Oh no it's burning!

So I know I normally blog about just food but what happened at work this week is just to good to pass up.

My week was going pretty slow. We had a really slow week and desserts especially weren't selling so I was in a pretty boring place while waiting for bread to rise (especially since it takes forever now that it is cold!) I had cleaned my kitchen thoroughly and multiple times so I decided to head over to the other kitchen and offer my assistance.

Upon my arrival, one of our Sous Chef was cleaning and finishing up a few things so he could go home. I offered to help since I had to be there and he didn't. So I was tasked with the assignment of blending our salsa verde (It's amazing by the way, I could just eat a jar of it anytime!) Now it's made from tomatillos which require cooking to be delicious so I was blending it just out of the oven, scalding hot if not hotter.

We use an immersion blender to blend most of our stuff since it's huge and impressively strong. I have a hard time holding it and always have to set whatever I am blending on the floor because the blender is about 3 feet tall.



So I had set the salsa on the floor and began blending. It blended quickly and I was ready to move on to the next step. This is when the chain of events began that unraveled it all.

We add piquillo peppers to our salsa verde which makes it technically salsa roja but it also makes it more expensive. I now needed to add them. Since I didn't really plan ahead I left the salsa with the blender in it on the floor and ran to get peppers from my kitchen next door where they are stored.

I made it back quickly and found the can opener and tried to open the can. Now since the last time I opened a can (since it's not often) someone has bent our can opener. My success at opening this can was not going well. I might add that while trying to open this can about 7 people in the restaurant had decided to go out and smoke. So they went out and I continued with my can. I finally was at a loss when our other Sous Chef came back and said he would demonstrate how he opened his cans. He grabbed a spoon and stuck it in the can to pop it open While he did this he was leaning over the salsa and blender sitting on the floor and the blender was kinda like putting a spoon in a small cup we all know it too heavy for the cup.

The spoon can opener was a little more involved and the blender cord was slightly bumped and tipped over the salsa. We quickly gasped (the Sous Chef and I) and watched the salsa run but it did not just hit the floor, no it hit my feet. Which is not normally a problem but I had put on my crocs about an hour earlier because my kitchen shoes kill my feet after twelve hours.

So here was the salsa pouring into my crocs and as mentioned above it's straight out of the oven. I quickly jumped out of the salsa puddle saying ouch over and over again and kicked my shoes off. I thought that would solve the problem but I was wrong. My socks were coated and the burning continued. I quickly removed my socks only to see very sad red toes.

It was at this moment as I was standing bare foot in the middle of our kitchen with a large puddle of green salsa next to me that everyone decided to come back in from smoking. It was a interesting moment to say the least. The Sous Chef and I tried to explain but it was hard and complicated and didn't go well.

We stared at the salsa not knowing how to conquer such a disaster. Luckily for us our dishwasher handled it and washed my shoes for me.

Soon the only reminder of that moment was my squeaky crocs, my sad, cold, bare feet and one tiny little burn blister on my toe.

Popcorn Popping on the Ice Cream Tree!

So I'm a bad blogger, I realize that and for all of you who read my blog I am sorry. I'm am still slaving away in the food world and making many adventurous things. I was lucky enough to get to go to Walt Disney World in Florida with my family and got to make some amazing food. Thanks Dad!! It was so nice to eat something I didn't have to make!

The best place we went to was called the Wave. Dinner was dinner but were I got really excited was for dessert. Now their dessert was different because you got three different tasters of desserts as your one dessert. My family all got pretty much the same thing so I decided to mix it up and get the gelato. The three flavors were Rocky Road, Peanut Butter and Jelly,(both I've made before) but the kicker and a totally shocker was the popcorn ice cream. I saw the flavor and was instantly curious. I love popcorn but putting it in ice cream... I was sure I was in for a pastry chef's experiment gone wrong.

The ice cream arrived at my table and I tried the other flavors leaving the popcorn for last. I tried all of my other family's desserts (which were all fantastic) and finally got up the courage to try my popcorn ice cream.

I took a small bite prepared for the worst. The flavors slowly hit my taste buds and my brain got confused. I was had prepared for awful and what I got was fantastic. It was amazing. It was sweet and slightly caramely and yet just like popcorn. It was just amazing. I was in awe. I shared my excitement with my family quickly and they all tried only to be amazed as well. I quickly finished my other two ice creams so that I could treasure the rest of the popcorn last.

My mom even tried to steal more and I wacked her spoon with mine and quickly moved my little bowl of heaven away from her. I sadly finished my ice cream before it all melted and vowed to make it at home somehow.

I got back to Utah and spoke with one of our Sous Chefs about making popcorn ice cream.He gave me some tips and I went to work.

I tried it early one morning and carefully tried some of my base. It was perfect, it came out just like my Florida version! I felt like a very confident pastry chef and now I don't have to travel to Florida every time I want to have some popcorn popping on my own ice cream tree!

A Bit of Christmas!

So I know it's been a while! I've been super busy, mostly with work but busy nevertheless.

Yesterday at work, I was trying to convince my fellow employees to give me ideas for some new ice creams as I am bored with my flavors. I've made maple, coffee, all sorts of fruit, multiple melon sorbets, and even a tomato sorbet (It was interesting for sure.) My co-workers weren't so kin on the idea and were not helping at all when one of the Sous Chefs excitedly said, "bay leaf". I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't.

Earlier that day we had received a lot and I mean a lot of fresh bay leafs by accident and apparently they wouldn't take them back so we were left with something we never use. I was convinced that my ice cream would not be a "leftovers" flavor again, until I tried a leaf.

Jamie was so adamant that I try one. I put a little leaf in my mouth and gave it a chew. Like bubble gum I thought, although not as chewy? As I sat peeling carrots while munching on my little leaf, I decided I had been missing out.

The first little bite I got a little sweetness and thought well at least it's sweet unlike the tomatoes I turned into sorbet. Then a few moments later I got cinnamon. It surprised me. I continued chewing and got cloves. I continued munching and I wish I could describe all the flavors. It was amazing and by the time I was done chewing I felt like I had just walked through the month of December at my parent's house. It was Christmas in a leaf. It was insane.

Today many of the bay leafs became ice cream. With a bit more sugar and some cream it was easy to picture falling snow, a Christmas tree, a little bit of home.

Call me Strawberry Shortcake

Call me Strawberry Shortcake. I would like this to be my new nickname.

I work with perfectionists. Their demand for me to be perfect often hinders my ability to perform to the perfection I demand from myself. I often end up failing and becoming very grumpy. Occasionally I succeed, such is the story of with strawberry shortcake.

The Sous Chef, Jamie, and I had been discussing making strawberry shortcake for some time before we actually decided to do it. Little did I know that while we were discussing we were both thinking of two different versions of shortcake.

My mind was filled with delightful pictures of spongy airy cakes covered in strawberries smothered in sauce and piled high with whip cream. This is the kind of shortcake we’ve always had in my family. I have just always assumed that this was what strawberry shortcake was. It is delicious and one of our favorite desserts in my family.

Jamie’s mind was filled with shortcakes that we like sweet biscuits. No light and airy sponge cake, but a biscuit. I was appalled when he told me what his vision was. This was not shortcake. Why would anyone want an icky old biscuit when they could have light and fluffy cake?

After sharing my opinion, I got schooled on shortcake. Let me share my lesson with you.

Shortcake is considered “short” because you cut a fat into the flour. When you combine this fat with the flour you break the gluten and prevent it from forming, thus creating shortening strands of gluten. TA DA! You get short dough, which can be turned into numerous things like shortcake.

After my lesson I studied shortcake recipe after recipe determined to succeed and not quite believing that I could. I finally found what I thought (hoped was more like it) to be perfect! (Thanks Food Network)

I went to work armed with my recipe and just hoping it wouldn’t be too bad. I tried to quietly make the shortcakes in case they came out bad. No one would know I had tried and failed. My attempt didn’t go unnoticed however; I think Jamie might have at least a dozen eyes. He sees everything.

I placed my shortcakes in the oven with a prayer that somehow they would succeed. Ten minutes later I had amazingly beautiful and golden brown shortcakes. I kinda just stared in awe at them for a few minutes. The test arrived sooner than I would have liked. Jamie and the other Sous, Ryan dove right in and decided to try. As they tasted I closed my eyes and just waited for them to tell me how awful they were. It didn’t come however. I slowly opened my eyes one at time to reveal their smiling faces. My stomach did a flip, what were they going to say; surely smiling couldn’t be a good thing.

Jamie was the first to speak. He said, “Megan, these are delicious!” I was stunned. My shortcakes had actually worked. I was amazed. Finally something came out perfect on my first try!

It was one of my best days at work. Jamie ate four shortcakes with everyone else following right behind him! Whenever I fail at something now I just remember the glorious shining moment of the shortcakes.

My Little Island of St. Germain....

Off the coast of the pacific ocean right near Hawaii is the most beautiful tropical island. It's call St. Germain. This island is incredible. It's full of flowers of every shape and size; you can't turn anywhere without seeing blossom after blossom of every color. The most rare of these blossoms is the Elderflower.
Now this island remains uncivilized except for one old man who tends lovingly to the flowers, the Elderflower being his pride and joy. He's most favorite flower although it may not be the most beautiful. This old man is as amazing as his island. He lives off the land. He's built a tiny little cottage in the middle of the island; he eats the tropical citrus of grapefruits, and oranges and delicious pears and peaches.
The little island of St. Germain is a heavenly place, one so stunning words are hard to form and it feels like your visiting the wildest fairytale of your dreams. Surprise! You are, or your at least living mine. The island of St. Germain is but a fairytale of my mind. Let me explain.
This week at work our Sous Chef and one of our bartenders decided we should make a St. Germain ice cream. As I do our desserts I was sent to work on it. I picked up this really cool liqueur bottle and was mesmerized. This bottle was fun and the description of the yellow-green liquid inside captivating. I quickly asked the story of the St. Germain. Was it an island? Did it get it's name from it tropically taste? How and why was it named St. Germain?
No one could answer my question.
I began portioning, rounding and other various things you do with bread that day that takes significant time when I found my mind wandering as it does most days. This day however it was taking me to my own little island of St. Germain. I spent the rest of the day enthralled with my little island.
I got home and googled St. Germain positive I would find my little island in photo. I was wrong. The story of St. Germain however is not one of an island but instead one of its' own beauty.
St. Germain is made from the elderflower. A flower that grows in the french alps and blossoms for but a few weeks a year. During these days men pick the flowers and quickly ride them to town on bicycles to be sold. The elderflowers are then distilled and combined with sugar and orange to give them the simply sweet and delicate flavor of St. Germain.
While this story wasn't as heavenly as my island it was a fairytale of it's own. My thoughts quickly changed from my little island in the pacific to the mountain of the french alps where for but a few weeks a year I pick elderflowers and bike through the country to sell them.

Ravioli

When I was a child my ravioli came from one person, a chef name Boyardee. It was simple to make and came in a can, so storage was never an issue. It was simply one of my favorite can goods and maybe one of my favorite foods. Its' delicious mystery meat (I mean what is really inside?) and red sauce that always seemed to end up on my clothes somehow always made my day. I have since realized that maybe my favorite chef isn't really that great after all...

Towards the end of my basics class in culinary school we had pasta day. Making pasta from scratch blew my mind at that moment, I mean pasta came from a box. I could not even imagine making ravioli, and I was trying to figure out in my head what could be in Chef Boyardee's recipe so I could replicate it. Luckily our assignment was to make fettucine and leave the ravioli making to our instructor. Pasta day came around and Chef Foote made an amazing lobster ravioli. It was savory, gooey and most of all delicious. In one small second my favorite chef had been booted from the top. I knew that never again would the mystery meat and sloppy red sauce satisfy me. It was a joyous moment for my taste buds and a miserable one for my heart.

Since that day my ravioli have been filled with anything but mystery meat.

I made mushroom ravioli with a friend. We had to roll and cut the pasta by hand and it was a pain. I can't believe we spent that time to do it. I am still impressed with us today and even more impressed that my dear friend still makes that ravioli today by hand. I made an simple Parmesan cream sauce to have with it and it was sure tasty.

My family could be classified as carnivores at times, so when making ravioli for them it could only have one thing in it, MEAT. I made a ground beef, Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, and spinach (only a little though because it's green and we all know about green veggies...). While similar to my once favorite ravioli...it was different because I could identify everything in this ravioli. This was a much simpler ravioli to make than the first because I have acquired a pasta roller and ravioli press. I have made this ravioli a few times now and it is a favorite with the meat lovin' crowd.

Within a month of working at the restaurant my Chef had me make potato-leek raviolo (aka huge ravioli). It came with a egg yolk sitting in the top of the filling, something I was not keen on, especially when it was still runny when you cut into it. Bravely I tried it though and it was so good. It make that divine lobster ravioli seem just ok. My taste buds were once again on cloud nine.

This past week, we decided to make raviolos again. We didn't have any leeks so we decided asparagus sounded good. This raviolo was made with asparagus, potatoes, parmesan cheese and our house-made ricotta. It also had an raw egg yolk on top again, something that I was much fonder of after tasting the leek-potato one. Our sous chef ha the great idea to top it with french fried onions (made from scratch of course) and then to add some color we decided to add some fried rosemary. It was also finished in brown butter, which I add is the best way to have butter.

We all quickly grabbed forks deciding to test one. We were like lions ravishing our prey. The raviolo was quickly destroyed. It was beyond delicious. If there is a cloud ten my taste buds and heart were on it (as well as everyone else's. We sold out of them in just a short 90 minutes). I couldn't believe that anything could taste this good. It was hot, gooey, very green and a little bit of heaven in my mouth.

I have had dreams about these raviolo for days now. I have made about a 100 at work and ate more than one. Thoughts of green goo and french fried onions have consumed far too many moments in my life the last four days. My taste buds are craving a new exciting recipe and Chef Boyardee has been forgotten.

Cluck! Cluck!

It seems that food is always on my mind....whether because I am starving, because I am cooking, or because of the tantalizing smells coming from the restaurant's many ovens or stoves. There is one ingredient however that runs through every vein of the restaurant and one that I personally use more than I would have ever dreamed possible.

Eggs are a food we all know about. In fact, most of us probably have some in our fridges right now. They are one of those three items that are always on the grocery list--milk, bread and yes eggs. I grew up with eggs in my home in abundance. We had scrambled eggs for breakfast, the occasional quiche and many cakes and cookies. The only sad fact is I hate eggs although it might be more accurate to say that eggs hate me. Throw them in something sweet and cover them with sugar and I am great, but make me an omelet or a quiche and there is just no way I will eat them. Eggs and I share a mutual understanding with one another. We agree to be nice to each other with out crossing the line, until recently.

Eggs are like potatoes. They can be used many ways themselves and with salt become enjoyable. We scramble, poach, fry, sunny side, over many ways and sometimes use them raw just to name a few ways. Eggs are versatile by themselves but where they begin to amaze me is just how many things eggs work their way into.

We use a lot of eggs at the restaurant. I knew this, it has always been apparent especially since I began making the breads and pasta. I use between 100-150 eggs a day...yes a day not a week but a day. That is just me. I can't account for the eggs that are used for our finishing and our dishes on the line. That's just me for breads and for pasta. It amazes me everyday I can use over 12 dozen eggs.

This weekend or really Saturday paints the perfect picture of eggs being used for anything and everything you can imagine. Get ready to count the ways.

For Easter we made Easter baskets for all the children who came to the restaurant that were 12 and under. The contained many goodies the first being colored eggs (1). I had the opportunity to color eggs and get paid. It was great, until I realized I had to color 100. The baskets all had sugar cookies (2) in them as well. They were butterfly and flower shaped. They were so fun to make and very fun to decorate.

In addition to my Easter fun, I did my typical prep as well. Our egg problem really became apparent to me on Saturday within an hour of being at work. I arrived to find our Sous Chef already working steadily on desserts. He had made Bread Pudding (3), was working on cheesecake (4) and had eggs out for one batch of our challah (5) bread.

Our produce man arrived shortly after me and rescued us from our empty egg shelf. He brought 15 dozen eggs with him to use in addition to the 7 or 8 dozen we already had already claimed among ourselves. Within 15-20 minutes every egg, new and old, was gone. I had claimed 200 for pasta (6) and yet more bread (7). Our line cooks had claimed many more dozen for scrambled eggs (8), omelets (9) and any other egg dish our customers wanted for brunch(10). One of our dinner cooks had also claimed at least a couple of dozen for our lunch and dinner sauteed mushrooms (11) and for finishing one of our pastas (12).

25 minutes later we were all paused in our work. Everything we started to make we soon realized we needed eggs. We sent someone out to get more and we all had a few minutes to rest while waiting for more eggs to make more bread pudding (13), more bread (14) and shortly we need more eggs on the line for our various other egg endeavors (15, 16, 17...and so on)

I think it's safe to say, eggs are vital to our operation, and while eggs and I will not be friends anytime soon, this weekend I bow to them and their many uses that make so many tasty and delicious foods.

The most hated vegetable...

Like most children I was genetically engineered to hate green vegetables, broccoli was my only exception. I spent most of my childhood and teenage years avoiding those gross green things and finding ways to make them disappear when they did end up on my dinner plate. I would never imagine that those vegetables I hated so much would later become some of my favorite foods, especially the most hated green of all...brussel sprouts.

When I started working at the Copper Onion I soon found out we had brussel sprouts on the menu, and everybody was saying they were so good. I was deeply concerned about the mental status of my fellow coworkers. I was determined that no matter what I would never eat one. I am the artful dodger of avoiding eating foods I don't like. I have spent at least 20 years perfecting the skill. I was on my A game to avoid brussel sprouts at work.

Yet depsite my opinion that everybody hated brussel sprouts, they seemed to fly out of the kitchen. Everybody must be crazy I decided. My avoidance continued for a few weeks until the smell of the sprouts tantalized my taste buds to a craving. After refusing this craving for a few days I finally gave in and tried the vegetable I had hated for so long.

To my surpise they were amazing. I apparently was the the one the with altered mental status, not the rest of the world. I can't believe that for almost 22 years I have avoided eating such a delicious food. Brussel Sprouts have since filled my life. I have ate them many times at work, gone to special grocery stores to purchase them and have successful got my mom hooked on them as well.

These "mini cabbages" are super healthy for you containing amounts of Vitamins A and C, folic acid, and dietary fiber. It's also been suggested they protect aganist colon cancer. These facts only added to my desire to eat more brussel sprouts.

Many people hate brussel sprouts because they are often overcooked. When brussel sprouts are overcooked they get mushy and sulfuric acid is released giving them an awful smell not the one I enjoy so much. When they lose the vibrant green color they are overcooked. You can cook them a variety of ways though I always cook them like how we cook them at the restaurant. I cut them super thin (juliene) and then saute them with some garlic, salt and pepper and then finish them with a bit of lemon juice. Just don't let them overcook!

I say to everyone if you think you don't like brussel sprouts (as we were genetically engineered not to) try again. They may turn out to be your new favorite food. They now belong at the top of my list.

Salt

One of my favorite things in life are fairy tales. I love it when guy meets girl and then the next thing you know they live happily ever. Many many years ago (and I really do mean many!) one of the first love stories ever told was that of Sodium and Chloride. These two minerals were sad and lonely, if only they could find their true love. One day, by mere coincidence I'm sure, they ran into each other and it was instant chemistry. They were quick to fall in love and have remain in love longer than most of us can imagine.

This happy couple is what we most often call salt. Salt has been used for centuries from ancient Egyptians to early Chinese. Salt water surrounds us in our oceans and I live in state that's capital city is Salt Lake, which is named after it's very large and rather salty lake. We spread salt on our icy roads and oddly enough we use it to prevent our ice from melting while making while making ice cream.

Salt is essential to our daily life and most living creatures require it for survival. Although too much salt we have been warned it bad for our health. It can cause high blood pressure, edema and in some extreme cases death. Yet, with the risks it is one of the most basic tastes and one of the simplest and most common seasoning for food.

I love salt. I never knew the power of salt until I attended culinary school. Salt is one of the most amazing seasonings. It can take something so bland such as a potato or tomato and make it tasty. It grabs our tastes buds and they beg us to give them more. We often indulge in this feeling and feed our taste buds salt to their heart's content.

There are many examples of our weakness to give into our taste buds wishes. We place salt shakers full of salt on our dinner tables. At work when making soup, fries, a salad, ok anything my first thought is to salt it, taste it and most often salt it more. If anybody is like me after eating something salty such as potato chips I often lick my fingers for that finally salty taste.

Indeed salt is something that is used often and spared little. As such, I offer but a few tips to lower ones sodium intake each day to prevent health problems and help us to enjoy this terrific seasoning.

1. Use unsalted butter. I can hear the groans coming. Before they begin let me finish, you can always add salt but taking it away is impossible. Use unsalted butter and then add salt if you need. It might be a adjustment at first but after a while you won't be able to remember what salted butter tasted like. Go Mom for at least cooking with unsalted butter!!

2. Use sea salt, kosher salts or a salt that is not iodnized. While iodine is an essential nutrient, there are other ways to get it than in salt. Iodized salt contains more sodium per teaspoon than other forms of salt such as sea salt.

These few tips may not help you today or tomorrow but they will help you in the long run!

I have no doubt we will continue to use large amounts of salt everywhere we go whether in the kitchen or out of it.

If you find yourself stuck with a food that is bland, try some salt....it'll be amazing what it will do.

The Idaho Legacy

Potatoes. One of the most bland and diverse foods on the planet and yet one of my favorites. I love potatoes, anyway and every way. Most of the United States' potatoes come from Idaho as most of us Utahns are aware, however Idaho and the United States plays but a small role in potato production. China oddly is the world's leading potato grower. I found this fascinating and then this picture of little Chinese people with giant potatoes filled my mind. While unrealistic it was fun to pretend for a few moments that this was real.

The average person eats 73 pounds of potatoes a year. This is about the weight of my little sister. I find it strange to believe that I eat my little sister's weight in potatoes every year, and it's quite possible I eat more than 73 pounds, as previously mentioned I love potatoes. Who could not love potatoes though? With dozens of things to do with them and ways to make them flavorful there is a potato for everyone in the world.

Gnocci's--potato based dumplings. Delicious, most commonly known at the moment by being in soup served at the Olive Garden.
Funeral Potatoes--I would not be a proper Utahn without giving these potatoes proper credit. These delicious casserole style potatoes with about a million calories are among my top 3 favorite potatoes. Delicious is all there is to say about them.
Baked and Boiled--While among the simplest and dullest ways to cook potatoes, they are still delicious (as long as you add large quantities of salt as all potatoes need.)
Mashed--This Thanksgiving staple can be made many different ways but most of us find ourselves eating far too many when they are put in front of us.
The Fried Varieties--They are dozens of different styles of fried potatoes. They are all still french fries and delicious, add a little fry sauce and your in business.
Au Gratin and Casserole--Millions of calories and potatoes...what gets better than this?
Breakfast Potatoes--We've added this staple to lunch and dinner why not add it to breakfast?
Potato Soup, Potatoes in Soup or Potatoes in anything else--why not?

There are many more things to do with potatoes. At the restaurant we use potatoes in at least 4 dishes. This week alone we use over 150 pounds of potatoes, next week I'm sure we'll use more.

As someone wise once told me, "I love potatoes! Potatoes are like heaven! I could live off of potatoes!"

I could.

Pork Belly...a Gift from the Gods.

Last week at work we had a pork salad special. It was divine. Braised pork belly, then fried (so it became darn good bacon) with brussel sprouts. It was garnished with carrot, lemon and lime picklins (also delicious), celery ribbons and wishbone scallions. It was beautiful and tasty. This got me thinking. Who doesn't like bacon? and What doesn't seem better with bacon on it? We use bacon a lot in the restaurant. It goes in our pasta, we serve it at breakfast, and we make salads from it just to name a few. I was taught in school a warm bacon dressing and now bacon is even crossing the line into desserts.

I've been obsessed with my thoughts of bacon lately. I don't eat it much despite being what appears to be surrounded by it but once I eat one slice it's like I have a sick addiction. I end up eating at least five or six pieces. I then feel so guilty for devouring it with such pleasure. I quickly vow to never it do it again and then yet two days lately I am devouring it again. Addiction. Yet, I ask myself does not half of America share in my addiction?

A few examples to illustrate my point.

Example 1:
A few days ago some lady who works across the street from the restaurant called. It was breakfast time and since starting breakfast just 4 days ago our numbers aren't well let's just say aren't as high as we would like. We were all hard at work prepping for the day when our printers started humming. An order came through for 2 sides of bacon. That's it. The whole order consisted of 6 slices of bacon. I was in awe. I mean I know sometimes I slip at breakfast and eat 6 slices when things are a bit slow...but I have never actually gone to a place and order just bacon. This lady was coming from across the street for bacon. I was awestruck. Someone else shared my addiction.

Example 2:
I googled things to with bacon recently. I just wanted to see how creative people were. The first hit I got was 1001 things to do with bacon. Now there are many 101 things to do with whatever but 1001 with bacon. I was amazed. Not only that there is over 1000 different things to do with bacon besides just cooking it up and eating it, but that somebody has taken the time to try 1001 different things with bacon. I wonder what their cholesterol is like? Have they needed open-heart surgery yet? I know that the first time I try things new they don't always work out. Normally by try 3 their great... How many times did this person have to make these 1001 things? My addiction may be but a small problem. I felt better after reading that article.

The roots of the story is this. Whoever discovered that eating the abs of pigs were good deserves a medal, and a million thanks not to mention the worlds' riches. We are truly a nation addicted to many things-pork belly being one of them. It is a sad truth. Next time you are whipping something up ask yourself...Would this be better with bacon? The answer might surprise you.

Pork Belly...truly a gift.

45 People!!

Today we had a party at work...45 people at the same time, oh and did I mention that was in addition to our normal lunch service. It was madness. There was so many people behind the line running around. It was I need the pasta...where's the cheese? How are the burgers coming? Do you have fries ready? Is my soup boiling...oh no it's burning... The list goes on and on. It was crazy and yet incredibly fun. I had a blast despite the organized chaos! I wish I could possibly describe the rush you feel running around in circles with panic going through your brain trying to remain calm on the outside because did I mention that I work in a open kitchen? It is fun though. I get to see the customers and talk to some of them. It is distracting though because I love to people watch and you get interesting people in the restaurant and everyone eats so different and I find it fascinating...which makes me distracted often. It's not a good thing! Tomorrow I work the line for dinner and it's Friday which means busy busy! Just the way I like it! My family is also coming to eat tomorrow minus Nicole...sorry you can't make it! Come eat on anther day though. I am excited to see what my family thinks although it is a bit different than places we normally eat. It's amazing food but very modern and on the fine dining side! Wish me luck!!

Trying to Blog again!

I decided I would try and blog again....with more purpose this time! I am so excited to be living in Utah again although I am missing my Arizona winters. Since finishing culinary school in December (Thank Goodness!) I am setting off to a life in food. I am working at a new restaurant in downtown Salt Lake called the Copper Onion.
It is a trendy casual fine dining restaurant with modern American food. It is fun and creative and most important one of the best learning experiences I could ask for. It main draw to me was that is specializes in from scratch cooking. Homemade everything! (YUM YUM!) From the homemade pasta, to cheese and great bread. We have amazing vegetables and our proteins are nice and fresh, many fabricated in house. Our desserts are stellar and our homemade ice creams are creative and delicious! I don't want to sound bias or anything since I do work there but the food really is great. Everything I have ate there has been amazing.
I think I was most impressed recently with the brussel sprouts. I am not a big fan...they are mini cabbages as my mom says and I don't like them. I tried them at work and was amazed at good they were. They were nothing like the mini cabbages from my past. They are excellent!
Come by and check it out! You won't leave hungry!!