Life on the Line #5

     Dealing with strange and/or very difficult customers in the food & beverage business is very common.  The severity of this can fluctuate but it still drives you a little crazy.  This has happened to me on several occasions but one in particular sticks out for me.
     It was your typical Spring Sunday brunch and service was proceeding very well.  We finally opened our patio and everyone was enjoying their spring inspired brunch in the comfortable, yet unreliable Georgia weather.  Service started at 10:30 and finishes around 3:00, depending on business.  This particular day we decided to stay open until 3:00 since the patio was still full. 
     Approximately an hour before closing, a customer sends back a hamburger he ordered saying that he found a hair.  Three of us looked for this hair and still couldn't find it.  We made a new order for him and sent it out on the linen lined plate that we typically did on Sundays.  A few minutes later, a guy comes back into the kitchen carrying the plate.  He drops it down on my prep table and says, "What do think this is"?  It took every bit of energy I had to not fly off the handle at this guy walking into our kitchen and getting an attitude. 
     He showed us the linen and how there were little hairs all over it.  We found out later that the linen company washed ours with a hair salon but that doesn't take care of the current problem.  We tried to apologize over and over to this person but he just wasn't interested.  He started to get a little loud saying,
     "What the hell kind of place are you running here, serving me food with hair, I can't......"
     Right then my boss walks in, cuts him short and rips into this guy.  I won't repeat to you all that she said but I can tell you the interaction ended in a way that the customer did not expect.
     "Who the &%@$ do you think you are," my boss yells.  "Get out of my restaurant and never come back".  Again, I'll spare you the extra expletives that came out of her mouth then.
     It all happened very fast but it's a good rule of thumb to not walk into a professional kitchen being disrespectful.  With the hours that we worked in that kitchen, we chef's were a little on edge and you never knew when we may snap.  That's an additional reason why I needed to find another, calmer side of the food business.

Making Limoncello

     I've decided to make another batch of Limoncello and I can't wait.  I will attach some pictures of the process to give a glimpse of how I make this.  It's an exercise in patience when making this beverage.  It takes approximately three months before it's ready to drink.  It's definitely worth the wait but you really have to like drinking something really strong.  I use straight grain alcohol which is 190 proof.  That may have already turned a few of you off to the idea. 
     If made correctly, it has a beautifully velvet texture with a sweet lemon flavor without having the tart fresh lemon kick.  You may think that Limoncello will have an unpleasant effect given the high alcohol content but it balances out in a way that even surprises me every time I drink this. 
     You never plan on sitting down and drinking an entire bottle or even a full rocks glass worth.  Limoncello is typically served chilled in small cordial glasses.  Believe me, that's all that you will want to have at one time. 
     I usually start this process every year at the end of March.  That way, it will be ready to enjoy by the end of June.  A nice summer beverage that will help you hydrate and take the edge off at the same time.  That's my opinion anyway. 
     Keep checking back since I will have a new entry and pictures of my process of making Limoncello.

Coconut Barfi

     So we have all tried fudge at one time or another.  Everyone has a different opinion on how it's made or what ingredients are used but the most popular is obviously chocolate.  My family has a fudge recipe using marshmallow fluff and it's really good but you never know, some may disagree.  Nuts or no nuts, it doesn't really matter to me but I wanted to make something a little different.  I wanted something sweet but I quite honestly didn't want chocolate.  Caramel is my favorite confection of all time but I didn't want caramel either.  What I decided on was something that I had never made before, Coconut Barfi.
     Coconut Barfi is basically Coconut fudge found primarily in Indian cuisine.  Coconut flesh and milk are used a lot more than I imagined but the flavor of the coconut as an accompaniment to some commonly used spices in India work beautifully together.  When researching Coconut Barfi, the common ingredients used are:

Coconut

                

Condensed Milk

              

Sugar

                  

Clarified Butter

Almonds

     The first three ingredients are mixed together in the pan.  I reduced the mixture until it was thick and had the consistency of peanut butter.  I then added the butter, mixed well and cooked for another minute or two and transferred the mixture to a greased pan.  I garnished the Barfi with the almonds and some more fresh grated coconut.  A few recipes that I found used cardamom as well but I decided to leave that out this time.
      I cracked a fresh coconut and shredded the flesh myself.  You don't have to do this given that it's very time consuming but the plus to the extra work is that you get the coconut water.  Coconut water is an isotonic beverage and without getting too technical, it aids in hydration much better than any sports drink in my opinion. 
      I love coconut and while this is not exactly a healthy alternative to chocolate fudge, it keeps the palate intrigued. 

Sorry about the size of the picture