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Write a complaint letter. I would. It's good for the management to see that the servers are really not doing their job. I agree that there might have been a good reason for them to card you. But that's no excuse to be an ass. People like that should not be working in the hospitality industryu. or at least they should be trained to know what hospitality means.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, but flambeing does have (as far as I know) an effect on the amount of alcohol the finished dish has. You're right, flambeing is a cheap theatrical effect when done tableside, but a lot of flambeing is done in the kithcen to incorporate falvors to a finished dish without the roughness of the alcohol. So b is closest to the actual purpose of flambeing. When you flambe, you burn the alcohol out of the dish. You can also do this by simmering it (as I said before, alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures than water), but the flames do add some extra flavors.

Alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures than water does, so if you let the flames extinguish themselves, then the alcohol will have burned off. Of course, that's what I always believed to be true. I never really stopped to think it over. Maybe somebody can provide a more scientific response. But I do belive what I said to be true.

Perhaps... I was the good looking latino I was a PM student before my externship and I was a PM student again for "restaurant row" That was september to november 04. Were those your pre-extern days? Shalamanese, I think the idea is to get used to the design of a plate. We didn't have that class (or anything like it) in Culinary Arts, but I agree with the concept. You're right, you can and should make food taste good rather than (or at least before) you make it look good. But if you're trying to, say, photograph plates you are creating, you have to sacrifice flavor in favor of food that looks good. Did that make any sense? I feel like I'm not expressing myself correctly today. Last night was a looong night

don't worry about the group leader. We had the same thoughts and fears when we chose our group leader. She only needs to be organized... well, having a little patience sure helps. I was very lucky with my class, as the average age in it was around 24 years. We were all mature and just wanted to get our work done. Plus, I was in a small class (I think it was 8 or 9 of us per group), so we didn't have much time to fool around. now, the teachers are there to guide you, but they're not miracle workers. You only get out of school what you put it. you'll get your share of tools and your share of cocky cooks who think nobody can teach them anything new. As long as you remain humble and avoid getting caught in the drama (there's always drama), then the 2 years will be a breeze. btw, if you ever run into a really cute girl from Colombia named Camila, tell her that Carlos says hi. good luck!

I'm glad to see they finished Anton Plaza... looks pretty cool. They were building it when I graduated. I was affraid of what they were gonna do with that space, as it was one of my favorite spots. Then, I came back from my externship and they were removing dirt to start construction. Welcome, chiantiglace, to the CIA. I trully enjoyed my stay there. Wish you the best of lucks, and make use of your time as a student. Get involved, get a job, talk to every chef out there. They love it when you do... just as long as you do it respectfully. And about chef Andreini... he's a CMC now... wow! He tought gardemanger to my sister class, and they all hated him. I guess he's pretty arrogant, huh? CMC stands for Certified Master Chef... the certification is international, approved by some board... the candidates have to go through a whole week of tests to be certifed. Those tests are taken at the CIA, in a pretty cool kitchen. EDITED TO ADD: nice pictures!

I wish I had known of this thread before I got these pictures taken. I was doing some promotions so I hired a photographer (well, she's my friend, but I still hired her). I would've taken some pictures of the whole fish. It was fun to prep. I live in Chile, which is all coast, so we get all kinds of different fish and seafood. This one is Merluza Austral, which is some kind of Hake. This is me prepping the fish My very own "Hake Three Ways, With Yuca Pureé and Peach Salsa"

I could easily give up on eating commercial potato chips for the rest of my life... as long as I can still make my own. Anyway, there's always yuca chips or plantain chips (chifles) which I like better.

Freezer burn in meats is not a food hazzard if that's what you mean. However the flavor is not that great: (here´s the link to the whole story... plus, it's a pretty cool website. I visit it often) So, to answer your question, just cut the section off, unless you are making a rich broth and the "burned" parts are very small. Then, they will have little effect on the finished stock.

Things I make that take a lot of cutting and chopping: 1. salsa. you can get complex with that and add fruits, tomatoes, onion, chillis, etc. Maybe you can do a cebiche with different veggies, instead. 2. Sti fry: everything julienne. 3. Ratatouille works, too. You can just get him to chop nice brunoise garnishes for soups... even for stocks Make sure he has sharp knifes. If he doesn't, teach him how to do it.

I guess the movie could do what the book does so well: take the timeframe and compare the lifes of Walt Disney with the entrepreneurs behind Micky D's and other fast food companies. The book is great... I read it when I first got to the CIA. I still think it should be required reading there. Very interesting. Also, very disturbing.

In 2006, I will eat only when I'm supposed to. I will make breakfast for the people I love. I will find a butcher and a fish monger that I can call friends. I will learn some pastry. Enough with my boring desserts. I will teach everything I know to anybody that shows interest. I will read more on food history and gastronomy. This is the year I will try to delegate in the kitchen. I will taste everything I can. Just keeping up with my past two or three years. I will use more latin american ingredients and techniques. I will give satisfaction and joy to my customers. I need to loose my inhibitions. We need to respect each other more and have empathy. My kids... wait, I didn't even know she was pregnant!

Bacalao a la Vizcaina.... my mom's favorite. Traditional spanish dish. Basically, poaching the salt cod in a tomato, bell pepper stew. Good stuff. This is the first recipe I found online. I'm sure you can do much better, but it should give you the basic concept of it.

Malawry's thread is a good source for ideas... and I also like Lori's suggestion. Do teach him specific recipes, but concentrate on cooking techniques. This is the way I would handle it: part 1: Product ID and how to buy stuff part 2: Equipment buying and maintaining (including sharpening knifes... stress the importance of a good set of really sharp knifes) part 3: stocks, soups and sauces (just the basics, so he can adapt later to his own needs) part 4: Cooking Methods: from poaching to simmering to roasting to sauteing to braising to frying, etc part 5: specifics, like pasta making, bread and/or vinaigrettes (or emulsions... like mayo and hollaindaise) also, always talk about proper knife cuts (for presentation and even cooking), plate presentation, menu planning, seasoning, etc. And always expand your explanations. For instance, you can teach him to make duck confit, but make sure he knows this is a way to preserve meat and that you can make a "confit" of anything, once you know the basics. "Confit" of salmon (cooked in olive oil) Then, move into pastry and baking. 2 weeks is not a lot of time, but if you concentrate on the technichalities of cooking, then he will have a good idea of what to do with his new knowledge once he's back home. good luck!

Couple of points, here, just my feelings on the subject: 1. Once, a line cook told me that if you were to overcook tuna, might as well buy the canned variety. It's cheaper. True, if your fresh herbs are crap, use the dry ones and get a better finished product 2. Sometimes it's better to modify your recipe if you can't find quality products. For a while, we couldn't find any basil here during the winter months, so I just gave up on my highly acclaimed (well, by my family anyways) tomato-basil sauce. We have dried herbs for the same reason we have dried tomatos, to use when the fresh product is not available (mainly do to seasonality) 3. This is a personal note. I first look at what fresh ingredients I do have on hand, and plan my dishes according to them.

This is the way we did it at two restaurants I worked at: start off as you would when making it regularly. I sweat the veggies, add the rice and sautee for a little while. Then I pour some wine and let the alcohol cook off. Gradually add stock and stir a little bit to let the starch of the rice mix with the stock. I cook the rice to about 80%. The rice is still very firm to the bite, but you can already tell it's been happily absorving the cooking liquid. I cool it off completely over sheet pans and then (for restaurant use) scale it and store it. to finish the risotto, place in a pan with some stock and cook until desired doneness. Finish with some butter and adjust seasoning. By the way, I agree that before you cool it, the riso should be moist. Remember the rice will keep absorving liquid as it rests. good luck!!!

Wow! I had totally forgotten about the X-Wing... I graduated form Kent State back in 99. Crazy, that place is still there... and expanding! As for the menu items, at least in south america, the opposite is true. More reataurants are making shorter menus. I think people get tired of having too many choices. Las time I was at the Cheescake Factory it took me about half an hour to pick an appetizer. Good thing, too, as our waiter took about that long with the drink orders I think, though, thjat some places gat get by with larger menus. In fact, maybe it's the only way they'll get by. I just can't imagine myself ever wanting to wirk in one of those kitchens. Can you imagine service, when you're in charge of 15 dishes? no way!

I tried making stock using post-confit bones, but it just didn't turn out as rich and flavorful as I would've hoped. You can make it, but I would advice agaist it. However, I have two suggestions. 1. If you have some duck stock on-hand, fortify it with your post-confit bones. Just simmer the stock with the bones for about 45 minutes for some extra flavor 2. Whenever you're making regular chix stock, add your post-confit bones to make a nice chix stock with character (this alternative would be my choice) 3. I know I said two suggestions, but I thought of something else... make your remouillage and reduce it to a glaze for later use. I like this one.

I agree with rich, if the restaurateur doesn't keep up with the page and provides a whole lot of flash animation and flickering emoticons, then it's better that they don't have it. You must be careful when building a website, as you want to keep it usable, friendly and inforative. If you really have nothing to say, skip the website. Also, it's always the choice of the people running the restaurant on how to spread the news. Maybe they don't want a whole lot of new business or to have to deal with on line reservations or even replying to emails. Having said that, a website is a pretty cool tool that can be used to one's advantage. If you want to upload information regularly, and talk a bit about your personal philosophy, share some recipes and post relevant information (like your chef's resume, the menu and driving directions) then you shouldn't go without a website. I would certainly have one.

You can easily pre cook the risso 80%, even large batches. Then your staff can finish it in smaller batches (I'd say no more than enough for <thinking></thinking> 8 people per batch) You will need about 3 times the liquid to the rice. I usually go with the half a cup of rice per head. In fact, I usually go with a handful of rice per head. As for the rice to use, I find Carnarolly (sp?) to be more forgiving, as it's starchier. Now, if you want my advice, I wouldn't cook rissotto for that many people. You need to really caress the preparation during the last few minutes, so that it's served al dente. Too much stress right before service. However, if your staff is well trained and you've got plenty of helping hands, go for it! Nothing nicer that rissotto when I go out to dinner!

I can tell you that the fish I've seen more often in Perú (where ceviche was first created) is corvina (sea bass). They also have a mixed seafood ceviche and a shrimp one (although I preffer the one they make in Ecuador). However, the seafood in those ceviches is pre-cooked. About the marinade, I also like limes. I don't marinate long, because it changes the texture of the fish. I like it raw-ish. I let them sit in the lime juice for no more than 5 minutes. Most ceviches in peru are garnished with red onion, bell pepper, aji (chiles), cilantro, corn and sweet potato. I also like to add a little olive oil to the mix... make it more like a salad. You can also experiment with tamarind or some booze in the marinade (like a mojito or a cachaça ceviche... or a bloody mary shrimp ceviche... that would be good)

Here´s what I think: Food, and I mean good food, like any other form of art, touches you and estimulates every sensorial nerve on your body. Isn't that what organoleptic relates to? You don't need to paint to appreciate the works of Dali, however, only a painter can understand paintings, becuase (s)he knows about the hunger, the passion, and the subtle details. The same happens with food. You don't need to cook to find something you like and to really enjoy eating. And you can read to abtain further education on the subjects of cooking. But, can you understand how hard it is to braise lamb in a way that makes it taste like heaven, if you've never tried it? Is it enough that to you "it tastes good"? Is it enough that you know that they've probably been working for two days on that braise? You can appreciate food if you don't cook. Sure, but not in as many levels as somebody who does it. Cooks have a more... intellectual understanding. And it goes deepen in professional kitchens. For instance, anybody, with a standard recipe and a few pointers can make a nice fluffy soufflee at home. However, pulling it off at a restaurant, during dinner rush, with just two ovens toserve 120 people. That's magic. You might understand how cool that is, but only after you've tried it (and failed, or succeeded only because of the help you got) you can admire the discipline of a kitchen staff. It's not only about "how trained is your palatte". It's also about "how much do you understand about what's going on behind the closed doors"

*Deborah* - You can dry your figs if you want, if you have a dehydrator... or you can also reduce the liquid by drying them in the oven. However, I wouldn't advice to this. You can just make jam. Just remember that figs are amongst the sweetest fruits, so you don't need to add a whole lot of sugar. Other than that, just like you said, cook them until the liquid reduces to your desired consistency prasantrin - I've never heard of peeling the skin. I never do (and figs are my favorite fruit... I eat them all the time) My favorite recipes? Bake them for a short time in the oven (with a little salt and maybe some thyme) and eat with duck or any gamey meat. Or do a light batter (with milk, flour and sugar) and deep fry keeping the oil at a low temperature. Of course they go great with serrano or prosciutto, and with any kind of blue cheese (my favorite: cabrales)... however, they go nicelly with most cheeses (any grana or a nice manchego would work) If you're feeling audacious, deep them in liquid caramel and top any cake with them..., so good. Of course, I like to eat them by themselves, but if you do have a ridiculous amount and thay're gonna rot, then make a nice jam.

One of my first chefs told me once: always have a bowl for your garbage and a bowl for your prep. Also, when at the CIA, I got used to working with a bowl for my food waste, a bowl for the rest of my garbage (papel towels or plastic wrap) and a recipient for my prep. Anything that keepsyou organized in the kitchen is good.

I don't know if he's still there, but there was this guy, Gyro Bob at Kent State University. Yes, he had good gyros, but he made the best cheeseteak sandwiches. He was parked at Frankil Avenue, just outside the bars (incuding Ray's Place and Loft Pizza)