Lots of Basil means - Pesto Time

Old School Pesto (dairy free)

With the basil harvest in full swing here at the house it was time to use that tasty goodness.

1 cup               Almonds, raw

½ cup               Garlic cloves

8 cups              Basil leaves, loose packed

1 T                   Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

2 t                    Black Pepper, ground

1 T                   Vinegar, white or rice

1 cup               Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1.     Place the almonds, garlic in a food processor bowl and pulse to rough chop.

2.     Add the basil leaves, salt, pepper, and vinegar to the processor, again pulse to start to chop the basil leaves, about 2 minutes of pulsing.

3.     Start to add the olive oil slowly while pulsing the machine so as not to over heat the pesto.

4.     Once you have incorporated all the oil, pulse one last time to make sure the pesto is completely blended.

5.     Taste and adjust seasoning.

6.     Place in a sealable container with a lid and store refrigerated for up to one month or place in freezer plastic bag in a single layer flat pack and freeze.

Passion for food…. always wanting it to deliver the best

Cook with love the food taste better

The other day I had someone ask me when did I know I wanted to be a chef? Well it was a long time ago when I was 3 years old; I stood next to my grandmother and watched her cook sausage gravy. She explained to me how to cook the sausage properly in an iron skillet and why she followed the steps to make it. She was not a professional cook but someone that had a love for feeding here family great tasting food to nourish their minds and souls. I watched as she browned the sausage and the little crumble bits came off in the pan, all in that warm fat. She removed the cooked sausage patties, adds some flour and then made a paste of goodness; to this she added some whole milk. This is when I got the job of stirring the pan until the milk and flour paste magically became gravy. She then crumbled up some of the sausage into the pan, then she tasted it to make sure it was just right.  I got to taste it too as she told me about how it needed to be just right, not too thick or too thin, not too salty but maybe a little peppery. She was teaching me that to cook food for anyone you have to “feel” how it will taste to people. It is a lesson that I will never forget – you could feel the love and care in the food she cooked every time, she was breathing passion into her food. I always remember this as the earliest memory of food, especially when I spent the rest of that summer playing “cook” with my own little pots and pans at my grandmother’s house.  You see passion for food extends to the serving of food with warm hospitality and a desire to exceed the expectations of your guest.  Do you realize you have the ability to be passionate about the food you serve your guest each and everyday? Do you know they can taste the love in the food you are serving, but how can you make sure that passion is coming through? It is easy; taste it, make sure it is properly prepared, seasoned correctly and served at the right temperature every single time, every single guest.  Passion for food and creating a culture of food starts with every single member in a restaurant delivering a consistently high quality experience that is a craveable celebration of dining, not simply a plate of food. So take some time to really taste and understand everything on the menu and make sure you make every single item to spec, you will become passionate too.