February 26th, 2009 in edibles
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That important date is rapidly approaching, ticking like a time bomb. You’re knee high in deadlines that you’ll never reach. You have made promises to friends for grand soiree the queen of Sheba couldn’t compete with. What to do, what to do? Your first thought may be, “I can do this, I’ll just pull an all nighter.” Then reality starts to creep in, and slowly panic takes over. You realize that unless you want your guests to think that you’re a complete loser, you need to make the call. What call? You may ask. It’s the call to your local caterer. Now, it might be a friend of a friend who knows how to cook, or it could be a cook, or even an actual chef. But what you really want to do is call the caterer, then move over and let the professionals do their job. Let me be first to tell you it’s for the best.
“… move over and let the professionals do their job.”
Few people know how much planning, preparation and practice goes into a well executed party. The first thing to consider is the budget. Fully catered parties can get expensive fast, but remember its “fully-catered” which means you’ll have nothing to do before or after the event. Caterers will remove all worries, but for a price. They charge for everything from rentals, delivery, corkage, labor, service to cleaning.
“Caterer’s will remove worries, but for a price.”
As a chef who has been catering for years, I always remind the client that it’s a party. Paying means playing. All the pain, and it is painful, is removed from the host and the celebrating is uninterrupted. Who wants to spend time cleaning into the wee hours on their wife’s 40th birthday? Even worse is waking up with a house full dirty dishes, and smelly trash knowing no one got to spend any time with you because you were plating up the hors d`oeuvres all night. If the event is a meaningful one, then you should cowboy up and get a caterer.
Next, get more than one bid, and have a tasting some caterers menu item that interest you. Now, if the event budget is less than a grand or two the caterer may not agree to a tasting. Yes, catering can get expensive fast, ranging from a few hundred dollars to the tens of thousands. Calling more than one caterer can shave off some major dollars. Most caterers have a lot of the equipment to rent so having another caterer bid on the event will force them to compete for the business by lowering there prices. The first cost to go can be chafing dishes, and that savings can be significant.
You could offer your own china and silverware. This is another way to save, but it only works with smaller events, and forces the caterer to stay later to clean the dishes. Another option is to buy the drinks yourself, and just have the caterer serve them. The draw back to this is that you will have to remember to buy the beverages, and store all left overs.
“Calling more than one caterer can shave off some major dollars.”
When your party is in full swing and everyone is enjoying themselves and complimenting you on the evening. You’ll be glad you made that call!
February 9th, 2009 in edibles, photos, reviews
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With all the “Gloom and Doom” attitude these days, I have found a little ray of light in the strangest of places… the cow! I have had my share of breaking down meat, but I was recently introduced to the some of the most tender, juicy, flavorful, value-friendly alternative cuts of beef. These cuts are not known on a first name bases like the ribeye, strip loin, and the tenderloin. They lerk in obscurity and have been pushed into the corner for far too long. Although there has been a “value cut” in the market for a few years, most have been snatched up by the low end restaurant chains and renamed “steak.”
“I have found a little ray of light in the strangest of places… the cow!”
The Flat Iron rose up from obscurity and quickly named the second most tender cut of meat. Soon it became a household name, and with it the price. This is a common theme with uncommon cuts, like the short rib, oxtail and the skirt steak. These were a fraction of the current cost, until someone found a real value and flavor in them. Customers were raving about them and everyone wanted to partake in the glory. The high demand rose and the rest is history … until the Teres Major was introduced. I was, like most chefs, trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents. But with the cost of the “Big Three” (Tenderloin, Ribeye, Striploin) being what it is and the amount of loss due to PISMO, shrinkage and waste, you can lose up to 40% or higher! So, what do you do? Pass the cost on to the customer like many chefs do? Or cut back on the portion size? Well, I wanted to find the new “flat iron”, a superstar waiting in the wings. It wasn’t too hard to find, because the Beef Industry has been busy searching for its newest hero.
Muscle Profiling Study, the cutting edge in research and development uncovered a few possibilities. The first of the group is the Teres Major, aka the shoulder tender. This cut, come to find out hangs out with the ever so popular flat iron, in the shoulder and is as tender and lean as the tenderloin. The Teres Major is 6-8 inches long and is a fraction of the weight tenderloin. After cooking one of these I was sold, at a fifth of the cost, without losing any quality what more do you need? A name for sure, and a hook, some way to make everyone in town clamoring to bite into one of these “Tinyloins” ?
Two 10 oz Prime Cuts of the Coulotte Steak
“Wonderful marbleization and for the price, unbeatable.”
The other is the Coulotte. This is a flat triangular shaped muscle (bicep femoris) that lies immediately beneath the surface fat of the top butt. The Coulotte steak has been a favorite in Europe and Japan. This steak is juicy and robust and when cut into steaks, looks a lot like a New York. Wonderful marbleization and for the price, unbeatable. I had been quoted $3.59 -$3.83 per pound for choice-prime. This is dollars, not cents, below New York, Ribeye and Tenderloin. Hands down my new favorite steak. There is a line of silverskin that piggy backs down the back of the meat like a strip loin, but when you slice against the grain it is nearly unnoticeable, actually I like a little texture that isn’t fatty or gristly. I’m not the guy that would choose a filet on a menu, and a strip loin can not take to overcooking, so I order to avoid mistakes. I normally go with a ribeye, or a slice whole roasted prime rib ( which is the socially accepted term, but is actually incorrect. Another story altogether… stay tuned:) just to safe. The coulotte is a perfect blend of the strip lion and the ribeye, but without the price tag. What more could you ask for? Next time you are talking with you meat purveyor ask them about these value-cuts you’ll be glad you did.
Tags: local produce, oysters, seafood
January 27th, 2009 in reviews
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Carlsbad Aquafarm
As a chef who is always looking for the freshest product, I was very excited when I heard about a farm that was “as fresh as it gets.” This is not your typical farm, but an ingenious “wet” farm. Carlsbad AquaFarm is situated on the pristine waters of the Rancho Aqua Lagoon. This aquafarm is the real deal. Family owned since 1990, Carlsbad AquaFarm is committed to producing the highest quality cultured shellfish. Their shellfish are laboratory tested to assure they are free of bacteria. After harvesting the shellfish are placed in tanks containing filtered and UV treated water. What this means is that there isn’t a cleaner shellfish on the market.
“The ocean water … was clean and clear”
As I toured the aquafarm, the thought “commitment to quality” came to mind. This company walks the talk. The oysters are beautiful with sizes ranging from small to jumbo. Luna, the smallest, resembles the Kumamoto oyster with a light purple and blue colored shell. The liquor was briny, crisp, and clear; the meat firm and mild - stunning. I have tried oysters from all around the world, and I would put this up against the best, with only the Kuchie oyster surpassing it. Tasting the wide range of shellfish the same thought came to mind, “pure.” There was not a hint of aftertaste just crisp, clean ocean meat. Normally I enjoy a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a splash of classic mignonette with my raw oyster, but I wanted to taste the shellfish at its purest therefore I used nothing. The ocean water in the tanks was clean and clear, with a crisp salinity.
One of the oyster tanks at Carlsbad Aquafarm
The clams and black mussels are suspended in nets shaped like tubes. A method called “long line culturing”, which prevents the shellfish from touching the sandy sea-floor. That means exceptionally clean, no grit, no mud, no sand, no worries. The top concerns with shellfish are eliminated, and what you are left with is pure natural flavor.
November 4th, 2008 in equipment
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Here is the review. It is a great review. THis is the best equipment ever. SDjoifsd fiodfsio sdmfsdm dmsoif sfois jfoisdjfios gnsjkngsflsdm fmwi spcsdp fdsoig soij sdmf ds.
November 4th, 2008 in edibles
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October 20th, 2008 in Uncategorized
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