Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Brunch menus are an open invitation to the cost-conscious chef, a dumping ground for the odd bits left over from Friday and Saturday nights or for the scraps generated in the normal course of business.

Shallots are one of the things — a basic prep item in every mise-en-place — which make restaurant food taste different from your food.

treat your garlic with respect. Sliver it for pasta,

the metal ring. A thin metal ring, or cut-down section of PVC pipe, about an inch and a half to two inches tall and varying inches across, is the backbone of pretentious food presentation. Just

Brunch is punishment block for the 'B'-Team cooks, or where the farm team of recent dishwashers learn their chops.

Shrimp? All right, if it looks fresh, smells fresh, and the restaurant is busy, guaranteeing turnover of product on a regular basis.

He's a remarkably thoughtful guy — mention you like gummy bears and Steven will show up the next day with a bag. If he stops off at a burger stand for a mayo and mustard and ketchup-slathered grease-burger for breakfast, he'll bring a couple extra so everyone can have some.

The cook's spoons with holes or slots are, unsurprisingly, female, and the unslotted ones, male.

There are a lot of ways to make demi-glace, but I recommend you simply take your already reduced meat stock, add some red wine, toss in some shallots and fresh thyme and a bay leaf and peppercorns, and slowly, slowly simmer it and reduce it again until it coats a spoon.

dried pasta was blanched in small, undercooked