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Christopher Haatuft

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Posts posted by Christopher Haatuft

    Curing and Cooking with Ruhlman & Polcyn's "Charcuterie" (Part 4)

    in Cooking

    Posted

    ok, a quick question. I am wondering how much nitrate there is in pink salt. I live in Norway, and what we get here is called "nitrit-salt" and has a lw level of nitrates. Butchers use only this when they make bacon etc. I just made 20 pounds of bacon using coarse sea salt, pepper, brown sugar and regular sugar, then smoked it with juniperbushes for 6-7 hours. I was a bit grey at the edges, but as I cut into it, it was very red. Can this come from the smoke or is th from the salt? Also, is it very necessary to use nitrates in curing?

    Pay me, baby!

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    Shit, I was hoping someone would say; "Hey Chris! Havent you heard? Down in (insert dream destination), a cook makes about $100000 a year and is treated like the last man alive by the local chicks!"

    But alas, I guess Ill kepp burning my forarms for a lousy wage and a couple of tuesdays of forever... :biggrin:

    Pay me, baby!

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    If there is a profession that needs to desperately be unionized it is the culinary profession.  In an industry where it is acceptable to work for free for lengthy periods of time with no other reward than the experience of working in a 4-star restaurant is just wrong. 

    We choose to enter the culinary profession, because we love food and cuisine.  In the end, however, we all need to get paid.  Culinary school is not cheap by any means. 

    The stage needs to come to an end in this country.  For restaurants to receive free labor is wrong.

    I feel very passionate about this issue.  Unionize the culinary industry!

    Is the concept of staging so wrong that it should end only because the employer receives free labour? I look at it as the only way I can get "higher education" in a field where there are no schools that can give you the same qualifications. Ok, so I ll work for free, but I look at it as education. Down the line Ill be able to ask a employer for more salary based on my experience. So working a few months for free is investing in a higher future salary.

    Pay me, baby!

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    Remember-you're eating at least one meal and possibly two per day for free-add that up plus taxes and you'll see you aren't doing too bad at all.

    :hmmm: Well, I wouldnt call eating a sandwich whenever I can fin d the time a huge benefit. And I would think almost any line of work has its perks, food beeing a cooks.

    Pay me, baby!

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    So, Im thinking, where can I work and get a decent wage as a cook? I know we're all supposed to do this for the love of good food, but in the end its a job. So I was wondering in what part of the world can one earn a normal paycheck as a cook? Here in Norway, the pay for a cook is the lowest of a all trades. In comparison, an electrician gets paid about one third more a year. My girlfriend just got a job at H&M and is paid about the same as a cook at souschef level. Even though its not a lot, compared to other countries I suspect its decent. Converted to dollars one can expect $40000 a year. This is after four years of school and apprenticeship.

    How much can a cook hope to get paid where you're at and what place in the world is a cook really paid what he/she deserves?

    The New Angel

    in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining

    Posted

    This thred got going before I knew of egullet.

    I went for lunch with my wife & 2 year old in April 2005. We were shown upstairs and seated at a corner table by the matre d' who appeared on TV. He stank of cigarette smoke which was off putting. However, he did get a high chair without being asked and as we were strapping our son down, he asked if we would like a drink. I asked for a glass of really cold, zippy, fresh white wine. He looked blank and dissappeared returning with a wine list.

    As soon as we sat down and read the menu, we heard the magamouth of JBR who was seated at a window table drinking champagne and eating lobster salad. The conversation was pretty loud and by the sound of it, he was being interviewd by the look of her, a pretty reporter. With only 3 other occupied tables, and diana ross playing in the background, it was off-putting to say the least.

    Liked the look of the menu and were looking forward to what was to come while drinking some Albarino from Bodegas Valminor which I had chosen (£39 - wholesale cost c. £8). Can't remember what my wife had but my rabbit terrine was fridge cold and tasteless and the the home made picallilli was crunchy but again, fridge cold so underwhelming.

    For main course I had cod which was pan-roasted and served in a bowl-plate on a bed of mashed potato (potato puree) & spinach garnished with diced tomato. Nice but in a nice safe kind of way. My wife had turbot which did not come quite as advertised - smiliar components, cooking method and presentation to the cod with the addition of pasta and a unadvertised cream sauce. Again, same sort of nice but not quite what she was expecting and given the cream factor, annoying.

    Ordered pudding and asked for coffee to come at the same time as our son was getting bored of the sound of JBR. Lemon Tart came and about 10 minutes and two requests later, our coffee. The place was not busy and I had to shift my chair at least 5 times to allow other people to pass on their way to the loo. Our table wobbled and all in all, the room was bland, though well finished.

    When our bill came and on it, we were charged for two bottles of Albarino. As there were only about 4 other couples in the room, I was surprised but not offended. Pointed it out and it was corrected without apology which does piss me off.

    Overall, it was okay but given the expectations I had and the price I paid (c. £120 wiht a £40 bottle of wine), I felt let down and a bit disheartened that I had made an effort to come here but it was not doing what it said on the tin (TV).

    Being me, when I got home I penned my thoughts to JBR as politely as possible stating that if I had not seen the TV programe or known of JBR I would have found the experience a good one and would return. I also praised his use of local produce and his experiences on TV programe which I had caught while starting my own pub -  I had felt a sense of epathy - new type of product for an area, local produce, high expectations of customers (though no TV program of self-promotion on my part)

    His reply was short, sharp and quite frankly, a cop out. It said I lacked respect and and if I was such a great chef, why did I cook in a pub. I had not said what I did in my letter (which was printed on pub letterhead) and had not passed remark about the lack of quality of the cooking, I had infact praised the quality of the cooked elements.

    As it happens, not being able to find a 'great chef' I do cook in my pub. I also use from time to time a fishmonger who supplied JBR at previous restaurants who recalled a story to me of a time when he turned up one evening with 12 lobsters that JBR had ordered, but given the terrible weather at the time and had been almost impossible to get. Proud of his find he entered the kitchen only to be met with a flying fry pan closely followed by the 12 lobsters on the grounds that JBR had ordered them a week ago. It made not difference to him that the lobster pots had been inaccessible due to bad weather and they were the only 12 lobsters around.

    I recently learnt in a trade paper that he was going into the pub business to show what food pubs should be doing - shepherds pie. Its weried as regardless of ones view on gastropubs, I have never eaten or seen shepherds pie in a pub and given I wouldn't eat it at home, I certainly wouldn't go to a JBR pub to try one. Nor, in light of my experience buy his cook book to learn how to make one.

    bakerestates

    wow! thats......interesting, to say the least. :unsure:

    My first stage

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    I will take my final exam as an apprentice cook in June and after that I want to travel the world and do stages. I have work at a lunch restaurant, had my own place before apprenticeship, been a half year at a fairly good restaurant and am currently working in the best establishment in town. I would say I have a good basic knowledge of cooking and a interest in the craft that is above avarage. I would like to work at the best restaurants possible and learn as much as I can. I sent my cv and a short email to the following places; Alinea, Fat Duck, French Laundry/Per Se and Arzak. I know this is setting the bar high, but why not? This is what I want. What Im wondering about is what experience you have doing stages. Is there somewhere in particular you can recomend? Also, do you have any tips on how to approach restaurants about this? Also, I have a place to live in Dubai, but do you think that would be a good place to stage?

    Any input will be greatly appreciated. :smile:

    Dubai seems like a good bet for getting a plum stage. Theres an abundance of money and a shortage of classically trained, french talent there so your skills would be highly in demand. I know Gordon Ramsey just started a place there so that might be worth trying. Contact The Chefs Office who posts on this board. I saw a couple of postings he had a few months back for Dubai positions. He might be able to set you up with something good.

    Thank you, Shalmanese! Ive talked to "the chefs office" and he was of great help. I am seriously considereing Dubai, but Im not sure what restaurant. I know people are impressed by the Burj Al Arab, but I think your right about Ramsays place. Would it be hard to get a stage there?

    My first stage

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    I will take my final exam as an apprentice cook in June and after that I want to travel the world and do stages. I have work at a lunch restaurant, had my own place before apprenticeship, been a half year at a fairly good restaurant and am currently working in the best establishment in town. I would say I have a good basic knowledge of cooking and a interest in the craft that is above avarage. I would like to work at the best restaurants possible and learn as much as I can. I sent my cv and a short email to the following places; Alinea, Fat Duck, French Laundry/Per Se and Arzak. I know this is setting the bar high, but why not? This is what I want. What Im wondering about is what experience you have doing stages. Is there somewhere in particular you can recomend? Also, do you have any tips on how to approach restaurants about this? Also, I have a place to live in Dubai, but do you think that would be a good place to stage?

    Any input will be greatly appreciated. :smile:

    Anyone eaten in Norway lately?

    in Elsewhere in Europe: Dining

    Posted

    I spent three days in and around Narvik in the Arctic North in August.  The scenery, driving and walking were all stunning, however the restaurant choices were not inspiring.  We survived on standard pizzas and pastas at generic chain restaurants etc, but the local food and dishes seemed to be scarce on the ground.  We'd like to return, but is there a useful and fair guide to restaurants and eating places in the country?  Our general travel guide simply explained that Narvik was a culinary desert - which didnt really help!

    I know that there are some good restaurants in the north of Norway, but Ive never heard of anything in Narvik. Theres no guidebook that concentrates on food, but if youre in one of the major cities you should have someone translate Dagens Næringsliv on saturdays for you or check www.dn.no. Its in norwegian, though. Other than that I can help with the little I know. Anyone going to Norway can drop me a PM and Ill give my recomandations.

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