I'd like that well-med-rare-done

The wedding reception was at a small inn, the food there was surprisingly good. For dinner there was an appetizer, entreé, and dessert. The appetizer consisted of a selection between a soup (leek and potato with stilton) or a basic salad with vinaigrette. For the entreé we had a selection of either Chicken, Beef, or Fish. Being a red meat lover I opted for the Beef.

Grilled Tenderloin of Beef
Topped with Wild Mushroom in a merlot sauce
Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans are hard to screw up. The only complaint I do have about the three of these sides is that the roasted Green Beans were not tender, they were well undercooked. I like vegetables cooked to be fork tender or al dente, whoever cooked the beans should have tasted and checked for doneness before plating.

I'm always wary whenever I order red meat, I like my red meat medium rare and I seldom receive it this way. Harold McGee's book, On Food and Cooking, defines medium rare as:

• Meat temperature: 130°F/60°F
• Doneness: Medium Rare, 135-145°F
• Meat Qualities: Resilient to touch, less slick, more fibrous, releases juice when cut, opaque, ligther red.

The problem that arises is that the USDA defines meat doneness by the following scheme:

• "Rare": 135-145°F
• "Medium Rare": 145-155°F
• "Medium": 155°F
• "Well": 170°F

For all except well-done the suggested cooking temperatures by the USDA are approximately 10-15° degrees higher than the proper cooking temperature. I suppose this is for the safety of the general public but it's still a giant pet peeve of mine. There's nothing worse than paying $30 for a steak, ordering it medium rare, cutting into it, and then seeing a pink or grey-brown centre.

There's nothing I really have to say about the dessert they served. We had my father's wedding cake served with vanilla ice cream and a raspberry coulis.

I was impressed enough with the food that I spoke to the sales manager, Franklin, about possible employment. Once I finish university in December I want to get into a decent restaurant. I'm looking for a place that will allow me to learn and pick up the basic practical skills necessary to work and survive in a public kitchen. I chatted with Franklin for 5 minutes about my situation and what I wanted to do. He smiled at me, shook my hand firmly, and told me to apply when I'm ready. This place looks hopeful.