writer once wrote that 'every recipe has a hidden side-- like the moon. "

If you're using a home vacuum packing system such as foodsaver, rather than a professional chefs' system, it's best to serve meat or duck within one week. (MOre sophisticated machines allow chefs to keep refrigerated cooked food in pouches in the refrigerator for many months.) You can't do that with the clamp\food saver and not worry. So what I do is use the food within a week. If for whatever reason, a refrigerated pouch begins to puff up, discard at once. YOu can always store home cooked, home bagged food for longer storage in the freezer. When I make duck confit in bags and plan to switch to long term fat storage for a complete flavor change in other words, to have the best of both worlds,I transfer the cooked duck and fat to a pan to simmer a few minutes then pack them in earthenware jars and store in the fridge for up to 5 months. BTW For saftey, all confit should be heated through before serving, even for dishes to be served cold or at room temperature. When I worked in Daguin's kitchen back in the 70's I remember he used to steam the legs for about ten minutes in a couscous type steamer before frying or broiling or oven browning. edited after Tan 319's post: Michael: go to that forum asap. Nathanm is an egulleteers "treasure" on the subject.

A cook I know once told me there is a wine for every fruit to bring out its flavor: Riesling for nectarines; Sauternes for prunes, and red wine for red berries, pears, and black fresh figs.

When you cut up the walnuts to make the wine, just dump the blackish parts . I

You can press the chickpeas through the fine blade of the food mill then make it in the food processor. It's an extra step but I think worth it. I forgot to mention this upthread: You can also take cooked chickpeas and place them in a deep bucket with plenty of water and use your hands to swirl them around until all the peels float to the top. This is the way it is done in the finest Moroccan kitchens. Peeled chickpeas are used in a couscous or a tagine. Moroccans make a type of hummus dip without tahini called serruda. IN this case, they don't peel the chickpeas.

Many years ago, I did a story on the 'search for the best hummus' in Israel and discovered the expression 'let's go wipe.' It referred to using a piece of pita bread to wipe up the delectable chickpea and tahini dip that Israelis have adopted as their absolute favorite snack. Israeli food writers argued endlessly about such matters as whether in a proper hummus the chickpeas must be peeled or the tahini refrigerated. So, when I returned home in side by side tests the peeled chickpeas produced a better flavor and color. Try it and let me know, but please use home cooked chickpeas and press them through a food mill. Otherwise, here are two ways that eastern Mediterranean women peel chickpeas: Place soaked chickpeas in a deep bowl. Gently rub chickpeas against one another under water, then remove the peels as they float to the top; or place a handful of chickpeas between 2 rough towels and rub and roll them around until the skins roll off. On another note, tahini has excellent antioxidant qualities, it has a long shelf life. Turn the jar upside down from time to time to keep the oil from separating. Once you make up a batch of hummus , it loses these keeping qualities and needs to be refrigerated. Another tip I learned back then, instead of just scooping some tahini from a jar and using it straight, try mixing the tahini with a little lemon juice and garlic until it is white and 'tight,' then loosen with cold water before adding some of the chickpea cooking liquid, the chickpeas, and the seasoning. The final hummus will be lighter and creamier. If you let it rest and mellow for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature it will only be better.

This is what I mean when I refer to a food mill. It mashes the chick peas and removes the skins at the same time. http://www.pastryitems.com/food_mills.htm

It is true that sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil quickly become rancid. They should be kept refrigerated. On the other hand, tahini and non-toasted seame oil can be kept for years on the cupboard shelf without turning rancid. + For those of you who find humus indigestible and reduce the garlic until you finallly end up with a tasteless dip. You might consider leaving in the designated amount of garlic and pushing the mixture through a food mill then discard the skins. The resutling flavor is vivid and the dip is well tolerated.

the fresh leaves of nettles and the dried spikes of wild cardoon flowers (thistles) are used to curdle cheese in Morocco, Spain, and France.

Yesterday, I had a simple but wonderful outdoor lunch at the General's Daugher. It's really lovely, with light flooding through the big trees, and the tables really spread apart for private conversation. This airy restaurant is now in the hands of egulleteer Chef Preston and he has created a very appealing menu. I had a trio of bay scallops over a buttery and tomatoey bed of fava beans, cippolini onions and a few local wild mushrooms. Afterwards, I adored the valhrona chocolate ice cream served in a martini glass.

hmmmm good question, but I think YOU will know.

Relax and enjoy your lemons. As long as they don't smell like furniture polish you and the lemons are fine.

You can use the concord grape leaves. Simply blanch them for an instant, then chill down at once, press out the moisture betweeen kitchen towels, pack and freeze. Simply defrost, fill and roll them.

I wrote to ta-ze com. for more information on the featured olive in the Fine Cooking photo. If it is as good as I think it is, you're on your way to making one great tagine!

Tunisian tagines start off as mini-stews of veal or lamb cut into very small pieces and cooked with onions and spices such as cinnamon and black pepper or ground coriander and caraway. Then something starchy is added to thicken the juices---white beans or chickpeas or breadcrumbs. When the meat is tender, it is combined with whatever ingredient has been chosen to be the dominant flavoring---an herb such as mint or parsley, or my personal favorite: poached brains, or even pickled vegetables. The mixture is then enriched with cheese and eggs. Finally, it is poured into a straight-sided deep claypot and baked on the stove or in the oven until the top and bottom are crisply cooked and the eggs are just set, somewhat like a frittata. When it is ready, it is turned out onto a plate and sliced into serving pieces: wedges or squares, and accompanied by lemon This is a tagine set up in the rural parts of the country. The pot with its straight sides is set over glowing olive wood. The mixture cooks in the center pot with a flat earthen pan on top. Note the hot coals in the upper pan. The resulting tagine is crusty on top and bottom, moist within, and infused with a subtle smoky fragrance.