"Goomba38" > wrote in message
...

> Oh yesssssssssssss... those wonderful steaks
> I used to eat in Europe with the crispy frites!!
> THAT is exactly the steak I was craving!!

Heh. Me too.

> My peppercorns were dried green ones (from
> Penzeys) but you mentioned the brine packed
> ones? Can you tell me more about them?

Same thing, only not dried. Green peppercorns are the underripe
berry, and then they're dried or preserved in brine or packed in
water. I like the brined ones, myself, although I rarely go through a
jar before they spoil. Dried peppercorns keep better.

> You're the second person to mention cognac
> (Calvados in particular) so I take that as a
> good recommendation.

I *love* Calvados -- good Calvados is ... well, truly spectacular.
It's what every apple aspires to be (if, I suppose, one doesn't aspire
to be in a beautiful cider or pie or ... hm, I think I could get
carried away a bit here). The very essence of apples. Bad/cheap
Calvados can leave you in doubt of what type of fruit it was made
from, or if there was fruit involved at all.

> Thanks for the input

A pleasure.
-j