As someone who works in fine dining kitchens, I would emphasize the "call ahead" suggestion made by others. Give the chef ample time to create good substitutions for you, instead of having to do something off-the-cuff with what he has sitting around. Any chef worth his salt will welcome allergies as an opportunity to do something creative and to impress a guest.

To follow up on what judith said about Alinea, I was just in their kitchen for a week and was... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:32 PM on August 12, 2008

Are you looking for something other than national brands like Auto Glass Specialists? I used them when I had to replace a door window and had no problems. I can't speak to their relative cost, though. I think you can get price quotes online from them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 12:42 PM on July 21, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions. I am a chef and the idea of formatting my resume like a menu sounds pretty good. Of course, it's all a matter of executing it properly and not making it corny.

This is an example I just found of a timeline-style resume, albeit one that is a bit confusing to interpret. (It'd probably be better horizontal.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 4:09 PM on July 20, 2008

Culinary school incurs a massive debt that is simply not worth it. I'm going to be paying it off for 20 years. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have gone, but then I didn't know any better. You've got some experience, so call around to various restaurants or bakeries and ask to come in and stage for a night or two. Once you find one you like, see if you can get a job there.

Culinary school might be a good idea for someone fresh out of high... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 7:51 PM on May 28, 2008

Bon Appetit magazine does this all the time. Though the LA Times might get a quicker turn-around time.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 2:34 PM on April 6, 2008 marked best answer

What otteroticist said: vegetables lose their flavor after 45 mins of cooking. Toss them or compost them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 4:19 PM on March 19, 2008

A Man Called Intrepid by William Stevenson is a good British-focused WWII espionage history, very highly regarded. I found Russel Jack Smith's The Unknown CIA a quick, fascinating read on the first few decades of the CIA, albeit from more of an analytical point of view. I haven't read it, but I have Bradley Smith's Shadow Warriors on my bookshelf, which is relevant to the topic.

Also, memoirs/biographies of Richard Helms, Allen Dulles, and William Colby have a lot of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:29 PM on February 27, 2008

I don't know the term for this, but my eye doctor's last name is "Docktor."
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 11:20 AM on January 31, 2008

So it's a gel, but you can drink it? I don't get how that works

It's like taking set Jell-O and mashing it up (or putting it in a blender), so it becomes all these tiny little pieces of Jell-O, which are still gelatinous, but together have a liquid-like consistency.

I had the hot/cold tea while I was at the Fat Duck and it was quite mind-blowing. Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly which gelling agent they used, but like... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 1:35 PM on January 8, 2008

Cuisine at Home is an awesome magazine filled with simple recipes (including vegetarian). It's cheap and you get 6 issues a year. It will certainly help broaden your culinary horizons without making it difficult.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:56 PM on August 21, 2007

Wear gloves. Seriously, as a chef, I promise you it's the only way to ensure that you won't burn yourself later. Buy a box of latex gloves and they'll last you all year.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 7:21 PM on July 22, 2007

Thanks for all the tips guys!
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:52 AM on July 6, 2007

The absolute definite answer can be found very easily:

Call Boar's Head and ask them: 888-884-2627

Besides, if the packaging says "ready to eat," then I think you already know the answer.

(FWIW, as a chef, I've eaten plenty of "raw" pancetta and had no ill effects. As stated previously, it does NOT equal bacon and it IS technically cooked. They are basically the same cut off the hog, but are prepared differently.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 11:11 PM on May 12, 2007

You can "make" foam with a stick blender, but for it to hold, you need a gelatin. Lecithin is quite common and is easy to find at supermarkets and GNC (it's used for nutritional supplements/drinks, I guess). This is what restaurants will normally use.

Egg beaters won't be as efficient as a stick blender, but will probably work. With a stick blender, just hold it at an angle, so only half of the blade end is in the liquid, then blitz away and you'll have foam.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:07 PM on May 7, 2007

Well, having no experience doesn't bode well. Plus who says he has any leadership skills?

Just because he's a comedian who makes people who are smarter than him look dumber than they actually are doesn't mean he should be president.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:25 AM on April 30, 2007

For the bazillionth time, DON'T ANSWER THE QUESTION UNLESS YOU KNOW THE ANSWER. SERIOUSLY. PLEASE.

Ouch, well, in response to YOUR answer, the vacuum seal isn't so much to "protect" the food as to allow direct contact with the water. If air is present, your food will float. And heat transfers via air differently than it does via water. So by completely (or nearly) removing all of the air, the food will be completely submerged in water and can... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 3:43 PM on March 31, 2007

If someone said "sous vide" to refer to marination in a vacuum sealed package (and no cooking), that would just be misleading.

In general, yes.

However, as an example, the Fat Duck, which uses sous vide cookingextensively, also uses it for marinating things like pigeon breasts (with yogurt) and lamb racks (with oil and herbs). They also use it with pig heads (for terrines) to pull out natural... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 4:25 PM on March 31, 2007

We must safely conclude that this is the most famous sax solo in the entire rock genre. I join the ranks of the sax psychics.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:18 AM on March 5, 2007

My price range would probably max out at $600-700.

I should clarify: semi-weighted is acceptable. Basically, something that doesn't "feel" cheap.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 8:42 PM on November 20, 2006

Do you need it to be portable once you're actually in England?

No. Renting is a good idea, as it will be one less (big) thing to haul across the pond.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:17 PM on November 20, 2006

I'd say Daffy Duck did this, but I can't validate it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:00 PM on November 20, 2006

Saving Private Ryan
The Departed
and seven John Wayne movies
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:58 PM on November 11, 2006

Verizon probably records their customer service calls for their own liability. Send a formal letter contesting it and ask that they review the call.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 6:05 PM on November 5, 2006

Is this a joke?

Very helpful answer. Cheesecake is best eaten cold, but not frozen. I wouldn't thaw on the counter because it's not a "sanitary" way to do it unless you want to eat it within a couple hours. Let it sit in the fridge for probably 6 hours or so, or overnight.

If it's just for pleasureful indulgence, eat it frozen with lots of toppings.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:07 PM on October 28, 2006

An addendum: don't heat it up unless you want (a) a pile of goo or (b) hot cheesecake with a frozen center.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:09 PM on October 28, 2006

As a line cook in Minneapolis, it's unheard of for the kitchen staff to get tipped. Frankly, I think it's a bad idea, like lobstah said: you're using FOH to supplement BOH payroll. It just creates tension and unnecessary problems. Just pay your cooks a decent hourly wage and limit tip-outs to FOH staff.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 7:34 PM on October 16, 2006

rush limbaugh using a song describing the decaying of ohio cities through greed and reaganesque economic policies always struck me as unwitting irony

Rush understands the irony. When he's talked about this on his program, he's said that's part of the reason he originally chose the song. But I think he also said Hynde's parents are fans of his, IIRC.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 8:02 AM on October 9, 2006

Marinate chicken or pork with it. Or shrimp or fish, for that matter. And then grill it.

Or add it to a rice dish.

It's hard to say, since I don't know what it tastes like, but google for recipies and then try and see how you can use what you have and some of the other ingredients in that recipe. Experiment.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 7:47 PM on September 5, 2006

Cook's Illustrated explained this a few months ago. Basically, you're not using the same type of dough.

If you baked a frozen or other store-bought pizza at 500 degrees, it would be hard and crumbly. But if you bake a pizzeria pizza at 400 degrees (instead of 800), it would be gooey.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:55 AM on August 27, 2006

I always thought it was intentional. But nothing to back it up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:29 AM on August 8, 2006

It provides essential complete proteins that you can't get anywhere else (except succotash-type dishes...which really aren't that good).

Does your guilt come from eating animals or from the way animals are treated when raised/butchered? If it's the former, I think clockzero answered your question. If it's the latter, I'd say be selective with what meats you eat, as occhiblu suggested.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:54 AM on August 7, 2006

David Barber's book that pasici mentioned is the most comprehensive. There is also "The Presidential Difference" by Fred Greenstein.

I actually took a course in college specifically on political psychology of US presidents. It was fascinating. The whole realm of political psychology might be worth looking into. There are academic journals on it that you can find.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:51 PM on August 3, 2006

I'm not entirely sure about books, but I know there's been a lot of research done on Abraham Lincoln.
Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin covers this some. The Atlantic Monthly did a cover story on Lincoln's depression in Oct 2005.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:55 PM on August 3, 2006

It seems strange that the trachea would still be attached, but that's what this looks like. For all the chickens I've cut up, I've seen some with the neck still on it, but it's rare. Sometimes it gets missed in the process.

Definitely not any "fowl" play here. (That was lame, but I just had to...)
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 3:56 PM on July 31, 2006

Just eating a regular diet (3 squares a day) can help you lose weight, even if it adds up to more food. I did that for a while and it worked. Once I started eating irregularly again, I gained the weight back.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:45 PM on July 24, 2006

I made the switch to culinary school right after getting my Bachelor's in history and this is the best thing I could have done. It's expensive (I'm paying around $40k), but it's a lot of fun. If you love food, do it. If you have a business degree, you're going to make an awesome executive chef someday (you know...the guy who does all the admin work, not the cooking) or even a food and beverage director for a hotel. If you want to work in the food industry, even in a non-cooking position, I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:57 AM on July 14, 2006

Budge: most chefs hate Emeril largely because he symbolizes the TV celebrity chefs. The problem they have with TV chefs is that they give a lot of bad ideas to the average customer, who then take them into restaurants and try to act like culinary experts. They can get an amazing dish, then reply "well, Emeril does it this way." It's annoying for a chef to have ignorant customers insult their food.

Also, TV chefs are total sellouts. There is no doubt that they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:11 PM on July 14, 2006

"Is your question regarding MetaFilter, MetaTalk, or Ask MetaFilter? Post it to MetaTalk, which is designed for questions about the site itself."
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:34 AM on July 14, 2006

Given that popular vegetarianism is a recent phenomenon (say, the last 10-20 years), it's really just a matter of people wanting to be special or different. And they find that through not eating meat...like humans have ever since they (a) were divinely created or (b) evolved from apes.

I don't think it has anything to do with wealth. And it's not so much economic class as it is social orientation that matters.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:52 PM on July 13, 2006

The fact that you paid the ticket means you admitted guilt and accepted all the consequences that go with it. I doubt you can do much preemptively with your insurance company.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:00 AM on July 11, 2006 marked best answer

I've heard $700 for el Bulli, but...if you have to ask, you can't afford it, right? :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:58 AM on July 11, 2006

Thanks for all the great recommendations. I promise I will catch Peanut Butter & Co. as well as Cafe Havana ("Habana"?).
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 12:53 PM on June 21, 2006

I have never heard any of my chefs at school or work ever comment on this, so I hardly think it matters, as far as the actually cooking goes. Sticking to the foil might be the only consideration...and even then you can spray or oil the foil.

ab3 might be closest to the real answer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:09 PM on June 17, 2006

Smart Dalek has it dead on. My culinary instructors can be anal about the differences between them, but for home cooks they are largely interchangeable. But like birdie birdington said, you may want to dilute your stock a little if broth is called for.

As an aside, your best bet it buying stuff from the store is the canned or boxed liquid form. Swanson's I think sells this. Bouillon cubes are just expensive chicken-flavored salt cubes, so avoid them. Real chicken stock... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:51 PM on June 17, 2006

Sweet, that worked. Probably in the manual for the iPod, but I have no idea where that is. Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 3:00 PM on June 12, 2006

galimatias: I noticed this after powering the iPod back up, that the battery had already almost drained while in the "do not disconnect" state. It had only been without power for maybe 30 minutes and it was on an almost-dead battery.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:51 PM on June 12, 2006

Doug Stone
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 10:05 AM on June 8, 2006

As a culinary student myself, please get him some useful books. Anthony Bourdain might be a good read, but his books are hardly going to be read more than once.

Some recommendations:
Culinary Artistry - to understand what a true culinary "artist" is, and an absolutely vital taste-paring guide
Food Lover's Companion - a great encyclopedia recommended by all of my instructors
On Food and Cooking - the leading source of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 4:25 PM on May 28, 2006

Your best bet may be to look in the yellow pages for a bible store and take a first-hand look at what they have available.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 11:10 AM on May 24, 2006

Thanks, Elsa. This is exactly what I was looking for. The Mirro product Opposite George linked to seems to be the same type of thing.

Thanks also for all the cheap, around-the-house mod job grease strainers. It would probably be a lot more sensical to craft one of these, but I'm a sucker for novelty products.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BradNelson at 9:26 PM on May 15, 2006