Wine Country

Hello again my friends...

Yes, I'm blogging again. Two days in a row. I know, that's pretty remarkable. But, I have many events in my recent history to chronicle so it compells me to blog a bit more frequently. Enough with the idle thoughts, let's get to the point.

So, as I informed all of you yesterday, I graduated from culinary school last week. For my ceremony, my family came out for a visit. And, as always, it was great to see them again. I saw my parents just a couple of months ago, but my brother came this time and that was the first time I've seen him in like 6 months. So I was very happy to see him. It was his first trip to California and to the Bay Area, so I wanted to show him much of the area. He got to see Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Haight & Ashbury, and even ride the Cable Cars (which I've yet to do). So, he made the most of his trip. We also went to Napa so that he could do some wine tasting while he was here.

Napa is definitely wine country, there's no disputing that. But with the great wines that they produce, much of the other food in the area gets overlooked. We visited three wineries including my favorite, V. Sattui. V. Sattui is a small place that offers far more than just wine. All of the employees are very friendly and knowledgable about all of their products, not just the wines. They offer an assortment of cheeses, jams, jellies, relishes, and cured meats along with the wines. A place like this has a way of opening the eyes of food people. You won't find any duck confit or foie gras or sauces strained 32 times here. It's very basic and very simple. Some salami, asiago, and a bottle of wine does more for human happiness than the pretentious imagination of some overpaid egotistical chef with a Michelin star. Sitting at that picnic table with my family, seeing them enjoying themselves, was one of the greatest moments of my life. It was a moment that was rustic, simple, and void of any false pretenses or judgements. And that is just the way that food, and life, should be.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Culinarian,

Jordan

Graduation

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears...

I first must apologize for my long absence. Between the holidays, my iphone going by the wayside, my graduation, and my family visiting, I have not updated my blog in quite some time. And for that, I am sorry. Now on with the blogging...

Just under a week ago I graduated from culinary school. It was so recent that I've yet to even find a frame to hang my newly acquired diploma in. The months leading up to graduation I treated this event as though it had no real consquence, if it were no big deal. However, upon the day I was filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Yes, they usher us through this school like cattle at a slaughterhouse and after graduation throw us to the wolves, but it's not about that with me. It wasn't a normal college experience where you make life long friends to bail you out in 20 years and it wasn't about learning the basics of becoming a cook. I was proud that I finished. I started down a path that interested me and I saw it through until the end. And there is something to be said for that. All through life I've fought this inner struggle of finding what is right for me. Looking for a place where my creative self can be reconciled to reality and this is the medium. I love what I do and the experience of learning it more in depth is invaluable to me.

So I want to take this time to encourage all of you to do the same. Whether it be going to culinary school, med school, art school, or no school at all, I want to encourage you to strive for what you desire.

Take care my friends and happy eating,

Jordan