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!