tanabutler

I'm pretty much in complete agreement. I am a homemade soup lover, to the point where I thought canned was blasphemy. But then I got sick a few months ago and all I wanted was soup. Too weak to make my own, I got the Wolfgang Puck chicken soup with wild rice, added a shot of Meyer lemon juice and some cracked black pepper, and it was just fine. (The lemon juice really zinged it up.) The other soup I will eat is from Trader Joe's: organic tomato and roasted red pepper soup in a carton. It's what I had today (I'm sick with fever and chills) and it just hit the spot. I grew up on Campbell's Soups, and left them behind with all my memories of bad food in the Deep South. I used to love the Bean with Bacon (especially fun to play pirate finding sunken treasure in) and Cream of Mushroom. Now their over saltiness is prohibitive, and I swear I can taste the additives, just as I can in packaged cake mixes (which I've also sworn off forever). It's pretty hard to blow clam chowder, though, and Progresso's is okay there.

NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE FRONTPAGE! Yes, I'm shouting. It's an artless abomination devised by minions of Gates to thwart Macintosh users. It's despicable. I can't (and won't) go into all its failings, but anyone who designs websites with FrontPage is using an antiquated torture device. (I know Microsoft people who admit that it's one of their crappiest products, because they abandoned Macintosh users in the Beta testing, presumably with the same kind of narrow-minded idiocy that hallmarks that entire organization.) You should see some of those pages load: like a huge velvet curtain sloooooooowly sinking to the stage while the ghastly backgrounds load. Twenty seconds or more sometimes. It gives web designers who at least attempt work with cross-compatability issues the heebie-jeebies. The simple use of an 800-pixel wide table is all Alton Brown's lazy web designer needs to implement to constrain the pages to an acceptable width. I did love this from AB's site:

My friend who worked at French Culinary Institute met BF and said he couldn't be nicer. I believe her, but I do completely disrespect the show of ego with him jumping on the cutting board.

Maybe she is someone so new to the internet that she hasn't heard that typing in all capital letters is the same as shouting. (Though I did see evidence of mixed and proper capitalization elsewhere from Brenna.)

WOWSAH! Rancho Gordo hits the BIG TIME! Congratulations, amigo!

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere; I did a search that found no results. Has anyone seen this? "Low Carb Living" magazine launched in January. Low Carb Living magazine website

Chris, anyone who tries to get the secret ingredient out of you is a pig dog. Um, I hope that wasn't the secret ingredient.

Wow, Neil, I don't even know you and I'm thrilled at your success. The Bellagio! Bellisimo! Your work is gorgeous and inspiring, and I'm sending the link to all my foodie (non-eG) friends. (What's the deal with Vashon Island? Is there a contingent here at eGullet? A friend of mine from long ago lives there....Roxy Hathaway. I think she works at a bakery because I've met people from Vashon who tell me everyone knows her.)

That's the Hydro Bar & Grill in Calistoga? We love that place. They used to serve the absolute best deep-friend calamari I've ever had, with two side sauces. One was a ginger tamari and the other, wasabi tartar sauce. We ate lunch there every single time we were in Napa for lunch. We returned last July, on our way home from back-to-back Steely Dan/Bob Dylan concerts at Konocti Harbor. Alas, the calamari is no longer on the menu. Brunch was great, though. It really is a good space, with the high ceilings, brick walls, and nice lighting fixtures. It's very reasonably priced, too. We'll be back.

All of a sudden, this joint is jumping. I like it! EDIT: I have no opinions about the actual wine. I'll start with FloridaJim's list, obviously.

Canaletto at the Venetian. I had returned from Italy, and all its culinary epiphanies, just a month before we went to Las Vegas in May of 2001. We found Canaletto, and I just fell in love with it. The chefs are all Italian, as was our waiter, Vito. It's the real deal: real Italian food perfectly prepared. Not horribly expensive. It has a lovely, warm decor. It's not terribly fancy or pricey, but deeply satisfying nonetheless. Vito instantly became our favorite waiter ever. We go back every time we're in Las Vegas, even if it's just to have a prosecco and see him. Canaletto is 46 on this map (upper far left, right on the canal). I know there are fancier places, and maybe that's what you're looking for. We just love Canaletto.

And I appreciate your response to my query, Jim. Mille grazie.

If those are the beautiful people, get me a ticket on the Ugly Train. My husband pointed out, as well, that the food wasn't very good. I had forgotten that in my assessment of all the reasons not to patronize that jackass.

Ask Bobby Flay what he uses to clean cutting boards with greasy footprints on them.

Since beginner's luck is what I have in spades, I'm never afraid to try a new recipe out on company. I'm pretty good at telling if the ingredients will work together, and I know better than to bat out of my league. I haven't rolled a gutterball yet.

My foodie friend, Charley, keeps insisting and insisting that it's one of the best meals in his life. The five-day marinated sea bass or something like that. He is relentless in encouraging us to go there. Maybe next time: we had bigger fish to fry this time. (Like the whole catfish at Lotus of Siam. Swoon!)

Any opinion on the Chefmate knives?

You could ask Bill the Oyster Man about clams. I buy oysters from him at our local farmer's market on Saturdays. He's in Los Gatos on Sundays. If anyone would know where to find them, I think he'd be the one. From his website: To get a hold of Bill, you can either call him at (831) 476-4187 or e-mail him at wcalla9642@aol.com.

Bob is the master shucker. We've got an oyster knife, and we've got gloves and towels. Because all three men make their living with their hands. A builder, a landscaper, a set designer. In other words, we're covered. And thanks, dawl.

Got my five dozen oysters today. There will be ten of us, and three don't eat them. And with three buff guys, the shucking should be a piece of cake.

Florida Jim, I love all your posts: they're so colorful and sensual. I would love it if you would compile some kind of list, however detailed or exhaustive, of wines under $20 you recommend wholeheartedly. I bet others here agree. Thanks, buddy.

Just a note: Tres Amigos is in Half Moon Bay, on the ocean side of Highway 1. There is always a line but it moves really quickly. These are some of the best burritos I've had in sixteen years in the Bay Area. I prefer the roasted chicken ones, myself, but that's just me. Also in Half Moon Bay, on the northern side of town just off the highway on a little frontage road (to the left at a light, I can't remember the name of the intersection but there's a big Chinese restaurant there) is a little place that smokes fish. The smoked trout is like something from God's picnic basket: I go up there (50 miles) twice a year to score the trout and salmon. Pescadero is so incredibly tiny, I don't know that it justifies a separate road trip, though. If you're traveling down Highway 1, stop in Santa Cruz. (I live in SC county.) You will find many many sweet little bistros that serve the Holy Trinity (local, seasonal, organic), the best of those being Oswald, Gabriella Café, and Ristorante Avanti. We've got two fabulous farmer's markets: one downtown on Wednesdays between 2-6 p.m., and one on Saturday morning at Cabrillo College in Aptos. They're fun! (I'm headed there this morning to score oysters from Bill the Oyster Man for our Oscar party tomorrow.) Santa Cruz also has a boardwalk that might be open when you visit: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a mile-long beach with all kinds of rides (including the Giant Dipper, a huge wooden rollercoaster). The food is terribly addicting and bad for you. Your teenagers will love it. Also worth a stop on your way south to Monterey (one "r"; "Monterrey" is in Mexico) is at Moss Landing (across from the PG&E plant with the two huge smokestacks) is Phil's Fresh Fish. It's a well-named joint: the fish is FRESH. They've got absolutely fantastic clam chowder, and you can eat in the little café. I love that place. As mentioned in the Carmel/Monterey thread linked above, there's a place in Monterey right on Cannery Row about two blocks before the aquarium called A Taste of Monterey, with a splendid view of the Monterey Bay. They offer wine tastings of all-Monterey wineries at a very affordable price. You can sip while you watch sea otters and kayakers. The aquarium is worth every penny of the admission: I recommend it with all my heart. Enjoy!

that oyster treatment (southwest-influenced mignonette) sounds so good. It is. It's the only thing I like on them anymore. Sometimes I put in a little splash of brine from the jar of jalapeños, but fresh, minced jalapeños are better.

What a great idea about the Japanese. I'm hoping Lost in Translation wins everything it's up for. It's one of my top ten of all time. Maybe I should wear the vintage silk kimono my friend gave me.

Hey, Marlene, I worked on a website (production, not design) for a restaurant called Germantown Cafe, and it's supposed to be pretty good. There are some reviews on the website...and it's got a great view of the skyline. Their specialty is something called Plum Pork, and it's what I'd order if I were going. Correction: I will be going sometime, and that's what I will be trying. Enjoy Nashville: I miss it so much. It's one of the best places I've ever lived.