ijhhot's Profile
Unwashed hands handling your food.. What would you do?
you need to contact the local health department, in most states you do not have to leave your name, but do offer to give them a recipt or proof of purchase. they will usally contact the establishment. if i go to bigger places i always respond to their survays. and i all cases i have heard from someone.
the worst examples of this are food establishments that reuse gloves some actually will keep a pair in their pockets and use them over and over again, when i go to sushi bars i always watch several orders being prepared before i decide what to order; or to order at all. when you are standing inline look at the other areas the kitchen knife laying on the counter, face, hair and touching different parts of the body ande now cell phone use whill handling food, high volume place even if its not the best are the best bet.
Paul prudhomme's "Always Cooking". Anyone tried it?
smart chefs and cookbook people have tried for years to capitalize on spice blends and rubs offering their own recipes. chef paul was one of the first to offer supplies from his own company, however in his first cook book Louisiana cooking all of the spice blends were offered in the recipes. the problem for all of us who like to follow this style of cooking is that using these blends is a very expensive proposition, in the super market a small container of pepper works out to be over a hundred dollars a pound. in each blend salt and sugar play an important roll. learn to make your own blends based on what you like as a flavor as the bases. small quantities such as a pinch or a eight of a teaspoon rarely make a contribution to the taste of the dish. if i cook the same fried chicken over time i have reduced the small ingredients that no one notices or can identify and add more important things such as dried garlic or dried onions etc which tend to make the dish taste better. remember that no Cajun or for that matter, most of our parents or grandparents had access to all of these ingredients when most of these dishes were developed.
I find that Chef Paul has never received credit for giving us good information on the foundation of good home cooking and that once you have mastered these techniques you will very rarely have trouble cooking food that will make you feel good and good for you. always cooking is a way to introduce people to his spice blends and very good marketing.
Bacon Egg & Cheese-Please
if you don't like salt why not say: "no salt please", this is one place that will give you a good sandwich, custom built to your specifications including, the last time i was there, real pepper grinders filled with black pepper. Try Panera bread for a truly different breakfast sandwich, but again if you do not wish for extra salt, just say so.
Summer Shack
i am surprised that there are not more comments on the "specials menu", i have been eating at least twice a month at the summer shack and have the following comments: the specials are hit or miss, outstanding frog legs, lamb chops, sardiens , smelts, etc., the problem is the condiments and the choice of sides, not very well though out and often too many ingredients. I have learned to ask for condiments from other preparations or to take the main element of the plate without anything. i have often had several appetizers many using greens with the same tast. there are hiddeen good dishes on the regular menu, flounder with rock shrimp can be very good depending who is making the sauce. which brings us to the next problem, line cooks that don't know the foods they are cooking. i have had the lobster in all of the different preparations and the boiled lobster with potato, clams or mussles, sausage and boiled egg and a ear of real corn, is in my opion the best, i agree that i will wait till spring and summer and head to a real summer shack for clams and lobster in the ruff at a better price and even fresher than those that spend their most expensive years growing in a tank till someone is willing to pay these prices. the lobster bisque depends on the time of the day you are ordering and it is not enough of a good thing. the other chowders are not very good. parking at cambridge cannot be beat, what could be better than a large free parking lot? the pies and deserts are good but not great, they were orginally made by a good pastry chef, not your grandmother or the church ladies, so they can be classically. perfect but not sweet enough to bring the pleasure of a pie from some of the better clam shacks on the coast. I will never be good to myself and pay up to twenty (20) dollars for bluefish! the problems with the main dishes are mostly expectations on the part of the consumer you go in prepared for what you know and grow up with. the grilled items can be dry or very uneven more often it is the sides of very poorly prepared vegs( zuc and squash) are banished from my plate for ever, fried items have been very good with fried oysters being the most problematic , with most being too small or off tasting, they had a good ribeye but decided to change to a very mediocre ny strip. all of this said go often learn to work the menu, and enjoy the idea of eating good food without having to dress and pretend; share plates and i agree food is love.
Mr. B's Bistro cookbook
i would recommend k-paul's louisiana kitchen, this book is a textbook in the home preparation of Cajun/creole foods. just start at the beginning and read through this book follow the directions and be sure to assemble the ingredient list and do your prep work ahead. once you are off and running you will be very happy with these dishes and your mastery of the techniques involved will serve you for many years to come no matter where you live or what you have to cook
Carnegie Pastrami at Costco - Lousy
you hit it on the head, the meat for this sandwich is pre portioned and the reconstitution process just destroys the fibers of the meat by taking all of the moisture out. on my try the bread was fresh, but the pile of zapped meat killed it as my bargain meal. i will also be sticking with the hot dog, i ask for a fresh bun.
Restaurant Supply Store in Lexington/Bedford/Arlington area?
any good hardwear store will have these supplies; cheese cloth is very expensive since you are unwilling to travel, try coffee filters; on second thought, try a major supermarket.
miele vs. wolf cooktop
other considerations are: if this is for a home installation you need to make sure that the range is insulated, and that you have a gas line that will deliver the required btu to warrent using a commercial range in the home, also knobs in the fromt allow you to fine tune settings by watching the flame as you adjust the knob.
Leftover smoked brisket
diced, even with small amounts of fat let on some pices it will make a great chili, with or without ground beef. it can be diced and frozen for later use as chopped beef sandwices combined much as you would with the maain ingredients of sloppy joe, or you can make a smoked beef hash with potatos.
Best online store for kitchen supplies
the good thing about amazon is that other retailers use the sight to sell their items and you can compare prices and availability easily. you can also return things really quickly and no hassle. sometimes the amazon item will be cheaper because you will have complete control over the shipping charges. the merchants that work through amazon are rated and also the merchant is required to honer the transaction policy.
i also like paying through amazon, for added protection. you can also use amazon like google to search for what you want, sometimes i go to the other sellers site to look at additional options and compare shipping.
also if it is being sold buy amazon they will tell you if it is a reconditioned item or a closeout, many other vendors do not disclose this important info. i have had good luck with bed and bath 20 % coupons in many cases you just walk into the store and find that with the discount the item is a bargen. you can also find coupons on the web by googling the name( Kitchen Aid+coupon).
i have even shopped amazon in England and Canada for some items.
Home Attempt Restaurant Fish Deliciousness Failure
salt & pepper in the cavity, you did not mention olive oil or lemon slices.
How do I grill a steak?
a word of caution about bringing to room temp: what is room temp, 80 degrees?, as i understand it it is the temp of a room at 4:00 pm. today you can not afford to take a chance with meats beef in this instance because of the way meat is processed, here are some of the reasons: you buy your meat at a market, you spend twenty min in the market, you stop at a another spot to pick up additional ingredients, your trip home takes 30 min. in this weather you are in the temp danger zone. today meat is processed and tenderized and pumped with water and some other things to give it value added. because of health and quality concerns most professional cooks are not holding meat at room temp.
prepare your grill with two zones one very hot for searing and crust development. you want a good crust development, not a gray outside. turn the meat often for a total of three to four min. transfer you meat to the other side of the grill and continue cooking till done to your choice. it is during this time that i sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat as it will add to the tast because of the heat of the meat and the juice is also warm to help.
the rib eye is the best cut and choose a steak with lots of fat, you do not have to eat it, but it will certainly add to the taste and cooking process. RIB EYE STAKE SHOULD NEVER BE COOK PAST MED.
STOP COOKING THE STEAK BEFORE IT IS DONE TO YOUR TASTE AND LET IT REST ON A PLATE, IT WILL CONTINUE TO COOK.
STORE YOUR MEAT FOR IMEDIATE COOKING IN THE WARM PART OF YOUR FRIDG FOR UP TO SIX HOURS BEFORE COOKING.
All about food trucks [moved from the California board]
on the east coast there is a company called custommobile, in new jersey. they are one of the best builders. hot steam tables only require propane gas. the real issues with these trucks is sanitation and government permitting. many do not wish to tell you how much they are making, this is a cash business and most of the help is friends. the first thing to do is check with local health departments and also to arrange a clean out and storage facility for the truck and supplies. also local governments in terms of the permits and requirements for aux power, some places will not let you use a portable generator. some have limits on the propane tanks and how they are stored on the truck, the size of the chassie and the west coast issue of heat and cooling are vey important. most of the cities require that the truck be inclosed screened and that doors opening have screens. it is not a simple task anymore to start these business. a interior buildout can run between 32,000 to 100,000 easy; a used truck is only as good as the chassie and the engine and trans., they are normally only good for 75,000 to 100,000 miles. never buy a used vending vehicle until you know that it is complient in the area that you will be working in. many good shops will not work on retrofiting. make sure that the truck you purchase is listed with the dot are the law inforcement agencies will kill you with fines and inspections. i was in the business for 10 years and we did over 2,500 a day good luck.
How can I tell if I bought some bad chicken?
after many years in the food business,dealing with raw meat and chicken, a few comments; smell is important, just as in a good fish market you do not smell fish, in the meat and poultry departments of a store, never buy any meats or food products that give off a smell in the general area of the store, look out for the strong smell of bleach in the area while you are shopping. you often cannot detect oder from the seald package. many times the packages have been in someone shopping carts or left at the check out counters and returned to the case because the date is still good, always check dates, those that are close to the end or at the end. ALWAYS BUY BRANDED CHICKENS IN THE PROCESSORS PACKAGE, THE FURTHER THE PARTS ARE BROKEN DOWN THE GREATER CHANCE OF CONTAMINATIONS. SOME BRANDS THAT ARE GOOD AND COME WITH 800 NO TO CALL, ARE PERDUE, BELL & EVANS, TYSON. SALE RANDOM BREAST AND OTHER COMBO PACKS HAVE BEEN THROUGH ROUGH TIMES OFTEN BROKEN FROM BAD CHICKENS, REJECTED FOR NOT MEETING A SPECIFICATIONS OR AT THE VERY LEAST REPACKAGE BY THE RESALER; NORMALLY, WHITE MEAT WILL SHOW LESS DETERIATION; HOWEVER WHEN IT DOES IT IS REALLY BAD. buy your own freezer pack at the stores for transporting you chicken and other meats home. shop for chicken and all dairy and meat products LAST. always return bad product to the store, just stick it in the freezer, put a small portion in a separate bag to give to your local health department in the event you get ill or they want to argue. learn to purchase a breast with bone and skin and end up with your own boneless chicken breast. may stores have napkins or paper towels above the meat counters. or just keep plastic produce bags with you while you shop. use the bag as you would a glove insert the hand the will come in contact with the packages and when you have made a selection take your other hand and pull it over the product.
remember to wash you hands at home and if possible in the stores restroom and to have all meat products placed in separate bags even if they only end up in one shopping bag. its a shame that we must practice. all of these cautions but who ever thought that you would have to worry about spinach or salad greens in a bag!
Just Bought a Brand New Le Creuset...
many compwill make a large lot for stores such as cosco, this allows them to protect other retailers and dealers, ccosco is very good at making these types of deals, if the pot is enamled do not worry it will work and last for a long period of time. bargan hunting is a very competive business.
