A singular approach to eating Cake
There's an old story about a man who was dating a woman named Cate. He was entranced by her beauty and charm but felt insecure with her in social situations because her attractive looks and glowing personality attracted so many men.
Then he met Edith. Edith was plain looking and quiet in the company of others. She was intelligent, resourceful and talented. He loved her for her witty sense of humor.
The two woman so different and yet desirable as life long companions. He dithered and dallied for he could not make up his mind. Because he must choice only one of them to marry. For alas, he could not have his Cate and Edith too.
"Cake is a wonderful concoction. Its only function, however, is facilitating the eating of frosting. This is so much more dignified than consuming frosting from a spoon."
Jeffrey Jordan, from an essay "Why You Should Never Cook Broccolii"
If the truth is to be known, I have spent a good deal of my life polishing my resume in one particular area. I am a seeker of knowledge of all things, hence master of none.
I have cooked all my life. I'm not one of those people who are on the cutting edge of the latest trends, but I have been known to peruse a cookbook for new ideas. I have a rule for establishing if I will use a recipe or not. I scan the ingredients. If I don't have all of the things necessary in the kitchen, can't freely substitute for them or purchase them at my local supermarket, forget about it.
The one thing I did learn in my short career in the kitchen at Golden Valley Golf Club was getting the various elements for my meal prepared in such a way as they are all ready to plate at the same time. One large subhead to plating is that not only should the food be ready to serve, it must look attractive when it's presented. The portions size, it's color and position on the plate goes a long way in making the food attractive to your guest.
Little things like warming plates before putting the food on them maintains the serving temperature. I am weary of the sizzle platters presented on wood line used to serve steaks, fajitas and sometimes even seafood on. My concern with this type of service is that theoretically, I, the cook, take my food off the fire when it's in the ideal condition to serve. The problem with sizzle platter is that are normally so hot that they continue to cook the food while it's on its way to the table. This can be a problem with steaks and a disaster with seafood. The hardest thing to do with seafood is to avoid overcooking it and sizzle platters will do it all most everytime.
So from banging the stem side of lettuce on the prep table so it could be removed easily to learning how to work with an eight-inch chef's blade, I picked up a heck of a lot of technique that can fool people into thinking I know more than I do. And I'm okay with that.
I've had more fun in a kitchen than I probably should have. Because of my nature, I resist structure and precision. Every loaf of bread I make is an adventure. So far all of my bread has been eatable and most of the time the crust and crumb taste good. My sandwich rolls are superior. I've made some good sauces, salsa, and sausage. There have been shining moments and dead bodies left on the field of battle. For the most part, there have been memories. Most of them good.
From the dry bed of Lake Maria, Poppa Jeff Peace Out!
There's an old story about a man who was dating a woman named Cate. He was entranced by her beauty and charm but felt insecure with her in social situations because her attractive looks and glowing personality attracted so many men.
Then he met Edith. Edith was plain looking and quiet in the company of others. She was intelligent, resourceful and talented. He loved her for her witty sense of humor.
The two woman so different and yet desirable as life long companions. He dithered and dallied for he could not make up his mind. Because he must choice only one of them to marry. For alas, he could not have his Cate and Edith too.
"Cake is a wonderful concoction. Its only function, however, is facilitating the eating of frosting. This is so much more dignified than consuming frosting from a spoon."
Jeffrey Jordan, from an essay "Why You Should Never Cook Broccolii"
If the truth is to be known, I have spent a good deal of my life polishing my resume in one particular area. I am a seeker of knowledge of all things, hence master of none.
I have cooked all my life. I'm not one of those people who are on the cutting edge of the latest trends, but I have been known to peruse a cookbook for new ideas. I have a rule for establishing if I will use a recipe or not. I scan the ingredients. If I don't have all of the things necessary in the kitchen, can't freely substitute for them or purchase them at my local supermarket, forget about it.
The one thing I did learn in my short career in the kitchen at Golden Valley Golf Club was getting the various elements for my meal prepared in such a way as they are all ready to plate at the same time. One large subhead to plating is that not only should the food be ready to serve, it must look attractive when it's presented. The portions size, it's color and position on the plate goes a long way in making the food attractive to your guest.
Little things like warming plates before putting the food on them maintains the serving temperature. I am weary of the sizzle platters presented on wood line used to serve steaks, fajitas and sometimes even seafood on. My concern with this type of service is that theoretically, I, the cook, take my food off the fire when it's in the ideal condition to serve. The problem with sizzle platter is that are normally so hot that they continue to cook the food while it's on its way to the table. This can be a problem with steaks and a disaster with seafood. The hardest thing to do with seafood is to avoid overcooking it and sizzle platters will do it all most everytime.
So from banging the stem side of lettuce on the prep table so it could be removed easily to learning how to work with an eight-inch chef's blade, I picked up a heck of a lot of technique that can fool people into thinking I know more than I do. And I'm okay with that.
I've had more fun in a kitchen than I probably should have. Because of my nature, I resist structure and precision. Every loaf of bread I make is an adventure. So far all of my bread has been eatable and most of the time the crust and crumb taste good. My sandwich rolls are superior. I've made some good sauces, salsa, and sausage. There have been shining moments and dead bodies left on the field of battle. For the most part, there have been memories. Most of them good.
From the dry bed of Lake Maria, Poppa Jeff Peace Out!
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