Category: boston
07/18/11 12:25 - ID#54729
Fresh Start
I'm pretty excited to start my new job next week. I will be working at a very large research hospital that I probably shouldn't name but I will say that its right next to Harvard Medical School(for those that are familiar with the area). I hope my foot in the door there will lead to bigger and better things.
I will miss many things about Buffalo. My life's biggest milestones happened there. Pretty strange considering I didn't live there between the ages of 3 months and 28 years. I met some great people that I will miss, and am happy that I took the most important ones with me.
Permalink: Fresh_Start.html
Words: 222
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 07/18/11 12:25
Category: cooking
06/24/11 09:48 - ID#54570
Books on cooking
I wish I had taken pictures of the bread I made last night. There was a recommendation to bake the bread in a dutch oven. This is supposed to trap all the moisture that the bread releases. It was super easy and worked perfectly. According to the book, professional baking ovens have a feature that allow you to inject moisture. He recommends compensating for this deficiency in home ovens by placing a cast iron skillet on the rack when you preheat it and then pour water into the hot pan when you start baking. I have noticed a huge difference in the texture of the crust when I do this. I have been getting some of the crustiest bread I have ever made.
While I love the texture I think the taste may need some improvements. There is a sourness that fresh bakery bread has that mine just doesn't. I want to try making a starter and letting it grow in my fridge for a while. Although that might be a little hardcore for home baking I just want to see if that would make a difference.
I have also been cooking quite a bit out of the Spice cookbook by Ana Sortun. She is the Chef/Owner of Oleana and Sofra in Boston. It is a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cookbook with her own twist. There are some really amazing recipes in this book. So many different ingredients I had never even heard of. My biggest problem is finding some of them. I do end up cooking a lot of vegetarian dished these days due to a couple of food poisoning incidents with my wife. I am 100% for eating vegetarian as long as it isn't that faux meat shit. Tofurky and smart dogs aren't food. I would definitely recommend this book for the Turkish Cheese Pancakes, Eggplant Souffle, and Flatbread with Za'atar alone. But the Crispy Chicken under a brick is the finest chicken dish I have ever made.
Permalink: Books_on_cooking.html
Words: 445
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/24/11 09:48
04/19/11 09:35 - ID#54094
Fuck You Buffalo Rising!
Buffalo Rising is such shit really. They are worried only about advertising dollars. When I worked at a restaurant and served BR's reviewer I was told to comp the whole bill. Not only did we know we were being reviewed we gave them the fucking meal for free! They aren't reviewing anything. They are advertising.
Not that it's really much different at the Buffalo News, although at least they don't get the meal comped. But every chef in Buffalo knows what Janice Okun looks like. Not much of a surprise that everyone gets high marks. Although I don't necessarily agree with these two all the time at least they follow ethical standards. Neither of which BR or the News adhere to.
Permalink: Fuck_You_Buffalo_Rising_.html
Words: 215
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/19/11 09:35
Category: food
04/18/11 10:32 - ID#54083
Spar's Chocolate Bacon
As much as I love everything about Spar's, really everything they make is absolutely great. The bacon was one of the most foul things I have ever eaten. I have had bacon as a dessert before ie. (candied bacon, caramel corn with bits of rendered bacon) and loved it. But this stuff was totally inedible. The second piece ended up in the trash.
Permalink: Spar_s_Chocolate_Bacon.html
Words: 99
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/18/11 10:32
Category: cooking
04/18/11 10:25 - ID#54082
Paella
One of my favorites is "Avec Eric" which is Eric Ripert's cooking show. He usually has a couple of segments one usually is him either with a farmer, cultivator or artisan of some sort and the other he cooks something. Frequently his preparations use expensive ingredients, which most cooking shows do, and last week was no exception. On this particular episode he made Paella. I had never made it prior to last week and never realized how easy it is. It is however pretty freaking expensive given the price of seafood and saffron, but totally worth it for a special occasion.
I more or less followed his recipe but deviated a little bit.
I didn't use authentic bomba rice, not only because I haven't a clue as to where to procure that in Buffalo but because frankly I doubt I would notice a difference from any quality short grain rice that is available to me anyway. If I made it again I would definitely not even bother with the saffron at all. I don't really see what people love about saffron. It has a strange plastic taste to me. Considering the cost I don't really see any reason to use it ever again. I also think it would taste a little better if I had used homemade chicken stock, but I can't be bothered to boil chicken bones constantly.
I would like to make it for a large group and think it would be so much cooler if it were cooked over and open flame. Totally a dinner for company you want to impress with your cooking skills. Anyway here is the final result:
Permalink: Paella.html
Words: 320
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/18/11 10:25
03/19/11 10:21 - ID#53875
Cost of War
Permalink: Cost_of_War.html
Words: 52
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/19/11 10:21
Category: paul's idea
03/15/11 07:43 - ID#53835
What would I buy if someone gave me $150
tix = $50.00
babysitter = $50.00
I guess with the remaining $50.00 I would buy a bottle of Champagne and celebrate that someone gave me $150.00
Permalink: What_would_I_buy_if_someone_gave_me_150.html
Words: 35
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/15/11 07:44
03/15/11 08:27 - ID#53830
A reason I love Buffalo
-I was born here
-I met my wife here
-I was married here
-I earned my bachelors degree here
-My child was conceived and born here
It's kinda crazy that all of these things happened to me and I have lived here less than 5 years. Not consecutively obviously. Buffalo will always hold a special place in my heart.
Honorable mention:
-Sponge Candy
-Bistro Europa
-Blue Monk
-Walking distance to Canada
-Really cool buildings and mansions
-Bidwell Market
-Good wings everywhere
-Crazy Parades
-Free Concerts
-Paula's Donuts
-CEPA Art Gallery
-Traffic Circles
I guess that was reasons instead of reason.
Permalink: A_reason_I_love_Buffalo.html
Words: 116
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/15/11 08:27
Category: baby
03/01/11 03:46 - ID#53754
This is tough
I really do intend to keep writing here. I'm currently just trying to get inspired again. I guess for while I didn't really care what I posted about. Now I don't want any potential or current bosses or colleagues to stumble upon this journal by accident. I have been cooking up a storm lately, which really means its time to start posting about that again.
Permalink: This_is_tough.html
Words: 161
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/01/11 03:46
Category: food
03/01/11 01:32 - ID#53753
Even Lazier
Just in case it was too hard to slice the pre-cooked potatoes they include that convenience too.
Permalink: Even_Lazier.html
Words: 25
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/01/11 01:36
I have never been to Boston So I can't say but I've heard it is a great city... It being a city means you get all that great city stuff and events and concerts come there.... On a side note you also just got an upgrade in sports teams (mostly) and can go see Major league teams with out traveling..... I'm a sports go so.... Even if you don't like said team you can go for whom they play.......