The Itinerant Cookbook Project has started almost a year ago this month and I find it very interesting to see where all the 10 Itinerant Cookbooks traveled in 12 months. As a reminder, the Itinerant Cookbook Project tracks 10 cookbooks as they travel around the world. In May 2009, we released 10 cookbooks...

  In the vast and glorious world of Gastronomy, you wouldn’t think sardines ranked very high. Last I checked, sardines were segregated in the ethnic food section of supermarkets, but there, and almost everywhere actually, sardines are universally present, sometimes even, as odd as it seems, the...

Note to self: never hire anyone you don’t know. Especially if they don’t speak a single word of English; that’s a red flag too. Sometimes the hiring process is a speedy one in the catering industry. Last Sunday, I thought that new guy, Spasz (that’s not a sneeze; it’s his first name), really...

Q: Chef Gui, what exactly is a “consomme’”, and what is the difference with a stock or a broth? Also, I’ve heard of “clarification”. Could you elaborate on that? Maria from Austin, TX A: When all aromatics have done their job, have infused their flavors to the liquid...

  Ok. By now, if you follow my blog and its numerous posts on plating food, you should have a good idea of what we are looking for, especially in the general areas: right plate, right colors, a nice crust for proteins, play with textures, etc… Today, I wanted to talk about the little kitchen...