There is no one way to cook- Preface

“…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

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

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"

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

 

(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

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!!!!!

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....

The Story of SHIT

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

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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...