Goethe seems to be my guy these days. He once said; “Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own.” This quote seems to be the greatest explanation of the reawakening that I am having right now.
As a cook it is true that my greatest happiness and joy is the result of others pleasure. Some might even say that my ultimate purpose now is to revel in the pleasure that others receive from my actions. And that, to me, is both thrilling and a massive responsibility. It means that I need to forgo my emotions and feelings in order to ensure the pleasure of my patrons. That in order for me to increase their pleasure I need to allow myself to leave the outside world at the door when I get to work, leave the outside there and concentrate, in the moment, to making the best possible dish that I can. If I do this, I am certain, that I have contributed to someone else’s pleasure which thus ensures my happiness.
As I am rollerblading to work these days I have a lot of time while pushing my body to push my mind and these are some of the thoughts (outline above) that have been running through my mind. Does that sound silly to you?
I love waking up in the morning. Alive, I roll out of bed, and start the process of my day. Vitamins, shower, dress, blades on and out the door. Arrive at work, get changed, punch in, start the set up for my stations and then prep for the day. This includes, as you are all aware, creating the next days specials.
As well today I did two smoothies again and they both were delicious. So much so that I ended up making enough for about twelve people. Calls of yum and ooh and ahhs could be heard throughout the building and all I could do was smile. It would seem that Health in a Glass is making a come back and I think that I might actually start recording all the smoothie recipes too and put out a book of those someday.
Yesterdays specials went very well. Which is above all, supremely satisfying to me. Even my coworkers have noticed how I relish in creating a great special. While I was at work today we sold about four of my pizza specials and three of the pasta. AND it was relatively slow. I am sure that tonight they will sell out of the special.
Today’s specials that I created are a grilled Portobello mushroom, artichoke hearts and crispy double smoked bacon. The pasta is a seafood Carbonara with scallops, crab, shrimp and double smoked bacon. DELICIOUS.
In case any of you could not tell, creating these specials is one of my greatest joys. I get to use the freshest ingredients and can do anything I want. I am building a repertoire of dishes that are distinctly me. And I have started a recipe book. Which at this rate should be pretty full by the end of the summer. Can any one say self publish?
Not only that but I shaved another five minutes off my return trip. Not so bad if you ask me. I think that within a few weeks, perhaps a month, I should be able to get to work in fifteen minutes and back in about twenty. We’ll see and I will keep you posted.
At any rate, Happy Easter or Passover every one. I hope that you feel the same blessings and joy in your lives that I do. It really is a matter of choice you know.
Confucius once said; “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
A la prochaine
SDM
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Treats and Specials (file under Grey Skies are Gonna Clear Up)
Hello all. With renewed vigour, passion and purpose I find myself thrilled to be back to me. For a while I had become jaded and it made me someone other than I am. It sucked in fact. But like the song from Bye Bye Birdie says;
“Gray skies are gonna clear up
Put on a happy face
Wipe off the clouds and cheer up
Put on a happy face”
And I have. I feel different. Refreshed.
So first I wanted to let you know that I shaved ten minutes on my way back from work today. Felt awesome. I mean I have only been rollerblading again since last week and I have already shaved approximately a third off my return travel. My legs are screaming at me but that will only last about another week I figure.
Due to the fact that he Club is a private members only venue we were busy today. I did about thirty breakfasts and approximately 120 covers at lunch. In the time between orders I created two specials; An Arugula and Cashew Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto and Grape Tomatoes and a Farfalle that I called Zorba The Greek; Farfalle, feta, black olives, red peppers and brunoised red onion with some fresh parsley.
The specials that I created for today were flying out the window. My partner in crime prepped 6 pizzas and they were gone by about 11:45. So more were made and I am excited to see how many went. I am pretty sure that tomorrows will fly off the line too.
Speaking with Sous Chef R he mentioned that he loved my enthusiasm and my creativity. He did caution me that (not that it has been an issue yet) I need to create specials that the lowest common denominator can make should I happen to be off the next day. I assured him that I have requisite variety and that I could do that no problem. I asked if he had any observations or concerns with my performance or me and he laughed. The good laugh, not the bad one.
We also spoke about me doing the outdoor section for the summer. He has recommended to Executive Chef that it be me that does it and so I am now going to start creating a menu book that I can use for the summer. EXCITING. I need to create all manner of protein dishes and can be as creative as I want. I can also have any ingredient that I want brought in to be used for that purpose. EXCITED. I’m laughing as I write this.
You see because it is a private members club it operates as a not for profit. So although we still try to adhere to a 30 % or less food cost it is not the primary focus. We have a captive audience that wants to eat there and so our concern is to make sure that they WANT to eat there.
So after my first four days I know that this is somewhere that I can stay for quite some time and hone my skills. My menu development. My people skills and my basic kitchen presence. I am thrilled to be here and it shows on my face. In my attitude and in my soul. I am shinning again and frankly, it hurt to be where I was for the past six months or so, in that, I was not myself. I felt like a slave. Nobody wants to feel like a slave. But now I feel as if I am a member of a team. A REAL TEAM. Where it is only as strong as its weakest link. The kitchen thrives on teamwork and while it is like other kitchens in terms of the way that people are with each other, when it comes to the work, we all pitch in.
I AM EXCITED and thrilled to be back to me.
Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet and playwright once said; “Life is perpetually creative because it contains in itself that surplus which ever overflows the boundaries of the immediate time and space, restlessly pursuing its adventure of expression in the varied forms of self-realization.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
“Gray skies are gonna clear up
Put on a happy face
Wipe off the clouds and cheer up
Put on a happy face”
And I have. I feel different. Refreshed.
So first I wanted to let you know that I shaved ten minutes on my way back from work today. Felt awesome. I mean I have only been rollerblading again since last week and I have already shaved approximately a third off my return travel. My legs are screaming at me but that will only last about another week I figure.
Due to the fact that he Club is a private members only venue we were busy today. I did about thirty breakfasts and approximately 120 covers at lunch. In the time between orders I created two specials; An Arugula and Cashew Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto and Grape Tomatoes and a Farfalle that I called Zorba The Greek; Farfalle, feta, black olives, red peppers and brunoised red onion with some fresh parsley.
The specials that I created for today were flying out the window. My partner in crime prepped 6 pizzas and they were gone by about 11:45. So more were made and I am excited to see how many went. I am pretty sure that tomorrows will fly off the line too.
Speaking with Sous Chef R he mentioned that he loved my enthusiasm and my creativity. He did caution me that (not that it has been an issue yet) I need to create specials that the lowest common denominator can make should I happen to be off the next day. I assured him that I have requisite variety and that I could do that no problem. I asked if he had any observations or concerns with my performance or me and he laughed. The good laugh, not the bad one.
We also spoke about me doing the outdoor section for the summer. He has recommended to Executive Chef that it be me that does it and so I am now going to start creating a menu book that I can use for the summer. EXCITING. I need to create all manner of protein dishes and can be as creative as I want. I can also have any ingredient that I want brought in to be used for that purpose. EXCITED. I’m laughing as I write this.
You see because it is a private members club it operates as a not for profit. So although we still try to adhere to a 30 % or less food cost it is not the primary focus. We have a captive audience that wants to eat there and so our concern is to make sure that they WANT to eat there.
So after my first four days I know that this is somewhere that I can stay for quite some time and hone my skills. My menu development. My people skills and my basic kitchen presence. I am thrilled to be here and it shows on my face. In my attitude and in my soul. I am shinning again and frankly, it hurt to be where I was for the past six months or so, in that, I was not myself. I felt like a slave. Nobody wants to feel like a slave. But now I feel as if I am a member of a team. A REAL TEAM. Where it is only as strong as its weakest link. The kitchen thrives on teamwork and while it is like other kitchens in terms of the way that people are with each other, when it comes to the work, we all pitch in.
I AM EXCITED and thrilled to be back to me.
Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet and playwright once said; “Life is perpetually creative because it contains in itself that surplus which ever overflows the boundaries of the immediate time and space, restlessly pursuing its adventure of expression in the varied forms of self-realization.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Is it wrong to LOVE going to work (file under passions reignited)
Ferdinand Foch once said; "The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."
The beauty of that quote is that he does not define the use of the weapon only its usefulness. What if, as is the case with me, that human soul, is engaged in a life long quest to improve the human condition. It used to be on a macro level, figuring out (or at least attempting to) complex legal, social, emotional and political issues. Then I realized that if I followed my heart, my soul and my passion that my impact could be far greater on the micro level. Hence, at least in part my desire to join a kitchen.
I have not been sleeping well this week. As I explained yesterday. C feels that it is just because I am excited. I think it goes beyond that. I feel that my soul has been put on fire again after aperiod of uncertainty and doubt.
Naturally got everything set and then started to work on the prep that needed to get done including doing the specials for tomorrow. I decided to do a roasted red pepper and goat cheese crumble pizza with fresh basil and a scallion oil to finish. It is going to go like hotcakes I am sure.
Yesterday, after speaking with Sous Chef R, I knew that he had a sauce in mind for the Tortellini special today. He told me that I could create a garnish. My thought was immediate; A Parmesan Chip! That’s right, I said a Parmesan chip. To do this you just grate some Parmesan and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place it in a four hundred degree oven until you see it bubbling. Turn it around and then cook it for about another minute. When finished give it about ten minutes and voila you have a crisp Parmesan chip. DELICIOUS. And the rest of the staff loved the idea. I strongly recommend you try it yourselves.
I worked the complete line today and made in total about forty orders. Most were breakfast but I did two or three pasta specials, one meat special which was a Frenched veal chop with pomegranate jus.
It feels awesome to be somewhere that I am appreciated and given the free reign (under supervision of course) to put into action some of the things that I have wanted to try for a while.
As the title suggests, I found myself wondering on the way home, is it wrong to love work. I mean really love work.
All I can say friends is watch out because my soul is again on fire and in a place that it will be nurtured and allowed to grow.
Craig Claiborne once said; “Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well one must love and respect food.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
The beauty of that quote is that he does not define the use of the weapon only its usefulness. What if, as is the case with me, that human soul, is engaged in a life long quest to improve the human condition. It used to be on a macro level, figuring out (or at least attempting to) complex legal, social, emotional and political issues. Then I realized that if I followed my heart, my soul and my passion that my impact could be far greater on the micro level. Hence, at least in part my desire to join a kitchen.
I have not been sleeping well this week. As I explained yesterday. C feels that it is just because I am excited. I think it goes beyond that. I feel that my soul has been put on fire again after aperiod of uncertainty and doubt.
Naturally got everything set and then started to work on the prep that needed to get done including doing the specials for tomorrow. I decided to do a roasted red pepper and goat cheese crumble pizza with fresh basil and a scallion oil to finish. It is going to go like hotcakes I am sure.
Yesterday, after speaking with Sous Chef R, I knew that he had a sauce in mind for the Tortellini special today. He told me that I could create a garnish. My thought was immediate; A Parmesan Chip! That’s right, I said a Parmesan chip. To do this you just grate some Parmesan and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place it in a four hundred degree oven until you see it bubbling. Turn it around and then cook it for about another minute. When finished give it about ten minutes and voila you have a crisp Parmesan chip. DELICIOUS. And the rest of the staff loved the idea. I strongly recommend you try it yourselves.
I worked the complete line today and made in total about forty orders. Most were breakfast but I did two or three pasta specials, one meat special which was a Frenched veal chop with pomegranate jus.
It feels awesome to be somewhere that I am appreciated and given the free reign (under supervision of course) to put into action some of the things that I have wanted to try for a while.
As the title suggests, I found myself wondering on the way home, is it wrong to love work. I mean really love work.
All I can say friends is watch out because my soul is again on fire and in a place that it will be nurtured and allowed to grow.
Craig Claiborne once said; “Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well one must love and respect food.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
In that Vain (file under How’s that working out for you)
As I mentioned before I started at The Club, I went out and bought myself a treat, Rollerblades. I did this for two reasons; One, I haven’t had a pair in years and I’m certain that anyone that knows me well can attest that at some point between the ages of twelve and twenty four that they believed my feet were in fact Rollerblades. The other reason is that I am currently saving up for C and I’s wedding and it made sense to me that I spend two months of travel up front so that I could spend that money saved on the wedding.
As it turns out I live about 8 kms away from work. A big change from the twenty that I used to. Which would take between an hour and an hour and half of travel. To get to work this morning took approximately twenty minutes. A five minute improvement from my first time getting there on my blades. Most of it is on a downgrade on the way there so it is pretty easy. On the way back it takes me about double the time because of wind and going up grade.
I have already felt the reward of my body being back on blades. There is a bigger spring in my step and certainly in my spirit. It is my goal to be as fit as I was at 16 by the time of our wedding. This has included doing sit ups and pushups and now cardio with the Rollerblading to work.
It feels good. Damn good. Have you treated yourself to something recently that makes you feel as good?
Buddha once said; “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
As it turns out I live about 8 kms away from work. A big change from the twenty that I used to. Which would take between an hour and an hour and half of travel. To get to work this morning took approximately twenty minutes. A five minute improvement from my first time getting there on my blades. Most of it is on a downgrade on the way there so it is pretty easy. On the way back it takes me about double the time because of wind and going up grade.
I have already felt the reward of my body being back on blades. There is a bigger spring in my step and certainly in my spirit. It is my goal to be as fit as I was at 16 by the time of our wedding. This has included doing sit ups and pushups and now cardio with the Rollerblading to work.
It feels good. Damn good. Have you treated yourself to something recently that makes you feel as good?
Buddha once said; “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Health in a Glass (file under Redux)
Imagine if you can for a moment walking into a fridge and being punched in the face by the sweetest, stickiest and most appetizing smell. Now, if you can, picture, mangoes, bananas, grapefruits, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, oranges and all manner of exotic fruit. What would you do with those things if you had them?
At Reservation, as many of you will recall, I started the daily treat of Health in a Glass right before service everyday. At The Club, it is not only a once a day ritual but, today for instance, one that was repeated, twice. And then before I left I had a fresh Mango smoothie. Health in a Glass is right.
According to Health Canada we should be eating between 5 and 10 servings of fruits or vegetables every day. I can assure you that for the past seven years but probably closer to ten I have come nowhere close.
As many of you know I am rail thin. I weigh 130 pounds soaking wet with all my clothes on. At 5’10 and that weight you can imagine that for whatever reason my metabolism is quite different than that of most people. I am in incredible health, I have low blood pressure (in a good way), low cholesterol and a fantastic body mass index. However, many people have said that I am too thin. Well, I made myself a promise when I started at the Club that I was going to do my best to eat a little better, live a little better and take care of my body a little better.
As such, it is my absolute pleasure to let you know that today I had approximately 15 servings of fruit and or vegetables. I can feel a difference. Yesterday I only had one Health in a Glass and it is weird because I can actually feel the result (metabolism of course) very, very rapidly.
In that vein I would like to give everyone a couple of my favourites Health in a Glass recipes;
The Pressure Refresher (serves 4)
2 Bananas
Quarter Pint of Raspberries
200 mls of Peach Yoghurt
350 mls of Orange Juice (preferably fresh)
Ice as desired
Put all ingredients into blender and mix. I call this the Pressure Refresher because almost immediately you can feel yourself relax and you get a HUGE jolt of energy.
Pineapple Express (serves 4)
Half a Pineapple (make sure to remove the core)
Quarter Pint of Raspberries
350 mls of Orange Juice
200 mls of Strawberry Yoghurt
Ice as desired
Same as above to make. And yes the name of this Health in a Glass will help if you have seen Pineapple Express and enjoyed some of its wares.
I am tweaking these recipes and have about twenty now that I use. However, because walking into the produce walk in at work is like dying and going to fresh fruit heaven I am sure I will have about fifty by the time September runs around.
I have lots in my life that makes me want to become even healthier. In the past I had thought that I could do what I want and never have to pay a price for it. (Thanks Doc) But now, as I get older I realize that I need to take care of my body and so do you.
Let me know what you think?
An old Spanish Proverb states; “A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
At Reservation, as many of you will recall, I started the daily treat of Health in a Glass right before service everyday. At The Club, it is not only a once a day ritual but, today for instance, one that was repeated, twice. And then before I left I had a fresh Mango smoothie. Health in a Glass is right.
According to Health Canada we should be eating between 5 and 10 servings of fruits or vegetables every day. I can assure you that for the past seven years but probably closer to ten I have come nowhere close.
As many of you know I am rail thin. I weigh 130 pounds soaking wet with all my clothes on. At 5’10 and that weight you can imagine that for whatever reason my metabolism is quite different than that of most people. I am in incredible health, I have low blood pressure (in a good way), low cholesterol and a fantastic body mass index. However, many people have said that I am too thin. Well, I made myself a promise when I started at the Club that I was going to do my best to eat a little better, live a little better and take care of my body a little better.
As such, it is my absolute pleasure to let you know that today I had approximately 15 servings of fruit and or vegetables. I can feel a difference. Yesterday I only had one Health in a Glass and it is weird because I can actually feel the result (metabolism of course) very, very rapidly.
In that vein I would like to give everyone a couple of my favourites Health in a Glass recipes;
The Pressure Refresher (serves 4)
2 Bananas
Quarter Pint of Raspberries
200 mls of Peach Yoghurt
350 mls of Orange Juice (preferably fresh)
Ice as desired
Put all ingredients into blender and mix. I call this the Pressure Refresher because almost immediately you can feel yourself relax and you get a HUGE jolt of energy.
Pineapple Express (serves 4)
Half a Pineapple (make sure to remove the core)
Quarter Pint of Raspberries
350 mls of Orange Juice
200 mls of Strawberry Yoghurt
Ice as desired
Same as above to make. And yes the name of this Health in a Glass will help if you have seen Pineapple Express and enjoyed some of its wares.
I am tweaking these recipes and have about twenty now that I use. However, because walking into the produce walk in at work is like dying and going to fresh fruit heaven I am sure I will have about fifty by the time September runs around.
I have lots in my life that makes me want to become even healthier. In the past I had thought that I could do what I want and never have to pay a price for it. (Thanks Doc) But now, as I get older I realize that I need to take care of my body and so do you.
Let me know what you think?
An old Spanish Proverb states; “A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
I Got the Joy (file under Adventures in Kitchenland)
Barack Obama once said; “Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.”
Ain’t that the truth? As we all are aware by now I have had numerous jobs which have left me unfulfilled and left wondering what the whole purpose of life is. As I have documented here, my decision to become a Chef and join a professional kitchen had less to do with money and a whole lot to do with defining my life for myself.
Today was my second full shift at The Club and I have to admit that beyond loving it I am ecstatic that I have found my place here.
Beyond the obvious benefits which I have outlined over the past couple of posts there are numerous culinary benefits to being at The Club. The ability to survive is much different that solely focusing your life on a buck. It is necessary to survive in order to dream. So I bear no guilt over my decision to join a stable and nurturing environment.
Oh and before I get to far… the specials that I developed did so well yesterday that they had to make some on the fly. (Note to self; always make sure that you prepare at least enough mise en place for 15 portions) In retrospect I have to admit that I think that the sun dried tomato ravioli with sun dried pesto was not an ideal pairing. A little overkill on the sun dried if you know what I mean. I think it was just the excitement of creating specials first day. I did get positive feed back from Sous Chef R and the club members seemed to enjoy it.
I was beside myself this morning. I could not sleep. I finally was able to close my eyes and get a rest at around 12:30 am. I awoke startled at 2:36 am and found myself considering whether or not to get up and work or try to get myself back to sleep. I opted for sleep as I felt that I should try to be as sharp as possible in the first few weeks. I woke up again at 4:45 am and decided to just get up and do a little research on the Internet.
I climbed into the shower at around 5:10 am and took a long soak after deciding that it was both too windy and cold for me to rollerblade. I will tomorrow though. In the shower, as for the hour before, I was extremely excited to be going to The Club. I look at it less as work or a job and much more as the daily steps toward the actualization of my dream. Did I mention in a stable and nurturing environment? (Rhetorical)
I arrived at The Club at around 6:10 and got changed right away. Played with the time clock for about ten minutes trying to figure out how the hell to punch in. There were instructions over the machine but they were about as useful as Chinese instructions from Ikea being translated by Maori Indian.
Finally, punching in, I went downstairs and started the grand circle of opening. Fryers, Salamander, Ovens, Stove, Grill, Heat Lamps, Hotline on, Cold Line filled with ice. Blanching pots on. Muffins, Sausage and Bacon in the convection. Make sure there is enough on station and then start prep for the day.
Rather than regaling you with the exciting world of prep, which to you is probably anathema, like a trip to the dentist, I will instead write of the things that were awesome.
First and foremost, I got to work on my butchery skills and broke down twenty pork tenderloins. The reason this is exciting to me is because to my view pork is easier to screw up than beef. I found myself playing with various knife positions, cuts and techniques that I have either learned directly or figured out on the fly today. All the while I was having a great conversation with Sous Chef R which was clearly designed to figure out where I was coming from and where I wanted to go to. He, like me, is a voracious reader and as such the conversation was all over the place. Segues that flowed naturally from conversations of musical likes to the Disclosure project. After breaking down the tenderloins I portioned them off and placed them in a deep half pan covering each layer with a towel. I also helped with a lot of other peoples prep today. No different than I normally would but it was clearly noticed and appreciated.
Slowly, I am beginning to remember faces and names. And there are a lot of faces and names to remember. And just like any other kitchen I have been in it is filled with characters, dreamers, misfits and people who just consider it a job. The difference in this kitchen is the way that I interrelated with them. Cautious but friendly. Calculated but calm. And by calculated I am not meaning in some neo- Machiavellian sense.
Sous Chef R asked me directly whether or not I would be interested in… get this… deep breathe… handling the patio. Cue the hairs on the back of my neck raising momentarily. My answer was the best that I could give… I am here to serve in any capacity that serves both the Club and this kitchen well. After that Sous Chef spoke to me about the virtues of the job. The only one of which I didn’t necessarily like was that it is an afternoon/evening job. That was the only drawback in that I felt it might interfere with the other things I am working on.
I argued with myself over the last paragraph for about a minute there. Unsure as to whether or not to include you in the brain farts that I am having in that regard. However, as you can see, I decided, as usual, not to censor myself and share completely.
So what are the pluses in my mind to taking the assignment?
Best ingredients available in the city. Whatever I can dream up they will bring in.
Menu freedom and control (with oversight of course)
Being outside in the summer on beautiful Lake Ontario
Direct interaction with Club Members which I excel at
So with that said; when the conversation comes up directly as to whether or not I would like to do that this summer. I am almost certain that I will say yes. Also in speaking with Sous Chef R, he made it clear that he felt it was ideal for me, as I don’t need to have my hand held or to be coddled. The conversation, to my mind, was a recognition, and not, as was the case at Reservation, that they have no one else to do the job. It is an extremely nice feeling.
From that we segued into various ingredients I might like to work with. Price/Cost structures. Member wants and needs versus realities. It was quite refreshing as I mentioned earlier.
Thus, from all this, do you get the feeling that I finally found a place that I can grow? I DO!
I am excited, thrilled, ecstatic and could use a thesaurus or that big brain of mine to give you twenty more words to describe the euphoric feeling that I have right now, but instead I will say this; I feel that I have joined a place that will allow me to grow, to be nurtured, to nurture and to fulfill greatest dream in life (next to starting a family with my loving, gorgeous, talented, funny, elegant and dreaming fiancé C, that of becoming a great chef. But first, I need to cook (and practice starting a family), A LOT!
Oscar Wilde once said; “I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Ain’t that the truth? As we all are aware by now I have had numerous jobs which have left me unfulfilled and left wondering what the whole purpose of life is. As I have documented here, my decision to become a Chef and join a professional kitchen had less to do with money and a whole lot to do with defining my life for myself.
Today was my second full shift at The Club and I have to admit that beyond loving it I am ecstatic that I have found my place here.
Beyond the obvious benefits which I have outlined over the past couple of posts there are numerous culinary benefits to being at The Club. The ability to survive is much different that solely focusing your life on a buck. It is necessary to survive in order to dream. So I bear no guilt over my decision to join a stable and nurturing environment.
Oh and before I get to far… the specials that I developed did so well yesterday that they had to make some on the fly. (Note to self; always make sure that you prepare at least enough mise en place for 15 portions) In retrospect I have to admit that I think that the sun dried tomato ravioli with sun dried pesto was not an ideal pairing. A little overkill on the sun dried if you know what I mean. I think it was just the excitement of creating specials first day. I did get positive feed back from Sous Chef R and the club members seemed to enjoy it.
I was beside myself this morning. I could not sleep. I finally was able to close my eyes and get a rest at around 12:30 am. I awoke startled at 2:36 am and found myself considering whether or not to get up and work or try to get myself back to sleep. I opted for sleep as I felt that I should try to be as sharp as possible in the first few weeks. I woke up again at 4:45 am and decided to just get up and do a little research on the Internet.
I climbed into the shower at around 5:10 am and took a long soak after deciding that it was both too windy and cold for me to rollerblade. I will tomorrow though. In the shower, as for the hour before, I was extremely excited to be going to The Club. I look at it less as work or a job and much more as the daily steps toward the actualization of my dream. Did I mention in a stable and nurturing environment? (Rhetorical)
I arrived at The Club at around 6:10 and got changed right away. Played with the time clock for about ten minutes trying to figure out how the hell to punch in. There were instructions over the machine but they were about as useful as Chinese instructions from Ikea being translated by Maori Indian.
Finally, punching in, I went downstairs and started the grand circle of opening. Fryers, Salamander, Ovens, Stove, Grill, Heat Lamps, Hotline on, Cold Line filled with ice. Blanching pots on. Muffins, Sausage and Bacon in the convection. Make sure there is enough on station and then start prep for the day.
Rather than regaling you with the exciting world of prep, which to you is probably anathema, like a trip to the dentist, I will instead write of the things that were awesome.
First and foremost, I got to work on my butchery skills and broke down twenty pork tenderloins. The reason this is exciting to me is because to my view pork is easier to screw up than beef. I found myself playing with various knife positions, cuts and techniques that I have either learned directly or figured out on the fly today. All the while I was having a great conversation with Sous Chef R which was clearly designed to figure out where I was coming from and where I wanted to go to. He, like me, is a voracious reader and as such the conversation was all over the place. Segues that flowed naturally from conversations of musical likes to the Disclosure project. After breaking down the tenderloins I portioned them off and placed them in a deep half pan covering each layer with a towel. I also helped with a lot of other peoples prep today. No different than I normally would but it was clearly noticed and appreciated.
Slowly, I am beginning to remember faces and names. And there are a lot of faces and names to remember. And just like any other kitchen I have been in it is filled with characters, dreamers, misfits and people who just consider it a job. The difference in this kitchen is the way that I interrelated with them. Cautious but friendly. Calculated but calm. And by calculated I am not meaning in some neo- Machiavellian sense.
Sous Chef R asked me directly whether or not I would be interested in… get this… deep breathe… handling the patio. Cue the hairs on the back of my neck raising momentarily. My answer was the best that I could give… I am here to serve in any capacity that serves both the Club and this kitchen well. After that Sous Chef spoke to me about the virtues of the job. The only one of which I didn’t necessarily like was that it is an afternoon/evening job. That was the only drawback in that I felt it might interfere with the other things I am working on.
I argued with myself over the last paragraph for about a minute there. Unsure as to whether or not to include you in the brain farts that I am having in that regard. However, as you can see, I decided, as usual, not to censor myself and share completely.
So what are the pluses in my mind to taking the assignment?
Best ingredients available in the city. Whatever I can dream up they will bring in.
Menu freedom and control (with oversight of course)
Being outside in the summer on beautiful Lake Ontario
Direct interaction with Club Members which I excel at
So with that said; when the conversation comes up directly as to whether or not I would like to do that this summer. I am almost certain that I will say yes. Also in speaking with Sous Chef R, he made it clear that he felt it was ideal for me, as I don’t need to have my hand held or to be coddled. The conversation, to my mind, was a recognition, and not, as was the case at Reservation, that they have no one else to do the job. It is an extremely nice feeling.
From that we segued into various ingredients I might like to work with. Price/Cost structures. Member wants and needs versus realities. It was quite refreshing as I mentioned earlier.
Thus, from all this, do you get the feeling that I finally found a place that I can grow? I DO!
I am excited, thrilled, ecstatic and could use a thesaurus or that big brain of mine to give you twenty more words to describe the euphoric feeling that I have right now, but instead I will say this; I feel that I have joined a place that will allow me to grow, to be nurtured, to nurture and to fulfill greatest dream in life (next to starting a family with my loving, gorgeous, talented, funny, elegant and dreaming fiancé C, that of becoming a great chef. But first, I need to cook (and practice starting a family), A LOT!
Oscar Wilde once said; “I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
First Day (file under AWESOME)
Shakespeare once wrote; “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” I awoke early, before the alarm (which is happening more and more often these days) and I was excited at the prospect of starting a new job. One which would allow me to my own self to be true.
The plan had been for me to rollerblade to work. Of course Mother Nature had a different plan. I have to admit that it is much easier to wake up when it is warm out as opposed to when it is cold. But nonetheless, waking up, I strolled to the shower and took a nice long shower. While in the shower I became aware of a change that had happened in me sometime in the past few months. For some reason a sense of personal urgency had developed with regard to my direction, where I was going and how I was getting there. This thought stayed with me as I grabbed my Tim’s and waited for the bus.
Usually I would have a soundtrack for my life playing on my Ipod but alas I left it in my brothers’ car and haven’t had it for a couple of weeks. Instead I played a game with myself while reading the paper, imagining what that soundtrack might be on this day. A new day. A new job. A new beginning.
The trip was short to the club. Maybe twenty five minutes in total. Including a walk which lasted four or five minutes as I walked at a good clip due to the freezing rain that was trying to come down on my parade. To no avail though as I arrived at around 6:16 am to start anew. FRESH!
My colleague was waiting for me at the Front entrance to walk me through a “training day.” We were the only ones in the kitchen at this early hour. He walked me through the various start up requirements and how to frame the day before starting in on work.
Fill the blanching pots. Light the stoves, start the fryers, the grill, the convection ovens and the flat top. Fill the hot line water and the cool line with ice. Utensils on station and then check the stock of each of the station fridges to ensure that we were ready to go. Make sure to remember to put the muffins, bacon and sausages in the convection. The whole start up ritual took perhaps twenty minutes. Then off to the walk ins to figure out what prep needed to get done.
Monday is a pretty quiet day at The Club. With most of the prep trying to stay at least a day ahead. My coworker asked if I felt like doing any specials for today. Sure I said and proceeded to do the mise en place for a Pesto Margarita Pizza and a Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli with a Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. They were the first things to come to mind and I didn’t want to rock the boat.
The ability to create specials from the finest ingredients that can be found is relatively easy with a bit of knowledge and creativity. But it did cause me to think that I need to get a new notebook to start recording both my ideas and the realities of the specials I will help to create each day.
It was a slow day. I think total we had about twenty orders. But there were other things I could do; walk around and get my bearings. Get a feel for what was in the walk ins, dry stores, etc. To figure out what the work ethic was, what was expected, etc.
My day finished around 2:30 pm. I was home by 3:10 and started thinking about the day that had just passed.
What I realized is that I am being given an opportunity to start fresh. To become part of a team. To work on the things that I know personally I need to. I am joining a team that cares about what they do, for the most part, and are happy to come to work every day.
This job means a lot to me. First off, though there is a lot of work in a kitchen, I feel it important to say, that I don’t really look at it like it’s a job. For me it is a passion which burns bright and deeply. At The Club, I will have the opportunity to grow and learn. To work my way up from the “bottom” and bear witness to my own progression each day.
I don’t want to write too much on an abstract level about yesterday. But for me, a lot of it was abstract. I could see the commitment that I had made was a good one and that this is exactly the environment that I need to be in right now. And that feels good.
Naturally there are a slew of operational things that I realized during my day yesterday. None of which I will bore you with here. But it is a completely different environment than any I have been in to date. Excited, I know that the coming days, weeks, months are going to be filled with purpose, joy and meaning. I am grateful for the opportunity and plan to incorporate all of the things that I have learned so far in a meaningful way to my own progression.
I purposely did not write over the weekend because I wanted this to be my 300th post. How Spartan of me? And yet in my mind, it made sense, that my 300th post would be this one, which heralded a new day, a great opportunity and my souls smile.
Goethe once said; “The day is committed to error and floundering; success and achievement are matters of long range”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
The plan had been for me to rollerblade to work. Of course Mother Nature had a different plan. I have to admit that it is much easier to wake up when it is warm out as opposed to when it is cold. But nonetheless, waking up, I strolled to the shower and took a nice long shower. While in the shower I became aware of a change that had happened in me sometime in the past few months. For some reason a sense of personal urgency had developed with regard to my direction, where I was going and how I was getting there. This thought stayed with me as I grabbed my Tim’s and waited for the bus.
Usually I would have a soundtrack for my life playing on my Ipod but alas I left it in my brothers’ car and haven’t had it for a couple of weeks. Instead I played a game with myself while reading the paper, imagining what that soundtrack might be on this day. A new day. A new job. A new beginning.
The trip was short to the club. Maybe twenty five minutes in total. Including a walk which lasted four or five minutes as I walked at a good clip due to the freezing rain that was trying to come down on my parade. To no avail though as I arrived at around 6:16 am to start anew. FRESH!
My colleague was waiting for me at the Front entrance to walk me through a “training day.” We were the only ones in the kitchen at this early hour. He walked me through the various start up requirements and how to frame the day before starting in on work.
Fill the blanching pots. Light the stoves, start the fryers, the grill, the convection ovens and the flat top. Fill the hot line water and the cool line with ice. Utensils on station and then check the stock of each of the station fridges to ensure that we were ready to go. Make sure to remember to put the muffins, bacon and sausages in the convection. The whole start up ritual took perhaps twenty minutes. Then off to the walk ins to figure out what prep needed to get done.
Monday is a pretty quiet day at The Club. With most of the prep trying to stay at least a day ahead. My coworker asked if I felt like doing any specials for today. Sure I said and proceeded to do the mise en place for a Pesto Margarita Pizza and a Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli with a Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. They were the first things to come to mind and I didn’t want to rock the boat.
The ability to create specials from the finest ingredients that can be found is relatively easy with a bit of knowledge and creativity. But it did cause me to think that I need to get a new notebook to start recording both my ideas and the realities of the specials I will help to create each day.
It was a slow day. I think total we had about twenty orders. But there were other things I could do; walk around and get my bearings. Get a feel for what was in the walk ins, dry stores, etc. To figure out what the work ethic was, what was expected, etc.
My day finished around 2:30 pm. I was home by 3:10 and started thinking about the day that had just passed.
What I realized is that I am being given an opportunity to start fresh. To become part of a team. To work on the things that I know personally I need to. I am joining a team that cares about what they do, for the most part, and are happy to come to work every day.
This job means a lot to me. First off, though there is a lot of work in a kitchen, I feel it important to say, that I don’t really look at it like it’s a job. For me it is a passion which burns bright and deeply. At The Club, I will have the opportunity to grow and learn. To work my way up from the “bottom” and bear witness to my own progression each day.
I don’t want to write too much on an abstract level about yesterday. But for me, a lot of it was abstract. I could see the commitment that I had made was a good one and that this is exactly the environment that I need to be in right now. And that feels good.
Naturally there are a slew of operational things that I realized during my day yesterday. None of which I will bore you with here. But it is a completely different environment than any I have been in to date. Excited, I know that the coming days, weeks, months are going to be filled with purpose, joy and meaning. I am grateful for the opportunity and plan to incorporate all of the things that I have learned so far in a meaningful way to my own progression.
I purposely did not write over the weekend because I wanted this to be my 300th post. How Spartan of me? And yet in my mind, it made sense, that my 300th post would be this one, which heralded a new day, a great opportunity and my souls smile.
Goethe once said; “The day is committed to error and floundering; success and achievement are matters of long range”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Starting from Scratch (file under New Beginnings)
So again my friends, here I stand on the precipice of something new, wonderful and exciting. One of my favorite authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote; “Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”
It has been one year, two months and eighteen days since I started this wonderful journey that I am on. I have worked in two different kitchens which have given me a good foundation from which to build. And now I find myself in the enviable position of starting anew in a great kitchen, where, with the knowledge I have gained, I know I need to stay and grow organically to best achieve the result I want. I am grateful to both Reservation and Without Reservation for giving me the opportunity to work with them, to learn and to grow. Each has a place in my heart and in my tale.
Today, I am readying myself for the new job at The Club which starts tomorrow. I had a meeting with Executive Chef and the Sous Chef that I will be working under on Thursday. Rather than writing about it immediately I wanted it all to sink in before I wrote a commentary.
To prepare for the meeting I went out and bought myself a treat! It is my intent (and I have been working on It for about a month now) to make sure that I am in great health for my wedding. I have started doing push ups and sit ups and have now added to my regiment by buying myself a pair of rollerblades to get to and from work. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover it.
The meeting went extremely well. I filled out some paper work and got a great tour of the facilities. Being introduced to the Sous Chef that I am to work under I was kind of shocked at his lack of animation. Here he was responsible for the inner working of a sizable kitchen and he exhibited the same kind of Zen like calm that Director of Operations did at Reservation. It was something that caused me to start thinking. I will expound on my thoughts later.
I became excited to be joining the team even before the meeting but after it I was thrilled. I am being paid a fair wage, am entering an environment which is extremely stable, where I can learn everyday, where I am part of a team, which will guarantee that I get a minimum of eighty hours per pay period, which leaves me with time in my day to do the many things that I do outside of the kitchen which are part of my learning experience. These are just some of the great things, what’s more, BENEFITS, they will pay for courses that I choose to take which I get a 75% or higher mark in. They reward attendance and promote from within. Do you get that I am a little excited?
I have a game plan for my time at The Club. I know what I need to do. I know what I need to be and Zen like is going to play a big part in it. I have learned valuable lessons from my experiences in the kitchen and plan on putting all of them to use in my new position. Officially I am First Cook and man is that exciting.
I know that I have found myself a place where I can learn and grow which nullifies some of the concerns that I have had to date. I look forward to becoming a member of the team and putting into action everything that I have learned in the past year and three months.
So the ride is going to get a little more interesting for me. And thus, for you.
Dante Alighieri once wrote; “Consider your origin; you were not born to live like brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.”
It has become time for me to release the sometimes brutish nature of my own existence in order to become a better man, a better son, a better brother, a better lover, a better friend and a better member of humanity. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead and recognize the opportunity in each and every one of them.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
It has been one year, two months and eighteen days since I started this wonderful journey that I am on. I have worked in two different kitchens which have given me a good foundation from which to build. And now I find myself in the enviable position of starting anew in a great kitchen, where, with the knowledge I have gained, I know I need to stay and grow organically to best achieve the result I want. I am grateful to both Reservation and Without Reservation for giving me the opportunity to work with them, to learn and to grow. Each has a place in my heart and in my tale.
Today, I am readying myself for the new job at The Club which starts tomorrow. I had a meeting with Executive Chef and the Sous Chef that I will be working under on Thursday. Rather than writing about it immediately I wanted it all to sink in before I wrote a commentary.
To prepare for the meeting I went out and bought myself a treat! It is my intent (and I have been working on It for about a month now) to make sure that I am in great health for my wedding. I have started doing push ups and sit ups and have now added to my regiment by buying myself a pair of rollerblades to get to and from work. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover it.
The meeting went extremely well. I filled out some paper work and got a great tour of the facilities. Being introduced to the Sous Chef that I am to work under I was kind of shocked at his lack of animation. Here he was responsible for the inner working of a sizable kitchen and he exhibited the same kind of Zen like calm that Director of Operations did at Reservation. It was something that caused me to start thinking. I will expound on my thoughts later.
I became excited to be joining the team even before the meeting but after it I was thrilled. I am being paid a fair wage, am entering an environment which is extremely stable, where I can learn everyday, where I am part of a team, which will guarantee that I get a minimum of eighty hours per pay period, which leaves me with time in my day to do the many things that I do outside of the kitchen which are part of my learning experience. These are just some of the great things, what’s more, BENEFITS, they will pay for courses that I choose to take which I get a 75% or higher mark in. They reward attendance and promote from within. Do you get that I am a little excited?
I have a game plan for my time at The Club. I know what I need to do. I know what I need to be and Zen like is going to play a big part in it. I have learned valuable lessons from my experiences in the kitchen and plan on putting all of them to use in my new position. Officially I am First Cook and man is that exciting.
I know that I have found myself a place where I can learn and grow which nullifies some of the concerns that I have had to date. I look forward to becoming a member of the team and putting into action everything that I have learned in the past year and three months.
So the ride is going to get a little more interesting for me. And thus, for you.
Dante Alighieri once wrote; “Consider your origin; you were not born to live like brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.”
It has become time for me to release the sometimes brutish nature of my own existence in order to become a better man, a better son, a better brother, a better lover, a better friend and a better member of humanity. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead and recognize the opportunity in each and every one of them.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
