Finals Fever

It is a mad scramble for those who have not done the work all along. This is finals week for this phase. You would think after four other phases that most people would have figured out this happens every tenth week. There are those who miss days, for whatever reason, and do not even attempt to do make up work. Then there are others who turn in no homework throughout the phase and suddenly cobble together something just in time and receive some credit. My personal favorites are those who do absolutely nothing but show up, and are outraged to find out they are failing. I am still amazed that this happens. These people inherently have a sense of entitlement, not only from the school but also from life in general. I know that these individuals have no plans to pay back their student loans. Well, they sure have a rude awakening coming in the future should they ever succeed in finding employment. I have finished all my projects weeks in advance. This was not an easy task when you take into account that I have a home to take care of and a restaurant to run. I spent sleepless hours working on school projects after working in the restaurant each day. I have not turned on my television in six weeks. I have put my goal of maintaining a 4.0 at the top of my list. This is what is important now! Parties can wait, television can wait and all other frivolous activities can wait! I take care of my academics so that I do not have to worry about a fever.

All About The Blogs

These blogs started out as an English Comp assignment. They have developed along the way into something I did not expect. When in their infant stage I used them to vent frustrations, they then matured into introspective views. My writing skills have progressed with the help of technology and study. I have heard from friends and family that the blogs give them an insight to who I am today versus who they thought they knew. My only hope in the beginning was to write well enough to achieve a passing score. This has been accomplished with flying colors, but it’s not important anymore. What is important is that I have shown those who matter, my passion for what I do, that this is not a phase for me.  These have become my personal journals, on my growth as a culinary student, a map of who I am as well as who I am becoming.  I have been asked a few times whether or not I will keep writing after the requirements for the class are met. The truth is, I do not know. I would love to say yes without a doubt, but the workload from phase to phase changes, and with the Grill, my time is at a premium. This has been very cathartic for me, so my final answer would really have to be, wait and see.

Measuring Up

I have made some of my best dishes by accident, or necessity maybe. I love to be turned loose in a kitchen that is well supplied and let my creativity loose. I have always been chastised for my lack of measuring ingredients and writing down what I do. We as students have been taught about standardized recipes. I understand the need for this, I really do, but this is not cooking! This is more along the lines of assembly work. I know exactly what I have put in my dishes, I just do not always remember how much. I taste as I go along and adjust according to what I am looking for. I lose that creativity when I have to stop and write things down. This bothered me a bit until a Chef at school showed me his personal journals. These journals were dog-eared and well used. Not a single entry had measurements! Only ingredients were listed. Why you may ask? In the words of this Chef, “cooking comes from the soul”. I love that statement; it embodies everything that I do. Any fool can follow a recipe, only a Chef can create. So please forgive me if I forgo the measuring cups and spoons, but your taste buds will thank me.

Family

Sunday was a very busy day for Milo’s Grill. The VFW were having their annual district meeting and had hired the Grill to cater this event. I planned the menu, did the shopping and spent all of Saturday peeling potatoes and prepping most of the items. At $8.00 per person, the profit margin was going to be slim at best. With buying wholesale, I was able to keep the costs down and still have that impressive wow factor I was looking for. We had a ham carving station and a rolling tableside pasta station, something the VFW had never seen in their history before. Along with over one hundred pounds of freshly fried chicken, there was country style green beans, orange honey glazed carrots, coleslaw and real ‘mashed tators’ with heavy cream, butter and sour cream added. I managed to pull together the flavor profiles that would make my Chef Instructor’s proud to claim me as their student. I could have set this up as a serve yourself buffet style, but that was not the look nor the service I wanted to give. The food cost was met with a little left over, but labor would eat that up with no profit realized. My family came to the rescue. My parents, wife and little sister with her husband and kids in tow jumped right in and helped pull this off. They helped with the preparation and serving of everything. We as a family met and exceeded all expectations and had fun doing it. These family members drove 80 miles roundtrip to work all day free (ok, for chicken too) and I for one am extremely grateful.

Dressing For Success

I am near completion of my Associates Degree in the culinary field. Most of my fellow classmates and I have always followed the schools dress code. I do not attempt to alter the uniform in such a way to make me stand out; my dedication and skills do that for me. I have seen students who wear their pants backwards, bagged half way down their buttocks and just plain filthy. Some claim an aversion to fluorescent lighting in order to wear gaudy looking sunglasses. I have seen bright neon socks, colored tennis shoes and facial piercings that would make a tribal man scream. I would like to take you back to week one day one in my academic journey. The very first book we received on that day was Culinary Fundamentals. The first chapter in this book has nothing to do with recipes ingredients or knife skills. The title is simple ‘Professionalism’. A simple title for a chapter that should have made a huge impact. I would like to think that for most of us it did, for the rest, well, who knows if anything would make an impact? This chapter covered the dress code of being a Chef, the attitude of service that needs to be developed, the work ethics and moral code that should be in place and the respect that must be given and earned. As you should all know by now, I own a small diner, grill what have you. Yes, I wear a chef’s coat! Why? Because I wish to portray to the customers ‘Professionalism’. I could cook the same food in a t-shirt and shorts, but that is not what I want my customers to see. Something happens when I put on my uniform, much like Clark Kent taking off his glasses I become another person. A soldier, police officer, firefighter etc. has safety reasons among others for their uniforms, and yet it is a mentality issue. They belong to something bigger than just the individual does. It is no different for us as Chefs.

Chicken Taco Chili Take 2

On Monday, Milo’s Grill supplied lunch for the class at school along with some faculty and staff. Keeping in mind that this is a culinary college my nervousness on serving such a distinguished collection of Chefs is understandable. The last thing any cook, chef or student wants to see is a look of disgust on anyone’s face. I had brought a two-gallon slow cooker full of chicken taco chili (see previous blogs for recipe) along with extras such as cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips for toppings. Laid out on the table were bowls, spoons and napkins for their use. The first recipients were my fellow classmates; I watched and waited anxiously for their reactions. The feedback was unanimous the chili was a hit. I then went to invite the Chefs to partake feeling much more secure in my offerings. The look of approval on their face with the first bite was akin to euphoria for me. Having spent forty-nine weeks in the kitchen and classrooms with these Chefs making their recipes and being judged on them, presenting my own and earning their approval meant so much more. Who I am what I do and what I have learned was in that dish. The confirmation received on something as simple as that chili means much more to me then they will ever know. By the way, not a drop of chili was left to take home.

The Finish Line

Week 49 has been reached at culinary college, sounds so simple in terms of weeks. This has been 11 months of solid learning, new concepts and a re-triggering of dormant knowledge. With only 21 weeks to go until the Associates Degree is in my hands, I can finally glimpse the finish line. I have been fortunate enough in life to have my career raise my children and still have the time to pursue a dream. Cooking has always been a passion of mine as well as eating good food. The willingness to try the unexpected has opened my eyes to some of the most complex dishes ever to pass my lips. I was the “black sheep” of the family most of my life. Academics always took a backseat to having fun. I always felt that life was too short to waste a moment on study; it needed to be lived, fast and hard. As we get older our views on life change, priorities are shuffled and the important things rise to the top. I came to realize that preaching to my children about what it takes to get ahead in life would be better served with me following my own sermon. I have managed through hard work to stay at the top-end of my class, to maintain a 4.0 and near perfect attendance. I have done this mostly for myself, partly to show others I could, and a small percentage of “open mouth insert foot”.  What I find humorous is when I first started school at this later stage in life, there was disbelief and doubt of my following through. I am not saying anyone was against me per say, only that the support structure was not there. As I achieved hard-earned success in my classes, the foundation of support kept getting stronger. By never wavering in my passion, I showed family and friends that this was truly my nirvana. The finish line may be close for some, but for me it is viewed as another starting line.

Drink or Inoculation?

I remember as a kid growing up in the 70’s when the older people would get tired or rundown they would go to the local doctor. It was very popular during this era for a doctor to give you a shot of B-6 or B-12. This would boost your energy level for a week or so. During this period in time, most people also consumed a lot of coffee or Coca-Cola that was still made with a derivative of the coca leaf aka cocaine. What has become very popular in the last ten years or so is energy drinks or shots, meaning smaller drinks that are more concentrated. I myself have become very dependent on these and use them on a daily basis. I am constantly receiving opposition from friends and family for doing so. What I do not understand is what the difference in opinion now versus then is? Why is an inoculation acceptable every week and nothing but condemnation for the drink?

Being the Boss

We as culinary students dream of the day that we can own our own restaurant. The ideas that we have developed through learning and specific assignments geared towards just that purpose, have the majority of us thinking we will be ready for this. What no amount of training can prepare a person for is simple; an individual must have a take-charge personality. This does not mean you stand around and give orders, push people around or bully anyone with your rank. What it means is, you lead by example, you are the first one in and the last one out, you do not leave the hard or dirty jobs for someone else. You do them. You make sure your employees know that you do them. Only then can you expect them to do them and to do it without complaint. I have seen plenty of want to-be leaders in my lifetime that are not leaders, they are bosses because their bossy. I do not want to be the boss. I want to be the leader. The definition for a leader is a person who rules, guides, or inspires others. That is who I want to be, a person who inspires others.

Missing Something

I decided to go to the schools restaurant today, after having had a great experience with food and service the previous day. I figured I would order a Caesar salad and the crab cake appetizer to go because I only had fifty minutes before class started. You must keep in mind that this was a different class running the restaurant from the previous day. I am in my L’Ecole uniform, but still a paying customer. The fact that students no longer get discounts on meals plays a huge part in my expectations of service. Had I been paying less than full price, or had the dining room been packed than my level of understanding what was to follow would have been much more lenient. My simple order had passed the thirty-minute mark and I was starting to show my irritation. Nothing extreme at this point, just wondering mind you. When to my surprise the hostess and host were both extremely rude by becoming offended at my impatience. Basically making me feel as if the fact of the jacket I was wearing entitled them to not treat me with the same respect and dignity they would be required to show any other customer. I understand this is a teaching restaurant, but seriously, taking thirty-eight minutes to make this simple order and then not treating a paying customer regardless of their attire with respect is unacceptable. These particular students have missed something in their class.

Re-purposing / Cross Utilization

Planning and purchasing of food has taken a new approach in my life. With thousands of dollars invested in just product, I have to constantly plan. This means that nothing on my menu is just dropped in place because I personally like it or it is easy to make. What happens when there is leftover hamburger? Depending on the amount it becomes a chefs special of chili, or a bolognaise sauce for pasta. Leftover chicken breasts become, yes, you guessed it “chicken taco chili” or add some Sweet Baby Rays, shred the chicken and you have pulled chicken sliders. Planning the soup du jour is anything but haphazard also. Chicken noodle soup becomes chicken corn chowder with the addition of heavy cream, potatoes, corn and rice just as long as you did not put the noodles directly into the soup. Vegetable soup becomes vegetable beef soup by adding chopped up hamburger from previous service. The trick here is to always keep your inventory on your mind, know when perishables are reaching the critical point and have a plan in place for them. With today’s technology and information at your fingertips, there is absolutely no reason to throw much of anything out. Be smart, be creative and most of all be thrifty.

 

Chicken Taco Chili

Milo’s Grill will be running a chefs special this Thursday. It will be chicken taco chili. People keep asking what that is as if they have never heard of it. This is a great tasting dish and a nice change from the norm. Here is the recipe with all the directions needed.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 16 oz. can black beans drained.

 1-16 oz. can kidney beans drained.

 Two garlic cloves minced.

 One medium onion chopped.

 One jalapeno pepper minced.

 One green bell pepper chopped.

 10 oz. package (1 1/4 cups) frozen corn kernels.

 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce.

 1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes drained.

 1 tbsp. cumin.

 1 tbsp. chili powder.

 1 tsp. dried oregano.

 1 tsp. kosher salt.

 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper.

 Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts uncooked.

 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

 DIRECTIONS: Combine ingredients 1 through 14 in a slow cooker. Stir until combined. Place uncooked chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Thirty minutes before serving, pull chicken breasts apart with two forks. Stir and continue cooking.

Top with shredded cheddar cheese in center, and tortilla chips around the edge of bowl for dipping. Sprinkle fresh cilantro across the top and serve.

 

 

Letting Go

Ah the joys of being an employer. As a business owner in the trucking industry, my employees were self-governed requiring very little input from me. Occasionally I made the mistake of hiring someone whose personality was not suited to that type of life-style. This person would have to be held by the hand and guided through all of their decisions. This very rarely happens in trucking, but in a restaurant setting, it occurs on a daily basis. I keep making the mistake of assuming people will know what to do, because I know what I would do in a given situation. Everyone knows what happens when you assume, right? Yeah I thought so. I also tend to be a bit of a control freak. I will let you do things your way, and then come behind you and do them the right way, which of course is my way. All of that has changed now. I have had to make some changes to my kitchen team, one was appallingly needed and the other was forced upon me. I now have the team that was originally chosen and they are a great team under pressure. I need to step back and let them do their job without interference from me. I have to learn how to let go and trust them to do what they do.

Tightknit Community

As I have gone through culinary college, I have constantly heard how the chef’s in the metro area are a close community. The public often overlooks the fact that our chosen profession is one of service to the people, and yet we sacrifice our time, our family and sometimes even, our well-being to accomplish this job. The type of personality it takes to join these ranks is one of compassion, pride and giving without expectations of receiving. Just in the few weeks that I have owned my place, I have had the pleasure of experiencing what belonging to this family entails. From chef instructors who give of their time to help with the menu design and recipes, I have to say thank you to Chef Susie Judy without whom the grilled cheese would just be bland, for Chef Damico’s insight into how to keep a hamburger flavorful and perfect until service. Chef Zesch for his advice on how to keep my menu open ended for changes and Chef Shuman for catching all of my grammatical errors on said menu. As the weeks have gone by, I have experienced friendship and hard work from my fellow student Dana Whaley, who is never afraid to jump right in to a chaotic situation and help straighten things out. I have had ex co-workers show up at the back door unexpectedly and offer their time, not to mention my ex-boss Dan Langreder offering his time and support. For all these people to have only known me a short time, and yet make me feel as if my success matters to them in a very personal way shows what a truly tightknit community this really is.

What a Difference

It has only been a couple of weeks since I have opened Milo’s Grill. It took a lot of hard work just to get the place cleaned up enough to have an opening night. The previous owner never turned the hood vents on because she thought they were too noisy. I could not believe it when I was told about this. Twenty-two items on her menu were deep-fried. Without hood vents being turned on where did she think the grease and steam were going? Well I can answer that easily enough, all over everything. My crew went through three gallons of concentrated de-greaser just in the first week. This has been an ongoing clean fest since we have started. This place is finally starting to come together the way I see it in my vision. There is still a lot of things I will be changing and updating but at least I feel comfortable enough not to cringe every time someone I know walk’s in. Here are some before and after pictures.

Quality vs. Sustainability

We are learning at Culinary College that the area in which one opens a restaurant must be able to sustain said restaurant. This means that the income level and disposable income must meet or exceed a set limit based on the pricing of your menu. Quality products are not cheap by any means. This is reflected in the price that must be charged for any given item. Can inferior product be purchased and enhanced? The answer would be yes to an extent. There is only so much you can do before the flavor or texture is affected. The choice that must be made is quite simple. An Inferior product at a cheaper price with a higher customer base, or high quality product with a much lower customer base. Yet I have found a third alternative, a combination of the two, which allows me to keep rising above my competition and yet cater to those with less income. Problem solved.

Food Expressions

A painter expresses themselves on canvas, a poet through their prose. Shakespeare could work wonders with mere words, and Michelangelo worked upside down to paint the Sistine Chapel. A Chef in this day and age must be able to rise to the heights of artistry and express their selves. The food itself is the paint with the plate being the canvas. The menu is the book with the description of the dish being the prose. The next time you sit down in a good restaurant and look at a menu, take some time to notice, what story about the food is it telling you? When your plate arrives at the table, can you see the Chefs heart and soul in the dish? Does the flavor profile send a shiver of excitement through you? If for any reason the answer is no to any of these questions, then there is no food expressions here and you are eating for sustenance only.

Proper Preparation?

Let us assume you have a dining room that seats three hundred guests. This will be a Friday night in an area that likes their fish platters. Along with the filets that will be hand breaded, you have four sides to choose any two items to go with the plate. We cannot forget that there are those who do not like fish and will choose other items off the menu. The question here is how much of the side items does one make and how much fresh fish do you purchase? The answer may surprise you. Wait for it. You are wrong no matter what you do. You will either purchase too much or too little of everything. Why? Because the customers that night want that fancy new grilled ham and cheese sandwich you came up with or they just want a cheeseburger. On the other hand, you maybe only allowed for 75% of the customers to order the fish platter and 90% want it. Either way, you are wrong. Proper preparation starts with your best guess and work from there.

Making Things Right

The customer is always right. That is and always should be the mantra of any customer driven business. There should never be any wiggle room here. Without the customer base, you do not have a business. What you have is a lot of stock and an empty room. I have had a few irate customers and the first thing that must be accomplished is to diffuse their temper and calm them down. The customer needs to feel as if they are important and their needs matter. They should feel this way because they chose to come to your establishment with their hard-earned money. For the same reason we should appreciate the fact that they did. There is an old proverb that says “to err is human, to forgive is divine”. Acknowledge the error, own it and repair it then manipulate the customer into being “divine”.

Grilled Cheese 101

When we first started this phase, there was a major conversation about grilled cheese. The Chef instructor told us of her going to a restaurant and getting a grilled cheese that was horrible. She then showed up the next day and put her class through the grinder on making grilled cheese sandwiches repeatedly until they were perfect. The reason I repeat this story and share it with you the reader is simple. I was astounded that something as simple as this sandwich can be messed up. Recently I experienced a trained culinarian slap some cheese on Texas toast with no butter, place it on the flattop and cover it with a lid. I went ballistic, how can a person have went through the same training I have and not know how to do this? A grilled cheese sandwich is basic cooking 101 that almost every child in America has learned how to do by age ten.

Thinking About Food

I am always thinking about food. How it influences our lives on a daily basis. Whether it is to celebrate, mourn or just something we must have in order to survive. As a family, we gather at meals to talk about the day’s events. As a couple, we have romantic dinners. From back yard barbeques to chili cook-offs. Why for Christ’s sake we even have eating contests in which the winner can eat the most! Let us not forget clam bakes and luau’s, pig roasts and block parties. Food is the most talked about subject of all time in my opinion. It does not matter what your age, gender or religious background may be, food is a common topic to all and always an icebreaker.

First Impressions

Yes, it is another blog about Milo’s Grill. I am sorry but since this place is taking all my free time, it is constantly on my mind. I have designed everything from the menu to the color scheme of the employee’s. I keep trying to look at the place from a customer point of view. My team and I have only one chance to impress each customer. As they walk to the counter, they are judging us. What do they see? I ask myself this repeatedly. I even go so far as to have the wife take pictures while we work for me to study later. I want them to see cleanliness, uniformity, professionalism and warmth. I want them to feel a sense of ownership here; this is their place as well as mine. I want their compliments as well as their complaints. This is how we grow, how we change, and we better ourselves. First impressions are made in a moment that can last forever.

Shoppers Delight

I have been doing a lot of shopping for the new Grill I have opened. I have gotten cards at all the restaurant supply places around the Metro area. I have to say my favorite one so far has to be The Restaurant Depot on Manchester in St. Louis. They do not sell to the general public, a business license is required to shop here. I feel sorry for the ones who have never been inside this “Holy Land for Chefs”.  The cheese aisle alone could hold my interest forever. This place has all the equipment, paper products, cookware, and gadgets a Chef/Restaurant owner could want. What could be better than that? They also have all the food and ingredients to use that equipment to prepare and plate. I found my happy place.

Working Out The Kinks

Well the grill is open and had a trial run this past Friday night. I have what I think is a great crew. We had decent sales despite the fact that not a lot of people knew we were going to be open. This was to be our chance to design how the team works and what the requirements are. Some changes definitely have to be made in who goes where, and how the communication needs to be handled. I did find my time on the grill was limited due to the public relations factor. I am hoping these taper off so that I can actually do more in the kitchen. Everyone wants a piece of my time and I just want to cook. It will be a fine balancing act I am sure. Once I can get the purchasing on a rotational schedule, things should even out a bit. Right now, I find a lot of my time this past week was spent in just purchasing. Shopping has never been something I enjoy. As a team, my kitchen staff is on a fast track learning curve. As an owner I have to remember at all times that, they are new to this, and so am I. Someone has to pretend they know what they’re doing, I guess that’s me.

I Told You So

We have been in culinary school for almost eleven months. From day one, we have heard from every Chef that owning or managing a restaurant is hard work. It takes dedication, hard work and many unpaid hours to get it off the ground. The place will be on your mind from the time you wake up until you go to sleep. If you created this restaurant from scratch, then it is your baby. If you are a parent then this next part is easy to understand. Once conceived it’s all you think about, once born you want to nurture it and watch it grow. You make plans for its future, and strive to put in place all it needs to succeed. This place is truly your child, and if it fails, you ask yourself “where did I go wrong?” I have only had my establishment one week, and yet all of these things have played out. Sleep has become a luxury I cannot afford, for there is always something that needs to be done. I am still in my infant stage with this and yet I can already see I will have to forcefully disconnect at times to have a life outside of the restaurant. I dare not complain, for with a knowing grin and maybe even a chuckle or two those who have been here before me will say, “I told you so”.

It All Sounds So Simple

Wow! Life can be ironic at times. We are doing a major project for mid-terms that will work its way into finals. Creating our own restaurant from start to finish and everything that entails. As I am putting the finishing touches on a much labored over project, the phone rings. On the other end was opportunity knocking very loudly. It seems that the people running the kitchen at my local V.F.W. has given up and walked away. It would seem that poor management skills, bad purchasing practices and an overall lack of business planning has done them in. Shades of kitchen rescue dancing in my head I ask why me? The V.F.W. Commander tells me how he got my name and number and what he has heard about me. A good work ethic and moral code has paid off. He wants to know if I can run the kitchen and draft up a menu and plan. I say yes, and get to work on it right away. All I have to do at this point is take my homework project, scale it back and change a few things. Sounds pretty simple in theory, and then the reality sets in. This is highly involved, what with purchasing to cover the menu, not to mention creating a menu, hiring at least three employees. This has gone from something simple into the realm of impossible. I just have to remember, others do these things on a daily basis, and if they can do it, so can I.  This is what I’ve been training for.

What The People Want

I have been working on a menu. What I have found is it is too easy to slip into a comfort zone of creating what I like. The customer is whom I have to appeal to, not my personal taste. With this in mind, I re-draft the menu and start getting other opinions. Corrections and changes are made repeatedly. What I am finding myself doing is making changes according to what I am hearing each person say. Some of these changes are very insightful and helpful. I need to be more mindful of whose opinion I am listening to. Someone with experience and knowledge of the industry, such as my Chef instructors should be heeded. The rest of the people I find are making the same mistake I did, they are looking at the menu with an eye towards what they like. The broader picture has to be kept in mind, something for everyone but not all things for everyone.

Running On Empty

I am not a Doctor by any means. What I do know from experience and common sense is the fact that food equals fuel for the human body. Without it, we lose cognitive ability. The body can survive for a time without food by burning the energy that we have stored from before. This is damaging in the end though, sugar levels drop and insulin levels will rise. This causes the heart to race, cold sweats and a multitude of related problems. By doing this to myself through most of my youth, I am now paying the price for the stress I put my body through. I find it ironic, as I look back over the years that I would never let my car or truck run out of fuel, but I constantly did just that to my body.

Stranger in a strange land

As stated in another blog, my culinary class went to PFG’s vendor expo at Hotel Lumiere. What I may not have mentioned is the fact that we were all in uniform. This consists of chefs coat, pants etc. well with that being said, we were done for the day and had all met in the front lobby to leave. Suddenly I had the urge to use the facilities and soon headed that direction. Much to my dismay, it is a long walk down somewhat of a narrow area due to the setup of the venders. As my luck generally would have it, an old man was shuffling along in front of me. My need was so strong at this point that I almost blurted out for him to move faster. Well I get there finally and take care of business, as I am washing my hands a large gnarled hand falls on my shoulder. This is something that does not happen in a men’s restroom, no sir, no way! I am immediately defensive as I turn. With a big smile on his face, there stands the old man who was shuffling along. He offers his hand for a greeting and commences to telling me he is on our Board at Le’cole. He informs me of how they got their start here and so on and so forth. I must have missed his name when he gave it due to the shock of being touched in a restroom. I ask him his name again and to my surprise, he says Orville Middendorf, and commences to tell me how he started his company with $4000.00 in 1962. In those few brief minutes it took for us to reach the front lobby, he never stopped talking and what’s more important, I never stopped listening.

One Stop Shopping

Hotel Lumiere was hosting the Performance Food Group show in downtown St. Louis this past week. This is an opportunity for all the local purveyors and vendors to gather in one place. A chance for everyone from aspiring Chefs to big name restaurant owners to see and sample their wares. My culinary class had the pleasure of enjoying this as a field trip. We were given two hours to wander around, sample the food, and talk with the vendors. I could have spent the whole day doing this. This was a great opportunity to get a peek behind the curtain. To really see where the food products in the restaurant comes from. Everything from packaging, processing, and storage of food, to the food itself was available to see and sample. Bookkeeping programs, human resource classes to point of sale systems were there for our perusal. Any item that caught your attention was guaranteed to lead into a productive conversation. I met individuals there that are able and more than willing to help further my career. The atmosphere was like a family gathering instead of a vendors show. I have not been to many food events, but if this is the normal attitude, well then sign me up! 

Becoming a Vegetarian

I started school in December of 2012. During our first phase, we watched a few movies in class, like Food Inc. and Forks over Knives. I was appalled at most of the things I seen in these movies. However, not appalled enough to stop eating meat. My wife on the other hand viewed these movies from a different perspective then me. She has spent the majority of her life in animal control, humane society or assorted animal rescue foundations. These movies prompted her to go on Net-Flix and find others like them. After finding several documentaries about food and related subjects, she announced from that moment on, she had become a vegetarian. I was sure this was just a knee jerk reaction to the brutality that was viewed. Not taking it seriously, I went on in my usual manner of preparing meals. Much to my surprise she would not eat what I had made and insisted on making her own dishes. It has now been nine months and her resolve has not wavered in the slightest. For all intents and purposes, she has become a vegetarian.

Learning from Teaching

My daughter-in-law is not much of a cook. However, she is willing to learn. An endearing quality on which we can find common ground. She always comes to me with her culinary questions. If for some reason I do not know the answer, I strive to find it. She also assists me at all family functions where I am required to cook. I try to instruct her as we go along with the things I have learned at school. The last time we were together, she wanted a dish that would be easy to make, but seem as if she invested a lot of time in it. I went back through my cookbooks and found a perfect dish for this Italian girl. Angel hair puttanesca topped with a garlic-seared chicken breast. I gave her the grocery list, the wife and I went over to their house for lessons and a dinner. Our time was well spent, dinner was great and I got to spend quality time in the kitchen teaching what I have learned. What I take from these experiences is the joy that I see on her face, the knowledge that she took these seemingly random items and created something wonderful from them.

Staying On Track

The pull of the lake. Fish are biting, and I can only spend an hour or so with them. Soak in the hot tub; finish with a quick dive in the pool. Done by 9:00am. Time to get back on track with the homework. This is a constant battle with myself. The discipline required for this is much different from before. I was interested, engaged and enthusiastic about cooking. The history of my food and the proper preparation held my attention completely. It has been a long time since high school. These courses are a poignant reminder of what that felt like, boring and mind numbing. Even now, I find myself drifting off subject. The lure of something more interesting to do is pulling at me. I have to finish what I started, and give it 100%. I must stay on track.

Never Shop Hungry

I went grocery shopping for this camping trip after school. All I had for lunch that day was a salad. I was hungry while shopping. I thought I was planning my meals in a meticulous manner. Now that I am on day three, I find that I definitely over shot my grocery needs. This will not be a problem because it will all just go home with me. However, it is a lesson learned. I look back at my time in the store and realize what I did. I chose my groceries according to my desires at the time. Yes, I got what I needed for the meals planned. I also bought many extra items simply because they looked good to eat right then. Lesson learned. Never shop hungry.

Camping Ala Carte

Just because your camping does not mean you have to eat in a rustic manner. Take day one for instance. After setting up camp and relaxing for a bit, it was time to plan my meal. Entrée was an easy one, butterfly pork chop stuffed with bacon and wrapped with bacon seasoned to perfection. On the grill of course. Vegetable was going to be one of my favorites, blanched fresh asparagus with an awesome cheese sauce, my rendition of a Morney sauce. The starch would have to be potatoes. I would definitely have to kick those up a notch by sautéing some onion, morel mushroom and topping them with fresh chopped chive. A good bottle of wine. A great way to start a camping trip. The thing about camping alone, you do not have to slice the dessert pie. Even Alton Brown would have to say, “That’s good eats”

Its All A Matter Of Perception

There are those who will not eat pork. A cow is sacred to some. Dog and cat is a taboo food source for most. Horses must only be food product for other animals. Growing up in the country, your food more then likely consisted of rabbit or squirrel, venison was often on the table. Killing and cleaning your food was an everyday part of life at one time. What that food source would be depended on whether or not you caught anything that day. To judge another culture for what they consider food is presumptuous in the extreme. We as Americans whine and cry about world hunger, and yet we chemically euthanize thousands of animals a day. Rendering them useless for consumption just to appease our sense of right and wrong. While all the starving children go to bed with an empty stomach once again, we sleep soundly in our righteousness that at least no one on our watch is eating Fluffy or Fido. Its all a matter of perception, what is not food to you may very well be a delicacy to others. At the very least, it could mean the difference between life or death.

Trial By Fire

Training can only take a person so far. There has to be something inside each of us that training can't give. A work ethic that surpasses what the requirements are, a sense of responsibility to our fellow workers and our employer, a desire to achieve success through mastering our skill set. I had the luxury of some free time a few days ago, so I decided to tag along with my executive chef and learn from him what he was willing to teach. During our time together I learned of other students who have been through his restaurant. I got to hear about their strengths and their weaknesses. What we have learned in culinary school is taught in a controlled environment, for the most part there is no pressure. When you get that first job, put on the line, and believe me when I say, school is over, the pressure is on. This is the moment when who and what you truly are will show. Will you break and run? fall behind and fail the line? or will you walk through the fire and come out stronger on the other side? Those who wait till the last minute to find this out may have wasted their time and money.

Cooking For One

I am taking a four day camping trip by myself. A chance to unwind, to re-center myself  and relax. I started making my grocery list, planning for one and making scrumptious meals without a lot of labor. This chore requires a lot more thought. I want to spoil myself on this trip, so no easy hamburger helpers or hobo packs here. Now is the time these school-books will come in handy. I've decided, yes indeed, my grocery list will come from our international cuisine book. Each day will be another adventure, a trip to another country through their cuisine, without ever leaving the camper.

How Time Flies

I work on Thursday's. I have the whole third floor to myself. This is my chance to organize and get some deep cleaning done before the weekend rush. With no supervision, and no great expectations of much being done other then restocking needed items. I am not that person, so I exceed their expectations simply by being who I am. I have six hours, so with a plan in mind I attack that which begs to be done. The dirty jobs don't bother me much, so get the worst out of the way first, take the fryer apart and make it look new again. Flat-top is in my sights next and then on to the floors. The walk-in is begging for attention, here is where my O.C.D. is really going to kick in. Start by throwing out anything outdated, pull everything from their shelves and clean,clean,clean! Once this is done its time to label the shelves and place items back in according to serve-safe storage protocol. The day goes by fast, restocking only takes a short time. Now its time for a break, but wait, six hours are gone and my day is done.

The Wonder Of Bread

I recently finished with baking class, in which we made a variety of breads. I also had the opportunity to take home a 17 yr. old pre-ferment dough from our Chef Instructor. So I dug out the old bread machine, dusted it off, and commenced to playing around with different bread recipes. Incorporating the pre-ferment into most of them produced some amazing results, also a few catastrophes. While some were not exactly perfect by any standards, they were all edible. Which brings me to my point. Bread at its basic is nothing more then flour and liquid, start adding yeast and whatever else you may find in your pantry for flavor, and it can become whatever you want it to be. Bread is truly a wonder.

Fulfilling A Need

My wife's employer hosted a pool party on Sunday that was catered by an ex-NFL player, this individual also owned a restaurant in Creve Cour, Mo. Upon finding out I was a current student at Lecole, he informed me that one of our instructors received their start from him. This man was drafted straight from college to play for the St.Louis Cardinals and then went on to play for the Denver Broncos, what most people would consider the pinnacle of success, and yet this individual found something lacking in his career. His need to find that which made him happy, to find that place inside each of us that can be satisfied by the praise of others for making them happy. I find that the more culinary stories I hear, the more a recurring theme keeps presenting itself. The fact that one can be satisfied with what we do and produce as Chefs is a great thing, but the knowledge that we fulfill a need, that our skills are desired, that our work is appreciated and that praise is evident from the first bite fulfills a need in each of us, that what we do matters.

photo from Rockford Register Star

Smelling A Memory

Everyone, young or old, male or female, has one thing in common. That ability to trigger a memory by something as simple as a smell. For some it may be the perfume your Mother wore, or your Fathers cologne, for others its as simple as fresh baked cookies, bacon frying in the morning, or even a cup of coffee. My Mom is from Arkansas, they have a tradition that I have only seen done by a person from there, by most peoples standard its probably nothing special, but for me and my brothers and little sister too, it still triggers the memory of home life as a child, with no worries about tomorrow, no stress, no responsibilities except who's turn it is to take out the trash. A sense of comfort and protection, that all is right with the world and always will be. What could this magical dish be you ask? Only in the winter months, on Sunday morning, my Mom would make homemade buttermilk biscuits and cocoa gravy with a big dollop of butter on top. That wonderful smell coming from the kitchen always pulled our sleepy heads off the pillows, to stumble into the kitchen into a little glimpse of heaven, and as I sit here writing this at 50, I find that my appreciation for what she did is stronger now then it was back then. Because of her making a simple breakfast a special occasion, and only doing that one day a week in the winter months, I am able to recreate that any time I want, when things get stressful, the weight of the world too much or I ever lose her. I can go to my kitchen, put together the ingredients, and smell a cherished memory.

Old Dog, New Tricks

I am 50yrs. old, first born with 3 siblings, learned to cook at a very early age and have done most of the cooking my whole life. Needless to say, I am pretty confident in my ability to produce a very nice and hearty meal. Having said that, I was very confident when I started culinary school and assumed this would be a walk in the park, not even close. I was forced to re-evaluate the end results and the procedure I took to get there. I was very surprised to learn something as simple as water temp could change not only the texture of your dish, but the flavor as well. This is only one simple thing, and there have been many more since, I learned very quickly to forget what I thought I knew, open my mind, close my mouth and learn it all for the first time, again.

Taking a Shortcut

After finishing and passing the first part of my Culinary Degree, having done everything in a very strict and precise manner in which I had been taught. Never having had experience in this industry other then raising and feeding my family who always looked forward to Dad coming home because I believed in home-cooked meals, the shock of my first job in the culinary field was an eye-opener at best. At first I was appalled and almost walked away, but then I realized, even bad lessons are still lessons. What I needed to do was learn from this experience what I could, try to change the practices in question and accept that which I could not change. As long as I stand true to my values, my lessons and that which I have been taught is the right thing to do, then I have done all I can. Some things cannot be achieved by taking a shortcut

The Final Product

The Final Product

When a car manufacturer builds an inferior product, it is recalled because the manufacturer is held responsible. This holds true for almost every product that is made. With this thought in mind, graduating students are the final product from whatever institution has taught them, this is what they produce. Therefore when a school or instructor, insists on passing an inferior product through the system in order to meet a quota or to keep the finances in place that were awarded, they should be held accountable for turning out that inferior product. We live in a world of "everyone gets a trophy" when there are no losers, how do you know who the winners are?