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[CrankyJay]

BBQed at my job again. Tis was fun.

Fuck that looks good. I'm jealous.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Gah I am so very nervous about tomorrow morning... so I had quit my job with my food truck since I was getting fed up with the boss despite the restaurant opening up soon.

After several days of craigslist emails I received a phone call today from the chef at Rivera, one of the top restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles which focuses on a broad range of Latin cuisine. The chef/part owner is John Sedlar (whom you may have seen recently on Iron Chef and will be on Top Chef Masters season 3).

I really hope it goes well because the guy seemed to like that I was enthusiastic and eager to work despite my shortcomings on my resume experience. I'm going up against 400 other craigslist responses so wish me luck folks! If I make it past interview I am going to stage for a day or two so they can test me out in action.

Whether I get the job or not I really thank all the kind words many of you have conveyed to me in this thread which helped make me feel that cooking was worth my time despite the hardships working in this industry. I gotta thank OnkelC too for starting the original thread a few years back when I was still in college and had not considered cooking professionally, it was the participation in these threads that motivated me to really think about it. By next week I'll know for sure if I am going to finally work in fine dining.

 

[Cruceh]

So you guys think a cast iron dutch oven is worth it? le creuset and it's on sale for $130. Also, what's a good skillet for every day use since the one im using now is looking pretty old.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

So you guys think a cast iron dutch oven is worth it? le creuset and it's on sale for $130. Also, what's a good skillet for every day use since the one im using now is looking pretty old.

is it a 6qt? Any smaller and it may not really be worth it. To be honest I've heard some people say Lodge makes a decent one for much less.

Yes you will get lifetime warranty though so that is a plus and the build quality is great, no need to worry about cracks.

Depends on what you cook too, are you gonna start cooking stews and soups? If so it is perfect for that because you can brown your meat and saute your veges using the same pot and put it back in all together later and covering over low heat. When I didn't have my plain cast iron I had to sear stuff on one pan and then deglaze it and try to get all of those juices into the pot which was a pain.

 

[Stalfos]

Gah I am so very nervous about tomorrow morning... so I had quit my job with my food truck since I was getting fed up with the boss despite the restaurant opening up soon.

After several days of craigslist emails I received a phone call today from the chef at Rivera, one of the top restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles which focuses on a broad range of Latin cuisine. The chef/part owner is John Sedlar (whom you may have seen recently on Iron Chef and will be on Top Chef Masters season 3).

I really hope it goes well because the guy seemed to like that I was enthusiastic and eager to work despite my shortcomings on my resume experience. I'm going up against 400 other craigslist responses so wish me luck folks! If I make it past interview I am going to stage for a day or two so they can test me out in action.

Whether I get the job or not I really thank all the kind words many of you have conveyed to me in this thread which helped make me feel that cooking was worth my time despite the hardships working in this industry. I gotta thank OnkelC too for starting the original thread a few years back when I was still in college and had not considered cooking professionally, it was the participation in these threads that motivated me to really think about it. By next week I'll know for sure if I am going to finally work in fine dining.

Good luck, I hope it goes well. You really do show off some amazing stuff on here.

I do got to question you though, did you quit before you even started looking for something else?

 

[nakedsushi]

So you guys think a cast iron dutch oven is worth it? le creuset and it's on sale for $130. Also, what's a good skillet for every day use since the one im using now is looking pretty old.

If $130 is a small amount of money for you and it's the 6qt one, I say go for it. I'm one of those who ended up getting the $30-$40 Lodge one and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a breeze to clean. There are a few chips on the outside and the handle, but I can happily say that I don't feel any guilt about it since it only cost me $30. If I had chipped a $100+ pot, I'd be pretty mad.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Looks like I may have found a local source for, at least, some kinda cajun seasoned alligator tail and some manner of cut of Elk---what's the good word on them as far as cooking methods and such? I'd imagine the Elk to work about exactly the same as my beloved venison, but I've only had a bit of basic fried gator tail once before which was nice. Is gator the kind of thing that can be cooked in a clay pot and produce broth or is it firmly in the fry/grill only camp?

You'd think I'd stumble onto a local meatshop/butcher kinda thing sooner, but well, here we are. The place looked clean and the owner seems keen to order pretty much whatever portion somebody wants to buy of a given thing if he can come across it...

 

[luoapp]

Gah I am so very nervous about tomorrow morning... so I had quit my job with my food truck since I was getting fed up with the boss despite the restaurant opening up soon.

After several days of craigslist emails I received a phone call today from the chef at Rivera, one of the top restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles which focuses on a broad range of Latin cuisine. The chef/part owner is John Sedlar (whom you may have seen recently on Iron Chef and will be on Top Chef Masters season 3).

I really hope it goes well because the guy seemed to like that I was enthusiastic and eager to work despite my shortcomings on my resume experience. I'm going up against 400 other craigslist responses so wish me luck folks! If I make it past interview I am going to stage for a day or two so they can test me out in action.

Whether I get the job or not I really thank all the kind words many of you have conveyed to me in this thread which helped make me feel that cooking was worth my time despite the hardships working in this industry. I gotta thank OnkelC too for starting the original thread a few years back when I was still in college and had not considered cooking professionally, it was the participation in these threads that motivated me to really think about it. By next week I'll know for sure if I am going to finally work in fine dining.

Best wishes to you! Really like the food and pictures you've been sharing in this thread. Good luck.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Good luck, I hope it goes well. You really do show off some amazing stuff on here.

I do got to question you though, did you quit before you even started looking for something else?

To be honest I had planned on quitting if things were not getting better since 2 weeks ago but had been casually looking around for something new for the last few days.

A chance to work at Rivera and learn Chef Sedlar's cuisine would be a great opportunity to grow as a cook. I am just hoping that I'm not competing against externs from The French Laundry.

 

[Stalfos]

To be honest I had planned on quitting if things were not getting better since 2 weeks ago but had been casually looking around for something new for the last few days.

A chance to work at Rivera and learn Chef Sedlar's cuisine would be a great opportunity to grow as a cook. I am just hoping that I'm not competing against externs from The French Laundry.

Yeah it sounds like it would be a great opportunity for you. Hopefully your enthusiasm for food can help put you over the top.

 

[thespot84]

Yeah it sounds like it would be a great opportunity for you. Hopefully your enthusiasm for food can help put you over the top.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Iron-Gaf, does it show I really like to cook when I made breakfast burritos while semi-intoxicated?

Delicious.

 

[CRS]

Nice...care to share methods/rubs used?

Not entirely sure of the dry rub but I do know it has seasoning salt, black pepper, and paprika. This is my first time BBQing at work for at least half a year and didn't have to prepare the rub because it was already made. If you want, I can get back to you and post the complete mixture if you want.

I apply the dry rub on the meat when I first get into work and let it sit for a couple of hours. I cook tri-tip, pork butt, chicken, and ribs. The only protein that I prepare (besides applying the rub) is the chicken which I just cut it in half. Meanwhile, I help prep for other items and get my fire ready. It's a big BBQ pit and I use Oak wood to cook with.

 

[GroteSmurf]

Italian bread:

Started the sponge yesterday afternoon and let that sit for almost 24 hours, then finished the dough, two rises (one at room temperature and one in in steam) and baking over the course of a few hours today. Brushed them with salt water right before going into the oven and then with olive oil when I rotated them halfway through. The recipe, as with most really great bread, is blindingly simple yet produces some of the best-tasting results I've ever gotten, and the super crackly, crunchy crust is genuinely mind-blowing.

Could you provide us mere mortals with a recipe and cooking instructions on how to make this marvellous looking bread?

Or did i miss it?

Thank you!

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Could you provide us mere mortals with a recipe and cooking instructions on how to make this marvellous looking bread?

Or did i miss it?

Thank you!

Ah, you caught me just before I headed off to bed:

Sponge:

1 cup (8 ounces) cool water, about 65F
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water, about 65F
2 to 2 1/2 cups (8 1/2 to 10 5/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

warm water, heavily salted
olive oil

The Sponge: Combine all of the sponge ingredients, mixing just till a cohesive dough forms. Allow it to rest, covered, for 12 to 16 hours at room temperature. When the sponge is ready, it will be filled with large holes and bubbles.

The Dough: Add the water to the sponge, and mix till smooth. Add the flour, yeast and salt, and knead the dough till it’s fairly smooth but not necessarily elastic, about 3 minutes by machine, or 5 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. To help develop the gluten and distribute the yeast’s food, turn the dough twice during the rising time: gently fold all four sides into the middle, and turn the dough over.

At this point, you can do whatever shapes and sizes you want with the dough; there's enough here for a couple of standard loaves, one large braided loaf, some smaller baguettes... Whatever you'd like. Shape the dough and then cover it with some plastic wrap and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until just puffy.

Preheat oven to 425F. Brush the bread with warm salt water and bake for about 15 minutes, then brush the tops with some olive oil and rotate the pans around so everything bakes evenly (if you're lucky enough to have a convection oven, obviously you don't need to worry about rotating them) for another 10-15 minutes. The bread should be deep golden and have a very firm crust. Let 'em cool on a rack for 15 minutes or so and then attempt not to eat every last scrap.

 

[GroteSmurf]

Ah, you caught me just before I headed off to bed:

Sponge:

1 cup (8 ounces) cool water, about 65F
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water, about 65F
2 to 2 1/2 cups (8 1/2 to 10 5/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

warm water, heavily salted
olive oil

The Sponge: Combine all of the sponge ingredients, mixing just till a cohesive dough forms. Allow it to rest, covered, for 12 to 16 hours at room temperature. When the sponge is ready, it will be filled with large holes and bubbles.

The Dough: Add the water to the sponge, and mix till smooth. Add the flour, yeast and salt, and knead the dough till it’s fairly smooth but not necessarily elastic, about 3 minutes by machine, or 5 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. To help develop the gluten and distribute the yeast’s food, turn the dough twice during the rising time: gently fold all four sides into the middle, and turn the dough over.

At this point, you can do whatever shapes and sizes you want with the dough; there's enough here for a couple of standard loaves, one large braided loaf, some smaller baguettes... Whatever you'd like. Shape the dough and then cover it with some plastic wrap and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until just puffy.

Preheat oven to 425F. Brush the bread with warm salt water and bake for about 15 minutes, then brush the tops with some olive oil and rotate the pans around so everything bakes evenly (if you're lucky enough to have a convection oven, obviously you don't need to worry about rotating them) for another 10-15 minutes. The bread should be deep golden and have a very firm crust. Let 'em cool on a rack for 15 minutes or so and then attempt not to eat every last scrap.

Very very nice Thanks alot! I'm gonna try this in the weekend. Thanks again

 

[cmonmanreally]

It's almost 2AM here in California but that's okay because after two weeks of baking I finally ended up with a Country Loaf that came out kind of resembling the way I wanted it to!

Sorry my kitchen is poorly lit.

 

[dyonPT]

Giant triple OREO...DONE!

PS: yes, that's a meal plalte! Huge!

 

[GiJoccin]

It's almost 2AM here in California but that's okay because after two weeks of baking I finally ended up with a Country Loaf that came out kind of resembling the way I wanted it to!

That's awesome, did you cook that in the oven with a lid on the pan? What recipe did you use?

I'm definitely jealous of the blistering you got on the top of the loaf! What temperature did you cook it at?

 

[Emperor Bohe]

Does anyone have a good recipe for making chow mein gravy? I can never get the gravy to taste as good as it does in restaurants.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Does anyone have a good recipe for making chow mein gravy? I can never get the gravy to taste as good as it does in restaurants.

in the restaurants its mostly fat and corn starch FYI.

 

[MrBig]

http://diogom.no.sapo.pt/oreo_tripla.jpg[img]
Giant triple OREO...DONE!

PS: yes, that's a meal plalte! Huge! :D[/QUOTE]
Cake mix and whipped cream? Looks awesome :D

What should I do tonight IronGAF, a pizza or a new loaf of bread?

 

[Haly]

Best of luck Zyzyxxz!

Everyone in this thread would vouch for you

Unrelated note: Lamb Rack!

No recipe, I just dumped all my favorite herbs and spices on it (salt, pepper, rosemary, granule garlic, chopped onion, paprika, cumin). Tastes great, and sooooo tender. However I'm kind of iffy on cooking times and temperature for lamb racks. I browned all the sides in a skillet coated with olive oil, then it went into the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. In those 20 minutes it barely cooked at all. Of course this is the way I like it but most people I know prefer less blood in their meat. Should I leave it in longer for medium or raise the temperature?

(I didn't have my thermometer with me so I couldn't check without cutting it.)

 

[OnkelC]

Cake mix and whipped cream? Looks awesome

What should I do tonight IronGAF, a pizza or a new loaf of bread?

saturday night should be pizza night IMHO. Please keep us posted about the results and throw a pic in.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Best of luck Zyzyxxz!

Everyone in this thread would vouch for you

Unrelated note: Lamb Rack!
No recipe, I just dumped all my favorite herbs and spices on it (salt, pepper, rosemary, granule garlic, chopped onion, paprika, cumin). Tastes great, and sooooo tender. However I'm kind of iffy on cooking times and temperature for lamb racks. I browned all the sides in a skillet coated with olive oil, then it went into the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. In those 20 minutes it barely cooked at all. Of course this is the way I like it but most people I know prefer less blood in their meat. Should I leave it in longer for medium or raise the temperature?

(I didn't have my thermometer with me so I couldn't check without cutting it.)

In my lamb cooking I have generally finished it in the oven at 425 F. Never made a Rack yet though. Your pic is bit too rare for me, I like mine at Medium.

 

[beelzebozo]

roasted veg, herb chicken. this is what i eat maybe four out of seven nights a week in some form, after work, when i'm rushing. sometimes it's fried eggs instead of chicken.

always, always with hot pepper rings though.

 

[MrBig]

I just finished with the pizza dough and it's rising now.

I also recently planted some grape vines on my fence and am looking to start a herb garden because it would encourage me to expand my recipes. Anyone have good recommendations on what herbs to start with and recipes that would incorporate them well?

 

[Haly]

In my lamb cooking I have generally finished it in the oven at 425 F. Never made a Rack yet though. Your pic is bit too rare for me, I like mine at Medium.

How long do you leave it in there?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

How long do you leave it in there?

Depends on the size of the lamb. For small shoulders I have done 8 minutes or so, and at least 5 minutes of resting covered with Aluminium Foil.

I just check it at the 6-8 minute mark and then go from there. I am sure you can find recommended cooking times for Rack of Lamb Legs on the web.

 

[dyonPT]

Cake mix and whipped cream? Looks awesome

What should I do tonight IronGAF, a pizza or a new loaf of bread?

This:

And yes, whipped cream

 

[cmonmanreally]

That's awesome, did you cook that in the oven with a lid on the pan? What recipe did you use?

I'm definitely jealous of the blistering you got on the top of the loaf! What temperature did you cook it at?

Yeah I've been following Chad Robertson's Tartine bread recipe, which calls for a dutch oven combo cooker if you're doing it at home. Essentially you're going to be working with a pretty wet dough, so you want to steam most of the water out of the bread the first half of the baking process. I preheat the oven and pan/lid at 500 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes, put the dough with the lid on top and immediately turn it down to 450 for 20 minutes, then finish it off with another 25 minutes at 450 with the lid off.

For the first time I was able to get a decent oven spring by adjusting the fermentation times to my own climate. The crust came out caramelized just the way I wanted it to. Those 'ears' I got was from scoring the bread at a very shallow, almost horizontal cut.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Crumble is some Boulder Canyon Hickory BBQ Kettle Chips
Cheese is some Irish Whiskey Aged Cheddar

The cheese is hella oily, but it tastes so good and melts down nice and easy. It also didn't want to cooperate as far as slicing went, so I had good results with just rough chopping it into a mess of irregular chunks and fragments.

Herb I recommend: Oregano is perhaps the king of everything involving meat and such as base point. Yeah, I'm the guy that likes Crab Boil seasoning on pizza, but I can still be right on some stuff universally~ Heh!

 

[MrBig]

Battle of the pizzas!

Topped with roast beef and a Garden Salsa Sun Chips Crumble.
Added a bit of peanut oil to the dough for an interesting taste.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Battle of the pizzas!
Topped with roast beef and a Garden Salsa Sun Chips Crumble.
Added a bit of peanut oil to the dough for an interesting taste.

Looks pretty awesome to me and nifty idea on the peanut oil. I'd considered experimenting a tad along similar lines with the wheat dough pizzas, but as long as I'm stuck using this damned crooked cookie sheet things can get pretty ridiculous in terms of runoff from the excess and otherwise!

Found some Sun Chips in my area, probably give them a go after I finish one other Boulder Canyon next week.

Speaking of beef related goodness: What's the deal on the likes of this in the states...impossible to find or...?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bresaola

 

[MrBig]

Looks pretty awesome to me and nifty idea on the peanut oil. I'd considered experimenting a tad along similar lines with the wheat dough pizzas, but as long as I'm stuck using this damned crooked cookie sheet things can get pretty ridiculous in terms of runoff from the excess and otherwise!

Found some Sun Chips in my area, probably give them a go after I finish one other Boulder Canyon next week.

I got some whole wheat flour for making bread, I can try that as well. See if they have Garden Salsa or French Onion, they're the most flavorful imo.

 

[Stalfos]

Haha, I made pizza tonight as well, no pictures though. I made regular old pepperoni, using some fresh wheat dough I bought at Whole Foods. Instead of sauce I've lately been using thinly sliced tomatoes seasoned with some salt and a drizzle of olive oil. I'm really liking it that way.

 

[Deleted member 8095]

I made beef wellington for the first time tonight and I loved it! Will make it again someday.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

 

[CRS]

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

Dude, congratulations!

^100

 

[Aquavelvaman]

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

Nice! Living the dream

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Nice! Living the dream

Heh its only a dream if it involves standing in the same spot for 6 hours a day either cutting or sauteing the same stuff. I am at least fortunate to have this opportunity now for a grueling month to see if I can handle the pressure.

 

[OnkelC]

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

Congratulations! You deserved it.

I'd love to see pics from your future workplace. What rang have you been hired to?

 

[MrBig]

Running low on my cornmeal for using on my pizza peel. I had bought a small bag of yellow cornmeal but it is way too strong. The white-old fashion cornmeal I have been using isn't as bad but I'm still looking for something that is less noticeable in taste. I don't really want to have any taste it at all. Recommendations?

 

[user friendly]

I made beef wellington for the first time tonight and I loved it! Will make it again someday.

Looks perfect. Can't wait to try this one day.

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

Congrats dude, can't wait to see new pics once your settled in. Well done

 

[OnkelC]

Running low on my cornmeal for using on my pizza peel. I had bought a small bag of yellow cornmeal but it is way too strong. The white-old fashion cornmeal I have been using isn't as bad but I'm still looking for something that is less noticeable in taste. I don't really want to have any taste it at all. Recommendations?

I always prepare pizza dough exclusively with wheat flour.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

Congrats man!! You will do good.

 

[Stinkles]

Running low on my cornmeal for using on my pizza peel. I had bought a small bag of yellow cornmeal but it is way too strong. The white-old fashion cornmeal I have been using isn't as bad but I'm still looking for something that is less noticeable in taste. I don't really want to have any taste it at all. Recommendations?

Would panko work, or would it burn? It would certainly have less flavor if it just toasts. I am not sure if it would have the "lube" effect though. Might be worth trying.

 

[MrBig]

Would panko work, or would it burn? It would certainly have less flavor if it just toasts. I am not sure if it would have the "lube" effect though. Might be worth trying.

I use a jar of bread crumbs mixed with some herbs to flavor my sauce, I guess I can use that for that purpose as well, since it would just be adding to the flavor that's already there. I'll try it, thanks

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Congratulations! You deserved it.

I'd love to see pics from your future workplace. What rang have you been hired to?

Thanks, I'm suppose to be a line cook but I do prep as well. The chef said that I'll work my way around all the stations so that eventually I can cover for any roles.

Here are pics from a food bloggers review: http://www.kevineats.com/2009/11/rivera-los-angeles-ca-3.htm

 

[entremet]

Woot, I am officially working at Rivera (los angeles) now! As long as I dont fuck up big in the next 30 days of my probation period. Hopefully the boss wins Top Chef Masters so our restaurant can gain even more attention now.

You'll do well. Just soak up as much as you can. If you have time, try going in on your days off, to learn more about the other areas of the kitchen--butchery, pastry, and the like. It would do great things for your skills.