Nothing holding me back

Pic's from Slow Food, Feast in the Field Event- at Claverach Farm

Our team!



BBQ'n  <3




Our Finished Plate :)




100 Plates, 2 minutes Later :)



All the chef's that particpated
(Of course Im the only one in pink <3) ha.

Have you ever sat and wondered what the future may hold? Wanting so badly to get a glimpse of were you may be 1, 5, 10 years down the road? Well, recently I've been thinking about what lies ahead on this culinary journey I am on. I know I am truely passionate about staying with it, I eat, sleep, dream food.. I am so incredibly eager to learn more, I know there is nothing stopping me from furthering myself. I know I am going to finish schooling. I so badly want to travel, Im thinking after schooling is finished I would like to go work out of the country and get an experience for authentic styles of different cooking. It would be awesome. This all came about as I was catering with the Overlook Team at the Slow food event in St.louis. The event was to show people farm to table simply put. It was an amazing experience. I love going to these different event's, meeting other chefs, and most importantly getting to cook :) You know your heart is in your career when ya can't believe you get paid to work when ya' love it so much..

Inspiration

1. Put your heart and soul into what you cook
   "Cooking is like love.  It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." Harriet van Horne 
2. Put time and care into your cooking
   "Enchant, stay beautiful and graceful, but do this, eat well. Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food as you devote to your appearance. Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress." -Charles Pierre Monselet
3. Don’t try to make it too fancy
   "Make [food] simple and let things taste of what they are." -Curnonsky
4. Keep in mind why you are cooking
   "Food is not about impressing people. It’s about making them feel comfortable." -Ina Garten
5. Ask experts for advice
   "If God had intended us to follow recipes, He wouldn’t have given us grandmothers." -Linda Henley-Smith
6. Be patient
   "Cooking is an art and patience a virtue… Careful shopping, fresh ingredients and an unhurried approach are nearly all you need. There is one more thing - love. Love for food and love for those you invite to your table. With a combination of these things you can be an artist - not perhaps in the representational style of a Dutch master, but rather more like Gauguin, the naïve, or Van Gogh, the impressionist. Plates or pictures of sunshine taste of happiness and love." -Keith Floyd
7. Start with the basics and the rest will come
   "Once you understand the foundations of cooking - whatever kind you like, whether it’s French or Italian or Japanese - you really don’t need a cookbook anymore." -Thomas Keller
   
8. Stay Positive, & Patient
   “Take the time to learn, and try new things, don’t let the craziness bring you down and most importantly don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and work harder than the person next to you.”-Tim Grandinetti

   
   

"I got sunshine, on a cloudy day"

I think I love when we get busy at work I thrive on craziness I have discovered. Saturday, we had a wedding of 190 and were still open for dinner. Quite interesting day I must say! I finally got to work hot side Saturday night I was pretty happy about that. I was worried at the start not knowing the menu well since this one is new and got a lil' bit more worried when we had 3-tastings and were told basically to get crafty with it. Well In-fact we did. 1st course I grilled asparagus, pickled veg, a little balsamic drizzle, hen egg over easy, and a little bit of thinly sliced Serrano ham. I can thank chef Tim for that one. Dishes  below I actually got to make yayyy :) p.s. I am learning.

Working hot side

Halibut Dish

Pork Dish

Steak Dish

Trout Dish