Friday, October 12, 2007

Chef Whiskeymarie, why does my cake taste like burning?

I don't have time for a real post today, but thank you baby jeebus that today is the end of my eight-week stretch of hell at work. Hopefully by next week I will be returning to my regular schedule, which includes no less than 4.5-6.7 hours of sloth per day. Oh sloth, where for art thou?


So, I thought this would be a good time for y'all to bring forth any pressing culinary questions you may have (if you have any at all). I'll have time to answer them this weekend.

Don't be shy- I can tell you how to quit scorching that water, if that's the problem. Really- I can. It's my job. I don't wear this badge for nothin', you know.

So have a glorious weekend, my little morsels of nutty, caramel-dipped bumblebees.

XO

25 comments:

Stefanie said...

I have a question (that I could probably easily find an answer to online, but since you asked...)

Is a green onion the same thing as a shallot?

(Secondary question: Is that a stupid question?)

Whiskeymarie said...

No- a green onion is essentially the same thing as a scallion.
A shallot looks sort of like a small red onion. It has both onion-y and garlic-y flavor, but is milder than both.

And no- not a stupid question.
Trust me- I've heard stupid and this ain't it.
O.k.- back to work I go...

Sean said...

All right Whiskey you asked for it. Last night I took a one night cooking class at http://www.savvygourmet.com/
Chef's usually supply written copies of the recipes but last night's did not. Most of what he did was pretty straightforward but he did one complex sauce that although I know the ingrediants and the process I have no clue on ratios. He didn't give a name to it so I am not sure how to look it up. So here's what he did. Sugar in water take it to almost caramel stage - add redwine vinegar- cook it down- add orange and lemon juice cook a little then add demi glace and reduce. It was phenomenal and I almost licked my plate clean. I want to reproduce this. Any help or direction would be appreciated. By the way served over pan roasted duck breast with a sweet potato pancake and mango slices cooked with butter and a little sugar. Thanks again and sorry for the length of the question/comment.

CDP said...

Dear Chef WM,
I would like the recipe for the apple pannekoeken (sp?) thing pictured recently. If that's a state secret, then just a regular pancake recipe will do. I use Bisquick. Is that wrong?
Thank you,
CDP

Stacey said...

Can you tell me how to get my boss to stop being such a fucking food snob and let me pick the caterer for the holiday party....
The funny thing is she's a total wanna be food snob. When we were out dining in Vegas she asked the server about the no-chee (meaning gnocchi)
I wanted to throw something at her.

Ok, I generally like her , but I really want to kick her in the shins when she says I am supposed to be leading a project and then tells me how I should lead it.
Oops, sorry for the rant, I needs me a cocktail.

Have a lovely WM weekend.

H said...

I don't even want to begin with my list of cooking questions. It would never end, and soon you would want to kill me.

Anonymous said...

My friend and I were at an Italian restaurant and she asked the male server for "some nookie with cream sauce". He somewhat smiled while I was about to die!!

Anyway.....do you know how to make a light cream sauce? I like shrimp with pasta and Alfredo seems to thick and cheesey.

Thanks!

Patti

JRE Writes said...

I love to cook and do a decent job, but the one thing I can't master is sauteing a chicken breast. They always are too done on the outside and not done enough on the inside. tips?

Lollie said...

Dear Chef WM,

2 things please.

How do I perfectly saute scallops? I want that caramelly thing happening on the outside, but I want the rest not to feel like rubber when I'm done - is the secret the pan, the oil, the heat? Help!

I hate fruit salad - at least I did until last week. I had sliced strawberries, pear, grapes and orange slices that had a hint of something sweet (simple syrup?) and something Christmassy (nutmeg, cinnamon?) - is there a standard delicious fruit salad recipe all you Cheffy types know? Share please. I could truly die for this taste again.

Distributorcap said...

oh chef of the future......

what are the best potatoes to make mashed potatoes..... i have tried a variety and none of them ever come out like a good comfort restaurant

Suze said...

I am ashamed to admit that I cannot make french toast to save my life. That is my absolute favorite food and I just can't do it. I either make it burn or it doesn't brown properly. Oh guru of the kitchen - please - HELP!!

Stacy said...

I think you've touched a nerve with this one! Go, go Super Chef!! ;)

Whiskeymarie said...

D-cap- you are now the proud recipient of my funniest typo in a long time.
You can "taste ass" if you want, but I meant "taste as" you go.
Tell me how that ass is, if you decide to forge on with that one.

Stacy- I know! Yay! I love talking about food. Yay!

Ghost Dansing said...

my jello post was meant for the foody section of the blog but was misplaced in lead lipstick section

Nature Girl said...

Do you have any good recipe's for tofu? I have only two...and I love the stuff, but I'd like a bit more variety...
I currently eat it as a side dish, cold, cubed, with soy sauce and green onions cut up in it, or I make Tofu Burritos, which suprisingly is often requested by my teenage boys..
any other ideas?
Stacie

Boxer rebel said...

I posted this over at my blog, but to save you the trouble, here it is again.

What should I do with these fingerling sweet potatoes I got at the farmers market last weekend? I have been debating this in my mind most of the week. I don't really want to make mashed sweet potatoes. I was thinking of boiling them and them pouring a sauce/syrup over them made from butter and brown sugar and just reducing it down. Any suggestions will help. Also if it matters I have no idea what I am cooking with these, so any fish or vegetarian suggestions to go with the sweet potatoes would be awesome as well.

Distributorcap said...

hahahahahahaha on the typo
thanks for the recipe
off to the market to get the very dietetic ingredients

Nature Girl said...

NO WAIT! I take that one back...I can look up recipe's online, (unless you have the time and inclination) My REAL questions are these two:
1) Gravy...mine sucks. Tastes like glue no matter what I do. What is the secret? We're coming up on Turkey day and I'd really like to have a decent homeade gravy for the mashed potatoes rather than a jar again.

2) Boiled eggs. Settle this dispute I have with my husband. What is the best way to boil an egg that allows for easy removal of the shells afterward? I currently place eggs in cold water to cover, bring to a boil, boil for one minute, turn off heat, cover and let sit for 20 mins.
DH insists that I must boil them for at LEAST 20 minutes, then plunge into ice cold water....which is best or is there a better way?
Stacie

Sean said...

Thanks WM. I am on it.

Nocturnal said...

Name a delicious dish that only takes 2 minute to nuke please.

Thank you in advance.

Cheers

domboy said...

Ah, this is much too exciting - can I keep asking questions after this blog entry gets old? To start with, how can I keep lettuce fresh? I usually put it in a plastic bag in the fridge and add paper towels to soak up the extra moisture, but still, things seem to wither quickly.
Also, what is the best way to cook vegetables and keep the nutrients? I heard boiling destroys everything, and a quick fry is best. Any suggestions? A Welsh onion is the same thing as a scallion, right? I heard bananas are the only fruit that can make you fat, is this true? How long do you boil an egg to make it hard-boiled? How long can eggs keep in the fridge before they go bad (generally ... I buy them from a market and there are no dates on the package). Is there any difference between cooking oils (canola, sunflower, corn etc)?
These are just random questions off the top of my head ... there must be thousands more ...

Wide Lawns said...

Whiskey Marie, why do I always curdle the custard? Why can't I temper a damned egg without scrambling it? Seriously, I am really ashamed of this. With my skills, I should be way past this.

kimmyk said...

how come my biscuits come out like baseballs? i can't make gravy either. so i'm sure you can imagine how horrible my biscuits and gravy are huh?

i usually stick with biscuits in a can these days. just once though it would be nice.

domboy said...

thank you!

Shannon Erin said...

Help. Please.

I'm having my father and stepmonster over for lunch & to meet my boyfriend on Sunday at noon. I'm traveling for work this weekend and won't be home until 10:30 am on Sunday. What can I make that's fast, not super expensive, and still tasty? The stepmonster is a fabulous cook (of course). I usually am as well, but I'm out of ideas.

Why do I do this to myself?