bunnies!
why did my book about cooking and food make me want to cry? let me tell you...
currently, i'm reading (as i mentioned in yesterday's post) michael ruhlman's the soul of a chef. his book is broken into 3 sections: an observation of the CIA's certified chef exam, a personal piece of chef michael symon, owner and head chef at lola bistro in cleveland, and finally an intimate look at the innovative and renowned thomas keller, owner and head chef of, most notably, the french laundry. i really enjoyed the first section and i've been drooling through the last section of this book. this intimate look at thomas keller and how he works and what his history is like and where he's come from is simply amazing. i love reading about his methods and his creative and respectful methods of cooking and cuisine. i even liked this story, demonstrating his desire to respect the food he cooks at a young age. he was working as head chef at a tiny remote restaurant, la rive, in upstate new york. this was his first restaurant where he cooked alone and had full control of the menu and kitchen.
If he were going to cook rabbits, he should know how to skin, gut, and butcher them as well. The purveyor showed up but did not prove to be an elegant teacher. He knocked one rabbit out, slit its throat, pinned it to a board, skinned it, and gutted it, then left. That was it. And Keller was alone in the grass behind the restaurant with eleven cute little bunnies. Bunnies are cute. Soft fur, long ears, little pink noses, warm, yearning eyes. Keller didn't want to kill them. But he had no choice at this point and eventually cranked up his resolve and made for one of the rabbits. 'Rabbits scream,' Keller told us at dinner. 'And this one screamed really loud.' It was an awful experience, he said. He tried to kill it, but the rabbit was screaming so loud and struggling to get away the work was difficult. Then the rabbit's leg snapped as it struggled to get away. So while it was still terrified ad now likely in great pain, it could no longer run away, and Keller managed to kill it. Ten more to go.
he goes on to explain that learning how to butcher the animal, gave him more respect of the final product. it was hard work and pretty painful to take that rabbit's life. knowing this, there was no way he would think of ruining that meat. as he cooked, he would pay the meat more respect and cook it properly. the idea of overcooking and ruining the meat, then simply throw it away and start another one, was removed from his mind completely. understanding the origin of your ingredients will lead to a greater respect of cooking it.
currently, i'm reading (as i mentioned in yesterday's post) michael ruhlman's the soul of a chef. his book is broken into 3 sections: an observation of the CIA's certified chef exam, a personal piece of chef michael symon, owner and head chef at lola bistro in cleveland, and finally an intimate look at the innovative and renowned thomas keller, owner and head chef of, most notably, the french laundry. i really enjoyed the first section and i've been drooling through the last section of this book. this intimate look at thomas keller and how he works and what his history is like and where he's come from is simply amazing. i love reading about his methods and his creative and respectful methods of cooking and cuisine. i even liked this story, demonstrating his desire to respect the food he cooks at a young age. he was working as head chef at a tiny remote restaurant, la rive, in upstate new york. this was his first restaurant where he cooked alone and had full control of the menu and kitchen.
If he were going to cook rabbits, he should know how to skin, gut, and butcher them as well. The purveyor showed up but did not prove to be an elegant teacher. He knocked one rabbit out, slit its throat, pinned it to a board, skinned it, and gutted it, then left. That was it. And Keller was alone in the grass behind the restaurant with eleven cute little bunnies. Bunnies are cute. Soft fur, long ears, little pink noses, warm, yearning eyes. Keller didn't want to kill them. But he had no choice at this point and eventually cranked up his resolve and made for one of the rabbits. 'Rabbits scream,' Keller told us at dinner. 'And this one screamed really loud.' It was an awful experience, he said. He tried to kill it, but the rabbit was screaming so loud and struggling to get away the work was difficult. Then the rabbit's leg snapped as it struggled to get away. So while it was still terrified ad now likely in great pain, it could no longer run away, and Keller managed to kill it. Ten more to go.
he goes on to explain that learning how to butcher the animal, gave him more respect of the final product. it was hard work and pretty painful to take that rabbit's life. knowing this, there was no way he would think of ruining that meat. as he cooked, he would pay the meat more respect and cook it properly. the idea of overcooking and ruining the meat, then simply throw it away and start another one, was removed from his mind completely. understanding the origin of your ingredients will lead to a greater respect of cooking it.