I've also been inspired to get back on the wagon by Fabian's blog, which he is voraciously posting on, and doing some really interesting thinking and food-ing on. He also recently got put up for a blogger award on Beer and Butter Tarts, a site which generates traffic for both of us, so if you read this, go vote for him!
Whilst perusing my abandoned ambitions this morning, I came across one that I thought was a stellar idea, and have no idea why I abandoned it originally. For those of you surprised by the notion of keeping track of abandoned ambitions, don't be. Or do be, but know that I do it because(as now) some may have future validity, or(as sometimes) it's good to know what you wanted to do at a certain time. I must confess that I also make grandiose plans fairly often, so abandonment is often the only option available. But I digress.
The idea is simple. Interviews. It was what I bought the video camera for, and something I never really tucked into, to use the terminology of the subject at hand. It's a pity, because we met so many amazing people on the trip across, and I feel like it's totally something I would love to do not only for myself, but to personalize the concept of the chef/client relationship. Knowing who cooks your food is almost as important as knowing who grows it! Most victims of poisoning would even testify that it's more important. So I have made this ambition public, in hopes that it spurs me to complete it. Ideally I'll start small, interviewing local chefs, even more ideally in conjunction with either a meal or a stage at their restaurant. This could be a major step in the right direction. Not only will it give YOU(the reader) something to intellectually chew on, it'll help me understand their philosophy more completely, and get a better handle on the different perspectives people bring to food or cooking.
Why, you may ask, did I revisit this idea, brilliant though it may be? Most thoughts require a catalyst of some kind, and this one is no exception. I get to put two plugs in here. One is for Owen Lightly's blog "Butter on the Endive", which, though he posts rather seldom of late, is about as soulful and intimate as you can get. He currently lives in between farms in the hills near Whistler, where he works at Araxi. He loves Italian food, hosts amazing dinners once in a while, plays guitar, and is neighbors with goats. What else do you need to know? The reason I've thrown the man a proverbial "holla" is because he turned me onto this video. One of the more inspiring pieces of cinema I've seen.
Tartine Bread from 4SP Films on Vimeo.
Not only has this video inspired me to bake more of my own bread(more on that later) but it also made me swing through the breads at Domus, and scrounge together what little knowledge I had, plus a bit of help and some thoughts, and put together a happy rye bread recipe that we now use. Took a bit of adjusting, but I'm really happy with the way it's been coming out, and customer feedback has been good.
In case I hadn't announced that yet, I am now working at John Taylor's Domus, and it's a great time. Adjusting a bit to the winter, as produce is scant as it gets at the moment. We literally use parsnips, squash, potatoes, cabbage and a few select others to get us through the white madness that comes this time of year. With that little variety, technical difficulty gets ratcheted up, and you really start to see the varied ways in which things can be used. It's a nice change of pace from the summer, which I understand is basically an inundation of amazing produce from all corners of Canada. I'm excited for that as well, but winter seems a good time to work on my skills. The rest of the updates I have to give, I'll slot into tidy little individual posts for your reading pleasure. I'm likely easier to take in small doses, so please enjoy.
In the spirit of film, I'm going to leave you with a second video I was reminded of when I heard this song today. This is the cast and crew of Atelier plating their fabled Tomatrix dish, something like 30 elements on every plate, the the tune of Abba's "take a chance on me". While I'm on the subject, I've also decided to go eat there, soon. And I would turn you all on to their blog, as they seem to be one of the millions of folks much keener at blogging than myself. Plus, they have a sexy website. With that, I bid you Adieu. Hopefully the videos work! Enjoy.
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