Unfortunately...

"The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese."

G.K. Chesterton

Ace Wonder Catering Crew

Dear Foodies,

I thought you might enjoy this... it was headed up by some of my friends (and foodies : ) from CO. This was on the set of a new film called Ace Wonder, by John Moore, winner of the SAICFF Jubilee award from a few years ago. Make sure to check it out. : )

BJS,F

P.S. www.acewondermovie.com

Mise en Place

Dear Foodies,

Have you ever had someone say to you, "Prepare that mise en place!" Last night I was introduced to the method.

Mise en Place

The French words meaning literally "everything in place". Pronounced mees/en/plas. ( I know that's probably the wrong way to write it out, but that is what it sounds like... ) Having all the ingredients measured and ready to put together.

I was preparing several things, the first being a Lemon Tart. I mise en place the ingredients for the crust, and put that together in the blender. I put to much water in, but Mr. Bob (who was the man in charge for the evening) saved the crust by adding flour. I have much to learn about crusts... : )

The material for the crust went into the walk-in cooler for about 20 minutes, and while it was cooling I mise en place the filling for the tart.

Now, I'm sure that for all of you foodies, at some point in your life you have zested a lemon. It smells wonderful doesn't it? : ) Well when you are zesting 9 lemons, it loses something... Plus when after you zest those lemons, you know that you still need to juice those lemons by hand plus 6 more lemons beside!

But, the end result was amazing. (Beside the fact that I forgot to put in the butter...)

I think the most fun part of trying something you just made is thinking to yourself, "Self, how could I improve this? How could I garnish this to make it look cool?"

Well foodies, I need to make myself some breakfast. See ya.

Benjamin Serven, Foodie

P.S. I challenge you to use the words mise en place today to confuse someone who doesn't know what they mean... :)

BS,F

P.P.S. I also mise en placed the ingredients for a carrot cake. I'll tell you about it if I get to make it today...

BS,F

Canadian Milk

Think they are feeling a little defensive? I know that there are a couple of Canadians who read the blog. Is this true in your area?

I know that even if the government "certified" the milk, I would still rather buy it directly from a farmer any day.

What do you think?

I can't think of a title... : )

Dear Foodies,

You are probably wondering at the lack of post's. Well there is a reason. The Lord has blessed me with an opportunity to work at The Clarksville Station. I started just a week ago, and it has been a blast!

Today, under the direction of Sous Chef Justin, I learned to make Lemon Curd, and Chocolate Mousse. : ) Lots of fun, and very tasty.

Well I need to get to bed, because I have to be up @ 4:30 AM tomorrow morning, so that I can make it to the Farmers Market on time. I'll either see you there, or I'll see you here!

Benjamin Serven, Foodie

Scones

Dear Foodies,

I made some scones today. I've actually never done it before. And it was awfully simple.

So, without further ado...

Breakfast Scones

Makes 8

Dry Ingredients:

2 Cups flour (I used soft wheat)

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 - 1/4 cup milk (more or less-pour in like you are making a pie crust)

1 egg (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add any raisins, nuts zest, etc. stir in milk (and egg if using) until just moist, the amount of liquid can vary. Measure in the milk just as you would when making a pie crust. The ideal consistency of the dough is moist but not sticky.

On a floured surface, knead slightly, roll or pat into a circle about 6-8 inches across. Cut in to 8 wedges. If desired, brush with milk or egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake @ 400 for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Enjoy!

I followed the recipe exactly, except for omitting the egg. The variations I went with were chopped apples, raisins, and cinnamon. And I think they came off well, because there aren't left...

Benjamin Serven, Foodie

Supermarket Society

Dear Foodies,

As you know, food is my passion. But not just any food. Real food. Raw food. Local food.

And, food in season.

In my work at the farmers market, I have discovered that most of the shoppers have no clue about seasonality.

(For any of you shoppers before mentioned, seasonality is the simple fact that certain foods are meant to grow in certain seasons. This varies by location.)

I heard some stories from the farmers about shoppers coming to their booths and asking "Where are all the tomatoes?". And it's May.

Now, I can't claim to have all the knowledge of when different foods are in season, but a good way to find out is ask your farmer, "What IS in season right now?". Farmers like people who ask questions. Trust me. : )

Vegan?

Nope.