8/16/2008
France
I've been silent because I've been getting ready to go to France. Preparations have been long, but now most everything is set. We have rented apartments in Paris and in Cassis, and and several restaurants have been booked, a car reserved, TGV tickets ready, and thoughts about activities noted down. The one interesting thing is that while many of the top Parisian restaurants are closed for the holiday month, everything in the south is open. Full reports from my iphone, to the extent I have Wifi, will be forthcoming.
8/12/2008
Laminated Doughs
Aran says something very important:
To this day, I believe a good pastry shop distinguishes itself by the quality of their laminated doughs such as mille-feuilles and croissants.
This has always been my view. A good croissant is something special. And rare, these days, as more and more bakers (even French bakers) buy frozen.
To this day, I believe a good pastry shop distinguishes itself by the quality of their laminated doughs such as mille-feuilles and croissants.
This has always been my view. A good croissant is something special. And rare, these days, as more and more bakers (even French bakers) buy frozen.
How much chefs earn
I think that people get caught up in the glamor of professional cooking without realizing that there are far easier ways of earning big bucks than slaving away in a hot kitchen. For the average chef, of course, life is a fairly unrewarding grind, from a financial point of view - they may get to do what they love, but what they love doesn't pay. But even the biggest chefs are a little less well-off than you might imagine. Here, for example, is an article from Forbes estimating the earning power of some of the culinary world's biggest stars.
Most striking? People like Mario Batali, owner of 13 restaurants and an endless parade of marketing opportunities, pulls in $3 million. Is that a lot of money? Of course. But Batali is probably the single most famous American chef. He is literally at the pinnacle of his profession, and his financial peers can be counted on two hands. By contrast, my guess is that there are at least 500 law partners in New York who do as well or better, with a career arc at that earning level of at least 20 years (which may not be true of Batali).
Which would I rather be doing? Obviously, I'd rather cook. But the disparity signals that either lawyers are a lot better at extracting money from the people who need them, or chefs are really bad at it. From conversations with people in the industry, I suspect a lot of it is the latter.
Most striking? People like Mario Batali, owner of 13 restaurants and an endless parade of marketing opportunities, pulls in $3 million. Is that a lot of money? Of course. But Batali is probably the single most famous American chef. He is literally at the pinnacle of his profession, and his financial peers can be counted on two hands. By contrast, my guess is that there are at least 500 law partners in New York who do as well or better, with a career arc at that earning level of at least 20 years (which may not be true of Batali).
Which would I rather be doing? Obviously, I'd rather cook. But the disparity signals that either lawyers are a lot better at extracting money from the people who need them, or chefs are really bad at it. From conversations with people in the industry, I suspect a lot of it is the latter.
The vanished gourmet
The biggest story in the food world right now has got to be the disappearance of Pascal Henry, who was attempting to eat in all 62 3-Michelin starred restaurants in the world. He vanished after a 32 course effort at El Bulli.
The most interesting detail to me? Le Monde reported yesterday that he had gained 7-8 kilos on the trip. Frankly, I'm surprised it was so little.
The most interesting detail to me? Le Monde reported yesterday that he had gained 7-8 kilos on the trip. Frankly, I'm surprised it was so little.
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