Nopalize: A Letter from Our Boss, Jeff Hanak:
To all Friends of the Restaurant Industry
Request for any donations to keep the City College of San Francisco Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program alive.
Being a former graduate of the two year program which was called Hotel and Restaurant in the late 80’s, I take great pride in calling myself Alumni and affording opportunities to future graduates in a profession that has been integral to the growth of the great city of San Francisco.
City College of San Francisco has allowed many individuals to acquire skills that many of us could not afford at other Culinary Programs. Graduates from this program come out with the mindset that all people are not Chef’s and owners in a day.
We have had great success in hiring ex graduates and the similarities of hard work, humility and the willingness to learn are the main factors to the success of this program.
The last thing we need in this industry is to lose another training ground for young professionals looking to follow and pursue a dream.
I ask all friends of the industry, professional and non-professional to make any donation possible to keep the Culinary Arts Program alive.
Below is a link if you would like to make a donation or read more about the Culinary Program.
<http://tinyurl.com/donateCCSF-CAHS>
Best,
Jeff Hanak
Nopa and Nopalito
As a soon-to-be Almuni(in 3 weeks), I can certainly vouch for City College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program. You learn so much in the time you’re given and you definitely take with you a set of skills that would help you succeed in the Hospitality business.
This program gave me direction and new life. The 2 years I’ve spent here have been so pivotal to my life/career choices.
So, If anyone of you could donate and/or reblog this to help save the program it would mean so much.
Much Appreciated,
Daniel
Chris Hemsworth in OUT
So this year, Avengers fans, pick up the May 2012 issue of OUT. Not only because it’s a good LGBT magazine covering everything from politics, to rights, to art and fashion.. but also because Chris Hemsworth, the God of Thunder himself, is featured.
Here are some images from the magazine.
UUNNNFFFFF!!!
I definitely believe that this movie was so epic!!!! I’d love to watch it again…or at least 12% of it…maybe 15%. (You’ll understand once you watch the movie)
(Source: fuuckallthegoodurlsaretaken)
Le Bernardin’s pastry chef Michael Laiskonis making his “Citrus” dessert to the music of Ennui… part of a new feature on Eater New York called “Sound Bites” in which “footage of [New York City’s] most badass chefs crafting their signature dishes is paired with tunes from up-and-coming independent musicians”
Simplicity at its best.
We are pastry chefs. We are the red-headed step-children of the culinary brigade. You’ll find us in the basement, or in some hard-fought and carefully carved-out corner of the kitchen. We are protective of that space, our equipment, our atmosphere. We are particular. We strive to be masters of several disparate disciplines. We are sugar burners, cream puffs, the keepers of ‘Candyland’- and to too many who don’t know any better, we must certainly be just plain ‘bakers’ (not that there’s anything wrong with that). We are respected, feared, and ignored.
We are pastry chefs. We treasure our autonomy within the rigid structure around us. We are often left to fend for ourselves and we embrace a do-it-yourself spirit. We are part of a community. We band together, share ideas, and push each other. We take full use of modern technology to create a subterranean network, to shrink the physical space between us. We speak a different language. We seek to explain our intentions through references others just don’t understand. We look at things through a slightly different lens.
We are pastry chefs. We find comfort in repetition and sameness. We are precise, clean, and dexterous. We prefer control to chaos. We are also spontaneous and prone to occasional fits of whimsy. We are students of subtlety. We seek to provide maximum impact. We must predict the future as we cook. We cook with clear intention. We are constantly receptive to inspiration, and that inspiration often comes from the unlikeliest of places. We like to break things that aren’t broken, just to see what happens.
We are pastry chefs. We find pleasure in hidden things. We are often most proud of what you rarely ever get to see. We want to let you in on our secrets. We like to speculate as to what your secrets might be. We are in the nostalgia business, and we have a unique opportunity, nay, a responsibility, to tap into your psyche. We recognize the powerful potential of food as a means of dialog. We want to make you happy.
We are pastry chefs. It is up to us to leave a pleasant last impression. Our work is often an afterthought of guests already satiated by savory. We admit that what we provide is mere luxury, yet we know we satisfy your innermost cravings. Each of us, at one time or another, has wished we could simply send dessert first. This is our chance. We just want to kill you with dessert.
—
http://michaellaiskonis.typepad.com/main/2012/01/killed-by-dessert.html
-Michael Laiskonis
(via minispeed)
thousand-year-old quail egg, lily bulb, ginger
oyster, pork belly, kimchi
monkfish liver, cucumber, salted plum, buckwheat, perilla
apple, mountain yam, poppy seed, nasturtium, yuzu
eel, feuille de brick, creme fraiche, lime
homemade tofu, matsutake mushroom, gingko nut
amberjack, caviar, avocado, radish, brioche
jasmine chicken with datesAO wine break.
salt and pepper squid
crispy cod milt, green grape, picholine olive
foie gras xiao long bao
fresh noodles, shrimp roe, tarragon, chicken jus
duck, celery, chestnut, persimmon, Shaoxing wine
beef braised in pear, beech mushroom, pumpkin seeds, watercress
“shark’s fin” soup, dungeness crab, Jinhua ham, black truffle custard
passion fruit, espelette, white chocolate
lychee, red bean, matcha custard, wild rice
chocolates
birthday bonus
Fin. This meal was up there with Morimoto and XIV as the best I’ve ever had. Corey Lee, you are amazing. Speechless.
Absolutely amazing tasting menu. As expected, being a descendant of Thomas Keller’s culinary prowess. Lee has made a name for himself internationally and has earned his Two Michelin Stars through hard work and sheer determination.
NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY
