serious1’s Profile
Recent Comments
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
@ Ginger Cookie - totally agree!
Job seeker is a CHEF, not an accountant. Also - and with all due respect to The Grumpy One - this is not 1955. It's not a big deal for applicants - especially in edgier artistic fields like cooking, art, design, etc. - to have moderate piercings and tats, much less some cool clothes.
If your clothes are boring, it says your cooking is boring, and no one has ever hired a boring chef (unless you want to cook breakfast at Cocos).
Finally, also agree about the travel. Friend was willing to relocate anywhere, and it paid off very nicely. He started at a country club in the midwest, then on to Vegas. Relocation will also give you an opportunity to see regional cuisines, farmers markets, local farms, etc.
Don't worry, don't despair and don't give up. You will be on this journey whether you think positively or negatively, so might as well give yourself every opportunity by thinking positively and keeping a great attitude.
Keep up updated!
Your Serious Eats Foodie Family
Need a new espresso maker.....
My husband bought his new machine from Whole Latte Love, in part because they had a 30 no questions asked return policy in case he didn't love the machine (he did, and you might want to check if they still offer this).
They have a fairly extensive Refurbished section (link below). You can Google some of the models listed on this page to see if people who bought them liked them.
However, be wary, because a lot of people love or hate a machine, but have no idea what a really good espresso tastes like, so their opinion of the machine will be very skewed.
Hint: If they used the machine with Starbucks coffee, they have never had a really good espresso! Go with the reviewers who have owned several types of machines, had espressos in many different cities or countries, and/or who are ardent bean people; these drinkers will have a much broader knowledge base to share with you, and thus have a much more relevent machine review.
Best of luck, and enjoy your new machine!
Bad Kitchen Habits
Suck excess from whipped cream nozzle after every use; it's too good to rinse off!
Guilty on the paper towel thing; they seem so much cleaner than cloth towels!
Wiping down the counters means wiping everything onto the floor; my displacement theory of cleaning = move the dirt to another location.
Feed the cat grated reggiano parmigiano whenever we have it; kinda gross, but I do make her eat off her own plate.
See more comments by serious1 »
Recent Posts
See more posts by serious1 »
Recent Favorites
serious1 hasn't favorited a post yet.
Recent Polls
serious1 hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
serious1 hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
French in a Flash: Chaussons aux Pommes with Cinnamon Crème Fraîche
Kerry: Thank you for such wonderful glimpses into so many worlds (food, language, people, etc.). I hope that you become a regular writer for SE and beyond; you are really good!
@Not American: Why is it fair or kind to judge what this family needed to do to help their child speak? Tiger Woods had a terrible stutter when he was a child. When the doctor advised his parents to speak one language to him, his stutter disappeared.
The doctors' advice in both cases was obviously correct, as Tiger and Kerry have grown up to be healthly, happy individuals making wonderful contributions to our world.
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
@ Ginger Cookie - totally agree!
Job seeker is a CHEF, not an accountant. Also - and with all due respect to The Grumpy One - this is not 1955. It's not a big deal for applicants - especially in edgier artistic fields like cooking, art, design, etc. - to have moderate piercings and tats, much less some cool clothes.
If your clothes are boring, it says your cooking is boring, and no one has ever hired a boring chef (unless you want to cook breakfast at Cocos).
Finally, also agree about the travel. Friend was willing to relocate anywhere, and it paid off very nicely. He started at a country club in the midwest, then on to Vegas. Relocation will also give you an opportunity to see regional cuisines, farmers markets, local farms, etc.
Don't worry, don't despair and don't give up. You will be on this journey whether you think positively or negatively, so might as well give yourself every opportunity by thinking positively and keeping a great attitude.
Keep up updated!
Your Serious Eats Foodie Family
Need a new espresso maker.....
My husband bought his new machine from Whole Latte Love, in part because they had a 30 no questions asked return policy in case he didn't love the machine (he did, and you might want to check if they still offer this).
They have a fairly extensive Refurbished section (link below). You can Google some of the models listed on this page to see if people who bought them liked them.
However, be wary, because a lot of people love or hate a machine, but have no idea what a really good espresso tastes like, so their opinion of the machine will be very skewed.
Hint: If they used the machine with Starbucks coffee, they have never had a really good espresso! Go with the reviewers who have owned several types of machines, had espressos in many different cities or countries, and/or who are ardent bean people; these drinkers will have a much broader knowledge base to share with you, and thus have a much more relevent machine review.
Best of luck, and enjoy your new machine!
Bad Kitchen Habits
Suck excess from whipped cream nozzle after every use; it's too good to rinse off!
Guilty on the paper towel thing; they seem so much cleaner than cloth towels!
Wiping down the counters means wiping everything onto the floor; my displacement theory of cleaning = move the dirt to another location.
Feed the cat grated reggiano parmigiano whenever we have it; kinda gross, but I do make her eat off her own plate.
July 4th - What are Your Plans?
San Diego County Fair at Del Mar Racetrack.
Live 5 minutes away, but have never been. Looking forward to horse races, livestock showings, and fair food!
Favorite Brand of Salad Dressing
Joey D's for chinese chicken salad.
Otherwise, I hate most salad dressings. They use poor quality olive oil and vinegar(s), they add a ton of salt, and they think that using a ton of garlic makes it "Italian."
I AM Italian, and just the opposite is true, so I make my own!
What did you eat tonight?
Have rediscovered Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon, so had it with wilted spinach, fresh tomatoes and lemon zest on perfectly baked potatoes.
Dessert was chocolate pudding from Trader Joe's and espresso made from Toscana beans from Counter Culture (the beans are so good, I have them shipped to me).
Both dessert and lattes were topped with a big spritz of whipped cream from our ISI whipped cream dispenser. Love that thing!
chocolate chip cookies: the best
Check out the Neiman Marcus CC cookie recipe.
It became famous as an internet hoax (people claimed a lady was charged $250 for it, but, of course that wasn't true). Here it is:
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/service/nm_cookie_recipe.jhtml
Good luck. Let us know what you decide is the best!
Post Wisdom Teeth Extraction Food?
My husband just came home from a 2 hour oral surgery for one tooth - ouch! - so we are facing the same situation.
I second and third the vote on meds. Foodwise:
-- Soft boiled eggs (old lady like, but high in protein)
-- Baked pototoes (insides only) with lots of soft toppings
-- Fresh fruit smoothies with protein powder added for, well, protein (Jamba Juice is good for this - lots of varieties).
-- Soft flaky foods like croissants and puff pastry
-- Creamed spinach with lemon zest & parmesan (chop really well)
-- Peanut butter and banana on chocolate ice cream
-- Lots of cold soothing lattes - no hot liquid for a few days!
Hope you feel better soon!
Shopping for spices online
I used to use Penzey's, but got so tired of their completely crappy website and customer service. They invested zero $$ in their website or backend technology, no one at the company was computer literate, and trying to get them to enter the 21st century was a losing battle.
I've also tried the Spice House in Chicago, run by Bill Penzey's daughter and son-in-law. Gail Gand (True and Food Network) gets her spices there. Good, but not great. Don't like that they take bulk Neilson Massey (spelling?) vanilla, and pour it into smaller, no label containers. Seems kinda cheesy, to me.
Still looking for the perfect online spice house. Have tried growing my own, but if you have any semblence of a life, the time and upkeep requirements for all types of spices, fresh and dried, are impossible!
However, if you are retired, this might be an excellent home based business, as you can supplement any online selling with a farmers market booth.
Espresso machine lacking instructions
Do you have a model number you can post here? I have had good luck when doing searches with both made and model number.
I can also email Whole Lotta Love, where my husband bought a lot of his espresso equipment. For all the money we spent there, they owe us at least a free emailed answer!
Apple Pie: Way or No Way?
Definitely my favorite to make, because you can customize it to the eater (type of apples, raisins, craisins, sour cream, amount of cinnamon, etc.).
I will eat restaurant apple pie if it is (1) served hot (2) with cheddar cheese (3) in a crust with butter only, no shortning!
I know the butter vs shortening statement is controversial (I have had very heated arguments about this!), but my grandparents were dairy farmers, and it was 100% butter for pie crusts, so that's the only way I can or will eat them!
I Caved In and Ate Grocery Store Fried Chicken - Yuck!
I have been tempted by the color and texture of store-made fried chicken, and barely lived to regret it. I hope to never go there again. It was absolutely disgusting, as was everything in their so called "prepared food" section.
I know it sounds weird, but I now collect "craving places." I find a really good chinese restaurant, or deli (for knish and potato pancake cravings) or BBQ or southern food (see aforementioned fried chicken needs).
It doesn't matter how far away it is. My deal is that if I'm craving something that badly, I have to go to the place where I know it will be excellent. Otherwise, I have to substitute my craving with something else, which isn't always such a bad thing!
Weeknight Staples
Second the fish ideas. Grilled swordfish will be ready in about 6-8 minutes, and only needs lemon and butter for garnish. Bag-o-lettuce with good quality olive oil and balsalmic, plus baguette from local French bakery, and meal is complete.
Baked potatoes topped with broccoli or any leftover and reheated meat or veggie are also quick and easy.
Patsy's Basil Marinara sauce - expensive but worth it - on fusilli, with a real good quality parmesan (none of that pre-grated stuff!).
If you choose really good ingredients, you only need a few of them to have a quick, easy, fresh and healthy dinner. PS - I think there is a cookbook entitled 5-Ingredient Dinners or something like that. You may want to check Amazon. Hope this helps!
Costco and Big Box stores for food: way or no way?
I get totally and completely creeped out by Costco, so I don't buy anything edible there. However, their pharmacy is very low priced, and you don't need a membership to use it.
I Caved In and Ate Grocery Store Fried Chicken - Yuck!
I bet if Thomas Keller opened a fried chicken truck - like the taco trucks - in LA, NY or SF, people would go nuts for it!
I would definitely drive many miles to stand in that long line!
I won!
Awesome!
Congratulations!
You rock!
Agree that there is now one real good reason to watch FN!
EMILIA BRAND GNOCCHI
@ Adam Kuban is correct, Delicious.
Basic intertubes etiquette states that all caps is the equivalent of yelling (and I'm not talking about acronyms). It's telling that both your screen name and your post title are in all caps.
It is you, dear delicious, that needs that chill pill - or two.
Baconaise
Let's put it this way: It's now a running gag on The Dailly Show with Jon Stewart!
Need help picking a US foodie travel destination!
No brainer - San Francisco!
Go to the Chronicle's Food Section (online), and look at articles from the last 1-2 years for restaurants, food markets, diners, ethnic restaurants (amazing chinese food), etc.
The weather is great, and airline and hotel prices are down because of the economy. Plus, in between your meal adventures - you're in San Francisco!
What's for dinner tonight?
It was in the 90s today, so we ate from the Bar Menu at the Four Seasons Aviara (Carlsbad, California).
Sat on the patio with a view of the water; had awesome sirloin burgers with parmesan fries, and a divine apple cobbler for dessert. Nothing fancy, but the FS makes it feel like a special occasion!
Worst Sandwich You've Ever Had
@KarynMC - OMG, my Canadian grandparents served me those sandwiches! Some days it was white sugar, some days brown, but always butter and white bread!
My mom and aunts had a love affair with packaged, sliced ham (Danola, I think). They would serve it on Wonder Bread - double ugh - with either mayo or Squeeze Parkay Margarine.
All the ingredients would stick to one another the moment you took a bite, and then, en masse, they would stick to the roof of your mouth, your teeth, etc. It was like wallpaper glue in a lunchbox. I am gagging at the mouth feel memory of those slimy, chewy creations.
Cookware - which All-Clad set & Le Creuset items should I get?
All-Clad's 8" and 10" LTD skillets are indispensable. I use mine 2-3 times a day (almost every meal), and they are workhorses.
The black exterior is a sleek, sexy finish that looks great in any kitchen, and the non-stick feature makes cooking and cleanup a no brainer.
The handwash thing is a total drag, but I crank up iTunes and try to make it fun!
Incorrect Fast Food Memories
Great question!
In grade school, one of our field trips (no kidding!) was to a McDonalds. It's shocking to me now that this wasn't seen by the adults or by the public school board as an introduction to a lifetime of product loyalty.
What I got out of that trip was that their french fries were the most amazing thing I had ever eaten! Years later, I was told (and I don't know if it's true) that at that time, McD's fries were cooked in beef tallow (which would make anything taste awesome). As time, money, science and healthcare marched on, the beef tallow was replaced by oil, which, of course, completely changed the taste and texture of those amazing fries.
If anybody knows the facts, I'd love to fiind out if what I was told was true!
Favorite Summer Dessert...?
Peach cobbler
Strawberry shortcake
(shortcake part is homemade heavy cream biscuits)
Affagatto
(scoop of gelato dropped in espresso, topped with whipped cream)
weird reasons for not trying certain foods?
Growing uo on a farm in KS my brother and I wouldn't eat chicken because we knew them personally.
weird reasons for not trying certain foods?
p.s.- oops I lied...when I was little I wouldn't eat the legs in calamari and other squid/octopus dishes because I thought the suckers would stick to my tongue...
weird reasons for not trying certain foods?
I know a guy who is so put off by milk that he won't eat any dairy products or anything that looks remotely dairy...his reason "it's white"
it seems in my area fish in general is just a big "ew" but I can't get anyone to give me an actual reason why they won't eat it
my father...most confusing of all...refuses to try sushi because it's raw fish yet he swears up and down it can't possibly be raw because "americans have poor immune systems and would just get sick" he fails to acknowledge his own contradiction
as for myself...maybe it's because both of my parents are immigrants or maybe it's because my dad is a chef but I can't remember ever flat out refusing to try any food...well other than anything involving bugs...I was always the kid to try anything from cat/dog treats to leaves to the glazes in art class (which pretty much all taste the same btw)
among friends I have a bit of a reputation as "a foodie" solely because I actually know what's in/goes into foods and how they're prepared...I find it alarming that other people don't know and/or don't care to know
the best cookbook for beginners
Well I just married 2 weeks ago and I bouth the book Taste of Home cookbook I love it. It gives you picture for every recipe and give you "how to" and "why". Every recipe that I have tryed has been great.
Pizzeria Mozza Just About as Good As You've Heard
I think Mozza is great. But I actually like the taste of the Pizza at Bottega Louie better. It seems more classic NY pizza then trendy Mozza and is much cheaper!
Post Wisdom Teeth Extraction Food?
This is really late... but for anyone who runs across this... I just had 5 (yes I had 5!) wisdom teeth removed 8 days ago. Oatmeal with brown sugar was my staple food. Boiled eggs were not so bad to eat. Pinto beans gave me the energy to do some homework after I went off the Vicoden. Ive been having a slow and painful recovery. But pudding, ice cream, ensure, applesauce, and the oatmeal kept me alive during particularly painful days. A week in im still on soft foods. I just finished eating some boiled perogies with sour cream and it worked out very well.. I boiled them a few mins extra to make them extra soft. Just make sure you eat. The pain medication made me vomit and trust me vomit does not feel good on the stitches. now that im just on motrin Red Sangria is my new pain killer :-)
Discovering the Fifth Taste at Umami Burger in Los Angeles
Just perfect---the meat to bun ratio is ideal to the last bite. I had the Manly Burger, and the porkbelly was a perfect addition. The ketchup was heavy on the anise, but the burger didn't need it. This is my favorite burger next to the one at Olives in Las Vegas at the Bellagio and the one at the Left Bank at the On The Ave hotel in NYC's Upper West Side. Umami is my new "go to" burger in LA.
French in a Flash: Chaussons aux Pommes with Cinnamon Crème Fraîche
Kerry, the doc was off track. My husband was French (from Brittany) and my older son only spoke French until he was 3. We both spoke to him in French tho I'm not French but speak it. He played with his little friends who would look at me and say "I don't know what he's saying" but he managed to learn English as well from his friends. Didn't do it with son #2 and I think he'll never forgive me tho both of them have been back and forth to their French family a number of times. Enjoy your recipes. Will continue to follow. Lost a good recipe for french bread and tried the recipe a number of time by the Lady who wrote "why French women are thin, etc" and what a sticky mess. Will keep following you. surrah@optonline.net
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
1. So far as I know, the original poster never said that s/he had blue hair, multiple tattoos, body piercing, or preferred wearing wifebeaters to chef's whites. All of this talk about image is irrelevant to his/her question.
2. Is this externship supposed to be unpaid? I'm surprised in this economy, it has been so hard--I would think they would prefer an unpaid extern versus a paid person!
3. Almost every job I have gotten has been because they needed--someone, anyone--to fulfill a position they needed filled ASAP. One different tack is to look for some place in trouble that is DESPERATE for live bodies, rather than a place that is doing well. Not ideal perhaps, but I'm sure you'd learn a great deal. An undesirable location, as others have said, is another possibility.
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
What about working in a hotel or resort or ranch that is somewhat isolated? My husband works as a plumber for a Fairmont Hotel in the Canadian Rockies that has a tough time keeping employees because of the isolation and dorm style employee accommodations. But if you could tough it out for the required time, that might work.....
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
I'd hire someone, male or female, with blue hair before I hired someone with naturally-colored but dirty hair.
Oh, and when did we do an age or gender-check on the OP? A person could graduate from culinary school at any age.
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
Oh, and please, folks, don't talk to me about this not being "the fifties" while Brylcreem is making a come back, okay? We improve our technology, we have new ideas, styles come and go, but we remain the same. Human behavior is what it is.
Need a new espresso maker.....
I'll second Whole Latte Love for excellent service. We bought a refurbished machine. The grinder on it didn't work properly, so we called their service dept. They sent us a UPS label so we could return it. They couldn't figure out what the problem was and sent back a brand new machine, plus two lovely espresso cups and saucers for our "inconvenience". We love the machine and use it constantly.
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
@Kerosena -- I'm glad that in my 40's I'm still youthful.
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
@kerosena, nice try, but i've been a cook and a chef for over twelve years.
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
GOM- Let the youngsters revel in their youthful idealism. Blind passion is a symptom of youth. It'll burn off soon enough :)
Desperately Seeking Culinary Externship Advice
kwhit is a beginner in dire need of work. I gave him the most responsible advice I could give him. I stand by what I said. The world is not what you seem to want it to be and, like it or no, things are bit different for men.
kwhit is at liberty follow my advice or ignore it. It is HIS decision. I am, however, quite certain that he will find work sooner and with less effort if takes what I told him to heart. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule. There always have been and there always will be, but that does not make me wrong or mean or any of the rest of it.
Bad Kitchen Habits
My main bad habit is that I'm a terrible, terrible slob. Not just in the kitchen - EVERYWHERE. I don't even have people over. Who wants to see my mess of a house? My excuse is that I'm a single mom... whine, whine...
I keep thinking if I decorated it and made it homey, I would be so much more motivated to keep it clean, but I totally suck at that.
All of my smaller bad habits get eclipsed by this one. Although, I also tend to do too much cooking (I just get kinda inspired, and carried away with it!).
I love hearing everyone's little confessionals. :) It's like postsecret, only for cooking!
Bad Kitchen Habits
My ex-husband used to say that since he was male, he had better spacial skills, so he could load the dishwasher better than me. He would lay 4 plates across the top rack (because they were too tall to stand up on top) and then 3 or 4 plastic dishes in the bottom, say he was done and leave the rest of the dirty dishes in the sink for me to wash! So much for the Y chromosome theory of dw loading.
I, however, tend to carry my coffee cup around with me, set it down and then can't find it. I am notorious for this- to the point that I have a friend who will keep track of where I am when we talk on the phone, so he can tell me to go get the cup I left on the back patio before he hangs up!
Bad Kitchen Habits
I too lick knives and every time I do it I think, "one of these days, I'm going to cut myself and realize how stupid this is" yet I continue to do it lol.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who reuses the same water glass! As long as the rim of it looks clean, I'll keep using it. Usually for about a week.
A lot of times if something doesn't have crusted on food or any remenants like oils stuck to it after I've just used it, I'll just rinse it with really hot water and put it away. I don't see much sense in washing it when I only used it for a few minutes. That is, unless it's something like raw eggs. I get all freako about that kind of stuff.
I also tend to leave things out on the table, especially any sort of new kitchen gadget or baking pan/tool I've just bought. Same goes for any sort of special ingredient recently purchased. For some reason I just like to see it for a while and not put it away. Next thing I know, I've got a massively cluttered kitchen table and that's usually when some sort of organization is done.
one of my biggest pet peeves that other people do, besides not cleaning up after themselves, is when they throw garbage in the sink! Gah that drives me nuts. Nothing like fishing out a wet, nasty used napkin from the sink while cleaning up. Or a piece of plastic wrapper that's all wet and having it dribble all down your arm as you're throwing it away. yeah. that's gross.
Bad Kitchen Habits
I get irritated with the boyfriend when he puts the pans with the pots and vice versa, or if veggies don't go in the crisper drawers in the fridge, or if he puts something in the wrong spot in the cupboard, or if he does the hand-wash dishes with the scrubber instead of a clean washcloth.
I'm the messiest person (while cooking) and I don't clean up afterward. There's little pieces of food in the burners on the stove, splatters and spills on the counter, more little pieces on the floor.
As much as I try, I can never bring myself to rinse and load the dishwasher as I go.
I put expired food down the garbage disposal instead of putting it in the trash.
I use WAY too many dishes when cooking
I too cook barefoot, unless it's cold then I have slippers on.
I use the same water glass all week too!
I reload the dishwasher if BF can't get everything to fit.
I hate when condiments get put on food without the food being tasted first. At least give it a chance, how do you know it needs whatever condiment?!!
Bad Kitchen Habits
@huneybumper - I could kiss you! Thanks for making me feel normal for not washing my knives in the dishwasher. I always hand wash my cooking knives and these fancy steak knives we found at a home show.
I got flamed to a crisp for that!
I used to have a terrible habit of leaving the water running in the kitchen. That was 30 years ago. I have friends who STILL do this, no matter how much press the whole "respect the resources" thing gets. I lived in SW CO for four years and there's nothing like a drought to teach one NOT to waste water.
Bad Kitchen Habits
Oh man, I lick knoves too. I think that's part of my whole knife attitude. I've never cut myself doing it though. I DID once manage to cut my finger open on the dull side of a butter knife. That takes talent, no?
July 4th - What are Your Plans?
Red Sox game @ Fenway! So...beer :-)
Recent Posts
Recent Favorites
serious1 hasn't favorited a post yet.
Polls
serious1 hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
serious1 hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Kerry: Thank you for such wonderful glimpses into so many worlds (food, language, people, etc.). I hope that you become a regular writer for SE and beyond; you are really good!
@Not American: Why is it fair or kind to judge what this family needed to do to help their child speak? Tiger Woods had a terrible stutter when he was a child. When the doctor advised his parents to speak one language to him, his stutter disappeared.
The doctors' advice in both cases was obviously correct, as Tiger and Kerry have grown up to be healthly, happy individuals making wonderful contributions to our world.