Kitchen Confidential

[GB]

Originally Posted by KathyJ

I have the book and am planning on reading it, but haven't yet....
After all the comments, it'll go to the top of my list.

in regards to the cut, please, please stop and put a bandaid on... I, for one, do not want someone else's blood in my food. That can't be safe.

Nope it is not safe or sanitary at all. Part of what you will learn from this book is that that sort of thing happens all the time unfortunately.

[tsi88kid]

he did not get a cut he picked up a saute pan that was hot and burned himself and thought the bandaid would help the burn so the old timer picked up an even hotter pan.

Obviously putting a bandaid on a cut that bleeds is importent but then again this books stories take place back in the 70's and 80's anyway when sanitation wasn't as enforced.

mudbug- you are right this wasn't a book written for a homecook and when I am home and have the time to get oven mits I will do it. However in my work i dont have time too do so when there is a long line of tickets waiting to go out and you dont even have oven mits. Just have to toughen up.

[VeraBlue]

Originally Posted by tsi88kid

he did not get a cut he picked up a saute pan that was hot and burned himself and thought the bandaid would help the burn so the old timer picked up an even hotter pan.

Obviously putting a bandaid on a cut that bleeds is importent but then again this books stories take place back in the 70's and 80's anyway when sanitation wasn't as enforced.

mudbug- you are right this wasn't a book written for a homecook and when I am home and have the time to get oven mits I will do it. However in my work i dont have time too do so when there is a long line of tickets waiting to go out and you dont even have oven mits. Just have to toughen up.

Warm or even moderately hot plates are not pans. Imagine how ridiculous you'd look carrying plates to the tables with oven mitts. Any one of us that works professionally in kitchens toughens up as the years go by. You're young, you haven't learned or seen it all yet. Just remember that there are appropriate times to protect yourself. Opting not to can be foolish. Your bravado is endearing and should be encouraged....till you discover you've cut almost to the bone in the palm of your own hand, or a hand towel you are using to move a hot pot ignites in your hand, or a projectile bit of bacon flies into your open eye as you rendered it in a pan, or you slip on a spot of grease that no one wiped, and in your attempt to right yourself you land all your weight on your patella, swelling it to grapefruit size... Yes, toughen up indeed. You will...but carrying hot plates isn't how that happens. You seem like you have a clue or two, and that's a good thing. You are also in a position to put other people at risk as you endeavour to toughen up.

The preceding has been a public service announcement. No, I do not work for OSHA.

[tsi88kid]

yes i dont think I would ever be dumb enough to pick up a hot saute pan after coming out the oven it would be way to hot.

[pupon]

I found this article which is about all of the products AB uses in his book and I was wondering what the difference was between an omlette pan and a saute pan.

Only Hot Products - Your Personal Online Shopper

[alexrushmer]

AB is a great guy. If you enjoyed KC then Cook's Tour is definitely one to read as well. The Les Halles cookbook, as well as being a very good, no nonsense cookbook, is a great read. His ascerbic style and curt prose are present in all the recipes. Buy it, use it - you won't regret it.

[BreezyCooking]

Pupon - while I don't know if this is the "official" difference, in the case of my pieces, my saute pans are larger with straighter sides to enable me to safely & efficiently saute a reasonable amount of food. My omelette pan is smaller (individual omelette size) & has sloping sides which enable me to easily slide & flip-fold the finished product out onto a plate without breaking it.

[jpmcgrew]

I liked the book alot and alot of what he has described happens in kitchens everywhere I especially enjoyed the types of characters in the book they really are out there, I like the story of the kid a total druggie but he turned out the best breads with all his starters etc that no one else could.Most chefs dont use their bare hands on hot stuff{they call it having asbestos hands} there are a few but most have the silicone handles and towels to handle hot pans and platters.And like myself most proffesional cooks have a certain degree of ability to handle hot stuff I am for sure a the bottom but a little tougher than the at home cook.

[Claire]

Love the book. I have often burned and cut myself while cooking. Julia used to say something about what goes on in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen!

[redkitty]

I can't believe I'm just now reading this book! So far one of my favorite chapters is Adam Real-Last-Name-Unknown!!! I love the way he writes, will have to read his other books when I'm done!