Hunting Challenge

The week  I come back from vacation. I have one day to shop and I am gone for a week with 10 other people on a hunting excursion. No I am not killing anything . I am just the cook. These are high priority clients for the company that hired me.

My challenge is to cook 3 meals a day starting at 5 am for these people.  The company gave me a Turkey and Rib eye steaks for  two of the meals. Now I need to sit down between all the other events going on and plan out a menu so I can go shopping when I come home. Ideas are welcome. Its mainly comfort food. Theses clients are from all over the US. So trying to create something that everyone likes and hopefully get good tips from doing this.

I thought of doing some sort of Thanksgiving/ fall dinner with the turkey. Steaks I might do cowboy night and do rustic food. Still planning just need to sit down one night and commit to writing it out.

Happy Eating

Farmers Market and Beyond

Last Saturday was awesome! Only a small handful of people showed up but it was enough to sell out of jelly. I even had a lady post on the facebook page how much she loved the jelly. So its back in the kitchen lab to make more and create some new ideas. I hope that this weekend goes just as well.

On the Beyond part of the post. We are in the final stages of getting approval for the military base here to sell there. I also have a deal there with the flower shop to put product into their place along with doing cakes for them.

Also I have the Renaissance Fair account for 2014 as the Bakery. So if your in Utah come and see me. Its a very exciting and scary time. So much going on and so much to do. Thank you all for your support through the journey.  Stay tuned for more updates and information..

For those of you who want to purchase the jelly. Here is the site that it can be bought on for now. I am considering in the near future actually getting a website  for the business until now I use what I have .


Happy Eating
https://www.etsy.com/listing/163097035/dragon-fire-jelly-a-little-sweet-with

Yeah I made it

I finally made it to a Farmers Market. I will be out at one on Saturday 14, 2013 in Saratoga Springs.  I figured I would start with my home town first then spread out to other areas. I'm only doing about 6 products but I figured that it would give me a good idea of how the public took to what I am creating. I know the weather is suppose to be crappy but I can still hope that there will be people that come out anyways.

I got all my ducks in a row and are legal for business and now its time to start looking for customers, clients and what ever else comes my way. I decided it was time to do this . For medical reasons I am leaving the job I love so much in Park City. But they always say when one door closes another one opens. I am trying to keep optimistic about everything. I know being a chef and a pastry chef at that is hard and competition is stiff out here but I have faith that I can do this.  My son has challenged me for his birthday cake this year he wants a 3d stay puffed marshmallow man. So now to figure out when there is time to create it before we leave on a vacation for his birthday.  But that will be another post.

I even got my Etsy site going so all you can order across the country. Its Z Kitchen Zink Treats .

Thank you to all the readers on here who have been here from the start and who joined in along the way to taking the ride with me. Keep tuned to see what else is coming up.


Happy Eating

These are one of the items I will be selling.

Microwave Cake

I found this some where and loved it. I have been experimenting with it. The flavors don't really pop with the original recipe. So I have been doctoring it up a bit to make it much more yummy.. The original recipe is called 3,2,1 cake.  using 2 different box cake mixes. Then water and then microwaving it.
You use Angel food cake box mix and  mystery box b and mix together.

3  tbsp of mix
2 tbsp of water
1 min in the microwave.

That's great, but the flavor sucks. So you have to play with it. I had to share this it makes great little portions of  cake . I use coffee mugs to make it in. Again I really doctor the flavor. Below is the experiment pictures. One is the two test trials of the cake the lighter one is the original test with no additions, the second is with all the added extra stuff.  The other picture is the final cake is not more than probably half a coffee mug of cake.


Happy Eating

Grappa

Grappa Italian Restaurant is the place I work. Its part of an 8 restaurant group that belongs to Bill White.  I love my job. I am a trained pastry chef, but there I work the grill. Eventually I hope to be able to get to the bakery. For right now, I cook protein. Most days we have a moderate business that keeps the kitchen busy.  Kitchen has many interesting personalities. My problem is I don't speak enough Spanish to communicate well with all of them. I can say we make the best Mexican food around for an Italian restaurant. Most family meals are hot and spicy. Below are some of the dishes that go out to the public and pictures of the kitchen .

Its a great place to eat and I look forward to trying the other places that the group owns.

this is the beginnings of our Red Snapper

This is a prosciutto salad

street tacos for family meal

Cooking meat for family meal

Lobster ravioli

Seared Salmon

Demi Glaze in the making

Stuffed Mushrooms

I was able to get my hands on a couple of large portobellos a few days ago. I decided to stuff them. I first marinated them with balsamic vinegar and cooked them for about 15 minutes until they were soft. Then I came up with this mix to put in them. I used bread crumbs, red beats, onions, spinach and garlic. I had forgotten that red beats turn everything red so the mix was a bright red inside of the mushroom. I had a great flavor, just a bright color.  Below is the inspiration picture for the dish, and the actual one I made that night.

I love experimenting with what I have in the fridgerator. Some times it takes me hours to make something because I stand at my pantry with the doors open looking at everything I have and trying to figure out how to make a bunch of of work together so that  I can have something yummy to eat.

this was the inspiration

this is what actually came out.

Recipe Day

I have an extra day at home this week, so I am taking the time to post some of my recipes. I have been looking through my collection of hundreds of foods that I have collected since I started this journey and trying to narrow down my favorites to post on line for everyone to read and share.

One of my most favorite breads to make is Focaccia. I love taking the fresh Rosemary from my garden and using it in the recipe.  Here it is. I hope it works well for you and is as soft, and spongy as when I make it.

Sugar                                    1 tbsp
Active Dry Yeast                   1tbsp
All Purpose Flour                  1lb 2 oz
Water, warm                         12 fl oz
Kosher Salt                           2 tsp
Onion, fine dice                     3 oz
Olive Oil                               1/2 fl oz
Fresh Rosemary                    2 tbsp

Combine the sugar, yeast, and water. Stir to dissolve the yeast. Stir in 4 oz of flour at a time.
Stir in 1 1/2 tsp of the salt and onion. You can add some Rosemary at this time too if you wanted to
Mix well then knead on a lightly floured surface. Or in a bowl with dough hook.
Place dough in a oiled bowl cover and ferment until doubled. About an hour
Punch down the dough, then flatten it onto an oiled sheet pan. It should be no more than 1 inch thick. Brush the top with olive oil. Let dough proof until doubled about 15 min.
Sprinkle with crushed Rosemary and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt on top of dough.
Bake at 400 until lightly browned about 20 minutes.