March 20th, 2009 Chef
Would you ever think brown sugar, butter, sliced bananas would make a memory forever like a wedding or prom and even remembered like a birth of a child???…crazy huh!!!
Sometimes I think us Chefs forget the culinary power that we posses, or how we can install or make an imprint onto someones memory/ life forever, simple by hugging their taste buds.
Let me catch you all up to speed……about two months ago I had a wonderful young girl and her awesome Mom sit at the kitchen counter one night, I over heard that this girl was celebrating her 16Th birthday!! I over heard she loved Bananas Fosters for dessert..So I had one of my guys run down to the Hotel next door to go get some bananas…( if I ran…I would be still running…lol)
So there I was bananas in hand ready to go!!!!……….I was so excited to make her night and she told me she couldn’tstay, she had to hurry home and go and see some old BOYfriend………all I could in vision was my little baby girl Madison telling her daddy that she doesn’t need help on the slide anymore……or that day when the training wheels come off and she peddles away from me……I know it was just bananas but hell…I was excited!!!-*
So last night Sarah was BACK!!! I was given a heads up a couple days earlier that she was coming so ( I was ready to go bananas…get it????? that was really bad…I know) But I waited till the dessert course to go out and talk to her. Chef Danny earlier that day ran to the store and got a Balloon the size of the Good Year Blimp that said Happy Birthday on it. I walked over and wished Sarah Happy Birthday and told her I was there to make her Bananas Fosters. She had a smile ear to ear, you would of thought Publishing Clearing House just rang her door bell.
I love the fact that she will remember for the rest of her life that she was at the Blue Canyon for her 16th birthday with her Mom and I made her Bananas Fosters………now that rocks the mic!!
I made her the Bananas Foster,,had to do it twice…haven’t made that one since Culinary school…. the first one was ok, but the second one was spot on!!
Oh ya, we made a deal….every year on her birthday… we have a date here at the Blue Canyon. Sarah, Mom and me at the kitchen counter with some Banana’s Fosters and no BOYS allowed I told Sarah they can eat in the car.
Thanks Sarah for keep giving me reasons why I put on my Chef jacket everyday!!!!
Chef Brandt…
*** If you live in the River , You should make friends with the crocodile.”************
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March 7th, 2009 Chef
I decided to head on up to Kalispell while I was in Montana to do a “Around the World” wine dinner, and Boy was I glad I did… Todd Liphardt the Executive manger at the Blue Canyon has some of the best wine taste buds that I have worked with in my whole career….You can tell the Todd just doesn’t make wine list or just orders wines for the list…He LOVES wine. He is very passionate about a lot of things and wine has to be top of his list…( besides his gorgeous little newcomer to his family)
What I love about wine dinners is the challenge to create the pair….To take the wine and the food and develop that into whole new level for the guest taste buds. There is something very magical that happens when the Food and Wine “hits” ……
I worked in the Kitchen that night with Chef Matt, we would take turns on creating dishes for each round. We didn’t know who should start off the dinner so we flipped and coin….and Chef Matt started the dinner with killer Mussels cooked perfectly in a Tomato Fumet with Crispy Capers served with Crunchy fresh Olive Bread…I think I could of put this sauce in a glass and drank it all night long…..I will post the menu with all the foods and wines so I don’t have to type out all 7 courses.
But Chef Matt’s Tangerine, Ginger Glazed Pork Belly gave me the feeling after I ate. like I was Five years old and I just walked down stairs and noticed Santa stopped by the night before….I was all excited!!!! Boy knows how to cook!!!
Paula was the server and didn’t miss a beat. Its sooooo nice to work such a pro!!! She could write a book on serving the guest.
Whats so nice about visiting Kalispell is the staff. Its more then just employees. They really are like a family and have such a passion to serve and to be in the hospitality business. Its really a cool thing to watch them work and interact with the guest.
At the end of the meal-/night…I truly realized why I put on my chefs jacket and do what I do everyday…. It’s all about Great Food and Great People
Thanks Kalispell Blue Canyon for a very special dinner for me professional and personally.
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February 26th, 2009 Chef
Its been a great week so far in Missoula Montana, working with all the great people here at the Hilton and the Blue Canyon. We are gearing up for this little off premise catering party for 1100 people. Its going to take place over at the Missoula Airport. It’s always interesting when you take a chef out of his or hers sandbox or saftey zone. None of thier own ovens or walk in coolers….all I can say is the check list is cruical……….so check the check list and double check the person who is checking the checker of the check list.
I have to say I think I had the best cheese cake that I have EVER had in my life this week. Our Pastry Chef Gretchen sure nailed it!! topped with Huckleberry’s……….. COME GET SOME!!!!
Chef Larry & have a 7 course meal set this evening for some guest at the chefs table…..stay tuned for details and a follow up story on this……
Take care, Chef Brandt
“Gastronomy begins with technique. If you haven’t got technique you will never master Gastronomy.”
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February 20th, 2009 Chef
This morning I stopped by to see my Friends on Magic 105.7 Lanigan & Malone…Malone wasn’t there???? What’s up that!!!!!!!! I sure do get a rash of (…..) when I don’t show up…and Rachel made some killer Apple Tarts for him…(I am sure some intern had them for lunch)…Chuck and Lisa were also in the Studio (always great to see them!!). I was hoping to play some kind of trivia game against Chuck…so I could take back my belt!!! and tell him who’s house it is…but considering he has beat me the past three times..I just kept my mouth shut today.
Along with the Apple Tarts…I also brought some great #1 Yellow Fin Tuna Crudo in for Lanigon, who is a raw tuna fan.
I also ran into Joe from the Brain and Joe Show in the hallway….That guy rocks!! what more do I need to say..
I had to tape some new commercials after I was done with the show, but I don’t know what was more entertaining… the new commercials I did or the fight I witnessed from the Maxell Show….all I know is Chocolate Charlie was decked and bagels where flying in the air…..CLASSIC!
I have a great two weeks of PR in Cleveland….with all of this snow and grey skies…..it really doesn’t matter…..The great people that I haven’t seen in some time sure did make my days brighter, Ya’ gotta love North East Ohio!!!!
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February 19th, 2009 Chef
I am so excited to team up with Michele & my little buddy (aka Little Farmer Jessica Bline from the Other Side of the Fence Farms). They handed me about 8 seed catalogs and said “pick out what you want us to grow for you”….this is a dream come true for a Chef….They are all more then Organic. Michele and Jessica truly have a passion about what they do…When I met them last year at the Twinsburg Farmers’ Market they would bring me little goodies from the farm every week….like “Cutting Celery” a type of leaf that is sharp and has a potent flavor…works great with salads, sauces, relishes, and salsa’s without having the big chunks or pieces of celery in it.
Michele & Little Farmer are the same kind of people that I work with when I blend my Blue Canyon wine…they truly do it for the love. I am amazed how knowledgeable they are about soil and about farming…I can listen to them all day long.
Currently they are raising some Red Wattle Hogs for me, so we can have one Heck of Pig Roast here at the Canyon ( stay tuned, Katie Lady will tell you all about that)…..just thinking about the bacon and the pork chops is making my stomach grumble……
You will be seeing all of our vegetables and fun stuff that we are growing all through out our summer menus….So keep your eyes open and your taste buds ready!!!!!
An empty plate makes the person working the dish machine happy~~~!!!
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