tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58092367908807012982011-07-31T06:45:07.049-04:00Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.comBlogger901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-71794886755185642532009-07-22T17:22:00.003-04:002009-07-22T17:26:14.857-04:00

Home. Comfort. Delicious goodness.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-35332040970009545392008-11-30T04:13:00.011-05:002008-11-30T22:09:30.369-05:00

My favorite quote to date:"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?"A good question posed to me by my chef-de-cuisine last week when he caught me trying to "wing it" by putting together a sauce I had never made before. It was so beautiful in its truthfulness. Not just for that particular moment, but in general, for how it is for me every day. No, I don't know diddlysquat and I'm trying to

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-60022881239442725292008-11-24T19:36:00.007-05:002008-11-24T19:44:42.234-05:00

You know you've been spending too much time in the kitchen when you find yourself calling out, "Corner!" on street corners and resisting the urge to yell out, "Behind you!" in crowded grocery stores.Cooks are such freaks.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-69301949383571247302008-10-13T08:39:00.002-04:002008-10-13T08:48:18.813-04:00

After a month at the amuse station, a big change has come over me. I see time differently, and feel anything is possible in just a few hours if you really PUSH and focus. I get it now. It's a mind thing, and I'm tickled and in awe by it. Now, 24 hours in a day seems like so much time and in the end I can say life is so much fuller by it.Well, I'm off to Germany today to be married, and when I

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-67263587797956397842008-09-28T04:07:00.003-04:002008-09-28T04:14:53.712-04:00

At 4:00 a.m. Left-over pizza. With O.J. (Why not have a little breakfast along the way?) Why does left-over pizza often taste better than the fresh ones? Maybe cause they're eaten when one is mad hungry.The phrase of the day is: "Mental mise-en-place." The chef who's most like my mentor called it that when I explained the mind-set change I learned from him. Mental mise-en-place. Gotta love it.One

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-36838180605657181082008-09-27T03:22:00.007-04:002008-09-27T03:48:42.600-04:00

Covered in meat juice due to a malfunctioning trash bag.Hand jam.Foot jam.Some things:• There's always a faster way of doing everything. I learned this today while weaving my potatoes. Aha! I had a breakthrough moment and it made me stupid happy.• When you love the food, it loves you back.• I'm actually starting to get what it means to "push."• Must remember to think before I move. Sometimes

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-73142737414094938552008-09-25T02:26:00.003-04:002008-09-25T03:12:17.543-04:00

In the shits.Again.Tired.Stinky.Back pain.Achy hands.Dehydrated.Jaded.So why do I look forward to doing this another day???I look at my daily prep list and it looks like mission impossible, but my garde manger supervisor insists I can do it all by myself if I really push it. I really believe I'm pushing it all the time, but the rate at which chefs move is on a whole different caliber. I just

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-59711292498422833962008-09-23T22:59:00.003-04:002008-09-23T23:31:14.190-04:00

This was partly M.'s inspiration and partly my failure to find ready-made pizza dough at Whole Foods, as M. suggested. I was in the mood for a pizza with mushrooms and caramelized onions, but the pizzerias in New Rochelle are quite disgusting to say the least. M. made a really beautiful pizza for her parents at her daughter's 4th with WF pizza dough and I thought I'd give it a try, too. But I had

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-5067635144760541022008-09-23T20:31:00.004-04:002008-09-23T20:46:18.060-04:00

Some neat-looking beans we had to shell recently. They were so cute I had to bring them home.Left: Can't remember the nameCenter: Jacob's Cattle, an heirloom variety that originated in GermanyRight: Yin Yang, or Black Calypso, is a rare heirloom variety that pairs well with corn

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-76527458106708273552008-09-22T11:41:00.008-04:002008-09-23T20:00:06.930-04:00

• Being greeted in the morning by chickens, cows, sheep and pigs• Witnessing 2 pigs shamelessly making out in plain sight, in front of all the little kids• Sending off newlyweds with a clanging of pots and pans• Making a fresh batch of ricotta and butter every day• Kneading and seasoning butter• How ricotta becomes sweeter as you add the salt• The characters I get to work with side-by-side,

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-65638315310901569782008-09-22T00:18:00.006-04:002008-09-23T20:13:32.643-04:00

My left fingertips are burnt, calloused and numb. I have a bad burn on my right forearm and wrist. I have a strange wound that won't heal in the space between my forefinger and thumb - a little accident that happened in my wrestle with a giant Hobart mixer. Both my hands are swollen and muscular like a man's, and they tingle with tightness every morning. My back aches, my feet hurt, and I'm

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-13942906419155518782008-07-08T23:46:00.007-04:002008-07-09T03:05:08.689-04:00

Coming back from my trip to a completely empty fridge, I'm now reacquainting myself with my kitchen and the kinds of food I used to eat pre-California, pre-fast food, pre-lavender-infused everything. One of the last meals I had before the trip was with a beautifully rustic pesto made with walnuts. It started with a bunch of basil I couldn't refuse. It called out to me with such an intoxicating

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-62234620085933944052008-07-08T22:37:00.006-04:002008-07-09T03:08:55.527-04:00

Hello everyone. I hope you're having a nice summer so far. I had a blissful, beautiful and relaxing time at the festival. Most of my time was spent at the Lavender Green Cafe making sandwiches and salads and gaining some front-of-the-house experience. I'm not exactly a social creature, but I really got a kick out of making customers happy, especially when they seemed to get excited about the

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-89050644768639795272008-06-06T13:09:00.020-04:002008-06-09T02:36:25.886-04:00

When I lived with my parents in Queens several years back, I got to experience the beauty of living off the land. Being Korean and never fully comprehending what a big patch of grass did for anybody, my parents converted the entire back yard into an edible garden. It wasn't a big yard, maybe 10 x 20 feet total, but they managed to plant a plum tree, a pear tree, and an apple tree amongst the

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-19004391369408007222008-06-05T23:39:00.012-04:002008-06-06T13:04:17.587-04:00

Last week I brought myself down to the Union Square Greenmarket with the hopes of picking up some final harvest of ramps. If you've never tasted them, I suggest you put it down on your list of must-eats. Ramps are wild leeks, with a soft, almost velvety green body and a scallion-like stem that's slightly more bulbous. They taste like punched-up leeks, made pungent with notes of garlic and onions.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-8470372272050323572008-06-04T16:35:00.013-04:002008-06-04T17:43:31.735-04:00

Starting this weekend! I'll be slaving away in the kitchen somewhere on the last two weekends, working with beautiful organic lavender buds. This is an incredibly beautiful property, with hiking trails, fig trees, a wondrous olive grove, and what they call, "The Thousand Year Oak" tree. If any of you are out in California during the month of June, please be sure to stop by. Highland Springs

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-57868679751504621542008-06-04T00:19:00.011-04:002008-06-04T16:16:30.394-04:00

Ahhhhh... food memories. This is one of the last things I ate before the big stomach trauma, and I think in just about 24 hours, my tummy will be strong enough to revisit this happy moment in my gastronomical life.As often is the case, the simplest things make the best meals. Here is a basic crêpe rolled in a schmear of glistening butter and strawberry-rhubarb jam, topped with a dollop of crème

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-79463167233384292022008-05-31T23:35:00.009-04:002008-06-01T20:56:48.669-04:00

I'd like to share a video and some pictures I took at Stone Barns Center for Agriculture, a Rockefeller-funded organic farm near Tarrytown, NY. And for a hint of some changes to come: I also spent two days trailing (kitchen-style interviewing) in the kitchen of Blue Hill, the restaurant run by Dan Barber, the ultimate East coast farm-to-table chef.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-71256971722994867002008-05-31T22:24:00.006-04:002008-06-01T20:48:42.449-04:00

For three days straight it's made me ill to think about any kind of food except a dry piece of toast (hold the butter) with some penne pasta, dry, no sauce, maybe with just a dab of tomato sauce on the side. I visited the farmer's market today to see if I could rev up my appetite by the sight of some fresh Spring produce, but all I felt towards the beautiful bunches of local asparagus was neutral

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-18215668832036312482008-05-28T15:41:00.001-04:002008-06-04T16:17:07.405-04:00

This is an amazing combination of flavors. So simple and elegant. The salt crust looked fun to make so I tried it, but I won't be attempting it again as it's too time-consuming for what you get as a result - pure saltiness with none of the orange and thyme flavors coming through. The horseradish crème fraîche is a keeper though, and I'm rather addicted to its flavor. Last night, I made a new

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-34548607605607249232008-05-28T15:24:00.008-04:002008-06-04T16:17:38.648-04:00

This is a recipe I tried out for the upcoming Lavender Festival. It's so refreshing, and the lavender adds a subtle bit of loveliness and interest to an otherwise common summer drink.Recipe: Lavender-infused virgin mojitosAdapted from Food and WineVIRGIN MOJITOSIngredients15 mint leaves1 teaspoon raw sugar1 ounce fresh lime juice1/2 ounce Lavender Simple Syrup (recipe follows)Ice4 ounces chilled

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-18782488439376878382008-05-21T00:25:00.004-04:002008-06-04T16:19:23.895-04:00

Apologies for my long hiatus from the blog world. It's been a crazy few months here, as early spring probably is for most people. Birthdays, visitors from abroad, feeding an a**load of mouths (more on that later), exploring new avenues, etc, etc. I've also been feeling a massive computer burn-out. Having sat in front of a computer for 8 hours straight at the office, it's hard to turn one on again

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-30978139516425536502008-05-19T15:40:00.004-04:002008-05-19T15:46:40.685-04:00

Anyone want to eat through Spain with me? I mean, I'd much rather do it with Batali and Bittman, but if we could get ourselves there and in front of some good food, I won't make a squeak. Here's a little trailer for a new show coming in the fall - a road trip through Spain with two of my favorite cooks/chefs, Bario Batali and Mark Bittman, eating and discovering their way through Spain, my next

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-11258611132103846762008-04-18T15:55:00.009-04:002008-04-22T11:22:42.892-04:00

Passion for food and cooking. My friend MF has it. A long, long time ago, we worked together at my very first advertising agency. It was a scary, scary place and those of us who've worked there all share a special bond over the experience. As MF describes it, it's as if we're survivors of an abusive family. Haha! I can only laugh about it now. I think it was she who once calculated the number of

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-24544608319234724152008-04-18T14:01:00.010-04:002008-04-18T15:20:41.587-04:00

How timely for this NY Times article to appear the Wednesday following my Saturday with my new sous chef Raj. I found it worth a few chuckles, and it gives us some chefs' insights on the high level of profanity in the kitchen:Tom Colicchio“Mr. Colicchio blames a loosening of standards in the whole of American culture: ‘You read Rolling Stone and you don’t see rock stars curse like this… And it’s

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-46307309000396827042008-04-17T16:22:00.009-04:002008-04-18T11:26:52.221-04:00

{ The staff at Le Bernardin }I just wanted to share a blog post I came across by Michael Laiskonis. Laiskoniks is the executive pastry chef at Le Bernardin, and his blog provides an informative look into the thoughts and musings of a 4-star restaurant chef.When I saw this post, I was really happy and relieved to see someone of this caliber actually recognize and celebrate the silent workers

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-35777944358551520202008-04-16T14:55:00.010-04:002008-04-16T16:01:48.714-04:00

Saturday was M.'s son's birthday numero uno and I had the honor of baking his very first birthday cake. T. has never had cake so to play it safe, M. asked me to do something with flavors he’s familiar with. He likes banana, so I made banana cake.While digging around for recipes, I came upon a post by Dave Lebovitz begging the question, “Banana cake or banana bread – what’s the difference?” I was

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-55143842186154368082008-04-16T14:13:00.002-04:002008-04-16T16:23:36.842-04:00

Actually, I baked 2 cakes for T.'s birthday because I was convinced this was a child-friendly recipe. Made with 3 different milks that you leave to soak into the cake overnight, this dessert is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the final product, and until you’ve got the whipped cream and toasted coconut on top, it’s not the most photogenic thing.Enjoy!Recipe: Tres

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-23347536208195263212008-04-15T12:16:00.009-04:002008-04-15T14:44:56.328-04:00

So I finally met Adam's replacement. His name is Raj. He's our new sous chef. And he’s a character.The first think that comes to mind when I think to describe him is that he peppers every sentence with the “f” word, even when his sentences are seasoned enough without it. Last night the wait staff asked what was in the bass and he said, “Some salt, some f’in pepper, and some other good f’in stuff.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-87010145526554878452008-04-10T00:48:00.003-04:002008-04-10T13:12:27.669-04:00

O.k. this is just a warning that you'll be seeing a lot of recipes with lavender in the coming months. I'll be volunteering in the kitchen of a lavender festival this coming June at a place called Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, California. It's a beautiful property laden with an olive grove, fig trees, hiking trails, an old oak tree that's merely hundreds of years old, and fields of

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-75149057155796595812008-04-09T23:33:00.005-04:002008-04-10T05:21:22.166-04:00

My mom has always been a feeder. Yes, many children of feeding moms think their moms are extreme cases, but ask anyone who's passed through our home while growing up and they'll tell you that my mom's a particularly extreme case. It used to grate on me so much when she would make our whole family late because she was cutting mangos and melons for the half-hour ride to church. And until these

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-39793602465129638162008-03-18T12:32:00.002-04:002008-04-10T04:28:08.522-04:00

Kitchen wounds I've suffered so far include:• Deep knife cuts through the nail and into the soft flesh beneath• Vegetable peeler cuts• Mandoline nicks (very much like paper cuts, but 5 times worse - small, but painful)• Microplane-grated knuckles• Burns (luckily small and scar-free)And this just in from last night's duty:• Carrot blistersThe carrot blister sits above the very first crease of my

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-15877627391366858622008-03-15T21:22:00.026-04:002008-06-04T16:28:28.143-04:00

Yes, you heard right. Oreo cookies. Made at home. They were tasty. Almost exactly like the original, except the creme tastes like food, not wax. The beauty of making them at home is you have control over what goes into them (no hydrogenated oils), how much filling to use, and you can get creative with other flavors if you're so inclined (Mint! Peanut butter! Chocolate! Green tea!).Some notes on

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-37187771757104273282008-03-14T13:28:00.015-04:002008-06-04T16:32:06.745-04:00

This is too good. Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert return to the line, cooking sweating, and sipping tequila. I love Bourdain's self-deprecating voice here, and the fancy-pants, "I don't cook" portrait he paints of Ripert, "Eric cooks like most big boys of his caliber these days, meaning... not much. He tastes. He conceptualizes. He creates." So true to a comment once made by ChefX, who used to

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-74338792436980828072008-03-13T23:51:00.008-04:002008-06-04T16:33:17.252-04:00

Yay! Today felt so much like spring! I know, I know, it's still 40 degrees out and I'm still donning my Michelin Man down coat with overkill scarf and all, but the light...the quality of light! When I got out of the office at 5:30 today, it still felt like I had an entire day ahead of me. The sun was just exceptionally shiny today and I couldn't help but feel giddy.But now, what to eat? It's

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-47272777492321195662008-03-09T04:43:00.014-04:002008-06-04T16:34:13.390-04:00

This past weekend, I did a little clean-up of my magazine basket which was overflowing with stacks of printed recipes, issues of Edible Brooklyn, Bon Appetite, and the occasional Economist (when I feel I've become too engrossed in all things food).Within the stack of recipes, I came across this one that uses fresh lavender and gave it a whirl remembering a precious stash of organic lavender that

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-50580306551149576332008-03-09T04:35:00.024-04:002008-04-17T12:45:55.376-04:00

Yes, I'm on an olive oil kick. Olive oil in desserts, that is. A while back, I was intrigued by a recipe I spotted on delicious: days for a chocolate mousse with olive oil. I had the recipe lingering around for months until I got a hold of some good quality chocolates this weekend - a Valrhona bittersweet. Midway into the making of this mousse, I felt like it needed a little kick. But what? Chili

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-35506911503994605972008-03-08T23:51:00.002-05:002008-04-17T12:45:41.984-04:00

Lupe is back from Mexico! It so good to see him again. We never exchange more than a few words with each other, but today we had an pretty extensive (by Lupe's standards) conversation about his trip back home, and discovered that he really wants to find a wife. He told me his first wife passed away 5 years ago, leaving him with 5 children. How this man managed to raise all those kids alone while

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-2133954086938730952008-03-06T08:11:00.010-05:002008-04-17T12:45:26.269-04:00

That was just weird. On Tuesday, I took Knife Skills 1 class at the Institute of Culinary Arts (ICE) thinking it would teach me some basic techniques I may have missed. The lessons were really basic, like how to hold a knife and what kind of cutting board to use (wood). As with any instructional class, you can always pick up new tidbits of knowledge, like cutting from the back half of the knife

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-36675163086200284702008-03-02T23:20:00.018-05:002008-05-26T11:25:08.698-04:00

Most of you who know me know that I like to bake cakes above all else. There's something deeply satisfying about every step of the process, going from a simple heap of flour and sugar to something that gives people a sense of celebration and special occasion.I baked this cake for no other occasion than to try out the appealing flavor combination - lemon and olive oil. It presents itself as a very

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-46313322347721833252008-02-27T17:11:00.015-05:002008-04-17T12:45:00.729-04:00

Photo curtesy of cygnoir from flickr Creative CommonsOn day 3 of service at RestoX, Adam asked me to work with Chiquito, the garde manger. Garde manger means "keeping to eat" (which makes no sense), or "keeper of the food" in French. Also known as "pantry chefs," they're responsible for mostly cold foods such as salads and desserts, and simple hot dishes such as soups and appetizers. In French

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-29106138116989623482008-02-26T19:22:00.024-05:002008-04-17T12:44:46.750-04:00

The flavor of desserts made with olive oil intrigue me (i.e. gelato, chocolate mousse). I recently found a recipe for a lemon olive oil cake, which I plan to make later this week. Since it's a very simple recipe with no frosting or garnish, my idea is to dust the top with some confectioner's sugar and serve it with a dollop of creme fraiche and a few strips of candied lemon peels.Since the

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-38784227685887941062008-02-25T15:29:00.033-05:002008-04-17T12:44:31.913-04:00

This past Saturday, aside from learning about burdock roots (notes on that later), I had a very informative discussion with ChefX about culinary school.He asked me about my 5-year plan, and if I was still considering going to school. I felt really honored that he asked, and it helped for me to talk through my thoughts with someone who's actually been in my shoes. ChefX never went to school. He

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-49217153120346146122008-02-23T08:11:00.003-05:002008-04-17T12:43:58.091-04:00

Around this time last winter, I wrote a post in Chowhound after a night of sleeplessness, longing for street food. I guess there's something about February that brings out this craving in me. I was reminded of this post, and thought I'd share it with you, with a few additions from my recent cravings. The responses were overwhelming, and satisfyingly international. You realize how cheated we are

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-87595098704909865482008-02-23T08:06:00.002-05:002008-04-17T12:43:37.911-04:00

Some quotes that agree with me, found on Edible San Francisco titled, "Eating is..."“ Eating is...a political act; every time you eat, you vote with your fork.” —Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, New York University.“Eating is...an agricultural act” —The philosopher- farmer Wendell Berry wrote that aphorism, often invoked these days, in his

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-49880524392248750632008-02-21T23:16:00.011-05:002008-04-17T12:43:24.351-04:00

Fried potatoes. It's everybody's weakness, at least it certainly is mine. I generally eat pretty healthy throughout the week even though by the look of this blog, it probably doesn't seem likely. The key for me is to not bring home any potatoes because they will most likely be fried.On a recent trip to Trader Joe's, I saw a bag of cute little fingerling potatoes that I couldn't resist. I brought

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-57915540024565467762008-02-21T23:07:00.005-05:002008-04-17T12:42:45.465-04:00

I love mushy food. Korean pumpkin porridge, my mom's pine nut porridge, steel-cut oatmeal, ragouts, soup-soaked rice, and muesli mush. My friend C. in Bonn made this for me with amazing European-quality yogurt and muesli, and a local honey made by a family friend. She she shredded the apples into it, but I prefer them julienned for a crispy to contrast with the mushy. This is may sound gross, but

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-7020245418054358772008-02-20T12:54:00.025-05:002008-04-17T12:42:32.654-04:00

I'm tempted to put about 5 exclamation points after that headline, but I resist. I went in on Monday for day 2 of service at RestoX, and it was quite the experience! Here's a recap of both days:Day 1: Martin Luther King DayI arrived at 4:00, which I realized was an odd time to start. This is usually the silence before a storm in restaurant kitchens. All the prep work was done and the only task I

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-25874195583637825222008-02-19T08:18:00.008-05:002008-04-17T12:42:14.807-04:00

I'm well-acquainted with, and love butternut squash. It's quite appealing as far as squash goes with its graceful shape, its smooth skin, and the gift of a beautiful orange-gold hue when you slice it open. It's just sweet enough, has a firm but giving texture, and it caramelizes beautifully when roasted.Recently I read about a Japanese squash called kabocha that seemed to have similar properties

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-31034171020920109252008-02-18T22:19:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:41:56.641-04:00

You may have noticed the type issues I've been having in my recent posts. I tried and tried to fix them, but it looks like they're here to stay. If you haven't noticed anything, it's probably a good thing and it tells me you are a much better-natured person than I am. As an art director, a typophile, and a detail-oriented kitchen apprentice, I feel I must say, "Sorry for our appearances, but

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-24443234921398362062008-02-18T14:15:00.041-05:002008-04-17T12:41:30.346-04:00

I love an occasion to bake a cake. It gives me opportunity to try out a new recipe and to learn some new techniques. I was instantly drawn to this cake in Epicurious for its shiny, drippy, chocolaty ganache that runs over the side of a mousse cake.I did o.k. until I got to the ganache. The shortbread on the bottom came out perfect, though I would double the recipe next time for greater texture

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-28682558777499098582008-02-12T21:30:00.009-05:002008-04-17T12:41:08.691-04:00

I've been studying up on some classic French techniques in Jacques Pépin's Complete Techniques in order to better prepare myself for RestoX, and I came across a duxelle of mushrooms. I had never heard of duxelles (the name originated from the boss of a famous French chef François Pierre La Varenne, who came from d'Uxelles), but apparently it's one of the staples of classic French cooking. And

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-16913064661106145862008-02-10T22:17:00.005-05:002008-06-04T16:13:20.048-04:00

This is another dish I find to be pure comfort food. It's also a dish I would have been intimidated by three months ago. But in reading some recipes, I discovered it's actually quite simple. It was once a peasant dish that evolved from a need to preserve food, but now it's become a somewhat fancy-pants dish. I realize this is mostly due to the time and planning rather than the technique required

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-19172321239777027942008-02-09T23:48:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:40:00.612-04:00

He's back, at least for the next two weeks while Lupe is out on vacation. Something about ChefX's presence changes everything at RestoX. I was in good spirits and feeling pretty jolly to have him watching over everything in the kitchen, even my mistakes. Today was was cut short, from 10:30-2:00, to attend my nephew's 3rd birthday party, but it was a pretty productive day and I had some fun. And

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-10084986910038806332008-02-09T01:56:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:39:45.107-04:00

I used to make a banana bread that my friend C. from Hamburg still talks about, but I lost the recipe somewhere along the way to Brooklyn, and I've been searching for a good replacement ever since.I was attracted to this recipe from Smitten Kitchen because she starts off with a discussion on speckled bananas. This is the only way to make banana bread - with overripe, almost trash-bin-ready

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-24728496819986828402008-02-04T22:49:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:39:29.232-04:00

O.k. This is typical of the kind of dinner I eat most of the week - a big fat bowl of some singular dish. Yes, it's not very nutritiously sound, but I still haven't figured out a good way to make a balanced meal that I can make in batches and will last a few days. It's a tricky one.Today's dinner was a nice head of cauliflower and broccoli, with enough left over for a repeat meal at lunch

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-156067761406851202008-01-30T12:39:00.005-05:002008-04-17T12:39:17.344-04:00

I've always loved spätzle, and now I love them even more. I love making them, looking at them, and of course, eating them. Wintertime is the perfect time for spätzle, partly because of its inevitably home-made look and taste, and partly because the vehicle that carries the spätzle tends to fall into the comfort food zone (goulash, ragout, butter, cream, cheese, etc). I once had a delicious

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-49530601842030546952008-01-30T04:55:00.002-05:002008-04-17T12:38:59.176-04:00

As I've mentioned in a few posts, my hands tend to get very numb while chopping at RestoX, and it takes a full day for me to get the circulation running again. As friend G. says, it's probably not a good thing if I want to keep my hand in good working order for what lies ahead (kitchen celebrity, fortune, etc). At first I thought it was the chest-high work surface, so I added an inch to my height

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-83125519498308176442008-01-27T23:50:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:38:44.409-04:00

For the fund raising bake sale today, I made a huge batch of chai and it was gone in an instant. For just 32 cups, you must peel and slice 2 pounds of ginger - exactly a quart (quart it!). For the quality of ingredients and the manual labor it requires, it was a bargain at $3 for a "tall" and $4 for a "grande." Take that, Starbucks, with that phony syrupy nastiness you call "chai!"

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-22737924080674908002008-01-26T21:32:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:38:29.809-04:00

It was a day of herbs, herbs, and more herbs. Then some socco, rabbits and kohlrabi. The pasta machine is officially broken so luckily today I got a break from my friend, the tortellini.Breakfast of championsLeftover lentil soup with poached egg. Something experimental: a tangelo.LessonsTask: Mince 2 quarts of shallots.Notes: Don't laugh - this is has become my standard morning task at RestoX. To

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-31819350580768253062008-01-25T22:59:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:37:37.952-04:00

Is it just me, or does saffron tast like dirty old socks? I've never used saffron before, and I'm not sure if I'll ever use it again. There must be some good use for it, but as far as I'm concerned it just smells and tastes funky. I kind of wish someone had warned me of this fact before I coughed up $10 for a tiny packet. If any of you know of a good way to redeem saffron in my kitchen, I'll give

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-26969444228659715902008-01-16T23:58:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:34:09.171-04:00

It was tasty. I hope to be having pizza for my birthday even when I'm hitting the ripe old age of 88. Carmen has been raving about Luzzo's quite literally for years. We finally went for my 33rd, unfortunately sans Carmen. It was truly delicious pizza, with a perfectly light but chewy crust, topped with tempting ingredients such as truffle pate, arugula, and quatre fromaggi (which M. forbid me to

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-8338406708392175582008-01-15T22:00:00.002-05:002008-04-17T12:33:23.435-04:00

We all have our guilty food pleasures. In the wintertime, mine is to buy a box of clementines and eat as many as possible in one sitting. This often happens on days like today when I get home late from the office. To top the "meal" off, I treat myself to yet another form of pre-packaged treat, like chocolate. Today I broke open one of many Balisto bars, kindly sent to me from a friend in Munich -

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-49101912882985378382008-01-14T22:34:00.003-05:002008-04-17T12:32:09.234-04:00

To offset the pain of waking up this morning, especially after the late night baking session on Sunday night, I skipped the gym and came straight home to relax, cook a meal of warm lentil salad (the perfect weekday meal), and clean up the mess I made in the apartment over the weekend. Last week's warm spell was nice but disturbing considering that it's the middle of January and I actually saw

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-54520780170764102962008-01-14T21:49:00.003-05:002008-04-17T12:29:14.158-04:00

This past Sunday we had a little bake sale to support our church. As usual, the baking took place in the wee hours of the night before. The treat of the day was Rosemary Shortbread. Very simple, very delicious, and very dangerous to bake late at night when you're feeling the munchies. The heavenly scent they give off as they bake will make you swoon. There were some suggestions by readers to

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-10691144340032180952008-01-12T23:30:00.007-05:002008-04-17T12:25:00.630-04:00

Photo courtesy of Ulterior EpicureSomething is definitely up at RestoX. There was a still silence in the air all day. No hip-hop music playing, no bubbly ChefX cracking jokes, no chitchat. When I asked Adam how his week was, he gave me a stammering "o.k..., I mean...well... eh...can't talk about it..." Perhaps ChefX has decided they were all having too much fun in the kitchen?Still, I couldn't be

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-707954218458549652008-01-11T10:46:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:09:10.699-04:00

With my imminent 33rd birthday and the recent realization of my dinosaur status in the food industry, I have to say I haven't been too chirpy about my hopes for a successful (or even semi-successful) career change.Lucky for me, I got a call today from my trusty friend M., who always has a store of endless wisdom. Her advice to me was that no change comes without suffering and anything is possible

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-77557856008242606362008-01-07T08:14:00.002-05:002008-04-17T12:08:28.992-04:00

I just love this woman and all that she stands for. Some day, Ms. Waters, I will be working alongside you in Berkeley.Here, a clip of the Edible School Yard at Martin Luther King Jr. High School:

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-20847058003086470262008-01-05T17:17:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:07:03.659-04:00

I woke up this morning feeling pretty bummed and discouraged about the day ahead. The looming fear I had was that I would continue my downward spiral from the last disastrous week, and be booted out of RestoX for good. What if this was the revealing moment when I would have to face the facts that I was not cut out for this industry?I force-fed myself some scrambled eggs (2 whole eggs + 2 whites),

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-1106908425461586322008-01-04T22:05:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:59:40.844-04:00

The Cookies were baked in the wee hours of the nights before Christmas. It's all a big buttery blur. I'm just glad I did not decide to become a pastry chef. In baking, there's no color unless you're adding something fruity, everything smells the same - either of butter or chocolate, and you feel a bit guilty feeding it to the ones you love because you know it has the potential to kill them (sorry

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-57177031485942229292008-01-04T21:20:00.002-05:002008-04-17T11:54:48.994-04:00

Oof. Day 4 at RestoX was a complete failure. The overwhelming feeling I have is that I’m not cut out for this. I just don’t have the knack for it. Even if I do, I’m beginning this process way too late in the game. I feel like a 32-year-old just picking up a violin to become a concert pianist… this is just not realistic, is it? There’s a part of me that’s telling me to just give up, that this is

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-74285684613748792002007-12-20T00:08:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:53:22.952-04:00

Shall I be so bold as to call it a blessing? I got let out of the office at 4:30 today after a presentation. It was quite the mercy after a bad yesterday.I've been itching to try out some new cookie recipes for weeks now, so what better way to spend the rest of the evening than with a holiday bake-off? I went ingredient shopping, poured myself a glass of wine, gnawed on some cheese, and got to

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-19508298415781571962007-12-18T22:54:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:51:22.951-04:00

O.K. I'm reaching a breaking point. Sometimes I think I will walk out of the office never to return. Just like that. To be perfectly honest, there's no good reason why I hate it so much (and yes it's hate, not dislike). By most people's standards, I have a pretty good job. They pay a decent salary, provide good health benefits, and I even have pretty good hours now. I work with great people, for

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-63131430874176312052007-12-16T21:30:00.008-05:002008-04-17T11:50:09.986-04:00

Today was by far the crappiest day of the year. Is it rain? Is it snow? I don't know, but it's COLD AND WET. By unfortunate circumstance it was also the trial run of Wintermarket, an event organized by Jill Slater and Robert La Valva of New Amsterdam Public, a non-profit organization aiming to convert the now-abandoned Fulton Fish Market into a year-round eventually- indoor market featuring only

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-86218763353946454582007-12-16T00:56:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:39:35.017-04:00

Yup. I'm now the official pasta girl of RestoX. My name is A. Tortellini. Today, ChefX gave me a gift certificate (of appreciation - so nice!) to the restaurant with the name under "A**** Tortellini."Same pasta story: 14 egg yolks + 2 whole, 1 qt + small mound flour, pump out dough ASAP about 20x, sweat, admire satin-smoothness of dough, roll out tagliatelli, cut circles, form tortellini,

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-70082810366744503352007-12-13T01:39:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:39:10.889-04:00

• I will not be defeated by [insert food i.e. the pasta dough, a million peas].• I can do this I can do this I can do this (be a 32-year-old changing careers, trying to live out a dream).• Humility in all things, with confidence in the greatest thing.• Taste, taste, taste.• Look around, stay alert, and be curious about everything.• Focus and attend to every task as if my life depends

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-55830750317185669612007-12-12T15:42:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:38:27.365-04:00

ChefX:Always keeps his cool: On the morning of Day 2, he was informed that a private party he was catering for was on that night, not the following as he had planned. He took the news as if you told him "have a nice day," shuffled some staff around, did a little nervous dance, and moved on. Later in the afternoon his wife dropped by. When she heard the news she was stressing something major, but

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-44466156951751530852007-12-11T00:53:00.002-05:002008-04-17T11:37:59.468-04:00

I may recommend one of these to ChefX.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-29630493542382129152007-12-10T23:58:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:36:59.644-04:00

On the Day 2, before I knew what was coming to me (peas), I cranked out some mean pasta dough. ChefX had me create the dough from scratch and run it through the hand-cranked machine to create tortellini and tagliatelle. He did most of the kneading for me last week, so this time I learned very quickly how strenuous a job it is. Not only does it require the strength of a giant (ChefX), but super

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-47912125272121693312007-12-10T15:12:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:35:47.700-04:00

Just a follow-up post to the umami development. The good: chefs are experimenting with new ways to stimulate and satisfy our umami receptors with naturally umami-heavy ingredients such as parmesan, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, calling them "umami bombs." The bad: the packaged food industry is catching onto this, and of course the FDA allows them to get away with conveniently tucking artificial

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-69704183605733236392007-12-10T12:54:00.002-05:002008-04-17T11:33:42.058-04:00

An orchestra made up of vegetable instruments - fantastic! I love how serious they all look as they play. They clearly take their art very seriously. Yet another example of how you can turn anything into a living if you have the passion for it. If we tried to do this as kids, we probably would have gotten into a whole lot of trouble with our parents. Isn't it wonderful to be a kid, as an adult?

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-5891209240188935512007-12-09T23:26:00.002-05:002008-06-04T16:05:44.257-04:00

In my notes from "Becoming a Chef," one advice was to ask a lot of good questions. My question to that is, how many is too many questions? And what constitutes a good question to a Chef?Some good and some not so good questions answered on Day 2:Q: What's the apple-rosemary puree ultimately for?A:Pork.Q: Why do we have to let the pasta dough sit?A: To give the eggs and flour time to bond. They

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-19801806139095692112007-12-08T19:30:00.003-05:002008-04-17T11:28:23.929-04:00

Oh man, it feels good to sit down. Today's big endeavor was to de-pea sugar snap peas from their pods. A lot of them. Like a mountain of them. I still feel a bit woozy from seeing so many peas. Actually, it was just a box of them, about 2.5 ft x 1 ft. But those pods were tiny, and the peas inside them even tinier. I must've been de-pea-ing for about 3 hours straight. After the first ten minutes,

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-71420980697422824712007-12-07T21:44:00.002-05:002008-04-17T11:25:51.775-04:00

This book has been an indispensable source of advice. It's a hodgepodge of interviews, tips, culinary history, anecdotes, and inside information from leading chefs in America. Many of the chefs we admire today had humble beginnings (dish washing, like cook), and paid their dues for a few years. Almost all of them recommend working in a real kitchen prior to committing to culinary school. They say

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-62871260103428617562007-12-07T00:50:00.002-05:002008-04-17T11:21:27.693-04:00

Could there be anything more satisfying than contemplating a table of mise en place? Probably. But I can't think of many right now. Once at this stage, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment, excitement, anticipation, and relief knowing that all the hard work is behind me. It brings me back to childhood, if only briefly, with the pure feeling of a kid who's given a bucket of art materials in

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-62852150903692339532007-12-06T23:54:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:20:48.395-04:00

This development could serve as the symbol of my current state of flux- a perfect meld of graphic design and food: chocolate movable type. Ahhh... I feel warm and fuzzy just thinking about all the chocolate font possibilities. Goudy, Frutiger, Bembo...

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-73024699194161864272007-12-04T23:57:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:19:18.293-04:00

Today I came across a great NPR story on the science of taste buds and the discovery of "umami," Japanese for "tasty" or "delicious." I particularly enjoyed the illustration of our taste buds, borrowed from Gray's Anatomy. We have little key-hole-like receptors to house what's been historically considered the only 4 flavors: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. And now, the 5th flavor discovered in

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-62612714667159527492007-12-03T23:04:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:17:50.894-04:00

My hands still smell like a giant head of garlic. If you were to go up to any random chef and sniff their hands, they'd probably smell like garlic too. Since I'm not a chef, people probably think I just ate a lot of kimchee. I will now go and rub my hands on some stainless steel.

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-72667689570705974792007-12-02T01:45:00.003-05:002008-04-17T12:02:52.656-04:00

I made it. I made it through the first day. When I walked into RestoX at 10:30 a.m. ChefX the owner, welcomed me in t-shirt and jeans. He introduced me to Adam and Lupe, both immediately seeming humble and kind. Throughout the rest of the day I would meet Segundo along with 3 other guys whose names escape me. All sweethearts - hard-working, decent, lovely. Clearly, ChefX makes it a point to hire

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809236790880701298.post-18980860766664406342007-12-01T19:24:00.001-05:002008-04-17T11:12:56.307-04:00

My good friends and family would attest to the fact (probably with an exasperated roll of the eyes) that I've been pining to get out of advertising for almost a decade. Over those years, I've developed an insatiable appetite for all things food - a sick obsession, some might say. My usual state of analysis paralysis has kept me from taking a leap thus far, but lately I've become hyper-aware of

Undercover Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013301238298401755noreply@blogger.com1