Tonyy13

Chef, I would like to thank you for your time, and I feel like I speak for almost everyone on the site by saying that we are all having a small part of our dreams fulfilled by being able to have a personal interaction with yourself. My question is what is thought of the American dining scene in Spain? Do you look to any American chefs for inspiration, as they look to you? Do you have any sort of plan to come and bring an operation to America? Do you prefer any American ingredients over those commonly found in Europe? Thank you once again, we are all honored. TA

The "science" behind a microwave's heating power wouldn't technically allow this to work. From what I have been taught in my four years of expensive culinary school (oh bother.... in Eyore voice), the micro waves that the machine produces causes water molecules to vibrate back and forth, creating friction, therefore creating heat. I have many a times asked why then, does plastic melt in the microwave (plastic being a petroleum product, not containing any water, and water only being able to be heated to 212 degrees before turning to steam). I have also posed the question as to if I put a pile of rocks in the microwave, would they explode if theyhad any internal moisture, or would they have no effect, if they had none? I am truly convinced that the MICROWAVE IS A THING OF THE DEVIL!!!!!!!! Thus, since crispyness is the absence of moisture (you heard it here first folks), I can't imagine that you would be able to produce a browned pizza that was crispy and chewy for the crust.

Red Bull and Gin... Deadly combo... Can't even stand the smell of Red bull now...... "They call it Red bull, why is it yellow?" Rough night, rougher morning.....

Anyone from Providence (up on the hill) who is, or wishes that they were (as if it were being part of a diety or something...) Italian call it gravy. It drives me nuts for someone to come into the kitchen to ask to put up a side of gravy, and you have to ask them which color, brown or red?????

I must say that I am unfamiliar with a style mentioned on this topic.... (this is a very hard thing for a chef to admit, so please, someone console me!!) 1)kulfi style Does this refer to teh ingredients? What is the ethnic origin?

You Cheeky Darling....

Hey Puck, What is it good for? Salad? I can hardly imagine cutting an expensive vinegar like this with EVOO.... Good as a condimento though, eh? Sometimes wish I was Canadian.... free healthcare and all.... and no murder.... and nice maple syrup...

Yah, it sounds good, and I have even tried an ice wine venegar as well before, but not this brand. I can only imagine how good it tastes. Over tahitian vanilla bean ice cream? I love that combo in my head already.... Going to post on my I Scream thread.....

I love the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory!!! An ex girlfriend of mine (who happened to be cantonese) brought me to it and it was the first time that I had green tea ice cream, now I am hooked, I order it wherever I see it. You guys have definately given me some cool ideas that I want to try w/ my kids, thank you. I do have a problem though with ice creams that have swirls and chunks of things in it, becuase of the way the paco-jet works. What you do with the machine is freeze solid whatever base you want to make, with no chunks in it or anything. Then the next day (have to have good mise en place for this machine), you place it in the machine, where a hydrolic arm pushes down a blade that is spinnign at 1500 rpm, shaving microscopic layers, and incorporating air . So, in order to place something with chunks in it, you have to spin the ice cream or sorbet, and then stir them in, but the next day, when the ice cream is too hard to scoop, so you spin it again, it purees whatever the chunks used to be. So, can you see my problem????

In RI, we once got butter fish that was also ordered and called by our fish monger as ocean catfish. Maybe this is your mystery fish?

Hey guys, Well, I need to ask a question, and I usually hate these "anyone tried it" forums, but I was wondering if anyone has dared order the expensive ($30 for 100ml) ice wine vinegar called Minus 8? I have read that Jean Georges uses it, and I was wondering if I should put it on my Christmas list.

... Well, I guess a cool flavor for a savory ice cream, kind of like a hearty carbonara or something like that..... As far as my game is concerned, I am pretty on my game, my students though, sometimes aren't there, and they wouldn't be able to get over the smell....ignorance.....

I once tried Bubble Tea at a place called Tealuxe, in Providence, and boy, it was bad. Kind of like green tea slurpee with black balls of rubber in it, the size of a small marble. The cool thing about it was that the balls flew down the large straw a la spitball oh so well..... Look out stop sign, here it comes, I got about 40 ft. in distance, no joke!!!!!

You guys are quick!!!! We have done the Chai, really nice if you like warm chai, but my the other chef in my class wasn't so hot on it, so it got passed on. Lemongrass Ginger has been done, so has the Corn ice cream, both with good results, the Corn ice cream being savory, rather than sweet, and being an amuse, rather than a dessert. Grapenut was my mom's favorite when I was a kid, and EVOO and White Pepper might be a little bit too much for some of our clientele to handle at the school, although they sound great for the restauarnt I am going to own someday. I also remembered a jalepeno chocolate ice cream that I once made when I was in school, and that came our really well too, give it a try, just roast the pepper, and puree them, comes out awesome.... Thanks, any more suggestions out there?????

Anyone out there have any realistic cool ice cream flavors? My students and I are tired of the same old stuff, although, we have come up with a few cool ones: Mexican Hot Chocolate (dark chocolate w/ cinnamon, star anise, allspice, nutmeg) Granola (vanilla i.c. w/ granola folded in) lavender honey orange blossom honey pommegranite sorbet poppy seed i.c. Champagne sorbet w/ strawberry compote Wild Strawberry I.C. w/ 25 year balsmac We are using a paco jet ice cream machine, so if there are items in it that aren't supposed to be smooth (i.e. the granola), than they have to be folded in. I am also not looking to do anything with candy bars or novelty items. LOoking for really cool sorbets, gelatos, semi-freddo, or ice creams. Any help would be great!!!!! Thanks so much in advance... Tony

One of the best things that I could think of would be bagna cauda, or in Italian, "hot bath". Equal parts anchovie, good for you extra virgin olive oil, and raw garlic, blended, and then heated over a medium high heat until it starts to bubble a little bit.

Thought you guys might like to read this thread that I started.... http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=56976 See ya there!!!!!

Well, as a Providence export, I would have to direct you to two places...One is Don Jose's on the Hill. I know your sitting there saying that the Hill is for Italians only, but au contrair (sp???), mon frair, This is good stuff. They aren't usually too busy, except for dsinner on Fri and Sat, so you should be able to walk right in, no prob. It is a bit pricey, but worth it if you ask me. Their Sangria is awesome. The other place is Tortilla Flats, up on Hope street. STAY AWAY!!!! Horrible American mexican food, way too expensive, not nice at all, unless you like that sort of college crowd, beer drinking, peanut shell throwing type place.

Yah, I have been meaning to get over there, I have heard mixed things. My students say it is the hottest thing around, but my chef friends have mixed feelings, some saying that some things there are good, and others are not. Maybe this weekend, I don't have a ton planned. We will see, hopefully, it won't be as dissapointing as my other outings.....

Well, as I had posted earlier, I worked for Melissa Kelley, so I know her food, and I know that it is good, but not exactly the kind of place that you can go to and just hang at the bar, or go with some friends to find great food. Also, I have had dinner at V&A's, and I was not that impressed with it. Lots of Truffle Oil, and things that your everyday person might think are nice, but when your in the business, you would rather do without. I have had so much truffle oil in my short career, I almost want to gag at the thought of the aroma. As far as opening my own place.... Those plans are in the works....

As someone who regularly used to write menus (our menu changed daily at my previous restaurant), I am all about the least amount of words, sometimes, even just listing the highlighting ingredients. For example: Grilled Fillet Mignon, Potato Torta, Wild Mushrooms, Sauce Jerez. One of the reasons that I used to do this was because I didn't want people to be dissapointed by an appetizer that featured only about a cup full of food, with a description that took longer to read it than to eat it. I also like the aspect of a diner saying "What is Potato Torta and Sauce Jerez?" This fosters an atmosphere of learning for both the guest, and the people cooking the food. I think that in today's food conscious society, there is a desire to know as much as you can about food, and if I can give someone a great meal, and a little education, all the better for me.

Ok, ok, ok.... I didn't mean to dump on the local fish down here, I am a creature of the north, and it has taken some getting used to. I used to like Snapper, Grouper, and other fish that I am now sick of. However, now that I have to eat them ALL the time, I am falling out of love with them. I would like to see some variety available, that is all. I tried cobia once, and I must say, I have never tasted anythign that tasted so much like mud. One cool thing that I did have while I have been down here though, wsa fingerling catfish. They were fried with cornmeal, so good!!!!!! Not exactly the fish of fine dining though, but it was great to eat a ton of fish with the fingers!!

Is there such a thing as fish jealousy? I grew up in Maine, and I didn't realize it then, but what a bounty we had!!!! I can still smell the fish that we would catch and dress at my grandparents camp in Dammerscotta, ME. I would kill for Nantucket Bay scallops right now, or a plate full of New England Johah Crab!!!!!

I don't even like grouper, or snapper, the two state fish it seems. I can't go to a restaurant that doesn't have those on the menu exclusively. I want to find somewhere that has cod cheeks, halibut, skate wing, turbot, bream, brill, plaice, anything other than grouper!!!!!!!! Maco shark is a novelty too, so don't even talk to me about that. I wish I could have oysters that weren't from the Gulf Coast too, hard to find blue points, kummumoto, malpeque, or any other type of farmed oyster that actually has taste to it.... disgusting..... I get so depressed.... Edited because my public schooling is apparent... is fishes a word?????

Thought I would pass along some photos of the food that my kids are doing, these are some of the better dishes that we have done at Machon. Some of this stuff is better than other stuff I have seen in Orlando, let me know what you think...