Sunday, October 7, 2012

A welcome-back rant: Seller-Chefs

I know, bad me.  I've wandered off for a while.  My deepest apologies (imagine, if you will, a deep bow here)

Now, on to what turned my mind back to the recipes:

If a "chef" is telling you that you have  to have something to make a recipe (other than the usual flour, butter, salt, sugar style stuff) then that is not a chef.  That is a Seller-Chef.  Which is to say, a marketing person who can cook.

I am so sick of watching cooking shows or reading cooking magazines and hearing about how Rachel Ray (sorry, you're my number 1 pet peeve, sweetie) cannot do without her EVOO dispenser (oh yes, don't get me started on how she is single-handedly trying to turn olive oil into EVOO.  The chef's version of trying to start a new "LOL") or walking through my local store and seeing shelf upon shelf of her product.  Ditto Paula Dean, Mario Battali (who at least does not have his own show to flaunt on), and half a dozen others from all walks of cooking.

Now, don't get me wrong, some people are going about it the right way.  Alton Brown, for example, tells you why you need a specific item (usually an upgraded version of something you'd usually use like bread flour instead of all purpose).  So far as I'm concerned, that's fine and dandy because it's saying "Hey, you can do this however you want with whatever you want.  Just warning you, though, your bread will be tough."  Also I don't think he actually has products to sell other than his cookbooks...

Anyway, back to your non-so-regularly scheduled recipes!  Thanks for bearing with me!

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