“Salmon with whisky-maple glaze, surrounded by a trio of colors- peas with mint, carrots with maple and thyme, and neeps and tatties with nutmeg and parsley. Green, orange, white. And we can put the salmon on a bed of risotto and mushrooms.”
“The poissonnier is delivering some of his beautiful daurades and scallops. I let out a sigh of relief. Perfect. If there s anything I can handle, it s sea bream, lovely and light, I said, nodding my head. I needed to do this. It s winter. Fennel is in season, yes? I asked, thinking about what would plate well with the duck, and she nodded. Pomegranate? And hazelnuts? Of course, said Philippa, rubbing her hands together. I can t wait to see what you ve got up your sleeve. That would make two of us. What was I going to do with the daurade? Something simple like daurade with almonds and a romesco sauce? Did the kitchen even have almonds? The more I thought about this recipe, the more boring it sounded. Roasted daurade with lemon and herbs? Again, typical. I had an opportunity to create something special, something out of this world, on my own terms. I wanted to get creative and do something colorful, playing with the colors of winter and whatever was in season. My imagination raced with all of the possibilities- a slideshow in my mind presenting delicious temptations. A crate of oranges caught my eye. I licked my lips- a light sweet potato purée infused with orange. Braised cabbage. Seared daurade filets. Saffron. The colors, ingredients, and plating came together in my mind.”
“I don t know about you, but the planet Saturn pops into my mind with every bite of a hamburger I take.”
“almost every depiction you find in books or movies make people living with paranoid schizophrenia the villains. Can you imagine if books and movies did the same thing to people with cancer?”
“The fish vendor had delivered a sea of heavenly delights. Les gambas, large shrimp, were the size of my hand. Once cooked, they d be lovely and pink. The oysters were enormous and beautiful, the briny scent conjuring up the sea. I couldn t remember the last time I d swum in open water. Six years ago on a Sunday trip to the Hamptons with Eric? Oh God, I didn t want to think about him. Besides the work of shucking more than three hundred of them, oysters were easy. They d be served raw with a mignonette sauce and lemons, along with crayfish, crab, and shrimp, accompanied by a saffron-infused aioli dipping sauce. I lifted the top of another crate, and fifty or so lobsters with spiny backs greeted me- beautiful and big, and the top portion freckled by the sea. I loved working with lobster, the way their color changed from mottled brown and orange to a fiery red when cooked. I d use the tails for le plat principal, flambéed in cognac and simmered in a spicy tomato- my version of my grandmother s recipe for langouste à la armoricaine. The garnish? A sprig of fresh rosemary. The other crates were filled with lovely mussels, scallops, whelks, and smoked salmon filets, along with another surprise- escargots. Save for the snails, this meal would be a true seafood extravaganza.”
“Flow wherever you go. You can’t be limited. Dare to rise above all limitations and become better than you were. Strive to arrive at the top.”
“So this is sweet. Some sort of fruit, right? Not just sugar. She nodded. Mango and peach. He looked surprised. No kidding. He tasted it again. Got it. Now that you tell me, I can taste them. What kind of chilies? Mostly fresno. A cherry pepper here, a poblano there. A little habanero. She hadn t gotten enough fresnos, so the truth was she just used everything she had. Fortunately she d written it down. Some honey too. Seasonings. But there s something I can t quite put my finger on. He tasted more than looked at his finger and said, No pun intended. She smiled. Curry. Curry. Yup. She nodded. I needed something to segue between the sweet and the savory and I thought of curry. It s incredible. Wow, you re actually selling me on my own sauce. She upended the bottle and put a few drops on her own finger. It was just as good as she d remembered, exactly as he d said, with the heat that snuck up and away. Suddenly her mind reeled with the possibilities. She could use it as the base for a barbecue sauce and start serving pulled pork on the menu. That, with the beer cheese, Aja s cheese soup, and the biscuits Margo had made, she had a theme developing suddenly.”
“We sit through endless tastings where people with Naugahyde for palates pick apart our dishes and offer suggestions and changes that we? HAVE TO MAKE. I happen to love a braised pork cheek garnished with crispy bits of fried pig ear, or a smoked bison tongue salad. But I have yet to meet a client who wants me to make that for their daughter s sweet sixteen. And at the end of the day, if I can bring integrity to one more chicken breast dinner, to the trio of salads ladies luncheon, to the surprise hot dog cart at the end of the wedding, perfectly snappy grilled Vienna Beef beauties with homemade steamed buns and all seven of the classic Chicago Dog toppings, then I have done my job and might get another.”
“When the sun goes down, the moon becomes the king of the sky.”
“Forgiveness brings about miracles. Forgiveness helps us understand others like a lamp that illuminates our hearts, enabling us to let go of resentment, vengeance and jealousy.”
“Food for thought: Every dead body on Mount Everest was once a highly motivated person. Stay lazy my friends. It may save your life one day.”
“Surprise sex is the best thing to wake up to. Unless you re in prison.”
“Eat like you love your body...not like you hate it.”
“Let it be known I am a fan of the comma; it gives cadence to my writing. Those who disagree are in their usual hurried state…not giving pause where a breath is due.”
“Share them with only people who can help you with information and support. When you meet negative people, zip your mouth.”
“Mediocrity is a pit that swallows people who have rested on seats of complacency for long.”
“Your own humility endorses your integrity!”