I had to leave NYC for Napa and work on a cookbook, but will try to put some thoughts down on the Marco White event. I was expecting a thug savant who was a little full of himself (rightfully so or not), but in fact he was articulate and fascinating and compelling in a way I rarely find chefs anymore. A delight in fact. He said things I didn't expect. We went out after for chicken and carried on the conversation. Then he and his companion headed down to Del Posto (for a 19-course tasting, I hear), Bourdain and the facist went home to the bambina, and I went to drink whiskies with my brother in charcuterie (should we consider a follow up–yea or nay?), enough whiskies that I was thoroughly miserable for the five and a half hours in the air to SFO. But some of best fried chicken on earth awaited, so all was well. …more to come…
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Welcome to Ruhlman.com where I blog about food, cooking, recipes and technique, because the world is better when we cook for ourselves. Thanks for visiting and I hope you’ll join the conversation.
Another ‘yea’ vote for a Charcuterie follow up. As a book store owner who sells only titles related to food I can tell you that the first one you wrote flies out the door, we can barely keep it in stock. Then we get requests for more, because they all have the first one. There is a definite hunger for more information on this subject.
So, YES, please give us another book on charcuterie, we will sell the &%^%$ out of it…
Yes, we all need a follow up.
Thanks for the fried chicken. It looks great. I will test it tomorrow.
I am just now reading The Devil in the Kitchen. Going into it, I knew very little about Marco other than how he was one of the best chefs of his time but also sort of out of control. I am only halfway through the book, but I’m not getting the “out of control” part at all! In fact, he seems to be quite a disciplined individual. I know he worked with a writer on the book, but he seems very articulate and well spoken (or written, I guess). I mean, he’s not a writer but he does well for someone without that background. It’s interesting to hear that your opinion of him over the weekend was similar. I wonder if mine will change at all as I finish the book.
Outstanding Rhulman, thanks for sharing the Kellerman recipe for fried chicken. Got it. I will try it soon.
A follow up to Charcuterie? Zomg in heaven. Oh and madeleine…I too think of Cleveland and smile. In fact I miss it terribly…even the gray slush. Oh to be able to eat at Tommy’s anytime I wanted again.
Ruhlman…please do more than just consider a follow up you guys should jump on this right away
Seriously this book introduced me to a whole new world of culinary adventure that I would not have otherwise encountered. I think you can count on your readers/bloggers to help you evangalize the product!
Cheers,
Brian
Michael,
Is this going to be another cookbook with Thomas Keller by chance?
“The greatest failure is the failure to try.”
Greely
Cannot wait for your additional comments on the discussion panel. I also wish that you would have heard Chef Grant Achatz’s response to some of the words of Chef White. The passion in his words put a lump in my throat as he defended the true ‘craft’ of what he does (multi-course tasting menu to those who weren’t there). I actually have it on camcorder video and would be happy to mail you a copy if you desire.
What I would really like to know is why the 2 of you (especially Bourdain who is never restricted with words) said nothing in defense of the tasting menu?
It was summed up in a former El Bulli stages comment to Chef Achatz on Tuesday… she said she was working at El Bulli when Bourdain did his ‘Decoding Ferran’ documentary and he seemed to be overly enjoying himself. Why not defend that… even in a brief closing statement?
Please consider that I state these words with full respect to Chef White who is an icon (and who also was going against the grain of the culinary scene in his heyday). I would still consider it an honor to have my ass kicked by Chef White in the kitchen. I know I would be a better chef for it.
its said that possibly the best fried chicken is the tea brined batch they put out at Mr Sam Beall’s Blackberry Farm (not ruby tuesday).
I demand a Charcuterie follow up.
It’s not nice to tease. Yes, do a follow-up.
Can I pre-order at Amazon yet?
In the google “chefs” interview he seemed to answer all the questions with the same answer. “Let the food speak to you!” “Who was your mentor?” “Let the food speak to you!” “Talk about your food”. “You have to let the food speak to you”. I guess that’s every Chef’s secret dream. Become a fat cat, just point and pay. Live on your reputation.
Well, for some anyway.
I really need to get to Napa and Keller’s restaurants one of these days. Colour me jealous!
so many chickens…so little time.
“and compelling in a way I rarely find chefs anymore.”
Compel this (envision middle finger pointed at you) Ruhlman.
Chef Bob del Grosso
“and compelling in a way I rarely find chefs anymore.”
Compel this (envision middle finger pointed at you) Ruhlman.
Chef Bob del Grosso
*and* you go to the same farmer’s market my mother does. I am probably the only person you will ever meet who says thinking about Cleveland makes me happy…
OK, shameless, self-promoting plug -
I have not had a chance to eat Ad Hoc’s Fried chicken yet, but I have recently scored a “personal best” in that arena. You can check out the recipe and the story behind it at Bob DelGrosso’s “A Hunger Artist”. Here’s the link:
http://ahungerartist.bobdelgrosso.com/2008/08/days-pass-slowly-and-leisurely-in-one.html
Oh my goodness. I am so excited that I stumbled across your blog. I have been a huge fan of yours ever since I read “House.”
In fact, I picked that book up off of a pile of books in my family’s crumbling cabin in Northern Michigan, and tucked into it with a sense of glee and comaraderie (in addition to having the ancient cabin, my partner and I own a creaky ex-crackhouse bungalow in Florida we are rescuing one-project-at-a-time).
House woes aside, I really appreciate your writing because it is both immediate and accessible, while being utterly informed. And the fact that you are living in Cleveland (the town I grew up in) just ads to my fondness for a person I have never met.
Keep writing, I’ll keep reading, and your Samuel Clemens-esque “rivalry” with Bourdain is hilarious…very well played.
Please, do a follow up! With more recipes for bratwurst! The CIA’s Garde Manger has three or four of them, ya gotta keep up
. And maybe more focus on the complicated stuff: dry curing and cold smoking. Also, more technical detail would be appreciated: we’ve beat the book to death over at the eGullet forums and need another to feed the charcuterie frenzy.
Hmm…Lets check the celler inventory. 5 sticks of pepperone, 2 proscuitto. 2 breseola and a salami….yep, I’ve got room, bring on the sequel.
I’d love to see a recipe for a good corned ham and a recipe for Bandiera sausage. And lets throw in a Spanish Morcilla for good measure.
Oh God, I hope your serious, after eating all this meat, my heart can’t take any teasing.
The facist?
And I bought Charcuterie for my father-in-law, in celebration of his new smoker. We haven’t seen him since.
Do a follow up.
I’m doing two dry cured hams this fall. I would love to see more on dry cured sausage and meats.
A follow-up would be spectacular!
Tell David Waltuck that he looks like David Gahan.
please follow up. i love marco, and enjoyed reading “the devil in the kitchen”. he sounds very passionate about what he does and i encourage anyone to look up his google authors interview on you tube. i would have loved to see a video with you three having a discussion.
Please do a follow up. I LOVE that book.
Bourdain and the facist… Nice touch Ruhlman, anyway as for MPW I highly recomend both his books for reading they are facsinating and to a chef, truly inspiring and motivating. He is truly captivating if you get a chance you tube marco pierre white and watch him in hells kitchen its great stuff. UMMMMM WHISKEY!!!! Just livin the dream, eh Ruhlman? Just livin the dream!
Followup yea! (not to mention, yay!)
yeah, ad hoc chicken is good, Hard Knox in SF is better and a fraction of the price. Watch out for the grape trucks, everyone is humping to get harvest over.
You had to leave New York City for Napa to work on a book…I want to be you when I grow up!
I know the weather sucked on Sunday – hot and humid – but glad you ate well (quite an understatement) in NYC.
Ad hoc fried chicken. Only a dream to me. Sigh.
Ad Hoc fried chicken. :::: sigh :::: Jealous.
You do have to admit, if you followed any of the BBC specials on Ramsay, and they way he followed White around like a puppy dog, White really came across as a bigger-than-life diva.
Does seem like he knows his chow though.
Please do a follow up! I’m in school at the French Culinary Institute and we’ve been plowing through your Charcuterie recipes. The Mexican chorizo we made on Monday was the yummiest breakfast this morning! Here’s to another book and keeping my fridge full of sausage!
I know the weather sucked on Sunday – hot and humid – but glad you ate well (quite an understatement) in NYC.
Ad hoc fried chicken. Only a dream to me. Sigh.