Feast

The Feast prepared, the table set and the people are ready to eat! Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Communication

Communication is (to me) the most important thing in a kitchen, without it there is no order no structure and nothing would get done (properly at least). You can have endlessly creative chefs and a brilliantly designed kitchen but without proper communication it would never work. Some of the best kitchens border on complete silence during service but this is just a sign of great initial communication. The Chef has communicated well with his staff so they know their responsibilities exactly and can execute them properly.

One of my pet peeves is working in a new kitchen where there is poor communication, I can't stand continually asking for something to do after I finish a task. It's important not to be afraid to ask questions especially when doing something that you are not used to, however it's even more important to jump in and initiate tasks yourself.

Chefs and cooks are obsessive, sometimes sadistic and most of all control freaks, we don't like to ask or be asked the same questions multiple times. I like to border on annoyance when communicating, I'm from the school of "there can never be too much" when it comes to the C word. Whether I'm expediting, on the line, executing a catering event or prepping I make sure to over-communicate so that things run smoothly and nothing falls through the cracks.

Imagine the possibilities.

I will have to read more on Transglutaminase then see how I can use it effectively and not just for the sake of using it.

The Pantry

The Pantry at a restaurant is similar to a household pantry in more ways that I had previously thought. One generally will have dry goods such as cake and muffin mixes along with pickles and canned goods. While at work we’ve actually started getting into preparing items for the “pantry” for the restaurant. We’ve started to do more large batch canning of the fresh produce that we purchased from the farm down the road. The result is a designated shelf in the walk-in cooler that is steadily getting filled with canning jars. The jars contain from kimchee to cashew-ginger butter. The pantry is also a great for saving one’s behind when you need to come up with a quick condiment to go with a canapé or even that little extra something to incorporate into a dish to make it more complete. But whether it’s just a jar of simple pickles or a jar of reconstituted apricot in a curry syrup, it’s never a bad idea give a quick look at your pantry before you start writing your daily menu because you’ll never know what might transpired.

Success

What is success? How do you define it?

Like it or not we're all obsessed with success. Whether we want the be the best at what we do or just feel good within ourselves, success is what drives us, what keeps us moving forward. Success is the great motivator, what we strive for day in and day out. How will you be successful?

Meal Of A Lifetime (My Dishes)

My girlfriend and I ate at Town House a few months ago and we still talk about it like it was a dream, almost like an out-of-body experience. It's located in Chilhowie, VA. I know what you're thinking, where the hell is that? The only answer I can give is that it's about 10 minutes south of Marion, VA. Now I know that isn't much help at all but just google map it....

There menu is one page with three different columns describing their a la carte, 4 course and 10 course tasting menus. After much deliberation we decided to go the less-greedy route with the 4 course which had a choice of two items for each course, I chose all the top courses and my girlfriend all the bottom so that we could try as much as we could. These are my courses and I apologize ahead of time for the pictures, they were taken with my camera phone.

The amuse to start our meal was whipped eggs, trout roe, birch syrup and nutmeg. The whipped eggs were incredibly light, the trout roe was fresh and very salty but was cut by the birch syrup which was sweet and rich in flavor. The nutmeg made the dish complete and added a great amount of fragrance.

'Cranberry Beans & Roasted Ham' with cantaloupe, chilled bouillon, the end of summer foliage. This course was my least favorite of the night but that is not to say it wasn't great. The dish had amazing texture with the surprise oysters lending and nice brininess. The end of summer foliage were incredibly versatile, all the different greens and flowers brought a really nice fresh note to this dish

Second course was 'Peekytoe Crab in Brown Butter & Lime' with various onions, shellfish, banana, curry, lobster mushroom. To me this dish epitomized the restaurants food concept. With each dish the Chefs at Town House are trying to bring together flavors and textures that you have never experienced before. This was my favorite dish (from my menu items) of the night. There was so much going on in this dish that it would take me a few pages to describe it however all the flavors and textures work so well together it was amazing. The yellow curry and brown butter were perfect condiments to bring together the several different preparations of onions and the lobster mushrooms and crab. If I hadn't been wearing a tie I would have licked this plate clean.

How can abalone and foie gras be bad? Answer: It can't. You can tell much from this picture either but the whole dish title and all is 'Monterey Bay Abalone & Chicken Confit' with the seaweed it feeds upon, farro, foie gras, kimchi. This dish was delicious, with the foie gras and abalone together in the bottom of the bowl in almost a terrine. I did not get much kimchi flavor or farro in this dish and think it could have been left out because the abalone, foie gras and seaweed were enough to make this dish really great.

My final course cannot be accurately described as a dessert. 'Powdered Chocolates" with steamed yuzu sponge, bergamot & an aromatic "salad" of hers was the description. My picture and description of this dish cannot do it justice. This was the absolute perfect end to the meal. With the powdered chocolate sprinkled on top of chocolate ice creams, the yuzu causing a taste bud frenzy and refreshing brake from the herbs my mouth senses didn't know what to do with themselves. This final course was so incredibly satisfying and different, I wish that I could have it again and very soon.

With the Town House personal sommelier perfectly accompanying our meal with a versatile wine, and courses being brought out swiftly by extremely friendly staff this meal was one of the best that I have had in my lifetime. Each dish was new, surprising and delicious. John and Karen Shields are pushing boundaries with their flavors, textures, and techniques