OUCH!! NOT AGAIN

SPARKY’S BLOG

3-14-11

OUCH!! NOT AGAIN

More of the same

I’m not sure how to approach this subject because it comes as a reminder that I’m fallible and more than likely an unfocused idiot.  I wrote a couple weeks ago regarding a rather nasty cut that I gave myself rushing to complete the set up of my omelet station for Pantry and Breakfast class.  Turns out that the entire tip of my thumb came off last Tuesday showing that my knife skills need a bit of work. 

Well, I did it again or rather I would love to tell you that I only did it again but as luck would have it…..I endured 4 additional cuts on BOTH hands.  One cut (a rather deep and severe one) was inflicted by another student.  No we didn’t try to replay a scene from “West Side Story” pitting the sharks against the jets but rather getting my hand in the way of a student wielding a knife as a pointer.  Folks, please use your hands, fingers or even a pointer when you point at something okay?

I’ll be fine but my wounds have limited my gym activity a little bit.  I even had a dream on this topic and it involved a large chef’s knife running at me and chasing me off a cliff, of course that’s when I woke up at 3:11 am.  You never get back to sleep after a knife chases you in a dream or should I say nightmare?

SCORE:

Knife   : 5

Me       : 0

It’s video time again

This school is presentation crazy.  We, seemingly, have a presentation due as a project for each class.  This semester I’m going to do another video for my “Meat Fabrication” class.  My topic is the evolution of beef throughout history.  I follow cattle’s domestication over 10,000 years from the Stone-Age on through to cowboy times.  It’s very interesting to me but how do you convey that to kids in a kitchen/class setting?  The youngen’s attention span is shorter than that of a whacked out kitty with a snoot full of cat nip, they just don’t care.

I’m determined to make this interesting as well as teaching them the origins of beef.  I’ve come up with some characters from time periods in my research paper that may accomplish this feat.  First from the Vikings is Olaf the “Offal” (offal [pronounced awful] is entrails of domesticated animals for consumption).  Next up is the Roman Empire’s Alexander Dente; his friends call him Al Dente.  Our character representing the French’s contribution to beef’s history is BOUQUET GARNI and lastly we have Wyatt Burp paying homage to the American cowboy.

These lucky folks will be playing a game of Jeopardy answering questions surrounding all things beef.  I will, of course, be playing all the characters including the very female BOUQUET GARNI.  I’m hoping this approach will get their attention enough to get my point across….we’ll see?  

 I will make each character different in their own way such as the Viking will be a staggering drunk and the ditzy BOUQUET GARNI will be the smartest one arriving at her answers through a 6 degrees of separation methodology that doesn’t seem quite right.  I got a feeling Wyatt Burp will have an itchy trigger finger.  Humor is the greatest teacher.  All I gotta do is be funny.  Hope this goes well, I’m hoping to post this on my blog and you can be the judge.  We should see it in 2 – 3 weeks.  Stay tuned.

Dining a la Heart

Remember when I wrote about my Pantry and Breakfast class making a field trip to help out “Real” chefs compete in an event?  I was able to weasel my way into volunteering for the formal event held this past Sunday evening.  Folks came out in their best garb for a wonderful cause.  All the chefs had to make heart-smart dishes that resulted in healthy delicious fare.

There were about 750 attendees on that night and many of them stopped by our booth to sample the food.  I was volunteering for “Whole Foods” and we served a Quinoa salad in addition to a smoky kale, pumpkin & lentil salad.  The chef’s at “Whole Foods” concocted two very delicious dishes….my hat off to them. 

I did notice, however, that a fair portion of folks that night were asking if our dishes were gluten-free.  I asked my Nutrition professor about this and she commented that Americans are eating less and less nutritious foods these days resulting in anomalies occurring within our bodies like the gluten intolerance's as well as the rise in diabetes.  PEOPLE, I URGE YOU TO EAT HEALTHY!!  Okay, I’m off my bandwagon.  That’s it for me for this edition of my blog. 

Have a great day and never give up!

Mark (Sparky)