SORRY FUGU

6 New Paris Restaurants

2007-01-13T17:17:00.000-05:00

Fodor's dining correspondent Rosa Jackson highlights several new cool places to try during your next visit to the City of Lights:

Unico, best Argentinean steakhouse, 16 rue Paul-Bert, Bastille/Nation.

Ribouldingue, a new bistro near the ancient St-Julien-le-Pauvre church on the Left Bank, 10 rue St-Julien-le-Pauvre, Quartier Latin.

Boucherie Roulière, a long, narrow bistro near St. Sulpice, 24 rue des Canettes, St-Germain-des-Prés.

La Ferrandaise, a stone-walled bistro specializing in meat, near the Luxembourg Gardens, 8 rue de Vaugirard, St-Germain-des-Prés.

Le Temps au Temps, youthful Lyonnais chef Sylvain Endra works the tiny kitchen of this always-packed bistro, 13 rue Paul Bert, Bastille/Nation. (Prix fixe lunches are a real bargain.)

La Cerisaie, "Cyril Lalanne belongs to a breed of young chefs who like to cook for a privileged few." 70 bd Edgar Quinet, Montparnasse.

TRAVEL + LEISURE: Best Hot Chocolate

2007-01-13T16:58:00.000-05:00

Topping the list in the January 2007 issue of TRAVEL + LEISURE is Angelina's in Paris: "though nouveau chocolatiers are setting up shop on every rue, none rivals this 1903 classic. The tearoom's baroque interior is a throwback to Parisian café society, and its tasty chocolat africain is so thick you can eat it with a spoon. Whipped cream is a welcome sidekick, as is the "chaser" of ice water that accompanies your pot of molten decadence. 226 Rue de Rivoli, First Arr.; 33-01/42- 60-82-00."

The Palate plans an Open Houselett

2007-01-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

I went to a very low key New Year's Eve fête, although there were some fabulous fireworks available for the exploding. So that was fun. I am having my little open houselett here this weekend, but in the meantime I am trying to get some work done on my animation project. Nothing but problems and file incompatibilities. I am going to stop in at the Computer Science dept. tomorrow and see if there is some one who might be able to help me out with it.

Boring, I know but that is my life at the moment. Perhaps I should take a break and go to Wal-Mart to buy some napkins for the open house. That should liven things up. It is a pot luck so I have very little to do. The theme is award winning food. I believe I have told you this already. I am making a goose berry pie which won an award from the National Gooseberry Association. I am also making roasted fingerling potatoes that are award winning heirloom varieties (red, white and blue potatoes) for finger food during the screening. I am also making a cheese tray that has a variety of cheeses meats and spreads that have all won approval from the USDA.

Kisses for the new year.

The Palate recalls his visit to Chez Panisse

2006-12-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

Oh Willa,

Thank you for the Clementine memory.

I am enjoying your blog from a remote tropical locale this holiday. Egrets and blue herons are looking for an afternoon snack at the edge of the lake in front of my parents' house. Here we eat comfort food, like microwaved vegetables with Cheez Wiz Sauce and Swanson's Salisbury Steak.

The first time I became aware of clementines as being something other than another orange was at Chez Panisse on the day after Thanksgiving ten or so years ago. The menu started with an apéritif, then a butternut squash and Comté cheese tartlet with rocket salad. That was followed by pheasant consommé with turnips, carrots and chestnuts and then grilled swordfish with American caviar butter, braised escarole and spinach, fried leeks and celery root purée. For dessert, warm fondant au chocolat with clementine sherbet and Champagne sabayon. It was quite an amazing dinner and I remember each course vividly, the flavors complemented each other perfectly. The warm chocolate, cold clementine with the hint of champagne ending still lingers.

Just in time!

2006-12-26T19:49:00.000-05:00

From Tuesday's New York Post's PAGE SIX:

The elderly proprietor of Albanese Meats - the old-school NoLIta store used by Martin Scorsese in "Mean Streets" and Robert De Niro's American Express ad - got an early Christmas gift Thursday: his life. Mo Albanese was preparing a crown roast for a customer and chatting about the actors whose photos adorn his wall, when he suddenly dropped his knife and collapsed to the floor. The customer, an investigator with the state Office of Tax Enforcement, called 911. Emergency workers quickly arrived to help Albanese, who's now said to be doing fine in a hospital. "Thank God I was there," the customer told The Post's Dan Mangan.

Of Unexpected Acts of Kindness and Clementines

2006-12-25T11:31:00.000-05:00

It is either late at night now or early morning, depending on whether you are a "glass half full or half empty" sort of person. I am sitting here sipping a glass of a lovely unfiltered Domaine la Montagnette 2003 Cotes du Rhone rouge which I bought several weeks ago after noticing a little tag saying it had also been selected for the wine list at Jean-Ro Bistro downtown. (I figured if it was good enough for Jean-Robert de Cavel, it was good enough for me!) The last remaining brownie of the batch is close at hand now, the really good kind with two sides of chewy crust, and I am pleased to report that the wine complements its flavor very well. I am tempted to pull a clementine or two out of the refrigerator to rest on the the kitchen table and warm up for breakfast tomorrow. I must admit, I have a real jones for clementines, but their cost is tres cher. Still, I must have them. What can I say? They always take me back to Paris.

After Jef and I left the Montmartre creperie, we headed back to the Abbesses Metro stop where I noticed little flyers advertising the services of gypsy fortunetellers littering the ground. Although they were wet from the rain, I picked one up as a souvenir. Jef walked me back to the hotel from the Cirque d'Hiver and said he'd call me about our plans for Jim's New Year's Eve party the next day.

Once in my room, I collapsed onto the bed and looked at the clock. It was getting late and I had told Denis when he had called earlier that I would meet him at 8 at the little restaurant to the right of the Fontaine St. Michel. Dolling myself up a little with my new Chanel eyeshadow and spritzing myself lightly with Guerlain's new fragrance Mahora, I waited impatiently for my nail polish to dry. Checking the time again, I decided I had to head out. This time I was not going to waste my time taking two trains to get there. I had decided to take the bus down through the Marais to the Latin Quarter. It wound around through a maze of little streets, but it was fun to see the shop windows full of their Christmas displays. In fact, I had tried it out a couple of days before, just so I would know where I was going in the dark. My little evening bag wouldn't hold my faithful companion, Michelin's Paris par arrondissements. But that was OK. After all, I knew where I was going, didn't I?

The bus was crowded and I had to stand, but I was glad to be on my way. The streets were full of people, too, and I enjoyed watching them. But something was wrong. Suddenly the bus had stopped and the driver was making an announcement. We were at Chatelet and he was yelling, "Terminus"! What I hadn't realized was that on Saturday night, the regular Paris buses just stop operating at 8 pm! Luckily, I recognized the area as one that I had been to a few days earlier, looking for the Théâtre de la Ville where the Japanese Butoh group Sankai Juku was scheduled to perform. Everybody on the bus had the same problem now. I decided to follow the crowd across the bridge and soon found myself at the restaurant.

It was crowded and we didn't have a reservation, but Denis was already sitting at a table, waiting for me. He helped me off with my coat and we exchanged bises on each cheek. It seemed a little drafty, we were so close to the door. But who's complaining. I was in Paris on a date with a handsome, intelligent Frenchman. What's not to like? There was some discussion of le vache fou ("mad cow") and Denis said that restaurants were no longer serving steak tartare. He seemed especially disappointed. But soon we ordered drinks and became engrossed in conversation. Originally we had planned to have dinner and then go somewhere else to hear some jazz, but Denis was as green as I was when it came to where to go. He was not a Parisien, he said, in fact he found them rather cold. Although he worked as a research scientist at the Pasteur Institute, he lived in the suburbs and took the RER to and from work. He was single, played the violin, went faithfully every year to the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and loved Nigel Kennedy's music. In fact that was our common thread. I had met Nigel a couple of years earlier and we had hit it off. He is a geniunely brilliant musician and a generous, passionate, intelligent human being as well. It was a huge pleasure to be invited to spend a little "down time" with him after concerts.

I was so engrossed in conversation with Denis that I cannot recall a thing I ate, but the time flew by quickly and I realized that I had to leave immediately in order to catch the Metro back to my hotel. Ironically, the RER, which the suburbanites use, runs later than the Metro, so Denis had more time to spend than I did. He walked me to St. Michel station and said he would call me the next day. We still had a jazz club to go to before I left for home!

The train came and I was relieved to see it. It wasn't very full. A short time later, when we arrived back at Strasbourg-St. Denis, my transfer point, I thought everything was cool. I could still hear the sound of trains roaring in the background as I made my way to the other platform. And then, suddenly, I realized that I was the only person left, except for a French couple sitting on a bench nearby, seemingly in the middle of an argument. They were attractive and well-dressed, trés bon chic, bon genre, but yelling at each other over the disembodied voice that echoed high above us in the tiled tunnel. I am not exactly helpless when it comes to speaking and reading French, but the voice came out of nowhere and, with it, fumbling noises, like Inspector Clouseau shuffling around a big old-fashioned desk microphone. This happened over and over again! I gathered the jist of things was that we had just missed the last train and so were out of luck. The French woman kept looking up toward the ceiling and yelling for the disembodied voice to shut up. Finally, they rose to leave and then, without warning, she started screaming. There were rats down there and she had just come eyeball to eyeball with one. I could wait no longer. "Pardonnez-moi, madame. Je suis Américaine. Parlez-vous anglais?" She did and we ran up the stairs to the street where they told me they were planning to take a taxi down to Bastille to go bar-hopping. After asking where I was staying, they offered to give me a lift to my hotel. Unfortunately, the queue for taxis was already quite long, so her boyfriend decided that we would walk. He took off at a brisk pace and seemed amused that I was able to keep up. Little did he know how many months of religiously working out at the Y had gone into my plans. Ironically, now it was all paying off.

I was relieved to be in their company, especially since I had left my map at home. Although I'd been through the Strasbourg-St. Denis station many times over the previous week, I had never been at street level and had NO idea where we were. It turned out that we were fairly close to Republique which was not too far from my hotel. We walked down the Boulevard Voltaire at a fast clip, stopping in at a little grocery store along the way. I bought a bottle of vin rouge to take back to the hotel and the boyfriend bought a handful of clementines. He handed me a couple as a gift and they insisted on walking me all the way to the door of my hotel to make sure I was safely home. Safely ensconced in my hotel room, with Johnny Depp and the French version of Polanski's Ninth Gate to keep me company on the television, I opened the wine and poured a glass.

I can't remember their names, but I will always think of my new friends as my special angels, especially after I finally took that first sweet, juicy bite of clementine.

Cakegrrl's Places to Go and Good Things to Eat

2006-12-17T13:28:00.000-05:00

In honor of Cakegrrl's visit home for Christmas, here's a little list of suggestions for fun places to visit along the way!

1. Madison's Produce at Findlay Market: try their great new line of gelatos;

2. Embrace Sweets at Findlay Market: this mom and daughter duo have some of the tastiest brownies around!

3. Tara's Coffee Shop at Findlay Market: where else can you find both lavender scones and sample some of Kentucky's best premium ice cream, Valentine's (and make mine bourbon chocolate, please, just like Jean-Robert buys for Pigall's!)...

4. Saigon Market: stop in and say hello to Mr. Yip and pick up a bottle of rose or orange flower water for those Moroccan pastries you've always wanted to make.

5. Marble Hill Chocolatier: oh, try these for me, please -- chocolate lavender torte with pistachios; white chocolate bourbon blondie; almond mocha macaroon; “petticoat tails” of shortbread with ginger and cocoa nibs; chocolate chocolate chip and banana cupcake with chocolate curry ganache; and white chocolate lemongrass tart with a cracked black pepper crust.

6. Jean-Robert's Greenup Café: ooooo, coffee éclairs ($2)! And what's this I hear about Bûches de Noë?!? I believe these faboo confections are the creation of pastry chef Jean-Philippe Solnom--and I am wondering whether he is the former pastry chef of the late, lamented Maisonette during Jean-Robert's reign as chef...

7. Bonbonerie: just for old time's sake (and a piece of "Tuxedo Cake"? ;-))

8. Kroger's: how about a few Gold Star Chili seasoning packets for when that Cincinnati Chili bug hits you in Sacramento?

Holiday Flavor Trend?

2006-12-17T12:42:00.000-05:00

Has anyone else noticed the proliferation of products with a caramel flavor dominating store shelves these days? Mind you, I'm the last one to complain considering that, after chocolate, caramel has to be my favorite candy flavor!

Folger's Gourmet Selections Coffees introduced a new flavor this autumn called Caramel Drizzle. It has a heady aroma which makes it the primary candidate for my experiment in making coffee concentrate.

Another BIG favorite, is Betty Crocker's Warm Delights Molten Caramel Cake. Given the cooking limitations I'm dealing with in the kitchen, imagine my delight in discovering the commercial for this playing one evening on TV. Although some have compared the simplicity of preparing this little cake to childhood cooking experiences using an Easy-Bake Oven, I can only say I'll take your word for that. The wizards who created this hot from the microwave treat made it as simple as "1-2-3" to prepare. By just mixing in a tablespoon of water to the packet of cake mix in its little microwave-safe bowl, then drizzling the caramel topping over the top of the cake batter, and nuking it for a minute or so, you have a tasty chocolate caramel cake for one. Using willpower to the Nth degree, I can ration these out to one every 3 or so weeks--but not for lack of desire!

One thing that's been around (at least in the Midwest) for the past several years is Marzetti's Old Fashioned Caramel Apple Dip. A modern update of the old caramel-apple on a stick, this rich, but satisfying dip, provides just the tasty memory I want once fall and its crops of apples roll around again. And, of course, the apple part makes it entirely nutritious! ;-)

Twice (Microwave) Baked Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes or yams
6 T caramel dip
2 T butter
1/8 t ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
2 t toasted chopped pecans (optional)

Wash potatoes, pierce each potato several times with a large fork to allow steam to escape. Place potatoes in microwave on High for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn potatoes and rearrange after 3 minutes. When done, wrap in foil. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut top off hot baked potatoes. Scoop out hot potato with a spoon, be careful to keep shells intact. Set shells aside. In a mixing bowl, combine hot potato, 1/4 cup caramel dip, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat with electric mixer on High speed until fluffy. Spoon mixture into potato shells. Place on a serving plate. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on High 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining 2 tablespoons topping. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, optional. Makes 2 servings.

Chocolate Lounge Heats Up

2006-12-15T06:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry, Cakegrrl! Looks like you'll miss this one, too! :-(

Only one more week until Christmas and if you happen to be in O'Bryonville on Saturday, shopping along its fabulous little Madison Road strip of shops, you might just take a break at Marble Hill Chocolatier's Chocolate Lounge.

Marble Hill will open early at 9am, to premiere new plated desserts made exclusively for Marble Hill by the pastry chefs of the Jean-Robert French Restaurant Group. Breakfast pastry from Jean-Philippe Solnom of Jean-Robert’s Greenup Café will be offered, as well as a Cranberry Walnut Chocolate tart and a chocolate lavender torte with pistachios by Karen Crawford of Jean-Robert at Pigall’s, while Summer Genetti of Jean-Robert’s Pho Paris, premieres a bittersweet malted chocolate mousse.

From 11am to 1pm, Karen Crawford and Summer Genetti, as well as Jean-Robert de Cavel will be on hand to discuss all things pastry and chocolate.

“When you have passion for food, chocolate is always on top of the list. And I am especially pleased to see the talents of Karen, Summer and Jean-Philippe featured outside our restaurants,” says Jean-Robert.

Pastries already offered include a white chocolate bourbon blondie; bittersweet brownie with chocolate and brown sugar; and a take on the Pigall’s signature dessert: macadamia shortbread with milk chocolate; almond mocha macaroon; “petticoat tails” of shortbread with ginger and cocoa nibs; a chocolate chocolate chip and banana cupcake with chocolate curry ganache, and a white chocolate lemongrass tart with a cracked black pepper crust.

“The response to the pastries has been amazing,” says Bill Sands, owner of Marble Hill, “We’re excited to introduce three new desserts to compliment the assortment we already have.”

Guests can relax in the Chocolate Lounge with tea, coffee, cocoa and pastries or the Marble Hill signature truffles and bonbons. Samples will also be available.

“Whether you’re looking for a box of Marble Hill signature chocolates to give, or need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season, you can do both in the Chocolate Lounge,” adds Sands.

Pastry prices range from $1.35- $8.00. The beverage menu includes teas by Harney & Sons: $1.50; coffee by Coffee Emporium: $1.50 and exotic cocoas: $3.00 - $5.00.

Marble Hill Chocolatier
1989 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH
Telephone: (513) 321-0888
Hours: Tues - Sat 11am - 5 pm
Gift boxes of the signature chocolates are available for shipping anywhere in the United States from www.marblehillchocolatier.com

Best Ever Bourbon Brownies
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 to 3 tablespoons bourbon
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted

Grease and 8x8x2 inch baking pan,; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/3 cup butter, the granulated sugar and water. Cook and stir over medium heat just until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Add the 1 cup chocolate pieces, stirring until melted. Stir in eggs and vanilla, beating lightly with a spoon just until combined. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in pecans. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake in a 350º oven about 20 minutes or until edges are set and begin to pull away from sides of pan.

Using a fork prick the warm brownies several times. Drizzle bourbon evenly over brownies; cool in pan on wire rack.

For frosting: In a small bowl, beat the 3 tablespoons butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 2 teaspoons milk and vanilla. If necessary, beat in remaining milk to reach spreading consistency. Spread over brownies; drizzle melted chocolate over frosting.

Santa Baby

2006-12-15T05:40:00.000-05:00

I've been a really good girl this year. Would you please bring me this Hello Kitty Toaster for Christmas? I'll try my best to leave you some yummy cookies and cocoa on the kitchen table!

I Concentrate on...Coffee

2006-12-14T20:22:00.000-05:00

One of the many things that has become a trial for me to do since my stroke is the simple act of making coffee. I absolutely looove the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, but trying to transport the water from my sink via walker's bicycle basket to coffeemaker, along with the ensuing cleanup is a chore. My solution, newly recreated from a 70s-something kitchen utensil called a "coffee toddy", is this little recipe from Cooking with Coffee by Carol Foster (and M.F.K. Fisher).

Coffee Concentrate
1/4 pound coffee, regular grind
2 cups cold water
Makes enough for 8 cups of coffee

Put water and coffee in a glass jar, stir, and cover/chill for 24 to 48 hours. Strain through a coffee filter into a clean container. While it drips through the filter, you should press the grounds from time to time. Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the filter. Discard the grounds, and store the liquid in a clean bottle in the refrigerator.

To make a cup of coffee: Add 2 tablespoons of concentrate to coffee mug. Add near-boiling water and stir.

Pomi's for Your Stocking?

2006-12-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Looking for a small, but tasty little addition to someone's Christmas stocking? How about a $50 gift certificate for Pomidori's Pizza and Trattoria for only $25? Beginning at 9am ET, you can be the early bird and get one of only 75 of these half-price bargains. If you've ever been to Pomi's, you'll already know how tasty their special wood-fired pizzas can be. Have a shrimp and asparagus one for me, ok?

Pomi's (Clifton)
121 W. McMillan St
(513) 861-0080
Sun - Thurs 11am - 12pm
Fri - Sat 11am - 1am

Pomi's (Olde Montgomery)
7880 Remington Rd
(513) 794-0080
Sunday - Thursday 11am - 11pm
Friday - Saturday 11am - 12pm

Pho Paris migrating south of the border

2006-12-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite pieces of yellow journalism, The Whistleblower, reports today that "according to Jean-Robert de Cavel's business partner, Martin Wade, the business issued a press release indicating that the upscale Pho Paris restaurant in Oakley would be moving to Covington. The restaurant will be moving into the old Scalea/Continental Lounge space [at 318] Greenup Street and is expected to open in mid-January. Wade said they had some discussions about leasing the Donna's Diner space [at 315 Greenup St.], but decided to hold off on that project until they see how things go with the Pho Paris restaurant. Expect to see something in the newspaper one of these days. Imagine that. Another business is moving from Cincinnati to Northern Kentucky."

A New Year's Eve celebration will mark the last night at the Oakley location. De Cavel decided to move Pho Paris so it could be closer to his three other restaurants. He says the new design will have a more casual atmosphere and somewhat lower prices. "I will be able to spend more time in the restaurant and be with my team," de Cavel said. Pho Paris was No. 10 on the Cincinnati Magazine list of top 25 restaurants in Cincinnati this year.

Herbs and Spice Cooking Demo Sunday at Findlay Market

2006-12-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

De Stewart, proprietor of Herbs & Spice and Everything Nice and assistant, Alaina, will present a cooking demonstration at noon this Sunday, December 10, at the Internet Café, across from Silverglade's. Duck in from the cold weather and watch the Colonel and Alaina do a spring mixed salad with mandarin orange; Sweet No Heat Pecans; caramelized onions with Nasturtium vinaigrette; scallops with proscuitto with Chinese 5 spice powder, smoked sea salt and smoked paprika; finished off with some mulled cider.

From Bella to...Boca?

2006-12-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

The Inkwire speculates there may be a deal close at hand by Boca owner David Falk for the former Bella space at Sixth and Walnut Streets, adjacent to the Aronoff Center for the Arts. That would be a mighty positive move for downtown! A piece in October's Business Courier mentioned that Falk had shown interest in the site for a new concept. And Boca's manager, Bawe Shinholster, said the company was considering the spot. "We're definitely interested. It's just an awesome location," he said. Fingers crossed!

Funeral Parade of Roses

2006-12-03T15:09:00.000-05:00

Dearest,

What a lovely evening last night. The beginning of what I hope will be many movie club nights with my new projector. The movie, Funeral Parade of Roses. I have always wanted to see it. A Japanese take on Oedipus with a drag/queer twist from 1969. It was really great, hysterically funny and also gruesomely violent. You can see the influence of all the French New Wave directors, but also how it influenced Stanley Kubrick. It is sooooo hard to find. I had only read about it but my friend Suzie found a bootleg DVD in France that had an English subtitle option. I doubt it will ever be on the Channel 5 afternoon movie but if you ever get a chance this is for the must see list.

As you know my deal was that the movie club will include the cuisine of the setting in the movie. As you may also know I have never made any Japanese food so here is what I constructed. Appetizers were edamame, horseradish peas and Kraft spray cheese with rice crackers. (There seems to be a bit of kitsch in some of Asian food I've seen in stores so the spray cheese was an homage to that, as well as to our dear departed Robert Altman who had that party menu in 3 Women that included spray cheese and pigs in blankets. Kraft spray sharp cheddar is not bad by the way.) Main course was Yakitori along with my version of Gomaae except I served it warm over brown rice and added a little sautéed garlic, sesame oil and some shiitake mushroom and garnished with sesame seeds. You know we love our desserts and sticky rice really never does it for me. When ever I go to a Japanese restaurant I almost always have to stop and get a chocolate bar on the way home. My solution to this to make a pound cake that substituted about 3/4 cup of green tea for some of the liquid. It did not raise as much as a pound cake as a result, but it had an adequate amount of lift made in a bundt pan and the sponge had an unusual yellowish brown green color. I then made a basic milk glaze and added the juice of about three inches of fresh ginger to it to drizzle on the top. It was a very spicy/sweet glaze. To accompany the glazed cake I made some lychee sorbet in that ever so handy Donvier Ice Cream Maker. The sorbet was sweet, but not too. Do you have any idea how good this was!? I surprise even myself with these chemistry experiments.

After the feature we looked at some animated shorts and every one took turns showing their favorite recent You Tube shorts. In that time the four of us managed to eat the entire cake! It was a full size cake!!! I guess no lunch treats for me this week.

Any suggestions for future movies? I might revisit The Leather Boys, but there is so much I haven't seen, it seems a shame to repeat ourselves. There is a six hour reality show called ArtStar that a friend made in association with Deitch Projects that will probably be up next, but that will either involve a lot of fast forwarding or a larger group that has the media as background.

My new electronic dimmers came in so I can now dim the room so that the art is illuminated but the screen is in darkness. I have also positioned the screen over the fireplace so if I build a fire far enough back in the hearth there is no light spill over from that either. I am so pleased with my little screening room. I wish you weren't so far away and could come by for an orgy of cinema and food.

One of Ms. Reichl's Favorite Dining Out Companions...

2006-11-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

was, she confesses in the Acknowledgements section of Garlic and Sapphires, one Pat Oleszko. When I read that, I knew instantly that Ruth R. and I could definitely become fast friends. It made sense that she would find Pat to be a completely rewarding dinner companion for, if Ruth made amateurish attempts to create anonymous personas to hide her true identity, Pat thrives in creating the most outlandish and impossible to be ignored ones. For Pat Oleszko is a performance artist and one of America's most long-lived. I first became aware of her when she performed in 1973 as "Patty Cake" at Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio as part of my friend Jack Boulton's Eat Art exhibition (a show which also included comedian/actor Martin Mull as half of a performance art team dubbed "Smart Ducky"). As you can see from her photo, she ain't afraid of putting herself out there, is she?

Spilling the Beans on Cincinnati Mag's "Best of"

2006-11-29T10:17:00.000-05:00

I overheard Donna Covrett, restaurant critic for Cincinnati Magazine, giving the 55WKRC Morning Show guys a preview of her picks for the December "Best of the City" issue and, well, why shouldn't I share them with you, my dear three or four loyal readers?

#1 - Best BBQ: I hate to admit this, but I was en route to the "powder room" and did not hear much more than "Ray's...returned to Cincinnati...BBQ...". Sorry!

#2 - For carryout food: Cilantro Vietnamese Bistro. The link takes you to Ms. Covrett's review of this little "hole in the wall" resto, barely a block away from the University of Cincinnati's main Clifton campus. (And I am chagrined to admit that, living so close, I have yet to try the food here! Phut--pho! This must be corrected immediately!!)

#3 - Best comfort food: the legendary mac and cheese from ... Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse! Originating way back in the late 90s at the long lost Plaza 600 restaurant, under the reign of Chef Jimmy Gibson, this trés riche dish is nothing like yo mama used to make. Replete with five, count them, five types of fromage (three different cheddars, Parmagiano-Asiago, and Gruyère), this is a luxurious treat, deceptively described as a "side dish". This dishy dish is a real steal, considering that, in our experience, a side dish at a Jeff Ruby place, described on the menu as suitable for sharing for 2, is generous enough to serve 4 with one other side!

Ruthie in Disguise

2006-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

My friend Ramundo recently sent me his copy of Ruth Reichl's memoir, Garlic and Sapphires, The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, which I finally started reading last night. For me, reading much of anything anymore, aside from something at the computer, usually takes place in bed and that my bed is "shared" with the lovely and charming Princess Kitty Girl Boo. The Princess is a sweet, but somewhat elderly, little purrball with attachment issues, having found herself alone and forlorn in a large house two times in our three year relationship, due to my hospital stays. Understandably, she follows me around and gravitates to sitting in my lap at the computer or taking her rightful place, curled up on my stomach, when I get into bed. This position makes it a particular challenge in which to read much of anything, but yesterday afternoon I was determined to stick my nose in this book and make some real headway. Once settled, I enjoyed Ruth's adventures assuming and creating her different characters, especially morphing into her late mother Miriam and building the breathy Chloe from the ground up. As one who was seriously (albeit temporarily) into changing my own character through using wigs some years ago (from Edina from AbFab to Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction), I loved the scene with the wig lady in midtown who determinedly pawed through drawer after drawer until finding just the right transcendently blonde wig to transform Ruth into Chloe. If my Princess cooperates, maybe tonight will be the night I get to trail after Ruth on her next adventures.

Kentucky Hot Brown

2006-11-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

What to do with all that leftover turkey, what to do, what to do? How about trying this traditional Southern recipe for Kentucky Hot Brown?

Named after the Brown Hotel in Louisville where it originated with Chef Fred Schmidt in 1923, Kentucky Hot Brown can be served in many variations, sometimes using country ham and a cheddar cheese sauce. This version, courtesy of Chef Nick Sundberg of the Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg, may be closer to the original version. The Beaumont Inn is also renowned for its own Corn Pudding.

Kentucky Hot Brown
3 ounces turkey breast, roasted, sliced
1 slice toasted white bread
2 slices tomato
2 slices bacon, cooked and drained
Sauce:
2 ounces butter
3 ounces flour
3/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated
salt and white pepper to taste

Heat butter and add flour. Whisk and slowly cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and milk and heat. Whisk in cheese until melted. Season. Simmer for 30 minutes. Sauce should be very thick.

Quarter toast and place in an oven safe dish. Top with turkey and tomatoes. Cover well with sauce. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Garnish with bacon.

Spa Chaka Lot

2006-11-20T14:08:00.000-05:00

At least that's how it sounded this morning as my sleepy eyelids refused to flutter awake. The radio announcer's voice continued on about enjoying chaka lot showed and truffles along with your relaxing chocolate pedicure and/or massage.

The proprietors, Greg and Donna Dougherty say they "wanted to do something different and fun." Saturday nights are date nights with packages for couples.

Of course, you can always create your own "spa chocolat" using these products (sugared body polish; whipped body soufflé; and purifying face mask) containing cocoa, vanilla and nutmeg, buy purchasing this gift set for a mere $22 (not affiliated with the Cincinnati spa).

Spa Chocolat
8944 Columbia Road
Deerfield Township
Cincinnati, OH
Telephone: (513) 583-8400
Hours: Monday-Friday 10 am - 8 pm; Saturday 9 am - 5 pm (reservations required on Saturday nights)
Website: Spa Chocolat

Zagats announce new top U.S. restaurants

2006-11-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

The new ratings for Zagat's America's Top Restaurants guide were announced recently and only 11 received the top score of 29 out of 30. Jean-Robert at Pigall's is in some great company, including Gary Danko in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Yountville, CA; and the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia.

Martha does Findlay

2006-11-19T01:13:00.000-05:00

The Domestic Diva herself paid a visit to Over-the-Rhine's venerable Findlay Market to survey its offerings Saturday morning, before meeting her subjects later at Joseph-Beth Booksellers to sign her new tome, "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring For Everything In Your Home" ($45).

We hear she also visited the Amberley Village Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home of Beverly Tonkens Vangrov for a small private reception Friday evening, prior to dining on gnocchi with browned butter and truffles at Boca in Oakley. (Come on Bawe Wowie! We know you must have tales to tell. Meooow!)

A Rose by Any Other Name...

2006-11-18T16:40:00.000-05:00

Really. We never suspected a thing!

Sausages affected by draconian trade laws
By Simon de Bruxelles
The Times, November 18, 2006

A spicy sausage known as the Welsh Dragon will have to be renamed after trading standards’ officers warned the manufacturers that they could face prosecution because it does not contain dragon.

The sausages will now have to be labelled Welsh Dragon Pork Sausages to avoid any confusion among customers.

Jon Carthew, 45, who makes the sausages, said yesterday that he had not received any complaints about the absence of real dragon meat. He said: “I don’t think any of our customers believe that we use dragon meat in our sausages. We use the word because the dragon is synonymous with Wales.”

His company, the Black Mountains Smokery at Crickhowell, in Powys, turns out 200,000 sausages a year, including the Welsh Dragon, which is made with chili, leak [!?!] and pork. A Powys County Council spokesman said: “The product was not sufficiently precise to inform a purchaser of the true nature of the food.”

THANKSGIVING: Slyder Stuffing

2006-11-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

It seems like people fall into one of two camps: you either love them or hate them. To what am I referring? Why, White Castle hamburgers, of course. I am a lifelong "lover" of the tiny burgers, with fond memories of visiting our local place as a wee child. We would sit, en famille, in our car in the parking lot where a female carhop (uh, think Happy Days, OK?) would slide a tray onto the driver's side rolled down window, take our order, then re-appear magically with the steamy little square burgers, punctured with 5 small holes for even cooking.

Nowadays, the curbside service has disappeared and the prices have escalated from a nickel each to 50-something cents. Frozen hamburgers and cheeseburgers now can be purchased in the frozen food section of many grocery stores across the country (without pickles, of course) for about $3.69 for a 6 pack of burgers.

White Castle's cookbook, "By the Sackful: A Scrapbook with Recipes from 85 Years of Craving" is available at www.whitecastle.com. Proceeds are donated to the non-profit group Turkeys4America, Inc. This recipe, which can be found on its website, has been around for 14 years now and is still going strong. It sounds interesting, but just call me a purist. I still prefer mine straight, with cheese and ketchup!

White Castle Turkey Stuffing

Discard pickles from 10 White Castle hamburgers. Tear the burgers and buns into pieces and season with 1-1/2 teaspoons crumbled sage (not powdered sage), and nearly as much crumbled dried thyme leaves. Stir in 1-1/2 cups diced celery, 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and about 1/4 cup turkey or chicken broth. Stuff turkey cavity just before roasting. Recipe makes enough for a 10- to 12-pound turkey.

THANKSGIVING: The Pink Teacup's Sweet Potato Pie

2006-11-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

Back in the eocene, when I was much younger than today and living briefly at West 10th and Waverly in Greenwich Village, I was wandering aimlessly one sunny afternoon when I encountered a handsome, distinguished looking gentleman in a struggle with a wiggling pillowcase. He looked at me and asked, hopefully, whether I might have a few moments to help him. The pillowcase, he confided, held his beloved kitty, who had been ill and in need of a visit to the vet. After a check-up and successful diagnosis, they were returning home, but with the additional encumbrence of a bag full of prescriptions and treats. His apartment was nearby, on Grove Street, and he would be most grateful for my help. He had a faint, but charming, English accent, and I nothing better to do, so I took the bag he extended to me and strolled along with him for a couple of blocks. His apartment was in a three story brownstone, on the second floor, and I glanced around the room we entered as he let his kitty out of her bag in another room. On the wall was an old black and white photograph of three men in khaki uniforms standing in front of the Pyramids. He was one of the three. I wondered what the story was behind that picture, but never got to ask. He came out of the other room suddenly and startled me and I forgot all about it. As a treat for helping him, he offered to take me to his favorite neighborhood restaurant, The Pink Teacup, just down the street, for coffee and a dessert. Sweet potato pie, I think it was. Sadly, I never saw my charming friend again. Years later, though, I read that The Pink Teacup was also one of Quentin Crisp's favorite hangouts, too. [Dawn French, in her BBC series Scoff, episode of 12/20/88, paid a visit to the Teacup with Mr. Crisp as her guide!]

All of that is just leading up to this: just in time for Thanksgiving, the NY Post's Liz Smith presents us with her annual lovely gift of The Pink Teacup's recipe for sweet potato pie. Some of us believe this is a fabulous substitute for the ubiquitous pumpkin pie:

2 lbs. yams
1/2 c. butter
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 T. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 c. of orange juice
1 T. grated orange rind
1/2 c. evaporated milk

Peel and boil yams until mashable. Add butter, spices, salt, sugars to hot yams. Beat until light and smooth. Beat egg yolks until light and add to mixture. Stir in orange juice, rind and milk. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mix. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 35 minutes, or until pie puffs up and is firm in the middle. Cool on the rack. Add whipped cream. Live a little!

The Pink Teacup
42 Grove Street (between Bedford & Bleecker)
Greenwich Village
Nw York, NY 10014
Telephone: (212) 807-6755
Subway: Lines 1, 9 to Christopher St-Sheridan Square
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 am - 12:00 am, Friday - Sunday, 8 am - 1:00 am

Dinner Chez Palate

2006-11-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

Chez Palate

Dearest,

I just checked out the blog, you do keep it up to date. That picture of Jean-Robert looks like he should be in Le Miz.

Well, my dinner auction went off Friday. The final bid was $450. In true internet form, even though it was a benefit for the Alliance, some dude who lives in NYC scoured the web and found it and bought it for his sister who just moved here. So she arrived with husband and two friends an hour and a half late. It was fun, both husbands were doctors, both wives were doctor's wives and from the suburbs. The menu was whole wheat crust pizza with pear and gorgonzola as appetizer, grilled vegetables (red peppers, carrots, beets, potatoes, asparagus, green onions) on a bed of arugula and radicchio, pasta with scallops in a lemon sauce, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream and savory chocolates and port during the artist's presentations. Best of all the new projector I installed in the living room works really well to display computer/internet stuff and DVDs. The only disappointment is the card I bought to bring cable TV through the computer is does not look as good projected as it does on screen, very noisy image - boo hoo.

Another busy week for me. I am gong back to NYC next weekend for the show at MOMA. This week was the conference followed by a panel and brunch today about artist collectives. Fun, but I really need to rake my leaves.

TGIT - Thank Grapes, It's Tuesday

2006-11-13T13:17:00.000-05:00

"It's a boutique winery that looks more like one of those out-of-the-way wine shops you wander into on back streets in Europe. Its deeply paneled front room has the wines and upscale beers. (They'll order anything from anywhere, if they don't have what you want.) The tasting room right behind has large tables, white tablecloths and a ton of local art (for sale)."

This, from our pal Jim Knippenberg of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who reports that City Cellars Fine Wines, a little boutique wine store located at 908 Race Street, is joining forces with Washington Platform for Wednesday night wine dinners, with a soup of live jazz, from 5:30- 8 pm, on the side. City Cellars hosts "TGIT - Thank Grapes, It's Tuesday", a wine tasting every Tuesday night from 5:30-7 pm, with a sampling of four different wines, usually two reds and two whites, themed by point of origin, for $6. This week's wines selections are Italian and chosen with Thanksgiving in mind. And now, on Wednesday evenings, City Cellars makes the short hop over to Court and Elm Streets and the home of Washington Platform, to present the featured wines from Tuesday's tasting and helping diners pair them up with their dinner selections. Wednesday night wines are half-price by the bottle or $3.50 by the glass. With such rock-bottom prices, all we can say, is hurrah, it's about time. Let's show them some love here, people!

City Cellars
908 Race Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-7
Telephone: (513)621-WINE (9463)
Free delivery in downtown and Mt. Adams.

Reservations for TGIT are suggested but not required. Please call (513)621-WINE or email citycellars@fuse.net if you plan to attend.

Detour!

2006-11-13T12:59:00.000-05:00

As a public service to our faithful readers, we wanted to let you know that effective today, the Roebling Suspension Bridge will be closed for a major makeover until mid-April 2007. What any good foodie should know is that this means is that there is no longer a direct route to Jean-Robert's Greenup Café in Covington. But never fear. It's not really that bad. From downtown, just take the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge to Mainstrasse instead and make a left turn at the light at the end of the bridge.

Jean-Robert Rules Cincinnati Cuisine Scene

2006-11-12T12:50:00.001-05:00

Jean-Robert de Cavel: Hardest working man in chow business? ;-)

For the second year in a row, the city's pre-eminent chef, Jean-Robert de Cavel, has been awarded a coveted 4-star rating by the Mobil Travel Guide for his flagship restaurant Jean-Robert at Pigall's. The only Ohio restaurant to be included on the newly announced 4-star list, Jean-Robert at Pigall's is in fine company this year, along with Manresa in California; Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C.; Tru in Chicago; Bouley, Daniel, Gramercy Tavern, and March in New York City; and Stephen Pyles and The Restaurant at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas.

THANKSGIVING: Cranberry Bourbon Relish

2006-11-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

Thank God, I'm a Kentucky girl--and thank, God, He made bourbon! Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner planning, here is a heavenly recipe for Cranberry Bourbon Relish from Sweet Lorraine's restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

CRANBERRY BOURBON RELISH
1 c bourbon
1/4 c. minced shallot
zest of 1 small orange
1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
1 c sugar
1/2 t fresh grated ginger
1 t ground black pepper

Rinse and pick over cranberries; drain. Combine bourbon, shallots, ginger and orange zest in a non-reactive saucepan (not aluminum) . Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer til it reduces to a syrupy glaze. Add cranberries and sugar, raise heat and bring to a boil stirring to combine. Lower heat and cook til cranberries start to burst. Remove from heat and add pepper. Cool and refrigerate til needed.
(serves 4-5)

Page Six reports ...

2006-11-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

Mario's Meat Out The Window

SOME sociopath in L.A. is crazy about Mario Batali's salami - actually, his dad Armandino's cured meats. A thief broke into Mozza, Batali's eagerly awaited pizzeria, on Oct. 28, a week before its opening, and walked away with $700 of hand-crafted meat products from Armandino's Seattle business, Salumi. Then, two days later, a 13-pound imported Italian mortadella sausage also disappeared. But the cops have some evidence. Batali's partner, Nancy Silverton, told the Los Angeles Times that security cameras caught the culprit on Oct. 28: "You see this guy ride up on his bicycle. He looks like some yuppie: He's got a receding hairline and he's wearing khakis." After climbing through a window, the carnivore made off with 40 pounds of lamb prosciutto, guanciale (cured hog jowl) and culatello (the heart of a prosciutto). Undisturbed, however, was a huge wheel of aged provolone cheese. Silverton quipped, "We're looking for a yuppie guy on a bike who's lactose-intolerant."

A Perfect Day to Lounge in Chocolate

2006-11-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

You know, for a town this size, we sure have a lot of fine opportunities to pleasure ourselves in chocolate! And tomorrow, Marble Hill Chocolatiers will open the doors of its chocolate lounge and boutique an hour early at 10 am to introduce its new collection of pastries made exclusively for Marble Hill by Jean-Robert’s French Restaurant Group. Karen Crawford from Jean-Robert at Pigall's makes a white chocolate bourbon blondie and a macadamia shortbread with milk chocolate. Summer Genetti from Pho Paris has created an almond mocha macaroon (can this possibly be a real macaron?) and a white chocolate lemongrass tart with a cracked black pepper crust. Pastries are $1.35-$5. (Be still, my fluttering heart!!) Tea, coffee and exotic cocoas are also served in the lounge.

Hours: 10 am – 5 pm
Marble Hill Chocolatier
1989 Madison Rd. in O'Bryonville
Cincinnati, OH 45208
Telephone: (513) 321-0888

CBS Sunday Morning to share the Joy

2006-11-10T12:54:00.000-05:00

Well, this is what I get for not checking in on our local LitBlog yesterday: missing out on the news that Ethan Becker, Susan Becker and Maggie Green were doing a talk and signing copies of the 75th anniversary edition at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Rookwood Pavilion. According to Jo-Beth PR rep Annette Meurer, a crew from CBS News was to be on hand to shoot the event for CBS Sunday Morning for a piece about Ethan to air this coming Sunday. Alas, CBS has not yet updated its website for this week's program, so it may or may not air on schedule.

UPDATE: I've just gotten word from Annette Maurer that the segment will now air on Sunday, November 19, instead of this week. Many thanks to Annette for keeping us informed for our "appointment viewing" schedule! ;-)

Just about PURRRRfect

2006-11-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

With a tip of our beret to our friend, The Book of Joe, it is our pleasure to introduce our favorite new coffee container for cold weather (or any weather, for that matter) drinking. Meet our new love interest, the 14 oz. stainless steel Cattitude Ballet Pink Tumbler Mug -- only $17.95 through Amazon.com. Just the thought of it makes us purrrrr...

2006 Beaujolais Festival at the Carnegie

2006-11-09T14:02:00.000-05:00

Thursday, November 16 from 6 - 9 pm marks this year's Beaujolais Nouveau Time! In a custom dating back half a century, the Beaujolais Nouveau is released on the 3rd Thursday of November and shipped around the world that same day, creating the excitement & pleasure befitting the start of the holiday season. The Cincinnati branch of the French American Chamber of Commerce sponsors this festival for the third year in a row. Join the fun and this wonderful opportunity to taste French specialties & win French products in the informal, beautiful setting of the newly restored Carnegie Center for the Arts in Covington. Beaujolais Nouveau, as well as other crus of Beaujolais for those who would like to explore beyond the Nouveau, will be served along with a French buffet, with French pastries by Jean-Philippe Chocolatier, and a raffle. $35 before 13 November; $40 thereafter. At The Carnegie, 1028 Scott Boulevard, Covington, KY. More info @ 513-852-6510.

Pistachio makes a comeback at Graeter's!

2006-11-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

Pistachio, absent from Graeter's lineup for 15 years, makes a return to its seasonal ice cream menu for November and December. "We think our customers will enjoy the Italian favorite that's also great for the holidays," said Richard Graeter, executive vice president. Pistachio ice cream is light-green and has lots of texture from the pistachio nuts, a Middle Eastern delicacy familiar in the red-dyed shells, a California-raised nut in the natural tan shells. Three other seasonal flavors returning are cinnamon and peppermint for November and December, plus Graeter's eggnog ice cream for December only.

Bond's New 'tini

2006-11-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

I really haven't got a hankering to see the new Daniel Craig version of Casino Royale, but I do have a yen for trying his new drink, the "Vesper" -- reportedly a word for word recreation from author Ian Fleming's 1953 novel. CAUTION is required when imbibing this lethal potion. As old school would say: "One is enough and two is too many!"

The Vesper
Three measures of Gordon's gin
one of vodka
half a measure of Kina Lillet
Shake it over ice, then add a thin slice of lemon peel.

(And, yes, we know. It should really be stirred and not shaken. But you know how he is!)

THANKSGIVING: Re-Inventing Cranberry Sauce

2006-11-08T13:54:00.000-05:00

Patrick O’Connell of the dreamy hideaway, The Inn at Little Washington, provides us with his 21st century take on that old family favorite, cranberry sauce, with our favorite spice of the season (ginger!), in this month's issue of Washingtonian Magazine. And, just for good measure, pastry chef David Guas, of D.C. restos Ceiba, DC Coast, TenPenh, Acadiana, recalls a long ago childhood Cuban treat: Salty Pineapple!

Cranberry-Ginger Chutney
In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1 peeled and finely chopped small onion, 2 peeled and chopped pears , 2 minced jalepeno peppers (seeds removed), ½ cup cranberry juice, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, juice of ½ lemon, ¾ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons grated ginger, and salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 45 minutes or until berries are tender. Let cool before serving.

Cookies!

2006-11-07T13:55:00.000-05:00

My friend Mary G., she of the Speed-Scratch French Dinner among Friends, sends us this tempting new recipe for herb cookies. With holiday baking time arriving soon, I can't wait to try these!

Lemon Basil Cookies

Cream:
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
1 egg
2 1/2 t lemon juice

Add and mix well: 1 box lemon cake mix

Add 3/4 c finely chopped nuts and 1 T dried basil

Dough will be quite stiff. Place teaspoonfuls of dough on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes; take care that bottoms don't burn.

“Steins-In-The-Rhine” Weekend

2006-11-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

Our pals at the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District are hard at work on yet another fun event, after their sold out, highly successful OTR Brewery Tour a few weeks ago.

The Over-The-Rhine Brewery District Group this week unveiled plans for “Steins-In-The-Rhine.” The event will be held on Saturday, November 11, 2006, at Kaldi’s On Main, 1202 Main Street, Cincinnati, between 11:00am and 6:00pm.

“Steins-In-The-Rhine” will offer free informational appraisals to anyone who brings in a beer stein or local brewery memorabilia item. Admission is free. Authentic beer steins and memorabilia from some of Cincinnati’s great breweries will be on display as well as other related items during the event by members of the Thoroughbred Stein Verein and various local brewery memorabilia collectors. Patrons will have the opportunity to purchase beer steins and related merchandise -- perfect for collectors or a holiday gift for your favorite Cincinnati beer lover.

“Steins-In-The-Rhine' will provide Cincinnati area residents a rare chance to view antique beer steins, and a free opportunity to learn the value of that favorite piece of beer memorabilia they have in the attic or behind their home bar,” said Greg Hardman, President and CEO of Christian Moerlein Brewing Company. Hardman also stated that “a week doesn’t go by without a customer contacting me to ask the value of a Hudepohl stein, a Schoenling sign, or a Christian Moerlein ceramic bottle.” Christian Moerlein Brewing Company is an organizing supporter of the event through the Over-The-Rhine Brewery District, a non-profit group focusing on development in the Over-The-Rhine Brewery District.

Mike Morgan of the Brewery District says, "it will be just like 'Antique's Roadshow' -- except we'll have beer and food from the era!" Kaldi’s On Main will mark the occasion with a special menu featuring food items available in Over-The-Rhine during the late 1850’s.

For more information on the “Steins-In-The-Rhine”, please call Kaldi’s On Main at 513-241-3070 or visit the Over-The-Rhine Brewery District website at
Steins-in-the-Rhine.

Coffee'd brisket

2006-11-02T13:42:00.000-05:00

Regina Schrambling recently published an article in the Los Angeles Times, Beyond the brew: Think you know coffee? Think again, which I found reprinted in this week's Food and Drink Newsletter from the Chicago Tribune. Apart from an aside about Ferran Adrià being commissioned to create a new "coffee you can eat" for the Italian coffee company LavAzza, her piece was noteworthy for bringing attention to an old American custom of using black coffee to deglaze pans, as for making "redeye gravy" for fried country ham. My friend Ruth also uses black coffee to marinate and baste leg of lamb during roasting. It adds a special depth to the flavor. I was taken with this recipe for beef brisket, but I think I might be inclined to try substituting a nice piece of chuck roast and cooking it in my Dansk dutch oven. I love the aroma that comes from a nice long stay in the oven!

Coffee'd brisket
(8-10 Servings)

1/4 cup top-quality coffee beans, ground for espresso
3 Tbsps. kosher salt
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. chipotle flakes or 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile pepper (or Italian hot red pepper flakes)
1 beef brisket, about 5 pounds, excess fat trimmed
2 large onions, sliced
4 carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into 3-by- 1/2 -inch strips
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup beef stock
1 1/2 cups strong brewed espresso
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

The night before cooking, combine the ground coffee, salt, sugar and chipotle flakes. Spread over both sides of the brisket. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the onions, carrots and thyme into a roasting pan just large enough to hold the meat. Rinse the coating off the brisket and lay it on top of the vegetables, fattier side up. Pour the stock and coffee around the meat. Cover tightly with a lid or with foil and bake 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat from the juices and place on a rimmed carving board. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a bowl. Pour the warm pan juices into a gravy separator.

To serve, slice the meat across the grain into very thin slices. Spoon some of the vegetables alongside. Season the warm defatted pan juices to taste and serve on the side.

Speed-Scratch French Dinner among Friends

2006-11-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

Several months back, in the chilly, pre-spring part of the year, my friend Mary C. and I ventured out into the wilds of a Cincinnati suburb previously unbeknownst to me, (possibly Mt. Washington), to have dinner at her friend Mary G.'s home. Mary G. is a writer who has travelled extensively in France and also served as one of the testers for the 1997 revision of The Joy of Cooking for her friend Ethan Becker. Mary G. lives with her family in what, to me, seems to be the country, in a beautiful Japenese-style house. All I know is that it was very dark on our way there, with almost no street lights along the way. The stars punctuated the cloudless, black night sky emphatically, with only the light of the full moon to show us the way to the wood pathway leading to the front door.

Mary G. had worked a full day and was apologetic about our dinner, mainly coming readymade from Kroger's, with just minimal home preparation required. Still, it was speed-scratch cooking at its best and delicious: hummus and a baked cheese-artichoke dip with triscuits; whole grain baguette w/butter; mashed potatoes swirled with pesto (yummy!!!); chicken cordon bleu; roasted asparagus; spring salad mix with balsamic vinaigrette; and Dove cookies; all accompanied by a kir royale aperitif; a flinty French Chardonnay with dinner; and a swirl of cognac! It was the best dinner I've had in a long time, no doubt made even more so by lingering at the table sharing our various adventures in Paris. Since the three of us are Francophiles, at least we didn't bore each other... ;-))

The next time I see Paris?

2006-11-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

Need a few more places to add to your that Paris "maybe" itinerary? Check out these, from Paris Voice magazine, to see what you've missed:

Say cheese: Savoring the tastes of autumn Christian Lelann, proprietor of three Paris fromageries: La Ferme Saint Aubin, La Cave aux fromages, and La Ferme des Arenes, is your guide.

Winning wine boutiques: Parisian cavistes share their passion(October 4, 2006) Make a virtual visit to 7 small Paris shops.

Boo!

2006-10-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

My friend Sarah is on the left; I am on the right. Note the "tell-tale heart" in my hand!

Ghirardelli Fudge Cake

2006-10-31T15:16:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am seriously addicted to chocolate anything! And, for a couple of months now, I have been deprived of the special pleasure of a lovely slice of chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Trolling the web for a little vicarious satisfaction, I discovered this recipe, originally printed on the Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa tin. If only I were able to get around better in the kitchen, I would put this little gem on my "to do" list immediately!

Ghirardelli Fudge Cake

2 c unsifted flour
1 3/4 c sugar
3/4 c Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c butter or margarine (very soft)
3/4 c milk
1/2 c water
2 eggs
2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour two 9 by 1 1/2 inch round cake pans. Measure flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl. Mix on low for one minute. Add butter, milk, water, eggs, and vanilla to mixture. Mix on medium for one minute; scrape down bowl. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. Frost with Ghirardelli butter cream frosting.

Ghirardelli Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 c Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa
1/3 c boiling water
3 c powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 t vanilla
1/2 c butter (very soft)

In bowl, dissolve cocoa with boiling water. Beat sugar into cocoa mixture. Add yolks and vanilla, beat until fluffy. Place bowl in another bowl of ice and water. Add butter in four additions, beating until frosting is lighter in color and thick enough to spread. Frost cake. Refrigerate to set frosting.

Candied Ginger

2006-10-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

The last time we made a Trader Joe's run, my shopping list included TJ's Triple Ginger Cookies -- kind of like a ginger snap, but with three kinds of ginger: powdered, grated, and crystallized or candied. Trust me now, these are addictive little devils, but at their meager calorie count (something like 6 = 140 calories), they don't make you feel guilty at their palate-pleasing taste.

And now, with our holiday season approaching, here's a recipe for make your own Candied Ginger. I know it's rather Martha, but that's kind of a good thing every now and than!

Candied Ginger

1 3-inch knob fresh ginger
1 c water
1 c sugar
extra sugar (coarse crystals would be nice) for rolling

Peel ginger and cut into fine slices or into julienne strips. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add ginger; simmer over LOW heat until ginger becomes translucent, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain pieces on a wire rack until almost dry. Roll in sugar. Store in an air-tight container. This makes 1/4 cup, approximately.

Schnecken Time Is Here Again

2006-10-31T13:29:00.000-05:00

Photo: Cincinnati Enquirer

Anyone who has lived in Cincinnati long enough to remember the late and still lamented Virginia Bakery on Ludlow Avenue in Clifton, will appreciate the news that Busken Bakery is now offering schnecken, the German cinnamon rolls made from the original Virginia Bakery secret recipe. Instead of only being available around Easter time, the new schnecken will be for sale year round, according to Something sticky like this comes from ... Busken:

The Busken version isn't just an approximation. These are the same buns that people used to line up for in Clifton, rolled three to a bread pan, loaded with butter and studded with raisins. They will even come in the same packaging, double-wrapped in wax paper and a Virginia Bakery box.

...The rich dough begins with a 14-hour proof, a rest period that develops flavor. After more flour is added, it rests another 24 hours.

Then it's rolled by hand into 10-foot ropes and flattened into sheets.

"We would normally use a sheeter (machine) to roll out the dough, because we're a larger shop," Busken said. "But they rolled it out by hand, and we're going to continue doing it that way."

There's only one difference in the Busken version: The loaf pans are slightly bigger, so this schnecken is 5 ounces more than the 1-pound original. "I hope that's not going to be a problem for anyone," Busken said.

This schnecken will be available year-round and will cost $9.95 a loaf.

"This is a fabulous opportunity for us to bring attention to independent bakeries," Busken said. "Cincinnati's lucky to still have several local full-line bakeries, but our big competition is convenience.

"We need to get people to make that extra stop, and these kind of special products are what will do it."

Almost as Good as Virginia Bakery's Schnecken

1 c lukewarm milk
2 scant T active dry yeast
2 t sugar
7 T sugar
7 T room temperature butter
3 beaten eggs
1 t salt
4 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
Egg wash (1 egg white beaten with 1 T water)
Melted butter
1 c sugar
1 T ground cinnamon or to taste
1 c chopped pecans
1/2 c raisins
Honey
Brown sugar and more chopped pecans (optional)

One day ahead: Mix warm milk with yeast and 2 t sugar and allow to sit 5-10 minutes. until yeast begins to foam at top. Meanwhile in another bowl beat together 7 T butter; 7 T sugar; beaten eggs and salt. Add yeast mixture to beaten mixture and gradually add flour. Beat dough about 5 mins. Add dough to greased bowl cover and refrigerate over night.

The next day roll dough out on a floured table into a large rectangle (or divide and roll into two rectangles) about 1/4 inch thick Brush egg wash lightly around the edge of rectangle nearest you. Brush top of dough generously with melted butter. Sprinkle top of dough, to taste with sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans and/or raisins. Beginning at the edge farthest from you; roll dough up jelly-dough fashion. Prepare loaf pans by covering bottom of each with 1 tsp melted butter and 1 tsp warm honey. Cut rolled schnecken crosswise into 1 1/2" slices. Place 3 of the pieces on their sides, in the prepared pans (so you're looking at the spiral dough/cinnamon/sugar part, not just the dough standing up on end). Cover pan with towels and place in warm oven for about 45 mins. to rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until brown on top. Once removed from the oven, place each loaf pan on a rack and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. (This lets the caramel glaze form). After 5 minutes, turn each pan over onto a sheet of wax paper (use a big sheet so you can just wrap them up like they did at the bakery) and you're finished! Makes about 30 schnecken.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

2006-10-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

I know I am just one more lemming when it comes to raving about Trader Joe's, but there's a site I've just found called Trader Joe's Fan which has a really great section for recipes that readers have created using TJ's products. While having a TJ label is not really necessary for everything, many of their products are special to the store and become fan favorites.

Since we are in the throes of pumpkin season, here's an especially yummy recipe for an autumn soup, submitted by poppymom.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

1 quart Trader Joe's low-sodium chicken broth
2 6-oz cartons Trader Joe's Greek-style honey-flavored yogurt
1 15-oz. can Trader Joe's organic pumpkin
1/4 t sea salt
1/8 t ground cayenne
1/8 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground cumin
1/2 t fresh-grated lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and whisk until all the lumps of pumpkin are gone. Heat gently over medium heat for 15 minutes or until heated through. Be careful to not simmer, or the yogurt will curdle. Serve warm.

Makes about 4 dinner-sized servings or 8 soup course servings

Sundance Iconoclasts

2006-10-29T16:09:00.000-05:00

Photo: Sundance Channel

Mother of California Cuisine Alice Waters and legendary dancer Mikhail Barishnikov are featured this Thursday on the Sundance Channel's Iconoclast series, 9pm ET/PT. They share their philosophies of art, food, teaching and community with visits to New York’s Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley, California and at a dinner at Waters’s legendary restaurant Chez Panisse.

Hot Chocolate

2006-10-29T15:29:00.000-05:00

With the season change coming on apace, can we possibly have too many recipes for hot chocolate? I think not! Here's one from François Payard of NYC's Payard Patisserie & Bistro. I would use Ghirardelli's Sweet Cocoa Powder in this and omit the extra sugar.

Payard Patisserie & Bistro's Hot Chocolate

2 T cocoa powder, preferably Weiss
1/2 c fresh cream
1/2 c whole milk
Sugar to taste

Bring chocolate powder, fresh cream, and milk to a boil; stir; and pour in a cup. Add sugar if desired. Note: For a lighter version, use 1/3 cup fresh cream and 2/3 cup skim milk.

The Palate goes to another fabulous Pittsburgh dinner party!

2006-10-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

Dearest,

I can only say that I was at a party last night and there was a hundred year old bottle of Balsamic vinegar there. We each got spoons and put about an eighth of a teaspoon on them and indulged. Some did the pinky dip bit by bit. I rested my tongue on the edge of the drop and let it soak in, then licked the rest up. It had an amazingly rich flavor, like smoke and oak, but also like fermented prunes, although the sense that it was vinegar was still there. I wanted to try it on ice cream, but apparently in that house they only use 50 year old balsamic on ice cream.

"French Wines Experience"

2006-10-28T16:55:00.000-04:00

In this Agence France-Presse article, French wine swallows its pride to win back British drinkers, which I have just, you should excuse the expression, stumbled upon, journalist Christophe Schmidt fills us in on the doings at the annual Wine Show in north London. Doings in which "[t]he French wine industry has pulled out all the stops at the [U.K.]'s biggest wine fair this weekend in an attempt to win back drinkers who have switched to bottles from the 'New World.' "

Instead of the various regional distinctions that mark out French wines, bottles will be rebranded by "experience" at the show.

The aim is not to baffle non-wine buffs but at the same time keep the idea of diversity, which is one of French wine's key characteristics.

...the British wine industry is small and the vast majority of the wine drunk is imported.

Although French wines are still top choice in bars and restaurants, they have been overtaken by their Australian rivals in the retail sector. Californian, Chilean and South African wines have also staked their claim.

"An average supermarket line now has wines from 20 countries," said Florence Rhydderch, from the French marketing agency Sopexa that is masterminding the Gallic makeover.

...At wine shows, French wines are normally presented by where they come from but if studies are to be believed, this has left consumers scratching their heads.

In the "French Wines Experience," the specially-created "zones" will be themed "nights in," "nights out," "dinner parties," "celebrations," "outdoors" and "Christmas."

So instead of being bamboozled by racks of Bordeaux, there may be a syrupy number from the Loire Valley next to a champagne or a Cote du Rhone, helping buyers to choose for a particular occasion.

French wine experts will be on hand to guide anyone needing a helping hand in choosing.

Why don't they just go all the way and put little variations of smiley faces on the labels?

Un vrai restaurant for the soul...

2006-10-27T17:39:00.000-04:00

A fragrant bowl of garlic soup

May I present you with my secret weapon for restoring one's soul after a night of carousing: Mecklenburg Gardens' Garlic Soup.

Once upon a time, back in the mid-1980s, there existed a heavenly restaurant in Cincinnati called Mecklenburg Gardens. Founded in 1865, by a German immigrant named Louis Mecklenburg, it went through several incarnations along its path to being revivified by the members of an ashram, who purchased it and restored the building to its former glory, complete with its old grape-vine covered biergarten. Under the ashram's management and Rob Fogel as chef, Mecklenburg's initiated its splendid and unique New's Year's Eve Reveillon celebrations and was awarded the Mobil Four Star Award for Excellence in Fine Dining along the way. This Garlic Soup, there made with roasted vegetable stock, was one of the restaurant's most famous dishes:

Mecklenburg Gardens' Garlic Soup

2 cups beef stock
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of fresh or dried thyme
1 egg
Slice of toasted bread
Grated Gruyere cheese
Chopped parsley

Bring beef stock to a boil. Add garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Slip in egg, unbeaten. When white begins to set, pour soup into oven-proof bowl. Cover top of bowl with the bread and cover with cheese. Place under broiler till cheese is melted with a brown crust. Garnish with parsley and serve. Makes 1 generous serving.

Bollycao

2006-10-25T07:05:00.000-04:00

I was reading a Q & A with the father of molecular gastronomy, Ferran Adrià, in NY Mag and was intrigued and suspicious of this little exchange:

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

FA: Yes, Bollycao. Something you grow up with as a kid in Spain: a kind of bread, sweet and eggy, with chocolate in the middle.

After reading his description, I thought perhaps this might be a Spanish relative to the French pain au chocolat. But after seeing this picture, I've come to believe it may be more of a kissing cousin of the legendary American "Twinkie"!

Popovers!

2006-10-25T00:45:00.000-04:00

Oh, how I'd forgotten how much I adore popovers until I visited Baking and Books and found Ari's post about Breakfast Popovers today. A few years ago, when I was staying at a friend's house and recuperating from surgery, I would marvel at the easy way she would go about making fresh, simple, homecooked dinners every evening, despite her busy workday schedule. Popovers were the "icing on the cake", so to speak: the unexpected, special treat that made her dinners so memorable. Now, where is that muffin tin when I need it? ;-)

Perfect Popovers

2 eggs
1 c milk, at room temperature
1 T melted butter, or vegetable oil
1 c flour
1/2 t salt

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven; preheat the oven to 400°. Grease each popover cup generously with softened butter or solid vegetable shortening.

Combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, flour and salt in a blender or food processor; process for about 40 seconds. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

To make by hand, whisk together the eggs, milk and butter in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt and beat until very smooth.

Pour the batter into the greased cups, filling them half to two-thirds full. Bake until the popovers are puffed and golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking or the popovers will collapse.

Yields 6-8, depending on the size of the baking cups

Per popover: 105 calories, 4 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 61 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

From Flo Braker, who began writing The Baker column for The San Francisco Chronicle in 1989. She is author of "The Simple Art of Perfect Baking" and "Sweet Miniatures."

The Comisars have officially left the building

2006-10-24T09:19:00.000-04:00

Golden Lamb's Shaker Sugar Pie, $3.25 (Photo: Roadfood)

Sad, really sad. Now it's official. The Comisar family has completely left the restaurant business after 75 years with its sale of the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio (See Golden Lamb up for re-do, Cincinnati Enquirer). Stevens Hospitality, based in Blue Ash, will take over management of the Inn starting at the end of this month. The Portman family will continue to own the building, which has a rare collection of Shaker materials including documents, literature and furniture and, over the years, has played host to 12 American Presidents. "The inn has been operating continuously since 1803. The Portmans' grandfather Robert Jones bought it in 1926 and ran it into the 1960s. The Comisars took over the operating business in 1969."

"The Comisars also ran the Maisonette and LaNormandie downtown and Chester's Road House in Montgomery. Chester's was sold in 2002, and the downtown restaurants were closed in mid-2005."

Sister Lizzie's Shaker Sugar Pie
(from the Golden Lamb site and memory)

2 T butter
1 c brown sugar
2 c light cream or half and half)
1/3 c flour
1 t vanilla
Nutmeg
9" unbaked pie shell

Put the brown suger and flour into an unbaked pie shell. Mix the flour and suger together, by rubbing the dry mix back and forth between the palms of your hands. After it is thoroughly mixed, spread it out even into the pie shell. Pour the cream and vanilla over the sugar/flour mixture, but DO NOT stir (during baking it bubbles and mixes on its own). Evenly place the butter slices atop the creme, and sprinkle the entire top of pie with nutmeg.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees, for at least an hour. The pie is done when it becomes firm; another way to test for doneness is give the pan a twist back and forth, if the shell moves easily in the pan, it's done.

*The Golden Lamb used pizza ovens, and the pie pans sat directly onto the floor/base of the oven. In this style of oven the cooking time is 40-45 minutes.

Top chef blog draws me in

2006-10-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

Despite not having cable, I am really intrigued by Top Chef. Imagine...a cooking competition where the chefs actually COOK and have good resumés! (That is my major disappointment with Hell's Kitchen, at least its second season, where you didn't really get the feeling that, based on what had been shown, anybody really deserved to win such a big prize.)

So, thanks to Gaston Gallimard for turning me on to Amuse-Biatch, TV’s “Top Chef” & Other Matters Gustatory. I see my pick, Elia, is featured in the post, Mexican Spitfire Spits Tacks and the observations by blog contributors Charlus and Miss Xaxa about the new cast are both biting and snarky. We approve!

Home Cooking

2006-10-23T18:46:00.000-04:00

OK, so I'm wandering aimlessly through the New Yorker's website — always a fun thing to do — and I came across this little Q & A by Matt Dellinger with the legendary Calvin Trillin from the 2004 Food Issue. Topic is "regional cuisine and the phenomenon of home-town food fetishes." Enjoy.

Cannelés

2006-10-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Yummy, yummy cannelés! (Photo: worldtable.com)

After much too long of an absence, I finally took a little virtual trip to San Francisco and a little read of one of my favorite blogs, Chez Pim where I found, hidden amongst the comments on a post about Chowhound and censorship, a comment from Bux, late of eGullet and now of her own blog at World Table. And what should I find there, but a lovely recipe for one of my favorite Parisian treats, cannelés! Granted, I've only had one, but it was from Dalloyau, across from les Jardins du Luxembourg, and I was dazzled by its presence in the glassfronted pastry case. Such a pretty caramel color and pleasing little molded shape -- and then, the intricate dance of choosing, paying, and finally picking it up from the saleslady behind the counter before gaining custody (albeit for such a short time before devouring it!). Little did I know then of its history or of the difficulty in achieving such a pleasing luscious interior crumb and contrasting crunchy exterior. One of these days, maybe I'll finally have the opportunity of having another (or of baking my own)...

Note: Gael Greene, in a review of Paula Wolfert's The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, writes that "word on the pastry circuit is that her classic canelés de Bordeaux—lush custard inside a burnt-sugar shell—are a revelation."

Laura Chenel sells to French company

2006-10-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

According to the article, For American Chèvre, an Era Ends, Laura Chenel, 57, a pioneer of the California food movement, has sold her company to the French artisan cheese corporation, The Rians Group.

... Ms. Chenel produces a fresh goat cheese that some call the best in America. Both she and the new owners pledge that it will not change. The deal also lets her keep her entire herd of 500 goats on the property and sell their milk to the new company. It also takes good care of her 18 longtime employees, who are now employees of the French company.

Perhaps most important, the deal gives her a break. After all, one can only carry the food revolution for so long.

“My name is on every little piece of cheese that goes out,” she said. “For years I have just felt a deep responsibility. I don’t want that any more. It’s a great weight off my shoulders.”

...The French company has 1,300 employees and produces 40,000 tons of goat and cow cheese a year. It specializes in finding small family operations and buying them with the promise to keep the product and philosophy intact. The company owns about a dozen cheese-making operations, but Chenel will be its first in America.

...To understand why the sale has such impact, a short history of chèvre in the United States is in order. And it is short. No one was making goat cheese commercially in the late 1970’s, the tween years of California cuisine.

... Laura Chenel, who had grown up in a liberal Sonoma family that tried its hand at chicken and turkey farming, had turned her attention to goats, which had become the hip farm animal of the moment for back-to-the-landers. So had her friends. Among them, they had more milk than they could drink, and there was no market for selling beyond the neighborhood. To find a way to make goat-keeping pay, she tried to make cheese, but to very ill effect. Eventually, she took off to France, attending a series of apprenticeships with cheesemakers that the famed French dairy scientist Jean-Claude Le Jaouen arranged for her.

Back in Sonoma, she found a way to make pillows of soft, creamy cheese, white as chalk and with a tang that says “goat,” but quietly. She began selling it to a few shops, but waited on tables to pay the bills.

The big moment came in 1981, when Alice Waters, who had started her own little revolutionary restaurant called Chez Panisse, tasted the cheese and placed a standing order for 50 pounds of the little disks a week. It was way more than Ms. Chenel was making. She quit her day job...

Move ahead 20 years, and Ms. Chenel is selling 2 million pounds of cheese a year. It takes 18 hours to turn goat’s milk into curds and whey. From there, it’s a matter of processing and shaping. Among the Chenel products are four-pound tubs of a fresh, mild cheese called “chef’s chèvre” for restaurants, as well as popular egg-shaped, five-ounce chabis and, for Chez Panisse, the eight-ounce log, a size she also makes and labels for Trader Joe’s...

She still seems surprised that she created a viable company out of not much more than the love of a goat.

“I know that what I did made a difference in people’s lives and I feel really good about that, but it’s not like I had that as a goal,” she said. “I was trying to make something different in my own life.”...

$40 entrees! Sides? That'll be extra...

2006-10-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

While perusing Chowhound's Food and Media News Board, I found this post about a horrifying article in yesterday's New York Times titled Entrees Reach $40, and, Sorry, the Sides Are Extra.

..."Forty is the new 30," said Richard Coraine, the chief operating officer of Union Square Hospitality Group, which recently began charging $42 for a 1¾-ounce appetizer portion of lobster at lunchtime at the Modern in New York. 10% of its lunch patrons order the dish, it says.

Hovering just below the $40 mark is an even vaster group of $38 and $39 entrees, waiting to cross the line like thirtysomethings approaching a zero-ended birthday. The arctic char at the Indianapolis branch of the Oceanaire Seafood Room chain is $38.50. Metropolitan Grill in Seattle serves shrimp scampi for $39.95. At Mike’s, a new steakhouse in Brooklyn Heights, $9.95 chicken nuggets share the menu with $38.95 veal chops....

Restaurateurs say rising rents, ever more elaborate interior-decoration schemes and the increasing cost of premium ingredients — especially beef and fish — leave them little choice. Chefs, so fond of listing purveyors on menus, do not want those names to be Tyson and Del Monte. They "take pride in getting carrots or beets that no one has," Mr. Coraine said....

But what makes the rise of the $40 entree so significant is not just the price creep, it’s the sophisticated calculation behind it. A new breed of menu "engineers" have proved that highly priced entrees increase revenue even if no one orders them. A $43 entree makes a $36 one look like a deal.

"Just putting one high price on the menu will take your average check up," said Gregg Rapp, one such consultant. "My mom taught me to never order the most expensive thing on the menu, but you’ll order the second."...

The towering prices at wildly luxurious restaurants like Per Se and Masa in New York and Alinea in Chicago have set a new price in the collective dining consciousness for a truly top meal, nudging up what diners will pay for far more modest dinners. In Las Vegas, the current talk is about Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, where desserts alone are $22 each and a meal for two can easily run $500.

"I love when I hear about that stuff, because then Craft becomes inexpensive," said Tom Colicchio, chef of the quickly multiplying restaurants, including a steakhouse in Las Vegas.

Oddly, as entrees rise in price, they seem to be shedding their traditional accompaniments. Today a $40 main dish is often now just that. Order a side dish, and the entree price climbs dizzyingly close to the 50’s. At the highly influential Craft, Mr. Colicchio serves pricey, naked hunks of protein and charges extra for vegetables. (He says the portions are enough for two.) Porter House, a new steakhouse at the Time Warner Center in New York, even charges diners separately for sauce.

"I blame Tom Colicchio for this," said Barry Okun, a New York lawyer who has established a personal price limit of “between $50 and $60” per entree. “It’s not that I’m happy about it,” he added.

Mr. Colicchio acknowledged the influence of his pricing, adding that restaurants like those of the Bistro Laurent Tourondel group in New York "completely ripped off the concept" of focusing on individual elements.

To which Mr. Tourondel replied, "He should look back at the old-time steakhouse menus that were around way before Craft ever existed."...

It's autumn and Cincinnati Chili time again

2006-10-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

Jane Stern and a tableful of chili! Photo: Roadfood

My new friend, Cakegrrl, a Cincinnati ex-pat, confides that she's more of a Gold Star Chili fan than a Skyline one, but I fall into the Camp Washington Chili contingent! Open 24 hours a day, six days a week, AND a winner of a James Beard "American Regional Classic" Award and accolades from Jane and Michael Stern of Roadfood fame, where else could you run into little gangs of Goths at 3 am, scarfing up 4-ways after a hard night of partying at The Warehouse? ;-)

Here, for the record, is the recipe I have used to make Cincinnati chili from scratch ever since I was in high school, thanks to my best friend back then, Peggee. It is meatier than Skyline or Gold Star because it has twice the beef called for in the traditional local recipes and, for me, seems more like Camp Washington's offering. Finely grate that cheddar cheese and chop those sweet onions while the chili is cooking and filling your kitchen with that fabulous spicy aroma. To make it a true Cincinnati chili meal, serve it with a small bowl of oyster crackers and have a root beer to wash it all down!

Peggee's Cincinnati Chili

2 lbs ground chuck
4 medium or 2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, mashed or 1 t minced
1 1/2 T vinegar
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 T chili powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t cayenne pepper
1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate
Salt to taste (optional)
1 quart water
Spice bag (I use a tea ball):
--4-5 dried red peppers or 1 t red pepper flakes
--5-6 bay leaves
--35 whole allspice or 1 1/2 t ground

Combine all ingredients in heavy pot, breaking up meat with slotted metal spoon until finely separated. Bring to boil, stirring frequently to blend ingredients, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 3 hours, skimming fat off of top. Remove spice ball. (You may also refrigerate overnight and skim fat off the top the next day, adding water to dilute mixture.) Serve over cooked spaghetti and cheese (3 way); spaghetti, cheese, and onions OR beans (4 way); or spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans (5 way). It's up to you whether you choose to wear a bib! LOL

Trader Joe's again

2006-10-19T18:29:00.000-04:00

Major props to Cakegrrl out Sacramento way for turning us on to the fact that our beloved Trader Joe's has a brand new website. And, yes, the new Fearless Flyer is finally here! :-))

Q&A: Christopher Kimball, cooking's bow-tied academic

2006-10-19T13:10:00.000-04:00

"The gourmet cooking thing is over," says editor and author Christopher Kimball.

I don't know about you, but I have been addicted to Cook's Magazine since the 1980s and all those beautiful watercolor illustrated covers. So it was a great surprise to find this recent interview from the Washington Post with Christopher Kimball, the brains behind the outfit. Until now, I had no idea that he had a cooking show on PBS ("America's Test Kitchen") -- now I am determined to find it.

Where do you typically find your recipes when you're cooking for yourself? When you follow a recipe, are you doing what they say, or are you already editing?

I rarely cook out of a book. I make recipes I've come up with over the years. I did make one out of "Baking With Julia." It was a ginger cake, and it called for two cups of molasses. I'm going, that's a pretty serious amount of molasses. And I only had blackstrap molasses, which is like killer. You never want to cook with blackstrap molasses. So I knew I had to fiddle with the recipe.

Do you choose a recipe to teach a technique or for the flavors?

CK: It's neither. We determine what to publish almost entirely based on a very sophisticated research system. The most successful stories for us are foods that people are familiar with and have a problem making. So, pie dough, for example, is huge because nobody in America can make pie dough anymore. But there are things you can teach people about it which makes it relatively easy.

As there's a growing knowledge about international foods, how do you balance authenticity with convenience?

CK: If you can't find it in a local supermarket, I'm not going to call for it. End of story. Restaurant food and home cooking bear very little resemblance to each other. So you have to figure out which restaurant recipes you really would want to make at home because they're practical. If we did enchiladas, it's going to be nothing like Rick [Bayless] does. It's going to be an Americanized version that is reasonable.

You don't mind that they're not authentic enchiladas?

CK: No. Because if that means you can't make them at home, what's the point? I mean, I'm not Alice Waters. I'm not telling people to grow arugula behind the schoolyard. I'm perfectly happy teaching people how to make a well-done hamburger or mashed potatoes. I think the gourmet cooking thing is over. That happened in the '70s.

Top Chef returns tonight!

2006-10-18T14:29:00.000-04:00

Elia Aboumrad of Mexico City, trained with Joël Robuchon and at École Lenôtre and specializes in everything from French cuisine to chocolate making

Oh, dear Willa. So sad that you are cable-poor. One of my favorite reality TV shows, Top Chef, returns for a new season on Bravo tonight (11 ET/10 CT)! I remember several weeks ago you wrote that Mrs. Salman Rushdie (aka Padma Lakshi) had been chosen as the new host and I hear that Tom Colicchio (Craft) and Gail Simmons (Food and Wine Magazine) are returning as judges.

And vying for title of Top Chef are: Ilan D Hall (24), New York, NY, Line Cook; Josie Smith-Malave (31), Brooklyn, NY, Sous Chef of Marlow and Sons in New York City; Marcel Vigneron (26), Las Vegas, NV, Master cook at Joel Robuchon at the Mansion; Marisa Churchill (28), San Francisco, CA, Executive Pastry Chef, AME; Mia Gaines-Alt (32), Oakdale, CA, Owner of Feed the People Restaurant; Michael Midgley (28), Stockton, CA, Line cook at Wine and Roses restaurant in Lodi, CA; Otto Borsich (46), Las Vegas, NV, Chef Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Las Vegas; Sam Talbot (28), New York, NY, Executive Chef in New York City; Suyai Steinhauer (29), New York, NY, Chef and Owner of New York Fork Meal Delivery Service; Betty Fraser (44), Los Angeles, CA, Owner of Grub Restaurant in Hollywood and As You Like It Catering; Carlos Fernandez (36), Fort Lauderdale, FL, Co-owner and executive chef of Hi-Life Café in Fort Lauderdale; Cliff Crooks (28), West Caldwell, NJ, Executive Chef at Salute! Restaurant in New York City; Elia Aboumrad (23), Las Vegas, NV, Assistant Room Chef at The Hotel; Emily Sprissler (30), Las Vegas, NV, Master Cook at Nob Hill at the MGM Grand; Frank Terzoli (39), San Diego, CA, Executive Chef of Heat Restaurant;

Tomatillos, olé!

2006-10-17T19:56:00.000-04:00

The Palate weighs in. You recall last time, he was in a quandary over how to use all those yummy purple tomatillos from his garden:

I resolved my tomatillo quandary this evening with a variation on a cooked salsa. I must say it is truly amazing, even for a gal like you who disdains the foods south of the border. Of course I didn't follow the recipe but here is what I worked with from cooks.com:

SALSA VERDE GREEN II

1 lb. tomatillos
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green onion
2 tsp. minced jalapeno
1 c. chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in large skillet until soft. Cook tomatillos in boiling, salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, then puree in blender. Add green onions to skillet just before regular onions are ready. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

I had way more than a pound of tomatillos, I used a large sweet onion, two jalapenos, an entire bunch of green onions and quite a bit more than a cup of vegetable stock. I cooked it down for about 45 minutes and finished it off with the juice of three lemons and a lime then cooked it for about 10 minutes more. I made a large pot of it and will freeze some of it. It is so rich, it tastes like a vegetable but also almost like meat. It would be really good over pork. But my first use of it is as a sauce for pasta with sausage. Oddly this recipe does not call for cilantro, which almost every other tomatillo recipe does. I think it would add a nice edge. The distressing thing is that the deep purple color that I cultivated so carefully is only skin deep, the color of the sauce is a brownish green. That could be worked with in future versions.

Mrs. Saatchi goes shopping

2006-10-09T17:01:00.000-04:00

This week in The New Yorker, John Seabrook accompanies Nigella Lawson as she surveys the offerings at a Manhattan Gristede's on the occasion of her recent visit to NY to talk about her new Food Network show, Nigella Feasts. Read more here.

The Palate continues his Houston adventure!

2006-10-09T15:39:00.000-04:00

I managed to see quite a bit of the city and all the major art spots thanks to a GPS in the rental car. I fell in love with the woman who was the voice of my GPS. She got me every where I wanted to go and when I missed something she didn’t call me a “fucking idiot,” she just said “recalculating.” I thought if she could read the New York Times to me, or find the good local radio stations during the longer stretches between directions, she would be a great cross-country companion. The two highlights we saw together were the Rothko Chapel and the ArtCar Museum or "Garage Majal". Sort of opposite ends of the high art/low art scale, but I found eating barbecue between the two experiences was the perfect way to blend them. There was a lot of real Mexican food there so stopping at tacoria would work too. My personal BBQ highlight was lunch at Hickory Hollow. It was single story flat roofed building with a non-descript exterior and the door propped open. I walked in and they were playing rockabilly music, there were wooden tables with linoleum tops so the atmosphere was perfect. It was Sunday about 11:45 AM so it turned out I got there just before the church crowd. I had the HICKORY QUICKY (Chopped Beef Sandwich with Beans & Fries - $5.50), iced tea and a piece of pecan pie (that was about a quarter of a pie.) The meat was good and smokey but you know it is always about the sauce with me. This one is similar to the one at Beans and Things in Amarillo, that the Sterns like so much and claim trumps Calvin Trillin's fave Arthur Bryant's. You know I agree with them on this particular point. Do you remember that I drove from Amarillo to Cincinnati with a Styrofoam cup of it, covered in aluminum foil held on with a rubber band, in my car, just so you could have a taste? I believe we had it with grilled chicken. The spices were not as complex as Beans and Things and a bit more vinegary, definitely what the Sterns would call the three C's spice mix, it would be really good on the pork - had I known. Alas, the new liquid carry-on rules for air travel prevented me from bringing any back and my extreme light packing prevents me from traveling with anything more than a laptop and a couple pairs of underwear, so no checked luggage. I doubt a Styrofoam cup of BBQ sauce would have fared well in checked luggage anyway.

I think three days is about as much time as you need to see Houston, though. I was happy to leave all the large guts on Republicans in big cars and come home tonight. I will be in Baltimore later this week so I guess I will be eating crab cakes, meanwhile I am back in Pittsburgh. In this town whenever any one suggests there is a better place in the world the popular come back is, "Yes, but can you get a salad with fries on top there?"

Make your own Beans and Things Barbecue Sauce

2¼c catsup
2¼c water
2t beef broth
3T brown sugar
½t Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1T lemon juice
½t liquid smoke
1¼t dry mustard
1t chili powder
½t garlic powder
1t black pepper
¼T cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and bring to boil; then simmer for 15 mins. Cool and store in refrigerator until needed. Makes 1 quart. Recipe: The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road

Beans and Things
1700 Amarillo Boulevard, East (Old Route 66)
(806) 373-7383
Look for the cow on top. (And Cadillac Ranch nearby)

Report from Houston: The Palate checks in

2006-10-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

Oh, our dear friend The Palate just lives the most beautiful life! Although he had been looking upon his business trip to Houston last week with dread -- (I mean, come on! Flying into George Bush International Airport? What is up with that?) -- when he called this afternoon, waking me from a blissful sleep, he could not contain his glee.

Against the ebb and flow of a car alarm wailing in the background, waiting for a plane to return home to Pittsburgh, he excitedly told me of his visit to a local BBQ place called Hickory Hollow for lunch. Aside: To understand our mutual love of BBQ, you must know that before The Palate made an extensive driving tour of the South and Midwest some years ago, I presented him with my dogeared copy of the Sterns' Roadfood as a travel guide. I am proud to report that he followed it -- from Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City to a hole in the wall cinderblock place in South Carolina with its vinegary, mustard-based sauce! Anyway, at Hickory Hollow he had the beef barbecue sandwich with thin red sauce.

more to come...

Soulful chef becomes blogger

2006-10-08T16:50:00.000-04:00

Michael Soul of a Chef Ruhlman has gotten the blogging bug after guesting on Megnut.

Puck swallowed by Shark?

2006-10-04T02:51:00.000-04:00

Since it is almost Thursday again and I am still held hostage by my TV, I just wondered whether anybody else out there is hooked on Shark, that new James Woods' series on CBS. Last week I was intrigued by the mention of Wolfgang Puck listed in the string of guest stars. Naturally, I thought this would just be a quick walkon in one of his restaurants since the show is filmed in L.A. -- but, No! Unless it was a subliminal appearance, he was never there!

Am I going bonkers or did somebody else see him?

10/24/06: Update: I think I know the secret now. If you see the name of a well-known celeb listed in the cast of this show (OJ mouthpiece Robert Shapiro was also amongst those in this category), they are probably sitting at the table of Shark's weekly poker party!

Purple Tomatillos

2006-10-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

Dearest,

I don't know if you know much about tomatillos, as I recall you are not a fan of things south of the border, except for a few tawdry tales about which you have made reference in jazz clubs. I planted a purple variety this year. Unlike the green variety that I planted last year. They are now coming in in droves looking like plums with paper husks. Last year I waited for the green ones to turn yellow so they were quite sweet. With these the darker the color the sweeter the veggie-fruit. Anyway, I am trying to figure out something to do with them other than salsa or a sauce, which is what I made last year. I'm stumped - there aren't many options I can find on the web for what to do with large amounts of them. Have I asked you this before? Is it a yearly question for me.

Pringles, anyone?

2006-10-01T19:37:00.000-04:00

Coming from the city of the World Headquarters of Procter and God, I must admit to a certain amount of trepiditation when I read about Vosges Haut Chocolat's newest contribution to the chocoholasphere: Red Fire Chocolate Tortilla Chips, described by this blurb in New York Magazine as being packaged in "a chic Pringles-style canister of organic corn chips dipped in milk chocolate and dusted with ancho- and chipotle-chile powder that pick up nicely where chocolate-covered pretzels leave off" -- and only at a stylin' $20 for 6 ounces tab, for those of us with an excess of snacking moolah burning a hole in our collective pocket. I mean, really, people. Have we no shame?

Note to self: Oh, my God. My hair is almost that same color!

Jean-Robert "dissed" by "Yokel" 12!

2006-09-29T13:47:00.000-04:00

The Dish co-host Meg Galvin with Cincinnati Symphony Maestro Paavo Järvi and Jean-Robert (March 31, 2006 show)

That's what the Cincinnati Enquirer's TV critic John Kiesewetter says about the unexpected news that WKRC, to be known forthwith as "Yokel [not local] 12" by this blog, has canned the highest profile chef in this town from the eponymously titled, The Dish with Jean-Robert de Cavel. The Cincinnati Post's Rick Bird ("Jean-Robert cooked", 9/26/06) writes:

Channel 12's local cooking show "The Dish," airing 9:30 a.m. Fridays, debuted a new season last week with Cincinnati's star French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel gone from the show.

Produced at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State, the show premiered last year hosted by institute chef and faculty member Meg Galvin and de Cavel. As the show enters its 47th episode, Channel 12 and de Cavel had "a good parting," according to Sehring.

De Cavel, the former chef at the Maisonette, now owns Pigall's and runs three other highly-praised area restaurants.

"He's got so many irons in the fire and so much going on that for him to do this on top of everything else was getting to be too much," Sehring said. "The show will evolve with Meg and other hosts."

Sehring said the station is open to looking for another vehicle in which to feature de Cavel.

Galvin's new co-host is Storm Bennett, a radio personality from WKFS-FM (107.2) with guest chefs expected most weeks.

How special! No offense to Meg, but she's not exactly a name on the tip of local foodies' tongues -- and, puhleeze, I am REALLY not sure why we should be expected to care that an FM d-jay (who?) is a new co-host. I mean, what is the purpose of even having one whose knowledge of cooking and dining are non-existent except to make a little cutesy "happy talk"?

But let us not forget Mr. Kiesewetter's contribution to the mix here:

'The Dish' parts with de Cavel (9/27/06)

Jean-Robert de Cavel has been dissed by "The Dish."

The part owner of Pigall's and three other area restaurants has been dropped as co-host for the second season of the weekly TV show (9:30 a.m. Friday, Channel 12).

"It came to me as a bit of a surprise a few weeks ago. I really don't know what the reasons are exactly," says de Cavel, 44, who speaks with a thick French accent.

"I thought maybe it was they (viewers) didn't understand me, but then they (Channel 12) offered me another show," says the Newport resident.

No longer will the entire half-hour be devoted to making one meal with a celebrity, says Wayne Jung, Channel 12 integrated marketing director.

Chef Meg Galvin - de Cavel's co-host last year - will be "far more informational," teaching proper use of kitchen utensils, and creating healthy meals for families, he says.

Midwest Culinary Institute chefs and students, and DJ Storm Bennett from KISS-FM (107.7), will appear.

"We all agreed Chef de Cavel's talents were not being fully utilized in a format like this," Jung says. The chef also was very busy with his restaurants.

But de Cavel says that's not true. "I'm a busy person, but I enjoy doing TV because it was a change of pace for me."

Jung says he's talking to the chef about "a more free-wheeling" weekly show, or monthly or quarterly specials.

This whole thing reeks to high heaven to me. From the beginning, the show was produced with what looked like public access quality production values, despite the state of the art kitchen studio at Cincinnati State. And the graphics! How cheeseball. Just look at that logo and tell me students at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning couldn't have come up with something more professional and classy looking??

With the locally-produced programming coming out of Yokel 12 these days consisting solely of news and local sports shows, maybe it was too much to expect that they could produce something worthy of Chef de Cavel's talents. Of course the brilliant scheduling move Yokel 12 made of placing it on the grid on Friday mornings at 9:30 am (!) instead at a more demo-friendly Sunday morning where foodie fans might actually be around to see it was just another blunder that cannot be blamed on Chef.

Maybe this was the best thing that could have happened though. I mean, Scripps-Howard, parent company of The Food Network, is located in downtown Cincinnati, only a couple of miles away from Cincinnati State's studio. And I imagine somebody at the FN might be really happy to snap Jean-Robert right up for a new show there!

Word to the wise: Jean-Robert's recipes for the first season are still archived HERE if you want to browse!

Ruth Reichl's Life to Big Screen?

2006-09-28T18:58:00.000-04:00

According to today's newly re-designed New York Post gossip column, Page Six:

Foodie On Film

RUTH Reichl, the celebrated editor of Gourmet, is about to see her life plastered on the big screen. According to gossips at the magazine's October Restaurant Issue party at the Spotted Pig the other night, Avenue Pictures head Cary Brokaw has optioned rights to develop a film out of Reichl's two best-selling memoirs, "Comfort Me With Apples" and "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise." Reichl will be a producer on the picture being penned by screenwriter Jeremy Leven. We also hear the HBO series that was to be based on "Comfort Me With Apples" is kaput.

Bill Buford on Food TV

2006-09-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

This week's October 2, 2006 issue of The New Yorker features a lengthy Notes from a Gastronome piece by Bill "Heat" Buford titled TV DINNERS: The rise of food television. It's really long, so I made the link one to a "printer-friendly format". I'm just sayin'...

My favorite part is (of course) about our late and much lamented Mrs. Child and the beginnings of her French Chef show on WGBH, Boston:

...In America, the old days probably began on a February morning in 1962, when Julia Child, having been asked to promote "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" on a book show on WGBH, the Boston public TV station, phoned ahead, asking for a hot plate and permission to involve the show’s host, P. Albert Duhamel, a Boston College professor, in a demonstration. The professor couldn’t cook, and, on live television, Child was going to teach him how to make an omelette—a brazen flourish for a novice food writer. Russell Morash, at WGBH, remembers the call, because Child was so unusually well spoken and patrician in manner. It was as though he’d picked up the phone and found Eleanor Roosevelt on the other end. Child was a "hoot," according to one of the twenty-seven viewers who contacted the station afterward—enough for it to find funding to prepare a three-episode pilot that would eventually become "The French Chef."...

Le rye

2006-09-24T01:02:00.000-04:00

Dearest,

I have to tell you that the rye bread turned out incredibly well. They were perhaps my most successful attempts at this recipe. The loaves were larger than ever before, but just as dense. My addition of my own special "Herbs d'last year" instead of parsley (that it turned out I was out of), made the bread much more savory.

Rosemary Rye Bread
A Cincinnati Post recipe contest winner in the 1970s. "Rye bread has a fearsome reputation because rye flour is hard to raise to any volume, but this one mixes in white flour for extra oomph, and it's quite easy. Rye flour can usually be bought in a small-sized bag, then stored for future loaves in the freezer. This precious recipe is pulled from Post files quite often. The name of the young man who entered the recipe is lost to me, but I remain very grateful to him for sharing his find. He wrote on his entry that the rosemary rye is great sliced and toasted, then spread with peanut butter. It's true, it's true."--Joyce Rosencrans

1 ¾ cups warm water (105-110 degrees F.)
¼ cup brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
¼ cup each dried minced onion, parsley flakes
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons each dried thyme, rosemary, thoroughly crushed
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
4 teaspoons salt
2 cups medium rye flour (not coarse pumpernickel flour)
3 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour is even better)
1 additional egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Yield: 2 braided loaves

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in warm water. Sprinkle on the dry yeast and stir to mix. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foam forms on the top. If it doesn't, the yeast might be too old or the water was too hot. Start over with a fresh package of yeast.

Once the yeast has foam on top, add the onion, parsley flakes, crushed rosemary, thyme, oil, egg, salt, rye flour and 3 cups of the white flour. Mix well, adding only enough additional white flour as necessary to form a soft dough. It will be slightly sticky.

Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as necessary but as little as possible. Continue kneading and turning dough for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. It may still be slightly sticky.

Place dough in a clean, oiled bowl and turn to grease the top of the dough. Cover with a damp towel (paper toweling is fine) and set in a warm, draft-free place until dough is almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds. Divide dough in half and then divide each half into 3 equal portions. Cover with an inverted bowl or cloth and let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Roll each piece of dough with hands into a rope 15 inches long. Braid 3 ropes to form a loaf; repeat with other 3 ropes. Place loaves, spaced as far apart as possible on a large baking sheet to allow for rising. Cover lightly with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled, about 50 minutes.

Brush loaves with egg-milk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds (caraway would clash with the rosemary). Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove loaves from baking sheet and cool on a rack. Slice with a serrated bread knife to avoid compressing the bread.

A question of rye, part 5

2006-09-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

I am happy to report that the co-op (coop as I like to call it) had the rye flour we crave.

Did I mention I have been watching this 4-hour Warhol documentary. It is actually pretty interesting. The photo documentation is amazing, I can't believe how many photographs were taken in his early life. Of course it has the tragic pimple of using Laurie Anderson as the narrator. She sounds like a mecatronic character from Blade Runner. It is on until 4 AM tonight so I guess I have committed to staying up quite late.

Tomorrow I will make rye bread.

A question of rye, part 4

2006-09-22T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well, uh, yeah. I know what you mean. But you know--it is a bitch to make. Sometimes ya just wanna savor it!! ;-))

A question of rye, part 3

2006-09-22T16:32:00.000-04:00

Thanks dear. I will check my local "health food store" aka the East End Food Co-op.

As if pain d'épice would last weeks around me.

A question of rye, part 2

2006-09-22T10:25:00.000-04:00

Hon,

I bought my last bag of rye flour at Keller's IGA -- but we all know that kitchen goddess Marilyn Harris shops there when she's not shilling for Bigg's!

I would suggest a visit to a natural/health food store where you can buy as much or as little as you need. Remember if you buy a whole bag, you can use some of the leftovers for a Chez Panisse pizza dough (see, I remember how much you love making freeform pizzas using your pizza stone)! Or, if you are as inspired as I was last December, you can make a french "pain d'épice"--their version of gingerbread, but made with honey and rye flour. It was amazingly good and can keep, tightly wrapped, in the fridge for weeks...

P.S. My recipe for pain d'épice came from a FABulous cookbook called The Breads of France (1978) by Indiana francophile, Bernard Clayton, Jr. This, however, did not stop someone from changing some very minor details and including his recipe in Chez Panisse Desserts (1994)!

A question of rye

2006-09-22T01:31:00.000-04:00

What a week I am having. I am so busy plus a grant proposal due next Friday. I am going to take tomorrow off just to work on it.

This is perhaps something you would know. I am going to a dinner party on Saturday night and was asked to bring bread. I am going to try to make that rosemary rye bread from that Cincinnati Post cookbook. I went to the grocery store tonight and just try to find rye flour these days. They had ALL types of flour, flax, potato, teff, you name it. Just don't name rye. Has it gone completely out of fashion to make rye bread? I thought it would be a really unusual thing to bring, I had no idea how unusual it is. I am going to call the food co-op tomorrow and see what shakes there, or possibly whole
foods. Any ideas, girl?

Anne Kearney to open new eatery in Cincy area?

2006-09-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

I was excited to see Polly Campbell's article, Kearney could open restaurant here, in today's morning Enquirer. Although I never had the pleasure of eating Chef Kearney's creations way back when she worked at Arnold's Bar & Grill downtown, I remember reading of her great success with Peristyle, the New Orleans' French Quarter restaurant known for its refined, French-inflected American bistro food, she opened back in the 1990s after working with Emeril for several years. She was named one of the Top 10 young chefs in the country by Food and Wine magazine in 1998 and Best Chef, Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2002.

After suffering from some health problems, Ms. Kearney returned to Ohio to recuperate. Meanwhile, Katrina visited N.O. and returning there became became more problematic.

In the meanwhile, she and her husband, Tom Sand, found an outlet for their culinary interests by growing produce for the past two years on their small organic farm, Two Small Tomatoes, north of Lebanon. "Every Thursday and Saturday, she sells what she grows at the Lebanon and West Chester Township farmers markets, along with soups, salsas and focaccia she makes from her produce and fresh herbs."

So now, an Anne Kearney restaurant in the Ohio Valley is very likely. She's been scouting locations that would allow her to stay close to family, and learning that getting a liquor license in Ohio is harder than in Louisiana.

"I think a small French bistro, using local produce," she says of her restaurant plans. "Some of the products I used to use: Louisiana crab, shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico."...

And Kearney's been itching to cook. She's been selling prepared foods at her farmers market stall - breakfast bars, soups, salsa, her mother's oatmeal-crusted brownies.

She teaches at Midwest Culinary Institute and other cooking schools, and does some catering.

"Gardening is harder than cooking," Kearney says. "Cooking is immediate. You get to make your customers happy, wipe it all down, start again the next night. You don't have to wait six months to find out if you did it right."

Here's a gem of an autumn soup recipe from Chef Kearney - and if the air in your neighborhood is anything like mine is today, you'll want to rush right into your kitchen and put a big pot on the stove to make this for dinner.

AUTUMN HARVEST SOUP

3 strips hickory-smoked bacon, cut into thin strips
1 cup small-dice leek, whites only
1 cup small-dice apple (Granny Smith works nicely)
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
1 cup medium-dice butternut squash
1 cup medium-dice sweet potato
2 cups pumpkin puree (see note)
1 sprig sage
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons honey
4 cups chicken stock (water may be substituted)
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Render the bacon in a 4-quart stock pot until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and allow it to drain on paper towels. Gently cook the leeks, apples and garlic in the bacon fat for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree, sage, bay leaf, honey and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and sage. Add the heavy cream and season with the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Makes 2 quarts. Serve with the crispy bacon as garnish. Toasted pumpkin seeds are a lovely garnish as well.

Note: Use either canned pumpkin or roast your own: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut small pumpkins into thick slices, remove seeds and strings. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, bake until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Scrape flesh off peel.

Trader Joe's Manna from Ruth

2006-09-18T19:16:00.000-04:00

Since I am having to rely upon the kindness of friends to make grocery runs for me these days, I was especially happy when Ruth announced she needed to make a TJ's run for some more Ruby Red Chai Tea - and what would I like for her to pick up for me! Here's a partial list, along with local prices which, for the most part have only changed maybe 10 cents over 2 years. With raindrops pinging on my window air conditioner, a harbinger of the autumn cold front we're expecting to come through tonight, I am content to know that, safely tucked away in my kitchen, I have two quart size Tyvek containers of Trader Joe's Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup. Soup so good, it needs no cracker sidekick to make it satisfying! The partial list:

Organic Salad Microgreens ($2.49)
TJ Frozen Key Lime Pie Cheesecake, 18 oz. ($3.99) so rich - a little slice will do ya!
TJ Frozen Chicken Masala w/Brown Rice ($2.49)
Frozen Maryland Style Crabcakes, 2/package ($2.99)
TJ Triple Ginger Snap Cookies, 14 oz. ($3.49) omigod--fabulous!
TJ Frozen Shrimp Gyoza Potstickers ($3.29)
Green Tea Gelato, 1 pint ($2.99)
TJ Tiramisu Gelato, 30 oz. ($3.49)
TJ Dijon Mustard, 13 oz. ($2.29)
TJ Italian Sourdough Sliced Bread ($2.79)
TJ Pains au Chocolat, 3/package ($2.99) great frozen, then nuked for 30 seconds
TJ Water Crackers ($1.29) compares favorably to Carr's at half the price!
TJ Lavender Sachet Dryer Bags, 4/pack ($3.69)

Mouth of the South opens resto in Big Apple

2006-09-18T18:54:00.000-04:00

According to the story Captain Buffalo by Steve Fishman in New York magazine, former Cincinnatian and bison rancher Ted Turner is opening his 50th "Ted’s Montana Grill" at Rockefeller Center next week. Just hear him wax lyrical about his subject:

SF: What is the difference between the taste of a hamburger and the taste of a bison burger?

TT: Boy, that’s really hard. To me it tastes a lot better. Have you ever eaten bison?

SF: No, I’m looking forward to trying it.

TT: Well, you have to cook it differently than meat because it has almost no fat, and I don’t eat any fatty meats. It’s lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken or fish. And half as much as beef. It’s so much better for you, and it tastes better, ’cause once you start eating it, you just, beef just seems way too fatty for you.

SF: Do you have a favorite way to eat a bison burger?

TT: I like it with a slice of cheese.

Ted's Montana Grill
110 W. 51st St. at Sixth Ave.
Phone: (212) 245-5220

Joel out, Lakshmi in?

2006-09-17T22:53:00.000-04:00

You know how we love reading gossip columns. Well, today the New York Post's PAGE SIX reports

WE HEAR . . .

THAT Katie Lee Joel, 25, wife of Billy Joel, 57, has been dumped as host of Bravo's Top Chef cooking show and replaced by Padma Lakshmi, 36, wife of Salman Rushdie, 59.

Well, as I happen to be cable-challenged, it was good to see that the recipes for Season One are on the site.

Chad leads chicken dance

2006-09-17T00:35:00.000-04:00

Good God. I don't know what comes over this town when Oktoberfest rolls around each year. This year Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Chad Johnson was named Grand Marshall of the fest--this ceremonial post largely meaning you have the honor of leading the world's largest chicken dance. (I kid you not.) Anyway, this year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer:

...Johnson danced atop a small stage, keeping his bright blond mohawk under a pink ball cap. Clapping, twisting and flapping, an excited crowd followed along. When the music stopped, the crowd chanted, "Who Dey! Who Dey!"

"It’s a blessing for me to be here," Johnson said before leaving.

In honor of his efforts, Servatii’s Pastry and Deli gave Johnson a giant Bavarian creampuff shaped like his face. The pastry contained 50 pounds of cream.

Only in Cincinnati, children. Only in Cincinnati.

Good talk more filling

2006-09-16T12:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a strange day of eating for me. All my meals were catered during meetings and at art openings. Breakfast - a chocolate chip bagel and an apple strudel thingee. Lunch - London Broil with horseradish sauce, pasta, caesar salad and a cookie/brownie tray. Dinner - curried chicken over vegetable rice, an indian pancake, hors d'oeurves that featured blue cheese in phyllo and Belgian endive and more brownies. This all sounds quite good but it was some how not as fulfilling as sitting down and having a conversation while eating, rather than looking at slides and discussing the merits of a resume or trying to balance a plate while standing.

United States of Arugula

2006-09-16T08:42:00.000-04:00

Dear me. I feel so cranky any more. First, I'm resigned to my plight for the foreseeable future of trying to make silk purses out of sow's ears in the microwave (well, you know what I mean!) and not even being able to try to drown the dismal results with anything remotely fermented and drinkable (and, NO, soy sauce does not count as a libation!) But, what should turn up in my suddenly too-high-to-reach-fully-into mailbox Thursday afternoon, but the new, much ballyhooed October issue of Vanity Fair. [Shudder.] Yes, the one with that certain happy Hollywood family on the cover and the 22-page spread of little Red Rose's pix inside. (Trust me, children. The cover was quite enough already.)

Anyway, after tearing out all of the ads and fragrance strips, as is my spinsterish habit, I glanced down along the "Table of Contents", only to find listed an excerpt from a new book by David Kamp titled The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation. Although we may have thrilled to the charming auto-da-fe of Jeremiah Tower earlier this year, (what can we say? yes, we use our library card on occasion, alright? so what if it's a few years late!) it's always fun to have the tale told again from a different perspective -- along with many others. May we indulge ourselves and just call it full of little frissons of sheer delight?

Herewith, for your reading delectation, is the Vanity Fair excerpt from Chapter 5: Cooking Up a Storm.

RELATED LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE: DavidKamp.com

Chapter Seven: The New Sun-Dried Lifestyle (The Silver Palate, Dean & Deluca, E.A.T., and more)

woof, woof: Bad review! Bad review! The glories of food, The Economist.com

Eat Local - Support Your Independent Restaurants!

2006-09-15T18:21:00.000-04:00

Well, "the road to hell", as they say. I was listening to Marilyn Harris' cooking show of the air on WKRC-AM a couple of Saturdays ago when the subject changed from exchanging recipes to a conversation with Annette Pfund de Cavel and (sorry!) another person whose name I seem to have lost from my memory bank. The subject of their conversation was the announcement of a new Cincinnati chapter of an organization called Dine Originals America, which promotes locally-owned and operated restaurants, with chapters in 20+ cities nationwide.

Like a foo, I wrote down the information about their website's launch, fully intending to write about it before yesterday ended, because this morning at 8 am, when it was scheduled to go live, they were also offering an online only sale of 40% off gift certificates for all of the participating restaurants. Alas, by the time I finally got around to blogging (like...NOW!), most of the G.C.'s have sold out. But never fear. I hear there's going to be a big kick-off event at the Verdin Bell Company's headquarters in Over-the-Rhine next month. I promise to make a more timely post about that so you can get in early!

Member Restaurants include: Andy's Mediterranean Grille; Behle Street Café; Bella Luna; Brown Dog Café; Daveeds at 934; The Grand Café; Jean-Robert at Pigall's; Jean-Robert's Pho Paris; Jimmy D's Steakhouse; Jimmy's BBQ; Kona Bistro; Mesh;
Montgomery Inn Boathouse; Nicholson's Tavern & Pub; One Restaurant & Lounge; The Polo Grille; The Pub at Crestview Hills; Sturkeys; and Universal Grille

It's Kroger's pie for me, dear Palate...

2006-09-13T18:45:00.000-04:00

...and today, by way of the online flyer, that means a lovely bakery peach-raspberry one. Raspberry hybrid pies seem to be in the aether these days, just a day after you mentioned that slice of raspberry cherry. Your post about your spiced raspberry pie really got to me, I must say. I know how you enjoy those "Martha moments" when lattice-making really floats your boat. In fact, maybe I should put one of these little toys on your Christmas list: from one of our favorite blogs, The Book of Joe, a Pie Crust Lattice Cutter!

No rain in Pittsburgh foiled my pie plans

2006-09-13T18:10:00.000-04:00

Perhaps lack of rain has caused a raspberry shortage. I am still fond of the New Basics recipe for spiced raspberry pie. I haven't been picking any raspberries this year so I guess I won't be making it any time soon. I still have a pie's worth of sour cherries in my freezer.

The Palate checks in

2006-09-12T06:55:00.000-04:00

I went to the lovely farmers market on my way home from work and bought some Silver Queen corn, plums, a nice piece of hickory smoked salmon and a sugar baby watermelon. I also picked up a piece of raspberry cherry pie. When I got home I made the best treat of the day, heirloom tomato sauce. Yes, I had a pile of heirlooms in my fridge and made two pots full. I put some of it on pasta and froze the rest. I think heirloom tomato sauce is the most decadent dish on earth. It consisted of greens, Mr Stripeys, ox heart, a striped saladette, purple and yellow tomatoes. It was quite a mélange. The flavor is so rich, I cook it down to about half the pot. So I made pasta using the sauce and a few of the ears of corn cornels cut off the cob sprinkled with Parmesan. You cannot believe the flavor. I am in anticipation of winter just to eat the rest. I also made a couple batches of pesto while it was cooking, so I have things covered.

David Sedaris on the dangers of "D'accord"

2006-09-12T00:08:00.000-04:00

"I said d’accord to a waiter, and received a pig’s nose standing erect on a bed of tender greens."

Thus sayeth our favorite funnyman du saison, David Sedaris. Like it's not enough that he lives sur la Rive Gauche en Paris, he also writes about his experiences there in a way that tickles our funnybone. Here is more of his most recent New Yorker offering: In the Waiting Room: The advantages of speaking French (September 18, 2006).

Welcome to Porkopolis!

2006-09-11T07:12:00.000-04:00

Porkopolis Pig Roast?

Well, here it is, September once again, and what does that mean right here in the city formerly known as "Porkopolis"? Why, it's time for that glugfest of German food and beer known as Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati, of course! I mean, I'm sure it's just me, but the last thing I want to do is wander through a throng of thousands of chicken dancing goetta ball, limburger and onion sandwich, and Bavarian cream puff-eaters, and be accidentally doused with lager. The second day smell of stale beer is enough to put me off my feed, so I shall be staying away. But, as Zuleika Dobson would say: "For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like!"

Herewith, for your delectation, the menu. Get your Pickle-On-A-Stick here!

Mad Honey Disease on the Rise

2006-09-10T18:24:00.000-04:00

You'd think it might be from those killer African bees...but no! According to this article in today's (U.K.) Independent, scientists are warning that this rare disease is on the uprise.

Symptoms can include convulsions, low blood pressure, fainting and temporary heart problems, according to a scientific report published this week in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

"Mad honey disease has the potential to cause death if untreated," say the researchers. "Because of the increasing preference for natural products, intoxication induced by consumption of honey will increase in the future."

Just a spoonful of the wrong honey can cause problems, according to researchers.

Mad honey poisoning is most prevalent in honey from the Black Sea region of Turkey. Compounds called grayanotoxins, found in the nectar of rhododendrons, mountain laurels and azaleas, are thought to be responsible for the disease. Though harmless to bees, they are psychoactive and poisonous to humans. Affected honey is said to have a very bitter taste.

The Over-the-Rhine Brewery District presents the Prohibition Resistence Tour

2006-09-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

"Inhabitants were deluged with beer and wine, principally beer; old Vine Street sparkled like a huge Brazilian yellow diamond by night; sumptuous beer gardens were as plentiful as freckles on a small boy's face," a reporter wrote in 1924.

"Wielert's was the most famous beer garden, near 15th and Vine," said Robert Wimberg, who writes about such things. "At the top you can still see the letters HW, for Heinrich Wielert. The Cincinnati Symphony got its start there.--excerpted from Randy McNutt's A toast to pottery, beer (Cincinnati Enquirer, December 16, 2003)

Well, venture back in time this Saturday, September 16, when my pals at the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District will host a two-hour bus and walking tour of some of Over-the-Rhine's most historic brewery buildings in an effort to to make the Brewery District more visible and to help play a role in the revitalization of Over-The-Rhine. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased in advance from either of these establishments or by contacting Steve Hampton at the numbers below. Tours will leave from Arnold's Bar & Grille, 210 East Eight Street (departing at 11 am and 2:30 pm) and Milton's Tavern, 301 Milton Street (departing at 11:30 am and 3:10 pm).

There will be a special presentation on the history of Cincinnati's own Christian Moerlein beer. Feautured buildings will include the former homes of the Clyffside Brewery; Christian Moerlein Brewery; Jackson Brewery; Hudepohl Brewery; Schmitt Brothers Brewery; Kauffman Brewery; Lafayette Brewery; and Grammer's Restaurant; as well as the subterranean tunnels beneath the breweries; Cincinnati's world-famous beer halls lost to time; and an examination of the city's proud German Resistance to Prohibition.

Thanks to the hard work of a number of its members, the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District Prohibition Resistance Tour is almost sold out. There are only about 16 tickets remaining for the tour, so if you know someone who would like to participate, please have them contact Steve Hampton today at (513)784-0352 or by email.

Volunteers are still needed for both the cleanup and to staff the tour (even if only for a few hours), including serving refreshments, staying with the groups, and staying at the tour sites. All volunteers are invited to a cookout at Denny Dellinger's Metal Blast Building--formerly the Jackson Brewery-- at 208 Mohawk Street, after the tour.

Please do your part to help the Brewery District make this event a success. For this Saturday's cleanup just show up. For the tour, please contact Steve Hampton.

And on a personal note: In researching a little on the side about Cincinnati's illustrious brewery history, I came across a site which provided me with several reasons why the streets in my neighborhood of Clifton Heights are peppered with so many formerly well-known names, including Klotter, Sohn, and, of course, Moerlein. For more information, please see Robert J. Wimberg’s book "Cincinnati Breweries", available at the Ohio Book Store and selected other retail outlets.

What's Up with Sam's Blog?

2006-09-08T18:12:00.000-04:00

I was just checking Food Blog S'cool about an hour ago and found that, except for the logo and a title for a new post, that it had disappeared. I sent an email to Sam and received an automated message saying that she had pressing things to deal with and would not be responding to Food Blog S'cool messages right now. Does anyone know what has happened here?

I'm hoping for the best!

UPDATE (9/9/06): FOOD BLOG S'COOL HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN TH BLOGOSPHERE. HALLELUJAH!

We hear, we hear...

2006-09-08T14:46:00.000-04:00

as the New York Post's Page Six says: "READERS of The New Yorker have eclectic taste. When tickets went on sale [yesterday] for the mag's upcoming New Yorker Festival, it found that its "Fiction Into Film" seminar, with Michael Cunningham, Liev Schreiber and Ed Norton, and its "Come Hungry" tour of Chinatown, with Calvin Trillin, sold out in one minute. Meanwhile, a sneak preview of the new "Borat" flick, with Sacha Baron Cohen, and an architectural tour of Zac Posen's home sold out in three minutes." Don't say we didn't warn you! ;-)