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jaybee

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  1. jaybee

    Buttah!

    I'm with you Malawry. I've eaten my way thorough the butter offerings of Zabars, Fairway, Dean & Deluca and Balducci's to name a few. The winner and #1 choice is Isigny Ste Mere, a butter from Normandy that comes in 250gr blocks or 250gr tubes, packed in gold foil. It comes closest to the butter I enjoy in France and has a fresher, cleaner. more "buttery" taste than any others. If you try this I'd be interested in your assessment. I could easily make a meal of a crusty baguette and slabs of this butter. By the way, I think we had a butter thread several months ago. I recall reading the Isigny butter was chosen as the top butter by some french and American star chefs. It is sold in Zabars, Fairway, D&D among other places. They also sell a creme frais which, for my money, is the best prepared version available in the US.
  2. CkBklady, you are quite right here. If it were otherwise they wouldn't have lasted for more than one or two rounds. We had another couple who spent long winter and summer weekends and many dinners with us for one or two years, and the one time a return invitation came, it was accompanied by a pitch for money to back a production they were putting on. That was the end for us. Now we say hello when we see them on the street. It feels good to get this off my chest and read how others feel about a similar situation. In the case of these folks, I wouldn't want to end our friendship over this, and as I said, in recent times they always bring a significant item for our mutual enjoyment. I'm just so conditioned to reciprocate at least once that it's hard to understand (and not take umbrage) at a mind set that doesn't think to. But that's what makes people so interesting--and sometimes so irritating.
  3. Not really Robert. The issue is more one of attitude or lack of prediliction to entertain others. They can accomodate company for dinner in either their apartment or country home. When eating out, the bill is always split, never an offer to pay. In fact the ordering is always very "tit for tat" too, never allowing an imbalance in our favor. I will say that in recent years there is always an offer of "what can we bring" when invited to our place, and a willingness to come with the ingredients for a meal, hors d'ourves, or breakfast. That makes me feel better. The more we discuss this here, the less bothered I am becoming. My inclination, as Adam and others have said, is to simply let go of the desire to change them and accept what is and go on. There are far worse things in the world to get bothered about. Well, this has been very therapeutic!
  4. Stellabella, Jinmyo,StefanyB, thanks. I think perhaps there is something to what you say Stefany. I am so involved with good food, wine, and hospitality. Most of the people we entertain and who entertain us operate on this level. I think these people have no experience and/or don't feel comfortable trying to match this level and therefore avoid trying, even though they can well afford to. I also think there is a degree of selfishness or self involvement that prevents them from thinking about entertaining others. Just as you say, Jinmyo, they simply don't derive any pleasure from giving pleasure to others. I wish I could be more like you Stellabella, and turn a blind eye, deaf ear, etc. That never comes easy to me. I have cut off from our social lives several other people who are like this, but we have too much else going for me to do that here. Maybe after a few bottles of vino I'll bring up the subject in, as you suggest Stefany, a non-aggressive way.
  5. Thank you, Jinmyo. I care a lot about what and how I serve guests. It gives me great pleasure. That makes it doubley irritating. But they are neither slovenly nor devoid of ability to serve a meal. It is due either to laziness, anxiety, lack of social graces, or a combination of all of the above. In other respects, they are enjoyable to be with, good humored and interesting conversationalists.
  6. All excellent and well put questions, Cabrales: 1. Rarely, until recent years when I overtly suggsted sharing cost of food. Since then, all the time. 2. Yes, it is very close. 3. They spend quite generously on themselves, eating out quite frequently, if not "lavishly" certainly quite well. 4. Very definitley. They consider us very close, and we, they. 5. Not directly, as I do not want to insult them. I have spoken about my lack of enthusiasm for others of our mutual acquaintance who don't reciprocate, to little apparent effect.
  7. We have been close friends with a couple for many years. For quite a few years we invited them to our home for many, many weekends that included breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Summer barbeques, winter feasts, holiday parties, casual weekends. Never were these invitations reciprocated by an invitation to dinner in the city. Rarely, if ever was an offer made to share the cost of the food. After several years of this, I suggested we share the cost of meals, which was immediately accepted. Several years ago, our friends purchased a weekend home and I thought, now we'll be invited for cookouts, etc. With rare exception, this has not happened. Rarely, if ever, do they host anyone, yet they are constantly invited to others' homes. I really like the people, but am irritated by the lack of reciprocation. I finally stopped inviting them, except one or two annual holiday parties. I'd like to know if others have had similar experiences and what was done, besides grimace and bear it.
  8. It looks suspiciously like pale gefilte fish.
  9. My daughter’s wedding. Site: our country house. Time of year: August. Number of guests: 200. Tents cover twenty dining tables, each with ten seats, three serving stations, bars and dance floor. Separate tent for grilling station. Ceremony to be held on hillside, facing lake, under the sky. Night beforehand, severe weather alert. Thunderstorms, dangerous lightning, High winds. No tents are blown away! Weather continues through morning and, miracle of miracles, clears by 11 am. Sun comes out, day turns perfect. Grill chef and crew of three don’t show at predetermined time. Disc jockey and crew don’t show at predetermined time. Twenty beef tenderloins with pepper crust, eight butterfly legs of lamb and three twenty-pound fresh salmon await grilling. Contingency planning goes into high gear. Three grill assistants recruited from guests, I plan to take senior grill position. Three musicians recruited from guests to play wedding march. SUV with six-speaker stereo recruited to play CD with baroque trumpet music processional. Grill chef and crew show during ceremony (got lost). Disc jockey and crew show during dinner (got lost). No one the wiser but my wife and me. My panic subsides and a good time was had by all. A wonderful event, seamless service, delicious food, dancing ‘till the wee hours. When I think of what could have been, I start sweating all over again.
  10. Bux, the guide has been renewed three times since it first appeared in 1995. The current edition was published last spring based on research that was conducted into early 2001, so it is fairly current. It is not a "yearly" though. I used it last fall in Paris and found it to be accurate. Steve, I'd be interested in what you find lacking in the book as regards the survey of good bistros and wine bars. Is it that you want a wider survey of restaurants beyond bistros? Or do you feel the information provided about the listed bistros is not complete? I've found the listings very helpful in selecting places and in deciding what to order. I've used it to pick places based on a specific dish I've wanted, and to pick places in specific areas. nb> Robert Hamburger is a Bronx and Manhattanite. No relation, as far as I know to Howard in Bayside.
  11. I would like to put in a plug for my in-laws' book: A Guide to Paris Bistros, by Robert and Barbara Hamburger, published in 2001 by Harper Collins. This is the third and jupdated edition. It is an asiduously researched. carefully edited and very accurate guide to the bistros of Paris. Having helped with some of the research, I can attest to the seriousness with which the Hamburgers (no puns please, they've heard them all) approach the subject. I'm curious how many eGulletiers have read or used this book. It is available at Amazon andf B&N as well as elsewhere.
  12. You might try contacting the offices Bacardi North America in Miami. They are on Biscayne Blvd. They have documented their own history, pre and post Castro and may be willing to share their history with you. Their facilities were taken over by the Castro government who began production of Havana Club rum, which is sold in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
  13. Glenn, I use a French Press every day and the Braun burr grinder I recommended does a great job. I am a coffee geek and work with a founder of Pasqua Coffee Bars, a chain that was started the same time as Starbucks and ultimately bought by same. Their chairman, a friend, introduced me to good coffee about ten years ago. The Braun burr grinder costs only $52 and has 14 settings from very fine for espresso to very course. It will grind enough beans for up to five cups (6 oz. @ 2 tablespoons per cup). This from someone who spent $2500 (during a period of temporary insanity and obsession with audio equipment) for a phono cartridge (Koetsu), you don't need an esoteric grinder for $250 or a hand grinder. I make esperesso in an Olympia and also French press coffee every morning. This machine works well for all types.
  14. Steve, (maybe I missed this but) are your wonderful road-notes going to wind up in a book? They are too good to go unpublished.
  15. Way to go Lizziee. A great "revenge" story. I do think how people dress has an impact on the overall feeling and ambiance of a place, so it is an issue. Yet short of banning shorts and "beach wear" and requiring jackets for men, it's hard to figure out any other control. I very much resent having to wear a tie, but I want the option to be mine. Awful looking clothes on patrons is like graffiti or bad art on the walls. There's not much one can do except not go back if the overall experience isn't worth it. If people do not wish to be influenced by social convention, our society, thankfully, allows that. I am bothered much more by *very* loud talking, laughing at extremely high volume levels by groups of, usually, quite young women and "frat guys" in otherwise sedate restaurants. I've been seated next to tables full of screaming, shreiking and yelling people, each seeming to try to outdo the other in volume. It isn't fun.
  16. jaybee

    suggestions please

    I've always found Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label Brut to be to our liking, vintage or non-vintage depending on your price point. It has a quite dry finish with a nice amount of fruit taste and a very refreshing mouthfeel. In fact I prefer it to any other label, regardless of price. I don't know what vintage is being sold now, so you might check the reviews.
  17. Braun make exactly what you are looking for. It is a bur grinder that will handle up to twelve tablespoons of grounds (enough for six 6 oz. cups of coffee). It has a large range of settings (6-8) for grind, from very fine (for espresso) to very course. The switch is a spring loaded dial that you turn to the desired number of tablespoons (from zero to twelve) and it runs without having to be held down, as some others do, and shuts off when it reaches zero. The grounds come out in a removable container that can be washed after each use. I think Zabars carries it for around $30. I've used this model for over six years and it is quite reliable and sturdy. It is very small so it can be left on a countertop without taking much room. NB> They seemed to have changed the design a little since I bought mine. Here is a link to the unit that I think replaced mine. http://www.sportmats.com/braun-coffee-grinders.asp This one is $52.
  18. SQC on Columbus between 72 and 73 on west side of street. Very high quality food, inventive as well as basic bistro. Fusion and homestyle. Everything I've eaten from Scott Campbell tastes good! Great frites and desserts too.
  19. I discovered Chefshop.com some months ago and have enjoyed many fine products from them. Their selection of olive oils and fig jams are great, as are many other specialty items from France and Italy. They ship promptly, charge fair prices, give excellent customer service on the phone. Makes me wonder what other great places are out there I don't know about. If this topic was covered already (which it undoubtedly was), just lead me to the thread.
  20. Lizziee, You are fortunate. That's a wonderful way to travel. My brother-in-law is a great travel planner and Francophile, so we've had the good fortune of many trips with him and my wife's sister such as you describe over the past 20 years (about one week shorter though). That's one of the reasons I started a thread on "best trip itineraries." We moved away from the 3* places after the first ten years and look for small, upstart restaurants and regional stars. That's what got us to Greuze. (Our travel companions got so into bistros in Paris they wrote "Paris Bistros," the third edition of which came out last year). Have you covered the Sologne region? I'd enjoy comparing notes on that with you, perhaps in an off-forum email.
  21. I think you'll find these beans at Dean & Deluca's main store.
  22. I am ordering some beans from Meinl. Can someone find out which blend is used at Sabarsky. There are many offered on Meinl's website.
  23. Lizziee, I am so glad you've joined this forum! (How long have you been keeping such records)? Where is the Moulin de Marterey? It sounds very appealing.
  24. And here's where to get it. http://www.meinl.com/store....=COFFEE But what variety of bean blend is it? And are we talking brewed or expresso?
  25. Perhaps an eGullet spy could find out what roaster, supplier and/or beans or bean blend is used so we coffee fanatics could buy some for home use?
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