Alton Brown RULESSSSSSSSS Buddy.

the restaurant charges about 300 a head

while a student in his twenties was quoted (in a book about El Bulli) saying "the meal ... was an experience and art. I enjoyed it enormously and it made me vomit".

Um...
yeah..

Im not gona pay 500 bucks for dinner and have it make me puke.

You want to have a fantastic meal by a world class chef? To hell with Spain, Come to Cleveland, Eat at Lolita, Michael Symon wont disappoint, or make you yarf.

300 DOLLARS a Head?? I get sick to My stomache if I have to pay 12 bucks for a dinner ANYPLACE. I'd much rather have slop than to pay such an outlandish price for food. Hell I'll stick to beanie weinies sandwiches Thank You very much.

Larry

Michael Symon

This one??

FTA: These colorants, gelling agents, emulsifiers, acidifiers and taste enhancers that Adria has introduced massively into his dishes to obtain extraordinary textures, tastes and sensations do not have a neutral impact on health,"

At 300 bucks a pop?

LOL.

The Chef here is apparently shortening the lifespans of rich people with overly rich cooking and making them pay too much in the process.

Spud fails to see the problem here.

File it under "More dollars than sense".

Be Well.

/As ya do
stag left.

300 DOLLARS a Head??

I went to a company sponsored school in Houston last month. The rig manager took us all out to eat at a fabulous steak place in Houston. The cheapest steak was $49. I had a $100 32 oz porterhouse. I would say that with appetizers, wine, booze, dessert, etc. our meal came to $300/head. I had a Hennesey XO with my dessert -- no one cared.

If my estimate of $300/head is correct, (and I think it is seeing the prices) that meal was almost $10,000. I love spending the company's money on a good meal.

I had a Hennesey XO with my dessert -- no one cared

Kinda tough on the diabetes ?

#7
not that I'm saying you can't have a good time,but it sure would be unfair to buffalo bob if you drop dead before we figure this 2012 thing out.
2 lbs of red meat?

"300 DOLLARS a Head??"

Easy to do. Hotdog and a decent hooker LOL

Larry,
Alton Brown is not a chef. He has a TV show, just a TV show. Beenie Weenie? Why do you hate food?

Valisk,
On top of being a total douche and fake Iron Chef, Michael Symon stole most of his style from Adria. Cleveland does have a surprisingly good restaurant scene though.

Spud,
No one eats at el Bulli more than once in their lives. He's not killing anyone. The reason Europeans are so healthy isn't their awesome health care, it's that they don't eat fucking McDonalds. Also keep in mind that this is 16% of a European's annual intake of additives, it wouldn't shock me if that was about the daily amount for for the average American/Canuck.

Ferran Adria is a master of his craft. He gets to charge what he wants because he's the best. The same reason a Bugatti costs more than a Yugo. But it is awful easy to talk shit about the guy in the Veyron when you're rollin' a leaky Civic.

Kinda tough on the diabetes ?

I splurge when the opportunity arises. A few extra units of insulin will carry me through

Valisk,
Ferran is actually in his kitchen nightly. Symon is almost never in his, he's too busy whoring for Food Network.

No one eats at el Bulli more than once in their lives. He's not killing anyone.

Yeah know that, was kinda joking there.

The reason Europeans are so healthy isn't their awesome health care, it's that they don't eat fucking McDonalds.

Actually they do, just not in the numbers you see stateside.

Also keep in mind that this is 16% of a European's annual intake of additives, it wouldn't shock me if that was about the daily amount for for the average American/Canuck.

Meh, at least our women don't got hair where monkeys don't.

:>P

Be Well.

The reason Europeans are so healthy isn't their awesome health care, it's that they don't eat fucking McDonalds.

#10 | Posted by ChezWegro

Incorrect and stereotypical assumption.

But thanks for playing.

McDonald's tastes victory in Europe

Three years ago, Denis Hennequin was faced with the supersized task of turning around the lackluster growth of McDonald's Europe. The Frenchman the first non-American president of the fast-food chain's European operations embarked on a massive McMakeover of more than one-third of the Oak Brook, Ill., company's 6,400 European outlets. And voil, today McDonald's Europe is sizzling. "The European business is growing much faster than the U.S.," says Steve West, restaurant analyst with St. Louis brokerage Stifel Nicolaus.

Europe is now McDonald's largest region by revenues, despite having roughly one-quarter the number of outlets as the U.S. Last year, revenues from company stores and royalties from franchisees topped $8.9 billion in Europe, compared with $7.9 billion in the U.S. West expects U.S. sales to rise by 3.4 percent, vs. 9 percent for Europe (19 percent if you include the foreign currency impact). This year, he reckons, McDonald's, the most American of brands, will generate 55 percent of its earnings outside the U.S.

Source:

It's not the same, read your own article zit.

From your link:
"His strategy has been to stay true to McDonald's American roots while making the products and entire experience more localized. That focus is evident in everything from management and staffing to menus. If you don't fancy a Big Mac in the branch at the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, you can order pasta freshly cooked to order. In France, McDonald's serves wine and runs an annual promotion called Le Saga du Fromage, where instead of the usual cheddar, burgers are topped with beloved French cheeses such as Reblochon."

"Even the old Ronald McDonald play areas have gotten a serious redesign. Relabeled as Ronald Gym Clubs, the focus is on getting kids fit. Set up in a separate building adjacent to the restaurant, these mini-gyms offer everything from stationary bicycles on which kids can race one another to climbing walls and basketball hoops. There are also similar but smaller versions called Gym and Fun Clubs found in many stores"

You've got Dorito dust on your man tit, thanks for playing.

I had a $100 32 oz porterhouse.

#6 | Posted by goatman at 2009-10-15 02:33 AM

I mean was it worth $100? (since you didn't pay for it hehe)_

It's not the same, read your own article zit.

You've got Dorito dust on your man tit, thanks for playing.

#15 | Posted by ChezWegro

Ah, toss out some childish insults.

Okay...

Got your number...

Incorrect and stereotypical assumption.
But thanks for playing.

Link to something I didn't finish reading.

Cry.

Got your number too....

The chef Ferran is a master of his craft, but if his craft involves a lot of additives including "colorants, gelling agents, emulsifiers, acidifiers and taste enhancers" then I don't want to eat there even if somebody else is paying. I hate additives, including MSG. But steak restaurants put too much flavorings as well. A good piece of meat just needs salt and pepper.

#20 and a lemon or olive oil and garlic rub...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

The world's best restaurant is Hooters.

Sorry so say it, but in my neighborhood, I haven't seen an abundance of additives.

menus should carry health warnings informing diners of the additives in the dishes.

Additives and flavorings have always been considered trade secrets

The world's best restaurant is Hooters.
Sorry so say it, but in my neighborhood, I haven't seen an abundance of additives.
#22 | Posted by Petrous

At Hooters they're called "implants."

Grumpy, I agree with you, simple preparations of high quality ingredients is my preferred style. But, dismissing Adria as the cooking with chemicals guy is folly. This is a guy that started a foundation to improve school lunches and teach kids the importance of organic produce and protein.

Hooters is full of additives, emulsifiers to hold the fake butter and hot sauce together for the wings, protein glues for the pre-chewed chicken patties, flavor enhancers in EVERYTHING, stabilizers to keep all that crap from dying when it sits in the freezers for months. Adria is catching shit for using these things to create something special that ,if you're lucky, you might get to experience once in your life. All the while the Hooters, Olive Gardens, and TGIFriday's of the world get a free pass for feeding the same chemicals to people on a menu designed for daily consumption, that also happens to taste and look like shit.

You mean ALL Hooters boobs are Real?? No Enhancers?? I do not believe it. Unless someone installed hidable chrader valves to their boobs and they go to the nearest Gas Station to fill em up I doubt they are all real.

Larry

#21 - No, Nanc, you are wrong. Don't be waving any garlic near my beef unless you are going to make spaghetti with it. My grandfather had 200 head of Angus. I know what beef is supposed to taste like. Oh well, to each his own, but if the beef has the proper taste from being raised properly then there is no improving that and a real beef connoisseur will enjoy it the most when it is only seasoned with salt and pepper.

#25 - Chez_ - That is interesting - will click the links and read ...

#28 - that's all fine and dandy for those who are salt hounds! We don't eat alot of it. But, I know what you're saying about good beef - we're thinking about buying a 1/4 here soon - need another deep freeze, however - ours is full!!

Grumpy,
If you haven't already you need to try Wagyu beef, it's the breed that the famous Kobe beef comes from. They will consistently produce super prime and above from grazing alone, no corn. A rare ribeye will melt in your mouth like butter.

Chez - that is disturbing to think about all those additives in chain restaurant food ...

But steak restaurants put too much flavorings as well. A good piece of meat just needs salt and pepper.

#20 | Posted by grumpy_too at 2009-10-15 10:33 AM

I make an herb marinade for steak sometimes (kind of a chimichurri). The end product tastes like the beef you bought, but the aromas open up the senses to it.

I hate snobby restaurants. Even the service is annoying. People who enjoy having their asses kissed that much must have self esteem issues.

I hate snobby restaurants. Even the service is annoying. People who enjoy having their asses kissed that much must have self esteem issues.

#33 | Posted by Sully at 2009-10-15 11:40 AM

Looks like an nice place, LorD.

The food there is wonderful, and it's in a lovely little historic town here in Iowa.

On the flavoring of beef...
A good ribeye or strip, nothing but S & P. With me that might be long pepper and french grey sea salt but S & P.

Filet needs sauce, it's a garbage cut with no fat. That being said, to all of you people that like it, keep eating it. It's one of the cheapest things for me to buy and one of the most expensive proteins on the menu.

All the other parts need flavoring to hold up to the long, slow cooking necessary to make it edible. Cheek braised in red wine is heaven.

It's safer to BECOME a good cook and eat at home.

And obviously cheaper too!

It's safer to BECOME a good cook and eat at home.

And obviously cheaper too!

#38 | Posted by Lisa at 2009-10-15 12:17 PM

"I do pretty good, but sometimes restaurants have stuff that would either be hard to come by or too expensive to trial and error with. =)}

But if you follow a recipe, how can you screw that up? LOL

I just don't trust restaurant food anymore. I've seen some of those hidden camera series where they drop the food on the dirty floor, or they sneeze on it, or spit in it....YUCK!

I'd rather try to make something at home and if it doesn't turn out for some reason....make a PB&J!

Restaurants have better equipment too. Unless you've dropped major coin, your home range doesn't have the BTU's that a commercial range does. With places like el Bulli, I'll guarantee that you don't have an anti-griddle or immersion circulator at home.

Lisa, that stuff doesn't happen in good restaurants. If one of my cooks spit in the food they'd be in tears and looking for a job in a matter of seconds. Now it's time for another 12 hour day....

I spit in food exactly one time in my 14 years cooking and it was on a regular customer who asked me 5 days in a row "not to Jew" him on the cheese. 4 days in a row I politely asked him not to say that around me because I found it offensive and 4 days in a row he said sorry, he would not do it again, and 4 days in a row he did after saying he wouldn't. On the 5th day I simply smile at him and said "yes sire, I will not Jew you on the Cheese," went outside, smoked a cigarette down to the filter, came back in, made his pie and spit a huge lugie on his pie. When it came out of the oven, I spit on it again. He never said "don't Jew me" again.

The First Commandment of Attending a Restaurant is: THOU SHALL NOT FUCKITH WITH THE PERSON WHO HANDLES THY FOOD

But if you follow a recipe, how can you screw that up? LOL

#40 | Posted by Lisa at 2009-10-15 01:05 PM

So for me, it's trial and error until I get it right.

I use a recipe the first time to get an idea of what it should taste like, then make it my own from that point on. In culinary school, I put Cinnamon in everything just to make my food stand out from the 20 others.

"Restaurants have better equipment too. Unless you've dropped major coin, your home range doesn't have the BTU's that a commercial range does."

There are some advantages to the commercial range but I don't think enough to be a problem

"I put Cinnamon in everything just to make my food stand out from the 20 others."

Oh my!!! LOL

LOD:

I hear what you're saying but I need to make it first by recipe and then change things up after that.

I mean was it worth $100?

It was definitely worth it. My son as there, too, and all he kept saying, "This is the best steak I've ever had". I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it was in the top 5 in my life for me.

But yes, even if I had to pay, I probably would do it again -- but I wouldn't order the ales, wines, Hennesy XO. LOL

Try it Lisa, just a pinch. They will be able to tell something is in it, but will never in a million years be able to tell what. They just know they like it better for some odd reason.

Kan:

My favorite choco chip recipe has cinnamon and ground cloves in it...mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Not sure if I would add cinnamon to a whole lot of things but I just might try it tomorrow when I make my breaded pork chops.

It tastes great with Meatloaf, pork chops, hamburgers, chicken. Not so great with seafood though.

Remember though, just a pinch. You don't need a lot as you don't want it to taste like Cinnamon, you just want the familiar flavor that shouldn't be there to add something magic to your food.

Making mental note....no cinnamon in seafood.

Oh wait...I don't eat seafood.

How about plain old fish??

Ok now I'm excited to make my pork chops tomorrow!

And yes, I'll remember...just a pinch.

It will make your pork un-Kosher-riffic

Oh wait...I don't eat seafood.

How about plain old fish??

Isn't fish seafood? =P

"Isn't fish seafood? =P"

Not necessarily.

Lake perch, trout, bass, etc...are not SEAfood.

LOL

Touch'.

How about this: works best on land based and air capable animals that do not swim nor have gills nor live under the water. =P

LOL That works for me!!!

This is sort of the Kosher laws of Cinnamon:

Thou may useist upon the land based cloven animals which chew cud;
Thou may useist upon the animals that take to the skies;
Thou may useist upon the game, and fowl, and swine of the land;
However;
Never shall Thee place Cinnamon upon the fish that swim,nor upon the bottom feeders

What would you call your specialty, Kan?

My specialty? Dropping out. I lasted one year and got fed up with the anal-retentive chefs who would fail my cooking not due to taste, but because they found three carrots sliced to slightly different sizes.

Bottom feeders...I don't like catfish as well as many others.

On the bright side, the HR skills I learned have done wonders in my current job.

"My specialty? Dropping out. I lasted one year and got fed up with the anal-retentive chefs who would fail my cooking not due to taste, but because they found three carrots sliced to slightly different sizes."

Are you serious???

I am soooo hooked on Iron Chef and now the Next Iron Chef.

Chopping Block is good too.

My husband just rolls his eyes at me!!

LOL

It tastes great with Meatloaf, pork chops, hamburgers, chicken. Not so great with seafood though.

#52 | Posted by kanrei at 2009-10-15 01:34 PM | Reply | Flag: Not from the East Coast

Steamed whole crabs, and a bunch of Old Bay on them...

...heaven...

I'm keeping that recipe LOD. My husband would LOVE that! Thanks!!!

I'm keeping that recipe LOD. My husband would LOVE that! Thanks!!!

#69 | Posted by Lisa at 2009-10-15 01:47 PM

That's something I haven't done myself yet. Hard to find live crabs in Iowa. haha!

I spit on it again. He never said "don't Jew me" again.

Did he find out you were spitting on it? It sounds like he did.

I am from the East Coast, but the Spanish south =D.

#66 - I am serious sadly. I loved cooking, hated the bullshit that goes on in a kitchen.

Did he find out you were spitting on it? It sounds like he did.

#71 | Posted by goatman at 2009-10-15 01:51 PM

He had to of. He continued ordering from us, but I never heard him say it again.

I'm saving the recipe for him to make. I can't cook or eat something that actually looks like the critter is was.

LOL

It's weird, I know.

I'm saving the recipe for him to make. I can't cook or eat something that actually looks like the critter is was.

LOL

It's weird, I know.

#74 | Posted by Lisa at 2009-10-15 01:53 PM

Not sure what part of the country you're in, but I think you can find a can of Old Bay in your grocery store in most parts these days. I know you used to not be able to find it in Iowa, but that changed some years back.

I'm in PA. I'm going to look for it.

We have a restaurant in Milwaukee that had the best BBQ ribs. They sold the sauce in stores there. I can't get it here so I just make my own...lol.

Cinnamon:

Kanrei, I had an Italian lady tell me she puts a pinch in her spaghettis sauce. I tried it and it overwhelmed it and ruined it. Finally I figured out that all it took was just what barely coated your fingertip -- far less than what I call a 'pinch'. It was indeed very good and added a distinctive flavor that no one would actually identify with cinnamon.

"I had an Italian lady tell me she puts a pinch in her spaghettis sauce. "

Shame on her!

Everyone knows we just put basil and it's called "gravy" by real Italians!! : )

Someone (yea, too lazy to scroll up) said something about going to restaurants because sometimes it was too expensive to risk screwing up an experiment in your own kitchen.

Those sadly, are the only nights I eat fast food.

Most experiments are well worth the risk though, although that could probably NOT be said in my late teens/early twenties.

As for spaghetti sause, I can't see cinnamon in mine, but among other things, my recipe involves fennel, sweet onion, wine, rosemary, plenty of garlic, sweet italian sausage, wine, balsamic vinegar, touch of sugar to cut the acid from that, oh, and some wine :)

I lasted one year and got fed up with the anal-retentive chefs who would fail my cooking not due to taste, but because they found three carrots sliced to slightly different sizes."

I have a good friend who studied under Martha Stewart many years ago. She said she is a real bitch. My friend was making ravioli in her class and Martha reduced her grade because she chose to roll out the pasta in smaller, more managable sized sheets. Martha insisted it be one long one. LOL

The seasoning mix includes celery seed, bay leaf, mustard seed, both black and red pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and paprika[1]. It is regionally popular, specifically in Southern States and parts of the Gulf Coast. It serves to season crab and shrimp.

Kanrei's going to hell

Presentation is everything with chefs. They say ( and they are right) that your eyes are the first thing to taste the food. That said, the imperfections tell the person eating that a human made teh food and not some machine. Also, I have never had anyone say "your food was great, but I am never coming back because my carrots were random sized."

No, I said the "Kosher Laws of Cinnamon" includes "Never shall Thee place Cinnamon upon the fish that swim,nor upon the bottom feeders." That seasoning mix is simply unKosher is all =P

Presentation is everything with chefs. They say ( and they are right) that your eyes are the first thing to taste the food. That said, the imperfections tell the person eating that a human made teh food and not some machine. Also, I have never had anyone say "your food was great, but I am never coming back because my carrots were random sized."

#82 | Posted by kanrei at 2009-10-15 02:21 PM

Dunno.

"Personally, I've always liked the way coarse chopping looks when it comes to vegetables. Like it's more rustic, or hearty."

Yep. More homestyle!

I agree. If I serve a plate and every carrot is 1 inch by 1 inch by 2 inches, how do you know I didn't just open a can or a bag for them? The imperfections tell you it was done by man.

You know, even if i weren't one of DR's raving atheists, that kosher thing is why I could never convert to Islam - you can bacon wrap anything. Even more bacon. And shrimp! mmmmmm, unclean goodness!!! *mouth waters*

I agree. If I serve a plate and every carrot is 1 inch by 1 inch by 2 inches, how do you know I didn't just open a can or a bag for them? The imperfections tell you it was done by man.

Posted by kanrei at 2009-10-15 02:29 PM | Reply

You could always have used a small table saw to cut the carrots. Just a thought.

I used to be very picky when cutting my vegies but the past few years...they're lucky I don't throw the whole darn carrot in the soup!

Oh and if You want quick slices of carrots. Invest in a PVC pipe cutter. It works great.

Larry:

I always chop everything by hand.

The love that goes into preparing a meal is what tastes the best!!

Gotcha Lisa. Good on You.

Naw, speed is fun. I love fast chopping and having people watch. There is no danger if you know the tricks, but it looks so impressive to other people.

If I serve a plate and every carrot is 1 inch by 1 inch by 2 inches, how do you know I didn't just open a can or a bag for them?

The taste

I always chop everything by hand.

The love that goes into preparing a meal is what tastes the best!!

I couldn't do a big holiday meal without my Cuisinart, Lisa. I challenge anyone to notice a difference in the taste.

I daresay my breads are better because of it. What used to take 15 minutes of wrist punishing kneading, I can do in 40 seconds with the Cuisinart. Both give me doughs that are baby-butt smooth, but one is much less painful and time consuming.

You see Goatman....if I sweat and toil in the kitchen preparing the meal, my husband insists that I relax with my feet up, while he and the little guy do all the dishes.

I've gotta system. : )

Seriously though, I always do everything by hand. I like doing it.

However, I do use my Kitchaid for some things.

Good grief...Kitchen Aid

Seriously though, I always do everything by hand. I like doing it.

#97 | Posted by Lisa at 2009-10-15 02:49 PM

But we are talking about cooking and not sex Lisa.

Ok and just leaving my kitchen to see the $60 in apples I bought to make pies with, I DO use my Apple Peeler Corer Slicer.

I know Kan. For sex I use other things. : p

Ok and just leaving my kitchen to see the $60 in apples I bought to make pies with,

???

What the hell kind of apples cost $60 for a pie's worth? Golden (with real gold) ?

I know Kan. For sex I use other things. : p

I'm trying my best to leave this one alone, but many lines from "Joe's Garage" are filling my head. Kanrei knows

Lisa has a big honking pie safe. She probably makes a dozen pies hence the price of apples.

Larry

LOL No Goatman.

I make pie fillings and use my Food Saver and freeze them in pie portions.

This way, any time we feel like having apple pie, I just have to defrost on bag of the filling and make the crust.

I'll have enough to last a long time!!

I was thinking more of Bobby Brown:

I can take about an hour on the tower of power as long as I get a little golden shower

I know Kan. For sex I use other things. : p

Sorry. That just begged for a line from the Central Scrutinizer:

And they got these Appliances in there that really go for a guy dressed up
like a housewife who can speak German (you know what I mean)... so
Joe's learned how to speak German, he goes in this place and he sees
these little Kitchen Machineries dancing around with each other, and he
sees this one...that looks like it's a cross between an industrial vacuum
cleaner and a chrome piggy bank with marital aids stuck all over its body...
it's really exciting...and when he sees it, he BURSTS INTO SONG...

Or the Dangerous Kitchen by zappa:

The dangerous kitchen
If it ain't one thing it's another
In the middle of the night when you get home
The bread things are all dry 'n' scratchy
The meat things
Where the cats ate through the paper
The can things with the sharp little edges
That can cut your fingers when you're not looking
The soft little things on the floor that you step on
They can all be DANGEROUS
Sometimes the milk can hurt you
(If you put it on your cereal
Before you smell the plastic container)
And the stuff in the strainer
Has a mind of its own
So be very careful
In the dangerous kitchen
When the night time has fallen,
And the roaches are crawlin'
In the kitchen of danger
You can feel like a stranger
The bananas are black
They got flies in the back
And also the chicken
In the dish with the foil
Where the cream is all clabbered
And the salad is frightful
Your return in the evening
Can be less than delightful
You must walk very careful
You must not lean against it
It can get on your clothing
It can follow you in
As you walk to the bedroom
And you take all your clothes off
While you're sleeping
It crawls off
It gets in your bed
It could get on your face then
It could eat your complexion
You could die from the danger
Of the dangerous kitchen
Who the fuck wants to clean it?
It's disgusting and dirty
The sponge on the drainer
Is stinky and squirty
If you squeeze it when you wipe up
What you get on your hands then
Could un-balance your glands and
Make you blind or whatever
In the dangerous kitchen
At my house tonight

You want to talk about cutting edge cuisine?

Meet a buddy of mine, Chef Dave Arnold, the way he thinks about food and beverage leaves you thinking... Wha-WHa-WHAT?!

He was most recently on last weeks Popular Science: Future Of on the Science Channel.

You mean ALL Hooters boobs are Real?? No Enhancers?? I do not believe it. Unless someone installed hidable chrader valves to their boobs and they go to the nearest Gas Station to fill em up I doubt they are all real.

Larry

#27 | Posted by LarryMohr

Has there been any real studies to prove otherwise?

The First Commandment of Attending a Restaurant is: THOU SHALL NOT FUCKITH WITH THE PERSON WHO HANDLES THY FOOD

#44 | Posted by kanrei

unless you are at hooters

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the flavor enhancer used worldwide although there are newer glutamates that are even stronger. Although the FDA still claims that it is safe, there have been many accusations against it over the years, including that it is a poison, a neurotoxin, and causes obesity, headaches, and other neurological disorders.

I would think that for someone to be considered to be a top chef part of the requirement would be that he does not use harmful additives.

The FDA still says MSG is safe because there has never been any evidence to show otherwise. The Japanese have been eating kombu for thousands of years and it doesn't seem to be harming them. Salt has been proven to contribute to high blood pressure should we avoid chefs that use that harmful flavor enhancer? These guys are inventing new technique, sous vide and UltraTex are great, some of the stuff sucks. But calling what they do using harmful additives is disingenuous when there aren't any studies to back up your claim.

Not that I'm saying you're wrong. I make it a point to not eat that crap on a regular basis, but a once in a lifetime meal from Adria? I'll eat what ever he puts in front of me.

Kanrei,
The reason chefs want your mirepoix the same size is so it cooks evenly. Nobody wants to pay a bunch of money for a plate full of alternating over and under cooked veg. You can't even get an application from me until you show me a perfect brunoise and baton.

#22 | Posted by Petrous at 2009-10-15 10:54 AM | Reply | Flag

Hooters?

Greasy chicken wings and Coors Lite?

You obviously are not there for the food

Kanrei,
The reason chefs want your mirepoix the same size is so it cooks evenly.

Humbug. My own unique technique relies precisely on the textural interplay between overcooked and undercooked ingredients. The secret is the ratio between the two.

--Chef Kanrei

"I had a $100 32 oz porterhouse.

#6 | Posted by goatman"

A 2 LB. steak? Good lord, man. You're not a goat, you're a pig.

#117 = Funny

A 2 LB. steak? Good lord, man. You're not a goat, you're a pig

That night I was a drunken pig. If you only knew. I also had a side of creamed spinach, Potatoes Anna, a generous trip to gourmet salad bar, and the appetizers which kept coming before the meal -- then course the dessert. I had the Creme Brulee

I didn't eat at all the next day.

My son even ate more than I did.

Okay Chez if you say so. For me haute cuisine is asparagus.

I feel you.

I feel you.

That explains my erection

"I feel you."

That explains my erection

Posted by goatman at 2009-10-16 12:41

No, being on the rig for three weeks explains your erection.

Good thing you go home tomorrow. lol

Damn, Chez, I was hoping for a short paragraph on how to have your first haute cuisine experience.

Talking to Grumpy there Goat, but a good old school steakhouse will give me a half chub too.

No paragraph needed Grumpy. Tasting menu at The French Laundry, but you'll never be impressed again.

Talking to Grumpy there Goat...

I know. I just couldn't let that post go. If didn't do it, someone else would've

Whoa, you jogged my memory to when there was a French place on Peachtree St in Buckhead that was take-out only; it was 3 times more expensive than you guessed it would be, but the food was so much better than any restaurant I'd ever been to. The owner was a French lady who cooked and worked the counter. It did not last long. So maybe I have had something like real haute cuisine after all.

No, Goat, you don't have to eat that can every time.

San Fran has a fancy French roach coach that's supposed to be awesome.

Goat --

...The rig manager took us all out to eat at a fabulous steak place in Houston. The cheapest steak was $49. I had a $100 32 oz porterhouse....

Honest answer? What would make the cost of a steak start at $49 and your 2 lb. Porterhouse cost $100?

Was it the due to the quality of the actual beef itself -- such as it being Prime, the way the meat was aged, how the cows are raised and what they are fed such as is done with raising cows for Kobe beef, and/or other methods applied to producing beef which truly make a difference in the taste of the meat itself?

OR was it a number of factors which, when combined as a whole, increase the price of the steaks on their menu? You know, like the restaurant's reputation as being one of the finest, their decor, excellent service -- in other words the restaurant's dining experience as a whole?

Also, was it just their steaks which were so expensive or did their entire menu cost a lot more for all the their other dishes too -- such as their salads, vegetable side dishes, etc.

Last question -- in Texas, although probably casual in restaurant dining as it also is in Los Angeles -- at a fine dining establishment such as the one you went to in Houston does the restaurant at least require a dress code? And, last but not least, did you actually wear a suit and tie? Or sports coat and tie? I would think a dining establishment with $200 steaks on the menu would require its guests to dress at least in a somewhat formal manner. Just wonderin'.

Well, damn my hide. My previously happy steak salad and potato existence has been jarred and I have new desires to enslave me. I hope you are happy, Chef Chez. LOL.

For me haute cuisine is asparagus.

With a fine Hollandaise sauce.

It's a bitch of a monkey to have on your back, made me choose a back-breaking, sweaty, and thankless job just for that next hit of foie gras!

Honest answer? What would make the cost of a steak start at $49 and your 2 lb. Porterhouse cost $100?

It was indeed very high quality beef. My son said it was the best steak he ever had. I put it in the top 5. I don't know what made it that way. Jak could answer that better.

But the cost was probably because it was a very high end restaurant.

And, last but not least, did you actually wear a suit and tie? Or sports coat and tie?

That much oil patch trash dressed up? LOL. No way. We were in jeans. We did have to wear collared shirts. And they stuck us in the back in a seperate (party?) room. LOL

But it was a great restaurant, great food, great service, great booze (I had a trappist ale to start with 2 different wines with the meal, and a snifter of Hennesey XO with dessert)

Good stuff, mon

Well, thank you for the fabulous nutrition you have given to this thread.

and thankless job just for that next hit of foie gras!

LOL. Coincidentally, I had a foie gras with fig sauce for an appetizer at the restaurant I was talking about above. It showed up on the table and I didn't see it on the menu. I asked and they said they don't put it on the menu.

You'll have that, it's a bit of a hot button dish. Don't want a bunch of 19 year old, gutter punk, vegans/professional protestors chasing off your customers because they don't have any kind of grasp on bird anatomy.

Good stuff, mon

#136 | Posted by goatman

Thanks for getting to my questions. It sure sounded like a good (and rowdy!) time was had by all. No wonder they put you guys in a "separate" room. LOL

And since you made the suggestion, the next time Jak shows up on DR, if I happen to be around I'll ask him those questions about beef quality.

You'll have that, it's a bit of a hot button dish.

But DAMN! That's good stuff. That is only the second time I've had it in my life. The first time was at the Ritz Dining Room on Peachtree street in Atlanta ca 1991. A vendor who worked for my wife took us there to eat. Another one of those lifetime memorable meals.

Last winter my farmer buddy gavaged a goose for me. For Christmas dinner we had the goose and roasted the foie whole with calvados and a vulgar amount of black truffle, it was a naughty Christmas.

...
Of the dangerous kitchen
Who the fuck wants to clean it?
It's disgusting and dirty
The sponge on the drainer
Is stinky and squirty
If you squeeze it when you wipe up
What you get on your hands then
Could un-balance your glands and
Make you blind or whatever
In the dangerous kitchen
At my house tonight

#108 | Posted by goatman at 2009-10-15 03:10 PM

I like the dinner bets that were going on. Only my condition is that whether you win or lose, I'll cook you a great meal if you ever come to San Antonio. Anyone is willing to take this bet (even bOoB) except for jackass. The boy's mentally unstable (well, so is bOoB, but I honestly don't think he could be violent) and I don't want to end up on the front page the next day.

#254 | Posted by goatman at 2009-10-15 02:25 AM

Speaking of kitchens, I'm having a new refrigerator delivered tomorrow morning -- part of getting the house spruced up to sell -- so need to take a mop to the kitchen floor now. I'm nutty sometimes as I'll often do stuff like this much later in the evening which most "normal" people get done early in the day. Just more of a night owl I guess.

I'll check back in later tonight.

Chezwegro --

Looks like you're brand new here on DR and a chef somewhere or just know a lot about cooking? (Just took a quick look at your userpage.)

There are a number of posters on here who love to talk about cuisine, recipes and cooking -- Goatman and Lisa being two of them. I'm not a gourmet cook -- just an average one -- but I (and I'm sure others on here) would appreciate any and all cooking tips and recipes you may offer from now on and I'll be sure to take notes.

Okay, later. got work to do.

Chris,
I've read the site for years, but since I prefer to argue politics in person, never joined the site until I saw this thread last night. Now that I've broken the dam, you'll all probably be sick of my mouth within the week.

and yes, I am a chef.

Which has more sodium, a fast food burger or a halogen light bulb?

Which has more sodium, a fast food burger or a halogen light bulb?

Last time I ate a halogen light bulb, it didn't seem to need any extra seasoning, so I'll say the burger.

I could go for an extra rare steak right about now. 8 Seconds of cook time on each side. After it's been tenderized by a 48 blade meat tenderizer. Yummmmmmy.

Larry

Chris,

I've read the site for years, but since I prefer to argue politics in person, never joined the site until I saw this thread last night. Now that I've broken the dam, you'll all probably be sick of my mouth within the week.

and yes, I am a chef.

#145 | Posted by ChezWegro at 2009-10-16 02:06 AM

Welcome aboard, ChezWegro. Glad you decided to join in. DR is not always all politics. Anything that makes the news, usually makes it on here too. It's actually more often current events -- which I enjoy -- rather than only talking about politics. Of course from last summer up until November, DR was a political nuthouse with the election right around the corner but now it's gone back to normal.

Get ready for people on here to ask you your opinion on cooking once they find out you're a chef. Many posters on here love to talk about cooking and their favorite things to eat and drink. One time there was an entire thread on how to make the best chili.

Last time I ate a halogen light bulb, it didn't seem to need any extra seasoning, so I'll say the burger.

Did you glow in the dark?

150 posts for THIS bit of 'news'??
....make that 151.

"A 2 LB. steak? Good lord, man. You're not a goat, you're a pig

That night I was a drunken pig. If you only knew. I also had a side of creamed spinach, Potatoes Anna, a generous trip to gourmet salad bar, and the appetizers which kept coming before the meal -- then course the dessert. I had the Creme Brulee

I didn't eat at all the next day.

My son even ate more than I did.

#120 | Posted by goatman"

You gotta tie one on every once in a while. I've had those meals, where you don't eat for a day. Makes me feel full just to think about them.

You gotta tie one on every once in a while.

I only do it when someone else is paying. These oil companies have deep pockets. You ought to see the three day fishing and golf tournament they put on at Toledo Bend every spring. A three day endless stream of steaks, crawfish, ribs, etc. and beer. All the vendors are giving away the usual 'logo' trinkets: Umbrellas, chairs, memory sticks, cameras, whatever.

These oil patch pukes know how to throw a party. I've been told that blowout costs close to a million dollars, but the vendors pick up the tab for that one I think.

"I only do it when someone else is paying."

Same here. It's hard to pay $100 for a steak that you could buy and bbq for $30, or pay $28 for a tiny snifter of cognac.

"You ought to see the three day fishing and golf tournament they put on at Toledo Bend every spring. A three day endless stream of steaks, crawfish, ribs, etc. and beer."

I must say, it kind of galls me that these things are tax write-offs. I get the rationale, but jesus - they are baccanalian (sp?) in the extreme.

#25 A rare ribeye will melt in your mouth like butter.
Who would want meat to melt in there mouth like butter?

Wanna-be Frenchie, apparently.

Chez,
I understand the reasoning behind it, but slight imperfections will not change the cooking that much. I am just not anal-retentive enough to be a chef and I dropped out. I respect those who can, but I just didn't get that into it. I was not going to be a gourmet.

"I'm a wannabe Frenchie for suggesting a Japanese breed of cattle?

#158 | Posted by ChezWegro"

Nah, CHEZ, it wasn't that. Give it some thought, CHEZ. I'm sure you'll figure it out, CHEZ.

(Please don't get all pissy now - I'm just fucking around. It's all I do here. If you find me in a serious discussion with one of these lunatics, please bash me in the head.)

Oh yeah... Sorry, it was early and I forgot about my own dumb joke!

Chef Paul Prudhomme's line of what he calls magic seasonings do not have MSG.

Also I just saw on the K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen website it quotes the executive chef as stating they don't have any freezers.

No worries, Chez. It's nice to have a real chef here. I'm of seeing JeffJ's recipes for stay-at-home dads and Goatboob's recipes for Rocky Mountain Oysters and meatless chili.

I'm of seeing=I'm sick of seeing

Jesus, it looks like a bear did that with a butter knife!

I've managed to drop over 350 dollars for two at this restaurant (of course that included very excellent wine!