The Perfect Storm Part 2

I hope you were able to listen to the first part of the Perfect Storm pod cast. If not, feel free to catch up on the worlds worst day for any restaurant employee....when 3 major events converge all on one day. Then come back here and tune in to part two where I explain how we cater the San Diego Chargers during their training camp!






Special Thanks to my super talented son, Jordan, for creating my intro music and for editing my pod casts! You can follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Stickittothemanstudios 

Live to Cook!

Regards, Chef Dave

Meeting People-The Best Part Of My Work

The industry I work in can be very draining. (I may have mentioned this before :p)The hours are horrendous. Recently, I worked from 2 am until 8 pm.  There are times when I question why I even continue to do it.  Chef Achatz was my teacher in culinary school. There were times when I couldn't stand him because of his vile attitude. But in the end he taught me a valuable lesson; we do this because we love it. In many ways I cook because it is the only thing I know how to do. But I also do it because I love the people.  The people that have touched my life along the way. Relationships that go beyond customer and into friend.  I love to create for people bringing them joy and excitement and meeting new friends in return. In this blog I will give some examples of what I mean.

I fondly remember meeting a customer when I worked at a fine dining Italian restaurant. She was sitting alone drinking a bottle of Opus One. Her love of fine wine drew me into conversation. Her name was Lou Anne and we continued to talk wine and food each time she returned. As the relationship grew, she invited my wife and I to take advantage of  her unused timeshare weeks. We vacationed in Sardinia that year. On a family trip to D.C., she was our tour guide to several of the Smithsonian museums. And we also enjoyed a week in Williamsburg, VA vacationing with her and her partner.

Now this is what I call a time share! 

Portobello Yacht Club had many regular customers.  Larry and June were one of my favorites. He was a Priest. She was a nun. They fell in love,  left the church, and married. They always wore matching shirts. We dined with them even enjoying dinner in their home. We invited them to our sons birthday party.


Another customer, Lou, worked in the Pentagon. He invited us to visit him while in the area and we took him up on it. He gave us a private tour of the Pentagon. He sent each of my sons AirForce hats and shirts.

It was after hours when we toured this amazing office building and hub of our military! 

A talented customer created a doll in my likeness that still sits upon my shelf.          

What do you think? It kinda looks like me! 

I met Denis, a wine rep for Kenwood and Valley of the Moon wines. He invited my wife and I to visit him in Sonoma Valley. He gave us a VIP tour of both  vineyards and had a private dinner in the vineyard hosted by their Chef.

I became friends with another wine rep for an Italian wine. He invited us to stay in Tuscany in a 14th century villa with an infinity  pool that overlooked Tuscan vineyards and hillsides. There we received a private tasting with the winemaker of a Il Poggione. So amazing!

I also had the privilege of meeting Franco Dragone who directed many of the early Cirque Du Soleil shows including La Nuba. He invited me to take my family to see La Nuba with front row seats.

 I cooked for the winemaker Frescobaldi who was the largest wine producer in all of Italy. He said that my food was the closest to true Italian that he had eaten in the US and asked me to come to Italy and teach him to cook. Unfortunately, I never took him up on it. (Wonder if there's a statue of limitations on this one!)

I have recently met a couple who ask me to create a special meal just for them. I love when someone asks me for this! It shows how much trust they have in my abilities and allows me to truly create. They come in regularly and always bring me a special bottle of wine as a gift.

It is these relationships that have been spawned through a mutual love of food that I cherish and which makes the long hours of being a Chef bearable. As for my old Chef, Achatz, he ran into my mother many years after I had finished my culinary schooling. She updated him on my success in the industry. He was delighted to hear about his previous student, and in his failing health, passed on his 20 inch Henckel slicer to me. And in a way, I feel like he handed down his sword.

Live to Cook!

Regards, Chef Dave

The Perfect Storm...Part 1

Enjoy part one of this three part podcast outlining a recent crazy day where 3 major events came together and created this perfect storm of the restaurant kitchen!

 Special Thanks to my super talented son, Jordan, for creating my intro music and for editing my pod casts! You can follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Stickittothemanstudios

Live to Cook!

Regards, Chef Dave

Introducing....the Kitchen Commentary PodCast!

I hope you enjoy this new weekly feature where I candidly talk to you about kitchen musings. In the first episode, hear about my first commercial kitchen experience. I hope you enjoy. Please leave any questions in the comments. I may answer them in my next pod cast! Stay Tuned...



 

 

Live to Cook!
Regards, Chef Dave

                                                             

Breakfast Parfaits

This morning Kaleb and I made fruit and yogurt parfaits.

Here is the recipe it's super easy and fun to make with your kids!

                                       

First Kaleb gathered all ingredients, we Chefs call that "Mise en place"...

Next Kaleb made the cinnamon toast...
If you are doing the gluten-free thing, you can omit the cinnamon toast from the recipe but I recommend you stir the cinnamon in the plain yogurt because cinnamon is a healthy natural pick me up.

There is always time to have a whip cream fight...

Kaleb added vanilla to the strawberries it slightly macerates them and makes the acid jump out...

I suggest refrigerating the parfaits for an hour but you can eat them right away...

I let Kaleb add whip cream...

Strawberry/Orange Cinnamon Toast Parfaits

Heat Oven to 400 F

Cinnamon Toast ingredients
1/4 loaf of French bread  (5 slices)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp

How To
1. Cube the bread
2. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
3. Toss all ingredients together.
4. Place the bread on a cookie sheet and toast the bread, takes about 20 minutes.

Parfait ingredients
12 Strawberries sliced
2 cups Greek yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Whip cream optional
Cinnamon toast cubes
1 tangelo sliced

How To
Put the strawberries in a bowl and add the vanilla extract and mix with a spoon.
In 4 glasses layer the yogurt, the cinnamon toast and the strawberries and top with tangelo slices and whip cream.

Live to Cook!
Regards, Chef Dave

What temperature would you like your steak?

          My second ever cooking job was as a grill cook at a steak house. I grill cooked there for five years. After doing the math, this means that I probably cooked at least 58,000 steaks during that time alone. Later, while working at Disney World, I also grill cooked for about five years. Could it be that I've cooked nearly 120,000 steaks during my time in the kitchen?! Wow, this blows my mind. That is a lot of cow.


My Rant about People Ordering Steak!

          I have learned through the years that some folks don't really know how they like their steaks. They also believe that the person who cooks their steak will cook it wrong, so they ask for it to be a temperature higher or lower from where they actually want it to be. It seems to me that when some people order a steak they become like royalty;  as if they are the only ones to have ever ordered a steak in the history of the universe.  Having cooked that many steaks, you would think that I know a thing or two about how to properly cook a steak   I personally think for a great cut of meat, there is only one way God intended for it to be cooked, but that's just me. Please refer to the below chart on what a steak looks like when cooked to order. And please, if you want it medium well, don't order it well done!

Here are my personal favorite steak cuts:

        Ribeye is my favorite because I love the fat distribution. Next I would say porterhouse steak because this is part New York strip and  part tenderloin. I also love flank steak it has so much flavor and wonderful when marinated then grilled. I really like the teres major, also known as bistro steak. It looks a lot like a tenderloin and nearly as tender for much less money. The flat iron is a pretty decent steak, basically a chuck steak. There is another trendy cut call the "Vegas Steak" also from the same region.

        I also love boneless beef short ribs and after braising for a couple of hours it can be about the best thing in the world. RECIPE Alert!!! Get your pan really hot and add a little oil searing both sides of the beef rib. Then, add carrots, onions and celery, some minced garlic, shallots or leeks, and red wine. Then finish with some stock and bouquet garni herbs and just a little tomato paste, salt and pepper and cover.  Cook in the oven for about 2.5 hours at 325 F. You can soften the sauce afterwards with some butter and adjust the seasonings with salt and fresh ground pepper.  When it comes out you want to just open the big red wine right there and dip some crusty bread in the sauce.  Probably one of my favorite things is braised short ribs!

         

        My favorite way to cook a steak is in a flat iron skillet. RECIPE ALERT!! First, make sure you season the steak on both sides with Kosher salt and black pepper.  I start with a drizzle of pure olive oil and let the skillet get very hot on medium high heat. When the skillet is just starting to smoke, place the steak in the iron skillet and let it cook for about a minute on each side for a nice thick cut. Touch the steak with your finger. It should still feel a bit squishy. Always allow your steak to rest for five minutes off of the heat. Now add a little butter to the pan and some shallots and thyme. At this point you can add a little brandy or red wine. I also love to add a dollop of boursin cheese or some heavy cream. Such an easy sauce and so perfect.

How to Choose the perfect wine for your Steak!

           When I pick a wine out for my steak dinner, I think about the cut of meat I am using. Filet mignon has no fat and is so tender and very mild in flavor, I would choose a Merlot, Barbera, Meritage, or Red wine blend, like Bourdeux.  If I am choosing a big fatty ribeye steak to eat, I would choose a big fatty wine to drink, Barolo, Barbaresco, Amarone, or Cabernet. For my delicious beef short ribs?  For sure Chianti, Rioja or Malbec. As a tip, I love that when I am looking for wine I can Google it if I am not familiar with the wine house.
                             

One of my favorite wines from Oakville, California,
Quintessa is the perfect wine for filet mignon. 

However you want your steak, you are the Boss, just make sure that mine looks just like this! 

Live to Cook!
Regards, Chef Dave

Sources:
http://www.heb.com/page/recipes-cooking/cooking-tips/grill-time-temperature-steak
http://reluctantgourmet.com/tips-guides/tips-facts/item/1118-meat-doneness-chart

Pie For Breakfast!

It's obvious that I love cooking, since I'm a chef. But one of the best things that I do is cook with my sons.
Yesterday, when I asked my four year old, Kaleb, what he wanted for breakfast,  he said "PIE! What four year old wouldn't! While he ate a bowl of cereal, we put the ingredients together to make breakfast pie!

We decided we wanted to put apples in our pie, so I let him help me peel several Fuji apples. I hate peeling apples!

Kaleb loves adding the ingredients. This makes me a little nervous since baking requires precise measurements and I'm a control freak, but he rarely spills! 

There is always time to play Peter Pan! Argh!  

Now for the kneading!  Then I realized that I left my roller at work.  Never fear, you can always use a can as a roller,  just be sure to clean it first. 

I thought it would be fun to make personal apple tarts. Just lightly sprayed the muffin tin with pan spray. 

I couldn't find  Mom's cookie cutters so we used Kaleb's Play dough cutters. Again, I washed them first! :) 

We made apples and hearts and used these to top off the crust. 

After sprinkling with cinnamon sugar, this is our final result! 

What a delicious and fun way to start my day! 

Live to Cook!
Regards, Chef Dave

"A Romantic Picnic " Valentine's Day Edition

With Valentines Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to share a picnic that I did for my sweetie.
A picnic is the best because you can pick the scene to have the picnic and you can build the picnic basket with a wide array of treats and surprises. Here is a picnic that I created recently for my Valentine and some tips for making a picnic into a romantic moment for you and the one you love.

• Pick a spot with awesome scenery but private enough to enjoy each other and not feel uncomfortable. I picked my favorite beach near our house and we went after sunset.  The view was amazing and the sound of crashing waves created nice mood music. 

• Consider possible disasters like bugs, weather and do what you can to plan for such a situation. 
• Bring Blankets, to sit on and to snuggle in case it gets cold. The beach is perfect for a picnic but got very cold by dark having an extra blanket gives a good excuse to get closer. 
• Bring entertainment, we always used to bring a book we called "The Happy Book".  This gave us dialogue and created a romantic tradition. Poetry or even coloring books or games to have fun and dream and to be childish can make a moment special. 
• Be thoughtful: a flower arrangement, a handmade card or a sentimental gift will be valued more than something even more costly creating a magical memory is the way into a woman's heart. 
• Picnic menu ideas: Layer the picnic so that you don't unveil food from the basket all at once. Use the basket like a magicians hat and create surprise and spread out the moment. 
• Appetizers: Bring  fruit, berries, honey, Greek yogurt and granola or dried fruit and nuts.  Put this into a bowl and layer it with the yogurt on the bottom, then the fruit and granola, dried fruit such as cranberries and nuts. Be sure and bring spoons, a knife, a cutting board, some bowls, cups, plastic wine glasses are super convenient. 
• Here are some suggestions pick a few to build your basket:

1. Crackers: Triskets, Bagel chips, crostinis, crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread
2. Dips:  hummus, salsa, cheese spread like boursin
3. Meats: Pate', sausage, salami, vegetarian tofu 
4. Artisan cheeses: Aged cheese such as Reggiano Parmigianno, Manchega, Montaccio. Fresh Cheese such as goat cheese, chevre, mozzarella balls, cilleginis, prosciutto wrapped provolone. Blue veined cheese, Gorgonzola or Maytag blue. Herb cheeses, drunken cheeses or other flavored cheeses, such as cranberry laced cheese. 
5. Whole fruit and berries: cut the fruit and arrange it on a sharing platter. Make little samples for her to taste and do all the work. 

6. Drink: If wine is allowed Champagne is great or Moscato di Asti. Brachetto di Aqui is what I brought to our last picnic. It is slightly sweet with some bubbles and is red sooo,  yum! Sparkling water and with lemon and lime. Make sure you chill the drink and put it in a wine cooler or thermal container if you are going far. 

7. Sweets: Make something if you can, remember finger foods are best, go with cookies, brownies, bites chocolates, even chocolate covered strawberries.

• Don't forget to bring napkins, corkscrews, forks, spoons, knives, blankets, Shade like an umbrella if necessary, bug spray if you live in Florida, and anything else you may need. 
• Remember to make it fun, if you are not comfortable with artisan cheeses and pate' bring something simpler, delicious and thoughtful. 
• A handwritten menu on pretty paper rolled and tied is a nice touch.  

Live to Cook!
Regards, Chef Dave

Vinegar 101

When you are cooking and layering elements of flavor, a vital ingredient is the acid. This excites your palate and and makes the flavors jump out. Ascetic acid is this important part of food also known as vinegar.

How is vinegar  made? I'm glad you asked! It's all in the sugar. Anything containing sugar can be made into a vinegar. Two processes take place before the final product of vinegar occurs; Alcoholic fermentation and acid fermentation.   Some common types vinegars are cider vinegar made from apples; white wine, red wine, balsamic vinegar, all made from grapes; and rice vinegar.

My favorite, Balsamic vinegar, is traditionally made from the trebbiano grape. This grape is also blended to make  Conqac in France, where it is known as the ugni blanc. Trebbiano is a white grape but in the process of making balsamic, it is reduced and often thickened using ingredients like corn flour and even color is added with caramel. In the modern production of balsamic vinegar the aging process may not include wood barrels, but traditionally the grape juice is placed into barrels and aged. The types of wood used would often change as well as the size of the barrels. So a very old 100 year balsamic would end up in a small barrel.  Some of the traditional techniques are not adhered to because the demand is so high.

                                                         

By combining oil and vinegar a simple vinaigrette is produced. The ratio of oil to vinegar is usually about three parts oil to one part vinegar. This is a general ratio and may vary with the style of vinegar and personal taste. Since a balsamic vinegar is softer because of aging, when making a balsamic vinaigrette, you might do a ratio of half balsamic vinegar to extra virgin olive oil and then add salt, black pepper and dried oregano.

Here are a couple of recipes where the vinegar is part of the flavor component.

Grilled Bruschetta Two Ways

Slice Crusty French bread thinly, using a bread knife. Lay the bread slices in and drizzle more 

oil on top. Continue to stack the bread with oil in between. Then follow one of the following to 

recipes or both!

Tomato and Avocado Bruschetta:

6 Plum Tomatoes diced

2 ripe Avocado diced

2 Cloves of garlic minced

6 leaves of cilantro coarsely chopped

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Shredded Mozzarella

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Balsamic syrup for garnish



Directions: In a stainless bowl combine the ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese and 

season with salt and pepper to taste. Place into a plastic container, cover and refrigerate. 

Place Mozzarella on top of the bread once it is grilled. Place remainder of ingredients on top  

and finish with a drizzle balsamic syrup.



Tri-Color Pepper Bruschetta:


2 Red bell peppers (seeded and sliced)

2 Yellow bell peppers (seeded and sliced)

1 Green bell pepper (seeded and sliced)

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 Red Onion Sliced

1/2 cup Pure olive oil

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

6 leaves of basil cut into chiffonade or sliced thinly

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste


Directions: In a saute' pan heat the oil then add the minced garlic and cook until aromatic, next 

add the onions and saute' until translucent. Then add the peppers and cook until slightly soft. 

Add the salt, pepper, Basil and red wine vinegar. Store the pepper mixture in a plastic 

container and refrigerate. Top the peppers over the sliced French Bread.

Live to Cook!
Regards, Chef Dave