Todd English chat archive - Boston.com - Food

Todd English chat

Here is an archived copy of the Todd English chat that appeared on Boston.com, Wednesday, Jan. 21 at noon.

KatBoston 11:54AM	Hi Todd. Thanks for helping to keep Boston on the culinary map! When cooking for yourself at home, what is your favorite thing to prepare? Alternately, when dining out, what type of cuisine do you gravitate towards ordering? Thanks.
Todd English 11:57AM	First of all, thanks for that. Surprisingly simple, I often cook roast chicken with rosemary and garlic or spaghetti pomodoro at home. When dining out, I often eat sushi or try one of my colleagues' restaurants.
Bob Finn (Moderator) 11:59AM	Welcome to the Todd English chat. Feel free to send Todd your cooking questions.
terry 11:59AM	Hi Todd. I recently moved to Charleston, SC. I really miss Figs! How about opening one down here, I think it's the one thing Charleston is missing, and people would love it!
sunshine 12:00PM	I'll be at Olive's this weekend. What dish do you recommend?
Todd English 12:00PM	Charleston is one of my favorite secret getaways. Stay tuned - you never know - I might open a Figs in Charleston.
Todd English 12:01PM	You're asking me to choose which child I like better! But you never can go wrong with the tuna carpaccio.
tunacarpaccio 12:01PM	Boston chefs seem to be so supportive of each other. Do you find that in NYC or Las Vegas?
Todd English 12:02PM	I think the business is highly competitve, but also very demanding, and I think because of that, there's a camraderie between fellow chefs. That holds true everywhere.
Fiore 12:03PM	Todd, speaking of chicken, what's the proper way to cook it. Some people tell me VERY high heat, like 500 degrees. Others say less. I'm talking about baking in the oven.
Todd English 12:04PM	There's many ways to cook chicken. I approve of both methods - slow cooking and high heat. I tend to like to cook at high heat, but that's because I cook in restaurants.
TerriG 12:05PM	Hi Todd, With various restaurants based all over the country, and expanding around the world, do you find it challenging to maintain the level of excellence that you are accustomed to?
Todd English 12:06PM	It's the same way I would maintain the level of excellence in one restaurant. The restaurant business is a people business, and it's about hiring good people. I run those restaurants as if I was running one restaurant.
tartar 12:07PM	Hi Todd, Did I see Olives on the TV show The Apprentice? Do you have ties with Donald Trump?
Todd English 12:07PM	Yes, we were on an episode of "The Apprentice," but no, I don't have ties with Donald Trump.
Josie 12:07PM	Has the Atkin's Diet trend affected your businesses? Has the selection of low carb/ no carb meals increased on your menus?
Todd English 12:09PM	I think that we're certainly very aware of the low/no-carb trend, we'll always customize dishes for people that ask for it, Bonfire would be a great place to go for a steak - the 18oz cowboy.
Manga 12:09PM	Hi Todd - First let me say, I'm a huge fan of Olives in Charlestown! It's where I take my wife for all of our special occasions. What are your favorite meals to cook an a cold winter night?
Todd English 12:10PM	For a cold night, stews and slow roasting. Big red wines, too.
rattledonkey 12:11PM	do you have any suggestions (or a quick sample menu, perhaps) of a tried and true superbowl party menu?
Todd English 12:12PM	Always have lots of dips and chips for muching on. Roasted nuts, I've been in to vegetable dips, hummus, babaganaoush, a big bowl of guacamole...spicy salsa and chips. Lots of munch foods, and then roast pig to represent the pig skin.
Todd English 12:13PM	Basically a lot of room temperature things that you can keep out so people can keep coming back, like white bean and chili shrimp salad.
KatBoston 12:13PM	I have another question, related to Italy. Which regional cuisine style have you found to be one you incorporate most into your own cooking style and/or menu selections? As an aside, do you have any restaurant recommendations from your travels there?
Todd English 12:15PM	I'm a huge fan of Italy. My mother's side of the family is Italian. It seems like every time I go back I discover a new favorite restaurant or new region of cooking, but I've always been inspired by Piedmontese cooking. Of course, the style of Tuscan cooking is great, and lately I've been very excited about what I've seen in Sicily.
acg 12:15PM	Have you thought about having your own TV show?
Todd English 12:15PM	Yes, in fact I'm working on one now....stay tuned.
Cooknhott 12:16PM	How many epsiodes of the Iron Chef did you film in Las Vegas and is that going to be an ongoing thing?
Todd English 12:17PM	We did two shows in Las Vegas. And word is we're going back in to do more!
TerriG 12:17PM	Just a general comment...I have met you on a couple of occassions (Boston All You Can Eat and Bonfire) and would like to congratulate you on your level of charm and ability to make each customer feel appreciated.
Todd English 12:17PM	Thanks, mom.
gsh 12:17PM	Hi Todd...any new cookbooks on the horizon?
Todd English 12:17PM	I'm working on two books right now - one a coffeetable book, and the other a companion to the show.
Foodie 12:18PM	Iron Chef? With William Shatner? Come on - what were you thinking? Great food, by the way...
Todd English 12:18PM	The captain's the bomb. Nobody can disagree with that.
djzen 12:19PM	Hi, I'm a big fan of yours,and of food/cooking in general... I've been in the finance world for a few years, but I'm thinking about switching careers, potentially to cooking, because I love cooking so much in my off time. What steps do you think would be good to go through to help me decide if culinary school would be the right step for me?
Todd English 12:20PM	Hey, follow your heart. If that's what you want to do, it's a great profession.
Billy Boru 12:20PM	What do you think of the new trend of Vodka past sauces?
Todd English 12:20PM	Vodka should be for drinking. Keep the vodka in martinis.
cooker 12:21PM	What schools would you reccomend for an aspiring chef.
Todd English 12:21PM	My alma mater - The Culinary Institute of America in New York. It continues to be the best culinary education out there.
foodluvr 12:22PM	I've been using your Figs cookbook for years but have yet to perfect homemade pizza crust. Any tips for the home chef on how to make it as crispy as you do in the restaurant? (aside from installing a wood-fired oven, of course)
Todd English 12:24PM	As simple as a pizza dough is, it's also very complex. Make sure your oven is really hot, and keep practicing. Roll it thin, and keep practicing, because as the great American chef James Beard said, "Making pizza is like making love - the more you do it, the better you get at it." Supposedly...
dasha 12:24PM	Todd, I read recently that the statistic that 9 out of 10 restaurants fail, is exaggerated. Just how tough is it to be a success in your industry?
Todd English 12:25PM	I'm not sure if that's just a statistic, but I can tell you that it is a difficult business. And make sure you know that if you're going to get into it. But don't forget it's also a very rewarding one as well.
Foodguy 12:26PM	Hi Todd - love Kingfish Hall. Where are you from originally?
Todd English 12:26PM	Thanks. I'm originally from Texas.
Sierra Nevada 12:26PM	Todd, great job with everything. I just got back from the Bellagio in Vegas and enjoyed a stop at Olive's as I do locally here from time to time in Boston. How do you see the state of the Boston restaurant market, present & future?
Todd English 12:27PM	Boston is already a great dining city, and I think it will only continue to get better.
kdm 12:27PM	Just wanted to tell you that I had one of the most delicious, fun dinners at Olives with a great group of friends. We were lucky, and were seated quickly -- great tastes, atmosphere, everything was fabulous. Thank you!
wineguy 12:27PM	What is your favorite wine these days? btw Figs has some of the all-time best pizza
Todd English 12:28PM	kdm, thanks for the comment.
Todd English 12:30PM	wineguy, I humbly agree with you - I love Figs pizza. And there are so many great wines out there. I personally really love earthy wines like the meritage style of wines coming out of California. Also always a big fan of the Italian super-Tuscans, I'll never turn down a great French wines, of course. You can check out over 400 wineries at the Boston Wine Expo Jan 31st and Feb 1st. I'll be there on Saturday - come down and check out my demo as well.
VinnySchnauzer 12:30PM	Are there any new trends out there in cuisine that the general public may not yet be aware of? Do you feel that you are a trendsetter?
Todd English 12:31PM	I think the Atkin-esque style of eating is certainly here to stay, although I see it heading more towards South Beach style, or less fat. I also think that you're going to see more organic, not only for vegetables but also down to meat and chicken. People want to know where their food is coming from.
Sierra Nevada 12:31PM	How do you feel about pairing beer and food?
Todd English 12:32PM	I love it. There's a lot of great beers out there. I actually am a big fan of Sierra Nevada.
HungryItalian 12:33PM	Do you choose the names of your restaurants?
Todd English 12:34PM	Yes, I do choose the names of my restaurants. ANd oddly enough, it's often a struggle to come up with a good name. It is like naming a child. I believe the name of the restaurant should tell the story of the restaurant.
PMOW 12:34PM	Todd- do you consider yourself a Patriots fan? Personally, I find them somewhat overrated.
Todd English 12:35PM	14 games in a row? I guess you figured it out, I'm a big Pats fan. And I have a feeling it'll be 15... You know why I like the Pats? They run like how a really good restaurant should run - it's all about teamwork.
kdm 12:35PM	Do you ever teach cooking classes? I would love to see you in action and take away some tips for creating fun dinner parties at home.
Todd English 12:36PM	kdm, you can come see my demo at the Boston Wine Expo Saturday at 2pm.
sixstring 12:37PM	Todd, I'm of Native American descent. I was wondering if you ever had the chance to cook with Moose meat... just asking....
Todd English 12:38PM	I've never cooked with Moose meat - I've eaten it once, though.
Lucinda 12:38PM	my company frequently takes visiting guests to kingfish hall for business lunches. for their benefit, do you plan to open restaurants out of state (or have you already done so)?
Todd English 12:39PM	You should definitely check out my restaurants in Vegas, Washington, DC, Seattle, and New York City. Not to mention the QM2...
gsh 12:40PM	You've got quite a few restaurants out there. Can you provide maybe a one word or phrase description that would encapsulate the personality of each of those restaurants?
Todd English 12:40PM	I think warm and welcoming, and a little sexy, too.
Juliana 12:41PM	Do you share your love of food and all of your success with your many employees? What types of things do you do to keep them motivated?
Todd English 12:41PM	You know, even as large as we've grown, I've always tried to remember that the food business is about hospitality and sharing and remembering to keep a feeling of family within our organization.
conrad 12:42PM	Todd, how did you feel about getting picked as one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people?
Todd English 12:42PM	Flattered. And the party was great, too!
deepfried 12:43PM	Todd - whats the best oil (canola, vegetable, olive) for sauteeing vegetables like portobella mushrooms and zuchini? I
Todd English 12:43PM	olive oil.
MSV 12:43PM	Todd, My wife and I visited Blue Zoo during the Christmas/New Tears break at the Walt Disney World Swan. It was OUTSTANDING! We enjoyed it so much that I have made surprise dinner reservations at Figs (Chestnut Hill) for Valentine's weekend.
Todd English 12:44PM	Thanks for the comment - spread the word!!
John T 12:45PM	Emeril, Ming, Bobby, Rachel and Alton - but no Todd English on the Food Network? Will that change anytime soon?
Todd English 12:45PM	it could...have you seen Iron Chef USA?
wineguy 12:45PM	Have you ever thought of opening your own wine shop?
Todd English 12:46PM	As for the wine shop, I have. I'd be afraid that I'd drink all the profits!
Manga 12:47PM	How did you get your start as a chef? What motivated you, and what has kept you going?
Todd English 12:48PM	I got my start dishwashing, and fell in love with working in the kitchen. And once I got the bug I never looked back.
Tim 12:48PM	You ever deep-fried a turkey?
Todd English 12:48PM	I'm a huge fan of deep frying. Must be my southern roots. It's a great way to cook turkey.
Quality 12:49PM	Todd - I read your comments about a trend towards organic foods. Do you feel that the quality ingredients you get to work with each day far surpasses the foods we can get from our local supermarkets.
Todd English 12:49PM	You can find them - there are definitely stores like Bread and Circus/Whole Foods that carry the same quality ingredients that we use. I'm a big fan of Whole Foods.
kdm 12:49PM	Do you ever worry about getting "too big" and diluting the quality of the experience?
Todd English 12:50PM	Yeah - the last thing I'd ever want to do is get too big.
SquashSoup 12:50PM	Todd, any food guilty pleasures you would care to own up to?
Manga 12:51PM	I'm a huge red wine fan. I'm also a huge fish fan. Is it okay to pair the two, and if so, which reds work best?
Todd English 12:51PM	Stick to pinots, spanish reds, that sometimes tend to be lighter in style. Typically lighter reds with good acid are good with fish.
MHF 12:52PM	What do you think makes your resttaurants so wonderful?
Todd English 12:52PM	Thanks, Dad.
Bob Finn (Moderator) 12:53PM	We have less than 10 minutes left in this chat folks. So if you have any questions - send them our way while you have time.
tpoll 12:55PM	Todd, I always seem to ruin chicken when I cook..how do you keep yours so succulent?
tpoll 12:56PM	Todd, any suggestions on how to cook moist chicken?
Todd English 12:56PM	Folks, there are a lot of chicken questions out there. Head to my website www.toddenglish.com, and I'll tell you all about how to cook chicken.
Dannie 12:56PM	What can we look forward to at your demonstration at the Wine Expo?
Todd English 12:57PM	Lots of fun - and be careful, you might learn something, too. I'll be cooking January 31st.
Todd English 12:58PM	Thanks to everyone for chatting - I';ve got to get back to the kitchen. Hope to see you at the Boston Wine Expo...
10 Chatters, 26 Lurkers