Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Jacques' recipes always work, and always are delicious. When I don't know what to make for dinner, I turn to any of his cookbooks and usually with only a lttle time and effort have a meal that makes me sing his praises again. LOVE Jacques -- no other chef can touch him and he is such an excellent teacher!

After my second semester of graduate school, while I was waiting to receive my first paycheck from a summer job that paid very little, I had almost nothing in my fridge and pantry except for a package of saltines, canned chocolate frosting, a box of prunes, some tins of tuna, and a bunch of grapes, a head of iceburg lettuce, a bottle of wine vinegar, and a jar of Hellman's mayo. I lived for a good three weeks on tuna salad with grapes on saltines, iceburg lettuce with plain vinegar, and for a real dessert treat, chocolate frosting spread on saltines, topped with prunes.

Lamb, roasted or grilled. Never really liked plain ham for Easter. Fortunately when I was growing up, there were always "sides" -- stuffed artichokes, manicotti, roasted red peppers, eggplant parm -- so I certainly didn't suffer.

Oops, it's a cutesy family of SIX...GACK (okay, so I'm not good with numbers...)

I always felt like the voice crying in the wilderness after dining at the FL twice: once years ago, in the mid 1990's before it became "THE FRENCH LAUNDRY!!!" (it used to be one of the choices offered as part of a package deal (!) at a nearby inn, mind you, although we didn't go as part of the package deal, and yes, TK was the chef), and again just a few years ago. Neither time blew us away. Yes the food was delicious, and the service was professional and polished, but so are the food and service at other restaurants in San Francisco/Napa Valley, across the US and in Italy. Frankly, it was not the best dining experience we ever had. Of course, the first time, we were seated upstairs in a small stuffy room near a table full of loud, obnoxious people, and the maitre d' refused to move us when we politely asked for a table in a more quiet area, away from them if he couldn't/wouldn't ask them to tone down their noise and behavior (he wouldn't). So much for that. Both times the reception was coldly polite, not very welcoming, but professional nonetheless. We didn't expect to be fawned over, but it would have been nice to feel that they were pleased to have us as guests. (We were clean, dressed very nicely and fit in with the "FL clientele look", whatever that is, in case anyone is wondering!) Yes, we had certain expectations, but no more than those we have when we dine at any restaurant that has a great reputation. The FL is an excellent restaurant, but having tried it twice over the years and been disappointed both times, we fail to see the "magic". Oh well, perhaps we're just not cultured enough...