Everyday offer the opportunity anew to rise to the challenge and shine. It is there for you, all you need is a bit of passion, some drive and a whole lot of patience and a great work ethic. You can be whatever you want. All you need to do is, grab life by the balls, and get ready to rock and roll.
Currently I am sipping fabulous Bordeaux. What makes it so fabulous is that I just got home from work. I managed to rollerblade home before the rain. I find myself with an afternoon to catch up on all the things that I need to catch up on AND I HAD A FABULOUS DAY. It is amazing the difference that a day can make. You’ll recall that yesterday I included a quote from Benjamin Franklin that said; “Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues.”
Yesterday I had a choice to make. Allow myself to continue to be taken advantage of, or to take action, measured and calm, to attempt to stop the actions that I felt were abusive of both my character and my work ethic. I am no fool and opted to not be silent this time. To make a measured and reasoned case for why I felt I was being taken advantage of. And I know, I mean I truly know, that my work ethic speaks for itself.
Well, to both my shock and surprise, when I came into work today (partially because my morning partner and I had knocked off quite a bit but also because my pleas were heard and received well) there was a minimal amount for me to do. Which was a beautiful thing because The Club is usually jumping on a Saturday. I took a brief interlude there and quite fittingly “Strawberry Fields” just came on. “Nothing to get hung about.”
At any rate, TODAY WAS A FABULOUS DAY! Knocked all the prep out of the park and found a truly beautiful rhythm in the kitchen dance on the line. I would say we did about one hundred and twenty covers between lunch and dinner today. My partner and I found a great pattern of movement and we were knocking dishes out of the park very quickly. At one point I had five Meat Bistro, a hot dog, two hamburgers, three scramble and two omelettes and I just knocked it out of the park. I know it doesn’t sound like very much but I found that something had changed in myself today. I think that by speaking out about what I perceived as injustice and inequitable work ethics that I caused myself to elevate my game. To put it in perspective;
The Meat Bistro dish this week is Jerk Chicken Skewers with Dirty Rice and Seasonal Veg with a mango salsa. What this means is that there are seven steps from the beginning of the dish to the end. As I have said many times here in this blog, timing is critical. You need to be able to work on multiple of both the same dishes and varied dishes but time them accordingly so that orders go out together. Today, possibly for the first time, I found that I didn’t need to consider the timing. I merely allowed my body to do the things that I have trained it to do in the past year and a half. However, I do need to admit that for the first time in the kitchen this week I have been wearing a watch so that I rely on both intuition and actual timing.
Finding your stride is something that can not be taught. This is something that Executive Chef told me many times at Reservation. As did Sous Chef A. Some people have it and some people don’t. And PLEASE, do not read this as arrogance or some attempt at patting myself on the back, BECAUSE IT IS NOT! Instead it is an acknowledgement, deeply personal, that my skill level is rising. That my ability to deal with complex and time critical issues is getting MUCH MUCH BETTER. And that to me is both wondrous and a fabulous feeling. TRULY!
The rest of the crew came in at noon as is commonplace on Saturday and it was nice to see that they all seemed motivated to work. Obviously I had knocked off all the prep that needed to be knocked off, but each of them, in their own way, approached and asked what needed to be done. I literally had to look for things to get done, but good naturedly and in great spirits, they all were happy to help in any way they could. I hope it lasts because today I felt like the whole crew was working as a team. A TRUE BRIGADE. Nobody left out to dry. Instead all working toward a common goal. A common satisfaction. A common purpose. It felt truly inspired and wonderful.
When Sous Chef R came in he looked at me and told me how well the Fish Bistro did last night. Of course I had already known this as I had prepared twenty four portions and it looked as if there were only six or seven left. Naturally I made another deep half pan that should get them through service tonight. It looks beautiful on the plate and the flavour is quite well balanced. It felt SO GOOD. I know it sounds Hollywood cheesy but I could have cried.
I have known all my life that food is something I was meant to be surrounded by. And now, I am in an environment which is highly demanding, at the very least an educated if not refined palette AND MY FOOD IS BEING RECEIVED BRILLIANTLY. I have received about ten or twelve comments about my food and it feels incredible. All I need to do is keep on doing what I am doing.
All in all, as I have said before, I felt that today was new day and I treated it that way. I feel lucky to be where I am, to be given the latitude to create and implement dishes and to be part of an environment which appreciates me. Fortunate does not even begin to cover it.
But tomorrow is another day. And I am only as good as the last plate I put out. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote; “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? WHY NOT? What is stopping you? How can I help you to know the same joy that I do?
A la prochaine
SDM
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
No, No, is too much (file under Let me Sum Up!)
One of my favorite lines from any movie is; “No, no, is too much, let me sum up, Buttercup is marry Humperdink in little less than half an hour.” Which these days is how I feel. So much to say and so little time to say it in as I have so many things on my plate these days. However, I will, as always, do my best to spit it out.
I didn’t write yesterday because I was torn between an emotional response and an intellectual one to the day that I had. I had both successes and failures. And sometimes when that happens I am torn between my responsibilities to myself to be genuine and that of my readers who want to understand.
So I will start with the minor (truly minor) dressing down I got with regard to Health in a Glass. Due to the person that I am and wanting to share the goodness that comes my way with everyone possible Chef called down and told me that the smoothies had to stop. My belief is that my regulars sent him a message somehow saying that they really appreciated me and all that I was doing – including the smoothies. He wasn’t angry and he certainly didn’t let on to how he found out. He was merely stating his position on the matter in a very cordial way. Naturally I said; “Yes Chef!” And true to my word instead this morning I had a grapefruit juice. I certainly don’t want to rock the boat.
I hustled a lot yesterday and for seemingly no reason as the night crew had not been very busy. This happened again today and so very good naturedly I mentioned it to Sous Chef R. I did this not to be a snitch but because I felt that I was being taken advantage of and that I wanted to nip it in the bud. The story to follow;
As I had mentioned earlier when I started at The Club there is a disconnect for some of the people that work there and reality. In that, they fail to see, or refuse to, that they have a great job and do the bare minimum to maintain the status quo (as in their job). As we all aware I am a work horse. I am happy to do the work and do more than my fair share. I am happy, neigh, thrilled to pick up the slack when it needs to be picked up but I am not there to be a whipping boy. Yesterday I didn’t really say much because I just felt that I would get the job done that I needed to get done. However, today when I came in, I was greeted by the stench of laziness and it drove me crazy.
When I came in I did my regular set up. Yet, the line was not adequately ready and thus I had to do all that. I then had to do all the prep for the evening crew despite the fact that they had a quiet night last night. By quiet I mean that they had to work for about an hour. Meaning that they had six and a half hours to get the things done for themselves. Well as so often happens, they cherry picked what they wanted to do and left the things they didn’t for me to do. Again, I don’t mind doing the work if there is a justifiable reason for me to do it, but I am not going to get into another situation as it has been for me before.
In speaking with Sous Chef R I made it clear that I am not complaining for the sake of complaining. Before saying anything I asked if last night had been busy to which he responded by the time he left around 9 it was pretty quiet. At this point I explained that I felt that I was doing the best I could to knock off the prep work that needed to get done while at the same time managing my time when orders came in. I felt that it was unfair that I was being hammered (every day this week) with an unreasonable amount of prep. He promised that he would have a conversation with the culprits. Which he did. And I know this because the culprit came to me and complained. I said nothing to him, nor will I, for I think it is not my place, nor responsibility to. I am a worker bee, there to work, and so I will. I have taken on more than my fair share, gladly, and will continue to, but I am not going to allow internal politics or personalities to diminish either my character or work ethic. Head down, mouth closed, WORK!
Part of the problem as I see it is that my morning partner and I can work and talk at the same time. While it would appear that certain of the night crew, feeling untouchable and above reproach, just talk and talk and talk and then when the night is over add to my already large prep list. Again this is just my observation.
I do think that this should not be an issue going forward but it was enough today that it affected my mood for a good hour or so.
Politics and personalities are big inside the restaurant world. Some people work, some don’t, that is true of any environment. But I made myself a promise that I would not allow myself to be taken advantage of again as it negatively impacts my spirit. I like being happy. I love what I do. And while I don’t think that everyone has my attitude when it comes to work I really do wish that people I currently work with would realize that we are in paradise compared to most kitchens.
At any rate, I choose to remain above the fray, put my head down AND WORK. To me the issue has been resolved, at least in the now, and will remain for me a done issue until such a time as I feel that the work ethic is sliding again. And rather than dealing with the person directly I will deal with Sous Chef R as that is the way to deal with the issue. It may not seem cool to some people but I am not working to be cool. I am working because I love what I do. I am only in control of myself. But there is a standard operating procedure and syntax to events that I adhere to now because I am not falling into the same pit falls as the past. We have to learn and grow from our mistakes.
As I like to present the good, the bad and the ugly. I want to now let you know that yesterday I did the prep work for Sunday’s pasta special which is an Authentic Pad Thai. The sauce is delicious and took time to make, but, as I have said time and again. Good food takes time.
As to the Bistro Fish that I created I made a sample of it today and was really happy with what I had created. It is a truly “sexy dish.” It is beautiful on the plate. The flavours match each other quite nicely. It is a dish that I am quite proud of and know that anywhere other than the club I could charge at least $40 for it. The colours are all complimentary and yet at the same time provide a nice contrast. The crispiness of the coconut and Panko breading contrast well with the spicy sweetness of the apricot marmalade. While there are definite refinements to be made to the dish it is one that I know I will make variations of for the rest of my life.
Benjamin Franklin once said; “Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues” This is something I thought of many times today as I did my best to bang out what needed to get done.
However, as we all know I like to end these posts, positively, with food for thought, and so, James Joyce once wrote; "I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day."
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
I didn’t write yesterday because I was torn between an emotional response and an intellectual one to the day that I had. I had both successes and failures. And sometimes when that happens I am torn between my responsibilities to myself to be genuine and that of my readers who want to understand.
So I will start with the minor (truly minor) dressing down I got with regard to Health in a Glass. Due to the person that I am and wanting to share the goodness that comes my way with everyone possible Chef called down and told me that the smoothies had to stop. My belief is that my regulars sent him a message somehow saying that they really appreciated me and all that I was doing – including the smoothies. He wasn’t angry and he certainly didn’t let on to how he found out. He was merely stating his position on the matter in a very cordial way. Naturally I said; “Yes Chef!” And true to my word instead this morning I had a grapefruit juice. I certainly don’t want to rock the boat.
I hustled a lot yesterday and for seemingly no reason as the night crew had not been very busy. This happened again today and so very good naturedly I mentioned it to Sous Chef R. I did this not to be a snitch but because I felt that I was being taken advantage of and that I wanted to nip it in the bud. The story to follow;
As I had mentioned earlier when I started at The Club there is a disconnect for some of the people that work there and reality. In that, they fail to see, or refuse to, that they have a great job and do the bare minimum to maintain the status quo (as in their job). As we all aware I am a work horse. I am happy to do the work and do more than my fair share. I am happy, neigh, thrilled to pick up the slack when it needs to be picked up but I am not there to be a whipping boy. Yesterday I didn’t really say much because I just felt that I would get the job done that I needed to get done. However, today when I came in, I was greeted by the stench of laziness and it drove me crazy.
When I came in I did my regular set up. Yet, the line was not adequately ready and thus I had to do all that. I then had to do all the prep for the evening crew despite the fact that they had a quiet night last night. By quiet I mean that they had to work for about an hour. Meaning that they had six and a half hours to get the things done for themselves. Well as so often happens, they cherry picked what they wanted to do and left the things they didn’t for me to do. Again, I don’t mind doing the work if there is a justifiable reason for me to do it, but I am not going to get into another situation as it has been for me before.
In speaking with Sous Chef R I made it clear that I am not complaining for the sake of complaining. Before saying anything I asked if last night had been busy to which he responded by the time he left around 9 it was pretty quiet. At this point I explained that I felt that I was doing the best I could to knock off the prep work that needed to get done while at the same time managing my time when orders came in. I felt that it was unfair that I was being hammered (every day this week) with an unreasonable amount of prep. He promised that he would have a conversation with the culprits. Which he did. And I know this because the culprit came to me and complained. I said nothing to him, nor will I, for I think it is not my place, nor responsibility to. I am a worker bee, there to work, and so I will. I have taken on more than my fair share, gladly, and will continue to, but I am not going to allow internal politics or personalities to diminish either my character or work ethic. Head down, mouth closed, WORK!
Part of the problem as I see it is that my morning partner and I can work and talk at the same time. While it would appear that certain of the night crew, feeling untouchable and above reproach, just talk and talk and talk and then when the night is over add to my already large prep list. Again this is just my observation.
I do think that this should not be an issue going forward but it was enough today that it affected my mood for a good hour or so.
Politics and personalities are big inside the restaurant world. Some people work, some don’t, that is true of any environment. But I made myself a promise that I would not allow myself to be taken advantage of again as it negatively impacts my spirit. I like being happy. I love what I do. And while I don’t think that everyone has my attitude when it comes to work I really do wish that people I currently work with would realize that we are in paradise compared to most kitchens.
At any rate, I choose to remain above the fray, put my head down AND WORK. To me the issue has been resolved, at least in the now, and will remain for me a done issue until such a time as I feel that the work ethic is sliding again. And rather than dealing with the person directly I will deal with Sous Chef R as that is the way to deal with the issue. It may not seem cool to some people but I am not working to be cool. I am working because I love what I do. I am only in control of myself. But there is a standard operating procedure and syntax to events that I adhere to now because I am not falling into the same pit falls as the past. We have to learn and grow from our mistakes.
As I like to present the good, the bad and the ugly. I want to now let you know that yesterday I did the prep work for Sunday’s pasta special which is an Authentic Pad Thai. The sauce is delicious and took time to make, but, as I have said time and again. Good food takes time.
As to the Bistro Fish that I created I made a sample of it today and was really happy with what I had created. It is a truly “sexy dish.” It is beautiful on the plate. The flavours match each other quite nicely. It is a dish that I am quite proud of and know that anywhere other than the club I could charge at least $40 for it. The colours are all complimentary and yet at the same time provide a nice contrast. The crispiness of the coconut and Panko breading contrast well with the spicy sweetness of the apricot marmalade. While there are definite refinements to be made to the dish it is one that I know I will make variations of for the rest of my life.
Benjamin Franklin once said; “Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues” This is something I thought of many times today as I did my best to bang out what needed to get done.
However, as we all know I like to end these posts, positively, with food for thought, and so, James Joyce once wrote; "I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day."
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Today at The Club (file under Ever the New Adventure)
Hello friends. I apologize for the flurry of posts but I find myself with a bit more energy than I had yesterday. Probably care of the sleep that I got. So when I got in this morning I did my usual set up and then set to work doing the prep and creating the specials.
Tomorrow I only worked no the pasta and decided to go with a spinach and cheese cannelloni topped with a basil tomato sauce. I also created the weekly quiche and fish specials. This week we are going to be serving a Quiche Alsacienne which has bacon, Swiss cheese and onion. The fish dish that I created was a Coconut and Panko Encrusted Tilapia which will be served on a red quinoa and topped with a spicy apricot marmalade. It should, in my humble opinion, fly off the line.
I also realized today that Sous Chef R and I think very much alike. Not just when it comes to food but also the world at large. As we worked away we spoke about all manner of subjects including the Disclosure project and the Nazi Bell. It is nice to have intellectually stimulating conversation while I work. Very nice indeed. I also got to bond a bit with one of my colleagues who I am going to call Ma. Great kid.
So the next few days are going to be quite busy, but, that’s what I love to do. Oh I almost forgot, I got to speak with Mr. S and Mr. M again this morning. They asked a bit about me and why I do what I do and I told them because I love food and I love to serve people. It s what I was put on this earth to do and that I am very passionate about it. They both said it is obvious and it shows and that they don’t want me to go anywhere. I explained to them that I am treating the club as my test kitchen and I didn’t plan on going anywhere fast. They both breathed a sigh of relief. I wished them a great day and went on my way.
Also I got two great compliments from members yesterday. When people order food to go and I am not in the weeds I write little messages on the to go containers (did the same thing at Without Reservation). Messages like; “Do something that scares you today.” Or “Be inspired today.” Or “Have a fabulous day.” Just a simple little note, along with “Enjoy” and I sign my name to it. Well a woman came in and asked the manager who writes the little notes on the boxes. He told her and she said that the notes make her day and that she can hardly wait to see the guy that does it. I don’t do it because I want recognition, I do it, because it is at the core of who I am as a human. I want to enrich people’s lives and that is why I do what I do.
Carnegie once said; “No man can become rich without himself enriching others” My only addendum to that is I am already wealthy for enriching others lives. Each and every day. What about you?
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Tomorrow I only worked no the pasta and decided to go with a spinach and cheese cannelloni topped with a basil tomato sauce. I also created the weekly quiche and fish specials. This week we are going to be serving a Quiche Alsacienne which has bacon, Swiss cheese and onion. The fish dish that I created was a Coconut and Panko Encrusted Tilapia which will be served on a red quinoa and topped with a spicy apricot marmalade. It should, in my humble opinion, fly off the line.
I also realized today that Sous Chef R and I think very much alike. Not just when it comes to food but also the world at large. As we worked away we spoke about all manner of subjects including the Disclosure project and the Nazi Bell. It is nice to have intellectually stimulating conversation while I work. Very nice indeed. I also got to bond a bit with one of my colleagues who I am going to call Ma. Great kid.
So the next few days are going to be quite busy, but, that’s what I love to do. Oh I almost forgot, I got to speak with Mr. S and Mr. M again this morning. They asked a bit about me and why I do what I do and I told them because I love food and I love to serve people. It s what I was put on this earth to do and that I am very passionate about it. They both said it is obvious and it shows and that they don’t want me to go anywhere. I explained to them that I am treating the club as my test kitchen and I didn’t plan on going anywhere fast. They both breathed a sigh of relief. I wished them a great day and went on my way.
Also I got two great compliments from members yesterday. When people order food to go and I am not in the weeds I write little messages on the to go containers (did the same thing at Without Reservation). Messages like; “Do something that scares you today.” Or “Be inspired today.” Or “Have a fabulous day.” Just a simple little note, along with “Enjoy” and I sign my name to it. Well a woman came in and asked the manager who writes the little notes on the boxes. He told her and she said that the notes make her day and that she can hardly wait to see the guy that does it. I don’t do it because I want recognition, I do it, because it is at the core of who I am as a human. I want to enrich people’s lives and that is why I do what I do.
Carnegie once said; “No man can become rich without himself enriching others” My only addendum to that is I am already wealthy for enriching others lives. Each and every day. What about you?
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Yesterday (file under All my Troubles seemed so Far Away)
After the whirlwind of the weekend (sleeping maybe six or seven hours) and on Monday night only catching about four hours I was dog tired. But true to who I am I got up, rollerbladed and went to work and gave it my all. In fact it felt pretty darned good to know that I can still push myself.
So I only created one specials yesterday which was risole Tofu, risole Butternut Squash, brunoise carrots with spaghetti tossed in a Tomato Basil sauce. It tasted pretty good.
I also learned that my specials sold pretty well in the last week. That felt pretty good too.
Health in a glass was good but had an awful aftertaste. It was, egg, watermelon, blueberries and banana with mango. But hey, how can we learn if we don’t try. The watermelon lingered on both the palette and the throat leaving a curious and sometimes gross aftertaste.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
So I only created one specials yesterday which was risole Tofu, risole Butternut Squash, brunoise carrots with spaghetti tossed in a Tomato Basil sauce. It tasted pretty good.
I also learned that my specials sold pretty well in the last week. That felt pretty good too.
Health in a glass was good but had an awful aftertaste. It was, egg, watermelon, blueberries and banana with mango. But hey, how can we learn if we don’t try. The watermelon lingered on both the palette and the throat leaving a curious and sometimes gross aftertaste.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Pics in Birds Eye
There are more to come but this gives you the idea
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
C’s Birthday Extravaganza (file under Manna from Heaven)
As I mentioned in the last post, I did all the shopping at the Union Square Green Market. For proteins I had to go to the Union Square Wholefoods. The menu I decided upon was; Organic Stuffed Hudson Valley Mushrooms which were stuffed with Blue Crab meat which marinated overnight in Sake. Once stuffed it was topped with some sea salt, Parmesan and parsley. So good I assure you. As if that weren’t enough at the market I picked up some Raab and made a pesto from it which I put the crabmeat on top of. I also made a nice Bruschetta.
This was followed by a beautiful Spinach Salad into which my Sous Chef L put red onion, crab apples, Monterey Jack cheese and organic Hudson Valley Mushrooms on which I put a delicate Truffle, Balsamic Shallot dressing. On the side (some people were vegetarian) I put some delicious slab bacon which was provided to me at no cost by Paul Dench – Layton from the Violet Hill Farm (strongly recommend to everyone who is ever in the NYC area) because I told him what I was doing and what I did for a living.
One of C’s friends J, who works for a high end Hampton’s caterer made some of the most delicious and visually appealing spring rolls I have ever seen.
I then made a Truffled Parsnip Puree which must have been good because there was none left and it looked as if someone had licked the pot. I have my suspicions as to who (A) but they will remain an anonymous consonant in this post. I also for the vegetarians made a pasta caserole with organic rice penne which had eggplant lining the bottom with red peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, raab and basil.
This was followed by gorgeous Truffled organic purple potatoes and a very slow roasted brisket which I also did with a truffle red wine sauce. I did all these dishes with Truffles because I wanted to show the range of flavours that can be enhanced with Truffles.
Dinner served about fifteen to twenty people and all loved it. It was so amazingly gorgeous in NYc this weekend that we actually were able to eat on C's Brooklyn rooftop, sharing laughs, food and fun.My only real critique was that because I had to reheat the brisket due to having but one pot to cook everything in which caused it to be a little overheated. But on the whole, people loved it and I was thrilled. As was C. Happy Birthday indeed. Pictures of the dinner will follow but I have so much to do that I need to do it in another post. Sorry!
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
This was followed by a beautiful Spinach Salad into which my Sous Chef L put red onion, crab apples, Monterey Jack cheese and organic Hudson Valley Mushrooms on which I put a delicate Truffle, Balsamic Shallot dressing. On the side (some people were vegetarian) I put some delicious slab bacon which was provided to me at no cost by Paul Dench – Layton from the Violet Hill Farm (strongly recommend to everyone who is ever in the NYC area) because I told him what I was doing and what I did for a living.
One of C’s friends J, who works for a high end Hampton’s caterer made some of the most delicious and visually appealing spring rolls I have ever seen.
I then made a Truffled Parsnip Puree which must have been good because there was none left and it looked as if someone had licked the pot. I have my suspicions as to who (A) but they will remain an anonymous consonant in this post. I also for the vegetarians made a pasta caserole with organic rice penne which had eggplant lining the bottom with red peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, raab and basil.
This was followed by gorgeous Truffled organic purple potatoes and a very slow roasted brisket which I also did with a truffle red wine sauce. I did all these dishes with Truffles because I wanted to show the range of flavours that can be enhanced with Truffles.
Dinner served about fifteen to twenty people and all loved it. It was so amazingly gorgeous in NYc this weekend that we actually were able to eat on C's Brooklyn rooftop, sharing laughs, food and fun.My only real critique was that because I had to reheat the brisket due to having but one pot to cook everything in which caused it to be a little overheated. But on the whole, people loved it and I was thrilled. As was C. Happy Birthday indeed. Pictures of the dinner will follow but I have so much to do that I need to do it in another post. Sorry!
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
Taking another Bite (file under Bright Lights, Big City)
Thomas Wolfe once wrote; “One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years” And I believe this to be absolutely true. It is such an immense city that requires immense personalities in order to maintain its greatness. The beautiful Gotham. Constantly reinventing itself but at its core New York remains the same and is the perfect example of what is right with America.
I love flying into Newark because it is cheaper and to me at least, seems like less of a struggle and hassle to get to. The train takes you right there cheaply and efficiently. Of course this blog is about my cooking experience so I won’t tell you everything in the same vivid detail that I do my cooking experience. Suffice to say I saw all the sites (that I hadn’t yet had pictures of), Grand Central, Rockefeller Centre, Central Park (in the day), Tavern on the Green, etc. Most of these are places that I feel drawn to when I am in New York because I am in love with the Art Deco architecture and rich history. Before I get to the dinner that I cooked on Sunday night for twenty of C’s friends I will let you know about my food experiences in New York.
Friday night we met up with some friends in Little Italy. They had already eaten but I was famished so we ended up at this little joint (if it was good believe me I would give you the name and I am not in protest to the food) which billed itself as authentic Mama cuisine. Of course it didn’t say Italian Mama and all our servers and the managers were Mexican (not that that is a bad thing) but it certainly allowed me to see that I wasn’t about to eat authentic Italian Cuisine. However the Peroni was authentic and was going down like water.
C, L and I split a Caprese Salad which I had used as a benchmark for the meal. It was ok, but, when I am in New York City, in Little Italy, I don’t want ok, I want Tony Soprano’s mothers recipe which will knock my socks off. Due to my earlier observation I opted for the simplest dish on the menu. Penne a La Mama (again, should have known). Billed itself as Penne in a Red Sauce with fresh mozzarella and basil. At least the basil was fresh. C and L shared a Lobster Ravioli special which they enjoyed. I had taken one bite of it and felt that I could do a better job cooking with my feet. Horrible, BUT TRUE! Again the Peroni was authentic and eased the blow of the crappy food. For the rest of the night as we walked around doing a New York City Pub Crawl (beer, to next beer, to beer, to next beer) I practiced my best Irish diet.
Saturday started off with so much enthusiasm and excitement as I was going to go to Union Square Greenmarket with L to get the ingredients for the extravaganza the next day. I did what I always do, walked the whole market once, looking, touching, smelling and then went to sit for a smoke and start creating. The produce is amazing. Beautiful, big and fresh and to me remarkable that in the middle of this bustling city is a market of great food. Not just good food but great.
C had to work on Saturday so L and I walked around NYC and had some fun. We ended up eating at some BBQ place for lunch because we were starved. It was alright. Nothing spectacular but it was more than enough because we were absolutely famished. When we started walking again we ended up on Central Park West. As we approached I mused whether or not Tavern on the Green would be busy with a wedding or something of the like. There must have been what seemed to be a million people in Central Park but we managed to walk in where we had a great experience meeting some new people. A firefighter and his girlfriend from Arizona. In fact he is a Captain and as so often happens in my life she is the manager of Food and Bev for a big company where they live. The story of how we met was great. There was only one table left and we both approached it but they beat us there. Never one to concede defeat I asked them if they minded if we joined them. They said no and thus a new friendship was born as we waited for C to be done at work. I can hardly wait to see them again. They have promised to come up to Toronto very soon, in fact, they are already planning it.
That night we went to the birthday party for a friend that I had not seen in twenty years. It was awesome to reconnect after all this time (naturally we had spoken on facebook numerous times) but it was great to see her all grown up and living in the city that never sleeps.
Sunday morning we woke up and started our day by going out and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. For some reason I don’t quite understand I love crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. I try to cross it every time I am there. After we crossed it we hustled to Pace University for a taping of Inside the Actors Studio with the cast of Family Guy; Seth Macfarlane, Seth Green, Alex Borstein and Mike Henry. One of the greatest experiences of my life. It was a great treat to see them in person, learn their stories and a bit more about family guy. James Lipton has to be one of the sharpest eighty year olds to ever live. When that episode airs you all should watch it. Unfortunately we had to leave so that I could start cooking the extravaganza which is the subject of the next post.
Monday ( I know I'm skipping ahead but...) L had to go and get some paper work done at the Canadian Consulate so I had to do some running around on my own but then we ended up going to the Top of the Rock. From there, we were in NYC and I thought it would be great to go to Ruhlmann which is right across the street. They both had the Lobster Bisque which was to die for and I had the French Onion Soup and a Croque Monsieur which was awesome. Ok Extravaganza now...
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
I love flying into Newark because it is cheaper and to me at least, seems like less of a struggle and hassle to get to. The train takes you right there cheaply and efficiently. Of course this blog is about my cooking experience so I won’t tell you everything in the same vivid detail that I do my cooking experience. Suffice to say I saw all the sites (that I hadn’t yet had pictures of), Grand Central, Rockefeller Centre, Central Park (in the day), Tavern on the Green, etc. Most of these are places that I feel drawn to when I am in New York because I am in love with the Art Deco architecture and rich history. Before I get to the dinner that I cooked on Sunday night for twenty of C’s friends I will let you know about my food experiences in New York.
Friday night we met up with some friends in Little Italy. They had already eaten but I was famished so we ended up at this little joint (if it was good believe me I would give you the name and I am not in protest to the food) which billed itself as authentic Mama cuisine. Of course it didn’t say Italian Mama and all our servers and the managers were Mexican (not that that is a bad thing) but it certainly allowed me to see that I wasn’t about to eat authentic Italian Cuisine. However the Peroni was authentic and was going down like water.
C, L and I split a Caprese Salad which I had used as a benchmark for the meal. It was ok, but, when I am in New York City, in Little Italy, I don’t want ok, I want Tony Soprano’s mothers recipe which will knock my socks off. Due to my earlier observation I opted for the simplest dish on the menu. Penne a La Mama (again, should have known). Billed itself as Penne in a Red Sauce with fresh mozzarella and basil. At least the basil was fresh. C and L shared a Lobster Ravioli special which they enjoyed. I had taken one bite of it and felt that I could do a better job cooking with my feet. Horrible, BUT TRUE! Again the Peroni was authentic and eased the blow of the crappy food. For the rest of the night as we walked around doing a New York City Pub Crawl (beer, to next beer, to beer, to next beer) I practiced my best Irish diet.
Saturday started off with so much enthusiasm and excitement as I was going to go to Union Square Greenmarket with L to get the ingredients for the extravaganza the next day. I did what I always do, walked the whole market once, looking, touching, smelling and then went to sit for a smoke and start creating. The produce is amazing. Beautiful, big and fresh and to me remarkable that in the middle of this bustling city is a market of great food. Not just good food but great.
C had to work on Saturday so L and I walked around NYC and had some fun. We ended up eating at some BBQ place for lunch because we were starved. It was alright. Nothing spectacular but it was more than enough because we were absolutely famished. When we started walking again we ended up on Central Park West. As we approached I mused whether or not Tavern on the Green would be busy with a wedding or something of the like. There must have been what seemed to be a million people in Central Park but we managed to walk in where we had a great experience meeting some new people. A firefighter and his girlfriend from Arizona. In fact he is a Captain and as so often happens in my life she is the manager of Food and Bev for a big company where they live. The story of how we met was great. There was only one table left and we both approached it but they beat us there. Never one to concede defeat I asked them if they minded if we joined them. They said no and thus a new friendship was born as we waited for C to be done at work. I can hardly wait to see them again. They have promised to come up to Toronto very soon, in fact, they are already planning it.
That night we went to the birthday party for a friend that I had not seen in twenty years. It was awesome to reconnect after all this time (naturally we had spoken on facebook numerous times) but it was great to see her all grown up and living in the city that never sleeps.
Sunday morning we woke up and started our day by going out and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. For some reason I don’t quite understand I love crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. I try to cross it every time I am there. After we crossed it we hustled to Pace University for a taping of Inside the Actors Studio with the cast of Family Guy; Seth Macfarlane, Seth Green, Alex Borstein and Mike Henry. One of the greatest experiences of my life. It was a great treat to see them in person, learn their stories and a bit more about family guy. James Lipton has to be one of the sharpest eighty year olds to ever live. When that episode airs you all should watch it. Unfortunately we had to leave so that I could start cooking the extravaganza which is the subject of the next post.
Monday ( I know I'm skipping ahead but...) L had to go and get some paper work done at the Canadian Consulate so I had to do some running around on my own but then we ended up going to the Top of the Rock. From there, we were in NYC and I thought it would be great to go to Ruhlmann which is right across the street. They both had the Lobster Bisque which was to die for and I had the French Onion Soup and a Croque Monsieur which was awesome. Ok Extravaganza now...
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
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