10 years gone......never thought I would be with Lupe de Mere...

Well here we are, staring down the barrel of my ten year high school reunion.......I feel old. However, I feel very much alive!!! This is a post about reflection and the road less traveled, the road that chefs have to take...... or at least the ones that are good at what they do. I tend to get really "preachy" at work about that road. Maybe I'm bitter, maybe I'm self-centered, who knows???? 10 years ago I was working at Sonic American Drive-In, worked my way up to management no less, reminiscent of Judge Reinhold in Fast Times, never thought I would trade tater tots for tapas. Despite my inclination to become a major wall street figure during my early years of college, I kept pushing forward in the kitchen, I even took a tour through Hooters before I decided to enter a professional kitchen...........it seemed natural, fun, and it was a way to make a little coin... The biggest surprise is how obsessive cooking can become. It has its own trends, its own language, it probably has its own heartbeat too...I love food culture. Check out these Bronzini's I've heard Mike say multiple times that someone told him to decide what he liked to do and then find a way to get PAID to do it....that's wisdom! That's all it is, if you can find satisfaction(which includes the capacity to accept the bad with good)in what you are doing then everything else will become a little easier..................SIKE!!! Part of that is true, but this is a really stressful industry, most of are pirates, most of us enjoy a cold beverage from time to time. Some days can be really gratifying, you get in great product and manipulate the ingredients just the right way to make them sing......just like these Lupe De Mere(Bronzini's)

Its really hard to take a step back from "super refinement" and do a whole fish plate. These seem to work well for a rustic Italian restaurant though.....

Pan Roasted Bronzini, Grilled Local Sweet Onions, Arugula, Potato Puree, Oyster Pancetta Emulsion

The oyster pancetta emulsion is made with selects from our local purveyor, and it is delicious...!! The fish has great flavor and the onion are ridiculous, seriously you can put one of them in the back of your mouth and suck, all you get is sugary oniony sweetness.......