chefzadi

The thing about tasting is that you have to cook to your own tastes. Your tastes are different from my tastes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Do you mean "body?" Do you mean "quarter of a turn", as in 90% turn? And then "repeat the fold", as in repeat step #4? For your consideration, how about this format? This format is similiar to the ones found in the new Joy of Cooking and Mastering the Art of French Cooking (MAFC): Waiting for the "shaping & stuffing", and of course, the eventual tasting .... ← Yes, I mean body. Typo. Quarter turn. The format I'm using is standard professional format. I have no idea about the Joy of Cooking and Mastering the Art of French Cooking formats.

Thanks for the results John. The episode hasn't aired on the West Coast yet. It will in an hour. I've pretty much been out of the loop for the whole series. They air after my bedtime. Last night I caught the rerun of Flay vs Bayless. I thought the results spoke to the credibility of the judges, excluding Steingarten. I also got the impression that it was the anchorwoman who swung the tally in favor of Flay. She seemed to be infatuated with fruit and spicy flavors. Bayless presented himself extremely well. Quite the gentle person. After watching this episode, I don't think I can stomach another one with such a blasphemous ending. I know it's only a TV show. Of course I'm not part of the target audience.

Kalentika Algerian stuffed flat bread I had this in Oran. Dough for stuffed flat breads or Coca Ingredients: 1 cup warm water (100 degrees) 1 package dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 3 cups flour (AP or fine semolina or a combination of both) 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon of smen or butter extra flour for dusting Method: 1. Place the water in a large mixing bowl, add sugar and stir untill it has dissolved. 2. Add the yeast, let sit for about 5-10 minutes. A creamy foam should appear on the surface of the water. 3. Add the flour, salt, olive oil and smen to the proofed yeast. Begin incorporating the ingredients by stirring. When the mixture comes together in a pliable mass place the dough on a lightly floured surface to begin kneading. 4. Form the dough into a flattened ball. Fold the edge opposite of you in half towards your body. Knead the dough with the bottom of your palms away from your away. 5. Turn the dough in quarters, repeat the fold and knead (dust the work surface with flour as necessary) untill the dough is smooth. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes. 6. Form the dough into a ball, place into a large bowl and coat lightly with oil. Cover with plastic, let rest untill double in bulk. This will take about 1 hour at 75-80 degrees. I wouldn't get a barometer to measure temperatures though. Depending on the weather place the dough in a warmer or cooler place in the kitchen. 7. Punch the dough down. I'll cover shaping and stuffing in the next post. I'd also appreciate some feedback regarding the format of this recipe. Is it clear? Easy to read? Do you feel like any steps have been omitted?

To thicken the sauce for Rabbit with red wine.

Rabbit with mustard cream sauce. I made it for my family the last time I was in France. My wife was shocked that my then 6 year old niece ate it with delight. My American born and raised 6 year old won't eat something so cute and furry. Although to her credit she likes fish with the head on. Carswell's list is terrific.

I prefer my lobster simple, unadorned with drawn butter. Anyway, interesting how the expectations are different in a French restaurant when it comes to seafood. Japanese sushi/sashimi is revered, considered quite upscale, worthy of high tabs. I hate wasabi, makes me gag, it's like a gasoline fire in my head, for me even a tiny amount is too much. I find soy sauce to be too strong too, I only like it in meat marinades and that took me 4 years to get used to. But to dip a piece of expensive raw fish into it is something I would never do. I'm probably in the minority here on egullet in my attitudes towards sushi and sashimi. But can anyone argue that soy sauce and wasabi are not strong flavors? So part of the pleasure here is extreme contrast. Even the master sushi chef's seem to have quite bit going on with flavors, textures, vegetables, sauces, etc... in some of their presentations. The Lobster and the scallop dishes look Asian influenced. The salmon in the Chinese soup spoons is amusing. I hate those paper doilies and spoons. I can't even imagine that the other flavors in those dishes could be as strong as soy/wasabi. But you are in a French restaurant, no matter how "International" the dishes may seem. So you have certain expectations about how the primary ingredient should/will be treated. I wonder if the strawberries and raspberries aren't just in the dessert as a new way to use an old fashioned garnish for chocolate desserts? In which case deep consideration might not have occured for it's consumption. Of course nowadays the prevailing philosophy is that all garnishes shoud be edible and inform the central ingredient. I don't mean to ramble or argue, I hope I'm not coming off that way. I usually avoid discussions like this, but I feel et alors is very open to such discussions.

When I moved to the States I had to adjust the opposite way. I didn't know at first that regular American butter had a higher water content. I cursed it so. I prefer plugra for everything, especialy pastries when it's cost effective. But I agree that in some applications the difference is nominal, perhaps not even discernable.

Algerian confitures, conserves and syrups. Confitures are usually called maadjoun. The range of fruits are predictable. A notable exception is a sweet eggplant preserve and a sweet carrot preserve. Conserves are usually called m’raked or m’ssabar The preparations include lamb preserved in olive oil, artichokes, peas, haricot verts, peppers, olives, lemons and tomatoes. Syrups are usually called Cherbet. They include orange flower, pomegranate, lemon, orange, gum Arabic and strawberry. Next I will discuss relishes and condiments.

Excellent points all around Ptipois, especially... I'm interested in the star/hair splitting reviews I've read. Most of them seem to focus on levels of expectations for one star, two star or three star paralleled by threads that conjecture (not without confusion) about how Michelin rates restaurants.

If you like spicy, my MIL makes a Korean braised dish with wings. Potent stuff. Chicken wings Onions garlic soy sauce a little sugar Red pepper flakes a touch of sesame oil salted shrimp (optional0 add everything to taste and a little water. I think the cooking time is about 1 hour to 1 1/2.

Algerian Breads Flat breads are more common than leavened breads. Khobz means bread. Kesra refers to semolina flat bread and leavened bread. Cocas refer to flat breads with toppings. Pizza refers to flat breads with Sicilian influenced toppings. Names for stuffed breads and breads with herbs and spices vary from region to region. Ensemna is a type of layered flat bread (think of Indian paratha), so is Khobz Ftir. M’takba is a fried bread. I'd rather take request for specific recipes rather than posting random ones that might be of little interest. Questions?

I taught another class to kids. The teacher wanted a multicultural theme. I've already mentioned the time and equiptment constraints. (anyone can teach similar classes with one of those counter top butane burners. They are available at Korean markets for less than $20.00). We made Mexican Pizza with Asian vegetables. You know what kid's actually like vegetables!

I'm the one who started this thread. Now I know the significance she had to North Americans. But since she was not a part of my cultural/culinary landscape when I was attending school in Paris, training in Europe, working in different parts of the world I can't say that she influenced me or that I love her like so many have poetically and emotionally expressed here. I know about her now, but I just don't know her in the same way that others do with deep affection. It's not that I dislike her Even now teaching a French based culinary curriculum she just doesn't come up. She comes up in recreational cooking classes as in do I recommend her books for learning French cooking.

I've only seen/heard of scant cases of mansaf making and eating in Algeria. Although an Algerian friend of mine says his mom made mansaf tadjine regularly. Mechoui would be more common for celebrations.

Next time you might want to add some sugared pecans. They add a nice contrasting texture and flavor especially agains the bleu cheese. I have to say in Los Angeles, salad meals are always huge sellers.

Well you have a set of dishes now and wines to go with them. Maybe you've even inspired a few readers. Better luck next time.

As a consumer I really like the amuse I've had at some Italian places Beef tendon with arugula seaoned Cured beef, very thinly sliced Fresh mushroom, parmaggiano cheese, a drizzle of olive oil At Algerian places maybe some olives and spiced nuts.

More Algerian pasta sauces- I mentioned earlier that there are regional variations in names for dishes. But there are attempts to sort of standardize names of some dishes by describing the primary elements of dishes. Often times these names don't offer much descriptive information on method of cooking. Short vocabulary lesson El m'hasa be tomatiche= small berkoukes with tomato sauce Berkoukes bel tomatiche= berkoukes with tomato sauce Maqaroun bel tomatiche= Dried pasta (if you were thinking macaroni you're correct, but it also means general dried pasta) with tomato sauce Rrechta bel tomatiche= Noodles (tagliatelle to paparedelle size) with tomato sauce Badenjal= Eggplant Fennel=Besbas Fava beans=Foul Cardoons=Korchef Courgettes=Karaa Green peas= Djelbana Lhem= meat Khodra= vegetables Djaj= chicken Osbane= tripe The tomato sauces would be similar to Italian tomato sauces. Spices and peppers may be added. Cayenne, paprika and cumin especially. Herbs could include coriander leaf, flat leaf parsely, zaatar, marjoram and basil. I think that basil might be added to tomato sauces along the coast. I don't think of the herb as something that is used for cooking outside of the coast. Seafood might be added, usually prawns. Which can be cooked in the sauce, boiled or grilled seperately. Vegetable sauces and ragouts- I already mentioned the slow cooked fennel. Possible combinations includ but are not limited to: 1. Cardoons, fennel and onions (slow cooked, no spices) 2. Eggplant, tomatoes, sweet peppers, courgettes, garlic, onions. (with or without spices, herbs and hot peppers). Berkoukes bel Osbane is a red sauce made with tripe. I already mentioned meat ragouts, but meatballs find their way into sauces as well. Vermicelli and Orzo are also common shapes found in Algeria, but they are usually added to soups Chorbas and Ahiras. Berkoukes are also added to soups. Vermicelli finds it's way into sweets as well.

Brilliant - but wasn't it ee cummings and not e.e.cummings? Neil - that's the best answer I've heard yet in a thread that I honestly thought would garner no more than a handful of replies. ← Anything about chefs vs customers and tipping gets a huge number of replies on egullet. Giving the impression that they are huge problems in these areas.

Next time I'm tempted to send out an amuse, I'll stop myself. Because ya know it's not trendy anymore and if anything I am a cutting edge chef. I strive for this, this is all that matters. Although the concept of amuse is part of my food culture, long before it was a trend. But now that I've been told that an old tradition has become faddy in America and London, I'll just have to stop. Mezze must go too, because the whole small plates thing has been done to death. If I do send out an amuse I'll be sure to charge for it, because free food is no longer welcome or it is suspect because it might be added to the bill through a back door method. And damn when I put a little lobster butter on toasted brioche or a little creme fraiche and caviar it distracted me from eveything else and the rest of the dishes will suffer. Cause after 2 decades of working I still can't walk, talk and chew gum at the same time. (By the way if the emoticon didn't signal this, I am totally joking. All in good fun)

I lived/worked in London for a while. It's the most commercially cosmopolitan city I have ever been too. Amazing. There seems to be at least one restaurant that covers pratically every type of cuisine. As for ethnic France has the best North African outside of North Africa (it's even better if you are invited to a home meal) and the best Vietnamese outside of Vietnam and Orange County, California. There are other good ethnic places in Paris, but I don't think of them as something that can only be had in Paris as opposed to London. Nonetheless I would follow ptipois on her recommendations and Meg's.

I'd be happy with one of those heads. You don't know what your missing! I'll pass on the blood though.

Thank you Paula. They are of interest to me as well. You are a vastly superior writer than I am. I just happened to be born to Algerian parents. But you have studied and lived North Africa much more than I have.

Typical Setifienne sense of humour. You know we laugh untill we are crying. I'm sure you've noticed this with your friends. Kemia didn't initially ring a bell with me. I had to think about it because I haven't heard it used for mezze that often, very rarely a long, long time ago. I find this to be more so with English transliterations. In France it seems to be more consistent. Good to know that there is a system like the IJMES. Please post those photos.