jaybee

Don't be so parochial Rosie, I think there are some single men who will take note of that too.

Your absence was noted...and regretted.

I noticed some typos in my earlier post, so I decided to note them as editorial corrections in brackets in the following quotation of myself. (is quoting one's self like verbal masturbation?)

For me, the hardest part is/was getting the caramel right. When someone gave me the tip to set the caramel first in ice water when it reaches the right color, the problem was solved. Until then, my results were inconsistent. And Granny Smith's always (unless you can get the right French apple). And Normandy butter...and baste with the juices while cooking on stove top (thanks Julia Child). Thank you Project for that pie crust procedure and recipe. It is sorely needed by me.

Are we speaking generically here or with regard to a specific Johnson? Please note: this is intended to be a pun, not a reference to any person's or persons' johnsons. (In the current fractious milieu, one can't assume...)

A friend took pastry cooking courses from Nick Malgiere at was once calle dpeter kump's School. He is a serious amateur and had very high praise for Malgiere.

Wonderful photos, Rachel. They make me feel as though I was there.

Are we speaking generically here or with regard to a specific Johnson?

Funny, I rode by there last week and wondered the same thing. Damian's experience doesn't surprise me. It's a nice place to go for a drink and appetizers, but i'd hesitate before making dinner plans there. With Picholine, Ouest, etc. there is no crying need for it. BTW I understand that Martell's is opening a west side branch on Columbus between 83-84th, next to Jackson Hole. Is Martell's a steak house?

Rosie from Noo Joisy, you are a pistol! How great to meet you. I would cross the river to dine with you in a NJ EG affair. (As long as it isn't near Lodi or Paramus!, I mean let's not get too carried away)

Cabby, you know I am fond of you, but why do you want to piss on the parade here? Start a new thread on RSVP policy if you want.

I want to second Macrosan's comments about the evening and his choices for dishes that live in my memory today. I once told Suvir that Indian food did not appeal to me. I have to revise my map entirely after last night's feast. Thank you Suvir. The mood of cheer, friendliness and warmth among all attendees (with one ill-tempered exception I was made aware of --nuff said about that) left me with the feelings that our on-board verbal fisticuffs are superficial to the interests that connect us. This is truly a wonderful group of people. And I am grateful to Jason and company for providing the media that is defining the eGullet community. I could manage just a plate of eggs today, I'm still satiated from the meal.

Holy Moly Batman, there are real people behind all those poster names!! The meal was a feast, exceeding my expectations. Suvir, thank you for organizing an enjoyable experience, and to all who helped produce this event, kudos. For all our squabbles, this is an extraordinary community of interesting and good people. What a delight! I'm too looped to attempt a culinary description (Suvir's tomato chutney lived up to advance billings), so I will leave it to those more qualified. I'll just say yummy.

Lynch Bages 81, 89? 91, 93. The '93 had the most pleasant taste, the '81 came around after nearly 45 minutes in the glass and was quite good. The 91, which Caze pitched, was thin and acidic to my taste. I like Ariane. I love the atmoshere of the place in winter. I'm sorry to hear such negatives on the food. I'll give it a shot. It sems simple is best. Gascogne is my favorite NY restaurant from that region. Though I haven't ben there in a few years. It never dissappointed me.

This relationship extends to many products and services, other than restaurants. Coca Cola found out that their customers not only did not want a "new better tasting" Coke but were very angry at the company for daring to change something they felt a sense of ownership towards. Celebrities discover that their personas are, to a large degree, "owned" by their fans, and these fans often resent any change the celebrity makes in their persona. This is a psychological phenomenon that runs really deep in some people. This may deserve its own thread, but i'm nort sure how much there is to say about it except that it exists, like it or not.

I recently attended an event there, that featured a vertical tastng of Lynch Bages hosted by the owner of the chateau. It was well done, the food was very good and the place is like a country farmhouse dining room complete with big hearth. I am going to another promotional dinner there next month. Has anyone eaten meals there? and...?

Sounds like an episode from Monty Python, not Martha Stewart, though I can see her roasting some of her peasants when she gets pissed enough.

"Executive cheffing" is yet another marketing device, like introducing new products using the brand of a well known product. It is simply a technique for a chef to syndicate himself and leverage his fame to add perceived value to dishes that otherwise would not command the kinds of prices he wants to charge. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Imagine a world famous neuro-surgeon becoming an "executive surgeon" and offering apprentices to actually perform operations at the same fee as he would charge. Hmm, come to think of it, maybe they do that already.

Kammerszell?--It was a while ago....Shit, another one bite the dust... Too bad.

Maison Kammerszell and its Choucroute Royale was a highlight of our Alsatian meals. It is next to the cathedral. There is a lovely museum in S also near the cathedral square.

Spanish brandy will never be a piece of a niche here, but it could be a profitable one. What they need is an image leader. Look at Italian wines. There was a time when chianti in straw bottles was what most wine buyers thought was "Italian" wines. The thing is, as was said, these things take time to develop. They can't be created overnight. And the Spanish want to sell five different brands under one umbrella, which makes it even more difficult to create an image leader. Spanish red wines are gaining in respect and recogition. There are some very pricey ones. A major problem is the name "brandy" which most Americans associate with the cheap stuff. It can't be called congac or armagnac, but it won't make it at $30-$50 a bottle as "brandy from Spain." A better potential target is the E&J drinker, who buys tons of the stuff. The Spanish product could be postioned as an upgrade, and it has taste characteristics that will appeal to them. (mellow and sweet).

Helena, I'm glad you're back in. I so look forward to meeting you.

Toby, I love the idea of the cornbread and biscuit mixture. That will definitely be one of the three or four suffings I will serve. Thanks so much. Choco, Toby's recipe is pretty close to mine except I use cubed day old french baguettes instead of the biscuits, and I add chopped apples. chopped french chestuts and chopped pecans. I make a vegetarian version, using vegetable stock and a sausage version using chicken stock.

One question I ask when I am eating something I enjoy at a restaurant: could I make this dish myself if I put my mind to it? Rarely is the answer no. Now I am by no means a talented chef. I am an amateur who has learned some technique and knows how to follow a recipe, and make some of my own emendations. Bouley, in his original restaurant served some incredible dishes that I know I could never aspire to. That to me is a sign of a really unique and talented chef. There are some dishes I've had at Le Bernadin I know I could not duplicate. Here we are talking about ingredients, technique and an alchemy of timing and seasoning that would be impossible to copy with the exact same result. Unfortunately it is increasingly rare to have this experience.

We enjoyed very much lunch there two years ago on our trip through the Sologne. The civet de lievre a la royale they served as very good. So was the pigeon. As for Wilfrid's comments about Blue Hill, Annisa etc., it has been my experience in the last year or so that the most exciting meals have been at relatively small, new places where the chef/owner was young, on the way up and had a real passion and excitement for their craft and their work. I think there is a certain loss of edge that happens when a restaurant reaches the superstardom level. People who are less critical heap praise on it, lulling the chef/owner into feeling he is still creating excitement. But to people who have a long resume of earting in top places and a good frame of reference, the edge is gone. Last year I had Daniel high on my list of next "special" meals, and it has now dropped off the list, mainly because the return for the price I expect to get is no longer as high as it once was relative to alternative places I would like to try por repeat, like Annisa, Fleur de Sel and Blue Hill.