My restaurant, "BRENTHOVEN'S is one of the many precious creations. I have not a clue why, but the past year many people would ask me where, how, when, for what reason I seriously took up the art of cooking! (I am not a graduate of some fancy culinary school... such as...)
One day, possibly one day I will write a short story about how, when, and why!
Most often a necessity demands we learn a certain truth or we discover a GIFT we had no knowledge was dwelling within our DNA / RNA.
When I was in my 20's and 30's I was literally a "vagabond". I drifted around the planet... making music and my music always took me to places and people I needed to see and fall in love with. When I could not find a job playing the piano I would become hungry... well go figure. I am rather dumb, but not stupid. If there was a job where there was food I would eat. Washing dishes, waiting on tables, prep work was never above my LOFTY STANDARDS.
I had some unfortunate circumstances occur once when I was traveling to San Francisco California. I ended up outside of Elko Nevada. I truly was in a mess. (If you have ever watched BAGDAD CAFE, the original movie... well I was there in 1969-70) I came upon a truck stop cafe... pale green paint on cinder blocks......... a sign in the window. "Prep and night-time cook needed. Apply inside." You must understand in the 60's and 70's truck stops and truck drivers were not as fat and homely as today! SORRY. In fact, they were most kind and would help you get to places you had to get to!
I walked in and talked with the head chef. He would be my age now!!! He was a drunk. I watched this man pour a water glass full of vodka every morning at 6:00 AM and drink it before 8:15 AM and still be able to stand on his feet and pour another full glass of VODAKA... He lived behind the cafe in a small trailer with a American Indian woman. She was very nice and had gorgeous hair. He was as kind as any father could be.
I knew NOTHING about a grill, and all the other equipment inside a restaurant. This man showed me everything I actually know to this day. He was a kind and most generous person. I fried and cooked over 300 eggs on that damn grill alone one morning, but mind you, I was young, dumb and full of adrenaline. I LOVED ADVENTURE and to top it off I DID IT.
He showed me how to make sauces. Beranaise, Hollandaise, white sauce, brown sauces, cook a steak, fry eggs, boil potatoes and most of all the fact: FOOD IS SACRED. It absorbs your emotions. If, you are hateful the food will taste like shit! (his very words.)
Well, I ate and drank extremely well and made it to San Francisco in one piece and with a lot confidence. This man had cooked in some very fine restaurants from NYC to CALIFORNIA. I know he is long gone from this planet, but he watches over me.
Here are some simple things he taught me.
1. Use ONLY kitchen scissors to cut bacon or other meats into thin strips.
2. Freeze overripe bananas in plastic and use them for shakes, cakes, muffins and pancakes.
3. A MOUTHFUL of WATER or a SILVER TEASPOON held inside your mouth will cut the tears when cutting onions.
4. Always rub olive oil around a pot before boiling pasta
5. Always put a TEASPOON of Sea Salt in a pot of water when boiling eggs. Keeps the shells from cracking.
6. Only use REALLY GOOD CHEF KNIVES. Crush the sides of a garlic bulb, so as to peel the skin from the garlic.
7. Freeze left over wines, Red or White in Ice Cube trays for sauces etc. then use them in soups etc.
8. Never whip an egg white unless it is at room temperature.
9. A small pinch of Baking Soda will make mashed potatoes lighter and fluffy.
10. NEVER EVER PUT HONEY IN THE COOLER! The honey will loose it's texture.
11. All SPICES MUST be stored in a dark, cook cupboard. Otherwise they loose their flavor.
12. Proofing bread dough. Place the bowl in a sink of warm, NOT HOT water... and DO NOT let the plastic wrap touch the
water! It works. (These were the days restaurants made their own breads)
13. If a soup is salty ADD CHUNKS OF RAW POTAOE. The Potato will absorb a hell of a lot of the salt. (simply never add the
salt until the end of the TASTING process.)
14. Honey or raw lemon juice will save all fruits from turning brown.
15. Before grating cheese. (Mind you, we used to grate it with a grater.) Put the grater in the freezer for a few MINUTES. The
cold metal will not allow the cheese to stick to the grater.
16. He used to INSIST that putting potatoes end up in cup cake pans and baking them cut the baking time in half. Well, I have
not always found that to be true. But he was the BOSS!
17. Put Walnuts in the water when boiling cabbages. It keeps the stink inside the room at a nothing degree.
18. ALWAYS pour red wine over hamburger, steaks etc. keeps them moist and tender.
Then of course was his last rule: Put a slug of alcohol into anything too dry, red wine makes a store/distributor purchased pasta sauce lose and it will loose it's MANUFACTURED FLAVOR... like he always poured RUM over certain cakes!
I am not condemning his techniques. They work. Over the many years of cooking I learned things on my own. Blessings as it were from my parents, grandparents... and other ghosts. People that have passed on many years before me but lived in my DNA... Oh, one last thing! Always wrap CELERY in FOIL. It will keep it crisper. Most of all know you will not live very long without food and it is a blessing from the green planet we live within and upon. We only live on the crust of this amazing orb.
Will write after New Years unless I get anxious and need to vent about something! Happy eating and most of joyous cooking.
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