Audio By Carbonatix
Our former Cafe Society intern just decided to chuck college in favor of a real education: as a sous chef. In Under Fire, he chronicles his daily trials and tribulations in the kitchen.
When I got to the office around 11:30 a.m. yesterday, Chef was already working on the first course for our three-course tasting menu: a tart made with farmers’ market honey crisp apples and MouCo’s camembert-style Colorouge. It was a great idea. First off, honey crisp apples are simply the apples of the gods. And Colorouge, when eaten at room temp, is fabulous. Put them together in a tart shell and bake them? Good lord!
Tasting the tart was definitely an “ah-ha!” moment, when something clicks in your mind and stays there. And what clicked was this: Great food requires great ingredients. This tart wouldn’t work at all if the apples were mushy or too tart, and it would be a stanky mess with a lesser-quality cheese. But when you pair a couple of fantastic ingredients, the result will probably be even more fantastic.
I followed one of the tarts onto the floor, and found an energetic group of diners in the restaurant. The place seemed damned near night-clubby, except with more bread and cheese — and fantastic tarts. The discovery that a party could be going on ten feet from the kitchen was fascinating, and another “ah-ha” moment. The line between work and play is fine in this industry — which is one of the reasons it’s where I want to be right now.
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
