mdt

Is there a good source to learn the vocabulary when it comes to talk about the flavors tasted within the wine?

...copious aromas of violets and lavender that accent its rich flavors of blackberry jam.

This description actually uses common things in its description, which is nice. My $0.02, taste is very subjective and different folks associate the flavors they perceive based on their specific flavor memory. In my opinion reading flavor definitions from someone is not that helpful. A good thing you can do is taste the wine and think about what you feel it tastes like and compare it to the description and see how it lines up. Unless your concerned with blind tastings don't worry about being too specific, general terms like red fruit, earthiness, and floral work well too. Then when you read a description like the above you can translate back into more general terms and see if it fits a profile that you enjoy.

Some of the best advice I got was to taste various individual items that are typically used in wine descriptions often so that you can learn to identify them when you taste them in the wine. This will help you best identify the type of wines you enjoy and correlate them to the various descriptions.

I have very little to say about this meal except WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A RESERVATION YET?

The starred dishes were extra items not on the printed menu, as me and my dining companions have known Ferhat personally for years. Nevertheless, even without the extra bites, the $55 is a value for what you get.

Go.

Now.

Yes, it was very good and worth the trip. For those of us that have known Ferhat from his server days it's fun to see him working behind the line.

We shared the Chef's Table last night with a young woman who was celebrating her birthday (which is actually tomorrow). Ferhat told me that he is booked through November. Since only 8 people a week will be able to indulge in this, I wouldn't hesitate to make a reservation for whenever you can get in.

I could list the menu, but next week's will be very different. The menu we had featured that last of this season's local corn. Next week? Even Ferhat doesn't know, yet.

There was a lot of food, some of which I brought home, and a lot to drink. All of it was very, very good. Ferhat knows from wine. And, not a "foam" in sight. Just straight forward perfectly prepared seafood dishes garnished in unexpected but delicious ways--except for dessert (there were two!), which didn't contain seafood.

A little bird told me who will there next Monday and they just happen to be members of this site. I'll be interested to read about their experience. I hope it will be as delightful as ours.

Good to hear. And I think you mean Tuesday.

I have a John Boos board, and it is about eight years old now and has nary a crack in it, although it could probably use a sanding for all the cutting I've done.  They are pricey, but I don't think I'll ever have to buy another one. 

I have a Boos as well and love it. It lives on my counter and it gets semi-regular oil and beeswax rub downs and it is in great shape after many years of heavy use.

And they are now running their "pop-up" TrummerFest in the third floor area. We went last year and enjoyed it and will be returning in the next couple of weeks.

Very good dinner last night with a good sized group so we go to try much of the menu. Here are some of the highlights, full menu is below.

Jägerteller - meat and cheese board with some knockwurst, Landjäger, speck, pan seared liverwurst, and Ementaller, with chicken liver mousse and mustard condiments.

The Goulash mit Spätzle and Weiner Schnitzel were my favorite dishes of the night. Oh and if you go don't forget a pretzel or the apple tart for dessert.

TrummersFall2014Menu.pdf

TrummerFestMenuFall2014.pdf

Not that recently, but since the context of the quote was a comparison against CityZen, and Komi is $15 more than CityZen, I feel that they're just not on the same playing field.

I completely disagree based on my last 3 meals there, although I have not been to CityZen nearly as frequently.

One time when I went my non-raw-seafood eating partner had a far better meal than I. In fact, that was a disappointing meal there for me, as the series of mezzethakia that starts the meal was 5 crudo courses in a row - I felt like I was at a sushi bar.

How recently was this visit? My last couple of meals there have not been like that at all.

Had three meals out and enjoyed each and would easily put Acorn at the top.

Acorn - We ate quite a few of the small plates and the highlights were the OAK GRILLED BONE MARROW (piquillo pepper vinaigrette, radish, celery leaves), OAK GRILLED OCTOPUS (potato gnocchi, braised artichokes, house made chorizo, salsa verde), and the OAK GRILLED JIMMY NARDELLO PEPPERS (anchovy, burrata, crispy garlic, mint). Wanted to get back to The Source where this restaurant is located to see the butcher, bakery, and such that were not open at night.

Beast and Bottle - Excellent restaurant that gets whole animals in and butchers themselves. Small menu, nice wine list, and they also do tasting menus for $65/person. The $5 for babette's pain naturale with beurre rudolphe le menuier was worth every penny. I had the lamb (roasted leg) served with eggplant, garbanzo beans, gaeta olive, crepinette, pomegranate demi-glace.

Argyll - Gatropub with good food, good beer on tap, and a very long whiskey list. Was intrigued by the 'Spot of Tea' (chicken & pork tea broth, ramen noodles, vegetables, egg). Good version of ramen that hit the spot. The country pate was good, but nothing special.

I had dinner there this past weekend and it was excellent. Only HC in DC? I don't agree and would have to put Komi on that list.

The first course of veal brain (fitting addition to the October menu ) with corned veal tongue and bread and butter pickles is easily one of the best dishes I have had anywhere in a long, long time. I wonder if this could be had at the bar...

And they are now running their "pop-up" TrummerFest in the third floor area. We went last year and enjoyed it and will be returning in the next couple of weeks.

Any new updates for dinner places the Denver/Aurora area?

Looks like it is time to go back before he leaves. Chef Ziebold to open his own place in DC. News here, click.

The lines are going to get worse! Click

Lunch deal is crazy too. Stopped in yesterday and they are doing an app, pizza, and drink for $12! That made up for the fact that we were expecting brunch which was unavailable due to RW.

Went on Sunday at sat at the bar downstairs. While watching the food being prepared and going out we decided on the large sashimi plate from the specials menu and were not disappointed. That along with the mushroom plate and some sake made for a terrific dinner. Every time we go we wonder why we wait so long between visits.

These might actually be useful at places with tasting menus where each item contains a vast number of individual components that are recited by the server when placing the dish in front of you. A tablet on the table could display the contents of the dish and if required let the diner know how to best combine the components to ensure the best possible experience.

I decided kind of last minute to hard boil a couple of eggs to go into my salad tonight.  How much do the number of eggs and size of pan have to do with this?  I very rarely boil more than 4 eggs, though sometimes 6, and don't use more than a 2 or 2 1/2 quart saucepan..

Tonight was 2 eggs in my smallest saucepan, which is probably only a quart.  Water brought to a boil.  Eggs lowered in with a tablespoon.  Kept at a medium boil for 13 minutes.  Hot water drained and replaced with cold tap water and ice cubes.  Eggs cracked and peeled a couple of minutes later.  They were completely cooked, with no green ring, and peeled pretty easily (one more easily than the other, but neither had any white pulled off).

If you keep them in one layer and use the fill the pan with water 1" over the eggs method the number of eggs doesn't matter. I make a dozen with no problems. That said, I go with the steamer method most of the time.

I make one with cornmeal in the crust that is very good. I can dig up the recipe if you would like.

Yes please.

It's not a standard brisee, but it's very good. The recipe is from a Julia Child cookbook. I found a link online, here.

Looking to replace my old, and mediocre, waffle iron. I am sure folks here have some good recommendations.

Do you have a particular pate brisee crust recipe you prefer?  

I make one with cornmeal in the crust that is very good. I can dig up the recipe if you would like.

Related to my other question in a different thread...

I'm making this recipe for pulled pork on the 4th.

I've got two 6.5 lb boneless butts. Do you all think I can cook them at the same time (they'll fit) and have them take the same amount of time as stated in the recipe? I don't see why not, given that they are separate, and not one big piece, but since I have people coming over at 4 pm I don't want to chance it. I can't do any cooking in advance of the morning of the fourth (unless I leave one smoking outside in the grill all night, but that seems like a bad idea).

Suggestions? Thanks, as always to the experts here.

No problem with timing so long as you have enough space between the butts. The initial temp will drop a bit when you first put them in as they are cold and you are opening the grill. When I smoke my butts I always allow for extra time just in case. If they get done early it's no problem to wrap them and stick them in a cooler to hold.

And if you ever want to leave 'em smoking overnight get a BGE, it'll hold a nice low temp all night with no problem.

The other night I smoke/grilled a 2.5 lb. cowboy cut rib eye steak on the grill. I did the CI thick steak technique on the BGE, smoked the meat with hickory at ~250F until the internal temp of the steak was 95F. Then I cranked up the grill to 700F and seared until MR (130F). Damn good way to cook a steak!

Cherry tomato salad

Roasted sweet potato

Grilled pineapple

Forge Slake IPA

The mixed grill at the Old Town location has been outstanding the last two times I have had it. Octopus, squid, shrimp, with roasted potatoes and green beans. And the HH oysters for $1 are not a bad deal either.

I went there soon after their opening and it seems that they were still getting their settled. Dishes like moussaka were tasty, but warm on the outside and cold on the inside. Maybe it's time for another try.

So the time has arrived for me to attempt to make this risotto dish I had in Rome before my dinner club next week. Carnaroli rice has arrived from Amazon so now it's just figuring out how to make the actual dish. The dish I had in Rome was a pear and cheese risotto. I don't remember chunks of pears, or if there were any pieces they were very small and cooked down. The dish had the slighest sweetness from the pear, but it was counterbalanced by the cheese so that the dish was savory.

I tried getting some help from the restaurant on how to make it, but I think it was all lost in translation as this was all I got:

Mantecare il riso con stracchino, parmigiano e pere abate mature.[/size]

which Google translates to: Stir the rice with soft cheese, parmesan cheese and ripe pears abbot.[/size]

Perhaps the pears weren't cooked down, but just very ripe and so they broke down from the heat? Thoughts? Ideas on what the "soft cheese" could be? [/size]

As for the pears, if you cut them to small pieces they will break up into the dish as it cooks. The recipe has all the info you need, although they don't say what liquid was used.