Lisa Shock

I agree that any challenge involving limited cash will be difficult simply because most of us have stockpiles of food and didn't keep the receipts. I personally purchase some high quality specialty rice in 20lb sacks and split them with some neighbors, we wind up paying about 30 cents a pound. I've got some good stuff I purchased on last-chance markdown. (artichoke pasta from Italy, paella rice from Spain, olive oil from Sparta -all for less than 20 cents a pound) Neither of these situations is easily replicable. Some things, like the SNAP challenge, IMO would best be suited to blogging. I have seriously considered foodblogging here with a $2/day limit. The problem now is that inflation has made food a lot more expensive than when I first contemplated doing it ten years ago. (even if I allow a pass for foods available as free packets like salt, ketchup, hot sauce, mayo, mustard, etc.) There also a lot of other bloggers already doing it, and I do not know how much I would be able to contribute in terms of recipe ideas. (how interesting is it to read that I made oatmeal again and drank a cup of tea?) I like @DiggingDogFarm's list of topics. I think ultimately, I am not fond of competitions. Food shouldn't be a zero sum game. I'd like to think that all across the world, lots of people are enjoying good meals and I think it's tacky to rate/compare them.

I have seen a display of these in two Fry's (Kroger) locations here in Phoenix. I purchased some raspberry because I know I won't like the other two. Agree that the raspberry flavor could be stronger. BTW, got the strawberry nut M&Ms at Walgreens. They actually seem to stock a lot of promotional candy, at least from the big US companies. I recall getting some amazing raspberry Hershey's kisses there in 2007 -which I could not find anyplace else.

I'd appreciate getting a book or two if they have them. Don't spend more than $30 plus shipping, okay? If they have a lot of books, or they are more expensive, take some photos, so I can budget for them. I had not thought to look for temples. Phoenix has MANY of them and I had no idea. I will start checking them out. Thanks!

I've got a couple of posts in the meal challenge thread, with pictures.

Thank you! Yes, one common characteristic is that the foods tend to be low in fat.

Years ago, when I visited Tokyo, I ate in a small but fascinating restaurant called 'It's Vegetable' which is now, unfortunately, closed. The chef was from Taiwan, and he made Buddhist vegetarian and vegan dishes that resembled meat. During my visit, several monks wearing robes stopped in to eat dinner. The dishes were pretty amazing. I understood some of them, like using seitan to mimic chicken in stir fry dishes, others used tofu products like yuba, but, others were complex and obviously difficult. One very notable dish we enjoyed was a large 'fish' fillet designed to serve several people. It had a 'skin' made of carefully layered 'scales' cut from nori and attached to the surface. Inside, the white 'flesh' flaked and tasted much like a mild fish. Anyway, apparently Buddhist fake meat meals are very popular in Taiwan and many places, cheap through to fine dining serve them. Yes, if I worked on it for a while, I could probably refine one or two dishes on my own, but, I am wondering if there's a Modernist Cuisine type cookbook for skillfully making these mock meats from scratch? (I have heard that some items are commercially made and available frozen there, much like soy-based burgers are in the US.) I am willing to try almost any offering, even if it's entirely in Chinese. And, I know how to use remailers to purchase regional items from the various local retailers worldwide who do not ship to the US.

I'm a vegetarian. I like vegetables and beans and brown rice. I can easily make a meal for under $1 -for two people!

I don't think MasterChef UK is available on Netflix anymore. Admittedly, I think that MasterChef Goes Wide was truly great.

This show just appeared on Netflix in the US. It aired in 2012 in the UK. Thought I'd start a discussion about it here. I am only partway through, and enjoying the show very much. The contestants seem to have enough time to put out decent dishes, and the guidelines aren't terribly restrictive. (unlike Top Chef, where the chefs often have to use some commercial product while having limited access to tools and/or the kitchen) This season involves cooking for the UK Olympic team, and the guidelines state that the chefs need to show something groundbreaking and world class champion level. IMO, the push for radical and tasty innovation in four different dishes is a bit of a stretch. Even when the chefs use a molecular pantry or new equipment, none of them is the person who thought of it first. They are trying for unique flavor combinations, and using some interesting foraged foods. But, most of them don't seem to be the type who spends hours every week developing dishes for next year's menu. I suspect that the ask may simply be too great. I mean, you look at El Bulli, for example, and they did great work there, but it wasn't quick or easy -and they had a team of people working on ideas and then execution. Some fairly simple items took a year or two to perfect. I suspect that we all have one or two tricks up our sleeves, but a goodly number of these competitors are back from previous seasons where they also served up 4 dishes. It's a lot to expect from one person. Some competitors are doing well by playing it a bit safe with traditional dishes and flavor combinations, others are getting eliminated for it. I also think that the fourth course, dessert, is the weakest overall so far as I have seen. Only one competitor has worked in pastry before and it shows. Most of them aren't really thinking through the dessert properly. I'll write up more comments on individual episodes in a few days.

Outside the US, the only countries which do not officially use the metric system are: Myanmar, Liberia, Palau, Marshall Islands of Micronesia, and Samoa. Most of these countries mainly use the metric system, they just haven't altered some of their laws to reflect modern changes. In cooking, the math involved is so much simpler with the metric system. I have both imperial and metric tools, but mostly use the metric ones. Also, I buy international cookbooks and so far, every one I have gotten has been metric.

Jolt in tall cans is now available at about half of the Dollar General stores in the US. Here's an interactive Jolt finder. Some BevMo locations carry some flavors in bottles (cherry cola, blue, redeye, diet) but weirdly enough the one near me does not carry the regular cola.

Jolt

I'd like to see metric weights. Yes, @kayb in some recipes the exact amount of egg, including the ratio of yolk to white is important. When I lived in Santa Fe, which has an altitude over 7,000 feet, I figured out how to make popovers which no one else could make. It involved changing the ratio of white to yolk. I'd also like to see a pan index, where all the recipes using one sort of pan would be listed. That and specialty equipment, like ice cream machines, even mixers.

I just opened my bag of Strawberry Nut, purchased over a month ago. (best by date 10/2018) They taste kind of stale. Normally, I love anything involving strawberry and chocolate, but these were just kind of odd. Maybe it's because I am used to better quality strawberry filled chocolates, I don't know. The shells seemed a bit off as well. Colors are red, pink, and light green. The bag is mostly light pink with green bands on the ends, the Yellow character is featured holding a basket of flowers. IIRC, this was a springtime promotion although I purchased my bag just before Valentine's day.

Sometimes, water is the favorite choice. I personally prefer french onion style soup made with water, no beef stock. I think there's a stronger onion/thyme flavor and with beef stock it just gets muddied. With water you can sometimes get cleaner, truer flavors. I make my potato leek soup with water, trusting that the leeks and a dash of rosemary will be the stars of the dish. Simple things like rice might give you a better way to taste flavor differences. That said, I am also an advocate for stock, and experimenting. In terms of clean flavor, I tend to prefer single ingredient stocks. For example, I make my NM style vegan green chile stew with celery stock. It adds a distinctly 'green' flavor background to a stew that has a lot of different flavorful ingredients. Soups and sauces are where stocks made from bones really shine, due to their mouthfeel. The classic consomme is simply all about stock it doesn't need a dozen aromatics added to it. In a restaurant, stock making is a good way to use scraps and trimmings. Having several types on hand means that you can have a more interesting menu. Instead of serving the same rice pilaf with your beef kabab dish and your chicken cordon bleu, you can make two pots each with their own flavor profile. There is a little more work here, but no extra cost. And, I think customers appreciate having different flavors on a menu.

Fact is, most of his material (and Jeff Smith's as well) was not original. He learned it by living and studying in Italy. There are plenty of other conduits for information from Italy: other cookbook authors, other chefs who have traveled, and from Italians themselves across many types of media. I never purchased any of his books, so, I do not face the decisions which some of you do. But, nowadays, I get a ton of information from Italian websites and youtube. (with a little help from Google Translate on occasion)

Batali is already planning a comeback, despite still being entangled in legal issues related to his behavior. “Retire and count yourself lucky,” said Anthony Bourdain -I have to agree here. It's not like the man has no way to survive, he's a multi-millionaire.

How about butterflying one and pan-frying with the KFC recipe breading? More discussion HERE. I've been doing it in clarified butter with good results. IMO, the pan can also go into the oven for much of the time.

You could do a demo about roasting chickens and moistness, a variation on something we did in class when I was in school. You're going to roast two birds, three if you want to make a plain one as a control. Butterfly both of them, mostly just to increase the top surface area. Sprinkle the undersides of both with salt & pepper. On one of them, sprinkle with a little salt & pepper, then lay raw bacon on the top surface. (weaving it may be a good idea) With the other one, lift the skin and season under it, then place raw bacon underneath as well -finish with a little salt. (you could add other spices, just make sure that one is spiced over the skin, the other, under the skin. Place in the oven together, take out at the same time, rest the same, then remove the bacon (temporarily) and have people taste slices of the white meat and see which is juicier and/or more flavorful. (the bacon underneath the skin doesn't become as crispy, but the white meat is definitely basted in the bacon fat and has a stronger smoky flavor) Serve your special diner all 4 dark quarters with the bacon that hasn't been nibbled at, and maybe a sauce. Or, pan-roast and demonstrate making a gastrique.

Some Asian markets carry it, but it depends on the person placing their orders. If you lived in the Phoenix area, I could point you to a few of them.

Lofty Pursuits is also one of my favorites. I follow a Japanese chef named Itasan, I like him because he really patiently shows how to do everything correctly and I am trying to learn more Japanese dishes. His videos are 99% Japanese language, but, I think most of them are easy to understand by just watching the action. I also follow a cool chef named Motokchi who has a tiny restaurant. Motokchi has a really fun attitude and rocks his tiny kitchen (which appears to be maybe 4'x6' in size). Japan has a lot of these small, non-chain restaurants, and I really enjoy them. And then, there's Japan's Cooking With Dog, which is in English and designed for home cooks. (Regrettably, Francis has passed away. Try watching one of the older videos to get a better idea of his charm!) For pastry Ciril Hitz's breadhitz page, has excellent tutorials. Two of my friends, James Rosselle and Nicholas Lodge have a bunch of videos on the Craftsy channel.

Any idea about the name of the restaurant involved? Also, yeah the item the shrimp was inside of would be helpful.

Thanks! I enjoyed reading it. My current pet peeve is people telling other people how to eat without knowing much about them. It's now possible to get a few tests done and find out a lot about what you as an individual really should or should not be eating. Between doctor's tests and genetic profiles like 23and me, a person can get sets of parameters to guide them. My favorite example is that I have a genetic propensity towards gout, but, by being a vegetarian since my teens have avoided any outbreaks or flareups of the disease. So, no, I am not going to try the paleo diet, nor will I try fish occasionally, and I am definitely not going to say I'm ok with foods flavored with beef/chicken/pork stock.

When I was in culinary school, the chocolate classroom had lots of partial bottles of colored cocoa butter of indeterminate age. The instructors had us just microwave the bottles (without caps) on low, then pour out as much as were going to use (often ¼ tsp or so) onto a silicone mat and just swipe it around, gather, and swipe around again with a small palette knife type spatula. A minute or so of motion always worked for us.

Your first link, the Webstaurant store faucet is pretty much exactly the faucet I have used in several commercial kitchens. The small regular part is good for working with small, delicate items and those times when you just need to fill a small container with some water. The sprayer is more intense than most home sprayers, but the handle gives you a lot of control over the intensity. It's great for getting residue off dishes. I say 'yea' to it.