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Less Is More… More Or Less: My Opinion On “Gourmet” Cooking

Gourmet used to mean something was made with care, and with the highest standards. Something weird has happened; it’s changed over the last little while. It now means mediocre food with boat loads of lifeless processed toppings and ingredients. So while having a paragraph of 20 items listed under a menu item might feel like you’re getting a bang for your buck, I ask an important question: Since when did more start meaning better?

No one would say “more aids, that’s better!” or even something that is generally considered good in a culinary sense, like salt. We never associate ‘an abundance of salt’ with being positive!

So while I couldn’t care less if food is “gourmet,” I do care that it’s flavourful and delicious. I believe something as simple as a salad can become amazing with only a handful of ingredients, properly prepared and picked for the flavour, texture and general contribution to the overall dish. It’s more “haute-cuisine” than anything you’d see in a “gourmet” eatery.

While the mise en place for this may look a little long for a salad, there are only 5 components.

Greens, garlic parm sourdough croutons, marinated Heirloom tomatoes, red onions and white balsamic vinaigrette.

Imagine seeing that on a menu. Doesn’t it just give you the imagery of crunchy croutons and spinach that just compliments the softness of other ingredients? The sweetness, bitterness, and tanginess from the onions, mixed greens, and vinaigrette mixing with the explosion of flavour that skinless marinated tomatoes will give you?

Give it a try! Mother’s Day is soon, and I’m sure your mom will love this. I know mine will! Let me know what both of you think!

Peeled Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes

1 Pint Cherry Heirloom Tomatos
7 Grams Fresh Basil
1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
5 teaspoon of diced sweet onions
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

White Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1 Large Sweet Onion
3 cloves garlic whole, skin removed.
1 Tablespoon Grainy Mustard
3/4 Cup Strained Marinade from Tomatoes
3/4 Cup Canola
2 Basil Leafs
1/2 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar

Sour Dough Croutons:

Slice of Sough dough Bread (Mine was 116g)
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
11g Parmesan (freshly grated, the stuff in the bottle will not work)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Final Ingrdients:

Spinach to taste
Arugula to taste
Red onion 3/8″ x 1/2″ to taste

The Marinated Tomatoes are the star of the show here, and being the diva ingredient they are, they need the most alone time, so let’s start with these:

Wash the heirloom Tomatoes. These things spend most of their life on a truck, in open containers. Would you want to lick someone who spent that much time in the back of a truck? Exactly, wash them!
Cut little crosses on the bottom of each Tomato. Do your best to cut the skin, and not into the flesh of your tomato. A Pearing knife, or small serrated knife will work well.
Fill up a big bowl with ice water. I didn’t have ice, so I used ice packs, which worked well.
Bring a big pot o’water to a boil, then put your Tomatoes in the pot.
Using a slotted spoon, move the Tomatoes around until you see the skin near the ‘cross cuts’ starting to peel away. Quickly take the Tomatoes out of the boiling water, and place them into the ice water. The whole process should take about 30 seconds from when you put them in, to when you remove them. We don’t want these Tomatoes to cook, we just want the skin to loosen. The ice water stops the cooking, and shocks the skin.
After a few minutes of the Tomatoes cooling down, gently peel the skins from each Tomatoe. Discard the skin, and place the ‘naked’ Tomatoes aside.
Roll all the Basil together, then cut them as thinly as possible. You should end up with little strips of basil. Place basil into a mixing bowl big enough to hold the Tomatoes.
Juice the lemon, and Zest half of it. Place both of these items into the same bowl as the Basil.
Into the same bowl as the Lemon and the Basil, whisk together the Olive Oil, Salt, pepper, and diced Onions.
Place the Naked Tomatoes into the mixing bowl, and gently mix until they are covered. Place in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.
Remove the Naked Tomatoes from the marinade, and place covered in a clean bowl or Tupperware. Let them sit in the fridge over night. The excess oil will drop off, so you’re left with an end product that isn’t too greasy, and is just perfect. Meanwhile, save the marinade for your White Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Next, let’s work on the Sour Dough Croutons:

Pre-heat your convection oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or your non-convection oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take some 1/2″ slices of Sough Dough Bread. I used two, and cut them into 1/2″ cubes, then put them into a large mixing bowl.
Next mix in canola oil, and mix until every price of bread is evenly coated. Next cover with Pepper and mix again, you want beautiful black specks covering the bread evenly.
Mix in your grated Parmesan. Only do a little at a time, it absorbs oil very fast, so doing it this way will prevent it from clumping together.
Taste a piece of your seasoned bread. Parmesan is very salty, so don’t add the salt until you’ve tasted it at this stage. Remember, cooking these will remove the moisture making it saltier. So you’re better off adding less than you think you’ll need. Once you’ve accounted for all that, add salt to taste.
Put the seasoned bread on a parchment lined baking sheet. And place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. You’re looking for a nice colour to form, and that will vary depending on different factors. So don’t walk away.
Lower your oven temp to 200 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven, or 175 degrees Fahrenheit in a non convection oven. If you’re using the latter, I’d suggest leaving your oven door open a for about 5 minutes. Do this for about 10 minutes, or until the croutons are nice and crunchy.
Remove from baking sheet, and let cool on the side until needed.

Finally, the White Balsamic Vinaigrette! This stuff is amazingly good. If you don’t have White Balsamic, you can use any decent tasting Vinegar, as long as it’s not syrupy. So Regular Balsamic isn’t a good idea.

Remove skin from the onion and garlic, and slice Onion into 1/4″ rounds.
Put a cast iron pan on high, with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once it’s nice and hot, place the in the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Lower the temperature down to medium low. Stir occasionally, until the onions and garlic become golden and caramelized. This is going into a dressing, so I bring them down into a paste.
Place a moist tea cloth down on the counter, and make a doughnut shape. Place a big mixing bowl in the hole of the ‘doughnut’.
Using a Whisk or an immersion blender, mix all the White Balsamic Vinaigrette ingredients together, except the Canola oil, salt and the marinade from the Tomatoes. Continue until throughly incorporated.
Slowly add in the Canola Oil. A few drops at a time at first, then as the mixture starts to emulsify, a little faster. Once all the oil is mixed in, repeat process with Marinade mixture.
Add salt to taste. Remember, only Salt it a little at this stage. You’re going to serve it cold, so do the final seasoning after it’s been chilled. Which remind me….
Place into clean container, and chill in fridge for a minimum of 2-3 hours.
Taste and adjust for seasoning

Finally, let’s make the final product. I didn’t give measurement for the mixed greens. It’s a salad; use your best judgment. I personally love Arugula, so I put more of it then most people do, but here is how you should construct it.

Wash your spinach and mixed greens. I don’t care if the bag says ‘pre-washed’. This week alone, I found a moth in a bag labeled pre-washed and last week I found a lady bug. Seriously, it’s for your mom, and you know she’d wash it for you.
Mix the greens together in a large salad bowl along with the onion and croutons.
The Tomatoes are fragile, so mix them in last, along with the dressing.
Take a fancy photo, and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #foryourfoulmouth

I Haddock a Big Hankering

I was in the mood for some fish tacos, which was perfect because Cinco de Mayo was just around the corner! This dish, I originally assumed, started it’s life as tex-mex. In actuality it’s originally from Baja-California, Mexico and was originally called Tacos de Pescad, or Codnoscenti. It was basically a traditional taco, with battered fish in place of the pork/beef. From what I can tell, since then it has been given an English name and adopted by pub and resto bar menus across America and Canada. It’s my assumption that it’s northern migration was what lead it to evolve into what we know today here north of the mexican border. There is something about the mix of crispy, savoury, and sweet, with a Mexican twist, that’s just unparalleled.

Apple Slaw, Rum Battered Haddock, and Homemade Corn Taco shells were the main things I wanted to experiment with. As stated above, I feel this is known more as pub fair than authentic Mexican cuisine, so I wasn’t too worried about ingredients usaly found in Mexico. However, since there is something wrong with my brain, I also felt that home-making the corn tortilla and the mayo for the slaw was non-negotiable. This is a long recipe, but nothing is overly complicated about it. I urge any new cooks to try making it. Most of it can be made in advance, which means you can make this over a day or two, and not have to try so many new things at once.

I don’t know how other food blogs manage to have long stories before they get to their recipes, so let’s get right into the guts of this.

Corn Taco Shells:

1 cup Massa
Juice and zest from 1/2 lime
1 to 1 1/2 cups of hot tap water
Salt to taste

Apple Slaw and Dressing:

1 Egg yolk
3/4 canola oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
Salt/pepper to taste
1 Honey Crisp Apple
2 Jalapeño Peppers
1 Small Stock of Celery
3 Heirloom Carrots
1 Yellow Onion

Pico de Gallo:

1 Hot House Tomato
1 Yellow Onion
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 a Lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Crispy Haddock and Seasoning:

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
2 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne
1 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Pieces of Haddock
1 Cup Bread Flour
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
Rum to colour
Water To Consistency
Salt and pepper

First, let’s make the Tortilla that we will make into a Taco shell

In a big mixing bowl add the Massa, 2 pinches salt, and the lime’s zest and juice.
While lightly, but continuously, mixing with a spatula, slowly add about 1/3 of the hot water. The mixture should should start to clump together. At this point, you can start working the dough with your hand while you slowly add little bits of water. Once the dough can form a ball that doesn’t crumble you can discard the remaining water. The final dough ball should be soft, and feel a bit moist to the touch. if it feels a dry put it back in the bowl and work in more hot water. a little too moist is better then too dry. Really it should feel like Play-Doh. If you never used play-doh, let your mom know she failed you. This is officially part of the recipe, so you have to do it, or it won’t work.
Place ball under a damp towel, or in plastic wrap for twenty minutes. this will give the Masa time to evenly distribute the liquid. this can also be left in the fridge for a day or two covered in plastic.
Divide the ball into 4, and roll each section into its own ball. Cover all of them with plastic wrap.
If you have a Tortilla press, follow the directions that came with it to make your dough into tortillas, then skip to step 13.
I personally don’t believe in buying things I will use twice a year, unless its a matter of safety or necessity. So I don’t own a tortilla press, however I have come up with a way to make perfect tortillas. Lay out a 1.5′ sheet of Parchment, and put your 1 dough ball in the centre.
Push the dough ball with your palm so it’s a disk shape then cover with a 1.5′ sheet of plastic wrap
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough ball just until it’s wider than a soup bowl. Make sure to roll back and forth and side to side. FYI: At first your plastic wrap may cling to the dough causing it to curl upward. Simply lift the plastic wrap off the dough, gently place the dough down and put the plastic back. If the parchment becomes wrinkled, simply pull its corners.
Gently remove your plastic wrap and place a bowl upside down on your dough, using a butter knife cut around the rim of your bowl, this will give you perfectly shaped tortillas. Use the scrap pieces to fill any cuts, are place the rest to the side. There is no gluten in Masa, so you don’t have to worry about over working it.
Place the plastic wrap back on top of the dough and use rolling pin thing out the tortilla to about 1/6″
Repeat step 9.
Slowly peel the tortilla off the parchment, and place on the side till you’re ready to cook them. I place all the tortillas on top of each other with a piece of parchment paper to separate them. Cover with plastic wrap, or damp cloth.
Repeat steps 6 – 12 until all the dough balls are gone.
Cook each tortilla one at a time on a non greased cast iron pan set to high heat. If you don’t have cast iron, you can use a stainless steel pan, but you will have to wait longer in between cooking each tortilla for the stainless to regain its heat. It should take about 30-40 seconds on the first side, and about 20 seconds on the other side. They may puff up, thats a good thing, it means they are well rolled.
Let cool for about 5 minutes, and then place in zip -loc bag until you’re ready to fry them.
Heat up a pot with filled with 1/4″ of canola oil. You’re looking to reach around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 200 degrees Celsius.
Using tongs, pick up a cooked tortilla, and lower it into the oil so that only half of it is frying. Using the a wooden spoon push down any big bubbles that form.
Using the tongs, tun the tortilla 180 degrees, and fold so it’s shaped like a taco shell.
Once the shell holds its shape, move to the side and sprinkle with salt.

Next, the Pico de Gallo

Dice up the Hot House Tomato and Red Onion into a 1/8″ cubes
Cut the garlic into a Fine dice
Juice Lime and set aside
Mix the Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic in a large bowl
Add Lime Juice, Salt and Pepper a little at a time until you’re happy with the taste. You want this to be slightly on the stronger side, because the other ingredients will slowly release liquid and water down the intensity.
Put in fridge to chill, minimum an hour, ideally overnight.

Let’s not forget the Apple Slaw

Place a damp tea towel in a circle shape on the counter, and place large mixing bowl on top. This will hold the bowl still while you’re working.
Add Egg yolk, Dijon mustard and White Wine Vinegar into the large bowl, and whisk until you have a mixture that’s a solid colour.
Slowly add Canola Oil into mixture while whisking. The oil should emulsify into the mixture so you have a solid consistent dressing. You don’t want the mixture to break, so you’re better off adding it too slowly, than too fast.
Hot House Tomato Sliced into rounds, then sticks then diced
When about 3/4 of the oil is added, stop and add salt and pepper to taste. You will season again at the end, but this will better distribute the seasoning, and give you a bench mark of what it should taste like when you do your final seasoning.
Add the rest of the oil while whisking just as before
Once all the oil is added, taste and adjust for final seasoning.
Put dressing into fridge until needed
Apple Sliced the same way as the Tomato for the Pico de Gallo, into 1/8″ rounds, then cut into sticks. The apple should have a little bit of peel on both ends.
Cut Carrots into 1/8″ by 3″ sticks by cutting them into half, then each half cut into strips, then each strip into sticks
Mince Celery as thin as possible. They should be almost transparent.
Dice the Yellow Onion and Jalapeño into 1/4″. Make sure to discard the seeds from the Jalapeño.
Mix all the ingredients except the dressing into a mixing bowl, then add the dressing desired amount of dressing to the bowl. Place slaw covered in the fridge overnight. This will allow the dressing to break down the toughness, and give the flavours a chance to meld.

Finally. The last Mise En Place you will need, the Crispy Fish. Everything else could be done the day before, but this is the best when it done right before eating.

Mix together Chili powder, paprika, Cumin, Cayenne, Onion Powde and Garlic Powder into a small bowl.
Cut the Haddock into strips, 1/2″ by 3″ and lay out on a cutting board or baking sheet.
Cover Haddock strips with spice mixture on all sides evenly and liberally. Set aside until needed.

In a small bowl mix together Bread Flour, Corn Starch and Baking Powder.
Fill up a pot or frying pan about 1/4″ with canola or peanut oil. If your using a frying pan, make sure you choose one that has sides that are a least double the height of the oil. Put it on a burner at medium heat and let it heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk flour mixture and slowly add rum until batter reaches a amber colour. It should be noted that I had just a little less than enough rum on hand when I took the photos. Ideally my batter would have been darker; however I did get to do my impression of Jack Sparrow saying ‘But why is all the Rum Gone?’
Whisk in water until batter is the right consistency. You’re looking for a viscosity similar to whipping cream.
Lay each piece of seasoned Haddock into the batter, making sure the Haddock is completely covered. Remove the Haddock from the batter and let the extra batter drip off, and place on a wire rack.
Place two or three pieces of the batter covered Haddock into the hot oil and let it cook, make sure to turn over when the bottom is golden brown. Once the second side is cooked, remove the fish and place on paper towel covered plate and sprinkle lightly with Salt.
Repeat step 6 until all the Haddock is cooked

And the final assembly!

Generously place Apple Slaw in your taco shell
Place two pieces of the Crispy Haddock on top of the Apple Slaw
And a thin layer of Pico de Gallo on top of the Crispy Haddock
Finally Top the whole thing with an Avocado wedge
Take a fancy photo, and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #foryourfoulmouth

*sources http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/flavors-of-the-west/in-search-real-fish-taco, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco (I generally don’t like wiki as a source, but it had citations)

What to do if you CAN handle the heat: how to find a job in a kitchen.

Over my 3 years working in kitchens, I’ve learned a few things about how they work, and who they hire. Most people hate finding a new job, but I always thought it was the best part of losing/leaving your old one. There is so much possibility, and so much opportunity for you to leave a good impression with influential people in the industry.

So here are my tips on how to find a job in a kitchen:

1. Make a list

I always start my search with a list of the places I want to work. I emphasize want, because enthusiasm and honesty is going to be a common theme. It’s important that your list be filled with places you picked purposefully. By that I mean, there is a reason that that place legitimately attracts you to want to work there… Whether it be the reputation of the head chef, or the style of cuisine, it’s important that the idea of joining the kitchen excites you. The other thing to remember is geography. Before I apply anywhere, I like to figure out how accessible it is for me. Nothing is worse than getting a job, then figuring out you can’t make your shifts due to accessibility. So once I have my list, I organize them by area, because that information will be the same for all the neighbouring restaurants. Where I am working now isn’t that close to me, however it isn’t horrible by bike, and the bus gets me there on time, even on holiday and weekend schedules. This sounds like a lot of work, but it isn’t. I spend maybe 30 mins putting this together. Usually I pick the top three places I’d love to work, then pick the rest of my list based on those locations (later on this list, I’ll get into more detail about why I do it this way). This shouldn’t be a long list, 3-10 places is ideal.

2. Make a friend.

Knowing what you’re walking into is always important, making a friend who works there is always a good idea. I always call these places in advance. The goal here is not to apply but rather get 3 basic pieces of information. (1) Who is the chef/kitchen manager, (2) What time they work, and (3) If the person I’m talking to likes their job. That’s it. The people answering the phones are hired to be helpful. That being said, remember whoever you’re speaking to owes you nothing. So be pleasant, acknowledge you’re looking for help, and make sure to thank them. Quite often, a little respect will go along way! These phone calls work best during off hours. I tend to call restaurants between 1:30-4. It’s in between rushes, and they are less likely to cut your conversation short. If you’re dream job happens to be at a hotel kitchen, even better. Call after 9pm. The person who works the front desk has all the information you’re looking for, and is not dealing with a lot of customers.

3. Avoid applying online, at first, especially job sites.

Most places don’t advertise they are looking, and a lot will hire a good worker even if they are not looking. I always glance at these sites, just to see what the job market looks like. If you apply online, you’re missing out on the chance to show your passion for the job. I have applied online before; but almost always after I met the person in charge of hiring before hand. It puts me in a situation where my resume will stand out, and if I left a good enough impression, they will seek my resume out immediately. This is how I got my current job, I walked in, and met the chef. He took my resume and said he would set up an interview as soon as I applied online. There have been a few situations where I apply before, but I always go in and try to meet the person in charge of hiring afterwords. Nothing can replace a handshake and a smile. And that’s what I usually tell them. Which brings me to my next point

4. Apply in person!

You have your list! Since you organized your list well, all the places are close to each other, you now know who you need to speak to, and when they are working…. you have everything you need. So go do it. When you walk into a restaurant and ask for the chef or kitchen manager by name, most people don’t ask too many questions. They assume you have a legitimate reason for coming in, which you do. If they do ask why you’re in, tell them the truth. ‘I am hoping to join the team; I understand he’s the person to talk to’. There will be times where the chef/kitchen manager is too busy to meet with you. You might get told to leave your resume or apply online, and you should do exactly that, but before you leave, ask when is a better time to catch him/her, then come back with an extra copy of your resume at that time. Let that person know you just wanted to make sure he got it, and that you had a chance to match a face with the name. I always bring a few extra copies of my resume. This is in case I walk by a restaurant I didn’t know about, and want to apply on a whim. Applying on a whim is done the same way! Simply ask the person at the front the same questions you would have if you’d called. Sometimes you’ll get lucky, and the chef/kitchen manager will come out right away. Just to drive the point home, which is how I got my current job!

5. Ask for an interview as soon as the opportunity arises

This is crucial. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re waiting for calls. As my last point illustrated, as soon as you have made contact with that person, and have explained why you’re there; ask for an interview. ‘Do you have time to sit down and see if I’d be a good fit’, or even ‘when can I come back for an interview’.

6. What to do and say when you get the interview

This is the easiest advice I can give you. Always tell them the truth. If you’re inexperienced, tell them. Much better they know you need training before hand, and a lot of chefs will see that as an opportunity to teach you good habits. If you’re just looking for work during the summer, before you go back to school, tell them. I have been told I’m a great interview, and I attribute it to the fact I’m upfront and honest. Another thing I always make sure, is that at the end of the interview, I ask two very important questions: How did I do, and, when can I expect to hear back from you.

7. Follow up

I can’t stress this enough. Running a restaurant is hard work. You’re not the first thing on their mind. Phone numbers get lost, and people get distracted. If you have followed my instructions thus far, you should have one or two restaurants that have either given you an interview, or told when would be a better time to apply. Either way, you should have a timeline of when you should contact them again. These calls are often as valuable as past work experiences. Remember, if you don’t get the job, you now have nothing to lose! I ask questions, and if there is anyway I could have improved my chances. If there was any experience I was lacking, or any skills I could improve. Finally, I ask if in the future any of those change, can I apply again. I promise you, it will be worth it.

8. If you can’t handle the heat; stay out of the kitchen.

I want to work in a kitchen. Kitchen work is hard work, crap hours with low pay. The only benefit for me is that I love doing it. There are lots of jobs that pay the same or more and give better hours.
Hopefully this helps. I know it seems like a lot more work than simply applying to all of the jobs on Monster.com or Indeed, but remember, that’s how everyone else applies. A lot of these places get more applications than they can handle. So you’re gambling they will open your application before making a decision. Taking the time to help yourself stand out, and show you’re passionate, will increase your chances of having the employer look for you!

It started with a FIRE!

It was a cold day in January. I was sitting at my desk reading my favourite food blog to see if Chef John had any new recipes for me to try when I got home. It was a slow day at the dealership, and I thought I was in for a “good” long 8 hour shift of sitting in a customer-less car dealership. That’s when my two managers pulled me aside to talk to me. “It’s not working out, we’re letting you go” they said. “It’s not?” I asked. I found this confusing seeing as I was only in the job for two months, and I was sitting well on the sales board. “What could I have done differently?” I asked. “This just isn’t for you” was all they replied. It was so weird to me, but in hindsight I wasn’t happy there, and maybe they knew. I then had to pack up my stuff, and make the walk of shame to my car… in the cold… which was in the back of the lot. I remember getting into my car, and sitting in the front seat. I knew there was a competing dealership that was willing to hire me on the spot if I went and applied. However, that’s when it hit me: “I want to be a chef”. I spent my days looking up recipes, my nights cooking, and my free time talking about food. I loved to cook and bake, and I loved finding something I couldn’t do, and becoming a pro at it. That’s when I decided to drive home, alter my resume and start working towards becoming a chef. That was just over 3 years ago. Since then I have accomplished so much!For most cooking is a hobby, to others it seems like witchcraft, and to a few unlucky souls, it’s just a pay cheque. I often look back at that cold day, and think about how I got fired, and how awful my life might have been if I had not been. For me cooking is pure happiness.

Which brings me here. I decided to share my insights, and opinions on what it’s like to be a cook on his way to becoming a chef. I am hoping to fill this blog up with reviews, recipes, and short writings. Hopefully you’ll join me for the ride!