Spicy Watermelon Gezpacho

      Summertime . . . and the livin is easy.  I lie, it's not, it's tourist season here in Charleston, that means, busy, busy, busy for those of us in the hospitality industry.  It's ok though, because summer is full of many of my favorite foods.
There are of course peaches, strawberries, squash, lovely corn, sweet onions and a plethora of peppers.  Tomatoes are high on my list of the amazing things I love about summer.  In fact I made an awesome tomato pie last night.  (It's a food network recipe, so check out the link)  The thing that I truly can't resist about summer are the melons.  They are sweet and fragrant and oh so lovely.
      I have been getting in beautiful small sweet seedless watermelon from GrowFood Carolina  that have simply amazing flavor-- diced it up for a salad and took a piece to my General Manager to try.  Before eating it he asks what I did to it:  Did I pickle it? (yes pickled melon is awesome) or maybe I salted it, or tossed it in a light vinaigrette?  Nope-  I just diced it up and brought over a piece of heaven.  It's hard to improve upon, I dare say, but when you have simply had your fill this is a great little recipe to try.
      This gazpacho is fun because combines a lot of these wonderful flavors you get in the summer.  It takes the sweetness of the watermelon and puts it in contrast with the heat of a few nice jalapenos (maybe you've been growing these in your garden) and then for a little added surprise at the end I use Blenheim's, a local spicy ginger ale to add a little more kick and to give it a little sparkle on your tongue.  And because it is just packed with flavor I will usually just serve a small bit of it to wet the appetite, maybe even add some spiced rum to make it into a delicious summer shot for your garden party!
      The method on this is pretty simple, really it's all about picking the right ingredients- go to your local farmer's market and remember as far as flavor goes, bigger isn't always better, there is a lot more sweetness packed into those small melons than the big boys.  So basically you are going to combine everything and puree.  If you have an immersion blender those work great, and you can just do it all at once in a big bowl, otherwise you will have to do smaller batches in the blender then mix it all together at the end.
2 lbs watermelon-rind removed and roughly chopped (one small one should do the trick)
1 quart strawberries, stems removed
3 cucumbers-peeled and seeded
2  jalapenos (I usually remove the seeds from one and leave them in the other, gives the perfect amount of heat and flavor
1 small red onion, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 TBS honey
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 TBS salt
1 tsp black pepper
      So puree it, chill it and serve it.  I like putting it into glasses and finishing the whole thing with a 2 to 1 ratio, two parts gezpacho and one part gingerale.   This, you guys, is going to blow your minds!

New Orleans

      I am currently on a vacation, which has afforded me the time to write again after a long absence, though hopefully I will be able to more frequently with my new schedule.  I am in New Orleans, staying in the French Quarter with my sister.  She is here for a business meeting, though which leaves me to my own devices most of the day.  So after sleeping in as long as I could I hit the streets for breakfast.  I did not google any restaurants, or use tripadvisor nor yelp or urbanspoon:  I simply walked.  I wandered for about an hour pressing my head to darkened windows of restaurants only open for dinner, reading menus, watching for the crowded dining rooms that indicates some good grub.  Sometimes as I walked I would spot someone with the right look: the shoes, the pants, the walk, you can always tell-- another cook.  These people I would see and would wonder if they spotted me too.  I don't have my clogs on, but my arms carry the battle scars of many hot saute pans or forgotten food in the oven.  I stop a few of them- because these guys are the ones who know where the real good food is. 
      One of these such gentleman points me to the IHOP, because I'm obviously a tourist, and wouldn't know real food if it hit me in the face, but when I ask for a local place he points me to The Ruby Slipper- a cafe with some nice home town charm.  I had a corned beef hash benedict over a biscuit instead of an english muffin.  (sorry I didn't get a picture, I was hungry!)
      Day two of my trip started out much the same, though in a different section of town.  Aimless wondering took me all over the financial district and I saw several great places for lunch, but nothing that really jumped out at me for breakfast.  After about an hour and a half, about to give up and just wait another 45 min until the lunch places opened up the rain started. 
I found myself in a little alley/hallway to get out of the rain when I realized that there was a restaurant back there through a screen door at the end of that hallway "The best kept secret in New Orleans"  Hobnobbers was the locals hole in the wall place I had been looking for.  After a warm greeting from an older gentleman I was pointed to a counter behind which two older ladies were taking orders and cooking up a fabulous breakfast.  I just wanted something simple- the hash brown plate would do. When it's ready it comes out on a paper plate with a beautiful golden brown biscuit, delicious potatoes and a perfectly over easy egg.  It was lovely: Sitting at my little corner table listening to the day's gossip and the happenings of a town that's not home with a plate of delicious food and my book, avoiding the rain. 

Roasted Corn and Jicima Salad

       Tired of the same old vegetables in your salads, and on your table? How about try something new! For those of you that have never had Jicima it is a root that is crunchy like an apple, but not sweet, it has a finish similar to a watercress that has just a little bit of bite. You can cook it, but I prefer to use it for crudite or in in a salad.  I love these type of salads this time of year because it just makes me feel like spring is in the air!  And what better way to celebrate spring, and this lovely vegetable than with the Latin American flavors that we find where this delicious root comes from.  Let's Begin with the dressing shall we?

Jalapeno Lime Viniagrette

1 Jalapeno- Roasted-  put in a pan under the broiler turning on a regular basis to char the outside.  Once it is charred put in a container covered to let it finish cooking itself while you are getting the other ingredients together.  Next you will need

Zest and Juice of 1 Lime

1 Tsp Shallot, minced

1 TBS rice wine vinegar

1 TBS honey

1/4 tsp ground cumin

pinch of salt and pepper

puree all of this (including the jalapeno, seed it if you don't want the heat) together then slowly  drizzle in

1 cup salad oil to make an emulsified dressing

For the salad itself you are going to need 

1 Jicima root- Peel it and then cut it into a fat matchstick shape about 1/4 inch square by 1 1/2 inches long

1 ear of corn,  roasted then the kernels removed- you can roast this similarly to the jalapeno, just rub it down with a little bit of oil salt and pepper then put it in the oven under the broiler, turn it as it begins to brown just a bit and then let it cool and cut the kernels off the cob. 

1/4 red onion, julienne

1 roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced

1 TBS roughly chopped cilantro
Toss it in about half the dressing and then add a little bit until it has enough moisture.  I like to save the rest of the dressing to put on whatever greens I use to go under the salad.   Hope you enjoy this delicious, fresh way to ring in spring!

Curry Chicken Salad

      Chicken Salad is a simple enough treat and done right it is a low fat, high protein snack.  This one is a twist on a southern favorite, Curry Chicken Salad.  Many people make this salad with cream cheese and sour cream or mayonnaise, but for our purposes we will use the ever versatile greek yogurt.  Also, for another cheat I used canned chicken.  It saves time, shreds nicely and has a good texture without being dry.  Otherwise I really like using grilled chicken thigh meat.  It's juicy, though a little higher in fat.
      Before you start mixing everything together lightly toast
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Let them cool as you mix all the other ingredients:
1- 12 oz can cooked chicken breast, drained
2 TBS Preserves (I like using mango chutney, but as I didn't have any I used apricot preserves.  Orange Marmalade works really well too)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tsp Sweet Curry Powder- Penzey's  is my favorite place to get spices, they are usually salt free and extremely flavorful.  If you like a little more heat to yours try out any of the hotter varieties
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger OR 1/2 tsp ground ginger powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 TBS Mayonnaise   (I add the mayo for the mouth feel, but if you prefer just do 1/2 cup of greek yogurt)
and of course once your almonds are cooled add them in.  When you first mix it together it won't have much color, but as it sits it will get bright yellow from the tumeric in the curry powder. 
I like having it in lettuce wraps, or just scooped on crackers.  And it's really good with toasted coconut on top too. 

Krys- sorry this took so long to get up.  I've been working too much, as usual.  Love you!

Cowboy Steaks

      There are times in life when you just need a big hunk of meat.  For me it's not often, but when I want a steak I don't want a dinky little filet, fat is what makes steaks taste good and filets just don't have enough.  I do like my flank steak, but usually I prefer flank in something like tacos, and flat irons are popular, but they are so hard to judge the temperature. Porterhouse steaks are nice, but you are paying for bone just as much as for the meat, and you might as well just buy a strip.  For me, though, there are really only two kinds of steak I really love.  Both are PERFECT for this recipe.  I love Ribeyes, and actually I love sirloin.  Ribeyes to me are the perfect
 combination of meat marbled with delicious fat that makes for juicy flavorful awesomeness.  The sirloin is very flavorful (and a little more lean, if that is what you are looking for)  but for me it is more about the emotion it evokes than anything else.  When we were young my dad would bring a big slab of sirloin home, about 3lbs an inch and a half to two inches thick.  We would grill it up whole to a beautiful perfect medium rare then slice it for us all to share.  I really do feel that often the memory that food evokes does more for the meal than the flavors (remember Ego from Ratatoullie and how the perfect meal reminded him of mom?)
      So the message here is pick your favorite steak.  You want something big (because evidently all cowboys are from Texas and everyone knows that everything is bigger in Texas).  Usually I go with 16 oz or bigger.  First you are going to marinade it for at least 4 hours, and as long as overnight.  I put my marinades in a bag so that I can squeeze all the air out and have less liquid covering the meat.  Mix together
1/2 cup whiskey
1/2 cup salad oil
4 sprigs thyme
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 TBS Salt
1 TBS cracked black pepper
put everything in a ziplock bag along with the steaks.  squish everything around so that the steaks are completely coated. After it has hung out for a bit and becomes super awesome you will need to start up your grill and make your rub.  The rub is a little bit of fun and inspired by ingredients that a cowboy might carry with them on the trail.  Spices like chili powder combined with herbs and coffee grinds- The coffee is important here, it really helps with the flavor.  I use my mortar and pestal and grind together
2 Tbs Coffee beans or grinds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
1 tsp dry thyme
 if you don't have a mortal and pestal a coffee grinder works great.  Once everything is finely ground add
2 Tbs kosher salt (or if you have it sea salt)
1 Tbs chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs  brown sugar

Remove the steaks from the marinade and rub them down with a good amount of your spices.  Next onto the grill!  Use something that will get a bit of smoke on the steaks.  If you have a charcoal grill they have all sorts of wood flavored charcoal.  If you are working with a gas grill get some wood chips (follow the directions on the bag) and make a smoke pouch to get that extra flavor.  I always prefer my steaks medium rare, but obviously cook it how you like.  Don't forget to let it rest before you cut into it so that you don't loose all the juices.  In the end you will have an extra delicious, extra awesome steak. 

Strawberry Champagne Salad

      Another recipe for Valentines. And another recipe borrowed from   my honey.  Traditional foods for the 14th always seem to be strawberries and champagne.  This recipe is fun because he uses actual champagne and not just champagne vinegar.  The Champagne adds just a little bit of effervescence to the dressing. Simple, light and refreshing, it's sure to please!
      Start by getting your ingredients together in a bowl to toss.
Arugula - a couple of handfuls (remember it's just for two) the arugula is spicy and isn't overly crunchy-  Because what we really want to hear at the dinner table for a romantic meal is the crunching of lettuce.  right?
Strawberries- I like a lot, about 1 cup of sliced strawberries.  Keep a few out on the side to top the salad with
Crumbled Gorgonzola - the distinct flavors in the blue cheese pair well with the strawberries and champagne and contrasts nicely with the spicy arugula.
Finally make the dressing- you will want to do this at the last minute so that you don't loose the bubbles, plus you might as well just put the bottle on the table.  In a small bowl whisk together
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 TBS honey
1/4 tsp pink peppercorns, ground
pinch salt
then slowly whisk in
1/2 cup salad oil and finish with
a splash champagne
drizzle a small amount into the salad and toss until well coated, adding more if you need it.  Build your salads up on plates so that they are nice and tall then top with a few more pieces of strawberry.  A great way to start a special meal, or any meal for that matter!

Coleman Public House

Ahi Tuna Salad

      Got an evening off work, and to be honest I really didn't feel like cooking anything today.  I've just been far too tired.  Instead I went and saw Les Mis with my mother today and then we went out for "lunch" around 3 this afternoon.  We went to one of our haunts and as always had a lovely meal and a great time. 
      While I call it one of our "haunts" Coleman Public House isn't a place we go once a week, or even a month (although we would like to) we are usually just to busy to go out very often, but if you happen to be in Mount Pleasant and are looking for a laid back meal of absolutely delicious food it's a great place to check out.  According to my husband they have a great beer selection of local and international beers-- get a flight a great way to try some new beers.  Not to mention the bar is roomy for a nice gathering with friends. 

      The food, though, is what keeps bringing me back.   They have burgers and pizzas as well as some southern specialties.  But there is also a bit of Asian fusion on the menu.  The Asian Glazed Rib appetizer is always fabulous, and honestly I have yet to have anything there I didn't like.  Still I have my favorite.  The Fungi Burger.  I have a slight addiction to mushrooms and when you add truffle oil, caramelized onions and a beautiful medium rare burger, not to mention those garlic fries. . . well it's a little addictive. 
      So check it out.  Have some fun and eat some yummy food. 

Warm Mushroom Croustini

      Before I started working on my menu for Valentines day at work I sat on the computer and googled aphrodisiacs.  Wanted to have a wonderful sensual meal planned for our customers.   I was amazed when I started looking to find that garlic was an aphrodisiac.  I mean, who wants to kiss someone that stinks like garlic?  It seems, though that garlic increases blood circulation and for thousands of years is has been known to be a stimulant.  So who cares is you smell a bit, I guess it doesn't matter if you both smell like garlic, right?
      This is a great little hors douvre to have while cooking your valentines dinner. I stole this recipe from my husband  (He is being ever so helpful this week!  Such a sweetie!)  Start with wild mushrooms.  Go to a natural market, they usually have a pretty good selection of bulk mushrooms.  Get a couple of different kinds- Chantrells and Morells are ideal, and my favorite, but if you can't find them, porchini, oyster mushrooms, beach mushrooms, enoki, and if all else fails, go with the old stand by of shitakes, portabella, and cremini.  Any mixture of these will do you well.  Get about 6 oz of mushrooms total, clean them gently and dry them.  If you get something with gills in it be sure to scrape them out and remove any woody stems.
      Next it's time to cook them.  In a large, heavy bottomed sautee pan on medium heat cook until the garlic begins to brown
3 TBS Olive Oil and
4 Garlic cloves, crushed with the flat of a knife blade
once they have started to brown add the mushrooms and coat with the oil.  Let them cook, stirring occasionally Then deglaze the pan with
1/4 cup white wine and season with
pinch salt
4 grinds of fresh peppercorns
Continue cooking until the mushrooms begin to dry When the mushrooms are mostly dry remove them from the heat and let cool. 
      While this is cooling, cut some slices of Baguette - Trader Joes sells a really delicious multi-grain demi-baguette works beautifully well for this recipe.  Do about 1/4 to 3/8 inch slices, 8-10 of them.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Toast in the oven at 350 for about 5 or 6 minutes.  So they are still soft, but get a bit crispy on the edges.
    Once the mushrooms are cool chop them until they are about the size of your pinky nail. Then mix with
2 TBS maynoaise
1 Tbs Parmesan
1 tsp chopped Thyme
Pile the spread on top of the crustinis and place in the broiler for about 6 minutes.  Remove when it has begun to brown on top.  Serve warm.  MMMMM it's wonderful.  A great treat to feed to eachother.  So enjoy the sharing and be stinky together!    

Lobster Risotto

      Valentines is coming up, and wanted to share a few recipes for the more sensual nature in all of us.  This is the kind of recipe that I love to make with a glass of wine in hand and stolen kisses while hovering over the stove.  The lobster has a sweet, buttery taste that pairs wonderfully with the creamy, cheesy rice and of course a nice glass of wine.  This treat is a great way to celebrate your special someone any time of year!
      If you really want to get a whole lobster (or two) and take them apart, feel free, but for ease of preparation my suggestion is to get just the tails.  First clean them by clipping down softer underside of the tail and breaking them open.  Then you remove the meat and set it aside.  You are going to use the shells to make stock.  If you bought the whole lobsters I would suggest steaming them first (because dismembering live lobsters isn't my favorite thing to do) then cleaning the body out and using the legs, body and shells from the tails and claws to make the stock.  Put them in a pot with fresh herbs (Tarragon and thyme) a couple of sliced shallots and a few crushed garlic cloves.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Then strain it so that it will be ready to go when you need it for the risotto- keep it hot, makes the cooking process work better. You'll need to have about 1 Quart of Stock in the end.  If you run out toward the end of the process no one will know the difference if you finish it with a little water.
       Now the trick with risotto is that you are slowly cooking a starchy rice so that it releases it's starches and thickens the liquid making creamy little pearls of deliciousness.  First you will want to sweat
1 shallot, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced in
2 TBS olive oil
once the vegetables become translucent add
1 Cup arborio rice (some packages will say risotto rice) It is the short grain, high starch rice  that is traditionally used in a true Italian Risotto.  You will toast the rice in the oil just slightly to make sure it is completely coated as well as to get just a bit of browning on it.  Turn the heat down to medium and stir constantly so that you don't get any burnt bits.  Once it is slightly toasty deglaze the pan with
1/2 cup white wine .Remember you need to be drinking this too. Pick something that will pair well with the lobster, I like a sweeter wine myself like a Chinin Blanc or a Pinot Gris always pairs well with seafood, but talk to your wine guy at the local market, they are always helpful when it comes to picking out the prefect wine for your event. 
      Once the wine has cooked down a bit you are going to start adding stock.  The proper thing to do it to ladle little bits (about 4 oz at a time) of HOT stock into your risotto.  So stir, reduce, ladle, stir, reduce, ladle and stir some more.  Keep up this process until the rice is cooked through (have a taste, it's ok)  Then add one last ladle of the stock and
Chopped Lobster meat- Whatever you have used, so either the tail meat, or whole lobster, maybe save the claw meat to garnish.  Honestly I'm not going to give you any amounts on the actual lobster, use as much as you have, if you have more meat in it, there is more meat, and you are not going to change the consistency of the rice that way, so you don't have to worry about it.  The flavor of the lobster comes more from the stock itself than from actual chunks of lobster meat in the rice. 
      To finish the risotto you add cheese, butter and herbs.  I like to get wedges of cheese to grate myself.  A micro plane works really well for this because you end up with cheese that looks a bit like snow and it melts evenly and quickly into the risotto.  So stir in
2 oz parmesan reggiano snow
2 oz marscapone
1 TBS butter and
1 TBS chopped tarragon and thyme
don't forget to season with salt and pepper, serve and share the love! This dish easily works as a centerpiece to your meal with a nice fresh salad and some crusty artisan bread, or you can use it as a side with a steak to make your love some surf and turf.  (You know, send him out to grill while you make the risotto).  Hope you enjoy and have fun.

  

What does washing dishes have to do with it?

      In 2004 I finished my freshman year at Appalachian State.  Like many kids I was on my own (truly) for the first time living on my own with no structure to my days and no money.  I got two jobs that summer.  The first was at a coffee shop where I learned the hard way about people that will take advantage of you whenever you give them the opportunity.  It's a hard lesson to learn at 19, and I still find myself forgetting it, because I WANT people to be good and kind.  I want to give them the opportunity.    The second job, though, that was a real game changer.  I was thinking tonight about how much different my life would have been had it not been for one man who let me wash dishes.
      I get it, you are probably thinking, "What does washing dishes have to do with it?" right?  Well come to find out everything.  That day I went into Outback to apply for a job as a server.  Why a server? Well because women don't cook in professional kitchens- that's painfully obvious from all the grungy, ill-mannered, inappropriate boys out there cooking our food every day.  Most of the boys in that kitchen were certainly of that quality, and I didn't want to be a prep cook, not really.  I wanted to be a "real cook", but girls just don't to that . . .
      So my friend and I went in to apply, he was going to work in the kitchen, because Matt claims (and is probably a little right) not to be a people person.  After applications were filled out a manager came over and asked what position I was applying for.  "A server. . . I guess" And bless you Trevor, you asked why "I guess" was part of my response.  After explaining my trepidation you said that everyone starts in the kitchen washing dishes and I wouldn't be any different.  So wash dishes I did.  I washed those dishes for 3 months.  And during those 3 months I watched and I learned. 
      I learned that boys in the kitchen are rude, and have very dirty minds (not all of them, some are gentlemen with dirty minds that know when to keep their mouth shut) I learned the quickest way to scrub potatoes, and I got a good workout from punching potatoes through the fry cutter.  I found out that if you soak onions in ice water they don't sting your eyes quite so much when you have to peel and cut them, though mostly I just got used to having to do it.  I learned that if you have to peel more than 5 carrots you need to wear gloves, or your hands will be orange for at least a day.  During that time my hands got really pruney and I ruined a couple of pairs of shoes. Before I learned about kitchen Birkenstocks which you can pull the insoles out of and run through the dishwasher to get the gunk out of the bottom.
      All of these things and the things that I have forgotten I learned or forgotten to mention sometimes feel way more important than the things I learned when I went to culinary school.  The 3 (or so) years I spent at Outback really changed my life.  It was tough.  I had to fight my way up the ladder, but I was lucky I had friends to catch me as I started to slip.  I had to prove myself time and time again way more than any of the guys had to.  I trained myself on the next station because it seemed that if I went to the boss without already knowing it he just couldn't believe that I (a girl!) would want to do more than salads.  Making blooming onions is dirty work, and working the sautee station is hot, and you get burned a lot. Though by the time I was to be trained to work the grill and middle they had figured out that I was able and willing to do anything and they let me do it. 
      During this time, though, I was still in school, studying music, loving every moment of that as well.  I can't help but think, though, what if he had made me a hostess, what if I had been serving tables?  Would I have kept it up, would I have wanted to be in the Kitchen in the end, wanted to be a Chef?  Would I even have the same dreams I have today, be the same person?  I daresay I would not.  Maybe I would be at a Church somewhere as a choir director.  Maybe I would have practiced piano a little harder, and been actually useful playing the darn thing.  Maybe you would know my name off NPR, and maybe you would have one of my CDs on your shelf.  I doubt it, honestly. There would be no plans for a restaurant.  No menus stirring around in my head.  No floor plans drawn up, and certantly no lists of little things to make a space more comfortable and easier to run.  In the end I need to say Thank you. 
      Thank you to all those people in that kitchen, in that restaurant on the side of that mountain that didn't say no when I asked for something more than the status quo.  When I worked there I didn't learn to be a great Chef (I still don't consider myself to be one) but I learned what it is to be a cook.  It's something they can't teach you in culinary school.  Knowing all the sauces, fancy techniques, all the french words for things can never prepare you for what's happening out there in a world, as Anthony Bordain claims, is full of pirates.  Where we (yes I have become one of those oft grungy, dirty minded "guys") know we are part of a team, but you still have to look out for yourself  and sleep with one eye open.  Where you are as comfortable with a blade in your hand as most are with their cell phones or cup of Starbucks and even if you don't smoke there is always a lighter (or torch) near at hand. 
      It's not a world for the feint at heart, but in the end I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I wish I could thank each one of those guys who pulled me aside and told me some trick, some life lesson about what it is to be a cook.  I wish I could thank them for not taking it easy on me.  I do wish there were some dirty jokes I could unlearn, and I wish that everyone didn't describe basil chiffinode by starting with, "roll the basil up as if you are rolling a joint", but that's the world I live in. And I wouldn't have it any other way.  

On being Chef

      Sorry I've been away for so long.  I tried to do some posts for you over the Christmas holiday, but I think I burnt myself out a little bit with all of the Thanksgiving fixins.  Of course it also hasn't helped that I've been working 70 hour weeks, and when I get home I just don't have the energy to do any more cooking.  Many new things in my life that I am adjusting to and lots and lots to learn!
      I have been amazed to find out many things about myself in the past few weeks as well as about how to deal with other people.  What I have learned the least about (so far anyway) is food.  I hope that I will get back to more playing and learning about my food, but for now I am content with the endless discoveries of being a MANAGER.  That word has always scared me.  I feel like I don't know how to balance the time I need to spend on the phone, in the office, on the computer etc, with the time I want to spend in the kitchen with my people and with my hands on the food.
      There is a little list of things I'm developing to keep in mind for the future so that I can run a sucessful business.
#1- I must, absolutely must hire someone to be the general manager of my restaurant.  I just want to be in charge of the food! I need someone to tell me that I am not allowed to spend money just because I want something. 
#2- I cannot be the only person there who knows how to do everything.  I honestly don't care if every single person there has the ability to do everything when I am away, I have no NEED to be physically there, I enjoy being in my kitchen playing with food, but I hope that I can hire people that are just as passionate and intelligent as I am (or more so, that would be helpful too). Which leads me to
#3- I must schedule days off for myself.  and with this in mind I need to acquire myself a sail boat, or some other method for occupying my time that does not involve a TV, computer, telephone or stove. 
#4- People want to be trusted.  One of the most interesting things about my new position is that I have people working under me that have been at the restaurant for YEARS longer than I have.  What has stuck out the most for me is that these people don't resent that I was given the position over them even though they have been there longer or are older.  I am sure some of that is simply the desire not to have the stress, but I hope that it is also the fact that I make an effort to ask their opinions and take what they say into account.  To be honest I would not be able to operate the restaurant at the level I am now without each of my employees knowledge, trust and patience.
      It's just the beginning, but I'll tell you what, while I am exhausted most of the time, and even in my beautiful Danskos my feet are killing me at the end of the day, I LOVE, love, love, LOVE running a restaurant.  I love the feeling I get when people say "this was absolutely delicious, the best _____ I've ever had" or "Thank you so much for accommodating my allergy/diet." and my favorite this week was after a customer asked if they could talk to the Chef hearing them say. "But you're so young . . . and so strong.  Next time we are coming in we are bringing you a bottle of wine."  Yes, they are coming back, and bringing wine :) .
       So I just wanted you all to know where I've been and why I've been ignoring my blog a bit more than usual.  I'll get started up again soon, now that things are settling into a bit of a routine at work.  Please let me know if there's anything you want to know more about, or how to make, or just why you can't make something work.  I'm getting a little low on ideas for the moment, and input is ALWAYS appreciated.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!