Holly Moore

The would-be "Top Chefs" stepping into a real kitchen and turning out a real meal is a highlight of this season. Even though it was still a set up situation, this is closer to reality than most reality cooking shows get. A bit like when Bourdain returned to the line at Les Halles. A chef that doesn't possess/retain the skills and cool to step in and turnout a breakfast rush is not ready to assume more lofty responsibilities.

What ho, Jeeves. No Wimpy?

First, I never knew that slaughterhouses have waiting rooms. Also, "doing business?" All we talking writing an article, leading hogs to slaughter, or stocking up on pork chops?

The discount has been there for a while. When you select the specific postage service the chart shows two rates - one for paying at the post office and one for click 'n ship.

Oh well. Guess I'll have to come up with another tactic to get someone to send me weekly peanut butter cookies.

If you sign up for Click 'n Ship at the US Post Office site, and use it to print mailing labels you will get a small discount. You can also arrange for carrier pick-up though I'm found that only about 75% reliable. Also you can not schedule same day pick up. Has to be next day. UPS and FDX are getting more and more expensive. The post office has always been cheaper and now Click 'n Ship, though not as good as FedX or UPS software, at least eliminates having to stand in line at the post office. Someone should consider setting up and FTD approach to cookies. Standardize recipes, customers order from a central point. Local bakers bake them off and deliver or ship them locally. (If anyone picks up on this idea and makes it work, you owe me a pound of peanut butter cookies licensing fee, payable weekly.)

I actually don't think any chef in burnout mode would be the best teacher for a culinary student/apprentice. Ok I'll rephrase. I know I would not be the best choice for a green, shiny faced student with a lot of enthusiasm but little experience. In burnout mode, one has little patience. I'd also be saying stuff like, "You want to be a chef? What's the matter with you? You want to work like a dog for peanuts for the rest of your life? Welcome to hell!" People in burnout mode tend to be somewhat.....uh......negative. Not that I know about that or anything. ← In the 80's I taught the business courses at what was then called "The Restaurant School" in Philadelphia. I saw many a chef come through the staff that needed a break from the commercial kitchen and who rekindled their passion by working with students. My assumption is that those with a "Welcome to Hell" approach to teaching were screened out during the interview process.

Eric Ripert's 10 Arts will begin serving dinner on May 20th. Breakfast, lunch and brunch follow on June 9th. From the press release:

Teach. Find a way to work with apprentices or culinary students. Share your skills. Build their skills. They learn. You soak in their enthusiasm for your profession. Win - Win.

Thanks, so far. Both good ideas. They are in town Saturday and Sunday. Neither requires private rooms, though nothing wrong with that for dinner. For drinking they just want to be part of the crowd, no private room.

An out-of-town friend of mine is making arrangements for a gathering of diverse folk coming to town next weekend (May 24th and 25th). He is putting them up at the Latham but needs to set up two dinners for ten and to recommend a couple of places that can handle 60 high spirited revelers for drinking, preferably not a sports bar.) The requirements for the dinners are a degree of privacy (not way noisy and tables that aren't on top of each other), a decent wine list, able to set up and serve a single table of ten, and entrees in the $20 to $40 price range. Ideally the place is within walking distance of the Latham, but that is not essential. The drinking spots are informal recommendations - no preparation, just an ability to assimilate 60 people intending to have a really good time. Suggestions? Edited to correct the dates

Blue food. I see it whenever I get around to cleaning out my refrigerator.

Now that Chicago city council has come to its senses, anything still happening hereabouts?

Yo Barb, Did you make it to Isla?

On our debauchery? With summer coming, I'm thinking we should pile into Carman's truck for another round of al fresco ala truck dining - Carman willing that is. Wonder what other no-reservation, long wait restaurants with a fire hydrant out front would put up with us?

Going way back to my Wetson's days - California Cokes - half orange drink and half Coke.

I'd rather work with a trusted, quality meat purveyor than grind my own. Better likelihood of consistency. Can still get great flavor if the mix is right. Probably less sanitation issues. Wells, a local and highly regarded Philadelphia meat purveyor, maintains that they can form a looser, more consistent patty than those formed by hand. I still favor the old Steak and Shake approach - scoop of beef hurled at grill and artfully flattened with a spatula. Showmanship and a skilled grillman can keep the patties consistent and loose. Nothing wrong with a grill for burgers. If for some reason I was forced to serve an 8 ounce or larger burger I'd probably opt for a salamander. Good flavor from the fat spattering up to the gas fired heating elements and back to the burger. For a four to siz ounce burger I'd consider grilling it in a cast iron skillet with butter. Just like busy breakfast restaurants can turn out eggs from frying pans, so can a burger place use individual skillets if properly set up. Bread has to be a consideration for the ultimate burger joint. I'm netting out on a Thomas' English Muffin as the ideal bread for a great burger. Nice crunch to contrast the burger texture, nooks and crannies for the juices, not overwhelmingly bready, and up to the task of delivering a juicy burger to the mouth without falling apart. Toasted or caramelized, buttered, basic hamburger buns work fine. I wouldn't use any bread product where it was more about the bread than the burger. Condiments would be scarce. I'd try not to offer ketchup, bottled or home made. Tomatoes only in season. Bermuda or Vadalia onions sliced just right - thick enough to hold shape, not so thick as they would overwhelm the burger. A mustard that compliments rather than overpowers the burger. And, red relish. Red relish really works with a medium rare hamburger. And the sides. The ultimate burger joint needs fresh cut, twice fried french fries and breaded or battered onion rings. Fried mushrooms too. All fresh, not frozen. And a real, real-good vanilla milkshake. And a slice of home made pie for dessert.

Not sure whether or not it is the same ownership, but someone has done a major upgrade to what was a nondescript market at 20th and Spruce. Beautiful hardwood floors, craftsman shelving. No sign yet, so don't know the name. Food products are upscale. Lots of ethnic selections. Trader Joe-ish, but brand labels. Promising selection of produce with numerous signs, "More to come." Still more stocking to do, but good potential, especially if they keep long hours. And if they get some folks behind the cash register with an iota of hospitality, personality. No welcoming. No asking how I liked the place? The extent of our interaction: Two registers, one open. I stand there for about a minute while the guy chats with a friend. He only turns to me when the guy at the other register nudges him. "You all did a great job remodeling." Nod. "You going to bring in more local products from the area growers and processors?" Shrug. "Like Fair Food Farmstand at the market. A totally disinterested, "Yeah." That was it. Not even a thank you for the sale. A neighborhood market with a 7-11 personality. Hopefully they will come to understand their concept, and warm up before they give too many poor first impressions.

What does practicality have to do with chocolate cupcakes?

All this talk about chocolate is nice. But while reading the r+d chocolate website I happened upon: Isn't this as important as chocolate thingies? Shouldn't r+d be spending a significant portion of their time making their "perfect chocolate cupcake" available to we, the public?

Amen to "served with" - not just many menus, but lots of restaurant reviews and write-ups too - including some of mine, I'm sure.

Agreed. Neither burning buildings nor blood stained sidewalks were part of Le Bec-Fin's announcement. Nor was there even tape of a poodle dressed as a fancy French chef. Definitely not a story worthy of a Philadelphia local news station.

Never realized it, but Nick's web site says they use USDA Prime beef.

I thought the only major news announcements scheduled for late on a Friday evening were the ones that politicians hoped to keep secret.

Within the commercial kitchen world what you refer to as a griddle is called a grill. Back in the good old days McD's had a 6' Wolf Grill and grilled their hamburgers. There are also grills that replicate backyard grilling, as in "char-grilled" hamburgers. As to where I ended up - good eating but disappointing capacity. Jersey Joe's and Jimmy Buff's. Also on the list, but I was to full to fairly taste - the new Amazing Hot Dog, Bubba's and one other that I can't think of right now. I shall return.