Harney Channel, AM
I am off to the
mainland this morning to shop and cook. It was an abrupt
awakening at 5am though. The house was shaking with gale-like
winds and the rain was hitting the windows like automatic gun
fire. I live on the south side of the island and the winds tend
to hit there more often. On the North side where I had to catch
the ferry, the wind was still howling, but not as fierce. Now, in
the channel the ferry is steady over the small white caps. It
could get worse before the voyage is over though. It is still
grey outside the windows; more wind and weather than predawn
conditions. It looks like we will be in the dock later than
normal. I will be alright for time though. I do not have to
be at my client's home for till afternoon. Shopping is the order
of the day until then. Still, I hope I can catch the 9:30pm ferry home.
Perhaps the weather will keep the Black Friday
crowds to a minimum. I hope so. I hate town on busy
days--it is not laid out well enough for traffic to flow. It will
be a zoo. A problem for those of us trying to take care of
business.
Trying to catch up on my mountains of reading this
morning. Lots of trade journals and some cooking magazines.
They are all a jumble in my head. In reading my
IACP
Food Forum I am both excited and befuddled. All the ideas and
dreams I have are jockeying for position inside my brain. Once
again I am Promethian bound from tackling the least of my ideas.
Ideas are all well and good; but it is opportunity that matters.
Cooking show, cook book, culinary school with hotel and gift store are
all inside me--but where and how? Contacts. It turns out
the business cards I handed out at the Food show a couple of weeks ago
may have backfired. Instead of getting calls for business and job
opportunites I am being solicited by companies who got hold of my
address.
The swells are stronger now. The ship shudders
as we plow through trough and crest. The foaming caps writhe around us,
visible as far as the murky weather allows us to see. The
shipping lanes we are crossing are devoid of traffic--is it the
holiday, or the weather. This is a big ship but like a cork down
a rain swelled gutter tossed we are.
We will dock soon enough. Starbucks and
breakfast sound good right about now. Nothing too extravagant. Of
CoUrSe I mAy NoT Be HuNgRy WhEn We ArRiVe WiTh ThE PiTcH aNd YaW oF tHe
ShIp. It is one thing to sit still, but the idiots who are trying
to walk around are hte funny ones--tossed about. I suppose the
voyage will be like this for the next 3 months of the winter. My
wife, a life-long islander, hates this weather. I find it
bracing--after all something is bound to happen: good or bad, it is
always different. The wife wouldn't be caught out here now for
anything--even a job like the one I'm going to. It's not the
danger, but her own fragile stomach. Something about tossing
around in the sea salt chuck screws up her gyro in ways I can't
understand. I have been air sick once--one hot day as a kid when
my father was stall testing a small plane and I begged to go
along. I have been sea sick once. On the Block Island ferry
during a summer scouting excursion to the island, the ferry went out in
weather it shouldn't have. It was smaller then the craft I am
presently on and the waves were very much larger. I was, being a
kid, stuffed to the gills with chips and burgers. I am happy to
say my constitution is much stouter these days. Now I just, on
occasion, drink myself sick. Don't understand how it happens----
we
just rolled waaaaayy over, about a 35 degree angle and I'm left
wondering if I set the brake on my car, and if the uhaul truck I parked
next to has slid over into my taurus------I'm drinking and
having a great time and on my way home I'm ill. The last time it
was definately due to bad Creme Brulee. I knew I should have
finished the meal out with cheese and fruit like my buddy. The
whiskeys, pints of stout and bottles of vin rouge were not enough to
over power the festering bacteria growing on the luke warm
dessert. I was left outside my cottage in Ireland as wretched a
figure as you could imagine.
The journey is at an end. More later.
posted by: ChefNeal at November 29, 2003 09:39 |
link | comments |
Shaw Island, AM
The week has flown by. The
weekend was pretty much useless. We watched way too much TV and
got nothing done. It didn't help/hurt that it was bitter cold
outside and raining. The yard is a sea of mud. I was
pleased, yesterday, though when I went out to feed and check on the
chickens--remember those cute chicks from a few weeks ago? They're now
feed guzzling teenagers--that there is still a ton of Chard, and some
bok choy doing well in the garden. I'll have to go out and
harvest that. I was also amazed to see, in the chicken
yard/orchard, that there was some overgrown salad mix tangled in with
the weeds. I must have thrown some salad greens from the garden
to the chickens as the greens were going to seed. A bit of
fertilizer and hey presto a bunch of salad I didn't know I had! I
think I will use it to decorate the turkey platter or some such.
We usually have friends over for Thanksgiving, or do something
quiet--just the 7 of us. My family lives too far away, and my
wife's too close. We have done the 4 families together thing, but
as none of us has a large enough house it becomes absurd. In
day's past it has been a bit of a bother too. Everyone cooks
something and brings it. With not enough space to keep food hot
it ends up being a cold buffet, which is fine because most of the food
is overcooked anyway. Any more heat and it would be dust, or
slime.
One year we had Thanksgiving at our house. I insisted on cooking
everything. So far so good. The menu was expansive and the
food was great. Except that it was a total waste on the 10 kids,
and half of the adults. Most of them didn't want to try anything
because it wasn't what they were used to.
This year, forget it: Stouffer's stuffing, canned cranberry sauce,
canned pumpkin pie mix--rural America at its best. Apperently in
my attempt to come up with holiday traditions for my own family--like
real food which tastes of something (and I'm not talking about Marth's
vision of Betty Crocker World, either) I strayed too far away
from the tradition of the crappy holiday.
As a kid we had traditional stuff at Thanksgiving like everyone else,
but the entree changed from time to time--and who wants to stick with
the pureed Brussels sprouts and other horrors of the 70's? I
think the traditions come in what we do, not what's on the table--that
should change with the times, the people and the mood. And least of all
what is available and fresh. I can do with out the tradition of
taking a bean out of a hat and saying what I am most and least thankful
for in front of people I hardly know, nor want to know better. In
that case, what I'm most thankful for is that the dinner will be over
and I'll be headed home ASAP.
So tomorrow I'll be getting up late (I hope--at
least after 7am) and having a late breakfast, most of which I'll
prepare tonight. And then I'll light the outdoor wood-fired oven
and roast two turkeys. The wonder of my oven, which I am soooo
happy I built, is that it not only turns out the best breads we can
bake, but I can roast an entire dinner in one go in record time.
The two turkeys should take roughly 2 hours with maybe an extra half
hour keeping them warm before serving. 600 degrees can work
miracles. And these aren't going to be singed, or dried out
either. Smokey, roasted, moist. For get the deepfried
thing--that's a bit too sunburnt for my tastes. Gravy and
stuffing is also on my plan for tomorrow--at least the protein for the
meal will have flavor, etc. I don't know who else is doing
what. The bread rolls were farmed out to my sister in law, even
though we usually make hundreds of them to sell for Christmas, so who
knows what they'll be like. Good ammunition in a bun fight is my
guess.
I will splash out for these people I guess. I've got a $5 bottle
of Cote du Rhone I'll deglaze the pan with for the gravy, and I'll make
the store bought, crouton-like stuffing with double strength chicken
stock and fresh herbs from the garden. Make the best of what we
have.
I am kind of relieved we're not doing more for Thanksgiving. I am
off on Friday morning, to the mainland to cook for some people.
I'll be gone 20 hours to work 4. Not to mention, having to fight
the crowd of Black Friday.
I should probably head off and do some mental prep work for Friday now,
so I don't have to think about it too much tomorrow. If Thurday
is the low table, with elbows on and napkins tucked; then Friday is the
high, with chargers, full service and warmed plates.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
posted by: ChefNeal at November 26, 2003 09:57 |
link | comments |
Shaw Island, AM
The New Year's Eve
saga continues. I got the call the other day. A tentative
voice on the other end, obviously afraid of sparking off this
tempermental chef, hedged a bit and danced around the fact that $21 was
just too high a price for people to pay to go out for dinner, (the one
night around here they do go out and spend money) when it is a
fund-raiser situation. ARRRGH! The people need a severe dose of
reality. I mean, we're not talking the projects here.
Property is easily $150, 000 an acre avg. For 80% of the people
who live here, it is a second home. Retired professionals who
made it big moved here, but still attend the theater, symphony, etc
regularly in Seattle. So all factors considered at the lowest,
the per capita income is $75,000 avg. This is not a place where
$50 for a couple to go out and have an excellent dinner once a year
should hurt. But the over all impression of the island is that
$15 for a 3 course dinner is more than enough.
Apparently that is what I have done it for the past
2 years--Fool that I am. Now that I am totally legit and run a
business with some clout and costs, I can't afford to give away food
any more. Still $25, or $21 per person should not be a
hardship. I usually charge around $36 per head for smaller
dinners along the same lines.
So the voice at the other end of the line, the one I was dying to blast
with a withering dose of reality, was utterly suprised by my calm, cool
manner. For, you see, I had a back up plan all along. I
knew, although I hoped otherwise, that the cost would seem too much to
these penny pinching tightasses. I bit my tongue and swallowed my
pride and chose my battle. My solution was $15 per head for a
gourmet pizza party. I am still waiting for the result of this
decision. Around here pizza is a big deal. I am the only
one who makes it, and when others do it doesn't compare. So,
people don't have pizza unless I make it or they make it themselves,
which I am sure doesn't happen that often. I will loose about
$600 profit from the other menu, but the cost to profit ratio of the
pizza is higher and it is tons less work--it will take me two instead
of three days to prepare the food for 100. There is still a
twinge of concern about how I will cook and serve all of this pizza
from little more than a shoebox sized apartment style kitchen, but hey!
what is life without its challenges.
Meanwhile I have picked up two other jobs which
should make up the lost income so I can meet my cash needs before the
end of the year. Which means I better get my Christmas Eve menu
done and sent to the client today so I can work on this new
stuff. More about the saga of a traditional Italian and Polish,
vegetarian menu when I return.
posted by: ChefNeal at November 21, 2003 09:33 |
link | comments |
Shaw Island, AM
So, I resubmitted
the New Year's eve menu. Took away the salad and simplified the
dessert. Lowered the price to $21 and now I wait to see if there
is a problem with that.
All this is a pain to return to. My stay in
the city was very nice. Visited some friends from the island who
work in Seattle. Went on a tour of the city, shopping for dinner
on Saturday. Here's what we ate:
Thin Wafer Bread with Artichoke Pate,
Tomato Chutney and Hummus
Hama Hama Oysters on the half-shell
with Lime Mignionette
Scrambled Egg in Shells with
Lime-Creme Fraiche and Caviar
Sesame Crusted Pan Roast Black Cod in Soy-Lime
Glaze with Stir-Fried Bok Choy
Cheese Assortment and Shaw Island Apples
Sea Salt Chocolate Caramels
Too much Wine
All very casual and fun. Sunday
morning was a bit of a grim reality with the day dawning in the gale I
mentioned last time.
The Trade Convention I went to the city for was a
bit of a disappointing joke. Seattle Cooks! It is the 5th
year of this thing, but my first (and last) attending it. It was
all a bit amaturish. Even with big name chefs like Martin Yan,
and Nick Stellino and several of the celebrity local chefs all doing
demonstrations--in this day of the Food Network, the demos all looked
like some sort of boy scout cook-off. Friday was nice because
there weren't many people. The vendors were not what I
expected. Some of them were good, others I thought were a waste
of space. Saturday was a zoo. I showed up with my friends,
who wanted to do a bit of shopping, but we didn't last long.
Rather than being a professional show, it was opened up to the general
public in all its splendor. It was important in other ways
though. I did make several contacts and passed out many business
cards. Although that may have backfired. I got a call last
night from someone who must have given a card. They weren't
interested in anything I had to offer, but what they could sell
me. Okay, fair enough work the system. But not at 9pm!
Well, they day has dawned and I don't see the heavy
rains that kept me inside all day like yesterday, so I better make my
move now before they return and go bring in masses of firewood and make
sure the chicks survived the night. Remember them from the photo
below? They are positively huge now. We made the right move
and in a couple of months back to our lovely free-range, semi organic,
healthy eggs. Beats waiting until spring to get the chicks and not
having eggs until August and then only til November, before the hens go
dormant for the winter.
Shaw Island, AM
Just a quick post. The wrath of
the winds has finally settled down here on the island. I think we
are between storms. I drove back from Seattle yesterday in a
driving gale. My brother-in-law's vessel assist boat broke free
and crashed against our shore. He has a heavy day of sorting out
the damage before the next storm.
I've come back from three days away to piles of
mail, email and problems. Just for once I would like to be away
and have my homecoming more exciting than the leaving. My plan
for New Year's eve was squashed. The people in charge of the
event didn't like the $25 per person price, or the menu. They
want simpler, family fare. The want a kick up the ass into
reality. More venting about this later, I have to restructure my menu
and cost to salvage something for the evening. I have three more
events two plan for pronto. Two of these I got through my
trip.
I was able to make several contacts through my
Seattle trip which should be great once they pay off.
Networking.
I've got to get my thoughts down to the New Year's Eve committee before all the vitriol goes--later.
posted by: ChefNeal at November 17, 2003 09:11 |
link | comments |
Shaw Island, AM
Things are beginning
to fall into place for my trip to the food show. There is
probably many things I should be doing instead. I look out of my
window on a pile of cedar decking which I placed haphazardly months
ago. The half-finished deck has a nice layer of frost on it--why
didn't I finish it when I had the weather? Oh, ran out of
nails. That's just the thing about living on the island. No
access to materials. Not like I could stop and run down to the
lumber yard for more fasteners. No, a day long trip to the tune
of $50 when all is said and done.
There sits the deck, framing the mist covered waters
of the bay. And I need to find time to assemble the materials to
expand the dog yard. As the mink infiltrate the shore his barking
all the time is becoming annoying. A bigger area, paved will be
great. Less of a trial to bring him in the house, less mud.
Got a hellofa shock when I looked at my credit card
statements the other day. I thought I had paid them all down, but
no, back up to almost a grand. Where does all the money go?
That is the price of business I guess. It would be nice if the
money were coming in to cover the outlay. Still, not bankrupt
yet. Though, my impulsive trip to London is begining to take on
ludicrous proportions. I have only paid for the ticket and I am
seeing that that money should have been spent elsewhere. I can't
buy all the seasalt I was going to because it just seems foolish to
spend money on it. Fancy, desirable, tastey and very high end
gourmet, but not practical to buy in bulk at the moment--too bad.
I wish I was in Dublin tonight. Tomorrow
is the reunion of my cooking school class. My mate is
flying over from London to join in. Has all the earmarkings of an
mighty party. I will have to live it from afar. I'm hoping
to get the full day-after report.
I am sitting here thinking about all of the cooking
I have done recently, and the jobs I have coming up and the rewards of
it, and I must admit I am at a loss as to why I do it. There is
always the angle that the money, even if it isn't steady, is
great. I am, also, my own boss. And then the huge ego boost
when a meal goes well and you hear people talking about it days
afterwards and a job comes down the line via word of mouth. But
the effort. It's not the same as going to an office job, or
showing up on a jobsite and barking commands at a mindless crew who've
partied to much the night before. Yet is has all the pressures of
building million dollar houses, and deadlines. And then there is
the logistics of workin always in different, unfamiliar circumstances
to pull off something from thin air. Moving in my own equiptment,
moving it out and storing it for the next time. Oh, it would be
great doing this if I had the jobs to support a team, but just
me--broken back and all. It must be fun, I must enjoy it.
Or so I tell myself. I think it is the only option I have left
these days.
It would be different on the mainland. Easier
maybe, maybe harder--certainly more competition. It is nice being
the only game in town. But also, I fear, easy to get tired
of. Although, I heard someone complaining last week that they had
been sick and couldn't attend a party which I cooked for. They
heard what a great time everyone had and how great the meal was.
Too bad. They missed a brief moment of relief from this vale of
tears and I missed about $60. No one wins.
I feel like I could stay at this all day but you would get tired of reading my drivel--if anyone is reading, and I'm already getting tired of typing.
Shaw Island, AM
Well, after a week
of clear, beautiful crisp weather--the kind I used to love when I was
building houses and it great to work outside in--the rains have
returned. It is a flood outside right now.
A fine punctuation to a weekend of disasters. Our Asko washing
machine blew it's fuses and then when I replaced them, blew a
capacitor. Now I have to wade among piles of laundry all week
until the replacement parts can be shipped to me.
Also, the wife decided my trip to London was ill
planned and ill advised. It caused a small amount of friction over the
weekend to which there was no relief. Fortunately I will be
staying with some friends so it won't be outrageously expensive.
And meanwhile, at our friend's going away party I was asked to make a
speech about how much she would be missed, etc. It was a spur of
the moment thing for which I was not prepared. As I got into my
stride and was actually heading somewhere with my commnets, and had the
attention of the whole audience, our friend's odious landlord heckled
me by making some rude comments about something I was saying. I
couldn't believe it. It left me speechless that someone could be
so rude in front of a group and expect to get away with it. I was
bowled over and forgot everything I was saying and had to wrap up my
speech and leave to control my rage. I was so gobsmacked that I
didn't even give out to him with any of my usual terse wit. I
half expected him to come up to me later on and say something where I
could have fileted him in private, but I decided not to wait around and
cause a scene, no sense stealing our friend's moment like he had.
On a better note I finalized the two menus I was working on.
New
Year's Eve Dinner for 120
Timbale of Sundried Tomatoes, Roast Peppers, and Goat's Cheese
on a bed of Greens
Roast
Game Hen on Apple, Rosemary Barley with Roasted
Winter Vegetables
Molten
Cake in a Pool of Creme Anglaise
Not exactly what I want to do, but given the budget and the kitchen space I have to work with, very doable.
Post
Thanksgiving Dinner for 6
Celariac and
Hazlenut Soup
Timbale of Sundried
Tomatoes, Roast Peppers and Goat's Cheese
on a bed of Greens
Roast Game Hen on
Apple, Rosemary Barley with Roasted
Winter Vegetables
Pear Tarte Tatin
with Pear Brandy Creme
Now I just have to work on my early Dec. Christmas party and a cooking
class, and a Xmas Eve party. On top of finding a way to attend a food
conference and drum up new business. Not a hectic schedule, but
as much as I can handle from the island.
On with today's activities.
Shaw Island, PM
Here I am
again. Just stalling before I begin to make dinner. Not the
dinner I want to make, and probably not the dinner my family wants to
eat, but the fridge is busting with leftovers. The night before
last we had Braised Lamb Shanks with Winter Beans on a bed of Yukon
Gold Mashed Potato. It was not a hit, mostly with the kids but
also with a wife who hates test kitchen mode food and lamb. Last
night was a neutral dinner--Pasta with Ragu.
Tonight, however, is the most likely unpopular dish
of Shephards Pie--leftover lamb and mash with a few things added to try
to disguise the fact that everyone ate this meal a few days ago.
I'm still trying to find a meal for New Year's. I did a bit of
work on it today, but didn't get far. I think I'll cook game hens
tomorrow with barley in cider with glazed winter vegetables and see if
that will pass the taste test.
Meanwhile, I almost had a menu for my next upcomming
dinner, but the host wasn't keen on Rabbit so it is back to the table
with that plan.
Next Friday is a Gourmet Food show in Seattle, so I'm hoping to
head to that for 3 days. Not too sure what the wife will
say. Initially it was okay. But I just bought that ticket
for London--she hates flying and was disinclined to go--for a week by
myself. Hopefully the trip will be business related--I plan on
dropping in on collegues and checking out some food related venues on
the South Bank. However, the Mrs is not keen on taking the time
off work to be with the kids, nor the expense of the trip and her loss
of wages. It is a dear place. When we were there last
spring I was amazed at how expensive things were. Of course that
was because we didn't have plans and had been robbed of everything in
Ireland. We salvaged our holiday, but it cost us more than we
should have because our itinerary was blown.
No word on work in San Fran, or another job agency
I've applied to in Calif. Roving Chef--should be a Food Network
show or something. I know I'd be good in it (modest aren't
I?) What will I find to cook in your fridge tonight if I turn up
with my kit of spices and herbs? Not to mention my team of food
stylists, cameramen, technicians, and producer who all want a fork full
of that plate of food I just made for you and your family who have been
squeezed to the recesses of the house by our equiptment--sounds
brilliant, doesn't it?
Oh the stove calls, and there is a party on the
island tonight. Our best friend is leaving the island to find
work and get married--the man she has, the job not. I made Tea
Bread and Ale Cheese muffins for the fete, not knowing what else to
make on short notice, or having anything to use en masse.
Tickity boo.
posted by: ChefNeal at November 06, 2003 18:00 |
link | comments |
Shaw Island, PM
Here I am, almost
one week on, with out many posts. I have been busy in the "Test
kitchen" trying recipes for my up coming events. Chantarelles
were back in the market on Saturday last when I went to the
mainland. Lamb Shank was also on sale--I do believe it will be
the centerpiece of my New Year's Eve menu. I will post this and
the three other menus I am currently working on, as soon as I have them
complete.
I have a rather tricky job on Christmas Eve with a
party for about 20. It wants to be traditional Italian, and while I am
well able to do just that it also has to have a Polish twist and be
vegetarian/seafood on some pretty strict levels. So much for
standards--I'll be making up somethings as I go on this one.
Nothing like a challenge.
Meanwhile, up jumped the Devil. British
Airways has just sent me a phenomenal offer for fares to London--almost
too good to pass up--I think I may just have to find an excuse to go
(as if anyone needed an excuse). Perhaps after the first of the
year. It has oly been a
year since I was there, as of Jan 1. Great time for me to go, because
it is so slow here catering wise, but poor
financially. I am definetly going to have to consider
this one heavily. Now I've got myself wondering what sort of
arrangements I can make once I'm over there? Friends to stay
with--no prob. Activities--well, not so much a problem, except
London is soooo bloody expensive. Cooking, etc would be
nice. I must get off some e-mails to see what sort of practical
experiences I can wrestle up. As if I didn't have enough to do
right now.
It's no good. London is stuck in my head now. I'm going to
have to get busy and writing. I'll let you all know what's up.
