All things Vegetarian - Buss Em Out Wednesday!!! Reflections

I am trying to think of a day when I would have conversed with self and made a deciosn to be a vegetarian. Umm, you know I'm not quite sure what that decsion would be but before writing this blog that answer would have been a resounding NO!!!! Sorry, I don't think that was clear enough, OH HELL NO!!! To all my fellow carnivores, no I'm not desenting...I man love eat meat still...nutin sweeter to me than some plump pig tail and salt beef in a my stew peas...Jah know, I have to powda some bone (chew bone to fine mush, thus extracting all the delish juices and marrow) after mi done eat some oxtails..an lawd nuh mention nutin bout di bbq ribs dem or braised short ribs - Guiness glazed anyone, oh my!! Is lick off finga biznis dat man.

Alas, before I digress too much for I wanted to talk a little about 'All Things Vegetarian' on the Buss Em Out Wednesday Series.  I am quite certain that because of the way I am conditioned, doing an all vegetarian meal was always a far away thought. I think meat first and I'm quite certain I am not the only chef that thinks that way. So me thinking of exotic vegetables and casting them as supporting cast members shouldn't really be a surpise, now I'm thinking. What I can say though is that the power of suggestion can be a wicked thing especially when made with love of course :-). It was suggested to me recently that I should really do pieces that focus on vegetarian offerings and to even go a week where I made all vegetarian meals, eat them and write about about it. Ugggggghhh!!!Did you not just feel that twinge of pain in my heart, immediate withdrawl symptoms are upon me..my palms are clamy, I am sweating purfusely..hold on a sec, I need to have a Chimichurri burger right now..Ok, it may not be that serious, but crazy thoughts come up when I think about that. But you know, I'm gona do just that, but I really need to condition my mind. That's like telling me there is no more rum I should drink Gin or Vodka..Nooooooooooo!!! Hell and powda house in a di place mi a tell yuh..

Parsnip Quinoa w/ sauteed Bbeet greens,
Coconut Beet Puree, Coconut parsnip puree
Cactus Prickly Pear & Date Compote
Parsnip crisps

So on wednesday, my main ingredients were: Quinoa (undisputable king of protein, has all 8 essential vitamnins), Parsnips, Long Hot peppers, Cactus Prickly Pear, Red Beets and Dates supported by parsley, green onions, coconut milk. Now just to be clear so you understand the selections if you don't already, my aim on Buss Em Out wednesdays is to work mostly with ingredients I don't work with at all or rarely ever. And when I go to the market to pick up the ingredients I don't have too much of a conceived idea of what it is that I am going to make or even how I'm going make it. Nonetheless, the work continues and we fast forward. I came up with a game plan and executed what I contrived in my "creative mind". So here's what I found to be true, at least for me anyway when it came time to putting the dish together. For all presentations the ingredients are assembled to form a cohesive interpetation of the idea of  the chef and I had to think hard about how to assemble everythiung so the dish would say "I want to eat this vegetarian dish and love it". Yes, I make great vegetarian dishes but ask any vegetarian that goes out to dine what their concern usually is and it always comes back that they want to have a full meal and a variety of choices. Treat me like a meat eater damn it!!!! I think I will be checking out Sublime restaurant here in Ft. Lauderdale soon. But what I find in most restaurants, correct me if I am wrong, is that unless there is some ethinic or cultural (Indian, Italian, Meditarreanean etc.) asscoiation with the food, the choices are not many...well as entrees. So unless you're having Mezze and Tapas - all small individual offerings - where you would put them together for a filling meal, then I guess you're having a salad then. Yes there ae now more great vegetable choices because of the involvemnet of local farmers in the organic and non-organic arena. Sustainable foods, farm to table, slow foods movements are providing us with great variety and choices and chefs are getting on board all over.

So exactly what am I saying? Growth of a Chef..sounds familiar?  I am always thinking about food and ways in which I can create new dishes and vegetarian dishes are part of that repertoir. I have even thought about several ways in which I could have done the dishes I made last week differently or even better. The Idea of living a vegetarian or Vegan lifestyle is certainly not new to me. As a child growing up for me that meant seeing Ital Food (no meat and mostly no salt) being prepared by the Rastafarians. I just remember it being an amazing thing to make kick ass dishes with coconut milk, herbs and spices. It's a food tradition I might not have indulged as they did but I'm certainly not invoking ignorance here. My lifestyle of being a meat eater was certainly taught to me as a child and as an adult I continue to follow that lifestyle. As a chef I have always thought of vegetables as sides and I have to say that my exercise during Buss Em Out Wednesday has allowed me to think differrently and I know there is tons of room for more development or just Develop more dishes. Sadly, even as I write this dissertation I find myself yearning for some Mondungo soup - that would be tripe soup - so rich, so decadent...bring that big spoon to my lips and sluping that hot brothv chewing on some soft meat just so I can give my approved satisfaction...BUUUUURRRPPPPPP!!! Tenk yuh Jesas!!!!  Hmmmhm :-) My thoughts exactly!!!

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