nchang

It depends on how long you want to keep them. In my past experiences, we cryo-vac and freeze the truffles that are going to be stored for a long period (6 weeks max). For truffles that we knew that we were going to use within a week, we would put them in a container, cover them with aborio rice, and keep them in the cooler.

When I started my culinary journey I was only 16 and I was working at a fry house. I started from the bottom as a dishwasher. Working at a place with at least one rosette with no experience doesn't seem impossible. Be persistant. Like Adamsm83 says, you'll definitely get yelled at. If not by the chef, then by other co-workers. You can't take it personal though. I've worked with a few chefs that live by the philosophy that they break you down to make you tougher. You'll have your ups and downs, but ultimately, cooking is suppose to be fun. Best of luck!

My vote goes to Cointreau too.

www.lepicerie.com

When it's cold out I usually whip the line up some a little bit of green tea, lemon, dragon fruit, and a pinch of honey!

I'm between "The Devil in the Kitchen" by Marco Pierre White and Herve This' "Molecular Gastronomy." I enjoy them both!

I have a mix of Global, MAC, and Kyocera ceramics. I love every single one of them!

I messed around with it once and I thought I was good with sweet potato gnocchi and pistachios. I also enhanced the taste of it with a little Godiva liqueur.

I'm glad to hear that the Big Fat Duck cookbook is a great buy. I was thinking twice about it, when I went into our local Barnes and Noble, it was rather steep ($250). Just located it on Amazon and about to order a copy now!

I can honestly say, that I've never worked at an establishment that has tipped out the kitchen. Although, after busy shifts we all go out together and the front of the house usually treats us to drinks. After holiday anhilations, I'll get donations from the other chefs and we get shift beers while we clean. Sometimes it may not be fair, 317indy, but since business isn't popping like it was last year, I'm glad I get paid a salary.

Those are some really nice places you listed. I guess what you should ask yourself is, what is best for you? Chicago is a great city, but so is New York. I'm not too familiar about Chicago, but there are a lot of good places to learn your fundamentals ...Chef Trotter's place would be one of them. Molecular wise, I only know of two places in Chicago ...Moto and Alinea. Both of those places would be an awesome experience. New York City is one of the culinary meca's of the world. Not to say Chicago isn't on the map. When I worked in New York, to me, it just seemed like opportunity was everywhere. I worked at Jean George's for about 2 years and it was a great experience. Guys like Sam Mason, Wylie Dufresne, Alex Stupak, and Will Goldfarb are all there just a blocks away. Although Grant Atchaz is in Chicago! I've always been told, that the restaurant business favors the single guys (and gals) that are always willing to pick up and leave to achieve perfection and pursue a dream. Best of luck with your decision.

I'm a huge fan of Micheal Mina's.

I graduated from Tulane with a Biology degree and supplemented that with a two year stint at J&W. I had a friend that graduated from CIA recently and he said it was definitely worth the money. He went for only two years though. He got to do his externship at Jean Georges in Manhattan. School will definitely help with what you're doing and help with your salary. Playing with Ultra-Tex and agar agar is fun, but you are definitely right about the experience. School will help you establish your fundamentals and your experience over the years will definiltey hone them to a high level. I know this may sound elementry, but, remember, the food still has to taste good! Hope you get into Cornell! Best of luck!

Getting to the a 3-star establishment isn't easy. Even the dishwashers need Michilen experience, but working at Robuchon in Hong Kong is definitely a good start to your resume. My opinion, if I were already in the Robuchon circle, I would bust butt and tough it out for another year. Who knows, you could get another promotion and you would definitely get the experience. Staying-power in the restaurant business is rather rare. People are always coming and going. No doubt, that if you put in the time, that someone in the Rubichon world will write you/call you in a great recommendation to a restaurant of your choice. Stay long enough, since you're bilingual, who's to say that you won't get a shot at being a sous chef at one of the 3-star restaurants JR owns? Work your connections and resources to your advantage. Put in your time and build a resume and you just might be staging at El Bulli. Sky is the limit. Best of luck!

My girlfriend and I went there back in June. Like Kathryn, I thought it was rather cramped and loud. The wait wasn't too bad, but we decided to stand outside to avoid the crowd at the bar. The service was great, but I wasn't a big fan of the food. I had the sweetbreads. I can't remember what it was served with, but it wasn't cooked traditionally (floured and pan fried). Neither I nor my girlfriend ate much of our food. After a few hours we ended up running to Gray's Papya for a quick snack. Now, in my opinioin, Blue Ribbon Sushi in SoHo is where it's at!