To eat or to dine.

From left to right Ilir, Phil, Illa, and Bette.

     In my humble opinion people do not seem to dine anymore. Oh they eat, and eat, and eat! Where though has the pleasure of dining gone. I saw this in our restaurant. There were those who came in anticipating a good meal like my friends Phil and Bette. They would slowly sip their drinks and talk to other customers who would occasionally join them at the table. Ours was one of those places that when someone new walked in the door all eyes turned to them. Most people were regulars, as we called them and the Inn was their place. They would sit in the same place at the bar each night and discuss their days. Lunch was a bit more hurried but still lots of familiar faces. I found great comfort in these loyal customers and considered them all my friends. This would be the hardest part for me when the restaurant sold after thirty seven years. I definitely did not miss the work but I "DO" miss the people. My question for this blog is, do you just eat or do you really enjoy the food that goes into your mouth?
     Most people eat because they are hungry and therefore miss out on many of the joys the company of food can bring. Eating should be memorable if it is about the food. Weather I am preparing a meal, going food shopping or dining out it is about the food. There is not a smidgen of food in my house that does not have a destination. As I was food shopping in the vegetable isle the other day the bin of fresh button mushrooms called out to me. They looked exceptionally fresh, large and perfect for stuffing. What a nice change of pace for dinner. So I selected the largest, firmest, whitest specimens and started anticipating my dinner. At home,I peeled them and save the stems for another tempting meal. I preheated the oven  to 350@.

Stuffed mushrooms

Then I prepared the stuffing. I minced some garlic, Spanish onion, and celery and combined them into a mixing bowl with bread crumbs. I peeled a carrot shaving it into thin slices then mincing, this will add flavor but not texture. I have some chicken, pork or taco seasoned beef that I could add but decide on a purely vegetarian meal and dice in a smidgen of tomatoes for moisture. I had just blanched some fresh asparagus, they are in season now thin and tender and decided to mince a few of the asparagus stems for my mushrooms. I tossed the mixture with melted butter to hold everything together, and spiced it up a bit with garlic salt, thyme and pepper. I placed the large mushroom caps in the pan an a light layer of water for moisture. I scooped the filling into the caps and placed them in the oven to bake. The smell of mushrooms permeates the air. My mouth is watering! I check the oven and the mushrooms are starting to brown on top. I decide to accompany the mushrooms with a side of steamed broccoli drenched in balsamic vinegar seasoned with garlic salt and crushed pepper. When the broccoli is warm the vinegar permeates the vegetable and infuses it with a pleasant smoothness.
Dinner is ready and I plate my meal aesthetically. The mushrooms are placed in my favorite red ceramic bowl and the broccoli in my mothers antique china with colors to complement, I enjoy.

Broccoli salad

I can only eat four stuffed mushrooms for dinner so I refrigerate the rest and will take them to my sisters house for an appetizer for a pool party. They can be microwaved but we decide to warm them on the grill while the burgers are cooking. Summer fun in the company of food!

Food for thought

    Just because two products have the same name  does not mean they are created equal. The other day I had a taste for ribs and sauerkraut. I always use country ribs for this meal as the marbling of the fat in the pork makes them very tender.  My daughter loved it so much she decided to buy some country ribs at a local butcher shop so I could repeat the meal. They were beautiful and looked more like a thick cut pork chop. I could not bring myself to use these for ribs and kraut. So I went to the store to purchase country ribs for the meal and decided to serve her country ribs BBQ'd with a baked potato and corn on the cob. So I boiled them first and when they were cooked through I took them out and smothered then in BBQ sauce and put them in the oven. The country ribs I had purchased went into the pot of boiling water. I added some sliced onions to the water when the ribs were almost finished. In the meantime I par boil some fresh potatoes and carrots. I drained the ribs, carrots and potatoes and topped the ribs with the vegetable and then covered the whole thing with sauerkraut and simmered them together until the carrots were cooked. It is an easy and delicious meal and reheats nicely for another day; we had the BBQ ribs for dinner. It was a beautiful evening so up came the umbrella on the new patio set and we enjoyed our meal in the warmth of a summery evening.

Make food memories.

     A student, under my direction, was plating quesadillas. He was haphazardly tossing them onto the plate until I intervened showing him the proper plating. "Why? he queried, they are just going to eat them." "True, I replied, but first they must eat them with their eyes. Presentation, Nolan, presentation.
     I believe food should be eaten with all five senses!

     This is the purpose of my blog. I have been in food service most of my adult life and have learned that eating mindfully can make even an ice cream cone as enjoyable as a gourmet dinner. It is not the food alone that should make a meal enjoyable. The table setting or environment can enhance our enjoyment of the food we eat. Eating an ice cream cone on a steamy hot summer day is much more enjoyable than eating that same cone in the middle of a freezing winter blizzard. I make it a rule when I am home to always eat my meals at the table. I hate eating off paper or plastic dinnerware and loathe Styrofoam cups for beverages. These products, for me, steal the essence of its contents.

     When on a daily basis you cook for hundreds of people, making an individual meal can be a daunting task. Learning to eat with all my senses has allowed me to create meals that are not only delicious but joyful. I  invite you to join me in the never ending journey of culinary delight that can turn a simple day into an adventure. Do not eat to live, live to eat! For example, if you mention oysters to my children both will recount the tale of  Suzanne's restaurant, in Folly Beach, SC. ; never will another Oyster's Rockefeller compare.  Make food memories!

Linguine con oilo

Time for dinner and I survey the fridge for possible entrees. I spy a bowl of peas left from my grand daughters visit. It is amazing at fourteen months her food choices are exceptional. She loves vegetables and if she doesn't they immediately exit her mouth. But when she likes something she eats veraciously and will ask for more by clicking her clenched knuckles together. What a joy she is and a culinary inspiration. Imagine a palate yet to be discovered experiencing the taste that nature has provided and without hesitation accepting or rejecting those flavors. But now I have a choice of what I want for dinner and my mouth is watering in anticipation. Being Italian, pasta is always a favorite choice and an Italian salad is a staple. I begin by mincing fresh garlic. You can never eat enough garlic! I remember a trip to Italy with my mother and sister when I was in my early 20'es and one of my most vivid memories was boarding the metro at rush hour and inhaling the overwhelming pungent smell of garlic reeking from the bodies of the passengers. Yuck! And now I wonder if my garlic loving soul also emits the odorous single from this root of love! Oh well. So be it.
I begin my meal by cooking some linguine, al dente. I rinse the linguine in cool water a set aside and prepare the rest of my ingredients. Next I prepare my skillet. I use a cast iron skillet but any saute skillet will do. 

I love oregano and my son-in-law has been kind enough to give me fresh oregano from his garden which I dry to use in my sauces and salads.  I line up my ingredients, because this meal cooks very quickly and should be eaten immediately. With this in mind I prepare my salad and toss with olive oil, fresh oregano and some of the minced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pepper and red wine vinegar. I set it at the table until I toss the pasta. I love to eat visually so my choice of dishes for my meal must be fun, if possible, and this lovely red bowl for my salad is one of my daughter's rejected ceramic creations. Evidently, the glaze dripped somewhere that an artist eye can only see so I got the bowl because it could not be sold. How sad he, he,he!
Now to the pasta. Next to my skillet I place olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, grated Parmesan cheese, and linguine. I position my plate on the counter and turn on the stove. When the skillet is hot I add my olive oil and quickly toss in the garlic. When it starts to brown I add the oregano and toss; then the pasta is added and tossed until warm, this gives it time to soak in the flavors. When it is nice and hot I add the Parmesan cheese. Give it a light toss and plate. Sprinkling more Parmesan cheese on top; it is time to eat!

The power of ice cream

I was returning from a visit with my daughter and faced a two hour drive before I would get home. Now when you are in a car alone for two hours straight your mind has a bit of time to wander and it seems mine always wanders towards food. I pass a butcher shop and decide to stop and see if there is anything different I might enjoy for dinner. Although the selections of meat looked fresh and delicious the only thing in the whole store that pinged my refined palate were frozen oysters on the half shell. My mind skips to the poor businesses on the Gulf that are suffering from the BP oil spill and I wonder if there will even be any oysters available next year. I decide to wait on the oysters because I am still too far from home to purchase a frozen product but make a mental note of this nice shop for my next trip to Wisconsin. I leave the store empty handed and head home but now I am hungry for something? It was a very warm day and I remembered there was a sign I always passed in one of the small country towns for homemade ice cream. That sounded really good and I geared my taste buds up for a delicious cone. I had introduced my grand daughter to ice cream cones on this visit and the image of her method of eating it makes me smile. Entering the town I turned the corner to find the ice cream shop. It was out of business. Darn this economy! We are in a deep recession and this is hard for any small business. I felt bad for them but now really wanted some ice cream. As I drove my eyes searched the landscape for another ice cream shop...not soft serve...real ice cream. Then I saw a sign for hand dipped cones at a new shop specializing in Chicago style hot dogs. I love Chicago style hot dogs. But I came for ice cream and made a mental note to try the hot dogs on my next trip. My eyes surveyed the awesome selections and I decided on a rich dark cherry cone. It was all I had hoped for and took me gently the rest of the way home delighting in it's creamy confection.