T. Brooks

The National Restaurant association, and the restaurant association of your state, whatever it may be, has ungodly amounts of money that they have nothing to do with. Maybe not ungodly, but enough. You can get a 2500 dollar scholarship with relatively little effort. In many cases, that'll tackle your knives, coats, books, and parking, maybe a class here and there. It can be an expense. Research everything that you HAVE to buy, and then scratch your head for a while, consider it again, and invest. Alot of these things are long term investments: Knives, Cookbooks, etc. Choose them with care. For those of you who are older than about 25 or so, do not get frustrated with the different clip that the class is taking. I was in school with a few women who were in their early thirties all the way up to around 40something, and they added a great dimension to our class. They were different, though. What you can learn from younger students is not to sweat the small stuff. What they can learn from you is work ethic. You have it. Most people don't. They'll plug away, but only because the instructor told them to. Get them to empower themselves and encourage them to keep the passion level high, bullshit level low. Drop the egos and absorb as much as you can. For those in culinary school, this is your only time to be free to experiment with these things. Share what you learn, help eachother, and don't bump heads if you can help it.

Are you joking? Prime Cost is supposed to be around 70% before all the fixed costs are factored in. You can cut food costs or alternate costs if you want more skilled food handlers and waitstaff in your restaurant, but between food beverage and labor costs, it's around 70%. Should be. Ideally. Taxes, insurance, heat, utilities, kitchen fuel, etc. All of those are factored into the fixed cost, and FC+VC +/-Profit or loss gives you 100% of your total business revenue. You don't set up a business plan with room for profit. That's worked into the equation later. Not only that, but it costs quite a bit to market a small end restaurant in a competitive area, regardless of what quality you want the food to be. New or auctioned equipment, hopefully not condemned, huge bank loans, contracts, etc. If you are the sole proprietor of a business, you are legally not salaried. You do get paid, but from a different means. Most people who start restaurants aren't qualified. They've got some business sense, but it's all front of the house. They want to be the smiling owner at the door who chats with everyone as they come in, BUT, they want to cut as many corners as possible to maximize profit, profit which they won't find if they don't allocate resources to their appropriate outlets. They'll cut food cost and tell their 7 dollar/hour burnout cooks to "make it happen", and eventually, they'll get pissed and leave, or they'll give you a fine how do you do with regards to what you're expecting out of them and give you exactly what you paid for, an inferior product. Less business means desperation for alot of folks who don't get the business, and a short term fix is to raise prices. You still have the same inferior food. Remember how the olives now come out of a can? also, from baruch: left with the chefs: ummm, i keep hearing how LOW the wages are, sooooooooo, how much ARE these labor costs???? It's not that the wages are low, but for those working in high end restaurants, many positions are salaried. 40,000 a year sounds good, but for 90 to 100 hours of work, it's awful. People tend to take jobs thinking that it'll be a big push for their career, but what happens quite often is that they get taken advantage of by someone who exploits their labor. Some get off on just being on the line. When they go home, their joints cry and their muscles weep for a quick death. It's why burnout is so high for chefs, at least one reason. You know some of the others. For all those in restaurants who are still paid hourly, there is overtime. The big fact is that people have to get paid, but more important than that, food must be purchased first and foremost. Where does it say in the "Xerox copiers Employee Manual" that it's going to be expected and accepted for bills to be paid late or never? In this retail business, so many factors, more than that of cubicle-businesses, are volatile beyond belief. Cooks on edge, food storage and spoilage, fickle diners, clumsy drunk patrons who drop three Crystal glasses a night. It's different than an outsider might think.

Omanju really did me in a couple years back. So, so good.

Humm, I see a new thread starting! Or maybe Mia Francesca has been discussed at lengh before. I don't think I'd call it a killer Italian restaurant. I think it's decent, but the wait on the weekends (b/c this is a hot bed for tourist and people coming in town from the suburbs) is usually 2 to 2 1/2 hours long. Not worth it to me, when there are other better places around. I do hope however that YOU had a wonderful meal there. We can only judge based on our own experiences, so I hope you enjoyed it. Let us know the next time you're in town, and we'll arange a get together. Cat in Chicago well, cat of chicago... It was killer because A) It was good food, B) someone else was paying, and C) at the end of a long day at the Food show, it was comfort food, and it reminded me fully of eating around the table with my family in Italy. And being that our friend is a tourist, why not? It's also a hotbed for Cubs traffic, just a couple blocks away. I'll be in town in a couple weeks, maybe the first or second weekend in June. Gotta find a place to live. *edit- yes, if the previous wording sounds coarse, it's not intended to be. I'll meet up with you soon, I'm sure. And ask the bartenders where they like to go. They want a good tip, so they'll set you up good somewhere, as long as you know what kind of food you want to eat. Also, do NOT eat at anything labeled "Char-house". Got it?

Do a yahoo search on "star wars kid" and read the story behind this...its hilarious! Oh, I know, I've seen the video, and found out that the kid got a free iPod for being taken advantage of by some video editing nerds. Hey, it was a good payoff for him, and certainly a bit of notoriety.

well, hey. happy birthday! And I must say, every time I read your posts, I giggle at the Star Wars kid.

The OPH in Evanston right on the tracks is the Original, original one. And damn fine at that. We were pulling down drinks at Shula's Steakhouse off the lobby of our hotel last week at the NRA, and Todd, our bartender, gave us a recommendation for a killer Italian Restaurant, on Clark off of Halsted, Mia Francesca. something like 8 dollars for a platter of great carpaccio, monstrous portions of pasta, soft shell crabs, and a great regional wine list. Not all that expensive if you don't want it to be.

Gyros. I win, as I am currently eating a Gyro Fry.

Yes, but because it wouldn't cost me anything. If they were gonna charge me an extra $10 to sit and watch the guy flip burgers, I wouldn't do it. pixel, sorry, am not familiar with what part of the country you are from..here in the NJ/NY region the chef's table are either competitive prix fix or no extra charge,,,is it much different in your neck of the woods? Kim, is it "competitive" in the sense of high end restaurants? Maybe competitive in those terms speaks volumes about how chef's tables are perceived. Why are there no chef's tables at the Olive Garden?

For a Gala, soiree, or a fete, It's imperative to serve a rillette, For the money I'm paying, I'd be quoted as saying, "Put twelve in my stomach or jet"

My all time favorite is made by Out of A Flower sorbets, and it's rose geranium blossom. I've made Sheep's Milk Sorbet, Cassis, Lychee, Brown Sugar Almond, etc. All are fantastic. What is NOT fantastic is a Tomato Horseradish sorbet. Blech. Maybe Gary just got the recipe wrong. ::Shakes fist at Gary::

Two: I Can't Believe it's Yogurt and Le Chardonnay

Italy The Beautiful by Lorenza de Medici. Great Recipes, gorgeous pictures. Every recipe I'd ever need is in Escoffier. For me, it's the most straightforward, comprehensive (duh) book out there, but it might be bland for some. The CIA's Garde Manger book. I open it daily. Thorough, informative, and a nice read as well. Susanna Foo's has a great one. Squirrelled Sea Bass is delicious. Yeah, French Laundry is alright, but it's 60 bucks. Then again, so is CIA:GM

Changing the boiling point is just bonus points. The salt is to add flavor. The reason you only add the salt after the water has reached a boil is in order not to trash your nice pans. If you put the salt in early it lays on the bottom and acts like little jackhammers on the bottom of your pan as it comes to a boil. Salt is a preservative. For anything that incorporates a vegetable with chlorophyll, salted water keeps those vegetables green. In addition to adding flavor, salt gives a more even boil to a pot, yielding uniformly cooked product.

Are you suggesting to take a dried pasta that takes about twelve minutes to cook out of the water and trying to finish it in the sauce after just six minutes of boiling? That just does not work. You only 'finish' the pasta cooking in the sauce in order to blend the flavors. Perhaps you misread, Craig. By halfway, I was just giving a rough estimate, as we never used timers, always guessed. As far as how it should feel if you bite it at the time, a bit wheaty, still dry in the middle, but flexible for the most part. If you're going to disagree with me on 'finishing' a pasta, the 'finishing' includes adding more body to the sauce, tightening up the flavors, and finishing the cooking of the pasta. For the 11 minutes it may say on the box, I put mine in for 6 to 7, strain and incorporate right into the sauce, adding the water stored in the pasta and a couple spoonfuls of the pasta water to get everything cooked and bound together as a cohesive dish. The water will evaporate, the salt will incorporate itself into the sauce, which if you've salted your water properly will mean that you don't really need to add salt to your sauce in addition. Basically all important pasta sauces I can think of need time to reduce. The water added isn't a bad thing, but by it's proper addition to the pan at the right time in the correct amounts, the dish comes together. I know too many chefs who agree with me who are from Italy to change my position.

Taco Bell.

Me too. That's why I love these things: Those are cool, but they're more stuff to wash. I find that even in my kitchen at home, I reach for the tongs if I know I'm going to use them again later, for grabbing a meat of some kind, etc. It's like an egg separator. Great invention, but I don't have time for it. I'm really excited to see very few allusions to garlic presses.

My rasp is the all time greatest invention. I use the bird's beak quite a bit for doing cherries and peeling cherry/sungold tomatoes. I hate reamers, which is why I use my tongs for juicing. The wood reamers are too unsanitary, and the plastic ones are slippery. And I'm a whiner. my truffle slicer is great for getting julienned lime zest. my chef spoons are indispensable, although I find them most useful for opening bottles at the end of shift when I can't get to a straight table corner.

Open the French Laundry Cookbook. For big pot blanching, he says either 1/2 to 1 cup of salt per gallon of water. Two tablespoons isn't enough. A generous handful is enough. Use sale grosso if you can find it. The rock salt breaks down much nicer in the water, and there's something about the crystalline structure that makes it taste better, dissolve easier, etc. Taste it, though. If it isn't too strong for you, it's not strong enough. It also depends if you're using fresh pasta or not, and how the pasta is made. Since Fresh is more porous, the moisture in the pasta will soak up the salt faster. For dry pasta, it's all about surface area. Some Orrechiete, for example, is made with ridges. Bucatini has a hole in the middle. That leaves more room to absorb salt, so you may want to cut down just a bit. The Giuseppe Cocco Pasta company uses bronze dies that fit each pasta strand with grooves, and they air dry it as well to keep the texture they want. It's dusted with flour, which will absorb salt and dissipate into the water as cooking takes place. Here's the kicker. If you're doing a pan sauce (Which you should be), get a pasta insert for your pot and save the water. Removing the pasta halfway through cooking and finishing it in the pan with the simmering sauce ensures that a great al dente is acheived every time. The reason I say save the water is so if the sauce absorbs too much into the pasta, you can add spoonfuls of water to both thin it out and reintroduce more flavor into the sauce from the salt and the starch from the pasta. Letting it cook down, the end result will be a new dimension in sauce flavor. I cooked in Torino, Italy, and I'll be damned if my conscience will let me allow anyone ever to mishandle pasta again. I drive past Olive Garden and weep.

white chocolate macadamia cookies with a Coconut Joy Bar and a slice of Pecan Pie.

Can't tell you exactly how much a jigger is, but isn't a "pony" double that? What about measuring drinks in "Fingers"? I hope that I get a tub with fat fingers.

I think more than considering whether something sweet goes with something meat, look at the texture and overall color of the dish. With what's in season, the heartiness of Venison Loin with a Cider Reduced Glaze can be fantastic. There's taste, aroma, everything to consider. What's more, if you're paring wine, think of the sweet clarity of an Alsace white to cut through a nice herb or prominent flavor in the dish. It might be textural, too. The sinews and striations in the muscle might give a terrible mouthfeel when combined with something sweet, yet in certain instances, I'd venture to think that a really nicely caramelized piece of pork would itself blend its sugars nicely with fruit. Think of nuts. Think of the combination of Salty and sweet with something like Kettle or Caramel Corn. Honey Roasted Peanuts? They have similar body at times to meat, but I think that it might be worth looking into to try to find a nice balance, or possibly add something to a dish to try to cut the stark difference that your palate feels between sweet and the girth of a meat base. I'm still stuck on the textural thing. With something such as Prosciutto e Melone, or Duck ham and a Grilled Pear, for example, would it be texture, saltiness, or the idea of meat itself that gets in the way of full enjoyment? What about Cheese and Fruit? Cheese and Honey? I'm interested to find out how your palate works.

There's a great tapas place in Madison where during the morning, the chef prepares his specialties, preps the paella, fabricates whatever items on charcuterie he needs for that night, and when service rolls around, leaves his Sous to handle the kitchen. I'm under the impression that so many people sport food wood when they get the special treatment from the chef by getting a table in the kitchen. This guy up here gets it right by juggling overseeing of the line each night with visiting each table as their food comes out. The restaurant is full each night, and i think that rather than tabling it up with special attention in the kitchen, if you can be a poster child for your restaurant with street cred, more power to you. Just don't exploit it by giving a feel of exclusivity to a certain privileged set of the population. At what point does one become cynical enough to justify creating food for the paying, and not food for all? I understand from meeting and hearing about all these different chefs that many of them are genuinely engaging and enthusiastic personalities about what they prepare and who they serve. Moreover, I also understand that the dollar reigns supreme, but when is it acceptable to compromise one's artistic integrity to cater to the elite? Absolutely. Have the open kitchen. Give everyone the opportunity to see what goes on. Is it only for financial interest that restaurants do this, or is it to spank the collective monkey of the "discriminating diner"* *You know who I'm talking about. The ones who invite you over to see the new Marble countertop and imported butcher block made from driftwood... The ones who have kitchens that they'll never use. The ones who have parties to show off the delicious bruschetta topping that they can make with their new Globe International Banana Brunoise Machine. That's extreme, but it's who I see this trend applying to. If you need me, my cynical ass will be over in the corner behind the Chef's Table with my scimitar and a tri-stone.

I'm pals with a New Orleans Brass Band, and a couple summers ago, we did a gigantic crawfish boil. 80 lbs fresh, overnight trekked, corn, andouille, potatoes, garlic, onions, lemons, two packs of boil, king cake, watermelon, cornbread, and a 1/2 barrel of Heineken on a sweltering Summer afternoon. Truly a great memory. The only reasons I can't recreate it is because I lost the recipe for the boil, and also, I don't have an outdoor propane standstove. If anyone has one, I want it.

If the food is perfectly fine, eat it. If it's too cold, tell 'em to warm it up, but be forewarned that it's either going under a sally or in some cases, straight into the microwave.