12.23.09
Well I’m about to get into my Christmas cooking mode (read: red wine opened and music cranked). For me it is Polish delights on the 24th and tukey on the 25th. The perogi assembly-line usually kicks into highgear around 8pm on the 23rd and takes us well into the early hours of the next morning, rolling the dough, mashing the potatoes, frying the mushrooms. We always have a big pot of compote on the stove (glogi, to my Finnish friends) that make the house smell amazing. Its our potpori.
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12.12.09
I was just watching “Chopped” tonight, which for those that don’t know, is yet another reality food show. It’s based on a number of chefs creating a three course meal for a panel of judges. Seems to pretty much mimic all the other reality cooking shows (like Top Chef, etc) but each course must contain certain pre-determined ingrdients and be done in a very limited period of time. Chefs are eliminated after each dish until one creates the “perfect” menu for the night. The show is very cheesy but worth seeing a variety of innovative dishes.
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12.11.09
Oh goodness it must be Christmas!
Here’s what i don’t understand though……Why is it that the restaurant feels more busy than usual??? Our numbers are the same at November, 100+ covers at lunch and nearing 200 for dinner. Sales are just a touch higher but mostly due to more booze being sold. I don’t get it? We are the type of place that is full all day/everyday ( which is great) so its not like we can fit anymore bodies in here but this week the lunches have been nutty. Servers are flying around the floor freaking out, the kitchen is extra moody and yet at the end of the day all is the same as the month before.
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12.10.09
I remember being sick with a nasty cold a few years ago and a good friend of mine brought me a huge containerof his homemade chicken soup. I ate the soup up and instantly felt better. I have never eaten another soup like this with such magical healing properties, although I have tried several times. My latest attempt which I made tonight turned out very well but lacked the extreme healing qualities of that magical soup from my past. The soup I made was a standard chicken broth but with lots of garlic, ginger, parsley and a few jalepeno peppers. My girlfriend and I are both sick at the moment and the soup did do something to make us feel better but it is just not the same. What was in that soup? Was it the love? some mystery ingredient? or just the act of thoughtfulness? If anybody out there has any ideas on things that they use to make chicken soup when they or there loved ones are sick. Any comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanx!
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12.10.09
While we in Canada slowly come to terms with the need for local, sustainable agricultural practices, there are still many many issues that need to be addressed when it comes to ethical food production. Some frightening and often disturbing issues lie just under the surface. Knowledge and exposure are critical tools to promoting change.
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12.10.09
Last night we created a meal from scratch that was both economical and extremely tasty. Our asian inspired meal included a spicy vegetable stir-fry (zucchini, snow peas, broccoli, botton mushrooms and green peppers), coconut chicken and a serving of rice. The chicken was sauteed off with onions and then simmered with coconut milk and cream. It was a very healthy meal and a wonderful way to enjoy a quiet evening out of the cold.
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12.09.09
Being starving students, saving some money is never a bad thing. A couple of us came up with a neato idea. The rules are simple.
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12.07.09
To make a long story short… this weekend, two of us fed 40 people a wonderful elaborate meal! I’m very very proud of our accomplishments and the ease with which we overcame our slight obstacles… I’ll jot down the menu and some comments on all the items, if recipes are needed or wanted, just ask…. oh and any catering suggestions anyone may have from their own experience, please help us virgins along!
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12.07.09
It snowed for the first time this year today. It wasn’t much and barely dusted the ground but it was bonafide snow. In celebration we decided to cook a home style roast chicken dinner.
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12.01.09
These are two of the most important words a chef will ever need to know. They may all seem like the same thing at a first glance, and although they do have things in common they also have acute differences.
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