I have stated here before that I am not a “food snob,” for the most part.  I find joy in so many foods and little, hole-in-the-wall joints that my food snob card would have been revoked years ago, but, being a chef, I can also be a pain in the ass to dine out with.  I have a tendency to pick apart all parts of a meal.  While I can find joy in diner food or a 20 course dinner, and I can also tear them apart, if allowed to do so.  My wife has become a professional at reigning me in, before I ruin both of our dinners, and has done so on many, many occasions.  I am just has hard on the service as I am on the food, though I fully understand and make allowances for the fact that  “crab shack” service is quite different from “French Laundry” service just like I view diner food differently from “haute cuisine.   Unfortunately, over the years, I have seen a serious decline in “service” in restaurants and the expectation, on the servers part, of 15-20% tips no matter what kind of service they give.  As someone intimately familiar with this business, I fully understand that there are things beyond a server’s control, and I always make allowances for those happenstances.  When this happens what I look for is how the server handles the situation and how is it fixed.  Usually, what ensues is the blame game, where the server blames everyone but himself, in order to salvage his tip, or, in worse case scenarios, blames the customer himself.  Another favorite is to ignore the issue all together, hoping that the customer won’t bring it up.  Managers often don’t make matters any better.  They too are poorly trained on what service is all about, and their first reaction to any problem is to comp part or all of the meal.  While that might be all fine with some people, I find this a poor, impersonal fix that means as much as that fake, pasted on smile.  I know this sounds pretty cynical, but that’s me.  My cynicism and pessimism drive my wife crazy, but I call them like I see them, and it’s my belief that the art of serving is slowly dying.  Luckily, just recently, my faith has been restored.

This past Sunday, while driving back from a weekend in Chicago, we stopped just north of Milwaukee for dinner at Maggiano’s Little Italy.  While the place may not serve truly “authentic” Italian fare, the food they serve is solid Americanized Italian.  It may not rank up there with the greatest meals I have ever eaten, but for what it is, I find it to be pretty darn good.  The fried calamari is never rubbery or tough, the pasta always cooked al dente and they season everything properly.  While I have never been “blown away” by the meals I’ve eaten there, I have always enjoyed everything I’ve had, and enjoyed it enough to have held our Rehearsal Dinner at one of their locations.  Unfortunately, the service on this Sunday, couldn’t match the level of the food.  After being sat, one waiter took our beverage order, delivered it and disappeared.  Much later another waiter came over, apologized and took our orders.  Soon after that the first waiter appeared to take our orders and we had to tell him we already had ordered.  Finally our food arrived.  The spaghetti and meatball for our daughter, the appetizer and the salad for Wanda and me.  Have I mentioned how I hate when places bring  courses together or bring the next course before you are finished with the first?  At this point we are still waiting for my daughter’s drink and bread service.  Waiter number 2 shows up and we ask for the drink.  Few minutes later, waiter number 1 returns and we ask for bread service and my daughter’s drink again.  Bread and drink finally arrives and we finish our app and salad. (continue reading…)

I admit it. I am totally hooked on Top Chef and have been since the first season. I am not someone who usually goes in for “reality TV” but I am addicted to Top Chef. Hell’s Kitchen is just dumb, and most of the other “reality cooking shows,” with the exception of Iron Chef, pretty much bore me, but Top Chef seems to keep it fresh season after season. I can’t say that I have always been thrilled with the judges decisions. Sometimes I felt they were just plain wrong and there are a few times when I think the decision was based more on what would make good TV than on cooking ability, but that’s just me. And of course, just like “armchair quarterbacks” I have always felt that I could do as well, or better, than most of the contestants on the show. BTW, Bravo, you had your chance to get me for Season 3, when I auditioned, but you chose to ignore my talents and winning personality. Your loss!

Season 6 came along at just the right time. I had been having Top Chef withdrawal and needed my fix. Yes, I know that Top Chef Masters has been on, and I have been watching, but it just isn’t the same. Sure there has been some great cooking and it has been fun watching the “masters” get put through the paces just like contestants during the regular season, but the show just doesn’t seem to feel as edgy or have the feeling of suspense that the regular Top Chef season has.

I also have to say that this is the first time a chef has been on the show that I personally have known. Hector Santiago and I (and his wife) all worked for the same restaurant group down in Atlanta many years back. We had lost touch years ago and I had no idea he was on this season. All I can say is, “best of luck Hector!!!!!”

I recently returned from a 5 day vacation out to the East coast to get together with family. It was a fun filled 5 days full of laughter, reminiscing, a few margaritas….okay, more than a few, and food. Oh, the food. When my family gets together you know the days are going to be filled with plenty of great food! With 21 of us, and only the use of a home kitchen meals had to be simple affairs with as much cooking done outside as possible. Grill Night consisted of burgers, bratwursts, hot dogs for the kids and venison burgers for the more adventurous. Mexican Night featured soft tacos stuffed with marinated and grilled flank steak and chicken breasts and a pico de gallo sporting a trio of chiles, poblanos, anaheims, and cayenne for a little more heat. Sunday lunch saw the serving of a family favorite, chicken and homemade egg noodles served over mashed potatoes.  One night the kids in the group made funnel cakes, with the help of a few adults, but the big event was held on Saturday night – the Seafood Boil. With only 2 propane burners dinner was served in 2 courses. The first course consisted of Corn on the Cob and Steamer Clams. For those not familiar with Steamers, they are the clam of choice, in New England for a traditional clambake or for use in clam chowder. These medium sized clams are sweet and mild with just a hint of salinity to remind you of their home in the ocean. After being scrubbed and rinsed, they are often held in saltwater with cornmeal added to it to cause them to expel more of the sand they have ingested. Next they are steamed or boiled open and poured out onto large platters where guests help themselves. Since these clams spend almost their whole life buried in the sand it is traditional, after freeing the clam from its shell, to dip it in some of the clam broth, used in cooking, to rinse away any remaining sand, before dipping them in melted butter and eating.

Our second course found us dining on American Lobsters and Shrimp. The lobsters were cooked simply in salted water while the shrimp were cooked in water seasoned with Old Bay and Beer. I have eaten lobsters from around the world, taken from both cold waters and warm waters, but in my opinion none compare to the American Lobster. I have yet to find another species of lobster as sweet and tender as those found on the east coast of North America. Accompaniments were simple; a spicy cocktail for the shrimp and more melted butter for the lobster. For a shellfish lover like me, it was heaven on earth, and to serve anything else would have merely been a distraction.

This got me to thinking about how simple foods can be as exquisite as the most complex chef inspired creations. As chefs and gourmands we often forget this and need to be reminded every once in awhile. Awe-inspiring meals don’t always have to mean slaving away in a kitchen for hours while you hope the souffle won’t fall or the butter sauce won’t break. Sometimes it means just allowing the food to speak for itself. This becomes easy when you search out local foods in their peak season.

A quick perusal of our raspberry bushes tells me that raspberry season is not far away here in Wisconsin.  The thought alone makes my toes tingle as raspberries are my favorite of all the berries.  I can remember as a kid, growing up in Vermont, our little village was bespeckled with wild black raspberries.  Each day a bunch of us kids would ride our bikes all over town seeking out patches of these seedy, but luscious, little gems, picking only the ripest berries and popping them into our mouths; each of us racing the others for the biggest haul.  I believe that on more than one occasion a few fists were thrown also as we each jockeyed for our share.  A few days later, as more berries ripened, the ritual would start all over again. To this day, the mere sight of a black raspberry takes me back to those carefree days of childhood when my only worry was getting beaten for eating more than my share of the haul.

Fast forward back to the present; you’d think I have it made now; my very own raspberry patch, protected from raspberry thieves by our 4 foot high cedar fence. Okay, it’s not actually a patch, more like 2 or 3 bushes.  Unfortunately, that isn’t quite the case.  Of course, there are the birds who nab their fair share, though that is to be expected.  Then there is the 2 ½ year old daughter, who, last year tried to help pick a few but ended up smashing most of them.  I expect the same will be true this year also.  The biggest culprit though, is Dodger.  Dodger is our 7 year old English springer spaniel, and he loves raspberries.  Well, he loves most anything, but that is a whole different story.  Dodger loves raspberries, and in the course of his 7 years he has perfected his moves for plucking ripe raspberries off the vine without disturbing the unripe ones, or pricking himself on the raspberries’ thorns.  If I’m not fast enough, or diligent enough, every berry from ground level to about 3 ½ feet up will be his.  Luckily, this year looks to be a bumper crop so there will be enough to go around.

Every year as I see the raspberry bushes bloom and the fruit start to develop, I start making plans for all the ways I will use the raspberries I’ve grown.  But, I admit it, I am weak willed and often go for instant gratification as opposed to more long term rewards.  Translated, that means I end up eating more than I put in the bowl.  If I’m lucky, I might have saved enough for some raspberry muffins or scones.  The serious jam making will usually have to wait until we can get to a “U-Pick” farm where I try desperately to control all those reflexes I developed as a kid.  While some might view me as lacking will power, I prefer to think of it as honoring nature, because really, how can you improve on a falling-off-the-vine ripe raspberry that has been sun warmed until almost bursting.

Summer is upon us and that means many things to each and every one of us. To me it means swimming, blended margaritas, watching baseball, dinner outdoors, picnics and a whole host of other things. It also means sun tea. I love sun tea and personally feel that tea, brewed by the sun over a couple of hours makes the best tea for iced tea. Come to our house in summertime and you will find a jar of sun tea either in the fridge or brewing on the deck. Like a good boy hailing from Indiana, who take their cue from Southerners, I prefer my iced tea sweet, though not as sweet as they do in the south. I also like my tea accented with mint, Spearmint to be exact. I just find it so refreshing and rejuvenating after an afternoon of mowing or yard work.

Sun tea is not hard to make, just fill a clear glass jar with cool water and toss in a few bags of tea leaves. I usually add 10 bags to a gallon jug. Place outside in direct sunlight and allow to steep for 2-4 hours. Remove tea bags and chill. To add mint, rinse the mint, after picking and place it in the jar before adding the other ingredients. With a wooden spoon bruise the mint to help release its essence then precede with the above instructions. To sweeten the tea, while the tea is brewing dissolve 3/4 cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of water over high heat. When all dissolved remove from heat. Add simple syrup to the sun tea when you remove the tea bags. That’s all there is too it. Enjoy!!

And now for my rant. Do a web search on sun tea and you will come across numerous sites spouting the CDC (Center for Disease Control) warning against making sun tea. Because the brewing tea sits right in the middle of the temperature danger zone (the zone at which bacteria grow like wildfire) there is a risk of foodborne illness. Okay, I admit, in theory they have a point. It is possible to get sick from sun tea, and I am sure there are some cases on record to prove their point, but I have never in my life heard of anyone getting sick off of sun tea, and many in my extended family have been making it for years. Sure there might be a risk, but there’s a risk with just stepping outside every day, crossing the street, driving a car, etc. If you listen to all the CDC and the FDA has to say then no more soft set or sunny side up eggs, all steaks and burgers would be cooked well done. Forget about sushi, sashimi, carpaccio, and steak tartar. As it is, they won’t let you make your own decisions about whether you want to drink unpasteurized milk or eat cheese made with unpasteurized milk if it has been aged less than 60 days, all to keep you safe. Don’t get me wrong I think people should be made aware of the risks involved in eating and preparing certain foods, but so many of these statements come across as scare tactics. They often are made to sound dire, like “Drink this and die!” What they won’t tell you are the stats. It seems to me we’ve become scared of our own shadows. Thanks for the warning CDC, but I think I can handle the risk factor of sun tea and just to up the ante, I think I’ll order in some sushi also.

Has anyone else ever tried to bake cookies with a 2 1/2 year old? Well, if you haven’t, let me tell you; it is an adventure. On Sunday I did just that, and it was more adventure than I have had since the M&M up the nose ordeal a few months back. It started out a typical Sunday. We had decided no little roadtrips this weekend as the house was in serious need of a good cleaning. While my wife was cleaning the kitchen she came across 2 jars of cookie mixes that we had received at Christmas time. Thinking it a good way to keep both me and the daughter out of her hair while she continued to clean, my wife suggested that we make up the dough then my daughter and I could scoop and bake them.

It’s been said, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” and that would have been me. “Sure,” I said. “That would be a lot of fun,” thinking it would be great way to bond with my daughter and get her more involved in the kitchen.

And then it started.

“Gigi, you want your apron on?”
“Yes!” 30 seconds go by then, “Off, Daddy, Off!”
“Here Gigi, let me show how to scoop.”
“NO! Daddy! I do it myself.”
“Gigi, that’s too big, let me show you.”
“Okay”
“Gigi, that’s cookie dough, not play dough. You can use your hands, but don’t squish it through your fingers!”
“Wanna watch Max & Ruby”
“Sure, let me turn it on for you.” Three minutes go by.
“Daddy, wanna help!”
“Here, Gigi, do you want to try the dough?”
“Yuck!” followed by sounds of spitting.
Then a few minutes later, “Genevieve, that’s enough eating dough. You’ll make yourself sick!”
“Daddy, want cookie”
“They’re not done yet, sweetie.”
“Gimme cookie!!!!”

On and on this went for about 45 minutes. I swear I could feel a few more hairs turn grey, and yet when it was all said and done I loved every minute. What’s even more twisted is the fact that I look forward to doing it again with her. I know at some point it will get easier and then we will have a chance to really bond while cooking together.