Emptyhighway

Holiday ups and downs

2008-12-21T19:59:06Z

It's been an exciting Holiday Season so far. We had a great thanksgiving dinner, we got a Christmas Tree and have been adding decorations over the past weeks and, despite dire economic warnings, my restaurant is actually very busy. Sometimes it feels even, dare I say it too busy.

But I've noticed that I'm really tired today. Tired from all the holiday rush. Rush to get ready for seeing family and the rush to close out the year on a good foot at work. It's many levels of anticipation and it almost feels anxious in it's intensity. Shouldn't it be quieter? Shouldn't the past few days of cold and snow made it as silent in my head as it has been outside? You know, that feeling that you get when walking through a light snow in the evening? There is the steady rhythm of crunch crunch beneath you feet of ice and snow and yet a quiet from the gentle snow, dampening even the screachinges siren. How can we get that moment back and just play the loop?

Taking the Holidays Seriously and having fun doing it...

2008-12-08T18:05:14Z

I wish we had photos of getting our Christmas Tree and bringing it back home. We chose one of the coldest windiest of nights to "go pick one up", which is a lot easier said than done when you have you, your wife, your two legs and arms and hands and the New York City subway system.

Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but it was a lot more challenging than I thought it would be about three hours earlier after we'd finished straitening out our apartment to prepare it for a tree. We had talked about maybe getting a tree this year, but at some point I decided, yea, if we can do a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner for our family, than hell yea we're ready to put up our first Christmas Tree. Despite being highly allergic, I was a big pusher for it.

I was thinking back to all the fond years of sitting around the tree that one day a year, after we'd all put in something to decorating it, and filling up the area around it with beautifully wrapped gifts and it was came back to that sharing, that sharing spirit. Everyone in the house contributes something to the tree, and everyone receives something from it, and even if we can't afford it, or to put anything under it, its worth it because it gives you something. It lends an exciting emotional atmosphere to a household. It makes things feel vibrant and alive, if only for a few weeks. That's something we all need this year.

So, we bought our tree last night. We found it on the corner of Court St. and Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn. we sort of picked out the tree we wanted, and headed off to go eat first.
This part of Atlantic Ave. is renowned for its Middle Eastern restaurants, butchers, and groceries. We picked the Yemen Cafe. Yay! Salta! I chose the Lamb Salta, and Man 'o Man, that was the most perfect meal for a cold winter's night. Stone baked bread, slow roasted lamb, lamb soup and a nice crisp iceberg salad dressed with a salsa like dressing. Everything had a little spicy edge to eat and everything was perfect. We loved it and its my lunch today. The bill was forty eight bucks and there was enough food for 4.

So, the meal there got our bellies ready for the journey ahead. We set out to get lights and a few ornaments first. We walked past a the new Urban Outfitters and saw some cool glass ornaments and picked up a few boxes of those, just to get our tree some ornaments to start, then we dropped off at CVS and bought a box of lights and some hooks.

Next, we tromped back to the tree sales area we liked best and picked out a nice 6 + foot tree and then headed back to Jay street to head home. Longest walk ever. Or at least that is what it felt lugging a tree back to the subway, but we made it there and then made it back home.

Tracie popped out for some more milk and with the helpful and welcome aid of hot cocoa we put up the tree and hung the lights and the first ornaments. We think it looks pretty cool.

But we want more, we want to add our own handmade ornaments and hopefully start a lifetime of fun. Today, I searched the web and found a few helpful links, one of my favorites at mademagazine.com, led me to my first ornament that I just completed a little bit ago. Woohoo! DIY ornaments are cool.

The first finished ornament:

Thanksgiving Extravaganza 2008!

2008-11-29T02:33:09Z

Well, Tracie and I prepped and cooked for four days and everything came out great and felt a lot smoother than it ever has before. We were more organized and got everything done like a good kitchen crew should (as we often do). I should expect it feeling easy, I am a professional chef now, but somehow, cooking for family and friends stresses me out more than for people I don't know sometimes.]]>
This was the first Thanksgiving dinner we've hosted, and it was wonderful, I just wish all of my family could have come, but we're all stretched out across the states. In spirit we were together. I like to think I summoned up the great spirit of my Grandma Surber (my Dad's Mom) and kind of kicked thanksgiving's ass (she would smack me for that). Really, choosing cooking as a career is very much related to my love and fond memories of Thanksgivings of yesteryear, rose colored glasses or not, meals at my grandparents house were always wonderful and there was only one thing I dreaded about them, who would be asked to give thanks. Please don't say Wayne, please don't say Wayne.

Nowadays, I'm usually the most talkative one at the table and my mouth often runnith over. But its funny how, more than anything, today what I wish we could have more of is thanksgiving, and I don't mean the holiday, but the meaning of the word. I give thanks to all those who've inspired me and helped bring this world together and make us feel much less alone in the world. Family does this, days of celebration like Thanksgiving, allow for moments of thankfullness, where we are all just there...together and being. It was nice, brief though it was, it was nice to take a break.

It's funny, I say break, and it reminds me how just a few moments ago, I was talking to Mom, thanking her for coming up and she said that she just wishes I didn't have to work so hard to put the whole thing together. The thing is, I didn't have to work hard, the work was easy, the work was relaxing. It was the expectation and the hopes of making something special for everyone that really tired me out. Besides, its not just me. Tracie and I did this together. She always is right there by my side and fills in where I fail and falter and I hope I do the same for her.

With that I close by thanking my beautiful wife. Thanks for choosing me to share your life with! And thanks for fixing this site! Now I can voice my elation and frustrations with more ease. I think it's rather sad that this is only my 3rd post this year. So much has past in just the past few weeks. Time to catch up people, time to catch up.

Gardening in the Urban Landscape...starting out

2008-05-12T21:17:27Z

Last year, we planted a few herbs and that was the extent of our gardening. Meanwhile we participated in a Community Supported Agriculture Farm Share, and received some great local vegetables.

Our landlords and neighbors live above us and have a nice backyard, small, but tightly packed with greenery. They told us we were welcome to use some of the space, and so we did. Last year, we planted oregano, garlic, lavender, and we bought a small window box and planted some chives and a few other herbs. They already had mint growing in the are we planted the herbs and garlic, so we figured we'd keep it there. Later in the growing season they had tomatoes and peppers, while we wished we did. they had nice baby lettuces, while we wished we did.

This year, I resolved to extend our garden-able space. I was going to build a box. And so I did. I went to Home Depot and bought 2, 1 in x 10 in x 6 ft pine boards and 4, 1 in x4 in x6 ft pine boards. I decided the boxes dimensions would be 1.5 ft by 6 ft. One month ago today, I built the box and painted it. One week prior to that, I had started my seedbeds. I used to egg cartons, both sides of the lids, splayed out on a cooking sheet, and 4 other 2 -4 in plastic container pots.

Within 2 weeks everything was at least 2 inches high and it would soon to time to harden them and move them outside.

I needed soil. I needed something to line the box. I'd been reading a great beginner gardening book called, You Grow Girl, I know I'm not a girl, but Tracie bought it and it's a really great book for starting a garden in an urban environment. I decided I would line the box with landscaping fabric, which would breath and allow proper drainage. I also decided that would line it with mulch and then a mixture of composted manure and gardening soil.
Living in a big city has an advantage of having so many options available for so many things, except when it comes to gardening apparently. I remembered from when we loved over in Clinton Hill, that there was a decent gardening supply, called Gardell's. I called Gardell up and he explained that he wasn't open on the weekdays anymore, and that he didn't ahve what I needed anyways. So, tracie suggested another gardening supply she ahd read about, Chelsea Gardening Supply. So, we called them up and they had everything I needed, except it wouldn't come for a week.

I sucked it up and ordered. They suggested I order about 1/3 more than I did, and when the soil and compost arrived, I ended up with about 1/3 more than I needed anyways. But its always good to have extra on hand. For expansions sake and replanting sake. It has already come in handy.

Hurriedly, last Sunday, I laid in the landscaping fabric, poured in the mulch, and mixed in the composted manure and gardeing soil. The next day, I would plant. I spent the early morning of that day hardening off the seedlings. Some took well, some didn't so I did the same the next day. They all withstood the hot day well, so about midday I decided to plant them all.

I laid out my plans, drew a few sketches in my notebooks, this will go here, that there, and came up with a few plans. Then I just set in to planting. It took an hour or two in the hot sun, so by the time I was finished. I needed a break and some lunch. I took a short break, about an hour, and made lunch inside.

Upon my return outside, I noticed something was amiss with my new plantings already. A number of the seedlings were crushed or uprooted, but most were still well and intact. There were cat hairs in the box. I know cat hairs, we have one cat and our landlords have a bunch that they let roam in the afternoons sometime (all neutered and spayed). One of them, one I like a lot, Goldenrod, had turned the new box into a playpen.

I fixed what I could and built a makeshift moveable cover of sorts. I had two extra 1 x 4's that I hadn't used for the box, so I set two nails into thte sides of the box on each of the long sides, and bent the nails where they would support the 1 x 4's resting firmly. Next, I stapled a length of landscaping fabric between the two boards. I then set some gardening stakes down the middle of the box and across the ends, and placed the cover over the box, creating a quasi greenhouse.

I secured the openings at the end with a few staples from my trusty staple gun. I figured this would be good enough to keep the critters out and let the light in. It was a hot day and projected week, and so I thought this would also help harden my seedlings off a bit before opening it up. In the back of my mind though, I wish I had some kind of chicken wire covering to wrap this fabric over, so that I could have complete peace of mind from the critters.

Late in the week a storm came and I went out to tighten the fabric and noticed one of the cats had been sleeping o top of the cover, flattening out the lettuces below. I tightened the fabric and waited until the next day. When I checked the following day, cat hair again, and a storm had ripped the fabric over night. I replaced the fabric and thought all would be fine, this time, I had battened it down and tightened it well. But I knew I needed some chicken wire to keep these critters off the new sleeping box.

Sunday morning, Tracie and I checked the box, a hole was ripped and it looked like the cat had slept there again. I resolved to get some chicken wire. We went inside and had coffee and came out to find one of the cats tearing up the seedlings inside the cover. That was it, it needed stronger protection.

I was extremely pissed at myself for not having gotten chicken wire sooner, and for those cats just not leaving well enough alone. We resolved to work into our day to find some chicken wire and return and fix the box.

Boy is finding chicken wire in Brooklyn a chore. We were headed out to brunch in Ft. Greene at Bonita, so we stopped by Gardell's by the Lafayatte stop on the c to see if he had any chicken wire. He didn't, but suggested we try "Midtown Gardening", over off of Atlantic and Vanderbuilt. They didn't have any either. We then tried a small hardware store on vanderbuilt. No luck there either. Then we resolved to go to Lowe's. I opted to walk, this turned out to be a much much further walk than I could have imagined. Never again. Always take a cab or the train. We get to Lowe's and its huge and no one that works there knows jack about anything. I finally ask the right guy and find the chicken wire, only to spend the next ten minutes searching for chicken wire nails and a spool of wire to construct and tie down the whole mess.

Finally we get the stuff and head home. Tired and weary of the work yet to come. I took a nap and then went ot work on constructing the hooped chicken wire cover. This is me finishing it, and this is where it stands today, except it's a lot wetter. It's been raining all day. Now I need to seed some more plants and re-plant and maybe supplement some from seedlings that others have already hardened.

I'm still excited about growing veggies for ourselves, but a bit annoyed by losing so many beautiful seedlings in the early processes.

Eating Simply Everyday...not like Rachel Ray

2008-05-12T20:32:22Z

Reading Serious Eats often gets me excited or worked up about something about food.

I was reading this article, How to Reduce Your Food Costs in 60 Minutes a Week, and got to thinking...

Want to save money? Start with always keeping a moderately full pantry of basics. Have a good amount of basics on hand and just cook often and build a personal repertoire of ways to cook things fast and start making variations on that. You can build and maintain this pantry overtime. Basics being: Flour, salt (various kinds if you desire), Cooking Oils (Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Canola, Corn, etc.) water, onions, garlic, fresh ginger, dried seed herbs (coffee grinder to grind them if you desire), sugar, vinegar (several kinds), carrots, fresh herbs, eggs, etc.

Grow some food. Grow some herbs. Not all, but some. Then when you go to the grocery store or greenmarket, you buy what looks fresh or should be seasonal and fresh and you supplement it with what you have. This can help you weather cost increases in the fresh vegetables.

Cooking from fresh and basic ingredients is how to reduce your costs, that is how restaurants make money and how you can save it too.

Reduce your meat consumption.

I love meat, I will eat any part of most things that moved, but...slow down, these things eat too, hence, by nature they are going to increase your costs. No matter what kind of rationale you come up with to justify their cheapness.

Sure, there are cheap chickens,fish, beef, and pork at the grocery store, but why is it cheap? Do you really want to be planning your life around what meats are cheap? Or what meats are discounted and moved to sell. Can we thing about this please. Cheap meat is cheap because what went in was cheap.

Making a menu for the week is great, but a lot of people are overwhelmed by the thought of "making a menu" so that might not be their best option for reducing costs.

I find that if I spend too much time thinking about my menu a) it comes out over thought b) I get hungry and go buy a snack or sometimes even dinner, thereby negating the cost benefit.

Take stock of what you have on hand already.
My best menus are when I take out all the ingredients that look good to me and ask my self how I can cook them, what is my cooking and prep time constraint and how can they all be combined to make a meal.

For example: Say I have a whole 3 1/2 # chicken. I have butter on hand. I have some oregano, thyme, and lavender in my backyard. I found some nice ramps at the greenmarket. I still have a nice head of romaine lettuce in the fridge. I have eggs. I have extra virgin olive oil. I cured some lemons, just to have around and experiment with. I bought some artichokes a few weeks ago and preserved them and those might be nice in a salad somehow. My wife bought some beet pasta, and hey I have some red swiss chard, wouldn't that look and taste great together, and what cheese do we have? Oh parmesan, oooh riccotta salata... heh this is starting to sound like something....

From all this I made: Ramp and Mint Pesto (to marinate my chicken), Lemon and Ramp Roasted Chicken (Pollo al Mattone style), Fresh Beet Linguine and Swiss Chard in a lemon butter sauce, and a "Caesar Salad" made from hearts of romaine and fresh caesar dressing made from Worcestershire sauce, champagne vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, black pepper, salt, parmesan cheese and a whole egg. I didn't use complicated techniques, I used what I had on hand. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes. I cook for a living, so maybe it would take you longer, but do things ahead when you can. My ramp pesto was made a few days a head for something else. My wife had cured lemons many moons ago, and they are always nice to have to brighten up a dish, just scrape the flesh and mince and mix in (like in my pasta sauce). The fresh pasta was found at the green market, as were the ramps, chicken and eggs.

This is how good quick menu planning happens. Not over thought, just taking inventory of what you have and what you can do with it and taking action. Do this every-night you can and you'll save more money and be pleasantly surprised more often than you think.

Want to be realistic about reducing your costs on food? Spend more than 60 minutes thinking about it. I mean, most people spend more time than that on their subway, and somehow this is the golden, boils done to this, time that will allow you to turn your life around? Hrm.

In that case, spend 60 minutes, examining your cabinets and refrigerator and inventorying what you have on hand.

Spend another 60 minutes in your favorite market or grocery store, and buy 4 or 5 things you could cook several ways. Buy enough to last you more than 1 or 2 meals. Use a small amount of each, maybe not all at once, and cook differently several days of the week. Combine it with things you already have on hand. Got some rice in those cabinets? How about a box of pasta? Or maybe whole eggs and flour. You could make your own past, and you don't even need a pasta machine thing, it's called a rolling pin or wine bottle people.

Get about 5-8 ingredients together that you think would go well together and make something. Think about including different cooking methods, different base ingredients, and intermingling things from time to time. Use salt and other ingredients that open your taste buds.

Have fun. Play. Cooking and eating are a central part of life and you should make sure you make it feel that way as often as you can.
Keep it fun and interesting and use things you've never seen before.

Taste at every step of the way, and season in layers. This prevents you from ruining by over seasoning, or overcooking, or undercooking. Taste. Taste. Taste.

Spanish Pork Ass that Kicks

2007-12-30T18:51:21Z

Spanish Pork Ass that Kicks Ass (A variation on Cochinita Pibil or Puerto Rican Pernil)

Ingredients Needed:

For Braising the pork:
7-10# Pork Ham (Butt) or Shoulder, Skin and Fat on
1 or 2 Large Spanish Onions
1 Head of Garlic
1 or 2 Large Carrots
Leek Greens from 1 Large leek (reserve the whites for something else)
2-3 Tbsp Pimenton de la Vera (I have this if you need to borrow it)
1/4# smoked pork belly or hock (preferably apple wood smoked)
~2 qt Brown Chicken Stock (if commercially made I recommend: Pacific natural Free Range Chicken Broth or Kitchen Basics. Bring to Boil before use.)
2 16oz Dark Ale of your Delight
4 Tbsp-1/4 cup Olive Oil (E.V.O.O. or Pure)

For Brine:
1qt Water
1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Juniper Berries
1 1/2'ed head of Garlic
1 bunch of thyme
8 Dry Bay leaves or 4 Fresh
1 tsp Chili Flake
1 cup/225 g Salt
1/2 cup/125 Sugar or Honey or Maple Syrup
3qt of Ice
1 piece of 8" x 8" Cheesecloth
1 piece of 12" food safe twine

Equipment Needed:
A large deep 8qt pot or deep roasting pan.
Cheesecloth (noted above)
Butchers Twine
Large Mixing Bowl for washing stuff.
A conventional oven that goes to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
A refrigerator with space for this brining pork.
Parchment Paper, large enough to cover your pot.
A Wooden Spoon
Large Slotted Spoon

Brine Procedure (Yields ~ 4qt)
Note: Before we make brine, its important to talk about what we're going to do with it. Brine is a great way of seasoning a piece of meat, especially lighter colored meats. The action of brining brings salt and water into the cells of the meat, it also lets it out, some some loss or change of color will occur (not ideal for red meats). Because of the osmosis action and the chemical nature of salt on the cells it allows the meat to absorb more water on the uptake, hence keeps the juices in and allows for more friendly cooking of meats. To brine meats you need to use a cold brine solution. I like to combine a ratio of ice and hot water solution to create a brine that is ready to use. This recipe is taken straight out of Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie book, but is much similar to one I use, but don't have handy at the moment that doesn't call for sugar.

Making the Brine
First, make a sachet. It's like a teabag for herbs.

We need to cut piece of cheesecloth large enough to contain all of the ingredients, 8" x 8" should be big enough.
We also need a length of food safe twine about 12" to be safe. Lay the cheesecloth flat on a clean surface. 1/2 your garlic head horizontally.
Place both halves all of the juniper, black peppercorns, bunch of thyme, chili flake in the center of the cheesecloth.
Now flip the bottom of the cheesecloth about 1/2 way over the ingredients and try ans bunch the ingredients together well below, firmly begin to roll the ingredients up like a cloth log. When about half way fold in the ends to keep it all from falling out. While rolling the ingredients try and tuck the roll of ingredients into the cheesecloth so that we end up with a tight log of herbs. Next, firmly grip the twine with one hand and pull under the sachet, about 1/6 of the length should hang out for you to grip. With the other hand firmly wrap one end of the log, gradually crossing over the center to firmly wrap the other end coming together in the middle and securing firmly. The idea being you don't want this to fall out into the brine.

Now make to make the brine, add the sachet, salt, sugar (or honey or syrup), and 1qt of water and bring to a boil to dissolve. Turn off and let steep for about 5 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the 3qt of ice. Your brine is ready to use when all the ice is dissolved and the liquid is cold. If you need to add a little more ice or cold water, it won't hurt the brine that much to do so. The important thing is to have it cold. Do not remove the sachet.

Preparing the meat for Brining:
I like to rinse any meat i buy. Unless I butchered the meat myself, I want to get any fecal or other matter/bacteria off that can come off with a good cold rinse. Keep in mind that if I were sauteing things would be different, I would then need to dry it well afterward. Some claim this changes the texture of the meat or washes off flavor. Those idiots have obviously never seen an animal butchered. you'd have one hell of a messy piece of meat without it. Score the skin of the pork before bring, as it'll save a step later and allow slightly deeper penetration. Cross hatch the skin about 3/8" deep, almost or to the fat. The skin is tough so you need a sharp knife (or use a serrated) and a good steady hand.

Brining the Meat:
If using a deep 8-10qt pot, you should be able to submerge the whole piece of meat in the brine (with sachet) by placing a small pot or a few plates over the meat to keep it submerged. If using a wider pot, and you can't submerge the meat, you'll have to flip the meat during brining and brine for twice as long. Typically I would brine an 8-10# piece of meat for 8 to 12 hours at a minimum. Cut short for time, 6 hours won't be noticed too much.

Remove and drain well after 8-12hrs, or 24 if you had to flip.

Dump the brine, don't reuse.

Preparing for the Braise:
(While the meat is finishing brining. Get all your ingredients ready and measured out.)

Peel and 1/4 your onions.
Peel and cut the carrots into large chunks. 1-2" long 1-2" wide.
Cut the leeks vertically down the middle, and then into 2" long segments. Rinse in cold water, several changes until no sand appears in the bottom of the bowl.
Bring the Chicken stock to a boil. I find this kills the store bought flavor, and if you have your own in the freezer or fridge, this should be done to kill bacteria.
When the Meat is done and drained, rub a good amount of the pimenton de la vera all over the flesh of the ,meat. Rub well and deep. This is where you give the food your love.
Open the 2 bottles of Dark Ale. Start drinking one and get ready to put the other in with everything else.

Braising the Meat:
Aside: There are many ways to do this. I am going for the easier less involved method.

Pre-heat your oven to 250-275ºF.
Put enough oil to coat your pan and bring to high heat, almost smoking hot.
Add your mirepoix (onions, carrots, & leeks). Caramelize, turning slowly, when the have a nice brown (not black) color deglaze with your beer. Scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to get the good stuff (the sucs) off the bottom of the pan.
Add the hot Chicken Stock.
Add the ham hock or piece of smoked bacon.
Next place the meat skin side up in the pot, carefully place, as you don't want to splash your self. The liquid should come a little more than half way up.
Measure out a parchment lid while the pan is still cool. Tear a piece large enough to fully cover the pot. Fold in half. Fold again. Fold again. Fold again. Now you have a nice skinny triangle. Hold over the pot measuring the point from the center, cut about an inch overlapping the pot. When you unfold, you will have a nice cartouche lid. This we'll use later.
Place the mixture in the oven. Cook for 2-3hrs uncovered, until the fat has rendered nicely and the skin is starting to brown.
Cover with the cartouche, fit it snugly into the pan.
Cook overnight or for about 12 hours. Turn over at the half way point.

To Serve:

Increase the temperature of the oven to 350-400ºF for about 15minutes, to re-crisp the skin side. Use a metal slotted spoon to separate and divvy up. Enjoy!

Embellishment:

Remove the meat from the pot and strain the liquid through a chinois into another sauce pan. Degrasser (de-grease using a ladle to skim the surface). Reduce over medium heat to a glaze and use to finish meat.

It's Like this

2007-12-18T00:39:57Z

I haven't posted in a while because I've been too busy. I haven't posted in a while because I didn't feel the need too. But, it is really like this. I haven't posted in a while, because I've been too busy and didn't bother to take the time to reflect enough.

It's been over a year since I've been married to Tracie. Things are still wonderful, although we don't see each other enough. We work too much, and then on my days off. I'm too tired and haven't the imagination to do anything I've been dreaming about while working.

Like a few months ago I met Tracie and our friend Holly, after they had visited the MoMa. I had just got off work and didn't really want to see the show being tired and all. But on the way out of my building, perhaps it was back in September?...on the way out of the building someone handed me a card with reasons why you should ask more questions about September 11th, 2001.

It presented all kinds of interesting and scary facts about potential conspiracy theories about how the attacks on the World Trade center and the subsequent destruction, didn't fit into the official story.

Last week, on my Sunday, Monday I found a video online and re-hashed those ideas of conspiracy. Except this time. I see it. It doesn't make sense. I've looked at hours of footage and heard hours of testimony and it appears those building were leveled by explosives. Not the airplanes that flew into them.

So, what does this mean if I believe this? I means I'm frightened. I'm mad. It means I have been living in darkness and hiding from the truth. Which, I guess I have, because every since the attacks, I haven't spent too much time reading the news. I mean back in 2003 I did, but once idiot "won" then election in 2004 again. I pulled out. It seemed hopeless. And now it does again.

But I love life. I love my wife and I try and have fun at my job. It's just this thing that happened in 2001 has always been in the back of my mind. Like an itch. Bothering me. Making me think that something has gone awry.

So what can we do to change this? I need your help.

Peach Lavender Ice Cream2-3#

2007-06-15T04:19:54Z

Peach Lavender Ice Cream

2-3# Fresh Texas Peaches
6 Egg Yolks
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream)
2 1/2 Cups Milk (Whole or 2%)
1 2/3 Cup Sugar (split in two separate measurements)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract or 1 Vanilla Bean (split and seeds scrapped into mixture)
2 Stalks of Lavender (~4" tall wiht lots of nice leaves)

Ice, about 1#
Water, quite a bit

Equipment Needed:
4 qt Saucepan
Wooden Spoon
Fine Mesh Strainer
Ice Cream Maker
4 medium to large mixing bowls
Large Sauce or Stock Pot

1. Using a paring knife, score the peaches at the pointy end, with an x. Immerse in boiling water for a minute or until the skin appears to start pulling away. Shock in an ice bath. Peel and cut wedges off of the pit. Divide the wedges and cut into smallish chunks or cubes. Place in a bowl and reserve in your fridge,freezer or over an ice bath.

2. Combine in a non-reactive saucepan milk, cream, lavender, vanilla, and 1/2 of the amount of sugar.

3. Bring Milk mixture to a scald (just before the boil) and turn off and allows the flavors to infuse for 15-20 minutes.

4. When it has almost steeped long enough, combine the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl and whisk vigourously until the mixture is fluffy and pastel yellow (This is known as "blanchir" in the french culinary world).

5. Setup a bowl over a bowl of ice water and have your fine mesh strainer handy.

6. Bring the milk mixture back to scald slowly. Slowly temper the yolk mixture by ladling in and stirring a few ladles of the hot milk mixture. When you've got about 4-5 ladles of warm mixture into the yolk mixture, you can quickly add the rest. (Tempering prevents scrambling the egg yolks).

7. Return to heat (low-to-med) and bring back to scald. Stir constantly and slowly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the wooden spoon. (It is ready when you drag your finger across the back of the spoon and the divide created stays).

8. Strain mixture into a bowl over an ice bath. Stir mixture until it is cool to touch.

9. Combine peaches and Ice Cream Mixture (Creme Anglaise). Pour into Ice Cream maker, and get it going.

10. Enjoy!

We're Married!

2006-11-20T17:33:43Z

It was one of the most beautiful days of my life. I hope to share all the rest.

We were married at the Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, MA on October 7th, 2006. It's been over a month. We got back from the wedding and basically had to pack and move to a new apartment in Brooklyn. Needless to say, things have been hectic, but fun nonetheless.

If you want to see more pictures from the wedding there are many over here. If you join the group and you are my friend I can add you where you can see all of the photos.

That's all for now. Ciao!

Today, for a moment, I was convinced I experienced time loss. A mix-up of sorts...

2006-03-20T23:48:26Z

I got on at West 4th. I know I got on at West 4th. I recall watching out the doorway as passengers got on at Canal, the next stop.

Then I returned my attention to the essay I had been reading.

I did not recall the train ever stopping for very long. I looked up from time to time, people were on the train, everything seemed fine.

I didn't feel the train start moving in the opposite direction.

When, I looked up again, to check the trains progress. My gazed was transfixed on the platform. It looks like Canal St. again. The bird sculptures. Those are the bird sculptures aren't they? I didn't catch the sign. Someone stepped in my way. But I had this feeling the train was going the wrong direction. I couldn't see the sign at the next stop, but I was transfixed by the thought that I'd missed out on an entire period of time. Somewhere. Sometime ago. I had switched trains.

There was no denying it, because I remember so well getting on at West 4th. The train had a C on the end of it? Not an E. Only the E goes backwards so soon in Manhattan.

At the next stop I saw the weird friction worn sculptures. Union Square, I knew. I was on the wrong train.

Confusion and disorientation gave way to relief.

I had gotten on to the wrong train.

Or had I?

Every now and again, I get lost on the trains. Not intentionally mind you. I don't set out to get lost and see the city. Somehow, somewhere, my attention lapses, time dissappears and I'm somewhere I hadn't planned.

Sometimes its refreshing. Today, it was a bit frightening. A simple mistake.

Perhaps the first car did say C. Perhaps my memory isn't as foggy as it seemed just a short while ago.

Chez Panisse Café

2006-02-05T21:22:58Z

The Chez Panisse Kitchen. From Left to Right in the foreground Chez Panisse cooks Paula, Chef Phillip, and Extern Shaina.

At the end of December 2005, I graduated from The French Culinary Institute's Culinary Arts program. Shortly after I ventured out to California to try out for a position with Chez Panisse Café in Berkeley, California. In the first week I was there,I began to despair over just how little a culinary program could prepare one for working in a professional kitchen, especially as short a program as the one I completed, 9 months. I didn't get the job. Yet the chefs offered me a chance to come back for a short 3 week internship as they liked me and wanted to work more with me.

I just finished my second week working at the Café (first of the 3 week internship) and I still haven't lost my respect for the way they run the restaurant. Each day my admiration and appreciation for the way they run things there increases. Also, I've learned to put my education at the FCI into perspective. I think it did give me just enough to jump start my abilities in a professional kitchen and not be a complete nuisance. However, I feel working for free for a period of months could do the same.

]]> The standard internship at Chez Panisse, or Chez Panisse Café is usually 6 months. I'm sort of filling a gap between interns. I can say one thing, its worth every dollar I'm spending to be here and working with them. I wish I'd been experienced enough to get a job here as it is probably the best choice of kitchens to work. Everyone that works there is deadly serious about food, cooking and sustainability. Still, it is one of the smoothest, well-balanced work/life experiences I've ever seen in a professional kitchen.

Mind you, I've a fairly limited experience working in kitchens. I've worked in two fairly small bistros and merely staged in one larger kitchen (not including the school kitchen of L'Ecole of course). Nonetheless, from what I've read over the years, people I've talked to about their experiences, it sounds like the best and most thoughtfully designed restaurant (perhaps workplace) in the United States.

Alice Waters may not be a goddess, and may be put too high on a pedestal by many across the food world, yet judging by the legacy and good works alone she's built here in Berkeley, I would have to say it is a model to be replicated, not ridiculed.

Spend any time in the Chez Panisse kitchen and one learns very quickly, how confidence with ingredients, experience, freshness, and a desire to work sustainably and create wonderful, beautiful and delicious food has created this one spot in the country where a cook can feel at home and delight over every workday.

Undeniably, here in the Bay Area of California, they have the best seasons and the most access to probably the widest variety of fresh, organic, local and sustainably raised or produced foods in the world. But this didn't happen over night. It has taken Alice Waters and the staff of Chez Panisse over 30 years to build their reputation, their network of local farmers and producers and spread the word of why we should all think about these things and work in a more sustainable and thoughtful way and more to the point, why it works so well.

I can't help but be thankful for the experience, however short, working here in the Chez Panisse kitchen. Everyone that works there, is knowledgeable and adds something unique to the kitchen repertoire and everyone is given a chance to contribute creatively in some way on a daily (I would dare say hourly) basis. Hands down the best and most challenging kitchen I've worked in.

Just yesterday, it was near the end of the day (actually well past when I was supposed to leave, which is discouraged there but I kept quiet about it so I could do and see more) and I was de-stemming some spinach for dinner service in the cafe (the spinach was later served with paneer made that day by Nikki--for the first time in the kitchen). I was tired, my shoulders hurt and I had strained my neck tripping up the stairs earlier in the day. So, I guess was moving a bit too slow on the spinach. Chef Cal was working across me. When he finished what he was working on, I'm guessing not just to help me out but also to help pick up my pace, he casually started helping me. And just him working there across from me, helped me speed up and remind myself that I could always move faster and find better ways to do things in the kitchen.

Now, for those of you who've never worked in a kitchen, particularly a New York kitchen, this is unique in that in other kitchen's, to try to get you to move faster, you'll either get yelled at to hurry up or be given unsubtle dirty looks. At Chez Panisse, that does not happen, rather than dissuade you by intimidation as I've experience in other kitchens, they actually help you and use more subtle methods, like asking you where you are at and suggesting moving on to something else for now, or doing like Cal and chipping in until you get faster. Leading by example. What a concept.

I wish all kitchens could be as gracious, inspired and thoughtful about the process of cooking, but for now we can still look to Chez Panisse Café and Chez Panisse to shine a light on dark kitchens across the land.

Disturbances in the force

2006-01-02T14:33:40Z

Just about everyday, I wake up to WNYC's NPR programming. Usually that means that stories like terrorist attacks in Iraq (IEDs-Improvised Explosive Devices), genocide in Uganda, Sudan, etc. and domestic spying by our "elected" administration, plague my dreams. While I know that all around the world, chaos is not raining down on all of us, it sure does feel like it when that alarm goes off the radio clicks on and the reporters start their daily barrage of mostly bad news from around the globe.

Here we are at the beginning of another calendar year and I wake up with all this in my head slowly yet deeply convincing me that perhaps I should just roll back up in the covers and not face the day. I can see why some people tune out the news completely and why many have stopped buying or reading the newpapers. It seems like the world is always falling apart and that no matter what we do, we make it worse. Yet, somewhere within, optimism creeps in and I say to myself, get up time to help stop all this madness.

But where does one start? Often I am reminded that one must choose one's battles wisely. Rarely have I mastered this art, however in the spirit of New Year's resolutions and organizing ones life by setting some goals for the year, I decided that "choose your battles wisely" will become my mantra for this year.

One of the issues we have heard a lot about, particularly over 2005, was climate change. The days last year seem like they could be measured in natural catastrophies. This morning, over my morning coffee (fairly traded and shade grown), I listened to a brief mention that Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had managed to get support for passing of S. 517 the WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 and it has been placed on the legislative calendar. "Weather Modification, what the hell does that mean?" I thought.

]]> The NPR story gave a short background decribing how the committee will reopen research and experimentation into weather modification research, which was "shelved" back in the 70's. The coverage and story were cursory at best, but the issue is extremely provacative. My mind reeled with some of the potential unintended consequences of changing a weather pattern in one place and the consequences abroad. What kind of disturbance in the forces of nature would this create? I sat up and shouted at the radio. "Does she have any idea what the potential consequences would be?" She being, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who introduced the bill back in March of 2005. Next I realized, I don't have a clue what the consequences would be either.

Also, I realized my anger and questions should not solely be levied on Senator Hutchison, despite my own personal bias and displeasure in her performance in the public sector. I don't know enough about Weather Modification or scientific evidence, models, or current thinking on direct human intervention in weather patterns. And perhaps Senator Hutchison and the other Senators supporting this bill were thinking the same thing. Better find out before its too late.

Nonetheless, it is hard to get past those gut feelings, that trying to effect the weather patterns over one area will have negative consequences somewhere else. I could not help but think of one of the most basic laws of physical reality the law of conservation of energy, whereby the action upon one body is translated into action or energy release within/upon another and so on until the effects are mitigated and diffused across an area of influence. But in my layman's understanding of the nature of the physical world, I think scientists and other experets might be able to speak more to the potential consequences of modifying the weather in some part of the world.

To say that I'm deeply concerned by potential consequences and uses of this technology, might be a gross understatement. Apparently I'm not alone. In May of 1977, at an Assembly of the United Nations, leaders from around the world raised similar concerns and debated and agreed that hostile actions and uses of Weather Modification could arise and convened to establish rules in the parties research and application of such technology.

Then I thought back to events of the past year, the record number of recorded tropical storm activity, Hurricane Katrina, and storm systems brewing on the west coast now and thought, maybe they are on to something. But should htis be something that we as Americans pursue alone? We aren't the only ones on the planet the last time I checked.

Yet, after doing a brief search on the internet I found that we have been working and actively trying to alter weather patterns for a number of years already. Take down in the Senators own home state (my original home state) where they have been seeding storm systems for years trying to deepen and lessen the effects of storm systems in the "West Texas between the Permian Basin and the South Plains, at the headwaters of the Colorado River of Texas" [1]. I was also surprised to see them admit that, "In some cases, there is evidence that cloud seeding in one area has actually increased rainfall at distances of up to 100 miles, or more, downwind from the area of intended effect."

My suspicion is, like many other areas of science, we are tampering with something we should not, yet again it is something we perhaps are already doing in our everyday daily practice. Perhaps this will increase the dialogue and debate that journalists like Elizabeth Colbert raised in her Climate of Man series in The New Yorker. Or perhaps this will lead to more abuses by our great nation upon agreements that we have made with other countries at our table in the United Nations. Only time will tell.

We Love Fall!

2005-10-12T18:32:10Z

We finally got up to visit our friend Georgia in Burlington, VT, before she heads off to Chicago. While Fall is running a bit late, due to "uncertain circumstances"... we did manage to find a few pretty leaves and such. Please click on the image to see the other photos I took in Vermont.

The photos were taken in Red Rock Park in or near Burlington, VT.

Share Our Strength's Conference of Leaders

2005-09-19T20:02:28Z

A few weeks ago I found out about a Scholarship that would: pay room, board fees, and transportation to Washington D.C. to participate in a "Conference of Leaders" organized by Share Our Strength. Like many things, I got my essay in on the last day, just in the nick of time.

A few days ago, I got an email confirming that I was one of 20 culinary students from across the nation selected as a finalist to attend the conference, and assist in service for their "Hurricane Relief Taste Event" on October 17th, 2005. As always I feel lucky. Lucky to have the opportunity to write on such an interesting topic, lucky enough to be able to email in my essay, lucky enough to be considered good enough to attend, and lucky enough to have the support and help that I've had at pursuing my interest in cooking and food. And more than anything it will be great to be able to have a hand in raising money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, of which to date I was only able to give $75, and was feeling pretty down.

In addition I'll get to meet great leaders and chefs from around the country. Alice Waters of Chez Panisse is one of the featured speakers, a well known chef, writer and philanthropist who works hard to spread the news on organic and locally grown foods, and there is a laundry list of chefs from around the country that will participate in the conference and the benefit as well. It's a great opportunity to find out all the different ways and ideas that chefs are becoming leaders in their community.

I am thankful to all of my family and friends and sent them an email of thanks for all the support. But I wanted to thank a few people publicly for there undying interest in food and willingness to give all they can in guiding my interest in however they can.

Tracie, my love has been there from day one and her faith in me and my crazy ideas has been unwavering. My parents and close family, well you all know who you are and how you've helped me along the way. Thanks!

On the professional food front, I owe my most current debts to the amazing Chef Julie Farias and Laurent Saillard of iCi Restaurant in Ft. Greene - Brooklyn, NY, for their commitment to local and organic foods and love of food. I met Julie at a Share Our Strength, Taste of The Nation Event, hence it's funny how things come back around and are tied together. Thanks to Chef Josie Smith-Malove of Veliis for believing in me enough to get me to serve as her assistant at Taste of the Nation Brooklyn, and all the other crazy things she has taught me. Then there are the many Chefs and Students of the FCI that continue to amaze and inspire me. Thanks everyone!

Here is the question that was posed for the contest entries and the brief answer I came up with.

What is a chef's role in the community?

Vibrant and great communities come to fruition through the persistent labors of ordinary people sharing resources, conversations, experiences, pleasures and challenges. Leaders emerge over time based on their contributions. I believe that the primary role of chefs in their community is sharing experiences and knowledge and leading by example in ways that will inspire sustainable and positive growth through food and education about food.

Every decision a chef makes about the success and health of their business and menu can either enhance or detract from their community's growth. Chefs must always work to invest and strengthen their communities, by choosing to hire locally whenever possible, offer a living wage and benefits, provide a safe and healthy workplace, and work to inspire and encourage others to succeed and pursue their dreams.

Chefs can help enhance their communities by buying local goods and services whenever possible and establishing partnerships with local producers and farmers. When they buy locally they are making an investment in the local economy. When the community frequents establishments that rely on locally sourced goods it creates a demand for locally owned business establishments. Buying locally then becomes sustainable in that it creates a cycle of interdependence among the farmers, chefs and consumers that can enhance and strengthen the community.

Whenever possible, chefs can reinforce their investment by educating their customers and neighbors about why they serve locally produced foods and how it benefits the community. For example, buying locally brings fresher foods to their customers' tables. It also reduces the negative impacts on the environment caused by long and costly transportation of non-locally produced foods. In turn, when chefs establish relationships with proprietors and come to know the stories behind the food and share these stories, it expands and unites the community.

Chefs are the impetus for educating and inspiring people to care about the food they buy and eat. When chefs express interest and passion for locally produced food, they are sparking the fires of curiosity for local children and families. When a chef highlights the menu's local sources or appears down at the local market to perform a demonstration or give a talk on the local foods in use, the community will come to value investment in local resources and invest as much themselves to help shape their community in a more positive way. In turn, the members of the community are actively shaping and changing their attitudes towards consumption, politics and other aspects of community life. A chef's role in the community, to care and know as much as possible about the food he or she serves, becomes a foundation for positive change within the community.

The Future of Food

2005-09-19T17:32:29Z

If you see one documentary this year, or in the next five, see this one, The Future of Food. We saw it yesterday and I was humbled and enlivened to see a problem illuminated along with a solution. The documentary has the tone of someone who sat through Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 and decided that it just was not as an effective way to get dialogue and movement around an issue as it could.

Deborah Koons Garcia, perhaps in response to Michael Moore's lackluster ability to highlight problems of our free-market economy and come off sounding hollow without following through on telling us really what we can do ( besides emailing our senators or protesting someone or something). The Future of Food does a fantastic job of illustrating the problem inherent in Genetically Modified Organisms as a basis for food, that their impacts on the environment haven't been researched enough, are supported and shoved down the world's throat by the one of the largest (monopolistic) agricultural conglomerates on the planet (Monsanto), the negative impacts on the farmer's key ability to harvest and reuse their own seed, and some steps we can and are already taking to reduce and hopefully reverse the impacts and potential impacts of GMOs on our lives and global food chain.

]]> I've heard some critics content that the tone of the film was overly critical of GMOs and that they remain skeptical of such harsh criticism, yet I came away with no sketicism of the sort. I now understand that GMOs have good and bad impacts on harvest and food production and that the posited goods of GMOs are an exciting allure, but I am further cautioned towards being more selective about the foods I eat and will work towards cautioning others as well and spreading access to this cautionary tale. For if anything, we must continue to learn from history.

The Future of Food demonstrates that sometimes this history demands that someone shape the dialogue to affront your very sense of being in order for you to understand the sheer impact on your livelihood, and sometimes it takes a simple demonstration or act. This was Ms. Koons simple act, now it is our responsibility to further educate ourselves and one another. Sure, someday we may be ready for GMOs, but this film highlights the fact and reminds us that we have dashed into technological breakthroughs headlong before and ended up with our heads firmly planted in the sand. Let us not forget where the combustion engine takes us and is taking us, nor where the fires of atomic energy have taken us and who its taken away. Fear sometimes is the last resort in keeping we humans from taken that wrong step towards a perilous end. This movie strikes just enought fear into my own thoughts on food, to keep my fires burning a bit brighter.

The 20th Century brought great goods through industrialization and great perils. We've seen the demise of thousands of species and millions of humans at the hands of misused technological developments. In turn we've benefited from technological developments as never before. Today, I publish my own opinion a the blink of an eye and I can also find out as many facts and countervailing facts about as topic as my grandparents could come to understand in a lifetime. There is no denying that good comes from technological breakthroughs or the order and magnitude of GMOs, but there is also much evidence showing that in the wrong hands, and when laws become bent and abused to favor the few, the bad is more likely to surface than the good.