Chef/Writer Spencer

Wow. What a great find. What a good writer. I could take a few cues.

Call him definitely. And when you do, if he doesn't seem too busy, try to talk about your passion for food. If the guy thinks you've got a desire to work with quality food he may see fit to hire you. Pad his ego too, "Man when you were the sous at ...., I ate there, had one of the best meals of my life. How did you guys make the ...? I tried to get in that kitchen but you guys were always full up." Show some enthusiasm. That ALWAYS works with me if I have an opening. Good luck.

Good idea but good luck on this. Drugs are the most damaging thing, alongside of alcohol, in the kitchen . I saw a cook take a hit off a lil pipe prepping for tonights service! If I was the chef I would have thrown his ass out the door, on the spot. I couldn't believe it. The chef was probably doing the same thing. My pipe says "Fuck You, This is my pipe"on it. Keep it in my car.

It may work...if you have it try it out. When I think of mahi I think of grilling, or searing. I think it would be better with a stronger tasting fish. If you butter poach mahi it may just taste like buttered tuna fish (in the can). Mahi, in my opinion, needs to be eaten some what rare to md. rare. I don't think the infusion would be complete... Well done? Not advisable.

Do it with salmon or sturgeon...I think mahi wouldn't be optimal...

I hear the food's solid, the warm family feeling unlike most....You don't to Rao's for a culinary extravaganza....

Shit, now I feel like Fred Soltnerstone. Last thing I heard, the only machines you could buy were the mainframe types, that cost way too much. I should have figured they'd PC the thing. Still, 120.00 to save a little money on butter?

So the lesson here is...buy a 6000.00 sous vide machine so you can learn how to butter poach. Man...you rich guys. Butter-poaching, besides being all the rage now, is an awesome way to impart butter flavor into something without overcooking. My suggestion is use good butter for optimal results. I use Presidente when I do things for big dinners. I'm not sure of the chemistry behind it, but there's an instant osmosis--if you will--to the protein involved. It doesn't work that way when you saute in butter...maybe some of you Altonians can chime in here. When you bite into a lobster claw that has been poached in butter you get this insanely flavorful blast. You can pick out both flavors, they compliment each other in a way that doesn't occur when you dip in clarified butter. I could go on and on. I love that technique.

Rachel Ray, of TVFN's 40 Dollars a Day said on an episode yesterday enthused that the food at this particular place was "all made from scratch." she had a frittata. frittata can't be made from scratch? Actually, she had an omelet from Brother Juinper's right here in crusty Memphis. Omelets can be made with anything...

Grilled to perfection...well, I hate that fucking term anyways.

Simple syrup, fresh orange juice and its zest, and plenty of Lillet...excellent maceration liquid for a fruit compote (raspberries, blueberries, a little ripe melon, green apple)...

Drugs in the cooking profession? What's next Middle Eastern taxi drivers?

Romantic? I got to side with affable curmudgeon. Perhaps FN, in their post war bubble gumming, told Rocco to make food regular Joe's can identify with, as not to add the element of confusion. If that's the case, and who's to say it isn't, I'm with you Tony.

When ever chefs don't want to put the word FRIED on their menus (myself included) we go for CRISPY. Fried indicates a two caste jump in talent...But tastes better than CRISPY.

I know it sounds like I've had an epihany but trust me I'm unbiased... Another good Boy Meets Grill. At a fire house in NYC, no gang banger overtones, and bestill my black heart, Bobby seemed honestly proud to have cooked a meal for the good guys. Great production quality, and again, the food really looked quite delicious. Especially enjoyed the star struck Italian grandma on the street. Good work.

I didn't see that one coming.

I say put your head down, prepare to ride the tilt-a-whirl full blast for ten days straight, look around after you've seen the path of destruction you created then make a decision on the wisdom of your choice. If you feel some strange passion to continue on...do it and don't look back. The restaurant industry will let you know if you're ready for it. Trust me. (Go ahead and detract me now, it matters not.)

so, "chef" is a subset of "cook". and sometimes a "chef" might stop being a "cook", which would then make him not a "chef", and not a "cook" anymore either. that doesn't sound like a good place to be. If the specimen in question can forget how to cook, then he was never a chef.

A chef must always be a cook though...You'd be surprised how many who claim to be the real deal can't make rice.

And then you've got guys like Trotter and Vongrichten. They've paid the dues, proved they've got longevity on their sides and ventured into the other, darker side. I say both are ten times the chef I'll ever be. Would I megaplex myself out? Uh, fuck no. I'd be too paranoid about what was going on in LA to sit still in NYC. I'd turn to hard drugs for sure. But there are guys like C and JJ who have proven what they're worth, and just happened to be capitalistic. You can't fault a guy for wanting to be wealthy. Yeah, they're big time idol-type chefs. (I know Stone was being Tongue in Cheek)..

In total agreement. I know only what I've learned and nothing more. Pepin worked as chef for Howard Johnson's and is proud of what he accomplished there. Keller was a lowly breakfast cook... preparing hollandaise was Godlike. Next.

In total agreement. I know only what I've learned and nothing more.

I think the title also includes respect,and the ability to manage a team. A person like you described can meander from job to job, flit in and flit out, and never get respect from his cooks. Unless that's what you meant by fatherly demeanor..though that sounds less professional than just being a straghtforward, fair kitchen manager. most chefs do meander around. the riperts and keller's are rare. if you're getting awesome press and great reviews there's no need to go elsewhere. but if you're like me, you exhaust every opportunity a gig can offer and then move on in your search. eventually you want to get to a place that meets your lofty criteria. i haven't found my Yountville, unfortunately. And Gordon touche my friend. Though my computer is ten paces away from my 10 burner blodgett.

Go figure.

I'm adamant about this. They're turning "chefs" out at culinary schools with alarming regularity. It's like a factory...watch the Snicker's pass through the enrober, get air dried, wrapped in plastic, and chunked into a box. The pop culturing of food has lead the way to making it appear that being a chef is akin to being a rockstar. You gotta know how to play a fucking instrument to be able to make music, otherwise you're as cheap and disposable as an N'Sync or a 50 cent. No, being a chef, a true cusinier, is a highly admirable thing. Sometimes when I have a bad day, don't give a fuck about food, or pump out crap that I know isn't worth the price of the ingredients (like yesterday) and then someone calls me CHEF, I don't think it's right. You've got to be vigilant all the time. Chef isn't a title perse but a state of mind. I can't stand doing these events with other "chefs" who serve fucking jambolaya that tastes like a Zatarain train wreck. You've got to be able to walk many fine lines...