Old Timer

I am still trying to figure out how the plot will play out. It boggles me that Coleen would risk everything she has worked for just to get a chance to be Exec at Ramsay's new restaurant. Surely the casting directors explained how Ramsay treats the aspiring chefs and she must have seen previous seasons. She knows better than anyone else her skill level. So why risk it all? I think we may see her turn it around and jump into contention. Cooking skills can be taught, but she already has a foot up in business management which is more in line with the skills needed to become an Executive Chef. Ramsay certainly won't pick a party chef or line cook for the position, there's just too much to teach. I think it will come down to Coleen and Ben

This was my immediate thought as well. For all the effort put into the bread baking process, I would think proofing the yeast would be mandatory.

I had the same thoughts about meals to go as well as teaching. With the meals to go my concern is food quality. To justify this idea I would have to create entrees that would need to be frozen and reheated at the customers home. I have not tested this yet but it would seem that most potato sides would suffer from freezing, so that would limit the options on sides. As far as classes, I could comfortably fit 6 in my kitchen around a centrally located prep table. What do you charge and teach? We have an upscale gift/gourmet shop in front so I was also thinking of doing demonstrations in the store, although I don't see this as a profitable venture.

This is directed to those of us in the trade. The bad economy is affecting everyone and smaller markets like mine that rely on seasonal trade feel it worse than most. Some days we see 15 covers and on the average, maybe 40. What I have done to increase business is create "ethnic specials" that change monthly. February specials are Italian. Muffelatta Sandwich Veggie Lasagna Chicken Caesar Wrap. Next Month I plan on doing Irish Irish Stew Shepherds Pie Reuben Sandwich It seems to be working so far, with the Muffelatta drawing pretty good attention. So what are you doing in these tough times to keep them coming in?

This is one of the first things I've read about the Cuisinart from someone who actually owns one! So I guess you like the machine? A lot of people mentioned the housing seemed cheap and flimsy. Have you had any problems with your machine at all? What are the other pluses? And minuses? I need to wait another year before I can buy anything, but I still before the Cuisinart over the KitchenAid. It's just that it's difficult to find much info (i.e. reviews) from people who actually own one. ← Up until I acquired the Cuisinart, I used KitchenAid exclusively. Now, I would not go back for anything. Here is a link to the Amazon Page for this mixer. http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-SM-55-2-Qu...33599061&sr=8-1 You can read all about all the features of the SM-55 and see the 40 customer reviews associated with it. Take a moment and compare the bases of the two machines. You will see that the SM-55 has a wide stance with a low center of gravity whereas the KitchenAid has a lighter narrower base and a higher center of gravity making for a better chance to wobble when mixing heavier doughs. Also, the KitchenAid puts out 550 Watts power and the SM-55 puts out 800 Watts.

I purchased this same mixer for my restaurant kitchen. It is quite powerful and will take on pretty much any task, although I did find it wobbled a bit when mixing english muffin dough. I purchased mine from Kitchen Expressions in Michigan City, IN as a rebuilt unit. It looks and performs like new. Paid $239.00 plus tax. I have since moved up to the Cuisinart SM-55 which is a much heavier and more stable machine. At 800 Watts it plows through anything without hesitation and has a nice wide base.

I don't understand why this woman would jeopardize her business by admitting her lack of training to Ramsay. Surely show told her students that she was selected for the show, and just as surely her students watched and saw her glaring shortcomings in the kitchen. Just plain dumb if you ask me.

I happened to stumble on this thread I started and will give an update. The casino started out like gangbusters. Top quality food, very low prices and a steady stream of customers kept their restaurants filled. One of the dishes they offered for breakfast was a huge slab of ham, (picture a piece of meat a good 12" in diameter and 1/2 " thick) with eggs, hash browns and coffee for $4.99. They also offered decent 12oz. Prime Rib dinner for $9.99. The problems started when they could not keep help. It seems that chefs/cooks were coming and going on a daily basis. Even a few of the top echelon chefs were either fired or quit. This caused inconsistent quality in the food and I don't think locals go there much anymore. In the beginning, they had chefs applying from all over the world, with some coming from Europe to work there, primarily due to the big plans the casino management had in mind for the future. There is a lot of competition for the casino dollar now and they are feeling the pinch. The owners of the casino claim that they are doing well but I hear differently. Most of the restaurants are closed during the week, and their huge "International Themed Buffet" closes at 7:00. The prices have gone up dramatically as well. The meals listed above are now probably twice the price. It really has not affected the bottom line at my place, as our records show the same numbers of guests coming as we had last year. One bright note... My wife cooks at the casino and they offer great health benefits through Blue Cross/Blue Shield as well as a decent starting wage.

This weeks commercials show chef Robert Irvine putting the contestants through their paces. Has the Food Network no shame? After last years exposure of Irvine's embellishments to his resume, you would think the FN would toss him out on his ear rather than promote him as one of the family. Here's a new "dinner impossible"challenge for Irvine. Give each contestant a Cricket bat and tell Irvine to bend over. Each gives him a swat on the ass and he is required to shout out "Please sir, may I have another" after each swat. The challenge would be to see if he can eat a sit-down dinner with a cherry red arse. Edited to add.... OK! I just finished watching this (pardon the pun) "trainwreck" of a show. Here's my take. The award for the most annoying talentless cook goes to Adam. Not only does he look and act like Mr. Bean, but he probably can't cook any better than him either. His shtick wears on you pretty quickly. The drama queen award goes to Nipa, who will ultimately end up cowering in a corner mumbling over and over "I can't take this anymore" Next we have Lisa, aka Mrs. Spock, who actually stepped up and showed some chops tonight, but she always appears to be on the verge of doing a Norman Bates shower scene if anyone crosses her.. Then their is Shane, who always looks like he is ready to cry. Aaron did a great job. Geoffrey (sp?) made nasty looking corn something or other but his culinary education will keep him around awhile.. The perky little blond chick will be a finalist because...well just because she is cute and perky. Jen is just enough of a wallflower to avoid elimination for a few more shows. Adios Kevin, I hear Mickey D's is looking for some help.

Time for predictions. Christina will take it all. I'm guessing she will be up against Corey in the final, but it will be Christina.

None of the current crop are real contenders for anything beyond the local McDonalds. That being said, didn't the show end with a shadowy figure seen entering the dining room causing everyone to gasp? So who is it? Jen? If so, my money's on her.

How often do we wish we had spent a little more time with mom or grandma in the kitchen learning how to prepare those wonderful dishes that became family favorites? It did not matter if the dish was "gourmet" or not. It was simply a family staple. And now, years and generations later these dishes that could evoke memories of happy family times are in many lost to the ages. Fortunately, I did learn a few hand me down recipes that I make from time to time just to bring back memories of days gone by. My grandmother who by herself raised 8 children through the Depression often served a dish called "Depression Spaghetti" 1 pound of fried bacon that has been chopped Large package of spaghetti noodles canned diced tomatoes Velveeta Cheese Fry the bacon and save the drippings. Add cooked noodles to the pan and stir coating evenly and heating throughout. Stir in the tomatoes and several 1/2" cubes of Velveeta Stir until Velveeta is partially melted then add the bacon back in. Another dish is called Sultze, more commonly known as souse. I can remember my uncle making pans of Sultze for the entire family. On "Sultze Making Day" He would start early in the morning chopping the meat and veggies. It seemed that he cooked the meat for hours. When the meat was cooked, he clamped an old Universal hand grinder to the kitchen table and slowly turned the crank while he filled the tiny hopper with the hot mixture. Sometimes he would even let me crank it as he filled it. I remember him using everything from pie plates to bread pans to hold the gelatinous mix until it hardened and I can still (45 yrs. later) taste the wonderfully flavored meat that missed the bowl under the grinder and fell to the table. My family had a love/hate relationship with the stuff. Either you loved it or you hated it, there was no in-between. For those unfamiliar with the proper way to eat Sultze, it must be served with loads of fresh ground pepper and smothered with white vinegar. 3 lb Pork, Beef, Veal or Chicken 1 Onion, large, chopped 2 Celery, sticks, chopped 1 Tbsp Butter 1 Tbsp. each salt & pepper 1 Tbsp Gelatin 1/2 cup Water, cold Cut meat in pieces, add the onion, celery, butter and seasoning to taste. Cover with water and let cook slowly until meat is tender and liquid is reduced to about 2 cups. Soak gelatin in the cold water for 5 minutes. Grind the meatl. Strain the stock and dissolve the gelatin in the hot stock. Add ground meat and mix well. Pour into loaf pans to jell.

I am trying to create a thicker english muffin After having tested many recipes, I have come up with a satisfactory product both in terms of taste and texture. The only issue is keeping the nice high rise achieved while cooking the first side. I must mention that I am "baking" these on a griddle at a lower than normal heat and not in an oven. After they are flipped, that beautiful rise deflates and the muffin ends up at about 3/4 inch thick. We want them to stay a little thicker. Would decreasing hydration accomplish this? Or perhaps adding a bit of baking powder? Any input is appreciated.

Give Archer Tinning a call. Here is a link to their website. http://www.archertinning.com/

Thanks for the replies. Here is how we do it. Since we are very popular for breakfast, it is nothing to get hit with 15-20 tickets at a time. The dining room manager knows to come to the kitchen and get approximate serving times for orders. If we are really backed up, she notifies the customers as soon as they are seated that their will be a delay in their food getting served. She then offers them free coffee and small cookies we keep for these occasions. The vast majority of the customers have no problem waiting when informed this way. A few leave, but at least they are not upset at long wait times. Before I took over the kitchen here, it was a disaster. The cooks frantically ran everywhere trying to keep up with the orders, and food was going out either undercooked or overcooked and the servers were constantly complaining that the kitchen was too slow, and by implication-incompetent. When I arrived, I deliberately slowed things down and implemented the above policy. We are in a highly competitive market and adding extra labor is not an option at this time, maybe next season.

Extra help in the kitchen is not an option. I will wait for a few more responses before I post how I handle the situation.

We have all been there. A quiet morning, afternoon or evening turns into mayhem when it seems as though the whole city is coming to your place to eat at the same time. You go from nothing to being swamped with orders. As you progress through the orders at breakneck pace, your servers bemoan how slow the kitchen is. You try to step up the pace, and all of a sudden your beautiful omelets are going out a little undercooked, your pancakes a little wet in the middle, or a "well done" hamburger actually goes out medium. You see the quality of your efforts start to suffer. What do you do?

What I think I am referring to is offering food that would present an option for Jewish diners. Serving items like Matzo Soup or Knishes for example. My reference to Kosher style would indicate to the diners that all ingredients were Kosher, but the kitchen is not. I do not know of any kosher restaurants within 50 miles. With that being the case, where would Jewish diners go to eat? Or does it not matter if a restaurant is kosher?

Train yourself to reply "yes Chef" whenever your chef/supervisor calls you a stupid fuc$^&* as$^%*! who can't even boil water! Then go back to work as if nothing happened.

I will give you my recipe for the most incredible and healthy chicken wings you have ever had. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Segment the wings into 3 pieces and discard the tips. Next, remove the skin from the other segments and discard. Next, coat each piece thououghly with fat-free mayonnaise. (Don't worry, you won't taste it when done. Mayo acts as a glue for the breading, but adds no flavor. Next, sprinkle liberally with cayenne pepper. (The more, the hotter they will be.) Find low-fat bread crumbs in your local grocery and put a good cup full into a gallon size plastic bag. Add the coated wings and shake for a minute or so to make sure everything is coated. Repeat if necessary. Place on baking sheet and bake in 375 deg. oven for about 30 minutes. While wings are baking, make up a few dips. Dijon/Honey Dijon/Honey/Horseradish Horseradish/Mayo When wings are done, you will find them to be "crispy" outside and moist inside...and you will have given up all hope for stopping at 1 or 2. Now if you aint worried about "low fat", buy a bag of pork skins and crush them into a breadcrumb like consistancy and use it as your "breading" instead of breadcrumbs. Follow the same baking procedure. Yep, it really works.

Do any of you offer "Kosher Style" entrees' If so, how well do they sell? I am trying to diversify our menu to include those who for whatever reason do not eat typical "restarant food". Our kitchen is not kosher, but my thinking is if I were to use all kosher ingredients, I could offer the kosher style. Comments welcome.

And now there are three. JAG, Rory, and Amy. JAG is definitely out since they hired that Latina chick. If I recall, the show left off with some shocking element in this coming week's show. My guess is JAG will be exposed re: his military career and do the honorable thing and withdraw. That will leave Rory and Amy vying for America's vote. Rory is seeming to appear in more of the promo's than Amy, so my money is still on Rory and the twins.

Its easy to see who FN's target market is when we must endure yet another mindless commercial hawking RR's Furi knives (for a hundred bucks!) so we can "cook like her". They strive to reach the novice female cook who has just enough skills to boil water and just enough money and gullibility to buy their chef's DVD's and knife sets. If Tushman and Fogelson don't get fired after this disaster, then the FN has lost all their credibility in my book. On another note..FN is currently working with the military regarding JAG's alleged service record. When the first NFNS program started I was genuinely interested. The next season (Guy vs. Reggie) was a letdown. And this season? Fuggedaboudit! I'd love to see half of the FN chefs on Hell's Kitchen. I bet Ramsay would tear 'em a new a-sho-e in pretty short order.

I broke down and watched last night. I have to believe that the FN upper management are pulling out their collective hair at this abomination in programming. Could anyone be watching for anything other than comic relief? What do any of these people offer that would entice vierwership? With that in mind, let's see if we can pick the Next Foodnetwork Star! JAG is out do to anger management issues. He's a loose cannon. Amy was doing okay until her "Two Faces of Eve" moment. (I wanna go home snif..snif.- No, I'm staying!) I think she's near to a nervous breakdown! Paul is constantly teetering on the brink of oblivion, one screwup away from collapsing into a corner in a fetal position tearing at his hair as he slowly rocks back and forth. That leaves Rory. Friendly, outgoing, sexy, and with her natural endowments, surely to attract as large a male following as Giada (if she can learn to cook, that is.) Rory, my money is on you and the twins.

Thanks again, to everyone for their posts. I agree, it ain't gonna be as bad as we all thought. Ahhh... Galena. One of my favorite towns. I honeymooned at Chestnut Mtn. Resort back in 1971. I always loved Galena and really wanted to move there back in the day. We did manage to get there several times over the years. Hope it hasn't changed much.