Posts by Live_to_cook

I had a "common restaurant practices" question to ask. If I'm too far afield topic-wise, I apologize. Ate at a Buffalo brew pub yesterday, the Pearl St. Grill, generally a competent place. Ordered pork schnitzel with caraway...

Thrill of the Grill, Schlesinger (Cambridge, Mass.'s East Coast Grill) and Willoughby, for me the initiation into the technique and philosophy of barbecue and other delights of the fire. For the neophyte I suppose, not the pro, but then...

Mangosteen is a Thai fruit, seen it once in a NYC joint, supposed to be kind of like a custardy strawberry if you can imagine. Comes in sections like a pale tangerine. Suppose it would make a terrific sorbet but have never seen it used....

To this non-chef, from reading these message boards, it seems that becoming an excellent chef requires, partly, trial by fire. What was the worst mistake you ever made on the job, and how did you learn from it to make yourself a better,...

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I think I'm going to get a chef I know at a real nice restaurant to pony up a couple cups of duck fat. Get some chicken legs and see how the whole experiment turns out. Merci beaucoup.

As you can tell from such a question, I have no culinary education. I've enjoyed duck confit in restaurants but would have to mail order the duck where I am (Buffalo, NY) and the budget won't allow it right now. Is it that chicken is...