Entries from November 2007 ↓

Via SF Gate

Almost everyone agrees that a little Brett is not a bad thing. It’s generally less of a problem in white wines, and at low levels it can give some red wines cedar, tobacco or cigar-box aromas, scents frequently used to describe Cabernet Sauvignon and generally thought of as pleasant. It also mutes some of the fruitiness of youth, making the wine seem more mature and complex, at least in the short term.In other wines, or in greater concentrations, the smell becomes more leathery and animal-like, evoking adjectives such as horsey, wet horse blanket or sweaty saddle. Although some people can enjoy these smells, many find them unattractive.

At their worst, Brett aromas turn medicinal, reminding many tasters of the inside of a metal Band-Aid box. The animal scents get funkier, more barnyard-y.

via SFgate

Nothing illustrates the interweaving of simple art and complex science in cooking better than homemade mayonnaise. One of the classic sauces of French cuisine, mayonnaise is nothing more than tiny droplets of oil suspended in a matrix of egg yolk and water, with a dash of lemon and a pinch of mustard to add flavor and structural stability.

Check out the entire series on basics, from Blanching to Skinning an onion

via SFgate (San Francisco Chronical)

Craigslist has dozens of help-wanted listings from the Bay Area’s top restaurants - all vying for the dwindling numbers of experienced cooks willing to put in long, hard hours for pay that barely covers their cost of living.”They say they have all these bills and have to pay the rent, and they can’t be making $12-$13 an hour,” Lahlou said.

That crunch, plus many young cooks’ expectations of the “Top Chef” high life, are just two of the factors that may make San Francisco’s unique mix of chef-owned high-quality neighborhood restaurants a thing of the past.

via the New York Times

BEFORE Katrina, John Besh was simply a good chef with a fancy restaurant that had a habit of making top 10 lists around the country.After Katrina, he became known as the ex-Marine who rode into the flooded city with a gun, a boat and a bag of beans and fed New Orleans until it could feed itself.

from Rouxbe - The Recipe to Better Cooking

Cook an entire meal by multi-tasking like a chef. Use our step-by-step video player and refer to helpful tips to create the perfect Thanksgiving meal.