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Brown Hornet

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Everything posted by Brown Hornet

  1. The process of pasteurizing and storing OJ greatly reduces its flavor. When the pasteurized OJ is ready to be packaged and shipped for consumption, they add flavorings to the OJ. Apparently the FDA does not require that these flavoring additives be listed on the packaging. Are the flavorings harmful? I doubt it. At the same time, I think it's fairly disgraceful that they are not required to list this on the packaging. Back OT, the use of GMOs does not bother me, in theory. Humans have been genetically modifying produce for thousands of years to increase yields. My bigger concern, which is somewhat linked to GMOs, is the decreasing biodiversity of our crops. When a significant portion of our crops have identical genetic strains, it would seem that that crop would become more susceptible to a single disease or other blight.
  2. Thanks for posting that article -- I love ratatouille! I've actually used it as a pasta "sauce" before but never thought of blending it to make a spread or soup although it seems kind of obvious thinking about it.
  3. By way of background, and in the interest of full disclosure, I've lived half my life in the midwest (born and raised) and half in the deep south (nearly all of my adult life). In addition, I'm in a biracial marriage which by definition means that my extended family is just about half black half white. I'm also a lawyer with some experience in defending race/harrasment suits. My $.02: 1. It's all about context. Any racially charged statement or quote really needs to be looked at in context. A lot of Deen's supporters on this thread make that argument (correctly) about Deen but then ignore that same point when they point out that rappers also use the "N-word." I personally can't stand knee jerk reactions to each and every instance the dreaded "N-word" is used without examining the context in which it was used. I would submit that, just for example, the use of that word is very different in the following contexts -- (1) yelled at a KKK rally, (2) used in a rap song, (3) used in Huckleberry Fin, (4) referenced in an academic research paper, (5) said in private conversation in reference to an African American colleague, (6) yelled during a fight. Everyone will have a different perspective on each instance, but my point is that context absolutely matters. 2. It's not just the word. For me, the fact that Deen at some point in her life said the word "N*****" is not, in itself, necessarily damning (see point #1) especailly if she hasn't used the word in a derogatory fashion in recent decades. The far more troubling testimony, if true, is the southern plantation themed wedding with an exclusively black waitstaff. If true, the fact that she doesn't see how that is offensive speaks to a fairly profound lack of empathy in racial matters. Similarly, her off the cuff crack about her driver being as black as the stage background was, for most people I know, a fairly offensive joke. 3. Understanding Deen's "job." The claim that Deen is not getting a free pass like Anthony Bourdain, Bill Maher and the like is completely misplaced. Whether you like them or not, Bourdain and Maher have made careers out of being controversial and saying controversial things. While their controversial positions have, in some ways benefitted their public personas it also limits them in any number of ways. There's a reason, for example, that Maher's show is on HBO late at night and not on CBS, ABC, or NBC. There's a reason Bourdain, for example, doesn't have a show on Food Network or get endorsement deals from Smithfield Ham. Unlike Bourdain, Maher, and pretty much any talk show host on Fox, Deen has carefully cultivated and profited from a nonoffensive image that has broad appeal across all demographic groups. However, just as Deen has every right to make literally millions of dollars from her public persona, Food Network and Smithfield Hams have every right to end that relationship when the public persona changes. Intentionally or not, Deen's current job is largely one that is based on her public perception, something that all know can be fleeting and emphemeral. 4. Who prepped Deen for her deposition. Putting on my lawyer's hat, I have to question her prepping for that deposition. Those were entirely predictable lines of questioning and their were any number of ways to honestly answer the questions in a manner less detrimental to her image. When representing a public figure, especially a public figure whose business is based largely on their image, you need to spend some time thinking through how to answer predictable questions. There's a world of difference between saying "Of course" I've used a racial slur, versus saying, "yes, unfortunately I used a racial slur 30 years ago after I was held up at gun point" 5. I never really had a strong opinion about Deen one way or the other. I don't really see her appeal, but neither do I see all the hate. If folks can get past the knee jerk reactions, instances like this can be an opportunity for greater understanding. Based on what I've heard and read (and assuming it is accurate), I don't think she should have been fired just for the fact that she used a racial slur 30 years ago, provided the other allegations aren't true. In this, I happen to share Bill Maher's opinion who spoke in her defense somewhat on his show last week. On the other hand, I would have a very difficult time getting past her participation in planning a wedding that involved an exclusively black waitstaff, if true, I couldn't imagine keeping her as a spokesperson or on the Food Network for that matter. 6. A short word on Ted Danson. Since someone brought it up, kind of goes to my first point, but the black face routine was made during a roast of Whoopi Goldberg his girlfriend at the time who not only did not have a problem with his routine but actually helped write the jokes in question. I think Ted Danson (and Whoopi to a lesser extent) was rightly criticized for being tasteless, but hardly racist under the circumstances.
  4. I'm generally a less-is-more kind of guy, but I've got to stand up for the classic Chicago hot dog. At least for me, the standard toppings on a Chicago dog (cucumber/pickle, tomato, onions, mustard, relish, celery salt) don't fight or cover up the underlying hot dog taste so much as provide balance and texture to enhance the hot dog. A well executed Chicago dog is a perfect balance of salty/sweet, texture, and umami. Now a brat is a different story. If you even think of putting anything other than a little mustard or kraut on one of my brats we're going to have a fight.
  5. Profanity aside (and it doesn't bother me) Simon's blog is a good read, if typically over-congratulatory as per Simon. As I posted earlier, I have no problem with TC taking the $200,000 as an incentive to film in NO, but Cohen's comparison to the tax incentives received by Treme was idiotic. TC and Cohen need not apologize for taking the money to film a season in NOLA period. I know New Orleans is special and unique, but count me as another southerner who's fed up with the whole NOLA is the center of the cultural universe attitude.
  6. Of course, I didn't suggest otherwise. That doesn't mean tourism isn't also an important industry worth promoting. I have professional experience with business and industrial development on the government side -- it's still a question of bang for buck. At least in my experience, $350k gets you nothing in terms of large industrial/agricultural business development. The one area that that amount can be helpful is, in fact, tourism which is still a significant economic driver for most locales. At the end of the day, this money came from the tourism offices of LA/NOLA and was earmarked for promoting tourism. With all that in mind, I think this relatively small sum of money was well spent considering the expense of traditional advertising promotional campaigns. I simply take issue with Bourdain's asinine suggestion that it was somehow wrong for TC to accept tourism dollars to defray its production costs. Please. That's exactly what the tourism board's budget is for.
  7. According to the article it's actually $375,000. $200k from the LA state tourism office and $175k from the similar NOLA tourism group. I still think that's a bargain, when you consider what it would cost to buy tourism ads. With Top Chef you're basically getting at least 12 one hour episodes highlighting LA/NOLA restaurants and attractions. I'll certainly defer to your experience as a Louisiana resident, but tourism is surely one of the biggest revenue generators in Louisiana no? Bang for buck, I'd suggest that the $375k will create more revenue for your state than it would in traditional brick and mortar development. Seems perfectly reasonable to spend a relatively small amount of money on a tv show that will directly promote Louisiana's hospitality and dining industry.
  8. My biggest issue with both articles is that they engage in lazy strawman critiques. Anderson's review is almost intentionally jejune. Foodies are "disdainful of the poor"? Huh? I've read this review three times and I'm still not sure what point she's trying to make. Query for Anderson, which of the following should I feel most guilty over: (a) ordering a $3 banh mi at my favorite local Vietnamese dive, (b) shopping at the local asian farmer's market, © gushing over the amazing SouthernUS/Korean BBQ joint in town, or (d) blowing out the bank account at a 3 star Michelin restaurant? My elitist foodie guilt wants to know. Her takedown is particularly rich coming from someone whose cooking column is titled "You're Doing it Wrong." Myers is even more fanciful in describing a foodie culture populated by gluttonous oafs who get their kicks eating endangered species and gleefully butchering animals. Here's a quick memo to Myers: boastful-ortolan-eater Anthony Bourdain is not a represetative sample set of food enthusiasts. Myers sounds like he would be happier if everyone consumed a scientifically designed nutrient supplement like Soylent. See http://robrhinehart.com/?p=298 The folks I know who most enjoy food, cooking and dining, also tend to be the least pretentious and precious about it. To be fair, not everyone enjoys the eating and preparation of food the same way and to the same degree. Indeed, there are certainly interesting cultural and philosophical questions to be asked about the role and importance we place on what is essentially a bodily function. One can address those issues, however, without resorting to lazy and inaccurate caricatures.
  9. Sorry, not familiar with any of those places. I'm from Atlanta, so on the rare occasions when we get out to Napa/Sonoma we usually save up for a blow out meal at Meadowood/TFL/Auberge du Soleil/Redd or the like. Other than Mustard's, I'm pretty ignorant on good mid-level Napa dining options.
  10. I think Brix is just ok, if not downright mediocre. A caveat, I haven't been to Brix since 2007 so it may be very different then when I last went. Brix has a very nice outdoor patio area and depending on the time of year and day, it can be pretty. The food was very pedestrian in my opinion. Not bad by any means, just very average for the price. For a similar concept/price point, we greatly preferred Mustard's Grill which is all of about 1000 ft. down the road from Brix.
  11. I know it's not exactly answering your question, but I would recommend that you experiment with making your own bbq sauce so you can tweak it to match your own taste/dietary preferences. BBQ sauces of all kinds are pretty easy to make and are vastly superior to any commercial brand. If anything, commercial brands invariably err on the side of being overly sweet and cloying. I would start with a vinegar based Lexington-style sauce as they tend to use far less sugar. You may also want to try a Carolina mustard based sauce.
  12. Frogprincesse -- what do you think of St. George's Terroir Gin? Their gins sound a bit busy with botanicals but I haven't had a chance to try them yet and was curious, especially the rye gin.
  13. I guess I lean towards the school of giving the people what they pay for, even though my cocktail tastes are fairly snobby. The bartenders I know, especially those who are serious about their profession, will bend over backwards to accomodate their patrons. The typical approach would be to make whatever is ordered followed with a friendly suggestion along the lines of "hey if you like X, I think you'd also really like Y." That said, the disgruntled customers in that article sound like complete imbeciles. Why would you even go to a bar described in the article as "Apothéke, a faux-secret bar in Chinatown with a 19th-century-pharmacy theme" and order a tanquery and soda water? It's like going to the French Laundry and complaining that you can't order a 16 oz. NY strip.
  14. SPOILERS BELOW I didn't care for the finale format at all, especially the concept of the winner being the first chef to win 3 courses instead of evaluating the meal as a whole. I don't think it would have made any difference in the outcome, but the concept seems flawed to me. Simply as a matter of entertainment, that format elimated any suspense at the end of the episode since it was obvious that Kristen would win when they didn't even count the votes for the 4th course until the final 5 minutes. By the finale I really want to see what the top chefs can cook with relatively few limitations -- maybe that's just me. Still, happy to see Kristen win, although I was slightly pulling for Brooke. The both exhibited talent and class throughout the season and were very deserving of the win. Overall I thought this season was markedly better than the Texas debacle. Including the very entertaining LCK episodes I'd put this season right in the middle of TC seasons -- well above the lowlights of seasons 5 (New York), 7 (DC) and 9 (Texas) but below the highlights of seasons 4 (chicago) and 6 (Las Vegas). I guess I'd put it at or just below the Miami and All Star seasons, which is pretty fine company. Here's hoping for a southern top chef city in Season 11!
  15. Based on the comments from the guest chefs during dinner I'm not surprised Sheldon ended up on the bottom. I was personally rooting for Sheldon, but I can't say I'm disappointed with Brooke and Kristin being the finalists. This season the best three chefs made it to the finals so whatever the outcome I would've been satisfied. I'm curious how the format of the finale will effect the contestants. I tend to prefer finals with fewer twists -- at this point I want to see how well the chefs can cook with no impediments.
  16. I'm also rooting for a southern top chef -- it's a bit aggravating that they haven't done one yet (other than the NO finale) given the long history and diverse nature of southern cookery. For selfish reasons I'd love TC to come to Atlanta -- we're a pretty great (albeit underrated) food town. My personal bias aside, I would think New Orleans is the clear frontrunner for a southern TC and it's hard to argue with NO as it's one of the great culinary cities in the US.
  17. Following my last post, I think this season is much better if you include LCK which has been stellar. Maybe it's just the format of the quickfire-style challenges, but the dishes on LCK appear to have been far more creative than on the regular episodes.
  18. As much as I have been a fan of Top Chef over the years, I feel like the show has run its course at this point. I think this season has been only slightly better than Texas, DC and New York (S.5), but is far below the series highlights of seasons 3 (Miami), 4 (Chicago), and especially 6 (Vegas). Bravo won't or can't do it, but I would love for Top Chef to go on hiatus for a couple of years to let the talent pool build back up and maybe tinker with the format a bit.
  19. I also use the MC best bet tables all day long, and they are the most comprehensive guide I've seen. Before that I used Douglas Baldwin's practical guide to sous vide cooking as a starting point which also remains a great reference for sous vide time/temp. Beyond that the now legendary egullet sous vide thread has a wealth of useful information especially with specific ingredients. Coming across that thread 6 years ago was what led me to join egullet in the first place!
  20. Yup, after the last Top Chef I was inspired to fry up a big batch last night. Overnight soak in seasoned buttermilk, dredged in seasoned flour, pan fried in 1" of 340-350 peanut oil about 10 minutes per side. Overall results were very good but far from perfect -- the skin/crust was very overcooked but the meat was well-seasoned, flavorful and moist without being greasy. At the risk of greasy chicken, I would knock the oil temp down to 320-330 next time. This was my first time frying chicken in peanut oil, so maybe that was part of the issue as well. At least in my experience, frying chicken is where Crisco shortening really shines. Still, even average homemade fried chicken beats the pants off of most of the fried chicken being sold in stores or restaurants. I have some coconut oil at home and am curious about frying chicken in it -- anyone try it?
  21. With regards to the challenge instructions, I've always understood that the contestants get more detailed instructions off camera and have an opportunity to ask questions about the challenge rules. Not sure if this is really true, but maybe they were told to focus on traditional american style fried chicken -- of course you'd think that would be on camera as well. Who knows. For someone who removes the skin before frying, I'm surprised that Tom claims to be such stickler about traditional fried chicken. Serisouly, someone who thinks you can't make crispy fried chicken with the skin on has no business judging fried chicken. This challenge really called for a different judging panel -- Hugh Acheson and John Besh would have been the ideal call. The episode did inspire me to make a batch of fried chicken last night!
  22. I really enjoyed this week's episode and not just because Josie finally got the boot. Fried chicken is a great elimination challenge -- open-ended enough to allow some creativity but also deceptively challenging. I was surprised that some of the chefs took the chicken off the bone; that would be the last thing I would do to fry chicken. I loved that Josh partially smoked the chicken before frying it. I've never thought of doing that, but it makes a ton of sense so long as you don't overcook the chiken.
  23. So many good dishes and we're barely into January. Love Paul's Ribroast and that Pork Belly looks perfect. I finally decided to try my hand at making fresh pasta and made some pappardelle for my first go. Far from ideal, but seeing how relatively easy it is to make I think I've been converted to making fresh pasta on a semi-regular basis. To go with the pappardelle I took a stab at a braised oxtail ragu. I've made braised oxtail many times, but was really just winging it for the ragu -- I'd fix a few things if I had to make it again, but it made for a nice comforting winter dish nonetheless.
  24. I didn't care for that challenge at all. If the scallops weren't good, I'm not sure what Liz(?) could have done to make a good scallop dish -- I guess she would have had to use something else as a "scallop" and explain why. I was generally rooting for John, but his whining this episode was off-putting. You're never going to be cooking under ideal conditions on Top Chef -- that's the point! All the talk about sharing the pickles was weird too. When a contestant starts focusing more on gamesmanship than cooking (a la Spike) they're setting themselves up for failure.
  25. I just received this cookbook for Christmas: http://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Farmers-Table-Authentic/dp/0762752645/ref=pd_sim_b_1 It's based entirely on Northern Italian agriturismi recipes and is organized by region. I haven't had a chance to cook anything from it yet, but the recipes are fairly diverse and rustic as befitting a cookbook based on Northern Italian farmhouse cooking.
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