Archive for October, 2007

The Holy Trinity – Mirepoix

October 14, 2007

Ok, it doesn’t get much more simple than this. However, It is a noteworthy concept. The concept of Mirepoix. Imagine, 3 simple vegetables that rarely get eaten on their own, when combined and cooked in a certain way are able to add such an incredible and complex flavor to a dish. This is called the [...]

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Hollandaise Sauce – Method and Variations

October 12, 2007

Hollandaise sauce is the sort of Holy Grail of sauces. The reason for this is due to its exquisite flavor and difficulty of preparation. Often times it becomes one of the first marks of a great Chef, their ability to prepare a good tasting Hollandaise sauce that does not break. Hollandaise sauce derives its name [...]

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Caipirinha – The Little Brazilian Cocktail That Could

October 11, 2007

It was not long ago that no one in the U.S.A. had ever heard of the Caipirinha. Now, it is one of the top 50 drinks according to the IBA (International Bartenders Association). Made popular recently due to the influx and nationalization of Brazilian immigrants and the availability of high quality Brazilian made Cachaça. The [...]

Posted in At the Bar, UnClad Recipes 1 Comment »

Crème Fraîche – Everything You Need to Know

October 11, 2007

Crème Fraîche is that one ingredient that is not often used, more commonly misunderstood, and sometimes made into a synonym for sour cream. Today we are going to change all of this. So after hours of research, here is what I came up with. Crème Fraîche is a French word that translates into “fresh cream”. [...]

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On Food and Cooking – Harold McGee

October 10, 2007

The Bible is to Christianity as On Food And Cooking is to Cooking. This is non-negotiable algebra. This book is not a mere cookbook in all actuality it offers very few recipes within its 900 pages. The main purpose of On Food and Cooking is to explain food. Explain how food works, and how the [...]

Posted in Tools of the Trade 2 Comments »

Tip Percentage Increase Proposal

October 9, 2007

Inflation looks like it will average about 2.5% this year. Which is within the norm. I understand that restaurant prices, someway or another, tend to increase along with inflation as does everything else. Because service people in the restaurant industry are customarily tipped on a percentage of sales, logic would state that if inflation goes [...]

Posted in For the Record 2 Comments »