The Human Pinball, Redux

Let's see...where did I leave off? In the last year, I bounced from Louisville to Beavercreek to Pembroke Pines. My last blog, oh, so long ago, was a rant about food and its appeal, both as SIMPLE nourishment and as (IMHO) a good substitute for sex. :)

That was November. December brought news that I was going to move, yet again, to the newest store opening in Naples. This time, it was a promotion to the Kitchen Manager position! So, between Christmas and the Super Bowl, I tried to learn EVERYTHING about the kitchen--inventory, ordering, recipes, scheduling, etc.

Super Bowl Sunday, I'm in the middle of work, when my GM walks through the kitchen and says, "we've got a conference call with [our Director of Operations] in 5." Gulp.

Turns out, there was a change of plans.

...again...Gulp.

Would I mind being switched over to the Bar Manager position?!?

Now, in my mind, I'm thinking, "Woo-hoo!! Bar Manager is the spot I wanted in the first place! It puts me out in the front of house with the guests, which is my strong suit, and I get to manage the coolest cost-center in the place!!"

To him, I say, "If that's where you need me, that's where I'll go!"

So, after a week and a half training in the bar, here I am managing the newest bar in the company. It's currently being built. I've been spending the last two weeks interviewing for the staff and putting together the draught list and liquor order/inventory guides.

I want our bar here in Pub Naples to have the best overall draught, bourbon, and single-malt scotch list, not only in Naples, but in the company.

I'm pretty excited!

In other news, I'm in a new apartment, obviously. This one is comfy. I like it. I have a screened-in lanai and a view of a lake. I'm less than 5 miles from the beach. It's a very pretty beach.

THIS is the place you want to come for a vacation, and I've got room!!

On food...my other passion...

Okay, so I should just come to the conclusion that updating this just isn't going to happen frequently. C'est la Vie.

I've always fashioned myself as a pretty good cook. I don't try to make Crepes or Lobster Bisque or anything REALLY fancy, but I try to make good food and, specifically, clean food. Nothing overly greasy or over 8 ingredients. Basically, my ideal meal is one that requires little "work," few ingredients, and tastes like, well, what it's made of. I'm kind of sick of everything being doused in sauces and demi-glaces and reductions. Now, yes, I can make a damn good reduction (see my seared sea scallops with a pomegranite reduction for example), and I can certainly put a sauce on anything, but I'm currently under the impression that FOOD TASTES GOOD ON ITS OWN!

You want meat? Have a steak. Order it medium AT MOST! Don't put A1 on it. Eat the meat. By itself. If you dare, put salt or pepper on it. And PLEASE, put FRESH pepper and sea salt on it!

You know what tastes good? Vegetables. Potatoes. Asparagus. Again, just cook them. Steam them, grill them, saute them...keep it simple.

You know what my mise en place consists of at home?

--salt
--pepper
--olive oil
--butter
--garlic
--onions
--parsley
--red wine

that's about it. And I'm sticking to that. Poor? no. Uninspired? Hardly.

In fact, right now I've got a stock pot reducing right now that's (hopefully) going to give me a really cool vegetarian sloppy joe made almost entirely of mushrooms. Woody, hearty, mushrooms. In fact, with the exception of the red wine, it's organic, too. :) Mix that with some good cheese, some soup with some crusty bread and some apple cider, and it's a perfect picnic lunch.

Jumping topics here, I don't believe in recipes for individual cooking. Restaurants, yes, absolute must. But if you're at home, and you're making dinner, the only thing you should be using is your mouth and your finger.

Consider if you will, my theory of "Food Math."

You know what a tomato tastes like, right? In fact, now that I'm talking about this, you're probably tasting a tomato, yes?!?

Onions? Garlic? Yep and yep, right?

You know what ground beef tastes like when browned off in a skillet.

You know what salt and pepper does to each, correct?

So, in theory, you should be able to put those flavors together to make a very simple meat sauce. Now, yes, you'll probably want to experiment with things like basil and Oregano and turmeric. How do you know what to add, and how much to add?

TASTE IT FIRST, TASTE IT OFTEN!!

That's the only way you're going to know when it's right, and what you need.

Leave the recipes for the Martha Stewart Soccer Moms (or, better yet, the Sarah Palin Hockey-Moms--she doesn't have anything better to do now, thank God!!). Be creative.

Food is sexy. It is erotic. Your mouth is one of the most sensitive areas of your body, and one of the biggest erogenous zones...tell me that when you bite into a juicy peach, dead in the middle of season, and the juices drip from your lower lip, down your fingers, and onto your chin, that that doesn't feel ridiculously sexy. Tell me that putting a soft, velvety spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream with fresh, warm raspberry sauce across your lips and onto your tongue doesn't arouse you.

And cooking should be foreplay. In practically every sense of the term. You want to know how a lover is going to be in bed? Make dinner with them.

Just don't do it naked.

Especially if you're tall.

Presenting--the Human Pinball!!

Yes, just six short months since I moved to Beavercreek, here I go moving out! This time, I've got a "destination!" Beautiful Pembroke Pines!!

"Pembroke Pines," you say? "Where the hell is that?!?"

It's the rich suburb between Hollywood and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida!

Warm, warm...well, okay, HOT weather, pretty people, and NO SNOW!!

I am going to miss snow...but not like I'd miss warm weather!

So, faithful and true readers (?!?), until I write again from the sunny beaches...

Have a good night, and a pleasant tomorrow!

independent of thought.

Well, my other blog used to occasionally start with "at the request of a cute blonde, I guess I need to update this." That was a couple years ago.

Now, it seems I'm getting the same request from a nearly identical cute blonde.

HA!

It's been about two months since I've moved to Beavercreek.

And what have I learned? I'm surprisingly a good manager!

I love my job. I love the people for whom and with whom I work!

Dayton sucks a bit, but I haven't ventured out too much, as I spend a lot of time at work, and a lot of time trying to be creative.

I have started writing--a lot more than I have in the past--trying to get thoughts organized, feelings out, etc. I guess you can say I've been confused and conflicted about a lot of things since I've moved here...a lot comes from the fact that I lead a pretty insular life.

I've also started writing a lot of music lately. Maybe i'll actually finish something!!

Hmm....what else...

I've seriously given consideration to taking cooking classes...if I won the lottery today, I'd promptly enroll at the CIA (that's the culinary institute for the arts, not the central intelligence agency).

I miss theatre dearly, and fear that I'll never return to it. It really is a muscle. (for me, a BIG muscle) that, if not used consistently, atrophies.

They're opening a restaurant in Michigan. Grand Rapids, I think.

Next year, I think Indy's on the list. I'm shooting to GM there. That'd be fun.

Ahh, the randomness of blogging.

Welcome to Beavercreek!

So, I've decided to start this blog as an attempt to keep something creative going on. I'm now in beautiful Beavercreek, OH, with my new position of Service Manager for a restaurant chain.

Today, I decided to take a few pictures of my new place...maybe it'll entice you to come visit me!!

The view from entering



And down the hallway



The Dining Room



The Kitchen



The Living Room







And upstairs...the Master Suite--yet to be "decorated"



The Master Bath



And My Recording Studio





So there you have it. I've got plenty of room, as you can tell...come visit!!