Welcome to Kitchen Scratch!

This is a whole new world for me, I am not a writer but I am a experienced chef. We are in the middle of a world wide pandemic, us here in the states quite frankly never thought this kind of thing would happen to us. Well at least not in this day in age with all the medical advancements and I hate to say it, but many of us think this is what happens in other parts of the world. So we are all in uncharted waters, so I decided to test the water and do something different. Start this blog! It's scary putting yourself out there doing something your not familiar with. I hardly do the social media thing but I have spent many years in professional kitchens and my plans for opening my own have now faded a bit. I was on track with what seemed like definite plans, place picked out, negotiations under way, meetings with financial services, now complete uncertainty. I still have the dream, but it's on hold. Who knows how long this will last. Many peers that are restaurant owners are feeling it. Blessing for me and my fiance that we were not further along in the process? The restaurant and hospitality business as whole are amongst some of the hardest hit by all of this.

Many people in my local community know I was layed off for a lack of better terminology in January of this year. The restaurant that I opened and spent four years building up, was going to shut down for the winter and become a seasonal restaurant. When the restaurant was to reopen the owner was quite possibly taking it a different direction. So I decided instead of dwelling in the fact that I did'nt have a job anymore, I was going to give it another go at opening my own. Yes I tried before. The response from our local public and some other not so local came out in such support of me, I knew I could be sucessfull. People I had never met and had eaten a meal at the restaurant found a way of contacting me to tell me they would follow me wherever I wound up. Many told me that I should go out on my own. People told me how much they loved the food and for me that is what matters most. Food is so important to me I love eating it, cooking it, baking it, plating it, and sharing it. I love thinking about it and love looking at it and growing it! So yeah everything about it. I love to be creative and this right here may just be the way for me do it. This is dust myself off again moment.

Some tasty memories.

Buttermilk Fried Mushrooms with Buffalo Blue Cheese Aioli,

Braised Veal Cheeks with Whipped Purple Potatoes, Caramelized Pearl Onions

Roasted Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Tetilla Cheese

"Surf & Turf" Oyster and Beef Carpaccio with Whole Grain Mustard and Green Apple Migonette

Roasted Quail with Confit Oyster and Cinnamon Cap Mushroom and Brandy Cherry Glaze

Baby Butter Lettuce, Roasted Red Plums, Gorganzola, and Walnut Vinaigrette

These dishes are just a few that I actually took the time to take photos of.

This is also a shout out to all the other people affected by this shutdown the farmers, artisans, and growers!

Thank You !!!!!!!! Little Field Farms for the most amazing lettuce.

Little City Mushrooms

Kilcoyne Beef Farm

That was the why I decided to do this blog.

This is the what .

I have a lot of knowledge in my twenty plus years as a chef and I want to share it. What better time than when a everyone is cooking at home (but please if you are able support a local restaurant at least once a week) and some it may be new for. People are cooking and teaching their kids, sharing with people in need. I can offer some great recipes,techniques, sources, and ideas. I will be blogging about recipes weekly. I have a recipe section so take a look. Send me any ideas or questions you have. I am new to this so I will do my best to keep up and respond. I hope to build this into a trusted place people can come for all things food. I started a big garden this year, so tell me what to grow and make recipes from. What veggies do you struggle with making tasty?

Blue Lake Pole Beans. I can almost watch these grow. These were two inches shorter this morning.

Growing

As I Grow this Blog you will be able to find more and more recipes (I started with three just what I made the past few days at home). I would like to give tips and tricks so let me know what you need help with. I have a lot of ideas for quick meals, things to make when you have a lot of time and want to be a "chef", food for gifts (and cute packaging ideas), building a pantry that is going leave you in the ready, and how to make something tasty when you have almost nothing. Ketchup and pickles anyone? HA HA . I am getting acquainted with all the posh social media so give me a week or so to get up or running. I have Facebook page Kitchen Scratch so like and follow me and leave your comments. What do you want to see? To all my friends and local patrons what dishes are you wanting?