fresco

Does anyone want to hazard a guess as to the total impact of all the fast food companies piling on the obesity issue, plus Kraft, 7-11, litigation lawyers, legislators, school boards etc.? Will it make, to coin a phrase, an ounce of difference?

"If you intend to work as a professional chef, I think you should enter a vocational program, which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, designed for professional chefs. There should be rigorous exams at the end of each module and recognized certification at the end of the course." Leslie, It's great that there are no cost or low cost programs for people who want to work as professional chefs. And by all means, people should enrol in these programs, if that is where they think their best opportunity is, all things considered. Fat Guy first made the analogy to lawyers, and while it is not perfect, there are some useful points of comparison. In Canada, the United States and doubtless many other places, people who want to study law (for whatever reason) have many choices--some cheap, and some very expensive. Even people with extremely modest means may choose to go the very expensive route, and again, for many reasons--the prospect of a better education, the desire to associate with the very best, and/or the hope that the right credential will pay off in terms of career and salary. I think that all of these considerations apply equally to would-be chefs.

"Despite the importance of the internet, American Express (said) word of mouth recommendations were the most common reason for choosing a restaurant". Kind of takes the wind out of their own survey, doesn't it?

Has anyone read the massive (two-volume) biography of Rex Stout that came out some time ago? It is a little more exhaustive than is strictly necessary, but does provide some insights into the inspirations for Archie, Nero Wolfe, etc. and explains how Stout turned to detective fiction only when forced to write stuff with popular appeal out of economic necessity. Sure makes you glad that he hit that rough patch.

"I'm now watching some guy putting 20 lbs of fat on a table" If he was saying "bam" a lot that was Emeril.

She would certainly be able to provide some "insider stuff"--even if she never goes inside.

I once worked with a guy who kept a bottle of creme de menthe on premises in the mistaken belief that his supervisors and co-workers would think he was just eating peppermints.

Spam would work if you cooked it in the backyard of the place where the party's being held on the manifold of a rusted-out half-ton.

This may give you something to chew on (although I guess if you're authentically trashy you just gum it): http://yumfood.net/recipes/categ/whitetrash.html

If this doesn't make Martha Stewart come across, I'll just buy her for five packages of ramen noodles.

I've used it in a fish curry (using directions from The Best Recipe, I think). Turned out very well.

If this doesn't make Martha Stewart come across, I'll just buy her for five packages of ramen noodles.

"Post that "new thread," fresco" I would, but for one technicality--I'm no technician. (hell, I can barely type.)

'We should probably emulate the "who's a chef & who's a cook" thread and start a "who's an engineer & who's a technician" thread.' Would that be the "eGullet Who's What" or the "Who are you calling a technician" thread?

Thanks. Now I'll give it a try.

Wars have a tremendous and often lasting effect on national tastes--either by exposing young men to food their mothers never cooked, or bringing newcomers (think Vietnam) and their new approaches to food. On the other hand, lamb was a rare item in Canada for which few people had much enthusiasm well into the eighties. The explanation I heard most often was that men who had served in Europe were fed quantities of very bad mutton, which put them off anything from sheep for life.

MatthewB, If I'm understanding you, what you are seeking is some alternative to the awful industrial grade mozz for pizzas. Fresh goat cheese works, sort of. Different texture. I've also had, and enjoyed, pizza topped with yogurt, potato, cumin and probably a couple of other things.

So you're saying that training chefs is unique and requires a uniquely brutal approach?

In the fish category, tilapia always seems to be for sale cheap somewhere, but it gets quite mixed reviews. Is it worth buying and if so, what do you do with it?

"By contrast, people (I've taught young kids and senior citizens) who want to cook professionally are put under constant pressure by their teachers. It’s part of the learning process, as the pressures of a professional kitchen are tremendous. When I was in cooking school, my teacher screamed so often, I used to go out in the hallway and cry. Can you imagine if I snuck up behind some rich housewife and screamed "DO YOU CALL THAT BEURRE POMMADE!" or sent the housewife and debutante to the dish pit because they were talking during a demo?" Why is that this brand of cruelty, which would be condemned out of hand in any other setting, seems to meet with such hearty approval when it comes to the training and practice of chefs? It seems highly reminiscent of the way people used to justify the brutal methods employed at private boys' schools--the hazing, the horrible food, the beatings were necessary to turn them into men and leaders of men...

Jinmyo--guests loved the lamb and shattered potatoes.

It shouldn't take much to make this a separate thread. Correct. It is now a separate topic.

Home cooks may not require quite the speed or prowess of the pros (piping filling into hundreds of pastries is not part of the job description of you're doing it for yourself, your family and the occasional few guests) but a sense of urgency is an underrated quality in the kitchen when most households have two careers. A.J. Liebling once said that as a writer, he was "better than anyone faster and faster than anyone better", not a bad job description for anyone who has to routinely rush home from work, often late, and prepare something pleasing enough to compensate for the rest of the day.

Jinmyo would certainly agree with you.

We usually buy a whole lamb from a guy we know who raises them north of Toronto, but have run out. It is hands down the best lamb I've ever tasted anywhere. But buying Ontario lamb is not always a guarantee of good results. A couple of legs from the local Greek butcher (whose stuff is usually great) have been stringy and tasteless. It all depends on who is raising them.