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OK Chef- THAT story made my night. Thanks. So in the end, I guess it WAS the wine temp on the fondue failure. Good to know. Thanks again. OK, now..... It Looks like my failure to plan is a plan to fail, However(!).....I can tell you that I'll be picking up my pig on Weds. I was shooting for a 100# +/- a bit, dressed. A sudden lack of supplier lead time has lead to my new and only option being one on the hoof, right at about 50-70# live weight. I figure dressed out, we should be around 30-45# cooking weight? No biggie, I can dress the damn sqealer out just fine, but I wanted to fact check two things with you- Three days of hanging should be enough. (Yes? Same as deer...it's no warmer than 55F during the day here, and drops to 20F @ night.) I also intend to salt the interior cavity with Kosher salt, whilst it's "curing" in the garage. IF I recall correctly this has something to do with drawing out excess blood, you just have to remember to replace the moisture...? Other than that, since the weight is "tween", I'm going to print out what you've given me, consider the options and will either: A. Hybrid the two methods. B. Pick one and adapt to to my purposes. OR...C. Shoehorn that sucker on the Trager and smoke his piggy ass until he's 165F. |
"I never walk into a place I don't know how to walk out of." DeNiro, RONIN
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
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Originally Posted By Matt45:
OK Chef- THAT story made my night. Thanks. So in the end, I guess it WAS the wine temp on the fondue failure. Good to know. Thanks again. OK, now..... It Looks like my failure to plan is a plan to fail, However(!).....I can tell you that I'll be picking up my pig on Weds. I was shooting for a 100# +/- a bit, dressed. A sudden lack of supplier lead time has lead to my new and only option being one on the hoof, right at about 50-70# live weight. I figure dressed out, we should be around 30-45# cooking weight? No biggie, I can dress the damn sqealer out just fine, but I wanted to fact check two things with you- Three days of hanging should be enough. (Yes? Same as deer...it's no warmer than 55F during the day here, and drops to 20F @ night.) I also intend to salt the interior cavity with Kosher salt, whilst it's "curing" in the garage. IF I recall correctly this has something to do with drawing out excess blood, you just have to remember to replace the moisture...? Other than that, since the weight is "tween", I'm going to print out what you've given me, consider the options and will either: A. Hybrid the two methods. B. Pick one and adapt to to my purposes. OR...C. Shoehorn that sucker on the Trager and smoke his piggy ass until he's 165F. 3 days will be plenty, and with that temp range probably 2 days will be ok, as you get more blood from as it warms up from the overnight "freeze" salting the cavity draws blood to the surface some, it also cauterizes the flesh and keeps bacteria levels down as the inside is the highest risk to bacterial growth.. if you use fruit or mis en plaz in the cavity, either way, this will replace the moisture as well as you basting fluids, UNLESS you are going to do an in ground roast. THEN, you may want to use the beer can chicken method and put an open can or 2 of 7 UP inside the buried pig and allow them to steam into the body which will ad moisture AND sweeten the meat a bit more.. I ALWAYS USE Ginger ale or 7up in cooking hams  sweetens the ham up considerably and the "gravy" can be tightend up for a glaze in the end...
Chef |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
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Good Deal Chef, I'll keep you posted....with Pics. My only question- "mis en plaz" Everything in it's Place? My only reference for that is the French term for kitchen layout and organization...... |
"I never walk into a place I don't know how to walk out of." DeNiro, RONIN
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
|
Originally Posted By Matt45:
Good Deal Chef, I'll keep you posted....with Pics. My only question- "mis en plaz" Everything in it's Place? My only reference for that is the French term for kitchen layout and organization...... ok, my only excuse is I am on too many pain meds, took at least one shot to the head too many and getting OLD and suffer from CRS(can't remember shit) I meant Mirepoix 
in the words of PEANUT SOR Reeeee 
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SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
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fighting communists since 1969
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
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Originally Posted By Feral:
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
I had a local guy I kept garbage for, every monday he came and took away all my raw garbage we threw into dedicated trashcans for him, he in turn boiled it and fed it to his pigs, I requested a fully dressed piglet for the next month for said party.. he assured me he would have one ready to cook up on the agreed date.. on that morning we were to start the roast, he arrives, walks into my kitchen with a piglet on a leash, with a big PINK bow around its neck and matching painted toenails 
my immediate response was WTF are you KIDDING ME!!!! he says BUT CHEF, YOU wanted a Piglet FULLY DRESSED and here she is, AINT SHE THE PRETTIEST THING
I must have been PURPLE by now,,as his son walks in with the butchered piglet for the dinner that evening.. and says DAD I told you he would be pissed and wouldnt think it was funny.. 
I got the joke at that point seems it was the daughters 4H pig and he thought it would be hilarious, to him it was..me, not so much YOU may not find that funny.........I find it pretty darn amusing. 
I LOL! Scared the cat.
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Wine is sunlight held together by water.~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history.~~Marilyn Monroe
Well-behaved women rarely make history.~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By Feral:
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
I had a local guy I kept garbage for, every monday he came and took away all my raw garbage we threw into dedicated trashcans for him, he in turn boiled it and fed it to his pigs, I requested a fully dressed piglet for the next month for said party.. he assured me he would have one ready to cook up on the agreed date.. on that morning we were to start the roast, he arrives, walks into my kitchen with a piglet on a leash, with a big PINK bow around its neck and matching painted toenails
my immediate response was WTF are you KIDDING ME!!!! he says BUT CHEF, YOU wanted a Piglet FULLY DRESSED and here she is, AINT SHE THE PRETTIEST THING
I must have been PURPLE by now,,as his son walks in with the butchered piglet for the dinner that evening.. and says DAD I told you he would be pissed and wouldnt think it was funny..
I got the joke at that point seems it was the daughters 4H pig and he thought it would be hilarious, to him it was..me, not so much YOU may not find that funny.........I find it pretty darn amusing.
I LOL! Scared the cat. That was hilarious. 
So I was looking at the thread about butternut squash recipes and saw the soup ideas. 
I have always been taught that freezing anything with milk or cream will adversely affect its consistancy and taste when reheated. I want to make one of those soup recipes and freeze a portion of it for lunches at work. How much will freezing change the quality of the soup? It has to still taste better than anything I can get in the cafeteria at work. I appreciate the suggestions, feedback and any/all information. 
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Originally Posted By RN22lr:
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By Feral:
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
I had a local guy I kept garbage for, every monday he came and took away all my raw garbage we threw into dedicated trashcans for him, he in turn boiled it and fed it to his pigs, I requested a fully dressed piglet for the next month for said party.. he assured me he would have one ready to cook up on the agreed date.. on that morning we were to start the roast, he arrives, walks into my kitchen with a piglet on a leash, with a big PINK bow around its neck and matching painted toenails
my immediate response was WTF are you KIDDING ME!!!! he says BUT CHEF, YOU wanted a Piglet FULLY DRESSED and here she is, AINT SHE THE PRETTIEST THING
I must have been PURPLE by now,,as his son walks in with the butchered piglet for the dinner that evening.. and says DAD I told you he would be pissed and wouldnt think it was funny..
I got the joke at that point seems it was the daughters 4H pig and he thought it would be hilarious, to him it was..me, not so much YOU may not find that funny.........I find it pretty darn amusing.
I LOL! Scared the cat. That was hilarious.
So I was looking at the thread about butternut squash recipes and saw the soup ideas.
I have always been taught that freezing anything with milk or cream will adversely affect its consistancy and taste when reheated. I want to make one of those soup recipes and freeze a portion of it for lunches at work. How much will freezing change the quality of the soup? It has to still taste better than anything I can get in the cafeteria at work. I appreciate the suggestions, feedback and any/all information. thanks for your question,,good one in making cream based soups one of two things are done one is a reduction of milk/cream is used, this reduction condences the fats and colligens in the milk bringing them closer together, so when the soup is frozen and then reheated, there tends to be FAR LESS granulation of the milk product in the end result the second thing done is the use of thickening agents. roux, cornstarch, and other "fat" based agents, emulsify the fats and colligens in the milk products and you then have an even lesser chance of the product breaking down(granulation) when reheated so, regardless of the method used there is some MINOR if not microscopic granulation of the milk product, the type of agents used, (commercially is some stuff I dont care to eat) will result in how much breakdown your gonna get when slacking out. WE pro's tend to rethicking IF ABLE TO such soups if reuse is NESSASSARY, but, soup tends to be cheap enough to trash rather than reuse in higher quality operations...unless very expensive in its base as a crab, clam or other hi protien product the second method used is to create bases, and freeze the bases, thaw them out and combine them with the milk product at the time of service, you mentioned squashes,,just make a simple seasoned puree of your squash, pumpkin, etc, freeze it in small enough portions to thaw easyily and mix with milk like a home made cup O soup lastly, one small trick in all foods intent for reheating for service, that I have used is when you think the product is ALMOST DONE, that is when it is done, taking it to the final stage when yo Reheat the product,(bring it to a boil for service) finishes the product and we get less breakdown risk and generally a fresher tasting product Hope that answered your puzzle CHEF
BY THE WAY.. I Really like your avatar,,reminds me of the Vargas Girls of Playboy of my Youth, hell they may still do something similar, I havnt picked up a Playboy since the early 80's. whole bunch of stuff I couldnt afford, 
,and then there was what they were advertizing....
some of those Vargas Girls were far sexier than the photo shoots IMHO... come by again CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
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Hey chef, got a question.
I know you covered Roasts on pg. 51, but I wanted to ask a more specific question. A certain family member always tries cooking pot roast inside the oven, with the roast in a plastic bag in some kind of braising liquid with veggies. The meat always comes out tough and usually over done. Any advice on how they can perfect this method? Should they chuck the bag method and go with just the roast in the pan? Thanks! |
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Originally Posted By MK262:
Hey chef, got a question. I know you covered Roasts on pg. 51, but I wanted to ask a more specific question. A certain family member always tries cooking pot roast inside the oven, with the roast in a plastic bag in some kind of braising liquid with veggies. The meat always comes out tough and usually over done. Any advice on how they can perfect this method? Should they chuck the bag method and go with just the roast in the pan? Thanks! My Mother, several years ago tried the cooking bag method.. , she was "very displeased" with the outcome...too salty, too tough, half the veggies cooked, half did not etc..so I said THROW THOSE LEFT, OUT, if you dont think they work..
Now Mother is a decent old world "English" cook and always has been, very good at roasts, baked puddings, stewing etc,, But mostly, Mother is a Scot, Scot to the bone I have personally seen her pinch a penny enough to see tears in Mr, Lincoln' eyes and squeeze a nickle till the bull's a steer
she got a few of these new fangled pot roast cooking bag kits at the wholesale, discount, scratch and dent, fire sale grocery she sent Dad to weekly when they "retired" Dad, was losing his sight as he got older, would peer at a can of soup for several minutes to assure it was tomato or what ever he was seeking(she doesnt walk well, he couldnt see,so she drove, he shopped) he was 90 I think when he accidently bought these bags for a quarter, thinking they were like zip locks. well, my being such a wastefull sod, (throw them out) my Mother was determined to use them, she did, twice, believing she had done something wrong the first time, in placing a peice of beef, some veggies in a bag with a seasoning mix and a cup of water, and served it to me and mine when we came for a visit a year after the orginal sin of using these damn bags.. "so, Your the CHEF, what do ya tink of mouy Baggie Beef?" I looked,poked and proded, deeply inhaled the sents, cut into with great difficulty and finely tasted said "baggie beef" and said it was great, 
for the doggies they will love thier snackies that evening, I gave Mother a kiss on the cheek, dumped the plate into the dogs bowls...and got out the Peanut butter, jam, bread and fed the wife and kids grilled PBJs. and grilled cheese with apple slices for dinner that evening.. Dad joined in with the kids fare, saying to Mother, but My Love, We always eat what the kids eat! the meal was horrible, salty, tough beef, undercooked veggies, partialy cooked, etc, a mess in general, unbalanced, poor seasoning etc and I didnt feel like saving $10 worth of food turning it into beef stew or what ever though that was a viable action, I just drove 400 mi with wife and 3 kids after finishing a 10 hour day. during the course of dinner I found and destroyed the remaining plastic cooking bags (2 more boxes_, to the rant, "they were a quarter" anyways, the only advantage I see to the cooking bag is clean up, there is very little and you dont have to scrub the pan, and see no tru value in them, line your pain with foil or with plain old saran warp if that is your issue, and that there must be a reason we have been pot roasting tougher cuts of beef for the last 1000 years or so , that said, I vote for the old school pan roasting, thank you for your question.. CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
Originally Posted By MK262:
Hey chef, got a question. I know you covered Roasts on pg. 51, but I wanted to ask a more specific question. A certain family member always tries cooking pot roast inside the oven, with the roast in a plastic bag in some kind of braising liquid with veggies. The meat always comes out tough and usually over done. Any advice on how they can perfect this method? Should they chuck the bag method and go with just the roast in the pan? Thanks! My Mother, several years ago tried the cooking bag method.. , she was "very displeased" with the outcome...too salty, too tough, half the veggies cooked, half did not etc..so I said THROW THOSE LEFT, OUT, if you dont think they work..
Now Mother is a decent old world "English" cook and always has been, very good at roasts, baked puddings, stewing etc,, But mostly, Mother is a Scot, Scot to the bone I have personally seen her pinch a penny enough to see tears in Mr, Lincoln' eyes and squeeze a nickle till the bull's a steer
she got a few of these new fangled pot roast cooking bag kits at the wholesale, discount, scratch and dent, fire sale grocery she sent Dad to weekly when they "retired" Dad, was losing his sight as he got older, would peer at a can of soup for several minutes to assure it was tomato or what ever he was seeking(she doesnt walk well, he couldnt see,so she drove, he shopped) he was 90 I think when he accidently bought these bags for a quarter, thinking they were like zip locks. well, my being such a wastefull sod, (throw them out) my Mother was determined to use them, she did, twice, believing she had done something wrong the first time, in placing a peice of beef, some veggies in a bag with a seasoning mix and a cup of water, and served it to me and mine when we came for a visit a year after the orginal sin of using these damn bags.. "so, Your the CHEF, what do ya tink of mouy Baggie Beef?" I looked,poked and proded, deeply inhaled the sents, cut into with great difficulty and finely tasted said "baggie beef" and said it was great,
for the doggies they will love thier snackies that evening, I gave Mother a kiss on the cheek, dumped the plate into the dogs bowls...and got out the Peanut butter, jam, bread and fed the wife and kids grilled PBJs. and grilled cheese with apple slices for dinner that evening.. Dad joined in with the kids fare, saying to Mother, but My Love, We always eat what the kids eat! the meal was horrible, salty, tough beef, undercooked veggies, partialy cooked, etc, a mess in general, unbalanced, poor seasoning etc and I didnt feel like saving $10 worth of food turning it into beef stew or what ever though that was a viable action, I just drove 400 mi with wife and 3 kids after finishing a 10 hour day. during the course of dinner I found and destroyed the remaining plastic cooking bags (2 more boxes_, to the rant, "they were a quarter" anyways, the only advantage I see to the cooking bag is clean up, there is very little and you dont have to scrub the pan, and see no tru value in them, line your pain with foil or with plain old saran warp if that is your issue, and that there must be a reason we have been pot roasting tougher cuts of beef for the last 1000 years or so , that said, I vote for the old school pan roasting, thank you for your question.. CHEF Thanks Chef. Much appreciated.
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CHEF IS IN NY for 5 days,,
will be on line sporadically.... THANK YOU |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
CHEF IS BACK from the visiting the New England Elitiests...
and unchanged,,,un moved and mostly ignored...BUT BACK IN FREE AMERICA |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Originally Posted By Hey-Mikey:
Chef, sorry it's been a few days, I'll be trying the dressing recipe tomorrow, thanks for the help. no worries, Please let us know how it works out, and good luck with it CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
well, you can tell your family..
I WEAR A TIN TOQUE,,with 100 folds, in the classic tradition..hand crafted by TIN HAT MASTERS, CUSTOM MADE DAMMIT They have now been told and they all laughed, but they now refer to the "Tin Toque Chef", and as such you shall soon be famous. |
Did you CHOOSE to be incompetent, or were you just born that way?
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I've got a question about GRAVY. I'm a relative n00b when it comes to cooking, and I'm familiar with making a roux as a thickening agent. What I'm curious about is thickening a liquid where you don't always have a chance to make a roux. Can you just dump in a little flour until it thickens? How about corn starch? Or should you always just grab some oil/flour first and make a plain roux? |
Daddy loves you. Now go away.
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Originally Posted By Zhukov:
I've got a question about GRAVY. I'm a relative n00b when it comes to cooking, and I'm familiar with making a roux as a thickening agent. What I'm curious about is thickening a liquid where you don't always have a chance to make a roux. Can you just dump in a little flour until it thickens? How about corn starch? Or should you always just grab some oil/flour first and make a plain roux? ok,,there is a discussion here about roux, sure you can find it in the index.. one of the methods is making roux ahead in an ice cube tray and keeping it frozen for quick used by simply grating it into your simmering stock. corn starch, when using it, you need to break it down with water and keep it moving pretty quick as it will settle to the bottom pretty quick your stock needs to be at a roiling boil as cornstarch will turn to gummy little globules if it isnt cooked immediatly into the stock on contact so, cornstarch, whisked into water and kept moving, this in turn whisked into boiling stock until the clear glassly look fades to opaque.. you can cook flour into boiling stock, and it works and has for years but it will NOT be as smooth and tends to lump if you do this be sure to strain your stock after thickening thru a china cap to remove the yuck. hope that talks you thru it CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Originally Posted By Skunkum:
well, you can tell your family..
I WEAR A TIN TOQUE,,with 100 folds, in the classic tradition..hand crafted by TIN HAT MASTERS, CUSTOM MADE DAMMIT They have now been told and they all laughed, but they now refer to the "Tin Toque Chef", and as such you shall soon be famous. let me tell you,I have been awaiting the USA to turn to shit since my Rhodesia fell, I have seen the massive take over of our government by left wing loons intent on destroying America, Americas freedoms and have sold us out to CHINA and Euroweenies...I no longer am the craziest kid on the block and damn proud of the fact..hell my ex wives are asking me questions about getting thier shit together, what else can one ask for in revenge?? CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Originally Posted By Skunkum:
well, you can tell your family..
I WEAR A TIN TOQUE,,with 100 folds, in the classic tradition..hand crafted by TIN HAT MASTERS, CUSTOM MADE DAMMIT They have now been told and they all laughed, but they now refer to the "Tin Toque Chef", and as such you shall soon be famous. I have been awaiting the USA to turn to shit since my Rhodesia fell, I have seen the massive take over of our government by left wing loons intent on destroying America, Americas freedoms and have sold us out to CHINA and Euroweenies...I no longer am the craziest kid on the block and damn proud of the fact..hell my ex wives are asking me questions about getting thier shit together, what else can one ask for in revenge?? CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Originally Posted By Hey-Mikey:
Chef, the consistency is right on, I just need to tinker with the seasoning, but I'll call this dressing a win. thanks again for your help. thank you, glad to be of assistance.. how bout posting a pic, recipe etc right here.. CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Chef: Thanks for your suggestion on pre-made roux and freezing it. That sounds like a great idea. Since we're on the gravy part, I might as well ask about the TURKEY to go with. I was all set to make an Alton Brown brined turkey, but all the turkeys I saw in the store were "injected with an 8% solution" - I assume a brine of some kind. Am I correct in assuming that these turkeys should not be brined any further or they'll become too salty? Is the injected solution a pretty good substitute for a home-made brine? Thanks, Z |
Daddy loves you. Now go away.
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Chef, I've got another question for you regarding pies!
I was talking with my mother about what pies to make for the upcoming holidays, and she would like to make a lemon meringue pie. She has made these in the past, and has tried several different recipies, but has never figured out how to get a good, consistent meringue. Usually the problem is that it's a little watery. Whats the best way to prevent this? |
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Originally Posted By Zhukov:
Chef: Thanks for your suggestion on pre-made roux and freezing it. That sounds like a great idea. Since we're on the gravy part, I might as well ask about the TURKEY to go with. I was all set to make an Alton Brown brined turkey, but all the turkeys I saw in the store were "injected with an 8% solution" - I assume a brine of some kind. Am I correct in assuming that these turkeys should not be brined any further or they'll become too salty? Is the injected solution a pretty good substitute for a home-made brine? Thanks, Z the 8% soulition sounds like a movie a SHerlock Holmes movie with howie mandel as Holmes..
it is saline basicly, adding weight in the bird under the pretence of "adding moisture" to the bird when in actuality it is adding an surtax to your purchase.. a page or two or three back I did a long diatribe on turkey, smoking, frying, roasting etc,,think there is mention of brining as well..it was fairly recent.. check that out |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
|
Originally Posted By Marauder777:
Chef, I've got another question for you regarding pies! I was talking with my mother about what pies to make for the upcoming holidays, and she would like to make a lemon meringue pie. She has made these in the past, and has tried several different recipies, but has never figured out how to get a good, consistent meringue. Usually the problem is that it's a little watery. Whats the best way to prevent this? meringue is a very simple yet can be very difficult to make the biggest issues being too much beating or too little, time and temputures is she adding cream or tartar?? or other "fixatives" is she beating in sugar or not, and when the cleanliness of equipment, even a finger print can destroy a perfect meringue..as any grease will ruin your meringue. Meringue takes a long time to make because you really have to make sure to follow the time designated to beat the egg whites, the high speed required to make it and the time to bake it in the oven.What destroys your perfect meringue is fat, It is the fats that cause the egg foams to collapse in the process of beating it. You must also remember that in order to achieve better meringues, your eggs must be no more than 3 to 4 days old. What happens if you use egg whites that are older is that it will whip up more easily into a higher volume than the fresh ones. The problem lies in the foam from the thin whites because they are not as stable as desired. The liquid film will now be drained easily from the bubbles, so start with the freshist eggs available and seperate insuring NO YOLK is in the whites. One secret in separating eggs is to use the cold eggs so that it will separate easily. It is when the eggs whites are in room temperature that it becomes hard to separate them. one technique in separating an egg–– crack the egg. Hold the halves of the egg shells over your mixing bowl. You can transfer the egg yolk from one egg half to the other, allowing the egg white to be dropped into the bowl. You must take extra care not to have any drop of yolk to fall into your egg whites. You can also use an egg separator. again, the smallest drop of egg yolk or fat will destroy your meringue. It is in this part of the procedure that you really have to put all your concentration on. Avoid letting your fingers touch areas that could contaminate the egg whites, leaving oils from your hands on the utensils that you handled will contaminate your whites. so, no finger the bowls, whips, spoons etc.. After you have separated the egg whites from the yolk, you have to allow the egg whites to achieve room temperature so that there will be volume when you beat it since eggs that are warmer whip faster than eggs that are cold. If you use egg whites straight from the refrigerator, your egg whites won't whip properly. It is best that you let the eggs stay at room temperature for about thirty minutes prior to beating them. when adding sugar, wait until the soft peaks have already formed from the whipping the egg whites and they lose the "gloss" and look more like snow than ice. so, super clean equipment NO FINGERS no YOLK NO grease Fresh eggs dont add sugar or tartar until it peaks and has lost the gloss.. Key Lime Meringue Pie Ingredients 6 egg yolks 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) 1 cup KEY lime juice (you can sub regular lime or lemon juice's) 1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie crust or any short crust pie shell, fresh or frozen, PRE BAKED enough to lightly set the crust 5 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Gradually whisk in the lime juice. Pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is set when the pie is gently shaken. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a large clean bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually sift in the confectioners' sugar, while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. Spoon on top of the slightly cooled pie, sealing the meringue to the edges of the crust. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the meringue is lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving Hope that helps CHEF |
SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN THE BOOT HEEL OF THE LEADERSHIP CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING ITS POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
fighting communists since 1969
fighting communists since 1969
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Originally Posted By douglasmorris99: Originally Posted By Zhukov: Since we're on the gravy part, I might as well ask about the TURKEY to go with. I was all set to make an Alton Brown brined turkey, but all the turkeys I saw in the store were "injected with an 8% solution" - I assume a brine of some kind. Am I correct in assuming that these turkeys should not be brined any further or they'll become too salty? Is the injected solution a pretty good substitute for a home-made brine? it is saline basicly, adding weight in the bird under the pretence of "adding moisture" to the bird when in actuality it is adding an surtax to your purchase.. a page or two or three back I did a long diatribe on turkey, smoking, frying, roasting etc,,think there is mention of brining as well..it was fairly recent.. check that out Chef: I checked a few pages back, and the long turkey article didn't really mention brining beyond the fact that it adds a lot of weight to the bird that you end up paying for. Since the one I bought was already injected, I was planning on NOT re-brining it because I assume it would be too salty. Do you concur? On a side note, I made my first gravy from pan drippings. I've made gravy out of grease that came from cooking before, but never from the pan drippings of something I roasted. I made poule au pot tonight, strained the drippings, waited for the fat to separate, used the fat to make a roux and discarded the rest, then used the remaining jus to finish the gravy. |
Daddy loves you. Now go away.
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Originally Posted By SteelonSteel:
Hi Chef, I have a question.....I've been eyeing replacing my basic fry pan and saute pan. Basically my teflon calphalon copies are fried and I can't always use my cast iron for acidic foods. I'm looking at distancing myself from teflon and investing in good lifetime use stainless steel, I'm kinda zeroing in on the all clad 3 qt. stainless saute pan. It gets pretty flattering reviews but I'm looking at frying pans and am a little stuck on standard vs. french style. Basically I see french style fry pans and the standard low sloping side pan. For once something french seems like a bargain compared to the standard style pan. Any reason? I'm thinking they're not near as popular but don't know why. Thanks for your thoughts, SoS this is a difficult question to answer, I, in my home use 2 brands consistantly. Revere stainless steel copper clad bottom, not made in china and Calphalon, I use a full set of Revere and 3 pcs of Calphalon the Revere OUT Dates the Calphalon and has held up a long time and still look pretty damn good. the Calphalon is closer to commercial pans in weight and (at least mine) in appearance, a huge thing to me in chosing pots and pans that said, IF I were shopping today, I want stainless steel, copper bottom minimium and of a good heavy weight so I have less concerns in melting the pot to the stove if someone gets careless..and lastly RIVETED Handles not welded handles. I mentioned a few times weight, and I mean it,, IF I pick up a $30 pan and a $90 pan by God, it better feel like a $90 pan. so, shop you pocket book, there is a LOT to choose from, sorry I cannont stand behind any brand, mainly because there are some many grades under one lable, Saute V Skillet V cassarole/Braiser in Chef World there are 3 different wide/flat bottomed pans the sloped style is a saute pan a shallow straight sided pan is a skillet a deeper straight sided is a cassorole/Braiser and these generally have a handle on either side. a long saute style and a short pot style as these tend to be larger pans and oft times get heavy. IF I can help more, let me know, and get me closer to where you want to be, price, size, brand,, chef |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
well, I TRIED to catch the 1000 posting to this thread but,,,my eagar audiance beat me to the punch,,,,
oh well, more fun for me,,so,,HERE I post what was to be number 1000, somewhere beyond that a little
I was recently asked. What makes a good cook? How do I start to be a better cook? Many people regard cooking as a chore. Likewise, many people who are motivated to improve their eating habits fail because they are either afraid to cook or have decided that they “hate” to cook. It is very difficult to get control over what we eat if we rely on food that is already prepared for us, whether from the frozen foods aisle at the grocery store or from fast food restaurants. So, cooking is? A passion, an art, a desire, and a commitment and lastly it is a talent not all of us have. You have to want to do it and then take the challenges, risks, and TIME it takes to become a good cook, you must be willing to experiment, and ready to eat your mistakes, but, when you can really cook, you know how to fix your mistakes so there rarely are any. Though someone may have taught you to cook, nobody teaches you how to be a cook and only your heart and God Given Senses make you a great cook. That said, If you love to eat, you must learn to cook. Here's How: Start Simply If you are new to cooking or have limited time, do not begin your cooking experiments with complicated dishes or with recipes that include ingredients that you are unfamiliar with. Follow these simple suggestions: Choose a simple soup or stir-fry recipe, broil a piece of fish or some scallops, or prepare a colorful salad. Prepare all of your ingredients before you start to cook so that you don’t get flustered (which is why cooking always looks so fun and easy on cooking shows). Read the recipe a couple of times before you begin, so that there are no unexpected steps in the middle of your recipe. Learn Some Techniques Practice simple knife skills, the beauty of todays internet is the access to hundreds of videos on line, available for free, learn to sharpen a knife, learn to slice beef, learn to dice warm bacon, learn to dice an onion, learn to julliane, learn different types of cuts for veggies.. Learn to flip in a sauté pan, simply put some uncooked rice or beans about 1/3 full and learn to flip them over with out scattering them throughout the kitchen.. Practice turning fish in a skillet, by practicing turning French toast or pancakes Look at all your food, know and learn what is it going to do as I cook it, shrimp curl up, does fish as well? Some veggies shrink, but some expand during the cooking process Learn the sounds of your kitchen, I can generally tell if Fries are done by the sound of the popping in the grease, I can hear the sizzle in the steak and judge its doneness. SMELL everything, know what raw broccoli smells like vs cooked vs par cooked, All foods have different smells as they process Feel your food, how does a beef cube feel raw, rare, medium, well done? How does fish feel raw, what does it feel like as it reaches its doneness peak V over done. Lastly taste everything, one of my worst moments in life is tasting cold Bechemal to be sure it isn’t sour before I start to heat it up, whats the difference in taste. Texture in rare beef to well done beef, why does anyone eat an oyster? Ask the butcher the best way to prepare the cut of meat that you buy. As the waiter how your veggies were cooked, Ask to speak to the Chef in a restaurant, some hate it, some love it, ask questions.. Get a book that shows you diagrams of preparing different vegetables, meats and desserts, I for years recommend 2 books to all new-bies, The Betty Crocker Cookbook and The Joy Of Cooking. Start with BETTY, the basic betty crocker book will teach you dozens of dishes from simple appitzers to reasonably difficult desserts and all meals in between, The average person, working out side the home may never finish all the recipes in this book let alone become accomplished in any of them. Then move up to Joy.. Remember, every cook had to learn the basics at some point. Cook What You Like You will have more fun cooking if you are looking forward to eating the finished product. Even if your main goal is to cook in a way that is healthy, there are excellent recipes that use spices and interesting combinations of flavors to make things taste good without fats or sugars (or any other ingredient that you are trying to avoid). Plan Your Meals Before you head to the grocery store, sit down and figure out a couple of meals: Look up the recipes, and write down the list of ingredients that you need. Know when you will eat each meal, based on when you have the time to prepare them (for instance, more complicated dishes can be served on the weekends, with more simple food or leftovers served on weekday evenings). Try to plan at least three days at a time. Start with Quality Ingredients It is very important that all of your ingredients be fresh and of high quality. Not only will they taste better, but fresh food contains more vitamins. If all of your ingredients taste good on their own, it is hard to have a recipe that is a failure. Enjoy Each Step Try to change your thinking about each part of the food preparation process and enjoy each step along the way: Go to the grocery store when it is not crowded and enjoy the achievement of getting all of the items on your list. When you chop your vegetables for cooking, take your time and notice the different textures and colors. Take special interest in the spices that you add and how each one changes the flavors of your dishes. Pretty soon you will be inspired to improvise by adding your own touches to recipes. Don’t Forget Presentation After putting effort into shopping, washing and preparing ingredients, and cooking the meal, don’t just dump the food onto the plate: Take a couple of seconds to arrange the food on the plate. Add a lemon wedge or some freshly-ground pepper. Even if you are eating by yourself, make your food attractive. Be Proud of Yourself You did it. You made the food that you are about to eat. You can take comfort in the fact that you know what is in this food that is about to nourish your body. After a couple of successful meals, you may find yourself “addicted” to cooking and excited to plan your next adventure in the kitchen. Buying food,, Many of our food choices begin in the grocery store. While the grocery store can provide us with foods that enhance our health and increase our energy, it is also a place of endless temptation and potential bad choices. Follow these tips to get the most out of your shopping experience: Learn where your food came from, we have had recent issues with imported food from China and other places, whats available locally, when can I get fresh peaches from my local grower,, Why is all our produce grown in mexico? Learn to buy meat Choose a grade of meat. Examine the five grades of meat as they're determined based on fat content, marbling and quality. Look for select (the least amount of fat; sold in grocery stores), choice (fattier than select, leaner than prime), and prime (the well-marbled cuts high-end restaurants serve, fattier but also more flavorful). The lowest two grades of inferior meat, commercial and utility, aren't typically sold in grocery stores, and home cooks and aspiring chefs should avoid them. Know your meat grades. Lamb is usually sold as choice in grocery stores and has a purple U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection stamp to signify that it came from a healthy animal. Pork is graded as "USDA government inspected." Veal is graded either prime (milk fed for 60 days before slaughter) or choice, which is found at many grocery stores. Choose beef with minimal outer fat. The fat should be creamy in color, and bones should be soft-looking with a reddish color. The meat should be firm, fine-textured and a light cherry red. Cook it to an internal temperature of 130 degrees F (54 C) for rare and 140 degrees F (60 C) for medium. Look for lamb that's been butchered at five to seven months or younger. It has a more delicate flavor and texture than older lamb or mutton, which takes on a rich gamy flavor. Meat from high-quality young lambs is fine-textured, firm and lean. It's pink in color, and the cross sections of bones are red, moist and porous. The external fat should be firm, white and not too thick. Cook lamb to an internal temperature of 135 degrees F (57 C) for legs and 140 degrees F (60 C) for ribs. Select pork that's pinkish-white to pink in color (loin meat is whiter than shoulder meat) and firm to the touch. Well-marbled pork produces tenderer results. Cook pork to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F (65 C). Ask for prime-quality veal, with almost white to very light pink, firm, velvety and moist flesh. Veal is butchered young, so most of its meat is tender. Bones should be bright red, small and fairly soft to the touch. The fat covering the meat should be slight and whitish in color. Cook veal to an internal temperature of 175 degrees F (80 C). Fish Shop at markets that specialize in fish and have a good reputation for keeping fish fresh. While shopping, inspect the market for cleanliness. If you notice a strong, pungent, fishy odor, avoid purchasing fish there. Ask what days the market receives deliveries and try to purchase on those days. Ask what days the market is closed. Avoid purchasing fish the day before the market closes. Ask where the market obtained a particular fish and when it was received. Look for a fish that is firm and has clear eyes. Ask for cuts with the fewest number of blood vessels. produce focus initially on the produce you plan on purchasing at eye level. Many times grocers will place the most ready produce at a level that an average consumer will naturally focus on. This is done in an effort to move the most ripe produce out of the store and into your refrigerator first. The fresher produce is usually placed towards the upper back of the bin or location in which it is being displayed. Smell the produce you want to purchase. For example, if you sniff the base of a cantaloupe from where it has been picked, you should be able to smell its scent. If you do not smell anything, it probably is not ripe enough yet. Conversely, if you smell a very strong cantaloupe smell, it may be too ripe. The same can be said with many fruits and vegetables. Broccoli, for example, will begin to take on a metal-type odor when it is going bad. Always smell produce to make sure it smells or has a hint of what it is to smell like before purchasing. Look at the texture and the color of the fruit or produce that you are purchasing. For example, bananas that are not all yellow, but instead contain black spots are an indication that the bananas are in the overripe stage. A firm banana with a little green near its stalk is always best at time of purchase, as this fruit ripens quickly. Further, lumps in fruit such as watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe signify the fruit is probably too ripe for consumption. Additionally, if a fruit or vegetable is too soft, this may indicate that it has gone bad. Examples of this include wilted grapes, soft potatoes and onions, apples, mushy pears and the like. Turn the fruit and vegetables in all directions to make sure you have not missed a physical clue about the freshness and quality of the produce. Many fruits, such as grape tomatoes and strawberries are pre-packaged in sturdy plastic containers and sometimes it is difficult to view the produce at an initial glance. Turn the container upside down for a better view. If you are allowed to open it, look inside for signs of mold or wilting. Mold will usually have a white, fuzzy appearance. If there is mold, do not purchase, as it spreads quickly to other fruit or vegetables that are next to it. Lastly, as I have mentioned in this thread more times than I can count HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FOOD,,,,Play with our food, don’t be afraid to try new things and new ways to prepare,,food is NEVER BORING, the cook is bored..\\ CHEF |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
Originally Posted By SteelonSteel:
hey here's another Ginger use. I tried this when I ran out of cinnimon......Ginger french toast! It's very tasty. I haven't tried it with other than french bread or wheat bread but I think best would be ginger spiced brioche french toast. Oh yea that def sounds really good! |
"What am I a f'n mirage here? What, you have me on a pay no mind list?!"
First off, I'm sorry about using post #1000. I know I wasn't looking at how far and fast this thread has come along.! I know I pop in numerous times to see the new stuff.
Thanks for the tips. I guess my old saute pan is really closer to a lidded skillet then. Heck it's almost shaped like the lodge chicken fryer. I'm really getting tired of teflon chipping and losing it's non sticking ability. Do you think I would be ill advised to go to plain stainless for an 8" omelet and crepe pan? I'm thinking the steeper french curved pans would be less handy for those two particular dishes. thanks again, SoS |
Attention reloaders....they're not pills, they're not heads or tips, they're called bullets. Also acceptable are the specific bullet type. e.g. soft point, hollow point, fmj, et cetera.
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Originally Posted By SteelonSteel:
First off, I'm sorry about using post #1000. I know I wasn't looking at how far and fast this thread has come along.! I know I pop in numerous times to see the new stuff.
Thanks for the tips. I guess my old saute pan is really closer to a lidded skillet then. Heck it's almost shaped like the lodge chicken fryer. I'm really getting tired of teflon chipping and losing it's non sticking ability. Do you think I would be ill advised to go to plain stainless for an 8" omelet and crepe pan? I'm thinking the steeper french curved pans would be less handy for those two particular dishes. thanks again, SoS no worries, didnt even count who it was, I was prepping my responce this morning, got sidelined and lost the space, no big deal.. I agree, teflon for eggs, crepes, and you shouldnt need more than an 8" for either,, if, you buy a quality steel pan, handle it well, dont drop it hot into the sink full of water and warp it, hand scurb it and oil/salt if prior to storage, sticking should be a huge issue, I have 2 old cast iron skillets, one you can fry eggs in, turn em out all day long, IT has Never been in a sink. the other,,I use to fry chicken, fish, fries, etc,,anything I want an inch or more of grease in to fry,,beyond that I use my staniless revere ware,,, once you use the copper, heavy clad bottoms, get use to them,,its hard to change, (afterthought, somewhere in here, I did a thing on egg pans, I still consistatly use a $10 walmart special and as soon as it shows wear on the teflon, it is trashed),, |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
OK Chef...here's the challange-
I have a background heavy in food. My first job was washing dishes in an Italian Resturant at 13, the owner was a direct emigre from Northern Italy...I learned a lot about pasta, sauces, dough, prep work, desserts, baking, ect. When my family moved 3 years later, I was a line cook there. I moved on to work in a deli for a short time, then in a Surf and turf as a prep cook, even later as a pantry chef...when I was 18, I had to make a choice...the owner and my Chef wanted me to go to the CIA (Both wanted to fund it, provided I sign a contract that covered three years of school, 5 years at the resturant), but instead I opted to Jump out of airplanes, and blow things up. Now, I'm forward deployed, to Iraq. This isn't my first Rodeo, and I've never been happy eating what the chow hall provided, it's either provided me with ample opportunity to examine the interior of the latrine, or left me completely unsatisfied with the grease-laden products they tend to produce. Even the "safe" bets are subject to cross contamination, and the limited margin of food I trust or know that is healthy, leaves me with a rather monotenous selection. To counter that, this tour I brought along a breadmaker, frying pan, and single burner propane stove. I have a small college fridge, coffee maker and a Euro 750 watt microwave. I do not have running water, but an ample supply of bottled. This makes clean up a chore, especially with no real area to dump grey water. Paper plates, bowls and disposable untensils are on hand as well, although I do have some blue enamel plates and saran wrap for use. I have a Pyrex 1 cup to use in the microwave, mostly to proof the yeast when I make a batch of bread.. My wife has shipped me breadmixes, primarily 7 and 9 grain whole wheat varieties that only require water, or occasionally to be added to the ingrediants in the box. I have Tinned Cheese on hand, as well as whole wheat pasta, spaghetti sauce, tortillas, elbow macaroni, Velveeta light, tuna fish, salmon filets, Spam Lite, NY City Salsa, dried fruit, as well as Triscuts, and Club crackers. I have a fair supply of spices, garlic powder, onion powder, Chipoltele Tobasco, chili powder, Johnny's and Lowrey's steak seasoning. From the chow hall I can get Magarine, Jam, Sugar, mustard, ect, as well as cold cuts, cheeses, crossaints, fruits, and "Shelf stable" milk. Can you come up with a few creative receipes for me? Basically, I am subsisting on a majority of SHTF foods given the enviroment I am in, and it's getting a touch old. Slainche' Matt Here's some follow up information and specifics I left out earlier.... A list of the meats and cheeses I can get from the mess: Roast Beast Ham Turkey Breast (processed) Genoa Salami Bologna Swiss Provolone American Shredded Mild Chedder Fresh Fruit varies from week to week but generally: Kiwii Oranges Apples- Usually Fuji or Red Delicious Pears grapes, white and red, not seedless, watermelon, but the quality is poor, and twice I've suspected it of being contaminated Past this are the usual assortment of canned pineapple, peaches, & mixed fruit. Other veggies, or locally obtainible items- I have zero contact with the "outside" world, and, as it is, I wouldn't trust anything from the local sources...there's just too much sewage contamination in the soil, and the Iraqi people as a whole have little to no regrad for matters concerning HazMat disposable. I can obtain diced onions, sweet peppers, tomoatoes, jalapenos, salsa from the Omlet bar in the mess hall, Sliced tomatoes, onion, from the condiment bar. For clean up, prep and "Grey water" disposal clarification... Not really feasable, the "latrine" is a portable, 600 yds from my living area, Seperate toilet and sinks from the shower trailer. I can dump small amounts around the corner from where I live, into a gravelled area. But I don't have a tub to scrub and rinse....and accumulation of food scrap or grey water in one area like that creates an insect concern during summer. The flies are atrocious here.[/span] Sand for dish scrubbing and water for rinsing: The "Sand" is far less than sanitary, and not really sand..it's more or less dust-dirt. I do have a sponge, and dish detergent. The only two things I really need to "clean" is my frying pan and measuring cup...I use mostly paper and plastic disposable plates, bowls, and utensils. |
Реальная Милиция!
More Irish Whiskey in 2009
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
More Irish Whiskey in 2009
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
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Originally Posted By Matt45:
OK Chef...here's the challange- I have a background heavy in food. My first job was washing dishes in an Italian Resturant at 13, the owner was a direct emigre from Northern Italy...I learned a lot about pasta, sauces, dough, prep work, desserts, baking, ect. When my family moved 3 years later, I was a line cook there. I moved on to work in a deli for a short time, then in a Surf and turf as a prep cook, even later as a pantry chef...when I was 18, I had to make a choice...the owner and my Chef wanted me to go to the CIA (Both wanted to fund it, provided I sign a contract that covered three years of school, 5 years at the resturant), but instead I opted to Jump out of airplanes, and blow things up. Now, I'm forward deployed, to Iraq. This isn't my first Rodeo, and I've never been happy eating what the chow hall provided, it's either provided me with ample opportunity to examine the interior of the latrine, or left me completely unsatisfied with the grease-laden products they tend to produce. Even the "safe" bets are subject to cross contamination, and the limited margin of food I trust or know that is healthy, leaves me with a rather monotenous selection. To counter that, this tour I brought along a breadmaker, frying pan, and single burner propane stove. I have a small college fridge, coffee maker and a Euro 750 watt microwave. I do not have running water, but an ample supply of bottled. This makes clean up a chore, especially with no real area to dump grey water. Paper plates, bowls and disposable untensils are on hand as well, although I do have some blue enamel plates and saran wrap for use. I have a Pyrex 1 cup to use in the microwave, mostly to proof the yeast when I make a batch of bread.. My wife has shipped me breadmixes, primarily 7 and 9 grain whole wheat varieties that only require water, or occasionally to be added to the ingrediants in the box. I have Tinned Cheese on hand, as well as whole wheat pasta, spaghetti sauce, tortillas, elbow macaroni, Velveeta light, tuna fish, salmon filets, Spam Lite, NY City Salsa, dried fruit, as well as Triscuts, and Club crackers. I have a fair supply of spices, garlic powder, onion powder, Chipoltele Tobasco, chili powder, Johnny's and Lowrey's steak seasoning. From the chow hall I can get Magarine, Jam, Sugar, mustard, ect, as well as cold cuts, cheeses, crossaints, fruits, and "Shelf stable" milk. Can you come up with a few creative receipes for me? Basically, I am subsisting on a majority of SHTF foods given the enviroment I am in, and it's getting a touch old. Slainche' Matt Here's some follow up information and specifics I left out earlier.... A list of the meats and cheeses I can get from the mess: Roast Beast Ham Turkey Breast (processed) Genoa Salami Bologna Swiss Provolone American Shredded Mild Chedder Fresh Fruit varies from week to week but generally: Kiwii Oranges Apples- Usually Fuji or Red Delicious Pears grapes, white and red, not seedless, watermelon, but the quality is poor, and twice I've suspected it of being contaminated Past this are the usual assortment of canned pineapple, peaches, & mixed fruit. Other veggies, or locally obtainible items- I have zero contact with the "outside" world, and, as it is, I wouldn't trust anything from the local sources...there's just too much sewage contamination in the soil, and the Iraqi people as a whole have little to no regrad for matters concerning HazMat disposable. I can obtain diced onions, sweet peppers, tomoatoes, jalapenos, salsa from the Omlet bar in the mess hall, Sliced tomatoes, onion, from the condiment bar. For clean up, prep and "Grey water" disposal clarification... Not really feasable, the "latrine" is a portable, 600 yds from my living area, Seperate toilet and sinks from the shower trailer. I can dump small amounts around the corner from where I live, into a gravelled area. But I don't have a tub to scrub and rinse....and accumulation of food scrap or grey water in one area like that creates an insect concern during summer. The flies are atrocious here.[/span] Sand for dish scrubbing and water for rinsing: The "Sand" is far less than sanitary, and not really sand..it's more or less dust-dirt. I do have a sponge, and dish detergent. The only two things I really need to "clean" is my frying pan and measuring cup...I use mostly paper and plastic disposable plates, bowls, and utensils. WOW,,one hell of a question Matt....sounds like a true Survivalist making due with what surronds him,, can you roast camel spiders?
.I am on the road, and will return to my BOL in Paris on Monday, Iwill sit down and do some menu ideas for you on what you have to work with,, |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
Originally Posted By Matt45:
OK Chef...here's the challange- I have a background heavy in food. My first job was washing dishes in an Italian Resturant at 13, the owner was a direct emigre from Northern Italy...I learned a lot about pasta, sauces, dough, prep work, desserts, baking, ect. When my family moved 3 years later, I was a line cook there. I moved on to work in a deli for a short time, then in a Surf and turf as a prep cook, even later as a pantry chef...when I was 18, I had to make a choice...the owner and my Chef wanted me to go to the CIA (Both wanted to fund it, provided I sign a contract that covered three years of school, 5 years at the resturant), but instead I opted to Jump out of airplanes, and blow things up. Now, I'm forward deployed, to Iraq. This isn't my first Rodeo, and I've never been happy eating what the chow hall provided, it's either provided me with ample opportunity to examine the interior of the latrine, or left me completely unsatisfied with the grease-laden products they tend to produce. Even the "safe" bets are subject to cross contamination, and the limited margin of food I trust or know that is healthy, leaves me with a rather monotenous selection. To counter that, this tour I brought along a breadmaker, frying pan, and single burner propane stove. I have a small college fridge, coffee maker and a Euro 750 watt microwave. I do not have running water, but an ample supply of bottled. This makes clean up a chore, especially with no real area to dump grey water. Paper plates, bowls and disposable untensils are on hand as well, although I do have some blue enamel plates and saran wrap for use. I have a Pyrex 1 cup to use in the microwave, mostly to proof the yeast when I make a batch of bread.. My wife has shipped me breadmixes, primarily 7 and 9 grain whole wheat varieties that only require water, or occasionally to be added to the ingrediants in the box. I have Tinned Cheese on hand, as well as whole wheat pasta, spaghetti sauce, tortillas, elbow macaroni, Velveeta light, tuna fish, salmon filets, Spam Lite, NY City Salsa, dried fruit, as well as Triscuts, and Club crackers. I have a fair supply of spices, garlic powder, onion powder, Chipoltele Tobasco, chili powder, Johnny's and Lowrey's steak seasoning. From the chow hall I can get Magarine, Jam, Sugar, mustard, ect, as well as cold cuts, cheeses, crossaints, fruits, and "Shelf stable" milk. Can you come up with a few creative receipes for me? Basically, I am subsisting on a majority of SHTF foods given the enviroment I am in, and it's getting a touch old. Slainche' Matt Here's some follow up information and specifics I left out earlier.... A list of the meats and cheeses I can get from the mess: Roast Beast Ham Turkey Breast (processed) Genoa Salami Bologna Swiss Provolone American Shredded Mild Chedder Fresh Fruit varies from week to week but generally: Kiwii Oranges Apples- Usually Fuji or Red Delicious Pears grapes, white and red, not seedless, watermelon, but the quality is poor, and twice I've suspected it of being contaminated Past this are the usual assortment of canned pineapple, peaches, & mixed fruit. Other veggies, or locally obtainible items- I have zero contact with the "outside" world, and, as it is, I wouldn't trust anything from the local sources...there's just too much sewage contamination in the soil, and the Iraqi people as a whole have little to no regrad for matters concerning HazMat disposable. I can obtain diced onions, sweet peppers, tomoatoes, jalapenos, salsa from the Omlet bar in the mess hall, Sliced tomatoes, onion, from the condiment bar. For clean up, prep and "Grey water" disposal clarification... Not really feasable, the "latrine" is a portable, 600 yds from my living area, Seperate toilet and sinks from the shower trailer. I can dump small amounts around the corner from where I live, into a gravelled area. But I don't have a tub to scrub and rinse....and accumulation of food scrap or grey water in one area like that creates an insect concern during summer. The flies are atrocious here.[/span] Sand for dish scrubbing and water for rinsing: The "Sand" is far less than sanitary, and not really sand..it's more or less dust-dirt. I do have a sponge, and dish detergent. The only two things I really need to "clean" is my frying pan and measuring cup...I use mostly paper and plastic disposable plates, bowls, and utensils. WOW,,one hell of a question Matt....sounds like a true Survivalist making due with what surronds him,, can you roast camel spiders?
.I am on the road, and will return to my BOL in Paris on Monday, Iwill sit down and do some menu ideas for you on what you have to work with,, See if you can aquire a lamb or goat locally, that will open all kinds of possibilities and you might be able to do it in a hole in the ground, or better yet, find out how the locals do it. This may provide an op for cultural connections (might be able to get official support for this angle if you can start with the interpreters and expand to the larger community). Gardening on base? lots of opprotunities for recreation and theraputic activities here for men so far from home, again official channel might work here and if official channels don't work, let us know and maybe we can raise some hell on this end. |
The Unsalt Rifle: kinder, gentler, and now lower in sodium
The words of my mouth are as butter, but war is in my heart!
The words of my mouth are as butter, but war is in my heart!
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Originally Posted By billyhill:
See if you can aquire a lamb or goat locally, that will open all kinds of possibilities and you might be able to do it in a hole in the ground, or better yet, find out how the locals do it. This may provide an op for cultural connections (might be able to get official support for this angle if you can start with the interpreters and expand to the larger community). Gardening on base? lots of opprotunities for recreation and theraputic activities here for men so far from home, again official channel might work here and if official channels don't work, let us know and maybe we can raise some hell on this end. Great Post, I've thought of that, and here's how "it is"...at least for me. My last tour in04-05 was the definitive cultural contact with the general populace tour of Iraq, it was very different from my tour here this time, the analogy I use is it's kind of like living in the country, then moving into an apartment. This tour, my unit doesn't work with the Iraqi Army. Our sole vested interest here is as a security element for KBR supply convoys, bringing equipment and consumable supplies to outlying areas. We have limited to no contact with interpretors or locals.I am on Joint Base Balad, and it is it's own city. Last trip, I lived for about 6 months with a small team on the abandoned half of Rustimayah/CP Cuervo, often with a platoon of Iraqi National Guard (Whom later were redesignated the Iraqi Civillian Defense Corps, then again as the Iraqi national Guard, then as the Iraqi Army) I took half or more of my meals with them, drank gallons of Chai tea, Goatmilk, and whatever else they offered. I paid for it with some internal parasites, and a 9 month case of the trots. So, there's that
I worked in and around small village Iraqi's for the duration of my last tour as well. I'm consistantly amazed at the lack of hygine. This translates to everything in their culture, it astounds me that they can fool themselves on the pretexts of cleanliness put forth by the Koran .
Gardening on base is the more interesting of all the suggesstions,I tried this last time, but come July and 135 degree+ heat, everything keeled right over. Again, where I am at currently, the ground quality is questionable due to the amount of soil contaminated by things we blew up, things the Iraqi's dumped on the open ground, and the lack of irrigation, in fact there's city water/ no hoses here. On the other hand...I *might* try to do a small herb garden that I can take into my A/C room each day, and water using bottled water.....Now that's an idea.
Here's my digs.......... 
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Реальная Милиция!
More Irish Whiskey in 2009
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
More Irish Whiskey in 2009
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
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Chef,
Got any suggestions on cooking fresh (not cured and smoked) ham roasts that are cut perpendicular to the bone like this?: Pic Also, any nice things to do with pork chops?
Thanks. |
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Feral and Tok,,
I will have your answers this evening or tomorrow evening, I have a project coming to a head concerning my property lines and an idiot neighbor,,the retired space shuttle tailgunner knowit all whippersnapper,,' 
while I love being back in to my rural lifestyle and working on the new place difficult though it is at times but DAMN it is most difficult and fustrating to get some folks moving at times
off to my surveyors, the TAX accessor and the AG extension office, fresh pork and pheasant,,maybe a combined recipe of a "Turf and Feather"dish,, porked pheasant
FERAL in you avatar, are those hampshire's? |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
Originally Posted By Feral:
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
[/url] FERAL in you avatar, are those hampshire's? Well, they were Hampshires (and a Duroc).
I got yelled at told that I "...was a morbid SOB" when I named two pigs "Fruit" and "Yogurt". 
I thought I was looking ahead. When I say I'm going to have Fruit and Yogurt for breakfast.....I want to mean it.
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Реальная Милиция!
More Irish Whiskey in 2009
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
More Irish Whiskey in 2009
migradog: Because he's Matt45 and facts matter.
|
Originally Posted By Feral:
Chef, Got any suggestions on cooking fresh (not cured and smoked) ham roasts that are cut perpendicular to the bone like this?: Pic Also, any nice things to do with pork chops?
Thanks. OK, been a busy week for an old man, still working on Matts request that I am finding more challenging than I thought, so, I am going to conquor the easy things first and look like a hero to somebody dammint
fresh Hams,unlike the more common smoked and water added boiled hams generally found at grocery, these can be cooked and treated as you would any Roast, beef or Pork or Mutton or Venison,,fresh hams really take the flavorings added, one of my personal secrets of cooking hams, any ham in ginger ale. a bottle of gingerale in the bottom the pan at the begining of the roasting leaves you with a sweet, moist, tender ham every time. I like them seasoned with salt pepper and garlic placed in slits under the fatty areas as the flavor bleed better into the rest of the meat. or.. 1 (10 to 12 lb.) pork leg Whole cloves 1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed & undiluted 1/2 c. molasses 1/4 c. prepared mustard 1 tbsp. grated orange rind Peach halves (opt.) Fresh parsley sprigs Place ham, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score fat on ham in a diamond design, and stud with cloves. Insert meat thermometer, making sure it does not touch fat or bone. Combine orange juice and next 3 ingredients. Brush ham with juice mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 3 to 4 hours or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees (18 to 20 minutes per pound). Baste ham with juice mixture every 30 minutes. Garnish with peach halves and fresh sprigs of parsley. Serves 20. ROAST FRESH HAM, STUFFED 4 to 5 lb. fresh ham, boned weight, tied 1/4 c. fresh parsley 1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated 1 slice fresh bread crumbs 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced, depending on how garlicy you like Black pepper to taste 1 tbsp. olive oil Combine stuffing ingredients and put into cavity created by the boning. Place roast in a pan with sliced onion around. Roast in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes per pound. When done, remove roast from pan and skin as much fat as possible. Add a small amount of water to deglaze. Add chicken bouillon if desired and thicken with flour to desired consistency for gravy. SPANISH style whole ham PEPPER FILLING MIXTURE: 2 lg. onions 3 or 4 long green peppers 6 or 7 cloves garlic Parsley Juice of 1 lime 3 or 4 green peppers 1 Jamaican hot pepper Oregano Thyme SPRINKLING MIXTURE: using one 10-12lb ham Garlic & onion powder Salt Black pepper 12 oz of BBQ 4oz Cider vinigar Make pepper filling mixture by chopping all vegetables in food blender. Make deep holes in ham with sharp knife. Fill holes with the mixture. Stuff well using about 1/2 the filling. Wash hands thoroughly after filling. Sprinkle ham with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper. Then put balance of pepper mixture on top and sides of ham. Combine the BBQ and Vinigar and place in the bottom of the pan. Cook ham at 325 degrees for 25 minutes per pound. At least 1 to 1 1/2 hours according to size. Baste ham every 20 minutes. LET THERE BE CHOPS Chops and apple INGREDIENTS 4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar salt and pepper to taste 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced 3 tablespoons pecans (optional) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans. "oven fried"chops INGREDIENTS 1 cup crushed butter crackers (Club or Ritz) garlic poweder onion poweder salt to taste ground black pepper to taste 3 eggs, beaten 4 pork chops 1/2 cup butter DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a shallow bowl combine crushed crackers, garlic salt and pepper; mix well. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Dip your pork chops in the egg batter and then in the cracker mixture. Place the pork chops in a casserole dish. Place chunks of the butter around the pork chops. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. BALSAMIC HONEY GLAZED PORK CHOPS 2 pork loin chops olive oil salt and pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoon honey 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing Heat enough olive oil to lightly coat your frying pan. Heat oil on medium high heat. Crush the cloves of garlic and rub on pork chops both sides, add salt and pepper to taste. Add pork chops to the heated oil. Brown pork chop on each side (about 2 minutes per side). Once browned, reduce heat to medium low. Add the balsamic vinaigrette and honey to the frying pan. Coat the pork chop in the sauce and simmer for 10 min. * If you really enjoy the flavour of balsamic vinaigrette, marinate the pork chops in it for 2 hours prior to cooking, and cover your pan when simmering and lets do a full entree/side prep,, using a true survival food that has come to the light of day in recent years as a "gourmet" item POLENTA Ingredients 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick 2 quarts water 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup kosher salt 4 fresh thyme sprigs 10 cloves 6 allspice berries 8 slices (about 3 ounces) prosciutto 4 slices (about 3 ounces) fontina 1/2 cup chicken stock 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, for garnish 1 pound California red grapes, on the vine and cut into 4 smaller clusters/bunches Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Grilled Polenta Squares, recipe follows Directions Prepare the pork chops. Make a brine by combining the water, sugar, salt, thyme sprigs, clove and all-spice berries in a re-sealable bag. Add the pork chops, seal up the bag and put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drain the pork chops and pat dry. Using a paring knife, make a horizontal cut into the center of each chop to make a pocket. Stuff a slice of fontina and prosciutto inside each pocket and secure with a toothpick. Set 2 large cast iron skillets over medium-high heat and add a 2-count of extra-virgin olive oil to each skillet. Add 2 chops to each of the skillets and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Turn chops, push to 1 side and set grape clusters in pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper before putting the pans in the oven. Roast chops for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through and cheese has melted. Remove from oven when done and set chops and clusters of roasted grapes aside on a plate - keep warm. Consolidate juices into 1 pan and set over medium heat. Add a splash of chicken stock to the pan, scraping the bottom to extract all the flavors. Fold in cold butter while whisking to thicken sauce. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, set 1 pork chop on each plate on top of a Grilled Polenta Square, garnish with a cluster of roasted grapes and drizzle with pan sauce. Set a stack of hydroponic watercress to 1 side and serve. Grilled Polenta Squares: 8 cups water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups polenta/yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Fresh cracked black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal in a slow steady stream. Lower heat and continue to whisk until the polenta is thick and smooth, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and butter and continue to stir until incorporated. Remove from heat; fold in Parmesan and black pepper. Pour the polenta into a buttered 9 by 13-inch shallow baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Cover and chill a few hours. Cut the polenta into squares. Brush both sides with olive oil and transfer to a hot grill. Grill on both sides until golden brown. with that,,I am off to make dinner for me and my kids
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Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
Chef,
Most home kitchens have a stove, refrigerator/freezer, a dishwasher, and maybe a divided sink. Smaller commercial eateries in our area step that up to heavier-use appliances and griddles and fry baskets. They might have more than one or two of the appliances they use the most. How do these compare to a kitchen necessary to provide banquet-type meals for hundreds of people (like when you mentioned serving 700-800 pumpkins as soup bowls)? I'm supposing that multiple kitchens would be preferred instead of one giant kitchen, because you usually would not serve that many meals at one banquet? With multiple kitchens you would be better able to serve 3 or 4, 200-place banquets? A banquet would be different than serving restauant-style, since you would not "turn over" the tables multiple times in an evening. Most places would not even have enough storage space for that many pumpkins, even if they are baseball sized. I'm just trying to get an idea of how you are able to deal with the sheer volume required. I've been in restaurant supply shops and seen their offerings but they do not have the same stuff used by the Wonder Bread factory, either (for instance). |
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Not to steal the Chef's thunder, but handling large banquets (140+ people) isn't that difficult as long as the prep work is done and the chef has a very strong and experienced line. Having everything prepped is the key. All the meats need to be trimmed, seasoned, pre-cooked so they can be finished, plated and served hot and quick. Same goes for salads, appetizers, side items and desserts.
I most recently worked a catering for Hatteras Yacht's last summer. Over 100 people for a full dinner. We spent all day prepping for one meal and dessert. When it came time to serve, the salads were ready for the service staff to serve. They had been made fresh in bulk and plated on chilled plates just prior to service. Each member of the line had 30 salad salads to plate. It only took about 3 minutes to plate and send onto the floor. The dinner was a choice between filet mignon or sea bass. 6 people on the line (3 on each side of a long table). One was responsible for pulling 6 plates. As soon as they were set down, the guy across from him placed a meat, the next guy placed the potato, the next the veggies, and the next any sauce or gravy. The last guy placed them on the waiting trays of the servers. We served 140 dinners in less than 10 minutes. All hot, all fresh and all perfect. Not one came back. Teamwork and prep are the key. Having a well stocked and roomy kitchen is a bonus, but in any case you have to adapt and overcome.
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Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Gonzo
"I know, I know, you're a prince among men, capable of giving hundreds of orgasms to even the most frigid woman." - Daisywench
"I know, I know, you're a prince among men, capable of giving hundreds of orgasms to even the most frigid woman." - Daisywench
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Originally Posted By DV8:
Not to steal the Chef's thunder, but handling large banquets (140+ people) isn't that difficult as long as the prep work is done and the chef has a very strong and experienced line. Having everything prepped is the key. All the meats need to be trimmed, seasoned, pre-cooked so they can be finished, plated and served hot and quick. Same goes for salads, appetizers, side items and desserts. I most recently worked a catering for Hatteras Yacht's last summer. Over 100 people for a full dinner. We spent all day prepping for one meal and dessert. When it came time to serve, the salads were ready for the service staff to serve. They had been made fresh in bulk and plated on chilled plates just prior to service. Each member of the line had 30 salad salads to plate. It only took about 3 minutes to plate and send onto the floor. The dinner was a choice between filet mignon or sea bass. 6 people on the line (3 on each side of a long table). One was responsible for pulling 6 plates. As soon as they were set down, the guy across from him placed a meat, the next guy placed the potato, the next the veggies, and the next any sauce or gravy. The last guy placed them on the waiting trays of the servers. We served 140 dinners in less than 10 minutes. All hot, all fresh and all perfect. Not one came back. Teamwork and prep are the key. Having a well stocked and roomy kitchen is a bonus, but in any case you have to adapt and overcome.
you are reasonably close..the 6P's are the key.. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance the ability to prepare and properly hold foods is the main key, pre planned preparation, proper equipment or the ability/knowledg/cajones to fake the proper equip and as DV8 says, TEAM WORK, be apart of the team or be toast and lastly pride in what you do and what the final results will be. I have been in positions where there were multiple kitchens, a single kitchen and even a tent or 3. set up and service has been done for say 1000 from fine working kitchens designed to do so to kitchens half the size set up to do 200. You Make Do. sauces are pre prepped and held, foods are cooked to "nearly done" and held. you PRAY, beg and kick your feet the salesperson booked Broccoli for EVERYBODY that day. if you have to make 3 sauces and have 2 pots, you make, clean, store and make. its hard to explain. its a learned trade. my last big Hump day before I got sick was 3 years ago. In a 1950s era resort that wasn't updated in its renovation. just basically cleaned and reopened after 30 years of being closed up. I had an OK Chef and he had pulled together a ragtag culinary team, and a reasonably well trained front of the house team that I had inherited, not selected, this was the weekend we had trained and planned for, for 3 months,(this was a seasonal resort and this was a seasonal team only together in full for 90 days during height of the season) one fine weekend we started on Friday night with dinners for 800 in 3 different locations. 2 ballrooms and a tent on the shore. All were fed at 8pm, all had bars, all had wedding cakes, all had dancing and bands. All went off with out a hitch, all ended at 1am all had different entrées, similar salads and of course wedding cake for dessert all sliced and delivered from the kitchen, the hallway, under the big tree by the beach. All rooms had to be turned, rearranged, reset and ready to go for start time Saturday for 11am where another 1100 were coming for 2 different functions. again as the night before we went with out a hitch and at 3 pm, we flipped rooms, reset and were ready again for 1200 in 4 locations the similar menu and etc..ready to go at 8pm,,at 1 am we only had to turn and reset 2 rooms..one inside and one outside for 11am brunches for 700. then turned the outside tent for a dinner for 300 that night. On Monday, I fell into bed and didn't move but to pee until Tuesday afternoon. crew for all this 10 set up guys 40 to 50 servers 9 cooks Me 1 banquet manager 4 captains 1 chef 2 Sous chefs I in my position as Director of Food and Beverage I helped cook, helped turn rooms, set table, ensure staff was where it needed to be, backed up all my management people, ensured room set ups and service times were in accordance to contracts ensured all union, state and federal laws were followed, breaks were taken, staff ate, staff was clean and in proper uniforms, where and when they needed to be where they needed to be including several working multiple functions in carrying food to front servers to serve. I insured hot food was hot and cold food was cold. There was beer, wine and liqour on hand and avaliable for all and that there was enough of everybodies favorite brand. I saw that Cakes were served and set up according to contracts, Bands and DJs were sober and ready to perform at scheduled and contracted times, insured safety and security measures were in place for the 2 groups that needed such service, calmed down a few brides, patted the hands of a few ruffled mothers of the bride and bought drinks to several fathers of the bride and put one groom in the jail Hospital for his honeymoon when he assaulted me when I caught him stealing booze from the back bar of another function. in older properties ovens break down, steamers blow up, hot boxes become cold and mold grows everywhere. you Never have enough plates, silver or glassware. You never have enough Hot boxes, You never have enough of everything but you get it done, That summer crew did 97 weddings containing 25000 people in 120 days and we gave back no money and only had one complaint strong enough to call for a meet with myself and the GM and the complainant..the mother of the groom I had put in Jail Hospital that memorable Saturday. the BIggest day of my life was luncheon buffets for 10,000 in 8 locations on one property in a 4 story building and exterior tents another big challenge was coffee and cake service in 4 states at 10am on the same day in 48 locations for about 6k people. 6 people to plate up 100.... in my kitchen, no way, may be 2
ETA all this is probably overwhelming to alot who read it. to me, its what I do. the thought of desiging a building to house 100 offices or launch a rocket into space of fly an airplane full of people,,that overwhelms me. |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
Originally Posted By Skunkum:
Chef, Most home kitchens have a stove, refrigerator/freezer, a dishwasher, and maybe a divided sink. Smaller commercial eateries in our area step that up to heavier-use appliances and griddles and fry baskets. They might have more than one or two of the appliances they use the most. How do these compare to a kitchen necessary to provide banquet-type meals for hundreds of people (like when you mentioned serving 700-800 pumpkins as soup bowls)? I'm supposing that multiple kitchens would be preferred instead of one giant kitchen, because you usually would not serve that many meals at one banquet? With multiple kitchens you would be better able to serve 3 or 4, 200-place banquets? A banquet would be different than serving restauant-style, since you would not "turn over" the tables multiple times in an evening. Most places would not even have enough storage space for that many pumpkins, even if they are baseball sized. I'm just trying to get an idea of how you are able to deal with the sheer volume required. I've been in restaurant supply shops and seen their offerings but they do not have the same stuff used by the Wonder Bread factory, either (for instance). see above
equipment I have had ovens you can walk into and be roasted standing. I have had refers and freezers you can turn a truck around in. I have had metal boxes you kept hot with sterno and hoped you didnt burn the place down. I have been called upon to cook a steer...a whole steer. took 3 days. and serve chocolate shell as thin as tissue paper filled with exotic fruits and mousse to 1000.
we do what we do. we make it happen, Skunk, its sort of like raising kids other peoples kids,,maybe even special needs kids at some point you just decide youve done the best and let it go and happen.
ETA the above scenario was done thru one medium sized kitchen designed to do about a third of the business described...
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Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
|
Originally Posted By douglasmorris99:
Originally Posted By DV8:
Not to steal the Chef's thunder, but handling large banquets (140+ people) isn't that difficult as long as the prep work is done and the chef has a very strong and experienced line. Having everything prepped is the key. All the meats need to be trimmed, seasoned, pre-cooked so they can be finished, plated and served hot and quick. Same goes for salads, appetizers, side items and desserts. I most recently worked a catering for Hatteras Yacht's last summer. Over 100 people for a full dinner. We spent all day prepping for one meal and dessert. When it came time to serve, the salads were ready for the service staff to serve. They had been made fresh in bulk and plated on chilled plates just prior to service. Each member of the line had 30 salad salads to plate. It only took about 3 minutes to plate and send onto the floor. The dinner was a choice between filet mignon or sea bass. 6 people on the line (3 on each side of a long table). One was responsible for pulling 6 plates. As soon as they were set down, the guy across from him placed a meat, the next guy placed the potato, the next the veggies, and the next any sauce or gravy. The last guy placed them on the waiting trays of the servers. We served 140 dinners in less than 10 minutes. All hot, all fresh and all perfect. Not one came back. Teamwork and prep are the key. Having a well stocked and roomy kitchen is a bonus, but in any case you have to adapt and overcome.
you are reasonably close..the 6P's are the key.. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance the ability to prepare and properly hold foods is the main key, pre planned preparation, proper equipment or the ability/knowledg/cajones to fake the proper equip and as DV8 says, TEAM WORK, be apart of the team or be toast and lastly pride in what you do and what the final results will be. I have been in positions where there were multiple kitchens, a single kitchen and even a tent or 3. set up and service has been done for say 1000 from fine working kitchens designed to do so to kitchens half the size set up to do 200. You Make Do. sauces are pre prepped and held, foods are cooked to "nearly done" and held. you PRAY, beg and kick your feet the salesperson booked Broccoli for EVERYBODY that day. if you have to make 3 sauces and have 2 pots, you make, clean, store and make. its hard to explain. its a learned trade. my last big Hump day before I got sick was 3 years ago. In a 1950s era resort that wasn't updated in its renovation. just basically cleaned and reopened after 30 years of being closed up. I had an OK Chef and he had pulled together a ragtag culinary team, and a reasonably well trained front of the house team that I had inherited, not selected, this was the weekend we had trained and planned for, for 3 months,(this was a seasonal resort and this was a seasonal team only together in full for 90 days during height of the season) one fine weekend we started on Friday night with dinners for 800 in 3 different locations. 2 ballrooms and a tent on the shore. All were fed at 8pm, all had bars, all had wedding cakes, all had dancing and bands. All went off with out a hitch, all ended at 1am all had different entrées, similar salads and of course wedding cake for dessert all sliced and delivered from the kitchen, the hallway, under the big tree by the beach. All rooms had to be turned, rearranged, reset and ready to go for start time Saturday for 11am where another 1100 were coming for 2 different functions. again as the night before we went with out a hitch and at 3 pm, we flipped rooms, reset and were ready again for 1200 in 4 locations the similar menu and etc..ready to go at 8pm,,at 1 am we only had to turn and reset 2 rooms..one inside and one outside for 11am brunches for 700. then turned the outside tent for a dinner for 300 that night. On Monday, I fell into bed and didn't move but to pee until Tuesday afternoon. crew for all this 10 set up guys 40 to 50 servers 9 cooks Me 1 banquet manager 4 captains 1 chef 2 Sous chefs I in my position as Director of Food and Beverage I helped cook, helped turn rooms, set table, ensure staff was where it needed to be, backed up all my management people, ensured room set ups and service times were in accordance to contracts ensured all union, state and federal laws were followed, breaks were taken, staff ate, staff was clean and in proper uniforms, where and when they needed to be where they needed to be including several working multiple functions in carrying food to front servers to serve. I insured hot food was hot and cold food was cold. There was beer, wine and liqour on hand and avaliable for all and that there was enough of everybodies favorite brand. I saw that Cakes were served and set up according to contracts, Bands and DJs were sober and ready to perform at scheduled and contracted times, insured safety and security measures were in place for the 2 groups that needed such service, calmed down a few brides, patted the hands of a few ruffled mothers of the bride and bought drinks to several fathers of the bride and put one groom in the jail Hospital for his honeymoon when he assaulted me when I caught him stealing booze from the back bar of another function. in older properties ovens break down, steamers blow up, hot boxes become cold and mold grows everywhere. you Never have enough plates, silver or glassware. You never have enough Hot boxes, You never have enough of everything but you get it done, That summer crew did 97 weddings containing 25000 people in 120 days and we gave back no money and only had one complaint strong enough to call for a meet with myself and the GM and the complainant..the mother of the groom I had put in Jail Hospital that memorable Saturday. the BIggest day of my life was luncheon buffets for 10,000 in 8 locations on one property in a 4 story building and exterior tents another big challenge was coffee and cake service in 4 states at 10am on the same day in 48 locations for about 6k people. 6 people to plate up 100.... in my kitchen, no way, may be 2
ETA all this is probably overwhelming to alot who read it. to me, its what I do. the thought of desiging a building to house 100 offices or launch a rocket into space of fly an airplane full of people,,that overwhelms me. 
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Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Gonzo
"I know, I know, you're a prince among men, capable of giving hundreds of orgasms to even the most frigid woman." - Daisywench
"I know, I know, you're a prince among men, capable of giving hundreds of orgasms to even the most frigid woman." - Daisywench
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Chef,
I had some wedding cake that was wonderful. Before I go further let me say I have been a wedding DJ for more the half my life and have eaten a lot of cake. This cake was very moist and I guess you would say heavy, but in a good way. It looked normal in regards to air bubbles and color, but was wonderful. Do you know how I might be able to make that at home? |
I want to buy WW-2 items, especially German. PM or e-mail me.
All of my posts are meant to be informative and polite, never rude or insulting. So if you are offended by anything I say it's because you're stupid.
All of my posts are meant to be informative and polite, never rude or insulting. So if you are offended by anything I say it's because you're stupid.
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Originally Posted By cckw:
Chef, I had some wedding cake that was wonderful. Before I go further let me say I have been a wedding DJ for more the half my life and have eaten a lot of cake. This cake was very moist and I guess you would say heavy, but in a good way. It looked normal in regards to air bubbles and color, but was wonderful. Do you know how I might be able to make that at home? a good question but, difficult to answer.. in my experience, Box mix cakes come out moister over scratch cakes. my reasoning behind this is simple Coconut oil ond or Corn syrup is in the box mixes and you add oil to that. whereas flour, oil, sugar and flavoring is in the scratch cake. secondly all boxed cake mixes have cake flour in them, it is a higher gluten, double sifted flour. most scratch cake bakers, tend to just use all purpose flour either by half or instead of, cake flour as the cost is less. This makes a dryer, grainer cake. lastly I have for years sprinkled either sugar water./simple syrup or sweet liqours such as ammaretto, fruit schnapps etc on my cake prior to frosting gaurenteeing a moister cake as it is sealed inside. to do this you have to be sure you frost the bottom layer prior to placing on the service plate or it just leaks out the bottom of the cake we used to use the old style water sprinkler your Mom used for ironing shirts. today, spray bottles have replaced this, giving you a finer distrubution and actually less giving you more to acheive a moister scratch cake an additional 10% oils/fats added to the mix should give you want you want.. hope this helps. and Thanks CHEF 
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Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
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Wow!
Chef, I just saw that you have your index posted. Awesome Again! Hope you intend to keep it posted up as two versions, one as an index and one by page. Sometimes I don't know what I'm looking for, and glancing over the page-by-page listing helps me remember that "it was during that big discussion on.....". On the other hand, the index helps me find something right away if I know what I'm looking for. THANKS!!! (I posted here, 'cause I didn't want to muff up the index, LOL) |
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Originally Posted By Skunkum:
Wow! Chef, I just saw that you have your index posted. Awesome Again! Hope you intend to keep it posted up as two versions, one as an index and one by page. Sometimes I don't know what I'm looking for, and glancing over the page-by-page listing helps me remember that "it was during that big discussion on.....". On the other hand, the index helps me find something right away if I know what I'm looking for. THANKS!!! (I posted here, 'cause I didn't want to muff up the index, LOL) You are welcome but I had a minimum to do with it. it was mostly Ferals doing so praises and bitches can go to him
with every one jumping in on one part, Feral doing some type of majic bone shaking, chicken sacrificing, midget rassalin, Computer stuff,, YOU and we have a very nice index and indice. |
Who beat their swords into plowshares plow for those who don't TJ
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW
Best we can hope for people at large is that they be properly armed AH
firearms anywhere & everywhere restrains evil & deserve a place of honor with all that's good GW