Insight from Executive Chef (file under Lucky to have Him as a Resource)

As I mentioned in my previous post I had the marvelous occasion to spend some time with old friends. I don’t get out very often – the men in their white coats try to keep me (great double entendre). At least I can get out every once and a while. Supervised visits and all.

At any rate it was a fabulous evening. Great friends. Great music. Great environment and absolutely fabulous Vodka/7’s. Thanks Stu. Shortly after arriving I went out for a cigarette knowing that I would find Executive Chef there. It was great seeing him and we both greeted each other like old comrades. Big hug and big smiles.

As always he was excited to hear how I was doing. What was going on with me and in my new job. I let him know that I landed well at The Club at which point he gave me his telling smile and a wink; “I knew you would.” In retrospect it was a great decision on his part to force me to go out and experience something else. Hindsight is always twenty twenty.

We spoke freely and easily about how he is enjoying being Executive Chef. His voice was even more gruff than usual as the Head Chef at one of the other restaurants is having a baby so he is working the pass expediting. Though tired he let me know that he is absolutely enjoying the job.

I let him know about my experiences at The Club and he gave me some great advice. Naturally I wanted to talk about the horror of handwritten chits. His eyes seemed to almost glaze over. A tell tale sign of his many experiences with handwritten chits. I expressed, as I did, in my previous post, the story as best I could. He asked how I handled it and I explained but then I asked him how he would have dealt with it. He explained that I had the right idea and that as time goes on I will find myself even better at dealing with the hiccups that are a very natural part of the kitchen experience.

Using the resources that are available to me I asked him numerous questions about brigades, kitchen issues, etc. He was, naturally, more than pleased to give me advice. I asked him about how to handle issues of keeping the brigade motivated in times of trouble. Again recounting my experience that had just happened. I made a rookie mistake in dealing with it he explained. In that I acknowledged the storm. He said that I didn’t need to do that. It’s obvious he explained that there is a storm. And the last thing you want to do is give any negativity to your crew when you are in a situation like that. He explained that you take a moment, which I did, but different from my experience he said that I should have said to them something to the effect of;

“Listen guys, we all know our jobs. We know what has to get done. We can do this, it is in our blood, and it is what we do. Now lets do it. COME ON!” We spoke about this for another few minutes and I feel that by using him as a resource I have become a better cook. Moreover that if this is to happen again I will have a better arsenal of tools at my disposal to motivate any brigade.

I also asked him about how to handle it when dishes are being put out incorrectly. He immediately grabbed an empty glass in front of him and the started role playing with me. There was one lemon in the glass and so he looked at me and said; “Is this your dish? Did you create it?” I playing along said; “no.” He said; “Well then why is there not two lemons in it.” I looked at him blankly still playing the role. He said; “Listen, this dish demands two lemons and a shot of vodka. Make sure that you put in the two lemons. Anything less and you are messing not just with the dish but also with the customers’ enjoyment. Now, make the dish right and put the two lemons in it.” I started to giggle because after he said it made perfect sense to me. He also said that one of my issues is that I am verbose and have an extensive diction at my disposal. He said that I need to avoid lots of words where only a few will do.

He also pointed out that in doing the dish wrong, while cheating the Chef and the customer, you are also cheating yourself. It is your heart and soul going into the dish he explained. Are you satisfied putting out a dish wrong he asked? Then lets get it right. Now do it again. He also told me that it is the responsibility of the Chef to ensure that the dishes are going out wrong. He said you don’t need to correct behaviours publicly but can pull them aside the first few times. After that he said that you can do it publicly. POWERFUL MOTIVATION.

I am grateful for him as a resource. He asked about C and I said she was back in a couple of weeks and that we would all get together for a drink. A big smile came over his face.



Over the course of our conversation that was about an hour he also said that he regretted that he did not have as much time for me as he would have liked when I was there. His tone was apologetic and I expressed that I understood. Nonetheless he did seem truly upset that he hadn’t had more time for me. But he made it clear that he is always there for me to answer any question I have.

Thanks Chef! For everything!

Dan Rather once said; “The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth.”

Kahil Gibran once said; “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Blog (file under Exciting Times)

John Henry Newman in his ‘Apologia pro vita sua,’ said; “Growth is the only evidence of life.” And I could not agree more.

Today is my Saturday. To anyone outside the food industry that may sound like a weird statement but when you realize that weekends are usually our busiest times then you can understand that more often than not we are scheduled in such a way that our weekends fall when most of you are at your jobs.

The tile of my post today and the quote that I have used to frame it are the result of three posts written in the last week. The title specifically is in reference to my return to my capturing my daily experience and the quote represents what I feel each and every day. As I grow and continue on this path that I started on over a year and a half ago.

Over the next couple of days I am doing some menu development. Working on some of the items that I am going to include in my menu for the summer on the grill. You’ll recall (if you’ve read long enough) that last summer I was supposed to have the same opportunity at Reservation. The lack of willingness or inability on the part of Reservation to let me toy with the grill menu was extremely disheartening to me. While I understood, at least in part the logic behind it; that being that it was high volume and quick turnover, the whole experience left me feeling like I was nothing more than an over priced McDonalds, merely slinging food to the hungry throngs that wanted to sit and have a beer. As I remarked many times last year I developed relationships with my customers, many of whom returned each week, as they expressly told me, just to come and see me. That felt good, but it did not nearly make up for the emptiness I felt working the grill.

That is not to say that I did not learn things while working the grill. In fact, some of the lessons I learned were key to my early development as a line cook and still benefit me today. Those include understanding organization, timing, set up, pride of ownership and a few other lessons as well that were difficult at the time to choke down.

My experience at The Club so far has demonstrated that when people truly believe in you and what you are doing that they will give you the freedom to explore your own comfort zones. And unlike other places I’ve been they will not allow you to fall on your face but instead will do their utmost to ensure that you learn the lesson, not without pain, but certainly without the deepening void which can taint and corrupt even the most strong willed of people. Executive Chef and I as well as Sous Chef and I have had conversations about the grill. Numerous in fact. And with each one I feel my resolve building, my excitement at the opportunity of creating my own culinary voice and demonstrating what I can do when given the opportunity. The first menu will be of Executive and Sous Chefs design. I asked for this to be the case so that I can get comfortable with the environment, demands and the people for the first week or so.

After that time I will start developing my own menu each week. This will consist of multiple proteins. A fish, a beef dish, possibly a pork dish as well as a few specials. I have slowly but surely been building my menu and today and tomorrow (my Sunday) I will be working on them for several hours.

By doing so I will have multiple posts to write. One of which will include my creative process, the process of menu creation, what I want to try and possibly a couple of others. I am feeling quite good (despite the last few posts being on my mind) and know that I have lots to accomplish in the next two days.

As well I am excited and thrilled for the love of my life C, whose show ‘Spinning the Butter’ goes on at Stella Adler starting tomorrow. Today is about refinement and tweaking and then the show must go on. I wish I could afford to be there but unfortunately I can not. My spirit and energy are with her as I know that she will be fabulous. She always is.

With that said, I need to stop writing now and get to the work that is a ahead of me. I also have to clean the house. Which anyone that knows me can tell you, I really dislike cleaning. But I have the time and it needs to get done. Stay tuned; the next couple of days are going to have a flurry of posts. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I enjoy doing the work necessary to relate my experience to you.

Buddy Hackett once said; “As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it” My menus will feature many more choices.

Are you dreaming big and inspired? Why not? And how can I help?

A la prochaine

SDM

Day 13 of 14 straight (file under I LOVE IT!)

So I fired off an email on Friday to L’s acquaintance that had mentioned he was interested in becoming a Chef. As stated in the email I gave him a call when I got home this afternoon. When I did not get him I sent him another email asking him to get in contact with me when he is ready. I will definitely keep you posted on any updates.

So today was Day 13 of 14 before I get a day off. Such is the price of going to NYC and having so much damn fun. But unlike other times in the past when I pulled long stretches without a break I find that I have oodles of energy and am brimming with positivism as I know that every day I am one day closer to my goal.

Saturday was a very interesting day at work. As I may or may not have mentioned my morning partner was off all last week and I was alone. On Saturday my relief came in at 9 am and I pretty much left him to take care of prep and anything else that came up as I wanted to see just how well I could do the line dance. (Not to be confused with line dancing as in cowboy boots).

I have always been someone who looks challenges directly in the eye and then, to the best of my ability, knocked them out of the park. Saturday was no exception. It was a challenge that I needed to give myself in order to grow as a cook. So naturally I got there at my usual about 6:10 am and started about my daily tasks. I’ve taken on starting coffee for the servers and laying out the cutting boards for the Garde Manger as well. It is a little thing but I know that it is appreciated.

It felt great to challenge myself on Saturday. I mean really great. I managed to Tango, Salsa, Pirouette, Meringue and Waltz all at the same time. At one point I had four omelettes, eight or nine orders of eggs either over easy, over hard or Sunnyside up and about five orders of Eggs Benedict, Florentine or Benjamin all going at the same time. My body with attention to detail moved gracefully from one side of the line to the other, almost as if I was on skates, sliding down the line, dropping the plates, putting on the various components, turning around and tending to the eggs and then right back to the plates and their various presentations. It was the first time that I had intentionally put myself in the weeds to see if I could pull myself out. I could have at any point called for help and it would have been there in two seconds flat. But I refused to, I wanted to put pressure on myself, I wanted to see how fast I could turn around chits, I wanted to see if I could ensure that the food did not suffer and that I still got it out in a timely fashion. Feel good? DAMN RIGHT! It was a personal victory which revealed to me that I could handle the various stresses in a high paced environment without losing my head or my chits. I am extremely thrilled to report that I was able to turn around orders in as little as three minutes and my longest took twelve when I was getting severely slammed.

Of course because the club is all about making sure the members are always happy you can get breakfast any time of the day. This presents a certain set of challenges when you approach lunchtime. Again because you could get three or four orders on a chit, one for breakfast and the rest for lunch. Organization and timing becoming your paramount concern next to ensuring that the food tastes and LOOKS good. As 12:30 passed I was busy. I had about twelve chits up and I would say it was thirty percent breakfast and the rest lunch. Every time I got that many chits, M would ask if I was okay. I assured him I was and just continued doing what I was doing.

By the end of my shift I had worked about one hundred and forty chits which amounted to about four hundred different orders with (approximately) nine hundred different components. Did it feel good? DAMN RIGHT!

I thought back to Reservation and my experience on the grill and thought how I believe I could pull myself out now without much assistance. Yet I began to wonder why I was left to essentially hang. My relief never came as quickly as it could have and only now do I find myself wondering why in any substantial way. Was it part of the process? Was it some design that I still am unclear on? Or was it something else? I believe as I go forward I will be able to answer that question better. But nonetheless it felt pretty good to wonder about.

I am finding that I am not sleeping well. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am currently alone in my place. No roommate and no C. That will change when C gets here in less than a month. However, I also think it is because I have so much on my brain. I am constantly thinking about food, about new concepts, new dishes, new techniques and all of it with an eye to making the best food I possibly can.

All in all I am thrilled. Absolutely thrilled with my decision. I have found a place that I can call home for a while and continue to test my dishes and techniques. All with an eye to the future but maintaining quality and consistency in the present.

This post caused me to think of two quotes. One from William Faulkner; “People need trouble -- a little frustration to sharpen the spirit on, toughen it. Artists do; I don't mean you need to live in a rat hole or gutter, but you have to learn fortitude, endurance. Only vegetables are happy.”

The other from John Heywood; “If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired? WHY NOT! I’m here for you anytime. Just let me know what I can do.

A la prochaine

SDM

Serendipity (file under My Life is Chalk Full of IT)

Henry David Thoreau once wrote; “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favour in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

I embarked on this journey approximately 435 days ago. That amount to 10,440 hours, 626,400 Minutes or 37,584,000 seconds. This journey is not an easy one. In fact, it is one that I’m sure (though not myself) many have considered, have dipped their toe in, and have decided to forego because the path was uneven, rough and even painful at points. Every day, every minute, every second that has passed has revealed more of myself to me. Every one of those incredible numbers has brought me closer to a deeply personal revelation, a deeper and personal understanding of the reason for my life. It has made me feel like I am a man, searching, finding and then searching again, for the answers that have long haunted me. I believe, as the Thoreau quote above states quite plainly, that my decision, has brought me to a paradigm shift in my own life, one that I could not imagine a short few years ago, AND THE BEST PART IS, that it is the result of a fervent desire to be happy on a daily basis.

I have now worked for three restaurants in my professional cooking career. I have toiled, sweated, bled, cried, slept on floors, been up at ungodly hours, worked myself to the bone and all of it, every second, is what lead me to here.

When I met the love of my life, C, I knew instantly that there was no other woman for me. That she HAD to be my wife. That my life, had led me to her and that in a moment of unusual clarity, I knew, I had to do everything in my power to ensure that she became the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. In my humble and learned opinion, so too, was my decision to join a kitchen.

This post results from conversations that I have been having lately with members at The Club, people that know me well, friends and family, new and old and people who don’t know me from Adam. The same feeling that came over me when I first saw C, and literally I mean saw, I didn’t even now her name, is the same feeling that I had the first time I picked up my very own Mac Knife. It felt right. No, it was more, it felt like I was meant to hold one my entire life and that I had spent most of my life, fighting with myself. Fortunately however, I did make that decision, to enter a kitchen and I have not looked back since.

Many times I have expressed that it is my fervent desire and dedicated goal to have my own restaurant by the time I am 40. This gives me 2078 days, 49879 hours, 2,992,754 or 1,795,565,266 seconds as of the writing of this post. I know at least in broad strokes what it will look like. I know for certain the name. I have an inkling as to the food. But, I feel, for the first time in my life, that my decisions are being based in a grounded way, in making that a reality.

For the past few weeks I have been having great conversations with Members early in the morning. Apparently they have been asking Executive Chef about me as well and my political experience came up today. I spoke candidly, but guardedly, about my experiences. One of the questions I got was what was the best line I ever wrote politically. It took me a moment and I had to go out and smoke before I could answer the question. I came back and said to Mr. S that while this was not for a politician it was my favourite line; “I have used illiteracy and crack with the same force of destruction as I have an M-16.” Without hesitation he held out his hand and said something to the effect of; “Fucking incredible.” He asked about my other experiences and I was open, still guarded, but open and told him. I told him I had climbed into Trash Compactors and cleaned them in order to live. I told him that I have done many things that most people would not as I felt that my survival was more important that what I did. I’d always felt that way and always would.

I told him a bit about my family. About where I’d come from. About my Mother and her mission in Malawi with www.lifelinemalawi.com. About my brothers and sisters. My impending wedding etc. He and another at the table asked if they could come. To which I said it was going to be in Cuba. He said great. And then asked if he could pay for the flowers.

I should point out that all of this took place over two conversations this morning and took a total of less than ten minutes. He then asked about my restaurant and I told him I wasn’t there yet. I had told him the other morning that I was using my experience at The Club as a test kitchen for my eventual restaurant which he loved. Today he took it one step further and said that he and another gentlemen sitting at the table would be very upset if I did not give them an audience and the right of first refusal to be investors, “the investors,” in my restaurant. I’m sure I was blushing at this point. I assured him I would definitely give him an audience. He asked if I had given any thought to the name and when I told him the name he again lifted his hand and laughing hysterically repeated his request. I assured him when the time was right, but that for now, I had to continue doing what I was doing at The Club.

So how does all of this lead to the title of the post?

As is stated much better than I ever could in Thoreau’s quote; “that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” I never dreamed that The Club would lead to someone taking an active interest in me. I never expected to meet someone humble and interested in the world around them. I did however expect to grow as a cook. To expand my offerings! To work towards the realization of my dreams. And now I feel that all I need to do is to continue doing what I am. AND IT IS SO EASY! My passion shows, my love of food shows, my character is an asset for the first time in my life and not a detriment.

I have found a calmness I have never known in my life. A joy that is seldom experienced, by anyone, let alone myself. And I am a richer, more wealthy, happier and more directed person for it.

All I can say is watch out world. I’m here and there is even more to come. Are you ready?

Antoine de Saint- Exupery once wrote; “If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” And I think I am…

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Elusive Hudson Sturgeon (file under I'm Out)

Well my friends, it is time for a much needed break from reality. Where does one go to break from reality, well, naturally the hyper reality of New York City. It was C's birthday last week and I am coming down to cook dinner for between 20 and 30 people. And to show my old business partner L around the big city. I am beyond excited. I might even find one of the elusive Hudson Sturgeons. But seriously, I will have some great tales for you (and pictures) when I return. Look for it on Tuesday or Wednesday. And I know that I still owe you a post with pictures from work. That too will materialize on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Carrie once said (as in Sex and the City); “But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.”

I guess my life is fabulous then.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine, and one more thing....


LIVE FROM NEW YORK ITS....

SDM

Happy Birthday Lover (file under my greatest joy)

Happy 27th Birthday Lover! I am shocked to find out that women have an inalienable right not to age past 27 if they so desire. But seriously;

I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you. I have loved you even more with each and every breath I take. You are my best friend, my confidant, my lover and my raison d’etre. I am in awe of what you have become and each and every day watch as you blossom even further. I am so proud of you. In the pursuit of your dreams. In the steps that you take every day to make yourself, and this the world, better.

It is because of your love, elegance, grace, patience and support that I have become the man I am and I continue to grow.

I thought, all day about what I could say and these three quotes kept running through my mind;

“I SING the Body electric;
The armies of those I love engirth me, and I engirth them;
They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them,
And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the Soul.”

“No sooner met but they looked;
No sooner looked but they loved;
No sooner loved but they sighed;
No sooner signed but they asked one another the reason;
No sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy;
And in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage...”

From “As You Like It.”

“I have named you queen.
There are taller ones than you, taller.
There are purer ones than you, purer.
There are lovelier than you, lovelier.

But you are the queen.

When you go through the streets
no one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
at the carpet of red gold
that you tread as you pass,
the nonexistent carpet.

And when you appear
all the rivers sound
in my body, bells
shake the sky,
and a hymn fills the world.

Only you and I,
only you and I, my love,
listen to it.”

Pablo Neruda

C, today, as any other, I celebrate you – because you are – nothing short – OF MY QUEEN! I honour you, adore, admire and respect all you are. Happy 27th Birthday… AGAIN! I love you!

Shine on Mon Petit!

Are you dreaming big and inspired? I know C is!

A la prochaine

SDM

Is it wrong to LOVE going to work (file under passions reignited)

Ferdinand Foch once said; "The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."

The beauty of that quote is that he does not define the use of the weapon only its usefulness. What if, as is the case with me, that human soul, is engaged in a life long quest to improve the human condition. It used to be on a macro level, figuring out (or at least attempting to) complex legal, social, emotional and political issues. Then I realized that if I followed my heart, my soul and my passion that my impact could be far greater on the micro level. Hence, at least in part my desire to join a kitchen.

I have not been sleeping well this week. As I explained yesterday. C feels that it is just because I am excited. I think it goes beyond that. I feel that my soul has been put on fire again after aperiod of uncertainty and doubt.

Naturally got everything set and then started to work on the prep that needed to get done including doing the specials for tomorrow. I decided to do a roasted red pepper and goat cheese crumble pizza with fresh basil and a scallion oil to finish. It is going to go like hotcakes I am sure.

Yesterday, after speaking with Sous Chef R, I knew that he had a sauce in mind for the Tortellini special today. He told me that I could create a garnish. My thought was immediate; A Parmesan Chip! That’s right, I said a Parmesan chip. To do this you just grate some Parmesan and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place it in a four hundred degree oven until you see it bubbling. Turn it around and then cook it for about another minute. When finished give it about ten minutes and voila you have a crisp Parmesan chip. DELICIOUS. And the rest of the staff loved the idea. I strongly recommend you try it yourselves.

I worked the complete line today and made in total about forty orders. Most were breakfast but I did two or three pasta specials, one meat special which was a Frenched veal chop with pomegranate jus.

It feels awesome to be somewhere that I am appreciated and given the free reign (under supervision of course) to put into action some of the things that I have wanted to try for a while.

As the title suggests, I found myself wondering on the way home, is it wrong to love work. I mean really love work.

All I can say friends is watch out because my soul is again on fire and in a place that it will be nurtured and allowed to grow.

Craig Claiborne once said; “Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well one must love and respect food.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

All work and no … Take 2 (File under A Passionate Life)

Kahil Gibran once wrote; “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” No more is this true than in the (if not a constant balmy 35 C) kitchens around the world.

I love what I do. I’m sure that I have said this numerous times. And I do not tire of saying it.

This past week I had some great successes at work with soups and specials. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have, by and large, taken over the role of the house soup maker. It is one of the great joys that I have each day (almost but not quite as joyful as waking up). On my way in I visualize what is in the walk in cooler of vegetables and start composing in my mind what soup I am going to make. And again, I credit C with giving me the desire to make delicious soups and in the past year and a bit I have become quite adept at making them.

Soup is a simple thing to make. But it can also be incredibly complex. I find that the more complexity I add to it, the more I compound the flavours, the more I build layers, the more tasty and enjoyable the soup is. I wrote another interesting post about this subject (http://newbieintheweeds.blogspot.com/2009/02/specials-soup-and-breakfast-file-under.html).

Last week I made a few interesting soups. I made a stunningly complex Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque which was to die for. I also made a velvety Parsnip Puree and a Truffled Forest Mushroom Bisque. All 3 sold extremely well and two of them were almost down before dinner service.

In the same post listed above I spoke about the fact that I have started constructing specials that come off my station. I do so very much in the spirit of Garde Manger. In that I construct specials which utilize things that were already used in some way. Last weeks special that I ran was a Caramelized Onion and Pink Peppercorn Crusted Brie Quiche. In what I felt was a clever name I called it a Provencal Quiche. In many ways it was. But I don’t know if I would call it Provencal in the future. I made twelve of them and had sold ten at lunch. Highly successful special.

Quiche is not overly difficult to make and with care and attention you can make them with jut about anything you want. In making this quiche my responses on quality checks from customers were that it was; “delicious,” “excellent,” and “why is this not on the menu. IT SHOULD BE.” These were all comments by regulars and it made me feel great.

Today I made a Curried Coconut and Carrot Puree. As I was done work early I got to go out and enjoy my lunch while people were eating their meals. As the regulars have gotten used to my face I got some feedback on my soups and my specials and it felt great to know that they love what I am doing. One woman asked how I come up with things that I cook and I told her that while I am a voracious reader and acquirer of knowledge most of what I cook starts first with an ingredient in my head.

From that point I then use my palate databank and create from memory dishes that I believe will taste good. If in my mind that dish does not work than I believe that it probably will not work when it is brought into the real world. This sparked a conversation that made me feel great. She said that I must have a gift for a “memory palate,” as she (who comes in every day) has loved each and every one of my soups. Moreover that she has noticed a spectacular difference between the soups made now and those of a year ago.

Felt really good. I MEAN REALLY GOOD. Further confirmation that I am on the right path.

Walter Savage Landor once said; “A good cook is the peculiar gift of the gods. He must be a perfect creature from the brain to the palate, from the palate to the finger's end.”

And tomorrow is another day as I am only as good as the last plate I put out.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Braise by Daniel Boulud (file under THAT’s RIGHT)

In “Braise” by Daniel Boulud is a wonderful piece de la resistance. In this book he dedicates great time and care to braising. Braising has traditionally been used to make lesser or tough cuts of meat very tender and delicious.

Moreover in this book he talks about he nature of the restaurant business in New York City and how there is a wealth of knowledge to be gleaned from the various cultures that come to work in his restaurant. One of the first things he does with a new hire, from anywhere in the world, is gets them to make staff meal. Traditionally staff meal is prepared with left over scraps and junk that could not other be used. But don’t let this fool you, scarp from Beef Tenderloin is still beef tenderloin. Something I learned at Reservation when we would prepare duck. Beef tenderloin, striploin and the like into glorious meals that we all enjoyed.

Some of the ideas that I took from this book include; Ropa Vieja Matambre, Milk braised pork, Pork shoulder in Guinness and Braised Veal Sweetbreads. I took each of these because they were ways of cooking that I had not thought of. Especially when it comes to the milk braised pork and sweetbreads. I am excited to try them out and will let you know what spin I put on them.

Interestingly Boulud says; “I think braising is the best way to cook sweetbreads.” I had never even conceived of cooking sweetbreads in this way and can hardly wait to try it when C gets back.

Swami Vivekananda once said; “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced.” Are you ready to be a GIANT?

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Daniel Boulud (file under Growth each day)

Daniel Boulud (who again I have written about before) is the consummate New York restaurateur. His pedigree is almost unmatched in the foodie world of New York City. As a chef given free range at Le Cirque his pedigree and skill became ever present and obvious.

Reading his book; “Cooking in New York City” I was in awe of what he has accomplished in a very limited time frame. The recipes in this book are both informative and look quite fun. While at the same time reveal the inner workings of a top notch Chef mind.

He says; “A great meal starts in the market… the fate of natural products hangs on nature’s whims. The marketplace tells the record of those events more surely than any written chronicle.” Truly a profound statement. One that seems second nature but I have not come across it so succinctly.

“Ideas are born in the market. An ingredient will speak to the chef, demanding in some natural, non evident language that it be served up.” This is something I have always believed. When C and I go shopping it is less about a preconceived notion of what I want to cook and more about which ingredients cry out to me to be paid attention to. Intuition in this sense has a lot to do with the way that I personally cook.

About specials he says; “Tonight’s specials – the serendipitous creations that surprise and delight Chef and diner alike – will somehow come out of the alchemic reaction of chefly inspiration and raw material.”

From the book I was also able to discern that during the day at Boulud he has 45 cooks, bakers and assistants between the hours of 6 am and 5 pm. This to me is an incredible number as I consider that at Reservation with its 3 restaurants we had no more than twenty or so cooks at any one time. This puts into perspective the work that gets done by him and his team.

One of his more interesting statements; “A restaurant is not just a kitchen and a dining room. A restaurant is a process, a piece of software, a way of organizing the efforts of scores of people and hundreds of ingredients and having them all come together as if nature had decried it.” I agree but also think that what I have seen and know intrinsically there is no way that nature decried it. Though at times it may seem that way. He says; “The fury of the kitchen belies its inextricable orderliness.”

His tasting menu consists of 16 dishes over 8 courses with 9 different wines. No small feat and it opens my imagination to endless possibilities for when I have my own restaurant.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Soup, Soup, Soup (file under I’m getting good, like REAL good)

Soup is one of those things, easy to make but also easy to screw up. Obviously for anyone truly serious in becoming a Chef, along with stocks and sauces, soups is an essential element. And the beauty of soups is that the basic elements of a soup being made 100 litres at a time is the same as one being made at home.

Due to my overwhelming love for C, I started making soups and sauces. I had always been a sauce maker but had never really made sauces. Of course at Reservation I started making big batches of soups for weddings and other celebrations as well as for daily service.

Soup is something that seems really easy. You add you main feature to some water or cream and boil. However, there are, as I learned at Reservation lots of things that can go wrong with soups.

Now that I am at Without Reservation I took soups from Chef as I outlined in a previous post. Though I have witnessed a growth in the way that I am making them and what types of soups I am choosing to make. For instance, this week I have made a Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Puree, an Asian Inspired Black Bean and Ham Hock and today started a Cauliflower Veloute (one of my favorites). The roasted red pepper went over like gangbusters. The Black Bean was only half used yesterday so I bumped it up today with some orange juice, water and another ham hock. I will finish the Cauliflower Veloute when I get into work tomorrow morning.

I can almost hear you all asking; “But how do you make the actual soup?”

Well let’s answer that to demystify some of the steps in the process by using the Black Bean soup as the example.

First I started with 4 large onions which I diced and sweated down in a little oil with some garlic. This takes about five to seven minutes but be patient. The point of the sweat is to draw out the natural sugars in the onions. About four minutes into the sweat I add the carrots and celery and allow them to sweat as well. After about three minutes from that point I deglazed it with about a third to a half a bottle of white wine. The night before I had soaked some chilies in a little sweet rice wine vinegar and water. I allow the wine to reduce and then add the black beans and ham hocks stirring them in completely. Cover with water and let simmer. After about an hour and a half (and filling the water back up a little lets just say two more litres and about seven hundred and fifty milliliters of Orange Juice) I turn the heat off and let it sit for a couple of minutes. As a result of the flavours that I was after in this particular soup I juiced four limes and added the juice and a little of the pulp to the soup. I then removed the ham hocks and put them under running cold water to allow them to cool so I could handle them. While this is happening I used an immersion blender to combine all the flavours fully. Once the ham hocks were cool I then took the fat off and deposit it in the bottom of the soup terrine. I then take the meat of the ham hocks of the bone and shredded it coarsely and deposited it in the soup.

You see, there really isn’t much to it. I really enjoyed this soup because Toronto has been hit by an Artic blast that has the city beyond cold, especially when you factor in the wind chill. The heat was just enough to hit you on the back of your palate and to warm you up and it was really well balanced. Today I thought it was even better as the flavours had all come together even more. To bump it up today I added a bit more water, some more orange juice and another ham hock.

DELCICIOUS.

Abraham Maslow once said; “A first rate soup is better than a second rate painting” I couldn’t agree more.

Are you living your dream? Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Junior Sous Chef (file under proud to say)

It is with great pleasure that I am letting you know that I have officially been given the title of Junior Sous Chef! Me! Junior SOUS Chef!

I think that sometimes it is difficult for everyone that reads this to see that I am jumping up and down with excitement.

More than the title I am excited because this represents an acknowledgement of both the work that I have done and the work that I have left to do. It acknowledges the knowledge that I have acquired in the ALMOST year that I have been at this BUT ALSO puts a responsibility on me to live up to the current expectations upon me but also those of my very incredible Chefs that have gotten me to this point.

As such I would like to say thank you. Thank you to Director of Operations. Thank you to Executive Chef. Thank you to Sous Chef A. And all the rest that have helped me to live my dream. Have helped me to discover exactly what my life’s purpose was and how best to fulfill it.

To say that I am excited is only half true. I say half because I am also half nervous. However, as I have every other challenge and opportunity in my life, I accept it graciously and plan to exceed the demands and expectations that everyone may have. Especially my own. Which in the past have always been my downfall. But not this time.

Junior Sous Chef. ME!

I would also like to thank by name my good friend Jeff MacKeigan. For he was the one that convinced me that it was okay to dream and that he would help me get in the door. Jeff, THANK YOU FOR BEING A TRUE FRIEND.

As well I would like to thank C who in her tireless support has always believed that both my passions would at some point lead me to this day and the future day when I own my own restaurant.

Life is a very interesting sandbox. For you can truly build a castle or get wiped out by the ocean. Let me just tell you that it is far more fun to build the sandcastle.

Og Mandino once said; “I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

My Birthday Dinner (file under my first Lobster for me dinner)

Spur of the moment last night after I was unable to find the ingredients I wanted for dinner I decided to break with the tradition of making C Lobster for both our anniversary and her birthday and thought I might treat myself.

I bought 3.42 kilograms for a ridiculously low price. Some Cava. The rest of the fixings and went to town on a dinner for myself. You see I always celebrate C’s birthday for a whole month and thought that making myself a dinner a few days early would not be such a bad thing. And man was it good. I’ve attached just a few pics from the dinner which I also shared with our roommate and his sister.





Picasso once said; “It takes a long time to grow young.” And I seem to be getting younger by the day.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

We Show Up (file under the show must go on)

Obviously with C home our social calendar is filling up more rapidly than the loss prevention room at Macy’s during the Christmas season. Of course you need to be able to balance work with play but sometimes you play a little much and have the choice of calling in dead (not really an option) or doing what every other person longing to be a chef does; SHOW UP!

Friday night C and I were at our good friends C and L. I finished work around 9 as we had a four course dinner party for forty which I addressed in the previous post. After work I had a pint of Guinness while I waited for C. We went to our friends place and drank and had an all around good time until around six am. Fortunately I didn’t have to be at work until three but even still though my head was clear my body was revolting a bit. As such I showed up to work early and made myself the best body repair dish I could after a night of debauchery, a grilled vegetable sandwich with Brie on pannini and truffle scented Poutine. SO GOOD! After that I felt like a million bucks.

One by one the brigade started filing in and it became immediately clear that we all had punished ourselves with a great time the night before. When Chef came in he looked like I felt. He, like most Chefs, suffers from sometimes debilitating arthritis and as such was not only hung over but in any extraordinary amount of pain. As such I immediately stepped up to the plate to make sure that everything ran smoothly.

There were only three of us to run the kitchen as Chef worked on paper work. We ended up not being overly busy but still had a lot to do. I ended up with some assistance from the Garde basically working the front line by myself. I did approximately fourteen steaks, a few chicken, six salmon, five penne, three ravioli, a few grilled veg sandwiches and a whole lot more.

Everything was running smoothly up until the last few orders when my eyes started failing me and I was reading the chits wrong. But, as any self respecting Chef would do I found a way to overcome the problem quickly. On two chits I read the order as if there was only one steak and one salmon. In fact there were two. As such, on the fly, and quickly, I had to get a medium salmon and a medium steak out. Almost without thought I seasoned both of them and put them on the grill to mark them. (By the way this is not the preferred method of cooking but it worked). As food had already gone out to the table I had to get this done quickly. After grill marking them I threw them under the salamander and was able to get them out to the table in less than four minutes after discovering my screw up. I apologized profusely to the waiter as it was my fault and not his that I misread the chit.

When I asked for a quality check after getting it out quickly he let me know that they were very happy, said the food tasted great and had no problem with the slight delay in food getting out.

I credit Reservation with giving me the ability to think quickly on my feet. Both Executive Chef and Director of Operations (not to mention A who has been invaluable to my progression) with teaching me that you need to overcome obstacles quickly. By using your head and not loosing your cool. So I thank all three of you for aiding me in overcoming the obstacles I faced last night.

In the end I have to admit that I feel amazing about being able, despite being somewhat hung over, being able to quickly address a problem. The whole night went off exceptionally well minus the two hiccups and I made sure to thank both the front of house and the brigade for their great work.

The night also gave me an extraordinary opportunity to learn. From our mistakes we learn much more than from our successes and the lessons stay with us for a lifetime. When I take the time to analyze where I was when I started this journey and where I am today I have come to realize that not only am I in the right industry, but I can and will achieve my goal.

After shutting down the kitchen I went to the front of house where the owner was. I had taken the time during the day to make a very special egg Nog which we were giving to the staff as a thank you when they were done their shifts. Walking out I felt very good about our week and what we had accomplished. The owner had the bartender pour me a double eggnog and he thanked me for the week. He let me know that we broke his previous sales record, not just broke it, but smashed it. As I pounded my first egg Nog and grabbed the rum to pour myself another, I felt satisfied that Chef and I and the brigade are starting to make a difference. All the more remarkable when you consider that many restaurants are soon going to feel the pinch of tightened pockets and financial restraint.

The great Canadian actress Mary Pickford once said; “If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired? START TODAY!

A la prochaine

SDM

Considerations (file under Life… A work in Progress)

I realize now that I have revealed very little of myself in a historical context. I have given little snippets here and there, but not much else. That is something I will remedy when I get a chance. Probably when I am doing my year in review around the end of January. But I bring this up because I beseech all of you, at the end of each post, asking, are you dreaming big and inspired. Look back and you will see that with the exception of three or four posts I absolutely beseech you to find you. Moreover I also say A la prochaine. This too is something that is indicative of who I am. I mention this because I wanted to share a poem with you that has been running through my mind a lot lately;

Dylan Thomas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas ) wrote “ Do not go Gentle into that Good Night” ;

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I have hit numerous obstacles in my life. And since I was a boy I remember thinking to myself, even as young as thirteen or fourteen, that Thomas was absolutely right when he wrote this piece. I’m sure to each and every one of you reading this the meaning is personal and varied. For me it is a great jumping off point to look at my own personal life considerations, truly a work in progress, and what it is I want to achieve AND I assure you I HAVE NEVER GONE GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT, NOR WILL I.

I am almost thirty four years old. I long for stability and work towards it every day. Mindful that life will almost always certainly throw a curve ball at you here and there. It is not the curve that is important but rather how you deal with it that defines who you are. But I digress.

Currently, I am looking at marriage (January 2010), a potential move to NYC to further my culinary career (and possibly be closer to the love of my life), how I want to get to where I want to go and the list goes on and on. I am considering, as an adult (loath though I may be to find myself becoming one at the tender age of 33) the things that adults consider. I am looking at the past, the opportunities that I have had, have made use of and have screwed up either through my own faults or none at all and what does it all mean. My culinary journey is the result of figuring out for myself that there is much more to life than the pursuit of money, comfort, status and the like. Things I have never been motivated by at all. Instead I find myself defining my meaning through a personal purpose, my own desire, to be honest, to work a hard day and come home fulfilled. I live each day as if I am raging against the dying of the light and to my good fortune the light always seems to return.

So where am I going with all this? What do I do? Do I screw off to Europe for six months next year while C is in NYC? Do I stay on the course that I am on? Continue working the line until I find the next place? How do I create meaningful relationships in a professional sense that are based on mutual respect and esteem (something which has always dogged me)? How do I fulfill my own timeline with respect to where I want to be? This is just a few of the life considerations that I am looking at right now. I guess a part of me is going through the exercise of putting this on paper so that you can ALL see that answers only come to those that ask the questions. Dreams are only realized by those that dare to dream them and have the audacity to work toward their fulfillment. It is not merely enough to state the dream. YOU MUST WORK AT IT!

Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest for the moment. Back shortly with another post.

Charles F. Kettering once said; “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Love’s Return (file under I’m in Love)

As many of you may or may not know, the love of my life is currently doing a program at Stella Adler in NYC. Since September she and I have only been in the same place at the same time for five days. It’s been quite a semester for her. I am so proud of C for living her dream. Having the courage, in spite of great difficulty, to spread her wings and soar, in the pursuit of something more. Something that is hers and hers alone. So I just wanted to say congratulations to her and to all of you that have the courage, drive and determination to stick with it even in the face of great obstacles. Her reward, tonight, is a brilliant home cooked meal, by none other than myself of course.

Tonight she is getting a potato leek soup and a goat cheese and leek stuffed chicken in a chive white wine butter sauce. There will of course be wine, laughing and loving. Congrats babe and welcome home, even if only for a while. And, moreover, I could not be more proud of what you have achieved and more abundantly proud for what I have watched you become. Keep growing, keep shining and keep being the you I know you to be.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

Jiddu Krishnamurti once said, “Freedom and love go together. Love is not a reaction. If I love you because you love me, that is mere trade, a thing to be bought in the market; it is not love. To love is not to ask anything in return, not even to feel that you are giving something- and it is only such love that can know freedom.”

A la prochaine

SDM

Dishwashing (file under the Art of Getting Clean)

A perpetual problem for Chefs and owners of Restaurants is to find adequate if not good solid help when it comes to the dish pit. At Reservation every once in a while I would be asked (read required) to do some dishes. No big deal as in order to be a Chef you have to be able to do everything in your kitchen. Dishes being an intricate part of what we do it is therefore important for a Chef to lead by example and jump in the pit every once in a while.

Now, the love of my life C, she can tell you that I am not the best cleaner. Or at least I wasn’t. However, since starting my work in the kitchen I have found myself on more than one occasion doing dishes. AND LOTS OF THEM.

When I started at Without Reservation we were without a dishwasher. Chef looked around and asked for a volunteer. Naturally I was more than happy to jump in the pit. That first week I probably spent at least 15 hours doing dishes. I’m quite certain that some of you don’t spend fifteen hours a year washing dishes care of a dishwasher. Well, that’s me. Or at least it is if we don’t have a dishwasher and the job needs to get done.

There is a certain Zen like state that one develops when they are stuck in a dish pit and when no matter how quickly you go there is always another tell tale slap of a plate signifying that more dishes are ready to be done. The Zen like state involved finding your happy place and concentrating on something other than the task at hand. In as much as you can seeing as you had better make sure that the dishes are clean.

I remember being asked whether or not I minded doing dishes and I harkened back to a conversation that Executive Chef and I had had which illuminated the point that I made in the first paragraph. I chuckled to myself as I remembered back to the first dish that I washed this year. I for a moment was lost in that wholesale nostalgia that is usually reserved for some life altering moment like your wedding day or your child’s first day. I started to laugh louder as I realized that in fact the dish pit was the very embodiment in a practical way of the journey that I am on and the things that are required to get there.

Does that mean that I enjoy doing dishes? NOT REMOTELY! However, there are things that we need to do which are the reinforcement of the larger picture. And in my case. As a budding restaurateur it is necessary for me to get my proverbial hands wet. And believe me get wet they do.

So for that first week I spent a lot of time at Without Reservation in the dish pit. Of course I had to perform my line duties too. So not only did I have the caked on smell of doing line work seeping through my pores but I added to that the dish pan hands that plague many a house wife and duteous husband or chore laden child. But I looked at my hands for a moment and realized that every dish I wash brings me one step closer to my reality. A dream that was set in place a long, long time ago in what seems like a lifetime ago in a galaxy far away.

As the days have passed I have found myself in the pit quite regularly. I am not asked to be there. I go of my own volition. I’ve turned it into a kind of learning experience (not to mention humbling). So what am I learning? Good question. I’m learning what sticks to plates. What makes the most mess? Which dishes require a different complexity in cleaning the dishes? I’ve got it down to an art. Another benefit of working the pit is that I can see what comes back. How much was eaten. What was eaten on the plate and what wasn’t? I watch wastefulness as things that are left on the plate just go into the trash.

To the laymen these may seem insignificant. But the margins in restaurants are not nearly what people think they are. As such any knowledge that I can take with me now, making note of, and use in the future enables me to be a better Chef, a better restaurateur but to my view even more importantly, A BETTER HUMAN.

So what is the art? First is to ensure that you get all the dishes wet with the sprayer. Then you take steel wool or a green scrubbie and get off all the offending dirt. Another spray with the hose, both front and back and then into the rack. You send it through the sanitizer and then examine the result for any defects. Repeat as necessary. Stack and put away. SIMPLE!

All these lessons, no matter how seemingly small, are all the cornerstone and building blocks of what will make me successful. What will make me become more than even I had ever hoped. It is that attention to detail, that very act of being willing to do the smallest or grandest job, that will make my dream, all the more fantastic when I get there. And the dish pit is just one example of this.

Paul Carvel once wrote; “He who wants to change the world should already begin by cleaning the dishes.” Interesting quote don’t you think?

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Whats your dream (file under everyone has a dream)

Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens once said; “Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” In my experience I have seen that many people are willing to state their dream but are not willing to take action. You see the dreaming is not enough, you need to be willing and able to act, every day, toward the future that you dream of.

My dream, quite simply, which I have put into action, is to have my fortieth birthday extravaganze in my restaurant. The one which I picture every day in somewhat abstract detail as I move toward its realization. I am guided in my dream by those that share my passion. That are willing to do what it takes to take their own lives to the next level. I am further guided by the love of my life, C, my confidant, best friend, lover and more. She is also one of the predominant reasons that I am living my dream today. I will illustrate.

C is more than just, intelligent, beautiful and charming. She too has a dream and I have always strived to aid her as best I could in the realization of that dream. For a period of weeks or months every year she goes off in pursuit of her dreams and I support her in every way I can. Currently, in pursuit of her dream I have been very lonely, as she is in Manhattan and I am here. But, as we are both living our dream or actively moving toward them it makes it a little easier. Nonetheless it is hard. But with dreams, real dreams, with people willing to take action toward them, it is an honour, and indeed a badge of courage to be able to support someone elses reach for the stars and it makes us stronger in our pursuit both as individuals and as a couple.

So what does my restaurant look like? What will it serve? Who will I be? What shall I become? Well these are all questions that will be answered in the next six years and I hope you are all ready because you have a front seat as spectators and I hope participants in my dream.

This does beg the question. What are you doing to fulfill your dreams?

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

Adlin Sinclair once said; “You are the embodiment of the information you choose to accept and act upon. To change your circumstances you need to change your thinking and subsequent actions.”

Steve Jobs once said; “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

So what is your next step?

A la prochaine

SDM

Where’s Brooklyn at? (File under Celebration of Love)

I was both excited and nervous to leave Reservation the last night. Excited because I was about to leave on a journey both figuratively and literally. Nervous for the same reasons. Goethe once said; “Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.” And so began my journey.

I could hardly sleep that Thursday night because I had so much going on. I had just left the place that gave me my culinary chops (or at least the beginning of them) and I was filled with all kinds of questions. Not to mention that I was about to see the love of my life in less than twenty four hours after not seeing her for a month and a half. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover it.

That night I tossed and turned. All the things that were on my mind were weighing on me and so I just tossed and turned. Fidgeted. Got up. Went back down. Turned the TV on and off. Clearly my mind was unsettled.

I woke up early and started packing everything that I needed. I checked for my ID, passport, tickets, etc. Grabbed all the things that C needed and then was off to the TTC to get to Union Station.

I had packed pretty light given that I was really only there for about sixty hours. But I made sure to bring my book of the moment which is a monumental text, Harold McGee. Brilliant book and very dense. Not necessarily difficult to read but certainly it is a lot to take in.

Arriving at Penn Station more than an hour and a half late I was tired. Worn down and ready to get out and see the great New York City. Being late and knowing that C had to work I sent her a text saying that I was running late. But as so often happens in my life I arrived in time to meet with her. I walked from Penn Station and met her at 27th and 6th.

We took the train to Chelsea where she is working and I dropped off my bags and hung out for a bit. But I was in New York City and I didn’t want to bother her or her employer. As such it was time for me to do what I always do when I am in New York. Go for a long walk. I ended up bouncing into a cigar store and buying myself a Romeo and Julieta Churchill and proceeded to walk from 4th Street all the way to 44th (just near the Empire State Building) Street. I then cut up two streets to Broadway and started my long walk back. Thank God I had my good friend Churchill to keep me company.

As I walked I was snapping pictures of all the things that were interesting to me and listening to the myriad of conversations that we ever present on my walk. The one thing that struck me was that no matter what language I was hearing the name Obama came up with a fervent joy that was obvious. It was a joy to hear and witness as America truly is in need of some change for the better. All around it seemed that everyone holds the expectation that he is the right man, at the right time in the right place.

Walking back along Broadway I stopped at a flower stand and bought my lovely some roses because while she is there she is not getting the same treatment that she has become accustomed to when she is here. Namely flowers and great food. I continued to walk with purpose and joy. As I got just a couple of blocks away from where she works (and having just put out my cigar) I ran into (hey the universe is screaming at me what can I say) a friend that I had not seen since high school. She was with a few of her friends and we quickly caught up as to what we both were doing, etc.

As we spoke we laughed as a few of us from school all have taken the culinary route. It ends up that she works for a big foodie magazine and she gave me her number telling me to give her a call when I want to make the move down to New York. Talk about awesome. I told her I was coming back in January. But I think I am going to actually go down in February. At any rate I will give her a call. I AM SO EXCITED.

Anyway, we exchanged our stories and then went on our mutual ways. As I got back to C I was so excited to be in New York, to run into someone I hadn’t seen in 14 years and that we were both so happy to run into each other.

The next morning I ended up waking up and going to the Union Square Farmers Market to buy ingredients for the dinner I was going to be making that night. It was so much fun to be there. To see New York, alive and vibrant, happy and shopping for organic groceries.

The selection was quite extraordinary but also exorbitantly expensive. But whatever, you only live once and C hadn’t had some me food in over two months. She deserved a treat and I was only so happy to make it for her. I spent a few hours on the island and then went back to meet her at her place.

That night I cooked dinner for eleven of us. The menu consisted of Saint Andres and Chive stuffed mushrooms. The next course was a cauliflower veloute with romanescu and Colby cheddar. Next course was a blackened chicken in a lemongrass broth. I ended it all with a fresh fruit and cognac bread pudding that was to die for. Everyone really enjoyed the food and it was nice to have so many of C’s friends around and sharing in our joy.

The next morning I woke up early and decided to go out on my way. I basically walked from C’s place on Stuyvesant all the way across the Brooklyn Bridge and up to 44th Street again and then back to Wall Street and then back to Brooklyn.

It was a whirlwind trip. Awesome though. A great way to frame the next adventure and possibly the opening page of the adventure that starts when I decide to go and conquer New York.

George Bernard Shaw once said; “The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.”

Are you acting? Reacting? Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Reflections Party 1 (file under considering the last eleven months)

Peter F. Drucker once said; “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

I feel that this is a perfect way to frame the thoughts that I am about to express. The last eleven months of my life have been some of the most rewarding and exciting of my life. Making the decision to do with my life what I wanted was not an easy one. I know that this must sound completely ridiculous but in my life there is very little that I ever did for myself short of my partying decisions. I mean I would even hum and haw at buying myself a pair of jeans (though I do have some nice Zegna ties). Thus I have found that the past eleven months have opened me up. They have revealed to me myself in a beautiful way.

Anais Nin once said; “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” This in short is how I look at my decision to move on from Reservation. However I can not fully move on until I have taken the time to reflect on what I learned, what I was and what I became. As such, here we are my friends.

I remember thinking about making the move to the culinary world and having a great many conversations with my friends. Specifically C and a good friend of mine that opened the door for me at Reservation. For the longest time I had been throwing lavish dinner parties. Every one of my friends always said that I should be doing this with my life and I always gave some excuse as to why I was not. Even in high school all of my friends who would be around when I was cooking felt as if I should be cooking. I too felt that way but in some way I could not bring myself to do it. Perhaps it was fear of success. Failure. Uncertainty. Who knows but I never did. Thus when I did finally make the decision, which was around this time last year, I started having conversations with friends and family to get their input. Everyone was gung ho for the idea. Sort of anyway. But more than their opinions (which of course I value highly) I knew that I had to do something for myself.

When I entered Reservation on the day of my interview I was uncertain about so much. My life. My direction. Everything was up in the air. Predominantly because I wanted to find that nugget or kernel of personal truth that would bring me happiness. That elusive abstract that we all search for that can easily be found if we look into ourselves and answer honestly the questions that so few of us want to.

Speaking with then Executive Chef I remember that our conversation was an exciting one. He laid out for me in that interview what the next little while was going to be like and I’m sure I looked like a deer in the headlights. After we had decided that I was going to fit there it was right into the kitchen to see where it was I was going to be working. This of course was done with Head Chef, who walked me through after we had spoken. I remember going home that night feeling as if something wonderful had just begun.

Truly my time at Reservation was wonderful. I went from being a home chef with a moderate knowledge of how cooking works to where I am today. In those first months I felt truly alive. I felt as if I was learning a ridiculous amount in a short period of time. I mean if I were to lay out here in a list form the things that I learned it would probably fill the next seven pages.

Instead I would like to merely say that I feel I take from Reservation the fundamentals of both cooking and kitchen culture that will follow me everywhere I go. I started with stock which of course was a wonderful beginning because a good stock is the foundation of every great sauce. It seems so basic and yet it such an elemental part of cooking that I am forever grateful for it.

Of course from there I started working with prep. I must have sliced and diced, cut and brunoised at least a few tones of vegetables. The prep work invariably causes you to get better with your knife handling as well as your food handling. You gain speed and precision and become much more aware of things that before seemed foreign or even unseen to you.

From my early days in prep I began to handle more and more full out function prep with the exception of cutting proteins. (This was something that I tried to address numerous times but was shut down every time I tried). A part of me can understand the lack of their wanting me to cut proteins and yet another part of me feels that I could have been much more useful to them if they had enabled me to learn this in a practical sense.

I learned scale. Scale is important, as you are not going to make a sauce the same way for three hundred as you would for say fifty. Nor are you going to prepare a salad the same way. Therefore I would say that it was a very valuable learning that I took with me in that respect.

I learned how to create recipes and record them. I know that this sounds kind of silly but at no time was I given a formal recipe book. I was shown how to do something once and then pretty much left to my own devices. As such I had to teach myself how to make something taste the same regardless of the number of people that I made it for. This takes incredible skill (and no I’m not patting myself on the shoulder).

I learned how to minimize waste. To maximize product. To use my senses. All of them. I learned that certain things can not be learned from a book. They have to be experienced and then from that experience fine tuned.

I learned how to clean. Again this may sound silly but I assure you its not. Ask C. She’ll tell you that I was not very much into cleaning at all. But A pounded it into my head very early on that a messy station equals a messy mind. As such I became very good at cleaning. Moreover, a kitchen must be clean as it is a reflection of the standards of that kitchen.

The Grill. I learned how to open, set up and tear down a station. I learned how to organize and to accept and fulfill orders. I learned how to deal with customers. I learned how to laugh at myself. I began to develop a tougher skin as in the kitchen there is no room for wimps. You need to be emotionally, physically and lyrically tough.

I also learned about pride of ownership. How to be the best I can everyday. How to erase things quickly from your mind and not brood when things don’t go your way. How to learn from your mistakes and treat them as an opportunity for growth.

These are but some of the things I have learned. I know that in the coming weeks I will have much more to add to this which is why I call it part one.

Walt Whitman once said; “Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?”

I end this post with that quote because there is more to come to which that corresponds.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM