Breathing Space

It's between holidays and I have breathing space for a change and promise several posts over the next few days. Tonight I get to see a video  of a cooking class which we will post on here, on youtube and on facebook once the final edit is made- thank you Cody. I'll post the recipes that we did in the class as well.

We had a great Thanksgiving and made almost double of a typical week; which was very welcomed with this recession. A fantastic weekend overall.

New look for George and I as we get new chef coats and pants over the next few weeks. Amberwind is now on facebook as is a KISS Method Gourmet page for the first time.

Holidays Are Here

So I'll be posting even less than my usual poor amount. Will post again on the other side of Turkey Day.

To All- A Happy & Healthy Thanksgiving.

Veterans Day

I didn't serve- it was the last year of Vietnam, my number was in the 300's (for those to young, birthdays were randomly picked and whether you went or not was determined by how high a number they were drafting from) and they were drafting to only 50; and no one was supporting the war. I almost enlisted in  the Navy but friends talked me out of it- since the war was winding down but not over- and I dropped out and lived in the Mediterranean basin instead. I cooked my way through several countries. A good choice since I never became the doctor I went through 3 years of college for, but went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) instead.

I've since had many friends who were career military, a few lovers as well. Some were in military intelligence- and a few of those became the other CIA. I've gone from a person whose idea of the military was drawn only from the Vietnam era to understanding a need for a strong, smart and efficient military to protect us. My appreciation and respect for those who served is immense and I kind of regret I've never had that experience- though I'm glad I wasn't in Vietnam.

Showing Vets your appreciation you can say, "Thank you." There is nothing wrong with that, but I believe we need to do more. And in the present ongoing wars where only 1%- and not the 1% Occupy, including several Veteran groups, are protesting- of the country are being affected the rest of us OWE them more than just a handshake. Most of the present folks fighting are those who believe its their sacred duty, those who went into the military because they had no other way out of poverty and those who decided to help by going into National Guard units. Many were deployed multiple times to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. many are scarred in various ways- and they suffered for the rest of us.

So say thank you in a tangible way! Buy a Vet a beer or lunch. Give them the next job opening in your business. On 11/11/11 have your business give them something special for just going in. But make sure they know that, regardless of whether you supported Afghanistan or Iraq, that you understand they have made a great sacrifice for our freedoms and you want to give at least a little something back.

Cookbook News

I just arranged for someone to videotape me teaching classes as well as one-on-one doing specific recipes that will be in the cookbook as a DVD available with the book. I'm psyched. We'll be doing the November 12th Holiday Cooking Class as the first video.

Recording of Cooking Classes

I have wanted to record my cooking classes for awhile and make a KISS Method Gourmet youtube channel to coincide with the release of the cookbook I've been working on- maybe even include them as an optional dvd with the cookbook or as part of an e-book release. Now I have made contact with someone I was told was really good at doing stuff for our cable systems local CATS channel. This could be good.

Occupy November 2nd

Due to the Oakland Police overreacting on Tuesday, the sever injuries to marine and two time Iraq Vet Scott Olsen, Occupy Wall Street is supporting Occupy Oakland, as now have several other Occupy locations, and have called for a nationwide general strike on Wednesday November 2nd. We will be joining the effort, though I admit its cheating- Wednesdays' the restaurant is normally closed! It doesn't lessen Amberwind's and my support. It also doesn't hurt a struggling small town small business in the midst of a recession by being closed an extra day. Besides, those of us who are truly small business owners should NEVER be part of such a boycott- large corporations that are part of the problem should. I AM a capitalist, but I supply paid vacations and healthcare as a small business that grosses less than $300K/year during this recession. I have given my employees several raises over the years while giving myself only 1. I am part of the 99%.

MY First Bad Review

I, personally, got my first bad review on tripadvisor; though I wasn't mentioned by name. Not the restaurant, but me. I take it I spent too much time talking to a table. I was either bored- because it was a slow night- or else they asked some questions and I babbled. They were obviously not happy and I sent them an apology.

If I ever do it to you, my dear reader, please let me know, even if it must be blatantly- I can be thick- that you would like me to leave your table. I'll be chagrined because of my being unobservant and dense, but I won't be hurt or upset by your desire to be left alone. After all, your pleasure is the reason we do what we do.

Recipe: Marinara Sauce

Marinara sauce was created in America, as was what we think of as pizza, as a quick, easy and delicious sauce for pasta. For a little less than 30 minutes worth of time and very little effort one can make a superb tomato sauce that your family will think you simmered all day. Though the name is related to the English word, 'marine' it most often doesn't have fish added- though this is always a great alternative. You can easily add ground meat- beef and/or pork- chopped mushrooms, sauteed bell peppers or whatever else you desire to personalize this tasty sauce.

• 1/2 cup onions, small diced
• 1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup red wine, I usually use a good Merlot
• 1 rd Tbs garlic, minced
• 2 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oregano, dry
• 1/2 tsp basil, dry
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

1. In a 2 quart sauce pan saute the onions in the olive oil until transparent.
2. Blend the crushed tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Use the water to rinse out the can and the blender add the water and tomatoes to the sauteed onions.
3. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon.

If you are going to add meat or peppers saute them with the onions. Mushrooms can be added when adding all the other ingredients.

When I use the sauce I often add a little extra red wine as I'm reheating it because it thickens as it sits. Like all tomato sauces, it tastes best next day, though it is perfectly wonderful same day. It freezes well and will refrigerate in a sealed container for 10 days.

Sometimes I'm Really Dense

Here I am a professional chef and I omit Beryl's favorite foods from my memory of him:

• He loved chips with medium hot salsa, with or without cheese. He would even eat a couple of corn chips with nothing on them- yes he was a strange and wonderful cat.
• Popcorn with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, tamari and pepper was another favorite.
• The last of ice cream clinging to the pint of a premium brand container Amberwind and I had just finished. He would shove his whole head into it and wear the container for a chance at the bit on the bottom. Then he would cleverly get it off when he was through.
• Any cheese, and I mean any cheese, ever made- untrue of our other cats.

He would barely eat catnip, but preferred to roll in it; unlike Topaz who seemed like a reincarnated Deadhead when it came to his kitty drugs. And when Sapphire came into the house, he could push Beryl, who was very non-aggressive away from his bowl. (But then Sapphire had shown up at our door starving- with his ribs showing- dehydrated and needing pets- what we call skin-food.) Beryl hardly hissed and the few times he did was usually because he was in pain. You could pet him for hours and he'd still want more- unlike any other cat I've ever known. And he'd sit in Amberwind's lap- he slept with me but only occasionally sat in my lap and only when I had fabric on- for hours.

I only wish that everyone gets a chance to have such an affectionate, smart, wise and occasionally annoying critter like him in their lives.

Personal Reflection- Occupy Wall Street

I am an entrepreneur and small business owner- a capitalist, BUT I support the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Why am I a 99%er! I'm a small business owner no one is going to bail out if I fail. I pay taxes and am realistic enough to know I'll never be rich being a restaurateur in a small town. I believe in balanced budgets, but in the Lesser Depression I'm a Keynesian who wants to see a REAL stimulus package of about $1.5 trillion. I believe Wall Street is NOT the real economy- they neither produce goods nor offer a service that helps most. The advise their investors and then bet against them. They lie and give inaccurate advise if it benefits them. It is a business driven first and foremost by greed and the lack of the regulations put in place after the Great Depression has allowed this all to happen- thanks to Reagan, Clinton & both Bushes, who all deregulated them in the false belief that they'd regulate themselves. The have rubbed in our faces the bail; out they got with giving themselves outrageous bonuses for what?! Tanking the world economy?! And I am a believer in a progressive tax rate. They have bought, if not the best congress (Democrat and Republican) money can buy, it's pretty close. And Obama has made lame half-assed statements calling them out for their greed and they BLAST him as anti-business, when he has been anything but.

It's time for accountability: there are Wall Street types who should be in jail; members of congress voted out of office for their unyielding support of deregulation of the financial system; To-big-to-fail banks and financial institutions broken up; investment earnings should be taxed at income tax levels versus the 15% capital gains tax- which should be eliminated and make all capital gains simple income; we need to rewrite the tax code, end all deductions and make a progressive flat tax for individuals and corporations; but most of all we have to get money OUT of politics and pass an amendment to the Constitution that ends the definition of speech as including money and that corporations are not individuals.

These beliefs put me in the company of that great "Socialist" Warren Buffet; better company I could not ask to be included in. I think most Americans have no idea what Socialism means, but, just like the throwing around of Hitler's name for anyone who disagrees with them, they will continue to use it- continuously. That's because whenever money is tight we eliminate money for schools and teachers first- we have dumbed down the populous. The Corporate-Oligarchy have fed the populous the modern equivalent of the Roman Emperors 'Bread & Circuses'- 'Bud & Circuses; couch potatoes fed on beer, reality TV and sports. But Americans are waking up. First there was the Tea Party- They've been co-opted but it was the beginning of 'We the People' starting to stand up. Now there is Occupy Wall Street.... Let's just hope it isn't co-opted as well.

Personal Reflection- The Most Amazing Cat

Its been a while since I posted.... as always, life has been busy, so I'm sorry for the delay. 


But today I want to share what my cat Beryl was like. Beryl was 16 years old when he died. He had become a diabetic in the last year of his life. Beryl had become fat from the steroids used to keep in check the chlamydia that is a dental disease in cats- and different from the chlamydia bacterium that affects humans- which he caught from our older cat Topaz; who groomed him regularly and who we had put to sleep months earlier. Topaz got it the one time he got out and disappeared for hours. Unfortunately he was misdiagnosed from a local vet practice who refused to listen to what we had observed and believed was the problem- a dental disease. (Later on we found out that other vet practice disliked cats and had done the same thing to several other folks- not liking cats they refused to keep up on the most recent medicine affecting them.) Its been a year since our vet met us at 2am to put him to sleep (thank you Dr Wilmeth for being so caring). He was panting and in pain. Beryl's kidneys had shut down, but we didn't figure that out until days later.

In a lifetime of pets, Beryl was the first who I had from being a kitten (or puppy) for his whole life. He slept with me- tucked under my arm- every night of his life. This alone would have been enough to endear him, but there was so much more to this BIG personality that made him lovable and a grade A pain at times.

It was coming up on Amberwind's birthday. We were working more and more and had Topaz for a little over a year; which was Topaz' age. Two cats usually do better than one if they're going to be alone a lot throughout the day. I went into the cat room at the Albuquerque Human Society building and all the cats were quiet, except this one  6 week old kitten. I've had Maine Coon mixes before and loved them and though I was hoping to find one I wasn't hopeful I'd actually see one. One look and it was obvious he was a mix- which was confirmed by the AHS workers. (They knew who his mother was and her owners- a show cat who had gotten out and 'caught' by a street cat- and "Berlioz" as the AHS called him had escaped the yard of his mama's home. It turned out his mama's family didn't want him back, but I had to wait 10 days for them to not come for him before the AHS would let me take him home.) When I saw the future "Beryl" was half Maine Coon I asked if I could hold this howling ball of fluff. He had the ringed tail, ear-tufts and neck ruff typical of his breed.Beryl jumped into my hand, jumped from there to my shoulder and then stuck his nose in my ear and began purring and licking my ear. I was in love.


When I got him home Topaz was terrified of this bouncing ball of energy and ran away from him for about 2 weeks. That changed over the years and besides grooming Beryl Topaz and he often slept in a pile. The first thing that was obviously different about Beryl was how, after a couple of days Beryl realized that the cat in the mirror we had sitting on the floor was him. After that the thing that set him apart was his dog like behavior of greeting anyone who entered our apartment. Well not actually everyone. The half dozen or so folks he hid from all proved to be people that tried to screw us over in some way. He was less than a year old the first time this happened. Unlike most cats, Maine Coons will get affection from every member of the family, but except for that handful of people he ran from, everyone who walked through our door was instantly expected to admire, pet and croon over him.

 Amberwind and Beryl asleep on the couch together- a favorite position for both. This is my computer's wallpaper.

His intelligence became even more obvious as he taught- through example- Topaz how to open and enter kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Beryl hated closed doors and quickly figured out how to slide open sliding closet doors and accordion doors. He later mastered jumping up and twisting a door knob with his front paws while kicking a closed door with his hind feet. It would take about seven tries, but as long as the door opened in the direction he wanted to go he would eventually get a closed door opened. Funny, but I just realized that I never saw him try to use a doorknob on a door that opened against the direction he was trying to go in.

Beryl loved rubber bands. We had them in a junk-drawer in the kitchen until it became obvious that he would wait until Amberwind and I were not home to pull them out of said drawer. It took us awhile to figure out that Beryl had jumped on the kitchen counter to get them out since he would ALWAYS re-shut the drawer after snagging the rubber bands out. Smart and sneaky!


When we bought our house we experienced a new level of intelligence as we saw how he had mastered the concept of mirrors. Our master bedroom suite has a bathroom with a large vanity that has a huge mirror as long as the vanity and 4 feet high. When one entered our bedroom, if Beryl was upon the vanity- which he was, often grooming himself looking in the mirror- he would stop grooming as you entered, look you in the eyes via the reflection in the mirror and chatter at you. He would never turn to look at  you, but as you approached and moved your hand to pet the top of his head, Beryl would stretch his head and meet your hand for the stroke. Beryl would also sit there and watch our other two cats- after we took in Sapphire- in the mirror, and without missing a beat he would simultaneously spin, leap and jump on them having figured out exactly where the other two were behind him using the reflection. Watching him do this feat was just mind-blowing. Most dogs and cats NEVER understand how a mirror works and try to attack or at least get to the animal they see in the mirror without realizing it's them. Beryl KNEW it was him!


Beryl also loved being in boxes and paper bags, especially the large ones from Trader Joe's. But where most cats would run into a bag when you scratched the back of it, trying to find the thing making the noise, Beryl would run around the bag and jump on your hand. Same for scratching other things to get him to play- he would go for the movement if your hand was, say, under a blanket and making it jiggle, but if he saw no movement he'd go under or around whatever piece of material that was blocking his way to seek out the noise. But then he was a fabric kitty and loved crawling under and nesting in any fabric he could find. (Beryl wasn't allowed in our closets for that reason and when we bought our home one of the reasons we liked it was because the closet doors were ones he couldn't open because they opened out, not in.)


He entertained all of our guests with his warmth and antics. He was there when either Amberwind or I were sick with purring comfort. He played bed warmer in winter and alarm clock every work morning, seeming to understand our schedules, including our regular days off. Beryl knew the sounds of each of our vehicles and would set up a racket whenever one of us returned home. He knew when I said, "Goodnight Beryl" and would often beat me to the bedroom from wherever in the house we were, though he almost always arrived as I was getting into the bed- except when Amberwind was going to stay up and was doing something interesting. Beryl insisted on being the center of attention and always, well mostly, made it worth your while. Beryl was.... Beryl and I still miss him terribly.

A fifteen year old, Beryl losing his belly hair from the steroids that he needed. this is my cell phone's wallpapaer.

Someday we'll add another cat to our family, until then Sapphire is getting necessary attention, his being a skittish but affection needy guy. I already know where the Tucson Maine Coon rescue folks are at. There will never be another Beryl, but each Maine Coon I've had was a loving and affectionate fellow. I've been lucky to have many a loving pet in my life, but Life wouldn't have been as good as it has been without the sixteen years Beryl was part of my life.

PS: I forgot some of the stranger abilities of Beryl. For one, he KNEW his name- something dogs usually do, but not true for most cats. He understood the word "Goodnight" as meaning bedtime, whether I called his name with it or not. If he was playing rough and biting, the word, "Gentle" stopped him. And finally, he always knew, no matter the time of day, if I called out, "Breakfast" that he was going to get fed. Most cats don't learn individual words, but he did.

Recipe: Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

Well, I gave you the recipe for the Roasted Red Pepper Pesto that tops this, so I should probably share our most popular vegetarian item- beloved of meat-eaters as well as vegetarians. Serves 2 to 4 people.

•  4 large portabello mushrooms, destemmed and washed

MARINADE:

• 1/2 cup cooking sherry
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 tsp basil, dry

FILLING:

• 12 oz low aft cream cheese or neufchatel
• 4 Tbs fresh chives or scallions, chopped
• 2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbs warm water
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and warm until just simmering. Marinate the mushrooms overnight in the refrigerator, with a weight upon them to keep them from floating above the liquid.
2. Combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
3. To cook the Mushrooms you can either grill them, use your broiler or cook in a non-stick pan with a whisper of olive oil. Cook gill side down for 1 1/;2 minutes on medium-high heat.
4. Turn and cook 1 minute more.
5. Fill the cap with a goodly amount of the of cheese mixture- with large enough mushrooms you'll use about a quarter of the mixture each.
6. At this point transfer your stuffed mushroom into a non-stick pan with a cover or create a cover you can use with the mushroom placed on aluminum foil if broiling or grilling. Melt the cheese by covering and steaming them by carefully adding a little warm water (about 1/2 Tbs) to the pan- or onto the foil. Keep covered tightly while steaming and let cook 1 to 1 1/2  minutes.
7. To Serve;: Place each mushroom on a plate over a bed of spinach or mixed greens. Garnish with a few Tbs to a 1/4 cup of the Roasted Red Pepper Pesto.

Filling will last up to 2 weeks when refrigerated in a covered container. Mushrooms can stay marinating up to a week before they get too soft. Marinade can be used twice before too much flavor is lost and will keep about a month in a closed container.

You can use smaller portabellos  if you want to use them as an appetizer.

Honey, I'm Home

Today is the 10th anniversary of the restaurant-  I'm celebrating by staying home and keeping up on this blog, Facebook, Twitter and editing the cookbook.

We don't really celebrate the anniversary with our fourth day open being 9/11. It always seemed crass and insensitive. We did celebrate the 7th anniversary and we will the 11th the same way- calling it "Lucky Eleven" and having drawings for tapas at the bar and free dinners. But the so called 'big anniversaries' like the fifth and tenth will be ignored. I hope the best celebration for this anniversary will be Sous chef George winning the "Farm to Chef" challenge at the Farmer's Market this weekend. I have no doubt he'll take one of the 3 top places! He's come along way in the past three years.

A few thoughts:

• The radio program in Tucson was fun! Thanks to all who got me there!
• I still haven't heard back from the Culinary Institute of America to make the necessary changes in my post about the different types of chefs. Chef's who do big bold food can be either working stiffs who just do what they do or prima donnas- if I hadn't made that clear. Burn outs and those in leaving mode rarely do so and when they do it is often to disastrous effect.
• Editing the cookbook has been slower than I want. Don't know how to change that.
• Can't decide what recipe to put up next, but I need to decide once I finish this post!

This Labor Day Weekend was just okay. Figures were up from a typical weekend but not enough to feel like a traditional/pre-lesser depression holiday weekend ($4300 this year vs $4600 last year vs $6700 in 2007- the year the "recession" officially started in November; which I called just after Thanksgiving weekend 2007) I really think this is going to be a deep depression if the government doesn't do REAL large- $1.5 trillion at least- stimulus, but articles like this make me despair. Why would anyone vote for someone that was so anti-government that they would tear it down. In a different time we would call that person an Anarchist, now we call them a Republican. I don't believe in Big government, nor Small government- I want an efficient adaptable government able to meet the times- and that changes as the needs/threats/economy/world/climate/etc. changes. Sometimes I despair that a third of the population has declared the government the "ENEMY" instead of wanting to Take Back our government to once again make it the government of, by and for the people. I blame Reagan on this one- he could have said we needed to take the government back into our control versus declaring it the problem. That has now become the belief of too many people and so government is grid-locked, the size stimulus even conservative non-Keynesian economists like Bruce Bartlett believes we need are ignored and Keynes is declared irrelevant even though Obama was too much of a wimp to ask for the level of stimulus needed. Lessons from history is declared void and 1937 and a double dip depression is upon us as we tragically do austerity and debt reduction instead of MASSIVE government spending to get us out of the job crisis and reduce the debt another day. In 1937 Roosevelt made the same mistake, the economy re-tanked and economists- to keep Americans from being terrorized by the double dip depression- added a new word to their lexicon; "Recession". We've been bullshitting ourselves and calling depressions "recessions" ever since. "Those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them" isn't just a old-fashioned saying without truth or purpose! We have little attention-span in this country and even less of a sense or knowledge of history. We make the same mistakes too often and are doomed to continue making them despite the fact that we should know better. I fear we will see a decade of little to no economic growth, few jobs created, unemployment staying high, the middle-class keep slipping, the reversal of functioning social safety nets and the rich just getting richer. We've had several revolutions in this country- though the are rarely taught and definitely not taught as revolutions; i.e.: The Whiskey Rebellion- and if things don't change "Bread & Circuses" as the Roman Emperors called it, or Bud & Circuses (beer, NASCAR, reality TV, sports) as I call it, will eventually not be enough to keep the masses placid and mollified. The Tea Party is not a rebellion, it is the corporate/media/political-insider manipulation of fear and discontent of a fast changing world. But the elderly in the Tea party don't want changes in Medicare or Social Security- "keep the government's hands off" those programs, though they are government programs. As people stay unemployed, as the programs they like disappear, as the legislators they elect give themselves more perks and fewer roads and bridges are repaired, they WILL wake up! And I wouldn't want to be part of the anti-government/pro-wealthy only crowd at that point. Mobs are ugly things, and they will probably NOT resort to changing things via one person one vote; if they still have it at that point. Democracy IS fragile and the Republicans are leading those who are appealed to first and foremost out of fear and other emotional vs rational appeals into believing in policies that are counter their own self-interests. When they wake up to how badly they've been screwed I wouldn't want to be a conservative politician.

Then again, maybe I've just become too cynical as I've fought to keep my business surviving. We'll know in a few years.

Holiday Weekends

are crazy and very busy, so I won't be posting until probably Tuesday. I promise another recipe as well as thoughts. Meanwhile, we had a nutso night with First Friday Beer Tasting, The Taste of Downtown event thrown by Mainstreet as a fund raiser and one of our staff conveniently forgetting how I told her I'd need her tonight so she went out of town. Thankfully other people heard me tell her so I don't think I'm totally nuts. Amberwind and I believe she's in leaving mode and just isn't fully involved any more. I like her, but, as much as I hate letting anyone go, I might just have to. I will miss her great sense of humor.

Different Types of Chefs

I was talking briefly with Rob of Curious Kumquat a couple of weeks ago when he mentioned an online "controversy" about different ways chefs are. He said that the ongoing dialogue was mostly about the usual tired old line that women chefs are nurturing and male chefs were not. This seemed to apply mostly to the food they do as well as its presentation. I said I fit the nurturing model. He said he fit more of the big bold alpha model, though he didn't use those exact words- and I hope if he reads this that he will remind me of how he phrased it, because I remember the gist but not the exact words (and I will quote him here.)

But thinking about it as time has gone by I realized how many different types of chefs I've had the pleasure and misery to work with in my 40 years in the business. Not all of it is about the final product and the dining experience. I've worked with other nurturing male chefs- my favorites were 2 chefs (Bonya- spellimg?- & Sonnenschmidt) when I was a student at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and my late mentor Gordy Brenner- who never went to school but learned the old apprentice method by working in better and better places throughout his life, was a close friend of the family & sat down with me when I told my parents I wasn't going to be a doctor and was dropping out of college for chef school. I've met many a nurturing female chef, though I have increasingly met more who aren't as the years have gone by- though much less frequently than non-nurturing male chefs. Their food and it's presentation did fit the nurturing model.

I've worked with prima donnas who were sometimes as good as they thought and other times were not. Of those who were good, a few would come off of their pedestal- when they were placed there by a loving public- and would actually deign to teach you from time to time. The food they presented was usually big and bold- cutting edge; but that doesn't guarantee it was always good. Of course a nurturing chef can still be a mediocre to bad cook, despite all the good intentions. There were few of them who were nurturers, but it can and does occasionally happen. I usually found that their food tended to the bold with a few down to earth dishes thrown in the menu to keep from scaring the, as we used to call them, non-gourmands off. Of those chefs whose primadonnahood was a matter of their own publicity machine or that of the owner of the restaurant, well  I've never met one who would teach his/her underlings how to improve their skill; though I'm sure some who would must exist simply by the the random chance of the universe. Too many of these self created big names- at least in their own minds- fall into the next category.

This is, in my experience, an almost exclusively male chefs- those threatened by skilled underlings. These are- in the past before Politically Correct behavior was enforced by law as well as convention- the guys who threw knifes at you when they were displeased. They would try to beat you down to elevate themselves, but at the same time were afraid to be shown up.They would try to either secretly or blatantly learn how you did something so that they not only could take the credit, but duplicate it after you left; either of your own free will or by firing- though many made you miserable enough as a way of forcing you to quit. After all, it saved the business from paying out unemployment benefits. I've never met a woman chef with these behaviors, though in this day and age they probably exist. I never lasted more than a couple of weeks with these guys- I'd quit rather than be verbally and potentially physically abused- and was glad that, as far as my experience, there weren't any at the CIA in Hyde Park, NY back in 1977- 1979. If you meet a future prima donna, whether they will be a bastard or one of the good ones, because they will always make sure that they find a reason and way to call attention to themselves. These guys produce food that is almost always cutting edge, often its not very good but people will eat it due to its trendiness until they discover something better.

Another chef I found tough to work for was the one who perpetuated the "War" between the back of the house (kitchen staff) and front of the house (dinning room & bar staff); though sometimes it seemed like some of these chefs teamed up with the front of the house to make war on the customers. I've mostly known men, but a few women as well, who saw life as a struggle to be won on a moment by moment basis. Many a restaurant run this way had high staff turnover, as well as lacking in a reasonable level of repeat diners. I never stayed such places for long. The food could be great, but the atmosphere, even in the dining room, was often tense. It is amazing how many restaurants used to be like this. Since I don't allow it and have been self-employed for 13 of the last 16 years I have no idea how frequent it still is.

There are the burnt out chefs that has lost their passion. These hardly teach at all, though they aren't stingy with their knowledge; they just are going through the motions and need to be badgered to share information and techniques. If your working for one of these you often have the chance to do things your way, though you also end up doing more work than you've signed up for and may be qualified to handle. A similar type of chef is one in "leaving mode"- they are getting ready to retire or have given notice and just don't care any more. The same conditions apply, but for different reasons- the passion might still exist for cooking, but not for the restaurant they are currently at. The food varies by chef in quality and style, but it is often obviously done by rote.

Most chefs are just hard working people looking to earn a living and make sure that their guests have a pleasant dinning experience that they would want to repeat. They teach when they can, shout if they feel that its the only way to get stuff done right and work keeping a smooth running kitchen- and by extension- restaurant. They more often than not succeed- though the greater majority will never get recognition outside of their immediate circle of regular guests and the small local  newspaper. They work their whole lives doing what they like best, never dreaming of a Food Network show or the need to be wealthy, but hoping that one day that statewide or national magazine/newspaper gives them that good review, guaranteeing them a good- if not great- career and living. They do various styles of food, from nurturing to cutting edge, but it's usually good, hardy fare that satisfies the publics' needs and keeps the guests returning.

Finally we get back to the nurturers. Yes, the first female chef I worked with was nurturing. I and some of my closer friends felt a desire to shelter her as she taught us at the CIA. She was the only female chef teaching at the school. I learned a lot from her and enjoyed the Pantry class she taught; which many of the male chefs at that time strongly believed was all a woman chef was good for. My friend Gail (I've always been terrible at names and can't remember Gail's last name nor how she spelt Gayle) and I got to dine at her house. We got to call her by her first name, Lucy; and we respected her skills and felt affection for her. Unfortunately I cannot recall Lucy's last name- I've emailed the CIA asking for it to put it here. More unfortunately, I remember what some of the male teachers and most of the students, (male and female) called her- "Juicy Lucy". I put that name here hoping that someone can give me her complete name so I may honor her. My Bernaise sauce would not be half as good as it is without Lucy's teaching and nurturing; nor would my Monte Cristo and other things she taught us. Many a women chef I've worked with over the years and a lot of men who are just hard working stiffs are nurturing of their staff and guests. Even a handful of prima donnas are. They always include food with a presentation that is comforting as well as often delicious.

By the way, before I am accused of calling each chef who does bold, cutting edge food  a "prima donna," obviously not all are; though in my experience most are. There are always exceptions to each rule. But for those who are prima donnas, I believe they should embrace that side of their personality! Use it the way I use my calling myself, " a good Jewish grandma." It is a significant part of not just my approach to cooking and teaching, but of who I am. It is part of how I "market" myself because it reflects my approach to food and life. Prima donnas should do no less.

There are always chefs who combine aspects of each type. It is only the threatened, non-teaching, legend-in-their-own-mind types who I have no use for. I've fired several of this type- usually just out of chef school. All the others I have been able to work for and with. Thankfully, few of those who helped shape me and my career were anything other than nurturers and good hard working stiffs. It's what I try to be to each employee I've had. I don't always succeed, but teaching and nurturing is my goal for my guests and staff. And, of course, a truly unique dining experience.

UPDATE: I had written to the CIA to get the exact spelling of Bonya's name and the last name of Lucy, but have not heard back. My apologies.

Recipe: Lebanese Beet Salad

One of our most popular dishes, this autumnal salad has convinced many a person who thinks they hate beets that they were wrong. Only use fresh beets, which are coming into season- canned have the taste that most of you who hate beets despise. Pomegranate molasses/paste can be found in specialty and some ethnic grocery stores. Or else you can cook down 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice until it yields 1/3 cup for the recipe. The brands of pomegranate molasses I like best tend to be darker in color versus redder in color if you have several to compare.

• 2 lbs fresh beets, trimmed
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses/paste
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs yellow onion, small diced
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg

1. In a pot large enough to cover the beets with water boil the beets until a pointed knife easily pierces to the center of the largest beet- approximately 40 minutes, depending on the width of the beets. Drain and cool until comfortable to handle, but still warm.
2. Peel the beets by scraping with a paring knife. (The red color of the beets will stain your hand if you don't wear gloves while handling them. Most of the color will wash off immediately, but the rest will be gone within 24 hours. I do it without wearing gloves, but then I'm a restaurant owner and therefore insane.)
3. Cut the beets into 1 " cubes.
4. In a large bowl whisk together all the other ingredients. Add the beets and toss.
5. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. Serve then or refrigerate until later.
6. Serve this salad over a bed of mixed greens and garnish it with a little extra chopped fresh mint.

Yield: approximately 2 lbs or enough salad for 6 to 8 servings.

Tastes great cold or at room temperature and will hold in a sealed container up to 10 days under refrigeration.

Travel/Tasting Dinner/Cooking Class- My Next 36 Hours

Tonight I drive to Tucson to do a radio interview Friday morning on "Wake Up Tucson" at KVOI 1030AM- it's at 7:10am Tucson time & 8:10am Silver City time. An ungodly hour considering I usually go to bed around 3am. But being there in person means I can bring some tasters of food for the hosts.

I return to our Friday night 6 Course Spanish Food & Wine tasting dinner. Details at www.silver-eats.com under Events page. Banquet seating at 6:30pm. Reservations recommended.

Then on Saturday morning we have the Complete Meal Cooking Class where we're going to put together a 5 course dinner for family and friends. Expect a  good turn out, but a couple of spaces are still opened.

What this all means is I won't be posting another recipe for a few more days as I catch up with myself. Don't think I could have done this before the CPAP and have done it right.

Thanks everyone for your patience.

Recipe: Harissa Aioli

This recipe combines things you've learned in other recipes on this blog.

Though I'm sure others have thought the way I have, it just seemed to make sense to me to combine French and Moroccan sauces together. Much of that region of North Africa had been French colonies up through the the beginning of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Not a pretty part of history, but an excuse to combine French and 'Moorish' cuisines. Besides, France has a large Algerian population that I'm sure has chosen to do similar fusion of cuisines. And even if they haven't the Spanish have looked back to the time of the Moorish Caliphate and found inspiration for fusing Spanish and North African cuisines, so why can't I also do that with French cooking?!

Harissa is a Moroccan hot paste. Aioli is a French garlicy and lemony mayonnaise. They combine and make a marvelous sauce for meats, fish, cheeses, omelets and even French Fries. Adjust the amount of Harissa up or down from the amount given in this recipe according to your personal tolerances- the following is how we make it in the restaurant.

In a food processor blend:

• 1 cup of mayonnaise, make the linked to recipe on this blog or store bought
• 3 to 4 Tbs Harissa, make the linked to recipe on this blog or use store bought ( found in specialty stores) dependent upon how hot a given batch is
• 2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbs Dijon mustard

That's it! If you are making the mayonnaise from scratch, make it first and THEN add the other items. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Sorry, I forgot to put the Yield: approximately 1 1/2 cups. Also it will refrigerate and last a good 2 weeks in a sealed jar or container.

Keeping Up with Myself

I've promised several different recipes on this blog and I will eventually do them all, though events and requests are changing the order. There will be a new one soon.

I WILL be on Tucson radio this week- Friday 8/26 on KVOI 1030AM at 7:10am Arizona time/8:10am New Mexico time. The show is "Wake Up Tucson" and it will be broadcast online as well. I'll be there in person, bringing some cold items from our present Summer menu for them to try. Looking forward to it- it 'll be fun. Plus I'll get to do some Trader Joe's shopping while in the big city.

Busy week coming up period. Besides the radio show we have a 6 course Spanish Food & Wine Tasting Dinner later that night. A cooking class teaching people how to cook and serve a 5 course dinner in a couple of hours and  a small catering this Tuesday. I'll be getting only part of Thursday for editing the cookbook since I'll be driving that night to Tucson- for those who don't know Sous chef George and I are each going to a 5 night work week- he has Tuesdays off and I Thursdays.

I'm also working on getting lots of votes for my Carrot Cake on www.getbacktoscratch.com Every time guests agree that its a great carrot cake we ask them to go to the site and vote for it. I find the whole process embarrassing, but in this day and age it seems you need to do such things just to get guests in your door, let alone get recognized as a worthy place to dine.

Oh well, life can be busy, but thankfully its not stressful. See details for any of these events on the restaurant website or on Facebook. Meanwhile, as my brother says, "Live. Love. Laugh." Lif is too short to do otherwise.

Extra Day Off

George and I have started something new this week. He is taking Tuesday nights off and I'm taking Thursday nights off; and we're also sharing the early morning Tuesday delivery check ins by each of us doing every other Tuesday versus me doing all of them. I needed the day off yesterday because I actually didn't feel all that great. But I feel lost having not been there last night, even though it was slow and not much happened. Maybe I have control issues I just didn't realize I have?! I just know I feel like I used to feel when I missed a day of chemistry lab when I was in college- like I missed something important. Oh well, guess I'll have to get over it. Though I didn't feel good yesterday and so did nothing, the extra day off will give me more time to finish editing the cookbook.

Old Friends/New

Because of a fantastic visit from my friend Dondi Dandelion I have begun reestablishing contact with old friends from my days at Twin Oaks Community (an thriving commune from the 1960's). It was so great catching up with her and starting to catch up with old friends via Facebook. This neo-Luddite wouldn't have said this even a week ago, but Facebook ain't too bad. Now to arrange a visit back east, besides to get married next year (on June 5th- our 20th anniversary) in NYC where gay marriage is legal. (Yes, New Mexico law accepts any marriage, even one that cannot be established in NM, as long as it was legal in the state or country it was established in.) Hubby Amberwind has suggested we drive instead of flying next June so that we can catch up with folks in Virginia. If all goes well, that is what we will do. And my ex-wife Thea Putz said that she would try to be there. Now that would be closing a circle.

Recipe: Carrot Cake

This is the Carrot Cake recipe we use in the restaurant. I love it because it is light, non-oily and tastes great. It is also reasonably healthy as it is not high in added sugar. Actually, we joke about it being a great breakfast since it has vegetables, fruit, nuts, eggs and, when iced, dairy.  And my local diabetics see little change in their blood sugar levels when they have one of our usual slices. I just know that I've never been more pleased than with this recipe.

Amberwind has called it the "World's Best Carrot Cake" over most of the last 10 years and only 3 people have ever disagreed with him. You'll have to come in and eat at the restaurant or get my cookbook when its in print to find out why they disagreed.

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Take a 10" round baking pan and spray with pan spray and then lightly flour. To make the cake:

• 3 cups grated carrots (feel free to use a food processor grating wheel)
• 2 cups sugar, I prefer turbinado
• 2 cups all purpose flour or 1 1/3 cups all purpose & 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup raisins &/or currants
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 tsp cardamom, ground
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pinch coriander seed, ground
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup canola oil

1. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in a bowl EXCEPT the eggs & oil.
2. Beat the eggs and oil together and add to the bowl and mix by hand to prevent over beating.
3. Pour all the batter into the baking pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour.
4. Spin the cake from front to back and bake approximately 15 minutes more. Test with a toothpick- it should come out clean when inserted towards the middle of the cake; the cake will also have begun pulling away from the sides of the pan.
5. Let cool about 1 hour on a cooling rack. Run a thin pointed knife around the edge of the pan when cool enough to comfortably handle.
6. Put a plate large enough to completely cover the cake pan upside down on top of the pan. Turn over holding plate and pan as one. Lightly tap them both on a counter or table, all around the edges. Cake will detach from the pan to sit upon the plate. Ice when cool, or refrigerate until ready to ice.

This frosting is quick and easy and makes the cake a classic:

• 15 oz cream cheese or neufchatel low fat cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (you can sift it, but i usually don't bother unless its real clumpy from humidity)
• 2 1/2 Tbs 2% milk
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 pinches nutmeg

1. Using a stand mixer or electric beater, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
2. Add all the other ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Refrigerate finished icing until you are ready to ice the cake. Re-beat if chilled before icing.
4. TO ICE: Cut the cake into 2 layers with a long serrated knife. Spread a nice but not too thick layer of icing between the layers of cake. Use the rest of the icing to ice the entire top and sides of the cake. This icing is rich enough you don't need a lot and the recipe doesn't make an overwhelming amount.
5. Serve. Refrigerate any unused portion- it will last up to 2 weeks when stored into a burpable plastic container.

Yield: 20 slices/cake.

Most people don't know that restaurants and bakeries often prebake their cakes and then wrap the cooled cake well and freeze them- you can do the same. The cake will last up to a month in most home freezers when wrapped tightly. Defrost by taking it out of the freezer the day before icing it. The icing will last a week to 10 days before using if stored in a burpable plastic container.

It really isn't very hard or time consuming to make, so please try it. Enjoy!

A Tucson Sunday in Silver City

It seemed like nearly every table we had tonight was from Tucson. It was mostly a fun night, except the first table would have been happier at a pizzeria. (I don't understand why people don't get that they can't just ask for random changes in my recipes and expect to have the waitstaff just say, "Of course we'll do that." Their saying, "I need to ask the chef if that will be alright," is considered an insult by some. There is no realization that I have taken years perfecting the recipes I use and I am unwilling to have people just randomly tell me how it should be made before they have even tasted it. Its insulting. If that is an issue go to where you can, 'Have It Your Way.' I'm sure they will make you happier. And no, the changes requested were not medical/health related.)

We were busy and the Tucsonians were fun and enjoyed their experience. When a teenager who was obviously raised to try good food tells you that your restaurant was his best dining experience it gives one joy. After all, that is what we are striving for. Lots of folks had compliments to bestow. One couple even said several people they knew in Tucson had recommended us and that the friends were right about how good it was. They also said that some of their other friends would be surprised to find out how good the dining is in all of Silver. It speaks well for how far along restaurants have come in the 11 years I've been here. I want this town to achieve as good a reputation for the food as it has for the Art Scene and the Wilderness areas. Nights like this just reinforces that what I do has some significance. (Though I never forget that no matter how good it is it still turns to shit within 24 hours.) I'm glad I never became a doctor. This is SO much more fun, and if not as financially rewarding, so much more desirable a life. I hope you all feel the same about what you do.

Now, if one couple has their way I'll be on Tucson radio in the near future talking about food and the restaurant business. If it comes about, it will be great- except for the show is on at an ungodly early hour. Oh well, my Transylvanian genes will just have to deal with waking at dawn, versus going to sleep around then, for a change. (My great-grandfather and several of my other relatives were actually born in Transylvania. I always assumed that's why I'm a night person.) Coffee and more coffee will help.

(P.S.: Since the changes to the dish they ordered was ethnically correct and wouldn't have substantively  changed it I added the 2 desired ingredients. My waitstaff is taught to say, "I can subtract an item from a dish, especially for health & dietary reasons, but I'm NOT allowed to add to a dish without the chef's permission." I personally think this is a reasonable position to take.)

Life is Fun Once Again

I was reflecting with a nice couple from Tucson that, as I realize once again, how much my life has changed due to using a CPAP for my sleep apnea. I am still amazed that, though it took weeks before I saw any real change, how many medical problems have just disappeared; including the fact that I no longer have short-term memory loss. I'm loosing weight without having changed my diet and exercise habits. I've gotten back a sense of humor, strength of character, creativity and an extra level of joy in life. It still, at just strange moments, comes upon me that life is more than back to normal. And yet I can't believe that I lived as exhausted and unhealthy as I had for that long without fully realizing how bad off I had become.

If you ever take the tests and your recommended a CPAP, USE IT! Give it at least a month! Learn how to get over any claustrophobia with the mask as I did. It is well worth it in the end. But apparently many people stop within a week when they don't get dramatic/instant results. I urge such people to continue and not to stop for 30 days. Some of my health problems didn't start reversing until 2 months into the process, but at that point I had had such great advances that I had the patience to see how the changes would continue. I hope all who need one can find it in themselves to do the same. It will make life fun again- and the worst part is you won't know how much fun there really is in life until you've worn it long enough for it to work. Then the real fun begins!

Random Thoughts

1) S&P Downgrade is a joke- if they really knew what was really going on in the world why did they rate all that sub-prime crap as worth investing in? And then they base part of their argument on faulty numbers. It was because they don't like the present politics in Washington- I've got news for them, only ignorant idiots and those living under rocks think the congress and president have the cajones to do the right thing for the country. The Republicans will fight tax hikes for the uber-wealthy with their last breath and Democrats will sell out unions, Keynesian economic principles and their progressive base at a moments notice. The Dems will compromise away- as the Speaker of the House puts it- 98% of the store while Republicans cry, "Foul" and get away with it. And Obama will be cheerleader in chief as it all goes down.

2) Next recipe will be my Carrot Cake as I just promised on Twitter. The week after that I'll publish my Tunisian BBQ Sauce recipe; which uses Harissa as one of the ingredients.

3) Of the restaurants I say I recommend in my post about Competition, the following restaurants I have not eaten in but recommend due to the reviews by people I trust: Tre Rosa and 1zero6- though I ate at Jake's restaurant when it was Spaghetti Western several years back (he's never open on my day off so I haven't been able to try the new concept).

4) I told a couple of folks I know (that are not in the restaurant business) when our local Farmer's Market's Farm to Chef Challenge came up as a subject that I was once again going to have George, my sous chef, enter and that, without naming names, one of the local chefs was so competitive that he has lost perspective in my opinion. That was all I needed to say for them to know exactly who I was talking about. They said this was too small a town for the reputation he is getting. I was shocked that there was a reputation about this person's near mania to be Numero Uno. But then I'm either at work or at home and nearly never socialize at all. Guess I should get out more. They then told me that they like the chef but think this is going to bite him in the end. I'm too busy enjoying what I do to care about such crap, unless that person's mania affects me. Thus far, except for his jumping to conclusions about what I might or might not have done, it has not been an issue. Funny that I still recommend his restaurant to folks, but then I don't see him as a threat to my status- to be that I'd have to care about it in the first place. Chefs- well this chef- just wants to have fun. After all, it all turns to shit in 24 hours no matter what I do!

5) I'm off to bed now- Cooking Class tomorrow so an early morning. Goodnight Mrs. Kalabash wherever you are. (God, I'm old.)

Recipe: Harissa- a North African Hot Chile Paste

I first tasted harissa as a junior high school student at my friend Lawrence's home. They were a family of Moroccan Jews living in my Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn neighborhood; though they went back to Morocco for Summers, holidays and special family events. Lawrence and I were young enough that we used to drop water balloons on people from his bedroom window. His room was filled with hangings that the family had brought from Morocco and his mom- a great cook who taught me this recipe- looked just like the actress Lainey Kazan. One of the few things I find hard to forgive my parents for was their not allowing me to go to Morocco for the Summer as my Bar Mitzvah gift from Lawrence and his family. I understand why they said, "No". It was 1967 and the Six Day War had ended that June on the day I was Bar Mitvah'd. But like many American Jews before the Intifada my parents had an unfounded belief, at that time, that ALL Arabs were against Jews and Israel. I met many an Arab, including Palestinians, when I lived in the Middle East during 1973 that did not feel that way at the time and was welcome in many a home as an honored guest. Yes, times have changed, but the enmity between Jews and Arabs has not always been as sever as it is now.

Coming from a family that included Hungarian Jews, spicy food was something I enjoyed. Harissa is used at my restaurant alone or as an ingredient in several sauces. You can adjust the flavor and heat to your taste via what type of dried red chile you us. I like either New Mexico or Gaujillo. I streamlined the recipe with the use of a food processor, but feel free to use a mortar and pestle.

• 1 oz dried red chiles, destemmed
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 scant tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 scant tsp cumin, ground
• 1 scant tsp coriander, ground
• scant 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Pour boiling water over the chiles and let steep for at least 2 hours. If need be put a plate or other object over the chile to keep them under the water.
2. Drain peppers and put into a food processor with all the other ingredients EXCEPT the oil. As the processor runs, slowly add the oil. The result will be a paste.

You can also reduce the heat of the harissa by shaking the seeds out of the chiles- personally I don't bother.
Next week I'll give you a barbeque sauce using harissa as one of its ingredients.

P.S.: I did get to taste harissa with some hashish added lo those many years ago, but I recommend not using trying so with the present War on Drugs. It added a nice flavor but it didn't get me high, though I don't think I could have eaten as much of it as I did without the hashish- the chiles were extremely hot and the hashish made the harissa tolerable.

P.P.S.: "Scant" means a drop less than, just below level, for those who don't cook much.

The Day After

Well, the Markets are down. The consequences of the Debt Ceiling Bill will slowly begin to show- though most of the effects will be felt in 2012- and I have a day off.  So I'm going to forget about the Lesser Depression we're in (thanks for the turn of phrase Mr. Krugman) and go to the movies to see, "Cowboys and Aliens"- and ignore the world for a couple of hours. I'll post again sometime soon.

P.S.: Good business last night; but lots of folks due to a conference in town, just like Monday's business.

The Debt Ceiling

I've actually called or written my senators and the president urging them NOT to support the bill. (My representative is a far right nut job but I'll try him next.) Why? Because it will TANK the economy, is bad for the country and Obama once again breaks his promises and caves into the most extreme on the far right with a bill that has no rise in revenues for the wealthiest Americans. The economy of a country is NOTHING like the economy of families or businesses- they need not field an Army, look after thousands if not millions after a natural disaster or connect a 3000 mile wide swath of land with roads and other infrastructure. And debt is not always bad! Families go into debt for college, to buy a house or car. Businesses take loans to expand, buy equipment and buildings or to take over other businesses.

Conservative economist Bruce Bartlett of the Reagan administration and liberal Paul Krugman agree that this bill will help kill the struggling recovery we're in! Either the world is going to end because these 2 agree OR they are right. Austerity in Europe has brought the British, Italian and other several other nations economies to a standstill. Contrary to the Merkel government's protests that they would not stimulate their economy, Germany like China and India, has been stimulating its economy at a much higher proportion of its GDP than we ever did- and their economy is growing and thriving! And contrary to Republican obsession over destroying unions, as one of the most unionized nation on the planet. Worst of all, just like the cost of a loan will go up if America hits the debt ceiling, every country that has enforced austerity programs has seen their interest rates rise and in some cases dramatically. But countries that have spent on stimulus- yes it worked or we'd be in worst shape than we are, it just was tooooo small by a factor of 3 or more- have seen their rates hold steady or drop. Even our rates with the half-assed stimulus we did stayed low. Investors know the lessons of the Great Depression, that government spending is the only way to end it. They are rewarding the countries that are NOT doing austerity by investing at low rates because they expect recovery and growing recoveries. But austerity means slowed recoveries and stagnant economies- for that they want a better interest rate to guarantee they get their investment back.

I and my husband voted for Obama. We even became Democrats for the primary to vote for him then- though we are registered Independents. If he signs this bill it will be the last straw. We have both voted in every election and will do so in 2012. BUT we will not cast a vote for president if he is running. If we wanted destructive Far Right economics we would have voted for McCain- though maybe he wouldn't have told the Tea Party to fuck off and done better than Obama has. And if a Republican gets in?! Well he or she can't be much worse than what we have now. And if the new president makes things worse, maybe the general public will wake up as they have in Wisconsin and force the Democrats to do the right thing, while throwing out the worst of the right-wing  nut jobs.

Busy Days

I've been Tweeting a lot during these busy days- easy to do on my Blackberry. Even Facebook is being ignored due to how crazy its been. I will post on Sunday night, if not sooner, but until then feel free to check out my Twitter feed.

Recipe: Veal with Strawberries & Basil- Blackberry Sauce

(We only use humanely and sustainably raised milk fed veal- no caging!)
This recipe was created out of boredom and the desire to make something I had never seen on any other menu. Fresh strawberries were abundant and luscious that year and the basil I was growing was starting to bolt from the New Mexico heat and I needed to use it up fast. It quickly became a guest & staff favorite. The sauce will last up to a month with proper refrigeration, but tastes best at room temperature- take out the amount you'll need a good hour before using.

• 1 1/2 lbs veal cutlet, pounded thin
• To taste black pepper freshly ground
• 1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced and chilled
• 1/4 cup fresh bail leaves, shredded

 FOR SAUCE:

• 1 rounded Tbs basil, dried
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup blackberry preserves, seedless
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp shallots, minced fine
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Slice the veal into approximately 1 " squares Lightly coat with the fresh black pepper.
2. In a large non-stick pan add the olive oil and heat the pan over a medium flame..
3. Lay the veal in the pan and lightly color- when edges look colored turn over and cook 1 minute more.
4. To serve, lay on the plate a inside a ring of the strawberry slices. Drizzle the sauce over both berries and veal- do not drown them. Garnish with the fresh basil.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:

1. Pour boiling water over the dried basil and steep for 20 minutes.
2. Drain off excess water through a sieve.
3. Place all the sauce ingredients into a pot. Cook on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until simmering, stirring with a wooden spoon. The blackberry preserves should be fully melted.
4. Cool for 20 minutes and then blend on high.

The veal is warm against the chilled strawberries and the room temperature sauce and fresh basil, making an interesting contrast of temperatures as well as flavors and textures.
The yield is approximately 4 to 6 servings and the entire recipe, from beginning to end, can be ready to serve within 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Closing Times, Late Guests & Customer Service

When restaurants close seems to be a squishy thing. Many establishments close at their posted times come hell or high-water. Some places close their doors early if they're having a slow night. I hate when I walk into one of those- rushing to get in at a reasonable time before closing, only to find out that they already did. Others shut down their kitchen before they actually stop accepting people- you can have a drink or coffee and dessert, but no dinner. I once had a restaurant tell me that even though it was opened for another 15 minutes I could get food from them but only as take out. At Shevek & Co. we do NOT have a closing time, we have a time when we will do our last seating- which is the time we post. This can be inconvenient, since it takes an hour and half to two hours minimum to dine with us. But as long as someone doesn't push it- like their being told our last seating IS at, say 9pm, and then they show up at 9:15- we have no problem staying late. (Showing up late like that is just rude.)We want every guest to have a dining experience as opposed to fueling by simply eating food. For that they could have gone to McD's. But we also eventually want to go home.

We are open later than many of the local restaurants. One way I know this is by how many people walk into my place saying they were told I would still be open at some other restaurant. We accept the business gladly. Besides, waitstaff know that later diners often tip better. We even have accepted guests after we have started cleaning the kitchen. Tonight was a perfect example. Two gentlemen showed up about 15 minutes after our last seating and asked if we would serve them. I said yes, but with restrictions since our broiler, ovens and flat top griddle had been turned off about 10 minutes. It had been a slow night, but we still had a table eating their last course and then they would be having dessert. The restrictions was that they could have any soup, salad our summery cold pasta dish or any other cold dish and Pissaladiere which was still hot. I was honestly not going to fire everything back up in the middle of the kitchen clean. If it had been busy and we had several tables which had more courses yet to come I would offer anything on the menu but restrict the amount of courses they can have. After all, not counting dessert, we have many a table share 5 to 7 courses. These 2 gentlemen were thrilled not to have to eat fast food and loved what they chose. They promised to eat at our place when next they returned to Silver City. My question is simply why don't other restaurants understand this level of customer service. It kept us at the restaurant an extra 20 to 30 minutes, but it made us satisfied future repeat guests. That after all is what will keep us in business. I am realistic- if someone comes in and there are no other guests left, the kitchen is completely cleaned and we're in the last couple of minutes of closing procedures I will apologize and refuse to serve them. But as long as there are other guests still eating why not feed a hungry traveler. (If all the people who we have fed under these circumstances over the years would just review us on the various websites that rate restaurants we would have a couple of hundred extra reviews on line.)

Customer Service: not everyone appreciates our attempt to give professional European-style service, but I believe that our attempt to do so is what sets us apart. Knowledgeable staff that can talk about every dish, wine and beer on our menu is more important than their potential entertainment value. If you want someone to tell you jokes, mine is the wrong restaurant- though it does happen. (If you want them to laugh at yours, remember that not everyone has the same sense of humor.) But if you want professional non-intrusive staff who can steer you to dishes and drinks you will like- who will give you a night of impeccable old fashioned service- then come join us. We will gladly give you a Dining Experience to remember. The dress is casual- my statement when asked about the dress code is, "My staff must be dressed up, you need to were a shirt, shoes and something to cover the naughty bits". The dishes include street foods from various Mediterranean countries. But the service is what you used to find in New York at the finest restaurants- though without the attitude, unless you "go there" by choice. Our goal is simply to try to give you the best experience we know how! And that is what customer service is all about.

Competition- Friendly and Otherwise

I've lived a lot of places- here in the US and overseas. There is always competition between rival restaurants- but it can be friendly with cooperation between venues, the parties can mostly ignore each other and just do their own thing or it can get nasty with various chef's and owners going out of their way to cut each other down. In Silver City most restaurants just do their own thing and ignore the others. They might cooperate if you desperately need to borrow something, they won't go out of their way to recommend you but they won't go out of their way to cut you down. A few work together- as an example, Diane of Diane's Restaurant as well as Diane's Bakery & Deli and I borrow items frequently with one another, we send each other guests and exchange information about how our businesses are doing. We have shared ideas as to how to get through this- as Paul Krugman now calls it and I have been claiming all along- lesser depression.

When asked I'll recommend to my guests any of the restaurants I have and will eat in, even when I know the owners and chefs would not reciprocate- though in several cases I have no idea if they ever recommend us. There is one chef-owner who has told people I know that he thinks I'm crazy & stupid and can't understand how I give away business by calling up and making reservations at his restaurant for people. What he has never understood is if the food they're craving  is not what I make and his is, no matter how good my food is they will not be as satisfied. By getting them a reservation for what they REALLY want that meal, when they are ready to dine in my place they enter already having a wealth of good will towards us and will have an even better dining experience than if I had convinced them otherwise.

There are 2 places I will recommend for breakfast, 7 I recommend for lunch, 4 for dinner and 1 for ice cream- dependent on if the restaurants' open on the day my guest is wanting to try something new. I do so whether I believe the chefs or owners recommend me because of the quality of food and experience. I just think that its a shame that more of the restaurants in this town won't cooperate with one another.
Now that I've got you curious I'll share what I tell people but in particular order: Diane's places of course, Alotta Gelato, Vickie's, 1zero6 (just NEVER call it 1-o-6), Mi Casita, Curious Kumquat, Tre Rosat, Country Kitchen Mexican & Jaliscos. You'll have to dine with me to hear which ones I recommend for what meals!

I just wish all of the local restaurants would "just get it" and reciprocate the same way- though I know a few of the above owners do! My thanks to them! Either way, I do recommend the above- after all, their food is also VERY different from what I offer.

Scratch Versus Homemade, plus Bread

I just read that chefs in Chicago are serving various dishes in wide mouth mason jars to, according to the article, make the dish appear more "homemade." I have no problem with the concept of presenting food in any creative way you want. Though I personally don't like food as sculpture where one needs to deconstruct it before you can begin eating. This can also have comic consequences as happened to me in a restaurant in Las Cruses, NM- the food had this massive fried tower on top that proceeded to fall off the plate and onto the table even with the waitress attempting to gently and carefully lay the plate in front of me. She was embarrassed, but it had obviously happened before.

A restaurant can make a dish from scratch, using nothing but raw ingredients to get there. An example would be my Chicken Marsala. We start with raw chicken, vegetables, herbs and spices to make the chicken stock that will be in the broth. We chop all the mushrooms and mix the various kinds I like to use. We slice and flour the chicken breast, etc, until the dish is cooked and plated. No premade sauce or bullion is used. The chicken isn't already sliced, floured and frozen by a factory. This is scratch cooking, and all fine dining restaurants do this.

Homemade cooking can only occur in a home. And though I spend more hours in a day at the restaurant then in my home, though I sometimes jokingly call it my home and even have mistakenly said, "I'm heading home," when I meant the restaurant, it is not my home. Only if the chef actually lives in the restaurant can you call it homemade. It might be a technicality but it is a difference that counts. Besides, at my mom's home, like many American households these days, homemade means jarred pasta sauce with a few things added to change the flavor. That is homemade, but not scratch cooking. Chefs should be proud of scratch cooking and use the word when they are doing it. Implying homemade can imply shortcuts they aren't even taking.

With that in mind.... I have never told my guest at the restaurant that our bread was homemade or scratch. Up until last night we used a frozen dough that needed to be defrosted, shaped, allowed to rise and then baked off for that day. Yesterday I made a scratch baguette using half organic stone ground whole wheat flour. The texture was great and I'm proud of it, though I am not the most accomplished bread baker. I also created a roasted garlic- rosemary roll using the same flour and my favorite challah bread recipe as a base. This was less successful- the rosemary flavor was almost perfect, but I need to triple the garlic next time. Live and learn. But once I finish off the case of pita bread I already have, ALL the breads we serve will be from scratch. (Pita bread is actually quite simple and I used to bake batches in a restored 1800's wood fired oven when I live in Tennessee.) Its time I used those skills once more.

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

This recipe is the sauce for our Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushroom. Its also makes a great accompaniment to pasta and fish. Try it on a burger with provolone or Parmesan cheese.

• 3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, drain if canned
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 bunch parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbs pine nuts
• 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/4 rounded tsp salt
• 1/4 rd tsp black pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg

Put all the ingredients into a food processor. I prefer a slightly textured/chunky pesto versus a smooth pesto, but how far you blend the ingredients is up to you.

Yield is approximately 2 cups. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container for a week to 10 days.

New Look

Got a couple of comments that the blog was hard to read due to the background. Is this better? I like it, but if its hard to read its worthless. Please leave comments. Tonight I'll post another recipe. Off to see the new Harry Potter.

Self Actualization

Amazingly, when I went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park we had a class on the Psychology of Management. There I discovered, via the two women who taught the class, Abraham Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs. It made sense to me in a depth that I think few in my class felt. The entire concept of Self Actualization- in a very simplified form, being the best you you can be and by doing so seeing the world and people around you as distinct and nonthreatening; worthy, in most cases, of compassion- sparked my imagination in such a way that I put together- though I never finished writing down- how one can create a society truly without leaders based on Petr Kropotkin's theories and philosophy. (Too much? Sorry....)

The important part for me, on a daily basis, is Maslow's concept that when one is self actualizing the words play and work become synonymous. For me that is usually true. The handful a times its not its usually because I'm overtired, don't feel good or business is painfully slow. Even obnoxious guests rarely take me out of that headset for more than a few minutes. (I've been known to scream once or twice a year at the top of my lungs loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear, "What the fuck do they think this is? Fucking McDonalds!" Once its out I feel MUCH better. Often I laugh immediately afterwards, but not loud enough for anyone outside of the those in the kitchen to hear.)

I really enjoy what I do! Though running a restaurant in a small town will never make me wealthy and during this recession/depression we sometimes cannot pay ourselves after everyone else has been paid, there is nothing else I'd rather be doing! I'm 57 and don't plan on stopping until at least 75. Why? Because I love it; and men in my family live to an average of 93. Spending all those years retired would bore me. My parents retired at the usual age. In his 70's my dad get a Masters in Neuro-linguistic Programming and began a new career as a Hypnotherapist and my mom went back to work at the clothing store chain she used to work for. My mom is turning 80 and her life would be less fulfilled without her work. My dad, 81, loves teaching meditation and doing hypnotherapy.  He acts in community theater and takes courses at the local community college. They, like my great-grand parents & grandparents did, stay active and involved in life. It keeps them "young" and healthy. For example, my great-grandfather Benny, known as "The Chief," kept his hardware store into his 80's; and even after giving it to his son he still did small projects for poor seniors around his neighborhood for the cost of the materials. He had been a cabinet maker until he began the tiny hardware store as his "retirement". Blue collar working-lower class in the money he made as well as in what he did, his eyes were always alive; and he was the only person I have ever known who completely and truly meant it when he told any of his descendants, "If your happy, I'm happy."  Why would I want to retire early with such examples?

I, like all of my friends at the CIA, went into this business because it is our Art and passion. I've met too many kids who have gone to chef school (many of the new ones that have popped up send out unprepared cooks) convinced that they will make lots of money as the newest sensation. They have no real concept of the hard work, long hours and low pay they will make for years. The debt they carry as chef schools have skyrocketed in price, is ridiculous.And few have the love and passion that it takes to survive in this business, due to the whole concept of the celebrity chef. Less chefs become millionaires than they have been led to believe. The pitfalls of drugs and alcohol are increased for such kids.

Too many people I know who would rather be doing something else with their lives. I'm lucky not to be one of them. For my "retirement" I will grow organic produce and raise animals humanely, as I have done before. On Friday and Saturday nights I will open up my huge dining room table at my home, and by reservation only for a set price, have people dine on the meals made up of the items I grew or barter with other local grows for. And I will continue to strive to self actualize and enjoy life to the fullest- despite being blue collar working-lower class. I wish you all such a good life.

The War Between the FOH & BOH

There are two countries/management teams in restaurants- the FOH or Front of House- waitstaff, bartenders & other dining room staff- and BOH or Back of House- chefs; cooks; dish staff. Most restaurants are in a perpetual state of war. I, having waited tables as well as doing a small stint years ago as a bartender, have always insisted on a truce between the two sides in every restaurant I've owned or managed. Actually, more than a truce, but a coming together and a forging into one family. This is often a rarity in my business. I create situations for them to socialize and build friendships. I have rules of behavior of what is and isn't acceptable. But the one thing several cooks and chefs who have worked for me couldn't handle was the fact that I give the long term waitstaff in my restaurant the right to refuse to bring a plate to a guest if they deem it as wrong in any way. The waitstaff is not only the "interface" between the kitchen and the guest, but they are trained to spot potential mistakes by tasting and watching how each dish is made. People, including myself, make mistakes; and having another pair of eyes looking at the food that is ready to deliver keeps those mistakes from happening. Too many chefs/cooks egos cannot handle a mere waitperson overriding their "Talent". Several have quit working for me because I allow this. I've never had that type of ego and its unacceptable in my restaurant.

P.S.: On my Waiting post- Please, especially in a restaurant like ours where we write tickets by hand and don't have a sophisticated computer system, ask for split tickets up front if you don't want a resentful waitperson. It speeds up their work as opposed to trying to go back and figure out who has what after the fact and then needing to add each new ticket up separately. It can take awhile- time away from their other tables and so tips can suffer. Also, on busy nights, most restaurants have small print in their menu, as does mine, allowing waitstaff to refuse such a request. Finally, most restaurants allow the waitstaff to add a gratuity onto split tickets (also in the small print). This is because they too often get lousy tips when this happens. The extra time and trouble of doing split tickets needs to be taken into account when tipping. I leave whether or not to add the gratuity on to split tickets up to the discretion of the waitperson.

Cookbooks, Television & CPAP Machines

There aren't enough hours in the day to put the edits into the computer to finish the K.I.S.S. Method Gourmet Cookbook. Its frustrating! I wanted it done months ago. I know I can come home and start worked on it immediately after work, but I do want to relax a little. If I can catch Stewart, Colbert, Bill Maher, etc and laugh while feeding my news junky habit it makes for a great evening. The real problem isn't getting of the couch afterwards- its the amount of time I need to get ready for bed.

My sleep apnea is pretty out there. I stopped breathing a minimum of 31 times an hour and a maximum of 104 times an hour during the studies. The machine keeps my breathing all night long. The oxygen levels in my blood dropped to numbers that has every doctor who has heard them tell me I was lucky I've never had a heart attack or stroke. (Though there was one night when I had a sharp, sudden and localized headache where I now wonder about it.) There are parts of the machine that need to be taken off, be carefully washed, then dried with a lint free towel, distilled water to be placed in the washed humidifier for the machine and then I need to put back together. I wear a full face mask so I have to be clean shaven; so that the mask fits tight to my face- if it leaks air it won't do its job. My face has to be clean as well so that the oils don't interfere with the fit. My normal 45 minute go to bed routine has a little more than doubled. If I write on Facebook- I'm thankful my Twitter account updates from the Shevek & Co. page- or this blog it takes up more time. Since I've started being active on social media sites I've seen increased traffic at each as well as gotten feedback how we were found by people on these sites. I'm old fashioned and still believe that word of mouth advertising is the best, but social media has definitely created a niche that I can't reach any other way.

So the cookbook edits go slowly. Tonight I'll be finishing up my typing of the recipes for this Saturday's class. Maybe I'll get to edit some cookbook recipes then. I can only hope. I just can't imagine trying to achieve any of this the way I was before the CPAP machine came into my life.

Adjusting to the Recession

This, like my posts on Food Costing are to give you an insight into how I not only run my own business, but how many restaurants side-step the pitfalls and, hopefully, succeed.

Tuesdays dinner might just go by the wayside, giving me Tuesdays & Wednesdays off. Lack of business 2 Tuesdays in a row might be an accident. If the next two also do so poorly it will be a trend. Tuesdays use to be our best weekday dinner, followed by Thursday & then Monday. Lately Thursdays have proven to be great followed by Monday & then Tuesday; though the occasional rip-roaring Monday happens. At random times, Thursdays have been better than Tuesdays- this often has lasted for months. But even when the two days have switched as to which was the better, the slower of the two days was not outright dead! The last couple of Tuesdays has seen less than $50 of business. In the long run that will NOT do! (2011 has been a roller coaster, though, overall, much better than 2010.)

I was lucky- I called the recession right after Black Friday November 2007. I always watched my business' numbers carefully. I talked with other business owners and managers in my town and across the country. I followed news reports. That's why when the figures for retail sales that Thanksgiving weekend came out I announced to anyone who would listen that we had just headed into a recession that I had seen slowly coming on over a 3 year period. I'm not that smart, but I had managed other peoples' restaurants through other recessions. Little did I know, that contrary to what the government & press have called it, we would be in a depression.

(As an aside, the word recession never existed before 1937 as an economic term. As Roosevelt slowly, but with more stimulus than the Obama administration, spent us out of the Great Depression, he was politically coerced into balancing the budget. This sent the USA into a double dip depression. To keep from scaring people they came up with a new term- Recession. Since then it has become the term of choice, to keep the consumer/voter moral up. After all, it's a less scary word. Only the massive government spending for WWII got us out of the depression. For years politicians took the wrong message out of it- that war was good for the economy. Usually war, like Vietnam, Iraq & Afghanistan, don't help or actually hurt the economy. It was the massive spending by the government, when the private sector wasn't spending at all, that ended the it.

Obama's stimulus, just like Roosevelt's early non-war stimulus, was too small to get us out of our present predicament. As a small business owner I believe in balanced budgets, but during a depression I'm a Keynesian for the entire economy.- deficits don't matter until the economy as a whole is thriving once again and there is income to pay it down. Besides which, few of us never go into temporary debt. Houses and cars are often bought on credit. I have to replace our main freezer and I'm doing it, out of necessity with a loan.)
In January 2008, after the holiday season craziness was over, I looked at all my figures and saw that lunches would soon loose money. I gave my regulars 6 weeks notice and dropped weekday lunches by the end of March of that year; though I kept weekend brunches. In June of that year I met another local restaurant owner who said that he was no longer making it on lunches and weekend brunches and he was going to add weekday breakfasts- which he did and was successful with. I told him that I expected that to happen and that is why I had dropped lunches. By July '08 I dropped Saturday brunch because they had begun to barely break even. In the fall of '08 Sunday brunches went the way of Saturday brunches; and the whole country/world knew we were in recession. By adjusting and slowly becoming just a dinner place we had our second best year profit wise in '08.

2009 was our most profitable year ever.

2010 we felt the recession the way many of my local competition had begun to feel it in '09. It was a terrible year, but we made it through. The second half of February 2011 we went back to nearly normal numbers and other local restaurants also saw an uptick in sales. Then the last week in April gas prices went skyrocketing and sales dropped about 20%. Since June we have seen normally busy does slow and slow days often slam. But I have learned that if something happens 4 weeks in a row it is a trend, not a coincidence. We have sent staff home early on slow nights. And I cut our busser bake to four days a week. We'll adjust as we need to. Thankfully I've been doing this long enough to know how to survive.
The newest menu is within the same price range as the last, without changing portion sizes. I brought on less expensive but high quality meats, fish, etc to keep from needing to raise the range. Most of the items that stayed, like Filet Mignon, I was able to hold at the old price. A couple of things went up, but by a few cents. With these changes we will be here for another year. But I'm not quite sure yet how I will feel if we go to dinner just 5 nights a week. Another day off would be feel luxurious, though I'll still need to work half of Tuesdays since it is my biggest delivery day. (Actually, it is also my earliest day, except for Cooking Class days.)
George and I are going to try opening the bar on Saturdays from 3pm to 5pm for tapas and beer or wine. It'll be any 2 bar tapas for $12 with the purchase of beer or wine. It'll start 7/16 and we'll run it through at least the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. Being innovative, that's how you get through a depression. Now, if the politicians on both sides don't screw it up, we'll have a better year as it goes along. I hope for all our sakes they don't.

Recipe: Cabrales Blue Cheese Dressing

As a bonus I've added this recipe. Now that you know how to make mayonnaise and have hopefully played with Cabrales blue cheese in Cabrales Blue Cheese & Blood Oranges recipe published on July 7, 2011, I give you this recipe as a bonus this week.

I was attempting to create the ultimate blue cheese dressing recipe- thick, richly flavored and chock full of blue cheese. This recipe does the trick! You can try it with your favorite blue cheese, but I've come to love Cabrales for this application the best. (I have made it with Roquefort, Blue Stilton and Maytag Blue. Its rich enough even a cheap pre-crumbled blue cheese still makes a flavorful dressing.)

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Cabrales blue cheese
• 1 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbs dill weed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. In a bowl, whip together the mayo, sour cream and spices.
2. Crumble the cheese. Fold in with all the other ingredients. Chill.

Best if left to sit at least 2 hours. Yields approximately 2 scant cups. Enjoy!

Recipe: Quick and Easy Mayonnaise in a Food Processor

This is another recipe from the future KISS Method Gourmet Cookbook.
It is so easy to make mayonnaise that people in my classes often stop buying store bought. You also have more control over its flavor. If you follow this recipe you'll never go back. It multiplies by simply doubling each ingredient.

• 1 lg egg yolk and 1 whole egg
• 3 scant Tbs lemon juice, fresh tastes best- can substitute white wine vinegar to make it taste more like store bought. (The commercial brands use plain white vinegar, which I consider only usable as a cleaning fluid.)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard, or any other flavorful mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, fresh ground tastes best
• 1 cup oil- I prefer 1/2 canola & 1/2 extra virgin olive oil, but all canola tastes the most like store bought.

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor, EXCEPT the oil. Turn on and run until the yolk looks pale yellow- about 30 seconds.
2. With thew food processor still running, add the oil pouring in a steady continuous stream. Stop 10 seconds after the oil is added.
3. You can use it immediately if desired. Chill the unused portion in a sealed container.

Yields a  little over 1 cup.

What is a scant Tbs (Tablespoon)? Just make it barely less than a full one.