C'est un petit monde apr\ufffds tous.

Post #296,526 by imqwerky 11/28/07 1:48:06 PM Reply	C'est un petit monde apr\ufffds tous. 'Twas the day of our office Thanksgiving feast when I was sent to procure side dishes to accompany the glorious smoked bird that would be our main meal. My boss gave me the company credit card (Woo Hoo!!!) and blessed me for my errand. Off I went to Central Market. It is a wonderland of food, not unlike Dean and DeLuca, only on a much, much, MUCH bigger scale. Now, realize that it is Wednesday, November 21st. It is the day before Thanksgiving. The location is Greenville and Lovers Lane in Dallas, Texas. This is a high-end store in a high-end neighborhood. SMU, Highland Park. You get the picture. It. is. crowded. So I proceed with my mission of getting things that are compatible with my new dietary restrictions and yet palatable for the rest of the office. (There are 7 of us total.) Except some sweet ladies baked some really tempting treats. Damn. I want some goodies too. :-( So my first stop is at the bakery. I asked for some gluten-free goodness. None to be found...sold out. Wahhh. The girl told me to go ask the baker/chef. I look behind the counter and saw the cutest little Frenchman and then the mutual recognition set in! Me: Comment allez-vous, Jean-Luc? C'est Amy! Jean-Luc: Oui! Oui! Je me rappelle vous! Vous semblez grand... Je ne vous ai pas identifi\ufffd d'abord Me: Nous sommes des voisins! Jean-Luc: Oui! Nos enfants vont \ufffd l'\ufffdcole ensemble. So, there we were, speaking French in the middle of Central Market on the day before Thanksgiving. He and his wife met in France when she was in the Peace Corps (how romantic!!) They have 2 sons that I used to carpool with to jr high and high school. One of the boys is Mike's age. We have broken bread together and shared wine. Jean-Luc is a chef and has worked at many places including La Madeleine's and Cafe de France. I told him how I needed to learn to cook because of the Celiac disease and he said he would love to teach me. Double Woo Hoo! So, it was just a magical moment, especially since I couldn't believe that my French came back to me. I thought I had forgotton all of it. It is amazing how clear my mind is now that it is not poisoned by food that I am allergic to. Triple Woo Hoo! Smile, Amy
Post #296,530 by CRConrad 11/28/07 4:52:35 PM Reply	It's about effing time. After your lessons, we'll expect you to correct[] Andrew's opinionated bloviatings about food whenever necessary. You'll be able to do that from a position of authority -- l'authorité Française, and all. About frigging time we get someone to do that! :-) []: That is, knock his ego down a peg or two every now and then. [link\|mailto:MyUserId@MyISP.CountryCode\|Christian R. Conrad] (I live in Finland, and my e-mail in-box is at the Saunalahti company.) Ah, the Germans: Masters of Convoluted Simplification. — [link\|http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=1603\|Jehovah]
Post #296,535 by Andrew Grygus 11/28/07 7:52:52 PM 11/29/07 9:57:27 AM Reply	But I shall fight back . . . . . even over Frog food. I have on my shelf (and have read much of, over the years):\r\n \r\n A. Escoffier - A Guide to Modern Cookery, 1909. \r\n Dione Lucas - Book of French Cooking, 1947 (Dione Lucas was the chef who had to cook for Hitler when he was in France). \r\n Mapie, Countess of Toulouse-Lautrec - La Cuisine de France, 1964. \r\n Raymond Oliver - La Cuisine, 1969. \r\n Jacques Pépin - La Technique, 1976. \r\n Prosper Montagné - The New Larousse Gastronomique, 1960. \r\n Raymond Sokolov - The Saucier's Apprentice, 1976 (which I read from cover to cover). \r\n Several volumes on French regional cuisines. \r\n \r\nSo consider me armed and dangerous. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx] Edited by Andrew Grygus Nov. 29, 2007, 09:57:27 AM EST Expand All History
Post #296,542 by imqwerky 11/29/07 12:34:55 AM Reply	"But I am not left-handed" :-) I have been a closet foodie for years and years. Staying at home, watching the Food Channel, ya learn a thing or twelve. I don't know if I will become proficient with la cuisine fran\ufffdaise necessarily, but I do know that I will sharpen my skills as a cook. I made a kick-ass chicken and rice soup from scratch yesterday because Emily got sick at school and I had to pick her up early. Her only request for food was chicken and rice soup and we had none in the cupboard, so I made some. She loved it! Yay me! As an aside, I watched "Ratatouille" with my daughter the other night and it was positively delightful. I loved the deceased chef, Gusteau's, motto that "Anyone Can Cook", even a rat. I particularly adored Peter O'Toole's voice characterization of the evil restaurant critic, Anton Ego (The Grim Eater). Adults will get a kick out of this movie for the food and the clever humor. But, just to be contrary, I will give you a run for your money, Andrew, dear one :-) It will be fun! Smile, Amy
Post #296,547 by CRConrad 11/29/07 3:22:34 AM 11/29/07 3:24:01 AM Reply	"Mapie"? p -> r ==> "Marie", peut-etre? Also, is M. Sokolov perhaps Raymond with a y? Either way -- love his title! :-) Edited by CRConrad Nov. 29, 2007, 03:24:01 AM EST Expand All History
Post #296,555 by imqwerky 11/29/07 9:22:49 AM Reply	Je concours! Either way -- love his title! :-) Smile, Amy
Post #296,557 by Andrew Grygus 11/29/07 10:05:09 AM 11/29/07 10:20:52 AM Reply	It is an excellent book . . . . . . logically describing the entire French sauce system, which was the worlds first organized fast food system, and exactly how to do it. I consider it essential reading for anyone who wishes to actually understand Froggish cuisine. Amazingly, for it's craft, it contains one serious error which jumped out at me when I read it and to which Mr. Sokolov later admitted in print, but I'd have to read it again to remember what it was. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx] Edited by Andrew Grygus Nov. 29, 2007, 10:20:52 AM EST Expand All History
Post #296,566 by imqwerky 11/29/07 11:28:01 PM Reply	I am very good at making sauces (img) and my secret weapon is the Pampered chef nylon spiral whisk. It is awesome! It is flat enough to stir in a sauce pan and won't scratch the non-stick surface. I haven't had a lumpy sauce since I started using this wonderful utensil. It is the one at the bottom of the picture. [image\|https://www.pamperedchef.com/graphics/products_250/2326_v.jpg\|\|\|\|] Smile, Amy
Post #296,570 by Andrew Grygus 11/30/07 12:55:24 AM Reply	Well, it looks a lot more effective . . . . . . than a lot of the dingbat devices I've seen claiming they work for that (the likelihood they work is inversely proportional to how much they cost). I'm glad this one work well for you. Keep in mind, take very cold roux (that's the stuff you are making when you fry the flour in the shortening in the recipe you posted) and stir bits of it into hot stock - OR - make a hot roux (as you do in that recipe) and slowly stir in very cold stock. This will help avoid lumps. Warm stock and warm roux is a problem. Actually, if you stir in frozen roux (I make a batch (butter and flour) and freeze it, breaking it up into small lumps as it solidifies) a canoe paddle will work just fine to avoid lumps. Incidentally, the recipe you posted was probably originally for clarified chicken fat ([link\|http://www.clovegarden.com/recipes/eim_schmaltz1.html\|schmaltz]). Crisco and the like were heavily promoted (for more than 50 years) by the American Heart Association as "healthy" substitutes for schmaltz and lard. Crisco and the like (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) were evil trans fats, far worse for you than chicken fat and pig blubber ever were. Today there is a "Trans fat Free Crisco". it is made by mixing fully (not partially) hydrogenated vegetable oils with unhydrogenated vegetable oils. Fully hydrogenated vegetable oils are fully saturated fats. They are mixed with (hopefully) monounsaturated fats. In other words, "Trans fat Free" is a vegetable imitation of pig fat. Do not fear lard and chicken fat. The alternatives are worse. Strangely, populations that live on lard and chicken fat (and especially coconut oil - the most saturated fat there is) are relatively free of the diseases these are supposed to cause. "Modern medical knowledge" (and the AHA) have some serious 'splain'n to do. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,572 by imqwerky 11/30/07 1:11:06 AM Reply	Actually, I forgot to mention... that in the past, I have used the turkey fat instead of the crisco. The flavor was AMAZING!!! I agree that using the natural stuff is healthier than the hydrogenated ca-ca-ca-craaaaaaap. Smile, Amy PS I know what a roux is :) and I hope I can create some form of gluten-free version...so I can have my Hot Brown!! :-)
Post #296,574 by Andrew Grygus 11/30/07 1:28:04 AM Reply	Well, I've never tried it . . . . . but rice (including "glutenous rice") is gluten free, and I think corn is too. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,575 by imqwerky 11/30/07 1:38:15 AM Reply	When I start experiementing (evil laugh!! >:-) ) I will be sure to post my failures and successes :0) Smile, Amy
Post #296,617 by Andrew Grygus 12/1/07 11:33:58 AM Reply	Just ran across a note in a Japanese cookbook. Says mochiko flour is used to thicken Western style sauces. Mochico flour is ground from cooked glutinous rice and normally used to make mochi rice cakes. Again, glutinous rice contains no glutin. I don't have any of this but I'll keep an eye out for it. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,622 by imqwerky 12/1/07 1:28:21 PM Reply	KISS You are a sweetie! I so miss soy sauce! Gotta run to help my kid. Will expound later. :0) Smile, Amy
Post #296,624 by Andrew Grygus 12/1/07 2:29:20 PM Reply	Look into tamari style soy soauces. All are at least low wheat but some of the more traditional are no wheat. Traditional Korean soy sauce uses no wheat but you'll have a hard time finding that. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,625 by CRConrad 12/1/07 2:48:02 PM Reply	Set up an "underground railroad" for her. I noticed the Gryge told the Quirk "but YOU'll have a hard time finding that" -- emphasis added -- whereas the Gryge, of course, living practically IN Korea (and VietNam, and the Philippines, and Armenia, and, and...) as he so often tells us he is, will have no difficulty whatsoever scoring even the most exotic of foodstuffs. So use Joe Brabeck's outfit; that's what they're for. [link\|mailto:MyUserId@MyISP.CountryCode\|Christian R. Conrad] (I live in Finland, and my e-mail in-box is at the Saunalahti company.) Ah, the Germans: Masters of Convoluted Simplification. — [link\|http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=1603\|Jehovah]
Post #296,628 by imqwerky 12/1/07 5:34:14 PM Reply	I have an order in at a local health food store :-) Found Tamari online but I like to buy from local sources as much as possible. It was an interesting chain of events. Went to HerbMart in Plano. When I asked if I could order a bottle, I was rebuffed! I responded in a less than diplomatic fashion, but only because I felt that a store of that nature would want to cater to someone like me (call me old-fashioned...<snark>). I apologized for being rude and brought my behavior back to a my more respectable level and explained how frustrating this disease can be at times. I was fortunate that I struck a compassionate chord with the person who was the manager of the day, because she ended up saying she would order a couple of bottles for me. I suggested that if she would start stocking this product, I would be sure to spread the word to other celiacs to "come and get it!" It's all about the win-win :-) I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Christian. I have a feeling I will be seeking Andrew's advice for a lot of ingredients from now on. I won't be shy to ask him to score some products for me ;-) In fact, as I think about it, I think it would be fun to someday arrange a visit to Andrew's Hood. (Are ya payin' attention, Gryge?) We haven't taken a vacation in awhile...it would be fun to have a purpose...cookin' and shoppin' and visitin' :-D Smile, Amy
Post #296,631 by Andrew Grygus 12/1/07 8:20:45 PM Reply	Well, that's Texas, I guess. Around here a good tamari soy would be a feature item, not a no-got-em. And yes, I'm payin' attention. A visit would certainly be welcome, though a day or two of advance notice would be appreciated if possible. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,633 by imqwerky 12/2/07 1:07:55 AM Reply	Why Soitenly! Nuk Nuk Nuk! No! We make it a habit of barging in on people when they least expect it :0D NOBODY EXPECTS THE RATHMAN INQUISITION!!!! BTW, We just got back from Central Market. Got a bigass bottle of Tamari. Fuck the HerbMart! (If it comes in, I'll buy it.) They also have a great gluten-free section (hearts popping!) Got lots o'goodies tonight. Hummus chips is a great one! Smile, Amy
Post #296,704 by Andrew Grygus 12/2/07 9:37:43 PM Reply	While I was at the Korean grocery . . . . . I bought a bottle of "Korean style soy sauce" (Soybean, Salt, Water). The checkout girl tried to talk me out of it "Do you really want regular soy sauce? You know that's for soup?". Anyway, I can now report. This one is made by Soo Boc Food Manufacturing of Los Angeles (listed in the Korean Yellow Pages as a legitimate Korean owned firm). It is fairly light in taste, but veeeery salty. Definitely you wouldn't want to use it as "regular soy sauce". [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,706 by imqwerky 12/2/07 10:41:15 PM Reply	Glad to know that. There's a store right down the street from me called "Subzi Mandi". I think it is Vietnamese, but it might cater to wide variety of Asians. I am planning to go exploring there this coming week. We bought a very expensive piece of mahi-mahi at Central Market and I have learned that we can get the same fish for a better price at the ethnic stores. I'm out of Texmati Basmati rice, so it will be off to Taj Mahal Imports to get a huge-ass sack of aromatic rice. (We love that stuff, obviously!) Can't wait till I start finding cool stuff that you can only find here that you may covet ;0) What fun! Smile, Amy
Post #296,707 by Andrew Grygus 12/2/07 10:59:36 PM Reply	Aromatic Rice. I keep two varieties of long grained aromatic rice: aged Basmati (generally Royal brand, though Elephant and several others are just fine) and Jasmine (generally Baby Elephant brand - I'm not too hot on Goya products but that rice is good). Aged Basmati is veeery long grain but a bit dry for non-Indian dishes. Jasmine is a better all purpose rice in my opinion and I use it not only for Southeast Asian dishes but Chinese as well (well, so would the Chinese if they could afford it). For Japanese where you need a medium grain rice I prefer Kokuho Rose which I definitely prefer to Calrose. Now as to stuff you may have down there that I don't have here, I'm particularly interested in chilis that are not yet listed on my [link\|http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/chili.html\|Chili Page]. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,709 by imqwerky 12/2/07 11:15:07 PM Reply	Chili Juanita! (new thread) Created as new thread #296708 titled [link\|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=296708\|Chili Juanita!] Smile, Amy
Post #296,710 by Another Scott 12/2/07 11:24:25 PM Reply	Basmati rice is amazing. One of the truly great foods. [link\|http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=006978452673906630972%3A_5xhnlvpsn4\|IWeThey Custom Search Engine]
Post #296,676 by Andrew Grygus 12/2/07 4:13:20 PM Reply	Scored 2 boxes of mochiko flour . . . . . at a local Korean market. I can send you one if you want to try it. It's by [link\|http://www.kodafarms.com\|Koda Farms] in California. If you email me use ajg atthingie clovegarden dotty com. My regular ISP has flubbed a server migration in the kind of way that causes team members to ask "You want fries with that?" on their new job. I don't know when it'll work again. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,677 by Another Scott 12/2/07 4:20:29 PM Reply	OT: ? aaxnet.com works fine here. [link\|http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=006978452673906630972%3A_5xhnlvpsn4\|IWeThey Custom Search Engine]
Post #296,678 by Andrew Grygus 12/2/07 4:23:34 PM Reply	Yes, the Web site has no problems, but . . . . . email is screwed totally and has been for days. They're not on the same server. Problem is Velocity and Orange County Hosting have merged and are shuffling servers, and I don't think they're quite up to the task. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,685 by Another Scott 12/2/07 5:03:55 PM Reply	OIC. Best of luck. [link\|http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=006978452673906630972%3A_5xhnlvpsn4\|IWeThey Custom Search Engine]
Post #296,586 by boxley 11/30/07 9:21:47 AM Reply	s/flour/cornstarch/g taste better and lumps less Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari? Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 51 years. meep reach me at [link\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net]
Post #296,589 by bepatient 11/30/07 9:51:46 AM Reply	works well for gravies, some sauces need the flour for taste Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #296,591 by boxley 11/30/07 10:32:05 AM Reply	add some file for taste Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari? Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 51 years. meep reach me at [link\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net]
Post #296,597 by CRConrad 11/30/07 1:04:51 PM Reply	If you can taste the flour, you're doing it wrong. That's why all flour-based sauce recipes include at least ten minutes of simmering: To make the taste of flour go away. The old-fashioned way to make wallpaper glue was by mixing flour into boiling water; that recipe didn't, for obvious reasons, include boiling out the flour taste. ver licked the backside of old wallpaper? Not the greatest of taste experiences, let me tell you. [link\|mailto:MyUserId@MyISP.CountryCode\|Christian R. Conrad] (I live in Finland, and my e-mail in-box is at the Saunalahti company.) Ah, the Germans: Masters of Convoluted Simplification. — [link\|http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=1603\|Jehovah]
Post #296,598 by hnick 11/30/07 2:15:23 PM Reply	Not entirely. You're thinking of white or blond roux, which is mainly to thicken. Fifteen or twenty years ago, dark roux was in style when Cajun cooking was in high favor. A dark roux is also supposed to add flavor. You wouldn't want to taste flour in a bechamel but a dark roux gives a gumbo a distinctive flavor. I still like to make gumbo, but I fry down okra to get the dark taste. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Post #296,599 by Andrew Grygus 11/30/07 2:38:07 PM Reply	To remove the raw flour taste . . . . . is why you fry the flour in butter to make a roux. In the traditional French Cuisine, when making up a big batch of a basic brown or white sauce the roux is stirred into the sauce. The sauce would then be simmered very slowly during which time the thickening starch would dissolve and the non-soluble parts of the flour would slowly form a scum on top to be skimmed off by a watchful kitchen boy (today that would be an illegal from Guatemala). Escoffier stated in his books that in the future pure starches would be used to eliminate the costly skimming, but since he stuck to traditional methods, so did his followers. Pure starches need to be selected with care - some produce a shiny "cheap Chinese restaurant" effect, others don't. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #296,600 by boxley 11/30/07 2:45:18 PM Reply	evil impure thought picture ever licked the backside of old wallflower? thanx, bill Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari? Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 51 years. meep reach me at [link\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net]
Post #296,601 by CRConrad 11/30/07 5:40:20 PM Reply	That, and wallpaper too! :-)
Post #296,556 by Andrew Grygus 11/29/07 9:54:19 AM 11/29/07 9:54:58 AM Reply	Says "Mapie" on the title page and cover . . . . . and everywhere else in the book, so Mapie is what I'm going with. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx] Edited by Andrew Grygus Nov. 29, 2007, 09:54:58 AM EST Expand All History
Post #296,559 by a6l6e6x 11/29/07 1:47:56 PM Reply	What? No Julia Child? Alex Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. -- Sophocles (496? - 406 BCE)
Post #296,560 by bepatient 11/29/07 1:55:33 PM Reply	Those were just his French cookbooks Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #296,562 by a6l6e6x 11/29/07 7:29:04 PM Reply	Re: Those were just his French cookbooks Here's [link\|http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-One/dp/0375413405\|French Cooking] for ya. :) Alex Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. -- Sophocles (496? - 406 BCE)
Post #296,567 by imqwerky 11/29/07 11:35:27 PM Reply	I loved her series with Jaques Pepin I saw an interview with Jaques relating the story of how they were cooking together in the mid 70's and she used one of his knives and cut her finger pretty badly. She was such a trooper that she bandaged the wound and went on to cook with him anyway. ( It became one of the funniest skits on Saturday Night Live when Dan Aykroyd parodied Julia Child, "Oh, it seems I've cut the dickens out of my finger! Save the giblets! I remember I had a dog named Sandy...) He was precious telling about how she didn't want to talk about it, but that's all the major morning shows wanted to talk about. It was great stuff :0) I never knew it was a true story until I saw that interview. :-) Smile, Amy
Post #296,569 by Andrew Grygus 11/30/07 12:20:24 AM Reply	A secondary source. (new thread) Created as new thread #296568 titled [link\|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=296568\|A secondary source.] [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]

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