The Weekend Is The Time To Experiment Or any other time off is when you get to experiment with new ways – even if the old ways still work for you, never heard of an upgrade in service? Be your own service provider. Most public servants or servers don’t know you as well as youContinue reading “The Weekend Is The Time To Experiment”
Category Archives: AFC GUIDES
The Perversion Of Food
The Perversity Of Food What’s your lean? Where’s your marble? Why does it always have to be Chicken Parmesan? All you can do is copy? Where’s your imagination? Somebody locked you into their culinary demands that never can be changed? What is this all about? Prey or pray tell? Mamma or government. Spread your culinaryContinue reading “The Perversion Of Food”
Transparency In Food Labeling
Why do companies hide animal ingredients under natural flavor label on products? They don’t want other companies copying their product; they need some secret ingredients. Otherwise someone else will sell the same product.
Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential
I’m not trying to increase book sales of a dead person, but everyone who eats and drinks out should read Anthony Bourdain’s KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL.
Cooling To Room Temperature vs Warming To Room Temperature
Cooling To Room Temperature vs Warming To room Temperature I’ve never been at ease with cooling down or more specifically removing from heat and letting cool to room temperature. Whatever you’re cooking, it doesn’t matter. If it’s on the burner it’s hot – very hot. The term cooling to room temperature just wasn’t accurate –Continue reading “Cooling To Room Temperature vs Warming To Room Temperature “
PIZZA TOAST IS ON THE WAY
Do You Know Why PIZZA HOUSES Don’t Make Pizza On Bread? Because it’s so good and so easy that you wouldn’t want to go out to a pizza house for it – you could make it yourself. How many times have you been disappointed with your yeast risen pizza?? I used to think the doughContinue reading “PIZZA TOAST IS ON THE WAY”
Standardized Viscosity
Standardized Viscosity Ever notice how there’s only one basic consistency of pudding or mousse or gelatin, even gravy? I don’t know who sets the standard, but it happens and for whatever reason everybody who sells pudding, mousse, gelatin, even gravy either copies one another or they settle into one viscosity level. A cook assigned toContinue reading “Standardized Viscosity”
Are Cooks And Servers Poisoning Your Food?
Are Cooks And Servers Poisoning Your Food? One would think not during a pandemic that by its nature results in low customer turnout. One would think all employees cooking and serving at dining and drinking establishments would want to satisfy their customers more. One would think that the quality of food, the attention to dumpingContinue reading “Are Cooks And Servers Poisoning Your Food?”
HERBS AND SPICES
Within the category of plants that we commonly call herbs, are herbs and evergreens. Herbs are annual, biennial, or perennial plants in which the stems die down to the ground after flowering. An annual plant lives only one season or year. A biennial plant lives for two years. And a perennial plant lives more than twoContinue reading “HERBS AND SPICES”
UMAMI
Did you know that taste buds are located around the small structures known as papillae found on the upper surface of the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus, the cheek and epiglottis? Betcha thought taste buds were only on the tongue. Me too. Wine tasters known for swishing the wine around the mouth are not only aerating it, they’re experiencing the wine through all of theirContinue reading “UMAMI”
Tofu Cloth Instructions
TOFU CLOTH INSTRUCTIONS ClipBoard: After a few years, my tofu cloth made from a polyester curtain sprang some holes. Since I didn’t have any spare curtain fabric, I used instead one of Steve’s old white cotton T-shirts. It work just as fine. For many recipes you’ll want to squeeze the liquid out of the blockContinue reading “Tofu Cloth Instructions”
Replicating Recipes
REPLICATING RECIPES It seems that some recipes, no matter how you prepare them, turn out perfectly every time. Other recipes, no mater how precisely you follow the instructions, turn out differently every time. The reason for this is that some recipes are more susceptible to variations (no matter how slight) than others. If you experienceContinue reading “Replicating Recipes”
NEW RICE POLICY
NEW RICE POLICY Since reading about high arsenic levels in rice, particularly brown rice, I now rinse all bagged rice till water runs clear before cooking it. Place dried rice in wire mesh strainer. Run faucet water over rice, while holding the strainer over a saucepan, emptying pan as needed, till the water runs clearContinue reading “NEW RICE POLICY”
Frustration-Free Cooking
FRUSTRATION-FREE COOKING COOK TO PLEASE–either yourself and/or your guests. To approach cooking as a chore deprives you of the joys of discovery, accomplishment and satisfaction. DON’T RUSH. Accelerating the cooking process to the point of exhausting the cook is unsettling to the cook as well as the people she/he is cooking for. Relax and enjoy theContinue reading “Frustration-Free Cooking”
DUMBING DOWN RECIPES
DUMBING DOWN RECIPES I don’t dumb down recipes. Everybody does it in order to make the recipe sound as simple as possible. If I did it, I’d be defeating the purpose of teaching you the correct way, or at least the way I did it. Dumbing down a recipe leaves too much open for interpretationContinue reading “DUMBING DOWN RECIPES”
2017 Window Garden At Rose’s Castle
No direct sun, with us being on the sunless side of the building, but we have a lake view which makes up for it. Regardless, herbs still grow absent direct sunlight. Living in an apartment doesn’t allow for drying herbs outside – so I do it inside with good results. Mint is one of myContinue reading “2017 Window Garden At Rose’s Castle”
ACHIEVEMENTS IN COOKING
ACHIEVEMENTS IN COOKING. Throughout these recipes you will hear me speak of flavor, texture, color and aroma achievements. They are simply defined as follows: Flavor achievement refers to the ultimate flavor achieved in any given dish. Texture achievement refers to the ultimate texture (feeling on the tongue, mouth, or to the tooth) achieved in any given dish. ColorContinue reading “ACHIEVEMENTS IN COOKING”
ANIMAL-FREE SOUS-CHEF™ 