Louisa Chu's Stage at ADPA

[Fat Guy]

The consummate scavenger

+++

Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

[oraklet]

as usual from loufood: very interesting, very well told. thanks a lot, and good luck!

[mamster]

Does the person named G have a cool nickname like "G-money" or "G-fric"? Actually, I guess if your name is G, that is your cool nickname.

The daube sounds delicious. I can't believe people are removing salmon skin. Unless you're making a mousse, that's the best part, and you'd only make a mousse from parts of the fish that are too thin to cook with crispy skin. Right?

[KNorthrup]

That daube sounded phenomenal. And I loved your portrayl of Chef Thivet. But how could they all willingly leave behind duck? Good luck.

[Jon Tseng]

Fascinating again

And thank-you, Louisa

One question: when you plated the beef on top of the onions didn't that make them soggy as juices came off the dead cow?

cheerio

J

[nightscotsman]

Does the person named G have a cool nickname like "G-money" or "G-fric"?  Actually, I guess if your name is G, that is your cool nickname.

I thought the cool name was "Chin Sin". Right out of a comic book. There was a G-Trane character on Law and Order a couple nights ago...

Another great article, Louisa. It actually sounds like a lot of fun.

[hollywood]

Another delicious report. The suspense over your exams is getting to me. When do you get the results?

[JosephB]

I'm relatively new to this site, but thus far I've found your writing entertaining. Thank you. By the way, how do you prepare the salt crusted duck?

[herbacidal]

The daube sounds delicious.  I can't believe people are removing salmon skin.  Unless you're making a mousse, that's the best part, and you'd only make a mousse from parts of the fish that are too thin to cook with crispy skin.  Right?

yea, i never used to like fish skin. now, along with the fat, it's one of my favorirte parts.

[Louisa Chu]

oraklet, thank you. And thanks for the luck - I need it.

mamster, oh you've just set me back on my re-conditioning with G. He does not need to be told he or his name are cool. But yes, he actually does have a nickname - one that Chef Thivet gave him: Romarin - Rosemary in French. Because he was always asking for it with every dish. Not cool maybe but - uncharacteristically for him - cute. And yes, you can use good salmon trimmings for mousse, but of course in French haute cuisine, why not puree a whole filet! In Basic we made a salmon mousse and my hand still cramps from the memory of scraping that sucker through a tami.

KNorthrup, some of my classmates were going out right after. And most just don't have the fridge - much less freezer - space to keep all the food we make. Most are here by themselves and don't have a hungry sister and dog to feed the way I do. But it was pretty ridiculous that day. Like I'd burgled a butcher.

Jon, oh puh-leeze! Soggy? As if! First of all, the beef was perfectly seared; secondly, I let it rest, and then I blotted it on paper before plating on the onions - a very good habit to get into especially with fish; finally when Chef Thivet sliced into the beef, then the juices were released on cue!

nightscotsman, you should see Chin Sin in civilian clothes and shades - pure Japanimation inspiration. And it actually is a lot of fun.

hollywood, I get my final exam grades at graduation. If you don't pass - and that has happened - they call you right after your exam to warn you not to show up. This happened to a girl last session - and her friends had to call the paramedics because she hyperventilated and passed out.

JosephB, welcome to eGullet - and thank you! I promise to post the recipe very soon. Basically you take a duck breast, trim off most of the skin, wrap it in a sea salt studded bread crust and bake it.

herbacidal, fish fat?! I don't know this! Give it up! What kind of fish and how? And I credit my mom for my love of fish skin. She makes the most amazing whole, wok-fried, gorgeous, red snapper.

[hollywood]

hollywood, I get my final exam grades at graduation. If you don't pass - and that has happened - they call you right after your exam to warn you not to show up. This happened to a girl last session - and her friends had to call the paramedics because she hyperventilated and passed out.

Merde!

[Pan]

First of all, Louisa, wherever you end up working as Chef, I want to go there! That stuff you've been making sounds fabulous!

Secondly, a few marginal questions:

What is "to chinois"? I never knew "chinois" could be something other than a noun or adjective.

I gather a "mandoline," in this case, is not a musical instrument but a peeler or some other kind of cutting implement. Would you or someone else like to describe it more exactly, please?

The points are the tops of the asparagi, right? I love them, don't you? Are they removed just for looks?

Oh, by the way, I love Daube.

[edit: "or" instead of "are." Sheesh!]

Edited June 6, 2003 by Pan (log)

[Louisa Chu]

Pan, thank you so much! And sorry, not marginal at all, I should have explained.

To chinois is probably multilingually grammatically incorrect. When I say "to chinois" I mean to pass through a chinois/a conical fine-mesh sieve - supposedly named so for its resemblance to a stereotypical Chinese hat.

And yes, in the kitchen a mandoline is a slicer. Here's one at Williams-Sonoma. The mandoline frightens me more than any other tool in the kitchen - especially the ones at Cordon Bleu which have long lost their hand guards - forget about safety gloves - so I refuse to use them and always use my own.

And no, sorry, when I said points on the asparagus, I did not mean the tips or heads - I meant the very small, thin, pointed flaps around the stalk of the aspargus itself. You've probably never even noticed these things - I never really did - much less thought they were so offensive - as French chefs do - that they needed to be so rigorously removed. And I'm actually more of a stalk eater - asparagus, broccoli, etc. - it's a texture thing.

[Bux]

And yes, in the kitchen a mandoline is a slicer. Here's one at Williams-Sonoma. The mandoline frightens me more than any other tool in the kitchen - especially the ones at Cordon Bleu which have long lost their hand guards - forget about safety gloves - so I refuse to use them and always use my own.

That's a beautiful mandolin on the Williams Sonoma page. I'm curious about what kind of mandolins the school offers and what kind you use yourself. I'd long lusted after a nice stainless steel one like that until I was told by a couple of professional chefs that their kitchen has one like that, but it's in a cabinet somewhere and no one uses it. All the cooks use a cheap plastic Japanese model (stainless steel blade) called a Benriner. I went out and bought one for about $29 and it's terrific. I see my favorite local cookwares place now had it for $25 and they do mail order. Haven't really done any damage to myself, but my wife has cut herself several times and is always warning me to be careful. Here are links to the Benriner Mandolin page and the Broadway Panhandler home page. New Yorkers should note that tomorrow and Sunday, June 7 & 8, they're having their annual yard sale.

[mags]

Louisa, I am now absolutely ravenous, and it's all your fault! The food sounds incredible -- and I, too, am amazed at the thought of people who could just walk away from duck breasts. That mid-day break sounds nutty -- just enough time to allow all your energy to drain away. Best of luck on the final.

[Louisa Chu]

Bux, in practicals we use the classic Bron all stainless mandolines - French. The chefs usually use them as well in demos but quite a few of them use the Benriners - which they acquired during tours of duty in Japan. I have the Williams-Sonoma one - gift - but the slicer I use at school - and most often - is the Swiss/German Borner - or Boerner - V slicer. I think it was like 30 bucks too - and I may have even bought it through an infomercial! I keep that - and my ricer - in my locker. The chefs have never seen the ricer - which I so prefer over the food mills for potatoes.

mags, sorry! Ooh, you're really not going to like it then when I tell you the next day I snagged some crispy skinned duck breasts from some of the Basic students - with Sauce a l'Orange! And yes, those midday breaks, now I understand why one sees people napping in parks all over Paris - that will soon be me! And thanks!

[Ruth]

The Benriner is great for slicing, but the French mandolines (I prefer the Matfer, less cumbersome than the Braun) are indispensable for gaufrettes and better for juliennes as the blades are stronger.

One important question: Why soak the potatoes in port? Doesn't it make them too sweet?

I read the article over my juice and coffee breakfast and felt like taking the next plane to share your leftovers.

[Louisa Chu]

Ruth, the potatoes were not too sweet at all. Fantastic colour and just a hint of that port aroma - incredible with the duck. I'll ask G if he remembers why he did them that way - if there was a method to his madness that time. And I did forget that the chefs did have another nickname for him - 007 - for his impressive and forever increasing collection of gadgets. And those leftovers are gone - but I do still have a whole unbaked Galette des Rois. Now that's a seriously good breakfast.

[Fat Guy]

Time for finals, but what about that stage?

+++

Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

[Pan]

Congratulations on your Diplome, Louisa!

Now, it's our turn to hardly bear the suspense. As I write, it is 1:45 P.M. in Paris. I'd wish you good luck, and I suppose I can, on general principles, regardless of what response you got from ADPA.

[Pan]

Oh, one question, Louisa:

What does a chef's resume look like in France? And does it have the same format as one for American consumption (gee, what a lame unintentional pun)?

[sandra]

Louisa,

Sounds like you had almost the same ingredients as me for the cuisine final! I rolled my lamb with the breadcrumbs and herbs inside - and thankfully it was also the desired shade of pink!

Congrats on a job well done and on graduating! I'll catch up soon...

[MobyP]

Louisa -

apart from my perpetual congratulations - that was a seriously well written piece. Your best yet.

Fingers crossed (and remember the little people)!

[alacarte]

I don't know if I can handle these cliffhangers, Louisa.

Congrats on the diploma!

[hollywood]

Louisa, if your cooking has half the drama of your writing, you're gonna kick butt. Maybe the thought is don't stop writing.