From the Hip

"If it wasn't for the last minute, I would get nothing done."

My Pastry Chef Patrick would tell you that I always shoot from the hip. Attack the day with no great level of pre planning or organization. In fact he's right. It seems to work so why screw with it?


I'm teaching a cooking class this Sunday. I'm nervous. I've taught about 6 classes so far and I sweat each and every one. It's not the public speaking part of it, I have NO trouble talking to strangers or large groups of people. It's the expectations.

Every person enters a situation with expectations of outcomes. Presumably my students will be expecting some level of culinary knowledge. That's what there here for right? Well, because I grew up with this overwhelming desire to ALWAYS make sure everyone is happy, I have a fear that I wont measure up to their expectations. During the very first class I taught I constantly interrupted myself by asking the students if they were happy so far. At the end a couple of nice ladies approached me and said that it was a great experience and I really taught them allot.

That was the best thing I could've heard.

But the fear is still there. I suppose some level of anxiety is probably good. You know, keeps me sharp and on my toes. I try to come across like I really know my shit. Like nothing bothers me when it comes to my job. In the past couple of years I have been accused of being "cocky" I usually just respond by saying, "I'm not cocky, I'm confident" Well, if I was to respond honestly I would have to say, "I'm not cocky, I'm overcompensating because I just REALLY want you to like me!" Big difference.

Yep, It's an insecure thing...been that way since I was a fat little kid.... I'm working on it.

So, I have this class and I have no lesson plan. I will probably figure out what to teach as I lie in bed the night before....or maybe when I wake up. No, It's not procrastination. Procrastination is when you NEVER get the thing done. That's not me. I complete tasks, I just begin them...well, you know. (refer to opening line of blog)

Wanna hear a big slap of irony? The underlying theme in most of my classes is DON'T BE NERVOUS WHEN COOKING. So many people approach cooking with this fear of screwing up. My theory is, What's the worst that could happen? It wont taste good.

So I'm nervous. I won't get much sleep.

Jump to 24 hours later and The class is over. Success?... You betcha. As I predicted I came up with the lesson plan while I was driving to the restaurant this morning.
Minestrone soup.
Panzanella Salad
Rigatoni carbonara
Walnut encrusted salmon

As always, I kept asking if they were enjoying themselves and if they were learning something. I got great responses in return and by the time I went home I felt this calming relief come over me. It's not easy you know. To do things last minute and have it actually come out good. That takes some serious concentration and intensity.

Who knows, maybe "shooting from the hip" will become the part of the 2010 curriculum

at The Culinary Institute of America.

There is this new show on the FOOD Network called "Chopped"
The premise is 4 Chefs receive a basket with 3 ingredients in it. They have thirty minutes to create an entree out of the items.... 30 minutes?...high pressure?...last minute planning?...
see what I'm sayin here?

You never know, so don't make fun.

Patty Cakes

Since the day I opened my restaurant about 7 years ago I told myself that we would only offer desserts that were made "in house". Well, we're still doing it. You will never have a pre-made frozen dessert at Rovezzi's. I would love to say that I am the creator behind our sweets but I cant. There's only one person who can claim the title 'Pastry Chef" at Rovezzi's.

Patrick...a.k.a. Cap

We call him Cap because that's what he calls everyone else. Patrick is a self taught dessert maker. I guess that's why we work so well together. I'm a self taught Chef. He has had a varied life in the food service industry. Worked at several pubs and restaurants around Ma. but when I met him he was working at Cedar St. Restaurant which is located down the st. from my restaurant. He came to me looking for some extra hours to supplement his income.

I really didn't want to hire him, you see, I was working basically alone and I liked it that way. I didn't want to have to teach some stranger all my recipes and techniques. But, I gave in and the next day in walked a 5ft. tall, brown haired, kind of "husky" fellow wearing a clean white Chef coat and a "I'm ready to work"smile.

Immediately he picked up on how I did things and I was truly grateful because we had started to get very busy and I couldn't keep working day and night. After a couple of weeks Patrick told me that he was making all the desserts at Cedar St. "Can you help me with mine?" I asked.

The rest is history.

Patrick eventually left Cedar St. to work for me full time and for the past 6 years he has been responsible for ALL of the desserts that have ever been served here. The hair is a bit more grey, The Clean chef coat is gone replaced by a black t-shirt. The smile is still there, most of the time. Patrick never becomes complacent with his desserts. He constantly experiments and updates his repertoire. He is loved by everyone here. A true friend . He is like Switzerland. He remains neutral when arguments arise and does his best to comfort both sides.

He has become a brother to me. And consequently it is very hard to discipline him. We fight, we talk, we push through it and get the job done. It is a a very comforting feeling knowing that he is in the restaurant on the days when I am not. He is one of the few who takes ownership of the business and watches out for the common good.

His desserts speak for themselves. Describing them here wouldn't convey a fraction of the actual quality. You'll just have to stop down and taste.

Does he have any bad points...? Of course. Everyone does. But I will save those for a blog entry the next time we have a fight.

Hump Day?

So it snowed this morning and it's raining now. And my fear is that my restaurant will be slow tonight. I share that feeling with every other small business owner in central Ma. right now.

Oh well... Like they say, you have to take the good with the bad
I always HATED that saying. I don't want to take the bad. The bad is....well...bad.



So tonight we will get ready for the evening. Food prepped. Specials created. silverware polished , napkins folded, tables set, the whole shebang! And we will do this proudly whether we serve 100 guests, or 1. That's the industry that we are in. The service industry. We work so other folks can have a good time.

Jump to 4 hours later and I have just finished the night. It was slow...but not horrible. It turns out that we were the only business open tonight. Even the produce market next door shut down today.

As strange as it sounds, I kind of enjoyed it. I was able to do some thinking while I was behind the line. Thinking about menus, about special dishes, about changing things around so the kitchen runs more efficient...and, I was slow enough that each dish I created tonight was carefully put together.

The point of this blog entry...? Basically to tell folks that I TRULY love what I do. It is a pleasure to me, whether it's busy or not.
(obviously I don't want slow nights but they are gonna come no matter what)
So this is my little inspirational message. Love what you do and do what you love. You spend 1/3 of your life working so at least make it something you enjoy. I've met a large amount of miserable Chef's through the years... I never understood why, until now. They don't love it. They tolerate it. It's just a job.

Chef Mark, Chef Casey,.. back me up on this one will ya?

See you soon

Dueling Rice Balls

A new Italian restaurant opened up down the street from me a couple of days ago. It's called Romaldo's. and your right, I'm not thrilled that it begins with R. sounds silly? Well, when someone calls their business associate and says, "hey, lets meet for dinner Tuesday night at that Italian place, you know,...the one that Begins with R!" Yep, that's right, I'm worried about that.

And you might think I'm worried about the competition. Well, I'm not.... too much

No, It's not because I think we are better than them. It's because I am the type of owner who welcomes new businesses, especially restaurants. The more restaurants, the more people will come to our town. The more people, the better for everyone.

Also, the food is just different enough that I don't think folks will even try to compare us. You see, Romaldo's was opened by Nikki Barron. She is the grandaughter of the founder of ROM'S restaurant. ROM'S was a cornerstone of Sturbridge for a very long time. Everyone went there. It was the one constant in an ever changing town. It was large, simple, unpretentious and solid. They specialized in Italian-American food. Lots of pasta with red sauce, meatballs, lasagna, chicken parmigiana. There was a take out window where you could pick up a "bucket of spaghetti and meatballs" That's what it was called! They were famous for it. You could feed your family inexpensively with real homemade food.

Well, ROM'S closed its doors towards the end of 2008. It almost didn't seem real. Allot of folks were sad and even more weren't sure where they were going to eat.

Well not to worry. It's been said that you can still get the favorite dishes and flavors that you enjoyed at ROM's from Romaldo's. Very smart. Give them what they want. I'm sure that Ms. Barron is planning on putting her own stamp on her restaurant, but I have heard several sighs of relief when folks hear about the food.

I wish nothing but the best for Romaldo's. Entering the world we call the restaurant industry is so mind blowing it can actually send someone over the edge. They have a beautiful location and I hope they share the same attitude that I do about competing businesses. My hope is that someone visits Romaldo's on Tuesday...and then Rovezzi's on Wednesday. Every ones happy!.

I truly do wish them sucess and prosperity...

But then there are the rice balls.

In Italian they are called "arancini" it means "little oranges" due to the fact that they are deep fried to a golden brownish-orange color. Well, Romaldo's menu features rice balls...and so does mine. (one of my eyebrows slowly raises,.. I fold my arms in resentment)

I have not yet tasted said rice balls, but you can be sure that other folks have praised the absolute perfection that envelopes the balls. (my neck muscles tense up,...I become suddenly aware of the position of my feet).

Although I welcome competition, I am VERY protective of my balls. How could someone Else's be better. I've been working on them for years! Constantly changing recipes, altering the amount of rice, the amount of cheese, the type of cheese. Even the oil that they are fried in! I do not come to the final product willy nilly... It's been a process. A long, heartfelt search to produce the finest rice balls available In the tri-community area. (my arms flail!... I shake my fist at the Gods!)

Well, Welcome to town Romaldo's! The gauntlet has been thrown down! Create your best. I am ready...I am waiting...BRING THE PAIN. (standing straight and defiant)

As the chairmen says..."ALL ET CUISINE!"

seriously though..Good luck guys, your'e in for a hell of a ride. If you ever need anything, I'm right down the street.

Chef Chris

p.s. Can you believe I worked in the phrase "willy nilly?"

Holy Macarel

So everything is going to be OK now.....right?

I mean, Barack is Pres., Bush is out. Michelle's a hip first Lady, Biden hair transplant is still looking great...HAZZAH!!

Last night I went out to the bar to greet some guests and some of them were discussing the days events. The inauguration was impressive to say the least, a true historic event. I was choked up during the entire speech.

But that's where my opinion must end. You see, I am a business owner. I deal with the public. I have been and must remain impartial to any political view or stance. it's in the small business handbook. "Do not share political or religious views with customers or potential customers" Period. Makes sense right. Given how passionate folks are about their affiliation. It would be economical suicide to alienate myself from people who might want me to cook them a nice meal.

So there in the middle I stood. For 8 years. Always nodding, smiling, hand gesturing. Letting the customer rant while I place a plate of calamari in front of them. I knew my role and had no problem playing it.

Now, I don't want you to think that I am devoid of political opinion. Just the opposite. I have educated myself enough to pick a side. I have STRONG feelings about the issues. But they will remain inside, only to be discussed with my wife and certain close friends.

But...

Something happened last night. Something that changes the game a bit. One of the staunch conservatives that I visited at the bar last night told me something. He, and his wife, Are supporting Obama. Giving him every benefit of the doubt. Hoping that he succeeds in doing everything that he claims he will do. Because we need it. We...he said We... He didn't mean just he and his wife, he meant ALL of us. Democrats, republicans, independents, libertarians, agnostics....all of us. For sure he was right, We do need it. Everyone's in this boat together.

At that moment I felt like I could finally speak up. If these two people were willing to be open about change, maybe sharing my thoughts with folks wouldn't be such a bad thing anymore. Maybe things truly are changing. Well the time has come I thought. No more was I going to play the role f the diplomat. My head is heavy with thoughts and feelings about the presidency, the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan... I gathered my thoughts, threw my kitchen towel over my shoulder, planted my feet firmly and looked them straight in the eye and said, "did you guys enjoy your veal tonight?"

Thud.

I couldn't do it. The bottom line is I am a diplomat. I always have been. It really has nothing to do with being a business owner. I have always avoided confrontation. I've never enjoyed arguing. Maybe that's why I've been somewhat successful as an owner. I put out the fires instead of fueling them. I'm like the Captain Kirk of the restaurant biz. My job as a Chef/owner is to provide an experience wherein the guest feels totally comfortable. Remember the phrase, "the customer's always right?" Well, that's my job. To make them feel right.

Am I happy about our new President? Come to the restaurant, order a drink, let me cook you tonight's special, and we'll discuss it....

Saturday night Stars

The stars are my customers. I love them. I honestly do. And just like me and my father, I don't tell them often enough.

We were extremely busy at the restaurant tonight, typical for a Saturday night, and the mix of people that dined with us this evening was a joy to encounter. Well, not all of them were a joy, but you take the good with the bad. One table in particular truly made my night. Two couples, both in their mid forties. The ladies were kind and polite and gracious. the gentlemen were eaters. I LOVE eaters. The gentlemen ordered "Trust the Chef". That's where you put yourself in my hands and you let me decide what you are going to have for dinner. You can't edit the order...meaning give the server a list of things that you don't want. You have to completely hand over you palette to me.



So they did. And they loved it. They asked me to come out to the table, which I enjoy, and they personally thanked me. One of the gentlemen told me that while he was eating he paused to comment, "now THIS, is cooking." That statement alone summed up my entire existence as a Chef. All I want out of this volatile career is to be able to elicit a reaction like that out of someone I have just fed. I very humbly thanked him and his party. And told them all I can ask is please join us again.



I think they will.



So, I was happy tonight.

Happy to be cooking for sure. When I'm behind the line buried in orders and saute pans, running out of prepped food, 6 tickets behind, Floor manager yelling at me because we just ran out of salmon, fillet Mignon, and veal, calling my wife at home to get her to go to the all night supermarket for cannelinni beans (she loved that!), eyeglasses cover in splattered grease to the point where I cant read the orders and not one second to spare to clean them, food runner...and manager...taking the wrong dishes to the wrong table,... when I'm in the middle of all that...I'm happy. It's my world. It's where I feel most comfortable. Well, okay, where I am most comfortable is on the couch with Tracy under one arm and Eddie under the other. But absent of that the kitchen is my home.



Now I don't want you to think that I went the whole night blowing sunshine and roses out of my ass...I had some stressful moments. Strangely enough it had nothing to do with the list of foibles in he preceding paragraph. Two customer tonight refused to eat their dinner. The said it was "tough" and the couldn't even cut it. They both order grilled flat iron steak, which is slightly similar to London broil. A very nice cut of meat, no too expensive. I hate it when something leaves the kitchen that does not live up to someones expectations. I inspected the dish and although I disagreed with their opinion I realize it was their opinion and really that's the only thing that matters. The bottom line is I wanted to make them whatever they wanted to make sure they left happy. And I think they did. I just take it so personal when someone doesn't like something. It devastates me, even if only for a short moment. It's a insecurity issue. I cant remember a time when I was'nt insecure. I got over it quickly and finished the night. It's something that I continue to work on within myself. In this business you need to accept the fact that you WILL NOT please every person. It sounds logical right? It would be impossible. My mind isn't 100% around it yet...but I'm working on it.

And YES... Even those two people were stars. They chose to come and spend the evening with us tonight over any other restaurant and for that I am tremendously appreciative.

Wanna be a star? call 508 347 0100. Make a reservation. Sit, relax, drink, order a "trust the chef". i promise we will do our best to make you twinkle.

WOW, that was the goofiest line I ever wrote. "make you twinkle"...who talks like that.

See Ya
Chef Chris

Cold

Yes,... It's very cold outside. Everyone is talking about it. It's painfully cold. Bitter,Biting cold.
But here's the thing, we live in England and it gets this way every year. It's no different now than any other January. But each year certain people are freaked out by the drop in temperature like it is the first time they've experienced it. These are the same people that rush to the grocery store to bulk up on canned goods and bottles water each time there is a snow storm coming. I have a solution for these people...and anyone else feeling chilly this winter. Rovezzi's. Yes that's right, my restaurant.

I just read in our local newspaper than the town has set up a couple of "warming stations". These are places that folks can drop into to get out of the weather. The library is one, the senior center is another. Well, I am officially announcing that Rovezzi's Restaurant is offering its services as a warming station.

My restaurant will be a much more practical warming station due to the fact that you can eat and drink while you are here. Whether you desire a full blown 5 course dinner or just a cup of coffee and a biscotti. Come in, relax enjoy the warmth from not only our central heating system but from our staff as well. My philosophy is once someone enters my doors, they automatically become part of our extended family. Whether they choose to stay part of the family is up to them. The offer is there. To be waited on is such a wonderful feeling during the cold season especially when the servers actually ENJOY what they are doing.

So that's my message to you. If you live in or around our area (Sturbridge Ma.) please feel free to drop in. If I am here...and I'm always here...I will personally cook you something. You can even "special order". I don't mind. I take it as a challenge.

See you soon!

Juggernaut

That's what the National Restaurant Association is calling the Food and Beverage Industry. Apparently every dollar spent in a restaurant generates another $2 in spending in related industries. The industry represents 4% of the Gross National Product of the United States and employs 9% of the U.S. workforce. The forecast for 2009 shows that full service and quick service restaurant sales will increase an average of 3%. Not bad in a recession eh? My opinion is it all comes down to a few simple facts. (these are MY opinions and are backed by absolutely NO research whatsoever!)
1. There will always be a large segment of our population that does not want to cook at home.
2. There will always be a small segment of the population that is stubborn, and no news of a recession is going to keep them from enjoying their favorite meal at their favorite eatery.
3. Consumers...or humans...will always desire socialization. Basically, we want to hang out with other folks and forget our economic troubles for a couple of hours.

OK, one at a time.
Convenience. Given that allot of families today have both parents working, the last thing either one of them wants to do when they get home is prepare a meal for the household. A quick bite out or a family size take out order takes the burden off.

Stubbornness. My restaurant is located in a small New England Town. It snows...every year. And no matter what, a good number of my regular customers will jump in the SUV and brave the storm to come and have dinner. Basically, no stupid snowstorm is going to stop them! This is the attitude that they are taking with the economy. It's not going to stop them. I realize things are bad out there. People are losing jobs, and retirements, but Many of the folks in my town are still working...still collecting the same paycheck every week...and are still hungry.

Socialization. This is the most important one. For me anyway. It just so happens that my restaurant is a great place to meet. It's warm, comfortable, unpretentious. We are known for some of the finest food in the area and our staff immediately treats you as if you have been here before. We remember names, birthdays, favorite drinks, favorite desserts. The experience while dining is more important now more than ever. People may not be dining out as often, but when they do they want to make DAMN sure they receive a great experience at a value. They also want to go where everyone else is going. So...my staff and I work extremely hard to make sure we deliver great food, great service and comfortable atmosphere at a value. Value doesn't mean cheap or less expensive. It means that the customer feels they have received more than they actually paid for. My families philosophy has always been to exceed the customers expectations. We aren't perfect...but we're trying real friggin hard!

Having said all this, I dont want you to think that we restauratuers have it easy. We are faced with all the economic struggles that any business is facing. Rising costs of just about every item we purchase. Higher utility costs. Higher insurances. Higher taxes. This industry has always been unbelievably competitive. And above all that, every week there is another idiot planning to open a restaurant! I dont mean to sound harsh but I've seen it so many times. People who have NEVER been in the business before take their life savings and go for it. They think it's cool or glamorous. They think that all their friends and relatives will come and support them. they love to cook at home...and the nieghbors are always complimenting them on the dinner parties they throw, so why not? It's one of the reasons why banks HATE to lend money to restaurants. The failure rate is so high due to the fact that too many of these start-ups close within 6 months.

Ok, enough ranting. I'll probably write an article on here just dealing with that subject.

Anyway...Juggernaut, thats what we are...apparently. To tell te truth, I'm gonna have to look up the definition of the word. It sounds cool though doesnt it? Something big and powerful. I used to have a comic book with a character called The Juggernaut. He was this huge, musclebound figure with unstoppable power. He could run through concrete walls. Not sure if he could cook though, I'll have to research that.