Ideology and Passion vs Realism (part 2)

So right now go look in your fridge, what is in it?
.........Go look its OK ill wait..................

So is there a vinaigrette you made yourself or Kraft Dressing?

Is there cured sausage from a neighbour or yourself or is it Schneider's salami cold cut?

I think you get the point of where I am going. Let's look back at my conversation with my friend and colleague Frazer, we always talk on end about making things our self and from scratch. There is just a satisfaction of making something yourself a sense of pride. You tend to sit down to enjoy it more. Like what I made for St. Patrick's day an Irish Whiskey Soda Bread with Honey Jameson Butter....there was a sense of pride because it wasn't just from Dempster....and here is the kicker the quality was a lot better.

When I sit down to write a menu (sometimes it involves jumping out of bed in the middle of the night) usually with some wine and a few books I have all these crazy and fun ideas. Then I come back down to earth when I look back and look at how much it would cost.

Hows this sound:

Creamy White Truffle Risotto
with Seared Foie Gras and 50 year old balsamic

Orgasmic I know but just look at the high ticket items on that plate. Truffles, foie gras, a 50 year old balsamic not to mention its risotto, the most labour intensive dish during service. So price wise you would be paying an arm and a leg for that dish, but wow would it be great. When I create a dish now its about balance. I want people to enjoy a great dish for $20 as a main and $10 for a good sized app. So how can a cook keep costs down when his mind is going wild of making everything from scratch. Well in that dish alone we could use a bit of truffle oil or even paste instead of fresh truffles and use a balsamic glaze. Not as luxurious but still tastes damn good. What makes that a smart decision is if I start with well made blond veal stock use grade A foie gras I still have this amazing dish and have the quality where it really matters.

We try so hard to not let reality bring us down because there is always that glimmer of hope in customers that come back realize how good the food was and are willing to try anything. I have witnessed many a chef just stop caring. Some from a developed laziness, some are worn out and some just shut down because they have forgotten what its like to get back to the basics. To take that passion and actually make it feasible for your customers to understand and want your product. Too many chefs try and satisfy everyone I know I did and sometimes still do. In the end you just burn out and fade, you can not never will make everyone happy. When it comes to the big picture.....money beats passion. We can't do exactly what we want because that reality slaps us in the face......But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Slow Food