View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 10:55 pm Post subject: Rules for the Aspiring Cook. |
|
|
1. First do no harm! In other words if you're going to mess with any given foodstuff, then make sure the results of your tampering are going to be an improvement on the original. In a high-end London restaurant recently, a chef who should way know better served me a dish where white crab meat had been pulled and pulverised to the point where all of its original flavour had been all but destroyed. Anyone knows that good white crab served in a bowl with a slice of brown bread and butter and at most, a light squeeze of lemon, cannot be bettered and it's a fools errand to try; I was amazed to see such a renowned chef fall into so simple a trap! _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Avatar Immanentizing The Eschaton

Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 56415
Thanks: 72 Thanked 165 Times in 161 Posts
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa 24128 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:


|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
2. Clean as you go. I struggle a bit with this one, as the GF always makes a point of telling me.
--A _________________ Don't believe everything you think.
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Menolly Gravin Threndor, how I love thee.

  Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 22891
Thanks: 32 Thanked 86 Times in 85 Posts
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern... 148234 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:
  

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 5:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
3. Perfect your knife skills before tackling anything else. _________________
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 7:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
4. (I'm sure Av will be with me on this) Get your roux technique down and work on your sauces. They will be the key element of many dishes, both savory and sweet, and will make or break the end result. _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
dlbpharmd Lord

  Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 14297
Thanks: 5 Thanked 51 Times in 50 Posts
Location: Jacksboro, TN. 14951 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:
  

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
5. Have ingredients ready and nearby before starting to cook. _________________
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
JIkj fjds j j sfoO fp
 Joined: 22 Dec 2014 Posts: 1058
Thanks: 6 Thanked 17 Times in 16 Posts
Location: 24i v o ot 2897 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 12:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
6. And always stick to the weights and measures. Unless you know what your doing changing ingredients half way through could spell disaster. By the same token exactitude isn't always necessary and ingredients often need to be taken with a pinch of salt. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Vader Black

 Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 1835
Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 26 Posts
Location: On the lam 6969 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 6:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
7. Similar to rule 1: less is sometimes more and simple is not always bad. Only use a few good ingredients at a time and make them shine on their own.
Or as the poet says:
"To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow, or with taper-light to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excess." _________________ Functionless art is vandalism. I am the vandal. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
SoulBiter State of Confusion

 Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Posts: 5458
Thanks: 22 Thanked 42 Times in 41 Posts
15801 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:
  

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 7:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
8. Use fresh ingredients if at all possible!!!! Having an herb garden is a good thing. If you cant grow things, buy fresh ingredients. _________________ "He torments himself sufficiently."
**"You can deny if you will but the "hens" didn't just happen to show up when they did, by accident. "**
"All of the above is my opinion and thus shouldnt need to be supported by anything other than more of my opinions. "
We miss you Tracie but your Spirit will always shine brightly on the Watch  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
9. Taste, taste, taste. (And season with care - easier to add incrementally than to correct if overdone.) _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Avatar Immanentizing The Eschaton

Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 56415
Thanks: 72 Thanked 165 Times in 161 Posts
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa 24128 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:


|
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 4:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, never understood people who don't taste as they go along. Also, in regard to Vaders "less is more," the GF is always going on about "3 ingredients."
Uh, rules...
10: Timing, timing, timing. It can be difficult to get everything to come out at once, but getting this right is essential. Identify the things that can stand safely, and start those first.
--A _________________ Don't believe everything you think.
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
11. Never serve hot foods on cold plates; 50% of your effort has been for nothing.
I've been to supposedly good restaurants where they've broken this simple rule and paid the price with a lukewarm tepid dish. _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Avatar Immanentizing The Eschaton

Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 56415
Thanks: 72 Thanked 165 Times in 161 Posts
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa 24128 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:


|
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Oh, I hate cold plates. It's like serving your beer in a warm glass. Yuck.
--A _________________ Don't believe everything you think.
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
This isn't a rule - more of an advice thing: Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavour combinations that shouldn't in theory work. I had asparagus in a sweet almond syrup recently in a restaurant and wow! Monkfish in red wine sauce was another dish that blew me away. Think about it and if there's an inkling of"it might just work" in there - it probably will. _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Vader Black

 Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 1835
Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 26 Posts
Location: On the lam 6969 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Avatar wrote: | Yeah, never understood people who don't taste as they go along. |
There are a lot of standard dishes I know by heart and only taste right before serving to adjust flavors. I usually do my zaziki blindfolded with one arm tied to the back and it always works out. Last time I made zaziki, I finally paid the prize for my hybris. I tasted the finished product and I it was sweet as frak. I immediately checked the yogurt container - I always use full fat greek yogurt for my zaziki - and only then I noticed it said in nice greek like letters: "Natural Greek Yogurt" and in smaller print below "honey flavored". Come on, they could at least have printed a Sirtaki dancing bee on the label. But if I had tasted right form the beginning, I might have been able to avoid catastrophe.
peter wrote: | This isn't a rule - more of an advice thing: Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavour combinations that shouldn't in theory work. |
Let me assure you, honey flavored Zaziki is utterly vile.
12. Make your own fond/stock/broth. I will taste when you are using stock cubes or such. And I won't exer come back to your restaurant again. _________________ Functionless art is vandalism. I am the vandal. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
13. Blitzing veg in a liquidiser does not make it soup. Soup is a heartwarming kiss to the soul and deserves respect (in fact a rule could be 'Throw away your liquidizer- but that might be a bit too harsh: a compromise is 'Stick it in a cupboard and forget it's there). _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Vader Black

 Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 1835
Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 26 Posts
Location: On the lam 6969 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 10:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
14. Inedible stuff as decoration is a no go. Whatever ends up on a plate is meant to be eaten. A few fried rosemary needles? Fine. But whole twigs and branches belong to the forest and not on the plate. _________________ Functionless art is vandalism. I am the vandal.
Last edited by Vader on Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Avatar Immanentizing The Eschaton

Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 56415
Thanks: 72 Thanked 165 Times in 161 Posts
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa 24128 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:


|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 6:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
I'm 100% with that one! It could be extended to include edible things that are nothing to a dish. A harmonious plate of food well served has nothing extraneous on it whatsoever. _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
peter the spider from Mars

Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 7675
Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 49 Posts
31467 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Pour a half sink of hot water before beginning your prep and have hand wash and towel next to it. That way each of the half dozen hand washes needed as you swap from raw ingredient to raw ingredient can be managed quickly and efficiently
Don't cut thawing times too fine for frozen produce that must be defrosted. Allow extra time and then keep the item chilled for a short while if needed. _________________ http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Zarathustra Be True

Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 17697
Thanks: 37 Thanked 178 Times in 171 Posts
23146 White Gold Dollars
Tokens
HP
User Items:

|
Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
Get a good thermometer. Learn your temps for meats. Overcooked meat is garbage. _________________ Meaning is created internally by each individual in each specific life: any attempt at *meaning* which relies on some kind of external superstructure (God, Satan, the Creator, the Worm, whatever) for its substance misses the point (I mean the point of my story). -SRD
Remain faithful to the earth, my brothers, with the power of your virtue. Let your gift-giving love and your knowledge serve the meaning of the earth ... Do not let them fly away from earthly things and beat with their wings against eternal walls. Alas, there has always been so much virtue that has flown away. Lead back to the earth the virtue that flew away, as I do-back to the body, back to life, that it may give the earth a meaning, a human meaning. -Nietzsche |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|