pitu's Profile
Book Review-NYT. Blood Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
I think she's a very good and vivid writer -- and she sure isn't afraid of looking bad or writing herself as an occasionally unsympathetic character. I appreciate that.
For me the book falls apart as she focuses on her disfunctional relationship and trips to Italy -- as if the restaurant and everyone in it disappeared after the first couple years. The Italy-trope stuff *is* interesting, but enough enough. At that point in the book she isn't writing with the self-awareness required to dish into the painful personal...so it's tedious and you want to look away. That said, I found it a quick read, good for a weekend. She's a million times better writer than Bourdain, he's got that right! Not a totally satisfying read, but worth reading for sure.
May 2011 COTM, PLENTY: Green Things, Green Beans
Chard Cakes With Sorrel Sauce (from PLENTY)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/dining/27ottorex1.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jul/05/recipe.foodanddrink
They were nice, but felt like more work than they were worth to me, mostly the washing, blanching, squeezing, chopping of a massive amount of chard. (I made a double batch for a party.) The vegetarians present were thrilled however, which was the desired intent -- having something a little special for a minority in a meat eating group. A (carnivore) friend remarked that these were self-conscious Good Vegetarian recipes. I like the sorrel-yogurt sauce very much -- very handy when sorrel is in season and you don't know what to do with it! Sorrel is very astringent and slightly lemony.
New Ottolenghi Cookbook - Plenty - is out
I think this just got released in the USA. Not the big white padded version, but a hardcover...
http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-26499-plenty.aspx
DUNLOP March Cookbooks of Month: Meat
"Italian frying peppers" are thin-walled fresh pale green peppers, like cubanellos. Def not in the same category as chiles. Sometimes they have a little bit of heat, but usually a sweet pepper.
(I know I'm very late to this -- was just scanning the thread to see which Dunlop book has the cumin lamb in it!)
What were your last three cookbook purchases? - [Old]
There is a thread on the home cooking board about cooking from the Momofuku book.
Now Momofuku Milk Bar (Christina Tosi) is coming out? uh-oh.
What were your last three cookbook purchases? - [Old]
Closed Captioning = subtitles available on most tv shows in USA, originally put in place for the deaf but very handy for the hearing too...
Looking for local MILK to use for cheese making? Brooklyn-Williamsburg
at various Greenmarkets, the Milk Thistle Dairy milk
if you find yourself upstate near Ghent, go to the Hawthorne Valley Farm store. They sell raw milk, at the store/dairy only. (They sell yogurt and cheese at the Union Sq Farmer's Market.)
candied citrus questions
I totally get that ma la tingling thing, esp with the less boiled orange peels I did this year. It happens with raw peel too...
best cookbook for the cooking of louisiana/ new orleans?
chicken and sausage jambalaya is the thing I made from the book when I had it out from the library - loved it
Bittman ending his "MInimalist" column in the new york times
Exactly, mels. I'm finding the Guardian/Ottolenghi column to fill the same function:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/yotamottolenghi
Bittman ending his "MInimalist" column in the new york times
Today's NYT article is an absolute must read for Bittman fans, which I am. The books are too rudimentary and simplified for many of my friends here on the Home Cooking board, but they are still miles ahead of other popular EZ Cooking styles I can think of...but let's not go there. The Minimalist column suggested and popularized many great ways to *be* in the kitchen, even for experienced cooks.
He addresses *robbing recipes of their souls* (or not): "To me the question was not, “Would I cook this as a native would?” but rather, “How would a native cook this if he had my ingredients, my kitchen, my background?” It’s obviously a different dish."
"I’m lazy, I’m rushed, and I’m not all that skillful, and many people share those qualities."
I never thought of it this way before, but I guess he's the sophisticated person's Rachel Ray. (I can't stand RR, but I guess it's the same thing -- quick, delicious, homemade.) The big bonus is, Bittman has displayed a growing consciousness about food politics that I appreciate.
One meyer lemon tree dropping leaves
Don't give up on it -- keep normal watering etc until it can start again, even if that's next summer outside.
best cookbook for the cooking of louisiana/ new orleans?
Since the thread is revived...Real Cajun by Donald Link. It reads really well, and I am teetering on purchase...anyone cooked from it? Feels contemporary and traditional at the same time...
What areYour Non-Asian Cooking Uses for Soy Sauce/Tamari?
On the Braggs tip...great tidbit about the original Dr Bragg, father of Patricia, in Jack LaLanne's obit: "LaLanne, who died Sunday at 96, credits nutritionist Paul Bragg with helping him see the light..."
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-jack-lalanne-20110124,0,607139.story
Looks like ginger root, tastes like spruce gum finishing with chili peppers
Are you sure the orange thing isn't fresh tumeric and mislabeled or something? The galangal at my store is more or less the same color as ginger; the skin is smoother, like young ginger.
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/galanga.html
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/turmeric.html
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #6 - 01/12/11 (Spoilers)
I think they could have sent one from each team home. I thought for sure it was Marcel and either Jaime or Tiffani.
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #6 - 01/12/11 (Spoilers)
Didn't they go fishing at a bad time of day? It takes a few hours to drive out to Montauk, so it must have been well into the day by the time they got out there. Builds tension when the fish aren't biting...
Thrilled for Carla, glad to see her win with blue fish, which is a little more of a challenge. I wish someone had done an assertive West Indian blue fish stew.
Marcel was a jerk (after dim sum, although I wondered if he had a point about Dale not cooking enough portions for the dim sum room) and I thought he was going home for overcooking and overworking their team dish. Hate to see Carla get smacked down right after her win -- his gripe plays into her own sweet sense of good manners. She deserved the celebration moment. It's great to see her confidently cooking after the way her first season ended.
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #6 - 01/12/11 (Spoilers)
The mannerisms Marcel's faux street throwdown were pretty distracting (and dumb and wtf, a bottle of gin?) but I wondered if the content was correct -- if Dale was supposed to make 100 but only made 10 or 20 portions of his dish and won last week, that's messed up.
Yet Another Diana Kennedy Article
O wow, what a piece of work but we love her so -- thx for posting it DD!
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #5 - 01/05/11 (Spoilers)
Good point:
"Watching the show last night and listening to the other chefs sayI should have stepped up makes me laugh. The last time I did that on my season, I was sent home. Not once did anyone ask me for help - when we were talking about the dishes, when we were shopping or during service."
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #5 - 01/05/11 (Spoilers)
I'm with you NellyNel and Ruth - I think Marcel learned how to be on TV! He gives sharp little soundbites, and doesn't come off as an egomaniacal baby/jerk anymore!
I don't understand the appeal of Mike at all, except good on him for winning that challenge! He seems like a slob most of the time. Do people identify with him or something?
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #4 - 12/22/10 (Spoilers)
I dunno -- here's what I saw: The Group didn't actually ALL decide/agree on that strategy -- Spike and Angelo were very into it, red head Tiffany had a line from the nighttime discussion about wasting the other team's best w/their weakest which might have been part of the processing of the idea. (Fear of Blais in full effect, and wtf, that assumes the other team will send out strongest first, whatever that means. Simpleminded strategy.)
Tre and all the women except red head Tiffany all kinda shrugged it off in that way you do when you don't want to start a fight with someone about something they are jazzed about but you have no intention following or allowing some jackass idea to mess up your competition. There were specifically "Whatevs" soundbites from that team blowing it off.
Someone with it on DVR can correct me if I'm wrong...
I liked how the dishes ended up looking more matched than I'd expect in random selection -- pork v pork etc
And I agree with the folks above who thought it was a bit of a bs challenge when some people don't get judged. Bravo is going for controversial dynamics with that kind of production choice. I think with most partner and group challenges it skews things enough for better chefs to go home, or lesser performers to stay. (Not sorry to see Spike out tho.)
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #1 - 12/01/10 (Spoilers)
When Jaimie's cooking something that Colicchio says is great, I don't want her "taken down a notch". The trio seemed a legit way to go to me, and NYC is full of individualists trying to distinguish themselves from the crowd. The Chicago dog had distinct elements clearly executed by each member, or at least the mustard freeze and the sausage were attributable.
I soooo want this to be about the cooking . . . .........
Top Chef All-Stars - Ep. #1 - 12/01/10 (Spoilers)
I think Fabio got a show of his own, right after his season...no?
Pecan Pie that is not runny!
Steen's came out great -- I used a T of flour to make a roux with the butter to guard against a runny pie and cooked that with the sugar + sugar syrup, but left out the corn starch rec'd on the can. (Tempered that into 3 beaten eggs, vanilla.) I usually do half and half light/dark Karo, and didn't find that flavor all that different with 100% cane syrup. A subtle difference, mos def has the earthier stronger undertone that dark Karo gives. I'll have to taste the plain syrups side by side sometime.
My fave Vertamae Grosvenor book "VIBRATION COOKING: Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl" suggests corn syrup and cane syrup interchangeably, so I felt secure. She was cooking in Paris with what she could get her hands on.
I made a crust w 8T butter/ 2T baking lard/ 1.5 c flour (and tiny bit of salt/sugar, 2t vinegar) - great structure and flavor.
TC Just Desserts: Finale [spoiler]
I hear what you're saying about double standards, except historic inequities are what is being addressed when a top of line professional woman makes a comment like that.
straight:gay
white:non-white
male:female
All about dominant culture over a historically oppressed group
I know others will differ, but we are not post-gay, post-racial, post-misogynist in America. And boy does THAT get played out on reality shows!
I swear, I want to watch the cooking and all this STUFF keeps getting in the way!
TC Just Desserts: Finale [spoiler]
Yeah! Yigit! Overcomes nerves! Makes prizewinning work!
I still wonder what Heather would have done at this level...and how professional and gracious of her to just work, when she gets stuck with her foe Morgan. Also in the episode, Morgan's celebrity sous chef confirmed his jerkitude, and Morgan talks about wanting to pound Zac in the face if it wouldn't get him kicked off the show. Jeez.
Glad to see them all do very very nice work in the finale.
Pecan Pie that is not runny!
How does the sweetness of cane syrup compare to corn syrup? I'm going to make the Steen's label this year instead of the Karo label...
gordeaux , isn't *gasp* cheap pancake syrup (butter flavored) essentially flavored corn syrup? which brings us back to Karo...
Top Chef Just Desserts Anniversary Cakes Episode (Spoiler)
I was rooting for Danielle this time in both challenges, once it was down to her and Morgan. But battleship grey cake? Really?? None of them really stepped up, and I suspect it's the absurd lack of time on these challenges that came up with such poor showings overall.
Hope Yigit gets it back together. Or, if they get old contestants to work with for the finale, that Heather comes back and kicks ass with Yigit. Although...it'd be funny if they brought the first three to go back as helpers...
One last thing...when Zack said something really mean about whoever he said it about (Danielle? Morgan?) I imagined the producer questioning him saying "what's the absolute worst thing you'd say about X who is obviously a no-talent jerk?"
ha.
THE NEXT IRON CHEF: Viva Las Vegas! aka "Inspiration" (Season 3, Episode 6) [Spoilers]
looking at his surname - that's Simon Majumdar - I'm going to guess his people are from India so . . . readjust little jibes if that's what you really want to talk about
