Hospitality

At the very basic the job of a Cook is to feed people. This simple act is one of huge generosity; the Cook prepares food with the basic fundamental principle to feed people who are hungry. The need for food is primal; according to Maslow it is a physiological need that must be fulfilled before we can attend to our other desires. The fact that Cooks help fulfill and satisfy this need for others, by nature, makes them very hospitable and generous individuals by nature.

Being inherently hospitable and helpful people we often find it hard to say no to people and enjoy helping whenever and wherever possible. We're often aware of our nature and sometimes we have to draw the line on what we can and cannot do; it's not easy to say no.

Hospitality is the nature which this profession revolves; serving and pleasing others. That said, even though we often say yes to many things and go out of our way it does not mean we like to be taken advantage of. We're aware of when this occurs and it hurts; we like to serve by choice not by obligation.

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Crabs to the Slaughter

I've been waiting for live crab to go on sale for several weeks. This past weekend they finally went on sale at my local T&T for $3.99/lb; a total steal. I trekked down to the store and stood in front of a large tank filled to the brim with Dungeness Crabs scrambling to climb out. Clutching a gargantuan set of tongs, I picked out four boisterous crabs; all of them fought back as I attempted to remove them from the tank. I figured that my logic of feisty equaling fresh was pretty sound.

I took the four of them home and stashed them in a cooler until they'd be slaughtered. I prepared my mis en place and all the time I was watching the clock. I was waiting, almost dreading, for the minute I'd slaughter the crabs. And then, it came.

I've slaughtered crabs and lobsters before but it was different this time. This time, I felt closer to the product and thought more about how I'd be taking the life of an animal to feed myself. Maybe this means I've grown as a cook and have taken that step in learning what it means to respect your product.

I took the crab, flipped it on to its back and plunged a Chef's Knife into it's Abdomen just above its apron. I hoped the one swift stab was to kill the crab as quickly as possible. It seemed to work. I quickly dispatched each crab, cleaned and dismembered them and then immediately set onto cooking.

This dish, the national dish of Singapore, has always been a favourite. Chili Crab, has a great balance of flavours ranging between sweet, savory and spicy. It's a thrill to eat with nothing more than a bowl of steamed rice or some good bread. Although this is not traditionally made with Dungeness Crab it was still good eats.

But in the end, this wasn't about the food. It was about learning respect for my product and doing it justice. I killed an animal, four animals, so I could eat. Respect for the product, those animals, was the first step in creating something worthy of eating.

Respect and wanting to do the product justice will result in great food every time. I'm sure of it.

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Evolution of an Injury

I've said previously that injuries such as cuts, scrapes, and burns are common from working in the kitchen. In fact, I've written about this subject before.

Recently, I cut myself while chopping parsley. It was probably the worst kitchen/knife related injury to date.


I had sliced a corner of my thumb clean off. I bled profusely and had a hard time stopping the bleeding; it took about 30 minutes of applied pressure. I went through several band-aids and pieces of gauze as the night carried on but it was fine, I was fine.

This injury was not brought about by carelessness or distraction, it was caused by a flaw in fundamental technique. And that makes me angrier than anything else. I have a tendencies not to tuck my thumb away as I chop, this resulted in me slicing the portion of my thumb off. This painful occurrence tells me that I need to change, I need to evolve, I need to get better.

Knife skills aside, this entire incident is a giant metaphor for practicing this craft, my craft. Evolve or be left behind. If we don't strive to be better at what we do every day or have that intrinsic yearning need to change, learn, and adapt we only get left behind. Eventually becoming a relic of the past.

I'm changing my technique. I'll improve my knife skills. I don't want to cut myself again.

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Singaporean Heritage

I was watching an episode of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain this past weekend. The aforementioned episode was featuring Singapore cuisine in all it's glory. My parents immigrated to Canada from Singapore. I consider myself a Canuck through and through but I know I have an innate connection to Chinese food and culture.

Singapore's geographical location as the gateway between the West/East has led to the melding of cuisines to create Nonya food. Singapore is a food country, the natives live to eat and not eat to live; food is everything. While filming, Bourdain was approached by a stranger about how to eat roast duck. Bourdain's conversation with the man is as follows:

Bourdain: "Everyone in this city, this county, has a strong opinion on food and how's it's to be eaten."
Singaporean Stranger: "Yeah, it's the only fricken' heritage we have."

So maybe, just maybe, it's in my blood to be a foodie. Destiny? Preordained? Fate? Nah, I don't believe in any of that bullshit. I'm a foodie and that's because I love food and food loves me. I wouldn't call any of this ironic or serendipitous, it simply just is.

And on one final note, the next time I'm in Singapore I have to eat this:

Sup Tulang - Bone Soup

sup tulang Popular hawker dish. ‘Sup tulang’ literally means ‘bone soup’. This Indian Muslim dish consists of mutton leg and shin bones cooked in a spicy chilli sauce with a rich mutton soup base. The cartilage and marrow are eaten.

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The Birds

My oven broke down last week, the bottom element had burnt out and sent sparks flying. We had just replaced the element so I decided this would be a good weekend to put it to the test by roasting a chicken. Roasting a chicken isn't a simple task, a good roasted chicken takes skill. I'm almost certain that there are too many people eating overcooked and dried out chicken. A good roast chicken is moist, tender, flavourful and has a wonderful crisp skin. It's not hard to achieve it simply takes patience and attentiveness.

I purchased a grain fed and raised without antibiotics chicken. It was a plump bird weighing in at just over 3 pounds. The process for my roast chicken is to brine, truss, season and roast. Simple, but still a time consuming process that requires planning and the proper preparation.

My step-mother owns a canary who's cage is in the kitchen. As I was preparing the chicken we had a bit of a dialogue:

*Loud chirping*
"What? This? (motioning to the chicken) This isn't my fault, don't look at me!"
*Chirping changes to loud singing*
"You're a loud little bugger."
*Singing continues*
"I'm not afraid to cook you."
*Silence*

It was a humorous moment that I shared with the canary.

So how did the chicken turn out?


My oven is working just fine, again. Here's to good food and good company, even if my company was only a canar

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Chef Ferran Adrià

I was fortunate enough to attend an Interview and Q&A session with Ferran Adrià this week. I was told a week earlier about his appearance in Toronto and at first was reluctant to go because of the cost. However, I rethought my decision and figured that I would be incredibly fortunate to attend this event.

The afternoon was to be an Interview followed by a Question & Answer session from the audience. However, Chef Adrià came with a presentation. He didn't talk about food, technique, theory, or cooking, instead he presented us with his philosophy. Philosophy of what it means to cook, eat, create, and work as a cook.

I think I'd be doing a great disservice and injustice to the man if I attempted to summarize his entire presentation. The two most significant points of his lecture, to me (as I understood them), were:

Technique

Everything is based upon technique. For him to be creative and truly revolutionary everything was upon the basis of technique. He spoke using the metaphor of creating a new written language; that language being based upon single characters or letters, the techniques. From this foundation of technique you built and composed recipes and dishes in the same sense that you built words. Words are then naturally followed by sentences and further followed by phrases and paragraphs. Technique is the fundamental basis of everything.

Creativity

"If someone hands you a card that says Creative, do not believe them."

Ferran spoke about creativity and how anything can be the basis of new creation and ideas. Creation is simply always there, it is the ability to take hold of the opportunity of creation that is special on its own.

Chef Adrià is so far ahead of our time, he has nothing but himself and his creations to benchmark against. He is the Leonardo da Vinci of the modern gastronomic revolution. The best Chef in the world who cooks at the best restaurant in the world.

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Food NETwork

Somehow my food has ended up on other places on the WWW where I don't post to.

http://tastespotting.com/detail/11636

http://recipe-news-info.my-ani.com/node/1286027

I was asked permission for the Taste Spotting post but not for the My-Ani post. In fact, I'm not bothered by the Taste Spotting post as it still gives me credit on my work the latter website does not. In fact, the second website is linking the photo directly to my Photobucket. I'm amazed that they don't even attempt to host the image on their own.

I've been saying this for the longest time but I really need to begin watermarking/marking my images to protect my intellectual property.

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"You're not good enough..."

At work I was asked to replicate several recipes for an upcoming magazine launch. The purpose of the exercise was for marketing to review the recipes developed by our Chefs for the magazine. They were simple recipes but a lot needed to be done with the utmost accuracy; everything needed to be measured and timed.

I prepared my mis en place in the morning, taped the recipes onto the counter, and had felt pretty good about myself. I thought everything would fall in place and I was well prepared. I know I had felt nervous as this was my first time doing this but they weren't difficult recipes. Still, I don't know exactly where the nervousness came from, I wish I did.

When it came down to cooking I moved with speed and precision. My mis was good but I soon learned that it wasn't good enough. I was making a salad and left out an ingredient, peas. I was supposed to measure out a cup of frozen peas, microwave, shock, mix with remaining ingredients. I got caught up in other recipes and left out the peas from the recipe, I had faltered.

When I realized this gaff I instantly knew that I wasn't good enough. I had made a glaring error and the only person to blame was myself. I needed to focus more intensely and plan and prepare better. In my head I heard a repeated echo of, "You're not good enough, you're not good enough..." over and over again.

It's true, I'm not good enough, but I'll get better and better. Making errors and mistakes is understandable, if not forgivable. It's what the young cook does with their mistakes that matters.

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The First Step

I've seen both schools, considered my options, made a decision and am now following through. I've accepted my offer of admission to Humber College for the 16 month accelerated Culinary Management program beginning January 2009. It feels good to have finally made a decision about school and know where I'll be begin as a cook.

I can't say that I'm excited about school but I'm sure I'll feel anxiety and excitement closer to the date. I look forward to being in school, being among like minded peers, cooking food I normally would not do at home, and most importantly, I look forward to learning.

The curriculum outline for the Culinary Management Program is as follows.

Semester 1 (27 hours/week)
CULN 115 Nutritional Theory
CULN 118 Business and Career Management
CULN 120 Basic Gardemanger Practical
CULN 305 Basic Gardemanger Theory
CULN 678 Baking and Pastry Arts Level 1
CULN 812 Basic Contemporary Culinary Skills and Techniques
CULN 814 Basic Culinary Knowledge
HRT. 121 Food Service, Sanitation and Safety
COMM 200 College Writing Skills
MATH 904 Mathematics - Hospitality

Semester 2 (19 hours/week)
CULN 220 Butchery Practical
CULN 225 Introduction to Dining Room Service
CULN 406 Advanced Gardemanger Theory
CULN 826 Advanced Culinary Knowledge
CULN 828 Profit Concepts
CULN 842 Nutritional Cuisine, Practical
HUMA 024 Humanities
GNED General Education Elective

Semester 3 (29 hours/week)
CULN 778 Baking and Pastry Arts Level 2
CULN 832 Menu Planning and Design
CULN 836 Contemporary Fish and Seafood
CULN 840 Advanced Gardemanger and Charcuterie
CULN 857 À la carte Cuisine
CULN 873 Planning for Culinary Profit
HRT. 032 Discovering the World of Wine
COMM 300 Business Writing Skills
GNED General Education Elective

Semester 4 (19 hours/week)
CULN 122 Occupational Health and Safety
CULN 440 Asian Cuisine
CULN 837 Hotel/Restaurant Traineeship
CULN 846 The Chef's Table
CULN 854 Emerging Trends in Canadian Cuisine
CULN 858 Practical Culinary Skills Proficiency
CULN 878 Baking and Pastry Arts Level 3

In the new year this will be my life for 16 months. Never before have I spent such time devoted to cooking. I welcome the experience.

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accepted

The results are in and I've been accepted to every college I had applied for. I never really worried that I would not be accepted but it feels good to receive the letters and read the standard welcoming always printed bold letters.

To recap from this entry:

George Brown College - Culinary Management H100
Accepted September 18, 2008

Humber College - Culinary Management 01911
Accepted September 15, 2008

Niagara College - Culinary Management Co-Op 0435
Accepted June 25, 2008

I always knew I wasn't going to attend Niagara College, I just threw it in there. It now comes down to the big two: GBC and Humber. Choosing the schools to apply to and completing the application process was the easy part now the real difficulty begins. I need to make a decision.

After next week I'll have toured both schools and have had an opportunity to speak with staff and students. I'll be doing a Pro vs. Con list as well as a SWOT analysis. This is going to be the most important academic decision I'll ever make.

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Allez Cuisine!

I've long been a fan of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America. I've now discovered it's becoming a video game. This makes me want to purchase a Wii to play this and its other cooking games such as Order Up! and Cooking Mama.

The Chairman never looked so good

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training

I'm scheduled to begin culinary school in January 2009. Just four months away, I know that time will pass and it'll come quickly. In the advent of this I have decided to begin a self training session leading up to culinary school.

The purpose of training is to further hone my techniques and knowledge of the fundamental principles common in cooking. It is also an opportunity to prepare foods and recipes that I have never attempted exposing me to their inherent techniques and possibly new flavour profiles.

Along with the practical aspects cooking I will also explore the theoretical. A solid foundation in food theory is important as it provides an explanation of why specific techniques are applied or certain ingredients are used during the cooking process. I shall study and produce notes about various topics within food theory to further my knowledge on cooking.

Culinary school will teach me these techniques and recipes again but seeing them more than once will only enhance my skill set.

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diamonds in the rough

I am in firm belief that the business of a Cook is often highly misunderstood and downgraded by the general public. The business of being a Cook is regulated to preparing sustenance to provide nourishment to the masses; a simple one dimensional craft. At best, the Cook is thought of as an artist that creates beauty on the plate and for the palate. However, the role of the Cook is multifaceted and goes beyond the tasks of transforming raw ingredients into food or a blank plate into an artwork of sauces and garnishes.

For a Cook to elevate themselves above the plain of machine like operation they must excel in several fields of knowledge. While the basics of all culinary studies is devotion to a craft there is more to be learned and understood. The Cook must first understand the fundamentals of their craft and then go on to learn the fine points of artistry, the teachings of science, the past - anthropology, environmental concerns and causes, grace and hospitality, and so much more.

The business of food and cooking is constantly evolving, the Cook must be devoted to the ever continuing pursuit of knowledge to better themselves in their trade. Thus, like the diamond, greater brilliance is achieved with more facets.

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the next step

Today, I've taken the next big step in my gastronomic and culinary journey. I've applied to culinary school for the January 2009 intake. This is not just a big step, this is a GIANT leap for me. Beginning this process feels justified; as dramatic as this sounds, it is as if my entire life has been leading up to this point.

I've applied for the two year Culinary Management program at three schools. My choice really only comes down to two of the local schools. I threw in the third just to simply have one more.

George Brown College - Culinary Management H100
Humber College - Culinary Management 01911
Niagara College - Culinary Management Co-Op 0435

They're all good schools but I'll make an appropriate decision when the time comes. I'll have to speak to people, visit campuses, and really learn the ins and outs of each school. I was never this prepared or thorough when applying for University. Something about Culinary School seems to be grander.

This is the finite starting point of a great journey.

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cream

I come from an ice cream eating family. We've cut back on our consumption in recent years but prior to that we would always have at least 3 or 4 tubs of ice cream in our large freezer. My father loves his ice cream and my sister loves anything decadent; unfortunately for my sister she's also lactose intolerant.

Two years ago I purchased my own ice cream maker. Once you know the basics of how to create an ice cream base the possibilities become endless. Almost any flavour can be added to the base to create a different ice cream, it's truly wonderful and versatile stuff. I normally stick to making vanilla ice cream but I have had the recent the urge to branch out into flavours.

Ever since my first Japanese dinner I've been a giant fan of Green Tea Ice Cream. I've always wanted to make it but for some reason I never really bothered - until this weekend. However, I slightly altered my plans and made Jasmine Tea Ice Cream. I figured, I'm Chinese, I have lots of it in the house, it feels like something a little closer to home.


The end result was great, it's akin to Green Tea Ice Cream but slightly different. It rich, creamy, and has a warmth from the tea. Its simply a pleasure to eat.

So what's next? Black Pepper Ice Cream? Or should I try to imitate Chef Heston Blumenthal and go left field with something like Bacon and Eggs? The possibilities are endless...

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ouchie

Cuts, burns, scrapes, and scars are part of working in a kitchen. Injuries are pretty common in the kitchen; sharp knives, hot stoves, steam, oil, cookware, and more are all hazards. Every movement in a kitchen should be done with a sense of urgency. Movement is never rushed even though it may look that way. Everything is achieved through precise focus or innate instinct.

The injuries one sustains while working don't feel painful or hurt. Instead, they're simply just a nuisance to deal. They slow you down and have to tend to them, injuries throw you off stride. They're primarily caused because you rushed what you were doing or weren't concentrating on the task at hand.

I've sustained numerous cuts, nicks, and burns. I've carved off pieces from my fingers, bled profusely, scalded myself, and have heard a hot pan sizzle in my bare hand. None of them have been extremely painful. They've all just been a stinging reminder that I've slipped up somewhere in my work.

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white jacket

The white chef coat is probably one of the most recognizable physical feature of all cooks. It's made of thick cotton to protect from the heat of the kitchen, rolled back French cuffs, thermometer sleeve pockets, and double breasted so stains can be hidden quickly. To me, wearing this jacket signifies the devotion to cooking seriously.

Anyone that knows me and sees me in person will say that I wear a lot of black. It's true, I've worn a lot of dark colours since my teenage years. It's only recently that I've begun to branch out into the world of colours. If I was ever caught wearing white it would be an undershirt. Having me wearing white or a lot of colours and my friends will probably say it will throw off the natural balance of the world.

I work in a corporate office and am one of two people to wear chef whites. I'm noticeably different from everyone else with dress shirts. The other person wearing whites only has the coat on when cooking, my coat goes on in the morning and doesn't come off until I leave. Some probably think this practice is odd but the coat is something physical that defines me.

I really like wearing the coat and the feelings it bring. It symbolizes what I'm working towards and the person that I am slowly becoming. It fits me and who I am, and that's all that matters.

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I love the smell of rot in the morning...

It smells like, victory....

Dry aging meat is something that top restaurants around the world will do. Usually this process must occur in very controlled conditions of temperature and humidity as to ensure proper aging. After all, the meat is just being allowed to rot. I love food, I'm also daring with what I eat and how I experiment. In short, I dry aged a standing rib roast in my home refrigerator.

Dry aging is a timely process. As the meat is allowed to age it dries out and loses moisture, this concentrates the beef flavour. A downside to this is that the loss in weight (from the lost water) increases the cost of the meat. Also, enzymes within the meat break downs the muscle tissues and results in a tenderer piece of meat.

I love roast beef, specifically, I love standing rib roasts. I refuse to call a standing rib roast, "prime rib" unless the beef has come cut from USDA certified Prime beef. If I called every rib roast as prime rib then I may as well call canned tuna "sushi grade tuna". They're two completely different things. Great beef is something special and something to be appreciated. Cooking a rib roast can be simple but for great results you need to begin with great beef, this is what the experiment was about.

I purchased a Canadian AA grade rib roast that weighed about 3 kg. I aged it in my fridge for 6 days and took photos every 48 hours to document that aging process and how it transformed the cut of meat. At the end of the process I trimmed the meat of leathery and dark portions as well as trimming a thin layer of dried out fat from the cap.

0 hours

48 hours

4 days

6 days

Trim

I seasoned the roast with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. I begin the roasting process at a high temperature to sear the meat and then lower the temperature to continue roast. The exact process is 450F for 15 minutes and then lowered to 300F and continue roasting for 15 minutes per pound. I actually learned this technique from the Chef at Home cooking show, this method has never failed me.

Cooking the roast was tricky due to the fact that it had lost water weight from drying out. I estimated that it lost at least 1.5 lbs and cooked it as if it were 5 lbs. Towards the last half hour of roasting I probed the meat using an instant read thermometer to ensure proper degree of doneness.

THE RESULT

Appearance: Medium-Rare beef. Red meat through the cut that dulls in colour towards the edges indicated a higher degree of doneness.

Aroma: Strong beef aroma. Most noticeable upon the first slice in the beef. Fat portions also had stronger beef aroma that expected.

Flavour: Stronger beef flavour in the portions closer to the exterior cut of the meat.

Texture: Tender meat. Most tender portions were those closer to the exterior of the meat. Well done portions were surprisingly tender, having a consistency typical of braised meats.

This experiment was worth it. Next time I want to do it for twice as long and with a better cut of beef. I'll up the ante from AA grade to AAA.

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meeze

Mise en place is French for "set in place". In the kitchen setting up a mise en place means to organize everything you need for what you are going to cook. Washing and preparing ingredients, setting aside cooking equipment, tools, and plates. Having a good mise en place is paramount to performing well in the kitchen. Efficiency of one's actions during cooking is so important, and it all begins with a good mise en place.

I love the organization of setting up a good mise, having everything perfectly placed in its own place, ready for battle. I'll even go beyond a physical set up and write down dish platings, timing of cooking, timing of plating, and more. I'm a fanatic when it comes to my mise. If I don't have a good mise I feel unsteady, slow, unorganized, and cluttered. I'm not in a good head space when I don't have a set up exactly the way I want it.

I'm in belief that having a good mise en place goes beyond just being physically prepared, it also helps you mentally prepare for your tasks ahead. A good performance begins with a good state of mind. Making sure you're prepared mentally for any task large or small and you always perform better.

In a way I kind of feel like Batman before he goes out to fight his war on crime. Victory stems from the almighty preparation time.

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burnt food

I've mentioned in a previous post, I don't make or create a lot of dessert type foods. However, the one dessert I've been able mastered is crème brûlée. I first became fascinated with crème brûlée during the winter of 2005. I saw it being prepared on the cooking show Chef at Home with Michael Smith. What probably fascinated me the most about the dish is the aspect of using a torch to create the caramelized sugar top. Big dangerous tool in the kitchen with lots of fire? Yes, please!

The first time I made crème brûlée I didn't have a torch so I settled for using the broil setting on a toaster oven - I wasn't at all pleased with the end result. From that one failure I was determined to learn to make the dish well. I spent about four months of trial and error to perfect my version of crème brûlée. I made several batches and tweaked the levels of sugar and cream of each until I finally got the flavour profile and texture I wanted.

The result?

I believe my crème brûlée is creamier in texture than the normal custard and not as sweet as other versions of this famous dish. A higher ratio of cream to egg yolks gives a creamier texture; custard that melts in your mouth and almost wants to run off the spoon. I use a low amount of sugar in the custard but make a strong caramelized layer on the top (using tubinado sugar) . Breaking the glass like layer of caramel into the custard gives wonderful bursts of sweetness that is mellowed out and balanced by the cool custard.

I love this dish. It's so simple in terms of its ingredients and flavours but it is also difficult to do well. I've been told my version is better than what you can find in most restaurants around where I live. Hearing that makes me glad but at the same time it makes me ask myself, "can I make it any better?"

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Crêpe

Anyone who has talked to me about my love for cooking has heard probably heard me say that I can't bake to save my life. It's true, I'm not much of a baker, I believe baking is an entirely different beast than cooking. I tend to burn anything with quantities of eggs, milk, sugar, and flour mixed together. I'm sure I could become proficient at baking if I practice the craft.

However, just because I'm not the greatest baker doesn't mean I can't do dessert. I make a killer crème brûlée but that's a story for a different post. I recently purchased March's issue of Gourmet Magazine and saw a picture of what appeared to be a crêpe cake, I got inspired and decided to make it with a Canadian twist.


I didn't use the recipe in the magazine but was simply inspired by the beautiful picture. I used my tried and true crêpe batter recipe and Canadianized the cake by using Maple Syrup and chopped walnuts. I'd say that it turned out pretty good, adding a drizzle of maple syrup and the cake just gets better.

I don't make enough desserts, I should try my hand at making more. I will probably attempt more desserts in the summer when more local fruit is available.

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Cooking Wisdom

At work I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen. I do have a cubicle in the office but I'm almost never at my desk. I'll often sit down for 2 - 5 minutes to check my email and then walk back to the kitchen to continue work. I'm constantly pushing myself at work and always striving to be better at what I do. I'm in search of perfection.

Chef Thomas Keller said the following:

"For me, that's one of the important things about cooking. What was good enough yesterday may not be good enough today."

Those words resonate through me and I believe everything about them. To grow, in anything we do, we need to constantly push ourselves and strive for better, search for that unattainable state of perfection.

I've been meaning to print out this quote and pin it up in my cubicle. Other people in the office have pictures of friends, family, and pets. I think it reminds them of their place outside of the working world and also brings a sense of comfort to work. For me, this quote won't give me comfort or joy but rather a desire to push harder with every passing day.

There are times when I screw up and I know that I have to rebound from those experiences, I have to come back better and stronger. I can always work a little faster and a little cleaner, I can be more organized and more efficient. I can be better than yesterday.

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lend me your ears.

I've recently become a strong believer of responsible eating and knowing where the food we eat comes from. I've said it for a while now but I believe a high majority of people are disconnected from their meat. They only see meat as coming in neatly plastic wrapped packages; they miss the part where that cut of meat came from a once living and breathing animal.

People often have trouble consuming cuts of meats when they realize they've come from something alive. The minute you start to eat something like liver, hearts, ears, or tongue you become to connected to that food and that animal. You realize that it was alive because you're aware that your body has those organs or features too.

This weekend I was out grocery shopping at a local Chinese supermarket. In their meat section they have some cuts that one would rarely, or never, find in the average grocery store. As I took my time browsing around I came across pig's ears. I was pretty fascinated with them and decided that this long weekend may be a good opportunity to try my hand at making them for the first time.

I started with this:

And ended up with this:

The entire process of cooking was pretty tedious. Two hours of slow poaching followed by a night of chilling, followed by slicing, and then finally a marinade. The pig's ears are served chilled and deliver a wonderful crunch from the cartilage and a satisfying chew from the skin and fat. The ears themselves don't have much flavor but deliver an wholly enjoyable mouthfeel.

All the flavors are very Asian in origin and distant from what I normally used doing. However, I'm learning and I'm treating this as part of Garde Manger. I've only just started to branch into that area of cooking and I now finding myself wanting to learn more.

I posted my adventure of cooking Pig's Ears on a cooking related community at LiveJournal. I received many favorable comments to what I had done. These are just some of the 150+ comments to what I had done.

"I love your entries because it's so clear that you really, really love food."

"If I didn't know what they were, I'd try them in a heartbeat, they look so good. If I did know what they were, I'd still try them because they look so good, though it might take me a minute longer."

"I totally expected this to be something gross and disgusting and I'm surprised that I'm interesting in trying this. You obviously did a good job in tempting me!"

It's comments like these that make me feel good about what I'm doing and where I'm going with food. I'm pushing myself, going in new directions, exploring new horizons, and learning new things. I'm growing as a cook and that's the most important thing for me. Also, by inspiring others and opening people's minds I feel as if I'm contributing to my craft, which is also important as I am connected to something larger than just what I am doing alone.

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the boiling point.

This past week, at work, I was introduced to a Chef of a private golf and country club somewhere near Hamilton, Ontario. I introduced myself, told him who I was and what I had planned to do. He looked me dead in the eye and asked me one question, "Why?" There were no words of encouragement, no smiles, and no jokes. He wanted to put me on the spot and know why. I knew the answer inside myself but my reply wasn't nearly as glamorous as I imagined it to be. I said it was what I wanted to do since I was 12 years old and it's something I can't really explain, it's what I love. This is not the answer I should have given.

So what's the reason to my madness? To this obsession with all things food. The simplest answer to this question, with the least amount of words, is that this is pure unadulterated passion. I love cooking, I love reading about food, learning about new foods, going to market, thinking of new flavours, and just talking about all things food. This is a passion I can't ignore.

"Why does a painter paint?" or "Why does a writer write?" or "Why does a carpenter build?" I strongly believe that the answer to these questions and a question of a similar nature applied to other professions should all be the same. Love and passion, having some of those things for what you want to do in life is so important.

The goals in my life have changed since I was 12 but the same passion is there. When I was younger I wanted nothing but to become a superstar chef. I wanted cookbooks, celebrities, TV shows, and more; I wanted to be famous. Now, I just want make good food, scratch that, I want to create amazing, incredible, life changing food. I want do the raw ingredients justice, and have my food appreciated by those who truly care. The one person who will relish every morsel and finds love in every bite is more important and fulfilling than what any TV show, book signing, or celebrity diner can offer.

My current goals are simpler and humbler. But I know that they wont be any easier to attain.

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the cutting edge.

The essential tool of any serious cook is a serious knife. The knife is the one tool that every cook must use if they plan to make food, without the usage of a knife one is most likely not cooking but only reheating food. For the cook, a knife is used so much that it often becomes an extension of their hand and arm. With time, every movement of the blade should becomes faster and more accurate. It is crucial to learn, obtain, and practice good knife skills in order to be proficient in the craft of cooking.

That being said, I love my knives and using them. I've invested a lot of money into my knives but always feel the need to buy just one more. I've owned my current set of knives for just over two years and have formed a relationship with them.

I've been chopping vegetables and mincing garlic since I was old enough to safely handle a knife and help in the kitchen. It's safe to say that I have spent a lot of time honing my knife skills but I know that I can always be better. I've sliced and diced my way through pounds of produce, poultry, and meat but I still know there's kilos more to go through.

I'm fanatical about maintaining the edge of my blades. When they're dull I relish the few minutes I spend sharpening them, I love using a sharpening stone. Taking long draws of the knife across the stone's wet surface and hearing the smooth noise of steel on stone with every pass of the blade. There's a precise angle, touch, and movement required to form a good edge. Sharpening takes skill and focus, I find that there's something very comforting and zen-like in the entire process of sharpening.

In fact, every movement of the knife should be focused and precise. Whether it be mincing a clove of garlic, honing the blade along a steel, making a chiffonade of herbs, brunoising shallots, or boning a chicken. I love using a knife, my knife. On occasion it's silver finish has been stained with my blood, and that makes me feel as if this simple tool has become even more of a part of me and who I am. Each time I pick up my chef knife there is a sense of familiarity and comfort, a feeling like I've come home.

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