Bux

Prices in Chinatown markets are usually very low. The quality is often good, but not always. Sometimes it is evident that price was a major factor in the marketplace.

I see the fresh mushrooms you describe in Chinatown. They seem quite different than the shitake mushrooms I can can get in western markets such as Gourmet Garage or the Greenmarket. The caps are much thicker and they seem to have a much greater moisture content. I've only bought them once or twice and they seem far more perishable than other mushrooms. I suspect it has to do with the moisture.

Hevin also has a boutique in the sixth near the Jardin du Luxembourg. It's at 3, rue Vavin. I ran across it unexpectedly, but couldn't pass it without buying a chocolate macaron that was superb. I'm sure I've mentioned it somewhere on eGullet.

You've never lived, or at least been thankful enough that you're still alive until you've come to the top of a hill on a seemingly deserted road in rural Japan, only to find yourself on the wrong side of the road, with the wrong reflexes, face to face with a local car. Fortunately we were both going very slowly. I don't recommend driving in Japan, but it made for two very interesting trips and we went places and saw things we might not have seen otherwise. Although it took great concentration and a full time co-pilot/navigator to make sure every turn was made through an arc in the correct lanes, We were glad we did it. I don't recommend it to others.

May I assume you are referring to Kerry Shaw's In Paris, All's Fair in Love and Macaroons on December 18th? After repeatedly referring to "macaron" as "macaroon," the author finally writes "... the French for macaroon, macaron, a word that implies roundness." There's no way I can equate those two words with a similar product based on my experiences, but the Larrouse Gastronomic says "macaroon" is the English term for the French "macaron." There's no justice. While I think Kerry Shaw and the Times are technically correct, it's misleading in the way that crescent roll does not describe croissant. Then again I've had croissants that were not deserving of the name, so we're back at square one.

Loufood met Dorie at the Paris book signing, asked her a few pertinent questions about the absence of photographs in the Paris Sweets cookbook and posted a message about her conversation in a new thread dedicated to that book.

I have a disjointed memory of coq au vin and the Hotel de la Cote d'Or in Saulieu. It must be a memory that's close to thirty five years old and although Dumaine's name rings in my ears, because I had read the name so often in conjunction with the restaurant, I am sure Minot was the chef of what was probably a two star restaurant at the time. My love of French food was just gowing at the time and Minot's cuisine was probably above my full appreciation, but what I read about Dumaine and what Minot served both fueled my interest and education in the appreciation of fine food/haute cuisine. It's funny, I also remember heart shaped fried croutons, but maybe not from la Cote O'Or. I think there were puff pastry garnishes with the coq au vin when I was there. As much as the food, I remember the service. A team of what seemed like six or seven males arrived with the trolley bearing the coppoer pot. They were all dressed in black and white--either black suits or dinner jackets, white shirt and black tie, black pants, white shirt and black apron, or just black pants and white shirt for the youngest and smallest. In my mind they were all in line in size places, although I suspect that is not accurate. Likely they were arranged by age. They ranged from the server and plate holder, through the one who took the cover off the pot, down the line to the youngster whose sole job seemed to be to pick up anything that fell to the floor and finally to the very young lad whose lot in life seemed to be to watch and learn until the day he would move up the line. The restaurant was a remarkable blend of country and formal. I'm not sure if I've ever again felt so privileged to be in a dining room. Perhaps it was such a new experience for me, or perhaps it's just that it was a service that was soon to find itself dying. As young as we were at the time, we were not in a hurry to leave that special dining room and retire to our own room, and so we ordered digestifs. We were watching our budget and the evening was a splurge for us. Having done my homework, I new that the local after dinner hootch was marc and so I ordered one. Mrs. B just asked for a cognac. A bottle was brought and presented and a very healthy shot was poured into a snifter. I managed only a quick glance at the hand lettered label which bore a year that indicated it was older than my father. To cut to the chase, she said it was very good and upon checking out the next morning, I was relieved to learn it was not all that prohibitively expensive--at least not in comparison to my marc which came from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, if memory serves. As for nostalgia, France is not what it was and I am not what I was. I am happy to reminisce and even happier to find reminders of the old food and style, but there are great meals to be had and exciting discoveries still to be found in contemporary France. Things change and it would be boring if they didn't.

From the article in question. This is by country without regard to population size. The relationship to the number of cars owned in one specific country is misleading as no mention is given as to how many in Germany own two or more cars and how many cars in France are used by more than one person during the day. There is a reference to "road space" without mention of width or length of roads. Greater width could provide more "space" and also make the highways safer, but even length is far less critical than the actual number of kilometers driven. No doubt road fatalities are a serious problem in every country with cars but it's obvious here that the author starts with a premise and then selects statistics to support his contention. Everyone has their own truth in their head. Have a serious accident while on vacation and you'll return convinced the drivers are terrible. It isn't proof of any overall pattern. I don't think French drivers are "better" than American drivers. I do think they have greater control over their cars and a greater concentration on the road when they drive. They compensate for that (or is it the other way around) by exceeding their efforts to push the limits. If they don't obey the law, they do obey the rules of the road and that's trouble for tourists who don't know the local rules which may be different from those at home. The French are not, as a rule, cautious drivers and depend on the other driver to be as good as they are. That's very dangerous in a country that attracts so many tourists. That the UK drives on the left may well have something to do with the rate of accidents in France. How often do you see a French car on the road in the UK or any car with continental (left side) steering. Not often, I'd guess. How often have I been stuck on a mountain road in France behind two or more puny cars pulling heavy caravans up a mountain road? In my mind that's about 40% of the time I'm in France, maybe higher in the summer. Alright, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's sure as hell a contribution in the accident rate as well as the incidence of road rage.

I don't know much about booking Spanish trains online or in person. My wife's comment on this is that the Spanish railway system is not as advanced as either the French or German. That statement is applicable to both the railway network and the reservations system. Lots of trains operate without seat reservations. Have you tried the RENFE web site. The English version is at http://www.renfe.es/ingles/index.html. My guess is that it's not nearly as helpful as the French which I've used, and certainly not as good as the German web site. I'm unfamilar with the "EUROGROUP" to which you refer. Perhaps you are referring to RailEurope who hold the monopoly on sales of all tickets delivered in the U.S. Their charges are astronomical. On a recent trip of ours in France, the cost of buying the tickets here through RailEurope was over 50% more than making the reservations with sncf, paying by phone (or online) with a credit card and picking up the tickets in France. This is the major reason my wife discourages her clients from getting their tickets delivered before they leave for Europe. Admittedly, she's also not much of a fan of the Eurailpass and often finds it's cheaper to purchase poin to point tickets in Europe or on the web directly. This is especially true for those who can avail themselves of the many discounts for families and senior citizens. The Eurailpass can be excellent for those getting on and off trains frequently and traveling great distances. It's well suited for students, who don't need or want reservations and prefer to hop on and off trains on a whim. I suspect this is one of those times when it is best to fully be advised of all the restrictions on use of a pass as well as how to secure reservations when one purchases it. I wish I could be more helpful.

He is, I suppose, a revolutionary reconceptualization of the whole idea of a cook or chef whose thinking extends beyond the kitchen and the cookbook. Possibly beyond the dining room and restaurant as well, but in regard to these and their relationship to hotels, I've been leaving extracts of press releases of his projects with NH hotels in pertinent threads here. For such an exciting revolutionary, he's commanding a great deal of respect from those in a position to let him experiment in the real world outside his kitchen in Roses and his "lab" in Barcelona. I expect to see more unpredecented projects. John, I don't believe eGullet scoops all the other media sources or that everything I want to know will be here, but it sure as hell seems as if it may be the single source I'd most miss if I lost it.

By the way, Tony Bourdain had a few words to say about Adria's book in Barcelona Rules. I believe he said it was amazing, and later weighed in with a few more superlative adjectives and phrases. The thread veered off to discuss Barcelona more than the book, but Klc added a few links to Adria's web site. I recall looking at the site when a link to it first appeared on eGullet and it was, to borrow a term, amazing. Does anyone know if the CD is at all related to the web site? It wouldn't suprise me if it were.

Oddly enough this thread and particularly Klc's impassioned post reminds me of Suzanne Fass' recent review of James Peterson's Glorious French Food: A Fresh Approach to the Classics. I suppose Adria's food should be seen as the antithesis of classic French cooking, but what's needed to produce great food is an understanding of the food and not a recipe to be followed or a superficial understanding of an unusual technique. Suzanne quotes Peterson as saying: Adria's real influence will be felt by those who understand what he is doing and who learn not to cook as he does, or even to think as he does, but to rethink the way they already cook. Of course that has its scary side as well. It's far easier to learn to repeat the classics successfully than to be creative successfully.

I don't think anyone has implied the stuff is awful. The consensus is that it looks better than it tastes and that if you've got a great market near you, you can get much better fruit for much less money. Guess what, few people have a great greengrocer near them. None of that may have anything to do with why your family raves about the gift. First of all, most people appreciate what they've been led to believe they should appreciate. Harry and David advertise successfully. More important however, may be the fact most well behaved civilized people are going to praise your gift as well as they can. My wife seriously asked me if I thought there was anyway she could suggest to a client's secretary that she'd like a nice bottle of Champagne rather than the assorted gift baskets that have been coming in lieu of the Champagne the previous secretary used to send. The new baskets appear to be more expensive, if unappreciated. Many of items contained in previous years' baskets are still sitting on shelves in their original jars, bottles or boxes. Of course, after all our musings, we agreed that it just wan't possible. Even the suggestion that a donation be made in her name to charity would have impolitely suggested she expected a gift. Naturally, this year's gift basket was even less appreciated than any previous one, but next week my wife will send a gift to the client along with her sincere thanks for the gift she received. The client will tell my wife how thoughtful her gift was and none of us will ever know what the other was really thinking.

When Suzannes says: it tells me this is a book I'd find interesting. At the same time, when she says: I'm fair warned of Suzanne's own subjectivity and the quote is adequately long enough to allow me to bring my subjective interests into play. I think it's great that a reviewer can allow her subjectivity to show without permitting it to get in the way of her objectivity. Or maybe it's the other way around. Those reviewers who pretend to have no prejudices or bias are the one's whole reviews are less objective. Regarding this thread, I thought Jon Tseng brought added value to the review for me, illustrating just how well this new format can work.

But they all do. Needless to say, some of my best friends are barbarians, but that's another story. And of course, coffee is espresso. Since Klc talked me into buying that espresso maker, I'm far less dependant on restaurant coffee.

Leaving Hartford for S.F.? I don't know how you're going to adjust to the weather, let alone the food. Well good luck and congratulations. It's nice to know you won't be any further away from eGullet by modem. It's been about four years since we've been in California and I can't offer much useful advice. We ate well and less expensively than in NY, although some upscale creative food was not to our taste. I do recall having better dim sum than we were used to in NY. It was at Ton Kiang out on, I believe, Geary and far from Chinatown in a neighborhood that was full of Russian shops.

I have heard that some of the best meals are to be had in people's homes. I'm unclear as to whether these places operate on an official basis or if you have to know someone to find out about them. My suspicion is that there are both legal and illegal paladares and that it's worth asking around. You may get a good tip or you may just get to eat at your taxi driver's sister's place and she may be a lousy cook. Travel is always an adventure. I had no trouble finding Jason's link in the other thread. This worked for me: http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Afici...avel/fh699.html. I will see if I can squeeze some information from a regular visitor to Cuba when I next see him. It may not be until next month, but I don't suppose these are places one can reserve far in advance from the US with a credit card.

Robert Brown wrote what I thought was a not very positive post on it shortly after it opened. You might search for that post. [That post is now part of this thread and appears above as a result of a merge of three related threads] I think the food was okay, but the crowd and the noise were more than enough. We tried it one Friday night against my better judgement and found we faced a wait that was said to be 45 minutes or more. I believe they have a no reservations policy and I suspect an active bar supports the food pricing. We didn't wait and went arond the block to wait at the bar in Craft for a table in Craft Bar. I'm sure we waited just as long and spent more money, but it all seemed more comfortable and civilized and the food quality was assured. Although noisy, Kitchen 22 had it's better points. It seemed an attractive place, but then my wife was sure I saw nothing but the large blonde in the small tank top--"in the small tank top" may not have been the most apt description. The younger couple we were with, returned on a weeknight and said they ate well for the price.

I've been a francophile for well over three decades and during that time, never quite fully content untless we had an up and coming trip to France in line. My preference for French food over other forms of western cuisine was no secret. In the last year or two I've found myself traveling in France and thinking of meals I've had in northern Spain--Catalonia above all. Last spring we planned a short week in Catalonia which was turned into a long week by courtesy of a general strike which closed the airports and cancelled flights for a couple of days and made reservations hard to get for a few more. No one likes to have their travel plans upset like that, but I was almost surprised by how much I relished the chance to spend a few extra days in Barcelona. After a week of eating well it should not have been a surprise however. We ate well at every Michelin star point and at untouted local restaurants and bars. If not every meal was an outstanding success, we still had better luck on the average than in France and ate well at every price point. Adria is, if not the best chef in the region, certainly the most amazing.

Lose the class war position and I'm happy to consider the re-legalization of public hell holes smelling of beer, piss and cigarettes. They can operate with or without a "hazardous to your health" warning over the door for all I care. We passed by one with an open door the other night and my wife made a face in reaction to the smell. Interestingly enough, the smoke made me gag but the undercurrent of stale beer brought back pleasant memories. There's no accounting for taste and I have a great respect for tradition. I left the bars by choice and recognize my failure to uphold the tradition. I recall an interview once with a great physicist whose father was a rabbi. The scientist was a rational man and a practicing atheist. When asked if his religion failed him, he replied that he had failed his religion. The concern for employees is the one argument that makes me consider it may have been right to ban smoking from all bars. The waitress may need her job just as much as any office worker and deserves the same protection as the office worker. Just because it's a small office and the boss smokes, doesn't mean the employees don't get the same protection as in other jobs. That coal mines or dry cleaners are worse is irrelevant. I would excempt all locations where there are no employees that are not family. Otherwise you might just as well ban smoking in homes. For some that has already happened at the bar and that's the better argument for stopping the legislation. On a personal level, the ban on smoking in offices has brought me nothing but grief. I don't work in an office and now I have to dodge the smoke in front of all midtown buidlings as I walk down the street.

Bullshit. I'm not necessarily a proponent of the new law. I've been willing to give up most bars to avoid the smoke, but I'm also not oblivious to the argument that workers are entitled to a reasonably healthy and comfortable environment. Even those who find the law unreasonable have some obligation to understand the arguments in favor and to address them. To dismiss this as class warfare is poetic rabble rousing, but otherwise an inconsequential whine in the discussion. Full dislcosure should require me to state that I don't own a Beemer or SUV. I haven't owned a car in about 35 years--couldn't afford to maintain one in NYC. I fit as well as most adults in a coach seat on an airplane.

The casserole definitely sounds like something I'd enjoy, especially in cold weather. Not entirely to me. One of the owners may be French (I don't know that for a fact. I've never given it any thought.) although a long time NY resident, but the original chef was from Hong Kong and I thought the food was contemporary Hong Kong food. "Authentic" may mean different things to different people. There seems to be a finese to the food, but I don't sense a particular French sensibility.

Jim Dixon, I seem to recall that the article mentioned allergies as a result of compulsive cleanliness in child raising, but don't quote me on this. As far as cleaning the floor and a plate with the same sponge--as long as someone has seen me do it and had time to count to three while I was cleaning the floor, I'd never used the sponge for dishes again (until I've washed it). Human Bean, moderation is the key. Just don't eat too many sponges.

We were dining with Toby last night at DSGG. I'm not sure I'd ever describe turnip cake as "light and flutty," but all things are relative and the turnip cake at DSGG is much finer than the leaded and greasy mass sometimes found in other restaurants. It may be an acquired taste for western palates, but this is a place to try it in NY to get any appreciation for the dish. The stuffed fried bean curd skin on the appetizer list is often overlooked and well worth trying. It is of course, a no-carb alternative to a dumpling. Old ginger is "woody." I think fiberous is too mild a term to use. I've never thought much about ginger. I've assumed young ginger is seasonal, but that might not be the case if it's always on the menu on DSGG. I see it in the narket from time to time, but I've not paid attention to note if the appearance is seasonal or just erratic. It's also possible that the young ginger used in DSGG is canned or preserved in some way. Where is Ed Schonfeld when we need him? On Weekday nights, DSGG seems very under patronized. They also have an upstairs room they use when the restaurant is crowded or for private parties. It might make an excellent place for a group dinner.

No foolproof recipe from me, but Lesley has the basic procedure down. It's important not to have a high heat on the skin side and to have scored the skin and layer of fat so that most of the fat melts off into the pan. I like a crisp skin and a little bit of fat on the final presentation. You may need to start the skin side on low heat and raise it at the end to crisp the skin. I probably cook it on the other side for a minute or two, but I like a very rare interior. I have never weighed the breast down and wonder why Lesley does that. I want it rare in the middle and I wouldn't place a weight on a steak. If you're lucky and you haven't burnt anything in the pan, you'll want to deglaze the pan with some madeira, port or other wine or essence and if you're well prepared finish it off with some duck or veal "jus." In a pinch even a good brand of canned chicken broth will do. Low salt will allow you to boil it down and concetrate the flavor.