"86 The Salmon!!!"

I'm sure there are many readers who have heard the term "86" in a restaurant, whether intentionally or not. At some point in time, college mostly, there are those who are familiar with the term. Retired or not, experienced buss boys, waiters, bar tenders, managers, cooks, chefs and dish washers all know the term, it makes them wince. As much as I would like to not include the "part time hostess, only on weekends, in the evening, but only when daddy doesn't schedule a dinner party down at the country club after his and mommy's tennis tournament exclusively for executive members," I'm certain even they have heard the term, and stared back blankly.

In 1986 I was working in the pantry and at 18 I learned a lot from watching and listening, spying on everyone quietly, watching their every move, like we were all pinned down in a bunker and one false move could make you a gonner. Keep your head down, or it might get blown off. I would see another more experienced cook do something and the chef would go off on him. "Well", I'd say to myself, trying not to stare or smile, keeping busy, "PW-Don't do THAT".

Early on I immediately noticed that when we ran out of something everyone yelled "86 the salmon, or pate, or special pasta". It is the back of the house restaurant equivilent of screaming "fire" in the dining room. Cooks double check tickets to see if they need the one we don't have so they can inform the waiter "you screwed up, I don't have it". Waiters riffle through notes to see if they reserved the one they needed for table 34, thinking "that guy is such a jerk to his wife and this may send him over the edge, I could get her killed." The manager writes in on the white board with a dry erase pen, bold, in black. 86 Salmon. It gets repeated over and over by everyone like a hyptic chant until everyone has heard it one hundred times. Even the piano player knows it and twinkles out a little "86" jive he has been working on.

It's a big freaking deal.

My first New Years Eve came and went, and Chef Dean and the experienced kitchen crew saw that I had survived,"he still comes back every day, he's still standing, he hasn't broken yet" I would hear. They took me in and slowly, I emulated their every good move and learned from their mistakes. Organization, posture over a cutting board, knife skills, keeping your cool while facing a firing squad. I was really beginning to feel special, I had really found something I was good at and I really enjoyed it. It was like throwing a party every night for guests who might not go out to eat until their next anniversary. It was a rush and very satisfying to learn numerous new things each day for years and years.

One night I was running a count on an item in the pantry, Blackout Cake, a house favorite. The count ran low, I informed the chef and the staff. Three left, Two left , One left, ...

"87 the Blackout Cake!!!" I began the chant.

Adam, who learned to cook in the army, one of the most dedicated and organized cooks I would ever meet or learn from stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me with his eyebrows raised, "What did you say?"At this point I was really beginning to feel like one of the gang, like I was being accepted. The look in his piercing eyes told me my success was on the fence.
I swallowed, "you know, 87 the Blackout Cake, I'm out, I have no more orders, it's gone."

Without a word Adam turned the corner and I heard, "Hey Chef, Pee Wee just '87ed' the Blackout Cake!" Then he did what I feared, he laughed.

"He did WHAT?!!?"
Oh God, what have I done?

Chef Dean saddled up to me, trying not to laugh. "What's up with the Cake Pee Wee?"
"I ran out, I had a count down and I ran out, so I 87ed it Chef."
"You mean 86ed it?", he asked.
"No, I 87ed it." He really looked puzzed and I wasn't sure why.
"Why did you 87 the cake?" He was serious.
Deep breath, a crowd of hot line cooks was peering around the corner. "Last year we 86ed everything when we ran out, now it's 1987". No response. "Don't we 87 it now when we run out, you know, because it's 1987?"

He was really trying not to laugh, what was so funny?

He put his arm on my shoulder, was he going to throw me into the stock pot?
"P Dub, when we run out of something it is always "86ed", no matter what calender year it is, it's out, it's "86ed". Understand?" he smirked.
Shaking my head, "Yes Chef, but why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do we say 86, it doesn't make any sense?"
He searched his memory, "I really don't know, that's what I was taught too, it's just what we say".
"Yes Chef".

Twenty years later I had told this story to about every cook or chef I worked with, but no one could ever tell me WHY we said "86". Even in culinary school I never got a straight answer, for real.

Then we took a family vacation to Disneyland. We were in line for Soaring over California, which is a cool ride, and my mother in law says, "Hey Paul, look at this".

And this is a photo of what I saw...a discription of the F-86 Saberjet from the Korean war, at the time the world's fastest fighter jet...




So that is why we 86 items when they run out, go figure.

Contest Winner-Not So Much

I recently entered a national foodie contest, much to my dismay I never heard back, despite making the original deadline (they extended it twice). It was about a twelve page application and I had to turn in a three minute video as well. I thought this "major network" would've at least had an intern send me the "thanks but no thanks" on a 3x5 card. But no such luck. I wrote them a note suggesting that they were punishing the punctual and organized. I never heard back from them on that one either now that I think about it, go figure. It probably didn't help that I poked fun at one of their franchise personalities in my video.
It did however give me the opportunity to reflect on the questions they asked, which ended up being very satisfying. I came home one night and told Janet, "I got an e-mail with another invitation to enter this contest again this year" Gung-ho Janet responded with, "Do it, just go for it, do it. What's the worst that could happen? You could win or do well and we could move to NY. So what!!!" She is so great.
With the help of a Janet and a couple friends, I wrote and re-wrote, had a video recorded and edited, and had a couple stills taken. Since the network didn't want to share me with the world, I thought I would. So without quoting the actual application questions on my blog and finally getting contacted by this network, by way of their legal department, I thought I would share a couple of my answers.

-I would be honey, because honey is the real deal. Honey is strong, pure, sweet, adaptable and loved by all. Honey is organic, translucent, sustainable, medicinal, therapeutic and embraced by different cultures around the world. With its distinctive flavor, it can work alone, like me, or as an ingredient, as part of a culinary team. Honey’s flavor is influenced by the surrounding nectar of flowers, as my cooking has been influenced by those I have spent time next to over the stove in the kitchen. Honey contains complex carbohydrates, trace amounts of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. I contain knowledge, experience and a strong personality, willing to share what I know with others. Honey is good for the individual, a powerful resource used in a variety of ways and settings, understated and valuable, as I am.

-Keep your knife sharp and clean, treat it with respect and with care, like driving a car you know you cannot afford.

-When you are working on a specific task and paying close attention to all the details in front of you, it is crucial to also keep in mind what your next task is so that your time is managed well. Nothing is more detrimental to a deadline in the kitchen than a cook who is not sure what to do next. I like to say, “Think about what you have just done, concentrate on what you are doing, and focus on what to do next.”

-When producing large amounts of food it can get particularly challenging when you are racing against the clock and trying to do a quality job. I find that more inexperienced cooks get confused easily and become messy and disorganized. This can also lead to an accident. One of the most important things you can do to keep on task is to keep your cutting board clean, dry and organized; I find that it is a reflection of what is going on in your mind.

-All ingredients should be handled with respect and care; from carrots to foie gras, they are a gift and we who posses the skills should treat them as a gift. Don’t take shortcuts that damage your ingredients and compromise your results.

-Don’t over complicate your recipes, plates or presentations. Be clean, crisp, straightforward and honest. Just because you think of something to add doesn’t mean you should; think it over carefully. You can add it, but you can’t take it out.

Take that major network.

Two Great Foodie Books

My lovely wife Janet got me an incredible book for Christmas 1001 Foods You Must Taste Before You Die by Frances Case. Does that girl know me or what?
It’s not as morbid as it sounds. It’s a reference of crazy hard to find or unique foods from countries and cultures around the world. Not all of them are available unless you do some serious traveling, but where else are you going to find such great ideas and get the exposure in one place? Don’t say the internet; it’s a book for cryin’ out loud. It’s got different sections; Fruit, Vegetables, Dairy, Fish, Meats, Aromatics, Grain, Bakery and Confections. It’s amazing; if someone can find another book with such coverage I dare you to find it for me.

I also got The Flavor Bible from my parents by two of my favorite food authors Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg, these two write books that speak to me. A book that explores flavor combinations and for use as a reference. For instance, if you wanted Thai food you could look it up and it would give you flavor profiles and indigenous items to that region. Exciting stuff for foodies like me. People often ask me what my favorite cookbook is and I never have an answer because I never buy a book for recipes, but rather inspiration or reference when I’m stumped or when Jazz or Modern Rock can’t find the creative buttons in my head. The introduction has a great quote that sums up my point of view.
“Over the years, cookbooks have come to dictate precise measurement of ingredients along with instructions for their preparation and assembly, which has done much to improve the general accessibility of recipes. However, they also have come to provide a false sense of security for which the unsuspecting cook pays a price. When a recipe is rigidly scripted and blindly followed, it negates the cook’s own creative instincts and good judgment-not to mention much of the pleasure of truly ‘being ‘ in the moment”
That’s probably why I have always enjoyed live music so much, the point of cooking when you just “go off” and reach, making something you were working on go from good to great because you choose to step off the ledge and don’t fall off.

Check out those books.

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Janet and I take turns with the Thanksgiving meal each year with her side of the family, this year it's our turn to have it at our house. My parents and my oldest brother Mark will join us as well as Janet's mom Diane, her sister Lisa, her husband Greg and their two kids Ashianna and Grant. Koda, our puppy, will greet each one with a hearty series of barks and then will perch along side the most likely candidate to drop crumbs, the kids I'm sure. He is still a puppy, but he has already come to expect the certainty of this as sure as he knows Janet will give him a treat every night after the kids go to bed.
Our menu is still in pencil, but on the suggestion of a friend at work, I am still going to share what we are going to make.
I will have some stuff out for people to nibble on when they arrive, spinach dip, sweet pickle olive and marinated mushroom tray, smoked salmon on crackers, baked brie with sherry, maybe a fondu cheese something or other. Wine, beer, sparkling apple cider, sodas, water. Nothing to over the top.
The turkey, probably a twenty-five pounder, rinsed, dried, seasoned with sea salt and a cracked pepper mix. It will rest on a bed of vegetables, not a metal rack. Yellow onion, celery root, carrot, parsnip, fresh thyme, whole garlic, more peppercorns and a little white wine. I will cover the bird loosely in aluminum foil and uncover about 1/2 way through so it doesn't get too brown. I don't think I will baste it. After some discussion with chef buddies, I once tried a turkey without basting and the skin was quite tasty and beautiful. Over basting releases too much heat from the oven and can make the skin too soggy, in my opinion. I once smoked a turkey at a restaurant I was working at. I was magazine perfect in appearance, but the smoky flavor was too much. Smoked turkey sandwiches, smoked turkey soup, smoked turkey stock, smoked turkey...you get the picture. Janet gave me the head shake on that one, and I couldn't disagree. Once I pull the turkey out I puree all the liquid from the pan with a portion of the vegetables and strain it through a china cap or chinios, then I reduce the liquid into my gravy. I has great flavor and never needs flour or cornstarch. After the bird is eaten I clean it up good and put the bones with any remaining vegetables into the roasting pan and put it back into the oven on 400 to roast the bones. All of this goes into a stock pot with cold water and I simmer it overnight, strain it, cool it and freeze in batches using a zip lock bag. It is a great smell to wake up to. This tasty stock is used for any soups I might make later on, especially if someone is sick, Diane swears by it.
Side dishes will include the usual suspects, mashed potatoes (I will use golden yukon's), maple whipped sweet potatoes, steamed, and pureed with butter and syrup. I will have two batches of stuffing, one from inside the bird and one baked on the side. I'll make a cranberry dish of mine with onions, dried cranberries, orange juice and fresh sage that is a favorite for sandwiches later on. I am not sure about a side vegetable, I was thinking ratatouille because the kids will eat it and then I don't have to prepare two different kinds. Rolls, butter, Janet's cherry and pumpkin pies (She is the baker, not me), Mom's apple pie, ice cream and coffee.
I'm sure that's not all, something else will get added or removed. Anyway, it will be fun to prepare. What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?

My First Cooking Lesson-"milk marinated shrimp thrown into scalding peanut oil"

I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, my Mom is a great cook, and had to be with three boys. But the first cooking lesson I really remember clearly came from my brother Mike. Mike is my older brother by eight years. Mark is another two years older than him. It was like growing up with two hormonal crazy teenage uncles. Mom and Dad expected them to watch out for me and to take care of me, and they did. Mark is a specialty butcher and can find his way around the kitchen. Mike is the seafood lover in the family and a wonderful preacher-man, not a cook, for good reason.

Mike was baby sitting me. Mom and Dad and Mark were out. Mike had a craving for shrimp, as he often did. So we hoped into his tricked out truck painted with green pinstripes and headed down to Race Street off Blossom Hill road for some shrimp. The smell of fresh seafood and a salty wooden floor still reminds me of that place. Mike showed me around, clear bulging eyes looking back at us from inside the case. A guy with a thick mustache trying to emulate Dennis Eckersley helping Mike from behind the counter, the Oakland A’s having probably just won their third Word Series in a row.
With tiger shrimp in butcher’s paper in my lap we headed home to the sounds of America, The Doobie Brothers and The Beach Boys.

Once home we got to work, bringing out the wok Mom had brought home from a trip to Hawaii. We put in about two cups of peanut oil and placed it over the heat, shimmering while the shrimp continued to marinate in nothing but milk. I was sure Mike knew what he was doing, I mean, he was the older brother and everything he did was godlike to me, still is. I remember the way people were always happy to see him, his tan, his puka shell necklace, his cool truck. I recall the way he stared out his window and watched cars drive by while listening to music, the way he could drop a 15 foot jump shoot with nothing but net, again and again, and again. But this warm summer night he almost burned the house down.

I remember the size of the shrimp, huge to me, dripping with milk through Mike’s hands and fingers. With a quick athletic jerk, he threw the shrimp straight into the smoking oil and while my short life on Hilow Court flashed before me. The oil ignited as it reacted to the milk and flames rose as if a bomb had gone off. I would like to give Mike complete credit for saving the house that day, not only was he responsible for starting the fire, but for extinguishing it as well. “OPEN THE FRONT DOOR, OPEN THE FRONT DOOR, OPEN THE FRONT DOOR, OPEN THE FRONT DOOR!!!!” I think he wants me to open the front door, I thought to myself, staring like a moth attracted to the flames. Mike successfully carried the walk the front porch while the black smoke brought involuntary tears to his eyes.

Ok, situation under control. Fire damage to house, no damage. Hot oil on our bodies, no scaring. Hot oil spilled on plastic linoleum floor, no melting. Fresh shrimp for dinner, well, no. Disaster averted, not yet. Yes, the fire was out and the incinerated shrimp boiling in hot lava was cooling on the front porch, but the kitchen was engulfed in smoke. Time for action, Mom and Dad could not find out what happened or we would never see the light of day again. Well, I would, but Mike would definitely not. We raced to open the house, windows, sliding glass doors, garage door, any thing we could open to get air flow. Once we felt safe the laughing started, for two hours as we tried to clear the house of smoke, the only evidence.

We actually thought we had pulled it off as we ate whatever leftovers Mom had provided for us that night. We giggled as we watched TV and ate, sure that we had pulled it off. If we could only compose ourselves, we were like criminals hoping to calm down before interrogation. I’m sure Mike was thinking that I was the only thing keeping him from getting into trouble. “I hope Paul can stand up against Mom’s cross examination.”

Nervously we heard the car drive up the driveway as the headlights shone across the kitchen table. Stay cool, no problem, this is it, keep a straight face, all we had to do was act like nothing happened. Steps clicking up the walkway, we did it, steady. Voices, the key in the lock, we were the smartest kids in the world, invincible.

Our eyes bulged as we stared at each other, our hopes crushed, our crime exposed as we heard Mom’ voice, “What is my wok doing on the front porch?!?!?!?”

BUSTED!!!

You're Chicken

Congratulations to our first questions sent in my Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous, I’m not sure which. I always like to have a sauce, or something to slather my chicken in, whether it is bbq, sweet and sour, a buerre blanc or something a little more out there. When I season my chicken for grilling, roasting, sautéing or baking I always use a little sea salt and cracked peppercorns. If I am going to rub my chicken down in spices I might use some dried mustard or dried chilies if I am going to finish it with a little sauce or salsa.
Purchase dark chili powder, which is ok. If you want to make your own I would buy a combination of ancho chili, chipotle, and pasilla peppers. Pick out the seeds, toast them in the oven to dry them out and increase the complexity of flavors and then grind them down with a food processor with a little garlic and cinnamon, put them in the oven to dry out and grind a second time. Repeat grinding and toasting until the chili mix becomes a powder and is dry. You can keep this in you pantry and bring it out later when you want to use it again. It’s got some heat, but it’s tasty with hints of leather and tobacco, also great for steaks, fish or lamb and will become even bolder when you grill with it. Rub this on prior to grilling, and serve it with some fresh pico de gallo, or grilled pineapple salsa, yum. Grill some pineapple, let it cool, dice it up and add diced jalapenos, fresh cilantro leaves, lime juice and diced red pepper, season with a little salt and pepper and chili flakes. Let me know what you think.

What do I do with all these herbs and spices?

Spices and herbs have always been used in cooking; the trick is to know how to use them. Herbs by definition are leaves of fresh or dried plants. Spices are the aromatic parts of plants; they can be buds, the fruit, berries, the roots or bark. Spices are usually dried and typically come from tropical regions, but not always. A plant can be used in the production of either herbs or spices, or both. For example; as with cilantro, the leaves, and coriander, the ground seeds, are from the same plant.
There are great books that are solely devoted to cooking herbs and spices too. My advice on using spices that you are unfamiliar with is to write me a note under comments on a specific herb or spice and I will research it for you. If you would like to know what to rub down on a steak or if you bought some great curry powder and aren’t sure what to do with it, let me know and I will help you work it out and we can share the information and outcome with the other readers.
So you have this “private” chef at your disposal, it’s your turn to let me know what your interested in and what you want to learn to do better in your kitchen.

You Asked For It

This week I've learned that most of the people who are interested in my blog are those who want me to post recipes, so my last title probably disappointed a couple of you, oops.
The hardest thing about giving out recipes is to assume that someone else knows what you are talking about whether it is ingredients or techniques. I will do my best, but it is your job to not be too uptight about food. That is one of my goals with this blog, getting people to relax and enjoy cooking and providing for their friends and family.
One of the most important things you can do for yourself to enjoy your experience at home is to set the mood. If your goal is just to be sure everyone gets some food in their stomach, that is probably all you are going to accomplish. For instance, if you are going for a romantic mood for two, you probably are going to put on some music to help you out. The same for cooking. Some of the best kitchen crews I worked with hardly spoke at all. Everyone just grooved to the music and kicked it out, like a dance.
So relax, put on some music, something you enjoy and is fun, Van Morrison will never let you down if you can't decide.
That's a start.

Recipes

I'm working on what seems like the impossible, getting all my recipes and menus into one format. What seems like an endless project has actually got me inspired again. I find myself saying, "what was I thinking", or "next time change this". I have collections on paper, on a palm pilot, two computers and a pile of papers and binders in the basement. I life long project really, too bad I'm starting twenty years too late.

Chef Symposium?

I got invited to go to what was called a "Chef Symposium" for Denver chef's last Friday.
Naturally, I was cynical. I didn't know anyone going in so I got there early in order to set up my own perimeter. I ended up meeting a guy from a restaurant company development division. We had heard of each other, we have a mutual chef friend so I hung out with him and his boss. Nice guys. The chef field trip was held at the Johnson and Wales campus here in Denver. Needless to say I wore my Culinary Institute of America Alumni pin on my chef coat collar.

We had some demos and spent a great deal of time talking about special requests, allergies, gluten-free celiac disease and sustainability. It was a relief to hear other chef's having the same challenges and the conversations were awesome.

It is always a blast to be around other chef's, especially strangers, who you can relate to and share info with.

What were you expecting from a chef's blog anyways?

Back on Track

Once I got this sblog business started I walked away from it, so I will try to get it going again.

I have spent the last month working on a secret project. More details as I get them.

I have been so blown away by Janet's blog that I have been inspired to move mine forward. Baby, yours is amazing. I am going to try to wade out of the shallow end.

My buddy Michael has a great one as well.

Hey

I'm a fortunate guy.

I have a great wife who loves me, a daughter who is terrific and a son who is awesome.

I have done the same job for over twenty years, cooking and taking care of my customers.

I'm told I'm lucky to do something that I love and that I'm good at.

The summer after high school graduation my buddies all got jobs at a hot local restaurant, California Cafe in Old town Los Gatos, our home town. I bussed tables for a short time and then asked Chef Dean if I could work in the kitchen. He snickered, "Sure pw, come in on Saturday at 6:00 am."

Cool.

Saturday morning I hoped on my mountain bike and rode into work, winded and on time. The back door was locked, no one answered.

6:15
6:30
6:45
6:50, chef Dean pulled up in his car and got out, expressionless.

He pulled his keys from his fadded checkered pants and put them into the lock, he didn't look up.

"How long have you been standing here?" he asked.

"Since 6:00 am Chef."

"Good. Come on in."

I swear he was laughing under his breath as he walked ahead into the dark kitchen.

The veal stock filled my nostrils and I have been home ever since.