The Last Supper

There is a saying in the biz that you are only as good as the last thing you cooked, rather The Last Supper. If tonight is any indicator then I'm doin' pretty good. Granted there is always room for improvement but for all intents and purposes, I nailed it!

Gumbo is one of those dishes that touches you where it counts, in the heart. I am pretty sure that anyone who takes the time to prepare it absolutely loves food and people, I know I do.

There is something so alluring yet out of reach when you savor, especially the first bite. In a million years the average diner would not guess that flour and fat, roux, could be so luxurious. Elusive at best you just can't put your finger on it yet you just can't stop. Telling yourself just one more bite as your belly grows ever more full, second helping please.

To sum it up; a Louisiana expatriate said to me tonight as he approached in hope of seconds, " thanks for taking me on a trip back home".

Not bad fer a Yankee I guess and I certainly felt that in the heart for as much love as I put into my food, it's nice to have it reciprocated.

Cooking @ Home

So it doesn't happen often these days but I actually cooked at home tonight. What a joy, there is a real sense of peace when it's just me and the ingredients.

I was thinking early on in the prep phase that there was a time when we didn't have food processors, we actually had to use a knife for everything. Fortunately I have knife skills and a processor, at times, is just another dish to wash which is no big deal but I prefer making the mess.

I was once surrounded by all the modern kitchen gadgets but these days in my humble apartment I'm equipped with the bare necessities including lighting. My, my how important it is to have proper lighting. Until tonight this wasn't an issue but with some of the finer details of preparing Eggplant Kuku, which is a souffle, it turned a routine dish into a challenge. You know, are my whites moist and shiny, have I incorporated them properly.

The main attraction of this dish is that it's vintage. I really embrace the idea of making old, new again. There's something comforting about preparing food that so many have enjoyed.

Lastly, it's a good recipe, I used Asiago instead of Parm and kicked the garlic up a notch to two cloves. I made a paste of the garlic but will probably try roasted garlic at some point. The texture was light and fluffy and if you don't mix well and add a pie shell you could call it quiche.

A Birthday Gift!

A dear friend gave this recipe to me for my 36th birthday. 20 years ago she made it for me and I have not forgotten how delicious it was, Bonnie Butter, you've returned to me after all these years. It was in fact love at first bite!

To the best of my knowledge this comes from a 50's Better Crocker cookbook. Thus far it's been passed across two generations and if I

have anything to say about it, at least two more!

Chocolate frosting or ganache and a tall glass of organic grass-fed milk are suggested for maximum pleasure.

Enjoy!

It's a New Year

So.....it's been a couple of months since my last post, a busy couple of months. I've had a lot of great experiences with food since, too many to list but perhaps a few bullet points.

-My first "catering" gig was a hit at the end of January with pulled pork for 100.
-"150 cucumber" dill pickle recipe was created
-First attempts @ Chile Rellenos was a hit
-"Yoda Cake" formerly known as "Martian Cake" is my traditional birthday cake which I have eaten a thousand times but never baked was experimented with.

Well I am back in saddle again and hope to be making regular posts.

Gearin' Up

So the season is in full swing and i'm gearin' up for the facility's annual holiday party. Among the many items on the menu are cookies, 25 dozen cookies! Now that's a lot of cookies you're sayin', me too. Fortunately for me, Otis Spunkmeyer is the bashful baker behind the madness. Hours later.... A couple of hundred almond bark pretzels are ready for the delight of all. For a Saturday i've accomplished quite a bit.

Mashed Potatoes

So i've just finished prepping several dozen very large Russet potatoes for tonights dinner service. A few of them were showing a bright green just beneath the skin which got me to thinking, as of course I wasn't thinking while performing the mindless task of potato peeling. Anyways, I had heard that this "green" in the potato was poisonous so with a quick net search this is what I found. It is poisonous, even in small quantities. With the "at risk" population I cook for the potatoes have been discarded and everyone will sleep soundly tonight!

Toys

As a chef many of the items in my kitchen are referred to as toys such as my ovens. Today I get to play with a 60" Vulcan Endurance Series Range, 10 burners & 2 standard ovens! Someone once said that a craftsman is only as good as his equipment. Well I have the best but it must be said that it definitely out performs me. I love toys! FYI, if you click the title"Toys" you can learn a bit more.