No Two Days Are Ever Alike In The Restaurant Business

Once while catering an RSVP wedding, one hundred additional people showed up for dinner. Most people may not realize how Chef's always know how many people are eating dinner in a banquet hall, but we have our ways. First, we count every plate that gets put out on a buffet table or at the table where the guests sit. Next, we count every chair. After the 300 or so chairs, and plates have all been used for seating and eating, we know everyone who is supposed to be at the dinner is there. Also, the tables we use can only support so many people, and we happen to know that number. Sometimes we even count forks, knives, and spoons.

While looking for additional service ware for the additional 100 people, I sent my hostess out for a physical head count. The look on her face as she returned to the kitchen suggested that we may have other problems in addition to the extra 100 people who showed up either uninvited or at the least without an RSVP. It seems the brides' family invited their half of the guest without informing anyone of the need to RSVP, and there was an expectation that even more people would show up.

In all my years of being a chef, I thought I had encountered every food situation imaginable, but then I remembered the words of my first chef mentor telling me "no two days are ever alike in the restaurant business." I also thought about what his advice might be in a situation like this. Maybe he would tell me something like "get out of the kitchen, smile, go walk around and talk to the guests, tell them who you are ...". If there ever was a time when I no longer wished to be "the chef", this was one such moment. As for table visits, and announcing I was in charge of this event, NO WAY! I had a well founded fear that something more may go wrong.

Since I happened to be catering two other weddings that same day, I had additional food that could be served at this wedding and only needed to find additonal seating, plateware, and glassware to accomodate extra people. When chef's determine the amount of food to use at such parties, the standard practice is to prepare for an additonal 10 to 20% more than the number of expected guests. So I just moved some food from the other two parties to this one to accomodate the extra people and had the cooks prepare more for the next events. Food problem solved, right?

What happended next is what made this wedding stand out moreso than any I have ever catered. During the confusion over the extra guests, the grooms parents took exception to the brides parents having invited more people than their fare share. Of course that's not how the brides parents saw it at all. The brides parents accused the grooms parents of having sent out all the RSVP invitations to only their guests, leaving out the brides guests. Since the bride's family was paying, they sent out their own guest invitations. Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell the chef.

As the argument between the two families escalated into a full blown confrontation, the poor bride and groom retreated to the kitchen to be consoled by my staff. Unfortunately, the wedding dinner turned into Hatfield vs. McCoy and did not end well, but the marriage has continued to last to this day.

This is a true story, but the names of the wedding parties have been omitted to protect anonimity.

Brent Barbour

Cinammon Swirl Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Spiced Rum Glaze

Ingredients
For the batter:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cooked sweet potato meat (about 2 sweet potatoes)
3 eggs
3/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup toasted walnuts, crushed
For the glaze:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons spiced rum
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
Special equipment: bundt pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 10-cup bundt pan.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set the mixture aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, mash the sweet potato, leaving only a slight meaty texture. Whisk together the sweet potato and the eggs. Whisk in the warm water, then the sugar, then the oil followed by the vanilla extract. Stir in the dry ingredients until homogenous then fold in raisins and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes and invert onto a serving platter or cake stand.

Meanwhile, make the glaze:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan with the rum. Pull from the heat and whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice and serve

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT CHEESECAKE

Being a chef for over twenty five years has afforded me the opportunity to test and experiment with many cheesecake recipes. After having ran my experiments, some successful, some not so successful, I have come up with my own recipe that works everytime with little trouble. This recipe is the easiest and maybe the best I have used over the years and I hope it works just as well for you.

For the cheesecake crust:

10"springform pan

1 can vegetable oil or canola spray

1 package of cinammon graham crackers crushed or graham cracker crumbs sufficient to cover bottom of springform pan

1 C cookie crumbs

1 stick of cold butter

For the crust of the cheesecake, combine graham cracker and cookie crumbs with cold butter in food processor or by hand, making sure to incorporate all the butter with the crumbs. Spread evenly over bottom of springform pan which has been sprayed generously with vegetable spray. Press firmly in pan. You may use wax paper over the crumbs and a pastry roller to obtain an even crust. Refrigerate or freeze until crust is firm, usually 10 minutes.

1/4 lb of butter (1 stick)

Items needed for cheesecake filling

5 8oz blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature
2 C sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Vanilla extract to taste ( at least 2 T)
1/4 C lemon juice
1 T of butter

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, cream cheese, extract, and lemon juice together using a hand blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, making sure not to overmix. If you see lumps, keep blending.

After filling is smooth, pour into springform pan and shake gently to eliminate air holes. let rest on counter while oven is preheating to 350 degrees.

Placing Cheesecake on center rack in oven, bake for 30-40 minutes in a conventional oven. When done, center should be not be set and should be a little loose.

Tips and Tricks For Success:

All ingredients for the filling should be at room temperature.

For a brown top (french style) cheesecake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake cheesecake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn down to 350 degrees and continue.

Do not open oven prior to 30 minutes to check on cheesecake. Trust yourself and if you have to, look through the oven window.

Do not stick anything in cheesecake to check doneness-this will crack cheesecake.

Let cheesecake sit on counter or baking rack for at least 1 hour after cooking, prior to refrigeration.

If the room is cold, turn off oven and leave cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour with the door to oven slightly open. This will help prevent the top of cheesecake from splitting or cracking.

Do not overcook. If left in oven too long, cheesecake will crack everytime. It is best to undercook a cheesecake than to overcook it. An undercooked cheesecake will set firmly in refrigerator overnight.

If cheesecake cracks, do not fret it, the chessecake can be covered with fresh strawberries, cherries or fruit gel. The produce section of most stores will carry gel for cheesecakes which can be used to cover the mistake.

The center of cheesecake should shake like jello when done. When the whole cake can be shaken, moves as one piece and holds firm, the cake is done.

The cheesecake can be topped with the topping of your choice.

After cheescake has cooled to room temperature, freeze cheesecake in springform pan overnight before removing onto serving platter. Cut piecec while still partially forzen for clean easy cuts. Let frozen cheesecake thaw 1 hour prior to serving.