A Full Belly

Argentine beef

A follow-up on Argentine beef from A Full Belly reader: "Besides the free-pampa pasturing of animals in Argentina, the slaughter method is also different.  The animals are killed and bled (not kosher, but the bleeding is similar) and the meat is delivered to markets / end-users within 48 (max72) hours. If you ever walked around in Buenos Aires in the mornings you've seen men in bloodied white clothes w/ OR-like caps on carrying beef-halves into the butcher shops.  So, unlike the "aged Black-Angus" we're
trained to want in the States, aging is considered what one does w/bad meat in Argentina."

Pretty enough to eat

I am very tempted to get a couple of these awesome sushi pillows for my couch. There's also an ebi pillow.

Argentina on two steaks a day

Argentina on two steaks a day: "Eating steaks in Argentina feels like joining a cult. You find yourself leaning on friends to come visit, and writing YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND in all caps more often than feels comfortable. Argentine beef really is extraordinary. Almost all of this has to do with how the cows are raised. There are no factory feedlots in Argentina; the animals still eat pampas grass their whole lives, in open pasture, and not the chicken droppings and feathers mixed with corn that pass for animal feed in the United States. Since this is the way of life a cow was designed for, it is not necessary to pump the animal full of antibiotics. The meat is leaner, healthier and more flavorful than that of corn-fed cattle. It has fewer calories, contains less cholesterol, and tastes less mushy and waterlogged than American meat. And the cows spend their lives out grazing in the field, not locked into some small pen. You can taste the joy."

Michelin Guide coming to San Francisco

SF Just announced: The Michelin Guide San Francisco and Bay Area is scheduled to hit shelves in October. From the press release:  “The diversity, breadth and depth of San Francisco's restaurant and hotel scene, coupled with its rich gastronomic history clearly mark the city and surrounding areas as the logical choice for the next North American title in the Michelin Guide series,” commented Naret. “As with our recently published Guide to New York City, we are making every effort to produce a comprehensive selection that does full justice to the region’s exciting restaurant and hotel culture and also meets our readers’ expectations.”

SF's Time Warner Center?

SF This week's Tablehopper is chock full of gossip and speculation regarding the possible restaurant tenants coming to the Westfield San Francisco Centre (it's a mall, folks) when it opens in late September. Tablehopper asks, "Will it become our own Time Warner Center?" I doubt it, but it certainly will be steps above your ordinary food court.

All mixed up

NYC You may have heard of Chinese-Indian (or Indo-Chinese if you prefer) cuisine thanks to Chinese Mirch, and the recent change of ownership at Cardamomm that has resulted in a new Chinese-Indian menu. But you might not have heard of Chinese-Jamaican, as in De Bamboo Express (love the name!).

Julie and Julia wins Blooker

Julie and Julia wins a Blooker prize, the first literary prize awarded to "blooks": books based on weblogs or websites.

How to pour ketchup

"Ketchup can be regarded as a highly viscous liquid, or a thixotropic (flows under pressure) solid. Neither term is exactly correct, but the problem is not what to call it. The problem is how to get the ketchup out of the bottle, in measured quantities, without making a mess." From a technical explanation of the correct way to pour ketchup from a ketchup bottle.

2006 Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants

SF The SF Chronicle's Annual Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants, here's a map of the San Francisco restaurants.