Steve Ramsey

That's my point. We COULD have our own, and we SHOULD have our own. Now if we can just get a general idea of what it should be....... I lost out on a job in a Seattle hotel, it was probably a good thing. The cuisine was "Cal-Ital"........ I still don't know what the hell that is.

Fish on a board. If thats all we have going for us, we have a lot of thinking to do.

What do you mean by "ethnic foods?" And why don't you want them? I mean, Chinese, Vietnames, Japanese, Norwegiean and particularly Thai. The all represent a particular culture that was transplanted here, and has in every way remained separate and distinct, unto itself. They may be fine representations of where they originated, but they don't say "Northwest" to me. And trying to cross the boundaries and meld these cuisines has always seems silly to me. I know, lots of chefs out there are trying to do it, with varying degrees of sucess, but I've just never been a fan of that style. It's just cheap novelty that gets attention and the dies and goes away. Quail would be nice if I could find some locally grown. I could order in from Dartagnan, would that be a cop out? And rabbit is also available locally, but not really popular as far as I can tell. Local wild mushrooms, in season, are obtainable though. And I'm no botanist when it come to wild greens, but I suppose a trip to the local farmers markets might be in order. And alaska is not to be left out, and I like using halibut quite a bit, but try and get some usda inspected moose or caribou. Legalities and proper food handling must be considered. But hey, the thought just occured to me....Buffalo. Lots of bison available around these parts......... The menu's that have been posted are certainly good ones, but there are some decidedly un-northwest concepts with a few of those items But conceptually, the drift I'm getting from most of you is that Northwest cuisine could be at least partially defined as: 1. 100% freshness of ingredients. 2. Lighter on starch, heavier on veg, with moderate emphasis on meat, poultry and fish that is rich enough in flavor to perhaps only require light sauces. 3. Grilled, steamed, and and saute items in, roasted, deep fried, and braised out, for the most part, with exceptions of course. Am I "getting it"?

I'm going to have a chance to do it in a restaurant setting, problem is, I can't pin it down. We have some great ingredients here, and some nice wines, but salmon and shellfish are what they are. In and of themselves they don't define the region. I'm not talking about ethnic foods either. I'm talking about taking the best and freshest local ingredients and coming up with dishes that say "Northwest". Lutefisk pho and spicy thai salmon don't grab me. Fusion sucks.

Stews and other viscous foods can be quite hot on the bottom, yet not appear to be simmering on top. Your problem definately sounds like a thin bottomed pot. The heat was not effectively dissapated by the pot bottom, and no heat was trasferred to the sides. For such foods, use one that is at least a quarter inch thick on the bottom. There are several out there that have a metal disk bonded to the bottom to solve theis problem. But the best is going to be a thick walled pot. Cast iron will work well.

I have an interview on the 24th at a fairly nice hotel near sea-tac airport. Prep cook. A step I had hoped, but never expected to skip. But Hotel jobs look very good on a cooks resume and I aim to take the job if offered. It would leave me sufficient time to work a second job if need be. And it probably will be necessary at some point. But Hotel kitchens tend to be ( but aren't always) arenas where serious cooking occurs. Therefore I intend to look past the shortcomings of the position. I'll do the prep and work my way up from there.

the flaw with that beef, as i see it, is that not everyone is you, and a lot of people are seeing the show on carmel apples, cheese curds, and the peanut festival for the first time. TVFN needs to appeal to a wide audience. it's a business. if it wasn't for the fluff, we wouldn't be watching the few shows that we think are the bees knees. although, for me, those shows are on PBS, DVD/video, and in books, to extend the thought a bit. Yes, and they can see that stuff in dozens of outlets from the local news on up. As to mass apeal, that's fine. They can cater to mass apeal. The Big three networks do, and they have all fallen from their mighty perches as cable and sattelite channels handed them their heads. One way or the other, FN is hellbent on marginalizing itself with mass appeal. If folks really want another episode of Top 5, let them eat cake. Perferably mass produced cake lovingly videotaped as it winds it's way down the production line, closely videotaped by by the Food Finds crew. Folks just can't seem to get enough shots of modern rube golberg food production machinery kicking out thousands of desert snackies at a whack. Someone else will come along with a network for folks interested in food, not the over hosted and vacuous programming that now makes up well over half of FN's schedual. MTV had it knocked for awhile, back in the day when it was abouit music. Then it climbed onto the youth and pop subculture high horse, neccesitating VH-1. Then, after the fact MTV-2 comes along. Fn will cheese curd and carmel apple itself into a McDonaldland like state of flashy colors and hollow content. The sooner the better. It's just a few smiling, chuckling, bleeched tooth hosts away from higher ratings, and somebody will come along with an new network that is actually about food.

there were a handful of technique oriented shows that appealed to a handful of people. it also aired for a handful of hours a day, and probably not even 7 days a week. i've always watched PBS when i wanted to watch technique oriented shows. PBS always delivers if that's the sort of thing you're into. when the pundits complain, i have to wonder where it's written that the "food network" should focus on technique, which seems to be a big part of the complaint. i would never assume that this was its initial goal, nor do i expect that at this point. i'm interested in the history of food, including candy and hot dogs, as well as travel. they seem to fill the void for programming like that. But they do so in the most vapid sterile manner possible. If they would like to do a special on Escoffier, or tell us how Careme, Robuchon and the Troisgros family influenced the cooking world, more power to them. I don't need another show on the production of cheese curds, carmel apples, or the Georgia Peanut festival. No matter how cutely the tiny junior peanut queen says "Y'all". Technique isn't the end all, but whats coming out of FN is largely overly sanitzed, over produced tripe, a sort of television happy meal.

I disagree. FN's lineup has become to a great extent, facile and shallow. Take away Alton Brown and easily a fouth of FN's airtime goes dead. Take away all shows that mimick the style of the weekday morning news programs and are every bit as pompus, prancing "hey look at me" exercises, and you go well over half. Sure, there is time in the day for lighthearted fare, but the number of programs that get down to brass tacks, burnt knuckles cooking, ones that advance a persons knowlege and enjoyment of food, ar waning on FN. $40 a Day? :might as well be a five minute segment on Good Morning America. Dweezil & Lisa?: Probably rejected by MTV Date Plate?: This show isn't even about FOOD. Top 5?: Splain how this advances anyones kitchen skills or food appreciation. I could go on, but there is now a dire need of an alternative to food network.

I just got one of those. It totally rocks. I bought mine from this guy to get the extra stone. Definitely worth all the pennies. Just did all my knives on this system. Wish I could do my Chisel's and planes. It is the best, scary sharp. Don't know if you cut you're self till ya see the blood. Right through a tomato with my Chef's knife. The pro model has an optional extra attachment for planes, chisels and scissors.

The last word in sharpening systems: EdgePro Sharpening system I'm saving my pennies.

I don't see why someone good with tools shouldn't be able to knock of such a device in a day for less than a hundred bucks. It's a hinged frame and some piano wire. $1700? No way.

Iv'e join the local chapter of the ACF, and after I get over that little cash hit, I'll be rubbing elbows with chefs monthly. My best shot so far is a job at a large casino. I'm waiting to hear from them. And waiting..... Yeah, I'm working with the state too, thats how I was put in contact with the casino in question. I also have an advisory board member, who is also a purveyor, making inquiries for me. As for the "love" of it: I suppose it's not something I am conciously aware of. Food is important to me. I don't know why, it just is. It's the same when I walk into the kitchen. I feel like I belong there, and sorely regret not finding my way into one 25 years ago. I'm satiisfied for reasons unknown by making good food, and pretty plates, and doing it fast, clean, and smooth. At the end of a sixteen hour banquet day, I'm beat down quite a bit physically, but come away with a sort of twisted "runners high". I don't consider myself an artist. I think of myself as a cook as more of a "supplier of good stuff". A magician in the sense that there is no real magic, just cleverly crafted illusion and slight of hand. A deftness of movement, and at least minimal understanding of whats good. Insofar as my training and instincts go, I think I have pretty decent instincts, and a fair pallete that will get better over time. I have all sorts of excuses from a logical standpoint, for getting into this business, but those sort of ring hollow. I've decided not to question my own motivations too much, it feels right and I am gonna go with it. If I fail, it won't be the industry's fault. It will be mine, and I don't intend to EVER have to have that conversation with myself.

At my school, 98% of the time is spent in the kitchen. Classroom is 30 min/day at best. We serve breakfast and lunch to all comers, and cater as well. Class size is 20, but on any given day it's 12 to 15, with a single Chef/instuctor. (CIA trained 30 years exp in industry). This is what I mean when I say you get out what you put in. Nobody is trying to cram your brain. More time is spent on real world type situations and little on theory. You have to be switched on and ready to learn, ready to absorb everything. If you miss days, you probably missed something crucial. It's up to you. You will still get your certificate at the end unless you completely blow it (yes it happens but you really have to try). My school does not teach charachter and discipline. You bring that with you or develop it on your own. It CAN teach you to exist in a professional kitchen if you are willing to put the work in. I have no idea of this is atypical of culinary programs in a broad sense. Not just the high end schools. We aren't accredited by the ACF. But I'm proud of what I have accomplished. We'll see what it amounts to. Sous in 3-4 years hopefully, exec in 10....maybe wishful thinking, I don't know. The job market is weird right now, with the local unemployment rate in Washington at #4, and Oregon at #1.

It's part of the sometime bad reputation culinary students have. I've heard the stories. The don't want to clean or scrub, want too much money etc. I can see where that attitude comes from. Many enter the training with the wrong mindset. A fantasy view of kitchen work. The watched Emeril holler "BAM!" and Jamie say "off you go the darling, there's a good girl" too many times. Some are simply kids who have yet to learn the axiom "you don't work, you don't eat". Some can even cook pretty well. But they cannot focus. They cannnot cope with the pace, physically or mentally. This is difficult work physically. But the mental game is the key. Focus, concentration, attention to detail. And thats why I like it. It's impossible to think about anything else while you are doing it. It's living in the present moment at it's best. It's meditation for me, abeit of a hot and sweaty variety.

I am motivated, by nature, and by necessity. It can be mistaken for agression. I've watched one career outsourced and 9/11d away. This is pretty much it for me. Failure is unthinkable on a number of levels. My chef has an ear to the ground for placements, but I'm running out of time. My school has no formal placement system.

it's not so much a matter of being picky. It's getting past owners, screeners, and HR departments. Chefs I can deal with. All they want is everything they want. The rest don't seem to have a clue as to what they want. Age matters? I out work, and out cook every youngster in the class, and everyone else for that matter. If it's an issue, it's an issue for the deluded. I got into this business because all my research indicated that outside of professional sports, cooking is the purest form of meritocracy in the working world. I came to compete. And win. Getting on the playing field has been the only problematical part.

I wanted this book, but due to being a cash strapped culinary student, I stuck with a copy of "Jaques Pepin's Complete techniques". Browsed a few pages though, and it seems a wonderful read.

I'm a second year culinary student an I'M getting doors slammed in my face. As to culinary "school". Mine is a technical college, a 22 month program. Forget the formalized pinkie in the air stuff. This program is designed to either put out a decent working cook, or someone with a piece of paper. NOBODY dares refuse a turn in the dish pit, or neglect to empty the greasetraps. Don't screw off or be late for service or have absenteeism. You can, but Chef will simply write you off as a slacker, and dispense time and knowledge accordingly. And nobody dare call themself chef on completion, we know better. There is no in between, and you get out of it what you put into it. You get all the attention Chef thinks you deserve. No more, no less. I've honestly worked my ass off for over a year. I haven't missed a single day. I have worked every single extracurricular event, dinner, and banquet gratis. (we cater as well) I'm 44 with a solid work history. So when some idiot resturaunt owner demands 2 years experience before they will let me be a prep cook in their kitchen, it turns my stomach. I hope for the best, and expect nothing, and am willing to do most anything for a chance to succeed in this business. But it seems a harder egg to crack into than it should be. 9 weeks until the unemployment runs out.

Yum! That sounds great. I've got asparagus and was planning to make soup this weekend--I'll try it with the cashews! Got a favorite COA recipe you'd like to share? I was planning to wing it as usual. Just start with some good chicken stock. Chop your asparagus and toss that in. Use your choice of seasonings, I like just a little thyme in mine. Simmer it until the asparagus is well done. Add some heavy cream to your liking, and thicken with slurry or white roux. Add the toasted cashews and blend well. I can't give you a ratio, when I make this soup, it's all by eye. The soup should be a light pea green. I prefer not to strain it. I think it has better body and flavor. But you have to blend it well, so no stringyness occurs from the fibres in the asparagus. Check the seasoning and adjust, Salt and white pepper to taste. I like to finish it with a little butter. For those without swallowing difficulty, you can add some whole toasted cashews and asparagus tips as a garnish.

Cream of asparagus soup with roasted cashews. Normally served with whole cashews and asparagus tips as a garnish, leave off the garnish, this would make a nice soup for the guest. Just take any good COA recipe, make that, toast a good amount of cashews, add them in and blend. Delicious. A nice uncooled/molded polenta with a sauce might work well. Maybe a little marinara and parmesan, or a cream sauce. How about some yukon gold mashed potatoes with a little sour cream? I could make a meal out of that alone. A little google search is revealing, try some other search terms as well: Google search- Pureee dishes

Hmmm. Looks to be impacting D'Artagnan here, some French produced Items not in stock: Foie Gras Fresh But not here, as I believe all of their prepared Foie Gras is produced in house (from domestic supplies?): Foie Gras Prepared

Haven't been here yet, but there is a bit of a buzz going on about this place, and my chef usually only makes mention of places that he finds interesting. I understand reservations are de rigeur for dinner, don't know about lunch.: Brother John's Probably about a 20 minute trip from UPS at the noon hour. If you go, please let us know how it was.

I usually pass on the mayo. Everyone knows it's may as soon as they taste it, no matter what you do to it. It's a bit boring. I am also completely turned of on raw veg when the inevitable bowl of ranch dressing shows up. I start out with a base of soft cream cheese. To make it dippable, I blend in sour creme if I want a tart dip, or creme fraiche if not. Then, it's a matter of addons. The variations are endless. Sun dried tomato and basil Chopped carmelized onions Garlic and shallot Spinach and parmesan Basil and pernod (an aquired taste) These are just a few of many. use your imagination