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Best books / web sites for a real newbie of a cook?
Basically hold you by the hand and show how to do everything. Perfect for newbies.
Bruni Praises the Lard
Basically the whole menu Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal is a fat overdose. Last time I went I ate a Lobster roll that had torchon foie gras on it and was made with a brioche bun, not to mention the mayo... Lipo-coma here I come, it is so freaking good too...
Is Imitation Always the Sincerest Form of Flattery?
I think a lot of people here are missing the point. I don't think Mr Levine assertion is that anyone or their mother has invented a lobster roll recipe ( and from that Serious Eat video with the Amateur Gourmet, Mrs Charles recipe is about as traditional as its gets) it is rather about stealing a whole business model. This is like McDowell's restaurant in "Coming to America" (you know the Eddie Murphy movie), don't you think McDonald's would sue this entrepreneur into oblivion? Same thing. This nothing short of industrial spying, and is not only morally shameful, its legality is iffy.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
This has to be salary from food-related activities. Todd English and Vongerichten probably award themselves a relatively small salary from their corporation, in the hundreds of thousands, and not in the millions. This say nothing about how much money their companies make or how big their expense account is...
Best books / web sites for a real newbie of a cook?
Basically hold you by the hand and show how to do everything. Perfect for newbies.
Bruni Praises the Lard
Basically the whole menu Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal is a fat overdose. Last time I went I ate a Lobster roll that had torchon foie gras on it and was made with a brioche bun, not to mention the mayo... Lipo-coma here I come, it is so freaking good too...
Is Imitation Always the Sincerest Form of Flattery?
I think a lot of people here are missing the point. I don't think Mr Levine assertion is that anyone or their mother has invented a lobster roll recipe ( and from that Serious Eat video with the Amateur Gourmet, Mrs Charles recipe is about as traditional as its gets) it is rather about stealing a whole business model. This is like McDowell's restaurant in "Coming to America" (you know the Eddie Murphy movie), don't you think McDonald's would sue this entrepreneur into oblivion? Same thing. This nothing short of industrial spying, and is not only morally shameful, its legality is iffy.
NY recommendations: Lunch.
Alright, I already booked a lunch at Esca, at the request of somebody I can't say no to... I would rather not go with a "pure" french like Jean-Georges or Boulud... Spotted Pig look like a good idea. The Modern is a good idea too but I might go to the bar instead and order a few things... I'll keep Pearl Oyster bar in mind...
What to serve with quail?
I made a quail with a mushroom risotto the other day. I wrote it up on my blog, check my profile...
Love Song to a Hand Blender
I've had an old braun for years and use it pretty often. I wonder how different this one is. It is a good tool but I would't use it for salsa that's for sure...
That said, maybe I am a bit of a nerd, but "accouterment" is a bit of a stretch of the english language. I mean, when borrowing a word from another language, at least spell it correctly...
J: Jams, Jellies (and Preserves and Conserves)
What's confusing me here is not the term preserves, jam or jellie but conserves. Conserves in french is anything canned/in a jar one way or another. I mean a can of beans is "fèves en conserves", and when you cook up a bunch of green beans in a mason jar for the winter it is conserves. Not only that fruit business....
You Want Fries with That?
What is unclear from the article is the process you used and the process Keller uses at Bouchon. It very well might be to save time on the prep that he buys frozen fries, that doesn't mean he doesn't use the double frying technique nor that he actually uses them frozen. My guess is that the potatoes are defrosted and fried as any decent fry is done: fried twice.
That said, I don't understand. I am from Montreal and every diner and greasy spoon with any respect for their customer use fresh potatoes and that's all of them. And they make their living with their fries, they must go through hundreds fo pounds of potatoes every week. I mean if "La Belle Province" and "Lafleur" can use fresh potatoes why would Keller do otherwise....
Bagel Love
Ed, then you must like Montreal bagels, the best bagels in the world (let the fight begin!! ;-)
An Offal Good Book
The recipes in the book are basically what is served in the restaurant (barely normalized for home cooking actually) so I am thinking not. There are simple things like the deer tartare (if you can find some) and possibly the foie-gras grilled cheese (that is heavenly). I'll take a look tonight to see if there is anything really simple in there.
An Offal Good Book
The book is indeed a treat, just like the restaurant is.
Is there such a thing as a responsible and environmentally friendly take-out container?
a few local greasy spoons around here, Montreal, serve their hotdogs in cardboard little trays, hamburger in non-waxed paper, fries in paper bags and the actual take out containers are cardboard boxes as well... the only thing non-biodegradable they haven't figured out is something to hold poutine in...
Does Cooking Make You Gay?
I am a bit like jdrussel right above. I am not sure about any of this home cook thing. As far as I know: I am male, I am straight, I watch football and other pro sports, like sports cars and am the best cook in my family (that includes sister in laws, mother and grandmother.) I know that sounds cocky but that's what they tell me. I think, in my case, that it has a lot to do with being an Epicurian and an Hedonist in most of their definitions. Unlike you, I was allowed in the kitchen and my mother would always give me things to do in the kitchen, either stirring stuff or making whipped cream with beater, and I was the only one of my 2 brothers to do that, simply because I loved to eat and loved to see how it was done. Perhaps I am not the most refined of cooks (my presentation mostly sucks compared to a restaurants but I try) but my interest in food, how it works, what makes it good, how to make it better is a well that is not soon to be empty. I read about food, I cook food, I eat food and most importantly: I live food.
For Hanukkah, Latkes
I was just about to suggest your recipe Spanky... beat me to the punch...
Who and What Makes You Feel Good?
Thanks Adam! I try...
Who and What Makes You Feel Good?
I made quail eggs in the hole just a few weeks ago... I didn't know Danny Meyer was reading my blog! More seriously, is this on the menu at the Tavern or the Shake Shack because I really didn't know about it?
Starbucks Breakfast: Doomed from the Get Go
I tried the Timmy breakfast sandwich yesterday and it was OK, better than a McMuffin but only marginally so. The main point for it is the biscuit that actually tastes a bit like a biscuit instead of the microwaved much of an english muffin at MickeyD....
Starbucks Breakfast: Doomed from the Get Go
I think McMuffins are an insult to teeth. Seriously, its all mush. I can't believe these Starbucks things being much better.
Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?
its an horrible, nasty thing
A Toast from Serious Eats
I lift my crappy-coffee-from-the-machine-at-work cup to you!
'How Moist Was My Turkey'
Adam is the best culinary comic-making New Yorker writing on seriouseats.com
Your Worst Meal Ever
For me, everything is in the expectations. I remember one particular meal with my then girlfriend as a university student. The whole thing was for an anniversary of some sort (can't honestly remember what) and I had reserved in some classy Tunesian/Morrocan restaurant in town, I even reserved a place in the small moroccan salon they had with the pillows and the low table, the romantic lug that I was. Ended up ordering the most insipid and tasteless couscous royal in the history of man. The lamb was like cardboard, the Mergez awful and dry and everything about the experience incredibly disapointing. My date's tagine was just as bad. Terrible.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
Spot on, Bill. It's all about the cult of personality and to her credit, RR does not call herself a chef.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
Salaries and "profits" from restaurant are two different things......
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
Television is about television, not cooking. The top earners on this list have leveraged the initial toehold of a cooking show into great wealth. People tune in to watch someone cook on TV because they're attracted to that personality,not particularly because they want a cooking lesson.
Ray was smart enough to understand that early on and began to build her brand apart from Food Network. Her fans would tune in to watch her scrub a sink.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
I think a better title would have been food celebrities as opposed to "Celebrity Chefs..."
I read through the first page of responses on the article and it blows me away how many RR lemmings there are. I am so reminded of a woman who worked for me from Biloxi. She set her TIVO to record Oprah and Dr. Phil every day we were out of town and continually quoted the two. On another forum I used to spend a lot of time on, there was a woman who continually quoted "The View".
Thank gawd I quit drinking kool-aid when I stopped going to band camp.
If Oprah endor
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
In Rachel's defense, keeping in mind that I really do not like her, she herself has said on many occassions that she IS NOT a chef and does not consider herself to be one.
Do you have to be on TV to be a celeb chef? I wonder how much money Thomas Keller makes.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
moral of the story.. dont believe everything you read. I work for a celebrity chef and his restaurants alone make him more than $1.5 mill a year. not to mention his book sales, endorsements, television shows and guest apparences.. and guys give RR a break!!!
Shes doing her thing, and doing it well. Go Rachel! /the sky's the limit and the ovens the transport to get you there : o
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
"When did Rachel Ray or Paula Deene become chefs? Cooks? Maybe. But not chefs."
Rachel Ray is not a chef, she's never even cooked in a restaurant, and what she does cook is disgusting (Hotdog Salad for example).
Paula Deene on the other hand, may not be a classically trained chef, but she started out owning and operating her own restaurant and her recipes, though not good for you, are some of the most delicious out there. Paula is a chef, much more so than Rachel.
Granted the only two on this list that I really respect as chefs are Ramsey and Bourdain, but that's because they are real chefs, they know what they want and don't put up with any crap in their kitchen.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
@FFC: LMAO over here...Awesome.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
@FFC ~ now, now, let's get our - oops YOUR - mind out of the gutter. Actually, Oprah and Retchel both get on my nerves, but everything she touches seems to turn to gold, so I'd grit my teeth , hold out my index finger and receive the precious gold. The way things are going, even a little nickel might help!
p.s. the laugh helped even more - thanks!
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
PerkyMac said -- "I wish Oprah would touch me!"
Dear Lord, please give me strength to ignore that comment and not say anything.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
HOW is PAULA DEEN making so much money killing America one bacon-covered donut at a time?!
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
I agree with hold the mayo and others as to why Martha Stewart is not on the Forbes list, as she is a decorator, designer, etc in addition to providing recipes.
RR may not appeal to a lot of the people who would frequent a food board, but she is probably recognized by more non-foodie types than anyone else on that list, and has more commercial potential (a higher "warm and fuzzy" quotient than say, Tony Bourdain), hence the higher numbers.
I'm just sayin'.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
When did Rachel Ray or Paula Deene become chefs? Cooks? Maybe. But not chefs.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
How much of "their" restaurants do these chefs actually own? Even JGV has partners in "his" restaurants. Very few, if any of the top chefs likely own the majority of any one restaurant. No one is immune to a failed restaurant, so why should any smart chef put up too much of his own money? Sure, the chef is the draw, but someone else is putting up the vast majority of the cash, so the lion's share of any profit will USUALLY go to the money guys.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
@cookingbroke: well said.
By no means should she be titled 'a chef' (and we've/she's made that clear often) ; but I beleive her efforts deserve to be rewarded. I'm not a single mother (or anything close to that), but I could see her approach to be inspiring the average 'mom-at-home' and/or the 'less experienced' in a way that no one has yet(?) I don't want to be on a soap-box either but she's come a long way (and actually grown on me over time)--therefore I'm not too surprised to see that number.
Also, I agree that Bobby should be (or actually is) making more.
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
In RR's defense, and I'm not a huge fan, she has always said she's not a chef, simply a cook and someone that likes food. It's nice to see someone succeed the old fashioned way by working hard, learning as much as possible, without an expensive traditional education. That aside, Wolfgang still makes that much? And Bobby Flay isn't bringing more in on the restaurant side? Maybe it's time for him to expand....
Top 10 Celebrity Chef Earners: Who Isn't on the List?
actually rachael ray worked in restaurants and in the food industry for years before she was offered a television show.
Starbucks Breakfast: Doomed from the Get Go
dhathaway wrote:
"This is hands down, one of the dumbest articles I have EVER read. If you want to be serious about what you eat, you are NOT going to go to Starbucks."
I think you more or less hit the nail on the head. If you wanted good food, you would not go to Starbucks. If you wanted absolute, top of the line, gourmet coffee, you would not go to Starbucks, you would go to some indy specialty cafe. Their baked goods are also nothing special at all, boring, and quite mundane.
However, Starbucks are literally everywhere, which makes them very convenient to patronize, and their coffee is strong, fairly consistent, and overall, pretty darn good. I drink my coffee black, so I need something decent tasting.
Starbucks Breakfast: Doomed from the Get Go
I'm not sure where I fit in as a Stabucks customer. In a perfect world, where I had lots of time, I doubt I would ever set foot in a Starbucks. I prefer making good coffee at home and I rarely drink coffee after 3:00pm.
Yes, you can get better coffee, but Starbucks is predictable and extremely convenient to my work office. Their "Frankenfood Egg Sandwiches" are pretty terrible, but guess what? They are also very convenient for people on the move and quickly get some grease, calories and sodium into your system. I think there are basically two types of Starbucks customers, corporate slaves like me, who just need a strong coffee fix during the day, don't care too much about the prices, don't care that "Mo's Coffee has ten times better coffee," but it is 12 blocks away, and just care about speed, caffeine, and convenience.
The other type Starbucks customer, seems to have all the time in the world, they sit there, read papers, play with laptops, chat with friends, etc..
My guess is there reasons for patronizing Starbucks is much the same though, convenience and predictability.
Your Worst Meal Ever
This really happened when I was in Georgia for my father's second funeral.
A sandwich supper that consisted of cold Velveeta and Treet sandwiches on Wonder bread dressed with MIracle Whip mixed with ketchup and pickle relish. Served with Mountain Dew, choice of regular or diet.
Do you hear the banjos?
Tina
Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?
Costco's has a remarkably tasty fruitcake available during the holidays. It is filled with pecans and cherries and other non-dayglo fruits. It reminds me of the kinds of fruitcakes I see for sale at Saks during the holidays for $50 but at Costco it is only $12.
Bouchon also has a delightful fruitcake like loaf. I think it is also seasonal. No problem with bad fruit overcoming the cake there, of course.
Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?
Regarding the cakes at the Collin St. Bakery, they make one that only has apricots and pecans. I guess it still qualifies as a fruitcake. Check it out.
http://www.collinstreet.com/pages/apricot_pecan_cake
Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?
I don't like fruitcake, even when it's homemade by a talented cook (like my mother; she made it as part of her Christmas baking binge for several years).
I know I'm not alone. I once heard the Chieftains sing something called "Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake." You can google the lyrics easily.
It wasn't until I was grown that I figured out why I hated it so: it's mostly the day-glo fruit - which is composed principally of bitter, leathery CITRON. That, plus the fact that there is far too little cake. Oh, and the raw taste of whiskey or brandy, not calculated to appeal to a child's tastebuds.
And yet I love pannettone, which is a nice challah-type bread spangled with the same day-glo fruit. But not nearly so much, and no whiskey.
If the Corsicana Fruitcake is anything like the "quintessential fruitcake of the South" that brooke29 links to - no wonder it's a thriving business. No citron!!
Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?
There are all sorts of things called fruitcakes, and it's a little like saying you don't like cheese because you tasted one kind of cheese and didn't like it. As a former deeply picky eater, I can sympathize. I don't like the red and green candied cherries, I don't like the soggy nuts, and I don't like the fake rum flavorings. However, I make a dark, spicy cake that utilizes raisins, currants, dried apricots, mangoes (if I can find them) and pineapple, that goes by the name of fruitcake but tastes very different than the stuff one thinks of under that name.
There are also some Irish fruitcakes that are blonde, so to speak, and they're also marvelous. Don't condemn all fruitcakes.
Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?
I always thought fruitcake was some sort of holiday gag gift. I would never think of actually eating one!
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This has to be salary from food-related activities. Todd English and Vongerichten probably award themselves a relatively small salary from their corporation, in the hundreds of thousands, and not in the millions. This say nothing about how much money their companies make or how big their expense account is...