Monday, July 30, 2007

Kay learning…Calme!



Last night was the best night in the restaurant since being on the farm. Not because the menu was particularly extraordinary, but rather because there was an overwhelming feeling of “calme”. We had three distinctly different menus and over 90 guests (both unusual for us). Most of the pre-preparation happened earlier that day. The Castrato (castrated goat) was boiled, braised and sat quietly stewing for three hours in the forno. The zucchini flowers already stuffed, the eggplant meatballs ready in their perfect “ball form”, my chicken pate cooling off from the heat in the fridge etc. But this is always the case…

However, instead of running frantically between stations (grill, fryer, and kitchen), miscommunications, or “brucia” (overcooking of any kind) we were well staffed, organized and prepared. Despite good planning by Ettore, the reason for the “calme” was about the synergy of the staff; the waiters and their overseers, the washers, chefs (me included), the prompt guests and even the evenings’ light breeze were all on our side.

This was also the night that I stayed predominately in one place. For the night I became a focused and well trained “grill master”. In search of the perfect char and in tune with the flames rhythm. What is usually a grand scale sweaty burnt headache became simply my vocation.

The pics are hardly exceptional…after all I was making Chicken and Buffalo Sausage, but it should be said, they were as good as it gets! What I learned, over all else is…“calme”!

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