Waking up before even birds is doing a number on my system right now. I have always been a bit of a night owl. But now I guess I am the early bird. And following the analogy specials are my worms.
Yesterday I popped my special cherry. I put the first (of what will surely be many) specials up yesterday. I did a mushroom ravioli in a tomato goat cheese sauce with sugar snap peas, shallots, roasted garlic and mushrooms. It was absolutely delicious. As my first special it sold fairly well at lunch where I sold a not unimpressive six plus my usual daily grind of tuna clubs, penne primavera, spaghettini and chicken sandwiches. At dinner I sold another four and then another was sold after I left.
To make the sauce I first sweated the shallots and roasted garlic and then deglazed with white wine and set them aside. I then adding 35% cream to the now empty pan and allowed it to reduce. I then mounted the goat cheese into the 35% cream and then added roasted diced tomato. After that I removed from the heat and blitzed with the immersion blender.
To prepare the dish during service I simply heated a pan with a slight amount of oil and added some brunoised shallots. Hit that with a touch of white wine to deglaze. Add the mushroom and shallot mixture. While this is gently heating I add the ravioli to my blanching pot. Toss the sauce a few times. Remove ravioli from the blanching pot and combine with the sauce. From beginning to end it took about four minutes. It tasted divine and I am not just saying that because I am the one who made it. It was well received by everyone that had it.
When I woke up this morning it felt as if hell had frozen over. Perhaps I was still dreaming or maybe it was real but I am sure I saw the devil with icicles dangling from his chin. Or perhaps I am just being dramatic. It was brutally cold though. Yet I greeted the day with a smile and the knowledge that today was going to be another fantastic day.
I got into work at around 6:35 am and started prepping everything that needed to be prepped for breakfast. I also started thinking right away about what we had in house that could make a great special given the abysmal temperature outside. Though I must tell you it is always a balmy 35 degrees at my station so I warmed up with the elements, salamander, oven and grill pretty quickly.
Looking around I recalled making my Mother some French Onion Soup the last time she was in Toronto. I have always been a massive fan of French Onion Soup. Done properly it tastes like ambrosia while done inappropriately it tastes, to my palate, like sweetened cardboard. I have recently started speaking with my Mother more frequently. It might sound ridiculous to you but as I have mentioned here before my Mother and Stepfather live in Malawi and are doing great things for the people there. If you want to know more about what they are doing visit www.lifelinemalawi.com . I am extremely proud of though miss my Mother. To honour her I made a French Onion Soup that she would die for. When she reads this (probably next week) I am sure she will think about how much she would love a bowl. MOM, I promise, next time you are here I will make you whatever your heart desires. As I hope it will be winter due to C and I’s impending nuptials I would be thrilled to make you the French Onion Soup I made today.
Eric Ripert in “Return to Cooking” makes mention of the fact that soup is considered in some kitchens as the red headed step child. That somehow it takes less skill and finesse than sauces. However, he also points out that soup is temperamental and requires constant care and affection because as the soup matures in the pot it is constantly changing. This is very true of French Onion Soup.
To make the soup I did the following;
First I sweated off both Bermuda and Spanish Onions. I know that this is not at all traditional but I prefer the flavour of Bermuda onions when they have been sweated to just before caramelization at which point I deglazed with some red wine. I then added a little roasted garlic to the pan and let slowly sweat for about ten minutes. At the same time I took several large onions and added them to a soup pot and sweated them for a few minutes. After they were at the desired point I added some water and started to reduce. After it had reduced to the point that I wanted I added beef broth and more water and allowed to slowly simmer (and of course I added two shots of brandy, while I might not be drinking it doesn’t mean that the soup has to suffer). After it had reduced once, I added another two litres of water and the garlic and onion mixture that I had set aside. French Onion Soup as I mentioned can be temperamental (all soups can be to some degree) and as such I left all seasoning until the very end. I allowed the soup to mature for a couple of hours and then seasoned right before lunch service. It tasted brilliant. Of course I added some crusty baguette after ladling the soup into the traditional bowl and topped it with a generous amount of Swiss cheese a la minute with each order. I believe, though I am not sure that I sold twenty or more soups today and as the orders came in it felt like a massive personal victory.
While I was working on the soup I was again thinking of the weather, the fact that it was Wednesday and that people needed to get over the hump. What better way I thought that making my version of Penne Arrabiata. To do this I did the following;
I took the remnants of yesterdays Tomato Basil Bisque and added some more body to it as well as some water. I allowed this to gently reduce while I worked the other elements. I added some garlic and shallots and a heaping amount of chili flakes to a pan and gently sweated them off then deglazing with some red wine. While these two elements were working I cooked down the sausage and then added the shallot and garlic mixture to it keeping (as opposed to discarding) the liquid remnants in the pan. I allowed this to simmer for about an hour and then took off the heat and let sit. Once cool I put it into a deep third pan.
For service, this dish was fabulous as I could get it out in four minutes. I would place a pan on the heat and get it smoking hot. I would then ladle an ounce of water into the pan to cool it so as not to scorch the Arrabiata sauce. I would the add the sauce to the pan and drop the penne into the blanching pot. Add some fresh herbs. Toss, toss, toss. Season, remove penne from blanching water and add to pan, toss, toss, toss and Pasta special on the pass.
I sold a massive amount of this on a slow day and yet again fed the owner. All day (which is a term we use in the kitchen when there are multiple of the same order. ie how many Penne do I need? Four all day) I believe when I left this evening at lunch I had done thirteen, one while I was away and three more at dinner. I know this doesn’t sounds significant or might not anyway, but today we only did around fifty covers at lunch, of which I was responsible for about two thirds and dinner maybe another seventy of which I handled thirty percent.
All in all, a great day. All in all, I have broken my Special cherry and am currently thinking about what to do tomorrow.
So is this enough. NO! This morning I served my first three breakfasts. Three Eggs Benedict. My Hollandaise was less than stellar. But I will remedy that tomorrow.
I had a great day. And my spirit is reveling in the knowledge and confirmation that baby steps to the elevator (sorry for the What About Bob? Reference but it is true). A cook is what and who I am. Gleefully so.
Todd English once said; “I think a lot of people have a misconception of what the kitchen is about, but you know the grueling part of it is also the pleasure of it. That's why I think you have to have a certain mentality to understand what that is and be able to handle it.”
Today was grueling but as you can tell from this post was beyond pleasurable. Better than any drug or drink I have ever had. Many more of these days to come. Are you as excited as I am.
Are you dreaming big and inspired? WHY NOT?
A la prochaine
SDM
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Transformation (file under More than Meets the Eye!)
I have done a lot of things in my life that I am not proud of. None of them really worth mentioning here because I have moved beyond that. On the flip side I have also done lots in my life that I am exceptionally proud of. But also, not worth mentioning here right now.
I titled this post “transformation” because I believe that since I turned thirty I have had several experiences which helped to get me to the point that I am at today. In a round about way all of the moments of my life have led to here, just as they have to your reality, but for some reason these stand out more than the rest.
Two friends of C and I got married in the Czech Republic in May of 2007. At that point in my life I was truly unhappy with what I was doing and where I thought I saw my life leading. C and I treated this as an opportunity to experience Europe together. By car at that. We flew into England first. From there we flew to Dublin, Ireland and then drove all the way to the west coast, all the way down to the southern tip and then back to Dublin. The first part of our trip lasted three days.
Going to Ireland with C was one of the best experiences of my life. Touching down in Dublin I was almost moved to tears as I thought about my ancestors whom had all played a part in my being here today. As we drove our little red car around Ireland we stopped at all the castles and monasteries that we saw, which were abounding. Some of the pictures we got from this trip are the best we will ever have. More than that, my desire to go to Ireland, was to go to where my family originally came from on my fathers mothers side. My mind had already begun to race as we were in Ireland. It raced with my considering what was going on in my life. Without realizing what I was doing consciously I was taking pictures of all the food that we experienced. As we arrived in Enniscorthy, Wexford County, I had an eerie feeling come over me. Not least of all because there was an election going on in Ireland and in the middle of the town was a large sign of Gerry Adams. In Enniscorthy we went to the Rebellion museum (my great great great grandfather was a part of it) and to my ancestors bar. As we toured Ireland I felt at ease with myself and though I didn’t know it was already in transformation mode. When we got to Dublin one of the most exciting moments for me was seeing where Oscar Wilde had lived and taking some pictures with him in the park that he used to enjoy. I still use one of the pictures from that day on my other blog (sdmupwords.blogspot.com which incidentally I have not written on in almost a year).
From Dublin we went to our friends wedding in the Czech Republic. It was such a beautiful occasion and I am truly thrilled that C and I got to experience it. While in the Czech Republic we had to go to Karlovy Vary. It is such an amazing city (town) and C and I fully enjoyed our stay there.
From there we drove to Poland and got to enjoy Wroclaw which has to be one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. It transcends its own architecture with a can do spirit that is rarely experienced anywhere in the world. This city has been destroyed, dampened and flooded and the people have always bounced back and returned it to its historical splendour. Despite all this it is also a very cosmopolitan city and left me wanting more. From Wroclaw we drove to Krakow. Again an absolutely beautiful city. From there we drove not far to Auschwitz. For reasons I won’t get into now I had to go to Auschwitz. My time, spent there alone, was perhaps, one of, if not the most difficult in my life. I was overcome with emotion and rage. It was a rage that would stay with me for the rest of the trip but was very important in the transformation that I am currently exploring. As a matter of fact, that rage has now given way, to a deep personal understanding. One which is deeply personal. One which I needed to experience.
From there we drove to Germany. A country I had said I would never go to. When we arrived in Germany I asked at the Border as to whether or not it was true that I could drive as fast as I wanted. Pretty much was the answer. So I did. I drove from the border to Dresden in what seemed like no time at all. Dresden also was an important city for me to see. A city that due to the scourge of war was at the end of World War II absolutely decimated in fire bombings. Again, the city was returned to its former splendour. An absolutely beautiful city that bears the marks of its history but also illustrates that where there is a will the human spirit will always endure.
From Germany we went to Austria. Again, the drive was absolutely beautiful. In Austria we also took the time to go to Mauthausen, which is another camp which will live in infamy. Again, this experience caused me to experience mass amounts of rage. A deeply internal struggle to understand the scale and scope of atrocities that seem so foreign to that life that I live. That seem almost alien in their design. I say alien because I have a hard time reconciling and still do.
Alas it was time for us to come back home. But in our 17 days in Europe we did six countries and crossed borders a total of seventeen times.
This trip did more for my spirit than I think anything other than being with C has done. This trip revealed to me both beauty and horror and rarely is there a week that goes by that I don’t think about it.
The entire trip I was taking pictures of our food. I was analyzing what was good on the plate. What worked and what didn’t. It was almost as if it was a precursor to my decision to join a professional kitchen. This experience behind me I became even more dissatisfied with my life professionally. I felt a deep void and a personal responsibility to find out what exactly I should be doing with my life. It took several more months for me to reach my breaking point before I realized that I owed it to myself to do something which truly excited me and made me happy. Something that left me fulfilled rather than empty and wanting. In a lot of ways this trip was a purging of my past and a revelation to my soul. Without knowing it my sub concious was speaking to me the whole trip. And I decided to listen.
This trip inspired me. It brought me closer to my ancestors. To understanding joy and devastation. To understanding the doppelganger that exists in each of us. But it also taught me how to embrace it and to release my fears to become what I truly wanted.
And I am in service of that revelation each and every day.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “The revelation of thought takes men out of servitude into freedom.” And I am free. Are you?
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
I titled this post “transformation” because I believe that since I turned thirty I have had several experiences which helped to get me to the point that I am at today. In a round about way all of the moments of my life have led to here, just as they have to your reality, but for some reason these stand out more than the rest.
Two friends of C and I got married in the Czech Republic in May of 2007. At that point in my life I was truly unhappy with what I was doing and where I thought I saw my life leading. C and I treated this as an opportunity to experience Europe together. By car at that. We flew into England first. From there we flew to Dublin, Ireland and then drove all the way to the west coast, all the way down to the southern tip and then back to Dublin. The first part of our trip lasted three days.
Going to Ireland with C was one of the best experiences of my life. Touching down in Dublin I was almost moved to tears as I thought about my ancestors whom had all played a part in my being here today. As we drove our little red car around Ireland we stopped at all the castles and monasteries that we saw, which were abounding. Some of the pictures we got from this trip are the best we will ever have. More than that, my desire to go to Ireland, was to go to where my family originally came from on my fathers mothers side. My mind had already begun to race as we were in Ireland. It raced with my considering what was going on in my life. Without realizing what I was doing consciously I was taking pictures of all the food that we experienced. As we arrived in Enniscorthy, Wexford County, I had an eerie feeling come over me. Not least of all because there was an election going on in Ireland and in the middle of the town was a large sign of Gerry Adams. In Enniscorthy we went to the Rebellion museum (my great great great grandfather was a part of it) and to my ancestors bar. As we toured Ireland I felt at ease with myself and though I didn’t know it was already in transformation mode. When we got to Dublin one of the most exciting moments for me was seeing where Oscar Wilde had lived and taking some pictures with him in the park that he used to enjoy. I still use one of the pictures from that day on my other blog (sdmupwords.blogspot.com which incidentally I have not written on in almost a year).
From Dublin we went to our friends wedding in the Czech Republic. It was such a beautiful occasion and I am truly thrilled that C and I got to experience it. While in the Czech Republic we had to go to Karlovy Vary. It is such an amazing city (town) and C and I fully enjoyed our stay there.
From there we drove to Poland and got to enjoy Wroclaw which has to be one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. It transcends its own architecture with a can do spirit that is rarely experienced anywhere in the world. This city has been destroyed, dampened and flooded and the people have always bounced back and returned it to its historical splendour. Despite all this it is also a very cosmopolitan city and left me wanting more. From Wroclaw we drove to Krakow. Again an absolutely beautiful city. From there we drove not far to Auschwitz. For reasons I won’t get into now I had to go to Auschwitz. My time, spent there alone, was perhaps, one of, if not the most difficult in my life. I was overcome with emotion and rage. It was a rage that would stay with me for the rest of the trip but was very important in the transformation that I am currently exploring. As a matter of fact, that rage has now given way, to a deep personal understanding. One which is deeply personal. One which I needed to experience.
From there we drove to Germany. A country I had said I would never go to. When we arrived in Germany I asked at the Border as to whether or not it was true that I could drive as fast as I wanted. Pretty much was the answer. So I did. I drove from the border to Dresden in what seemed like no time at all. Dresden also was an important city for me to see. A city that due to the scourge of war was at the end of World War II absolutely decimated in fire bombings. Again, the city was returned to its former splendour. An absolutely beautiful city that bears the marks of its history but also illustrates that where there is a will the human spirit will always endure.
From Germany we went to Austria. Again, the drive was absolutely beautiful. In Austria we also took the time to go to Mauthausen, which is another camp which will live in infamy. Again, this experience caused me to experience mass amounts of rage. A deeply internal struggle to understand the scale and scope of atrocities that seem so foreign to that life that I live. That seem almost alien in their design. I say alien because I have a hard time reconciling and still do.
Alas it was time for us to come back home. But in our 17 days in Europe we did six countries and crossed borders a total of seventeen times.
This trip did more for my spirit than I think anything other than being with C has done. This trip revealed to me both beauty and horror and rarely is there a week that goes by that I don’t think about it.
The entire trip I was taking pictures of our food. I was analyzing what was good on the plate. What worked and what didn’t. It was almost as if it was a precursor to my decision to join a professional kitchen. This experience behind me I became even more dissatisfied with my life professionally. I felt a deep void and a personal responsibility to find out what exactly I should be doing with my life. It took several more months for me to reach my breaking point before I realized that I owed it to myself to do something which truly excited me and made me happy. Something that left me fulfilled rather than empty and wanting. In a lot of ways this trip was a purging of my past and a revelation to my soul. Without knowing it my sub concious was speaking to me the whole trip. And I decided to listen.
This trip inspired me. It brought me closer to my ancestors. To understanding joy and devastation. To understanding the doppelganger that exists in each of us. But it also taught me how to embrace it and to release my fears to become what I truly wanted.
And I am in service of that revelation each and every day.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “The revelation of thought takes men out of servitude into freedom.” And I am free. Are you?
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Monday, February 2, 2009
It’s Saturday Night (file under Clusterf&*^ to the Kitchen)
Saturday was a bit of a stretch mentally. I guess in the scheme of things it could have been a whole lot worse. The day had been a little rough for me to begin with. Prep was taking longer than it should. But this illustrates how when the kitchen is wrong, it is truly wrong.
We were full due to the fact that Doug Gilmour’s Jersey was being retired by the Leafs. Incidentally, the first game in my memory that the Leafs have won this year. How sad. At any rate we had a full house. Everyone came at the same time and we have an issue where the servers decline to put orders in as they get them and instead service six tables and then ring them all in at the same time. To make matters even worse we had a table of twenty that had their bills all rung in separately which the kitchen did not know. As a result our whole service was screwed up. Moreover, because everyone came at the same time and wanted to leave immediately, we, the kitchen, were under enormous pressure.
At one point I had about ten or twelve things on the go when our Porter came with a stack of plates weighing about fifty pounds which he proceeded to drop on Chef and my foot. It was one of those moments that really tested your moxy as it would have been easy to drop everything and just throw your hands in the air. Smashing onto my toe I recoiled and held in the vitriolic spew that surely wanted to come out of my mouth. Chef and I exchanged a knowing and wise glance at which I’m quite certain the porter was considering dropping it all and running for his life. We regained our composure quickly however and went through the rest of service without incident.
There are several small issues which come out of this tale. None of which I am going to get into now because I believe that we need to address them first. Needless to say the owner was happy with our performance and bought us some beer. Still pulling shards of porcelain out of my foot I enjoyed a beer before coming home to sleep.
Mark Twain once wrote; “The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
We were full due to the fact that Doug Gilmour’s Jersey was being retired by the Leafs. Incidentally, the first game in my memory that the Leafs have won this year. How sad. At any rate we had a full house. Everyone came at the same time and we have an issue where the servers decline to put orders in as they get them and instead service six tables and then ring them all in at the same time. To make matters even worse we had a table of twenty that had their bills all rung in separately which the kitchen did not know. As a result our whole service was screwed up. Moreover, because everyone came at the same time and wanted to leave immediately, we, the kitchen, were under enormous pressure.
At one point I had about ten or twelve things on the go when our Porter came with a stack of plates weighing about fifty pounds which he proceeded to drop on Chef and my foot. It was one of those moments that really tested your moxy as it would have been easy to drop everything and just throw your hands in the air. Smashing onto my toe I recoiled and held in the vitriolic spew that surely wanted to come out of my mouth. Chef and I exchanged a knowing and wise glance at which I’m quite certain the porter was considering dropping it all and running for his life. We regained our composure quickly however and went through the rest of service without incident.
There are several small issues which come out of this tale. None of which I am going to get into now because I believe that we need to address them first. Needless to say the owner was happy with our performance and bought us some beer. Still pulling shards of porcelain out of my foot I enjoyed a beer before coming home to sleep.
Mark Twain once wrote; “The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Sobriety Update (file under Easier than I thought)
So I have now been sober for what seems to me (trust me) a staggering (pun intended) 22 days. Officially this is a record in my life. Never before have I been sober for this long. Truly I mean never. My original intent had been to completely forego that glorious liquid that I enjoy so much. But not TOO much. After all I do have that Irish gene and I am Scottish. Double, if you will (again, pun intended).
I have done exceptionally well. I cheated twice. But did not get drunk or even tipsy. The first time was the night before C was going away. I made us (as I mentioned in an earlier post) an incredible prime rib which I treated as an oversized steak. It was about four pounds in total. So I cheated there by sharing with C and her friend a bottle of champagne.
I also “cheated” on Saturday night (which will be the subject of my next post). I had a couple of beers.
All in all I can tell you that I have gotten a massive amount of things done. I feel incredible. And I am full of energy which I am putting to other uses, such as writing, studying, speaking with C and even partaking in a video game every once in a while.
I am proud of myself for not drinking as I used to. It is something that I plan on keeping to. Not completely sober, just not drunk. I don’t want to be that guy anymore. Not that I ever really was “that guy.”
To put this in context. The amount of drinks I have had in the past 22 days is the equivalent of my appetizer in the past. I think that going forward I would rather enjoy a nice bottle of wine, a beer, a scotch or a vodka rather than the whole bottle. I feel as if I have conquered that demon but still have another nine days in my goal.
Moliere once wrote; “Perfect good sense shuns all extremity, content to couple wisdom with sobriety”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? Are you facing your demons? What’s stopping you? I know the answer… Do you?
A la prochaine
SDM
I have done exceptionally well. I cheated twice. But did not get drunk or even tipsy. The first time was the night before C was going away. I made us (as I mentioned in an earlier post) an incredible prime rib which I treated as an oversized steak. It was about four pounds in total. So I cheated there by sharing with C and her friend a bottle of champagne.
I also “cheated” on Saturday night (which will be the subject of my next post). I had a couple of beers.
All in all I can tell you that I have gotten a massive amount of things done. I feel incredible. And I am full of energy which I am putting to other uses, such as writing, studying, speaking with C and even partaking in a video game every once in a while.
I am proud of myself for not drinking as I used to. It is something that I plan on keeping to. Not completely sober, just not drunk. I don’t want to be that guy anymore. Not that I ever really was “that guy.”
To put this in context. The amount of drinks I have had in the past 22 days is the equivalent of my appetizer in the past. I think that going forward I would rather enjoy a nice bottle of wine, a beer, a scotch or a vodka rather than the whole bottle. I feel as if I have conquered that demon but still have another nine days in my goal.
Moliere once wrote; “Perfect good sense shuns all extremity, content to couple wisdom with sobriety”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? Are you facing your demons? What’s stopping you? I know the answer… Do you?
A la prochaine
SDM
Breakfast (file under Damn it was early)
There used to be a time when I would still be ready for the next party at four thirty in the morning. Not waking up to go to work. But that said, it was far easier than I expected. When the alarm went I was somewhere between here and there in a less than memorable or mentionable for that matter dream. I sprung to my feet thinking that if I did so the dream would end. Only I came to realize that this was my new reality. 4:30 am. So I grabbed a cup of Greens Plus (http://www.genuinehealth.com/ ), which I strongly recommend to every one. If you are interested let me know. And then into the shower. Out the door at five to five so I could catch the approximately 5 am streetcar.
I had all kinds of things running through my mind as I locked the car and turned on my Ipod. As there has been next to no promotion of the breakfast I didn’t expect to be busy. In fact as I rode the streetcar I was mentally making my prep lists both for breakfast and lunch. The streetcar became full by Dufferin, which I must say, I found shocking. Who knew that so many people were up to go to work at five in the am.
Getting off at Queen and Yonge I bopped as my Mos Def played most elegantly (and loudly) in my ear. Followed by Jackie Wilson. Man do I love Jackie Wilson. WHAT A VOICE. So I lit my cigarette, still without a coffee in me, and quite happily, sauntered down Yonge Street. Surprisingly I made it from my door to work in forty five minutes. Which in my opinion is not so bad. Nothing that the Ipod, a book and a coffee can’t overcome.
I walked in the door and started the coffee punching in at 5:47 am. I thought to myself how funny it was that this was usually when I was punching out in my younger and more party oriented days. So I went through the mental lists that I had prepared as I got changed. Came out of the change room and went to get a coffee. Only I had forgot to put the basket with the coffee in the coffee maker. Oh no I thought to myself. Is this a sign of the day to come. Luckily it wasn’t.
As I expected we did absolutely no business for breakfast this morning. That does not mean that I didn’t have to complete my prep list though;
Home fries in third pan
Savoury French Toast Batter shallow half pan
Slice Cheddar and Havarti in six pans
Eggs in third pan
Peameal
Bacon
Sausage
Fresh Fruit
Muesli
Pot on for Eggs Benedict
Hollandaise
Clarified Butter
Lettuce
Tomatoes
White and Brown Bread for Toast
Texas Toast for French toast
Sliced Turkey
Basil
These are just some of the things that we had to get done. As we were not busy I started doing lunch prep at the same time. I did fifty pounds of fries, a 20 litre pail of fresh Chips and made a Tomato Basil Bisque.
I know that breakfast is going to work here. It is just going to take us a while to get the word out that we are doing it. While doing breakfast is going to change my schedule quite dramatically, I have to admit that I love that I got to come home, write some blogs (as I will write a couple more today) and do some studying, speak with my lover, C, and just overall get things done. GREAT FEELING!
Og Mandino once wrote; “Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.”
How true. Are you dreaming big and inspired? Maybe if you wake up early in the morning you’ll find the motivation you need. Not to mention the quiet. It’s never too early to dream.
A la prochaine
SDM
I had all kinds of things running through my mind as I locked the car and turned on my Ipod. As there has been next to no promotion of the breakfast I didn’t expect to be busy. In fact as I rode the streetcar I was mentally making my prep lists both for breakfast and lunch. The streetcar became full by Dufferin, which I must say, I found shocking. Who knew that so many people were up to go to work at five in the am.
Getting off at Queen and Yonge I bopped as my Mos Def played most elegantly (and loudly) in my ear. Followed by Jackie Wilson. Man do I love Jackie Wilson. WHAT A VOICE. So I lit my cigarette, still without a coffee in me, and quite happily, sauntered down Yonge Street. Surprisingly I made it from my door to work in forty five minutes. Which in my opinion is not so bad. Nothing that the Ipod, a book and a coffee can’t overcome.
I walked in the door and started the coffee punching in at 5:47 am. I thought to myself how funny it was that this was usually when I was punching out in my younger and more party oriented days. So I went through the mental lists that I had prepared as I got changed. Came out of the change room and went to get a coffee. Only I had forgot to put the basket with the coffee in the coffee maker. Oh no I thought to myself. Is this a sign of the day to come. Luckily it wasn’t.
As I expected we did absolutely no business for breakfast this morning. That does not mean that I didn’t have to complete my prep list though;
Home fries in third pan
Savoury French Toast Batter shallow half pan
Slice Cheddar and Havarti in six pans
Eggs in third pan
Peameal
Bacon
Sausage
Fresh Fruit
Muesli
Pot on for Eggs Benedict
Hollandaise
Clarified Butter
Lettuce
Tomatoes
White and Brown Bread for Toast
Texas Toast for French toast
Sliced Turkey
Basil
These are just some of the things that we had to get done. As we were not busy I started doing lunch prep at the same time. I did fifty pounds of fries, a 20 litre pail of fresh Chips and made a Tomato Basil Bisque.
I know that breakfast is going to work here. It is just going to take us a while to get the word out that we are doing it. While doing breakfast is going to change my schedule quite dramatically, I have to admit that I love that I got to come home, write some blogs (as I will write a couple more today) and do some studying, speak with my lover, C, and just overall get things done. GREAT FEELING!
Og Mandino once wrote; “Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.”
How true. Are you dreaming big and inspired? Maybe if you wake up early in the morning you’ll find the motivation you need. Not to mention the quiet. It’s never too early to dream.
A la prochaine
SDM
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Eric Ripert (file under inspiration)
I have always been fond of Eric Ripert. At least since I first heard of him (obviously). He is one of those hard to define people that seem to have a great head on his shoulders. Based on the joy that I got from “On the Line,” I went to the Toronto Public Library and ordered some more books. One that I received this week is called “A Return to Cooking,” and is coauthored by Michael Ruhlman. Ah Ruhlman. He seems to keep popping up in my studies as well.
This book is about Chef Ripert reengaging his inner cook. It is about the beauty of art and its many forms and about exploring what you have inside of you that drives you.
A few of the quotes, which really have jumped into my mind, are;
“When you cook – When you really cook – you pay attention to your past. When you cook, you welcome ghosts and honour them.”
“Chef denoted job. But when you are a cook it is who you are.”
“You may have ten thousand cookbooks and all the knowledge but it will only be theory.” He said this with respect to technique that can only be learned by doing.
“A cook is an instrument of nature.” I love this quote because I do believe that it is absolutely true. Some cooks want to overpower the ingredients that they use. Over think them. And as such spoil the inherent goodness. This quote speaks to the inherent goodness of ingredients and the need of the cook to embrace nature and let it be his or her guide.
“I learned technique from Robuchon. But Jean Louis (Palladin) (http://www.jlpfoundation.org/about.asp )is my taste and spirit.
I think that one of the reasons that I really admire Chef Ripert is that when he started his journey at one of the best restaurants in the world, Tour d’Argent (http://www.tourdargent.com ), he was absolutely clueless. There is an old story about how when he joined there he was asked to make a thirty egg hollandaise and that he retorted that this was too many eggs. So he was then told to go and pick Chervil and he had no idea what Chervil was. Since that time he has gone on to become one of the most accomplished Chefs in the world. I look at his example and think to myself; “Well, I may not be the greatest Chef ever, but I sure as hell can be the best cook.” After all that is what I am, a cook, it is what I have been my whole life and I just didn’t have the courage or the strength to listen to what was burning inside of me all along. Up until last year. And now I look at what I’ve seen and experienced in a whole new light. Allowing it to service rather than hinder my dreams.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
This book is about Chef Ripert reengaging his inner cook. It is about the beauty of art and its many forms and about exploring what you have inside of you that drives you.
A few of the quotes, which really have jumped into my mind, are;
“When you cook – When you really cook – you pay attention to your past. When you cook, you welcome ghosts and honour them.”
“Chef denoted job. But when you are a cook it is who you are.”
“You may have ten thousand cookbooks and all the knowledge but it will only be theory.” He said this with respect to technique that can only be learned by doing.
“A cook is an instrument of nature.” I love this quote because I do believe that it is absolutely true. Some cooks want to overpower the ingredients that they use. Over think them. And as such spoil the inherent goodness. This quote speaks to the inherent goodness of ingredients and the need of the cook to embrace nature and let it be his or her guide.
“I learned technique from Robuchon. But Jean Louis (Palladin) (http://www.jlpfoundation.org/about.asp )is my taste and spirit.
I think that one of the reasons that I really admire Chef Ripert is that when he started his journey at one of the best restaurants in the world, Tour d’Argent (http://www.tourdargent.com ), he was absolutely clueless. There is an old story about how when he joined there he was asked to make a thirty egg hollandaise and that he retorted that this was too many eggs. So he was then told to go and pick Chervil and he had no idea what Chervil was. Since that time he has gone on to become one of the most accomplished Chefs in the world. I look at his example and think to myself; “Well, I may not be the greatest Chef ever, but I sure as hell can be the best cook.” After all that is what I am, a cook, it is what I have been my whole life and I just didn’t have the courage or the strength to listen to what was burning inside of me all along. Up until last year. And now I look at what I’ve seen and experienced in a whole new light. Allowing it to service rather than hinder my dreams.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
What is the Universe Saying? (File under paying attention to the signposts)
Robert Frost (a Theta Delta Chi brother just like me) once wrote;
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I really have taken the road less traveled to get to where I am today. It has not been easy. It has been rife with challenged and obstacles. But those obstacles have made me who I am. And while I’m not every ones cup of tea I am proud of who I am and what I have become.
So, as I am trying to get extra work, a project fell into my lap (care of Chef), which was a television project. I’m not sure how much they have out in the public so I’m not going to say much about it. Merely that I did speak with a marvelous woman from Paperny Films (http://www.papernyfilms.com/ ) after sending her a brief note of introduction. She asked me to send a CV and some pictures and then we would have a little chat.
We spoke for a while on the phone about who I am and though I would have loved to be what they were looking for on this show it would appear that they need someone younger. I did reassure her that I do not look old and that I have boundless energy. But to no avail. She said that I was not what they were looking for on this show but that she would like to keep me around as they are constantly working on new shows and that she felt I may be right for something in the future.
It is always exciting when I think about the possibility of doing a TV show. Though I do feel it might take away from what I am trying to do. However, this particular one would have been brilliant as it would have given me the opportunity to learn a whole lot from some very talented Chefs.
I have a show idea that I would love to tell her about but I have not yet put it together on paper. For me the timing is not right yet. But when it is I now have another contact that I can take it to.
So the reason I ask what the universe is telling me is that this is the second show to come across my desk in the past six months. It is very exciting to think about. And for me a show would be the road less traveled. My whole life right now is just that, the road less traveled. And I am as excited as ever with what I am doing, what I am achieving and what I am becoming every day.
Marquis de Vauvenargues once said; “The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one's opportunities and make the most of one's resources.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? What’s stopping you? Dreams are free and freeing!
A la prochaine
SDM
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I really have taken the road less traveled to get to where I am today. It has not been easy. It has been rife with challenged and obstacles. But those obstacles have made me who I am. And while I’m not every ones cup of tea I am proud of who I am and what I have become.
So, as I am trying to get extra work, a project fell into my lap (care of Chef), which was a television project. I’m not sure how much they have out in the public so I’m not going to say much about it. Merely that I did speak with a marvelous woman from Paperny Films (http://www.papernyfilms.com/ ) after sending her a brief note of introduction. She asked me to send a CV and some pictures and then we would have a little chat.
We spoke for a while on the phone about who I am and though I would have loved to be what they were looking for on this show it would appear that they need someone younger. I did reassure her that I do not look old and that I have boundless energy. But to no avail. She said that I was not what they were looking for on this show but that she would like to keep me around as they are constantly working on new shows and that she felt I may be right for something in the future.
It is always exciting when I think about the possibility of doing a TV show. Though I do feel it might take away from what I am trying to do. However, this particular one would have been brilliant as it would have given me the opportunity to learn a whole lot from some very talented Chefs.
I have a show idea that I would love to tell her about but I have not yet put it together on paper. For me the timing is not right yet. But when it is I now have another contact that I can take it to.
So the reason I ask what the universe is telling me is that this is the second show to come across my desk in the past six months. It is very exciting to think about. And for me a show would be the road less traveled. My whole life right now is just that, the road less traveled. And I am as excited as ever with what I am doing, what I am achieving and what I am becoming every day.
Marquis de Vauvenargues once said; “The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one's opportunities and make the most of one's resources.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? What’s stopping you? Dreams are free and freeing!
A la prochaine
SDM
Butchery (file under studies)
I love Sunday! It is my day of rest. Which really means that I get to talk to C, do some studying and some blogging. As such I really love Sunday!
This past week my hours were abysmal. As such I found myself with lots of time to study. I spent most of Monday and Tuesday studying the theory behind butchery. This includes all of the health and safety issues related to butchery as well as the expected yields and various grading systems.
The first thing that I looked at was the sanitation aspect of butchery. This included looking at all the various causes, effects and controls of food borne illnesses. This included looking at personal hygiene, safe food handling and acceptable housekeeping standards.
Obviously sanitation is important to ensure the quality and wholesomeness of food. This is obviously very important as it can limit lost man hours and human suffering. It limits potential medical expenses, food spoilage, loss of business and potential lawsuits. To me the issues related with this were common sense. But of course, sense is by no means common.
One of the main causes of food borne illnesses is the contamination of food by pathogenic microorganisms. A full 99% of bacteria are non pathogenic whereas only 1% can cause illness. Microorganisms include; bacteria, yeast, mold, viruses and parasites.
In this course of study I reviewed the incubation times, side effects and mechanisms of food borne illness. I know this must sound so exciting to you, but it is another thing that I needed to look at in my course of study.
I am becoming more excited as time goes by because I am slowly but surely building the fundamentals for my career.
Gerard Depardieu once said; “My eye will roam with equal pleasure over the face of a beautiful woman as it will over the cuts of meat displayed in a butcher's shop window,”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
This past week my hours were abysmal. As such I found myself with lots of time to study. I spent most of Monday and Tuesday studying the theory behind butchery. This includes all of the health and safety issues related to butchery as well as the expected yields and various grading systems.
The first thing that I looked at was the sanitation aspect of butchery. This included looking at all the various causes, effects and controls of food borne illnesses. This included looking at personal hygiene, safe food handling and acceptable housekeeping standards.
Obviously sanitation is important to ensure the quality and wholesomeness of food. This is obviously very important as it can limit lost man hours and human suffering. It limits potential medical expenses, food spoilage, loss of business and potential lawsuits. To me the issues related with this were common sense. But of course, sense is by no means common.
One of the main causes of food borne illnesses is the contamination of food by pathogenic microorganisms. A full 99% of bacteria are non pathogenic whereas only 1% can cause illness. Microorganisms include; bacteria, yeast, mold, viruses and parasites.
In this course of study I reviewed the incubation times, side effects and mechanisms of food borne illness. I know this must sound so exciting to you, but it is another thing that I needed to look at in my course of study.
I am becoming more excited as time goes by because I am slowly but surely building the fundamentals for my career.
Gerard Depardieu once said; “My eye will roam with equal pleasure over the face of a beautiful woman as it will over the cuts of meat displayed in a butcher's shop window,”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
