Prix Fixe

Stage

 

This Saturday, (Halloween night now that I think about it)  I'll be doing a Stage as this here restaurant.

What a weekend

For those that didn't know, on Saturday afternoon I officially graduated Summa Cume Laude from Western Culinary Institute. It was great to see some people I hadn't seen since I left school for my externship, it was also nice to see the kiddo and my grandparents.

Such a great time, and I was honored to be able to cook for everyone while they were here over the weekend. With that said, it was a very long and tiring weekend. Things will get back to normal around here very soon, I've got pictures to go through and I'll post them when I'm done with them.

It's time to start another chapter.

'09 Oregon State ACF Hot Food Champs

Being a part of the schools competition team will be one of my fondest memories of school. Honestly, I couldn't imagine what school would've been like had I not been a part of that team - not to mention all the things I learned that I wouldn't have had I not joined the team. 

This picture was snapped before we knew the results of the competition.

From left to right: Ian, Myself, Tyler, Patrick, Chef Ginger and Brent.

Welcome to the future

Even though I've been done with school since the end of June when my externship at Carlyle was up, I'm walking on Saturday. WCI only hold two graduation ceremonies twice a year, so it was either now or wait until early 2010 - not an option. So I will be officially graduated from Western Culinary Institute this coming Saturday.

This week leading up is going to be busy, my grandparents (who helped me with culinary school - chiefly my grandmother.) and my son will be flying in on Friday night as well. For the first time in a long time, I wont be at the airport to pick him up, I'll be at the school in Restaurant Bleu for an alumni association pre-grad mixer to welcome us in as alumni of Western Culinary.

The above picture was taken at the Kitchen Academy in Seattle for the ACF Western Regional Championships. That's me standing there with the white service gloves (I was the only one, and the judges loved it) as Tyler and Patrick plate up the entree which will be delivered to the judges by yours truly.

Continuing education

Lately I've been obsessed with the pastry side of things, drifting ever so slightly from the savory side. In school I took the culinary tract because I really (I guess at the time) had no interest in making petite fours, piping work and the like. In the quest to make myself a well rounded cook it would be wise of  meto learn the dessert/pastry end more.

I had expressed interest of this to Jake while I was doing my externship, and I was shown some things but I know there was more to learn. At Carlyle they don't have a pastry chef, so everyone chips in - but most of it falls to the pantry guy.

But with only six weeks to soak as much as I could in, not to mention work it was tough. Yes I can make pastry cream, I can make pate choux, I know some of the basics but I know there's more. I just recently bought Johnny Iuzzini's new book "Desert Fourplay" and there's some interesting things in the Alinea book as well. I'm completely fascinated by flexible ganache, and the ways it can be used.

I have my baking textbook from school, the aforementioned Iuzzini book and couple more if you count Alinea,  A Day at elBulli and The Fat Duck Cookbook. But where to go from here? I'm thinking Charlie Trotter's "Deserts" and go that direction. What would you suggest I pick up? Is there one dessert book that would help?

You can see by previous posts and the names mentioned on this blog as to what culinary direction I lean - so keep that in mind.

PSU Farmers Market Oct 11th, 2009

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I'm a purest

That my friends might be the best biscuits and gravy in all of Portland. Now I will freely admit I have never been their restaurant proper. I'm of course talking about Pine State Biscuits, one of the most popular food vendors at the PSU Farmers Market a trip for me is not complete without a trip to the Pine State tent.

No matter what you do there is always going to be a line. Live it. Love it. Learn it. My first few times to the market I would spy the line and decide to wander around the market a bit waiting for the line to get down to a manageable size. After a few times I finally gave in, and made it my first stop coming to the realization that no matter what I did - the line was going to be about the same.

They know how to crank them out so the line moves at a moderate pace. They also offer a variety of sandwich's which all include the gravy seen above, though you can opt for a mushroom gravy.  I'm a purest myself, and want nothing more than biscuits, gravy and the garnish. No chicken, no sausage patty (though that does sound delightful, remember I like to consider myself a pal of pork) just soft biscuit and sausage gravy.

If all else fails, put Pine State Biscuits on your bucket list.

It's like he's read my mind..

I've written about it in the past, about a connection between music and food. 

Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea was recently interviewed, the subject - sounds, music and food.  As I'm listening to said interview, alerted to it because Chef Grant tweeted the link (if you're not following him you should) all I could think was is he reading my mind? And honestly it doesn't surprise me, not the mind reading anyways. He presented some of the same things I've been thinking about since my entry into the culinary world. It helps to have a deep understanding/love/passion/13 years in radio bring to the table.

Suffice it to say, before leaving radio and entering culinary school I had spent half my life behind a microphone. This is something I'd really like to discuss with him. There's one part in the interview where they talk about the kitchen, and that it's pretty quite affair. But then he discusses Rage Against the Machine, which the host from what he says didn't particularly care for them.

I searched the Alinea website for his email address, but as I guessed going into it I knew in the back of my brain that they weren't going to have a email addy listed. So now I'm wondering how I can get access (boy am I starting to sound like a stalker?), because I really would like to discuss this more with him.

Taste the rainbow?

Please pardon the dust

As you can tell, new digs here at PrixFixe Online!

Still playing around with the layout, getting things transferred over and what not. I encountered a few problems in the set up of this new blog home - but it has all been resolved and should be good to go. I'll get back on a regular posting schedule and what not.

For the time being take a look around. And the new domain is http://www.prixfixe-online.com