Questionable Credentials

Given that I'm a little late on my posts and trying to play catch up, some of these posts may seem dated, some not, but browsing through the backed-up reader I came across a posting on Smart Money, which brough back memories of Bourdain talking smack about the Food Network and it's "celebrity" chefs in Kitchen Confidential.

Here's point 3 on the list:

"Just because I have a cooking show doesn't mean I'm a chef."When the Food Network canceled Emeril Live in 2007, it put TV chefs with actual chef experience on the endangered list. The new food faces tend to be cookbook authors and soccer-mom cooks. The problem, says American Culinary Federation President John Kinsella, is that "people call anyone who writes a cookbook a chef. That's not what a chef is." [Smart Money]

I hear that.

Hippie-like Sunday [4:20]

[Green Apple Music Festival]
Last night in an attempt to hold off on the reality that Monday was almost here, I attempted watching Dave Chapelle's Block Party on Hulu. I fell asleep before the opening credits were done.
Today I find out the line up for the Green Apple Festival and it's almost like fate would have me not watch it so I could experience it all live. And for free, no less. DC yet again provides a great opportunity to hear some great minds speak on Greenifying and Global Warming whilst listening to some great live music.

Participants:

The Roots & Friends
featuring Doug E. Fresh, Ne-Yo,
Talib Kweli, will.i.am,
Chrisette Michele and more
O.A.R. Acoustic
Gov't Mule
Thievery Corporation (DJ Set)
Toots & The Maytals
Warren Haynes Solo Acoustic
Umphrey's McGee
CityDance Ensemble
Joy of Motion: Urban Impact
DC Boys Choir
Special opening performance by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks

Speakers:

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
Wendy Abrams, Founder Cool Globes
Actor and Environmental Activist, Ed Begley Jr.
Dave Chapelle, Satirist
Comedian, Actor Chevy Chase
Jayni Chase, Founder Center for Environmental Education
Richard Cizik, Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals
Donna Edwards, Member of Congress (MD-4)
Wayne Gilchrest, Member of Congress (MD-1)
Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (invited)
New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman
Jim Fuschetti, Head of Environmental Affairs, Chase
Jane Harmon, Member of Congress (CA-36)
David Hawkins, Director of NRDC’s Climate Center
Denis Hayes, Organizer of the First Earth Day
Joe Holland, Olympic Skiing Medalist
NASA Climatologist and Columbia University Professor, Dr. James Hansen
Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters
Edward Markey, Chair of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (MA-7)
Actor, Ed Norton
Comedian Chris Rock
Reginald “Flip” Hagood, President, Student Conservation Association, Inc.
Goldman Prize Winners Rosa Ramos and Marina Rikhavanova
Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader
Kathleen Rogers, President Earth Day Network
Russell Simmons, Record Producer, Entrepreneur
Robin Talbert, Executive Director of the AARP Foundation
Rev. Yearwood,President of the Hip Hop Caucus
Cathy Zoi, President, Alliance for Climate Protection

It rubs the breast milk on its skin, or else it gets the cheese again. [Gross]

[photo: Chad Coombs]
So in the tradition of eating after-birth for dinner in celebration of a new one, comes this bizarre attempt at cheesifying (word?) one's own breast milk. The thought of it repulses me far beyond anything I could think up. Almost 2 girls 1 cup gross.

Here's the story of one, "Rani", who actually tried making Paneer out of frozen breast milk. Unsuccessful as it may have been, she does make reference to making cream soup with it before. Definitely one of those things that sounds fun in your head, but it's completely different once you see/read it.

My extensive experience in making Paneer compelled me to try something different, that is, making Paneer out of my own breastmilk. Basically this is human cheese. Why would I do that? Well, basically, there are about twenty bags (each 150ml) of frozen breastmilk in the fridge, and they have passed their three months drinkability period, which means I would not be able to donate the milk like I did before. But the milk is still less than six month old, which is the actual expiry date. So what do I do with it? I could make cream soup like I did several months ago. But I really wanted to try something different, and making Breast Milk Paneer sounds really exciting. [Indrani]

Excuse me while I hurl.

Coincidental Baking

By strike of luck, or maybe my sub-conscious alertness to these things now, I found a post through GRS on making some quick and easy bread.

Mark Bittman's No-Knead Bread Recipe on youtube video, and a recipe adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery's Jim Lahey for a 1 1/2 lb. loaf on the NY Times.

Try it out!

From the office, with love...

Dearest Blogosphere,

I have not been neglecting you out of malicious intent. I have been quite busy taking care of life. Or not taking care of it, I suppose is also a safe assumption. Needless to say that the new school-after-work schedule is limiting my spare time.

It is, however, for the good of mankind.

I have been making simple breads during Week 2 of Intro to Baking. This week there will be more yeast breads. On that note, the progress gallery and current "beta-portfolio" can be seen at my flickr site.

Week 3 begins today, I really should be doing my homework.

Love,

Me.

Pretty Much

First Week. [Culinary School]

It is now Thursday and I have completed my first week of Intro to Baking and Pastry, and although I could have done better, it was not a complete catastrophe. We took our first quiz, it was (thankfully) an open book quiz. Following that it was production time. We got to make a few items and this time we worked it a bit differently. Instead of making every recipe a group effort, we each took one recipe and worked on it. First we had the Strawberry Shortcakes. (I ate almost all the left over strawberries). I had nothing to do with these, other than the fact that they were done by one of my teammates, I had no hand in their making. They ended up having too much baking powder due to a recipe miscalculation. The taste was not very tastey. Overall appearance was great though.

Then there were the Popovers. Also made by the same person who worked on the aforementioned shortcakes. They appeared to be good upon being removed from the oven, but once out in the open, they flopped. They were bit floury in taste.



Then came my Sour Cream Muffins with Streussel Topping.These were entirely my creation. The taste was on point. The appearance kind of sucked because: 1. I overfilled the cups with batter 2. My streussel butter was too soft and didn't bake well and 3. I didn't let them sit and cool for long enough so they fell apart upon removing them from the tray. Overall they were delicious and they're in a bag at home waiting for me.

Then last, but not least, were the Ham and Cheese Scones. Also not my creation, but part of my team's effort to bake. Not exactly what went wrong here, but the dough was very pale and bland, and it took forever to bake.


This week my team was responsible for Sanitation and we made sure the place was spotless at the end of class. Next week, we're Sous Chefs. Can't wait to see what all that's going to entail.

Conan the Raverian [1995]

I thought some of you may get a kick out of this. Some of you will judge silently.

Mixtape: Bjork

Coincidentally I came across two Bjork related posts and I thought I'd share. I can't say that I'm all that familiar with most of her work, although some of what I have heard, I've appreciated, and her name I've known for ages it seems.

First there was this post from French blog Fubiz, about Bjork's Wanderlust video. It's gorgeously dark and abstract as she is known to be. The sounds are definitely of the Bjork fame and the visuals are just astounding. Apparently this will be a 3-D video for which you will need some fancy Back to the Future glasses, keeping in mind that the 2-D version is not any less impresive.

Full Video: Here

Secondly, was a tribute mixtape from our BFF's at Stereogum, with some great names as Final Fantasy, Liars, and Pattern is Movement.

Download: Here

1. Liars - "Army of Me"
2. Dirty Projectors - "Hyperballad"
3. High Places - "Modern Things"
4. Bell - "It's Oh So Quiet"
5. Pattern Is Movement - "Enjoy"
6. Evangelicals - "You've Been Flirting Again"
7. Xiu Xiu - "Isobel"
8. Final Fantasy & Ed Droste - "Possibly Maybe"
9. White Hinterland - "I Miss You"
10. El Guincho - "Cover Me"
11. Atlas Sound - "Headphones"
12. No Age - "It's Oh So Quiet" (Alternate Take)

Missing In Action. [Baby Steps]

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, but it has been definitely a full couple of weeks. Between the job, the school situation, and a few other personal issues, I have been lacking time, if not anything else.

I spent last week undegoing the admissions process at the Art Institute of Washington for the Culinary Arts Management program. amazingly I was accepted and I was able to finance my education, something I thought that never in a million years I would have been able to accomplish. I acquired some Sallie Mae loans, which are great and all, but all the media-infused paranoia sets in when I think about all the horror stories about them.

This week, I actually started classes. Due to my current 9-5 situation, they were awesome enough to accomodate me in an evening class schedule. This quarter I'm taking Intro to Baking, an 8 credit course, and tonight will be my third night at it. The class is beyond interesting. The people are great. My Head Chef is amazing. It's proving to be a great experience already.

I get to wear a sous chef uniform and my knife kit is rolls 51 pieces deep. The lectures and bookwork is awesome, very much unlike the accounting classes I took at NOVA.

Our blueberry muffin recipe was missing butter, which was removed in the mixing process because it coagulated too fast. The taste was definitely good, but the appearance and texture lacked.


Yesterday, although I came in a little late due to some expectedly unexpected situation, I gave an oral presentation on Eggs. That's right, eggs. Love them. Shortly thereafter, we began the lab production part of the class in which we got to bake some country muffins and blueberry cupcakes. Considering some of the atrocities I saw in the classroom, we didn't do so bad. although not perfect. Our biscuit recipe lacked a bit more butter and salt, but my eeg wash was purrrfect. And the appearance and texture were on point. They layered real pretty like.


Tonight, if I'm not mistaken, we make sour Cream muffins!