Chef Jeff's Culinary Blog

Another non-culinary post...

2011-09-14T23:09:00.002-04:00

You would think because I am a chef, there would be more posts about food! Well, not today, again...

Today, I am going to rant about my bank! They are going to take away "free checking" in favor of a monthly service fee. If I maintain a certain balance or have direct deposit, this fee is dismissed. They are also going to charge a monthly fee for using my check card, and it does not matter if I use it once or 100 times. When I first heard about this, it ticked me off a bit and started to wonder how I can get around this fee myself. Solution, become a cash man and only use the card at this banks ATM to avoid this small fee. But then I wondered, "Am I really this cheap"?

I do not believe what would equal a $60 a year fee to use my check card is a really big deal. but if a bank has a million users, and each has this monthly charge of $5, this equals $60 million dollars in income a year for almost doing nothing (most of this banking stuff is automated now, right?). I bet is actually translates to even more money. So if I only use my ATM and pay cash for everything, I will save that $60 a month and if everyone pulls together, we might save a bunch of money collectively.

Then I got to thinking, I really enjoy using my check card. Use it all of the time so why should I really change my habits. If you do not already know, much of my life revolves around Seinfeld (love the TV series, I find a little bit in everything I do and experience) and got to thinking about the episode when Jerry and Elaine are at the car rental place. The counter lady asks, "Would you like the insurance?" Jerry replies, "Yeah, you better give me the insurance. Because I'm gonna beat the hell out of this car!"

So I think I will buy a .50 pack of gum every day or purchase something really not worth the back end fees for the bank and store. I am just going to use the hell out of my check card on petty crap! Hey, if they are going to charge me and every other American a stupid little fee, why not stick it right back to them!

"Sticking it..."

Smoking...

2011-09-05T17:36:00.001-04:00

As a "chef", I have never really embraced the habit as smoking like most food service workers. I can not stand the smell and I just think it is disgusting. How can I be expected to cook my very best when my taste receptors have been alerted by smoke? How can you cook your very best for me when you are smoking? One thing I did have to accept as a chef is that my workers will smoke breaks. There is just no way around it. I tried at one point to ban smoking all together but everyone was at each others throats and blood was going to be spilled. I had to give in and let everyone start smoking again.

As a food service professional, I do have one simple request of restaurants, food business’s, and their workers...

Please do not stand out in front of your facility and smoke!

If you are a waiter, I do not want to handle my plate after you smoke. If you are a cook, I do not want you handling my food after you smoke. As a food bagger or counter worker at a grocery store, I do not want you handling my items after you smoke. At least, if I do not see you out front smoking, I do not have to know! It is one of the most unprofessional things a business can do to allow their employees to smoke out front of the store, any time of the day!

If I see you or your employees smoking out front of your business, I am much less likely to spend money in your establishment! I am just saying...and not spending...

What is going on?

2011-07-28T22:44:00.001-04:00

What the hell has been going on? Geeze it has been a while since I have posted. So I have been really pissy lately if that is really a word. This have just not been going very well but that is the breaks I guess! I am not going to sit here and complain a bunch, but instead, share some other insights and pointless ramblings!

- I really like playing Mah Jongg! It is a fun online game!
- Skunks really stink! Have some making home in our back yard. The dog does not appreciate!
- It is sometimes fun watching bad movies! Sometimes, they can still have a message.
- A toddler started running at my car the other day as I was driving in a parking lot. The mom was on her cell phone and did not even notice. I am glad I was going less then 5 mph!! SCARY!
- I am on a big lemonade kick right now! I love it and it is hard to get enough!
- We are seriously considering getting rid of cable television: 69 channels of nothing on! We mainly watch network television anyway. Plus they keep taking away channels. HHmmm; Save $65 for not much of anything? Sounds good to me!
- WOW it has been a pretty hot summer so far!
- How would you feel if you are doing a favor for an organization, getting paid nothing (zero, zilch), and you are told the job you are doing stinks? Kind of happened to me today!
- "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". I remember seeing that movie with my sister! That is what I feel like today! Just the name, not the movie.
- Weight loss is off track again and I want to get back into it. Tweaked the knee and it is sooo hot! I crave fall right now!

So cheers for tonight! I will try and do a better job tomorrow!

One more thing...

2011-05-21T23:02:00.002-04:00

Here is one more thing I am really pissed about...

Fandango

I called a local theater to find out the time a movie is starting and was directed to call Fandango at 800-blah-blah, and was greeted with a series of commercials, 5 to be exact before I could get the movie start time. What a waste! I will NEVER NEVER call that service again! It stinks, it sucks, and I hate it!! I want that 10 minutes of my life back!

Really Pissed Off...

2011-05-21T22:48:00.002-04:00

I am pissed tonight! Have had a pretty crappy day, getting ready to come off of a week of vacation. I guess I am mad at myself more than anything so I am going to just do a little ranting and raving:

- I hate restaurants that bitch and complain about their business when they need to take a look at what they are doing and make adjustments to SERVICE! It really is almost that simple.
- I went to get a haircut today. There was only one person attending to the shop. It is really hard to do business when you are not open and/or ready for business. You need to have a staff!
- I saw an episode of "Extreme Couponing". How do these people come up with 100 coupons for a single item? This one woman was so proud because she got $800 of groceries for $55. Looking at what she purchased, there was almost zero nutritional value to what she was buying. And why do we need 200 bottles of laundry detergent or a palate of toothpaste? Really? Come on man!
- Cell phones and the companies selling the phones and service really piss me off. I think I will keep my dumb phone for as long as I can. What a rip! I guess I could just not have one?? Man that would be really nice!
- I am not a child!!!
- I keep pressing "Publish Post" and nothing happens!!!!!!!!!!!
- I went to Google Chrome and posted this with no problem. I.E.9 really sucks! Not worth the time to even download!

So that is all of my bitching for now.

Progressing...

2011-04-10T22:13:00.002-04:00

After a small gain last week of 6 ounces, I was back on track this week and lost 4.5 pounds for a total loss of 48 pounds since Feb. 21. We are entering the last week of our works weight loss challenge so I need to work hard for the next 5 days! The real test begins Friday; I need to keep it up after that! Still have a bunch of weight to take off.

Here is something that really bugs me: SMOKING. I hate the smell and stench it leaves behind, but here is what I hate most...
I hate seeing a parent/person smoking while there is a kid strapped into a child seat in the back of the car. Even worse, 2 or 3 kids strapped in while that person puffs away with out a seeming care in the world. I really hate it for kids in that situation. At least as an adult, I can ask for you not to smoke, or I can choose not to ride. Horrible!

Am very glad spring is here. My back is feeling better finally! I am really tired though and wish I could get a serious nights sleep!

Lost 12.75 pounds last week...

2011-03-26T23:14:00.002-04:00

Lost 12.75 pounds last week...

But this was not the way I want to lose weight. I have pulled a muscle in my back and am in extreme pain right now. No appetite because of the pain. Total of 44.5 pounds lost since Feb. 21. (34 days). Hope I start feeling better soon. I miss the exercise!

Here are few more pointless ramblings:

- I discovered that I love Jonagold apples! They are awesome! Braeburn are also really good as well.

- People in Roanoke do not know how to drive for the most part. Stop on green, go on red, and merging off of an exit, forget about it!

- I generally do not take many drugs other than the occasional asprin or Excedrin. God bless the muscle relaxers last night! Had not slept for 3 nights in a row!

- I got a new keyboard and it is smooth!

- 8 years ago today, we moved into our house and that night, we go 4 inches of snow. We are supposed to get snow tonight! Kinda cool.

- It stinks being hurt and not being able to do the things you love to do!

Another good loss, -7.25#

2011-03-19T18:22:00.000-04:00

Lost 7.25 pounds this past week. Total loss of 31.5 pounds in 29 days. That is 7.2% loss from my starting weight. Very long way to go but a great first month! Do not know how much longer I can keep up this pace and I am going to keep on working really hard at this! Feeling good but still have aches and pains. Knee is much better but the hip has arthritis and that does bother me. I feel better when moving than when standing.

Ate too much for lunch today and felt like crap after!

Updates and random thoughts...

2011-03-09T22:27:00.003-05:00

My plan is moving along. I am not down 18 pounds since February 21! Many many more to go. I have been averaging about 1,200 calories per day. That is really low for a man of my size! Have a bum knee right now but I am working through it all!

And not for some meaningless, random thoughts...

- I do not understand Lady Gaga, but I guess I do not need to understand.
- Why are people mean, just for the sake of being mean?
- I am tired of the rain for the moment!
- My hands have been soaking in heavy duty grease cutter all day. Talk about a chemical peel!
- I have become a coupon clipper! I try to be smart about it!
- Dogs are so cool; and pugs are really goofy!
- If you want to die, texting and driving is probably a pretty good way to go about that!
- I really despise credit card companies! I paid off a card, but still got a bill because of interest. So I paid that bill and got another bill for .40 so I paid that one off but I paid .50, and then got another bill for .10. "Come on man!" They really have to go be kidding!

All for now! Cheers!

Plan Update...

2011-02-26T15:36:00.002-05:00

Here is my first update for my new weight loss efforts. Following my plan and sticking to it all, with a ton of temptation all around every day, I managed to lose 13 pounds my first week! I know I can not keep that up but I am happy! Glad it was not more actually!

So it begins again...

2011-02-20T22:40:00.003-05:00

It all started a few years back (2002) with "One Fat Chef", and then that turned into "The Incredible Shrinking Chef" (2008) and so it begins again; February 21. I am one fat chef and there is little really incredible about me, so this time I am just the shrinking chef! I have a monumental task in front of me; losing weight and it does not get easy as you get older for sure.

How do you eat an elephant? "One bite at a time" the wise man says, and so this is how I will begin my quest to lose, lets say, 200 pounds. WOW, yes, that is right; I am one big tub of goop so lets see how this goes this time. Not going to eat an elephant but I start the journey with one single step, my plan...

My plan: follow 10 basic rules:

The 10: 10 ideas to help me make better choices

1. Drink Ice Cold Water; try for 8 glasses a day. Limit Sodas
2. No eating after 7:00 pm.
3. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, raw or steamed.
4. Eat more fish, less beef and pork.
5. Limit protein and starch portion sizes, eat more veggies.
6. Exercise 6 days a week, Walk every day if possible, at least
30 minutes. Lifts some weights as well, every other day.
7. Write down everything I eat and log it every day.
8. Limit butter, mayonnaise, creamy dressings, salt, sugar,
highly processed foods. Cook with more olive oil.
9. Eat more whole grains, limit processed white breads, pasta,
white rice.
10. Do not skip meals and if at all possible, try to eat 4 or 5
smaller meals during the day.

I think the 2 keys to this is going to be writing down everything I eat and portion control limiting myself to 1,500 calories a day!

Wish me luck!

More meaningless thoughts...

2011-02-12T21:34:00.003-05:00

Here are my latest thoughts! Remember, there is not really much going on up in my little brain!

It appears to me that Valentine's Day is a day created by chocolate makers, jewelers, greeting card companies, and florists. It is all about the women in our lives. I know it is big business!

To the man trying to make a turn at the mall last week: I am usually a very nice driver and try and let people turn in front of me whenever possible. If you had your directional signal on, I would of let you in front of me! Wish more people would use the little tool!

I do not understand taxes, at all! Our tax system is so complicated, it is amazing that any one employed knows what to do, how to file, how much to with hold from a paycheck! I got the best return of my life this year and I am scared to death that if I change any numbers, I will end up owing a shit load of money next year! I do not want a big return but I do not want to write a big check either! I want my money working for me, not the federal government! irs.gov was no help at all! There needs to be a better way!

I need a new key board for this computer! Or I need to learn to type better!

I am still trying to embrace social networking! I post from time to time but I still have a hard time believing that what I do at any particular moment is very interesting! Yet here I sit, typing away. Notice I do not make a bunch of posts here either!

I grew up knowing that the word "fair" is a 4 letter work, just as bad as the "F" word. We were not allowed to utter the word fair in our household. I guess this was to give us youths the understanding that life is not always equal, things do not always go our way, get used to disappointment, good things will happen to others and not to us and there is not a damn thing we can do about it. I really despise this concept! The only thing this has really taught me is that when I am being taken advantage of, I just need to accept it and there is no way for me to stand up for myself. It makes me very sad.

I need to start posting some recipes here on this blog!

I was told this week that I should write a book. Maybe I will?

Until next time!

Thoughts?

2011-02-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

I thought there were some really good thoughts and ideas to post tonight. Turns out, I got nothing! Pretty empty up there right now and it looks like anything I would have to say would just be inconsequential as usual anyway!

Posted by Chef Jeff Bland, Division Chef, U.S. Foodservice, Inc. Roanoke. Opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of U.S. Foodservice, Inc.

2011, The New Year...

2011-01-09T21:17:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe that 2011 is here. Things are off to a pretty good start and am looking forward to a good year. I hope this new year is financially better for the people struggling in the good ol' USA. May this up-swing be swift and decent for everyone.

My heart, thoughts, and prayers go the victims of the shooting in Tucson yesterday. Why are some people off their rockers like this? I hate that people died, and the congresswoman was injured in such a horrible way. I pray for peace in every one's heart who lost someone they loved and a fast recovery for the injured. God forgive the shooter.

I have no resolutions for this new year! I just want to lose some weight! Back on the exercise and eating right wagon soon I hope, just not so far.

May you have a wonderful new year!

The year that was, The year to come...

2010-12-30T21:34:00.002-05:00

2010 is jut about done and a new year nipping at our heals. So here is a little reflection and speculation...

2010 was a pretty good year for me. I battled a major bout with depression and still have not recovered but I am determined to beat this in 2011. I had lost a bunch of weight and gained a ton of it back! Have a long road ahead of me but I am going to get back on track in 2011. There is really no choice; if I do not do something, I will most likely be dead! Reality Check! No resolutions, just hard work and back on track!

In 2010, I had the opportunity to work with Paula Dean and Spike Mendelsohn (from "Top Chef". Both experiences were really cool and I hope to get to work with some more great chefs in 2011!

So there is no way to really predict what is going to happen this up coming year of 2011, but I hope to accomplish a few things: Manage my money better, work more on our house, try and embrace social media and blog more, to be a better husband, son, brother, and friend! Lose weight in a sensible and practical way is tops on the list!

Last but not least, I hope we can buy a dog in 2011!

Cheers! Please keep safe and have an amazing new year!

My warped sense of reality...

2010-11-19T17:24:00.004-05:00

If you are a doctor or insurance man, please turn away and do not read this!

I hate doctors and insurance! No other way to say it, I just despise these two careers. They gouge us financially because they can and really for no other reason. 3stitches in my foot cost me over $1000 a few years back; next time, I would rather stitch up myself! I had no insurance at the time so it was cash out of my pocket.

Now this is where my warped sense of reality comes in to play. Besides the fact that I hate going to see doctors for any reason, I usually will not go for the simple fact that the insurance I have now is pretty good and not very expensive. Why should I put another company through the financial responsibility when they have a reasonable price on a program. I do not want to go just for the sake of going. Because of life changes, I added my wife to my health insurance policy and my rate went up dramatically (I knew this was going to happen and was expected).

Now that I am being charged so much extra money a month, I want to go just for the sake of going! Is that twisted or what? I know we need preventative maintenance and all that jazz each year but now that you are taking so much extra from my personal well being, lets going ahead and get the premium package!

For me, a lower rate means more conscientious decision making about my health. A higher rate means lets go for the gold and let everyone else suffer the effects! Right now, I could go for an eye exam, dentist visit, heart specialist, nutritionist, dermatologist, orthopedic, podiatrist. While we are at it, lets throw in a couple of other medical specialists just for kicks and giggles!
I think I need a tune up, I need a complete and total rebuild on my engine!

Sure has been busy lately...

2010-11-18T22:03:00.004-05:00

Yes, this has been a really busy time of year for me! Am looking for a little bit of down time nest week with the Thanksgiving holiday and a little more time off over the Christmas holiday. Hate that I have not posted much lately! So here are some observations and things which have been going on recently...

- It is official, I am a big tub of goo again! I need to get back on track!
- I love mulching leaves rather than raking and bagging.
- The wife got a new job and am very excited for her!
- Still trying to embrace my inner Facebook and Twitter!
- Have discovered that I can not shave with shaving cream! Lotion works much better.
- I want a dog. Not to replace Elmo but to keep Sushi company. WOW I still miss her.
- People say "Money does not go anywhere these days". Yes it does; it goes away from my wallet!
- It has been a few years since I have done this so, I am going to make a gingerbread house for Christmas!
- We are going to see the new Harry Potter movie this weekend.
- Contrary to popular belief, things do not just happen and appear out of thin air.
-We often have to work very hard to make things happen, while making it appear it takes very little effort.
- Bumper Sticker: "A man who receives something when paying nothing means another man
was paid nothing for making something." I just loved that one!
- We are often promised riches and glory for doing good deeds. We need to do good deeds because it is the right thing to do, not because of a promised reward.
- Fall is my favorite season!

That is it for now. Please keep safe and check back here soon for more stuff going on with Chef Jeff.

Time with Paula Dean...

2010-10-09T17:35:00.002-04:00

I have seen and heard many opinions over the past week about the Paula Dean Show so I thought I would share my perspective, good and bad.

Not Worth It: For the people who had a negative experience; This was only her third show in this format so I am sure she is still learning how to perform in this style. When it comes to an performance style show; buyer beware. If you love an artist and want to pay $60 to see them, go for it and if you do not like an artist, why would you pay? I am a big Seinfeld fan and paid $85 for a ticket and he was on stage for 1 hour. I got 2 tickets to see Frank Sinatra back in 1993 (for my parents, $150 total) and 4 songs into his set, he passed out and hit the floor. Paid $100 for my wife to see Cher and a week later, the show was on prime time network television. Buyer beware!

Not Cooking: Many people have been complaining that Paula Dean did not cook. It is extremely hard to cook live in front of an audience, while you are trying to entertain as well! Paula Dean does not want to cook while on stage; she wants to tell stories, interact with the audience, connect with everyone there. You can not do this while cooking! If you want to see her cook, check her out on television!

Leaving Quickly: Many people were upset that she left right after the show. She filled her obligation as far as I can tell. She and Michael left the stage and went right to the limo and head to the airport. I wish she had stuck around but it is her life and she had a schedule to keep. I do not blame anyone for that.

Cussing and Innuendo: I did not really hear much. It was there but there was nothing which would be rated more than PG. If you have ever heard the term, "Cussing like a sailor", Michael is a sailor!! Not a big deal from anything I can tell.

Me on stage: Since I was back stage and on stage, I really did not get to see the show. The total time I spent with her was about 1 minute; everything on stage was really improve. It was fun but a little confusing at times. Since there was no plan or discussion before the show, I did not know what to expect. Someone said I was RUDE, not funny, and a yahoo. I do not know if I was rude or not, but I do not think I was. Some made it out that I did not know where I was. I stated that I have been living in Roanoke for 12 years, and that is true, I live in Roanoke, not Salem. Were were in Salem, but that is not where I reside. Saying you live in Roanoke encompasses the whole area, including Salem, Vinton, Hollins, Grandin, Crystal Springs, etc. Me a yahoo? Arn't we all? I do not know what context that woman ment in the Fridge Magnet blog? Perhaps this person could of done a better job than me? Me not funny? I am not a funny man, nor did I try to be; I am a cook! I was asked to help with the show for my cooking skills, and was told to play it straight on stage. I did my best to accommodate what I was asked. People were there to see Paula Dean, not Chef Jeff!

I think Paula Dean put on a good and entertaining show. She is a remarkable person if you listen to her story; she has been through and and recovered for many hardships! I left that night a bigger fan than when I walked in. I hope she will do more shows and they will just get better and better in time!

I got to cook with Paula Dean...

2010-10-05T20:59:00.005-04:00

Yes, it is true! The past Saturday night, Paula Dean was here in Salem, Virginia and I was her assistant on stage. I must say that it was pretty darn cool. Was a long day and a bit surreal but cool non the less! I got to cook pork tenderloin with cherry sauce and chocolate pecan cobbler. Both were great but I must tell that the cobbler was better than excellent!

Paula Dean is a really great lady! I hope I did a good job for her.

And the winner is...

2010-09-24T23:53:00.001-04:00

Me, Chef Jeff. I took home the win tonight at the Al Pollard's Memorial Chefs Challenge! Really great chefs competed against and they are all just excellent!

Much going on...

2010-09-23T21:55:00.003-04:00

There is so much going on right now, it is almost overwhelming. So lets get right to it...

- Just finished our companies fall food show. That is a difficult event to pull off but it went excellent! Might be the best one I have been a part of since I have been with USF!! Very busy time for us over the past few months.

- Friday Night, September 24: Participating in a chefs cooking competition for a local scholarship fund.

- October 12: March of Dimes Signature Chefs Challenge, another cooking competition.

- There is something so BIG, I do not even want to talk about this yet, but it is going to be very soon and it is really REALLY BIG!! Check back soon!

Observations...

2010-09-10T22:31:00.003-04:00

Here are a few random thoughts I have had in my shell of an empty brain the past few days...

- American Kobe or more commonly know as Wagyu is AWESOME!
- It stinks that 3D movies are so much more expensive than a regular 2D film. I boycott 3D whenever possible!
- Spiders scare the crap out of me! For real!!
- I have no confidence in the Washington Redskins this season! Will this be Joe Gibbs revisited?
- I am still trying to embrace my inner Facebook, but it is hard to believe I have anything interesting to say at all.
- Our Pug, Sushi the dog is very silly! He is so funny at times!
- I find cutting the grass strangely relaxing!
- I want to go deep sea fishing!
- I really need to start exercising and eating right again! Have been saying this for a while now.
- I am a closet astronomy junkie! Love looking up at the sky at night!
- Very dissapointed in the new Miller Lite "Vortex" bottle! Just another gimmick.

I guess that is all for now. Cheers!

Feeling Better...

2010-08-31T21:48:00.002-04:00

Finally!

I got a new bed! The weird part is I purchased on-line with out trying out. Very scary but I think I like it. Really needed a new sleeping gig, the old bed was so done! Tonight is the first new night.

Had a great work day today! A busy few weeks and probably months coming up! Bring it!

Under the weather...

2010-08-27T22:21:00.002-04:00

It seems lately that all I am doing on here is bitching and complaining. Have been sick for most of the week which equals no posts. The flu really stinks; it is an energy zapper! Feeling a little better today. Hope it will be a good weekend of rest, I need to be 100% for next week!

It is a jungle out there...

2010-08-20T23:18:00.002-04:00

My hip is feeling better. Most likely an arthritis flare up. It really did hurt!

The grass is so tall, it is really tough to cut. It has been a hot dry summer and have not really had to cut much grass. The temps right now are a bit cooler and it has rained rained rained like crazy the past week. Grass in spots is over 2 feet tall. It is rough but will muddle through it!

Hope it will be a nice quiet weekend!

Getting old?

2010-08-17T22:27:00.002-04:00

Most days I feel pretty good but today I feel old. I hate complainers just as much as the next person so I apologize for this little "pity party bitch" session! My hip huts like hell, am almost ready for the emergency room. I tweaked my left shoulder today; my right shoulder has been bum for a year. I guess all of this is just a part of getting old.

I have never really taken very good care of myself and body and it is catching up! I NEED to start walking and exercising again. Not tomorrow, not next week, RIGHT NOW!!
I just need to get off of my fat butt and put one foot in front of the other!

It sucks to be me right this second! OK!! I am over this!

MC Cheffrey!

2010-08-14T22:34:00.002-04:00

I was honored to host a small event at a local foods expo yesterday at Botetourt Commons; The Taste of the Blue Ridge Local Foods Expo College Chef's Challenge. It was very challenging to do this live. I could not walk around because of a hard wired mike but it was so much fun! Three chefs from local colleges were competing "Iron Chef" or "Chopped" style with a live audience watching on. Just about all of the food they were cooking with was local! This really was so very cool! I hope I can do something like this again soon!

I am ruined, really.....

2010-08-12T20:49:00.003-04:00

Have you ever tasted something so good, it possibly may have ruined all other eating experiences forever? This very well may have happened to me, two different times, over the past week.

Case #1: Wine
Last week, I drank wine! Not just any wine but a truely excellent Cabernet; it was amazing! It was a private label and you can not purchase this wine and I really do not know if I can really ever drink another red wine again, unless I am at this persons house.

Case #2: Steak
Tonight we tasted Kobe beef or commonly known here as American Wagyu. It was tender, juicy, buttery, flavorful, just amazing! My job is based on center of the plate items like beef and what we tasted was beyond measure of any other steak. I know we will continue to eat steak but nothing will ever compare.

OK, maybe most of this sounds dramatic but I am serious about the wine! I was amazing!

2 Days in a row...

2010-08-11T22:24:00.002-04:00

That's right; I am on a roll! Here are a few more random thoughts:

- I need new work shoes!
- I work with some really great people!
- Captain Morgan's "Lime Bite" is pretty darn tasty.
- Our dog is a pug and he is goofy!
- Having chef block for TV this weekend.
- I am tired!
- Depression sucks!
- I have been working on my chef career for 30 years!
- I need to cut the grass, really bad!
- I miss my best friend Tom!

I guess this is kind of like tweeting, just all at once! Still trying to embrace social media!

Ramblings and other things

2010-08-10T22:49:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted so here are some updates and random thoughts.

- My small garden did ok this year. Candy sweet cherry tomatoes, no cucumbers, big tomatoes are hard to come by. Stupid deer, rabits, and groundhogs!
- We saw a fox in our back yard a few days ago.
- I picked a bunch of peaches off of the peach tree. I should of used bug spray! The fox enjoyed eating some of the peaches!
- My fig tree is flourishing!
- Charleston, South Carolina is one steaming hot city! Can you say hell?
- I am exhausted!
- I love looking at Facebook and hearing about others but I hate posting. I feel like I have nothing interesting to say at all.
- I miss my dog Elmo!
- I have gained a bunch of weight back that I had lost. Hate it! I am working on trying to get back into it, but it is really really hard to do so. I look like SHIT!
- I got to work with Chef Spike from "Top Chef" Season 4.
- My chefjeffonthe.net web site has been up and down. Chefapoloza is down. I think avahost is a horrible web hosting site and service! I will never do business with them again!
- I love books on CD!
- I have found myself cussing more than usual lately.
- I love Gillette Fusion razors but they are too expensive to purchase! I now use disposable, if nothing more than for the principle. Sorry environment!

So I guess that is enough crap for now. Am working on redesigning my chefjeff website. I want to work hard and post more often here! Can not make promises but I am going to really try!

The quest for beef, good beef...

2010-02-01T22:26:00.005-05:00

A few years back, on a totally different blog, I started a quest to find the best "retail" beef around town. The final result was, there really is not much good retail beef out there, at all. All of the major grocery chains failed to produce any beef product with a good flavor, any substantial amount of tenderness; there was just no good eating experience when it came to retail beef.

Flash forward to right now; has anything really changed? My first answer would be not really, retailers have not changed they way they do business so I would expect that there really is very little palatable beef out there. Please keep things in perspective, what is good to some may not be good to others so if you do eat beef from a major chain and enjoy it, there is nothing wrong with that. Are there exceptions? Sure there are. You may be able to find a "local" beef producer which has taken the proper steps to give you a great eating experience and maybe markets, some markets, are making real changes.

Why can you get OK beef in a retail store but the beef you eat in restaurants is generally much better? (This statement does not apply to all restaurants! I got a steak at a "national chain" and it was inedible, so inedible, my dog would not even eat it!) Here are the reasons why with a general explanation:

Grade: Most steaks served in restaurants, specifically higher end, upscale, white table cloth, steak houses, etc. use USDA grade choice or better grades of beef. This means there is more intramuscular fat (white specs) contained in the flesh of the meat. Consumers grew up wanting and buying lean, ruby red meat from markets; this grade is USDA select or lower. Higher grades cost more and lower grades cost less. There really is a difference between choice and select grades of beef.

Aging: This is the single most important factor determining flavor and tenderness of beef. Most beef served in restaurants is aged more than 14 days and often over 21 days. Beef sold is markets is generally aged less than 6 days (termed "green" meaning young). Well aged meat can turn brown very fast and "green" meat will stay red much longer. Well aged meat is significantly more tender and has more flavor that "green" meat. Wet and Dry aging give different flavor results but that is for some other time (along with grass fed verses grain finished cattle).

So what should us consumers do to find great meat in retail stores? I really have no answer but I can tell you this; get to know your butcher and ask many many questions! By local if you can and help support local farmers! Continue to eat at your favorite restaurants and visit personally owned, local "Mom and Pop" restaurants rather that national chains. Your chances of having a better beef eating experience will be much greater!

The Big Cheese

2009-12-29T12:23:00.004-05:00

Do you like cheese? I know I really like cheese plus the fact that there are so many different types and styles of cheese from all over the world, cheese is a seriously interesting food.

I do have one problem with cheese; it is a flavor stealer. I first discovered this when I was 18 and working at a pizza joint. A plain "cheese" pizza was wonderful tasting but if you put extra cheese on a pizza with other toppings, the only real flavor coming through was the cheese. As I have grown and my tastes have changed, I have discovered that I really prefer a hamburger over a cheeseburger. Once again, that cheese is a flavor stealer and all you taste is the cheese. Omelets and cheese is the same thing, all you can taste is the overwhelming flavor of the cheese and not much of anything else.

I know people really do not like when I say these things, mainly about cheeseburgers but it is so true. The next time you want a really great burger, skip the cheese and enjoy all of the other things that are going on with the true and pure burger. You might be surprised. Save the great cheese for some fresh fruit and a nice bottle of wine. In fact, there is just about no greater culinary experience greater than a savory and salty Stilton with a really nice Porto. What a flavor explosion! Cheese does have it's place in the world and in cooking; that place is not on a burger!

Bad times, hoping to get back to better times.

2009-12-21T22:49:00.003-05:00

It is really hard to maintain a blog when you feel no one reads, and if you do not post on a regular basis, no one reads and no one follows what you are doing and what you have to say. Knowing this falls of deaf ears and probably no ears at all, I am going to try and get back to regular postings.

The past few weeks and months have been rough and tough. After much effort into weight loss and such, I fell off the horse and have gained some back. There are many reasons but the main one is I am a weak person, just full of petty excuses. So let me name them off, get them out in the open, and then I can maybe move on and get back to me again.

I hurt my shoulder. I hurt my knee. I had to put my dog down (Dec. 9th and I miss her!). Work has been long and stressful. I guess the one single thing that really made me slow down and stop was my dog Elmo. I tried to spend every waking hour with her I could before she had to go; and when I did try and get back into it, I just wanted to be with her. Since she has gone, my shoulder does not hurt much any more (but maybe that is just in my mind?). To top everything else off, I think I had H1N1 Swine Flu last week and am suffering the residual bronchitis (for sure) and eventual pneumonia (I hope not). This has been a horrible sickness!

With all of this said, I want to get back to posting more food related topics here! I almost feel inspired by the Jules and Julia movie! Not that anyone will read what I have to say.

I am going to cough some more and go to bed!

Not to be ctitical of a critic but...

2009-04-23T22:42:00.002-04:00

Last night, I participated in a fund raising event benefiting the Saint Francis Service Dog Foundation here in Roanoke. It is just a wonderful cause and it is always great to have a group of chef's get together to pull off a wonderful dinner for a great group of people and dogs which make a difference in peoples lives!

Tonight, I am checking around the net and happen to pull up an article about the event and I am very disappointed to read what Nona Nelson from The Roanoke Times had to say about the event. I am not bashing her and the comments others had to say in her article but I do not think she understands and gets what this was all about; to be even slightly critical of what the chefs had to prepare is a bit naive.

All of the chefs that participate in this are business owners, business men, and have very busy schedules; not to mention family and personal lives. It takes hours and hours to prep for an event like this. Many of us donated product with money out of our own pockets as well as the time invested to make all of this happen. I just do not think this was the stage to be hyper critical about the food served. If she did not like what I had to prepare for this, that is fine and I can live with that but I think she unjustly criticised Scott Lockhart from Horizon Bar and Grill. He is a wonderful chef and did his very best to put out some great looking and tasting food for all. I am sure she is right on some points she made but Chef Lockhart should be praised for the effort he put into this dinner, as well as all of the chefs. I say BRAVO to you all!

That is all I have to say about that!

Sign of the times!

2009-03-30T20:51:00.003-04:00

I have not written here much lately and I tend to do so only when I have something interesting or exciting to say. That is probably not a great thing; you can imagine how exciting my life must be since it has been a while. One good thing; I have lost 101 pounds over the past 7 months.

I am driving down the highway this afternoon with a coworker and something strange caught my eye. A person driving next to me was holding a piece on paper with the word "HELP" and a telephone number. Did he need directions because he was lost? Was he being help hostage? Curiosity got the best of my coworker and he called the number.

The person driving the car noticed I am a chef and wanted to know what restaurant I work at and if I was hiring! This was hilarious and a very innovative way of job hunting. I am not a chef in a restaurant so I really could not help out but do hope he finds work soon!!

Customer Service?? Good bye Circuit City!

2009-01-17T20:24:00.002-05:00

I think we live in a time of poor customer service and we as a society see this more and more each and every day. I have seen examples of this over and over the past few years and the announced closing of all Circuit City stores is a prime example. I am not saying that bad customer service did this business in but it surely did not help! Each and every time my wife and I went into this big box store, it was close to impossible to get waited on, yet even acknowledged. I went to this store one day a few years ago ready and willing to buy a computer and could not get a floor representative to wait on me; I went to Best Buy and went home with exactly what I was looking for.

It is not like this was an isolated event. Multiple time we went to Circuit City, there would be sales people gathered in a corner talking and not paying attention to customers in the floor. I do believe this was a contributing factor to the ultimate demise of this big box store. I am originally from Richmond and was a big supporter of CC. I can remember going there as a very young child but as recent years passed, it was really hard to take the complete and total lack of customer service.

I also see this trend in restaurants. If we get poor customer service in a restaurant, we tend not to go back and often, we see these eventually close their doors. We live in a different time where work ethic has been put to the side and often, young workers are more concerned with "where the party is tonight" than I have a responsibility to my employer, my customers, and to myself.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T21:40:00.004-05:00

Has been a while since I have posted here; much going on over the past few months! I have lost 74 pounds over the past 4 months and hope to keep things moving in a downward positive direction. The job has kept me hopping and that is a great thing. I love what I do for a living. Had talked about doing a cooking class at my church last year and I am going to try and get a class going in just a few weeks. This class will focus on build flavor while trying to eliminate the bad fats we come across each and every day. Should be an interesting class, not a class about dieting; it is all about the flavor!! As soon as we set a date, will post it for all to see.

Will try and post more often as time allows. Most of my blogging efforts are going into my wight loss blog and I have neglected this portion of my web site. Hope you all have a safe and prosperous 2009! Please keep yourself safe!

Everyone's a comedian

2008-11-14T21:44:00.002-05:00

Has been a rough week here for me. I have had the flu for most of the week; resulting from stress (I believe) caused by hitting a deer on a major interstate traveling at 60 MPH as I was heading into work on Monday morning. Am really glad it is Friday.

Later in the afternoon, a co-worker comes into the test kitchen and asks, "I heard venison is on the menu for today?"

Actually, it was pretty funny!

Just to let you know, I was not hurt, but the deer did not do much better and he did not win the battle. My car may have something else to say about this matter!

Bad Service

2008-10-23T22:46:00.003-04:00

I was on vacation the past few days, at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, and discovered that there is a service crisis in other parts of the world as well. Most of the service at all of the restaurants chose to dine at was either sorry or down right horrible. At particular establishment, we got up and left because we could not get waited on. I really should say, after we were sat at our table, we could not get the attention of a waiter, host, or manager; for goodness sakes, just acknowledge your customers!

As far as food quality goes, most of what we ate was mediocre at best. I guess a vacationing couple or family has to face the fact that when dining at a tourist location, prices are going to be very high, and food quality may not exactly be what is expected. I can say with complete and total honesty, we experienced this first hand! What a down right shame. Give me good service and ok food, or great food and bad service and I can swallow that pill. Give me bad food and bad service and I really become miffed!

With all of this said, how do you tip in situations like this? Since I am in the food service industry and have a soft heart for people which rely on tips, I tend to tip a little better that the average person. If you get a 15% tip from me, that is pretty bad; I tend to tip in the 25% range if good service is rendered. Should I start tipping badly to waitstaff which delivers sub-par service?What are your feeling about all of this? Is customer service going the way of the dinosaurs?

Today, I did email the restaurant we walked out. I am never looking for a free meal or special attention so I wrote the email expressing the fact that the management of this restaurant should be made aware of the situation. I usually repay restaurants like this by never going back again. Something similar happened a few years ago here in Roanoke, I contacted the manager of that establishment, and he extended an offer for me to bring in anyone with me for a free meal. I have never and will never step foot in that establishment again.

Oprah

2008-10-14T22:39:00.003-04:00

The episode which aired on the Oprah Winfrey Show today dealt with knowing where food we eat comes from and how animals are treated. I did not get to actually see the show but when I came home from work, my wife stated that we are never eating meat again.

One thing I think people should realize about animals in the food chain: These animals are not pets. They are harvested for a single purpose, to feed people. I will not defend the living conditions these animals are subjected to and I think that in the next 5 to 10 years, we will see dramatic changes in the way animals are treated. It all comes back to they are a food source, just like a zucchini, wheat berry, scallop, lobster, or eggplant. These are all living creatures as well.

Happier animals are more productive and produce better tasting proteins but at they end of the day, they still end up on a dinner plate. Yes, we should advocate free range chickens, hogs, lamb, beef cattle, and other protein sources but it will take time to get there. In the mean time...

Beef, it's what's for dinner!

I am a Narcissist

2008-09-28T20:15:00.002-04:00

According to a study, most people who choose to post information on web sites like Face Book are basically a narcissist. I guess that is me included. I have a couple of blogs, a personal web site, plus a Face Book page so I guess that is me. What is a narcissist? A person who is consumed with themselves, self love, vain, egotistical. I guess this makes up most people and I am included.
Guess this is all ok. If we do not love ourselves, who else would anyway?

Have been doing much traveling over the past few weeks and all is going well. The garden ended up being a complete bust this year; 1 tomato! Still eating right and taking weight off. Am down over 30 pounds in one month and still going strong! Check back soon for updates!

And the winner is...

2008-09-20T15:29:00.003-04:00

Chef Jeff!!! I won the Al's Clubhouse Bash and Chef Showdown last night! It was a bunch of fun and we all had a great time! There was some great competition from 3 other chef's and they were just awesome! I could not of asked for better people to work with and compete against! I had some great help from local culinary students as well and they made the night a bunch of fun and were such a tremendous help! I could not of done this with out the help of these 3 guys!

The other chefs cooked some really great food and I was not expecting to win at all!! But it was a nice surprise to say the least! Congratulations to the three of them as well! The staff at Roanoke Country Club could not of been any nicer and they were all such a big help!

One other positive note: I have now lost 29 pounds in less than 30 day! Wooo Hooo! I am on my way to shrinking down!

Cooking Competition

2008-09-18T20:41:00.002-04:00

Will be competing in the Al Pollard Memorial Foundation Chef Signature Dish competition tomorrow night at the Roanoke Country Club! Wish me luck and I hope I win! Will fill in all of the details this weekend!

News and Notes

2008-08-29T22:10:00.002-04:00

Nothing much to report over the past month. Things at work are well and the home front is great too! Roasting BBQ tomorrow at church and that is about it. I have started a new blog. I am currently working on trying to eat healthier and exercise more. Check the link on the right for more info. For now, will be putting most of my blogging efforts into this. Check it out and watch me lose some weight and try and become a healthier chef!!

Garden Woes...

2008-07-27T20:54:00.002-04:00

I try and think that I am not a demanding person and do not ask for very much. I enjoy the simple things and it really does not take much to please me. I try and be "green when I can", try and be nice to other people and treat everyone with respect, and I love our furry little friends out in the wilderness.

So I go out to the garden the garden this evening to water the tomatoes and my single pepper plant and ALL of my tomatoes are gone, no sign of them anywhere at all. Did a person come by and pick small green tomatoes or was it a dreaded groundhog?

I try and have faith in people and can not think why anyone would want my 8 or 20 tiny tomatoes so I am leaning towards the groundhog theory. I am just really ticked off right now and could really spit nails if there was such a thing. Usually when an animal eats vegetables, they take a bit and move one. So partially eaten parts so I still wonder!

I may not even try a garden next year. Not that I put much into it this year, but this has happened in years past; the groundhogs eat everything. Guess I need to invest in some pest control. There looks to be some interesting solutions out there but do they really work? I wonder!!

Peaches Final

2008-07-20T22:01:00.006-04:00

So I finally pulled the peaches off of the tree on Monday. The birds were starting to eat them and that left me little choice. 50 came off total and to be honest, they were not the best peaches in the world but still better than what I have seen in the grocery stores. They were really juicy and slightly tart, not very sweet but sweet enough.

Next year, I will cut back the crop to 25 and see what happens. I hope good weather will grace us next spring like this year. Last year, we had a hard freeze and wiped out most of the peach crops in the south. My little tree was no exception.

I made a peach trifle with the harvest. Concocted a peach filling, cross between a cobbler and jam, and layered this with cinnamon cake, vanilla custard, and whipped cream. Shared this with my church today and most seemed to enjoy. A great flavor combination for sure.

There it is, my peach story for the day! They were good and looking forward to what happens next year! Next on the list is tomatoes. One is almost ready to pick!!

Best movie of the summer?

2008-07-19T21:32:00.002-04:00

I saw "Batman" today and just wanted to give a shot opinion. This movie is breaking records left and right and it is pretty good. It was a little bit long for me, mostly towards the end. I enjoy Christian Bale as Batman and he is great in this role. The late Heath Ledger was tremendous as the joker and he would be difficult to replace if the continue this series! I do not think his performance was Oscar worthy. This movie is worth saying but not sure if it lives up to all of the hype. Some of the scenes in the movie are just breath taking!

I feel the best movie of the summer is "Iron Man"! What a ride this movie was and is plus Robert Downey Jr. is great as the reluctant hero and the writing and story is just excellent! What is your favorite movie of the summer so far?

Will have some more peach pictures and stories the next few days! Ciao for now.

Fruit

2008-07-07T22:32:00.009-04:00

This post is going to be a little fruity, literally. Just because I finally took some pictures of fruit growing in the back yard! Please enjoy!

This is a peach which is going to make a fine pie, cobbler, or jam! Maybe a month to go before ripe?

My peach tree, so full of peaches and I have already removed more than 50 fruits.

My first tomato of the season. I have 4 plants down but they all went in late, so it may not be a great tomato season for me and Sherry. If we can just get one great tomato!

Finally, blackberries. Have a bunch of fruit but they are taking their time turning. These are the first two ripe ones and it is hard to make something great with only 2 little fruits.

That is my fruit story for today! Happy cooking!

Red Red Raspberries...

2008-06-20T22:18:00.005-04:00

I can only remember raspberries being honored as the king of berries in all of my culinary travels over these years. All berries are great and nothing beats a great strawberry, a dark sweet blackberry, a nice and tart blueberry, but for some reason, raspberries seem to always creep to the top of that list. If you have looked at them in the grocery store recently, they are priced in the $4.00+ per 1/2 pint here in southwest Virginia (wonder how much of that cost is in gas since they are surely coming from California?).

Two summers ago, I planted a blackberry bush, 2 raspberry bushes, and a blueberry bush and that first year, there was very little fruit production. Last summer, I can remember picking 5 blueberries, 10 raspberries, and just a couple of blackberries so I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen this spring. Really started to see some great flower bud action a few months back and tonight, I was able to reap the benefits of 2 summers of patience.

Would estimate there is a good pint of berries in the bowl and many more to come. Now, what to do with them? They are really tasty right out of the bowl, and just super sweet. I let them get to the point on the vines where they are almost black in color, or at least blood red. When they turn that color, the flavor is so intense.

This year, I have adopted a more "green" approach to my lawn and garden. No chemicals on the lawn to prevent weeds; only organic pesticides and fertilizers on all plants, but I am trying to avoid all of these things if possible. My garden is very small this year with only 4 tomato plants, 1 banana pepper plant, and one zucchini plant, all planted at the beginning of June so, they may not do very well. My peach tree is doing awesome!! I have had well over 100 peaches on this little tree and it is to the point where I had to start thinning out the crop. More than 50 peaches have been removed over the past few weeks and every time I thin out the fuzzy fruits, the ones left on the tree grow with noticeable vigor. I guess this is like growing grapes for wine; prune back the fruit so the best get the most nourishment and produce the best taste and sugar. If the bugs to not get them all, there might be a peach cobbler in someones future!

I love Duck

2008-06-06T16:48:00.005-04:00

Yes, it is true, duck is one of my favorite proteins to cook as well as eat, and it is great fixed in any style. Some people say duck is hard to cook and can be greasy if not done right and can be dry if over cooked. Much of this is true I guess, but regardless, it is just great period.

I have always wanted a pet duck and have asked my wife for years if we could get a pet duck. Because we live in the city, zoning laws prohibit us from getting a pet duck so I have lived with the rubber ducky in our shower for years and years.

A few months ago, we had a pair of ducks show up in our back yard. They do not come every day, only from time to time but I still enjoy watching them. I was able to snap a picture yesterday of the female and she is a grand lady. I wonder if the pair have a nest near by?

I did actually cook duck the last time I was on TV and we talked about her briefly. I do promise I will never cook her and her mate!! But I do love the taste of duck!!

Beer Beer Beer...

2008-06-02T22:44:00.004-04:00

I am not a big drinker by any means if measured and compared to many other people. I have no moral objections to drinking except I would not recommend any person drinking and driving. I do enjoy ice cold beer after cutting grass, and I guess you could call me well informed about the science of wine. I rarely drink when we go out to eat.

With all of this said, I have found my new favorite beer. I am not a Bud guy or a Miller man; go for the speciality or micro brews because of the flavors and character they bring to the bottle or mug. My new favorite beer is Magic Hat #9 "not quite pale ale". This beef has a smooth bite and tons of character with apricot flavors finishing off this amazing beer. I first tasted this on tap at Three Little Pigs in Daleville and was just blown away. I did find the beer in bottles at the Towers Kroger but that is the only place I have looked for it. Am glad I found this on my first look.

As I said before, I am just not a big drinker but this beer is a pleasure to sip on these warm, late spring evenings. On another note about alcohol, we ate at a major chain a few weeks ago and had a pina colada and I would estimate there was ZERO rum in this drink. The wife is hyper sensitive to alcohol, usually feeling a buzz after just a few sips. She felt nothing after drinking just about the whole thing. I could not detect any presence of rum at all. I hate to name drop so I will just give a hint of which restaurant we ate at. It begins with "Red" and ends with "Lobster". Does that give it away?? I hate getting ripped off!!

Cheers!

Vacation, Chocolate, Baseball, and Dogs...

2008-05-31T22:37:00.006-04:00

I am on "staycation" this week! Much needed time off (2 years since substantial and true time off) and looking forward to a week of not really doing much at all. Inflation and high gas prices have really forced us as well as just about everyone else to evaluate how we do thing so we are staying close to home. Maybe we can get a little work around the house taken care of?

Last night, we went to the local AA pro baseball game and it was very cool. It is a fun time and not really that expensive. Our team is not all that great right now but we still root for them all of the same!

Today, we went to WoofStock, a festival celebrating "Mans Best Friend" in downtown Roanoke. Every breed of dog you can think of every where you look. Monies collected go to a good cause hopefully and we did take our little pooch down there for some fun in the sun. Elmo seemed pretty disinterested and like some other dogs, would of liked to stay home in the AC!!

I am teaching a class on Chocolate soon at my church. It is free to anyone who wishes to attend but we do ask that people coming help provide product so I do not have to cover all of the expenses. A donation can be made if you like but it is not required. As soon as we have the date set, I will let everyone know here and on my web site. We are going to cover some hopefully interesting topics like the history of chocolate, and we will make some savory as well as sweet creations. I am going to keep everything kind of basic and simple. Yes, I did say "Savory" chocolate dishes so we will see how that goes.

You can catch me on the Weekend Diner on June 8 at 8:00 on WDBJ 7 right here in Roanoke. Nothing much more of consequence to speak about for now. Have some fun and if you are not on vacation, think about me and I will try and work in a little relaxation for you as well!

What would you do?

2008-04-26T15:59:00.002-04:00

Have you seen this 20/20 series on ABC? Is pretty interesting and quite thought provoking at times. Was watching last night and there was a situation where young kids were on the street in obvious distress and very few people stopped to help. Pretty scary actually.

Last Saturday morning, the wife and myself were grocery shopping and close to being done when a very uncomfortable situation transformed right in front of our eyes. There was a couple shopping and the woman was becoming irritated with her mate to the point where profanity and F-bombs were flying from her mouth; all because the man wanted a package of chicken. It got to the point that we made the effort just to leave the immediate area, just in case something really started to happen. Besides being incredibly embarrassed for this couple, I really felt sorry for this man. I would never put up with something one speaking to me in this manner, married and in love or not. All he wanted was some chicken.

So we were shopping again this morning and I thought about last weekend and what had happened. It is so easy to become cynical in the society we are living. I really feel like I should of said something of comfort to the man. But then these thoughts start to creep in: "What if she has a gun, and she is already this mad over a package of chicken?" "What if I do say something to this man, and he takes offense to me saying something negative about his mate, even though she is treating him below a third class citizen?"

What would you do?

This takes me back 15 years ago. I was driving home from work very early on a Sunday morning, 2:00 am to be specific. A car is parked in the middle of the road and a man and woman are standing in the middle of the street yelling and screaming at each other, waving arms, and something just did not feel right. I kept on driving past. Never even looked back. I have always wondered, was this a set up? Or was there a real situation going on here and he or she needed help? Did some one else stop and get robbed or car jacked? This happened in Richmond in a not so nice neighborhood.

What would you do?

After some discussion about the show last night and what happened last weekend, the wife said, "maybe we should of acted last weekend and said something; we need to have faith and the understanding that everything will work out and we can not just sit by and while something is happening and do NOTHING." What would you do?

Chef Philanthropist?

2008-04-19T21:16:00.002-04:00

Not Really! I am not trying to save the world! I do like to do good things when I can though and this has been a good week for helping out. The main event was participating in a dinner for Saint Francis Service Dogs here in Roanoke, Virginia. This organization trains service dogs which assist people with physical handicaps. These dogs change lives and make a difference for people who struggle for independence every day.

So here is the great thing: I was one of 7 featured chefs at this fundraising event at the Roanoke country Club on April 17. Each chef prepared a course served to 180 attendees, all in support of this service dog program. I was in charge of the hoers d' oeuvres (that is the most misspelled word in the English dictionary) and got to help serve guests from platters, explaining what I had put together. I did 4 different canapes: Roasted Fig stuffed with Mascarpone Cheese wrapped in Prosciutto ham with an blood orange balsamic glaze, Black and Blue Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Mousse, Tuna Tartar on Endive with Wasabi Cream, and a Salmon BLT, Salmon Bacon with Heirloom Tomatoes and Micro Greens. All extremely simple but some great flavors going on in there! It was an honor to be associated with such an event and in company with some really great chefs! I was not worthy! But it was still great and very much fun!

My wife and I also helped out a little with Oprah's "Big Give" today. I have been promoting Earth Day all month on my web site as well as at my work place. I do believe we need to start taking steps to help preserve our planet and if all of us can start doing little things right now, BIG changes can happen in a short period of time!

"Highly Paid Teachers"

2008-03-12T21:42:00.002-04:00

I have all of the respect for teachers!! I taught high school for a year and a half. I got this from a teacher board and thought it was great!!

Aren't You All Sick Of Those Highly Paid Teachers? Their hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work nine or ten months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do... baby-sit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage. That is right. I would give them $3.00 dollars an hour and only the hours they worked, not any of that silly planning time. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 AM to 4:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children.

Now, how many do they teach in a day... maybe 30? So that's 19.5 X 30 =$585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year! I am not going to pay them for any vacations. Let's see . . .. that's $585 x 180 = $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator must need batteries!)

What about those special teachers and the ones with master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage just to be fair, round it off to $7.00 an hour. That would be $7 times 6-1/2 hours times 30 children times 180 days =$245,700.00 per year. Wait a minute, there is something wrong here!

There sure is, duh! (Average teacher salary $50,000/180 days = $277 per day/30 students =$9.23/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student.) Very inexpensive babysitter and they even educate your kids! Crazy!

The high cost of Wind...

2008-03-12T21:22:00.003-04:00

Global warming is going to be the doom of us all! Maybe or maybe not, I guess they are finding more and more evidence of this each and every day so I say lets go and have a beer, watch the sun set, and listen to some great music! I guess the conversation is coming about because it has been extremely windy here over the past few weeks. Power outages, trees falling down, forest fires, and my shed is gone.

About one month ago on a Sunday, the winds really picked up to the point where it was becoming scary. Gusts over 70 miles per hour, sustained winds of 20 to 40 mph. YIKES is all I can say. About 3:30 that afternoon, my wife took a peak out of the back door and said, " UT OH, UT OH, UT OH, UT OH, UT OH, we have a big mess"!

I asked what are you talking about and she said the shed is gone. And it was gone! The wind had lifted it off of the foundation, blown it to the neighbors fence, and crumpled it up like a beer can at a kegger on a Saturday night! I will attest to the fact that it was heavy! I had to take it apart and get ride of it my self! What a pain in the hind parts!

Granted, this old shed was well past her prime, being made of Aluminum with some steel support, but I was hoping to get one more year out of her. A similar replacement will cost about $300 and I will have to put it together my self. All I can think of is the next big wind storm! The one I really want is around the $1,500 mark (double yikes) and that is about the same amount of cash I am lacking right now. So I go on with no shed for the time being, hoping for the mother of all shed sales to happen very soon!!

In addition to all of this, I got a wonderful case of laryngitis. With the power out at the house for 4 days, and all of the right elements coming together, it has been a struggle to talk over the past month, but my co-workers have loved the break from my talking! It is almost 100% back.

HA!!

You know you have arrived when...

2008-02-23T23:09:00.002-05:00

A co-worker came to me the other day and told me an interesting little story. She had gone to her daughters house where there was a new fish with the name, "Chef Jeff". She asked how this came about and was told this: We had purchased a fish from the local pet shop and could not decide on a name for the little one. We happened to be watching a segment on a local television station and saw Chef Jeff doing a cooking segment. So we decided to name the fish, "Chef Jeff".
I have finally made it to the big time!

Am dealing with laryngitis for the fist time in my life. I mean I really can barely even whisper. This really is a hard thing when you lively hood depends on verbal communication! I guess this came about from a fierce wind storm that whipped through here 2 weeks ago. We had forest fires, electricity was out for 4 days, and our shed literally blew away. Many others had it worse off than we did so can not really complain very much. It does stink not being able to talk!
I think my coworkers are enjoying this a little too much!

So that is about it for now. Try and have some fun and do not work so hard. Take a load off and enjoy an adult beverage or a soda if you wish. Go and cook something great!

Why would anyone want to be a chef?

2008-01-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am trying to live up to my commitment to blog more for 2008! I will try to keep this going if at all possible. Eating has been ok for the week but not great. I guess the best thing is no fast food at all! Incorporating more vegetables and fruits is the biggest thing. We cleaned out the fridge and there is no more butter, cream, sugary and salty stuff. All of the best things. My wife asks why can't the things which are good for you taste like chocolate?? I have not exercised as much as I should. But have done some. Wednesday was a pretty good night. Will do a little something over the weekend.

I have come to the conclusion that I am just not a very interesting person with little valuable to actually offer or say. This does sound self defeating and a put down but that is the truth. I am not an articulate person. My aunt said she thought I would of been a world famous chef by now. These people are few and far between. The life of a chef is hard: The long hours and physical abuse we put our bodies through result in pain. The mental stress placed on a chef is just brutal and staggering. The tendency to lean on drugs and alcohol is tremendous most of the time. Divorce is rampant in the restaurant industry. Why would anyone want to be a chef?

It does get into your bones and blood and never escapes. Once bitten by this animal, you are destined to a life filled with so many of the for mentioned things. One chef I have really gained an appreciation for over the past few years is Anthony Bourdain. He is just like any other chef I have met; conceded, vain, outspoken, and a brat. I hate the fact that he smokes and is such a butt head but that is who he is. I actually have no idea if the man can actually cook, or I should say cook great or well.

But he is humorous to the core and have really enjoyed watching him on Top Chef and his travel show on the Travel Channel. If I had a better speaking voice, maybe I could of had more fame and fortune? I really think he is a good guy and is one person I would like to sit down with and have a chat some time. Even if he does come off as kind of a jerk.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T21:50:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to All!!

I tend not to make resolutions but this year, I am going to make a few, but instead of calling them resolutions, I will call them commitments. I will strive to commit to:
1. Blogging more often.
2. Eating healthier.
3. Exercising more often.
4. Making better use of my time, work and play.
5. Being a better husband to my wife! (This really is #1 on the list!)
I realize that most of that is cliche but this is what I am doing.

I started the year off today by sticking to my calorie count, exercising for 45 minutes, and had a great work day!

I may have never mentioned this here but Pink Floyd is my all time favorite band and musical act. Have a great appreciation for the musical and lyrical skills of David Gilmour! Do not get me wrong, Rodger Waters rocks also!! I first learned the joy of Pink Floyd at the age of 14 when I went to the "Midnight Movies" back in Richmond and saw The Wall for the first time. How many times I have seen this movie, there is no way to count. I did have the pleasure of seeing the group in 1987 in Providence, Rhode Island and would just about give my right nut to see them again! Probably not going to happen.

So my very first girlfriend wrote me a particular letter on a particular day, many years ago and concluded the letter with what I thought was the most clever quote. " Long you'll live and high you'll fly. Smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry. All you touch and all you see is all that life will ever be." I thought it was just the most wonderful thing I had ever heard and she did say she wrote it just for me. And not too long after, was listening to Dark Side of the Moon, and what did I hear??

I was devastated! But life goes on.

What exactly is a diet?

2007-11-26T22:10:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was a small child, I have been on some type of diet. Dieting has just been a way of life and I have been a complete and total failure at "diets". Even today, there are people who ask me my opinion about Weight Watchers, The South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, and whatever the particular flavor of the moment is and I really have no feeling about these diets at all except they are a way for companies to take away our hard earned American dollars.. I guess "diet" is what ever nourishment you are supplying your body at a particular moment. This can be good and this can be bad. How can we make any sense of anything at all when it come down to being on a diet.

I am NOT the first person to say "diets" are a horrible idea. All a "diet" does is set us up for failure and thus begins the YoYo cycle. We start and lose weight. We stop and gain it all back plus more. We start again and lose weight. We stop and gain it all back again and so on. This is terrible for the body but what most people that have been on "diets" are used to.

What to do then? I am still trying to figure this stuff out but I have come up with a small idea. Instead of being on a "diet", why not try to eat better, exercise more, and just make better decisions. When we slip up, that is OK and we are right back into the saddle again. Depriving yourself of life's simple pleasures is a big mistake and one of the main reasons we fail each and every time.

I have put together a plan and I call it... "The One Page Guide to a Healthier You". That is right, everything you need to know is right on a one page document. You print out the one page in the form of a Word document and everything is right there for you reference as you start your way towards a healthier way of eating and living. One thing; I am not doing is blowing smoke up your hind parts! There are things you will have to do to make the plan effective and it will take some work on your part. If you can be honest with yourself, accept the fact that you will slip up from time to time and this is OK, and you are willing to make lasting changes in your life, to improve your over all health; this "One Page Guide to a Healthier You" may just work. If you are looking for a quick fix; this will NOT work for you. This is about make long lasting and permanent changes in your eating and exercise habits, making better choices to improve your overall health.

So how do I get "The One Page Guide to a Healthier You" and how much does it cost? Honestly, I am not out to make a dime off of this project. If you would like it, then you can email me, chefbland@yahoo.com, and I will send you back a copy with a smile. You will have to print it out yourself. Once again, realize that it will take some effort on your part to make this work for you. All I am trying to do is simplify an idea while making it realistic to follow. Most of this is common sense! I am probably not telling you things you already did not know or have not heard before.

Good Luck!

Time and Turkey

2007-11-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Thanksgiving is here and gone and we are now moving on to the Christmas holiday? Where does the time go? I guess this time thing is all relative so thank you Albert for helping us to understand this whole relativity thing.

With that said, there is just not much time to blog. I wish I would blog more often! I am not very articulate and really not a writer so why even bother? I actually do this so little, why even bother some would say.

Many things have been going on the past few months. There is the new job which I absolutely love! It is the greatest job ever and love what I am doing so far. I am on the road quite a bit and have been on some pretty intensive training but everything so far is just awesome.

We have a new addition to our family, Mudgie the cockatiel (formerly Sushi). We have had her for a few months and she is a talker! Here is a sample of he avian vocabulary so far: "Pretty bird", "What ya doing?", "What ya doing Mudgie?", "Scratch your head", "Are you a chicken" ( and then she makes a clucking sound like a chicken), "Peek a boo", "here kitty kitty kitty", and there are other numerous phrases which we can not figure out so far. She also whistles the theme song to the Andy Griffith Show, over and over and over! She is a good bird but a pain in the rear parts. Yes, she is already spoiled!

I hope you had a most excellent turkey day! Me and my wife are trying to eat better so we went with a smaller and lighter holiday dinner than usual. We did have turkey but we also had roasted duck along with roasted red potatoes, steamed asparagus, and some nice dinner rolls. No butter, no gravy, salt was limited, and there was just a little lemon pie for dessert. Actually was really a great, simple meal!

Yes, I did say we are trying to eat better and exercise more. She is doing a better job than me so far! See, I am a food junkie and pretty much addicted to food. I sneak foods when I can, and pretty much just over eat. I am not really big into moving my fat butt around and that makes for a dangerous cocktail of fat around the belly with all of the problems of obesity which go along with all of this. I need to get moving!! NOW!

Will keep the progress of my efforts here, and hopefully a little more often!

Yes Deer...

2007-08-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

I was running some errands this morning and returned just a short time ago. Was just sitting down to check email when Elmo the dog started barking like crazy. She usually barks like this when some one is walking a dog so I really did not pay much attention to her antics. After a few more seconds, I looked up to see 3 deer walking through the front yard. There are plenty of deer around here but we rarely see any, just every once in a while. This was a real treat!

Last week, we went to Natural Bridge Zoo to visit the mountain lions, tigers, camels, elephants, and my favorite, the giraffes! Giraffes are my favorite by a log shot. They are so tall and graceful and so goofy at the same time. At one point, I had four eating right out of my hand. How great is that? It is a small zoo but is a great day trip if you live anywhere near the Roanoke valley.

One more positive note: I got a new JOB!! I am really not going to talk much about my employment situation on a regular basis. I would like to say I am very excited about this opportunity! It is with a large food related company out of Salem, VA and I had been interviewing with the company for about a month. It is not very often a true career opportunity and a new home for employment comes along. This is just about my dream job! The only thing better would of been teaching at a culinary school, but I will say that this comes in a very close second!! I will still get to do plenty of teaching with this new position!

Wish me luck as I start out in a new direction!!

Crime and Sushi

2007-08-18T18:12:00.000-04:00

I moved to Roanoke in 1999 with hopes of making a new start in life. You know, going back to school, new job and career change, and just starting anew. It was a great prospect and I was happy with the decision, especially when I met my wife, got a dog and other pets, and we moved into the house. After being in the city for 2 months, I was a victim of a violent crime. Two butt heads stormed into my apartment and stole everything I owned, not to mention beating me, tying me up, and terrorizing me so to this day, I am still no over the incident. A few years later, my pickup truck which I had owned for just two weeks was shot up in a gun fight between drug dealers. Roanoke's "finest" was unable to solve either of these crimes which I find hard to believe but considering that there are murders and other crimes that have gone unsolved, I guess I really have little to complain about.

I have been off from work for a few weeks, trying to recuperate from the long hours put into the restaurant over the past five months and on Wednesday, I decided to take advantage of a cool spell and do a little yard work. I go out to the shed to pull out some tools when I notice, they are almost all gone. Pressure washer, chain saw, hedge trimmers, and who knows what else is missing. They were there in May, and probably in June but I really can not be for certain, but they are gone for sure. The most frustrating this is that I was ready to go and I could not get anything done.

I was really considering calling the police about this but why? I did not keep any of the receipts for these things, no serial numbers written down, no real record of anything so it seems it really would not do much good. Plus I have no idea of when this happened. What do you think? Should I make the call?

We picked up Sushi last Sunday. No, not the Japanese dish made with sticky rice and seaweed, but a cockatiel and we named her Sushi. She is a sweet little thing and we have had a blast with her so far. She is very vocal so far but is not talking yet. It will take a while for that to happen but before we know it, she will be talking her little beak off. Owning a bird is a large responsibility! A bird of this size can probably live between 1o and 15 years. Large birds can live
50 to 75 years or even more so that is a life time commitment. We do have 3 cats and a dog and so far, it looks like they are getting along OK.

Hope the cats do not like wasabi!!

HELP SHARK!!

2007-08-05T09:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am a chef and love to cook; One of my greatest passions for sure! Not very often, but just every so often, chefs run into moral dilemmas like the recent issue of foie gras which prompted Wolfgan Puck and many other notable chefs to stop utilizing the fattened duck or goose liver in their dining establishments. Many years ago, there was the outcry about Chilean Sea Bass (also known as Patagonian Toothfish because who would buy that?) and chefs around the world were bringing this ugly white fish to the brink of extinction. We still hear about this along with dolphin safe tuna, rock fish, swordfish, and many other things.

Now there is the issue of sharks. I am not talking about killing sharks for consumption of their flesh, but just for their fins, a cruel process called "finning" in which the fins are cut from the live shark and the body is discarded, still alive, and thrown back into the ocean to die. The people and groups are doing the finning because the fins bring in excess of $300 a pound; no need to bother with processing the rest of the shark because that would kill profits with extra labor and storage space. Easy money I guess and everything boils down to the mighty dollar. If anyone caught "Shark Week" on Discovery Channel this past week, you would of seen a heartbreaking example of finning. The Sharkman episode was quite inspirational.

All of this is for soup of course; shark fin soup. This has been a delicacy for hundreds of years in the Asian regions of the world and demand is driving the finning of sharks, as one cup of this elixir can cost $100 or more. By cutting the demand for shark fin soup, eliminates the finning of sharks, thus sparing millions of sharks from this butchery, and also helping to save the world’s oceans and eco systems.

Simple concept I guess? I am but one chef, one person, and but only voice a small opinion on a little blog. Please understand, I am not a card carrying member of PETA (I often refer to as People Eating Tasty Animals) and never will be, but this is an issue which can not be ignored! I call upon the International leaders of the world, and especially the leaders of Japan, United States, Britain, Canada, and China to ban shark fin soup and place a moratorium on shark finning immediately.

I am but one chef, one person, but we need to something!

NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Employment and Books on CD

2007-07-15T20:53:00.000-04:00

Has been such a long time since I have had time to even attempt to blog. Imagine every waking moment of each day being dedicated to your job. Because of this, your life begins to suffer in every way possible. Relationships break down and I miss my wife and dog, the body breaks down and burns out, the mind can not function because of exhaustion, and there is not much enjoyment in anything you do because you are just so tired from the constant work. I estimate I have worked more than 6 months in a 3 month period of time. I like being a chef but I love my wife and life; I miss being home.

So if you look at my web site, http://www.chefjeffonthe.net, you will see some apparent desperation as I have posted "Chef Jeff needs a job!" so I hate to show that I am desperate for a job because I am really not; but I do want to work.

So has this been enough complaining? Through all of this, a really great discovery has come into my life, Books on CD. Please know this about me, I am not a big or great reader and never really have been. Maybe a little strange since my mom, father, and sisters are all avid readers. Have just never really enjoyed sitting down and reading for some reason. In April, I did hear a story on local NPR about a local English professor and his discoveries of books on cd to occupy the time between a weekly long commute.

Books on cd?? HHHmmmmm, I thought to myself, that could be very interesting. So the wife and myself headed to the library to check out the selection. How great are books on cd!! I just love listening to these stories and it makes the hour commute between the lake and Roanoke a breeze! Am now a big fan of Dean Koontz and have really enjoyed just about everything I have checked out.

Favorites so far are: "The Husband" by Dean Koontz, "Lunar Park" by Bret Easton Ellis, "The Zero Game" by Brad Meltzer. Right now, I am listening to "The Wrong Man" by John Katzenbach. There have been a few others but these have been the best so far.

I can say that if it was not for the drive, it would be very hard to listed to the books on CD. Would not be my cup of tea just to sit there and listen. I need to be driving to listen to these. Maybe I will start reading more and more soon?

Is almost time for me to take a break from daily life at the restaurant. It has been a great ride and I really love that place. I am tired now and need to rest from this all.

Soon!

The Dog Days of Spring

2007-04-05T21:20:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite quotes is as follows: "When mama's not happy, no one is happy!" Have you ever heard anything so true as this?

So my wife calls me on Wednesday afternoon to inform me that the local animal control has come by and left a notice about a complaint on our dog for barking and howling while chained up in our back yard, I was taken back just a little. So I guess you are thinking that my dog must be this large and vicious creature, foaming at the mouth, jumping and trying to attack anything which might come near? Yes, our dog is protective just as any loyal canine is and yes, she does bark. Isn't that what dogs do? More on this later...

So my wife was mad, no, irate because of this yellow notice she found on our door as she came home from work. We have tried to call the animal control more that 4 times leaving message after message with no response. When she is upset, this makes me angry as well. I love my wife and hate for her to be up set. Especially over something as trivial as this.

Do neighbors not have anything better to do than sit and call the authorities about a barking dog? So now you are probably asking yourself, I would just love to see this horrid beast which sits and barks for hours on end, terrorizes the neighborhood, and would rip to shreds any person which comes within 10 feet of our propriety. Warning, this picture is not for the timid or faint of heart. Here she is....Elmo the wonder dog:

Yes, that is our 5 pound Chihuahua Elmo. Sure she can bark and can be annoying at times but she is the sweetest thing. We do not keep her chained up in our back yard. She does go outside to do her business and she does chase the occasional rabbit with no success. She is rarely outside for more than 10 minutes at a time and Elmo has never met a stranger.

One of our neighbor does have a dog named Spotty. He is a mixed breed and he is a dangerous and vicious dog. No one can get with in 10 feet of their fence with out being terrorized buy the animal. It can be very difficult for me to even cut the grass. He barks for hours and hours on end earning his nickname name, "Mr. Woofy", yet we have never complained to the authorities. If I really had a problem with this dog, I would go to the neighbors first. I fear for Elmo if Mr. Woofy ever got out of his fence and she was outside at the same time. These neighbors have tried to stop some of the barking by attaching one of these electric collars to the dog, with some success. I do hat that they have done this; am sure that must be very painful. We live near an airport and it is funny to watch Mr. Woofy jump at the airplanes, trying to snatch them from the sky as they fly above.

I know who conplained so is this a case of mistaken identity? Was Elmo really outside barking for hours and hours? Stay tuned my peeps for updates from this exciting saga!

My Wife and Restaurant Stuff

2007-03-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

So my wife and I have both been sick. Me for 2 weeks and she for a week. Am sure I have passed on to her what ever I had so things are not looking great here at the house! I hope she feels better very very soon! I hate to see the love of my life in agony and pain. We are both stubborn people so we can clash like that from time to time. She wants to help me and I want to help her yet neither of us wants to be helped. We have an awesome relationship!

The restaurant is moving along. There have been set backs and that really hurts but things are progressing! The roof is finally going on but there is rain tonight. The art is just about complete. The stone counter tops were set today. The tile floors in the dining rooms are just about done; we are waiting for the grout to dry.

We want to get into the kitchen and start cooking. Hope it will be in just a few days and I can start training my kitchen staff and we will hear the sounds of knifes tapping on the cutting boards, the sound of steaks sizzling in the oven, and the smells permeating the dining room driving the staff and customers crazy! Stay tuned for more updates!!

The Restaurant, Wife, Furnace, and the Flu

2007-03-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

The restaurant is coming along very nicely. Paint is on the walls, they are getting ready to put down the tile, and the kitchen is almost complete. We had our first training class this past weekend and think it went pretty good. Very long, long day. It is really starting to get exciting!

I have been out the past few days because of the flu. Yesterday, the furnace went bad so we are getting a new one today. So the wife is mad at me because I am sick, the furnace, because I am an idiot and am sure for any other thing just because. She called a bit ago to ask me a favor and the disdain for me in her voice was so obvious, it really cut like a knife. I did not ask for the flu or the furnace and I can not help being an idiot so what is a man to do?

Looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow. Will be so glad when opening day and week has come and gone! If you live in the Smith Mountain Lake area of Virginia, would you like a job?

Time for more medicine!

Restaurant Update

2007-02-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow bloggers and Foodies:

This is a bitter sweet time for me as I am finishing up my final week of work at a job I have had for almost 7 years. I like and enjoy my job very much so it is with some sadness that I am leaving this place. I will miss the people I work with every day, but I will not miss the job, lack of respect and appreciation, and being taken for granted. That is the bitter part.

The sweet part is the restaurant is coming along and looking great. The were supposed to finish hanging the dry wall yesterday and they have started on all of the stone work. Once the exhaust hoods are up, everything else is pretty much cosmetic and all of that should just move along like a bullet. The menu is pretty much complete and finalized and we will be posting that soon. We also interviewed our first employees last weekend. Things are really starting to come together!

Our web site, Tasting Room Bistro is now up and going but so far, there is not much there. Look for much more information coming to the site in the coming weeks. From here on out, things will start to get crazy and fun. It is going to be quite a ride, that is for sure!! Cheers and have some fun!

Chef Jeff

PodCast??

2007-02-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on putting together a podcast for my little web site and wow is this a perplexing task!! Why would some one want to put together a podcast about cooking, culinary arts, and food when all of these things utilize all senses other than hearing (except for fajitas and rice crispies)? Guess that some one is me and I would like to make it some kind of interesting. So what is next now that I have decided to undertake this unusual task?

The first thing I need to do is find a recording device to get voice from my mouth to the computer. Guess this can be done with a microphone but what if I want to interview "people" about certain culinary topics at a mobile location? I really can not carry around a desktop computer in my back pocket. A hand held digital voice recording device seems to be the way to go so I will be looking for something like this on the next few weeks. Looks like the cost will be around $150 for something half way decent, and the ability to transfer files to a computer.

I already have some background music thanks to Hoppie Vaughn from "The Fat Daddy Band" and Dave Harrison from Bluz N da Blood has helped out with some on the more technical details like mixing, equalizing, hosting, and promotion.

Right now, "I think people is going to really be the story" if I can find people in this Southwest, Virginia area who will be willing to put their voices out there about cooking and their own culinary experiences. I will probably babble on about some culinary topics but how boring would that got over time??

So, what would you like to see in a culinary podcast?

Why my web site? and links...

2007-02-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new blog by Chef Jeff. You will find my culinary ramblings here and information about me and my site, http://www.chefjeffonthe.net and other things going on as well!

A few years ago, I came up with the not so brilliant idea of starting my own web site about cooking, culinary arts, and putting in some weight loss information (From time to time, I jump on a diet kick, and I really need to do this now and stick to it!!) and call it onefatchef.com. That was short lived but it was fun. Turned into a really big site but was just to much to manage so I closed it down. A few years later, I started the chefjeffonthe.net site hoping for bigger and better things. I really like the way this site looks now and am trying to add more content all of the time. But why would a person go to the time and expense of starting a web site with no motivation for making the all mighty dollar?
The answer is I have absolutely no idea!! Some might call it dangerous to put information about yourself out there for the public to see, and it probably is dangerous. That really does not scare me. I guess I created this site because if you do not toot your own horn, no one else will. I also enjoy the creative aspect of web design and graphic arts (even though I am not really very good at this stuff); as I find it challenging and very thought provoking. There really need to be some serious organizational skills to pull of a web site I guess. Not making money off of a web site really does not bother me. What do I really have to sell? Considering I have never written a cookbook, do not own an equipment line, a series of sauce and rubs, or any other provision which most people will try to put out on a whim to make a buck. I am happy with not making any money off of my site. Maybe some day that will change but for now, I am very cool with it.

I am very surprised that there are not more sites like mine out there, at least for little known chefs. Sure, Emeril, Bobby, Mario, Anthony, yadda yadda yadda have their own little hubs where you can go and find information and purchase their latest non-food creations, but what I am talking about is the small time chef like me. If all of these other celebrities can self promote, then why not me and all of the other "Little" chefs out there? I want to add some chef links to my site. The "Big" chefs do not need any more promotion; I want links to chefs like us so if you have a link, pass it along! If you live in Virginia, that is even better but I will take links from any where they come from!

Life is better with chocolate and wine!