terrarich

I have info to the contrary that says the Pro and Ultimate lines are both forged.

I missed tapong the third episode last week while I was on vacation. Is there anyone out there who did tape it and is willing to share? Thanks in advance

Jefe, I am curious to know how you think your techniques would have evolved without all of the new electronic gadgetry made available to the chefs in kitchens as financially successful as yours. Given your inherent ability to identify tools that could push your cuisine, what would you do without the Thermomix and Pacojet and were relegated to using only your knives, pans and ovens like the majority of us cooks have to use? Thank you for your time. Terrarich

It could be argued that at one point in recent history, in a western hemispheric sense, that there was a general perception that the ideal gastronomy existed in the form of the standards and preparations that French cuisine imposed on the culinary landscape. With the increase of influence by Eastern and indigenous cuisine and the rising of the culinary knowledge of the general public and home cooks, by means of literature and television, expectations of cuisine have changed. I would like to think that rigid boundaries no longer exist and that gastronomy now exists on a more personal level. As a professional working in a kitchen with cooks that have different backgrounds it is easy to see how each individual's culinary history and interests inlfluence the menu and preparation of items. An ideal can no longer exist due to the rapid speed at which the public perception changes. It is through the passion and whimsy of individuals (evident by the pervasion of your rulebreaking influence Jefe) that Gastronomy is now developed.

Didn't Norman Van Aken just open in Orlando? How can you have overlooked his place?

It has been a couple of months since I bought the book and I also have not yet told my wife.

My chef pointed this thread out to me and was apalled by the nature of this thread. I hope that you all realize, especially with the mention in Chicago magazine, the harmful nature that this type of public discussion could have on the restaurants mentioned. Besides the pre-Moto paella fiasco, does any of you have a bad experience to share about any of these restaurants to justify this rumor mill? Do you now understand that this discussion will strongly influence many readers of Chicago Mag to not go to these restaurants? This is not a case of "if you don't have anything nice to say...", but if writers for major magazines are going to pinch off bits of egullet discussions to fill out their articles maybe we should all strongly consider what we write and how it could impact, maybe unjustifiably, a new, interesting restaurant struggling to get a foothold in this already difficult to survive in industry. Or maybe people would like to see how easy it is to close a joint down based on second-hand accounts?

A few years ago there was a blog called "Kitchen Slave" or "Slavegirl". It followed the exploits of a Bay Area html programmer that pined for a culinary career. She was "volunteering" time at a restaurant and got to be really tied to the chef and the mostly Mexican kitchen staff. I haven't been able to locate it for a year a two. I was wondering if anyone else was familira with this site and knows what became of slavegirl?

Well, I caved in and bought both books from De Re Coquinaria (thanks for the tip Pedro). Cheapest prices I could find anywhere. Hopefully my wife doesn't throttle me! I did also find out that there is a paperback version of Ducasse's "Grand Livre de Cuisine" available for about 80 euros. I have seen the Bulli book before and couldn't resist owning it myself, but the thought of getting my hands on another pivotal tome that is potentially extremely limited in its availability was too much to resist. It will be a while until I receive the Spoon or El Bulli since I had the books shipped via mail in an effort to try and save a little money.

I am considering purchasing either the El Bulli or Spoon book. Since a few of you have had the opportunity to look at both books I was wondering if you could recommend which one I should get and why the preference for one over the other. Keep in mind that I as a professional cook that I do have some skill and access to equipment and ingredients, but that I also understand that both texts are made more to be enjoyed mostly for their aethetic merit and historical context.

Doug, Making a reservation isn't entirely necessary, but could be helpful in securing a table with a view of the kitchen if desired. Don't worry about it though. Just call a week or so ahead of time. Charlie and Phoebe. Sorry to have missed you this last weekend, although I did get to wave to you while you were at the bar. I am currently going through my pastry stage of my kitchen rotation as part of my apprenticeship. That is why I wasn't on the line. I do miss the rush of service, but am enjoying my time learning about the intricacies of the bakeshop. Not as easy as I thought it would be. You really should make yourselves known to Chef Eric. He would love to show you around one of these times if service is not so busy that he can't pull himself away from the line. I would love to do myself, but I always seem to be right in the middle of something whenever I have seen you. Maybe next time.

Hello, I don't think that Chef Eric's potato frying principles apply to the vegetables you listed. Eggplant might be impossible to crisp. I suspect that you might have to slice the kohlrabi and turnip into thin chips to attain the proper texture, but be careful to avoid burning. Generally, it is the vegetables with high starch, therefore high carb, that fry up nice and crisp. I suggest trying to pose this question in the cooking forum for more expert replies. I am, after all, merely an apprentice. Good luck Good luck

Charlie, I am glad that you enjoyed your meal. I do recall you and your wife simply through your description of your meal. You arrived and ate just before the rush and sat right in front of the kitchen window, correct? I was the cook at your far left with the checked "beanie". I really appreciated the thumbs up. I am sure that chef will be happy to hear that you liked the bread and that your wife apparently liked hear desert. Our pastry chef of several years left and we are now rotating bakery duties through the kitchen and are having a ball with the baking. I believe that we have maintained the quality established by our departed, pastry chef. Hope you can make it back in some time.

Hello All, Charlie, I do not think that you will be disappointed with your experience at Villegas. Please let your server know that you are an e-gulleteer so that chef can provide you and yours with a tour of the place. He just loves to show off. That goes for any of you out there that might visit. Also Charlie, if you love meat, I would recommend the roasted lamb rack on tabbouleh with a lime mint "mojo" that is one of our specials this weekend. We have a big party about fifty people tonight so I might be too busy to say hi myself.

Pour clean oil into the deepfryer without making sure the valve is set to "close".

Sous Vide certainly seems to be the latest buzz. We have been using it at the restaurant I work at for a few yeras now, but we are really getting our balls busted by the helath inspector to come up with a thoroughly prepared HAACP handbook for sous vide in order to prevent them from taking the vac machine away from us. Does anyone else have this problem/issue with their health inspectors and sous vide preparations?

Has anyone else noticed the proliferation of new Chinese restaurants, particularlly the all-you-can-eat buffets? I can count at least four in the last year. By the way, the dim sum at the Golden Wok on Grand River is pretty good. Somewhat relatedly, there have been a handful of new Japanese joints opening in the area as well. I am not complaining, but what is going on here?

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. I am thrilled to have such detailed and thought-out input on this matter. Hopefully I will never have to approach the Godiva counter again. Terrarich

Paella. Terrarich

I would definitely had to Coral Gables to check out Norman's. Well worth the trip and not terribly far away. Terrarich

Try making my own? The funny thing is that I am currently a chef apprentice. I used to be a geographer, but followed my life's dream to be a professional cook. cooking used to be my hobby and my wife used to benefit from my pursuits, but now that I am actually cooking for a living I find very little time to cook at home anymore. I am supposed to work a certain amount of time in the pastry/bakery to satisfy requirements in my program, but there always seems to be a roadblock to my getting into the bakery. Besides, I would love to sample the creations of a master like Jaques Torres and get my wife off of the Godiva bandwagon. Terrarich

I used to live in Ann Arbor, just a few blocks away from Zingermans. They used to carry a line of chocolates from the company in Evanston that has been mentioned in this thread. I now live an hour away (East Lansing) and can't make the drive as often as I would like. I was really looking to buy direct from the chocolatier and not just a shop that carried chocolates.

Having lived in Ann Arbor for a few years I would have to say that the people there are more thatn happy to stay at home for the middling fare available there. Why travel for half an hour or more when there are at least several places that have comfortable atmosphere with good, not stellar, food? I grew up in Chicago and was very let down upon my move to AA once I realized that the food scene was so-so. A few years later I found out that my wife's career was going to move us to East Lansing. I quit my well-paying job and started a culinary apprenticeship in order to have some contol over my need to be near good food. I am now into my second year apprenticing under Chef Eric Villegas at Restaurant Villegas in Okemos, the only place in town that I thought would satisfy my interests, and am enjoying every minute of it. Terrarich

Hello All, In an effort to avoid the usual suspects this Valentine's Day I sought out chocolates for my wife that couldn't be bought at the major department stores. Not being able to find much in the culinary wasteland of Central Michigan I sought out sources in NYC. I flipped flopped between Payard, Torres, and La Maison, settling on Torres because my wife might at least be familiar with him and therefore somehow impressed with my effort. Did I make the right call? I am interested in what others have to say. Terrarich

Oops! Kinda forgot where I was for a second...heh heh...*gulp* I just meant that it sucked for me. The hours, the stress, it all kind of of got to me after a while and something had to give so I just decided to bail. heh, no, grillboy, I was just asking because I'm looking to join the field, and I'm getting a little jittery about changing my lifestyle from office boy (soft, easy job that makes good money, normal hours, vacation time, benefits, etc), to that of a cook, starting at the CCA (SF) and going from there. so I'm trying to get as many scary details as possible. the reason I'm changing my life around is that I unfortunately am desperately in love with cooking. Go for it! I got out of my office gig (making maps for the EPA) and started a chef apprenticeship last year. Sure the schedule sucks, especially with being married for only two years and now having a two month old at home, but I am having the time of my life. It is brutally hot, unforgiving on the feet, and the servers can be a real drag, but if it is something you have in your blood there is no way to get it out other than to bleed yourself to death on the line. Jump in, head first, knives at your side. BTW, the show is really interesting. My wife doesn't understand why the action is all focused on the FOH. I explained that there are no actors in the kitchen and the cooks don't have time for screwing around for the cameras, especially the way Rocco starts crying when he is down there. Terrarich