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Carrot Top

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  1. How about you, Melissa? Is there any one person that comes to your mind?
  2. An interesting question. . .and my answer came out differently than I would have thought if I had just "briefly" thought. The first thought that came to mind was some of the chefs that I worked for when first entering the field. But that was not "really" the answer. There was not enough depth to that answer. It seemed feeble, flat somehow. The person who finally came to mind was my first mother-in-law. There is a story about her called "Not Your Average Joe" posted in the Literary Smackdown Entries (Round 25). I don't really think of her often, not often enough (for really she deserves the thoughts and certainly my gratitude). How has she influenced the way I cook today? Well. . .the foods that she knew and cooked are still my favorite sorts of things. And after learning and knowing how to do many more highly technical and elegant sorts of cookery. . .finally in the end of it all I find my preference is for the simple, the unpretensious, the "home cooking". The circle completed itself and the path came right back to where it started. Was it the food, or was it her, or was it the sense of family that was part of that time and experience? I don't know. Thanks for thinking of this question, Melissa.
  3. Whoa. And I thought it was bad the time my little Pomeranian dog got drunk at a party by drinking anyone's beer from the glasses that they had put down for a moment. I did have to walk him around quite a bit, later, to sober him up. (Though it was rather amusing to see him topple merrily sideways against the tree as he lifted his leg to pee, I admit. . .) Poor bear. Let's hope that at least he was a happy drunk, since it seems to have done him in.
  4. Carrot Top

    slummin' it!

    Speaking of hot dogs, I just remembered a babysitter that I had in elementary school years who made the same thing for my early "supper" every single day of the week. Hot dogs, sliced crosswise into little coin-shapes and placed between white bread slices then slathered with ketchup. Strangely enough, my mother was unimpressed. Thought it terrible. I thought them rather good, though, and don't remember ever tiring of them.
  5. And here all this time I thought Minnesota was just a myth. Looking forward to seeing "your world", Smithy. Lovely start with that red wine and rose ice cream. Perfect.
  6. akwa, thank you for the time you took to do the blog. It was generous of you, as it is generous of every blogger that offers this to the eGullet audience. I enjoyed it a great deal, as you must realize. And of course, you must have realized when you started this thing that your style of blog would create some questions or comments with its readers. Lots of luck with your projects. There are some good ones there, in my opinion. Both those that can be tasted in reality on the tongue and the ones that can be chewed over in the mind. Karen
  7. Actually I've done both fruit kebobs with a yogurt dip on the side and meat/fish/veggie or whatever kebobs such as ham, pepperoni, cheese, and peppers. . . or shrimp, cucumber, and cherry tomato. . .with veggie dips or hummus on the side. They love it. And to avoid any potential injuries, you can do it using plastic straws for the skewer. Mini muffins are great. They always get eaten. Remember that unless your school has a policy of "no-trade" at lunchtime, that it might happen that if you stay completely away from providing sweets that your child will get them through trading anyways. Personally it seems to me that one of the great things about childhood is being able to eat an Oreo cookie without guilt. Same, for cheetos. So I put those lovely junk foods in the lunchboxes too, in moderation. P.S. Have you tried calling broccoli "little trees" and ooh'ing and aah'ing over them? That works sometimes. . .
  8. After trying to sort out this question, I am still rather only half-way there if even that in terms of being sure what it is I think. . . but if I understand you right, then I think yes. There are several points which come to mind. First is the attenuation of "lots of ingredients" into one finessed single thing. . .a sauce, a forcemeat, a reduction of "whatever" for whatever purpose. That costs money in terms of having lots of stuff to start off with. . .and it takes time in terms of skilled labor, which also is an expense. This removes these foods from the availability of the "everyday person" in most parts of the world. And it is an approach to food being "figurative" as you said, rather than direct. Then there is the fact that there has to be some intelligence of a creative sort used to make food more "figurative" than just tasting "of itself". This creativity is not found everywhere, and of course creativity (partnered with the ability to turn it into something real) has always been in demand among those who have had the free time and education of whatever sort to appreciate how buying creativity can set them, themselves, apart from the madding crowd. On the flip side of this, many people who are very wealthy are actually very creative themselves, and have a habit of appreciating it in other people in other fields. . not all the wealthy have inherited their money. Lots have made it in various creative ways themselves, even if that creative way has to do with playing with numbers or trends rather than playing with food, or paint. As to what form that creativity takes in the way of food . .i.e. whether it is something novel or whether it is something more traditional (i.e. "nouvelle" cuisine as opposed to "haute cuisine" to use two examples that are rather standard in terms of our common understandings) that, ultimately, is up to the person that is doing the consuming of the creativity. But it is an essence of "having something different than the norm" done to the food that is important. The food is removed to a higher plane. There are no memories of dirt floors or fishing nets anywhere to be found in the idea of the food as it sits on the table. One is removed from the idea of having ever had to use one's hands to do a job. One is taken to the place where minds are used instead to do a job. Easier in ways. More comfortable. It has a lot to do with defining one's class, I think. And I don't use the term "class" perjoratively, but rather just as a figure of speech. I don't like the term "socio-economic group", it makes me feel queasy. What do you think? I am sure that you have some ideas I've never thought of. Oh. Mostly what I like to eat is things that taste as much of themselves as possible. My taste is for the very simple, the pure, that which does start and end right at the earth, the soil, the attention given to the original ingredient. I guess I'll always be a plebe.
  9. Carrot Top

    slummin' it!

    White middle-class American ghetto: (Yeah, I think there is such a thing ): Tuna-Noodle Casserole made with Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup Devilled Ham (from a can) Sandwiches on Wonder Bread Grilled Bologna Sandwiches on Wonder Bread (grill with margarine, not butter ) Salmon Cakes made with canned salmon. Pour gloppy white sauce over top and serve with canned peas, if you wish. My mother made something called "Hamburg Casserole" which was about 1/4 lb. of ground beef, a bunch of Minute Rice, and a can of stewed tomatoes. . .combined and baked. Not bad, actually. Has anyone mentioned canned cheap sardines in any way?
  10. In this area the place to go is Oasis Market. Right here in Blacksburg. Whatever they do not have, they will order.
  11. Could be so, Adam. Never thought about it before. Will do so now. Thank you for giving me something to (figuratively) chew on. It is quite yummy.
  12. Well. . .perhaps they have a different set of foods that are considered "mannerly". Most cultures do, don't they? Then again, the manners might be different and the struggle of man over chicken bone done in public might be seen as something to admire in one. I know I felt I deserved admiration after getting through that meal in public without anyone staring at me (too much, anyway!)
  13. Carrot Top

    slummin' it!

    Please remember, while you are doing all this sort of activity, to save the plastic packages from your loaves of white bread. When you have collected a goodly pile of them, you can then make an appropriate and home-crafted piece of art decor for your home, to match the mood. Braid and then sew them into a large rag rug. Hang it on the wall in a place of respect to gaze at while you eat. (Yes, I have seen this. And actually, the thing was beautiful! )
  14. My own personal understanding of foods that are planned to be placed on the tables of the very wealthy, which stems from having been chef then executive chef for the very wealthy, is that the food needs to be very easily eaten. I am not sure if that came from one group or another having better teeth to chow down with in history or not. . .but I am quite sure that it has something to do, both past and present, with shaping the dining experience into a certain form. It is partly about luxury, in the way that it is apparent that everything cost a great deal and that no expense was spared. The words and the way of "Haute Cuisine" is one way of defining that. . .and it usually is true that though at times the exact style can change into "peasant" food, that "peasant" food is then purposely morphed by the chef into things that can be chewed easily. And the more basic sauces that were in the original dish are enriched for deeper taste and softer texture. The point is not just the flavor. The point is to be able to sit at table and eat, or rather dine, in a way that will minimize the effect of any messy realities of the food intruding upon the meal. There should be no bones to stuggle with while cutting a piece of meat, chicken or fish. . .there should be no bits of vegetable to struggle with. . .there should be no sauce that is drippable. . .and it is even further better if nothing has to be cut with knife and fork. The best idea for a meal was to have it be transportable from plate to mouth without muss and fuss. . .with nothing but enjoyment in the act. As akwa said, removing the work from the table. This in turn sets a tone, a tone that has freed the diner from the usual sorts of responsibilities that a person has when eating. It allows them not only the luxury of the finest and most expensive things in the food area that have then been perfected, distilled, intensified for their pleasure, but also the luxury of eating them without attention being paid to them in a certain way. They can be taken for granted, they are there. One might consider this to be a sociological ploy in terms of class definitions. One might also consider this to be psychological ploy in terms of freeing oneself up for what often happens at the tables of the very wealthy. . .business. . .in one form or another. More often than the rest of us, the very wealthy have to attend to business. They do it at lunch, they do it at dinner. They do it in the expensive restaurants of the world that everyone else wants to go to just to "eat". They are there as much because it is a theatre. . . where they gather to do their business and the co-socializing that is neccesary for the business. In the past, I would imagine that the business took the form more of arranging marriages and alliances rather than discussing who was going to buy whose corporation and whether they were going to do it before or after the bankruptcy. But back to the food. The worst thing one can do when trying to win a business deal is to screw up by showing stuggle with cutting up a piece of chicken. It puts one at a disadvantage. Therefore the nursery food and the very attentive care to each and every detail. It is not only to make the food look good. It is to make the people who eat it look good. (And in my own personal philosophy, why not? Isn't the table about generosity? Or if it isn't, it should be.) Admittedly there were times that I joked that it might make everyone happier if I just chewed the food up for them so they wouldn't have to do that, either. There is definitely a lot of work in removing the work from the table. .................................................................................. In opposition to this, the food of the poor is often difficult to eat. Several days ago I was in a Vietnamese noodle shop in Florida. They had pigs feet in a ginger-vinegar sauce. I don't make pigs feet often because I can't find anyone who will eat them with me so I ordered them. . .ahhh. Delicious. But. Let me assure you that the act of trying to eat chopped up portions of pigs feet still dangling from the bone in a soupy broth in public is NOT an easy nor an elegant act. That dish will not make it to the tables of the very wealthy without being drastically tweaked. ..................................................................................... Again, as far as "understanding" akwa goes. . .my impression is that he has something to say that is intensely philosophic. And in this forum of the blog, the audience (if you will), has developed expectations of "how it will be". There is an expectation of photos, of descriptions of food, of "how this was done". This is natural for this is how it usually has been here. akwa is doing it differently. It requires close reading, if you care to. Sometimes close reading is worth it. Sometimes, in close reading, the meaning does not appear as one reads it. The words are struggled through, sometimes, with nothing at all happening really in the brain. Then later, sometimes, something happens. Perhaps akwa's blog is controversial. Good. Most interesting things are.
  15. More for those hungry for these sorts of things: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3208
  16. Carrot Top

    Binders

    Don't want to sound dull and all. . .but bechamel (made thicker than would be usual for a sauce) is good for knitting together a variety of things. As are all its relatives. . .add cheese, or a hint of tomato paste and herbs, etc etc. . .to the basic recipe as the desired final taste would demand . . .
  17. She is no doubt an excellent and beautiful muse. And one that you will love forever. ........................................................ Ooh! And won't she have fun playing with her food!
  18. Yes, I can see how that could be done. And is done sometimes in ways. It raises the question of what audience will understand or appreciate this, though. When I think of the patron with deep pockets and an urge to eat art whether that art be a dish, a painting or an idea. . .it is very clear that it could be done. Your viewpoint on making a rich person "feel better" about themselves can enter into this, too. An addition to the ways of creativity that humans can enjoy, if they are prone to wanting to enjoy. When I think of the Brazilians that are not even on the bus it takes a different shape. But of course from hunger they make their own conceptual art through daily imaginings just to stay sane and not driven mad by need. Those who know of different things, of course. Some may not know of different things so may not feel hunger for more than what it is they have. ............................................................................ There are many stories of people that were held in concentration camps who while starving would animatedly converse about meals past, of dishes consumed, of recipes in their families and ingredient lists. It gave them succor and courage to survive.
  19. Some say that cleanliness is next to godliness. And organization must surely follow after cleanliness in that line of thought. Yet chaos has some part in this thing too, the thing of ideas and certainly in the thing of demonstrating civilization. One wonders whether cleanliness could exist without the opposing chaos. I like the idea of a beautiful cleanliness and a nicely-tied up organization (such as in the study of Logic) that is well informed by the ultimately encompassing reality of chaos. Chaos is the world, really, and things that are created without a hint of its power, a sense of its power underlying the created thing (whether it be a piece de resistance of a pastry for dessert or whether it be a pure idea). . .that thing will have a sense of flatness about it, won't it.
  20. Rememberance of Kitchens Past, indeed. The second kitchen that I cooked in came to mind last night but after thinking about that boat, I got so tired that it was neccesary to escape to a mystery novel and a good sleep! The second kitchen I cooked seriously in was in an Airstream trailer. (Yeah, always the "Moveable Kitchen". ) It was slightly larger than the galley on the boat. We had decided to go to the Florida Keys for the winter. . .so found the Airstream to tow along and live in. It was, like the boat, rather "antique", rather "classic". Um hm. . .rather strange, I know. This kitchen had a small half-refrigerator, a stove/oven, and about 36" of counter space. And it had a table that was "built in" that did not have to be flipped up and down if one wanted to move more than two feet in any direction which was very helpful for food prep! The stove was still propane, but the water supply could actually be hooked up to a hose from outside so that we didn't have to lug heavy containers of water on board. Progress. It was in this kitchen that I decided (without knowing that I had decided it) that cooking was something that would be my profession. There was not a whole lot to do in the Keys besides swim and fish and. . .well. . .swim and fish. And I didn't swim a lot because the place was filled with old people and every time I walked to the beach (which naturally required wearing a bathing suit ) the old guys would do that lust-filled stare thing and their wives would do the I-want-to-kill-that-young-girl stare thing. So I cooked. Cooked the fish and the octopuses I caught. . .and the tropical fruits and veggies which were imported from the "mainland" to the Keys grocery stores. Not much grows there except for mangroves and grass that is so stiff you could break your toe on it. I particularly remember making puff pastry for the first time in that kitchen. Lovely. When we came back from that trip (which I was extremely grateful to do!) I went out and got a job as an assistant pastry chef at a catering place/fine dining restaurant by an extensive interview and by being asked to show my skills. So, yeah. I would agree that nobody "needs" a large kitchen (at home, anyway. . .the professional arena is a different thing) but. . .don't try to take away my larger, "open" kitchen where I live now. . .I'll fight tooth nails and colander for it!
  21. Sometimes we have the same situation on holidays. . .particularly when a large ham is cooked. It seems to last for eternity, the eating of the thing. . .as the week goes on and it gets made into ham sandwiches, ham spread, ham hash, quiches, soups. . .one might think that the act of eating these things would somehow connect them to Eternity in a philosophic sense. It is unfortunate that the whole thing becomes so boring and endless that any philosophic or higher thoughts about it are lost due to the inanity of it! As someone with an interest in faiths or beliefs. . .or religions. . .and how they intersect with food, I am also curious as to whether this holiday and the attendant food rituals is something that is taken in a deeply serious way. . .with the belief in the rituals being deep and true. . .or whether it has become for most (in this day and age) something more like our "Christmas"? (Christmas, for many people does not have a lot to do at all with the beliefs or religion originally attached to it but is more just about having a holiday of some sort. . .)
  22. Are you heading down the untrodden (or very lightly trodden, at any rate) path towards moving the act of pastry making into the realm of pure conceptual art. . .in a form that you have yet to decide upon? Just curious.
  23. One may live to create, but one does need to create to live. The Somersault Theory is what that is. As I apply the Somersault Theory to you. . .I see the tumble round. . .it starts with your imagination filled with ideas. . it tumbles right over into the work as personal chef. . .and where does the somersault end? Why. . .it finishes right up perfectly with Loulou smiling at you as you round back up into a sitting position. Nice somersault. Interesting form, great finish.
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