This post has no point except to post funny videos.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Plan A
YES!!! This new cook may just work out!! That means I may actually have a day off next week for the chili cook-off!! Sunday, I am doing a test run with some secret spices that I have picked out for the chili cook-off. Hope they work, because I'm pretty confident they will. So confident that I have literally no Plan B whatsoever.
Being a chef requires a knowledge of tastes and flavors, and you have to know what works and doesn't before you even try to make a dish...no time for trial and error. That said, you don't want to sleep on something as big as the chili cook-off, where I'm going up against cats that do NOTHING but make chili, so it's worth swallowing some pride and asking friends to check it out first. That said, this secret spice I want to use should kick some ass.
Even though I do not have a day off this week, I will be making the short hop to Baltimore Friday night to see my friends The Higher Concept perform at the Black Hole. Should be a great and entertaining show as always, it's not often they come down here to put on a show and I can get some friends to make the trip with me, so I'm not gonna waste the opportunity!!
It cost me 54 bucks to fill up my tank today, thanks Mr. Bush!!! Woo-Sah.
Being a chef requires a knowledge of tastes and flavors, and you have to know what works and doesn't before you even try to make a dish...no time for trial and error. That said, you don't want to sleep on something as big as the chili cook-off, where I'm going up against cats that do NOTHING but make chili, so it's worth swallowing some pride and asking friends to check it out first. That said, this secret spice I want to use should kick some ass.
Even though I do not have a day off this week, I will be making the short hop to Baltimore Friday night to see my friends The Higher Concept perform at the Black Hole. Should be a great and entertaining show as always, it's not often they come down here to put on a show and I can get some friends to make the trip with me, so I'm not gonna waste the opportunity!!
It cost me 54 bucks to fill up my tank today, thanks Mr. Bush!!! Woo-Sah.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Training Day
The revolving door of the kitchen smacked me in the face iun the last week. Basically, cook(s) quit, chef works, cook(s) get hired, chef trains...maybe after another week chef will have a minute to breathe. Yup, that's what is happening right now, and it couldn't be at a worse time for me with the cook-off getting closer and closer.
We had a cook give his notice a couple weeks ago, and some people would just bring in the next available person (err Latino) off the streets to fill the position. Not here though...I went through 4 cooks that came in day after day and did a follow with myself or the chef. Some with lots of experience, some with minimal experience...a week and a half later one of my cooks brings me a friend from another restaurant. It's almost a done deal when a cook that I trust brings me another cook...so maybe by the time the chili cook-off rolls around I will be able to take the weekend off. The way it was starting to look was that the kitchen would be too short handed to allow me the days off.
Personally, had the roles been reversed I would have bitched at my sous that he owes me big time for the ass kicking I would recieve in the kitchen (on a weekend) without him...but this is not the case and this is not my kitchen, so I'm pretty lucky in that respect. Let's hope that this new guy makes a good impact on the kitchen tonite, enough for me to want him back for a second day of employment.
If not, it's back to the drawing board and the cook-off is less then 2 weeks away!!!
We had a cook give his notice a couple weeks ago, and some people would just bring in the next available person (err Latino) off the streets to fill the position. Not here though...I went through 4 cooks that came in day after day and did a follow with myself or the chef. Some with lots of experience, some with minimal experience...a week and a half later one of my cooks brings me a friend from another restaurant. It's almost a done deal when a cook that I trust brings me another cook...so maybe by the time the chili cook-off rolls around I will be able to take the weekend off. The way it was starting to look was that the kitchen would be too short handed to allow me the days off.
Personally, had the roles been reversed I would have bitched at my sous that he owes me big time for the ass kicking I would recieve in the kitchen (on a weekend) without him...but this is not the case and this is not my kitchen, so I'm pretty lucky in that respect. Let's hope that this new guy makes a good impact on the kitchen tonite, enough for me to want him back for a second day of employment.
If not, it's back to the drawing board and the cook-off is less then 2 weeks away!!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hmm, This is Interesti...Oh Shit, My Mouth is Numb!
Isn't it cool having friends that live in other countries??? Like the ones that are close enough to you that when they come home to visit, you are among the small group of friends that they bring home gifts for as well. Well I have a few friends that fit into that category.
One of them came home this weekend from Beijing, my small gift bag included different varieties of teas and several spices not sold here in the states. The one that I really want to make something with tonight, but not sure if I should, is called "hwa jee ow." Good luck pronouncing that one people, as my friend David had trouble putting it into an English form that I could spell for others. I will end up doing more research on this stuff as the day goes on, but his wife told me it was typically used with pork as a seasoning if you were to braise the pork.
These things look like peppercorns, dark red in color and most of them are split open and softer then the peppercorns we have here. Before telling me what this particular spice tastes like or even does, I took a few and put them into my mouth...I wish I could tell you what the taste reminds me of, but I got nothing. Except...within 30 seconds my mouth went numb. Not from being too spicy for me, I'm the Mad Chef, ask me to eat a habenero and I'll eat two.
My mouth went numb people...no wonder this thing is illegal to sell here in the states. This will be a cool toy later down the line, and I have almost a pound of the stuff to play around with before I ever try to put it onto a plate. But for now I will stick with treating a few friends here and there to a very wild experience while I experiment with the flavors and its usage. Eventually I'll concoct some sort of dish featuring this spice, but one thing is for sure, it had to be the coolest bit of food I had tasted in a while.
One of them came home this weekend from Beijing, my small gift bag included different varieties of teas and several spices not sold here in the states. The one that I really want to make something with tonight, but not sure if I should, is called "hwa jee ow." Good luck pronouncing that one people, as my friend David had trouble putting it into an English form that I could spell for others. I will end up doing more research on this stuff as the day goes on, but his wife told me it was typically used with pork as a seasoning if you were to braise the pork.
These things look like peppercorns, dark red in color and most of them are split open and softer then the peppercorns we have here. Before telling me what this particular spice tastes like or even does, I took a few and put them into my mouth...I wish I could tell you what the taste reminds me of, but I got nothing. Except...within 30 seconds my mouth went numb. Not from being too spicy for me, I'm the Mad Chef, ask me to eat a habenero and I'll eat two.
My mouth went numb people...no wonder this thing is illegal to sell here in the states. This will be a cool toy later down the line, and I have almost a pound of the stuff to play around with before I ever try to put it onto a plate. But for now I will stick with treating a few friends here and there to a very wild experience while I experiment with the flavors and its usage. Eventually I'll concoct some sort of dish featuring this spice, but one thing is for sure, it had to be the coolest bit of food I had tasted in a while.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Love and Management
Saturday night....
In a 9-5 job it's the best night of the week, time to party and a day to recover from the hangover before hitting the reset button and having another Monday in your face. For the Mad Chef, it's the bottom of the 9th and we're down 5 runs...gotta be on point all night. My chef opened today so I was able to run the kitchen tonight. It is rare that my chef opens on a Saturday, but I guess he was tired of his sous chef getting off work before 9pm on a Saturday night at a restaurant that is closed on Sundays!!!!
280 on the reservation list to start, not including a banquet of 70 at 7pm. So thats what...350 covers by the end of the night? Sounds busy huh?? Ehh I guess it was, but I pushed out the banquet around 7:30 just before we began to get the evening rush, so it could have been worse.
I love running the kitchen on a busy shift, so long as the line is stocked properly. I love being able to correctly expedite an entire shift with no long checks, lost tickets, or returns of food. All of which were accomplished this evening. We won the game.
I have to give props to my former teacher in this aspect. Boo Young Kim, the GM of Acadiana taught me well. He is the fastest and most efficient expo at all of the Passion Foods restaurants (Ceiba, DC Coast, Ten Penh, Acadiana). I feel like I learned well, I follow his lead in every kitchen I run, and I aspire to be as good as he is. He's my Obi-Wan...although Darth Vader eventually beat him in the end, right??
It's an important thing being able to run a kitchen through a shift, it commands the respect of everyone around you. I am the final eyes before the food hits the table, I am the person responsible for keeping all in line. When shit hits the fan, the Mad Chef is the one who keeps things going.
In a famous scene in the movie Patton, Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. Patton are talking about the final push to claim Sicily from the Nazis and Italians. Frustrated with another impossible request from Patton's always scheming, forward-looking mind, he labels the man more perfectly than history could ever prove: "There's one big difference between you and me, George. I do this job because I've been trained to do it. You do it because you LOVE it."
I love a well functioning kitchen. What can I say??
In a 9-5 job it's the best night of the week, time to party and a day to recover from the hangover before hitting the reset button and having another Monday in your face. For the Mad Chef, it's the bottom of the 9th and we're down 5 runs...gotta be on point all night. My chef opened today so I was able to run the kitchen tonight. It is rare that my chef opens on a Saturday, but I guess he was tired of his sous chef getting off work before 9pm on a Saturday night at a restaurant that is closed on Sundays!!!!
280 on the reservation list to start, not including a banquet of 70 at 7pm. So thats what...350 covers by the end of the night? Sounds busy huh?? Ehh I guess it was, but I pushed out the banquet around 7:30 just before we began to get the evening rush, so it could have been worse.
I love running the kitchen on a busy shift, so long as the line is stocked properly. I love being able to correctly expedite an entire shift with no long checks, lost tickets, or returns of food. All of which were accomplished this evening. We won the game.
I have to give props to my former teacher in this aspect. Boo Young Kim, the GM of Acadiana taught me well. He is the fastest and most efficient expo at all of the Passion Foods restaurants (Ceiba, DC Coast, Ten Penh, Acadiana). I feel like I learned well, I follow his lead in every kitchen I run, and I aspire to be as good as he is. He's my Obi-Wan...although Darth Vader eventually beat him in the end, right??
It's an important thing being able to run a kitchen through a shift, it commands the respect of everyone around you. I am the final eyes before the food hits the table, I am the person responsible for keeping all in line. When shit hits the fan, the Mad Chef is the one who keeps things going.
In a famous scene in the movie Patton, Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. Patton are talking about the final push to claim Sicily from the Nazis and Italians. Frustrated with another impossible request from Patton's always scheming, forward-looking mind, he labels the man more perfectly than history could ever prove: "There's one big difference between you and me, George. I do this job because I've been trained to do it. You do it because you LOVE it."
I love a well functioning kitchen. What can I say??
Friday, April 25, 2008
Conceptually High, Feeling Low
What a day off yesterday was!!!!
I mean aside from getting back to my condo at 6am and working at 10am I really cant complain. I drove up to Staten Island to visit some friends who were holding their CD release party in Manhattan. The Higher Concept can throw down with the best of 'em. It's great to put this group on stage at a hip hop venue and let them do their thing, the love and respect is in the air as they step on stage. Always pouring their heart and souls into the music its easy to see why once you hear them you instantly become a fan, if for nothing else then to just appreciate what these guys bring to Hip-Hop.
Bringing up guests on stage every other song keep it interesting. Tekst, IB, and Matty J...stars individually, but a constellation on stage that sets them apart from many other acts in my humble opinion. Great production by J.Glaze and lyrics full of wit, acronyms, synonyms, autonyms, homonyms and church hymns. It's not your average "hip-hop" group by any means.
Guest appearences by Jack Brown of Sophistafunk (who just opened for Fergie and Sean Kingston in Syracuse) and Christina La Rocca of The Heavy Weather Band (funk) based out of Cleveland. My favorite guest appearence had to be by none other then the one and only Joy Luv...a mere 5'3 maybe and 105 lbs soaking wet, yet able to bellow out sounds that you would think was coming from a woman easily twice her size. Her vocals over "House of Dreams" made it easy to see why I expect big things from this young lady (teamed up with J.Glaze) in the near future!!
On a side note, I did get 2.5 hours of sleep...and the trip was worth every bit of pain and headache I am dealing with during this shift. Can't wait to see them down here in Baltimore next weekend at The Black Hole. 2 weeks until the Chili Cook Off!!!!
I mean aside from getting back to my condo at 6am and working at 10am I really cant complain. I drove up to Staten Island to visit some friends who were holding their CD release party in Manhattan. The Higher Concept can throw down with the best of 'em. It's great to put this group on stage at a hip hop venue and let them do their thing, the love and respect is in the air as they step on stage. Always pouring their heart and souls into the music its easy to see why once you hear them you instantly become a fan, if for nothing else then to just appreciate what these guys bring to Hip-Hop.
Bringing up guests on stage every other song keep it interesting. Tekst, IB, and Matty J...stars individually, but a constellation on stage that sets them apart from many other acts in my humble opinion. Great production by J.Glaze and lyrics full of wit, acronyms, synonyms, autonyms, homonyms and church hymns. It's not your average "hip-hop" group by any means.
Guest appearences by Jack Brown of Sophistafunk (who just opened for Fergie and Sean Kingston in Syracuse) and Christina La Rocca of The Heavy Weather Band (funk) based out of Cleveland. My favorite guest appearence had to be by none other then the one and only Joy Luv...a mere 5'3 maybe and 105 lbs soaking wet, yet able to bellow out sounds that you would think was coming from a woman easily twice her size. Her vocals over "House of Dreams" made it easy to see why I expect big things from this young lady (teamed up with J.Glaze) in the near future!!
On a side note, I did get 2.5 hours of sleep...and the trip was worth every bit of pain and headache I am dealing with during this shift. Can't wait to see them down here in Baltimore next weekend at The Black Hole. 2 weeks until the Chili Cook Off!!!!
Buttah, Baby...Just (Peanut) Buttah...
(Some more backlog...Wednesday)
So I didn't get to write about what I made last night for my special. I literally made a sauce off the top of my head. I love peanut butter...love it! It's my junk food, I guess you could say. So since I've been on this Asian kick I tried to make a spicy peanut sauce off the top of my head. Never have I made a sauce off the top of my head with such great success, it was kinda funny.
My prep cook just watched me as I pulled out this jar of peanut butter from our walk-in and looked at him and the other cooks and said "this will be my special sauce." After which I searched the kitchen grabbing in no particular order...champagne vinegar, searched some more...soy sauce, sesame oil...paused again...brown sugar, shallots, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, and white pepper. The sauce came out insane, definitely one for a future menu. I put it with some fresh Walu we had flown in from Hawaii (Escolar if you remember my past blogs) and a good stir fry...it was good stuff, people.
Congratulations to The Brain on his newborn son as of Tuesday around 7pm, named Gavin. What a cool ass name! Not because of that douchebag singer from the band Bush, but because it's got that cool British thing going for it that'll help him out with the chicks when he gets a bit older! Thus, posts have been slow, but we're getting back on track...
Tomorrow I am off to NYC for the evening for a cd release party for The Higher Concept. I will be back in DC to open the folowing morning, THAT...should be interesting. Should be a packed venue and a great show, lots of fun and a long damn night.
I finally got an e-mail from my "cook captain" whatever that is...that I will be receiving my official "packet," or whatever it is this Friday. And that they will be having an official "meet & greet" Wednesday, May 6th. Don't they know that The Mad Chef actually does this for a living!!!
It's bad enough I have yet to even think of a recipe or tell my chef I will need that Friday AND Saturday off to prepare for such an event...
So I didn't get to write about what I made last night for my special. I literally made a sauce off the top of my head. I love peanut butter...love it! It's my junk food, I guess you could say. So since I've been on this Asian kick I tried to make a spicy peanut sauce off the top of my head. Never have I made a sauce off the top of my head with such great success, it was kinda funny.
My prep cook just watched me as I pulled out this jar of peanut butter from our walk-in and looked at him and the other cooks and said "this will be my special sauce." After which I searched the kitchen grabbing in no particular order...champagne vinegar, searched some more...soy sauce, sesame oil...paused again...brown sugar, shallots, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, and white pepper. The sauce came out insane, definitely one for a future menu. I put it with some fresh Walu we had flown in from Hawaii (Escolar if you remember my past blogs) and a good stir fry...it was good stuff, people.
Congratulations to The Brain on his newborn son as of Tuesday around 7pm, named Gavin. What a cool ass name! Not because of that douchebag singer from the band Bush, but because it's got that cool British thing going for it that'll help him out with the chicks when he gets a bit older! Thus, posts have been slow, but we're getting back on track...
Tomorrow I am off to NYC for the evening for a cd release party for The Higher Concept. I will be back in DC to open the folowing morning, THAT...should be interesting. Should be a packed venue and a great show, lots of fun and a long damn night.
I finally got an e-mail from my "cook captain" whatever that is...that I will be receiving my official "packet," or whatever it is this Friday. And that they will be having an official "meet & greet" Wednesday, May 6th. Don't they know that The Mad Chef actually does this for a living!!!
It's bad enough I have yet to even think of a recipe or tell my chef I will need that Friday AND Saturday off to prepare for such an event...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Time Machine
Posting some backlog tonight...here's Monday:
Ahh yes, Monday...
The beginning of a new week and what a week it...uh, will be?? Nevermind, this week will suck.
Can you believe this frickin rain?? Two planes struck by lightening in the same day, accidents all over the place, and people slowing to 10 mph on every turn of the Beltway. As for the Beltway part, that was yesterday, and believe me, it really was like that.
I traveled on 3 different parts of the Beltway and saw 2 accidents, and took part in what seemed like an eternity each time. Left lane/right lane take your pick, they were all driving at the same speeds. I could've sworn when I learned how to drive that the left lane was known as the "fast lane," but maybe thats just me. I also saw gas at $4.05 in Bethesda. 4 bucks for a gallon of gas...where are we headed with this people? Really?? I stay away from political issues but I will just say its lookin like we are screwed on this one, huh?? We'll all be in European SmartCars before too long...
Today at work all anyone could talk about much the weather sucked, but personally my allergies couldn't be happier it's raining. But then again thats just me (and all allergy sufferers, I guess). I also got in the first sketch of my logo for new biz cards, future events, etc. I owe that one to my friends in The Higher Concept for knowing some crafty sketch artists. Now I'll pass it over to my friend Wes at Corporate Press to get me some classy cards.
We got some cherry heirloom tomatoes in today for me to play around with. I was going to do some variation of a Caprese salad today but given the weather I may cook these up. Some port wine to play around with for my sauce...Barramundi (Australian bass) as my fish, good stuff on a shitty day.
Ahh yes, Monday...
The beginning of a new week and what a week it...uh, will be?? Nevermind, this week will suck.
Can you believe this frickin rain?? Two planes struck by lightening in the same day, accidents all over the place, and people slowing to 10 mph on every turn of the Beltway. As for the Beltway part, that was yesterday, and believe me, it really was like that.
I traveled on 3 different parts of the Beltway and saw 2 accidents, and took part in what seemed like an eternity each time. Left lane/right lane take your pick, they were all driving at the same speeds. I could've sworn when I learned how to drive that the left lane was known as the "fast lane," but maybe thats just me. I also saw gas at $4.05 in Bethesda. 4 bucks for a gallon of gas...where are we headed with this people? Really?? I stay away from political issues but I will just say its lookin like we are screwed on this one, huh?? We'll all be in European SmartCars before too long...
Today at work all anyone could talk about much the weather sucked, but personally my allergies couldn't be happier it's raining. But then again thats just me (and all allergy sufferers, I guess). I also got in the first sketch of my logo for new biz cards, future events, etc. I owe that one to my friends in The Higher Concept for knowing some crafty sketch artists. Now I'll pass it over to my friend Wes at Corporate Press to get me some classy cards.
We got some cherry heirloom tomatoes in today for me to play around with. I was going to do some variation of a Caprese salad today but given the weather I may cook these up. Some port wine to play around with for my sauce...Barramundi (Australian bass) as my fish, good stuff on a shitty day.
Sorry for the Delay...
Lots going on this week with The Brain having a baby and my life all over the place, we'll have posts up shortly...thanks!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Save Flipper
So 2 diners on our patio order the swordfish and mahi today...no weird temps on these so the people seemed normal. :) But apparently after hearing a conversation from another table they called over a manager. The manager of course immediately came to the table to inquire about the situation at hand.
The people didn't want to necessarily complain, but ask a question and have their orders changed immediately. The question, why we were serving dolphin on our menu? Their reference?? The mahi mahi. The table beside them had evidently convinced the other table, and themselves I guess, that we were serving actual dolphin.
What do you say to someone like this? I for one must admit it was a new one for me...do I call Jessica Simpson and have her come over and offer an explanation on her conquest to save the dolphins?? Do I tell them "damn right we serve dolphin and you should get it while you can??" Of course neither will do for customer service.
My manager went into a very detailed description of each of the 9 fish we offered on our menu, concluding with mahi and explained the difference between a mahi (dolphin fish, not Flipper) and an actual dolphin you can see from the shore line with a long beak and tail fin that jumps out of the water. Not only do we serve great food at this restaurant but it is great to also know that my management team can talk their way through these kind of situations with a smile.
The people didn't want to necessarily complain, but ask a question and have their orders changed immediately. The question, why we were serving dolphin on our menu? Their reference?? The mahi mahi. The table beside them had evidently convinced the other table, and themselves I guess, that we were serving actual dolphin.
What do you say to someone like this? I for one must admit it was a new one for me...do I call Jessica Simpson and have her come over and offer an explanation on her conquest to save the dolphins?? Do I tell them "damn right we serve dolphin and you should get it while you can??" Of course neither will do for customer service.
My manager went into a very detailed description of each of the 9 fish we offered on our menu, concluding with mahi and explained the difference between a mahi (dolphin fish, not Flipper) and an actual dolphin you can see from the shore line with a long beak and tail fin that jumps out of the water. Not only do we serve great food at this restaurant but it is great to also know that my management team can talk their way through these kind of situations with a smile.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Cooking Well, Eating Well
Happy Friday, people. And what a Friday it turned out to be...300 plus covers on a Friday night. Typical given the new wave of weather we are having and being so close to the waterfront. That, however, was a breeze for The Mad Chef...have your line prepared, prep in place, and the night is just another one for the books as some say.
Last night is what I do want to talk about though. I had the pleasure of dining at a restaurant by the name of PS7, located downtown at 7th and I street. Beautiful little restaurant that has similar characteristics to Zola (a former haunt of mine) with its sliding doors leading from the kitchen. Our service was spectacular and very accommodating (we had to ask to move because our table on the patio seemed a little on the slant) for everything my significant other and I asked for.
We started with a "Lonzino Carpaccio" of house cured pork tenderloin topped with mango and garnished with sesame sticks, simple and absolutely delicious. My girlfriend ordered the sirloin au poirve medium rare, which was great and all but I have to mention the onion rings that garnished this dish. They were simply mouth watering, slightly crunchy but not overly coated with the breading that you still got great onion flavor with each bite. I am a sucker for fried food people...it's a vice.
My entree was a potato crusted Alaskan Halibut served with morel mushrooms, English peas and thinly sliced shallots...the morels being what made me order the dish. Guess where The Mad Chef will see these beautiful shrooms again next week?? Also, our wine was an excellent match for the food, a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon that shall remain nameless. But trust me, any Pinot from that area is damn good.
The dessert (that we shared) was a smoked pecan pie served with a lemon sorbet. The dish was garnished with a chocolate sauce that looked as if the person plating it had taken a careful hand with a paint brush going from one corner of the plate diagonally to the next. Sprinkled with just a hint of Fluer De Sel (a very, very good salt, great choice chef) to keep the dish from being overly sweet to the tooth. All in all it was the best dining experience I have had in several months and cannot wait to return.
3 weeks until the Chili Cook-Off people, have you gotten your tickets yet?? I have yet to receive my "rule book" which is going to break down what I can and cannot do...nevermind finding a tent that was flame retardant, I have a feeling once I receive this pamphlet I will have plenty more hoops to jump through before the 10th rolls around.
Cheers!!!
Last night is what I do want to talk about though. I had the pleasure of dining at a restaurant by the name of PS7, located downtown at 7th and I street. Beautiful little restaurant that has similar characteristics to Zola (a former haunt of mine) with its sliding doors leading from the kitchen. Our service was spectacular and very accommodating (we had to ask to move because our table on the patio seemed a little on the slant) for everything my significant other and I asked for.
We started with a "Lonzino Carpaccio" of house cured pork tenderloin topped with mango and garnished with sesame sticks, simple and absolutely delicious. My girlfriend ordered the sirloin au poirve medium rare, which was great and all but I have to mention the onion rings that garnished this dish. They were simply mouth watering, slightly crunchy but not overly coated with the breading that you still got great onion flavor with each bite. I am a sucker for fried food people...it's a vice.
My entree was a potato crusted Alaskan Halibut served with morel mushrooms, English peas and thinly sliced shallots...the morels being what made me order the dish. Guess where The Mad Chef will see these beautiful shrooms again next week?? Also, our wine was an excellent match for the food, a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon that shall remain nameless. But trust me, any Pinot from that area is damn good.
The dessert (that we shared) was a smoked pecan pie served with a lemon sorbet. The dish was garnished with a chocolate sauce that looked as if the person plating it had taken a careful hand with a paint brush going from one corner of the plate diagonally to the next. Sprinkled with just a hint of Fluer De Sel (a very, very good salt, great choice chef) to keep the dish from being overly sweet to the tooth. All in all it was the best dining experience I have had in several months and cannot wait to return.
3 weeks until the Chili Cook-Off people, have you gotten your tickets yet?? I have yet to receive my "rule book" which is going to break down what I can and cannot do...nevermind finding a tent that was flame retardant, I have a feeling once I receive this pamphlet I will have plenty more hoops to jump through before the 10th rolls around.
Cheers!!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A Rare "Day Off Eve"
Ahhh yes, its mid-week people and I couldn't be happier personally, because that means my day off is right around the corner. Ever heard of the term "day off eve?" Probably not because a former co-worker of mine at Olives named Jamal crowned that one...but I swear by it. It gets me through that final day just enough to make sure everything is OK before my brain goes dormant for 24 hours.
Yes, my days off are that important to me and I relish every moment I have of not doing a damn thing meaningful. Of course by the time tomorrow rolls around I'm sure I will have a list of things to do, given by myself or my significant other...you know they always have a few things you can do for them.
With the Pope in town today we were actually kind of slow. I wont complain about a slow night every once in a blue moon, so long as it is only that. We sold an overwhelming amount of Mahi today, and yet again, someone ordered it medium rare. This time, however, I made it as ordered...and it got sent back. Amazing! What do you say to that?? The guest asked for it to be brought up to medium at that point. No harm no foul, if you know my stance on serving Mahi medium rare, sent out a moment later as the guest requested.
By Sunday I should have more details on the upcoming Chili Cook-Off sponsored by DC101 as well as my graffiti art show in NYC with friends The Higher Concept. I just got confirmation that the date was set in stone for June 8th. Now it's on The Mad Chef to come up with a few different appetizers to entertain the masses, I cant wait!!
Yes, my days off are that important to me and I relish every moment I have of not doing a damn thing meaningful. Of course by the time tomorrow rolls around I'm sure I will have a list of things to do, given by myself or my significant other...you know they always have a few things you can do for them.
With the Pope in town today we were actually kind of slow. I wont complain about a slow night every once in a blue moon, so long as it is only that. We sold an overwhelming amount of Mahi today, and yet again, someone ordered it medium rare. This time, however, I made it as ordered...and it got sent back. Amazing! What do you say to that?? The guest asked for it to be brought up to medium at that point. No harm no foul, if you know my stance on serving Mahi medium rare, sent out a moment later as the guest requested.
By Sunday I should have more details on the upcoming Chili Cook-Off sponsored by DC101 as well as my graffiti art show in NYC with friends The Higher Concept. I just got confirmation that the date was set in stone for June 8th. Now it's on The Mad Chef to come up with a few different appetizers to entertain the masses, I cant wait!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tater Trouble
Who's bright idea was it to try and make gnocchi for the first time today?? Talk about using my kitchen as a test lab. Even one of my cooks tried to warn me how long and labor intensive it would be. My reply?? It's cool, I have an extra prep cook today so I should have all the time I need. And I wasn't going to try anything fancy by infusing another flavor into it. That will come next week, if tonite's sell well. Which is better for the 2 hours that it took me to make!!
Ever made gnocchi? Bake potatoes, peel potatoes while hot, run through a rice strainer, mix with some egg, a little flour and a good amount of salt and white pepper. Traditionally with Parmesan cheese as well. Then comes the fun part of rolling out fist sized bits of the potato into strands that you cut about an inch inch in length each, then place on a sheet try to cool in the walk-in before blanching them...and finally, they're ready to boil.
Maybe next time I will teach my cooks how to make this stuff because they had a good laugh at my expense with the painstaking effort I put forth. The end product? I had some yellow beefsteak tomatoes delivered today so I made a yellow tomato puree with onions, celery, capers, and a lot of fresh herbs. I added a pinch of saffron at the end to make it something worthwhile.
All this during the speed bump while cooking on the line...maybe thats why it took so freakin long. I'm all about simple and quick with a very fine product, but some things do take time.
Any Italian chef will get a kick out of that and call me a tortoise though. But I'll tell ya what, add some grilled asparagus seasoned with some good olive oil, salt and pepper to the gnocchi plate and I think the final dish is worth every hour I spent on it today. I'm betting our diners will feel the same.
Ever made gnocchi? Bake potatoes, peel potatoes while hot, run through a rice strainer, mix with some egg, a little flour and a good amount of salt and white pepper. Traditionally with Parmesan cheese as well. Then comes the fun part of rolling out fist sized bits of the potato into strands that you cut about an inch inch in length each, then place on a sheet try to cool in the walk-in before blanching them...and finally, they're ready to boil.
Maybe next time I will teach my cooks how to make this stuff because they had a good laugh at my expense with the painstaking effort I put forth. The end product? I had some yellow beefsteak tomatoes delivered today so I made a yellow tomato puree with onions, celery, capers, and a lot of fresh herbs. I added a pinch of saffron at the end to make it something worthwhile.
All this during the speed bump while cooking on the line...maybe thats why it took so freakin long. I'm all about simple and quick with a very fine product, but some things do take time.
Any Italian chef will get a kick out of that and call me a tortoise though. But I'll tell ya what, add some grilled asparagus seasoned with some good olive oil, salt and pepper to the gnocchi plate and I think the final dish is worth every hour I spent on it today. I'm betting our diners will feel the same.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Asian Persuasion
Wow, what a Monday. All the equipment was fixed by 2pm. A little of the work going on during the lunch shift obviously, but with a little coaxing (verbal discussion that was loud, very loud) to the person working on the equipment it was done sooner then anyone expected, except myself. I wouldn't have it any other way, as demanding this type of work may come as hard for some, but if I am going to work my butt off the people around me better be doing the same. When I am not working my butt of then its easy...do as I say not as I do :)
So after cutting the beautiful Chilean Sea Bass that come in this morning I was wondering what I was going to put together for my special. I have been on this Asian flavor influence of late. Most likely coming from a friend that is a sous chef out in Vegas at the Wynn...I hope that says enough about what his food is like (thanks Chris). It is the premier spot in Vegas these days, hands down. Good place to have a good friend!
Anyways I digress as usual. I went on to make a spicy sesame vinaigrette. I took some white sesame seeds (1/2 cup) and toasted them off in a hot pan, no oil. Only to lightly brown them, this brings out some good flavor. I then added the sesame seeds to a food processor with about 4 tbsp of sesame oil. I blended this until it became a paste, it looks kinda like tahini.
I then added about .5 cups of soy sauce, .5 cups of rice wine vinegar, some ginger, garlic, salt, 3 tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of crushed red pepper, and about 2 cups of some good olive oil. Threw in some stir fry veges and pan seared the bass...oh yeah, I garnished this with some sweet pickled red onions. How'd I pickle the julienne onions?? 3 cups of red wine vinegar and about 2 tbsp of sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, cover the onions for about 3-5 hours and they are ready to go.
Simple goodness (OK, a bit less simple than normal but still)...22 pieces of fish to start, 1 piece left and we close in thirty minutes, I think I found my dinner for the evening!!!
So after cutting the beautiful Chilean Sea Bass that come in this morning I was wondering what I was going to put together for my special. I have been on this Asian flavor influence of late. Most likely coming from a friend that is a sous chef out in Vegas at the Wynn...I hope that says enough about what his food is like (thanks Chris). It is the premier spot in Vegas these days, hands down. Good place to have a good friend!
Anyways I digress as usual. I went on to make a spicy sesame vinaigrette. I took some white sesame seeds (1/2 cup) and toasted them off in a hot pan, no oil. Only to lightly brown them, this brings out some good flavor. I then added the sesame seeds to a food processor with about 4 tbsp of sesame oil. I blended this until it became a paste, it looks kinda like tahini.
I then added about .5 cups of soy sauce, .5 cups of rice wine vinegar, some ginger, garlic, salt, 3 tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of crushed red pepper, and about 2 cups of some good olive oil. Threw in some stir fry veges and pan seared the bass...oh yeah, I garnished this with some sweet pickled red onions. How'd I pickle the julienne onions?? 3 cups of red wine vinegar and about 2 tbsp of sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, cover the onions for about 3-5 hours and they are ready to go.
Simple goodness (OK, a bit less simple than normal but still)...22 pieces of fish to start, 1 piece left and we close in thirty minutes, I think I found my dinner for the evening!!!
Grrr.....
Ah yes, a broken steamer, kettle, only one fan working in one of my walk ins...the one I ironically had to clear out last week. Top of the mornin' to everyone. I get the feeling this is going to be a long week...on top of all that after having the weekend to myself, I was told they would be putting carpeting in the condo above mine.
It was like heaven being able to sleep late each morning thinking that the reason I couldnt hear anything was the carpeting had fixed everything. Only to hear my neighbor return at midnight last night and briung kept up by those same bombs that are called footsteps going off above me. What a crock... Oh well, time to get to work. Some chilean black sea bass came in today...wonder what concoction I can stir up??
It was like heaven being able to sleep late each morning thinking that the reason I couldnt hear anything was the carpeting had fixed everything. Only to hear my neighbor return at midnight last night and briung kept up by those same bombs that are called footsteps going off above me. What a crock... Oh well, time to get to work. Some chilean black sea bass came in today...wonder what concoction I can stir up??
Sunday, April 13, 2008
No Rest for the Weary
Sunday, a day of rest for most, a day of catch up for The Mad Chef. Though I must admit after going to see my friends The Dance Party at the Rock n Roll Hotel last night, this is more of a rehydration day. The show was absolutly amazing with a packed house for the venue. Although they did not step on stage until almost midnight, it was well worth the wait. It was crazy, there was electricity in the air the entire time with crowd surfing, people jumping up and down and the band just ate it up. They jammed pretty late, and ended up with lead singer Mick Coogan eventually jumping into the crowd himself after they demanded an encore.
Enough about that though, I have work to do on my day off...finalize some paperwork for a studio for this project myself and my fellow DeMatha alums are working on, book a date for my friends in The Higher Concept in College Park and distribute a few of their EP's to clubs downtown.
Then I get to worry about how much equipment supposedly "broke" in the restaurant last night while I wasn't there. I received a text an hour ago as a heads up that a company was coming in to look at "several" pieces of equipment in the kitchen. Great. Sounds like tomorrow will be a blast.
Enough about that though, I have work to do on my day off...finalize some paperwork for a studio for this project myself and my fellow DeMatha alums are working on, book a date for my friends in The Higher Concept in College Park and distribute a few of their EP's to clubs downtown.
Then I get to worry about how much equipment supposedly "broke" in the restaurant last night while I wasn't there. I received a text an hour ago as a heads up that a company was coming in to look at "several" pieces of equipment in the kitchen. Great. Sounds like tomorrow will be a blast.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Simple (Special) Goodness
Check out the shrimp from yesterday (next to an 8" chef's knife):
So with these bad boys I have taken 1 pound of crab meat, any will do, lump or jumbo lump. 2 red peppers that I sauteed off with 2 tablespoons of garlic, some good olive oil and nice fresh herbs. 4 ounces of goat cheese 1 egg and 2 tbsp of Old Bay. I have pureed all of this and stuffed the shrimp to broil them tonight.
With this left over spread that I have I am going to grill off some bread, we use sourdough. The bread will have a little olive oil, some salt and pepper and thats it. Lightly grilled because the extra virgin olive oil will smoke up instantly...I am going to use the left over red pepper and crab mix and spread it on the bread to go with the shrimp. I'll also make a butter sauce with a small twist, which just takes some white wine, a heavy cream reduction and 1 pound of butter. To this I will add 3 tbsp of red curry to make it interesting.
My vege for this entire ordeal will comprise of a simple stir fry with baby bok choy, sugar snap peas, red onions, carrots, shitake mushrooms, and maybe some asparagus... Can you put that together in your mind people...simple goodness (with big ass shrimp).
Love and simple appreciation for the food is all it takes. Come in and try it, it won't last long tonight I can gaurantee that!!!!!
So with these bad boys I have taken 1 pound of crab meat, any will do, lump or jumbo lump. 2 red peppers that I sauteed off with 2 tablespoons of garlic, some good olive oil and nice fresh herbs. 4 ounces of goat cheese 1 egg and 2 tbsp of Old Bay. I have pureed all of this and stuffed the shrimp to broil them tonight.
With this left over spread that I have I am going to grill off some bread, we use sourdough. The bread will have a little olive oil, some salt and pepper and thats it. Lightly grilled because the extra virgin olive oil will smoke up instantly...I am going to use the left over red pepper and crab mix and spread it on the bread to go with the shrimp. I'll also make a butter sauce with a small twist, which just takes some white wine, a heavy cream reduction and 1 pound of butter. To this I will add 3 tbsp of red curry to make it interesting.
My vege for this entire ordeal will comprise of a simple stir fry with baby bok choy, sugar snap peas, red onions, carrots, shitake mushrooms, and maybe some asparagus... Can you put that together in your mind people...simple goodness (with big ass shrimp).
Love and simple appreciation for the food is all it takes. Come in and try it, it won't last long tonight I can gaurantee that!!!!!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Shrimpzilla and Swordfish Switcheroo
Well the good news about today was that our shipment of 1/4lb shrimp came in, along with some blue spotted bass and orange roughy from West Africa (Senegal to be exact). Now the other fish are cool and all, but yes you read exactly right people. 1/4 pound shrimp. These aren't even the biggest we could have gotten, but for cost reasons this is the largest size the chef and I want to use. 2 of these on a plate go for around 46 bucks. Don't freak out at the price people because if you can find this any where else in this city let me know!
OK, I can tell you how many places in the city get this stuff. 2 others!! That's it. This stuff is overnighted to Dulles airport and here for us the next day. I will make a special with the shrimp tomorrow because none of it got here until 4pm, which was too late to try and put it on the menu tonight, but I thought it was cool to share. I'll have pics up tomorrow, they were something to see.
Now onto my evening...without going into a rant because I always try to stay cool when things don't go my way, but sometimes people make mistakes, sometimes me, sometimes others. I generally am one to always admit when I have screwed up, because when I screw up people, I screw up GOOOOD. I mean, if my kitchen goes down one night, it will go down in flames. To the point of there is no climbing out until the last check leaves the kitchen. That only happens once in a blue moon though, fortunately.
Just under 200 covers for the evening, with 3 large parties of 27, 25, and an a la carte 19 at 8 pm. It was soooo much fun that one of my checks left for the dining room and must have entered the Bermuda triangle because it simply disappeared. But at least it wasn't my fault! My food runners admit the food went out into the dining room, my server took 45 minutes to tell a manager it wasn't at the table, it took another 15 minutes after that for the manager to tell me it wasn't at the table. Only to have the food runners find the check at the bar but no food. Man I love my job.
The food took only 5 minutes to prepare and send out again, it was only a couple of tunas served rare (the only way to eat tuna, as opposed to sword...back to that in a minute) and I felt very bad for the customers at the table, they did not pay for their meal of course, but the damage has already been done. Once in a blue moon bad things happen and nothing can stop that...but once the food leaves my kitchen, that's on the front of the house. Eh, it is what it is, and I'm sure I'll screw them up at some point soon enough.
P.S. I seem stuck in the middle of a tuna/swordfish battle royale this week, and there was another interesting incident today. Someone came in and ordered a tuna well done. Problem was (other than the horror of cooking tuna well done), we were out of tuna. Luckily it was a friend of the server's and I had an idea. We didn't have tuna, but we sure did have some sword, so I figured I'd do them a favor and do a sword well done instead. So I sent it out and asked the server to ask afterwards what they thought. The man said it was the best tuna he'd ever had.
I bet.
OK, I can tell you how many places in the city get this stuff. 2 others!! That's it. This stuff is overnighted to Dulles airport and here for us the next day. I will make a special with the shrimp tomorrow because none of it got here until 4pm, which was too late to try and put it on the menu tonight, but I thought it was cool to share. I'll have pics up tomorrow, they were something to see.
Now onto my evening...without going into a rant because I always try to stay cool when things don't go my way, but sometimes people make mistakes, sometimes me, sometimes others. I generally am one to always admit when I have screwed up, because when I screw up people, I screw up GOOOOD. I mean, if my kitchen goes down one night, it will go down in flames. To the point of there is no climbing out until the last check leaves the kitchen. That only happens once in a blue moon though, fortunately.
Just under 200 covers for the evening, with 3 large parties of 27, 25, and an a la carte 19 at 8 pm. It was soooo much fun that one of my checks left for the dining room and must have entered the Bermuda triangle because it simply disappeared. But at least it wasn't my fault! My food runners admit the food went out into the dining room, my server took 45 minutes to tell a manager it wasn't at the table, it took another 15 minutes after that for the manager to tell me it wasn't at the table. Only to have the food runners find the check at the bar but no food. Man I love my job.
The food took only 5 minutes to prepare and send out again, it was only a couple of tunas served rare (the only way to eat tuna, as opposed to sword...back to that in a minute) and I felt very bad for the customers at the table, they did not pay for their meal of course, but the damage has already been done. Once in a blue moon bad things happen and nothing can stop that...but once the food leaves my kitchen, that's on the front of the house. Eh, it is what it is, and I'm sure I'll screw them up at some point soon enough.
P.S. I seem stuck in the middle of a tuna/swordfish battle royale this week, and there was another interesting incident today. Someone came in and ordered a tuna well done. Problem was (other than the horror of cooking tuna well done), we were out of tuna. Luckily it was a friend of the server's and I had an idea. We didn't have tuna, but we sure did have some sword, so I figured I'd do them a favor and do a sword well done instead. So I sent it out and asked the server to ask afterwards what they thought. The man said it was the best tuna he'd ever had.
I bet.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy crap! Bacon Salt! That's like half of my food groups in one convenient product! So if I can get some beer pizza with a dash of bacon salt I'm set...
http://baconsalt.com/
http://baconsalt.com/
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Raw Deal
What is it like to have to move $3,000 worth of produce from out of one fridge and into another?? In the middle of a dinner rush no less??
Tickets are flying out of the printer and one of my dishwashers notices the walk in is at 47 degrees. I say, "Uh OK...shut the damn door." I check on it 20 minutes later and its at 60. This is panic time for most people, I can honestly say I was only slightly worried. Slightly meaning the bead of sweat did appear on my forehead when two 10 tops came in simultaneously along with the other 30 covers that were already on my line. What a wonderful evening...this is the type of stuff that makes my job fun people.
So, me and my 2 dishwashers ended up moving everything from one walk in to the other...it took just under 30 minutes, and yes, I ran the kitchen smooth as can be with no returns save for one woman who wanted her swordfish medium rare. Yes, swordfish...medium rare. Do people know what they are eating sometimes?? Or do they just figure that every fish is OK to eat like tuna??
It's not! And while I am not here to give a science lesson on the diet of various species of fish, I will only say that swordfish eat ANYTHING in the ocean, same with mahi, OK?? I hope that explains my standpoint on under cooking certain species of fish. I am all for eating some fish in various states of rareness, in fact I would go so far as to say it's the way I would serve it at times, just not sword and mahi!
Tickets are flying out of the printer and one of my dishwashers notices the walk in is at 47 degrees. I say, "Uh OK...shut the damn door." I check on it 20 minutes later and its at 60. This is panic time for most people, I can honestly say I was only slightly worried. Slightly meaning the bead of sweat did appear on my forehead when two 10 tops came in simultaneously along with the other 30 covers that were already on my line. What a wonderful evening...this is the type of stuff that makes my job fun people.
So, me and my 2 dishwashers ended up moving everything from one walk in to the other...it took just under 30 minutes, and yes, I ran the kitchen smooth as can be with no returns save for one woman who wanted her swordfish medium rare. Yes, swordfish...medium rare. Do people know what they are eating sometimes?? Or do they just figure that every fish is OK to eat like tuna??
It's not! And while I am not here to give a science lesson on the diet of various species of fish, I will only say that swordfish eat ANYTHING in the ocean, same with mahi, OK?? I hope that explains my standpoint on under cooking certain species of fish. I am all for eating some fish in various states of rareness, in fact I would go so far as to say it's the way I would serve it at times, just not sword and mahi!
Stimulate This!
OK, I don't really do politics, but I gotta say it's nice finally getting my hands on some of that government cheese, with this economic stimulus package in the summer. But isn't it just going to end up in my gas tank??
It costs me $40 to fill up my tank, and it ain't even the "summer driving season" yet. WTF is that anyway? Heard the term on the news the other day. Is it like hunting season or fishing season?? Nobody can drive until the summer?? Is it "catch and release" until then?? Whoever made that up should have to inhale my exhaust pipe.
Even my vendors are starting to charge gas surcharges for our deliveries...and when you fly in fish from all over the world, it can get a little ridiculous. And more importantly, it means all the restaurants have to charge it back to the diner, so you foodies may notice prices enging up a bit this summer. As for us, we refuse to do so, at least for now.
So either it'll fix itself and we'll stop getting hit so hard, or I'm sending my line cooks on a bunch of Segways to pick up my inventory!! But until then, I'll take my free $300 check and a kick in the balls from the government and walk away...well, hobble away.
It costs me $40 to fill up my tank, and it ain't even the "summer driving season" yet. WTF is that anyway? Heard the term on the news the other day. Is it like hunting season or fishing season?? Nobody can drive until the summer?? Is it "catch and release" until then?? Whoever made that up should have to inhale my exhaust pipe.
Even my vendors are starting to charge gas surcharges for our deliveries...and when you fly in fish from all over the world, it can get a little ridiculous. And more importantly, it means all the restaurants have to charge it back to the diner, so you foodies may notice prices enging up a bit this summer. As for us, we refuse to do so, at least for now.
So either it'll fix itself and we'll stop getting hit so hard, or I'm sending my line cooks on a bunch of Segways to pick up my inventory!! But until then, I'll take my free $300 check and a kick in the balls from the government and walk away...well, hobble away.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A National Geographic Special
So I'm closing tonight and we are closed for a special event with The National Geographic. It is only for 100 people, but these guys have gone all out...today I have prepped the most food for this small of an event in my entire career. As short lived as that may be, I did start out catering so I would know!
Three different fish to choose from including Hawaiian Sunfish, Atlantic Salmon, and Black Grouper. Thats just for the fish, they also have two different carving stations and a pasta station. Three different cheese displays and a crudité as well! That's a classy way of saying a vegetable display, basically. Sounds better in French.
After an hour of prep work and in the thick of working, one of my managers approaches with news of a vendor bringing in grappa to taste. What is grappa you ask? It's a high proof spirit that's distilled grape and pomace, typically used as an after dinner drink (or in Italian, a "digestivo"). But basically it smells like rubbing alcohol to be perfectly honest. To the trained nose and palate you can get every bit of flavor that you would from a fine wine, but to the Mad Chef it seems more like Italian moonshine.
After a cup of cold coffee I was back on track only to see that my favorite wine vendor (hey Maggie!) had stopped by with 10 different whites from California... needless to say I could not pass this up! Until after the third different one I realized I wasn't tasting anything anymore. So I went back to work finishing up prep for the party. And now my head is beginning to hurt...
Three different fish to choose from including Hawaiian Sunfish, Atlantic Salmon, and Black Grouper. Thats just for the fish, they also have two different carving stations and a pasta station. Three different cheese displays and a crudité as well! That's a classy way of saying a vegetable display, basically. Sounds better in French.
After an hour of prep work and in the thick of working, one of my managers approaches with news of a vendor bringing in grappa to taste. What is grappa you ask? It's a high proof spirit that's distilled grape and pomace, typically used as an after dinner drink (or in Italian, a "digestivo"). But basically it smells like rubbing alcohol to be perfectly honest. To the trained nose and palate you can get every bit of flavor that you would from a fine wine, but to the Mad Chef it seems more like Italian moonshine.
After a cup of cold coffee I was back on track only to see that my favorite wine vendor (hey Maggie!) had stopped by with 10 different whites from California... needless to say I could not pass this up! Until after the third different one I realized I wasn't tasting anything anymore. So I went back to work finishing up prep for the party. And now my head is beginning to hurt...
Monday, April 7, 2008
Ratta Tat Tat
I'm beat, people. Got no damn sleep last night because a pin dropping to the floor upstairs in my new apartment sounds like a nuclear warhead going off below. Just blew through a double, making a ratatouille (yes, I know it's cliche now, but whatever...) with a roasted tomato cream and some of the Pacific Ridgeback Swordfish I talked about last week. Turned out great, even though I was dragging.
I was able to get a few things done this weekend though. I was confirmed as a participant in the DC101 Chili Cook off after finally convincing those people that my tent was flame retardant. And I was able to get together with my peoples and get the TV show moving ahead strong. We've got the studio, we've got the talent, we've got producers a writer and a director...and I think we've got a great concept. Gotta keep it under wraps for a while longer, but I think it's gonna be something fun and something you haven't seen before.
While I'm here I want to thank you guys for keeping up. We've had a lot of response since we've started up just a few weeks ago, and there's plenty more going on through the summer, so stay tuned! And use the comments below each post...I see the Web hits, we know you're here!
Thanks, James
I was able to get a few things done this weekend though. I was confirmed as a participant in the DC101 Chili Cook off after finally convincing those people that my tent was flame retardant. And I was able to get together with my peoples and get the TV show moving ahead strong. We've got the studio, we've got the talent, we've got producers a writer and a director...and I think we've got a great concept. Gotta keep it under wraps for a while longer, but I think it's gonna be something fun and something you haven't seen before.
While I'm here I want to thank you guys for keeping up. We've had a lot of response since we've started up just a few weeks ago, and there's plenty more going on through the summer, so stay tuned! And use the comments below each post...I see the Web hits, we know you're here!
Thanks, James
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Crunk Chardonnay?
OK, I've seen a lot of things in wine culture. The snootiness, the "high society" and what not has diminished in recent years to the point that most young people, business types and even my working class-ish family could identify and enjoy most grapes. But, this will be, um, interesting:
LOS ANGELES -- It turns out Lil Jon drinks more than crunk juice _ the larger-than-life producer and rapper has started his own wine label, offering selections including chardonnay and merlot.
LOS ANGELES -- It turns out Lil Jon drinks more than crunk juice _ the larger-than-life producer and rapper has started his own wine label, offering selections including chardonnay and merlot.
"It kind of came out of nowhere," Lil Jon told The Associated Press of his new venture, Little Jonathan Winery. "We were just going to do some private label stuff (for parties) and we did it, and people was like, `Hey, it's pretty nice.'"
Lil Jon acknowledges that he's no wine connoisseur. "I'm not no `drink wine every day' kind of dude," he said in a telephone interview. "I'm not like an expert, so don't ask me no questions ... I just like the taste."
More...Saturday, April 5, 2008
Follow Me...Follow Me to Freedom!
Saturday, the most hectic night of the week as far as restaurants go. This one will turn out to be no different it seems.
As I stepped thru the doors this morning I was greeted by a journalism student from UMD by the name of Seth, sent via The Brain to follow the Mad Chef through a typical day at Sea Catch. Unfortunately for him the "speed bump" of the day (lunch) was fairly quiet. Although he did accompany me thru my regular day of butchering fish, including some Pacific Ridgeback Swordfish from Hawaii, checking in all the orders, logging invoices and what not.
Then came making the special for the evening while answering questions. I did have to answer what was my most embarrassing moment in cooking. My reply...well, from which restaurant? I will go no further into that one though, there are too many to mention, the Mad Chef is far from perfect. I have had too much fun along the way to ever think otherwise.
The dinner shift promises to be much more interesting for him, with 227 already on the books all between 5:30-8:45. I know it will be an adventure to anyone who does not see such things on a daily basis, this ain't no reality TV series people, I for one can't wait to see what he thinks.
As I stepped thru the doors this morning I was greeted by a journalism student from UMD by the name of Seth, sent via The Brain to follow the Mad Chef through a typical day at Sea Catch. Unfortunately for him the "speed bump" of the day (lunch) was fairly quiet. Although he did accompany me thru my regular day of butchering fish, including some Pacific Ridgeback Swordfish from Hawaii, checking in all the orders, logging invoices and what not.
Then came making the special for the evening while answering questions. I did have to answer what was my most embarrassing moment in cooking. My reply...well, from which restaurant? I will go no further into that one though, there are too many to mention, the Mad Chef is far from perfect. I have had too much fun along the way to ever think otherwise.
The dinner shift promises to be much more interesting for him, with 227 already on the books all between 5:30-8:45. I know it will be an adventure to anyone who does not see such things on a daily basis, this ain't no reality TV series people, I for one can't wait to see what he thinks.
Friday, April 4, 2008
The Higher Dance Party
I'm tired, I'm bitter and I got off early for once. But...I would much rather spend the evening out and about then just go home and sleep. There are other days for that.
First, however I am dropping off Press Release CD's for friends of mine in a group called The Higher Concept. Why on earth would I be doing this you ask? It is this group of people who have motivated me to further my own career by pushing the envelope just a bit further each time I see them. In early June we're linking up in New York where they are going to put on a graffiti art show with musical performances. The event will be catered by The Mad Chef.
Imagine 10 talented artists with ink, spray paint and canvas, add in some sick music to add to the vibe, and the only piece missing is The Mad Chef!! Could be a lot of people...will I be in over my head? Doubtful, I can always pull a few strings and bring some help along for the ride. Should be an exciting event, cant wait for it!! I'll get pics up as soon as I can afterwards, it'll be awesome.
As a quick note to another friend of mine in a band called The Dance Party ,I must say GOOD LUCK MICK!!! I recently checked out the DC101 site and saw that they were in the finals for The Last Band Standing, I can't say how awesome this band is and I hope they make it in. The winner of the contest will play at the DC101 Chili Cook Off. Their Web site has them playing in Clarendon Sunday night, and once I confirm that I know where I will be that evening.
Happy Weekend!
First, however I am dropping off Press Release CD's for friends of mine in a group called The Higher Concept. Why on earth would I be doing this you ask? It is this group of people who have motivated me to further my own career by pushing the envelope just a bit further each time I see them. In early June we're linking up in New York where they are going to put on a graffiti art show with musical performances. The event will be catered by The Mad Chef.
Imagine 10 talented artists with ink, spray paint and canvas, add in some sick music to add to the vibe, and the only piece missing is The Mad Chef!! Could be a lot of people...will I be in over my head? Doubtful, I can always pull a few strings and bring some help along for the ride. Should be an exciting event, cant wait for it!! I'll get pics up as soon as I can afterwards, it'll be awesome.
As a quick note to another friend of mine in a band called The Dance Party ,I must say GOOD LUCK MICK!!! I recently checked out the DC101 site and saw that they were in the finals for The Last Band Standing, I can't say how awesome this band is and I hope they make it in. The winner of the contest will play at the DC101 Chili Cook Off. Their Web site has them playing in Clarendon Sunday night, and once I confirm that I know where I will be that evening.
Happy Weekend!
En Fuego
So who would have ever thought entering a Chili Cook-Off would be so hard? I mean... some cookware, a tent over my head, beer, and some people helping me, right?? Not the case here people.
If I could only tell you how many places I had to go yesterday in the attempt to find a tent that was "flame retardent." I mean, a few of my friends have tents that they use for football tailgating that they would gladly offer. That is, until each of them came back with the answer that the tent they had was "fire eating" or would torch with the speed of gasoline if met with fire. I mean, these guys have cooked under these tents for years without torching anything, and even so, what's a cookout without a little excitement?
So I had to search the Internet to find a tent that specifically said it was "flame retardent," only to not find said tent at 3 different stores. Geesh, you would never think it would be this difficult to cook for some people in the middle of an asphalt jungle. Forget terrorist threats, we are worried about our PARKING LOT catching fire!! Anyways, I eventually found a tent, but without a tag or sticker saying it was flame retardent so I ended up having to fax in my reciept along with a link stating that it was, in fact, "flame retardent."
Now I wonder how hard of a time they are going to give me for having a propane tank that is exactly 20lbs, or whether they meant 20lbs is too much because the brochure actually says "less than 20lbs." Or whether by "water" they mean Deer Park bottled water instead of tap water. Or by "air" they are looking for a specific nitrogen/oxygen ratio...
My buddy Wes came up with a killer idea for the chips I am going to serve with the salsa I'm gonna whip up at the Cook-Off. Can't wait to see how hard it will be to pull it off at the event!!
Sorry, no secrets divulged yet, the event is still a month away....
If I could only tell you how many places I had to go yesterday in the attempt to find a tent that was "flame retardent." I mean, a few of my friends have tents that they use for football tailgating that they would gladly offer. That is, until each of them came back with the answer that the tent they had was "fire eating" or would torch with the speed of gasoline if met with fire. I mean, these guys have cooked under these tents for years without torching anything, and even so, what's a cookout without a little excitement?
So I had to search the Internet to find a tent that specifically said it was "flame retardent," only to not find said tent at 3 different stores. Geesh, you would never think it would be this difficult to cook for some people in the middle of an asphalt jungle. Forget terrorist threats, we are worried about our PARKING LOT catching fire!! Anyways, I eventually found a tent, but without a tag or sticker saying it was flame retardent so I ended up having to fax in my reciept along with a link stating that it was, in fact, "flame retardent."
Now I wonder how hard of a time they are going to give me for having a propane tank that is exactly 20lbs, or whether they meant 20lbs is too much because the brochure actually says "less than 20lbs." Or whether by "water" they mean Deer Park bottled water instead of tap water. Or by "air" they are looking for a specific nitrogen/oxygen ratio...
My buddy Wes came up with a killer idea for the chips I am going to serve with the salsa I'm gonna whip up at the Cook-Off. Can't wait to see how hard it will be to pull it off at the event!!
Sorry, no secrets divulged yet, the event is still a month away....
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Soy vey!
So the buzz in the city you're hearing this week is not the annual Cherry Blossom nazis doing their thing (read: clogging up the Metro), it's the opening of the new Nationals Park on the Anacostia.
What's not to love about working hard all day, catching the Metro and going down to see a baseball game with some $7 Miller Lites and a...Veggie Dog?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040100591.html
Veggie dog $5.25 at Change Up Chicken - Sections 135, 203
A veggie dog is probably always a mistake. But hope springs eternal. This one, made of soy protein, wasn't any better or worse than most, which means it wasn't good: For one thing, the synthetic casing just doesn't give you the right hot dog snap when you bite into it.
Now I'm all for us eating a bit healthier, but WTF is this??? Nothing like some warmed, prefabricated soy in a synthetic casing. Makes my mouth water...with vomit.
What's not to love about working hard all day, catching the Metro and going down to see a baseball game with some $7 Miller Lites and a...Veggie Dog?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040100591.html
Veggie dog $5.25 at Change Up Chicken - Sections 135, 203
A veggie dog is probably always a mistake. But hope springs eternal. This one, made of soy protein, wasn't any better or worse than most, which means it wasn't good: For one thing, the synthetic casing just doesn't give you the right hot dog snap when you bite into it.
Now I'm all for us eating a bit healthier, but WTF is this??? Nothing like some warmed, prefabricated soy in a synthetic casing. Makes my mouth water...with vomit.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Shuck Me!
So I was working on some fresh oysters this morning from the Hood Canal in Washington and I actually shucked myself. Fun as it was I had to discontinue trying the oysters...I had opened a grand total of one before I sliced and diced my thumb. Shucking and baking are two aspects of cooking that I tend to shy away from, and this incident didn't help. As for baking, if baking is the science and cooking is the art well...I definitely failed science all through high school, just ask The Brain, so it makes sense.
So after that debacle was over with it was time for me to consider my special for the evening. I usually know what I am going to make as my special before I walk through the doors each day. This day was no different. Well, maybe it was in the sense that I brought in a bottle of wine from my personal collection at home, something I stumbled upon in the course of moving this weekend. It was a bottle of wine I actually received (OK, stole) at The Brain's wedding several years ago.
I am not a sommelier by any means, but I have been known to pick up a few distinct flavors from time to time. This particular bottle of wine was the Winter White from the Pindar vineyard in Long Island. Any who, once I opened it and tried it, well, to put it bluntly, the tannins were a little on the strong side. Not one to waste alcohol I decided to make a sauce with it for my special the following day.
When I got into work and showed my GM the bottle of wine, however, he said it was much better used for drinking and too good of a wine to use for cooking. Like I said I am not a wine connoisseur so I disagreed. As I walked back into the kitchen I took another sip of the wine... maybe he was right???? After taking another sip (gulp) of the wine it disappeared into the beginning of a gastrique that I was making.
A gastrique is a thick sauce made by reducing a vinegar with wine or sugar, and usually involves some type of fruit. In its simplest form it would only be caramelized sugar mixed with a little vinegar. So after my sauce was done, it took almost 2 hours ( I am patient only with food) I mixed it with some roasted shallot mashed potatoes and grilled rapini. Stop in and try it!!!
So after that debacle was over with it was time for me to consider my special for the evening. I usually know what I am going to make as my special before I walk through the doors each day. This day was no different. Well, maybe it was in the sense that I brought in a bottle of wine from my personal collection at home, something I stumbled upon in the course of moving this weekend. It was a bottle of wine I actually received (OK, stole) at The Brain's wedding several years ago.
I am not a sommelier by any means, but I have been known to pick up a few distinct flavors from time to time. This particular bottle of wine was the Winter White from the Pindar vineyard in Long Island. Any who, once I opened it and tried it, well, to put it bluntly, the tannins were a little on the strong side. Not one to waste alcohol I decided to make a sauce with it for my special the following day.
When I got into work and showed my GM the bottle of wine, however, he said it was much better used for drinking and too good of a wine to use for cooking. Like I said I am not a wine connoisseur so I disagreed. As I walked back into the kitchen I took another sip of the wine... maybe he was right???? After taking another sip (gulp) of the wine it disappeared into the beginning of a gastrique that I was making.
A gastrique is a thick sauce made by reducing a vinegar with wine or sugar, and usually involves some type of fruit. In its simplest form it would only be caramelized sugar mixed with a little vinegar. So after my sauce was done, it took almost 2 hours ( I am patient only with food) I mixed it with some roasted shallot mashed potatoes and grilled rapini. Stop in and try it!!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
I Like it Roughy
So much to do, so little time. Its only Tuesday people and I am already taking deep breaths trying to calm myself until the weekend gets here. Doubles on Monday and Tuesday will do that to you.
I still cant believe I am actually in the Chili Cook-Off this year. 3 years of trying to get in and its finally going to happen!!! I cant wait to throw down with the pros (come at me, Bobby Flay)!!! Of course, the music and the beverages throughout the day are a plus too.
Last night I had the pleasure of cooking for a very important friend of mine. His name is Olmedo, he is 1/2 owner of a clothing line called Dopeville that I absolutely love to wear. Aside from distributing small amounts of clothing for him when I travel, Olmedo treats me like a little brother when it comes to seeking advice. His clothing is sold all over the world, from here to Korea, London, Germany, and back again. I am lucky to have such people in my life who not only provide me with insight into business but also...well...I have a lot of Dopeville gear in the ole closet.
BTW...how hard is it to make business cards?? We got the logo, the design, the info all down...and someone messes up the e-mail address. And as stylish and professional as it is to scratch it out and write in the correct one, I figured I'd just lean on my man Wes at Corporate Press and he'd get it done. Props.
Tonite I was able to make a special with some orange roughy that came in today. I was feeling Asian for some reason today, maybe it was that pad thai last night, and decided on a stir fry with an orange-soy reduction. I started out with 25 orders...it's the end of the night and I have 3 left. Not one returned, not a bit left on any plate that I saw come back. Maybe I should go Asian more often?
Of course it could have just been the fish, but that would be Mad.
I still cant believe I am actually in the Chili Cook-Off this year. 3 years of trying to get in and its finally going to happen!!! I cant wait to throw down with the pros (come at me, Bobby Flay)!!! Of course, the music and the beverages throughout the day are a plus too.
Last night I had the pleasure of cooking for a very important friend of mine. His name is Olmedo, he is 1/2 owner of a clothing line called Dopeville that I absolutely love to wear. Aside from distributing small amounts of clothing for him when I travel, Olmedo treats me like a little brother when it comes to seeking advice. His clothing is sold all over the world, from here to Korea, London, Germany, and back again. I am lucky to have such people in my life who not only provide me with insight into business but also...well...I have a lot of Dopeville gear in the ole closet.
BTW...how hard is it to make business cards?? We got the logo, the design, the info all down...and someone messes up the e-mail address. And as stylish and professional as it is to scratch it out and write in the correct one, I figured I'd just lean on my man Wes at Corporate Press and he'd get it done. Props.
Tonite I was able to make a special with some orange roughy that came in today. I was feeling Asian for some reason today, maybe it was that pad thai last night, and decided on a stir fry with an orange-soy reduction. I started out with 25 orders...it's the end of the night and I have 3 left. Not one returned, not a bit left on any plate that I saw come back. Maybe I should go Asian more often?
Of course it could have just been the fish, but that would be Mad.
Quoted: Chef Mark Tarbell
The question was the about what the typical day for a chef is like...
Starts as a diplomat, a democrat and a doormat, ends with being an autocrat and an acrobat.
Starts as a diplomat, a democrat and a doormat, ends with being an autocrat and an acrobat.
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