The kitchen environment provides me with the perfect opportunity to learn new things everyday. It is not like in a school environment where things are laid out for you plainly and you follow a certain path. My ability to learn new things is heavily contingent on my ability to be curious. To watch something that is happening, internalize it and then ask questions about it.
One of the things that I have mentioned to Chef B that I really want to start learning so that I can do it everyday are;
Butchery – on all manner of protein. I have learned, at least in part how to butcher tenderloin and a striploin and have worked with European Sea Bass but I want to learn how to butcher Salmon, Tuna, Cod, etc. As well as all manner of proteins.
I have also started looking at the financial aspects of what goes in the restaurant. I am trying to discern how a certain thing ends up on the plate and how that affects the price that the customer pays. I am ever curious about food cost as a percentage, labour costs, etc. These are things that are vital to know inside and out if you ever want to have your own building.
I am always watching how management deals with certain situations and I will continue to be so. When I am unsure of how a certain thing has been resolved I will ask questions and to their credit all of the Chefs are willing to answer them.
I am going to be moving into our sister restaurant soon. It is going to give me my first real (for any real length of time) experience on the line in a restaurant. I am going to learn how to prep my station inside, how to handle orders both on Garde and on pans.
The next few months are going to be extremely difficult but filled with the opportunity to continue being the best I can. I am excited and ready for the challenges.
C.S. Lewis once said; “Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.” You only need to almost take your finger off once before you learn, by experience, that you need to tuck them. Or grab a hot pan without a towel. I think you get the idea.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label Black Cod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Cod. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Guess Who’s Back? (file under working lots and catching up with love)
Hello all! I’m sorry for the brief lapse in posts. It has been an interesting couple of weeks filled with ups and downs. Mostly ups though. It is beyond amazing to have C back. It was difficult being apart for so long but it is for the best. Our love has consistently stood the test of time and space. Transcending it and it will again when she returns to NYC. That is the nature of love and I am grateful everyday for it.
At Reservation everything is going amazing. I have really begun to pick up on my speed and technique and I am feeling beyond comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the things that stood in my way (perhaps because of a lack of understanding) are no longer issues at all.
For instance Aioli. It is difficult to make Aioli to begin with. I had been splitting my Aioli’s quite a bit and it was driving me nuts. Executive Chef came over when I was making one and he walked me through it again after I had split yet another. Aioli is extremely temperamental and requires exceptional skill and masterful timing. Naturally Aioli is made with eggs and oil as well as a flavouring agent. To start the Aioli you must separate the yolks and then add them to the robo coupe. It was generally believed (before science had proved differently) that an egg yolk was only capable of incorporating 8 ounces of oil. In fact, as science has now proven (as well as trial and error) an egg yolk is capable of incorporating 16 ounces of oil.
As I was making my Aioli’s to begin I was not giving the protein enough time to stretch and thus was not able to incorporate the oil properly. The result is a kind of stringy and bubbly mixture (that almost resembles cellulite is you can believe it). Now though I take the appropriate time (which is dictated by the protein itself) before I start to incorporate the oil. The last stage is to incorporate your flavouring agent. More often than not I have been making Truffle Aioli, Mango Aioli or Lemon Caper Aioli. Each used in various ways. The Truffle Aioli is used as a compliment for our hand cut French fries (my hand!!!!), the Mango is used for mini crab cakes (a canapé at parties and functions) and the Lemon Caper is used with another canapé of shaved beef carpacchio on olive oil crustini. The Mango is still a bit tricky for me but all in all I am comfortable with making any Aioli now.
As I have gotten better it has been observed and my responsibilities have gradually taken on different and new tasks. We all are accustomed to the way that my days start. I know that I have given you all a picture of what it is that I have to put away. It usually starts with the vegetables. Right now we go through approximately three hundred pounds of vegetables a day. I imagine in the summer that that number is going to triple. Dry goods, which includes things such as flour, sugar, oil, frozen products and dairy amount to approximately two hundred pounds on a slow day and on a Friday it can be as much as one thousand pounds. This would explain why my already chiseled physique (if I don’t say so myself) has become even more like Michelangelo had made a marble of me. I also put away fish and meat. Fish usually is about fifty to sixty pounds a day and meat can be as much as two hundred pounds on a busy day. If you add all these numbers up you’ll see that on a slow day I’m moving about three hundred to four hundred pounds of product. On busy days I could be moving as much as fifteen hundred pounds. Can you say biceps?
My stocks are incredible now. My consistency is there and I am producing approximately eighty litres of finished demi each week. Of course the remi is the result of approximately 180 – 220 litres of liquid being reduced down to about 16 litres. I have also expanded my repertoire of stocks. I am now responsible for making Veal Stock, Fish Stock, Light Chicken Stock, Dark Chicken Stock and Lobster Stock. One day before C came home I noticed that I had developed a zit. I’ve never had zits. Ask anyone that knows me. Well the reason for the zit was that I made every one of the afore mentioned stocks over a twelve hour period. All that fat steaming up at my face brought out a zit or two and while my stock was great my face paid the temporary price. You’ll be pleased to know that my face is back to normal now.
I have also started searing off the proteins for events and functions. I have seared salmon, Black Cod, White Fish, European bass, Tuna, Grouper and Artic Char. I have seared Chicken, tenderloin and striploin. I am learning how to do the various proteins properly and how to deal their “doneness” by feel, smell and sight.
My next post is going to deal with functions and how they come into being. The work that is required and my role in them.
I also wanted to say that it is normal for people to have questions about where they are and what they are doing. I myself had to search deep within myself in order to establish what is was that makes me happy and what I could do for the rest of my life. In the past I have done more jobs than you can imagine. Some have been incredible and others have been quite pedestrian. Through it all though I have strived to be better. This year I have really opened my soul, my heart and my mind. I have become the man that I always thought I was supposed to be. My making the selfish decision to join a professional kitchen has been the most transformative event of my life (next to C entering it). I hope that all of you realize that questions, doubt, self loathing, fear and complacency are a part of life. But they are not the end all. They are the beginning. You need to reach beyond and find what truly resides inside you. What is your passion? What is your drive? WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE? Ask these questions and answer them and I can guarantee that you will find a joy that is unparalleled. That said I remember fondly Descartes; “Dubito ergo cogito; cogito ergo sum.” Which translates to; “I doubt, I think, therefore I am.”
Life is the oyster that you’ve always wanted. You just need to dream big and inspired.
Back shortly.
A la prochaine
SDM
At Reservation everything is going amazing. I have really begun to pick up on my speed and technique and I am feeling beyond comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the things that stood in my way (perhaps because of a lack of understanding) are no longer issues at all.
For instance Aioli. It is difficult to make Aioli to begin with. I had been splitting my Aioli’s quite a bit and it was driving me nuts. Executive Chef came over when I was making one and he walked me through it again after I had split yet another. Aioli is extremely temperamental and requires exceptional skill and masterful timing. Naturally Aioli is made with eggs and oil as well as a flavouring agent. To start the Aioli you must separate the yolks and then add them to the robo coupe. It was generally believed (before science had proved differently) that an egg yolk was only capable of incorporating 8 ounces of oil. In fact, as science has now proven (as well as trial and error) an egg yolk is capable of incorporating 16 ounces of oil.
As I was making my Aioli’s to begin I was not giving the protein enough time to stretch and thus was not able to incorporate the oil properly. The result is a kind of stringy and bubbly mixture (that almost resembles cellulite is you can believe it). Now though I take the appropriate time (which is dictated by the protein itself) before I start to incorporate the oil. The last stage is to incorporate your flavouring agent. More often than not I have been making Truffle Aioli, Mango Aioli or Lemon Caper Aioli. Each used in various ways. The Truffle Aioli is used as a compliment for our hand cut French fries (my hand!!!!), the Mango is used for mini crab cakes (a canapé at parties and functions) and the Lemon Caper is used with another canapé of shaved beef carpacchio on olive oil crustini. The Mango is still a bit tricky for me but all in all I am comfortable with making any Aioli now.
As I have gotten better it has been observed and my responsibilities have gradually taken on different and new tasks. We all are accustomed to the way that my days start. I know that I have given you all a picture of what it is that I have to put away. It usually starts with the vegetables. Right now we go through approximately three hundred pounds of vegetables a day. I imagine in the summer that that number is going to triple. Dry goods, which includes things such as flour, sugar, oil, frozen products and dairy amount to approximately two hundred pounds on a slow day and on a Friday it can be as much as one thousand pounds. This would explain why my already chiseled physique (if I don’t say so myself) has become even more like Michelangelo had made a marble of me. I also put away fish and meat. Fish usually is about fifty to sixty pounds a day and meat can be as much as two hundred pounds on a busy day. If you add all these numbers up you’ll see that on a slow day I’m moving about three hundred to four hundred pounds of product. On busy days I could be moving as much as fifteen hundred pounds. Can you say biceps?
My stocks are incredible now. My consistency is there and I am producing approximately eighty litres of finished demi each week. Of course the remi is the result of approximately 180 – 220 litres of liquid being reduced down to about 16 litres. I have also expanded my repertoire of stocks. I am now responsible for making Veal Stock, Fish Stock, Light Chicken Stock, Dark Chicken Stock and Lobster Stock. One day before C came home I noticed that I had developed a zit. I’ve never had zits. Ask anyone that knows me. Well the reason for the zit was that I made every one of the afore mentioned stocks over a twelve hour period. All that fat steaming up at my face brought out a zit or two and while my stock was great my face paid the temporary price. You’ll be pleased to know that my face is back to normal now.
I have also started searing off the proteins for events and functions. I have seared salmon, Black Cod, White Fish, European bass, Tuna, Grouper and Artic Char. I have seared Chicken, tenderloin and striploin. I am learning how to do the various proteins properly and how to deal their “doneness” by feel, smell and sight.
My next post is going to deal with functions and how they come into being. The work that is required and my role in them.
I also wanted to say that it is normal for people to have questions about where they are and what they are doing. I myself had to search deep within myself in order to establish what is was that makes me happy and what I could do for the rest of my life. In the past I have done more jobs than you can imagine. Some have been incredible and others have been quite pedestrian. Through it all though I have strived to be better. This year I have really opened my soul, my heart and my mind. I have become the man that I always thought I was supposed to be. My making the selfish decision to join a professional kitchen has been the most transformative event of my life (next to C entering it). I hope that all of you realize that questions, doubt, self loathing, fear and complacency are a part of life. But they are not the end all. They are the beginning. You need to reach beyond and find what truly resides inside you. What is your passion? What is your drive? WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE? Ask these questions and answer them and I can guarantee that you will find a joy that is unparalleled. That said I remember fondly Descartes; “Dubito ergo cogito; cogito ergo sum.” Which translates to; “I doubt, I think, therefore I am.”
Life is the oyster that you’ve always wanted. You just need to dream big and inspired.
Back shortly.
A la prochaine
SDM
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Catching Up (on Reservation happenings and my career)
I know. I know. But you can hardly blame me after three months and a few days of being without my one true love that I fell off the blog wagon. I do have several of them ready to go but they are going to have to wait until I have a day off as they are educationally intensive and SUPER interesting. But I did want to take this time because I was home at a reasonable hour to let you in on what has happened in the last few days both in my own kitchen and at work.
So the love of my life as you all know came home on Friday. I worked a long day and then went to pick her up at the train station. I spent most of the day thinking about what I would make. How I would make it. Where I would get flowers. Whether or not I would have enough time to do everything in the half an hour I had after work until she arrived. Luckily because of the border crossing I found myself with just enough time to get everything done. As usual (C and I are extremely in synch and the universe constantly lets us know this) just as I was turning the corner on Front Street to Union Station my phone rings and it was C letting me know that she was there. Literally at the precise moment that I arrived. She is my universe, my rain, my sun and my stars. She is my everything and it was great to see her. That first glance. Butterflies racing in my stomach and the sheer joy of a child at play with a new toy.
So naturally I helped her get all of her things into the car. Handed her some flowers and started the short drive home so that we could start chatting in earnest and having a great meal. I was going to make Tuna for Iron Chef Charmaine but unfortunately the tuna that night was not that great so of course I immediately shifted my focus and moved to Black Cod.
Naturally we had a bottle of nice white wine and I had also got us a bottle of champagne as a celebratory thing. We really like champagne. WHO DOESN’T? At any rate I had forgotten to pick up potatoes (the only thing I remembered everything else) so I dropped her off so should could shower and acclimatize.
When I returned I started getting dinner ready right away. The menu included scallops, black cod and a delicious dessert that the pastry chef had given me. So there we were, lovers reunited and beaming to be in the presence of our love again (not that it wasn’t there just she was there in NYC and I was here). I started to prepare the vegetables showing off all of my new cuts (both figuratively and literally). I roasted some beets first for the first course as we milled about and spoke about her travels, how good it was to be home and about the future. She was clearly excited to be home and of course the she got accepted to the program at Stella Adler. I assured her that no matter what we would find a way to make it happen, easily, gracefully and beautifully. I am super excited for her and though it is difficult to be apart from your lover for that long, I too am on a journey that is my own and that enriches our love as well.
So the first course (pictures included below) was a scallop tartare with caraway and mustard seed, shallot sandwiched between beautifully roasted beets. It was a truly spectacular dish though next time I would try a different spice compliment. IT LOOKED AMAZING! But I will let you be the judge.
We sat there lovingly gazing at each other. Speaking about our various successes and were truly enjoying the full splendour of the slow food movement. I am a big proponent of it and believe that food should be cooked with great care and utmost love. If not it will show.
I then prepared a Black Cod with a Champagne and Sage Beurre Blanc with some beautifully mashed potatoes. Again, as I said above, great food takes time and she and I just enjoyed each other’s company and the tales that we were regaling each other with.
Dessert was as I had mentioned courtesy of the Pastry Chef J, and man was it incredible. It was a chocolate cake with a hole centered out of it then filled with the most delightful caramel sauce that just oozed out of it in the most perfect way. Thank you J I really appreciate it.
It was nice to speak until the wee hours of the morning though it would have been nice to stay in bed I had to unfortunately go to bed ( I only say unfortunately because she just got home I LOVE TO WORK!).
The next day at work flew by and I found myself thinking about all the great things that I could cook for her for dinner on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as I had the days off. Sunday I ended up making Prime Rib Fajitas. Monday she got treated to two meals. A breakfast to die which included a reduction of sherry wine vinegar with a blackberry compote, portabello mushroom and maple bacon over baked eggs on Irish Sour Dough bread for and I made a fabulous tofu curry with cauliflower and lentils. Tuesday I made a mishmash of Veal Parm and Schnitzel with a gorgeous fresh tomato sauce and basil topped with buffalo mozzarella and an aged balsamic reduction. I LOVE PLAYING WITH FOOD.
So this basically catches you up on the personal stuff.
At work yesterday I experienced some great success. My Aioli making skills have improved and I haven’t split one in about three weeks. Minor victory for me but victory nonetheless. Moreover, I had been scheduled until around five but I noticed early in the day that there was a party and nobody was there to assist L. I had said that I was more than willing to stay and that I felt it was an oversight in the first place (which it was). The last three parties that L and I have worked we have done alone. Between the two of us (with a little help) we are capable of prepping, making and plating meals for up to forty people on our own and up to four courses. I was amazed at the system that we developed and it worked. It felt amazing to know that my speed improved, my errors were slipping away as I stopped allowing my nerves to get the better of me and just did my job. I have now improved with my speed, economy of motion and my consistency. Though I still need improvement (and always will) I do take great pride in the fact that I am getting it and running with it.
Today was a fabulous day. I arrived early and started working right away on my stock, remi and demi as well as putting everything away. By the time I arrived Chef was already there and I just went about my business.
After we were sure that everything was in shape for the party tonight Head Chef asked me to brunoise three quarters of a litre of shallots. He said to me; “Think of the most perfect thing, the most perfect place, bring that into your being and then eat it. Now cut me the shallots and if they are perfect you can help me for the rest of the day or if they are not you can wash dishes for a week.” Ummm hello, I just shook my nerves and Head Chef is going to throw them right back at me. Geez. Here I am celebrating my minor victory and then I get this challenge. I was scared, excited, nervous and ready to cut the best damn shallots he had ever seen. It took me a while but I did produce some pretty good shallots. After I approached him (having removed all the big lumps I could find) he looked at them. Thought for a moment, looked at me and said; “DECENT!” I’ll take decent, I’ll run with decent. I won’t be decent much longer. I WILL BE THE BEST! But for now I’ll take it. He said alright here we go… he gave me a list of things to do for the party that he was going off sits with Executive Chef for.
All day I was filled with a massive smile, knowing that I had been challenged and lived up to at least the minimum expectation which in a demanding kitchen is something that for now I will take. I enjoy working with Chef, he had me Rosti some sweet potato and Yukon golds together. Prep various things and then get him out to the car. IT FELT AWESOME.
At any rate I will be giving you all a more in depth explanation of all the happenings soon. But I have been writing for about an hour and I am a little tired. I do want to mention that life is easy once you’ve figured it out (easy in the sense that purpose and direction lead to action which brings joy and success).
I truly hope that you all are finding your purpose. Reaching out to the universe and discovering who you are. I have and look at the ridiculous levels of joy in my life. DREAM INSPIRED and BIG. The only thing stopping you is you.
With that in mind, Srimad Bhagavatam once said; “What is the value of a prolonged life if one has wasted it, not having benefited from years of experience in this world? Better a moment full of consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.”
A la prochaine
SDM
So the love of my life as you all know came home on Friday. I worked a long day and then went to pick her up at the train station. I spent most of the day thinking about what I would make. How I would make it. Where I would get flowers. Whether or not I would have enough time to do everything in the half an hour I had after work until she arrived. Luckily because of the border crossing I found myself with just enough time to get everything done. As usual (C and I are extremely in synch and the universe constantly lets us know this) just as I was turning the corner on Front Street to Union Station my phone rings and it was C letting me know that she was there. Literally at the precise moment that I arrived. She is my universe, my rain, my sun and my stars. She is my everything and it was great to see her. That first glance. Butterflies racing in my stomach and the sheer joy of a child at play with a new toy.
So naturally I helped her get all of her things into the car. Handed her some flowers and started the short drive home so that we could start chatting in earnest and having a great meal. I was going to make Tuna for Iron Chef Charmaine but unfortunately the tuna that night was not that great so of course I immediately shifted my focus and moved to Black Cod.
Naturally we had a bottle of nice white wine and I had also got us a bottle of champagne as a celebratory thing. We really like champagne. WHO DOESN’T? At any rate I had forgotten to pick up potatoes (the only thing I remembered everything else) so I dropped her off so should could shower and acclimatize.
When I returned I started getting dinner ready right away. The menu included scallops, black cod and a delicious dessert that the pastry chef had given me. So there we were, lovers reunited and beaming to be in the presence of our love again (not that it wasn’t there just she was there in NYC and I was here). I started to prepare the vegetables showing off all of my new cuts (both figuratively and literally). I roasted some beets first for the first course as we milled about and spoke about her travels, how good it was to be home and about the future. She was clearly excited to be home and of course the she got accepted to the program at Stella Adler. I assured her that no matter what we would find a way to make it happen, easily, gracefully and beautifully. I am super excited for her and though it is difficult to be apart from your lover for that long, I too am on a journey that is my own and that enriches our love as well.
So the first course (pictures included below) was a scallop tartare with caraway and mustard seed, shallot sandwiched between beautifully roasted beets. It was a truly spectacular dish though next time I would try a different spice compliment. IT LOOKED AMAZING! But I will let you be the judge.
We sat there lovingly gazing at each other. Speaking about our various successes and were truly enjoying the full splendour of the slow food movement. I am a big proponent of it and believe that food should be cooked with great care and utmost love. If not it will show.
I then prepared a Black Cod with a Champagne and Sage Beurre Blanc with some beautifully mashed potatoes. Again, as I said above, great food takes time and she and I just enjoyed each other’s company and the tales that we were regaling each other with.
Dessert was as I had mentioned courtesy of the Pastry Chef J, and man was it incredible. It was a chocolate cake with a hole centered out of it then filled with the most delightful caramel sauce that just oozed out of it in the most perfect way. Thank you J I really appreciate it.
It was nice to speak until the wee hours of the morning though it would have been nice to stay in bed I had to unfortunately go to bed ( I only say unfortunately because she just got home I LOVE TO WORK!).
The next day at work flew by and I found myself thinking about all the great things that I could cook for her for dinner on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as I had the days off. Sunday I ended up making Prime Rib Fajitas. Monday she got treated to two meals. A breakfast to die which included a reduction of sherry wine vinegar with a blackberry compote, portabello mushroom and maple bacon over baked eggs on Irish Sour Dough bread for and I made a fabulous tofu curry with cauliflower and lentils. Tuesday I made a mishmash of Veal Parm and Schnitzel with a gorgeous fresh tomato sauce and basil topped with buffalo mozzarella and an aged balsamic reduction. I LOVE PLAYING WITH FOOD.
So this basically catches you up on the personal stuff.
At work yesterday I experienced some great success. My Aioli making skills have improved and I haven’t split one in about three weeks. Minor victory for me but victory nonetheless. Moreover, I had been scheduled until around five but I noticed early in the day that there was a party and nobody was there to assist L. I had said that I was more than willing to stay and that I felt it was an oversight in the first place (which it was). The last three parties that L and I have worked we have done alone. Between the two of us (with a little help) we are capable of prepping, making and plating meals for up to forty people on our own and up to four courses. I was amazed at the system that we developed and it worked. It felt amazing to know that my speed improved, my errors were slipping away as I stopped allowing my nerves to get the better of me and just did my job. I have now improved with my speed, economy of motion and my consistency. Though I still need improvement (and always will) I do take great pride in the fact that I am getting it and running with it.
Today was a fabulous day. I arrived early and started working right away on my stock, remi and demi as well as putting everything away. By the time I arrived Chef was already there and I just went about my business.
After we were sure that everything was in shape for the party tonight Head Chef asked me to brunoise three quarters of a litre of shallots. He said to me; “Think of the most perfect thing, the most perfect place, bring that into your being and then eat it. Now cut me the shallots and if they are perfect you can help me for the rest of the day or if they are not you can wash dishes for a week.” Ummm hello, I just shook my nerves and Head Chef is going to throw them right back at me. Geez. Here I am celebrating my minor victory and then I get this challenge. I was scared, excited, nervous and ready to cut the best damn shallots he had ever seen. It took me a while but I did produce some pretty good shallots. After I approached him (having removed all the big lumps I could find) he looked at them. Thought for a moment, looked at me and said; “DECENT!” I’ll take decent, I’ll run with decent. I won’t be decent much longer. I WILL BE THE BEST! But for now I’ll take it. He said alright here we go… he gave me a list of things to do for the party that he was going off sits with Executive Chef for.
All day I was filled with a massive smile, knowing that I had been challenged and lived up to at least the minimum expectation which in a demanding kitchen is something that for now I will take. I enjoy working with Chef, he had me Rosti some sweet potato and Yukon golds together. Prep various things and then get him out to the car. IT FELT AWESOME.
At any rate I will be giving you all a more in depth explanation of all the happenings soon. But I have been writing for about an hour and I am a little tired. I do want to mention that life is easy once you’ve figured it out (easy in the sense that purpose and direction lead to action which brings joy and success).
I truly hope that you all are finding your purpose. Reaching out to the universe and discovering who you are. I have and look at the ridiculous levels of joy in my life. DREAM INSPIRED and BIG. The only thing stopping you is you.
With that in mind, Srimad Bhagavatam once said; “What is the value of a prolonged life if one has wasted it, not having benefited from years of experience in this world? Better a moment full of consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.”
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
