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Remember when every kitchen had a dedicated stockpot simmering all day?
Three years ago at The Oak Room, we'd start a veal stock at 6 AM and let it go until close. Last week, I saw a new cook try to sub in a powdered base for a pan sauce and it just didn't have the same soul. Do you still make your own stocks daily, or has that become a weekend-only project for most places now?
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luna2611mo ago
Honestly, I get the romance of it, but that all-day simmer feels like a luxury few can afford now. Between the energy costs and the labor, it's a huge drain for most kitchens just trying to stay open. A good powdered base is a solid tool, and a skilled cook can absolutely build a great pan sauce with it. The "soul" comes from the technique and care you put in, not just the pot on the stove.
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lisab323d ago
My granddad ran a diner for 30 years and made fresh stock every single day, even when it was slow and money was tight. He'd say the half hour of cleanup and the gas bill were nothing compared to the difference it made in his gravy and soups. I get that times are different now, but calling it a luxury feels like we're giving up on something real just to save a few bucks and some time.
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robin8961mo ago
Read an article about a chef who still does a daily stock, says it's the only way to build real flavor layers.
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flores.mark1mo ago
My local hardware store used to have a guy who could sharpen any blade by hand, just watching the steel. They replaced him with a machine that does it in 30 seconds. It works, but it's just a sharp edge now, no story. I see what luna261 means about cost and time, but that's the pattern. We're swapping out the slow, skilled stuff for the fast and fine enough, and calling it progress. The soul wasn't in the stockpot itself, it was in the choice to keep it going.
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