lmswartz

I can completely relate to your adventure: I, too, am a mid-life career changer who quit the corporate world and went to culinary school. I started at age 41, and found myself the same age as many of the instructors, and older than even some of my classmates' parents! I did thoroughly enjoy it, though...because it's something I was totally passionate about, and was able to clearly focus on. I, too, wanted to build a career in the industry, but couldn't see myself working the line after graduation (I absolutely loved the cooking, but my middle-aged back couldn't handle the endless hours of lifting, hunching, bending, etc). Not sure what to do, I decided to just relax and see where the path took me. It's a longish story, but I've ended up as a quasi-part-time GM for a medium-sized, very sucessful independent restaurant. The exec chef/owner who created the restaurant is one of my friends & classmates from culinary school. It's not at all what I imagined myself doing, but I LOVE it and can't imagine doing anything else. The best part is, I have my fingers in all parts of the business (and I still have all of my fingers!!) and the hours are such that that I get to see my husband & have a life. My advice to you as you go through this is to have a blast, soak up as much as you can, keep an open mind about what you might eventually end up doing, and cultivate relationships with those instructors/staff/classmates who you respect and enjoy. If this is something you truly love and enjoy and are fully committed to, you are certain to end up doing what's right for you.

Thanks to reviews and recommendations on this board, this average (food-obsessed) girl and her traveling companions enjoyed a lovely meal at La Ceraisie a couple of weeks ago. The food and friendly service couldn't have been better. We all had a champagne aperitif to start. I can't recall its name, but I know it had Armagnac in it, and it was terrific. I then started the meal with a wonderful cold cream of broccoli soup. The soup spoon, filled with a smoked salmon mixture topped with salmon roe, was placed in the middle of the bowl. The beautiful orange/peach colors of the salmon amidst the vibrant green of the soup made a striking presentation, and the combinations of flavors was delicious. For the main course, I enjoyed probably the best duck confit that I've ever tasted. The skin of the leg/thigh was perfectly crisp and delicate, and the meat was meltingly tender. The flavor was incredible. It was served over a hearty mixture of vegetables. My dessert was a slice of chocolate fondant tart: warm, creamy, and delicious (I adore dark chocolate but am usually not a fan of chocolate desserts, but this one won me over). The one and only negative thing about the meal was the heat in the dining room. I'm guessing that it's not air conditioned (or if it is, it wasn't in use that night), because we were all sweltering in there. The Paris heat wave had passed, and it was quite cool outside, so I don't think it was related to the weather. Of course, the restaurant is so small that when it's full, as it was that night, it's bound to get quite toasty. One thing I really liked about the restaurant is that it's totally non-smoking. It would have been very unpleasant if smoking were permitted in such a tiny space. On a related note, the night were were there, a crew from TV3 came in and filmed the place and interviewed the owners and guests about the fact that it's a non-smoking restaurant, which I'm sure is an anomoly in Paris. The next night, we went to Au Bon Acceuil, which I found to be quite a letdown after La Ceraisie. The food was good -- all the dishes were light and creative, but nothing was remarkable or blew our socks off -- but I found the ambiance and service below average. Every table in the restaurant except one was occupied by Americans, and unfortunately the tables on either side of us had the loudest and most obnoxious groups. The service was cold, too. Our servers acted annoyed when we requested things or asked questions about menu items. We all speak French well and are polite, so I don't think it was a language or attitude thing on our part. Also, the restaurant did a couple of things that are my pet peeves: they never brought out all of our dishes for a course at the same time (it took about 5 minutes between the first and last person in our party of 5 to get their dishes for each course, which feels like an eternity when the first person is watching their stuff go cold while they wait for everyone else to be served), and, because we ordered the menu and not a la carte, we were made to order our desserts when we placed the order for the first 2 courses. We asked if we could please wait to request our desserts until after the main course, but our server flatly refused. Thanks to everyone here for their input on these and many other Parisian dining spots! P.S., I agree with Bux's comment about finding it hard to be blown away by food in Paris. We also spent a week in the Luberon on this trip, and found the food at even the more modest places there far better than anything we had in Paris, except for La Ceraisie.

A couple of weeks ago I had some very ripe plantains, so I looked in my Cuban cookbooks and found a couple of similar recipes for the following dish. It turned out great! "Plantanos a la Tentacion" (baked sweet plantains - not a dessert, but a side dish for spicy or intensely-flavored Cuban/Creole entrees) 4 medium very ripe plantains (skins should be almost totally black), peeled 1/2 cup dry white wine or light rum 1/4 cup dry sherry 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped into pieces salt to taste cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the plantains in an ovenproof casserole, pour the wine, sherry, and sugar over them, scatter the butter over them, and sprinkle with salt and spices. 2. Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes. Uncover, turn the plantains over, baste, and bake uncovered until golden brown on top, another 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

I couldn't agree more. We've gotten to know the owners over the years (dad is the chef, mom runs the dining room, both adult kids work in the front of house), and we're treated like members of their family whenver we're there. These days it's more of a hassle for us to get to the restaurant, and so we don't go as often as we'd like, but the consistently good food and warm, welcoming atmosphere always draw us back.

Oddly enough, I'm not a huge paella fan, and hubby doesn't eat shellfish, so we rarely have paella there, even thought that's what just about every other table always seems to order! I have tried and do like their Paella Valenciana, but primarly what we go there for, and what we really love, are their tapas and other entrees. Favorite tapas include the empanadillas (perfectly crispy dough and delicious filling), the espinacas (great combination of flavors), and whatever the daily specials are. A couple of tapa specials that we always order when offered are the crabcakes and the piquillo peppers stuffed with lamb. Both are divine. Our favorite entrees are the solomillo (pork tenderloin in a great sherry sauce) and the perfectly prepared chuletillas (lamb chops). The rabbit stew is very good, too. Entree portions are very generous. Favorite desserts are the arroz con leche and the panqueque de dulce de leche. The only beverage we ever order there is the sangria. It's very good. Actually, we do order cortados (espresso w/a touch of milk) after dinner, and they are very well made, too. The only things that I've tried and haven't been thrilled about are a couple of the tapas: croquettes (insides were a little too mushy and bland for me, but then again I'm used to a Cuban version that is different) and manchego flambee (the alcohol seemed to overpower the cheese). I also found the chicken and steak entrees to be a little boring, but my nephews, who are reluctant to try unfamiliar or exotic things, loved them.

I had Paella at a Spanish restaurant on Lombard Street a few blocks south of Van Ness. If you turn left from Van Ness onto Lombard it's on the right side of the street. The place is owned by a very charming Spanish lady. It was ean enjoyable meal. I cannot remember what it was called, but it shouldn't be that hard to find. ← The restaurant is Alegrias. We've been going there for years and love it.

The shwarma at The Mediterranean, a small middle eastern cafe in the Park & Shop shopping center in Concord, is terrific.

Heat 2 ounces of Grand Marnier, then stir in a teaspoon or so of honey and some fresh squeezed lemon juice. Besides being delicious, it's a great cough suppressant and is easier on the throat than the whiskey/bourbon-honey-lemon concoction.

I, too, puree an entire can of chipotles in adobo, then keep it in the fridge in a well-sealed container. I was using some at Thanksgiving for making chipotle sweet potato soup (yummy Ming Tsai recipe), and noticed that the date on the container (I put dates on everything going into the fridge) was sometime in 2002! This stuff does last forever (which is good, since a little goes a long way), and it stays totally fine -- no mold, no change in flavor, nothing. I'm guessing that whatever gives these peppers their heat must act as some kind of preservative, too. I love adding it to chili and scrambled eggs or frittatas. A pinch mixed into a batch of fresh guacamole is great, too.

I had an outstanding meal at Cafe Beaujolais in July. I hadn't been there in a couple of years, and found it to be even better than it had been in the past. Everything was spot on: food, service, and timing. I don't think it's appropriate for children. We stayed at the Little River Inn on that trip. I agree with Russ' comments on breakfasts there: awesome! The one dinner we had there was very ordinary (not bad, not great, just kind of average and boring). It was rather expensive, too, but a fair value given the large portions that were served. Still, it's not a place I would recommend for dinner if you value quality and creativity over quantity. We had some really great nachos, and good drinks, at the bar on another night, though. The crispy homemade tortilla chips were delicious. The Inn and its dining facilities are very child-friendly. We, too, liked Mendo Bistro in Ft. Bragg. The location and ambiance is a little funky, but the food is really good and well-prepared. It's fairly casual, and seems like it would be child-friendly. We've stayed at the Albion River Inn in the past, and tried the dining room once for dinner. The meal was excellent, and the views were great, but the one thing I remember over everything else was how tightly crammed the tables were. They obviously tried to maximize the number of ocean views, especially from tables against the windows, but unfortunately it was at the expense of guest privacy, personal space, and comfort. Even though I really enjoyed the food, I wouldn't return for dinner unless they've improved the seating arrangements. I don't think it would be very child-friendly for dinner, either -- when we stayed there, both the Inn and dining room seemed to cater mostly to couples and groups of adults, many of whom were celebrating romantic things like weddings, anniversaries, etc.

The last three full meals eaten out: - Boulevard (SF) - Alberto's Cantina (tasty family-run Mexican place in downtown Pleasanton) - Alegria's (my favorite for classic Spanish cuisine, SF)

My sentiments exactly. We don't answer the phone or the door during meals, period. (No TV or radio during meals, either.) We let calls go to voicemail and pick up messages after we eat. We don't have caller ID or a separate answering machine, so we aren't tempted to see who's calling and decide whether or not to answer. My cell phone stays off when I'm at home; my husband's is on only when he's on call. The only exceptions we make are if we are expecting a call or visit at a particular time. Not once have we missed a call or visit that could not wait until after we were done eating. I, too, was raised in a household where we allowed every phone call and doorbell to interrupt anything. It took me a long time to resist the urge to jump any time the phone or doorbell rings. However, once I started ignoring the interruptions, I found I REALLY liked not having to stop whatever I was doing just because according to someone else's schedule, it was time to talk or visit. How freeing!

you find a dead roach under the rice you've just eaten. *sigh* another true story

Hated as a child but now love: asparagus, fresh tomatoes, most fish, and wine Loved as a child but now hate: fast food (but occasionally I still get a hankering for McD's or In-n-Out fries) and sodas Hated as a child and still can't stand: coconut and caviar.

Must be Total yogurt day! Just finished a container of Total yogurt mixed with the Greek honey that comes with it.