tanabutler

To answer the question about where to buy wine, my foodie friends from Readerville suggest these: Nashville Wine & Spirits in Belle Meade Frugal MacDoogal on Division Midtown Liquors on Church Nashville Wine and Spirits on Harding Road None are open on Sunday, honey: Nashville has more churches per capita than Rome. I've been to Frugal MacDoogal and they've got a big selection of wines.

Some girlfriends and I decided to do a glam party this year. We're serving oysters and champagne for starters...I'll make a mignonette with rice wine vinegar, lime juice, jalapeños, and cilantro for the oysters. Also, an hors d'oeuvre of some kind. Probably new potato rounds topped with a "paté" of gorgonzola/cream cheese/walnuts piped on and topped with a little minced parsley and cracked black pepper. Maybe samosas, maybe something else. Oooh, I just remembered I've got a bag of really good dried apricots, so I could top those with chevre and a basil sprig. Dinner is spanakopita with a big beautiful salad. Not sure about sweets/dessert. I rarely eat dessert myself but we will have two teenagers in the house so they'll probably expect something.

Rick Bayless: Horseman of the Apocalypse?

What struck me is that there are only four women chefs (out of 36). I've eaten at Cindy Hutson's Ortanique in Las Vegas. It was an exemplary meal.

Probably gonna be pretty hard to crash the gate at that thing, huh?

Judy Tenuta, Goddess of the Galaxy, Petite Fleur, and Blesser of Bunions. She better watch it with that Geisha Girl stuff, though. Ahem. The Web Geisha™© ®

I ain't gonna watch it. It's already jumped the shark. Give us back the Clutch Cargo dubbing, the sweet and nervous Japanese laughter. And would someone PLEASE put Bobby Flay's feet in a separate pair of cement shoes if he dares to desecrate the cutting board again. Hey, we were in Las Vegas last year and went to the Guggenheim at the Venetian. Lovely. About two paintings into the guided audio tour, I told Bob, "Hey, this guy is the one who always says Fukui-san." (An unmistakeable, enunciated, vanilla voice.) I want that job (doing dubs). Surely they'd like a Lily Tomlin or Flip Wilson impersonaitrix.

Marie, thanks for the report, and sorry you were not well for your little escape. No worries about the inn: if it wasn't somewhere you'd want to stay again, it's not likely I'd want to do a trade with them. (I am glad you went to Pacific Grove, though.) And I am glad you went to the Mexi place in SJB, and also to Tarpy's. I'm glad to hear Tarpy's was nicer than you'd expected. Honestly, the first boy I ever kissed (in a tragic ending to an otherwise decent game of Spin the Bottle) was named Tarp, and that incident remains one of the biggest blights on a completely blighted adolescence. I hadn't wanted to venture to Tarpy's until your post. Next time you venture this way, if you like, I'll meet you at Moss Landing for a bowl of chowder at Phil's Fish. Or something.

I've always described the Chairman as a cross between Liberace, Michael Jackson and Donald Trump.

Hey, AB, is there a chance in hell that Cook's Tour would come out on DVD? Seriously.

I always called her "Bitchy Scissors." What a snerky little creature. Ugh.

From the Wanda Adams column: This is just pathetic. Of all the places in the world NOT to recommend, Longhi's is at the top of my list. I posted about it in the "Spam & Mac Salad" thread, and I'll dredge it up here. Blecghck!!! A pox on Longhi's!

My most-trusted foodie friend ate last week at Thalia, on Eighth at Fiftieth. He says, "It's sleek but comfortable, stylish, the food is good and interesting, like a good San Francisco restaurant, and the bar scene looks very cool. I'd recommend for a theater-oriented visit."

Heh. Did they invite you to be their "wife-in-law"? I've had that honor, from the hookers I was incarcerated with in the Tombs. I declined; perhaps a bad career move considering the money. BWAH!!! I'm wiping tears from my eyes.

The lake view is world class. C'monnnnnnn. Don't you want to carry that beautiful memory for the rest of your life, and to know that you went for the best?

Drool. Drool, drool, drool. and more drool. (Salivating is food-related, right?)

Congratulations on that achievement, and may it bring you continued joy, AB.

I would really really recommend that you leave Florence one day early, go down to Tivoli and stay at the Hotel Sirene (a lot of bang for the buck), see the Villa d'Este and its hundreds of fountains, and then tootle back up to Tuscany via Arezzo or Cortona. You're in for so much glory. If you do go to Siena (which is one of my favorite places in the world), eat at Hosteria Il Carroccio. From a post elsethread:

Yeesh, these people are as bad as those double-dipping nitwits at my catering gigs. I was appalled when people would bite a samosa, then dip it back into the chutney. What ghastly behavior.

FYI, the mission is altered for the movie (it doesn't actually have a bell tower). But yes, it's worth watching regardless.

We have eaten many times at Jardines de San Juan. Eat outside, weather permitting: the patio goes on an on. It's very traditional Mexican food: don't expect any California fusion elements. I'm fond of the chili rellenos and the enchiladas. If you're going to San Juan Bautista, check out the walking tour. I love that place. Enjoy and report back soon!

A staple of Hawaiian food: it's an acquired taste. It's somewhere between runny and gummy, and doesn't have much flavor. Not my favorite thing to eat, but I don't hate it.

I just booked a trip to NYC next week and will be bringing friends to Amma! I am so excited. Two are in the food industry themselves (I'm returning with my friend, Betsy, whose chef coat Hemant autographed.) Suvir, I hope you are there so you can autograph the coat. I'll send you an e-mail with some details. And I'm ordering a little mini-tripod so no more out-of-focus shots. I am thrilled to be returning to Amma and to NYC.

My fifteen-year-old daughter picked the Beatles. How cool is that?

I'm with Tam. Patricia Wells has a fabulous recipe for lemon risotto in her book, Patricia Wells' Trattoria: Simple and Robust Fare Inspired by the Small Family Restaurants of Italy. The lemon risotto recipe is (loosely): 2 shallots sautéed until translucent in 2 T. butter with 1 T. olive oil (I use lemon olive oil), add 1-1/2 cups risotto and stir over moderate heat until the risotto is slightly translucent and shiny (glistening). Add 1 c. white wine and stir until absorbed. Then, stirring, add one ladleful at a time of 4 cups simmering chicken or vegetable stock. When that is all absorbed, remove from heat and add the grated zest of 3 lemons (mine are Meyer lemons, since I've got a tree), their juice, and minced herbs (about 2 T. each: mint, sage and rosemary). Serve immediately with grated parmesan. It's so so good.