Posted by Geraldo on July 21, 1997 at 11:39:44:
In Reply to: Re: Can someone explain to me why ??? posted by John Maxwell on July 20, 1997 at 23:31:46:
: Gerard, being able to "pick out" any ingredient is not the goal. Being able to control the flavor of a dish is. There is a difference between Belgian and Swiss chocolate. The purity of a bottled water yields very consistant results. If it sounds pretentious to you that I choose every ingredient with care, then so be it. I will deal with pretentious. What I won't accept is ordinary. ok, or good. Every customer I have ever prepared food for deserves my best shot every time. Perhaps you are confusing "pretention" with passion.
: Do you cook with cheap wine? Do you have a preference for mayonaisse? Do you drink Coke or Pepsi?
: But let's bring the discussion back to salt. Salt has a very distinctive flavor of its own. Salt brings out the flavor of other foods. Salt has an impact on the moisture content of foods. Salt has some leavening action. Salt has a bleaching action. Salt is a very potent chemical which, when added to food has some very pronounced results. Hans (above) was correct in his description of Kosher salt and its properties. Sea salt is briney, and table salt with iodine is different still. I'm sorry you can't tell the difference.
I can't keep up with this, its getting so deep I need boots!
The distinction between swiss and Belgian chocolate isn't relevent, its the subjecting it to 350 degrees in the oven thats the crime, throwing money at a recipe is no solution.
Being able to control quality and flavor is good, not being able to tell the difference ( as you admitted previously)makes it moot. DO I cook with cheap wine? yes, a nice dry chablis from California or dry vermouth, using expensive wine would be pretentious .
Bottled water? you mean distilled which should be as pure as pure or god knows what got into spring water which is what I was referring to. Salt retards leavening, use too much bread no rise.
At least we got some activity going! Chefs can be sooo introverted.
Gerardo!