AAQuesada

Should be fine, you did add the egg in the pan. So it should have been hot enough to cook through as long as you didn't let it sit out for more than an hour or two before refrigerating. If you did the Mario Batali recipe where you mix in the egg yolk later Id say chuck it.

Firefly really is pretty good! I love my classic cocktails but, flavoring neutral spirits isn't a travesty. Its Gin, aquavit, lemoncello....

LOL! I've seen it put through a food mill like mash potatoes!!

That's great that you can speak the language. BUT: Do you have any professional cooking experience in your home country. Any knowledge on how to use the big 3 hocho: Yanagi-ba, Deba, Usuba. Can you do basic katsura muki? Japanese cooking may look easy on the plate, but that belies a lot of technical skill. It would be a lot to expect to get a job working in a restaurant in your home country with little experience or training, I don't know why you would expect to do it in Japan? If you really want to go through with it I would thing culinary school would be a good route. Here's one that even has an english web page. http://www.tec-tsuji.com/english/

That's what my F.Dick chefs is for. Or a really old school knife like a Chef de chef: http://thebestthings.com/knives/sabatier_canadian_knives.htm The Japanese equivalent would be a western deba. You can scroll down the page for an example: http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/SwedenSteelSeries.html

Yup. It is explained pretty well here: http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php?t-6840.html And if you want to master japanese knifes you really need to develop good sharpening habits. I would say minimum once a week in a working kitchen or daily depending on use. It becomes much easier if you don't wait until they get super dull. The egullet sharpening class is a great resource as well: They shouldn't be all that chippy if used properly.

The only way to really learn the deba is to try to use it exclusively for at least a month or so. Here are some places to start. http://www.tsuji.ac.jp/hp/gihou/Basic_Techniques/japan/fish/sea_bream/home.html From the great Itasan18: Cleaning and breaking a salmon Japanese style.

AAQ, thank you for the link. I've not seen MINSA products in our local Mexican markets, but I suspect if I look hard enough I can find it easier than I think How was the food show, and especially Comida Latina. I wanted to go but was actually in Mexico so had to miss it this year. Other than the masa you cited above, any new and/or interesting items? I think it will be one of those things where we, the buying public, need to ask for. In mexico I think non-GMO and organic don't really figure much into buying decisions. There was someone importing good quality Mexican Vanilla based out of S.D..(PM me if you want the name). Chocolatera Moctezuma from Michoacan was there with some really high quality Mexican chocolate including 40% bittersweet tabla.. Some really nice Mezcal from http://premiummezcal.com/ who is fighting for shelf space. Those were the ones that interested me the most. There were quite a few beef and pork wholesalers, Mexican Cheese producers, Spice and Chile vendors. All sorts of prepared foods.

Out of season there doesn't seem to be much difference between med or thin. If they are a little old and limp you can revive them like cut flowers by trimming the bottom and putting them in water with an aspirin. You won't believe how they firm up! Personally in season I love the Jumbo Green or Purple Asparagus from the Sacramento delta. Thicker is more tender and doesn't need to be peeled in season IMO just trim dry or tough stalks and cut any scales from the side. I still remember my first in season farmers market Asparagus from Zuckerman farms. I couldn't believe the sweetness, it seems like a totally different vegetable.

Yep! I don't dis-agree with you I just wish I could see it done (you tube) or hear a report of someone who made with success, because it is so different. Don't get me wrong, I've made pasta a lot and know how it's supposed to be when made in the usual 100g per egg or high ratio yolk formula. I'd love to master his technique because his reputation is so solid. The formula is soo different it seemingly has to be genius or unworkable and I can't figure out which?!

So, I went to the Western Regional food show/Comida Latina and I thought I'd share one of the purveyors. 'MINSA' is selling Organic and Non GMO corn flours from White, yellow, red and blue corn. http://www.minsa.com.mx/ingquienes.html

Yes, Bugalli uses XL eggs, I calculated it out at 27 oz per dozen or 2.25 oz ea. I wanted a way to compare the recipes and converting to a bakers percentage seems the best way. Bugalli's ratio seems to be pretty standard. Bertolli's is very different and a lot lower hydration on both his whole egg and semolina recipes. His egg yolk heavy formula goes back to a higher hydration. I just am very curious if anyone has had success with it. My experience is that it yields a VERY dense dough that is difficult to work with.

You must have industry contacts in catering. I would highly recommend getting in on a few event to really get a feel for the differences. As a lot of questions. The cooking is the easy part.

Their Formula's are VERY different. As an example I've put them into bakers %... Bugalli Whole egg pasta Flour 100% eggs 70% P.Bertolli Whole egg Pasta Flour 100% egg 40% water 5 %

Sorry, I guess I was specifically asking 'eac' who has experience with 'Cooking by Hand' and his experience with Paul Bertolli's Pastas

Pint and Quart sized deli cups. From the freezer to the microwave to mise en place, to price. The best.

FWIW Puritan Poultry at the Original Farmer's Market carries rabbit as does Surfas (Frozen)and of coarse Harvey's Gus Meat . I know they are a trek for you, and Harvey's purveyor who takes phone orders from the public, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Hah! true. Most high end kitchens have very high standards of cleanliness and sanitation as long as you wash often that's not so big a deal IMO. In L.A. they say you can't hang tongs on oven doors which is also common. The important stuff is hard to change like food being held at the wrong temp. I still say if the place is worthy of a 'B' you WILL get caught, usually because the chef(sous chef or kitchen manager) is lax on staff or inexperienced. How often have you seen an Itamae at a good sushi house wearing gloves?!

Hope you are going to have help! Make sure you get a good Pullman or Pan de Mie loaf it makes a big difference for tea sandies

Even with advanced notice you can only do so much you can do if you are not already in compliance. It's easier to stall in a hotel where they have to get by security first.

soup in shot glasses (get plastic) hot or cold, with a garnish.. seasonal fruit and cheese plater - good ol' southern pimento cheese ball and crackers

You could do a bunch of different tea sandwiches.. Curried chicken salad, Radish w\cream cheese and poppy seeds ect.. Blini's w\ smoked salmon and chive creme fraiche or tapanade or small dice ratatoille; mini cheese tartlets (my mom used to make the shells by rolling out white bread cutting rounds, brushing w\ melted butter and par baking in muffin tins IIRC) Vegetarian summer rolls, stuffed dates....

You might want to call your local big box grocery store, Maseca is pretty common. I have never tried regual corn flour, so I don't know if it would work or not. The corn flour for tortillas or tamales have been treated with lye (nixtamal) before being ground and dried. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization You could also call Bob's Red Mill and ask them if you don't get an answer here, they make a corn flour.

I neglected to mention the 'other' choice and my favorite for korean BBQ is Soot bull Jeep, which is pretty much the oppisite of Parks.. it's louder, smokier- you will leave smelling like smoke, service will make you feel like you are in Korea. But the food is really good, nice selection of Panchan and the place really feel alive. Parks is more of an upscale experience, better service - more hand holding if you need it, higher end meats.

Masa = Dough ie: Masa para pasteles is pastry dough. Masa harina = Dough Flour usually 'Trigo' or wheat... Masa harina de maiz = Corn flour for dough (also name of a Quaker product) Maseca = One of the oldest brands of corn flour. They have two main lines 'para tortillas' and 'para tamales' Good Luck! Bonus: and salsa = sauce ie. salsa holandesa or hollandaise sauce!