Lisa Shock

Once you know more specifically where he'll be, we can recommend places he can go shopping. There are several dedicated Japanese shops in town, each with it's own fairly unique supplies. Plus, we have larger supermarkets that try and cover all of Asia and that have a fairly good supply of some of the more common Japanese foods and accessories.

It really depends on the family, as others have said Phoenix is huge and very cosmopolitan. One distinction we have is that there are more sushi restaurants per capita here than any other American metropolitan area. (yes, it's a land-locked state and it makes no sense whatsoever) We have all sorts of international dining available. Just near my house there's a Russian place, a Lebanese place, a Persian place, a Brazilian place, a Castillian place, a vegan Thai place, two Sushi houses, a teppanyaki place, and a Sicilian place. -Plus all of the ubiquitous chains and lots of Tex-Mex. What might be a good idea is some of the homestyle sushi-related dishes that are in fun shapes. I shared a house with two women from Japan while I was in college, and they taught me how to make temari balls, a sushi 'cake', and other fun items as well as scattered sushi. When I make these for parties at my house, people seem to like them. I try to use mostly vegetables and tofu (I'm vegetarian) that people recognize along with a few Japanese specialty items. People seem pretty impressed because they are used to fairly limited, traditional restaurant-style sushi menus with just fish and nori, and they've never seen anything made in the fancy shaped molds/presses, or the colored/flavored rices, like the rice balls that are often packed in bentos. Most Americans are also unfamiliar with most Japanese type salads, and the freshly made pickles. I hope this helps! I'm a huge foodie, and I have practiced these a lot, so these items are fun for me. I hope that I am not suggesting too much! Even chirashi would be received as very different and fun, I think.

Just a quick note here that AP flour varies regionally in the US. In the South it's closer to cake flour because of the high demand for biscuits, in the North it's closer to pastry/bread flour because it's used for more kneaded breads. The labels won't tell you what you have, you have to test it yourself. I don't know much about the rest of the world, but, if the packaging gives a % protein content, you can check this chart.

I agree that you should stay in school and finish the degree. You've got a good opportunity there to get a degree under your belt fairly quickly. Then, if you so desire, you can get more challenging degrees later. There are now master's degrees out there to be earned in culinary programs, and if you quit at one school, you may have to start from scratch if you decide to move ahead with education in the future. And, in the future, you will be competing for jobs with those people who have bachelor's and master's degrees. Also, your job can't cover everything you'll learn in school, like Willspear's example of baking. There will be things to learn, including discipline and the value of practicing. You've also got things to memorize (like the temperatures at which each of the three components of an egg cook, the temperatures for tempering various types of chocolate, and the effects of acids and bases to name a few) which can take you further into modern experimental cuisine. I'd also like to mention that there's always something to be learned in a situation. I'm in my 40's and I'm still learning a lot, even in situations I've lived through hundreds of times. You've got to be open to it, because it ultimately means that you'll keep growing and improving. Since you're doing so well in school, you've got the perfect opportunity to really hone your skills: perfecting your knife cuts, developing more speed, and of course, mentoring others. As an 'A' student you'll be first on everyone's list for referrals and future opportunities -something you may need if your relationship with the current boss goes sour. Fact is, the school will give you things on pieces of paper (transcripts, letters of recommendation, awards, etc.) that you'll have to show for the rest of your life. -Five, ten, twenty years from now, who knows where your current boss will be and if he'll be willing to send out a letter of recommendation. Then, there's the issue of your training as viewed by future employers. Just because one place does things a certain way doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best way. Employers want to know that you have learned the theory and techniques properly so that you can optimize their business, not run their kitchen just like someone else's. Many employers would rather help someone who just graduated get up to speed than have to break a know-it-all of a hundred bad habits.

When I was in Japan in 2008, consomme was a very popular flavor....

My thoughts are that pasta salad should be at least 50% salad ingredients. I like to have hearty amounts of sliced carrot (ok, I use a Japanese flower cutter to make flower shaped slices), celery, raw zucchini, red bell pepper, slivers of red onion, a few beans (garbanzo or cannelloni), and maybe cucumber. Then, I add preserved ingredients like olives and marinated artichokes and the vinaigrette. And, I serve it on a bed of greens with tomatoes and other, more delicate veggies and raw basil. (and assorted things from my garden) So, it can count as a meal.

I'd add them to pasta salad made with a vinaigrette dressing. I also enjoy them on 'salad sandwiches' that I make from lettuce and veggies on toast that I put a little mustard on and drizzle with a little vinaigrette dressing. I make pizza at home a lot, and they can be good in small number, well drained, on a pizza.

I'd say because I'd like to be taken someplace that I've never been before. -Pretty much the same reason why I'd visit a restaurant that features a regional cuisine I have never tasted, as well. (this is also why I enjoy new videogames...)

Thanks! Browned edges could be attractive, you never know...

So, let us know how it works out, ok?

That's really a wonderful use of the technology. I don't have access to such tools, but I am wondering if you've ever experimented with pastillage?

Thanks for the information, Lisa. When you say a heat lamp, do you mean some special kind of cooking lamp. You learn something every day. If I understand correctly, when the sugar solution becomes too thick to pour, it will regain its liquid state and be suitable for pouring again??? I'll try it anyway. Thanks. Any gooseneck lamp will work, you can buy a heat lamp bulb at a hardware store -the type that is sometimes used in bathrooms works ok. (they aren't cheap!) Pros use a setup similar to the warmers for french fries in fast food places. An adjustable gooseneck lamp means you can accurately aim the heat. Once the sugar is cooked enough to make lollipops, there's no real downside to reheating. It will, heat up faster and tend to burn more quickly because there's no water left in the pot. I have used a non-teflon electric skillet (yay thrift store!) to keep sugar warm and pourable. I am referring to the pan with a cord that has a thermostat on the cord. I was lucky enough to get a wok-shaped one for under $10 a few years back. Makes dipping cream puffs for croquembouche a snap! And, I am serious about the safety warnings. Please set up a bowl of ice before starting, and have a plan for handling burns if they occur. Hot sugar is really nasty in that it will tunnel into your body and keep burning as it goes, unlike, say, boiling oil, which dissipates and tends to stay on the skin surface.

I have never shocked my pan...I would fear that such an action would cut down on the pouring time which is small enough. Why and how do you use this method? Thanks. I am always interested in ways to extend the liquidity of the candy mass if possible to pour into the molds. I was taught this way at the Cordon Bleu, so, I've always just done it. Basically, once the sugar gets to temperature I take the pot off the flame and place it on ice for about ten seconds. This prevents the carryover cooking from getting too extreme and possibly caramelizing (if you want clear) or burning (if you want caramel) the sugar. To keep pour-ability, I have the luxury of a heat lamp and torch. Once the sugar has been boiled, you can always re-heat it briefly on the stove or in a microwave, if it's too thick to pour.

I also use canning jars, and I have the jar sealer attachments for my FoodSaver, so I can vacuum seal everything.

A thermometer and good, even-heating pan are essential for consistent results. I find hot pads to protect the hands while moving the pot around to be essential. You'll need plenty of ice and a big bowl to shock your pan in, and to be prepared to ice down accidents. Molds and a couple of silpats are also very useful. Just in case, I would try to make these while someone else is home, just in case a terrible accident happens and you need to go to the emergency room.

They announced their initial programming lineup today.

I always temper, just in case. But, then, it gets pretty hot here and things can go out of temper in storage pretty easily. Some of these products are shipped in a tempered state, and, a low temp direct melt will preserve that temper. Some people rely on that to work. I don't trust it, been burned, never again. If you are using tiny amounts for, say, painting colored decor into chocolate molds, you can spot temper on a table or palette.

I tend to peel only for soups and sauces. I seed for certain salads and salsas if the water would be too great. I find that in some salads, the water makes a good salad dressing component if you balance the seasoning appropriately.

I am so jealous of those ovens! My personal preference in refrigerators is freezer on the bottom. You use the freezer less often, so, it makes sense to me to have the fresh food easiest to reach. I hate bending over for the crisper.

I'd say it's a sauce. It's not a beverage because a beverage is served in a glass or cup. A beverage is never served in a bowl. (consomme may be sipped from a consomme cup, but, it's not a beverage)You wouldn't call the cream poured over sliced peaches a beverage. There's also the issue that the cereal is the main item being served. Anything else is ancillary. This includes sliced fruit, nuts and sweeteners. It's not a broth because broths are man-made infusions of herbs, meat and/or bones.

Hey, those older Crock-Pot units are highly prized because the low temp settings on them is lower than on modern ones, making slow-cooked beans, etc., much, much better. The newer units reflect worries about food safety at low temps and simply can't perfom in the same way. You have a treasure.

Has anyone made regular, old fashioned, oatmeal (not steel cut) in a rice cooker then used it to hold during restaurant service? I'm trying to set up something for a small place that wants to be able to serve about 15 portions of oatmeal over a 3 hour time period without it becoming a solid lump.

Don't forget to use a short-grain rice, not a long-grain one. Short-grain rices are tender when cold, long-grain ones will be hard due to having more amylose -it crystalizes when cold.

For a starch, I like to make jasmine rice or Israeli cous-cous. I add a LOT of minced fresh herbs (parsley mostly) at the start (a big handful for every cup of dry grain) so that when it cooks you get an attractive, very green starch dish. People think it's healthier, and it looks better than plain beige rice or cous-cous. For a fancy starch, I'd go with peas pulao - sort of India's answer to fried rice. I'd like to point out that panna cotta is easy to make, so, if you can store it cold, making a lot of flavors is easy. Will you have servers? If so, a sorbet would be nice.

Since this is a day for the ladies, I'd emphasize pretty food that is light. On the desserts, I'd set a limit of maybe 5 different items. People tend to want to try one of everything, so if you have 5 items (2 different cookies, panna cotta, brownies and tarts maybe) you'll need 750 pcs. (plus extra for loss) If you make ten different items, you'll need 1500 pcs. Quiche can be made in advance and served cold. Each 8" pie can be cut into 8-10 slices, meaning you'll need to make 20 or so. You can get very creative with fillings without breaking the bank. It's traditionally served with salad as the side. You can make large batches of cream biscuits and offer them as plain, or, flavored versions with shredded parmesean or other cheeses, cayenne pepper, herbs, etc. I have made a good casserole-type dish that I call Green Beans Primavera -an improved, made from scratch, green bean casserole. Blanch lots of fresh green beans along with julienned carrot, red pearl onion, julienned bell peppers of various colors and anything else you can get ahold of. Mix in a hotel pan with alfredo or primavera sauce and add some frozen peas, and maybe snow peas. Top with breadcrumbs mixed with parmesean. Heat and serve, holds well in a chafer. New potatoes are in season now, a simple dish of parsleyed potatoes and fresh butter might be nice -you could add baby carrots for color. I also like beurre noisette over otherwise plain steamed potatoes and carrots. A fruit salad made with berries would be nice. Panna Cotta can be made two days in advance, there are some great fruit flavors possible. My favorite is to simply infuse some orange peels as the cream is heated, and use vanilla bean. But a berry flavor might be more colorful. I make these up in 5.5oz plastic wine cups from the party supply store. Cookies can be made in advance and held, even dough could be made now and frozen til needed. Another easy dessert is to buy or make chocolate cups, pipe in pastry cream and top with fruit. Hope this helps!