Holiday Wishlist

[tldmatrix]

Holiday Wish List

Sous Vide Supreme
I want the Sous Vide Supreme so I can finally experiment by myself with sous vide cookery. I work with sous vide cookery at Uproot by I do not have freedom to do what I want with it there. At Uproot I am told exactly what to do and I have no say in the conceptualization of the dishes. I have Thomas Keller’s book, Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, which will teach me techniques and then with those techniques I will be able to experiment with flavors combinations and textures. Hopefully I get the Sous Vide Supreme.

Vacuum Sealer
I need the Vacuum Sealer not only to be able to use the Sous Vide Supreme, but also to compress fruits or vegetables, or quick pickling. And do not forget that food storage will be easier and last longer due to no oxygen getting to the food.

ISI Cream Whipper and ISI Soda Siphon + Chargers
These two tools are great pieces of kitchen equipment. The soda siphon would let me carbonate any beverage into soda and the cream whipper will turn pretty much any liquid into a foam.

The Smoking Gun by Poly Science
With this awesome device I would be able to cold smoke food. For example, I would be able to smoke scallops and then sear. The finished product would not be overcooked and it would have a nice smoky flavor.

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
I need a Stand Mixer. With it I could easily make cookies, bread, fresh pastas, whipped cream, and any dough. It would be a life saver and I would be able to have a lot of fun cooking with it.

8 pocket Cordura Knife Roll
When I go to Uproot I carry my knifes, knife sharpener, and peeler in a shoebox. It is embarrassing and kind of dangerous to do this, so I definitely need a Knife holder.

Microplane Grater
Recently my microplane grater disappeared. A microplane makes life so much easier. Fresh Lemon zest or minced garlic is easily produced with one.

Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine

Rene Redzepi is a genius and his restaurant Noma is the best in the world so I want to learn about his style of cooking.

Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and the Man who Reinvented Food
I got the book A Day at El Bulli and to be honest did not enjoy it. However Ferran changed the world of food so I want to learn about him.

Charcuterie by Brian Polycn
I read about Brian Polycn in one of Michael Ruhlman’s books and he is a very talented chef. Also, I want to learn how to make sausages, terrines, and other charcuterie.

Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing the French Cuisine
I have wanted this book for awhile and now hopefully I get it.

What else should I ask for?

http://teenchefteddy.blogspot.com/

[Caroline1]

I just looked over your blog and read a couple of entries. AMAZING...! And cook on...! As for your wish list... Do you have a copy of Larousse Gastronomique? I highly recommend it. It was considered THE culinary bible for at least a half century, and it's still the best chef's reference on the planet.

If you do get the Souse Vide Supreme, let us know what you think of it. They have also just introduced a smaller version. I've been considering one since before they were actually on the market, but I'm just not sure its worth the counter space...

[tldmatrix]

Thank You! I have skimmed through Larousse Gastronomique at the library and learned alot from it.
If I get the sous vide supreme I am going to get the demi, which is smaller. I will let you know how it is if I get it.

[Caroline1]

Thanks! As for the Larousse Gastronomique, I wish they would publish it on DVD. I'm getting a hernia from fifty years of lifting my hard copy! '-)

[wattacetti]

Suggest you not get the Demi; 4 x 4oz portions isn't exactly large meaning that you will have difficulty with larger applications (racks, confit moulard duck legs, shrimp sheets etc). I still like "real" circulators because the circulator can always be removed from the water bath and strapped onto an even larger container, but a regular SV Supreme is capacity is okay.

And you should also add Nathan Myhrvold's "Modernist Cuisine" to the reading list (2200 pages; 18 kg).

[MelMM]

Website says capacity of the demi is 12 x 4 oz. portions.

[tldmatrix]

Demi is going to be big enough

Nathan's book is going to be awesome. However it is too much $$ right now, hopefully the price drops.

[wattacetti]

Drop the Smoking Gun ($100), the grater ($50), Ferran the biography ($30; others have indicated it's bad), Polycn's book ($25), and Pierre Gagnaire ($40), and the more expensive of the two iSi's and you're golden.

Information more valuable than biographies, and tools you can always pick up later. Charcuterie? Nice to do but you're potentially splitting your focus and there's always next year.

[wattacetti]

You're right, but still too small.

[Chemicalkinetics]

What about a good knife or a good knife sharpening stone or a fancy end grain cutting block?

[tldmatrix]

I have a great Chef's Knife (Mac, which is talked greatly about by Thomas Keller) and I have Mac's ceramic sharpener, which is very easy to use.

[wattacetti]

While you're mortgaging away the house why not add a Brinkmann tabletop rotary distiller/evaporator. a GastroVac, a ThermoMix and a PacoJet, and a freeze-dryer? And dump the SV Supreme and get a real lab-grade circulator and thermal jacket water bath (e.g. several models from Julabo).

[tldmatrix]

That would be awesome if I would be able to all of those thingsm but way too much money.

[roxlet]

My mother would have said, "Do you still believe in Santa Claus?"

[Jay F]

Teddy, you're unbelievably cool. I wish I'd been able to know as much about food when I was your age, but it was the age of frozen corn and peas from a can and instant mashed potatoes. I take it you're going to chef school eventually, and we'll be able to say we (sort of) "knew him when."

Your parents must be so happy to have you as their son.

Stay cool, Teddy.