OT: Thomas Keller Masterclass

bicktrav · February 2020

I'm going through the first Thomas Keller Masterclass right now (vegetables, eggs, and pasta). It's pretty fantastic--definitely worth the price of admission. Has anyone else taken it?

SonVolt · February 2020

I have a few of his cookbooks. I like looking at the beautiful photos more than I actually like cooking from them, as they tend to fall on the overly fussy side. For example, in his Ad Hoc recipe for Chicken Pot Pie he asks the reader to simmer pearled onions, carrots and celery in not 1 but 3 different pots. I'm like, Tom... let's have a talk, it's all going into the same sloppy pie, who cares if the carrots are a little bit softer than the onions.

Stoogie · February 2020

I watched Keller's second Masterclass and thought it was ok. I actually got a lot more out of Gordon Ramsay's Masterclass. His way of making mashed potatoes....errr....pomme purée is my go-to method of making mashed potatoes now when I want to impress.

bicktrav · February 2020

SonVolt said:

I have a few of his cookbooks. I like looking at the beautiful photos more than I actually like cooking from them, as they tend to fall on the overly fussy side. For example, in his Ad Hoc recipe for Chicken Pot Pie he asks the reader to simmer pearled onions, carrots and celery in not 1 but 3 different pots. I'm like, Tom... let's have a talk, it's all going into the same sloppy pie, who cares if the carrots are a little bit softer than the onions.

Haha! I don't have his cookbooks, so can't speak to those, but the Masterclass isn't that fussy. It leans French, which means it does get a bit granular, but so far I haven't encountered any one-pot per ingredient recipes. It's mostly about techniques: pan roasting, confit, glazing, braising, etc.

bicktrav · February 2020

Stoogie said:

I watched Keller's second Masterclass and thought it was ok. I actually got a lot more out of Gordon Ramsay's Masterclass. His way of making mashed potatoes....errr....pomme purée is my go-to method of making mashed potatoes now when I want to impress.

Good to hear! Ramsay is next on my list. So far, I've made some pan-roasted vegetables, omelets, homemade mayonnaise and remoulade from Keller's class All of them have been outstanding and none have been too difficult.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 2020

bicktrav said:

I'm going through the first Thomas Keller Masterclass right now (vegetables, eggs, and pasta). It's pretty fantastic--definitely worth the price of admission. Has anyone else taken it?

I did all the culinary masterclasses over the last 2 years. TK is pretty dry but I got through all of his. Can’t say the same for Gordon. Just got tired of soooo much Gordon. I didn’t finish Massimo either. Just too goofy for me.

dmchicago · February 2020

SonVolt said:

I have a few of his cookbooks. I like looking at the beautiful photos more than I actually like cooking from them, as they tend to fall on the overly fussy side. For example, in his Ad Hoc recipe for Chicken Pot Pie he asks the reader to simmer pearled onions, carrots and celery in not 1 but 3 different pots. I'm like, Tom... let's have a talk, it's all going into the same sloppy pie, who cares if the carrots are a little bit softer than the onions.

My wife has made that TK pot pie many times. She started following the separate pots theorem. By the 3 rd or 4 th time she does them all together. I can’t tell the difference.

She affectionately calls him The Pr!ck.

bicktrav · February 2020

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

I'm going through the first Thomas Keller Masterclass right now (vegetables, eggs, and pasta). It's pretty fantastic--definitely worth the price of admission. Has anyone else taken it?

I did all the culinary masterclasses over the last 2 years. TK is pretty dry but I got through all of his. Can’t say the same for Gordon. Just got tired of soooo much Gordon. I didn’t finish Massimo either. Just too goofy for me.

What was your favorite class? This is my second of the culinary classes (first was Franklin's).

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 2020

bicktrav said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

I'm going through the first Thomas Keller Masterclass right now (vegetables, eggs, and pasta). It's pretty fantastic--definitely worth the price of admission. Has anyone else taken it?

I did all the culinary masterclasses over the last 2 years. TK is pretty dry but I got through all of his. Can’t say the same for Gordon. Just got tired of soooo much Gordon. I didn’t finish Massimo either. Just too goofy for me.

What was your favorite class? This is my second of the culinary classes (first was Franklin's).

I probably got a little something from each but can’t say I loved any of them. I guess I enjoyed Franklin’s but there wasn’t anything that he hadn't shared for free on YouTube. Nice to have it all in one place though so it was cool.

TK is good for technical stuff but he’s so dry I could only watch one or two lessons at a time without falling asleep. Also, I’m not making veal stock every week so other than how to peel a tomato (which I have never done in my life) most of the recipes are unrealistic to do with any regularity at home.

Gordon...well let’s just say it’s a lot of Gordon. I swear if I hear him say “beautiful” one more time I’m going to puke. It’s like a nervous tick of his. He really said “take your beautiful spatula and your beautiful, beautiful non stick pan and stir” at one point (not kidding). Have no idea why they didn’t edit that out but there were dozens more like it. I guess they would have had to reshoot the whole deal lol.

Overall I enjoyed having Masterclass for the 2 years we had the subscription. I don’t think paying $90 a class would have been worth it. I probably watched 8-10 of them for the 2 year subscription cost of $380. My wife and kids watched a few as well so we are probably in for $30-$40 a class. I would say for that price per class it was probably worth it.

bicktrav · February 2020

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

I'm going through the first Thomas Keller Masterclass right now (vegetables, eggs, and pasta). It's pretty fantastic--definitely worth the price of admission. Has anyone else taken it?

I did all the culinary masterclasses over the last 2 years. TK is pretty dry but I got through all of his. Can’t say the same for Gordon. Just got tired of soooo much Gordon. I didn’t finish Massimo either. Just too goofy for me.

What was your favorite class? This is my second of the culinary classes (first was Franklin's).

I probably got a little something from each but can’t say I loved any of them. I guess I enjoyed Franklin’s but there wasn’t anything that he hadn't shared for free on YouTube. Nice to have it all in one place though so it was cool.

TK is good for technical stuff but he’s so dry I could only watch one or two lessons at a time without falling asleep. Also, I’m not making veal stock every week so other than how to peel a tomato (which I have never done in my life) most of the recipes are unrealistic to do with any regularity at home.

Gordon...well let’s just say it’s a lot of Gordon. I swear if I hear him say “beautiful” one more time I’m going to puke. It’s like a nervous tick of his. He really said “take your beautiful spatula and your beautiful, beautiful non stick pan and stir” at one point (not kidding). Have no idea why they didn’t edit that out but there were dozens more like it. I guess they would have had to reshoot the whole deal lol.

Overall I enjoyed having Masterclass for the 2 years we had the subscription. I don’t think paying $90 a class would have been worth it. I probably watched 8-10 of them for the 2 year subscription cost of $380. My wife and kids watched a few as well so we are probably in for $30-$40 a class. I would say for that price per class it was probably worth it.

Great info! Thanks!

I'm enjoying Keller's a lot, but I hear you. His presentation is dry. Still, I've found the techniques, if not the recipes, useful. I've leaned on his vegetable glazing, pan-roasting, and confit methods several times in my own dishes. I've also started making mayonnaise via his instructions, which has been a gamechanger (I don't think I'll ever buy grocery store mayonnaise again). But I'm also a big fan of Keller, so I may be more forgiving of his presentational shortcomings than others. My wife and I go to Napa a good deal, and we've eaten at almost all of his restaurants. Having enjoyed his food for so long, it's a thrill to get to learn from him.

I'm interested in the Ramsay classes, though I'll be on the lookout for the gratuitous "beautifuls." Funny enough, I've noticed that Keller says "beautiful" quite a bit, too. Must be a chef thing.

I'm also interested in the Alice Waters and Gabriela Camara classes. Did you take those, too? Worthwhile? The Massimo one is less appealing to me. My brother went to Osteria Francescana recently and was pretty disappointed with it. Plus, modern Italian cuisine isn't really what I'm interested in. That said, I've got the unlimited subscription, so I may as well check it out.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 2020

bicktrav said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

I'm going through the first Thomas Keller Masterclass right now (vegetables, eggs, and pasta). It's pretty fantastic--definitely worth the price of admission. Has anyone else taken it?

I did all the culinary masterclasses over the last 2 years. TK is pretty dry but I got through all of his. Can’t say the same for Gordon. Just got tired of soooo much Gordon. I didn’t finish Massimo either. Just too goofy for me.

What was your favorite class? This is my second of the culinary classes (first was Franklin's).

I probably got a little something from each but can’t say I loved any of them. I guess I enjoyed Franklin’s but there wasn’t anything that he hadn't shared for free on YouTube. Nice to have it all in one place though so it was cool.

TK is good for technical stuff but he’s so dry I could only watch one or two lessons at a time without falling asleep. Also, I’m not making veal stock every week so other than how to peel a tomato (which I have never done in my life) most of the recipes are unrealistic to do with any regularity at home.

Gordon...well let’s just say it’s a lot of Gordon. I swear if I hear him say “beautiful” one more time I’m going to puke. It’s like a nervous tick of his. He really said “take your beautiful spatula and your beautiful, beautiful non stick pan and stir” at one point (not kidding). Have no idea why they didn’t edit that out but there were dozens more like it. I guess they would have had to reshoot the whole deal lol.

Overall I enjoyed having Masterclass for the 2 years we had the subscription. I don’t think paying $90 a class would have been worth it. I probably watched 8-10 of them for the 2 year subscription cost of $380. My wife and kids watched a few as well so we are probably in for $30-$40 a class. I would say for that price per class it was probably worth it.

Great info! Thanks!

I'm enjoying Keller's a lot, but I hear you. His presentation is dry. Still, I've found the techniques, if not the recipes, useful. I've leaned on his vegetable glazing, pan-roasting, and confit methods several times in my own dishes. I've also started making mayonnaise via his instructions, which has been a gamechanger (I don't think I'll ever buy grocery store mayonnaise again). But I'm also a big fan of Keller, so I may be more forgiving of his presentational shortcomings than others. My wife and I go to Napa a good deal, and we've eaten at almost all of his restaurants. Having enjoyed his food for so long, it's a thrill to get to learn from him.

I'm interested in the Ramsay classes, though I'll be on the lookout for the gratuitous "beautifuls." Funny enough, I've noticed that Keller says "beautiful" quite a bit, too. Must be a chef thing.

I'm also interested in the Alice Waters and Gabriela Camara classes. Did you take those, too? Worthwhile? The Massimo one is less appealing to me. My brother went to Osteria Francescana recently and was pretty disappointed with it. Plus, modern Italian cuisine isn't really what I'm interested in. That said, I've got the unlimited subscription, so I may as well check it out.

I did take alice's but not Gabriela's. Alice's is worth the time for sure. She's kooky but I dig it. I got through most, or maybe all of Mossimo but it was more like work than fun.

I like TK too but just found that most of his class was way better suited for a fine dining restaurant than cooking at home. His first class was like "this is a spoon" (not kidding). I watched all of it and it was brutal. The 2nd one was better but was more suited to a fine dining kitchen. I was kind of diappointed in the sauce section which is what I was most excited about. Sauce Supreme' , Alamande, and Albufera? C'mon TK! Who the hell is going to make that stuff on the regular?

SonVolt · February 2020

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

SciAggie · February 2020

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child were classically trained as well.
I've been reading this with interest because I haven't engaged in the Masterclass videos. My personal expectation would be for those famous and renowned chefs to teach me how to prepare better food at home. I'd go to culinary school if I wanted uber complicated preparations not suited to home cooking. I assume the target audience for these videos is the home enthusiast.
(Not trying to be argumentative - just giving an alternate point of view)

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 2020

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

That would be awesome.

bicktrav · February 2020

SciAggie said:

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child were classically trained as well.
I've been reading this with interest because I haven't engaged in the Masterclass videos. My personal expectation would be for those famous and renowned chefs to teach me how to prepare better food at home. I'd go to culinary school if I wanted uber complicated preparations not suited to home cooking. I assume the target audience for these videos is the home enthusiast.
(Not trying to be argumentative - just giving an alternate point of view)

That's right, the classes are designed for home enthusiasts. TK's is on the more refined end of the spectrum, but it's still doable in a home kitchen.

dmchicago · February 2020

bicktrav said:

SciAggie said:

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child were classically trained as well.
I've been reading this with interest because I haven't engaged in the Masterclass videos. My personal expectation would be for those famous and renowned chefs to teach me how to prepare better food at home. I'd go to culinary school if I wanted uber complicated preparations not suited to home cooking. I assume the target audience for these videos is the home enthusiast.
(Not trying to be argumentative - just giving an alternate point of view)

That's right, the classes are designed for home enthusiasts. TK's is on the more refined end of the spectrum, but it's still doable in a home kitchen.

We Have all of Thomas Keller’s cookbooks. And my wife has made countless meals at home from them.

Although not always successfully, in most cases it results in an amazing dining experience at home.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 2020

bicktrav said:

SciAggie said:

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child were classically trained as well.
I've been reading this with interest because I haven't engaged in the Masterclass videos. My personal expectation would be for those famous and renowned chefs to teach me how to prepare better food at home. I'd go to culinary school if I wanted uber complicated preparations not suited to home cooking. I assume the target audience for these videos is the home enthusiast.
(Not trying to be argumentative - just giving an alternate point of view)

That's right, the classes are designed for home enthusiasts. TK's is on the more refined end of the spectrum, but it's still doable in a home kitchen.

True. TK is still more approachable than most APL recipes I’ve read.

bicktrav · February 2020

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

bicktrav said:

SciAggie said:

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child were classically trained as well.
I've been reading this with interest because I haven't engaged in the Masterclass videos. My personal expectation would be for those famous and renowned chefs to teach me how to prepare better food at home. I'd go to culinary school if I wanted uber complicated preparations not suited to home cooking. I assume the target audience for these videos is the home enthusiast.
(Not trying to be argumentative - just giving an alternate point of view)

That's right, the classes are designed for home enthusiasts. TK's is on the more refined end of the spectrum, but it's still doable in a home kitchen.

True. TK is still more approachable than most APL recipes I’ve read.

Ha! Yeah, APL is intense. I have Charred and Scruffed and have never even bothered with some of the techniques (zesting charcoal, clinching, etc.).

caliking · February 2020

SciAggie said:

SonVolt said:

Where you expecting a classically trained chef in haute French cuisine to teach you how to make Donkey Sauce?

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child were classically trained as well.
I've been reading this with interest because I haven't engaged in the Masterclass videos. My personal expectation would be for those famous and renowned chefs to teach me how to prepare better food at home. I'd go to culinary school if I wanted uber complicated preparations not suited to home cooking. I assume the target audience for these videos is the home enthusiast.
(Not trying to be argumentative - just giving an alternate point of view)

For some reason, I feel this is a good time/place to acknowledge my YUGE mancrush on Pepin. I could watch him go on forever making omelets, deboning chickens, and so on.

His presentation is approachable, affable, and elevates one’s home culinary endeavors. Love him.

OT: Thomas Keller Masterclass

Comments

Categories