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gillsnthrills's Profile

Website: http://gillsnthrills.tumblr.com

Location: New Orleans

About: pescetarian

Favorite foods: Cheese, oysters, chocolate, artichokes, nectarines, blackberries, ice cream, mushrooms, mangoes, crab, bread

Last bite on earth:

The Ten Most Recent Comments By gillsnthrills

From Serious Eats

Blogwatch: La Tartine Gourmande's Coconut Milk Mussel Soup

Sounds delicious and easy to make too.

From Serious Eats

Mata Hari Absinthe: The First Czech-Bohemian Absinthe on U.S. Market

Can you be allergic to absinthe?

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

I'm a transplanted New Englander, living in the South, and I rarely run into these absurd North vs. South problems. No one really cares.

From Recipes

Cooking from the Glossies: Wild Mushroom Crostini with Thyme Vinaigrette

Sounds delicious

From Serious Eats

Photo of the Day: Meat Face

From Serious Eats

Is Street Food in Vietnam Endangered?

Jefferson Parish (the suburbs of New Orleans) made taco trucks illegal when they started appearing after Hurricane Katrina. It is so lame. At least they can still sell their food within New Orleans.

From Serious Eats

Why Don't Recipes Include Salt Amounts?

I think you should salt to taste because everyone has different concepts of what "salty" is. Thats why chefs leave it out of recipes most of the time.

From Serious Eats

Paris Falafel Roundup: Where to Get the Best Falafel in the Marais

I love L'As du Falafel. So does Lenny Kravitz.

From Serious Eats

Best Lunch in Paris?: Escargot from L'Escargot Montorgueil

Looks delicious!

From Serious Eats

Arcachon Bay Oysters Banned Due to Health Threat

Thats terrible! I love oysters, but doesn't this happen pretty often with shellfish? I was under the impression that there are problems in New England (and probably elsewhere) due to red tide that causes paralysis where some people go clamming.

Responses to Comments by gillsnthrills

From Serious Eats

Mata Hari Absinthe: The First Czech-Bohemian Absinthe on U.S. Market

I've tasted Mata Hari, and many other absinthes - I prefer Mata Hari because it doesn't have the real heavy black licore flavor - in fact I made a really great Hemingway with it - shot of chilled Mata hari in a champagne glass topped with Martini & Rossi Asti!!!

From Serious Eats

Arcachon Bay Oysters Banned Due to Health Threat

Check out the website www.rawoysteralert.com. I was shocked to learn that several individuals die each year from the consumption of raw oysters that are contaminated with naturally occurring Vibrio bacteria. Some gulf states have chosen to not take action in order to make raw oysters safe for ALL consumers.

Several years ago, the state of California made a requirement that all imported raw oysters must be pasteurized and since that requirement was put into place there have been NO FURTHER DEATHS in that state.

In order to affect change, consumers need to only accept oysters that are SAFE through post harvest processing or through being cooked. Consumer demand drives the market and the industry would be forced to provide oysters that did not lead to unnecessary deaths.

The website www.rawoysteralert.com has a wealth of information available and also explains how you can help in making the consumption of oysters safe for everyone.

From Serious Eats

Mata Hari Absinthe: The First Czech-Bohemian Absinthe on U.S. Market

Paul: just want to clarify a couple of facts in your article. (and folks, I handle Mata Hari marketing in the U.S. so please recognize that I have a commercial interest)

Absinthe was just "legalized" (actually there's more to it than not, and if your readers are interested in the details, check out www.wormwoodsociety.org for the full story) in Oct. of 2007. So with Lucid opening the market, Absinthe has only been commercially available for about 10 months.

There's a big difference between Czech (aka Czechsinthe, Crapsinthe) Absinthes and Bohemian Style. The latter refers to the flavor profile, not the geographic origin. Obviously it's confusing because Bohemia is really a geographic region in the Western Czech Republic. Mata Hari is Bohemian style made in Vienna Austria, not the Czech Republic, and by a master distiller whose family has been in the business since 1875. The particular recipe for what we've branded as Mata Hari, actually dates back to 1881 (I've physically seen it...Gerry Fischer keeps it in a safe in his great grandfather's office on Wilhelmstrasse). Back then it was sold as Fischer Absinthe (products weren't branded per se, they carried the manufacturer's name, just like Pernod was made by Mr. Pernod.)

Absinthe Mata Hari in the US does not advocate the use of what's known commonly as the fire ritual. This service style is usually associated with Czechsinthe's, but as I've already said, Absinthe Mata Hari isn't one.

Regarding mixability, I think it's important to note that while the maker of Mata Hari also makes a traditional French style product, we decided to bring in the Bohemian style because it's what sells the best in Europe where Absinthe has been legal for a few years. Consumers have basically voted and said they liked the concept of Absinthe, but prefer to tone down the licorice, and drink it mixed into more contemporary drinks as opposed to classics.

Lastly,when it comes to reviews, I'm a big believer in the most important one...yours! Taste it and evaluate it yourself. (But if you want to read what Paul Pacult and Robert Plotkin had to say, you can check out their reviews at the Mata Hari website.

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

I think I've learned more about different cultures from watching Tony than any other shows on TV. Because I care about and am interested iin food, I will sit and watch and really learn something. Not only does he discuss the food of the region, he also shows us their customs, religious rites and real people from the area. Tony Bourdain doesn't have to be in your living room....if you like his show, watch it. If you don't like it turn to the Food Network and nobody will offend you there.

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

in the words of rodney king -- "can't we all just get along?"

anthony bourdain is snarky, and talks about his preconceived notions of each place in the beginning of each episode, and then generally through the arc of the show he realizes the beauty and uniqueness of each place. he does this in nearly every show. including the one about new jersey. and iraq. and california. that's pretty much the point of the show. it would be a lot more boring otherwise.

how this turned into a northern vs. southern thing is ridiculous.

and PS -- there is more in the north than just new york. it's funny when people are saying how ignorant people are about the south, and then act equally ignorant about the north.

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

first thing out of his mouth was to let the world know he normally would have nothing to do with the South and was trepidatious about being there. Pathetic PC crap. SC doesn't want you there either champ.
I disagree wholeheartedly; had you watch the entire episode, you would have seen that his POV had been changed a bit by the people he met there. He had negative things to say about the Greeks, but when he went, once again, his attitude was changed. Bourdain can be a hot mess at times, but when he's wrong, he does admit it.

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

I watched the whole episode, while it's definitely not one of the better episodes of the show, its not really what you thought it was. It was actually a rather perplexing episode, and I'm not sure what the premise of it was.

I guess having Alice Cooper in the show as an amusing touch, but why would you go to his theme restaurant when there's so much more that the region must have to offer.

Nonetheless, the episode wasn't pandering OR offensive, just...meandering.

And I admit, I'm a Bourdain fan, but I think I can admit when his shtick gets old and cheesy. Refreshingly, however, he seems to be getting better with age, time, and experience (and parenthood?) and speaks and acts with a lot more humility and isn't as quick to drop a scalding quip as he used to be.

If anything, more recent episode of No Reservations seem to be even more intelligent than earlier ones, and definitely a step up from A Cook's Tour (which I liked by the way).

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

RELAX !! maxicav.... I was born in Detroit and raised in the south so I,ve always appreciated both. And Anthony being the well traveled person that is , was just pointing out the fact that he is not a SOUTHERNER but he's man enough to appreciated it being a YANKEE and all.

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

Regardless of sociopolitical issues, the culinary history of the American South is the culinary history of America. Take away the South and you take away the nation's gastronomic Genesis. I think Tony is aware of this - his comments were born quite possibly from ignorance. The media and Hollywood have gone out of their way to portray the South as backwoods - without sufficient time spent in the South one would not know the beauty that accompanies our flaws. For instance, Southern schools were integrated during the 50's and 60's. Boston's school system remained segregated until 1971.

You know everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
Will Rogers

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain, I AM NOT SOUTHERN

Risa, Tony's a Jersey boy. It's a fine point but an important point.