Thomas Edison once said; “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Not for me though. I love to work. I love what I do and where I am going. As such today presented another opportunity that I must weigh all the options and ensure that it is exactly what I want. That said I felt pretty good at the meeting.
As I blogged a few posts ago, I had a meeting with the Executive Chef of a prominent club in Toronto. I arrived sharply at 3 and spoke with him about what he needs, wants and desires as well as what I want, need and desire. We then walked around the various facilities to give me a feel for the place.
Its operations are huge. Perhaps four times as big as Reservation and at least ten times as big as Without Reservation. There are three distinct levels of service and thus expectation. The walkins are massive and filled with the most delicious, fresh and awe inspiring ingredients. The general feel of the place was good and seemed to be something that I might like to do.
When we returned to Chef’s office we spoke for a few more minutes. By the way, it really is true that all Chef’s get a bright corner office with lots of natural light, the best computers possible, etc. True in dreamland that is. Chef’s offices I have come to learn are small, filled with endless amounts of knowledge, clipboards, prep and staff lists, etc. But the office was nice enough and clean. We spoke all in for about an hour and within a few minutes I had the feeling that this was someone I could work for. He made sure that I was willing and able to be at work for those hours at which I had to chuckle. I always show up. He liked that!
Thus, the opportunity is, to work breakfast and lunch services for the time being. I have the freedom to create specials every day which include pasta, pizza and sandwiches as well as fish, meat, etc. This sounded very good to me. He was very honest in saying that it may not be the dream job for everyone out there but it is one which has the opportunity to create, to move up and to be part of a team. All things which resonate with me greatly.
Steady work. Stable. BENEFITS. I can buy into the pension plan.
So next I need to speak with my incredible fiancé and get her opinion on the matter. Executive Chef and I are scheduled to speak again on Friday. I look forward to resolving these issues so that I can start the process of working my way up the ladder to achieve exactly what it is that I intend to achieve.
As I was typing this Executive Chef sent me some material regarding menus, etc. He also looks forward to speaking on Friday.
I guess I have some serious soul searching to do. Luckily I am good at searching and have a soul.
Arthur Rimbaud once wrote; “The first study for the man who wants to be a poet is knowledge of himself, complete: he searches for his soul, he inspects it, he puts it to the test, he learns it. As soon as he has learned it, he must cultivate it! I say that one must be a seer, make oneself a seer. The poet becomes a seer through a long, immense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses. All shapes of love suffering, madness. He searches himself, he exhausts all poisons in himself, to keep only the quintessences. Ineffable torture where he needs all his faith, all his superhuman strength, where he becomes among all men the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed one--and the supreme Scholar! For he reaches the unknown! ....So the poet is actually a thief of Fire!”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
WHY NOT?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Options (file under considerations weighing on me)
So what do I do? I’m sure this is a question that many of you have asked yourself over time. As I wrote about the other day this coming year is filled with all kinds of life changes that require mental acuity and planning.
Do I go to New York?
Do I got to Europe?
Do I take over my friends’ kitchen? (not by mutiny either)
Do I seek out a cruise ship cooking position?
Do I find another position in Toronto?
Do I approach the two standing job offers I have right now?
Lots on my plate.
These are just some of the questions that I am considering on top of my regular questions. Each has pros and cons connected with the decision and I have to tell you that to me the two most attractive are going to New York or going to Europe. But I just don’t know.
Vincent Van Gogh once said; “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Do I go to New York?
Do I got to Europe?
Do I take over my friends’ kitchen? (not by mutiny either)
Do I seek out a cruise ship cooking position?
Do I find another position in Toronto?
Do I approach the two standing job offers I have right now?
Lots on my plate.
These are just some of the questions that I am considering on top of my regular questions. Each has pros and cons connected with the decision and I have to tell you that to me the two most attractive are going to New York or going to Europe. But I just don’t know.
Vincent Van Gogh once said; “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Trans Fat (file under the winds of change)
We live in a time of massive change on multiple levels. Many have no idea what Trans Fat is and why it is both an issue and important. For a good Trans Fat primer go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat .
I bring this up because I believe that slowly but surely the winds of change are sweeping away the use of Trans Fat, at first voluntarily and now through both consumer demand and regulation. I, as almost every other food provider, am guilty of using Trans Fats in cooking (primarily in the fat fryer) and am proud to let you know that we have no switched over to a Trans Fat reduced product.
As many of you may or may not be aware there is a movement in the United States http://www.bantransfats.com/ to completely ban trans fat, which to my point of view, is a VERY good thing, not to mention necessary. Cities, towns and even states are moving to ban or reduce the level of trans fat in our food, notably, New York City and more recently California. It has come to my attention that the City of Toronto is asking food service providers to voluntarily reduce or completely remove trans fat from menus. A voluntary ban in my experience eventually leads to regulation which requires it. But it is important to note that food giant are paying attention and responding to consumer demands, such as is the case with Kraft Foods (http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/HealthyLiving/Articles/NutritionBasics/TransFatUpdate.html ).
If you check out the two sources that I have provided you will see that this is an issue that is going to become very prominent in the next few years. I feel that the most important thing that we can do as consumers is to be educated so that we can make our own decisions. For me personally I would like to see the use of Trans Fat banned completely as one of the controllable factors of poor health in North America. But you let me know.
The World Health Organization states in “WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health: South-East Asia regional consultation meeting report, New Delhi, India, 10- 12 March 2003” that; “Multiple studies have corroborated that trans-fatty acids are probably one of the most dangerous elements in the diet for atherosclerotic risk, as they have a combined effect of increasing LDL cholesterol and decreasing protective HDL. Deep-fried fast foods and baked goods containing hydrogenated fats are major sources."
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
SDM
I bring this up because I believe that slowly but surely the winds of change are sweeping away the use of Trans Fat, at first voluntarily and now through both consumer demand and regulation. I, as almost every other food provider, am guilty of using Trans Fats in cooking (primarily in the fat fryer) and am proud to let you know that we have no switched over to a Trans Fat reduced product.
As many of you may or may not be aware there is a movement in the United States http://www.bantransfats.com/ to completely ban trans fat, which to my point of view, is a VERY good thing, not to mention necessary. Cities, towns and even states are moving to ban or reduce the level of trans fat in our food, notably, New York City and more recently California. It has come to my attention that the City of Toronto is asking food service providers to voluntarily reduce or completely remove trans fat from menus. A voluntary ban in my experience eventually leads to regulation which requires it. But it is important to note that food giant are paying attention and responding to consumer demands, such as is the case with Kraft Foods (http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/HealthyLiving/Articles/NutritionBasics/TransFatUpdate.html ).
If you check out the two sources that I have provided you will see that this is an issue that is going to become very prominent in the next few years. I feel that the most important thing that we can do as consumers is to be educated so that we can make our own decisions. For me personally I would like to see the use of Trans Fat banned completely as one of the controllable factors of poor health in North America. But you let me know.
The World Health Organization states in “WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health: South-East Asia regional consultation meeting report, New Delhi, India, 10- 12 March 2003” that; “Multiple studies have corroborated that trans-fatty acids are probably one of the most dangerous elements in the diet for atherosclerotic risk, as they have a combined effect of increasing LDL cholesterol and decreasing protective HDL. Deep-fried fast foods and baked goods containing hydrogenated fats are major sources."
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
SDM
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Let it snow… (File under craziest winter in a decade)
Good Saturday to everyone! I hope that it was filled with wonder and delight. My day started early as usual and again because of a little bit of snow everyone drove like they had never seen a snowflake, let alone a white out. It took me forty-five minutes to get to work as everyone was doing thirty kilometers an hour. But I made it there safe and that is what matters most. I really do need to reiterate though that people who live in this city drive me bonkers. They complain about the heat, they complain about the snow, they complain about everything. Me, I live in Toronto, I’m used to this. At least this is how it was when I was growing up. Truth be told my only regret about this winter is that C has missed the first real winter since she moved here from Montreal. At any rate…
The last couple of days have been fabulous. I really have, as I’ve stated earlier, found my very own dysfunctional yet entirely working family. We all have our own quirks, mannerisms, and language but have common ground in our love of food. I’m not sure that every kitchen (professional) is filled with people that truly love food. I enjoy learning every day and have even come to love the way that everyone speaks to each other. Think Goodfellas meets Hell’s Kitchen meets Animal House (though I’m still on the fence about Gordon Ramsay but we’ll get into that later). It really is the most beautiful combination of these things and I know that I will have life long friends as a result of my time at Reservation.
So on Tuesday (which was my day off) I tried to make an authentic Indian curry. It ended up being more like a Trinidadian curry but was good nonetheless. I’ve had four curries this past week. Shu (I will call him that as it gets confusing just to have S) made two and Chef J made one as well. THEY WERE FABULOUS and I will as a result try to find a way to not improve but put my own personal spin on curry. I LOVE CURRY! Have you had a good one lately? If not, you should, and if you’ve never had curry, get off your ass, stop reading this (though I will miss you and there may be a test later and go get one post quick. That is my prescription for the day!)
Friends visited me this week. My old business partner and a friend of ours came in for dinner. I got to introduce them to Executive Chef, Head Chef and the line as well as show them where I work. L said that she was thrilled for me and that she loved seeing me in my whites and happier than a pig in shit on slaughter day. Well, maybe not those words exactly but remember I get to have a little creative license here. It brought a massive smile (not that I ever am without one these days) that someone got to see me in my whites and as she said “my element.” I never had an element before and now that I have one I feel incredible. I feel alive. I feel like my purpose has brought meaning to my everyday.
Head Chef and I had a conversation a few times this week as he was doing his Mise and I was helping. One of the conversations was about the fries that I was working on. He told me that when he was at the Fat Duck (http://www.fatduck.co.uk/) working with Heston Blumenthal that another of his projects was working on fries. He told me that the “perfect” batch of fries takes three days and then proceeded to give me a tip as to how to ensure that the texture on the inside of the fry is like mashed potatoes but the outside is nice and crispy. As always I will not elaborate how he did it or taught me to do it. But if you do want a great fry come on down and I’ll be happy to give you the best fries you’ve ever had. This caused me to start looking at how I evaluate food. How I can improve upon every day things. How I can start to think of things outside of the box and be rewarded for it. It is a great realization to come to. Although currently Heston Blumenthal and molecular gastronomy are a stretch for me (and if you say it isn’t for you then you’re much better than I and we should talk). I mean his methodology to me is akin to Ferrari racing. The best, most critical and sensational things from the most commonplace. Truly inspired and something to which to aspire.
Chef J has also started revealing things to me. I guess now that the initial uncertainty is gone everyone at Reservation has seen that I am in it for the long haul. Chef J revealed to me what he puts in his curry among many other things this week. I like speaking with him as he is very understated. His demeanor is calm but firm and he has an eye for detail (as all Chefs must if they ware good). I have a lot to learn from him and look forward to learning all I can from him.
One of the gentlemen that helped get me the job and I have become fast friends. He and I go out and have a drink about once a week and it is like we’ve known each other forever. E is a young up and comer. He is knowledgeable, intelligent, spirited, passionate and a straight shooter. I look forward to our friendship growing and what’s more knowing him for a long time to come. As I always like to say he is “good people.”
I’ve started paying attention to everything that I do in a day. And when I say attention I analyze what I’m doing and the impact it has n the end result. I make my list and cross things off. I have started monitoring my time and trying to get a fix on how long things should take. An example of one of the things that I’m paying attention to is ordering. I’m piecing together the process and the result. I am making note of what gets ordered, what it is used for, what it costs. All things that are going to benefit me in the future when it is my time to do the ordering for Reservation but what’s more when I have my own restaurant. I make a concerted effort everyday to speak with the suppliers that are bringing things in and I make sure that everyone that comes and goes hears that I am fabulous and that I hope they have a great day. I feel that just that little thing is enough to change people’s lives, consistency, brought on by purpose and joy. Do you know what I mean?
Thursday night I also got to go see my friends MoBadAss play their first Toronto show. In fact I am the official documentarian for them which is nice because it gives me another outlet as well. Remember that Executive Chef has told me that I need to have another outlet in order to recharge and unwind. I can understand why.
As well my Choron is getting better. I had a couple of them break on me this week and through trial and error I’ve come to the conclusion that I wasn’t cooking the eggs long enough. It takes a while to make one correctly but today I think I got it. Though it tasted good and Executive Chef even said so, “Pretty god,” were the exact words, but then Head Chef thought that it was a bit sweet and too acidic. Note to self reduce acid and possibly less tomato paste though I think that it may have been an especially fragrant batch of tarragon that was the culprit. Nonetheless I will get there. Ah mother sauces. The very foundation of any Chef worth his weight in Foie Gras!
So it is nice to be able to come home and write, as I’m not too tired. In fact I am going to read some more of Michel Bras’ “Essential Cuisine,” make some notes and write some more of the million questions I have rolling around in my head. I spend all day, every day, every waking moment laser focused on what I’m doing, on where I’m going and on what I am becoming. I really enjoy Michel Bras and have much to learn from him.
I still haven’t gotten a report on Le Parker Meridien’s burger. Though I’m certain when C gets to it I will find out just how fabulously Emile Castillo makes a burger. I myself can hardly wait to go down and give it a shot myself. I mean Le Parker Meridien you’d figure that a burger has to cost 50 bucks. But no a cheeseburger is 7 bucks (if you are in the know and know how to find it tucked down a narrow hallway).
I recall something that Paul Prudhomme once said that seems fitting; “I think the most wonderful thing in the world is another chef. I'm always excited about learning new things about food.” Me too.
I hope you all have a beautiful evening, perhaps nestled up next to your honey with some red wine (full bodied of course), a fire and of course some laughs. Have a wonderful evening, dream big and have an inspired tomorrow.
A la prochaine
SDM
The last couple of days have been fabulous. I really have, as I’ve stated earlier, found my very own dysfunctional yet entirely working family. We all have our own quirks, mannerisms, and language but have common ground in our love of food. I’m not sure that every kitchen (professional) is filled with people that truly love food. I enjoy learning every day and have even come to love the way that everyone speaks to each other. Think Goodfellas meets Hell’s Kitchen meets Animal House (though I’m still on the fence about Gordon Ramsay but we’ll get into that later). It really is the most beautiful combination of these things and I know that I will have life long friends as a result of my time at Reservation.
So on Tuesday (which was my day off) I tried to make an authentic Indian curry. It ended up being more like a Trinidadian curry but was good nonetheless. I’ve had four curries this past week. Shu (I will call him that as it gets confusing just to have S) made two and Chef J made one as well. THEY WERE FABULOUS and I will as a result try to find a way to not improve but put my own personal spin on curry. I LOVE CURRY! Have you had a good one lately? If not, you should, and if you’ve never had curry, get off your ass, stop reading this (though I will miss you and there may be a test later and go get one post quick. That is my prescription for the day!)
Friends visited me this week. My old business partner and a friend of ours came in for dinner. I got to introduce them to Executive Chef, Head Chef and the line as well as show them where I work. L said that she was thrilled for me and that she loved seeing me in my whites and happier than a pig in shit on slaughter day. Well, maybe not those words exactly but remember I get to have a little creative license here. It brought a massive smile (not that I ever am without one these days) that someone got to see me in my whites and as she said “my element.” I never had an element before and now that I have one I feel incredible. I feel alive. I feel like my purpose has brought meaning to my everyday.
Head Chef and I had a conversation a few times this week as he was doing his Mise and I was helping. One of the conversations was about the fries that I was working on. He told me that when he was at the Fat Duck (http://www.fatduck.co.uk/) working with Heston Blumenthal that another of his projects was working on fries. He told me that the “perfect” batch of fries takes three days and then proceeded to give me a tip as to how to ensure that the texture on the inside of the fry is like mashed potatoes but the outside is nice and crispy. As always I will not elaborate how he did it or taught me to do it. But if you do want a great fry come on down and I’ll be happy to give you the best fries you’ve ever had. This caused me to start looking at how I evaluate food. How I can improve upon every day things. How I can start to think of things outside of the box and be rewarded for it. It is a great realization to come to. Although currently Heston Blumenthal and molecular gastronomy are a stretch for me (and if you say it isn’t for you then you’re much better than I and we should talk). I mean his methodology to me is akin to Ferrari racing. The best, most critical and sensational things from the most commonplace. Truly inspired and something to which to aspire.
Chef J has also started revealing things to me. I guess now that the initial uncertainty is gone everyone at Reservation has seen that I am in it for the long haul. Chef J revealed to me what he puts in his curry among many other things this week. I like speaking with him as he is very understated. His demeanor is calm but firm and he has an eye for detail (as all Chefs must if they ware good). I have a lot to learn from him and look forward to learning all I can from him.
One of the gentlemen that helped get me the job and I have become fast friends. He and I go out and have a drink about once a week and it is like we’ve known each other forever. E is a young up and comer. He is knowledgeable, intelligent, spirited, passionate and a straight shooter. I look forward to our friendship growing and what’s more knowing him for a long time to come. As I always like to say he is “good people.”
I’ve started paying attention to everything that I do in a day. And when I say attention I analyze what I’m doing and the impact it has n the end result. I make my list and cross things off. I have started monitoring my time and trying to get a fix on how long things should take. An example of one of the things that I’m paying attention to is ordering. I’m piecing together the process and the result. I am making note of what gets ordered, what it is used for, what it costs. All things that are going to benefit me in the future when it is my time to do the ordering for Reservation but what’s more when I have my own restaurant. I make a concerted effort everyday to speak with the suppliers that are bringing things in and I make sure that everyone that comes and goes hears that I am fabulous and that I hope they have a great day. I feel that just that little thing is enough to change people’s lives, consistency, brought on by purpose and joy. Do you know what I mean?
Thursday night I also got to go see my friends MoBadAss play their first Toronto show. In fact I am the official documentarian for them which is nice because it gives me another outlet as well. Remember that Executive Chef has told me that I need to have another outlet in order to recharge and unwind. I can understand why.
As well my Choron is getting better. I had a couple of them break on me this week and through trial and error I’ve come to the conclusion that I wasn’t cooking the eggs long enough. It takes a while to make one correctly but today I think I got it. Though it tasted good and Executive Chef even said so, “Pretty god,” were the exact words, but then Head Chef thought that it was a bit sweet and too acidic. Note to self reduce acid and possibly less tomato paste though I think that it may have been an especially fragrant batch of tarragon that was the culprit. Nonetheless I will get there. Ah mother sauces. The very foundation of any Chef worth his weight in Foie Gras!
So it is nice to be able to come home and write, as I’m not too tired. In fact I am going to read some more of Michel Bras’ “Essential Cuisine,” make some notes and write some more of the million questions I have rolling around in my head. I spend all day, every day, every waking moment laser focused on what I’m doing, on where I’m going and on what I am becoming. I really enjoy Michel Bras and have much to learn from him.
I still haven’t gotten a report on Le Parker Meridien’s burger. Though I’m certain when C gets to it I will find out just how fabulously Emile Castillo makes a burger. I myself can hardly wait to go down and give it a shot myself. I mean Le Parker Meridien you’d figure that a burger has to cost 50 bucks. But no a cheeseburger is 7 bucks (if you are in the know and know how to find it tucked down a narrow hallway).
I recall something that Paul Prudhomme once said that seems fitting; “I think the most wonderful thing in the world is another chef. I'm always excited about learning new things about food.” Me too.
I hope you all have a beautiful evening, perhaps nestled up next to your honey with some red wine (full bodied of course), a fire and of course some laughs. Have a wonderful evening, dream big and have an inspired tomorrow.
A la prochaine
SDM
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Take Two of a Cooks’ Snow Day
It has been at least a decade since Toronto has seen snow like it has been getting lately. Last night the North Pole visited our fine city again and dropped at least seven or eight inches making getting to work a very ‘fun’ (read pain in the ass) experience. Usually getting to work by the Streetcar should take about an hour. If I am fortunate enough to be driving (today I had no choice) it should take about twenty minutes. Well I guess the memo to Toronto drivers (read invading 905ers’ and beyond) didn’t get out. I was to punch in at 10 (though start at 9 as part of my learning experience which I’ve explained earlier.) as such I left my house at 8:10 thinking I would have more than enough time to get there for 9. Wishful thinking I assure you. It was my worst Sunday nightmare come true on a Wednesday. I got there as fast as I could. 9:21. Don’t get me wrong. I love the snow and I love Toronto. But I don’t love the invading hordes more marauding than Ghengis Khan and Hannibal combined. And yet I smiled. Which shocked everyone that saw my face driving and singing to Lauryn Hill.
Of course when I got there there was no parking and I read this as an indication of the day to come. Finally after moving my car a second time and paying another four bucks Chef told me that I could park in the Green P on the premises for a $10 max for fourteen hours. Done and done. But it did let me sneak in a smoke (only three today).
How did my day start? Bueller, Bueller! Naturally with draining and straining the stock, putting it into 16 litre pails, covering, label and organizing and then putting in the fridge. The other day I had let the pails sit out for a few minutes and Head Chef ran (not really running as it is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN in the kitchen) by and explained to me why we put it away right away. BACTERIA growth and our success to keep bacteria at bay. Easy enough lesson to learn and one that only needs to be explained once. This applies to all food. Not just stock. Don’t ever leave anything out AND definitely make sure that you mark what it is, what the date was and then put it away.
Today was the first day I didn’t really ask anyone what to do. Common sense, which is by no means common, dictated that I start getting the Mise ready for everyone on the line. As such I roasted an entire bus pan of beets. Peeled the carrots. Cut potatoes in three different ways with three different varieties. Naturally there was the Yukon Gold for the hand cut (my hand) French fries, Russets for gauffrettes and Fingerlings for rounds. Two of those starches are used by the Saucier and J who is the Entremetier uses the other.
This is a good time to explain the stations of a professional kitchen. Essentially you have the Executive Chef, then the Head Chef. These two positions are pretty self-explanatory. Then you have the Saucier (A in our kitchen). The Saucier in our kitchen is responsible for prepping all the meats, trimming, carving and creating the proper portion sizes. He is also responsible for preparing the sauces, grilling the meats and final plating along with Head Chef. In the absence of Head Chef and Exec it is he who runs the line. A is in his middle twenties and at the top of his game. He is about to go on another stage (10 days or so from now, maybe even less) at a fabulous restaurant in Oxford, England. After him you have the Poissonier (D in our kitchen). It is his job as the name suggests to butcher the fish, prepare it and then serve it. After him you have J who is the Entremetier who is responsible for all hot apps, soups, vegetables and starches. Finally in our kitchen you have S (a woman from Korea) who is the Garde Manger, it is her duty to prepare all the salads, cold apps and deserts. This team is amazing and very good at what they do. It is quite a spectacle to behold. And if you have the option to see a professional brigade at work you should. They are lighting fast and laser accurate. Think of SEALS, RANGERS, MOSSAD, GHURKAS or any other special force in the world.
I then had to vacuum pack various items including duck that our Saucier had just prepared and package it in units of ten. The Poissonier finished portioning some fish (Mon Fish, Salmon, Grouper) along with the help of SH who is one of the cooks at our sister restaurant. I had to pack away 3 different type of fish. I then vac packed the jus that I had completed last week and put it away for safe keeping in the walk in freezer. I learned another lesson on that note tonight. Do not lose any of the jus.
It literally is a sheeny black gold. I lost about a litre tonight as the vac pack seal did not hold. It put me in a pretty low mood for a bit as I know how valuable it is to Chef and in hard currency. I did apologize profusely. The problem was that I didn’t remove the spacer boards and as such the jus flowed over and spilled covering a good sixth of an inch of the vac pack machine. Good times, really! I told Head Chef that I owe him a few beers when the opportunity next avails itself.
I was scheduled to work until 8 tonight and as I mentioned earlier I got my snow day. I punched out at 7:48. AND I forgot to sign the sign out sheet. I was just excited to get home and write about my day I suppose. I realized it after I was about five minutes away. No big loss.
Exec Chef loaned me another of his books for my day off tomorrow. It is In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal. Though he did tell me to just look at it and not get to deeply into it. This plays on a component of our conversation last night in which he cautioned me from only devoting myself to this. A wise man; Exec Chef said that I need to devote time to my other passions (here is one obviously) but he made it clear that it had to be separate from the kitchen and with as much enthusiasm. He explained that eventually I will have to put the other on the back burner but for now it is important so that my head stays in the game. I understood what he was saying on numerous levels.
Another one of the fantastic benefits of chasing my dream is that it has caused me to start looking at myself, inwardly and those around me. It has helped me to start questioning certain things and to start writing again. A passionate soulful writing that is directly related to me as opposed to the world around me. It feels wonderful and it is a great legacy to hand to my children so they can see how I became the man I became.
None of this would have been possible without my family. Directly the love of my life C who has been an unconditional supporter of mine (which at times has been beyond hard she must be an angel, certainly mine). A constant source of inspiration and a graceful source of sage like wisdom. Her family, my family and my closest friends and you know who you are (who are part of my family of course). I thank you all for your guidance, your support, your love, your criticism but most of all your continued faith in me. I will show you all that you were right in more ways than one. I love you all! I value you and hope that some day I can repay your unfettered kindness.
J.R.R. Tolkien once said; “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Which brings me to another point. As I studied Political Science and History while at University I’ve often wondered how much depends on the meals they (you know the marble halls and mahogany desk types) eat. I heard someone else say that the other day and I laughed as I thought I was the only one to think about that. I mean really, if Khrushchev and Kennedy had eaten a horrible meal in Vienna would I be writing this at this very moment? Would mushroom clouds have filled the sky because the Carbonara or Thermador was cooked incorrectly? Or if Kissinger had sat down a little earlier over some great French meal with the Vietnamese would less Americans have died? Pardon the pun but it truly is food for thought!
I hope you had a day filled with wonder and delight and make tomorrow an inspired day in your own personal pursuit of excellence.
Bonne Journee et a la Prochaine!
SDM
Of course when I got there there was no parking and I read this as an indication of the day to come. Finally after moving my car a second time and paying another four bucks Chef told me that I could park in the Green P on the premises for a $10 max for fourteen hours. Done and done. But it did let me sneak in a smoke (only three today).
How did my day start? Bueller, Bueller! Naturally with draining and straining the stock, putting it into 16 litre pails, covering, label and organizing and then putting in the fridge. The other day I had let the pails sit out for a few minutes and Head Chef ran (not really running as it is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN in the kitchen) by and explained to me why we put it away right away. BACTERIA growth and our success to keep bacteria at bay. Easy enough lesson to learn and one that only needs to be explained once. This applies to all food. Not just stock. Don’t ever leave anything out AND definitely make sure that you mark what it is, what the date was and then put it away.
Today was the first day I didn’t really ask anyone what to do. Common sense, which is by no means common, dictated that I start getting the Mise ready for everyone on the line. As such I roasted an entire bus pan of beets. Peeled the carrots. Cut potatoes in three different ways with three different varieties. Naturally there was the Yukon Gold for the hand cut (my hand) French fries, Russets for gauffrettes and Fingerlings for rounds. Two of those starches are used by the Saucier and J who is the Entremetier uses the other.
This is a good time to explain the stations of a professional kitchen. Essentially you have the Executive Chef, then the Head Chef. These two positions are pretty self-explanatory. Then you have the Saucier (A in our kitchen). The Saucier in our kitchen is responsible for prepping all the meats, trimming, carving and creating the proper portion sizes. He is also responsible for preparing the sauces, grilling the meats and final plating along with Head Chef. In the absence of Head Chef and Exec it is he who runs the line. A is in his middle twenties and at the top of his game. He is about to go on another stage (10 days or so from now, maybe even less) at a fabulous restaurant in Oxford, England. After him you have the Poissonier (D in our kitchen). It is his job as the name suggests to butcher the fish, prepare it and then serve it. After him you have J who is the Entremetier who is responsible for all hot apps, soups, vegetables and starches. Finally in our kitchen you have S (a woman from Korea) who is the Garde Manger, it is her duty to prepare all the salads, cold apps and deserts. This team is amazing and very good at what they do. It is quite a spectacle to behold. And if you have the option to see a professional brigade at work you should. They are lighting fast and laser accurate. Think of SEALS, RANGERS, MOSSAD, GHURKAS or any other special force in the world.
I then had to vacuum pack various items including duck that our Saucier had just prepared and package it in units of ten. The Poissonier finished portioning some fish (Mon Fish, Salmon, Grouper) along with the help of SH who is one of the cooks at our sister restaurant. I had to pack away 3 different type of fish. I then vac packed the jus that I had completed last week and put it away for safe keeping in the walk in freezer. I learned another lesson on that note tonight. Do not lose any of the jus.
It literally is a sheeny black gold. I lost about a litre tonight as the vac pack seal did not hold. It put me in a pretty low mood for a bit as I know how valuable it is to Chef and in hard currency. I did apologize profusely. The problem was that I didn’t remove the spacer boards and as such the jus flowed over and spilled covering a good sixth of an inch of the vac pack machine. Good times, really! I told Head Chef that I owe him a few beers when the opportunity next avails itself.
I was scheduled to work until 8 tonight and as I mentioned earlier I got my snow day. I punched out at 7:48. AND I forgot to sign the sign out sheet. I was just excited to get home and write about my day I suppose. I realized it after I was about five minutes away. No big loss.
Exec Chef loaned me another of his books for my day off tomorrow. It is In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal. Though he did tell me to just look at it and not get to deeply into it. This plays on a component of our conversation last night in which he cautioned me from only devoting myself to this. A wise man; Exec Chef said that I need to devote time to my other passions (here is one obviously) but he made it clear that it had to be separate from the kitchen and with as much enthusiasm. He explained that eventually I will have to put the other on the back burner but for now it is important so that my head stays in the game. I understood what he was saying on numerous levels.
Another one of the fantastic benefits of chasing my dream is that it has caused me to start looking at myself, inwardly and those around me. It has helped me to start questioning certain things and to start writing again. A passionate soulful writing that is directly related to me as opposed to the world around me. It feels wonderful and it is a great legacy to hand to my children so they can see how I became the man I became.
None of this would have been possible without my family. Directly the love of my life C who has been an unconditional supporter of mine (which at times has been beyond hard she must be an angel, certainly mine). A constant source of inspiration and a graceful source of sage like wisdom. Her family, my family and my closest friends and you know who you are (who are part of my family of course). I thank you all for your guidance, your support, your love, your criticism but most of all your continued faith in me. I will show you all that you were right in more ways than one. I love you all! I value you and hope that some day I can repay your unfettered kindness.
J.R.R. Tolkien once said; “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Which brings me to another point. As I studied Political Science and History while at University I’ve often wondered how much depends on the meals they (you know the marble halls and mahogany desk types) eat. I heard someone else say that the other day and I laughed as I thought I was the only one to think about that. I mean really, if Khrushchev and Kennedy had eaten a horrible meal in Vienna would I be writing this at this very moment? Would mushroom clouds have filled the sky because the Carbonara or Thermador was cooked incorrectly? Or if Kissinger had sat down a little earlier over some great French meal with the Vietnamese would less Americans have died? Pardon the pun but it truly is food for thought!
I hope you had a day filled with wonder and delight and make tomorrow an inspired day in your own personal pursuit of excellence.
Bonne Journee et a la Prochaine!
SDM
Friday, February 1, 2008
Snow Day – If you’re not a Cook!
Toronto was blanketed today with an insane amount of snow and for the first time in ages it was the thick, wet, packing almost what you would imagine North Pole snow to be like. Of course living in Canada I am very used to the snow and Toronto on any given year can be on the receiving end of the lake effect. Fortunately most of the time it hits America’s armpit; also known as Buffalo. Speaking of which you know who I’m going for in the Superbowl? Who cares; I’m working. But my love will certainly be cheering for the Giants.
Can anybody guess how my day started? Stock, Remi and Demi of course. Didn’t take long to figure that one out I hope. As I was doing this I also was doing the receiving for the day. First the grouper came in; “But where is the monk fish I asked?” Later was the answer. For some reason snow turns this city into a well congested mess. Delay. Delay. Delay. But the monk fish did come in the afternoon so no harm no foul. Then came the dairy and frozen goods. Lots of them. 3 cases whipped cream, 2 cases butter, and the brunch items for Sunday, you get the idea.
Then came the bread and the veggies. We consume a ridiculous amount of vegetables. Far more than any of you would think. Our order generally fills two or three type written pages with everything from Butternut Squash, Herbs and Tomatoes to Baby Carrots, Baby Beets and Fennel. It crosses the spectrum of everything that you could imagine. And we use it very quickly.
Looking at the function sheets for tomorrow I saw an event at 11 and another later. So it is time to do the prep. I know to all of you prep must sound boring but really it is an opportunity to get your Mise en Place correct, get much needed practice in the fine art of your knife work (I am getting better at brunoise) and get a feel for the amounts that are needed for various sizes of functions. The one starting in the morning is for 60 adults and 12 kids. There is a lot of prep involved for an event like this. But as I said it gives me the opportunity to learn new things and get better at things I’ve already been shown.
Obviously as service was going to be relatively slow tonight (though much better than expected) due to the snow storm it gave me time to do all kinds of prep. It has been snowing now for a full twenty-four hours. This allowed me to learn how to prepare new dishes for functions. Get better at telling when the demi is ready to be taken off the stove and refrigerated. I got to prepare the Bruschetta today which meant practicing my brunoise with something even hard than an onion or shallot. A TOMATO. And it truly did help my knife skills as I started to feel a bit more confidant though still fairly slow. But a great beginning at a very difficult skill. Moreover, once I had finished (or so I thought) I had chef taste it. It took a couple of seasonings but finally; “Perfect!” I didn’t quite pat myself on the back but it did feel good to hear that from Exec Chef.
Just as I had asked Exec Chef to identify his main influence I asked Head Chef today. Without skipping a beat he said Marco Pierre White. I only now found out about Marco Pierre White (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Pierre_White) I asked why and Head Chef simply answered that he was a hard ass. I took it at par at that moment but after researching when I got home. Come on, 3 Michelin Stars at 33. Shiiiiiiiit! Someone worth delving further into to be sure. He has a picture in one of his book of Gordon Ramsay crying in one of his kitchen. GORDON RAMSAY crying! Shiiiiiit!
I then learned how to make Truffle scented Aioli. Ah, yes please. Incidentally did any of you realize that the reason that pigs and dogs can be trained to find Truffles is because it gives off a scent that is identical to their olfactory senses as that of the pheromones of their partners? No wonder those little buggers dig and dig and dig. I mean I would too. Wouldn’t you? Not to mention the fact that the prize they find can cost up to $200 for a single Truffle. I’m sure for the herders it is a pretty good return on investment. But back to the Aioli. It is far more complicated than it seems. I could get into the minutiae but as I said before in an earlier post I do not want to betray any of the secrets that the Chefs have. If you’re really curious about the generalities of it you can go here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aioli. I had always thought that Aioli was from Italy but as I learned last week it is actually from Provence. And have any of you even wondered why the French became so dependant on sauces; Bueller, Bueller – Quite simply their food sucked ASS (perhaps the reason French women are so skinny?) so they needed to mask it. Naturally it has gotten better with time as have their sauces but that is the original reason. After making the “perfect” seasoned and tasting Aioli (YES!) I moved onto a mango infused Aioli. Again not easy and again “well done!” Double YES!
I then did some more prep work for the function and then started doing a thorough scrub down of the kitchen. C could easily tell anyone that one thing I hate is cleaning. The vacuum cleaner sends me running faster than a Cheetah after an Antelope (or Coyote after Road Runner)S and generally I don’t like cleaning. I think it is a throw back to my childhood but I can’t be certain. At any rate, cleaned the prep stove, range and convection oven. Thoroughly cleaned the underside of the station table as well as the bins for flour, salt flour and sugar. Again I hate cleaning but not nearly as much as I love my new path. Then we deck scrubbed the floor and mopped it. A long day but after completion Head Chef gave the prop fist and said on you go. Had it been busy I would still be there. Right about now cleaning so I guess I also had a bit, an itsy bitsy little bit of a snow day bump.
I hope that everyone’s day was as inspired, beautiful and rich as mine. If not tomorrow is another day. Shoot for the stars. If I can do this you too can do anything you want. What are you afraid of? What are you waiting for?
There is an old Punjabi proverb that says; “Eat moderately, walk on the straight path, and you needn’t worry.” Now how true is that! I leave it with you. Talk amongst yourselves.
Be well and laugh… It helps!
SDM
Can anybody guess how my day started? Stock, Remi and Demi of course. Didn’t take long to figure that one out I hope. As I was doing this I also was doing the receiving for the day. First the grouper came in; “But where is the monk fish I asked?” Later was the answer. For some reason snow turns this city into a well congested mess. Delay. Delay. Delay. But the monk fish did come in the afternoon so no harm no foul. Then came the dairy and frozen goods. Lots of them. 3 cases whipped cream, 2 cases butter, and the brunch items for Sunday, you get the idea.
Then came the bread and the veggies. We consume a ridiculous amount of vegetables. Far more than any of you would think. Our order generally fills two or three type written pages with everything from Butternut Squash, Herbs and Tomatoes to Baby Carrots, Baby Beets and Fennel. It crosses the spectrum of everything that you could imagine. And we use it very quickly.
Looking at the function sheets for tomorrow I saw an event at 11 and another later. So it is time to do the prep. I know to all of you prep must sound boring but really it is an opportunity to get your Mise en Place correct, get much needed practice in the fine art of your knife work (I am getting better at brunoise) and get a feel for the amounts that are needed for various sizes of functions. The one starting in the morning is for 60 adults and 12 kids. There is a lot of prep involved for an event like this. But as I said it gives me the opportunity to learn new things and get better at things I’ve already been shown.
Obviously as service was going to be relatively slow tonight (though much better than expected) due to the snow storm it gave me time to do all kinds of prep. It has been snowing now for a full twenty-four hours. This allowed me to learn how to prepare new dishes for functions. Get better at telling when the demi is ready to be taken off the stove and refrigerated. I got to prepare the Bruschetta today which meant practicing my brunoise with something even hard than an onion or shallot. A TOMATO. And it truly did help my knife skills as I started to feel a bit more confidant though still fairly slow. But a great beginning at a very difficult skill. Moreover, once I had finished (or so I thought) I had chef taste it. It took a couple of seasonings but finally; “Perfect!” I didn’t quite pat myself on the back but it did feel good to hear that from Exec Chef.
Just as I had asked Exec Chef to identify his main influence I asked Head Chef today. Without skipping a beat he said Marco Pierre White. I only now found out about Marco Pierre White (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Pierre_White) I asked why and Head Chef simply answered that he was a hard ass. I took it at par at that moment but after researching when I got home. Come on, 3 Michelin Stars at 33. Shiiiiiiiit! Someone worth delving further into to be sure. He has a picture in one of his book of Gordon Ramsay crying in one of his kitchen. GORDON RAMSAY crying! Shiiiiiit!
I then learned how to make Truffle scented Aioli. Ah, yes please. Incidentally did any of you realize that the reason that pigs and dogs can be trained to find Truffles is because it gives off a scent that is identical to their olfactory senses as that of the pheromones of their partners? No wonder those little buggers dig and dig and dig. I mean I would too. Wouldn’t you? Not to mention the fact that the prize they find can cost up to $200 for a single Truffle. I’m sure for the herders it is a pretty good return on investment. But back to the Aioli. It is far more complicated than it seems. I could get into the minutiae but as I said before in an earlier post I do not want to betray any of the secrets that the Chefs have. If you’re really curious about the generalities of it you can go here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aioli. I had always thought that Aioli was from Italy but as I learned last week it is actually from Provence. And have any of you even wondered why the French became so dependant on sauces; Bueller, Bueller – Quite simply their food sucked ASS (perhaps the reason French women are so skinny?) so they needed to mask it. Naturally it has gotten better with time as have their sauces but that is the original reason. After making the “perfect” seasoned and tasting Aioli (YES!) I moved onto a mango infused Aioli. Again not easy and again “well done!” Double YES!
I then did some more prep work for the function and then started doing a thorough scrub down of the kitchen. C could easily tell anyone that one thing I hate is cleaning. The vacuum cleaner sends me running faster than a Cheetah after an Antelope (or Coyote after Road Runner)S and generally I don’t like cleaning. I think it is a throw back to my childhood but I can’t be certain. At any rate, cleaned the prep stove, range and convection oven. Thoroughly cleaned the underside of the station table as well as the bins for flour, salt flour and sugar. Again I hate cleaning but not nearly as much as I love my new path. Then we deck scrubbed the floor and mopped it. A long day but after completion Head Chef gave the prop fist and said on you go. Had it been busy I would still be there. Right about now cleaning so I guess I also had a bit, an itsy bitsy little bit of a snow day bump.
I hope that everyone’s day was as inspired, beautiful and rich as mine. If not tomorrow is another day. Shoot for the stars. If I can do this you too can do anything you want. What are you afraid of? What are you waiting for?
There is an old Punjabi proverb that says; “Eat moderately, walk on the straight path, and you needn’t worry.” Now how true is that! I leave it with you. Talk amongst yourselves.
Be well and laugh… It helps!
SDM
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