did you taste it?

So I screwed up, and as the people who work along side me will tell you, I don’t like to screw up- it gets messy. I planned on posting a blog weeks ago until the back burner threw up on me with everything I set on it. It is by way of guilty conscience that I now feel obligated to owing you- the reader (whomever you may be)- two posts this week.

 This past week has been insane for me. I’m a full time chef, not a writer, but that’s not to say that I haven’t thought about the career change.

 As much as I would love to peel away for the kitchen’s everyday toil, I often loose track of time leaving me socially absent from my nearly inexistent social life.

 I think at times I get paid just to talk. Between mediating the kitchen with the front of house, and explaining people what to do (or mainly what they are doing wrong) it seems that I constantly repeat myself.

 Out of all the less then poetic, sinister bull crap that comes rolling out the most important and overly stated question of all is “did you taste it?”

 What does it mean did you taste it? Simple question really, but when asked to a professional cook it implies an unspoken set of very specific instructions in which they must comply by when creating a dish.

 You shoved it in your mouth and swallowed it but didn’t quite listen to the tiny people in your head telling you that something is not right. So now how do we fix it?

 There are three things you should be looking for even when cooking at home- salty, the element itself… NaCl- is it in there? Sweet, whether it be actual sugar or referring to anything herbal and/or floral in flavor. And lastly acid, ranging from the simple squeeze of a citrus fruit, splash of vinegar, or any agent containing either such as mustards.

 This is the set of procedures you must follow in your kitchen to make anything, whatever it may be, not only edible but pleasant to eat.