Thursday, November 26, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2009

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH, 2009
Wassup Family!
From our family at THE STYLE SHOPPE, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! We are busy catering and preparing a fabulous dinner party for 250 guests for one of our Jewish clients. Yeah, "koshruth cooking" has very special requirements and restrictions but we can handle it!
We cooked 25 Kosher Turkeys. The day began at 5:00 AM the turkeys had to be cleaned, marinaded and finally roasted. We used 16-20 pound turkeys so they cooked roughly three hours each. Once properly cooked and cooled, they had to be broken down into breasts, dark meat and scraps for the gravy and stuffing. The day came to a close at 7:30 PM. We hope you and your family are having as much fun as we are!
The final menu featured:
Pumpkin Bisque
Mesclun Field Greens with Cranberry Walnut Dressing
Roasted Turkey
Pecan Cranberry Stuffing
Giblet Gravy
Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Herb and Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Hot Water Cornbread Muffins
Deep Dish Apple Pie Souffle
Egg Nog Spiced Vanilla Ice Cream

Sunday, November 22, 2009

CHEFS CORNER


While surf'in the web, I came across this interesting piece produced by "THE FUTURE" a handsomely well produced website authored by a group of friends who self promote and offer their own unique and personal flavor on culture, lifestyle and media. I think the website is fabulous overall but I take issue with their lack of fact checking and research of the material they present. "Opinions" are not necessarily factually accurate and are subject to personal interpretation. What is not subject to personal interpretation or conjecture are technical facts and historical precedence. One plus one equals two no matter what one thinks personally.

As a professional classically trained chef, I was surprised they did not edit the piece for technical and historical accuracy. Esthetically it doesn't matter because the average subscriber most likely will not know right from wrong anyway, but for the culinary professionals who watch the piece, it is an insult from someone calling themselves a chef. Similar to a doctor diagnosing you with a common cold but treating you with a shot of penicillin in the rear.
Pastry Arts are a highly specialized skill set within Culinary Arts with it's own techniques and terminology. Chef Love references the butter and sugar to be beaten together and emulsified with the eggs. The order of the ingredients is correct but the process is not. Anytime butter, sugar and eggs are combined in this style it is known as "the creaming method." The creaming method is one of several ways that you can mix ingredients to make a cake or cookies. It is the most prevalent method used because the resulting cake will be light and tender. If in fact the butter, sugar and eggs are beaten, the results will be grainy and thick. Yes! Now you know why your last cake was so thick and heavy. Another golden rule of baking "always combine the dry ingredients" before adding the wet. The spot also failed to mention a critically important step. The oven must be preheated before placing the batter in the oven. If the oven is not properly heated, the leavening agents in the batter will not properly activate and the results will be flat. Eggs require steam to rise and agents such as baking soda or power require water and heat.

"Brulee" means burnt cream. The chef incorrectly referred to the method/ technique of burning sugar as Brulee. The technique is caramelization. When ones refers to brulee most often it describes the classic french dessert. Creme Brulee is a classic dish of smooth custard, with a CARAMELIZED SUGAR topping. I am looking over my notes taken in Pastry Arts 101 during Culinary school. The chef incorrectly states he brulees the bananas when in fact he is caramelizing the sugar topping. If the sugar is caramelized to the point it melts and forms a solid sheet on top of the bananas it may be called "bananas brulee."

To the novice these are minor insignificant points but one must remember there is always a part of the audience that knows the proper and correct style and technique. Television, movies and talk shows all use fact checkers to avoid these types of errors. Here is a fabulous simple pound cake recipe to enjoy this holiday season.

SIMPLE POUND CAKE RECIPE
Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Spray and line 2 8" cake pans.
BUTTER 1 1/4 lbs.
SUGAR 1 1/2 lbs.
LEMON RIND, grated 1 oz.
SALT 1/4 oz.
CAKE FLOUR 1 3/4 lbs.
BAKING POWDER 3/4 oz.
EGGS 2 lbs.
Cream together the butter, sugar, lemon rind and salt, set aside
Sift together the cake flour and baking powder
Alternately add the eggs and flour mixture to the bowl in thirds on low speed
Add half the batter to each of cake pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

LOVE AND ROMANCE

"JAMAICA ON THE DL"
Most of what you read and hear is so anti-gay when the subject of Jamaica comes up. I personally desire to see the country first hand but refuse to spend money where it would be used against me. Not with standing the fact there is a thriving gay community.
A subculture of "gay for pay" hustlers in Jamaica as in most communities around the globe. Further evidenced by the many personal ads from within Jamaica on sites such as Adam4Adam, Gaycrawler and Gaydar. Not to mention the theatrics on Rudejam. It amazes me how a few green backs can effect such a potent instant social change!

FROM THE STREETS

DALLAS TEXAS
The long anticipated relocation and grand opening of the new location "The Brick/Joe's " will open at 5:00 pm Friday night 11/13. Drop by this weekend for a sneak peak! They are also accepting applications for all positions. Inquire at the club.
Be sure to come back here and give us the details and inside scoop!



The Brick / Joe's Dallas
2525 Wycliff Ave., #120
Dallas, Texas 75219
214-521-3154
*****
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
During the past few years an alarming trend has been quietly stripping the black gay community. Fast and furiously black gay owned, operated or patronized bars and clubs are becoming a thing of the past. The promoters and owners are finding a number of obstacles to remaining in business. Poor judgement and behavior by patrons in local neighborhoods, high rents and changing zoning issues are but a few of the nails in many of these coffins.
The most recent bar to face closing is the well known landmark "Starlight Lounge". A fixture in the Bed-Sty/ Mid-wood neighborhood for decades. According to published reports the building that housed the Starlite was secretly and abruptly sold and the oldest Gay bar in Brooklyn, was given the boot, three months to vacate. No doubt this will mean increased business for the newer Caribbean hot spot "Langstons/ Moore's Bar and Lounge" that is located a few blocks away @1073 Atlantic Avenue just off the corner of Franklin & Atlantic Avenues.
*****
SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
Make room for the Mormons on the supporters list. This week Utah unanimously passed an anti discrimination ordinance, the first in Utah to ban employment and housing discrimination against individuals on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, the New York Times reports. I'm not sure how many of our brothers and sisters live in Utah but this has to be good news for the gay community at large.
*****
PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND
For nearly a century, gay black men have contributed to the state’s political, academic and cultural life.
“People always ask me, ‘Have things gotten better for you, the blacks?’ ” said author James Baldwin at a 1985 reading at the First Baptist Church in Providence. “I survived it. That’s the best I can say.”

A new exhibit at the John Hay Library examines the lives and accomplishments of more than 30 gay black men with Rhode Island connections, including the late Baldwin.
Curator Robb Dimmick tells the stories of these men — many of them local artists, actors, public servants and scholars — through letters, photographs, playbills and even State House laws, items he has collected over a 30-year span.Some, like House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, are openly gay. But many others prefer to remain in the background. Just before the Nov. 5 opening of Dimmick’s exhibit, “Black Lavender 2,” one participant withdrew his name.
“It is such a rich community and it is not connected at this point. Our hope is this presentation will spark a new discussion among gay black men.” Dimmick became interested in gay black literature in the mid-1980s, after he took a job as a book scout for Ray Rickman, the founder of Cornerstone Books, a rare and used bookstore in Providence. A year later Dimmick joined the store as a business partner. At Cornerstone, the two men — Rickman, then a black state representative, and Dimmick, the white star of a one-man show about Abraham Lincoln — specialized in black literature at a time when many stores did not have an African American section. “If they did,” said Dimmick, “it was in the back, on the floor, in a dark, dank corner. But we were right on the cutting edge.”

James Baldwin visited the store. So did poet Maya Angelou and Pulitzer Prize-winning civil rights historian Taylor Branch. A frequent customer was Henry Louis Gates Jr., the director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard and the author of the PBS series, “African American Lives.”
“I knew there were black gay writers, but where were their books? That became the start of my hunt,” said Dimmick, who started collecting newspaper clippings, obits, programs, fliers, posters and pamphlets — anything connected to black gay men — in the mid-1970s.
Often, such items are thrown away after an event, said Dimmick. Some of that material found its way into the first “Black Lavender” exhibit in 2005, which focused on black writers. But Dimmick wanted to do a second show that centered on Rhode Island.

At the Nov. 5 opening, Rhode Island College English Prof. Daniel M. Scott III talked about his oral history project. Gay black men in Rhode Island, he said, struggle to fit into two worlds: the small, church-centered African American community and the larger white world, a tight-knit Catholic community. For many, “it gets very complicated,” Scott said.The men in the “Black Lavender 2” exhibit are connected to the state in various ways. Some, like Baldwin, visited only once –– but sparked a round of soul searching. Others have studied at Brown University or the Rhode Island School of Design before embarking on careers elsewhere. Others in the exhibit include the painter Robert Dilworth, who chairs the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Art and Art History, Trinity Rep actor Joe Wilson Jr. and Michael Evora, executive director of the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. “The big surprise is that black gay men exist in the state and have flourished,” said Dimmick.

The exhibit, funded by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, is open weekdays through Jan. 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the John Hay Library in Providence.
By Paul Davis
Rhode Island Journal Staff Writer
*****
WASHINGTON STATE
The people of Washington State have spoken loud and clear as they approved a win for gay-rights in their state as voters in Maine rejected that state's same-sex marriage law, while in Michigan, voters in Kalamazoo overwhelmingly retained that city's anti-discrimination law protecting gays and lesbians.
Washington States Referendum 71 results were disappointing to religious conservatives, whose aggressive efforts to get the expanded partnership law thrown out had gained momentum in recent months. Passage of referendum 71 "For gay and lesbian Washingtonians and their families,is a major step forward in assuring that we're all treated equally under the law."
*****
DOMINICAN REPUBLICJean Luis Valdez Flores (Wey Jam), the confessed killer of the television producer Juan Miguel Breton Mieses (Miky), told the National Police that a disagreement in room 3 of the Princesa Motel, located on the 30 de Mayo Highway, was the reason for the fight that ended up in the killing. "These were immoral things, that we are asking the media to omit in order to preserve the moral of the Breton Mieses family", said Nelson Rosario, the spokesperson for the National Police, as he explained the circumstances of the killing.According to the accused, the discrepancies over not fulfilling some of Breton's requests, turned into the fight that left the victim badly wounded. While Miky was bleeding in the room, Jean Luis, fearful for what could happen if the producer survived, went to get the knife that he had in his backpack in the KIA Sportage SUV, license G-203287, and with which he stabbed Breton two times: In the stomach and in the neck. Valdez Flores, 20, took flight in Breton's vehicle. The prosecutor for the National District, Alejandro Moscoso Segarra, said that due to the nature of the crime, the accused would probably be sent to preventive prison for a year.
The simple version, Miky picked up trade- a well known dominican rapper - and they took the episode to a canbana (motel) where the accused rapper insists although he agreed to have concentual sex with Miky he later changed his mind when Mikey alledgedly wanted "to tap that booty." He than killed him and stole his jeep. The accused will most likely get no more than a year because it involved a hush hush crime that is not to be discussed or mentioned. This type of behavior and cover up is becoming increasingly frequent in DR.

LIFE STYLE AND CULTURE

Just the funniest and cutest thing!



I realize a gang of professional and college athletes have received some much deserved bad press regarding their homophobia recently but you have to "see them" at play. Hysterically funny and homoerotic.
As society on the whole becomes more familiar and tolerant of alternative lifestyles, the lines of what is acceptable behavior between the groups has gotten very blurry. Everyday I see young so called str8 men wearing more and more outlandish colors, prints and patterns. Don't lie you see them, the ones in the hot pink and fuchsia sneakers and blouses! What's with the pants saggin (n i g g a s) lower and lower every year. Certainly if you have your cheeks hanging all out hot and sexy, you are sending a message loud and clear, no matter to whom it is intended. The down low phenomenon is less and less on the DL as homies are smacking each others asses more openly, you know a lot of touchy feel stuff that most gay men refrain.
*******
"Not exactly Americas Next Top Model"
Speaking of breaking out of the "DL mode". An interesting new book "Follow the Model: Miss J's Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power" by J Alexander -of ANTM Fame - was released this week. In his first bio slash self help offering "Miss J" talks about his early years growing up in Bronx, NY and goes on to tell how a public casting call for a Jean Paul Gaultier runway show led him to take his first impeccably clad step on the catwalk and confirmed his conviction that he belonged in the world of high fashion!How he has influenced the careers of many of the most sought after models, actresses and actors alike.
It is a nice easy read tailored to a female audience but entertaining and recommended non the less.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

HEALTH, NUTRITION AND WELLNESS

Sometimes Easier Said IS easier done!
Recently the good life and living of a chef finally caught up to me front row and center in a dramatic visit to the doctor. In September I started to feel slight pains in my right leg and went to the emergency room. Initially the intern said it was muscle fatigue and with a few days rest all would be fine. Knowing my body better than him, I was not satisfied and requested to see the attending. The attending physician ordered a MRI that revealed I had a blood clot at the entry to my heart. After 2 weeks in the hospital on blood thinners and a harsh reality check I realized change was necessary. A diabetic with high cholesterol and triglycerides was not going to cut it if I wanted to continue to live for any significant length of time.
During my discharge the cardiologist reiterated the seriousness of the issue when he simply asked me “If I wanted to continue to live”. I was stunned and seriously shook up. He prescribed an extreme and merciless diet that would stimulate my metabolism and immediately put me on the road to a swift recovery.
The “Metabolic Syndrome Diet” is a transitional diet that restricts carbohydrates, especially those low in nutrients – such as sweetened beverages, snack foods and baked goods. The intensity of the restrictions is short term and expanded as my specific goals are achieved. Initially when I started on October 1st at 256 pounds I was not allowed any fruits, juice, soda, sweetened beverages or dairy products. No fried meats or fish. No high fat or processed protein foods. "I was a wreck" and went directly to my family doctor’s office, a sat down and cried like a baby. My imagination had gotten the best of me; I was focused on the end not the change. Until that very moment I had not accepted how severe my situation had become and certainly didn’t feel I could manage what seemed like a health fanatic’s rabbit food buffet. After the tears and the initial shock settled I spent a few hours with my doctor, nurse and dietitian who were superb. We addressed my fears and concerns. I am unmistakably a strong black man I love my pig feet, collard greens and macaroni & cheese. Why else would I have spent 60K and 4 years of my life studying and toiling to become a professional chef and food stylist? (1)This diet was not ethnically friendly! (2) I am and always have been a “big boy” I have a hearty appetite. (3) I am spoiled and set in my ways; I like what I like.
The bottom line, it wasn’t working for me and I needed to change or be evicted! Meredith, my dietitian, acknowledged the diet was not ethnically sensitive and together we found acceptable alternatives to better meet my preferences. Dr. Jones scolded “a big frame is different from a fat man”. I should give it a try before complaining about “being hungry”. Finally if my way was working we would not have been having the conversation. If I wanted to be here for future conversations I needed to make changes. I went home determined and willing to meet the challenge. The first thing I did was to enlist the help of my best friends and a neighbor. They took as much of the offenders in my cabinets and refrigerator as they wanted and I disposed of the rest. I went to the grocery store and started restocking with the diet as a guideline and shopping list.The diet requires me to eat five times a day, roughly every 4-5 hours, beginning with breakfast. “When doing it my way” I was only “eating” once a day but snacking generously and continuously between 11:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Breakfast was out of the question unless it was Grits, Buttery Pancakes or French Toast. This is the original version of the diet which is not very ethnically friendly and can be costly. It works well for me after some preferential adjustments.My adopted version of the diet substituted different nuts for the olives. No red meat period in favor of more fish and shrimp. Finally I created a salad dressing to be used on salads and in tuna instead of canola mayonnaise I use 1T of nonfat Greek Yogurt and 2tsp of stone ground or dijon style mustards. For breakfast I add cinnamon, splenda and vanilla extract to the Greek Style Yogut. I only use light colored salad greens and vegetables because dark leafy greens are prohibited while on blood thinners. I am only drinking Crystal Light and water. The diet has proven to be a huge success with my weight dropping from 256 to 235 in the first two weeks. My triglycerides dropped from 720 to 227. My posture and balance had improved tremendously as my overall energy has quadrupled.