tanabutler

I eat duck in restaurants, but don't want to learn to cook another new food that will expand my ass any more. I can get duck (Liberty Farms duck, at that) at about a half dozen restaurants within a short drive from my house, and don't feel the need to buy and prepare it. But eat it? I adore it, and can't believe I was 35 before I ever tasted it. Last weekend, Marc Rasic of La Table (SF) prepared "duck rillette," which was served on croutons, and which my husband called "duck butter." God, you could have poured it down my throat like a foie gras-bound goose. Yum yum yum.

I have had both of these wines at farm dinners, and they were just sublime. Also: Storrs Gewürztraminer is another one. From SFSommelier.com's Wine of the Week archives (April 11, 2001): They also picked the Thomas Fogarty Gewurztraminer, Monterey, 2000: Great price for a Fogarty wine! The CIA in Napa has a few domestic Gewürztraminers on its "Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant" wine list: Gewurztraminer, Corazón, 2000, Anderson Valley $37 Gewurztraminer, Handley, 2000, Anderson Valley $29 Gewurztraminer, Lazy Creek, 2001, Anderson Valley $38 Gewurztraminer Dry Select, Martinelli, "Martinelli Vineyard," 2000, Russian River Valley $58 Gewurztraminer, Navarro, 2000, Anderson Valley $32 Another little item found by Googling: "Napa Valley has 107 acres of Gerwurtstraminer vines." No fewer than a dozen California Gewurztraminers are listed here.

There really isn't a problem re-using names, is there? I started my "story" as soon as I read the topic, but it took a while to assemble. By then, "malarkey" had already been used, but I didn't want to change stuff.

A recent personal experience confirms Fat Guy's statements. I have never bought frozen beef, and have never frozen beef I've bought. But a couple months ago, I came home to a large carton on the kitchen floor, and learned that my husband had bought several boxes filled with various cuts of steak and ground beef. He "got a deal"—a truck driving through our neighborhood asked if he wanted to score the beef for only $300. Of course, he didn't pay that, but he did get thirty pounds of steak for about $3 a pound. When thawed, the meat was watery, not bloody. Well, the blood was watery, put it that way. Perhaps the freezing technique is suspect, and that's why he got a deal—"whadda ya want for nothin', your money back?" At any rate, I have discovered the same thing with frozen vs. fresh chicken: a loss of flavor in the frozen meat. I can't believe freezing is a good idea.

To be frank, lamb smells and tastes deader than anything I can think of, except perhaps liver. With the exception of the times I've had it at farm dinners, I can't bear it.

My constants at Trader Joe's (where I have been shopping for fifteen years, yikes): • Some of the produce: cleaned white mushrooms, the baby new potatoes, basil (a huge bunch, already cleaned, for under $2), red/orange/yellow bell peppers • Any and all packaged nuts, especially pine nuts and hazelnuts • Earl Grey tea (under $2/twenty bags, compared to Bigelow's price of more than twice that) • Niman Ranch bacon (the Best. Bacon. Ever.) and pork tenderloins (so well-priced!) • Cheeeeeeeeese, Gromit. That's it! We'll get cheeeeeeese. Specifically: raclette, smoked gouda, cheddar x 3, brie, camembert with mushrooms, parmigianno regianno, asiago, etc. • smoked salmon • cream cheese • pizza dough: $.99 for a ready-to-roll dough ball that makes a fantastic pizza when you're in a hurry • Salad dressings (#1 of all time is the Trader Joe's Vidalia Onion, followed by Annie's Sesame Shiitake, Goddess, and others) • Canned beans • Dried pasta • Frozen quiches for the teenager; frozen enchiladas and lasagne and other such for quick/easy dinners when I just don't have the wherewithal to cook • Frozen shrimp and seafood • Canned/jarred tomatoes of every stripe, including the new golden Romas • Pomu tomato sauce in the cardboard box (the best tomato sauce I've found outside of Italy) • Condiments (I am a condiment freak, and it's time I went to confession. It's also time to say that the Mario Batali jars of tomato sauces are the worst such I have ever put in my mouth, and shame, shame, shame! Ptoooey! I haven't bought any other celebrity chef stuff. I thought I could trust Mario. Ptoooey! Blegh! The one I tried was a tasteless saltfest.) • Fresh tangerine juice • Butter and Plugra • No organic milk (I buy mine at Safeway for one reason only: Trader Joe's puts their milk in plastic, which is just wrong) • wine and spirits, of course. The Vin Santo is fine for the price, as is the TJ dessert wine for $5 (half-bottle). And all the cheap California wines, like J Lohr Chardonnay which we pay less than $10 for (it's $14 and up in stores). I wish they'd bring back the Amontillado. • Seltzer and fizzy drinks (not soda, but things like the fizzy orange drink from France) I figure I've paid for the three expansions of our local Trader Joe's, which opened twelve years ago.

A sub-story in the Sacramento Bee that followed their larger story on the Alice Waters dinner at Frog Hollow Farm that I had photographed: Alice Waters is secure in her place in history The very end of the article brings up the snarky Jeremiah Tower book. I love this quote: Very smart and, apparently, very Alice.

Well, Maggie, "charm" and being a luscious Nigella babe are two different things, to me. Alice's charm is way beyond looks, though she is lovely enough. I've heard a friend of mine who met her say that "Fergie" is a hundred times prettier off camera than on, and that her energy in person is captivating. It's Alice's personal energy that surprised me. And I think Russ put it perfectly in describing her position as a "deeply held world view, and not a fashion." BTW, in a related story, Alice's daughter, Fanny, is featured in this month's Food and Wine magazine. It's about how she copes, as a college student, eating at Yale University. And yes, she's a pretty young woman.

1. Apricots with Goat Cheese and Basil Slab dried apricots with goat cheese and a basil chevron. "Greater than the sum of its parts" is always how I describe this. The orange, green and white are striking, too. 2. New Potato "Crackers" with Gorgonzola "Caviar" Boil new potatoes (about 1" - 2" across) until just tender. Cut into slices, which will serve as "crackers." In your food processor, chop 1/2 cup walnuts into very fine pieces. Add 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup gorgonzola, pulse until very smooth. Add a little fresh ground black pepper if desired. Put into a pastry bag with a big star tip and pipe onto the potatoes. Add a little chopped parsley and voilà! They're fantastic. (I'll probably bring those to a pot luck if I ever attend one.) 3. Stuffed Mushrooms Loose recipe: remove the mushroom caps and toss in a sauté pan with a little olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic, and what have you. When cooked down and still moist, add to breadcrumbs and mix. Stuff in mushroom caps, dip in lemon juice, and bake at 400 for about 18 minutes.

I wonder how much she is singled out because of her charm? She is charming, there's no way around it. She is graceful, her hand movements are beguiling (reminding me of, at various times, a singer, a sculptor and a dancer I know), and her voice is lovely. So there is that aspect: people want to listen to a compelling voice, especially if it's musical and sweet. Hers is. But it is unfortunate that one person bears the weight of being a "legend" when so many people are committed to the same thing, and with her same passion and knowledge. I do look forward to eating at CP some day, in the winter or autumn or spring. I've had my "perfect peach" and I know its magic. I want to see what they can do with other things.

Charcoop, there is a little town called Jenner in Sonoma at the mouth of the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean. It's quiet and remote and no cell phones (hooray!) and there is a perfect little restaurant (with cabins) called River's End. The owner is all about fresh/local/organic/seasonal, and we had a wonderful meal there. All Sonoma wines (why bother with anything else when you live in heaven?). The view and setting is just what you'd expect (oceanside with the overlap of the river's mouth). The staff is kind and smart, and the owner's photography graces the walls—all local nature scenes. The clam chowder was incomparable, and I would just take anything they recommended. Big, big thumbs up. It's worth the drive out, too, especially at that time of year. You might get a little fall leaf color action if you're lucky. Wildlife is abundant in the estuary. Bring a camera. Article online From the JennerInn.com website, a photograph from above the river. Hours are seasonal. We think it's a very special place.

Love your log-in name, Squeat Mungry.

Can someone e-mail a link of this discussion to the people who did the stroke job? Ronnie, can you scan and e-mail the picture of the "review" (as in "Hm-m-m-m, let's review this advertisement and see if it's flattering enough").

Heeheeheehee. My little sister (known as "20-20" because when her teacher said, "Kristen Butler, what's your IQ?!" she stood up and said emphatically, "Twenny twenny!") was roasting her first chicken. She called up Mama to ask how it was done, and meantime was cleaning out the cavity. "Mama, something's in here!" Mom said, "Honey, that's the giblets and organs." Krissy sounded so disappointed. "Oh. I thought I won something." We have a lot of Krissy stories—and she's an excellent, excellent cook.

I like the baking bread idea. Put on some music you can sing along with. Wail. (I'm thinking Lyle Lovett and/or Aretha Franklin.) Pound things. Break things. Make pique assiette. (I second the Eddie Izzard nomination. I'm going to see him Friday night.)

Honey, don't be alarmed. There are warning signs. It separated in the bottle, which was in plain view and I ignored it. Separation is easily detectable. Green water/green herbs. Very easy to see. If you see that, take it back. One of the great things about TJ's is that they take stuff back (like Costco) without a receipt, especially if if has their name on it.

Nope, it was the Hyatt Regency. Holiday Inns would never be that daring. (And now it's a bar in the hotel, which isn't the Hyatt...called "The Pinnacle" or something.) I had one of the best days of my life in Nashville, and it all started with a ride in a black Porsche, which took me to lunch at the Hyatt. Oooh la la. Who remembers the food?

Another alternative is to try Manresa, in Santa Clara County. David Kinch was compared to Thomas Keller, and it might be the next best thing.

I really like Scala's Bistro. It's consistently—food and service—one of our favorites, and really well-priced.

Mine is everywhere. The remaining splotches of Trader Joe's Basil Salad Dressing that exploded in my not-big kitchen and reached every surface. I've cleaned all within reach, but (as my grandmother would say), "Doo law!" The ceiling is high, and the bottle blew up and hit everything. At least six feet up and around. I came in the house and thought a skunk had killed one of our kitties. Alas, it was not to be, despite that the vet bill would be cheaper than stripping and restaining the woodwork. Otherwise, we live in the country and the spiders generously donate their skills in the most unlikely places. Also (the really worst): bad linoleum and countertops and so on from our landlugs. The oven has a cracked door: how do so many things come out so well? No one who comes to dinner seems to mind, for which I am grateful. I also don't highlight the spiders for the arachniphobes. (Have I spelled that right? I hope.) I think it's probably embarrassing how many jars of fancy condiments I have. Who knows whyl Apparently three jars of horseradish cream are just enough for a woman who doesn't use horseradish more than once a year.

Oh, whew! It's about a restaurant kitchen and restroom. Not mine. Whew.

I want some of what you're drinking, duuuuude.

Whooooooooooops. I got my Johns and Jims confused. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea DOH!

If it were low blood sugar motivating me, I'd whip up some eggs and toast. By the time the toast has popped, the eggs are ready (scrambled with cheese or over-mediYUM). If I have a bit more time, a salad with hard-boiled eggs (which I keep on hand), cheese, meat and sprouts/tomatoes/grated carrots piled up is good. A "leisurely" quick meal would involve frozen pasta (artichoke tortelloni, e.g.) with some quick-sautéed garlic, tomatoes and herbs in EVOO, or just unsalted butter and herbs with salt/pepper. There has to be protein or my blood sugar will bottom out again, and you do not want to meet my Evil Twin.

"What kind of fish is this?" John asked. "It's whiting, John. Whiting," answered Jim. "It's good. Not too wimpy," John commented. "Thank you. I give credit to the nonstick pan. What a joy are modern gadgets. You told me you went fishing last month, John. Where was that again?" "Florida, Jim. I went with that New York Texan and oh, Lord, Michael Lewis. You know Lewis, right? He tried to get away again without paying for his share of the trip. He thinks I'm rich or something. He's always whining, 'You're the one with the bux!' and I think it's a load of malarkey. This is excellent pasta, by the way—perfectly al dente. My compliments to the chef." "That's really nice of you to say. That would be my wife, Susan—she's so fast in the kitchen we call Suzi Lightning. The woman can do anything with food! She's snowangel, but I think I'll keep her," quipped the tan, 319-pounder. "Honey?" he called out. "Are you still cooped up in the kitchen? Come on out!" The kitchen door swung open and a rosie-faced woman entered the room, a large magnolia adorning her curls. She kissed her husband on the cheek and set on the table a tray filled with food. "My God, woman! You've outdone yourself," exclaimed John, whose eyes widened as he took in the platter before him. "Goodness, is that basil, girl? I love the stuff!" As John loaded his plate, Jim entreated his wife, "Come here, my little dumpling. Did the children get to sleep?" "Yes, but the bad things were quite naughty, Jim. I'm afraid you're going to have to rail Paul for his behavior. Either that or we get the boy into a special ed class. I simply can't abide the way he and his brother carry on! Do you know he did tonight?" "No, dearest. What would that be?" "He stood on the roof and screamed, 'I can PCircles around you any time!' " "Well, the boys do share a special bond, girl. Boys will be boys." Jim interjected, "I thought you told me they were all-American outdoor lovers. Sounded quite healthy to me." "Only if you call throwing a stone at a bird 'outdoor loving,' " sighed John. "All I can say is that 'sparrow/grass' is a conjunction of bird and turf that is fatal." John startled. "Jim? What IS this, anyway?" he asked, looking curiously at the tiny wing skewered on the tines of his fork.