|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| Deglazed |
| Have you ever dreamed of giving up your job to become a professional chef? That is what I did, and this is my blog that chronicles my misadventures as I follow my lifelong dream. |
| Language: English |
| RSS Feeds for this Blog |
|
Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 227 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 962400 |
| Visitors Out: 2192 |
| Total Visitors Out: 2533 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Can’t Get Ahead |
| 2008-08-04 14:54:53 |
Last night, we had yet another shortage on the line, as one of the pizza cooks couldn’t make it to work on time. We had to send him home to let him know that punctuality is of utmost importance for all the employees in the restaurant business. (From what I hear, that is [...]...
|
| |
|
| Banned Book |
| 2008-07-28 12:53:30 |
There’s a Rachael Ray cookbook in my kitchen at work.
I was cleaning one of the shelves the other day and an unmistakable and unfortunately all-too-ubiquitous face was staring back at me from the spine of one of the books. One of her cookbooks had somehow managed to infest my cookbook rack.
I was going to [...]...
|
| |
|
| I’m Ready to Give Again |
| 2008-07-22 13:18:21 |
Sorry, but I really love old propaganda posters…
This is a tad off-topic, so I’ll be brief.
As many of you know, and have enjoyed talking to me about, I graced my left shoulder with a pig tattoo a little over a year ago. It’s a decision that I’ve neither regretted nor second-guessed even once in [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Gathering Storm… to an Anniversary |
| 2008-07-21 17:33:26 |
This story begins about three weeks ago in my walk-in. One of my pizza chefs asked me if he could have off on Sunday (yesterday). Since he was asking well in advance, and since he had recently been covering for a lot of other people, I told him that was fine. If [...]...
|
| |
|
| A Star is NOT Born… |
| 2008-07-15 08:26:30 |
I have never been much of a morning person. I can get up when I have to, but it is not my finest hour by a long shot. So it was with a bit of trepidation that I accepted when my boss asked me to come in at 5:45am last Thursday. At [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Extern |
| 2008-07-01 21:42:20 |
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 [...]...
|
| |
|
| Virginia Wine Tour |
| 2008-06-24 07:59:24 |
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 [...]...
|
| |
|
| It’s a Miracle! |
| 2008-06-17 09:43:49 |
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 [...]...
|
| |
|
| How to Make Clam Linguini |
| 2008-06-12 21:07:39 |
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 [...]...
|
| |
|
| Who’s Cheating Who?… |
| 2008-06-10 12:09:13 |
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 for. Yet I feel [...]...
|
| |
|
| New Season, New Chicken |
| 2008-06-09 07:05:30 |
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 now become a light, cool [...]...
|
| |
|
| 12/13 |
| 2008-06-03 09:21:59 |
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. But I ignored those people [...]...
|
| |
|
| One Year at Rustico |
| 2008-05-19 10:49:23 |
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 one year. I was [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Real Deadliest Catch |
| 2008-05-13 08:49:57 |
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 beings some perspective to what some people have to endure just so we can have whatever food we want whenever we want it. But being a [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Long Road to a Perfect Margarita |
| 2008-05-05 08:15:03 |
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 that is all that is [...]...
|
| |
|
| Who Knows What Evil Lies in the Heart of Cheesecake?… |
| 2008-04-23 22:48:37 |
It seems that the consistent need for a “bad guy” in American public has extended itself to the world of food. Just like we need a “Public Enemy #1″ to be scared of when we walk down the streets, we need a “health enemy #1″ to avoid like the plague (pun not intended) to [...]...
|
| |
|
| Don’t Fear the Nettles |
| 2008-04-21 13:44:52 |
The fun thing about being a professional chef is the ability to work with ingredients that are not only hard to find, but in many cases are ones I have never heard of. It’s the collaboration with those who are more experienced than me that make my career into a daily learning experience. Sure, [...]...
|
| |
|
| My Wife’s Sweet Payoff |
| 2008-04-15 22:00:25 |
So many of you have been asking, and I’m happy to finally reveal the gift my wife received from me with the “found” $500.
You all voted. I then tallied the votes. And I was too stupid to rig the results.
First of all, my wife would like to thank all of you, the random [...]...
|
| |
|
| Vinegar Redeux |
| 2008-04-08 09:13:01 |
As I mentioned a few weeks back when describing my vinegar class to you all, the class was such a success, that we decided to re-run it. Well, time keeps marching on and yesterday was the day when the “re-run” became simply “the run”. And yes, the class went just fine. (Something [...]...
|
| |
|
| Tuesday With Maury |
| 2008-04-05 19:48:44 |
I know that the main reason that most of you read this blog is for the food-related content and how the story of my career into the culinary world is continuing to evolve day by day. And I promise that eventually this post will get to that interesting stuff. In fact, if you [...]...
|
| |
|
| Bread Pudding Soufflé |
| 2008-03-25 16:44:54 |
This is a recipe I just transcribed from my recipe file for a friend. It is from somewhere in New Orleans, but I don’t know where (if anyone does, I would love to credit it properly). Anyway, it is about the best soufflé I have ever had, so I wanted to share it [...]...
|
| |
|
| A Taste of the Forbidden Fruit |
| 2008-03-24 12:22:07 |
Last Monday, I filled in for a fellow sous chef, which actually was my paying in advance for a day he will be covering for me. (I guess the easy way of saying that is, “We switched days.”) This was the first Monday I have worked at Rustico since my very first week [...]...
|
| |
|
| My Very Own “Big Night” Moment |
| 2008-03-10 10:28:55 |
A fabulous film, and of course it doesn’t hurt that it’s about Italians…
For those of you who don’t understand, “Big Night” is simply the best film ever made about what it is to be a chef. (Yes, even better than “Ratatouille”) Perhaps I am slightly biased in that it has to deal with Italian chefs, [...]...
|
| |
|
| A Surprise Field Trip |
| 2008-02-26 13:48:40 |
Coming in on Wednesday mornings is always tough since it is my version of a Monday morning. Last Wednesday though I was greeted to an unfamiliar sight, as there was a long table set up in the middle of the dining room complete with little aprons tied to each of the chairs - all [...]...
|
| |
|
| My Wife Wins It! |
| 2008-02-15 20:16:39 |
Thanks to all of you who voted to see what I should do with the $500 of “found money” I came across a little while back. You all voted, and my wife was the big winner. Here are the results:
What should Chef Matt do with the $500?
Votes
Save it! This is money to help [...]...
|
| |
|
| A Brief Smile on My Day Off |
| 2008-02-15 20:06:05 |
My days off are usually something I treasure for the fact that I can actually spend more than 20 minutes sitting down at a stretch. That, and I can watch shows like The Price is Right and Maury, and not worry that there is a soup somewhere that we are running out of. [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Big Game |
| 2008-02-05 10:47:22 |
Enjoy the game people?…
So, did you all enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday? Have a nice relaxing time watching all the pre-game hoopla? Maybe you made a run to the store for more chips and dip or called up for a pizza to be delivered while you sat on your comfy couch watching the [...]...
|
| |
|
| Don’t Vote for Me, Vote for Alejandra! |
| 2008-02-05 09:34:20 |
window.document.getElementById('post-575').parentNode.className += ' adhesive_post';
Mmmm… chocolate.
I have asked you all in the past to vote for me for certain contests, and you have all come through huge for me. But this time, since I’m not in the contest, I ask that you vote for one of my good friends, Alejandra, and her awesome blog, “Always [...]...
|
| |
|
| Death in the Kitchen |
| 2008-01-28 09:23:15 |
No, please rest assured dear readers that all of my kitchen staff is alive and well. Nor is this title in reference to the many animals that are killed in order to bring about the delicious food we serve. If you want that type of propaganda, please go visit some other silly site. [...]...
|
| |
|
| Another Restaurant Week Gone By |
| 2008-01-22 09:16:57 |
Since I live near a major metropolis, I‘m able to partake of the grand tradition of restaurant week. It’s a wonderful tradition that allows people like me - who live on a chef’s salary or it’s equivalent - to enjoy three course meals on the cheap. Lunches for $20 and dinners for $30 [...]...
|
| |
|
| Beer Dinner |
| 2008-01-21 17:48:37 |
“We’re starting up our beer dinners again this month Matt, and I want you to come up with this month’s menu Matt.”
Normally requests like this from Chef inspire me, and I’m always thrilled and honored to receive such a responsibility. But this time his request was accompanied by a touch of trepidation.
Beer [...]...
|
| |
|
| The $500 Run-Off Vote |
| 2008-01-07 08:32:31 |
OK, so the first set of options I gave you all resulted in what I consider to be a 4-way tie. Some options really jumped out, while others have faded away. (I was kind of hoping you’d pick the lottery tickets, but alas, that was a no-go.)
Anyway, here is your all’s run-off vote [...]...
|
| |
|
| Truffle This! |
| 2008-01-01 22:05:44 |
It seems that this country goes through periods of culinary stagnation wherein one ingredient is seen as the magical cure-all for whatever it is that someone is cooking. It is the epitome of culinary stagnation, like some collective “writer’s block” that all chefs suffer from simultaneously, and they collectively fill that void in their [...]...
|
| |
|
| Heaven and Hell |
| 2007-12-31 11:26:50 |
Pure Heaven.
A thought occurred to me today as I made breakfast for myself and the wife.
Every morning in heaven, you are served hot, sunny-side-up fried eggs cooked in fresh bacon fat. Runny yolks, buttered toast, perfectly seasoned.
Every morning in hell you get cold scrambled eggs cooked in butter.
Chef Matt...
|
| |
|
| Found Money |
| 2007-12-24 10:08:50 |
This is one of those oddly true stories that makes no sense to me, but all the same results in an unique opportunity for you, my loyal readers.
So my wife and I were going through piles of old papers and so forth that had collected over the past few months when my wife [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Definition of Frustrating |
| 2007-12-15 19:40:15 |
All of the sous chefs in a kitchen are in constant competition to prove themselves to the head chef. It’s like a bunch of children competing for their parents’ love, and in that way it is admittedly kinda dysfunctional. It almost seems that each one of us wants to appear to be the [...]...
|
| |
|
| The Venison Dinner |
| 2007-12-14 21:07:26 |
Sure, I cook a lot in my kitchen at work, but people are always wondering if I still cook at home. I have answered before, that indeed I do, and I feel like this might be an example of what I do on my “own time” in my kitchen.
It all began with some friends [...]...
|
| |
|
| Finishing Up a Saturday |
| 2007-12-11 10:32:33 |
I had dinner reservations this past Saturday with some good friends from college, and I knew that since Saturday nights usually get started fast and furious, I would have to make the reservations for later in the evening. I booked us a table at Corduroy for 8:30 which I figured would be plenty of [...]...
|
| |
|
| Catching Up |
| 2007-12-04 11:57:21 |
Wow, so little writing as of late. I know my fans are disappointed - all 12 of you - so allow me to bring you up to speed on some of the things that have been going on, and perhaps this will lead me back into the world of regular posting once again.
Disney World. [...]...
|
| |
|
| A Thanksgiving Story |
| 2007-11-21 21:07:59 |
So I am sorry I have not written in so long. It’s not for lack of stories, but the muse has not been hitting me as of late. I just haven’t felt in a “writing mood”, and I don’t think I should be bloviating for the sake of staying current if I think [...]...
|
| |
|
| |
 |
