Really Nice!

Because salt is first and foremost a perservative. It contains fantastic drying properties. The simple ingredients in the dough don't require it to dry the product to have a 'decent' shelf life. If salt were added to the dough it would be extremely brittle and pretty much unusable in a very short period of time. Slightly off topic, when you look at the ingredients on a package that says "No Preservatives" and salt is the number one ingredient, it has preservatives that our forefathers, or mothers, used to preserve their food.

I picked it up at the CIA in St. Helena after my lunch at The French Laundry back in April. I haven't read it yet, though. It sounds like I made a good purchase.

So are you saying that you should grind the sea salt?!? This goes completely against what others believe. Personally, I go for flavor first, texture second.

I got it in downtown Seattle at a place called DiLaurenti's. If you're a local, you know the place. If you're coming in from out of town, just go left of the fish flying at 30MPH and you'll find it. The label says: Sal Del Mar (Smoked Sea Salt) Matiz Mediterraneo It's $8.99 for 4.4 ounces, and is packaged in a little plastic jar. It has an incredible hickory smoked flavor that matches perfectly with grilled dishes. Great texture, flavor, and aroma.

This is strange?

Here's what my inventory currently has: Maldon Sea Salt – England Hickory Smoked Sea Salt – Spain Mediterranean Sea Salt – Spain Mediterranean Sea Salt – Italy Fleur de Sel – Brittany, France Atlantic Grey Sea Salt – France Sea Salt – Brittany, France Juassic Era Mineral Salt – Utah, U.S. Hawaiian ‘Alaea Sea Salt – Hilo, Hawaii Diamon Crystal Kosher Salt Unfortunately, I have a very low tolerance for salt. My bp shoots up if I use the same quantity most people use.

This makes sense if you've ever had to live with someone who had a broken jaw.

Oops, I wasn't referring to mineral content. It wasn't clear in my post, but I was referring to the different flavors that the minerals provide in each. And, yes, I'm aware that component-wise, sea salt and mined salt are the same thing.

Agreed. Try and find a hickory-smoked Spanish sea salt. The flavor is incredible. Other salts that I like with meat include Hawaiian pink salt, which contains 'Alaea (red clay that makes it pink), and a mineral sea salt, mined from a Jurassic-era sea bed in Utah. Both are high in minerals and heighten the flavor of beef.

Welcome Mise en Place! I can understand how you/they felt. The first thing I wrote in my culinary school notes after tasting and analyzing: Buffalo Mozzarella; Havarti; Gruyere; Brie; Cambazola; Smoked Gouda; Camembert de Normandie; Limburger; Gorgonzola; Stilton; Epoisses de Bourgogne; Roquefort; Roaring 40's Blue; and Livarot, was: "It’s two hours after class and I still feel sick."

I like to do this often as it keeps my knife skills up, but I cheat a little. Peel the potato, cut it in half vertically and place both halves cut side down on a cutting board. Take an apple slicer that slices an apple into 8 pieces, and push it down on each half. This should give you eight pieces per half. Now take your tournee knife and make your seven cuts into each piece. The cuts might not be consistent, but you'll start with an even-sized potato each time. Who is Hanon?

I happen to have some Livarot in my fridge! I also like Limburger.

What are the details: that thread is too long to just glance over... who is coming from Chicago? Well, I'm from Park Ridge and have been known to travel back home from time to time... Where is this going to take place? Although I'm limited on employment, I'm big on frequent flyer miles. Shall I bring some appropriate sauces? What's the date, time, location................................?

I have on a couple of occasions. My first was a wedding in Wenatchee Washington. They had six different sauces, supposedly you were to make an intelligent decision based on the meat you were eating. No one knew that you were to have a bbq sauce with the pork butt, and the honey-mustard sauce with the ham. They didn't know one end of the pig from the other. Butt (), honestly, if you were to point at a section of a whole cooked pig such as the Boston Butt and ask, "What part is this?" I don't think someone would answer with, "It's the Boston butt that you use to make bbq'd shredded pork; can I have it with bbq sauce and a couple slices of bread so I can eat it as a sandwich?" I guess this makes me a BBQ snob.

Mmm... beer.

slowly (sorry, I couldn't resist) Jim With a fork? Hey, remember that guy a few years back in Indiana who ate an entire pig and then died from inhaling the expelled gasses from his own body? Or should this be posted on a different BBS? Anyway... A pig, just like any other animal is best utilized when you separate it at the primal cuts. And meat packers have a number for each cut of each animal which I'll provide for you. Starting from the head: Boston Butt -- NAMP (North American Meat Processors) #406: This is the shoulder of the pig. Don't ask why it's called a butt. This is what you use to make bbq'd shredded pork; cook it low and slow because it's a tough cut of meat (as are all shoulders of animals). Serve it with bbq sauce and serve as a sandwich. Arm/shoulder AKA Picnic Shoulder -- NAMP #405: These are the front legs of the pig. This is best when smoked or made into choucroute or cassoulet. Loin -- NAMP #410-416: This is the top half of the pig between the boston butt and the leg. This is the source of many things; ribs, tenderloin, chops... Usually a dry heat method is best for this area of the pig. Ribs should be served with a bbq sauce, tenderloin and chops with a strained, classical sauce. Side, or belley -- NAMP #408: Bacon! Serve with eggs over easy, ketchup, and hashbrowns. Leg: AKA Ham NAMP #402. This too is great with the dry heat method and basted. Serve with a mustard- and honey-based sauce. Now, if you're cooking the entire thing, just put out as many condiments as you can (as mentioned above), and let the individuals make their own sauce selection. Source for NAMP numbering: The Meat Buyers Guide, by the north american meat processors association, © 1997. Unfortunately, according to Amazon, it's out of print. If you have another source, the ISBN number is 1-878154-00-1. I think this cost me $50.

So I'm doing a little Internet research on this topic because I like to broaden my horizons, regardless of whether something is 'in' or 'not.' It doesn't matter to me because what was in yesterday, is not today, but will return tomorrow; plus, what we learned yesterday is what we do today, which is what we build upon tomorrow. I've heard about foams for a couple of years now, but I've never seen it on a plate. Not in my four visits to The French Laundry, three visits to CIA (cutting edge?), two visits to Chez Panisse, La Toque, nor in my visits to Rovers and the Herb Farm in Seattle. But that doesn't keep me from experimenting with it. Who knows, I might build upon this and come up with next "new thing." Through Google I found a Web site talking about using espresso machines to whip up a foam as opposed to buying another gadget. Using espresso machines, chefs whip up all kinds of foams and sauces. Check out the date. Chef Spencer, you crack me up.

My jury is still out on this issue, but I have been interested in it. How much foam does this make? I'm thinking anything more than 2 tablespoons of volume (3.5 cubic inches?) would look excessive on a plate. And unless you're having a big dinner party, I'm guessing a lot will go to waste, no? Just curious...

I went to see him on the last day of his book-signing tour which he spent here in Seattle. He talked for about 30-40 minutes about some of the highlights in the book. He mentioned how frugal he and his family had to be when he first started out. He carried that thought to when he moved to America, and married an American, and how she would throw everything out, or she would go grocery shopping and buy new ingredients before using up what was already at home. He said after 38 years of marriage he was proud that he taught her how to be more economical... "either that, or she throws everything away before I get home." He also discussed the PBS series he's done over the years, and how much he's enjoyed them. He said at first it was difficult because of all the work he did in preparing for them (months of writing, developing and testing recipes) and then suddenly the funding would fall through. One November in the early 80s he was given an opportunity to film an 13-part series the following July. He forgot all about it until his wife reminded him in April. He decided to forget about it rather than spending the time to work on the recipes when he got a call in May saysing they got the funding. So he had to rush on his recipe development. Ever since that series aired, they always had the funding. He liked doing the shows. Each was 27.5 minutes long. As the end of the program neared, someone behind camera would hold up a card... 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 90 seconds, 30 seconds... and when he worked alone, he always finished on time. He said he was very proud of that. When he worked the series with his daughter, he said she'd be working on something and the person would flash the 2 minute card, so he'd push her out of the way to get the program done on time. When he and Julia did their cooking specials on stage together, they decided that the show needed to be edited around the cooking; not cook around the editing. Their one-hour specials actually took 5 hours. They didn't use that "through-the-magic-of-television" oven. One last thing, he's going to be making another 13-part series with his daughter this summer in San Francisco.

Smoked turkey and alcohol. I want to party with you!

Nothing.

Heyjude, I'm sorry to hear that the food was that poor for any restaurant. I'd think that since they're advertising they'd have their act together. I liked your comment regarding "ladies" vs. "you guys." Having been an editor in a past life my 'ear' was always sensitive to this gender basing. I'm still astonished when watching the news and an on-the-scene reporter (usually a woman) returns the news back to the the two anchorwomen with, "back to you guys."

Oh, I thought that was a given.

Ouch. :-( Snowangel, know that there really is no set time for cooking a large piece of meat. There are too many things to consider. For a turkey at the end of May, I would guess you'll need 4-6 hours depending on the size of the bird, weather conditions etc. Check out The Virtual Weber Web site. I don't know what your setup is, but this site should give you a few great tips. Also, here's what I wrote for my family cookbook: Smoking First, follow your smoker's directions. You should get the basics from its documentation. (This is especially true if it is gas or electric; I accept no responsibility if you follow these directions and blow yourself up.) These instructions are for a water smoker, as the recipes are not designed to dry the food but rather slow cook it. A 'cylinder-style' charcoal and wood blocks/chips water smoker is the most common smoker. It looks much like a capsule or a bullet about 1 yard tall and 18 inches wide. It is divided into 3 sections. The very bottom holds the charcoal or wood; the lower middle is a water basin used to keep the food moist and the upper 2/3s is where the food cooks. Water smokers can be found in hardware stores for about $30 but can go as high as $300 at specialty shops. One of the main problems in smoking food is the inconsistency of temperature during the cooking process. This is where an electric or gas smoker clearly has the edge. However, you shouldn't use an electric smoker if it is raining or where the ground is wet or damp. When using charcoal and wood, the secret is to start off hot. Each of the smoking recipes included here use a 250°F (120°C) as the target temperature. It is easier to start hot and maintain a high temperature than it is to boost up a low one three hours into cooking. Also keep in mind the usual variables, season, air circulation, moisture, weather temperature, wind, and quantity and proximity of coals used can hinder or vary cooking times. Where and when are you smoking? Christmas Eve in Chicago is significantly different than Christmas Eve in Sydney, expect different weather patterns to change your finishing time. A 12-pound turkey can take 4 hours in the summer, 7 or 8 in winter. Water smokers usually have a thermometer built in. Unfortunately, the temperatures warm, ideal and hot are not very descriptive readings. To get an actual reading I drilled a hole in the cover of mine and inserted a meat thermometer. The best way to maintain a high temperature is to use a smokestack charcoal starter. (Never use lighter fluid... yeech!) They sell for about $12. It's just a round metal cylinder with a wire screen inside to hold the charcoal. Fill it up with your coals, crumble up a newspaper underneath and light the newspaper. 10-15 minutes later your coals are red hot and ready to add to the smoker. At first I thought it to be a little ridiculous to buy a gadget like this but it makes sense to use it. Without it, when you put coals in the smoker, the energy that is used to cook the food is transferred to getting the coals hot, not cooking the food. Putting coals in while they are reaching the red hot stage allows additional energy to cook your food and you don't have to wait 20 minutes for the coals to get ready and the temperature to get back to where it was. It works wonderfully. Another aspect to achieving and maintaining the 250°F temperature concerns water. For the same reason you don't put charcoal in the smoker without firing it up first, boil the water in the microwave before pouring it into the basin. I use a long plastic funnel (designed for putting oil in a car) that works really well for funneling the water through the small opening at the bottom of the smoker. Try to keep the water at a reasonable level. Not too much, not too little. The more water you have, the more energy required to boil it; the less you have, the dryer your meat will be. I usually use between 1 quart (litre) for stuff like ribs to 6 cups (1-1/2 litres) for whole turkeys. Another problem I have encountered is the charcoal smothers itself out after a few hours. I solved this by buying a good quality metal colander (the kind you use for draining pasta). Inside the smoker I put my coals in the colander. During the cooking grab the colander with a tong and shake it about every hour. The ashes fall through and the coals show their red-hot surface. Using the right wood can add some nice flavor to your food. Soak the wood for about 15 minutes before adding it to the fire. You want the wood to smolder, not flame up. The listing below, SMOKING FOODS - A GUIDE TO USING THE RIGHT WOOD, should help guide you along. Don't add your wood to the smokestack charcoal starter. After adding the charcoal to the smoker place the wood blocks on top. Also, if you are smoking for more than two hours, you will need to add additional water and charcoal/wood. I alternate every half hour between adding wood or water. For example, if the food goes on at 2 p.m., I’ll add more charcoal/wood at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 and so forth. I’ll add additional water at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 and so on. This method helps make that 250°F (120°C) goal as close to being a constant as you can. So basically, the steps for a good smoke are: 1. Take the weather into consideration when smoking or barbecuing. Is it windy, raining and cold? 2. Bring meat to room temperature before starting 3. Start off with a lot of charcoal in a smokestack charcoal starter (the goal is to get to 250°F (120°C) 4. Soak your wood for about 15 minutes 5. Place a metal colander inside the smoker 6. Boil about 1 quart of water in the microwave 7. Place charcoal and wood in the smoker 8. Insert basin and pour water in 9. Place food on wire racks above the water basin 10. Keep smoker covered because it takes about 30 minutes to recover the heat after opening 11. If you are cooking more than 2 hours, keep an eye on the thermostat and add charcoal/wood and water; alternating every half-hour or when necessary 12. Don't open the cover except to check the temperature of the food (if you inserted a thermometer into the meat) or to remove it. No peeking! Other things to do I also experiment with adding things to the water. Sometimes adding 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot wine in the water basin along with some fresh herbs, whole peppercorns, mustard seeds, or liquid hickory smoke can add nice flavors. Stove Top Smoking I have also smoked foods on my kitchen stove. I use a fish steamer and wood chips. Soak the chips for about 15 minutes and place them in the steamer, no additional water is necessary. Place the tray above the wood, add your food and cook over medium heat. Cooking times are about the same as a barbecue. I've tried this with chicken and fish and have had favorable results. SMOKING FOODS - A GUIDE TO USING THE RIGHT WOOD Sorted by wood Alder - A medium, tart smoke taste goes well with beef, fish and game. Apple - A light, sweet flavor goes well with game, pork and poultry. Cherry - Distinctive and delicious goes well with beef and game. Grapevine - A strong smoke flavor goes well with beef and poultry. Hickory - Heavy smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, fish and lamb. Maple - Sweet, hearty smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, fish and lamb. Mesquite - A light smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, beef and pork. Oak - Heavy smoke flavor goes well with bacon wrapped roasts, jerky and pork. Pecan - A rich, sweet flavor Goes well with everything! Sorted by food type Bacon Wrapped Roasts - Hickory, Maple, Mesquite, Oak and Pecan Beef - Alder, Cherry, Grapevine, Mesquite and Pecan Fish - Alder, Hickory, Maple and Pecan Game - Alder, Apple, Cherry and Pecan Jerky - Oak and Pecan Lamb - Hickory, Maple and Pecan Pork - Apple, Mesquite, Oak and Pecan Poultry - Apple, Grapevine and Pecan Use about 4-6 wood blocks to start with charcoal barbecues and smokers. Use wood chips with gas or electric barbecues and smokers, or, if you want to smoke over the stove in the kitchen. Soak wood or chips in water for 15 minutes for best results. This prevents the chips from burning too rapidly which gives a bad charred flavor.

Regarding the "where" in your topic title, there's a Web site: The Guide to Career Cooking & Wine Schools. It's a free, online directory from ShawGuides with 522 career cooking and wine schools worldwide. It looks pretty good. I took a look at my school (Art Insitute of Seattle) and here's what it shows: Website http://www.ais.artinstitutes.edu Year Established...................1996 Sponsor Description .............2-year college Program Description .............7-quarter AAA degree in Culinary Arts, 4-quarter diploma in Baking & Pastry, 4-quarter diploma in The Art of Cooking Accreditation ........................NASC, ACF Admission Months ................Rolling Total Enrollment ...................300 Enrollees Per Period .............60 % Accepted ..........................65 % Financial Aid .....................75 % Part Time .........................13 % Employed .........................95 Facilities ...............................Kitchens & classroom space, dining room overlooking Puget Sound Courses ...............................Basic skills, baking & pastry, desserts, American regional, classical, international, & Mediterranean cuisines, health-related cooking, charcuterie, cost mgmt, menu & facility planning, dining room operations, show platter design & competition Intern/Externships ...............Internship program with restaurants & resorts in the Western U.S. Faculty .................................18 culinary instructors with industry experience Student:Teacher Ratio .........19:1 Tuition .................................$13,680/academic yr for AAA degree programs, $8,208/academic yr for Diploma programs Admission Requirements ......High school diploma and admissions interview Scholarships .........................Yes Loans ..................................Yes Quarter ................................Yes Core Curriculum ..................Yes Location Description ............On the waterfront overlooking Puget Sound U.S. Locations ......................Seattle, Washington Months .................................January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December Tuition Range >9mos ..........$10,000+/yr Contact ...............................Lori Murray, Associate Director of Admissions Art Institute of Seattle Admissions Dept., 2323 Elliott Ave. Seattle, Washington 98121 Phone: 800-275-2471, 206-448-6600 Fax: 206-448-2501 E-mail: aisadm@aii.edu