tartare

Grant Achatz Describes His Stage at El Bulli

Very clever of Adria and Soler to close El Bulli, never allowing it to become anything less than what it had been.  The New York Times ran a great piece by Grant Achatz and his stage experience at El Bulli.

Merle Ellis Has Died

I didn't see this anywhere in the news.  Merle Ellis, butcher, television host and most notably, the author of the excellent "Cutting Up in the Kitchen" has died.  My grandmother, who taught me so much about cooking, was a big Merle Ellis fan and a good deal of her meat cooking technique came from him.

 Though Cutting Up in the Kitchen is out of print, it is often available on Amazon.com used.  I bought a copy for my brother as a gift; I found it for $0.50, significantly less than I paid to mail it.  

Foie. Gras. Jelly. Donut

Scott Gold confronts a gastronomic Godzilla and survives to tell the tale:

"Foie gras jelly donut, $16

No way…could it really be?  I spoke the words aloud, just to make sure something in my cranium wasn’t all tangled up like an Oliver Sacks patient, causing me to see things that weren’t actually there.  ”Foie.  Gras.  Jelly.  Donut,”  I said.  And then, “Holy shit.”  Now, I normally try not to swear in front of my parents, but some things just have to be said.  I needed to order it - the decision was made as soon as I saw the words.  I wasn’t really even in the mood for it, but when confronted with something so outrageous, all will power is lost.  It’s as though the menu had performed the Jedi mind-trick on me: “You will have the foie gras jelly donut.”  ”I will have the foie gras jelly donut.”  When the server came to take our orders, I pointed at the menu and asked, simply, “Seriously?”  ”Oh, yes,” he said.  Oh well, I thought.  I guess we’re going to do this."

German Molecular Gastronomist Looses Hands

According to the UK Telegraph, a 24-year old German man lost both hands and very nearly his life in a liquid hydrogen accident.  The details are a bit sketchy, though there is little doubt that liquid nitrogen has to be handled with care. 

While often attributed to so-called "molecular gastrononmists", using LN2 for food preparation has been around at least since 1885. 

Mmmm...Spider Pizza

Of course, different cultures will have varied tastes in ingredients, so why not have the ultimate Italian and Japanese mashup?  I give you Spider Pizza.

But Who Will Rescue Gordon Ramsay From Himself?

It seems to me that  Thomas à Kempis said something like "Gladly we desire to make other men perfect, but we will not amend our own fault."  And as such, it seems ironic that Gordon Ramsay finds himself as a possible contestant for "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares".  

Perhaps Little Gordon may come to his rescue?

Which Restaurants Have The Tastiest Desserts?

Nothing like a good graph to really bring things home.  Pretty illuminating.

BTW, flavor pairings pieces are on their way.  I lost a few days to an unexpected spring cold.

In the Mail: New Michael Ruhlman Book

I have consistently enjoyed Michael Ruhlman's books (I partially credit his The Making of a Chef with being an influence in my decision to go to cooking school.  Nowhere else did I find such detailed description of what it would be like and although I chose Midwest Culinary Institute in Cincinnati rather than the CIA, many of the experiences were markedly similar).  One of the things you find in cooking school is beyond learning technique, you learn a whole lot of ratios (1 egg yolk to 1 cup of oil for aioli, for example).  If you know ratios, it gives you tremendous flexibility and a great starting point for improvisation.  Well, Ruhlman is back again with a new book that looks to be a worthwhile addition to the culinary bookshelf: Ratios: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking.

I will write a review after I get the book.

El Bulli Changes Seasons

Ferran Adria changes the brief season that El Bulli is open...just to keep people on their toes.

Grant Achatz Blogs

How does this guy have the time to do anything, much less blog? I'm not complaining of course -- I am such an Achatz fan that it's almost silly (though, I promise, not in anyway stalkerish...just a big fan).   Well worth the read as Grant is not only thoughtful and creative, but very articulate.