Halloween

I love Halloween. It’s an awesome holiday. No I don’t dress up but I love seeing the little kids in their costumes and laugh at those in the couples’ costumes. I like to hand out the candy to the youngsters and see the enjoyment in their faces. In which, brings me to this one point, for all you predators out there, “LEAVE THE KIDS CANDY ALONE AND GIVE THEM SAFE TREATS THEY CAN ENJOY”!

My Final Paper

My final paper was a joy to write. I felt a little unnerved because I felt like I could write a book. I was glad I got to pick my own topic because it was a topic I am truly passionate about. I love to bar-b-que and grill and have taken a lot of time to learn all I can. One day I hope to be a pit master and cook for some of the big names I admire.

Expeditor

Recently we hired a new guy at work. He is an awesome broil cook and I have been moved to the expeditor position. It is a fun and rewarding job. I control everything that goes on with the plating and presentation of those dishes. The final great part is I get a chance to interact more with the customer because sometimes I have to help deliver the food to their tables.

Doing Homework

Week by week it keeps coming, homework! Just about the time I have a schedule together to keep up with my homework, my schedule changes again. So, as we all do, adapt, improvise, and over come, I get sometime to do my work. Then just when you least expect it, my computer outsmarts me and I lose all my work! What a bummer! The best thing is good ol’ paper and pen. I can't accidently hit something there and lose it!

Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace

Dangers in the kitchen lurk all around. Hot surfaces, hot oil, sharp objects like knives, glass, forks, wet surfaces and on and on, are a constant danger. I have witnessed the use of drugs and drinking in the workplace. I have witnessed some so intoxicated, that I had to literally grab them and take them out of the restaurant for their and my safety. It irritates me to no end. I don’t care what others do on their own time, but coming to work sober isn’t just about you, it’s about everyone’s safety!

Phase II

During phase II, we had meat fabrication. The Chef’s were teaching us about calamari and octopus. Chef Riedel took a lemon and put it in the bell of the octopus and steamed it. I found some calamari that had all their parts. I took a really good picture of it and now can no longer find it. The costs I pay for dropping my new phone in the sink in baking lab!

 

Vegetable Soup

When you’re not feeling good, soup seems to be a miracle meal. It opens up the sinuses, clears the sore throat, and warms you up. It’s really easy to make as well. I took some ground meat, some mire poix, green beans, corn, and some seasoning. Mixed it all in a pot with some water, (in the words of Emeril) BAM! It’s a miracle in a pot. I baked some biscuits to go with it and my son and I devoured it.

 

Forking the Meat

The most comical thing I have ever seen (culinary) is to see someone spend a lot of time rubbing a roast, cutting the mire poix, going through all the steps of cooking, basting, sweating, and on and on, and you stick a fork in the meat! How stupid! Forking meat is bad, very bad! What happens when you stick a fork in any meat…all the juices leak out! Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes.  This gives the meat time to cool, tighten back up, holding the juices in. Once the meat has rested then cut it. I suggest putting gloves on and holding the meat and cutting, but it is then ok to fork the meat.

Sheppard’s Pie

As I have stated in posts before, I am still doing the family dinners at work. I have been limiting it to once a week so that I don’t dig into my bosses food cost. Honestly, with the waste there I am actually saving him money. Anyway, I made a simple Sheppard’s pie using just the ingredients I had there with the exception, I brought a can of corn from home. I browned the meat, added some red onions, some steak seasoning, three small ladles of their demi-glace (not the real stuff), and the corn. I cooked this until I got the taste and consistency I wanted and then I put everything in a pie pan. I took three scoops of their garlic mashed potatoes and spread it over the meat. I then took some mixed cheese and spread that over the potatoes and put it in the oven for about five minutes to melt the cheese. When it was done it made seven portions and everyone said it was awesome and wanted more. I would have to agree!

Being Sick

I am stuck at home, sick! I hate this! The worse part of being sick, there is nothing on TV.  I watch the news every morning and usually when it is over it is time to go to school. Well, not today. Rachael Ray is on and I don’t have the energy to even change the channel. She has a cook friend of hers as a guest and this woman is showing everyone how to make meals like breakfast, lunch, dinners, and desserts with only two ingredients. It was pretty cool. Then, I finally got the energy to change the channel to the Destination America channel. This station had two shows I was amazed by. One was about the fried foods in Carnivals, and late night cooking contests for drunks. These shows were great. For the life of me, I cannot remember the names of these shows.

Great Macaroni and Cheese

I love mac and cheese. There are many opinions about the good, bad, and ugly of mac and cheese. Here is mine! Velveeta is the cheese of the Gods. I have heard many chefs say it's no good and not worth being in their kitchens. I think that is foolish. I attended, helped cook, and run food at the Camp Rainbow function for the kids with cancer. It was a great time and the children left, leaving me inspired to enjoy life a little more. I digress, the mac and cheese made there was horrible! I helped make it and could not believe the blasphemies I was creating. We put cheese sauce in a pan and then added some Worcestershire sauce in it...it was horrible! It was so bad, the kids wouldn't eat it.

So, to the chefs, mac and cheese recipe, free, from the Biker...get some noodles (just about any kind will work), a little bit of milk, and some VELVEETA and walk away a winner. Melt Velveeta in a pan, mixing in slowly, the milk, until cheese is creamy. Once proper results are attained add to noodles and mix well. DO NOT ADD WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE or any other seasonings to the recipe. There is no need. It is already perfect! Enjoy!

Cooking at home

For years it's been just my wife and I. I use to never get to cook anything with beans because she doesn't eat them. Now that my son is here, I cook them a little bit more. I made chili and to make sure she was able to eat as well, I made her chili without beans or chili powder. It turned out really well and even I thought it was alright. Even though I made her something different, the regular chili my son and I ate was awesome. It was actually the first time I used cumin in something and it turned out perfect. I am really looking forward to tomorrow...chili only gets better over night!

French Fries

Again with the wagon wheel. Fries are one of the most costly and wasted products in a restaurant. Over portioning or just plain sitting in the window and dieing because of lack of sales and cooking to much. One of the most important things I learned about fries is, depending on size, count, breading, and water content, depends on how long they will last sitting around. There are even factors about adding seasonings. All of it is science and way beyond my brain pan capabilities, but it is useful information when owning or running a kitchen and controlling food costs!

 

In this picture are curly fries (seasoned and breaded), hash browns, skinny fries to thick and breaded fries. Picture taken by Dana Whaley. Thanks You!

Family Dinner

I have tried just about everything at our restaurant. To tell you the truth, I need more variety. So, I asked my boss if I could come up with a meal to share with the staff. He was all for it and while I still continued to do my job, I also put this dinner together. I made meatloaf. Everyone was complaining about how they hated meatloaf because of how it was made when they were growing up. My father taught all of us kids how to make his meatloaf. I can guarantee no ones is better. I put a version of his together. The staff was not only surprised at how well it tasted, but the fact there was not a drop of ketsup on it and it was juicy. Your welcome!

Preaching to the Choir

Yet again, a nerve has been struck! I hate drama, chaos, stupidity, and leaders who think they are leaders. I watched our kitchen fall apart this weekend. We hired a few new guys, top notch guys. Dinner service started and we began putting out food. Over the hustle and bustle, we could hear just how well the Cards were doing. The customers were erupting in cheers and claps. Expo began falling apart. Tempers began to flare, then exploded. I hear a lot about Thomas Keller. Oh how I wish our kitchen was half of his. The "Kitchen Manager" began screaming and yelling. His asst. expo was trash talking the line and another employee helping expo, was "pilled up" and raising hate and discontent with me.

I lead troops in the military. I never had to raise my voice to make my point. I do use "colorful" language, however, I never degrade my guys nor do I allow others to. I watched a group of people who were exited for their teams in St. Louis, and ready to work, lose all morale do to this type of behavior. My family would have been proud at how well I kept my temper in check. I cannot wait until I can leave this place.

Beer

I am not one to drink microbrews, however, people go nuts over these household concoctions. At my work, Trailheads Brewery Co., they are now serving their pumpkin beer. Last year they went through several thousand gallons of this stuff. I personally don't drink the stuff, but if you do, we should be serving this beer through December.

Cleaning

It seems like the mess never ends. It seems like no one wants to help clean it up. It seems I am developing OCD! I hate to clean, even worse, I hate the mess. Nothing is more ridiculous than to see a person, less than a foot from the trash can, throw food and anything else on their cutting board on the floor. It makes me wonder what their houses look like!

Wagon Wheel

There is a lot to learn about a potato. A potato is 80% water. How a potato is preserved tells you how long it can stay under heat lamps before it is no longer serviceable. Who'd of thunk it? This wagon wheel of fries and hash browns was taken at the PFG food show in St. Louis at the Lumiere Hotel. What a fun time and Dana and I enjoyed walking around getting a lot of information and brochures. 

P.S. I have the pick, not wanting to load!

 

Big Sammich

As I walked through the food show, looking and trying everything, I saw this sammich. Yes I said sammich! All I could think of was," my son would eat this and ask for seconds!" It was one of many displays featuring pattied burger. To tell you the truth, there is no better pattie than one that is freshly done.

Photo taken by Dana Whaley

Waffle House

Friday was 90 degrees in St. Louis. It was rather hot. I had the whole day off with a ton of homework and no will power to do it. So, I hopped on my motorcycle and set out for a ride and something to do. My wife got off work around four and soon joined me. Next thing we knew, it was two in the morning and we soon found our self at the Waffle House off 5th St in St. Charles. Our server Sherry was pretty awesome. She took our humor quite well, as we did hers. She was from Brooklyn, NY and the accent was very thick. She brought us coffee and  then took our order.

I always get the same thing, the Texas cheese steak plate with hash browns that are loaded with everything. To make it more artery clogging, I added three over easy eggs on top of the hash browns. People can say what they want, but for me a Waffle House is never to far away!

P.S. Thanks for letting me go MHP, I was using hand signals!

A day of eating

The biggest ride of the year was this weekend. The Rat Ride attracts thousands of motorcyclists and many motorcycle clubs to the area. Besides having a great time and beautiful weather, there was food every where. I had planned to have a day filled with drinking and riding, instead it turned into eating and burnt rubber. I started the morning with a bloody mary, it helps with the night before blues. Then, I figured I need a frosty cold adult beverage, I smelled hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, fried chicken, and many other smells filling the parking lot. I went from thirsty to starving.

I love the stadium hot dogs, and they were being grilled where we we. I had two. Then we rode to another place that had this beat up, rotting, nasty looking gut truck parked outside serving food. My kind of place to eat! I had a philly cheese steak with fried mushrooms. It was pretty good and so was the scenery! Then I saw the holy grail....the funnel cake trailer! One problem, the line was a mile long. Looking down the line, two of my brothers were close to the front of the line. A corn dog delivered promptly and devoured....it was awesome!