August 30, 2008 - Wow. It's been a long time since I've posted on this site. With my job, it's very difficult for me to cook anymore, which is why I post mainly on my personal blog.

I did find this interesting though. Lifehacker has posted the calorie counts of popular foods and restaurants.

December 16, 2007 - My recipe for ratatouille has been posted. A variation I did with mine was I added sauteed chicken, which made it more of a complete meal.

December 13, 2007 - Things have been a bit crazy around here - having to furnish a new apartment from scratch, aside from the clothes and stuff I brought with me. It has been a successful venture, with me having everything, but no kitchen table. Easily remedied though, with oversize tv trays . . .. at least until I can find one that I like.

Tomorrow, I'm having Brent & Rosa over for dinner. I've spent many a nights on their sofa when visiting and checking out apartments, so I am making dinner, and they were generous enough to supply the dessert! I'm planning on a "Disney" theme dinner. We all like the movie Ratatouille, so I'm doing a couple of dishes from the movie, a potato leek soup and of course, ratatouille. I'm not breaking out the mandoline for the veggies, but rather going more rustic with a bit of knife work and larger pieces. I'll post the recipes and pictures after.

November 28, 2007 - The past two weeks have been quite adventurous. It all started Thanksgiving day, when I left for France, with a stop in Amsterdam. Of course, the dining was fabulous. A few of my meals were taken at the one star Le Rendevous de Chasse with my friend and manager, Richard Reihm. And my personal highlight was visiting my friend Jean Yves Schillinger and his progressive, upscale, one star JYS. David Rosengarten visited JYS in October of this year and posted it on his website, DavidRosengarten.com.

Colmar France, in the Alsace region has it's own unique feel. It's influences are French and German and they even have their own hybrid language. It's quite possibly my favorite place to visit while in France (or anywhere close) because of the people, the food & wine, and the close proximity to walled cities and castles.

October 30, 2007 - Copyrights and patents are fairly common in the technology world. But what about the food world? The shelves of bookstores are filled with recipes, many of them are quite similar, but might differ in amounts, types of ingredients, sometimes methods. Jerry Seinfeld's wife is currently in a tussle over two cookbooks that have been released, one by herself, titled "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food". The other is by Missy Chase, titled "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals".

I am not a lawyer (although I do know several lawyers to be), so I consulted Google for some information. The site IP Watchdog attempts to clear this up.

October 21, 2007 - I was introduced to Welsh Rarebit this evening. Upon first hearing it, I thought it was rabbit, but far from it. Evidently, it's a common form of what we would call supper for the English and Scottish. In it's simplest form, it's toasted, buttered bread with a cheese sauce over it. The variation I had included halved cherry tomatoes and bacon. I'll post a recipe soon.

October 17, 2007 - Business took myself and two guests to Lahiere's for lunch today. It's one of the better places in Princeton for dining, whether it's lunch or dinner. The food was good. I ordered the crab cakes and classic shrimp cocktail appetizer; only complaint were the number (only two golf ball size - in food, odd numbers rule). The service was good, not spectacular, but ok. It took longer than it should have between the entrees and the appetizers, but it was refreshing to have the table cleaned with a crumb catcher and bread plate before coffee and dessert. Lunch might be the best time to try out a restaurant, before splurging on a sometimes hefty dinner bill.

October 8, 2007 -Many upper crust hotels have concierges. The best one I’ve met was a gentleman in London. He resembled Jason Statham (The Italian Job; The Transporter movies) and was quick getting answers. He was able to get me a table at Jamie Oliver’s landmark restaurant for that night (Friday - busiest night of the week) as well as line up other tours and such I inquired about.

A hotel in New York has taken a different spin on the traditional concierge. A “sleep concierge“. The main reason you go to a hotel is to sleep. Many times it’s an overlooked part of a stay, because people look at the other amenities a hotel offers - after all, they all have beds. But this move could possibly be a stroke of genius.

October 7, 2007 - A grilled cheese is a staple item in everyone's culinary repertoire. It's simple, tasty, and can be made quick. Here's a version that will possibly change your ideas about this homely sandwich.

October 3, 2007 - Yesterday, I had a discussion with Leslie about Mexican restaurants. Most people have their own ideas about what it is made up of, such as tacos, burritos, etc. In Nashville, there's the San Antonio Taco Company, in Lebanon there's Los Compadres and last, but certainly not least, Puerto Vallarta in Bowling Green. Small sampling, I know, but just illustrate an example.There seem to be plenty of inexpensive Mexican restaurants, but not many on the higher end. Most of the "high end" restaurants are advertised as Latin American, South American, or Argentinian cuisine. Just wondering as to why. What are your impressions of a place advertised as a "Mexican" restaurant?

October 1, 2007 - Jamie Oliver has a new book out. And as the usual gift, my parents got it for my birthday. It's fabulous. It's a bit of a cookbook and a gardening manual. Just what I need, since I can't grow anything. I once killed a cactus, probably from overwatering - I was six or seven. Once I get through some of the book, I'll post more.

If you watch Food Network at all, you've undoubtedly seen adverts for their "Next Iron Chef" reality show. I hate reality tv, but was curious about the contestants.

In an article on Reuters, the American Dietitic Association has ranked several of the popular diets that are commonly found today, such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, and South Beach diets were all ranked.

September 24, 2007 - I enjoy reading about the most extravagant this or that. This caught my eye - a $14,500 dessert being offered in Sri Lanka. Aside from the 80 carat aquamarine stone and the chocolate carving, it's basically an Italian cassatta - liquor soaked and layered pound cake. The details are quite amazing, such as the edible gold leaf, but no one has ordered it yet.

Are you feelin' strong my friend? Well then, next time you're doing some international globetrotting, try some of these foods.

September 14, 2007 - The trend for fast food restaurants now is movng towards "value menus" and "dollar menus" and such. At first glance, it's difficult to argue against it. Seemingly expensive food items, such as double cheeseburgers, bacon cheeseburgers and such whittled down to a single dollar. It is possible to recreate many menu value items at home, for less money (per single serving) than going out.

September 6, 2007 - Last night I helped Chef Hickey and Brad cater a party here in Princeton. It was a gathering of about 60 guests with appetizers, desserts, coffee, and wine. The evening was a success, with many satisfied guests. Here are a few pictures of the table and guests. Picture1; Picture 2; Picture 3. 

September 2, 2007 - In a coffeeshop, I saw the sign "Coffee is Culinary". It's more than just a catchy slogan, it's the truth. Much like different grapes produce different wines of varying degrees, coffee beans can produce dramatically different coffees. These coffees can and should be paired with different foods, depending on their characteristics - yep, just like wine. Next time you're getting a cup of coffee, try something different - you might be surprised.

I'm currently reading (about to finish) The United States of Arugula. It's about how the U.S. became a "foodie" nation - one in which we don't simply eat for survival, but think of food as an art form. Food is an art. And as such, it's in the infancy stage, when compared to other forms of art. Painting, sculpture, and writing are all art forms that are much older than food, but are firmly entrenched in our minds as art. They all have their master artists, such as DaVinci, Picasso, O'Keefe, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, and Hemmingway. The world of food is exciting, because it is a relatively young art form, the "masters" of this art form are all fresh within our minds: Julia Child, James Beard, Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, and many others. Art can be constantly created and refereshed, no matter what media is being used, paint, clay, or food - so get out there and create some art.

The classic grilled cheese. It's hard to improve upon. This is a variation of the classic, in the event you're in the mood for something a bit more upscale. Grilled cheese isn't rocket science and I've got good faith my readers (plural, yes, more than one, I hope) know the method for a grilled cheese. The ingredients for the upscale version feature good slices of white bread (or Texas Toast), cooked bacon, thick slices of a good aged cheddar cheese, thin slices of a granny smith apple, and whole grain mustard. Assemble, toast, and enjoy.

August 26, 2007 - When I was in Louisville, Leslie, Craig, and I visited the new location of Cafe Lou Lou, in the heart of St. Matthews. I was quite fond of their previous location on Frankfort. Much of the original artwork and such traveled with them and it looked like it was a good setup. All three of us ordered some form of pasta and shared the hummus and flatbread for an appetizer.

August 22, 2007 - The next time I'm in New York City, I'm definitely looking for this place. It combines two of my favorite hobbies, food and . . . . well, a bit of technology.

August 12, 2007 - Soups are commonly a cold weather staple. I love a good soup when it's cold out. During the summer, it doesn't really sound appetizing to come inside from 90 degree heat and sitting down to a hot soup. This recipe for cold avocado soup is quite tasty, easy to make, and it's not hot. Enjoy.

A sweet tooth can be expensive, if you factor in the potential dentist bills. Now you can add to that a ridiculous cost of some of these desserts from around the world. These are not in my budget, but if your "sweet tooth" is insatiable, this might do it.

There is a society in England called the Society of Useless Information. Noel Botham put a lot of their findings in a book. Here's some of the interesting food related tidbits inside:

The citrus soda 7 up was created in 1929; 7 was selected because the original containers were 7 ounces. Up indicated the directions of the bubbles.

Peanuts are cholesterol free. They are one of the ingredients in dynamite.

A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee.

There are more donut shops per capita in Canada than any other country.

Pound cake is so called because the original recipe required one pound of butter.

Bejing boasts the world's largest Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified Kosher.

The number "57" on a Heinz ketchup bottle represents the number of varieties of pickle the company once had.

August 8, 2007 - The next time you're cooking with fresh, hearty herbs such as: rosemary, sage, and thyme, run them through some really hot water before using them. It's a great way to invigorate the herbs and get them to release their oils and scents. They will help infuse your cooking with much stronger flavors.

August 6, 2007 - A new dessert has been added. It's a simple dessert that makes use of some simple, readily available ingredients from the market. It doesn't take any time at all and can be made elegant, depending on the serving dishes.

Here's an article on how long foods might stay fresh. It' provides some good general guidelines, but there will be a lot of other things involved, such as how cool the refrigerator stays, how often it's opened and closed, and where the cooling element is. Use your best judgement as well.

July 27, 2007 - Bottled water - in my opinion, one of the biggest wastes of money. Sure, I’ve picked up a bottle or two before, when no water fountain was available or it was really hot outside. Otherwise I carry around my trusty ol’ Nalgene bottle. Coke and Pepsi are announcing that their bottled waters are really purified tap water. If tap water is good enough to brush your teeth with, it’s good enough to drink. But if you must, go buy a Brita.

July 25, 2007 - If you're one of those people who is always in a hurry (5 minute abs vs. 6 minute abs - see "Something About Mary"), then this article is for you. Author and Chef Mark Bittman has 101 recipes (substantial meals) that take 10 minutes or less to make. The 10 minutes is also contingent on how well stocked your pantry is, but anyways.

July 24, 2007 - I'm in the Twin Cities at the moment and they are quite the dining destination. Lots of influence from the Swedes and Norweigans. Thai food was the selection of the night and was directed to Chiang Mai Thai and it did not disappoint. My favorite Thai dish on the planet is pad thai - so every Thai place I visit, I get the same thing. Pad Thai is like snowflakes - no two dishes are identical, which is what makes it fun. The pad thai at Chiang Mai was in the top two that I have had. Yang Kee Noodle is number one for me, but this could have been number 1A.

July 19, 2007 - My friend Chef John Castro was featured on the show “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” doing battle with the famous Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. I haven’t seen the episodes, but check here for airtimes. On a personal note, I hope Castro eats Flay’s lunch.

July 9, 2007 - While on vacation, I was able to dine at many fine establishments. The Ahwahnee Hotel had a fantastic in house restaurant, which I have mentioned in the July 3 post. The second part of my vacation found me in Los Angeles, perhaps the most diverse city in the United States (depending on who you ask). I was only there for a few days, but was able to dine only a few of the many offerings of the city. The Chart House had terrific food - only rivaled by the view of the pacific. Kings Road Cafe and Toast were the two choices for breakfast during my visit. The food was good at both spots, but in this instance, I highly preferred Kings Road Cafe, because the service at Toast was severely lacking during the visit. It wasn't overly busy, but took a really long time to get our food.

The two dinner choices were as follows. First came Morel's French Steakhouse. This was just too good to pass up, as my cousin and I had just watched Ratatouille. The food was great, along with the service and perfect Los Angeles evening. The last dinner came at Yong Su San. As I have often joked with my friends in proclaiming that "I am not a very good Korean" because I am not a huge fan of the food. I've had it on several occasions, but can't seem to get it into the "I like this" category, with the exception of a few dishes. While the food was undoubetdly Korean, I wouldn't know good from bad, so I won't make any judgments at this time.

July 3, 2007 - In years past, guests had been "forced" to eat subpar hotel restaurant food. If you got in late or didn't feel the need or urge to venture outside the property - then you ate in house.

In recent years, hotel food has become quite upscale. Many in house restaurants are becoming destination eateries, by the guests as well as the locals. A few examples that come to mind is the English Grill (Brown Hotel - Louisville) and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. The food here in the park could very easily survive in it's own spot in Los Angeles or New York and be packed every night. The wine list is deep, but not too extravagantly priced.

Mediocre food at a restaurant can be forgiven by spectacular service. Mediocre service can be the downfall of a restaurant. After all, service is a big part of the reason we dine out. Take this scenario: My party and I were seated at an open table, with the assurances that Server X was one of the best ones in the house. We gladly followed suit. However, this was immediately scarred, since the table was right at the entrance/exit to the kitchen. And, need I remind you, this wasn't the Chef's table by any means. It took sixteen minutes for Server X to even acknowledge our existence, even though he walked past us and idled for several minutes within plain sight.

When Server X joined us at the table, someone in my party inquired as to which wine was better, wine A or wine B. Server X answered with a choice that wasn't A or B and said that the $150 bottle was better. After tastefully asking for a second opinion, Server X talked over his shoulder to a colleague, who also said that the $150 bottle was a great value.

Another person in my party promptly left the table, talked to the maitre'd who moved us to another table, with much better service and a better location. This is an example of how service shouldn't be done. If you are not receiving what you rightfully deserve, don't hesitate to bring it to the attention of management.

June 25, 2007 - Sushi has caught on around the world, both in the U.S. and in other countries such as Russia, South Korea, and parts of Europe. The problem is that this is causing a bluefin tuna shortage - which in the U.S. would be akin to running out of cows. Cows and tuna are two things I wouldn't want to run out of, because I like my meat and my fish.

June 23, 2007 - With the Fourth of July coming up, which means barbecues, cookouts, and beer, read this first. These are some beers that you might want to stay away from, or try, depending on your sense of adventure.

Molecular Gastronomy. No, it's not a course you took in college. It's a new science of pairing foods. Heston Blumenthal uses this approach at his restaurant, the Fat Duck, and it's received praise as the best restaurant in the world. When you consider things like snail porridge and egg/bacon ice cream, you might wonder how in the heck a place like this would be so good. It all comes down to the science that Blumenthall approaches food with. He approaches it as a scientist, not a chef. Ferran Adia is another molecular gastronomist who is quite popular.

Since most of my recent stuff on here has not been food related, I've opened up a blog page for my non-food content. I'm still keeping this site up and running for the three people (you know who you are and thank you!) who read it occasionally. So for "Lee" stuff, go to the blog. For food related stuff, check here.

June 17, 2007 - Happy Father's Day!

Oceans 13 was pretty good. I have to say, the first one was the best. I didn't really like the second one, but this one is pretty entertaining. Most of the same characters from the previous versions (sans Zeta Jones and Julia Roberts) are back for this one. And why can't people just turn off their cell phones in the theater? It's not that difficult. O-F-F. Are people that worried about being disconnected from the world for an hour and fifteen minutes? If only we could behave like Rat from Pearls Before Swine.

June 15, 2007 - Here's a couple of links for you. First is a commercial some of my namesakes did, Kenny and Kelly Dalglish did for BT Telecom. Pay close attention to the end, when he is spelling out the last name. Hilarous. Also, here's a highlight film of some of Kenny's career at Liverpool; probably the reason I'm a 'Pool fan.

In Australia, there is a potential that restaurant critics might have to be more positive and less critical in future reviews. This could be a step backwards for more than just the food industry, since theater and movies all revolve heavily on the opinons and reviews of critics.

Louisville had things going well, until Rice came back to win in their first game of the College World Series. The Cardinals have a big obstacle to overcome, in the perenial power that is the Rice Owls. The Cards continued their massive scoring binge, putting up 10 on the Owls. Although I have moved to "Rutgers" country, I still pull for the Cards. This even includes going into a local pizza joint that is run by Rutgers Alums and fans. If I would have had this information prior to my visit, I would've re-analyzed my wardrobe choice, which included a Louisville Cardinals hoodie. Whoops. Needless to say I don't think I'm welcome back.

June 13, 2007 - There was a brief few minutes of light hail here yesterday. I hadn't seen hail before then in a very, very long time. Luckily, small pieces, so no damage to anything (i.e. my car).

When it comes to food on the floor, I follow the 5 second rule. This research however, goes as far as suggesting there's a 30 second rule. The Germans are getting a bit crazy with their wursts, with some really outlandish ingredients being packed into caseins. And speaking of outlandish ingredients, cucumber flavored soda?!

June 11, 2007 - This "Pearls" comic is awesome, because while the hospitality industry is about giving people what they want, there is a line not to be crossed.

Yesterday I had appetizers and wine with Alan Blinder, Professor of Economics at Princeton, and frequent contributor to CNBC and the Wall Street Journal. I had a great time, even though I only understood a bit of what was talked about!

June 9, 2007 - Perhaps one of the best things about moving here is the fact that I'm so close to the beach. While my image of a beach is Kiawah Island, the shores in New Jersey are nice as well. Yesterday I went to Spring Lake New Jersey, which is a small, swanky town on the shore. Dined at The Breakers Hotel & Restaurant and had a great time, although the water was absolutely freezing.

How do you know if the wine you just purchased is authentic? Kodak is jumping into the anti piracy fray with special inks and markers to be used on wine bottles.

There was a bit of an impromptu family reunion at my aunt's garden party. There were several of my cousins in attendance, such as Jim & Rob, Ladric & Natasha and newest addition Aria , Lucy, David & Kate, along with Sofi and Corinne.

June 6, 2007 - Princeton University's graduation ceremonies were held today and among the graduates was none other than Louisville's own Muhammed Ali. Dr. Ali was awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities.

June 3, 2007 - The Princeton P-Rade is part of their commencement festivities, when alumni return for the weekend. This is contributing to my busy week and weekend. There were a couple of dinner parties that I assisted wtih, as well as the "Old Guard" reunion, for the oldest living alumni of Princeton. Here's a few pictures of the setup and guests from the big party. Photo 1 ; Photo 2 ; Photo 3

Culinarily speaking, Michelin chef Pierre Gagniere says the apocolypse is coming - because of the surge in demand for gourmet preoducts. If it does happen, I suppose we'll all revert back to a college diet of ramen. Awesome.

In case you're one of the people who's anxiously waiting the iPhone to drop half a grand at your Cingular store, it's supposed to be out June 29th.

Liverpool released a new away uniform. I like it, but prefered the yellow one of last year. Most people hated the yellow kit, but then again, I'm not most people! Next up is a revamped European uniform (last year's I also liked). I don't think I'll be getting these new ones.

May 29, 2007 - These next two weeks will be quite busy for yours truly. First off, there's the wonderful rite of passage known as finals. Yay. Add to that, I'll be assisting several private party events, for alumni of Princeton for their reunions (which they take quite seriously) and assisting with catering jobs for rose garden parties. I guess the good news is that after this period, I'll be done with school again!

Cumberland went crashing out of the NAIA World Series, losing 5-2 to Houston Baptist.

May 25, 2007 - Liverpool couldn't win a sixth Champions League title, suffering a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan. Stupid Milan. . . . . . Stupid Flanders.  (Homer Simpson reference).

Cumberland opened to a wild 12-10 loss to Bellevue in the opening round of the NAIA World Series. It's a double elimination tournament, so CU will play Saturday against Houston Baptist.

If anyone was to try and guess that I'm a trained chef, they definitely wouldn't come to said conclusion by viewing the inside of my refrigerator. A quick look revealed my icebox contains: beer, water, sparkling water, meat, cheese, butter, and eggs (note the absence of milk, the ultimate kitchen staple). Not the beginnings of any new, grand culinary creation. Well, it might be a culinary creation, but nothing that I would want to try. I will try and remedy that sometime soon.

At Starbucks this morning (where there's always a line), I was in front of the display case for a bit of time. There was one thing that didn't fit. Cheese and Spinach Scones. I love scones, but these particular ones didn't fit in. It is a bit like the IQ questions that ask "which one doesn't belong? a) Winners  b) Champions  c) Chicago Cubs " (note - I'm a huge Cubs fan, but am willing to sacrifice my allegiance for the sake of a laugh). The row of the display case read like this: Orange Cranberry cake, blueberry muffins, cheese and spinach scones, apple fritters, doughnuts.

And now, to go get one of the aformentioned beers. . .