Basildog
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Posts posted by Basildog
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Stella.can you explain "cadillaced" to a Brit? Ta ever so
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?????????? whats with??????? explain yourself
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Right on Sister Samantha ! Could not agree more.At my little restaurant we make no service charge , allowing people to leave what they see fit. This is occasionally nothing at all. ( thats ok, as long as they have had a good time)What interests me is that some people do not tip because i own the joint, they feel you should not tip owners.Yes i take a cut of the tips....i do more hours than anyone!.But everyone gets a cut who works that night
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Having breaded 20 portions of fish cakes today....heres how we do it at our place.Flour all the products, and lay on a cling filmed tray. Then egg and LET IT DRAIN IN YOU FINGERS FOR A FEW SECONDS before rolling it a big tray of breadcrumbs.Use the one hand for egging and the other for breading .Shaking the tray is best. Btw the fish cakes were salmon and smoked salmon served with local leaves and Herb Mayo and they were very nice if i do say so myself!
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Maybe it was his idea of a condemed womans last meal?
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Reminds me of the time we had 2 couples dining together at our place.One couple had obviously had a row before arriving at the mood was dark all evening.She makes a grand exit with the words "Fuck you to hell !".He sits for awhile, contemplating whether to follow or not. He leaves, returns 5 mins later with no wife. She returns 10 mins later with the words "and i,ll have the fucking car keys !"
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Oh i just remembered a recent highlight of stupidity. Saffron poached Pears but replaced the castor sugar with Salt. The containers looked similar ok! When cooled i was going to put them in a jar for storage, but thought they looked a bit odd. So i had a taste..mmmmmmmmmm
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i do recall hearing of a woman who whilst drunk and wanting to make chips for her friends, added water to her chip pan to "stretch it out a bit".result one burned down house
My own highlight was being asked by my head chef to go down to the store and bring back an 8ft diameter mirror for a wedding display. Yes I dropped it and brought back many many little mirrors. Kept my job (no idea why)
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OK here's what we do at our little place in Cornwall..Hand written bills (scrawled when i do them )..No service charge... We have space on the credit card slip for a gratuity if the guest wishes to add something.We then complete the transaction and give the guest the 2nd slip. It is amazing the amount of people who are surprised to be given the completion slip.It shows what the total transaction has been.Insist on it ! You are open to being ripped off if you don,t get the 2nd slip.Maybe its a British thing, Americans are more on the ball when it comes to credit cards IMHO
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Thanks for the report Cabrales..the store you mentioned is actually an insurance broker..i just borrow a pc to print my menus in exchange for Bread and Cookies.
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No, we don't like to blow our own trumpet.We keep our visitors book in the loo too.
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When Cabrales gets round to posting her report on my place i think i will put her comments on the loo wall.No offence, it is a place of honour at Margot's.Its full of menus, cartoons, kids pictures etc etc (yes this is a hint for Cabrales to post the report!)
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Not Dinner , but my wife and i had a little picnic lunch today. I have just worked 12 days straight and it was very nice to take an hour off to go and sit in a field overlooking the estuary.Blue sky, boats on the water and the tree we sat under was in full blossum.
Lunch itself was a sandwhich (my tarragon bread), parma ham, smoked cheese,, plum tomato ,aioli and a can of pop.(i had to work and wife is pregnant so no wine
Followed by carmelised walnut and chocolate fudge.mmmmm. and the a doze in the sun Just thought i would share this with you, no fantastic cooking skills , just a lovely time
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the side salad is wilted and looking like a wreath right?
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Hi Shaun, my question is about when you are the customer. Do you feel you are treated differently? :confused:
Thanks for taking part in this Egullet event, much appreciated
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Julie does all the day to day cooking at home, i get involved if we are entertaining. This will change i guess when junior comes along.
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my review of Cabrales as a guest...a joy!
This will not effect her review as those of you who "know " her will know
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My wife and I share the same birthday(different years). This year , for her BIG 30 and my 34 and for the new baby (when it gets here), we have booked our own place for a celebration evening, birthday party ,baby bash.Will report back when it happens, hell some of you might even get an invite!
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We normally get one power cut a year at my place which is SOOO much fun.
Last time it happened, fully booked bistro..power cuts out at 7.10pm.First guests are seated and choosing...we get out the candles. Front of house is not too bad, just a bit dark, kitchen is hell !!!.I'm reduced to 6 burners and an oven (gas), and you only really miss electricity when the extraction doesn,t work, your heating everything on one stove, You run out of hot water, You cant make coffee unless you use a sauce pan and the stove is a bit busy, the fridges are getting warm, you burn yourself repeatedly on hot candle wax,and and and etc etc etc.
Customers seem to perversely enjoy it, "Spirit of the Blitz " and all that, but we normally surrender after about 12 / 15 guests.
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Cabrales... eGullet has not yet directly influenced the menu my place.So far, i have mostly be interested in the reviews of other places by 'real' people, and feedback from them about what people want from dining out.My menus tend to be based on whats is avaliable to us on a day to day basis, but in time, i'm sure something i read here will spark me off onto something
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Cabrales.. i'm still blushing at being called a professional.
Cooking started fairly normally, biscuits and cakes with my mum.My mum was self taught and very good.Chinese was a fave with her and this was in the late 70's.I don't know had she did it, 3 kids ,job, dog and we never had a shop bought cake! A big influence on our home cooking was the man nextdoor who worked at an abatoir, who would bring round my mums order.Big piles of meat to be sorted, minced , made into burgers etc. Ox hearts for Sunday roast! Fantastic. I would have the left over meat in sanwhiches for school on Monday.My freinds would freak out .
Next big influence was my Grandmother and Grandfather who had retired to a place in Lincolnshire .They lived on a old market garden property. Aga cooking, homemade pickled onions, ketchup, chutneys. My Grandad growing marrows, courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes. A few chickens or rabbits bought at auction..all to be eaten.
Left school at 16 and took a 2 year "General Catering" course at Tech College. Taught me a little, but good fun. Then worked job to job, drifting around the midlands .Looking back, most of those jobs were appalling, but they did teach me how not to cook.
What i have learnt so far has been from the chefs i have worked for and with.TV , books and now the internet are all playing there part in teaching me more.
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If i take this booking, does it mean that i will owe eGullet commision?
To save me money ( and to stop accusations of commericalism) e mail me or message me with enquires please Thanks -
Cabrales..its interesting times at my place.My new 2nd Chef (David) has just finished his first week, so i'm in a contemplative mood. We both do the prep for the day, and David does service. Tonight, for example , we had a waitress, so i was washerup , and starter's , veg , and desserts.Its very much a team effort between me and David.Saturday night, i ran the front ( in sparkling clean whites!) and David had help in the kitchen.
I think this will work, mostly because we are so small, and i can keep my eye on everything. After 3 years of doing every main course, most of the starters, and 70% of the rest of the prep, its a bit strange, too say the least!
BTW David did the '98 season with me , before we purchased the bistro, so its not like a 'new' chef
I just feel that i have to delgate some of the cooking, share the workload with a proper chef , as opposed to the helpers i have had in the past.This does free me up to see to other matters, like looking after the customers.
to reply to your points...
1) People can see whos cooking, and i make a point of telling people thats it David at the stoves. Our regulars like to know the ins and outs of everything, and were not shy in telling them anything and everything they wish to know( and sometimes , more than they need !)
2) Of course, clean jacket and apron for service. Nails , not pretty, but clean. Hair covered by baseball hat ( i'm not a fan of big chefs hats, plus i'm 6 ft and we got a low canopy)
3) Hmmmm, am i calm? I rush about alot, but not frantic. If i,m tied up by a table, then David or assitant will bring food to the table. I compare it to juggling..we all cover each other , so no one drops a ball !
4) Everyone is greeted by me when i,m working out front. If in the kitchen, then i will see everyone by the end of the night. I don't cruise the tables, but i just say hello!we treat everyone the same (honest)
Beyond Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
Our currant ice cream is Coffee served in a coffee cup with choc chip cookies , chocolate coffee beans, and clotted cream on the top as the froth.Made with 2 pts double cream, 9 eggs yolks, 10 oz sugar and a slash of Tia Maria.Alcohol in ice cream helps the texture as it acts as an anti freeze.