Everybody Wants Some...

• I want some too! Everybody wants some..hey hey...how bout you!?! Going to a rock show fuels my energy and my passion for life. It reminds me of my youth, as reckless and crazy(and yes, stupid) as it it was. It was care free. Irresponsible and wild. Did what I wanted when I wanted. Didn't give a shit what others thought. A lot has changed but one thing always stays the same...the music in my head and in my deck keeps me fired up. You need to be a little crazy and amped to keep this up day to day. Being a chef isn't easy, especially on the family, social and responsible circuit. At any rate, I recently read a newspaper article about what chefs are listening to in their kitchens...well...while we don't have a ghetto box blaring tunes while we cook, as I want the cooks to maintain a keen eye, ear and focus on the craft and the work in front of them, I do endorse loud music elsewhere and all around me. I keep an itunes worth of library in my head...I keep it loud. From tallica', to godsmack...pearl jam to alice...halford to queensryche...maiden to crue...nirvana to soundgarden...you name it, i got it. Just recently rekindled some diamond dave and the van halen boys, after almost 30years...they still got it. Hearing eruption and many old favorites has me unchained again!

Girls, Girls, Girls...

desserts of the moment...
white chocolate, lemon verbena, espresso, gianduja, honey, earl grey

two milk robiola brulee, pine nuts, melted grapes, truffle honey,

lamb loin, polenta, lucques olives, hedgehog mushrooms, fennel sous vide

venison loin sous vide, foie gras, horseradish potatoes, peas, cardoons, walnuts, huckleberry

seared duck breast, kumquats, onion-apple ragout, cassis

seared scallop, short rib, baby artichoke, pea jus, olive oil powder

garlic & hazelnut crusted soft shell crab, green garbanzo beans, braised ramps, carrot creamed nettles
saba dressing

white asparagus, white asparagus gelato, smoked striped sea bass, heart of palm, micro chard
oranges, bergamot dressing

a crue to be reckoned with...our team of cuisiniers; rockin the knives and steels in the kitchen. Over the years I have seen our team run the gamut from all men, to a minimal mix to a healthy one to almost an all female posse. None better, none worse. Well, lets be honest. At times they are or are not. Currently, we have a cool crue. Hell bent on the wild side to create good food, fulfill their passion and push ahead to press onward in hopes of learning the craft in that 10 seconds to love. Sure, we have a few male peeps. Oddly though, we are at a juncture that we are about on the heavy side of the softer gender. In short...the dudes rock, they're solid. But the girls, they create a uniqueness that is unparalleled. They are awesome! Together in unity, harmony and commitment...we forge ahead to the dedication we uphold in which to be the best we can as we strive towards our pursuit of excellence. This post is a tribute to all of our brigade. Thank you all.

Interpretations and Inspirations...

pickled mackerel, white asparagus, gelato, wood sorrel

radishes, yuzu sabayon, citrus oil powder, steelhead roe

sauteed atlantic fluke, fava bean tapenade, peas, purple potatoes

ramps, lovage-walnut nage

hazelnut crusted soft shell crabs, arugula, herbed aioli,

citrus salad, black garlic, poultry jus

Isn't that what it is all about in the world of cuisine? Modern or classic? Contemporary or traditional? Regional or Fusion? What to do....either way you choose...choose to be your own. Commit to yourself and to your team. Dedicate yourself to excellence and the search for perfection. Ask yourself always...does it taste good? Did I season properly? Did I execute to the best of my most possible abilities? Did I push myself and most importantly; did I learn?

The Memory Remains...

These shots are all about my upbringing and the memories it conjures up in my mind. Times spent with my late mother. She loved sunsets, as do I. Moments with the family. Days with my late father. Priceless days, months, years with my two boys. Nights and days with friends. It is something that is a part of me and in my thoughts as I roam from day to day in search of nirvana and will always be with me. It is a glimpse in time and of the moment that brings me peace, harmony, clarity and hope. It inspires the soul and the senses with the memory of youth and the now. The food I was introduced to by my mother as we sat and ate fresh dungeness crab, spinach salads, wild salmon, flounder, perch, rock cod and rock fish, goeduck, clams, mussels, blackberry pies, and barbecuing on the beach. It is of the fun times with friends partying until until wee hours of the morning. Those were the simple times. Where did they go? My memoirs of food go way back and all because of my mothers love for it and for cooking from her heart. I am grateful for her inspiration to me for the chef and person it has helped me become.

Powerful, Pristine, Priceless...

this shot is only one of hundreds, hell... thousands of why I live where I do. I choose this. It is awe inspiring...majestic...perfect in nature and completely amazing. Enter Mount Rainier. What a completely awesome sight in which to help inspire about food and cooking.