Pavlov’s Profile
Recent Comments
Turkey on Grill Too Smoky--What to change?
I smoke a turkey every year... and not only is it hard to hold, but it's a bitch to keep lit as well!
Seriously, You're talking about (I assume) a large bird, certainly larger than a chicken anyway. The turkey has a much larger mass, and more of it's own flavor, so the smoke won't be nearly as noticable. I use 1.5 cups of applewood chips done in stages (1/4 cup at a time) and baste with cider in the beginning of the process. I have always had great luck and never too smokey.
Good luck and let us all know what you do....
SOUP!
The possibilities are endless...
I like to sautee the mirepoix in vegetable oil.
I roast garlic (I prefer a less garlicy flavor).
I add dry white wine.
I use a sachet d'epices with,
Bay Leaf
Dried Thyme
Peppercorns, crushed
Parsley stems
I go nuts with the vegetables, you can do any kind of vegetables you like but it must (for me) have tomato and mushrooms. I also small dice everything to increase the surface area so maximum flavor extraction is possible.
I also add an onion brule to add color and depth of flavor.
The beauty of vegetable stock is that there are really no rules, and multiple ways to make it. Don't give up on making good stock. Keep trying... and for the love of pete, don't use store bought vegetable "stock".
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I saw this as a tweet from Michael Ruhlman... I believe it is a GREAT list! I can't wait to see the other 50... I don't go to restaurant's to be entertained by servers, or remember their names. I go to eat the food and to "dig the scene".
I think some folks have a problems with things on the list here because we have been trained by poor service. Restaurants should take more care in training their servers. I cringe every time I have a server introduce themselves, welcome me to "insert restaurant name here" (I know what restaurant I am at hopefully), make a quick joke (that I hear repeated every time they go to a new table) and repeat the specials like a robot.
I think we'll see bring new silverware with each new course in the next list... this as much as the intro, pisses me off more than anything when a server asks me to take my fork back "You'll need it for the next course". I sometimes inquire if they are out of silverware, Or I tell them it dropped on the floor.
I agree that some on the list apply to fine dining, as I don't believe I need the wait staff at Chili's to steam off a label for a bottle of Sam Adams... But going above and beyond is the wait staff's job and it's what makes people come back.
See more comments by Pavlov »
Recent Posts
MOCK MEAT... IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER... (really?, why?)
Posted by Pavlov, October 22, 2009 at 10:01 AM
"I LOVE ANGEL HAIR, BUT HATE SPAGHETTI!!!" ..... WTF?!
Posted by Pavlov, July 9, 2009 at 10:17 AM
See more posts by Pavlov »
Recent Favorites
See more favorites by Pavlov »
Recent Polls
Pavlov hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
Pavlov hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal...
Stuffing... I may only eat it 1-2 other times the entire year.... but I eat my quota and then some on thanksgiving.
Turkey on Grill Too Smoky--What to change?
I smoke a turkey every year... and not only is it hard to hold, but it's a bitch to keep lit as well!
Seriously, You're talking about (I assume) a large bird, certainly larger than a chicken anyway. The turkey has a much larger mass, and more of it's own flavor, so the smoke won't be nearly as noticable. I use 1.5 cups of applewood chips done in stages (1/4 cup at a time) and baste with cider in the beginning of the process. I have always had great luck and never too smokey.
Good luck and let us all know what you do....
SOUP!
The possibilities are endless...
I like to sautee the mirepoix in vegetable oil.
I roast garlic (I prefer a less garlicy flavor).
I add dry white wine.
I use a sachet d'epices with,
Bay Leaf
Dried Thyme
Peppercorns, crushed
Parsley stems
I go nuts with the vegetables, you can do any kind of vegetables you like but it must (for me) have tomato and mushrooms. I also small dice everything to increase the surface area so maximum flavor extraction is possible.
I also add an onion brule to add color and depth of flavor.
The beauty of vegetable stock is that there are really no rules, and multiple ways to make it. Don't give up on making good stock. Keep trying... and for the love of pete, don't use store bought vegetable "stock".
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I saw this as a tweet from Michael Ruhlman... I believe it is a GREAT list! I can't wait to see the other 50... I don't go to restaurant's to be entertained by servers, or remember their names. I go to eat the food and to "dig the scene".
I think some folks have a problems with things on the list here because we have been trained by poor service. Restaurants should take more care in training their servers. I cringe every time I have a server introduce themselves, welcome me to "insert restaurant name here" (I know what restaurant I am at hopefully), make a quick joke (that I hear repeated every time they go to a new table) and repeat the specials like a robot.
I think we'll see bring new silverware with each new course in the next list... this as much as the intro, pisses me off more than anything when a server asks me to take my fork back "You'll need it for the next course". I sometimes inquire if they are out of silverware, Or I tell them it dropped on the floor.
I agree that some on the list apply to fine dining, as I don't believe I need the wait staff at Chili's to steam off a label for a bottle of Sam Adams... But going above and beyond is the wait staff's job and it's what makes people come back.
The Almighty Chicken Wing - nothing without the sauce
I ALWAYS serve wings dry with a sauce on the side. I don't understand going through all the trouble of making a crispy wing then dousing it with sauce that make the wings soggy. Also, if you serve them dry and crispy, you can make many sauces for others to try. Sizzling hot for some, savory or sweet for others... I like to do a satay sauce
Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) can coconut milk 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1/2 small onion, grated 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk, peanut butter, onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
For the spicy I am with @Cassaendra doing plain ole sriracha
For sweet I like doing a bbq dry rub put into a little maple syrup and a tbsp or two of orange juice or cider vinegar or champagne vinegar.
It's Fall but these loose-"leaf" recipes are outta control
I don't understand the concept of keeping that many recipes. I probably have 6 or 7 recipes that I ever look at with any regularity, they are for things that I found to be flawless and didn't want to futz with. Having hundreds of recipes sounds crazy to me, unless they are in the form of cookbooks. Of course it may just be my A.D.D. talking...
What do you use maple syrup for?
I use it to finish ribs off as part of the sauce at the end, or if doing long braises of sweet and spicy ribs, short ribs, brisket etc, I use it as part of the braising liquid.
Always as part of a glaze for everything from squab to salmon.
I put it on granola, ice cream, hot cereal, snow...
Being from New England however, probably does make me a bit of a maple syrup swilling squirrel worshiper...
Dessert sauce for gingerbread
This will also help warm you up if you're cold.... The bourbon that is... sans the other ingredients...
Bourbon Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Light corn syrup Karo
1/8 cup butter
1/4 cup bourbon
In a small pan, Teflon coated pan preferably, combine the sugar, corn syrup and butter over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon. Serve the Gingerbread warm with the bourbon sauce topping.
The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise
WOW.... I had been wondering about Duck fat being used for mayo, for quite some time. Just didn't have enough duck fat lying around to try it. Thanks a bunch @J. Kenji
The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?
Yep, I gotta say... The 10 on that list are pretty sucky! Gotta agree with most of them. Don't much care for molecular gastronomy although it does have merit. Without the Grant A's of the world, how would we find the edge?
I'd also have to say that reviews and blogs are valuable no matter the source. At least the info is timely and in a lot of cases you can get feedback right from the source... unlike a magazine or so called "professional reviewer".
All the others.... I find them annoying. Hell I hate it when my table is in distance of another table, never mind communal. I do the communal thing at thanksgiving... and I don't think I'm alone in saying that once a year is plenty!
Media whore chefs... it was ok when they were actually chefs. But now there are media whore chefs that are whores, and not actually chefs... they annoy the shit outta me!
Does anyone have the recipe for lamb wellington
Try googling you recipe using the spelling "DUXELLE" instead of "DUCELLE". Hope this helps... and that recipe looks great.
Do You Check Out Other Peoples' Fridges?
When given the opportunity to look in someone else's fridge (at a friends house or relatives) I do so willingly and with great haste. More times than not, I find myself horrified and asking myself, "how the hell do these people live like this?" Looking at the contents of someone else's fridge is kinda like going over to a friends house when you're a kid and asking yourself, "are all family's this weird or is my family that f@#$%! up?"
I guess we all have our little idiosyncrasies that make us...uh, special...
MOCK MEAT... IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER... (really?, why?)
"Why the need for all caps? Are you that irritated, or just concerned? The idea of not eating meat or fish seems to be spazzing you out. Peace out, my friend."
@Brownie... Not irritated at all... If you look at my past posts, you'll see I always use all caps. Peace, right back atcha!
Anthony Bourdain and Vegetarians/Vegans
(think Oscar Mayer Wiener)
Oh You wish we were all happy little vegans,
Cause that's what you want the world to beeeee,
And if we were all happy little vegans,
cows and pigs would be in love with me!
Damn, I actually feel dumber for spending 5 seconds typing that....
That's Nuts: As American as Peanut Butter and Apple Pie
I would have done it with maple peanut butter then added a nice slice of sharp VT cheddar when the pie was still warm...
Anthony Bourdain and Vegetarians/Vegans
I just flat out, don't understand vegetarians or vegans. I do however enjoy some of their dishes.... usually next to a piece of meat.
I Don't give a rip about what AB thinks of vegetarians, vegans or me... as far as what others opinions are about me and my eating habits, that's none of my business.
I think AB's view on vegetarians/ vegans stem from his time in the restaurant business. He worked in places not looking to cater to vegetarians/ vegans. So it was probably a big pain in the ass to cook special meals a la minute just for them.
The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made
actually @sailordave, you know the restaurant.... Portsmouth Brewery...
The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made
@ sailordave.... WTF is quinoa? j/k
Yes folks, I know what it is.... but you'll never see me eat that shit. I went to a restaurant once and they had made a Reuben with this stuff ground up and pressed into a patty of sorts. Guess that'll teach me to order while under the influence. Saw the Reuben in large print, completely F'ing missed the quinoa patty in about a 2 font.
The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made
I do a spoon bread that takes 6 whole eggs, plus 4 egg yolks, 1 quart heavy cream, 16 Oz's. stale cornbread broken up and heated on the stove top with 2 sticks of butter (unsalted), diced sauteed onion, green/ red bell pepper (think stuffing), 16 Oz's. of cooked spicy sausage (could use breakfast, Linguica, Chorizo, merguez or andouille out of the casing and broken up) some sage, thyme and chives chopped fine and mix all the S#!% together, season it and throw into a large buttered casserole dish and bake @ 250-275 in a water bath until set. (knife inserted comes out fairly clean)
Needless to say, I only do it once a year....
Video: André Soltner Makes an Omelet
@_greenbean... you can either split the top and add ingredients, fill them before rolling or place on top of the omelet. If you were making an omelet basque you would add the ingredients to the eggs and cook them similar to a frittata or an american style "western".
hamburger contents?
I wanna go have beers with meat guy! I'll bet he could tell some stories!
Hediard Herbs De Provence
You can buy the "Provence Herbs" by Hediard online via Crossings French Food, or E-mail them with your question at the following address.
they sell the Provence herbs product #385 for $12.40 ea. (not sure if you have to buy by the case of 6ea.) or call them at (800) 209-6141
or go to their website www.crossingsfrenchfood.com
info@crossingsfrenchfood.com
Bon Chanc!
Your Clever SE Name
Just wanted to add that, YES, I do drool when I hear the dinner bell!
Turkey on Grill Too Smoky--What to change?
I use about a cup or more of the wood chips or chunks.
I start with the bigger chunks and then add chips during the cooking process.
It helps to have a smoker box since the foil pouch seems to burn up too quickly.
Turkey on Grill Too Smoky--What to change?
Here's a suggestion that should work.
Just use the chips for the first 60-90 minutes while roasting the bird.
I use mesquite and/or hickory chips and in the case of a larger piece of meat, I use the chunks.
You'll get some smoke flavor, but not all the way through the meat.
Of course, I come down on the smokey taste that improves the next day.
Once other suggestion, baste the bird after it starts to brown.
I use a bit of cider vinegar and cherry or pomegranate juice.
It'll brown the bird and you'll serve a really gorgeous looking bird.
Be sure to let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal...
ABT: Anything but turkey.
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal...
I also love Thanksgiving - it's my favorite holiday, hands down. My favorite food is Mama's dressing. She bakes cornbread separately, sautes onion and celery, breaks up the cornbread and adds the vegetables, chicken broth, and some of the drippings from the turkey pan and then bakes the mixture. Since it never goes inside the turkey, it's not stuffing, but dressing, and it is yummy!
I love how everybody talks about how cozy Thanksgiving is. I absolutely agree and I love the day after, too. Turkey sandwiches on sourdough bread - yum!
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal...
Mashing the potatoes!! Or making pie =]
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal...
i love everything about Thanksgiving... maybe because I was born on a Thanksgiving day a few years ago ;) and it marks the start of Xmas season... it's sucha happy time for me, always.
I used to love the whole menu combination. And would most look forward eating the same menu a few times via the leftovers. and even now that I am vegetarian, I think my favorite part are the sweet potatoes/yams... my mom used to make them with marshmallows on top. YUMMM.
Turkey on Grill Too Smoky--What to change?
I just noticed that my original question was unclear. When I asked about 1/4 C chips, I was referring to another 5lb chicken trial. I would scale the smoke up to the trukey as well once I found a smokiness that I think would work for everyone.
Another trial next week with 1/4 C chips, soaked overnight.
The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise
You know they already sell Baconaise in the stores but it isn't made with real Bacon. It tastes really good though. I am going to make your version as I have some rendered bacon fat in my refrigerator. Never thought of making it myself. I can just imagine what that lamb mayo tastes like! Yikes. Lamb is such a highly flavored fat as it is.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I love this list, and, with the exception of # 23, I am heartily in agreement. When I am eating out, which is not all that often these days, I want the experience to be as good as it possibly can be. And, aside from the food, the etiquette (or lack thereof) of my server is what most affects that experience.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
@lemonfair - what a great idea! What would you put on this list?
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I'd love to see a similar list for the chef, considering some of the things we know go on in the kitchen. It matters as much as what goes on in public.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Did anyone else hear the author of this article on NPR today? He said that he's never been a "professional waiter" but he waited tables in college, which to me sounded like he was trying to grant himself some kind of exemption from his own rules.
The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?
Funny, I make cheesecake pops when I have a chunk of cheesecake that's too big to toss but too small to serve on its own. First I shove a plastic spoon into a big chunk of cheesecake, then dunk it in melted chocolate, then put it in the freezer. I served a tray of these things and all I heard were moans of pleasure. (My cheesecake is made from scratch. I've seen Shamdra Lee do this where she murders a frozen cheesecake with a scoop, winding up with a cheesecake carcass.)
Re: Soup Sips - do you mean in small cups? That does seem rather silly. I like to serve "dessert bites" on Chinese porcelain spoons. Even if you have 2 it's not like wolfing down an entire dessert - but you get to have a tasty sweet in small measure.
The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?
So can someone do a list of the 10 worst catering trends? #1 Everything as a lolly pop. I believe David Burke started this with his cheese cake lollly pops.
When are we going to find a replacement for soup sips?
The best hot sauce
DL Jardine's Texas Champagne has an amazing flavor. I've been using it nearly everyday since I was 12 years old.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
My desire to order apps and drinks has less to do with a restaurant's bottom line as it has to do with the comfort of those of us who are waiting. I'm not "assuming" anything. If a DINNER reservation was made it stands to reason that at least one entree per diner will be ordered. This does not include salads, a la carte sides and additional cocktails. I state again with certainty that if I were ever refused seating because one member of my party was delayed, I'd go somewhere else. I'm extremely punctual to the point of OCD. If I'm on time with most of my party, I damn well better be seated or I'm happy to spend my money somewhere else. It's wise to make the customer happy under ideal circumstances but in this down economy it makes even more sense.
Sometimes the word "assume" is the most suitable to use in a particular sentence. The cutesy Felix Unger reference has become passe.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Therealchiffonade. You're assuming a reservation was made, assuming the 4th is coming shortly, assuming the first 3 will order apps and drinks, assuming the 4th will even order. We all know what happens when we assume.
SOUP!
Rapunzel is a brand of boullion that has no added salt. You can buy it at Whole Foods.
The 20 Dishes you need to know
My personal Top 20:
1. Bacon and Potato Omelette (I'm from germany and can't live without my "Bauernfrüstück")
2. Pasta with a garlic sauce
3. Spaghetti with meatballs
4. Roasted Chicken
5. Kao Pad (I'm also half Thai, and grew up with this dish)
6. Pancakes
7. Steak
8. Pizza
9. Potato Soup
10. A good Sandwich
11. Satay Sticks
12. Mashed Potaoes
13. Meatloaf
14. Gravy
15. Thai Sausages
16. Green Cabbage and Smoked Pork Chop
17. Spareribs
18. Quesadillas
19. Burger with some Fries and Fried Onions
20. Double Mud Chocolate Cake
The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise
Who knows if they really use bacon fat to make theirs, but there is a bacon flavored mayonnaise on the market called Baconnaise. It's been the butt of a running joke on the Daily Show.
The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?
candidly, i quite agree with most of the list. i appreciate the "response" you offer here (but generally don't agree with you). many foodies i know have been grumbling about the "trends" identified in the Chicago Tribune piece for some time.... there is a lot of pretension and indulgence in the food world and i think it is a good thing for a provocative commentator to offer a "reality check" from time to time....
and you reference the Tribune piece as the "bashing of supposed elites"... "supposed"???? excuse me? who else but "elites" can afford $40 "bistro" entrees and most of the restaurants that feature "foam" and "molecular gastronomy"?
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
How would you know if drinks/ apps are going to be ordered? Should arestaurant have to deny a full party a table so an incomplete party canshare an app?
Because if a DINNER reservation was made, it's a safe assumption that DINNER will be ordered by each patron - even the one who's straggling.
Frankly, if I were to be denied a table because one member of a party or four or more was not present, I'd spend my money someplace else. It's downright rude to inconvenience diners like that. It's disrespectful - and very short sighted as I'm sure others feel as I do.
The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?
I agree wholeheartedly with the critique of "foam." WTF???? I ordered only one dish in my life that had "foam" on it, and it looked like the chef (or maybe the waitperson) spat on my dish. It was hideous. I hope this trend dies as quickly as "vanilla lobster."
Chef as Media Whore - and who did they throw up as the photo? Rocco DiSpirito. This dude was a great cook and that ONE BLUNDER he committed called "The Restaurant" cost him about 5 years of productivity. After The Restaurant, I wouldn't pay to watch DiSpirito boil an egg. I'm sorry to say restaurant "reality" shows have not improved much. It's still drama, insults, distractions - with little attention to what the contestant is actually cooking.
Communal tables don't bother me - try getting into Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown at high lunch hour and see if you don't relent and sit at a communal table.
I think "knee-jerk" reviews are only a small problem, compared to a) inflatedly positive reviews written by the restaurant owner's brother-in-law and b) exaggeratedly horrible reviews written by someone who couldn't get a timely reservation - or worse - someone who has NEVER dined at the establishment whose food he or she is reviewing.
LBNL, the first category "onion blossoms," and the "proudly obnoxious" categories could be combined. It's all about vulgar amounts of fat and calories - and pokes fun at gluttons who go in for this sort of thing.
What do you use maple syrup for?
Ciao. Thought I'd report back after 2 experiments:
1) A Sazerac with maple syrup instead of simple syrup. Oh yeah!!! Gave the drink more complexity and a more subtle roundness. Could be a new favorite. We cut the maple syrup back by 1/2 and then brought it up to the full measure (same qty as you would use of simple syrup) because the maple was not that cloyingly sweet as we had expected. Truly excellent.
2) A maple/bourbon glazed roasted quail. The glaze was the syrup, a shot of bourbon, a chili pepper, Viet Namese cinnamon (very fragrant), cloves, nutmeg and grains of paradise. Outstanding! Finger licking divine.
And yes, we sipped some straight. It is like a cordial.
AND I got a whole lesson on the Grade A/B thing and they agree with everything you've said Lemonfair.
Thanks!
P.S. No pancakes or waffles in Italy...it's against the breakfast code which states that breakfast can be no more than a cappucino and a cornetto (cigarettes used to be required, they are now optional)
SOUP!
If you want a quick veggie stock try adding vegetable boullion cubes to water or add to stock for additional flavor. They are super economical, you can buy a large container and have stock for years. Only downside is that I would guess they are pretty high in sodium.
Recent Posts
MOCK MEAT... IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER... (really?, why?)
Posted by Pavlov, October 22, 2009 at 10:01 AM
"I LOVE ANGEL HAIR, BUT HATE SPAGHETTI!!!" ..... WTF?!
Posted by Pavlov, July 9, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Ployes And Cretons ...It's What's For Breakfast, Acadian Style!
Posted by Pavlov, December 31, 2008 at 8:12 AM
Pot-En-Pot Recipe - (pronounced po-n-po with the n almost non existent)
Posted by Pavlov, December 30, 2008 at 9:36 AM
Pate A La Rapure......Or As I Know It... Rappie Pie
Posted by Pavlov, December 29, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Hot Dog: Happy Go Lucky Sausage, or, Child Murderer?
Posted by Pavlov, August 28, 2008 at 1:09 AM
A Horse is a Horse, of Course of Course... How About Dinner?
Posted by Pavlov, August 26, 2008 at 12:58 AM
Recent Favorites
Polls
Pavlov hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
Pavlov hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
About Pavlov
Location: B'HAM, AL
About: You ever seen Brad Pitt? Yeah, nothing like him.
Favorite foods: That's like asking which of your kids you like better! I enjoy Northern Italian, Greek, French and anything with PORK!
Last bite on earth: Ben and Jerrys oatmeal cookie till my brain freezes solid...
Stuffing... I may only eat it 1-2 other times the entire year.... but I eat my quota and then some on thanksgiving.