Comments on: Culinary Conundrum

By: paul anton zorn

paul anton zorn — Wed, 04 May 2005 12:25:07 +0000

seven sided potatoes.. the answer lies in that little fat guy right next to this comment box:
originally, there were eight sides (still cut that way in some kitchens) as in the eight spiked wheel of buddhism.
however, if the potatoes are too small, eight sides don’t do the trick of preventing the “taters” to roll around your plate, you see? that’s why as a further cut two of the eight sides are joined and made one. thus letting the potato sit snug like a buddha in the sauce..

you think i’m kidding you? hey, I was a cook longer than you live, so..

what a fun blog! greetings from a swiss ex-chef!

By: blurker gone bad

blurker gone bad — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:54:59 +0000

Mikeeeeeee where are youuuuuuuu?

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 05:01:28 +0000

“to reflect the stories and tastes that I enjoy – whatever those may be.”

Maybe that is a starting point?

Personally, I say it is perfectly ok to start with other people’s recipes and work to make them your own. I think that is where everyone starts out at. Do you think Julia and Emeril just came up with things? No. They had a foundation to work with. The trick is embracing that and making it truly your own.

While not forcing your family to suffer too much.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 18:26:14 +0000

(FYI: I couldn’t ever read this post in Mozilla. Had to open it up in IE.)

I’m totally with you on meals being an expression of something personal. I mostly take the tack of starting with a recipe, then working on modifications to suit my own tastes and personality. For something really complicated – a particular kind of pastry, for example – I’ll follow a recipe religiously until I understand the concept, and then branch out from there. But for my big, fancy dinner parties, I try to have a blend between what I’m getting from recipe instructions and what comes from my own impulses. The more and more time I spend on complex cooking, the more impulses are taking over.

I have no desire to be a chef. I love that part of the experience of cooking for me is always to make the food for people I love, and then share in the meal with them. But at some point I hope to get some more formal instruction on food, such as public classes at a culinary institute. Always with a goal of becoming better at expressing my love for my friends and family through food.

(Check your sidebar links, too. I’ve moved my blog.)

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:21:09 +0000

Fresh dill rules. Especially for fish or creamy dips/sauces.

By: blurker gone bad

blurker gone bad — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 17:31:33 +0000

I’m a huge fan of dill (could be my Greek grandparents). You need to work with it, it’s fabulous! Just remember that you need to use a lot more fresh dill than you do dried dill.

Mmm. Greek food. Mmmmm.

By: Geoff Coupe

Geoff Coupe — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 19:45:18 +0000

Ah, but Mike – I think you have missed on something completely. Think of Julia and Nigel as music composers. They publish their works, but the performance is a shared effort, by the composer and the performer/interpreter (in this case, the cook).

I have no problems about your wanting to be a culinary composer – but please don’t condemn those of us who merely perform and interpret the great culinary works as mere hacks (Yes, I know you don’t, I’m just pushing the point to make a point).

I’m quite happy to be the equivalent of a competent musician – as long as I can give pleasure by interpreting the great works of art to a level that affords satisfaction to my friends, that is enough for me.

Oh, and thanks for seeing me as some kind of role model – I’m blushing!

By: Jake

Jake — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 17:51:45 +0000

RE: “the art of preparing food ahead of time”
The Wife and I have become surprisingly adept at menu planning and food prep timing for parties.
Meals? Not so much.
But we’ve got the party thing down to a science. It’s cool.
I wish I could give advice, but it seems to have happened totally organically.