I met a fellow chef, yesterday at the Interim Café (previous chef owner of Newsroom on Roberston) located on Wilshire at 6th Street inside the Verona building. What a cool place, very varied menu with spot on flavors. Reasonably priced. Take out type of atmosphere with small sit-down area inside and outside. Place is jammed but service is quick! Worth the wait and a lot better than the take out at Whole Foods, in my opinion.I also love the fact that I can always find 2 hour parking right there.
Anyway, my friend who is a fellow private chef gave me a tip on $9.99 a pound of Maine (actually Canadian) lobster, on sale at Santa Monica Seafood, a few blocks away on 10th Street at Wilshire. After lunch, I ran over there and grabbed two 1-1/2 lb live ones.
That evening, I prepared a toned down version of Lobster FraDiavolo with a high quality semolina linguini from Italy. Basically, I was able to put together a restaurant-quality meal for four of us, for less than $40. including the $7 pound of pasta.
2 Lobsters (3 lb total)
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
½ tsp. Chili Flakes (optional)
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Shallot, minced
128 ounce can Muir Glen Crushed Tomatoes (or tomatoes of choice)
2 tbsp. Chiffonade of Basil
¾ lb. pasta cooked, al dente and drained
Place a stockpot with 2 inches of water on stove, salt (2 tsp) and cover; bring to a rapid boil. Quickly drop live lobsters into the pot and cover. Try to keep the boil high so that you don’t let the lobsters suffer more than they need to. Steam the lobsters for approximately 10-14 minutes. Remove and let cool. I save the shell and freeze it for future bisque use. Pull all of the meat out of the tail and claws, chop into bite-size chunks and combine with the juice from the shell. Meanwhile, get your sauce started - sauté garlic and chili peppers in olive oil until lightly browned, then add crushed tomatoes straight from the can. Season the sauce with a little salt and lower the flame to a simmer. After 10 minutes add the basil and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Now toss the lobster and juice mix into the sauce in pan and heat through. Finally, toss the cooked pasta into the pan and swirl. It’s ready to serve.
We had the pasta dish with toasted Buona Forchetta baguette, rubbed with raw garlic and Vermont Creamery butter. This meal took ½ hour to prepare. Not a bad choice for a Tuesday night. Brought me back to my days of living in Maine.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Private Chef Workshops
Tricks of the Private Chef Trade
Workshop by June Pagan, Private Chef
Workshop #1 “Cooking Your Way to Job Security”
Small Class Size (6-8 students, face-to-face approach)
8 Hour course (one day)
Price: $175.00
Hours: 10AM- 6PM
Dates: To be arranged - call or email for current information
Location: Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Instructor: June Pagan, Los Angeles private chef since 1985
http://www.junepagan.com/
310.823.0929 office
310.832.0509 cell
e-mail:junepagan@verizon.net
The purpose of this workshop is to teach the student how to deliver simple, healthy and flavorful meals to their family or employer’s family.
We start the morning with a trip to Gelson’s Market, where I will guide you through the aisles and provide you with shopping tips and invaluable information about product selection.
Upon our return to the kitchen, the face-to-face demonstration cooking will begin, starting with breakfast-type breads and a discussion about the morning meal, including a hands-on preparation of the most intimidating “poached egg.”
As we move on to lunch options, there will be an in-depth discussion about the role of the private chef with abundant tips for effective work habits, such as CAYG (Clean As You Go), When In Doubt (Throw It Out), and “Garnish ,Garnish, Garnish” (presentation). We will also touch briefly on Front Service (dining room skills and strategies).
By dinner, we will be focusing on the details that make a meal “Top Notch,” Our clients are refined and have discriminating palates. They demand well-prepared meals that are a joy to consume. By providing this service to them you are building “Job Security”
Here are some sample recipes that we will be offering:
· Roast Salmon Croquettes “Old Bay” with a variety of sauces
· Asian Inspired Piedmontese New York Steak, Pan Grilled
· Oven Rotisserie Chicken with Apricot “Saucy Susan” Sauce
· Thanksgiving Turkey Burger
· Grilled Miso Shallot Chicken Salad
· Whole Wheat Walnut Bread
· The perfect Apple Pie
· She Devil Mocha Flourless Cake
Included with this workshop will be recipes of all dishes prepared and a list of recommended reading, as well as resources for product used in the workshop.
For a successful learning experience, be sure to have a pen and a notepad, and good night’s sleep. It will be intense!
Thank you,
June Pagan
Workshop by June Pagan, Private Chef
Workshop #1 “Cooking Your Way to Job Security”
Small Class Size (6-8 students, face-to-face approach)
8 Hour course (one day)
Price: $175.00
Hours: 10AM- 6PM
Dates: To be arranged - call or email for current information
Location: Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Instructor: June Pagan, Los Angeles private chef since 1985
http://www.junepagan.com/
310.823.0929 office
310.832.0509 cell
e-mail:junepagan@verizon.net
The purpose of this workshop is to teach the student how to deliver simple, healthy and flavorful meals to their family or employer’s family.
We start the morning with a trip to Gelson’s Market, where I will guide you through the aisles and provide you with shopping tips and invaluable information about product selection.
Upon our return to the kitchen, the face-to-face demonstration cooking will begin, starting with breakfast-type breads and a discussion about the morning meal, including a hands-on preparation of the most intimidating “poached egg.”
As we move on to lunch options, there will be an in-depth discussion about the role of the private chef with abundant tips for effective work habits, such as CAYG (Clean As You Go), When In Doubt (Throw It Out), and “Garnish ,Garnish, Garnish” (presentation). We will also touch briefly on Front Service (dining room skills and strategies).
By dinner, we will be focusing on the details that make a meal “Top Notch,” Our clients are refined and have discriminating palates. They demand well-prepared meals that are a joy to consume. By providing this service to them you are building “Job Security”
Here are some sample recipes that we will be offering:
· Roast Salmon Croquettes “Old Bay” with a variety of sauces
· Asian Inspired Piedmontese New York Steak, Pan Grilled
· Oven Rotisserie Chicken with Apricot “Saucy Susan” Sauce
· Thanksgiving Turkey Burger
· Grilled Miso Shallot Chicken Salad
· Whole Wheat Walnut Bread
· The perfect Apple Pie
· She Devil Mocha Flourless Cake
Included with this workshop will be recipes of all dishes prepared and a list of recommended reading, as well as resources for product used in the workshop.
For a successful learning experience, be sure to have a pen and a notepad, and good night’s sleep. It will be intense!
Thank you,
June Pagan
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Who Can Afford to Go Organic
Lets, face it, most of us cannot afford to provide organic foods to our families, even if we decide to adopt a Vegan lifestyle and eat only, vegetables, fruits nuts and seeds. I am managing to do so for my family but I am a professional cook with thirty five years of knowledge in the field of health cooking and I know my way around town. On any given day I waste gallons of gas picking up “clean food” at the various markets that I frequent. The cost of providing these foods has nearly tripled our budget and shopping time.
Take a typical single low income (and the number is rising) parent in Los Angeles, generally a mother. She gets her children off to school long before the morning bell rings so that they can have a subsidized breakfast of GMO grain sweetened cereal, milk(I don’t even want to go there), and perhaps a piece of fruit which they will probably toss out. After the mother lovingly and painfully drops her kids off to breakfast and a day at school she scurries off to her job, perhaps at a Beverly Hills home where she is a housekeeper making a damn good wage of $15 per hour with out benefits, since the employer has her working only part time, four twelve hour days instead of five eight hour days. Of course she volunteered to do this so that she could have three days with her children; only the employer wants her to work weekends. She dare not refuse him.
If she earns enough money to own a car, pay insurance and maintenance, and has a place to park off the street, she is lucky, which is generally not the case. Keeping a car in Los Angeles is hard for the single parent but an absolute necessity. Somehow, she manages to get to her job and she puts in a hard day while her children attend school and then the afternoon Star Program which basically baby sits the children until mom can pick them up .It’s always frantic at this point because it is “rush hour”
So now mom has her kids safely with her and they need to rush home to finish homework, have dinner and get ready for the next day. Hopefully they are well and no one is sick with the flu, or any other child hood ailment that needs medical attention. Now mom has to think about preparing dinner, do you think that she is thinking about buying organics? She goes to the closest market to her home and buys the least expensive foods or the most convenient foods. She is not concerned and cannot afford to be concerned about the quality of the food her family is consuming, she relies on the FDA to keep them from the doctors office .She does not recognize the difference between a sixteen dollar free range chicken and a four dollar toxic bird. She says to herself “I wish that I could feed my children the way my employer feeds his. Tonight he is feeding his kids Vintage New York Steak on the grill with organic russet potatoes topped with organic sour cream from a creamery in Sonoma and locally grown asparagus ,because his wife is asking him to go “green.”
So now mom has to shop and prepare dinner for her children. Tonight they are having Hamburger Helper made with two dollar chuck, perhaps she will throw in a little frozen broccoli which she picks up on sale for less than a dollar because she heard somewhere that cruciferous vegetables were healthy for you. In addition to that she buys a corn-laden GMO and enough MSG to flavor a piece of cardboard dessert of pretty little animal shaped cookies for the kids. They will wash it down with a corn sweetened imitation juice.
I am standing in line behind her and watching and my heart is bleeding. I have just come from my job as a private chef. Tonight I made Vintage New York Steak on the grill with organic russet potatoes topped with organic sour cream from a creamery in Sonoma and locally grown asparagus because his wife is asking him to go “green.”
Take a typical single low income (and the number is rising) parent in Los Angeles, generally a mother. She gets her children off to school long before the morning bell rings so that they can have a subsidized breakfast of GMO grain sweetened cereal, milk(I don’t even want to go there), and perhaps a piece of fruit which they will probably toss out. After the mother lovingly and painfully drops her kids off to breakfast and a day at school she scurries off to her job, perhaps at a Beverly Hills home where she is a housekeeper making a damn good wage of $15 per hour with out benefits, since the employer has her working only part time, four twelve hour days instead of five eight hour days. Of course she volunteered to do this so that she could have three days with her children; only the employer wants her to work weekends. She dare not refuse him.
If she earns enough money to own a car, pay insurance and maintenance, and has a place to park off the street, she is lucky, which is generally not the case. Keeping a car in Los Angeles is hard for the single parent but an absolute necessity. Somehow, she manages to get to her job and she puts in a hard day while her children attend school and then the afternoon Star Program which basically baby sits the children until mom can pick them up .It’s always frantic at this point because it is “rush hour”
So now mom has her kids safely with her and they need to rush home to finish homework, have dinner and get ready for the next day. Hopefully they are well and no one is sick with the flu, or any other child hood ailment that needs medical attention. Now mom has to think about preparing dinner, do you think that she is thinking about buying organics? She goes to the closest market to her home and buys the least expensive foods or the most convenient foods. She is not concerned and cannot afford to be concerned about the quality of the food her family is consuming, she relies on the FDA to keep them from the doctors office .She does not recognize the difference between a sixteen dollar free range chicken and a four dollar toxic bird. She says to herself “I wish that I could feed my children the way my employer feeds his. Tonight he is feeding his kids Vintage New York Steak on the grill with organic russet potatoes topped with organic sour cream from a creamery in Sonoma and locally grown asparagus ,because his wife is asking him to go “green.”
So now mom has to shop and prepare dinner for her children. Tonight they are having Hamburger Helper made with two dollar chuck, perhaps she will throw in a little frozen broccoli which she picks up on sale for less than a dollar because she heard somewhere that cruciferous vegetables were healthy for you. In addition to that she buys a corn-laden GMO and enough MSG to flavor a piece of cardboard dessert of pretty little animal shaped cookies for the kids. They will wash it down with a corn sweetened imitation juice.
I am standing in line behind her and watching and my heart is bleeding. I have just come from my job as a private chef. Tonight I made Vintage New York Steak on the grill with organic russet potatoes topped with organic sour cream from a creamery in Sonoma and locally grown asparagus because his wife is asking him to go “green.”
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What’s all the buzz about Quinoa?
I have to admit that I wasn’t all that impressed by the flavor or texture of quinoa when I first tasted it. Then I did some research about the grain and discovered that it had many healthy attributes that go far beyond the flavor. I found out that:
Quinoa is in the fruit family and is very easy to digest.
The nutritional properties in quinoa are very similar to mother’s milk (great for Vegans and non-dairy consumers)
1 Cup of cooked Quinoa has as much calcium as a quart of milk
Quinoa is rich in folate
It is 60% higher in protein than wheat, barley, corn and rice
The protein in quinoa has all of the Essential Amino Acids present
Quinoa is high in lysine which is rare in the plant kingdom
It is low in gluten, great for gluten free baking but does not really work that well for bread, from my experience
Quinoa is a high fiber slow release carbohydrate which is good for diabetics
It is an alkaline grain compared to other grains that are considered acidic
Quinoa is rich in magnesium, manganese, and copper, elements that combat stress, relaxes blood vessels, great for migraines and the heart.
Quinoa is rich in lignans, which may be a protector against hormone related cancers, such as breast cancer.
The highest quality quinoa comes from Bolivia and Peru.
Altiplano is the sweet delicate ivory colored variety that grows 12,500 feet above sea level.
Quinoa is in the fruit family and is very easy to digest.
The nutritional properties in quinoa are very similar to mother’s milk (great for Vegans and non-dairy consumers)
1 Cup of cooked Quinoa has as much calcium as a quart of milk
Quinoa is rich in folate
It is 60% higher in protein than wheat, barley, corn and rice
The protein in quinoa has all of the Essential Amino Acids present
Quinoa is high in lysine which is rare in the plant kingdom
It is low in gluten, great for gluten free baking but does not really work that well for bread, from my experience
Quinoa is a high fiber slow release carbohydrate which is good for diabetics
It is an alkaline grain compared to other grains that are considered acidic
Quinoa is rich in magnesium, manganese, and copper, elements that combat stress, relaxes blood vessels, great for migraines and the heart.
Quinoa is rich in lignans, which may be a protector against hormone related cancers, such as breast cancer.
The highest quality quinoa comes from Bolivia and Peru.
Altiplano is the sweet delicate ivory colored variety that grows 12,500 feet above sea level.
The Valley variety grows at 70,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level and is very common in Peru.
Not as common, is the Chenopodium Quinoa which is a rare organic quinoa grown on small family owned plots at over 12,000 feet in the Andean Plateu in Bolivia.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Yes We Can!
Pay it Forward
By going to www.vanilla.com, the go to resource for all tropical products, weekly recipes, tips, and a blog section titled “Yes We Can” about socially conscious projects in developing countries, a section for farmers, book reviews, info and articles about all tropical commodities and how to use them (especially tea, chocolate, coffee and vanilla)
The goal of the creator, Patricia Rain aka the Vanilla Queen is for people on developed countries to have a better understanding of the political, social, and environmental issues of the tropics and why WE MUST support those who live there and grow the crops WE LOVE!
If the tropics go, our planet goes.
For socially conscious companies interested in advertising on their site or to purchase premium quality vanilla at a great price, go to www.vanilla.com. Or call Gina at 800.757.7511. Shipments are on Tuesday.
By going to www.vanilla.com, the go to resource for all tropical products, weekly recipes, tips, and a blog section titled “Yes We Can” about socially conscious projects in developing countries, a section for farmers, book reviews, info and articles about all tropical commodities and how to use them (especially tea, chocolate, coffee and vanilla)
The goal of the creator, Patricia Rain aka the Vanilla Queen is for people on developed countries to have a better understanding of the political, social, and environmental issues of the tropics and why WE MUST support those who live there and grow the crops WE LOVE!
If the tropics go, our planet goes.
For socially conscious companies interested in advertising on their site or to purchase premium quality vanilla at a great price, go to www.vanilla.com. Or call Gina at 800.757.7511. Shipments are on Tuesday.
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Cast Party in Mississippi
Last night, over dinner with my husband, we were talking about the Deep South. He asked me, over a bowl of sizzling rice soup, if I had ever been to Mississippi. I remembered, while working for Sally Field as her personal chef, traveling to Natchitoches for one week, an invitation from Sally to cook for the cast of Steel Magnolias. I took the invitation, hesitantly even though I had no desire to go to Mid-Mississippi; this was not New Orleans by any stretch of the imagination.
I arrived on a 100 degree 75% humidity, summer day, the air as thick as molasses. A driver picked me up at the airport and delivered me to a large Antebellum home on the outskirts of town, near where the crew was filming. I checked into my room and then jumped into a rental car provided by Sally, to explore the food markets in the area. . I needed to design a menu based on availability. The dinner party for twenty plus guests, was three days away. The cast was complaining that the food resources were very limited. They had enough crayfish to last them a lifetime and wanted fresh ocean fish, in addition to real cheese. I realized, after the visit to the local Wal-Mart and the Louisiana meat pie shop that I would have to buy my staples in Los Angeles and have them shipped to me, by Delta Dash, within hours.
I had my friend Dino Colu an Italian food Purveyor from San Pedro, Ca. and a private chef colleague, Edwin Saks, put an order together, of fresh Ricotta cheese, Salmon, Parmigiana Reggiano, Semolina Flour for Gnocchi, Galbani Mascarpone. There would be no faux lasagna made here with cottage cheese and dried Italian grated cheese. Not at this dinner with guests such as Sam Shepard, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Shirley McLain, Dolly Parton. My reputation was on the line and I knew exactly how to win their homesick hearts over.
Dino and Edwin faithfully placed my order and delivered it to LAX, to board a Delta Dash flight into Nagitoches, arrival time 4:30PM. I drove a rental car over to my driver’s hotel and we set off to the airport in his vehicle. He knew his way around especially on the two lane highway heavily trafficked by truckers. Occasionally we had to access the occasional middle passing lane to get to the airport on time. We arrived exactly at 4:30PM, only to find out the package had missed the flight. The next incoming flight from L.A. was 9PM. What were we to do?
I suggested that we find a place to rest and revive, with a glass of good wine and good food. The only place in town was a pseudo gourmet restaurant, whose name escapes me right now. The restaurant did not have a wine list or a license and so they sent us up the road to a liquor store, you know the kind, attached to a gas station. I thought for sure that we would not find a decent bottle of wine in this store. I assumed that the best they had was perhaps jug wine, Mondavi. It turned out that I was wrong; the owner was a collector of fine vintages, for many years and he had his secret stash locked away in a case, way in the back of the store. Even the case was covered with a thin layer of dust and sitting in darkness. He dusted off the handle and presented us with my favorite red, Chateau Cheval Blanc, in my favorite vintage, 1979, at my favorite price $100 ( I would have paid double in Los Angeles) Cheval Blanc was a favorite of mine since it reminded me of the years that I worked as a yacht chef. When I was employed by the owner of the New York Islanders hockey team, as personal chef on the “Islander” yacht, the 1979 Cheval Blanc was our “house red” Those were decadent days. There was so much quality wine flowing that I would use it to make Beef Bourguignon. I would never think of doing that, today.
So we purchased the wine and returned to the restaurant and had a wonderful meal, cannot really remember the food but the wine carried the meal, for sure. We consumed every drop and then headed back to the airport to find our package intact and ready to go. We headed back to the drivers hotel, where my rental car was waiting, only a few country miles from Sally’s house. We made it back to the hotel sometime around 11PM. The entire town seemed to be shut down. It was real quiet on the streets. We transferred the package and I was off.
I must have been pretty tired from the day and in a hurry to get back to Sally’s house. Either that or I was still in an L.A. frame of mind, and didn’t realize that I was driving 50 mph in a 25mph zone. I mean, it didn’t make any sense to me to drive the speed limit since I was the only one on the road, at least I thought so until I saw the flashing red lights behind me, and they weren’t looking to pass.
So many thoughts went through my mind; this was the Deep South, after all... I had envisioned myself in a country jail having to call Sally from a cell at 1 AM in the morning. This would not fare well and I would most likely lose my job.
The country gentleman officer approached my vehicle and asked me for my license and registration. It was then, as a reached into my purse for identification, that I realized that I had not transferred my wallet. At that same moment the officer was asking me if I had anything to drink that evening. The jail cell image became more vivid. Being the honest person that I am, I relied with a sound “yes” I had a glass of wine with dinner, several hours prior .Well ,perhaps I told a little lie since, you and I both know, there was no way that I would leave any red in the bottle, not that wine.
He then asked me to exit the vehicle. As I opened the door, it swung back in my direction, throwing me back into my seat. It was a heavy door and this didn’t look good! I was starting to worry, now. I needed to start talking, and FAST. “I’m sorry, officer, that I was driving over the speed limit, I didn’t realize, I was a little nervous driving on these country roads and I was also late returning from the airport. Obviously I am not from here, I am from L.A. I am the chef for one of the principals of the movie that is being filmed here. I am their private chef. I am returning with a food pick up and need to get back ASAP. My boss has an early shoot and is probably asleep for hours, right now. I really don’t want to tell you who I am working for but I can tell you where the house is, it’s only a few blocks away, city blocks, that is. If I get arrested, I’ll probably get fired.”
The officer, being the country gentleman that he was, escorted me back to the house. Tipped his hat and said farewell. I was so relieved.
The next morning Sally and her family and I were sitting around the breakfast table. Alan, her husband asked me,”So, how do like it here in Natchitoches? Being the honest person that I am, I replied “I can’t wait to get back to Los Angeles; I almost got arrested last night. Sally’s jaw dropped but at least she didn’t have to visit me in jail.
The following day we had the cast party at the house. Dolly Parton arrived with her guitar on her shoulder, ready to play for the small group. It was a really nice group of professionals, Sam Shepard, Tom Skerritt, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, and Dylan McDermott. I found Julia Roberts and Daryl Hannah, quietly gathered in conversation by the buffet area, away from the crowd.
We served a great Italian/California fresh menu on pre Civil War Sterling Silver trays. The dinner was a success, and the following day, I returned to Los Angeles. Job well done!
June
Last night, over dinner with my husband, we were talking about the Deep South. He asked me, over a bowl of sizzling rice soup, if I had ever been to Mississippi. I remembered, while working for Sally Field as her personal chef, traveling to Natchitoches for one week, an invitation from Sally to cook for the cast of Steel Magnolias. I took the invitation, hesitantly even though I had no desire to go to Mid-Mississippi; this was not New Orleans by any stretch of the imagination.
I arrived on a 100 degree 75% humidity, summer day, the air as thick as molasses. A driver picked me up at the airport and delivered me to a large Antebellum home on the outskirts of town, near where the crew was filming. I checked into my room and then jumped into a rental car provided by Sally, to explore the food markets in the area. . I needed to design a menu based on availability. The dinner party for twenty plus guests, was three days away. The cast was complaining that the food resources were very limited. They had enough crayfish to last them a lifetime and wanted fresh ocean fish, in addition to real cheese. I realized, after the visit to the local Wal-Mart and the Louisiana meat pie shop that I would have to buy my staples in Los Angeles and have them shipped to me, by Delta Dash, within hours.
I had my friend Dino Colu an Italian food Purveyor from San Pedro, Ca. and a private chef colleague, Edwin Saks, put an order together, of fresh Ricotta cheese, Salmon, Parmigiana Reggiano, Semolina Flour for Gnocchi, Galbani Mascarpone. There would be no faux lasagna made here with cottage cheese and dried Italian grated cheese. Not at this dinner with guests such as Sam Shepard, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Shirley McLain, Dolly Parton. My reputation was on the line and I knew exactly how to win their homesick hearts over.
Dino and Edwin faithfully placed my order and delivered it to LAX, to board a Delta Dash flight into Nagitoches, arrival time 4:30PM. I drove a rental car over to my driver’s hotel and we set off to the airport in his vehicle. He knew his way around especially on the two lane highway heavily trafficked by truckers. Occasionally we had to access the occasional middle passing lane to get to the airport on time. We arrived exactly at 4:30PM, only to find out the package had missed the flight. The next incoming flight from L.A. was 9PM. What were we to do?
I suggested that we find a place to rest and revive, with a glass of good wine and good food. The only place in town was a pseudo gourmet restaurant, whose name escapes me right now. The restaurant did not have a wine list or a license and so they sent us up the road to a liquor store, you know the kind, attached to a gas station. I thought for sure that we would not find a decent bottle of wine in this store. I assumed that the best they had was perhaps jug wine, Mondavi. It turned out that I was wrong; the owner was a collector of fine vintages, for many years and he had his secret stash locked away in a case, way in the back of the store. Even the case was covered with a thin layer of dust and sitting in darkness. He dusted off the handle and presented us with my favorite red, Chateau Cheval Blanc, in my favorite vintage, 1979, at my favorite price $100 ( I would have paid double in Los Angeles) Cheval Blanc was a favorite of mine since it reminded me of the years that I worked as a yacht chef. When I was employed by the owner of the New York Islanders hockey team, as personal chef on the “Islander” yacht, the 1979 Cheval Blanc was our “house red” Those were decadent days. There was so much quality wine flowing that I would use it to make Beef Bourguignon. I would never think of doing that, today.
So we purchased the wine and returned to the restaurant and had a wonderful meal, cannot really remember the food but the wine carried the meal, for sure. We consumed every drop and then headed back to the airport to find our package intact and ready to go. We headed back to the drivers hotel, where my rental car was waiting, only a few country miles from Sally’s house. We made it back to the hotel sometime around 11PM. The entire town seemed to be shut down. It was real quiet on the streets. We transferred the package and I was off.
I must have been pretty tired from the day and in a hurry to get back to Sally’s house. Either that or I was still in an L.A. frame of mind, and didn’t realize that I was driving 50 mph in a 25mph zone. I mean, it didn’t make any sense to me to drive the speed limit since I was the only one on the road, at least I thought so until I saw the flashing red lights behind me, and they weren’t looking to pass.
So many thoughts went through my mind; this was the Deep South, after all... I had envisioned myself in a country jail having to call Sally from a cell at 1 AM in the morning. This would not fare well and I would most likely lose my job.
The country gentleman officer approached my vehicle and asked me for my license and registration. It was then, as a reached into my purse for identification, that I realized that I had not transferred my wallet. At that same moment the officer was asking me if I had anything to drink that evening. The jail cell image became more vivid. Being the honest person that I am, I relied with a sound “yes” I had a glass of wine with dinner, several hours prior .Well ,perhaps I told a little lie since, you and I both know, there was no way that I would leave any red in the bottle, not that wine.
He then asked me to exit the vehicle. As I opened the door, it swung back in my direction, throwing me back into my seat. It was a heavy door and this didn’t look good! I was starting to worry, now. I needed to start talking, and FAST. “I’m sorry, officer, that I was driving over the speed limit, I didn’t realize, I was a little nervous driving on these country roads and I was also late returning from the airport. Obviously I am not from here, I am from L.A. I am the chef for one of the principals of the movie that is being filmed here. I am their private chef. I am returning with a food pick up and need to get back ASAP. My boss has an early shoot and is probably asleep for hours, right now. I really don’t want to tell you who I am working for but I can tell you where the house is, it’s only a few blocks away, city blocks, that is. If I get arrested, I’ll probably get fired.”
The officer, being the country gentleman that he was, escorted me back to the house. Tipped his hat and said farewell. I was so relieved.
The next morning Sally and her family and I were sitting around the breakfast table. Alan, her husband asked me,”So, how do like it here in Natchitoches? Being the honest person that I am, I replied “I can’t wait to get back to Los Angeles; I almost got arrested last night. Sally’s jaw dropped but at least she didn’t have to visit me in jail.
The following day we had the cast party at the house. Dolly Parton arrived with her guitar on her shoulder, ready to play for the small group. It was a really nice group of professionals, Sam Shepard, Tom Skerritt, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, and Dylan McDermott. I found Julia Roberts and Daryl Hannah, quietly gathered in conversation by the buffet area, away from the crowd.
We served a great Italian/California fresh menu on pre Civil War Sterling Silver trays. The dinner was a success, and the following day, I returned to Los Angeles. Job well done!
June
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Private Chef Profile
Private chefs are not lazy people. As a matter of fact, the general belief is that we are all masochists. For a private chef, physical and emotional endurance are the order of the day. One must thrive on the stress of deadlines, as we are always “chasing the clock” to be on time for the meal. Always up for the challenge, with a strong will (like a bull terrier - able to take a blow without flinching an eyelid), we strive for perfection with attention to detail.
We are passionate about food and have an immense desire to please everyone by way of the palate. We are natural born caterers. We are well-rounded in our knowledge about cuisines of the world, which enables us to “Cook On Demand.” The best among also have a good eye for presentation. We must work swiftly and skillfully in the kitchen and clean as we go, as we endeavor to create an atmosphere of confidence and experience.
Private chefs tend to be lone wolves, often working alone. To do our best work, we must be 100% focused in almost. We are an independent and hardworking clan, and no one can take that away from us.
*Cooking on Demand” is a term that I coined back in 1989 while working for Al Pacino. I realized back then that it is all about pleasing the client's needs - not my own as a culinary artist. The private chef is hired to provide a service - an intimate personal service. The degree that we are able to do this in a seemingly effortless manner, will predict the degree of our success.
Private chefs are not lazy people. As a matter of fact, the general belief is that we are all masochists. For a private chef, physical and emotional endurance are the order of the day. One must thrive on the stress of deadlines, as we are always “chasing the clock” to be on time for the meal. Always up for the challenge, with a strong will (like a bull terrier - able to take a blow without flinching an eyelid), we strive for perfection with attention to detail.
We are passionate about food and have an immense desire to please everyone by way of the palate. We are natural born caterers. We are well-rounded in our knowledge about cuisines of the world, which enables us to “Cook On Demand.” The best among also have a good eye for presentation. We must work swiftly and skillfully in the kitchen and clean as we go, as we endeavor to create an atmosphere of confidence and experience.
Private chefs tend to be lone wolves, often working alone. To do our best work, we must be 100% focused in almost. We are an independent and hardworking clan, and no one can take that away from us.
*Cooking on Demand” is a term that I coined back in 1989 while working for Al Pacino. I realized back then that it is all about pleasing the client's needs - not my own as a culinary artist. The private chef is hired to provide a service - an intimate personal service. The degree that we are able to do this in a seemingly effortless manner, will predict the degree of our success.
Friday, July 3, 2009
A few introductory words...
I am very excited to start this blog. Over the past several months, I have been approached by many aspiring private chefs with questions as to the "in's and out's" of the business, particularly when it comes to servicing high-profile celebrities and CEO's. Their questions range from "Where do I purchase high quality clean ingredients?" - to - "How do I design a menu 'on the fly' - to "How do I negotiate for the job?"
Of course, aspiring private chefs are also keen to develop their repertoire. With that in mind, I will also be including celebrity-tested recipes.
Over the course of my 25+ years of experience as a private chef, I have acquired an insider's perspective - which I know will be helpful to those who aspire to achieve success. With the right approach and tools, the work of a private chef not only be a means of expressing one's culinary creativity, but will also provide a lucrative income.
Of course, aspiring private chefs are also keen to develop their repertoire. With that in mind, I will also be including celebrity-tested recipes.
Over the course of my 25+ years of experience as a private chef, I have acquired an insider's perspective - which I know will be helpful to those who aspire to achieve success. With the right approach and tools, the work of a private chef not only be a means of expressing one's culinary creativity, but will also provide a lucrative income.
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