Water Off a Rock (file under I’m a Duck… Quack Quack)

So the past couple of days have been strenuous. Thursday was a busy night and saw me so busy that from 6 until 8:30 pm my board was never clear. Once it was clear I breathed a sigh of relief and thought to myself how dreadfully hot it was going to be in July there.

Wednesday was filled with aggravation and a schizophrenic approach to the Grill. I wasn’t open, I was open, I wasn’t open. We decided, or so I thought, how we were going to deal with it by making food indoors for people indoors and outdoor people outdoors. But of course, schizophrenia kicked in and no one was either willing or able to remember what we had decided. As such I went from nothing set up to set up in about twelve minutes and four orders on the board. To say that I was angry would be an understatement.

Being angry and cooking is not a good place to be. I believe that it affects the food and the way that you deliver it. So on Thursday, after my first rush, Sous Chef R came out and we spoke about what was going on. I explained that I was frustrated by the “institutional” schizophrenia and the disconnect between the front of house and back of house. As our conversation ended he said that The Club would drive you mad if you let it. So I asked him how he deals with it.

He explained that you have to let it just drop off your back. Like water off a rock. I thought about what he said for a minute and responded by saying. Great, I’m a duck. QUACK QUACK.

It was a good thing he gave me that as a resource because on Friday morning I had to deal with some stress and thought to myself, water off a rock, water off a rock. By the time Friday night had come around I was now QUACK QUACKING at anything that deserved it.

It makes me smile and giggle to know that I can instantly change my mental state by something as simple as quacking.

I am going to write much more tomorrow but wanted to update everyone on this week.

The Earl of Beaconsfield once said; “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Today is A New Day (file under Thank God for That)

I apologize for my inability to write for the last few days but I have been whirling dervish working really quickly to put something beautiful together which I will update you on later.

I had numerous days off this week due to the inclement weather. One on hand it sucked (that being I need the money) on the other it didn’t. In that it gave me time to put together this beautiful project.

Yesterday was an emotionally and physically difficult day. The weather couldn’t decide whether it was going to open up or whether it was going to be beautiful. As such at the Club there was a schizophrenic approach to deciding whether or not to open. Usually I would be open at five but in order to open at five I need about two hours of lead time in order to prep properly. Well the decision was made (inappropriately) by a supervisor that the patio would open before that Chef made determination. To make matters worse that same Supervisor started to take orders right away.

There is no worse position for a cook to be in from the very beginning of service than behind. Granted there were not a lot of people to be served but that is not the point. I struggled along with Sous Chef R and another helper to get the station set in one quarter the usual time which was both physically exhausting and spiritually draining.

I had a few orders. Barely enough to justify the expense of being open. However, that is not my call and I do what I am supposed to do. But at the first sign of rain, as I had last year (read actual rain falling) I closed the fryer but was happy to continue to serve everything else. That same Supervisor came out and I told him that I had to close the fryer. I explained that it was a Safety risk to my person and that at the moment it was a non issue because I had no orders that required it and that furthermore that fries could be done from inside the kitchen. He decided that I was incorrect and was less than caring about my needs. As such I looked at him and said if you want to have that attitude with me than I am refusing to work with the fryer on Health and Safety reasons.

I did not want to take it to that point. I was happy to work the BBQ and the fryer as long as there was no rain. As I mentioned numerous times last year – rain and 400 degree fryer fat do not mix well. The result of rain falling in the fryer is a massive explosion of four hundred degree droplets of fat. My arms are littered from the result of those droplets from last year.

Once the rain passed I reopened the fryer and went about my business. I was extremely angry that a Supervisor seemed to be so indifferent to my own personal safety and instead was motivated by the Members’ needs, wants and desires. I too care about the Members but not to the sacrifice of my own personal safety.

I did go back to him at the end of the night and explained my position. Today with the time to cool down overnight I feel that my hand was forced and that I had to make that statement in order to protect myself. Moreover, I would make that decision again as Executive Chef’s instruction to me from the very beginning was make sure that you get the lid on the fryer at the first fall of rain.

I only served about forty covers total. Barely enough to justify the expense. But definitely not enough to account for the physical and emotional toll of the day.

Today however, is a new day. I look forward to it. The weather is gorgeous and though I know I am going to get hit hard. I welcome it. I look forward to it. Because today is a new day.

I hope that you all get out and enjoy this beautiful day.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”

Be inspired today.

A la prochaine

SDM

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

The Grill (file under more like an outdoor kitchen)

So yesterday was my first day on the grill at The Club. It was exciting and a great cold start to the season. Cold meaning that I was not overly busy, busy, but not overly so. I had some time to figure out how I was going to set the station, drawing a station map and figuring out my organization for the station.

One of the biggest differences between the grill at The Club and that of Reservation is that it is truly a self contained outdoor kitchen. Reservation’s was really just a BBQ, a fridge and a freezer. At The Club the grill is in a shack that measures about five and a half feet wide by about fourteen feet long. It faces the lake and all the gorgeous boats that are in the water already. Within that space I have a 9 foot grill. TWO SINKS! I mention this in bold because at Reservation there was no sink, I would have to run inside or use a hand washing station. Two fridges, one a nine foot and one smaller cube. I also have a freezer. Two hot lamps, a pass, a printer for orders and two, TWO induction burners. And this is where it gets really interesting, there is a HOOD! For those of you who don’t know what a hood is it is the device which sucks the fumes and exhaust out of the area. Very handy when you are working forty feet from the lake. It truly is a stand alone outside kitchen.

So the menu that Executive Chef and Sous Chef R came up with this week is the following;

Chicken Souvlaki (all made in house), Tzatziki, Pita Bread and Sautéed Vegetables
Filet of Salmon with Cucumber Salsa and Sautéed Vegetables
Angus Sirloin Steak with Jus and Sautéed Vegetables
Fresh Turkey Burger
Back Ribs with an Apple Chipotle BBQ Sauce and Sautéed Vegetables
New Zealand Lamb Chops with Jus and Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille

Each of those items comes with your choice of sides which include Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Potato, House Salad or Rice.

Oh and I forgot to mention. At Reservation you’ll recall that I had to transport everything approximately one hundred and fifty meters across cobble stone roads to the barbeque. This was extremely annoying and had to be done twice a day. Once to set the station and then after a ridiculously long and hot day back to Reservation. At The Club it is about one hundred and twenty feet from the kitchen to my station. NO COBBLESTONES. It’s like I died and went to Grill heaven. You think I’m kidding? Trust me, I’m not.

Yesterday I did about one hundred orders. In all I prepared approximately two hundred meals. The components of which bring me up to approximately six hundred distinct items that I made yesterday from 5pm until around 9:30 pm. A great first day. Giving me the opportunity to reflect on last years experience, what this years experience is going to be and how I am going to become even better at what I do.

I think that my theme song for the Grill this year is going to be Van Morrison’s; Jackie Wilson Said. If you haven’t heard it lately I think now is a great opportunity to give it a listen because; I’m “going to let it all hang out.”

So with the first menu I have a concrete idea of the type of things that I am going to be doing for the summer menus. I am going to play a lot as I had mentioned before with condiments and sauces and I am also going to try to find interesting ways to expand and broaden peoples culinary experience. It is going to be a lot of fun. A lot of hard work. And extremely rewarding.

That being said I expect to get absolutely pounded today due to the gorgeous weather. And I could not be more thrilled. Its like a culinary drug, a super upper which makes me feel, well, effusive.

Today it is going to be 23 Celsius and partly cloudy. GORGEOUS. And it is kind of funny, those who know me know that I wear a hat each and every day. I have for almost twenty five years and it has caused my once blonde (almost white) hair to go much darker. But as I have rollerbladed home (when working mornings) I have been taking off my hate to get some sun to my hair and shock of shocks, my blonde hair is coming back. Another ancillary benefit. Now working days and being outside I expect that it will become even blonder.

So I hope that you all have as rewarding a day as I am going to. I would also like to send all my love and supportive energy to the love of my life, C, who is in her first New York City Show at Stella Adler. A sign of things to come – I think so.

Albert Camus once said; “In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

Menu Development (file under continuation of Creative Process)

In my post today on the creative process that I engage in when creating new dishes I explained how I go from ingredient to dish. Well when creating a menu the process is different. A dish is a stand alone item whereby a menu has to have a certain continuity and for lack of a better description ‘make sense.’

When creating a menu there are several factors which one needs to take into consideration. Some but not all will be true all of the time as certain factors are not applicable in certain settings. Therefore, what do I consider, in this time, as I am truly creating my first menu in a professional sense. Moreover, how do I develop that when I am creating new dishes each week? What follows is my explanation of how I am developing the menus for this summer.

It all starts with the ingredients. Every Chef on earth worth his or her weight in salt will tell you that it all starts with the ingredients. At The Club I am in an extraordinary environment that provides me the freshest and best ingredients available in Toronto as the first concern. I know that on a daily basis I am going to receive the best of the best, whether it is a strawberry or any manner of protein. If it is not the best The Club will send it back. This is due to two factors; one is the demand of our ‘captive’ consumer. The other is our desire to provide the best and most delicious dishes to continue pleasing our captive consumer, that being the Club Member.

As I have worked for the past few weeks I have looked at ingredients that are seasonal and available to me during the summer months. I have over the past year and a half assembled a list (lists) of what is available in Ontario that is fresh, local and seasonal. By no means is it exhaustive but it does represent a pretty thorough list. In Ontario we are spoiled by the amount of diversity that we have with regard to our produce and proteins. Once I understand what is available and when I have started to consider what it is that is going to please Club Members.

Ingredients (in this context) for me can be broken down as follows;

Protein (meat, game and fish)
Vegetables
Fruits
Staples.

In Ontario, as I mentioned above we are spoiled by the availability of gorgeous and delicious fruits and vegetables. Proteins too are in abundant supply. Due to the vast expanse of Ontario there are numerous growing regions and a wide variety of foodstuffs available.

As I mentioned in my post on the creative process it all starts with the ingredient. I used the example of Smoked Salmon in that post and how I wanted to do something that was based in a lengthy tradition but still could be tweaked into a new and exciting dish.
Purveyors are your best friends when developing a menu. They have their finger on the pulse of what is available and when. When certain things are cheaper and readily available and have the best quality. After considering the ingredients available the next step in the development is to consider what the purveyors are telling me is best right now. As I am working on a menu that is not static for months at a time I have an advantage of being able to change things on the fly.

For the summer I have created at this point approximately 50 dishes which each have a protein, a starch and a vegetable as well as a condiment and in some cases a garnish. As I have mentioned before, the customer is of paramount concern. What is their comfort zone? What do they like? Dislike? Can I expand their culinary palette? Do I need to play it safe? Where is the comfort zone? The happy medium?

Some of the produce I have looked at playing with over the summer are;

Apples
Apricots
Asparagus
Beans – Green/Wax
Beets
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cherries
Corn
Crabapples
Currants – Red/Black
Eggplant
Gooseberries
Grapes
Leeks
Muskmelon
Mushrooms
Nectarines
Onions - Green
Peaches
Pears
Peas - Snow
Peppers - Field
Peppers - Greenhouse
Plums
Potatoes
Radishes
Rapini
Raspberries
Rutabaga
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes - Field
Tomatoes - Greenhouse
Zucchini

Each of these are available to me from Ontario farmers according to seasonability. Each of these will be available to me this summer. The question then becomes how do you create something that is not commonplace which expands the horizons of peoples food comfort.

In my case I am going to play quite extensively with garnishes and condiments. As I roll out each menu I will explain to you my thought process, creativity and how I arrived at that ingredient and technique.

Proteins are readily available as are staples.

In developing the menu I consider the steps involved in the creation, the prep work, the ingredients, the end result, the mouth feel, smell, taste, texture, etc. I also consider regional and traditional cuisines from a round the world and whether or not I can expand peoples culinary horizons.

This weeks menu is being created by Executive Chef and then each week going forward we will bounce back and forth with each other to ensure that we are pleasing our Club Members.

I hope this has illustrated at least in general the things that I am considering in developing my menus this summer. As I get deeper into the summer I will explain how I created certain menus and the reasons behind their creation.

Anthony Bourdain once said; “A perfect meal is a confluence of forces – a certain sound in the background, the right smells in the air, who you’re eating with, it’s the colours, it’s EVERYTHING!” I hope this summer to create many perfect meals.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

My Creative Process (file under Food Adventures)

When I originally started on this adventure I had a creative process that is very different from the one I have today. I would say that historically my creative process had been uninformed and chaotic. Not that that’s a bad thing but I’ve come to realize as I studied many of the worlds greatest Chefs that there is a much more detailed and rewarding way to create new dishes.

As a writer I am stream of consciousness and for a long time before joining a professional kitchen I applied the same process to cooking. I would go to the store or market as an open slate with little or no idea what I would be cooking that night. C has always loved shopping with me on these excursions because, I believe anyway, that there is a thrill to the uncertainty. It was exciting for me as well. I no longer, by necessity of experience, ‘fly by the seat of my pants.’ I apply a methodology which is heavily influenced by the worlds greatest Chefs. Adria, Achatz, Blumenthal, Alice Waters, Ripert and so many more. I have studied their methods with great interest and hopefully a better creative result.

I have to admit that much of my creative process is taken directly from Adria and Ripert. At the moment these are my two favorite Chefs and though their methods are different the result, on a high level, is the same, delicious and interesting food. For a great insight into Chef Adria's process look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTuSZHO3GU8 .

The first step in my creative process is to look at (direct influence of Adria and Ripert);

Traditional Cuisine
Local Cuisine
Techniques

To date I have studied the following cuisines both experientially and through books and videos;

Classical French, Nouvelle Cuisine, Classical Italian, New Italian, Mediterranean, Cajun, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Chilean, Peruvian, Brazilian, Caribbean, Spanish, Californian, Moroccan, Irish, Scottish, Soul and Southern, German and some Chinese. I have studied as much as I can get on each of these cuisines and further have broken much of these cuisines down to the local level that is as varied as there are people on this planet. In total I would say that I have read approximately 150 books just on world cuisines making copious amounts of notes.

Thus the first thing I look at is the ingredient with which I want to play. After all, even though your parents always told you at the table not to play with your food, as a cook, I can say they were wrong. PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD. Once I have isolated the main ingredient I want to create with I then turn to traditional and local cuisines to identify the type of dish I would like to create. That is to say do I want to create a dish similar in style to Michael Guerard, meaning Nouvelle, or do I want to create a home style German Dish? Or do I want to create a spin on Pad Thai? These are but examples of a nearly inexhaustible list of dishes I have looked at.
Once I have identified the ingredient and the type of cuisine I would like to cook it in I then turn to the local cuisine or regional varieties of that dish and see how I can best use the ingredient. How I can accentuate the natural flavours of the ingredient without overpowering it? Within each cuisine there is an endless list of possibilities that you can play with.

The final step in the initial component of my creative process is to ask myself what techniques I would like to the ingredient and dish. It would take forever to illustrate all the techniques that could be applied but here is a partial list for illustration; Frying, Sautéing, Poaching, Steaming, Broiling, Baking, Roasting, Sous Vide and Confit.

Next in the process is to start looking at the traditional accompaniments. Do I want to make a traditional dish? Do I want to be adventurous and try something new? Do I want to use various components in different ways to arrive at a new result? Food is so glorious that there is an endless supply of inspirations that you can draw from.

Personally I have been exploring inspiration a lot recently. There is no end to where you can draw inspiration. I draw a lot of inspiration from my endless travels and my innate curiosity when confronted by something new. I also draw a lot of inspiration from nature, writing, music, art and architecture and culture. Recently art and architecture have been big influences on me. I do not want to be a purveyor of ‘haute cuisine’ in the vain of Alain Ducasse or Michael Guerard but that does not mean that I do not want to compose plates that are artistic in nature. I know that as I get closer to opening my own restaurant I will take some time to explore inspiration and innovation as a means of advancing my own personal culinary philosophy. This will entail lots of reading, travel and well LIVING!

When I was at Reservation I had numerous conversations with Executive Chef 1 and 2 (1 now being Director of Operations) and Sous Chef A about the creation of a new dish. With Executive Chef 1 I began to learn that there are a number of different considerations when creating a dish. From his description (and later Adria’s) I came to know that you need to consider flavours but also senses and the way that they receive the dish that you are creating. How does it smell? How does smell affect the dish? I remember seeing a show once about Achatz use of a Lavender scented pillow at Alinea and then having to send an email to him because I thought it was such a wild concept. One that was at the time out of my breadth of knowledge or experience. But it caused me to start thinking.

You also want to consider the way the dish looks. After all food is first a feast for the eyes. It is possible to just slap food on the plate and make it taste good but if you can visually impress the person eating the dish you will be able to exponentially increase the joy and wow factor of the dish for the consumer. You can play with shapes and sizes, plating, different plates, levels, colours, etc. The end result being a dish that really does awaken the senses through the initial impact of sight.

Taste is of course of utmost importance and trumps everything else. But taste is more than just umami, sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Taste can and does include the texture of what you are serving. Moreover you have to consider how the texture plays into the flavours. As well as texture (Soft, hard, crunchy, etc.) so too does the temperature affect taste and the way that the mouth receives the various tastes. It is a delicate balance of these considerations that really imparts the wow factor in a dishes taste component.

Chef Adria also illustrates that there is a sixth sense to food. It is that intangible that can not be measured. This involves as he points out the intellectual enjoyment of the food, the knowledge of where it came from, how it was prepared, the various elements, etc. It is truly intangible and possibly difficult to explain even for the consumer.

So now that I have explained the considerations I put into my creative process I want to illustrate with an example. Lets use a dish that I have started conceptualizing in the past year. It is about juxtaposition and utilizing technique and various ingredients that would not otherwise be put together. I am yet to try it but might at The Club this summer.

Smoked Salmon is one of my great pleasures. It has an awesome oily texture and a sweetness that is evocative of joy, at least in my experience. Knowing that I want to use Smoked Salmon I then ask myself; what do I want to do with it?

Due to the considerations of timing, organization, space, prep and all the other things I need to consider I thought about the various uses for it and how people most enjoy it. Commonly in Toronto Smoked Salmon is served on a bagel with cream cheese. At The Club with do Smoked Salmon sandwich, Eggs Benjamin (Eggs Benedict but instead of Peameal you use Smoked Salmon) and a Smoked Salmon Scramble Eggs. All of which are delicious incidentally. But because I am beginning to branch out in my creativity I started asking myself; what can I do that is different?

I started to consider natural pairings for Smoked Salmon which obviously are dill and cream cheese. Knowing these as the natural pairings I wanted to discover conceptually how I could use them in a new and different way without turning them on their head. Thus I thought about making a quesadilla. Instead of cream cheese I started to think about the texture of cream cheese and what cheeses I could use to replace it. Obviously the creamy cheeses are the mot natural fit because of their texture. This meant that I started to look at Brie, Camembert and Taleggio as obvious choices. Each imparts a different flavour and a moderately different texture. Personally I would like to have it with a nice double cream Brie. Though I will try all three. The next question was how to incorporate dill while not being traditional. Usually quesadillas are served with Salsa and Sour Cream. Knowing this I thought about either an avocado sour cream or a dill crème fraiche. Again I will try both.

The whole process of this conceptualization took about five minutes from beginning to end. But the concept is easy. Ideas are as the expression goes a dime a dozen. Next comes the real work. The experimentation. Trial and Error. PLAYING WITH MY FOOD. It may be that I get a better result with one Brie over another. Or Camembert. Or Taleggio. There are so many different varieties of those cheeses that it could take me months, years even, before I find the right texture and flavour that I want to impart on the dish. Moreover, I need to ask myself; how big do I want it to be? At what point do the flavours fall out of synchronicity? How do I want it to look, taste, feel?

As I start to play with the different variations I take notes as to the flavours, the way they interrelate, the effect no the senses, etc. These notes then become the way that I refine and fine tune the dish until ultimately I am happy with the result.

So this then is the way that I utilize a creative process to create new dishes and flavours. To date I have a repertoire of approximately 300 of my own recipes which are unique and will someday make it to my own menu in various forms. For the time being I continue to tweak and enhance them.

I hope this is somewhat useful to you in understanding my process.

As Chef Adria says; “Creativity means changing your mind everyday.”

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

Lots of Work (file under but lots of play too…)

One of things I find remarkable about where I am is the amount of complaining I am subjected to. To put it in perspective I work in a kitchen with air conditioning. Access to just about anything I want. Every ingredient I could possibly dream of. Good hours. Great pay and so much more. OH AND BENEFITS. There are only a couple of complainers and I tend to just let it go in one ear and out the other.

Today was busy for me. I had a lot of prep to do and had a moderately busy service. But unlike some people I enjoy being busy. I enjoy working and I LOVE WHAT I DO. I am sure that I have mentioned that at least once or twice.

I was so busy today I did not have a chance to work on any specials. But that does not mean I don’t have anything to write about. As I pointed out above I am essentially in the cooks equivalent of paradise. One of the things that I haven’t touched on yet is the fact that I have an endless supply of side towels. Sound silly, well then, let me explain.

I have worked in a ten million dollar a year operation and about a two million dollar a year operation. In both there were efforts by every cook to hide towels to ensure that there was always an availability of towels. You see, Faster Linen, which is the one which we used at both Reservation and Without Reservation, charges an arm and a leg for towels. Quite literally. As such, a seemingly appropriate number of towels would be ordered, but because of hording, come certain days it would be like searching for the Holy Grail to find towels. I know that this may seem trivial to you as people that do not operate inside a professional kitchen, but it is far from trivial, cooks use towels for all sorts of things. To illustrate;

We need towels to handle hot pans, remove things from the oven, wipe down plates and dishes that we are serving, to wipe our hands, to hold our cutting boards in place, to dry certain ingredients, to place between ingredients. I mean the list of things that we use towels for is truly, quite endless.

One of my great joys at The Club is that Towels are NEVER an issue. The club always has a ready supply of side towels because it takes used towels from all over the club, rips them up appropriately and makes them our side towels. It truly is like Manna from heaven Towel Paradise. And I could not be happier.

At Without Reservation, Faster Linen would come twice a week and would deliver far less than we required. I make no judgments but I can tell you that between Tuesday and Friday, either late Wednesday or early Thursday finding a towel was like finding an answer to peace in the Middle East. I shit you not. It literally was. And now at The Club it might as well rain towels because I never have to walk more than six or seven feet to find a fresh one. Such a great feeling. And is quite a distinction in the world of cooks. You don’t need to accept what I’m saying at face value, look at Bourdain, Ramsay, White and Blumenthal, somewhere in their stories of their journey is one of a lack of side towels.
I have a lot on my brain recently. Well, no, actually, ALL THE TIME! I find myself now considering, as I have pointed out here, the possibility of traveling to learn new cuisines in order to enhance offerings at The Club. I am still a ways away from asking but it is on my mind.

I have a few other things that I am considering currently, but, it is too early to let you in on it.

Are you dreaming big and inspired. I know that I end my posts this way and lately I have been saying how can I help you. I am not saying this just to say it. If you have an idea and need to work it out, I am here for you. The greatest gift I gave myself is pursuing my dreams honestly, with my eyes and ears open, to be the me that I know I am. If I can help you, I am not hard to find. Please do.

Harriet Tubman once said; “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” I know, just as I do, you all have it within you. DREAM ON! DREAM BIG! DREAM INSPIRED!

A la prochaine

SDM

Life has a funny way (file under Kismet, Karma and True to You)

My friends I hope this finds you truly inspired. Ready for what you have in store for yourself. Have you been thinking about your dreams? Where you want to go? How you might get there? I sure have, I spend every minute, pondering what the next step is while always making sure I pay attention to the current one (you know, left foot, right foot thing) so that I don’t fall flat on my face.

Making the move to The Club is the best move I have ever made in my life. It was an informed decision brought on by a conversation I had with a friend. A friend who was caring enough to ask exactly what I hoped to achieve. After listening to what I wanted he said that I should go this route. And, as is often the case, I listen to those I know to be able to give me informed advice.

Today my head was spinning. I have so much going on. Seemingly all at once. But when I stop to consider it for a moment I realize that what is going on today is the result of hard work, sacrifice, perseverance, character and drive. It is the result of people having patience, caring, support and understanding for me. I mean truly for me, who I am and what I hope to achieve in my life. I thank each and every one of you for having the bravery to be my friends and confidants. I assure you, the best is yet to come.

Life has a funny way of having things creep up on you that you didn’t quite expect. Or maybe you did but you couldn’t have conceived of it in a meaningful way in order to express it to the world. I have been noticing that the more I do each day in the pursuit of my dreams the more the world opens up to me. It is as if a Karmic force is bringing all kinds of goodness to me which I in turn repay to the universe or Karmic force to the best of my abilities.

I have a lot going through my mind right now. I’m in the present, considering both the past and the future. Knowing that I have come so far yet have so much further to go. Yet I accept that universal truth as a beautiful understanding between me and whatever maker is out there.

At work today I had to prepare more of the Fish Bistro (Coconut Tilapia with Spicy Apricot Marmalade). That means that since Thursday we have gone through forty or fifty pounds that amounts to about one hundred or so portions. I could not be more thrilled.

Tomorrows Pizza is a Pesto Shrimp while the pasta is a Whole Wheat Penne with Spinach, Shallot and Mushroom in a lemon scented cream sauce.

The best is yet to come my friends. My culinary journey began a while back but I feel that I am really beginning to find my stride. Or at least the beginning of one. And that excites me. It makes me feel whole. It makes me proud that I am a part of many peoples days in a meaningful way and I am richer for it.

What about you? What’s your dream? How can I help you get there? Are you ready? I am.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said; “Those who have changed the universe have never done it by changing officials, but always by inspiring the people.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

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

Another Great Day (file under feel like Dancin)

This is a brief post to say that today was another wonderful day. It feels nice to have found my stride at work and to feel that I actually belong. I think that my decision to avoid the politics of the club, both for employees and members, was a great decision and that it will serve me well. It eliminates the bullshit. It provides clarity of purpose and a steady direction to go in.

The specials for tomorrow are a Philly Cheese steak Pizza with Steak, Swiss cheese, Caramelized Onions and Peppers. The pasta special is a Farfalle Bolognaise.

The Pad Thai Special that I created for today was flying like hotcakes when I left. I had sold seven before I left today. I did have to take that with a grain of salt as one of the members sent it back claiming that it was; “tasteless.” To my mind there is no greater insult that one can say to a cook then their food is tasteless. But I did take it with a grain of salt as the Day Manager grabbed the dish and started eating it right away. He is a celiac and so this is the first dish I’ve made that he could eat. NEEDLESS to say, he did not find it tasteless. And, I, who had it for lunch, did not find it tasteless either.

But, just to put it in perspective, so that you understand, I got a complaint the other day because the toast that I sent out (Rye) was to “hole-y”. And NO I AM NOT KIDDING!

At first I was upset and then I realized that I can please some of the people most of the time but not all of the people all of the time. Part of the growing experience.

I have another post following this one which explains why I had such a great day.

Thich Naht Hahn once said; “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired? START… right… NOW.

A la prochaine

SDM

Life truly is WHAT YOU MAKE IT (file under Always Appreciative)

Everyday offer the opportunity anew to rise to the challenge and shine. It is there for you, all you need is a bit of passion, some drive and a whole lot of patience and a great work ethic. You can be whatever you want. All you need to do is, grab life by the balls, and get ready to rock and roll.

Currently I am sipping fabulous Bordeaux. What makes it so fabulous is that I just got home from work. I managed to rollerblade home before the rain. I find myself with an afternoon to catch up on all the things that I need to catch up on AND I HAD A FABULOUS DAY. It is amazing the difference that a day can make. You’ll recall that yesterday I included a quote from Benjamin Franklin that said; “Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues.”

Yesterday I had a choice to make. Allow myself to continue to be taken advantage of, or to take action, measured and calm, to attempt to stop the actions that I felt were abusive of both my character and my work ethic. I am no fool and opted to not be silent this time. To make a measured and reasoned case for why I felt I was being taken advantage of. And I know, I mean I truly know, that my work ethic speaks for itself.

Well, to both my shock and surprise, when I came into work today (partially because my morning partner and I had knocked off quite a bit but also because my pleas were heard and received well) there was a minimal amount for me to do. Which was a beautiful thing because The Club is usually jumping on a Saturday. I took a brief interlude there and quite fittingly “Strawberry Fields” just came on. “Nothing to get hung about.”

At any rate, TODAY WAS A FABULOUS DAY! Knocked all the prep out of the park and found a truly beautiful rhythm in the kitchen dance on the line. I would say we did about one hundred and twenty covers between lunch and dinner today. My partner and I found a great pattern of movement and we were knocking dishes out of the park very quickly. At one point I had five Meat Bistro, a hot dog, two hamburgers, three scramble and two omelettes and I just knocked it out of the park. I know it doesn’t sound like very much but I found that something had changed in myself today. I think that by speaking out about what I perceived as injustice and inequitable work ethics that I caused myself to elevate my game. To put it in perspective;

The Meat Bistro dish this week is Jerk Chicken Skewers with Dirty Rice and Seasonal Veg with a mango salsa. What this means is that there are seven steps from the beginning of the dish to the end. As I have said many times here in this blog, timing is critical. You need to be able to work on multiple of both the same dishes and varied dishes but time them accordingly so that orders go out together. Today, possibly for the first time, I found that I didn’t need to consider the timing. I merely allowed my body to do the things that I have trained it to do in the past year and a half. However, I do need to admit that for the first time in the kitchen this week I have been wearing a watch so that I rely on both intuition and actual timing.

Finding your stride is something that can not be taught. This is something that Executive Chef told me many times at Reservation. As did Sous Chef A. Some people have it and some people don’t. And PLEASE, do not read this as arrogance or some attempt at patting myself on the back, BECAUSE IT IS NOT! Instead it is an acknowledgement, deeply personal, that my skill level is rising. That my ability to deal with complex and time critical issues is getting MUCH MUCH BETTER. And that to me is both wondrous and a fabulous feeling. TRULY!

The rest of the crew came in at noon as is commonplace on Saturday and it was nice to see that they all seemed motivated to work. Obviously I had knocked off all the prep that needed to be knocked off, but each of them, in their own way, approached and asked what needed to be done. I literally had to look for things to get done, but good naturedly and in great spirits, they all were happy to help in any way they could. I hope it lasts because today I felt like the whole crew was working as a team. A TRUE BRIGADE. Nobody left out to dry. Instead all working toward a common goal. A common satisfaction. A common purpose. It felt truly inspired and wonderful.

When Sous Chef R came in he looked at me and told me how well the Fish Bistro did last night. Of course I had already known this as I had prepared twenty four portions and it looked as if there were only six or seven left. Naturally I made another deep half pan that should get them through service tonight. It looks beautiful on the plate and the flavour is quite well balanced. It felt SO GOOD. I know it sounds Hollywood cheesy but I could have cried.

I have known all my life that food is something I was meant to be surrounded by. And now, I am in an environment which is highly demanding, at the very least an educated if not refined palette AND MY FOOD IS BEING RECEIVED BRILLIANTLY. I have received about ten or twelve comments about my food and it feels incredible. All I need to do is keep on doing what I am doing.

All in all, as I have said before, I felt that today was new day and I treated it that way. I feel lucky to be where I am, to be given the latitude to create and implement dishes and to be part of an environment which appreciates me. Fortunate does not even begin to cover it.

But tomorrow is another day. And I am only as good as the last plate I put out. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote; “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”

Are you dreaming big and inspired? WHY NOT? What is stopping you? How can I help you to know the same joy that I do?

A la prochaine

SDM

No, No, is too much (file under Let me Sum Up!)

One of my favorite lines from any movie is; “No, no, is too much, let me sum up, Buttercup is marry Humperdink in little less than half an hour.” Which these days is how I feel. So much to say and so little time to say it in as I have so many things on my plate these days. However, I will, as always, do my best to spit it out.

I didn’t write yesterday because I was torn between an emotional response and an intellectual one to the day that I had. I had both successes and failures. And sometimes when that happens I am torn between my responsibilities to myself to be genuine and that of my readers who want to understand.

So I will start with the minor (truly minor) dressing down I got with regard to Health in a Glass. Due to the person that I am and wanting to share the goodness that comes my way with everyone possible Chef called down and told me that the smoothies had to stop. My belief is that my regulars sent him a message somehow saying that they really appreciated me and all that I was doing – including the smoothies. He wasn’t angry and he certainly didn’t let on to how he found out. He was merely stating his position on the matter in a very cordial way. Naturally I said; “Yes Chef!” And true to my word instead this morning I had a grapefruit juice. I certainly don’t want to rock the boat.

I hustled a lot yesterday and for seemingly no reason as the night crew had not been very busy. This happened again today and so very good naturedly I mentioned it to Sous Chef R. I did this not to be a snitch but because I felt that I was being taken advantage of and that I wanted to nip it in the bud. The story to follow;

As I had mentioned earlier when I started at The Club there is a disconnect for some of the people that work there and reality. In that, they fail to see, or refuse to, that they have a great job and do the bare minimum to maintain the status quo (as in their job). As we all aware I am a work horse. I am happy to do the work and do more than my fair share. I am happy, neigh, thrilled to pick up the slack when it needs to be picked up but I am not there to be a whipping boy. Yesterday I didn’t really say much because I just felt that I would get the job done that I needed to get done. However, today when I came in, I was greeted by the stench of laziness and it drove me crazy.

When I came in I did my regular set up. Yet, the line was not adequately ready and thus I had to do all that. I then had to do all the prep for the evening crew despite the fact that they had a quiet night last night. By quiet I mean that they had to work for about an hour. Meaning that they had six and a half hours to get the things done for themselves. Well as so often happens, they cherry picked what they wanted to do and left the things they didn’t for me to do. Again, I don’t mind doing the work if there is a justifiable reason for me to do it, but I am not going to get into another situation as it has been for me before.

In speaking with Sous Chef R I made it clear that I am not complaining for the sake of complaining. Before saying anything I asked if last night had been busy to which he responded by the time he left around 9 it was pretty quiet. At this point I explained that I felt that I was doing the best I could to knock off the prep work that needed to get done while at the same time managing my time when orders came in. I felt that it was unfair that I was being hammered (every day this week) with an unreasonable amount of prep. He promised that he would have a conversation with the culprits. Which he did. And I know this because the culprit came to me and complained. I said nothing to him, nor will I, for I think it is not my place, nor responsibility to. I am a worker bee, there to work, and so I will. I have taken on more than my fair share, gladly, and will continue to, but I am not going to allow internal politics or personalities to diminish either my character or work ethic. Head down, mouth closed, WORK!

Part of the problem as I see it is that my morning partner and I can work and talk at the same time. While it would appear that certain of the night crew, feeling untouchable and above reproach, just talk and talk and talk and then when the night is over add to my already large prep list. Again this is just my observation.

I do think that this should not be an issue going forward but it was enough today that it affected my mood for a good hour or so.

Politics and personalities are big inside the restaurant world. Some people work, some don’t, that is true of any environment. But I made myself a promise that I would not allow myself to be taken advantage of again as it negatively impacts my spirit. I like being happy. I love what I do. And while I don’t think that everyone has my attitude when it comes to work I really do wish that people I currently work with would realize that we are in paradise compared to most kitchens.

At any rate, I choose to remain above the fray, put my head down AND WORK. To me the issue has been resolved, at least in the now, and will remain for me a done issue until such a time as I feel that the work ethic is sliding again. And rather than dealing with the person directly I will deal with Sous Chef R as that is the way to deal with the issue. It may not seem cool to some people but I am not working to be cool. I am working because I love what I do. I am only in control of myself. But there is a standard operating procedure and syntax to events that I adhere to now because I am not falling into the same pit falls as the past. We have to learn and grow from our mistakes.

As I like to present the good, the bad and the ugly. I want to now let you know that yesterday I did the prep work for Sunday’s pasta special which is an Authentic Pad Thai. The sauce is delicious and took time to make, but, as I have said time and again. Good food takes time.

As to the Bistro Fish that I created I made a sample of it today and was really happy with what I had created. It is a truly “sexy dish.” It is beautiful on the plate. The flavours match each other quite nicely. It is a dish that I am quite proud of and know that anywhere other than the club I could charge at least $40 for it. The colours are all complimentary and yet at the same time provide a nice contrast. The crispiness of the coconut and Panko breading contrast well with the spicy sweetness of the apricot marmalade. While there are definite refinements to be made to the dish it is one that I know I will make variations of for the rest of my life.

Benjamin Franklin once said; “Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues” This is something I thought of many times today as I did my best to bang out what needed to get done.

However, as we all know I like to end these posts, positively, with food for thought, and so, James Joyce once wrote; "I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day."

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

And it just keeps getting better (file under Wowzer)

I truly hope that everyone knows even half as much joy as I do. I don’t say this to sound like a braggart, instead, I say this, because I made a conscious decision to awaken my own happiness by deciding what I truly wanted to do with my life and then went after it.

What have you done today to realize that long held dream? They say the longest step in a journey of a million miles is the first and I tend to believe them. Whoever they are?

I woke up real early this morning. Somewhere around 3:45am. My body just doesn’t want to let me sleep as I am so insanely excited each and every day to go to work. So I took my time getting ready. Spent some time working on the plan for New York City this weekend. Responded to some emails and got a great email from C about this weekend. It would appear that James Lipton and I (and a few hundred others) are going to get intimate with Seth Macfarlane of Family Guy and American Dad fame. It is an ever so happy accident which reveals, there are no accidents, merely opportunities. Needless to say I am thrilled.

I left the house around 5:40am and did not rollerblade today as the road was slick but I did bring them so I could run a few errands after work. Though still slick it was a great rollerblade home. Possibly because I knew that I now have thirty six hours to myself to get all the things I need to get done before going to NYC.

So I started when I got to work by taking care of the muffins, bacon and sausage. Set up the line and then on to the days prep which as you all know includes getting the specials ready for the day, conceiving of the specials for tomorrow, etc. Naturally my morning regulars were there and happy as could be to see me. Little did they know that I had specially prepared 6 carrot muffins for one of them and had the Health in a Glass ready to go. I got to meet two other regulars this morning who asked; “Well how come I don’t get this kind of service, I’ve been a member for thirty five years.” At this point Mr. S explained that I had just started and explained a bit about my story, where I come from and why I love my job. Bang on in his description by the way. I thanked him for his kind words which were, VERY kind and then found my way back to the kitchen to finish the H.I.A.G.

Today I had to prepare H.I.A.G. for six and the ingredients were; Banana (in case you haven’t noticed my favorite and has been since a child), Mango (another lifelong favourite), Raspberries, Orange Juice and Ice. I call this one Tropic Thunder. When I went out to refill my coffee (Peruvian sunrise and fair trade and organic) I could hear them all loving it. They thanked me profusely. It feels REAL GOOD to be appreciated.

Yesterdays specials went like hotcakes and they had no prep left which means that I sold all of them. The specials today were selling like hotcakes. I did about ten of the pasta and four of the pizza by the time I left.

The specials tomorrow are a Fusilli fagiole with shallots, red beans, red peppers and black olives. While the pizza is a Caprese; Boccini, Tomato and Basil.

I also took pictures of work today and will post them tomorrow. All in all I am truly loving life. I feel honoured and privileged that other people recognize what I am and what I have to offer. In the pursuit of service I have realized my life mission.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Yousuf Karsh (Turkish born Canadian) once said; “I have found that great people do have in common an immense belief in themselves and in their mission. They also have great determination as well as an ability to work hard. At the crucial moment of decision, they draw on their accumulated wisdom. Above all, they have integrity.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Work Ethic (file under some have more than others)

Today was another wonderful day at work. I really enjoy getting up and going in to work. I enjoy the absence of anything but purposeful movement in the morning. I enjoy the empty streets. The smell of the city in repose. The soft light that slowly climbs the horizon to create that beautiful glow. I LOVE IT! It also gives me an opportunity every day to look at my place in this world and to give thanks for that position. Of course being a Rasta Buddhist (Rabu for short) what I don’t forget I just let go of as meaningless in the grand scheme. But seriously, it is a rare joy, that I experience every day.

This morning I was expecting to be greeted by a smaller prep list than the past few days. To my surprise it was quite big and as I touched on yesterday, I know the reason why. Partly FNG but partly laziness on others part. But, as I said yesterday, no big deal, I love to work. I mean I REALLY love to work.

I also forgot to mention yesterday that I cooked for the Comptroller and his son. The Comptroller comes in from time to time and asks for something that is different from what we would normally serve, His son was having an exam yesterday afternoon and needed some brain food. The Comptroller told me what his son wanted which was less than a great description because it left lots of room for interpretation, which, when you are serving someone you don’t know, is VERY difficult. He gave me the basics which were rice and shrimp; “with a little spice.” So I asked him; “Heat is something that is different for everyone. Think curry.” He interrupted and said; “no no, not curry.” I said; “Yes I understand but if the heat was a curry, would it be red, yellow or green?” He looked at me and said; “Yellow.” I told him great and that due to his desire for a well done rib eye (some people… geez) that it would take about fourteen minutes.

The dish I came up with for his son was a sambal, honey, soy sauce and sesame oil reduction which I marinated the shrimp in quickly and then grilled them. After grilling I reduced the remaining marinade and topped the shrimp with some sesame seeds and pea shoots. When his meal was over I got a massive thank you for being able to decipher exactly what was wanted. I responded that; “This is what I love to do. It is who I am. Thank you for your compliments.”

So today I had to do eight trays of 12 cookies no each tray. I also had to clean and roast two massive top butt roasts. I cooked off some linguini. I cut up a bin of fruit for fruit cups and much much more.

H.I.A.G. this morning was absolutely divine. No really, I mean, think Ambrosia and you have what I mean. In fact I think that I will call this one Ambrosia;

Grapefruit Juice, Banana, Mango, an egg and strawberry yoghurt. DELICIOUS and full of that all important energy boost and vitamin cocktail.

At the time of my leaving I had sold only two of the pizzas but had sold four of the pasta. I gave some of my colleagues some to try and they each thought it was brilliant. The dishwasher was beside himself. In his broken Taiwanese English he asked me; “Where do you learn to cook like this?” I thought about it for a moment and pointed to my heart. He laughed merrily and thanked me for sharing some with him. The servers loved it. Thought it was great. They too asked where I learned to cook like that and I gave the same answer.

I asked the servers, as I do everyday to get me some feedback from the members about their food. ALL POSITIVE. Very positive. In fact I got two; “Compliments to the Chef.” Of course they don’t know that I am a cook, but the point still stands.

Tomorrows specials are Gnocchi with double smoked bacon, spinach and mushrooms in a cream sauce. The pizza is with bacon, mushroom, onion, green pepper and banana peppers.

Today also marked the first time that I got to do the Bistro Specials. This means that I had to create a quiche, a sandwich, a meat special and a fish special. I mentioned to Executive Chef that Sous Chef R had wanted me to do them and so I spent some time while working today considering what I wanted to do. I wrote them down and went to Executive Chef with what I was suggesting. He thought they all were great and gave me a big thumbs up. The bistro specials are as follows;

A Reuben Sandwich; which naturally is corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese and I opted to do it on dark rye.

Provencal Quiche; which has zucchini, tomato, shallot and Brie.

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mash and Seasonal Vegetables with a mint scented jus.

Mahi Mahi on a bed of saffron rice with seasonal vegetables and a mango Beurre blanc.

I am excited to see how these specials do compared to the last two weeks that I have been there. It was positively exhilarating to do these specials and I look forward to the feedback from the members.

So, as you can see, I LOVE WHAT I DO. I LOVE WHERE I AM. I LOVE WHAT IT IS HELPING ME TO BECOME. I LOVE THE DOORWAYS OF PERCEPTION INTO MY OWN SOUL RESULTANT FROM THIS SAGE LIKE MOVE TO THE CLUB.

Oscar Wilde once said; "I hate people who are not serious about their meals." While I don’t hate ANYONE (incapable really) I do wish that people would take their food more seriously.

Are you dreaming big and inspired? You can you know! All you have to do is let go of that nagging voice inside of you and let you spirit lead you where you need to go.

A la prochaine

SDM

A Little Less Conversation (file under a little more action PLEASE)

I hope that you all have had a fabulous weekend to date. The only thing that could have made mine better was a big wet kiss from the woman I love (who incidentally turns 27 all over again tomorrow).

You’ll recall that yesterday I touched on something that happened at work but only in passing. I did this because I am coming to realize that while I don’t censor myself when I am writing (and very rarely edit) that there are some things I may choose to write about that require sober thought and purposeful writing.

Yesterday my morning partner and I got a strip torn off us (but unlike ever before, Executive Chef here cares about results and not much more, as long as they are good.) I was going to write about it but knew that I would be angry as it had nothing to do with me that we got a strip torn off us for.

Today, after thinking about it the following are my thoughts. My partner and I were getting killed on the line when Chef came down and it appeared that we were unorganized. Though in fact it was that we were putting up food faster than the servers were getting it out. My partner tends to get a little flustered when things are not perfect. In fact, a little high strung, kind of like I used to be, and this affects the way that he does his job. Add to that the confusion of orders being jumped and items going where the expediter wanted to send them rather than the bills they were meant for and somehow a breakfast sandwich got lost in the shuffle. We both got a good strip ripped off us by Chef. I was angry. I MEAN ANGRY. That I was getting in shit because of someone else’s mistake. But then I realized that I am part of a team. Not that I ever act as if I am not but this realization caused me to calm down. Accept the criticism and start looking for ways to fix it.

Prior to leaving yesterday I looked at my partner and said; “Remember, stuff is going to get fubar’d in the kitchen. It is the nature of the game. We are only as good as the last plate we put out AND TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY.” He smiled and thanked me. I knew he had heard what I said when I came in today and he said; “So new day has begun.” I chuckled to myself thinking how I might have come unraveled at the events of the day before even a few short months ago. I now realize that not only do I need to control my own character flaws in the kitchen, I need to observe the positives in other people, and lift them to that point, should we falter. WE, being the key word. As team players and members. This realization makes me smile. A soulful smile. As I think I am beginning to get a little traction. But that is a different issue which I don’t want to discuss right now.

Today was a new day. And a great day at that. I woke up this morning at 4:00 am and could not go back to sleep. So I started formulating my day, working out specials in my head and thinking about the coming week. Which includes my raison d'etre's birthday tomorrow. I can hardly believe how many times women can turn 27. Though I am grateful that they do.

It was a relatively slow day so I was able to punch out prep for the next three days. I also managed to punch out prep for a couple other people too. I find prep to be quite cathartic and liberating. It lets me rest inside my own mind. Going to whatever or whenever place I feel. Start working on specials. Think about the grill. Whatever it is. But I LOVE IT!

Today’s H.I.A.G. was; Honey Dew Melon, Blackberries, Ice, Orange Juice and Banana. DELICIOUS. I am still playing around with the texture, flavour and beneficial intake of them. It may take me all summer but I will get to the point that I optimize my vitamin, mineral, fruit and vegetable intake. I am already seeing a major difference in the way my body is treating me.

As for specials for tomorrow; Pizza is a Meatlovers with Pepperoni, Sausage and Prosciutto. Pasta is a Tri Colour Fusilli with Rosemary Braised Chicken, Green Peppers and Onions in a Roasted Red Pepper Basil Cream Sauce.

As for today’s specials. By the time I left they were almost all gone, so I must have been doing something right. Felt pretty good.

So here I am. Feeling good. Relaxed. Solid if you will. Loving where I am. What I am doing. It is truly the most rewarding experience of my life to date. And I feel changes inside of me that have been a long time coming.

Charles R. Swindoll once said; “We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Day 7 (file under What a difference a week makes)

So here we are; at the end of my first even days at The Club and I feel reborn. I feel as if the best parts of me, that for a while seemed absent, have come back larger than life, and those pesky little negative things, have melted away with the renewal of spring. It feels awesome to be alive, doing what I love and in a place that I am appreciated for it.

Today was a relatively easy day. I’ve gotten so quick at getting to work that I was there at 6:10 am this morning. I did the morning set up and then ran out for a smoke before service started.

Again today I made two versions of Health in a Glass;

Version # 1; Purple Haze

Pineapple, Blackberry, Blueberry Yoghurt, Mango, Raw Egg, Orange Juice and Ice

Version # 2; Spring Breeze

Pineapple, Peach Yoghurt, Honeydew Melon, Raw Egg, Orange Juice and Ice

Both were absolutely delicious. I think that I personally preferred the second one today. It was extremely refreshing and light. Who knows what will strike my fancy tomorrow morning.

Specials yesterday sold well even though we were relatively quiet. We ended up selling seven of the pizzas and nine of the pasta. Not bad when you consider that there were very few people there yesterday.

By the time I had left work today I had only sold one pizza special and one pasta special. Although I am quite certain that they are going to sell well tonight. As for tomorrows specials;

Pasta is a Penne Al Arrabiata. For the pizza I decided to get creative and play around with ingredients and peoples comfort zone a bit. I looked to chicken for my inspiration and after having a delightful conversation with one of the servers who happened to be from Georgia (the country not the state) I decided to make a Chicken Kiev Pizza. Thus it is with Roast Chicken, minced ham, Swiss cheese and for fun I thought I would include Asparagus.

Sous Chef R and I had another conversation about specials again today. He looks at me as he is handing me a present of a double McDonald’s Cheeseburger and says; “you know that I can order in anything you want for specials too?” I didn’t say anything for a minute and then replied; “really?” He said; “For sure, anything you want just let me know, proteins, produce, dry goods, anything you want I will bring in for you.” This started me thinking of all the fun that I can have. And believe me it is LOTS! He told me that he loved what I was doing with specials and so did the members. I thanked him and assured him that I would just keep on keeping on. He gave me a big thumbs up and a smile. I also told him that seeing as I had banged out most of the prep before anyone had even gotten there that I took my time making a garlic dill cream sauce for the special that I am going to run on Wednesday. He laughed and made some comment about my enthusiasm. I explained that I wanted the sauce for Wednesday to taste just right and that it takes time. I will let you know what the special is going to be tomorrow. Wouldn’t want to leave you without a day of posts.

I did about sixty covers today in total. It was about one third breakfast and two thirds lunch. I also got to speak with a couple of members today who gave me their compliments with regard to the food. It felt really good. Especially when one of them said I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next.

One of the staff made a comment about my attitude today. I looked at her and said; “Listen, I’m not like everyone else. I am me. I love food and I love what I do. And that is what manifests itself here everyday.” She made some comment about how other people were in the kitchen to which I remarked the same thing. “I am me. I may do things a little differently, but I’m not here to rock the boat, only to make the boat go in the right direction.” The floor manager overheard the comment and my response and said it had been a long time since he had seen anyone with that enthusiasm in the kitchen. To which I responded; “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

As I had a little time on my hands I asked if I could use the office computer to do a little research. Of course was the prompt reply. I will cover in the next post what I was researching. It is EXCITING!

Benjamin Franklin once said; “Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

In that Vain (file under How’s that working out for you)

As I mentioned before I started at The Club, I went out and bought myself a treat, Rollerblades. I did this for two reasons; One, I haven’t had a pair in years and I’m certain that anyone that knows me well can attest that at some point between the ages of twelve and twenty four that they believed my feet were in fact Rollerblades. The other reason is that I am currently saving up for C and I’s wedding and it made sense to me that I spend two months of travel up front so that I could spend that money saved on the wedding.

As it turns out I live about 8 kms away from work. A big change from the twenty that I used to. Which would take between an hour and an hour and half of travel. To get to work this morning took approximately twenty minutes. A five minute improvement from my first time getting there on my blades. Most of it is on a downgrade on the way there so it is pretty easy. On the way back it takes me about double the time because of wind and going up grade.

I have already felt the reward of my body being back on blades. There is a bigger spring in my step and certainly in my spirit. It is my goal to be as fit as I was at 16 by the time of our wedding. This has included doing sit ups and pushups and now cardio with the Rollerblading to work.

It feels good. Damn good. Have you treated yourself to something recently that makes you feel as good?

Buddha once said; “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

I Got the Joy (file under Adventures in Kitchenland)

Barack Obama once said; “Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.”

Ain’t that the truth? As we all are aware by now I have had numerous jobs which have left me unfulfilled and left wondering what the whole purpose of life is. As I have documented here, my decision to become a Chef and join a professional kitchen had less to do with money and a whole lot to do with defining my life for myself.

Today was my second full shift at The Club and I have to admit that beyond loving it I am ecstatic that I have found my place here.

Beyond the obvious benefits which I have outlined over the past couple of posts there are numerous culinary benefits to being at The Club. The ability to survive is much different that solely focusing your life on a buck. It is necessary to survive in order to dream. So I bear no guilt over my decision to join a stable and nurturing environment.

Oh and before I get to far… the specials that I developed did so well yesterday that they had to make some on the fly. (Note to self; always make sure that you prepare at least enough mise en place for 15 portions) In retrospect I have to admit that I think that the sun dried tomato ravioli with sun dried pesto was not an ideal pairing. A little overkill on the sun dried if you know what I mean. I think it was just the excitement of creating specials first day. I did get positive feed back from Sous Chef R and the club members seemed to enjoy it.

I was beside myself this morning. I could not sleep. I finally was able to close my eyes and get a rest at around 12:30 am. I awoke startled at 2:36 am and found myself considering whether or not to get up and work or try to get myself back to sleep. I opted for sleep as I felt that I should try to be as sharp as possible in the first few weeks. I woke up again at 4:45 am and decided to just get up and do a little research on the Internet.

I climbed into the shower at around 5:10 am and took a long soak after deciding that it was both too windy and cold for me to rollerblade. I will tomorrow though. In the shower, as for the hour before, I was extremely excited to be going to The Club. I look at it less as work or a job and much more as the daily steps toward the actualization of my dream. Did I mention in a stable and nurturing environment? (Rhetorical)

I arrived at The Club at around 6:10 and got changed right away. Played with the time clock for about ten minutes trying to figure out how the hell to punch in. There were instructions over the machine but they were about as useful as Chinese instructions from Ikea being translated by Maori Indian.

Finally, punching in, I went downstairs and started the grand circle of opening. Fryers, Salamander, Ovens, Stove, Grill, Heat Lamps, Hotline on, Cold Line filled with ice. Blanching pots on. Muffins, Sausage and Bacon in the convection. Make sure there is enough on station and then start prep for the day.

Rather than regaling you with the exciting world of prep, which to you is probably anathema, like a trip to the dentist, I will instead write of the things that were awesome.

First and foremost, I got to work on my butchery skills and broke down twenty pork tenderloins. The reason this is exciting to me is because to my view pork is easier to screw up than beef. I found myself playing with various knife positions, cuts and techniques that I have either learned directly or figured out on the fly today. All the while I was having a great conversation with Sous Chef R which was clearly designed to figure out where I was coming from and where I wanted to go to. He, like me, is a voracious reader and as such the conversation was all over the place. Segues that flowed naturally from conversations of musical likes to the Disclosure project. After breaking down the tenderloins I portioned them off and placed them in a deep half pan covering each layer with a towel. I also helped with a lot of other peoples prep today. No different than I normally would but it was clearly noticed and appreciated.

Slowly, I am beginning to remember faces and names. And there are a lot of faces and names to remember. And just like any other kitchen I have been in it is filled with characters, dreamers, misfits and people who just consider it a job. The difference in this kitchen is the way that I interrelated with them. Cautious but friendly. Calculated but calm. And by calculated I am not meaning in some neo- Machiavellian sense.

Sous Chef R asked me directly whether or not I would be interested in… get this… deep breathe… handling the patio. Cue the hairs on the back of my neck raising momentarily. My answer was the best that I could give… I am here to serve in any capacity that serves both the Club and this kitchen well. After that Sous Chef spoke to me about the virtues of the job. The only one of which I didn’t necessarily like was that it is an afternoon/evening job. That was the only drawback in that I felt it might interfere with the other things I am working on.

I argued with myself over the last paragraph for about a minute there. Unsure as to whether or not to include you in the brain farts that I am having in that regard. However, as you can see, I decided, as usual, not to censor myself and share completely.

So what are the pluses in my mind to taking the assignment?

Best ingredients available in the city. Whatever I can dream up they will bring in.

Menu freedom and control (with oversight of course)

Being outside in the summer on beautiful Lake Ontario

Direct interaction with Club Members which I excel at

So with that said; when the conversation comes up directly as to whether or not I would like to do that this summer. I am almost certain that I will say yes. Also in speaking with Sous Chef R, he made it clear that he felt it was ideal for me, as I don’t need to have my hand held or to be coddled. The conversation, to my mind, was a recognition, and not, as was the case at Reservation, that they have no one else to do the job. It is an extremely nice feeling.

From that we segued into various ingredients I might like to work with. Price/Cost structures. Member wants and needs versus realities. It was quite refreshing as I mentioned earlier.

Thus, from all this, do you get the feeling that I finally found a place that I can grow? I DO!

I am excited, thrilled, ecstatic and could use a thesaurus or that big brain of mine to give you twenty more words to describe the euphoric feeling that I have right now, but instead I will say this; I feel that I have joined a place that will allow me to grow, to be nurtured, to nurture and to fulfill greatest dream in life (next to starting a family with my loving, gorgeous, talented, funny, elegant and dreaming fiancé C, that of becoming a great chef. But first, I need to cook (and practice starting a family), A LOT!

Oscar Wilde once said; “I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

First Day (file under AWESOME)

Shakespeare once wrote; “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” I awoke early, before the alarm (which is happening more and more often these days) and I was excited at the prospect of starting a new job. One which would allow me to my own self to be true.

The plan had been for me to rollerblade to work. Of course Mother Nature had a different plan. I have to admit that it is much easier to wake up when it is warm out as opposed to when it is cold. But nonetheless, waking up, I strolled to the shower and took a nice long shower. While in the shower I became aware of a change that had happened in me sometime in the past few months. For some reason a sense of personal urgency had developed with regard to my direction, where I was going and how I was getting there. This thought stayed with me as I grabbed my Tim’s and waited for the bus.

Usually I would have a soundtrack for my life playing on my Ipod but alas I left it in my brothers’ car and haven’t had it for a couple of weeks. Instead I played a game with myself while reading the paper, imagining what that soundtrack might be on this day. A new day. A new job. A new beginning.

The trip was short to the club. Maybe twenty five minutes in total. Including a walk which lasted four or five minutes as I walked at a good clip due to the freezing rain that was trying to come down on my parade. To no avail though as I arrived at around 6:16 am to start anew. FRESH!

My colleague was waiting for me at the Front entrance to walk me through a “training day.” We were the only ones in the kitchen at this early hour. He walked me through the various start up requirements and how to frame the day before starting in on work.

Fill the blanching pots. Light the stoves, start the fryers, the grill, the convection ovens and the flat top. Fill the hot line water and the cool line with ice. Utensils on station and then check the stock of each of the station fridges to ensure that we were ready to go. Make sure to remember to put the muffins, bacon and sausages in the convection. The whole start up ritual took perhaps twenty minutes. Then off to the walk ins to figure out what prep needed to get done.

Monday is a pretty quiet day at The Club. With most of the prep trying to stay at least a day ahead. My coworker asked if I felt like doing any specials for today. Sure I said and proceeded to do the mise en place for a Pesto Margarita Pizza and a Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli with a Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. They were the first things to come to mind and I didn’t want to rock the boat.

The ability to create specials from the finest ingredients that can be found is relatively easy with a bit of knowledge and creativity. But it did cause me to think that I need to get a new notebook to start recording both my ideas and the realities of the specials I will help to create each day.

It was a slow day. I think total we had about twenty orders. But there were other things I could do; walk around and get my bearings. Get a feel for what was in the walk ins, dry stores, etc. To figure out what the work ethic was, what was expected, etc.

My day finished around 2:30 pm. I was home by 3:10 and started thinking about the day that had just passed.

What I realized is that I am being given an opportunity to start fresh. To become part of a team. To work on the things that I know personally I need to. I am joining a team that cares about what they do, for the most part, and are happy to come to work every day.

This job means a lot to me. First off, though there is a lot of work in a kitchen, I feel it important to say, that I don’t really look at it like it’s a job. For me it is a passion which burns bright and deeply. At The Club, I will have the opportunity to grow and learn. To work my way up from the “bottom” and bear witness to my own progression each day.

I don’t want to write too much on an abstract level about yesterday. But for me, a lot of it was abstract. I could see the commitment that I had made was a good one and that this is exactly the environment that I need to be in right now. And that feels good.

Naturally there are a slew of operational things that I realized during my day yesterday. None of which I will bore you with here. But it is a completely different environment than any I have been in to date. Excited, I know that the coming days, weeks, months are going to be filled with purpose, joy and meaning. I am grateful for the opportunity and plan to incorporate all of the things that I have learned so far in a meaningful way to my own progression.

I purposely did not write over the weekend because I wanted this to be my 300th post. How Spartan of me? And yet in my mind, it made sense, that my 300th post would be this one, which heralded a new day, a great opportunity and my souls smile.

Goethe once said; “The day is committed to error and floundering; success and achievement are matters of long range”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM