http://finarelli.com/blog Giving Up the Cubicle Life for Pan Burns and Knife Scars Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:42:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/07/01/the-extern/ 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 ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/06/24/virginia-wine-tour/ 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 ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/06/17/its-a-miracle/ 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 ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/06/12/how-to-make-clam-linguini/ It seems like a fair deal to me. And it seems like a fair deal to my uncle as well. I think that's the cornerstone of all good deals. Each side thinks that they're cheating the other. I honestly have no idea what these forms are ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/06/10/whos-cheating-who/ As the seasons change, we have to change how we rethink the menu. I've of course mentioned this before. We like to keep the same mix of items on the menu though, we just like to use them in different ways. For example, our grilled tuna salad has ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/06/09/new-season-new-chicken/ I guess I knew what I was getting into. There were plenty of warnings that being a chef would be a hard, tiring job. Heck, several people tried to warn me away from becoming a chef if only because it is such an incredible increase in effort. ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/06/03/1213/ Can you believe it my loyal readers? It has been a year since my first day at Rustico. (Actually the anniversary was yesterday, but give me a break, I had to work that day...) As I mentioned before, when I took this job, it was my third restaurant in ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/05/19/one-year-at-rustico/ Sig Hansen is a hero of mine... The show on the Discovery Channel about crab fishermen in the Bering Sea, The Deadliest Catch, is a wonderful reality drama, and brings some perspective to what some people have to endure just so we can have whatever food we want whenever we want ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/05/13/the-real-deadliest-catch/ Cold, lime-flavored, salt-rimmed glass... as God intended. There is nothing that says "Today is Cinco de Mayo," to me as much as a nice, ice cold margarita. I prefer them on the rocks - to put that debate to bed early - though I will have one frozen too if ... http://finarelli.com/blog/2008/05/05/the-long-road-to-a-perfect-margarita/