Andrew&Karen

<<But I wouldn't mind hearing what, in Mr. Bruni's view, is the difference between two and three stars, or between one and two - a standard I don't recall any recent reviewer explaining. It would be a most interesting discussion, and also a quite valuable one.>> When Ruth Reichl was the TIMES' critic, we asked her about her definitions, which we wrote about in our book DINING OUT: Secrets of America's Leading Critics, Chefs and Restaurateurs. There are general TIMES guidelines for each starred category (0 to 4), but they are applied through the individual critic's lens. (We'd be happy to post her comments, if there's interest.) We're with the majority, we think, in being much-relieved -- excited, even -- by Bruni's passion both for food and the restaurant experience in his debut review. However, we're just as disappointed by what we thought to be a couple of glaring oversights: namely, the space and attention devoted to BABBO's desserts and wine. (To be fair, these areas have also been overlooked by other recent TIMES critics, and not just Bruni.) First, only ONE 51-word paragraph (of this 31-paragraph article) was devoted to the work of pastry chef Gina DePalma, who for the past two years has been one of five finalists for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef nationally. Six years between TIMES reviews seems to be a long time to wait for the mere acknowledgment that your desserts are "almost always wonderful." Second, only two paragraphs (a grand total of 54 words) were devoted to BABBO's extraordinary wine program overseen by Joe Bastianich and David Lynch -- 22 of those words being about the "unusually deep dimple" of the wine decanter. Come on....Just last month BABBO won the 2004 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Service. Wouldn't it make sense to mention some of the things that set apart BABBO's wine program, not to mention DePalma's desserts, as so extraordinary? We hope to see these areas given more attention, when warranted, in future reviews -- just as we hope to see the passion and promise conveyed in this review to continue. Just as it has been the TIMES' policy to refrain from reviewing a restaurant until making three or more visits to it, we should refrain from passing judgment on a single column. However, even the TIMES came up with its "Diner's Journal" feature as a means of expressing early enthusiasm for promising restaurants. We'd like to chime in with our early enthusiasm for Frank Bruni's promise as the TIMES' new critic. Welcome to New York, Frank. Karen & Andrew http://www.becomingachef.com

We were in Vancouver last week on our book tour for THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF (locals can keep an eye out for a piece by Mia Stainsby in the Vancouver Sun in the coming week or two), and ended up eating not once but twice at Vikram Vij's RANGOLI. On our first visit, we especially loved the lamb and pork curries...and on our second, we were sent the crabcakes to try, which were delicious. But mainly we went to try the Indian coffee, which Vikram was disappointed we'd missed on our first visit. Andrew was told that the beans are imported then roasted to order by the same company that custom-roasts the beans for Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. Our second visit also gave us opportunity to see the Bollywood films which air in the bathroom stalls...which Vikram pointed out are positioned as only viewable from a certain (i.e. "seated") angle! We were delighted to learn that Vikram is one of several prominent Indian chefs being featured at a Monday, June 7th dinner at TABLA in our home town of New York City -- a special event celebrating "New Indian Cooking in America" featuring Madhur Jaffrey, Thomas John, Jehangir Mehta, Suvir Saran, VV and of course Floyd Cardoz, executive chef of TABLA. We wouldn't dream of missing it! Karen & Andrew Our visit to Vancouver, etc.

We suspect other fellow eGulleteers might also find Molly O'Neill's new article "Food Porn" in the Sept/Oct 2003 issue of the COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW of interest: http://www.cjr.org/issues/2003/5/foodporn-oneill.asp (Credit goes to Jenifer Lang for mentioning it to Karen at dinner the other night at Le Cirque.) Karen & Andrew

We hear your point, and agree that it's worth being curious and sometimes even concerned about the forces that drive chefs to do what they do. And we share your concerns about cooks who are aiming to cook at a level that they themselves have never experienced. When researching CHEF'S NIGHT OUT, we became convinced that dining out is a vital aspect of any chef's culinary education. The opening paragraphs of CHEF'S NIGHT OUT read: "What does it take to become a great chef in America today? Certainly education -- either as an apprentice or, more than ever before, in professional cooking schools -- and experience in the kitchen are important. A profound understanding of ingredients, and the flavors and techniques that will best enhance their taste, is vital -- along with a commitment to excellence at every step of the way. "But leading professional chefs across America agree that the most important aspect of a professional chef's development is eating out. What most of the general public do for sustenance, and many restaurant lovers do for entertainment, is the lifeblood of an ambitious chef's professional development. "'I am a huge advocate of chefs learning to cook by eating in good restaurants,' says Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (Chicago). 'I recommend that constantly. The first thing that anyone who's serious about becoming a chef should do is save up every penny they've got and eat at the best restaurants in the country. And not just once -- they need to go regularly.' "Bob Kinkead, chef-owner of Kinkead's (Washington, DC), agrees. 'I have always been of the opinion that I learn a lot more by dining in restaurants than by working in them,' says Kinkead. 'That's how I saw the big picture of what a restaurateur aims to achieve....'" We'll look forward to checking out your links. [Oh, and FYI, there's an entire chapter of THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF up on Amazon.com as of today, we think.] Best wishes, Karen & Andrew

Thanks for the tip -- we'll hope to keep you posted! Cheers, Karen & Andrew P.S. We keep the world posted on our upcoming book tour at http://www.becomingachef.com/news_and_events.php

Hi Nick, We shudder at the thought!! ; ) Karen & Andrew

We'd heard of Community Coffee when researching our last book CHEF'S NIGHT OUT: From Four-Star Restaurants to Neighborhood Favorites -- 100 Top Chefs Tell You Where (and How!) to Enjoy America's Best. Among the sections on chefs' favorite spots in each of 28 different markets, Frank Brigtsen of Brigtsen's in New Orleans (a self-described "coffee junkie") mentioned that his favorite coffee is Community Coffee: "Coffee with chicory is so much a part of our culture in New Orleans. Sometimes I remember to bring it with me when I travel, but when I don't -- boy, do I miss it! New Orleans coffee is full-flavored, and has a dark, roasted richness to it that I have not seen anywhere else. The chicory gives it a bitter flavor, but in a pleasant way. Community Coffee is the brand I drink which has a bunch of cafes called CC's. Another place is P&J's. Both are at the top of my list." Since CHEF'S NIGHT OUT was essentially a travel guide (as well as a guide to chefs' #1 source of learning: dining out!) published in 2001 -- just as the economy tanked so people were already traveling less and then 9/11 stopped them from traveling altogether -- it didn't have the audience of our previous books. (We were also told by readers that its $29.95 cover price didn't help matters!) But it's even a great read for armchair readers. We've never tasted Community Coffee ourselves, nor visited many of the wonderful restaurants (at all price points) that leading chefs told us were their favorites, but it's been incredibly instructive to learn how chefs think about food and restaurants. In addition, each of the 100 chefs featured also tells what they hope diners will get out of dining in their restaurants -- which, too, was eye-opening for us. In any case, thanks for chiming in about the deckled pages of CULINARY ARTISTRY -- we appreciate the feedback. It's great to know for other books we're planning along these lines (now who was asking about our next project??). ; ) And if you get to taste those blueberry muffins, let us know if they don't live up to Karen's enthusiastic recommendation and more! ; ) Best wishes, Karen & Andrew

Hi ExtraMSG, If you had forced yourself to eat a Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich from Burger King yesterday (as we both did, to be able to address another question in eGullet.com's Q&A), perhaps you wouldn't feel that great ingredients were so prevalent! We took it as proof positive that there's still a long way to go to raise the level of quality in American food -- not at the level of haute cuisine, but at the level at which most Americans eat on a daily basis. That's one of the reasons we're supportive of the fact that the Chipotle Grill chain is serving Niman Ranch pork. It makes quality accessible not only to those dining at a high-end restaurant, but to office workers grabbing a $6.50 burrito for lunch or dinner. It's also an example of the fact that mass production doesn't have to equal generic. It's really a matter of values -- values of the producers, values of the retailers, and values of the consumers. Niman Ranch stands for something. Chipotle Grill stands for something. And every consumer votes with their wallet as to what they stand for (to paraphrase Chapter 10 of BECOMING A CHEF). Our collective decisions are what will determine the quality of food in America in the long run. Best wishes, Karen & Andrew P.S. Oh, and as for branded ingredients on menus -- did you know that certain producers offer discounts if their names are featured as such on menus? Given that that's the case, it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon....

Hi ExtraMSG, You're right -- some of America's leading chefs don't always respect the "Tradition" of the cuisines that serve as their reference points in cooking. But "Traditional" (what we refer to as the North point on the Culinary Compass we describe in our excerpt from THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF which appears elsewhere on eGullet.com) doesn't always equal "delicious." If you go to many Thai restaurants in Thailand, you'll get overcooked food -- because that's what's "traditional." But at Vong, Jean-Georges Vongerichten treats his ingredients with great care and cooks them with a different sensibility in mind. Likewise, Rick Bayless has told us that Mexican natives will eat at Frontera Grill or Topolobampo and tell him that a particular mole is never served in Mexico with anything but a particular meat -- yet Bayless will argue that, while not "traditional," the mole is a delicious accompaniment to other meats, such as in the combination featured on his menu! You might especially enjoy reading the excerpt from THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF on eGullet.com for more on this topic. Best wishes, Karen & Andrew

If we can find a host for a stop in Portland, we'd love to include it on our itinerary! We haven't had the pleasure of visiting in a few years, since our aforementioned visit to Powell's Books for Cooks. Best wishes, Karen & Andrew

Hi ExtraMSG, You're of course referring to the fact that our publisher left the pages uncut of our first three books, for more of a "rustic," "artsy" look. Thanks for the feedback that this hasn't allowed the book to be as user-friendly as it should be, as we hadn't heard it before. We do believe form should follow function, so it's helpful to know! And we're especially delighted to know that this inconvenience hasn't prevented you from finding CULINARY ARTISTRY "a great book"! We appreciate the kind words! Best wishes, Karen & Andrew

Oops....No wonder you never discovered those muffins in Lambertsville (NJ) -- I think I'd meant to write Carversville (PA), which is across the bridge and a bit further down River Road, as I'm sure you know. (It gets a bit confusing out there because these tiny towns in Bucks County are so close together.) We have friends who've had a house on Fleecydale Road in Carversville, from which you hang a right onto River Road and go less than a quarter mile or so to the General Store, which also serves wonderful deli sandwiches and has a selection of gifts, cards, and local travel and New Age books -- in addition to the single best blueberry muffins I've ever tasted in my life! Most blueberry muffins have 10-20% fruit, tops. I swear, these muffins are at least 40-50% fruit -- they're absolutely loaded with big juicy blueberries, with just enough batter to hold the blueberries together. I honestly can't eat any other blueberry muffins after having tasted them, because they've spoiled me for life. Community Coffee? Have you spent much time in New Orleans, and/or did you find a great mail order source? Cheers, Karen

Dear Andrea, It would be in the hope of assuring a lifetime supply of pork products (if the two of them in fact hit it off, that is)! ; ) Best wishes, Karen & Andrew

We have been surprised to find so many CULINARY ARTISTRY fans here on eGullet.com -- but perhaps we shouldn't have been. We've found readers of our books to be of a certain ilk in general, but when it comes to their favorite of our books, it's been a case of "Tell me what you read, and I will tell you who you are" (to paraphrase Brillat-Savarin). CULINARY ARTISTRY fans definitely tend to be among the most intelligent, literate and passionate of our readers. (It's not a book for beginners; it takes a certain amount of "having been around the block a few times" to "get" it.) And we've been very pleasantly surprised to find eGullet participants as sharing those characteristics in spades. Happy to hear that Nach's got a copy of THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF in the window at Kitchen Arts & Letters! By the way, another great feature of the book is that at the end of every chapter, Nach shares his recommendations as to the best places to turn to read more about each cuisine. His picks, and his descriptions of why he recommends them, are worth the price of the book alone! As for our next project....Gee, are you sure you don't mean to rush us?? We just got the two books that are coming out next month to the printer last month -- and we haven't even had time for a vacation yet before we head into book tour starting in a couple of weeks! Speaking of upcoming travels, we'll provide a link here later to some of our upcoming book tour stops (on our Web site under "News & Events") -- we'd love to get to meet some of our fellow eGulleteers while we're on the road! Best wishes, Karen & Andrew http://www.newamericanchef.com

P.S. The discussion got us both curious to try the Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich at Burger King, which Rick Bayless is endorsing. The sandwiches we were served at our local Burger King (on 47th Street, between Third and Lexington Aves. in Manhattan) this afternoon looked nothing like the sandwich pictured in a recent issue of ADWEEK, which depicts the chicken breast as topped with lots of vegetables. Instead, ours was topped with lots of strikingly vinegary and salty red sauce -- and a few onions and peppers. For $5.49, the value combo included a sandwich, a salad with Caesar-style dressing, and a bottle of water. The sandwich was not overly large, which was refreshing given the oversized sandwiches we've come to be used to in NYC/America. The bread had great texture -- soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. On the other hand, it had absolutely zero flavor. The chicken breast itself was surprisingly moist -- so much so that it did not appear to be grilled at all (which is emphasized in the sandwich's advertising), but rather grill-marked and poached (or, more likely, microwaved!). The tomato sauce with onions and peppers definitely struck us both as more Italian than Southwest. Was it delicious? No. Would we order it again? If we were traveling on an expressway and Burger King were our only option for sustenance, maybe -- but probably not. (We'd like to think we'd both hold out for something with some real character and flavor!) Given the bottles of Rick Bayless's wonderful salsas that are a constant in our refrigerator, we both imagined how infinitely better the sandwich would have tasted if they got rid of the Italian red sauce and topped it with Bayless's salsa instead! Now THAT would be a development to get excited about! Burger King executives, are you listening?!? Karen & Andrew http://www.newamericanchef.com