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simdelish

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About simdelish

  • Birthday October 27

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  • Gender
    Female
  • Interests
    Food, what else? cooking, eating, dining out, pastry, cakes, writing... in no particular order
  • Location
    in my mind? preferably on a beach...

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  1. Bravo supposedly had sky-high ratings for the initial episode of TCJD, but I think after the first two, people are already tuning out (which is a shame) because of all the childish drama and whining. I've been disappointed in the challenges from the get-go... cupcakes???? ice cream sundaes??? c'mon... and with pre-made cake layers??? and Breyer's ice cream??? Let these people show us what they really know how to do. I realize the time constraints are necessary, and affect TCJD much more so than regular/savory TC, but the producers should not hold to the same short time limitations so rigidly, in order to showcase how pastry comes about ( multiple components, and most needing extended time for baking, chilling, setting, freezing, etc) , as opposed to cooking a la minute. I fully expected a 'bake sale episode' -- a la ballpark/ tailgate challenge like regular TC, so that was okay. Both the cocktail and this week's Lucent Dossier inspired challenges were more interesting and showcased actual talent, (AND the exit of Seth was welcome!) so hopefully that's a sign of better things to come. As for a 'better group' of cheftestants for a possible second season... that's doubtful. I think more and more these days producers of reality shows (and TC is no exception) are driven to find and fill 2 requirements: drama and diversity. That doesn't always necessarily translate into finding the best talent out there... but hey -- that's what gets ratings, and it's entertaining!
  2. Incredibly delicious fat, meaty and moist authentic chicken tamales, brought in to work by one of our Mexican prep cooks. I have now "ordered" 15 more from her for this weekend!
  3. When I'm home, and my mint patch is in full force, I make mine from scratch. But several years ago, precisely BECAUSE my mint was in full force, I made a mint simple syrup, so I could have the drinks anytime, and it made it so much easier when entertaining. Now, I pretty much only use the simple syrup, except when at the beach or whereever and have fresh mint out the back door, to use. I was on a campaign to have the restaurant I work at serve them this summer. They said 'too much trouble." So I made up a batch of mint simple syrup for the bartenders, showed them what to do, and now it's our best selling drink, particularly on the rooftop. The manager, as a matter of fact, just today told me someone recognized him and stopped him on the street and said "OMG! When did you start serving Mojitos? they are fabulous! I am telling everybody!" So, I guess they are happy with me...
  4. My three experiences there for dinner were all sad. The service was abyssmal, the food not fresh, and nothing like what the menu describes. My trips to the bar, however, have all been rewarding, mostly for the beer and the fries. Although this will make me sound like my grandmother, my pet peeve with the place is that while the customers dress nicely, everything from elegant casual to suits, the servers dress like total slobs, with bare midriffs, shirttails hanging out, raggedy and thread-bare jeans, high-top sneakers, and desperately needing a shave. It really makes me lose my appetite.
  5. That's the advice of Marcella, who said it over 20 years ago. At least she's the expert who I always abide by when it comes to anything Italian...
  6. I happened upon excellent mojitos at Bangkok Joe's down at the Harborfront. Quite nicely priced, and they went down awfully fast, so we ended up with "several" rounds! If you're in that neck of the woods after work, or even out for a stroll on a weekend afternoon, I heartily recommend them.
  7. I've done just that... a perfect (and elegant) place to perch, nibble, and watch.
  8. Depending on the date, i'd be happy to help... pm me if interested
  9. Heather, my SO is often found on the battlefield, sometimes dragging the kids along for "educational purposes." I usually head somewhere with food or drink. Next time both our guys head off into history, lets meet for our own HH!
  10. I regularly scan CL's employment -- not just when I was looking for work, but still do. It's a great way to keep abreast of who's hiring (and who's left) -- basically it gives a good indication of movement in the Biz. I have also recommended friends to the listings, both looking for work, and for new hires.
  11. I guess train-wreck service is better than train wreck on a plate. (sorry!) What surprised me most was the lack of real mention of the pastries. After all, one half of it IS a Konditorei.... Supposedly Tom goes on the average of three times to a place, but only the lemon and apricots were barely mentioned, pretty much as an afterthought. Originally, I understood this place to be only a pastry shop, but then other food was added to make it a cafe. They even imported a pastry chef from New York (Nancy Kirshner) to oversee the dessert offerings. I keep hoping for some word on this place. I guess I'll have to drag myself there.
  12. You hit the nail on the head. Well said, Michael. (You have such a way with words!) I couldn't have said it better.
  13. I have a bit of experience with convection ovens, and can offer some info/advice. (Sorry if this sounds like an educational spot!) Convection ovens work better and faster than radiant ovens because of the fan blowing the air around the food. This blowing (or moving) air speeds up the rate of heat transferance, just the same way you experience the wind chill in winter. (You get colder faster when the wind is blowing in winter, and the temp feels much colder, hence the weathermen will say "it's 25 degrees out folks, but with the wind chill factor, it's really like 11 degrees!" The blowing of the heated air does several things to food: the skin of your chicken renders its fat faster, thereby cooking more quickly and making the chicken juicier (longer cooking = more dried out chicken). The sugar in your veggies carmelize faster as well, therefore making the outside crisp, the inside more deeply flavorful. And your pie crusts and croissants release their steam faster, therefore rising higher and also becoming more flaky. So... the following is not true: As a matter of fact, the real success and more common use of convection ovens IS for baking. I don't know a bakery that doesn't use convection, whereas lots of regular kitchens (professional, institutional, restaurant) don't necessarily have convection ovens. In addition, baking quantity is much more efficient with convection, because you can put a rack of cookies on every single shelf, and bake them all at once. (You can't do that in a regular oven, because the heat comes from the element in the bottom, and sometimes the top, leaving the middle uncooked, the top rack browned too much on the top, and the bottom rack of cookies burned on the bottoms...rotating your pans helps but is a PITA) With a convection oven, not only do your cookies bake evenly, but likewise that effect of evenly heated air circulating will roast your Thanksgiving turkey better, browning it all over, not just on the top (like a conVENtional oven). One caveat though: with longer times in a convection oven, just as in any hot place, the longer in, the quicker your food will dry out, so three things are important: 1) shorter cooking time 2) often the temp is lowered anywhere from 25-50 degrees, depending on your type of oven -- more on that in a minute-- and 3) in the case of roasts, you definitely want to cover your meat for probably third-to-half the time, then remove and cook the rest of the time uncovered,and the skin will still get plenty crispy. The one problem with convection's rushing air is when you have something delicate: like a custard or something you want the top to be perfectly smooth. The "wind" will make the surface ripple, and consequently not even. (That's when you use conVENtional or if the convection has a 2-speed blower option, you go with the lower speed.). If your oven is not impeccably clean, it will also blow black burn fragments/specks onto your lovely cheesecake. Also, when you use parchment, it of course will blow around, so you make sure you have a cookie in each corner of your last half-filled pan, or somehow weight down the egdes. If you are baking really delicate things like tuiles or choux filigree, you also have to be careful that the blowing paper doesn't misshape your tuile, or totally obliterate your swan necks. Convection ovens have come a long way just in the past few years. The newest home models have a 'computer conversion system' built right in (you program it for what your recipe says, for instance cookies 11 min at 375 degrees, and it automatically calculates and converts the action to 9 min at 350 instead.) Each brand is a bit different, and the instructions will usually make recommendations, whether to cook lower and/or less. True convection ovens actually have three elements, not two. The crummy/cheap convection ovens have two elements, and the fan just blows the existing air around. "True" convections, originated in Europe, (hence the term you sometimes hear, 'european convection' which is interchangeable with 'true convection') have the third element behind the fan, so it blows HEATED air. (This also explains why most gas convections only have 2 elements.) If you are in the market for a convection oven for home use, there are so many fancy improvements just of late...they are better now than ever. Just be sure to do your homework and ask questions, particularly about how many (2 or 3) elements. Some models have a hidden radiant on the bottom, so you can cook your pizza right on the bottom, just like in a real deck oven in pizza places. I saw an amazing Gaggenau that had up to 10 different options! (things like switching between the elements, blower speed options, and steam release to get that crust on your baguette). New this year is TWO fans in the back, so the heat is EVEN MORE evenly heated and circulated throughout. I have designed/consulted on many home kitchens for over 20 years, and it blows my mind the improvements I see every year. I personally have a commercial countertop convection oven at home (leftover from a former business) that is about 5 yrs old (and it has the neato steam release), and I also redid my home kitchen 18 months ago. I of course don't have the big bucks that many of my 'residential clients' had (I live vicariously through them!), but I did get a double wall oven, with one unit convection...and I LOVE it. Hope this helps. (lesson now over! )
  14. Harr is brand new, so the food should be different. The former very short-lived chef, Brian Wolken, left in April to open another restaurant with his fiance -- Bob Kinkeads ex sous-chef Tracy O'Grady. According to the website which is under "re-construction", only the menu is available... but it looks to be the old one, IIRC.
  15. Although many may be pigged out from the picnic, I ran across this today... sounds interesting: Smithsonian Associates is presenting a "pork pilgrimage" with cookbook author, New York Times columnist, and "hamthropologist" Peter Kaminsky as he wittily recounts his passionate quest for all things porcine... Saturday June 4 12:00pm at MICHEL RICHARD CITRONELLE It will be a book signing and luncheon featuring Peter Kaminsky's new book PIG PERFECT (for info or to register: call The Smithsonian Associates at 202 375-3030 www.ResidentAssociates.org) Mark, will there be piggy wines to match?
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