gfweb

Can't blame evil food companies completely. They are just exploiting out taste for junk. Its a lot like TV which is filled with crap, but only because people like crappy TV and make a point to watch it. Unfortunately, eating habits seem to be learned young and carried through life.

Don't forget that the USDA has been more than complicit in promoting a carb rich, high calorie food pyramid.

Yeah me too. Seems bitchy...arbitrary in her comments.

You'd think that Michelle Bernstein would hire somebody to sweep her sidewalk.

Restaurant stoves have more heat than most home hoods can handle I've been told.

Hmmm. I seem to recall a Top Chef cook who had albumin on his/her salmon a few seasons back. Fortunately I was not asked to pack my knives etc by my wife.

Tonight I poached some Scottish salmon filets on a bed of mirepoix. Just barely simmering...as I've done many times...but this time the filets sweated off some albumin as they cooked. They were cooked perfectly (just a little rare in the center..~108 F) but didn't look perfect with that scum in spots What happened? Did it get hot too quickly?

young hooligans

What you really mean is that "Asian" food [again, what does that mean?] is just "non-European" or "OTHER". I think the responses here have established the Eurocentrism prevalent here. Differences between shades of grey in European cuisines are readily grasped but everything else does appear (from the responses) to be just "OTHER". I suppose that is to be expected due to the backgrounds of those posting here (so far as I gather). Too bad. Over and out. Come on. Be nice. It isn't eurocentric to observe that there are different cooking styles around the world. Mexican differs from French which differs from Italian which differs from Polynesian which differs from Japanese and on and on. To say that a group of cuisines found in Asia are Asian food is a simple matter of logic and taxonomy. It is not saying that they are identical or even similar. You are putting those words in our mouths. By your standards the Sheldon is being eurocentric by calling his food asian.

Many are the battles fought over sweet versus unsweetened cornbread, as well. Both have their place, I think. But cakey cornbread is an abomination in the sight of God.

You don't have to say all asian food is the same to agree that there are dishes that are clearly Asian and others that aren't. Sheldon cooked a variety of different dishes that he recognized as Asian. And I believe we did too. It wasn't defined by geography, it was defined by a cooking style. Asian food is perhaps like pornography, hard to define but you know it when you see it. Pan-European wouldn't offend, but it wouldn't be as useful in marketing as Pan Asian seems to be. If I'm a chef who wants to serve sushi and pad thai then I'm not going to call my place Japanese and miss the pad Thai eaters...and vice versa. So what clearly isn't Asian? French mother sauces...Italian style tomato sauces... refried beans... cornbread...using cheese in anything...

Sweet. We have an ancient Vulcan that has seen better days, but it still cooks well even though it is a bit banged-up. I dare not look to see what NXRs cost...

Uggh. DD coffee is as bad as Starbucks.

Eh the UN can define anything it wants by any criteria....tectonic plates if they want. But culturally, Arab is not Asian. We can all elaborate the differences in the cuisines.

I wonder how well a veteran chef would perform if he strayed from his specialty (s). Would Tom do Asian or Caribbean with any skill? Doubt it. Why do they expect this of these younger guys?

Here's a particularly good piece on Food TV and TC in particular http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8965587/top-chef-taste-state-food-tv

The judges aren't looking at the body of work, just that night's performance. That's why Kristin got sent home earlier. And I disagree that Sheldon has been better. Two tempura screw-ups in the past and confused dishes tonight. Still I'm sad to see him go, though I won't miss his stupid knit caps.

Martins are, I believe, a PA thing that penetrates NYC and a few other places. I bet you could get them on the web. They ought to ship well. For me they are the ne plus ultra of burger rolls.

Meat is dried by temperature and over cooking. Pouring water on the meat is not moisturizing.

Do you find that freezing has any effect on the beef?

You can make cheap meat taste good (see classic French cooking) or classy cuts taste as good as they are. Part of a cook's skill is to know when to marinate a steak and when to let a steak speak for itself.

I'm happy with the meat from Costco, but the local Acme Markets meat really is lousy. It looks like a nice steak, but tastes like cardboard. Steak flavor comes mostly from seasoning, the fat, and the surface char/maillard. I cook it three ways...sous vide plus sear, grilled, or pan seared and oven finished. With good meat they all taste great. RE "you can't taste pretty": Looks-bad-tastes-good isn't for me. It should look good.

All I know is, as someone who became a parent a little over 2 months ago....I can't imagine a scenario other than being drafted into a war where I would have missed the birth of my daughter. My wife didn't like the guy for the majority of the season, then started warming up to him, and last night when we watched the episode she hated him again. Hindsight is 20/20, but he would have been far more likeable as the chef who skipped his first chance at TC to be with his wife and competed during the next season....vs. the dude who missed something like a birth and then got sent packing. I was at the birth of both of my kids and after a few years I remembered very little. I remember fish I've caught better. Odd. Anyway. I sympathize with the guy a little. He's offered what seems like his one big break...how do you choose? Not easy if one has a little ambition. I blame the Elves. They could've said that they'd just put him in the next TC, but they obviously didn't cause they lusted after the drama of him missing the birth.

What's not good? Flavor?

Its a beta-agonist, meaning it mimics the effect of adrenalin on beta receptors. Why this causes weight gain I can't figure. It doesn't appear to be a hormone. I'll poke around some more.