A New Kind of Breakfast

TOFU "SCRAMBLED EGGS"

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day.
I miss cooking a full corned beef brisket for St. Patrick's Day. Not so much for the corned beef and cabbage, but for the five pounds of corned beef hash and poached eggs I make the next day. (That stuff you buy in the cans at the supermarket? That can't be corned beef! That's not something anyone on earth would make if they tasted mine!) I miss Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce and a Western omlette with cheese from the Ritz Diner. Bickford's Baby Dutch Apple pancakes, Morin's banana praline waffles and Coco Lopez banana bread french toast with pineapple sauce (yummy!!!). My sour cream and pumpkin pancakes in the fall with warm Mrs. Butterworth's pouring over the edges. Danish made from scratch. Warm blueberry scones and cinnamon buns. Homemade crepes with brown sugar that my grandmother showed me how to make. Buttered toast, french toast, toast points dipped in egg yolks! All the thousands of breakfasts I've cooked, prepared and served, as well as the ones I've made at home. I miss all of it--and yet I had to move on. My weight was beginning to approach critical mass. I was having trouble completing a sentence without losing my breath. My blood pressure was high and on the rise again. I was getting beet red climbing a flight of stairs! My doctor was prescribing more pills. More quick fixes. I was already spending about $150 dollars a month on pills. I had to make a fundamental change in the way I approached the things I could eat for breakfast. I felt like I was primed and ready for a heart attack.
Donna and I decided that going vegan for breakfast would be a good start. But where to begin???
We started buying vegan cookbooks, but the breakfast sections are the smallest chapters. Many of the breads and muffins are dry, and get stale quickly (properties that real eggs prevent in the normal baking process.)
I was actually already a big fan of oatmeal. Whenever I ate it, I was never hungry until lunch time. I never snacked or felt the urge to nibble, until about 12 noon. Oatmeal seemed a logical first choice. So Donna and I began eating oatmeal every morning. I had to say goodbye to the light cream I used to use with it, now we were using soy milk. I came to find that soy products in some forms (like soy milk) kill me with gas, so I switched to rice milk. Bingo! I was still no longer hungry until lunch time, but we felt like we were eating healthier already. On a jaunt to Trader Joe's, we picked up some of their dried blueberries. They are simply the best on the market, even better than what I can buy wholesale. We started adding them to granola, and heating them with our oatmeal in the microwave. It gave a whole new character to the oatmeal, fruity, but still healthy. In time, we would experiment with sauteed apples, pears, and other fruits. But the blueberry oatmeal helped our taste buds progress to a point where we could begin trying other dishes. But after a few weeks of oatmeal, we were getting bored. We began experimenting with cream of wheat, cream of rice, and granola with soy yogurt (pass the Beano first !!!) . These items were satisfying, but lacking in the excitement category.
On a trip to Manhattan to visit our oldest son, Rick, we visited a vegan restaurant called The Candle Cafe. The menu was an eye-opener for us because they combined traditional lunch and dinner items with tofu scrambled eggs in a breakfast wrap. I was intrigued with the Southwest Scramble with peppers, onions, salsa, and cilantro, along with the Tofu "scrambled eggs" pictured above. They had Italian wraps with vegan "meats" , Indian platters with hummus and taboule--for breakfast?!? Miso soup and soba noodle salad at 9 am ??? Wheatgrass shakes? Tazo Raspberry Iced Tea instead of coffee? The place was packed with thin people (we looked enormous compared to most of the patrons) . They have been doing vegan food for a long time, so they were as comfortable producing their fare, as I am catering a menu I've done for 20 years. Obviously, to get some enjoyment out of our breakfasts, they were going to have to be a little out of the ordinary. Donna and I were energized again with new ideas.
We returned home and enthusiastically began frying tofu "eggs." I recreated my version of the southwest tofu scramble with a toasted bagel and tri-color homefries. A new passion was born. Sure, I can't quite turn them into a classical French omlette, but I have done versions with vine ripe tomatoes and spinach, mushrooms and vegan swiss cheese, and a curried version which was quite satisfying.
Every now and then, I still miss my western omelette with cheese, but the temptation to make it is fading like nicotine from an ex-smoker. Now we look forward to toasted bagels with tofu cream cheese, sliced vine ripe tomatoes, and basil chiffonade over the top. We never would have eaten a breakfast like that 5 years ago, but today we're game to try almost anything.
It really is a new kind of breakfast!

The Best Father's Day Gift for a Chef

The best Father's Day gift for a Chef like myself is not something you would expect! Oh sure, It's nice to get a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma, or a nice restaurant. Maybe money, or my favorite beer, or something like that. No, I got what many father's aren't able to get.
I got to work with all three of my sons in the kitchen where I work.
How many fathers can say that they worked side by side with ALL of their kids in their jobs? Probably not a big percentage. Sure, many fathers have brought at least one interested child to work, either for some kind of career day, or because Mommy was sick, or for some other reason. (Hopefully, air traffic controllers don't bring their kids to the towers anymore, like one goofball did a few months back!) But I got to watch my kids grow up when I worked a lot, and really get to know and love them. A chef works long hours (unless he's a "Prima Donna Chef" as I call them--lazy chefs who make everyone else work while they do nothing.), its easy to miss your kids growing up while you are working 60-80 hours a week!
But I was lucky. I got to work for a company that values kids as entry level workers. Sure they make mistakes, and never seem to remember their doctor and dentist appointments until the last second, but kids who are interested in cooking are the future chefs of the world. They need to be encouraged all the time.
I always told my kids, "You don't have to do a job like this forever, but you need to learn how to cook for yourself. If you're down on your luck, you can always find a job cooking, no matter where you are in the country." I believe in that advice.
As Executive Chef, I could not favor my kids over other workers. Sometimes I would have to be hard on them, sometimes I would have to correct their mistakes so that they would not be criticized by others. Sometimes, I would give them more attention than I would to others in a similar role. I don't know if that was the father in my or the chef in me, but that was my approach to working with my sons.
My oldest, Rick, used to hate working with me, because I was critical of what he was always working on. I just didn't want him to fail in the eyes of everyone else in the kitchen. Ricky used to always tell me, "I'm going to make movies, so I never have to do work like this ever again!" After graduating from film school in Florida, he is now a Sous Chef for an upscale bowling lane and restaurant complex near Times Square. Unfortunately, he seems to be working for one of those Prima Donna Chefs that I despise, and is never able to get days off that he wants, but he seems to like what he is doing, and his fellow workers get along with him. He seems to have the ability to solve problems and fix things. Hmmm, where did he learn that ???
My middle son Ben is working with me right now. He has logged more time in the kitchen with me than the other two, and he has developed into a good seasonal worker who has the ability to motivate and work with younger kids, as well as fitting in with the seasoned veterans. His time with us may be coming to an end this fall when he goes to grad school. He is well on his way towards his goal of becoming a chiropractor. I like having Ben there in the kitchen with me. He sees things from a young person's perceptive vision, that I don't always see. His insights help me connect with kids who seem to be having problems working with others. He's kind of like my consigliere (remember when Al Pacino was consigliere for his father, Marlon Brando, in The Godfather ?) Well, not quite as dramatic as that. We're not blowing people away, or plotting revenges on dishwashers, we just chat every now and then. It's all good.
My youngest son, Andrew, always marched to his own drum. When he was little, he would get bored and refused to work with me for periods of time, but if I was ever really in the weeds, he would always come in to help me. From time to time, Andrew drops by my work with a cold iced tea, or a bag lunch. When I'm shorthanded, he'll help me for a few hours after his work. He'll help me with errands or personal things I don't have time to do (like cutting the grass). He sends me silly text messages that make me laugh and forget the pressures of the day. These things have been important to me too, and as he gets ready to enter the armed services, I know these special "treats" will come to an end. But I am not sad.
I recently got to work a party with Ben and Andrew at the Glen manor in Portsmouth, RI. It was fun working with both of them, helping them set up hors d'oeuvres, and explaining how to do this or that. It's a small, but nice place to work. The menu was easy. We worked hard for a while, but most of the night for me was fun and nostalgic. I think we all had a good night. (The big tip was nice too!!!) Donna and I have helped raised three great young men in a world filled with many young men who are decidedly NOT great. Many men who find it easy to kill or hurt others.
As a chef, and father, I will soon be an empty-nester. I don't know where the next chapter in our lives will take us, but as a father and chef, I will always remember cooking and working with my sons.
Happy Father's Day to all Chefs out there! Get cooking with your kids!

Night of the Living Vegan--Surviving Ruth's Chris!

Donna and I survived our Sunday night journey into the Carnivore's Haven, Ruth's Chris!
I felt a little strange ordering wines off a wine list and a baked potato with steamed asparagus, but I did it. Donna smuggled in some soy "butter" and soy cream for our coffee. That was the funny part. My family made more traditional choices. Steaks, shrimp, lamb chops, the good stuff! The hard part was smelling all those grilled meats and sauteed wild mushrooms with demi glace and mashed potatoes with roasted garlic. I can't complain. Donna and I chose the only vegetarian option in the place, the "choose 3 sides" entree plate. I got asparagus, broccoli, and a baked potato. Donna had the same, except she got sauteed spinach instead of the broccoli. My vegetables were cooked perfectly, and arrived to the table hot and green. My baked potato was the size of a small island, and cooked just right. With the addition of a slab of soy butter, it almost tasted normal.
Our waiter was a fellow named Joe. He was very courteous and knowledgeable about the menu. His service was impeccable. He was always there, but he was never intrusive. He seemed genuinely interested in helping Donna and I with our selections. I ordered Thai onion rings with a dipping sauce. I forgot that the dip had honey in it, but I used some anyways. It was quite good--the first honey I've had in 11 weeks or so. I could taste it right away. Donna and I had their house salad with oil and balsamic vinegar. That was good too. Dinner was surprisingly filling. Did I mention the baked potato was about 10 pounds? Dessert was a simple glass of seasonal berries shared between Donna and myself.
It was good to see my mother, uncle, brother, sister in law, and sister with her boyfriend, all together again. I realize that being with them is a little strange for me. We are all going in different directions, and I am not really involved in any of their lives in any real way. I have drifted away, carried away by my crazy workload, and the needs of my wife and kids. My family is my focus right now. My boys are getting to their end of their relationships with Donna and I, as far as needing us as everyday parents. We're beginning to see the writing on the wall that their lives are moving on and ours are starting the process of stepping aside. I realized that while I was eating, watching my sons Ben and Andrew carrying on an endless conversation that only close brothers can have.
I feel that what Donna and I eat sometimes makes us adrift when it comes to our relationships with our families. No one says it ( our families really loves us), but it's not "normal" to eat the way we do. Eating vegan food is still considered to be strange around here. Food and sharing meals brings people closer together. When all else is gone, people will share their last bit of food, hold hands, and pray for hope and better times. If everyone is sharing a meat dish, except for 2 people who won't eat it, chances are those people will be left out over time. (Or starve!) Do vegans share their last asparagus and baked potato in times of trouble? Probably--but it does lack a little romantic flair.
When my father was sick, we shared meals as a family. My wife would cook for 2 days to make a variety of things that would entice my father's waning appetite. We would come together as a family and enjoy the words and wisdom that he bestowed upon us in those painful days. My family doesn't seem to get together like that much anymore. I miss it a little.
So as I nibbled on my asparagus, I appreciated the happiness of my family. The food was good, the wine was good, the service was good. There were no ill feelings, only good ones, and I felt a calm come over me like I haven't felt in a few years. I felt like my father was there telling me it was ok to be me, to eat vegan in the Mecca of Meat. Even vegans can share a meal and some wisdom. I smiled for him, and thought how happy he would have been to see his grandsons graduating from college, with cool girlfriends, and the promise of good lives ahead of them. He would have been in his glory. He lived for dinners like that.
So I grabbed my steak knife and cut my Titanic-sized baked potato. There are always good times in life, even when things are tough. I look forward to the times when I can impart my wisdom on others. Even if I'm eating steamed broccoli and asparagus when everyone else is eating steak. Someday, maybe, being a vegan will be considered normal. I hope I will be there to share some fine dinners with my grandkids.

Going to the Mecca of Meat

Tonight is a special night. My mother has invited a big group of my family to Ruth's Chris restaurant in Providence to celebrate my son Ben's graduation from college. He is continuing on to grad school in the fall, but for right now, there will be most of our immediate family, going to this restaurant that is synonymous with prime beef steaks and chops. They have a porterhouse steak for two! A cowboy rib chop with a foot long rib bone attached to it (we call it a tomahawk chop in the industry--you can imagine what that looks like just by the name!) 10-ounce filet mignons, and 14-ounce sirloin steaks. Sides of vegetables with tons of butter and cream sauces. Potatoes with mountains of sour cream and blue cheese. Sweet potato casserole with a buttered pecan crust. If you are a carnivore, you must be drooling by now.
But my wife and I are vegans. Tonight will be a hard night for both of us. I would love to dive into some of those items above, but my brain is telling me I'm doing well right now. Donna is doing very well. She continues to drop weight.
At work, I have to taste soups, and meats, and salads, cheeses, desserts because I have to give my honest appraisal of them to the people who work for me. But most of my meals are vegan. I just feel better eating that way. Like quitting cigarettes, the longer you stop, the more some desires seem to fade. My desire to eat steaks and chops is still there, but diminished a little.
Tonight I will feel like a bible thumper being dragged into an X-rated film. This place is the Mecca of Meat, the Pinnacle of Pork, the Largesse of Lamb! And while my relatives are slicing away at huge steaks and chops, lathered in A-1 sauce or Bearnaise sauce, my wife and I will be eating steamed spinach and asparagus (no hollandaise sauce please!), with a plain baked potato. Maybe I will splurge and sneak a stick of margarine in for our potatoes. I doubt they have vegan cream cheese, or any type of vegan cheese there. No point in asking for coffee, they won't have soy creamer. No need for dessert, there's noting a vegan would eat there. In fact, we may be the first vegans who freely enter this Bounty of Beef. What a paradox that is!
But Donna and I will do it for my son Ben, because we are proud of him and love him, and want to be there to celebrate that love. For us, it's another typical example of how restaurants ignore vegans. We are a special group of diners, and preparing for us is a bit out of the ordinary, yes. But would it be too much to ask restaurants to offer veggie burgers or steamed fresh vegetables? Vegetarian options slathered with thick cheese and cream sauces are no longer healthy for anyone--let alone a vegan. Time to begin thinking outside the box. Everywhere I look, I see huge enormous people barely able to walk, they are so big! I don't recall seeing that spectacle very often when I was a kid. Yet we all see it everywhere. Go to a Wal-Mart for an hour, you'll see what I mean.
Donna and I went to The Garden Grill restaurant in Pawtucket recently. Everyone who was in there appeared healthy and thin. (We were the biggest people in there--but hey! we're working on that!) The staff were all young and pleasant. We liked looking over the menu and specials. It was nice to be in a place where the food was healthy and looked good. I wouldn't say the place was as good as The Candle Cafe in Manhattan, but they are trying hard to do their best, and the place was pretty busy. I hope they make it, because my wife and I will go back. I may even bring them a copy of The Candle Cafe's cookbook to give them some ideas that taste really good, that can be done cheaply, if I can do that without insulting them.
So tonight when I am eating a pile of plain spinach and a plain baked potato, I will smile for my son Ben and wish him good luck with his future. While I am doing that, I will be thinking about a vegan burrito with homemade salsa, and dairy-free quesadillas with homemade guacamole. I will be daydreaming in the Mecca of Meat.

All Vegetable Minestrone

All Vegetable Minestrone Soup

There's nothing new about Minestrone soup. This soup is a staple of Italian and Mediterranean cooking, and has been for more than a hundred years. I have read that the soup was originated as a way to utilize garden vegetables and pantry goods to create a cheap dinner that was both healthy and delicious. The ingredient list has to contain tomatoes and pasta at least, but I think the more vegetables you can add, the better it gets.
I had a day off recently, and made this version for dinner. I pretty much cleaned up a bunch of stuff that we had on hand, but I did have to buy some canned tomatoes and cannelini beans. At work, we've been making this soup since the day I started. We usually follow a set recipe that works for us. One of my chefs at work, Joe Rodrigues, makes it the best. I always complain to him that there's too much "stuff" in it and not enough broth, but I think that's what's good about it. My vegan version is based on the version we make at work, only no meat products.
So if you try this recipe, open some Italian wine like a pinot grigio or chianti, play some Frank Sinatra, and get into the history of this soup. It's more than a meal, it's food for the soul. Buon Appetito!

All Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Serving Size : 20

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions -- diced small
8 stalks celery -- diced small
3 carrots peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper -- diced small
1 red bell pepper -- diced small
2 tablespoons garlic -- chopped fine
2 bay leaf
1 medium zucchini -- diced small
2 cans stewed red ripe tomatoes -- coarsely chopped
2 packages vegetable broth, ready-to-serve
8 ounces v-8® vegetable juice
1 can cannelini beans -- drained
8 ounces frozen corn
6 ounces orzo
1 box frozen spinach -- coarsely chopped
sea salt
black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and both peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are sweated. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add bay leaves, and zucchini and cook for a minute. Add vegetable broth and V-8 or tomato juice and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

While soup is simmering, put a small pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Cook orzo until "al dente," and drain. Cool off the pasta with cold water, and set aside.

When vegetables begin to soften, add the stewed tomatoes with their juice, and the canned beans. Add frozen corn. Return to a simmer and cook until all the vegetables are cooked. Add the spinach and orzo and stir well. Add additional vegetable stock if you think you need more liquid. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper,
oregano, and basil. Serve in large bowls with Italian bread.

Yield:
"5 quarts"
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NOTES : This soup can be frozen in batches, but the vegetables do get a little mushy. You can substitute almost any pasta you have on hand; elbows, small penne, ditalini, linguini broken into 2-inch pieces, etc. You can also add mushrooms, summer squash, green beans, or green peas. If you have fresh herbs, fresh basil, oregano, are better than dried.

Homemade Maple Granola with Dried Fruits

When I'm working on a banquet, and I'm running behind, I always tell the nervous event supervisor, "Good food always takes time!" It never makes them feel better, but it is true.
The same thing can be said about making granola. To make it right takes a little time, and for me it's a little labor of love.
The wonderful thing about making granola is its versatility with ingredients on hand. I made a batch recently that called for banana chips and dried apples. I thought I had those ingredients on hand, but couldn't find them. No biggie, I increased the raisins and added diced dried apricots, and it was my best batch yet, according to my son Andrew (a recently converted health nut!). I try to make it every now and then for family and a few friends. Here is my most resent version. This is a fairly large batch, good for a family of older people who will eat it. I recommend cutting the recipe in half if you don't want almost 3 quarts of granola. This will store for up to 3-4 weeks in a cool dry area. Any longer than that, well I don't know. It's never lasted me that long!

Homemade Vegan Maple Cinnamon Granola


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup walnuts -- chopped
1/2 cup pecans --chopped
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar
pan spray
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups dried apricots, diced
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250*F.


Combine oats, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, oil, maple syrup, and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.


Spray two rimmed sheet pans with Pam or pan coating, and divide granola evenly between two sheet pans. Spread granola out with a spoon into an even layer.



Place trays on a shelf set in the middle of the oven. Bake granola in in 15-minute intervals for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. At every 15 minute interval, mix granola from the outside of the pan towards the center. Spread out in an even layer again, and return to the oven. Set a timer between each stirring. If you think the granola looks like it is getting too dark, too quickly, lower oven temperature to 225*F.

When granola is evenly browned, remove from the oven and cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Spoon cinnamon over granola as evenly as possible. Grate nutmeg over granola evenly.


When granola is cool, scrape the mixture into a very large bowl. Pour dried fruits over the granola and mix gently with 2 spoons, stirring from the bottom of the bowl towards the top. Taste granola, and adjust cinnamon and nutmeg to your taste.



When granola is done, store in ziplock freezer bags in a cool dry area.

Yield:
"11 cups"
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Serving Ideas : Serve with plain or vanilla yogurt. Especially good with thicker Greek-style yogurts. Goes well with warm breakfast cereals.

NOTES : 1) The first time you make granola, expect to spend over 50 dollars on all the ingredients. Buy the freshest nuts and dried fruits you can afford. Every new batch you make will cost less and less as you go along.
2) Trader Joe's has the best dried fruits and nuts on the market, for a good price. Whole Foods has superior products too, but they are a lot more money.
3) Good granola is made with fresh, good ingredients. Poor quality granola is made with stale nuts and old fruits.
4) You can substitute other dried fruits if you like: dried cherries, mangoes, strawberries, dates, apricots, currants. You can also use pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and whole almonds if you prefer.

Where I'm At

There's nothing harder than being around tons of great food, and telling myself not to indulge in anything.
I work with a very talented pastry chef. His work is amazing, but it is also tasty! I can't tell you how many times my stomach grumbles when he removes a batch of apple cinnamon coffee cakes from the oven, or when a batch of blonde brownies are ready to cut, still warm and intoxicating. I keep telling myself, "You've had those brownies a hundred times," or stuff like that. Usually it works for me. Sometimes, I come close to breaking down.
I frequently have people ask me, "How can you be eating vegan, and still be chef of a normal kitchen?" I wonder the same thing almost every day. I've been eating vegan for about 10 weeks. The owner of the company I work for is probably oblivious to the fact that I do my job every day, working with many talented and passionate chefs, who cook many great things all the time, and I don't sample any more than I have to. It's do-able, but it is hard. One of my chefs, Dotty, was preparing short ribs today. I think she makes the best short ribs I have ever tasted. She was making a batch today, and gave me a piece to try. I studied the morsel of meat for a minute, while she talked to me about what she was working on. I felt no desire to wolf down this little morsel of heaven. For the first time I can remember, I did not want to try it. It looked brown and fatty to me, kind of unhealthy, even if it was only about 2 ounces of meat. I didn't need to sample this entree anymore. Dotty is competent, and an excellent cook. I knew the short ribs would be perfect, so I told her as much, and moved on. I am still struggling to avoid non-vegan temptations on an almost hourly basis, but the process is becoming a little easier.
My wife, Donna, tries to create different dishes all the time at home, to keep herself motivated, but to also help keep me on track. I keep trying to get her to eat Indian food, which has a multitude of vegan options. The Indian spices kill her digestive system, but she is at least trying these things (I think just to make me happy.) We won't be going to Kebob and Curry restaurant any time soon, but I can still experiment with chana masala and 5 lentil dals for the time being at home.
Speaking of restaurants, we haven't gone out too often recently. It's tough to go to a "normal" restaurant and ask for vegan options. Most of the time, the server will look at you like you're from another planet. I'm a chef! I like to be waited on and eat in other people's restaurants! A new joint opened up near our house, about 5 minutes away. We went there as a family to celebrate the restaurant opening after the building had been vacant for 4 years. The menu was devoid of vegan options, except for spaghetti or ziti. Donna had the ziti, I had the spaghetti. (I ask for spaghetti with plain sauce a lot. It's a pretty safe option anywhere we go!) She asked for hers with NO cheese, and received it WITH cheese. (I almost knew that would happen!) Donna told the general manager that we lived close by, but that we're vegans. Would there be any way they could do veggie burgers? The manager said he would definitely have them on hand the next time we came. Great! That will be boring after 3 or 4 weeks! That's kind of why we have stopped going out.
We did find out about a vegetarian restaurant on the Pawtucket/Providence line called The Garden Grille. We went by it once, very crowded and very small. We'll try it again soon however.
It shouldn't be so hard for a vegan to find a restaurant meal. I think more of them will open as people realize how much fun they can be to try, and how different the menus are. I mean, really, how many restaurant open with 80% of the same things that someone down the road has? So for right now, I appreciate what I do as chef in a kitchen with "normal" foods. At least the smells are interesting!