In a Food-Rut? Think outside the Box.

Are you in a food-rut?
Can't think of something to make?
Walking around in the isles at the grocery and though everything looks fresh, nothing comes to mind, but you buy some products anyway.  Once you get home, you take them out of your bag and either put them away or stare at the wondering "why did I buy this?".  Even us chefs and cooks get in food-ruts, trust me, it's not just you.
But I have a solution for you!  Make a collage.  No really, not kidding here. Get out your food magazines, scissors, paper and tape or glue.  Yes, I do realize you probably haven't done this since you were a kid, but trust me on this one, it helps.  Simply just start looking.  See anything, anything at all that peeks your interest like a phrase: "piece of cake", "family", "eat".  Food that looks divine, colorful, photographed well, or simply you just think it's cool.  Cut out objects too if you like.  Have fun with it.  Once you get a nice little pile of clippings start pairing things together.  Think of a theme like colors, or flavors of food like spice, or words that match the foods.  Once you start getting your theme together, start cutting out the clippings artistically. . . meaning if there's an advertisement for lipgloss, cut the lips out and then cut out the black inside of the mouth then stick some food coming out the the mouth so it looks like the lips are eating.  Cut close to the pictures, cut out part of it or all of it, cut it out however you like.  Really, anything goes in a collage.
Here is what I came up with after spending an hour looking through some food magazines.

Theme: Green with a pop of Red

Foods: vegetables, limes, lettuce, drinks, that red burst

Words: "Family", "Live Happier", "Get a Head", "Your Heart's Desire". "Eat"

It all started with the head of bib lettuce.  

I then saw the margarita, and sushi, and a page full of vegetables. The "Eat" is from a sign of fun wall hangings in the kitchen.  See how I took a pair of lips and have them eating the "Eat" sign? 

After finding the shrimp cocktail and the Italian landscape clips, I saw the glass of red wine splashing into the glass, perfect for that red pop to balance out the red throughout the rest of the collage.

And now. . . in the end. . . I am inspired to make a fresh salad with a red wine lime emulsion, avocado, shrimp, a light leafy lettuce, tomatoes, maybe some cucumber and scallion, oh and a cheese to fit in with Italy.  Sounds like a nice, light summer salad.  Food-rut solved, well for now.  Food is about passion and creativity in your own light.  Keep thinking outside of the box!

Chef Gusteau's Kitchen in Real Life

Zooming in on life in the kitchen can be compared to my favorite movie Ratatouille.  While I was in culinary school, some of my Chefs even referred to the movie so we would assimilate to what we had not experience yet with a working kitchen and a fully operational line working with the front of the house staff and our own class to that of the Chef Gusteau's in the movie.  For the most part, minus Remy the rat being a chef in a 5 star French Brigade style kitchen, the movie holds true and was a good lesson while taking Classical French Cuisine lab.
When we first see the kitchen from the roof-top as Remy and his imaginary Gusteau are peering in, he tells us the different positions as we get to scan the colorful and remarkable kitchen scenery.  If you don't work in a restaurant's kitchen, did you know all of this went on back there?  Most non-cooks / chefs, probably not, unless you know someone or have had the privilege to be shown it.  Hot plates, hot ovens, hot flat-tops, hot utensils, hot stoves, greasy slippery floors, hot steam-kettles, sharp knives, fryers, grills, pantry, tons of assorted food, ect.  There is A LOT going on in the kitchen at any given time whether the cooks and chefs are actually cooking or not.  Always finding something to prep, something to cook, something to clean, it's an on going cycle.
A line in the movie that always pops up for me when I or someone else gets yelled at for timeliness (huge aspect of the kitchen) is this one between Colette and Linguini when she is teaching him the other aspects of the kitchen to be well rounded besides soups.

Colette: What are you doing?
Linguini: Uh . . . vegetables. I'm cooking the . . . vegetables?
Colette: No! You waste energy and time! You think cooking is a cute job, eh? Like Mommy in the kitchen? Well, Mommy never had to face the dinner rush while the orders come flooding in, and every dish is different and none are simple, and all different cooking time, but must arrive at the customer's table at exactly the same time, hot and perfect! Every second counts and you CANNOT be MOMMY!

YES, oh so very true. A line of tickets stubs shoved under the line holder as you race to plate in time while multitasking to do 5 tickets or more at once that all have the same dish so you can get those 5 done and away with to the customers to then start on something else all while your Chef is asking for tickets you either have done so they're in the "window" or you haven't even realized yet that you have them because the machine is still printing and tickets are falling on the floor.  You're sweating and your brain is all confused trying to remember everything at once while you personally are just trying to get through the rush so you can breath. It's the fast pace, rush, excitement, and the love of food that gets cooks through it.
There are chefs out there like Chef Skinner and worse.  Sometimes it may seem unbearable, but you just have to trudge through the shift to and get to the next day. Other times it's great.  Like the feeling you saw flash over Remy's face when the waiter came banging through the door saying the customer's love it! (the veal stomach dish) and you are happy for that one moment of instant gratification because your plating looks beautiful, you got it out on time, and the waiter or manager comes down to tell you the customer enjoyed it.  Like getting butterflies but good ones.  That feeling of floating but stable on the ground as you try not to become a bubble head and have an ego boost, it just feels happy.  It's even better if you can see the customer's face, like in that of an open kitchen - where the customers can see the kitchen.  I worked in one of those, and though I was only the pantry girl, it was summer and well everyone loves cool refreshing salad on a hot day and just seeing a glimpse of a smile knowing they are actually enjoying their lunch break was simply nice to know.

For this feeling, it is why I do what I do.  While on days I feel crappy because things didn't go right, I get an oil burn, or my plates aren't coming out on time, the desserts are falling apart or whatever the reason is, those days could be better.  But when all else fails, at the end of the night when the numbers get tallied and we find out how many covers we did, the manager and / or Chef says: "Everybody did a good job tonight. The customer's enjoyed it.  You did a good job getting the food out." That moment is pure joy.  Keep cooking!

And watch Ratatouille if you haven't already, or just watch it again, as I do.

The Cake that Never Fails

Whether you want to admit it or not, everyone has a sweet tooth.  Ok, so I have met probably two people in my life who honestly don't like chocolate or cake, but that's just flat out wrong if you ask me.  There's nothing wrong with sweets, you just can't sit there being a fat kid and eat the whole thing after you bake it, no matter how good it is.  (You could always go run half way around the world to burn off the calories, but I know I definitely don't have the energy or will-power for that.)
So here's how the story went. . . . I was still in college, living off campus in my apartment and it was late, too late for the grocery to get something.  While standing in front of my bookshelf looking at my baking books I thought there must be something in one of these with basic kitchen ingredients so I'm not cutting out half the recipe and ending up with a deformed flat cake.  With out caring really what was in the cake, I found a recipe with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and zest.  Quickly looking in my fridge for eggs, butter and zest of either an orange or lime, excitedly found them and got out the rest of the ingredients.  This cake was so simple to make and when it was done baking not only did my apartment smell amazing but I was amazed it even turned out! Since the happenings upon this cake, the baking book calls it "Swedish Visiting Cake"and when I make it for my parents my Dad asks if the cake is staying over, very funny, I have tested other ingredients.  I have made flavors like lime, lemon almond, chocolate cinnamon, chocolate orange, orange and grande manier, fresh mango & lime, and a citrus blend. I like more flavors than others but really the combinations are endless.
AND the best part about the cake, you can make the whole recipe or half and once you make it, it's easy to remember because it's pretty all equal parts.
Here is the simplest, easiest, won't ever mess up and always turn out perfect in texture, flavor, and moist-ness CAKE:
** Preheat the oven to 375 degree on Bake.
1 mixing bowl
microwave proof bowl
whisk
rubber spatula
cake pan & PAM for Baking spray
1 cake plate

1 cup All-Purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of butter, melted & cooled to room temp.
2 whole eggs, room temp.
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of: 1 orange or 2 limes or 1 lemon

Melt the butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Let stand at room temp.
In the mixing bowl combine zest and sugar. Massage zest into the sugar using your hands until fragrant and the sugar has changed colors.
Whisk in one egg at a time, completely into the zest/sugar mixture, the batter should be light yellow.  Add salt and vanilla extract.
Using the spatula, fold in the flour. The batter will be very thick at this time, it's ok.
Pour in the melted stick of butter. Carefully incorporate using the spatula; if you need help use the whisk.  Do not over mix.

Spray your favorite cake pan with PAM for baking (flour in the canola oil spray).  Pour in the batter.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until cooked through (test with wooden skewer) and light brown.
Pull out of oven, cool for 1 minute. Cut around the outside and then place a plate on top and using a towel or oven mitt so you don't burn yourself, gently flip the cake onto the plate, will come right out.
If you can't resist, you may cut your cake now or wait until room temp and devour.  To store, just let cake to room temp if you haven't already done so and wrap in plastic. It does not need to be refrigerated, and will still be moist and good a week later if wrapped tightly.

Other flavors that are sure to please:
**Chocolate-Orange = zest of 1 orange, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted, replace 2 Tbsp. of flour with 2 Tbsp. of good quality coco-powder.
* Orange - Grande Manier = zest of 1 orange. When cake is still hot, after flipping it onto the plate, pour on a simple syrup with 1 shot Grande Manier, 1 part water and 2 parts sugar. You can make the simple syrup and then add the liquor and pour on top or you can cook out some of the alcohol by cooking it in the simple syrup.

I brought the Chocolate-Orange flavor to work, it was devoured while many comments of "This is soo good" were exclaimed!  Everyone loved it and I'm sure you will too after you make this cake.  This simple sweet never tasted soo good.