Getting "high" on cooking good food

All of my young "stoner" line cooks look at me like I'm nuts every day. I must look nuts to people that don't have that passion for good food as I do. Being sober for two and a half years(11 years on the restaurant scene in Aspen about killed me)and it's nice to get off on something so simple. I get so excited when I smell the yeast, and roll the dough. And when a few sheet pans of perfect bread come out of the oven, I forget all my stresses of busy restaurant life for a few moments and I am "high". Try explaining this to a 21 year old ski bum that is cooking to pay for his bar-hopping bills. I went camping last night with the ingredients to cook a killer meal. The campsite next to me was a big party. Here I was, by myself, preparing my meal and I was content. I made fettucine with fresh morels, chantrelles,lobster mushrooms, freshly shelled English peas and sweet corn shaved off the cob in a cream sauce. A hunk of homemade sourdough doused with oil and garlic, wrapped in foil, sitting in the coals of the fire. I kept hearing the hooting and hollering associated with a fun night of camping and drinking and yet I was in my own world of good food, "higher" than any booze or drugs could get me.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 06:08 am: Edit

Maturing, I think is the term Chris, it's a beautiful thing!!!!!
Do you have any kids???.....it's even better then the cooking when you have one!!!!

By Chefgibz0 (Chefgibz0) on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 08:45 am: Edit

"Maturing, I think is the term Chris, it's a beautiful thing!!!!!"
Nothing like sugar coatin it for him Manny....I thought the term was "Domestication" even more so when you have kids. The days of sleepin til noon or later...up till 4 in da mornin are loooooooong gone. Now if I am not sleepin by 10:30 I am a bear at work the next day. "hey peel that flat of grapes for me....no not with your knife you fingers fool"...lol No I get what ya both mean...I love the smell of yeast and good bread proofin even if it is bacteria pissing. And the way a tenderly reduced demi coats your tongue with gelatenous goodness...omg As for having kids..........when you truely, truely are imersed in the experience no drug man made or given of God can compare. Kids and Cookin....what life is all about....well the preparation of both is more like it!!!

By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 08:48 am: Edit

I can relate. Though I'd consider myself fairly young at the ripe age of 27 (Aug 11) I quit drinking almost 5years ago. Yep, that young I saw the light that drinking and partying was pointless and really just stupid. That's not to say that I won't have a beer w/ a buddy, but I limit myself to just that... a beer (or two).
There's nothing better than tasting the skettie sauce and drooling over it, or crunching into the crispy crust to get to the soft middle of some good bread. Damn, I'm hungry! lol

By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 12:05 pm: Edit

Well, could anyone tell you before you wanted to hear it?, being young is a good time to be young, boozing and smoking pot at 40 is another thing.
Those who are young, sober and smart are usually in some other line of work anyway so..
work with what ya got.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 01:49 am: Edit

well lets see,...i have about 17 years clean and sober.
but for me none of that smell, taste stuff changed, cause i started baking-cooking only a few years after i started doing all that crap, around 13 years old.
( i say crap only for me, for any of you it could be good )
like whats his name, jonesg said, do it while your young. DON'T do it at work, and just be careful and have fun while your young.
it (life) goes real fast when you hit 25.
and one day you wake up and your Manny!!!!
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa......................

By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Friday, August 20, 2004 - 06:22 pm: Edit

lol

By Fritz (Fritz) on Saturday, August 21, 2004 - 10:33 pm: Edit

Can't comment on the 'fun' part of Life In General - I like to have my glass of wine while I cook, & while I clean up - drink when I paint, too... Out of a Mickey Mouse glass, so I don't knock it over.... & I am given to embarassing myself periodically, still.

However, as far as the bells & whistles of getting a buzz off food preparation... Yes, I get it, when it goes just right.

I guinea pig w/ my guests, & I'm doing breakfast/brunch, so *someone's* usually hung over, & it's a gamble (but they came for the casinos, after all....).

My favorite 'high' was when I had 2 couples who were here together.... I sauteed some yellow squash the night before, to incorporate w/ my lavender/lemon zest pancakes... I put a single round slice of the squash on either side of the cakes... & I white-knuckled it, because these folks were not 'foodies', by any stretch.

After a few minutes post-serve, the *last* 1 I would have expected to be thrilled looked up & said, "Sherry... These are hands down the BEST pancakes I've ever had, in my entire life!"

I grant you... Pancakes are not complicated fare, but, since I am not good w/ cake-y bake-y things, it meant a lot to me, especially since I don't like breakfast food, & therefore never sample it myself.
My favorite thing is to get folks to *try* foods they never have, while maintaining a balance w/ the familiar, so they do not have to step out of their 'comfort zone', if they really don't want to.
Fritz

By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 01:40 pm: Edit

Cvincolorado,

If you've been sober for 2 1/2 yrs, how about some tolerance for those who aren't ready to get sober, if it took you that long, let them have the same Gift of pain.
Its a mistake to deny others the priveledge of their own self inflicted suffering because thats the only thing which makes em realize.

I deal a bit with the same situations as yourself , its better to plant a seed of truth in them than speak down to them from a sober high horse. As if they'd listen, would you?
Regards, Gerard

By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 09:04 am: Edit

Jesus Saves *8)

By Fritz (Fritz) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:22 pm: Edit

Julia Saves, now.

-(;o)~

By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:30 pm: Edit

Well, maybe she could save a broken hollandaise...but not even Julia could save a broken life. I know, you weren't serious Fritz, I just couldn't resist :-)

By Fritz (Fritz) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:52 pm: Edit

DOH!!!!!

-(;o)~