Well, the school year is rapidly coming to an end and this sentimental old man has begun showing his age. I made it through the exit of my seniors I've been teaching for 2 years without any issues but last night the tears were flowing during the post-secondary graduation ceremony. I was asked to give the graduation toast and broke down like a sobbing fool during the first sentence. So, to those of you who are interested, here is what I was planning on saying:
After spending several days deciding what I could say to encourage you Knuckleheads to go off into the world and do great things, I felt stuck. I just couldn't formulate the words to convey the wisdom needed to be successful in our profession. SO, I decided to steal some words of wisdom imparted on me over the course of my career by better chefs than I am. They are as follows:
1. “That’s a hand wash!”
2. “All I want to hear from my cooks is Yes Chef”
3. “The jobs not done until the customer is at home, in bed”
4. “If you have a problem working on holidays, weekends, evenings, birthdays, or other time “normal” people are playing, then you need to re-think your career options!”
5. “If you’re afraid to eat a raw oyster, then you’re no chef. Your body’s not a temple; don’t be afraid to put strange foods into it. Your body’s an amusement park, have fun, taste life!”
6. “People don’t only go out to eat for the food; they go out for service, atmosphere, consistency, and comfort…NOT your ego!”
7. “Don’t waste time learning the “tricks of the trade.” Instead, learn the trade!”
8. And finally, my personal favorite
“Don’t be sorry, be right!”
You’ve been taught right from wrong. You’ve been taught how to make a mighty fine consommé. And you’ve been taught how to use the tools needed to be successful in this profession. So without stretching this on any longer than I already have, let us raise our glasses and toast:
“To all of you who are graduating: may you now go on to become educated”
SALUT
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Root Beer Float
I have been taking several classes this semester and they are keeping me very busy. One of the classes I am taking is a Molecular Gastronomy and Micro Biology class. The course work generally includes simple cooking experiments which include the use of Microorganisms. The following is a portion of the paper I wrote to accompany my project. Have fun and enjoy the spring weather!
In order to write an appropriate narrative discussing this topic, I had to do more research than I would have expected. In the past, research papers have been dull, boring and quite plainly, not very enjoyable. I believe I have found the solution to actually enjoying the paper writing process; Food. Not just any food either, some would say that this sweet and savory treat can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways, but I know, especially now after weeks of research and sampling that there is something magical about this beverage called Root Beer. Add sweet, creamy, frozen cultured milk to the mix and you have a frothy glass of caramel colored gold. I now know why an old adage such as “Over the lips and through the gums, lookout stomach, here it comes” becomes so endearing to some folks. Maybe it is because the goofy old men and women who use those cliché phrases know something the rest of us don’t. I have to imagine that when my Grandmother, “Nanny” would say something like this, it really meant something. When I think about it, many of us have become so accustomed to the “pre-made” lifestyle that it is amazing to us that we can actually create something better than what we so easily go to purchase from the Supermarket. Thank- you Nanny for being so inspirational, in your own, weird way.
There is really never a simple explanation for describing what a thing is. Beer, though most commonly thought of as an icy cold, heady beverage consumed most passionately by avid fans is not really the only use for the term. There are three major uses for the word beer and only one of them are alcoholic. The term beer can also mean a brewed medicinal liquid. This beer was made by doctors and physicians for the purpose of curing simple, common ailments. One article I read even stated that “the thick, bitter beer served at breakfast with cooked potatoes and roasted meat, commonly curses the moderate hangover”. In my opinion, what more needs to be said?
Another use for the term Beer is a brew made by housewives around the turn of the century for family consumption. Usually this “Root” beer is made from indigenous ingredients found locally around the land where the family lives. It a variety of seeds, roots, barks and a variety of sweeteners including vanilla bean, cinnamon, clove and anise. The sweetness came from “mashing” grains and creating wort (un-carbonated, malted solution where the natural sugars have been extracted from the grain). Sucrose would then be added in small amounts to offset the bitterness that the extracted tannins in the “beer” caused. Common modern variations of this beverage include Birch Beer, Sarsaparilla, and what we fondly know today as Root Beer. Modern root beer, although is really nothing like the traditional home brewed beverage that was common around the turn of the century. Our interpretation of this household favorite is quite sweet and not nearly as aggressive as what traditional brews were.
In order to write an appropriate narrative discussing this topic, I had to do more research than I would have expected. In the past, research papers have been dull, boring and quite plainly, not very enjoyable. I believe I have found the solution to actually enjoying the paper writing process; Food. Not just any food either, some would say that this sweet and savory treat can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways, but I know, especially now after weeks of research and sampling that there is something magical about this beverage called Root Beer. Add sweet, creamy, frozen cultured milk to the mix and you have a frothy glass of caramel colored gold. I now know why an old adage such as “Over the lips and through the gums, lookout stomach, here it comes” becomes so endearing to some folks. Maybe it is because the goofy old men and women who use those cliché phrases know something the rest of us don’t. I have to imagine that when my Grandmother, “Nanny” would say something like this, it really meant something. When I think about it, many of us have become so accustomed to the “pre-made” lifestyle that it is amazing to us that we can actually create something better than what we so easily go to purchase from the Supermarket. Thank- you Nanny for being so inspirational, in your own, weird way.
There is really never a simple explanation for describing what a thing is. Beer, though most commonly thought of as an icy cold, heady beverage consumed most passionately by avid fans is not really the only use for the term. There are three major uses for the word beer and only one of them are alcoholic. The term beer can also mean a brewed medicinal liquid. This beer was made by doctors and physicians for the purpose of curing simple, common ailments. One article I read even stated that “the thick, bitter beer served at breakfast with cooked potatoes and roasted meat, commonly curses the moderate hangover”. In my opinion, what more needs to be said?
Another use for the term Beer is a brew made by housewives around the turn of the century for family consumption. Usually this “Root” beer is made from indigenous ingredients found locally around the land where the family lives. It a variety of seeds, roots, barks and a variety of sweeteners including vanilla bean, cinnamon, clove and anise. The sweetness came from “mashing” grains and creating wort (un-carbonated, malted solution where the natural sugars have been extracted from the grain). Sucrose would then be added in small amounts to offset the bitterness that the extracted tannins in the “beer” caused. Common modern variations of this beverage include Birch Beer, Sarsaparilla, and what we fondly know today as Root Beer. Modern root beer, although is really nothing like the traditional home brewed beverage that was common around the turn of the century. Our interpretation of this household favorite is quite sweet and not nearly as aggressive as what traditional brews were.
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