Band of brothers

I haven't put on a chef's uniform, tucked my knives into a blue cloth, and made a mise en place sheet in 6 days. It still seems surreal, that it's all over, but it is, at least until I decide what's next, but more about that on my next post. 

The year in review

For the past year, I've struggled to explain my working environment and it's not for a lack of trying. It's just that the kitchen world is a strange place, one where almost everything taboo in the 'normal world' is allowed (shouting, screaming smashing eggs on each other's work stations). I'm not entirely sure, I'll ever get to the point, where it all becomes normal to me, but each day it certainly became less shocking. 

The boys of the kitchen (technically there are a few ladies, but we aren't your typical ladies) cover all of the major stereotypes\: 

• the naive/gullible one
• the manwhore 
• the stoner
• the ladies man
• the wannabe ladies man
• the bully
• the party animal
• the good guy
• the quiet guy who oddly becomes the guy you can't shut up
• the greek 
• the other greek
• the pylon
• the prankster
• the hulk 
• the surfer dude
• the crazy one
• the know it all
• the lazy one

It may seem like a smorgasbord of personalities, that can't possible work together, but it does work. I love them and I hate them, but the fact is, after a year of working alongside these guys, they have become my dysfunctional kitchen family. The kind you would never choose, but somehow wear you down until you can't help but be charmed. 

ps. guys if you are reading this post, you all should know which one(s) you are and if not, I'm never telling.

Farewell

Proof that nothing in the kitchen obeys normal decorum, is the fact that on your last day, or last month before you leave they boys have the right, nay, the obligation to 'get you'. I'll come back and explain what I mean by 'get you'. 

Now, having been employed there for about a year, I had seen what they have previously 'done' to other people and was quite anxious about experiencing it myself. Part of me was hopeful that they would do something inexplicably horrible, because it was sort of a perverse display of affection, that is only done to the beloved. On the other hand, I was basically terrified by the potential cocktail that the guys would create. Having known them for a year, I knew there was basically no limit to their creativity and access to excrement.

In the month leading up to my last day, the boys lived up to their reputation and did well to harass me each and every day. I've never had a younger brother, but the boys at work, made me feel like I had 20 younger brothers, each one with the ability to annoy me oh so well. 

On the 'day', I was given the option of taking it like a man or fighting back. I weighed the option carefully, on the one hand some of the guys are only capable of 3 push ups.....however, there are others who more closely resemble a bear, a friendly bear, but a bear none the less. I opted for the man option. 

There was a tap on my shoulder, by the kitchen prankster, "It's time".

I slipped off my shoes, emptied my pockets, and removed my glasses. Next thing, I knew I was hoisted by 3 of the guys and lead to my fate. 

There are no words that can describe it properly, but luckily there is a video. So here it is, I think it both explains the difference between boys and girls and how the kitchen is another world all its own.....

BB from Jane Tran on Vimeo.

Let's just say 4 showers later, I still needed to get a haircut before I felt clean again. Well done boys, you should be proud!

Thank You

In the kitchen any display of emotion/weakness would basically be mocked, so I didn't really express too much emotion on my last day, but as I am safely at arms length, I wanted to say thanks

• for toughening me up, I still have a way to go, but I'll get there
• for teaching me not to panic, when I'm in the weeds
• for telling me the most offensive British words and jokes, I'm sure my family and friends appreciate my new found sense of humour
• for making me intensely suspicious of anyone sneaking up on me
• for showing me there are many ways to skin the cat
• challenging me to think for myself 

Basque Stage Finale

I didn't win.....

Funny how three little words could be so incredibly difficult to say out loud to my friends and family, but it has been difficult. 

The contest has been a journey of self discovery for me, challenging me to ask myself who I am, what I want to cook, and to be brave, brave enough to put up my ideas on food here on the web for everyone to see. The past two months have made me realize that I need to continue to find sources of inspiration, whether at the local market, through a cookbook or at a stage at a great restaurant. The competition has been a wonderful experience and a catalyst for culinary innovation within me. It made me realize I can create my own path in the kitchen that might be a little unconventional, but I've never been that conventional anyways.

I wanted to send my heartfelt congratulation to the Basque Stage Program for putting me in the top 30 and giving me the opportunity to compete for this amazing opportunity. To the winners Luuk Hoffman and Brenden Darby, it was a pleasure to read both of your blogs and videos. It was truly inspiring to see your enthusiasm and passion for food, I wish you all the best in Spain and in life.

Also, I wanted to express my sincere thanks to a few key people who helped me get into the Top 30:

• Thank you so much to Jeremy Robins for his help with my video, I would've never been able to do it without your help and and that shot of tequila!
• To my Brooklyn family, thank you for believing in me and talking me into entering this competition, I would have never had the courage to do it without you all.
• To my dear family and friends, who have always enthusiastically encouraged me....Thank you.

As for me, this is not the end but the beginning. I truly believe that when every door closes another is open. So these days, I've been wandering the streets of London, being inspired and finding my own way. Stay tuned as there are some pretty delicious things in the works.

Inspiration

People often ask me what are some of the key skills to succeed in the kitchen. Everyday, I learn more about what it takes to not only survive but to thrive there. One skill, that has certainly served me well (so far!) is the constant presence of pen and paper and a good memory.

In the kitchen, there are usually daily and weekly specials, for which there are no written recipes, and the chefs usually very quickly dictate the basic steps, whilst their team frantically takes notes. As a result of this habit, I now have in my purse, nightstand, knife-roll, gym bag and coat, various small pocket sized notebooks and scraps of paper containing food ideas and recipes. This has made it really easy for me to jot down my food ideas. Inspiration can come from a trip to a market, coffee with fellow foodies/cooks, a great meal or an food article. So now, in addition to my restaurant notes, I have started to accumulate my own food ideas, which hopefully I will use to build a menu for my own restaurant someday.

For this next stage of the Basque Stage Program, we needed to create and cook a dish of our own. So, I figured where better to draw inspiration from my little notebooks full of my culinary ideas. When I put together a dish, I usually have one main inspiration and then create a dish around that idea. My inspiration for this dish was Japanese risotto. Rice can be a tremendous vehicle for complex flavours since rice takes on most of its flavour from the broth and flavours added during the cooking process.

Here is a picture of my preliminary notes on this dish:


With a somewhat clear idea of what I was going to make, I took a trip to an authentic Japanese grocery store in Central London called Japan Centre. I decided to buy traditional Japanese flavours and use them in slightly unconventional ways. Here's what made its way into my shopping bag












From Left to Right: Bonito Shavings, Sushi Rice, Dried Fish and Sesame Flavoured Rice Topper, Dried Shiso leaves; white miso and red miso


The risotto is the heart of my dish and I spent most of my time trying to figure out what flavours to infuse in the dish. Dashi was the obvious choice for the base of my risotto, since it is full of unami flavour. I love the simplicity and ease of making dashi, since it consists of just two ingredients, bonito flakes and kombu (dried kelp).


However, taking a page out of David Chang's book, I decided to add a bit of smoked bacon to round out the flavours. To make the risotto, I sweat down minced garlic, shallot and ginger and then added the sushi rice. Deglaze with sake and then slowly added 1 cup of dashi as needed until it was perfect. The final result was very good, while sushi rice is generally revered for its sticky texture, by slowly adding in the dashi and stirring constantly, the final result was very close to the normal consistency of Italian risottos.

Now for the protein, as the risotto has a very rich flavour, I wanted the protein to be mild and slightly sweet. I marinated the chicken breast in white miso, ginger and chicken stock. To cook it, I seared off the chicken breast and then braised it in a tagine for about 45 minutes. Once cooked, I let the meat rest before slicing for the plate.

At this point, the dish is pretty heavy with the risotto and chicken, so I wanted to make sure that the vegetables and garnish would balance out the salty and heavy notes in the dish. As a result, I decided to pickle enoki mushrooms in a basic rice wine pickling liquid and keep the remaining vegetable garnish fresh. The snow peas and baby corn were gently blanched and then glazed in a beurre monte, using butter and some dashi stock.

Finished Plate: White Miso Chicken Breast with Dashi infused Risotto, baby corn and sugar snap peas with red miso butter, cilantro and ginger puree, pickled enoki mushroom, shiso tempura flakes and bonito flakes.



Here's a closer look at some of the garnish for this dish

bonito flakes:


Red miso butter: Red miso is quite strong, so I soften up the intensity of the flavour by pureeing it with danish butter, and a touch of honey. For the final plate, I put a quennelle of this on top of the white miso chicken.

Kelp and garlic sea salt & julienne spring onions: These added texture, seasoning and freshness to round out the dish
Cilantro and Ginger puree - this is a puree/sauce that I have used in a few different dishes. It is basically a puree of cilantro, ginger, soy sauce, sauteed shallots, thai chili and fish sauce. I've thickened it up with xantham gum, so it has more of a puree consistency.


Well, it was great to take a day off cooking for others and spend a day just cooking for myself and experimenting with flavours.

Bon Appétit

Just another day in the kitchen?

It was 11pm, and I was packing down my station after a busy night of dinner service, with over 250 covers. All of a sudden, my iPhone buzzed with the text message that I had been waiting for...."Congratulations, you've made the list of finalists! Woohoo".

All of a sudden, the kitchen seemed completely silent to me, all I could think about was what this meant and what lay before me. So, now I have to convince a jury of culinary experts that I am the right person to be a Basque Stage.

The second stage of the competitions involves three parts:

• BY APRIL 10: video
  
• BY APRIL 17: food blog post
• BY APRIL 22: resume & essay
  

F0r the video we had full creative freedom, so we could do anything from a cooking video, trip to a market or just a monologue about my passion for food. Whenever I talk about food and think about where my passion comes from, it always goes back to one thing, my mom and her Phở. Growing up, it was my favourite meal, partly because it was delicious and partly because I loved the anticipation of the final product. My mom always took meticulous steps, to make sure the broth was clear and well-seasoned, as a result our home would have the aroma of Phở for a whole day before it was ready to eat. One of my culinary dreams is to find a way to share my passion and love for Vietnamese flavours with the world, and this video demonstrates my take on my favourite food.

BasqueStage Candidate Video from Jane Tran on Vimeo.

The opportunity to join Martin Berasategui's team would be a dream come true. All I have ever hoped for is the chance to work with people who are passionate and knowledgeable about food and willing to share that expertise with me. I've been lucky enough to have some great kitchen mentors, who have taught me a lot (thanks guys!), but the chance to work all sections of a kitchen, work in a 3 michelin star restaurant, practice my Spanish and live in the Basque region is a chance of a lifetime. I know that this experience would change my life forever. If chosen, I would work, eat and learn everything there is to learn about Basque food, lo promento!

Stay tuned as I work on my next blog post for the contest!

New York

Like most great cities, the Big Apple has two sides, the side photographed and explored by tourists and the side known only by the locals that inhabit it. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to see this great city as both. I followed the tourist trail from the Statue of Liberty to Times Square and as beautiful as these sights were, I was also incredibly disappointed by the food pandered to tourists.

Luckily for me when I moved to NYC, I did my research on the food scene, was surrounded by budding chefs willing to eat everything that this city had to offer and had some great tips from my Brooklyn family on where to find some of NYC’s good eats.

So this list isn’t exhaustive and I’m sure every day there is another great little restaurant, food stand, food cart or food truck opening up, but here is my list of NYC good eats, bon appétit

Manhanttan 

Lower East Side, unofficially everything south of Houston and not including Chinatown, this area is full of creative buzz, its streets bursting with food, fashion, beer and liquor. This is where New Yorkers hang out and where the tourists may be weary to tread.

The Meatball Shop

http://www.themeatballshop.com/

One of my favourite places to eat, period.  This restaurant represents everything I think a great restaurant should have, chefs with passion and talent, great ingredients, love of food and simplicity. Freshly ground hand formed meat balls made with love and deliciousness are the backbone of this restaurant. The desserts are worth leaving some room for as well.

The Doughnut Planet

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

Hailed by many as one of the best doughnut shops in the country by the Food Network, Bon Appetit and many other magazines and newspapers, no trip to NYC is complete without a taste. The shop bakes throughout the day, ensuring a constant supply of fresh doughnuts. Beware though the fan favourites sell out fast as people by them by the dozen so come early. My personal favourites are tres leche, crème brulee, peanut butter and jelly and carrot cake.

Spitzers

http://www.spitzerscorner.com/

Unique and vibrant bar in the LES, it has an excellent offering of local microbrewers. It has a great vibe and offers some decent food to go along with your pint(s). The food for me has been a bit hit or miss as far as entrees go, but if you are looking for a place to grab some appetizers and have a few beers, you won’t find a better place. 

Chinatown – A little side note about Chinatown, in my opinion this is less an area for authentic Chinese food and more for tourist these days. The real Chinese food has relocated to Flushing, which is worth the trip if you are really craving it. In general though, the Chinese food fell short compared to offerings of Toronto, so don’t have too many places to recommend, but there are a few hidden gems…

Fong Inn Too

http://nymag.com/listings/stores/fong_inn_too/

This place is easy to miss so keep your eyes peeled, this tiny establishment supplies many Chinatown restaurants including Hong Kong Market (where I purchased some of their deliciousness and decided to seek out the store for myself). This place has a limited menu of tofu and rice products, but everything here is amazing. They have the best radish and taro cakes I’ve ever eaten, and my god I have eaten a lot. Besides the food, there is something admirable about a team of little Asian aunties and uncles making Chinese food the old school way, in small batches, with love, Cantonese, a bit of Mandarin and all that great Asian customer service.

Unnamed Chinese Tofu Shop….yes it really has no name or address

Location North East Corner of Grand and Bowery (across the street you should see an angry Chinese man with a cart)

This place is run by two very amusing Cantonese women, who mostly peddle tofu and rice noodles . They have some other offerings, but I wouldn’t bother since most of the traffic in here comes for these two products. While I am not a tofu fan in general I do think part of the reason why it tastes so bland normally is because it is made in some far off factory and isn’t fresh. Fresh tofu does have a distinct taste and texture that is all its own.

Banh Mi Saigon

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/38871/restaurant/Little-Italy/Banh-Mi-Saigon-Bakery-New-York

For any Torontoian used to the 1.50 Viet Sandwich Specials of Chinatown, you will suffere some sticker shock at the price of banh mi in NYC, an average of $4 – 7 USD.  However, sometimes you just need a banh mi and all the logic in the world goes out the door, when this happens banh mi Saigon is the best I’ve found. A half jewelry store, half banh mi shop, this chain offers a wide selection of freshly made sandwiches.  The baguette is appropriately crusty, meat to bread ratio is decent and quality of pickled veg is pretty good. Is it as good as my favourite shop in Toronto, no, but it is the closest thing I’ve found this side of the border and does satisfy my Viet cravings for a few weeks.

Food Stalls, Centre Street, Canal Street and Grand Street

These food carts offer either steamed or fried Asian food and the quality and price are quite good. A good place to grab a quick bite $1 for a skewer for various curried meatballs) if you don’t want to do your grocery shopping ravenous!

Wah Fung

http://www.yelp.com/biz/wah-fung-1-fast-food-new-york

Okay this is my guilty Chinatown pleasure, this former food cart decided to get itself a proper location as it was always busy. Famous for their $2.25 all day special of roast pork or soy sauce chicken over steamed rice (changes daily), the lines are long, but the rice and meat are fresh, tasty and cheap.

East Village  - generally considered to be between Houston and 14^th street east of Broadway, this neighbourhood is an eclectic mix of NYU students, Hispanic, Japananese, Polish  communities and artists. This neighbourhood boasts many authentic ethnic restaurants, cheaps eats and local favourites.

Momofuku Empire

http://www.momofuku.com/

East Village is home to 3 of the Momofuku restaurant and has 1 milk bar as well. David Chang is a food legend in NYC and whether you’re a lover or a hater, everyone should check out the original noodle bar that started it all to make up their own mind. The noodle bar is famous for their braised pork belly buns and signature ramen, no trip to NYC is complete without a meal here. The Momofuku milk Bar is an adult’s dessert wonderland where Change takes his tongue and cheek sense of humour and culinary skill to create fun and delicious dessert such cereral milk ice cream, crack pie and compost cookies.

Otafuku

http://www.yelp.com/biz/otafuku-new-york

One street north of St Marks, this tiny Japanese restaurant would be easy to miss, except for the crowds of NYU students and Japanese youths crowding the sidewalk. While the restaurant offers a handful of authentic Japanese treats, their claim to fame are the deep fried octopus ball, drizzled with a sweet, sour and tangy brown sauce and a generous smattering of bonito flakes.

Artichoke

http://www.artichokepizza.com/

The elusive New York pizza, well this place a cult following and is consistently rated one of the best. They offer a few different types of pizzas but the ones not to miss are the  artichoke (a creamy sauce with roasted artichokes, it’s good...definitely worth having) and the Sicilian….a thin crust all about the tomato sauce pizza, which is kind of amazing. The Artichoke is great for a great slice of pizza when you aren't quite willing to make the trek to The Pizza Place in New York...Di Faros, but more about that later.

Caracas

http://caracasarepabar.com/index_2.php

This packed East Village restaurant is introducing Venezuelan cuisine to New York, one arepa at a time. Arepas are crispy and moist corn patties filled anything from braised beef to fried plantains. These are sinfully delicious and small enough that you can put a serious dent in the menu in one sitting.

Porchetta

http://www.porchettanyc.com/about.html

 I discovered this place after a savvy Brooklynite raved about their sandwiches.  Sara Jenkins is the chef and brainchild behind this place, it has a focused menu revolving around traditional Italian flavours and slow roasted porchetta.  Definitely a must try.

Mamouns

http://mamouns.com/

This is one of those great establishments that become famous for its food, but doesn’t take much notice of it. Mamouns is the oldest falafel shop in NYC. Their tiny shop on St Marks is tucked away in a shop barely visible from the street. They sell a medley of Middle Eastern food along with the famous falafels which are all worth trying, just make sure you don’t leave without trying the house made hot sauce!

PDT/Crif

http://pdtnyc.com/

PDT, please don’t tell is the kind of restaurant that only New Yorkers would dream up. It is an old fashioned speakeasy, to get a reservation at this sought after place you need to go to Crif hot dogs, climb into the phone booth and pray that you get a reservation. At the appointed time you come back and climb into the phone booth, to announce your arrival and wait for the bouncer/hostess to let you in. I know it is cliché, but the drinks are strong and fancy, but they serve up crif dogs from next door and there is something intrinsically cool about sipping whisky at a posh underground bar eating a cheesy chili hot dog.

Prune

http://www.prunerestaurant.com/

This restaurant has been a locale favourite since opening in 1999. Gabrielle Hamilton as won a number of accolades for her cuisine. A perfect place for brunch, lunch or dinner, this place is sure to win you over with their delicious. Besides any  restaurant that is cheeky enough to have an omelette as an appetizer for dinner is my kind of place.

Degustation

http://degustationnyc.com/

This sixteen seat restaurant may just be NYC’s best kept secrets and hardest place to book a table. But ask any chef in the city about this restaurant and they’ve all heard of it or eaten there, heck even Thomas Keller himself made sure to tuck in and eat a meal here. The Executive Chef Wesley Genovart is young, passionate and talented, having trained under some of the best Jean Gorges Bongerichten’s and Daniel Boulud he brings all the finesse of French cooking and Spanish flavours to the table. There is only one thing to order on the menu and that’s the chef’s tasting menu, and prepare to be inspired.