Slinging with the Pros
I have not posted in a while. My normal routine has changed and that seems to have contributed the most to the lull in my writing. Be that as it may, I press on.
I was fortunate enough to have spent the past week skiing in Utah with 17 of my closest friends and family members. This was a welcome break from hockey, home renovation and career issues. We flew in to Salt Lake by way of Jet Blue and van pooled it to the house near the slopes. And while I could write exclusively about the powder, the time outside and the serious aches I experienced each night I should stay on point. The most interesting aspect of our house rental was the inclusion of a chef. Along with fresh towels, daily maid service and shuttle service to and from the lifts, we also enjoyed the services of an incredibly talented cook.
Pete has lived and skied in this small community for over 15 years. He was sous chef at a small restaurant for 11 years before he was lured away to cook for visiting skiers. To give you an idea of the quality of his work, our first night, we enjoyed an amuse buche of stuffed piquant peppers resting on pureed spiced cauliflower; dressed baby greens; a main course of roast tenderloin, roasted potatoes and fresh sautéed zucchini; and a dessert of chocolate espresso torte. Along with the food, we drank superbly matched wines and curiously, some of the best fresh brewed coffee I’ve ever tasted.
Each morning we awoke to a comparably prepared hearty breakfast before heading out to ski. This went on for seven days.
Predictably, for the first few days, I hovered on the other side of the kitchen counter talking with and watching Pete work. He was very generous with himself and seemed sincerely interested in what I had to say. He also found out that I cooked and before long I was invited to prepare a course. After some discussion, I opted for my chile rellenos. The next afternoon, I stopped skiing early and headed to the house to cook. Although I should have been intimidated cooking along side a pro, Pete was anything but scary and we seemed to work pretty well together. I exercised all the appropriate courtesy: I asked what knives were off limits (the new one he had just purchased that week), which broiler he would be using that evening and generally, I kept a close eye out for him so as not to get in his way. The rellenos took about four hours to prepare including a roast vegetable sauce as an accompaniment. I cleaned up after myself and even did some scullery for Pete to make his work go a little faster. The rellenos were a hit, Pete had only good things to say about working with me (he admitted later that he was skeptical at first and a little worried but that I had won him over) and I had the pleasure of finding out I can clank the pots and pans with the upper class knives.
Later in the week Pete asked me to make dessert and I prepared a free-form apple tarte. This time he watched and said he was going to use the recipe for future guests – I’m pretty sure that made me blush. (Huge blusher, I’m afraid).
All in all, it was a remarkable week.
I was fortunate enough to have spent the past week skiing in Utah with 17 of my closest friends and family members. This was a welcome break from hockey, home renovation and career issues. We flew in to Salt Lake by way of Jet Blue and van pooled it to the house near the slopes. And while I could write exclusively about the powder, the time outside and the serious aches I experienced each night I should stay on point. The most interesting aspect of our house rental was the inclusion of a chef. Along with fresh towels, daily maid service and shuttle service to and from the lifts, we also enjoyed the services of an incredibly talented cook.
Pete has lived and skied in this small community for over 15 years. He was sous chef at a small restaurant for 11 years before he was lured away to cook for visiting skiers. To give you an idea of the quality of his work, our first night, we enjoyed an amuse buche of stuffed piquant peppers resting on pureed spiced cauliflower; dressed baby greens; a main course of roast tenderloin, roasted potatoes and fresh sautéed zucchini; and a dessert of chocolate espresso torte. Along with the food, we drank superbly matched wines and curiously, some of the best fresh brewed coffee I’ve ever tasted.
Each morning we awoke to a comparably prepared hearty breakfast before heading out to ski. This went on for seven days.
Predictably, for the first few days, I hovered on the other side of the kitchen counter talking with and watching Pete work. He was very generous with himself and seemed sincerely interested in what I had to say. He also found out that I cooked and before long I was invited to prepare a course. After some discussion, I opted for my chile rellenos. The next afternoon, I stopped skiing early and headed to the house to cook. Although I should have been intimidated cooking along side a pro, Pete was anything but scary and we seemed to work pretty well together. I exercised all the appropriate courtesy: I asked what knives were off limits (the new one he had just purchased that week), which broiler he would be using that evening and generally, I kept a close eye out for him so as not to get in his way. The rellenos took about four hours to prepare including a roast vegetable sauce as an accompaniment. I cleaned up after myself and even did some scullery for Pete to make his work go a little faster. The rellenos were a hit, Pete had only good things to say about working with me (he admitted later that he was skeptical at first and a little worried but that I had won him over) and I had the pleasure of finding out I can clank the pots and pans with the upper class knives.
Later in the week Pete asked me to make dessert and I prepared a free-form apple tarte. This time he watched and said he was going to use the recipe for future guests – I’m pretty sure that made me blush. (Huge blusher, I’m afraid).
All in all, it was a remarkable week.
posted by Champurrado at 10:14 AM
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