FistFullaRoux

I go around. Starting usually on the left side, I eat all the way around the circumference of the corn, then move to the next column (versus row). I call it the lathe method, as it's similar to the mechanics of turning a table leg.

I was frankly shocked when GR didn't freak out and send her packing, along with the other 2 people. The Waffle House cook knew enough to say she was making a huge mistake. I would have ratcheted it up even farther, dumping the pot of water and getting the pot washed, bitching loudly the whole time. If you are trying to get the weak links off your team, that would be one way to do it. My wife and I were yelling at the TV watching the thing. If I were GR, as soon as she admitted that she had attempted that stunt, I would have made her eat something from the garbage. That would have been riveting TV.

It's unglamorous, more expensive, and inconvenient for the baker, and potentially deadly for the client. No release form is going to prevent a lawsuit if someone dies from a product tainted with an allergen, whether it be accidental or not. While I am sensitive to those who have allergies, and I think I understand the struggles and ramifications of having such a condition, it is very difficult for a business owner to expose themselves to that kind of liability for a special order every once in a while. And while the allergic population is no doubt underserved, there is a reason for it. As much as most in the food business would love to make everyone happy, it's just not possible. The biggest issue is the liability. It's not like a Kosher kitchen, which has strict dietary rules and clearly documented ingredients. It's a minefield of potential pitfalls that may kill someone. Imagine you just discovered that the person driving your child to school only started driving 3 days ago. If someone doesn't know how to drive, or have the experience and skill to do so safely, would you put your kids in that vehicle, hoping the driver might figure things out before something tragic happens?

Ah, but there are similarities between auto racing and this show. Temporary teammates, a certain amount of skill, various strategies to get to the end, tempers flaring under pressure, high stakes, the ever present danger of getting caught up in some else's mistakes/accidents, etc. Don't get me wrong, I do find it amusing. But drill instructors can make me roll on the ground with laughter, especially as portrayed in the movies. Probably why I'm not in the military. Gordon Ramsey is playing R. Lee Ermy. He's quick on his feet, and has lots of experience yelling at people. On any other network than Fox, the food may get more camera time than the breif shot of it going into the bin. Make no mistake, Ramsey is the sole purpose of the show. But I do enjoy watching someone lurk under the radar, jumping up to take out a chunk of someone when the time is right. You've got the drill instructor and the underdog. Two of the best characters ever created.

The FDA, AFAIK, does not regulate the labels on fresh shrimp. My guess is because you can usually see it and inspect it yourself, you know what size they are. Canned shrimp, and to a lesser extent frozen prepared shrimp, are regulated as far as size on the label. So your grocer can label them whatever they wish to. eta: found this in the Southeastern Fisheries Association's "shrimp code".

Cool info. I do know that a lot of video/film shoots that involve bar or restaurant scenes use plastic or silicone ice in the glasses. They're quieter and make the sound engineers far less cranky. The clanking can aways be added back in later, with the proper reverb and multiple effects that the scene requires. As seen here. I've also heard rumors of plastic or acrylic "splashes" for soda ads. I would like to learn how to make those. That would be super cool to know. eta: another link with some interesting info regarding shooting food.

It's because they aren't there to do a dinner service at a restaurant. It's a TV show competition. They are there to A) Be on TV. B) "show up" everyone else. C) be on TV. They are NOT employees of a restaurant doing an actual job at an actual restaurant. What makes for good TV? Everything going smoothly? No.. That won't work. They sell the show as a bunch of misfits being yelled at by Gordon. The "guests"? No frustration. No more so than any other actors/extras in any other TV show or movie that "suffer". Am I cynical? I don't think so. It's a TV show. It's a lot of fun to watch Gordon tear into people. ← That's like saying you watch auto racing for the wrecks. The point I take away from any kind of competition show like this is that if you do what the person in charge tells you to do, you win. It's not who will rise to the top, it's who stays out of trouble the most. Remember the boot camp scene in Forrest Gump? Drill Sergeant: Gump! What's your sole purpose in this army? Forrest Gump: To do whatever you tell me, drill sergeant?

Well, they don't cast people with skills like Bobby Flay, since it would just not make "good TV". There's no competition if that were the case. None of them struck me as being anything superlative. The criers have to go.

OOh, just thought of something else. When taking reservations, ask "how many entrees" instead of "how many people". If someone balks at this, say that the top restaurants in Spain or LA are taking reservations this way, and you were just trying to be trendy. Then again, I'm the guy with the mischevious streak, as my responses above clearly indicate. I'd be the one to sit down and talk business with them after they have eaten. Buy them a drink or dessert, pull up a chair, and explain the situation. Try not to offend them, but suggest that they could come back any time other than primetime and get what they want with no problems. And throw in the next 2 entrees on the house. No sense pussy footing around the subject. Margins are thin, and you are probably not making money on that table, or even losing money. Something proactive has to be done, rather than hoping they get the message.

There's something to this idea. Depends on the criteria of ranking. If it is understanding of food as science and art, the rank would be different than technical skill. Building on the quoted post, I propose the following ranks of people currently on the network: Sandra Lee Rachael Ray Robert Irvine Paula Deen Giada DeLaurentis Tyler Florence Ina Garten Alton Brown Bobby Flay Mario Batalli Emeril Lagasse I'm probably somewhere between Tyler Florence and Ina Garten, putting it that way. I know I'm leaving some out. Fill in the blanks on the missing ones, since I can't seem to figure out how to rank the remainder.

I don't think the issue applies to tasting what's on your husband's plate. The main thing is hogging a 4 top for two entrees only. I'm sure if they were ordering booze or desserts, it wouldn't be such a big deal. If you can feed them and hustle them out the door in 20 minutes, it sort of saves the night for that table.

You can kill them with kindness. Just overdo the service to the point that they are ever so slightly put off by it. Every time they take a sip of water, have the waiter top up the glass. And make sure you are only doing for their table. They can't accuse you of being rude, just overbearing. Don't mess with their orders, just not worth it. But give them your smarmiest waiter, or the one with a bit of a mean streak, and give your staff some creative freedom. You know you have someone on staff willing to come in on a day off to pull this stunt. Just pay the tip for said waiter yourself, as they probably won't get one. On the other hand, you can bite your tounge while they are there and complain about it later. Just make sure they get their food really fast so they are out the door ASAP. ETA: There is also the old standby "worst seat in the house" ploy. Got one near the bathroom?

I wouldn't put a hard and fast rule in place. There may be days when you can squeeze an extra in without upsetting the whole operation. Some weeks, turnaround may be 48 hours. Sometimes it will be 10 days. High end shops can have a 2 month waiting list or more. There's a reason you are busy. You must be good at what you do. I'd go with a statement like "Special orders require special preparation. To keep our quality standards, we require notice as far in advance as possible." and leave it at that, dealing with things on a case by case basis. Don't be afraid to say no, and charge a rush order fee (up to 50% of the cake price). It's their emergency, not yours. eta: The above was paraphrased from the well known statement, "Your failure to plan does not constitute an emergency on my part." I wouldn't hang that sign in a public place though. I'd frame a small print of it in my office.

What is your deadline? That rules a lot of things out. Amounts, I dunno. I would think 4-5 pieces per person minimum. Those who haven't had dinner yet probably wont want to fill up on chocolate, and those that have eaten dinner will be full and looking for a little nibble. That's my thinking at least. YMMV. The chocolate fountain and dipping items, while a tad cliche, is still great fun. Rent two and you can do white and dark chocolate. Or you can do little champagne shooter cups, in different types (milk, dark, white, semisweet) for people to mix and match. If they want chocolate and strawberries, they can put a strawberry in a cup, or try the champagne with different combos as well. It's interactive and customisable. What's not to love? And less work for you. Dark chocolate ice cream or gelato. I remember judges on Iron Chef America raving about it, and it sounds like a smashing idea. Russian Roullete chocolates. Make a big batch of whatever shape you want, but 1 out of 10 will be spiked with habenero. Make sure they know what they are grabbing for, and watch the hilarity ensue. My personal all time favorite (it's like crack. Seriously) is milk chocolate covered peanut brittle. I know it's not the first combo that jumps to people's minds, but it is quite good and super addictive. These two will become the talk of the party, I bet.

Brisket maybe? Or someone is trying to rebrand skirt steak.

It's not where you would rate yourself, it's what others would rate you. Plus, as mentioned before, the ability to improvise. Why master pastry when there are so many options in the freezer section, or non-pastry items? eta: There's also current practice and the ability to muster up any of these skills at a moments notice. I have made puff pastry from scratch before, but if someone bet me $50 that I couldn't do it right now, one shot? I would probably lose.

Rice pudding. Candied ginger (though more of a seasoning than a vegetable). Are nuts considered vegetables? Peanuts should be, I think. There have to be recipes containing chickpeas somewhere. eta: I have had confections made from sweetened mashed potatoes and peanut butter. Came out kind of like the Cow Tales candies, but without the caramel. And oats, for cookies and such.

Uptown, if you can afford it, is going to probably be your best bet. Given the current situation there, it's also one of the better areas of town. Plenty of stuff to do and see uptown, unless you want to wander out to the suburbs. The "locals only" places seem to be struggling. The tourist dollar is crucial, since there just aren't as many locals as they used to be. Congratulations on moving to one of the greatest cities in the world.

Generally, I only use an apron to impress. When we did a chili cook-off, I ordered some custom aprons for the team, mostly for a logo display, but they did work nicely, even if it did look a bit small on me. I'm 6'2", 270 pounds. I have yet to see an apron at the big and tall store. I mostly wear one of my myriad tshirts that have been prestained with everything from engine grease to paint for cooking. Not that I am against the things, but I can almost never find one that fits properly, or remember to put it on until something has spattered. I'm going to need to find a carpenter's style apron for another purpose. I work on laser printers. That toner is tenacious stuff. Anyone have a line on those in larger sizes? I'd buy more than one, and maybe keep one in the kitchen.

No help on the wine department, but Louisiana's agricultural landmass is huge in percentage of the state as a whole. A wide variety of growing conditions, from swampy black soil to the red clay up north of Alexandria, plus a huge farm culture. Lots of emu farms popped up a few years back, and we already know how to not waste a molecule of just about anything that we raise and kill. Rice, corn, strawberries, blackberries, soybeans (most beans in fact), sweet potatoes, pecans, some citrus (those lovely little satsumas and kumquats), sugar cane, cattle, pork, small game like rabbits, large game like deer, waterfowl like ducks, frogs, alligators, most seafood (fresh and saltwater varieties), peppers, and I probably missed a lot. Those are just the things I've personally harvested on Louisiana soil. eta: Are we also considering the animals that live in the area? They are there because of the food supply, so I think they would factor in. Also, some states have coastlines and rivers that contribute to the take of natural flora and fauna.

Regarding celebs backstage "requests", the Foo Fighters seem to be about the most laid-back band out there. For more good stuff, The Smoking Gun website has quite a few contract riders concerning backstage food and drink. Fascinating. I knew I didn't like Celine Dion for a reason.

Tilapia is cheap and everywhere.

A notebook is not going to cut it. The most power you can get from USB is a measley 5 volts DC with Minimal amperage. However, using a desktop computer, there is a ready-made 12 volts DC from the power supply. With a beefy (no pun intended) power supply, the 12V rail can be rated at 3 amps or more. They sell cigarette lighters that you mount in an unused drive bay that use this voltage, like they have in cars. So the thought is, if you are extremely careful of the amperage load, you can use any portable cooking thing out there, except microwaves, which would just be silly. The little coil of doom used for heating coffee in a cup is possible, and the travel oven that Alton Brown discovered in Dining on Asphalt may be used. After that, who knows? And all the USB drink chillers are is a aluminum heatsink and a fan. Maybe someone can tell me if they are worth the effort, but my hopes aren't high. Some may be using some captive freon in a copper tube creating a heat pipe, but the claim that it instantly chills to 45 degrees is a bit specious to me.

Stop crying!!! Just saw the preview for it. Premieres June 4th. eta: Yeah, it was on the Idol finale. Caught it flipping through.

Video shot from a conveyor belt in a sushi restaurant. 4 minutes of a slow pan, but includes a glimpse of the kitchen and a 360 degree view of a restaurant. Oddly fascinating.