chefzadi

What is you prefered commercial brand of fish sauce?

English as lingua franca? I thought it was supposed to be an International site in spirit and theory... maybe practice too? It's an experiment in pluralism, non? And this can happen in French or English.

Oui?

Zeitoun- Your way also sounds pretty Algerian too me. Can you imagine how many lentil dishes my maman made with seven kids? Yes, she added lots of lemon too. I also like my lentils more cooked for a soup than I would for say a lentil salad. Tender with some "bite." Croutons? Of course! I like your method of cooking the onions, garlic and herbs seperately. It illustrates the brilliance of our cuisine. Simple techniques that add layers of flavor even to a most humble legume. So your wife makes Lebanese? My wife makes Algerian? It's a beautiful world! EDIT: For some reason I read, "my way" as "My wife's way" Either way I still like your recipe and methods.

I've never openly offered BYO. Regular customers have occassionally asked, very politely and diplomatically for special occassions. In these cases I didn't charge a corkage fee unless they got on my nerves . I can't recall a customer who ever abused "special" privileges. At the fine dining level it's not like customers will pull a stunt like asking for a free water cup at In N Out and then filling it with cola.

Which school in the US? The students all wore a chef's toque?

I'm so confident that I do a decisive shrug. French logic, this exists? I'll get back on topic with my next post.

Recipe please.

I think that Zeitoun and FoodMan would know more about Middle Eastern style lentil and spinach soup than I would. I'm North African. I do have a recipe for a similar soup, but I don't know how it compares to a Middle Eastern version. I am learning more and more that the couscous line is more than that, culinarily speaking. Alot of the mezze are very similar though... I'll post a recipe later, I have to go pick up my girl at school soon.

I haven't seen those gross bonnet blanc in real life in a long time. They are made from cloth so unless extremely starched, they won't stand straight up like a toque made from paper. I actually prefer gross bonnet blanc to a toque. They seem more jaunty than a the more pompous toque. I'll do some research and get back to the board.

http://www.cheftalk.com/content/display.cf...45&type=article More about toques and Chef's whites. I'm a classicist. But I've never been keen on the toque, sort of feel it's pretentious. But when I teach kids they love it!

WOW! Thank you for sharing! It looks delicious. Vietnamese cuisine is a gaping hole in my culinary education. I'm looking for to more posts from you. Can you give us the recipe? Please?

Why not do a whole salmon? The presentation can be very appealing and "upscale". It will save you a lot of work and headache. Have a good time with your family and serve them somthing fantastic at the same time.

Not just toasted, but added in greater amounts. 10 Times more than North African cookery. I'm used to the same spices, we just don't add as much.

There is no doubt that those two restaurants are the most serious contenders. I am not too familiar with the history behind the awarding of Michelin stars but isn't it rare (or impossible) to see a restaurant receive three stars less than two years into its opening? Could this be a factor in not awarding three stars to Per Se? ← It is rare.

I'd disagree. NY is not France anymore than Italy or Spain is France, although there are French chefs with restaurants in Spain, they are not the three star restaurants. Keller is an excellent example of chef who epitomizes French standards of cuisine. I regard Michelin and its guides with great skepticism, but I think you're wrong to look at the externals from a postion of being in Paris or L.A. There is nothing at Per Se in the way of "all the other details, machinations, accoutrements, luxuries, etc that "make" a 3 star place" that don't outshine Arpège for instance. Daniel can be criticized for its size and for turning tables. Both of these things may contribute to a an atmosphere that some may find distracting, but I've experienced more distraction from the hustle and bustle of the service team rushing about at Michel Guerard, the epitome of elegant dining in France as well as relaxed atmosphere, to believe that any of this need be a reason for not awarding three stars. How the inspectors and publisher feel is another matter. Michelin's mission is to promote its own guides and tires. If it's going to support French cuisine, it will do so by just minimizing the number of stars awarded as it does in Spain and perhaps a number of other European guides. ← The operative word I used was BEFORE. Who get's it first. I just get the feeling that my fellow French Chefs here and in France are watching this one more closely than other "races" in other countries. I could be wrong, but then again I know what I hear. Michelin will never have the "hold" it does in France (which some might say is slipping, which I'll reserve for the France forum.) in other countries. Of course Michelin is a business... I'll leave this alone here, because I am tempted to apply it France. I think Bourdain more strongly implied you know who's understanding of Michelin and what they want more clearly than I did.

Michelin is a firm part of the culinary "establishment" in France. More than a player but a mover that inadvertently (yeah right ) sets, designs and directs the stage for restaurants over there that want or have stars. If an American chef in NY got three stars before a French chef in NY the shock wave it would send throughout France . Touragsand mentioned it would be like stabbing a knife into the hearts of French Chefs. It really wouldn't end there, it would extend to the public and the press. The fallout, the loss of clout for Michelin's in its most "important" country could be tremendous. It would be a deep cutural wound. All "politics" aside. Ducasse is the master I see in town. Keller might have staged or worked in a few Michelin star places. But Ducasse is the king of all the other details, machinations, accoutrements, luxuries, etc that "make" a 3 star place.

It's not just me that likes butter. It's the Algerian way of steaming and seasoning semolina couscous. My wife prefers less butter than I do. But she made it the way I like it, for once. More or less butter or olive oil... to taste.

More of my wife's handwork. She prepared and plated these. Individual service. Family Style. Traditionally a round platter would be used. But this is was what we had available. The Algerians have a French flair for presentation. That's just the way history happened. For either style of service a soup bowl or tureen should be served with the broth seperately. Diner's typically ladle as much broth as they want onto their portions. Harissa is dissolved into the broth in the ladle. This is the Algerian way of dining. Of course a communal platter or individual plate of couscous would be served with this type of tajine. Beef or chicken can easily be substituted for lamb. Some tajines even have a combination of all three, which is the way my maman made it for special occassions. Next we will make Trid or Poorman's B'stilla with the leftover Poulet au Citron... NOTE: The two plates above are actually from the same batch. My wife and I will figure out how to use our new camera one of these days.

Now for the Lamb Tajine- This version is robust, earthy and rustic. with a stronger than usual hand with spices and garlic. Washed, trimmed and cut vegetables. This is meat from the leg. Browned lamb. Browning the lamb improves the flavor tremendously. Ingredients: 2 lb of boneless lamb from the shoulder or leg, cut into 2-1/2” pieces 1 lb of carrots, trimmed and cut into 2-1/2” cylinders, slice cylinders in half length wise, then quarter 1 lb of zucchini, trimmed and cut the same size and shape as carrots 1 lb turnips, trimmed and cut into wedges. 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked in water overnight or one can (we used canned this time, because we forgot to soak dried chick peas the night before) 2 medium onions, diced. 5 cloves of garlic, minced 4 Tb Tomato Paste ½ ts Saffron Spice Blend to taste, I used 3 tablespoons this time. Salt and Pepper to taste. Olive Oil Harissa to taste 2 Tb flat leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped. Method: 1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pan with a little Olive Oil. Do this in small batches. 2. Sautee the onions and garlic in a dutch oven with a little olive oil for a few minutes until they are translucent. 3. Add the browned lamb and chickpeas with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add ½ tablespoon of the spice mixture and the tomato paste. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 4. Add the remaining spice mixture, ½ tablespoon of harissa, carrots and turnips, cook for about 10-15 minutes, than add the zucchini cook for 5-10 minutes. 5. The saffron is added during the last 10 minutes of cooking. The broth should be of a soupy consistency. Sprinkle in fresh herbs at the last minute. To serve, place the meat and vegetables decoratively on a platter, ladle a cup or so of hot broth over this arrangement. The remaining broth is served in a tureen. Each diner should be given a dinner plate for the couscous, meat and vegetables; and a soup bowl for the broth, which is spooned onto the couscous throughout the meal. Harissa can be added to the broth to taste. Traditionally couscous if eaten with the fingers, nowadays spoons are used. Serves 6-8 depending on the number of other courses offered. Algerian family stlye dining, a large platter of semolina couscous, platter of meat(s) and vegtables and soup tureen with broth. Tip or truc: again I added the spices in layers throughout the cooking process for the same reasons I noted with the Poulet au Citron. I also add harissa in layers too. Slow cooking harissa in a tagine mellows out the heat and bite of peppers, adding a deep undernote of flavor, adding more towards the end adds a fresher layer with more bite. Of course harissa can be served as a table condiment for diners to add even more. Finished dish to follow.

Merci! You are making me blush. Of course we would love to have you join us for lunch or dinner anytime!

Let's makes some harissa in preparation for the Lamb tajine later. Again, apologies for the quality of the photos. The disparities in color are especially noticeble in this series of photos. This is the ground spice mixture I was talking about earlier. Fresh whole spices, ground as needed. Ingredients for harissa. Clockwise starting at 6:00 PM sundried tomatoes (these are the oil cured kind, but no reason reconstituted dried ones can't be used, dried Japanese chilies that have been reconstituted in water (we just had them at home, so that's what we used), roasted red pepper (skinned with seeds removed) and of course garlic. 1/2 Roasted pepper 4 sundried tomatoes 1 cup whole red peppers reonstituted in water 3 cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon spice mixture puree in food processor, a few tablespoons of olive oil and some water as needed for a thick, dense puree. There you go. Some of the "radiance" is from too much flash. It's pretty atomic stuff. You have been warned, so don't hate me the next morning! The Tunisians love harissa so much, I've seen my Tunisian friends slathering harissa on bread and eating it plain. I think I would pass out from the heat. EDIT: For this version of harissa I was inspired by Ms Wolfert. She informed me in another thread that indeed in a Tunisian version of harissa, sundried tomatoes are used. Thank you.

Tajine style- Cook on stove top. Joint the chicken into 8 pieces, as I mentioned I prefer the French method for presentation and portion size. Rub in the saffron and turmeric mixture, season with salt and pepper, brown in a little olive oil. It is important when browning the chicken not to move the pieces around to much, really not at all. In a dutch oven saute the onions and garlic untill translucent. Add the browned chicken and enough water to cover, slowly bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Add some spice mixture (if you want), season with salt and pepper. 30 minutes into cooking add the olives, preserved lemons and tomato paste. Total cook time is 1 1/2 hours or untill chicken is tender. Adjust for salt and pepper as you cook. Before service add the herbs. Tastes better the next day. EDIT: The tajine style one is Algerian as well. The class I taught was called "Moroccan tajines" because Moroccan cusine is better known in the States. We talked about the broad differences in Moroccan and Algerian cookery earlier in this thread. But I wouldn't be surprised to see both versions of the Poulet au Citron in a contemporary Moroccan or Algerian home.

These are two different versions of Poulet au Citron Above is tajine style. It was made by my students. And it is more of the type you would find more typically in an Algerian home, especially my maman's. Above is more of French-Algerian. Just as "authentic" made by my Korean-American wife! A more fine dining restaurant version could be made with a game hen, trussed of course and the flavor would be just as phenomenal. more to come.... P.S. on the olives, traditionally it's more common to used cracked green olives, but the piths are sort of annoying to me when I'm eating, slows me down too much so I used pitted olives.

It looks delicious Behemoth- Funny how our palates change. My wife can eat Algerian food several times a week. she eats Korean food much less frequently, hardly ever even though she still loves it. I guess she just got a little "tired" of from growing up on it. On the other hand I eat Korean barbque, rice and kimchi 3-4 times a week. If I go for a month without Korean food I start to ache for it. EDIT: the bellydancing gets on my nerves too. Jeez, we're not sultans, ya know. Some respect please. EDIT: The chicken does take on a beautiful saffron and turmeric colour, but in that photo the "radience" of the flash is quite apparent.