dano1

bird chiles are smaller and got some more zing. Use em if you can find them. Same with shrimp paste vs. dried shrimp. All p-corns are white. Kaffir limes can be found as small trees in my neck of the woods at the nursery-if recipe calls for lime rind or leaves check that out-easy to keep and grow. you've got some great responses on the other board too. Processor vs. mortar and pestle will yield different textures. Toast and grind whole spices. Pay attention to order of additions, whether using a processor or a mortar. i started pounding curries by hand about 10 years ago to get that "authentic" thing. My wife-grew up in Indonesia-thought i was nuts. Wasn't until i was there for a good hour the first time did she tell me the cooks would pound for hours on end, sometimes working in teams :). Now i tend to grab the mini-chopper, at least to start the base, and dump in the mortar to finish. If you don't have an ethnic market with the proper supplies i may be able to help you out with ingredients. hth, danny

i've processed and pounded a few thai curries. One thing i would remember is that thai shallot are a lot smaller than our common shallot ;). And there really is no sub for many ingredients ie. ginger for galangal(fresh not dried), dried red chili for birdseye, etc...to recreate that flavor. fwiw, danny

Batali has a quick recipe in one of his books. brine for 6+ weeks changing the brine every week and flavor. This is off the top of my head so don't hold me to it. hth, danny

it can be tough, especially when you're expected to dine at the table also instead of plating the next course. I tend to limit myself to maybe 6 courses or so-not a full blown menu-especially if i have no help. I tend to get frustrated with the little things that aren't done correctly at presentation-so enlisting family is a bad idea for me. Its tough for me to seperate home and the kitchen when i'm cooking;). Pre-plating-if possible-and hot and cold holding are the key to pulling it off without a hitch. hth, danny

Sweetbreads are "usually" blanched first-with some notable exceptions. Some also soak overnight first to remove any traces of blood. In my mind a brown sauce is the perfect for sweetbreads. The "organy" flavor stands up well to a dark sauce. Mushrooms and a splash of madeira are my favorite. hth, danny

Thanks for the input everybody. I appreciate it :). danny

gotcha. Remember you're braising liquid will most likely be cloudy. I haven't looked up the recipe myself, but you may want to use another beef stock for your soup base or-even better for the judges :)-clarify your stock using raw trimmings from your braised item al a consomme if you have the time. This will give you a nice background to highlight your porcini-be really good if you could get your hands on fresh or the flash frozen. Dried porcinis may also cloud your stock a little. good luck and have fun, danny

yeah, sear and finish in oven. hth, danny

not sure i follow. Using a "stewing" beef with a quick sear and no stew or braise ain't gonna work. Boneless short ribs, chuck, clod, etc... will require a certain-and longish-cook time. In my mind you've got a couple of different things going on that, if done correctly, would be great. If not, then not. either use a quick cooking peice of beef-like shaved tender a la viet pho-and add at the last minute, or go whole hog and braise the cut like it should be(which would net a larger profit as an entree). Remember though, soup is not a garbage pail but where items that may be not be suitable for a certain dish can be utilized. I'd imagine that the chefs are looking for such utilization of product as you would find in the real world environment, as well as a great tasting soup :)- especially if you're costing this for the competition. If you can use product to abandon though then go that route. hth, danny

what do most folks top they're opera cake with? Pour on ganache or use a tempered chocolate sheet? TIA, danny

i would advise against the "screamin deal" thing This very well could come back to haunt you when Mrs. XX calls for a quote and says Mrs. YYY only spent this much. As said a 25-30% foodcost should be where you are at overall-depends on menu; whitch is something she needs to ok. If renting tables, linen, flatware, etc, bill her for it. Same with labor ie, servers, station attendants, etc.. hth, danny

Just cut those suckers in half-after baking of course ;). make a sandwich. i could think of a couple of ways to go, skip the bleu and add a dollop horseradish or course mustard, dress your arugula simply, many different variations on this would work great. hth, danny

I caught the show a couple of days ago also. I can tell you for a fact that-although she called herself a chef and graduated from cooking school-she has never set foot in a real kitchen doing real production. It's all in the moves, or lack of. Just watching her trying to get past the plastic flaps in the walkin was amusing :). danny

I would pass on the ahi saku block stuff for a raw presentation-too watery and not enough flavor IMO. Ive done shrimp tartare in the past that worked well. Disregard if this was suppsed to be hot :). Anything with tenderloin will give the impression of "richness"most clubs want. Seared tenderloin and baby arugula would be great combo. Saw a recipe, i think in the Zuni cookbook, for gougeres stuffed with bacon and arugula-maybe take it that way with a little bleu in the gougeres. Bouches or puff vol au vents are some of my favorites too. You can fill with just about anything-seared bay scallops in a cream sauce, sweetbreads, etc...Or small puff "pizzas" Getting into fall, maybe duck or better duck confit if you have any. Any belgian endive? Spears make a great "vehicle" to stuff. BTW 2 hot hors d oeuvres ain't enough for a function like this-is someone else producing cold? hth, danny

i believe we're talking about a different steamer. A commercial steamer takes hotel pans and puts the contents in a steam "bath". Ain't like using a steamer insert in your sauce pot. hth, danny

my standard recipe: 8 egg yolks 1qt manufacturing or heavy cream 4oz sugar 2-3 vanilla beans heat cream w/scraped vanilla beans and pods wisk yolks and sugar together-temper with hot cream about 1/3 add back to rest of cream and pass through a fine chinois/strainer cool if possible-sometimes you'll get air bubbles on the surface when using hot pour into ramekins-or better egg shirring dishes-and bake low in a water bath 325 should be fine in a conventional oven, uncovered. chill and brulee. hth, danny

second braised leeks. butter, chix stock, s&p, put in oven with parchment "lid" until tender and almost melting. Use as bed for fish, side, etc.. hth, danny

sorry, and i've never heard of an egg coddler before.....we all learn something every day :). danny

coddled egg=1 minute at a simmer in the shell. A suprisingly light and very different dressing than what it has evolved into and which most people identify with. It must be made a la minute though-can't let the egg cool too much or let it overcook. FWIW this is the original as witnessed by Julia Child in TJ many moons ago. I deviate with a splash of good red wine or sherry vin to bring the acid component up and not overdo the lemon. hth, danny

at home i make the classic caesar ala Julia Child-doesn't work in a restaurant environment unless doing tableside service obviously. garlic coddled egg lemon jiuce splash of vinegar(my addition, sorry) Worcesershire sauce evo s&p reggiano hearts of romaine crouton Not the mayo, gluey dressing served in most houses. Clean and to the point. hth, danny

if that 40lb case of chix has been sitting in its blood it gets a wash before cooking. A 10oz airline out of a snap pack is good to go for me. Fish may get a wash to remove scales, innards, etc. No wash on beef, pork, lamb etc...out of the cryo, let it drain and mop if needed. of course YMMV and be aware of local health codes. danny

never ever give up a dry towel or 3 ;). sorry, carefully is the correct answer. Depending on size/shape of your ramekin/egg shirring dish, that will tell you to use a sheet or hotel pan. As said tongs can be very useful. Nothing worse than dumping your water bath into a sheet full of creme brulees unless it's on you. Try some oven mitts maybe, a lot thicker. Will take a while to feel the steam, get them off qiuckly. hth, danny

flour is your friend here....dredge through it first and go. danny

TJHarris, owww sugar work can be some nasty stuff. Most cooks who've been on the line for any length of time will have their little remembrances. The hands and forearms give away those who cook for a living and many so-called chefs. danny

split veal feet go into every pot of veal stock i make. Good stuff. danny