Consistency

Oscar Wilde once said "consistency is the hallmark of the unimaginative."

 I wholeheartedly agree.  Which is exactly why I am horribly inconsistent in keeping up with this blog.  Just kidding.

About a month ago I was discussing business with someone and they offered some constructive criticism.  Mostly it was requests for past or future sandwiches for Grub and specialized proteins such as venison and wild elk for Bistro.  Then they mentioned the coleslaw at Grub.  The last time they ordered our 'cider-brown sugar slaw', it wasn't quite as creamy as the time previous.  They told me consistency was important.  I assured them I would look into it...and of course did. I adjusted the current batch, informed the staff to be on the lookout for such issues and moved on.  Or I thought I moved on.  That issue stayed on my mind for weeks and it wasn't until I was making a new batch of fresh tomato ketchup that I realized why it was bugging me so much.  Perfect consistency in my restaurants is an unattainable and it is not our fault nor is it a bad thing. 

I realized that moment that consistency is a byproduct of the processed/pre-packaged food era.  If you go to a restaurant and you get the exact same tasting coleslaw over and over again chances are extremely high that most, if not all of the ingredients, are pre-made.  Maybe it is a pre-shredded cabbage mix.  Most definitely it is a bulk commercial mayonnaise.  Heck, it could be straight out of a food service bag, just dumped right from the bag directly on to your plate. 

Let's look at our coleslaw; first the mayonnaise is made fresh (almost) daily from locally farmed eggs with freshly peeled garlic, Maille dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, sea salt and oil.  Then the cabbage, onions, and carrots are hand cut and it is all mixed together with a set recipe which includes brown sugar and a nice cider vinegar.  Simple right?  How could this be different from one batch to the next, especially if strict recipes are followed? 

Well, let's start with the aioli.  Chickens eat different things based on the time of year, and during those different times of the year the eggs come out different. During this time of year the chickens have moved from a strictly feed diet to working fields of bugs.  This change in diet causes the fat and protein content in their eggs to go up, thus changing the way it emulsifies with oil...slightly of course, but definitely enough to noticeably alter our finished product.  We take that egg and mix it with chopped garlic and dijon mustard before we emulsify in the oil.  The garlic changes with each batch that we get in. This time of year we start to use fresh spring garlic which is drastically different than the hard, cured stuff.  Even the mustard is different from batch to batch (which is why I mentioned the actual brand).  That's a little surprising because it is a fairly large company based out of France, which could be why it is ok with a lack in perfect consistency...in my mind and experience Europeans are ok with that type of inconsistencies, at least more so than Americans.  I have heard some chefs complain about Maille, but this is one of the reasons I love it. Now we have three separate ingredients that can all cause major but subtle differences in the way the final aioli comes out. 

Let's move to the vegetables used in making the coleslaw.  All the carrots, onions and cabbage change slightly from farm to farm, variety to variety and day to day.  While this is all out of my control, I will say I opt for different varieties of cabbage based on which I can get locally at the time.  The type of cabbage makes an absolute difference in the finished slaw.  Standard green cabbage has a high water content and is slightly bitter, whereas tendersweet cabbage has a similar water content but is very sweet.  Savoy cabbage has a much lower water content but is far more tender, and so on and so on.  My theory as to why the bagged stuff is so consistent is that they are old vegetables that are then soaked in a water solution (salt most likely) to ensure slow bacteria growth (so they can last longer), that are then bagged and refrigerated in a warehouse sitting and waiting until ordered, all of which void flavor making the final product consistently bland. 

That leaves so many variables in just something as simple as coleslaw.  Now imagine every other item we produce out of both of our kitchens in a day, especially considering we are use such small scale, locally farmed produce and meats with countless variables of their own.  That's variables upon variables upon variables, variable to the variableth power even. 

I understand the place of consistency.  I understand there are certain types of restaurants that thrive on such consistency and they should (no I'm not talking about McDonalds and Applebees even though they are prime examples, I'm talking about the 'mom and pop' pizza shop and the coffee shop around your corner).  While I now take pride in the fact that we can't be consistent in the final product because it shows that we make our food in house, from scratch and from real ingredients, this does not say that I don't think things should be consistently good.  I don't want to serve anything of poor quality and do my best to be sure that it goes out to my liking.  Honestly, I know I can't be overseeing everything that is made and served at both restaurants, mistakes have been and will be made but I do my best.  I am comfortable with the fact that everything we make, from our ketchup to our roasted chicken, needs to be tweeked day to day even after a recipe is followed.  Our beef taste different based on the time of year and the age of the animal just as our greens taste different if it has been rainy or dry and I understand that.  This is what separates  my staff from the rest, they are always tasting and tweeking to the best of their abilities, not just cutting bags open and opening cans.  It's the difference between a professional cook and someone who works in a ktichen.  I can live with the fact that our coleslaw wasn't quite as creamy as the last time you had it, as long as it was still delicious. 

I like the way you think Oscar...

living outside the countneck

I love clams of all shapes and sizes.  I have noticed more and more seafood markets and farmer's markets in the area beginning to carry more varieties than the just the 'common' countneck clam.  Usually new foods in these types of markets don't move well because customers are unfamiliar with how to use and cook them.  If you find yourself at the market and see the long slender wonders that are razor clams or the monstrous, clumsy buggers that are surf clams, you should give them a try and see for yourself why I think these are slightly superior to 'classic' clams.  All clams have their part in delicious food, but all clams should not be considered equal or used quite the same.  You wouldn't necessarily use red leaf in a Caesar salad even though it is still a lettuce, right?  It's not going to ruin your Caesar salad but it's also not the best option.

Razors are beautiful long clams obviously called razors because their shells resemble large, well, razors.  These guys are a little tricky to clean if you want to serve them out of their shell, so for the home cook I recommend roasting in a very hot oven or grilling.  I love these guys in the summer...there really is nothing better than a huge platter of grilled razors topped with a handful of herbs ripped fresh from the garden, some zesty olive oil and an ice cold bottle of pink wine.  Simple is best for these guys as their flavor is sweet and delicate.

Surf clams on the other hand are much richer and bolder in flavor and can withstand all sorts of cooking techniques.  I am partial to a smokey, brothy clam chowder made with thinly sliced surf clams.  My wife loves them in a ceviche.  The benefit to surf clams is they are spectacularly easy to open, no clam knife necessary.  I have attached a short clip on how easy they are to open.  Once opened you can thinly slice them, leave them whole, butterfly them, whatever your heart desires.  My only advice with these clams is to treat them like octopus, either cook them quickly or for a really long time, anything in between and it will seem as if your car tires might be easier to chew.  The bits left on the shell can be scraped and made into a clam stock and the shell itself, once cleaned, is a beautiful way to serve the finished product.

Easy Steamed Noodles

I came across this video the other day and it's totally worth knowing how to do, especially because it is fairly a quick process and features reasonably accessible ingredients.  The sky is the limit in terms of applications and it sure beats Chinese take-out...

I'm back...

I have decided to bring JOAC out of retirement, enough time has gone by and things have happened that I should have plenty to write about.  Life has somewhat settled down, as much as it ever will I suppose, and I am finding myself with a little more time away from the kitchen looking for something constructive to do again. 

Things will be a little different this time around.  Last time I tried to post something every day which became slightly tedious, this time I am only going to post about hings I find interesting or fun...be it recipes, travels, happenings, instructionals or other things on this crazy world wide web that are worth repeating.

Here's to a second time around.

Cheers!

Doing the deed...again

Well, now that my head is clear and I haven't posted anything for a few days, my mind is exploding with things to write about.  Funny how that works. 

Last Sunday, Beth and I took a break from work and ventured out to Easthampton to do some work at Mockingbird Farm.  What kind of work you ask?  We worked the "chicken line."  This means we helped slaughter, eviscerate and bag the chickens for sale.  I have done this work before but never to sell, only for personal use.  I have to say that the process was pretty efficient, start to finish.  All the work is done on a mobile poultry processing unit that is available for rent.  Pretty cool.

First, the chicken is killed with an electric knife which shocks the bird so the bird doesn't feel the cut.  This is to prevent stressing of the chicken and is actually a very humane method of slaughter.  Then the bird is sent through a hot bath to loosen the feathers at the skin.  The next step is to defeather. Normally this is very time consuming, crappy job, but this fine unit had a tumbler that did all the defeathering in minutes...seconds even.  Then we put in work removing the viscera and organs, reserving everything that Pete could sell.  After the guts are removed, the bird is quickly iced down and eventually tagged and bagged.  All the parts that can get sold are packaged, weighed and labeled.  All the other parts are composted on the farm. 

This was a very cool process to be a part of, especially because of the attitude of all involved. Pete was very laid back, joking around and rocking out to a little White Snake blasting on the radio.  I think he set the general tone for everyone to work by.  Sure this was a very essential and slightly discerning act we were taking part in, but it's farming.  This is his farm and he makes it fun and interesting.  I respect that and it is why I love going out to Mockingbird.  That and I always leave with a cooler or two of delicious meats to cook, be it at the restaurant or at home.  It was very inspiring as well.  After being a part of the process the only way a felt comfortable preparing the chicken was a simple roast bird...

A little change

After reviewing the past few months of posts, I have decided to end the everyday posting.  While this has been a form of therapy, a source for inspiration and a platform for my politics and antics, it has at times felt too much like work.  There have been too many evenings that I have just written something for the sake of writing something (and it shows), usually after the fourteen-hour work days when I just want to go to sleep.  This does not mean I am ending the blog.  I will still post 2-3 times per week.  My hope is that this will give me time to put together more interesting posts and do away with the "tired rambling chef" posts.  A little change can be a good thing...

Partridge

Every now and then I put something on the menu with reservation but do it because I think it will be an interesting addition. Every now and then that item turns out to be the most poplar item on the menu. Usually it's an offal dish, this time it's the partridge. We are flip-flopping between wild scottish and farmed New York and Vermont birds. I was hesitant to serve them for two reasons. First, they aren't cheap and second, it is a gamey bird. Usually people stay away from the gamier flavors. Sometimes you just don't know until you put it on the menu. I never cease to be surprised...

Reputation

My newest hire in the kitchen is leaving us and while I am always disappointed when a hire doesn't work out, the response that I received from leaking the news was a bit overwhelming. I have a small stack of resumes on my desk from people who want to intern at BLG as well as a big folder on my email. Once word spread that a position was available, though I am not quite sure how it did, I have received numerous phone calls. This is a good feeling. It means we are doing interesting things, pertinent things. The best part of all this is that I reached out to a former employee to fill the spot and he was very excited to (re)accept. He is an exceptional cook, a great personality and an intelligent and hard working employee. This kid could very easily be a chef somewhere yet he was excited to be invited back to the Bistro. This is the reputation I always wanted to own, respecting and having the respect of our employees is just as important as to us as serving our customers...

Size matters

Tonight we went out for a drink to someplace in Hadley. We both ordered a cocktail and out came two drinks the size of big gulps. Old school cocktails seem to be making a comeback, but in a much larger size. I don't quite understand the new concept of the oversized martini/cocktail. I think I would rather have a few ounces less, enjoy a well made and manageable drink, and order a second if I need to than have one of these ridiculously large cocktails. At home we stil have (apparently) old school martini and highball glasses and we don't need any more booze than that. Now you can get a pint of beer or a pint of martini. When I ran bars, I would rather make a few less dollars per drink and maybe serve you a few more than one obscenely large "martini" and watch you sip it for an hour or two. My wife is reading this over my shoulder and she keeps murmuring something about me being 30 going on 60, maybe she is right...

Decisions

We finally got our hands on the lease we have been waiting so long for and have all the numbers we need to make some decisions. Decisions. Now we have to decide whether or not moving forward is an appropriate risk for us. This means lots of number crunching and forecasting. This means creating a lot of "what if" scenarios and "how could we" problem solving. This is the part of business that kind of sucks. Basically, how much do you trust yourself to make happen what you need to be successful? That is a lot to ask yourself...

Cochon 2011

Here is a photo tour of Sunday's 3rd Annual Cochon Dinner...after the champagne and pork fat gougeres we had:

Saucisse l'Ail (garlic sausage made from the neck)

#2 of the extra courses, liver toasts

Fromage de Tete Ravioli with sage beurre noisette

extra #3, ribs glazed in wild flower honey and dijon mustard

blood "crepe" with a soft-cooked egg and baby greens

Deep fried yes, but still soft-cooked

then we served crepinette of kidney and liver with maitake mushrooms and broth

extra #4, grilled and marinated hearts on pommes gaufrette

a classic of confit tongue with puy lentils and marinated vegetables

extra #5, BLT's (belly with tomato confit and romaine on brioche)

the final savory course was stuffed trotter with chestnuts, golden raisins and foie gras

unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of dessert, but you can see it in the background...just passed our kitchen refreshments.  flourless chocolate cake with bacon praline, vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce

All in all this was a ton of fun, start to finish.  I can't wait for next year...

Thinking of tomorrow

It doesn't matter how much I've prepared for tomorrow, tomorrow will still be busy and hectic. Tonight I just relax a little and try not to stay awake thinking of what need be done...

Fish Stew

I forgot to hit the publish button last night...

This time of year fish stew screams my name.  Whether it's one of the numerous styles of bouillabaisse, the real San Francisco treat Cioppino, or  Caldeirada de Peixe (Portuguese Fish Stew), I want it.  What happens when I want it?  I put it on the menu.  This year I did a little twist by making it Basques style, we add a sofrito of celery, onion, spicy peppers, tomatoes and smoked paprika.  This creates a rich, aromatic broth with a nice kick at the end.  We are using octopus and squid to give it a Mediterranean feel along with what ever fish is looking beautiful right now.  This is a dish to come in for.  I will post a picture with this post soon...

A step closer?

The landlord of the space we are interested in is supposed to have a lease draft in my hand by the time I meet with him on Saturday. I am pretty anxious about it but first I need to get through a busy weekend and all my wine dinner prep. It's actually a good thing we have so much going on this weekend, it helps to keep my mind off the second place for once...

PVG Fall Forum

I have been invited to speak at Pioneer Valley Grow's Fall Forum on the 27th.  Apparently they chose me because of my devotion as a business owner to building a healthy Pioneer Valley food system.  They thought of me because they feel I am not afraid to tell things like they are.  Bold move PVGrows, bold move...

Thanksgiving...already?

A friend of ours from Canada just celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend and it turned our attention to the upcoming holiday.  When I was first living on my own, as a way to prove that I was really on my own I suppose, I used to celebrate the major holidays by myself.  That lasted a whole one time before I realized that holidays are lonely by yourself.  The next year I was determined to find something to do rather than just simply be by myself.  I brainstormed the best I could but in suburban Minnesota there is absolutely nothing to do, everything is closed that day.  So, I went to lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Minneapolis (one of maybe three places open that day) and read the local rag with the hopes that I might find something to do, someplace that's open.   I came across a story of an inner-city soup kitchen that was serving a Thanksgiving dinner.  I had nothing better to do so I swung by and inquired if they needed an extra hand.  I ended up helping to feed dozens of people that day, a day far from wasted away in solitude.  I remember seeing people truly thankful that day, not because they had the opportunity to sit around a table and tell everyone so, because they were happy to be giving such a loving meal in a place that they didn't have to be alone.  That's when I realized the holidays aren't about celebrating anything, they are about being together.  What brings us together better than a good meal?  That is what the holidays mean to me and for once I am in a position to do more than just lend a hand.  This year we are trying to put together a meal at the restaurant for those who may not have anywhere to go or anyone to share it with.  I am sharing this as a means to help us reach people in need of some company this Thanksgiving. If you happen know anyone that needs just that, please have them contact us.  Thank you.

Bitter

Last night we went to dinner at one of our farms, The Kitchen Garden. They threw a sort of "pop-up restaurant" style dinner in their new winter greenhouse. They had two dishes with treviso raddicchio, one was a grilled and marinated with balsamic vinegar antipasti and the other was a post-meal salad of fresh radicchio in vinaigrette. Beth loved the former, but thought the latter was to bitter. My feelings were exactly opposite. As we tried arguing on who was correct, I remembered an interview with Ferran and Albert Adria where the discusses how we all taste things very differently. The specifically brought up bitterness and validated the issue with a test. They had five or so people taste this powder that apparently is extremely bitter but can only be detected by a small population. One of the tasters almost gagged by the bitterness and immediately ran for some water, no one else could taste it. I think that is incredibly interesting and really gives me a perspective to keep in mind...

Pickles

I finally broke into a batch of this years pickles. Outstanding. Everything we pickle seems to come out delicious. The pickling process is beyond interesting to me. Mall curing and preserving is. Taking one thing, adding a few natural ingredients, and Out comes this unbelievably delicious product that (in reasonable terms) doesn't go bad. If I could live on pickles...I would be bloated and tired and green, but I would be smiling...

Popcorn and comics

I think of this one every time I make popcorn...

Braise class

Tonight I taught my braise class at Different Drummer's Kitchen. This was a fun class and couldn't have come at a better time. It is freezing outside, literally, yet perfect weather for slow cooked foods. Now it's time to turn my focus towards our pig butchering demo and getting through the weekend...