tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49816603545403242862024-02-18T23:08:00.451-08:00renegade sheepthey say sheep symbolize conformity... <br>
then again some sheep seem to have an inner desire to stand out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-20213349702280315012017-11-22T08:39:00.001-08:002017-11-22T09:04:01.128-08:00Friendsgiving: No Pressure <div>
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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and although it will be nice to be home during the holiday, I find the idea so strange. In 2014, I celebrated as an actual pilgrim, walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, reaching the Santiago on Thanksgiving Day. In 2015, it was just me and my two roommates in our Seattle apartment and it was perfect. Last year was one of the best though. My house in Seattle's Capital Hill was questionably safe to live in; from reasons of mold, to spiders, to me not ever having a key, and of course the occasional rat that I could hear in the dryer vent. That house still remains my favorite place I've ever lived. I was basically the only roommate who used the kitchen and I could have over all the guests I wished. So of course, I hosted Friendsgiving. I logged on to my blogger account yesterday to read my post and get some nostalgia of that day - then I realized that I had only half written it, and never posted it.<br />
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So here we have this weeks post. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Friendsgiving 2016<br />Capital Hill, Seattle</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">NO PRESSURE</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Teamwork, makes the dream work. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A week ago it was many of our favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. We spend this time with friends and family gorging ourselves on all things fall and being thankful for what we have. The holiday itself represents the pilgrims first meal with the Native Americans - a memory we poorly represent or acknowledge now. I am always disappointed with how easily we forget our harsh past in America - particularly this year as we continue to deal with senseless hate and bigotry. <i>(Oh yea, we fucking elected Trump.)</i> Regardless though, I am always a sucker for a holiday surrounded by food - so I thought I might try and forget the woes of the world by hosting a Friendsgiving for my other 'orphan' friends here in Seattle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One evening (or possibly morning, my company and I tend to keep late hours) in a haze of exhaustion, inebriation, and diner food we discussed our ideas for our event. We named off proteins, side dishes, a guest list - it was all piecing itself together. I arrived home - and in my continued daze I saw a link encouraging people to make their 'Friendsgivings' an event that would also raise money for hungry children in America. I must say that as I grow older my drunken choices become more and more responsible and noble. So I signed us up, naming our team: "Teamwork, makes the dream work." This motto has been something Miles (sous chef & moral support line) and I have always reiterated - out of humor and seriousness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a rough plan, we had a cause, now we needed groceries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Havilah (coworker & culinary spirit animal) and I decided to inquire our Chef about proteins...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pig Head? Check.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rabbit? Let me call my guy...Check. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Duck? Of course, there's always one in the walk-in. Check. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our menu was coming together. Havilah wanted parsnips. I wanted stuffing. We both wanted dessert. Veronica (coworker & drink slinger) was in charge of cocktails; one hot and one cold of course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Wednesday before the big day - I awoke on a mission: groceries. Croutons and bread from The London Plane, produce from Uwajimaya as well as chicken livers that caught my eye. It's tradition that my Mom makes chicken liver pate for holidays at home - so it was my way of paying owed to my family on the other side of the country. I hopped on the street car back towards work and met up with Havilah to get the meat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a mimosa first. Priorities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we headed into the Stateside kitchen were we were handed a box containing our goodies.<br />"Do you need anything else?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Havilah and I turned to each other - yes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We grabbed a few pans to create a vessel to smoke the rabbit in, wood chips from the storage hole, butter, and some pears that weren't being of much use.<br />I had fully intended to pay for these items and only use Chef as my purveyor - but he refused money - I told him I would consider his gift a donation and donate money to our No Kid Hungry cause in his honor - to which he donated more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">YES CHEF! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Havilah and I packed up and began the walk to my house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We made it 5 blocks before calling a Lyft. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We cleaned, we laughed, we unpacked our goodies and packed my fridge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We made prep and shopping lists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Havilah headed home and I head to the store - people around me were complaining about the holiday and having to cook and host - as I patiently awaited to do my favorite thing: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">cook and host. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tomorrow was the day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thursday I awoke 2 hours later than I hoped. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cool. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wasn't sure where to begin - so I just started slow roasted garlic.<br />I boiled chicken livers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I got on a stock for curry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I roasted cauliflower. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I made pie dough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I made mushroom stuffing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sliced apples.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I set up cheese plates. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I threw kale artichoke dip into the crockpot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I stared at the pig head in my fridge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I made coffee.<br />I went to the store and bought chalk. (My house has a school chalkboard, duh.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I stared at the pigs head. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I made chicken liver paté.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I called home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I googled how to roast a pigs head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I put a pigs head in my small oven. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I put a duck in my oven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I made a pie. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">GUESTS ARRIVED. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Veronica played music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I removed dip from crockpot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Veronica filled the crock pot with hottie toddie. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sliced bread. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I put the boys in charge of the pig head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I put the duck in my bed, under the covers...to rest of course. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">OH YEA - the rabbit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Veronica made sangria.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We 'macgyvered' a smoker out of a two, 2'' hotel pans, one perforated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Havilah cooked and mashed parsnips - nature's fucking candy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I mixed up a veggie curry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wine was everywhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We demolished the appetizers. </span><br />
The pig head was looking fucking unreal.<br />
The rabbit was actually cooking!<br />
Let's make fucking gravy.<br />
Someone better get more beer.<br />
Don't forget - put your change in the jar for the kids!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we ate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We laughed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We drank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We ate more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many napped. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most details are blurry after this point.<br />A few passed out in a chair or on the couch, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">most I encouraged to go home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I cleaned up the kitchen, and passed out in a bed </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">that smelled of roasted duck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The food I ate last year was the best I had ever had for so many reasons. We didn't go traditional, I was surrounded by talented chefs and friends, we took our time and were creative. In that moment, the world was good, all the problems seemed to melt away like the butter over the parsnips. And the best part? (Besides the Pumpkin-Bacon-Maple Cheesecake Havilah made...) We raised $200 for No Kid Hungry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So cheers to my amazing friends back in Seattle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and our drunken delicious adventures, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">that we used to do good, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and to Chef Eric Johnson for supporting our antics... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and of course casually ordering us a pig head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And to everyone celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">keep in mind the world around you,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and think of a way you can do some good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maybe your family puts out a jar themselves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> collecting change for a donation, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">maybe you bring a warm meal to someone in need, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">or you volunteer your time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most of all remember that this time of the year </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">isn't about fighting with family, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">it's not about the great deals you'll be getting in the stores, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">it's not about who had the best pintrest recipe, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">it's about stepping back and realizing all that you have, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and being appreciative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Realize that it's enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's so much more than so many others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cheers,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">AP</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-8794629247855659702017-11-17T09:28:00.001-08:002017-11-17T10:53:23.734-08:00Michigan Hospitality on the West Coast<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5OxHMDlhvSP5Y6QFAm2NBLRw3YUt_PumBt_gJcxlmmOPTtSUUCaLC9_UAhtOpLYAz25tk2S-DV_Y3ZIlbXrFZ3y01YBinNyBgIC5XIlCC0-51biV1BOdwvBnepH0Oi-HgQJxb-_MIRg/s1600/kelly-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5OxHMDlhvSP5Y6QFAm2NBLRw3YUt_PumBt_gJcxlmmOPTtSUUCaLC9_UAhtOpLYAz25tk2S-DV_Y3ZIlbXrFZ3y01YBinNyBgIC5XIlCC0-51biV1BOdwvBnepH0Oi-HgQJxb-_MIRg/s400/kelly-blog.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A one-way ticket to Seattle for at three or four week long duration, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">with no real concrete idea on where I would stay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sounds like a typical Alex situation. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Travel is more important than my comfort, right?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But this trip I didn't sacrifice any comfort, I felt pampered even. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My hosts? Kelly & Richard - dear friends from when</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I worked for Chef Matt Dillion in Pioneer Square. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, and did I mention Kelly is from fucking Michigan, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">so she has that Midwestern Hospitality and un-ability to say no, built in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My third day, after crashing with a few other friends, she picked me up and we went straight to Hudson, a restaurant that served Po Boys. I was in the city to live my food dreams, and this wasn't a bad start. We then head to her home, she gave me a walking tour of her neighborhood, bought me coffee and we spent the afternoon catching up. Kelly could have stopped there, she already was offering me the amazing ability to have a 'home' while in Seattle, even giving me a key so I could come and go on my own schedule. But, her hospitality never stopped, always thinking of me if she was running to the store, willing to let me catch a ride to or from the city on her way to work. Her and her husband, Richard, even took me out to their favorite breakfast spot, Randy's Diner, a place where you go more for the vast airplane decor, and stay for the service staff, none of which are a day younger than 70. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My absolute favorite part about staying with Kelly and Richard? </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The drink, the food, and the conversation. </span></i></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Drink</span></u></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Girlfriend from Tacoma</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A cocktail crafted by Zac Overman, owner of <a href="http://www.loursinseattle.com/">L'Oursin</a> in Seattle.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Two oz of amaro, over ice. Top with still </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rosé.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grapefruit zest. Enjoy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was the only cocktail I saw Richard drink in the three weeks I stayed with them and when he offered me one, I excitedly replied '<b>please</b>.' Seattle had been where I had learned so much about wine, and Rosé especially. Drinking it now brings back memories of late nights in Pioneer Square where I served some guests whose income may have been 10 times more than I'd ever make... but my shift drink glass of Rosé </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">at the end of the night while chatting and laughing with my co-workers made me feel richer than those people would ever be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then he paired it with Amaro - <b>dreams</b>. I have recently become infatuated with this herbal liquor digestif. Partially because it is trendy right now, and mostly due to the fact that my life of eating like it's my job requires something to help me not feel like I may explode after a usually fantastic meal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you Richard, for bringing this cocktail into my life. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Food</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have worked beside some amazing chefs, and I have eaten at some outstanding restaurants, but the beef bourguignon Kelly made for us one evening was not only delicious but it fed my heart, soul, and curiosity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kelly didn't seem to mind as I watched her work, snapping photos as she prepped. She is humble in her cooking, yet works with the most beautiful of confidence. Maybe the confidence comes from her Michigan roots, or maybe it was because her trusty Sous Chef followed her feet at every move. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know that her confidence comes from her passion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ever since I started working with Kelly I have looked up to her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My youth had me convinced that I had plenty experience serving tables, I mean I had done it for eight years in Upper Michigan right? How much more could there be to learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was so wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yea, I could carry a tray, make small talk with customers,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> but I dreaded the moment when I needed to recommend wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"What is Chermoula? Good fucking question."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But Kelly seemed to know it all, she could read a bottle of wine, the Spanish & French words not phasing her one bit. She could describe dish after dish with detail, as if she had composed it herself. Her movements efficient, and she knew where the fork went on the table, and was always the first to remind us we needed a dessert spoon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll be honest, at times she intimidated me and I'm sure others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> But this feeling was mis-directed - </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">she just wanted the job done well, and she wanted it done right. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My biggest goal is for people to see individuals whom work in hospitality as professionals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2015 the Travel & Tourism Industry was attributed to over 1.5 trillion dollars to the GDP, making it one of the leading contributors. The Food Network was ranked 21st in the 2016 Television Ratings. In 2016, Americans spent more at bars & restaurants then they did on groceries. Even my fucking Facebook feed is flooded with photos of food or people drinking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yet, some people don't consider what we do as important, or a 'real job.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kelly is a prime example of a Hospitality Professional. She has endless food & wine knowledge, she understands cultural food customs, she won't allow for a table to be set incorrectly, she checks that every plate she delivers is not only beautiful but has all it's necessary ingredients, she makes sure there are candles lit, that there is a sign to welcome you, she'll walk you to the bathroom so you don't feel silly looking, she'll try to cater to any request, she cuts cake, she knows more about your allergies than you do, and by then end of your meal or event, she'll feel like a family friend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, and she makes cake for every occasion in her </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">restaurant family from birthdays to last days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you are lucky enough to be living with her at the moment, she'll make a small version so you can try it because she can see you drooling while you watch her bake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>The Conversation</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My trip to Seattle was more rewarding than I could have imagined, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">mostly because I</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> was able to have some incredibly </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">interesting conversations with some outstanding people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kelly and Richard were included. The two of them combined have a few decades worth of experience in hospitality, and have spent free time traveling to places like Bali & France. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think the thing I love the most about the two, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">is that as professional as they are, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">they still have such youthful spirits. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's the same reason I think they are drawn to this industry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Their schedules will never be normal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They can in one moment be hosting a beautiful dinner party, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and then pull out their box of novelty snacks from other countries they get sent monthly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They get the New York Times on Sundays, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and they also own Bears vs. Babies </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- a card game where the box is covered in fur. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So this week's post is another thank you, one to Kelly & Richard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for letting me stay with you for such a long time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for the laughs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for the drink, the food, & the conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And most of all thank you for being examples of industry professionals, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and an inspiration to those around you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You two have done so much for me, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and considering how giving you two are,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know that I'm not the only name on that list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cheers, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">AP</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-69821757686094387462017-11-10T08:34:00.002-08:002017-11-10T08:48:15.235-08:00slurping encouraged.<div style="text-align: left;">
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When I was a senior in high school, my boyfriend at the time and I used to really enjoy making dinner together. More often than not, those dinners were a few packets of instant Ramen, with some of our own additional ingredients. We each thought we had the perfect ratio of broth to noodle, I liked adding veggies, and we always bickered over the right way to add the egg.<br />
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It's always hard to pinpoint the moment in your life when you grew passion for something, but those dinners were the beginning of me choosing to cook for myself, and being intrigued with cooking. It was fun to try new things, to see what worked and didn't, and most of all sharing the labor with someone you care about.<br />
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Now fast-forward over seven years later. I was in Seattle, working the hot line at one of the cities most popular new restaurants, next to guys who had loads more experience. I went into that job everyday feeling anxious, but loved every minute of it, and found the people I got to know there to be inspiring.<br />
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One of those guys was my friend, Matt, who we (himself included) often referred to as Korean Jesus. I loved watching him work, he was a beautiful mess at times, but his food was equally beautiful, and his fryer cleaning hacks will stay with me for the rest of my life. In October of 2016 he kept mentioning his previous chef who was opening a ramen shop in Seattle. He had invited us all to visit the place before it opened... I wasn't able to make it, but I remember the next week it was all any of my co-workers could talk about, from the flavor of his broth, to the equipment he had in is kitchen.<br />
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Eventually the shop, called OOINK, opened, and after listening to my co-workers praise the delicious soup, I knew I had to go. Finally, one Sunday after our brunch crew finished up our shifts, we went. Before that moment, I had never eaten much ramen- besides living off the instant stuff in my past. I didn't know what to get, so I looked to my sous chef Tim for ordering assistance, as I often did. Before I even tasted anything, I remember loving the establishment. The interior color was beautiful, the design was simple, and Chong and his wife, Jiaxin, extended the kindest hospitality I had felt in a <br />
long time. </div>
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But then I tasted the soup. </div>
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In that moment, OOINK had my heart. At the time I knew nothing about ramen, and I would still say I don't know much. I couldn't tell you if it was traditional, I couldn't pronounce Kotteri, and I probably looked ridiculous fumbling with the chopsticks and spoon. I am, although, proud to admit I didn't snap a photo of it before diving in to the perfectly cooked noodles- but I fucking wanted to- the presentation was stunning.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Kotteri Ramen</td></tr>
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Sunday ramen at OOINK became a tradition, after a weekend of restaurant brunch shifts in Seattle, nothing was more restorative than a couple drinks followed by the life-giving soup. One Sunday in particular we had had a few more drinks prior than usual, and stumbled in towards closing time. Chef didn't seem to mind, and he always joined us as soon as he finished cooking, a beer in his hand and his main concern being what we thought. He was always searching for ways to make it better, he didn't want to be praised, he wanted criticism; and that strive for perfection inspired me. That night that inspiration was paired with a few too many beers. I remember standing outside his restaurant smoking a cigarette asking, no, more like telling Chong that I wanted to write a blog post about him and his wife. They were so passionate and I admired all they had done... the world had to know! </div>
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I never wrote the blog post (until now).</div>
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I woke up the next day with those worry-some feelings<br />
that I had make a fool of myself, but I had no time to think about it, I was off to work. </div>
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Weeks later, my co-work Havilah mentioned Chong had asked for my phone number.</div>
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I was instantly curious, and almost nervous - what on earth could he want?</div>
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Turns out, he wanted me to write their story. </div>
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I pinched myself, and asked him if he was sure. Writing will always be my favorite art form - and no, this wasn't the book deal I dream about when I lay down to fall asleep, but shit - it was my first paid writing gig, and still one of my favorite life accomplishments. </div>
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After I began working on their story, I was able to get to know Chong and Jiaxin more, and they even treated me to dinner before I moved away from Seattle. They did all the ordering, my only input was: "No allergies, I'll eat anything, and I like spicy." We feasted on dish that was served in a chaffer with a small candle to keep it warm, and held a whole fish in an oil with an outrageous number of Thai chilies floating in it. It still to this day holds a spot in my top 10 favorite dining experiences. </div>
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Since then we've remained in contact. I've redesigned their whole menu, made them a customer order form, designed street signs, stickers, wall decals, and manage their social media accounts. On my trip to Seattle last month I got the pleasure to hang out at the restaurant and in the kitchen, taking photos, and seeing how the business has grown since I've been gone. We had dinner one night, talking about the business, and they, as they always have, gave me endless advice. </div>
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Working for them has been an interesting experience... sometimes we have trouble communicating our ideas or thoughts to each other. All summer we both played phone tag, being 3,000 miles apart, and both busy at work. Somehow though, we've got a lot done. If you ask them they'll give me more credit than I deserve, Chong and Jiaxin are perfectionists, and often times we will go back and forth endless times until every last detail is perfect, and thankfully Jiaxin is there to catch my spelling errors and typos (which if you know me, are bountiful). Chong will ask for a design aspect, and I'll say: "Of course! No problem." But, often times, although I know it an be done, I have no clue how to do it. So I research it and practice until I get it, or something close to what he's picturing. I sometimes wonder if they realize how much they have molded me in this past year, and how much I appreciate them allowing me the chance to be a part of their journey.<br />
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OOINK is becoming more and more popular as the ramen trend in Seattle (and the country) grows. When I made the alcohol induced proposition to Chong and Jiaxin almost a year ago, it had been my hope that one day the world would know about their skill, dedication, and compassion for ingredients; not only for them, but for the thousands of other business owners like them, people who care about food and hospitality and want to spend their time doing what they love. I know that the couple has dreams of their own, and I will continue to do all I can to help them achieve their goals.<br />
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So, cheers to the couple who has taught me so much about passion and perfection. Technically, they'll always be my first real 'clients' but, they really have become friends and mentors. Their success is not only my success, but it is the ultimate reward of seeing two people who have poured their hearts into a business, achieve their goals. </div>
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After this I think I'll be able to rest much easier knowing I held true my promise to write a blog post about OOINK... but this isn't the end. A website is soon to come, although after working with Chong this past year, I have become a bit more of a perfectionist myself, and refuse to publish it until it is as rich as his broth, until the words are the perfect doneness like his noodles, until it's content is as spicy as his level 4 Kotteri, until the aesthetics are as welcoming as Jiaxin's smile, and it's look is as fresh and crisp as the sake they serve. </div>
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Remember, always respect the ingredients & slurping is always encouraged.<br />
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AP</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-87007463220518164052017-11-02T09:52:00.001-07:002017-11-02T09:52:48.510-07:00Where in the world is Alexandria Palzewicz?<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqB4hSfOqxf7rpZRwzz9JklVHUWWw5hpOK88JA-PXa8tbVAyLwvVKn2uQnoOpUwaZjCE5YnXChyt7mQS88EwG5svIIuSxJ4qYQ22A9po4Ta6J0d6MyeADqCRbzgW4icJzAUycbt9YaRHQ/s1600/fish%252C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqB4hSfOqxf7rpZRwzz9JklVHUWWw5hpOK88JA-PXa8tbVAyLwvVKn2uQnoOpUwaZjCE5YnXChyt7mQS88EwG5svIIuSxJ4qYQ22A9po4Ta6J0d6MyeADqCRbzgW4icJzAUycbt9YaRHQ/s400/fish%252C.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Where are you now?</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Current location? Daggett, Michigan; whose population according the the 2015 census was 254 people. This is where I spent my teenage years, relocating at age 12 from the nearby town of Stephenson; a real big city with a population of 855 (that doesn't include cows). I don't state these facts to poke fun of my roots, but to help some better understand that the culture shock I felt returning home feels harsher than any other I have experienced... somehow foreign countries and big cities seemed to phase me less. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes - "returning home." I find myself feeling embarrassed to say it, not because I am ashamed of where I came from, not because any lack of love for my family... but because when I say it out loud it sounds like failure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wonder if this is a feeling I have created in my own mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wonder if this is a feeling society has made a norm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think it's probably both. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcwStJVzvWR1R7ovaW5zAd6AfpkK1nFGb4qbjDlQlYiazGLm4O7-ZFlePBdoPOxKI7li0cwXhwF8wjhhvYkVN9hMIdghoL9Y5_Za3lRj6hHCiJDffzpFaQ_KCSUJE8KT99wRFPnmOOis/s1600/meatwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcwStJVzvWR1R7ovaW5zAd6AfpkK1nFGb4qbjDlQlYiazGLm4O7-ZFlePBdoPOxKI7li0cwXhwF8wjhhvYkVN9hMIdghoL9Y5_Za3lRj6hHCiJDffzpFaQ_KCSUJE8KT99wRFPnmOOis/s1600/meatwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcwStJVzvWR1R7ovaW5zAd6AfpkK1nFGb4qbjDlQlYiazGLm4O7-ZFlePBdoPOxKI7li0cwXhwF8wjhhvYkVN9hMIdghoL9Y5_Za3lRj6hHCiJDffzpFaQ_KCSUJE8KT99wRFPnmOOis/s200/meatwork.jpg" width="200" /></span></b></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Where in the world is Alexandria Palzewicz?</b> - I've been reflecting this question these past two weeks. Most recently, after a summer in Marquette, Michigan helping a friend open a Bar/Restaurant & Catering Service, I took a few week vacation to Seattle, with a quick stop in Austin, Texas. Before last summer, Seattle had been my home for over two years; a move I made after a three month excursion all over Europe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After all that, being home feels so foreign. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is a street full of people who don't know me and I will never see again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is a mountain top overlooking a scene that reminds my of spirituality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is in my own thoughts while prepping food in a stainless steel playground. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is a paintbrush in my hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is catering to strangers with my mid-western charm and self-gained poise. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is a seat going anywhere via boat, train, or plane; headphones on of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is dirt so caked on my hands from harvesting that even the most determined scrubbing won't remove it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is a great dinner with even better company. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My comfort zone is deep and meaningful conversation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That being said - the reason I decided to move back home is financially driven. I have gained so much this past year not only in knowledge and experience, but also in presence and confidence. Unfortunately as successful as I feel I've been, my industry doesn't pay glamours wages, it doesn't provide healthcare, paid time off, sick leave, or any other perk. This issue is one my generation deals with more and more, and it isn't limited to just the food and service industry, but I have been working in this one for the past 10 years, and even have a Bachelor's Degree from my studies in it. I see this industry as one that is so important in a world where people are cooking less, where health problems like diabetes always rising, and food waste is at an all time high - yet our society doesn't doesn't consider it a career - they just make sure they always tip at least 15%. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My own father, who I look up to, made the comment "when you get a real job" a while back. I know he didn't mean it in a negative way, that it probably just slipped. He has always been the most supportive person in my life and I know he only wants me to be taken care of... but I sometimes find myself wondering why I choose to stay in this industry. I live to work, and in the past 10 years of my life feel like I've logged endless hours bringing food to the table for others. I feel like a real professional in my industry, yet many don't take what I do serious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is exactly why I have put my longterm dream </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of owning a restaurant on the back burner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why on earth would I want to gamble money I don't even have, on an establishment where I will need to adjust to a market and demographic whose wants and 'needs' I don't necessarily want to cater too? Why on earth do I want to pay property taxes on a building where people will break my bathroom sink and stick gum under my tables? Why on earth would I want to create a menu that is consistent and comfortable when I myself have huge stances on local food, reducing food waste, and getting away from big agriculture... let alone the mere fact that I would get bored of my own menu after a week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead, I'll just do what I love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In this past year, and in particular this past month, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been able to have some </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">amazing conversations with some great individuals in the industry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Those paired with my own experience and some reflections </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">have brought me to one main focus: </span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Quality of life. </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the end of the day this is the most important thing to me. I have seen too many people in this industry lose themselves in endless days, loose themselves to alcohol or drugs, loose themselves to what the reviews say, loose their asses financially, loose themselves in the repetitiveness, loose their friends and loved ones, loose their health from the physical strain. I want to have mental and physical health, I want to practice art, I want to see the world, I want to be sustainable, I want to keep growing my skills and knowledge, I want freedom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It may sound foolish - but then just consider me a fool. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, whats my plan?</span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Steps towards my goal: </span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step One: </b>Get a kickass job an organic farm you've volunteered on because it became mental refuge of beautiful product, good conversations, and pretty much no cell phone service. Have it be seasonal so you can travel and do your own side hussle in the winter. Camino de Portugues, I'll see you in November of 2018! </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Check.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step Two:</b> Find ways to help other restaurants logistically - teaching them what you've learned, and learn more from them in the process. Use your marketing background, paired with you artistic eye to help develop websites, manage social media, and other design elements. Help them brainstorm ideas and grow as a business. AKA: <b>Food Consultant.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>In-progress Check.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step Three: </b>Brand yourself. I am Renegade Sheep. And if you don't know, now you know. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website launches this Saturday in honor of my art show - hopefully I can one day be an legit consultant. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In-progress Check. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step Four: </b>Build a tiny house with outdoor kitchen capabilities so you can go where life takes you from the farm in Chatham to anywhere that isn't cold in the winters. The outdoor kitchen can be your side hustle and will allow you to pursue your restaurant dream but on your own terms. </span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">GET MOVING.</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Step Five: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Work hard, remember who you are and what you stand for; do what you love, and always treat others with kindness and respect</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Always In-progress. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step Six: </b>Help turn this industry into a well respected profession. From farmers, to chefs, to owners, to the person who delivers your food. We are the one's dealing with what you put into your body, and that is an intimate thing; from satisfying your taste buds to affecting your health. We need to stop relying on our doctors to prescribe us a pill and start making better choices with our fork. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>To Do.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you to those of you whom have inspired me this last year,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> those who engaged in some much ne</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">eded conversations of perspective and guidance, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and to those of you who support me as I continue my </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">never ending efforts to be as </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">un-normal as possible. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Cheers, </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>AP</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-16968369600158096082017-07-18T07:18:00.001-07:002017-11-02T17:38:48.285-07:00"Vegetables" - a dinner brought to you by Michigan<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cool Marquette People: </b>"Alex! What's the menu for your dinner?!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Myself: </b>"Vegetables!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cool Marquette People:</b> "but like what though...?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do I want to answer your question? <i>Yes!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can I answer your question? <i>Nope. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The theme of my dinner is vegetables and local food, with an underlying educational presence. The education portion was originally directed to the guests that will attend the dinner, but the amount I need to learn myself is more than I could have imagined; <i>and I find that thrilling. </i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The following are question I can answer: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Why vegetables?</b><br />As a kid my favorite food group was chicken wings, with bread being a close second. There are so many small moments that directed me towards them, but vegetables and I don't have a long history. One of the the moments that's tangible is the summer of 2013, I was able to begin volunteering on Rock River Farm in Chatham, MI. There I met the owners, and other volunteers; individuals whom were all fun, intelligent, and inspiring. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5IaUlZh9CFyI_rBKtczeJ75ai-yHU6U4fmLz6pljnYFUnqRU85Pyq9dGkpMRfFJ3xiu2KV5h5wpSkq9znah_LgGZinFEY6ZeB7r_ehC83Z1rMlsdwMHkbzWfOK7lVgYqnu3W5QfkRmE/s1600/Blog+Potatoes+rock+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="632" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5IaUlZh9CFyI_rBKtczeJ75ai-yHU6U4fmLz6pljnYFUnqRU85Pyq9dGkpMRfFJ3xiu2KV5h5wpSkq9znah_LgGZinFEY6ZeB7r_ehC83Z1rMlsdwMHkbzWfOK7lVgYqnu3W5QfkRmE/s200/Blog+Potatoes+rock+river.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Rock River Farm, UP of Michigan 2013</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I grew up raising animals for 4-H, my father's an avid hunter, and meat had always been the main focus of my food life, but my time at Rock River introduced me to how beautiful vegetables & plants are, how much energy is required to grow them, yet how simplistic and rewarding that energy is, and last but not least... how delicious something can be when it's fresh from the ground. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA31j_6G7POIjCZLARTWGpvbC2jSG1oKndUwPMUYrjIGBqlfg34JMW6rn26kU-bdjA-_zys8RKGIm9jZmgQT6edIobga9PNSV2Ao2DrKsyfb8LrSuraaMBe5q-to3Sl1Pa4IIXNs-CpJ4/s1600/potato+sweden+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA31j_6G7POIjCZLARTWGpvbC2jSG1oKndUwPMUYrjIGBqlfg34JMW6rn26kU-bdjA-_zys8RKGIm9jZmgQT6edIobga9PNSV2Ao2DrKsyfb8LrSuraaMBe5q-to3Sl1Pa4IIXNs-CpJ4/s400/potato+sweden+blog.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #45493e;">Ramshyttan Farm, Sweden</span> 2014</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This sparked the next adventure: WWOOFing. In Sweden, I was able to spend two weeks working on an organic farm. Although most tasks included sanding and staining barn doors, clearing brush, baking cakes, and caring for the horses; our host Roland was constantly talking about things like bees, big agriculture, and best of all, his cooking was <u>extraordinary.</u> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Danny Woo Garden, Seattle 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After my trip to Europe, I fled to the West Coast. There is where I dove into cooking, something I hand only practiced in school and at home. Seattle was a big city and I needed friends, so I thought volunteering in a garden might be fun. Some late night internet research lead me to Danny Woo Garden. My experience there not only gained me life-long friends, but gave me a chance to share my enthusiasm about vegetables with children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many of them didn't speak</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> English, but plants don't speak </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">any language and we were able </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although cooking was exciting and I was learning a lot, I needed a second job. I had been dreaming of eating at a restaurant whose menu's were beautiful and ingredients where local. I saw they were hiring and before I knew it I was working at one of the most beautiful spaces I had ever seen, called The London Plane and watching cases of veggies being delivered from farms outside the city. With that company, I was also able to go on different field trips to surrounding farms and learn more about the restaurants products, as well as volunteer on the companies farm. I was able to interact with the Chef who had started it all, an empire if you will, of several restaurants whom were all different in style, but still all focused on local food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Vegetables are the reason I am where I am. They have connected me to friends new and old; to new places near and far; to tastes rich and crisp; and most of all they've helped connect me to who I am and what's important in life</i>. </span></div>
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<b>Now it's my turn to ask you some questions! </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where do you live?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What's your favorite local vegetable?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kelly (hospitality industry) - Seattle, WA & previously Traverse City, MI</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I were in Seattle then red currants, and I'd make them into a clafoutis. If I were in Michigan, I would make a simple salad of sweet cherries, arugula, fennel, and a soft fresh cheese like chèvre or fromage blanc, dressed with a little white wine vinegar, olive oil & salt. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eric (farmer) - Daggett, MI</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peaches, fresh from the tree. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arielle (librarian) - Grand Rapids, MI</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet potatoes, cutting them into cubes, and coating the in olive oil & melted butter, garlic salt, parmesan, and baking. IT IS DELICIOUS! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carolyn (medical & hospitality industries) - Wyandotte, MI</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not sure if it's considered local, but my family enjoys fresh green beans and broccoli because it's easy to add to any meal! We normally prepare them sautéed with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and other seasonings. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coty - (family business) - Los Gatos, CA</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite vegetable is a artichoke. Steam for 7-10 minutes and dip leaves in mayonnaise. Delicious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Joe - (postman) - Menominee, MI</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet corn, boiled or grilled. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anna - (travel and tourism industry) - Marquette, MI</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Avocado, and avocado pudding.<br />(she missed the local part, but that doesn't mean I don't want to include it, I am a big believer in balance, and although I promote local food & vegetables I eat stuff that travels too, but its acknowledging that those things require much more energy sources to get that steak or unfamiliar veggie to you) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So the learning continues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thursday I meet with farmers to figure out what I'll have available - stay tuned for more details on the menu and those involved. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Alyssa & I booking our Euro-Trip - 2014</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>A special thank you to those whom shared their favorite local foods, and to my dear friend Alyssa. She came with me to Rock River Farm, she was along side me on the farm in Sweden, and she was always there to support me in my move to Seattle. Now she is presenting me the honor of preparing this dinner and serving it at the bar and restaurant she now is part owner of: DIGS Gastropub in Marquette, MI. She's following her dream, and accomplishing so much. I am so proud of her, and thankful for her support in my life, but most of all I'm just thankful I met her. Cheers to you AP. </i></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-38529296781385555002017-04-22T12:20:00.002-07:002017-04-22T12:20:58.600-07:00Michigan: Homebase. <div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over two months ago my parents picked me up from Seattle,
after which we embarked on a two-week long road trip through Oregon &
California, spent some time in Arizona, and then head back to the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan. The day after I arrived I spent the whole day with my
older brother and sister; then made a two-hour night drive to Marquette, MI. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was about 12:30 AM when I arrived that Sunday night. Pulling into my old
college town had never felt so foreign. I think it was because this time around
I didn’t have a flight back to Seattle in my near future. I had no plan really;
besides my hopes of visiting old friends around the Midwest, maybe finding a
job in Chicago or Detroit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night I walked into the bar my dear friend had recently purchased with her
fiancé and his brother expecting to see some walls that needed finishing, and a
little staining that needed to be done. I’ve always been such a dreamer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They had completely ripped out the bar and moved it from the
middle of the establishment to the far wall, opening what now is a breath-taking
dining room. The renovations they had done were amazing, but the amount of work
that needed to be finished was more than I imagined. That night Alyssa & I
cracked open a few beers and started the with red, white, & blue wall
paneling. We worked till 3am, catching up as friends would, a conversation that
was all over the place… much like our own lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sFVEJClJUn1vo9H8MgjvBBIGJYcyxNylC2mebGiiIpj7qQwfE9AQl1TfZtLa9CvmG6xCMqf_k8Wlyhj04tjhtwteZj75RqrgO8hrfbPUkQ7gU2gvfwO_1HL5suWMgfEfZUTqp8Lpx6E/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sFVEJClJUn1vo9H8MgjvBBIGJYcyxNylC2mebGiiIpj7qQwfE9AQl1TfZtLa9CvmG6xCMqf_k8Wlyhj04tjhtwteZj75RqrgO8hrfbPUkQ7gU2gvfwO_1HL5suWMgfEfZUTqp8Lpx6E/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From that day on, I’ve been hooked. My last few years in Seattle
have taught me things I had no idea I could learn, and opened my mind up to
even more ideas and crazy hopes. My dream of owning my own business had only
multiplied while I lived there, and that dream is the main reason I find myself
back in Michigan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t deny how
terribly I miss Seattle, but my roots hold strong here. I’ll always be a
traveler; my personality always getting restless and anxious in the same old
setting after a while… but Michigan will always be <b>home base. </b></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHljojys2a5lrMvyYZ43mXHaRf9padmlI-7kqDrRmJZrg9w_YRd8xTn9ZksgoZw_WfNQuXLk8VGTH82_y7flGJ53z__Azltx2Lw2BwNsWbTtalPFbfBfUDF-ckMEL-kqOr1WCcADutUk/s1600/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUma6cmtg1Kv9AMeZWctfTo4Zpi6s8k1XZOXiu6vBixN8zCcE5TGaudluJqKCeN4FPG1r-TfNis8_ThUxvCZq-0nfWXIYlbiIqQcNHkh-_rB8_6Ru1o-vaKUKVzzi6EHovNaBQ6e5dHI/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers to a bad ass-woman and a killer team who are turning the Marquette food & bar scene up-side-down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here I am, in Marquette. I forgot how stunningly
beautiful this place can be. This morning I sat on Alyssa’s porch in the sun
listening to the sound of seagulls, geese, the water, and a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">faint sound of bagpipes
(still not sure why those were happening). No interstate, no sirens, no
honking. Peace. Although my time here in Marquette has been anything but
peaceful, I know that this will be the best place for me to find balance. The
town itself has been changing too. New restaurants, a newly built food co-op,
and a hotel fever all make the town feel so big compared to the college days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So… why not take over Events & Catering for my best
friend? It’s funny how it’s all worked out. We’ve been so vague about
everything, me and wanting to work for her, and her with hiring me. It’s a
weird conversation to have with someone you consider family, and someone whom I
haven’t been able to spend much time with since our seven weeks together in
Europe…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hardest thing to express is how proud I am of her, and the team she has
around her. Her fiancé and brother, a couple of crazy twin brothers who know
how to have fun, but know even more about creating a successful business.
They’ve been traveling all over the country and their ideas are some Marquette
has never seen. That goes hand in hand with our in-house marketing. In my
entire time working as a manager for restaurants and resorts, my biggest
frustration is getting the owners to dive into marketing their business – so
when I heard they have a marketing director who not only has mounds of
experience, but is invested in the business itself, I was ecstatic. Of course,
I was dying to see what was happening in the kitchen, and being nosey wasn’t
difficult with my past college professor and colleague heading it all. I don’t
know if there are many other chef’s I’d work with in this town besides him. His style of
food and passion for local products is something I admire dearly, and no doubt has
helped drive my own passions and beliefs. Plus it puts up with my hard headed stubbornness with ease. Add on a killer staff, many of which
come from the Hospitality Program at NMU where we all met a few years ago… and
I couldn’t leave a place like this if I tried. How often are you able to work and create along side your friends. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be honest, I think our biggest problem is sometimes that
we have too much talent, too much creativity, too many perfectionists under one
roof. Alyssa being one of them; part of me being here goes hand in hand with
watching her work, observing her ups and downs as a business owner, learning
from her about taxes and licensing. She walks around the bar calm, cool,
collected… she holds herself in a way that says “I’m a boss,” but also
sometimes you’d never know it. You can tell she is most calm in the pub… it’s
her baby, she cares so much about it, and the time and effort she has poured
into it is finally worth it as she mixes drinks and greets customers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could go on, but I always could go on forever, my ability
to ramble on has not been diminished one bit. I also have 10,000 other things
on my mind… catering contracts… dinners… fundraisers… and oh yeah my life that
I need to dedicate some time to. My biggest hope with this post was to be able
to say the following: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">---Hello
Marquette, although I haven’t spent much time enjoying you, you have been very
accommodating. Today’s beautiful weather, my new roommates whom are old
friends, and my old college professors who’ve got my creative wheels turning - thank you for them all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUma6cmtg1Kv9AMeZWctfTo4Zpi6s8k1XZOXiu6vBixN8zCcE5TGaudluJqKCeN4FPG1r-TfNis8_ThUxvCZq-0nfWXIYlbiIqQcNHkh-_rB8_6Ru1o-vaKUKVzzi6EHovNaBQ6e5dHI/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUma6cmtg1Kv9AMeZWctfTo4Zpi6s8k1XZOXiu6vBixN8zCcE5TGaudluJqKCeN4FPG1r-TfNis8_ThUxvCZq-0nfWXIYlbiIqQcNHkh-_rB8_6Ru1o-vaKUKVzzi6EHovNaBQ6e5dHI/s320/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="295" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">---Thank you
DIGS. The team there has been incredible, doing whatever it takes to keep the
business moving and grooving. I was so nerves the first few days to be not only
watching my best friends baby while she was in Thailand, but to do so with a
group of people whom I wasn’t familiar with. You’ve all been incredibly
welcoming and supportive, and I’m happy to be apart of such a stellar crew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">---Thank you Alyssa & Pat. From letting me crash at your house, to the numerous times I’ve borrowed your vehicles, to the meals, the late night talks, and helping me get settled in Michigan again. Having this chance to work for and along side my best friend is an opportunity not many get the honor of having, and I look forward to all the memories and things we will learn from this experience. Alyssa, you are truly a badass, a woman that all women can look up to, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of your dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like my the shirt I'm sporting today says...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"THE FUTURE IS FEMALE." </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-41934627976009193652017-03-03T20:32:00.004-08:002017-03-03T20:58:07.148-08:00Shallot Crunchies; fried, caramelized, and seasoned in Seattle.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOOrxi326yIn7gu6VFIjLq2NqhxB95Bsk9pevvBAjzMWDN15ci1gjdGpp3Udv2Gjok2PLL12kCEgFdnpHE2EYIH0BiHMskXnpP0HsJc-Xztfc_06XRMlj1G86Zy5FJ2haPdIprUxP8BM/s1600/Friendsgiving+211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOOrxi326yIn7gu6VFIjLq2NqhxB95Bsk9pevvBAjzMWDN15ci1gjdGpp3Udv2Gjok2PLL12kCEgFdnpHE2EYIH0BiHMskXnpP0HsJc-Xztfc_06XRMlj1G86Zy5FJ2haPdIprUxP8BM/s320/Friendsgiving+211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What am I doing?"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxPkuUGvUStWwoiJDCzVu1ER1FQFVDDHVzzpXLbc8Ipcen3kDjmFVggeg0Iv8vcRQlOO8xskpfQMAeVU58c1yuID6KTjXZ3AzUbwr5S5x1DBYWotG-028AYl7IGfhR0_lvaYXITVxjfs/s1600/Friendsgiving+353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxPkuUGvUStWwoiJDCzVu1ER1FQFVDDHVzzpXLbc8Ipcen3kDjmFVggeg0Iv8vcRQlOO8xskpfQMAeVU58c1yuID6KTjXZ3AzUbwr5S5x1DBYWotG-028AYl7IGfhR0_lvaYXITVxjfs/s320/Friendsgiving+353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I have at least a dozen of half typed or fully finished posts from my time in Seattle, the most recent of which being a very long descriptive story of how to make "shallot crunchies."<br />
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I had turned the simplistic recipe of frying thinly sliced shallots in hot canola oil until just before <b>golden brown delicious</b>, then removing and placing them onto a landing pad of towels, spreading and salting quickly... into a four page long description. </div>
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I have decided I should never write a cookbook. </div>
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My terrible addiction to long descriptions and emotional observations wouldn't allow me to even reach a description on cooking a dish, let along an ingredient list. More than two pages of the original "shallot crunchies" story was an owed to my friends and co-workers, trying to fit an individual story, reference, thanks or admiration to them all was causing me to write a book, a task I although one day hope to conquer, but not now; nor in such a way.</div>
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I will however comment on the major metaphor that was the point of the original story. Making shallot crunchies requires few ingredients, little technique, but full attention to details and nuances. Some of the best chefs in my kitchen struggled with them at first, and even after mastering the task, fucked them up now and then; myself included. </div>
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That eternal struggle is constant in the high volume kitchen. I find myself in a constant back and forth; part of me lives for it, the magic we work, our ability to multi-task, to put so much effort and perfection into something that is a mearly garnish, but also such a vital part of a composed dish. I also became burnt out on it, just as many of the batches of shallot crunchies I had foolishly forgotten. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSYiAre91yrKb7yFg62JwiDdRYYVsLco_pdU4FRNEeT_VKwris9DN3CNZU24MXYQFJF8QSqjsz8rRnCqNZ8mIPOr3NztLKYLDD47wvrgTsHz53X7V9KT8ISjSFLYX2FTDtG6AOXxs-yg/s1600/Friendsgiving+476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8WDHeVCLcntxUwO8HOdphIjPWCxkbwmsEHe97R0js3JChJXiYO58ppDb_yMc3vtg4x8E9gHNzyqXMHBgE48vQjS_muEye-13tNClpOW_ZytCSoB2OOvyTHLCQw1hpzG31IbY8ac0WoY/s1600/Friendsgiving+364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8WDHeVCLcntxUwO8HOdphIjPWCxkbwmsEHe97R0js3JChJXiYO58ppDb_yMc3vtg4x8E9gHNzyqXMHBgE48vQjS_muEye-13tNClpOW_ZytCSoB2OOvyTHLCQw1hpzG31IbY8ac0WoY/s200/Friendsgiving+364.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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So here I am, after over two years in Seattle surviving my two first kitchen jobs (one of which I believe turned me from a cooking enthusiast to a line cook that could hold her own) heading back to my roots. I find myself reflecting on what how I've grown, and who I've become. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQaPuht5g0Wib08Px8UF1RUFb11CV99iaYJM-dMu60n1o4rg5gcr26ZM6_a91L2z9GzB9luS4PPO8Rdk1So8X60VCXxvkeTSsgNAnxMLxk814NnAsjvSBNYYx0IPETw4d2P2_iwcsm54/s1600/13512118_961818513931073_4242165051425952584_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQaPuht5g0Wib08Px8UF1RUFb11CV99iaYJM-dMu60n1o4rg5gcr26ZM6_a91L2z9GzB9luS4PPO8Rdk1So8X60VCXxvkeTSsgNAnxMLxk814NnAsjvSBNYYx0IPETw4d2P2_iwcsm54/s200/13512118_961818513931073_4242165051425952584_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ762t6q3ZCenIeRjAnZFiHD33EPOcJ3XmMPShBRiJ0DkVhSDNj5czOL6vnRiIMVlceON2_2udEdVn2ejDKcnHw6lr8Alk6HdFhp7o0GXod3HNDoq6bz-fLnVXqsKphECbASuSQHQLaRw/s1600/16388054_10211670784586194_3767979756827329560_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ762t6q3ZCenIeRjAnZFiHD33EPOcJ3XmMPShBRiJ0DkVhSDNj5czOL6vnRiIMVlceON2_2udEdVn2ejDKcnHw6lr8Alk6HdFhp7o0GXod3HNDoq6bz-fLnVXqsKphECbASuSQHQLaRw/s200/16388054_10211670784586194_3767979756827329560_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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I don't think I yet realize what I've learned as a young cook. My sous chef put it best saying, "I can almost guarantee... that the next time you sit down with a recipe, by yourself... and cook that shit... you will be impressed with how much you've grown as a cook." I know I haven't yet even grazed the surface, but I am sure I will surprise myself the way he says. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvxUzKhWmLAqdTV9M8o7iuhxmAJXMnhkm5RlNXV2N-Gy3g2iufD1KjxNcaFIhBujNodoMQsbssr9utF-aKcZXqXwqBLBWK_o5aoqXIOaLEEsgJwgdxWvxfqX9FfhWP7GD3oRSfflI-hM/s1600/Friendsgiving+770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvxUzKhWmLAqdTV9M8o7iuhxmAJXMnhkm5RlNXV2N-Gy3g2iufD1KjxNcaFIhBujNodoMQsbssr9utF-aKcZXqXwqBLBWK_o5aoqXIOaLEEsgJwgdxWvxfqX9FfhWP7GD3oRSfflI-hM/s320/Friendsgiving+770.JPG" width="320" /></a>So who have I become? That is a question is one I've been contemplating a lot already since I left the city. I've been traveling the country by truck with my parents, stopping at monuments and parks, eating shitty food, them gambling and me reading and sleeping. </div>
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I have become fried, like the shallot. I've lost my ties to the real world, work being my only focus, my life slowly dissipating from me the way the moisture cooks out of the shallot. I've also become caramelized in the best of ways, pushed to my limits, slow and low; creating a chef who is not only sweet and savory, but powerful and confident. Lastly, I am seasoned, having to do endless tasks to perfection, while multitasking and fighting for space. I can now hold my own in a way I never thought I could. </div>
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Luckily, I wasn't fried to the point of bitterness. I sadly left many </div>
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co-workers whom I now consider mentors, friends, and family.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWlKZ8vm45UNdnDecTKkE_qV2LwJmu8YAtnLoc-UyipliryIxq8xDnrCH_H5dXRtSCxMs4iJi3U3J7tbmR8a5FKiYQ2d4_hRFj1mVuZ117-_DKPCwkDPow_PjjWCQrrrwgHSp0JAoBN0/s1600/15350721_10211153239527891_3181948191350984222_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWlKZ8vm45UNdnDecTKkE_qV2LwJmu8YAtnLoc-UyipliryIxq8xDnrCH_H5dXRtSCxMs4iJi3U3J7tbmR8a5FKiYQ2d4_hRFj1mVuZ117-_DKPCwkDPow_PjjWCQrrrwgHSp0JAoBN0/s320/15350721_10211153239527891_3181948191350984222_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAf1Q99_u5B_BIIwc16jJ90mdNNkCs94M4uCIXbe7IeNV1PIofrDPi02uKj7RJxyy9w1lr2FeStkKJfiVS06fHGffS4thpEhkN7WOIVCmTqvjnxrdSa4h02DYzPwu_BP9afnXtvW216To/s1600/Friendsgiving+563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAf1Q99_u5B_BIIwc16jJ90mdNNkCs94M4uCIXbe7IeNV1PIofrDPi02uKj7RJxyy9w1lr2FeStkKJfiVS06fHGffS4thpEhkN7WOIVCmTqvjnxrdSa4h02DYzPwu_BP9afnXtvW216To/s200/Friendsgiving+563.JPG" width="200" /></a>So thank you to the city and the people in it whom changed my life in such a wonderful way. I wish you nothing but the best in all your future endeavors; <i>especially your shallot crunchy game.</i></div>
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Now I get to continue my journey, returning to friends and family whom supported my flee to Seattle years ago. I look forward to see how they have grown, and remind myself why I fell in love with food in the first place.</div>
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ah suh dudes.</div>
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love, AP</div>
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<i>photo credits to my dear friend matt</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-49295280840325192692016-09-09T14:29:00.002-07:002016-09-09T14:29:38.295-07:00chicken ponders crossing road; becomes chopped liver <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAXUGaOX8IPP9C88I9xtv0fitqbmOKR8_CTwZiYBvNWoE4w2hZBIt-wUG9bouw4Tdm4LWjIGVdgadOb7k7gN9qiaGpdb_f_z0-ss59fmVjg_I6yHdHmcObiSe0lTPk2TmOzLLWkQjo-E/s1600/imagejpeg_0+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAXUGaOX8IPP9C88I9xtv0fitqbmOKR8_CTwZiYBvNWoE4w2hZBIt-wUG9bouw4Tdm4LWjIGVdgadOb7k7gN9qiaGpdb_f_z0-ss59fmVjg_I6yHdHmcObiSe0lTPk2TmOzLLWkQjo-E/s320/imagejpeg_0+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As we grow and transform we make plans, changes, goals. We work towards these in hope of a better tomorrow. We reminisce on the days of old. It feels like a spin cycle that I can handle only because I have become familiar with these ever rotating mindsets.<br />
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Months ago I visited home (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) and was therefore feeling nostalgic. I wrote most of this blog post months ago, but have now decided to finish it, enjoy.<br />
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I think of my old eating habits as a child and teen, and my progression once I left for college. I try to pin-point where I clung on to food and cooking- as if the moment were some sort of exact snapshot in time. That's probably the real answer though- there is no exact moment. I grew up raising animals and had a father who was an avid hunter. Meat and potatoes was a way of life. I loved chicken, it was my favorite food group. I also ate a lot of processed food. It was kind of a weird mix to grow up on, I wasn't eating gourmet or healthy in my younger years, yet there were those things I was privileged enough to experience. Fresh Blue Gill. Moose steaks. Mutton stew. Rabbit. Venison sausage. Beef from the farm down the road. Lamb chops from last years 4-H Project. Trout. Farm fresh eggs. Bear. I ate so much meat as a kid. I was surrounded by people who raised animals and small farms who sold you things from their freezer; as well as had a father and mother whom hunted, and a boyfriend at the time whom loved to fish. I always laugh at people who ask me if I have ever consumed any of the meat from animals I raised myself. Of course I have! I do admit, as a child eating your pet was hard for a while, but honestly I grew to wish I could raise all the meat I consume. It's one of the same reasons I cook. I want to know what I am putting in my body.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUB3rAQoespNP2Rmolbw_OunRZ5PfCjNuuUxGdlHuV9LJztgCWVu45zrQ-NwRtJBqJg2hsa7uUUM-0LAC1PNGjaqRiOrlbEKWEhnvrUvF7UmhEo44jwRyrVfQgUS02cd9_d98fZM8Whg/s1600/imagejpeg_0+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUB3rAQoespNP2Rmolbw_OunRZ5PfCjNuuUxGdlHuV9LJztgCWVu45zrQ-NwRtJBqJg2hsa7uUUM-0LAC1PNGjaqRiOrlbEKWEhnvrUvF7UmhEo44jwRyrVfQgUS02cd9_d98fZM8Whg/s400/imagejpeg_0+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This brings us to Chicken Liver Pate.<br />
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At the time of my visit home, my mother owned seven chickens she raised from chicks. Three ended up being roosters who picked on the hens and each other. They had to go. My dad butchered them while I was home, and put them in the freezer. At the cookout we had that day before my flight back to Seattle, my mother made chicken liver pate, with the livers of the chickens murdered the day prior. Maybe that sounds graphic to you, but it sounds delicious to me. I eat a lot less meat now a days. I sometimes go weeks with out eating any at all besides tasting my ingredients on the line at work. I think my reasoning is mostly sustainability driven as well as some health concerns, but of course I think I'm just over meat because I used to consume so much. That day though, I ate half the bowl of chicken liver pate with zero qualms. The chickens lived a good happy life full of food, water, shelter and a <b>very</b> caring owner. They ran freely around the yard, they went on adventures in the forest, and took over my dad's wood room. They were big, beautiful, healthy, roosters whom sadly at this point of their life had no more purpose, so they had to go. Who knows what life any other chicken you eat at restaurant or by from a store has lived. I look at people whom eat meat so often and ask how they can do it without ever having stepped one foot on a farm. I know it's hard for some people to get to a farm, and I think that fact makes me more sad than anything.<br />
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As I look for where my passion for food comes from, for a reason behind my love for food, I realize I've been a chef for longer than I've known. I have been growing plants and animals since before I was in pre-school. Ingredients are the key in any recipe.<br />
I'm in it for the ingredients.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5R1gn04oL1fP14bqkCvc7tBXwGtP5w2O5hZ5vbezQsilS0bsLhTHsOcGGXsnsJ-A66zjD8m76hY5aZUn5NMAiU6rM7kruiYlsTmXchBDIvRiTjArTwMjCjolglN6FWpKcR72H8dJ7BrI/s1600/imagejpeg_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5R1gn04oL1fP14bqkCvc7tBXwGtP5w2O5hZ5vbezQsilS0bsLhTHsOcGGXsnsJ-A66zjD8m76hY5aZUn5NMAiU6rM7kruiYlsTmXchBDIvRiTjArTwMjCjolglN6FWpKcR72H8dJ7BrI/s320/imagejpeg_0.jpg" width="320" /></a><u><b>Momma Barb's Chicken Liver Pate</b></u></div>
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<b>no recipe. </b></div>
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chicken livers(fresh); boiled, patted dry</div>
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grated onion</div>
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salt</div>
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pepper</div>
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add mayo until smooth</div>
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So simple, so good. My sister and I stare each other down as we indulge. Neither of us want to share. I remember it was my sister's husband who really got me into raising chickens. One day he even had us over to butcher some. During this "not always so easy" task I heard my brother-in-law referring to the chickens as 'bastards'. My young self, not knowing any better, happily answered "Bastard chickens!" to my father when he asked what kind of chickens we were eating at the dinner table. My brother-in-law will never be able to escape this story. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb-UmXqcKg5MdwtOGPULQSDmFD-_NUH3kQCgpgudm7Z30sk4xWPX8FldKgHKnq05o5fPb2JlwP0hhlrgAMj32SNS4tKDLLwRr8IFxTDXKe085mKl0ZvF1HydFmJXGuZtaSZelALfjMdg/s1600/IMG_7746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb-UmXqcKg5MdwtOGPULQSDmFD-_NUH3kQCgpgudm7Z30sk4xWPX8FldKgHKnq05o5fPb2JlwP0hhlrgAMj32SNS4tKDLLwRr8IFxTDXKe085mKl0ZvF1HydFmJXGuZtaSZelALfjMdg/s200/IMG_7746.JPG" width="150" /></a>As I've grown I have made plans and followed them, those plans have also fell through. I have made changes, some of which never really change. I have made goals, some achieved, some forever in the works. Regardless, my past still shapes me, makes me who I am, gives me a direction in my future. No matter where the future takes us, we must always look back and learn from the life we have already lived.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-78045418770888527832016-04-01T21:13:00.003-07:002016-04-01T21:13:45.116-07:00an age old trade<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkajzJbr0uQc02hyuZEpHxaDRARyx59o8GQ-k5c7wAvx3vvm86382Pk3jXBk1g1KnU523YQEPK2A3v-er7G5sxnh1Ygse7ATJTx9OQu1wrBhT7ag5ICwhqSHX6CzAFEnEw2ZkVkz_sbZU/s1600/blog4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkajzJbr0uQc02hyuZEpHxaDRARyx59o8GQ-k5c7wAvx3vvm86382Pk3jXBk1g1KnU523YQEPK2A3v-er7G5sxnh1Ygse7ATJTx9OQu1wrBhT7ag5ICwhqSHX6CzAFEnEw2ZkVkz_sbZU/s320/blog4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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There is a song by The Head and the Heart called <i>Down in the Valley</i>. The first line is, "I wish I was a slave to an age old trade, like riding around on rail cars and working long days." Sadly jobs that involve craft are fewer and fewer lately. I am not saying that any jobs are lesser- but there is something about doing and making with your hands that gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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Humans have been primitively cooking for remarkable amount of time- some archaeologists have found burned plant and animals remains that show homo erectus had control of flames dating back over a million years ago- according to an article put out by the <a href="http://www.history.com/news/human-ancestors-tamed-fire-earlier-than-thought">History Channel</a>. I guess you could say cooking is an age old trade. I know for a fact that Chefs and Line Cooks work very long days,and I often wonder how some of my co-workers do it and have been in the business for so long. Heavy lifting, hot conditions, long days- all to provide you with a delicious meal.<br />
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Cooking at home is also no small feat, and since the industrialization of food we have been doing it less and less. Now we have endless options of take out choices and miles of frozen food options we can stick in our microwave.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE-HrW5OWU58LYLscPV1SrIeH-OIcIOaVTUFIJe39MBmI200gQvlvRvg2v03gxcvjlPkUwbcZMiSGJt515kkeZ-dOzuy0OBK6-Vr-TiTqZn0wvAXR9ESNW1BDu-FiS6xdJqsD2cTdH2Y/s1600/blog9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE-HrW5OWU58LYLscPV1SrIeH-OIcIOaVTUFIJe39MBmI200gQvlvRvg2v03gxcvjlPkUwbcZMiSGJt515kkeZ-dOzuy0OBK6-Vr-TiTqZn0wvAXR9ESNW1BDu-FiS6xdJqsD2cTdH2Y/s320/blog9.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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So this is my dedication to those whom cook. From my cooking industry co-workers who seem super-human in what that do, to people like my roommate whom I am watching develop a new found love of food. As she eats healthier she is cooking more- she now even says she loves being in the kitchen. Her favorite part is that now she knows what's in all of her food- what a simple virtue that we too often overlook.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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I also recently had the pleasure of teaching a Vegan Cooking Class for Paws here in Seattle. I remember as I prepared for the class- I thought about interesting talking points relating to animals and food. As I taught the class I realized most of them there were just there to learn how to cook. I forget how foreign the process has become to some people. So also I dedicate this to my wonderful class and the people in the world whom are striving to learn. I encourage anyone who is comfortable in a kitchen to get others to join them. Host interactive dinner parties, have a friend over and show them how you make your favorite dish, or just get in the kitchen and just start experimenting. Cooking comes with practice- you only learn from mistakes. When I was a kid and my parents weren't home from work yet- I would pull random items out of the cupboard hoping to create something delicious- often only creating a mess I needed to clean up quick before Mom walked through the door. 15 years later I've gone from hiding my kitchen curiously from my mom to being privileged enough to have her attend my cooking class.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9cTTXWiEOV89yQllOU2Fb_y5O1-YjnaJqoPdNFMVtV89J-DtTC_rvgnTK8I_BKX8Wvj9lMnvGAX_p8XUiS7TOthciCJN-mmXbnxzRlbLcGmx7f4Rbp_zA9rMY2MyPkiMPGSt_fkLCPM/s1600/blog7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9cTTXWiEOV89yQllOU2Fb_y5O1-YjnaJqoPdNFMVtV89J-DtTC_rvgnTK8I_BKX8Wvj9lMnvGAX_p8XUiS7TOthciCJN-mmXbnxzRlbLcGmx7f4Rbp_zA9rMY2MyPkiMPGSt_fkLCPM/s320/blog7.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw54l-DEF1x8gq3hS5LXOeTNP_SZSzL7Yjq3xqbfG8cfChzDWdYcWMMBDj6vwEeiTqMn0FvOqzVUJs4Xf5zX0zCdcKRdK-bO8J41mCRfmaWcZf2afX4HPvzVSEQahyphenhyphenZi0OsXkO4SPO79s/s1600/blog8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw54l-DEF1x8gq3hS5LXOeTNP_SZSzL7Yjq3xqbfG8cfChzDWdYcWMMBDj6vwEeiTqMn0FvOqzVUJs4Xf5zX0zCdcKRdK-bO8J41mCRfmaWcZf2afX4HPvzVSEQahyphenhyphenZi0OsXkO4SPO79s/s320/blog8.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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I'd like to thank PAWS for the opportunity and all the wonderful people who helped make it possible!</div>
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I encourage you to get your hands dirty and spend a few hours in your kitchen- good food takes love and time- and I promise the more you do it the more empowered you will come. Immerse yourself in a trade as old as they come and take back your kitchen. </div>
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I leave you with one of the many wonderful quotes Samin Nosrat gives us from the Water Episode of Michael Pollan's <i>Cooked</i> Series on Netflix. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"It's about getting to that place in your own mind </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">where this becomes pleasure instead of drudgery." </span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrzZX1F_dVlfAkYvBrQOeIRWLGOlPw08SiGbsok6oYKLhq11IPUcz2e25A3M1fq2xVwwFVBN8a76Vq1fbmKbbXeP8Js2aTyevoeH8Wf2Tw67FZD11wzbWLHkfk0T5WWOIGV2eiiutFpY/s1600/blog6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrzZX1F_dVlfAkYvBrQOeIRWLGOlPw08SiGbsok6oYKLhq11IPUcz2e25A3M1fq2xVwwFVBN8a76Vq1fbmKbbXeP8Js2aTyevoeH8Wf2Tw67FZD11wzbWLHkfk0T5WWOIGV2eiiutFpY/s400/blog6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Copyright PAWS 2016 (</span><a href="http://paws.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">paws.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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<i><b> Thank you to Katherine for the amazing photos- </b></i><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-6287402402762222802016-02-26T19:25:00.000-08:002016-02-26T19:25:29.505-08:00how do you know if someone hates vegans? don't worry, they'll tell you<i>vegan: defined as a person who does not eat or use animal products</i><br />
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When a food order comes into the kitchen that has a modification giving suspect to a customer whom may participate in a vegetarian or vegan diet- I guarantee you that at least one of the servers or cooks will have some sort of general negative opinion. Now of course I realize that not every restaurant, but I find it alarming how often this rogue dislike happens to complete strangers.<br />
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No, this isn't only a restaurant thing- that's just where I mainly witness it. I'm sure you can see it going out to eat, school cafeterias, work-spaces, at the dinner table- people are choosing to refrain from eating animal products or other combinations of meats- and those people get judged. <br /><br />To keep it straight, it's not the judgement I'm concerned about, its the reasoning. The reasoning also relies on two sources as well. The vegan and the accused judge.<br />
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Why is it that someone chooses it to be vegan? To often do I hear that others say vegans just want to "save baby animals." A truly admirable cause, and although not a negative side of being vegan, is not the always core behind it all. Vegans choose to live animal-free because of various health, cultural, and environmental reasons. I can't sit here and explain how vital the food put in our bodies is to our health, how different cultural values that have been around for thousands of years, or what industrial farming is doing to our planet. You'll have to watch Food, Inc or Cowspiracy to gain some of that knowledge.<br />
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Which brings me to ask what is reasoning of the Judge? Do you have investment in the pork industry? Do you love burgers more than life itself. Enjoy the mistreatment of livestock? Do you think destroying our environment slowly is entertaining. Did a vegetable just really fuck you up as a kid? I don't mean to sound so crude- but I don' think any argument justifying why someone <i><b>needs</b></i> to eat meat could sound much more than absurd to me. I hope we are all aware how can agree on the numerous ways there are to get protein aside from eggs and meat. And although some may argue flavor and taste- I find that idea selfish and stubborn.<br />
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What makes you think that vegans can't make delicious food from animal free products just because you can't? What makes you think someone can't enjoy the taste of grilled tofu marinated in soy, or butternut squash soup? My opinion may be considered bias, but lately, as I cook more and more- I grow to enjoy the complex flavors of produce and plants over predictable flavor of well cooked meat.<br />
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I also love meat. I grew up raising market animals, and have personally consumed beef, pork, lamb, rabbit, and chicken that I or a neighbor has raised; and also the occasional wild deer, turkey, squirrel, moose, elk and bear shot by my father. Me and meat go way back and I can promise you I will <u><b>never</b></u> quit meat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXhsKrPf9RiAcM29ezpx1IM2sGvo9KSuHEtwASeNQaUTYsCmS5jJ8nGjp1nl4yfhGbHwxJEDuuiokWWhUD9ljho-sLqHa538SMMjjqRt3-lgz2QzmKu5xCncy_lbLKOkwnVGprMYsaYY/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXhsKrPf9RiAcM29ezpx1IM2sGvo9KSuHEtwASeNQaUTYsCmS5jJ8nGjp1nl4yfhGbHwxJEDuuiokWWhUD9ljho-sLqHa538SMMjjqRt3-lgz2QzmKu5xCncy_lbLKOkwnVGprMYsaYY/s320/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my roots: roasted carrots, potatoes, broccoli and <br />farm raised grass fed beef from a friend<br /> that has been marinated in soy, <br />garlic and olive oil and cooked med rare</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoAEPsACL-UmDMko22WfE2wyiVgYkyUPLrslWRcnBdDXIDqX0WeehfOkCWNvEwQJPAS36Jha5rSmyTsKpKGkNGmo1rA-gueY-pf_DOnSrbSqvqnS5oRUP3PeByODmkJtzNWXfV3CHNUE/s1600/IMG_1084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoAEPsACL-UmDMko22WfE2wyiVgYkyUPLrslWRcnBdDXIDqX0WeehfOkCWNvEwQJPAS36Jha5rSmyTsKpKGkNGmo1rA-gueY-pf_DOnSrbSqvqnS5oRUP3PeByODmkJtzNWXfV3CHNUE/s320/IMG_1084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">fried tofu and veggie, green lentil curry <br />with coconut milk, chili flake and cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*note: yes, that's greek yogurt-<br />easily interchanged for vegan yogurt (calm down)</span></td></tr>
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I can also promise is that I will be aware of my meat consumption. I know I need to drastically limit my meat consumption in order to sustain a planet in which the human race can continue to survive. *<i>Side Note: If you don't care about the future of our earth- fuck you. There is no reason to read my blog. I could scold you right now, but I'm sure you've already been told and are not listening because you are possibly a close-minded asshole.</i>* When I do eat meat I try to choose local, small farm, humanely raised animals because it has a low effect on our world and because it has better flavor.<br />
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I don't understand why those who eat meat are not more thankful to vegans and vegetarians. The less meat others eat means you are able to continue to indulge in your favorite foods. Also, meat that is produced in smaller quantities may possibly not only be safer but that shit would probably taste better too!<br />
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This rant has probably gone on too long, but in closing I hope you can the irony of the terrible vegan joke I've heard all too often.<br /><br />"How do you know if someone hates vegans? They'll tell you!"<br />
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So fucking funny.<br />
One: I'm sure they told you because they have a different diet that you are being completely unaware of and two: You just also obnoxiously hinted to me you are <i>not</i> a vegan- ironic.<br />
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I hate to seem so sensitive to a subject, and to be so blunt, but I find it extremely pressing for us to take responsibility in our lives of food. So if you enjoy meat, please keep on keeping on, but be aware of it's environmental affects and how much you are consuming. The more you are aware, the more you begin to care. And when you run into someone with a different diet lifestyle- don't judge so quickly because they may be doing good- and they may believe that a lettuce and Oreo diet is the key to a happy lifestyle. None-the-less, keep your mind open and learn more about the shit you put in your mouth- and what how it's production effects this world.<br />
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If you have and questions on how to get more involved or learn more about your food- please feel free to contact me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">*****Vegan Cooking Class*****</span></b></div>
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I will be teaching a small vegan cooking class March 10th at 6:00pm at the Roosevelt Whole Foods in North Seattle! The program has been put on by the local PAWS and will focus on animal friendly diets! E-mail me with questions. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDtwtP7pPldHdw40eku1WO_LqjovsT4rXMFBfEOKPurn1fortikFTrEgrqciGaX5j2b92DzA2PUjum6O2juKV2m1t2Q_CHSJ6nPhL3eZNt99LkGB05SIjEkrDk0Iy4ZdujAGZ1OvfUg8/s1600/12670599_10153242284407540_7148026111967866909_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDtwtP7pPldHdw40eku1WO_LqjovsT4rXMFBfEOKPurn1fortikFTrEgrqciGaX5j2b92DzA2PUjum6O2juKV2m1t2Q_CHSJ6nPhL3eZNt99LkGB05SIjEkrDk0Iy4ZdujAGZ1OvfUg8/s400/12670599_10153242284407540_7148026111967866909_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Endure a few terrible jokes, learn some facts, and gain the skills to whip up some killer vegan dishes. </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-81966624722180910652016-01-17T22:42:00.000-08:002016-01-17T22:42:02.271-08:00soup for the soul; bouncing back I have a weird relationship with soup. I'd hate it- then love it. The thought of it made me sick one moment, and I was ladling the tomato bisque from the Irish tavern I worked at into a bowl the next. <div>
<i> Soup is about timing- you want it when you want comfort. </i></div>
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Physical symptoms for wanting soup for comfort include the following: sickness, chills, dampness and dehydration. My want for soup this weekend came from physiological symptoms. </div>
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I'd hope to make this blog a weekly owed to myself to be participating in something active and creative. I need to get my thoughts down in one way or another in order to grow and reflect, correct? I sadly have been missing my mark and haven't posted since Christmas. In the past month I've started a new job - which has challenged and pushed me, as well as brought on anxiety and terror. The kitchen isn't for the weak of heart - and I'm not saying I am strong, I'm saying I am constantly feel like I'm hanging on the edge in the most fantastic way possible. I am inspired to cook again. </div>
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Winter here in Seattle has been gloomy, wet, cold, reflective, humbling, and insulting. While there has been so many wonderful exchanges or times, I find that on a personal level I haven't been fully fulfilled. I suspect it's my own fault for losing motivation - or maybe taking vitamin D is more vital than I thought. Whatever the reason - a slump was reached and a new year, attitude, job, and outlook were prescribed. I still needed comfort though. Finally I reached some time off with no real plans and I set out on my quest for comfort. Welcome to Soup City, USA; population, me. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJXOHh3t8KrkEyEVvjUFQUZPydau7rqNxKSvePLwUkuS-lZ-XW_0MS_Pg9jfCA4JN-QV-iendUEHcJbxLwRuQHMm3-fu-H7ICh01LLiyM25rkao0py-b9XPNdpii_nyF1zX8BjvbuqG8/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJXOHh3t8KrkEyEVvjUFQUZPydau7rqNxKSvePLwUkuS-lZ-XW_0MS_Pg9jfCA4JN-QV-iendUEHcJbxLwRuQHMm3-fu-H7ICh01LLiyM25rkao0py-b9XPNdpii_nyF1zX8BjvbuqG8/s400/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">research</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu_Z_YHopqiq7Vuw4lihmoieE2IdgSP8aR4xaFES7mJxaakKiShJk_JpOr-mGpoANTuDJ-T7uKmwLpTJIQbFTwlzS48zOMxLKDd7VildXh9-BboI_25pQVxtW7YKOFAERZ-uaxx3G80A/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu_Z_YHopqiq7Vuw4lihmoieE2IdgSP8aR4xaFES7mJxaakKiShJk_JpOr-mGpoANTuDJ-T7uKmwLpTJIQbFTwlzS48zOMxLKDd7VildXh9-BboI_25pQVxtW7YKOFAERZ-uaxx3G80A/s400/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">prep</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXdLyfPxEJM-TIH8e3NUrkOn2PZAGzJA1gvmMQ5oq8DHpmC5bvYeReU9R6xRxo9btj9ZvWPPJaMKSU0dYlAsuk4vuL62CPhR92JJcxx07M9wv3xsvrJD7cRFFLheOuQLFgfcoFXzLQ7w/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXdLyfPxEJM-TIH8e3NUrkOn2PZAGzJA1gvmMQ5oq8DHpmC5bvYeReU9R6xRxo9btj9ZvWPPJaMKSU0dYlAsuk4vuL62CPhR92JJcxx07M9wv3xsvrJD7cRFFLheOuQLFgfcoFXzLQ7w/s640/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stock</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFe-luG_-Yniof7hPt0tnBFQWnHaiJGR7P5dYX0WwQtfdgffdAn1CrlPmdMyEqBOf2L_U_Uw_A00mhp2F2HhyCSfhf3F2JSZ0AsjwzHycFLcjW6jvc7-tbM3luTnX76G9lABg-ZQOTZU/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFe-luG_-Yniof7hPt0tnBFQWnHaiJGR7P5dYX0WwQtfdgffdAn1CrlPmdMyEqBOf2L_U_Uw_A00mhp2F2HhyCSfhf3F2JSZ0AsjwzHycFLcjW6jvc7-tbM3luTnX76G9lABg-ZQOTZU/s640/FullSizeRender+%25284%2529.jpg" width="595" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snack/brain power</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KVFA7yTy7cwrJkPGFE13c3gTtxbvAv3ZU-9FLWrIwRGEJ_CC0fqBJUHD0K9MpJfnWS8eKCrATR4Z1AJsTe_HHr95ubgSrGaVU07dlVas2Q6CMxsokiHMNHGaaXOF-qtH_O0QgYwG9r4/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KVFA7yTy7cwrJkPGFE13c3gTtxbvAv3ZU-9FLWrIwRGEJ_CC0fqBJUHD0K9MpJfnWS8eKCrATR4Z1AJsTe_HHr95ubgSrGaVU07dlVas2Q6CMxsokiHMNHGaaXOF-qtH_O0QgYwG9r4/s200/FullSizeRender+%25285%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">squash</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCvbNr_nEeubHcXPq3W6qabhOC5kkrJeRTkuCYsnpUXpWkdR2goIHRwtOJuH6jAqJEVKx9NB95MnaScjhjgHs1xAwbc8N9U7bPJqFkj15-M8HAN20GemA6PP3P3wQCtYaSNjQZzhNrGU/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCvbNr_nEeubHcXPq3W6qabhOC5kkrJeRTkuCYsnpUXpWkdR2goIHRwtOJuH6jAqJEVKx9NB95MnaScjhjgHs1xAwbc8N9U7bPJqFkj15-M8HAN20GemA6PP3P3wQCtYaSNjQZzhNrGU/s200/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carrots</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbxNOC4Hyw_8z61BFWZMbHjdaBFPdW_hXzzA-GY3uvhi04QzJmuvehtKXnzjYRX9E-3d7D_13cMdpFSn5WeWaoLKVU8Hv3IuHozs-Rr-EU_bAEXYNKvxTuRFe8FD9oUlyM7hfY9_CL6M/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbxNOC4Hyw_8z61BFWZMbHjdaBFPdW_hXzzA-GY3uvhi04QzJmuvehtKXnzjYRX9E-3d7D_13cMdpFSn5WeWaoLKVU8Hv3IuHozs-Rr-EU_bAEXYNKvxTuRFe8FD9oUlyM7hfY9_CL6M/s200/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">prepared</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n8th1xGLeNLVtjS33GXX2tMGqj7qVPaciCHwiXXX9429EdmQV1QkEY2rHRhQOBLq1RJJUUSYxWQ_dFEswjCsDnFQw26vCI5dBCmA8vndjewvX_mPJ35ut0Q7QgAcxMGMIEbwvmSghck/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n8th1xGLeNLVtjS33GXX2tMGqj7qVPaciCHwiXXX9429EdmQV1QkEY2rHRhQOBLq1RJJUUSYxWQ_dFEswjCsDnFQw26vCI5dBCmA8vndjewvX_mPJ35ut0Q7QgAcxMGMIEbwvmSghck/s640/FullSizeRender+%25287%2529.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="608" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reward</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>veggie stock; check.</b></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>spicy lentil & carrot soup; check. </b></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>sweet butternut squash soup; check.</b></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">final: mixed them & served with a touch of sour cream,<br /> toasted asiago bread, fugi apple slices</span></b></h4>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-44288077684262979292015-12-25T10:09:00.001-08:002015-12-25T10:09:23.689-08:00family meal for all<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> During the holidays we all have our own traditions. One common factor is our traditions in food... the family meal, and coincidentally enough this term also describes the meal shared by those in the service industry. No family meal is ever the same. In restaurants it may be a meal planned before service as you discuss the evenings menu and service notes, it may be cooked by the chef or the dishwasher, and in rare occasions the service staff. Sometimes it's gourmet, sometimes it's unrecognizable, but not matter what it is appreciated. Same goes for family meals at home. Sometimes the people around the table are related, other times your family is friends; sometimes you sit around the TV watching the big game and other times you set out the very best china. Maybe your mom spent the last few days getting it all ready, or you just popped pizza's in the oven and gorged on cookies. May it be in at a restaurant or at home- the family meal is important- it is a time to bond, reflect, and show thanks. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYr7jjnjMJEfuMUQUxbVkqrRzE9aImE9kuPs409VOHHqWA8X6bCGQVy-8vKe2ovi3EOsAcaFA2a0xBt6cP8Me8Q1QgmIxiTEnZ2D8UwaSXi7eCI7SDpk8FtQ_UEobw5prD3ONULCHHSA/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYr7jjnjMJEfuMUQUxbVkqrRzE9aImE9kuPs409VOHHqWA8X6bCGQVy-8vKe2ovi3EOsAcaFA2a0xBt6cP8Me8Q1QgmIxiTEnZ2D8UwaSXi7eCI7SDpk8FtQ_UEobw5prD3ONULCHHSA/s200/blog.jpg" width="200" /></a><b> So I decided to ask some wonderful individuals a very important question: </b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Besides some very memorable and the literal meals with my family, the most impressionable family meal I had at a restaurant was at Rover's when I had my first restaurant stage. There was family meal at the beginning of our shift with some pretty exceptional food, and I'll never forget the communal feel of gathering around with a team. After I started working at a few restaurants this tradition seemed to died out (RIP) and it seems that every time I start a new gig the restaurant had just "changed their policy" about family meal. </i></span><br />
<b>name: Sophia<br />home: WA</b><br />
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<i>Family meal means, laughter, loudness </i><br />
<i>and inappropriate dinner conversations.</i> ❤️❤<br /><b>name: Jordan</b><br />
<b>home: MI</b><br />
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<i>To me family meal is about no stress, yet often times uncomfortably resourceful cooking. Its a time when you get to bring your own culture, your own style and your own twist on the things you as a cook love to make the most. Its all about feeding the people you see the most, nourishing them, and hopefully bonding a bit more with each meal!</i><br />
<b>name: Chris<br /></b><b>home: NH, now WA</b><br />
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<i>Family meals, holiday family meals in particular, to me are a special time because another year has gone by and I have a ton of people in my life I'm thankful for. It also represents tradition and it's comforting to go back home, have mom or grandma cook a great meal and play cards around the fire all night. There's always a bit of nostalgia around the holidays and the meal is always the center of that.</i><br /><b>name: Melissa<br /></b><b>home: MI</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>To me, when I think of family meal, I always think back to my days working in a 350 seat restaurant in Manhattan where we were actually scheduled an extra thirty minutes in the beginning of our shift to come in and enjoy staff meal together, as a family. There were usually thirteen servers on every shift, so we would all sit down together including a lot of the back of house and the few floor managers that were also on. There was a lot of laughter, as well as some venting and relieving of anxieties on each other. </i></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>name: Jessica<br />home: NY, now WA</b></span></div>
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<i>My memories of food for the holidays are raw beef sandwiches and pickled herring in wine sauce. It was tradition in our family, as well as an acquired taste. At Christmas Mimmi put out her wooden nut bowl w/ nut crackers filled with walnuts , hazelnuts and salted peanuts on her kitchen table- you knew it was Christmas when it appeared... it was tradition. </i><br />
<b>name: Barb aka my Mom</b><br />
<b>home: WI, now MI</b><br />
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Family meal has always been so important to me. Growing up working in restaurants and often having to work holidays, I have had many of my holiday meals with my restaurant family while at work. I also have been blessed enough to have a family at home who would always reschedule their meal around me. Family meal to me is being surrounded by the people I love and cherish - my friends, my co-workers, and my relatives.<br />
So during this holiday cherish your family meals, live out old traditions, create new ones, and most of all reflect on how thankful you are for the people around you. Also, be thankful for the meal itself. We must remember how lucky we are to be able to celebrate with gluttony as many people in the world are unable to have the same privileges of us. <i>May we think of new traditions where we can share our wealth with those in need, because we are all human beings and in my eyes that makes us all family. </i><br /><br /><b>Happy Holidays</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-69887846810886813072015-12-03T23:22:00.000-08:002015-12-03T23:22:01.621-08:00take the damn compliment [and cheers the criticism] success & failure<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today a quote...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;"><i> "To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." -Ralph Waldo Emerson</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><b>failure:</b> my last blog post- it felt weird when I wrote it, and then Thanksgiving rolled around and I didn't even fucking participate. I would like to blame the tryptophan- but I must accept fault.<br /><br /><b>success:</b> fame- not on TV or anything yet, but today I was oddly inspired in a coincidental way. In our weekly work schedule e-mail, my manager featured some of our employees other creative life endeavors. My stomach dropped when I saw my name, followed by the blog name, <u>linked</u> (like its blue, and you click it, and <b>bam</b> you'r there) to the blog itself. Then when I get home I go through shock again when I see my mom put the blog web address in our annual family Christmas letter. I had no clue my mom could work the internet let alone has possibly read my blog?! I know I should be more excited about the recognition, but when I type I do so with very few limitations- so it's human to be afraid of what others may think as I wear my thoughts and passions on my sleeve. But after all that settled, I found it to be just the motivation I needed. </span><br />
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So this is my thanksgiving day redemption post- I just want to thank the people in my life that inspire me. Who give me the positives to keep me going and the criticism to keep me humble. I believe I truly have the ability to achieve any dream I put my mind to, but only because of the wonderful individuals whom have made their way into my life. Friends, teachers, professors, managers, co-workers, customers, strangers, roommates, fellow pilgrims, family, brother, sister, dad, mom. Thank you all for all you do, all you sacrifice to make my dreams possible.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-73695846372496435502015-11-24T16:43:00.000-08:002015-11-24T16:43:50.844-08:00hashtags with purpose Well, the winter holidays are approaching us, and we all cling to our favorite fall flavors. Eating becomes the best of all social events... food evokes those feelings of comfort and warmth. One big food holiday is Thanksgiving. A holiday first shared between Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians in 1621, made a national holiday in 1863 by President Lincoln, and now presently worshiped by the Food Network.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of pilgrims enjoy a meal they<br /> prepared on the Camino de Santiago together.</td></tr>
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As I've grown older, I begin to care less about the hype of the holiday, knowing the USA has a sad past linked to the indigenous people of America. I try to let it be a time were we remember all those people whom helped change the times, and create equality, but also reflect and recognize on the horrible things we as a nation have done as a reminder to move forward and learn from mistakes. </div>
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One thing I can not deny though, is food. I will never pass up a chance go share a meal with people, to try new recipes and perfect old ones. This holiday has me inspired to try a new type of segment that is more interactive, where you all share with me the dish you create on Thanksgiving day that means the most to you. <u><b>One Photo, Many Flavors</b></u> is this weeks title, and on Thanksgiving day when you are all putting in some serious hours in your own kitchens, snap a photo of whatever dish you are most proud of and tell me why! Maybe it's a new recipe that you can't believe you pulled off because boiling water is even a challenge for you, maybe you've been able to recreate something your Grandma used to make, used all farm ingredients for your green bean casserole or even just made a fucking beautiful turkey.<br />
So, snap a photo that you planned on uploading to Instagram anyway and use the hashtag <b>#onephotomanyflavors</b> and very briefly share what that dish means to you: grandma's recipe, farm ingredients; turkeymaster; etc. You can also e-mail, message, or text me your photo and answer to me, so you can be featured in my blog post touching on how food and cooking are beautiful uniting forces that must be valued.<br /> Thank you in advance for the participation, I hope I can inspire some really great recipes and top notch cooking!<br /> Until next time, Prost!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-27400846503803473882015-11-17T14:49:00.001-08:002015-11-17T15:01:07.898-08:00let me bombard you a bit<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Another scramble for a topic. <br /> Long day at work finished, on the bus home, headphones in... mind running rampant:<i> I'll just ask people about food and consistency. </i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a flock of many opinions: hills of Spain</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I started to think about what consistency meant to me. That answer could be traced back to the reason the idea probably popped into my head: onions. I love them when used to my liking, but hate them raw. That crunch, the texture, the slight slim of a raw onion... I just can't do it. As my mind moved onward I thought about how the word consistency has always been pounded into my head while working in the food industry. That the food must be the same again and again, time after time. I toyed over the opinion that guests can not expect the same exact dish over and over again when different people cook it, under different stress levels, with varying ingredient quality and availability. Then again I am torn, diners <u>should</u> hold their chefs to a higher standard.<br /> So what the hell, I reached out to a bunch of random people who have entered my life in different ways, and <u>very</u> vaguely asked them about consistency in food. I found that my sporadic thoughts were just the beginning. Here are all my very random answers to that question that gives you no real direction to follow- in my new segment:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>2 Minutes, Same Question</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Question: What does consistency in food mean to you and why or why not is it so important?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>name: Aurora</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>deal: 15 years in the biz; dishwasher, prep cook, currently engineer; front of house on the side</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i> "I am an adventurous yet picky eater. When I think of consistency in food, I think of texture, feel, thickness. I also think about how one food can have many different consistencies. For example; an onion. I used to hate onions. </i>(Two strikes to onions in one post, sorry bro). <i>And it took me until I was almost twenty to realize that it wasn't the flavor of the onion that I disliked, it was the texture. Raw onions just rub me the wrong way. But crispy fried onions and soft caramelized onions, are heavenly. And mushrooms. I don't mind the taste, but I hate their rubbery, smooshy consistency. The consistency of a food is incredibly important! It has to be the perfect texture and thickness."</i></span><br />
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<b>name: Rory<br />deal: hospitality major, aspiring chef</b><br />
<i> "To me consistency is about doing the right thing every time, and that doesn't always mean doing what the recipe says. You have to listen to your chef, but you also have to understand that ingredients and other outside factors play a varying role day to day. It's our job to be adaptable, and I think that in our industry adaptability is almost synonymous with consistency. Even to remain the same you need to change from day to day."</i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>name: Shayna</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>deal: health major; professional guest</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i> "I would say it's important but for different reasons. If I'm going in and ordering something again that means I liked it, and therefore would want the dish to be consistent with the other times I've ordered it...but at the same time a little inconsistency could be good too. Say I wasn't a big fan of a meal or a way it was prepared-- having it slightly different could sway me into really loving it."</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>name: Carolyn</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>deal: past server; health education major, human biology minor</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i>"Food is nourishment that needs to be consistent. What you put into your body has function. To thrive, to repair, to heal, to live. Generally speaking a meal is what your body has to work with. Trusting someone to provide you a meal; whether you are going out to eat, celebrating, sharing with friends and family, or perhaps just grabbing a quick bite; you are putting into yourself the energy it needs to get you through whatever battle your mind needs the physical side of you to fight. Food is a necessity, it sustains life. It is physical, emotional, mental, and social. Sharing meals means sharing your life."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />name: Andrew</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">deal: professor; chef; </span>entrepreneur<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "Consistency in 'food conformity' to me, is not as important as consistency in 'food availability'. I truly believe that not all carrots, beets, or heads of lettuce will look the same all the time. I am always more concerned with the integrity of the product; was it grown sustainably, distributed with limited impact, and are we able to provide it in consistent </span>quantities?"</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>name: Jordan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>deal: hospitality major; server; guest; cookie fairy</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> "Consistency in food is so important to me because it dictates how I feel on a daily basis. </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Jordan has to be very aware to</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> enjoy things in moderation in order to feel her best)</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">. It's the key to my emotional package. When I am cold and sad, I gravitate towards comfort food; when I am feeling excited and happy, I want to make a meal that not only makes me smile, but ensures my body feel good as well. It's essential to my </i><i>health<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that I be consistent with my food because </span>that's<span style="font-family: inherit;"> how I know I can lead a happy, long lifestyle. Food is the true celebration of life!"</span></i><br />
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<b>name: Colin</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>deal: hospitality major; aspiring chef</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> "I think it's super important when it comes to things like different stocks, knife cuts and such, but certain things are always open to interpretation. If there is something that can be improved upon even the slightest bit, they why wouldn't you change it. Consistency, to me, means continual improvements in all aspects of the work you do."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>name: Sophia</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>deal: server; food writer</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i> "For many people, consistency in food means receiving the exact dish they expected, every single time they sit back down at their chosen restaurant. From the ingredients, presentation, and quality of food.</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although I agree with this definition, given they meet parameters of sustainability and eliminating waste, I would say consistency for me means I receive a dish that is executed with thoughtfulness and up to par with the standards I have set for the restaurant.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> If I order a dish that has slightly different ingredients or doesn't looked the same, that is completely fine, and I would consider that the restaurant is still consistent-- only if everything on the plate is cooked perfectly just like my previous visit.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I enjoy a story behind a dish. If something has to change, knowing why and how this change makes the dish just as good or more creativity gives me a chance to better understand the food I'm eating, the chefs who create it, and the restaurants ethos.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Of course, consistency should be one of, if not the most important values to have. Striving for quality every time is what keeps a good reputation, customers continuing to walk in the doors, and positive reviews on yelp (because we know that's actually really important)."</span></i><br />
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<b><u>wow dudes</u></b><br />
Not to downplay the people in my life, but I didn't expect the answers to so thorough. Answers that truly exhibited individuals care and passion for food. A few who responded gave me several answers, one told me they'd spent the day talking to their spouse about it in the car, and others just personally really contemplated what the question was asking them. Honestly, no one opinion is right or wrong, and no answer nails it on the head-- but there is something so exciting to me to think about these people taking a minute out of their day to truly think about food, and what it means to them. That's really all I'm truly going for with this blog...looks like I may have to try this segment again. But in retrospect these different answers give you all the right perspectives. Food in general is intimate, it is deals with the feeling it gives you in your mouth, the senses it excites or triggers. Food is social and emotional, we cling to it in times of celebration, despair, and we also rely on it to helps us continuously feel well. Food is passion and creativity, from the person whom grows it to the one who prepares it. In order to have food with heart you must allow them to be adventurous while still holding them to high expectations in quality, execution, preparation, presentation, and passion.<br />
I hope the answers above give you some perspective from a direction you've never looked at food with, and I encourage you all to ponder the question yourselves. Also thank you to all those whom answered my extremely random off the cuff text- you are incredible human beings.<br />
<i> cheers & good day </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-48236145427553858232015-11-09T22:01:00.002-08:002015-11-09T22:01:50.220-08:00Be our guest, be our guest... I can't express the beauty of the coffee shop sounds I heard in the background while listening to this recording over and over again. It was a late Sunday afternoon, in rainy Seattle, and the cafe was abuzz with activity regardless of your usually lazy Sunday assumptions. As our neighborhood becomes more active, I can't help but become more and more convinced that most people whom move to Seattle come here for the gloom and the rain.<br />
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With the month of October a mere blur behind me, I've been longing to have the moments to do another blog-post. Not because I know I have fans that would be disappointed (you would need 'fans' for that), but because this blog is my moment of zen in life. I get to sit down with someone special or interesting to me and just talk for a little bit about whatever comes to mind. This week I had the honor of being able to grab a coffee with someone I've really looked up to, and who has also been that smile or kind word when I've needed it. After a long day, I wasn't even sure where to begin without taking a moment to catch up. After it all I felt somewhat rejuvenated, so thank you my friend.<br /><br />
<br /><b><u>Two Minutes or Two Questions</u></b><u> (or more)...</u><br />
name: Jaclyn Delorey<br />
occupation: past dishwasher, record store associate, grocery store manager, paper delivery service, pop-up dinner chef (check out <a href="http://host-fare.com/">host-fare.com</a>), current kitchen manager of a popular brunch and dinner spot<br />
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<b>What's something that got you into the kitchen and sparked your interest in food?<br /> <i> </i></b><i>I've always worked in food. My first job, aside from my paper route in the sixth grade, was working at the local restaurant in my town of Orange, Massachusetts, where I started dish-washing. I happen to get the job because my very close friend's aunt and uncle ran the place. I really liked it there. It was a breakfast place, and I often think it's really funny that I'm now working at a brunch spot again...like full circle... 20 years later, I'm back. But a wider scope answer is that, food has always been a very important thing to my family, where we celebrate with food, and every event is circled around food. I've always found comfort in that and that's how I take care of people. </i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaclyn in her element while working an event for HOST</td></tr>
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<i> I was never much of a cook then, I was a baker. I baked at that restaurant, went away to college, studied social work; again that caretaker role. Then I promptly quit everything and worked at a record store for a few years. After that I moved to Philadelphia and needed a job, and considering that I could go to a grocery store (as a vegan) and have endless amounts of beautiful vegetables and access to things for special dietary needs...made me think: okay this is where I would work. </i></div>
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*A few weeks ago Jaclyn had a local farmer named Georgie, whom supplies our restaurant with a lot of it's produce, come in and talk to the staff. I sadly missed that day, but it showed me how meaningful the farmer was to Jaclyn in our practices at work, which I found it very refreshing. </div>
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<b>Where has your passion for the source of your food come from?</b><br />
<i> I can't believe how lucky we are. You weren't there for the Georgie talk were you? "</i>Sadly, no<i>." I replied. The biggest thing about meeting her especially, and having her come and talk to us... all of her business is based on selling to restaurants. She could be certified organic, but she chooses to opt out of the expensive process... and she can because she has built this relationship with us and many other restaurants. She grows her food organically, we trust that it is, and she doesn't have to go... like, she's not able sell her food to certain grocery stores because she's not certified. But, because we share this relationship and know that she's a wonderful woman that we trust and love to support, hence she gives us her business. And it's such a special thing that we are able to get her food and use it to make our delicious meals. She wouldn't be able to survive as well because of the amount of money it costs to become certified. </i></div>
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I always intend to add some statistical or scientific facts to these posts so you walk away feeling like you learned something, and honestly it's because I feel the need to sound like I'm educated in order for this blog to be worth the readers time. Today, as I sat down with Jaclyn, I wasn't sure where to take the conversation, but that wasn't a problem. Jaclyn guided the interview without me having to think. I asked her the vaguest of questions and she just delivered inspiration, enough for me to leave you with her own words as the facts for myself to ponder. Why wouldn't restaurants take this opportunity to help out the farmer and spark a change in local economy, sustainability, and in the improving the quality of our food. When you look at the NRA's 2015 Top Menu Trends you'll see: farm estate branded items, hyper-local sourcing, locally grown produce, and locally grown meats and seafood all in the top 10 trends. Chef's are caring, and I feel customers are caring too. Jaclyn added about how the grocery store she had worked at had a program that helped local farmers become certified organic by assisting them with very low interest loans. All these things give me hope. </div>
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So today I just leave you with the interaction that helped make this interview even more positive for me, considering my background and deep passion for hospitality. </div>
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<b>Is there anything that means a lot to you?</b><br />
<i> Taking care of people is just one of the most important things to me in my life. It's a hospitality piece but it's also... I love this person, and I going to feed them and take care of them. In the same level ya know, Dan wakes up in the morning and makes coffee for me every morning , and that's one way that we take care of each other, that feels really special. And, that little piece for me... it's really all I need. </i></div>
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And that hospitality is what she does, and she does it well. </div>
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Be inspired to get to know your local farmer and why it's important to support them.<br />Don't know where to start? Contact me with questions. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-91619399837912108572015-10-19T19:25:00.004-07:002015-10-19T19:31:13.201-07:00the letter: expansion Well, I've been visiting home all weekend and in the whirlwind of it all, I was unable to put together an interview. I do however, have something to present and that is a letter I have put together and plan on sending to some bigger names and see what happens. Famous chefs, farmers, big names in food, and important government offices in hopes of learning more.<br />
So below is my letter, please read it to not only learn more about my goal, but give me feedback! Also, if think you or someone you know would make an interesting interview, please contact me!<br />
Cheers and thanks for reading!<br />
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<b>the letter: </b><br />
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<i> In my years of waiting tables and studying Hospitality Management at Northern Michigan University, I picked up the advice that once you’ve delivered a guest’s food, you should check back after “one bite or one minute” to ensure everything is prepared to their liking, and confirm they have all they need for a pleasurable dining experience. I can’t place where I got it from, and it’s very basic knowledge, but nonetheless it is a rule I live by, and pass on to others.</i><br />
<i> Now let me officially introduce myself. I am a small town girl from Michigan who currently works in Seattle at a brunch spot in a historic neighborhood serving an eccentric menu of simple worldly cuisines made with quality ingredients. I am not a journalist, nor do I have any experience in it. I have a blog with no followers, but a grand idea and big dreams for what it will become—so please hear me out.</i><br />
<i> “<b><u>2 Questions, or 2 Minutes</u></b>”</i><i> Sparked from the rule of thumb I mentioned earlier, <b>2 Questions, or 2 Minutes</b> is the theme of my weekly mini-interviews for the blog I created: renegade sheep (<a href="http://www.renegadesheep.com/" style="word-wrap: break-word !important;">www.renegadesheep.com</a>). I will ask different people working in any facet of the food industry; chefs, farmers, waiters, meat processors, professors, agriculturists, and so on; two questions. The first question will be something personal, something to help readers relate, to give my interviewees a personality. The second question will be something about an issue or topic—these can really vary, but the end goal is to show how important food and our industry is for our own future, the future of our planet, and future generations after us—and help inspire those who don’t spend the kind of time that those of us in the industry do immersed and exposed to it.</i><i> </i><br />
<i> If you agree to <b>2 Minutes or 2 Questions</b>, that is your only commitment—two minutes of your time or answering those two questions, whichever may be up first. I will definitely allow the conversation to go over in either category, but every week I hope to keep the post short and simple so as to keep the reader’s attention. I am flexible with subject matter and questions asked, I just want to start a conversation in the theme addressed above.</i><i> </i><br />
<i> I am very optimistic person; somehow I haven’t let the world take away my hope. I wish I could do more, but as a 24 year old from Michigan who grew up raising livestock for 4-H and waiting tables to support myself, this blog is my only hope to, at the very least, get people talking and to also learn more myself so that I can do more one day. I care deeply about food, and the more I learn the more excited I get to teach others.</i><i> </i><br />
<i> So what do you say? Are you up for it? In this busy world, where time is money, can you spare two minutes of time to stop and reflect?</i><i> </i><br />
<i> If you are, please get back to me and we can discuss details. I prefer the interviews to be in person or over the phone. E-mailing and texting is fine to coordinate, but I think in order to keep it reflective of the ‘conversation’ theme we must actually have a real life conversation. The posts will be published every Sunday, so no need to get back to me right away. Take the time to think about it and ponder the idea, but this is an exciting opportunity—don’t wait too long! I am reaching out to all facets, from well-known to unknown; strangers to friends, out-going to shy, all types are welcome and if you don’t think you have the time or can’t participate, I appreciate if you at least pass the word on to those around, above, and below you that you think may have interest.</i><br />
<i>Alexandria Palzewicz</i></div>
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<i> I don’t want to absorb any more of your day, but I must greatly thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and I hope in the future to be a vessel for your ideas—so I can keep the conversation going. That last statement seems ironic because when I’m serving guests, my very job as a waiter is to interrupt the conversation and remind you <u>why</u> you came to a restaurant in the first place: to order, eat, and enjoy the food that someone grew, harvested, delivered, cleaned, prepped and then prepared for you. </i></div>
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<i> Thank you again and have a wonderful day,</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-35563735367018058662015-10-11T12:43:00.002-07:002015-10-11T13:28:19.698-07:00one veggie, two veggie, red veggie, blue veggie Poor Lauren, she thought when she stopped by my apartment on a rainy Saturday morning, she'd just be picking up an end table. Of course, when I began volunteering at an urban community garden six months ago, I had thought she'd just be the girl interviewing me for the opportunity to do such. This morning my friend was put on the spot to be my interviewee of the week, an unexpected surprise-- just as I had been surprised by her and my fellow volunteer's kindness and friendship.<br>
When I first moved to Seattle I met Lauren by randomly volunteering at a garden in the city. I had done the same at local farms back home in the past, but now that I had moved to a growing metropolis, I looked to learn more about producing food in urban areas. Lauren was an AmeriCorps member at the time, spending her days working for this large urban garden group doing things like managing volunteers, planting all kinds of wondrous vegetables, and teaching garden lessons to young intercity kids. I always found her inspiring and intelligent, hence my excitement for this opportunity to throw a few questions her way in my second segment of <b><u>2 Questions, or Two Minutes:</u></b><br>
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name: lauren wong<br>
occupation: former researcher, recent AmeriCorps member, aspiring landscape architect, part-time new-found friend<br>
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<b>What got you into gardening?</b><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lauren holding her spoils, harvested from<br> Danny Woo Garden where she volunteers. </td></tr>
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<i> I've been a lifelong observer of gardening. My dad gardens; my grandparents garden; it's something that is very dear to them and I've always carried that with me. </i>[In college Lauren studied the neural mechanisms underlying behavior, and thought she might be a scientist.] <i>Then at UCLA I took this Urban Agriculture in Los Angeles course, which had a hands-on community garden component. Before it, I already had an interest in gardening-- but then I took the course and it really confirmed just how awesome the subject is, how it really broaches different areas: combining science and art in a way that's really cohesive. </i><br>
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<b>Since you've focused more on urban gardening and food justice, what has been your biggest reward?</b><br>
<i> There are so many wonderful things about this work, and I just feel really lucky. It's something that a lot of people can relate to in different ways. For example; there's a community engagement and social justice component, a creativity aspect in that people garden in an incredible diversity of ways, and then there's the focus on sustainability and how we care for the earth, etc. It's a subject where people can relate to different parts of it and take what they will. </i><br>
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This interview broke all the rules, it was much more than two questions, and went well over two minutes. But isn't that the dream really? I probably enjoy Lauren as a friend because of her ability to discuss subjects so well and voice her own opinion, as well as be interested in the opinions of others, and keep her mind open and attentive. In our interview she took time to articulate her words and thoughts before answering. She touches so many important issues though, many you won't see in this blog post. One theme did keep reoccurring in our conversation, and that is the diversity that is growing food.<br>
Two things come to mind when I hear 'diversity' and 'growing' food' in the same sentence. The first is the lack of diversity found in the crops we grow in the US today. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, in 2014 cash receipts by commodity showed corn bringing in 26% of the fortune, followed by oil crops [soybeans] at 21%, I was excited to see fruits and nuts contributing 14%, but devastated that vegetables and melons was a mere 9%. Don't worry though, all that glorious grain gold, aka corn, isn't even considered a food crop, it is in a category of "feed crop" meaning we plan on turning into food for animals so we can all satisfy our burger fix. This diversity stems from our government subsidy program which in 2004 handed corn crops over 2.8 billion dollars, giving wheat, cotton, and rice over 3.6 billion all together, and gave soybeans over 600 million. Don't worry though the category of 'other crops' (which I can only assume means veggies) was given a whopping 160 million dollars. That's about 5% of what corn receives.<br> Sorry about all the numbers, sometimes I need them to prove a bit of a point. But let's touch on a more positive kind of diversity. We all have different reasons and roles in regards to growing food. Some people do it as a hobby, others for educational purposes, some as a business or a career. Different people have different techniques-- some passed down from generations before us, others taught in classrooms, and now-a-days many learned via internet articles. There is science behind the soil. There is creativity in landscaping. There is the beauty in growing food. There is a therapeutic feeling when you are in a garden. Urban gardens provide an oasis in otherwise gray cities. Small farms provide a place that helps us remember our roots.<br> In closing, I ask a question of my readers. Do you have a diverse relationship with your food? I ask that in not only a dietary sense, but physical sense. I have found the more I interact with food in the stages before cooking and eating, the more excited I get about the endless possibilities that come with all that diversity.<br>
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<i>Want to develop a more diverse relationship with your food? Shoot me an e-mail and let me help you get started, as well as guiding you in using your current skills to help change our food systems. </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-84132706481233320022015-10-04T11:56:00.002-07:002015-10-04T17:55:08.434-07:00chef is to food, as food is to chef<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">let me paint a picture...</span></i><br>
He doesn't know this but the Friday night I 'interviewed' him, I had gotten off work an hour early and spent it drinking a beer near the bar he suggested we met at, pretty much freaking out about how to conduct myself. I met Chris when I first moved to Seattle. He was my Sous Chef when I tried out my first back of house job. I have spent years waiting tables and was inspired to try out the other side of the swing door. Now almost a year later we were grabbing a beer to catch up. I had been looking forward to meeting his new wife, swap stories of travel, and lastly ask him a few questions so he could be my first official interview. He mentioned he was a little nervous right before we began, but I wanted to assure him I had ZERO page-views most days, and that his interview would be read by virtually no one. I was honored he'd even sit down and spend any time at all to talk about issues I value so much.<br>
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Also, the venue he choose? Spot on. It was named Miir, as I sipped my beer I began reading messages on the wall about the company's focus and stance on sustainability as well as their efforts for providing clean water for less fortunate in other countries. What a perfect environment for our meeting. </div>
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An hour and half after we got there, we realized it was already almost 9 o'clock, the place was about to close and we hadn't spoken one word about the interview. I pulled that move where you let the bartenders know you don't intend on drinking more but if they are cool with it you'd like to chill for few more minutes. The assured me they didn't mind and I sat back down ready to crank this out. Looks like the name of the segment is fitting well. So here is my very first <b><u>2 Questions, or Two Minutes:</u></b><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chris and his wife Brittany honeymooning through Europe. <br>Stopping in London, Dublin, Copenhagen and Paris.</i></td></tr>
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name: Christopher Hayes<br>
occupation: line cook; sous chef; preparing meals for computer experts</div>
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<b>question one: what in the kitchen puts you most at ease, when do you feel comfortable? </b></div>
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<i> When I use my own prep. You know when I've seen something from start to finish. Processed the product, used it for sauces, and seen all of the ingredients follow through from start to finish.</i><br>
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<b>question two: in your profession what do you know or understand more now, than you did before you entered the industry?</b></div>
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<i> Meats. Before I used to think there was a steak, a sirloin, and hamburger. </i>Chris asked his new wife Brittney what his favorite dish was at a restaurant they had visited while in Dublin. She replied quickly with, <i>"The kidney one!"</i> Chris continued on how it was:<i> more rewarding to use less desirable cuts of meat, things others may throw away. Things like caul fat, kidneys, bone marrow and cuts of meat you don't see in the grocery store, they all get you thinking and remember that you are consuming an animal, that something had to give up it's life for that meal. </i><br>
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And before we know it, we were out the door. Shaking hands and heading our separate ways. I can already tell that regardless if anyone starts to read this or not, this is an experience I will keep doing. There is nothing better than sharing and comparing ideas. I love hearing peoples opinions and thoughts on something, it helps inspire me, get me excited and thirsty to know more. Chris's thoughts couldn't be more important for the time. Our culture here in America has always had meat as a staple in our diets, and you can tell we are influencing other countries as meat consumption grows. What not all of us realize how much energy is needed to raise that animal, how many hundreds of gallons of water, how many pounds of grain and how much oil is needed to produce that product.<br> I am not here to judge or make your life choices for you but something to keep in mind is how much time and energy has gone into the food you consume. That effort may be from the chef who washed the produce, broke down the cuts of meat, simmered the stock, and created that plate of food in front of you-- or the energy the environment put into helping that animal you are eating grow into a delicious meal. </div><div> Be thankful to your chef, and when you see he or she put kidneys, a vegan dish, or just something unknown to you on the menu, don't turn your nose-- give it a try so we can be a more sustainable culture who uses everything nature provides and treat it with the respect it deserves. <br>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-10821671015924018252015-09-28T01:09:00.000-07:002015-09-28T11:22:21.017-07:00getting the pan hot. It's pretty basic knowledge how important it is to get your pan hot before you begin cooking, I'm applying the same rule here. I have an idea for a weekly blog post interviewing different people from all facets of the food industry to answer two questions and give me a few minutes of their time. Before I tell you all about it and finalize all the details, I think it's for the best I be my very own soft opening...<br />
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<b>two minutes or two questions </b></h3>
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name: Alexandria Palzewicz</div>
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occupation: foh staff; casual fine dinning, seattle</div>
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<u><b>question one: when you close your eyes and picture nostalgia, where are you?</b></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2gWjL9wbJulTslxGGrYV3jpbyyuxUVUdFxOSGYFgeIIfs0SwYzJFb7nQOqVtXgkHbcR-iejmr4OqD9kUYrDRYCORPZIRhf3-EIWdS0vOE2T4NpVP8P3OHttDLvrYAJKPTtIOSqmElIY/s1600/ap.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2gWjL9wbJulTslxGGrYV3jpbyyuxUVUdFxOSGYFgeIIfs0SwYzJFb7nQOqVtXgkHbcR-iejmr4OqD9kUYrDRYCORPZIRhf3-EIWdS0vOE2T4NpVP8P3OHttDLvrYAJKPTtIOSqmElIY/s200/ap.png" width="200" /></a> <i> I am walking down the street by the police station and retirement home, approaching a big downhill that leads to the countryside, where I often saw deer, fox, butterflies, birds and other beautiful forms of nature. I just left stopping by my Grandma's apartment, halter in hand; halter of my market lamb that is. I was a member of 4-H and raised a new lamb each may to sell at our state fair market sale every year. I walked down my residential streets with a lamb the same way all my neighbors walked their dogs. To look back at that sight, I realize it's rarity and can't help to go to my happy place. </i><br />
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<b>question two: in your years of serving tables i'm sure you'be had a wide array of customers.</b><br />
<u><b>if you could address them right now, what would you say? </b></u></div>
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<i> I know I have some fellow servers who would have a response to this that would be very inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18 to be exposed to and I would be lying if I said that on my occasional bad day, I wouldn't agree with with a statement like that. But my answer would have to be that customers need expect <u>more</u> out of restaurants. My peers probably let their jaws drop with that statement because the restaurant industry is one of constant motion, hustle, and hard work. The areas where I think customers have let us slack on these years have been in our ingredients and sense of sustainability. Of course that goes hand it hand with our disconnect from food as a society.</i><br />
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<i> Chefs are becoming more conscious of their ingredients, their sustainability, and most importantly their taste. You as customers should expect your chef's to have shaken the hand of the person who grew that pepper or tomato because that means they were cared for by someone who is invested, who knows a real trade (as trades disappear from the workforce) and it means the product has traveled less hence having a smaller carbon footprint. You should expect me, as your server, to be able to get you engaged, to remember how important, exciting, and intimate the practice of eating is. The catch is that once we start holding restaurants to these expectations we just might begin to hold ourselves as individuals to the same standards. You could let your kids play video games and eat potato chips all Saturday, or you could bring them to a farmers market, garden or nearby farm. </i><br />
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<b>How's everything tasting?</b><br />
Please let me know what you think, I need feedback before I finalize the idea. Please comment below with questions! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4981660354540324286.post-22223945143204639252015-08-26T14:52:00.001-07:002015-09-26T22:32:39.348-07:00get on with it. a name.I could spend a lot of time explaining how long I've been contemplating this.<br />
Enlighten you with small experiences that brought on it's influence.<br />
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Bore you with details, specifics, personal feelings... but who has the time?</div>
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I just have things to say, and believe there are topics we need to talk about more. </div>
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So <a href="http://renegadesheep.blogspot.com/">renegade sheep</a> will be the outlet. </div>
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A place to start a conversation and keep it going. </div>
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The Name: because I know you are curious...</div>
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I grew up raising sheep, and they have become important to me.</div>
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At the age of 23 I walked the Camino de Santiago through Spain on my own.</div>
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On that walk I encountered a sheep whom was on the other side of the fence as his flock.</div>
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He seemed concerned...it was obvious he missed his friends dearly.</div>
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He also seemed to have no desire to return to the other side of the fence...<br />he was enjoying his new found freedom and individuality.<br />I found it inspiring. </div>
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Also, read about another renegade <a href="http://www.sunnyskyz.com/blog/985/Meet-Shrek-The-Renegade-Sheep-That-Avoided-Shearing-For-Six-Years-By-Hiding-In-A-Cave">sheep named Shrek</a> who refused to let 'the man' shear his woolly coat. An inspiration to sheep everywhere... until he realized how fantastic it would feel to rid himself of his armor of wool. A prime example of admitting when you were wrong...<br />
Cheers! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09943198227769568419noreply@blogger.com2