Chefs Dishing

 If you want the real scoop on any restaurant or the industry , ask a chef. They have a million opinions on what should be done and what should have been done. They rate patrons as often as patrpns rate their dishes .it's interesting to hear just what the people who feed America have to say.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin complied thirty chefs opinions and observations in today's New York  Times wednesday Food section. It is compelling as to what those who influence food trends and cook dishes to suit diners' tastes have to say.Most strong opinions have to do with pricing and tipping.Many diners usually order the cheapest which on a dinner menu is a burger. If one person orders one for the entire night that's fine.If most of the patronage orders them , t en the restaurant has a serious losss. Restauranteurs also comment about the price of drinks versus the places of entrees. People will easily hand over eighteen dollars for one cockail but will grumble about spending money for a very expensive plate.This isn't just in New York or LA , this is throughout the entire country.

There's also an obvious culture shift .Hispanic chefs such as Ana Castro and Aaron Verdoza , amongst others complain that diners will pay two hundred dollars for expensive Italain food but will expect the samel quality and lower pricing for soul, Asian, African and Caribbean food. There's a definite and glaring disprepect for the chefs creating these dishes.Others reminisce about their time coming up. This attitudes goes into tipping as well. People were generous during the pandemic but not anymore.Diners won't tip if their water isn't instantly refilled or their meal took a little longer than usual to reach the table. Yet diners cannot be changed and they , especially locals and regulars are the backbone of any eatery's business. Would many chef's recommend the job to a younger generation? Not many. Thye would tell wanna bes to skip the culinary school which can be seen as predatory and take the culinary courses at their local community college. (If they're not happy they can always switch to another major) would they want their children in the inudtry? Absolutely not! As chef Kelly Whittaker puts it, if the kids want to go into the industry then the chefs have failed at being parents.

what does this say about the people who prepare our food?All chefs and waistaff need to be respected . Diners need to treat them with the same amount of care and acknowledgement as they do with other professionals.

Little Pop Ups Of Sweetness

 All it takes is creativity and flour. It seems out of work pastry chefs are making their dreams come true during these rough days by starting their own pop up bakeries. It's a great way not only to make money but get your product out to a sweet tooth hungry crowd.

Food section veteran Pete Wells wrote about this phenomena in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Pastry chefs have experienced hard times in the past few years. Restaurants have concentrated on serving a plethora of appetizers and main dishes on smaller plates. Diners are not enthusiastic when dessert comes, , ordering something simple like a shared panna cotta. It also doesn't help that these eateries are not creative or enthusiastic anymore either when it comes to desserts.Instagram is also to to blame here. It's lured talented pastry artists to create the next meme , like the Cronut. Yet there is still a need for pastry chefs and bakers to create interesting and delicious treats.Joy Cho realized this when a miniature Bundt cake pan caught her eye during a shopping trip with her mom to Williams -Sonoma. She bought it and the next day she was busy making up a sour cream batter . By February first she was taking orders for the mini Bundts. The initial batch of gem cakes sold out. People were picking them up at her home in Clinton Hill Brooklyn,

Other pop ups are arising.Kelly Miao who worked in the pastry departments at such top restaurants as Bar Boulud and Dominque Ansel Kitchen now gets creative. She bakes snack sized pound cake cubes called Kemi Cubes. These are about the size of an iced cube and are cloaked in vanilla and chocolate icings similar to black and white cookies. Boy Blue Coffee and Goods , run by Michael Davis offers mostly savory baked good like sourdough pretzels and everything but the bagel focaccia, which is a focaccis dotted with an everything bagel seasonings like poppy and sesame seeds , along with garlic and onion bits. He also sells sour dough bread kits with flour and starter included. Shuna Lydon runs Seabird bakery out of her Flatbush Brooklyn apartment. Here she creates kits of sourdough English muffins with preserves and salted butter. along with Rice Krispie treats made with browned butter and matcha powder . Two pastry chefs, Marissa Sanders and David Yang started Wrightwood and Sawyer give the element of surprise . Each week two boxes , one savory , one sweet and one mostly savory arrive with a dozen different treats. Every  pop up is legit thanks to a state licensing exemption that allows home processors to sell baked goods with minimal oversight. All they need is consumer grade ovens and fridges for storage, supplemented by a utility shelf and sawhorses to work.

Pop up bakeries may be a new facet of pandemic life. They'll introduce to the talents of many bakers and pastry chefs, allowing us to sample their creations. It's a way of becoming New York favorites.

Labor Day Laborers

We celebrate laborers only today yet we should honor them all year round.Keep in mind that disregard, whether they're working at a sunscreen shack , or chain restaurant, are on their feet for eight hours a day .Some are working six day weeks or the overnight shift.Tip them an extra two or three dollars .Remember them also at Christmas time along with your favorite chefs.

Grocery workers such as those deli meat sliders and bakers should also get respect.Compliment them every time you visit. Check out clerks also deserve kindness.One, they're on their feet for six to seven hours with only a fifteen minute break, and two, they're being replaced by self check-outs. Treat them kindly, take the surveysa about them on line ,and write glowing letters about them to their store managers.They will appreciate it,

All workers around the US and the world should be remembered all year round not just today.They work hard everyday.Kee

Your Sauce Guide

Pasta with sauce is one if the simplest and possibly the most delicious dishes to make. What create a memorable bowl is the sauce itself. Whether it's the springy basil or a rich marinara , what goes on your spaghetti or lasagna  is the the ingredient that makes it.Yet don't get stuck in a rut. There are so many different kinds out there. You can have one type of pasta three different ways and each time it will be unique.

If you're a novice home chef, you may want to stick to the easiest.which is burro or butter. This is simply melted butter , either warmed in the microwave or in a saucepan over a low flame. Some add fresh parsley and/or onions but that's up to you. Just plain butter is good, especially if it's Kerrygold, Pasta con burro is a late night treat, especially at all night trattorias where young Italians go after the movies. Another no fuss sauce is aglia olio.This is a little more involved but worth it. It's thinly  slicing six (!) garlic cloves and sauteing them in half a cup of olive oil. (I  actually use a little more than half a cup). Peperincino  or red pepper flakes are added for heat and bite. Again using these are a matter of taste.If they're too fiery just sub in a grind of fresh black pepper. The pasta and the sauce must be cooked at the same time. If not the garlic will burn and will taste bitter.A cup or more of the pasta water also has to be added , mostly to thin out the sauce and add some salinity to it. This sauce should be served with spaghetti, but it also works with rigatoni and penne too.

Tomato sauces are any pastas best friend. You can make them over a stove pot or in a crockpot.I prefer the last because the slow cooking lets all the flavors meld together and gives it a richer, deeper flavor.The basic sauce calls for first sauteing sliced garlic  then adding tomato sauce and paste. Chopped onion give it that unique, fresh flavor while dark honey gives the entire sauce a certain mellowness.The last is up for debate. Many home and professional chefs will either add refined white sugar - no - or grated carrot - acceptable. I've added sugar to mine when I didn't have honey and it just gave the sauce a kind of candy like taste. Dark honey is is the best. It has more flavor - and more nutrients than light or golden honey. Bolognese sauce is the same but ground beef is cooked first with the garlic. Some Neopolitan chefs throw in ground pork. For a leaner sauce, try ground turkey. One of the hardest and most complex is pesto. Some think this is just  ground basil but it's so much more.. It ground basil leaves blended with walnuts and pignoli or pine nuts.. Only the best olive oil is used (Bertoli is recommended) and all the ingredients are put through a food processor or blender. Parmesan cheese is then added later. It's the only sauce that isn't cooked.It's not only good with pasta but also excellent with chicken and grilled steak.

There's a whole range of pasta sauces to try. Vary it with a traditional Bolognese or a simple aglia olio. It's a great way to expand your palate and sauce knowledge.

Gifts For The Home Chef

With the holidays a mere two months away, it's time to think about what to get the home chef. To be honest , someone who loves to cook and bake is about the easiest person to shop for. He or she  may need new gadgets to replace the old ones or may need new pots or pans.There's also new inventions and ingredients that make surprising and exciting gifts.

Before you even think about shopping, assess what the receiver has or needs in the kitchen. If their blender is not working up to par, then you know what to buy for them.Are their knives getting dull? Then either gift them with a sharpening stone or a new set. Do they like working with spices? Time to get a new improved spice rack. Another must is fishing. Ask about the kitchen in general or if they've tried any new dishes. If your favorite home chef is into Mexican  then get a fajita pan  along with different chiles.If they're swooning about French cuisine, then you know they'd be over the moon about a crepe pan. Also look around their kitchen as well. Frayed dish towels tell you a replacement set would be well appreciated.A shortage of microwave dishes means  you that buying a new, more diverse set . Also check their stocks. Nothing beats gift baskets full of much needed olive oils or bags of soup ingredients. Appliance gifts are a bit different.If you're thinking about giving a new stove, dishwater or fridge , bring the home chef with you. Mak for this e sure all warrantees and insurance are in your home chef's name too.

Then there is the fun side of foodie and home chef gift giving. There are so many cooking centric items out there, it really is hard to pick any kind of gift. One of the best and most comprehensive stores  for this  kind of shopping is Sur La Table. I highly recommend it because it has a cornucopia of appliances  plus food stuffs such as the kit for making doughnuts (along with the doughnut pans to make a tasty baked treat) The store also carries a broad variety of rubs from a lively espresso to a Parmesan one for roasted veggies. Sur la Table also has an extensive collections of special pots and pans along with excellent quality cutlery and carving boards. Of course cookbooks are a must give. Nothing is as fun as an old fashioned cookbook that can be leafed through or pored over. There are ones for almost every taste , both literally and figuratively. My favorite is Dr. Mayim Bialik's (Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory") Mayim's Vegan Table.This is a great book for both vegans and non vegans alike, with her cool  takes on pancakes , tofu sausage and sprout and potato croquettes/ There are some other greats from Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen , along with Women's Day,.

Shopping for a foodie or home chef is the  easiest chore. You can buy them anything kitchen related or food centric and it will be a big hit. With any luck they will use it right away to make you a tasty thank you treat!

Classy Chefs On PBS

Long before the Food Channel, there was PBS's line up of cooking shows.It started in the early Sixties with the famed ,great Julia Child and continues to today.They maybe quieter than the brighter, more in your face shows on other channels but their low key style speaks volumes.Watching them is like spending time ,learning from a master chef. One of the most famous is Jacques Pepin.Chef Pepin is the child of French restauranteurs.His background is distinguished,being one of French President's Charles DeGaulle's chef.He also helped revamped Howard Johnson's menu back in the Sixties.His shows have always been very quiet, yet informative.Even when he and his daughter,Claudine cohosted a cooking program together, it was never loud or sweetly cloying as some family centered cooking shows are.He shows home chefs not to have any fear with dealing with sometimes foreign or unfamiliar ingredients.The way he makes gnocchis and eggs are poetic, quietly going through the steps, acting much like a thoughtful professor.Another great master chef is Lidia Bastianich.Chef Bastianich is known for her amazing restaurants,Del Posto of New York City and Lidia's of Kansas City and Lidia's of Pittsburgh.Watching her explain the different steps along with her hints is quietly informative.There's no gimmicks, no bells and whistles.She is very good at explaining everything, from why a certain ingredient is used to what knives to employ when cutting meat.Her other show, Lidia Celebrates America is a great culinary travelogue where she explores different ethnic groups, enjoying their customs and show viewers, not only different cuisines but the different traditions and cultures that they've come from. One of the best PBS cooking show is America's Test Kitchen.This is a fun half hour,chock full of advice, hints and recipes.The host, Christopher Kimball is like your favorite professor.He is goofy at times, funny but vastly knowledgeable.He is helped by Bridget Lancaster, and Julia Colin Davison.These chefs create the different dishes while Kimball asks pertinent questions and helps out.There is also the very informative Tasting Lab segment where the audience blind taste tests different foods.This is a great way of finding out what canned and boxed foods are the best tasting. Another informative segment is the Adam Reid who handles the Equipment Corner.This is where he shows different gadgets from blenders to cookie presses and rating from best to worst. The show also centers around weekly themes, from pizzas to roast chicken to crumb cakes.While American's Test Kitchen is primarily American cuisine, PBS has some very good ethnic ones.There's Daisy Cooks with host chef Daisy Martinez who brings Spanish and Latino cuisine to viewers.Scandanavian cooking is shown in New Scandanavian Cooking, a rarity, because there has never been an interest in this ancient and varied cuisines along with shows solely featuring Thai and Jewish cooking. PBS may not have flashy food shows with personality super stars,but it does have quality cooking shows with great master chefs. Home chefs will learn as much as if they took a cooking course.There a&e Re lessons to be learned and great recipes to try.

Food Doctors

I've always felt that our health care professionals should care about the way we eat. After all it's food that not only fuels us but can heal or hurt us. Now doctors are realizing that and are taking an interest in everything form shopping to food prep and cooking. This can open their minds to what their patients should be eating and what they should avoid.

This trend was picked up in the New York Times in yet another interesting article in their Dining section.The piece, written by Patricia Leigh Brown, tells of even novices learning how to wield a knife outside the operating room. Doctors learn how to expertly slice  as well as create flavorful and healthy dishes. Dr. David M. Eisenberg is the driving force behind this push, creating conferences and classes for his fellow doctors.Some are former practitioners themselves such Dr John Principe of Parlin Heights,a Chicago suburb. He  now has a culinary boot camp where he teaches patients how to whip up such healthy dishes as cauliflower crust pizza. (Medical insurance does cover the cost under a group medical appointment model)

Learning more about the intricacies of diet and nutrition can benefit doctors,They can recommend tastier yet healthier dishes for their patients. They can recommend subbing in spices as opposed to dictating a salt free diet. Doctors now can suggest meal plans that are not only beneficial but tasty.  Instead of prescribing  bland and over cooked veggies  they now can give them recipes for an antioxidant rich ratatouille or whole wheat pasta with homemade sauce. Everyone is happy then, from a doctor who knows his patients will eat right to the patients themselves; happy they can still eat fun and delicious foods.

Doctors can learn a lot from chefs. With this knowledge they can pass it to their patients. Sometimes food, good and healthy is really the best medicine, It's about time they realize it.