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AgileToolkit Podcast Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:06:40 +0000 Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:06:40 +0000 Libsyn RSSgen 1.0 en AgileToolkit Podcast Bob Payne false Bob Payne bob@agiletoolkit.com episodic no Jurgen Appelo - The Unfix Model Jurgen Appelo - The Unfix Model Thu, 07 Sep 2023 20:53:00 +0000 I had the pleasure of speaking again with Jurgen Appelo in regards to his work on the Unfix model. He and his team have taken the work on Team Topologies and extended it with a number of organizational patterns. As he says they are like organizational lego blocks that allow you to visualize and experiment with different organizational structures when you are designing an new operating model for your teams. He has integrated a lot of tools from his Management 3.0 work as well and the community resources are a treasure trove of goodies. I hope you enjoy the talk as much as I did. ]]> I had the pleasure of speaking again with Jurgen Appelo in regards to his work on the Unfix model. He and his team have taken the work on Team Topologies and extended it with a number of organizational patterns. As he says they are like organizational lego blocks that allow you to visualize and experiment with different organizational structures when you are designing an new operating model for your teams. He has integrated a lot of tools from his Management 3.0 work as well and the community resources are a treasure trove of goodies. I hope you enjoy the talk as much as I did. ]]> 47:06 false full Agile Mentors Podcast - Exploring Lean Thinking in Agile Development with Bob Payne Agile Mentors Podcast - Exploring Lean Thinking in Agile Development with Bob Payne Wed, 10 May 2023 13:31:00 +0000 I joined Brian Milner from MountainGoat Software and we chatted on the Agile Mentor Podcast. Enjoy this cross posted podcast from Brian. I always enjoy speaking with him. Join Brian and his guest Bob Payne as they discuss the principles of lean thinking and how they apply to Agile methodologies. In this episode of the "Agile Mentors" Podcast, Brian sits down with Bob Payne to discuss the intersection of Agile and lean thinking. As an experienced Agile coach and host of the "Agile Toolkit Podcast," Bob shares his insights and offers practical tips for implementing lean thinking in your own team. Listen in as they explore the fundamental principles of lean thinking in Agile methodologies. They discuss managing flow, not workers, and the importance of continuous improvement and experimentation to achieve sustainable, high-quality results in your organization and success in today's fast-paced business environment.]]> I joined Brian Milner from MountainGoat Software and we chatted on the Agile Mentor Podcast. Enjoy this cross posted podcast from Brian. I always enjoy speaking with him. Join Brian and his guest Bob Payne as they discuss the principles of lean thinking and how they apply to Agile methodologies. In this episode of the "Agile Mentors" Podcast, Brian sits down with Bob Payne to discuss the intersection of Agile and lean thinking. As an experienced Agile coach and host of the "Agile Toolkit Podcast," Bob shares his insights and offers practical tips for implementing lean thinking in your own team. Listen in as they explore the fundamental principles of lean thinking in Agile methodologies. They discuss managing flow, not workers, and the importance of continuous improvement and experimentation to achieve sustainable, high-quality results in your organization and success in today's fast-paced business environment.]]> 37:15 false full Dana Palayeva - Facilitating Collaboration in the Virtual Space - Scrum Gathering 2022 Dana Palayeva - Facilitating Collaboration in the Virtual Space - Scrum Gathering 2022 Fri, 10 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000 Dana and I chat about facilitation in the virtual space, Liberating Structures and Training from the Back of the Room. I always learn something when I chat with Dana and I hope you will find something actionable from this conversation. Enjoy]]> Dana and I chat about facilitation in the virtual space, Liberating Structures and Training from the Back of the Room. I always learn something when I chat with Dana and I hope you will find something actionable from this conversation. Enjoy]]> 26:07 false full Scaling Tech Podcast - Has Agile Lost the Plot Scaling Tech Podcast - Has Agile Lost the Plot Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:52:00 +0000 I had the pleasure of appearing on The Scaling Tech Podcast with Arin Sime and David Alfaro. Great conversation and I hope you enjoy their other eposodes. We cover a lot of topics and I focus on putting agility back into Agile. The YouTube video is here: Enjoy. ]]> The YouTube video is here: Enjoy.]]> 56:44 false full Salah Elleithy - The essence of agile and agility - Coaching Conversation Podcast Salah Elleithy - The essence of agile and agility - Coaching Conversation Podcast Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:40:00 +0000 I had the pleasure of appearing on the Coaching Conversation podcast with my old friend Salah Elleithy. I always enjoy chatting with Salah and hope you enjoy some of his other podcasts. If you want to watch it on youtube you can find that version here. ]]> I had the pleasure of appearing on the Coaching Conversation podcast with my old friend Salah Elleithy. I always enjoy chatting with Salah and hope you enjoy some of his other podcasts. If you want to watch it on youtube you can find that version here. ]]> 41:38 false full Ulrich and Marie Lages - Radical Reorganization in the Automotive Industry using Teams of Teams - BAI 2022 Ulrich and Marie Lages - Radical Reorganization in the Automotive Industry using Teams of Teams - BAI 2022 Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000 I spoke with Ulrich and Marie Lages at the Business Agility 2022 conference. We talked about the radical reorganization that they undertook at Ibeo Automotive Systems. Ulrich is the founder of this Automotive Parts Manufacturing company and developed the LIDAR system that is used in many autonomous vehicles. Marie and Ulrich discuss the radical reshaping of Ibeo when they blew up the traditional hierarchy and reformed around a flat team of teams approach from the bottom up. I really enjoyed this conversation. Even though it was a noisy spot that we recorded in I hope you will enjoy it as well. Bob Payne]]> I spoke with Ulrich and Marie Lages at the Business Agility 2022 conference. We talked about the radical reorganization that they undertook at Ibeo Automotive Systems. Ulrich is the founder of this Automotive Parts Manufacturing company and developed the LIDAR system that is used in many autonomous vehicles. Marie and Ulrich discuss the radical reshaping of Ibeo when they blew up the traditional hierarchy and reformed around a flat team of teams approach from the bottom up. I really enjoyed this conversation. Even though it was a noisy spot that we recorded in I hope you will enjoy it as well. Bob Payne]]> 33:41 false full Ron Schmelzer and Kathleen Walch - Hosts of the AI Today Podcasts - 2022 Ron Schmelzer and Kathleen Walch - Hosts of the AI Today Podcasts - 2022 Wed, 07 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000 I spoke with Ron and Kathleen about their AI Today podcast. AI Today is a great podcast that covers a wide range of practical AI topics. Ron and Kathleen talk about the Podcast, their work at Cognilytica and a wide range of AI related topics. We also talk about the interplay of Agile Methods, AI and large data projects. Enjoy the conversation. Bob Payne]]> I spoke with Ron and Kathleen about their AI Today podcast. AI Today is a great podcast that covers a wide range of practical AI topics. Ron and Kathleen talk about the Podcast, their work at Cognilytica and a wide range of AI related topics. We also talk about the interplay of Agile Methods, AI and large data projects. Enjoy the conversation. Bob Payne]]> 45:48 false full Evan Leybourn - The Behaviors of Agile Organizations and the BAI Conference - BAI 2022 Evan Leybourn - The Behaviors of Agile Organizations and the BAI Conference - BAI 2022 Thu, 01 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000 I spoke with Evan again at the Business Agility Conference 2022. Evan is the founder of the Business Agility Institute, runs the Business Agility Conference. We speak about the evolution of the conference into a hybrid event. We also talk about the research that they have engaged in regarding the 86 behaviours of Agile organizations. I always love talking with Evan and this conversation was no different. Enjoy - Bob Payne]]> I spoke with Evan again at the Business Agility Conference 2022. Evan is the founder of the Business Agility Institute, runs the Business Agility Conference. We speak about the evolution of the conference into a hybrid event. We also talk about the research that they have engaged in regarding the 86 behaviours of Agile organizations. I always love talking with Evan and this conversation was no different. Enjoy - Bob Payne]]> 16:24 false full Marsha Acker - Facilitation and Developing Agile Leaders - BAI 2022 Marsha Acker - Facilitation and Developing Agile Leaders - BAI 2022 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:19:00 +0000 I spoke with Marsha at the Business Agility Conference 2022 in NYC about her work with Team Catapult. How facillitation and leadership play off each other in an organization. How can we help leadership teams to engage in conversation and organizational development. Enjoy Bob Payne ]]> I spoke with Marsha at the Business Agility Conference 2022 in NYC about her work with Team Catapult. How facillitation and leadership play off each other in an organization. How can we help leadership teams to engage in conversation and organizational development. Enjoy Bob Payne ]]> 12:40 false full Pete Behrens - Developing Agile Leadership - BAI 2022 Pete Behrens - Developing Agile Leadership - BAI 2022 Fri, 18 Nov 2022 17:31:00 +0000 I speak with Pete Behrens at the Business Agility Institute conference 2022. We discuss his approach to growing Agile Leaders and his Agile Leadership Journey program. I have been following his work for years and really enjoyed this conversation. Enjoy Bob Payne]]> I speak with Pete Behrens at the Business Agility Institute conference 2022. We discuss his approach to growing Agile Leaders and his Agile Leadership Journey program. I have been following his work for years and really enjoyed this conversation. Enjoy Bob Payne]]> 25:20 false full Peter Coesmans - Business Agility Consortium - BAI 2022 Peter Coesmans - Business Agility Consortium - BAI 2022 Sun, 16 Oct 2022 21:19:00 +0000 I Speak with Peter Coesmans about the Business Agility Consortium and the evolution of DSDM. We speak about business agility, agile cultures, agile governance and agile delivery processes. Great conversation and I hope you enjoy it as well.]]> I Speak with Peter Coesmans about the Business Agility Consortium and the evolution of DSDM. We speak about business agility, agile cultures, agile governance and agile delivery processes. Great conversation and I hope you enjoy it as well.]]> 13:27 false full Todd Little and Joey Spooner - Kanban and the road to evolutionary change - BAI 2022 Todd Little and Joey Spooner - Kanban and the road to evolutionary change - BAI 2022 Sat, 02 Jul 2022 21:48:22 +0000 I spoke with Todd Little and Joey Spooner at the BAI conference. We speek about the evolution of Kanban and how Kanban can drive evolutionary change in an organization. We chat about Value Stream Managment, DevOps, transformation, continuous improvement, adaptive govenrnance and the many ways that Kanban can help. I have known Todd and Joey for many years and it was great to speak with them in person. Enjoy]]> I spoke with Todd Little and Joey Spooner at the BAI conference. We speek about the evolution of Kanban and how Kanban can drive evolutionary change in an organization. We chat about Value Stream Managment, DevOps, transformation, continuous improvement, adaptive govenrnance and the many ways that Kanban can help. I have known Todd and Joey for many years and it was great to speak with them in person. Enjoy]]> 33:43 false full Agiletoolkit Marina Alex - Agile in Sales - BAI 2022 Marina Alex - Agile in Sales - BAI 2022 Thu, 19 May 2022 18:37:55 +0000 Enjoy]]> Enjoy]]> 13:26 false full Ondřej Dvořák - BAI 2022 - Agile Methods for Lawyers and Legal Support for Ukrainian Refuges Ondřej Dvořák - BAI 2022 - Agile Methods for Lawyers and Legal Support for Ukrainian Refuges Mon, 04 Apr 2022 14:10:10 +0000 I spoke with Ondřej at the Business Agility Conference 2022. He has been working with lawyers to use Agile methods for delivering their work. Another great example of Agile outside of IT. I was impressed with his passion and the work he has been doing to help Ukrainian refugees find pro bono legal assistance. He quickly stood up a site to match refugees with lawyers that can assist them. As part of that work he is also employing his experience with Agile in IT and in the Legal profession. If you are a lawyer, a refugee or just interested in the work that they are doing please visit. ]]> I spoke with Ondřej at the Business Agility Conference 2022. He has been working with lawyers to use Agile methods for delivering their work. Another great example of Agile outside of IT. I was impressed with his passion and the work he has been doing to help Ukrainian refugees find pro bono legal assistance. He quickly stood up a site to match refugees with lawyers that can assist them. As part of that work he is also employing his experience with Agile in IT and in the Legal profession. If you are a lawyer, a refugee or just interested in the work that they are doing please visit. ]]> 21:29 false full Jurgen Appelo - Startup, Scaleup, Screwum, Lean + Agile DC 2019 Jurgen Appelo - Startup, Scaleup, Screwum, Lean + Agile DC 2019 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 17:15:09 +0000 Last year I spoke with Jurgen Appelo at LitheSpeeds annual Lean + Agile DC conference. He delivered a great Keynote on his book Startup, Scaleup, Screwup.]]> Last year I spoke with Jurgen Appelo at LitheSpeeds annual Lean + Agile DC conference. He delivered a great Keynote on his book Startup, Scaleup, Screwup.]]> 26:21 false full Lean + Agile DC 2019 - Padmini Nidumolu - Women in Agile Panel Discussion Lean + Agile DC 2019 - Padmini Nidumolu - Women in Agile Panel Discussion Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:34:21 +0000 Welcome to this special edition of the Agiletoolkit Podcast hosted by Padmini Nidumolu. Padmini is one of the founders of Lean In Agile for Women here in the DC area and also hosts a meetup focused connecting women in the Agile community to share their stories. In this podcast he speaks with several speakers from Lean+Agile DC. Enjoy her conversation with Jessica Hall, Lisa Mabli, Christina Garnett and Rachael Bradstock. Enjoy this podcast. - Bob Payne]]> Welcome to this special edition of the Agiletoolkit Podcast hosted by Padmini Nidumolu. Padmini is one of the founders of Lean In Agile for Women here in the DC area and also hosts a meetup focused connecting women in the Agile community to share their stories. In this podcast he speaks with several speakers from Lean+Agile DC. Enjoy her conversation with Jessica Hall, Lisa Mabli, Christina Garnett and Rachael Bradstock. Enjoy this podcast. - Bob Payne]]> 28:29 false full Lisa Smith - Agile in Operations at Duke Energy - Business Agility 2019 Lisa Smith - Agile in Operations at Duke Energy - Business Agility 2019 Mon, 10 Jun 2019 23:48:47 +0000 I spoke with Lisa Smith at the Business Agility conference 2019. She and I chat about her use of Agile methods in Duke Energy. She is a former executive from Duke Energy who was leading business agility transformation in 2018. She's left behind a true legacy of business agility within energy industrial operations. Here are some links to her 2018 talk at the Business Agility Conference. Enjoy ]]> I spoke with Lisa Smith at the Business Agility conference 2019. She and I chat about her use of Agile methods in Duke Energy. She is a former executive from Duke Energy who was leading business agility transformation in 2018. She's left behind a true legacy of business agility within energy industrial operations. Here are some links to her 2018 talk at the Business Agility Conference. Enjoy ]]> 13:20 false full Pia-Maria Thorén - Agile People/HR - Business Agility 2019 Pia-Maria Thorén - Agile People/HR - Business Agility 2019 Sat, 18 May 2019 21:41:49 +0000 I spoke with Pia-Maria Thorén (@piamia2) at the Business Agility 2019 conference. We talk about her work with Agile HR and people operations. She is the author of Agile People A Radical Approach for HR and Managers.]]> I spoke with Pia-Maria Thorén (@piamia2) at the Business Agility 2019 conference. We talk about her work with Agile HR and people operations. She is the author of Agile People A Radical Approach for HR and Managers.]]> 18:53 false full Agile Business Consortium - Geof Ellingham - Business Agility 2019 Agile Business Consortium - Geof Ellingham - Business Agility 2019 Wed, 24 Apr 2019 00:05:08 +0000 I spoke with @geofellingham about the Agile Business Consortium and using an Agile approach to hire an executive for the organization. Enjoy Bob Payne]]> I spoke with @geofellingham about the Agile Business Consortium and using an Agile approach to hire an executive for the organization. Enjoy Bob Payne]]> 28:12 false full Business Agility Sparks - Evan Leybourn - Business Agility 2019 Business Agility Sparks - Evan Leybourn - Business Agility 2019 Wed, 06 Mar 2019 03:46:50 +0000 I switch seats and let Evan Leybourn interview Sanjiv Augustine and me about the Business Agility Sparks framework we have published from LitheSpeed We are excited to be promoting the cause of Business Agility with Evan and look forward to the Business Agility Conference in NYC. For more on the Business Agility Sparks and the Business Agility Conference Visit the following links. Business Agility Sparks Business Agility Conference - NYC Enjoy Bob Payne]]> I switch seats and let Evan Leybourn interview Sanjiv Augustine and me about the Business Agility Sparks framework we have published from LitheSpeed We are excited to be promoting the cause of Business Agility with Evan and look forward to the Business Agility Conference in NYC. For more on the Business Agility Sparks and the Business Agility Conference Visit the following links. Business Agility Sparks Business Agility Conference - NYC Enjoy Bob Payne]]> 18:34 false full Kevin Fisher - DevOps Enterprise Summit 2018 Kevin Fisher - DevOps Enterprise Summit 2018 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 21:27:28 +0000 Kevin Fisher, Nationwide Insurance Associate Vice President, Lean Process Management (Lean, Agile, DevOps) sat down with Bob at the DevOps Enterprise Summit 2018. Connect with Bob on Twitter. Transcript Bob Payne: "The Agile Toolkit." [music] Bob: Hi. I'm your host, Bob Payne. I'm here at the DevOps Enterprise Summit 2018 and I'm here with Kevin Fisher from Nationwide. Kevin, we worked together an awfully long time, back from the early days of Agile, at Nationwide. I remember, actually I Tweeted, because it was in the talk with a couple of gentlemen that were from Nationwide. They were talking about the DevOps roll out that they're doing and they had this sort of Sherpa chart. It's always great to see how far you guys have come from the early days. I was impressed by their talk. Unfortunately, I didn't get to your talk, but I hear you had some pretty interesting things in your talk around metrics, and measuring flow, and that sort of thing. Maybe we can chat about that? Kevin Fisher: That's right, Bob. Bob and I worked together back in 2008 when we experimented with Scrum and XP. Bob and some other folks were our on‑site coaches. From those early days of having one Agile team, now we have 200 Agile teams. All of our work is done with those 200 teams. We think of our transformation in three distinct kind of bodies of work. The first one, obviously, is introducing Scrum and XP and then scaling that up. That took a long time, given our size of our organization. Now we're focusing on DevOps. You heard the talk from Jared and Jim. We're rolling out DevOps in a self‑service way. It's more carrot than stick. Bob: It was great to hear, because all too often it is not implemented in a self‑service way. Kevin: We want teams to figure out their local impediments and use these techniques to solve their local processing problems. We gamified the friendly competition between teams. We have a monthly DevOps challenge. All the teams can submit their progress against whatever that topic is of that particular month. We choose a winner, and they get custom stickers for their laptops. That's it. There's no monetary conversation. [laughter] Kevin: When we were exploring and doing some experiments, we had two of our teams have a friendly competition against each other, and it was simple. We didn't give them extra time. They had to complete all their normal standard work. We said, "What can you do to go faster and get your work done faster? By the way, you have a colleague team over here that we asked the same challenge. We want you to attend each other's show‑and‑tells." It was fantastic to see the friendly competition in their eyes when they're attending their colleagues' show‑and‑tell and the colleagues talking about how they just pruned 2,000 automated tests that weren't delivering a whole lot of value to 700. Now they have it integrated into their build process. They feel real good about it. They have a big visible monitor that displays the health of the build on a real timestamp. Then you can see the other team thinking, "Wow! We could do that. We could beat that." It was very healthy, and that's how we came up with the idea. Then, when we heard about the Verizon cup...Verizon has a similar program, and we said, "That is a fantastic idea. We're going to leverage that idea from the Verizon cup. We're not going to make it quite as elaborate ‑‑ they actually give a trophy. We're going to scale it down and just give stickers," and it's been a great thing. Then the third avenue for us is this whole concept around changing the mentality of our senior executives in finance, from project to product. That's a difficult turn to make. Bob: It's a huge turn. Yep. Kevin: We've had many conversations over the years. We've made some changes in IT that are putting us in the right direction, but we can't go further without the business being side by side with us. Early on, attempts at forging that conversation with our business executives and the finance teams was not received well, because we kept talking in IT terms. We want to bring Agile, we want to infuse Agile methods into our planning. We want to talk about this. We want to talk about that. They rejected a lot of that conversation because it was viewed as very IT‑centric, and just not in terms they could understand. The progress we've made on two fronts over the last couple of months is number one, we now have a very rudimentary view of lead time and cycle time within the functions of IT. It's not perfect. It's certainly fraught...You could poke holes in it if you look real hard at it. But, when we boil it up at the macro level, the law of large numbers takes hold and we actually feel like yeah, this directionally correct enough. It shows what we knew all along and that's the development piece of hands on keyboard, writing code, is not the problem. That's actually the shortest piece of our value chain. Bob: By a ridiculous amount. Kevin: By a ridiculous amount. Two and a half percent of the time we spend on stuff is actually on hands‑on‑keyboard coding. Bob: That must have been validating but also a head‑scratcher. I'm sure you took a look to make sure you've got the numbers right because that seems like something that's very... Kevin: We have the numbers. It's very low. Bob: People would want to poke a hole in. Kevin: People want to poke a hole in it. It's a very large data set so, "All right. Let's say we're off by a 100 percent." It's still pretty low. Bob: Five percent. [laughter] Kevin: We still have a huge opportunity space after the development is complete and, obviously, well before the development happens. Now we're really focused. It gives us data to have ammunition with the people that are either dragging their feet on DevOps and CICD. We can say, "No, no, no. Here's the data. We need to improve this. You need to show measurable improvement." Then it also helps us in those conversations with our business partners to say, "Look. This business‑IT relationship is really super important and perhaps we need to start thinking about things differently." The second half of this conversation that's actually been new in the last several months is our CIOs ‑‑ we have a business unit CIO lined up with each unit business president ‑‑ have been successful talking with their business unit presidents and their cabinets, made up of SVPs and other senior leaders, and trying to get them to conceptualize a future state in small increments of time. Historically, our company has made very large multi‑year bets, and a handful of them. We're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next five years and all this wonderful stuff will come out of it that's extremely difficult to measure. That doesn't allow us to respond to market conditions at all. There was an impactful trip, probably similar to most companies. We've had good success getting our executives out of the building to visit with other companies. It doesn't even have to be a financial services company. It could be other industries. Talk with peers at their same level, and learn. We used it to get progress with our IT leadership on adopting lean management techniques across how we scale. Now we've used it with other business executives to get them to think about conceptualizing outcomes in smaller increments. I tell the story that we had a group of executives take a trip out West to visit the typical unicorns of the world, Facebook, Google, Amazon. When they were on their trip, they said, "We need to go figure out how these companies do a much better job at long‑term planning than we do." They came back... Kevin: Yeah. They don't do long‑term planning. Bob: They do strategic execution rather than strategic planning. [laughs] Kevin: Correct. Yes, yes. Exactly. That's what they learned. They said, "We actually don't do that. We're just much better than you at sensing and responding to market conditions." What that trip allowed the CIOs to do is introduce ‑‑ I know it sounds simple ‑‑ language that the business leaders could rally around, that they didn't view as IT language. They didn't have an allergic reaction. When we say things like, "Small batches, iterative work," they have an allergic reaction. They're like, "You're talking IT speak. Agile, that's like an Italian term. Don't come to me with that." Bob: [laughs] It's a major word. Kevin: Yeah. [laughs] It's a major word. They don't know any of that stuff. "You're an IT folk. Don't tell me how to run my business." They have an allergic reaction to it. When we talk about sense and respond to market conditions, we actually introduced the term called "base camp." You saw it in our DevOps mountain journey. We have base camps and just tranches of work we want you to try to achieve. Those things that we listed don't have to be done in any particular order, but they needed to be done before you move on to the next base camp. That concept is now resonating with our senior business leaders like, "OK. You're saying that we can package up or at least conceptualize this body of work. You can get it done in a reasonable time frame, usually three, four months. We can deploy it to our end customer, whether that's the end‑customer, or a distribution partner, or what have you. They will get value. We'll get value. We'll measure that and then we will decide whether we want to continue or pivot. It's broad concepts that are outlined in books like "The Lean Startup," by Eric Ries and others. We are using language that our non‑tech‑savvy business leaders can rally behind and don't feel threatened by. It has been really impactful for us to get to that point. Bob: I was speaking earlier with a gentleman from Microsoft and they did a sort of long‑term study over the features that they had added. They found that one‑third achieved some improvement in customer experience, a third were neutral, and a third were negative. When you that sort of data that says if we just produce the things that we will plan to do, we're at net zero impact unless we kill the losers and double down on the investment in those things that are moving the needle. There was a huge conceptual turnaround for Microsoft. They're huge. They have a huge legacy codebase. So big, he said they actually broke Git and they became one of the major contributors to the Git source code because it was taking 12 hours to clone the Windows repository onto your laptop to make changes. It was just so a lot bigger than the Linux kernel, a lot bigger than any other stuff that had been thrown at Git to date. They developed the new virtual file system that's used in Git and they are now down to like two to three minutes for that clone. This idea of reacting to an emerging situation, I think is one that can resonate. I'm really interested to get my hands on the "War and Peace and IT." Kevin: Mark Schwartz? Bob: The Mark Schwartz book. I loved his analogy with the battle with Napoleon and the slow decision loop actually not even neutralizing, but making the decisions actively bad. We have not done ourselves much good in the community to allow this idea that Agile, DevOps, the lean terms we've been using were fundamentally IT. It's good to hear that you guys are at least turning that around. Kevin: It's the combination of those concepts that we feel are going to give us the advantage and the power. If we only focused on making our Agile machine more efficient and implementing DevOps everywhere... Bob: 10 or 15 percent, possibly. Kevin: ...it would only take it so far. Now, I will say we have an example of where...We have a particular couple of teams that support our digital online experience where customers deal us over the Web. They are probably our most advanced example. They can deploy at will. They can do safe, reliable, zero‑downtime deployments whenever they need to, multiple times a day if necessary. They are our business partner and they have by the way done a great job forging a very strong relationship with their business partner. After they had done this only for two or three weeks, the business partner remarked, "Well, maybe I don't have to test everything now." Like, "Yes." Because now he has confidence that when things do arise, you can fix it right there, very quickly. Our mean time to repair is very short. That saves him time and energy, it saves us... All good things happen when that circle gets tighter. Being able to demonstrate, not just talk the talk, but demonstrate it, you're boots on the ground with this. When we actually can achieve this, it changes the whole culture around and how to thinking around it. Bob: What has been an interesting thing that you've learned at the conference? Kevin: Focus of my talk with Nicole from Tasktop, plus many of the other talks here where they were talking about CSG, Mark Swartz's talk in the morning yesterday all around the concept of project to product, and the difficulties with that. Not a one size fits all models, not a prescriptive model, a lot of people trying to solve the same problem. There seems to be wide agreement that whether you are approaching that from technology left or from the business process on down, you're going to uncover all sorts of complicating factors. I was talking with Verizon just a few minutes ago and as they tried to move along their project to product journey, they might have success with a business partner rethinking how they are going to conceptualize work in a product way. Even the roles that go along with supporting that work, thinking about the differences between what a product manager might do, and product owner, and should they be basically sourced from the same group. All those sorts of nuances of execution. Then when they get to the supporting IT components, they figure out well, the IT components were never architected to operate this way together. I heard similar stories from Discover Card where they've done a nice job with some of their executives on conceptualizing around products not projects, and they need to come to figure out, but even then within a product realm, they have miniature silos within IT where teams either have competing and not‑compatible technology. [crosstalk] Bob: Business intelligence team. So many components. Kevin: So there's a huge ripple effect of this. I think we're very early on in these conversations. Especially if you are not a traditional CPG company. Bob: Yeah. That's what I was going to say. The future is already here, it's just badly distributed. [inaudible 17:02] . [laughter] Kevin: That's a great way to say it, yes. Bob: Yeah. Kevin: Years ago, 2004‑ish, I was a senior product manager for AOL. We did have it figured out, business and IT together, had a PL. Everything we did on a weekly basis was outcome driven, and it made perfect sense at the time. A lot of companies were not there. Bob: Were you out in the Virginia area? Kevin: This was AOL Columbus. Remember they bought CompuServe a million years ago. Netscape ran out of Columbus. We spent two days a week in Dallas, but primarily it was Columbus. Bob: OK, because we did a lot of the early work with Agile with AOL, but it was all near our scenic Herndon office. Kevin: We were doing Bluegreen employments every Wednesday morning and we didn't even know that that was a thing back then. It was just how we deployed code, yeah. Bob: That's great. Is there anything you're going to take back that you think will be impactful? Kevin: I am. We're in the midst of modernizing our tools that support program and project management and Agile life cycle management. We've made significant progress in how we organized IT, how we execute Scrum and XP across IT. We have not modernized any of the tools that people use to actually do that. We're going to fix that in the next couple weeks. Good conversations with a lot of companies that are either a bit farther along than we are or recently made a change. It's been great learnings for us and that team that's here to do that. Bob: Great. Thank you so much for the chat. It's always been a pleasure working with you. Kevin: Bob, it's always a pleasure. Bob: [laughs] Good. Kevin: Thank you. Bob: Bye. Photographer: Can we do a picture? Bob: Sure. Kevin: Because no one will believe that I was on a podcast. Bob: Well, they will. Kevin: Was that OK? Bob: Yeah. It was perfect. Kevin: You do this all the time. I'm new at it, so... Bob: Well, yeah. They're all this sort of conversational... [laughs] Kevin: Did it take? Bob: Yeah. Photographer: Yep. Kevin: Cool. All right. Thank you very much. Bob: Great. If you're going to tweet it out, I'm @agiletoolkit. Kevin: Cool. [pause] Bob: The Agile Toolkit Podcast is brought to you by LitheSpeed. Thanks for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed today's show. If you'd like to give feedback or be on the show, you can ping me on Twitter. I am @agiletoolkit. You can also reach me at bob.payne@lithespeed.com. For more free resources, transcripts of the show, and information about our services, head over to lithespeed.com. Thanks for listening. [music] ]]> Kevin Fisher, Nationwide Insurance Associate Vice President, Lean Process Management (Lean, Agile, DevOps) sat down with Bob at the DevOps Enterprise Summit 2018. Connect with Bob on Twitter. Transcript Bob Payne: "The Agile Toolkit." [music] Bob: Hi. I'm your host, Bob Payne. I'm here at the DevOps Enterprise Summit 2018 and I'm here with Kevin Fisher from Nationwide. Kevin, we worked together an awfully long time, back from the early days of Agile, at Nationwide. I remember, actually I Tweeted, because it was in the talk with a couple of gentlemen that were from Nationwide. They were talking about the DevOps roll out that they're doing and they had this sort of Sherpa chart. It's always great to see how far you guys have come from the early days. I was impressed by their talk. Unfortunately, I didn't get to your talk, but I hear you had some pretty interesting things in your talk around metrics, and measuring flow, and that sort of thing. Maybe we can chat about that? Kevin Fisher: That's right, Bob. Bob and I worked together back in 2008 when we experimented with Scrum and XP. Bob and some other folks were our on‑site coaches. From those early days of having one Agile team, now we have 200 Agile teams. All of our work is done with those 200 teams. We think of our transformation in three distinct kind of bodies of work. The first one, obviously, is introducing Scrum and XP and then scaling that up. That took a long time, given our size of our organization. Now we're focusing on DevOps. You heard the talk from Jared and Jim. We're rolling out DevOps in a self‑service way. It's more carrot than stick. Bob: It was great to hear, because all too often it is not implemented in a self‑service way. Kevin: We want teams to figure out their local impediments and use these techniques to solve their local processing problems. We gamified the friendly competition between teams. We have a monthly DevOps challenge. All the teams can submit their progress against whatever that topic is of that particular month. We choose a winner, and they get custom stickers for their laptops. That's it. There's no monetary conversation. [laughter] Kevin: When we were exploring and doing some experiments, we had two of our teams have a friendly competition against each other, and it was simple. We didn't give them extra time. They had to complete all their normal standard work. We said, "What can you do to go faster and get your work done faster? By the way, you have a colleague team over here that we asked the same challenge. We want you to attend each other's show‑and‑tells." It was fantastic to see the friendly competition in their eyes

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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463235641026610614Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:43:48 +0000BloggersTasty KitchenElizabeth's RecipesPartydessertsAll Time FavoritestechniquesInternational recipesHolidaysNigella LawsonProducts I LovecakescupcakesEasy DinnersNanaForever NigellacookiesPotluckSide Dishesbritish recipesFamily TREEtsBreakfastRestaurants and ShopsBook ReviewsFestivals and EventsBabyBreadBrunchGetting CraftyIRON CUPCAKEPioneer WomanDessert WarsPaula DeenSoupsantique and vintage recipesFrenchHomeschoolIce CreamTrillustrationsbeveragescontestsleftoversAppetizerClassic FrenchItalianAwardsCupcake WrappersDressing Up DinnerFrom the GardenHealthy LifeAnne WillanCake WrecksDoughFree PrintablesMake It DoMoroccan recipesMrs. BeetonPampered ChefPicnicsRichard BertinetThreadcakessaladssandwhichesA Girl In Her Kitchennoreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth)Blogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463235641026610614.post-2168689260446340678Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:50:00 +00002013-07-22T15:50:59.680-04:00BabyBook Reviewsbritish recipescakesInternational recipesPartyIt’s a Prince! For days, much of the world has been waiting for the Royal baby to arrive.  Baby Cambridge was born today, and it’s a Prince! His name has not been revealed yet, and may not for days. Sophie is hoping for Ryland, but I’m with all those who think George is a nice name.  We shall see eh? What better way to celebrate the royal baby’s birth than with cake?  Not just any cake though, we need a Chocolate Biscuit Cake.  <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_86972 copy" border="0" alt="IMG_86972 copy" src="; width="396" height="275" /></a> Chocolate Biscuit Cake will not be new to any Royal Watchers.  It was the cake William chose to be his Groom’s Cake.  In his book, <a href=" Royally</a>, Darren McGrady, former chef to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, relates that this is the Queen’s favorite tea cake.  I’ve also read somewhere that she would have it served when William visited from Eton and it is his favorite too!  <a href=" alt="" src="; width="240" height="276" /></a> <a href=" here for the recipe!</a> Here is a little video from 2011 with McVitie’s on making the cake for the Royal Wedding. <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:d34e72f2-5c09-4504-adc6-9a2ba26dc3bb" class="class"><embed height="252" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" src="; wmode="transparent" /> <div style="width: 448px; clear: both; font-size: 0.8em" class="wlEditField" wlpropertypath="Video.caption" defaulttext="Enter video caption here" maxcharactersaccepted="245">The Royal Wedding Cake</div> </div></embed> </div> Eating Royally is an excellent book. The majority of the book is McGrady’s memories taking you from his life as a chef on the bottom rung of the ladder, to serving the Royal Family.  His adventure takes us around the world and through the seasons.  The book visits the different palaces, castles and country houses the royals call home, and the dishes served there.  His touching story includes his time at Kensington Palace as Princess Diana’s chef.  The book includes over 100 recipes that are mentioned in his stories.  Some of my favorite recipes are: Chocolate Biscuit Cake, of course, it is a chocolate lovers dream! Iced Coffee straight from the Ascot Races Vanilla Ice Cream, so rich and creamy! Cheese Soufflé, I haven’t made this yet, but it is on my list! Jam and Cream Sponge, a classic Cottage Pie, another classic, and very kid friendly Scottish Thistle Shortbread, makes a great gift! Those are just a few of my favorites. I’ve made several recipes from the book, and they all deliver.    Congratulations to William and Kate on the birth of their son, as all children are a heritage from the Lord, (Psalm 127:3). 2013/07/its-prince.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463235641026610614.post-144717745150234996Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:29:00 +00002013-06-28T21:33:29.829-04:00BloggersClassic FrenchdessertsElizabeth's RecipesFrenchInternational recipesRestaurants and ShopstechniquesClassic French: Fruit Tarts  <a href="(107%2C%20107%2C%20107)%22%2C%22backgroundColor%22%3A%22rgb(255%2C%20255%2C%20255)%22%2C%22unvisitedLinkColor%22%3A%22rgb(66%2C%20149%2C%20192)%22%2C%22fontFamily%22%3A%22Arial%2C%20Tahoma%2C%20Helvetica%2C%20FreeSans%2C%20sans-serif%22%7D"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="; width="362" height="137" /></a> This month’s <a href="(107%2C%20107%2C%20107)%22%2C%22backgroundColor%22%3A%22rgb(255%2C%20255%2C%20255)%22%2C%22unvisitedLinkColor%22%3A%22rgb(66%2C%20149%2C%20192)%22%2C%22fontFamily%22%3A%22Arial%2C%20Tahoma%2C%20Helvetica%2C%20FreeSans%2C%20sans-serif%22%7D">Classic French</a> challenge was Fruit Tarts.  I keep forgetting that I do not own a normal sized tart pan, but I do have four small individual sized tart pans.  I had never used them until the other day.  Yes, this is my 3rd CF challenge, and my 3rd first time making said challenge dish.  Trying to decide what tart to make took a while.  I searched my cookbooks for the best recipes, and settled on a pâte sucrée, (short crust pastry), blind baked, and filled with crème patissière, (pastry cream) and topped with fresh peaches.  <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8637" border="0" alt="IMG_8637" src="; width="396" height="265" /></a> This is peach time in my neck of the woods.  I love a good peach.  Early in my pregnancy with my son, I craved a good peach. The kind that you can taste the sun in it.  You know what I’m talking about.  I wanted a peach I could bite into and the juice would drip down my chin.  Soft and sweet, with just a hint of tang.  But it was January.  I could have cried.  The really sad part is that when summer finally rolled around, I was not interested in peaches anymore.  BUT right now I can get those delicious peaches at our neighborhood produce stand.  <a href=" size="3">Linda’s Produce</a> is the best place in our area to get produce.  I just walk in and pick out which fruits and vegetables look good to me and then plan meals and snacks around them.  It’s a good plan.   <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8634" border="0" alt="IMG_8634" src="; width="396" height="265" /></a> Peach Tart <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="400">This recipe will make 4 small tarts or one large one.  Buy enough peaches to spread over the tart, about 1 per person, but make sure you have more, just because.  Pâte Sucrée 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar, (I used vanilla sugar) 1/4 teaspoon salt (I prefer fine sea salt) 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed 2 egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3 teaspoons water Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter crumbles look like peas.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla and 1 teaspoon of water. Add the egg mixture to the food processor and pulse until is starts to clump.  It should not be crumbly, add a little more water until it is nice and smooth and not crumbly. Press the dough into the tart pan.  Try to keep the dough even and pretty. It’s all about the details from here on out.  Stick the pan(s) in the fridge for an hour or the freezer for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Blind bake by covering the crust with foil and lightly pressing it down. Fill the crust with dried beans or rice that you don’t plan on eating at this point, (keep them around for more blind baking later.) Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.  Peel back the foil, if it doesn’t come off easily, bake for another 5 minutes and try again. Take the foil and beans off and bake the crust for another 10 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool outside of pan on a rack.  Once cool, return to pan to be filled.  Crème Patissière 2 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar (vanilla sugar again!) 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour In a saucepan, heat the milk to just below a boil.  In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar for a couple minutes until it is lighter in color.  Add the flour and whisk. Add the milk to the egg mixture, whisking quickly.  Keep whisking until all is smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat to a boil, whisking the whole time.  If a lump appears, remove from heat and whisk until smooth.  Continue cooking and whisking until flour is cooked (a couple minutes), and everything is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in extract.  Cover with cling wrap, pressing to the surface of the cream to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cool and ready to use. Filling the tart 1/8 cup apricot jam teaspoon of water (or so) Peaches Blanch the peaches in boiling water for 10-30 seconds.  Remove to cold water bath.  Peel the peaches starting at the stem end and working down.  Thinly slice the peaches and set aside. In a small heat proof bowl, mix the jam and water together.  Heat for 30 second in the microwave then stir until smooth, add more water or heat for longer if needed. You want a smooth but not runny glaze. Brush the inside of the crusts with the glaze to protect it from getting soggy. Fill the crust to almost the top with the cream.  Leave room for the fruit! Arrange peach slices in a pattern to cover as much cream as possible.  Brush the tops of the peaches with the remaining glaze to make them glisten.  You can place the tart pan on top of a tin can.  Carefully pull the sides of the pan down to leave the tart hovering above.  Remove the bottom of the tart pan if you are brave, or just serve the tart as is.  The tarts can be refrigerated for a short time, but plan on eating them the day they are made.  Cream and crusts can be made ahead of time for stress free entertaining.  Always hold the tart pan from the sides and not the bottom, you don’t want to destroy the tart! </td> </tr> </tbody></table> I’m also linking this to <a href=" And In Season</a>.  I’ve just learned of this and look forward to getting new ideas for eating what is in season! <a href=" title="Simple&inSeason" alt="Simple and in Season" src="; width="300" height="285" /></a> 2013/06/classic-french-fruit-tarts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463235641026610614.post-6201242848940291134Mon, 27 May 2013 16:20:00 +00002013-05-27T12:23:10.923-04:00BloggersClassic FrenchcookiesElizabeth's RecipesFrenchInternational recipesPicnicsClassic French: Macarons  <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Earl Grey Macarons" border="0" alt="Earl Grey Macarons" src="; width="284" height="431" /></a> We had been wanting to go on a picnic recently, but the weather was not cooperating.  Finally, Brian had a day off that also promised nice weather. We jumped at the chance! <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8502h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8502h copy" src="; width="394" height="250" /></a> <a href="2011/08/forever-nigella-picnic-pleasure.html">As I’ve said before</a>, picnics should be relaxing and fun, so keep it simple.*  I did want to make it a pretty picnic, so I went with a blue/white theme.  It was as easy as going through my linen closet and kitchen cabinets.  I have a lot of blue and white things, so this was no problem to put together.  I have to say it was genius of me to think of the coasters, they gave our cups a level-ish place to stand.  My 2 year old had absolutely no trouble keeping his cup upright this way.  Since I knew that we were having our Classic French Macarons for dessert at this picnic, we decided to have something of a French picnic with a baguette, a selection of cheeses, deli ham and some gorgeous purple grapes, with lemonade to drink. Aside from the pre-chilled lemonade and macarons, everything else was picked up at the grocery store on the way to the park. Super easy prep! <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8509h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8509h copy" src="; width="260" height="399" /></a> Sophie enjoying her bread. <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8519h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8519h copy" src="; width="259" height="397" /></a> Daddy dressed Liam as a pirate, in hopes he would keep something on his head.  Great idea Dad! <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8503h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8503h copy" src="; width="258" height="390" /></a> Our Earl Grey Macarons!  I packed them in a small metal loaf pan and kept them chilled with the lemonade during transportation.  I didn’t have to worry too much about melting because the filling is ganache, much more stable than buttercream in the heat. <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8520h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8520h copy" src="; width="252" height="382" /></a> Liam kept reaching for these; he knows a good thing when he tastes it. <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8527h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8527h copy" src="; width="254" height="385" /></a> Delicious! <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8521h" border="0" alt="IMG_8521h" src="; width="256" height="388" /></a> Unplugging from the world and just spending time together as a family in nature is good for you. <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8532h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8532h copy" src="; width="394" height="263" /></a> It brings calm and happiness. <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8530h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8530h copy" src="; width="394" height="263" /></a> It makes memories.   <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8514h copy" border="0" alt="IMG_8514h copy" src="; width="394" height="263" /></a>   <a href=" border="0" src="; width="320" height="113" /></a> So, in keeping with my Classic French experience so far; here is my first time eating and making macarons.  I think, for my first time, they turned out pretty well.  I know they are not perfect, <a href=" size="3">but they could be worse</a>!  Anyway, they tasted fantastic, <a href=" size="3">and that’s what they are for!</a> I followed the recipe and advice from Stella Parks of <a href=" size="3">bravetart.com</a>.  She is a macaron master, and I learned so much from her posts about macarons.  You can find her basic recipe <a href=" size="3">HERE!</a>  I adapted her recipe by adding the contents of 3 Twining’s Earl Grey tea bags (1 Tablespoon of dry tea) to the dry ingredients.  Earl Grey has such a lovely fragrance!  For the filling, I made an Earl Grey infused chocolate ganache.  This ganache is crazy good!  It was actually the basis for this whole Earl Grey macaron concept.  <a href="2011/02/claudes-chocolate.html">I first encountered Earl Grey truffles at Claude’s Chocolates in St. Augustine, Florida.</a>  And they are amazing!  I don’t know why it has taken me so long to try this.  Earl Grey Ganache Ingredients: 8 ounces good quality milk chocolate chips 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional for normal truffles, but good for a smooth filling.) 1 Earl Grey Tea bag or 1 teaspoon of loose Earl Grey in a diffuser Directions: Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.  Place the cream, butter and tea in a small saucepan.  Heat on medium low to allow the cream to slowly warm and the tea to infuse it.  Allow the tea to steep for about 5 minutes after the cream is good and warm (you should gently stir it often), then turn up the heat to medium and bring the cream just barely to a boil. Remove the tea and pour the cream over the chocolate.  Stir the mixture until it is smooth and shiny.  Allow it to cool to room temperature before piping into the macarons. A note on macarons.  Stella Parks mentions that macarons get better with age.  You just stash them in the fridge.  I have to tell you that when I first made these, I had one to test the flavor.  They were too sweet!  Not the ganache, but the shells.  So sweet I didn’t think they were very good.  But I put them in the fridge and left them for 5 days until we could have our picnic.  Something magical happened during 5 days of refrigeration.  The sweetness mellowed somehow.  They are still sweet, of course, but just right.  And the Earl Grey really shines.  So, please, send your macarons on refrigerated vacation.  It’s the right thing to do. *My philosophy of picnics is that they should be relaxing and stress-free.  Too much work will not allow that, so that’s why I keep things simple.  If you, however, can pay someone to do all the work for you, then you can throw an elaborate picnic like the olden days. <a href=" Food has an excellent article on picnics</a>, and how you can enjoy a traditional picnic.  But, no matter how you picnic, make sure it is enjoyable, and spend time with people you love.  Thanks to Jen at <a href=" size="3">Blue Kitchen Bakes</a> for giving us the <a href=" size="3">Classic French Challenge</a> and Victoria at <a href=" size="3">A Kick At The Pantry Door</a> for hosting this month. 2013/05/classic-french-macarons.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463235641026610614.post-7289961663655268112Fri, 03 May 2013 20:31:00 +00002013-05-03T16:44:19.559-04:00BloggerscontestsForever NigellaNigella LawsonForever Nigella #25 Roundup  <a href=" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="ForeverNigella_Banner_25" border="0" alt="ForeverNigella_Banner_25" src="; width="253" height="307" /></a> It was so fun to host Forever Nigella for April!  I loved seeing all the colorful entries.  I also enjoyed getting to see some blogs I haven’t visited before, and getting to virtually meet some of you on twitter and through comments.  Foodie bloggers are some of the best!  And we excel at trying new things, so these monthly events are exciting and fun. I hope some of you  that are not yet taking part will jump right in with the rest of us.  Here are our lovely, colorful entries this month: <img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="; width="405" height="306" /> Naomi from <a href=" size="3">It’s a fine, fine life</a> adapted Mauritian Prawn Curry for the Slow Cooker, which she used daily for the month of April in her own Month of Slow Cooking.  Beautiful and a time saver!   <img src="; width="409" height="309" /> Sally the <a href=" size="3">Recipe Junkie</a> (who has challenged herself to make everything in How to Be a Domestic Goddess) made this Raspberry Polenta Cake, loosely based on Nigella’s Rhubarb Cornmeal Cake.  And then she poured cream on it, which means we were destined to be friends. <img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="; width="405" height="312" /> Sally also made <a href=" size="3">Chicken Under A Brick</a> for her entry in a Random Recipe Challenge, so fun!  <img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="; width="399" height="274" /> Caroline from <a href=" size="3">Caroline Makes….</a> made Nigella’s sauce for Yellow Spaghetti with gorgeous saffron.  So simple and pretty. <a href=" title="Flora's Famous Courgette Cake" border="0" alt="" src="; width="363" height="395" /></a> Elizabeth from <a href=" size="3">Elizabeth’s Kitchen</a> made this showstopper cake.  Flora's Famous Courgette Cake (Courgette = Zucchini if you didn’t know.)  Since it is made with a vegetable, it must be healthy, right?  Elizabeth’s lime curd is made with local eggs which gives the curd its sunny hue.   <img src="; width="379" height="285" /> Speaking of sunny hues, here is Caroline from <a href=" size="3">Cake, Crumbs and Cooking</a> and her Sunrise “Rainbow” cake using Nigella’s Buttermilk Birthday Cake recipe.  I want to eat this cake!  This was also my 5 year old’s favorite entry. <img src="; width="385" height="289" /> Lastly, here is Risotto alla Milanese from Sam of <a href=" size="3">Smart Cookie Sam</a>.  Her risotto was something she just happened to pick up on an Italian holiday.  It looks delicious! Many thanks to Sarah at Maison Cupcake for creating <a href=" size="3">Forever Nigella</a> and allowing me to host this last month.  Now on to <a href=" size="3">Forever Nigella #26 with Mimi at Chef Mimi Blog.</a> <a href="2013/04/forever-nigella-colourful.html">Winners of the two drawings:</a> 1) The winner of the Forever Nigella participants drawing is Elizabeth from Elizabeth’s Kitchen 2) The winner of the Followers drawing is Jenn Price Congratulations! 2013/05/forever-nigella-25-roundup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6463235641026610614.post-4918548454578464182Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:56:00 +00002013-04-26T22:56:12.101-04:00Anne WillanBloggersBook ReviewscakesClassic FrenchdessertsFrenchInternational recipesClassic French: Madeleines  <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8375" border="0" alt="IMG_8375" src="; width="396" height="265" /></a> I sit here with a cup of tea and a freshly baked Madeleine.  In Proust approved fashion, I dip my Madeleine into my tea.  The spongy cake absorbs the tea in a flash.  One bite.  I’m hooked.  I am a daily tea drinker.  But I would never have dunked a cake into my tea before now.  The thought of crumbs in my cup really turned me off, but I need not fear with a proper Madeleine.  I’ve just recently stumbled upon the blog <a href=" size="3">Blue Kitchen Bakes</a> and blogger Jen’s monthly <a href=" size="3">Classic French Challenge</a>.  Classic French is an opportunity and motivator to “explore and celebrate the joys of French patisserie.”  <a href=" size="3">April’s challenge</a> is Madeleines.  I, sadly, had never even tasted a Madeleine before this challenge. I’m confident I have not even been in the same room as a Madeleine.  So this was a completely new experience for me.  Step one was to order a Madeleine pan.  <a href=" size="3">I bought this one.</a> Step two was to open up my gorgeous copy of Anne Willan’s <a href=" Cooking of France</a>.  This book is exquisite.  I brought this book home from the library and devoured it.  I read it from cover to cover and was so sad when it was time to return it.  So, when I received it at Christmas, I was thrilled.  Anne’s book takes us across France and through its many pays, that is, specific regions in France and their produits du terrior, (products from a very specific area.)  <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8379" border="0" alt="IMG_8379" src="; width="290" height="472" /></a> Not only does Anne’s book give you authentic French recipes, but it also delights with beautiful photos, superb commentaries on regions and towns, descriptions of local foods, and what and who make French country cooking so enticing.  It is a massive book, and I have not even begun to describe how wonderful it is.  It will give you daydreams of France. Here are a few photos I took of this book to tease you into wanting your own copy. <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8382" border="0" alt="IMG_8382" src="; width="396" height="236" /></a> First Catch Your Snail—best recipe title ever! <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8383" border="0" alt="IMG_8383" src="; width="396" height="265" /></a> Truffles <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8384" border="0" alt="IMG_8384" src="; width="288" height="441" /></a> La Truffade—Potato Cake with Cheese and Bacon, what is not to like? <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8386" border="0" alt="IMG_8386" src="; width="396" height="265" /></a> “No two French markets are alike.” <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8387" border="0" alt="IMG_8387" src="; width="396" height="255" /></a> Viennoiseries <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8389" border="0" alt="IMG_8389" src="; width="396" height="265" /></a> Fruits Glacés <a href=" size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="french_logo" border="0" alt="french_logo" src="

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A Gluten Free Guide Your guide to living deliciously gluten-free. Sun, 31 Aug 2014 17:46:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 To blog or not to blog /to-blog-or-not-to-blog.html Sun, 31 Aug 2014 17:46:29 +0000 When I first started blogging it felt necessary. I was providing a service and helping those who felt as frustrated as I did trying to find tasty gluten-free food replacements, safe gluten-free restaurants and delicious gluten-free recipes. Over the last few years my life got busier (I started a gluten-free ice cream company), and eating gluten-free just became generally easier. More people know what gluten-free is – no one looks at me like I have two heads anymore when I say that I can’t eat gluten. The number of great gluten-free products has vastly increased. Now, as long as you follow some basic guidelines, eating out isn’t nearly as difficult (especially in NYC). As a result, blogging moved very low on my list of priorities. I was reminded of how confusing, frustrating, exasperating and defeating it can be to switch from eating “normally” to eating strictly gluten-free this week as my younger sister Alexx was diagnosed with Celiac. As I’ve been answering questions and giving tips, my original confusion and feelings from my diagnosis have come rushing back to me. And I started to miss blogging! I can’t make any promises but I hope to feel up for more posts. With budget constraints and my boyfriend moving in with me I’ve been doing A LOT of cooking at home. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more of the simple (but awesome) creations I’ve been cooking up recently. ]]> 384 BaconFest Winners and Bacon Cheese Roll Recipe /bacon-cheese-roll-recipe.html /bacon-cheese-roll-recipe.html#comments Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:29:21 +0000 BaconFest came and went last year without even a post from me. Such delinquency I hope to remedy by providing you with the recipe for one of the winning dishes. People really stepped up their game this time. Dishes like bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese and almonds that had people swooning in years past, barely made any waves because there were so many other amazing and interesting foods on hand. These cheese puffs tied for first place with some Luca & Bosco Ice Cream creations (a venture I already mentioned here). Since I can’t share our ice cream recipes, these cheese puffs will have to do… Gluten-Free Salt-and-Pepper Cheese Puffs Recipe (with Bacon) from Andrea DiCastro 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, cut into chunks 1 1/2 cups Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour Mix 6 large eggs, beaten to blend 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Use very good sharp cheddar) 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-ground pepper 1/2 lb Thick Cut Bacon (Smoked Maple or Pepper flavored) Coarse sea salt (Maldon is very good) Fry bacon; crispy. Pap dry to remove bacon grease. Crumble bacon into small/medium pieces. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the butter to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir until mixture is a smooth, thick paste with no lumps. Add a quarter of the beaten eggs at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until dough is no longer slippery. Stir in cheese, pepper half of the bacon. Drop dough on sheets in slightly rounded tablespoon-size portions (approximately 50 mounds) on two cooking parchment-lined or buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. (Alternatively, spoon dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe in 50 equal mounds) Add a small piece of bacon on top of each mound and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake in a 400° regular or convection oven until dry and well browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Cooking Notes: – When stirring the mixture, use a strong spoon as the dough gets very stiff. (I have broken spoons making this) – You can make these ahead of time and freeze. For serving, unthaw and then warm up in oven at 350° for 5 minutes – For larger parties, a double batch is needed but out of experience make 2 single batches as the mixture gets unruly to mix correctly ]]> /bacon-cheese-roll-recipe.html/feed 1 381 Gluten-Free Waffle Cone Recipe and an Ask for Help /gluten-free-waffle-cone-recipe-and-an-ask-for-help.html /gluten-free-waffle-cone-recipe-and-an-ask-for-help.html#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:45:26 +0000 Hello dear readers. I haven’t forgotten about you. I have been working on a very exciting ice cream project. My business partner and I are launching a new ice cream brand called “Luca and Bosco” (named after our adorable puppies). Why is that relevant to you? Because everything we make is going to be gluten-free – the ice cream, the cones, the toppings, the cookies and even little ice cream cone shaped dog biscuits will be made completely gluten-free. This weekend I made a chocolate and beer ice cream using Bard’s Tale gluten-free beer for St. Patrick’s Day. My business partner isn’t gluten-free but has been an incredible friend making sure that I can eat everything we make. She even dedicated her waffle cone iron to being gluten-free to make sure it didn’t become ‘contaminated.’ We’ve been working on it since October and went to Ice Cream University in January at Penn State to learn all about the science of ice cream (and yes, we were sporting sexy hairnets a good portion of the time). Right now, we’re looking for commercial kitchen space and trying to raise money for a portable freezer cart and blast freezer all while working our demanding day jobs. We can use all the help we can get. If you live in the NYC area you can get ice cream as a reward for donating, but we will also ship cookies and toppings to those of you living outside of NYC. I hate asking for donations, but since neither of us can afford it on our own, we’re hoping that a little bit of help from a lot of people will get us there! Indiegogo is a great way to help dreams get off the ground. In the meantime, I’d like to share with you some of the things I’ve figured out in experimenting with gluten-free waffle cone recipes and give you one to play with. I’ve used three different base recipes and many combinations of gluten-free flours and this is the sturdiest with the best flavor yet. Many of them will make a delicious ‘waffle cone topping’ but won’t be sturdy enough to function as a cone or, my favorite, a waffle cone bowl. If you stray from the recipe below, one thing to keep in mind with adapting another recipe is that in general you will need to add a touch more gluten-free flour mix or a little extra egg white to a traditional, “glutenous” recipe, but this is what has worked best for me so far. I promise to update it if I make any improvements. Gluten-Free Waffle Cone Recipe (adapted from Chef’s Choice) Ingredients: 1 whole large egg, room temperature 2 egg whites, room temperature ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup gluten-free flour mix – I used Cup4Cup, Pamela’s mix did NOT work for this recipe due to the extra fat content from the nut flour 2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled Directions: Preheat your waffle cone machine (I’ve been working with this model at home). Beat the egg, egg whites and salt in a small bowl with a fork. Add the sugar and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the egg has lightened in color slightly, about 1 minute. Gradually add flour, ¼ cup at a time and beat until all lumps are gone. Add the melted butter and stir until well blended. Spoon one heaping tablespoon into the center of the iron and gently close the top to bake. Firmly close the top of the iron after baking for a 15-30 seconds. I found if I pressed down firmly to start the cones would become too thin and breakable. Bake for 60-90 seconds according to your color and doneness preference. If you don’t bake long enough they won’t be crispy but if you go too long they will burn or crumble apart too easily. It will take a few tries for you to work it out on your machine and the exact amount of batter will take a couple tries as well. Quickly remove the cone from the iron and move it onto a clean dishtowel or cloth. Use that to help you roll the cone (your waffle cone iron should come with a mold) or place it over a small upside down bowl to shape it into a waffle cone bowl (my favorite!!!) Even once you have figured out the recipe/technique, they will still be fragile – but that won’t diminish their flavor and can still be used as an exceedingly excellent ice cream topping. Let me know if you have any questions and please take a minute to check out our campaign on Indiegogo. Happy almost spring! ]]> /gluten-free-waffle-cone-recipe-and-an-ask-for-help.html/feed 3 377 Our last meal (in Chicago) – Alinea /alinea-chicago-achatz.html Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:02:46 +0000 After interrupting my Chicago write-ups to relate the magical tale of my El Bulli experience, we return to our Midwest eating adventure with the main course – Alinea. Currently ranked the top restaurant in the United States by Restaurant Magazine, Alinea had some high expectations to live up to. Did it? Yes and No. In ‘preparation’ for our trip to Chicago, I read “Life, on the Line” by Alinea’s Chef Grant Achatz and his business partner Nick Kokonas. A recommended read that grabs your interest, maintains it throughout and concomitantly creates great expectations about eating at Alinea. With this history, I entered Alinea, ready to be awed. Well, the food and creativity of the dishes matched the hype, unfortunately the service and ambiance crashed and burned. It was a sweltering hot summer day and the room where we were seated was quite warm even though air conditioning is generally available in Chicago. Because men are required to wear a suit jacket, my friend was sweating throughout the entire meal. His jacket served as a portable sauna in Alinea. You might ask – well, why didn’t he just take it off? He would have loved to, but when he inquired about removing it, he was told that Alinea preferred he leave it on. They like hot customers apparently. A couple of the servers were actively condescending, leaving one with the feeling that we were a nuisance to them. Only one Alinea employee possessed the enthusiasm for food and attentive service we so enjoyed at Grant Achatz’s Next Restaurant and The Aviary Cocktail Bar. On a more positive note, there was the food. Good photos eluded me owing to the interior lighting, so I will paint a word picture of the visually delectable English Peas trifecta. A three level serving plate launched with a warm preparation of peas, transitioning to a room temperature meringue with a cold sorbet and apples as the finale. The variance in texture, flavor and temperature garnered it the award for most memorable dish and the one I continue to yearn for. The artistic creativity of the food lingers in one’s mind as a continuing reminder of the artist’s touch. My first experience with scissors as a utensil, and cutting the greens for my own garden salad was novel, fun and exciting. Later in the meal we used pasta (or rice paper) flags to create our own short rib ravioli. One dish made our eyes and mouth dance a jig of joy as its richness and decadence generated visual and sensory fireworks. “Hot Potato, Cold Potato” was its name – just imagine pure deliciousness served with black truffle and butter. The first iteration of Next Restaurant focused on Paris, 1906. While we didn’t get to experience that menu, they served a course from the cookbook that inspired the menu at Next. A small piece of lamb with asparagus, potato (and a piece of gluten-free toast for me), certainly made early 20th century cuisine appealing. We were transported to the turn of the century and it wasn’t even midnight, though we were hardly dressed for the occasion. (Apologies to fans of Midnight in Paris) The black truffle explosion, one of the most famous and long standing courses on the constantly changing menu, truly was a bite of remarkable flavor. Wild mushrooms with pine, sumac and ramps – yes, please. But I was even more impressed with this course a week after eating it when I started processing the photos. Look at how similar it looks to our chocolate dessert course. Our palate cleanser was a “Yuzu Snow Cone.” We were warned to only use our spoon, as a brush against our tongue could result in something reminiscent of A Christmas Story. (though of course we had to try it…) Our sweet courses started with a strawberry, jasmine, basil, balsamic, burrata, and almond marshmallow dessert. That was just for starters! The second sweet course was the fanciest and most scrumptious jello ever to cross my lips. Lemongrass, dragonfruit, cilantro and cucumber were all suspended in a test tube like container adding to the sense of experiment . The final course was the chocolate plate which included pickled blueberry, honey, peanuts and crème brulee! Ahh, sweet memories. Chicago proved to be a city of culinary wonder and it certainly is on our list for future explorations. ]]> 371 A magical lunch at El Bulli /a-magical-lunch-at-el-bulli.html /a-magical-lunch-at-el-bulli.html#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:40:54 +0000 Touted as the world’s best restaurant, El Bulli, located in Roses, Spain, shuttered its doors on Sunday. It was indisputably, the toughest reservation to obtain at any restaurant, with over a million requests for tables each year. International renown surrounding El Bulli is such that even the media coverage on it is getting media coverage – see the mocking and derision from the NYTimes, The UK Guardian, and from Salon.com. Well, I’m afraid I am going to add to the plethora of blog coverage and write ups. Why write about a shuttered restaurant? It’s about recollections of a dining experience so extraordinary as to be dreamlike in character. Yet, it was real and this is my personal journal entry about one of the most magical dining experience of my life. My fellow food adventurer, Gareth and I decided to plan a trip to Spain last year – this meant targeting restaurants as a central planning component. We talked (err, IM’d) about El Bulli, though neither of us entertained serious expectations of actually dining there. But we are dreamers, so we entered the reservation lottery (for the third year in a row), but our trip planning proceeded. Traveling during American Thanksgiving we made reservations to visit wineries and restaurants in Penedes, south of Barcelona, and up in Girona, north of Barcelona. Our travel plans incorporated two free days to insure the ability to give us some flexibility in our final itinerary. Before departure, our respective email inboxes registered with emails from El Bulli confirming that we were in the majority of those who would NOT be granted mythical dining experience. To soften the rejection, the El Bulli email informed us that we could check back in the event of any cancellations they might get, closer to the date. As the month approached, we both sent requests for reservations in the event of cancellations and “Senor No” (as the reservationist is called) informed us in the nicest possible way that we were not to be among the lucky few. I even asked my father, who speaks Spanish fluently, to send an email on our behalf requesting a reservation, thinking that perhaps a letter from a Spanish speaking father in California on behalf of a food-loving daughter in New York, planning a trip to Spain would be the trick. Nope, that ploy didn’t work either. Though it was a very nice email, thanks for trying, Dad. Disappointed that El Bulli was not part of our itinerary, we maintained much excitement about the variety of plans we did have for our trip to Spain that week in November, and the amount of Spanish jamon we planned on eating. Our general enthusiasm hit a little snag when we checked into our less than desirable hotel in Penedes. We usually look for deals on hotels to conserve money for food, but this was bad even for us – our room over looked a trash heap and there were stains on our sheets and towels ewww. We decided to leave after only one night and head to Girona a day early. The wineries offered very appealing tours and general excitement and appreciative manner resulted in the owner of one of the wineries giving us a private tour. This was totally cool, fascinating and unexpectedly fortuitous! Our new best friend was chatting with us about various restaurants when we shared our “losing attempts” to snare a seat at El Bulli. A devilish smile alighted on our friend’s face as he suggested that he would share with us an email of his friend who is well-connected at El Bulli. Incredulous, we scooped up the email. The next day, our new contact not only got us a seating at El Bulli, but he even apologized that he could only get us into lunch! To add to this amazing turn of events, he asked if we had any allergies, which was music to my gluten-free ears. At the appointed hour, we arrived at the restaurant and Gareth forced me to take a photo in front of the El Bulli sign, which I initially resisted, but now I thank Gareth for his foresight. We were not alone, and soon a line began to form behind us of people ready for their own photo op. As we crossed the threshold into this oft-dreamed-of food heaven, the maitre d’ greeted us and immediately sent us on a tour of the most impressive kitchen I have ever seen. Then we were afforded the ultimate photo op as the maitre d’ introduced us to Chef Ferran Adria himself. Life can be wonderful. We were then seated at our table, giggling with awe that we were actually there. We quickly regained our composure as the server approached and immediately showered us with a level of service and attentiveness that escapes my ability to describe in words. Sometimes hype is just that – hype, and reality can never match the unrealistic expectations generated by the hype. At El Bulli, Gareth and I both found the atmosphere and exquisite experience of this culinary palace unmatchable. So what about the food? What did we actually eat? They started service with three cocktails. A frozen strawberry bellini: Then a warm capi-mojito: Followed by an almond-fizz with amarena-LYO: The cocktails were followed by an individual grapefruit and seaweed “ravioli” It was then we were served the dish I most wish I could experience again. A frozen gorgonzola cheese dome, topped with fresh nutmeg. The way the dome quickly transformed from cold and solid to warm and melting in our hands and on our tongues with layers of flavor coating our mouths, I would fly back to Spain just for that. This was followed with a completely different texture, in the form of an olive oil crisp: And a sweeter bite of hazelnut raspberries: Back to olive oil with a “bread stick” (made without a speck of flour): Then a coconut sponge: I was given beetroot and yogurt “profiteroles” (a type of meringue): While Gareth was served a gluten-ous shrimp tortilla: We both received the ham and ginger canapes: And one of Gareth’s favorites, soy matches with yuzu and miso (the flavor in the matches so concentrated in such a small delivery device) The only bite that fell flat for us, boiled shrimp, really that’s all it was, a boiled shrimp: Quails with carrot escabeche (we considered this our Thanksgiving “turkey”): And pumpkin “sea urchin” to round out the Thanksgiving offerings: The texture and flavor of the soy tiramisu inspires a sense memory so vivid, I can almost experience the mouthfeel when I think about it today: Then came a dish of caviar cream and hazelnut caviar – sweet, savory, smooth and briny: The cheese blini that accompanied Gareth’s “truffle drap” were one of two times during the evening, I was thoroughly envious of his ability to conquer gluten: While the truffles were delicious, the tomato carpaccio that came with mine, didn’t exactly seem on par with blini oozing with melting cheese: Luckily I was distracted by the parmesan porra – a spongey, cheese-flavored dish that looked like a meringue but tasted far from it. The expression on Gareth’s face will tell you more than I could possibly explain with words: Cold sea anemone with bernacles (I ate them and am still unsure what they are): The sea anemones were then heated for a scallop with anemone risotto: Oysters Gillardeau with black sand and bone marrow – this may be the closest to “food porn” we’ll get here… My envy was green once again, when Gareth was served a Oaxaca taco with a side of flavors including cilantro: And I received roses artichoke – I mean I love artichokes, but the simple artichoke petals didn’t shine compared to Gareth’s taco… But I quickly forgot my envy as we witnessed the presentation of endive en papillote with walnuts and ‘slow motion caviar’ (our waiter, coined that term, did I mention how much we loved him?) Then a gazpacho and ajo blanco – I could eat 4 of those in a sitting if given another opportunity…. Next we received a satchel of cardamom to accompany our turtledove with blackberry risotto: Hare bolognese with ‘blood’ (don’t worry, it wasn’t actually a glass of blood, just a sauce that bore a striking resemblance) The hare continued with a wild strawberry and hare soup: And with that the savory course came to a close. A final mimetic chestnut to begin our transition to a sweeter spectrum: A sweet cube topped with a sauce of black tea and lime: And a final palate cleanser – a frozen “pond” with brown sugar and mint The sweets began in earnest with mini donuts, which were actually ice cream ensconced in chocolate: Another texture shift with Catalan pine nut candies: And finally, floating profiteroles with gin-soup, frozen raspberries and the return of the cardamom satchel: There wasn’t a set wine pairing option at El Bulli, as the seemingly unlimited dishes defy a simple pairing. But at El Bulli, the superb wine takes a back seat to the celestial food. El Bulli’s sommelier proffered periodic recommendations for particular wines over the course of the evening. To start, Gareth selected the cava, the classic Spanish sparking wine while I sampled sherry, having already reached my cava threshold after 5 days in Spain. The sommelier assisted our selections of a bottle of white, followed by a bottle of red and two glasses of dessert wine. At the close of the meal, an exceptionally large box of exquisite chocolates and confections was presented to us, adding yet another chapter to this incredible real-life fairy tale. Four hours of dining, yes, the experience consumed that much time, resulted in a sense of camaraderie with our server and our sommelier, who, pointing to the box of chocolates, informed us that the only time they had ever seen anyone finish the entire box was a table of SIX German men. Gareth doesn’t speak German but he knows how to eat and I was his wingman on this chocolate trip, though he deserves the real credit for this final feat of chocolate consumption. The box of chocolates was empty when we left! Six German men were tied by Gareth and one New York girl. I had to write about my lunch because the memory will stay with me as a reminder of the rich tapestry of life and what the world has to offer when you go for it and get a little lucky. Here is a video from Chef Rene Redzepi, showing Chef Adria serving the last dish of the last service, bringing the era of El Bulli to an end: ]]> /a-magical-lunch-at-el-bulli.html/feed 1 361 Bacon and Caviar Dreams – brunch at The Publican restaurant Chicago /bacon-and-caviar-dreams-brunch-at-the-publican-restaurant-chicago.html Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:53:53 +0000 Brunch is not a meal that I like to spend $$$ on or rack up calories at, but in order to make the most of our short time in Chicago last week, I made a reservation for brunch at The Publican. Famous for its beer and pork, my focus was on the food leaving to others to opine on the brew. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and the place was humming. While that sort of chaos at a restaurant might give me pause, our waiter put me immediately at ease. He knew the menu well and helped me navigate the gluten-free options. I had to avoid the breakfast sausage, but the hanger steak and omelette were both A-OK. (Note: the mortadella sandwich is not gluten-free, but it was such a good photo of one of my friend’s meal that I had to share it). I started with the bottomless Intelligentsia coffee as we examined the menu; it was one of the best cups of coffee I have had in recent memory. Before the ‘real food’ arrived, our table shared two orders of the maple-glazed bacon. Yes, I am a tad obsessed with bacon, and this lived up to my high standards. I ordered the hanger steak with cippolini onions and a cucumber salad. It was cooked perfectly and the sides were refreshing on that hot summer day. Not content to sample just one or two items on the menu, we decided to share the creme fraiche omelette topped with caviar. This is one of those dishes I will remember for months and years to come. So decadent and delicious, it may have been enough to sway me towards future brunch outings. The Publican Address: 837 West Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607 Phone: 312-733-9555 It’s just a few blocks away from Grant Achatz’s Next Restaurant and The Aviary cocktail lounge. ]]> 357 The Aviary and The Office – I {heart} Chicago /the-aviary-and-the-office-grant-achatz-chicago.html /the-aviary-and-the-office-grant-achatz-chicago.html#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:11:03 +0000 Fate continued to smile on us after our dinner at Next Restaurant, as Gareth and I went to The Aviary, the

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