I didn’t talk to my stepfather for two weeks because he beat me in chess one time. It had taken me years to get to the point where I could finally beat him and like the terrible winner I was, I didn’t let a day go by without reminding him who was the chess masterContinue reading “Board Games”
Category Archives: French Food
Details
Being a Michelin-starred chef requires details like you can’t believe. How about breaking down a complete steer and have less than 10% waste when you are done? How about planning out a wedding for two-hundred guests? How about executing a champagne brunch for 500? I really enjoyed planning weddings because our clientele never seemed toContinue reading “Details”
Beer
I used to love beer. As a chaser. See, I was hardcore. I didn’t drink alcohol to appreciate the centuries of unparalleled craftsmanship, nor the age-old traditions that spawned legendary concoctions throughout history. I drank to get fucked up. Not to be sociable; I’m already sociable. Not to be funny; I’m already hilarious. I didn’tContinue reading “Beer”
Flying Blind
Or by the seat of your pants, if you will. There was a day for it. The gunslinger. The flashy, frenetic operator that was too school for school. I saw them come and go in several of the arenas in which I toiled. The smooth-talking, hip, trendy metropolitan chef with all the right credentials, andContinue reading “Flying Blind”
I Try
To quote Billy Jack, iconic badass from the 70’s. When I see a story about a cow actually being arrested and imprisoned for murder, I try and accept that sometimes news stories are about crime, politics, sports, and sometimes it is about arresting and imprisoning animals. Granted, it is in South Sudan, but come on.Continue reading “I Try”
Throwing Dice
For me, it all started watching my brother and his friends tossing dice against the wall. I didn’t really understand the whole game, but I could see you could accumulate a lot of cash in a very short period of time. I was interested. Very interested. So, naturally, I started my first crap game onContinue reading “Throwing Dice”
Festivals
I blissfully now live in small-town America and now that the weather is warming up, you see flyers, posters, billboards, and television ads for every type of festival under the sun. I was at a BBQ festival in Kentucky a couple of weekends ago and had a passable pulled pork sandwich. The newspaper sandwich wrapperContinue reading “Festivals”
Snapshots
Because I have travelled extensively in my life, occasionally I will have someone ask me what is the prettiest place I have ever been? I honestly have so many that I will just name a few: I was in a ski lift coming down a mountain in Breckenridge, Colorado, when the sun sent its lastContinue reading “Snapshots”
Buffets
Who doesn’t love a beautifully crafted buffet replete with ice carvings and hot and cold delicacies? Being in food service so long it just goes to figure that I would have some experience with buffets. As an eager Assistant Manager at a fine dinner house in Santa Barbara, we had a buffet that I supervised,Continue reading “Buffets”
Tranquilo
Staying calm. Cool under pressure. Not everyone has it 100% of the time. I’m probably in the high eighties if I am really being honest with myself. I had to “beat” a polygraph test in order to land a major casino Executive Chef job in Las Vegas. Answering truthfully all the questions set up toContinue reading “Tranquilo”
