Michael Ruhlman

abbott and costello. that fucking hurts. i'm not going to push for a newman redford comparison, but can't we at least say dean martin and jerry lewis? it's hard enough being associated with that media whore. more on the cookbooks later, interesting thread, happy to write more but gotta cook dinner.

they're a helluva lot harder than you ever imagine when you start out...

I asked Steingarten in an email if he thought it had been rigged, and he said, 1) alex lee should have cooked a lot better, 2) he scored lee very high, though suspected the other two favored cat, 3) that he was confused by the results given how high he'd scored lee and 4) that if he thought the show were rigged he wouldn't be on another one and would somehow go public with it. so there you have it from the most eminent of the judges.

Re: gelatin sheets vs powder. I believe they work the same by weight. General rule of thumb is a quarter ounce per pint of liquid will give you a delicate gel. Do you have a scale? If not, get one--not terribly expensive and they're invaluable tools.

they actually make a surprisingly good soup, same method as the flc, add a little mint if it's growing in your yard.

the point of pea soup is the peas. home cooks should make them when peas are growing and in season. i can't imagine frozen peas are comparable to fresh peas. also, it's a pleasure to shell peas, popping them out of the pod--this is part of the soup. happily it's spring and you can find fresh peas. but i heard jean-georges uses frozen at his four-star place in ny, so what do i know. in the end, the only hard and fast rule is that it should taste good as you can make it. good luck!

I thought, what an incredible plug...

and i was having so much fun... ...nothing ever happens in cleveland...

And I with you, GB. And I'll try anything once, even, god help me, leather pants.

so you're kicking the guy when he's down, and suddenly he gets nice (sort of). ain't fair. he's insidious this guy.

egullet is not ready for the unvarnished truth...I might prove all of bourdains nasty lies true, after all...

chains, radiators and mayo, god you're disgusting.

GB! I would LOVE to take you to the beards. you're the only bright spot about tony there is. I know he has to pay you to hang out with him, and you are incredibly kind to take pity on the creature, so it would be a pleasure and an honor to be in your company. Best, Michael And I like the idea for a synchronized swimming version of KC, Tony's ravaged body in the lead roll.

you filthy swine, bourdain, i'm not going to dignify those malicious and deluded attacks with a denial. what the hell is your problem. you need to get a job, man. notice that the beards have completely dissed you again--i'm surprised your star struck egulleters and substantial fan club haven't protested in outrage. Multiple best selling critically acclaimed books, hugely popular television shows--and still, amazingly, even to me, no beard award or even a nomination if I'm not mistaken. Surprising? It's not about the work. It's this attitude of yours and these astonishing attacks on people who can write better than you or don't share your fanatical beliefs in self-indulgence. The beards were tarnished for me years ago when the french laundry cookbook was shut out--i've been bitter ever since, and deeply suspicious of the people doling out those awards, though it's fun to be included. My advice, tony, is to trade in those black jeans and that silly leather jacket for a proper blue blazer and khakis. Penny loafers wouldn't hurt. the nominations will roll in. And how the hell did you find out about the synchronized-swimming, you prick.

Ben, Nice to have a chef on the boards. Are my old colleagues Reggie and Angel still on the line? Did you read Crea's critique of the dining scene? And, generally, Cleveland egulleters, is there a good French bistro here in cleveland anywhere? Best, Michael

no need to force feed! monk fish liver is very close to foie, amazingly so. but don't tell your city council!

un-fucking believable. the city council will take chicago down from a serious restaurant town to a laughing stock. arrogant, self-righteous fools. this both is ridiculous and scary

all the more reason for chefs to educate our teeming diverse and worthy masses

I agree with everything tony (and many others) has said here. I hate to even admit this, because I honestly think bourdain might be dangerous. He’s very likely criminally insane. But I’d really like to see him run for mayor of new york city. It would be a more interesting place (and I don't live there). As far as this foie nonsense, it’s misguided and therefore dangerous: There is nothing wrong or inhumane to do to ducks and geese what they themselves have been doing for millenia. And I, like others here, find it unpardonably hypocritical for a chef to condemn duck treatment and say nothing of the heinous practices of the commercial hog and chicken industries, not to mention the debased product they’re churning out. Hell, Trotter should come out and admit it’s inhumane to kill anything, and commit to vegan fine-dining. Chefs have become so popular and influential, it’s incumbent upon them to teach this neurotic country how to cook and eat. For Trotter, a paragon of culinary innovation and forward thinking, to come down on the side of the anti-foie fanatics is not only astonishing, it’s harmful to people in this country.

that piece really pissed me off too. You really don't expect such soft-headed nonsense from the times.

trotter has been nothing but generous to me, but i find this foie business baffling, trotter's response reprehensible, and his remarks about rick unprofessional. perhaps a rare brain disorder is the cause?

I actually think it's a smart move for michael to expand, and in just this way. It's a risky location but so was tremont and now look at it. if anyone can enliven the area, it's michael. i'm heading down to parallax and maybe stop in to see michael and will find out more details.

yes

The finalists have been chosen and I believe notified as of today. With any luck though, there will be more opportunities for your friend in the future.

Robyn, By all means, make custard in pie shell. Nothing worse than a foodie snob making someone feel bad about the way they cook. Russ's comment is perfectly put. The problem with a pie shell is that the custard is too shallow to cook properly and still maintain a crisp crust. I don't care who cooks it in a ring mold but i hope people learn to make the distinction between the two. What concerns me is that the custard in a pie shell became the standard. But then its becoming a pervasive American habit: to make mediocrity the standard. That said, I have to add that for a country that so often baffles me, an egg pie generating so much discussion—well, every now and then a misanthrope finds reason to be genuinely hopeful about humanity. M