On The Line

O.K.  Now that I have had time to decompress (and take a nap).  This is what it looks like during the daytime service:

Me and the boss:

A plate of treats:

Thanks for the photos Uncle Matt:

d Bar Daze

I have been asked several times now, "what is it like working with Chef Gerhardt?".  Hmmmm... I am moved to wax poetic... 

The air up there is perfumed with Madagascar vanilla beans blended and with Kirsch.  There is the ever present, heady aroma of flour.  The kitchen is permeated with the smell of Guanaja 70% chocolate laced with the essence of espresso and there is bing cherries infused with wine set to reduce on the induction tops.  There is continual laughter and delight when a customer is presented with Cake and Shake or D=MC3.  There is the music of world beat coming from invisible speakers and the gentle hum of the kitchen from behind me as I assist Chef Gerhardt at the open dessert bar in front of the guests.

In a word... surreal.

It is not what I expected as I come from more of a savory bent.  There is a lot of precision as we are measuring out for his new signature dessert "Chocolate Namelaka" (crema gelato topped with macadamia crumble, highlighted with burnt orange caramel sauce) or the "Pineapple Spring Rolls over Apple and Fennel Slaw" (completely fat free and gluten free), to be served at Tag, a new restaurant by Chef Troy Guard down in the heart of Larimer Square.

So, what is it like?  I guess you will have to come down and taste for yourself.  

d Bar

Every once in a while, in someone's life, they get the chance of a life time.  Today must be mine.  Through circumstances that I will not bore you with, I have been offered a job to work alongside Chef Keegan Gerhardt at his Denver restaurant "D Bar Desserts". 

Yes, the Chef Gerhardt.  If you are not familiar with his name, you are probably familiar with his face.  He is one of the judges for the Food Networks "Food Network Challenge" (he's the one with the funky glasses, not the bald head).

I am starting this new position tomorrow as we will be prepping for an event at the Denver Botanical Gardens.  This will not affect my day job as owner of MOD, Inc., it will just give me the opportunity to train under one of the most highly touted pastry chefs in America.

Where could this lead???

I will keep you posted.

Egg Love

You should know by now that I am a big fan of the egg.  What other food can provide it's own natural sauce?

Here is breakfast that I put together for MODmom to put on her blog for the Wednesday blog event led by Jane over at Spain Daily.

Nothing incredible, just soft boiled eggs over sautéed onions, spinach and garlic on homemade toast with parmesan shavings.

Magic Mike and His Flying BBQ

I am blessed!!!  I have a father-in-law who, upon retirement, decided to do something that has global implications.  As soon as his retirement was official he dumped his old, worn out little gas grill and purchased two barbecues, one that is a dual chamber wood grill and a gas grill.  While the gas grill gets occasional use, it is his wood grill that has become the work horse.  

Now, Magic Mike has not been retired all that long.  I think it has been all of two or three years now and he has always had a good hand on the grill (although, I do recall bbq breast of chicken back in 1997 that were just a bit overdone) he has completely mastered the art of hot smoking in his dual chamber grill.  We literally can not eat at a "bbq" joint now because of his PHENOMENAL grilling and smoking.  I have never had pork ribs like his.

So, as it is spring today, I will present you with the first pork loin of the year - courtesy of Magic Mike and His Flying BBQ.  It is all applewood smoked for approximately 4 hours with Magic Mike's homemade BBQ sauce.  

If I could only get him to open his own BBQ shack...

Just look at the smoke ring (sounds like the "aromatics" at a BB King concert).

Jamie's Dinners

My apologies for not posting lately.  Business is picking up in the Denver area and I have had to focus a lot of time to MOD, Inc.  Gotta pay the bills you know.

A long lost relative has returned (or so it feels).  You see, my bohemian brother-in-law and his equally bohemian wife (some of the sweetest people you will meet) borrowed my copy of Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver (sshh, don't tell the kids - he is known as the naked chef.  You will have to find out why for your self) from me about 100 years ago.  O.K. it was only about 6 months ago.  Since they live in Juarez, Mexico (you say JUAREZ?  Click here and you will see why) it was a bit difficult to get it back to Colorado (just short of hiring the CIA to get it back here).  So, they were here last week and returned my beloved copy.  Never mind that they were here for Christmas and could possibly have smuggled it across the border for me.  I must say that after I got it back there was some mild caressing involved.

This is the most worn, stained cookbook in my collection.  I know, I know, it would behoove me to say that it is my Culinary Institute of America text book or my French Laundry cookbook or even something by Gordon Ramsay. No, this is the go to book.  It is full of meals that are easy to prepare, taste like it was prepared by a trained chef and presents absolutely beautiful.

So, go to the bookstore, or Amazon or where ever and pick up a copy today. It is very high on my recommended read list.

Tom Colicchio's Bald Head

I am blogging about Top Chef today because it is about bloody time! I have to question what is in Tommy boy's bald head?  He really screwed up last night (he is the top judge) on the elimination challenge.  Why in the Sam hills would you send Fabio home over Stephan?  So Fabio put an italian twist into his Creole food?  Stephan was making authentic gumbo and did not blacken his roux! (for those who do not cook, this is a big deal)  Now I have lived in the deep south with a trip through New Orleans that included eating gumbo on the bad side of town and that gumbo has a deep rich, almost blackish brown color to it.  Now my complaint is not that he is an arrogant meat head, my complaint is that they did not choose the lesser of the dishes.

Maybe it is because he drives us nuts and that makes us watch?

All I know is, he better not win, I have just switched my vote to the home town boy, Hosea.