Zeemanb
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Posts posted by Zeemanb
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I think Simon takes it...he and Besh seem like a lock for the final two.
God Andrew Knowlton is so whiny and pissy, what is his deal?
Oh man, I was wondering the same thing last night. When it came to casting him as a judge, I think the folks at FN must have said..."We need our very own 'Gail', only whinier". When Ruhlman was disagreeing with him last night I half expected him to cover his ears, stamp his feet and scream, "No, no, no, no NO!!!".
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I'll continue to watch the show as time allows, but I am serious when I say....the first time Gordo "accidentally" spills a tub of honey or creme fraiche on himself while doing a shirtless monologue, then runs out into the dining room and asks the ladies "Oh DEAR, can someone help me with this???".....I'm DONE!
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Oh man, I was on that very site last night getting sticker shock from the price of a thermal immersion circulator.....little did I know the $50 subject of my original search was on the next page! Now to see if Padma L. has already bought them out.......
As far as the show goes, I was really wanting to like it so much more than I am. I can't put my finger on exactly what isn't working for me, but previous comments about a complete lack of substance are very close. It's nice to see a reality competition where chefs aren't already knee-deep in interpersonal drama, but that doesn't offset the fact that we're not really seeing much food.
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Forgot all about this thread.....I've been so busy scouring the web to find one of those "smoking guns". For TOTALLY legit purposes of course!
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They estimate such coffee sales will bring in $1 billion annually.
So will consumers bypass the coffee houses if they can get their specialty coffee along with their breakfast all in one place...like at McDonald's?
True story..... I'm attending grad school and the campus has a McDonald's, a Starbucks and an independent coffee house, all about the same distance away. Whether it was weekend mornings or weekday evenings, I'd say at least 1/4 of my classmates would come in with various coffee concoctions from either Sbux or its local competitor. FLASH FORWARD TO EARLY THIS SUMMER....... McDonald's started selling a few different flavored coffee drinks. All I remember is one person coming into class raving about their McD's vanilla latte (or whatever it was), and I'm not exaggerating when I say that within a week or two the MAJORITY of specialty coffee drinks that came through the doors were in McDonald's cups. It really was an amazing phenomenon. No idea if it was the price, speedy service, subliminal advertising, or what.
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If you feel like a road trip, Paradise Meats in Trimble, MO has good stuff, including Heritage Foods heirloom items (wagyu beef, berkshire pork, etc).
Just a quick followup.....drove up to Trimble w/chileheadmike on Saturday to survey the goods. Great selection of meats, though I stuck to Wagyu flatiron and a Piedmontese filet during this trip. Excellent customer service....if you don't see it just ask, and if they don't have it they can generally get it pretty quickly. I think I see some veal t-bones in my future.....
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Best moment from last night - Colicchio is skewering Casey over her dish with Gail piling on when Eric Ripert shuts them both up with "I disagree". After his pronouncement from the mount they were both visibly squirming to dig themselves out of their respective opinion holes
Totally agree..... I need to go back and watch it one more time to make sure it wasn't just choppy editing, but it looked like Gail almost gave herself whiplash from changing direction so quickly! And I have to add, unless Ripert is a hellion off camera, he comes across to me as a nice guy who takes his job as judge very seriously and genuinely wants to give valuable insight.
I'm already wondering how they're going to craft Season 4....... my short term memory isn't the greatest, but I think Howie was the biggest drama queen/villain this year, and they REALLY had to go wild with the editing to build it up as much as they did. They didn't really have any bitter rivalries and nobody was booted off for assault. Most of the cheftestants could actually cook food, got along with each other, and there have been some REAL chefs acting as guest judges. So (in spite of the same type of ridiculous challenges) I have enjoyed this season far more than the second, but I'm wondering if BRAVO will consider this "good tv" and keep going in that direction. Guess it all depends on the ratings, but I'll bet it worries some execs when you're down to the final three contestants and the biggest "villain" to root against is a guy who dumps stuff on the floor and doesn't chip in to help when he gets done early.
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What did I miss?
He yelled at Larry King, calling him incompetent for dangling a participle, which caused Larry to cry. Then he threw a glass of water at Larry King because the water was luke warm, and finally, losing all patience with Larry, Ramsay sent him home with 10 minutes remaining in the show.
I had some very mixed feelings when Gordon threw that water. On one hand I was angry that Larry was stupid enough to have staff members that would forget such a crucial detail........but on the other hand maybe he thought it was more of a "European" way to serve the water. Either way, I look forward to hearing Larry's reaction, and I hope the next person to host Gordon will learn from his mistakes.
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That episode made me reconsider what to tell the magic genie when he says I've got three wishes........one of the three will now and forever be "party with that crazy butcher". Seriously. Damn.
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I was looking at some small Hormel pork roasts last week at the store......... up to 30% "solution" added. Thirty Percent!!! I thought the babyback ribs with 12% were bad enough........that's just crazy.
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I just have to say how NICE the last few weeks have been without Gail.....
Speaking of her....unless I'm completely losing my mind here.....during the promos they have been showing all week for tonight's episode I could have SWORN there was a brief clip of her saying yada-yada-yada "was UNexcusable". I don't really know if that is proper grammar, but for some reason it stuck out as sounding wrong to me (flashback to at least one other instance of Ms. Editor flubbing a sentence).
Then TONIGHT (and I'll go rewatch to be positive)....during the same sentence she said INexcusable.
It is completely possible that I'm losing it, but can anyone else verify a difference between the promo and the actual show?
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I was really sorry to CJ go, but there was no other call to make. Padma looked like she was going to cry - the only time I've ever seen her so upset to see a cheftestant go.
Maybe CJ was the one supplying her WEED!
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A great place to check out is the newly expanded Hueng Vong Market at 4th and Grand. They have very cool produce walk-ins, sort of loosely arranged by hard vegetables, greens and herbs, and fruit type things. There are three, maybe four produce walk-ins. And great meat and seafood counters. I've been going to Hueng Vong for years at 5th and Walnut, but their new location is just wonderful.
Agreed! I went there last week for the first time and was delighted. I thought I had posted it but, apparently, that was in an offline conversation. And they have more implements, serving and cookwares, too (or maybe they're just displayed in a more shopper-friendly way). Clearly they have grasped the new wasp-ish demographic of loft-dwellers and figured out (sadly, perhaps, but accurat ely) that wide aisles, hyper-refrigeration and bright lights sell. It's great to have TWO such wonderful Asian markets within a stone's throw of one another. And I think there is room for both -- I don't think either will drive the other out.
Fingers crossed, hoping we're actually getting an urban thing happening here.
I will definitely visit Hueng Vong this week or weekend for comparison's sake. I'm most interested in checking out their produce section. It totally slipped my mind to mention that much of the produce last week at the Chinatown market was in REALLY rough shape....I couldn't believe some of it was left sitting out. My guess is that I was there the day before they got a new delivery, but still. Also worth mentioning that after I got home I noticed the tofu I bought was already four days past expiration...I rarely buy tofu and just didn't think to look while I was still in the store. Anyway, I'll be interested to see the differences between the two stores. It definitely sounds like Hueng Vong is shooting for a wider appeal.
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After watching an episode of "Have Fork, Will Travel" with Zane Lamprey, I'm having to rethink my definition of annoying, condescending, and cultural alienation in general........apologies to Mr. Zimmern because I had no idea someone else would set the bar so much higher so quickly.
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Damn, I've never seen periwinkles anywhere in town! That's exciting! Actually the last time I happened in there, the selection was slimmer than ever. I'm glad to hear I just caught them on an off-day.
Forgot to mention they are going for $3.99/lb and they had two tanks of them. I wasn't sure if the texture was something I could handle right now with my limited diet, but I ALMOST grabbed some.....I'm guessing you'd cook them like escargot?
Yes the selection is pretty good right now. In fact, the guys in the back were breaking down a beluga whale. I was too tired to wait around for any.
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I actually just got back from the formidable Chinatown Market in the River Market. Definitely a great selection of nasty bits, everything from pig's blood to duck feet. Lots of whole fish, the white bass looked particularly good. As far as the current live selection...lobster, dungeness crab, blue crab, manila clams, mahogany clams, and periwinkles...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things. Not feeling very inspired or adventurous today, I picked up some beef shortribs for $2.99/lb, and the nice thing is they are not cut down into pieces of individual ribs like you normally see them in the grocery store (although the guys at the counter offer to cut them if you want). I also got some 8-10 count head-on shrimp for $6.99/lb. I've decided that I have to have a recipe in my hand before I go back into the huge grocery section, it's way too easy to trick yourself into thinking you need to buy more than you need when faced with that many sauces, pastes and powders.
I also happened to stop by the Green Acres market in Briarcliff Village on my way home. From what I can tell, it is supposed to be a cross between a deli/prepared food mart and a grocery store...but doesn't do a very good job of either. No meat or seafood counter, but they do have a good selection of vitamins and supplements (25% off many of them right now, so that really was a nice find). AND if you want to pick between five or six hundred different kinds of organic yogurt, you may want to check it out. I can't see myself going back there, it's no Whole Foods Jr., which I'm assuming is what they were shooting for? And $7/lb for GARLIC is just offensive.
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There was one brief second during Howie's post-show debriefing where I thought he MIGHT start crying like Joey.....that would have been some good TV.
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I have to say I was transfixed by Hung's amazing insight- "I love to eat....I've been eating my whole life". (Or something to that effect)
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First of all, I hope things are going much better for your wife, FistFullaRoux. I did read this thread several months ago, in addition to reading tons and tons of literature, and talking to many people who had the procedure. After three or four years of dieting, researching, debating and fretting I did decide to go through the process myself. I had my gastric bypass surgery two weeks ago, and recovery is going well so far. This thread prompted me to do a lot of extra research into issues with post-surgery neuropathy, and I talked to my surgeon a lot about that. I'll be going in for monthly blood tests for a while just to be safe, and my vitamin regimen now consists of multi-vitamins, B complex, sublingual B-12, Vitamin D and Potassium Citrate. I'm also taking in a daily dose of "New Whey" liquid protein....approx. 42 grams of protein in a 4 ounce tube.
This was a huge decision for me and I'm only beginning to understand the mental gymnastics I'll have to go through in order to re-train a brain that has pretty much been able to act on every food impulse for the past 38 years. I don't have any illusions that the honeymoon will last forever, but it is great to be taking weight off so fast. I think I'm down at least 20 pounds since surgery (13 lbs as of last week at the doctor's), but I need to buy a scale so I can monitor it more closely.
As a serious foodie, I thought it would be best to start up a blog to force myself to chart my progress and the issues involved with switching to a completely new lifestyle. The biggest food-related revelation has happened in the past few days.....I no longer have to consider price when shopping for meat and fish (within reason of course)....when you only eat three ounces of protein at a time you can pretty much have the best available.
Anyway, I'll provide a link to my blog (my domain name is pointed there until I get done creating my own site). As an eG member and food-obsessed (to a fault) person, I thought it may be of some interest as I go through this process....
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Maybe I'm imagining things, but I could swear that FoodTV is cramming even MORE commercial breaks into these episodes...
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Lumiere - the same type as the French version with the layer of grape leaves in the middle?
I can't say for sure, but that WOULD explain some of the "compost artichoke" flavor and texture!
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Dinner on Tuesday night with moosnsqrl and chileheadmike was a winner......unfortunately, none of my pictures are good enough to post, and being such a busy and important man I’ll only have time for some random thoughts. Judy and Mike, fill in the blanks as you are able…
This meal was dubbed “The Last Supper”, as I will be undergoing bariatric surgery in the next few days. I think there is a thread somewhere on eG on that topic, so I won’t say too much here other than I thought the chef’s tasting at Bluestem was the perfect way to transition from one way of life into another. I’m really looking forward to becoming a JoCo princess in the next six months or so…bugging those guys for an amuse bouche tasting menu, or pulling the old “they’re doing the twelve course tasting, but I’m doing the three course....is there any way you can still have all of our food come out at the same time? If not, you know I’m just going to sit here and yack on my cell phone all night!”.
Anyhoo...When the bread service has to be replenished two or three times because every trace of food has been wiped from the plates...it is safe to say you have had a good dinner. Besides being a great value, the chef’s menu has a pretty perfect amount of food and wine. We were joking during the earlier courses that a tasting menu is only there to let you know what to order for dinner later. The courses have a way of catching up with you…and I’m no stranger to eating a ton o’ courses over several hours (and just eating a ton in general). As many times as Judy has been through it, I’m guessing her faux-fainting spells were just some kind of audition for reality tv or something. Anyway, the amount of food and wine, and the pacing was juuuusst right. I think we got our first course at 6:15 and left at 10:15.
We’re in the dog days of summer, so the inclusion of Crum’s Heirloom goodies were a TREAT...even for a carnivore like me. I’ll list out what I can decipher from my scratchingsm (apologies to Jeremy, I’m the worst when it comes to remembering or documenting wine pairings)....some of the dishes are on the current menu, so anything below that lists more than two ingredients is not from me.....
Amuse- watermelon juice and foam shooter
Hamachi Crudo, Litchi Granita, Sake, Citrus, Ginger
Shrimp, Salmon, Avocado “Roll”- this was fantastic, I needed about nine more of these.
Wagyu Tartare w/ Black Olive Caramel- you can’t go wrong with this dish….and I think the black olive caramel should be bottled and marketed as “heroin”. The pairing of the Pedro Jimenez sherry really worked with this course.
Foie Gras Torchon w/Smoked Plum, Golden Raisins- I still think this is my favorite foie preparation of all time. I don’t care what Judy or Mike say....for the thousandth time I STILL think that there is a place in this world for a Bluestem Torchon Biscuit! A disc of that torchon on a light and fresh biscuit, with a little bit of fruit jam, and as Colby suggested…a quail egg. This is going to be a standard preparation going forward, I promise you!
Gazpacho, Cucumber, Onion, Tomato, White Gazpacho Emulsion- I needed another quart of so of this too. Pure hit of earthy summertime flavors....and paired with a very icy/diluted limoncello of all things!
Fazzoletti, Italian Sausage, Black Pepper, Cherries, Saba- Fantastic sausage in this dish, very rich flavors. Also, the “Yang Yara” Syrah paired with this course is something I’ll be seeking out.
Walu, Guanciale- I can’t remember what else came in this dish, but the Walu (sp?) was perfectly cooked. Very rich for such a white, flaky fish.
Berkshire Pork, Soy Caramel, Heirloom Veggies- and in unison we all said “the shoulder is the best part of the pig”.
Tasmanian King Salmon , Braised Sweet Onions, Thane’s Potatoes, Aromatic Vinaigrette- this may have been my favorite dish of the night. The salmon was of such great quality and cooked perfectly.
Wagyu Striploin, Smoked Potato Puree, Tomato Beignet- oh man, I think this is when Judy really started losing it, but she was a trooper. I actually got some of her Wagyu and Beignet.
Cheese Course- served w/Fonseca Port. Man I love Maytag Blue Cheese. I wish I could remember the name of the soft, pungent cheese-served-on-a-spoon that included flavors of artichoke heart simmered in your compost heap for a summer...and I mean that in the BEST possible way.
“Baked Alaska” w/ Yuzu, Lemon, Mint- courtesy of one Mr. JWest. Flavor and texture was outstanding, and the extremely potent lemon sauce was a nice addition.
Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Cake, Passion Fruit Curd, Avocado Mousse, Chocolate Sorbet- chocolate overkill is never a letdown.
Compressed Melon, Citrus Crisp, Crème Fraiche Sorbet- nice, clean ending to the meal, very refreshing.
My dining companions can add their comments as they have time. This really was the best meal I've had in a very long time, and I look forward to coming back at some point after recovery. Until now I haven't had to worry about having any Bluestem "leftovers" the next day...that will be a welcome addition to the ol' fridge!
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I'm surprised no one (Z) mentioned The Bamboo Hut.
The Bamboo Hut dropped off my radar after the city of Independence lost its mind and instituted a smoking ban that includes all of the dives up and down 40Hwy. I realize it probably needs my support now more than ever, but I fear sending someone straight to the hell where they belong if I was having dinner and heard "oh it's so much better in here now that my clothes won't smell like smoke!". I can forgive a lot of things in our Orwellian society...go ahead and ban smoking if it makes you feel like a responsible citizen, but there are some places that need to be left alone. Taking away the tobacco haze from a deep fried slaughterhouse like The Bamboo Hut is like finding a remote tribe in the farthest reaches of the Amazon, putting them in fresh Men's Wearhouse duds and forcing them to sing "Our God is an Awesome God!".
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If you truly want some local, original (I think) Kansas City grease......I think all journeys begin and end with In-A-Tub tacos. There is one located just south of I-29 and Barry Road, easy to find going to or from the airport. Stick with the tacos....they are of the "deep fried and topped with neon orange powdered cheese" variety. Pretty much everything on the menu is fried, but the tacos are the reason to go. AND, right down the street on Prairie View Road is LC's Hamburgers (not to be confused with LC's BBQ). Very good burgers and fries.
Sourcing in Kansas City...
in The Heartland: Cooking & Baking
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I did a little lunchtime cheese shopping today and found out from the folks at the Wild Oats (119th) cheese counter that they may start ordering from Cowgirl Creamery within the month. I didn't think to ask if that meant they'd only be ordering actual CC cheeses like Mt. Tam and Red Hawk (or if they'd get everything that is available on their site), but I thought it was cool news regardless.
I've also been wondering where to find fresh burrata and managed to find some at Dean and Deluca. Usually D&D is the worst kind of lunchtime rush nightmare, but the cheese counter serves as the eye of the storm...at least today. So between Wild Oats and D&D I managed to score a nice little stash of Saint Andre, Humboldt Fog and a Spanish cheese called "Queso Valdeon" that was way, way too ugly to pass up.
I'm finding that eating such small meals post-surgery means I have to get the most "bang for the buck" flavor-wise, and what protein source is as diverse and flavorful in small amounts (and lends itself to the meticulous foodie nature) as cheese? With that in mind, one question.....can anyone name a good source for cheese NORTH of the river? I'm not out south nearly as often these days, so Better Cheddar on the Plaza is as close as it gets from my house.