localherbavore

I looked at mine and sorry no monopoly stuff, but thank you for having me crack them open! The ones I have were from my Grandmother and some pretty funny pictures and old-school stlye cooking in there! I have a 1969 "New Picture" Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1959 "Guide to Easy Entertaining" Betty Crocker Cookbook, and a 1954 "Good and Easy" Betty Crocker Cookbook. The best part was reading my Grandmother's pencil notes in the margins and dates when tried and modified. My mother has 3 other versions she bought from 1976 to 1985 that I am looking forward to seeing as well as the other two much older Betty Crocker cookbooks that she just isn't ready to let me have yet.

I mostly use them on a charcoal grill for steaming, holding, brazing, and other uses like brines, marinades, and soaking items. Most home ovens cannot accomodate for a full size hotel pan sadly. I can fit a turkey or chickens and soak in salt water with herbs or for thanksgiving grappa marininated turkey.

I too have lost out to an older applicant. I thank god for my youthfull looks, but I am almost gratefull that the gray is coming in. What chef doesn't like a little salt and pepper?

Sheet trays, silapat, stainless bowls, s/s saute pan, hotel pan, perf hotel pan, s/s sauce pot, and a really good hood (i have smoked out my wife more than once using pro techniques at home).

Did anyone else read the "dear BA foodist" article about food blogs and Yelp sites in Bon Appetit (JULY 2010)? I find these to be very inforative and insightfull to myself and the rest of the staff. In our monthly staff meetings we even read these review sites as a point of refenence and another gauge besides comment cards to see how we are really doing. I find when most diners are encountered with the question "how is everything?" or other similar inqiries these people usually say fine then evicerate you later in comment cards or blogs, friends, etc. I personally like to know my flaws so I can fix them or do the best that I can to accomodate. I personally use these sites and agree with Andrew Knowlton in saying don't get in back and forth communications with these bloggers and amature reviewers. I even had a "bribe" come from a location in Wicker Park Chicago if I took down my poor review. I personally find all of these replies a desperate attempt to whitewash a bad experience. My contention is these are great for diners (and me) to find out what your average Joe thinks of his service. Of course we treat food critics better than your average diner... why wouldn't we if we knew who they were (and 90% of the time we do)? I like the fact that these sites catch us off gaurd. It shows me how I and my team are doing even when we think no one is watching. Like all systems though this will have flaws and people that are just plain vindictive. But overall, I personally love them. Your thoughts?

Agreed. Our place just hired a new photograher and (thank god) he actually is a food stylist too. Our old website guy was into that whole "moving shots" thing. It made everything seem out of focus and hurried, not the artistic portayal of our plates like I think he was going for. I can't wait to see the new website photos.

My chef posted on CIA's allumni site to see if anyone had an extra copy, but I will try here as well. It should look like a spiral-bound stack of papers, but I am looking for a copy of this. After several discussions of knife shapening techniques and philosophies I am intrigued to read this. If anyone can help, thank you in advance.

To make some of you all feel better- when I worked at Whole foods in Lincoln Park Chicago the SYSCO truck made almost "secret" nighttime deliveries.... just sayin'. I have no formal blanket opinion on the comany what so ever- some of their stuff is pretty decent, some things on the other hand look as though they were the famer or bucher's rejects.

This post makes me feel a lot less guilty of even owning a can opener. So here it goes: Tomato paste (Muir Glen Organic) Light Coconut Milk Unsweetened (Native Forest Organic) Refried Black Beans (365 Brand) (also my favorite after service snack)

I have a 19mo daughter, she stays with a grandparent on our anniversary when we do eat in a fine dining environment. In lower end places (even diners) I have walked outside with her until she calmed down, and if she didn't we left. I would hope that other parents do the same. I love kids, just not in my dining room (or in any bar for that matter).

Before you try to move at mach-chicken (that's damn fast by the way), move smart: Think every movement through. Place things in the same place EVERY SINGLE TIME- that way when you fall into the weeds your not searching for salt, tongs, etc. You may feel like a failure, you may even be kicked off the line, but this is the only way to learn.... jump into the middle of the fire. Most important (to me at least): maintain your standards at all times (striving to always improve) and never give up. Good luck. (my first night was hell and heaven at the same time)

A "unitasker" in my humble opinion is whatever it needs to be. A heavy german chef's knife has been in a time crunch: a can opener, a meat tenderizer, a box cutter, a spatula, a docker, a leveler, etc. A cast iron pan can be a pretty quick non-stick pan (all thats needed a a really hot oven, a ton of salt, a little water, and a paper towel), it has also been used to flatten chicken breasts and crush peppercorns. Who really cares in a time of need? Have I sacrificed technique? Maybe- depends on who you ask. Is all of this multi-use nonsense subjective- Yup. As far as the "rules" of the kitchen I have worked in old-school Italian places that pass on recipes verbally and measure their bread ingredients by cupping their hands (I'm still pretty good at this), I have worked for an owner who threatened termination if the recipe I had made 1,000 times wasn't on paper from the binder in front of me the whole time as I made it (VERY strict on consistency)- that still follows me as well. In the end my contention is that as long as it tastes good, the product is respected as much as humanly possible, classic technique is kept in mind (maybe not always followed to the letter), all sanitation laws are followed and you work neat, clean, and with pride. It's all good. Your next chef or owner you work for may have a completely different way of doing things, and they sign your checks. If you don't like the way they do things there are plenty of other places to work. PS: I hone and sharpen my own knifes, and if a tiny bit of white goes into the yolks of my bernaise or hollandase, it won't kill it, I will just try harder next time.

In case anyone wondered what I ended up doing: Raw, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan Pecan "Cookies" 1C Medjool Dates 1C Pecans, 2T Ground Cinnamon, 1t Fresh Orange Juice, 1 small pinch orange zest (1) Process pecans and cinnamon in robot coupe until fine (2) Add OJ and zest while still running (3) gradually add dates until incorporated (still running rc) (4) roll into (8) 2 1/2" balls and chill for 1hr in freezer (5) flatten with the palm of your hand on parchment-lined sheet tray and refridgerate for 1/2hr more. Sorry, it's what I came up with... I also compromised with the owner and made a gluten-free vegan pumplkin pie and carmel pepita bars.

That's a neat product.... is it gluten-free?

Marshmallows aren't vegan. Noodles depend, but I make all of mine anyway. LOL, it's a tuff one I know- a lot of things contain animal products that you dont think about.

All good stuff chefs- please keep it coming.

That cookbook was good, thank you for the suggestion.

Right now there's a fig "pudding" that is turkish figs processed with bannana, agave and garnished with blackberries, mint, and then lightly sprinkled with cinnamon. YES! dehydrators we have, we make "chips" and "bread" in it all the time, we also make our own almond flour. I almost forgot, the owner cringed when I suggested bringing in an ice cream maker- she reminded me that frozen foods hurt digestion.... we never spoke of it again. I wish I was making this sh*t up.

Good point. My mother's one tree yeilds 20 gal, were lucky to get 1 gal out of it after it's done. Good response, I'll hit up a RAW expert next time I meet one with that statement. Isn't the avave plant's nectar also heated?

Sweeteners yes, sorry, like agave nectars, maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, and minute amounts of raw sugar, date purre, etc.

Vegan- no animal products of any kind. Although I have been allowed local honey. I make eggless italian-style pasta all the time, or do you mean like soba, udon, vermicilli, ramen, somen, rice, etc?

I have recently been given the extra task of baker and pastry chef at the restaurant I work at. Here are the restictions: Vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, raw desserts. I have found a few sources, but all for the home cook, and all pretty sad results. Any suggestions besides trying to convince the owner to except my deep fried chocolate raviolis filled with creme anglase topped with raspberry coilis? (PS the answer was NO!) Thanks chefs.

I am not a genius, or famous, but at the last restaurant I worked I came up with all of the daily specials in my head, the chef said it seemed like I only made the dishes to confirm my suspicions. He wasn't too far off, although I had some real losers- (in my mind) but we tweeked them before opening. I was the only vegan on staff and I was the butcher (and at every job I have ever been at since culinary school) and the guy who cooked all the protiens. I just recently moved to a vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free/raw restaurant and I am NOW nervous about what I cook, go figure. I think love of cooking, and a respect of ingredients is needed, not a personal like or dislike of the dish but it sure does help and might I dare say effect the final quality of the dish. PS: I dislike hotdogs- all of them the texture freaks me out, so most terrines I don't like either but I'll try anything.

I think I worked with PTSD guy in Chicago, LOL, not really but I know guys like him. I had a conversation with a guy named Stephen two years ago in the city, he said you need a big ego and to be arrogant to be a chef.... explains why I'm now a sous and he's still stuck on prep. The show is obviously for entertainment only, I have to remind myself of why they did this show in the first place, the claim was Ramsey is such an awesome chef because of his ability to train people and translate his knowledge/experience to ANYONE. Frankly if Chef Ramsey can make these guys good cooks and/or a chef.... Then yeah, that makes him pretty awesome.

Volunteer to wash someone else's knives. I was in culinary school and had been cleaning up, my tools always last in fresh water, someone asked if I could wash their knife (I had just sharpened it for them too) I said yeah, hands still in the warm water (nice and soft hands now) they litterally tossed the 8" Henkles into the sink.... you could hear it ride the bone on my index finger. The color of the water was a really pretty pink instantly. No insurance, so superglue and butterflys... cool scar too.