Roasted pepper chicken

Last week marks a sad day for me and probably one of the lowest points of the whole year.  Yes I am being overdramatic however, the garden got ripped out which makes me sad.  Peppers were overabundant, along with tomatoes, and always the jalapenos and habaneros have me wondering how much hot sauce I can make [...]

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Entre Amis 2008

The 2008 edition of Entre Amis is now available online.  Hard copies will be available after October 25 and there will be a publication party and reading on the evening of October 28.Entre Amis is the literary journal of the CHIC community. Edited by Nancy Monk, Entre Amis features original art and writing by CHIC [...]

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http://chiclibrary.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/entre-amis-2008/

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Introducing - The Vibrant & Delicious Fun and
Food Cafe

I'm back after a long and luxurious vacation in Europe and India, and now I'm fully recharged to take on the world, one step at a time! Thanks so much to all my readers and blog friends who looked out for me while I was gone, kept visiting my blog and kep it alive and buzzing with their comments and feedback. All you folks rock, and I'm ever indebted to you for all your support and appreciation! I hinted about a surprise when I left, and now its time to reveal what I had been working on since...

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ous-fun-and.html

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

Baked Sweet Potato Fries, the healthiest way to enjoy finger fries by far! According to World?s[...]

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http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2008/10/low-fat-baked-sweet-potato-fries.html

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Root Source Challenge #36: Brown Sugar

What makes sugar brown? Light or dark brown sugar is just refined white sugar that has been mixed with varying amounts of molasses ? which darkens it and adds moisture. (Raw sugar gets its similar color and taste from processed sugarcane residue.)

Brown sugar helps chocolate chip cookies stay moist, and adds a caramel sweetness to apple pie and barbecue sauce.

read more

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http://www.ismyblogburning.com/root-source-challenge-36-brown-sugar

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Fall Color and
Weeds ain't got nothin' on these mushrooms

This is a very important month. I had meant to post this on the 3rd directly after the Susan G. Komen event but life sometimes get busier than usual and you have to prioritize. Not saying my wonderful readers aren't in the top of my list...you are definitely top 3, I can't think of a better audience to have for my babblings about my love of desserts and such...anyhoo. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Did you know that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year? That is 42.5 of my subscribed readers. THIS is a sad fact that I wish I could do more about. I have been very blessed to not be effected by this either personally or through friends and family. I hope no one I love will ever be effected...I wish that we could finally find a cure. We are a step in the right direction with all of the wonderful fundraising and research and awareness out there but there is more work ahead of us. So to do my very small part I will impart you with this knowledge.





1. DO regular breast self exams. These should be done a couple of days after your menstual cycle.


2. The top 3 risk factors of getting breast cancer are a) being a woman b) getting older and c) genetics.





Myths and Facts
1. I'm 35. Breast cancer only happens to older women.fact:
While the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women are at risk for getting breast cancer.
2. Women with a family history of breast cancer typically get breast cancer.fact:Actually, most women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease. However, a woman whose mother, sister or daughter had breast cancer has an increased risk. Having a male relative with breast cancer, although rare, can also increase your risk.3. Women with more than one risk factor typically get breast cancer.fact:Most women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors except being a woman and getting older. All women are at risk.4. You can prevent breast cancer.fact:
Because the causes of breast cancer are not yet fully known, there is no way to absolutely prevent it. However, the drugs tamoxifen or raloxifene can help reduce the risk.5. If I had a mammogram every year, I would be exposed to too much radiation, and that would cause cancer.fact:
The small level of radiation from mammograms is believed to be safe, with the benefits outweighing the risks. (according to American College of Radiology, www.radiologyinfo.org/content/mammogram.htm/)6. Breastfeeding can increase my risk of breast cancer.fact: Breastfeeding may decrease a woman?s risk of getting pre-menopausal breast cancer.

There is SO much more information at the Susan G. Komen website. I urge you all to go and check it out. It really is important not just for ourselves, but for our friends and family.
Now on to the yummy stuff!





The desserts were a donation to a Susan G. Komen event that my housing management put on. I felt it would be selfish of me not to participate. I made Red Velvet cupcakes filled with French Vanilla Bean buttercream and a chocolate covered raspberry and topped again with the buttercream. Along with that I made Cinnamon Red Hot Red Velvet cake pops (thanks to Bakerella for the inspiration and help) and fresh strawberry marshmallows. They were all so pretty in their little clique. And the cinnamon red hot red velvet cake pops???? Ohhhh they were ROCKIN'! I will post the recipe for the cinnamon red hot buttercream tomorrow. Promise.

Now onto the wonders of Fall in Maine. Everyone KNOW that the New England is the place to be when the leaves start to turn. Normally I would say that Montana is just as spectacular if not more. But this year has been extra spectacular. I swear it seems like the trees are on fire, without all that stinky smoke. There are neon reds, oranges and yellows all over, dappled with about a thousand different shades of green to really set it all off. I just wanted to share with you some of what is in my yard.

And did I mention how much fun it is to play in the leaves??????? You know that expression, "My kids are growing like weeds!" I have now found that to be as profound a statement as this one..."My boys are growing like mushrooms." Yeah, I know...it sounds weird, but seriously! I have..well had this patch of beautiful bright yellow mushrooms that I noticed one day under a tree in my front yard...they were pushing their little heads through the dirt big clumps of dirt, leaves and bark stuck to their caps, I thought "how cute". The next day as I am walking out to my car they had multiplied 2 fold and grown at the very least 4 inches...this is NOT an exaggeration. They were so beautiful and stunning, I had to share.
They were actually so big, I was able to stand under one and get this shot. Just kidding it was big enough however for me to put my camera under it and still get a clear shot of its underbelly. Pretty huh?

So the lesson is.....find beauty today! Even if it is a fungus growing in your front yard. Love you all sweet readers and be good....but not too good :)

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http://fieldsofcake.blogspot.com/2008/10/breast-cancer-awareness-month-fall.html

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Turn up the heat

Or rather, turning up the cold! Mas La Chevaliere. near Beziers. Languedoc. Cold stabilisation stabilization tanks with ice on the cooling coils. Stainless steel fermentation and storage tanks. France. Europe.

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© Copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine

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There's No More Bread

If there's one thing I can't stand (amongst many others) is when the kitchen doesn't order enough bread for the days events. It happened again yesterday.

It wasn't a very busy day, just around 300 people total between 3 different dinners. Ok, no problem. The kitchen orders either 1 or 1.5 pieces of bread per person. See the problem with this?

One piece of bread per person? What the hell is that? Has bread gotten so expensive that we can't afford any more? Will the "bread fairy" get mad at us if we have any leftover? Doesn't bread freeze well, and can be used another day? Havent' you ever heard of making bread pudding and putting it out for the Sunday Brunch Buffet? Come on...give me a break! This is banquets not the restaurant...we have a guaranteed number of covers that NEED bread!

Anyway, this day, one of the dinners was for 175 people that ALWAYS likes a lot of bread as well as a lot of butter. Guess what happened? We only got 1 piece per person and that lasted only for the first 5 minutes. Their event was scheduled with a pre-set salad that would be eaten during the opening speeches that lasted around 30 minutes. Then we were to clear the salad, replenish the bread and drop the entree right after that. But noooooooooo, that's not what happened.

After we cleared the salad, my staff and I went running around looking for more bread because the "bread vultures" picked theirs clean like road kill. The chef said, "I ordered the regular amount, did we get it all?" "How the hell do I know", I told him. "Chef, didn't you or your cooks check what came in?" "We were too busy this morning", he said. At this time I wanted to hit him! Ok, ok...calm down banquet manager...

There was no way anyone could have gone to the store to buy more - so we served the entree and hoped for the best. THE BEST NEVER CAME!!! We got our asses kicked!

Along with her entourage of yentas and ex-housewives, the group contact came over to complain. Where's the bread? We want more bread! I'm big and fat and NEED more bread dammit! What could I say? "The chef is a jerk and doesn't know how to order f'ing bread?" No I can't say that. So I "took one for the team" and will get my payback with my captain's report. (for those that don't know - a captain's report is a summary of what happened during an event, the good and the bad, that then usually goes to all the big shots on property. When there are problems, somebody's butt gets reamed).

Ah, gotta love those captain reports.

I need a REAL job!




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http://soyouwanttobeabanquetmanager.blogspot.com/2008/10/theres-no-more-bread.htm
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"The Weeds." Restaurant Speak: Lexicon of Cooks.

For every lesson there is a learning curve. Some are as steep as 90 degree angles. This family of learning is known as one or all of the following:

Sink-Or-Swim
Fish Or Cut Bait
Shit or Get Off the Pot
Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

Other lessons aren't as harsh. Someone has patience, takes time, mentors. You get shown once, twice; there may even be time for endless instruction.

In kitchens there's a lot of the former, and very little, or none, of the latter.

A cook needs to understand everything now and produce it yesterday.
And every day said cook needs to be more efficient and organized, cleaner and faster, than the day before. Every day the food, the task, need to be executed better. 

There are a few ways to teach a cook Imperative.

One is to tell him.

"We need you to accomplish this five hour task by the time service starts, in 1 and a half hours."
"Hey, I need these carrots for service. Yeah I know you think it will take you longer than 30 minutes but it can't, right, because I need them to cook for the first order which is in, well, now, 28 minutes."
"You need to move faster."
"Every day your list is going to get longer."
"Managing your time better means doing more than one thing at a time. A lot more."

And so on.

Another is to show her.

Get in there, take the peeler out of her hand, and peel those apples faster, talking and showing as you go. Give instruction in a clear, concise way backed up with answers to why and show the how. Take another spoon out of the bain marie and quenelle 10 for every three she does. Show her how to move faster, stay cleaner and teach form, grace and economy of movement. Be more organized than your staff, showing them it can be done. Inspire them to want to be better.

Some cooks like their lessons served up military-style.

Kick cooks out of their stations, off their lines, and show them up. Break their egos with yelling, psychological violence and oneupmanship. Show them who's boss. Remind the line you're alpha and will fight to the death for that position, like a cock, or dogs. Constantly remind them they're nothing without you. It's Boot-camp. War. It's the emergency room and you have to push on through, no matter what.

There are cooks who call this abuse. And chefs who will tell you without this treatment they would have stayed mere civilians. There are cooks who only better themselves under this pressure, even when the other side of their mouth is telling you something else.

Other cooks learn through empowerment.

Sometimes giving a cook more responsibility than they may be able to handle, given their skill level, is a great way to assess and grow a cook. Certain cooks blossom with this treatment. For others it's not enough structure or guidance. Sometimes the mere act of wholeheartedly believing in someone (even before they feel confident themselves) will push them to step up, to improve.

There are cooks who grow only by verbal compliments and others who would rather their daily work towards greatness was an internal, private affair. Many cooks look to their teams to support them and others want to be the Chef's pet.

In short, there are thousands of ways to manage a kitchen. To teach a cook a lesson. Lessons.

But first things first.

Who are you?

Do you know your strengths?
Weaknesses?

I'm here to say what you don't want to hear:
You must know how to manage yourself, how to ask for help/ support/ assistance before you can manage others effectively.

        I hear you talking all this talk.
           - But for fuck's sake, step up.

The Weeds.

It's an expression we have. It means a few things but basically the expression defines getting into deeper and deeper water, and not being able to see trees for the forest.

The ticket machine starts at 5:29 and doesn't stop punching out orders until midnight.
You haven't had time enough to prep before service.
Your partner is hungover. You have a fever. Your wrist is broken. It's your 46th day in a row without a day off. The ventilation doesn't work and it's 116F outside at 7 pm and you can't think straight. Your boyfriend just broke up with you and your mind is elsewhere.
Your chef has never worked your station and has no clue about your firing times and so keeps waiting until the last minute to fire food off your station that takes three times as long as he thinks. You're pre-firing food that hasn't been called and now you've lost track of what is what, for what order and at what temperature.
Your mis en place is melting, you're plating cold desserts on hot plates and the ice machine is broken.

You're so behind you can't remember when you weren't. Your deep in the weeds you don't know when it snuck up on you.

The item on the menu you prepped the least because it's been a dud all week is on every goddamned ticket and you're trying to figure out how many orders you have so you can put them on count but you know it's more than likely you'll miscount and have to 86 it while there are still tickets on the board and then every waiter will hate you not to mention the chef and meanwhile you're cooking in six saute pans and, shit, you missed that last call, what was it?

The Weeds

will take you no matter how smart, clean, efficient, organized, you are. The Weeds will find your weakness. And live there. The Weeds wait for every cook.

        In plain fucking sight, yo.

The Weeds will take your lunch money and throw sand in your face and take your girlfriend and steal your pride. The Weeds do not discriminate. The Weeds wait. The Weeds are patient. Quiet. Confident. The Weeds strip you naked and leave you out to dry. And the next night? They'll be back again.
Refreshed.

Some chefs teach their cooks by dropping them into the weeds head first, hands tied behind their backs. I have an expression for this:

Setting someone up to fail.
It's a shaming method.

And you know what? Sometimes it works.

I don't say this because I'm a horrendous despot. A leader without conscious.
On the contrary.

There are people whose pride is so great that even when they are deep in The Weeds and not only sinking their own personal ship, but also the rest of The Line, they refuse to raise a white flag.

Just so we're all clear: SURRENDER does not equal pathetic.
         Sometimes bravery is quiet. Saying you need help is actually stronger than pretending you're Superman.

Every kitchen is a team. A team is made up of individuals, yes, but if the individuals do not see themselves as a Part of the Whole, all that happens is a lot of slam dunks and very little proper basketball playing. The cream will rise to the top. And if a chef is smart she can see who does what best and who needs to be pushed. How hard.

Managing is about bringing out the best in people.
It is about seeing the whole picture. It's about forecasting. Planning ahead. And taking the inevitable challenges into account.
Managing well is about turning problems into solutions. Plural.

And sometimes the whole team is being obscured by the mug of a cook who will not see her place. Be blind to how his actions, or inactions (as is the case in the point I'm making here) affect others, namely his team.

Sometimes a cook will be pushed into The Weeds. Sacrificed. Shown and shamed into seeing how it takes The Whole Line to push out the orders.

To be an effective manager, though, one must recognize one's own weaknesses. Otherwise it = the problems, will always be someone else's fault.

Otherwise known as: Absence of Accountability.

AKA Scapegoating. Or, "The Blame Game," and "Not my Job." Yes, even Restaurant Owners and Chefs and Sous Chefs can have this ailment.

And if the buck stops with no one, or everyone (which is the same problem really), then the final result is doomed. And because cooks produce edible results, this is a problem. A problem for the cook, the team, the chef, the diner, and the looming bottom line.

The Weeds.

It's an expression for line cooks by line cooks, but it is also something much larger. A euphemism. It's an in-the-moment, during service expression but it can also refer to your whole career.

The Weeds

can take a whole department. A station. A restaurant. A person and their career.

On The Line the weeds will usually let you out of its stranglehold after the last table is out.
But if you're really stubborn, The Weeds might have a lesson for you that takes a week, or five years.

When I train cooks I say the same thing over and over.

There are no cowboys on islands in kitchens. If you can be smart and honest enough to see The Weeds getting near, and you can ask for support before The Weeds claim you altogether, I and we can help you push through. But if we don't know you need help until you're drowning, not only is it too late to help you, it's too late to save the food from merely being banged-out. And I don't know about you but I have more pride in my food than to allow it to be banged-out.

Banging-Out is for Shoemakers.

Most people are not being set up to fail by others

they are being to set up to fail by themselves.

Most people are in their own way. This is an off shoot of The Weeds, another swamp, if you will.

{Communication is The Most Important Thing in professional kitchens.}

I am calling out to all cooks, all chefs with these words. While I understand that the recipe for success in kitchens is a strange concoction for which there is no standard recipe, ingredients include this contradicting mixture:

humility (definition of humility: the quality of being humble and modest), pridefulness, cockiness, deference. One must be: an independent, team-player, idea maker, idea executer, teacher, student, and apprentice.

Like an alchemist, cooks mix potions daily, for each job, with varying proportions of all these ingredients and descriptors. A pinch of confidence and a splash of humility; saute, and deglaze with liquid courage and hope the plate reads 'Believe in me. I believe in me.' Each cook dons a new persona, ever increasing in confidence, but attempting not to reach too high, too far, too fast. Or so I hope.

Because with each leap, each promotion, each new station and position learned, a cook's ego has been battered and bruised, but not broken. The hope is that said cook will drag themselves out of bed and want to do a better job the next day. Show her chef what she's made of, show his sous chef he means it when he says he wants to learn a new station next menu change.

It's a precarious line we cooks walk because if one enters a kitchen meek, quiet and unassuming, one might very well leave that kitchen much the same. And if said cook is working their way up; with a goal in mind to one day be a chef, a manager, an inspirationalist, an overseer, an idea maker, a mover-and-a-shaker, a difference maker, he and she must take risks, speak up, push to learn more, and enter The Weeds not like a sheep going to slaughter, but like a goalie taking it for the team.

Cooks support fellow cooks. Cowboys on islands become clueless chefs who lead their team into The Weeds every night single-handedly. For every one celebrity chef there are hundreds, and maybe thousands of cooks and sous chefs that have given over their lives to perfect that shiny person's food. Not a single chef is a chef alone.

On every team there are Rock Stars, yes. If it's you, shine on. But know this: even rock stars need back up bands, producers, record contracts and fans who help rock stars meet bottom lines. Even if it's art is for art's sake you're creating, it cannot be seen without an audience.

I beg of you, raise that flag before it's too late. During service yes, but more importantly, or as training for the bigger picture: your career.

Get out of your own way. If you can't ask for support until you're drowning, remember this:

It is more arduous and embarrassing a prospect to be drug out of the swamp by an emergency call than by your own admission to being human.

And if you disagree, I have one question. How's that working out for you?

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Broccoli Crunch

A great broccoli recipe, one of my favorites! Tiny green florets, crisp apples, crunchy shallots, candied nuts and slivered red onions are tossed in a barely sweet, creamy almond vinaigrette. Add baked tofu or pan-fried tempeh and you can easily turn this side into a main course.

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http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/broccoli-crunch-recipe.html

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