The Wild And Wacky World of Chef Mike

A Horse of Many Names~The Wonder of Little Red, The Great-Great Grandson of Secretariat

2011-03-21T15:42:00.006-04:00

A Horse of Many Names
The Wonder of Little Red
The Great, Great Grandson of an American Legend

The red foal dances
As the red sky is dawning

Life begins anew.

A haiku by Sheril Stansberry

A Horse With Many Names by Kateri Nelson

He probably didn’t even have one when he was born on March 29, in Ocala, Florida. In fact all he inherited that day was an umbilical hernia -- a surgery his owner couldn’t afford -- so three months later, the chestnut foal was relinquished to a local rescue.

Taken away from his mother before being weaned, the baby experienced a very traumatic first trip to say the least: he was traveling solo and could hear his mother’s desperate cries for miles. But already he was showing the world how brave he was: in his tiny narrow chest was beating the heart of a champion. You see, our hero had Secretariat’s blood flowing through his veins since his dam, Beautiful Wonder, was Big Red’s descendant. So at the end of June, the brave little foal arrived at Beauty’s Haven Farm and Equine Rescue.

Besides an umbilical hernia, the baby also had a badly infected foot so definitely needed overdue veterinary care. The first days were of course very scary: who were all these people and what did they want from him? But quickly good-hearted volunteers showered him with love and attention and helped him adapt to his new surroundings. The rescue named him “Armani”, for his elegance and classy demeanor. Once his umbilical hernia was repaired and his foot treated, Armani was put up for adoption, finally ready to tackle life.

A few months later, when I was the grant administrator for American Humane Association, I received a call from the rescue asking for financial help for a mare in need of urgent veterinary care. Then, for the following weeks, the rescue kept me posted through their blog on all the horses they were helping, including a beautiful foal named Armani, who was looking for a new home. Of course I couldn’t even think of adopting him: we lived 1,800 miles away which meant several days in a trailer for a very young horse, something that would’ve worried me to death. But I had secretly bonded with him, even from a distance. In all the pictures of Armani posted on the rescue’s website, the young Thoroughbred seemed to float, his feet never touching the ground. Born and raised in Montreal, I had grown around Thoroughbreds; my uncle was breeding them and leaving the muggy city in the summer to visit his farm every Sunday was one of our favorite activities. Later on I became familiar with Secretariat and the famous French Canadians in his life who always made me very proud of my heritage; how could I not be in love with this foal?

A couple of weeks later, I left American Humane but kept in touch with many of the shelters, including Beauty’s Haven. Then at the end of October the rescue and my husband started to plan The Big Trip: Dean was trying to get Armani transported to Colorado and the rescue really wanted the foal to go west, so together they made the impossible journey become reality, without my knowledge.

In early November, on a warm Friday night, Dean proudly announced that Armani had been traveling for three days and would be home in six hours. I couldn’t believe it: the most beautiful foal in the world was coming home and I would finally get to meet the horse I had already nicknamed “Little Red”, in honor of his great, great grandpapa.

Armani arrived in the early hours of the morning. Fortunately he was not alone; he had been traveling with a couple of horses, including a Gypsy Vanner stallion that was going back to Oregon after servicing the ladies in Tennessee. Needless to say, the trailer was fairly large and luxurious. Nothing was too good for our little rescued horse. At least I thought he was little until the driver unloaded him. At the tender age of seven months, Armani was already 14.2 hands and was walking on stilts. In fact, you could almost hear the bugle call when he walked down the ramp; he had the confidence of a champion.

Unfortunately our unseasonably warm weather didn’t last long; a few days later, our new adoptee experienced his first snow. Quite a shock for the young Floridian!

Over time, his personality blossomed. He showed more and more assertiveness, and developed a mischievous side directly proportionate to his great intelligence. Armani quickly found his place in our little herd of three horses and rarely needed to be reprimanded by his elders, even today. Fortunately for us he exhibits a similar behavior with humans. In fact, I’m still amazed that despite his painful early life and the long trip to Colorado, Little Red is as confident as he is. The son of a king, he deserved a name reflecting his noble birth and his great courage. So Sir Tristan of the Round Table became the obvious choice, especially for our 9-year old son. Since he arrived, our horse with many names has picked up a few inches -- just yesterday, three weeks or so before his first birthday, we measured him at 15.2 hands. The veterinarian thinks that he will reach 16.2 or 16.3 hands at maturity. Then Tristan will hopefully calmly carry us on his back despite the bugle call that will resonate in his head, and the beating of hooves pounding deep in his heart.

All photographs courtesy of Kateri Nelson

Secratariat's Meadow Tours

2011-02-02T17:24:00.000-05:00

For Immediate Release

SFVA to Offer “Secretariat’s Meadow Tours” for Groups and General Public
Proceeds will benefit future Museum of the Virginia Horse

Doswell, VA (February 1, 2011) - Fans of Secretariat soon will be able to enjoy guided tours of the very grounds where the immortal 1973 Triple Crown winner was born. This spring, SFVA, will begin offering tours of “Big Red’s” famed birthplace, The Meadow Event Park, in Doswell, Virginia, just north of Richmond.

There will be two types of tours: customized tours for groups which may be booked from March to December; and a limited schedule of tours for the general public. The customized tours are available for groups renting The Meadow Event Park facilities for meetings, trade shows, horse shows and other functions, as well as for groups such as historical societies, civic and alumni organizations, book clubs and the like. The basic cost is $10 per person, $5 for children 12 and under, with a 40 guest minimum; other special features can be added to the tour. The basic tour takes about an hour.

General public tours are slated for March 27, May 7 and July 23. The public tour cost is $10 per person, $5 for children under 12, with a 40 guest minimum. Advance registration is required. More public tour dates may be added to the schedule as demand warrants.

Secretariat’s Meadow Tours will be narrated by Leeanne Meadows Ladin, award-winning co-author of the best-selling pictorial history, Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend. She wrote the book with Kate Chenery Tweedy, the daughter of Penny Chenery (Tweedy), owner of Secretariat. Ladin will share behind-the-scenes stories about the circa 1805 farm, its famous stallions and broodmares, and the people who lived and worked there during its heyday. Highlights of the tour will include seeing the foaling shed where Secretariat was born on March 30, 1970; the yearling and training barns with the stalls where Secretariat and Riva Ridge (Meadow Stable’s first Kentucky Derby winner) stayed as young colts; and much more.

Secretariat’s Meadow Tours involve a tram ride, some walking and an indoor presentation featuring video clips of Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown races. Tour guests have the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Secretariat’s Meadow. Proceeds from the tours will benefit the future Museum of the Virginia Horse to be built at The Meadow.

For additional information on the customized group tours and the public tours, please see www.meadoweventpark.com. The Meadow Event Park is located off I-95, exit 98 to Doswell, 1.5 miles east of King’s Dominion.

To book a group tour, please contact Leeanne Ladin at 804-363-1683 or email: laladin@verizon.net. For more information about the book and authors, please see www.secretariatsmeadow.com.

To register for the public tours on March 27, May 7 or July 23, please contact Sue Mullins, 804 994-2744, smullins@statefairva.org.

###

SFVA (State Fair of Virginia, Inc) is located at its permanent home and year-round rental facility,
The Meadow Event Park – Birthplace of Secretariat.

SFVA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization not affiliated with state government. In a world where Virginia’s open land and traditions that shaped our culture are rapidly vanishing, SFVA’s goal is to keep cherished ideals and experiences alive in the Commonwealth.

Glycogen and Fitness

2010-05-31T11:23:00.001-04:00

Glycogen and Fitness

When considering a fitness program, for some, it is very important to understand how gluclose affects and supplies our bodies with necessary fuels for us to recieve the maximum benefits from our dieting and fitness programs.

To be physically fit you need to develop enough flexibililty and muscle strength along with muscle and cardio-respiratory endurance to allow us to meet the demands of life with energy left to spare. This energy (fuels) that support physical activity are derived from glucose (from carbohydrates), fats (from fatty acids) and in a limited capacity, amino acids from proteins. While resting, our bodies depend on fatty acids to provide us with over half of the energy it needs.

Glucose is stored in our liver and kidneys as glycogen. Our glycogen supplies are limited which is why the fatty acids are vitally important. Our muscles can only store up to 2000 kcalories as glycogen while fat can contain up to 70,000 kcalories of energy, so when our physical activity is strenuous, especially for endurance athletes, the glycogen stores can get depleted rather rapidly, and once depleted our bodies depend on the fat and fatty acids to provide our muscles with the necessary glucose it needs.

The rate at which glycogen stores are used depends on two things: the duration of the exercise and the intensity of the exercise. As a general rule, people that work out for more than 45 minutes should pay attention to the amount of glycogen it stores and generally for those that exercise moderately or under 45 mins a good, sound diet is usually sufficient to maintain our glycogen storage. This is why it is often recommended for endurance athletes to consume at least 50-100 grams of carbohydrate immediately following a workout or other strenuous activity.

As stated by Bodybuilding.com, all carbs are not created equal. I could not agree with this more and in order to develop the glycemic index it is important to consume smart carbohydrates that offer a high glycemic index. Bodybuilding.com offers some good advice on the glycemic index and offers several lists on high versus low glycemic index foods depending on your overall goal of your fitness program. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/zaino14.htm

Some foods that contain a high glycemic index include potatoes, short grain rice, white bread, pancakes/waffles, cornflakes and watermelon. With that being said, one of the best choices when involved in a fitness program is to choose a high carbohydrate diet, but keeping in mind that not all carbs are created equal. If you are going to research carbohydrates that may be beneficial to your fitness program I recommend that you look for carbohydrates that are listed as "high-impact carbs", there are several good sources on the internet that cover this subject, bodybuilding.com being a very good one.

Many athletes use a method called "Carb Loading" before an event. Basically, carb loading can nearly double the muscle carbohydrate concentration. The athlete will taper off training 7 days before the event and carb load three days prior to the event going from consuming 5 grams per weight pound to 10 grams per pound.

In speaking with Robin, she recommends that her clients pump up on high glycemic carbs to build up the glycogen levels before, during and after working out.

If this subject or anything contained within concerns you please send me an email and I can attempt to answer any questions that you have, and as I always say, please keep in mind that I am not a dietician, nutritionist or have a medical background, I am just your happy little buddy that happens to know a little bit about food and dieting....
Peace, Hugs and Cookies,

Chef Mike

Glycogen and Fitness--Part One

2010-05-31T07:41:00.000-04:00

I had gotten a conversation about the importance of Glycogen and Fitness with a good friend of mine, Robin Powell. Robin owns P3 Fitness in Anderson, SC and I had always intended on finishing this article and finally getting life on an even keel and have the opportunity to talk about something that should be very important to all of us.

Robin pumping it out at P3 Fitness

Check out her website

Technical Definitions for the Glycogen Articles

Before I get into the CheffyBabbles I thought it would be a good to give technical definitions to some of the phrases/words that we are going to discuss in this set of articles. These may not make sense now, but hopefully when this series of articles is complete you will. If this is of special interest to you I would recommend you print this page out for reference.

Glycemic Index- ratings of the effect on glucose based on the carbs upon food ingestion (GI). The lower the GI ranking, the lesser the effect on the glycemic effect.

Glycemic Effect- how food raises blood glucose and elicits insulin

Insulin-a hormone excreted in response to high blood glucose.

Glycogen-is made and stored in the liver and our muscles as a form of glucose. Found in animals in only a limited amount and not present in plants at all. We store most of our glucose in our liver and muscles and is released when our blood glucose falls (like in between meals or when working out)

Glucose-Blood sugar/energy. A monosaccharide; the root for disaccharides and polysaccharides. Our bodies primary energy source.

Lactate- During intense activity muscles excrete lactate into our bloodstream which is then filtered by our liver and in turn released as glycogen.

VO2 max- VO2 max refers to the maximum volume of oxygen consumed.

Physical activity benefits the body's nutrition by helping regulate the use of fuels, pushes the body compostion more towards lean, and helps us increase our daily kcalorie allowance. Physical Fitness and weight training helps us to manage or prevent several chronic diseases, enhances our physical and psychological well being, improves posture, strengthens our back and helps us maintain and maximize our bone mass.

So what's not to like????

Physical activity lowers your blood pressure, slows your pulse rate & raises your "good" cholesterol levels. The math really isn't that hard to do...

It saddens me to think that approximately 25% of adults in the US are completely inactive or sedentary if you will...pretty pathetic statistic...
People that know me know that I am and have always been a little guy, and when offering dietary advice some people kind of frown on the skinny kid that won't ever have to worry about being fat giving dietary consultation. The fact is that I won't ever have to worry about being unhealthy either. Not because I am a little guy but because I live my life, although not seriously active, I am active.
I take my walks everyday, attempt to do my Tai Chi at least once a week, ride my bike around 30 miles a week, spend more time on my feet than I do on my butt, etc. It really isn't about the intensity of your exercise, it is the point that you are getting your exercise, burning calories, eating right and enjoying life. When you exercise not only do you feel better about yourself and those around you, but you look better, your behaviors are more positive and people notice you for that "positive you"...It's a win-win situation. The Dietary Guidlines for Americans 2005 states that we need to spend a minimum of 30 mins out of our day in some form of physical activity.
When you exercise your option of being more active you allow yourself to become more flexible, build up your cardiovasular system and muscle strength to allow you the endurance to face the needs of day to day life with more energy to spare. Again, what's not to like???
Anyway, my point to this little preface before I get into the CheffyBabbles is just to ask everyone to stop for 30 minutes out of your day for you...go for a walk, work in the yard, take your kids on a bike ride, not only will you feel better about you but your world will become a much happier place to be...

Casseroles-Recipes-Seafood

2010-03-28T20:54:00.003-04:00

Casseroles-Recipes-Seafood

(Short Ribs with Chipotle/Roasted Garlic BBQ, Roasted Garlic Potato Puree and Summer Vegetable Cheddar Casserole)

Being a child of the sixties, a point in history that was well known for the housewives in America feeding their families casseroles of some sort or another, especially when you come from a family as large as mine (9 siblings), I have had my fair share of casseroles.

Not a big fan of casseroles since those days at home, but I find myself often making them in the real kitchen; who doesn’t love a potato dauphinoise or au gratin??

Here are a couple of the recipes that I really enjoy, stay tuned there is a lot more to come…

The first one is from Sonia Martinez. Sonia is an accomplished cooking instructor, food writer, consultant etc…she so rocks…this recipe I got from her quite a while ago for a Shrimp Casserole,

“Casserola de Camarones Enchilados”

2 cups shrimp, cooked and peeled
2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
1 onion, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked white rice

Saute the onion, garlic and green pepper in the butter. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper. Stir in the canned tomatoes. Add the cooked rice. Place in casserole dish and bake at 375oF for 30 minutes

Pretty straightforward isn't it? Not only is this dish quick and simple it has a very neutral and great flavor so it gives you a lot of room to play and add things to this dish…mushrooms, chipotles, roasted vegetables, different types of rice, utilizing herbs and spices, blah, blah, blah…is a great dish….Thanks Sonia....

So staying along the seafood thought process…

I don’t know where I stole this recipe from, maybe it was Chef Roy but I’ve had it forever, and have made it a bunch but I know that I didn't invent this one. I always substitute the first couple steps with using fresh seafood instead, this really is an awesome dish and makes for a good special when you are trying to move product.

Seafood au gratin
"Fruits de mer au gratin"

1 pound frozen cod filets, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound pre-cooked mixed frozen seafood
2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, cleaned and sliced in rounds
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
pinch of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons very fine dry bread crumbs

Bring a large pot of water to simmer and add the cubed cod. Simmer just until done (this should only take two or three minutes). Add the frozen seafood and simmer just until thawed (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and drain immediately.

Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven or sturdy pot on medium heat. Add the leeks and the mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are soft (about 8 minutes). Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of flour and cook, stirring for one minute to thoroughly coat the vegetables with flour.

Pour on the white wine and stir well to combine. Then mix in the milk and cream. Heat until thick and just below the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add the parsley, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the seafood mixture.

Pour the mix into a 9X13 inch buttered baking dish. Mix together the parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs and sprinkle this evenly on top of the casserole. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Serve your seafood casserole piping hot with rice.

Another very neutral dish that gives you room to play...the possibilities are endless...

Well, standby I have more coming including my process and a story about Chicken Etouffee, and of course the inevitable potato...

Oldest Casserole Recipe I found...

2010-03-26T19:31:00.000-04:00

I am finding this very interesting due to the fact that I am mixing my love for history along with my love for food...

This is the oldest casserole-type recipe that I have found from the book Apicus (not to be confused with the gourmands Apicus, the book is assumed not to be written by any of the three gourmands named Apicus, but may be a treatise of a combination of the works that they have done in the name of gluttony)

PATINA DE PISCICULIS (Soufflee of Small Fishes)

(Apic. 4, 2, 30)

Ingredients:
------------
500g      boiled fillet of small fishes or whole sardelles
150g      dried raisins (sultanas)
1/2 tsp   freshly ground pepper
1 tblsp   Liebstoeckl
1 tblsp   oregano
2         small diced onions
200ml     oil
50ml      Liquamen, or 1/2 tsp salt
some cornstarch

Instructions:
-------------
Mix raisins, pepper, Liebstoeckl, oregano, onion, wine, Liquamen and oil
together and put in a casserole. Cook until done. Then put small boiled
fish fillets or boiled small whole fishes into it. Thicken with a bit of
cornstarch and serve.

It took a little bit of doing to decipher some of these ingredients but this is what I came up with and I may not be right, but this is as close as I could come...

---Liebstoeckl: In Latin it's called 'levisticum officinale'. The closest I could figure was Lovage in being that Lovage's stalks are eaten much like celery and the roots/seeds/flowers are used today mainly in confectionery.

-- Liquamen: a salty fish sauce. closely resembling Nahm Plah (Thai Fish Sauce)

Casserole-The Pot Itself

2010-03-26T16:02:00.002-04:00

Vessels and Jars found at the excavation site of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Casseroles-The Pot

As many that have grown to know me or follow the inevitable CheffyBabbles knows that I have a deep passion for both Asian and Spanish foods. When Andrea started asking questions about casseroles it brought me to asking questions about casseroles in a deeper sense because after all, I am an information junkie when it comes to food and the Asian and European cultures are two of the oldest cultures known to man.

My first thought was about the origination of casseroles, cazuelas, terra cotta and a million other ancient cooking vessels that have withstood the test of time. Last night when I wrote the ‘Casserole History’ article I really got around to thinking more about the vessel instead of the food itself. When you think about the origination of pottery, whether it was the Asians, the Sumerians or any of the other tribes in Mesopotamian civilization, it really triggers a lot of thought into what our ancestors were actually using to cook with…

So a googling I went…Knowing that the Sumerians and Assyrians principally were the forefathers of much of the worlds history I found this article that I thought was very cool, which stated that covered clay cooking vessels were documented in 1700 BCE…a very cool and thought provoking article.

Mesopotamian Menus

Other google searches brought up a bunch of other stuff and I read all afternoon about ancient cooking techniques, vessels, periods etc., the brain is in definite overload and can perhaps be a reason for a separate CheffyBabble. I think I have made my point and hopefully piqued someones curiousity…

So anyway, back to my point about casseroles and vessels. The invention of a fire-safe earthenware pot is perhaps several millennia old and logically it is hard to fathom that the ‘casserole’, as a dish, is a culinary invention that recently came to pass within the past couple centuries.

Some further reading that I found pretty interesting

Casseroles-A little history

2010-03-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

This series of posts came from a request from Andrea and Matthew...I believe that Andrea's statement was that she couldn't stomach the idea of the casserole recipes that she was finding that directed her to open up a can of tuna fish and a quart of cream...so here is the beginning of the CheffyBabbles....

(pictured here...Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Casseroles for 1000 pp)

Cassaroles as we know them today came into light early in the 1900’s, meaning a dish that could be cooked in one pot, generally in earthenware over or in an open hearth. The word casserole, as a noun, comes from the French, meaning ‘saucepan’

In the 16th century (stories vary if this was during Aztecan rule or after) the Aztecans had a dish called “Budin Azteca” which translates into “Pudding of the Aztecs” but is actually one of the first references that I have found that resembles a casserole-type dish. I have served Budin Azteca in several restaurants that I have managed, including on the menu when I was a guest at the International Gourmet Festival in Puerto Vallarta in 2004. I love this dish…The Spanish were very particular about their casserole type dishes, including Spain, Mexico, and most definitely Cuba.

In this series I will share a recipe for a Shrimp Cassarole that was sent to me by my good friend, a cooking instructor/food writer and fellow culinarian Sonia Martinez that I have made on several occasions that is very simple and just spectacular.

Antonin Careme, the grandfather of modern cookery (1784-1833) has documented several types of casserole dishes, all of which contained rice. Careme’s casserole was cooked rice that was then shaped into small ovals or rounds, topped with a clarified butter and baked. Once the crust was formed on these mounds of rice, the centers were scooped out and filled with a savory filling and generally served with duchess potatoes as a side course.

In 1903, Chef Adolphe Meyer had included several casserole dishes in his book “The Post-Graduate Cookery Book” which basically was a Chicken Stew with potatoes and aromatic vegetables, much like today’s Beef Stew. (New York : Caterer Pub. Co., ©1903.)

According to LaRousse’s Gastrominique from the early 1960’s it states that cassaroles in France were generally rice dishes that were accompanied by some sort of protein and cooked in a ‘cassarole dish’ consisting of two or more ingredients. Although it does not describe this vessel I am assuming that they are referring to a lidded casserole dish much like the one that we use today or perhaps in some sort of dutch oven that could withstand the heat of hot coals.

Today’s version, which can include practically any meat, fowl, seafood, vegetable, root, grain, pasta or whatever probably came into play during World War II when women were the American workforce to simplify matters in the home.

Stay tuned, still a lot more CheffyBabbles to come about Cassaroles...

Stump the Chef Cooking Class-Story and Plates

2010-03-22T15:59:00.001-04:00

Last November myself along with NV Salon hosted an event for the American Cancer Society and donated the money in my Jamie's name for Cancer Research.

NV Salon had donated a good amount of time marketing the event for me which was a choice of Sushi Roll along with an Asian Noodle Salad. Everyone that donated money for the event had their name put in a hat to win a "Stump the Chef" cooking class.

One of the women that was instrumental in making the event a success, Stacy Dirr was the winner of the class and I was pretty excited. Not only do I feel that Stacy and her husband Robert are stellar individuals, I was extra excited because she had put in so much time and effort into making the event a success. So anyway, we had the class yesterday (March 21st)

The Menu/Class

Based on Stacy's request, the class had an Asian theme, so we prepared:

Sesame Scented Star Anise Dinner Rolls
Hoisin Mayonnaise from scratch
Smoked Chicken
Asian style Basmati Rice
Asian Cole Slaw (we used the Hoisin Mayonnaise as a base for the dressing)
Redneck Un-Sushi Rolls (smoked chicken, cole slaw and assorted vegetables)
Hoisin and Sesame stir fried vegetables with Smoked Chicken
Snow Peas sauteed in Sesame Oil and Sea Salt

Cutting Techniques

2010-03-19T13:59:00.000-04:00

Cutting Methods

Cutting is a generic term for all of the different methods of using your knife to prepare you meats and vegetables. One of the most important things to remember about cutting is to ensure that all of your cuts are uniform in size so that your foods will cook evenly.

Chopping- to chop means to cut into irregular sizes, not really concerning ourselves with the uniformity of the final product. Good for stocks and sauces, when you want a bite in your final product like stews, foods that are going to be broken down or processed in a food processor or some other means of breaking down your chopped product.

Slicing refers to cutting a product thinly whether it is roast beef, ham, an onion or an apple.

Dicing- to dice means to cut the food in cubes that are all the same size, whether it is a meat or a vegetable

Julienne and Chiffonade- In the traditional sense, julienne and chiffonade mean to slice thinly in long (matchstick) cuts. The difference between the two is that if you hear the term chiffonade it is referring to herbs and spices, whereas julienne refers to everything else.

Parallel Cutting is an efficient method for dicing things like carrots and onions. The idea of parallel cutting is to ensure the uniformity of your food product whether meat or vegetable, by holding your knife parallel to the cutting board and making an incision across then slicing downwards.

Vertical Cutting means to cut the product down its length, such as you would with celery and green onions and then inverting them and cutting down to make a nice dice or mince.

Mincing is basically the same as dicing but is done much finer than a dice. Mincing generally refers to onions, garlic and ginger.

Crushing is a technique that is used best with foods like ginger and garlic. Simply take the side of your knife and lay it on the product and press down evenly on the blade to crush it. This is an easy way to begin the mincing process and is the best way to peel garlic.

Roll and Oblique Cuts- these cuts are nice for presentation. The best way to do it is make a 45 degree angle cut to your product give it a quarter turn and continue the process of the cut and the turn. Roll cuts are basically all the same whereas oblique cuts are all different, you are still turning your product but the degree and the angles of your cuts are different giving each piece a distinct shape.

Shredding and Grating are also methods of cutting and they are easily done in a food processor or on a box-type grater.

Moist Heat Cooking Part One

2010-03-19T01:35:00.000-04:00

Basting

Basting simply means applying some form of liquid to the food that you are cooking, whether it is Chef Scott’s Cumin-Chipotle Marinade or brushing BBQ sauce on your burger at one of your backyard barbeques.

The term “basting” generally applies to adding liquid to a protein; this liquid can be fat, marinade, pan juices or some other kind of sauce/liquid. The possibilities are endless; it all depends on the creativity of the cook. Basting can be done whether you are baking, broiling, roasting, barbequing, smoking or any other form of dry heat cooking.

If you have ever brushed a piece of fish with butter or added BBQ to your ribs or burgers then you have basted!!! ChungaChungaBam Baby!!!!

Blanching

Blanching means to par boil or par steam a food (usually vegetables). The idea is to partially cook the food and then quickly cool the product so that it enables you to use it at a latter time.

Blanching aids in the preservation of flavor, color and texture of the foods blanched, hinders the ripening enzymes that can destroy the foods, and is the best way to preserve foods before freezing. Blanching also is the best way to preserve the vitamins and other essential nutrients of the raw food.

The most important thing to remember in blanching is that you are par cooking the product, not cooking it. If you take the product and immediately submerge it in ice water you will stop the cooking process by bringing it down to less than 40 degrees as quickly as possible, which halts the cooking process.

Boiling

Boiling means just that, bringing water or some other form of liquid to a boil and cooking your product until it is finished.

I personally do not recommend boiling vegetables because you lose a lot of the nutrients that Mother Earth had given us in the raw form, I prefer to steam any vegetable I can. But there are things in our little culinary world that must be boiled or at least par boiled, like grains and pasta.

As far as pasta or some any other grain or grain based product that you may have to boil is concerned, I recommend quick cooling, such as the ice bath method I explained in the blanching section, running under cold water or by laying your product evenly on a pan or some other piece of equipment that you can refrigerate in order to halt the cooking process as quickly as possible until it is ready to use.

Par-Boiling

Par Boiling is basically the same as blanching, but has a wider spectrum. What I mean is that par boiling not only means vegetables, but also grains and pastas among others. The premise is the same though, you are par cooking your product, par boiling generally means that you are cooking your product longer. I prefer to par boil or par steam root vegetables like parsnips, rutabaga, celery root, carrots and potatoes to make them easier to use when it comes time to apply the product to my recipes.

Knife Pictures

2010-03-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

Here are some photographic expressions of the knives that I was talking about in the last article

Chef's Knives in a variety of shapes and sizes. The last three knives are called Santoku knives which in Japanese means "three virtues". I use my Santoku Chef's Knives perhaps more than I use any other knife for a couple reasons...One is the way that they feel in my hands and just as important is the scalloped sides of the knife which allows air between the blade and the product which permits the easy release of vegetables when cutting thin slices and when cutting starchy vegetables like potatoes and rutabaga.

The Simitar Knife- named after a Japanese sword of similiar shape, the simitar is great for cutting larger peices of meat based on the shape of the knife, especially with the pointed edge so that you can weave between any bones that you may encounter.

Boning Knives

The offset or Z-Knife, pictured here are two different kinds, the top one I use on cleaning fruits and general knife use when I am not concerned with tearing the product and the bottom on I use specifically for cleaning fruits like cantalope, honeydew, watermelon etc. Both of these knives work equally well as a bread knife.

A bread knife

Slicing knife-good for slicing cooked meats like roast beef etc.

Paring Knives

Knife Selection- Part One of There Is No One Way To Cook

2010-03-17T19:34:00.001-04:00

(pic-teaching basic knife skills in a cooking class in Knoxville)

Knife Selection and Cutting Techniques

In today’s world, there are so many choices to consider when purchasing a knife; I am going to attempt to simplify the process some, and I cannot stress the importance of choosing the right knife for the right job, but here are some pointers when trying to decipher what is what...

There are generally two main types of knives, although with the aid of alloys in today’s market there are a thousand variations of each. The two main types of knives are carbon steel and stainless steel. The carbon steel is lighter, easier to sharpen and in some cases can rust if not properly cared for. The stainless steel knives are a denser knife that is not as easy to sharpen. Personally and professionally I use both types, I have some that I seldom use and others that I use all of the time.

If you are going to purchase a set of knives, the most commonly used blades are the stainless steel and here is a list of knives that are important if you are going to purchase a set.

Paring Knife- excellent for a variety of purposes from peeling potatoes to doing intricate fruit and vegetable garnishes.

Chef’s Knife- a large broad bladed knife that simplifies the rocking motion of slicing, dicing, and general cutting techniques.

Boning Knife- slightly larger than a paring knife with a very flexible blade that enables the operator to weave in and out of bones with the flexibility of the blade.

Slicer- A long, thin bladed knife that makes the slicing and carving of meats and the peeling of large fruits easier.

Offset knife (also called the Z knife) -The offset knife is called the Z knife because it is shaped like a Z with a high end handle that slopes down to the thin serrated blade. This is by far my favorite knife in my professional kitchen, it allows me the mobility to rock my knife back and forth, has a serrated edge so that it is efficient in slicing and cutting as well, and is perhaps one of the most versatile knives in the kitchen. The downfall to this is that because it is serrated it can tear a product instead of cutting it, like all the other knives, each one has a purpose and it is up to you to decide which knife is appropriate for which task.

Meat Cleaver- A heavy, thick bladed knife that is used frequently in the Eastern/Asian styles of food preparation, they are good for everything from slicing and dicing vegetables to cutting through bones.

Although there are a huge variety of knives to choose from, personally I feel that these are the most important. One point I would like to make though is that the more expensive a knife is does not necessarily reflect on its quality. Each knife is different. I have knives that are worth several hundred dollars, but I am just as happy with the $25.00 knife I bought at “Cook’s Corner”. Find one that suits you, feels good in your hands and most importantly, will suit your needs. I also recommend buying a sharpening stone and sharpening steel so that you can continue to care for your new purchase.

There is no one way to cook- Preface

2010-03-17T19:22:00.000-04:00

“…There is no one way to cook. For every level of work there should be a consciousness of doing that work well and constantly striving for the next level of quality and enjoyment of the process.

All people are different and have different goals. But if there was a common goal among us, let it be that we focus on the enjoyment of the process.”

Chef Scott Monteverde ( in response to a Chef Mike “CheffyBabble”)

I have gotten in this conversation more times than I can remember. Whether I was talking to Knoxville Harry about the simplicity of food and the importance of technique or if I am talking to Chef Scott about the depth and the layering of flavor or Suzy/Sammy Home-Maker about some recipe or method they would love to try …my answer is all the same…

Basics, Basics, Basics!!!!

In order for culinary art to become a craft one must perfect the basics.

“There is no one way to cook…”

The basics of cooking never change, never have, never will. In this set of articles I am going to include some of the basic principles in order to become a good cook, once these principals are understood and we can become efficient in their methods then ( and only then) will we become better cooks and culinarians.

I am briefly going to touch base on what I feel like are the most important techniques, to attain more knowledge on any of these techniques please visit your local library, hang out in your favorite bookstore, or (thanks to today’s technology) simply conduct a web search, the amount of information available from any of these sources on any of these subjects is endless.

ChungaChungaBam Baby!!!!

Me and Facebook

2010-03-10T19:53:00.000-05:00

Due to the simplicity of things, I am putting up most of my stuff on Facebook

Your Craving Is My Command on Facebook

I will continue to put articles and pics on the blog, but FB is pretty simple and don't have to go through all of the formatting that I have to do on the blog...

Thanks for your interest, we still have a ton of great stuff coming up, including a continuing contribution that I had started writing entitled "There is no one way to cook..." is going to be a fun and informative set of articles...

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Michael

Just trying out the link-Chef Mike on Facebook

2010-02-21T06:52:00.002-05:00

Playing around on Facebook this morning and couldn't get this html to work so I am publishing it here to check the link...

Visit Michael at:
Chef Mike's Your Craving Is My Command fan page

About the "Timing Is Everything Article"

2010-02-12T02:52:00.001-05:00

Inspiration through Conversation

For those that know me and/or have been following the CheffyBabbles for a while know, that I love to write like I talk...say what I mean, mean what I say and try not to say it mean...

Most of my inspirations come from conversations with people that are in the industry, thus my "Timing is Everything" article, an inspiration through conversation with Chef Mark...

I am currently attending culinary school with the hope of removing myself from the ground and pound of the restaurant industry and go into being a culinary educator, but anyway....

Chef Mark Bergstrom is one of my instructors, an inspirational human being (170 pounds of encyclopedia) and the inspiration of this article.

As professionals that have grown, prospered and have had our asses kicked in this industry, we take the yin/yang approach of our predecessors, we have grown to be kinder and gentler chefs, Chef Mark's mannerisms prove that he is one of those...

One of the most important things of being a manager in the food industry is timing...everything is about timing and deadlines, no matter what color you paint it.

Food is money, Labor is money, Time is money...I am the Chef...I am responsible for the waste...

A couple years ago I wrote an article about having systems in the workplace and after hearing Chef explain to other students about the importance of organizing their time I reflected on this article even though I had written it a long time ago in a far different world. Yesterday before class I went into Chef's office and was going to tell him about the "Systems in the Workplace" article and he perked up and asked if the article was about timelines before I had time to finish...I laughed and told him no....well, not yet anyway...

After lecture started I thought more and more about it and was so inspired that it was hard to listen to lecture because the CheffyBoy's brain-housing group was thinking about all the shit he wanted to say in this article, which is one reason why the articles thoughts are all over the place...I am not a writer, I am an expressionist...say what I mean, mean what I say and never say it mean...

Inspirations Baby...Gotta love inspirations....

Thanks Chef...you rock....

Timing Is Everything-An Inspiration by Chef Mark Bergstrom

2010-02-12T01:54:00.005-05:00

(pic-me and Chef Sam racing to cut 600 pounds of pork loin for a party)

Timing is everything…

Whether you are restaurant owner, a chef, a catering manager, a waitress, or any position in any profession for that matter, we seem to often find ourselves creating systems to ascertain that our professional lives become a simpler version of what we face day to day.

Timing is everything…

I am a cook first and foremost, but more importantly, as a chef and culinary professional, I am a manager of time, people and money- bottom line….it’s not always about the food, but it is always about the systems that evolve around that food.

Orchestration is a good expression of who I am and what I do as a culinary professional…I am merely a director of a grand theatrical expression…dining is an expression of my craft, it is up to me to bring my craft into art, it is not art's responsibility to be a part of who I am as a craftsman.

After all, I am just a magician that dresses funny…

Timing is everything…

From that two top that just got sat in Suzy’s section, to that plated dinner party of 1200, it is all the same…time, organization, communication .

The time to think the whole process through, being organized so that you are producing a safe, sanitary and phenomenal product , communicating with the entire staff so that there is the least amount of stress created by allowing the left hand to know what the right hand is doing and last but not least by creating and expressing your craft as an art…

Timing…

For some, timing is an afterthought when it should always be THE forethought…

Building backwards

In order to build backwards we must be able to understand the entire thought process front to back and back to front…from the follow up with your client to the ordering that you did for the food on Wednesday, from the scheduling of staff that you turned in a week ago to your execution of break downs and clean up tonight.

If you don’t think, not only is your staff going to suffer from the stress you inadvertently created, but your food is going to suffer because you did not spend the time to think. Your craft will have no ability to prosper and grow into an art because organization is everything, and organization needs a timeline. Whether we like it or not…

In every stage of cooking, whether volume or not, systems must be created, if they are not, then you are setting yourself up to fail, or putting yourself in a psychotic frenzy with one eye on the clock while you just stuck your hand on a pan you just took out of the oven with the oven mitt that is on the other hand! Been there, done that, it sucks…trust me…

Although often dysfunctional, systems are developed for one reason, they work!!!!

It is up to the directors of this theatrical production to bring it into perspective and tweak the system so that it becomes efficient for all parties involved. Everything is dysfunctional if you analyze it long enough…

In general, the hospitality industry as a whole, is a stressful job, creating a system that is going to make life easier should always be your first and only option. It's all about taking a problem, attempting a solution and "making it happen” Without timing, this process is lost….and failure/near failure is never an option in our industry.

Building Backwards and Capitalizing on Timing

I remember when I was a kid and I would ask my Mother when dinner was gonna be ready, she would always tell me “When it’s done…” As Chefs and culinary professionals we do not have this option.

In the midst of pumping out a plate up for 2000 people I can hear Chef Mark hollering out “Veggies fired in 45 mins Ladies and Gentlemen, what temps are those roasts?? I need those hot boxes in the kitchen please…plating in one hour Ladies and Gentlemen!!! plating in one hour!!!” to Waitress Wendy giving a 10 minutes head up for a Chocolate Souffle that is going out to Table 39…timing, our profession evolves around timing...

The mistake that is often made is that in attempting to organize our time we say we have to do this first, and then we need to do this, all through the process until we reach our final goal. The most efficient way is to work from your goal first and work backwards to your starting point.

“I need to pull the roast out, let it rest before I can slice it to pan it up to get it in the hot box and we start plating at 5:30, so I have to have the roast out by 5:00. It takes 3 hours to cook so we need to have it in the oven by 2:00, I want a good rub on the roast and let it sit for at least 6 hours, so I need to have the rub on there no later that 8:00”

It is all a thought process…

Regardless if you have been in the industry for 5 months or have been here for 50 years, there is always something to learn and some of those lessons do not come easily. Quite a few years back I had two parties on the books for the day, the first was a couple thousand, the second one, later in the day was for 25-the one for a couple thousand went off perfect, no flaws, everything was awesome. But when I did the party of 25, it was the hardest party I think I have ever done, I dropped the ball…

Why?

Because I didn’t respect the event…I just pumped out an ungodly amount of food in a short period of time and had no respect for the small party, I took my time for granted “hell, it’s only a party of 25 people…” wrong answer…I know that now. I pulled it off and everyone was happy, but I have never been the same...

Timing...

Everything that we do we should consider an event, I don’t care if it’s pumping out a meal for 5000, that two top that just got sat in Suzy’s section or you kissing your daughter on her forehead when you crawl in in the middle of the night…everything is an event.

The Buddhist Monk Wu Wei says “Everything that we do is an event, the only difference is how we react to it…”

Timing, Organization, Communication, Justice, Judgement, Decisiveness, Dependablity, Integrity, Tact, Intuitiveness, Earnest, Bearing, Understanding, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty and last but by no means the least Endurance…

For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.

Timing is Everything!!!!

Reducing Sodium

2010-01-22T13:32:00.001-05:00

There has been quite a few things in life, both professionally and personally that have come to pass recently. The general gist of most of the conversations has come back to the dieting programs that we follow (or worse yet, the ones that we believe in…)

So, let’s talk about Salt…

I had recently had in depth conversations about dieting programs with a friend of mine that is a personal trainer in Anderson, SC; we agree that it is important if we care about this vessel we call a body…we discussed salt, water, minerals, fiber, nutrients, what to do with it and what to do without it…cool stuff…

To avoid going into the cheffypsychobabble on salt history and commonly asked questions about salt you can refer to http://thecheffyboy.blogspot.com/2009/12/about-salt.html for a pseudo-in-depth babble about salt’s history and miscellaneous tidbits of CheffyBabbles…this is not the purpose of this rant, but there is some good information there as well…

The essence of my latest babble is about salt and dieting…

Salt attracts itself to water…common fact…the more salt you consume the more water is going to be retained by this intricate system some of us refer to as our body… It does not cause you to gain or lose fat, it provides no calories. Salt retention aids in temporary weight gain because it retains water, and when on a sodium restricted diet you will shed some pounds…why??? You are expelling water…especially if you are on a relatively active regiment of burning your calories through exercise or daily routine…

Let’s do the math…

·         Restricting overall kcal’s. Check.

·         Consuming kcal’s that are going to be easy to burn. Check.

·         Training our bodies to enjoy the exercise that is necessary to burn these kcal’s. Check.

·         Reducing sodium so that water retention is at a minimal or at least to a point where they may be excreted during exercise or daily routine. Check.

·         Add one sound mind…Ahhhhh…Victory!!!!!!!

·          Checkmate!!!!

Lifestyle

Exercise

Attitude

Nutrition

Always think LEAN!!!!

Anything is possible…why change your lifestyle if you are not going to change your life…?

Salt is closely related to such issues as high blood pressure, weight gain and a numerous other anomalies that our bodies experience. Weight loss programs that focus on foods with little or no salt content, depending on how they are exercised, will decrease your weight gain and may even aid in a temporary weight loss because your reduction of sodium has led to a reduction of water retention. The problem I have with this goes back to my lifestyle statement-this is only a quick fix…why change your life if you are not going to change your lifestyle…

Once you start consuming those higher sodium foods again, guess what? you’re going to gain some of that weight back again because you are inviting that water back into your metabolism…If your metabolism is not going to be able to work off that additional water, scales don’t lie…a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds….period…

Almost every processed food known to man contains a good amount of sodium, granted that this sodium is not there for taste but as a preservative, the fact remains that it is still there. There are many, many studies that have connected salt with obesity and being overweight, the best place to start is right in your own refrigerator and pantry.

The foods that generally come with high sodium are generally calorie dense, fiber poor, processed foods, be it in the name of fast food, grocery store purchased convenient products, canned foods, frozen foods, the local pizza joint or whatever, these bad choices occupy our televisions, the grocery store shelves, our children’s minds and unfortunately our future unless we make the self commitment to spend some time on our health.

Before I go further, sodium along with potassium and electrolytes are necessary nutrients to our bodies, it prevents dehydration and helps maintain a healthy fluid balance in our bodies. The Recommended Daily Allowance of sodium is no greater than 3000 mg. The American Heart Society recommends around 1000mg. There is 2300 mg of sodium in one teaspoon of table salt…the math isn’t hard to do. Scared? You should be…

So what do I do and how do I do it?

Reducing sodium intake is not an easy task, especially for us westerners that consume an ungodly amount of salt (on an average American’s consume 5-10 times the amount of sodium we need). Here are a few tips to help you on your way…

·         Stay away from packaged, processed foods

·         If you must use canned vegetables, wash them and do not cook them in the liquid that is in the can. Also stay away from the soups, broths and bouillon cubes.

·         Remove the salt shaker from your table…that way if you do grab for it then at least your mind is programmed to ask yourself if you really want it.

·         Use a salt free substitute like “Mrs. Dash” and incorporate the use of herbs and spices into your dishes instead of salt.

·         Avoid fast food like the plague

·         Use fresh proteins-fish, meat, poultry

·         Eat your fruits and veggies!!!

·         Choose to make your own salad dressings instead of store bought

·         READ LABELS!!!

·         Nuts, Chips, Munchies---don’t even think about it…

·         The best place to start on a low sodium diet is on your next trip to the grocery store, look for words such as Sodium Free, Very Low Sodium, Low Sodium, Reduced (or less) Sodium, Light in Sodium, Unsalted

·         Reduce sodium while cooking, you don’t need the salt in your pasta water, or in your rices, grains or cereals

·         Use fewer sauces unless you are making them yourself or understand the sodium content of what is in the sauces that you are using.

Anyway, I could go on and on about reducing salt. I think that if this subject matter pertains to you then you kind of understand what I am trying to say. Reducing sodium is not an easy task, like any dieting program it takes discipline to make it successful. If you have any questions feel free to email me and I will attempt to address all questions.

Peace, Hugs and Low-Sodium Cookies,

Chef

And the Winner is Robert and Stacy Dirr!!!!!

2010-01-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

Sitting down to eat at a Stump the Chef class I gave in Mineral Point, WI

In November, I had organized a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society at NV Salon in Greenville. Everyone that participated in the event had their name thrown in a hat to win a "Stump The Chef" class in their home.

The winner of the class is a big winner in Cheffy's book not only because she is a stellar individual but also because Stacy had done so much work and donated so much time to make the fundraiser event a success so I am pretty stoked about having Robert and Stacy win this class...

Stay tuned...the party is only beginning....

I love my dog....

2010-01-11T22:24:00.000-05:00

The Story of SHIT

2010-01-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

This info and the other post about the 1500's came from my buddy Chef LouAnne...this is a great story...

Amazing fact that you probably did not know...yet everyone should!

In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure were common. It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became
heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by
product is methane gas.

As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could
(and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time
someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined
just what was happening. After that, the bundles of manure were always
stamped with the term "Ship High In Transit" on them which meant for the
sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T " , (Ship High In Transport) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.

You probably did not know the true history of this word.

Neither did I.

Life in the 1500's

2010-01-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

While spending the day organizing the office and purging emails found this email that someone sent me back in 2003 when I was doing some research on food history for a series of articles that I was writing for my old website "RestaurantEdge" is some fun reading, so I thought I would share it.

>LIFE IN THE 1500'S
>
>The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
>
>These are interesting...
>
>Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
>
>Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
>
>Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."
>
>There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
>
>The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet , so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."
>
>(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
>
>In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
>
>Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."
>
>Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
>
>Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust"
>
>Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."
>
>England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the
>bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."
>
>And that's the truth... Now , whoever said that History was boring ! !

Chicken Head Lemon Garnish

2010-01-07T14:56:00.002-05:00

Tried a couple times to do this vid, will post the finished product and get rid of this one once we have it done...this is a pretty bad vid, but the next one will be better...

Chicken Head Lemon Garnish Video

Request for my Balsamic Mayo Recipe

2009-12-25T15:52:00.000-05:00

Got a couple requests for my Balsamic Mayonaisse...here ya go...

2 egg yolks
1 oz Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Oil (I used a roasted garlic and rosemary oil that I infused)
Salt, Pepper and Cayenne

Over double boiler whisk egg yolks, until thick and happy, slowly drizzle in oil making sure that it is emulsifying and not oily...add the balsamic vinegar slowly,being sure to whisk the hell out of each minute addition of both oil and vinegar...finish off with a pinch of salt, white pepper and cayenne....

That is the basic recipe...after that I added a reduced balsamic that I made with a pinch of brown sugar

Freaking yum....

ChungaChungaBam Baby!!!!

Cheffy Runs His Mouth About Gordon Ramsey and Kitchen Ethics

2009-12-24T23:43:00.002-05:00

Cheffy Runs His Mouth About Gordon Ramsey and Ethics

I have listened to the pros and cons of what some in the cook’s world is saying about Gordon Ramsey and Hell’s Kitchen for a couple years now, whether in the newspaper, on some of the message boards on the internet I frequent or in some of today’s hospitality magazines. I am taking the stand that I think Chef Ramsey rocks and I would be honored and humble to work in any of his kitchen’s or under any of his protégé’s.

I have followed Chef Ramsey’s career before the Hell’s Kitchen world hit America, and have followed him since also, not only on American television, but also on the BBC, other international sources of media, am knowledgeable about the great things that he has done both in the culinary world and for international charities.

In my humble opinion as a chef, Mr. Ramsey rocks… hard…

As far as his Americanized persona is concerned all I have to say is that America loves controversy and Chef Ramsey fit into that persona for this reality idea that Fox networking developed years ago. He’s a pussycat compared to some of the Chef’s that I have worked under…

Would I work with him? Bet your Ass!!!

I went into the Marine Corps before I first shaved at seventeen years old, after years of being under the scrutiny of the US Gov’t, I wound up in a kitchen under the tyranny of Chef Roy and at times, I have put myself in less than desirable positions in this culinary world…So again, with my pen and paper I am asking myself once again…Would I work under him? Again, my answer is “You bet your ass…” and I would even do it for room and board.

Following in part is why…

Ethics:
“…the discipline in dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation…”

Ethical:
“…conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct…”
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

Our professional world is way beyond perfect, the ideal kitchens and jobs within those kitchens are few and far between, as is finding that “great chef” that we want to work under.

This is our life, this is who we are and what we do.

Although not dictated as such in our résumé’s, “…this is who we are and this is what we do…”, as well as “ this is who we are and this is what we’ve done” should be taken into serious consideration when discussing who we are in the Culinary World. Chef Ramsey has proven to the world long before “Hell’s Kitchen” that he is an accomplished culinarian, chef, cook, manager, owner and a freaking icon in this industry.

Chef Gordon Ramsey
The Facts:

Three successful television programs in the EU, the mentor of Hell’s Kitchen and one of his European shows “Kitchen Nightmares” will soon be Americanized and presented by Fox the Fall of 2007.

Currently owns 15 very successful restaurants internationally. Owner of several Michelin Stars, both individually and collectively with such great chefs like Marcus Wareing and Angela Hartnett. In October 1993, Chef Ramsey became chef of the newly opened Aubergine where he won many accolades including two Michelin stars within three years of opening.
(CheffyNote: earning Michelin Stars in such a short amount of time is totally unheard of…)

Chef Ramsey provides a continuing education program for Chefs and other professionals in Europe, and also sponsors a culinary scholarship for students and non-students, with seven recipients annually, one of the contestants of the third season of Hell’s Kitchen being one such honoree with this gift from Chef Ramsey.

http://gordonramsey.com

Being in a world where we can pursue our craft; maintain our ethics and operate our kitchen and produce our foods in an ethical manner is as close to heaven as we can get.

Gordon Ramsey is one of those chefs’s that has had the opportunity to construct an empire built on the ethics of his craft. To me this is why I became a chef to begin with.

Not necessarily to become an icon in the industry or to design my own empire, but dream of a world, no matter how insane it is, of my food, my ethics and my ethical demands…

The reality of these choices to thousands upon thousands of chefs internationally is a distant truth from the kitchens of the Ferran Brothers, or the Mr. Ramsey’s, Trotter’s or Keller’s in the world, but then again they are choices that we have made as professionals.

I do not live in a world that I produce the kind of food that I feel in my heart, mind and often my dreams, I suppose this is my choice, but in no means is it my demise.

At times we may find ourselves taking shortcuts that don’t sacrifice the expression of quality or following the norms as society has dictated either for the reasons of cost, practicality or urgency.

If, as a Chef, you do not have an outlet for that inner-beast of creativity, how long are you going to be able to maintain your current position? If you are passionate about food and our business, I guarantee that you won’t stay employed there too long…

Although there are some of us that find the challenge in marketing, design, crunching numbers or whatever; it’s always about the freaking food, like it or not. I find challenges in these portions of our industry also, but you know what?

It’s all about the freaking food….

It often puzzles me why chef’s (myself very much included) have settled for this type of mediocrity. My avenue/niche is to write and teach the up and coming cooks in our world, this puts me in touch with the fantasy of what I wish my world was all about. It’s not just teaching food, hell, that’s the easy part, but teaching ethics and ethical mannerisms is a whole different story. In retrospect, I suppose this is my niche in our industry today, aside of being an insane Rocking and Rolling schmuck…is to teach, learn and tantalize taste buds, no matter how much or how little I have to work with.

Like I used to say to my good friend, former associate, student, teacher and confidant Chef Greg…
”…we have the innate ability of pulling a meal out of our ass…”

My choice is not a bad one. I could have made the decision to go to Indonesia and hang out with Chef Martin Chiffers, or pursue Chef’s like Chef Scott or a thousand others that have crossed my path and wound up in one of a hundred different kitchens worldwide, I could still be traveling nationally doing Guest Chef gigs, smoozing with people that are way out of my league, I could have gone back to school and done something different or complimented the education I have already, then that little voice comes into my brain housing group and says

“What the hell for?”

I have chosen to be in the rear with the gear, deal with the heat, passion and frustration of our industry, write, teach, listen, learn, bitch…

Why????????

Because this is who I am and this is what I do!
Just a magician that fucking dresses funny!

That’s why…

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Chef Michael Hayes

Pleasing The World One Palate At A Time
http://restaurantedge.com

A Rebuttal to "Cheffy Runs His Mouth About Gordon Ramsey and Kitchen Ethics"

2009-12-24T23:41:00.000-05:00

A Rebuttal to “Cheffy Runs His Mouth about Gordon Ramsey and Ethics”

What Chefs and Culinarians had to say about Chef Mike’s “Gordon Ramsey and Ethics” article…not all of them good…ha ha..

My Cheffy Friends at Culinary Artists Chef It Up had quite a bit to say about this little CheffyRant/Philosophy…

The players are:
Chef Keith Angell- Indiana
Chef David Bulla- Pittsburg
Chef Tom Dinardo-Cleveland
Pastry Chef Heather Williams- NYC
Chef David- Montreal
And of Course,
The CheffyBoy…

Chef Keith, the co-founder of Culinary Artists, chides in first…

Mike,

So when do I get to work with you? I have been reading your posts like these for years and you always make me wanna put on an apron and just destroy a kitchen with you.

The 3 stages of being a chef:
You perspire, you inspire and then you retire.

I wish I had a "you" 19 years ago... I need a young and hungry kid who is eager to learn the whys and hows of kitchen lore....a sponge.

Love ya Bro!

Chef K

Chef Dave from Canada says:

Well said, I hear people complaining saying if he ever said / done that to me I would let him have it well let them say that when they have a full board and the orders keep coming. And when you are finally done, and every thing has gone out and three hours have gone by and you just have a chance to hit the can grab a quick drink and it starts again. Well let them try. Two days ago I was working with a kid just started on the grill all of a sudden he was swamped and in panic mode I stepped in and helped him I did not let him sink I moved some one else into my station and helped him through it showing him how to run multiple orders and showing him how to let other parts of the team know where he is on his orders to keep everything coming when he was ready for it. At the end we all agreed that he rocked out and done well. At the end he went home all smiles

He is only 19 he has what it takes I just hope that he stays with some one who will help train him not push him aside when it gets hectic

Chef Dave in Canada.

************************************************************************

Heather has quite a bit to say about Ramsey and the CheffyRant…

“I have to put my thoughts on this one....

For me, I can respect the fact that Gordon Ramsey is successful, and is a great chef as far as his cooking ability is concerned...but that is where the respect ends for me. Ramsey, in my opinion, doesn’t know what ethics are. Ok...so he can cook...great...so can a lot of us out there. That doesn’t grant him the right to be verbally abusive towards people, throw childish temper tantrums because he doesn’t get his way, or belittle people so they feel like they aren’t even human. What gives?? I’m sorry...but for his behavior alone I can’t respect him as a chef. I can respect his accomplishments...just not him. I have worked with several tyrannical, maniacal chefs in my time...and I haven’t respected a single one of them. I was raised with manners. I respect people, and keep my cool because I know that throwing a tantrum will get me nowhere. I expect the same when it comes to the people who work with me in my kitchen. I despise chefs, that think that just because they are boss...that it makes them right...even when they know they are wrong. Bosses are people too, and can make mistakes. The minute all of us can realize this fact...we can be better bosses...and lead the way for a better industry. So...to sum it all up...Why on earth should we give a crap about Ramsey...why not pay attention to those in our industry who are doing well and keeping their cool while they climb their way to the top??? You don’t have to be a tyrant to be a good chef.

Heather

Lisa Gabelle says:

I agree with you on that one. To a point. For me, I
work with some great bosses and even tho they throw
their tempers and stuff, they try not to take it out
on us employees. I'm really blessed to have great
bosses.

Cheffy Sez:

OK...am gonna reply to Heather first...

Shoulda known you were gonna get worked up...

(Heather and Cheffy have a kind of ‘know each other’ situation and I know of some of the boneheads she has worked for...)

This is going to open up another can of worms, but I can't let it go...

When I walked into a REAL kitchen the first time in the late 70's, you didn't even talk to the chef, if he talked to you, you were honored...even if he was yelling at you...it was an honor...

Things have changed...

I worked under the tyranny of the best Chef I have ever knew for years, if he quit and moved on, I followed him...why? Because Chef Roy may have been a tyrant, but I learned more when I was pissed off at him then I ever have from school, books or any other practical application.

I learned patience...I had to learn to deal with him...He was a mentor that took me under his wings and said that he would teach me "three pages short" of what he knew. I was his Student. He was my Teacher. I had a love/hate relationship. So did he.

When we quit being humble is when we quit learning...

I quit working with Chef in 1983. I call him still...

Now…That's Respect.

Today's Kitchen has so much changed...

There is no respect anymore...nobody thinks to walk into the Chef's
Office when he is on the phone and talking...I used to knock and wait until (and if) I was invited in...

And I am not even talking about the food...

It was just a respect we used to have for the Chef that I have now become....

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing...

OK...lost my mind for a moment, am back now...done with that tangent...

The point that I was trying to make was for us professionals, whether an Exec, a Pastry Chef, an Exec-Sous or whatever, a freaking prep/steward for all I am concerned...we make sacrifices for education. It’s pretty simple math…the more you know the more you’re worth…

If in your education you do not attain ethics or ethical standards then all you have is lost. If you have passion about your craft, regardless of the profession and you do not maintain an ethical standard and abide by your ethics for your craft then you lose...

Bottom Line...

In my day, putting up with shit and disrespect made me a better dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, chef and now a mentor...

Am I that way? No, not always, but I have my moments... I am a kinder, more gentle chef than my teachers, I am still effective, but I wouldn't change a day...

I didn't become a good chef by being a crappy dishwasher...

Cheffy gets Sentimental Page One....

Raspil gets into the conversation with some very good insights:

I used to think the same way about Ramsey, that he was just out of control and didn't care how he was talking to his crew (all I know is what I've seen on HK). But if what was represented on Hell's Kitchen was true, that NONE of those cooks (ever) have been able to work the line to his specifications, then he has the right to bitch them out when they screw up. It's his name out there. Of course, because it's a reality show, they don't cast actual talent (it's obvious they aren't if they think a nanny or pastry chef can run a kitchen night after night), they don't even cast people who have worked on the line -- this makes for "good" tv, I guess, but bottom line is if HK wasn't on television and was a real place where people dine on a nightly basis and weren't getting appetizers or entrees after an hour, I think he would have the absolute RIGHT to fire his crew and find one who won't F him over during the rush.

They did cast "donkeys". I don't believe for a second they have ever cast an actual line cook who knows what it's like. Not anywhere on this planet will a sane chef hire any of those people who were on that show. I sure as hell know I never would if that was the best they could do.

I worked for a chef earlier this year -- his kitchen was like boot
camp. Did he bitch and moan? Yes. He also told me he wouldn't
have kept me around if he didn't think I had talent. My goal was to
get three hours worth of work done in 1-1/2 hours and I eventually
got it. He was hard but fair. I think Ramsay is the same way. He
can sense who might have something in there, a brain, talent, common
sense, speed, what have you -- only the strong survive. Chefs need
strong people on their crews, not crybabies who can't work under
pressure. if a person can't STFU and get their job done without
drama, then they don't belong in the kitchen. It's the Chef's
kitchen. They can and will run it as they see fit. Don't like it?
Then quit. But don't complain or criticize until you've been in
their shoes. The last thing I want to do again is work with a bunch
of dumbasses who don't give a damn about what they're doing or are
so ignorant of how to work in a kitchen. I was there in June and I
got a taste of how annoying it is when people don't do what they're
told.

whatevs -- i've run off at the mouth again. maybe I said something
worth a crap.

Raspil420

Bulla pops in with some “I Love You Man, BullaBabbles”

Cheffy,

You know I love you, man...

I respect your background... and all the things you have gone through
to get to where you are now.

Yet, in my years of learning and doing, I have to disagree with you on
this point. There is no room in the kitchen today for a tyrant. You
may be able to put up with it and learn from it, but it NEVER makes
for a better kitchen, in my humble opinion.

Assholes are assholes. Leadership is something more profound. You
were in the Marines. You know what it takes to have leadership
qualities. Leadership is not equated with abuse. A leader can find a
way to motivate and be firm without being abusive.

I am convinced that Ramsey has two personalities. One on camera, and
one in the kitchen. The Ramsey on camera is a dick, because he knows
he needs controversy to get TV ratings. The Ramsey that runs
restaurants is probably a good leader, and knows how to motivate a
kitchen staff. That is probably the key to his success.

So... I don't like the camera version of Ramsey.

I am sure if I met him in person, he would be someone I would like.

Chef Bulla

Heather’s Back…and she ain’t done yet…

“…Ok...I think I lost my point somewhere in my last post....

I agree w/raspil....I don’t blame him for being irritated with the crew he had on that show...they were clearly not kitchen people. But at the same token, for those of us who get screamed at even when we know what we are doing, isn’t cool. Good chefs’ don’t lose their cool under pressure...ESPECIALLY good execs...PERIOD.

The dinner rush isn’t the time to lose your cool...it only makes things worse. When I was working under this complete ass of a chef, I would be sweating that line...deep into a rush...pushing order after order....something would happen...lets say for example we had to re-fire a steak because the grill got swamped and left a steak on too long...he would scream...which would throw the entire kitchen out of the loop and get us backed up. If he would have kept his cool...and held the steak on the cold side of the grill..until a order for that temp came in...then proceeded cooly with another steak while the rest of us held the sides...no prob right? It shouldnt have been...most places I have worked for wouldnt have issues for something like that. But rather...he chose to throw a tantrum...throw things...scream...so loudly guest could hear...which always screwed up the timing. That kind of crap is completely unnecessary. How many times my chef would come at me just to pick a fight...( I was the only girl...so I was "weak" to him, so he thought he could get away with it), and I would be deep in prep to set up my line...which meant I didnt have time to deal with his rants. When Im deep in prep to set up for service...I dont have time to babysit my boss because he wants to throw a tantrum about someone in foh or about how he thought it was my fault if we sold out of something...(I never did the ordering because Im a girl, therefore not smart enough for such tasks) but regardless...I had to take the blame. It was petty to me...and shouldnt be coming from the exec. I had one chef instructor when I was in school...who was tough...everyone feared him. He rarely gave good marks. He was German, came from a military background, and pretty much ran class like boot camp. I was one of the few who passed his class...with an A at that...but anyhow, I respected him...because even though he was tough, and rarely yielded for compliments or praise, and he was quite demanding, he NEVER yelled or lost his cool. I fully respected him, and learned so much from him, and was able to perform under the pressure he issued. Its the jerks that act like children I cant stand working for...especially since they have no reason to act that way...they dont have any amazing accomplishments or anything. Even if they did, it would still never justify that kind of behavior.

Oh and Cheffy...I wasnt hyperventilating...Im just not as good at writing as you are ;)
Heather

LMAO Mike! We totally agree 100% here. WHY IN THE HELL ARE PEOPLE
WALKING INTO MY OFFICE AND INTERRUPTING ME WHEN I AM ON THE
PHONE????????

Keith

Chef Tom Dinardo had some valid points:

Mike I am going to agree with you on this post. I do believe Gordon
Ramsey is a fine chef and his record has proved it with all of what
he has done with his restaurants, etc. His television persona is for
the ratings. Has anyone who has sounded off about how much of a jerk
he is worked in his kitchens? Has anyone known or spoken with anyone
who has worked for him? How do we know that the way he is on a TV
show...a "reality" TV show, is the way he really is? I'm not saying
he is a peach to work for, because I don't know. I just know what he
has accomplished in this industry, and it's pretty good.

Hell's Kitchen is not directed whatsoever on the food. Yeah we see
the "chefs" make food, but is that what the focus is for the people
who watch it? No, they want to see someone dropping F-bombs during a
scream session...they want to see someone's reaction to his rants.
How will they handle it? Will they yell back...will they pass out,
cry, walk out, etc.
How many would watch the show if it was an ex-Sunday school teacher
telling the contestant that they over-cooked twenty prawns...and it's
OK, but you're not paying attention sweety. It's TV...that's all.

The new show, which is the same as his BBC broadcast, is the same
thing. Let's take this guy who has made the same network millions of
dollars in advertising revenue and send him around the country to
yell at some more people. Is he being a chef(?)...no Is he performing
what he does best on TV(?)...yes.
In a nutshell...if he was really like that 100% of the time...how
would he be able to do what he has done globally by himself...why
would employees want to stick around and work for the guy if he was
really like that? He's probably tough, but very a very good chef and
businessman.

I was trained under European chefs, they are a very different sort.
They do not care about offending anyone...they will fire you for the
simplist mistake and they don't care who you are or why you are
there. It's all about them and their food when it goes into the
dining room. I watched a chef I worked under smash 10 plated salads
on the floor, one by one, because he didn't like the organization of
the vegetables. Was is the right way to go about showing the person
who built them that he didn't like them? No...but the guy never made
them wrong again.

I learned more from him than anyone about food and running a
kitchen...including how never to act in a kitchen...and how never to
treat a fellow employee or my staff.

Tom

Tom, I agree with Mike too.

Some people just dont get it, and these are usually the younger
generation of chefs.

They have never been subjected to the atmosphere that you and I have.
They dont have the hellbent sense of urgency experiences or it was
your ass type of past that we have on our resumes.

They will never know what it feels like to "survive" an accomplished
asshole chef like you and I have. The graduation effect that we feel
so proud about. Like if we survived that bootcamp then we can do
ANYTHING feeling.

And we are better chefs for it.

I , for one, would NEVER trade getting yelled at and berated by the
best chef I have ever worked for anything! We learned SO much from
those chefs-I still talk to them til this day. Our
mentors....assholes as they were... ROCKED! Nobody could outcook them
and they knew it....and so did we. Thats why we stayed and endured.
Thats why we tolerated the verbal beatdowns...it made us TOUGH!

Those were the good ol days my brother....

I see these kids nowadays bitch and complain because its hot in the
kitchen and I laugh.

They have no idea Tom....but we do.

I know I will undoubtedly piss some people off by this post. And Im
sure somewhere down the line so and so worked for a rockin chef who
was always cordial and mannerly. Thats great. I'm sure many cooks
learn just fine from politically correct chefs. I dont care who would
walk out if ever talked to like that-to me, you just cant take it.
Thats part of the "heat" in kitchens....and if you cant take the heat-
hit tha road Jack! But give me the Bobby Knight of chefs any day.

I dont wanna hear about who has the "right" to do anything to anyone.
I HAVE SEEN IT ALL BABY. BEEN THERE DONE THAT.

Dont get this post wrong..I'm not being pompous or arrogant-I am just
very proud that I have seen in first person, chefs who make Gordon
Ramsey look like a purring kitten. Nobody can ever take that away
from us.

Chef K

Keith,
I think times have changed and the chefs we trained under have
started to fade away. The chefs like us who had to survive these guys
are better now for having to be part of that era. And I know there
are "a$$hole" chefs out there today, but why do they have to be like
that? Do they have to act that way because they need to fill the void
of some things they don't know. There is more to being a chef than
booksmarts, cooking skills, etc. It's being a mentor, a coach, a chef
who gains respect from his/her employees because they are becoming a
part of their lives to launch them into the future chef they would
soon become.
I have and always will believe that respect is earned...not given.
Someone should never expect to be respected just because of the
position that they hold, it takes years to gain that. I hate it when
one of my current or former employees whine about the dishwasher or
prep cook not respecting them. I don't do what I do to demand
anyone's respect, but if I am able to gain the respect of my team
through coaching, training, and mentoring, then it's a win-win
situation. I win because it makes me feel wonderful to assist someone
in becoming what they want to be. When they become a chef and hit
their ultimate goal , they win. I just want to be a part of their
past when they look back on this in 10 years and realize I held an
important part in helping them get where they are.

I had a dishwasher while working at the country club back in the
early '90's who I trained to become one of my line cooks. It was easy
because he had no bad habits to break..no prior training from anyone
else. He worked for me for the last three years I was at the club. I
ran into him while I was doing an event several years ago...A Taste
of Cleveland. I'm sautéeing scallops at our station and I feel
something hit me in the head...fluffed it off...I was busy. Again
something landed in my toque from above...a mushroom stem...I look up
and on the second floor of the place where the event was, were four
guys laughing. One of them was my former cook I hadn't seen in 10
years. He came downstairs, wraps his arms around me and wouldn't stop
thanking me for doing what I had done. He ended up being the sous at
a restaurant on the second floor of the mall where we were working.
He had to introduce me to his staff and his lead informed me that
everytime he had something to teach or show him, he always mentioned
me being the one who taught him this and helped him get where he was.
That's worth more than money sometimes.
OK...enough dribble...

Tom

Bulla’s Back…

Mike, Tom, Keith, and anyone else who thinks and environment like
Hell's Kitchen is a stomping ground for paying your dues...

I feel bad for you guys.

Your mentors beat you down and took time off your life, for what?

My mentor was a Chef that always had a smile on his face, always kept
the line calm, and always made it happen no matter what. Could lead
by example and cook circles around anyone. He was the guy who forced
you to work harder to keep up with his pace. He was the guy who
inspired you to do something better because he could. That is who I
want to be. That is who I model myself after. I only saw him get
really pissed off once.. That is when I told a front of the house
moron to "F*** Off!" after he screwed up an order.

There are not enough Chef's in this dysfunctional business that meet
this criteria. The criteria is called "Professionalism." WE are
professionals, aren't we? The Chef's in this world need to start
acting like it. Learn how to lead, instead of abuse to get results.

It was a far cry from the Chef that I had worked for before that
experience. That guy would throw pots, yell, scream, push and shove,
and all the bullshit that nobody in their right mind would put up
with. I put up with it. Looking back, I should have moved on.

I don't think being proud of being abused is part of the job. It's
part of the problem with this industry. I have been through boot
camp, and that probably allowed me to stand up to assholes like this.
But I don't need that kind of abuse from anyone, and I won't put up
with it. I also will not dish it out.

Leaders are what is needed in this world, not tyrants.

I am not picking on anyone here. You are all my friends. I just feel
passionate about this issue.

Dave

Chef Tom replies to Bulla’s Thoughts:

Dave,
I understand what you are saying, don't get me wrong, the chef I
worked for was in no way a hero in my life whatsoever. I would never
say that someone should work for, or if they haven't worked for
someone like this, that they missed out on anything special. I did
not respect this chef in any way, except for his culinary skills. All
I can say is that he gave me knowledge and the skills to do what I
needed to get the job done. He also, as I said, taught me to never be
like him. I'm not proud of him, but the fact that I survived him
which made me better.

I was glad that I worked for the chefs that followed him. They were
the "let's get down to business" chefs, pleasant to work for, they
were able to see in me the ablity to become what I have become and
they were the ones who knew my strengths and weaknesses and were able
to focus on those abilities that I needed to learn. I can say though,
that working for the arrogant European chefs gave me the ability to
see that I am in no way like them, I have self respect as a chef, I
understand people's feelings more.

As far as calling it abuse...it would go as far as standing next to
you and telling you (loudly) that "you're not working fast
enough"...or "I've shown you this before...why are you doing it this
way". Yeah, he wasn't nice about it, but it never got to the point of
calling anyone names or degrading anyone by telling them they were
a "fat stupid cow" or "a f-ing idiot", like Gordon does for the TV
audience. Yeah, he smashed a bunch of salad plates because they
weren't right, but the guy that made them really did wrong and he
should have known after being trained for 2 months in that position.

Some chefs have different ways of managing, some by fear and
intimidation, some by support and reinforcement. The latter being the
best and most positive way to get what you want out of an employee.
Positive reinforcement is better than negative in many aspects, but
you still can learn from both methods. Negative reinforcment is not
the chosen path by most. They can still be a good chef, but it
doesn't make them a great one.
Keep the passion...

Tom
PS....Good thread Mike. This is what keeps the conversation going. Like
Dave said in his last post about being passionate...it makes us look at
ourselves and draws out our feelings about important issues like this
one.

Chef Keith reflects on Disney Kitchen Nirvana…

"My mentor was a Chef that always had a smile on his face.."

Dave I'm sorry but this sounds like a perfect, Disney "G" rated
kitchen Nirvana with positive Zen Chi energy just radiating calmness
and peace for everyone....like the cooks would bust out a song and
dance like the Oompa Loompas do in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory.

What would Anthony Bourdain say about this?

Testosterone free kitchens are what we have today. I dont know of too
many tyrants anymore. The kitchen dictator is a thing of the past.

Basketball changed and Bobby Knight is outdated.

Same thing happened to professional kitchens. The Chef is no more
judged by his abilities, notoriety or his accolades. It is merely how
he reacts to pressure, his attitude and candor in sticky situations.

Lets get one thing straight-I dont abuse anyone, in fact I am
probably too laid back. A chef has to be an asshole sometimes
Dave...no?

You said you were passionate about this subject. Me too. I am not
saying that Nazi Chefs are the right way to manage a kitchen-but damn
were they fun to work with while they could get away with it.... and
like I said I learned so much from these guys. So were they a bad
chef after all? They merely said to people what all the other cooks
were thinking but didnt have the balls to say.

This entire country has changed. 25 years ago you could say anything
to anybody about whatever you liked and people just had to get over
it. Not anymore. Nowadays you cant fart without somebody getting
their feelings hurt and trying to file a lawsuit.

But what does it matter now? Those days are over and we all know it.
Dave, like it or not I am a product of that crazy environment. Just
because my one or two of my mentors were that crazy doesnt mean that
I have to be.... but my experiences are priceless.

Chef Keith

> Dave I'm sorry but this sounds like a perfect, Disney "G" rated
> kitchen Nirvana with positive Zen Chi energy just radiating calmness
> and peace for everyone....like the cooks would bust out a song and
> dance like the Oompa Loompas do in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
> Factory.

LMAO! Well, it wasn't quite that rosy. But seriously, Dorothy called
the guy "The Muppet Chef." I was the one being the asshole, spewing
forth the years of bad influence I got from a tyrant. If I acted in a
way that was particularly embarrassing I would sit down and ask the
Muppet Chef what I could do about it. Everyone in the front was
afraid of me. He would say "That can be a good thing." So, it wasn't
like the place was not without it's dysfunction. As much as cooking
ability, leadership is a skill that I have tried to develop over the
years. In my opinion, it is a skill that is sorely needed in every
part of society today.

> Lets get one thing straight-I dont abuse anyone, in fact I am
> probably too laid back. A chef has to be an asshole sometimes
> Dave...no?

Yes, but it's the way a Chef handles the situation where he has to be
an asshole that makes a difference. If you have to chew someone out,
you don't want to belittle them on the line in the middle of service
in front of their peers. You don't want to use abusive language.
That just creates resentments, and lowers morale.

I am sure you are a good Chef, Keith. I never meant to imply that you
are abusive. I hope it didn't come across that way.

>
> This entire country has changed. 25 years ago you could say anything
> to anybody about whatever you liked and people just had to get over
> it. Not anymore. Nowadays you cant fart without somebody getting
> their feelings hurt and trying to file a lawsuit.
>
> But what does it matter now? Those days are over and we all know it.
> Dave, like it or not I am a product of that crazy environment. Just
> because my one or two of my mentors were that crazy doesnt mean that
> I have to be.... but my experiences are priceless.
>

I am glad you have fond memories of those experiences. Yes the world
is a little to PC these days, but think of how far the profession has
come in 25 years in this country. There was no food network, or
reality shows about Chef's 25 years ago. There were no news segments
featuring chef's. There were very few culinary schools. Fine dining
wasn't typically affordable to the masses 25 years ago. Things have
changed so much. Most for the better, some for the worse.

I have fond memories of my 1969 lime green Volkswaggon Baja Bug from
when I was a kid, but I wouldn't want to drive that thing today.

I understand where you guys are coming from on this issue. I would
agree that most kids these days don't know what work really is, and
most have no desire to work. That's the biggest change for the worse,
especially for our industry.

I think what set me off is that I feel Ramsey is causing damage to
this profession by misrepresenting it on TV.

I admit that I can laugh and be entertained by the show at times.
It's like a guilty pleasure.

That's my bottom line on Ramsey.

Dave

Dave...I think you are correct. I am always asked by non-foodies if
that's the way I run my kitchen. People that watch that show are
thinking that's the way chefs are treating their employees. That would
be my beef with that show.

I enjoy watching Top Chef. Although sometimes it's the judges that are
making me crazy. I enjoy some of the guest judges and I like Tom
Collichio (sp?), but some of his comments I question. A few weeks back
he made a comment about truffles not being from Italy. What? Rocco
DiSpirito was questioning that one too.

If Padma wasn't on the show, I probably wouldn't watch it. hahaha
Sorry.......

Tom

Dave we definitely agree here.

Sure Ramsey is a brilliant chef in his own rights.

I just don’t like what he is doing to our industry. He makes the chef
position look bad by being such a jerk....unfortunately the ratings are
great.

I would still love to work with the guy, but as far as projecting that
professional chef image I still look to Emeril Lagasse for that.

The Chef's Office-To Glove or Not To Glove

2009-12-24T23:32:00.002-05:00

The Chef’s Office
May 2006
To Glove or not to Glove

To Glove or Not to Glove that is the question:

Man…how deep is that????????

This is going to be a pretty deep newsletter because there are so many issues to address that I am pretty adamant about, not to mention quite a few views of some of my chef friends.

I want to touch base on a little info before I get into the almighty glove debate. Although some of the information is basic knowledge to some of us, I wanted to start off the conversation by laying a foundation for this and upcoming articles pertaining to sanitation and our livelihoods.

I know that I have offered this little article before, but one of our CheffyBuddies, Ray Inhot, wrote this article a couple years ago and I really love it, so I thought I would share it with you again. “Letter from a Microbiological Contaminant”
http://www.geocities.com/riggy001/germ.doc go check it out, it is pretty interesting.

Clean versus Sanitized

What is the difference between being clean and being sanitized??

Being clean is a state, just as being sanitized is...I can clean a counter, I can clean a cast iron skillet, I can clean my stove top, but does my cleaning these things stop bacteria from growing???

Absolutely not!!!

Being sanitized can only occur by using a chemical that is going to stop bacterial growth. Bacteria and germs in general are not happy unless they are multiplying, and when you take the time to sanitize your areas and your body, you are making these germs unhappy individuals (and that is exactly what they are-individuals) until the handler (meaning us) gives the bacteria and other germs room and a reason to migrate and multiply.

There are three major factors to consider in sanitation.
1) Food- its safe condition, preparation, and storage
2) People- The sanitation of the people preparing and serving food as well as those consuming it.
3) Facilities- Is the food prepared in a safe environment? Is it served in a safe manner?

Without going into details about certain foodborne anomalies such as salmonella and botulism (because that would be another story altogether), I want to explain a little bit about bacteria growth, which effects both salmonella and botulism.

A bacterium grows between certain temperatures rapidly. There are many foods that fit into this category, but the basic rule of thumb is any protein...meat, poultry, wild game, boiled or baked potatoes, soy-based products; any dairy...shelled eggs, milks, cheeses, curds, butter...the list could go on and on....

The general gist of what I am trying to say is this. Bacteria survives and grows between 45 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, Between 60 and 120 degrees, bacteria goes crazy...sometimes multiplying 6 or 7 times its normal growth and right around 99-101 degrees it goes ballistic...

These are just a few of the things to consider as far as food sanitation is concerned and I will address a bunch of these in this succession of newsletters.

To Glove or not to Glove…

One thing that we all must consider is that all of us are guilty of violations, myself very much included. The key is to be aware of all the sanitation violations that occur in our worlds and to be able to teach/re-direct our staff in the proper techniques.

I am an advocate of gloves, but gloves, as well as bare hands are carriers if the operator is not aware of proper food handling techniques.

This was best explained by my buddy Executive Chef Tom Dinardo:

”…All bacteria can stick to gloves. Gloves are meant to be disposed of after you use them. They can still cross contaminate, they can still pick up and spread bacteria just like your hands can. That's the false sense of security some people have when they put gloves on.

I used to follow a guy around the kitchen that worked in a cafe at a healthcare account I was at, and he would touch doorknobs, move a garbage can and then think he could go and make a sandwich for someone.

Because he was wearing gloves it would be okay...wrong.

Gloves are not meant to protect your hands, they are meant to protect your customers. People need to be trained how to use them...if you are making 20 ham and cheese sandwiches...you can wear the same pair of gloves as long as you don't touch anything else...like a cooler door, etc. When you are done, toss 'em.

I use gloves when I handle raw chicken, raw pork, some raw seafood, etc. I don't when I'm using a knife to cut the raw meats sometimes because I find them clumsy.

I hate them too, but again, it's customer perception. 9 times out of 10, if one of your guests sees someone making their food and touching all of it with their hands, they are going to wonder if they have clean hands and why is the cook handling the food without gloves. I see that our comment cards say that from our hotel if a guest observes one of my cooks not wearing gloves through our open kitchen line from the dining area. ..Chef Tom…”

This hits the thought process on the head. As handlers we always need to be aware of sanitation issues, and my friend Chef Keith and by Chef Tom both made a valid point. Chef Keith said that he wears gloves to protect himself from the food, not to protect a client from him…it is the difference between being aware versus unaware of sanitation.

Although I am not one that demands the use of gloves, I do kind of insist, especially when handling hazardous foods or a food that is leaving the kitchen directly to a customer. At first, I really hated using those darned things, but now that I have become accustomed to it, it is almost like second nature.

But there are things that go on in this industry that some just let pass as a norm and I have quite a few pet peeves as far as that goes.

Everytime you leave the kitchen and then return, the first thing you are to do is wash your hands…don’t care, that’s the bottom line…I once had a cook that got ticked at me when he came in the kitchen and then proceeded to go back to work. I told him to wash his hands, he said “Chef, I just went to the bathroom and washed my hands there…” And then I asked him how he opened the door….needless to say, he immediately went to wash his hands….Instances like this are things that people really don’t think about, but like I said it is the difference between being aware and unaware.

Never and I mean never stick your finger in food….My solution to this problem is that I keep a water pitcher full of spoons all around the kitchen. We affectionately refer to them as “CheffySpoons”…and when the example is led, it does not take too long for everyone to follow suit without having to be confrontational.

Food is a sensual medium, always has been and always will.

Chef Keith and I got into this conversation and here are a few of his insights…

“…OK Mike...

I gotta chime in here.....

I was trained by some classic old school chefs who actually encouraged me to touch food when I was learning how to cook. Rightalong with touching the food they taught me to ALWAYS have clean hands as well-stressing the importance of sanitation.

I love touching food with my hands and here is why: Cooking is very much a sensual thing for me. I use my 5 senses so much. When I hear the sizzle I know my pan is hot, when I see the outside of my pot pie turning brown I know its close to being done, when I smell the bread coming from inside the oven I know its close, when I taste for various flavors of any dish I know which ones to accentuate-and yes, when I feel the doneness of the filet mignon with my fingers I know how much longer to cook it to the right temperature. I can tell so much about food when I touch it...I can touch for temperature hot/cold, I can touch for dryness moist/wet, I can touch for viscosity of a sauce thick/thin, I can touch for textures-smooth/coarse, I can touch for doneness-firm/pliable, etc.

I am actually a much worsened and handicapped cook when I put on a pair of gloves. It takes all of these senses that I have learned away from me, strips away my culinary "oneness" with the food and makes me feel like an idiot in the kitchen. In the past I have only worn gloves to protect MYSELF from the food-not to protect anyone else from me. Times are changing and companies have their rules, but it’s hard for a chef like me to conform. Just being honest......

I know I’m not alone in this "touching of food" sensation I have going on here. I had a chef instructor at JWU who never used flatware when he ate food. (unless the situation demanded it of course) but he liked to eat everything with his bare hands..yes... salads, entrees and desserts all with his fingers. He said that’s the only way to really know food was to get close and personal with it. It made for a more ritualistic approach to eating and it was more personal and sensual for him.
In my case, that’s the way I cook....I am a nut about my sanitation and hygiene-clean sanitized counters, areas, cutting boards and aprons & uniforms. Only a few soiled hand towels in a solution bucket to change a few times a day. I love touching food-
There, I said it. Spank me…”
Executive Chef Keith Angell

OK, that’s it for today’s issue of the Chef’s Office, we will be back in another week or so to carry on this conversation and bring up some pet peeves of Chef’s as far as food and sanitation are concerned. So stay tuned.

Here is hoping that Peace and Serenity find its way into your day today and everyday…

Chef Michael Hayes
“Pleasing the World, One Palate At A Time”

A little cheese history

2009-12-24T23:29:00.001-05:00

A little history on cheese

Most authorities consider that cheese was first made
in the Middle East. The earliest type was a form of
sour milk which came into being when it was discovered
that domesticated animals could be milked. A legendary
story has it that cheese was 'discovered' by an
unknown Arab nomad. He is said to have filled a
saddlebag with milk to sustain him on a journey across
the desert by horse. After several hours riding he
stopped to quench his thirst, only to find that the
milk had separated into a pale watery liquid and solid
white lumps. Because the saddlebag, which was made
from the stomach of a young animal, contained a
coagulating enzyme known as rennin, the milk had been
effectively separated into curds and whey by the
combination of the rennin, the hot sun and the
galloping motions of the horse. The nomad, unconcerned
with technical details, found the whey drinkable and
the curds edible.

Cheese was known to the ancient Sumerians four
thousand years before the birth of Christ. The ancient
Greeks credited Aristaeus, a son of Apollo and Cyrene,
with its discovery; it is mentioned in the Old
Testament.

In the Roman era cheese really came into its own.
Cheesemaking was done with skill and knowledge and
reached a high standard. By this time the ripening
process had been developed and it was known that
various treatments and conditions under storage
resulted in different flavours and characteristics.

The larger Roman houses had a separate cheese kitchen,
the caseale, and also special areas where cheese could
be matured. In large towns home-made cheese could be
taken to a special centre to be smoked. Cheese was
served on the tables of the nobility and travelled to
the far corners of the Roman Empire as a regular part
of the rations of the legions.

During the Middle Ages, monks became innovators and
developers and it is to them we owe many of the
classic varieties of cheese marketed today. During the
Renaissance period cheese suffered a drop in
popularity, being considered unhealthy, but it
regained favour by the nineteenth century, the period
that saw the start of the move from farm to factory
production. How's that for a little bit of useless but
interesting info...

Cheese dishes

Here is a little bit of chefmike fusion. Mixing my
love for Mexican staples with that of traditional
Italiano...

Fettucini alla Carbonara

This is not the traditional dish, although similiar,
like all else it has that little chefmike twist to it.
The traditional recipe calls for pancetta bacon and I
substitute chorizo for the pancetta, cause that's the
kind of guy I am...I love chorizo. If you would prefer
to use bacon or pancetta, feel free, it's your world
baby!!!

3/4# Fettucini or spaghetti
4-6 ounces of chorizo, pancetta or lean bacon
3 cloves of garlic, halved
1/3 cup of white wine
1/3 cup of heavy or whipping cream**
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook your chorizo and garlic, roughly 4-5 minutes, or
until it is done. Drain, reserve 3T of your sausage
fat, discard your garlic.
Prepare your pasta, drain and rinse, return to dry
pan.
When your sausage is done and you have drained it and
returned it to the hot pan with the 3T of drippings
add the wine. Allow the wine to simmer for 3-5
minutes, add your cream.

In a double boiler, whisk in the egg and the egg yolk,
whisk in 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese and cook until
the sauce thickens slightly.

Pour the chorizo-cream mixture over your fettucini and
toss well. Re-heat. When reheated toss with the egg
cheese mixture. Toss to coat.

Fix the kidz a peanut butter sandwich, sit on the
floor of the kitchen and eat it all...some things are
just not meant to be shared...mmmmmmm....ha ha

**chefmike notes
You can thicken low fat or skim milk to replace the
heavy cream.

One other thing I like to do is omit the sausage, keep
the garlic when I am making the cream sauce and add
asparagus tips and artichokes...mmmmm, not to mention
a helluva lot healthier...haha

Cheddar Cheese Dumplings
This one was sent in by some friends of mine that
operate a message board on the internet for the
purpose of sharing recipes, talking about wine,
ettiquette and much more. Please stop by and say hi to
Meredith, Laura, Mandy and Danile...they have a really
cool site that is just going to grow and be one of the
most awesome recipe sites on the internet.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EntertainingWithaTwist

Ingredients for 4 servings:

16 oz Cheddar; Md, Shredded
2 ea Eggs; Lg
1 c Unbleached Flour
1 ts Salt
1/2 c Butter
1/2 pt Sour Cream
GARNISHES------- 1 x Paprika 1 x Parsley

Preparation:

Mash the cheddar cheese and add the eggs mixing well.
Stir in the
flour and salt. Drop by TBLS into the rapidly boiling
water then
cover and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and serve with
melted butter and
sour cream. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or paprika,
if desired.

Hasta la Toodles

Well, the conclusion of another episode of chefmike
versus the world...feel free to drop me a line or send
me a recipe. If you have any ideas for future issues
of the newsletters feel free to post them at my site
or send me an email. Please remember to stop by and
see my friends at Entertaining with a Twist and tell
em cheffy sent ya...

Quips and Quotes from People in the Food Industry

2009-12-24T23:28:00.000-05:00

The Chef’s Office
March 2007
Quips, Quotes, and Quacky’s

raspil420 started this whole thing by asking about advice about the field and quite a few people chimed in with different psychobabbles shared with us by mentors, co-workers, chef friends, etc. but the funny thing is that most of them are about someone we worked under at one point in our life…I thought that was kinda cool, it’s nice that in an indirect way we are still paying homage to our teachers, even if that quip, quote or quacky comment makes us re-live moments when we wanted to choke that SOB…

This kinda struck me now because in my professional life, I am mentoring to quite a few people between three establishments and this made me think about what they have picked up philosophically from me, because I am one for the liners that I am sure that some cooks, chefs, dishwashers will remember for a long time, especially since I try to mix so many of my Eastern Beliefs into my philosophical way of being a psycho nut that dresses funny and puts out kick ass food…

Funny thought but anyway.

Raspil420 started it by provoking the idea that share those philosophies, one-liners, blah, blah, blah…

“My first chef told me to taste everything. the head waiter at the
same restaurant told me to stop f***ing up…” Raspil420

“Tonight a woman who has been in the restaurant business for 17 years told me that I should not watch Food Network. I must have given her a look because she amended that advice by saying, well at least if you are going to watch it don't tell a chef that you are working for know that you do. I laughed and told her that I would follow that advice.”
Molly

“If it's easy on you, it's hard on the customer. Don't take short cuts…”
George Weideman, Exec. Chef Hyatt Corp 1986
Chef KatCo

“…Hmm...good one. A chef I worked with years back told me one simple lil line, but if taken to heart, it helps you strive for perfection. He told me, "Make it nice, or make it twice." A good policy to live by I think…”
Heather

CheffyBabble #101

Trashed Sauté Pan Etymology-
After work tonight I went over to my new Café and washed dishes and cleaned floors and all that happy stuff…and loved it…After work I explained to my lead cook what I was getting off on, especially since we fed 3000 today, 2000 of them within a two hour period at my real job and here I am at ten o’clock (my eighteenth hour since I put on my Chef Coat this morning) scrubbing floors and pots and pans…what’s wrong with this boy????

It all started with a Saute pan that Tim had trashed….I had to scrape, scour, steel wool, and basically scrub the hell out of this thing for a couple minutes to get it clean enough to run through the dishwasher…Here is the point that I made to Timothy, it wasn’t just that the pan was trashed it was about the thought process that whatever was in the pan, was at one point a part of our environment and that it is all about how much you really love food can one really have these visions…man I love food…., and besides that “Good Chefs didn’t start out by being Shitty Dishwashers…”
OK, I’m done….

A chef I worked with years back told me one simple lil line, but if taken to heart, it helps you strive for perfection. He told me, "Make it nice, or make it twice." A good policy to live by I think.
Heather

Two sayings that have always stuck very clearly in my mind are....
1)"some days its just a big sh*t sandwhich and everyones got to take a big bite "
2) "excuses are the nails that build a house of failure"
Catherine

Excuses are the nails that built the house of failure!!!!!!!!!!!!! That Rocks…

As a young aspiring chef I worked with an old school German Chef
named Fritz and Fritz was full of them...

"...Mr. Bonesarelli...da best tool you have in your kitchen is
attached to your wrist..."

(My nickname used to be Bones back in my wilder Biker days)

I worked for a Chef at the Golden Mushroom in Detroit once upon a
life and once while making a huge fruit and cheese display on a
spread table I was finishing off the table with carambola here, there
and everywhere, so in finishing up the table I was putting starfruit
here and there, Chef Andrew came and took the half pan of starfruit
from me and started throwing them in handfuls at my display and told
me that the display was beautiful but "...you're thinking too f***ing
much..."

A couple months ago I gave a commencement speech for a culinary
program that I taught at as a guest chef. During the commencement I
had a line that I thought was awesome and I wish that we could convey
this thought process to all culinary graduates...

"...you now possess enough knowledge to go out in the real world and
get your ass kicked!!!..."

I gotta million of them, but those are the few that stick in my
mind...

One more...

Had a chef from Hungary that used to work for me now and then on an
on call basis when we had huge VIP functions...After one event for a
few thousand I took Chef Jorge out for beer, while talking Chef asked
me how many cigarettes the waitress should allow in an ashtray. My
answer was two, he said " No...one..." I asked Chef why he thought
that and he told me that "...when you take care of the little things
big things don't happen..." I really liked that one...

Making Vinaigrettes

2009-12-24T23:23:00.002-05:00

Preparing for the good harvest we are planning on this year, I thought I would talk about the making of salad dressings...

I have a few favorites and I am sure that those of you that have been following my teachings for a little while will have no problem in guessing what they are. The truth of the matter is that you can make salad dressings out of whatever your little heart desires. I am going to give a few basics to remember in the making of salad dressings, and in future posts will give you several different salad dressings, if you have a favorite, drop me a line and I will post a recipe for you...

The best way to season a salad is basically with the addition of a little oil and vinegar or citrus juice directly into your greens and seasoned with a little salt and fresh ground pepper. With seasoning salads I have found that usually the simpler it is dressed, the better it is.

It is easy to use an uneven proportion of oil and acid on a salad when dressing in this manner. which is why I prefer to make a vinaigrette. I prefer this method for two main reasons. The first being that I can allow whatever flavors I choose to marry with each other. The second, is that I can add ingredients to my acid so that when adding my oil as an emulification, that I wind up with a more stable product.

In order to make sure that you have an even distribution you must emulsify the acid with the oil. The traditional rule of thumb is three or four to one ratio of oil versus vinegar/acid. The use of additional fruits, vegetables, pastes and cream, allow us to vary this traditional rule.

Even though vinaigrettes are by far the most popular types of salad dressings , there are other fashions for making salad dressings such as adding together such things as mayonaisse, mustards, yogurt, buttermilk to name a few, combining products that allow for a thicks dressing.

The best way to make a vinaigrette that will hold up the best is to take your acidic liquid, combining your seasons and mustard, whisk the hell out of it to combine all the flavors and then slowly drizzle in your oil drop by drop and then in a slow steady stream while whisking briskly to incorporate your emulsion. Vinaigrettes can be stored covered in your fridge for up to two weeks. Always whisk briskly or shake like hell before adding to your greens.

Althought the basic vinaigrette is the incorporation of oil and acid, thanks to the ever growing market of different vinegars and oils on the market, the possibilities of making different types of vinaigrettes are endless.

By far, the best oil to use in salad dressings is extra-virgin olive oil. The grades of this variety of oil vary according to the place of orgin. Some may argue that a high grade olive oil should not be infused with vinegars or with other ingredients because they mask the true nutty flavor of the oil. I somewhat agree with this sentiment. If I am going to infuse olive oil with other flavors, sometimes I prefer to use an inferior oil, because the infusion masks the flavor of the oil and a good olive oil is not truly necessary.

Vinegars vary greatly in acidic content and flavor, each having its own characteristics. This is all a point of preference. Wine vinegar, the most popular of vinegars, can be found anywhere and the use of these or other vinegars lies in the preference of the individual. Use your own palate to discover what vinegars you like the best.

Subjectively, I like balsamic and sherry vinegars, and they make the best vinaigrettes in my opinion. I enjoy the Spanish vinegars for the making of salad dressings because of its high acidic content, they possess a strong, robust flavor, are more complex and nuttier than most wine vinegars.

If you are fortunate enough to come across "aceto balsamico tradizionale" and you use it for a salad dressing, please send me your address so I can send for the culinary police to put a boot in your butt!!! These balsamics are sold in bottles of a few ounces and can cost several hundreds of dollars. There will be a whole post on balsamic in the near future, I am still writing the article.

Citrus juice makes a great alternative to vinegar in vinaigrettes. Because the acidic content in citrus juices is much lower than that of vinegars, a ratio of two to one, oil versus vinegar is recommended. If serving wine with a meal, it is offensive to serve a vinegar based sauce. The two should not be served at the same table. See the quote of the week for Feb. 12...

Before I go any further, I can not stress enough that as far as vinaigrettes are concerned, when adding seasonings and enhancers, more is not necessarily better. As I said, the simplest vinaigrettes are usually the best ones. I generally choose a path for making salad dressings, deciding on what I desire out of my final product and choose a theme or method for me to achieve the desired sauce.

Other ingredients-

Freshly Ground Black Pepper- a great flavor enhancer, subjectively speaking, a salad isn't a salad without a few good twists from the pepper mill.

Herbs- any strong herb is always a favorite in making vinaigrettes, chopped fine or ground in a spice mill. Allow the herbed vinaigrette to sit before serving giving the herbs time to infuse with the dressing. Some of my favorite herbs to use are basil, thyme, tarragon, dill, and rosemary.

Savory flavors- Stocks, marinades, worchestire, soy sauce are always good additions. The use of a good chicken stock can make for a lowered fat salad dressing, eliminating some of the oil. Generally speaking, substitute 75% of the oil with chicken stock.

Assertive flavors- Garlic, garlic, garlic,garlic, garlic....can ya' take a hint...I do not make any vinaigrette without garlic, I have not one vinaigrette in my forte that does not possess garlic in some way or another. Other assertive flavors that are also very good are shallots, onions or any member of that family, capers, tapenade or olivado. One hint though when using any paste, vegetable or fruit that is sold in a brine, you need to cut back on your salt and vinegar.

Cheese- Any soft crumbly cheese can be added to a salad dressing in your acidic stage prior to the addition of oil. I personally love a feta based vinaigrette. Hard cheeses may be used but I recommend grating the hard cheeses fine before adding to the vinegar.

OK. I suppose I have rambled enough, I think that you got the message...

Mailbag-Making Homemade Infused Vinegars

2009-12-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

Making Homemade Vinegars

Chef Mike,

I am looking for some different vinegars to spice up our foods, I really like balsamic and raspberry vinegar. After reading through your newsletters and visiting your club, I noticed that we had similiar tastes. Could you recommend some different products we can buy or make to spice up our "dishes of repetition".

Peace, hugs and puckery vinegar,
Sam and Diane

Before I go into answering the question, I find it pretty comical that people are adding their own ending to my “Peace, Hugs and Cookies” phrase. Thanks for the letters and emails and as always am looking forward to more questions from our readers.

I am writing this without knowing anything about Sam and Diane's diet or exactly what they are talking about. So I am going to give y'all a couple different vinegars that I really enjoy, being I have no idea where the question is coming from, nor where the CheffyBabbles are going to lead us, typical chefmike story...

Chili Vinegar

I like this vinegar by itself, in vinegarette for salads or marinade, on potato chips when made with malt vinegar, as a base for beurre blanc (butter sauces), heck, it has peppers in it, I like it with a lot of stuff. I like to use this with the 'cheaper' vinegars, I do not necessarily like 'spoiling' the flavor of a good vinegar with infusions. Infuse your flavors when you make your sauce, not as a vinegar. When I say 'cheaper' vinegars, I mean any white, red, apple cider or malt vinegar. Regardless of the quality of these vinegars, I still consider them the 'cheaper' vinegars.

10 dried chiles *
2 cups vinegar

Steep the chiles for 2-14 days, depending on how hot you want it. Strain through a sieve, reserve 2 chiles.

Pour the vinegar into two half-pint jars with 1 chile in each, seal and keep in cool, dark place.

*chefmike note-I do not recommend chile anchos for this recipe, I tried it once and the flavor of the chile anchos was too strong for the vinegar. anyone that has used chile anchos can basically understand what I mean. I like tepins, cayennes, and of course, chiles chipotle.

Rosemary Garlic Red Wine Vinegar

This is chungachungabam out of this world for marinating lamb in a vinegarette. One time I used this vinegar and emulsified it with roasted garlic oil for a rack of lamb marinade, and then used the vinegar as a base for the sauce...it was to kill for...

1 cup of rosemary leaves
8 garlic cloves
2 cups of red wine vinegar

Steep all the ingredients in a quart jar, let it set for 4-14 days.

4 cloves of garlic (reserved from your infusion)
2 sprigs of rosemary

In two jars, put 2 cloves of garlic and 1 sprig of rosemary
Drain, split the vinegar between the two jars, seal and keep in cool, dark place.

Tarragon- Green Peppercorn Vinegar

1 cup packed Tarragon
1 tablespoon green peppercorn (coarsely crushed if in brine)
2 cups of white vinegar

Put tarragon in a quart jar and bruise the leaves with a wooden spoon.
Add peppercorns and vinegar, steep for 4-14 days
Strain and add 1 T whole green peppercorns and a couple leaves of Tarragon.

chefmike note-

If you have ever worked for or with me, and you read these recipes...HUSH!!! (ha-ha)
The reason I say that is that in my kitchens, white vinegar is not allowed anywhere near my cooks...my philosophy is that the only thing it is good for is cleaning mirrors, windows and greasy messes. I never use it (well....next to never anyway...) nor would I permit my staff to use it. Pretty silly, I know, but I cannot stand white vinegar...

Peace, Hugs and Puckery Vinegar,
chefmike

Is puckery a word?

Turkey Tips/Re-print from Advance News

2009-12-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

It’s Turkey Day
By Chef Michael Hayes

The autumn colors have shown, the cold weather is slowly creeping in, Halloween is gone and we are all getting geared up towards the greatest eating holiday in America…sauces, desserts, soups, turkeys, hams and roast beefs…mashed taters, sweet taters, yam pie, cranberry relish to name a few only to be followed by the and the inevitable power nap…

There is often a ton of questions for a chef when it comes to be this time of year, so I thought that this would be a good way to shed some culinary cheer to my old stomping grounds.

Turkey Tips

Purchasing Turkeys

When buying whole turkeys under 12 lbs., allow 3/4-1lb. per serving.
When buying turkeys 12 lbs. and over, allow 1/2 to 3/4 lb. per serving

If you are buying just Turkey Breasts for let’s say a large event (because not too many people eat dark turkey meat) then decide on around 6-7 oz. per person.

Always stuff turkey just before roasting
Not ahead of time!!!!!
Nothing like foul fowl!! Ha-Ha

After cooking, allow the turkey to rest 15-20 minutes for easiest carving. This allows the juices to soak back into the meat; this process is called resting, it allows the tissues and cells to relax so that the juice subsides within the meat and not extracted when the meat gets sliced.

Cooking times at 325 degrees
6-8 lbs ------- 3 to 3 1/2 hrs
8-12 lbs.------ 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hrs.
12-16 lbs ----- 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hrs.
16-20 lbs. -----5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hrs.
20-24 lbs.----- 6 1/2 to 7 hrs.

This guideline is for cold or completely thawed turkeys, for best results check temperature to read 180 degrees at the thigh quarter.

If you do not have a thermometer, about 30 minutes prior to the end of your cooking time shake the drumstick up and down; the joint should give easily or break.

These times will vary for un-stuffed turkeys.

Thawing

To cook immediately- Remove wrap, place in 325 degree
oven in a shallow pan. Cook for 1 hour. Remove neck,
and giblets from body cavity and wishbone. Immediately
stuff and return to oven.

To cook tomorrow- Leave in the plastic wrap. Wrap
turkey in 3-4 layers of newspaper; place on tray. Thaw
at room temperature, 1 hour per pound. Refrigerate or
cook immediately.

Other- Thaw wrapped turkey in refrigerator. Turkeys
over 12 pounds may take 3-4 days.

Water Brining

By taking your fowl and brining it in a mixture of ½ cup of coarse salt to every gallon of water for 10 mins per pound, this will make your turkey juicier; through brining the cell walls are broken down and absorb the water. The salt in the brine also aids in extracting the blood from the meat and the bones. I prefer this method when cooking any type of whole fowl, especially if I am going to smoke
the meat.

Deep-fried Turkey

Within the past ten years or so, deep frying turkey has become more popular, especially in the south. Here are a few important things to remember when deep frying turkey.

Do not stuff turkey.

Internal temperature should be at least 180-185
degrees*.

Your oil should be between 325 and 350 degrees.

If you brine or marinate the turkey it is important to
pat the turkey dry with paper towels.

I like to rub the entire turkey, including the cavity with seasoning salt hours before I am going to fry the turkey. This is a dry brine method.

Allow 4 minutes per pound when deep frying your turkey

There are a variety of methods of injecting the turkey with flavor, and it is not as complicated as one would think. You can find meat injectors in almost any food/gourmet shop. The basic principle is that you inject flavor into the breast before deep-frying. You can use teriyaki, any of your favorite dressings or the meat marinades that invade the grocery store shelves, soy sauce, curry sauce…anything your little heart desires, the effects are phenomenal…

Happy Turkey Day!!!!

Chef Mike

Chef Michael Hayes is the co-founder of RestaurantEdge.com and a 1979 Graduate of Manchester Twp. High School. Google “Chef Michael Hayes” to read some more of his often quirky explanations of his love and passion for food.

Understanding Cast Iron

2009-12-24T23:05:00.001-05:00

Understanding Cast Iron -The Pots and Pans that last lifetimes

When iron ore has been smelted in a furnace, the initial product is called pig iron. It can be further refined for wrought iron or steel, or it can be cast to make cast iron dutch ovens, skillets, vats, so on and so forth.

I took a tour of a cast iron factory in Tennessee quite a few years ago. The raw iron is melted in a furnace at a temperature ranging from 2800-3000 degrees. The iron glows a yellowish orange when it is hot, the pig iron then flows from the furnace into vats made of steel and then cast in molds made of sand. When the cast iron has cooled, they chip away the sand and recycle it for use in future molds. During this process a lot of sand fuses together with the casted iron. It is sent to a blasting machine, which blasts the casted iron with a steel blast.

The sand molds explain why cast iron has the rough feel to it. The pots are then sent to be inspected then grinded by a worker to insure that there are no sharp edges to the product and if so, he grinds them off. Then it goes into some kind of bath (I don't recall what chemical composition was in the bath) that takes away the sandpapery roughness and leaves a smooth grain. In the final step they take the cast iron tool and it is dipped in wax to prevent rusting and then "you're outta here!!!!!" chungachungabam!!! Cast iron cookery.

Being that cast iron is a relatively porous metal, unlike that of steel, it is difficult to forge, has no real strength, and is the reason why they are so brittle and so damn heavy. For example a 12 inch skillet weighs 7 lbs. while an 8 quart dutch oven with lid weighs 16!!!! Some heavy stuff. Definitely nothing you want to carry in your backpack.

Some disadvantages to cast iron are:
* They are really heavy!!!
* They are brittle. If heated too fast the vessel can crack or split. Usually this is caused by heating the cast iron too rapidly. I recommend that if using a dutch oven or a larger piece of cast iron to fill it with a some water, lard or some kind of fat when you first put it on your fire.
* Cracking is not usually a problem with the smaller vessels, but safe is better than sorry.
* If properly cared for, cast iron will outlast us and perhaps our namesake.

Stimulation & Inspiration

2009-12-24T23:04:00.002-05:00

Stimulation

Although I attempt to be a somewhat spiritual person, sometimes the introspective I have when away from the kitchen for a week or so really are abundant.

OK…here’s the story…

So lately my thought process has been thinking about the use of hands in our profession. If you positively have sanitized hands, the touch of food is an enjoyable experience once you learn to stop and smell the roses every now and then.

A few weeks ago I did a cooking class, the premise of the class was to do a party for 15, and we had a great time. During this class, one of my friends, Harry, who was attending the class was looking around the kitchen for a whisk so that he could mix a cornstarch slurry he had in his hand…”Harry? Your hands clean? Then wash ‘em and use your damn hand, it’s the best tool you have in your kitchen!!”

“So…What came first? The Fork or the Spoon? Its funny how both of them come from the shape of our hand isn’t it? And Hands are a whole bunch older!!! Use your damn hands when you’re cookin’ Harry…”

We did a four course meal that night, and I ate with my dinner with my hands; it was awesome; I was able to explain this little spiritual food trip I was on with my hands. Man did that feel good…primitive but awesome.
The CheffyBabble also made for a good tableside story-time.

I love it when my own culinary wit/wisdom or whatever in hell you wanna call it triggers the spiritual thingymabobby in my own brain housing group and really motivates me.

This was a good inspiration for me personally and spiritually, since then I am more aware of using my hands when I cook and especially when I eat, when I have time to sit down and really enjoy what I am putting myself through at that moment.

A week or so ago there was a praying mantis on the wall in my bathroom…ah…that rocked me. He stayed there for like 3 days. Don’t ever know what happened to him, but it was pretty awesome finding beauty in a life so simple.

Sometimes I scare myself with this introspective of how much life rocks…. But isn’t that what it’s supposed to be like? Simple, beautiful and awesome…? No Passion, No Love….

So, anyway outside of the battleground of my kitchen, I’ve been on this “everything is freaking beautiful” kick, especially when I am eating.

Last night I went out for midnight sushi, at a friend of mine’s restaurant, they had a DJ that also was a friend of mine just serving sushi and jamming out to Mike.

Needless to say, the ideology of being off to eat as much as possible in a short period of time and jam out with Mike was on…Although not intentional I was back on this freaking “everything is beautiful” kick again.

Big bowl of rice, a dozen pieces of various sashimi, two crunchy rolls…ah….the CheffyBoy is set.

I have grown to love eating with my hands more than I ever have. I mean, I’m a boy, of course I like eating with my hands, but now it has taken different meanings.

Mike started spinning some eastern type chants that was really good and put me back into the “everything is beautiful” thingy, me becoming one with my tuna sashimi.

I got around to thinking about the history and etymology of sushi, from way back when BCE to what the new chefs are fusionizing and representing as sushi today and the millions upon millions of hands that have touched it since the salted fish of the Tsou Dynasty

Sushi is perhaps one of the only traditional foods there is left, although like I said; the fusionaries have taken the tradition to the next level, it still is one of the only professions left where there are still purists. I love both worlds, the visions of the fusion and the traditional spirit of a sushi chef.

Romanticizing The Kitchen

2009-12-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

Romanticizing The Kitchen

Here is a letter I received from an old “I’m cooking to get out of college” protégé of the CheffyBoy and the instigator of the next thought out of the Chef’s Office…Thanks Chef…

”Chef Mike,

First, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoy the Chef’s Office newsletters; I use them as a motivation for some of my more serious cooks and post them on the bulletin board at work. I take it even more personally because I have worked along side of your crazy butt for longer than either one of us care to remember. Ha ha.

I do have one comment though, although your articles are definitely thought provoking and sometimes downright heehaaaa motivating, I also feel that sometimes the articles romanticize the kitchen. Knowing you and the passion that you possess has been one of my coolest experiences as a cook and chef, but let’s think about this for a moment.

1.   Sometimes the culinary battlefield is anything but pretty.
2.   Tempers flare, no matter how much Zen you are bringing to light.
3.   The list of dream kitchens and the perfect culinary experience are few and far between.

As professionals, we are always seeking ways of making our worlds better by creating systems and analyzing everything that we and our staff do. Of course, those of us that are serious would love to work in a world of Thomas Keller’s, Adrian Ferran’s and Gordon Ramsey’s but unfortunately this is the difference between fantasy and reality. Me? I got stuck with you and Chef Roy…ha ha

Although you have given me things to think about, have had me constantly second guessing and always re-thinking my preparations and executions, our world may have been a lot of fun, educational and motivating, but it was anything but pretty.

I could analyze this whole synopsis but it comes down to quite a few issues and we can break down any of these issues and come up with a thousand reasons why our world is less than perfect. Not only in the kitchen we first met, but in almost every kitchen since the beginning of time.

Key notes to figure are organization, communication, dedication and loyalty to all phases of who we are as chefs, cooks and managers. I could not tell you how many times I use your JJ DID TIE BUCKLE acronym; it is an effective management tool that when I analyze an event or mishap, I always find myself reflecting on the acronym. I laugh with my staff and tell them that you are “haunting me” ha-ha

Well, that is my two cents. Hope my words find you well and bouncing off the walls.

Miss and Love you,
Chef Ellen Young”

First, to explain the JJDIDTIEBUCKLE acronym, (an acronym from my Marine Corps days)

Justice, Judgment, Decisiveness, Integrity, Dependability, Tact, Intuition, Earnest, Bearing, Understanding, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty and Endurance

Man, JJ had one heck of a tie to buckle…

I used to say that if as a successful manager, of this or any other profession, you possess all of these traits; you will become a successful student, teacher, mentor, friend… I am moved that “CheffyBoy” lesson was well learned and is still being applied twenty years after the fact. That’s freaking awesome.

Now back to this Romanticism stuff…

Romanticism: To treat in an idealized or heroic manner. (Merriam-Webster 2004)

I read an article the other day in Sante Magazine (I think) that made a cool point. The general idea of the article was that there are three types of chefs. Those of us that do it for food, those of us that do it for money and those of us that do it for the food and the money…I thought that was an interesting thought, because I think that we sometimes desire, crave or imagine ourselves to be in one of the other two categories instead of the one that we are actually in.

“Idealized or heroic manner…”

If our real passion is in our food, granted this is a culinary world, and often it becomes a battlefield of wits, tempers, haves and have-nots, can and can not’s success is all that matters. Although we may have the opportunity to “share that love”, and at times “lose the love” in midst of getting my butt kicked on Saturday evening cleaning salmon on sauté because enough wasn’t prepped instead of expediting like I should be…yeah, then it’s not pretty. But these things I understand. Do I condone them or wear a happy face? Probably not. Failure is not an option, and near failure is a stressful situation no matter what color you paint it. Our passion should insure that failure is never a question, and it is never an option. If we figure out the systems and abide by them in order to ascertain our success then little else matters. Focus on your art by mastering your craft!!!!

Do I romanticize my craft?

Definitely.

I may not love jobs that I may find myself in, (although there have been quite a few that I actually loved), I will always love food and love the fact that I am somewhat good at expressing my craft.

Webster’s had a good definition of romanticism. “…in art and literature, imaginative and free from classic rule…” Welcome to the world of the CheffyBoy…

Why not romanticize something or someone you love?

Cooking With Ash/Making Masa

2009-12-24T23:01:00.002-05:00

Cooking with Ash

I do not know where the origination of cooking with ash stems from. When I initially researched it, I found that adding ash in your cooking water with corn adds to the nutritional value of the product. It was prominently used by Indians throughout North, Central and northern South America. The logic behind their reasoning was that it made it easier for the skins to seperate from the hulls in corn, and made a stronger flavored product. Unquestionably, the Indians had no idea about the nutritional value of foods, but studies today reason that the use of the ash undoubtedly, made the Indians healthier people.

Ash water infuses the kernels of corn with calcium and trace minerals, makes niacin more available, protein more digestible and alters the amino acid balance of the protein to increase its quality and nutritional power. The Indians didn't need science; they had what I refer to as "nutritional wisdom"

Dr. Doris Calloway did a report on the practice in the Hopi and Papago tribes in Arizona in the mid-70's. Dr. Calloway found that the Indian varieties of corn make a flour that was richer in calcium and protein than todays commercial products. Her tests through the UCLA's nutritional department showed remarkable increases in vital food elements when cooked with ash.

Calcium and phosphorus are essential to a healthy diet. Our body needs a good amount of calcium each day but the intake of most staples, like meat, grains and beans are quite low in this essential mineral but can be quite high in phosphorus. Too much phosphorus can lead into being not such a good thing tho', because the phosphorus can tie up the calcium and prevent it from being utilized.

Unfortunately, the "American Diet" consumes twice as much phosphorus as calcium. These two essential minerals should be somewhat equally proportioned.. If you are eating a high phosphorus meal I would recommend the eating of greens, dairy products or some other foods that are rich in calcium, if you do not, the blocking of the calcium will keep going on, leaving the person with a calcium deficiency...what did the Indians know that we don't? Again, who needed the science and who possessed the 'nutritional wisdom'?

Corn is very high in the phosphorus versus calcium ratio and the adding of the ash process makes it more reasonable as far as the calcium deficiency is concerned.

Dr. Calloway's research found that the Indian tribes of Arizona burned saltbush, juniper tip, dried bean plants and even corncobs. Other studies have found that the different tribes throughout the Americas used a variety of different ashes for the processing of their corn. One tribe in northern South America was even reported as using snail shells for their ash. I thought that was pretty interesting.

No matter what kind of ash was used the process of making the corn into hominy was basically all the same. Ash into hot water, water strained. Whole dried corn was placed in this alkaline solution and boiled up to one hour. Then the corn was washed away of the alkaline and the hulls. While moist the hominy was mashed and made into flour used to make tortillas or other breads.

Nutritionalist Anita Hirsh came up with the idea to experiment with adding ash water into corn flour recipes to see if it altered the nutritional value of her breads. It most absolutely did. In one blue corn bread recipe that Ms. Hirsh experimented with the nutritional value of the calcium raised substantially in one 100 gram serving, rising from 3.5 mg to 154 mg, in another one of her experiments the calcium went from 2.5 mg to 254 mg... Wow!! In her report Ms. Hirsh also stated that when she made her blue corn bread with and without the ash, that the blue corn color faded with the use of plain water, but the bread made with the ash kept the bread a brilliant blue...hmmmmm....points to ponder....

Traditional Masa

As stated earlier about my trip to Mexico, this came from a friend of mine, Evelina Consuelo, a native to La Paz, Baja California. I have done a fair amount of experimenting with this recipe attempting to understand the science and theories behind the method. But all of what I learned about the tradition and method of this recipe I owe to Mrs. Consuelo.

The traditional way to make tortillas is to make the masa directly from dried corn. Masa is a pasty pastry dough made by mashing hominy (dehulled, boiled corn) while it is still fresh and moist from the alkaline cooking solution. Traditionally, the Indians/Spaniards used wood ashes for the alkaline to remove the seed coat from the dried corn and at the same time increased the nutritional value of the 'masa'.

Using an alkaline solution is as easy as cooking a pot of beans...when the skins burst, the corn is done. You rub off the hulls then rinse them and the alkaline water away.

As with everything else, there is a little trick in there somewhere...I have not found it (not to satisfy my thirst of knowledge anyway...) In making hominy, I have gathered that it is all in your alkaline level. I have tried to boil the mixture longer, to no avail. I have added ground limestone, only to come up with the same effect. I increased the amount of wood ashes and this was my only breakthrough. When I increased the alkaline, the removal of the hulls became easier. In my experimentation, I have discovered that leaving the skins on the hulls did not matter much unless I was going to leave the hulls on and try to make a taco shell or some other fried corn tortilla that needed shape. I saw very little difference in the quality of the tortilla, aside of the ones with the skins were a little bit chewier.

2 T plus of wood ash
1 quart of water
2 cupsof dried white corn

Soak corn overnight. The next day heat one quart of water. Add the wood ash,
stir it in then strain out the undissolved wood particles.

Add corn in a stainless steel pot with the alkaline solution. Cook until the hulls break and loosen. 30-60 minutes. Add more water if necessary, keep the corn covered.

Remove from the heat and drain off the alkaline water. Rinse immediately under cold water several times until the water runs clear and the kernels lose their slippery feel.

Rinse the gookiness (if that's a word) off your hands as well, you are going to handle the corn with your hands....

Rub the hulls off with your hands. Rinse again.
Put the hominy through a meat grinder with a fine blade. Once is enough, but to make a fine masa, run through twice.

Knead the masa and make into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll out with a rolling pin or flatten in a tortilla press.*

This recipe will make from 12-16 tortillas. Brown the tortillas in a cast iron skillet with little or no oil.

•    Chef Mike note: This can be made without the ash, but the alkaline water makes the hulls break easily and enhances the flavor of the corn and makes a richer corn flavor.
•    If the masa dries out, you can add a little more water to help the hominy bind together better.
•    Before adding your hominy to the meat grinder, you can add spices and herbs of your choice. I like to add toasted cumin seed, and of course, the inevitable roasted garlic. I also tried it one time with dried cayenne peppers ground in a spice mill...Whew...boy howdy...awesome for enchiladas...
•    You can purchase a tortilla press from any Spanish Market, but making the tortillas can easily be done with the use of a rolling pin.

Peace, Hugs and traditional Masa,
Chef Michael Hayes

Cheffy Speaks Out On Carbs and Our Diets

2009-12-24T23:00:00.002-05:00

Chef Michael Hayes Speaks Out About Carbs and our Diets

I decided that this was one issue that I really had to discuss. I am not going to take an official stance on low carb diets, but I just want to add some personal insight and some miscellaneous information about carbohydrates and our diets.

Before I get into particulars about our diets there are a couple important points that I need to stress.

First, and most importantly, if you are going to make any drastic changes to your diet, PLEASE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN!!!! A drastic change in your diet can prove to be more harmful than helpful. I am not a physician, dietician, nutritionist or food scientist, but I know about food and I care about people, bottom line.

Secondly-and if you are dieting, it is just as important-we must understand that a diet is just that. A diet. It takes time and dedication to make any sound dieting program successful, sometimes it is not what you eat it is how smart you eat.

One thing that I am glad to see with the Low Carb (and other diet) crazes is that more and more people are reading labels and are generally more inquisitive about the foods that they are ingesting. More people are finally becoming aware as to what the commercial companies are doing to the natural foods with the additions of the chemicals, additives and preservatives to preserve and enhance the flavors and shelf life of their products. Although it has been my experience that a lot of these people are being misguided, it does my culinary heart some good when I realize that at least they are reading labels and getting a better understanding of what they are putting into their bodies.

I read an article some time ago, by Dr. Sears, whom developed a theory based on his recovery from colon cancer and the diet that pursued based on a principle that I recommend to all, the acronym for his philosophy is LEAN.

Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, Nutrition

L Lifestyle- Why modify your diet if you cannot modify your life?

E Exercise- I cannot stress this enough, most of the problems that occur with Westerners is the lack of exercise, it really takes little effort to exercise. By exercising I am not saying spend an hour on the treadmill, , I mean simply by circulating your blood and burning calories, for some a daily walk in some cases is sufficient.

A Attitude-This is a very important part to any program, having a positive attitude not only about your goal, but about your life and the LEAN philosophy as well.

N Nutrition-Understanding nutrition in general and the entire program that you are about to participate in is very important, the how’s and why’s of why you are taking this or avoiding that, and how the program is going to satisfy all of your nutritional needs. If you are paying for the program, be able to ask the staff the what’s, how’s and why’s. If they cannot satisfy your questions I suggest you find someone that is capable of addressing your issues.

Find out more about the LEAN Philosophy

OK, with all of that said, let us get into some information:

By Definition:

Carbohydrates - An important source of energy provided by food and drink. There are three major categories for carbs; sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose etc.), starches, and cellulose. Starch and sugar are easily digested and an important source of energy. Cellulose, although providing important dietary fibers is not converted by dietary juices. There are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Sugar is a simple carb; rice, potatoes, pasta, breads, fruits, and vegetables provide complex carbs.

When someone suggests eating more carbs, they mean the complex ones, specifically those that are high in fiber -- such as whole grains, leafy greens, and fruits. It doesn’t mean to go out and have a couple pieces of Cheffy’s White Chocolate-Blueberry Fantasy Cheesecake or a 5 pound bag of sugar.

While sugar is a simple carb, it is not evil and has never been proven to be the underlying cause of disease (although it's an important consideration for circumstances such as diabetes). It's not so much the type of carbohydrate you eat as the company it keeps. The simple carbs found in cakes, ice cream, candy, cookies, muffins, and doughnuts generally cavort with fat. On the other hand, complex carbs are generally accompanied by fiber, phyto-chemicals, vitamins, and minerals. Carbohydrates really aren't that bad as long as you choose them wisely.

In my opinion, (and we all know Cheffy has quite a few of them), one of the problems that I have with the high protein-low carb diet is the same problem that I have had over the years with genetic engineering of grains, vegetables, feed etc. affecting everything from humans to livestock to our ecosystem; the problems I have been disputing for years with aspartame, and countless other products that were needlessly and haphazardly approved by the Dept of Agriculture and the FDA due to political or corporate pressures. THE TESTING IS INCONCLUSIVE!!!! There were no long term studies prior to the approval by not only the government but by the American people. The Atkins Diet is a case in point.

The aversion to fat has been replaced by an aversion to carbohydrates. So this puts bacon and eggs back on the breakfast plate and a nice juicy beef tenderloin on a plate with no baked potato. This is, of course, driven by the popularity of the high-protein diets.

The media will tell you about Johnny losing seventy pounds or Susie going from a size 29 to a size ten, but they don’t tell you of the possible harm that can very well be done by calcium loss, ketosis, the chances of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, the lack of biotin and other important vitamins that these diets tend to ignore. This is not because the dieters themselves are ignorant, it is because they have been misled, and they haven’t done their homework before attempting to play around with their nutrition and metabolism, thanks to the hype that diets such as these have received.

I am not intending to bash the Atkins Diet or any of the Low Carb diets for that matter, it is of little significance if I support them or not, I am just instigating thought and offering insight.

My point simply is this, an extreme diet of any kind—say, one high in meats and whole-milk dairy products—may be harmful because high-fat diets have been associated with a number of chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Also, when a whole class of foods is restricted and/or limited, critical nutrients may be lacking from the diet. Although the potential negative effects that I previously mentioned may take some time to become apparent, it is important to understand that the long-term safety of these fad diets has not been established.

Consuming high-protein or high-fat diets may initially induce weight loss in some people, but what has to be understood is that weight loss is based on calorie restriction—not on what is being consumed!

Fad diets prohibit a lot of foods—in the case of high-protein diets, carbohydrate intake is severely restricted. And guess what? People lose weight not because of the altered food balance, but simply because they are restricting calories. Of course they will lose weight!, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out!

Now, if you are going to restrict calories, which is vital to losing weight, isn't it better to restrict them in a way that is consistent with a healthy diet? Nobody needs excess protein and fat in their diets for the many health-related reasons we have already discussed and this is not something that had just been "discovered" in the past few years—it has been understood for decades. Sometimes the market will bring something to light and before you know it, it is “nouveau”, when in actuality it has been around longer than the journalist or marketing guru that brought it to light to begin with, such is the case of the low carb diets, it was first documented in the early 1860’s and suffered just as much, if not more criticism then as the Atkins and South Beach diets are suffering now.

A few Cheffy Tips:

Read Labels
My basic rule of thumb is I do not open a can for any purpose. Food is simple and should be loved and enjoyed. If you want the time to enjoy your life, how about putting some time into your life? Reading labels if you buy packaged and canned foods is very important, if you have any troubles deciphering what is put into your foods, try doing a little home work into finding out what is in your products. I cannot stress this enough. I know that it is hard to decipher what the labels say, but as a general guideline, like my friend Bruce Rose from Rosewood Farms Soy Plant in Ann Arbor, Michigan once said; "…if you have trouble pronouncing it, it probably isn't good for you…"

Visit The History of Labeling Guidelines to get a better insight into reading and deciphering labels, things to look for and to avoid, and the general legislative information on US labeling requirements.

Don't Panic-Eat Organic

This is how food was meant to be to begin with. And some call it progress…I tend to disagree.

To avoid going into the genetic engineering debate, let me kindly ask you to eat organic foods. They are healthier not only because they provide more minerals, vitamins and phyto-chemicals than commercially grown foods but they are not allowing toxins; such as pesticides and herbicides and other unhealthy man-made gunk into our bodies. As far as eating organic meats and poultry, it is the same case scenario. The free range varieties of meat, game and poultry that are on the market are not only better for you, they taste better and are not filled with growth hormones.

Use Fresh Herbs
Happy Herbs-By cooking with herbs we add our own special zing to dishes, and we also add benefits to our health because many herbs possess anti-oxidants among other happy properties. I am a favorite of herbs; I always use them when I prepare a meal, soup, sauce or whatever. For those that have followed my teachings know, I favor basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Rosemary and fenugreek are two herbs that possess the greatest values as anti-oxidants, some of the other Happy Herbs include: Allspice, bay leaf, basil, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fennel, ginger, mace, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, sage, thyme and turmeric to name some of the most popular ones.

Steamed instead of boiled
Don't boil your darned vegetables!! Not only do you lose a good part of the flavor, you are also losing important vitamins, minerals, enzymes and happy, disease fighting properties that Mother Earth provides for us.

Cheffy’s Closing Thoughts or Nutrition 102

One of the most difficult things about understanding nutrition is taking it from text to practical use in our everyday lives, sometimes this is a lot easier said than done. If nutrition were a perfect science, perhaps we could come up with the perfect diet, but nutrition is a lot of things, and being an exact science is not one of them. Even if it were an exact science and there was such a thing as a perfect diet it would exclude majority of the American population because of the lists of likes and dislikes every individual has, and that is not even considering those that have anomalies to their diets such as diabetics, gluten and lactose intolerances and the list goes on and on.

Food and health are indisputably related. The problems many of us have are deciphering what is “good” and what is “bad”, some of these in each list may be right or may be wrong, depending on which nutritional study we may have been reading at the time we have made our decisions. I have used this line before, and although I cannot find the exact quote, my favorite food scientist, Shirley O. Corriher had said that all scientific studies coming out on food and nutrition should all be prefaced with “As of what we know now…”. I love this statement, there is nothing closer to the truth.

Most people will say that they have altered their diet to “become healthier”.

Now I read this as becoming healthier as in aiding in not becoming ill or stricken by disease by bad eating habits. Being healthy is a lot more than not being sick or hindering illness. The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity”…Now, not even my hypothetical “perfect diet” could attain this. However, proper nutrition combined with sleep, exercise and harmony in our lives can!!!

One of the most important overbalances that happens in our diets, Americans especially, is the happy little balance that exists between the energy our foods consumed provides and the energy our bodies will use. What I mean by this is that sometimes we consume an amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that our body cannot use up thus turning them into fat. Doesn’t make a lot of sense does it?

Now going with this thought…Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins are very important to our everyday diets, they provide energy to our heart, lungs and other vital organs. Fats and proteins supply nutritional value to our bodies that carbohydrates alone cannot, but an equal balance of all three of these are very important. To eat an excessive amount of protein is useless because the additional amount of protein, that our body is not going to absorb is just going to turn into fat, one gram of protein contains the same amount of calories as one gram of carbohydrates (four), but it is easier for our body to burn off carbohydrate calories than those attained by fats or proteins.

So live, eat, drink happily, merrily and healthy. Stay in tune with your body, mind and spirit and remember that when we take care of life’s simplest pleasures, when we devote our energies into the little things in our life, the world, our communities, our families and our hearts will live in harmony with the larger things that evolve around them.

References for this article:
Jill Melton-Cooking Light, March 2004

Various Issues of Your Craving Is My Command Newsletter, “Cancer and Nutrition", "Nutrition 102", "Soy and Nutrition", Michael Hayes, 2002, 2003,

AskDrSears.com

Cooking In Volume-Systems

2009-12-24T22:59:00.002-05:00

Cooking In Volume-Systems

One important thing to understand, which some people don’t really realize, is that there are two major forms of catering facilities. The first and most popular is the hotel/conference center type of facility that mostly does in-house functions such as banquets and plated dinners. The second type is the catering facility that operates either strictly off premises, or is a combination of both on-site and off-site catering. In reality, these are two different worlds.

Through the course of the holiday season 2005-2006 I spent some time on the road in both types of facilities. My primary job is at a conference center that does both on and off premise catering/banquets/plated dinners and after our Christmas rush was over I spent some time in other facilities, most notably The Woodside Conference Center in Greenville, South Carolina that deals strictly with on-premise banquets/plated dinners. These are two very different worlds.

One of the major differences between the two is the volume of parties that each of them performs, not necessarily the number of people, but the number of parties. One case in point was right before Christmas 2005 one of our cooks had asked how many sauces I made that day and after going back and counting, I realized that day I had made 22 different stocks and sauces, which was my mise en place for the 25 plus parties we had on the books that day…whew…chungachungabam baby…

On the other hand, when I was in South Carolina, although I may have only done a sauce or two per day, the sauces were in volume. 150 gallons of Bolognaise, 80 gallons of Turmeric marinade, 130 gallons of Bordelaise sauce...the list goes on and on and if I had to prepare this amount of sauce you can imagine the amounts of protein that we had to prepare. The reason I was called into South Carolina was that they were doing 5000 people a day for four consecutive days for a convention. Making 800 lbs. of mashed potatoes for a meal is quite a bit!!!! (Not to mention a heck of a lot of fun in Cheffy’s world of “I love Volume”-Ha ha….)

Regardless of the facility, the organization should be the same. I have gone on and on in previous articles about doing the math, incorporating systems and realizing who your enemies are (meaning labor, tools, equipment, purveyors, storage space, etc.). Sometimes this organization is a difficult thing, especially when you have to bring in product everyday because of limitations of space, equipment etc. which is often the case at my primary job.

One management tool that I use in the analytical process of planning an event (that I learned from my Marine Corps days as a guideline for warfare) is the acronym SMEAC.

Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration/Logistics and Command

Know your enemy!!! (The Art of War-Sun Tzu)

The situation is the function itself. The who’s, what’s, and where’s of the event.

The mission is and always should be to put out the best quality food that you possibly can ensuring that the event runs as smoothly as humanly possible, I don’t care if you are doing a two top in Lou Ellen’s section or whether you are doing a plate up for six thousand over in Hall B, we must always be aware that failure or near failure is never an option. When all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed the less stressful the job becomes. In the words of my buddy Chef Scott “…when everything is black and white there doesn’t seem to be a problem, it is only when a little gray appears…”

The execution is just as it says, How am I going to execute this event, what do I have to do to be able to pull this off? Are all of my systems in place and more importantly, does my staff realize how the logistics of the event is going to occur?

Administration/Logistics- Quantities of food established (by doing your math of course…), recipes established, food ordered, storage space analyzed, scheduling reflective of the projected labor hours, strengths and weakness of the facility and staff to perform this function, does the right hand know what the left hand is doing and what direction is it headed next? Rooms set, cambros lined up and primed, hot boxes plugged in, plates hot, do I have enough hotel and sheet pans? Are all my ducks in a row and if not, why? And again, if not, how am I going to make sure they are?

Command- Ascertaining that each responsible person involved in this function understands his/her role in the big picture. All of the “What if’s?” are addressed so that all understand, does the right hand really know what the left hand is doing or are they just saying that to be nice?

Although I am specifically talking about catering/banquets, the same laws of logic can and should be applied to a la carte as well. Do I have enough food prepped? Are stations/mise en place set for the night? And perhaps the most vital question: “What did I forget?”

The SMEAC acronym is just one system that I use in the analysis of an upcoming event to make sure that I have covered all of my bases which aids in the difference between success and failure, which at times can be a very fine line.

One major discrepancy that I have witnessed in both worlds these past couple weeks, which often leads to unnecessary stress is that when a plan is developed STICK TO IT!!! Although in this world there are countless variables that occur when a plan is changed, if an event is changed in any way, shape or form all players involved in the process must be advised to any changes in the original plan; not doing so causes unnecessary confusion and chaos which only leads to stressful situations that often produces unwarranted and undesirable tempers.

If you plan the event and have done your math and have logistically decided on quantities and other systems, stick to your plan, second guessing minutes before the final execution of the event only causes stress. If you had it properly planned originally, then why change your mind in the midst of execution? I will concur that sometimes it is the clients that change our logistics by adding or decreasing the numbers in a function but this is who we are and what we do, if we have our I’s dotted, then we should have no problem with it as long as the variables are not that drastic. In Cheffy’s book of culinary passion, over-production, wasted food, wasted labor and wasted time is the same as failure---do your math!!!

In closing I just want to add that it doesn’t matter if you are feeding ten thousand at once or 55 different parties in the next two days, or whether there are 600 covers on the books tonight, if your systems are not in place and understood by every player in this theatrical event then you are setting yourself up to fail and failure is never an option in this business…

Inspired? Hope so…

“…the release from a cocoon is awkward, but the result is a beautiful butterfly…”
Tao Te Ching-Lao Tzu

Understanding Causes and Effects

2009-12-24T22:58:00.000-05:00

Understanding the Causes and Effects
Chef Michael “Cheffy” Hayes

This instigation is about the causes and effects of
“Who We Are and What We Do!!!”
“Hi…I’m Chef Mike…who are ya’ and how in hell ya’ doin’?”

Joyously
(And sometimes regrettably),
I am glad that food has become my love, medium and passion.
No Passion-No Love!!!

It is not a hidden science, thought or process…
Never has been, never will be…
You bring about the things in your life and livelihood. Period.
You aid in the design and development of all things in your life.

As Chef’s, we permit learning mistakes along the way;
Analyze the good, the bad and the ugly
Hopefully we become capable of taking that information and grasping that next level of “Who We Are and What We Do…”

Thanks to our profession, our life is just a test.
If this were an actual life we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves.
We thrive on the energy, the math, the chemistry.
Psychology, sociology and goony-freaking-goo goo’s,
The Art, Fervor and Insanity of the events we perform and participate in.

This is our life.
After all we are just a bunch of magicians that dress funny…

In response to one of Wu Wei’s famous sayings,

“A situation only becomes favorable when one adapts to it”,

Mr. Wei made an excellent point about understanding events.
I believe everything that I perform,
Whether for one or one thousand, is an event…
Really don’t care what color you paint it

Even if only in my mind, the event exists…
No Passion, No Love…
Why Waltz When You Can Rock and Roll?

Wu Wei’s statement was:

“…The event itself is simply an event;
The way we respond to the event
Determines its final outcome on our lives.

Once an event has taken place,
Since we cannot alter the past,
All that is left to us is our response…”

(I Ching Life by Wu Wei, Power Press, 1996)

Man it doesn’t get better than that…

In activating all of our senses when we cook, whether as chefs in the throes of insanity or if we’re smoking pork with Tennessee Tom; only then can we fully appreciate the big picture. Is this our cause or effect? Inquiring minds want to know…

Personally, I must see, feel, smell and taste all there is to experience. I must constantly activate and participate in all of my senses… I pour a sauce on a plate to evaluate its viscosity, taste it to determine its worth, thump every loaf of bread, and envy wedding cakes wishing I was that good. I watch, smell, touch, taste and listen to everything when I am in my element. I passionately thrive on my desire and need to observe the actions and reactions of all that I can possibly perceive.
In Cheffy’s book this is quality stuff.

In our world as culinarians things occasionally go wrong.
Every so often they go very, very wrong.
Dealing with things going wrong should be built into our resume under

“Who we are and what we do...”

Sometimes I prevent the fires, other times I am the extinguisher.
In gratitude for the development of the culinarian I am today,
I have, at times, been the accelerator…
(the guy that screwed it up, fixed it, screwed it up again
and then that fucking light bulb went off and I said

(“ohhhhhhhhh…now I get it….boy, am I stupid…”)

Our senses and our perceptions of our reality are to praise or condemn;
It depends on how hungry we are for our next lesson.

Is our cause and effect due to the fact that
“This is who I am, this is what I do” or is it because
“This is who I am because this is where I have been and this is what I have done”?

No passion, no love….

Understanding one portion of “who we are and what we do or this is who we are and what we have done” is not nearly the same as understanding the entire portion. Sometimes, due to comfort, we become spoiled and our former “ration of sanity” now becomes our present “understanding of our insanity”

Thus our Cause and Effect…

I am a passionate culinarian that understands the realms of his realities, although currently not in the reality of his dreams, or passions, it is the reality of my own world.

The only downfall or up rise pertains to understanding, expressing, and teaching our ethics and desires, or sacrificing them for the sake of another purpose.

Our cause and effect comes from within ourselves, both passion and love exist in our hearts anyway don’t they? How different is my passion and love from my cause and effect?

When we sacrifice ethics,
When we do not learn nor teach,
When we are not expressing our craft as our art,
Are we complete with who we are and what we do?

I’m not…by no means…I am in a world I don’t belong in…
It all goes back to what Wu Wei said about analyzing events,

“…all that is left to us is our response”.

When we take that information to make ourselves a better man/woman, husband/wife, mother/father chef, culinarian, manager, mentor, friend, person, WE WIN!!!

When you refuse or deny claiming responsibilities for these events; whether we claiming our triumph or really ticked because of the insanity of a near failure; if we fail to analyze the situation in its entirety, then we lose. This is not who I am or what I do….You?

So what is your cause?
And most importantly are you proud of your effect?

The Tao Of Being A Chef

2009-12-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

The Tao Of Being A Chef

I have received several emails since I have started publishing my articles and newsletters about my Eastern train of thought and how I apply these philosophies into my kitchens as a chef, manager, cook, manager and person. I think to best describe my train of thought; I would have to refer to an excerpt of a translation of "Harmony, the Eleventh Hexagram of the I Ching” by Christopher Walkert. Here is the translation in part:

"...by cultivating a happy balance within yourself you also create harmonious conditions around you. People of all types find it easier to co-operate with you. If you are in a leading position, your decisions will be more constructive and easily followed. And if you are in a learning position, your mind will be more receptive and eager to absorb information.

While in this state of inner harmony, you develop a new awareness, an ability to sense future developments, to see the consequences of certain ideas and events, and to act accordingly. You relate to others in a more subtle and sincere way. You also rely on your inner resources and are not easily upset by outer events. By the same token you also do not base your self-esteem on your title, social position, possessions or inherited privileges... because you are firmly centered in yourself and harmonize with the cosmic order, you do not live in fear of times of turmoil that are bound to occur now and then..."

If you are a chef or culinarian you can totally understand why this is one of my favorite philosophies that I apply to who I am and what I do as a chef and culinarian.

Some of you that know me or have been reading my writings for some time have often heard me refer to some of the Ancient Chinese texts because most of what I have learned from these texts have aided in my becoming not only a better, happier person but also aided in the formation of the chef and manager I have become. The Art of War by Sun Tzu being an excellent reference to support my claim.

Several years ago I had taken a management course and was pleased that our reference for this course was "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. The general gist of the text, although originally intended to be a guide on warfare, was to analyze each and every situation and apply it to your life as you would a battlefield. The most important impression on me through the study of this book, as pointed out by my friend Chef Scott in one of the past issues of The Chef's Office Newsletter was to know your enemy. (I enjoyed sharing the texts that I owned with Chef)

In our case as culinarians it could be the ovens, our labor force, our purveyors or the examination of all the products that we are permitting to leave our kitchen. Chef Scott had said something a couple weeks ago that I really liked that I refer to as a "Bento-ism" (his nickname is Chef Bento). Chef had said that “when everything is black and white there does not seem to be much problem, it is only when the gray appears...” Cheffy liked that one...

One thing I can truly say about being a culinarian is that as chefs, managers, teachers, and mentors, one of our greatest losses is when we forget that once upon a time we were students and due to the confusion of our ego, we often lose sight of this.

There have been Chefs in my professional career that has taken me to different levels of being the best culinarian and man that I can be. It was my honor this time last year to visit with the one Chef that always has been a true mentor to me, Chef Roy England.

I have not seen Chef Roy in about 12 years and have not worked under him directly (although questions were only a phone call away), for about 15 or 16 years. Once upon a life, I was Chef Roy's chief cook, bar-boy and bottle washer. It was awesome that we could hang out, and hopefully I made him proud of the Chef that I grew up to be, the chef/culinarian that he helped mold. It was a humbling experience.

Chef and Cheffy had some really great conversations, and although not drifting too far off base on the original conversation, I would like to touch base on one of them today...

Chef and I were discussing how the brigade systems in professional kitchens have fallen by the wayside with the on flux of multi-faceted, franchise and chain restaurants on the constant up rise. This primarily led us into talking about kitchen role-play, more specifically the Executive Chef versus Sous Chef. Chef Scott and I have had this conversation many times and I think this is a point worth discussing.

Although I have held a variety of positions throughout my career from dishwasher to Executive Chef, I think my most awarding and challenging position has been as a Sous Chef, whether I was under Chef Roy, or if I was Chef Scott's Executive Sous Chef or Chef David's Chef de Cuisine.

These have been some of my most rewarding and most humbling experiences.

I had once been asked why I felt like this and the only reason I can think of is that it keeps your ego in check. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the prestige of the positions I have held in my career but I don't believe prestige fits into the equation of who I am or what I do in the kitchen anymore. I used to get high on it, now I get off on the challenges I pose on myself or by the standards set by some of the great culinarians that I have worked under.

Some people really don't realize what a Sous Chef really is, but I thought I would briefly explain my point of view on this subject as well...

What is a Sous Chef?

Theoretically, a Sous Chef is the lead saucier and the administrative assistant to the Executive Chef. In reality, it is a whole different world. So let me re-phrase my own question...

What am I as a Sous Chef?

I am a visionary executioner. I take a thought, idea, vision, expression and focus on materializing the imagination of my Chef, mixed with my own style of insanity.

My hands, knowledge, imagination and expertise are tools that I use to express the intention of the Chef that I work under. He imagines and at times develops; I add my own world of method, taste, flavor, color, texture to his idea. I constantly push the envelope; think outside the box ( or should I say pot? Being I am a chef…) and make the world a happier place by expressing the art of two passionate human beings who genuinely care about who they are and what they do.

My friend and sponsor for the first leg of Cheffy's trip to South Carolina in 2005, Debi Beelow, owner of NV Salon in Greenville, SC said in one of our philosophical discussions that "...art is the expression of my craft..." Man, it doesn't get any better than that...

Just in this past year alone, I have taken my craft from the shores of Charlevoix, Michigan to the International Gourmet Festival in Puerto Vallarta, have shared the dinner table with some of the best chefs in the world and yet here I am in South Carolina, humbling myself, learning and sharing daily and becoming one with the food that I produce...

Pleasing the World One Palate at a time...
Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Cheffy

Labeling and Labeling Guidelines-May 2002

2009-12-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

The Wild and Wacky World of Cheffy Boy
Somewhere in the hills of South Carolina
May 2002
Labeling and Labeling Guidelines

Hello World
Have too much to discuss, so not much rambling...Thank everyone for 
the prayers and concerns over Jamie. We are ecstatic to announce that 
she is officially in remission of her metastatic cancer of her liver. 
Her markers went from 178 in December to 8.5 as of the last Dr. 
visit...thanks a million for all the prayers, cards and email's.

New Websites
Thanks to my friend Jamie for publishing a bunch of my writings, 
including some of the old newsletters on Cheffy's newest website. 
This is a mega site with too much information to mention, but is 
definitely worth the visit. All of Jamie's websites link to mine, so 
please pop in and give us a visit. http://cheffy.spike-jamie.com



Labeling Laws
I know how confusing reading labels can really be unless you know 
what you are looking for and understand some of the definitions set 
forth by the Food and Drug Administration.. 

Most legislation regulating food and drug manufacture has been passed 
in the 20th century, though in ancient Greece and Rome there were 
laws forbidding the adulteration of, or the addition of impurities 
to, wine or butter. In the 19th century Great Britain took the lead 
in protecting the public. The Sale of Foods and Drugs Act of 1875 
prevented the addition of harmful ingredients, such as poisonous 
chemicals and dyes, to foods and drugs. The act also allowed medical 
officers to inspect foods. 

In the United States effective federal legislation was about a 
generation behind the British law of 1875. Some weak laws had been 
passed by Congress in the 19th century, but the publication in 1906 
of Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle', a sordid but realistic novel about 
the meat-packing industry in Chicago, caused a public sensation and 
an outcry for workable legislation. The result was the Pure Food and 
Drug Act of 1906. Mr. Sinclair's classic helped shape the concern 
about the safety of food and the food industry as a whole.

The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Chemistry was charged with 
enforcing the law until 1928, when Congress authorized the 
establishment of the Food, Drug and Insecticide Administration 
(renamed the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] in 1931) for that 
enforcement. Unfortunately the 1906 act was never successfully 
enforced, mostly because of insufficient policing and the imposition 
of low fines.
To remedy the situation, Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act in 1938. It effectively prohibits producing and 
marketing foods and beverages dangerous to health and prevents the 
use of insanitary, or contaminated, containers. You can find out more 
of what I have written about the FDA at: 
http://www.geocities.com/chefmikesworld/flourandtheFDA.html

Some pointers about reading labels.

"Free". This means that a food or foodstuff contain no or a very 
minute amount of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar 
and/or calories.
"Calorie Free". Less than 5 calories per recommended serving size.
"Fat Free". Less than 0.5 grams of fat per recommending serving.

Low.
Low-saturated fat": 1 gram or less per serving. 
"Low-fat": 3 grams or less per serving. 
"Low-cholesterol": 20 milligrams or less and 2 grams or less 
saturated fat per serving. 


"Low-sodium": 140 milligrams or less per serving. 
"Low calorie": 40 calories or less per serving. Other words that 
mean "low," include: "little," "few," and "low source of."


Lean and extra lean. These claims can be used to describe the 
saturated fat and fat content of meat, poultry, seafood and game 
meats.
"Lean": less than 10 grams of fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated 
fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. 
"Extra lean": less than 5 grams of fat, less than 2 grams saturated 
fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. 

Tips.
When looking at any list of ingredients, remember that ingredients 
are in order of their relative weight. The first ingredient is the 
one that makes up the greatest part of the product. The last 
ingredient on the list represents the smallest part of the product, 
and the others represent amounts in between.
Anything that has the word sodium is a derivitive of sodium naturally.
Anything ending in -ose contains sugar


How about some recipes Cheffy!!!!

To start off with, here is one of my favorite pesto recipes, a little 
bit off the norm as far as pesto goes, but is really yummy. My 
favorite thing to do with this Hazelnut-Spinach Pesto is to toss it 
with Farfalle (bowtie pasta) spinach, artichokes and roasted red 
peppers...mmmm...if you try it, let me know what you have done with 
it. A friend of mine made a lasagna using this pesto that was to die 
for, she made a vegetarian lasagna with pesto as a base for the cream 
sauce she made to use instead of using tomato sauce...mmmm

Hazelnut Pesto Sauce
1 bunch of spinach
2 large bunches of basil
2-3 cloves of garlic (or 800 if you ask Cheffy...LOL)
1/2 cup of Hazelnuts
2 ounces of Hazelnut Oil
2 ounces of Olive Oil
a little lemon juice
1/2 cup of water

1. Wash and stem the spinach and basil then roughly chop. Add 
spinach, basil, garlic, hazelnut oil, olive oil, and lemon juice to 
food processor or blender. 

2. Blend/process ingredients while gradually adding water until a 
smooth puree. 

**chefmike note** The water is not necessary for this sauce, you can 
use the full one cup of oil, but using the water breaks the amount of 
fat you are going to put into your dish. You may also substitute the 
water with a juice or a good stock.

Caponata

1/2 cup olive oil 
2 eggplants, cut into 1" cubes (skins removed)
1 onion, diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
4 ribs celery, sliced 
1 green pepper, diced 
15 oz. can chopped tornatoes 
1 cup sliced green olives with pimientos 
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives 
2 T. capers 
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar 
1 T. dried oregano 
2 T. sugar 
1 tsp. salt 
1/2 tsp. black pepper 
Method:
In medium saucepan (4 quarts), heat olive oil. Add the eggplant and 
saute until they are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add 
onion. Cook another minute. Add garlic, celery and green pepper. Cook 
on low heat for another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, 
capers,vinegars, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover; simmer for 
20 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Cool. Serve at room temperature with 
sliced baguettes. 

**chefmike notes** This is awesome served hot on pasta, as a sauce 
for grilled fish or chicken, stuffed inside a flour tortilla, tossed 
in with some rice pilaf among a million other 
things...chungachungabam baby....


Divine Ecstacy

I had gotten a couple requests for some candies. I do not really know 
a lot about making candy (probably cuz it hurts when you try to stick 
you finger in sugar thats 250 plus degrees to taste it, ha ha). This 
recipe is from an old pastry chef friend of mine, whom I had written 
to ask her a couple questions. Thanks Beck, love ya baby....

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup white corn syrup
3/4 cup water
3 egg whites
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Method:
Combine sugar, syrup, and water in saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar. 
Bring to a boil, cover with a tight lid to wash down sugar crystals. 
Remove lid and without stirring, cook to a hardball stage (about 260 
degrees). 
While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Do not 
allow egg whites to stand long after beating. 
Remove syrup from heat. While continuing to beat whites, slowly pour 
hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites (this should take about 3-
5 minutes). Continue to beat candy, scraping sides of bowl 
occasionally. Beat just until candy starts to lose its shine. Test 
candy by dropping a spoonful onto a sheet of waxed paper. Candy 
should keep its mound and have soft peaks. Stir in chopped nuts, if 
desired. Quickly drop spoonfuls of candy on waxed paper. 
When cool, store candy in a single layer tightly covered container to 
mellow. 
Notes: 
**Becky note**
VARIATION: 
After beating egg whites, gradually beat in one package (3 oz.) dry 
gelatin powder. Cook syrup to a soft crack stage (about 270 degrees). 
Gelatin will give candy a light color and a slight fruity taste. 
**chefmike notes**
Due to the thick stiff nature of this candy a heavy-duty freestanding 
electric mixer is best. Lighter weight mixers do not always have the 
power necessary and may burn out (if using a hand mixer, after adding 
syrup remove beaters and continue beating process by hand). 
Sugar absorbs moisture. Trying to make this candy on a stormy or 
humid day may result in a limp sticky candy. 
Be careful sugar crystals are washed from sides of pan. Large sugar 
crystals may cause candy to go sugary. 
Allow egg whites to come to room temperature for greatest volume. 

Until Next time my friends
Well, that is all for this issue, hope you try something and as 
always please send your ideas, questions etc. to me directly, would 
love to hear from you...

Here's to hoping that peace and serenity find its way into your day 
today.

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
cheffy

Chef Mike and Friends Talk About Grilling-May 2004

2009-12-24T21:36:00.002-05:00

The Chef’s Office
May 2004
Fire Up That Grill

Well it’s that time of year again…and for some of us it never stopped, just ask Chef Tom…

This edition is going to be offered in two parts. This issue is going to be on grilling and the second part is going to be on brining, marinating and smoking meats and seafood, along with fun stuff that we could do on the grill including Chef T’s grilled pizza.

Like a lot of people, there is nothing better than firing up the grill and cooking up some steak, smoking some pork butts and seafood and just enjoying the life that comes with doing BBQ’s with family and friends.

This newsletter was inspired by Sean, one of our new members at Culinary Artists Chef It Up, asking about grilling steaks so that they don’t resemble marinated Birkenstock’s. I hope you enjoy this issue and that we add some insight to help you have a great time with friends and family this summer…

Happy Grilling…
Cheffy

Sean wrote:

I have enjoyed being a part of your group I have learned a great
deal. It’s summer and I want to learn how to grill steaks so that
people will come back for more. What kind of steaks should I look for, what should I be looking for when it comes to steaks. I tried grilling the steaks one time and my shoe was softer. So If anyone has any suggestion or tips I would greatly appreciate any and all help
Sean

Heather got to Sean’s question before Cheffy got to it and I really didn’t have a lot to add, she definitely touched base on a lot of the important factors in assuring that you wind up with an excellent product…Good stuff Heather, thanks for sharing…

Heather replies:

Hello Sean,
The key to great steaks relies on 2 important factors....the cut of meat you have, and the temp of your grill.

Choose cuts of beef from either the loin or rib section and with either a prime or choice USDA grade. The name of the cut will usually have the section it came from in the same...such as "rib eye" or sirloin etc...sometimes not such as porterhouse...which comes from the loin. The meats from this section are muscle groups that arent "worked" when the animal is alive, and therefore more tender due to lack of certain tissues that build during physical activity.

Most meats from the rib or loin only need very hot and quick cooking methods such as broiling or grilling. The hotter your grill and the quicker you cook the meat will determine the outcome of the tenderness of your steaks. Also...knowing the different temps for rare..med rare...med...med well...well are important. It takes some experience to get the feel when a steak has reached a certain temp inside without having to poke a thermometer in it to make sure.

One trick that I learned is a little bit easier. By looking at the palm of your hand...note the meaty part of the bottom of your palm starting from the base of your thumb to the top of your wrist...starting at the wrist, press with your finger to feel its firmness...the closer you are to the base of your thumb, the higher the temp or the more done your meat will be. The steak will have a similar firmness to this part of your palm. Soon...if you practice enough...you wont need to measure with your palm...or a thermometer.

The idea in cooking steak is cook them quickly. The grill is a source of dry heat which can rob your steaks of precious moisture if cooked too long. the grill must be at temp before you place any meat on it. Once hot, place your meats on the grill...if making med rare for example...cook about 2-3 mins on each side. Cooking them quickly like this on a hot grill...sears in the juices so they wont leak out of your steak, leaving them dry, tough and flavorless. Speaking of flavor...definitely season and flavor your steaks before the grilling process...however, if using a bbq sauce or any other marinade that has a high sugar content, place on the meat just before it is ready to come off of the grill to prevent the charred, burnt to a crisp crust of burnt sauce. Perfectly beautiful steak will have those lovely grill marks on them...to achieve those you must place your steak on the grill...after 30 secs to 1 min you will see marks...once the first marks can be seen without turning the steak over...rotate slightly to either the right or left to create another set of marks...hopefully making a "diamond" shape when crossed over the first marks. Do the same to the other side when steak is ready to be turned over. Also minimize turning the steaks over...they should only be turned once. handling them will release the juices inside and leave your steaks dry. Dont ever walk away from your grill when you have steaks on them. They change temp in seconds...not minutes and you don’t want to disappoint those you are cooking for with a steak that is overdone.

I hope this info could be of help to you and start you off in the right direction to some great steak. Happy grilling!!
Heather

Cheffy’s reply to Heather…

Hey Heather,

This sounds like the next couple editions of the Chef's Office...

Grilling Meats...

So tell me about your favorite marinades, sauces, rubs, cuts of meat or other favorite proteins to use, woods used to smoke with, blah, blah, blah... you get the message...

(Chef Tom's 'Chef T's Chipotle BBQ Sauce' definitely included)

Heather that was very informative, pretty much hit everything on the head...I was originally going to answer the question but you hit on all the important issues...good stuff...

Chef Tom of Excalibur Foods replied:

Hey Mike...
Thanks for the plug...just made a batch of sauce this past weekend. It's always time to grill...it's just more enjoyable when you aren't the only one by the grill freezing your "pork butt" off in the winter or bad weather!

My favorite things to grill (or smoke) are... pork (any cut, but the most used by myself are butts and tenderloins), tuna, grouper, marinated vegetables, pizza over mesquite.

My favorite woods are apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite (in that order)

I was in Jamaica in '93 and tried authentic jerk for the first time and they use Pimento wood...very nice.

Favorite styles of marinades and preparations...
Southwestern / Asian are equal favorites (It's those damn hot peppers...I just like that flavor!), Caribbean, Southern / Cajun

My favorite sauces and rubs are by this guy who I know quite well...these are his products.
http://www.geocities.com/tdchef71/Excalibur_Foods.html

Say no more...time to find something to throw on the fire.

Tom (Chef T)

Stay tuned for the next episode of the Chef’s Office Newsletter to learn more about the use of pimento wood and other smoking techniques and ideas from Cheffy and his friends.

As always the Chef’s Office newsletters are archived on RestaurantEdge.com at http://restaurantedge.com/index.phtml?catid=47 by clicking on the Chef’s Office Archives on the right hand side.

If you are in the profession and would like me to add your profile to our section “The Tao of Being A Chef” on RestaurantEdge please feel free to send me your pic and profile to me directly at
chefmike@restaurantedge.com , you can view profiles of other chef’s, friends and contributors at http://www.restaurantedge.com/index.phtml?catid=1270

If threads of discussions such as these are interesting to you please join our message board and feel free to join in these type of discussions by chef’s, culinarians and foodies worldwide at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/culinaryartistschefitup and our message board on RestaurantEdge http://chat.restaurantedge.com:8080/digiposts/DigiPosts?site=1

I hope that peace and serenity find its way into your day today and everyday…

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Cheffy

Cheffy and Friends Talk About Roasting Proteins-January 2001

2009-12-24T21:34:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Chef's Office where great minds and palates meet 
The Chef's Office 
January 2001 
Roasting Meats and Vegetables 


Welcome to the Chef's Office 
Welcome to the first issue of the Chef's Office. The Chef's Office 
basically is a synapsis of conversations some Chef's and culinarians have. 
Our first issue is about Roasting Meats and Vegetables...to read the 
conversations in their entirety please visit us at Culinary Artists, we 
really get into some cool conversations. To view the personal 
biographies of most of the people included in this newsletter please check them 
out at http://geocities.com/thechefsoffice2003 and if you would like to 
post your pic and bio please do by sending them to 
thechefsoffice2003@yahoo.com 



Roasting Meats... 
When I first presented the idea of organizing a newsletter to share 
some of the great conversations we have from a variety of different chef's 
and culinarians and housewives/husbands worldwide, we all jumped at the 
idea, thought it was an idea we could have some fun with. So, welcome 
to "The Chef's Office " 



Cheffy poses the question: 
" Got in this conversation last night after reading the article in R&I 
about roasting meats and veggies 

What are your favorite methods of roasting? Sear not to sear? Slow 
and low? Intense then lower heat? On pan or raised off of the pan? 

Favorite meats to roast?? Favorite Veggies?? Stuffed poultry, fowl or 
meats?......" 

(then the CheffyBabbles rebuttal...) 

"...When sitting and thinking about my question, I realized how 
difficult 
and broad my questions were to write about... 

There are of course, millions of ways to roast meats, poultry, 
fowl, game and vegetables. 

In my opinion, I love long marination of meats and confusing the 
tastebuds...I enjoy both personally and professionally combining a 
variety of senses...sweet, sour, bitter and salty and if I can 
discover a umami, I will add that also, but sometimes that quest is 
difficult... 

In general, I love combining a majority of the tastebuds in the 
entree, whether protein or vegetarian based, a neutral starch (or an 
in-between between the protein and vegetable...probably something 
soothing and sweet) and either a sweet or very aromatic vegetable... 

Throughout my professional life I have done a variety of things, but 
not until recently have I really taken a serious consideration to soy 
and soy products as a substitute for my salt in my marinades and rubs 
for roasting meats...meaning soy sauce, homemade teriyaki sauces, 
hoisin or oyster paste, miso among countless others. 

In Asian culinary philosophy, it combines sweet, sour, spicy and 
salty...and thanks to the provocation of my buddy Bento, I have 
learned and created some really cool stuff thinking along this line... 

To sear or not to sear? This is a tough one...if the piece of meat is 
small and manageable I marinate it for days and sear it (this 
excludes fowl or poultry, just red meat). I have never marinated a 
top round and seared it, but heck, it sounds like a great idea to 
me...or maybe larding or juicing the meat with something that I used 
to combine the tastebuds with...hmmmm...just an idea...have never 
tried it, but I may next time I have to cook one.... 

As far as the plate is concerned...like aforementioned, I like to 
make the starch a neutral flavor, saffron is good, coconut milk used 
in pilaf is good, using a sweet sauce to compliment the protein is 
really good because it flavors the neutral starch and the protein at 
the same time, and I like my vegetable to be a total contrast of the 
protein or a very flavorful variety of garlic and herbs, no matter 
what the veggie is...It just makes life interesting...chungachungabam 
baby.... 

As far as methods of roasting...it varies on the product...If I sear 
a product, whether it goes from the char-grill or not, (and sometimes 
it doesn't because I work in such volume), it is slow and low...If I 
am doing a larger piece of meat, I like to blast it to begin with to 
seal the exposed portion of the meat and then turn the heat down and 
let it cook for a very long time with low or no air. And although at 
home I like to raise any meat or other protein off the pan to allow 
air to circulate, I do not necessarily worry about this at work. 

Roasted Veggies???? Although sometimes I get really tired of seeing 
them, I LOVE roasted parsnips...tossed in an infused oil and an 
aromatic herb, (like garlic and basil or tarragon)...man they are so 
good.... 

Other than that...I can ramble all day about my obsession with 
roasted peppers, especially poblanos and sweet reds...well seasoned 
roasted potatoes,(especially Hayman's), asparagus, carrots, the many 
varieties of squash, zucchini and eggplant...that list is endless 
primarily because at home I am basically a vegetarian, and... 

Cheffy Loves Roasted Veggies...ha ha 

Did I forget to run my mouth about Roasted Garlic??????...... 

Ah.... 

Maybe next issue... 

Peace, Hugs and Cookies, 
Cheffy" 



It took Keith some thinkin', but he finally got around to his 
rebuttal...Chef Keith pointed out some really good points not only from a 
Chef's point of view but from a consumers point of view as well... 

Chef Keith Says: 

"...OK Mikey-you asked for it...now ya got it! 

Let me start by saying that I respect your philosophy 
of "experimenting" with foods greatly. After all many foods have been 
discovered by experimenting-take potato chips for 
example...discovered on accidental serendipity of a smart assed chef 
like us-but that is another post on fried foods. 

I for one love for my taste buds to be confused...and if I were 
cooking for a panel of chefs, then I would follow in your footsteps 
Michael. 

But I do not think it is appropriate to deliberately try to confuse 
the taste buds of someone ordering a simple Prime Rib Dinner. The 
type of person who orders a prime rib dinner is not typically looking 
for that innovative apex of extremities and cutting edge creativity 
bordering on insanity...they are the middle of the road patrons who 
are thinking about a simple good piece of red meat. Do we agree? 
Provoking thought now... 

I prefer to simply try to perfect the mimification of that classic 
roast as done hundreds of years before me. I present it in such a 
manner of trying to expose and showcase the rib roast. After all, 
thats what they want....THE MEAT! They arent paying $30 a person for 
the starch and vegetable. Instead of throwing exotic ingredients from 
the orient at it like miso or wasabi-I prepare it simply and 
perfectly with focus on my talent of roasting correctly. I might put 
other ingredients on the plate for texture differences-but the 
flavors will probably be neutral, (like roasted garlic mashed 
potatoes) and other components will be few. Simply seasoned with 
fresh herbs, salt, pepper, garlic and shallots. Served with classic 
au jus and perhaps a perfect popover to absorb all of the juices. Oh 
yeah-as boring as it might be to chefs-ya just cant beat a perfectly 
seasoned, roasted piece of beef with good bread!!!! Begging for a 
glass of red wine now....it has stood the test of time and always 
will...... 

Roasting Beef-here's a new one that I recently learned that-believe 
it or not-is absolutely perfect. Season your rib roast with S&P and 
sear it on the hottest surface of your kitchen. Then roast it in a 
225 degree oven until it achieves your desired internal temperature. 
Mine is 130 degrees.....then let it rest. The end result is this: 
Searing is done to achieve color and a little caramelization that 
will not be achieved due to the low cooking temperature. But what you 
will have is a PERFECT piece of meat that is medium rare all the way 
through from the center of the cut to the outside. Unlike the typical 
350 degree roast that is crispy and browned on the inside layers and 
medium rare just in the center/middle of the cut. MY SECRETS REVEALED 
HERE BABY! 

Roasting Poultry and Pork (excluding pork tenderloin)-BRINING must be 
done to attain the perfect roasted status. It keeps the meat tender 
while seasoning. Pork tenderloin needs little to no prep for 
roasting.....unless you ask Mike and he'll tell you to use chipotles, 
poblanos and some other crazy stuff like sesame oil with tofu...haha 

Favorite Roasted Veggies-Potatoes (especially fingerlings), Peppers, 
Garlic, Fennel (with a little balsamic) Cauliflower (try it you'll 
love it), Winter Squash, Tomatoes....hell almost anything. 

Of course the history and science of roasting has changed quite a 
bit. It used to be a one directional type of cooking on a turning 
spit with wood burning accents and smoky flavors. Now it is more 
convectional heat with gas or electric ovens.....I guess to be 
correct nowadays we should call it oven-roasted! 

In the end it is always about time and temperature control-the most 
powerful aspect of any good cook's repertoire. 

Keith..." 

Now to our buddy Chef Tom, a Certified Executive Chef from Upstate 
Ohio, one of the greater stimulations for good conversations and trips down 
memory lane... 


"...Well you chose a good topic to start with Mike...I really enjoy 
this 
cooking method, whether it be a high-heat roasting or a long and s-l- 
o-w roast. You can build layers of flavors by roasting meats and 
beginning with wet marinades, spice pastes or dry rubs. I really like 
to smoke-roast...add that extra layer of flavor. I will generally 
serve it as is or with a sauce. Or I'll have fun coming up with a 
relish, chutney, or salsa. 

I like marinades because of the way they blossom with fruit based 
flavors, herbs, wines and spices. The flavor range runs from sweet to 
spicy, piquant to fruity, with lots of zesty flavors throughout. 
I'll do a long soak with a tougher cut of meat to tenderize it, or a 
short soak for poultry or vegetables for flavor. 

My basic rule of thumb with rubs and pastes is that highly spiced 
rubs tend to work better on meats and poultry, while the pastes work 
better on seafood. 
Spice rubs will seal in juices by forming the crust on the outside of 
the meat to keep the inside juicy. This is great when searing or high- 
heat roasting...I love that crust you can achieve by doing this. 
For the long and s-l-o-w (smoke) roast, a spice rub will surrender 
all of its flavor to the meat while on its way to tenderland. Pork 
butts, ribs and briskets are my favorite to slow-roast (add that 
hickory or applewood too!). 
Pastes have moisture. I'll use pastes on seafood to keep the seafood 
moist and without overpowering it. Also, marinades may break down the 
flesh of some seafood if left in too long, pastes will add the flavor 
without ruining its texture. I don't usually marinate fish or seafood. 

Again...good topic to begin with Mike. I'm hoping that the deep fat 
frying topic is going to be low on your list of subjects. haha 


> Spice rubs will seal in juices by forming the crust on the outside 
of the meat to keep the inside juicy. This is great when searing or 
high-heat roasting...I love that crust you can achieve by doing this.> 

I meant to comment on this the other day when you were dicussing this 
and Keith made a comment on searing his prime ribs. Searing is 
awesome before the roasting process. The crust is a nice accent to a 
piece of meat. 
Although, one of my favorite items to sear is Tuna. Give it a chili 
spice rub or coat the steak with crushed toasted fennel. Gotta be 
served rare to mid-rare...MMMMMMMMM good. 

Chef Tom..." 



Marlene, a friend of Cheffy's and a personal chef in the Chicago area 
brought up some pretty good points in the opposite side of the spectrum 
which I found a good compliment to the conversation: 

"...Ok took me awhile to think about this.... first off I agree with 
you cheffy, on the surface your question seems like a piece of cake 
but........ 

I needed alot of time to think about this because it made me rethink 
why I cook the way I do currently. I have made many adjustments and 
changes to my meat cooking methods from what I learned as a child, etc. 

Unfortunately the meat we remember eating when grandma made it (my mom 
passed when I was 9 so grandma cooked) is not the same as what we eat 
today. Because of pressures to lower fat in American diet, breeders are 
breeding and raising animals to be leaner. Thus, losing some of the 
flavor and producing dry less tender juicy meat. 

When we cook meat now using recipes from older cookbooks, or grandma's 
recipes, we are often disappointed. Pork comes out hard, dry, and 
juiceless; beef and lamb lack the succulent texture and robust flavors we 
remember. 

The new meat demands a new approach to prepare so that they are tender, 
juicy and full of flavor. Now you add in the different cuts of meat and 
so many choices it is mind boggling. No wonder people are confused and 
make shoe leather. Depending on how thick the meat is and what part of 
the animal it is from is going to also determine how I am going to fix 
it. Shanks I will sear, roasts ...sometimes and sometimes not, it all 
depends ....I guess that it comes down to the cut of meat and thickness 
and what I am going to do with it and how I am going to serve it as to 
whether I am going to sear it or not. 

Now lets talk flavoring meats......seasonings can be as simple as dry 
rubs - or marinades, flavored bines (thats hwat I call them) for pork 
chops or pork loin - solutions of salt, water, sugar, spices. Or if 
crusted I would cook the meats differently, depending on what I wanted for 
the end product. 

Now for kicks I tried a can of apple juice and set a seasoned chicken 
on it and grilled it. It was my version of a non alocholic drunken 
chicken.....tasted awesome....... 

Marlene ..." 

LouAnne "Wasabimommy", a pastry chef from Missouri adds to what Marlene 
had shared... 

" NOW...as to the roasting...I did a bit of it this week....the best 
turn 
out...the roasted veggies....large cuts, marinated in raspberry 
vinegarette, 
roasted till edges turned...I was worried that people would find them 
too 
much....but that and the rice pilaf went first..I was really amazed 
since like the rest of you know that rice is usually the second 
choice...by most...I also roasted a top round..slow...250....wrapped in peppered 
bacon....a little garlic 
a little onion....thats it..raised the temp just at the end....perfect 
medium 
all the way through...whew.... 

Did turkey breast with honey and 
seasonings..slow again..and a ham with my all-time favorite Harry and 
Davids 
pepper and onion relish used as a glaze....to those that don't know 
me..I keep a case of it around at all times....it is my magic 
ingredient....and everyone gets it for gifts...lol...they just opened two new 
outlets here in St Louis... 



Cheffy Closes it up with a rebuttal to Keith 

" In response to Keith... 

Of course there is absolutely no substitute for the traditional 
service of a good piece of prime served with au jus, nor a 
replacement for the good ol carved steamship served with silver 
dollar rolls and horseradish 

If either are done properly and perfectly...nothing compares really..." 



"...One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined 
well..." 
Virginia Woolf

Fire Up The Grill Part II-May 2004

2009-12-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

The Chef’s Office
May 2004
Fire Up That Grill Part II
Smoking, Brining, Marinating

Hey y’all!!! I am going to stay away from the CheffyBabbles so that we can get right into the information, I have quite a bit to say in this issue. In the next issue, we will have a variety of recipes from Chef Tom, myself and a few others for some good ideas in grilling and smoking this summer, if you have a recipe you would like to include simply reply to this address. Enjoy…

Brining
There are hundreds of different variations of brining proteins, I prefer this method because when you soak the protein in a combination of water and salt, the brine will go through the cell walls of the protein and be absorbed into the cells. Brining is a method to increase the amount of liquid in the meat cells thus making a juicier piece of meat.

There are two major ways to brine poultry, fowl and seafood. One is to use a small amount of salt to your brining water or a larger content of salt to your brining solution for a shorter period of time. I personally prefer using a stronger solution for a shorter period of time. I use 1 cup of Kosher or Sea Salt for every gallon of water and brine my protein for a half hour. ( This method changes from Chef to Chef, this is just my preference) This method aids in the extraction of blood from the bones as well.

As I said the variations on this is numerous, add sugar, don’t add sugar, use stocks or bouillons, don’t use stocks or bouillons, increase salt, decrease salt, water, time, temperatures, blah, blah, blah…you get the message. Find one you like, use it as a basic thought and develop it as you deem fit, it is one of the things that make food so much fun, we learn by experimentation. If you follow the basics and taste as you develop then there is minimal chance of you harming your product. Having fun is the most important ingredient.

Rubs
The purpose of using rubs is basically the same reason as brining, it breaks down the cell walls, tenderizes your meats and adds the flavor of your rubs into the cell walls of the protein. Rubs are basically used for meats, and they can be used for several different types of poultry, fowl and seafood as well, but I prefer only using rubs on meats and whole fowl. There will be a good amount of recipes included in the next newsletter which should be done shortly on rubs, marinades, and funky stuff to do on the grill. Stay tuned.

Marinating
The purpose of marinating your proteins is to infuse flavors into your meats. A basic marinade constitutes the addition of acid with flavorful liquids and aromatic herbs to tenderize and infuse flavors to your product. Some chefs will argue on whether to cook or not to cook the marinade. I will take the stand that a marinade needs to be cooked and cooled if the acid is an important part of your marinade. This process allows for proper infusion of your flavors, and if your marinades are anything like Cheffy’s then you will have a lot of different flavors to infuse.

The length of marination tends to change depending on the product. If you are using a highly acidic marinade, then the marination should be a short one, acids have a tendency to cook your protein, such as the case in the spanish ceviche which is a cold cooking process using lime juice.

Jerking

We had gotten in the conversation about the jerking process with Chef Tom and my mentor, Chef Roy. Traditional jerking uses pimento wood. The pimento wood was an interesting fact that I had just learned recently on my trip to Michigan while talking to my first culinary mentor, Chef Roy England. He did a Caribbean trip last year and fell in love with this jerk seasoning that he brought back that was invented by a native and the creator of WalkerWoods Jerk Seasoning. He told me about the use of the pimento wood. Since my visit with Chef Roy, I had asked a couple of my Jamaican friends about jerking meats and they simply told me that if you are not smoking over green pimento wood and/or leaves then you “jus’ ain’t jerkin’ Mon!!!!”

Contrary to popular belief, pimento wood is not from the red pepper, which most people associate the word ‘pimento’ with. Pimento wood is actually the wood of the Allspice Tree…just another piece of useless information from your lil’ CheffyBoy….

“…The pimento tree is indigenous to the Caribbean Islands.
It was found growing in Jamaica by early Spanish explorers who were quite impressed with the taste and aroma of the berries and the leaves. Pimento trees were later discovered in Cuba and were presumed to have been taken there by migratory birds which had eaten the berries. They have also been found in Mexico, but it is Jamaica that has the longest history, having been in continuous production since the tree was identified in about the year 1509

The name Pimento originated from the Spanish word "pimienta" (pepper or peppercorn). To most English speaking people the tree is called "pimento" and the berries "allspice". The name allspice originated from the popular notion that the pimento berry contains the characteristic flavour and aroma of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, all combined in one spice.

The pimento tree, Pimenta dioica, formerly officinalis, Lindl., belongs to the family Myrtaceae and is closely related to the Bay Tree and to Cloves. It is an evergreen tree, medium in size and in favourable locations will attain heights of from 6 to 15 m. Primary branches are generally formed about 1-3 m above the ground. Whilst both male and female varieties will produce blossoms, it is believed that only the blossoms of the female mature to give berries.
1601 Earliest reference of the use of pimento in London.

1693 Pimento was marketed as sweet scented Jamaica pepper

At the end of the nineteenth century, it became fashionable to have umbrellas made of pimento. The great demand led to wanton cutting of the saplings and it was only through strict controls legislated in 1882 and equally strict enforcement of them that saved the young pimento trees from disappearing altogether…”

http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm:1104/lectures/pimento.html

Going along with this thought, while I was in Mexico studying under Chef Martin we used to make our own Chipotle Peppers. Chipotles, as some know, are smoked jalapenos. What some people do not know is that Chipotles are smoked over banana leaves and really adds a unique flavor to anything that you smoke. I have smoked seafoods and other proteins using banana leaves and it is quite interesting.

A few years ago while living in Virginia, I had a kajillion basil plants and at the end of the year I used the basil stalks to smoke meats with.

Man, was that awesome!!!

Just something to show you that a little imagination really goes a long way, since then I have used thyme, sage, oregano among other herbs and spices, all of which adds its own unique flavor.

Woods to use and not to use when smoking

You do not want to use resinous woods when smoking foods. The best choice is to use some form of hardwood, I have found the best results to be from nut and fruit-bearing trees. In the case of smoking with the wood, I prefer to soak the wood for at least a couple hours to a couple days depending on the size of the chunk of wood that you are using.

Some of my favorites, as Chef Tom said in the last Chef’s Office newsletter are:

Mesquite, Cherry, Apple, Hickory, Oak (both Red and White),Almond, Pecan, Cherry, Maple, and Edible Herb Plants to name a few.

If you have some wood and do not know what it is, DO NOT USE IT FOR SMOKING FOOD. Burn it in your fireplace but not your smoker.

Some woods not to use include pine, fir, spruce, redwood, cedar, cypress to name a few of the bad juju woods.

Here are some more woods that you should not to use for smoking:

Never use lumber scraps, either new or used. First, you cannot know for sure what kind of wood it is; second, the wood may have been chemically treated; third, you have no idea where the wood may have been or how it was used. For all you know, that free oak planking could have been used in a sewage treatment plant. And that would be ungood huh?

Never use any wood that has been painted or stained. Paint and stains can impart a bitter taste to the meat and old paint often contains lead. Again, yuckkk!!!

Do not use wood scraps from a furniture manufacturer as this wood is often chemically treated.

Never use wood from old pallets. Many pallets are treated with chemicals that can be hazardous to your health and the pallet may have been used to carry chemicals or poison.

Avoid old wood that is covered with mold and fungus that can impart a bad taste to your meat. If you have some good cherry wood (or other good smoking wood) that is old and has a fungus growth and you want to use it, pre-burn it down to coals before you put it into your smoker.

OK…this should give y’all an inkling about what has been happening in the CheffyBrain the past few weeks, sorry it took so long to get the newsletter out, the life of a Chef I suppose.

Here’s to hoping that Peace and Serenity find its way into your day today and everyday,

Michael “Cheffy” Hayes

Systems In The Workplace-November 2003

2009-12-24T21:30:00.002-05:00

The Chef's Office
November 2003
Systems In Our Workplace

Here we go again....Welcome back to the CheffyBabbles and the Chef's Office.

There have been quite a few emails about the last couple Chef's Office newsletters that had a general gist from some of the recipients that are Chef's/Managers/Owners that I would like to comment on.

Apparently, there are quite a few members that have been posting the Chef's Office in their kitchens/offices/bulletin boards as motivational pieces for their staff. I think that rocks; thanks, it is quite a compliment. I think that we really discuss some cool thoughts that trigger the brain housing group into thinking about a lot of aspects of this business that you don't find in any cookbook or textbook, and I, for one, find it provocative, inspirational and awesome. Thanks to all that send in articles, emails etc. ( Thanks Bento...you rock Buddy!!! )

This issue contains an article I had originally written for RestaurantEdge's newsletter and I thought that it would be a good one to post for our newsletter as well. The story behind the article is that we did a sit down lunch for the United Way to the tune of 1600 people not too long ago. That day Chef Bento, along with our catering manager, Chevre56, and myself had set up systems to make the event run as smooth as possible for both front and back of the house. As we always attempt to do, we held discussions before, during and after the event to analyze who and what we are and who and what we do (or didn't do). This day was an especially inspiring one because all of the systems fell into place and the confusion that often comes with performing functions this large, both in size and staffing, decided to take the day off. It just clicked in all aspects and I found it very inspirational.

During this time, I was asked by Eric Hahn, the owner of RestaurantEdge.com to write a series of articles for the RestaurantEdge newsletter about cooking in volume. I had already written a couple installments for his newsletter and when I got home that day I was so elated by the success of the United Way event I sat and wrote "Systems in Our Workplace". I especially liked this article because it doesn't matter what you do for a living, all people can associate and find some inspiration in this thought process.

Systems in our Workplace
Incorporating/Improving Systems in our Workplace

Sometimes, whether you are restaurant owner, a chef, a catering manager, a waitress, or any position in any profession for that matter, you seem to often find yourselves creating systems to ascertain your professional lives become a simpler version of what you face day to day.

In order to be successful in volume or a la carte production you must be able to communicate to and with your staff and associates what system is going to be in place and if need be, be able to explain why. No idea is a bad idea!!! That is how systems are born.

I had quite a few interesting conversations on this topic this evening, most specifically, we did a party of 1600 for lunch today, and it was a communication game that was played by many and it turned out to be a successful event bringing up some good points in post-event communication.

"Follow your system through"!!!! Some of us may be great at creating systems, but being able to take an idea, expanding on it to create a system and follow it through from beginning to end, sometimes is not that easy of a task.

Systems are created because of one thing...they work.

In our business, it is difficult sometimes to keep a professional working mannerism between departments and inter-departmentally because of the lack of communication. Subjectively, I believe that communication is the root of everything, not only in the culinary/hospitality industry, but in every profession. It is very important to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing regardless of who you are or what you do.

When preparing a meal for 2 that just got sat in Suzy's section or whether you are doing a plate up for 6000, the system process must be the same. An event for 2000 should be just as simple to plan as that 2 top in Suzy's section. Why? Because systems are in place, and the information is available if necessary. If the information is not readily available, then someone needs to "make it happen". Create that system that is going to make life easier.

In every stage of cooking, whether volume or not, systems must be created, if they are not, then you are setting yourself up to fail, or putting yourself in a psychotic frenzy with one eye on the clock while you just stuck your hand on a pan you just took out of the oven with the oven mitt that is on the other hand! Been there, done that, " ain't a lot of fun" ha ha!!

In general, the hospitality industry as a whole, is a stressful job, creating a system that is going to make life easier should always be your first and only option. It's all about taking a problem, attempting a solution and "making it happen"

All systems are dysfunctional in a sense, the operator of the system has to ask themselves how they can take it to the next level, how can it be better, what is it that they don't like about the way the system works and take it to the next level to make it better. Well, you get the picture.

For some of us it might be as simple as knowing in a 50# bag of corn I get 52-57 ears, or it could be what is coming in on the truck, (or better yet, what ISN'T on the truck!!!), where or how tables and displays were set, room layout, service procedures, breakdowns, labor control, the logistics of taking a system to go from point A to point B with the minimal amount of confusion. If you are going to work on an event, regardless if it is 1 or 10,000, you must respect the entire event, from the booking of the party to the ordering, scheduling, all the necessary preparations from beginning to end, overall execution and ultimately, the clean up and analyses of the event. We must understand the role that each system plays/played in the overall orchestration of the event, whether in volume or a la carte, analyze the system, make it better, and most importantly, "make it happen" not only happily, but in the words of my friend, mentor and teacher Chef Bento, "...make it happen in style..."

Cheffy has spoken....

Well, as always, thanks for hanging out with the CheffyBoy, am looking forward to the emails and the inspirational thoughts and articles of my friends...stay tuned for the next issue, I plan on continuing this conversation from an a la carte perspective along with comments from my fellow culinary warriors and the explanation of the Zen-oriented comments that sometimes appear in my writings.
If you are new to the mailing list and would like to view The Chef's Office Archives, I have them archived along with some pictures on my site at RestaurantEdge.com

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Michael "Cheffy" Hayes

Food Sanitation At Home

2009-12-24T21:29:00.001-05:00

The Wild and Wacky World of Cheffy
Somewhere in the Hills of South Carolina
June 2001
Food and Sanitation

Not a lot of rambling, right to the info...this might be a long 
one...In this issue I am getting out of the formalities of talking 
semi-professionally and educated, I am writing this one like I talk, 
have a lot to say, a lot of info to give and am writing like I know 
best...from the heart of your dear ol' Cheffy-boy...I have received 
quite a few emails concerning food and sanitation thus this 
newsletter...I will follow up this newsletter with a recipe 
newsletter within the next week or so, if you have some recipes that 
you want me to try to be included in the newsletter just send me an 
email.

Home versus the work place

I am by no means your cleanest guy in the neighborhood, partly from 
being single, and partly from being lazy...LOL...but there are some 
things that I do want to convey because being safe in your home is 
just as important as being safe in a commercial kitchen. Although at 
home I am somewhat lax about food sanitation, it is one of the most 
important things in my work environment. 

Clean versus Sanitized

What is the difference between being clean and being sanitized??

Being clean is a state, just as being sanitized is...I can clean a 
counter, I can clean a cast iron skillet, I can clean my stove top, 
but does my cleaning these things stop bacteria from growing??? 
Absolutely not!!! Being sanitized can only occur by using a chemical 
that is going to stop bacterial growth. Now this can be as simple as 
washing your hands after you smoke, touch a contaminated surface, go 
to the bathroom, brush the hair out of your face...bacteria and germs 
in general are not happy unless they are multiplying, and when you 
take the time to sanitize your areas and your body, you are making 
these germs unhappy individuals...and that is exactly what they are 
is individuals until the handler (meaning us) gives the bacteria and 
other germs room and a reason to migrate and multiply.

There are three major factors to consider in sanitation.
1) Food- it's safe condition, preparation, and storage
2) People- The sanitation of the people preparing and serving the 
food as well as those consuming it.
3) Facilities- Is the food prepared in a safe environment? Is it 
served in a safe manner?

Without going into details about certain foodborne anomalies such as 
salmonella and botulism (because that would be another story 
altogether), I want to explain a little bit about bacteria growth, 
which effects both salmonella and botulism.

Bacteria grows between certain temperatures rapidly. There are many 
foods that fit into this category, but the basic rule of thumb is any 
protein...meat, poultry, wild game, boiled or baked
potatoes, soy-based products; any dairy...shelled eggs, milks, 
cheeses, curds, butter...the list could go on and on....

The general gist of what I am trying to say is this. Bacteria 
survives and grows between 45 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, Between 60 
and 120 degrees, bacteria goes crazy...sometimes multiplying 6 or 7 
times its normal growth and right around 99-101 degrees it goes 
ballistic...

There are a lot of things to consider as far as food sanitation is 
concerned and I will address a bunch of these at chefmikesworld in 
the near future, but for the sake of all of us I am going to spare 
this info and just get down to more specific details that we can use 
at home...

Bleach...

One of the most common products available to the homebody is one of 
the more effective ways to sanitize your housewares. Bleach anything 
you question and rinse it off in the hottest water you can produce. I 
especially recommend this with cutting boards and kitchen utensils 
that have touched chicken or seafood, using an anti-bacterial soap or 
gloves when handling either of these or other foods that are 
considered to be potentially hazardous and always be alert and beware 
of food products, they can be very dangerous if not handled properly. 
The rule of thumb for making a sanitizing solution with bleach and 
water is one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.

When do I throw something out...?

If it moves...chuck it... ha-ha (unless it's grits...ha ha...they are 
supposed to move...**Cheffy says as he is laughing out loud**)

Read labels, expiration dates and don't take chances. Some helpful 
hints are:

Watch you dairy products. Check out the expiration dates. Most dairy 
is good for 3-5 days beyond the expiration date. 

I have gotten a lot of emails about using eggs and not being sure 
about them. Here are some things that I do to make sure that I am 
using fresh eggs. When I buy eggs, I pull eggs from the very back of 
the shelf. Grocery stores rotate their stock putting the older 
product in front. You will often see someone looking to see if the 
eggs are cracked, but not too many check the dates. 

If you have eggs that have been in the fridge and you need to use an 
egg yolk for a frosting or some type of emulsion sauce that calls for 
fresh egg yolks, my advice is to take an egg and put it in a cup of 
cold water, making sure the egg is covered entirely. The egg is 
porous, allowing air in and carbon monoxide out. So what happens is 
that the longer the egg has the opportunity to absorb oxygen the 
larger the air pocket will be within the shell. I put the egg in the 
water, if the egg lays on its side, it is a relatively safe bet that 
your egg is pretty fresh and safe. If it stands on edge with either 
tip raising up, this means that it has a good amount of air in it and 
is not as fresh. This does not mean that the egg is bad by no means, 
it just means that it is not as fresh. If it does stand on end, I 
will crack the egg open and examine the egg white. If the egg white 
has any cloudiness to it at all I chuck it. I want a clear egg white.

Going with this thought. I do not use any egg based product that has 
been brought to room temperature from a cold state. If it attained 
room temp that means that it has been setting out a while, thus 
remaining in the danger zone for some time. I am talking about things 
like hollandaise, mayonaisse, some salad dressings, etc. If it is a 
freshly opened jar of mayonaisse or salad dressing that is an 
exception to the rule, as long as they were already at room 
temperature before being opened.

Buying meats, poultry and seafood
This can be tricky. For the most part, your larger supermarkets are 
pretty good about maintaining a safe environment. Although Cheffy did 
get someone in trouble at our local supermarket not too long ago. The 
meat cutter cut up some chicken for another customer, didn't wear any 
gloves and then without washing his hands came out to help me...I 
asked him if he disliked the gloves and he gave me a smart ass answer 
("Yeah, I wear 'em when I can") Needless to say I went to another 
supermarket and notified his boss before I left...was kinda ticked. 
But anyway...I am just making a point, you need to be aware of things 
that cause bacteria to multiply and someone that deals with meats, 
seafood and poultry are the largest carriers if they are not 
religious about being sanitation minded.

Read Labels...I have been to some places where they change the 
labelings on the package. If you pick up a pack of meat, seafood or 
poultry and there is more than one label on it (unless they are two 
separate labels) don't buy it. Some places will stick a label over 
another one to maintain a longer shelf life. This is illegal. They 
may put another label on the package, but it must not cover up the 
vital info on the original label. If you ever witness this please 
call your local DHEC office and report them, the worse case scenario 
is that someone can be hurt or killed by someone afraid to throw out 
a two dollar piece of meat or seafood.

Mark down corner...
Most supermarkets have them, once the meats reach an expiration date 
they are allowed to put them in a separate corner for quick sale but 
this must not exceed 48 hours of the original expiration date. 
Never...(and Cheffy means NEVER) buy any seafood or poultry from the 
mark down corner, it is only asking for potential hazards.


Riggy and the Germ...

A chef friend of mine from Panama City, Fla wrote a paper on the 
life of bacteria through the eyes of a germ that is comical in one 
sense yet very eye opening while attending culinary school. Riggy is 
working with Cheffy on one of his major projects and I really liked 
this paper He said it was ok if I included it in this newsletter.
http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/msgr/riggy001/.tmp/germ.doc

Aloha
Well, that is enough rambling for this issue. Like I mentioned in the 
beginning of the newsletter I will send out a newsletter with just 
recipes within the next week or so. As always I encourage all to send 
your questions, comments etc. would love to hear what you have to 
say...

May Peace and Serenity find its way into your day today and everyday

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Cheffy

Cancer and Nutrition/Using Supplements

2009-12-24T21:27:00.000-05:00

Your Craving Is My Command
The Wild and Wacky World of Cheffy
Cancer and Nutrition Part III/Supplements
Somewhere in the hills of South Carolina


Just want to offer a quick intro this time. Thanks to all for the 
feedback concerning the past few newsletters, they have been a lot of 
fun to write, mainly due to the fact that cancer is something that 
Cheffy is very adamant about. Thanks, I love you all. There were 
about 100 new people added to the mailing list since our last issue, 
if you wish to be removed from this list please send me an email with 
remove from mail in the subject box. Thanks.

Jamie is doing good, she is still adjusting to having the port in her 
chest but her spirits are high and she is eating pretty good…(too bad 
my arm isn't longer, I'd have to pat myself on my back…ha ha) Since 
December her cancer markers have dropped from 173 down to 61…
yippppppeeeee!!! We are pretty ecstatic…thanks for the prayers.

Mailbag

Supplements

I have received a couple emails asking about the use of supplemental 
vitamins. 

There is no crediting scientific evidence that I could find that says 
that additional vitamins, dietary supplements or herbal remedies can 
help us in our fight against cancer or keep it from metastasizing 
(invading distant sites). If you'll pardon the cliché, "the best 
offence is a great defense", one of the best ways to be able to cope 
with cancer and any effects of treatment is a good, well balanced 
diet. In some cases, the use of vitamins and dietary supplements have 
counteracted the effect of cancer treatments and proving that 
sometimes too much of some vitamins and minerals were just as 
detrimental as too little. As far as fortifying a diet I think that 
protein drinks etc. are good for you, but like I said, and keep on 
saying, I am not a physician, dietician nor a nutritionist, please 
consult with a professional if this is a concern of yours. We use 
powdered milk as a dietary supplement, adding it to an array of 
dishes to boost calcium and other beneficial vitamins and minerals in 
Jamie's diet.

As stated in the prior newsletter, vitamins C and E and beta-carotene 
is thought to work as antioxidants; molecules that block the 
formation of free radicals and thus lower the risk of heart disease 
and cancer. Numerous studies have shown that people who eat lots of 
fruits and vegetables, the major sources of many antioxidant 
nutrients, have a lower risk of heart disease than those who do not. 
Similarly, a lot of research indicates that people whose diets are 
produce-poor have a higher risk of several kinds of cancer.

While those studies strongly support the recommendations of the 
National Cancer Institute (NCI) to eat at least five servings of 
fruits and vegetables a day, they do not prove that isolated 
antioxidants in the form of supplements provide disease protection.

Scientists have also been turning up evidence suggesting that large 
doses of vitamins E and C and beta-carotene, a substance the body 
converts into vitamin A, may prevent chronic illnesses such as 
cancer. These nutrients are thought to "mop up" unstable chemicals in 
the body known as free radicals that can damage tissues and 
contribute to disease. I can not emphasize enough that if these or 
any other nutritional questions are a concern of yours, please seek 
professional advice. If upon receiving professional advice you have 
further questions I would be more than happy to try to help you.

Simple Basics for the Happy Heart

Here are just a couple tips that make our heart happy and those free 
radicals unhappy campers…

Baked not fried- Cut down on oil! Sure some us can't live without 
some of our fried foods, (like my brother, whom has heart ailments 
and loves his buffalo wings). But for some, it can be the difference 
between life and death. If you need to use oil as in sautéing try 
using spray oil; there are many on the market that make a good 
substitute for other oils.

Steamed instead of boiled- Don't boil your darned vegetables!! Not 
only do you lose a good part of the flavor, you are also losing 
important vitamins, minerals, enzymes and happy, disease fighting 
properties that Mother Earth provides for us.

Don't Panic-Eat Organic- To avoid going into the genetic engineering 
debate, let me kindly ask you to eat organic foods. They are 
healthier not only because they provide more minerals, vitamins and 
phytochemicals than commercially grown foods but they are not 
allowing toxins; such as pesticides and herbicides and other 
unhealthy man-made gunk into our bodies. As far as eating organic 
meats and poultry, it is the same case scenario. The free range 
varieties of meat, game and poultry that are on the market are not 
only better for you, they taste better and are not filled with growth 
hormones, which effect cancers such as Jamie's. Personally we do not 
eat meat at home for this reason. At times we will venture to 
our "whole foods" market to purchase organic meat, but for the most 
part we stay away from it. Sometimes Jamie can be pretty comical 
about how her diet changed; when we go into the grocery store she 
taunts me when we pass the meat sections, mooing like a cow or 
clucking like a chicken, it is pretty comical.

Read labels- I cannot stress this enough. I know that it is hard to 
decipher what the labels say, and I plan on making this a topic in 
the next newsletter. As a general guideline like my friend Bruce Rose 
from Rosewood Farms Soy Plant says, "…if you have trouble pronouncing 
it, it probably isn't good for you…"

OK…enough rambling…how about some happy recipes?

Red Pepper and Mushroom Frittata

This is a spinoff of a recipe I used to do when I was the Chef at 
Spring Grove Farm Bed and Breakfast, and dedicated to my friend and 
our Garde Manger Chef at work, Dawn. I made this for Dawn a few weeks 
ago and I told her it was a good one for me to put in the newsletter.

5 egg whites

1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips

½ onion, small dice

1 cup of mushrooms (any mushrooms suffice, I really like to use shii-
takes)

1 T minced garlic (or a lot more if you ask Cheffy)

2t each basil, thyme

Salt and White Pepper

Non-stick oil spray

I usually make this in an 8-inch pie tin, but have made it in a 
variety of utensils, such as an ovenproof sauté pan.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

Sauté you vegetables and garlic in a frying pan with a little bit of 
cooking spray until the onions are translucent. Allow to cool. (Very 
important step, the heat from the veggies can break down your egg 
white meringue)

Separate the eggs, discarding the yolk

In a metal bowl, whisk the egg whites until they attain stiff peaks

Gently fold your cooled vegetable mixture into the egg whites

Fold in some cheese if you desire (Dawn and I used a goat cheese mix 
that our boss had made using chevre, sundried tomatoes, walnuts and 
basil…mmmmm)

Spray your ovenproof dish and add the meringue mixture.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Sprinkle some cheese on the top and bake for another 5 minutes (or 
more depending on your oven)

To check if you dish is done insert a knife in the center if the 
knife comes out clean your frittata is finished.

Chungachungabam Baby!!!!! Mmmmmm!!!!!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe has a little Cheffy twist to it that I love…usually I 
like to make these with foods that are not all that great for you 
like chorizo or some other sausage…for the sake of being happy and 
healthy, I left chorizo out of the recipe. This is also great with 
different seafoods…I love making this with crab or even imitation 
crab is really good with this recipe.

24 thin slices of white or wheat bread

24 medium sized domestic button mushrooms (I really like using 
Cremini mushrooms for this dish)

1 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs (fine)---(can be substituted with 
your favorite bread crumbs, I suggest wheat bread crumbs for this 
recipe because of the nutritional value)

¼ cup of finely chopped parsley or basil,( preferably basil, most of 
you know how Cheffy feels about parsley)

1 minced clove of garlic (or chungabam it with about 8…just an 
opinion…LOL)

About 4-5 teaspoons of margarine

About 2/3-1 cup of mozzarella (part skim milk mozz is preferred for 
the happy heart stuff)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

With a rolling pin flatten out your thin slices of bread and cut out 
rounds with a 1½ inch dough cutter. Press these little buddies into a 
miniature muffin pan and bake for about 20 minutes, maybe more, maybe 
less depending on your oven. You just want them to be somewhat 
crispy, a light brown color.

Wash the mushrooms and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the stem.

Add the stems, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, half of the margarine 
and a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper into your food processor 
and pulse it until all the ingredients are incorporated.** Add a 
little bit more margarine if necessary. You want your final product 
to be like stuffing, adjust your seasonings as necessary.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Spoon a little bit of the mixture into your mushroom caps. Place the 
mushroom caps into the little happy bowls that you made with the 
bread. Top with a dash of the mozzarella. Place on a cookie sheet or 
a sheet pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Boy Howdy…. these things good……

**Cheffy Notes- Aside of the fact of not using sausage. I like to 
substitute my butter with a dash of Texas Pete and a little bit more 
acid, like a white wine or lemon juice….the acid adds a little bing, 
the Texas Pete adds a little bang, and cheffy adds a little bada bing 
bada bang into your life….ain't I the nice guy????

Never mind, don't answer that…hee hee

OK…

Y'all know how much Cheffy likes to run his mouth, so I better quit 
while I am ahead…

Sorry about the lack of recipes, next one will have quite a few in it 
along with discussing the science behind reading food labels.

As always, bless all that send the cards, letters, and kind words to 
Jamie and me, you don't know what kind of a difference you make in 
our lives, and please remember all of those that suffer from this 
dreadful disease.

Please click on this link to donate a free mammogram, it is a great 
program that assists underprivileged women in getting mammograms. I 
am in no way, shape or form affiliated with this site, I just think 
they are doing something that is awesome and we all can lend a 
helping hand for free…thanks.

http://thebreastcancersite.com

We have quite a few new people joining the Wild and Wacky World of 
chefmike in this edition and I appreciate all for joining and I hope 
that I can add some inspiration into your lives just as y'all add to 
mine…

Here's to hoping that Peace and Serenity find its way into your lives 
today and everyday…

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,

Michael

Nutrition and Cancer

2009-12-24T21:18:00.002-05:00

Nutrition and Cancer-Article written in 2002

As a continuing sequel to my newsletter on soy and nutrition, like promised, this newsletter is on Nutrition and Cancer. Although this issue deals with diets of those victimized by Cancer, it is also what could be called preventative nutrition. I am going to go into some foods that can be easily implemented into our diets that are not only healthy for us but that are good at fighting the free radical agents that aid in cancer growth.

Disclaimer
Please remember that I am not a physician, dietician, nutritionist or a food scientist. Cheffy is just your happy little buddy that loves food, loves people and loves to share what he loves with who he loves, so welcome to my world! If you have any questions please consult your physician. As always I encourage emailed questions but like I said, I am not a medical professional.

Cheffy’s Testimony on Cancer

Unfortunately, this is a subject that has grown to mean something personal to all of us myself very much included. After struggling several years with this hateful disease, I had lost my beloved mother in 1999. Also, my best friend, Jamie, is a surviving victim of this dreaded disease. She has metastasized breast cancer in her liver. I am Jamie’s caregiver and both of us face this disease daily, much like my father whom dealt with loss of his wife of almost 50 years. When my mother was still alive, I did not learn that much about cancer, I was primarily there for support for my father, to offer him some respite, I was not directly involved with her care. Since my return to South Carolina I have been actively involved with Jamie and her cancer, attempting to learn as much as possible not only about her disease but the disease in general. They say that one-third of all cancer deaths can all be linked to nutrition. I was appalled that this was such a grand statistic; thus this newsletter and hopefully some cooking classes through our local chapter of the Cancer Society and the hospital.

From the mailbag

Protease Inhibitors

“Cheffy, can you explain about the enzyme prohibitors you were talking about in your section about soybeans in the newsletter? What do you think about the use of soy with cancer?” Cindy, Missouri

Great questions Cindy and something that fits right into the newsletter.

Today many of the cancer pulverizing properties that are found in some foods are said to release protease inhibitors. A protease is an enzyme, a fancy name for a specialized protein that accelerates specific chemical reactions. A protease specifically works on proteins by breaking them down. Tumor cells need proteases in order to migrate and metastasize (invade distant sites) increasing blood vessel production and cell division

Protease inhibitors (compounds that block the action of proteases) are packed in soybeans, rice, corn and virtually all seeds. Continuing experiments show that protease inhibitors also hinder tumor development and can reduce the size of tumors as well.

Some foods that include protease inhibitors
Bananas, seeds and seed oil, legumes such as soy and chickpeas, barley, rye and oats, squash, zucchini, corn, potatoes and rice.

The second question is kinda tricky…I am not a physician or even someone that claims they know a lot about cancer, but I do have an opinion on this.

Although soy is a great way to influence protease inhibitors, it also contains isoflavone, more specifically genistein, a natural estrogen. Like in Jamie’s case, she doesn’t eat soy, the isoflavones in soy products effect her cancer because hers is a hormonal cancer and it is directly effected by the addition of estrogen. This is just one case though. They say that in some cases, mainly non-hormonal cancers such as lung cancer, that soy is a phenomenal food because of the inhibitors. But like I said, please consult a physician, they can inform you if soy is something that you want to add to your diet. Thanks Cindy…great question!!

On with the food Cheffy!!!

I cannot stress enough that if you have any questions about anything, please do not take my advice. Although I am teaching happy, healthy things, please discuss them with your doctors. If I can offer just one of you some insight with either preventative nutrition or with your diet if you are affected, Cheffy is a happy boy…(not that he would be an unhappy boy otherwise…he would just be more of a happy boy)

Happy Herbs
By cooking with herbs we add our own special zing to dishes, and we also add benefits to our health because many herbs possess anti-oxidants among other happy anti-cancer properties. I am a favorite of herbs; I always use them when I prepare a meal, soup, sauce or whatever. For those that have followed my teachings know, I favor basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Rosemary and fenugreek are two herbs that possess the greatest values as anti-oxidants, some of the other Happy Herbs include:

Allspice, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fennel, ginger, mace, marjoram, nutmeg, sage, thyme and turmeric to name some of the most popular ones.
The Super Food Groups

“Men dig their graves with their own teeth and die more by those fated instruments than the weapons of their enemies.” Thomas Moffett, 1553-1604

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Pyramid provides a practical visual guide to healthful eating, indicating the recommended daily portions of the basic food groups. In addition to these major food groups I want to add what is referred to as the super groups; vegetables that contain certain enzymes, anti-oxidants or other properties that are beneficial in the fight and prevention of cancer, heart disease, lung disease etc.

The concept of the “super food groups”, in portion, is due to the studies of Dr. J. Robert Hatherill (Eat to Beat Cancer, Renaissance Books, 1998) with Cheffy taking it to another level. I added to Dr. Hatherhill’s original categories with the mouth running “Cheffy-style” in the zany manner (as grammatically incorrect as that is) that some have come to know and love. So here they are:

Chungachungabam!! The Happy Super Food Baby!!

The onion family- Nature has provided us with over 600 varieties of the allium plants such as onions, garlic, asparagus, leeks, scallions and shallots. Now all of y’all know that Cheffy loves his garlic and onions!! The possibilities are endless and the rewards are numerous. I could not imagine living my life without any of the foods classified in this group.

Since the beginning of civilization allium plants such as onion and garlic have been valued for their distinct flavors and medicinal properties. To avoid going into detail about things, let me just say that there are countless studies into all the positive effects of the members of the allium family especially garlic for its anti-cancer properties. Ancient Egypt, China and India have all held onion and garlic in high regard, in Egypt, pharaohs’ burial chambers often contained dried relics of garlic cloves and wooden models of onions. Inhabitants of the Middle and Far East have cultivated allium plants for at least 5000 years. So the way I look at it, 5000 years worth of man cultivating Mother Earth for a little clove of garlic can’t be all that wrong now can they?

Cruciferous Group- The crucifer flowers are cross-shaped (crucis is Latin for cross). Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cauliflour, cabbage, brussel sprouts, watercress, garden cress, radishes…blah,blah blah….you get the picture. This group has a ton of cancer fighting properties. To avoid going into another one of Cheffy’s science classes, let me say that most veggies that belong to this group have what are called glucosinates. Glucosinates possess over a hundred sulfur compounds and most of these compounds are anti-cancer. These compounds are released from the vegetables when they are chopped or chewed, preferably chewed….hint,hint,hint!!! You may never look at a piece of broccoli the same again will you?

Nuts and Seeds- I can go on and on about the differences between a seed, a nut, a bean etc. so to eliminate all the Cheffy gibberish these two are categorized together. Seeds and nuts are good! Granted some of them are high in fat but they carry a ton of anti-oxidants. As strange as it may sound, science has yet to characterize most of these anti-oxidants, but they are happy to inform us that they are there nonetheless…gee, thanks guys. Some of the members of this group are pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, coconuts, sunflower seeds, almonds and pecans.

Grass Group- Ah, the grass group. One of the oldest food products known to man. This group includes corn, oats, rice, and wheat among many others. Because of the fiber and some compounds associated with fiber it has been proven that the members of the “grass group” have an inhibitory effect on carcinogens in our bloodstream. Blood plus less carcinogens equals good stuff Maynard!!

Legume Group- Foods in this group include soybeans, green and wax beans, peas, lentils and much, much more. I have already gone into the soya bean quite extensively in the last newsletter, so let me see if I can be brief on a subject that I could write a book about. Soy and legumes in general are good for you. They prove to be anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant protease inhibitors, and it appears to reduce cholesterol levels as well. Legumes; soy especially, contain what are called saponins. Saponins are cancer fighters; they inhibit DNA synthesis because of their toxicity to cancer cells therefore decreasing the amount of cancer cell growth in most cancers (except in instances like I mentioned earlier in my reply to Cindy’s question).

Fruit- Eat an orange, man! Without taking you to another science class I will attempt make this short and sweet (every pun intended). There is an enzyme processed in your bloodstream from your liver that is aggressive as a detoxifying agent. This “detoxifying agent” is found in citrus fruits, apples, plums, berries, broccoli, garlic, cauliflour, and cabbage to name a few. Cooking these reduces the effect they have as a detoxifier, but it still acts as an agent nonetheless, just not as strong as if eaten fresh. The NCI (National Cancer Institute) strongly recommends at least 5 servings of fruits a day, and so does Cheffy. Vitamin C and Vitamin E are two of the most potent vitamins for anti-oxidants, and a lot of fruits are packed with either and/or both. So like I said, “Eat an orange, man!”

Solanace group- Ah! the almighty solanaces…where would the mother cuisine’s be without them? They include tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets to name a couple. Happy vitamin filled veggies. I already discussed the advantage of Vitamin C as an anti-oxidant, and the tomato is filled with Vitamin C and other cancer fighting inhibitors. Here is an interesting fact I learned a couple days ago. In making some of my sauces and baked goods using fresh tomatoes I sometimes squeeze out and clean the seeds out of the tomato. The gelled substance that surrounds and binds to the seeds of the tomatoes is where most of the vitamin C is in the tomato. Hmmm, I thought that was pretty interesting. Needless to say Cheffy isn’t squeezing his tomatoes anymore and if he does he incorporates the gel into his product somehow.

Umbelliferous Group- Um!! bell!! iferous!!!! (Cheffy likes that word) The other day at work I had to chop up a lot of celery and Cheffy was hollering UM-BELL-IFEROUS!!!! while he was chopping away. They thought I was nuts, I think it is a cool word…hee-hee. Celery, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, parsley, cumin, and a bunch of other herbs and veggies fall into this category. A numerous amount of studies have proven that this group of herbs and veggies are great for fighting tumorous cells. All of these in this group have a lot of phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that are beneficial for our fight against cancer; beta carotene, vitamins A, D, E, B12, blah, blah, blah…you get the picture now go grab some celery and hand me the peanut butter please…

The Pepper Group (Sweet and Hot)
Chungachungabam Baby!!! That’s hot!!! Yeah, it may be hot, but what it’s not is bad for you. There is more vitamin C in a hot pepper than there are in any other food. They also are loaded with phytochemicals that act as an antioxidant and produce numerous enzymes that are considered very anti-cancerous. Sweet peppers also contain a large amount of vitamin C and loving phytochemicals, but not near as many as hot peppers do, so go ahead and spice up your life, Cheffy style….

Other news
I have received a lot of emails concerning my personal chef work. Yes, Your Craving Is My Command still exists, we have been quite slow as of late, but I am still available for hire and long distance appearances can be arranged. I am in the process of developing a web site for the Personal Chef and Concierge services. If you are interested you can drop me a line, I can send you some information and tell you more about Your Craving Is My Command and the services we offer; which include our personal chef services, private instruction, consulting, and cooking classes for your friends or business associates.

After the next newsletter the newsletters will be published in a different format, we are going to go to an ezine. The insanity of the Wild and Wacky World of Cheffy is up to almost 2000 people in 15 different countries now. I decided on the e-zine to help with the organizational aspect of this monster I created. A big hug and thank you to each and every one of you.

Adios

First off, I want to thank everyone that is reading this newsletter for the first time. I hope you enjoyed it and that you join us at the web site, club or group. Please feel free to email me any thoughts, questions or suggestions. I am distributing this newsletter at the Cancer Center where Jamie goes to chemo and her doctor’s appointments hoping that I can touch some other lives.

Well, thanks for tolerating the ramblings of Cheffy yet one more time, I know this was a long one but this conversation is far from over. We have one more newsletter coming out within the next week or so with a little bit more rambling and a lot of recipes, hints, and ideas to help us all relate to some happy food. As always, thanks for the emails, kind words, thoughts and prayers, not only do I love it, but Jamie and I really do appreciate it. There will be a bunch more information posted at the club and group in the following weeks, so please feel free to join us, we would love to have you. I personally want to send a special big hug to all the survivors, surviving victims and caregivers of this dreadful disease. Godspeed.

Well here’s to hoping that Peace and Serenity find its way into your day today and everyday,

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
Cheffy

Links

Links pertaining to cancer
http://www.canceranswers.org

http://www.breastcancer.net/bcn.html

http://www.mednet.ucla.edu/healthtopics/PLS/breast.htm

http://www.nci.nih.gov

http://www.cancerguide.org

http://www.alice.columbia.edu

http://ncc.go.jp/cnet.html

Search Engines for Cancer Information

http://search.info.nih.gov

http://www.med.nyu.edu/keyword.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed

http://www.nih.gov/index.html

Cheffy Talks About Soy

2009-12-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

Cheffy talks about Soy

In this issue I am mainly going to offer some opinions, both pro and 
con about Soy and the Soy Industry as a whole. This is due to an 
increasing number of emails and letters I have received on soy 
consumption, soy vs. cancer, soy as a meat substitute etc. I have 
been an active consumer, cook and chef of soy products and an 
investigative source into soy for the better part of 15 years. Some 
of the information provided here is based on conversations with a 
couple of friends of mine that own and operate their own soy 
companies. Bruce Rose from ChinaRose Soyfoods in Ann Arbor, Michigan 
and Jon Kessler from Sunergia Soyfoods in Charlottesville, Virginia. 
Although the opinions voiced here are scientifically based, please 
keep in mind they are still opinions, please talk to a physician or 
contact one of the websites at the end of the newsletter for more 
specific information.



Soy Versus Bad Food

I am taking the stance in defending soy and soy products as a dietary 
supplement. Soy along with some other pulses, vegetables and grains 
have gotten a bad reputation primarily due to the practice of a 
growing number of companies that rely on genetically engineering 
their products. The tests and the long-term studies of genetically 
engineered products are inconclusive therefore I do not support their 
cause.

I have read these different articles "Soy is this…" and "Soy is 
that…". My argument is simple. "Food Allergies Exist!" Not all foods 
agree with all people, there are kajillions of different allergies, 
mal-absorption syndromes and anomalies associated with all different 
kinds of foods. If you have concerns over any of these please consult 
a physician. A food allergy is no laughing matter and can quite 
possibly become fatal.

As far as Soy being a bad food, I could inform you lima beans, apple 
seeds, and the pits of apricots and peaches contain cyanide or the 
sprouts from potatoes contain the toxin solanine, that parsley 
contains apiole and myristicin, poke salad and rhubarb leaves are 
lethal or chewing on a few nutmeg seeds can make you hallucinate. So…
taking the food allergies out of the equation, I say that soy 
products are not bad foods. The truth of the matter is that most soy 
products are high in protein, contain no cholesterol and contribute a 
moderate balance of the three major fatty acids our body demands 

What is Soy? (Information and History)

OK. Soy. Soya. The Soya Bean. Fake meat. Whatever you want to call it…

The soya bean is classified as a pulse which is a leguminous plant 
whose seeds are used as a vegetable food. Pulses contain a high-
energy value containing a large amount of protein and carbohydrates 
and are relatively low in water content. Because of the high source 
of protein and carbs it is an important part of the vegetarian diet. 
Unfortified soy products lack the amino acids that constitute it as 
a "complete" food, thus it is often served with meats, seafood, 
vegetables, pastas or grains to supplement and fortify the dish 
itself.

Soybeans contains compounds called isoflavones (natural estrogens), 
which have many health benefits to our health and nutrition. Study 
after study has shown that soy is an amazing natural remedy that 
prevents and fights cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, 
menopausal symptoms and other chronic diseases.

The Chinese "dadou" is said to have originated in Manchuria as early 
as the 2nd Century BCE and was introduced to Japan (called "daizu") 
somewhere around the 6th Century. Although its popularity was limited 
to its uses with the Chinese and Japanese cultural cuisines it was 
known in Europe by the 1600's. It was not until the early 1900's that 
its was a popular staple throughout Europe and the United States.

Raw Soybeans as well as other legumes and pulses contain certain 
enzyme prohibitors that prevent the digestion of protein. They create 
chemical changing in the lining of the intestines that make it 
impossible for the intestines to absorb nutrients. Once the pulse is 
cooked these protease inhibitors are eliminated and make the beans 
safe and nutritious.

Dried Soybeans come in a variety of colors that make for colorful and 
attractive dishes. Soybean Flour can easily be made using dried 
soybeans by grinding them in your coffee mill or spice grinder and 
then sifting out the larger pieces.

Soy Flour contains twice the protein as regular flour and can easily 
be used as a substitute for wheat flour with the exception of baking 
and as a thickening agent. More about this later…

Miso- I could write a book about Miso. For those of us that have had 
the opportunity to travel the Far East, we know that miso has a sort 
of cult following from village to village and country to country. 
Some even refer to some of the producers of miso as "the Miso 
Sensei", because not only are they masters of what they do but 
because they use methods of preparing this "magical" substance using 
techniques that are thousands of years old. Miso is a paste made by 
cooking soybeans and then fermenting the beans with salt in wooden 
tubs for one to three years. There are several forms of miso 
depending upon what grain added to the product (e.g., barley, brown 
rice, white rice, wheat to name a few). In general, the longer the 
miso is aged, the darker the color and stronger the flavor.

Miso contains a large amount of beneficial bacteria and enzymes. 
However, unpasturized miso must be purchased in order to get the 
beneficial bacteria. Miso is particularly useful as an aid to 
improving digestion and the health of the intestinal tract. There is 
some scientific evidence that fermented products with beneficial 
bacteria can help to prevent some forms of cancer. Many people who 
are sensitive to fermented products can tolerate the use of miso 
without any problem.

Miso is used in soups, sauces, dressings, stir fries, and spreads 
where only a small amount is necessary. Cheffy's latest culinary 
influence, Chef Bento, makes a killer Miso-based Demi-Glace used as a 
sauce for meats and poultry….mmmm

Tempeh -- A cake of soybeans that is made by removing the hull of 
cooked, organic soybeans, mixing with a culture, such as the 
coagulant nigari and aging for a day or two. The culture helps hold 
the soybeans together in a cake form. It is common to find tempeh 
made with added ingredients such as vegetables, grains and various 
seasonings. Tempeh is high in protein and rich in calcium

Tofu -- A white soybean cake made from cooked soybeans and nigari 
(magnesium chloride). Tofu contains a significant amount of protein 
and is rich in calcium. It is an easily digestable form of soy. Tofu 
is used in soups, stir fries, sauces, dressings, burgers, and many 
other types of dishes. One of the things I love about tofu is its 
neutrality of flavor, its absorbancy adheres to any of the 
flavors/seasonings added to the dish

Nigari-Natural calcium sulfate (gypsum) and magnesium chloride 
(nigari) are the most common tofu coagulant used. They have been used 
for hundreds years in Japan and China. Nigari is composed mainly of 
magnesium chloride, but also contains other minerals found in sea 
water except most of the sodium chloride (sea salt). Gypsum is a 
naturally occurring calcium sulfate.

Soy Milk- Soy milk is a liquid form of soy. It comes in Vanilla, 
Carob, Plain and other flavors. It is a great substitute for dairy 
milk, when substituting for regular milk I use equal proportions and 
when subbing for buttermilk I add a teaspoon of lemon juice per 2 
cups. Officially, soymilk cannot be called soy milk due to the lack 
of dairy so they use soymilk as one word, call it soy drink among 
other things. Please consult a physician before supplementing a 
child's diet with soy milk, there is a good amount of conflicting 
information on the use of formulas etc. that are soy based so please 
ask your doctor.

About Salt

2009-12-24T20:35:00.000-05:00

Salt- the history

Salt's scientific name is Sodium Chloride because it is comprised of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Like water, salt is an important part of the functioning of our bodies. It has long been a treasured condiment and food preservtive.

For centuries,it was considered a luxury item accessible only to the wealthy. In addition to using it to preserve fish, olives, cheese and meat, the Romans used to use it as payment to their soldiers, hence the word "salary". There have even been wars fought seeking reliable sources of this "white gold". Salt was also an integral part in the development and civilization of nations, opening trade routes, developing trading ports, creating employment etc. It has been and continues to be a ritual in some religious rites, as well as for medicinal purposes.

In China, it was formed into bars and stamped with the emporers seal and used as currency. France in the 1300's instituted a salt tax forcing the populus to purchase a certain amount of salt a year from the state's monopoly.In the 1600's this unfair taxation on the French population triggered the French Revolution. In 1790, the tax was re-instated by Napolean and remained intact until after the Second World War.

Types of salt and manufacturing

There are two types of Salt, Rock Salt (also called Halite) and Sea Salt.

Rock salt is mined from natural deposits formed by the shrinking of seas during geological periods of the earths formation. Often, water is pumped into
specially drilled wells to dissolve the rock salt deposits. The brine is then pumped to the surface and heated until the water evaporates. The final product is white and has lost all of its minerals with the exception of sodium and chloride. another technique is hauling the salt to the surface for refining. Table salt is halite that has been purified by a chemical process that prevents the mineral form absorbing moisture. Each quart of seawater contains one ounce of sodium chloride.

Sea Salt generally comes from salt marshes, basins where seawater has been trapped and is allowed to evaporate under the combined effects fo the sun and the wind. It is also produced from inland seas such as the Red Sea, the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake. Contrary to popular belief the salt extracted from these former bodies of water produces a higher content of salt than normal.

Sea salt is a preference of mine, not only for its flavor but also because it adds other minerals into your dish with the addition of adding sodium and chloride, sea salt also adds minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and other minerals and elements depending on where the sea salt was mined.

Michelle from Louisiana wrote:

"...can you please explain to me why they add additives such as iodide to salt?..."

Michelle, I can answer your question partially. Thanks for writing.

Iodide (potassium iodide) was first added to our standard table salt in 1924, following the studies that have proven that the defeciency of iodide in our diets can cause goiter, an illness said to be native to the Americas. So they added .01% of potassium iodide to our standard table salt, the most widely used condiment in the world.

Salt also is almost always treated with additives to prevent it from absorbing moisture and ensure that it remains free flowing and granular.

Hope this helps and thanks for a great question...Hugs...cheffy

Salt comes in a variety of forms...

Table salt, like I said contains both Sodium and Chloride, but is not limited to the use of halite, table salt may also contain sea salt.

Coarse salt is less refined than table salt and is used widely commercially by the food industry, marinades, sauces, brines, smoked foods and the list
is endless...

Speciality salts are used for certain purposes, such as tenderizing salt which is fortified with enzymes such as papain, used to tenderize meat. Salt enriched with sodium nitrate or a combo of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate is used widely to cure meats and as a preservative. Flavored salts, such as garlic, onion and celery salts (to name 3 of a million)

Various salt substitutes are also available. My experience is that these salts contain pottasium chloride and leave a bitter after taste. If you are searching for a salt alternative, my recommendation if you have not tasted that brand to look on the label for potassium chloride and see if you can find a different one, or find a small sample of the one you are interested in. Again, this is a personal opinion, if you have an aquired taste for the potassium, then the after taste may not affect you at all...

Eliminating Salt from your diet

This is a toughy. This has been a quest of my oldest brother due to doctor's orders and is a difficult task, especially if you are a salt-a-holic...

Here are a couple of cheffy recommendations.

First of all, reduce your intake gradually for two reasons. First is to allow your tastebuds to adjust to the lack of salt intake and secondly, because a sharp drop in your salt intake can cause a sodium defeciency, and although it may not lead to illness (although it could), it can cause fatique and overall weaknesses in your body.

Read labels!!! Avoid anything that has sodium in the name in any way, shape or form e.g. sodium bicarbonate, monosodium glutamate, sodium benzoate etc...you get the picture...

Avoid canned soups, vegetables, any foods smoked, brined, fish, olives, most cheeses etc. Also, be aware that a good amount of medications contain sodium (laxatives, analgesics, some antacids to name a few)

Washing canned vegetables can be an effective way of reducing drastically the amount of sodium you intake. Of course, there is no substitute like using fresh vegetables to begin with.

If there are certain products you absolutely love, look for low or reduced salt/sodium varieties of the product.

Rambling Boy...

Yeah, I know, the mouth never sleeps...I will continue this in the next episode and discuss the nutritional advantages/disadvantages of salt...this already turned out to be a lot longer than I intended...

Gotta Run...

Hope Peace and Serenity find its way into your world today..

Peace, Hugs and Cookies,
chefmike

=====
Every end contains a new beginning, thus giving hope to men.
Tao Te Ching- The Book of Changes

Hello World
As promised here is Part II to the newsletter dealing with Spanish Foods from friends of mine. I am also going to finish up my class on salt and try (strongly emphasized) not to run my mouth too darned much...(yeah, like that'll happen...hee hee)

Nutritional Information on Salt

This is partly in response to my buddy, Bruce Rose...Bruce owns a soy product manufacturing plant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We are going to kill a couple birds with one stone here. Bruce used to supply me with tofu and tempeh when I was the executive chef/restaurant manager at an Authentic Mexican restaurant in Ann Arbor. What I did was take his tofu's and gourmet tempeh products and prepared them in the authentic mexican styles to appease our extremely large vegetarian following at this small yet rocking restaurant in Kerrytown in Ann Arbor...If you ever see any ChinaRose products in your supermarket, buy it all, and send me half..LOL....they come highly recommended from the chefmeister....

Bruce wrote: "...Yes it is an important ingredient for our body chemistry. It's the "phony" chemical salts (often used as a preservative) that seems to
cause so much trouble and concern with a high sodium diet..." In part, I totally agree with Bruce, here is why..

Sodium plays a major role in the human body.. It contributes to the metabolism of protein and carbohydrates, transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction, hormone regulation, consuming oxygen by our blood cells, thirst, the production of liquid in our bodies etc. It also plays an integral part in building hydrochloric acid in our stomachs...

Salt consumption is very high in industrialized nations, especially in the United States. Americans consume ten times the amount of salt recommended by health specialists. Most of our salt intake comes from food products or by-products (77% according to the USDA) The USDA also stated that as little as one-fourth and as much as one-third of our daily intake of salt is what we put on our foods voluntarily.

Excessive salt intake can lead to a lot of medical problems, especially for those "people at risk". Contributing to hypertension, cardiovasular problems, high blood pressure, water retention, to name a few. And there are those people, like the people that are on salt-free vegetarian diets, people that suffer from constant vomiting or diarrhea, those that constantly sweat among other anomalies that may be suffering from a salt defeciency.

The salt that Bruce was refering to is called E250, which is a nitrate-treated salt. It is salt that is mixed with either sodium or potassium nitrate (saltpetre) and a maximum of sodium nitrate has been added. Nitrate treated salt is used widely in the delicatessen and food preserving industries..Bad ju-ju....( Great thought Bruce, thanks for sharing...)

Salt is meant to enhance a foods flavor, not make the salt taste like food. I use very little salt when I cook, I prefer to enhance my flavors with the use of
herbs, spices, essences of vegetables etc. So do me and yourself a flavor...go hug a basil plant...

Nutrition 101

2009-12-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

Nutrition 101

To help decipher some of the information provided in this issue, I feel its necessary to explain in layman�s terms some nutritional basics to give a deeper insight and understanding to our nutrition. Please keep in mind that I am not a physician, food scientist, dietician or a nutritionist, I am just your happy little buddy who happens to know a good amount about food and wants everyone to live their lives happy and healthy.

The problems some of us have with nutrition is that there are so many misconceptions about our diets and nutrition as a whole. One of the reasons is that there is so much conflicting information provided by the internet among countless other sources. My favorite food scientist and author, Mrs. Shirley Corriher once said that "�studies on fat and human health should all be prefaced with ��According to what we know now�� ". How true this statement is. The studies on fat, nutrition, cancer and other special diets appear to change each time a new study is presented. For further information on anything discussed in the next few newsletters please contact me or visit some of the websites I included at the end of the newsletter.

Nutrition- A three part process that gives the body the proper nutrients it needs. The first part is the consumption of foods and liquids. The second is the body breaks down the nutrients and the third is how the nutrients travel through the bloodstream where they are used as fuel among other uses.

Nutrients- Chemical compounds that make up the foods and liquids we consume (vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates) Each of these make up different ways that they are used by our bodies.

Calories- The measurement of energy your body gets by food and drink. The calories (fuel) are used to perform all the functions your body needs.

Protein- One of the three nutrients (fat and carbohydrates being the other two) that help supply our body with the necessary calories to maintain a healthy diet.

Carbohydrates- An important source of energy provided by food and drink. There are three major categories for carbs. Sugars (glucose, sucrose, frutrose etc.), starches, and cellose. Starch and sugar are easily digested and an important source of energy. Cellose, although providing important dietary fibers is not converted by dietary juices.

Fat and Fatty Acids- A basic source of lipids ( Lipids are a principal source of energy provided by foods and are an important source that the body uses to store energy) The body can make the best use of dietary lipids if they represent a sensible combination of the three major fatty acids (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fat).
The Super Food Groups

"Men dig their graves with their own teeth and die more by those fated instruments than the weapons of their enemies." Thomas Moffett, 1553-1604

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid provides a practical visual guide to healthful eating, indicating the recommended daily portions of the basic food groups. In addition to these major food groups I want to add what is referred to as the super groups; vegetables that contain certain enzymes, anti-oxidants or other properties that are beneficial in the fight and prevention of cancer, heart disease, lung disease etc.

The concept of the "super food groups", in portion, is due to the studies of Dr. J. Robert Hatherill (Eat to Beat Cancer, Renaissance Books, 1998) with Cheffy taking it to another level. I added to Dr. Hatherhill's original categories with the mouth running "Cheffy-style" in the zany manner (as grammatically incorrect as that is) that some have come to know and love. So here they are:

Chungachungabam!! The Happy Super Food Baby!!

The onion family- Nature has provided us with over 600 varieties of the allium plants such as onions, garlic, asparagus, leeks, scallions and shallots. Now all of y'all know that Cheffy loves his garlic and onions!! The possibilities are endless and the rewards are numerous. I could not imagine living my life without any of the foods classified in this group.

Since the beginning of civilization allium plants such as onion and garlic have been valued for their distinct flavors and medicinal properties. To avoid going into detail about things, let me just say that there are countless studies into all the positive effects of the members of the allium family especially garlic for its anti-cancer properties. Ancient Egypt, China and India have all held onion and garlic in high regard, in Egypt, pharaohs' burial chambers often contained dried relics of garlic cloves and wooden models of onions. Inhabitants of the Middle and Far East have cultivated allium plants for at least 5000 years. So the way I look at it, 5000 years worth of man cultivating Mother Earth for a little clove of garlic can't be all that wrong now can they?

Cruciferous Group- The crucifer flowers are cross-shaped (crucis is Latin for cross). Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cauliflour, cabbage, brussel sprouts, watercress, garden cress, radishes�blah,blah blah�.you get the picture. This group has a ton of cancer fighting properties. To avoid going into another one of Cheffy's science classes, let me say that most veggies that belong to this group have what are called glucosinates. Glucosinates possess over a hundred sulfur compounds and most of these compounds are anti-cancer. These compounds are released from the vegetables when they are chopped or chewed, preferably chewed�.hint,hint,hint!!! You may never look at a piece of broccoli the same again will you?

Nuts and Seeds- I can go on and on about the differences between a seed, a nut, a bean etc. so to eliminate all the Cheffy gibberish these two are categorized together. Seeds and nuts are good! Granted some of them are high in fat but they carry a ton of anti-oxidants. As strange as it may sound, science has yet to characterize most of these anti-oxidants, but they are happy to inform us that they are there nonetheless�gee, thanks guys. Some of the members of this group are pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, coconuts, sunflower seeds, almonds and pecans.

Grass Group- Ah, the grass group. One of the oldest food products known to man. This group includes corn, oats, rice, and wheat among many others. Because of the fiber and some compounds associated with fiber it has been proven that the members of the "grass group" have an inhibitory effect on carcinogens in our bloodstream. Blood plus less carcinogens equals good stuff Maynard!!

Legume Group- Foods in this group include soybeans, green and wax beans, peas, lentils and much, much more. I have already gone into the soya bean quite extensively in the last newsletter, so let me see if I can be brief on a subject that I could write a book about. Soy and legumes in general are good for you. They prove to be anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant protease inhibitors, and it appears to reduce cholesterol levels as well. Legumes; soy especially, contain what are called saponins. Saponins are cancer fighters; they inhibit DNA synthesis because of their toxicity to cancer cells therefore decreasing the amount of cancer cell growth in most cancers (except in instances like I mentioned earlier in my reply to Cindy's question).

Fruit- Eat an orange, man! Without taking you to another science class I will attempt make this short and sweet (every pun intended). There is an enzyme processed in your bloodstream from your liver that is aggressive as a detoxifying agent. This "detoxifying agent" is found in citrus fruits, apples, plums, berries, broccoli, garlic, cauliflour, and cabbage to name a few. Cooking these reduces the effect they have as a detoxifier, but it still acts as an agent nonetheless, just not as strong as if eaten fresh. The NCI (National Cancer Institute) strongly recommends at least 5 servings of fruits a day, and so does Cheffy. Vitamin C and Vitamin E are two of the most potent vitamins for anti-oxidants, and a lot of fruits are packed with either and/or both. So like I said, "Eat an orange, man!"

Solanace group- Ah! the almighty solanaces�where would the mother cuisine's be without them? They include tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets to name a couple. Happy vitamin filled veggies. I already discussed the advantage of Vitamin C as an anti-oxidant, and the tomato is filled with Vitamin C and other cancer fighting inhibitors. Here is an interesting fact I learned a couple days ago. In making some of my sauces and baked goods using fresh tomatoes I sometimes squeeze out and clean the seeds out of the tomato. The gelled substance that surrounds and binds to the seeds of the tomatoes is where most of the vitamin C is in the tomato. Hmmm, I thought that was pretty interesting. Needless to say Cheffy isn't squeezing his tomatoes anymore and if he does he incorporates the gel into his product somehow.

Umbelliferous Group- Um!! bell!! iferous!!!! (Cheffy likes that word) The other day at work I had to chop up a lot of celery and Cheffy was hollering UM-BELL-IFEROUS!!!! while he was chopping away. They thought I was nuts, I think it is a cool word�hee-hee. Celery, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, parsley, cumin, and a bunch of other herbs and veggies fall into this category. A numerous amount of studies have proven that this group of herbs and veggies are great for fighting tumorous cells. All of these in this group have a lot of phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that are beneficial for our fight against cancer; beta carotene, vitamins A, D, E, B12, blah, blah, blah�you get the picture now go grab some celery and hand me the peanut butter please�

The Pepper Group (Sweet and Hot)
Chungachungabam Baby!!! That's hot!!! Yeah, it may be hot, but what it's not is bad for you. There is more vitamin C in a hot pepper than there are in any other food. They also are loaded with phytochemicals that act as an antioxidant and produce numerous enzymes that are considered very anti-cancerous. Sweet peppers also contain a large amount of vitamin C and loving phytochemicals, but not near as many as hot peppers do, so go ahead and spice up your life, Cheffy style�.

Happy Herbs

By cooking with herbs we add our own special zing to dishes, and we also add benefits to our health because many herbs possess anti-oxidants among other happy anti-cancer properties. I am a favorite of herbs; I always use them when I prepare a meal, soup, sauce or whatever. For those that have followed my teachings know, I favor basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Rosemary and fenugreek are two herbs that possess the greatest values as anti-oxidants, some of the other Happy Herbs include:

Allspice, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fennel, ginger, mace, marjoram, nutmeg, sage, thyme and turmeric to name some of the most popular ones.