Peter B Wolf

To quote Bux "We have a France Telecom Telecarte", I would like to add, European Telphone Cards are different from stateside ones, as they are prepaid, yes, but you do not need to dial the provider number first, and a pin number second, since the phone accepts these cards in a provided slot and validates minutes/amounts left, simplefying the whole operation tremendously. And furthermore, for the ones on a budget, who is not?, I found by using the Guide: "Logis de France", available through you local French Tourist Office (for a fee / used to be free), I never fared badly. And that includes eating in many of these establishments, especially the ones embellished with a little "Casserole" icon, referring to local specialities. If the Tourist Office does not provide, contact direct: Federation Nationale des Logis de France, 83 Avenue d'Italie, 75013 Paris France. Another decent guide seems to be the "Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe", Secretariat Europeen: Grand Marnier, 91 Boulevard hausmann, 75008 Paris France, and "Maitre Cuisiniers de France", from the Association des Maitres Cuisiniers de France, 40 rue Blanche 75009 Paris France

I have to chime in. This thread was started as "Coffee", especially "Meinl". OK, lets please distinguish between "Espresso" and other coffees. Coffee beans, selected by species, type, country of origin and "roast" for "Espresso" making, do not lend themselves well for other coffee brewing methods. Meinl lists only one espresso bean on their site. I have no idea how this will compare with known (unknown) brands of espresso beans, like Lavazza, Illy and many others. And that is not the issue. The issue is making coffee, using a french press or other method, or making espresso. So, I think, maybe just for some of the not so well informed gulleteers, we should discuss "Coffee" making and "Espresso" making on separate threads. Each one promoting all the pros and cons of all, to include beans, grinders, roasts, and other equipment as well measurements, time and temperatures. Ok, if anyone thinks I am wrong; I will shut up for the next six months (or less?).

This for Breakfast at about 9 AM, no need for Lunch,...nor Dinner

If one can find a Portugese bakery, try their Bread, it's a bit denser and more flavorful.....and then stuff with fresh Goat Cheese and Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. Plus, in the batter put a tablespoon of undiluted frozen Orange Juice.

Ok, I retired after 49 in kitchens, or at least always in the Hospitality field. Yes I was about 20/25 pounds overweight. Eating habits (times) did me in. Breakfast, everyday except Saturdays, fairly large bowl of Muesli (imported from Europe) with a Banana and 1/2 pint of Milk, On Saturdays it is Bagels with the whole schmeer, 4/5 Confitures, Goat Cheese, Mortadella, Smoked Salmon etc. Always 4/5 cups good strong Coffee, not Espresso, with light Cream, not half & half, and sugar. And now her it is: the one main meal, hot, at noon or there abouts. NOT AT NIGHT! Never skimping on ingredients, but amounts. Dinner is what comes along, a Pumpernickel sandwich with Salami, or just Fruit sometimes, or Cottage Cheese, or if there was Cake and Tea in the afternoon (at least four times a week), maybe nothing. Lots and lots of Water all day. I lost over 22 pounds within the last two years. Try it you like it!

John, that's easy! Wilfrid, correct, "man weiss es nicht"

John, you are right I should have used "vid." vs "re". You started your sentence with:"Man" used to be gender-neuter like "Mann" in German -- " Do you mean the 'first' "Man" as being the English word, and in that case you are right about Capital "M" (sentence start), but as you referred to: ' gender-neuter like "Mann" in German ' This 'Mann' is spelled 'man'

Sorry John Whiting, but the " gender-neuter like "Mann" in German" is always spelled "man" (small m and one n). (Re. Cassell's German/English - Deutsch/Englisch Dictionary)

Well, at least now we know how the US Government (EPA) is squandering tax payer's monies: they have to have a contract with a well paid Company in order to give out New York phone numbers. Reminds me of the $ 256.00 hammer, the $1,200.00 coffee maker and a story where the US Navy paid $ 15,000.00 to a University (years back) to study the effects of opening ketchup bottles in Mess Halls.

The "Culinary Olympics", as they are known to the trade, although the "International Olympic Committy" (Sports) have objected to this term, and I don't remember what the legal outcome was, have been held every four years since I do not know exactly when, but at least since the "'20's". They are sanctioned by the World Association of Chef Societies (WACS), of which the American Culinary Federation (ACF) is a member, and were always held in Frankfurt Germany. Location was changed in 1996 to Berlin and again in the year 2000 to Erfurt. Please explain "...in accordance with some arbitrary and "impossible?" set of irrelevant standards." Here are the 2000 results: http://www.unichef.com/oly_results.htm

jeesh, i thought mario batali made them famous worldwide!! kidding aside, he is the first guy that i noticed wearing clogs. after that, i started looking down more often in kitchens and found that they are extremely popular. who knew? Well, Peter Wolf knew, I started wearing them in the early sixties (buying them in Germany), don't know if Batali made them "world famous". Kidding aside, they are the best for long time standing on tile floors (as chefs/cooks do). I still got varicose veins over the years anyway (remember: "BIO 48yrs")

To answer the original question of this post, I would like to quote a few of my favorite Personae. William Makepeace Thackery said: "Next to eating good Dinners, a healthy man with a benevolent turn of mind, must as well like to read about them" ....and from Kitchener's Cooks Oracle, London 1827: "The true Cook has, in his modest Sphere, such pleasures in Recipe making, as the Musician or Poet in Composition" ....to quote Marc-Antoine Desaugiers 1772-1827: "A Chef seems to be a Divine Being, who....from the Depths of his Kitchen rules the Human Race. One can consider him a Minister of Heaven, because his Kitchen is a Temple and his Stoves are the Altar" ....Samuel Johnson wrote: "He who does not mind his Belly, will hardly mind anything else" ....and last but not least (unknown): "Good Cooking is like Jazz.... ,You have to like the Melody....and need to know how to improvise" So, at least some of these writers thought that Cooking is an Art. Some Chef's have thought at onetime or another that their work is Art, The German Chef Waltherspiel in 1953/4 wrote a book called "Meine Kunst" (My Work of Art). My own thought is, yes, cooking can be Art, it does not always have to be. But it is not Art that can be preserved. It is "Consumable Art" and has its own Connoiseurs.

Paula, I would get in touch with their offices and ask them to explain or comment about your particular situation. Here is their direct contact site: http://www.relaischateaux.com/site/us/asketcom.htm

i'm sure your comment is a *bit* tongue-in-cheek, but obviously you'll get a lot less "tap" water if you're drinking bottled water with ice than you wold if you were drinking straight tap water. additionally, i started ordering bottled water regularly primarily because i found that the staff couldn't keep up with my water consumption. i wanted to have control over it (bottle on the table usually). of course, a lagging waitstaff wouldn't be an issue at GT. :) To understand Christopher right: Do you mean by "defeating the purpose" as ice is frozen water? Then Tommy is right, less water consumption from the ice when used in the Mineral Water. But is it not more correct/appropriate and tastier/healthier or whatever if no ice in any Mineral Water? Just properly refrigerated like beer, you would not add ice into beer!!?? Would you now? (Tommy! I understand, and already know your answer :p )

Steven, after reading your excellent report, and I thank you, I do have to ask, whether you might be infringing on someone's copy rights. I pulled "Sticky Finger's" web site, and on their menu: http://stickyfingers.net/stickyfinger_menu.pdf they list under "Super Sampler" your? slogan: "Too much Pork for just one Fork". Who needs changing?

You said you leave at 5AM, so you are gone, have you got MoMo's food?.....and MoMo? :)

Not MOMO, please!!

Here is a place in France, I was there in 1998 on a trip from Spain via Andorra, remembered the name and called it up, the site: http://www.hostellerie-horizon.com/carte.html distinctly indicating on the "carte", that the menu "Degustation" is for the entire table only. BTW a nice place, enjoyed everything at the time.

Ellen, Steven, I know, you hitting Maine is far off, but on the way "down east" here is one in Canada: "Collingwood Eatery" among world's 10 best , close to Creemore, a 20-minute drive from Collingwood on the shore of Georgian Bay. ( About 90 Miles NNW of Toronto). Here is a write-up about the place: http://www.nationalpost.com/search....%20food Also, Korby Kummer writes about "Fore Street" Rest. in Portland Maine, in the last issue of "Atlantic" Furthermore I recommend "Moody's Diner" in Wiscassett ME. When Maine gets closer to you, email me and we might be able to meet, I live outside of Augusta

Malawry, I don't even remember how I got onto that page, I mean how I found the guide on the web. But I knew one of you would answer my question. The writing / reporting / "dreaming" reminded me of some college travel guides from the Sixties, aka "Washington on Five Dollars a Day". I like to thank Steve Klc for his thorough disection of it. I do not visit DC too often, once twice a year, my brother in law lives in Burke. So, my guide is "eGullet", where ever I go. I am constantly amazed how all of you experts out there are time and time again willing to respond to us merely mortals. When I read Klc, Shaw, Plodnicki, Bux, Perlow, Cabrales and all the other's posts, I can sometimes even forget to eat my own cooking, as just reading about it satiates me. I mean professional stylish lecture, plus culinary know-how, and worldly intelligence makes this forum a pleasure to go to and just wanting to read on. I only wish, I had have had a better education to correspond with all of you on your higher level. I, at times am ashamed to post as I seem to not being able to express myself as others so eloquently can. Verbal disputes and conversations seem to be easier to handle by me, and style often does not matter then.

.......So, I am providing the URL : http://www.gmu.edu/jbc/Tyler/ethnic to it. Does Steven Klc have any comments to this site?

Don't remember if these are still enforced, but in Massachusetts one could not sit nor stand at a bar on Sundays. So the bars all put narrow tables in front of bars so people could sit at "tables". Also, women were not allowed to sit at bars, ever, but they could stand at bars. This really put the macho on a guy, he sat on a bar stool and his female companion had to stand next to him and drink. (Well that was in the Sixties.)

When Catholics have a "Farewell to Food Night", they will call the next day and thirty-nine more: "LENT"

Ellen, when Steven is addressed as Mr. Shapiro, that would be an "upgrade", would it not. Ok, Stella's Burgers were, as I was told at that time, bulk Prime Beef (fore quarter only) was obtained from local slaughter house, ground multiple times a day as needed on the premises. A standard 20% fat content maintained, They said, that at grinding, a small amount of kosher salt was added (ground in), patties were six ounce and hand-shapen. And grilling done in frying pans, using rendered suet, but finishing them off in Butter. Buns were buttered and "Griddled". I never paid much attention to there toppings offerings as I am a purist and stick to lettuce, tomatoes, and then only when in season, and a bit of good mayo. Hope they still do 'em that way.

Here is a little unknown input about "Bistro(t)". The word is of Russian origin, meaning "quick" or "quickly", here is the correct spelling: " áûñòðî ". It became a popular word in France at the time many Russian Emmigrees lived in Paris, but still "hunted" by the Zcar. As these people often met in Restaurants, usually just some type of "Cafe" as to not evoke notice otherwise, but when chased by these zcaristic lackeys, they simply yelled the word "áûñòðî" / "bistro" in order to run and take cover, or get lost quickly. The word later became an attachment to these Cafes to be known as Bistro(t)s.