Chopped – Should be Lopped

Am I the only one in the world who feels that this program is, well, a little silly?

I feel that the culinary profession is an honorable one, and (genuine) chefs do their best to take great ingredients and create miraculous dishes. So WTF is Chopped?

The chefs (genuinely passionate and sincere, every one) are given baskets of “ingredients,” ranging from beautiful plantains to boxes of fruit punch. Please. I just watched a vegetarian chef cry her way off of the set as she was “chopped” for not doing a great job with chorizo. Who’da thunk.

I think the funniest part is watching the judges try to be serious about the flavor of the concoctions that the chefs try to create from the treif (that’s Yiddish for unkosher, garbage food) they are given. And they’re SERIOUS! Most of the ingredients that the chefs are given are best served being dumped in a bin somewhere, but not used to create the gourmet-level dishes that the judges seemed constantly surprised that they’re not tasting.

Food Network – between the “Chairman” whooshes on Iron Chef America and the silliness of this show, you are quickly descending into the realm of parody, and are becoming irrelevant. I’m tired of fast-forwarding the DVR through the silly parts. The “Competition” shows, while giving viewers something to do other than just, well, *view,* are becoming a little much. Maybe it’s time to do something clever and have shows on just cooking! (there’s intended sarcasm in there – it’s just hard to convey in print sometimes) PBS does a great job with America’s Test Kitchen, Julia Child: Lessons with Master Chefs, and the special programs showcasing ethnic cuisine and how-to’s. Isn’t that what Food Network *used* to do?

Having ranted, has anyone else noted the resemblance between Ted Allen and our good friend John Curtas of Eating Las Vegas? Hmm. Separated at birth?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Yet another food competition show coming in January, because we need more food competition shows

Why I Hate Martha Stewart

My Jadeite Coffee Jar

Okay. Technically, she’s not a “celebrity chef,” per se, but she’s famous. And she cooks. And she’s on TV. But! She doesn’t have a restaurant with tiny portions at exorbitant prices, which, therefore, doesn’t make her an official “chef.”

But because she’s famous and cooks, she’s landed on my “Celebrity Chefs” page. But I hate her. Why?

It all began in the 1930s.

Read the story »

Tropical Fruit and Toe Jam – A Yummy Combo?

Durian Shake

After a long afternoon at a convention at – where else – the Convention Center, Zach (of 2BC fame) and I met for dinner at Mainland, a newish Asian noodle restaurant located in the Palazzo. I will write about the overall restaurant and food experience during another post, but I want to focus on one item we tried during this meal

Durian. The fetid über-fruit of tropical legend.

Yes, folks, they have shakes on their menu, and one of them is Durian.

After all of the hubbub I’ve heard about it, I finally gave in to my curiosity and decided that I just had to have this shake. After all, I reasoned, how bad could it be?!? Apparently, pretty bad.

The bartender sent our waitress Mayela back to us to make absolutely sure that we had indeed meant to order the Durian shake on purpose. Oh yes, we assured her, absolutely. She said that the bartender just wanted to be certain. The Durian has a way of making impressions on people that aren’t always positive, the curious have ordered in the past and not been aware of its, um, *characteristics.*

The shake arrived in a beautifully tapered, Pilsner-like glass. It was the rich color of buttercream frosting, and it was topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Two black straws poked out of the shake and it made a lovely presentation.

That’s where the fun both began and ended.

With a happy smile, I had to sniff it to see if the smell is as bad as “they say.”

You decide.

The nose is somewhat reminiscent of mildewy laundry, faintly funky armpit, inside of an old attic, toe jam, and gym socks. Used. So why would I even be remotely tempted to try to drink something like this? Because I could! And, unbelievably, this was great fun.

The flavor is the dichotomy. The flavor was like vanilla and buttercream pudding with a hint of banana and pineapple. The finish was a little funky (big surprise), but if you didn’t breathe while drinking it, it wasn’t too bad. However, the funk has a way of wafting through the olfactories. It’s absolutely unavoidable.

And then there are the burps.

Read the story »

What is Kimchi?

Kimchi is a vegetable dish, most often presented as a side dish in any Korean meal. Kimchi is made by fermenting cabbage. Napa cabbage is generally the main ingredient, and the dish is usually fermented in brine with garlic, scallions, and ground pepper. It is usually finished with a hot chili sauce.

Kimchi is the most common Korean banchan (side dish) eaten with rice along with other banchan dishes.

After fermenting for a period of time at an appropriate temperature in a sealed container, the mixture of ingredients is turned into a nutritious food which is rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber. If you have ever made sauerkraut (or have seen it being made), the similarity is unmistakable. Unfortunately, foods with such distinct flavors have lost favor in today’s fast-food, superbland factory food.

This cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, offers an amazing history of food preservation and fermentation as well as recipes you can try in your own kitchen. It is well worth the read, and a simple perusal of the contents will stimulate your interest in natural ways to preserve food, which is what our ancestors used in the days before BHT and BHA.

Brio at Town Square – Food and Whine

A few coworkers and I went to Brio, a Tuscan-themed restaurant in Town Square in Las Vegas.

Overall, the ambiance is very nice. It has very high, impressive ceilings, but that feature contributes to an echo-y (such a word?) character to the ambient noise. Because of that and because of the way that the booths and tables are laid out, it is not the place to go for a romantic dinner.

Which was fine for us. We weren’t interested in romance!

Of course the first thing I looked for was the wine list. The wine list is pretty typical for a restaurant; i.e., big and largely overpriced. But I didn’t expect it to be anything other than overpriced, so I can’t pretend to be shocked. I ordered a glass of 2007 Sketchbook Pinot Noir – Mendocino, which was $7.50. Not too bad, I guess. It came in a Chardonnay glass. More on that little bit of annoyance later.

We were served the customary crusty bread and butter. The butter was especially delicious, and I wish I knew why. My coworker Andrea and I looked at each other wide-eyed when we tasted it. This was a great start.

I ordered just a couple of things. The Zuppa Del Giorno (I think that means “Soup of the Day”) was Cream of Morel for $4.95. Yes, I heard angels sing. Drizzled with olive oil, the earthy mushrooms in the creamy soup were absolutely delicious. I will go out on a limb and say that was the best mushroom soup I’ve had, well, *ever*!

Unfortunately, the Pinot Noir was far too fruit forward to really enjoy with the soup. The soup needed a Burgundy or an Oregon or New Zealand Pinot Noir to complement its beautiful character. The wine was bright cherry rather than black cherry  and it had some berry notes. I was hoping for some earthiness that would pair better with the mushrooms in my dinner selections, but this was a bright, fruit-forward and one dimensional California Pinot Noir. Pinot is usually such a classic pairing with mushrooms, I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed. Not so disappointed, however, that I didn’t drink all of the wine!

The other item I ordered was Brio’s Steak Salad for $14.95. It consisted of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, Gorgonzola, mushrooms, spicy pecans, creamy horseradish, and it was topped with grilled Filet with balsamic glaze. My only criticism of a salad that was otherwise yummy was that the pecans were actually quite sweet rather than spicy and were therefore distracting. Once I carefully separated them from the rest of the dish, I was able to finish it with gusto.

Other items ordered by my group were the Pinot Grigio, Peroni Italian beer, and a Dirty Martini. The food items included Mushroom Ravioli (looked small on the plate but was delicious and surprisingly filling), several pasta dishes, side of grilled asparagus, and lamb chops. The overall consensus was that the food was really good.

We passed on dessert EVEN THOUGH they had several types of crème brulée (regular, pumpkin and eggnog among others), tiramisu, tiramisu cheesecake and more! We were that full.

And now for the wine rant.

My biggest beef is that despite having a big, diverse, and overpriced wine list, luxurious appointments, and an authentic ambiance, they did not have red wine glasses. Apparently, they think that having only Chardonnay glasses is enough. With the prices they charge, that type of arrogance is enough for me to take my wine drinking elsewhere. Not that they would care. After all, my budget adventures are legendary by now!

I did not really expect them to have Pinot Noir/Burgundy glasses – they only have a couple of Pinots on their list – but even a nice Bordeaux glass would have allowed some of the tannins and acidity to blow off of the youthful Pinot Noir, allowing for better appreciation with the food.

I’m guessing that they don’t have a sommelier or wine specialist on staff, or else something as basic as having correctly-sized, appropriate wine glasses available for their wine customers would be a given. And yes, I asked for a red wine glass. As did several other people within earshot. Too bad the embarrassed waiters didn’t have anything to offer other than “the company” only has these glasses available. That’s showing incredible conceit and complete disrespect for their wine customers. I’m pretty sure they aren’t serving, say, Highballs in Martini glasses or Cosmos in Iced Tea glasses. Some knuckle-dragger who has no respect for wine drinkers made this decision and, dammit, they’re going to stick with it. And with the size of the wine list and the prices they charge for their wines, you’d think they’d make the extra effort. I guess not.

Will I go back? Eventually, I’m sure I will, especially if I’m in the area and have a taste for Italian food. The noise, the unusual seating arrangements, and lackadaisical corporate attitude about the wine won’t persuade me to make a special trip. I can go to Mezzo, which is right around the corner – so to speak – from my home, and enjoy great Italian food, luscious, sanely priced wines, and can be sure that my wine will be served in a glass that will enhance my enjoyment and enhance the probability of my returning to the establishment. Maybe just for a glass of wine or two. That will never happen with Brio.

With that being said, I’d give Brio about a B-/C+. Would I recommend it to anyone? Absolutely. In spite of my wine rant, reread what I said about the food. It was yummy.