SNOW

Wow it just keeps coming

Lots of Baking, still no decorations

Im struggling with the Holiday season this year, usually by now the restaurant is decorated it what can only be described as a Holiday Bash in Liberace's Dressing Room, I usually spend 15 hours every thanksgiving putting on the Glam, this year so far it's fresh pine in the flower boxes out front with a little red velvet bow nailed to each box.

I guess I can atribute it to the last couple of years while I was i a hiatus from Boston, and the restaurant.  Dont get me worng I counldnt possibly be any happier now that after a 3 year hiatus, its been 7 months since i re-opened and my life is just about as perfect as i could wish it to be, yes there are tons of ups and downs, But we're back and better than ever.

In avoiding my destiny of decorating i hit the Kitchen and whipped up an AMAZING Buttermilk Pecan Pie, then bored while it was baking for an hour I whipped up some deep fried raspberry pies, and I have to admit, WOW.

Ok so I will share my ultra secret pie crust recipe handed down to me from my dear sweet grandmother Lady Laura Marie

In a food Processor  ( i know I cheat, I just never could use two simple butter knives like she could)

1 1/4 cup A P Flour

1/2 Lard ( i prefer the fresh stuff, with no additives avaiable at specialty grocery stores

3 Tbsp Chilled Butter

3 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Kosher salt

Pulse until well combined and it begins to look like corn meal

then slowly add 1/4 cup Ice water and pulse till it starts to form a ball

carefully remove from bowl and work into a ball, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hr before use

 

I know your thinking LARD ?  but let me tell you in will give you the flakiest crust you have ever had in your life.  I use this for all my specialty pies

Tommorrow I will share my Fried Fruit Pie Recipe

 

happy eating

posted by: Geoffreys at 02:27 | link | comments |

Giving Thanks to Being Back

I must apologize for my Blog absence, Blame it on Verizon, I must report that since my last blog, I have moved into my new Home, that I love, its 3 very close blocks to my restaurant, I am so settled in that i was even able to entertain for Thanksgiving 3 days after moving in.  Now about Verizon, I hope that in my lifetime I would never allow my company to grow the size of this White Elephant known as Verizon. A company so large that is is clueless of what its doing.  I placed a moved order 7 days prior to my offical move, transferring my Phone  & DSL, talked to a very nice women in Vermont that placed the move order, efficiently enough recieved emails confirming the move order the very next day, the rest  lets say the least is a comical show of  contiuos mistakes, it took 7 days longer than quoted just to turn the phoe line on and now after 15 days I have internet, but if you read my emails from verizon, almost a dozen they first inform me the service is on, then another follows with, there is a problem, then a were working on the problem, then one welcoming me to dial up service, that one was the funiest, I havent had dial up since 1996, then I started to call, HMMMM riddle me this?? how is it cheaper to talk to DSL service reps in Maylasia and India that while very polite the entire conversation is from scripts, I spent countless hours on hold and being transferred from country to country with the dialect and ability to understand what I was being told diminished with every minute, finally disgusted I hung up and tried to call someone local, the Jen a ray of sunlight called me from minnesota to tell me that her team was assigned the problem and that I would have DSL by the end of the week.  This morning when i went to the restaurant to check my online mail. I recieved 3 emails all detailing a new order fro DSL and that I would be recieving my welcome package and router via UPS by December 3rd.  Interesting, now I am a new customer HMMMM, then I walk the dogs back home and when i walk in I hear my computer bling that new updates are available  ( MY HP loves to be updated hourly from mother HP )   I thought to myself "wow did it take 5 days to walk home? because VOILA  i have wireless internet now working at home, and just in case i hadnt noticed, Jen from Minnesota called an hour later to say she had me up and running.  She was surprised about the other emails detailing a projected December 3rd date. HMMMM so the moral of the story is Bigger is not always Better and cmon guys & Gals , Hire hear at home first and watch your business really take off

 

I promise to return to my daily blogs with recipes tommorrow

posted by: Geoffreys at 16:40 | link | comments (1) |

HOLIDAY CHALLENGE # 1

If the chill in the air, and sunset by 4:40 wasnt enough of a slap of reality that our beloved summer is gone, recieving our christmas MP3 from Muzak yesturday was the final straw, WOW have the holidays have changed, now the compilations have more non-religous, non spiritual music, I have to wonder WHY,

Dont get me wrong, in 17yrs we have never played holiday music, I always felt that the holidays are so stressfull for the common folk, the resposibility of holiday shopping, parties, family events it leaves one overloaded so I always felt that if you came to out, that I wanted to offer a break from jingle bells and roasting chestnuts swirling in the air.  I have had many partons over the years tell me how relaxing it was to dine without being reminded that there are loads of cards to adress and gifts to wrap.

SO here is the Challenge, this year instead of loads of needless gifts to everyone, make them a plate of cookies and attach a card that reads a donation has been made in your name to the Boston Food Bank, or to the Marines Toys for Tots.  limit family gifts to a preactical gift and a savings bond, What better way to teach those you love how to be more finacially responsible by giving them a U S Savings Bond,

Ask yourself how much did you spend last year on gift cards and gifts? Why not just celebrate the Holiday with a feast of friends and Family, and spend the day getting to know your fellow citizen better.

There are so many people, rich and poor that wake up to nothing on christmas day, orphans with no family to celebrate with, and I can atest that its painful to attend another families festivities, watching them open loads of gifts, it just pounds in the fact that deep down inside you dont have a family,

Lets make this season the season of truely giving,

Only give a gift that you made, no purchased gifts, it will give you a true sense of a gift from the heart.

Zed Phoenix's Homemade Caramel

4 C White Karo Syrup

4 C Heavy Cream

2 14oz Can Sweetend Condensed Milk

8 C Sugar

2 C Butter

1 tsp Salt

put in heavy saucepan, bring to boil reduce heat to medium the keep stirring till 233 F

or until amber color is acheived, then immediately remove from heat and add

1 tbsp Vanilla

mix well and pour into buttered pan let cool over night

Then turn our onto a cutting board and cut into 1" squares, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper

they look great in gift bags with a festive ribbon,

who do you know that doesnt like Caramels

 

happy eating

p.s. Zed Phoenix is my west coast name   lol

posted by: Geoffreys at 15:48 | link | comments (1) |

Pillars of Strength

Its funny how you meet people in your life, some aquaintences, some friends, and then there are the ones that deep in your mind they represent pillars of strength.  I have met many in all categories, but have to deticate this blog to a certain pillar that I work with, I wont mention her name, as she is so humble in all that she does her name needs not be mentioned.   I look up to her as a person that while i dont know her complete life story you could sum it up that life gave her stones and she made strawberry preserves.

I am sure that everyone has met this type of person in their life, I just hope that one appreciates this person, the one that always gives of themselfs for others, makes sure that everyone in the room is happy before themself, well i have to admit that I have been blessed with one of these souls in my life, and to top it off her son is in the military, giving his life for the protection of my freedoms.

I guess the meaning of all this is, that if you are fortunate enough to have a blessed person in your life like i do it makes you sit back and realize, hey life isnt so bad, this person makes you always realize the positive side ot practically every situation.  the conundrum being how do you thatnk a person that does everything in such a thankless manner, a manner that she knows of no ohter way but to give of herself to others.

I guess the smile that she brings to my day when i see her is enough, for there is no day without the light that eminates from this strong soul,

 

I just want to thank this soul for bringing light into my life

 

happy eating

posted by: Geoffreys at 00:19 | link | comments |

When I'm STRESSED, i bake

I woke up today and Autumn slapped me in the face, I had to admit to myself that Outdoor dining is  pretty much done, the days of surplus cash from glorious weather and the sweet balance in the checking account now has dried up.  This is the time of year that pretty much everyone in "the biz" dreads, the time between summer and the holidays. We were spoiled all summer long with fantastic weather and the extra business that it brought with it, but now its time to get accustomed to losing 30 very inportant seats.

I bring up the issue of the Autumn weather because in not only affects business, it also effects the general population, employees, patrons, grey days dont make for positive personalities. As a leader one finds themself burdened with the responsibilty  of being the sunshine for your satff and customers,   We all look up to the people in our life that radiate the positive energy in times when its hard to come by, As an employer I must difuse my employee's bad days, and uplift customers that have had equally bad days without letting anyone know if I am having a bad day.

When I am stressed I bake, thats how i take out my anger, sadness, agnst, bitterness you name it, if I am down I bake, the more I am down the more elaborate my creations, funny thing is that when I bake (99% of the time something sweet) it puts smiles on faces of all . so then I feed of the positive energy that i in a way gave to them in the form of a Donutmuffin, Cupcake ot Flourless Moussecake.

I am very tight lipped when it comes to the secrets behind many of my creations, for good reason,  its keeps everyone coming back, the donutmuffin for instance sheer decadence, its a Sour Cream CoffeeCake Muffin that when it comes out of oven is given a bath in a big bowl of melted butter, then tossed around in a bowl of Cinnamon & Sugar till it just cant take it anymore, we serve it grilled with , you guessed it a side of butter

 

Happy Eating

posted by: Geoffreys at 14:28 | link | comments |

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