Rss Feed

  1. Livin' the Dream

    Sunday, August 21, 2011

    The call I've been waiting for, for a very long time, finally came in.

    *Returning Chef's message: "Please call me back as soon as possible."

    Chef: So, are you ready to work for Norman's?
    Me: Yes, Chef! I am SO extremely ready.
    Chef: Well, this is the call I promised you. Welcome to the team!

    I could not be any more elated. :)


    >

    Posted by Jennie Diane at 4:55 PM | 0 comments | |

  2. Art of the Menu

    Tuesday, August 9, 2011


    Art of the Menu


    Art of the Menu, is a division of UnderConsideration, cataloguing the underrated creativity of menus from around the world.
    >

    Posted by Jennie Diane at 7:44 PM | 0 comments | |

  3. Some up-and-coming chefs are skipping culinary school

    Same advice I get from every single professional cook I speak to. The allure of culinary school is still present for me though, albeit for recreational purposes only. How fun would it be to learn technique in a setting so placid, not in the frantic environment of a kitchen? The reality, however, is that the kitchen IS frantic. It's hot. The tickets come quickly. A realist I am and continue to be. And so, what better way to learn than to be directly in the fire?
    >

    Posted by Jennie Diane at 7:45 AM | 0 comments | |

  4. Like a baby.

    Wednesday, July 27, 2011

    This is exactly how the baguettes used to come in from Balthazar to the French restaurant I worked and staged at in NYC. The smell, incredible. Holding the bag was like holding a child in your arms.

    >

    Posted by Jennie Diane at 9:58 AM | 0 comments | |

  5. A Chef's Confession: It's Tough to Always Be an Outsider - The Atlantic

    A beautiful piece written by Sara Jenkins, owner of Porchetta (which I passed by frequently and regrettably never tried) and Porsena in NYC.

    I suppose I fit many of the qualifications she sees as to why an individual would desire to be in this industry: one who isn't comfortable with office jobs or normal schedules, one who isn't ordinary, one who is supporting an extraordinary ambition for something else. I have pondered the sacrifice of restaurant life often times before. To be honest, it does make me anxious to think of what it takes to be included and successful in this type of life. The long nights, the meager pay, the physical laboriousness of it all. As a young woman, I also ponder what is required of me to one day become a loving, providing and nurturing mother and wife in the future. It seems as though these two lives are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Alas, I am only one person.

    Perhaps one day I will be able to achieve both in harmony, or at least incorporate my passion for food into a role I finally admit I desire. But, right now, when I step into that kitchen, I wonder why I spent so much time out of it in my life, why I hadn't been where I always belonged.
    >

    Posted by Jennie Diane at 9:14 AM | Labels: | 0 comments | |

  6. 061911

    My honey surprised me with a fantastic addition to my ever-growing cookbook collection: Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain. During a recent trip to the bookstore, he had observed me thumbing through this immense tome. I later discovered he had conspiratorially took a picture of it to add to his list of birthday surprises.

    Do I have a winner, or what?

    061911

    Of course he goes an extra step to choose a recipe and buy all the ingredients so I can break in my lovely new cookbook right away. I was told after the meal he went to the market and specifically asked advice from the butcher on the perfect meat and cut to go along with some fig balsamic I acquired on the birthday trip he took me on. The vinegar is locally infused by     Hollywood Olive Oil Co. of Madeira Beach, FL and has a luscious, slightly thick texture that went along perfectly we the lamb recipe he chose.

    061911

    I couldn't think of a better way and better meal to celebrate this past birthday. There's nothing like the instant gratification of having all the ingredients at hand to start using a long-lusted after cookbook thoughtfully given by the one you love. Sharing a delicious, freshly prepared meal pretty much defines happiness in my life. Thank you to my honey for making this past birthday so incredibly personal and memorable.

    061911

    Tiny Grilled Lamb Chops with Potatoes - chuletitas de cordero a la parilla con patatas, Murcia
    adapted from     The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden

    Serves 2

    Ingredients:
    For the potatoes:
    1 lg. onion, cut in half and sliced
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1 lb. waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
    salt and pepper
    1/2 cup chicken stock, more as needed

    For the lamb chops:
    1 rack of lamb (6-8 chops)
    1 tbsp olive oil
    salt and pepper

    1. For the potatoes, fry the onion in the oil in a large covered skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft.
    2. Add the potatoes and cook over low heat, stirring and turning them with a spatula and adding salt and pepper, until the potatoes and onion are lightly golden, about 10 mins.
    3. Pour in the chicken stock and cook, covered, over low heat for about 15 mins., until the stock is absorbed and the potatoes are tender, adding more stock if necessary.
    4. Meanwhile, brush the chops all over with olive oil.
    5. Heat an oiled     plancha (flat griddle) or heavy skillet over high heat and cook the cutlets for 2-3 mins. on each side, just until they are browned on the outside but still very pink and juicy on the inside; do not overcook them.
    6. Season the chops with salt and pepper and serve beside or on top of the potatoes.

    *cook's notes: Before serving, I threw in a handful of chopped parsley into the potatoes for color and a bit of verdant freshness to cut the richness of the starch. I also squeezed a bit of lemon on the chops as soon as I took them off Jon's grandma's cast-iron grill which I used to cook them. I finished with a drizzle of the fig balsamic once the potatoes and chops were plated.
    >

    Posted by Jennie Diane at 11:28 AM | Labels: , , , | 0 comments | |