Buss Em Out Wednesdays!!! Growth & Soul of a chef.





Chorizo polenta w/
sauteed chrisophene & mussels

 So I started this series on Wednesdays in my kitchen. The concept is simple, I come in and work on ingredients that I don't always get a chance to work with or ingredients that I've never worked with at all. As chefs we spend most of our careers learning about food and everything that goes with that. You name it we've tackeld it: wine pairing, food costs, labor costs, PROFITS, theft, hiring, firing, menu designs, catering, cookbooks etc, etc, etc.. A lot of times you sometimes get in a rut because based on the food environment that you are in might cause you at times to stop growing, a halt on the creative vibes. Enter stage right, ideas for the chef. This can take various forms such as travelling, working on farms, working on fishing boats, teaching, opening a new restaurant, sometimes even a total break from food all together is needed..anything that will stir the creative juices. For me this sense of renewing became the invent of Buss Em Out Wednesdays!!! I must say, that in the three weeks since I have started the series I have felt a new sense of creativty and excitement. There's nothing better than being able to create from scratch by simply using raw ingredients, knowledge, talent and a creative spirit.
Being a chef means hard work, long hours and often times this means being away from people you care about. Yep, family and friends. Thinking about becoming a chef or anything for that matter? Well just make sure you are passionate about what you do or want to do. I was recently with some colleagues in Jacksonville Florida, lending our time and talents preparing good food for a wine dinner benefiting a worthy cause, Culinary Wonders. I met a young lady there - Destiny was her name - that not only inspired myself but the chefs that I was working with I'm sure. Why I mentioned her, well she is a budding chef at the ripe old age of eleven. I don't believe I have seen prouder parents that were so supportive of their child and what she has obviously chosen as her future career. No, she has had no formal training but the soul of a chef is within her. Exactly what were you thinking about when you were eleven? Yeah, thought so, me too. Well Destiny wants to have a chain of restaurants, 100 to be exact. Did I mention she has a rough plan for this conglomerate venture aleady? Umm, I guess I should have mentioned that, but I just did so there. As professional chefs we were all proud of her not to mention speechless at times listening to her. Can we say standing rib roast..yeah, exactly. I believe the birth of any chef never starts in culinary school or prep room in any restaurant. That's a seed that gets planted way before one knows their path, just waiting to be watered and nurtured. Waiting to develop and grow, waiting to grow and learn. We will all watch for the growth of Chef Destiny.

Wine poached golden beets &
Red Chard Stems, sauteed Chard
Heirloom salad, pan seared Octopus
w/ Rum spiced gastrique

Well, Mussels, Chorizo and Christophene started the Buss Em Out Wednesday series followed by our eight tentacled friend the octopus being helped along with Golden Beets, Heirloom Tomatoes and Red Chard. Last night we rocked it with the offereing of rabbit and a bunch of unusual suspects: collard greens, tomatillo, red cherry peppers and celery root. It was goooood. Hey, please refrain from uttering any thumper jokes or whimperings for creativity will not be denied. Next week the carnivore in me will take a short hiatus though. Short, very short. Yep, next week it's All Things Vegetarian. My oh my, where shall we journey to then. Come check it out and see. Send your ideas in to www.facebook.com/chefirie and  let's see what we come up with. Thanks for participating, but jus so u know, FOOD IS ON FIYAH BABY!!!

Wine braised rabbit w/ celery root puree
& sauteed collard greens