Chris Hennes

Good point, I had forgotten about that. I mean, it's common for regular people not to know, but as a chef? You've got to me kidding me. Even if you always buy it jarred, isn't that one of those pieces of knowledge that you just have in that profession? It's like the classic sauce to end all classic sauces! The one we still use everywhere!

....Except that KSF then gave "cups" as the "1" component of the ratios. I think 2 tbs flour : 2 tbs fat : 1 cup liquid would yield a very thick consistency, so perhaps tsp was the "unit" of the first two?.... ← The tablespoon ratio (2 Tbsp:2 Tbsp:1 cup) is correct for a thick sauce (add a cup of shredded cheddar and you've got a great cheese sauce). This is perhaps far too thick for a soup, as is, but might work as a base for a soup, depending upon the quantity being made. ← Good point. And take that cheese sauce, pour it over brussel sprouts and bake until bubbly and golden, and you have a perfect early spring dish .

Hey, I happen to enjoy the lame, overwrought, ridiculous challenges! In all honesty, they don't really bother me. The goal seems to me not to make the greatest food ever, but to make better food than the other chefs. So keeping the challenges interesting and varied is OK by me as long as the playing field is (relatively) level.

I assume for the same reason the ovens are GE Monogram, they store everything in Gladware, and they use Kingsford charcoal...

Except that KSF then gave "cups" as the "1" component of the ratios. I think 2 tbs flour : 2 tbs fat : 1 cup liquid would yield a very thick consistency, so perhaps tsp was the "unit" of the first two? A pound of roux (blond, I assume?) to thicken a gallon of liquid also seems high to me, but I rarely make that much.

Did the KA people tell you this, or did someone who tried it tell you? I doubt the phone support from the KA folks would tell you to go ahead and try it, since it wasn't manufactured for that purpose, but I really don't see why it wouldn't work. Anyway, thanks for the blog on the topic, fascinating stuff. I'm not sure I'd care to buy a new appliance just to give it a try, but maybe if someday I have a really big kitchen...

Except that it's not a agent's job to handle publicity. That's a publicist. Different breed altogether. Last time I checked, Tony Bourdain had a hit show too. ← I specifically posted that AB has a hit TV show. ← <aside>I believe around here, AB=Alton Brown and TB=Tony Bourdain. Hence the confusion.

I wonder how many of them picked up on this. In previous years (at least last year) the opening quickfire was based on the food they had at their first meeting. Were they paying close attention to the pizza, or were they completely oblivious? And for those who caught on, did it help?

I thought this was particularly interesting about this year's group---the setup isn't clear yet. Recalling years past, the "good guys" and the "villains" seemed a lot more obvious, right from the start. Maybe they are going to slow down the character development this year... or make it a little less black-and-white. I was a little disappointed that Bourdain was so nice, and that they didn't show any interactions between he and Rocco... I mean, this is reality television, I need my DRAMA!!

Tonight, fending for myself yet again: Shrimp Risotto, based on the scallop risotto from last month's Fine Cooking.

I wanted to bump this back up to see if there are any changes/additions in recent years. My wife interviewed for a job at the University, so I'm checking out the "food scene" in town. Do people living in Eugene/Springfield tend to head to Portland a lot, or is there enough of a restaurant culture in Eugene to keep you home most of the time? How about markets, butchers, etc.?

Thanks---hopefully next time I'm in town I won't be dining alone! My wife was supposed to be getting wined and dined on her job interview in town, but I think I ended up eating far better than she did . Not entirely unexpected, considering the local expertise available here, but she was a little jealous .

This was close, I'm just nitpicking . The beans were definitely underdone, but the swordfish was probably the best I've ever had, I just thought it would have been a bit more succulent if cooked for 30 seconds less. Thanks again for the recommendations: I'd like to return to Rochester in the summer sometime and have at these places (and more!) again.

Thanks for this recommendation as well, you're batting 1.000. I should have paid closer attention to your directions, though---it took me a while to find it since they list their address as being on Main St. Doh! I made it in the end and had a very nice lunch there. They were pretty deserted, and I gather that is partly due to it being spring break week here, and partly due to their nature as a mostly-dinner kind of place. I had the swordfish special which was pretty good, especially for the price ($15, the most expensive lunch entree on the menu), though the fish was a touch overdone and the beans too al dente. The service was competent and unobtrusive, and they serve quite good coffee. I would recommend this as a nice place to have a quiet lunch.

I ate at 2 Vine (website) last night, at the bar---thanks for the recommendation, it was quite good (and the staff was friendly). The specials list was a bit absurd (there were a dozen items on it) but the food was quite good, especially the Steak Frites. The bar was well-stocked and the bartenders friendly. For a Monday night it was busier than I expected, so I would guess that on a Friday or Saturday the place is really hopping. It's in a cool building (used to be an ambulance repair shop), and the atmosphere was nice, too. Now I need to find someplace for lunch today...

I have not found the temperature to be a problem. I pour the water over the grounds when it reaches 200 F (approx. 60 seconds after pulling it out of the microwave for 16 oz. of water) and let it steep for 4 minutes. After that it gets poured into an unheated thermal carafe. I have not measured the final temp, which would be interesting, but I find it satisfactory for drinking, and I like my coffee hot. I am using the coarsest grind setting on my grinder, but as I mentioned, it's a cheap grinder, so it still produces a lot of dust. I just tried two batches, one filtered and the other unfiltered. I found the unfiltered to be ever so slightly "richer" in texture, with minimal difference in taste. The richness could well be due purely to suspended particles that are filtered out by the paper filter, or due to my imagination, since this was not a blind tasting. Overall, any degradation in quality was, to my palette, quite small. But it's an easy test to do, so I'd be interested in others' responses.

That looks phenomenal. How did you cook the tenderloin, stovetop or oven?

Do you think the chart is intended to mean that the current school of modern cooking throughout the Western world is "technoemotional," or that there is a school of thought that is technoemotional, in this chart describes its genesis? (Does the distinction make sense? I mean to say, are they saying that basically all modern cuisine conforms to this chart, or simply that this chart describes one branch of cuisine?)

Heart is generally a very lean muscle: I'm not sure how well it will respond to the confit technique. I have only used the confit technique on cuts that have a substantial amount of intramuscular fat that renders out while it cooks. Is there any particular reason you have settled on confit for the heart? I don't have any recipes for pig's heart, but Henderson suggests roasting or grilling, and Cosentino recently did a beef heart tartare. Nothing wrong with breaking new ground, of course! Make sure you report back on what you decide to do...

I missed this somehow - Jeff's selection of Sienna is fine as well as Tapas177 just down the street on St Paul. Max Chophouse on Monroe Ave TwoVine on Winthrop St Social on East Ave Rooney's on Henrietta St All do a fine job on a tuesday night. I left out Max of Eastman as their bar does Wed-Sat but solo in the dining room would be fine. What are you looking for specifically? I'll check this topic tomorrow ← I don't really have any specific requests, just looking for the first places that come to mind for a solo diner. I generally prefer to eat at the bar when I'm eating alone, but it's not a firm requirement, mostly just serves to narrow the option list. I like basically all food, so anything particularly interesting or tasty, at pretty much any price point, is fair game. I'm sure that was very helpful at narrowing the list... ETA: Looks like it's going to be Monday for dinner, and Tuesday for breakfast and lunch, if that matters. Are places in Roch closed Mondays?

Three-pork Sandwich (Roasted pork, ham, Columbus Artisan Felino Salami) with swiss and dijon:

I'm glad to see this topic popped back up to the top: I am going to be in Rochester on Tuesday, eating alone. Anyplace with particularly good food available at the bar? Doesn't have to be "high class" but if it is I won't complain .

Tonight my ambition exceeded my talent, at least when it came to plating. Behold, sous vide lamb chop on funny-shaped mound of potatoes with not-quite round of brussel sprout gratin. The mushrooms are hedgehog and trumpet. It was delicious, the lamb was perfectly cooked (for once! I love sous vide!), but the plating could use some help...

Pierogi this looks great: is this the recipe from the recent Fine Cooking, or someplace else?

Today I cranked the oven and got it up to 525, but I chickened out and reduced it as soon as I put the bread in. I should have left it alone: the interior was perfect, but the crust was underdone to my liking again. Today, for the first time, I thought the flavor of the bread passed Reinhart's Ancienne, which until now had been my gold standard for homemade artisanal-style non-sourdough bread. This technique is marvelous...