MarkIsCooking

Thanks to those who sent on encouraging words. I worked on a tape last night! When I submit it, I'll put a link in here so I can get some more friendly encouragement (though at that point I suppose the die is cast - or at least the first die). Someone said something about how all the recipes are devised by others and then the 'stars' are just walked through how to present it - like many news anchors. Do you know this to be true? What else do you know and where did you find the stuff out? I thought it was interesting last night when Jag was breaking down about how much pressure it all is, he said something like, "I'm not used to make up and reading from a teleprompter and all this". When do you think they're reading from teleprompters?? I thought their demo challenges were off the cuff, so to speak. Maybe not??? Did anybody see the article that has FN hot around the collar? (i.e. that Jag may have lied about his background on his application). The article said that FN is 'looking into the allegations" and that it's particularly sticky since Jag was still in the competition, which prepped me for seeing him hang around in last night's episode. I'd love to hear some ideas about my 'food point of view", which they seem to be harping on a lot. I think they're basically trying to work through what the winner's show would be - whoever that winner might be. Given that I'm a middle aged married father living in the burbs who's been in one business or another, I figured I could be credible as a 'guy next door' cook who could educate people about finding and selecting high quality ingredients and taking them through basic techniques and relatively easy-to-execute preparations. How does that hit you??

I admit I watch all the cooking competition shows. I rationalize it by having TiVo, which lets me fast forward through the most inane parts (and sometimes that's a lot). I think Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef are far more 'chef' oriented, in that the end game for these people seems to be they want their own restaurant. I see NFNS differently. They're looking for a TV Show host. I think they're much more concerned with marketability of the 'personality'/'brand' than they are what the credentials are of that person in the kitchen. Certainly the person could be great chef, but not required. Analogy: News Anchors. Some of these people are really great reporters and some are just teleprompter readers. Ultimately, what matters is whether people feel comfortable with them and watch them. Does anybody agree?? I've actually been toying with the idea of throwing my hat into the ring for next season. I think I'm solid on the food side (perhaps not the greatest, but could probably hold my own), but I've done a lot of public speaking, some video work and spent a lot of time in HR/management and I think I might be able to connect as a guy-next-door personality. Any words of encouragement?? -Mark-

Ideally looking for a selection of clam/lobster, high-end dining, as well as simple places with astounding food. Aside from restaurants, do you know of any other fun foodie activities? Maybe a cheesemaking experience or something like that. Lobster place: Jasper White's Summer Shack (not the one downtown; the one near the Alewife T Station). The one downtown is fine for quickie food, but if you want more of a serious meal in a very low key place, go Alewife location. High end: l'Espalier No. 9 Park Radius -Mark-

Had one of those oven gloves for a few years (different brand). Awesome! To the herb-grower owner, is it really that great?? Does it put out enough to make it worth the trouble? [i have tons of perenials that grow in my yard; too bad it's only about 4 months of the year.] -Mark-

I haven't seen them before, but looks interesting. A pain, however, doing the whole print a form and fax it rather than straight credit card online. I'd love to hear if others know about these guys. Plus - the banana powder looks intriguing. Anyone have suggestions for its use??? -Mark-

Here's what I heard at school recently, just after we had a visit from some Italian food experts visiting from the homeland. By the way, I have tested water temp with a thermometer and you will start to see small bubbles, which some refer to as a simmer, below the boiling point of 212. The Italians told us that the goal is to have the water hot enough so that when you add your pasta the water continues to boil. Therefore, you need a pot much larger than what most home cooks use. They said at least 1.5 gallons to a pound of pasta. Also, you want the water to 'taste like sea water' meaning rather salty, however, don't add the salt until after the water boils because it will slow the boil. When you're boiling a large amount of water, they suggest covering the pot because the water will boil faster (as mentioned above) if covered, thereby conserving heat. Lastly, as most here know, they always extract their pasta from the water (never pour it out through a colander) because they typically use some of the pasta water to finish their sauces. -Mark-

Wow! You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the input and commentary. Now I'm positively dragging myself downtown next week to pick up some and give it a try. -Mark-

I was just introduced to a FANTASTIC Italian market yesterday in Boston's North End. For those not near Boston, they do mail order. The stuff I tasted (proscuitto and cheese) was amazing. And, they also sell a balsamic vinegar that is quite interesting. They made a deal with the producer to basically sell his production. So, the guy does not go through the hoops and expense to get a DOP or similar label. Result: for about $35 you get a bottle that would otherwise be maybe $90. Their site is here: Salumeria Italiana Other great sources for Italian high quality products??? Please add to the thread. -Mark-

Fat Guy - Thanks for your reply. The guide told us that Barilla is actually opening their 3rd factory in the US soon (one already there is the Iowa one you referred to). Your point about the texture of the exterior of the pasta matches exactly with some things he was telling us. The texture, he said, indicates use of bronze dies on the extruding machines. Some Italian pastas actually refer to /mention in some way 'bronze' somewhere on the bag/box, letting you know bronze dies were used. The benefit of the more textured exterior is a superior adherance to the sauce. Does all this jibe with stuff you've also heard?? -Mark-

I've heard again and again how difficult it is to make money in the food business. There's a store a few states over that I've visited again and again over the past few years. I guess I'd call it "upscale country". They feature a limited number of prepared foods (weekly changing), sandwiches/panini made to order, fresh coffee, homemade gelato, baked goods, catering and they have a wonderful market that sells wine, high end ingredients (DOP products from Italy, Wines, truffle oil and the like), high quality chocolates. It seems like there isn't a lot of competition for a high quality store like this. Maybe because there's no money in it and maybe because it's a newer concept. But, since they just expanded and did a facelift to the store, I'm thinking it must be going at least OK or they wouldn't have plowed more money into it. Anyone have any thoughts or insights on this???? -Mark-

I live in the Boston area and today I went on a very cool culinary tour of the North End (Boston's Little Italy). A few of the shops there sell what they call "Artisan Pasta", which as I understand it is pasta that is not made in big factories (like Barilla), but rather are made by smaller producers who dry the pasta longer and use different extrusion equipment. QUESTION: Is buying artisan pasta worth it? Will I notice the difference? By the way, our guide also told us that about 5 years ago Barilla setup factories in the US and the Barilla we're now buying is now made in the US not Italy (except for a few pasta shapes/types sold in specialty stores). He says that it just hasn't been the same since the switch. Anyone else hear this? Agree with this?? -Mark-

This scenario might fry your computer when you read it, but here goes. I've tried a bunch of recipe programs and haven't loved any of them. I put all my recipes in Microsoft Word or if need be - in PDF format. I realize that I can't get a nifty shopping list out of this system, but here's what I do get. I get all my documents in the public folder on my .Mac account. So, all my recipes are always safe and stored on the Internet (no worries about computer crashes, lost files, etc.). I make sure that I title the documents in a way that helps me find stuff by doing simple searches (i.e. Chocolate or Shrimp or whatever). The other benefit of this system is that I can access my recipes from any web browser AND I can easily keep my recipes where anybody can find them. Say I have people over to dinner and they just LOVE my braised beef dish. "Grab the recipe off my website," I say. Are you techies still alive after hearing my VERY simple approach??? By the way, if you want to see it in action, just go to MarkCooks.com and click on the RECIPES page. -Mark-

I use a Japanese stone also and the instructions say to soak the stone in water until the small bubbles stop appearing (takes up to 1/2 hour). It seems like the wetness helps lubricate the blade across the stone. In school, they demo'd for us on stones that were oiled, which I didn't like as much just due to the whole oil thing. What do others say??? -Mark-

I'm jumping on the 'picky' bandwagon. My wife spends no time picking stuff out and invariably she brings home some amount of stuff I would never have picked (but I remain quiet for the most part in order to retain a harmonious household). Does it bother anyone else how they bag up all the grapes now? I realize they do it to reduce the store's write-offs, but sometimes you're paying for a lot of bad stuff. -Mark-

I went with the beans in Bourbon. Mine still smells rather alcohol-y. Anybody else with Bourbon have something to report? Does it sound to everyone like the people who went the Vodka route are having a better go of it? I think Fat Guy's idea to bake something with the stuff is a good one. -Mark-

I put plenty of beans into Bourbon and mine is still smelling fairly booze-y. I must say, though, I've never had a jar this big of vanilla extract before. Is it possible those little bottles would smell booze-y too??? Should I just try the stuff in something and see what happens? Fat Guy - you started this. What should we do????? -Mark-

I just made a big Tabouleh. It consumed a ton of fresh herbs and people loved it. -Mark-

Hi everyone: I just took a garnishing class and felt completely lame. What tips do you have for easy yet cool garnishing AND what books can you recommend for someone wanting to build and hone garnishing skills? -Mark-

I prefer scissors for cutting chives and my heavy duty ones are very valuable when getting all the meat out of lobsters. -Mark-

I never buy any fruit that has already been cut. While it may allow you to see inside, there is a huge degradation that starts once the skin/flesh of a fruit or veggie has been cut into. I don't know where you live, but all summer long there are lots of place in New England where you can buy fresh watermelon that has not endured long truck rides from who-knows-where. -mark-

I guess the question is what "over-sold" means. My guess is that all well-run culinary schools (including mine) provide a solid baseline education; and that's a good thing to have. Let's face it, no matter where your career leads, you will be cooking and eating your whole life. In terms of return on investment for education, my guess is that culinary schools are on the low end of return. For example, law school costs a fortune, but the lifelong income of someone with a legal degree is typically far greater than most people without them. Given that wages in the restaurant world are fairly low, except for the very few elite at the top, I doubt the payback on a culinary degree is as strong. Getting back to the over-selling thing, everyone in the US should be aware that all for-profit companies are there to make money and usually do things that err on the side of making more money (hence "over-selling" or at least zealous selling). I personally don't think you can ever go wrong getting more education, and, if you are passionate about the experience you should walk away with - not only an education - but lots of new friends and contacts you never would have made otherwise. -mark-

I'm not sure what the stains are but I had an accident with a Sharpie marker and I used Amodex and it worked fairly well. Best of luck, -mark-

The dish is already done and made with gelatin. I'm going to try for room temp and we'll see what happens.

I made a mushroom terrine and there's something about the temp that I'm not loving (i.e. cold out of the refrigerator). I assume the gelatin would still hold just fine at room temp. Would it? Would any warming at all result in the whole thing coming apart? Suggestions? -mark-

Awesome advice everyone - and so fast too! I love eGullet!. Thanks. -mark-