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zilla369

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Posts posted by zilla369

  1. And how about chefs out there, especially those teaching.  What are the main teaching books.  Can any non-CIA chef instructor note the books he or she uses?  Why?  And what makes them effective?

    I mentioned "On Cooking" upthread. One cool thing is that it comes with a CD-ROM which has short videos illustrating basic techniques.

  2. One of the few really valuable required textbooks in the culinary program I graduated from was On Cooking by Sarah Labensky, et al. I own the second edition, but the link is to the third edition.

    They made us pay over $100 for that sucker at school, but I've easily gotten $1000 use out of it over the last few years.

  3. I could be wrong (and often am!) but where I work, a "dark" chicken stock is made from chicken/chicken bones and vegetables (mirepoix) that have been caramelized in the oven, thereby imparting the "dark" color. Also, it utilizes "dark" meat such as thighs and legs.

    Any help?

  4. some grated "mexican cheese blend"

    Unfortunately, I bought some of that stuff last week. The unfortunate part was that it wasn't simply three shredded cheeses blended together - it also had a "spice mix" all over it. Consequently all three cheeses tasted the same and the blend of spices in the added mix clashed completely with the constellation of spices I was using in the dish. Blech.

    But this blog is fantastic! I find myself wishing for more tag-team blogs (I know more are scheduled, but I mean more frequently!)

    Thanks to both of you - as a former blogger, I know how much work it is and how much of your day it takes up. On the other hand, it's loads of fun. I'd reccomend it to anyone!

  5. After nearly a decade, Moulton's Food Network show "Sara's Secrets" will end on Dec. 31, but fans shouldn't despair: She's going to PBS, which she noted, "actually can draw more people."

    Here's a link to the item on accessatlanta.com (free registration required).

    Discuss. Can PBS actually "draw more people"? Or does she mean it's accessible to more people? How does this bode for Sara - well or ill?

  6. I think I'd enjoy it more if it was called something else and I didn't know it was supposed to be loosely based on Bourdain's book/life. I'm constantly disappointed that the main character doesn't "remind" me more of Bourdain. Now, if it was just a show called "Back of the House" or something similar, I'd probably be all over it.

    That said, I think I need to give it more than two episodes before pronouncing it a dud. Also, I have to keep reminding myself that - as popular as Kitchen Confidential is with the eGullet and "foodie" crowds - not everyone who has US network TV available has read Bourdain's books or been exposed to his other shows. So maybe it's reaching a wider audience, and maybe that's not a bad thing.

    However, I did read somewhere that the ratings tanked during the first episode. Haven't seen anything today about last night's ratings.

  7. It'll make fantastic risotto.

    No hell in your future, as far as I'm concerned.

    I remember once in culinary school the hot-shit teacher's pet guy accidentally mixed a lovely duck stock with a lovely veal stock. Whoo, boy. Talk about a verbal beat-down from the chef-instructor. We were doing a luncheon for the Society of the Golden Toques.

    As it turned out, the meal was wonderful and the Golden Toques chefs were very complimentary.

  8. Oh, this is the worst part.  They brought a housewarming gift.  An electric skillet.  Aaaargh. 

    Heh. Priceless.

    I would never buy one, but I must say that both of my grandmothers used one to full effect in the 1970's. Fried potatoes, braised cube steak in gravy. I suppose it's a decent tool for a busy cook that's not too fussy.

    Perhaps you can "re-gift" it to someone, or feature it in a future yard sale.

    Or, make it into an ironic found-object art sculpture. Eh? Eh? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

  9. My husband and I are going to see a band play in Louisville, KY on Thursday and we were hoping for suggestions for dinner.  We love pretty much any kind of food, and money isn't a problem, so fancy or down home or ethnic are all fine.

    Any ideas?  Where do you go on special occasions?  Or when showing guests the town?

    So sorry I missed this thread, amccomb.

    Where did you end up going? I'm curious.

  10. Whipping cream, meringue, scone dough, pastry, sabayon...  all stuff that would be impractical to do by hand due to time constraints, RSI, or lack of gullible commis chefs.  I'd never, ever be without my mixer.

    Okay, Allan - I'm demanding right now that you tell me how to use a stand mixer to whip a sabayon over a double-boiler. They've put it on our catering menu at work and my arm is getting very, very tired. Last week I had to make sabayon for a luncheon with 44 attendees. I have a nice steam kettle to act as a giant bain marie - but I can't picture how to use the stand mixer to whip it.

    Waiting with baited breath and crossed fingers (ow, that hurts)...

  11. Ordered my copy today; probably I should have used the eGullet Amazon link, but I was in Borders' and was trying to see if they carry it. The clerk was so nice and helpful, I ordered it from them. Probably I'll have to wait two weeks now instead of a few days, but I'm really looking forward to it!

  12. What a great thread!

    I'm really enjoying the poems offered here. Unfortunately, we need to be aware of the eGullet.org Copyright and Fair Use Policy, which states, in part:

    You may quote, with attribution (in the event that an online link is available, the link must be part of the citation), up to 100 words or 10% (whichever is less) of an off-site article, book, or other document. If it's 105 words, or 11%, don't sweat it -- we're asking primarily for good faith and sound judgment. If you want to quote much more than what we've specified as the allowable range, you must to take it upon yourself to secure permission from the owner of the copyright (in many cases, this is quite easy to do via a quick e-mail; in other cases it will be impossible and you therefore may not post the material).

    Regrettably, I'm going to have to remove some of the posts that violate the policy. If your post has been removed, please feel free to re-post a few lines with a link to the full text elsewhere on the Web. Thanks in advance for understanding!

  13. I read Charles' initial post in the thread right before I walked out the door to work this morning, and I realized when I got in the car that I had tears - actual tears - in my eyes while I was turning the key. Just so perfectly spoken, Charles.

    I am reading a book/cookbook about turning one's kitchen and body into a spritual sanctuary. 

    oooh, zeffer...I'd like to know the title of that book!

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