Thought I'd just post a few pics of the restaurant for anyone interested!!
We do put a lot of cool stuff out of a closet-sized kitchen.

Ladies And Gentlemen, I Give You....Cream Of Celery!

The other day I was cleaning out my fridge, and was left with just a few things, one of those being a couple of stalks of celery.

Not being one to waste food, I wondered what in the hell I'm going to do with all of that celery. Oh sure, I'd use some of it for mirepoix when I make rice, or maybe some other one-pot dish, but...wait...hold on here! Would I be jumping head-first into the dinosaur age if I did it?

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, straight from the archives of the 1950's culinary classics, I give you Cream Of Celery Soup!! I did however incorporate some nice roasted garlic cloves to give it a little bit of a punch along with some bell pepper. Next time we'll try it with roasted ginger. I do have to tell you, it turned out really nice, and with a garnish of some fresh cut chives, and even a little creme fraiche, it's still a simple classic, but elegant all the same.

I know. I really know-------Cream of celery soup???? Yes, it sounds boring, but like any other soup, just make it with a little love and a lot of passion, and you'll like the results!

Vegetable Oil 2 Tbs

Garlic Cloves 8 to 10

Yellow Onions, diced 1/2 cup

Celery, diced 1/2 stalk (five to six ribs)

Green Bell Pepper, (or small Pablano) diced 1

Thyme 1/2 tsp

Butter 2 Tbs

Flour 2 Tbs

Chicken or Vegetable stock 2 cups

Whole Milk 2 cups

Old Bay Seasoning 1/8 tsp

Worcestershire 2 tsp

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic cloves, and gently cook until they are browned all over. Increase heat to medium-high, and add onions, celery, and pepper and cook until softened, about three to four minutes. Add the butter and thyme, and stir well. When butter is melted, reduce heat to low, and stir in the flour, making sure to work out any lumps.

Cook for about seven minutes or so stirring often, then increase heat to medium high and add the stock. Bring to a simmer, and let cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add milk, Old Bay and Worcestershire, and let simmer for about five more minutes.

Remove soup from heat, and puree in a blender until smooth. If you have a hand held immersion blender, this would be the time to use it (one of my all-time favorite kitchen gadgets).

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

A Sorry Excuse For A Chef, And A Bad Example To Aspiring Ones

The restaurant industry is certainly not an easy career choice, especially that of the Chef. The hours are very long, the work environment is hot, often cramped, and the constant bending and lifting certainly doesn't do positive things for your body.

All of these things being said, it's not hard to see why some Chefs may not have shall we say, the most warmhearted and chummy attitude. I think that it is something that often is overlooked by managers, owners and even customers because maybe the chef in question is such a damn good cook with a ridiculously creative menu. And I suppose that's o.k. But one thing all Chefs and cooks alike should remember is that no matter how annoying a customer may be, no matter how "needy" or hard-to-please they are, it is the customer, The Guest that pays the bills.

I recently read an article about a chef in Silver Spring Maryland, and what I read made me sick to my stomach. Apparently this "chef/owner" has such a chip on her shoulder that her and her staff made several Utube videos making fun of customers. The chef said in a later interview that they meant no harm, and were just passing time during the slow parts of the evening. Are you f*&#@k%ng kidding me????

As I read further, I discovered that this woman who calls herself a "chef" apparently enjoys making sure that everyone around her knows all of the hardships she has to face as a chef/owner of a "diner-esque" restaurant serving fried chicken and hushpuppies. She claims that her poor attitude is nothing personal, but just a "reflection of a overworked chef who must concentrate on ticket orders and not customer relations." Many of her customers have complained (or at least commented) on the fact that "Ms. Chef" doesn't interact with them in her restaurant(s). And her response to this was that the customer's gripes may be racially motivated (our "chef" in question is in fact African American). OH MY GOD!!!!! You see, she has an open kitchen in full view of the diners.

Let me tell you something: It does not matter if you are black, white, pink, purple, American, Hispanic or Martian! Your customers---your guests are the lifeblood of your business. No matter what, they should be treated with the utmost respect. If you are annoyed by some of them, then bitch about it to someone in your walk-in cooler. Don't post a silly Utube video. If you as the owner of your restaurant don't want to interact with your guests, then don't have an open kitchen!

If I walked in the kitchen at my restaurant and the Chef and his staff had enough time on their hands to be making videos, they would be fired!

Ms. Clark, is in a position she should be proud to be in. She is living the American Dream! And yet in an age where the status of the Chef has been elevated to super stardom, she disgracing us all.


In a time and economy in which restaurants are dropping like grains of sand in an hourglass, Ms. Clark needs to get the chip off of her shoulder, and be thankful she HAS customers.

Here is the link to the article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020103865.html

Back In The Saddle With A Different View

This time of year at the restaurant, it's like playtime for me, because I get to spend a lot of time back in the kitchen. Like any business, our hourly staff gets some more time off, and us "salaried" types save the business a little money.

After having been the Chef for South Beach Grill for almost seven years it's not that I miss being in the kitchen. Oh sure, there are certain aspects of it that I will always miss a little bit, like expediting food orders on a busy Saturday night in the summer, much like a conductor leads an orchestra. Or the satisfaction of meticulously plating dozens of Grouper Linda's and Flounder Francaise dishes exactly the same and watching them go out to the tables knowing the guest is going to be blown away.

But what I love the most about my job as General Manager, is that I get a really good grip on every aspect of the food. As a Chef, it's easy to get "tunnel vision" when it comes to your food. You see your dishes in their preparation stage, through production, and final plating. But once that food goes up into the "window," you tend to forget about it because you have to move on to the next dish so quickly.

As GM, I also get to see those same dishes go to the tables, and I'm also able to get first-hand feed back from the customer on their experience. I think it's a unique privilege to be able to see all sides of things. What it really does is allow me to give valuable information to the Chef and kitchen staff when it comes to dishes working or not working. Even plate presentation is affected. In the kitchen, the lighting is very bright, and there is virtually no glare from the plates or food whatsoever. But when a plate hits the table, it's placed under a dim light, often next to a candle that can cause a slight glare off of a bright white plate. After all, no matter what food trends come and go, presentation goes a long way.

But I think the coolest thing about my job is that because I was in the kitchen for so long, I have the ability to answer most of the questions our guests have about the food, and I'm able to make suggestions for them.

I guess maybe I'm bragging or gloating a little bit here, but what I'm really trying to say is that I'm extremely lucky, and thankful for the job I have. I love every aspect of the restaurant business, and I'm fortunate enough to be elbow deep in all of it! I wouldn't trade my job for any other. I get to run a restaurant, and have my hands in both the front and back of the house. I get to throw my two cents into menu development, and my boss lets me have total control of the wine and beer lists.

But before I finish rambling on, I need to say that I couldn't have as much fun at my job, and be able to do it well if I didn't have the best staff that any restaurant manager could wish to have. The people who work for me and South Beach Grill show every day that they are there for so much more than themselves. They truely work to make the restaurant great. So my hat goes off to my staff, and I say thank you to all of them.

Trending Simple For 2011

Well, it's been quite some time since my last post, but with good reason. Along with my wife, I've been extremely busy. You see, on December 8, at 2:30 a.m. we were blessed with the arrival of our little girl, Grace Helen Kronenwetter. So much like with our son, Max just shy of two years ago, our lives have been turned upside down a bit. Her arrival was a nice way to end 2010.

And so what will the new year bring us in the world of food? As a restaurant manager, I have been watching what trusted sources and industry "in-the-knows" have been predicting, and they're all pretty close together.

Among the most talked about trends are home canning and pickling, sustainability, and impact on the environment, and the continued rise of ethnic foods.

But my favorite trend that seemingly all analysts are talking about is something that I preach day in and day out: SIMPLICITY.

In an economy that is about as uncertain as it has ever been, diners are still reluctant to move away from the unfamiliar. I think the most successful restaurants of this year and even for a few years to come will be the ones serving straight-forward, no frills, no "look how freaking creative our chef is" food. Just take a look for example at a couple of the food magazines out there like bon appetit and Food and Wine. Only a couple of years ago you could pick any issue, and the picture on the cover would be something like squid ink pasta with steamed cockles, or some unrecognisable meat or poultry carefully made up to look more like a museum piece than something you would eat.

Look at recent issues by these same magazines, and you will see things like beautiful roasted chickens, and simply grilled thick pieces of fish.

That's not to say that chefs shouldn't be creative. After all, it's the creative passion for food that I hope we all got into this business for anyway. But I think that what is going to set chefs and restaurants apart in the upcoming year is not necessarily what innovative and new products they bring in their back door, but how creative they can be with the "common" foods diners are used to and more importantly how well they are prepared.

With all of that in mind, I'm excited to be presenting my next cooking class at "The Seasoned Gourmet" which will feature simple French Bistro fare. The evening's menu will include:

French Vegetable Soup

Mussels Sauteed In Wine, Garlic And Fresh Herbs

Curly Endive Salad With Champagne Vinaigrette

Pan Roasted Pork Medallions With Tarragon Mustard Sauce

Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse

Sounds good, doesn't it. Once again, the focus will be how easy it can be to take simple preparations and making them into an elegant meal. Hope to see you there.

For more information go to: www.theseasonedgourmet.com

Early Valentines Day!

So us "restaurant" types are always thinking ahead...WAY ahead. We have to. In order to stay up with not only competition, but also to anticipate things to come, we try to look as far into the culinary telescope that we can.

That being said, I'm looking not just to the next big holiday---New Year's Eve, but beyond that to Valentine's Day as well.


The other day I was flipping through some old Gourmet magazines looking for inspiration, and just passing the time, when I ran across a delicious looking recipe for a chocolate tart. I will tell you that I can do a lot of things in the kitchen, but will admit completely that baking is not my strong suit. Never has been. Well anyway, after I made this thing (with just a couple of my own alterations-----sorry, couldn't resist) it was so good I wanted to share the recipe with everyone. It's so rich and decadent, I think it would make a perfect Valentine's Day dessert.

Anyway, here you go:

Chocolate Almond Raspberry Tart (recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine)

Crust:

1 1/4 cups finely ground chocolate graham crackers
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
6 ounces almond paste, crumbled
3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons brewed coffee
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (don't exceed 61% cacao) chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pint fresh raspberries
2 Tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup Cabernet wine
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted


Preheat oven to 350F. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. Stir until crumbs are evenly coated and beginning to stick together. Press crumb mixture in thin even layer onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan. Bake crust until set and beginning to crisp, about 15 minutes. Cool crust completely.


Combine almond paste, peanut butter and coffee in a small bowl, and stir until it's become a smooth paste. Spread evenly over crust. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl, and bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate, and stir to melt completely (did you know you just made a ganache?). Pour the mixture over the almond-peanut butter layer. Chill tart until chocolate is cold and let, at least 4 hours, and up to 1 day.


When tart is cooled and set. Slice raspberries in half lengthwise, and arrange around the tart. Stir jam and wine in a small pan over low heat until blended and heated through. Brush glaze over berries. Sprinkle almonds around the edge of the tart. Chill uncovered.


Using a small sharp knife, loosen crust from pan sides. Release the springform pan, cut into wedges and serve cold.

Don't forget, "Fresh Fish And Fried Pickles" makes a great holiday gift for the home cook in your family! Go to www.fishnpickles.com and order your signed copy!

Holiday Scone Recipe

Thought I'd just throw you a good simple recipe for some holiday scones. When this time of year comes around, those of us who don't drink liquor somehow end up with a couple of half-full bottles of this or that lying around. After all, so many of those holiday cakes and other treats are just a bit better with a little nip of brandy, rum, or flavored liquor.


Last month for a cooking class, I needed to purchase some amaretto, so I've had this bottle sitting on my shelf. Well yesterday, I kind of ate all of the doughnuts I bought for my very pregnant wife. Not a wise thing to do considering all of the raging hormones going on.

To get myself a bit out of the doghouse so-to-speak, I wanted to make her something for breakfast other than the usual eggs, pancakes, etc. Scones are really easy, and the amaretto added a really nice touch. A great tip if you're only wanting a half dozen or so is to simply ball up half of the dough, wrap in plastic and refrigerate. It will keep for two to three days in the fridge, or up to two weeks in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 425F.


Whisk together in a large bowl:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Drop in 6 Tablespoons of cold butter cut into pieces.

Cut the butter with a fork or pastry blender, and work into the flour mixture until the whole mix resembles bread crumbs, and the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Don't let the butter melt.

Stir in 3/4 cup of raisins or dried cranberries.

Whisk together in a small bowl, then add to the flour mixture:

1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup amaretto
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Using a rubber spatula or spoon, mix the dough until it starts to come together, then using your hands, form into a ball in the bowl, being sure to get all of the mix encorporated.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and pat the dough into a 8 inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into wedges, and place on a baking sheet keeping them about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes just until the tops are brown.