Make it Yummy!

We just finished menu planning for next week, so I felt like I was in the right mindset to share my thoughts on food.

Angela likes to point out that I have a “confusing” and “frustrating” palate :) On one hand, I love fine dining…we have been to Le Bernardin and the French Laundry among other Michelin starred restaurants since we started dating and coming from the hospitality world I fully appreciate the creativity, restraint and skill that those chefs put on display.  On the other hand, I eat canned soup for lunch most days of the week (in my defense, I usually take it up a notch by adding fresh ingredients) and I could eat pizza for dinner 2+ times a week.

I also love cooking and experimenting, but I’m a right brained guy. I am fully confident in my technique, understanding of flavor profiles and ability to manage my time during service, but the first time I cook a recipe I follow the instructions to the letter before I will start riffing on it and changing things. I like to master something before I start playing jazz.

When we first got here I was trying recipes that were a little out there; different but “yummy”. Ultimately most of those quickly got phased out because I felt it strayed too far from what the bed and breakfast experience should be, so I chose to focus on mastering all the greatest hits and then adding some kind of unique element to each.

My philosophy now is that we serve food that is familiar and yummy, but there also needs to be at least one element to every single plate that makes a guest say, “Wow I never thought of that!” or, “I’ve never had this before!”, or the white whale feedback of “This is the best X I’ve ever had!”.  That one elevated element could be preparation, ingredients, technique or plating, but it has to be there every morning somewhere.

An example of this is omelettes. I always liked that Wolfgang Puck’s first test of an up and coming chef is to make him an omelette.  Done right it’s delicious and simple, but needs restraint, technique and timing.  So I do mine with a rolled flip out of the pan at the end to add some presentation flair and I also cook our omelettes in duck fat for little extra savoriness and umami.  Allowing guests to choose their ingredients also helps add a little extra to the experience.

We also love cooking when dietary restrictions are involved.  A vegetarian shouldn’t just simply get a double portion of potatoes on the side; we should be planning in advance so each guest gets two sides that are tailored to their needs.

So that’s how we build our menus; it’s about planning, technique, textures, timing and taste. While we’re plating, the question I always ask myself and anyone who happens to be in the kitchen is,  “Would You Pay For This?” The answer should always be yes, because our guests are.  If it’s not then we’re not doing the best we can. Make it yummy!

<written by Chris>