04.26.07
Posted in 7. Other Fun at 11:01 pm by Chef Matt
I’m going to Istanbul. (Not Constantinople) |
Hey there Deglazed fans, I am off to Turkey for the next week and a half, so alas, no updates for a little while. (This is going to totally ruin my blog rankings…) I am excited to sample all of the great culinary wonders of Istanbul, and hopefully I will be able to return with some great culinary finds for my kitchen. If I’m lucky enough to find an internet cafe, I can provide you all with an update from the road, but otherwise I will be back in the country on May 7. I’ll be sure to provide you all with the highlights of the trip - especially the food - for you then.
I promise you there are big updates that will be revealed when I return, but until then, this would be a great time to tour through earlier posts (get caught up on the story) and to vote for Deglazed in the Blogger’s Choice Awards! Clicking on ads while I’m gone will help me pay for the trip, so that would be cool as well…
Thank you all for being such great readers, and I will see you all soon!
Matt
Permalink
04.25.07
Posted in 1. The Story at 12:05 am by Chef Matt
My cell phone rang at 7:40 AM this morning.
This would normally annoy me to no end as that is time I usually have reserved for sleeping, but I was up this particular morning. I was going in with the early shift today. Because I am going on vacation next week, I am a prime candidate for putting in extra hours. And extra help is what they needed on the catering side of things this morning. I was dressed up in full chef’s regalia, and was preparing to get in my car, but the ringing tone from my pocket stopped me.
“Hello?” I was barely able to murmur seeing as how I was not fully awake yet.
For those of you who don’t know your cuts of pasta, this is rigatoni… |
“Hey Matt, it’s Amy, can you pick up six boxes of rigatoni noodles on your way in this morning?”
“Six boxes of rigatoni?” I repeated back to make sure I had heard her right so there would be no mistakes.
“Yeah, and be sure to keep you receipt so we can get you cash back.”
“Gotcha.”
While this would of course make me late for work, this was not a big deal since they at least knew why I would be late. But there was an entirely different problem with this early morning request Amy had made: I was now going to have to go food shopping in chef’s clothes.
Imagine you are on a golf course and you see Tiger Woods walking by. You might take the opportunity to ask him a question about how to get out of a sand trap. Or imagine you are skateboarding and Tony Hawk walks (skates) by. You would probably ask him how to land a 360 indy nose bone.
Now imagine you are shopping for food, and a chef walks by…
I have no idea why women approach me when I am cooking…
(Good lord no, this is not me!) |
I don’t know why this always happens to me, I guess I just have that “approachable” look to me, but I cannot go into a grocery store in the chef’s uniform without someone asking me a question about something. This morning was no exception.
I walked straight to the pasta aisle as fast as I could to hopefully get in and out without being seen. I needed to get a mere six boxes of rigatoni, so this should be easy. The problem was there was no one brand that had 6 boxes of rigatoni on the shelf. I didn’t particularly want to mix and match brands as different brands have different cooking times, but as I scanned each brand’s stock, it was looking like I would have no choice. There was NO WAY I was going to stick around to ask a clerk to check the back room for more of any brand’s rigatoni. That would just be asking for disaster. So I picked as much of the brand that is generally the best (Barilla) as I could, and then one more of another brand (San Giorgio).
This meant cleaning out the shelf of Barilla rigatoni. And this was an action that did not go unnoticed.
“So, that’s the best brand there then?”
Damn.
“Yeah, I tend to think so,” I replied as nicely as possible to the lady standing behind me. She was obviously looking for someone to talk to, and I was the target.
“What are you planning to do with all that?”
I was caught with my pants down on this one. I actually had no clue what Amy wanted this for. I was just told to pick up six boxes of rigatoni (it was “rigatoni”, right?…) but not why. So now I was the “expert” cleaning out a shelf of pasta at 8 in the morning, and I had to tell this nice lady that I didn’t have the remotest idea why I was doing it.
“Ummm, I’m actually not sure.” This answer was not the one she was expecting or desiring. She gave a sort-of frown to tell me such. “See, another chef asked me to pick this up for them - I ‘m just the carrier here.”
From “expert” to “The Swedish Chef” instantly! |
And that broke the spell! I was no longer an “expert”. I had made myself into just some second-rate dumbass in stupid pants. The nice lady thanked me, wished me luck, and moved on. Somehow I had gotten out of what would have surely been a 10-minute conversation by just playing dumb. And I wasn’t even playing! This is a trick I will have to remember for the future.
I arrived at work at the ungodly early hour of 8:10AM and got right to work. I was preparing salmon Caesar salads, and I roasted the salmon with a little lemon and dill for an extra flavor kick (it was awesome). I then loaded up the van and along with Jose I headed out to make the delivery, which was to be followed by a trip to Restaurant Depot.
This photo is not truly representative of the experience as there are not three more forklifts coming right at you. |
The delivery was pretty routine, so I will fast forward to Restaurant Depot. For those of you who have not been, Restaurant Depot is like Sam’s Club for restaurant owners. Everything is there in one large, dimly-lit stock room with forklifts buzzing around you like mosquitoes at a July 4th picnic. You can get pretty much anything there you need to run your restaurant from cases of soda to packets of jelly to those spinning hot dog cooking machines. It was crowded, bustling and quite overwhelming at first. Fortunately Jose was a regular, and knew where most things on the list were, so we were able to load up our racks pretty quickly. At the end of the day, the cost of all the equipment we had ordered was quite considerable, and was a real eye-opener to me about how expensive it really is to run a restaurant/catering business. But you gotta spend money to make money, right?
The best part about shopping in Restaurant Depot? There are LOTS of people in there wearing chef’s outfits! Not one person asked me a single question about what I was buying. 
Back at the restaurant, I had to help unload the van, and the lack of sleep was starting to get to me. Jay took pity on me and said I could swing on home for a little bit if I wanted. He didn’t have to ask twice. I treated myself to a nice, leisurely break.
For just a mere 45 minutes.
Then it was time for me to finally go to work, because after all, I’m supposed to be working the late shift.
Matt
Permalink
04.20.07
Posted in 6. Reviews at 11:20 am by Chef Matt
I just took a trip back down to Durham, NC - where I went to college - just to see some old friends who still lived there. Some of them have babies now, so it was good to meet them as well, but when asked what it was I wanted to do there by my host, I told him that I had to get some Barbeque.
Barbecue, slaw, hush puppies and sweet tea.
This pig did not die in vain. |
I can still remember my first experience with this sublime pork dish. On my first trip to North Carolina, back when I was nine, my parents mentioned in the car that they wanted to “get some barbecue”, which was a sentence that made no sense to me since I had only ever heard the word “barbecue” used as a verb up until then. I couldn’t imagine what it was they were trying to get… a grill? The coals? It made no sense to me until I was handed my first sandwich.
Covered in a Central Carolina sauce that had just the right heat levels and tons of Dixie slaw, this was love at first bite. Perhaps it was this sandwich that helped me ultimately decide to go to Duke. Either way, upon any return back south, barbecue is what I head for.
The best barbecue in Durham is of course Bullock’s Bar-B-Que. Their amazing “family style” presentation - which is all I have ever ordered there - is a feast that usually leaves me unable to walk away from the table. The selection is wide, and it is all-you-can-eat. The dishes include:
- Barbecue - of course. Shredded pork shoulder cooked all day, and served with a fantastic Central Carolina style sauce that is one of the better ones I have ever had.
- Fried Chicken - Their recipe is simple, but they cook it perfectly. About the juiciest I have ever had. (Besides my own buttermilk fried chicken of course…)
- Brunswick stew - Bullock’s was the first place I ever had this dish that is still contested between Virginia and North Carolina as to it’s origins. I don’t care where it is from originally, I am only concerned with where I can get more of it now. It is a favorite of mine.
- Dixie slaw - this is the sweet cole slaw variety, which is a perfect side note to any spicy barbecue
- Green Beans - Done in the southern style, which means cooked forever. Not my favorite, but you gotta have some vegetable matter when eating this much meat.
- French Fries - If you must have a starch, might as well fry it first! (This goes for the hush puppies on the table too…)
No, Brunswick stew isn’t much to look at, but the flavor more than makes up for it. |
But alas, this sojourn was made over a Sunday and Monday, and guess which two days Bullock’s is closed? So I was unable to partake of this feast this time down, but my hosts - Mike and Carrie - were able to scare me up some from another local purveyor: The Q Shack. No, it was no family style in the crowded booths of Bullock’s, but surrounded by good friends and chowing down on way too much pork is a good time no matter where you do it.
I think I need to make that my motto…
For a total change of pace, on the next night, Mike and Carrie invited me out to Starlu restaurant to sit at the Chef’s Table and watch Chef Sam Poley at work. Sam has a background story similar to mine in that he went into the work-a-day world (though in different fields) but found that cooking was his true calling. And it is a good thing he recognized this, as he is wonderfully creative with food, an amazing host to his guests, and runs his kitchen with both professional efficiency and theatrical flair.
Chef Sam Poley – our host for the evening.
(Photo taken from the Starlu website) |
I had been to Starlu before, back before I became a chef, and Sam took a good part of his time to show me around his restaurant and tell me all about what it was like to start a place from scratch, and what I would be expecting as I came into this business. Upon my return on this latest trip, he immediately recognized me, and was happy to know I had entered the business. (He was also a bit jealous to learn that the restaurant I work at enjoys about two full turns of the dining room every Friday and Saturday night… )
We sidled up to the bar that is the chef’s table, and were informed as to the menu for the evening. It sounded heavenly, and Mike asked Sam for the wine recommendations. After all, if the chef made the food, surely he would know best which wines to pair with it, right? It is that kind of trust in a chef’s abilities that makes dining at the chef’s table ideal. To let yourself go and put your palate in the care of one who knows more than you is the ultimate form of dining for me - and as I chef I appreciate the customers who are able to do this as well.
The first course was a deep and smoky corn chowder with spicy chorizo and truffle oil. The flavors played wonderfully together, and the creamy base of the soup was a great way to start things off. The garnish was deep-fried tomato skin - a trick that was lovely to look at, full of tomato flavor, and one I will surely steal for myself someday. 
Paired with a wonderfully crisp Sancerre that had an amazingly dry finish, I was almost afraid the meal couldn’t get any better.
The next course proved me wrong, and never was I so glad to have underestimated a chef! Toasted ciabatta was topped with a half wheel of goat camembert cheese. Topped with green onion puree, oven-dried tomatoes, marinated anchovies and roasted garlic oil, this was another amazingly rich dish, but I was still hungry for more.
A new bottle of wine accompanied the next course to the table, a mild-mannered Petit Verdot that at first under-whelmed me, but I soon saw how well it paired with the dish in front of us. Butternut squash and current sauce surrounded a carrot puree wrapped with ham and was topped with a decadent slice of fish that alas, I cannot remember which type. I think the wine may have been getting to me at this point, but seeing as how I am a chef, not a professional restaurant reviewer, I wasn’t taking notes while I ate… It was a rich white-fleshed fish that was grilled to perfection, and the its salty firmness acted as a wonderful contrast to the smooth creaminess of the carrots resulting in a perfect match.
OK, so maybe this is a bit too rare… |
Just when we were starting to think we may be done though, out came the moo-shi wraps accompanied by soy-glazed ahi tuna. There is only one way to serve tuna this good, and that is super-rare. And that is just what we got. The Vietnamese hot sauce on the plate provided a spice burst that could not be ignored, and provided as good an excuse as any to wash down the remaining wine.
Dessert was a chocolate mousse with a Mexican chocolate brownie that was admittedly difficult to fit down on top of all the other great food. However, I have long believed that dessert actually goes into a different stomach in our bodies, so there is always room for something sweet to finish off a great meal.
It dawned on me later that night how I had experienced two amazing meals on this trip - one served out of styrofoam to-go boxes and eaten with plastic forks, while the other was carefully created and painstakingly plated by a fabulous chef given total creative license. I have always considered the qualifying factor that determines a “great cuisine” to be one where you can find great food at both the high end and the low end of their spectrums. (Italian is a perfect example of this, and is of course recognized as a great world cuisine.)
Perhaps it is time to start thinking of “Southern” in same light?…
Matt
(Cross posted on EatFoo.)
Permalink
04.12.07
Posted in 2. Greatest Hits, 7. Other Fun at 10:34 am by Chef Matt
A few stories here that relate to other great blogs you should be reading. First off, to my good friends at the Rachael Ray Sucks Community I want to share this funny story. The other night in the kitchen, Dave (another chef) made a squirt bottle of extra virgin olive oil for use in dressing a new menu item. He is no fan of Rachael Ray’s either, but as a joke, he slapped a large piece of masking tape on the bottle and wrote “EVOO” on the bottle.
I took one look at that and was heard to proclaim, “Oh HELL no!”
Me with our newly-christened Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle. |
The offending piece of tape was quickly removed, and replaced by an even larger one that read: “EVOOMGSTFU!” In honor of the great acronym from on the RR Sux site, which of course stands for “EVOOh-My-God-Shut-The-Fuck-Up”! It is now the kitchen standard for our extra virgin olive oil bottle. (They also offer it on a T-shirt that I really need to buy…)
The funny part came as our dishwasher Greg saw the bottle last night and was looking at the label. He is not a chef of course, and I doubt he is a regular reader of anything to do with Rachael Ray - one way or the other - so this long acronym made little sense to him at first.
Finally he looked at Dave and asked, “So what does this mean? Does it stand for ‘Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil-Mixed-Green-Sauce-Together-For-Us?‘”
It was quite some time before we all stopped laughing. Thank God it came during a quiet spell.
Any excuse to put a photo of bacon up is a good one! |
Next, I want to give a big “Thank you!” shout-out to Heather of Bacon Unwrapped. She has been a fan of this blog for a while, and I have been a fan of hers as well, but she took the big step last night to come in to Restaurant Vero with some friends!
I should have recognized their order, as the three of them all ordered pork dishes…
But I was able to come out and meet her just before desserts, and it was great to finally put a face with the name. I shared one of my bacon band-aids (that I now carry on me at all times in the kitchen) with her as a gift to thank her for linking to me, and for making the trip all the way across the Potomac just to see me. Oh, and to enjoy our braised pork shank as well…
Thanks Heather! I hope dessert was great for you as well!
You ALL deserve this.
Thanks so much! |
Finally, I also want to give a tremendous shout-out to all the great people out there - too many to name and count - who have been voting for me in the Best of Blogs Awards. There are just a few days left in the voting, and I would love to see your continued support. I wish I could list you all here, and give each and every one of you a gold star of your own. But I guess this one will just have to do as a collective one. Thanks everyone!
Matt
P.S. Also, I have to send a shout-out to Lia Bulaong at Serious Eats for picking up this story and sending hundreds of new readers to my site. You are welcome here Serious Eaters, and I hope you become regular readers!
Permalink
04.10.07