A lot of things to catch up on

Harold McGee and Manresa dinner auction
For a mere $5,000 to a good cause, you and seven of your bestest friends can be guests of Harold McGee and Manresa for a private dinner. David will cook a 5-course meal based on the Spanish experimental methods, and Harold will lead the evening's discussion about the chemistry of the food and its preparation. I am not going to bother telling you who Harold McGee is, because if you didn't know him by now then this meal would certainly not worth $5,000 for you. The silent auction is going on now. (Scroll down to the 'Once in a lifetime' category to place your bid.)

Learn how to make Marmalade from June Taylor
Our very own First Lady of Preserves June Taylor is sharing her secrets of marmalade making! You too can get in on this by signing up for one of her two hands-on classes on 3/25 and 4/22.

Taste Everything Awards 2006
Hillel of Tasting Menu is hosting the second annual Taste Everything Awards, where food bloggers honor the best producers or sellers of food and other kitchen things. Check out the listing of the first two days' worth of awards here. And check back chez moi Thursday to see who I'm giving my Taste Everything award to.

Chris Cosentino goes to Britain!
And so can you. You can join a gastronomic tour to Britain led by Chris Cosentino of Incanto. Chris will take to you visit Prince Charle's organic garden, go Woodcock hunting, see an Oyster Farm in Marsea, have a very piggy day at the famous River Cottage, dine and St.John and the Fat Duck. Not to mention the Only in London experience of breakfasting at Smiths at Smithfield, with the butchers in blood-soaked apron from Smithfield meat market next door.

And we have the first born!
Our lovely Farmgirl Susan has got the first born ewe of the season. She is called Rose, and the honorary ownership of her goes to Jennifer New, the lucky donor in our Menu for Hope II campaign, where together food bloggers from all over the world helped raised more than $17,000 for UNICEF's funds for the earthquake survivors in Northern India and Pakistan.

Comments

[Jay Rayner]

David's doing five courses? Geddouttahere. He doesn't know how to do less than 14.

[Alisa]

I love the baby goat!

[Bux]

"I am not going to bother telling you who Harold McGee is, because if you didn't know him by now then this meal would certainly not worth $5,000 for you."

I don't know. It might just be worth $5,000 just not to be so clueless.

[Johanna&Ben]

Dear Pim,
Johanna&I just thought we'd inform you of a disappointing experience at the Comptoir, by Odeon, that you wrote about. We live around the corner and, after they went through another refurbishment, have been enjoying occasional lunches inside. The service can be flakey but the 'joue de boeuf' is delicious. And those chocolate pots! Anyway, what we really wanted was the real deal, i.e. the €40 no choice dinner you tasted, so last night we rung on a whim and were shocked to be told that for a midweek reservation we'd have to wait until October. They were, of course, 'complet ce soir'. We decided upon somewhere else, but, en route, walked past the Comptoir, at around 9 o'clock. And therefore sometime after the sole 20:30 seating the man on the telephone insisted they operated. The place was truly half empty. Upon entering and asking the maitre d' if we could have a table, seeing as... , he said we might be able to sit on the terrasse but that we'd have to check at the hotel. The man in the hotel (a.k.a the man on the phone) was a gruff, slick type who just kept reiterating 'octobre'. To respond to our observations that the restaurant wasn't full he contradicted his earlier single sitting policy by claiming some customers would be arriving at 21:30. He was a genuinely rude individual in a tacky green blazer. We left and had a great meal at the Petit Pontoise (know it?) noticing Yves Cambeborde outside the Comptoir chatting away with two friends who were enjoying their soup. He was still there when we got back. The food looked great but his laissez-faire attitude and the grim service is something quite unpleasant. Still if he's booked up until October?

[lee]

I already missed my once in a lifetime with Harold McGee. He came through Madison last week. I had to work the night he gave his talk and the next night he ate at the restaurant where I work and it was my night off!

[Pim]

Jay: Ha! Very funny you. I know it will be hard for David but I'm sure he'd make it. Wish him luck!

Bux: I'm sure 5,000 is not quite enough for some people. ;-)

Johanna and Ben: Thanks for the note. I have been quite annoyed with those people as well. I've said as much on eGullet when people asked about the place. I'm going to update my Paris Pas Cher list soon and this place will certainly come off it.

Lee: Too bad! I'm sure you'll have a chance again. Best of luck!

cheers,
Pim