New Years Eve

This is the first New Years eve that I have off in about 14 years and I am debating what to do with my evening? Lots of restaurants have tasting menus, evenings where you enjoy company, eat and drink. I am just not sure that I want to do that... The other option is to go to a night club and pay too much for cover and too much for drinks all night. Oh these options I have! I am leaning to getting together with friends and just hanging out (isn't that what most people do anyways?)

Some of my favortie books

All of these are from Ferran Adria if you haven't guessed! He is an amazing chef and El Bulli has been voted the best restaurant many times over. Not just great gift ideas, but for the serious foodies a must buy.

Check them out and let me know what you think!!

Menu for what I plan to cook this week

Here's a quick Here is quick menu for the week of Christmas and what I am planning to cook (for home)

Monday: Spinach pasta lasagna with grilled zucchini, portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions with pecorino romona cheese and a roasted tomato sauce

Tuesday: Slow roasted natural turkey sandwich with rosemary cream cheese, orange-cranberry chutney, candied bacon, aged white cheddar on bakery fresh sourdough bread

Wednesday: White wine poached natural egg with butter roasted fingerling potatoes, slab Carlton Farms bacon and chanterelle mushrooms

Thursday: Painted Hills Hamburger on a brioche bun with lettuce, onion and tomato chutney (fresh tomatoes aren’t that good this time of year) tortilla chips with salsa fresca

Friday: Some sort of Christmas dinner I am sure! (Will update with exact menu soon)

Saturday: Leftovers from Christmas

Sunday: Slow roasted Draper Valley chicken enchiladas (Christmas style for everyone who knows what that is)

There's what I have planned, going to make it happen!

First beer dinner in a while!

Here is a link for my first beer dinner! Let me know what everyone thinks!

http://tinyurl.com/yzj97zx

Been swamped

Sorry I haven't updated my blog in such a long time, but I promise I will do it much more often!

Precision vs. Taste cooking

I recently had a discussion with one of my cooks about precision cooking and using grams to measure and cook with. His argument was valid- that a chef is still a creator and alchemist (I agree with all my heart) I think that cooking for me now has changed a bit though. I enjoy making the best dish I can, and if measuring everything in grams allows me to do that, then I will gladly do that. Precision allows me to come as close to perfection as I possibly can. If you can change the stigma that “no recipe is ever perfect” and “a chef always tweaks this and that recipe” then for once your end result would come out just as planned. Would that be a letdown? Or a big relief? I used to feel that I always had to add more of this or that and just a pinch more of salt, but now I would love to follow a recipe that is as close to perfection and have the end result come out to just what I wanted in the first place, no matter who made the recipe. As of now, I am a mixture of both, but I know that as I grow older I want to get as close to perfection as I am able to get, and if it is the way of the gram than I will be happy to convert all my recipes and teach my staff how important consistent cooking is.

Creativity

Many times I wonder if I would enjoy all that I cook if I didn’t have a creative drive. Would I still enjoy “recipe” cooking? I use recipes every day at work, some I have created and some I read from old chefs of mine. Every time I think about food or about creating a new dish, I thank God that I am able to see the ingredients I want to use. It helps me tremendously for creating the perfect dish in that very moment and I feel even more blessed when I am able to serve it. Creativity to me is my drive! It spurs me to use different cooking techniques, ingredients, spices, herbs and so on. I love cooking for so many reasons but I know when I answer the question that I am so frequently asked “why did you start cooking?” My answer is always because it helps me be creative and I can’t draw!

A chefs crazy life

For all those kids or adults (for that matter) who think they have what it takes to become a successful chef. Please take a step back and look at how good your life is now. I say this not to discourage you but to enlighten you on how hard being a servant can be. Working long hours, dealing with staff and guest who have there own agendas, using every ounce of strength you have to not lose your mind and fall into one of the many dangers that plague kitchens and chef and not too mention it gets hot! There are three thing I know about being in a restaurant that a great chef must have;

1st: You better have one hell of a work ethic and habit. Long hours are no joke! I have pulled 3 all nighters (24 hours plus) in my career and I am sure there are more to follow. I rarely ever work for 8 hours in one day (it is usually 14-18 hours) and forget about just doing your paperwork or just being on the line supervising you staff on how to make the dishes consistently. No no my eager little chef friend. It is usually both and you have a deadline on the paperwork and the line needs to be watched all the time.

2nd: Creativity only gets you so far. I have always felt I have been very cutting edge and creative, but I would have been shown the door if I didn't have some sense of business, especially customer service business. Doing cutting edge food can only get you so far, playing with different textures, flavors, foams, ingredients and dishes maybe fun (lord knows I love to entertain guest with different styles and fun food) but if your service isn't there to show the guest a relaxing and attentive time then you are sunk! I am constantly telling my servers I can make the best food in the world but if you don't take care of the guest then my food may as well be the worst. You must anticipate what the guest wants and be able to relay it to your hourly server's and staff as to how important it truly is.

3rd: Check that ego. Every chef (heck every person) has an ego. Since I have cooked I have seen it and been very egotistical myself. What do you mean I can't rule the world and cook for it too! The truth of the matter is that the guest (notice how I don't call them customers) dictate what they like and if they want to frequent your establishment again. Sure I have done wine tastings, beer tasting, Scotch dinners, and new menu tastings and yes you dictate the food, time and how to eat your wonderful morsel, but they sign up for it. You have to cook for the masses in some aspect of it or be a great restaurant and have a buzz about you (even that doesn't usually last very long.) No one will come to your restaurant if you say NO!

In closing of this little glimpse into what it is like to be a chef, the only thing I ask is if you want to become a chef, you want it. Cooking for your fellow humans can be truly wonderful and satisfactory. There is no greater joy I know in life than making someone food and seeing there "wow" face. I will continue on this topic a bit later... till next time

Where have I been?

This isn't going to be a very long blog as I am kinda tired and I think have a drive ahead of me. Sorry to anyone who is reading my blog I have been extremely busy at Chambers bay and getting these menus together has proven quite challenging! I good challenge but a challenge none the less!

I swear I have been thinking of updating this and I will in the next coming days!

Ice cream, sorbets, granita, ices....

I miss ice cream's and popsicles. Specifically ice cream trucks and how much joy I would get from them when that circus music would round the block and I searched for that long lost dollar. Those were the days of less worries and cares, only trying to satisfy the heat and have something refreshing.

I have graduated to finer ice cream, double creams, fresh fruit sorbet, Italian granitas and the very cute and hip ices! On my journey through the culinary field I know that one thing has stayed constant. Everyone loves some sort of frozen dessert, whether it be ice cream or sorbet people young and old seem to be drawn to it. I am pretty sure it is a very close second or third on my favorite foods list.

I ponder this subject since this summer at chambers bay I plan to implement an ice cream sundae cart of some sort. I know it will be fun and exciting, Rolling a beautiful cart and having my guest pick and choose all the in-house combinations of topping to put on there Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream that I will have made just for Chambers bay. I am very excited about it! I was just wondering how has it become so universally accepted as the refreshment of choice? But then again I love that frozen deliciousness!