I firmly hold to the belief that you absolutely can teach an old dog new tricks. Given certain conversations I have had with both colleagues and friends over the past few months I have learned that there is always room to grow and to become something more. Recently I wrote a post about Us and Them (http://newbieintheweeds.blogspot.com/2008/09/us-and-them-file-under-inherently.html ). One of the reasons that this post came to light is because of such conversations but also reading Michael Ruhlman.
When Ruhlman started doing his in depth research that inserted him in to the CIA’s program I think that he was viewed as a them. Until that is that he had an aha moment in which he could chose to be an Us or a Them.
I chose to be an Us on January 18, 2008. During the past nine months there have been ups and downs. Struggles and Challenges. Obstacles and successes. During this time there have been countless conversations about the way the kitchen operates. The way the work is. The impact it has on your life, etc.
For my whole life I have always been that kid with the big mouth. The one that rarely knew when (or cared to anyway) shut my mouth. This has caused problems and at times has been a good thing (but very rarely). In the past week I have had some conversations that have caused me to see that the goals that I have and my desire to get there as efficiently and effectively as possible is being impacted (was) by the way that I spoke in the kitchen. You see, the kitchen is a funny place. A sort of demilitarized zone where almost anything goes. I picked up on this dynamic and thought that it was okay to try to fit in with the ever going dialogue and banter. And to be sure, it is, to a point. However, as has often been my downfall I could not or would not (not sure which) recognize the limits of that truth. The fitting in was a big part of my modus operandi for the first nine months of this year. But that has to change…
I have a goal. I have a deeply entrenched desire to become a great chef. It is in my blood. It flows through my veins as easily as the words that I write on these pages. I have a desire that burns in me as brightly as the sun. I tirelessly (well that’s almost true) continue working towards this goal and will continue working on it until I am dead. For what I am becoming is not a destination but a journey. It is the pursuit of something more, everyday and in ever changing and glorious ways. So in tribute to the goal and who I am becoming I wanted to present what Newbie 2.0 looks like. Some of these are things that I already adhere to and others are things that I am working on. One day at a time. And every day is a new opportunity to become more.
Newbie 2.0 (a work in progress)
Shows up for work and gets the job done no matter what.
Is respectful and courteous in the kitchen.
Is quiet and speaks less. Only when it is necessary.
Ask more questions.
Will learn something new EVERYDAY.
Allows work product to do the talking.
Is detail oriented.
Will make lists.
Will continue to diligently record everything in notebooks and on this blog.
Will become more kind not just in the kitchen but also in life.
Will look at challenges and obstacles as opportunities for greatness.
Will not ever quit.
Will show even more initiative.
Will foster team.
These are just some of the things that I have come to realize I need to do in order to make the transition from Newbie to master of my own destiny. Yesterday was the first day that I really kept to myself. Sure I spoke a little but I was happy keeping my mouth shut. Doing my job. I didn’t need anything else than that. That was success in and of itself for me yesterday. And going forward that will be true.
I knew that I had already started off on a good foot when Executive Chef P came into the kitchen in the morning, walked by me and as he trailed away said; “Mr. M it is a pleasure not to hear your voice this morning.” It both stung and felt good. Stung because I recognized that I had actually done myself a disservice by trying to “fit in.” Felt good because I recognized that fact and that I am on this journey for myself and as the master of my own destiny I can choose how I operate within my reality.
So that said I think that the coming months are going to be very interesting for me and for the restaurant. I am anxious, excited, nervous, willing, able and ready. Bring it on. Newbie 2.0 has emerged and is ready for more.
George Gurdjieff once said; “Self-observation brings man to the realization of the necessity of self-change. And in observing himself a man notices that self-observation itself brings about certain changes in his inner processes. He begins to understand that self-observation is an instrument of self-change, a means of awakening.”
Hold onto your hats people. This is going to be my critical path. Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label CIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CIA. Show all posts
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
What kind of sauce goes with dreams and auditions?
First off to my love, C, today is the culmination of years of hard work and determination. Not to mention talent and a spirit that is unparalleled. Today is your day. The day that your dreams and aspirations come to a crossroads. I know that you are going to rock it just I am rocking the kitchen because that is what we are meant to do. I love you and send you all the support I can on this your big day. You are always on the marquee of my life in bright lights and today is just another step towards your destiny and ours.
Due to the lack of ability to put in as many keywords as I would like I’m having to separate this post into several posts. We are delving my friends into the wonderfully complex world of sauces today.
What is the purpose of a sauce? What is it meant to do? Is it a vehicle? Or is it a component? As I wrote about in an earlier post there are five mother sauces in classical French cooking. They are;
Béchamel
Espagnole
Veloute
Hollandaise
Tomato
These sauces can be subdivided, built upon, reduced and made into literally hundreds of different variations. But before we touch on any of those I wanted to explain about Bouquets Garni, Sachets, Oignon Brule and Pique, Matignon, Roux and clarified butter .
These are aromatic preparations of vegetables and herbs which are used to enhance and support dish flavours. As a flavour agent these can infuse flavour into stock, sauce and soup as well as enhance the aroma. Bouquets and sachets are typically used together and bound in cheesecloth for easy removal at the prescribed time. Bouquet Garni is made of fresh herbs and vegetables ties together in a bundle. Sachets are comprised of ingredients and flavouring agents such as peppercorns, herbs and spices. Oignon Brule and Oignon Pique are flavouring agents based on whole, half or quartered onions. The first is exactly as the name suggests, a browned or slightly darkened onion. The second includes pressing things into the onion such as cloves.
A standard bouquet according to the Culinary Institute of America which is sufficient to flavour 3.84 Litres of liquid contains;
1 Sprig of Thyme
3 or 4 Parsley stems
1 Bay Leaf
2 or 3 Leek Leaves and 1 Stalk celery
A standard sachet d’epices to flavour 3.84 Litres of liquid contains;
3 or 4 Parsley Stems
1 Sprig of Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
2 grams of Cracked Peppercorns
1 Garlic Clove
Asian aromatics consist of 2 parts Ginger, 2 parts Garlic and 1 part Green Onion. Then of course you have the Cajun Trinity (Mire Pois) 2 parts Onion, 1 part green Pepper and 1 part celery.
A Matignon is used as a compliment to braised or fried dishes and consists of;
99 g Ham
128 g Onion
128 g Carrot
57 g Celery
1 Sprig Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
Roux is a thickening agent for soups, stews, some dishes and sauces requiring a certain flavour. Roux will change the colour of a sauce and give it a toasted nutty flavour (Dark Roux). Roux can be made of numerous ingredients but usually includes a starch and some type of fat. I.e. Butter and Flour which then cooked to remove the cereal (read flour) taste. When making a roux you have to avoid extreme temperatures to prevent lumping. Cool or room temperature roux is easier to combine than ice cold roux because the fat is not solid. Very cold liquid should not be used as it will harden the roux thereby eliminating its thickening powers.
Roux is not limited to flour (and when using flour make sure that you use all purpose as it is the best for roux). You can also use Arrowroot, Cornstarch, Tapioca, Potato Starch and Rice Flour. Each of these has a different character that it brings to the party and are used according to the result that you are seeking.
Clarified Butter is made by heating the butter so that you can skim off the milk solids and water. By doing this the butter then is open to higher temperatures. 1 pound of butter will yield approximately 320 g of clarified butter.
A liaison is a mixture of egg yolk and cream (35% is best) to enrich and slightly thicken sauces and soups. It is also used to add body and sheen as well as enrich the dish. To thicken 24 fluid ounces add 3 parts 35% and 1 part egg yolk.
So step one of my sauce knowledge has included learning and internalizing all these things. The next post is going to touch on Brown Sauce or Espagnole.
I hope that you all are having an awesome day and are inspired. For the love of my life I include this quote from Charles R. Swindoll; “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” And your attitude is amazing. Go kick ass today lover. I know you can and will because of everything you are. I'm infinitely proud of you.
To everyone else, spread your wings and realize your dreams. It is the best feeling in the world.
A la prochaine
SDM
Due to the lack of ability to put in as many keywords as I would like I’m having to separate this post into several posts. We are delving my friends into the wonderfully complex world of sauces today.
What is the purpose of a sauce? What is it meant to do? Is it a vehicle? Or is it a component? As I wrote about in an earlier post there are five mother sauces in classical French cooking. They are;
Béchamel
Espagnole
Veloute
Hollandaise
Tomato
These sauces can be subdivided, built upon, reduced and made into literally hundreds of different variations. But before we touch on any of those I wanted to explain about Bouquets Garni, Sachets, Oignon Brule and Pique, Matignon, Roux and clarified butter .
These are aromatic preparations of vegetables and herbs which are used to enhance and support dish flavours. As a flavour agent these can infuse flavour into stock, sauce and soup as well as enhance the aroma. Bouquets and sachets are typically used together and bound in cheesecloth for easy removal at the prescribed time. Bouquet Garni is made of fresh herbs and vegetables ties together in a bundle. Sachets are comprised of ingredients and flavouring agents such as peppercorns, herbs and spices. Oignon Brule and Oignon Pique are flavouring agents based on whole, half or quartered onions. The first is exactly as the name suggests, a browned or slightly darkened onion. The second includes pressing things into the onion such as cloves.
A standard bouquet according to the Culinary Institute of America which is sufficient to flavour 3.84 Litres of liquid contains;
1 Sprig of Thyme
3 or 4 Parsley stems
1 Bay Leaf
2 or 3 Leek Leaves and 1 Stalk celery
A standard sachet d’epices to flavour 3.84 Litres of liquid contains;
3 or 4 Parsley Stems
1 Sprig of Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
2 grams of Cracked Peppercorns
1 Garlic Clove
Asian aromatics consist of 2 parts Ginger, 2 parts Garlic and 1 part Green Onion. Then of course you have the Cajun Trinity (Mire Pois) 2 parts Onion, 1 part green Pepper and 1 part celery.
A Matignon is used as a compliment to braised or fried dishes and consists of;
99 g Ham
128 g Onion
128 g Carrot
57 g Celery
1 Sprig Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
Roux is a thickening agent for soups, stews, some dishes and sauces requiring a certain flavour. Roux will change the colour of a sauce and give it a toasted nutty flavour (Dark Roux). Roux can be made of numerous ingredients but usually includes a starch and some type of fat. I.e. Butter and Flour which then cooked to remove the cereal (read flour) taste. When making a roux you have to avoid extreme temperatures to prevent lumping. Cool or room temperature roux is easier to combine than ice cold roux because the fat is not solid. Very cold liquid should not be used as it will harden the roux thereby eliminating its thickening powers.
Roux is not limited to flour (and when using flour make sure that you use all purpose as it is the best for roux). You can also use Arrowroot, Cornstarch, Tapioca, Potato Starch and Rice Flour. Each of these has a different character that it brings to the party and are used according to the result that you are seeking.
Clarified Butter is made by heating the butter so that you can skim off the milk solids and water. By doing this the butter then is open to higher temperatures. 1 pound of butter will yield approximately 320 g of clarified butter.
A liaison is a mixture of egg yolk and cream (35% is best) to enrich and slightly thicken sauces and soups. It is also used to add body and sheen as well as enrich the dish. To thicken 24 fluid ounces add 3 parts 35% and 1 part egg yolk.
So step one of my sauce knowledge has included learning and internalizing all these things. The next post is going to touch on Brown Sauce or Espagnole.
I hope that you all are having an awesome day and are inspired. For the love of my life I include this quote from Charles R. Swindoll; “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” And your attitude is amazing. Go kick ass today lover. I know you can and will because of everything you are. I'm infinitely proud of you.
To everyone else, spread your wings and realize your dreams. It is the best feeling in the world.
A la prochaine
SDM
Monday, March 17, 2008
Days off and Paintball Kidnapping (file under great bonding experience)
Hello readers. I hope this finds you well and ready for the clearly upcoming spring. I say clearly as my back (as those of you that know me can attest) is a season changing barometer. I have had a bad back since I was a kid attending RSGC. Something had happened which kicked out some crazy heart palpitations that led to a white out and me falling to the ground. Long story short, when the seasons change, especially from fall to winter and winter to spring I am in an excruciating amount of pain. Today I am in the most pain I have been in all year and this leads me to believe that Spring has definitely Sprung (I’m almost as good a Weirton Willie).
So this week is rather slow and has afforded me the time to catch up with all my blogging, studying and reading. I’ve been rereading the Bible and today have finished Deuteronomy again. I’m not searching for any specific answer but rather looking at the broader issues of personal development as I reread the Bible and specifically how it relates to the way I grew up, the things that I was exposed to and the personal realizations that I have come to as a result. Spiritually well rounded I hope that I can bring the same knowledge to my children without force-feeding them. My own spiritual awakening is grounded in the belief is akin to Einstein’s in that his description of God is anything that he could not explain and I’ve always liked it when he said; “I don’t believe that God plays dice with the universe.” My God, for any of you who care to know, is not the Catholic God, or Lutheran or any other organized religion. I believe that God is everywhere around us, under trees, under stone, in the water, everywhere. I choose to believe that there is something out there that is far greater than I and that this belief keeps me grounded and centered.
I’ve gotten a little further in “The Professional Chef” by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and will post more on this later today. I will also include a detailed breakdown of my thoughts on Nigel Didcock and his food.
Monday was an awesome day. I woke up feeling refreshed after a good sleep and got ready to be kidnapped by the crew I work with. We went out near Hamilton for a paintball adventure that was incredible. I don’t do a lot of things for myself including buying clothes, or entertainment or going to play paintball. In fact the last time I went paintballing I’m pretty sure was before I started university. But it is kind of like riding a bike. You never forget.
The best part for me was that I got to spend forty-five minutes driving with Executive Chef and picking his brain on some of the things that I’ve been thinking about. Our conversation was not limited to the culinary field either, we spoke about love, kids, and life in general, likes, dislikes and my favorite, READING! Executive Chef and I both share a voracious appetite for reading and the genre that we both like best is the same. As if I needed more reasons to like this man. At any rate our conversation was a great one and was the perfect starting point to a day of fun, celebration, discovery and PAIN!
In all there were eleven of us that entered the field of battle that day. The first thing that occurred to most of us was that in the closed space we were fighting in there are people, right now, at that very moment, who were firing real bullets, in real closed quarters, at real people with real effect. It was not lost on me that Executive Chef was the first to vocalize this.
So the rag tag group of Back of House with a couple Front of House donned our masks, walked through the mesh, removed out barrel cover and were ready to battle. The teams were a free form mix of just joining whichever side you wanted. One of F.O.H, JP, and I were very good as a team and worked together quite well. We were able to develop strategy that served us well though there were a few times that I got my ass kicked.
For those of you who have not played paintball let me just say that the first time you get pinged you never forget it. My first shot was a blindside of my right knuckle (which is nicely bruised right now). I also took a few shots to the face, groin and arm. All of which have serious bruising. But let me say this, I gladly accept the bruises as I do feel that it brought us a little closer together as a team (all of us that is). To me that was the point of going. To further develop my feeling of being on the team and of course the obvious laughter that results in the controlled pain of someone you work with.
The final game was a real shit show. We had decided to do a reset game that meant that when you got shot you returned to the base and wiped off the shot. If you could not wipe off the shot you had to call someone to wipe it off for you. I had taken out a few first shots before I got mine. I returned and wiped off my shot. JP and I were hunkered down to the left of the playing field and had a pretty good scope of view. I was laid out on the floor trying to ding a player that had no idea where I was. Finally, ping. Nailed him and he was out. Then I tried to reposition to the other side to see if I could see anything. Out of nowhere, like a charging banshee, yet quiet as a mouse comes Chef J charging faster than a Cheetah. Tap, tap, tap, tap, and tap. Five shots right to the ass. And man does it still hurt. But it makes me laugh thinking about it now that I could get that sneak attacked with someone watching my back. JP got wasted too.
All in all it was a great experience and I can hardly wait to do it again. At any rate. I will be back with more Chef type stuff in a few hours.
A la prochaine
SDM
So this week is rather slow and has afforded me the time to catch up with all my blogging, studying and reading. I’ve been rereading the Bible and today have finished Deuteronomy again. I’m not searching for any specific answer but rather looking at the broader issues of personal development as I reread the Bible and specifically how it relates to the way I grew up, the things that I was exposed to and the personal realizations that I have come to as a result. Spiritually well rounded I hope that I can bring the same knowledge to my children without force-feeding them. My own spiritual awakening is grounded in the belief is akin to Einstein’s in that his description of God is anything that he could not explain and I’ve always liked it when he said; “I don’t believe that God plays dice with the universe.” My God, for any of you who care to know, is not the Catholic God, or Lutheran or any other organized religion. I believe that God is everywhere around us, under trees, under stone, in the water, everywhere. I choose to believe that there is something out there that is far greater than I and that this belief keeps me grounded and centered.
I’ve gotten a little further in “The Professional Chef” by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and will post more on this later today. I will also include a detailed breakdown of my thoughts on Nigel Didcock and his food.
Monday was an awesome day. I woke up feeling refreshed after a good sleep and got ready to be kidnapped by the crew I work with. We went out near Hamilton for a paintball adventure that was incredible. I don’t do a lot of things for myself including buying clothes, or entertainment or going to play paintball. In fact the last time I went paintballing I’m pretty sure was before I started university. But it is kind of like riding a bike. You never forget.
The best part for me was that I got to spend forty-five minutes driving with Executive Chef and picking his brain on some of the things that I’ve been thinking about. Our conversation was not limited to the culinary field either, we spoke about love, kids, and life in general, likes, dislikes and my favorite, READING! Executive Chef and I both share a voracious appetite for reading and the genre that we both like best is the same. As if I needed more reasons to like this man. At any rate our conversation was a great one and was the perfect starting point to a day of fun, celebration, discovery and PAIN!
In all there were eleven of us that entered the field of battle that day. The first thing that occurred to most of us was that in the closed space we were fighting in there are people, right now, at that very moment, who were firing real bullets, in real closed quarters, at real people with real effect. It was not lost on me that Executive Chef was the first to vocalize this.
So the rag tag group of Back of House with a couple Front of House donned our masks, walked through the mesh, removed out barrel cover and were ready to battle. The teams were a free form mix of just joining whichever side you wanted. One of F.O.H, JP, and I were very good as a team and worked together quite well. We were able to develop strategy that served us well though there were a few times that I got my ass kicked.
For those of you who have not played paintball let me just say that the first time you get pinged you never forget it. My first shot was a blindside of my right knuckle (which is nicely bruised right now). I also took a few shots to the face, groin and arm. All of which have serious bruising. But let me say this, I gladly accept the bruises as I do feel that it brought us a little closer together as a team (all of us that is). To me that was the point of going. To further develop my feeling of being on the team and of course the obvious laughter that results in the controlled pain of someone you work with.
The final game was a real shit show. We had decided to do a reset game that meant that when you got shot you returned to the base and wiped off the shot. If you could not wipe off the shot you had to call someone to wipe it off for you. I had taken out a few first shots before I got mine. I returned and wiped off my shot. JP and I were hunkered down to the left of the playing field and had a pretty good scope of view. I was laid out on the floor trying to ding a player that had no idea where I was. Finally, ping. Nailed him and he was out. Then I tried to reposition to the other side to see if I could see anything. Out of nowhere, like a charging banshee, yet quiet as a mouse comes Chef J charging faster than a Cheetah. Tap, tap, tap, tap, and tap. Five shots right to the ass. And man does it still hurt. But it makes me laugh thinking about it now that I could get that sneak attacked with someone watching my back. JP got wasted too.
All in all it was a great experience and I can hardly wait to do it again. At any rate. I will be back with more Chef type stuff in a few hours.
A la prochaine
SDM
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America
I spent a few hours yesterday reading “The Professional Chef” by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). It opened my eyes a bit to the mathematics behind the culinary industry.
Reading through it I started thinking to myself how much I hated math as a child. It wasn’t so much that I hated math as I hated the way that it was taught. The numbers themselves were meaningless to me. I had always said that if they somehow related to money that maybe it would be easier. I understood math. I could do quick calculations. I just, plain and simple, did not like the way I was taught it.
So as I read yesterday about Recipe Conversion Factors (RCF), converting weight to volume, As Purchased Cost (APC), Edible Portion Quantity (EPQ), Yield Percentages, number of servings, Edible Portion Cost (EPC) and total costs.
It is good for me to be exposing myself to this at such an early stage. It gives an appreciation of the business of the industry. At this current time though I’m less interested in the math of it and more interested in the creative aspects. However, a year from now I can see how the financial aspects of the industry will play into what I am thinking, experimenting, trying, doing and becoming.
Nonetheless I felt it important to let you all know that for anyone serious about the kitchen and the restaurant industry in general, the CIA’s “Professional Chef” is a must read.
A la prochaine
SDM
Reading through it I started thinking to myself how much I hated math as a child. It wasn’t so much that I hated math as I hated the way that it was taught. The numbers themselves were meaningless to me. I had always said that if they somehow related to money that maybe it would be easier. I understood math. I could do quick calculations. I just, plain and simple, did not like the way I was taught it.
So as I read yesterday about Recipe Conversion Factors (RCF), converting weight to volume, As Purchased Cost (APC), Edible Portion Quantity (EPQ), Yield Percentages, number of servings, Edible Portion Cost (EPC) and total costs.
It is good for me to be exposing myself to this at such an early stage. It gives an appreciation of the business of the industry. At this current time though I’m less interested in the math of it and more interested in the creative aspects. However, a year from now I can see how the financial aspects of the industry will play into what I am thinking, experimenting, trying, doing and becoming.
Nonetheless I felt it important to let you all know that for anyone serious about the kitchen and the restaurant industry in general, the CIA’s “Professional Chef” is a must read.
A la prochaine
SDM
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