Food Critics Advice Requested

[Jeansi]

caramelized is just a term meaning cooking in a way to draw out the natural sugar of the item. Onions and carrots have a lot of natural sugar, so if you cook them over low heat, they will naturally become sweet.

Yea, it does make them more caloric, however, it's not like adding additional sugars.

There more calories in them too? Just thought it went over from good carbs to bad carbs. O well I wouldn't know.

[Subjugation]

what does it taste like? just roughly

Well, the salad part pretty much tastes the way you would imagine. The melon vinagrette is subtly fruity---not overwhelming. Actually, the peas were a bit of a suprise. I boiled them in the pan juices I roasted the chicken with, and as the peas cooked, the liquid got reduced, so they ended up with a pretty meaty flavor to them. And the caramelized veg have a nice contrasting sweet and salty flavor. It works well with the chicken.

There more calories in them too? Just thought it went over from good carbs to bad carbs. O well I wouldn't know.

You know, actually, I'm not 100% positive about the reason for the calorie variance. I read on some nutrition guide where it converted calories for carrots, and then there was a number for cooked and a lower amount for uncooked. I am only speculating that the reason for the different numbers is related to the chemical effect of the cooking process.

It's going to bug me now, so I'm going to get a better answer from someone more familiar with culinary chemistry or nutrition and get back to you. I'd rather say "I don't know" than give you the wrong info.

[scumbag]

Well, the salad part pretty much tastes the way you would imagine. The melon vinagrette is subtly fruity---not overwhelming. Actually, the peas were a bit of a suprise. I boiled them in the pan juices I roasted the chicken with, and as the peas cooked, the liquid got reduced, so they ended up with a pretty meaty flavor to them. And the caramelized veg have a nice contrasting sweet and salty flavor. It works well with the chicken.

:wub: droooooool, very nice, hungry now

[Mr. Peanuts]

The vinaigrette is sweet fruity?

[Subjugation]

Nah, it's a subtle melon flavor. It's more like a red wine vinegar with a hint of honeydew.

[Riesen]

It needs to be more deep-fried. I'm kidding, of course you could try it and it might be pretty good.

If it was on the menu at a restaurant, I'd order it without peas and ask for ranch dressing instead. I'm not a big vingarette guy.

[Benno]

You know, actually, I'm not 100% positive about the reason for the calorie variance. I read on some nutrition guide where it converted calories for carrots, and then there was a number for cooked and a lower amount for uncooked. I am only speculating that the reason for the different numbers is related to the chemical effect of the cooking process.

It's going to bug me now, so I'm going to get a better answer from someone more familiar with culinary chemistry or nutrition and get back to you. I'd rather say "I don't know" than give you the wrong info.

or becuase people fry with oil? The other posiblity is the chemical change that occurs during frying makes them easier for your body to use, thus being more caloric.

I makes salads like that for dinner all the time. Sans peas though, i'm allergic to legumes.

[Mr. Peanuts]

Sounds good, j=t.

I really want to cook since I have quite a large knowledge of cookery and am quite skilled in the kitchen but we never have any decent foods in.

Do you have a link that could give me some inspiration and recipes on cooking with quite very staple foods?

[Ephemeral]

Sounds tasty, and taking pictures of food to make it actually look good is very hard.

Try the presentation on a plate that is more plain, perhaps white bone china with a simple border?

[Tone]

Sorry to make this thread since I know it will appeal to very few of you, but I kind of would like to solicit some honest advice. I'm working on a project with some of the stuff I like to mess around with in the kitchen, and I'm not sure if I should add this dish or not to my collection of recipes.

This dish is totally just a "health food" type of recipe, and usually healthy and nutritious cuisine is neither popular in the restaurant industry, nor do most chefs consider it worth doing. That's why I'm kind of leaning against adding it to my project.

It's a split pea salad with chicken and caramelized onions and carrots. Tasted good, and is nutritionally balanced, but I just don't think anyone would order it if it was on a menu. It's just not very "sexy". I mean, there's no sauce dripping all over the place, there's no gooey cheese, or any of the other high fat additions that make most people like certain foods.

Anyway, I'd love to get some feedback on if you think it sounds like a shitty dish, or just any feedback at all...positive or negative. How would you change it, does it need more color, etc.

Seriously, if you think it's lame, tell me straight---this is just business to me, so I'm not going to take it personally if you think it sucks.

Replace the chicken with TOFU and use that expensive margarine that uses a different method of solidification other that partially hydrogenized if you want to pay extra money. for cheese use a fine danish import of havarti for a modest taste, or blue cheese for intense flavor.

i just eat what i want and take these pills to compinsate: Walgreens Ultra Choice Multi vitamin/mineral/other antioxidants, beta-sitosterol, omega 3 fatty acid, baby asprin, apple seeds for vitamin B-17, an occasional SAM-e lately. would be wise to add the drug selegiline and the most powerful antioxidant pill you could find to this arsenal

[Mr. Peanuts]

He was asking for some advice on what he has there. Although I do hate hydrogenated foods as the fat stays solid in your body.

[bloodzombie]

Might not go with the melon in the dressing, but when I look at the picture, it screams "Add goat cheese to me!"

It's not something I would order, but I rarely ever order the light/healthy stuff on a menu.


"If it was on the menu at a restaurant, I'd order it without peas and ask for ranch dressing instead. I'm not a big vingarette guy."

this is the guy you hate to see walk in the door when you work a restaurant.

[Arikel]

Sorry to make this thread since I know it will appeal to very few of you, but I kind of would like to solicit some honest advice. I'm working on a project with some of the stuff I like to mess around with in the kitchen, and I'm not sure if I should add this dish or not to my collection of recipes.

This dish is totally just a "health food" type of recipe, and usually healthy and nutritious cuisine is neither popular in the restaurant industry, nor do most chefs consider it worth doing. That's why I'm kind of leaning against adding it to my project.

It's a split pea salad with chicken and caramelized onions and carrots. Tasted good, and is nutritionally balanced, but I just don't think anyone would order it if it was on a menu. It's just not very "sexy". I mean, there's no sauce dripping all over the place, there's no gooey cheese, or any of the other high fat additions that make most people like certain foods.

Anyway, I'd love to get some feedback on if you think it sounds like a shitty dish, or just any feedback at all...positive or negative. How would you change it, does it need more color, etc.

Seriously, if you think it's lame, tell me straight---this is just business to me, so I'm not going to take it personally if you think it sucks.

Hum!! Well i dont like peas so i wouldn't order it... but it seems more or less adequate. As many others have told you i would change the way you display the food, try getting a better plate and dispose each part of it separately, get less food in each plate and separate each component in a harmonious (sp) way.

[Subjugation]

Thanks a lot for the feedback guys. Actually, it was very helpful in getting me to figure out how I could change the presentation to appear more attractive, and what kinds of ingredients that I could change, in order to make it seem more interesting.

For example, there have been some people that have mentioned they don't like the split peas. I think a change can be made there, by changing it to french lentils, wild rice, or pearl cous cous. Also, I think BZ was right on the money with the goat cheese idea. It was kind of missing that little something "extra", and I think that helps push it into the right direction.

Also, the chicken could be better looking in the salad if it wasn't sliced with a knife. If it was torn, and mixed in with the salad, I think the asthetics would be improved. That also helps with how some people didn't like the layered presentation.

Again, thanks a lot. You guys helped save this idea from winding up in the trashcan.

[Jeansi]

Just hearing about pearl cous cous in a chicken salad makes me feel ill