The World of Scott Mindeaux

A Culinary Mentor

I was cleaning up the photo directory on my website when I came across a picture of me graduating from cooking school. When I was attending the Professional Culinary Program at The New School of Cooking, I had the very good fortune of having Carol Cotner Thompson as my teacher/mentor.

Since day one, I was mesmerized. Carol has been an instructor as The New School of Cooking for the last 8+ years. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she has been a food stylist, co-owned a successful catering company, worked at the City Restaurant, a menu designer and has been teaching for nineteen years.

I can listen to Carol talk and teach for hours on end. She has a steady pace to her speak and she knows how to engage you. Her selection of words draws you right in and you visualize the food as she talks about it. Her visual interpretations in her food styling is impeccable.

Carol has and always will be a culinary mentor to me. She is still teaching at the school. Perhaps I need to swing by and make a visit.

Below is a snippet from KCRW’s Good Food show with Evan Kleiman where Carol and Evan talk about vinaigrettes.

http://www.scottmindeaux.com/sounds/carol_vinaigrette.mp3

Podcast: Download

What’s Your Favorite Kitchen Utensil?

So I was mucking around in the kitchen and I was looking at all the utensils I have. So I’m going to highlight one of my utensils and why I like it. I try not to buy something I don’t really need, but there are quite a few I use quite often.

Share your ideas on what your favorite’s are too! I think I will highlight a favorite utensil on a weekly basis.

This week I’m highlighting the Mix N Chop from Pampered Chef. I had heard about Pampered Chef in the past, but for some reason stayed away from them thinking it was just another one of those home kitchen suppliers. A friend in Washington DC, Keith Ridgeway, turned me on to Pampered Chef.

The Mix n Chop sounds like its one of those pounder things you stick an onion in then mash down on it, pulverizing it to pieces. This is not the case. The Mix N Chop is a long handled utensil with a star shaped end piece. PC describes it as the perfect way to break up ground beef when you’re browning it. I was skeptical at first, but I have to say, that it really works! But it does much more than just break up ground meats.

Other uses? Yes.

Everyone knows that making fried rice is best the next day or after the rice has completely cooled off. I place mine in the fridge and sometimes fry it up the next morning. Sometimes, ok, most times the rice is in big chunks and trying to break it down with a wooden spoon seems sometimes futile. The Mix N Chop does a great job of breaking up the rice for the perfect fried rice.

I have even used it with mashed potatoes. Personally, I like my mashed potatoes with some chunks in it. After you boil your potatoes, use the Mix N Chop and you’ll get the consistency I like. Some creamy, some chunky!

Gustav Update

Weather Alert

Good morning everyone. This is a quick Gustav update. The National Hurricane Center issued the following warning:

AT 4 AM CDT…0900 UTC…A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED FOR THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM CAMERON LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE
ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER…INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS…

A warning indicates that a hurricane will hit landfall within the next 24 hours.

While Gustav has been downgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane, it is expected to gain strength as it travels over the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Winds are at 125 MPH and the latest pressure readers are 958 millibars or 28.29.

Click on the image below for an animated loop of Gustav.

4 in the Morning…

Well I was watching some of the Ted Conference videos and came across performance poet and multimedia artist, Rives.

Maybe this explains my 4 AM insomnia…

Podcast: Download

Gustav Grows to Category 4

Weather Alert

The National Hurricane center upgraded Gustav to a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of over 145 MPH. Forecasters predict it could be come a Category 5 as it passes the Western tip of Cuba.

Gustav is moving at about 14 MPH and still on track for hitting landfall in the U.S. in Louisiana. Many residents are already taking precautions and eacuating the area. Gustav is expected to make U.S. landfall late Monday into Tuesday morning.

Pressure has dropped to 942 millibars or 27.82.

Gustav Grows to a Category 3 Hurricane

Weather Alert

Gustav was upgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane. Gustav is currently just SW of the Western tip of Cuba getting ready to make it’s entry into the Gulf of Mexico.

Current pressure readings of Gustav are coming in a 965 millibars or 28.5 inches. Winds are coming in at around 110 MPH.

Current forecasts predict Gustav to hit Louisiana in the early hours of Tuesday.