as a surprise, I was taken out to dinner last night by a few friends. Nothing fancy, just Pizza Hut on 21st street...but in the process of chowing down, I came to a few realizations:
My extreme aversion to Pizza (thanks COSI on Wheels) is slowly going downhill. I certainly won't go out of my way to PAY for pizza... (unless it's a BBQ Chicken) , I'm certainly never going to turn down pizza that's free. I dunno, maybe it's that fact that Pizza is so... uncreative... that keeps me from eating it. Seriously, Take a minute and look up the top 10 pizza toppings:
Pepperoni, Cheese, Sausage, Mushrooms, Pineapple, Ham, Shrimp?!, Green Peppers, Onions, Bacon.
Personally, I would have liked to see Cheese separated out into different categories (much in the same way meats were on this list) but that's besides the point. Corporatism has made us think of pizza as just dough, meat, and cheese. And even then, it's TYPICALLY limited to cow's milk cheese, and meat from a pig or a cow. Why not try a sheep or goat's milk cheese on a pizza, how about Duck, Venison, Lamb, or *GASP* Fish/Crustaceans on a pizza? Why be so damn narrow minded when it comes to construction. I find it almost shameful that the most creative things to come out of mass-marketed pizzarias in the past 10 years are stuffing cheese in the crust and--most recently--using Natural (OMG, NATURAL) ingredients.
And then there are the things they choose to serve with pizza.. most notably. Breadsticks. Ugh... Breadsticks. Now, certainly, there's something to be said for simplicity, for food that IS what it says it is. Here we have the lowly Baton de Pain, Palillo de Pan, i.e. the stick of bread. To be a little more concise, I don't HATE Breadsticks (I'll even eat my fair share of them at Olive Garden or an equivalent restaurant), I just dislike the idea or serving breadsticks WITH pizza or pasta for that matter). Again, think about this: what is a breadstick? It's the basal part of a pizza, not rolled out and flatted but instead covered in butter and herbs. Call me a cynic (you wouldn't be the first) but I really think that if Pizza Hut offered a combo involving a drink, order of breadsticks and Pizza w/o sauce covered in butter and herbs... that people would order it en masse? *sigh* are we really in such dire straits that we need to overpay someone to mix flour, water (and perhaps an egg or two) then melt butter over then and put them in the oven?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Conversion Charts
No, this doesn't have anything to do with food.. but ya know... sometimes we cooks have to convert recipes to Metric and need a comparison off of which to go. Here's a handy reference I found on one of my favorite sites:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
It's-a Me-a Mario...
It's been awhile since my last post. Culinary school is going well although it has gone through mind numbingly boring stretches now. Just got done with my double practical of making N.E. Clam Chow-dah and Consomme (90%, booya). Anyway, my recent taste has steered me toward making a type of Neapolitan Pizza:
Included on said pizza is Prosciutto, Cappicola, Spinach, and Large Slices of Mozzarella cheese. I also made up a nice Tomato sauce (hey, what's a Stocks and Sauces class for) . The pizza turned out decently, but was a little runny due to a slight oversight on my part (and one I should have taken into account), namely
Thick Pizza Sauce + Thin Pizza Crust = soggy dough. *sad face*
Included on said pizza is Prosciutto, Cappicola, Spinach, and Large Slices of Mozzarella cheese. I also made up a nice Tomato sauce (hey, what's a Stocks and Sauces class for) . The pizza turned out decently, but was a little runny due to a slight oversight on my part (and one I should have taken into account), namelyThick Pizza Sauce + Thin Pizza Crust = soggy dough. *sad face*
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I see your corn dog, and raise you 2 badass points
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Food Rants from in (and on) an Elevator
Last Thursday being my Birthday, I was again privy to the annual "taking of Eric out to dinner" by my father and stepmother. Weighing my options between Spagio and THE ELEVATOR , (and cursing how much Rosendale's and the Refectory cost) I chose the latter because I'd never been there. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed with my choice.
Located on High Street near the Arena District, the Elevator has good food, great ambiance, and "eh...mediocre service"
Walking in, we were escorted toward the back of the restaurant. Normally I would be irked by being relegated to the back of the establishment but wasn't really bothered this time because a.) it was freaking cold Monday night and b.) the back of the Elevator has decor like this:
a stained glass window (1 of 2 of in the joint), a large painting that made me think of a prohibition-esque speakeasy, and two pool tables dating back to the late-19th century.
After taking in the view, we were greeted by our waiter, Chimchi (sort for Chimichanga I presumed), who was an amicable fellow whose speech was sadly nigh-impossible to decipher due to his prolific use of slang and volume button that didn't really go above a 3. Nonetheless, we all managed to order our dinners post haste.
To the left, you see "R"'s order of Malt Pomegranate Salmon: Grilled Atlantic salmon brushed with malt pomegranate extract, served over Israeli cous cous, with spinach, sundried tomatoes, and parmesan. "R" forgot that Israeli couscous is bigger-grained that what we typically dine on in the States (it is also a little less firm/grainy) and wasn't as fond of it as she though she would be. She did, however, rave over the pomegranate glaze used on the chicken. I myself was impressed with the presentation.
Below that is my father's Wedge (i.e. Wedge Salad). Yes, it looks simple, and yes, it is, but there's always something to be said for simplicity. In this case, dad's wedge of lettuce is topped with bacon, tomatoes, red onions, and a creamy Roquefort dressing. Jane and I also opted for some soup with our meals; she the French Onion Soup and I the Sweet Potato bisque. The Elevator's French Onion soup turned me off (mainly because I'm a french Onion purist) but Jane seemed to enjoy their take on it: using sweetbread and a Gruyere cheese instead of the typical French Bread. My sweet potato Bisque was very smooth, and the cranberries and walnuts with which it was topped provided a
complementary, yet not overpowering, flavor.
And last but not least is the picture of my meal and Jane's Meal. Jane opted for the Almond Crusted Chicken Salad: (I know, a salad?!) Boneless breasts of chicken rolled in almonds and Japanese breadcrumbs, lightly fried, served over mixed greens, bacon, white cheddar and apples, with a maple-shallot vinaigrette and honey mustard drizzle.
Deciding to be a tad more adventurous, I opted for the "Rock Filet," a 7oz portion of Ahi Tuna served with 3 dipping sauces and served alongside a Finnish Tulikivi stone heated to 450deg. The idea is that you are then able to slice off as big--or little--a chunk of Tuna as you like and then sear it or cook it to your desired doneness. Though, my first few cuts of the fish were a tad gristly, once I progressed into the main part of the tuna, the quality was superb and the flavor was excellent.
Of the 3 sauces, I enjoyed the Hoisin sauce (far left) and the Wasabi Honey & Ginger Sauce (middle) but could have done without the mango salsa sauce (far right) that didn't really add anything to the dish aside from a somewhat awkward mouth feel.
Not pictured is Dad's choice of Fish & Chips, which he said were excellent but which I thought were plated and presented to look like fried chicken with fries.
Overalll, I give the food and service at The Elevator a B+. It's not in my top 5 restaurants to frequent in the Columbus area, but it's certainly worth checking out if you're in the mood for moderately upscale dining without having to get dressed up. As a parting note(s), the Elevator is also known for their in-house microbrews, of which I didn't get to partake, so I recommend plopping down a few bucks and your fanny at the bar in order to try that (the Dopplebock and the Bleeding Buckeye being options that jumped out at me). The Elevator also has parking options directly past the restaurant, so don't spend more money than you have to by parking at Nationwide.
Located on High Street near the Arena District, the Elevator has good food, great ambiance, and "eh...mediocre service"
Walking in, we were escorted toward the back of the restaurant. Normally I would be irked by being relegated to the back of the establishment but wasn't really bothered this time because a.) it was freaking cold Monday night and b.) the back of the Elevator has decor like this:
a stained glass window (1 of 2 of in the joint), a large painting that made me think of a prohibition-esque speakeasy, and two pool tables dating back to the late-19th century.
After taking in the view, we were greeted by our waiter, Chimchi (sort for Chimichanga I presumed), who was an amicable fellow whose speech was sadly nigh-impossible to decipher due to his prolific use of slang and volume button that didn't really go above a 3. Nonetheless, we all managed to order our dinners post haste.
To the left, you see "R"'s order of Malt Pomegranate Salmon: Grilled Atlantic salmon brushed with malt pomegranate extract, served over Israeli cous cous, with spinach, sundried tomatoes, and parmesan. "R" forgot that Israeli couscous is bigger-grained that what we typically dine on in the States (it is also a little less firm/grainy) and wasn't as fond of it as she though she would be. She did, however, rave over the pomegranate glaze used on the chicken. I myself was impressed with the presentation. Below that is my father's Wedge (i.e. Wedge Salad). Yes, it looks simple, and yes, it is, but there's always something to be said for simplicity. In this case, dad's wedge of lettuce is topped with bacon, tomatoes, red onions, and a creamy Roquefort dressing. Jane and I also opted for some soup with our meals; she the French Onion Soup and I the Sweet Potato bisque. The Elevator's French Onion soup turned me off (mainly because I'm a french Onion purist) but Jane seemed to enjoy their take on it: using sweetbread and a Gruyere cheese instead of the typical French Bread. My sweet potato Bisque was very smooth, and the cranberries and walnuts with which it was topped provided a
complementary, yet not overpowering, flavor.
And last but not least is the picture of my meal and Jane's Meal. Jane opted for the Almond Crusted Chicken Salad: (I know, a salad?!) Boneless breasts of chicken rolled in almonds and Japanese breadcrumbs, lightly fried, served over mixed greens, bacon, white cheddar and apples, with a maple-shallot vinaigrette and honey mustard drizzle.Deciding to be a tad more adventurous, I opted for the "Rock Filet," a 7oz portion of Ahi Tuna served with 3 dipping sauces and served alongside a Finnish Tulikivi stone heated to 450deg. The idea is that you are then able to slice off as big--or little--a chunk of Tuna as you like and then sear it or cook it to your desired doneness. Though, my first few cuts of the fish were a tad gristly, once I progressed into the main part of the tuna, the quality was superb and the flavor was excellent.
Of the 3 sauces, I enjoyed the Hoisin sauce (far left) and the Wasabi Honey & Ginger Sauce (middle) but could have done without the mango salsa sauce (far right) that didn't really add anything to the dish aside from a somewhat awkward mouth feel.
Not pictured is Dad's choice of Fish & Chips, which he said were excellent but which I thought were plated and presented to look like fried chicken with fries.
Overalll, I give the food and service at The Elevator a B+. It's not in my top 5 restaurants to frequent in the Columbus area, but it's certainly worth checking out if you're in the mood for moderately upscale dining without having to get dressed up. As a parting note(s), the Elevator is also known for their in-house microbrews, of which I didn't get to partake, so I recommend plopping down a few bucks and your fanny at the bar in order to try that (the Dopplebock and the Bleeding Buckeye being options that jumped out at me). The Elevator also has parking options directly past the restaurant, so don't spend more money than you have to by parking at Nationwide.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Modern Food Commercials = EPIC FAIL !!!
Aside from word of mouth advertising, one of the best ways to learn about food products is through Media Advertising. And, considering that most of you probably don't peruse your magazines "for the articles," you may be relegated to getting your food information from FoodTV or--to a lesser extent--commercials.
Now, call me old-fashioned, but I think food commercials nowadays are heavily lacking. We've come from the genius of eating ads like this:
But now we're being patronized by trite bullshit like "The Whopper Virgins" (and most other BK adverts, IMHO). Let's look at the concept behind this crap: Burger King, in order to prove their infinitesimally small advantage in taste over the Big Mac (again, an advantage that doesn't exist if you ask my palette) they go out to some remote area, feed the indigenous people of that region both burgers in a "double blind test" and then have them report which slab of pre-processed dead meat they prefer. I'll get to my objections with the campaign, but I'll let ABC World News start off:
Aside from the whole "starving kids in Africa" plea that everyone seems to be touting now. Let's think about this from a more heartless, logical/pragmatic vantage point:
Who are the people eating this food? People in underprivileged countries. I'd be willing to put $$ on the fact that there is no real; "haute cuisine" in any of these countries. They very well could be the same people with whom Anthony Bourdain ate beating cobra heart, seal eye, or Warthog rectum. So, basically, what you're saying is that you're meat is preferred by people whose tastebuds are used to things the general US populace wouldn't touch with a fork on a 10' pole. You want to convince me that your burger is better?? Hire a master taster like Scott McMartin (from Starbucks*) to taste the two. However, I doubt he would do this.. why? Because both burgers, in all reality are shit. You want a real burger?? cook it yourself? You want a real burger recipe?
Here ya go: http://tr.im/3zwh
The other thing that concerns me is the large amount of food chains now hocking their "suddenly" healthy products: A few years ago, McDonald's had their White meat McNuggets; now, Pizza hut suddenly has whole wheat pizza dough, real tomato sauce and REAL pepperoni. And, as many of you may suspect, yes..the unsuspecting masses are going to rush to these places and eat minimally healthier food whose food cost price has probably been raised 7-10% higher to accommodate something they should have been serving in the first place. Me, I've just gotten to the point that I try not to eat at those places anymore (though, admittedly, Angus burgers are a vice). My mind basically says: if they're only serving these products NOW, what the fuck were they serving before, and why should I reward them for doing so for so long?
So, there's that; and with all my ranting and raving on said topic I'm sure some of you are wondering what my idea of a GOOD marketing campaign would be. Well... much as it pains me to give good press to Starbucks (whom I blame for bankrupting many a good Mom & Pop Java joints in my neighborhoods over the years), they have the right idea.
Free Large (er, Grande *rolls eyes*) Coffee when you pledge 5 Volunteer Hours. Sure, people are probably going to pledge these hours without following through, but I'm sure that there are a good number of people who will actually put time into their community. So at the very worst, we're giving some people who already do free work a free cup o joe while hopefully goading other corporations into following this trend
Now, call me old-fashioned, but I think food commercials nowadays are heavily lacking. We've come from the genius of eating ads like this:
But now we're being patronized by trite bullshit like "The Whopper Virgins" (and most other BK adverts, IMHO). Let's look at the concept behind this crap: Burger King, in order to prove their infinitesimally small advantage in taste over the Big Mac (again, an advantage that doesn't exist if you ask my palette) they go out to some remote area, feed the indigenous people of that region both burgers in a "double blind test" and then have them report which slab of pre-processed dead meat they prefer. I'll get to my objections with the campaign, but I'll let ABC World News start off:
Aside from the whole "starving kids in Africa" plea that everyone seems to be touting now. Let's think about this from a more heartless, logical/pragmatic vantage point:
Who are the people eating this food? People in underprivileged countries. I'd be willing to put $$ on the fact that there is no real; "haute cuisine" in any of these countries. They very well could be the same people with whom Anthony Bourdain ate beating cobra heart, seal eye, or Warthog rectum. So, basically, what you're saying is that you're meat is preferred by people whose tastebuds are used to things the general US populace wouldn't touch with a fork on a 10' pole. You want to convince me that your burger is better?? Hire a master taster like Scott McMartin (from Starbucks*) to taste the two. However, I doubt he would do this.. why? Because both burgers, in all reality are shit. You want a real burger?? cook it yourself? You want a real burger recipe?
Here ya go: http://tr.im/3zwh
The other thing that concerns me is the large amount of food chains now hocking their "suddenly" healthy products: A few years ago, McDonald's had their White meat McNuggets; now, Pizza hut suddenly has whole wheat pizza dough, real tomato sauce and REAL pepperoni. And, as many of you may suspect, yes..the unsuspecting masses are going to rush to these places and eat minimally healthier food whose food cost price has probably been raised 7-10% higher to accommodate something they should have been serving in the first place. Me, I've just gotten to the point that I try not to eat at those places anymore (though, admittedly, Angus burgers are a vice). My mind basically says: if they're only serving these products NOW, what the fuck were they serving before, and why should I reward them for doing so for so long?
So, there's that; and with all my ranting and raving on said topic I'm sure some of you are wondering what my idea of a GOOD marketing campaign would be. Well... much as it pains me to give good press to Starbucks (whom I blame for bankrupting many a good Mom & Pop Java joints in my neighborhoods over the years), they have the right idea.
Free Large (er, Grande *rolls eyes*) Coffee when you pledge 5 Volunteer Hours. Sure, people are probably going to pledge these hours without following through, but I'm sure that there are a good number of people who will actually put time into their community. So at the very worst, we're giving some people who already do free work a free cup o joe while hopefully goading other corporations into following this trend
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