April, Come She Will

Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself over the slim profit margins common to the restaurant world I console myself with the thought, "At least I'm not a farmer." Because not only are we talking slim margins but when there has been rain like we've been having this spring, perhaps no margin.

I'm not one to complain about the rain for my own sake. Sure, I like a lovely day, like we had Thursday, but I don't mind getting wet. I've got a good raincoat. But thinking about what this weather is going to do to produce this year....

It's not just produce either. When it's constantly raining the ocean is often too rough for fishermen to go out. At least too rough for our locals in their small boats.

Plus, when it's raining here very often it's snowing in the Sierras and people inclined to visit us decide to go skiing instead. So I guess it's a good thing there isn't much in the way of fish or vegetables since I won't need to order much.

Our pig farmer came in for dinner last night and I was able to feed him some of his own pig's salted liver. He loved it so I gave him some to take home since it's not something we're having much success selling. Definitely one of those items I'll have to slip into a sampler. But the fermented sausages, the coppa and the molasses cured ham are still at least a couple of weeks from done and the liver won't last.

I picked up some preserved rose at New May Wah on my last trip which has been a big hit with the kitchen crew. It tastes much like the preserved strawberries. I'm thinking I may finally do the Idlewild dish I threatened previously. A rose parfait, with chunks of rose syrup soaked cake, a rose water panna cotta, julienned preserved rose with maybe a little lemon mousse. Roseability. Gertrude Stein says that's enough. I'll also try a chocolate caramel tart. On one of our last trips I tried two, one from Pascal Rigo's Boulangerie on Pine, the other from Ame. Both were good but I took it a step further with a very chocolaty, almost bitter crust.

That is, if I get any cooking done. The GM has had a nasty flu for the past week, the worst she's had in 12 years at least, so I'll be out on the floor tonight.

Comments

[Kudzu]

Glad to see you can look at your world through rose-colored glasses (full of parfait).

It has been a devastating winter for our food producers. We should try to support them as much as we can while they get back on their feet again.

Hope the coming week brings sunshine and calmer waters and no more flu. Buona Pasqua!

[cedichou]

Hope the GM gets back on her feet soon. Any thoughts on Ame? The dessert there I found thoroughly disappointing. Did not get the choc caramel tart, but everything there sounded boring. What we ended getting (a banana ice cream sundae and a carrot cake) was made with perfect ingredients, but was boring indeed. Maybe that's why you feel the need to take it a step further.