Independence Day
Posted on July 4th, 2008 by iamnotachef
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Food Hell
Posted on June 29th, 2008 by iamnotachef
Well, maybe purgatory, but certainly not heaven. I just got back from Orlando. Specifically, Universal Studios, where no food goes unfried. I’ll describe it in excruciating detail soon, but suffice it to say that in the last several days I have eaten enough frying oil to last a lifetime. But the rides are great!
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A Negative Correlation Between Wine Price And Perceived Quality
Posted on June 2nd, 2008 by iamnotachef
Wow, another study that says that people are impressed by expensive wine, but that when they don’t know the price, they don’t have any idea of…the price! I’m mocking this paper just a bit, but the point is pretty basic. People tend to choose less expensive wines when they don’t have price information. It’s not […]
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Stadium Food
Posted on May 10th, 2008 by iamnotachef
The bad news is that The Yankees lost. The badder news is that the drinks, in the only publicly accessible bar in the stadium, are so outrageously expensive, for stunningly minuscule portions — in plastic cups — that it was laughable. But the worst news will have to wait for another game and another stadium. […]
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Steak Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive
Posted on April 22nd, 2008 by iamnotachef
When I was just a lad, cooking for myself and, more importantly, paying for the food that I ate; I was a model of frugality (not like today, when I think nothing of using Petrus as cooking wine). I used to shop for meat at my local Safeway, which was in a great neighborhood (Rockridge, […]
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Ingredients: Good, Bad and indifferent
Posted on April 9th, 2008 by iamnotachef
I have always been puzzled by the huge differences in the quality of ingredients that, at first glance, seem to be similar. Tomatoes are an obvious example. Who hasn’t been fooled by spectacular looking tomatoes that are utterly tasteless, horribly textured, and devoid of aroma? Even stuff like potatoes and carrots can vary. But most […]
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Steak, and that damned salt again!
Posted on March 16th, 2008 by iamnotachef
A simple meal: pan seared rib steak with Tommy’s Potatoes. Nice and easy. But once again I was blindsided by pomposity (my own). It’s that damned salt again. Instead of using my standard Kosher salt, I ground a bit of Hiwa kai Black Hawaiian Sea Salt on both sides of the steak, and a sprinkle […]
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Oysters: Try ‘Em, You’ll Like ‘Em!
Posted on February 29th, 2008 by iamnotachef
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I used to eat lots and lots of oysters. And not just any oysters, but great, big, fresh oysters that were harvested just a few hours or minutes before I bought them. If either of you know the geography of the San Francisco Bay area, […]
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San Marzano Tomatoes
Posted on February 26th, 2008 by iamnotachef
So, finally, I reveal my San Marzano tomato brand. Or at least one of them.And my dirty little secret is revealed as well; I shop by labels and pretty colors. Everyone knows that wines with nice looking labels taste better! I have simply extended that rule to canned goods.
In reality these tomatoes are […]
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Great Combinations
Posted on February 11th, 2008 by iamnotachef
They’re out there, those amazing, and sometimes odd, combinations of foods that are synergistic. I’m not talking about the 17-ingredient sauces that Escoffier touted. Rather, it’s the simple two-part unions that are fascinating and mysterious. They can be as simple as a hot dog with mustard or as expensive as fois gras with fruit. Or […]
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