I have recently returned from the National USPCA conference in Denver.  What a trip!  I met some wonderful people and was able to experience “The Mile High City” for the first time.  Day 1 started on Thursday with a trip the Cooks Street School of Fine Cooking for a dinner of locally inspired fare and adult beverages.  The menu consisted of a grilled Caesar salad, Bistecca of buffalo and a dessert of mixed local berry cobbler.  It was all paired with local micro brews and wines, both of which were just average in my opinion and not worth commenting on any further.

Day 2 began with the introduction of the President of the USPCA, Gail Kenagy.  I have developed a great rapport with Gail these past few years and it was wonderful to see she and her husband again.  After the brief reunion, I was off to my first lecture (grilling for fun and profit).  The seminar focused on the presenters interpretation of grilling foods and how to take other common tasks (like baking cookies) and doing them on the grill instead of the conventional method.

Next I was off to Winning American Cheeses.  This lecture was very interesting and informative.  I was presented with a plethora of European style domestic cheeses and was absolutely blown away.  The flavors were intense, delicious and any other gratifying adjective you can come up with to describe the tastes.  I was also presented with a brief history of cheese making in various parts of the US and the World, as well as tips on building a cheese board to balance the flavors of multiple cheeses together.  After some brief downtime, all of us were filed into the dining area for our luncheon and awards ceremony.  Our lunch was a buffet depicting more local fare such as chili and skirt steak, all made with buffalo.  After we had replenished, Chef Gail began passing out the awards.  Certified Personal Chefs were recognized for their credentials as were the volunteers from the Denver Chapter of Personal chefs for their volunteer work at the conference.  The excellence in business awards were next.  Recipe of the year went to Molly Pisula, Chef of the year went to Tim Stewert, and website of the year went to yours truly!!  I received a wonderful plaque and was very honored to be chosen, as the awards were given to us based on the votes of our peers.

That evening, a few of us went to Zengo, a restaurant owned by Chef Richard Sandoval.  It has an Asian-Latin fusion style menu and the flavors are brilliantly brought together.  I started with some won-ton tacos (Deep fried won-ton shells stuffed with sushi rice, sashimi grade ahi tuna, and a mango salsa all on a bed of guacamole).  I then had some sushi rolls and other various tapas, paired with a lychee-passion fruit mojito,  before induldging in a Szechuan pork tenderloin with stir fried rice.  Dessert was a spiced Mexican chocolate tart paired with a late harvest Malbec.

Day 3 began with my taking the Certified Personal Chef examination as I am applying for this credential in the next calender year.  After completing this test of business, marketing and culinary knowledge, I was off for the day and decided to do some exploring.  I ended up going to the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museam. I was in absolute awe to be in the presence of artifacts that were 3000-4000 years old.  I spent about 3 hours wandering around and reading the factoids associated with each piece.

Later that evening, another colleague, her nephew and I went to Bistro Vendôme near the Lodo (Lower Downtown) district.  We began the meal with Escargot and some of the best French bread I have ever had.  Sopping up the garlic and parley was a great appetite enticement.  I then had Steak Frites paired with a 2006 Chateau Haut-Goujon, St. Emillion.  A Merlot from Bordeaux’s right bank and perhaps the best Merlot I have ever had.  We skipped dessert that evening and were off for a digestif at Chef Troy Guard’s establishment, TAG.  There we partook in jalapeño-kumquat mojitos.  A flavor combination that was very well balanced, pleasant and palatable.

The next morning I was on my way home and back into the routine, almost immediately.  I had a great experience in Denver and would visit again, without hesitation, if given the opportunity.

So after a bit of an absence due to the Holidays, I am thrilled to be back in the kitchen.  I have a busy January and I am looking forward to cooking for my clients.  I am doing a lot of different things and will even be able to do some projects at home like make chicken stock and packaging my dried herbs.

I am also looking forward to getting healthy this New Year by taking advantage of my home produce delivery and starting my garden much earlier.

I have some interesting trips planned as well, with opportunities to taste great food and drink wines from all over the world.  I will be sure and update as often as I can to pass on some tips and tid bits to you all with the hope of inspiring you to get in the kitchen or try something new in and around the area of Seattle.

Hello loyal readers.

I do apologize to you for the lack of postings as of late.  I have been really busy with my business, as well as my education.I have been attending classes in a food and wine pairing program here in Seattle.  It is taking up quite a bit of my time, but I have a pretty good grip on the new schedule and will be posting with some regularity again.  I thought I owed all of you an explanation.

All the best,

Chef Jay

I am going to visit some friends in Syracuse, NY this weekend, and I  am looking forward to the food just as much as seeing the people. There are a few staples that are a “must have” when I visit. For instance, a morning just can’t begin without bacon, eggs and hash browns from The Quick Cup diner. Then at some point, or many times to be more accurate, a sandwich from Wegmans. And a trip isn’t complete without a visit to Dinosaur BBQ.

Bring on the food, New York…I’m ready for you!

Last week I was in New Orleans for this years United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) National Conference. It was a great experience and I met some wonderful people. I also, of course, ate some wonderful food.

On the first day, I was taken on a tour of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. I was given a tour of not only the museum, but the history of New Orleans through a wonderful medium, alcohol. I was treated to a tasting class describing how the cocktail came to be and specifically the origins of three New Orleans beverage staples: The Sazerac, The Hurricane, and a wonderful coffee drink, the Café Brûlot Diabolique (The Devils Burnt Coffee).

I will be posting some photos of the museum this week as well as more descriptions of the restaurant experiences I encountered along the way. I also want to thank the USPCA, as well as all of the colleagues I was able to converse with and meet.