arielle

Karen, I feel for both you and your ex. I understand the feelings of the "person who is at home" because I have been forced to do that already, just to get papers so that I could legally work and study. It's tough on both partners...there's nothing else to say. I am glad that you have been able to get through your time of difficulty, I hope that you and your kids (if there are....) have borne this well. As much as I would like some, I thank God every day that I have none, because it's hard enough as it is........my cats provide me with intellecual and social stimuli! I can accept that as sufficient for the time being!

The eminent Mr Frank Zappa: You can't be a Real Country unless you have a BEER and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER. There's someone on eGullet who has this as their signature! Love it! Anyway, in that case France definitely qualifies........I'm not sure that the USA does - *Budweiser*? - give me a break! Plus, they don't even play *real* football - I mean, what's with all the stupid time out stuff, and the padding, and the HELMETS! (Bunch of wusses, that's all I can say!)

I don't know what Mr. Ruhlman's opinion of Emeril Lagasse is, but I will *never, ever* laugh as hard as I did reading Monsieur Bourdain's comments about him in Kitchen Confidential! Just about fell off my chair. Does the man think his show is a modern-day Batman? BAM! POW! - It's okay Robin, I'll get us out of here with my Bat spice/seasoning. That oughtta kick it up a notch! ZAP! You're going to do *hard* time, Mr Chickenleg!

This was what I was trying to say (sort of). Yes there were women 20 years ago who wanted to be great chefs, but: 1) as there was no real precedent for professional female chefs, it was that much harder for them to advance; and 2) proportionately they still were in much smaller numbers than the men. I also agree that it has only been in the last few years that working in hospitality (chef, maitre d', server, owner) has become considered somewhat desirable. In Europe, okay, there is a far greater tradition of hospitality as a career path, but in much of the New World, hospitality is still evolving into a 'profession' - what's the percentage of servers who aren't just paying their way through school? You've come a long way, baby (but there's still room for improvement!)

Quoting Hest88 (from that other thread Daddy-A was so good as to link): "Ah, I love Ruhlman---almost as much as I love our mild-mannered, self-effacing, quietly stammering Bourdain." See, now that's what I love most about these guys, their shyness, tendency to blend in and hold their tongues.....you know, the old "If you don't have something nice to say......" Nonetheless, I know a few people who wouldn't mind having their cleavage autographed.......

I think that you may have hit the nail on the head, Karen. There are probably too few women chefs who started working in kitchens 20 or 30 years ago, who had a desire to achieve 'great' status, for them to feature prominently. I think that we'll find that in the years to come more and more women will be there at the top. (I hope!)

No, sir, you are *not* jumping to conclusions......(not that I'd actually know what it all means either.... ) By the way, I too think that the review sucks.

Thanks very much guys [or sir, and ma'm! ;) ]!!!!!! I'm glad to see that you enjoyed St Lawrence, Jason, I love that place! When you have a chance to return there, you should also buy some meat from Whitehouse - they have interesting cuts, game etc, as well as demi-glace if you want to cheat with your sauce (I often do!). There's an organic greengrocer on the top floor that usually has one or two things that are just perfect (cannot remember the name...) and the other greengrocers, although not necessarily all organic, have a better variety of heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms etc than you will usually find elsewhere.

Congratulations LKL Chu! It's always wonderful to see someone who is enjoying such great success.

From Unibroue: Maudite, Trois Pistoles, Fin du Monde, et 11. From Camerons: Auburn Ale, and Lager. Creemore: Lager. Niagara Falls: Gritstone. McAuslin: Abricot Wheat. Ummmm, can't think of much else at the moment....... Grasshopper wheat!

No, emilymarie, you don't sound too idealistic and naive. The fact that you already understand what these women who have forged the path before you have experienced, and that it is very likely that you will also have work immensely hard; that it won't be easy; but that if you do work hard, and have talent, you will succeed..........to me this says that you are quite the opposite of naive. You realise everything that is involved in your chosen career path, but you have the determination to succeed. More power to you for it, and the best of luck in achieving your goals! a. Too true, Karen, too true. The funny thing is that if you look at the division of household tasks today, and compare it with the division 30 years ago, you'll find that most women are *still* doing the vast majority of the work. Okay, more people have someone come in once a week to do the cleaning, but if my is anything to go by, you need to perform some rudimentary cleaning every day to make it feel and look the way that I like it...plus there's the washing, ironing, cooking.....and we don't even have any kids yet to take care of....! My husband and I have split the work based on the number of hours worked outside the home (he works an 80hr week and I do 50hrs, then I do all the work at home; we work the same hours, we split it fifty-fifty, and if I work more, he does more) but I do think that this is a relatively rare occurence. We just have to keep on encouraging people to see this as normal, and society *will* change. Katherine, I understand what you are saying about the propensity for it to be men who follow their career paths, and that it is left to women to keep the home fires burning, as it were. BUT I think that it is up to each of us as individuals to decide upon our own future. If I want to succeed at work, I damn well will, and screw anyone who gets in my way (sorry for the outburst:blush: ) - this includes my husband. If he were to tell me that his career necessarily came first, and that it was my responsibility to stay home, he knows exactly what he could do with himself (involves something that I think is a little crass for eGullet!) Of course, I am in a better situation than most women, as I have not yet had kids. I understand that this makes the situation more complicated, yet if your partner loves you and understands you as a person, they should care enough to consider your needs and desires and ambitions, and they should do their damndest to make sure you get every chance to achieve them. Wendy, I agree with you. Most of the female chefs I know are willing to give the men as good as they get. So often the atmosphere is like a frat-boy club, and the women just need to show that they aren't indimidated by those guys. We have our own little restaurant, and my husband is the chef. There are two men and one woman working in that kitchen, and I can assure you that there is plenty of ribbing that goes on in there, but *none* of it is of a sexist, racist, sexual orientationist nature. Because that is not the sort of thing that my darling approves of, and if anyone were to use such language, they would receive a stern warning or two, and then would be politely asked to leave. The restaurant that I'm at now employs close to 40% women in the kitchen, and there are no issues for them at all. Many of them say that they have experienced difficulties in the past, but they all worked through them. May I say also that one of these chefs is probably *the* most feminine woman I have ever met (her figure, the clothes she wears, the make-up) she's beautiful and proud of it, but she's not afraid to do the difficult/heavy tasks. Slow and steady wins the race, ladies. If we keep working hard, pulling our weight and showing that there is nothing that we cannot do, we will achieve all our goals, both individually, and as a *class* in society.

Where is Little Tokyo in Kensington (street? close to?....) I presume it's more like a Japanese grocery than a restaurant. Sorry, I know that it's a little OT, but itch22 did mention it..... cheers!

QUOTING KAREN (CARROT TOP)..... It is not schools that will make women chefs, though they will help. It is not how society has changed and will continue to change that will make women chefs, though that will help. It is a fire in the belly that will make women chefs. It is a solid determination to cut through the crap and get out there and do it. It is being fearless in the face of tons of bullshit. It is facing up to the fact internally that it is a ton of bullshit you will face, and that you will just get out there and put your blinders on and do it. It is looking the big questions straight in the face and having good solid answers to them, for anyone that may ask. And having gotten to that point, there is nothing to worry about but the work. Worrying about how to fit in the other parts of a womans life is no small task. But let's face it...there are no guarantees in life for anything. You can place your bets as best you will, then wait to see what happens. And never...ever...let anyone tell you what you can or can't do, or how you should do it. Not even me, ha ha...! THANKYOU KAREN! This is precisely what I was trying to say, why I felt insulted by Daniel's article. As I said to him, if it was just I who felt there was a paternalistic attitude, then I apologise, but I'm sick of so many people using society's ideas and attitudes as an excuse to fail in their endeavours. Congratulations on your success in the kitchen, and I hope that your professional or other endeavours since that time have also been successful and (hopefully) made you happy. cheers!

Daniel, hi! I'm not suggesting that sexism or racism or ageism does not exist in this world. Not at all - I have seen people who have been unjustly prejudged based upon these things, or because they were homosexual. What I question is that you are applying past practices and the attitudes of chefs who, although they are very highly regarded in the culinary field, are nonetheless part of the 'Old Guard'. If you had asked Monsieur Point if a cute little English boy, who likes to 'throw simple, tasty things together' and grin at a camera, could or should be considered a 'top' chef.....I doubt greatly if he would say 'Mais oui, c'est un homme!' Sexism is still part of our culture, and yes, you are right: women are under-represented in many of the professions, and when they are there, the wages that they receive are often not as high as those of men. BUT, the truth is that there are also few women who are willing (or have partners who are willing for them to) sacrifice a family life for their careers. Unfortunately this means that at the least maternity leave in some extended form is necessary for them, which means that they lose a certain continuity in the advancement of their careers. Furthermore, I think that the perception that women wish to spend time with their partners and children, and are more inclined to insist on doing so than their male counterparts is not a fallacy. This is a *choice* that they make personally, not one they are forced in to. This is essentially why I have a problem with your article. I find the overall tone and thoughts expressed merely perpetuates the paternalistic attitudes of men who think that women are the second sex, and only suited to performing certain tasks. As much as I think that it is great for men to support the cause for 'equality' of the sexes in attitudes and practices as well as in theory, it would have been better for you to approach it with a tone less suggestive of a kind man, generously devoting himself to help the weak. If that was not your intention, I don't mean to have offended you, but this was simply the impression that I got from your writing.

Quoting Daniel Rogov's article: "Even though the word for cook, le cuisinier has its feminine counterpart, la cuisiniere, there is no feminine counterpart to le chef." "- The physical work required of the chef is too difficult for most women. - Because of their need and desire to have and raise children, women are not suited to the long hours required of the chef. " "...because these roles have traditionally been devalued and that because most women still cook at home they will resent the idea of cooking as a career for "as modern as they may conceive themselves, they still perceive cooking as a female domestic task"." "The sad but simple truth is that women have not become great chefs is because the role has not been available to them." First of all, the designation 'le chef' is applicable to all top management positions in the French workforce, in this instance you are referring to 'le chef de cuisine', but the title is equally applicable to ' le chef de l'usine' (factory manager), 'le chef de l'entreprise' (the manager of a business) etc. What we are seeing is a continuation of linguistic heritage......in certain cases political correctness has come to influence the French language...if ever the President was female, she would be referred to as 'Madame la Presidente', but there are many other professional designations where the masculine form of the noun remains (eg. professeur) but where 'la' is placed before it instead of 'le'. I think that you would find that many females working in French kitchens would be referred to as 'la chef'..... As to the 'five reasons', I think that you dealt with some of them relatively well....but others..... I don't know how much time you have spent in an industrial kitchen, if you have any idea about what conditions can be like in them, but I can assure you that they are very, very stressful on your body. My husband comes home some days and we would both swear that he had lost 5lb from working a 15hour day in nearly 40 degrees celcius heat. Aside from the temperatures, the job is very physical: have you ever made enough bearnaise sauce to feed 150 people? You see shat it does to your 'whisking' forearm! As much as I don't want to say it, most chefs end up with their hands and arms destroyed from cuts and burns, and it's not so sightly. Men usually don't care about this, but most women do (I've collected a few scars from an active childhood, but I don't know that I would be pleased to have quite that many). Further, to assert that women used to do this 100 years ago is to ignore the fact that they often were left in poor health, and with injuries from lifting heavy items, working long hours etc. It's not that women cannot perform this work, but I do agree that many of them would find it very difficult. Many women would not choose to follow this profession because of the fact that they wish to have relationships and families. I can assure you that if a woman wanted to have children, and did not have a partner who was able to take on the greater part of the task of raising them (or a nanny), that woman could not be a chef. The hours are so very long, and it is not a job that you can just take maternity leave (or paternity leave) for 6 or 12 mths and then just slide back in to your old job.......Kitchens are not the only places that this has been a dilemma for women, of that I can assure you. I think that if more women were apprenticing and actually had a *desire* to reach the top of their field, then more would be.........I think that there are relatively few women who actually care to do this job (more power to the ones who do!!!!!) and some of the female chefs who I know {one of whom has perhaps the deftest touch in her sauces, seasons to perfection, and can produce any cut of meat at the perfect tenderness} says that she struggled for some time within herself over her conflict of whether or not she considered that it was a "worthy" occupation. As to your final comment.......I'm sorry, but I simply take offence to the concept that we are being oppressed (thanks Lalitha!) and prevented from doing anything. In our society (ie Western), if someone has sufficient drive, dedication and tenacity, be they male or female, they can be whoever they want to be, and no-one can stop them. /rant over.

"light" anything (in Aust. they get down to 1.5 - 2% alcohol), and they have almost as little taste as Budweiser! Guess it's the same with the low-carb beers.

If you mix the sesame seeds with some miso paste (or miso and wasabe! mmmmm), it can help the seeds adhere better to the tuna. Also, as someone else (sorry, I forgot who) mentioned before, DO NOT MESS WITH YOUR FISH WHEN IT'S IN THE PAN!!!!!! It's really important not to make the mistake of turning it over again and again, not pushing it around the pan too much etc. Place in in there, turn it when it no longer sticks to the pan, and other than that, leave it alone. Also, be careful to not burn the sesame seeds. The pan should be hot, but if it's too hot you'll have burnt-crusted raw tuna with a cold center (not too appetizing!) Good luck!

Love oysters, anchovies etc, but don't get slack from my friends about it. BUT I DO hear about my 'gross' vegemite fetish: traditionally served on thickly-buttered toast, just a scraping of it; and most people still think it's foul. I love it smeared on the crusts of my bread and will even eat it with a spoon straight from the jar! It's so salty, and almost 'meaty' in a way (although Promite and Marmite are far more like that). Vegemite on toast with a banana sliced over it. Hey! don't knock it 'til you ty it!

Sorry, but what is Larb??????!!!!! I keep seeing it here, and have no idea!

Congratulations Dover, I mean Rebel, errr Miss Rose!? Glad to see that we're still going to be in good hands on the wine forum! Cheers!

Pissaladiere: basically a french version of pizza, it is topped with caramelised onion, good olives, sea salt, and a healthy dousing with olive oil (sometimes rosemary and/or anchovies are also added). It's meant to be very simple, but executed well, and using good ingredients, it is wonderful. Furthermore, it makes for good finger food (easy to slice, hold etc) PS - Good luck! Wish I could go!

I, too, love the scent of roasting chestnuts in a frosty street - one of the most warming and comforting smells in dead-of-winter Lyon. Hailing from a warmer climate, the smell of coconut and coconut oil reminds me of a childhood spent on the beach. Papaya with fresh lime squeezed over it. Freshly-made pesto genovese when I lift the lid on my blender: basil, pine nuts, parmigiano reggiano and olive oil *Ahhh*. Coffee. Steaming hot chocolate with chili (sounds crazy, but it's soooo good). Garlic, spices and herbs as they are being crushed with a mortar and pestle (mmm - chilies, lemongrass, cilantro, tumeric, ginger et al.....) Freshly baked cheesecake (une vraie tarte au fromage blanc!!!!) The combination of sea air (especially 'beach' air) with almost anything, it makes you so ravenous that virtually anything seems special, although newspaper-wrapped fish and chips is a favourite. Ummmmm, not too sure of anything that I don't like....yes! The smell of the subway at each station that houses a McDonalds - rancid oil smell! Anything that is past its prime. Boiled cabbage (although I love steamed brussels sprouts). Tinned corn (not sure if this is more a flavour or a scent issue). Protein that has been sauteed in too much butter, as leftovers the next day (the butter congeals around the meat, as well as whatever animal fat has been rendered!) Eugh!

I know that you've probably come and gone, but to everyone else out there, I have to say that the chicken churrasco (sp?) from the store upstairs, near the entrance to the market is one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten: masses of chicken; with tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, and an incredible piri piri sauce, of which I cannot get enough! It's on white bread rolls, but even that I can deal with for the sake of the filling! Librarian_chef is right about the mustard store, it's great; so is Alex Farms cheese shop, which sells its own olive oil, cheeses, olives, balsamic etc.

At Japango (on Elizabeth St - IMHO the best sashimi and sushi for the money in TO) there is a fish that the chef calls "white tuna". It has an appearance quite similar to tuna, but it is an opaque white colour. It has the texture of butter.....I have no idea what it is, although I have seen fillets of Chilean Sea Bass at the fish market, and I'm terrified that that's what it is........please tell me, Malcolm, that all this time I really have been regaling myself on Butterfish!!!!

Except for the dog part, I do the exact same thing! When I was a kid, my parents were pretty strict about my diet (just all very healthy eating) and I was only allowed two little dry crackers for dessert (Jatz, for those who know what they are! ) and I would eat around the edges, gradually shrinking them down to the very middle, until there was nothing left. And O! how I could make those two last, savouring every last grain of cracker, salt etc! Hey, it worked, though! To this day I'm pretty good with healthy eating. Oh, and I really like Vegemite: I smear it on like most people do peanut butter or Nutella! Makes my husband feel sick just watching me!