A blog featuring my ruminations on anything to do with food, wine, and beyond.
Friday, February 23, 2007
What Does This Mean?
Most frequently ordered foods at restaurants...
Men:
1. Burgers(17.4%)
2.French Fries(14.2%)
3.Pizza(9.0%)
4.Breakfast Sandwich(6.2%)
5.Side Dish Salad(5.7%)
6.Eggs(4.5%)
7.Doughnuts(4.2%)
8.Hash Browns(4.1%)
9.Chinese(4.0%)
10.Main Dish Salad(3.4%)
Women:
1.French Fries(13.8%)
2.Burgers(13.1%)
3.Pizza(8.2%)
4.Side Dish Salad(6.8%)
5.Chicken Sandwich(5.3%)
6.Breakfast Sandwich(4.9%)
7.Main Dish Salad(4.6%)
8.Chinese(4.1%)
9.Chicken Nuggets(3.8%)
10.Rice(3.6%)
O.K. Lets see if we can extract some sense from these Mars Vs. Venus eating pattens. Burgers or fries? Fries or burgers? it's a toss up. Out of the top ten frequently ordered foods 17.2% are in agreement with Pizza. It also looks like men eat breakfast out more with breakfast sandwiches, eggs, doughnuts and hashbrowns. Women lean toward lunches and the real mystery is who are the 3.6% of the female public ordering rice?
Friday, February 16, 2007
Alpha Chef
In a recent article in The New York Times they mentioned couples in the kitchen. That sounded cute since it was Saint Valentine's Day and the western world (or at least the
Then I thought of The Princess. When I grew up I was given the job of stirring My T Fine Pudding until it was done or stirring the lumps out of gravy or shucking corn in the summer. But The Princess had never done any of those things. My NSSP had occasionally suggested that I teach her how to cook but I dreaded these exchanges. I had no patience for bumb
As in any 12 step program understanding your bad behavior is one step to recovery or not. I love being an alpha chef. My ego soars as I sharpen my knife in anticipation of boning a chicken breast. My thoughts layer food elements together, mentally trying combinations before I put them in the pan. I get off on being in control. It makes me nervous when the NSSP declares it his turn to make dinner. I wait nervously in the living room waiting for him to ask for help so I can swoop in and right his wrongs. But that doesn’t happen. He produces a very nice meal, has learned to pick the dishes, and even garnish his food. Darn it, it’s tasty too!
I guess I just have a restaurant ego in a home kitchen!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Master Baker
He walked, or was it a strut or swagger. What ever it was it was purposeful, forthright, and with intent. His dancing brown eyes highlighted the all too healthy tan. The azure blue work shirt was opened one button too many. The gold chain, at least 18 karats was anchored with a medallion below the viewing point. His gold marriage ring was noticeable but one didn’t feel that it restricted his social movement. He was French with joie d’ vie.
He had a rounded paunch. Not the soft bread poking kind but one that was in constant use. One that felt curls, twists, and kitchen bends. He was virile and very masculine. His whole male package could make women of a certain age have an intake of breath and remember flirting, a hobby out of practice.
He shrugged his trave
It was his hands that mesmerized me. They were strong and muscular. Ragged finger nails capped the fingers and heavy calluses protected his hands from his profession as a Master Pastry Chef. Andre was a master of his profession. His passion was sugar sculpture. Working with sugar is a highly technical and artistic section of the pastry department that includes pul
Sugar sculpture is a dying art, with few chefs developing the skills and having the patience necessary for blowing and pul
The sugar is boiled with water and glucose to a caramel, tartaric acid and food colors are added. As the sugar is cooled it is pulled to form a chain of sugar crystals which will give the sugar a pearl like shine. The artist goes to work molding, pul
And here before me was a master ready to teach a class and hop on his red and chrome bike to ride back to
I would not take the class and it would be better that way.