Coffee + Arrogance = Disappointment

     I know that it's been a while since I've posted anything.  Life was a little crazy there with my new job but I'm using this post today to get something off my chest.  A lot of you know that Lauren and I plan to open a coffee shop in the future.  Hopefully a place where anyone that walks in that door can feel comfortable in our shop with a great cup of coffee. 
     Recently, Lauren and I visited a coffee shop here in Denver.  I've visited this place four times so far and what an unbelievable cup of coffee.  They're using the best grinders, the best La Marzocco machine, Chemex, French Press, Aeropress, you want it, they can do it.  They are the epitome of the up-and-coming world of coffee obsession and holy crap do they know it.
     I have a serious problem with coffee snobs.  I feared that I may have been one of those people but now, I just realize that I appreciate a properly made cup.  Finding a great bean, a great roaster, and great people to prepare it doesn't mean that you have to act like you're royalty.  When we asked them questions about some of their practices with coffee, their responses were arrogant and short.  While I appreciate the same practices with coffee and would like to continue some of them in my own shop, I refuse to employ people that act this way.
     Just because you're good at your craft, never means that anyone is below you.  Remember that these customers you're insulting are paying your salary and keeping your store alive.

Batch #3

     Well, it's been a little over a month and my Limoncello is ready to be mixed with the simple syrup.  Once a week, over the last five weeks, I've pulled the aging liquid out of its hiding place to give it a couple of turns.  This helps by agitating the zest to extract even more flavor out of those little strips.  It's amazing how something so small can create such powerful flavor.  I never open it though.  You definitely want to keep it in a nice and sealed environment to let the alcohol do its job.

     All I did in the picture above was mix equal parts sugar and water and created a simple syrup.  You want to make sure that your pot is nice and sterilized before you begin though.  Once you melt the sugar down in the water, simmer for a few minutes to ensure no crystals are left.  It's important that you do not let the mixture boil or reduce.  This will change both the color and consistency of your simple syrup and remember, we don't want to mask that beautiful lemon flavor.  Once finished, let the syrup cool completely.
     Before I add the cooled simple syrup to the jar, I strained out the lemon zest.  Again, make sure that you sterilize what you strain the liquid into so that when you return it to the initial jar, there's no issue of contaminating the liquid.  Honestly, if some bacteria gets into your Limoncello, the alcohol will most definitely take care of it.  The downside to not sterilizing everything will be a cloudy and slightly unpleasant end product.  It's just better to take the time.
     To finish, mix the alcohol and simple syrup back into the aging jar and seal it tightly.  Remember to clean any possible sugar from the outside of the jar since you will need to return it to the cool, dark place where it was before.  No one wants to worry about bugs in their closet right? 

     All that's left from here is to bottle your Limoncello.  I like to let it sit with the sugar for another month since it seems to develop a more sophisticated structure.  You can use any kind of bottle that you wish but I prefer the one's you see below.  Play around with the basic idea of this beverage and let me know what you think.

Jumping into the world of tea

     Are you a fan of tea?  It's a complex world with various types and even more flavors.  White, Green, Black, Oolong, Rooibos, Herbal, and Mate are some of the various types to choose from.  I guess you can say that it mainly depends on what you're looking to get from your tea.  When you want a little caffeine, but not the same kick you receive from coffee, all of these are great ideas except for the herbal tea.  While tea doesn't have the same effect as coffee, it at one time contained more caffeine than it's equal weight in coffee.
     Most teas in fact have more caffeine per concentration in it's raw state than coffee beans.  What happens is that when coffee is brewed, some caffeine is lost but not at the rate that tea looses it's caffeine concentration.  Some believe this is why tea is more beneficial at night before trying to sleep over coffee.  Just that little bit of caffeine you receive from tea can actually help stabilize your system to calm it down.  That seems a little backwards to me and I was skeptical so I did a little research.
     For the coffee drinkers of the world, researchers have found that if you maintain the same level of coffee consumption per day, it will stabilize your blood pressure.  That doesn't necessarily mean at good levels but that's another topic.  For individuals that are addicted to caffeine, and you know who you are, if you miss your caffeine intake, do you feel slow?  Do you start to get a headache?  Do you feel like you have some weight pulling you down?  It's because your body is now dependant on that caffeine. 
     Why tea is seen as a nice substitute at night is that if you begin to crash from your caffeine intake, your body starts to react in a way that inhibits you from feeling comfortable and able to get a good nights sleep.  This is why I typically drink green tea almost every night.  It helps me calm my mind before trying to get some sleep.  Green tea has also been shown to help with weight management, which as a chef, that can always help.
      Or maybe it's all just the effects of a placebo, who knows.

Kale...inspiration for cheesecake

     I had the day off the other day and I decided that I would treat myself to a great cup of coffee in Cherry Creek, Colorado.  I sat at this coffee shop for nearly two hours reading my book and enjoying this amazing concoction.  When I started to get a little hungry, I thought that I would stop in the local Whole Foods and pick up something small to hold me over until I got home.  Just as I walked in the door and saw the Kale, I started to get a little inspired to make my wife some dinner. 
     I took my time, walking through the aisles, trying to get some ideas.  When I reached the meat counter, I picked out the Bison Sirloin.  I didn't want to make anything really complicated so I went for the typical American dish of meat and potatoes.  Lemon Marinated Bison Sirloin, Paprika Roasted Creamer Potatoes, Braised Kale, Honey Chia Wheat Bread, and Lemon Glazed Mascarpone Cheesecake. 

     The reason for Mascarpone Cheesecake is that I walked past the cheese counter and saw Mascarpone, so there you go.  I know that my wife loves lemon so I picked up some lemon cookies, and a Meyer lemon.  The cheesecake was a basic vanilla bean cheesecake but the crust was made out of the cookies mixed with brown butter.  What you see on top is a mixture of sugar, water, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  I cooked it down until it was nice and thick.  After the cheesecake cooled, I spread a layer on top and enjoyed.
     One tip that I can give is to make sure the cheese and sugar are whipped for quite some time.  Mixing well not only ensures the sugar is dissolved and evenly incorporated, it adds air to the mixture that creates a wonderfully light cheesecake texture.  Also, try to find some smaller molds at any kitchen store.  Making a full sized cheesecake is way too much for my wife and I so these are perfect, personalized little cakes.
     It's funny how Kale inspired a whole meal like this.

It's that time of year again

      So, as mentioned earlier, it's that time of year to make Limoncello and the more I thought about it, the less I could wait.  This delicious beverage will not be ready to enjoy until the beginning of July but it's completely worth it.  The amount that I make usually lasts the entire year but that didn't happen last year.  To stay ahead, I'll probably make another batch in July when I bottle what you see above.
    
     It's such a simple process.  Lemons, Grain Alcohol, Sugar, Water, Jar (for aging), Strainer, Bottles.  When doing my research, I found that everyone has a slight variation to their Limoncello.  Some like to add Star Anise, some like cloves, some like mint, you get the idea.  This could go on forever.  Even the type of alcohol used and how many lemons are used varies for each recipe.  While intensely strong, I like using the grain alcohol since it doesn't impart any flavor and it's more traditional than using Vodka.

     After sterilizing the fermenting jar, I start by scrubbing the lemons under running water to ensure that they're clean.  Any contaminants on the zest will alter the finished product.  Zest all of the lemons but make sure that you do not zest the white pith since it will impart a bitter, unpleasant flavor in your Limoncello.  Combine the grain alcohol with your zest in the fermenting jar, seal it, and store in a cool, dark place.  I like to keep mine in the back of the closet behind our clothes to ensure that no light reaches the jar.

     This is the last step for another month and on May 2nd, I'll mix in the last step and let it sit for another month.  All that will be left is to strain, chill and enjoy.

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.