The Kitchen is Closed!

Well, that as they say, is that!  My kitchen at the Old Salzburg is now closed, and I am looking at 6 weeks of vacation time!  It was a great summer powered by some even greater people, and I would like to take the time to thank everyone that was involved, starting with my kitchen:
Thank you Joachim, Morgan, Jimmy, Dani, Linda, Ida and Thomas, I couldn't have done it without you.  You all are more than welcome to return in the summer of '11.
To the front staff, thanks for putting up with me this summer. I know I was difficult sometimes, and that I wasn't always in the greatest of spirits, but you all did a great job, so thank you Issabelle, Cheryl, Leah, Christa, Heinz, Magdalena,Shauna, Rachael and Margaret, and others I might of forgotten. 
Here's hoping the Christmas season is a profitable one and that everyone has a great winter! I wish everyone lots of great turns, and lots of fresh powder!

The Dishwasher

Something I never quite understood: Why is the lowliest position in North American kitchens the dishwasher? Why is it that we ask so much of them yet pay them the least?  Shouldn't these soldiers of flatware, these champions of cleanliness be given a wage that is appropriate to the amount of work we put on them? Wouldn't it help to attract some people to this position? Something that shows them the amount of appreciation and respect that the Chef, the owner and the rest of the restaurant team SHOULD have for the people who do the job that NO ONE wants to do?  What is wrong with this picture?

This is what I think: I live in British Columbia, Canada. We have a minimum wage problem. Meaning that our minimum wage isn't proportionate to the average cost of living.  I think that dishwashers in busy kitchens should start at a minimum $12.00/hour.  But not only will they be asked to do dishes and keep the kitchen clean, they will be asked to do rough prep i.e peel carrots, onions, potatoes and such.  As well, they will learn the basics of the job. In essence, a sort of apprenticeship.  After a certain time period, they will be assessed and it will be determined from there whether or not they will see an increase in wage.

Dishwashing is a tough job that requires organization, cleanliness and speed.  It is not a job for the elderly or unhealthy.  All in all, the job sucks but it needs to be done.  As a chef, I have come up from the pit after a few years of doing it, and to this day I always seem to find my self  back in the pit, slugging it out after a really busy 10 hour day on my feet trying to clean up because someone didn't show up.  The reason why they didn't show up?  The pay is grossly disproportionate to the amount of work.

I am hoping that one of these days, owners will stop scratching their heads over the issue, wise up and pay them a little more.  It will benefit the kitchen and the business immensely.

That is all I want to say on the subject.

Shun Knives

I really admire the look of these knives. They seem to have a sort of elegant simplicity about them. There cunning design and elegant lines give them a certain notion of speed and accuracy. I also like the color of the handle; a rich chocolatey brown, border on black. I can only imagine that there balance must be nothing short of perfect. I'm not too sure if I would want to take them into the kitchen with me, though. I think things like that have a habit of ending up damaged or worse when they are placed in an environment that seems to brees degenerates. Not that I am slagging my profession, but I have been in it long enough to know the dysfunctional attitude that it attracts. I love this business! Anyway, I would love to buy these knives, I think that they would be a worthwhile investment. And barring that, I would love to receive these as a gift. Professionally speaking, They're SEXY!

In case you haven't read it yet...

If you work in the kitchen, have ever been in a restaurant, or know someone who works in a restaurant, you NEED to read this book.  Tony Bourdain is the most indispensable chef/author in the business to date. He writes it like he knows it.  With a cool wit and a culinary knowledge that you can't find in your standard cook book.
The first chapter is like adding sugar to a tomato sauce.  It hooks you, and keeps you wanting more and more.

 Don't expect recipes and procedures, expect to be shocked and at times disgusted, but always entertained and informed about chefs and why they do what they do.  Tony Bourdain is an amazing writer, and I strongly encourage anyone to read this book. 

You can find Kitchen Confidential at my website Culinary iDeals
Check it out.  It is a great site for anything you could ever need to work in a kitchen.

They're Heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrre!

Today is the official kick off for tourist season in the Columbia valley.

It is this weekend, the Victoria Day long weekend, that throngs and hoards and scads and, well, just a whole lot of people descend upon our quiet, peaceful valley. 

Enjoy it, everyone!  And to anyone who, like myself has to work this weekend and the many to follow, good luck, put your heads down, put your helmet on and it will all be over soon enough! :)  Have fun! Hope you make lots of money! 

The Busy Season

Well, no matter how much we try to hide from it or avoid it or just plain deny it, Tourist Season officially kicks off next weekend here in the valley.  The onslaught of rubber-necked drivers behind the wheels of there SUV's, or RV's is sure to be a record breaker this year.  Be on the look out for sudden stops, and slow downs to get the perfect picture of one of natures finest in that typically unnatural cutsey pose that is sure to go in the family album that will be passed all over the world thanks to social media.

Oh well.  It is going to happen, so complaining about it is of zero use.  Might just as well embrace it, hunker down and wait out the 4 month storm that brings us our paycheques and keeps our businesses afloat for the rest of the year.

This year promises to be a big one, and I for one hope it is. I really want to look at the calendar next weekend, go to work, and then look at the calendar again and realize that it is January, and myself and my lovely significant other are packed and on our way to Jamaica!  When the Restaurnt is busy, the girls make money.  When the girls make money, I make more money.  So I say "BRING IT, BEE-YOTCHES!!"

Well, that is about all I have to post at this point.  I am trying to be true to my word of keeping this blog updated, so, there! Until next time, I'll be in my backyard, tossing the ball for Mollie, and maybe having a few cold ones while grilling some chicken on my Weber 3751001 Genesis E-320 Propane Gas Grill. 

Mother's Day at the Old Salzburg

As with any special occasion, any decent restaurant will have a special menu.  Mother's day, the most special of them all, is certainly no exception.  I always like creating these special menus because it usually gives me a chance to break away from the regular menu and make something that is, in essence, different from the day to day.

This year, I chose to feature a feta-cheese and sundried tomato stuffed chicken breast supreme on a rosé sauce.

It is really quite simple once everything is together, and I am sure that any chef who is reading this is probably thinking how completely elementary this is, but when simplicity and speed is the key, then this is the item of choice.

I started with quality feta, sundried tomatoes, fresh garlic, and fresh chopped parsley.  I avoided using salt because feta is already a salty cheese.  Coupled with sundried tomatoes, it renders salt for the filling unnecessary.   I added all of my ingredients in to the trusty, and well worn Cuisinart Mini-Prep Processor, and gave it a spin.

I pureéd this until it formed a semi-smooth paste.

I put this aside and prepped my chicken breasts.  I started out with fresh chicken breast supremes.  The difference between a regular chicken breast, and a supreme, is the presence of the wing bone.  The wing bone gives it a certain amount of height.

Then, with my Victorinox 6-Inch Flex Boning Knife with Fibrox Handle I cut around the tip of the wing bone in a circular fashion, and push the meat down towards the breast.

After that, I cleaned the excess meat from the tip of the bone and discarded it, leaving a nice, clean wing bone.  It is important for the presentation. This technique is known as "frenching". It is common with meats such as duck, chicken and turkey breasts, as well as pork crown roasts and lamb racks.  When properly done, it gives these items a clean, professional presentation.

Afterwards, I turned over the breast to butterfly it.  This entails splitting the breast to make it wider. It aides in the filling of the breast, and also makes it thinner to allow a faster cooking time.  Of course, if you stuff a breast, it can increase the cooking time in some cases.

 Then I placed a small amount of stuffing in the middle,

and folded over the two sides, trying to overlap to keep the filling in.
When finished, it should resemble a nice, plump breast, with the wing bone sticking up.

For service, the chicken was placed in a 400 degree oven for 12-14 minutes, and then I sliced it 3 times, and served it with the aforementioned rosé sauce.  A rosé sauce is, quite simly, a light tomato cream sauce.

So there you have it.  My Mother`s day feature at the Old Salzburg restaurant in Radium BC.  Sorry about the picture quality, but you can't do too much with a camera phone.  Happy cooking!

I Have a Follower!

A big shout out to my one and only follower! This is truly a momentous  occasion.  I really thought that no one other than my mother was interested in what I had to say, but as it would turn out, there IS someone that is interested.  Maybe it helps that I paid this person off(the cheque, sorry check, is in the mail ;) ). So, I guess this means that I have to get serious about this blog and stay faithful to it, because if I am ever going to show the world just how boring I can be, I am going to have to write more. :)

Anyway, I plan on posting more little tidbits and amusing informatives on my chosen calling as time goes on, and if my follower would care to share his wisdom on the subject, he should feel free to do so. And as soon as I can find some interesting pictures, I will post them as well.  You know, just make things a little more flavorful.

That's really all I have to say for now, keep checking back for newer posts.  While you are waiting, check out my website http://www.culinaryideals.com for great cooking merchandise.  C'mon, you know you wanna! It's a great site! Full of stuff with links to other stuff.

Ciao for now, and as they say in Switzerland,  "Tschuss!"

Happy cooking!

Sorry About That Last Post...

Yeah, I know, that was in bad taste, but hey, I giggled myself stupid when it popped into my head, so I thought I'd share it. 

Because everyone knows that free range is better...

Kitchen Nightmares

What is it with these restaurants who ask Gordon Ramsey for help, and still allow there kitchen staff to keep there kitchens in such a disgraceful mess.  I mean, if I had a place that was going under, and I asked for chef Ramsey's help, I would do my damnedest to make sure that my kitchen was spotless when the man got there.  It is the second place he looks.  I wouldn't keep old and spoiled foods in my fridge at the best of times, but if Gordon Ramsey were coming, my fridge would be pristine.  Not that it isn't now, but if I had 4 or 5 cameras in my restaurant, I wouldn't let the north america see anything that might put my career in jeopardy.

So it begs the question: Is it for the sole purpose of drama that these places allow such disrespect to food go on? Or are these "chefs" really that bad?  I have had my days of general apathy towards my job, but there is no amount of apathy that would permit me to disrespect food that much.  Especially on camera.

Sitting At Home With No Car Really Sucks!

Days off and I am sitting at home. My girl has my car, and I am stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do.  The dog is messing with me and the cats are exceedingly dull.  Television is useless, and all I have for entertainment is my satellite radio, but that tends to repeat after a few hours.  ARRRRRGGHHHHHH! SO bored!  I could go for a walk, but let's face it, I am just plain lazy. Besides, my back is hurting. Yeah, that's it.  That's a good excuse.

Back in the Salzburg grrrooove!

Well, I am back to running my own show.  I decided to leave the Lakeside and go back to my old job at the Old Salzburg.  At first it was like i was brand new, but after a few days it will be like I never even left.  Setting up was confusing, as I had 2 years to forget how it was done, but after the first day, it was old hat.

Other than that, there isn't too much to tell.  Working, eating and trying to sleep with an insufferable cold.

Rib Rub and Glaze

I love BBQ! 

'Tis the season! Bust out the Weber 7519 Gas Grill Rotisserie and throw some shrimp and ribs on the barby!  Summer is truly the best time for cooking, because you can do it outside, and there is usually about 1/3 of the dishes to do. Win-Win, isn't it?  Well I think it is. 

Two of my favorite BBQ items are chicken and ribs.  The two complement each other nicely, and either one is a perfect stand alone item. Also, given both of there comparatively mild flavors, they can both be seasoned the same.  I have a great rub for both of these meats that can be made in bulk and used all summer.

Dry Rub
1 cup of loosely packed dark brown sugar( Dark brown sugar will give it a deeper flavor) 
 2 tbsp of garlic powder
 1/3 of a cup of chili powder
 1/2 tsp of chipotle chili powder
 1/4 tsp cumin
 1 tsp black pepper
 1 tsp marjoram leaves
 2 tbsp of salt( you can substitute sea salt, but the amount will need to be increased by 1 tbsp)

Combine all ingredients in your Amco 6-Quart Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl until there are no lumps. Place in an airtight container, and keep in a cool, dry place.  Over time, the mixture will become hard.  In that eventuality, place contents in a seal-able  bag, and gently break it up with a mallet or a small rolling pin.

 

Rib Glaze
2 cups of ketchup
1 cup hp sauce
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard( if you don't have it, buy it.  Don't sub French's :p)
 1 tbsp marjoram
2 shots Jack Daniels
175 1/4 cup pepsi (yeah, that's right. Trust me ;) )
1/4 cup of your already prepared rib rub.
 Combine all ingredients in your Amco 6-Quart Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl until it's smooth, put a re-sealable container and refrigerate. This will keep for a long time.  At least as long as ketchup keeps, and that coupled with the alcohol should give it an even longer shelf life. 

Rubbing your meat!

Here is where things get dirty! 
By now you are ready to grill, you are chomping at the bit and getting antsy about standing in front of your new grill and deftly twirling your Weber Style 6441 Professional-Grade Chef's Tongs in the palm of your hand(it can be done), you just can't wait to be grilling your chicken and your ribs, knocking back a few cold ones, and tossing the ball for the dog.  Unfortunately, you neglected to prepare your ribs the night before, and now it's taking forever!  WTF!

Well, hop in the time machine, set the dials for yesterday and follow me.

You have your hand selected St Louis side ribs, or if you are feeling rich, your Danish baby back ribs.  They are usually cleaned and trimmed for you, so you don't have to worry about that. 
Pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees farenheit. 
Take a small handful of your prepared rub (what? You forgot to prepare it? Get outta my sight!)
And, as the name states, rub the mixture into the meat.  Both sides must be done, but especially the top side( that is the side that curves out :S).  Be careful not to over do it, or it will be grainy in texture.
Place your ribs on a baking pan, the flatter the better, and place in your pre-heated oven.  Let the them bake for about 2 hours, or whenever you see exposed bones.
When they are done, allow them to cool and put them in the fridge before the dog gets hold of them.

Grill TIME! Finally!

Your grill is set to moderate heat, you have your tools, your ribs and your glaze, everything is just right.  
Place your ribs on the grill, curved side up,and baste generously with the glaze.  Cover your grill and allow to heat for abour 5 minutes.  Open it up and check it.  These things shouldn't need to be flipped, but do move them periodically to avoid over-charring.
After about 15 minutes, your ribs will be ready to enjoy!
Pretty easy, huh?
 

 

Roast Duck in Orange Sauce-a.k.a Duck l'Orange

Ingredients

2 2duckducks, (each 4 lb/2 kg) 1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) salt 1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) pepper 2 2orangeoranges 2 2bay leafbay leaves Glaze: 1/4 1/4cup cup(50 mL) (50 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice 2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) orange-flavoured liqueur 1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) red wine vinegar 1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) granulated sugar Orange Sauce: 2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) granulated sugar 2/3 2/3cup cup(150 mL) (150 mL) duck stock or sodium-reduced chickenbroth 1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) grated orange rind 1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice 1 1pinch pinchsalt 2 2tsp tsp(10 mL) (10 mL) cornstarch

Preparation:

Glaze: In bowl, combine orange juice, liqueur, vinegar and sugar. Set aside.

With tip of knife, prick duck skin all over without piercing meat. Rub inside cavities with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each of the salt and pepper. Quarter oranges and squeeze juice into duck cavities; add orange quarters and bay leaves. Tie legs together. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.

Place ducks, breast side up, in roasting pan; roast in 400°F (200°C) oven for 35 minutes. Pour off clear fat and reserve for another use. Baste with some of the glaze.

Roast in 350°F (180°C) oven, basting with remaining glaze and pan juices every 15 minutes, until thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 185°F (85°C), 1-1/2 hours. Dis­card oranges and bay leaves; reserving cavity juices, transfer ducks to plate and keep warm. Skim off and discard fat. Pour remaining pan juices into bowl.

Orange Sauce: In heavy saucepan, melt sugar over medium heat, swirling pan but not stirring, until amber colour. Remove from heat; stir in stock and bring to boil, stirring. Stir in reserved pan juices, orange rind, orange juice and sa< boil until reduced to about 1 cup (250 mL).

Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tsp (10 mL) water; stir into pan and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve with duck.

Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is, in my opinion, the best and most versatile of all the stocks.  If you need gravy and you haven't any beef stock, chicken stock is a flavorful substitute. 

Chicken stock, like our beef stock from previous, can be done both ways.  If you roast the carcasses you will have a dramatically different flavor than by simply boiling it.  Here, though, we will discuss the white chicken stock.

First you will need a large pot.  If you haven't one in your house, click here and buy one from my store.
You will also need a chef's knife and a cutting board, and a large roasting pan.

Once you have those necessary items, you will be ready to gather your ingredients.  The ingredients are simple, they are: 2 kg Poultry Carcasses (can be turkey, chicken, duck, ostrich, whatever suits your fancy. Or any combination of the previous)
                          2 large onions
                          4 large carrots
                          half of a celery heart
                         5 bay leaves
                          a small amount of black peppercorns
                          8 litres of water(COLD)

First rinse off your carcasses.  Place carcasses in the pot that you purchased through my store.  Fill pot with 8 litres of water, or enough water to cover the carcasses.  Bring to a boil and skim any "scum" that rises to the top.  When the stock comes to a boil, add your veggies, bay leaves and peppercorns, let boil.  When it has come to a boil, reduce your heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 6 hrs.  Keep an eye on the water levels, don't let it boil down. 
After your stock has cooked for 6 hours, strain it into a container and discard the carcasses.  Let your stock cool in a cold water bath, and refrigerate.  This stock should keep for about a week, but in order to keep it longer, freeze it.

Fundamentally, brown chicken stock is done with the same principles as brown beef stock.  Only, instead of using tomato paste and red wine, you omit that and just rely on the roasted poultry flavor.

 

Taking stock of stocks

What is a stock you ask?
Well, loosely defined, a stock is a strongly flavored liquid used as a base for a great many soups and sauces. Any chef will tell you that in order to make a truly great soup, you need to start with a truly great stock.  In this post I am going to show you how to make a truly great stock.

In this day and age, stocks have  become a thing of the past. The reason for that is, for many places, they are not cost effective, and they can be quite labor intensive( a good beef stock takes  8 hours from start to finish. More on that later). It's unfortunate, but when it is about the bottom line in an extremely competitive market you need to do what you can.  But I maintain that if you are going to do something, then damn it, do it right.

There are 4 main stocks that a lot of the finer places use: Beef stock, Chicken stock,  Fish stock, and Vegetable stock.  Let's start with a beef stock.

These are the items that you will need:  A heavy  8 liter soup pot, a large( not too large, you need to fit it in your oven) roasting pan,  ladle,and  a good knife. These can be found on my website http://www.culinaryideals.com  You will also need a good cutting board if you don't already have one.
Here are the primary ingredients that you will use:

2 kg of quality beef soup bones cut about 1 1/4". these are available at your butcher shop or meat section of your favorite grocery store and usually run about 2 bucks a kilo.
3-4 carrots. Clean, but don't worry about peeling them
4-5 stalks of celery, clean
1 large onion. Again, don't worry about peeling it
4-5 Bay leaves
a small handfull of whole black peppercorns
a small can of tomato paste
your favorite red wine

Set your oven to 400
Put your bones in your pan with a very small amount of oil and let them roast until nicely browned. Stir occasionally with your spoon. While the bones are roasting, cut your vegetables. They don't need to be perfect, just cut into chunks small enough for your pot and pan. When the bones are nice and brown, add your vegetables and roast some more, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.  When the vegetables are tender, add your tomato paste and stir to distribute the paste evenly. At this point it is crucial to keep an eye on it as tomato paste has a nasty habit of burning quickly, and that can ruin your stock.  Once the paste is sufficiently cooked( it usually becomes slightly darker), hit it with the red wine and stir.
After that you transfer all ingredients, being careful not to burn yourself, to your large soup pot and fill with cold water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil.  As it is warming up and coming to a boil, an amount of "scum" will rise to the surface. Don't worry, this is just fat and bone particles, and is normal.  With your ladle, skim the scum off the surface without taking any liquid.  Add your bay leaves and peppercorns and let boil.  Once it has reached a boil, turn it down and let it simmer and "reduce" for 8 hrs.  As it reduces, it is a good idea to keep an eye on it so that it doesn't boil down and expose the bones.  If that happens, simply add more water.  Not too much, you don't want to extend an already long process. After 8 hours, you will want to strain your stock through a colander or a "china cap" strainer.  What you should be left with, is a rich, brown liquid that is full of flavor.  Allow it to cool and place in the fridge.
See? That wasn't so hard, was it?

Discipline

The hardest part about writing a blog on cooking, is that when I am done work, I don't want to think about cooking.  I Know that a lot of cooks love their jobs, and I am one of them, but to write about it? Well that takes a certain kind of discipline that I am trying to maintain.   

I am going to try to start posting recipes and  procedures.  I am going to start with simple stuff and work my way to more complicated things.  Look for these in later posts.

Take-out

As far as I am concerned, 2 of the most reviled words in the english language.  Never have 2 words made my skin crawl more than those.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that i have a problem with people taking my food home to enjoy, I mean why not? If you would rather enjoy it at home in front of the HDtv then be my guest.  But I truly hate the use of styro foam.  I don't have any solution for it, I just really hate it it.  Enough said.

Sometimes I ask myself why I got into cooking.  I mean, the hours suck, the pay for the most part sucks, and there is always some kind of personality conflict. 

Well I got into it because I truly enjoy the art of it. And I believed that if i worked hard enough and did what I was told, then success would follow. As Buddha said, "success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success.  If you truly love what you are doing, you will be successful"

 

When I first got into the business, the chef that I was working with turned to me and said "Scott, cooking is a dying art."  Those were the first words of wisdom ever imparted on me from a chef.  It's those words that have been reverberating on my psyche ever since.  He was right, it is a dying, if not already dead, art.  It is a shame, because most of the chefs that I know are craftspeople.  They enjoy taking the time to prepare something that makes them feel good and that gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment.  They wouldn't enjoy taking the left over garbage of someone elses failure and mashing it together to try to pass it off on the people playing them for ignorant rubes.  When the true crafts-person is forced to do that, it makes them die a little inside.  It makes them second guess there chosen career path, and generally makes them miserable. These are the people that become frustrated and leave, compounding an already serious problem of staff shortage in this business.

However, I persevere.  I will continue on and still maintain my standards. It may not be in the place I am in now, but I will continue on.  As my Jamaican friend says "I'm a soldier."

My website has a new address: http://www.culinaryideals.com
I've changed things quite drastically.  I decided to switch to something that I am most familiar with.