Owner: The Chef From Hell Food Blog URL:http://www.hellchef.com/foodblog Join Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 23:05:39 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: American food recipes, commentary, news, facts and history. Site statistics:Click here
Desert Island Food 2007-06-17 20:42:01 I've always wondered to myself, "What sort of food would I want to have if I was stranded on a desert island?" The criteria for this food fantasy would have to be that all of the food items would be available in unlimited supply and that they would magically appear ready-to-eat whenever I wanted a nosh! Hmmm, let's see...what would I want to have on a desert island......1) Crabmeat Maison as prepared by Galatoire's Restaurant in New Orleans. Mmmm, fresh lump crabmeat tossed with lemon juice, mayo, capers and green onions. Dare I say it? A sublime dish, if ever there was one.2) Rochester Garbage Plate from Nick Tahou Hots in Rochester, New York. Yowza! My favorite version of the garbage plate is a chaotic melange of white hots (similar to brats), which sits atop mounds of french fries and macaroni salad. The whole mess is capped off with a top layer of onions, mustard and Nick's infamous "hot sa Read more:Desert
, Island
Reality TV Food Shows 2007-06-14 09:24:14 As a food professional, I find the spate of recent reality tv shows featuring food based scearios downright hilarious. I think it's quite easy to see that these shows reflect only the current public taste for triviality played out against a backdrop of gee-whiz shenanigans. For me, the best of the lot is HELL'S KITCHEN; a series on Fox featuring the wild and fearsome Chef Gordon Ramsay. Basically, the format of this show pits two teams of chefs against each other and eventually whitles the competition down to two chefs with the winner being given an opportunity to run their own restaurant kitchen. Ramsay, who is given to temperamental outbursts when food is prepared incorrectly, provides a nice foil for the ineptitude of the ignoble contestants. His tirades do indeed remind the viewer that the show is partly concerned with food and the inherent quality of food preparation in a restaurant setting. There are some obvi
Delmonico's 2007-06-13 06:07:12 In America in the early 1800's, where did people go out to eat? The wealthiest people were able to employ personal chefs to cook for them in their homes; many other folks sought out meals in boarding houses, coffee shops, or in saloons where the "free lunch" was a complimentary fixture. In general, there were no dining rooms or restaurants in which the public could dine. This all changed when the first restaurant to legitimize fine dining in America opened for business. The name of this eatery? Delmonico's!In 1830, John Del-Monico (a former sea captain) and his brother Peter (a candy maker and pastry chef) opened a restaurant at 25 William Street in New York City. Historical records indicate that this was the first restaurant or public dining room in the United States. Up to this point in time, those who dined in the boarding houses were only offered a set menu at a fixed price. The Del
James Beard 2007-06-10 08:28:19 "Say, who the heck was that James
Beard guy anyway?" James Beard was the first person to proselytize about American food in a way that assured us Americans that we indeed had our own unique food identitiy and food traditions.Beard, born in Portland, Oregon on May 5, 1903, moved to New York City in 1937 t0 pursue a career as an actor and singer. After finding few work opportunities in the theater world, Beard opened a catering outfit called "Hors D'Oeuvre, Inc." Beard's catering company was so successful that it led to the publication of his first book, Hors D'Oeuvre and Canapes (1940). He quickly followed this with another unique title, Cooking it Outdoors (1941). After the War, Beard published seven more books between 1945 and 1955. He also became media savy, appearing regularly on television's first cooking show, I Love To Cook, on NBC. Beard soon became a regular fixture on othe
Pat's King of Steaks 2007-06-22 06:51:04 Today, I'd like to take a look at a genuine cultural icon, a monument to American food, a mecca to those folks who like their grub good & sloppy-- yes, I'm speaking of one of the great American restaurants: Pat's King of Steaks
, the true home of the Philly Cheesesteak! READ MORE...
Ten Commandments of Eating 2007-06-20 09:42:02 WPIG Littleburg, New York (somewhere in Long Island)LATE BREAKING NEWS: Hot on the heels of the Vatican's release of the Ten Commandments
of Driving this week, renowned archeologist, Dr. Herman Hogswallow, stunned the world with an announcement proclaiming the discovery of the Ten Commandments of Eating!At an early morning press conference, held in the parking lot of the 7-11 on Sunrise Highway in Littleburg, New York, the scientist (attired in a costume similar to Charlton Heston's Moses movie garb) confirmed his astonishing discovery, "After much speculation amid my collegues, there is no longer any doubt that this document is indeed the Ten Commandments of Eating that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai in 1300 B.C." Holding what looked to be a clump of frayed parchment, the wild eyed scientist cleared his throat and continued, "The Church of Rome can try and ignore this, but it won't go away!" R
Diamond Jim Brady 2007-06-19 12:43:46 My food blog post today pays tribute to "Diamond" Jim Brady
, one of the great American eaters of all time. Brady was a larger than life figure in America during the Gilded Age of the late 1800's who sported flashy jewelery (hence his nickname) as well as a gargantuan appetite. Over the years, his feats at the dinner table have become legendary! Brady, a railroad tycoon whose sizable wealth gave him unlimited access to the best food in America and Europe, was a fixture in many of the best restaurants at the time. Charles Rector, the owner of Brady's favorite Broadway eatery, Rector's, remembered Brady as "the best 25 customers I ever had!" Let's take a look at what an average day's eats were like for "Diamond" Jim: READ MORE...
Weekly Food News: 6/17 - 6/24 2007-06-25 07:20:18 In which we chronicle the continuing day-to-day adventures of Frank and Marge, America's favorite suburban couple from the Long island region of Littleburg, New York.JUNE 18Frank and Marge had noticed that their favorite neighborhood restaurant, The Blind Donkey, had printed up a new version of their menu. The impressive document ran 128 pages. After a quick scan of the menu, Frank was shocked to learn that his favorite appetizer, the Fried Mayonnaise Stix that came in that delicious pork grease reduction sauce, was 123,000 calories!From The Consumerist website:"NYC Restaurant Group Sues Over Nutritional Info Regulation...A NY restaurant trade group is asking a court to outlaw a New York City Health Board regulation that will require primarily large chain restaurants and fast food outlets, such as McDonald's and Burger King (who have standard menus), to display the calorie count of their menu items on their menu. ...The New York State Restaurant Association cla Read more:Weekly
Howard Johnson's 2007-06-29 06:55:47 While bouncing around the web yesterday, I came across this news story on the poststar.com site: "June 24, 2007 Lake George-- The road trip isn't what it used to be. Once, weary travelers could count on the site of a HowardJohnson
's orange roof at the side of the highway, promising a comforting, familiar meal. These days you have to look a little harder. From its peak of about a 1,000 restaurants in the 1970's, the HoJo's empire has dwindled to barely a handful. When the Waterbury, Conn. Howard Johnson's changed its name in April, it left only three remaining -- in Bangor, Maine; Lake Placid; and, of course, here." As I read this news item, my childhood memories of eating at that "funny looking place with the orange roof" stirred to life.My Dad was big on family road trips. His idea of a good time was to pile his wife and four sons into a big Oldsmobile and head out down America's highways in search of fun and frolic.&
Chef Shaboo Predicts! 2007-06-28 06:40:46 Hello, my little friends! I am Chef Shaboo, a wise seer from the Kitchen in the Great Beyond! Here are this week's predictions: In the year 2008, the latest cell phone fad will be Celebrity Chef Ring Tones! Among the most popular will be: Rachel Ray "Evoo! Evoo!", Gordon Ramsay "You stupid donkey! You stupid donkey!", Emeril "Bam! Bam!", Paula Deen "Who stole my Moon Pie? Who stole my Moon Pie?" and Bobby Flay "I'm Bobby Flay! I'm Bobby Flay!" READ MORE...
Out-of-Office Reply 2007-06-27 14:48:05 "Hello! This is Chef JP! I'm afraid I can't come to the phone right now. I'm hard at work in the kitchen creating some new recipes. This could take all day and night! G'bye now!"
My Favorite Food Blogs 2007-06-26 07:19:56 In the parlance of the blogging world, I'm what's known as a "newbie"; a blogger who's only been at it a short time. In my case, it's been about two months since I started banging away on the keyboard in a daily frenzy. Some bloggers have been working on their blogs for years and I tip my Howdy Doody straw hat to them as during the short time I've been blogging, I've come to realize just how hard it is to come face to face with one's thoughts and words each and every day. So let's hear it for all those bloggers out there!(short round of applause fills the house)The type of blogs that I write are what's known as "niche" blogs; blogs that focus on a particular subject. In my case, it's food! And you know what? There are thousands of food blogs out there in ye olde blogosphere! The variety of viewpoints on this one subject is staggering as well as exciting. Today, I thought I'd take a look at some of my f Read more:Favorite
, Blogs
The Reach Of A Chef 2007-07-03 06:33:02 Well, I finally got around to reading The Reach
Of A Chef by Michael Ruhlman (Penguin Books paperback edition, 2007). The book is a fascinating insider's look at America's current obsession with Chefs and the food they cook. Sadly, my initial reaction to what I read in this book was one of disgust. "Disgust?!" Let me explain. READ MORE...
World Food News 2007-07-02 06:29:04 In which we chronicle the Food News of the World
through the day-to-day adventures of Frank and Marge, America's favorite suburban consumers from the Long island region of Littleburg, New York. JUNE 24After Frank had finished eating a couple of racks of baby back ribs, he turned to Marge and said,"Honey, if you're going to the mall today, please buy me a new fez to wear to my next lodge meeting. For some strange reason, my old one doesn't fit anymore." "Oh, Frank! Don't tell me your head's getting bigger again!"From the Pure Pedantry site: "Did cooking allow for the increase in human brain size? Richard Wrangham, a Harvard primatologist, has been pushing the idea that the expansion Homo erectus' skull size was the result of additional energy released by cooking meat. What spurred this dramatic growth in the H. erectus skull? Meat, according to a longstanding body of evidence."READ MORE...
Outer Space Eats! 2007-06-30 06:32:54 From the Space
.com website comes some thrilling news: "6/28 Space Station to get Japanese take-out: Japanese space food will soon be available on the International Space Station (ISS). The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has certified 29 Japanese food products for use in space. Astronauts and cosmonauts will soon enjoy such Japanese take-out standards as ramen, curry, onigiri (rice balls) and green tea . The ISS has tough standards for food in space; it must be able to survive the changes in temperature and pressure on the ride up, and must be able to survive a year in storage at zero-g. Careful food service engineering is also required; for example, the ramen has a thick broth and the noodles are clumped together in bite-sized pieces. Food products are also packed in special containers, and can have preparation times no longer than an hour."From wierdinfo.com: "Forget pigs in space, we're headed into the age of Starbucks in space. Reports fr
World Food News 2007-06-25 07:20:18 In which we chronicle the Food News of the World
through the day-to-day adventures of Frank and Marge, America's favorite suburban couple from the Long island region of Littleburg, New York.JUNE 18Frank and Marge had noticed that their favorite neighborhood restaurant, The Blind Donkey, had printed up a new version of their menu. The impressive document ran 128 pages. After a quick scan of the menu, Frank was shocked to learn that his favorite appetizer, the Fried Mayonnaise Stix that came in that delicious pork grease reduction sauce, was 123,000 calories!From The Consumerist website:"NYC Restaurant Group Sues Over Nutritional Info Regulation...A NY restaurant trade group is asking a court to outlaw a New York City Health Board regulation that will require primarily large chain restaurants and fast food outlets, such as McDonald's and Burger King (who have standard menus), to display the calorie count of their menu items on their menu. ...The New York State Re
American Food Writing 2007-07-06 05:35:51 Here's another great book to add to your Summer reading list--- American
Food Writing: An Anthology With Classic Recipes edited by Molly O'Neill (Library of America / March 2007). This book is a comprehensive collection of essays, anecdotes and recipes that chronicles three centuries of American food writing.READ MORE... Read more:American Food
Chef Shaboo Predicts! 2007-07-05 07:00:41 Hello my little friends! I am Chef Shaboo, a wise seer from the Kitchen in the Great Beyond! Here are my predictions for the future! In 2008, as President George Bush closes out his final term in office, a new political scandal will erupt as a story in The New York Times will reveal that Ronald McDonald (mascot for the McDonald's restaurant chain) has been secretly working as the Head Chef de Cuisine at The White House. Some sources will indicate that it was the menu at a recent reception honoring Rachel Ray for her contributions to American culture (featuring such items as a French Fry souffle, a Chicken McNuggets pate & Big Macs wrapped in puff pastry) that tipped journalists off. Hilary Clinton, while filming a commercial for the Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain, will claim, "It takes a clown to cook for a clown!"READ MORE...
World Food News 2007-07-09 05:24:37 Each week we chronicle the Food News of the World
through the day-to-day adventures of Frank and Marge, America's favorite suburban consumers from the Long Island region of Littleburg, New York. July 2ndThe police officer ushered Frank into a jail cell at the Littleburg County Detention Center. He clapped Frank on the back and said, "A couple of days of making goulash ought to teach you not to run a Stop sign, eh?"From the BBC News site: "Offenders given cooking lessons! Young offencders are being given cooking lessons in a bid to help them cope in the community when they are released. The scheme at Polmont Young Offencders Institution, near Falkirk, aims to teach youths how to budget and prepare low cost nutritional food. NHS Forth Valley Community dietician Shona Robertson said, 'The young people are very proactive and enthusiastic.'"**** July 3rdThe ballpeen hammer that Frank found in his box of Dr. Lazlo's Pig Knuckle
The Anchor Bar 2007-07-07 05:09:29 Today, as part of our ongoing profiles of Great American Restaurants, we honor The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. "Say, what's the big deal about The Anchor Bar anyhow?" It's where Buffalo Chicken Wings were invented, of course!READ MORE...
Chef Shaboo Predicts! 2007-07-13 06:09:32 Hello my little friends! I am Chef Shaboo, a wise seer from the Kitchen in the Great Beyond! Here are my predictions for the future! In 2008, in the heat of the United States presidential race, Rudolph Giuliani will make the bold move of naming Emeril Lagasse as his choice for Secretary of State should he win the election! This will cause an uproar and Giuliani will be accused of practicing "spaghetti diplomacy!" This political gaffe will be quickly followed by another when he announces his intention to market a line of White House Frozen Pizzas once he's in office! In 2009, a new series called Ghosts In My Kitchen will debut on the Food Network! Each week the ghostly spirits of Julia Child, Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey will suddenly appear in the kitchens of unsuspecting suburban families as they struggle to prepare a sit down dinner for 25 people!READ MORE...
The Original Food Bloggers 2007-07-11 06:07:05 Today, I'd like to talk about Jane and Michael Stern, two pioneer "foodies" who have played a crucial role in raising our collective awareness about all of the wonderful regional food that can be found in restaurants across America.Starting in the early 70's, the Sterns routinely set out by car, crossing the United States and stopping at almost every regional eatery they encountered along the way. The books which resulted from these trips contained writing that was always witty and enthusiastically driven by the food they sampled in the many small towns in the United States. Over the past 30 years, they've produced a solid body of work; over 20 books which catalogue and celebrate American regional food.READ MORE... Read more:Original
World Food News 2007-07-17 06:02:51 Each week, we chronicle the Food News of the World
through the day-to-day adventures of Frank and Marge, America's favorite suburbun consumers from the Long Island region of Littleburg, New York! July 9thFeeling satisfied, Frank sat back in his easy chair after finishing his second Mexican Ravioli frozen entree. "Ahh," he sighed, "nothing beats a home cooked meal!"From the NPR site:"Consider one of those frozen prepared meals found in a supermarket freezer; for example, Weight Watchers' ravioli florentine. The box bears a long list of ingredients: wheat, milk, sugar, salt--ad some weird stuff, such as carrageenan which happens to be a kind of jelly extracted from seaweed. It's in lots of foods. Heiz makes this meal by combining more than 50 industrial food ingredients. Each ingredient has probably changed hands a dozen times on its way from the farm or the sea. Each one is sold and then resold to a chain of distributors, ex
The Big Oyster 2007-07-16 05:48:40 I just finished reading an interesting book about oysters yesterday. "Oysters?!" Yes, oysters! The Big Oyster by Mark Kurlansky (Random House Trade Paperback, 2007) is a fascinating look at the history of the oyster in New York. "Why would I want to read a whole book about oysters?!" Ah, therein lies the tale! You see, this is a book about much more than oysters.READ MORE...
Lobster Roll aka "Lunch" 2007-07-19 06:40:24 Over the years during the summertime, I've spent a considerable amount of time in the Eastern part of Long Island. Besides enjoying the beautiful scenery, the search for quality food is usually on my mind. One of the great destinations for a lunchtime nosh is The Lobster
Roll; otherwise known by the locals as "Lunch
". Most folks are drawn to this eatery that's just outside of Amagansett, New York by one thing: the lobster roll sandwich! "What's a Lobster Roll sandwich?" Well, it's a hot dog roll stuffed with chunks of freshly made lobster salad. Sounds yumbo-licious, don't it?READ MORE...
The Cult of Rachel Ray 2007-07-18 06:13:59 I find it interesting that out of all the posts I've done on this blog, the one that has gotten the most response has been one that I wrote on May 10th titled, WHY I DON'T LIKE RACHEL RAY. The post, in which I detailed the things I find exasperating about the perky Food Network star, has received various vitriolic comments and e-mails railing against my insensitive put-down of their beloved Food Network goddess of Mmmmm! READ MORE... Read more:Rachel
Chef Shaboo Predicts! 2007-07-21 06:34:18 Hello, my little friends! I am Chef Shaboo, a wise seer from the Kitchen in the Great Beyond! Here are my predictions for the future! In 2008, in a bold effort to battle obesity in America, the United States government will launch a 20 billion dollar advertising campaign that proclaims "2008--the year of Imaginary Food!" The media campaign will encourage U.S. citizens to practice "pretend eating" at home and only patronize restaurants that serve its customers plates with nothing on them! President George Bush, while attending a political rally at a Texas hog farm, will state, "We are a shadow of our former selves! Keep up the fight America!"READ MORE...
Michael Ruhlman Phone Home 2007-07-20 05:13:59 Yesterday, while perusing Michael
Ruhlman's blog, ruhlman.com, I was dismayed to learn that he has been chosen to be one of the judges on the new Food Network reality tv series, The Next Iron Chef America. Ruhlman, whose book The Reach Of A Chef I reviewed in a post here on July 3rd, seemed pretty giddy about the prospect of appearing on this latest offering from a tv network that has transformed the presentation of cooking shows into something resembling processed cheese food.READ MORE...
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