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An article in Slate about the shortcuts of professional chefs: http://www.slate.com/id/2132987/

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 23:15 (twenty years ago)

Thanks! No giant revelations, I thought. Par-cooking risotto is pretty standard in my restaurant experience. Lord knows when you're making 50 orders of risotto in a night you don't start each one from scratch. And things like dried mushrooms and canned tomatoes aren't exactly just quick versions of the fresh ingredient; they have their own characteristics that make them a distinct choice.

Is this a thread for our own shortcuts?

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 22 December 2005 05:03 (twenty years ago)

I have to admit that, having made potstickers about a dozen times on my own, I prefer Trader Joe's premade ones.

And Trader Joe's whole-wheat pizza dough is pretty good too.

― remy (x Jeremy), Thursday, 22 December 2005 05:11 (twenty years ago)

Is this a thread for our own shortcuts?

Oh yes!

My current favorite shortcut are a few of Trader Joe's simmer sauces. The Thai green curry is especially good.

There were some shortcuts in Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles book - I'll have to read through it again to remember them. (Actually, I still haven't tried his recipe for rillettes.)

― Jaq (Jaq), Thursday, 22 December 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

I don't make stock as often as I could or should, so my most-used shortcut is Tone's Chicken Base. (I am moderately ashamed of this.) It's too salty, though, so I have to be very careful not to add any salt to a dish until I can tell what the chicken base has done to it.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 22 December 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

Have you tried the Better than Bouillon pastes? They're surpisingly useful for keeping around… less for making full-flavored stocks than just as an additional flavor element to rice / risotto / etc.

― remy (x Jeremy), Thursday, 22 December 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

Better Than doesn't make low-sodium versions, which prevent the megasalting problem. I like Redi-Base and Minor's bases, which do -- I think they have a more complex flavor too.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 22 December 2005 22:12 (twenty years ago)

That Minor's site is quite a bonanza of shortcuts, actually.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 22 December 2005 22:21 (twenty years ago)

No kidding! And, they have Skyline Chili!

― Jaq (Jaq), Thursday, 22 December 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

I'd like to try those. I don't mail-order foodstuffs too often, though, and living in the sticks means I don't see them in stores. Especially not now that I'm trying to cut the evil Wal-Mart out of my life. (I went to two non-evil stores to find some fresh parsley today and couldn't get any.)

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Friday, 23 December 2005 01:59 (twenty years ago)

Is Skyline Chili worth $5/can? There's a restaurant here that serves it.

― Paul Eater (eater), Friday, 23 December 2005 02:42 (twenty years ago)

Wow, that's pretty great stuff. Thanks for the link.

― remy (x Jeremy), Friday, 23 December 2005 03:04 (twenty years ago)

I haven't had Skyline for ages - not since high school which was, uh, a loooong time ago. I'd go for a 6 pack - 2 cans for coney dogs, 2 for 3-ways, 2 for 4-ways.

I'm wondering if the restaurant supply store we've been frequenting carries any of these bases.

William, you can even get CHEESE through Amazon these days! I bought 5 lbs of anasazi beans last week when I was going on-line shopping mad.

― Jaq (Jaq), Friday, 23 December 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Ordered my 6-pack of Skyline today. I've been having serious chili-cheese-dog cravings, and there are no Sonics here.

― Jaq (Jaq), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 22:01 (twenty years ago)

The chili showed up in the post today! RJM is excited because each can proclaims "Enough for Two 3-Ways!!!".

― Jaq (Jaq), Saturday, 21 January 2006 02:06 (twenty years ago)

I gotta ask: whats a 3-way and a 4-way?

― Trayce (trayce), Sunday, 22 January 2006 10:15 (twenty years ago)

3-way is chili over spaghetti with grated cheese and a 4-way adds chopped onion. I'm a 3-1way fan myself - just chili and cheese. We bought footlong franks at the butcher yesterday; chili-cheese-dogs for lunch today!!

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 22 January 2006 14:46 (twenty years ago)

An update on the Skyline:

I think the best explanation for all the mace in this stuff is the German influence around Cincinnati. It does have a subtle spicy heat to it, but the predominant flavor is mace. Soupier than I remember, it was tasty ladled over a weiner on a potato-bread hotdog bun, eaten with a fork. Could have used much more grated sharp cheddar, but what's done is done.

Now I am craving Taco Bell, but that is another story.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 23 January 2006 23:52 (twenty years ago)

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