Lisa Shock

I don't agree. Julia had the #1 show on PBS for quite a while -back when most of us just got the big 3 networks plus PBS and maybe one or two UHF channels on our tv's with rabbit ears. She was on the cover of Time magazine in 1966. She was famous enough for Saturday Night Live to do a parody of, without in-depth explanation.

There have been food related celebrities in the media for a long time. Back before TV there were radio shows, like "Mystery Chef." Then, TV came along and so did a bunch of local and national food celebrities (Does Poppy Cannon ring a bell?) whom we have all but forgotten, primarily, IMO because their shows were less about food and more about their own cult of celebrity. Now, it's true, times have changed. On the one had, chefs are no longer considered to be part of the 'downstairs' servant crew; they are respected professionals. On the other hand, fewer home cooks prepare everything from scratch on a daily basis. We remember Julia Child and James Beard because what they presented remained meaningful and useful. Meanwhile, Peg Bracken, who was at one time just as big a household name as Julia, has slipped into obscurity. It's just like the book industry. Every year, since the mid-1800's, thousands of cookbooks get published. Many of them are not worth buying, written by people more interested in fame than cooking. A few are written by craftspeople who want to further the art and science of food, or perhaps wish to document their efforts. (Ranhofer, et al) I'd say that the current perceived glut is simply part of the cheapening and expansion of all media over the past decade. We have more media outlets (500+ tv channels, the web, etc.), and people are simply adding food content to all of the outlets meaning that the sort of celebs who used to, maybe, just have a local radio spot now get on a national tv show.

The fridge may or may not have humidity controls, these are sometimes labeled as 'energy saving mode off' or condensation settings. That said, the minute you pull something out, condensation may form because of the humidity in your air, like a glass of ice water. So, I'd avoid the fridge. Dessicant packets are a lifesaver here. If the pops had been wrapped as they were made, then sealed in a tub with dessicant, it may have saved the day. (assuming you use less corn syrup next time!) You can buy these packs, you can also save them whenever you get them in things, and refreshen them by baking on very low for about an hour to dry them out. (store in an airtight container) These are those little white packets that come with new shoes, luggage, etc. With humidity that high, I don't think I'd trust making them in advance. Stores are only able to keep them because they have AC, and the accompanying low humidity. As for dusting sugar, almost any is probably fine, but avoid the types with cornstarch like regular powdered sugar. Superfine should be good. You can make your own superfine, colored or not, in a blender or food processor, just run it for a while with the lid on very tightly. Hope this helps! Good luck!

I understand. My favorite place to eat cheap is the Blue Burrito Grill. It's a fast casual place, you order at the counter, and they have unlimited chips, salsa (4 kinds), and softdrinks including three China Mist tea flavors. My hubby and I manage to eat there for under $15 for the two of us, including drinks. As you can gather, it's not fancy, but it it is filling and fast. They have a commitment to making healthy food, so they don't add fat to the beans and they can tell you what is in everything. That said, there is plenty of cheese and guac on the menu, and if you wish, you can make a pretty decadent meal there. The burritos are large enough for a whole meal, although my hubby and I like to share one of their side salads with our meals. (the side salad is pretty big) They have a bunch of extra things that aren't on the menu, so ask the order-taker for info. They generally offer spinach or whole wheat torlillas, and they can smother things in 'enchilada style' red or 'green chile style' green sauce. I'm pretty sure they have a bunch of 'add meat or chicken' extras, too. The closest location is on Shea, just east of Scottsdale road.

I must stand up for the slow cooker. It's a huge help for the vegetarian cook, and anyone interested in frugal foods. I use mine primarily to cook dry beans, which is something I do once or twice a week. I also occasionally use it for New Mexico style flat enchiladas, and for root vegetable stews. I especially like using it in the summertime, because it doesn't seem to heat up my kitchen as much as simmering beans on the stovetop does. I like the fact that it is self-contained and safe to run while we're asleep or not at home -something I would never, ever do with my stove.

They give you a jacket to wear to class, so, you'll look like pretty much everyone else. Just remember that the banquet at the end is a fancy dress occasion, where people do wear tuxedos and ball gowns. Hmmm, I will do some taqueria research. I tend to avoid many places because my husband and I are vegetarians, and it's traditional to put lard in the beans. This means that at many places we can eat the salsa, guacamole and chips, and that's about it. We do have a small local chain called Macayo's that is ok. as in better than most places found in the mid-west. But, it's not a heart & soul cooking-like-mamacita-did place. I used to live in Santa Fe and got really spoiled with all sorts of good food served in really humble settings. There is also the -berto's phenomenon. If I weren't a vegetarian, I'd try a few of these places -they always seem to be busy. But, I'll look into better places. I need to get out of a rut, too many of my regular places have closed in the past year!

Just a note to inform people that Tapino is closed. I drove by last week and saw a 'for lease' banner on top of the main sign.

Yeah, I discovered that sandwich bags are permeable when my vet asked me to bring a litterbox sample in with my cat for her exam. I wore gloves while using a clean scooper then washed very well after double-bagging the sample in name-brand zippered sandwich bags. And, my car was filled with litterbox odor anyway. I later asked someone about it, and they said it was a matter of cost, but it also ensured that people didn't accidentally create botulism-friendly environments in their fridge or kids' lunchboxes.

The type of plastic used in regular sandwich bags, cling film, and trash bags is permeable to most gasses. They add multiple layers for the freezer bags, but gasses still travel through it. http://www.keepsafe.ca/barriers.htm

I tried making drinks with gari for the ginger contest in another thread. Muddled gari with gin was perhaps the worst combination.

I don't deep fry in cast iron because I tend to use canola as my primary all-purpose kitchen oil. Unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have open bonds that iron oxide can attach to and cause them to become 'rancid' when heated. Rancid fats may not have any off taste, so you cannot detect them with your senses. But, they are known carcinogens. (basic Durk & Sandy stuff) Deep frying in a saturated fat should be fine. But, we're vegetarians in my household, both of us, so no lard, and we avoid transfat, so no shortening. I just whip out the stainless lined copper rondeau for deep frying. We are still looking at getting the 7qt round Le Creuset casserole, but, we simply don't deep fry that often. For small batches of fried foods, like falafel for 2, I use the stainless-lined copper frying pan.

I'm kind of amazed that no one complained about there not being any potatoes in the meal! It looks good, and it is pretty amazing that they liked a meal of real food instead of boxed mixes...

I have an old cast-iron one that is the perfect pot for making baked beans. I have also, on occasion, baked bread in it. I tend to use my 6 quart copper pot for soups and large quantities of sauce.

It's not just a matter of a rule or a fine. In most places nowadays, health department reports are available to anyone online, meaning that diners for years to come would be reading about the place having a sanitation violation. And, believe me, that online report wouldn't have any mention of customer service issues in it. Not to mention the fact that in some areas, a health inspector can simply close a place down for a day, a week or until they are available to have a second inspection added to their calendar. There's nothing like having 'closed by County Health Department until further notice' signs on your front door to scare off business for years to come.

My family moved to Maryland when I was ten, and I lived there off and on through college. I was taught by locals to use Old Bay Seasoning in hush puppies.

Evening seminars were free, and, although the rooms got super-packed with people, they allowed non-paying guests (spouses, parents, etc.) to attend. Maybe we could have an eG gathering one evening? Maybe just a trip to a local eatery, nothing fancy -if there's a night with no extra events.

I live about 3 miles away, so I just stayed at my house. There were some evening activities, don't know how they will work out this year. Every night, in 2006, they showed a free movie in the competition area, on a big screen at 8pm. They even provided free popcorn. Only a dozen people showed up. Films included: Eat Drink Man Woman, and Mostly Martha. There were 4 evening seminars that I attended, generally running from 6-8. As mentioned previously, they were: a master class in sorbet, a master class on savory quick breads, a seminar on handling customers and running a pastry shop, and a class in chocolate. There were a couple of cocktail parties where everyone, students (attendees), instructors and competitors got to mingle. I had a really great time at these; at one I sat at a table and Nicolas Lodge and his partner joined me and we had a lot of fun, at another I hung out with the Japanese team and learned a lot about practicing for competition. You do get lunch every day as part of the package, plus a fancy dinner at the end. (Bring a ball gown or tuxedo!!! I am not joking!) Dinner for the other 6 nights is up to you. There are food options at varying price points in the hotel, and some fast food just down the street. (including an In-N-Out Burger, if you're into that) I recall several nights where people went in groups to local eateries. I recall giving Keegan Gerhardt and a group of a dozen people some recommendations on places to eat. Ok, after all of that, my reply is that I think you could do ok staying at another, cheaper hotel. Just count on getting back to the room around 8-10pm and perhaps buying dinner out. Also, this resort is kind of on the edge of town, so there isn't anyplace really nearby -so you won't be able to walk from one hotel to another. You'll need a car, or have to count on taxis. If you're flying in, I'd add the cost of a rental car to the overall price when you compare rates. Also, be warned that Phoenix is a really huge city in terms of acreage. Maps may be deceptive to you. I personally would not stay anyplace further south than Lincoln Drive (aka Glendale to the west of HWy 51, but, the west especially the lower west, is pretty ghetto) and even that is a fairly hefty drive. I know that there are several hotels around Scottsdale Road and Bell that are reasonably priced and the neighborhood is safe and near a decent shopping open-air center with restaurants & a Trader Joe's. (Sleep Inn comes to mind, but, I don't have any basis for recommendations.) Hope this helps!

I haven't taken any of their hands-on classes, so I don't really know, I was hoping someone else would reply..... Well, we're two weeks away, and I am pretty excited!

We just have a tiny round, glass topped table that can seat 2 comfortably. It has seated 4 on occasion, but they can't eat from large plates so it's a rare occasion like the in-laws insisting... I feel so tidy! We have 2 black placemats (to help prevent scratching the table), a salt cellar, a Halloween skeleton cup filled with Japanese candy, and a metal Halloween haunted house. Occasionally, a bowl of produce will be placed there if we don't have enough room in the fridge -or it needs to ripen. I have a Halloween theme in the kitchen year-round. My towels have a woven spider-web pattern, my hot pads have pirate skeletons on them, and I have some skull shaped baking pans of various sizes on the walls.

There are some good resources here, both in the forums and in the eG Culinary Institute section. Have fun baking!

A sushi cake is sushi ingredients pressed into a cake pan in an attractive manner. It's usually seen in Japanese home cooking. I have forgotten the correct term for the category it falls into. There's a picture of one on the cover of 'Sushi Making At Home' by Yasuko Kamimura. That photo shows shrimp on top, but it could be anything -even furikake or the tiny nori strips that look like confetti. It's a lot like sushi made in a wooden mold. You lay down layers in an attractive manner (thinly sliced, or grated, easy to cut things) inside a cake pan or springform pan, then place a plate on top and weight it down for an hour or so, or more, under refrigeration. (spraying the mold with non-stick spray may help, it's not always needed, but if I were under pressure to get it right, I'd use it) You then unmold, present to oohs & ahs, then slice it like a cake. It usually has three layers of rice, often colored by the addition of grated veggies (raw carrot is very colorful & tasty) or tiny beads of lightly sugared scrambled eggs. The cake in that photo had the cucumber sides added after it was unmolded. The cucumbers were sliced with a peeler. The tie is a pickle of kanpyou gourd. You can find it both dried and pickled at a Japanese market.

Remember that mayo actually inhibits bacterial growth and dishes made with it stay safe to eat longer than those without it. Meats that have not been handled safely are more dangerous than commercial mayo: http://www.dressings-sauces.org/Mayonnaise_Dressings.html That said, you could also make: tabouli, cous-cous salad, stuffed grape leaves, vegetable sushi cake, curried rice salad, fruit salad, Bengali Rasgulla, and well, tons of dessert items.

Potato starch adds a soft gelatinous texture to bread, and helps to prevent staling. Dry potato flakes are easy to store, measure and use. They also tend to be free of Bacillus Mesentericus, aka 'Rope' an infection of bread which leaves you with loaves with runny centers and a weird cantaloupe smell. Rope spores are not killed by normal cooking temperatures, so they can survive very well in products like home-cooked potatoes. There are old recipes that call for cooked potatoes, but they are less exact because of moisture content variations. The cooked potatoes may contain the Rope bacilli and ruin your loaves and potentially infect the whole kitchen so that nothing bakes well for you. Powdered milk is easy to store and measure, and is generally non-fat. (If it has fat the % is regulated.) So, it's a more consistent ingredient. Whey protein can interfere with gluten development, scalding and most processing to powder deactivates the whey. So, powdered milk eliminates the need for scalding, saving the baker time. Milk adds flavor, improves crumb texture, prevents wild fermentation, adds crust & crumb color (the lactose is not digested by yeast, so it survives into the oven where it browns nicely)

Pirate's Gingerbread 1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses 1 teaspoon Ginger Preserves 2 dashes Angostura Bitters 2 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum 6 oz Thomas Kemper Ginger Ale (or other good ginger ale made w/sugar) Ice Muddle the Molasses, Ginger Preserves and Bitters, taking care to get the ginger into very fine bits. Add the Rum and stir very well. Add the Ginger Ale and stir lightly. Add the Ice and serve. Optional garnish: Gingersnap cookie or small gingerbread man with a hole carefully carved out of the center -on a sword pick. Note: Other spiced rums may be substituted, but Captain Morgan most closely replicates the spice mix in a gingerbread cookie.

If you are making the puree yourself, from scratch, remember that some fruits will discolor, so you may wish to add lemon/lime juice or vitamin C powder to retain color. You may wish to add simple syrup to compensate for the lemon/lime's additional tartness or to boost the flavor of less than sweet store-bought fruit. Some fruit has fiber that becomes hard and very undesirable when frozen. Apples and pears are the main offenders here. If you toss a cored apple or pear in the blender with lemon juice and a bit of simple syrup, the resulting puree will freeze and look ok, but you'll wind up with a mouth full of what feels like straw. Commercial purees of these fruits are lightly cooked to break down the fiber. Using a juicer for apples/pears is a good solution, just remember that they discolor a lot. I like to use ascorbic acid powder for these juices. Purees with more pulp freeze into softer, easier to eat bars, while juice makes a harder more popsicle-like bar. And, a quick reminder about sanitation. You're probably not cooking any of the ingredients for this product, so handle everything with care. (if you were in a restaurant, you'd be wearing gloves and sanitizing containers, etc.) Make certain to wash the fruit carefully. E. Coli outbreaks (and other foodborne illness) have been caused by unwashed fruit like watermelon and strawberry.