“Gourmet” wins a reprieve
I was all set to cancel my subscription to Gourmet magazine, and I thought the recent “Restaurant Issue” would only bolster my decision. After all, the giant tome would be full of delicious venues into which I could never venture. So, over Sukkot, while sitting out the festive second-night dinner due to a nasty cold, I spent the evening reading the magazine and was, surprisingly, thoroughly entertained. The issue featured several recipes from top restaurants which easily lend themselves to the kosher kitchen; an article by my favorite culinary author on Harold McGee’s revised On Food and Cooking, due out next month; tales of young chefs enhancing their budding skills by visiting top producers of cured ham, cheese, truffles, and vegetables; pieces on France’s scenic Route 7, on Phil Suarez’s restaurant empire, and Gray Kunz’s immaculate kitchen.
So, in the end, I won’t replace my subscription with one to Cook’s Illustrated, I’ll simply augment it.
[Spurred by the McGee article, I've finally visited the beautiful Brookline Public Library, and borrowed McGee's original food masterpiece, as well as Ruhlman's first cook's book -- The Making of a Chef. If you haven't read his The Soul of a Chef, and you've ever had a dream of being a restauranteur, read it immediately! I couldn't put it down.]
i just finished culinary school in california. and i also strongly sugjest reading both Ruhlman’s books,The Making of a Chef,and The Soul of a Chef, they were the best books i read to prepare me for cunlinary school and the food industry, and just a great read for fun too.
Where did you go to school? How’d you juggle your kashrut? I’ve always had an itch to pursue a culinary career, but now that I’m observant of kashrut (and the sole breadwinner in the family), it would be that much more of a daunting task.
hey jabbett i went to school in pasadena california, at the california school of culinary arts, its a le cordon blue program.the kashrut problom was more difficult for me,holding myself back from tasting any thing. then the school they were very cool about evrything they even let me keep my beard but i had to wear a beard net.n e wasy i really like this blog and want get me involved im just not that tech savy if u have n e more ?? or just want to throw around ideas email me at yoschef@yahoo.com
I recently dropped my Cooks Illustrated subscription after about 7 years.
For one thing, their recipies were never easy to kosher-ize. Secondly, the recipies have been getting more complicated and leaving basic kitchen guidlines in its wake. And finally, the cooks writing articles got more egalitarian.