slkinsey

Good point, my friend. If I were you, I'd probably pick one of the decent-looking sets on overstock. It'll undoubtedly be an improvement over what you describe as the current state of affairs. Or, you could put together your own set of knives from Ikea.

How many pieces does she want? Also, when you say you want a "set" for <$75, does this have to include a knife block? If you're talking, say, chef's knife, paring knife, bread knife and 6-8 steak knives for under 75 bucks, I think it will be diofficult to find anything that doesn't suck. Your best bet is probably to go on to overstock.com and buy one of their <$75 sets. The only "brand" I see there right now is Chicago Cutlery, which makes some okay stuff -- but anything they offer for a cock bottom price on overstock won't really be reflective of their overall quality.

Sounds very tasty, Elie. I hope you post pictures soon.

Some interesting new data has come up with respect to restaurant and bar smoking bans. This article, which was recently published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (46(9):887-905, September 2004. Repace, James MSc) and covered in many newspapers (Newsday, for example) had the following to report: This would seem to put several of the key health-related anti-ban arguments to rest. It was especially interesting to read that air filtration systems can't exchange air fast enough to effectively reduce smoke levels. I also found this emphatically debunked the argument that smoky bar/restaurant air can't be all that bad compared to normal levels of air pollution in cities like NYC:

Some interesting points have been made all around. I think most of us would agree that cocktail mixing skills and general knowledge are at a very low level among working bartenders, to the extent that they are practically nonexistent in the average bartender. Taking this one step further, I would argue that there is far more mixological expertise and knowledge in the amateur cocktail enthusiast community than there is among working bartenders, by and large. This is largely a reflection of the fact that the vast majority of bar customers do not drink cocktails and thus do not require or value mixological skills. The average bar is not a cocktail bar. People like Dale DeGroff and Gary Regan and Audrey Saunders are so important precisely because they are the exceptions, and cocktail evangelists in the professional community. The cocktail craft is making a comeback compared to where it was 10 or 15 years ago for sure, but the reality remains that a wide variety of well crafted cocktails is not in demand at the average bar. The average bar does the vast majority of its business in beer, shots and no-brainer mixed drinks like G&Ts, 7&7s, frozen premixed Margaritas from the slush machine, Screwdrivers, Bloody Marys, etc. In some cities the cocktail scene has developed to the extent that "regular" bars and restaurant bars are increasingly offering a limited selection of classic and new classic real cocktails. But few other cities are in the same category as NYC, SF and NO in this respect -- and even in these leading cities, the average bar is still a "beer and shots" place. So, what does the owner of the average bar want? He wants to make money. And, in order to make money he is going to hire people with the kind of skills that help him make money. Since mixological skills are not important, he considers other factors... things like speed, upselling, customer rapport, appeal to the target demographic, etc. And, as we all know, "skills" like gender, hair color, breast size and bicep development can make a difference too. None of these factors have anything whatsoever to do with knowing how to make a cocktail. Heck, the average bar probably doesn't even have cocktail glasses. Understanding the foregoing, I wouldn't expect the average bartender to know how to make any real cocktails at all. He/she might know that a martini consists of gin or vodka shaken on ice with vermouth, but just about everyone in America knows that. Depending on an individual bar's style, there are probably a few other cocktails that the bartenders are expected to know (Margaritas at a Mexican place, premix Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's, etc.). I think the comparison to a chef is an interesting one. Beans is correct when she points out that the average cook coming into a his first restaurant kitchen at the rock-bottom level probably doesn't know how the difference between a coarse dice and a fine mince. However, he will be taught these things if he expects to move to the line, and I'm quite sure that everyone working the line at e.g., Babbo, knows difference between a coarse dice and a fine mince along with all the other things Janet outlined. But, let's take the analogy a little further. A bartender isn't like a line cook anyway. A bartender making a cocktail is like a chef who makes the whole meal all by himself. Now, I would expect that any chef I hired to staff a kitchen all by himself was well-versed in just about everything there was to know about the kind of food he would be cooking. If my kitchen was going to be turning out French food, I would absolutely expect my cook to know what goes in a bechamel. On the other hand, if my kitchen was going to be turning out hotdogs and preformed hamburgers, I wouldn't have that expectation. Taking the analogy to its conclusion, it would seem that the average bar patron wants to eat hot dogs and that the average bartender as a result is more like a fry cook than a one-man bistro chef. That's too bad, I think, but it's the reality I think.

It appears to be made by All-Clad Metalcrafters, but even a casual glance at the Emerilware website is enough to demonstrate that it's not the same thing as regular All-Clad. That doesn't necessarily mean worse, but it's pretty clear it's different. Again, I would encourage you to look for less expensive and better cookware. Especially if you have been paying full retail for All-Clad. That's just highway robbery.

Beans brings up good points, I think. There are, unfortunately, precious few "cocktailphile" bars around. So, what I think we have here are perhaps two different lines of inquiry here. There is "what should be in the ideal cocktailian bartender's repertoire" and there is "what is valuable to have in the average working bartender's repercoire." These are completely different questions, and will result in completely different answers. For the averge working bartender working at a typical bar, I'm thinking: Margarita, Cosmo and Martini -- in that order -- plus whatever happens to be the trendy drink du jour and a few house specialties are the only "must have" cocktails that require any real mixing skills. Everything else will be of the G&T/Bloody Mary/LIT variety. I'm guessing that the above, plus beer and shots/shooters, comprises around 99% of the average American bar's business. Now, for a bartender at a "really good cocktail place" the list is entirely different.

To spatchcock: fendre pour griller Spatchcocked: fendu pour griller Maybe?

Hmmm... I wonder. The three big ones that come immediately to mind are: Martini, Cosmopolitan, Margarita. Second tier would be Manhattan, Gimlet, LIT. Third tier would be things like Mojitos and Caipirinhas that are becoming popular in some cities/demographics. Other than those, and no doubt more popular than any from the second of third tier, are things like Gin & Tonic, Bloody Mary, Rum & Coke, 7 & 7, etc. -- mixed drinks that don't demand a whole lot of skill and are easily understood simply from the name. My gut feeling is that, in 90% of American bars, a bartender can get by only knowing the first tier cocktails and the easy mixed drinks.

Sorry for the long delay. Sometimes these posts don't show up on my radar. So... The short answer is that no, there's not really any reason to have a cast iron skillet if you have a good stainless lined heavy copper saute pan. There are a few things that cast iron might do a little better (making cornbread, fitting close under the broiler, etc.), but if clutter is a consideration I don't think there's much point in getting some cast iron. I have an unreasonable amount of cookware in my kitchen, including lots of copper and also lots of ancestral cast iron. I'd say I use the copper pieces maybe 50 times for each 1 use of the cast iron pans. I like having them around, but I probably wouldn't miss my cast iron pieces if I got rid of them (well, I'd miss them for sentimental reasons, but not for cooking reasons). If, on the other hand, you do have some room to spare, you might think of trying a cast iron piece. The great advantage of cast iron is that it's very inexpensive.

In terms of a professional bartender, I imagine the list of requisite cocktails will have a lot to do with the venue. There's little point, for example, in learning how to make an Aviation in a bar that is frequented by the frozen margarita and Jaeger shooter set.

I just looked at the bottle of (tea-infused) Tanqueray I have in my fridge, and it's 94.6 proof.

Thanks for an interesting article, Beans. But I have to say... after reading the article, I am totally unconvinced that there is a "slacker cocktail culture."

I gather that they sharpen freehand? Are you able to specify the angles you want?

This interests me. I've heard similar claims from various people over the years. And I've poked my head into an awful lot of restaurant kitchens over the years, from the super high-end to quotidian greasy spoons. And yet I've never seen a single piece of All-Clad. Not one. And really, given the extreme expense of this stuff, it's no surprise that I haven't seen it around. I'm not saying that such restaurant kitchens don't exist, but they have to be extremely rare. It really is remarkable that you have not only worked in one, but three restaurants that use All-Clad Stainless. All of their pans can be used this way, afaik (except the nonstick ones, of course).

Interesting. I do a lot of cooking, and as anyone who has been in my kitchen can attest, I own an unconscionable amount of cookware. I have never -- not even once -- experienced even the slightest hint of this problem you are describing. Unless one is using a disk-bottom pan with a diameter so small that the flame of the burner goes up the sides of the pan, I don't believe this really happens. Now, in cases where the pan is smaller than the flame, I agree that it does make sense to have a fully clad pan. Needless to say, this size will vary according to the burners on one's stove. I should also point out that I don't think it's always a matter of being able to "get away" woth using a disk-bottom design. There are several applications and types of pan where the disk-bottom designs available are superior to the fully-clad designs (usually this has to do with putting the largest amount of the thermal material in the place where it will do the most good).

Congratulations, Moby! May I suggest a celebratory dinner of tagliatelle Bolognese?

Hmmm... My first reaction is, "no it isn't the best that you can buy by any stretch of the imagination" and my second reaction is, "actually, it was never worth the money." This is not to say that All-Clad Stainless isn't good cookware. It's good stuff, and I own several pieces of it. It's just hidiously overpriced. If price is not a consideration, far superior cookware may easily be found. And if price is a consideration, comparable or even better cookware may be had at a lower price. If you're interested, please have a look at my eGCI class on Understanding Stovetop Cookware.

Well, I'd say that the major difference is that Bombay Sapphire is substantially less assertively flavored, although there are other differences of course.

I love Fernet Branca. One good drink is simply to make a Fernet Branca and coke. It's a great drink. Branca Menta has more mixing possibilities, though, because of the mint flavor. Just use it in any drink where you might use creme de menthe. For example, I like Dr. Cocktail's Delmarva Cocktail (original recipe here. And changed it as follows: 2.0 oz : straight rye whiskey 0.5 oz : dry vermouth 0.5 oz : Branca Menta 0.5 oz : fresh lemon juice simple syrup to taste 1 fresh mint leaf, for garnish The simple syrup is added for balance because Branca Menta isn't as sweet as white crème de menthe

Um... I think that person was me. Are you familiar with light and dark Karo? Lyle's is like super-awesome light Karo. It's heavier in texture, but it has a golden color (duh!) and a nice clean flavor. Steen's, on the other hand, pushes the envelope on the dark Karo side. It's dark and funky and.... well, this doesn't sound quite right, but it's a little sulphur-ey too -- but in a good way, in a good way.

Exactly my thought! Lyle's provides a clean flavor in a pecan pie which can be a nice change of pace from the funky "dark Karo" flavor one normally expects. For pecan pie, I think it's Lyle's Golden Syrup on one end of the spectrum, and Steen's Cane Syrup on the other. Both are very tasty, but in entirely different ways.

I'm looking for some Steen's Cane Syrup. I know I've seen it somewhere in NYC, but can't remember where. I looked in Fairway yesterday, and didn't see any. Anyone have any ideas?

Interesting observation! What we really need is a good espresso machine and one of those pressure chambers they use for deep sea divers. Hmmmmm....

Pyewacket, I would simply call you (and others who would fall under this "flexitarian" label) as an omnivore who eats a diet that includes, but does not necessarily feature, meat and other animal products. This would include many traditional dietary practices, such as the pre-20th century Italian peasant diet, for example.