Ratchet it back up!

It's been far too long. Time to take this shit seriously, and now I'll be including some recipes!
I'll now be posting my own creations at work and home, some good eats that I see, and some coworker creations.
So, we recently just started a new menu at work, and I'm still in the process of getting pictures for everything. The first thing I have here is a sherry Dijon glazed salmon with buttered spinach, shiitake essence, and sweet potato fries. Now, in our hotel, everything that goes to room service has to be on 11 inch round plates, hence the unimaginative presentation.
I also have a picture of a blackened red fish, garlic roasted Brussels sprouts, cheddar grits and an étouffée sauce. It was damn good! My recipe for the sherry Dijon glaze:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 fl oz sherry
1 tsp smoked paprika

Just mix it all together until smooth. I pan sear the salmon, flip, lather that baby up, and finish to a nice medium to medium well in a hot oven to caramelize.

New Food

I've been slacking. There is no denying this. I know I have a couple of loyal reading and I have let you all down; until now! A couple of things here.  A couple of weeks ago I went nuts and made some badass Mexican food.  I made a Turkey Pupusa filled with Oaxaca cheese, and it had black bean puree, a verde enchilada sauce and an ancho enchilada sauce.  All topped with some diced avocado and a little more of that cheese!

Next, for work I made Miso Glazed Black Cod with Scallion Cornmeal Pancakes, Tangerine-Ginger Butter and Fried Leeks.

My last dish here was a Pan Seared Salmon with Cheddar Au Gratin Potatoes, Buttered Asparagus and a Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette.

Dinner Review!

So I went to Best Thai in Frisco last night; as well as a new local cupcake place right across the street. My wife and I went with our little clan of Keith, Laurie, Kelly and Matt. Now, when I got there, I was a little scared because they changed the menus!! After my minor stroke, I realized they just put it in some nice binding and took away the "numbers" from each entree. I was used to saying, "Yeah, I'll take the number 26."
No mas. Once I found what I usually get, I was good. Funny how I make fun of my wife for always getting the same thing over and over, yet I do the same thing at this place. So, I ended up getting the "Spicy Noodle", which is big flat noodles with broccoli, carrots, chili-garlic sauce, tomatoes and some other things. It's damn good.
Now when you order, you can choose your spice, 1-5, 1 being "pussy" and 5 being "night in the bathroom". I got a 3, which is what I usually get and it's not so bad, so I added more chili sauce. Ok, so now for my review. Portion size, it seems to be different every time I go, and this time it was average I would say. Other than that, I have no complaints. Service is fast, the place is clean, and the food is always really tasty. I give it a 4.5 outta 5, just because the prices are a LITTLE high for what you get and portions never seem to be consistent.
Now for dessert. We walked across the street to DimplesCupcakes to try our hand at a new place in town. Kelly said the funniest thing when this crazy lady working there went on a rant about the cupcakes (I think it's what they have to say to first time customers, which she asked when we walked through the door). She said it's called "Dimples" because while you eat one it puts a smile on your face, causing a dimple. Kelly mumbles to herself, "Are you sure it's not because of the dimples it puts in your ass after you eat one." Damn.
So, to the cupcakes. They are not small, that's for sure. But they are not worth $4.00 a pop either. They didn't have too many flavors to choose from, they had Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon, Red Velvet with Cream Cheese, Oreo, Chocolate with Cream Cheese, and I think a Chocolate Mocha. The actual cupcake was pretty dense, and not light and fluffy. There wasn't really anywhere to sit for six people. Those who got the red velvet loved it, everyone else was so-so. I had red velvet. Overall, I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Food post

I gotta start doing this more often.  I've actually created the new bar menu for the hotel and as soon as we do a tasting for that I'll have to post pictures and descriptions.  Valentines Day is coming up soon so I'll have to post those as well.  I think I'm going to start posting some recipes too.  So here are a couple recent specials that we did.

This one is Wilted Arugula with Lump Crab, Gorgonzola, Dijon Emulsion, and Fingerling Crisps.

This is Potato Crusted Salmon with Zucchini Ribbons, Tomatillo Bearnaise, and Watercress Salad.

Finally, this is Grilled Lamb Porterhouse with Stone Fruit and Almond Couscous and Apple Fennel Chutney.

This was actually done a couple of months ago.  It's a Garlic Confit Crusted Filet of Beef, Squash Balls, Boursin Potatoes and Pan Sauce.

Just a shrimp cocktail on our room service menu.  Citrus salad in the middle.

Pan Roasted Duck with Brussels Sprouts Hash, Cippollini Onions, Orange Reduction.  I cleaned this plate up after the tasting and let that duck rest!

Food for Thought Tuesdays!

This is apparently a new blog craze called Post-It Note Tuesdays (thanks Jenn), so I'll give it a shot. Check out the link to the right -----> to find out how to do this thing. Haven't worked in 4 or 5 days so this week only not really anything about work. I'm sure next week I'll have something to vent on.

 

 

Updated Specials

Couple of updates this week. First special is a Pan-Seared Blackened Chicken Breast Salad of Hearts of Romaine, Creamy Avocado Dressing, Scallions, Cilantro, and Spiced Tortilla Strips. The second special is Sesame Crusted Yellowfin Tuna with Baby Bok Choy, Jalapeno Emulsion, and Crushed Wasabi Peas.

A Day In The Life Of A Chef - Part 1

So I was thinking it would be fun to really inform everyone what it is like to experience my day-to-day activities being a chef. For me personally, not everything you see on T.V. is accurate; but I can definitely relate to a lot of what goes on. So I'm going to start this list; this being part one of an ongoing "series" if you will.

*Note* Let me clarify that these items may or may not have occurred to me personally, but I "may" have witnessed some of these items. Names have been removed to protect the innocent!

1. Why didn't the morning shift do any prep today?

2. Explain to me how the menu says you can have a side of fries, onion rings, or a side salad with sandwiches and I just got an order for mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, and a baked potato? All of which, I don't have. *See #10*

3. If this med rare sits under the heat lamp any longer it's gonna be well done! I'm callin' *insert slow, clueless waitress name here*!

4. One, two, three, ahhhh five second rule, that chicken is still good buddy!

5. Why are we always out of something. Don't we have someone here everyday doing the food orders?

6. Damn man, you just chopped off your finger tip. Nasty. Now sear it on the flat top and throw a glove on.

7. How did you cut yourself? Go get stitched up and be back by eight, we have a 10 top. Oh, and I'm gonna need you to work tomorrow, a party just popped up.

8. It's 11:30 pm, I'm out in 30 minutes, and you are asking me to do an order of chocolate covered strawberries for an amenity that you knew about since 2 pm. Ha!

9. Not PM Dinner Menu again!

10. WTF!!!

11. It's 9 pm and I just got an omelet order. Does this look like IHOP?

12. 11:45 on a Saturday night, get off in 15 minutes, have tomorrow off, and I just got an order for a well done filet. Why God, why?

13. If that phone rings one more time, I might do something stupid...

14. Platos Por Favor!!

15. Caliente amigo!

16. Injury list: Broken right foot (walking boot, 16 weeks, ice each foot twice a day for 20 minutes at a time), torn ligament in both arches of feet (ace straps on feet at work, cannot walk barefoot for rest of my life), strained right rotator cuff (MRI, two separate physical therapy sessions about a year apart, sleeping on side is fun, still hurts like hell), sore back, sore knees, burns, cuts, arthritis in both middle fingers.

17. My thermometer just hit 105 degrees up here on the line.

18. I drank 16 half liter water bottles tonight. You?

19. Walkin' in!

20. Black and blue huh? 10 bucks says this idiot has no idea what this means and it comes back within 3 minutes.

21. Lets see. Olives, bell peppers, mushrooms, bacon, onions, and extra cheese. I didn't know that I started working at Pizza Hut (not that there's anything wrong with working at Pizza Hut). Oh, and no extra charge.