Your Lying Eyes

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14 November 2005

Three Star Restaurants in NYC

Kevin Drum and Tyler Cowen discuss why there is such a dearth of top quality restaurants in NYC compared to Paris. Neither comes close to understanding it. In France, great food is a fundamental part of their lives - not something to brag about when you make a lot of money. I was watching Jacques Pepin on TV a few weeks back making a chicken dish made in the manner of frogs legs (a la' whatever frogs legs are in French)....Read more As he prepared it, he commented on the pleasant memories it brought back of when his mother would make frogs legs. Can you imagine? Note that in France, if you prepare it a certain way, it's chicken that tastes like frogs' legs! Pierre Franey would wax nostalgic about a chicken liver dish his mother prepared on special occassions. Contrast this with what goes on in this country, food-wise. I know several people who can afford to eat out regularly at the most expensive restaurants (or have access to expense accounts that allow them to). They are, without exception, barbarians who have learned to mimic the act of fine dining. But they leave tell-tale signs of their monstrousness, such as a grotesque food-wine pairing or bit of uneaten roe. There simply is not enough native talent here to make a true 3-star restaurant work, and there is definitely not enough demand to justify its existence.

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, you could go live in France. I hear they have a multitude of cheap cars available - all recently painted charcoal black.

November 15, 2005 1:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please name the barbarians I dare you

December 03, 2005 5:01 PM  
Blogger ziel said...

Please name the barbarians - Pretty ironic coming from an "anonymous" poster. No names - but I don't think they're readers - do you?

December 03, 2005 5:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I saw the same Pepin episode and loved it. Try making the chicken a la frog legs the first chance you get!

December 03, 2005 8:29 PM  
Blogger ziel said...

Do you remember the recipe? I tried searching for it but in vain. I'm pretty sure it involved lots of parsley and garlic and chicken breast cut into frogs' leg size strips, but not sure of the details. Was it olive oil based?

December 05, 2005 11:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You've pretty much got it. Lightly dreg the chicken bits in flour and sautee in olive oil, butter, and minced garlic. Dump in the chopped parsley at the end and there you have it. Tell us how it goes.

December 10, 2005 8:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anyone recall the mix of veggies and preparation that went with the chicken "frog" legs? I recall broccolini, green peas, and beans. Anything else? Other ingredients?

November 14, 2006 6:52 PM  
Blogger ziel said...

All I recall is the main course which was as J. Wild said. I made it not too long ago but since I had a coronary stent put in I decided to forego the butter. It was quite tasty, though I can imagine the additional satisfaction a tablespoon or two of butter would add.
But the veggies you mention - were they a side dish - I can't recall at all, but sounds great. I'll have to check google videos for this.

November 14, 2006 7:40 PM  

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