ChickenStu

I saw a bunch of episodes from season one a few weeks ago. It was surprising how much the show has changed, and how much better the production value is now. They were doing interviews of contestants in whole foods season one...heh heh. Thanks for the link.

The main issue will be the color retention. Most vegetables that are served in restaurants are cooked before and reheated just at service. If you are dealing with a lot of green vegetables, the morning of should be fine, but make sure you cook in a huge amount of water and ice quickly. It doesn't make as big of difference if you are serving right away but if you are holding for awhile proper cooking and shocking is more important. Don't hold in ice water or water, hold in whatever you have that eliminates air around the veg the most. The water will just continue to leech flavors and nutrients out of the veg. Braises and purees should heat up really well, although if the puree is green i would do it last minute. Make sure you have some of the liquid on hand for reheating, you may want to moisten the braise or change consistency of the puree. Good luck...

Probably more likely that the problem is with the whey proteins, as casein proteins are primarily just nutritive. The most numerous whey protein coagulates around 172 F, but thats about all the info I can find/remember...just re read the milk section in on food and cooking last week. Thanks Harold McGee!

I have never seen season 1 episode 1. Bravo doesn't replay it, ever...

In the first couple seasons the contestants, for the most part, were sous chefs and the like, not owners and executive chefs like recent contestants. There have been enough seasons of top chef now that people shouldn't make the dumb mistakes. Clearly john (the cat in the hat) thought that a dessert would set him apart enough. Do this many cooks really have that much trouble with desserts? Or is it just a curse...

Perhaps a little corn starch in the dredge for the chicken?

The ones that were doing it properly were probably the ones that didnt finish.

I've been shopping at costco as long as I can remember, so probably about 20 years now. I really like costco, and I think over the years they have constantly improved the quality of goods and produce they offer. Their return policy and customer service cannot be beat. Their margin is something like 12.5%, at least it was a couple years ago. Anyone been to the new(ish) costco in east harlem?

Top chef season 1 ftw. Ever since then it hasn't been as good. Maybe because it was new and cool, maybe because katie lee joel (at the time) was a better host than padma. I saw a few eps from the first season last week. It has changed a lot. The kitchens are dramatically different and the production values are much higher now. Kind of funny to see the interviews happen in whole foods, etc. A little science in the kitchen doesn't hurt, unless it becomes the focus and the food becomes second fiddle, read: marcel's salad in the finale.

I have never been blown away by the greenmarket, is it just me? The meat is frozen and overpriced, some cheese vendors dont allow samples. $7 a lb for tomatoes...the produce never ceases to underwhelm me. Recent strawberries have tasted like water. I do enjoy martins pretzels, knoll crest eggs, and the microgreens vendor, even though they sometimes dont tare the bags... Its supposed to be a farmers market but there are still apples everywhere. At least last time I went I saw Kristin Bell, even though she isnt as good in real life. Amish gentleman selling meat and cheese, ftw.

Sorry to bring this back from the dead but... Isnt russ and daughters kosher? They get their fish (and anvils) from ACME dont they?

You can either heat it crazy hot and burn it off, or scrub it with some steel wool or strong wire brush. If you scrub it you will have to season the pan again. I clean mine and re-season every couple uses, just depends what you cook on it.

try mixing violently in a small amount of the liquid you are using.

If you are pushing harder things through it definitely consider one with a replaceable screen. Over time they stretch and bend under the stress.

Once the pan has reached a temperature equivalent to the amount of energy being applied it should stay at a constant temperature. However, most stoves heat up and then cycle on and off to maintain temperature, except for gas (and perhaps induction) which remains on constantly.

Probably one of the stores on the bowery. Try Bari (my favorite, run by italians) or Chef restaurant supply. Former located west side of bowery just south of houston and latter located northwest corner of bowery and houston. The F,V will get you really close. Bari is good for bowls and tools, 25% off the listed price. Chef has a bunch of cambros, although some things you dont know the price until you ask...

Should last pretty well in the fridge in vacuum bags. I always think cured products have a negative texture change when frozen.

Looks like it turned out pretty well, nicely done.

Let the oil come to room temperature next time, cold emulsions aren't as stable as warm/ room temp. Temperatures for poaching in oil arent likely high enough to damage the fat to the point that it wouldnt emulsify.

I think of pate as more of a combination of ground meat and livers. If the foie is emulsified correctly after cooking it will solidify and be the same texturally as whole foie, with more even seasoning, cooking, and a cleaner product because of lack of veins. There should be more than enough gelatin in the oxtails to bind for a terrine.

You should leave flavorful out of the title...most cheap pieces of beef are the most flavorful. What about slicing thin against grain?

Sausages are basically an emulsion, adding too much (or in some cases not enough) liquid will "break" your sausage. If I were you I would find a comparable recipe and keep the amounts close. If you dont plan on casing it then it wouldnt be as big of an issue...

Definitely. The temperature that all the magic happens for the oxtail is much higher than for the foie. If I were you I would do a layered terrine, half and half or if you are feeling lucky, the foie in the middle. Then of course, seal it with duck fat... You could cook as a torchon (in towel) but you would lose a little product, have a somewhat uneven cooking, and it wouldnt fit exactly into a terrine mold. You would still need to de-vein the foie, not a big deal for seared pieces but for terrines I think its necessary. Perhaps if this is your first venture into terrines and/or foie preparation of this sort, you should attempt separate terrines.

Pretty basic procedure if you know what you are doing, however I dont have exact amounts so if you are looking for a solid recipe try searching the net. Let the foie come to room temp, as it warms it becomes malleable and make it easier to remove the veins. Take apart the lobes and remove the veins, dont worry if you break up the foie a lot, its mostly fat and will emulsify back later. If you need help with this step a simple internet search should yield good results. Season the foie with salt, whatever spices you would like to use, and brandy or cognac. Let sit overnight in fridge. Cook foie in water bath until about 120-125 farenheit, this can be done in an oven or in a circulated bath, and then emulsify over an ice bath with a whisk. Once fully emulsified, pour into terrine mold and cool until it sets.

I never put 2 and 2 together, but now I know why those outback steaks from my childhood were so tender and left my mouth feeling nearly raw. Why cutting into it was like cutting into a big booger. Commercial tenderizer, ftl. I dont see why anyone would puncture a dry aged piece of beef, one major benefit from the aging process is the breaking down of muscle fibers.