On Kitchens and HR; On Food, Philosophy and Passion

I haven't worked in a kitchen for a while now. I had that one job for a month, but that hardly counts as a kitchen, more a factory. Sure, there was Advanced Cooking, but the last time I genuinely produced (quality) food for paying guests was in the Escoffier Restaurant... two years ago. That is not to say I haven't been cooking. Even at culinary school, I often cooked my own food in the dorm rather than be subjected to the passionless schlock often served out of the production kitchens. Since commencement, I've seldom gone two days without cooking dinner. My first meal post-graduation? It was a joint effort between two fellow graduates and myself. Venison guinness stew with curried barley pilaf. I'm not sure where I'm going with this. Other than that I'm deeply passionate about food and cooking, whether completely immersed in it, recently escaped from it, or just kinda doing it.

Unfortunately, a series of experiences in professional kitchens, ranging from mildly unpleasant to absolutely miserable, have forced me to shy away from professional kitchens. I applied for many many jobs in the past four months, ranging from wine retail to FOH management to bartending to serving to CoffeeBucks. We appear to be in the midst of an HR crisis in this nation. I don't know why employers no longer have the consideration to call potential employees following an interview, once they've made their decision. I've been forced to call and call and e-mail and e-mail and occasionally even stop in and stalk them in order to get a straight answer.

CoffeeBucks was surely the most egregious. I went in to an open job fair and interviewed for almost an hour. It seemed to go well. I'd hear back within a week. I was pleased to hear back after four days, but displeased to hear that i'd be considered for a barista position rather than shift supervisor, certainly reasonable given my education, training, and experience. What really ground my gears, however, was that I'd have to wait THREE WEEKS to even have my second interview! Three weeks passed and I interviewed with two different managers. It definitely went well. We had good chemistry and it seemed I'd be offered the position. Boy was I excited when, after the interview, I was offered the supervisory position! Before agreeing, I wanted to go in, meet the manager of that store, and chat briefly; after doing so, I gladly accepted the position. I'd hear back from her within forty eight hours when I'd begin my training. There was evening and there was morning. There was evening and there was morning. There was no call. Giving them some wiggle room, I held off calling them for another two days. Once I did call, I was informed that they decided to "go in a different direction with [my] application". I understand CoffeeBucks just announced the closing of 600 stores, but they knew that would happen before offering me a position. Oh well, I guess. But find yourself a good coffee shop that roasts their own beans and is very happy. CoffeeBucks doesn't cut it. Intelligentsia doesn't cut it. If you're around New Paltz, New York, go to Mudd Puddle. It's by far the best coffee shop I've ever been to this side of the Greenwich Meridian. I miss it.

The point of all this ranting atopical to the theme of the blog? I'm once again almost in a restaurant kitchen. Technically, a wine bar. But why? Why, given my past experiences would I put myself back into that situation? I truly dig this place. They believe in what I believe in. Their plan is to implement a constantly changing, seasonally inspired, locally sourced menu. It's exactly what Carlo Petrini describes as Good, Clean, and Fair (read Slow Food Nation or the Slow Food Manifesto for more details). I didn't get the job; I was surely beaten out by a more qualified and more experienced chef.

Edit: Got the job, been working for two months and a week now as of September 20th.

But this is, after all, a food blog. So here's the menu that I wrote as part of the interview process. Note, no specific season was intended, just a broad overview of my style. Also included are some beverage pairings, some specific, some general.

Green Zebra Tomato Gazpacho
With Basil Oil and Roasted Garlic Blossom

Gruet Blanc de Noirs
Warm Fresh Mozzarella
Filled With Tomato Pesto

Balsamic, Crostini, Pink Sea Salt

Burgundian or rich Italian White

Trio of Autumn Squash

Buttercup Latke

Red Kuri Puree

Caramelized Butternut

Maple Cream and Hazelnut

Nut Brown Ale or Wheat Beer

Salmon & Beets

Golden Beets wrapped around pieces of salmon, stuffed with braised beet greens

Pinot Noir Reduction

Arugula Salad

Sancerre Rouge or Cote de Beaune Villages

Braised Shortrib Ravioli in Spinach Pasta

Mustard Greens

Nebbiolo sauce

Nebbiolo, Barolo, or Barbaresco

Cassoulet

Flageolet beans, Lamb Bacon, Venison Sausage, Duck Confit

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA or Claret

MoShiso Granita

Sake, Fresh Lime Juice, Muddled Shiso Leaves

Warm Chocolate Brownie

Raspberry Zinfandel Coulis, Mascarpone Zinfandel Cream
Late Harvest Zinfandel

I tested two of the recipes. Here's the granita:

• 4 parts (by volume) dry Sake
• 3 parts lime juice
• 2 parts water
• 1/2 part sugar
• several shiso leaves, very finely minced

Combine the ingredients thoroughly and place in the freezer. Mix with a fork occasionally. Ice crystal size is inversely proportional to frequency of stirring. Act accordingly. It can range from snow cone to slushee, depending on treatment. It was quite delicious, if i do say so myself. Here's what it looked like. Garnish with Black Sesame Glass for added fun.



I also made the brownie dish. The brownies came out so-so, but that's easily remedied. Take a bottle of inexpensive (not cheap, learn the difference) Zinfandel, put it in a saute pan on low heat and reduce until slightly syrupy. Zinfandel, especially good ones, presents strong chocolate and berry flavors, an ideal pairing for chocolate desserts. For the sauce, just puree and strain raspberries (frozen please, fresh fruit in season shouldn't be tampered with like that), and mix with a bisl of the Zin syrup. There's your sauce. It should taste like fruity chocolate sauce with a smooth mouthfeel and bright acidity. For the cream, I tried whipped cream, zin, sugar, and mascarpone, but it resembled sour criscocream more than anything else. An appropriate substitute would be the type of sabayon cream used in making tiramisu, substituting the zin syrup for marsala wine.