Tess

I've been enjoying some of the blogson the Bravo site, especially the ones by Wong and Colicchio. (Why don't they use someone like Lee Anne as a Tim Gunn figure? I realize you can't stop cooking and consult with someone the same way you can with sewing, but it would still be cool.) I think it's Lee Anne's blog that says Marisa used *tablespoons* of gelatin, not teaspoons. I agree it's weird that no one said anything about the lychees on the spot. It looked like everyone could hear Otto. I found Otto very irritating though. He was kind of smarmy and defensive. "Even top chefs have a bad day." That kind of making excuses in the third person just bugs me. He may be a nice guy off the show, but I don't like listening to him talk. That said, I wish they had booted Marisa instead for that cooking mistake.

Here is a very detailed interview with Tom Colicchio about this show.

I watched it right after the finale of Project Runway and remembered why I find this show so frustrating in comparison. When it came to the final four, I had no idea who should win because you can't taste the food. I like it that they have people with a range of experience. It wouldn't make a good reality show if it was just people all on the same level duking it out. It was fun to see Harold's sourpuss face and I look forward to Anthony Bourdain's turn as a guest judge. (What was he saying on the preview? "Crack whore?" "Crack house?")

Speaking of Samuelsson, there was a pretty interesting profile of him in Oprah magazine, September issue. Worth looking up if you have access to recent back issues IMO. It talks about his new book, which I will be sure to get hold of sooner rather than later.

Vodka with fresh cilantro and slices of cucumber; let sit overnight and strain. Make a tall drink with soda and lemon or cucumber.

Lee Ann Wong from last season will be doing a weekly web series this time around. (The article also fills us in on what she's been doing.)

Another fan of Amy's tamale pie here. I discovered it on Weight Watchers: very filling and low points. There's another Amy's pie that fits that description too; I forget what it's called but it's good. I am also a fan of Dr. Praeger's frozen products, like little spinach pancakes. Everthing but the fish sticks actually (I made that mistake once.) A food market in the Chicago suburbs, Foodstuffs, sells frozen tubs of soup and chili that are tasty and in some cases rated for Weight Watchers. I always have a few of those stashed away. At around $5/tub, they are a bit expensive for what they are but I get a whole meal out of one.

That stuff has its uses but is very different from fresh yuzu IMO.

Not a direct response to that article, but it reminds me: A group of chefs are interviewed in the November issue of Chicago Magazine, and they discuss the copying incident which led to the discussion here. I thought some of the comments were interesting. Achatz considered it "stealing" but said he did not take action because "Nowadays it's self-policing with the Internet and the popularity of food blogs." Trotter said, "These people don't really have the wherewithal to sustain something in the long run." Achatz said it hasn't affected his policy on visitors in his kitchen; Trotter said his policy has tightened up. Rick Bayless said that by the time people copy him, he's moved on to something else anyway. The article contains short discussions of other controversial topics such as the star system in reviews and the foie gras ban. (Actually Trotter is the only one who speaks at length on the ban-- against it, by the way-- and all the others apparently indicate agreement with him.)

So, what was that entree and what was it that you liked about it?

I guess you don't see fit to argue with me, but I have been to Applebee's. As with any restaurant, chain or not, if the first experience is bad enough I don't think I need to give them another chance-- and more of my money. Does this really mean I can't criticize them? This is what I don't get about the "snob" argument with regard to chains-- apart from the fast-food ones, at least. I have actually eaten at most chains in my area at least once, and some on the road too. I don't like to support chains but sometimes I'm with other people and I believe in choosing one's battles. And the thing about them is, they are generally very expensive! I almost always feel ripped off after eating at those places. Now, I'm not going to criticize people for eating at those places. You've got kids; you've got older relatives; you're with a group from work. You like the food, even. But I don't understand the criticism of people who don't care to spend their money in that way.

And also, you don't need to visit these places to have some idea what the food is like. They show it on the TV ads; you can look and listen to the description and get a fairly good idea. If anything, it probably looks better on TV. As it happens, I have been to Applebee's; I had a salad and while the lettuce was OK, the dressing was awful. It was also very expensive for what it was. The service wasn't very good either. That said, I don't have a problem with someone like TF consulting them on the menu. Well, except that I do believe one always supports chains at the expense of locals, to some extent. However, this isn't like Bayless and Burger King. (I imagine Bayless knew he made a mistake; as I recall, he donated the money to his foundation in response to the criticism he was getting.)

Oh, cool. I was just pining for that show while reading the (very good) recaps at Television Without Pity. I wonder how Lee Ann from last season is doing. I loved her.

If they are really asking about the food, and if it tastes weird or does not seem to be the way it was decribed on the menu, I may say, "Is it normally this [whatever]?" or "Does it usually come with a sauce?" This alerts them to the fact that there is a problem and gives them a chance to (e.g.) supply a missing sauce, but it does not force them to take action. Almost always, unless there is a clear-cut problem like a steak being too well done, complaining and risking getting into a big discussion is too much of a pain for me. We had a host last night ask us about a soup and it really sounded like he was fishing for negative comments. I thought the soup was too salty; my friend thought it was "greasy" and I believe the host thought it was too thick. It was kind of a funny conversation. I forgot to ask whether the soup appeared on the bill.

She was like that when I saw her too. I was really impressed because the ad for one signing actually said she encouraged people to bring in books they had bought previously to be signed if they wanted. Authors don't have to do that and she has to sign an awful lot of books as it is. And, of course, she was personalizing them any way you wanted. I would totally go to another signing again just to see her.

I missed that installment. Darn Food TV doesn't seem to rerun them much, either. Two of her other series used to run on Style Network, and I loved them. I have a couple of her cookbooks and have also cooked some things from her column when the NYTimes used to feature it. However I find her writing and shows more useful as a source of ideas about ingredients and combinations to check out rather than whole recipes.

I have to say, the steel cut oatmeal is really good. And it's still not that much per serving.

I find the canned cheese has a sour-milk taste to it. Strangely, I've also heard the childhood factor used to explain why some people prefer Hershey's milk chocolate, which has a sour milk taste as well.

Oh, great. US culture is represented in the Guardian today by that piece and by a digest of last words from prisoners on Texas's Death Row. No wonder the Guardian readers hate us.

I think it's pretty hard to argue against this. Lots of people become attached to foods in childhood that they wouldn't touch if introduced to them as adults. Maybe some people are completely free of such attachments, but I've never met one. When I go back to childhood foods, I often find myself disappointed, though.

I buy up parmesan rinds, and when I want Parmesan flavor for cheap I simmer them in soup or spaghetti sauce. It's really amazing how much flavor you can get out of those.

Whoa-- it really makes me angry to hear that those chains won't accomodate a child with disabilities.

Isn't the sugar in sake important too? In a lot of fish recipes I use, sake (and mirin, which has more sugar) give a glaze and don't seem to affect texture that much.

Looks like Jerusalem artichokes to me ← Yes, it is jerusalem artichokes. ← Thanks!

Let's see-- in addition to the academics, you have a lot of fairly well-heeled retired people down there, don't you? I find that people of that age group are often very interested in new experiences, plus they have more time to devote to dining out. When I go to cooking demos, a lot of the people there seem to be guys about retirement age. (Hey, maybe you could do a cooking demo at a senior residence or something.)