tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13387043256443052442024-03-12T16:10:53.036-07:00FOOD DOMINATION...the early blogs of Chef Paul FucelloChef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-84331998334755381812010-09-03T04:24:00.000-07:002010-09-03T04:24:22.999-07:00Moved the Main OperationSO I have decided to move my blog to wordpress.com for all of my new posts. However I will be updating and fine tuning this blog site because of my great following in America and now, Russia, China, and Estonia. Thank you for your loyalty! drop by the new site!<br />
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http://fooddomination.wordpress.com/Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-2359628441225837352010-08-30T10:26:00.000-07:002010-08-30T10:26:54.281-07:00CHICKEN! HOW TO TRUSS AND FABRICATE A BIRD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH-CJ1hr3uHDwv4difFqmEQ0rye0SYshkIKVkwCAsppeT9EavhV4iOYXiUT_5bYzMfhmHAYPe5YjgtDphBeb-GVGc4krTX0U9MquZ1DJeGBr5qrQpPJ9z5_EC-mOwK2ObKtJr1AgJ9tA/s1600/DSCN3675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH-CJ1hr3uHDwv4difFqmEQ0rye0SYshkIKVkwCAsppeT9EavhV4iOYXiUT_5bYzMfhmHAYPe5YjgtDphBeb-GVGc4krTX0U9MquZ1DJeGBr5qrQpPJ9z5_EC-mOwK2ObKtJr1AgJ9tA/s400/DSCN3675.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit, trussing and breaking down a chicken can be tricky, yet it is a dying art form. With the invention of the ready-pack chicken parts package and elastic type strings butchers use to wind the bird into a proper shape for roasting, there is no need for the home cook to know this right??? WRONG! They charge you for that. Buy a whole chicken and fabricate it at home, save yourself some money in these trying economic times. In this blog I will show you how to truss a chicken the proper way, resulting in an evenly cooked, moist chicken/turkey/duck/pheasant /quail/game hen etc.... ALSO I will show you how to break down the chicken into parts for frying, grilling, roasting. I would like to thank my sister Jeana for helping out and taking these pictures. She was paid in a Netflix movie (ZombieLand) Tecate beer, and the resulting Chicken and dumplings from the leftover chicken.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>TRUSSING</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before anything I make sure my knife is sharp, my work surface is clean and my cutting board is stable and does not move (I put a damp towel under it). I trim a bit of the neck skin off and the inside flaps of extra skin in between the legs. Now we can start.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7JERW3TQDZZ4ADlnmyDkCywTkF4o01oM_3q_M4IhTxnvBeK1rX6wP9z4zQ9Jt2Zgx38Ujv_SsNSmS-ooRdhBOEop5GC2lqvybwEaqTQHyRr_Ka3flBlU3MPLMXReWqfJcDduuUpGS_A/s1600/DSCN3676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7JERW3TQDZZ4ADlnmyDkCywTkF4o01oM_3q_M4IhTxnvBeK1rX6wP9z4zQ9Jt2Zgx38Ujv_SsNSmS-ooRdhBOEop5GC2lqvybwEaqTQHyRr_Ka3flBlU3MPLMXReWqfJcDduuUpGS_A/s320/DSCN3676.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tuck the wings behind the back as if it were relaxing on a beach.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both wings are tucked behind the back, now lay the chicken down and cut a long length of butchers twine.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVinbLX0S4Z5QcVAlM8_aJp3MNG3jfv47Zx5-dUWK75Je7pqpdG9FEU2ta5dWNHLhI_IZ1SMwrZbuPq3nKmjeutoIwq-JFJ4S9bWiF2cxYoEgLmUnavNHMJwCS8Y457q-SHTUkMiyk9Y/s1600/DSCN3678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVinbLX0S4Z5QcVAlM8_aJp3MNG3jfv47Zx5-dUWK75Je7pqpdG9FEU2ta5dWNHLhI_IZ1SMwrZbuPq3nKmjeutoIwq-JFJ4S9bWiF2cxYoEgLmUnavNHMJwCS8Y457q-SHTUkMiyk9Y/s320/DSCN3678.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Place the twine under the chicken just at the "elbows". Leave even lengths on both sides of the bird.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcAcqPWWge3B9oepFPa-Tn1y1QChSyYltVSK269n5j10W2IezQVZ3xZ9Wr1rWKr1LfPTNxSdQ2qQa81m3l11hSI2KsEFdizrwP6qjarnKV_3raid2Hxt6xtdlyZRXPAvtRYPwUwcQtuE/s1600/DSCN3679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcAcqPWWge3B9oepFPa-Tn1y1QChSyYltVSK269n5j10W2IezQVZ3xZ9Wr1rWKr1LfPTNxSdQ2qQa81m3l11hSI2KsEFdizrwP6qjarnKV_3raid2Hxt6xtdlyZRXPAvtRYPwUwcQtuE/s320/DSCN3679.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pull the twine into the "armpits"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wrap the twine around the wings once.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNVUPYltIbXVdjgo-yETHmncVKkJt3oInpzPYwWzwSfQJQVoslY8wUd3ptbGbRBwEJDMWKmaw6Ni30E0j_KQ3grfNT5bvRoMYo8Jq7kN1lzO1fr0yHplUyh3PIY8_d85JBIFGCaGilUg/s1600/DSCN3681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNVUPYltIbXVdjgo-yETHmncVKkJt3oInpzPYwWzwSfQJQVoslY8wUd3ptbGbRBwEJDMWKmaw6Ni30E0j_KQ3grfNT5bvRoMYo8Jq7kN1lzO1fr0yHplUyh3PIY8_d85JBIFGCaGilUg/s320/DSCN3681.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pull the twine to the inside of the legs so as not to disturb the breast meat.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF6hEeY6xgnZZpEodzvipPWrFIJ-dv3xqdSj8mchsqxgS0cs3IzOYS-v0QXNyhRCU-0WlhYTxbm9yBZxIJ8puaDMVakcleZZwFSU4qDxtP-qz0P8xbUb8g6QVP0YGQDKF3aZ_0cC8P5U/s1600/DSCN3682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF6hEeY6xgnZZpEodzvipPWrFIJ-dv3xqdSj8mchsqxgS0cs3IzOYS-v0QXNyhRCU-0WlhYTxbm9yBZxIJ8puaDMVakcleZZwFSU4qDxtP-qz0P8xbUb8g6QVP0YGQDKF3aZ_0cC8P5U/s320/DSCN3682.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pull the twine to the outside of the legs.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GjXKWWeIGhEUD-6lcLkg5r8NauKApjfIwlwBxOSOoCee_JXEjswROYn6hiI_zC09DgidJlw6tA7XBEngws6QeS0IrHJOsExvqtJ8HvUN-fSNJI7kwPb7l-m6v_mcXMe5i4zswcMlHZg/s1600/DSCN3683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GjXKWWeIGhEUD-6lcLkg5r8NauKApjfIwlwBxOSOoCee_JXEjswROYn6hiI_zC09DgidJlw6tA7XBEngws6QeS0IrHJOsExvqtJ8HvUN-fSNJI7kwPb7l-m6v_mcXMe5i4zswcMlHZg/s320/DSCN3683.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Make a simple knot.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8T1f8xja2BEgTFVQYpJi8VtDeGEkF8ZU2OL6q-6aJagiOQN7MENlMplMZhsM56m_h3FZiEoYcv3ScXmLutkGiskNLx0R8UpZR1nsGOeL2F5Axf-egF4L5Q1Tw0rP6kAzztXkAMJhN4Bg/s1600/DSCN3685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8T1f8xja2BEgTFVQYpJi8VtDeGEkF8ZU2OL6q-6aJagiOQN7MENlMplMZhsM56m_h3FZiEoYcv3ScXmLutkGiskNLx0R8UpZR1nsGOeL2F5Axf-egF4L5Q1Tw0rP6kAzztXkAMJhN4Bg/s320/DSCN3685.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Make sure the knot is tight and the legs cross over one another.</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlz2eaAISJLA9b6_Nm5-kMSsYYNAWOG5_dE27BgnNTcpHB_a2RQs2i3S-64G0ZX9htVi0HOqZMiyS2qYJ170IlFNVLMMf5fbxZ48XzU7xmQ85P45hQEBzHo0Qk0lLIB2SRVWRTGg3MEY/s1600/DSCN3686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlz2eaAISJLA9b6_Nm5-kMSsYYNAWOG5_dE27BgnNTcpHB_a2RQs2i3S-64G0ZX9htVi0HOqZMiyS2qYJ170IlFNVLMMf5fbxZ48XzU7xmQ85P45hQEBzHo0Qk0lLIB2SRVWRTGg3MEY/s320/DSCN3686.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Double knot it to make sure it won't slip while roasting.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQiw8fMF0-CBLTvcT1sv6wpiIK7oUtJ5lXu5YmjZXwu6dfhawVI8aVfJAzJk6xylllTBpzf8sLyfgbHAwtfqRcdw3dO92QGhzMiTPEe0cygz_qh75_yLUmDO6RmhIo2uEDBYhnwozE_s/s1600/DSCN3688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQiw8fMF0-CBLTvcT1sv6wpiIK7oUtJ5lXu5YmjZXwu6dfhawVI8aVfJAzJk6xylllTBpzf8sLyfgbHAwtfqRcdw3dO92QGhzMiTPEe0cygz_qh75_yLUmDO6RmhIo2uEDBYhnwozE_s/s320/DSCN3688.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trim the excess twine and there you have it! A perfectly trussed chicken. I happen to like this way because it does not cut into the breast meat and leaves all the parts intact and very juicy. When roasting, remember to season the outside AND the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper.</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">FABRICATING</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The main trick to the successful fabrication of a bird of any type is having a sharp knife and knowing where the joints are. There is nothing worse than dulling your knife out one some bone. If you can locate the joints on the bird, cutting through the cartilage is quite simple. </span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc5Tp_8iUXWsW-pUkKFO3Jh4bvyW_HPRfTwiPSqz8R4e7019CzrVjVzfBBsGrBusNWp545GziOYmOtob7v_QYJdOWYS-Fg8de1wKqIeFM30kUVxHXmPSHRUBxbamlCd2-USTKucsK9Pw/s1600/DSCN3689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc5Tp_8iUXWsW-pUkKFO3Jh4bvyW_HPRfTwiPSqz8R4e7019CzrVjVzfBBsGrBusNWp545GziOYmOtob7v_QYJdOWYS-Fg8de1wKqIeFM30kUVxHXmPSHRUBxbamlCd2-USTKucsK9Pw/s320/DSCN3689.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nHI5MsMmyHYRepEOH95zPwq5QhQr07vQHrFFv-aTUO_WkmLRxfamaL7AbhncFijDFmId00CPVZZMpG-7sTzC90joeKGRxfCgbJ3fW-fweVZ1XB1zgmHt0uGA5OVNGe18gj7kPOwuXL4/s1600/DSCN3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nHI5MsMmyHYRepEOH95zPwq5QhQr07vQHrFFv-aTUO_WkmLRxfamaL7AbhncFijDFmId00CPVZZMpG-7sTzC90joeKGRxfCgbJ3fW-fweVZ1XB1zgmHt0uGA5OVNGe18gj7kPOwuXL4/s320/DSCN3693.JPG" /></a> </><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lying the chicken face down, pull the wing taught. Locate the bulge from the joint. With the tip of your knife pointing away from the chicken, make an angular cut through the cartilage</span>. </td></div></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT8HwVeYQnAhFPPgcBlLLjdXcTK6ee42qMYC66rIIeqkq2HwFyiu4Zok6J50kW1ptOLXjM4pOVjmtQrQUIihmfglSb27CcRiWdz21bF1coa8UmKmTvnZYCYr9h0p7-fTLf0625eYSvOk/s1600/DSCN3690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT8HwVeYQnAhFPPgcBlLLjdXcTK6ee42qMYC66rIIeqkq2HwFyiu4Zok6J50kW1ptOLXjM4pOVjmtQrQUIihmfglSb27CcRiWdz21bF1coa8UmKmTvnZYCYr9h0p7-fTLf0625eYSvOk/s320/DSCN3690.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: small;">It should be a nice and straight cut with no jagged bone.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nHI5MsMmyHYRepEOH95zPwq5QhQr07vQHrFFv-aTUO_WkmLRxfamaL7AbhncFijDFmId00CPVZZMpG-7sTzC90joeKGRxfCgbJ3fW-fweVZ1XB1zgmHt0uGA5OVNGe18gj7kPOwuXL4/s1600/DSCN3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nHI5MsMmyHYRepEOH95zPwq5QhQr07vQHrFFv-aTUO_WkmLRxfamaL7AbhncFijDFmId00CPVZZMpG-7sTzC90joeKGRxfCgbJ3fW-fweVZ1XB1zgmHt0uGA5OVNGe18gj7kPOwuXL4/s320/DSCN3693.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With the chicken on its back, pull the leg and make a light cut through the skin on the inside of the thigh so that the meat is exposed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj_78ZBCmlSmyY6l5UJxkkF9J2gqtFe3RCW9agY-vn71fzSoocxGLvPEmp3l7SNjGKBiowI9J7gwKZwciZdS94tYxacaQnm2pFTp4YzKV-Msglu2qskr_-U4h3nlD2Izp_da_43nUiHc/s1600/DSCN3694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj_78ZBCmlSmyY6l5UJxkkF9J2gqtFe3RCW9agY-vn71fzSoocxGLvPEmp3l7SNjGKBiowI9J7gwKZwciZdS94tYxacaQnm2pFTp4YzKV-Msglu2qskr_-U4h3nlD2Izp_da_43nUiHc/s320/DSCN3694.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pull the body away from the leg. The ball and socket joint are now visible</span>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uZaSX3BH8D9CornceW21_WztdU9yjloYezACFjiGoym1yM_UhCu7AMX6olyLvoyVjjaYrwnSd_HNRHmvOwLmBR-e65tqERViY8mkMcMOJ-2F5TMolIDvk05KS7bDlrVntnEykA3HgM0/s1600/DSCN3695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uZaSX3BH8D9CornceW21_WztdU9yjloYezACFjiGoym1yM_UhCu7AMX6olyLvoyVjjaYrwnSd_HNRHmvOwLmBR-e65tqERViY8mkMcMOJ-2F5TMolIDvk05KS7bDlrVntnEykA3HgM0/s320/DSCN3695.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grab the leg and thigh firmly and rotate your wrist outward to disjoint the leg, make a cut to detach the meat from the body.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2DOhQhVLUQZaWxODh-43FO65HTqpiYUzP7W5EVR2xRvi89bCqkByLSJTcsm7QlMMx4HQ2lp4w7GZQSZ2fWwRnC4v0wFO74VndvkXaHPJat5HcjcuTdtDyYR2ROp4_XOhKH7p1NvFeUQ/s1600/DSCN3696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2DOhQhVLUQZaWxODh-43FO65HTqpiYUzP7W5EVR2xRvi89bCqkByLSJTcsm7QlMMx4HQ2lp4w7GZQSZ2fWwRnC4v0wFO74VndvkXaHPJat5HcjcuTdtDyYR2ROp4_XOhKH7p1NvFeUQ/s320/DSCN3696.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the whole leg. On the inside of the leg you will find a fat line that runs like a border from the thigh to leg. With your finger, gently feel for the joint of where the two meet. Make a cut to separate them if desired</span>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl3TGQ8fTT2Jl2DaJi1a3Uj-8ECcnPRn6H6W9tSsrwOp1PoNbf9vAxxNJA1GphXNHllK04gWZYAE_dEC6wsK2Ip1v_nk-NmaP0EqvAdgb68EKEJLk8ibtQJlaYv3yIbuxPH_926uee38/s1600/DSCN3697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl3TGQ8fTT2Jl2DaJi1a3Uj-8ECcnPRn6H6W9tSsrwOp1PoNbf9vAxxNJA1GphXNHllK04gWZYAE_dEC6wsK2Ip1v_nk-NmaP0EqvAdgb68EKEJLk8ibtQJlaYv3yIbuxPH_926uee38/s320/DSCN3697.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now that the legs and wing sections are removed, we can get to the breast meat. Feel where the keel bone is (the center of the bird), Place your knife on the outside, but very close to the keel bone.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomrfmq5k1I0VFbrLYZ5PsxYsgOd3f9_aqcyzqvNAIzpFms2kvFNHKlJ4Zt9n6SmzUWVh01W4JlijI3fymMwF-gCnNx5xCMbi4Jz2e3D0ZyRwhmOmyuPrQ-jOusvbRFGoVQb8GFz3H_6w/s1600/DSCN3698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomrfmq5k1I0VFbrLYZ5PsxYsgOd3f9_aqcyzqvNAIzpFms2kvFNHKlJ4Zt9n6SmzUWVh01W4JlijI3fymMwF-gCnNx5xCMbi4Jz2e3D0ZyRwhmOmyuPrQ-jOusvbRFGoVQb8GFz3H_6w/s320/DSCN3698.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Make a straight cut towards the back. As you reach near the neck, flair the cut outward.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1KrU20VXCdXw7B1VrKGSLHFkw_AXJUz2xlk6DX9rl8v7IWDvtmUMYimXMss-scmdpdQrUoL4LIUlaVj9ggEkYi36Jq1I-BQwYzXTkMkHnVyTwYFGKv-gFsZ9LbTKFEtqyGpqxDQpSEY/s1600/DSCN3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1KrU20VXCdXw7B1VrKGSLHFkw_AXJUz2xlk6DX9rl8v7IWDvtmUMYimXMss-scmdpdQrUoL4LIUlaVj9ggEkYi36Jq1I-BQwYzXTkMkHnVyTwYFGKv-gFsZ9LbTKFEtqyGpqxDQpSEY/s320/DSCN3699.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gently and carefully carve the breast fillet away from the carcass. In this picture the breast fillet is seen with the inner fillet or tenderloin still attached.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjai-xDW9xowy6u7uDf78sl3Y9_9SjCsgwEu61GWQEXZ7C2LcUVuAmjrMrkaxGoUlqAP7YA59IYYOutU3Fkj94PGJxGSPdtDZ-UDOrXD_Fow1hKf2N8OpSi81SqTd0S_VOjH7dwfZvRcI/s1600/DSCN3700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjai-xDW9xowy6u7uDf78sl3Y9_9SjCsgwEu61GWQEXZ7C2LcUVuAmjrMrkaxGoUlqAP7YA59IYYOutU3Fkj94PGJxGSPdtDZ-UDOrXD_Fow1hKf2N8OpSi81SqTd0S_VOjH7dwfZvRcI/s320/DSCN3700.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Repeat on the other side.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZ5F-3fFe2wyjc2B426IbXDdV3-t8AzuDsblP7SfSHJBp8q_4XQJ5UXLyDFUxeE_p-u2ow6L5A3_CNgkfM_iaBoJqWQygEMn6YAxOTtkz6MsYXXmwvDEtXpxp9GAnL8Om195EHb-15ss/s1600/DSCN3701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZ5F-3fFe2wyjc2B426IbXDdV3-t8AzuDsblP7SfSHJBp8q_4XQJ5UXLyDFUxeE_p-u2ow6L5A3_CNgkfM_iaBoJqWQygEMn6YAxOTtkz6MsYXXmwvDEtXpxp9GAnL8Om195EHb-15ss/s320/DSCN3701.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I turn the chicken the other way so I am back to working on the same side as before. Visible are the flared cuts at the neck. we make these cuts to avoid bones.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyPyfUlpiqbnFdbFO9SzI_Jyyvl1DgXmcZp4FSSYMXdxnoeCKyo_RrrobXPvrRouJdsdNNqT8qUlZMBcxmmU6z7FKHzWzUpJti4DshQmXT99yq8GedIMQm3BpCGKmKUnpiM2OpObWDes/s1600/DSCN3706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyPyfUlpiqbnFdbFO9SzI_Jyyvl1DgXmcZp4FSSYMXdxnoeCKyo_RrrobXPvrRouJdsdNNqT8qUlZMBcxmmU6z7FKHzWzUpJti4DshQmXT99yq8GedIMQm3BpCGKmKUnpiM2OpObWDes/s320/DSCN3706.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">There you have it! The completely fabricated chicken. Now you can do many things with one bird. Roasted leg quarters, butterflied and grilled chicken breast, barbecued wings. Wait...what about the carcass?...I am a firm believer in not throwing away any part of the animal...it gave its life for your sustenance, the least you could do is use its whole body. SO Roast the carcass on top of some mirepoix (see last post) until all are dark brown, place into a pot with water and a bit of marsala wine and ye shall have one hell of a chicken broth (which can be frozen)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I hope this has been helpful and informative to all of my loyal readers. Thanks for joining me!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-67978080612776011062010-08-25T20:18:00.000-07:002010-08-25T20:18:01.714-07:00PLAYING WITH FOOD: LACTOSE FREE RAVIOLI AND BRAISED PORK NECK RAGOUT WITH MY COUSIN AND FELLOW CHEF<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwXmo3CBgjm9Hj0hE0-6UPdtRe8b4MiHU5czWx3mUfXHu7_1rbnAaHKxuczl4YYXLr6BMT9l3pT8Qe8gqpzv4LkicHZfN1jrVDk1mUlrroRqm4KZ7ZdCvTtodVNl_qIBL2Pw31pCAK4o/s1600/paul+lau2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwXmo3CBgjm9Hj0hE0-6UPdtRe8b4MiHU5czWx3mUfXHu7_1rbnAaHKxuczl4YYXLr6BMT9l3pT8Qe8gqpzv4LkicHZfN1jrVDk1mUlrroRqm4KZ7ZdCvTtodVNl_qIBL2Pw31pCAK4o/s200/paul+lau2.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>Here I am. I hadn't gone any where. I originally planned to post this 2 weeks ago, however, the picture formatting put my monitor screen in some danger with my fist. So now I am well rested and will give it another go.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have a sister, Jeana, she was born in March of 1988. I am five years her elder. My OTHER sister is in fact my cousin. We grew up together and our parents made sure to keep us close. We were always interested in food. Our parents would let us make these horrific creations or bad recreations of recipes I would get from "Savour" magazine that I would steal from my orthodontist's waiting room. We all laugh now that we are food professionals and food bloggers. How far we have come. Her Mother by the way is a professional photographer...and she just "happened" to stop by on this day! How lucky are we???</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtADJraPQwcJ5VMr7Gg5QWtaf9KoDJdN7S6vx8oRgoG__J2ZgMvTDOFqd9hIpYYSHIhgFK23PwpEqT73ZvwlsARVYvcjWaoUC4TO2_jO3HKxbr6AFaJNniad_CC_ngKRVajMr-KEoI0_w/s1600/DSC_8635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtADJraPQwcJ5VMr7Gg5QWtaf9KoDJdN7S6vx8oRgoG__J2ZgMvTDOFqd9hIpYYSHIhgFK23PwpEqT73ZvwlsARVYvcjWaoUC4TO2_jO3HKxbr6AFaJNniad_CC_ngKRVajMr-KEoI0_w/s200/DSC_8635.JPG" width="146" /></a></div>Lactose is a concern for several friends and family, including your humble author. We needed our meal to be cheap, lactose free, and delicious of course. We wanted to make ravioli. Ricotta is a main component of ravioli and it is lactose rich...so we made our own lemon ricotta.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6q5a9MrAFLEE1FK-d-qfiT-llEAXEvuuQlW2Gse8XJxXYaF6O27aZwtG6_3VZLQSZHI6eTDp8d8_W_D9-4_0eP28BdbXzhUA36rjC6cx-rKg9r7YWKKagL1kMC8lIAvqEfiaAZ1rROw/s1600/DSC_8598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6q5a9MrAFLEE1FK-d-qfiT-llEAXEvuuQlW2Gse8XJxXYaF6O27aZwtG6_3VZLQSZHI6eTDp8d8_W_D9-4_0eP28BdbXzhUA36rjC6cx-rKg9r7YWKKagL1kMC8lIAvqEfiaAZ1rROw/s200/DSC_8598.JPG" width="133" /></a> We took 3/4 cup lemon juice with one capful of white vinegar. 1/2 gallon of Lactaid whole milk. Brought the milk up to 180 degrees F and turned off the flame. We added the lemon juice and vinegar and stirred a bit. We let it sit for 10 minutes and then we strained it through a fine mesh strainer ( just like in the last post). We held the ricotta in the refrigerator in the strainer to make sure all the whey had been removed. </div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For the filling we used Parmigiana (which is almost void of lactose sugars) garlic powder, sauteed shallots, chopped swiss chard, one egg and of course, the ricotta. It is safe to assume that everything I make is seasoned with salt and pepper...never in a million years will two little ingredients like this change the way people taste their food more than these have. ( A close second is my favorite combination of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALCQXDCVenwNwbRRQjRWHmSiuZ9_Feov10wF4-5WD8G9axOW1O9ci7OnYQuR4KcuoIJzSwtV0H33cppw8w7vqpH26ZWFvZTZSQgLrwy3M3HJzVkU5VMoVzxQmlp0BjXup4Tnbd8OVUyg/s1600/DSC_8914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALCQXDCVenwNwbRRQjRWHmSiuZ9_Feov10wF4-5WD8G9axOW1O9ci7OnYQuR4KcuoIJzSwtV0H33cppw8w7vqpH26ZWFvZTZSQgLrwy3M3HJzVkU5VMoVzxQmlp0BjXup4Tnbd8OVUyg/s320/DSC_8914.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the components of our filling<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS9C-fL3Vaej9_vJzAzOeH5dRRLxbmBWdcmXKM29iDVMy6rIAGGpQeM1w-h1zJ8qYb_tf6DIiQ5E1MKrYmhRaOtKeUeLKgchYtx6GZ6jGZYp8-cUABfRHnQz-k0xr6RDixsNbJlw2ipc/s1600/DSC_8767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS9C-fL3Vaej9_vJzAzOeH5dRRLxbmBWdcmXKM29iDVMy6rIAGGpQeM1w-h1zJ8qYb_tf6DIiQ5E1MKrYmhRaOtKeUeLKgchYtx6GZ6jGZYp8-cUABfRHnQz-k0xr6RDixsNbJlw2ipc/s200/DSC_8767.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN5IfqupiUEENfJZtDoscJ3MN-jWE5TZNFKQSspd0Y02GMY7aEpGzj30D6y3-rHRZULZr3gD3BlgF68wemzstP7xTFWctmL5Rw0_ePvUwejNZ4aFNZKSy90lt_GlX4nCBgk0T1n7FoHc/s1600/DSC_8983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN5IfqupiUEENfJZtDoscJ3MN-jWE5TZNFKQSspd0Y02GMY7aEpGzj30D6y3-rHRZULZr3gD3BlgF68wemzstP7xTFWctmL5Rw0_ePvUwejNZ4aFNZKSy90lt_GlX4nCBgk0T1n7FoHc/s320/DSC_8983.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN5IfqupiUEENfJZtDoscJ3MN-jWE5TZNFKQSspd0Y02GMY7aEpGzj30D6y3-rHRZULZr3gD3BlgF68wemzstP7xTFWctmL5Rw0_ePvUwejNZ4aFNZKSy90lt_GlX4nCBgk0T1n7FoHc/s1600/DSC_8983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN5IfqupiUEENfJZtDoscJ3MN-jWE5TZNFKQSspd0Y02GMY7aEpGzj30D6y3-rHRZULZr3gD3BlgF68wemzstP7xTFWctmL5Rw0_ePvUwejNZ4aFNZKSy90lt_GlX4nCBgk0T1n7FoHc/s320/DSC_8983.JPG" /></a></div></><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seared pork neck<br />
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</tbody></table>To make the sauce we took some mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion 25-25-50%) sauteed it with a little chopped garlic and basil. We deglazed with red wine and added chopped plum tomatoes and a large can of tomato juice. In another pot we seared the pork neck after we dusted them with some seasoned flour. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Once the necks were browned, I added more red wine and scraped up all of the brown goodness from the bottom of the pan(called FOND) This whole process is called <em>deglazing. </em>After deglazing I added my tomato juice and chopped tomato, fresh basil salt and pepper, simmered for about 2 hours. I dont know why the pictures are f-ed up, but I'm getting a bit punchy.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-qrFox6bKwCc50KmDbCFKID2I7eR8y5R-u2yKClraVIvTkwPyPLVJqr8e421d9-YhU4qcPhKnQ7qmWl845SYqCO9RQQ7sKCUgI_X44rh8642J4k1Mk3-fCpr8YphzETWqx6tc1SOHm8/s1600/DSC_8655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-qrFox6bKwCc50KmDbCFKID2I7eR8y5R-u2yKClraVIvTkwPyPLVJqr8e421d9-YhU4qcPhKnQ7qmWl845SYqCO9RQQ7sKCUgI_X44rh8642J4k1Mk3-fCpr8YphzETWqx6tc1SOHm8/s200/DSC_8655.JPG" width="193" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now for the pasta...my cousin Lauren took care of this one, forming a well after she weighed the flour out. She added the wet ingredients to the flour and salt mixture and began to slowly incorporate the flour in with the wet ingredients.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDfYYf1eTp7UXP7ObNia579OCFZfo2-Qsj9IeT42Jj16dyrQWj6OyW71C3Sss8Py_x8Wdyg0ryuz42Iuoy_Ls2rU6l-2t_Ne3LxQ7_o9o7bdYPYLYlBfzMHNGFJhSbikUR6Q1W6WxeqI/s1600/DSC_8688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDfYYf1eTp7UXP7ObNia579OCFZfo2-Qsj9IeT42Jj16dyrQWj6OyW71C3Sss8Py_x8Wdyg0ryuz42Iuoy_Ls2rU6l-2t_Ne3LxQ7_o9o7bdYPYLYlBfzMHNGFJhSbikUR6Q1W6WxeqI/s200/DSC_8688.JPG" width="173" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We adjusted our doughs consistency with a little olive oil and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Once it was ready, we rolled out the dough and laid the sheets on the table. We placed our filling on the sheets, egg washed around the dough and topped them with another layer of pasta. We crimped the edges using a ravioli cutter and wouldn't you know it, we had ravioli!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk1QmQS3umTV7zHzq8tOQJYOgZ14RoUKZkU379PkhILMyWmqR-ih-S0ceB_Pi6Yg2SpVZolw6V2c-WrBcGSW6lD_788T6y6P1WD-UuPb4BQCwzucd7LHvYA88bjdbYMbfn92PNbgxpSM/s1600/DSC_8827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk1QmQS3umTV7zHzq8tOQJYOgZ14RoUKZkU379PkhILMyWmqR-ih-S0ceB_Pi6Yg2SpVZolw6V2c-WrBcGSW6lD_788T6y6P1WD-UuPb4BQCwzucd7LHvYA88bjdbYMbfn92PNbgxpSM/s200/DSC_8827.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75_zBaNVpASryBtlVn-YDuCqzs5EyMgmR9dQgkC8oONNowMZXTr13K-Ati-O5vWvfjjiNjb6Kk5oYPxurCNqar-kjqHqrsm_LXaLeKgzi5yPE9tkmp0vk3dBAjSPZhO5CjeQk0XGaL3A/s1600/DSC_8937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75_zBaNVpASryBtlVn-YDuCqzs5EyMgmR9dQgkC8oONNowMZXTr13K-Ati-O5vWvfjjiNjb6Kk5oYPxurCNqar-kjqHqrsm_LXaLeKgzi5yPE9tkmp0vk3dBAjSPZhO5CjeQk0XGaL3A/s200/DSC_8937.JPG" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">assembling the ravioli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpy230zW-GwPhduN3EfeFwaknazAeVvUxUPhwMVlPdOUgcACw8bdLL-QGcGbZ_6vSXQ5Z5SuwsX504owGXALQTNo-2jIEq0ynac_OgjlLuIYLfTtZ-ny-o7VWdgikMBckGBD_cU_BaIM/s1600/DSC_8975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpy230zW-GwPhduN3EfeFwaknazAeVvUxUPhwMVlPdOUgcACw8bdLL-QGcGbZ_6vSXQ5Z5SuwsX504owGXALQTNo-2jIEq0ynac_OgjlLuIYLfTtZ-ny-o7VWdgikMBckGBD_cU_BaIM/s320/DSC_8975.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ravioli in its purest form just lactose free!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We put on a pot of salted water, cook the ravioli just until they were floating. After cooked, they were placed on a beautiful dish, topped with the sauce and a piece of the delicious braised neck bone.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6A_4W45VPHZ4D-wpn_2ytnMW55M9JLoZb0PqWuYA133AQvom_FFB1TKLgVmWss-Yt_JWajcpnhCp4C6KnIjU0E7CLooI9ijO9gkpSFvsgbmL8EHanL1aPJ_dPKbjrWrSiEtcYn4UaXx0/s1600/DSC_9059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6A_4W45VPHZ4D-wpn_2ytnMW55M9JLoZb0PqWuYA133AQvom_FFB1TKLgVmWss-Yt_JWajcpnhCp4C6KnIjU0E7CLooI9ijO9gkpSFvsgbmL8EHanL1aPJ_dPKbjrWrSiEtcYn4UaXx0/s400/DSC_9059.JPG" width="237" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a super abbreviated version of the days happenings, however, this was a good way to share our joint talents and the talents of Loretta Miles, whose photos do the real explaining here. Another tidbit is that we used the tomato, the swiss chard and basil all from Laurens garden, making us spend a total of $20 or so for the whole thing. I would like to invite you to visit <a href="http://thecookingteacher.wordpress.com/">http://thecookingteacher.wordpress.com/</a> and look at what Laurens up to. Thank you again, I now must go.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-49772366335158272872010-08-09T21:47:00.000-07:002010-08-09T21:47:39.416-07:00The Long Awaited guide to Kitchen Gadgets and Tools!!!<strong>PREAMBLE</strong><br />
It's late. Like 11 o'clock late. I promised my facebook followers and strangely anonymous fans through e-mail, that I would have a new entry by tomorrow morning. I was off today after one of the longest weekends I have ever worked...not getting into it but let's just say on Saturday I went in at 8:30 in the morning and I was not home until 2:45 Sunday morning. Yet here I am, relaxing, typing away for your education and amusement, drinking my third Miller High Life and...what? Miller High Life isn't classy enough for you? I have better beer in the fridge, I just tend to like the cold glass bottle crispness of Miller okay? Besides, it's the Champagne of beers I'll have you know. Anyway, let's get on with this entry...brought to you in part with some encouragement from my wonderful Mother In Law, Adria Halstead-Johnson...we had a foodie chat tonight on Skype and it was wonderful...Thanks!<br />
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<strong>GADGETRY AND TOOLOSITY</strong><br />
Yes I made those words up. <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Having the proper tool in the kitchen is critical in achieving the desired result of any meal or food item you embark on making...unless you want it to come out like shit...in which case anything will do, a coat hanger perhaps. You walk into Bed Bath and Beyond and are confronted at the left hand wall with an army of kitchen utensils, flanked by aisles of cutting boards, colanders, cutting board-colanders, baskets, and banana hangers??? Is there really a reason for a 40 ft. vertical display of vegetable peelers? I am inclined to believe that the home cook can accrue more kitchen tools and gadgets than the professional chef...not that we don't like them, we are just a wee bit more practical. "But what about my shrimp deviener? You know, the plastic hook thingy that is supposed to remove the poop vein out of my shrimp? what about that? huh?" Well just use a friggin pairing knife...(Future blog idea on how to prepare beef, chicken and seafood)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKCdD8HByZ0fuFksfceihj7MQQ7psaWGdhitvO1TBBX0_s-nI7SdPTBIEiW6yuE0juZPqNGw19htF4M-Iepa1BiApqbmqUbB2AL9deDPNxY_BMAHAiwOHoYkMoEXUjfuz-eWmJ5DkqwE/s1600/gadget88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKCdD8HByZ0fuFksfceihj7MQQ7psaWGdhitvO1TBBX0_s-nI7SdPTBIEiW6yuE0juZPqNGw19htF4M-Iepa1BiApqbmqUbB2AL9deDPNxY_BMAHAiwOHoYkMoEXUjfuz-eWmJ5DkqwE/s200/gadget88.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Convertible Colander by OXO</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>COLANDER</strong> Everyone needs one. To rinse vegetables, to strain out your pasta, clean lettuce, etc. Which one is the right one for you ? I would lean towards a small to medium sized colander constructed out of metal, not plastic. Oh, one with holes would be preferred. My wife and I were gifted one by the OXO company which is a CONVERTIBLE colander. It basically means it is rectangular and has fold down legs to be a normal colander or the legs can fold out to suspend the colander in your sink (more like a prep strainer). Very nifty.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoGr41S7DgbAOhLhST4Iu_82qAd3wzADxatrq3WZeAnuSIg6b1M9rFeqnFaGWEMu6dvPSAYVbO7URLfQEULCklc_2j4YMimryqI9R8lffWPq1FWbggAdWV9KhpKUv7ETTu7_ezuTsBLk/s1600/gadget9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoGr41S7DgbAOhLhST4Iu_82qAd3wzADxatrq3WZeAnuSIg6b1M9rFeqnFaGWEMu6dvPSAYVbO7URLfQEULCklc_2j4YMimryqI9R8lffWPq1FWbggAdWV9KhpKUv7ETTu7_ezuTsBLk/s200/gadget9.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong>MESH STRAINER</strong> You have seen these before. I am a fan of these. In the industrial kitchen they are a little more rugged, larger and we call them a "chinois" pronounced "shin wa". If you ever want to try out a classical french recipe, or a real refined recipe at home (meaning anything from the French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller, or Refined American Cuisine by Patrick O'Connell) you will want this implement for your sauce. Fine mesh strainers remove all the impurities, little bits of food, a skin that formed perhaps, and just about anything else in a sauce that you would normally just pass off as being a homemade meal. Using this will make a world of difference in how your food looks and tastes, bringing it to a different level...or notch depending on what TV Chef you fancy. They are fairly inexpensive and are worth every penny.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJUMVhtTsgl2Kp_TeTZOb3feeuKAHR8WHbwF-ZbG62bge7T1s-rdumiXlTgeDhVxSQJu8yaLqc-Mz34dVxEIDu4RvXmDWlQjppydfG7Zxp-948rKo55BW5QNv22zMGp6ptY5LVZuyMMU/s1600/gadget10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJUMVhtTsgl2Kp_TeTZOb3feeuKAHR8WHbwF-ZbG62bge7T1s-rdumiXlTgeDhVxSQJu8yaLqc-Mz34dVxEIDu4RvXmDWlQjppydfG7Zxp-948rKo55BW5QNv22zMGp6ptY5LVZuyMMU/s200/gadget10.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>RUBBER SPATULA</strong> You should already own one. If you don't I will give you good reason to get one immediately. They just make life easier. I strongly recommend Rubbermaid's line of heat resistant rubber spatulas (about $15). You can use them for preparing omelets in the morning, scraping bowls to get that last bit of cake batter out...to eat of course, folding ingredients in, getting that clumpy flour-coated butter on the side of your mixing bowl while you are mixing your cookie dough. There really are a slew of practical uses for these priceless implements which also include a close relative which is shaped sort of like a spoon actually referred to as a "spoonula"... I likey.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQ9r04MBjiqfZmsfGNsqxln2EgZtNEYoPnn3QS1F5ET-CM-bCBL1LS53aLtkow61yFXCkfNgw4YgJe9k3mRRj_8snMz68fDiN6zgu-8N18HQDnbr4HgMxDXPa-QrG258fZmE1XvLzMoY/s1600/gadget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQ9r04MBjiqfZmsfGNsqxln2EgZtNEYoPnn3QS1F5ET-CM-bCBL1LS53aLtkow61yFXCkfNgw4YgJe9k3mRRj_8snMz68fDiN6zgu-8N18HQDnbr4HgMxDXPa-QrG258fZmE1XvLzMoY/s200/gadget.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>WHISK </strong>Self explanatory really. Get one that is stainless steel, and has a large handle, none of that spring-wound handle crap. Use this for whipping egg whites, whipped cream, really getting your eggs to scramble making vinaigrettes, sauces marinades, etc.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbsumODdtCK_q4qBmIKdKV6C801szgoiGWQWLGHArXY5ndeapgq5HZHtIygM7IdpUBMBK1qxaGsYt85rOqB8spidYLgMkIu7W1VNNUgN2gLhNfy8HWzEah6eHNeOt2i2HYDjEtbv5KME/s1600/gadget4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbsumODdtCK_q4qBmIKdKV6C801szgoiGWQWLGHArXY5ndeapgq5HZHtIygM7IdpUBMBK1qxaGsYt85rOqB8spidYLgMkIu7W1VNNUgN2gLhNfy8HWzEah6eHNeOt2i2HYDjEtbv5KME/s200/gadget4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>KITCHEN SHEARS</strong> They are scissors for the kitchen. They cut through the backbone of a chicken effortlessly. They are easy to clean and for some reason stay really sharp all of the time. I have a pair of Kitchen-Aid shears that have never been sharpened and are used from cutting chickens, to wrapping Christmas gifts...not joking either. Buy a good pair ($20-$40) and you will have shears for life. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eyTd_LN-kMAM4tUSpxxPB4Mg0Wc6oT4LfBDjXci0QJCmHidSLDbcDOFXCsMn4G-v6rxS1Il6QQ_5-_rewqercfsjL92tEvESWeOC3ehSopSmvxLHki9CrZ00rtdWZTK8f7Ergwoky40/s1600/gadget5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eyTd_LN-kMAM4tUSpxxPB4Mg0Wc6oT4LfBDjXci0QJCmHidSLDbcDOFXCsMn4G-v6rxS1Il6QQ_5-_rewqercfsjL92tEvESWeOC3ehSopSmvxLHki9CrZ00rtdWZTK8f7Ergwoky40/s200/gadget5.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong>HONING STEEL</strong> I might or might not have mentioned this one in my knife entry. Each time you use your knife, you create microscopic burrs on the blades edge. These burrs can bend and fold and create your standard dull house knife. A good honing steal will straighten these burrs and maintain your knifes edge for much longer. A good one is fairly heavy, 8"or more, and slightly magnetized. Another thing to invest in and you will never buy another. ($40-$120)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x6JRimP5hXsnD7PcIMXpsqu7KBVN5GzdCA_uPyGSR1WxMbdgfdUCUPHp_scLIeptUeiViqewtRTtKrI2Fxaq9Z_fA7eBGw7IVA7qfdTHXG2tPybejNTp_vvBfnB9bmnvDWWv-RIHdgo/s1600/gadget6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x6JRimP5hXsnD7PcIMXpsqu7KBVN5GzdCA_uPyGSR1WxMbdgfdUCUPHp_scLIeptUeiViqewtRTtKrI2Fxaq9Z_fA7eBGw7IVA7qfdTHXG2tPybejNTp_vvBfnB9bmnvDWWv-RIHdgo/s200/gadget6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>DIGITAL TIMER</strong> Digital...not wind up ding ding type. They are worth every penny and are very affordable. One AAA battery will last you a lifetime and the loud noise of an electric alarm gets your ass in the kitchen stat when your cookies are burning.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_hQR6fdUg4WIp-8a3S1xMIVKZDHVR-orgECMGUDySUWljN4PiEpRQlb1_V0muXJfocV8qxltGXnfuY-b4IVGHpgaMN46WIoSpWwLcTMK6GVpp-FBAkKCdud6CL9b68a2uDcYwcSr4d0/s1600/gadget1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_hQR6fdUg4WIp-8a3S1xMIVKZDHVR-orgECMGUDySUWljN4PiEpRQlb1_V0muXJfocV8qxltGXnfuY-b4IVGHpgaMN46WIoSpWwLcTMK6GVpp-FBAkKCdud6CL9b68a2uDcYwcSr4d0/s200/gadget1.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong>TONGS</strong> It still shocks me on how many people do not cook with tongs at home. These are an extension of my hands. I use these every day for everything. Get not one pair, but several and you will understand why. They come in different lenghts, I usually tend to like the longer ones, and the medium sized ones...the small ones always seemed pointless to me. Also try and get ones that are spring tensioned and are made of stainless steel. The pair shown are made also by OXO. ( $15)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRPN6THMj-RfWmCJsGoQiY0kTYnwasD1Dko_UpYIiGKUfHpaMA9Q9Di3aFRQp4PWjdMi2NpaXkuMEASzaH7FJyICK36RwKh6COXIt4FsowheHLohQ6DS-1TNpTo7tUbkONDrKBGZ6G1w/s1600/gadget2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRPN6THMj-RfWmCJsGoQiY0kTYnwasD1Dko_UpYIiGKUfHpaMA9Q9Di3aFRQp4PWjdMi2NpaXkuMEASzaH7FJyICK36RwKh6COXIt4FsowheHLohQ6DS-1TNpTo7tUbkONDrKBGZ6G1w/s200/gadget2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>VEGETABLE PEELER </strong>Get one that is more than $1 please. the rickety pieces of junk around at the dollar store really aren't making any ones life any easier, they just make your fruit and veggies look like you ran them over with your car. I prefer Y shaped peelers as they are more ergonomically sound than the sideways straight peelers of the stone age. The one pictured here is the STAR peeler by Zena of Switzerland and is the same type issued to me upon entering the Culinary Institute of America way back in 2001. ($8)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtedh-TvQ93ajcp5DJZwCufpjikANo2_iOksUig-_d-Ue3uzAM8t0QNVF1-AKsRrPWy2kAuzEvZ5WNbvarJmpWaCj5fPHbEVpNw7AZFunmOw7FzUWtY1-mll_7cxd6_Y35ndYP66Pko1I/s1600/gadget3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtedh-TvQ93ajcp5DJZwCufpjikANo2_iOksUig-_d-Ue3uzAM8t0QNVF1-AKsRrPWy2kAuzEvZ5WNbvarJmpWaCj5fPHbEVpNw7AZFunmOw7FzUWtY1-mll_7cxd6_Y35ndYP66Pko1I/s200/gadget3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>SPATULAS</strong> Again another tool I'm sure you have. Do you have a fish spatula??? no????Dear Lord, read on. Fish spatulas are great not just for fish. The have a slightly filed edge to them and are of a thinner metal construction so they are extremely effective in lifting foodstuffs off of sheet pans and cookie trays with ease. Also, they are great for fish. A good one goes for anywhere from $15 to $40. Another item that is worth every penny.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegjVZOzINqQ0wxVxSHiH4KdvWWm6ftTZWdLNSjDqR_iUaZjztXjLoua4YGfO9vTD5-GOGS3UcAE7nIOt3LR7doluJVZ4Z6g1Ro49IVGyO-ftnxvUijCTY4peC8JXJTBQ0BYNmGcOpGfE/s1600/gadget7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegjVZOzINqQ0wxVxSHiH4KdvWWm6ftTZWdLNSjDqR_iUaZjztXjLoua4YGfO9vTD5-GOGS3UcAE7nIOt3LR7doluJVZ4Z6g1Ro49IVGyO-ftnxvUijCTY4peC8JXJTBQ0BYNmGcOpGfE/s200/gadget7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>SPOONS AND LADLES</strong> I have one rule, get all metal stainless construction. Yes wooden spoons are classic, shit I actually thought they were just made so Italian mothers didn't have to hurt there hands while kicking ass. However, the cheaper ones get roughed up very easy (maybe after 4 washings) and can harbor bacteria, and I don't like that at all. If you do like wood, and olive wood spoon is safest in my eyes. Try if you can to get a slotted spoon, they help. A perfect sized ladle is a 6-8 oz for home use. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsKuEn4NIOSuzTKVpABa5TZKJVg8J-wYQqktdZorH9wx-g05YcMJM5TjD06aQub3TCUgsJUoVzkmRmUYdBClS3c2jt8IF-_sngx5wNqrW1QIQ_K-anJI35lYwHv78cXfS8d-UPFGVXbE/s1600/gadget11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsKuEn4NIOSuzTKVpABa5TZKJVg8J-wYQqktdZorH9wx-g05YcMJM5TjD06aQub3TCUgsJUoVzkmRmUYdBClS3c2jt8IF-_sngx5wNqrW1QIQ_K-anJI35lYwHv78cXfS8d-UPFGVXbE/s200/gadget11.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>WOOD CUTTING BOARD</strong> I know the plastic ones are cheaper and easier to clean...but you have to think of your knife. Wood cutting boards are sturdier, and more forgiving to a knifes edge than any other surface...don't even say glass cutting board or I will find you. Proper care of these is to soak with warm water and a bleach solution, let dry and then lightly rub some mineral oil on it to keep it in top condition.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, there you have it. I hope I have answered some questions. I know I will get some e-mails with new questions, but like I said, you can have your juice trumpets, and mango corers, but these are the staple tools for you to really be successful at home. Cook well...</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em>please send any questions directly to Chef Paul at: <a href="mailto:chefpaulfucello@yahoo.com">chefpaulfucello@yahoo.com</a></em></strong> </div>Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-13675940972449276882010-08-02T21:34:00.000-07:002010-08-02T21:34:03.432-07:00Turning Ideas into Reality in the Kitchen<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhok1n4K_qD7Q_EhGb7RjyiWaapjYeKjEGGFAD1WqM9lRWyGwk2Yjxp6o7mQGMPqkz8x81Xaw8V2_CTymaYOEpVAVstuaH6uAbM5Cmma6p0RkX3bU6SSOyc8u2wEh9R4RsnVL2v45qibgs/s1600/DSCN1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhok1n4K_qD7Q_EhGb7RjyiWaapjYeKjEGGFAD1WqM9lRWyGwk2Yjxp6o7mQGMPqkz8x81Xaw8V2_CTymaYOEpVAVstuaH6uAbM5Cmma6p0RkX3bU6SSOyc8u2wEh9R4RsnVL2v45qibgs/s400/DSCN1441.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing "Guacamole"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By any stretch of the term, I am not a writer...</div><br />
However I love food and I love talking food. You better like reading food or you in the wrong spot sucka!<br />
<br />
This entry I would like to talk about using your HEAD in the kitchen. This is a sort of meditation on how to transcend the confines of the cookbook and express yourself practically, lovingly, emotionally (romantically?) with food.<br />
<i>DIRTY TALK BETWEEN MY WIFE AND I<i></i></i><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">(ERICA)"Honey I need to make a vegan cake for Amanda's Bridal Shower."</div>(PAUL)"That's going to be difficult."<br />
(E)"Well I know I want to do a three teired cake with flowers, I am not going to do fondant, I will use a vegan buttercream recipe...but what should I make the flowers out of?"<br />
(P)"Can't you pipe them with royal icing?"<br />
(E)"No sweety, it has egg whites, it needs to be VEGAN."<br />
(P)"Oh... well how about Marzipan...you know a real simple mix of food color, confectioners sugar and almond paste...they might even set up nice and hard, similar to a royal icing."<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">(E)"That might just work...can you get me almond paste???"</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">(P)"As you wish."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Hope that wasn't too graphic and didn't make you uncomfortable or maybe a little hot and bothered. Things can get pretty steamy when me and the wifey get on the food topic. We love food, I the savory end, and she, the more sweet and confectionery end. The great thing is that we are both well versed in the others areas of expertise....this however is not about us. It is about cake.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZL45irVNWWaglk9MUCSUEXyHRJXzDlr6U7hDT99UDvJ7Hz6B6Vaq6u6r81CI_Jb05TM_mBsuXMvwjTrMFdu_Vq72-7oea3LdEJBXsgdeLKPeP8i2Y_aofTDJC1DXHxZYg547v5HuqnI8/s1600/DSCN3167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZL45irVNWWaglk9MUCSUEXyHRJXzDlr6U7hDT99UDvJ7Hz6B6Vaq6u6r81CI_Jb05TM_mBsuXMvwjTrMFdu_Vq72-7oea3LdEJBXsgdeLKPeP8i2Y_aofTDJC1DXHxZYg547v5HuqnI8/s400/DSCN3167.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>So she makes this cake, which due to VERY hot weather was more than challenging to make. She succesfully pulls this cake off however, also driving 5 hours in a car with it for my brothers Fiancees bridal shower. All thanks to some thought for food. My wife had the courage (and extreme good fortune) to confied in her more than capable, very handsome husband and propose a problem. She had never attempted a cake of such magnitude and with such dietary restrictions. She (a redhead) was determined to try her best and achieve her goal. She worked long and hard on this project (while tending to a very hot and angry infant) and the end result was stellar, she even let me help with some of the flowers! All thanks to some brain power.<br />
<br />
Food meditation #1: It is only food.<br />
Something I tell every young aspiring chef working under me. Many people have the misconceptions that food is too tricky and that they can be easily conquered by their food. They are scared of messing up. Why? The worst that can happen is you have to eat some real shitty tasting food. Is that it? So far there is no police force around that arrests you every time you screw up in the kitchen, so suck it up, stop being a baby and star cooking! Food does what YOU make it do. if you put flour, water, sugar and yeast together they will make some sort of bread. If you keep them seperate they will not do anything. UNDERSTOOD?<br />
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<em>CREATING A </em>DISH<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMJrUTmbEsvk5GgNbhh5wakJUbtXR3gf4oonX_3-xFcW-TeSD2OuQSA8CCa7xAegxBSQ8sTp7IGBaBbGOx7feg1gCue_IXEYbEZUtHDsirCr9cSl0svExmp0j67u1lfqqgZUBaaols7E/s1600/DSCN1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMJrUTmbEsvk5GgNbhh5wakJUbtXR3gf4oonX_3-xFcW-TeSD2OuQSA8CCa7xAegxBSQ8sTp7IGBaBbGOx7feg1gCue_IXEYbEZUtHDsirCr9cSl0svExmp0j67u1lfqqgZUBaaols7E/s400/DSCN1436.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I do not like avocado. As a chef I almost feel guilty and "turncoat-esque" for not enjoying the taste of avocado. HOWEVER sometimes being a professional chef does not necassarily mean what you like, it is what the customer likes. People tell me my guacamole is fantastic. I use honey, lime, onion, garlic, cilantro, avocado (naturally) and some tomato. My one gripe with guacamole is it's appearance. It literally looks like a green washed pile of dung. How do I make this better.? If you look above you'll see it. Honey, lime, onion, garlic, cilantro, avocado, tomato. DECONSTRUCT the ingredients...change them. Sliced avaocado, sliced tomato, shaved red onion (all very clean and very fresh flavors)lightly seasoned with sea salt, honey and lime sour cream, garlic and cilantro oil. <em>long exhale</em> ahhhhhhh! Present it well, keep it clean and you will find you have done something grand. In this case it is an appetizer I love to make.<br />
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Here's one on cooking methods. Approaching your dish with some thought into how you will cook an item. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnAutC-kmPnlG9NOY-WlaPlrISM4AvxPenm9K0PUxgJTswGkv8_9NLvuJQSzniyaBxmhZ5OHJQ0B6K0De0rfXF8GoD4pSTw0eU2lqhRsUdFuJeVfa8Zn9jp5LoW-eixcmG1mEKzljGeI/s1600/DSCN9853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnAutC-kmPnlG9NOY-WlaPlrISM4AvxPenm9K0PUxgJTswGkv8_9NLvuJQSzniyaBxmhZ5OHJQ0B6K0De0rfXF8GoD4pSTw0eU2lqhRsUdFuJeVfa8Zn9jp5LoW-eixcmG1mEKzljGeI/s400/DSCN9853.JPG" width="400" /></a>Last fall we had a wine tasting at the country club. Executive Chef Phil Castro, and myself really pulled out the stops. One item we put our head together on was a quail. A semi-boneless, tiny little pidgeon-like quail. We agreed we were going to make a stuffing of all things Autumn and Decadent. So instead of normal bread, we substituted it for Brioche (an extremely butter-laden bread from France). Cranberry, onions, celery. carrots, and of course...foie gras (fattened goose liver). So now we had these little cholestorol-stuffed pidgeons, with no only a tiny inkling as to how we would want them cooked. We wanted them to lay flat on their back, we wanted the legs to stick forward and we did not want the breast meat to be compromised in any way. We tried trussing them. We were not happy with the end result, it left lines on the bird and in some spots the twine cut through the skin. Also the legs were uneven and it just looked like poop. Then it hit me... MUFFIN PANS! We have fairly large muffin pans. We coated them with a bit of non-stick spray, seasoned the birds and used the muffin pans as the molds for our birds. Came out fantastic. You should always remember to not worry about what has been done in the past as far as conventional cooking methods. Concern yourself with what suits you in your kitchen, what your goals are, and what tools you'll need for this to happen.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>IN CONCLUSION...</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Look at food in a different light. If you think of a type of food you would like to prepare, think about each individual ingredient as their own meal. Think of how they'll blend with one another. Think why they were put together in the first place. Think of how you could make it better. Remember your basic cooking techniques and temperatures. If you are going to read a recipe, treat it like a story and read it until you have a good interpretation of the end result before even cooking. Fresh ingredients always mean better flavor and keep with the cooking techniques of the country while cooking ethnic cuisine. <br />
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REMEBER:<br />
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<strong><em>IT'S ONLY FOOD. IT'S ONLY FOOD. IT'S ONLY FOOD.</em></strong><br />
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Now go and think of someting to make, and I want an email from each an every one of you readers with stories and pictures. <a href="mailto:chefpaulfucello@yahoo.com">chefpaulfucello@yahoo.com</a> The one I feel is most creative is going to have their dish' picture on the next post. What a prize. I am getting tired, my typing has slowed and gets increasingly less legible. Goodnight and cook well.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-27476024264014088902010-07-28T04:02:00.000-07:002010-07-28T04:06:47.666-07:00Just saying hello...Lose not faith in me, It's been a busy week, perhaps another lengthy blog in the next few days. Today is my daughters 1st birthday, quite an event....just burgers hot dogs and the likes...I got a crate of corn on the cob for $13 because I bought it while wearing my chef whites! Discount corn tastes so much sweeter. I also made my potato salad and wifey made the cake. I will post pictures of the aformentioned foodstuffs on my next blog. Till then, eat well and be happy.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-63470375110987726162010-07-22T19:26:00.000-07:002010-07-23T04:58:17.010-07:00THE RIGHT KNIVES...FINDING AND SELECTING THE RIGHT KNIFE FOR YOU AND YOUR BUDGETMany people ask me about what knives I own, and what knives they should own.<br />I suppose it is time I address this for my readers. <br /><br />The basic knives a home cook would need in my personal and professional opinion are a chefs knife, a serrated bread knife, a meat slicing knife (AKA carving knife) and a quality pair of kitchen shears.<br /><br />That's it???<br />Yup. <br /><br />Now, how much you want to spend on them and what you prefer is another friggin' story! Follow me.<br /><br />My wife Erica is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, and I will use her as an example, because she is a tiny little thang with small hands and I am a large fur-tufted beast with hands the size of catchers mitts. Erica is most comfortable with a 6" or 8" chefs knife. Her personal set includes Lamson Sharp knives with a full tang and bolster (meaning the blade runs from the point right through the handle and is one piece with the bolster, a thicker part of the heel)...essentially a classic European knife.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6yZ-bvP5KjwLdnJHxLbfuBY4H0iLxWLa0GkQ6YsrnSpC_0VqGti9Yr8iRuUPR5YU-vl3vtd4cW9fmTNlAI5Do00oYXt6xNPt2en1wc2-UUEphh9tDGfnVP9tVRSPOvrhfEAF_7_JKO0/s1600/knife1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6yZ-bvP5KjwLdnJHxLbfuBY4H0iLxWLa0GkQ6YsrnSpC_0VqGti9Yr8iRuUPR5YU-vl3vtd4cW9fmTNlAI5Do00oYXt6xNPt2en1wc2-UUEphh9tDGfnVP9tVRSPOvrhfEAF_7_JKO0/s200/knife1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496933301194226898" /></a><br /><br />I myself am of the same preference, however I go for Wusthoff Classics, a German brand that are heavier and I stay around the 8" to 10" range for my chefs knife. I was gifted my first Wusthoff knife when I was 16 and I still use it at home, I officially retired it from work use in 2009. They last a long time. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQMMX1PhPio9N8emjHtcWhF4tk_wCZJ5nWkZg2pM-LiSKIUTq4pOm8bijRk0DKnpOzgPfnnfDPiMB6Ex1Z4Bc-ay5FOh_v_zsN1W2yEWteXdtcnwkVx-j5EEPJXJ_6FyjpoxkT-c1vsI/s1600/knife2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 195px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQMMX1PhPio9N8emjHtcWhF4tk_wCZJ5nWkZg2pM-LiSKIUTq4pOm8bijRk0DKnpOzgPfnnfDPiMB6Ex1Z4Bc-ay5FOh_v_zsN1W2yEWteXdtcnwkVx-j5EEPJXJ_6FyjpoxkT-c1vsI/s200/knife2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496933863711179698" /></a><br /><br /><br />Size Matters. End of story. and that's going for chefs knives as well.<br /><br />Maneuverability is what you are looking for. If you find it hard to negotiate your way around an onion it might be the size of your knife. <br /><br />Weight is another factor. Most knives that are full tang and bolstered are on the heavier side. If you like a heavy knife and you want a similar knife to the ones my wife and I use, make sure they are a high carbon stainless steel ( or a derivative of) and that they have 3 rivets in the handle ( makes for a stronger and more balanced knife). Now here's the catch, Lamson Sharps will run you about $65 to $80 for an 8" chefs knife and Wusthoffs will run you about $95 to $120 for an 8" chefs knife. YIKES! <br />These knives are an investment.<br /><br />"But Paul, you expect me to buy this and the carving knife, the serrated knife and the shears too?"<br /><br />I'm not expecting you to do shit! I'm just giving you advice, and don't take that tone with me...I will kick you. Now listen up.<br /><br />I have a large tool kit at work. In it is an exorbitant amount of kitchen gadgets (another blog all together) and knives. I have my Wusthoffs and I have my knock arounds... <br />"Well can I hear about the knock arounds?" <br />You will wait your turn! Let me finish!<br /><br />My knock around knives are anywhere from $15-$40. They range in companies from Winco, to Dexter Rusell, Mercer, Kuhn Rikon, and Forschner.<br /><br />Forschners are my favorites and I use them quite often. They are a great knife for a low to middle range price, their nicest line being their rosewood collection, these have a partial full tang with no bolster, and the blade is not as huge and thick as a European monster like the Wusthoff. It stays sharp and lasts forever. I bought my Forschner rosewood 8" chefs knife in the summer of 2004 and it is still in use today. As for your carving knife, your serrated knife and your shears, I would go with either Dexters or Forschners as they are cheaper, and you will use them less. As for size, they are pretty standard and any ol' size would do. Below is a $30 slicing knife from Forschner and a $15 bread knife from Dexter.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXQL4ljFjMVyUXWqe4S2OwixEtpS5lLq733sUs5h-TMoyiN1Hkh4a8oRfNZyC_YE2e0NobBhMdAbSY2YuwcP8tpZXuCmHKXdyGbzFY4XnE0VsdWCCUJmBkLiOgkG-27O3Lmp9PMaPtyY/s1600/knife3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXQL4ljFjMVyUXWqe4S2OwixEtpS5lLq733sUs5h-TMoyiN1Hkh4a8oRfNZyC_YE2e0NobBhMdAbSY2YuwcP8tpZXuCmHKXdyGbzFY4XnE0VsdWCCUJmBkLiOgkG-27O3Lmp9PMaPtyY/s200/knife3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497069451008416850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeqTDb-_WLDNYoh_3-vry0d9PO7Gj5R4SXgVGGnr36ORwNDhnAaU4e1itj2Ba7aPqrBoXWfc4Fig0_Ihnwx_1w0zqn6Z0hKj3JZhbJSNUZSmu2v3Hy1m3ztaYD972tJQ9sA3XPSKglL8/s1600/knife4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeqTDb-_WLDNYoh_3-vry0d9PO7Gj5R4SXgVGGnr36ORwNDhnAaU4e1itj2Ba7aPqrBoXWfc4Fig0_Ihnwx_1w0zqn6Z0hKj3JZhbJSNUZSmu2v3Hy1m3ztaYD972tJQ9sA3XPSKglL8/s200/knife4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497069661530852978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"Should I get one of those cheap knife sets from Target and call it a day"<br /><br />Sure, so long as you have no expectations for yourself in the kitchen.<br /><br />Knife sets do not have to match, look pretty or come in their own cool storage unit. They need to cut straight, keep a good, sharp blade, and not rust. Build your own knife set, one that you are comfortable with and keep them clean. It would be wise to purchase a good knife sharpening device like this one : http://noplastic.ca/accusharp.shtml it is cheap and they work, try using sparingly as it removes a good amount of metal. Also a honing steel such as this one: http://www.surlatable.com/gs/victorinox-swiss-army-sharpening-steel-13.shtml<br /><br />Well there you have it...any questions please post them or send it to my new Yahoo mail account : chefpaulfucello@yahoo.com <br />Thanks for reading!Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-12698985935817128132010-07-19T18:24:00.000-07:002010-07-19T18:59:44.168-07:00MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY AND THE "BLINACINNO"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKWTF6xTezdmjpi3Nh2gGmAbqvxAwA7vg3XDkF2c4fL-JpLciPAN60N5LJfaP0GrR3QMLziMgem7RVzihdgkRVF6s-v45C0BTZdDS0VskO4pMBH_kgHPbb0sQHXefD9hXq4sGhS6Ohlc/s1600/DSCN1454.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKWTF6xTezdmjpi3Nh2gGmAbqvxAwA7vg3XDkF2c4fL-JpLciPAN60N5LJfaP0GrR3QMLziMgem7RVzihdgkRVF6s-v45C0BTZdDS0VskO4pMBH_kgHPbb0sQHXefD9hXq4sGhS6Ohlc/s320/DSCN1454.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495802207623235026" /></a><br />Well, I have been wanting to post this for some time now and I suppose with my daughter in bed, and my wife in our bedroom reading in air conditioned bliss, I have the time. Many people asked me about my old profile picture here through private e-mails (apparently more people read this than I had expected). It is a small dessert canape of my own creation I call the Blinacinno, like blini and cappuccino smashed together into one fantastic word. <br /><br />It is an idea that came about after I had completed my research in molecular gastronomy's "spherification" process. I will delve deeper into this process momentarily. The end result are tiny spheres that resemble caviar. A classic preparation for caviar canapes are on blinis, a small pancake of sorts, with sour cream or creme fraiche and a sprig of dill. I wanted to make this dessert. With the help of two chemicals i was able to do so.<br /><br /><strong></strong>THE PLAYERS<br /><br />Sodium Alginate: The residual sodium salt of Alginic Acid, which is extracted from brown algae or a form of seaweed if you will. It is used as a thickener and stabilizer in not just food...many screen printers use it as a thickener for their inks. It is considered to be a hydrocolloid. When introduced to calcium salts the gelling properties take place. <br /><br />Calcium Chloride: The calcium salt I used to achieve this. It is the food grade calcium chloride, not the ice melter grade. Food grade calcium chloride is used to give pickles their snap.<br /><br />So what is the process???<br /><br />Basically you take a liquid, low or rid of calcium and add your measured sodium alginate (I measure in grams as most molecular gastro. recipes are). You blend a small portion of the liquid really well with the alginate and then add the rest and blend even more. You let it sit for an hour to release any air bubbles. In a separate container you dissolve some calcium chloride in plain old water. Draw the alginate mixture out with a syringe, I used a 30ml large syringe. Slowly, drop by drop, add the alginate mixture into the calcium mixture. Spherification has occurred! The droplets instantaniously form into little shperes. The longer you leave them in the calcium mixture, the longer they will solidify. The trick is to pull them out before they solidify completely so there is a liquid center. The great thing about this process is that it is thermoirreversible, so hot or cold storage or applications will not affect the end result.<br /><br />Well my liquid was espresso, lightly sweetened. I used the process and formed coffee caviar. I made a sweet pancake, smaller than a half dollar and topped it with whipped cream, coffee caviar, a dusting of cinnamon and a chocolate cigarette, voila...the blinacinno. The process is very in-depth for such a simple assembly. So there you have it.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-77734460376903924912010-07-18T20:02:00.000-07:002010-07-18T20:31:04.404-07:00FOOOOOOD rant. Over-worked, over-tired...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3cEKjzaxfKyGzH4NKgGWlHVMmESgf2xzI0VvruwAscZc0mMKJGzblJZyJeMMfuZ_qfntWk_ZHc9dZozMcdHVJOspRgnqKoyQqmD2jDBKpKJQPqahnoSMMwJY-TBXCIVFL5NwVWGKWH0/s1600/DSCN3110.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3cEKjzaxfKyGzH4NKgGWlHVMmESgf2xzI0VvruwAscZc0mMKJGzblJZyJeMMfuZ_qfntWk_ZHc9dZozMcdHVJOspRgnqKoyQqmD2jDBKpKJQPqahnoSMMwJY-TBXCIVFL5NwVWGKWH0/s320/DSCN3110.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495454678584052338" /></a><br /><br />I love talking about food, especially to those who are not in the know. Food has a huge mystique and ora surrounding it for many people. Some people are just downright scared of it. Not eating it, I meant cooking it. I love breaking those barriers and letting people know that food is just that...food! It does exactly whatever it is you do to it. A perfectly prepared meal is the end result of a bunch of deliberate manipulations of raw product, temperature increases/decreases, cooking methods and technique. People who do not understand why they mess up a dish or can never follow a recipe should not blame the food...it is YOU! Damn you all to hell! Just kidding. People just don't have the knowledge to understand what circumstance they had put the food in order for it to fail. These my friends are the people I love talking food with. They are the ones that need help and are willing to listen. <br /><br />So I talk to them. I give them advice, suggest cookbooks, knives, products, etc...chef stuff, you know. The young students and the up and comers of the culinary field are the most gracious, as they are excited to listen and know they can achieve their goals if they just try. And seasoned foodies and fellow chefs are always fun to talk food with, because we understand one another. A phone coversation about the past few restaurants we have been to between my friend and fellow Chef, Dave Bryer and myself is the closest thing to phone sex without the heavy breathing I know of...even still the chance of heavy breathing depends on if I am walking or climbing stairs at the time. We talk about every detail, every component, flavor pairings and profiles...I have to stop, I am getting excited.<br /><br />What is wrong with me??? Why do I love food so much??? Because it is EVERYTHING. Food has always been around. I make a quick paradox between two very familiar topics...food and sex. In the beginning of primative time, humans (or sub-species) ate food only for sustainance and, similarly, only had sex for procreation purposes. Survival was the name of the game. Now let's jump into our era. Both are still around, only people dine out, and cook with fire, seasonings, technique and for what??? TO ENJOY it! same thing with sex...they both carry the same purposes as they did in the dawn of bi-pedial time, but now serve also as an outlet for pleasure. And God bless that! If casual sex and food are on the same playing field I am a deviant! I am enclosing a photo of the dish I cooked my wife, Erica for her birthday. It is a portherhouse steak with potato cake, sauteed spinach, tomato riselee, braised cippolini onions and a cote du rhone pan sauce. Topped with a rosemary espuma. If you wish to see how it was made, join my facebook site!<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chef-Paul-Fucello/114804171870379?ref=tsChef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-87995300144435984302010-06-09T19:18:00.000-07:002010-06-09T19:21:17.564-07:00Cooking Classes???My wife Erica was talking to me the other night and asked if I still wanted to teach. I love food so much and cooking and sharing knowledge, I of course said yes. We thought I should do some private cooking classes for people at their homes. I am working on the structuring of lessons and costing out everything I will need to get started to make this a reality. I think it is something I would enjoy a whole lot and it could help me financially. If anyone has any ideas on lessons, let me know.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-68815013617640362482010-05-25T18:22:00.000-07:002010-05-25T18:33:45.888-07:00BUSY SEASON!!!Hey Hey There folks, sorry I haven't been around, I had a rather busy couple of weeks. Believe it or not this week is not so bad, even though it is Memorial Day Week. Monday was my 27th Birthday, and Thursday my sister is graduating from college, so I was off both days! We just have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. Today and tomorrow I will be wearing an outfit I hate to wear..one of my real beat up horror show chef jackets, and a bib apron...the sleeves are rolled up to my elbows and I have an 8" boning knife and a 10" scimitar on my table, the whole kitchen knows not to ask me for a thing, these days are butchering days. <br />I should re-phrase a bit, I don't HATE these days, I just know I will be in one place not cooking for a whole Shift. Today I trimmed a case of skirt steak and 2.5 cases of duck breast; on top of writing the specials, helping our line cook set up the line, and helping the Executive Chef with some baking. Also because we have such a busy week...we received a lot of deliveries which needed to be checked in, weighed, matched up and filed with purchase orders, then put away. Tomorrow it is right into another 180-210lbs of skirt steak and 300+ portions of Frenched breast of chicken. I am looking forward to the end of tomorrow which, thankfully will be at 3:00pm and that is why I love Country Club life, if you do not have a function, you have the same hours you did when you were a student back in grammar school.<br /><br />On a side note, today I picked up a wonderful silver charm I had custom made for me. It is a pure silver chefs knife. I traded in some old tiny gold charms and the jeweler made this knife for me from scratch, it is one of a kind and I love it. I will post pictures soon.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-66432153149847036762010-05-05T18:20:00.000-07:002010-05-05T19:34:23.079-07:00Where I work...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGISW4EqS40R0w55sMXgupfGIVqQVs1etsts_UDLRw35mxp1G-pcVe0LUmxVmSBkUqkBZ3WcTiAx_Dq0G8KvnD2Pm7jfWAExA2fcnBMkk7pY_FLw-e-JGgO73KVPCsfiVtk2_nQtwLdnc/s1600/cia11+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467979704748867634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGISW4EqS40R0w55sMXgupfGIVqQVs1etsts_UDLRw35mxp1G-pcVe0LUmxVmSBkUqkBZ3WcTiAx_Dq0G8KvnD2Pm7jfWAExA2fcnBMkk7pY_FLw-e-JGgO73KVPCsfiVtk2_nQtwLdnc/s320/cia11+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>For those souls who have no idea of where I work, why I am a Chef, what makes me a Chef or why I am making a blog, I suppose I should let you in on that.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First off, I am not going to go on about why I love food so much and why I always wanted to be a Chef...let's just have enough intelligence to know that there is a nostalgic story about food including my Mother and her meatballs, and so on. Now that is out of the way, let's pick up at June 14th, 2002. I am sitting in the courtyard at Hudson Hall, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park. My stomach is cramped from whimpering over my girlfriend and I saying so long for our externships, we would make the effort to see each other over the course of the 3 months and speak every day and night, knowing this did not make it easier when you are newly in love. My Father came to pick me up, load up my dorm room in a bag and drive me back to Long Island. In four days I will start my externship. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Most of my friends got interesting extern sites at hotels, food channels, resorts, and well known restaurants. I chose a private country club hidden away in one of the most wealthy communities on the south shore of Long Island. It was called the Seawane Country Club. It had an 18 hole golf course, 4 tennis courts, a pool, a spa, a health center, just the works. It was a hotel without the rooms. The Executive Chef was Craig Henne, a name I did not know, and most of the public did not know, however if you were a chef in the 90's in Manhattan you knew. He was the former Executive Chef at the Ritz Carlton for 5 years, an impressive term to say the least. His Sous Chef, Phil Castro, was young, maybe 10 years older than I, extremely energetic and very knowledgeable. I immediately felt at home and knew I was going to learn a lot from this. Over the course of the next 3 months I worked my ass off. Chef Henne was strict and demanded a certain quality from his food, and Sous Chef Phil rode me like a horse until the breaking point and pulled me back to reality with reassuring talks and information-rich lessons. Phil and I developed a sort of friendship, although he was my superior and I was just an extern, I respected him a great deal, and I think he might have seen potential in me.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I returned to the Culinary Institute that December, with my girlfriend, Erica in tow, reunited in October and ready for the new school year. After talking to my friends on our first day I realized that I was one in maybe a hand full of students that returned a better cook and received a decent education over externship. Too many time have extern sites used externs as cheap slave labor. The reason for my successful extern was that I saw it all. I did front of the house cooking out in the dining room in front of the members, I did large volume banquets, I did a la carte dinner service, it was a little of every aspect of the industry in one very large facility. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We graduated in 2003 and we moved into the real world. Erica and I moved back to Long Island, a choice I know she sometimes regrets...she misses her family up in Vermont, one thing I will forever feel guilty about. I worked a bunch of pretty good jobs, nothing extremely upscale. At the age of twenty two I was Executive Chef of a private dining club and making pretty decent change. But of course, all good things must come to an end. The ownership thought it was wise to run illegal card games at night and eventually the authorities caught wind of this and shut us down. I found myself working in Long Beach as the Sous Chef at Sutton Place for almost 3 years. I loved it there. The staff became not only my friends but they became my adopted family away from home. Erica and I got married in 2007. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Working at Sutton Place became slightly mundane after several attempts by the Executive Chef, David Bryer, and I to change the menu to fit our food interests and cooking styles, only to get them shot down by ownership and management. It was not because they were assholes, it was because they were right. It was Long Beach, a bar and grille town, not an upscale, nouveau type of place. People wanted to get absolutely shitfaced and eat some fried grease on some cheese. Dave is still there, cooking great food with the assistance of my friend Andy Mulligan for people with "peasant tongue" in Andy's words. If I could have 3 cooking wishes granted, one of them would be for those two guys to get out of there and do something great, something creative and daring, something I know the two of them are extremely capable of doing. In March of 2009, Erica 5 months pregnant, I called the Seawane Country Club and asked to be transferred to the kitchen.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>"Hello, kitchen." "Uh, Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to the Chef?" "Yeah this is Chef Phil Castro....." </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We did some catching up, Craig Henne was now General Manager and Phil was promoted to Executive Chef, a position that he is excelling in. He has been working with no Sous Chef for quite a while now and asked if I were interested. I originally called for a line cook position. Although I have had 7 years more under my belt since I worked there last, I still did not feel I was Sous Chef caliber at the Seawane Club. He said to call him back. I thought about it for a week and decided I was going for it. Cooking professionally is competitive and hard work, in order to advance, you have to challenge yourself and know when you have stopped learning from the place you are in. basically knowing when it is time to move on. I gave my notice, and on May 6th, 2009 I started work as the new Sous Chef of the Seawane Country club. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>That was a year ago. Since then my Daughter, Caroline was born on July 28th, we moved into a new and much larger apartment, and I am a much better Chef. It is the first time that I can look in the mirror and have confidence in myself and how I work in the kitchen. I AM A CHEF. A real one, one who prepares for a large banquet, one that takes inventory, one that stays in health code and sets examples for others. I am a Chef that is the first person in the kitchen in the morning and the last to leave at night, or sometimes, the next morning. I am a Chef that manages 3 kitchens along with my superior. I am a Chef that creates and tries new and daring things with food and journals every triumph and failure in a book. I have never been more proud to call myself a Chef because I finally am.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-36716242022463205742010-04-26T22:36:00.000-07:002010-04-26T22:41:25.099-07:00New Endeavor???I am literally days away from the edge of the cliff that is the busy season. Every minute I live I am that much closer. I decided to make good of my time left to myself and my family. I am starting a new project, and for once, it will not cost me an arm and a leg. I was inspired to hand build my own chef knife. <br /><br />I am a knife and cookbook junkie. I can never have enough of any of them. Something struck me that the ultimate of these collections is to have one to call your own. So my book is years down the road, but my own knife? I am very skilled with my hands and can learn anything by reading and research. Apparently lots of people do this and it is fairly common, affordable and available! I picked out the blade, and the wood and hopefully I can get all this stuff in before the season starts. I do not know if it is an onvernight thing or a several week thing...either way I will be more than happy with the results. Look for updates and check for pictures.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-11055720743372160102010-04-23T19:54:00.000-07:002010-04-23T20:07:39.793-07:00Awesome Friday Night A La Carte Service! (A short one)<span style="font-family:times new roman;">So yeah, this will be a rather short entry. Just wanted to share with everyone what a wonderful, text book day of ass kicking I accomplished in the kitchen. I got in at 8:30am and immediately sear off a case of marinated duck breasts for tomorrows station, and started my mise en place for one of the items on the a la carte menu. I finished all that around 9:15am. I broke right into de-boning, trimming and pounding french breasts of chicken, breading them Milanese style and pan frying them. Break time at 10:15. Back to work by 10:45, I am slicing eggplant lengthwise on a meat slicer to get perfectly straight first cts, then I cut the lenghtwise the other and make small dice, pan sear them in a hot pan with very little olive oil and let them cool, later I will heat them up with some garlic, brunoise of tri color pepper, and kalamata olives for the Branzino Plate, olive timbale, buillabase broth. I made a sauce Vin blanc, also a Sauce Pommery, which is a vin blanc, finished with Whole grain dijon mustard. We had a tasting menu today for a wedding in July, so we made filet, I made Potato croquettes, Mushroom madeira demiglace. I seriously can go on and on, but it was a full day of non-stop work; all of my tasks were accomplished on time and without any difficulty and I was cooking, rather than supervising for most of the time. A la carte service was flawless and our timing was spot on....boo ya!</span>Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-74638435673224791732010-04-20T12:50:00.000-07:002010-04-21T17:44:52.835-07:00A Day in the Life...So I find myself up at 6:30 every morning, usually from my alarm, but sometimes from a slight tug on my chest hair, compliments of my daughter Caroline. This morning it was all alarm, and it was wonderful. As usual I go on the computer, check my email and get in the shower by 7:15. By 8:30 I am in work, changed into my chef attire (jacket with logo and name/title, checkered pants, long apron, and my skull cap) and turning on all of the ovens, cooking surfaces and equipment, and unlocking the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">kitchen's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">refrigerators</span> and storage rooms, getting ready to start a new day. Rarely is the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Executive</span> Chef in with me, I never hold a grudge or am upset with this point; this is just how it is, and it means I am the Sous Chef, and I am responsible enough to handle things on my own.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On a normal weekday I have a list of things that need to be done, seeing as we are closed on Mondays I make my weekly prep. list in the office before anyone gets in at 9:00. Today I have to make the specials for the next two days, and get the party going. By the way, today is not a normal day. We have our very first luncheon of the season today at 11:30. My crew comes in at 9:00 on the nose in a flood of white shirts, checkered pants and a buzz of Spanish, Tagalog, and English. It is time to start the day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>The structure of this luncheon was as follows:</strong><br /><br />*11:30 Passed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hors</span> d' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ouvres</span> (hot and cold)<br /><br />*12:15 Plated, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pre</span>-set salads, consisting of Baby red and green romaine lettuce wrapped in a cucumber ribbon, citrus vinaigrette, diced cucumber, red and yellow grape tomatoes, candied walnuts and dried cranberry.<br /><br />*1:30 Choice of Grilled <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Atlantic</span> salmon with lemon chive <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">beurre</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">blanc</span> with white and wild rice medley, and baby spring vegetables<br /><br />or Roasted french breast of chicken with a mushroom <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pan</span> gravy, roasted sliced sweet potatoes and baby spring vegetables<br /><br />*2:15 Plated dessert of fresh berries, Mango, Lemon, and Raspberry sorbets in a brandy snap <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">tuille</span> basket.<br /><br />VERY basic menu for my kitchen. Passed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">hors</span> d' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ouvres</span> were in the window at 11:15 and everything went smoothly. The main course was plated up by only <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">myself</span> and the chef in under 30 minutes.<br /><br /> Things went out well, we hit a little snag when the new guy didn't put the first 40 plates in the hot box(a large metal box that can hold about 85 plate at a hot temperature) After the Chef and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">separately</span> reamed him out, he got it perfect. We both just got mad at the fact of the new guy not being able to just say " I don't understand" instead he wasted our time by plugging along and doing his own thing. However, after all was said and done, the party went out smoothly and there were no complaints. Trust me, when you work in a country club filled with rich old people, complaints happen not daily, but hourly. It is just all they have left. This was a short day, I was home, playing with my daughter and talking to my wife by 3:15pm! These days will surely be missed in a months time.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338704325644305244.post-56050545673644649812010-04-19T18:54:00.000-07:002010-04-19T19:09:18.218-07:00Here Goes Nothing...How did I get here? I think it started all the way back in 2001, when I met a my friend Nathaniel Rhodes for the first time. We just hit it off and became friends immediately. We laughed our way through The Culinary Institute of America, joking about the difference in our upbringing (him being black from St. Louis, and myself white from Long Island) tastes in food, women and everythibg else under the sun. He was my group leader, one of the best in fact. He was my Class president, and he was my student graduation speaker. <br /><br /> One of his major talents is the ability to talk the underwear off a nun. He is extremely persuasive and very articulate. A few weeks ago he talked me into "doing something"...he urged "if only I listened to him and follow his instructions". Here I am, Twitter account, Facebook fan page, and now blogspot, talking to myself most of the time about food and postingpictures I took or others took of me. It is slightly therapeutic regardless of my lack of fans and followers, it fortifies my passion and love for the trade I have been a part of since my adolescent years. <br /><br /> Where this will take me? I am not sure, but I think I will try to keep it up. Recipes, pictures if I figure ot how to do so and a run down of daily activitis perhaps. I will tell you that tomorrow I have a luncheon for 95 people at 11:30 in the morning. VERY small catered event compared to what volume I will be doing in a matter of weeks. I work at the very same country club I externed at when I was a student, now as the Sous Chef. The busy season will be upon us any minute now, and there will be no time for anything but brutally fast-paced cooking and production. I will be missing my wife, Erica and my daughter, Caroline very much in the months to come. Well then, gotta go plan my future, read on, the next posts wont be so friggin boring.Chef Paul Fucellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499603950015569575noreply@blogger.com2