Did some things at the food show that I hadn't seen or done before.

1) I coarsely chopped and poached a whole case of fresh oyster mushrooms
(don't a$k) in heavy cream with a splash of dark beer for a tiny edge of
sharpness. As the mushrooms surrendered their juices, I added some
marinated and rehydrated (in a rich Barolo) sundried tomatoes with
their oil and herbs, and the wine to the pan. Added a little jellied
chicken stock. Reduced it all to a glaze and added some aged, rock-hard
shreds of Parmesan. Tossed it with some rotini that had been cooked in
chicken stock along with broccoli and cauliflower. Drained (and reserved
the stock) the pasta and veggies, and tossed it all together.

2) The reserved chicken stock became a deep reduction that coated a
spoon. Brushed it on skinless, boneless, flattened chicken thighs I'd
cut into 1-inch square pieces and seared in a very hot skillet. The
caramelized brown bits that stuck to the pan came off in the white wine
and balsamic vinegar deglazing (which was also reduced a good bit, not
quite to a syrup). Tossed spaghetti rigate (grooved spaghetti - new
product) with the glaze and chicken pieces. Grated asiago cheese on top
and shipped. The remaining glaze tricked around the pasta as a very,
very rich garnish.

3) Mixed yogurt and heavy cream 50-50 and used it to cook a lot of
little, shucked clams. Threw in some minced garlic, finely chopped straw
mushrooms, shreds of roasted red and yellow peppers, caperberries (left
the stems on for appearance), and chopped, dried anchos. The ingredients
thinned the poaching liquid quite a bit, so I reduced it figuring it
would also give the flavors a better chance to blend. Splash of dry
white wine and a squeeze of lemon to finish. Tossed with linguine.
Garnished with finely chopped parsley that I deep fried for 5 seconds.

4) Did a twist on lasagna with queso blanco and some surprising
ingredients. Sliced big blocks of it into pieces as wide as, but
slightly thicker than, lasagna sheets. Cooked them on a griddle to brown
both sides. Since the cheese doesn't melt when cooked, I used the cooked
cheese sheets as I would have the lasagna pasta. Layered the pan with
sheets of the cooked cheese. Put down a layer of chopped dried mango
slices with orzo mixed in, cheese, chopped fresh pineapple (squeezed a
lot of juice out of it first) mixed with a little ricotta cheese and
farfalle, more cheese sheets, chopped strawberries and tubettini pasta
over which I'd drizzled melted chocolate and finally a woven top of
cooked queso blanco strips I'd dredged in vanilla sugar. Dribbled some
port wine over top and baked it for a strange by luscious dessert. The
dried mango soaked up a lot of juice from everything else. Served warm
with vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of the port.

I lost 4 pounds because I was so busy cooking that I didn't eat.
Perspired a bit, too. Wonderful show. Lots and lots of new and
interesting stuff. Also much crap, but such is life.

Pastorio

Bob (this one) wrote:
> Did some things at the food show that I hadn't seen or done before.
>

Recipes snipped
>
> I lost 4 pounds because I was so busy cooking that I didn't eat.
> Perspired a bit, too. Wonderful show. Lots and lots of new and
> interesting stuff. Also much crap, but such is life.
>
> Pastorio


It all sounds delicious, particularly the mushroom pasta.
How many people do you estimate you fed?

gloria p

"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

>Did some things at the food show that I hadn't seen or done before.
>
OK, Bob, I'm not exactly the brightest bulb on the tree, but after all
these years I have come to the conclusion that you're probably an
actual chef. The thought of pursuing that line of work actually
crossed my mind a number of years ago - then it occurred to me that it
would be kind of like hoping to be a rich, big-time football player.
Pretty much a one-in-a-trillion chance of going beyond mere survival.
And the work must be a WHOLE lot harder than one would think at first
glance.

AlleyGator wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" > wrote:
>
>>Did some things at the food show that I hadn't seen or done before.
>>
> OK, Bob, I'm not exactly the brightest bulb on the tree, but after all
> these years I have come to the conclusion that you're probably an
> actual chef. The thought of pursuing that line of work actually
> crossed my mind a number of years ago - then it occurred to me that it
> would be kind of like hoping to be a rich, big-time football player.
> Pretty much a one-in-a-trillion chance of going beyond mere survival.

Not really. I was paid 6 figures when I ran a country club feeding
operation a few years back. That's not terribly rare. But country club
operation is also *extra* grief in an already hard business. Everybody's
the boss and everybody wants irrationally personal service and kitchen
tricks. If you're thinking about that whole celebrity chef thing, then
it's fairyland. You need to take lessons about how to deal with media.
How to work with cameras. How to get other people to write books you put
your name onto. How to come up with the $350K to get your tv show going...

Educated cooks make decent money. $50K or $60K isn't at all unusual in
restaurants, and more in places whee cost of living is high.

But chef has a specific meaning in foodservice. It's not a more
knowledgeable or experienced cook. It's the person who runs the kitchen.
The full title is "chef de cuisine" or, loosely, chief of the kitchen.
The chef is responsible for menu planning, staffing, purchasing,
pricing, training, hiring and firing and everything else a manager does.
Oh, BTW, he needs to know more than anyone else in the kitchen about
food. And he needs to know who to ask when he doesn't know.

> And the work must be a WHOLE lot harder than one would think at first
> glance.

It is grueling. Hours are long and benefits are generally poor. It's a
peculiar combination of mental and physical work. The mental can be
enormously complex - food cost forecasting, marketing analyses... like
that. While chopping mushrooms to make todays duxelles. The chef is
usually the guy who chooses the quality level the operation works from.
Is everything from scratch or are there some convenience items. Many
convenience items? Mostly convenience? All convenience? Ethnic cuisine?
Continental (whatever that means nowadays)? American (you know, pasta,
sushi, bouillabaise, schnitzel, lutefisk, empanadas...)?

It's a high energy, high stress, high satisfaction job. And it gets
worse by a factor of 10 when you own the place and better by a factor of
50 - if you can make it work. I had one that was a perfect idea in the
perfect location and it bombed. Talk about stress - I went for about
$150K and that was after selling everything in the building and then the
building. But I figure one strikeout out of 11 tries ain't bad.

When I got out of my last one in 2001, I thought I'd cruise and just
take it easy. But a funny thing... I had a big hole in my weekly
schedule - like 80 hours. So now I write a lot of articles and pieces
for encyclopedias and collections and the like. I do radio and tv. I
make foods that I sell in various local markets and am about to start
selling in a local (large) farmers' Market here in the Shenandoah Valley
in a couple weeks. I used to sell these things there and stopped for
some reason I don't recall. I lined up a restaurant kitchen to make the
stuff in and I'll be cranking out vinegars, oils, curds, hot sauces,
spreadable chocolates, brine mixes and who knows what else.

The Kid has announced that she's going to France next year with a school
trip. I asked how she was planning to pay for it. She said, "We're going
to sell stuff at the market."

"What do you want to sell," ask I.

Says she, bath salts, body lotion, hand creams (custom scented while you
wait!), fizzy bath cookies, lip gloss (organic with beeswax and
flavored/scented oils) and other, similar girly stuff.

So we'll be selling two distinct product lines - food and cosmetics.

Should be instructive. And fun. So about 35 of those 80 hours are now
filled. I can lie on the couch and watch the Gilmour Girls reruns with
her at 5pm everyday and not feel guilty.

Pastorio

"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

Snipped a lot of good stuff that I really hated to snip . . .
This was, I have to tell you, quite an entertaining reply. That
80-hour hole in your week must be murder (not!). Sounds like you can
at least say you've had an "interesting" life, eh? And here I was all
excited because I finally got a Santuko-style knife. Made me feel
like Jacques Peppin on the garlic for a few seconds <G>.

AlleyGator wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" > wrote:
>
> Snipped a lot of good stuff that I really hated to snip . . .
> This was, I have to tell you, quite an entertaining reply. That
> 80-hour hole in your week must be murder (not!). Sounds like you can
> at least say you've had an "interesting" life, eh?

This is really my fourth "life." Curly-haired folk singer in the late
50's and early 60's who sometimes wasn't stoned; sang with a lot of
Who's Who folks who kept at it and a bunch more like me who were just
playing. Started as a copywriter (degree in English) in the early 60's
and ran up the corporate tree to international marketing management (and
went to culinary school in Europe to amuse myself). Held a few
miscellaneous jobs to make ends meet while trying to figure out what I
want to be when I grow up. Foodservice 70's through 01. And whatever it
is I'm about nowadays. 4 kids along the way with 3 wives of my own and
several others - between wives - that merely borrowed me for their
entertainment. Been all over the world on expense accounts.

It appears that the whole "be something when I grow up" is dreaming the
impossible dream. But in the meantime, I've stood in front of the Mona
Lisa, St. Paul's cathedral, the La Brea tar pits, La Scala, Texas
Schoolbook Depository, Mt. Fuji, the Sidney opera house, the twin towers
(could see them going up from my office near Wall Street), the Kremlin,
the Berlin wall, Mt. Kilimanjaro... A lot of it was luck, but some was
certainly drive. But, yes, a lotta, lotta good luck. And a huge number
of good people along the way

> And here I was all
> excited because I finally got a Santuko-style knife. Made me feel
> like Jacques Pepin on the garlic for a few seconds <G>.

I think that's great. Next, it'll be those perfect onion cuts. Then the
garnish cuts for the sheer hell of it. Buy a book on garnishing with
lots of pictures. Play with that stuff. It's really satisfying to drop a
swan on a tray of veggies for no good reason and watch everyone smile
about it. Or to do that Japanese "whittle" cut with long strips of some
veggie. Radish mice. The kitchen is the source of physical and mental
health. A smile is good for both.

Pastorio

Bob (this one) wrote:
> AlleyGator wrote:
>
>> "Bob (this one)" > wrote:
>>
>> Snipped a lot of good stuff that I really hated to snip . . .
>> This was, I have to tell you, quite an entertaining reply. That
>> 80-hour hole in your week must be murder (not!). Sounds like you can
>> at least say you've had an "interesting" life, eh?
>
> This is really my fourth "life." Curly-haired folk singer in the late
> 50's and early 60's who sometimes wasn't stoned; sang with a lot of
> Who's Who folks who kept at it and a bunch more like me who were just
> playing. Started as a copywriter (degree in English) in the early 60's
> and ran up the corporate tree to international marketing management
> (and went to culinary school in Europe to amuse myself). Held a few
> miscellaneous jobs to make ends meet while trying to figure out what I
> want to be when I grow up. Foodservice 70's through 01. And whatever
> it is I'm about nowadays. 4 kids along the way with 3 wives of my own
> and several others - between wives - that merely borrowed me for their
> entertainment. Been all over the world on expense accounts.
>
> It appears that the whole "be something when I grow up" is dreaming
> the impossible dream. But in the meantime, I've stood in front of the
> Mona Lisa, St. Paul's cathedral, the La Brea tar pits, La Scala, Texas
> Schoolbook Depository, Mt. Fuji, the Sidney opera house, the twin
> towers (could see them going up from my office near Wall Street), the
> Kremlin, the Berlin wall, Mt. Kilimanjaro... A lot of it was luck,
> but some was certainly drive. But, yes, a lotta, lotta good luck. And
> a huge number of good people along the way
>
>> And here I was all
>> excited because I finally got a Santuko-style knife. Made me feel
>> like Jacques Pepin on the garlic for a few seconds <G>.
>
> I think that's great. Next, it'll be those perfect onion cuts. Then
> the garnish cuts for the sheer hell of it. Buy a book on garnishing
> with lots of pictures. Play with that stuff. It's really satisfying
> to drop a swan on a tray of veggies for no good reason and watch
> everyone smile about it. Or to do that Japanese "whittle" cut with
> long strips of some veggie. Radish mice. The kitchen is the source of
> physical and mental health. A smile is good for both.
>
> Pastorio

(Not snipping a bunch of stuff BECAUSE it's all good..)

Wow, Bob, you sound like a person I would love to meet someday. I always
thought you gave some really good answers to food questions and now I know
why. Thanks for all your help! Good luck at the market.

kili

In article >, "Bob (this one)"
> wrote:
(snip him and Gator)
> It appears that the whole "be something when I grow up" is dreaming the
> impossible dream. But in the meantime, I've stood in front of the Mona
> Lisa,

Oh, B F D ! Were YOU wearing a Pickle Hat when you stood in front of
her? No? I didn't think so. Lookee he <http://tinyurl.com/apz74>
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
Sam I Am! updated 4-9-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

>Oh, B F D ! Were YOU wearing a Pickle Hat when you stood in front of
>her? No? I didn't think so. Lookee he <http://tinyurl.com/apz74>
>--
>-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.

That's just THIS side of bizzare, Barb.

Joe wrote:

> Truly, you're a legend in your own mind

Apparently I have one. The difference between us.

You may go now.

Pastorio

AlleyGator wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
>>Oh, B F D ! Were YOU wearing a Pickle Hat when you stood in front of
>>her? No? I didn't think so. Lookee he <http://tinyurl.com/apz74>
>>--
>>-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
>
> That's just THIS side of bizzare, Barb.

Um, this is *Barb* we're talking about, right?

Don't look over at her, she'll know we're talking about her. But, c'mon.
It's, um, Barb we're talking about.

I mean, jeez...

Pastorio

"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

>Um, this is *Barb* we're talking about, right?
>
>Don't look over at her, she'll know we're talking about her. But, c'mon.
>It's, um, Barb we're talking about.
>
>I mean, jeez...
>
>Pastorio
I know. I like Barb. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment, huh? <G>

"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

>Joe wrote:
>
>> Truly, you're a legend in your own mind
>
>Apparently I have one. The difference between us.
>
>You may go now.
>
>Pastorio
I know it's a free world, and Usenet has no membership requirements.
But are you as constantly amazed as I am that someone completely
unheard of will pop into a group for 5 seconds and post some amazingly
rude nonsense?

kilikini wrote:

> Wow, Bob, you sound like a person I would love to meet someday.

Likewise.

> I always
> thought you gave some really good answers to food questions and now I know
> why.

My boyish good looks coupled with my near-perfect ability to suffer the
fools?

> Thanks for all your help! Good luck at the market.

Thanks. I just got off the phone with my newest inspector from the
Virginia Department of Agriculture, with whom I'm having a confab on
Tuesday. Gotta break in another one...

Pastorio

In article >, "Bob (this one)"
> wrote:

> AlleyGator wrote:
>
> > Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> >
> >>Oh, B F D ! Were YOU wearing a Pickle Hat when you stood in front of
> >>her? No? I didn't think so. Lookee he <http://tinyurl.com/apz74>
> >>--
> >>-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
> >
> > That's just THIS side of bizzare, Barb.
>
> Um, this is *Barb* we're talking about, right?
>
> Don't look over at her, she'll know we're talking about her. But, c'mon.
> It's, um, Barb we're talking about.

Hey, hey, hey! Watchyerse'f. Did you LOOK at the Pickle Hat pictures?
I particularly like the Napoleon and Napoleon-Like one. :-) Well, that
and Dubya in front of Mount Rushmore.

> I mean, jeez...

> Pastorio
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
Sam I Am! updated 4-9-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> In article >, "Bob (this one)"
> > wrote:
>
>>AlleyGator wrote:
>>
>>>Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>>>
>>>>Oh, B F D ! Were YOU wearing a Pickle Hat when you stood in front of
>>>>her? No? I didn't think so. Lookee he <http://tinyurl.com/apz74>
>>>>--
>>>>-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
>>>
>>>That's just THIS side of bizzare, Barb.
>>
>>Um, this is *Barb* we're talking about, right?
>>
>>Don't look over at her, she'll know we're talking about her. But, c'mon.
>>It's, um, Barb we're talking about.
>
> Hey, hey, hey! Watchyerse'f. Did you LOOK at the Pickle Hat pictures?

I did. Yesiree, I sure did. And that tea that splurted out of my nose
had nothing to do with the pictures. I'm being totally honest here.

> I particularly like the Napoleon and Napoleon-Like one. :-)

Well, he was the emperor of France, so it's fitting. And the Pickle Hat
(capital PEE, capital AITCH) seemed to be fitting very tightly. Enough
to make your brain be oxygen deprived...

It's not me saying that, I got hundreds of emails from lurkers who
wanted me to say that to you. For your own good.

> Well, that and Dubya in front of Mount Rushmore.

Where he belongs.

Pastorio

In article >, "Bob (this one)"
> wrote:

> >>>>Oh, B F D ! Were YOU wearing a Pickle Hat when you stood in front of
> >>>>her? No? I didn't think so. Lookee he
> >>>><http://tinyurl.com/apz74>

> >>Um, this is *Barb* we're talking about, right?
> >>
> >>Don't look over at her, she'll know we're talking about her. But,
> >>c'mon. It's, um, Barb we're talking about.

> > Hey, hey, hey! Watchyerse'f. Did you LOOK at the Pickle Hat
> > pictures?
>
> I did. Yesiree, I sure did. And that tea that splurted out of my nose
> had nothing to do with the pictures. I'm being totally honest here.

> > I particularly like the Napoleon and Napoleon-Like one. :-)

> Well, he was the emperor of France, so it's fitting. And the Pickle Hat
> (capital PEE, capital AITCH) seemed to be fitting very tightly. Enough
> to make your brain be oxygen deprived...

Well, if it doesn't fit tight, it'll fall off. It's a dicey fit at
best, even though the hats are adjustable. :-P

> It's not me saying that, I got hundreds of emails from lurkers who
> wanted me to say that to you. For your own good.

Well, as long as it's for my own good.
You got hundreds of emails, eh? Feh! I got one from someone surprised
that I'm not offended by your sass. LOL!! Actually, the phrase was,
"I'm surprised you let him live." <(80) I explained how far back
we go. (Did you ever tell the Third Missus P about that? Before you
went to confession and all before the ceremony?)

> > Well, that and Dubya in front of Mount Rushmore.

> Where he belongs.

More like under it, you ask me.

> Pastorio
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
Sam I Am! updated 4-9-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

In article >, "Bob (this one)"
> wrote:
> Foodservice 70's through 01. And whatever it is I'm about nowadays. 4
> kids along the way with 3 wives of my own and several others -
> between wives - that merely borrowed me for their entertainment.

I read the reviews. They weren't so hot. Something about short and
fast.

> Pastorio
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Cam Ranh Bay food added 4-8-05.
Sam I Am! updated 4-9-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

"Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
...
> Did some things at the food show that I hadn't seen or done before.
>
> 1) I coarsely chopped and poached a whole case of fresh oyster mushrooms
> (don't a$k) in heavy cream with a splash of dark beer for a tiny edge of
> sharpness. As the mushrooms surrendered their juices, I added some
> marinated and rehydrated (in a rich Barolo) sundried tomatoes with their
> oil and herbs, and the wine to the pan. Added a little jellied chicken
> stock. Reduced it all to a glaze and added some aged, rock-hard shreds of
> Parmesan. Tossed it with some rotini that had been cooked in chicken stock
> along with broccoli and cauliflower. Drained (and reserved the stock) the
> pasta and veggies, and tossed it all together.
>
> 2) The reserved chicken stock became a deep reduction that coated a spoon.
> Brushed it on skinless, boneless, flattened chicken thighs I'd cut into
> 1-inch square pieces and seared in a very hot skillet. The caramelized
> brown bits that stuck to the pan came off in the white wine and balsamic
> vinegar deglazing (which was also reduced a good bit, not quite to a
> syrup). Tossed spaghetti rigate (grooved spaghetti - new product) with the
> glaze and chicken pieces. Grated asiago cheese on top and shipped. The
> remaining glaze tricked around the pasta as a very, very rich garnish.
>
> 3) Mixed yogurt and heavy cream 50-50 and used it to cook a lot of little,
> shucked clams. Threw in some minced garlic, finely chopped straw
> mushrooms, shreds of roasted red and yellow peppers, caperberries (left
> the stems on for appearance), and chopped, dried anchos. The ingredients
> thinned the poaching liquid quite a bit, so I reduced it figuring it would
> also give the flavors a better chance to blend. Splash of dry white wine
> and a squeeze of lemon to finish. Tossed with linguine. Garnished with
> finely chopped parsley that I deep fried for 5 seconds.
>
> 4) Did a twist on lasagna with queso blanco and some surprising
> ingredients. Sliced big blocks of it into pieces as wide as, but slightly
> thicker than, lasagna sheets. Cooked them on a griddle to brown both
> sides. Since the cheese doesn't melt when cooked, I used the cooked cheese
> sheets as I would have the lasagna pasta. Layered the pan with sheets of
> the cooked cheese. Put down a layer of chopped dried mango slices with
> orzo mixed in, cheese, chopped fresh pineapple (squeezed a lot of juice
> out of it first) mixed with a little ricotta cheese and farfalle, more
> cheese sheets, chopped strawberries and tubettini pasta over which I'd
> drizzled melted chocolate and finally a woven top of cooked queso blanco
> strips I'd dredged in vanilla sugar. Dribbled some port wine over top and
> baked it for a strange by luscious dessert. The dried mango soaked up a
> lot of juice from everything else. Served warm with vanilla ice cream and
> a sprinkle of the port.
>
> I lost 4 pounds because I was so busy cooking that I didn't eat. Perspired
> a bit, too. Wonderful show. Lots and lots of new and interesting stuff.
> Also much crap, but such is life.
>
> Pastorio
=============

Bob... Duuuddddeeee... WOW!! Those dishes sound DIVINE!!!! Let me know if
you ever ( and I do mean EVER) need a traveling taste tester!!!

Cyndi AbigbigBIGfan

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >, "Bob (this one)"
> > wrote:
>
>>Foodservice 70's through 01. And whatever it is I'm about nowadays. 4
>>kids along the way with 3 wives of my own and several others -
>>between wives - that merely borrowed me for their entertainment.
>
> I read the reviews. They weren't so hot. Something about short and
> fast.

Damn internet...

Pastorio