A COOKS POINT OF VIEW

HAO ONE VS. LING EXPRESS

DIRTY TRICK #5--

I have been asked by several people what the main difference between rices are and this is part of the definition according to Wikipedia: There are many varieties of rice; for many purposes the main distinction is between long- and short-grain rice. The grains of long-grain rice tend to remain intact after cooking; short-grain rice becomes more sticky. Short-grain rice is used for sweet dishes, and for risotto and many Spanish dishes. The seeds of the rice plant are first milled using a rice huller to remove the chaff (the outer husks of the grain). At this point in the process, the product is called brown rice. The milling may be continued, removing the 'bran' (i.e. the rest of the husk and the germ), thereby creating white rice. White rice, which keeps longer and is preferred by most, lacks some important nutrients; in a limited diet which does not supplement the rice, brown rice helps to prevent the deficiency disease beriberi. If you really want to know more about rice, just type in 'rice' on your search engine and there are literally hundreds of sources to choose from.

Last week we left off on the rice dirty tricks and the only thing I really mentioned was the flowering of the ends of the grain to determine age of the product. The smell of the rice is key--if it smells sour, it's bad! Don't buy into the line, "it's the cheese you smell." Nonsense, I knew a guy once that ate some rice at a Vietnamese place out in San Diego and instantly had to get it out of his mouth. That's a vision I really didn't want to re-visit, but for the sake of the article it was imperative. The manager told him that he just didn't understand the dish and the statement the chef was making. After reading 'boiled meatloaf' on the menu; I was almost inclined to agree with the manager. Just for spite, and because the manager said he could'nt take the dish with him, he smuggled a portion of the rice out in a napkin and took his sample to a lab at San Diego State University. There was a list of bacteria about eight inches long that he posted on a bulletin board on campus. The restaurant lost a lot of business because of that and they are probably closed by now. Unfortunately, the only way of being absolutely sure that the rice is bad is by smell or taste. Sight doesn't help as there are some rice dishes, rice pudding, batters or breads that call for an older, used rice. Touch doesn't help as many of the rices are 'sticky', such as Basmatti. Unless you are eating Rice Krispies, hearing doesn't help. So here we are left to the tender mercies of smell and taste. After much exhausting research; that is the only solution I have come upon. Sorry, wish I could be more informative.

                                                            HAO ONE VS. LING EXPRESS

In keeping with the Olympic theme of the week; I set up a comparison between two local Chinese restaurants. One of them being Hao One which is set on Hwy. 60 at Gornto Lake Rd. (in the same strip mall as Outback Steakhouse). Isn't it funny how quite a few local businesses are given credibility just for being in the same mall as Outback. There are a couple of the shops in that mall that are, quite frankly, a joke. We can address those issues at a later date but for now I'm trying to maintain focus on a restaurant theme column. The other restaurant I checked out was the Ling Express in the Bloomingdale Shopping Center at Bell Shoals and Bloomingdale. Not known for it's seating; I'm told there are two tables, the Ling Express is better known as a delivery service restaurant. I got my food from Ling Express delivered during the weekend and just to keep it fair; I was going to get the same exact order "to go" from Hao One. Upon arriving at Hao One just about a half hour ago; I found it to be closed down. So, instead of me telling you of my experience at Hao One; I find myself in front of my computer singing my rendition of Queen's, "Another One Bites The Dust." It just goes to show you, it doesn't matter who your neighbors are, if you're not doing the job better than the other guy; you are going to close down. Of course, it could be that five out of the six Chinese employees were under age.....pause for the Olympic joke to sink in....that's better, I'm back. I can't wait for the feedback from that joke. Speaking of feedback; last week I asked if anyone knew of a good deli in Brandon. In response to this request; a friend of mine happened to be going to New York this past week and he sent me a couple of pastrami sandwiches from the Carnegie Deli. The Carnegie Deli is the world famous place around the corner from The Letterman Show. What a pair of colossal sandwiches! He paid a small fortune to ship them overnight but I fed on them for a few days. They were actually too large for me to bite into so I actually made three sandwiches out of the two. Unless you have the ability to unhinge your lower jaw like a snake; I can only think of one person in my life that I have ever met with a mouth big enough to perform this task. I want to thank Mark for sending them down, they were delicious.  But, I still want to know if there is a good deli in Brandon so my friends don't have to ship down food from New York.  Oh, and by the way, Ling Express wins this competition by default since they are the last one standing.

MY EXPERIENCE--I got my food from the delivery guy fairly quick, especially for a weekend, but that will all change during football season. Reasonably priced and very accommodating over the phone but that quickly changed. I ordered my Shrimp Fried Rice with Jumbo Shrimp and NO BEANSPROUTS. Before anyone starts; I realize that bean sprouts are super healthy for you but I just don't like the way they feel in my mouth. EW!! So, naturally, I called to speak with a manager. I'm really not sure what I was expecting but I surely wasn't expecting to get yelled at for calling and interrupting her busy night. This seemingly nice lady took the phone from the employee and asked me what was wrong. I never mentioned any type of problem with the employee; I simply asked to speak to a manager. She didn't ask me if there was anything she could help me with or not even a 'how may I direct your call?'. Instead, the first words out of her mouth was, "what's wrong?". Then she began to tell me that there were no beansprouts in the food because she checks out all the food before it goes out. For those of you who know me, picture me sitting at my desk doing a horrible Oriental accent and motioning with my hands here and there as I write this column. A Kodak moment, for sure. Back to the story, at the time I was a little bit miffed, but now that I think of it; how ingenious is that? She got to vent her frustration and I got what I had coming to me. I was left sitting there feeling alone and helpless and she got to go back to work with a smile on her face knowing she just told off a fool who expected something to be done because he found a bean sprout in his food. Nutcase on the phone handled---she got to check that one off on her 'to do' list for the day. Back to the food, except for the sprouts; the rice was perfect. The shrimp were huge and many and the onions crisp and tiny; as they should be cooked when you saute' in a wok. The Crab Rangoon and Potstickers (steamed dumplings) were perfect, also. They even sent me the homemade hot mustard as I requested instead of that packaged nonsense they normally give away. My fortune cookie said I was going to meet the girl of my dreams and my lucky numbers didn't pan out. It's just as well because my wife wouldn't buy that girl of my dreams crap, anyway, even if the cookie told me so. Any suggestions for next week? Good Appetite, Brandon.

THE CRACKER BARREL

DIRTY TRICK #4

As was pointed out to me; I apologize for my being remiss in my ravings on the potato conspiracy. I completely forgot the king of potato tricks--the mashed potato. It all comes back to color and texture. Don't buy this nonsense that the yellow color and the gummy consistency is caused by the cheese. Granted, the cheese will add yellow to the potatos outside but the texture the cheese gives is a creamy one that moves on the potato. Two simple rules for mashed or twice baked potatos..cheese creamy good, potato gummy bad. A great example of fresh potatos is from the Cheesecake Factory. Every twenty minutes or so a fresh batch is made on the spot in the prep kitchen. Only salt, pepper, butter and cream are added to the red potatos. In training, the mashed potatos critical points are described as creamy, lumpy and bumpy. A critical point is the corporate description of what the food should look like before being sent to a table. Critical points are great because it tells the cook exactly what specifications are required to meet company standards. In some restaurants, like TGI Friday's, there are booklets that describe every aspect of the food being prepared. They even have a bad list that tells you what you did wrong in the recipe to make your food so ugly.

RICE-- Rice is a simple yet tricky dish because there are so many types of rice from converted to Basmatti. A converted rice is a white rice made from brown rice that has been soaked and pressurized to force the nutrients inside the grain of rice. It is then dried and milled, then sent to market. It's still considered a white rice for cooking purposes. A white rice that has not been washed will be gummy and hold shape well for things like molds and presentations These are the mounds of rice that look like snow rabbits with black olives for eyes and balls of rice for tails. Most places will wash the rice several times before cooking to get rid of the sticky aspect and get the fluffy thing going. How ever you like your rice is a matter of taste at the time, however, some places like to extend the shelf life of a food item for food cost issues. When you look at the end of a grain of rice, it should be rounded and firm regardless of type of rice. If the end of the rice is 'flowered', then it's too old and ready to turn into mush. That's why I don't care for some of these instant seven minute rice packages. They are only good for the first day, usually. We'll get more into rice next week as I am going to do a little more research.

THE CRACKER BARREL

Like the song says, I'm a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock 'n roll. Not too many people out there will quote Donny and Marie without flinching and I didn't even twitch. That's because I'm pretty full right now and am ready to kick back and watch some TV until I doze off into nap-land. I don't know why Nicole Kidman was so upset at Keith Urban for taking her to lunch at The Cracker Barrel. I don't know of any Cracker Barrels that got shut down for health violations like the big time places she's used to eating. Wolfgang Puck has been issued citation after citation for his violations. Emeril LaGasse just had a couple of his places get warnings posted and one of my personal favorite chefs in the world, Anthony Bourdaine, just had his doors shut at his Los Angeles eatery for too many violations including rat droppings on the bakery rack. Even Chef Ramsey from Hell's Kitchen, who is the cruelest and meanest cook I've ever seen got a few major violations these past few months. So you can go ahead and dine at those up-scale places run by the big time chefs but give me a nice, clean and food safe restaurant with a tasty menu anytime. Of course, don't get me wrong, there are quite a few major league restaurants with big time chefs that do outstanding jobs such as Bern's, Margaritaville, Shula's and even Ruth Chris's. They are all extremely clean and all have great food. I like going to fine dining establishments for special occasions, but me, I'm blue collar and I prefer a Longhorn to a Sam Seltzer anytime. Sorry, did I say Sam Seltzer's? Weren't they the restaurant in the Westfield Mall that took in all the bad managers and rotten employees from the failed Tia's Mexican Restaurant and put them in charge of the steakhouse in one of the busiest mall in the Southeast United States?  In my learned opinion, they got rid of all the great waitresses and managers who were there and replaced them with morons, this one in particular, who I literally saw carry food to a table with his cell phone in his ear. Great managerial style guys! I couldn't believe it when I saw it unfold before my eyes. That's why I quit going and I've spoken to many others who agree. Who pulled that debacle off and do they still have jobs? People wonder why restaurants are going down by the handful. It's the employees that are taking down places like Bennigan's and Steak and Ale. Think about it, people are always going to go out to eat. Sometimes you get a bad meal and I know it's happened to almost each and every one of us but we will overlook it and write it off if the service is great. Of course, there are some restaurants that I wouldn't care if the service was the greatest in the world; I still wouldn't walk in their front door. Enough social analysis for the time being; I just got home from a lunch at The Cracker Barrel

My experience: I went with my wife and daughter so I got to try all their food, also. First off; having you walk through the store before entering the restaurant is a genius move. A very pleasant lady, that reminded me of the woman who bakes pies and sets them on her window sill to cool down, sat us at a table right next to the store. We all know where my nine year old daughter spent her time while waiting for lunch. A really great waitress named Sarah came over to us immediately and took our drink order. She soon arrived with our drinks and quickly after that there was a basket of biscuits with all the extras (butter, honey, jam). A manager walked by and smiled at us. He got two paces behind me and stopped and backed up to ask me how everything was going. Good style points for that dismount. Like how I managed to slip the Olympic theme into a restaurant conversation?

I started with the Chicken Nooodle Soup and I tell you, I've had none better in Brandon. Even the noodles were home made and it had a very rich chicken stock that I loved. Another manager came by and said hello. I had just had a discussion with a friend of mine from Philadelphia about the deli world and the difference between the sandwiches from up North as compared to the ones down South. We both agree there is no comparison. If anybody out there knows of a great deli down here; please let me know. Anyway, this Reuben seemed to jump out at me from the menu so I figured I'd give it a try. The bread was grilled perfectly and the flavor was almost there. There was plenty of cheese and sauerkraut but the meat was a little shy. I don't like those four inch high meat piles they throw on bread in some places but I'd like a little more than was there. It's probably the best Reuben I've had in Brandon but it just wasn't a Yankee Reuben. My daughter had the half pound burger steak and she liked it but it was too bland for me and someday I pray my daughter will develop taste buds. She's the only nine year old that I know of who knows how to incorporate a roux into a sauce properly but her taste buds??? The mashed potatos and gravy were great with FRESH mashed potatos. You all know by now how I feel about fresh potatos so take it from me when I tell you it's fresh; believe it. My wife had the pot roast that was very tasty along with these delicious apples that would go great over ice cream or pancakes but they serve them ala carte', which suits me fine. One of these days my wife is going to find a restaurant that serves a bowl of hot fudge all by itself and that will be a happy day in my home. Another manager came to say hi and bye as we were finishing our meal. That's what I'm talking about...people, people, people make the restaurant. The managers were great and so was the server and the hostess, even the cashier was a breath of fresh air. Even if the meal was bad; I'd give it another try. Next week, in keeping with the Olympic theme, I'm going to try a couple of local Chinese restaurants and compare them. Any suggestions??

Good Appetite, Brandon---RDCook

CHEDDAR'S

A COOK'S POINT OF VIEW

DIRTY TRICK NUMBER THREE--

Let's stick with potatos...Another way to save on food cost is to use yesterday's potatos for the next day's side dish of the day. That's okay if the recipe calls for the potato to be cooked for that reason but be careful. Once again, watch for the discoloration of the potato since yellow is not the color we want in our potato. Texture is important. We are looking for the crumbly, white meat of the potato. The gummy feel of the potato is another tell tale sign of wrong-doings by an unscrupulous chef. Watch Au Gratins that have chunks of potato as opposed to thin slices. Most chefs will use cheese to 'enhance' the potato dish but that's just like throwing a mask on a brick; we all know it's still a brick. The patron who is well informed will prevail. There's no need to sit at a table and start tearing the chef's food apart and making a scene, show some class and keep them in mind the next time somebody asks you, "Hey. where's a good place to eat around here?". That's when you get to show your knowledge, share it with a friend and tell them to pass it along. Next week...Rice.

CHEDDAR'S ----I ran into this cook at a bar not too long ago and he had quite a bit to say about the bad managers and bad food at Cheddar's. According to him; a corporate big wig told him that Cheddar's bought the 'Best Of Brandon Award' by romancing the Chamber of Commerce. He tried to describe it as a place where demons spawn and creatures of the night dwell. He was a bit too dramatic for me so I took everything he said with a grain of salt. In the first place, he rambled on too much and never really offered any proof or examples of what he was talking about. And for him to remotely have any political ties where they would give him an insight into the inner workings of the Chamber of Commerce is like me saying that Steven King has me proof read his novels before going to publication. Never take the word of a disgruntled employee.

     My experience: I came in at about three thirty in the afternoon on my way back from Tampa. I figured it would be a good time to grab a burger since no one would keep a burger in a warmer that long after lunch. We'll discuss warmer techniques at another time. Apparently I was wrong. The burger was old and dry but the bun was fresh. The tomatos were flubbery and the lettuce was wilted. The pickles and bacon were absolutely fresh but I didn't get too excited about the barbeque sauce. I almost want to describe it as tasteless but that's impossible for barbeque sauce, right? Remember last week where I told you about the fry cook putting the hot, fresh fries on the top and hiding the old, stale fries underneath? Well, it happened to me here. I ate the few fresh fries on top and couldn't even finish my burger because I was so disappointed. I've spoken to a few friends about Cheddar's and they all rave about it so maybe I just got the idiot cook from the bar that started this whole thing about Cheddar's. I'll give it a try again but I'll wait until I see the idiot cook at the other bar and then run down to Cheddar's for a quick burger. Speaking of which; it was a quick burger and served by an excellent staff. The bartenders were outstanding since they got hit with a surprise three thirty rush. They handled the bar, the two top tables around the bar area and the outside. I was very impressed with the manager and the wait staff as they kept moving and wiping things down when they weren't busy. I think the bartenders were Jeremy(?) and Steven(?) and I completely forgot the manager's name. This is going to sound lame and keep in mind I never got to use this excuse in school, but my dog ate my notes. That sounded just as goofy in my mind as it looks on paper.

     I keep getting asked to do a review of the Chili's on Highway 60 near the Westfield Mall but I'm afraid I have to decline. I worked there for a short stint a few years back and I have a total dislike for anybody even remotely associated with that particular Chili's. I would like to think I'm the type of person who could be totally objective but I can't seem to even walk in the door. I sat in the parking lot for a couple of minutes and couldn't bribe or threaten myself into entering. I'll keep the reasons to myself as it is a personal dislike and not professional. Next week I think I'll try one of those new places in the strip mall across from Walmart on Lumsden Ave. Maybe Tioga's down the road. Any requests? Good Appetite, Brandon --RDCook

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

Hey guys,

    DIRTY TRICK NUMBER TWO: We're going to stick with the potato theme and discuss baked potatos. When you recieve your baked potato, you should ask that it not be cut open when you recieve it. If you have ever eaten at Bern's Steakhouse, you will notice that's exactly how they do it...at the table in front of you.  Some potato stations have one guy working and it can be grueling work in a busy restaurant. Now, whenever I have worked a potato station, I always get a fresh knife every fifteen minutes or so but I have seen some cooks use a knife with hours old crust on the knife. I actually saw this once and went over and cleverly dropped his knife on the floor 'by accident' and replaced the knife. The 'accident' was necessary as it is a very dangerous act to go to another cook's station and tell him how to run it unless you are a manager.  Back to the tubors...If the potato comes out pre-cut; you need to inspect where the skin meets the flesh of the potato. There should be very little seperation if any between the two. It should be a brilliant white and fluff out when you pinch the ends and squeeze them towards the middle, slightly. Any dull yellow or brown is an indication of an old potato. As far as microwaved potatos...I don't see anything wrong with them as long as they are cooked right. The only difference I have found is the skin is much softer and won't be used for potato skins later. Some places use old baked potatos for soup or even some type of Au Gratin. We'll discuss potato side dishes next week...I need more ammo for this exercise.

                                                  A COOK'S POINT OF VIEW            

                                                        KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

    I know I was supposed to do a report on Cheddars today but I have another pressing matter on my mind that requires my immediate attention and I have to share with you. A couple of weeks ago, I went to Kentucky Fried Chicken store #G974011 on Bloomingdale in Valrico and had a horrific experience. I'm not worried about any backlash from them as everything is documented and now it is in the public domain. I was at register #2 at 6:24 P.M. for documentation purposes and my receipt is ticket # 99.

    I ordered the pot pie and twenty sauceless wings, simple enough. After the girl took my order; she turned to the back and yelled, "Hey, I need a band aid out here." I was a little concerned and I didn't see any blood anywhere but I kept a close eye on the girl, regardless. She used a pair of tongs to get my pot pie out of the warmer, no worries so far. She was in the middle of getting my wings when a second girl came over and said, "Let me see." The first girl turned over her wrist and showed her the open wound. The second girl applied the bandage on the spot RIGHT OVER MY OPEN BOX OF WINGS. After they were finished dressing her wound; she closed my box of wings, put them in the bag with the pot pie and handed them to me. They could have stepped off the line for a minute or two and gone someplace private or hey, I've got an idea...Soap, Water, Sanitizer or maybe even Disinfectant. What have sanitation practices come to in one of America's favorite places to eat chicken? There were a few people in the restaurant and I'm not into public displays of anger so I simply threw the bag in the trash.

      You would think the story would end there...but NOOO. I contacted them by way of e-mail and told them what happened. Then I said I wanted my $15.81 back, not a penny less or more, and I didn't care if it was in gift card form because there is another KFC close to my home. I still love KFC but I refuse to go to that store again. Well, I got a reply from a Harvey Brownlee, KFC Chief Operating Officer, and all it did was add insult to injury. He sent me an automated letter with a stamped signature saying they look forward to serving me again. Attached to this letter was a "Special Guest Check" for $10.00 redeemable at the KFC in question. I am fuming at this point! I don't know about the rest of you but I will not be handled in a condescending manner by anyone. Aren't you a little fed up with being on the other end of a corporate rubber stamp? So, I e-mailed the corporate office again and expressed my displeasure with their handling of this situation. Then I called up the KFC complaint line and spoke to a very nice person named Shannon Brooks who politely put me on hold for a very long time while she spoke to her supervisor. I was mysteriously disconnected; don't you just hate that?

     I'm pretty sure I have to go see my dentist at this point because I wore down at least an eighth inch of enamel off my molars. Next I wrote to the corporate office in Atlanta, Ga. and sent them my receipt and the original letter from Mr. Harvey Brownlee with "Special Guest Check' attached. I told them that I do not want a guest check for $10.00, I want my $15.81. If they send me a check for twenty dollars, I will give $4.19 to the counterperson for a tip. Have restaurant managers really gone down to such an egregious level of management? I really like some of the products at KFC but I can surely develop a taste for Red Beans and Rice with my Cajun Chicken(their biscuits are better anyway). I was going to let this whole thing pass by the window until I got 'handled', and I feel we should all step up and quit taking this nonsense from people like the ones I am dealing with at KFC.

      An update on this situation...A lady named Barbara, a customer service supervisor, sent me a gift certificate for twenty dollars. She didn't give me her last name which I thought to be funny. I wouldn't give somebody as angry as me my last name either.  Too bad she didn't; it would have been the only favorable name mentioned in this episode.  At least someone in the KFC corporation knows how to respond to an angry customer. You should never assume a superior role by being condescending but be straight forward and with a sense of humor.  Kudos to Barbara What's-her-name.  I do have to admit that I spent the whole twenty but I thought about it and figure I earned it......

Good Appetite, Brandon --R.D. Cook