zilla369

Pastry chef by default. Just out of culinary school, i scored a job in the kitchen of a new restaurant. The restaurant is the brainchild of the Exec Chef and Chef de Cuisine of The Oakroom at the Seelbach here in Louisville. These guys decided to go out on their own, and their reputation (only AAA 5-diamond restaurant in the state) is what they're building on. They quit the hotel and opened their own spot. The slogan/motto is: "New Southern Cooking, Old Southern Charm". I was going to be a "salad bitch". They hired three of us for pantry, promising to eventually rotate us into the hot line. But, shortly before opening, although we had been told they would probably farm out the desserts and just have the pantry people plate them - one afternoon, Chef said: "which one of you is comfortable with desserts?" One of the girls said "I'm not really comfortable with that," - to which Chef replied: "Well, at least you're honest." The other one said nothing. In a moment of delerium, i heard myself saying "Chef, i can do that." Now, keep in mind, i just have a "culinary arts" degree. I consciously did not pursue a pastry & baking degree. I like savory food. I like the heat and the fire of the hot line. It was a pretty surreal moment, but i remember thinking here's a way for me to distinguish myself in their eyes. So i went home that night and did lots of research and came in the next day with a list of desserts i thought would fit with the restaurant's theme. I pretty much got shot down. We're doing six desserts, but only one of them was exclusively my idea. So, as a result, i've been refining the recipes and platings of the desserts mostly picked by the Chef. They're pretty good, and people seem to like them, but fairly soon, we'll start doing dessert specials, especially for the tasting menu. Here's what we're serving so far: Brown Sugar Pear Poundcake with Poached Pears - The cake is Ben and Karen Barker's (Magnolia Grill) recipe, with the addition of pears poached in port. The menu consultant named this dessert "Drunken Pair". The sauce is a sassafrass anglaise. Bourbon Bread Pudding with Sorghum Sauce and Sorghum Creme Fraiche. Warm Apple Clafouti - this is basically apples cooked in sugar and butter and cinnamon, lined up in a boat-shaped single serving dish, and covered with a thin batter, almost like a pancake batter, and baked, then topped with powdered sugar and locally-produced gourmet "bourbon-ball" ice cream, with a curly molasses tuille as a garnish. Classic Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries - this is the best creme brulee recipe i've ever tasted, it's fantastic. I sell a LOT of this. "Bluegrass Napolean" is a sweet biscuit made with the addition of "sourmash flour" - the dry leavings from bourbon-making, ground into a flour (it's kind of purple), added to the flour in a buttermilk biscuit recipe. The biscuit is halved, topped with a berry trio that's been marinated in bourbon and sugar, and hand-whipped cream. Chocolate Chess Pie - this is my biggest seller so far. I'm not a big chocolate fan ( I HATE melting chocolate!), but this was the one dessert that was my idea, and people seem to love it. It's topped with the whipped cream and mint, and i plate it with a strawberry flower and mint leaf. So....for a special, my first instinct was coconut cream pie. Anybody have any ideas? Any comments on what i'm serving so far? I'm also serving a Godiva Chocolate biscotti as an amenity with the check. Gimme some southern ideas. I want to do a sweet potato riff, maybe a sweet potato creme brulee, or a sweet potato cheesecake (although Chef says cheesecake is "so 1998". Heh.) By the way, i've already experienced all those things i've heard folks moan about....no burners available to melt chocolate...ovens mysteriously turned up in the middle of baking something, resulting in burned product...shooed off the hot line after helping prep entree food but still needing a burner to reduce sauce....frustrating, very frustrating, but rewarding when you find a way to get around it. Can't spare me a burner for a double-boiler? Then i'll melt my chocolate - very carefully - on the edge of the grill

What would Rush do? He probably wouldn't mind the rounding off. He doesn't want any pennies since they're a different color than other US coins. Plus, it has Lincoln on it. Heh heh.

Dean, and everybody - So sorry to report that I can't come. Huge thanks to Jaymes for offering to pick me up, and to Aurora and Katie Loeb for offering to billet me in their room. Since the restaurant i'm at has just opened, i need to stay put since that week will be prime time for the local restaurant critic to swing through, and, since i've morphed from salad bitch to pastry person, i want and need to be there. I'll miss you all so much. Hopefully i can attend the 2nd annual or spring bi-annual version.

Peter, thanks for participating in this Q&A. I can't wait to read your book! I looked you up on imdb.com, and eventually found my way to the 1977 short film "The Absent-Minded Waiter" with you as "Cook #1". That must have been a fun project. Any memories to share of working with Steve Martin and Buck Henry on this Academy Award-nominated short? Thanks, Marsha

When we served lunch to the Order of the Golden Toque last year at school, we made a goat cheescake with strawberry/black pepper coulis. Still definitely a dessert, but refreshingly not too sweet. I love this whole idea, i'm anxiously awaiting the final menu, Michael!

Joyce, thanks once again for participating in this Q&A. I'm sure I echo the sentiment of many eGullet posters when I say that it's a real honor to have you answer our questions. A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine, writer Cyndi Lamb, collected recipes from dishes traditionally served at wakes ("funeral receptions") in the midwest, specifically Kentucky. The working title of the cookbook was "Wake Grub" (I'm not sure if it was ever formally published). In addition, my heritage, which is Irish, includes a strong tradition of lengthy, fond, send-offs, especially for those friends that depart this world after a long and fruitful life. These wakes always include elaborate feasts or buffets, and in the case of the Irish, lots of drinking and reminiscing. As a result, I'm always interested in the traditions (especially culinary) of other cultures during those bittersweet times. I'm curious if there are any soul food traditions related to mourning, and, if so, would love to hear a description. Thanks again, Marsha Lynch

That sounds like a fantasy job! I'm jealous. I just love helping people figure out stuff, and have often had wistful thoughts about being a "food concierge".

You can put anything you like in your potato salad. It's the dressing that makes it or breaks it. A couple years ago i stumbled across a recipe for potato salad dressing, made a couple of adjustments, and have never looked back. 2 eggs 1/2 c. sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 2 Tbsp. flour 1/2 c. good red wine vinegar 1/2 c. water Cook until thick over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool. Mix equal amount of this recipe salad dressing with equal amount mayonnaise - I use Duke's or Hellman's. That being said, in my potato salad i use small red new potatoes (cooked then cubed), chopped "bread and butter" pickles, diced red and yellow bell peppers, scallions cut on the bias, tons of chopped flat-leaf parsley (rinsed well), shaved celery, fresh ground black pepper, and celery salt.

As a rule of thumb, i have written down in my notes from school that 14-16 oz of white roux will thicken a gallon of liquid. These notes are from a class where we were working on cream soups. Ratio 8:1 seems to work pretty well.

Her name's Amy Sedaris - she's the sister of writer David Sedaris (if you haven't read any of his books or essays, you're really missing out). And yes, it's Visine.

*tapping steepled fingers together in succession* exxxxxxxxcellent

"I'm not really hungry. I just need to have reservations somewhere."

I don't trust chefs and critics that don't smoke. They probably drink too much coffee, which probably destroys their palates.

I agree. Brass Monkey, That Chunky Monkey!

Just today, i picked up my black shoulder bag in a hurry from the kitchen table on my way to fill out tax forms for my new job that starts in a couple weeks. I was wearing a blindingly white freshly laundered t-shirt and checks. Got to the restaurant, threw the straps of the bag up on my shoulder, went in and met the chef. We sat down to fill out paperwork, i took the bag off my shoulder to set it aside, and...somehow, and i KNOW this was not me, because i hadn't eaten any... apparently a wad of raspberry preserves had been dripped onto the inside of the black shoulder strap of my purse, and hung on all during the car ride until i carried the bag into the restaurant on my shoulder. So when i set the bag down, there was a big, sticky purple smear all over the front of the armpit section of my white t-shirt. And i don't even have any children. Just a roommate that must have eaten jam for breakfast. edited becuase i remember once getting into a friend's car with a triple-scoop ice-cream cone and not realizing he had the automatic shoulder-strap restraints. bzzzzzzzzz..."OH MY GOD!"

At the restaurant where i'm staging, they simply dredge in seasoned flour, dip in egg wash, dredge in panko, and deep fry in salad oil. Kinda blah, though. I think i'd add some cayenne to the flour and use cornmeal in the final dredge if i was doing it at home. Also, might use peanut oil and pan-fry.

and no reflection on you, brian, but suggest the guy get a spell-checking program. "Chardonary"? "Enteree?" "Monteray?" eek.

This quote is from Gideon's site this morning: ew.

Rocco....please, please don't sing anymore.

Great job, Malawry. I don't actually have a question, i just wanted to say thanks!

my roomate, a total non-food industry person, offered this when i asked him about desserts in restaurants: "I'm usually full. I mean, i like dessert, don't get me wrong. But it's so rare i go to a restaurant where the dessert isn't just something thawed out by the fucking waiter." supports most of what you've all said.

Nope. I haven't lifted a finger yet, either. ditto. I'm counting on the Midwest to save me.

Heh. I'll take three!

A couple of years back i wrote a piece on retrocrush.com about a time 20 years ago when i - through an odd juxtaposition of events - had dinner at a restaurant with Andy Kaufman. It was after one of his wrestling shows and during that time period when he was obliged to wear a neckbrace due to having been "suplexed" by Jerry "The King" Lawler. At 11 PM on a weeknight in 1983, he wanted upscale vegetarian food. There was only one restaurant we could think of that would offer something suitable at that time of night. He made an ass of himself and embarassed all of us by ranting at the servers and raving at anyone that recognized him: "I am trying to eat dinner, here!" Other fun stuff happened, too, but not at the restaurant. Yikes.

Lock this thread now, please - I don't wanna have to search through it for this passage again. Beautiful, just beautiful. Thanks, Chef.