About 15 years ago I came across an article in GOURMET Magazine- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Sept. 1997 By William J. Garry titled The Mysterious American Chef. When I read this letter I was a young Chef (I had recently been hired on as Sous Chef at a Puget Sound Seafood House), and it inspired me to be better. It has brought profound motivation to my culinary career. I’ve passed this letter on to many inspiring young chefs and culinary colleges over the years and I actually keep a copy at my desk for whenever I need some encouragement. I’d like to share this letter with you now…

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | September 1997 | The Mysterious American Chef |By: William J. Garry

CHEFS ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU AND ME.

That is an arguable statement and it is challenged elsewhere in this issue. The view is put forth that chefs, at least when they are at home or at play, are indeed much like everybody else: They have husbands and wives (or not), kids and dogs (or none), chores and hobbies, good times and bad times, and even death and taxes and cable TV.

So far, I don’t disagree. I’ll go even further: most chefs of my acquaintance are certifiable members of Homo sapiens sapiens, though I have met some who would give Professor Darwin pause. And most chefs put on their white tunics one arm at a time; the fact that those tunics bear more than a passing resemblance to straightjackets is probably not worth mentioning. Without the tunics and silly hats, most chefs look quite normal.

But they aren’t. They’re different. They’re a breed apart.  And they’re mysterious.

The mystery is wrapped up in what chefs do, how they do it, and perhaps most of all, why they do it.

What do they do? What they don’t do is cook; that is what cooks do. Chefs prepare and present food in such a way that will persuade people to leave home and pay for the privilege of eating it- and come back for more. That requires much more than cooking skill on the part of the chef; it calls for imagination, balance, flexibility, a strong sense of organization and the kind of salesmanship that made P.T. Barnum a household word.

It also requires working ridiculous hours in often unspeakable circumstances. Only actors and cops have the kinds of schedules that chefs maintain, and they don’t work in a place that is as claustrophobic as a casket and as hot as the sixth circle of Dante’s hell.

And it requires working in a medium- fresh food- that is as fickle and difficult as anything encountered by a carpenter a tailor or a sculptor.

How do they do it? Chefs are professionals, in the modern sense of the word, but they are more than that: They don’t just work at a job; they work at a craft. And as with any craft there are lessons they must learn, an apprenticeship they must complete, and secrets that are known only to other members of the craft. To do the things that chefs can do with food, again and again, and make it look easy, requires untold hours of practice.

With the best of them, this craft-work reaches perfection and then goes a bit beyond. A master chef with a whisk and a saucepan is like a skilled performer with a deck of cards. What each produces may merely be the result of skill, practice and showmanship- but it seems like more. It seems like magic.

Why do chefs do what they do? Learning the craft may be hard, but practicing it is harder. There are a few famous chefs, sure, and even a few wealthy ones, but these are the exceptions. The rule is hard work, more complaints than applause, and a life of near-anonymity. Yet most chefs seem quite fulfilled. Why?

I think it is because chefs have more than a job, more than a profession, more than a craft. They have a vocation. They feel drawn to this work, compelled by it. So they learn the craft, do the job, inhabit the profession, and feel completed by it- even if they can’t explain why.

Not many people have this combination of drives, much less the energy and skill necessary to fuel it. It’s like I said: Chefs are different from you and me, and not just because they can cook better.

Of course in this great democracy we insist that everybody is for all practical purposes, alike, so we tend to strip chefs of their mystery and think of them as very much like us. Circumstances support this thinking. In America today the role of chef is not handed down from father to son, as it was in Europe for centuries; the restaurant is no longer an exclusive male enclave; chefs may come from any walk of life- and any country- and may get their training in any of several ways. They may even play along with the game and present themselves as regular guys and gals.

Fine. It makes a nice story in the American grain. So nice that I usually allow myself to be taken in, up to a point.

For example, as we prepared this issue I enjoyed getting to know the many chefs who participated.  They seemed like ordinary folks, and certainly their recipes were approachable, even for someone with my dubious skills. I came very close to thinking they were not very different after all.

But then I found myself at a particular table, at a particular restaurant, at the end of a dinner that included one delicious surprise after another, a dinner to marvel at, and I knew that whoever had created it was not at all like you and me, and I was glad.

Because I like mysteries. And I love magic.

—William J. Garry

Cherries grown in the Northwest have a longer hang time, the longer the time the cherries hang on the tree the more sugar they accumulate and the sweeter they are. A cherry doesn’t get any sweeter once it’s picked- so the longer on the tree, the sweeter the cherry. There are 7 Northwest Cherry Varieties; Bing, Rainer, Sweetheart, Chelan, Teiton, Lapins and Skeena. This very seasonal fruit is usually available early June to Mid-August. With this year’s cool spring, cherries are running just a few weeks behind- which may lead to a more concentrated season. From the time cherries are harvested to the time they’re in your favorite store is typically 3 days.

Other than just sitting around and eating cherries, cooking with them adds great flavors and complexity to some your favorite dishes. Here’s a list of few my favorites; Cherry Chimichurri Prawns, Rainer Cherry Bruschetta, Warm Onion and Cherry Relish and Cherry-Pepper Chutney. One of my preferred dishes to make this time of year is a Rainer Cherry Tart with a Cougar Gold Cheese Crust.

Another sweet thing about cherries is how you can incorporate them into your favorite cocktail. They can simply be pitted and dropped in a Sparking Sangria, muddled into a martini or my favorite- crushed into brown sugar and topped off with Cachaca (Brazilian Rum). I’ve added recipes for six of our favorite cherry cocktails. Click on the links below to try them out. Enjoy & let me know your favorite.

• Sparkling Rainer Cherry Sangria
• Cherry Caprihina
• Cherry Merlot Sangria
• Rainer Cherry Martini
• Cherry Jack Daniels & Coke
• Cherry Mojito

Chef Magana

Donella toured me through many large circular tanks (like an above ground swimming pool) full of various aged sturgeon while explaining how the fish came online earlier this year (2010). A 320 ft well was completed in April 2009 and the construction started shortly after in July. In January of 2010 the first of the sturgeon moved in. Well water (consistently 60’F) continually flows through all the pools keeping the water clean and oxygenated. Runoff water flows into Marion Drain but plans are underway to divert this water to the nearby wetland of Toppenish Creek.

Thirteen thousand of the juveniles from this hatchery are schedule to be released into the Mid Columbia River in spring of 2011, just above Hanford Reach at Priest Rapids, Wanapum, Rocky Reach. The “parents” of these sturgeon juveniles were caught live from the river, used for spawning and then released back into the Columbia. Donella explained how 4 females and 4 males are used for the spawning program and why this 16 set family group combination works well for their project.

Now for the Caviar… To help obtain additional funds to increase the size of the hatchery, a handful of the juveniles are kept back and used to produce incredible, quality Caviar. One Sturgeon has anywhere between 500,000 to 1,000,000 (or 1-2 pounds) of eggs with a retail market value of $65/ounce. The meat from the sturgeons are picked up by the local fish markets and the roe is sent off to Swinomish Tribe to be processed into Caviar, yum!

So not only was it exciting to be working hand and hand with one of the finest Northwest chefs, but the wine estate that we had the pleasure of working  together at… is like no other. A collaboration of two industry leaders- Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori- Col Solare Winery. Col Solare Winery is nestled high up and into the side of Red Mountain, a premier growing AVA in the heart of the Columbia Valley. Col Solare produces just one vintage of wine a year, a Cabernet based red wine that showcases the fruit of Red Mountain AVA. More on the wine later (later blog), back to the chef.

The menu included eight recipes directly from the book: Tabbouleh Salad, Honey-Merlot Quail, Arugula Frittata, Braised Rabbit with Pinot and Dried Cherries, Pizza Silciliano, Korean-Style Bison Skewers, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with White Bean Ragu, Chocolate Mousse. We also prepared some Duck Confit and Wild Boar Sausage.  As you can see it was a feast that was prepared, but not only that… for me there was the excitement to prepare such wonderful cuisine in the midst of great company all while learning from the flare and style of such a great chef.

There were just over a couple hundred guests that attended the vintage release event. The chef had a table set up for visiting with guests and book signings. Winemaker Marcus Notaro was on hand pouring the new release, Cellarmaster Darel Allwine was pulling barrel samples to taste and the food was set out for all to enjoy.

If you’re one of the guests that were able to attend this event- there is probably not much that compares to a memorable evening of good friends, great wine and excellent food. Hope you got your book signed too, I did.

As a chef, my world revolves around food and wine. I’ve found a few ways to support the sustainability movement while shopping for groceries that I’d like to share with you.

1: Get a group of friends together and go shopping at a local market.

Farmers’ markets are great places to start! Buying locally means you’re buying items with a smaller carbon footprint – these items haven’t been shipped in from halfway around the world, grown on large, industrial farms, or treated with pesticides. Full of fruits, veggies, crafts, home products and even wine, you can find everything you need for the week at a good farmers’ market.  And the markets are great gathering places, so combining your weekly shopping with hanging out with friends makes the best of both worlds.  Carpooling with friends even helps reduce your individual carbon footprints!

2: Find restaurants in your area that focus on using local ingredients and offer a local wine list.

Money spent with local farmers and growers stays close to home, working to build your local economy, and, once again, items produced locally haven’t been shipped in! One of the great things about the Yakima Valley where I live is the availability of great produce virtually year round.  When restaurants buy locally, the food is fresher and it just tastes better! Also, with a plethora of wineries in my backyard, it is easy to find restaurants featuring wine lists that are Washington-centric.

3: Start a garden!

Besides soaking up the sun and getting exercise, starting a garden will allow you to have total control over your fruits and vegetables. You decide which pesticides to use (or not use!), what kind of veggies & fruits to plant, and when you harvest and eat them, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you took part in a “green” lifestyle change.

4: Buy in bulk & share as necessary.

It is cheaper to buy in bulk, and you don’t waste as much packaging. When you buy in bulk, it generally costs less per unit and is more efficient.  You can freeze some if you can’t share with a friend.  This cuts down on both shopping time and waste (in grocery bags, gasoline for travel, product packaging, etc).

5: Ask your favorite winery if they have wine that is refillable.

What a great idea! This practice is growing in popularity in Europe and has reached at least one Washington State winery that I know of. Davenlore Winery in Prosser crafts a delicious wine called “Recovery Red” which comes in one liter, refillable bottles. The first bottle sells for $20; a refill only costs ya $10 – quite a deal! You get a great wine AND help the environment at the same time – win, win!.  You can find it at the farmers’ market in Prosser and Richland, WA, in their tasting room, or online (www.davenlore.com).

Now that you have some tips, get started! Find your local farmers’ markets where you’ll discover wonderful foods this fall –  great places to start your green movement.