Food, Flavors, Life & Passion

Nothing is more eloquent to any cook or chef, when you nurture, baste and cuddle a thanksgiving bird for hours, and finally produce a bird for all to enjoy. I love thanksgiving, but most importantly, I love to cook, produce and experience the joy I give to others on a day to give thanks for all we have. I want to say thank you to the one who allows me to practice my craft on a day to day basis, passing on my passion and my gift that was given on to me. I am truly blessed.

Check me out at the Gracious Living Design Center in Clermont Florida.

We have  the privilege to utilize an awesome facility that Kim and Mike French have created and they  allow us  to do our creative cooking in.

If you need a meeting area, team building or a small gathering of friends or family. This is the location to have it in!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW: CHeF Andy At Gracious Living

A great hamburger with chili fries

Our family vacations are based around food. We plan our trip around places to eat. Culvers made our list. This was in Gaylord, Michigan. The staff is incredible, the food excellent and I never order chili fries, but what the heck, I’m on vacation. Well after a long day in the hot sun, a long drive from Mackinaw City, we were seriouosly looking for a great meal. We had our first Culvers in Wisconsin and we would never have stopped if not for my best friends recommedation. We fell in love at the first bite. So when I found out that they had built one in Michigan, we hit it and were not disappointed. I have no pictures of White Castles, but we only stopped there like three times while in Chicago. I guess we were too busy eating and couldnt worry about picture taking. Yes, great fast food is what we crave on family trips. We are seriously lacking good food in Orlando, Florida. By the way, we hit the last Culvers in the Midwest in Indiana on our way back home from Chicago.

Cobb Salad

We had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants/gourmet food stores in the country~Fox & Obel. From the very first day I walked into this store I fell in love with it. They have added two hour parking across the street which really helps, because I always seem to take longer in there then I had originally planned. I highly recommend this great store for breakfast or lunch. In fact, Travis, my youngest son remembered it from three years ago and it was not a disappointment as you can see. I did notice a dramtic reduction in the wine selection and some of the other products. Obviously, due to the economic times. I noticed, but the average shopper would not. The products they  carry are still excellent and of top quality. We love stopping here and I always recommend it to all of my clients.

Artisan Bread, Roast Beef, Bleu Brie, Carmalized Onions,

In the players tunnel with A.J. and my family. It was a great experience not just for myself, but for my family. Living in Orlando, we are not privileged to have such great baseball traditions that Chicago has. We were fortunate enough to have witnessed a great game between the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox. We had a great time and the experience of meeting the other great players, managers and staff was a lifetime experience. Thanks A.J. and Lisa Pierzynski.

The Chicago White Sox vs. The Chicago Cubs! 2009

Don’t – Don’t- Don’t – Don’t you- forget about me! C’mon! Sing with me, you know, the song at the end to the movie Breakfast Club! The 80’s classic movie about a group of kids held captive on a Saturday morning in the schools library for detention. Their punishment is to reflect upon their mischievous sins of the past week and right an essay about it. Little did they know that their time together would not only create new friendships but change their lives forever.
Hey! Wait a minute. A group of strangers, thrown together, with one common goal. Could that still work today? The answer is YES!
I have witnessed this phenomenon more than ever over the past few years as I have conducted cooking classes, private gourmet dinners and can you believe- Dinner Clubs!
I have been humbled enough to witness, in my life, the one great wonder that truly embellishes mankind. That my friends is friendship.
I’ve watched friendships ignite in a short period of time by total strangers thrown together because of a food challenge that may possibly carry on for a few brief moments or could propel them into a lifetime relationship. I have experienced a group of friends who have been congregating over food for more than 8 years! Yes, 8 years. They have endured through the economic highs and lows, children, new homes, some have even new husbands or wives, and yet they still gather, kindling their friendships and reminiscing of days of old and planning for the new. The common ground in which all these people share- is Food.
Oh that glorious word! How I dream of food. Well guess what! I’m not alone! There are others. Nomads, searching their kitchens for the right recipe to spark their friend’s palates. These nomads can be seen scanning not only gourmet food stores, malls and shopping aisles to discover new wines, flavors and ingredients to conquer. They are also scouring the world of the internet. Blogs, websites, and even twitter are harboring the food fetishes of food enthusiasts around the world.
They come from all walks of life. Some live in extreme luxury, while others dwell in the caves of apartments. But guess what, it doesn’t matter how much money you make, it doesn’t matter whether you drive a BMW or a Mercedes and it sure doesn’t matter where you live. Everyone and anyone can meet on common ground when it comes to Food.
Food is the catalyst for human interaction. If you have a group of friends who enjoy wine and cheese, how about meeting at a park or a beach. So what if your kitchen is too small, plan a get together with everyone bringing their favorite dish. Who cares if it’s not perfect, that’s the beauty of it, just have FUN! With all that faces our daily lives wouldn’t it be nice to just get together with a few old friends and hey, how about inviting some new ones?
Remember this can work for anyone, especially if you’re new to the area. What a great way to introduce yourself and some neighbors for a quick, but fun get together. The office is a great way to get to know your co-workers. You don’t have to start big. Keep it simple as possible. It doesn’t have to be just couples. Singles, what a great way to meet- over a stove cooking! How about a cooking class! Make it a group event. Always make sure you give thought to your gathering. You obviously want people to have fun, but you never want them to feel awkward or embarrassed because they did not understand the theme or the nature of the party. I’ve just scratched the surface here, so think it out, be creative and get everyone involved! It’s a lot more fun like that.
In my antique cookbook collection I remember reading one book, over 40 years old, about entertaining. I was astounded to read on how dinner parties were quite common. One popular theme was to pick a country and each couple would bring a dish from that particular country for everyone to try. We know that the true essence of this gathering was friendship. I can in vision a great deal of laughing, slaps on the back, glasses toasting and dropping, ice chilling, food burning, candles dimming, cool breezes, soft music and thoughts of days gone by and dreams of days to come. I would wager that some dishes worked and some didn’t, but you know what? – Did it really matter?

We can all tell our stories of fire and flame.
The flame conjures memories of cook outs, camp fires, bonfires and assorted meats basking in a world of oak, mesquite and hickory. Fire and flames are etched in my mind of old fashioned camp outs where the amber’s soared to the stars and the heavens shined below. We would sit around bonfires to gather warmth, build friendships, rekindle memories of days long gone and thorough the night, you would constantly feed the beast with as much wood as one could bear so that the deep darkness of the night, would be kept away by the glow of the earthbound fire.
Fire evokes the senses just as much as foods and flavors themselves. In life nothing tastes like a hotdog on a stick. Taking a marshmallow and watch it become engulfed in flames and try to blow it out in time to save it- is what they say- priceless.
A man, it seems, is judged today by the size of his grill, rather than the power in which it is powered by. I say man, because the majority of my experiences involving the territorial rights of man vs. woman, the grill is left for the man to dominate of his own free will. Most women could care less about a grill. But ask a man about his grill and you get “Hey! guess how many Btu’s this baby can push out!” “come on, feel that stainless steel finish”, “I just got the S600 with a heat censored probe, 2 burners, an automatic temperature gauge and a built in wok!” and the beer jacket was free!” Sound like a car- Well I’ve come to call them that. I get asked all the time which grill to buy, especially now. Well just like our buddies in the auto section, I’m very fortunate to have cooked on almost every kind of model. As a “Viking” representative, I have cruised in the Ferrari and Lamborghini of grills-as I have come to call them- that start in the thousands. I recommend you shop around first, test drive one and break it in slowly. They have their own covers you know.
Outdoor grilling of today has evolved into two entities, Propane & Charcoal.
I’m a charcoal/wood man. A bag of charcoal, a match, some wood chips and I’m having the greatest time of my life. To lift the lid of my grill and become engulfed in smoke, aromas and the vision of perfectly grilled pieces of meat makes my mouth water. My inexpensive charcoal grill has lasted four years and has seen an endless array of meats, fowl and vegetables. At Thanksgiving I gave it such a hard work out, the paint peeled right off!
Now you can talk to me about propane all you want, but it just doesn’t sit well me. I know about the electric starter. I know how easy it is with propane, well- when the tank is full. But guess what, you still need to clean it! I mean, how long are you going to keep that bratwurst in there that fell between the grates last year. You know it can’t become petrified for a few thousand more years – right? Now is the time, to fill the tank, buy some new tools, oh yeah, you do know that you need to wash your outdoor utensils-right? No really, how many chicken breasts, ribs and hamburgers have you prodded, poked and squashed with the fork and spatula? Get out the instructions, see what cleansers you can use and wash it down. And for god sake, PLEASE! Clean the grates! If I lift one more grill with last years ribs still stuck to the grates, I’m going to lose it. Well, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest.
Men, it is your responsibility to maintain a clean and operational grill at all times. Check your hoses, gas lines, ignition switches, grates, tools, and if you need to buy a new grill. Check out a charcoal grill for me- please.
And as Bob Seagar once said”
Call me a relic, call me what you will, so I’m old fashioned, say I’m over the hill, today’s propane ain’t got the same soul, I like my old time charcoal grill.