[A Chat with Chef Scott Tycer]

Scott Tycer,Apr 8 2005, 12:56 PM

I have been heavily influenced by Alice Waters. I learned a lot of Wolfgang Puck.  He is an Empire builder and a great chef, if not more. He instilled in me an outstanding work ethic and discipline.  This is what I have personally gained from him, not necessarily his cooking style. 

I feel that I am different in my interpretation of New American and the mixing of ethinicities are more subtle than Puck's.  For example, where I would use 1 bottle of wine for a sauce, Wolfgang would use 2 bottles for the same sauce to pop out the flavors.  Wolfgang is all about bright flavors, where I am more subtle.

Thanks again, Scott. That gives me a better idea of what you are doing. Can you give us some examples of your subtle mixing of ethnicities? Anything on the menu this week that would illustrate that?

[A Chat with Chef Scott Tycer]

I understand you have a new restaurant opening in a few months. Can you tell us more about it and how it will be similar to and different than Aires?

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Tha t is a great question. Gravitas is the name of the new restaurant and like aries, it is in an old building. The style of food will be similar in proteins but different techniques and presentation. The feel of the restaurant will be Modern American bistro.

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Thanks, Scott. How do you mean "similar in proteins but different techniques and presentation"?

["Chocolate Desserts" by Pierre Herme (Part 1)]

The cake is an inch or less high.

["Chocolate Desserts" by Pierre Herme (Part 1)]

Thanks Seth and Marlene. I can not emphasize how easy Suze's cake is to make. I would guess 1 1/4 hours from start to coming out of the oven. It does look fudgy and it has some of that quality, but is lighter and cakey all at the same time. I don't think I yet have the vocabulary to describe this well. But not fudgy-gummy at any rate.

Great choices, Thornado. I've got to try the Melody and the Dome sometime. And everyone's macaroons are inspiring me to attempt them, too.

["Chocolate Desserts" by Pierre Herme (Part 1)]

These are the madeleines baked in silicone. I did not use any butter. I think you'll find them easy and delicious.

I got around to doing the chocolate madeleines. Here they are with the batter in the silicon forms.

Cooling on the rack.

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And the finished madeleines.

They turned out with holes on the ribbed side. What do you think this was due to? The mini-madeleines got humps, but the larger ones did not. I think I should have baked them a couple of minutes longer. The dough rested and chiled in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hours.

I will simply echo what Dorrie says in the book and what others have said here: it's amazing how chocolaty these are using only a small amount of cocoa.

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[A Chat with Chef Scott Tycer]

I understand you have a new restaurant opening in a few months. Can you tell us more about it and how it will be similar to and different than Aires?

[A Chat with Chef Scott Tycer]

Given your educational background in English literature, what kinds of food writing do you enjoy, Scott? Who are your favorite contemporary food writers?

[Caring for Clay Pots (or Claypots)]

Not mine. I suggest you email or call Nidia.

[Clay Pot-Cooked Legumes]

Here's today's dish, Smoked Turkey Leg & Pinto Beans, in a La Chamba casserole. Slow cooked for about four hours in a slow oven (250 F).

["Chocolate Desserts" by Pierre Herme (Part 1)]

I finally got around to Suze's Cake. No multiple components. Simple and delicious.

[Moroccan Tagine Cooking]

Yes, from tagines.com. It is the 12 inch size.

[A Chat with Chef Scott Tycer]

Welcome and thanks for joining us this week, Scott.

I was reading the Robb Walsh article on your bakery and wondered how that has worked out. What breads do you use regularly at Aires? Any special breads that you have used?

[Baking / Pizza stones]

Here's a previous discusion about Pizza Stones that you may find interesting.

[Moroccan Tagine Cooking]

Thanks, Paula. I still have a few questions.

Richard, here is something to do:

Put on some thin plastic gloves; rub the ash with some olive oil into the clay; bake it on low heat for a couple of hours; wash off the ash; and oil again.

This is what I have done twice before. So are you saying to do it again, but only bake it for a couple of hours this time? And how thoroughly do you wash off the ashes? Just rinse, or scrub or what?

You can even broil the oily parts on the bottom of the tagine in small sections  to give it a used look.

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Can you clarify this please? Are you saying to do this to just the exterior of the bottom part, or interior also? How do you mean "in small sections"? Just oil/ash patches of the clay and then run it under the broiler?

[Moroccan Tagine Cooking]

I have nothing to judge by, but 20 sounds pretty good to me. It has a great deal more character than when it arrived. I think if I treat it another time and do not wash off as much of the ashes at the end before applying the EVOO, it will pick up another 20 - 30 years. What do you think?

[Moroccan Tagine Cooking]

Here's my Rifi tagine after curing and aging. After washing and soaking for four hours, I oiled it, but it was a week before I had time to do the aging.

I then baked it with EVOO and ashes twice, with a trip under the broiler in between. After this treatment, it soaked up about four applications of EVOO.

[[DFW] Latino Market -- A gringo in taqueria land]

Here's a delicious order of tacos: pork, beef and potato, and lengua.

As I got to know the people at Latino Market, some of the ethnic complexities began to emerge.

More to come.

[[DFW] Latino Market -- A gringo in taqueria land]

The cheese case packed with Mexican cheeses.

[[DFW] Latino Market -- A gringo in taqueria land]

Here is a small section of a long meat counter full of beef, pork and chicken.

[[DFW] Latino Market -- A gringo in taqueria land]

Juan the Singing Butcher

As you may recall, I mentioned above the plaintive song of the butcher. Juan has a very fine voice and customers enjoy his singing and banter.

[[DFW] Latino Market -- A gringo in taqueria land]

I have gotten to know the food and the people at Latino Market much better over the past year. I have eaten many tacos and many bowls of caldo (soup). It is also an inexpensive source for produce, and I often get my tomatoes, limes, cilanto, avocados and other fruits and vegetables there.

They also have a large selection of dried herbs and chile peppers.

[Cooking with "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens (Part 1)]

I am a little late to the party,  but decided to do the Short Ribs with Rosemary and Porcini. I opened a bottle of Australian Wishing Tree 2003 Shiraz. I had a sip of it and think it should do well. More to come.

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I served this with baby summer squash sauteed with grapeseed oil in a La Chambra saute pan. The braise was incredible after resting in the fridge for two days. It also was enough work that I will try something like Linda's short-cut version next time to see what I think.

[Cooking with "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens (Part 1)]

I'm intrigued.  What size Chamba do you find most useful?  I checked them out online but not 100% which one is the one I need.  On the Nutierra.com site they have the saute pans with lids that are low profile and the higher profiled casserole pans.  I can't tell how high they are.  I'm guessing that the lower profile saute would be ideal since I already have a high profile Staub.  Can these be used to brown on an electric stove?

thanks for the info,

Bob

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Bob -- the saute pans do not have lids. Just the casseroles and the bean pots. from what you say, the 4 qt caserole might met your needs if you are cooking for more than two people.

[[DFW] First Chinese BBQ]

Any other suggestions for dishes to try, irodguy? It would take me a lifetime to eat my way through the menu.

[Cooking with "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens (Part 1)]

I'll have to try it with the clay pots, Paula. I have not used it a great deal. Just the design of it would suggest that it should reduce the heat level a little better than the enameled cast iron one I was using. I think the problem with most designs is that while they may be good at evening out the heat, they still transmit the full amount from the burner. They may eliminate hot spots, but they don't disipate heat the way this design does.