Sineater - psst...in here

[*crikey*mate*]

I just watched Materchef  US Season 5 Episode 1

(Thought I better start a new thread and not hijack the Australian one)

Plus we can add Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares to this one too.

[*crikey*mate*]

Miracle Whip? (a brand i guess?) I make my own at work in bulk - 20L at a time in the pastry mixer and bring a bit home. If I am caught short at home and have to nick up the shop, I buy a brand called THOMY - it's a whole egg mayonnaise and well, I like its taste LOL

ok, so the crab cakes are crumbed? or just coated in flour - might google a recipe and have a go this weekend - or the next - will it matter if I use tin crab? (I know fresh is best - but.....just till I work out if I can cook em or even like em LOL)

Yeah, I still remember broasted chicken over 25 years later, it was that good.

My OH is in hospitality too, so he got the whole thing - We worked at the same places a few times - 2 hotel chains and 3 restaurants, so that helped a lot - he "gets it" iykwim

LOL a cot in your office - LUXURY hahahaha

one job we lived in staff quarters, so just a whole heap of bunks in a room and you slept on whichever one was vacant when you had time to sleep LOL

But I spent many a night asleep on the restaurant floor or on the bench seating somewhere, especially as an apprentice. It was sooo important to be first in in the mornings... weren't game to be even a second late!

Even when i got jobs that came with an office, the offices were never big enough to roll out a swag LOL - there was one job when i did get a window in my office though LOL, but usually offices were in the bowels of the building off the side of the kitchen you were assigned to - not much bigger than a dry store closet LOL

I did like banquets, but only in the smaller hotels where 2oo was considered a big one. When I got to the Coast, I got a job at the casino here where they do 2000 paxers - First day I went in this kid was portioning broccoli, and he had boxes to the ceiling - next day the same kid was on cauliflower.... I didn't take the job - It was a shame - i initially was offered Fine Dine, but negotiated for banquettes, so they moved stuff around for me - and then I kinda threw it in their faces, so wasn't game to ask to switch back. I really wanted to work there as they had a brilliant competition trainiing program - that's all you did 40 hours a week - just competitions, and they had an entire department dedicated to centrepiece work - that's all they did - they just had specialist chefs - one for ice carving, margarine carving, styrofaom carving - plus all the regular centrepiece wiork - I kick myself now, 6 month stint in either of those kitchens, learning from experts and having the time and the quantities to practise on would have been great rather than just doing bits and peices here and there iykwim...

That was one of my sillier choices, but I still have nightmares about that kid and his broccoli, and I didn't want to get stuck there for 6 months doing stuff like that, was too short sighted to think "yeah, but work up into the other kitchens, or deal with that and then go to your other kitchens after work" kwim?

Scallops - I've seen some people serve them roe on. I'd never come across that, we were always taught to clean them and throw that out - you worked with roe on scallops much? I reckon it's taste like a plate of salted baby poo, wouldn't it? wonder what you do to that to make it taste ok?

I do wellingtons a lot - never cooked a turkey though or used it - I reckon we would have had it on cold meat platters somewhere - you know the sliced stuff - but never had to use it, I don't like it, so never put it on any of my menus - but I'm getting a bit of pressure to include it in my business menus atm - so i might have to suck it up and have a go at something - apparently its a healthy choice food...

blerk

[*crikey*mate*]

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@sineaterdoodah wrote:

the group challenge,thats exactly the kind of thing we used to do in aircraft hangars and at mcconnell air force base. considering they had no idea how to do it,i was VERY impressed! and even the raw chicken(and pork)was solvable,and nobody just lost it,which i expectted.

I've done banquests and outside catering in some varied places, but never for so many people with such primitive equipment, and usually a kitchen for backup nearby for the larger functions. I think the chicken should have been beef - something "manly" - pork was a great idea, but vbetter exefcuted it once they butterflied it - but on the bone like that was how I picture a tough dude meal LOL. Glad neither of them did something poncy like a wet dish iykwim - not for a special meal for soldiers - if MASH is anything to go by, they get a lot of that kind of food. I reckon rustic beef - sirloin on the bone, an potatoes kinda meal I woulda gone for

I nearly threw up at their mac and cheese - I take it none of them had ever made that before - it looked horrible -

the old dude.. you mean leslie? yes, I think that's his name - he looks amazing for his age though, eh? He's got a face as smooth as a baby's bum! I mean he's nearly 60! Needs a hair cut though...

the stay at home dad who fights with everybody? I have never noticed that yet. I was impressed when Ramsay asked whose idea the chicken was and he said "everybody's", even though he had disagreed - came across to me as a team player iykwim - and I saw how he told bimbo her chicken was raw, but then didn't argue with her when she disgareed - so i gotta say, I was impressed, actually. he annoys me no end! but he CAN cook,if he learns to keep his mouth shut,he MIGHT make it into the top 10. 

tattoo girl,she's got some serious self esteem issues. but she can get past that as long as she trusts her own skills,and not worry about what others think of her.

i felt bad for elise too,bu t really,you NEVER make a berry pie with a full top crust. there's no way the bottom crust can get properly done unless the juice can steam out the top. pecan plait girl,stephani,she's the one i called corinne of the dreadlocks earlier,due to her resemblance to a truly incompetent  banquet captain i usd to know. okay,yeah,she'd never made a pie before, but WHY? that's the sort of thing you should be practicing once you know you made the competition,things you've never done.

i'm hoping elise will get it together,too,she's growing on me!

she did have vent holes - and I've made apple pies with full crusts, so that's not something that would have occurred to me, to be honest...haven't cooed an enclosed pie for a few years though now, but a basic shortcruast recipe, yeah, I reckon that should have been on the practise list for all of them.It just surprised me that something that should be simple (ish) could go soooo wrong for so many of them. - It's not like there is a real skill in a basic short crust, just measure, dump and mix - worst that should happen is it goes tough from being overworked I would have thought.

Speaking of which - Poddy makes the most awesome Cherry Pies - you should talk to him about that - and this black poppy seed thing too - amongst the nicest things i've tasted TBH -

he'd never share the recipe with me tho LOL, but **bleep** it was nice

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[*crikey*mate*]

the stikeouts don't worry me, but maybe we can start adding "tattoo girl" or "old dude" etc LOL

[*crikey*mate*]

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@sineaterdoodah wrote:

HELL'S KITCHEN SEASON  12 MASTER LIST

*with strikeouts through episode 13*

anton testino - deep voice dude - he's an exec chef, isn't he?

beth taylor

bev lazo-gonsalez

chris eversole

guarav navin

jason zepaltas - is this the guy who can't count? => I'll call him Numbers

jessica vogel

joy parham-thomas

kashia zollicoffer - bus girl?

melanie finch - young blonde girl - what is her position? line cook?

michael demarco

michael gabriel

mike aresta

nicole rutz

ralph johnson

richard mancini

rochelle bergman - fence girl

sandra flores

scott commings

simone hammond

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wish I could remember their positions etc?

[*crikey*mate*]

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@sineaterdoodah wrote:

oh! before i forget! episode 9 ,bella luna,was the season finale.kitchen nightmares,i mean.

*edited for sudden brain death*

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ah, well that explains why there were no more LOL

[sineaterdoodah]

here's a recipe that's very close to mine,using canned crab. the only difference is i don't use green onions,and i use the bread crumbs as the coating,instead of crackers.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/My-Crab-Cakes/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

luxury,lol,yes it was! my office was built for me by the maintenance staff,so i'd stop sleeping in their gym,lol!it was JUST big enough for my cot,with my corkboard above it,my desk and a set of shelves at right angles to the cot,and the door on the 4th wall.

the walls didn't go to the ceiling,they stopped 7 feet up so i could still hear the kitchen. it was actually my birthday present from them,when i turned 45,i was THRILLED! the cot folded closed and left room for carts stashed in there during the day,lol! and the shelves were filled with all of my table decor,it was very cool! and i had a LOCK,how cool is THAT? yeah,it WAS in the storage room,but we were ground floor,so i could go out on the dock if i felt claustrophobic. and smoke there,too.

it IS too bad you didn't take that job,but we all make silly mistakes. mine bwas refusing a job as personal chef for a budding charter plane company. i figured they'd go bust in 6 months,and i didn't want to take the chance of having to job hunt in the dead of winter. BIG mistake! ryan airlines is now a premier charter service,i could have cooked for bajillionaires!

the kid with the broccoli? he'd have been veggieboy. that's why they all had a different name,because that's ALL they did, all day,until serving time. then they served on the floor,and started the next day's prep after a meal. it sucks,but the speed you develop can be astounding.

when it comes to roe,of any kind,i was trained to cut it away whole,soak it in cold water overnight,then drain it and pat it dry. then you dip it in egg,then pepperd flour,and fry that puppy brown! and yes,it is DISGUSTING!! we used to do scallop ,lobster,crab,herring,salmon,trout,you name it,people ate it. but i think americans will eat ANYTHING fried.

i can help with turkey. i can't stand that chop/pressed "deli" **bleep**, so i roast my own boneless breasts instead.

miracle whip is a brand name,made by kraft. it's called a salad dressing,mainly for things like meat salads,or potato/pasta salads. we don't get much freshmade mayo ,or whole egg,unless it's made fresh at a restaurant,everything else is shelf stable,so it has to be pastuerized. miracle whip has a tangy flavor,slightly vinegary,and it's thinner than mayo.

[sineaterdoodah]

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@*crikey*mate* wrote:

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@sineaterdoodah wrote:

HELL'S KITCHEN SEASON  12 MASTER LIST

*with strikeouts through episode 13*

anton testino - deep voice dude - he's an exec chef, isn't he?

beth taylor

bev lazo-gonsalez

chris eversole

guarav navin

jason zepaltas - is this the guy who can't count? => I'll call him Numbers(this is redbeard)

jessica vogel

joy parham-thomas

kashia zollicoffer - bus girl?

melanie finch - young blonde girl - what is her position? line cook?

michael demarco

michael gabriel

mike aresta

nicole rutz

ralph johnson

richard mancini

rochelle bergman - fence girl

sandra flores

scott commings

simone hammond

---

wish I could remember their positions etc?

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okay,let me look.

joy( shortstuff) is a kitchen supervisor,which makes sense.

kashia(brawnygirl) is a line cook

melanie(blondie) yes,she's a line cook

rochelle(fencegirl) is a caterer

anton(deepvoicedude) is a head chef

jason(redbeard,numbers is gabriel) is a sous chef

(michael) gabriel( numbers) is an exec chef

scott(worthlessman) is an exec chef

how's that?:D

[*crikey*mate*]

it's great, when I get motivated i will add it to the official list LOL

thanks.

no tinned crab? I'm sure I saw it in the supermarket in the past, so I must have had a boy look today, but will add some to my Bidvest order next Tuesday...

Thinking I would get tinned stuff, I was too lazy to go down to the seafiood markets and i did look in the stores, but just one sandy was almost $10!

didn't want one that badly LOL

[kopenhagen5]

Crikey,

When I was younger I did silver service for upmarket functions with a smaller firm.

We often flew by the seat of our pants and were waiters/cooks at the same time but put together wonderful functions on the move.

Where invention was the norm and success in introducing Australia to offshore cuisine.

SCALLOPS -

You do have to separate the roe from the scallop before you cook it, to take out the digestive tract. Just pull the roe away from the white scallop meat, and it should separate easily.

Then take off the little black string from the roe, and toss it.

Now you just toss a little salt on the scallops and throw them in an oiled pan on medium high heat. Then, DON’T TOUCH THEM! You want to let the scallops and roe cook almost all the way through before you flip them.

You can see if they are ready to flip by the way that the scallop’s color turns from translucent to opaque, from the bottom of the scallop up to the top.

You want it to be almost totally opaque, all the way up to the top, before you flip it. Also, if you try to flip it and it sticks, it isn’t ready to go yet. 

The scallops should be lightly golden with a few brown bits when you flip them, and the roe should be opaque and a bit firm. The glory of waiting to flip them is that the other side needs to cook for only a few seconds – just enough to warm and crisp the top. Then you squeeze a few drops of lemon over the pan.

Serve them over pasta, with a Caesar salad.

[*crikey*mate*]

so people really do eat and actually like the roe?

I tried it a few times, and I can't say i am in a hurry to eat it again

*shudder*

(Thanks BTW)

Glad you mentioned about the black string.

Same with prawns, I shudder when i see people eat the prawn without removing that and the other stuff down the oprawn's back.

It's like, don't they know they are eating the poo tube?

bleargh!

Oh, and I am now the proud owner of 2 tins of crab meat, so might have a crack at some crabcakes this weekend.