Life on the Line #3

     We've all had those days at work where something goes wrong.  They all start the same way where something small happens and before you know it, you have this massive snowball that's formed and the time in between was so short that it all stands as a blur. 
     We were in the middle of lunch service.  The day was going well.  Everyone on the line was in good spirits, business had increased over the last month or so and having a little extra money in a restaurant is always a good thing, especially for the guys creating the menus.  It was around 12:30 when the dining room and patio were nearly full and we started to smell gas, not just the staff but the customers as well.  We started to look around the kitchen trying to figure out where this was coming from.
     It was really strange.  The smell was the strongest in the men's bathroom, in the employee bathroom in the kitchen and near the office.  It was getting stronger and to be honest, we were starting to worry a little.  We decided to close the doors to any additional business but finished serving the guests that were already seated.  There were too many people in the restaurant, we sure as hell didnt want to lose them.  Then water starts dripping through the roof in one place, then two, then five and then all hell breaks loose.
     Water starts coming down like a waterfall and then the fire alarm goes off.  When leading a kitchen, you have to show calm in front of your staff even when may be freaking out a little.  I immediately tell everyone to get out.  I make my way down the line to make sure everything is off, cover all of the food and make my way out to wait for the fire department.  When they get to the restaurant, it took a few minutes to find out that the water is coming from the spa above.  The main water pipe ruptured and of course, it drains all over our kitchen.  The reason for the smell of gas was that the hot water hit a gas line that created the smell and in turn, set off the alarm.  It took the other two sous chef's and I nearly seven hours to clean everything up.  We had to pull almost all of the equipment, clean up the water, take out the ceiling tiles that were destroyed and put it all back together.  To top it all off, the spa fought us every step of the way on having to reimburse us for business lost and damage to our equipment and product. 
    This is an example of the issues that can happen when owning a restaurant.  There are things that are worse than this but I'll save that for a different time.  Rolling with the punches is an important aspect of the job and over time, it becomes second nature.

Pork & Black Bean Chili, for the meat lovers

     I've made this chili for a little while and I've always tweaked the ingredients until I was able to reach the flavor profile that I wanted.  Today, I finally got to that point.  It takes about two hours from start to finish but most of that time is for simmering.  Very crucial if you want your chili to taste awesome. 

     It starts with a nice Andouille Sausage and Ground Beef.  I like to use the 80/20 ratio of beef to get that extra fat...delicious.  I start the pot on medium low heat and add a small amount of canola oil, about the size of a quarter.  I then add the beef and let it cook and firm up so that it stays in the ball form.  After the beef is almost finished, I then add the sausage and let that render.

      After the meat is almost fully cooked, I turn the heat up to medium-high to get a little color.  I like to deglaze the pan with a small amount of red wine to get those tasty bits off the bottom of the pan.  Now I add what you see below.  Onions, Garlic, Brown Sugar, Bell Peppers, Fresh Jalapenos, Diced Tomatoes with their juices, fully cooked Black Beans, Paprika, Ancho Chile Powder, Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, Cinnamon, and Cayenne Pepper. 

     Add some Beef Stock and bring the chili to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium low or until you reach a very slow simmer.  You want a few bubbles coming up but not too much.  When you see all of that steam coming out of the pan, that's flavor, we definitely want to get as much of that as possible.

      This is the end result after an hour of simmering.  DO NOT EAT RIGHT AWAY!!!!  Let it sit overnight, you'll be surprised how much the flavor develops.  Top with a little Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese of your choice and Cilantro.  Enjoy!!!

Life on the Line #2

     When first starting in a restaurant, especially a fine dining restaurant, the overwhelming sense of being in way over your head can, and more than likely will set in.  Some people will run their average day through their mind over and over to make sure that when they get back to work the next day, they would hope to be just a little more prepared.  Depending on the person, getting used to the hectic life of working in a restaurant will eventually happen.  For the most part, it becomes routine with the occasional curve balls thrown in the mix.
     The last restaurant that I worked at followed this path.  The day would start around 8 am and the very first thing that my fellow Sous Chef and I would do is brew some coffee.  With a sixteen hour day ahead of us, we needed some sort of jump start.  While drinking our coffee, we would take a look at the days reservations and the prep list that was left from the night before.  We were typically the guys that closed the night before which meant that we were the ones that wrote that prep list.  We are creatures of habit after all.
     Next, we would start putting the stations together and take a mental inventory of what items took priority on that prep list and start building up for the incoming lunch crowd.  It was always beneficial to keep in mind the dinner shift and plan your day out accordingly.  At the same time, we had to think of a special for the day.  Not only for the lunch service, but dinner as well.  It could be exciting coming up with specials but when your boss doesn't give you much of a budget to work with, it can turn into a troublesome, challenging task at times.  On top of prep, mental inventories, and coming up with specials, we also had to ensure that all of our orders came in the door correctly and at times, make a trip to the restaurant depot.  Then service starts.
     You scramble to get that last little bit of prep completed and in comes the first order of the day.  You do your best to pump yourself up and get this started and just as you get that first burger on the grill and your shallots in the pan for a pasta dish, the next order arrives.  Before you know it, within the first 30 minutes of service you're staring down at fifteen to twenty lunch tickets and then time starts to lose its meaning.  The next thing you know, the doors are closing to incoming guests and we need to hurry up and finish the last few checks so we can take a quick fifteen minute break outside and start it all over again for dinner. 
      Dinner service was always a little more difficult since your guests are coming out and spending good money for an experience.  Your typical lunch crowd just wants something good, fast, and easy.  Getting through a flawless dinner service can sound easy enough, even for the most experienced staff but you still have that sense of urgency that anything can happen so we have to be perfect no matter what.  Within a few hours, dinner service is over, we clean the kitchen, write the prep list, place the orders that we need for the next day, lock it up, go home and get about five-six hours of sleep and start it all over again.  Before you know it, you've fallen into that routine that was previously a concern and you begin to operate as if you've done this your whole life.
     Sounds a little crazy?  That's because it usually is.

Find Your Farmer

     In honor of food day, I want to ask everyone to make a concerted effort to find and utilize your local farmers and ranchers.  This is a movement that is similar to the going green movement where groups are trying to encourage the world to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Going green will definitely cut down on the extremely high amount of resources that are used but so will buying local.
     We all know that gasoline prices are out of control and we've all heard about resourceful ways to decrease the use of gasoline but what I think that most people forget about is the gasoline that's used to transport and supply all of the food that we find in the stores.  Going local will not eliminate the usage of gasoline but it will decrease it considerably.  For example, my wife and I went to a wedding in Crested Butte, Coloardo a few months ago and while there, we decided to visit a local farmers market.  We bought local honey, goat cheese, and lemon cucumbers.  These items were not only cheap, they were delicious.
     What's also exciting is that you can typically purchase items from local suppliers, farmers markets, or artisan markets that you wouldn't readily find in the local grocery store.  How often do you see lemon cucumbers in the local grocery store?  On top of that, the items in the grocery store only wish to have the same flavor.  Take apples for example, when going to your local grocery store, these apples look great.  They're large and plump and they have this great shine to them.  Did you know that naturally, or organically grown apples generally are not supposed to be that big?  Did you also know that the shine of those apples is wax?  None of this will harm you but why eat something like that if you have the option of getting something local thats much more delicious. 
     While not all produce is locally available, there will be plenty of options to choose from.  Consider the season and try and make the effort to use something local and support the locals that work so hard to bring something delicious to your table.

Life on the Line

     It's been nearly a year since I've left the restaurant business and it didn't feel real until recently.  After fifteen years in the food & beverage business, I started to believe that my work life would only be defined by what I did everyday in those kitchens.  It controls almost every aspect of who you are and it starts to become difficult to have a life outside of it.  For some, this lifestyle works and they live and breathe restaurants, I just can't anymore. 
     While I absolutely love everything about the food & beverage business, enough to write this blog, I really needed a life instead.  I know that some of my chef friends that read this will criticize my decision but to each his own.  October 5th, 2010 is when I started to work for Whole Foods.  I was definitely anxious, nervous, and basically unsure when I started with this company on whether or not it was for me.  It was so ingrained in my head that if I call myself a chef, I would have to work in the nicest restaurants and build my reputation up so that I could one day open my own restaurant.  While I believe that I could definitely have a successful restaurant, I would never be happy with the lack of time that I could spend with my wife and future kids.
     Having the job I have now, and having the free time in my life that I have, it has inspired something inside of me to speak of my Life on the Line.  This will be a series of blog entries that will talk about the typical day that we would have and some of the fires that come up (not literally) that we have to be creative enough to put out.  It's a stressful, chaotic, intense, and addictive career choice if you find that it's in your blood.  To those that are contemplating this lifestyle, choose wisely.  While it can be a very rewarding side of the Food & Beverage business, it can also make you miss some important milestones in one's life.  Here we go.

National Coffee Day

     Today is September 29th, National Coffee Day.  It's a little known day where coffee lovers of the world can enjoy their unobserved "holiday".  There are numerous shops throughout the country that are giving away free coffee in observance of coffee day, what could be better than morning coffee, free coffee.  There are approximately 111 million coffee lovers worldwide and it's projected that nearly 440 billion cups of coffee are sold and consumed each year.  Those are amazing numbers.  This is exactly why coffee is one of the most profitable import/export businesses in the world.

     When researching National Coffee Day, there isn't much information out there about how or when it was started.  What we do know is that it was started within the last decade and more than likely by the large coffee retailers to help with marketing.  Regardless, I think it's about time.  There is a designated day for so many things out there, why not coffee.

     Get out there and have some coffee.  Try some of those weird, off-the-wall beverages that we hear about but never want to try.  One in particular is Kopi Luwak.  This is a coffee bean where an Asian Palm Civet eats the berries and passes it.  Then it's collected, cleaned, and roasted.  When brewed, this bean produces a cup of coffee with a much more mellow flavor than most.  As long as it's roasted properly, the bitterness should be significantly lower than what we're used to.  There appears to be one negative aspect to this coffee though.  Supposedly, it averages between $155-$160 per pound.  I'm TOTALLY trying this coffee!!

    

Simplicity

     This is a post that could go on forever.  There are so many unbelievable transformations that can happen with food using ingredients that are not often seen in a kitchen.  For instance, have you ever heard of a carbonated blackberry?  What about caramel salt, not salted caramel?  Ever had Brie that was blown-up and resembled sea foam or how about an Edible Photograph? 

     There are so many more amazing transformations that can take place that I wouldn't even know where to begin.  Molecular Gastronomy is the term that most people would apply to food preparations like this but for some chefs, such as Grant Achatz of Alinea, he would actually tell you that he hates this terminology.  While Chef Achatz needs to understand the science of his food, he doesn't like to call it "science".

     I've met so many people over the years that are on either side of the fence when it comes to cooking.  Classical French cuisine still intrigues people that are much younger than me, even though the new trend is to fuse cuisines together and/or manipulate the same product with chemicals to create impressive, edible showpieces.

     While I am interested in the food that chefs like Richard Blais, Wylie Dufresne, and Grant Achatz create, it's just something that I've never really tried to do.  No matter what style that I've tried over the years, I just can't seem to break away from what I like, simplicity.  After thinking over the menus that I've created in my career, they have always been straight forward and simple.  I never liked to add so much to a plate that it's hard to decipher what you're eating.  Here's an example.

     I was one of the Sous Chef's at the last restaurant that I worked at and we had to create a special tasting menu every Saturday night.  We tried to make something different every weekend and after a few months, it became increasingly difficult since the money we were given to spend was rather limited.  Because of this, we typically kept our menus light, yet interesting.  One particular menu went as follows:

Fried Oyster Martini

Stone Ground Mustard Cream Sauce, Jalapeno Aioli

Seared Scallops

Sweet Corn & Bacon Risotto, Chimichurri, Shaved Parmesan

Chocolate Lavender Pot de Creme

Grand Mariner Chantilly

Good Food Regardless of Location

     There will always be critics of the food & beverage business and it's various specialties.  For the chefs that work in restaurants, they hate hotels and country clubs.  Some will say that, "it's where chefs go to die".  I have to say that I disagree.  I know several chefs in the hotel and country club side of the industry and they are some of the best cooks that I have known. 
      The reason for this post is that Lauren and I went to a friends wedding this past weekend in Crested Butte, Colorado and the reception was held at a country club.  They had a buffet for their guests and it was well done.  Having food that is incredibly ornate and complicated for a larger group of people is feasible, but not necessary.  The food at this particular wedding was nice, and simple.  Well cooked and seasoned properly.  One thing that really stood out is the roast that was being sliced to order, beautifully medium-rare. 
      My wife and I were married at a golf club that had a restaurant on site.  We sat for an initial consult with the executive chef and he presented us with lunch that would be similar to the style of food that would be served at our wedding.  Again, very well done.  Everything was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right.  Same as our friends wedding in Crested Butte, it was simple and fulfilling. 
     Given that I'm a chef by profession, some people expect that our food is going to be over the top and over their heads, it was quite the opposite.  We wanted something that would appeal to everyone that came to our wedding, something that would not make people feel uncomfortable.  Both of these examples are why I disagree with chefs that call hotel and country club chefs, "washed-up".  It's simply a gross generalization of chefs in that profession.  In my opinion, as long as you can make great food, I don't care where you work.

Silent Collapse

     How many people are aware that we've removed almost 90% of predatory fish from the ocean?  Some turn their nose to the idea of "farm raised" fish but it's turning out to be the best option right now.  Why do you think they limit the fishing so much as what's seen on the show Deadliest Catch, we've depleted our resources.  If we haven't depleted them yet, we're getting their fast by overfishing, illegal and unregulated fishing, habitat damage, and bycatch.
     Fish is my favorite protein to work with and watching the decline of this species is disheartening to say the least.  Fisheries can be dependable but there are far too many fisheries that are not managed properly.  This is why you hear of Tilapia fisheries in particular, where the fish are somewhat hazardous for human consumption.
     I would like to urge anyone that reads this to research their food options much more before buying.  It can be a little annoying to try and find the information that's needed but it will be well worth it.  Not only will this research lead to a safer product to feed your family but a much tastier one at that.
    
 

Limoncello

    This is definitely a drink people either love or hate, you don't really see anyone in the middle.  I knew from the moment that I tasted this that it would be a drink that I would love.  It was about 7 years ago when I tried it for the first time and I became very intrigued so I did a little research on this beverage to find out more. 
     Limoncello came to be out of a desire to not waste lemons that were so carefully grown.  There were fields of lemon trees in Italy and far too often the farmers would have more lemons than they could sell.  Trying to figure out what to do with these extra lemons to make a little more money off of them, they started to experiment with pickling, brining, and preserving.  All of these application worked and the farmers were able to sell these items to keep them afloat. 
     No one really seems to know exactly where the idea of Limoncello came from other than it was a cultural tradition in Italy for quite some time before a few individuals decided to sell it.  Grain alcohol was fairly common and used in many applications but when the zest of these extra lemons is added to the alcohol and left to mature, the results were astonishing.  The trick, to find some way to alter this concoction to make it easier to swallow.  Who wants to sit around and drink straight grain alcohol?  Not I. 
     A very simple solution followed, add water and sugar, or simple syrup to the mixture and enjoy.  The process in which Limoncello was handled back in the day is slightly different than now given the increased issues with food contamination.  Unless you buy organic lemons, far too often you're going to see two common practices, pesticides and wax.  We know what the pesticides are for but the wax serves various purposes, one of which is to help preserve the lemons but to also make them more eye appealing.  We've been brainwashed into thinking that if those lemons are shiny, those are the ones that we definitely need to buy.  That practice is so flawed and it's scary how little people know about produce selection.  Anyway, getting too off track here.
     I try and buy organic lemons when they're available and personally economical.  After washing them well, I zest the lemons add it to grain alcohol in an airtight container.  Place the container some place away from light and as close to room temperature as possible.  I tend to put my jars in the back corner of the closet behind our clothes.  It usually takes some time before the flavor of the lemons is fully incorporated. 
     After a couple of months, your mixture is ready for the next and final step.  Adding the simple syrup balances the flavor and makes it pleasing to drink.  A couple of things to always remember, properly sterilize the container and bottles you're going to use and strain the mixture before transferring it to the bottles.  I prefer mine to be stored in the refrigerator but some prefer using ice.  Whichever you decide is up to you.  This will definitely be a strong beverage so drink with caution and an open mind.

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

     This is very much a Winter/Christmas style bread but if you ever find yourself looking through your pantry and you come across Pumpkin Puree, why not enjoy a little bread.  It's a very simply quick bread with the basic ingredients of sugar, butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. 
     What I like to do with my sweet quick breads is to cream the fat in the sugar, just as you would a cookie mix.  Then I added the wet ingredients, once they were mixed, I added all of the dry ingredients.  It's very important to remember to never over mix these breads, if you do, your bread can become tough.  You also have to keep in mind what altitude you are at.  I'm so used to baking breads in Georgia that coming to Colorado has really made me relearn what I need to know as a baker.
     Not much to this entry, just wanted to share what I did tonight.

Camp Food

     If you've ever gone camping, you know that real camping involves very little in regards to modern home-comforts.  My wife and I decided that if we were going to camp, we were going to keep it as low maintenance as possible, in regards to packing.  Given that, we decided to not buy a gas powered camping stove to cook our food, neither did anyone else that we camped with.  We used our campfire to cook all of our meals, heat water for oatmeal, coffee, tea, and of course, S'mores. 
     Since it's a National Forest, we were not allowed to gather fallen wood from the surrounding grounds.  In fear of receiving a fine, we had to buy what was supplied by the Park Rangers.  It started to get cold fairly early so we would get the fire started to warm up and eventually cook some food.  When out in the middle of the woods, it would be an unwise decision to eat a very large meal of foods that can potential upset your system.  At the same time, you have to be very smart in your decisions.
      As you can see in the photos below, we had a mixture of items on the fire brought by different people.  One brought the sausage, another the beans, and we brought the corn in the husks.  Yes, the beans were in a can but who cares, it was very easy to cook while still in the can and just as easy to eat.  One less pan to clean as well.  Same for the corn, still in the husks to keep the corn kernels from burning and it all came out great.  We finished the night sitting around the fire telling some crazy stories, as per usual for this type of setting.
      Having ready-to-eat foods are also a necessity.  When hiking, we had various items such as trail mix, granola bars, peanut butter sandwiches, cliff bars, and a lot of water.  Same as mentioned before, it's important to not eat a lot of food before starting a hike that began at an elevation of 9,520 feet with an incline of 600-700 feet.  You need something light and nutritious but satisfying at the same time.  Difficult, yes but you have to know what works best for you.
     All in all, great camping trip.  The first photo below was the view that we woke up to each morning and it was breathtaking to say the least.  In my opinion, it was very fulfilling to wake up in the morning and start that fire you see in the second photo to be able to eat or make coffee and the same goes for dinner.  If it had rained during our trip, we more than likely would have never had hot food, and there's only so long that you can go without that.

A History

      There are varying thoughts on where and how coffee was discovered.  Coffee is one of the most profitable exported crops and has been that way since the late 18th century.  Most of the information that you'll find indicates that coffee berries were first discovered in Ethiopia by a goatherd named Kaldi.  Some believe the story of Kaldi to be myth, especially since he lived during the 9th century but wasn't acknowledged in writing until the late 1600's.
     It's believed that coffee was discovered after a few of Kaldi's goats ate some coffee berries, which have the green coffee beans inside.  When his goats became so energetic and remained this way for a period of time that he decided to eat some himself.  After experiencing the effects of these mysterious berries, Kaldi took some to his fellow monks to report the findings to see what the consensus would be.  A beverage was made from these berries and that's supposedly the first recorded "cup of coffee".
     From this point, the word started to spread about coffee and the effects that it carried.  Every country wanted to get their hands on these berries in hopes of turning around their respective economies.  It was the Arabians that really tried to create a monopoly on the market but that can only carry on for so long.  The coffee trees started to make their way all over the planet and became a crop that could not be messed with. 
     As is true for anything that's new, it carried a considerable amount of controversy as well as intrigue.  Religious groups believed coffee to be the product of Satan and it wasn't until the Pope gave this drink his papal approval that it started to lose it's negative reputation. 
     As the business of coffee continues to grow, it will continue to require the attention of the world.  As one of the worlds leading crops, there's always room for more people in the coffee business.  The more you learn about the world of coffee the more you realize how much you don't know.  What could be so difficult and complex about this business?  Think about this question and if you know the answer without having to look it up, leave a comment on this entry.

     What grinding characteristics are important to remember when manual brewing?
  

Spring

    Although I do love the cold weather and here it is May 11th and it's snowing outside, I really enjoy the produce that's available in Spring.  I, like most chefs, like to create food and menus based on the current season we're in.  Modern technology has given us the opportunity to purchase items that are not currently in season so why base your current food creations off of these? 
     Here are some of the items that just recently came into season.  Keep in mind, some of these items are harvested in early spring so they wont be around long.

                  Pineapple, Nettles, Mangoes, Artichokes, Sunchokes, Ramps, Fiddlehead Ferns, Sorrel, Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas, Strawberries, Spinach, Chives, Arugula, Radishes, Pea Shoots, Hon Tsai Tai, Red Komatsuna, Kohlrabi, etc.

     This is a good opportunity to do what was mentioned in a prior entry.  Go to your local shop and pick one or more of these ingredients and make something.  Sure it can be daunting to grab Hon Tsai Tai and try to cook with it but that's how you have fun with food.  To say that you've cooked with every single ingredient that exists in our world is somewhat impossible.  For instance, there are over seven thousand species of apples.  Can anyone say that they've had their hands on every single species of apple, doubtful.  Even still, this is why cooking is never boring, you can make so many different recipes with one single ingredient. 
     Try something new and let me know what you made.  I bet everyone makes something different, even if you picked the same ingredients.    
                                                        

Cooking to relax

     So I went to the store the other day after work and decided that I really wanted to cook, I mean really cook.  I walked the aisles of the grocery store and saw so many products that were processed, pre-made, packaged, and ready to go.  All you would need is either a microwave, hot water, or an oven.  Thought and manipulation of the product in front of you is gone.  There's no love in the food that you're about to eat.  Some may disagree with that because someone had to handle the product at one point or another and put some care into the food.  I hate to break it to you but the majority of the food that's produced is done so for money and nothing else.
     That's why we have to get back to local, sustainable, real product.  Get back in the kitchen and really get your hands dirty and experience more of what you're eating.  For example, while at the store, I was at the meat counter and ready to buy chicken.  Usually if you're looking for chicken breast, you just buy the package that has three or four pieces and make your meal.  Instead of that, I bought a six pound bird.  Everything was still intact and it was only $1.48 more in total.  Now that seems like a good deal to me.  A full bird gives you 8 cuts which for two people, you can get several meals instead of just one or two.
     There's something very therapeutic about cooking.  Whatever it is that you're working with, manipulating that product through careful consideration to achieve a result that you can be proud is very rewarding.  Purchasing produce and meat in their raw state and making something delicious and beautiful is very difficult believe it or not.  Francois Minot said something that really stuck with me and I think of his quote almost every time I cook.  "Anyone can make you enjoy the first bite of a dish but only a real chef can make you enjoy the last".  That's a lot of pressure, if you work in the food business but while at home, it just creates a challenge within yourself.
     Try it sometime.  Go to the store and grab something that you've never had before and cook.  It's amazing how food can inspire creation by just holding it in your hands.  Buying food in this manner can get expensive so you always have to be careful but the reward is that much sweeter than any fast food restaurant or a frozen meal from the grocery store.
     I made a soup for my wife once that was a Butternut Squash & Apple soup.  Onions, celery, garlic, butternut squash, apples, water, salt, white pepper, bay leaves, and paprika.  Preparing everything and slowly watching it turn into this velvety, full flavored soup with no hidden flavors and secret ingredients helped calm my mood tremendously.  I know this is why I made the huge leap of attending culinary school.  I thoroughly enjoyed cooking more than my original career choice of Psychology.  There's something about cooking that calms my intense personality more so than Psychology. 
     Low on money, hungry and can't stand it?  Do what I do sometimes and just open the refrigerator or cabinet and look around and challenge yourself to try and make a meal with what you have in front of you.

Organic, Shade-Grown Coffee

     If you're feeling like a cup of coffee that is full of complex and beautiful flavors, maybe you should look into these farms and the beans they grow and sell.  More and more coffee shops and suppliers are starting to use the coffee beans from these farms.  Sadly, the amount of shade-grown coffee beans that are circulating through the market make up approximately 1% of current industry sales.  Not only is this the natural way of growing coffee beans since they generally cannot withstand direct heat from the sun, it's a lot easier to obstain from using herbicides or pesticides. 
     Natural, shade-grown coffee farms provide a natural habitat for birds.  These birds help with the control of pests.  What started to happen several decades ago was the creation of a hybrid coffee where it could withstand direct sunlight.  Because of this, farmers started to clear the surrounding trees, which in turn started to destroy the habitat for the birds that foraged for the pests that overwhelm any crop.  You can probably guess what I'm going to say next, here come the pesticides.
     When it comes to our food, no one wants to buy product from a farm that uses pesticide so why would you want it on your coffee?  A common misconception is that once you roast your coffee beans, any chemical that may have been used will be taken care of.  Why assume that it's taken care of and just buy from shade-grown farms where the use of pesticides is never a concern.  While they can be a little difficult to find and slightly higher in cost per pound, it's definitely well worth the effort.
    Through a lot of the research that I've done, the most common benefits are:

                                     Helps Sustain Rainforests
                                     Supports Bird Habitats and Biodiversity
                                     Supports a Healthy Environment
                                     Healthier Consumption
                                     Taste

     Of course the last benefit is what the average coffee drinker is looking for.  Even though the largest coffee shop chain in the world is playing a part in helping reverse unsound coffee growing practices, I simply do not care for the taste of their product.  That's an important point to keep in mind, even though you find a great farm, the beans can always be over-roasted and destroy the flavor.  This is a no brainer in my opinion.  Shade-grown coffee is better for the environment and surrounding habitats.  It's also easier to maintain and costs less to operate, it's better for our bodies, and most importantly, the taste is far superior to sun exposed crops.
     Here's a list of a few shade-grown coffee farms:

                                     Selva Negra Estate
                                     Finca Rosa Blanca
                                     Yasmin Coffee Plantation
                                     Asobagri
                                     Hacienda Carabobo of the Cisneros-Phelps Family
                                     Finca Ceylan y Anexos

Sweet Onion Marmalade

     I started to develop this recipe due to a Taco Throwdown that we're having at work this weekend.  The build of the street taco is:
                                               Corn Tortilla
                                               Sweet Onion Marmalade
                                               Habanero & Papaya Slaw
                                               Pepper Crusted Smoked Pork Belly

     We tried this recipe a few weeks ago and give it a trial run to see how well it would sell, crazy popular.  We made them small using a 3" tortilla so they were easier to eat.  Also, the Pork Belly is somewhat fatty so there's only so much that you would want to eat at one time.  What I'm focusing on for this entry is the Marmalade.  Marmalade is typically a word used when fruit is boiled with sugar and water but that's the great thing about food, so many items are interchangeable.
     The recipe is very simple.  I know that I wanted to make a nice, rich onion base for this taco and marmalade was the first thing that came to mind.  I've made a red onion marmalade before, just different ingredients so I figured it would be easy enough.  As you can see below, I started with basic yellow onions and caramelized them in their own moisture.  Nice and slow on moderate heat so you can achieve a balanced caramelization with no burnt pieces.
     Next, I deglazed the pan with a mixture of red wine and balsamic vinegar to gather any flavors that may have gathered on the bottom of the pan.  As soon as the liquid is mixed in, add brown sugar, sugar, and salt.  Looking at the third picture, the mixture kind of looks like a pot of worms but believe me, it gets a lot better.  From this point, I turn the heat to medium low and just let the mixture cook until it thickens and resembles marmalade, or jam for the individuals who've never worked with marmalade.  A mistake commonly made when cooking with balsamic vinegar is that if you cook on too high of a heat during reduction, there's a good chance that the vinegar will scorch.  Also, when you're trying to reduce any liquid, it's always good to not boil the mixture because it's believed that you'll lose a lot of flavor.
     The mixture looks very rich and thick as if it were made with beef stock or something similar and that's how it should look.  The finished product has a bold onion flavor with a slight tang from the vinegar which will help balance out the sweetness.  You have to keep the pairings in mind though.  Eating onion marmalade by itself will not be very pleasing, but with the slaw and pork belly, it's one great combination.

Blackened....or lack thereof

     A popular modern invention of blackening food creates a very complex and intriguing flavor.  The classic way of blackening food is to dredge the item in butter, a mixture of spices and sear hard in a very hot cast iron pan.  There isn't a lot of spices in the mixture so it's easy to mix your only blackening spice and get cooking.  The containers of blackening spices that you can purchase are not a bad choice, its just a bad choice of the cook that doesnt really know what they're doing.
     The inspiration of this entry was a "Blackened Ahi Tuna" dish that I had previously.  The sides that accompanied the Tuna were a good choice and would have matched very well if the Tuna actually had blackening spice on it.  While the spice and proper sear were missing, the texture was great so I can't be that mad.  I really enjoy a piece of fish that's blackened so I just wish that I can help others understand what the real procedure is so they get a superior product on a more regular basis.
     The common mixture of spices are paprika, ground black and white pepper, oregano, thyme, chili pepper flakes, garlic, and salt.  These are common spices found in Cajun cuisine and the ratios that are used are left up to the one cooking.  Personally, I like to balance the earthy with the heat so that you can still enjoy the protein without blowing out your palate.  If properly done and you have a piece of fish sitting in front of you with that nice, crispy shell of blackening spice that breaks into the soft and flaky flesh, it really plays to all senses in both taste and texture.  Butter is always a great choice to pair with fish so dredging first in butter, then crusting with spices definitely adds another element to the experience.
     I believe that I've had only one experience in a restaurant where I ordered a Blackened Salmon and it was actually blackened.  It was very delicious and complex both in aroma and taste and it left me wanting more and more.  So I'm going to leave this somewhat vague to hopefully entice you to go try blackened food for yourself, if you haven't already.

Bread

 We all know that too much bread in one's diet can and is bad for one's health.  Who cares?  To have a fresh baked loaf of bread in front of you is a great thing.  I know that I could never be a baker by profession but home baking, for me, is very rewarding.  Bread baking is meditative for me and it's something that I really enjoy to do on my days off.  Something about the smell of the yeast blooming and the semi-crispy crust that crackles under the pressure of your hand is something that I really get into.  Bread making is a hobby of mine but I never thought that I would make bread to sell to others.

     October 2010, the 1st annual Taste of Place in Boulder took place.  My wife was the driving force for me to sign-up to sell my breads.  I thought about doing something like this but I never really pursued it.  When we first moved to Colorado, I had some difficulties in finding a good job.  With the little spare time that my wife had, she looked through ads to help me out.  That's when she stumbled across an ad that was calling for local artisans to sign up for this first annual event that was hosted by the Root Sellers, a local artisan group that focuses on local, sustainable products. 
     So, I bit the bullet and signed up.  Why the hell not right?  I did my research on making my breads that much better.  I experimented with different flours, sweeteners, fats, and pans.  I had about two months to get it together and get my breads where I felt comfortable with selling them to the public.  I'm sure my family grew tired of me feeding them bread after a while with all the test samples that I kept creating.  I got my recipes where I wanted, bought the packaging, and had a friend of ours create business cards for me.  I was ready.  I never did one of these events before so I had no idea on how much to make.
     This was the final list:
        -Honey Oat Wheat Bread
        -Light Rye Boule
        -Butter Yeast Rolls
        -Pumpkin Ginger Bread
        -Banana Bread

     It was great.  I never expected people to enjoy the bread as much as they did.  I set up a cutting board and sampled two of the breads and people started buying.  I finished the day with a couple hundred extra dollars in my pocket.  The great thing about it was, I didn't care about the money.  I enjoyed making all of that bread and participating at the event that the money was an added bonus.
     
     We'll get more into breads as we go along.  I'll definitely have more to say about this.

Pimento Cheese

     Have you ever had one of these?  Growing up in the South you heard about pimento cheese sandwiches all the time.  As a kid, I never really liked it.  I tried it a handful of times and it just wasn't for me.  It wasn't until I went to the Masters Tournament last year when I had one for the first time in a very long time.  It's amazing how one's palette changes as you get older because it was delicious.  It's very easy to make but if you're on a diet, you better stay away.
     The typical application is a sandwich.  It's used in many different ways but the sandwich is the most common.  The most common ingredients are Pickled Cherry Peppers, Mayonnaise, Cheddar Cheese, Salt, and Pepper.  The texture to which you blend this is completely up to the person making it, but it's usually left somewhat chunky. 
     Some of the other ingredients that are frequently used are Cream Cheese, Velveeta Cheese, Jalapenos, Worcestershire, Cayenne, Hot Sauce, Paprika, Onions, Garlic, and Pickles.  I do enjoy the original ingredients, even though mayonnaise has a bad rap, I just don't mind it.  I wouldn't mind trying this sandwich with any of the other ingredients added to the mix, just keeps it that more interesting in my opinion.
     When I ask people about the pimento cheese sandwich that live here in Colorado, some don't know what I'm talking about, while some remember it from their childhood living in the South.  I know that most health conscious people do not care for anything with mayonnaise but try it at least once.  If you go to the right place, you could really get an amazing sandwich.  There are restaurants that currently do their own version of the Pimento Cheese Sandwich with some added ingredients that really spice up this classic southern recipe while giving it a high-end appeal.

What I want to learn next

     You don't see this that often but it still exists.  Some places are known for their Coffee Art and they're even showcased on food shows.  I like to be surprised.  I like it when I go to some random coffee shop, just looking for some caffeine and the barista makes an attempt at Coffee Art.  Sometimes, it is really, really bad.  Everyone has to start somewhere right?  Then there are a few times where the barista seems to make this effortless.  I think that perfecting Coffee Art will give me that special touch for the future shop.
     Of course it looks easy.  What could be so difficult?  You brew the espresso, froth and steam your milk, start pouring the milk and then make the slick little zigzag side-to-side to make the above design.  Sounds easy, but not so much.  I've tried and it just never seemed to pan out.  Not only do you want it to look good, it has to taste good.  A common mistake is to over steam the milk to try and get more and more froth.  Also, too much froth will not help you in making Coffee Art.  There's that perfect stage where the milk and froth are right where they need to be, something that I still have yet to get a hold of.  So now it's time to learn and practice.

Like I said, Coffee

     I have this addiction to all things coffee.  Not only do I need the caffeine to start my day, as a lot of people do, it carries another quality with it.  There's an intriguing aspect to the bean, everything from where they originate to the various ways they're utilized.  I've spent time in countless numbers of coffee shops just studying their operation and getting ideas for what works the best.  Some shops are just a hole, with tables, chairs, a counter, the essential equipment and nothing else.  While other, "high-end" coffee shops are popping up all over the place that are starting to look more like dance clubs than a coffee bar, but I still enjoy the more relaxed, peaceful location.  That's the type of atmosphere that I'm looking for when we start our own coffee business.
     I've spent the last several years studying coffee because of this hopeful future business.  Learning the origins, the varying farms, the care those farmers give in roasting (if they roast them at all), the charities they support, and most importantly, the numerous ways the beans are brewed and enjoyed.  I started out drinking the heavy sugared coffee drinks that barely tasted like coffee back in the day.  I just thought that black coffee had such a bitter flavor that drinking something with vanilla and caramel flavoring would be my only option.  As is also true with wine, I needed to build my palette and expand on my choices.  I think that the number one reason why people are turned off by coffee, is due to the heightened levels of acidity in most cups that are sold these days.  Believe me, there are so many better options out there than what's offered by the major corporations.
     Even your non-coffee drinkers typically have a connection with coffee.  It may just be the aroma that they enjoy, or that smell conjures up past memories that have a special meaning.  One typical phrase that I hear is, "I love the smell of coffee, I just can't stand the taste".  There's nothing wrong with that.  The aroma that comes from a properly cared for and brewed bean can be stimulating to the senses, in many ways.  I do believe that the average person has not enjoyed a proper cup of coffee.  A lot of commercial brands sell coffee more for the profit than the quality.  These companies commonly fill their coffee bags with fillers, or overroasted beans.  Even though overroasted beans have a bitter taste to them, their cheap.  No one else is going to buy them so why not add them to the rest of the beans so they can continue to make more and more money.
     As mentioned before, I have a feeling that coffee will be a topic that I visit frequently, so we'll dig more into the expanding world of coffee further.

Beginning of Something New

     This is something that I've thought about doing for quite some time now.  I've wanted to have a source to share my experiences with food and I think this is a useful medium to do just that.  A life in food can be rewarding and at the same time, extremely frustrating.  Given that, it's a passion that I just cannot do without. 
     I have some types of cuisine and ingredients that I especially like to work with but hopefully, by continuing with this blog, I can reinvigorate the love affair with all aspects of this obsession.  I'm positive that my entries into this blog will bounce around from time to time and one topic you may here a lot about is coffee, something that I must have to get through my days.
     I hope that this blog is entertaining and informative to those that follow it.