joiei

All of those guys who work for large corporations must of spent time sweating over a hot stove, otherwise, they would not be where they are today. I never went to any stinking school. They pretty much did not exist when I was learning the trade. And I am not all that old. School cooks and chefs only started happening in the early 80's. Now I have one of those sweet deals as a private chef for a couple. Great hours, good pay, great perks, weekends off. Life is good. And I am a Chef. Question, is the Emeril machine a chef? I think so.

My tendency for road trip dining is to get some fresh fruit and like snacks before I leave town. And a couple of bottles of water. The Florida Turnpike is a major drag foodwise. Once, I found this gas station in lower Arkansas that had turkey and dressing, collards and butterbeans as the special for the day. I thought momentarily about moving there. Needless to say, I stayed for seconds. All I remember is that it was someplace south of Pine Bluff.

The one request that gets me happened when I was at The Grill Room, a customer wanted us to make her a White Chocolate bread pudding just like she could get at The Palace Cafe. We did not do it. We suggested that she try something from our dessert menu that she could not find at any of the Brennan restaurants. It worked. Food is art, it is the total balance of flavor, texture and visual impact. If a customer has allergies, then you try to work around their restrictions, Otherwise, suggest something else that fits into their diet. Food is a very flexible art. If every dish is unchangable, then a fluidity has been lost and creativity suffers. Sometimes, these changes can lead to a dish that was never thought of before. Creativity comes from many different sources. As to someone ordering a meat cooked well done. My father ate his meats well done. It became my goal to make that well done steak or whatever the best one the customer had ever eaten. It was how they liked their food prepared. Personally, I have been known to order the dish cooked the way the chef likes to serve it, especially lamb and fish. Sort of a compliment to the kitchen, also insures that I get the dish as the chef intended. That way I can experience where they were going with the dish. I doubt that someone from outside the world of food would understand this concept.

I would go with the inexpensive knives for work and keep the nice MAC's for home. I have found that some restaurant supply houses and some kitchen shops now carry chef's coats. Go in and try on some and buy the one that fits you best. Even Williams-Sonoma carries chefs coats. I would not buy them there, but they do have them.

My Mom did not have a Mixmaster, but she did have a Saladmaster. And it is still being used today. pre-robotcoupe.

Something that I always found important to keeping the chocolate in temper was the room temperature. Too cool and it hardens quickly.

I agree with Fat Guy, the kitchen sucks. I have helped with 3 dinners there, one of them a collaboration of Mark Bittman and Johnny Earles. The more you can have done before you walk in the door, the easier your dinner will go. There is a total lack of refridgeration space. And if you have a frozen dessert, you are almost out of luck. With all the money the foundation has, one would think they would upgrade the kitchen. The Australian wines for the dinner, I have seen most of them here in Tulsa. The best part of doing a Beard House dinner was eating at other restaurants around New York. The age of my customers was never a big deal. As long as they had the money, that was all that mattered. And old farts tend to have more disposable income and are more willing to part with it.

I have signed up for a cooking class that Tim Love is doing at Central Market in Fort Worth on June 23rd. I do not know what a stuffed flat iron is? here is the link Central Market I also have reservations for Dragonfly on Sunday nite. And I think lunch on Tuesday is going to be at Angeluna in Ft. Worth. I just need a really good place for breakfast.

Today, when I was going through my employers old recipe file, i came across a recipe for a Hershey Bar Cake. I had never heard of such a thing, so I made one. Great soft crumb, mild chocolate flavor, dense and moist like a pound cake sort of. When I was tasting it, I kept thinking that something like Malted Milk ice cream and a nut brittle for crunch would go well with the flavors that were happening. I would not do a fruit flavor with it. Here is the recipe. Hershey Bar Cake 1/2# butter 2 cups sugar 4 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla 8 five cent Hershey bars (I figured about 12 oz total, just guessing) 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp soda 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup chopped pecan (i used walnuts, did not have any pecans) 1 can (5 1/2oz) Hershey's Syrup preheat oven to 315F. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler. sift dry ingredients together cream butter and sugar add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time alternate folding in dry ingredients and buttermilk fold in syrup and vanilla fold in nuts bake in a greased tube pan (large size) for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (It took the full 1 3/4 hours for my oven) cool dust with powdered sugar (also, I dusted the tube pan with cocoa powder instead of flour. I love old recipes, they are the foundation of everything we do today. Plus, how long has it been since you saw a 5 cent Hershey bar. There is no cent sign key on my keyboard. How sad.

Hershey Bar Cake Great soft crumb, mild chocolate flavor, dense and moist like a pound cake sort of. When I was tasting it, I kept thinking that something like Malted Milk ice cream and a nut brittle for crunch would go well with the flavors that were happening. I would not do a fruit flavor with it. Here is the recipe. 1/2 lb 1/2 butter 2 c sugar 4 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla 8 Hershey bars (I figured about 12 oz total, just guessing) 2-1/2 c sifted cake flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp soda 1 c buttermilk 1 c chopped pecan (i used walnuts, did not have any pecans) 1 can (5 1/2oz) Hershey's Syrup preheat oven to 315F. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler. sift dry ingredients together cream butter and sugar add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time alternate folding in dry ingredients and buttermilk fold in syrup and vanilla fold in nuts bake in a greased tube pan (large size) for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (It took the full 1 3/4 hours for my oven) cool dust with powdered sugar (also, I dusted the tube pan with cocoa powder instead of flour Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG494 )

The best way to learn the specifics that your interested in is to try the new places when they open, get to know the kitchen brigades, and ask when you go someplace new for a kitchen tour.

Lonesome Dove is on my list of places to eat. And the others are now on my Dallas list. I have encountered some very good food in Ft. Worth. From what I understand the Cafe Moderne at the museum is also quite good for lunch. I have been to the museum and loved it. THe building itself is very intriguing to me. Plus, the Kimball is right across the street, probably the most beautiful museum I have ever visited.

The first time I met Edna and Scott was at a food symposium sponsored by the Seaside Institute. Also in attendance was Eugene Walter and Marion Cunningham. The program was on Southern Foods and foodways. AS I remember, the program was about not losing our culinary heritage.

To know and appreciate the history of some of the 'Classic' Southern dishes is to understand the evolution of the South in part. Not the gussied up stuff served at some of those high priced places in Atlanta, but to read the old church leagues and Junior leagues cookbooks. Those books contain the heart and soul of Southern Cuisine. Go back to the 1950's or earlier if you can. Then try making some of those recipes like the book describes. That is to be able to understand the kitchens of our mothers, grandmothers and greatgrandmothers.

My Mom always made hers with mayo, dry mustard and sweet relish. I like mine with mayo, dill and capers. After I tasted deviled eggs that were not sweet, my life was changed. And I will try it with the caviar, only I use paddlefish caviar from Kelley's Katch in Tennessee. A very good product and price wise, it fits into my meager budget.

Fifi, Thanks for the lesson. Stuff I never knew, and now that I do I am glad. Most of the commercially available grits are terrible. Instant grits are incredibly terrible. It is the good stuff from mills like Hoover in Alabama and War Eagle in Arkansas that I enjoy. The War Eagle grits are very coarse, take longer to cook and have a flavor. Where are there other mills producing quality grits? My Granny only used Jim Dandy yellow grits. Her recipe passed with her in 1969. I can only come close. I do not know what brand of cheese she used. Plus, she churned her own butter. And my other Grandmother always made extra so she could fry them up to go with supper. Is supper a southern thing? or do people in other regions have supper also? Or do they just have dinner? Which was only on Sunday when I grew up. It was the meal eaten right after church. I would guess that this is the origin of 'Dinner on the Grounds'. Considering the time of the meal.

In yesterdays food section of the Tulsa World, the topic was fond memories of Polenta. It cracks me up when I hear people romanticizing this Italian staple. Basically, it is the cheese grits I grew up with in northwest Florida. And the Italians did not have grits until after the discovery of the new world. My favorite question to ask polenta snobs is if they have ever had grits. It is amazing how many would not dare to try them. My Granny made her's with fresh cream and yellow cheese. They were great.

When I worked at The Grill Room, we did a butterscotch with scotch. The recipe belonged to my pastry chef-Lisa Liggett.

I will be in Dallas for the Southwest Restaurant Show in June. Where is the newest, most food happening place to eat in the D/FW metroplex? Abacus is my favorite in Dallas, in Ft Worth, i have several favorites. But I want to do new chef and food. Thanks for your suggestions.

The "99" market out in the East is probably the best for Asian goodies. It is a drive, but lots of cool stuff. I do not remember the address but it is out Chef Menteur highway. Then there is Langenstein's on Old Metairie Road, for upscale goodies, Robert's is the best local market, much better than Winn-Dixie. (the scariest W-D I have ever shopped in is the one on Carrollton next to the tracks). For wines, you are in luck, Martin's Wine Cellar is the best selection on the upper Gulf Coast. http://www.langenstein.com/ I forgot to mention the Crescent City Farmer's Market held on the Corner of Girod and Magazine in the Warehouse district every saturday morning. Lots of great stuff there.

I just voted and egullet was listed at #29. vote again.

there used to be a place in Portland's chinatown called Hung Far Low. Never ate there.

So according to your definition, Emeril is a chain? he has 3 restaurants in New Orleans, plus. That would make Susan Spicer a chain. That would make Rene Bayeax a chain. Morning Call is good. But it is in Metairie. The French Quarter is Unique. And about the only people I ever see at Starbucks are tourists. The local coffee shops are happening.

I like to take very thinly sliced proscuitto, put it on a nonstick half sheet pan and put into a 250 degree oven until crisp. Perfect. If I am doing bacon slices, then I prefer Albertsons mesquite, cooked until the smushy crisp where there is enough caramelization to make it taste real good. Best served with a Waffle.