A couple days ago in my attempt to get back some of the soul I have lost form corporate cooking. I invited some friends over. A small random group of cooks and food enthusiast and one picky eater for some Latin dished made from scratch. The menu consisted of Empanadas, Braised Chicken Quesadillas, Guacamole Chips and Salsa. Fairly simple food yet made nothing but simple ingredients and some love I found in my almost bare cabinet that resembles a heart.

The empanada dough consisted of a dear old friend called 321. 3 pints flour 2 pints shortening 1 pint water and 2 tbsp salt. For those who do not cook often this is the recipe for pie dough. Mix by hand and you will end up with soft flaky dough every time. As for the filling I started by mincing 4 onions 2 carrots and 6 cloves of garlic and saute until aromatic and soft then added 4 diced roma tomatoes and this is the soffrito. Then I added 3 lb. of ground beef to the soffrito and cooked it until gust barley done and then added about 2 tbsp of tomato puree and a med sized can of corn kernels. Seasoned with adobo, kosher salt and cumin to taste.

For the braised chicken I sweated 2 onions and 4 cloves of garlic in a pot then added the rest of my can of tomato puree-about 3 cups and a bottle of corona I picked up for my little dinner party and just added a chickens worth of dark meat and let it simmer until the meat was falling off the bone. I grated some sharp cheddar and I had every thing I needed for some beautiful quesadillas. Oh I guess I did buy some already made tortillas. I don't think I have ever seen anyone make their own. Ever.

Guacamole is very easy. Take some ripe avocado. Dice it into a bowl squeeze some lime juice and then beat in some cumin, salt and pepper.

Salsa on the other hand takes a little bit more time. Dice some ripe roma tomato into a bowl then chop a bunch of cilantro and some garlic cloves and toss in the bowl with just enough salt to draw some liquid out of the tomato.

Since I have had my little dinner party I do feel better about how I'm making a living here in Seattle. I work in the environment I do to make money so that one day when the stars do aline correctly in the universe I will be able to cook what I want to, in my own restaurant for guests that love and appreciated what I do.

What's A Chef to do???

For so many people throughout the years cooking has been a great escape, an escape from life, responsibility and board um. Food has touched the lives of so many this is a fact. From the hungry immigrants that migrated over the Atlantic to Ellis Island to the children sitting at the adults table on thanksgiving. Food has been a magnet for bringing people together from the first greek senators to the pilgrims and native americans to the celebrated chefs eating after hours with Daniel Boulud.

Everyday I cook. I feed hundreds of people a day and thousand every year. However I am no longer satisfied. I believe this is true because I have lost a certain connection with the guest. I believe that when there is a connection with the person receiving a meal and the chef creating it for them there is something very special happening to the food. It is being checked once again for freshness, it is being carefully cut into perfect bite size pieces seasoned just right and cooked with extra love ( love usually means butter).

So what is a chef to do???