Eric’s Comments (group member since Jan 26, 2011)

Eric’s comments from the Q&A with Chef Eric Ripert group.

Thank you to everyone for contributing such interesting questions and for all of your kind comments about Avec Eric and Le Bernardin! I've had a great week (and 1 day) with all of you here on goodreads.com. Happy Reading...Happy Cooking. Until the next time...Eric Ripert

Claudia wrote: "Are you agree with the less is more rule?
Do you think that young French chefs abuse a little bit of the use of too many ingredients?
Do you really think that an upscale fine dining could be pro..."

I think each Chef has his or her own style, French or otherwise. Here at Le Bernardin simplicity is definitely key. Our philosophy is that the fish is the star of the plate. And everything else on the plate is there to elevate the fish. And fine dining in NYC is indeed very vibrant and lively. Even during the great recession, Le Bernardin did very very well.

Elisabeth wrote: "I have a general question about making substitutions for nuts in some of the recipes (my boyfriend has a severe nut allergy). Are there other ingredients that you recommend as substitutes or would..."

Generally, if I am cooking for someone allergic to nuts, I just remove them. It’s difficult to replace the flavor and texture of nuts. However, the impact is usually moderate … for example a pesto will taste delicious even without the pine nuts.

Garri wrote: "Dear Chef,
My questions relates to linguine carbonara recepe in "Avec Eric" book and on the website (there is a recepe with tagliatelle, as well). The dish is great - it is as simple and quick, as..."

Our apologies for the confusion. There were some varying versions between the recipes for the dishes as I prepared them on the show and what I posted on the site. All should be cohesive now. But having said that, if you prefer the version wtih less sauce--by all means use it! There are no hard and fast rules with this dish. And as for the type of pasta...that is just personal preference as well.

Chenoa wrote: "Chef,
My favorite fish is salmon but I am tired of what I've been doing (butter/garlic/lemon/caper sauce or a soy/ginger/garlic marinade) and would like some advice on how to cook a great flavor a..."

I love to cook salmon...here's one recipe that's a little bit different...but still easy and delicious. I demonstrated it recently for Regis & Kelly: http://aveceric.com/wp/recipes/guest-...

Pamela wrote: "Hi Chef -

I caught an episode in which you made Crepes Suzette. It is one of my favorite dishes. I'm going to give it a try and was thinking about investing in a Krampouz, since I think there i..."

I didn’t need butter in the pan because I put butter in the batter. But you definitely need some, if not, the batter will stick to the pan. If you have a Teflon pan at home, it does exactly the same job as the Krampouz. Good luck!

Catherine wrote: "Chef,

I confused about risotto. I loved your recipe in your book. I see that it requires all of the liquid be absorbed after each addition. However, I've seen risotto where it "spreads" on the pl..."

Risotto is supposed to be runny. The grains of rice are almost fully cooked with a tiny resistance and of course they must be whole, not broken.

I'm so sorry I'm running out of time tonight...am being called to the kitchen. But I will log back in on Monday...and I promise to answer the questions you have already sent in! Have a great weekend.

Elisabeth wrote: "Hi Chef-
One last question. How do you come up with the concepts for your books? Both Avec Eric and A Return to Cooking are much more than recipe collections and provide the reader with some of ..."

Return to Cooking was directly inspired by my desire to get back in the kitchen and interact more directly with the food. In the years preceding the making of the book, I had transitioned to the role of Executive Chef and in that role you become more akin to the conductor of the symphony versus the saxo player. So the book was an excuse to immerse myself in the seasons and cook directly from what was available. And take a break from managing and just focus solely on cooking and creativity.

Next we made On The Line which was a documentary of the life of Le Bernardin and an homage to the team of the restaurant. We wanted to show in detail what we do, how we do it and the recipes are exactly how we make them here. Not modified for the home cook.

And Avec Eric is the companion book to our series with many pictures, back stories and behind the scenes from the making of the show along with recipes.

I don’t know what the next book will be…but the only rule we have for ourselves is that we have to be excited about the concept and inspired by it.

Garri wrote: "Dear Chef,
I love the show, but it starts a little too early for me and, I think, most people with normal 8-hour work day (i.e., 6pm Eastern time). I do watch it on the website, and, also, bought ..."

Unfortunately we have absolutely zero control on what time the show airs on local PBS stations. One suggestion would be to call your local affiliate and make the request. They are responsive when they hear from viewers. Good luck!

Ian wrote: "Chef -

One of the things that I enjoy most is watching your visceral reactions to eating great food (watching you eat David Kinch's soup at Manresa comes to mind). When I take a bite of a great d..."

Ian wrote: "Chef -

One of the things that I enjoy most is watching your visceral reactions to eating great food (watching you eat David Kinch's soup at Manresa comes to mind). When I take a bite of a great d..."

I have always had a strong connection to food. From a young age I remember loving to eat and in fact, eating all the time, annoying my mom and my grandmothers while they were cooking asking for tastes. So I think the pleasure I get from eating great food-like David's -is something innate for me.

Thank you for your kind comments about Avec Eric. I’m so glad you have enjoyed it.

iliana wrote: "Hello Chef --I catch a lot of trout here in Vermont, and I end up smoking a good deal of it over alder wood and then freezing it. I'd be delighted with any inspiration with regard to either fresh ..."

Trout are also very good when you poach them in a court bouillon (which is a broth made with vinegar, water, salt, black pepper, onions, garlic and bay leaves). The broth is very strong and overly seasoned and therefore cannot be used for a sauce but is a great cooking liquid to give flavor to the trout.

I'm so sorry...I do not recall the name. It was in the middle of a market...

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I heard some interesting comments on vegetarians, especially about when they visit foreign countries, from Anthony Bourdain when I went to his live show last night!

Chef, I would like to visit Le ..."

On the contrary, we will be more than happy to cook the fish to your liking when you join us at Le Bernardin. Just let us know and we'll take care of it...

Heather wrote: "Thank you so much for doing this, Mr Ripert!
I was wondering what your thoughts were on vegetarianism in this current age, specifically in relation to the work of Michael Pollan, [a..."

I am not a vegetarian. However I find that I tend to eat more vegetables than meat protein. A lot of people cannot properly sustain their health on a vegetarian-only diet. But for the ones who can and if they have the will and pleasure of being vegetarians I have no problem with that of course!

Jason wrote: "Hi Chef!
I work with a small culinary training program, 13 weeks of the basics for unemployed people so that they can be trained enough to find employment in a kitchen. What would you say is your ..."

To me the most challenging technique to learn in the beginning is to have good knife skills. I highly recommend anyone working in the kitchen to master that skill. Even if in the beginning it’s frustrating and often painful.

Lacey wrote: "A off the wall question how did you and Anthony Bourdain become friends?"

We became friends after I read Kitchen Confidential. I liked the book a lot and I invited Anthony to come have lunch at Le Bernardin. That was the beginning of our friendship.

iliana wrote: "I would love to know the name of the butcher shop where Chef found the truffle slicer & bought a steak. That was a beautiful shop! That presentation of the pig's head was beautiful."

hmmm. This is not ringing a bell...on which show did you see this?

Patrick wrote: "I'm curious to know who you think is the most talented chef ever to appear as a contestant on Top Chef?

Also, what do you think of Michael Pollan's claims that the entire food-TV industry hasn't a..."

In this season of Top Chef I think we see some creative talents especially in Angelo and Richard Blais.

As for Mr. Pollan, I disagree. I think food TV as an overall has brought a lot of curiosity and desire to cook at home. We see more and more green markets everywhere and stores, such as Whole Foods which sell top quality ingredients on the rise

Heather wrote: "I love it when you join Tony on his show as it seems like you two have a great time. Though, what is it like to do Top Chef? Are the chefs chosen for their skills or for their acting chops? And wha..."

I am not involved in the casting for Top Chef – I have seen some very strong talents and also interesting personalities. However, when we judge the food we take only in consideration what is on the plate in front of us and I can assure you the winner is the contestant who gives us the best food and the one who goes home, the weakest.