Lisa Shock

I made some Tahitian vanilla ice cream last night (the basic LCB custard style formula) and added two drops of Angostura to the last cup. I liked it, I have not given any to my tasting panel. It added a subtle herbal quality that elevated the ice cream, definitely more complex and interesting.

As far as I know, Pizza Rustica aka about a dozen regional names like Pizza Chiena.

I am sorry to hear this. More and more people in North America are living single, and it creates situations like this. The upside of your situation is that it probably would be an inexpensive area to open some kind of restaurant. El Bulli was in a similar area. When the restaurant lost its Michelin star in the 80s when the chef left, they were no longer in the guidebooks, and tourism dried up to practically nothing. You might not need a million dollars. You could always do an underground 'experience' type popup in people's homes. Other options might be a food truck, a small stand/shack type place, or a hole-in-the wall. There's always the option to open a B&B -some have breakfast cafes where anyone can eat, not just the lodgers. Maybe you could try starting a gourmet 'club'? There are online resources to help you now, meetup.com, FaceBook, craigslist, etc. At first, just have meetings in public areas, when the weather improves, like a potluck in a park. Start with simple things, a theme to cook and talk about, (say, a region, or a dish) and see how it evolves. Hopefully, you'll see some signs of Spring in a few weeks!

So, that slip.... I watched the show right after watching 'Project Runway' and was in runway critique mode. It was a very odd wardrobe choice, as it did not fit very well. -Watch it bunch and crease as Padma moves. Generally, a slip dress is worn under a blazer, not by itself, for exactly the reasons posted here, with people mistaking it for sleepwear. The color was too intense for such a dark, almost colorless setting. Padma would have stood out wearing almost any color. I know they were trying to capture some glitz and LV excitement, but, like one of the cheaper casinos' decor, it came across as jarringly tacky. (I would have gone for a dark gold satin, myself.) I liked the reward system, and also hope they use it in the future. The top two were not the two I would have chosen, but, in the end, it's hard for viewers to say anything since we can't taste the food.

I'd definitely research how Syrians make tea and coffee. I know the coffee is really different from what people drink in North America as regular coffee. Tea might be a bit more similar, but, I would check.

The basic LCB recipe just uses milk and maybe an ounce of butter. Pastry cream has always been a lighter bakery item, IMO. You can make it with, say, 50% cream, but, I'd add it late in the game. You can also make stabilized whipped cream with gelatin and then fold then whip the two together carefully when they are both well chilled. But, that is more properly called Creme Diplomat. IMO, Diplomat tastes even lighter due to air which is incorporated. I should ask, though, were you using whole milk or lowfat? (so many people get used to calling skim milk just 'milk' that they forget that some recipes rely on old fashioned whole milk)

I just researched it a bit on eBay, there are only 156 listings (which is not that many for silverware as a single pattern can have dozens items in the set) and the prices are very solid -much higher than the silver's value alone.

How big? And, what for?

The bag helps prevent tarnishing in storage and transit, and allows employees to handle items safely. You can get an idea of real world values by checking eBay. There's a lot of silverware there. I have a pretty good collection of a pattern I like that I started at thrift stores in the 1970s and fill in with eBay purchases.

Thanks! The whisk sounds like a better idea. When I use the mixer, I get about 5-10 revolutions and that's about it, so, I already know that it doesn't get whipped much - you don't have a lot of opportunity to add overrun. Anyway, the whisk is more theatrical and doesn't need to be plugged in, so, I will go with that with one of my removable silicon pot handles on it. (and, I learned to make the ice cream in the early 90s from a lab tech who had been making it since the 1960s) I am giving small portions to about a dozen people, so I plan on making 2 liters or so.

I know this is an older post, but want to answer it for future readers. If it's been a while, I make a point to review the Liquid Nitrogen Primer by Dave Arnold. I prep my room first, checking the ventilation. I make sure I have given a rundown of what will or might happen to anyone who isn't familiar with procedures -so that no one in an audience gets grabby, or decides to close the windows. I dress for the occasion, plain slip-on chef shoes, cuffless long pants, long sleeve chef coat with sleeves unrolled over a t-shirt. I always wear goggles. (I get prescription ones from zenni.com) I wear gloves, I am after all, preparing food. I tend to prefer a sandwich of latex-free food handler gloves, silk glove liners (designed for outdoor sports), topped by another, larger set of food handler gloves. I got used to the layered gloves while pulling sugar. Just like any other time in the kitchen, hair is tied back and a hat is worn. I also have long handled utensils that are seamlessly covered in silicon.

The venue won't mind a dry run. If it works, they get to eat ice cream. If it doesn't, they get to try to eat ice cream with metal shards, or a really hard slab of zero-overrun ice cream.

I have been making LN2 ice cream since the early 1990s, and have things down to my satisfaction. But, I have an opportunity to do a demo in a location where I just don't feel like lugging my 7qt Kenwood out to. Would an immersion blender (all metal) work? -I know that I'll have to create an insulated base for the bowl and have all the usual safety gear, and take the usual precautions. I guess I am wondering if the blender will keep spinning at low temps?

I guess I should point out that if I had started the show, the judges would all be certified Master Chefs or CMPCs.

Fats floating in/on it can go rancid and create off flavors and carcinogens. Fat globules, even microscopic ones, can also support bacterial colonies, and cause foodborne illness.

Don't forget that Padma wasn't in season 1. That said, she is familiar with the rules and has probably eaten meals at quite a few Michelin starred establishments. Part of the reason for more than one judge is to simply test the entrants on consistency in making multiple servings. Some of the judges are simply there to say, "mine was raw" or, "mine was dry" to compare and contrast the plates served. More experienced judges can obviously chime in with information that less experienced judges may not know about. Padma isn't just a random person pulled off the street giving an opinion. I have to believe that she prepares for her role, and tries to be fair. She certainly knows the rules I have never heard her say a self-centered food comment like, "I hate asparagus, so, I will rate this dish very low". I would hope that she understands things like how some people taste cilantro as soapy, or approximately 20% of people dislike coconut but many others enjoy it -and would judge on the merits of the dish. Phillip is the first contestant to push hard and loudly about the claim that the judges are biased to personal taste rather than industry standard. I am inclined to disagree with him as we are in season 13 and this is supposedly a newsflash that no contestant or guest judge ever leaked to the public. Notably, no one has come out of the woodwork to support his claims. In culinary school, one of my instructors was in his 80s and always graded people down for not enough salt in their food. Catch was, he never thought there was enough salt, ever. I had him for one class and he judged a few competitions. A couple of students, including myself, tried some experiments in super-salting foods to please him and he never found anything we made salty enough, or too salty, even when we made foods so salty they were inedible to everyone else including other instructors. A group of us tried to make a formal complaint to the school, but, he had been there so long and was so well liked that no one wanted to confront him. That said, everyone who had him as an instructor would talk about the salt issue. This wasn't a secret suddenly divulged in year 13. (I checked his website bio) Phillip never attended culinary school. He did work in a number of kitchens, obviously fairly briefly as he is 28, before opening his bar and then restaurant a couple of years ago. So, he was familiar with some other chef's standards. However, he is very careful to point out that he cooks with his own personal style. His restaurant specializes in cooking 'pure' vegetables, each all by itself with no added ingredients -which to me sounds like a lot of one-note tunes. IMO, a good dish should have balance and contrast. A good dish should kind of bounce around your tastebuds. And, I think there's a difference between the kind of dishes contestants are expected to make, and sides or dish components. (roasted potatoes are very good, but don't make a complete plate) I got the feeling that Phillip was really just making sides and trying to pass them off as a main dish. Sure, he'd combine 2-3 of them sometimes, but overall I just didn't get the feeling that he was trying to get as much flavor into his dishes as possible. He really fell down with sauces, and it's telling with the risotto that he somehow thought he'd get more of a pure rice flavor by using water. Overall, I see him as under-educated and overconfident. Jumping to blaming the judges rather than questioning his own actions just reeks of the Dunning-Krueger effect to me. -I'm older and still have a million things to learn and perfect about cooking, while he feels like he's mastered it. Phillip's contention that customers in his restaurant love his food is also weak. People rarely complain unless something is really bad, or, they are the type that complains regularly to get comps. And, his food is probably ok, just not as tasty as it could be. I mean he's cooking each vegetable by itself with no additional flavors. (I wonder if that includes salt???) I would contend that while roasted brussels sprouts are good, mine, which are roasted in toasted hazelnut oil and served with toasted hazelnuts and a touch of maple syrup and kosher salt, are tastier. I doubt that diners are inspired enough in anyone's restaurant to say something like, "these green beans, they taste like cooked green beans and are okay, but, you could have really amped them up with garlic, mirin, red chile flakes, and yuzu juice". I think Phillip has taken himself off on his own path and doesn't realize how far from the mainstream he has gotten himself.

I'd start with simple syrup and/or gomme syrup. Just be aware that it should be stored refrigerated and has a short shelf life. That, and use real juices from fruit you just juiced yourself. The grenadine is great, really, but, I view it as the next step.

AP flour varies by region and manufacturer. In the Southern US it's closer to being cake flour because millers know that it's mostly being used for biscuits. In the North, it's more like pastry flour -closer to bread flour, because they know it's more likely to be used for general pastry and occasional breads. For roux, I agree with paulraphael, use the lowest protein flour you can find. That's generally cake flour.

I second coffeegeek.com. The pod machines are not a step up unless you have a reason to need a variety of single-serve beverages. The pods are expensive and wasteful. The internal plumbing inside the machine will get moldy quickly unless cleaned and dried regularly. If you want to make single cups of coffee, things like a french press or a Chemex may be more appropriate. -They certainly are easier to clean, and for the most part, you'll pay less for your coffee than with pods.

If you're in the US, I'd do a lot of comparing and then start frequenting Home Goods, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, etc. That, and start looking for BB&B sales where they let you also use a 20% coupon on top of the sale price. You'll get a lot more for your money with a little planning. Also, that site is run by one small retailer trying to channel you into purchasing from them. There are better places to look for info and deals. There are threads on this site about choosing pans, take a look at them. You'll probably find that just a few pans (8-10" skillet, a 4-6 qt pot to boil pasta in, a wok, a dutch oven, a bamboo steamer, and a large stockpot) are all you need. Take a good hard look at what and how you cook and see if you'll use all those extra saucepans, etc.

I happen to be the niece of Eugene Ambo, one of the original 11 founders of the Eastport Yacht club, and lived in Naptown for a few years. Anyway, my advice: try beurre noisette instead of the pork fat or bacon. -if you want smokiness, add liquid smoke. It's easier to control than the randomness of bacon.

I have been too lazy to try it, which is silly, I know. I have been meaning to test it out with various sweeteners and other flavor components to see how far it can be pushed. I think I keep forgetting to get a nice fresh chunk of ginger, I've been using ginger I put up in some vinegar for general cooking. At some point, lets start a new thread about this dessert, because I see a lot of potential for it. (low cal -compared to other custards, good for people with egg allergies, easy to make, no oven needed, etc.)

Here in Phoenix, a savory side certified chef I know charges $1,700/day for consulting. Good luck!

I have been really disappointed that cereals have changed their formulation. Cheerios is not what it used to be. IIRC, Apple Jacks used to be more like Frosty-Os with dried apple bits -kind of like the old, original Apple-Cinnamon Cheerios. There's more, but, many of these changes have not improved the product.

How common is ginger milk custard?