paul o' vendange

That's two plugs for Jamison now. What I found remarkable was how reasonably priced they were. I bought their loin and shoulder, and, especially given their attention over the last several years, I would have expected higher prices. Great family outfit.

Duck confit, cold smoke, grill.

I would agree with the above posts. There are differences, but within those general tendencies, so many other variables can come into play as to minimize or negate altogether the presumed tendencies of the two "terroir." That said, let me put a plug in for Jamison Farms lamb. We used them exclusively, and it was outstanding.

markk's website with photos of Restaurant du Faude .. thought he might add his link ... and, ahem, who first brought up trou normande in this tangled web .. thread? Moi ... ici, mes amis ... ← Thank you, Melissa. ← Thanks, too! There are actually lots more photos of the Faude food here, on the website that I maintain more carefully: more Faude photos from Markk's Eating in France Extravaganza Faude is in the Vosges Mountains in Southern Alsace, not far from Colmar, and it is an enchanted place - the hote/restaurant, and the area. I've sent other gulletteers there with an introduction to the chef and his wife, and they reported back that they had a fabulous time. ← Great, Mark, thanks. We have some friends that just paid a visit to Alsace, and I wish we would have know about this prior to their leaving. I'll tuck it away for future use.

You may want to excise the ribs, and treat the shoulder separately; if doing just the shoulder, it isn't pretty, but just follow the bone lines - the flat scapula, and the long bone - and you will clear the meat. I usually began by cutting midway the length of the scapula, which brings you to the ball and long bone. A flexible knife is really helpful, especially along the interior of the scapula, as you must bow the knife in the hollow to avoid losing a lot. My favorite way is to just bone it out, and marinate it overnight in (de-alcoholed/flamed) white wine, garlic, mirepoix and thyme. I then cover the inside with garlic, salt, pepper and (fresh) herbs de provence, gather the meat into a ballon, S & P the outside, sear, and braise on a bed of mirepox, with the marinade, a decent amount of romas, and a bit of orange zest, for 5-7 hours. "Gigot de sept heures," except it is "l'épaule de sept heures."

markk's website with photos of Restaurant du Faude .. thought he might add his link ... and, ahem, who first brought up trou normande in this tangled web .. thread? Moi ... ici, mes amis ... ← Thank you, Melissa.

We can only hope, Rachel. Yep, this was a truly enjoyable evening. I have never been hired to do this before, a "pop the question meal." (though started cooking this way when I was but a kid - oddly enough, I was catering these intimate dinners as a teenager - so, in some ways, last night was a life-cycle circle). Merci pour votre gentilité.

Man, I want to find this so we can all sleep. Or cook. I wanted to recall the name for a private dinner I cooked last night - a couple, guy proposing to his girlfriend. They both hail from Chicago, though she is a local news anchor. He drove up from Fox & Obel with halibut in tow (we cannot get sources up our way - the one thing I've hated since our restaurant closure). He was really happy to go to F & O again, since when he produced for NBC he was a block away... At any rate: Amuse, a mushroom veloute and accompanying ragout crostini, made with locally harvested and farmed mushrooms (along with a "chip" - thank you Thomas Keller): "Halibut Provencale" - pommes anna, a trio of red pepper coulis, basil oil, balsamic glaze, with ratatouille: And, as she loves figs, walnut crepes with port-poached black mission figs: (a bit of valhrona chocolate all over the plate): Oh, and she said "Yes." **** I had always thought Trou Normand was a liquer or liquor serving this purpose, and once sorbets came into vogue, the liquer or alcohol-laced sorbet was a bit of a historical bridge (I tend to prefer granités - the ice "shaves" the palate better, imho) - non? Where is Restaurant Faude? My family and I are likely moving next year to Paris for 9 months, and after, we hope to comb the countryside for food, food, food...and wine, wine wine. The petit will have to be content with juice.

Hahah - I'm on it - there are a few issues on my shelves.... Edited to say, man, I'm batting a 1000 - not Food Arts, but Art Culinaire.

Good point, Carrot, very aptly said - yes, this was a word I saw in practice - the operative word being "practice," as in my experience in N. American restaurants. I wouldn't know whether it is used in France, but you keenly point out that it may be something used in the restaurants of the States, so my looking through LaRousse, or French language sources, for example, may be barking up the wrong tree. I have been searching the web for the former restaurants where I worked in L.A., but, alas, they have now all closed. (Anyone from Val's, Toluca Lake, Fama, Russell's, the Wave, - hello, and...what the heck is the word called????)

The Daniel speaks in mysterious ways. We all know that there is *much* life and many words dehors l'Academie. ← It is just odd to me that this word was used so much in the restaurants I've worked in, and it is not screaming out...

Well, that may be, and given the preponderance of evidence, I have rendered up my sword. But as Carrot Top has alluded, there is a word out there - my wife shares my nagging thought, as we both worked in restaurants where the word was used - myself, in Los Angeles and Chicago, herself, in Chicago. The frequency with which it was used, and the fact I used it myself in my menus, makes it all the more troubling. I will continue to mole under the surface, and return, like the Hohenstauffen, with a monumental "AHA!"

Well then, it might be a case of mass hallucination or something of the sort, for I *still* think there is a word such as you describe, as does Mark. But that may be just because of your persuasiveness. I dunno. I still expect that sometime, maybe several months from now, the word will just jump into my mind. It is definitely in hiding at the moment, for sure. Till then, I'm off to take some Ginko Biloba, ← Hahahah - you and me both, Carrot. I used it on my menus, even - and am starting to get scared.

Hahaha. Well, on this note, I will yield, and enjoyably so. Thank you, Daniel, Gifted, Racheld, everyone. I may have just been on a complete brain warp - I hope this doesn't augur future forgetfulness. Thanks again, everyone. Paul

Thanks. I will.

all I found on releve was that it is a ballet term .. nothing culinary showed up in my search ... ← Actually, this did come up originally - and I was almost certain it was the word. However, My wife, who is similarly consternated, said it was not. But releve - "remove" - is used. See Food Courses - see under "France". Racheld, thanks - this may be the one I was thinking of. I am now totally flabbergasted, as this word was in such common usage that it should be leaping off the page at me...

It isn't the word.. I gave up on that about midnight ... I know that a true tru normand is appropriate as well but that is more than one word ... you know, in the end, I think that the answer is here but Paul has confused it with another term .. and, in the end, he'll smack his head and say, "yeah, that was the word I was looking for" and I will collapse in a fit of laughter ...ironic laughter at that ... ← Oh, there is no doubt that a big "d'oh!" is coming, followed by my hiding my head in a dark closet for a goodly length of time. Just surprised that entremet didn't leap out. What's really weird is that I've used the word on my degustations....and as I usually float fairly well in French, this would be a big gaffe if wrong...

OOOHHHHHHH no - wait a minute, I do not YET yield the field. I am trying to find a chef from Val's, Toluca Lake, of nearly 20 years ago...then, and only then, do I yield the feuilleté. I mean field.

I don't think it's the term Paul's looking for, but are you thinking of amuse guele? ← No, this is during the degustation, prior, usually, to the main course. Equivalent to entremet (and I may just be having one collosal brain dropoff, and entremet is what I am thinking of).

N. ← I'm sure you're all right - I may be using some weird colloquialism. What's weird is that this word I'm looking for was used in at least 3 restaurants where I worked, across many years.

Well, I of course could be wrong. But the word I'm thinking of is not entremets. I will bite the bullet and call a former restaurant...

Thanks, Behemoth, but Gifted Gourmet suggested that yesterday. For the life of me, I can't remember the name. I'm sure I'll remember it about 20 minutes after getting to sleep.

No, but thanks for the valiant efforts! Not the actual thing (like a liquer, sorbet, etc.), but a one word term for the course or "break."

Man, this is driving me crazy - no, a one word term, French, usually served before the main course. Usually sorbet, granite, yes, but the term itself eludes me - though I regularly wrote it on my degustations. Uh, yep, better lay off the Gigondas for awhile!

Yes. This is nuts, as I've cooked French food for, oh, 30 years, and served it nearly as long, but for the life of me, I can't remember the term - French equivalent to intermezzo....arggggggghhhhhhh.