Preparation...Mise en Place....Friday 3-1-13

Mise en place is what it's called, and it is the second stage in cooking. The first stage of cooking is conception, what you wish to create. This involves putting your recipes together, making your lists and checking them twice, shopping, ordering food stuffs, and assembling all the ingredients. The third phase is execution, the actual cooking of the dishes you want to create. Of course you can prep everything to perfection and still fuck it all up in the execution. Even the best of chefs in the world do this all the time. No one is always on point. Consistency is what we strive to accomplish, imperfection is perfection.

In French mise en place simply means everything in place, and that's what I'm doing all day today and tomorrow for the first of the season bashes at Geraldine's La De Da Cafe. We have 16 or 18 people coming over, and I've made 17 doughs that are now in the fridge going through their change. One hour before I start making the pies I'll punch them down again and let then sit at room temperature so they can rise again.

Our dear friend Erwin is coming with two of his brothers and their wives from Austria and Norway. Erwin was one of my instructors in culinary school, and his brother Winfred is also an instructor in culinary program in Norway. Next week we're going to his place up on the Sonoma coast, Bodega Bay, for Winfred's birthday bash. It's always fun when there are other chefs in the house. Erwin and I were born on the same day. He's 10 years older than I am, and he's from a family of long livers. His brother Franz is 80, and looks to be 55 years old. Erwin is a real piece of work.

I'm making 6 different types of pizza. I was only going to do 4, but I changed my mind. I'm making an anchovy pizza just for myself of course. We're having #1- pesto with new potatoes, red bell peppers & asiago cheese, #2- NY state of mind... plain pie with red sauce and 3 cheeses, #2-Greek pie with tomatoes, capers, asparagus, kalamata olives, sheep's milk feta cheese, & fresh mint, #4-  anchovy pizza w/3 cheeses, fresh oregano and garlic, #5- Genoa salumi, red sauce, 3 cheeses and fresh basil. 6) Mild Italian sausage, red sauce, pesto, cheddar, gouda and fresh oregano.

That's my blog for today. Wish you could be here tomorrow. Maybe someone will take photos.

Last but not least, I went to visit the podiatrist today and he gave me a nice shot of cortisone in my  big toe That was a lot of fucking fun. There won't be a lot of walking for the next couple of days till the steroids kick in.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

Food Consumption:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, 2 pieces of wheat bread w/butter, black tea w/sugar,
                 vanilla yogurt

Lunch: Salami and crackers, a little feat cheese,

Dinner: Taking Geri out tonight....who knows (more on this later)

Exercise today: 2.5 miles walking