Q&A_02
What cookbook is on your nightstand?
Jane Grigson’s Charcuterie & Pork Cookery.
What do you like about it?
There aren’t any photos and it’s not written by a “celebrity chef.” Plus, the recipes aren’t delineated as flow-charts for water-heads, which is always appealing.
Which young new cookbook writers or chefs do you think are going to be the next big thing?
I can see Kingsolver extrapolating on her old farm-to-table thing in a big, glossy, $65 coffee-table book that everyone will buy and no one will read.
What about chefs?
I don’t follow that celebrity cult thing. I appreciate lots of different chefs for different things, but I’ve outgrown my idolatry of men in kitchen whites and tall toques. Michael Rhulman’s Soul of a Chef, however, is a wonderful, no bullshit book doing its best at manifesting the agony and ecstasy of some very talented chefs. The passage about Thomas Keller coming to terms with killing rabbits and breaking them down is particularly beautiful.
What about Keller appeals to you most?
I like his approach to ingredients. It’s practically hermetic or something. Not a big fan of his presentations, but the technique really calls for it. It makes sense in that context. I’m more of a ‘family style’ person.
What would you throw together from your pantry if you had only 10 minutes?
Tinned Kippers on brown toast.
What's your favorite cheap eat?
Slaw dog from Cook’s Lunchroom.
Is that in Atlanta?
No, it’s in Jackson – about an hour from Atlanta. The dogs are those bright red ones – you know, the ones made with the worst quality “meat” imaginable. Lips ‘n’ hooves… The dog’s snap and crisp cabbage works some serious voodoo. At least enough to warrant $1.25.
Is there something about cooking or cookbooks that drives you crazy?
Ha! All sorts of things. I really hate cookbooks where it’s all about replicating these ridiculous restaurant presentations. I like books that speak to enjoying food, not agonizing over it. All these exact measurements and equipment…. Ugh. You’re not putting an electron microscope together; you’re cooking leg of lamb. Relax. Get your knife work done and then have a glass.
Is that something you thought of when you did La Broche?
Thought of? Not really. I just wanted to start a ‘working cookbook.’ It’s allowed me to pop off about how empty America’s food culture is. Aping the St. John menu and selling a $35 braised pig cheek to an anorexic Manhattanite isn’t culture. It’s nihilism.
La Broche contains lots of things you wouldn’t expect to find on the Food Network: Beef hearts, lamb kidneys, tripe. Is there some element of provocation? Certainly… “There’s more to life than chicken. Please try something else!”
How did you become interested in offal?
When I was a kid – maybe 8-years-old or so – we always used to go to this cheap Chinese restaurant. They had an appetizer called, “poo-poo platter.” I used to order it just because of the name. So it was Rumaki – bacon wrapped chicken livers with Hoisin sauce – and chicken feet and gizzards and beef kidneys. I had no idea what anything really was except for the feet and I loved the novelty of them. Plus, it freaked everyone out when I just plopped them in my mouth like they were candy or something.
Any current ingredient obsessions of yours?
Smoked pig jowls. I’ve begun using them in everything. They crisp up really well and make better lardons than any other bacon I’ve used before.
With regard to your recipe for pork chops, what are the benefits of brining and when you are doing that? What types and cuts of meat you do this for?
Brining is really only something I do for a cut that’s going to get a quick firing. It’s a way to keep a lot of moisture inside the cut. Sometimes, though, people get freaked and think it’s undercooked. Then they gnaw the meat from the bone like zombies when people’s heads are turned.
What’s your favorite thing to eat?
There are too many. I’m generally satisfied to no end with sea urchin, salmon roe, a rare porterhouse, pacific-rim oysters, lamb kidneys or sweetbreads. Hotdogs rule, too.
Could you remind me, or remind yourself of the last time you were squeamish?
The first time I “dispatched” a lobster was honestly awful. This asshole “chef de cuisine” I worked for ordered a bunch of them and we had to watch them sit in water buckets for two days moping before we broke them down. I tried to get out of it, but he sensed my hesitation and moved me from sauté to prep. I had to kill about 75 of them. It was like some sort of vaudeville act or something. You basically have to drive the blade of your chef’s knife right between their eyes, which is allegedly the most “humane” way to bring them to their end. You should try it…
I've never done it. I killed a couple of fish last week and it was a pretty traumatic experience but lobster…
These were big, too. They looked like kind old men in rusty armor. I just kept telling myself, ‘They are invertebrates, you dumbass. They have no nervous system.' I can’t tell you how many people have sent me that insanely overwrought apologia by David Foster Wallace. PETA, backoff.
How long do they keep wriggling, do you know?
They basically were walking all over the prep table, even after I had split their old men heads open. I was sneaking some serious cooking brandy that night. I nearly cut my thumb off a few hours later.
Can you give me some advice about procuring a pig's head?
They sell them at Wal-Mart now! At least the one near my work has them. Hispanic population = pig parts.
What are most of your readers like, and why do you appeal to them, do you think?
I only know a few of them. Stuart Dahlquist said his mom reads the blog, which is super cool! But not many folks leave comments. What’s up with that? Lurking is weird.
Are the ones that leave comments part of the “foodie crowd?”
Ha! What?! I’ve never understood that term...
If you could choose between a 15-year old punk kid and a 50-year old foodie, which would you prefer to have reading your site?
Like I said, I don’t get the idea of a foodie… What is it? Someone that likes food and frequents restaurants? Well, I cook at home; I rarely go out. Guess that means I’m not a foodie. OK, so the 15-year-old punk appeals to me because I feel like I have a shot at influencing him/her. Older folks are much harder to convert. My mom is practically scared to eat anything that once had a pulse.
Reading the site there are some nice bits of language in there. What's your favorite piece of language used in the field of cooking?
Hmm. Not anything in particular. But I love the way Dorothy Hartley writes about food. Fergus Henderson has a similar way with words. It’s really all about the way you approach your ingredients. There’s a respect in their tone that’s endearing and comfy. Conversely, someone like Jaime Oliver rambles on like he’s got a swollen tongue and a mouthful of littleneck clams. I would kick his ass if I saw him on the street.
What role does alcohol play in your life as a chef?
As a chef? Alcohol is very important. It works wonders with deglazing, braising, soaking. Plus, it provides the carrot that gets me through the terrible prepwork for a large meal. Ah, just a few more minced onions and I get a finger of bourbon….
Cheers! If you could choose a person from history, who you'd like to have had dinner with, who would it be?
Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, commonly referred to as, “Caligula.” A meal to remember…
If you could cook with anyone, who would it be?
Oh, man. Nigella by a mile.
I know that you've been asked this before, but are there plans to open a restaurant?
My buddy Tim and I had this idea of doing Southern-style Barbecue in Oregon and also doubling as a fly-shop. We’d get there at dawn to put the pork on the smoker and then sit down to the vice and tie up some flies. Maybe we’ll still do it, I don’t know. If I did something else it would be a prix fixe sort of thing where there’s no choice. It’s just a family-style meal that comes out for four or six or eight. Venison strap. Braised chicory. Glazed carrots. Horseradish mash. Etc. And I’d have nothing but the oldest American beers on tap: Yuengling, Schaefer, Schlitz. I’d keep the prices blue-collar and insist on a come-as-you-are policy.
Is there an aspect of your food that's quintessentially American?
Well, that sort of begs the question: What is American food? I think all of the stuff I cook is “American.” It’s a little Italian, a little French, a little British. Etc.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Thanks for the Q&A!
Photo: Now We're Cooking...
Jane Grigson’s Charcuterie & Pork Cookery.
What do you like about it?
There aren’t any photos and it’s not written by a “celebrity chef.” Plus, the recipes aren’t delineated as flow-charts for water-heads, which is always appealing.
Which young new cookbook writers or chefs do you think are going to be the next big thing?
I can see Kingsolver extrapolating on her old farm-to-table thing in a big, glossy, $65 coffee-table book that everyone will buy and no one will read.
What about chefs?
I don’t follow that celebrity cult thing. I appreciate lots of different chefs for different things, but I’ve outgrown my idolatry of men in kitchen whites and tall toques. Michael Rhulman’s Soul of a Chef, however, is a wonderful, no bullshit book doing its best at manifesting the agony and ecstasy of some very talented chefs. The passage about Thomas Keller coming to terms with killing rabbits and breaking them down is particularly beautiful.
What about Keller appeals to you most?
I like his approach to ingredients. It’s practically hermetic or something. Not a big fan of his presentations, but the technique really calls for it. It makes sense in that context. I’m more of a ‘family style’ person.
What would you throw together from your pantry if you had only 10 minutes?
Tinned Kippers on brown toast.
What's your favorite cheap eat?
Slaw dog from Cook’s Lunchroom.
Is that in Atlanta?
No, it’s in Jackson – about an hour from Atlanta. The dogs are those bright red ones – you know, the ones made with the worst quality “meat” imaginable. Lips ‘n’ hooves… The dog’s snap and crisp cabbage works some serious voodoo. At least enough to warrant $1.25.
Is there something about cooking or cookbooks that drives you crazy?
Ha! All sorts of things. I really hate cookbooks where it’s all about replicating these ridiculous restaurant presentations. I like books that speak to enjoying food, not agonizing over it. All these exact measurements and equipment…. Ugh. You’re not putting an electron microscope together; you’re cooking leg of lamb. Relax. Get your knife work done and then have a glass.
Is that something you thought of when you did La Broche?
Thought of? Not really. I just wanted to start a ‘working cookbook.’ It’s allowed me to pop off about how empty America’s food culture is. Aping the St. John menu and selling a $35 braised pig cheek to an anorexic Manhattanite isn’t culture. It’s nihilism.
La Broche contains lots of things you wouldn’t expect to find on the Food Network: Beef hearts, lamb kidneys, tripe. Is there some element of provocation? Certainly… “There’s more to life than chicken. Please try something else!”
How did you become interested in offal?
When I was a kid – maybe 8-years-old or so – we always used to go to this cheap Chinese restaurant. They had an appetizer called, “poo-poo platter.” I used to order it just because of the name. So it was Rumaki – bacon wrapped chicken livers with Hoisin sauce – and chicken feet and gizzards and beef kidneys. I had no idea what anything really was except for the feet and I loved the novelty of them. Plus, it freaked everyone out when I just plopped them in my mouth like they were candy or something.
Any current ingredient obsessions of yours?
Smoked pig jowls. I’ve begun using them in everything. They crisp up really well and make better lardons than any other bacon I’ve used before.
With regard to your recipe for pork chops, what are the benefits of brining and when you are doing that? What types and cuts of meat you do this for?
Brining is really only something I do for a cut that’s going to get a quick firing. It’s a way to keep a lot of moisture inside the cut. Sometimes, though, people get freaked and think it’s undercooked. Then they gnaw the meat from the bone like zombies when people’s heads are turned.
What’s your favorite thing to eat?
There are too many. I’m generally satisfied to no end with sea urchin, salmon roe, a rare porterhouse, pacific-rim oysters, lamb kidneys or sweetbreads. Hotdogs rule, too.
Could you remind me, or remind yourself of the last time you were squeamish?
The first time I “dispatched” a lobster was honestly awful. This asshole “chef de cuisine” I worked for ordered a bunch of them and we had to watch them sit in water buckets for two days moping before we broke them down. I tried to get out of it, but he sensed my hesitation and moved me from sauté to prep. I had to kill about 75 of them. It was like some sort of vaudeville act or something. You basically have to drive the blade of your chef’s knife right between their eyes, which is allegedly the most “humane” way to bring them to their end. You should try it…
I've never done it. I killed a couple of fish last week and it was a pretty traumatic experience but lobster…
These were big, too. They looked like kind old men in rusty armor. I just kept telling myself, ‘They are invertebrates, you dumbass. They have no nervous system.' I can’t tell you how many people have sent me that insanely overwrought apologia by David Foster Wallace. PETA, backoff.
How long do they keep wriggling, do you know?
They basically were walking all over the prep table, even after I had split their old men heads open. I was sneaking some serious cooking brandy that night. I nearly cut my thumb off a few hours later.
Can you give me some advice about procuring a pig's head?
They sell them at Wal-Mart now! At least the one near my work has them. Hispanic population = pig parts.
What are most of your readers like, and why do you appeal to them, do you think?
I only know a few of them. Stuart Dahlquist said his mom reads the blog, which is super cool! But not many folks leave comments. What’s up with that? Lurking is weird.
Are the ones that leave comments part of the “foodie crowd?”
Ha! What?! I’ve never understood that term...
If you could choose between a 15-year old punk kid and a 50-year old foodie, which would you prefer to have reading your site?
Like I said, I don’t get the idea of a foodie… What is it? Someone that likes food and frequents restaurants? Well, I cook at home; I rarely go out. Guess that means I’m not a foodie. OK, so the 15-year-old punk appeals to me because I feel like I have a shot at influencing him/her. Older folks are much harder to convert. My mom is practically scared to eat anything that once had a pulse.
Reading the site there are some nice bits of language in there. What's your favorite piece of language used in the field of cooking?
Hmm. Not anything in particular. But I love the way Dorothy Hartley writes about food. Fergus Henderson has a similar way with words. It’s really all about the way you approach your ingredients. There’s a respect in their tone that’s endearing and comfy. Conversely, someone like Jaime Oliver rambles on like he’s got a swollen tongue and a mouthful of littleneck clams. I would kick his ass if I saw him on the street.
What role does alcohol play in your life as a chef?
As a chef? Alcohol is very important. It works wonders with deglazing, braising, soaking. Plus, it provides the carrot that gets me through the terrible prepwork for a large meal. Ah, just a few more minced onions and I get a finger of bourbon….
Cheers! If you could choose a person from history, who you'd like to have had dinner with, who would it be?
Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, commonly referred to as, “Caligula.” A meal to remember…
If you could cook with anyone, who would it be?
Oh, man. Nigella by a mile.
I know that you've been asked this before, but are there plans to open a restaurant?
My buddy Tim and I had this idea of doing Southern-style Barbecue in Oregon and also doubling as a fly-shop. We’d get there at dawn to put the pork on the smoker and then sit down to the vice and tie up some flies. Maybe we’ll still do it, I don’t know. If I did something else it would be a prix fixe sort of thing where there’s no choice. It’s just a family-style meal that comes out for four or six or eight. Venison strap. Braised chicory. Glazed carrots. Horseradish mash. Etc. And I’d have nothing but the oldest American beers on tap: Yuengling, Schaefer, Schlitz. I’d keep the prices blue-collar and insist on a come-as-you-are policy.
Is there an aspect of your food that's quintessentially American?
Well, that sort of begs the question: What is American food? I think all of the stuff I cook is “American.” It’s a little Italian, a little French, a little British. Etc.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Thanks for the Q&A!
Photo: Now We're Cooking...
Labels: BBQ, Caligula, Lobster, Lurkers, Nigella Lawson, Offal, Pork, Sea Urchin, Wal-Mart
posted by GSV JR at
6:55 AM
3 Comments:
Who is asking you these questions? It's a pretty great interview. (I think I'm halfway b/t the 15 year old punk kid and the 50 year old foodie, myself)
My cat is asking the questions.
She's thinking about starting a zine about begging, bird-hunting, and puking.
waffles can interview me anyday.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home