townsend

Kaiseki by Yoshihiro Murata, available on alibris.com

when you decide what you want, look at alibris dot com for good prices....its where I get all my old and out of print books....

So the question is how does one get good? Work in the best place that will have you (that suits your culinary desires). If they pay you or not, will you get closer to your goal? Yes. If you insist on being Worth It, you have to prove it. If you can prove it, you shouldn't be seeking an intern/extern/stage, but should throw down with the big boys. Will you work more or less hard based on your pay? You better not, because in the end, you work only for yourself. If you invest poorly in yourself, you are the one who will suffer. Be careful where you intern/extern, make sure you will be able to move and see. This is more abt to happen in a privately owned kitchen. Union shops are tough if you want to spend extra time learning outside of your normal job reqs. Peeling carrots at "Haute Five Star Shop" for $1X.XX hr. won't help, especially after day one at your next job and your new employer wants to see what you can do. If you are pompous, sloppy, arrogant, less than helpful, or not interested in being the best, why would anyone who is busy making their bones on the line try to help you? Good luck with your search and only work with good people!

paulraphael- I wouldn't stop what you started. Brown chicken stock done well is really good. (like the feet idea, BTW) I have used a much reduced version with fresh thyme and oven dried tomato (whole petal, no seeds) with roasted Halibut to much success. If you are not using the liver, make a liver butter and add to the sauce after it is off the heat and slightly cooled. Good with fresh splash of oloroso sherry.

Break the carcass into breast bone and back bone, then split each one in half. For a small amount of bones (2-4 birds) you can saute the bones, or for more (10 pounds of carcasses) you can roast them in the oven. To make a thick reduced jus you need quite a bit of bones, they offer little gelatin. But it is worth it for flavor; mushrooms, mire poix, fresh tomato, aromatic herbs, deglaze with maderia...mmm She is probably referring to the oft seen practice of over-roasting whole carcasses in the oven until they smell of roasted bone. Your stock will then be bitter, and quite disappointing. If you don't break the carcass down into pieces, it will also require more liquid to cover than it can flavor (called flooding your stock).

Salt as you go. Salting lightly in the beginning, and as you continue, you can get your flavors developing (that is called seasoning). The chronic oversalting is probably due to adding salt to un-seasoned food at the end, which doesn't add to flavor development and may not even be fully dissolved/distributed. What may seem like a heavy hand at the table, probabaly results from the taste-add salt-taste-plate treatment food gets before it hits the table. How long does it take kosher salt (always used in commercial kitchens worth their salt) to dissolve? Some chefs use salt water in varying concentrations to season their food. The impact is relatively immediate for changing the taste of a liquid, or emulsion. Finishing salt is also a culprit. Good fleur-de-sel is good, but expensive. I like large grey salt that is somewhat broken into smaller grains for its impurities, which add complexity. But it's not like salt on a pretzel, it shouldn't be more than 5-7 grains. I use it on sliced meat or fish, where seasoning cannot reach, and sparingly....

Godshall's (sp?) in the RTM. They have whole rabbits, squab, and quail on a regular basis.

Also check out Blue Hubbard and Grey Hubbard squash...they make great soups. Shadybrook Farms, Yardley, Exit 49 off 95N.

I know the food is under the supervision of an experienced, quality culinarian. I look forward to crisp food executed with good technique after they get up and running.

No bastion here, I pay the rent just like the next guy, one guest at a time. I just don't do it by systematically homogenizing the culinary landscape of America.

Chains don't just celebrate their mediocrity, they are defined by it. The food in chain restaurants like PF's is kept on the menu not because it is interesting, but drives the most sales dollars. So the dishes that sell the most (ie are most recognizeable, contain certain buzzwords, or trigger the sugar/fried food Pavlovian response) are the ones that remain on the menu. A national chain by design winds up giving the majority what they want, while continuing to marginalize the unfamiliar foods that make a particular culture's cuisine unique. Think of it like this; the same way big agriculture is producing homogenized produce designed to be uniform, easily shipped, have long shelf life, and make money, but not for taste (to the exclusion of heirloom varieties that have unique properties), national restaurant chains are doing to dining, except we are the produce.

adey73, He used a fish tank aerator, which makes small, slow rate bubbles, with plastic tubes inserted into a tall cylinder. He made beet juice bubbles at the demo; I'd have to check my notes for the ratios...

I don't understand. Snackbar is doing seven courses of interesting food. Snackbar is offering the opportunity to bring wine to their establishment for a SPECIAL EVENT (unlike the other places who have no corkage nights to build business on SLOW nights). If you are going to enjoy the experience, shouldn't you bring 5 or so different wines? Corkage for a six-top would be $120. A tasting of any quality is going to run $65-$85 a head to match each course. In any other restaurant that is capable of doing a tasting of this length, quality, and ambition, the markup on wine would make this discussion moot. Bring what you like, bring your friends, bring wine with no markup, just bring $20 so they can continue to provide Philadelphia with unique forward-looking food.

mrbigjas/Diann, If you have anything specific in mind, let me know via PM. I would be happy to make space in the courtyard or inside and cook up some good happy hour food! Townsend Wentz Twenty21

Congrats J-Mac!! Nice work! Tod

Game, Set, Match...

The folding of the standoff began with those who had the most to lose and least to gain, the large fresh food purveyors. They were not being asked to shoulder considerably more of the burden in the new lease and didn't want to jeapordize their business. I have to say this comes from someone who has signed the new agreement. He/she also mentioned that the terms of the new lease were not fully disclosed, just the financial burden that would be placed upon that particular tenant. Again, this is from a discussion with a tenant. So when the bigger tenants signed, the bargaining power of the Merchants Ass. went to s--t. So Rick, who lobbied for fair terms and full disclosure, is going to suffer the consequences. Most of the discussions I see here are valid and interesting, however, it is what it seems to be. Removal of a vocal tenant. So, as a current tenant, would you speak up next time? Probably not. As a prospective tenant, would you sign with a landlord who will seek to have you removed if they find a more 'popular' version of you? BTW, I like Tony Lukes and all, but that's it? That is the big plan?? How are we going to get into the RTM at 3:00 AM when Tony Lukes, or myself (I can't quite remember), is in its prime???

Yeah, Cooper River is probably not having a salmon run any time soon....anyone for Perch? As for other salmon: I have had other fish substituted for the Copper River, troll caught and otherwise, and it is NOT the same. It is how it is handled, its genetic makeup, and yes, the marketing. It is the benefit of having it delivered Fedex, after having been out of the water 24-48 hours, instead of being delivered to a NY distributor (1 extra day), then sent to a Philadelphia distributor (another extra day), and then, perhaps, to whomever is putting it in their case (where it spends how many days priced at 20.00 plus a pound). While it is subjective, I have spent many years seeking and purchasing the very best that is available, whether it be vegetables, fish, meat, or other artisinal products. IN MY OPINION, Copper River is the best, and that endorsement doesn't come lightly.... (FYI, while Twenty21 is in the former Cutter's space, we are not affiliated in any way.) Townsend

Brucedelta, I spoke with the desk to let them know I have it coming in, and provided a more THOROUGH understanding of what it entails...thanks for the heads up. I have in the past purchased CRKS through some of my local purveyors and recieved troll caught king, sockeye, or other river caught king. I now use an exclusive purveyor in Alaska, and always get what I (and in turn, the guest) pay for. The first two openers (two weeks ago) produced an extremely limited king catch, and a sockeye catch at %60 of previous levels. Last week, prices were up and supply short. This week things have normalized, but missed the early week opener, which puts delivery late into the week with the second opener, so I passed. I have west coast Morels and Porcini coming in with the CRKS, and I would expect some on the dish.... Townsend

...when I was in Paris and ordered the tartare, the waiter showed up 10 minutes later "....uh, monsieur, you do know that's raw?" "Oui, raw, I know..."

I am finally able to get Copper River King Salmon directly from the source I use in Alaska (I don't like to buy it through local distributors...). It's being sent from my supplier in Alaska via Fedex after the next catch (they run 12 hour openers once or twice a week during the season) and will arrive next tuesday or wednesday. It's available lunch or dinner, and I highly recommend checking it out if you have never had the pleasure. After working with CRKS for a number of years I can say that is undeniably the best salmon available. We slow roast it on the skin, rendering the skin to crisp, while keeping the salmon medium rare. I haven't decided on the accoutrements, but I know some tartare will also be available. Townsend Wentz Twenty21

MSt.El, I think boutique and artisnal are two different things...boutique meaning limited use (specialty items, obscure) and artisnal meaning made or grown by artisans (of which we have many, fortunately). The RTM is run as a 'retail outlet' with a mix of vendors to support the public need, which is great. I frequent Downtown cheese professionally and personally weekly, I can find the best cookbooks around the corner (thanks Jill), and can get a number of other unique products (fresh rabbit, squab). Matthewj brought up a good point re:Greenmarket. If the producers from Lancaster area came here instead of NYC, we would enjoy a greater selection of what is grown here. In no way am I denigrating the RTM, its just that there is so much more out there. If I want to buy Eckerton Hill Farm tomatoes from Kutztown, I have two choices: go to the Greenmarket or call my Baldor rep. in the Bronx! (Baldor, by the way, supplies a number of Wegmans with produce) When I used Branch Creek Farm in Bucks County for organics, Mark would call me with last chance offers to buy overstock before the bumber crop was sold off to wholesalers in NYC! (Mark and Judy Dornstreich are the epitome of local organic farming..) Vadouvan also mentions a good point; wholesale is wholesale, no matter who is buying. So yes, they are know for a certain level of quality, but they are sourcing almost all of the products from the same food wholesale distribution system as Weg, Superfresh, Italian M. etc. The exception is Iovine's with their contract growers. I don't know what they grow specifically, but that is a great way to get the quality you want. I love Fair Food (Jamison Lamb is arguably the best in the Country) and am chasing E. Livengood from market to market, but what about the rest of what is offered in PA? Where is their home in Philly? The market would suffer if it became less competitive, however. The public is using it as a shopping outlet, not as a repository for unique artisnal products. I just want to point out the disconnect between what else is available and what is offered at the market. editted to add: Having these products available to the public would increase awareness of what we have, the costs involved to support artisans, and the cost of not doing so....

I'd agree if the stated purpose of the article was "what is new in Philadelphia dining." But it is not. It is 1.) how does one identify a "great food city" and 2) is Philadelphia a great food city. That the article is in "Food & Wine" and not "Popular Grease" does not justify a writer for a national publication painting just half the picture. Also a food writer who proclaimed, "Wow, they have cheesesteaks there, AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD! They made with meat and cheese and come on these rolls...." should not even be writing for a local publication. ← Holly-just stating that it has already been established that we have cheesesteaks and it wouldn't contribute anything new to those OUTSIDE philly. Again, most of this article is old hat to us, full of omissions, and quite a cursory take on the food, people, and excellent products that make this city great.

Any food writer that did an article on Philly and proclaimed, "Wow, they have cheesesteaks there, AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD! They made with meat and cheese and come on these rolls...." would probably not be writing for a national publication. The sandwich culture in Philly is a rightfully proud tradition, but an obvious one that is old news for our beloved Roast Pork and Cheesesteak. Good point Matthewj on markets; everyone knows the Greenmarket in NYC, but is RTM really comparable? Are the stalls full of farmers and producers of unique artisnal products? Having an outlet like the RTM, and our location to Lancaster, Bucks, and Berks Counties should give us the kind of produce/products that makes others envious. We live next to the 'Breadbasket of the East' that has some of the best farmland in the country, but the food dollars and market organization available in NY makes Philly a second choice for many farmers. There are many chefs in Philly that go out of their way to get great local sources, but to make it economically feasible to pay the farmer for top quality one has to charge a premium, so looking for Five Star food at One Star prices is not very likely. One usually doesn't get Five Star food without the accompanying Five Star experience and price (do they make sauce spoons in plastic?). Our rich tradition (remember when Le Bus and Metropolitan were mind-blowing for the white bread set?) of making honest, soulful food as well as the haute cuisine of Le Bec and the Fountain at their best should be celebrated by us. That the author is an outsider being guided around by local writers, which she clearly states, obviously influences the writing. If you look at who she was with and where they went, it would give someone who is local a sense of deja vu. We've already read this material. But others haven't. And if scratching the surface of the Philadelphia dining scene is worth noting in a national publication like Food and Wine, then we might be richer than we think.

Thanks, if you don't have quality in the beginning, you won't have it in the end... True, the cost and hassle is not worth it and they don't do portion cut beef. If Bryan Flannery is using Brandt and the prices quoted are accurate, with 2-day shipping you would do quite well on quality vs. cost. In the past I have gone to Harry Ochs in the RTM, but that was quite a few years ago and you had to ask or order in advance. Other than that, you don't have many Philadelphia options.