Where my fellow cooks at???

[ville5]

Stuffed peppers would be good use for your meat. I like super hot but the family does not. So I use banana and some sweets.

[Shyster]

THE FUTURE OF DESSERT IS HERE, AND IT’S A WATER CAKE!
http://www.nerdist.com/2015/01/the-futu ... ater-cake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's really nothing that impressive going on there, technique-wise. It's just a water-based fluid gel (using agar agar) to set extra thick.

I'm not sure I was aware that people eat agar. I spent plenty of time in bio labs as a microbiology major, and agar to me is something you pour into petri dishes to serve as the substrate for growing your bacteria.

[tifosi77]

THE FUTURE OF DESSERT IS HERE, AND IT’S A WATER CAKE!
http://www.nerdist.com/2015/01/the-futu ... ater-cake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's really nothing that impressive going on there, technique-wise. It's just a water-based fluid gel (using agar agar) to set extra thick.

I'm not sure I was aware that people eat agar. I spent plenty of time in bio labs as a microbiology major, and agar to me is something you pour into petri dishes to serve as the substrate for growing your bacteria.

It's a hydrocolloid (which you probably already knew) that has been used as a gelling agent in foods for centuries. I get it at Whole Foods in the Asian foods section (Eden Foods brand).

[blackjack68]

Coop's for fried chicken.
http://www.coopsplace.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mother's for more home-cooking feel.
http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/mothers_menu.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Erin Rose for a dive/locals bar.
http://www.erinrosebar.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Redfish is supposed to be very good.
http://www.redfishgrill.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Commander's Palace for Creole and jazz (fine dining). http://www.commanderspalace.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And Krazy Korner for rockin' 80s music. Especially if Trick Bag is playing.

[mac5155]

Stuffed peppers would be good use for your meat. I like super hot but the family does not. So I use banana and some sweets.

Oh, good call. I never think of them in the winter cause I always use fresh peppers in the summer and fall

[count2infinity]

I've been watching the youtube series of "On the Table" with Eric Ripert. I love the non-chef episodes.

[tifosi77]

I've been watching the youtube series of "On the Table" with Eric Ripert. I love the non-chef episodes.

That series was where I first reveled in the glory that is Chrissy Teigen.

And this morning I got this in my email from Chase: A Private Evening at Michelin Three Star Restaurant Le Bernardin with Chef Eric Ripert!

[tifosi77]

Most of wine stolen from French Laundry restaurant is recovered

The $300,000 worth of wine that was stolen from the French Laundry restaurant on Christmas Day has turned up — in Greensboro, N.C.

-----

It’s not known how the connection was made with the North Carolina location, and Pike refused to say whether they had ended up in a private collection or the wine cellar of another restaurant, though a report from the Associated Press had it in a private cellar.

[count2infinity]

Top chef:

Spoiler:

watched everything except for the elimination this past week. have to think Gregory's only saving grace was that has been at the top most of the early part of the season. He didn't follow the challenge at all. Crispy skin is not innovation.

[tifosi77]

Top chef:

Spoiler:

watched everything except for the elimination this past week. have to think Gregory's only saving grace was that has been at the top most of the early part of the season. He didn't follow the challenge at all. Crispy skin is not innovation.

Spoiler:

He should have gone home. Pure and simple.

Also, as much as I think Mei is a badass and should win it all, I do not think she should have won the quickfire. Way too much of that mousse on the plate, would have turned every bite into mush. I don't necessarily like it when every bite of a dish contains every element on the plate; that just creates palate fatigue. But it probably wasn't a coincidence that she won with the only dish that had an egg in it... .Wylie is a notorious egg fiend.

One thing kind of rubbed me the wrong way. On the kitchen walkthrough with Wylie Dufresne, Colicchio said to Melissa that she had no pressure. That made me bristle. I'd have said, "With all due respect, chef, I feel like I have more pressure on me now. My ticket to Mexico is booked, but that doesn't mean I can luff it. Imagine what it will do to the other finalists going to that last cook knowing that I won the final elimination challenge after I secured my spot? Push push push."

And this is another potential spoiler: I think the producers inadvertently flagged the overall winner of the competition in last night's episode.

Spoiler:

Early in the episode they had a confessional interview with Mei. The audio, lighting, camera angle, and her wardrobe was completely different, which indicates they may have shot that one as a pickup at some point after the competition. I don't think they would have done a pickup with a runner up. So I called it last night, I think Mei wins it all. I just sent her a request to follow her on Instagram, so maybe there will be another clue there.

[count2infinity]

Spoiler:

I never like to say who should have won or who shouldn't have won. I wasn't there, I didn't taste the dish, I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to fine dinning, etc. But that plate Mei put forward for the quickfire looked awful. It must have tasted good though for her to win it.

[the wicked child]

Spoiler:

I was a fan of Gregory early on, but he really sputtered into the finals. I have no problem with him getting in over George as he didn't **** his dish up, even though he didn't really follow the challenge per se. I'm assuming his dish jsut flat out tasted significantly better than George's or he probably would have been sent packing. I think he would have beaten Dougie to get back in anyway, despite his struggles as of late.

I'm rooting for Mei now personally since Gregory has gone downhill, but I am still kinda hoping for a head to head between the two of them. Melissa has been on quite the upward trajectory, but I'm not really convinced she will go much higher, and she might come back to earth, so to speak, in the interim between Boston and Mexico. I'm not sure Dougie or George can beat Mei or Gregory head-to-head so I don't really care which one wins LCK.

I really don't want to see a Melissa-Mei final because I want the focus of the final to be on the cooking, not how super awesome it is to have two women competing for the title, which Melissa can't seem to STFU about as of late.

[tifosi77]

I just started following Mei and Melissa on Instagram, and they are totally BFFs. I probably only needed to follow one of them, because 75% of each of their feeds are the same pictures, just from a slightly different selfie angle. I don't say that to disparage either or both of them.... but come on, get a room already.

[count2infinity]

Spoiler:

But there's only been 2 female winners of top chef, and Melissa and Mei are both asian!!! No mention of the fact that there's already been an asian female that has won top chef, yet never a black man. So if you really want someone to win because it'd be refreshing, then you should be cheering for Gregory.

[the wicked child]

Spoiler:

But there's only been 2 female winners of top chef, and Melissa and Mei are both asian!!! No mention of the fact that there's already been an asian female that has won top chef, yet never a black man. So if you really want someone to win because it'd be refreshing, then you should be cheering for Gregory.

Spoiler:

Actually, a black man has won it... it was a few seasons ago now... whatever one ended in Thailand.

[count2infinity]

Spoiler:

Oh yeah... forgot about that guy. Oh well. No Australian has ever won it... DISCRIMINATION!

[columbia]

Top Chef:

Spoiler:

I can certainly see why George got booted. Obviously it's impossible to judge these dishes, even at 1080, but I get it. Having said that: I've been a Gregory partisan through much of this, but HOW MANY **** TIMES DO YOU INTEND TO MAKE A COCONUT MILK DISH? I won't be rooting for him in the finale.

[the wicked child]

Top Chef:

Spoiler:

I can certainly see why George got booted. Obviously it's impossible to judge these dishes, even at 1080, but I get it. Having said that: I've been a Gregory partisan through much of this, but HOW MANY **** TIMES DO YOU INTEND TO MAKE A COCONUT MILK DISH? I won't be rooting for him in the finale.

Spoiler:

yeah, I mean Gregory basically ignored the challenge, but provided an apparently flawless dish otherwise. George followed the challenge, but charred the **** out of his octopus. If he doesn't screw up his protein, he probably gets the nod.

And yeah, sadly Gregory seems to be fixated on a particular set of flavors. He's very good at those flavors... but this is Top Chef... you need to bring more, especially this late in the game. I'm hoping to see him step out of that box a bit now in the finale, but we'll see.

[Shyster]

Spoiler:

This ain't a Top Chef thread.

[mac5155]

[tifosi77]

Spoiler:

[columbia]

I picked up a tomahawk ribeye and going with the reverse sear technique:

[youtube][/youtube]

[blackjack68]

I'd hit that.

[shmenguin]

Makes sense. That's what tif does with his aquatic meat baths.

[shmenguin]

Carnitas with a jicama slaw and avocado, topped with cilantro served over nachos. Very very happy with the result. Was going to use the jicama as a tortilla substitute but it didn't play nice with the mandolin. It was a happy accident. The slaw worked better. Just OJ, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper