tanabutler

You DID a magazine? You're awesome, dude! My guess for next big name-dropping trend that is only minutely mentioned here is sous vide. That's right, a Boy Named Sous Vide.

Last year at this time, I asked Randall Stickrod about the big list, and he had this to say:

Of those, I am most interested in A16 (Paging Ore! Paging Ore!) and RNM. I can't stand restaurants with more than three characters in their names.

I am assuming the privacy is cultivated for a reason. I cannot be certain of the reason, but I am questioning the desire to intrude (though clearly Chris doesn't perceive what he's doing as any kind of intrusion). I haven't heard of a private club for Americans (ex pats or otherwise) in Japan, so I can't think in hypothetical terms. It's an interesting exercise to think in terms of equations, when I don't think equations exactly exist. Would you question a bunch of guys who (hypothetically) wanted to crash an all-woman's culinary club? (I definitely would. Sometimes people just want to be with people like themselves, however/whatever they determine that to be.) I likewise roll my eyes at women who want to go smoke cigars in men's clubs. Jeez: let them have their space! Mingle at co-ed bars. I'm all about building bridges and sharing cultures, and not about exclusivity and xenophobia. However, I think it is important for people who want to preserve certain pieces of pure culture to do so, as long as we're not talking about the KKK. My friend lived in Japan for fourteen years. He became a highly-skilled Japanese translator. He encountered an odd kind of prejudice, which he explained to me thus: no one could believe that he was, well, American. His Japanese on the phone was so impeccable that it was assumed he was Japanese. When he showed up (all 6'4" of him, very Western in appearance), they were astonished. As he put it, "It's as though I were a talking monkey. The Japanese assume only they can speak the language perfectly." I don't know what assumptions I have made regarding why they want their place "secret," but my tendency is to respect that. I don't question it that much. It's their place. They built it. It's not a whites-only public school, but a private club where they want to relax. Perhaps the presence of English-speaking people would not be conducive to relaxation? That's my thinking.

I missed two: Poland and Scotland.

I am trying to remember which of the natural elements is meant in this context. Somewhere in between Unobtanium and Idunnowium? -- Max ("Deep in the Cameroonian rain forests of West Africa there lives a floor-dwelling ant known as Megaloponera foetens..." -- Lawrence Weschler, "Inhaling the Spore," Harper's Magazine, September 1994 pp. 47-58.) ← You fonny, MaxH.

V. v. v. v. nice, Chef Woody! The pictures aren't horrible: they're in focus, well-lit, well-composed, and they don't look like autopsy shots (zoomed in so that everything is a moist, glistening pile of food). I love your clean lines. Kudos! Or is that "Koudous"? One tiny comment: it's odd to see a Hotmail e-mail address if you have your own domain. I wondered if the tech side of things challenged you, until I remembered you worked at Trio (and did web work)... Congratulations on your great site.

I heard April 28.

There are secret places and then there are secret places. There are some places that you can't buy your way into, and others you can't talk your way into. I don't think crashing their party is showing respect. Just my thoughts.

No, I was laughing at your cute bowl without enough tttt's in it. (Sorry my joke didn't come through.) Your photos are fine. It's the extreme close-ups that make me a tiny bit dizzy. I'm not lying: I get a little vertigo (for lack of a better word).

Why would you want to go to a place that people feel so private about, and protective of? I don't get it. I mean, I get it on one level (so you can eat), but on the other hand... You're not Japanese. (Well, those of you who aren't, aren't.) Shouldn't their desires be respected?

Cornish game hens brushed with Annaliese Keller's Apricot-Chipotle-Sesame glaze (in a reduction), baby carrots, and mashed potatoes. No photos: I was doing dinner for a group. Some of the extreme close-ups in this thread give me a kind of vertigo. It's weird. I literally get dizzy. Spaghetttti, there is a typo in your "spaghetttti" bowl. EDIT: to amend my own typos of "spaghetttti."

DG himself is a long-time restaurant worker, so he really was tuned into what it's all about. I love the tickets on the wheel, too. I'll pass along the praise.

Well, howdy, MaxH. A lovely and informative post: I look forward to your contributions on the California board. Welcome!

Posted in a California thread, a link to Clementine in Los Angeles. I love the colors. It's so clean and light. Beautiful.

"Yesterday's oatmeal" -- you, and your news, are so not hot.

182K PDF file at the University of Hawaii with other "baby don'ts." More yes/no to baby foods Apparently peanut butter is a no-no, but Logan looooooooves it, so whatta ya gonna do?

So did you pick LA for your next move, after all the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth from those of us in the SF Bay area? --sniff!--

Boy, did I ever just learn a lot.

Same here! I had a picky-eater baby who nursed nearly exclusively until eleven months old. She'd occasionally suck a little avocado or fruit off a finger, but mostly just nursed. We had a food grinder, and loved it, though we kept her foods bland thinking that was somehow superior. Unfortunately, it back-fired, so that when it came to eating "real food," the shock of herbs and spices was too much for her. Now, with a grandson (see my avatar) who is a full-on chowpuppy, I think I see the error of my ways. This baby loves flavor. His mom is a great cook (she learned it from me!), so he knows good food. While she is leery about salt, she knows I have a light hand with it. We both feed him mostly organic stuff, and both insist especially on organic butter and meats. He doesn't do dairy yet, that I know of, except goat cheese, which is more easily digested than cow products. I'm a big advocate for introducing babies to people food, but only with the caveat that it's healthy people food and not too salty. You don't want to blow out their tastebuds and desensitize them. Whatever you do, use organic fruits, especially berries. The pesticides are just poison, and washing does nothing if they're systemic. (While I admit my ignorance about which pesticides are systemic, every farmer I know--and I know a bunch!--has said the same thing about the necessity of berries being organic. I will not buy commercial berries. Period.)

Let's see that again, writ large: And microwaves do horrible things to breads. Just say no. Yep, that pretty much covers it!

Your post shines, in part, because of the quality of the photographs, especially those taken outside. The lighting is beautiful. Congratulations, and thanks for such a detailed (and delicious) report!

I was pretty disappointed when I had an It's It. Ultra sweet and not what I expected. I think there are better versions of similar things in other regions of the country, but I can't remember the names of what I've had that are superior.

I guess that one won't particularly fit into the $50 a bottle price I tried to specify. I did mention $50 a bottle? (I just checked, and yeah, I mentioned it.) I do see at the Kathryn Kennedy web site that there are a half dozen wines available that are affordable. None of them do I know. So. I guess I should end my queries here. Michael Kean's suggestion should be at the top of my life (assuming one of their wines is available at either K Wines or Shopper's Corner or DeLuxe). Barring that, I'll come up with something wonderful with the relevant suggestions here. Is it somehow crass to mention a price tag? It's a consideration that is valid for my ex. If someone truly understands that, and can advise, I would appreciate it, on his behalf.

My vote is for imu pig! If she plays her cards right, it will fit into a flexible carry-on. And you can feed leftovers to the fat squirrel!