BEHIND EVERY GREAT MEAL, IS A KITCHEN, WITH A GREAT STAFF AND A GREAT CHEF WITH IDEAS ! ~PART I

I want to talk about creativity and more importantly in the next couple of segments I will discuss what takes place behind the scenes in most culinary kitchens. So first, let me cover a day in the life of a Catering Chef. I was privileged this week to work along side a great catering chef at Chartwells, he handles all of the food preparations for many major events held at Northeastern University. His catering venues includes feeding the President and Dean of Schools along with many other high profiled professionals, celebrities,dignitaries and  high ranking governmental officials.
So finally the dining halls have officially closed for the summer, which provided for me the down time to pursue other interests. I was requested to assist with a very important dignitary function. and I jumped at the opportunity! Not only was I finally able unleash my creative talents but I was excited to work alongside with this chef. We work well as a team and I hope he would agree that we have come up with some pretty cool ideas thus far! So to understand how well we work together, you would need to know our cooking styles. His creative genius begins by experimenting with various food items and more importantly he dislikes writing things down. So instead he usually records his thoughts and ideas and replays them back later on! Now as for me I need a plan and the best way to devise one is to jot down my thoughts and ideas onto paper. So today was no exception and since I know him all too well, I was ready for him.  And as usual he started off by saying " hey chef I wonder" and I knew in that instant what he would do next. But not of course before he stares into space and continues to say " is there is any way to enhance the flavor of this fennel without compromising the rich delicate sweetness of this sorbet ? So as always, he expects someone, anyone, to fill in the blanks! And because we behave just like an old married couple he starts and I finish  So I reply with "well of course there is a way, but are you willing to experiment this late in the game to change this recipe "? He answers shaking his head and with a huge gin replies" see you get me, chef". We both look at each other and began to laugh! My first thought is "okay, I am in ready mode". Now to get me get my creative juices going I begin jotting down my thoughts onto paper and for me writing down information is key and  one of the most important steps in the building blocks to create a recipe. And I begin, in my case I churn my ideas onto paper scibbling images or shapes, like triangles or circles. Sometimes I write down fragmented senteneces, like "towering green spikes". I will even take it one step further and use a " food grouping method" . And that is done by placing certain food items in front of me, such as  the pulp of a orange with freshly gound cinnamon to produce a new smell (spicy, tangy) or add volume to it with whipped sugar coated mint for a brilliant emerald finish. I also love the sound of food, crackle, and I imagine places for themes like tropical paradise. So I begin jotting my ides down , I then read them out loud to the chef. Finally, we begin to experiment with different ingredients using trial and error. All the while, I am logging in the amount of ingredients we are using and recording on paper our precise measurements, temperature ect.  In the meantime, the catering chef continues to think out loud. It's rather comical to watch us, as we behave like two mad scientists in our laboratory out on a quest to invent a new creation! And in the end ,when we have finally reached that "eureka' moment, alas, the birth of a new recipe emerges! The results were pretty amazing , as we finally discovered together a new twist for a fennel sorbet ( which will be on my website soon).
So you maybe wondering why most people enter this profession? Well, it varies from person to person, but for me there are a number of reasons. Although, there is a lot of tedious repetitive tasks when it comes to cooking, like measuring, prepping, planning, assembling, along with maintaining consistency and improving on the quality to name a few . Also, you have to factor in the economics, cost, labor etc..The best part of my job is having the freedom to simply express myself artistically and creatively!
Unfortunately, I regret to inform my viewers, that the final execution of the meal I would not be privy to see. The event happens to be this Friday and I will be in Las Vegas, NV, yeah! Although the catering chef assured me, that he plans to send me pictures ( which I will post to my site soon after) I will miss the best part and this the final presentation! However, the catering chef put my mind at ease that all my work, my contributions, will not be "in vain" he plans to tell client who assisted him with this venue. I told him that was not necessary, but he was steadfast and said " I was the brains behind his mouth". Just another reason I like this guy, he is a very talented individual and would of easily come up with his own recipes. Yet, he never ceases to amaze me, he is not only smart but he is also considerate of others. More importantly, it is not beneath him to sweat and it's never above him to share the glory!

Finally, in closing I will be adding in the next few posts pictures of my past and present work and of course, pics from my trip to La Vegas, NV, of course! I can't wait to be in Vegas, I am finishing a purchase on a home and coming back to Boston with my son ( we plan to spend some quality time together, an early father's day for me). Our son Andrew attends UNLV, he is majoring in political science and history. He loves to study ancient history, so next year when he graduates and just before he heads off to Grad School we are planning a trip to Italy to see our family !

Or as we say in Italian "La Mia familial"



PS Happy Birthday to our Sweet Adorable Soft Wheaten Terrier "Clipper" Pics of Clipper with his cake we purchased in Newburyport this weekend! from "JUST DOGS GOURMET"

PS: The owner is Julie Hoover she does not have a website but her is email is @ judy.hoover@verizon.net

Signing off for now,


Chef Sam

PS: My fennel sorbet and other the recipes I created this week will be on my website soon! Please, make sure to come back next week when I post my pics of the event and of course, Las Vegas!

Also, to my lovely wife Phyllis, my mother and mother-in-law and to every mother out there :
                              Andrew & I will wish them a
                              HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

                                                                                

STREET FOOD PICS

I wanted this blog to be simple, here are some of the pictures of the food I created for Street Food

COOKING EARTH DAY STYLE!

There are so many ways to cook food and you may already be familiar with some of them, like cooking with fire or using energy recources like gas, electric ,coal, but did you know that there are less obvious methods to cook ?  So did you know the art of marinating, drying and smoking are alternative methods. Did you know in hot arid hot climates you can cook food with rocks? You can even use dry ice as a heating element.
Now let's not forget today is EARTH DAY so I want to concentrate on all "types of cooking methods". And there is so many exciting things going on right now in the world to assist with alternative cooking methods! We all need to think out of the box when it comes to cooking. So speaking of boxes, there is great Box Cooker from India that provides a cheap inxepensive cooking apparatus that is in demand in such an  over popuplated country, which consist of many who are in need. So China is another country taking the lead to  look for alternatives and they created an ingenious apparatus called a Curved Concentrator. This cooking tool looks similar to a satellite dish and it is used mostly for industrial cooking but is very efficient and extremely cost effective. Finally, there is the popular Panel Cookers which is the combination of both a Box Cooker and it's curved like counterpart the Concentrator, which is widly used in third world countries and relatively inexpensive.
 So there you go, are ready for the changes in cooking ? Well, look no further the time has arrived and pretty soon virtual cooking methods will be arriving at kitchen near you! However, for now, summer is just around the corner and I don't know about you but I just love to barbecue! So think BIG, think YELLOW, think SUN and when shopping for that your next grill look for alternative cooking devices like the Hybrid Solar Cookers. 
In closing, I can not go without saying that our garbage produces a great fuel rescource. And as the saying goes "waste not want not" and well , think METHANE GAS !  This is such a cheap, effective gas that can be produced above and below ground. Which leads me into my last introduction into my final alternative cooking method. So would you consider cooking with dung? Yes, that's right, dried cow patties is a wonderful cooking element and there is a ton of it, so to speak. And it could create new jobs for the midwest's cattle ranchers! You just need the right cooking stove to avoid combustion and there are now many creative inventors building those plans for the right stove, right now! SO GO GREEN OR YELLOW AND EVEN BROWN.. JUST GO!..AND BUY!!
Check out some of these websites:
www.solarcookers.org/basics/how.html
www.sunbdcorp.com 
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/apro/dung/Aprodung.htm

Next time we discuss what happens behind the kitchen!

PS: Please remember the miners and their families in the recent coal mine tradegy in West Virgina. And to the many men and women who risk their lives everday to make our world a much better and safer place to live !


Signing off for now!


Chef  Sam


PS: I will have some wonderful pics from my STREET VENDING EVENT !!

STREET FOOD~ PART 2

So I touched on the various street vendors over the world and I would like to discuss further on what  is going around right in your back yard. Also, I will cover my recent project called "taking food to the streets". If I have learned anything about this industry is that sometimes the best way to expand on your skill set is to go out and experieince what life has to offer. So for this particular event I created five special dishes from  Italy, Greece, Africa, Lebanon and Turkey.
I started off by creating a take off from Pizzagaina from Italy using savory Italina cold cuts ( prosciutto, mortadella, pancetta bresaola), farmers cheese. I like a thick creamy texture so I added eggs, mascarpone and goat cheese. I added fresh herbs like basil, parsely, oregano and added scallions with a thick pie crust consisting of  flour, shortening, water and salt.
My favorite quick food is  from Greece. I made Lamb Koftas which consists of mint, spicey herbs, cashews and lamb. The mixture is then rolled into small balls which are placed on skewers and grilled.
Moving onto Lebonon, my pick for a Street Food was a Lebonsese pizza. The topping has tomatoes, garlic, onions pine nuts and lamb which is layered on a light pastry dough ( filo and greek olive oil).
Nothing is more enjoyable than Africa's favorite finger food the infamous Taliapa Taco. It consists of shredded red and green cabbage, black beans, avacados and mangos. This mixture is generously stuffed into a ground meal taco shell.
As far as Turkey is concerned I really felt a Curry Chicken turnover represented a simple and delicous Street Food from that region. Some of the ingredients consisted of chicken, raisens, cardamom, coriander, onions (red, green and white), all tucked away in a homemade pastry crust.
I picked those countries because they are synonymous to open air markets where locals and tourist can go and sample some indigenous foods. These quick meals which are nicknamed "shack foods", are relatively the most common and popular foods from that region.
This was a team event and we had to choose from specific locations culminating a global street fair. Even though, there are so many other places around the globe to add to this list of "shack foods", I was able to at least contribute from regions that provided amazing cuisine!

My next blog will be on evaluating differenent methods of cooking !


Signing off for now!


Chef Sam

STREET FOODS ~PART 1

There is nothing more memorable for me then attending the feast of Obelisco in Mirebella "the feast of Saint Mary". the third Saturday in September. I recall the statue of the Virgin Mary carried in a church vessel made up of straw being pulled by ox in the middle of the piazza. There is music, spirits and and more importantly the streets are littered with street vendors. I can recall the aromas of grilled meats like sausage and peppers, lamb shanks chicken and veal stew and they are distinct and unique to that region of Italy. You can't help but take in the sweet pungent woody smells of the dried peppers and cured meats. And on tables you will be mesmerized by the abundance of fresh food. There are wheels of farm cheese, plump tomatoes still on the vine,huge olives, walnuts so fresh you can peel the shells off with your hands, big black and green olives, and of course, grappa! On white linen tablecloths a colorful array of grilled vegetables, eggplant, zucchini, and thin slices of cured meats like prosciutto garnished with fresh herbs. Each vendor you pass smiles and beckons you over to taste from their table. I miss the feast but more importantly I miss Passo Di Mirabella, it was birth place, my home and it will always be a part me that I will never forget.
So now when I am in the North End I make it a point to try to got out to the markets almost every weekend .Especially, in the spring and summer months, more importantly, I try to always make one of the feasts. The big one in the North End would be the Saint Anthony feast and I look forward to the street vendors with their push carts, the live entertainment and I never ever pass by the booths selling hot peppers and sausages or as I coined it "S &P sandweech". There is so many vendors selling foods like fried calamari , grilled lamb kabobs and freshly made eggplant parmesan! The variety of street food is only limited to your palette and more importantly the size of your wallet! Oh, I almost forget the array of sweets at the Italian feasts is phenomenal! I can never pass up the homemade cannolis, you can either choose between ricotta cheese or cream cheese filling and I can never decide so I get both one for each hand! Most street food is considered fast food but not all vendors prepare quick snacks, there are fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy alternatives. Now you can find so many vendors selling grilled and steamed foods and compact fine dining. The only issues facing street vendors is hygiene and cleanliness and lack of temperature control and refrigeration. This is a global issue and cross contamination and food safety, yet there is a growing monetary incentives to vendors to provide training and incentives to maintain adequate safety provisions.
There are street vendors all over the globe from South America that serve foods like bunny chow scooped out loaf of bread with curry. Ethiopia has their injera bread and enjoy a variety of street foods like Tbs Wat ( a pungent stew with inera and fried Neeka stalks). China has many small front door vendors such as grilled rice balls and pan fried noodles. India is notorious for street foods and you will find foods like Chaat, which is made up with a variety of ingredients like lemon and pomegranate seed. It can be used for example, to make small crisp pancakes from fried flour called "paprika". Now people in Puerto Rico are known for their vendors and they have a large following in the Caribbean and North America. Puerto Rico is known for their Pinchos ( a kabob of pork, or chicken spiced which is labeled with barbecue sauce and often served with fried bread).
While in Europe, the French you will find common street food like a crepes or baguette bread sandwiches , In Germany it's curry sausage and Currywurst, while their neighbors in Poland street carts and long lines for their of love ice cream.
Although, not all countries prefer street vendors like Spain for example, the people rather sit and eat inside restaurants. Also, in Switzerland they prefer motorized trucks instead of booths or carts for their finger food! And depending what region you are in Canada that have specialist street vending. So french fries with gravy and cheese curds are found throughout Canada but Quebec this street food is extremely popular and there are specialized vendors for that region. We can not forget North America we just love to party and so with Mardi Gras held in New Orleans selling mouth watering creole to so many festivals, feasts and fairs all across this great country, we love street food!. In New England we just ave love our fairs and festivals nothing bigger in Massachusetts than the "Topsfield Fair" in October. There are rides, games, a petting zoo, a couple of fortune tellers and yes, the food! The smell of deep dish apple pie, candy apples, fried dough, hot dogs and even corn of the cob! We enjoy our food and it would not be the same without our street vendors. Let's not forget that street food provides a place for people to gather and experience the many diverse cultural traditions. So for example, if you hop a ferry in places like New York City seek out street vendors selling roasted chestnuts, or their famous New York Cheesecake. Let's face it New York is an economic melting pot and a great place to experience a variety of street food.
So let's forget our neighbors "southwest of the border"  Mexico, they are noted for their street food and they have so many vendors who serve hot foods like graaches, tostada's, tacos their tequila. Never mind their wonderful hospitality. And even further south a continent away South America, Rio di Janeiro vendors sell Mate Gleado (erva mate iced-tea) for those hot days lying on the beach  or biscoitas de polviho (sour manioc flour puffs), for a quick snack! 
There is so much more to the local market places and street vendors. If you allow yourself to be open minded to try new experiences you can not only enjoy the cusine but in the process gain knowledge about a different culture. And who knows, maybe you can adopt a new family tradition in the process!

My next blog will cover more stories and a in depth look on Street Vendors. Fo now I am enjoying that spring is finally her, yeah! 
So did you here that vending machines will be on planes very soon ? What's next, will we see them on the moon?

Finally, I just want to mention to those of us celebrating Passover and Easter have a wonderful holiday!

PS: I will say a special blessing this holiday for my loved ones, our sons and daughters in the military and for the people of Haiti !

Signing off for now,

Chef Sam

RATIOS TO VOLUME COOKING IS NOT ALWAYS A NUMBER

Now there is a ratio relationship between what you purchase and the actual food being served in a plated meal or a buffet. So let's use an average party of one hundred people and make those comparisons. It is important to note that with a buffet you need to be aware on your qualities, especially when it comes to your starches like potatoes, rice and some vegetables. On most events that I handled there are entrees that require some starch and almost all of the time there is a potato dish. I would suggest that you try to purchase this item ahead of time. My ratios will consists with a party made up of a hundred guests. Remember, if you do not use all of your product if stored properly ( like all tuber plants they should stored in a cool dry place, bulb plants grown underground ). Now when serving this starch for a buffet purchase at least 30 pounds of potatoes  it equates to 6 to 8 ounces per person for a buffet ( there should be somewhat of a fudge factors when it comes to servings for a buffet because you may serve either one or more starches and then the ratio changes to approximately 6 ounces). Now for a plated meal use approximately 20 pounds of potatoes which equate to 4 ounces per person.
You should  always be concerned for on purchasing enough vegetables and so for a plated meal it should be at least 16 pounds  which should equate to 3 ounces per serving . However, for a buffet you would purchase at least  20 pounds which is less than 4 ounces per person. Also, the ounces may vary from each vegetable  and usually in a buffet there is more than one vegetable served at a buffet but try to keep within 4 ounces. Now with a protein for example like meat purchase approximately 50 pounds which comes to p on a plated meal to at least 8 ounces raw ( the weight is measured prior to cooking ) per person. Yet, in a buffet it could be less, if you have more than one protein and typically there is always two or more, than it's  the same roughly 50 pounds but 6 ounces raw.
I can not go without mentioning rice, which can be tricky when establishing  a measurement for a single serving plated meal. It's usually 12 pounds and it means for a plated dinner 1 half cups of rice. Yet, for a buffet there is usually more than one starch so the ratio will be the same as plated , you are not always able to control the portion sizes and may prefer more starches served.
Finally, when it comes to sauces you can always figure on 2 ounces per person on a plated dish and at least 3ounces for a buffet for added waste.
Now with all this information on ratios, there is a method to the madness when building on a meal . So for a plated meal you start with your protein, then your starch and vegetable and end with your sauce. If it is a breakfast or lunch it always equal up to (12 ) ounces of food per person. So if you were breaking this down it's (4) ounces of meat, (3) ounces of vegetables, (3) ounces of starch and (2) ounces of sauce. For supper it is more up to (6) ounces of meat , (3) ounces of starch and (3) ounces for vegetables and (2) ounces of sauce. Now if we are discussing a buffet it goes the opposite way, first your dish starts with a starch then a vegetable a sauce and it ends with a protein.  Also, whether it lunch or dinner the ratio is always  one half  times more than a plated dish and it will vary depending on the amount of entrees you are offering.

My next article will be on Street Vending and it's loads of fun!

Signing off for now,

Chef Sam,

Wishing my lovely wife Phyllis a Happy Birthday , Love Sam

SO YOU THINK YOU CREATED A UNIQUE RECEIPE?

 

A unique recipe is one that separates itself from the rest by marrying ingredients that you normally would not think would work together. For example, I created a recipe using pulled pork and sushi rice. You would be amazed on how well the tender pork compliments it's sour dense counterpart, it created a very distinct flavor. Again, please check out my site for this dish and many others www.bostonfooddesign.com.
Now last week I served a select group of students at the university for a special function called "Taste Your Palette". We turned our dining hall into a mini gourmet restaurant and I put on a demonstration for the students. I created an Italian menu which consisted of my own special take on some favorite Italian recipes. I added my spin to one of my appetizers, Arrancinis which were sweet and had almost a nutty creamy texture. My main entree Chicken Saltimbocca had a pungent and earthy flavor by adding a few additional ingredients like red pepper. Then I finished the meal with an all time favorite item, Cannolis.  I made them from scratch and offered two  unique fillings one that offered chocolate chip and the other pistachio. The students participated assembling their desert and they had a blast! Later on, there was a Q&A and I was pleased to hear that they wanted more of these demonstrations. Finally, for those students who were there that day I want to give you a personal thank you from Chef Sam! 
On occasion, I will put together an array of ingredients together and then test them out in our kitchen in the hopes of creating a new recipe. I have been able to come up some very interesting food combinations by using the exact blend of flavors that burst with flavor and better yet, subtly enhance the taste buds! You need to be willing and more importantly, to be daring. Challenge yourself to combine various ingredients and measurements to come away with your very own version. I will say this time and time again, think of yourself as the scientist and pretend your kitchen is a laboratory and who knows, maybe you will create something new?

I am amazed when I am in the testing kitchen we are always trying out various combination's to bring about the next big food item. Sometimes we hire food scientist and other times we create testing groups made up of average individuals who will try out various dishes.  There information is so crucial gathering feedback allows us to come up with the right combination to create a new recipe. Finally, if it passes a few more hurdles, the next step would be to market their product to the public. I will tell you this much, there is nothing like it when you hit a home run! Better yet, sometimes, you can knock the ball right out of the park! So take the invention of potato skins, in 1974 T.G.I. Friday's came up with an appetizer using none other than the skins of a potato! They tested and tried this new concept on the general public and it wasn't too long before these bitter scraps became the newest food craze! So today Potato Skins are still the most popular item on their menu, with nearly 4 million orders served every year. This new food item is not only delicious but it created another revenue stream for the food industry!
In closing, with a little ingenuity and creativity T.G.I. Friday came up with a scrumptious appetizer packed with a ton of taste and found a way to eliminate all of their waste! How great is that ? No wonder why this is my favorite food!

FYI: I will be adding my very own potato appetizer and it will be coming out very soon!

My next blog will be on ratios to remember when planning to cook in large numbers.

Signing off for now. and "Grazia mille" ( thanks a lot) for stopping by my site !

Chef Sam

PS: Follow me on Twitter under ChefSamBFD!!