A little something off topic...

Well was going through some old notebooks i have full of recipes and other miscellaneous things and I came across some things I used to write about way back when early in my career.  I guess it was hard times and a lot of alcohol that gave way to some of the snippets that I jotted down.  MAybe it was the fact that my friends and I were fascinated with the whole spoken word movement and what not... thank you Saul Williams (though this probably dated a little before that).  Anyway here is a little sample.

I call this "The Happy Poem"

Today i smiled as i saw the sky.
I even managed to laugh.
My thoughts were not of death, destruction or suicide,
But of happy things , to the point where my comments were snide.
Today I was happy as i saw the sky,
...
Today I saw you die.

I hope you enjoyed that snippet from the dark side of my mind circa late 90's maybe turn of the century.
I promise that i'll be posting more recipes as soon as the new year hits.  I am changing out all my menus at work.  It's tough to make spring menus that work in the dead of winter... but i'll make it happen.  I'll also make sure to post some pics of the plates I make.  Along with recipes of course.

I'll see you all soon.

J

9 month's later... and a new city!!!

Hello all.

It has been quite some time since we last spoke... read... whatever.  Anyways, I am no longer located in New York City, the food Mecca of the world or so it seems. I am now an official New York to Boston convert.  No I'm not a Red Sox fan now.  Not a Patriots fan either, but I am here for the long haul.
One Thing that I have noticed is that the food scene in Boston is lacking.  It's like the little brother that wants to act just like its older sibling just to be cool.  I'm still waiting to get a decent meal out here that isn't from a 4 star restaurant.  And hey, that's still a little sketchy. 
But I must say the food truck scene and the beer taps out here are pretty damned good.  That is one thing I do not miss about NYC.  When it comes to beer variety and price, Boston has us New Yorkers beat hands down.  Hell a $4 pint of Sam Adams/Stella/Harpoon and maybe $4.50 for a micro brew!!!  I'm surprised I’m not sloshed right now.  My 20 bucks will have me happy at the end of the night with beer in my belly and some fried bar food in my gut.  In NYC that $20 just bought me a Pint and a 1/2 of Stella not including tip. 

Well I promise to show you some of my whimsical tirades and recipes once I get back into the swing of things.  As for now keep the fire burning and make sure not to cut yourself. 

Stay Sharp.

-J.

P.S.

Here is a little recipe to keep you calm while I figure some new stuff to show you.

Spicy Vanilla Grilled Shrimp with lime.

Just when you Thought Summer was over, here is a little shot to keep you warm and remember those dog days of summer.

1 lbs       16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup    Sweet chili Sauce

1 tbsp    Vanilla Extract (pure)

2              limes, juiced.

Salt and pepper to taste.

This one is easy ladies and gentlemen.

Combine everything but the shrimp.  This is your marinade and sauce.  Now split it in half and use one part to marinade the shrimp and set the other half to the side for the dipping sauce. 

Let the shrimp marinade for at least 30 minutes and then grill until cooked.   Enjoy!

Not the Way I Would LIke To Start the Year

So after a tremendous 2010, doing a couple million dollar months and hitting the holidays running we come into the new year only to find a slow start to the year.  This is when I have hunker down and take a step back and reevaluate my management skills. My time management and my scheduling is under a microscope for good reasons.  A couple months ago, I was doing any where from $60,000 to $100,000 on any given business day.  Now I am looking at maybe a tenth of that. Layoffs! Not on my watch. Schedule changes... That is a must, even with the impending union greivances.  I now spend my days forecasting labor and overtime.  I single handedly costed out 3 seasons worth of catering menus based of the presumed market flucuations that are going to happen during this new year.  (How the he'll could I forecast that limes would hit $73  a case in January 2011). Well I have the daunting task to drop my 31% food cost 5 points.  Not only that, I have to slash my labor line by half while trying to maintain the building,run a conference center/banquet facility and executive dining room.  They say cut overtime... I say let me hire a second shift to cut overtime. They say make more money, I say tell the sales team to book more business.

They say volume forgives all sin.

Oh boy, is this the truth.  During those million dollar months I had cooks doing 40 hours of overtime with no questions from the top.  Now 5 minutes of overtime is frowned upon and 10minutes needs a director's approval.  But, all in all this just makes me a better manager and chef.  Not every night is a good night and not every month is a great month. Now it is time to hone my skills at managing my time and employees.  As I sit in front of my computer, staring at multiple spreadsheets and action plans,  all I have to say is...

I MISS MY KNIVES!!!!

Well enough with the complaints, onto the food...

Here is a dish that I created to help get a $300million dollar endowment for Columbia University.  BTW I will probably never see any of that $300million.


Truffled Chantrelle Bisque, Vanilla Poached Lobster with Petite Dow Mui, Squab Confit with Blueberry Gastrique.




If you want a recipe Post a comment and I promise to add the recipe!