07.01.08
Posted in 1. The Story at 10:42 pm by Chef Matt
I would have to admit that I’ve come a long way in my two years of being a chef. I think back to how scared and unsure I was coming out of culinary school and into my first cooking position. Every day was a series of mis-steps, injuries and mistakes that chipped away at my pride, and cost my employer money. But I made it through I think because my heart was in it, and I refused to let myself get down on the errors that I knew I could improve upon.
And so it was with a small sense of anticipation that I was awaiting the arrival of our new extern to Rustico this past week. Chef told me that we couldn’t throw this one directly on the line (like we did our last extern) since this guy had exactly zero days of kitchen experience. Like me, he was fresh out of culinary school, and having been in this exact position myself, I knew that this meant he knew squat. Chef seemed to realize that I understood what this guy was going to be going through, and what he was going to need to get up to speed, so Chef scheduled him to mirror my working days - so I could show him the ropes.
He walked in the first day - 20 minutes early, good sign - and I gave him the line that I wish someone had said to me on my first day:
“You’re going to mess up these first few weeks. Frequently and badly. And we will not be afraid to let you know when you do. Just stick it out, don’t take it personally and you’ll get better. But these next few weeks are going to suck. Be ready for it.”
I could see the slight look of fear behind his eyes when I said this - as if he knew this was the case, but was holding on to the hope that maybe he’d be the exception to the rule. He, of course, was not. In fact, it didn’t take long for him to get to his first error.
Works so much better in the “ON” position… |
One of his first big mistakes (and still my favorite to date) was when I gave him 10 red onions to slice thin on the slicer on his first morning. I showed him how I wanted them peeled, and then set the slicer thickness for him for how thick I wanted them. He came back a few minutes later to show me some of what he had produced, to check if the quality was OK. The thickness (or thinness depending on your perspective) was fine, but the onions were ragged looking around the edges. I was wondering if maybe the slicer was dirty, or the blade dull, so I joined him back at the slicer, and he showed me what he was doing. He pushed the onion across the blade once, and I instantly saw the problem. I calmly and wordlessly reached over, and flipped the slicer switch to “On”. The blade on the slicer sprung to life and was ready to produce beautiful clean slices. He looked at me, and I said, “Try it now…” I think he was embarrassed enough that I didn’t have to drive that lesson home any further…
But all in all, he is an eager and hard worker. And while he occasionally does things that make me shake my head, I still see myself in him too much to become overly abusive towards him. All the same though, it makes me wonder: did the fact that my ass was put through the wringer make me a better chef faster; or is it a case that one will excel at their own pace regardless of how they’re pushed?
All I know is, the scars are still fresh enough in me to be too hard on him. I just hope I don’t stunt his culinary growth as a result…
Chef Matt
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06.24.08
Posted in 6. Reviews, 7. Other Fun at 8:59 am by Chef Matt
Last “weekend” (which is Monday-Tuesday for me) my parents finally cashed in on their Christmas present that my wife and I gave them. A nice day touring through Virginia to see some of the best wineries my home state has to offer. It’s long been one of my favorite ways to spend a day, and I figured why not share the fun with my parents as well?
My lovely wife, Caroline, was our designated driver - which makes sense seeing as how she doesn’t drink - and in return we took her to two of her favorite spots along the way. So what follows is a quick (completely unsolicited) review of the wineries and other spots we hit along the way, just so you know what to do if you ever find yourself traveling in this area. (Wow, I feel like Duncan Hines…)
First stop was a relatively new winery on the VA scene, Pearmund Cellars. Their selection was large, and the staff was welcoming and friendly. The wines were generally good with a slightly too acidic Sauvignon Blanc, a nice reserve Chardonnay, and a very interesting “Vin de Sol” which actually ages on the roof of the winery in the sun for two years before bottling and comes out like a sherry. I have been several times before, and I’m sure I will be back again.
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For the next haul, we drove down to a winery I have been past, but never in before, Burnley Vineyards. We were greeted by a very large dog as we walked in, and needless to say the smell of dog permeated everything we tried to enjoy about the wines. What a change in attitude this was for us as the lady pouring for us acted as if she couldn’t stand the fact that we were there to taste her wines! Add to that the fact that almost all of them were undrinkable, and well, we left there about as fast as was possible. In all fairness, the Rivanna White was quite nice, with a crisp front and dry finish that was enjoyable enough that we bought a bottle despite our other instincts.
If you can find a better bagel, tell me. |
Driving into Charlottesville, we stopped off at the first destination for my wife, Bodo’s Bagels. For those of you who are not alums of UVA, you might not know this secret, but these are the best bagels south of the Mason-Dixon Line, bar none. I have been to New York several times. I’ve had good bagels, I’ve had bad bagels, and I’ve had downright horrible bagels. Heck, I’ve ever tired to make bagels on a few occasions. These are the best I’ve ever had without a doubt. So even though we made it seem like a present for Caroline, who loves them as well, it was a fine break for all of us as well.
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Keswick Vineyards was the next stop on our tour and we were thrilled to once again be greeted by pleasant staff in the setting of a lovely tasting room and garden. A neat feature of this winery was how they had a wine that was called “Consensus” which was put together by the members of their own wine club. While this is a really cool feature that would make me want to be a part of that club, the wine itself tasted like something only a committee could come up with: uninspired and boring. The rest of the wines were nice, but a tad overpriced for their level of quality. I did however buy myself a waiter’s corkscrew there, as I have needed one at work for some time now since my last one broke.
Since I can’t find an image of their logo online, here is a picture of their cool main building - complete with turret! |
Through a rough rainstorm we proceeded on to a personal favorite winery of mine: Horton Vineyards. They have a Viognier (the 2006) that I feel is the best Viognier ever produced by any Virginia vineyard to date. (And I’ve been drinking them for quite a while now.) But that’s not all, as they had a remarkable Vidal Blanc, and their Stonecastle White was an incredible bargain at only $10/bottle. Throw in the fact that tastings are free, and this is a winery I always try to visit when I’m in the area. Just beware that they have so many wines to try, you’ll need a designated driver just after visiting this one alone! However, with the wide range of selection, incredible quality and fabulous values to their wines, I’m personally willing to dub Horton with the title: Best Winery in Virginia.
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Practically across the street from Horton (which is about all we could stumble at this point) is Barboursville Vineyard. A lovely vineyard with friendly staff and (I’ve heard) a wonderful restaurant, this vineyard is one of the most awarded in all of Virginia. Unfortunately, they are letting the awards go to their heads (like the likewise fabulous Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg, VA) and they are pricing their wines way too high as a result. Their whites are very good, their reds are mediocre. But to look at the price tag, you’d think you were buying Chateau Neuf de Pape. While always worth a visit, I rarely find their wines worth the price, so again I left without buying anything.
It was time to call it a day for us, but we couldn’t help but be thankful to Caroline for driving for us, so we took the lovely route 20 all the way to Fredericksburg where were stopped in at the best coffee shop in Virginia, Hyperion Espresso. Unlike the unpalatable burnt flavor that accompanies every cup of coffee in a Starbuck’s, Hyperion’s coffee is rich, smooth and well-crafted. I’ve never had anything short of an excellent cup of coffee there, and today was no exception.
So there you have it, a wide range of fun stops in Virginia’s heartland that will get you drunk, full and buzzed all in an afternoon! If you can tell me a better way to spend my day off, and to have fun with my family while doing it, I’d love to hear it!
Chef Matt
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06.17.08
Posted in 6. Reviews, 7. Other Fun at 10:43 am by Chef Matt
Walking into Grape & Bean on a night where it seemed as if the sky could unleash a summer evening shower at any moment, I was greeted with trays of the most unusual fare for a party. Lemon and lime wedges, under-ripe rhubarb, salt and vinegar potato chips and unsweetened cranberry juice were lined up on the counter for the enjoyment of the guests.
Not my idea of good party snacks. |
Any other night, and I probably would have had a few chips (love that flavor!) and excused myself quickly in search of a party that at least maybe offered something a tad more palatable. But in this instance, I dove right in to all these incredibly mouth-puckering foods since it was important for me to have a frame of reference.
Perhaps you need some reference as well at this point…
See, this was no ordinary social gathering. This was a “miracle fruit” tasting. This fruit, which is really called “miracle fruit” is a West African fruit that, when eaten, re-wires how your brain interprets sour flavors rendering them sweet for the next half hour or so. Supposedly you can eat lemons, drink black coffee, even shoot straight vinegar, and not notice the incredible sour/bitter flavors that normally accompany those foods.
Miracle fruits on the tree. They’re about the size of a large coffee bean. |
I had recently heard about this fruit from my good friend Mike who sent me the New York Times article all about this fruit, and in a coincidence worthy of the Celestine Prophecy, I was invited to this party for the little fruit just one week later.
So back to the frame of reference. Having tried all these incredibly tart foods, we all were given a single miracle fruit and were told to chew it up and let it sit in our mouth for about a minute. The fruit itself is actually quite bitter and had an alum-like effect that robbed my mouth of all saliva for a moment. But once the fruit was down, there seemed to be no residual unpleasant taste in my mouth. It seemed hard to believe that this would have any effect on these foods in front of me.
But with the first sip of coffee, I was a believer. The coffee’s strong flavors were instantly mellowed out making it smooth and sweet. As if I had added cream and sugar, but it was still black as tar. The lemons tasted like Country Time lemonade; the rhubarb was as sweet as the best of springtime pies, and the raspberries - which were already sweet to begin with - now tasted like cloyingly sweet candy. The truly amazing change were the salt and vinegar potato chips. My brain could smell the artificial vinegar smell and my mouth was prepared for the intense rush of sourness as a result. But the chip was sweet and salty instead - as if they had miraculously become sweet potato chips instead. It was hard to wrap my mind around the concept of what things should be tasting like, as compared to what was actually going on in my mouth.
Wanting the full experience, I decided to chug a shot of straight apple cider vinegar. This would indeed be the real “acid test”. It was only slightly harsh, but the overall taste was more similar to apple cider than what I would have expected if I drank straight vinegar at any other time.
If this fruit is so amazing, how come we haven’t heard of it before? Actually, the miracle fruit has been known to the Western world since the 1800’s, but back in the 1970’s, the FDA decided that the miracle fruit was unsafe as a food additive. (Was this political wrangling by the sugar lobby? Who knows?…) But the whole fruit has remained legal, and primarily grown in Florida here in the US. But getting your hands on them is difficult and relatively expensive.
“U-P-Y-O-U-R-S…. What a rude Ouija Board!” |
Is it a life-changing experience? No, not really. The effect wears off after about half an hour, and fortunately, the effects abate themselves slowly. (It would be a nasty wake-up call to suddenly down a shot of vinegar and realize you had lost your super-powers…) However, if you ever have the means, I totally recommend it as a fun way to spend an evening with some friends. Like the first time you use a Ouija Board, it is a curious oddity that is fun in a unique way. But then you go back to enjoying salt and vinegar potato chips the way they were meant to be had - in all their salty-sour glory.
Chef Matt
P.S. A word of warning though… After eating large quantities of nothing but sour (acidic) foods for half an hour without noticing it, the result on your stomach is predictably upsetting. Better have some milk, or some Tums on hand for afterwards.
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06.12.08
Posted in 3. Recipes at 10:07 pm by Chef Matt
A classic of Italian cooking, Linguini alle Vongole is one of those dishes that is not only sublime in its natural ocean flavors, but is so simple to prepare, you’d almost have to wonder why you don’t make it every day. Perhaps because so many recipes for this are full of flour and gumminess that are just completely inedible. Well, once you have this simple step-by-step approach, you’ll have a simple recipe that is clean, fresh and delicious, and one you’ll be able to make whenever you want.
Let’s get started. You’ll need the following all ready to go (since this all comes together fast):
click any of these photos to enlarge |
- 15 (or so) littleneck clams - scrubbed clean
- 2 Tbsp rough chopped basil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Generous plash of white wine
- Kosher salt
- dash of red pepper flakes (not pictured)
- 4 oz linguini or other long pasta (I’m using squid ink spaghetti since squid ink pasta goes so well with seafood dishes.)
Oil and garlic - the base for all good cooking. |
Of course you’ll want to start a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta. In fact, if you have the pasta water boiling, and the pan and oil for the clams heated, you can pretty much cook both simultaneously in the same amount of time. So drop the pasta into the water, and throw the garlic in the pan. (If it’s not sizzling on contact, your pan is not hot enough…)
Of course, if you just dump all the pasta and boiling water all over the measuring cup, you’re on your own… |
One ingredient you may need later on in the recipe is some of the pasta water. If the pasta is too dry and needs more sauce, this is how you are going to add it. But I often have the problem that I drain the pasta, sending all the pasta water down the drain and then remember I needed some of the water. Here is my trick to remember how to save some. When you put your colander in the sink for the pasta, place a measuring cup in it. When the magic time comes to drain the pasta, you’ll remember to scoop out a cup for yourself - which I promise is more than enough.
I always carefully measure when I add booze to food. |
Once the garlic has a little color to it, you pretty much just want to throw everything else in. Tomatoes, clams, basil, red pepper, and a big old splash of white wine. Give the pan a few shakes to mix everything together, and then slap a cover on it. The wine will start to boil, and the steam will make the clams pop open to reveal their lovely meat inside.
All I did was throw it all in a pan, and it looks like this good that fast… |
When steam is coming out from the side of the lid, you’re probably pretty close to where you need to be. Take of the lid and take a peek. If the clams are ALL open, then keep the lid off. If only some are open, put the lid back on and keep cooking. Of course if all the other clams are open and one is just refusing to budge, then it probably is a bad clam, and should be discarded.
Remember, if they aren’t open by now, you don’t want to eat them. |
Take the clams out of the pan and place them in a separate bowl. The easiest way to do this is to use tongs. Grip them by placing one of the tongs inside the clam, and grip one of the two shells. Then be sure to tip the clam to drain all the natural juice out of the clam and into the sauce. When all of the clams are out, the pasta should be just about done. (You’ve been keeping a close eye on it, right?…) Save some of the liquid, and drain the pasta in your colander.
This is where the magic happens. Add the pasta to the pan with the clam sauce. See, the pasta (assuming you didn’t rinse it, which you should NEVER do) is coated with starch that is just dying to absorb some kind of sauce. So the pasta slides into the pan, grabs all this wonderfully reducing sauce, and with just a few tosses, it’s ready to go. If the sauce is too wet, cook it down a little more, if it’s too dry, this is where that pasta water will come in handy.
Place the pasta on a large plate, and top with all the open clams. And be sure to pour any juices in the bowl with clams over the pasta. That stuff is pure flavor, so don’t waste it! Serve with the same white wine you cooked with, and you have a meal that you’ve thrown together in
