Tapa The World - Sacramento, CA

I'm 36 years old, have lived in Sacramento all my life thus far, and had never been to Tapa The World.

Until recently.

I had no expectations, thanks to the bipolarity of the opinions of some people I know; some like the place very much, some think it's overrated.  The only things I did know is that I'd never been, I wanted a drink, and I wanted small portions of food.  For the uninitiated, tapas are basically Spanish small plates - small portions of food that is shared at the table.  Thus, Tapa The World met my food criteria.  Oh, and there's a bar, too.  Drink criteria: met.

For those in my position, it's a very cozy place.  It's dim and festive with a relative small number of tables inside.  And the tables for two are... small.  To put it nicely.  With a glass of water each for my dining companion and me, a basket of bread, two menus, and a drink list, the table was already out of space for our incoming glasses of wine and eventual dishes.

Our server was nice.  Bonus points to her for recommending a very, very enjoyable glass of white wine based on my tastes (a verdot)... I know nothing about Spanish wines.

Then the food came, which meant less room on the table.  We ordered one plate at a time, which was a wise decision, although I did end up ordering the dipping sauce for the bread - extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic - because while the bread was decent, it was missing... pizzazz.  Good texture but definitely meant to be dipped.  I will note that this is the first I've experienced where such a basic dipping sauce needed to be ordered.  Still, it made my bread happy.

I noticed that, for a restaurant the specializes in tapas (I mean, it's in the name), the tapas menu itself is small.  The tapas themselves make up just under half of the menu.  Everything else consists of salads and entrees.  On one hand, that was a little disappointing.  On the other hand, more tapas means larger menu which means making it harder on kitchen.  On the whole, there were plenty of tapas to choose from... kind of.  My dining companion for the evening did not want to eat certain things, so, wanting to share, I did not order any shellfish.  I'll return for those at a later day.

First, the Croquetas del Dia, that night made with beef and kalamata olives.  Creamy.  "How's that, you say?"  Yeah, I know.  Looking at the ground beef filling, you'd never guess that it had a creamy texture, but it did.  There was no visual sign of kalamata olives, nor a real presence in the flavor; I can only imagine that a very fine mine or puree was used.  In any case, with the aioli, these Croquetas were delicious.

I was tempted to order more, but next we'd decided on the Pinchos Morunos - skewered Kurobuta pork seasoned with cumin, pimenton, chilies, drizzled with garlic aioli.  Dark and flavorful on the outside, the first bite is at once pleasant and confusing, until you realize there's no reason to be confused.  The meat seemed dry at first but it really wasn't.  It was tender.  Tender, delicious, and delicious.

Finally, the Calamares Fritos - essentially, fried calamari.  I had hoped for something more than just breaded, fried rings, but that's what was on the plate.  Upon first glance I was disappointed.  I unjustly wanted fried calamari prepared in a way I'd not had before, but at it's most fundamental, fried and breaded calamari is simply fried and breaded calamari.  The rest is the seasoning and accompanying sauce.

It was the most tender fried calamari I can remember having.  Soft, with very little bite, each fried ring begat a need for another bite.

There were some odd things on the menu, most notably the day's empanadas with curried beef.  That's not Spanish.  Of course, the menu does say they feature traditional Spanish tapas along with chef creations, which use ingredients from around the world.  On some level, I like that.  There's nothing wrong with fusing other cuisines with a base cuisine.  On the other hand, I really just wanted Spanish food.  Tapas.  I don't get tapas very often, and there are only a couple of restaurants in Sacramento that feature tapas as a main attraction.  When I want tapas, I want Spanish food.  But, it's not necessary to take marks off for that.

	I was transported to Spain.
	I wanted to keep eating, but the table was too small.
	Damn good... but if it weren't for this and that...
	It was alright.  I mean, yeah... it was alright.
	I still don't know what tapas are, and this place didn't help.

I think Tapa The World is worth 4 stars.  There's no denying that the food is delicious and the ambience is quite nice.  The service is friendly and prompt.  But I was admittedly surprised by how large the menu was overall but how little space the tapas occupied.  Plus, those are some pretty small tables for two.  No matter.  I shall return for the quality of the food.

Tapa The World

2115 J St.

Sacramento, CA 95816

916-442-4353

www.tapatheworld.com

The Rind - Sacramento, CA - Opening Day (5-23-2013)

I feel like there was a big hype around The Rind.  I also feel like I'm wrong about that.

You see, a friend of mine told about this place, that it was opening up soon.  After checking it out on Yelp, I found out that it specializes in wine, beer, and cheese.  Awesome, I thought... we need a place for cheese lovers here in Sacramento.

Located in Midtown Sacramento on L St., where it occupies the old L Wine Bar spot, The Rind is a small place with a small menu serving small samples of cheese.  It's a nice little place; the decor doesn't really leave a huge impression, but it's bright, inviting, and seems like a fun place to sit, hang out, have a glass of wine or two or six, and sample some cheese.

Their wine list was unexpectedly small.  They also have a selection of craft beers, both bottled and draft - the kind you'd find only at places that specialize in carrying premium beers, like gastropubs or bars such as The Shack, Kupros, or, in this case, The Rind.

It was fairly warm on opening day.  While I usually default to reds, I decided to go with a white wine.  Based on our first cheese board's pairing suggestions (which I didn't want) and my tastes, our server pointed to a dry riesling, which was damn good.

Speaking of service, it is nice enough and they've obviously been briefed about the food they're serving.  Being opening day they did seem a little scattered.  It got relatively busy and I can only imagine how close to a dress rehearsal the day must have seemed like.

There are three prix fixe cheese boards, the cheeses being grouped by a common trait.  The night's cheese menu features a sheep's milk board, a "macho" cheese board that consisted of Chimay cheese and a gouda, and a soft cheese board.  Each cheese board comes with different accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, honey... the usual stuff.

We started with the board of soft cheeses, the "Purgatory Board".  The wine paired very well, the dryness complimenting the stronger flavors of the cheese in a way that makes you go, "Oh... that's nice."  I ordered a second glass of the same wine before we'd decided to get a second board - sheep's milk cheese - which was comprised of semi-soft cheese.  These had subtler, nuttier, mellower flavors.  My "accidental" wine pairing wasn't bad, but didn't give me that, "Oh!" pronouncement of flavor.

They offer a fourth board built of cheese of your choice, so you basically have twelve cheeses to choose from.  Their cheese menu is subject to change, which I think is a good thing as it keeps the offerings fresh.

There are other things on the menu - salads and soups - but the main attraction, other than the cheese boards, are the mac-n-cheese and the grilled cheese sandwiches.  While we didn't partake of these dishes, I'd say those are smart things to have on the menu.  It gives the cheese a cooked application in a manner that is familiar but with some liberties.

During our visit, I did wish there was a charcuterie plate.  Lo and behold, their website shows they're supposed to have one.  Perhaps they were just limiting their menu for opening day.  However, I would have spent more money if it had been offered.

Prices are very, very resonable for a place that serves fine cheese.  $12 for a prix fixe cheese board while the choose-your-own ("The Diving Board") is $14, if I remember correctly.  They do sell some wine by the glass.  Between four glasses of wine and two cheese boards, we got out of there for around $65 before tip.

I'm not quite sure how I'd rate The Rind just yet, or if I should rate it at all right now.  It was the first day and there will be some kinks to work out and probably even some changes.  While I am the type of person that wants to see the A-game right out of the gate, I know that's not how things always work.  I would be inclined to rate the place 3.5 stars if you were ask me right now, but not because it's an average place.  For what it's trying to do - bringing artisan cheeses to restaurant-going cheese lovers - it is unique.  There are some places in Sacramento that offer cheese plates but nowhere that is cheese-centric like The Rind (not counting fondue).  The wine and beer list, while good, are pretty small for a restaurant whose slogan is "Cheese. Wine.  Beer."  But perhaps my expectations were too high.  For example, when I go to a place that is supposed to specialize in wine, I expect an extensive list.

Then again, maybe they're being very selective, catering their drink selection to the cheeses they're currently serving.  And that would be very reasonable.  And smart.  And interesting.  And educational.  All things I can support.  If that's the case, they might do well to make mention of that on their menu so that customers know the proprietors want to present specific food and drink selections they know to work well together and that is what is going to enhance the eating experience of each diner that visitsThe Rind.

But, if that's not the case, then really the place becomes a little cafe that centers around cheese.

No matter the case, Sacramento now has a place for cheese lovers.  I'm not going to give The Rind an official rating just yet.  I'm going to go back.  I'm going to drink and I'm going to eat.  Until then, I say: if you love cheese, wine, and beer, give this nice little place a shot.

1801 L Street

Suite 40

Sacramento, CA 95811

www.therindsacramento.com

Mighty Kong Cafe - Sacramento, CA... CLOSED!

On May 2, 2013, Mighty Kong Cafe closed.

I think that's pretty sad.

The breakfast/lunch place was located on Stockton Blvd. here in Sacramento, right at the edge of Oak Park where it transitions into Tahoe Park.  Think Luigi's Pizza, right off 14th Ave., and you've got the spot.  Not the greatest area in terms of upkeep, but not the worst, either.

I had never seen the place empty when I'd go in to eat.  Granted, I had only been twice, but I could tell just from walking into the place that this was an establishment people liked to visit and have good comfort food - food that was very well-prepared and had just enough class to make each dish seem more elevated than it really was... but in a good way.

The prices were very reasonable, the portions were filling, the food was tasty, the service was pleasant... on my first visit, the owner went to each table asking if the diners wanted a complimentary mimosa and some free muffins.  He talked to everyone, but not in an invasive way that disturbed the meal.  The guy just wanted it known: this was his house and you are very welcome in it.

There's good food in that area if you look, but it was nice to see the Mighty Kong Cafe try to "spruce things up" a bit by doing something other than the quick eats, the cheap eats, the everyday eats.  In the surrounding joints you'll find pizza, burgers, taquerias, Chinese/Vietnamese, fast food... all places in which you can sit down to eat, but you still know where you are when you do: Stockon Blvd. in between Oak Park and Tahoe Park.

But in the Mighty Kong Cafe, you were in a completely different environment.  Inside was a place that did not match the outside.  It was dim, cozy, comfortable, well-maintained, and had a vibe that countered its location in such a way where you might be a little surprised at first, but then you welcomed it immediately.

I'm sorry to see you close, Mighty Kong.  At least, for the fans of your muffins, you will continue to live on somehow.  As a restaurant, however, I wish you'd lived longer.  It was nice having a place like you in that area.

Kupros Bistro - Sacramento, CA

I've been to Kupros several times.  Many times.

Okay, I'm a bit of a regular.  Semi-regular, but a regular nonetheless.  I've become a familiar with a couple of the waitresses and bartenders, and those I've become familiar with know my name.  I've had many beers and sampled much of the food.

And in the time I've been going to Kupros my opinion hasn't really changed, but, in fact, has become reinforced by multiple visits.

I really, really like the place, but it's actually just a pretty good place to visit.

Let's start with the service.  It's the first thing you notice when you walk in and take a seat at the bar.  When a bar is busy, you don't expect to be acknowledged right away.  You need to wait until the bartender gets to you.  It's the nature of a busy bar.  But when a bar isn't busy, when there are plenty of open seats, you - I - expect to be acknowledged, either with a, "Be right with you," or a nod, or... something.

Customer acknowledgement is iffy at Kupros.  Some of the bartenders will acknowledge you.  Especially if they know you.  Other times, you can sit down at an empty bar but you'll be waiting five to ten minutes while the bartender is off in their own world.  Possibly at the cash register.  Okay, he/she is working.  Or they're talking to another co-worker.  Okay, he/she is wor- oh, nope, they're laughing and just hanging out.  I've found it's not a big deal; when you go to a bar, you're there to relax, so there's no rush to have someone come and serve you, but I do find it odd that when the bar is near empty the service isn't more immediate.

Now, despite the deficiency in greeting, the service itself - the actual service - is very, very friendly.  Most of the people I've met there are really nice, make conversation, and make you feel welcome once they've acknowledged you.  When there's time, expect to make small talk with one of the bartenders or a server that is in between tables.  When I'm there, I don't feel like I'm just another number out for alcohol.  I feel relaxed, invited, and befriended.  It can be hard to just leave after paying the tab without saying goodbye and thank you to the person who has served you.

The service is befitting the environment, because it really is a good-looking house. Literally.  It's a house that's been beautifully remodeled.  It really is a comfortable place to go and have a drink and a bite to eat.  It's replete with semi-dark wood but not in a gaudy way.  The stained glass above the bar adds a splash of color in an otherwise brown room, which give the room a bit of life.  The bar is smack dab in the middle with tables lining the perimeter and there's seating upstairs for a more private, quieter time.

Now, let's get to the food.

When a small plate listing is titled "Mixed Greens" and described as being a plate of mixed, seasonal vegetables, and what is served is just a spring-mix salad with a vinaigrette, one does feel a large sense of disappointment.  And psychology does have a great affect on how one perceives their meal.  So, as you can imagine, when I received my plate of the so-called "Mixed Greens", I wondered why I got the smallest salad in the world.

Kupros serves a variety of fries, from regular to garlic, from sweet to poutine, the Canadian staple of fries, gravy, and cheese curds.  Fries, in my opinion, should be crispy on the outside.  I'm pretty sure that the opinion of the majority of French fry lovers.  And for good reason.  Soggy fries and just not fun to eat.  A crispy fry provides a contrast of textures in a single bite: the crisp crunch of the golden, brown, and delicious outside, and the soft, mealy inside.

I have not once had a crispy French fry at Kupros.

The fries at Kupros are pretty one-dimensional in texture.  When they arrive, they appear brown and tasty, but they're flimsy and floppy, no matter how thick they are.  You can see the oil glistening in the ambient lighting, but when you bite into one you may as well be biting into a roasted potato stick.  There could be any number of reasons for such a soft French fry: perhaps they don't blanch them beforehand, prepping them to be finished off in hot, hot oil; maybe they sit in the window too long before they're run to the table; maybe the oil isn't hot enough.  In any case, a soggy fry is an unappetizing fry, even when covered in gravy and cheese curds.

(And yes, there's a difference between a soft fry and a fry that's crisp but softened by gravy)

There are other deficiencies in the food, but to get to the point, the best food you can order at Kupros is the hearty comfort food.  The mac-and-cheese is good.  The pappardelle with puttanesca is a favorite of mine, when it's on the menu.  The chicken piccata is light and simple yet very enjoyable.  The burger, while note quite worth $11, is quite good - too much cheese, though, and reminiscent of a Squeeze Inn-style burger but without the actual fried cheese skirt.  But, decent enough.  Filling, tasty, and featuring good ingredients.

When you've got a little bit of money but want a decent amount of food, they do offer a 3-small-plates-for-$10 deal, which gives you a good sampling and is enough for a small, shared meal for two.

And let's not forget about the liquor.  They have a good collection of whiskey and Scotch, a small wine list, and plenty of beer.  They have good draft selection and as well as a premium bottled selection.  They even have domestic swill on hand for those that like to drink beer-flavored soda water on the cheap.

So, why do I like the place so much?  Comfort.  It's such a comfortable place to go and have a drink, get some enjoyable food, and sit.  I feel welcome there.  I like the environment.  I feel sociable, even when I'm not in a social mood.  It's just... nice.  It's really, really nice.  It's such an easy place to become a regular at that I've become a regular.  And I enjoy it.

The verdict?

	I would never go to another bar.
	I frequent this place like I frequent my own refrigerator.
	As comfortable as a good lounge chair.
	It'll do in a pinch.
	Why bother?

I give Kupros 3.5 stars.  I feel comfortable and invited every time I come here, and I do come here often enough to be considered a regular customer.  It's not the greatest place you can go to for food and drink, but it's still quite good.

Kupros Bistro

1217 21st Street

Sacramento, CA 95811

(916) 440-0401
www.kuprosbistro.com

Don't Tell Us How To Feed Our Kids...

...Educate instead.

According to a story broke by the Carolina Journal, a preschool girl's homemade lunch was deemed nutritionally incomplete according to USDA standards and was supplemented with school-provided food.  Confusion ensued and the girl, supposedly thinking she was not allowed to eat the lunch packed by her mother, ate only the chicken fingers given to her by the school, choosing not to eat the other supplements because she didn't like them.

Here's the story, and a follow-up here.

(Have you read the stories?  Okay.  Good.  Let's move on)

My problem isn't just that schools are required to supplement homemade lunches that, upon inspection, are considered nutritionally incomplete - this in and of itself can cause confusion with young children regarding the food sent to school with them: what's wrong with the food my parents' made for me?  Should I still eat what I brought?  Will I get in trouble if I don't eat my lunch?  I don't like the school food! And my problem isn't just that there is evidently lots of room for error in interpreting the USDA regulation by whomever is inspecting these lunches.  

My problem is that there is a federal agency telling us what and how to feed our children, and has actually found a way to force schools to physically put this regulation into practice.  Now, while I appreciate that schools are required to provide a "balanced meal" to those children that need to buy their lunch from the school cafeteria, that should be the extent of it.  Lunches brought from home should be left alone.

This leads me to what I think is the bigger, more general problem: the government should stop trying to force everyone to eat healthier.  I say, if parents want to feed their kids crappy food - which is not the case in the preschool girl's story, as her mom packed her a healthy lunch - then let the parents do so.  Let them feed their kids food that may eventually lead to diabetes and/or obesity.  Then, let them deal with the consequences of their parenting.

(And before you start going, "Oh, but what about the kids?!", just keep reading)

I think education would have a much better long term effect than the government forcing their will upon the people by, for example, having schools supplement a child's lunch with food the parent doesn't even know their child will be eating.  When the government takes over the parenting responsibilities from the actual parents, the actual parents could possibly a) rebel by acting out, intentionally doing things that are opposite of what the government wants, negatively affecting their children, b) rebel by causing a ruckus, and that's when news stories break, c) become lazy due to additional, outside "parenting", d) not learn anything about improving their parenting skills.  Or none of these things could happen.  Those are just possibilities, and before anyone suggests that offering these theories is a sign of slippery slope on my part, I'll say that these theories, illogical or not, would probably not exist without the premise of government "parenting".

Now, let's talk about the kids.  When the government takes over the parenting responsibilities from the actual parents, the kids a) can get confused about what they're supposed to do, b) can get confused about their parents' actions, c) start questioning their parents' actions, d) they may not learning anything useful.

In the case of the preschooler, A and B did happen.

Since I don't really want to live in a place where government mandate leads to small-time fascist action, and I don't want to live in a place where I'm told what to do on a such a basic level - what to watch, what to listen to, what to read, what to eat, I support the notion of education being the manner in which we learn how to feed our kids.  The government can outline what they think are safe cooking temperatures, what amounts of what foods equals a balanced meal, and can even campaign against diabetes and obesity.  That's all great.  But good parents know their kids and will tailor their food preparation according to how their kids eat in order to get them to eat nutritiously.  Bad parents will not and, so long as their actions don't go so far as to be considered abuse-by-way-of-unhealthy-diet, those parents will have to suffer the consequences.  And yes, I understand that the kids will, too, but there's a way to combat that.  It's called education.

Parents should be the first food educator to their child.  After all, they will feed the child most often.  But since school is a place that children will attend throughout the week, and is a major part of their days, food education should most certainly take place in the classroom.

Is a young student, even in preschool, ever too young to learn about what could happen if they eat too much candy?  Too much McDonald's?  Too many potato chips?  If you eat too much sugar, one day you might rely on giant, scary needles everyday!  If you eat too much fatty foods, you might become so overweight you'll never get to play kickball or on the swings again!  Too many salty foods might stop your heart!  There are tactful, useful, and effective ways to teach young kids at school about food just as they are taught other subjects, and if they are continuously educated - and I'm not talking about a special health-day during a single school year, either - the facts will stick in their brains.  They may not be able to think about it on the level of an adult, but at least the possibility of questioning their snacks and meals at home is very, very present.  And if a kid actually requests to eat an apple at home rather than an Oscar Meyer's Lunchables pack, or drink a glass of juice instead of a soda, what is the likelihood of a parent saying no?  Forcing a kid to eat supplements that are supposedly missing from the homemade lunch they brought to school doesn't educate in this manner.  And lunch isn't necessarily the best time to deliver this lesson, despite the fact that lunch is feeding time.

There are a few different food education programs that exist to teach young school kids about food.  But what I want to see is something that isn't an event, something that doesn't have a clever or fancy title, something that doesn't draw attention to itself because it's special.  Because making basic food knowledge stand out makes the acquisition and practice of that knowledge special instead of normal.  But normal is what we want, right?  When kids - and adults - know that eating too much of one thing can be bad, that eating certain types of food more often than others can be good, that there are consequences to eating just like there are consequences to stealing and fighting with classmates, it has a greater chance of becoming part of their everyday set of useful tools, like math, English, and history.

An ongoing, in-class, food education curriculum that offers basic food knowledge and presents opportunities for kids to try different foods and even prepare different foods themselves will help normalize such knowledge.  If we can help begin to normalize this knowledge in today's youth, then the next generation should benefit from it.

Reading, Writing, and Using Recipes - Part 2: Grab a Pencil

This installment is extremely overdue, but I promise it'll get you thinking.

Last time, I talked about what a recipe is, and I concluded that it is primarily a guide, a set of assembly instructions.  I also concluded that recipes don't really teach the user how to cook, but one could use them as teaching supplemental material and rewriting a recipe can certainly help with this.

For those that already know how to cook and are looking to become more efficient when following a recipe, a rewrite can be a great boon.

Whatever the case, what rewriting a recipe does is help to ensure that you, the cook, know exactly what you're supposed to do, that you understand what to do with the ingredients both in the preparation stage and the cooking stage.

Rewriting does not mean simply copying the recipe verbatim, however.  While this might help you to memorize a recipe, it may not necessarily help you to understand how to execute a recipe.

Let's use a recipe for the Tunisian spice paste, harissa, as an example:

• 1 tbsp whole caraway seeds
• 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
• 2 tsp whole cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 oz small dried chiles, such as Chili de Arbol, Thai chilies, etc.
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 oz garlic cloves, chopped
• 4-6 oz olive oil

Toast caraway, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns in saute pan over med. heat.  Allow them to cool, then grind together.  Toast the chiles over low heat, then add them to the spices and grind together.  Grind the salt and garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle, add to the spice/chile mix, and grind together.  Drizzle in the oil while still grinding until thick paste is formed.

When I began rewriting recipes, I started by simply writing down the ingredients and then the instructions in my own shorthand.  

Toast caraway, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns in saute pan, med. heat.  Cool.  Grind together.  Toast the chiles, low heat.  Add to spices, grind together.  Grind salt and garlic into a paste, add to spice/chile mix, grind together.  Drizzle in the oil while still grinding until thick paste is formed.

By writing down the ingredients, you can become familiar with what ingredients you'll need to use and what you'll need to buy if you don't have them.  This means you'll also be less likely to forget ingredients while in the middle of cooking.

As for the instructional part, most everyone has seen recipes that have paragraphs written in nice, complete sentences that are, more or less, grammatically correct.  Sometimes there is more than one paragraph, and sometimes the paragraphs have several sentences.  And sometimes those sentences are long, as they often add details like what tools to use and about how long to cook something.

Now, there's nothing wrong with this.  Instructions of this ilk are pleasant to read and rather complete.  The point of these instructions is to let you, the cook, know what you'll be doing with what and when, so the more information the better, right?  But I have found that using these recipes during the actual act of cooking is difficult because finding the next step requires scanning these paragraphs to find where I've left off, meaning I had to quickly weed through what I'd already read.

By writing the recipe in your own shorthand, you can accomplish at least three things.  First, the act of writing will, again, allow you to become familiar with the instructions.  Second, by using your own shorthand, you show that you have an understanding of the original instructions.  Third, you increase the chances of more easily being able to find your place in the instructions while cooking.

All of this is very important because understanding what you're supposed to be doing in order to execute a specific dish will allow you an easier time during cooking.  An easier time during cooking means you'll more easily become familiar with some of the methods and techniques which you'll find used in many, many other recipes.

All of this is, of course, assuming that you, the one doing the rewrite, will be the one to use the recipe.  Your shorthand should reflect just how much detail you'll need to know.  If you know how to execute the risotto method, then there's no need to write out all of the steps to making a risotto if part of your recipe involves a risotto, right?  After all, it would be just more text to wade through.  The same goes for anything you already know how to do, and know how to do it well.  The less text you have to read during cooking, the better.

However, if you're writing for someone else, you may want to be more detailed in your rewrite.  Let's use the risotto example.  If you know how to execute the risotto method, you might write your instructions down for a mushroom risotto as follows:

Add butter and olive oil, med.-med.high heat.  Add mushrooms.  Saute until browned.  Remove half, add onions, sweat.  Add rice, stir to coat.  Risotto method.  After last turn, add remaining mushrooms.  Add salt and Parmesan to taste.

Now, this might be your version of a few different recipes that you've borrowed from in order to produce a mushroom risotto that you really like.  And your friend likes it, too, and wants the recipe.  He or she has never made a risotto before.  They may not know what a "turn" is.  They may not know what to look for during cooking.  So, as you write out the recipe for them, their lack of risotto experience is something to keep in mind, and thusly you give them instructions that perhaps read like this:

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a separate pot, then simmer.  In another pan, add olive oil and butter over med.-med.high heat until butter is melted but not brown.  Add mushrooms.  Saute until browned, tossing occasionally to prevent burning, but not too often to prevent searing.  Remove half, reduce to med. heat, add onions, sweat until translucent.  Add rice, stir to coat.  Add 1/3 of chicken stock, stirring frequently until absorbed.  Repeat with another 1/3 of stock.  Repeat, adding most of the last 1/3.  Check texture, making sure rice is al dente.  Add remaining mushrooms, stir in.  Add salt and Parmesan to taste.

That's a pretty basic example of how to construct a risotto, modified to include sauteed mushrooms.  An attempt was made to keep it simple and easy to understand while providing enough detail to give the inexperienced cook clues to look for so they can, hopefully, reproduce the dish.  Experience will hone the cook's skills but the recipe is a good starting point.

Knowing your audience, whether it's you or someone else, will determine how you write or rewrite your recipes.  Once you've determined how to write something, you can either leave it at that or you can take it one step further and play with the format of your recipe.

But that's a subject for next time.

My Externship Thus Far (AKA: A Long Overdue Post)

A post has been long overdue.  And I know that I owe this blog the second part of my thoughts on rewriting recipes.  But, being as this is the end of my second week of my externship (yes, it's basically the same thing as an internship), I thought I'd document my progress and experience thus far.

For the time being, the restaurant I'm at will remain nameless.  I'm new to the restaurant game and don't want to unintentionally burn bridges.  Let's just say that I'm fortunate enough to have been placed in a restaurant that is run by a celebrity chef, and this chef knows food.  In fact, this restaurant's food is ridiculously good.  Most everything I've tasted is just exquisite.  An overused word to describe food, I know, but it's the word that best describes what I'm thinking whenever I put the food in my mouth.

I am very interested in this restaurant's specialty (which I won't reveal because it's easy to guess what restaurant it is) and I knew I wanted a tough externship.  While the latter didn't really cross my mind when I signed on, I expected an environment of high standards.

And what I got was a pretty intense place.

So intense, in fact, that my first week-and-a-half was spent with me being really stressed out.  My current trainer, the main prep cook, comes across as impatient only because his job is to push me.  This man can do everything there: make bread, pasta, all the meat prep... whatever needs to be done at this restaurant in terms of prep, he can do.  And he expects me, a lowly intern, a person with no professional restaurant experience save for a single day doing appetizers and pizzas at a local Sacramento eatery, to be perfect on the first try.  And to remember every.  single.  thing.  he.  does.  If he shows something me once, he expects me to remember all of the subtleties and steps.  Me being new to this type of work, my observation skills are not exactly keen on all the details, which I hate because I am a details person.  I'm a technical person.  I like methodology.  Once I've got those things down, I can work on making my tasks more second-nature.  Put me in front of a drumline and my observation skills rival those of Sherlock Holmes (yeah, I'm being cocky.  It's for the effect).  But, when it comes to restaurant work, I don't have the motor skills this guy does, he who has been with the restaurant's head chef for nine years.  So, when watching this man make professional pasta with the grace of a ballerina (no joke), it is amazing.  And daunting.  And no, my current set of motor skills don't yet include those types of movements to handle that type of thin, delicate material.  But if I get it wrong, which I did - several times, in fact - I get a contemptuous looks and often a verbal berating.

But it's what they do at this restaurant.  They push.  Everyone pushes.  In fact, last night, he actually, and oddly, apologized for pushing me, but qualified it by saying, "But it's good for you."  I replied, "You're supposed to push me."

It's what's been happening the last two weeks, the last 89 hours of work I've put in so far.  Even the head chef, the celebrity himself, really got on my case the third day in because I was too slow at picking parsley.  And I didn't start my day right, either.  I forgot to change my shoes, something I never do.  I forgot my notepad, something I never do.  And he was not happy.  But, I haven't made that mistake since.

But, when I do a good job, or even an improved job, I do get told.

I have always told my drumline students not to take criticism, harsh or pleasantly put, personally.  It's our job to push.  It's our job to criticize.  It's been a long time since I've been on the receiving end.  I'm usually the guy who's giving it.  Now, it's my turn to take it.  Except that this is so, so much more intense than drum corps was when I marched.  And there was a lot of yelling and cussing, not to mention running and pushups and standing at attention for long periods of time.  Granted, that was many years back so perhaps the memories of that experience have softened, but my current experience compared to my drum corps experience?  The restaurant business, at least the intensity at which this one is run, is a harrowing experience.  My psyche certainly took a lashing.  Perhaps it's because, at the end of the day, paying customers are involved, as is money spent on ingredients.  It's a for-profit business based on volume.

By the end of my second week, I have improved.  I can do certain things with more competency.  I get "yelled" at a little less.  Yes, I still get pushed, and yes, my trainer will still look at me with those big, contemptuous eyes and a snide, ego-pounding remark, but I'm taking my beatings and I know that I'll come out the other end tougher, faster, and more efficient.

I'll post another update at a later date with other observations.  Until then, I need to make sure my return to work after a couple days off starts with me progressing and not regressing.

[UPDATED 10-13-2011]