Reignking

The chicken nugget example was disgusting (fowl?) -- for not only what is was, but because the kids didn't care one bit.

They are having a review show this week on BBC America, chronicling the past and current winners.

I don't know many of these -- not as star-studded as last time. http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/02/09/top-chef-masters-season-2/ The complete list of Top Chef Masters season 2’s 22 competing chefs: * — returning from season 1 Jody Adams – Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, Mass. Govind Armstrong – 8 oz Burger Bar, Los Angeles, Calif. Graham Elliot Bowles – Graham Elliot Restaurant, Chicago, Ill. * Jimmy Bradley – The Red Cat, New York, N.Y. David Burke – David Burke Townhouse, New York, N.Y. Wylie Dufresne – wd~50, New York, N.Y. * Susan Feniger – Street, Los Angeles, Calif. Debbie Gold – The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo. Carmen Gonzalez – Chef Consultant, New York, N.Y. Maria Hines – Tilth, Seattle, Wash. Susur Lee – Madeline’s, Toronto, Canada Ludo Lefebvre – Ludo Bites, Los Angeles, Calif. * Tony Mantuano – Spiaggia, Chicago, Ill. Rick Moonen – Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nev. * Mark Peel – Campanile, Los Angeles, Calif. * Monica Pope – t’afla, Houston, Texas Thierry Rautureau – Rover’s, Seattle, Wash. Marcus Samuelsson – The Red Rooster, New York, N.Y. Ana Sortun – Oleana, Cambridge, Mass. Rick Tramonto – TRU, Chicago, Ill. Jerry Traunfeld – Poppy, Seattle, Wash. Jonathan Waxman – Barbuto, New York, N.Y. *

So, even McD's is trying to find a way to go local, in Italy.

My thoughts too...but then I read the other posts. Interesting. El Bulli sounds more like a college lab than a restaurant. BTW, they are opening a new college near San Sebastian dedicated to these food techniques.

In Georgia, it is sellable under a pet food license. There was actually a proposed law to color raw milk so that it would discourage human consumption. I need some for my cheesemaking!

Why?

I haven't tried it yet, but I just read about sprinkling powdered dried mushrooms on food -- it sounds like a fantastic idea.

That reminds me of being in Europe for a while. I had been in Spain for 4 months when I went to Lisbon for a few days. I was excited to find a TGIFriday's, because I knew they would have bad, greasy, American food. I couldn't wait for the bacon-cheese fries, and...they were awful. Such a letdown.

I think seasonal eating is too difficult. I don't know what is seasonal, and even if I do, I can buy anything I want at the supermarket, anyway. Plus, I'd rather eat a "real" veggie like asparagus than a bunch of starches. Even if it is from Peru. And I can't tell a difference between asparagus from here or anywhere else. If I could go to a market where everything is local AND seasonal, I would change my tune. But when I'm seeing tomatoes from Canada in January, I quit.

I've never tasted true orgeat (well, I know that after reading this thread). I'm reading that some use apricot kernals; does this result in a amaretto-like taste? Instead of roasting the almonds, could you use roasted almonds?

I did another one for Christmas, using two different types of salmon -- farm-raised v wild. I really couldn't discern a difference, as I suspected. Once you have done it a few times, it's quite simple. I had to leave it in brine for an extra 36 hours as I could tell it wasn't the firmness I wanted. I kept it simple, just using salt/sugar and black pepper/coriander. No smoker for me, unfortunately. Went well with the homemade cream cheese

Richard Blais has been plugging this on Twitter; check it out for some discount ($25?).

Pollan was on The Daily Show last night; he has a new "book", which looks more like a handbook, entitled "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual". Put this new one together with his last and you have a complete book!

I thought it was hilarious, too. It is definitely an entertaining concept, but I wonder how bad they are. The casting...showing people lined up bringing their awful food? I'm sure I could make something awful, too.

I eat asparagus year-round -- I don't see any difference in taste. In fact, the only thing I can really taste a difference in are tomatoes -- because I hate them, unless they are really, really good -- and some fruit (local peaches, for example). I don't even know what is seasonal. Are things grown locally in greenhouses seasonal? Should I eat root veggies in winter despite their being starches that aren't "real" veggies? It has all gotten too confusing. I'm sick of having to think so much about what I eat!

15 miles west of Cville...

After months of thinking, planning, researching and...well...procrastinating, my wife kicked me in the butt and promised to people that I would have homemade cheese at our Christmas party. I went to find the recipes which were the easiest -- those with the least equipment and ingredients. I settled on cream cheese and Ricki's 30-minute mozzarella (after I found the kit locally. After talking with the store owner, we were concerned about milk sourcing. I went to Whole Foods, and talked to their manager, who assured me that the whole milk was pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized). Only one way to prove it! When I started mixing the curd, it started breaking up on me. I had always imagined the pieces would all stay together -- definitely not! So, I was concerned at that point. Moving on, I was stunned how much whey I was pouring off. As I did, the curds looked good -- like they were sticking together. I wasn't able to really "pull" it together -- it was more of a folding. And while one side did become smooth, it wasn't the perfect sphere or oval that I was imagining. 18 ounces of mozzarella: So...taste? FANTASTIC! I couldn't believe it -- I would've sworn it was buffalo milk, because it was so creamy. Such a relief that 1) I was able to find "good" milk and 2) that the result was so great.

I live in Atlanta, but apparently this local trend has not died, either: Banana scallop.

Note to Atlanta chefs in Top Chef finales: Don't cook pork belly.

Oddly enough, I'm planning on trekking to a local meat producer this Saturday, just outside Atlanta -- Patak Meat Products. I have no idea where the meat is sourced from and/or how it is raised (I plan to ask) but at least I know it is cured/smoked/stuffed/butchered here. They are only open one Saturday a month, which makes things difficult. This gets to my main point -- I think I need a dedicated freezer. When it comes to locally-produced meat, I'm going to have to go out of my way to find it. If so, I need a freezer to make it worth my while. I never freeze beef or seafood, but I do freeze other meats (poultry, sausage, pork). If I'm able to procure a large amount of meat (therefore, decreasing my effort) at a decent price, eating locally will be much easier.

Had to google "decolletage" but yes, my wife did too...said she looked completely different.

I love it when the "spoilers" are wrong. Now, if people would stop saying that the show is fixed because the two brothers are in the finale...seriously, do people think that there is going to be a huge ratings jump if two siblings are in the final? Or a drop if one was cut? I think Tom C's blog should be required reading, since he actually tasted the food. Did anyone see seafood at the market? I thought Jen would've naturally gone for that, if it were available. Tom's blog said that the food had to come from a 100 mile radius, which would encompass the Pacific Ocean...or Point Reyes and oysters.

I felt like the "sugar incident" was pure editing. You never saw Mullen run over and grab it from him, or even complain about it. Or Mehta even say "This is a competition. I want to sabotage them. Muhahahahaha."

I'm not local at all. Farmer's Markets are few and far between in Atlanta, and just not convenient to get to. I've tried, but they just aren't worth the hassle and let-down. When I think about it, I'll look for Georgia apples in the fall, or GA/SC peaches in the summer. Tomatoes, of course, when in-season. I don't eat much fruit, though. I always look for Georgia shrimp, but that's still 4+ hours away. As for fish, I care more about it being wild than if it were farmed around the corner. Meat? I'm leaning towards buying more locally-produced meat from Your Dekalb Farmer's Market (which isn't a farmer's market in the traditional sense), because it looks great (and there is a tremendous variety) but it is pricey. No freezer space right now, anyway. I haven't been buying a lot of meat lately, though, as I have been trying to eat/cook more vegetarian and seasonally (risotto, butternut squash ravioli, etc). Produce? Very doubtful. Again, the farmer's markets aren't that good. YDFM has an insanely fantastic selection of produce that I've never heard of. They do a great job at labeling the source, but it rarely is Georgia. As for the other places I get food, they don't do a great job at labeling (Eastern US? Gee, thanks). Herbs from YDFM because they are dirt cheap there. Same with spices. Eggs, local. That seems easy.