gfweb

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.

Maybe one a year.

That reminds me of some of the meals Lucius Beebe would write of in the first half of the 20th century.

We have a Peruvian place here in DE. Its OK. Different taste than Mex for sure. Asian hints. I like it.

I thought that McGee et al established that searing doesn't seal liquid in meat.

Agreed, sort of. I never saw Spike as a villain, just an operator. A knave at most. Sgt Bilko with a chef's knife. I think Bourdain called him a "crafty motherf*****" This year is indeed better without the silly challenges and the nonsense. Perhaps the magical elves should widen their chef search area to include other countries. They may have exhausted worthy competitors in the US. edited because I thought some more

Hmmm. I'd say that the most important server trait would be caring about the diner's experience. So number one...be available. Look at each of your tables a lot to see if you are needed. When somebody asks for a check...get the check, don't do five other t hings first. Tipwise, its the last impression that they get. Don't be over-familiar. Even in a college bar you wouldn't go wrong keeping a respectful distance until you sense the guest's needs. When you are serving the table next to me, don't have your butt in my face. When I ask for the check , do not ask if I want dessert. Either I'm in a hurry to leave or on a diet or have kids I don't want to stuff with sugar. Do not ask. That is not the time to upsell. Write down the damn order. Nobody can keep it all in their head with out frequent screw ups. Five diff steaks at five temps and five sides? Come on, write it down. Your doc and your pharmacist write it down,so should you. Look at the plate before you bring it out. Most normal restaurants do not have a Thomas Keller looking at every plate. If the pasta is not drained enough get it drained and resauced etc etc.

K145 your observation is correct and I've wondered too. I suspect it it chilli pepper but don't know that for a fact. Lots of variation in chorizo since it is just sausage in Spanish. The euro forms are smoked and resemble kielbasa. Mexican is a loose sausage w lots of garlic and chilli pepper. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

MM,Holloway, Paul B....Holy crap you guys make great stuff.

Survival on the show requires making good enough dishes and no screw-ups. To avoid screw-ups a chef should only cook what he knows well; which in these young guys may be limited to a cuisine or two. But if they do that, the judges carp that its the same style of cooking and encourage them to branch-out. Then they screw-up. Producers need to find more experienced chefs. But older = less telegenic. And older = less willing to risk being on the show.

Down here, salmon isn't revered at all unless its a nice nova. A lot of chefs see it as banquet food and diners are used to overcooked broiled farm salmon. I can't eat that stuff. But gently poached in a mirepoix is a different story indeed.

Agreed. Chum salmon was either a brilliant chef move to use trash fish well..or it was a chum p move. I think the latter.

I'd like to see the loser dropped James Bond style into a shark tank. The harridan on ABs team can go first Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

toasted kale!

http://assets.nydail...hef5q-2-web.jpg Malarky looks really douchy.

I have one of those and used it quite a bit but it does not seem made for the long haul - mine cracked - looking for another What is it called?