My Last Supper (file under Interesting Question)

One of the nice things of having a little time to myself before starting at The Club is that I can catch up on posts and projects that I have been meaning to do for a while.

Melanie Dunea created a marvelous book called “My Last Supper.” In it she asks some of the most famous Chefs in the world what their last supper would be. In the introduction Anthony Bourdain says;

“If cooking professionally is about control – about manipulating the people, the ingredients and the strange, physical forces of the kitchen universe to do one’s bidding always anticipating always preparing, always dominating one’s environment – then eating well is about submission. About letting go.”

I’ve read this quote over and over again. I’ve thought about it quite extensively since I first read it because I agree with the sentiment completely. I think that cooking is about control of chaos or rather order from chaos. Whereas eating is about submitting to the dish, the person that made it and the environment that surrounds you.

One of the things that shocked me most about the book was the number of Chefs that said that they would prepare their own meal. Moreover, in most of the cases, the meals were something that you would not suspect, while in some, it was exactly what you would expect. So then, how exactly would these Chefs let go and submit.

The questions that were asked were; what would you want for your last supper? Where would you want to have it? Who would you want to be there? Who would you have prepare it for you? What kind of music accompaniment would you have? Along with their answers are beautiful pictures which also say something elemental about the Chef.

Each of these questions and ultimately their answers reveal an intimate portrait of the Chefs that answered them. Some of my favorite responses are as follows;

Daniel Boulud would have his last meal in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles with his dinner guests being Apicius, Bacchus, Careme, Escoffier, Bocuse and Ducasse with Ducasse as the Chef.

Ferran Adria, the worlds number one Chef from El Bulli would eat his meal in Tokyo, at Kiccho and have Escoffier cook it.

Eric Ripert would have a simple meal of toasted bread, olive oil, truffles, rock salt and pepper. And naturally he would prepare it himself.

Masa Takayama would have blowfish on a boat with Mozart playing live while they sipped on Bowmore Scotch over glacier ice.

Dan Barber; would eat his pig Boris; “If I’m going so is Boris.” Barber would cook the meal himself; “I’d have one finally chance to get it right.”

Thomas Keller would have Osetera caviar, Otoro, a quesadilla, roast chicken and Brie with truffles.

Gordon Ramsay would have a classic roast with Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy naturally preparing it himself.

Nobu interestingly enough would have Kenny G while eating Sushi prepared by his Sous Chef.

Mario Batali, ever the great eater would have an Italian feast of eight or ten courses including seafood, pasta and vegetables.

Jacques Pepin would have an eclectic, relaxed and informal meal of Brittany butter, Oysters, Iberico ham, eggs and roast squab.

Lydia Shire would make herself a 14 to 16 ounce Sirloin with fried parsnips ended by a Carlos Fuente Cigar (a woman after my own heart).

Raymond Blanc would have something humble and simple prepared by Bocuse.

Charlie Trotter would have many courses, raw, tiny and delicate seafoods. Miles Davis would play with Bob Dylan while Dostoevsky, Hemingway, Bukowski, Miller, Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson along with F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. His Chef Matthias Merges would prepare it.

Jean – Georges Vongerichten would have a Royal Banquet such as they have at the Grand Palace in Bangkok prepared by the Royal Chef.

Martin Picard (a great Canadian Chef) would have a multi course feast which would start with a kilogram of Caviar, butter and vodka. 2 one hundred gram truffles, one black and one white. It would be served in a forest with Bach as played by Glenn Gould. LOVED THIS ANSWER!

Ducasse would eat on Mars. He currently prepares special celebratory meals for the European Space Agency for astronauts on board the International Space Station.

Guy Savoy’s exact response was as follows;

“Dear Madam,

I thank you for your note and am touched by your admiration. Nevertheless, I have a phobic rapport with death and because of this, will never discuss my last meal. This returns me to my life’s philosophy: I talk about openings not closings.

Receive, dear Madam, my best wishes.”

As I said earlier the responses to these questions reveals quite a bit about these Chefs.

What would your last meal be? Who would be there? What would be playing? Where would it be?

I plan on answering these questions in the next blog post.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Open the door (file under Ever the Optimist)

The great Greek orator and statesmen Demosthenes (whom I was once referred to as ) once said; “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”

I could not agree more.

Last week I wrote about the occasion of the Executive Chef at what I will call The Club and I meeting. It was a great meet and greet which enabled us both to determine whether or not there was an opportunity for me at The Club and sure enough on Friday last, while speaking with Executive Chef, I was asked if I would like to come aboard.

Would I? An opportunity to join a great kitchen. To have steady, stable and regular work. No more of this splits stuff barely making forty hours a week. With benefits. Naturally it was a no brainer for me after consulting with a few people in my life.

Naturally, when I awoke on Saturday morning I sat in front of the computer and wrote my resignation letter. I thanked Chef for the opportunity to work with him. When I handed in my letter, rather than having him read it, I let him know that it was my letter of resignation and I think he had to know it was coming. Without Reservation was about to start slowing down for the summer and it would be impossible for me to survive on the hours I would be getting.

It was a great opportunity to work at Without Reservation. It gave me many lessons which I have internalized and will take with me for the rest of my life. I have come to realize more about myself and my dream as a result of my time there. Not to mention that I gained extremely valuable line experience in a busy downtown restaurant which gave me a great starting point from which to grow into a great line cook.

I now find myself in the enviable position that I have a week to transition before starting the next chapter in my dream saga. It is going to give me the time to put keystroke to paper on some ideas that I have had but had little opportunity to work on.

I am excited for this opportunity. To continue to grow on this path that I started only a year and a half ago.

Winston Churchill once wrote; “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

I just want to remind everyone that I am now answering any and all cooking/kitchen related questions at www.askachefintrianing.blogspot.com . You can email questions to me at askachefintraining@gmail.com.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Ask a Chef in Training (file under New Question)

Hello all. I apologize for my inability to write for the last little while. Lots going on and there are only 24 hours in a day. Though I wish I could figure out a way to have more, just not reality, not yet anyway.

I’ve had three questions at www.askachefintrianing.blogspot.com and I’ve done my best to answer them well. If you have any questions please send me an email at askachefintraining@gmail.com, I will do my best to answer them swiftly and appropriately, to the best of my abilities.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM