Bicycle Lee

duck eggs escargot uni

try a blackcurrant crisp... or maybe black currant sorbet, or black currant panna cotta...ooh that sounds nice... or make some syrup out of them...

nope, tell me more :-) It is a book about rebuilding culture, society and all forms of human life after a nuclear holocaust. The "simpletons" felt that the reason humans had nearly killed themselves off was because of knowledge, specifically scientific knowledge, so they made it their goal to destroy all forms of knowledge and keep things "simple".

I sincerely hope that the vehemence held against the avante garde food movement dissipates and it becomes accessible enough where any major or semi-major metropolis will have an avante garde restaurant as an option. I think this depends on the simpletons. Anyone read A Canticle For Leibowitz?

you could do it a la Charlie Trotter and put the slices in a dehydrator at a very low temp for about an hour...this makes them sweeter and more mild.

hey....every restaurant I have ever worked in had some sort of insect problem...It doesn't mean the bugs are in the food or that the food is dirty. Any decent kitchen staff can ensure that the food is always top notch. The roaches are drawn to the food, but that doesn't mean that they are snacking on the supplies in the walk-in or dry storage...they very well could be munching on the rotten crumbs sitting on the ground. Sure, when you see roaches you should act quick and gas the fuckers, but as a patron, you should realize that roaches are resilient as hell and will be around long after we have nuked ourselves into the untold history of the universe....so them chilling at our eating establishments is damn near a given. when i worked short order we used to catch the roaches in coffee mugs and then ladle fryer oil over them....twisted, I know.

for the smoker....get some decent wood...I like apple, crab apple, fig, and cherry...maybe chestnut...depends on the meat... make the wood into chips if it is not already. soak in water for a couple of minutes (not too long) build a small fire of charcoal in the side box.... make a small "boat" out of tin foil that will hold your wood chips...basically you want it to serve as a base to hold it in and also to have a hinged lid that traps ash and soot. after the charcoal has reached its hottest, knock the coals over, and rest your boat of wet wood chips on top....seal and wait...

I would like to know where one would purchase atomizers. Anyone know?

in the El Bulli cookbook...Ferran has a dish with his own poprocks on it...I wonder if he has the equipment...

or you can be a real hardass and make your own...but I am unsure of the technique

sounds strange, but I would brine the pork BEFORE marinating. Use a brine of sugar or maple syrup and salt... Only hold it in there for about a half and hour, and then put into your marinade.

I'd have to say Brillat-Savarin because he was as much a philosopher as a foodie.

lettuce (greenleaf), tomato (room temp slices), onion (red), pickles (the presliced sweet tangy ones). I like cheese (cheddar, blue, swiss) but not 100% of the time. I like mayo and ketchup, and ketchup and mustard, but not mayo ketchup and mustard. Sometimes bacon and barbecue sauce...and the one thing I always crave on a cheeseburger is a fried egg, but I restrain myself more often than not. AND I LOVE FRY SAUCE!!! there I said it.

My recipe is simple... fennel seeds, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, peppercorns, salt (not much), equal parts champagne vinegar and water. Bring all this to a boil and then add the onions; already peeled. Turn off the heat almost immediately and let them sit in the hot liquid until they cool. Cover and refrigerate.

I actually have never seen lamb souvlaki...but that don't mean a thing. Pork is certainly a good choice. Here in SLC there is a strong Greek population which makes for some damn fine dining....I actually have a lamb rack entree that I do at a Bistro I work at and we use tzadiki as a sauce. It is VERY easy to make...just take some plain yogurt, very thinly sliced some cucumbers, a little fresh garlic, some minced mint, lemon juice and s+p to taste. And for the souvlaki, I just like to marinate the pork in s+p, olive oil, a touch of lemon juice, lemon zest, and herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme... I'm sure there are many other variations, but this one works for me...good luck!

got to the Metropolitan...the "new" chef is really good...he has very clean and interesting flavors and is a nice guy to boot... I know, I work there.

he said it would be up in a couple weeks...just keep checkin' and I would also bet that he will be making a post about the website being up when it comes.

sounds good....I always like to have a chocolate sauce with poached pears...using dark chocolate...

1. As far as the capers...if they are that big they sound like caper berries...which actually are not capers per se... But I could be wrong... Either way, you can chop them and then let them dry a little bit which aids in their sprinkle-ability... 2. The steak....well, I would thaw it and give it a thorough sniffing before it was planned on as dinner. Meat that has been frozen for a while can tend to have a bad taste...If you have dogs, just give it to them. And try paying more for meat...ie. getting better cuts...you will not be disappointed. 3. Red wine is fine just sitting out...I mean, people have cellars where they let that shit sit for decades... Light radiation breaks down some of the molecules over time, but you can keep it in a cupboard to avoid that. But sure, if you want to freeze it, go ahead...I prefer leaving it out, though. And cmon....do you think it would take that long to use it all in cooking? I can think of a hundred different dishes that use some red wine... 4. And burgers....ah burgers....of course, stop buying the premade ones... I prefer ground beef that is higher in fat (about 85%)... but beyond that, and egg yolk mixed in helps hold it together. Flavoring? Well, I sometimes crumble blue cheese into it as I mix...It becomes speckled with pockets of goodness that melt away as you cook....damn..I want one right now... Worcestershire sauce too....that's nice...Although I try not to season my burgers too heavily. Have fun Hope this helps.

touche... I can dig that, but not necessarily sticking straight out of my dish..

thanks...I didn't pound them together, but I have been shaking the jar rather vigorously and I did pack it in pretty tight, so I figure the petals will impart a nice flavor.

yup

Chicago, my friend. I am going to try my damndest to come out there to work...so when I'm there, let's meet up...

I take it that you garnish with rosemary sprigs? "Garnish my celery?!" "Krusty, this isn't a joke!" "Who's joking!"

I hate garnishing with something that cannot be eaten, or would be unpleasant to eat. Like a goddam rosemary sprig...what the hell am I supposed to do with that? Even if the rosemary is consistent with the flavor of the dish, it does not have to sit there, stolid, waiting to be plucked off and thrown away. I can use that rosemary in something where it will be showcased and consumed. That is my two cents.