Saturday 15 March 2014

Kitchen Week 1 - I Survived

Actually the week was pretty good. I didn't say too much the first day, just did what I was told. Which it turns out was to prep a bunch of onions, do dishes, serve breakfast and lunch, clean up and that was Day 1 done.

Day 2 was little better. I prepped onions, peppers, asparagus and carrots, then got the egg plant ready for Egg Plant Parm. More dishes and more serving. Here is a Veal Roast I carved and served (but didn't cook). It did taste great though.

Working the serving line helped me understand how those heat lamps kill otherwise great food. For the last 24 years I just figured military cooks were best at drying out great food. Oops, I owe the entire trade an apology I guess.





Day 3 started to get much better. I did still do a lot of dishes, and prepped more onions and peppers, but I also got to make a giant pot of Seafood Chowder, which the shift supervisor let me season and adjust for consistency as I saw fit. Not bad for day 3, but I think it is because I work non-stop, never complain and am fairly mature (could be also because I am still officially a Warrant Officer in a military kitchen).








I mentioned earlier I had splurged on a new knife before I started in the kitchen. Here is my new Shun beauty along with my old Global work horse. Both amazing, but look at that Shun!





Happy St Paddies Day! 
Although I love the food, refreshments and spirit of the modern celebration, I am conflicted as some speculate (and I believe) that the "snakes" St Patrick drove from Ireland were actually the Druids in the name of stamping out the Celtic way of life in favor of Romes Christianity. 

Here is my favorite way to drink Irish Brew
Guinness and Harp Black and Tan (Yum)



Saturday 1 March 2014

Exerpt From Wikipedia:

Both Shakespeare and Samuel Ireland identify Herne as a real historical individual, the latter saying that he died an unholy death of the type that might have given rise to tales of hauntings by his unquiet spirit. The fact that Herne is apparently a purely local figure supports this theory. One possibility is that Herne is supposed to be the ghost of Richard Horne, a yeoman during the reign of Henry VIII who was caught poaching in the wood. This suggestion was first made by James Halliwell-Phillipps, who identified a document listing Horne as a "hunter" who had confessed to poaching.[17] The earliest edition of The Merry Wives of Windsor spells the name "Horne".[18]


For me this is the most believable and likely origin of the name "Herne the Hunter", although I suspect as do many today that the legend of Herne has grown and fused so closely to Cernunnos that the 2 are indeed one and the same.

End of an Era, and Moving On

           I have officially been accepted into the NSCC Culinary Arts Program that begins on September 3rd , 2014. On top of that I have been "hired" to do some OJT at the Local Public House a Bridgewater Restaurant. Its a great deal for me and the restaurant since I get some valuable kitchen experience and they get a somewhat responsible employee for 4 months, without having to worry about paying me a cent.

          On that note I celebrated by buying myself a sweet Shun Premier 6" Chef Knife and a Chefs Chefs Choice 1520 for European and Asian style knives. Yes I am spoiled, but I figure I will soon be a starving student, after which I will be a not so starving, but very poor Cook.

         So, I am pretty stoked. 25 years in one career is a long time and I am ready to get out of the green uniform and into Cooks garb. Really another uniform but doing something I have some passion left for. Unfortunately after all those years that is something I am missing in my military career. It was great, but its time to move on.

        With that said, The Hearth portion of this blog will be completely dedicated to my school and other culinary adventures. We still have the hobby farm and all the work and responsibility that goes with it, but I will try to dedicate more time to documenting our life here.