chefzadi

The more expensive one's are out of my budget. I'm familiar with the terroir over there. Terroir and wine, thought they might be related. I'm a chef too, so I do have quite bit of knowledge regarding foods of the region and what the characterisitcs of the accompanying wine should be. Food and wine, thought they might be related. I do know enough about wine to be asked to lecture about it. It's not my lifeblood, so I can't rattle off names of this years best.. What's the point of my post? If I asked myself before every post I made I'd never post.

Statements like this always set me on edge. Care to back it up with a menu you would consider up-to-date for this decade? (What is this decade called, anyway...the oughts?...the naughts?) ← I don't care to engage. I already sense that it would go nowhere. Maybe Jason could create an emoticon for tongue in cheek comments?

Someone asked why more people aren't participating. I keep eyeing this thread. I grew up in the Beaujolais where the Rhone and Burgundy meet (the locals stull argue about which region it's in.) It's a big topic. I can talk about the region, (food more so). But the wines have been out of my budget for some time (kids ya know, if someone "adopts" them for a couple of months I could try ALOT of great wine and report back ) so I couldn't recommend a specific bottle. But this topic is so onerous. I don't even know where to start contributing to this thread. Maybe this will be my last post on the thread.

What a coincidence, I was thinking of starting such a thread! But I my title was "what's the most offal thing you've eaten and like?" Mine is lamb's brains and kidneys. Okay, maybe brains are too much for the beginner. Lamb's brain lasagna from Biskra, Yum! Actually Lyon is famous for alot of offal preparations that aren't so awful. I think that these preparations might be good to start with. They tend to be milder.

Fried chicken. Sort of like the pig's squeal that I didn't understant at first.

What is a yardbird?

We can include pan fried. My list would change a bit. But the frequency wouldn't change much. But that's just me. I will post later on the deep fried and pan fried foods I enjoy when they materialize in front of me (but don't pursue ) But I think that including sauteed dishes or stir fry dishes that aren't blanched in oil first leaves the field too open. We want some focus, non?

Yes Pan, deep fried. I'm aware of the Chinese technique of oil blanching. For the purposes of this thread I neither include or exclude them. How's that! ;-)

Frequency on an average month= 0 How often do we cook fired foods at home on an average month (maybe a year)=0 Favorite fried foods= Entire family can pretty live without them and be very happy. I can't say that I'm drawn to them much at all. But saying that I have an aversion would be too strong. French fries and beignets (is that too obvious?). But I don't eat those with any frequency worth mentioning. I've gone for months and months without eating fried food and when I do it's almost incidental. Someone else's house, someone else orders it a restaurant and says, "here try this."

What are your favorite fried foods and how often do you eat fried foods?

Cooks' shops around rue Etienne Marcel/Les Halles sell commercial cookware. I can't recall which store I preferred. I can't think of which brands to recommend. I don't pay attention to things like that. Stainless steel, heavy bottomed ones are good. There are other chefs who are picky about this or that and really into gadgets. I can see how alot of these things might help a home cook. But I worked for over 16 years traveling around with 2 knives, a chef's knife and a paring knife. If have the time the prices are better in Lyon. I'll try to recall the little area. If you're interested.

So what did you decide to do Origami? I like Herb's idea of filleting the fish in front of them.

How much does a plate of marrow go for in NYC?

Funny how a show with Flay on causes quite the stir here. But when two likeable chefs who both performed well are on, we don't seem to have as much to say. I guess that answers the burning questions regarding why Flay is on the ICA to begin with.

Hi Chris- Glad you're here. I've seen several posts with questions regarding butchery. So I'm a bit surprised that there aren't more questions here. Can you talk about the different types of American chickens. Boiler, fryer, roaster, etc. Organic, free range, "factory chickens" (well maybe not those). Differences in quality, taste, how are they graded?

Okay, answers please to all of the above.

We ate there a while back. The food was well executed and so was the service. We took our first born, then just a wee baby. So I can also add that they welcome children.

Chocolate sheets? Are you referring to the chocolate tempering mishap? It's nothing. I've worked with some great pastry chefs, tempering chocolate is not something most of them do "under fire" on the line, let alone on a TV show. I wouldn't deduct any points for this on the show or in a kitchen (unless it was a repetitive error ). I hope he let it go as soon as he left the kitchen stadium. And the judges (with perhaps some input from the producers) may be the final word on the show. But from what I've heard some of them say, thank God that it's limited to that show.

My posts on this thread were more in response to some of the questions asked. I neglected to mention that after reading and learning more about what Alice Waters has accomplished as an advocate I respect her immensly. She is also a very savvy business woman. By self-sustaining she understands that it does not only apply to the earth and fruits she bears for us, she also understands that these small farmers need a market. And she has certainly been a pivotal force in this. Given my cultural context I do not have a deeply personal response, not in the immediate way that some have expressed here to her. Same thing with Julia Childs while we're at it. Alice Waters has certainly has done all of us in America, including industry professionals a great service. As for the project at the Louvre, it is a Utopian one for a chef/artist. Even without Alice Waters support I hope that the Louvre will carry on such a brilliant and worthwhile "art" project. So if Ludja had asked, "What would the French public think of the Alice Waters restaurant if it were at the Louvre?" My answer is they would enjoy it immensly as well all that the art project has to offer. EDIT: I still have to say that The Louvre stands alone. It was here and will be here long after most of us, celebrity chefs included, are gone and forgotten. Really can anyone argue that any number of respected chefs could not successfully actualize such a project at The Louvre with all the resources provides?

A librarian contacted me suggesting that local libraries are great venues for community outreach programs. (I know it may seem obvious to some of you) but it just never occured to me to contact a library about teaching cooking and nutrition. I think it's an especially good place to reach children/youth. Encouraging reading and good nutrition at the same time.

If she or any other chef (French or not) were considering opening a restaurant outside of the Louvre (with it's guaranteed customer flow) financed with the Chef's hard earned pennies all of those terms such as "target market", "customer segmentation", and "return on investment" would be glaringly relevant and deeply considered. Given that tourists do flock to the Louvre the non shortage of French is hardly an issue. If she really believes that her message and mission are relevant to the French, I say more power to her.

It doesn't surprise me that Mario's bigger plates and more plus more ingredients won the judges over. He was certainly "bolder" in his concoctions. It seems that he had the BB, bigger and bolder advantage going for him, it is Iron Chef America afterall. I don't really have any criticisms to Mario Batali's dishes. There were creative and seemed to "work" at a certain level and certainly for a certain type of customer, Of course given my background and palate I would prefer to consume your dishes. As I said before grace, simplicity, elegant, smooth... This one is a real toss up for me in a certain way. It's almost like who's better Fred Astaire or Gene Kelley? It's more of a question of who I do prefer for this contest. I prefer Fred Astaire. My vote is for you Michael. EDIT: to add that I think if the judges were French the results would have been different. Change that to I know they would be different.

Michael- I'm watching it now. I've only managed to catch the last 20 minutes or so. You're dishes were simple and refined. They showed restraint and grace.

A 3 litre can will last you a year? We must be drinking and bathing in the stuff in our house.

Interesting to note (fyi) this method is a step back in time, it's pre so called nouvelle cuisine.