dano1

addition of ham/bacon-along with shrooms-is a matignon IIRC. And we have the french mirepoix with leek. "Your never to educated to learn." Words to live by. The more i cook the less i know. danny

this brings back some pizza slangin memories ;). usually a look at the walkin starts me off on a tangent. Pizza bianco are something a lot of folks don't see; top with dressed arugula, shaved reggiano, truffle oil, prociutto, etc.. I've topped pizza with duck, salmon(smoked and fresh), shredded beef or pork, chicken, shrimp, lobster and so on. Various cheeses give you an artisanal quality-brie you mentioned, goat, feta(not melting but will give you a hit when you bite into it), asiago, bleu. Any type of roast or grilled veg will appeal to the vegetarian crowd-squash blossoms would be interesting. another twist is to work your dough into a flatbread and grill or bake until just set but pliable. Use for wraps or rolloups-probably sell well in the atkins era now. Calzones are always a classic. Just about anything goes-of course it may not appeal to traditionalists but if it sells, becomes a signature dish, etc then thats what counts at the bottom line. hth, danny

comments about hiring a Chef are right on target. It'll cost you more per hour/per person, but less in the long run. You can take 3 preps at 7bucks totaling21/hr labor. Now what kind of inferior product, waste, burnt product etc do you need to figure in. A decent pastry chef will replace them and you shouldn't have to worry about wastage, etc. Culinary school students-for the most part-do not have the real world experience, skills, knowledge and speed required for production. Of course there are exceptions to this but i would look elswhere unless it's an extern type thing-which means you may as well do it yourself ;). hth, danny

my masochistic streak maybe??? It's all about the food..... hth, danny

my rule of thumb is around 7oz proteins total, couple of ozs on sides. Of course this is highly variable on guests age, gender, ethnicity, alcohol consumption, time of day, phase of the moon, and other factors ;). I will total, add 10% and call it a day. Remember to try to figure in any loss due to cooking, bones-bone in pork butt, trim, etc....Pulled pork sandwich? gonna use a little less pork due to rolls, slaw and so on. hth, danny

gonna have to fill me in on this one....if someone wants a black and blue 125 aint gonna work and carpaccio is out of the question. If i remember correctly safe temp for chix was dropped recently also. I have no probs sending out a juicy pinkish breast. Pork at 135-depending on cut/carryover-will be a beautiful color and safe. i haven't heard of trich infections from commercial pork products for 60 years; someone wants on the rare side they'll get it. hth, danny

i parbake, gill side down, on a sheetpan lined with parchment. This shrinks the cap, losing moisture. Now off to work to make a couple of 3 hundred of them ........... danny

"There are many ways to skin a cat"....and "The boss is always right" are two sayings that have guided me through the kitchen. Knives, heat, and tempers are not conducive to a good working relationship ;). hth, danny

what timing, i just did a 40lb'er last weekend. Pit roasted, the whole hog ;).Wrapped in wet burlap and tossed it on oak embers. Covered the pit and let it go 7-8 hours-damn thing was still frozen when we got it.

I use thin sliced applewood bacon lightly rendered as said. I have also given the scallop a light COLD smoke over applewood after seasoning with salt pepper and fresh thyme. wrap, and grill :). hth, danny

i might use achiote instead of the food coloring... hth, danny

one of my favorites is lobster sauce. Take and amount of stock and reduce to glace. Mount with butter like a buerre blanc. hth, danny

Turn, quarter, if they're babies shouldn't be a choke. Cover with EVO, bay leaf, peppercorn, garlic, cook tender and cool. danny

for years when i was a kid i couldn't understand why every freeway was named the "Begin Freeway"............ Regarding shallots i do pronounce eschallot-must be that french thing. danny

is it still finals time ;). Escoffier and Larousse are essentials along with THe Food Lover's Companion. danny

Wow, all this over a peel :). I've cooked pizzas professionally(not conveyor) and at home for years. Me thinks too much thought is being put into something that, in one form or another, has been done for thousands of years. It's all about the food. It's what YOU do with the product that counts. Then again what do i know... danny

pomfret i'm sure. danny

I'm always trying something new. I've made my share of mistakes in the kitchen and a few total flops ;). To me it's what you can do with the product to save and serve/sell it-and do it with flair and confidence-that separates the kids from the adults. Almost everything can be made servable-almost. I remember the time i was making a couple gal batch of mascarpone filling for tiramisu in a kitchen i hadn't been in in awhile. Someone started using the same containers for sugar and iodized salt and i was too busy yacking to look at it before it was too late. That was a complete loss. danny

Mozzarella is odd on oysters rockefeller. If i recall correctly usually topped with royal glace-hollandaise, fish veloute, whipped heavy cream-and broiled. Wouldn't have to worry about breaking the mozzarella so much though ;). danny

Whole fish are great pan roasted, grilled, sauteed, fried( i am not a fan of steamed myself). The general public just isn't ready to look dinner in the eye and eat it-although that seems to be changing slowly. I use anything in the 2-4lb range; stripers, rockfish, sole, depending on cooking method. Nothing like a whole sculpin oven roasted and served Livornese style over pasta :) As for buying on the frame, look for clear eyes, red gills, and no smell. No discoloration or tweaked fins, firm flesh when pressed. hth, danny

the only rule i have is if it's served with the skin on, crisp the skin. Like busboy said the skin can be "squeegeed" dry before sautee. Start skin side down in pan, whole butter added will help-the solids help brown the skin-cook 3/4 done flip and finish. Other than that it depends on the dish and where i want to go with it. Some fish won't take to leaving the skin on though-halibut, shark, sword, ahi come to mind. Smooth vs scaley skin :). Of course steaming and other asian styles of cookery are a different thing altogether. hth, danny

boy somebody's got a spoon up their ass. My "basic"ratio for fresh pasta is 8oz AP, 8oz semolina, 1T EVO, salt tt, 4-6eggs depending on environmental variables. either mixer or well method works, knead until elastic and refrigerate for 1 hr(lets gluten relax and makes it easier to roll). I go thru the widest setting 8-10 times folding over and then send through the narrower settings, making sureit's well floured. Cut and dry over a hanger or curl into portons, dusting well with semolina. hth, danny

4-1 to 5-1 ratio cormeal to liquid willk give you a nice consistency. I use stock or a stock and milk combo for the liquid. Finish with cheese and butter, fresh herbs, truffle oil, etc... Loose is better especially if holding any length of time. hth, danny

I gotta say thats a pretty tall order. Personally i go for West coast spiny lobster split and grilled, lemon, butter, tortillas if i'm feeling like it ala puerto neuvo-although those are usally deep fried :). Maine Lobster purists would go for steamed or boiled in salt water, or clambake style with corn, potato, clams, seaweed, etc... A quick blanch in salted water(1-2 mins) and shocked will give you a lobster that can be split with the meat removed easily-Maine lobster cook the claws longer. These can then be butter poached, stuffed with...you name it-breadcrumbs, bay shrimp, cheese(some say heresy), chopped fresh herbs, etc and broiled. Tail can be cut through the shell, floured or not, seared and finished for a la amoracaine(sp). Or medallions sauteed and finished with white wine, tomato, fresh herbs, over pasta. Add chile flake for fra diavolo-devils style. Boil till done and serve hot with risotto. Serve cold with a fines herbes mayo for a nice salad or app. Wrap sole filet around a mousseline studded with lobster "nuggets" and shallow poach, finish cuisson wth butter and herbs for sauce. Stir fry medallions with garlic and chinese black beans, ginger. Steam split with tamarind sauce over. Really need an idea of what you want here...... hth, danny

What kind of lobster? What do you like? Grilled, boiled, broiled, poached, sauteed, souffled, stuffed, mousse, terrine....you get the picture :) Very versitile bugs. danny