26.7.10
Four frying pans
I was just reading a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi that starts off very well, with a chunky tomato sauce in which to poach eggs for a simple dish. All right and tight until the point where he says "take four frying pans..."
Four frying pans? Hello? I take it he might even mean four frying pans of the same size.
Which just goes to say, books by chefs are all very well in their way, but stop somewhere just short of true usefulness.
These guys forget that we don´t have brigades of tomato skinning minions, fridges the size of young barns, access to esoteric produce or stoves with power to brown oxtails in four minutes.
Most of the time I don´t mind; I get that these people are masters of their craft and that's why we read them. But every once in a while I just have to roll my eyes. The book Plenty looks gorgeous, and I bet I'll end up buying it, but for now? No way. Silly man. four frying pans...
Suscribirse a:
Enviar comentarios (Atom)
7 comentarios:
So true! But I think I made that dish and I didn't even notice. I must be so used to it by now that I just automatically adjust their instructions to what's in my kitchen. It would be nice to have four frying pans, though, not mention tomato skinning minions.
Usually the chefs come across as sweetly naive about what "real" kitchens are like, but every so often you find one who's a total snob. At the end of one complicated recipe I was reading a while ago, the chef said, "If you find all this chopping and mincing a burden, take a knife skills class." I'd actually rather have one of those tomato skinning minions you mentioned!
Me quedo tu trabajo. Mi portfolio esta aqui: A Fine Line
Josh H.
Royall Advertising
And what did you think of the book apart from this? I've been tempted by it because of its reviews but have not had the chance to look inside.
Nora: I know, it´s easy to ignore the instructions at that point, but stil...
Stacy: Yes, bring on the minions!
J.Hurtat: ok gracias
Zeralda: I´ve only looked at it briefly in a bookshop. It looks gorgeous, but I´m not sure that it´s too useful. Everything looks a bit fiddly, but I´m sure it´s crammed with good ideas. I´m holding out, probably won´t get it, unless I have one of those mad days on Amazon.
Hi Ximena, I only just found your blog and like it very much. I once read a macarons recipe where the writer specified the use of spatulas of three distinct sizes. I never knew we needed SML sizes of utensils just to get things right!
ximena, it's been a while since i checked in. i missed your drawings.
4 frying pans for a simple dish. i'd hate to wash a pile of dishes for a complicated one. thankfully, the husband still does the majority of the dishes when i cook - although sometimes i amaze myself at the stack i can create.
Publicar un comentario