murder by killer
the new guy, killer, has been dubbed so because of his affinity for assassinating the spot prawns to order. those wriggly bastards don’t want any part of it, but their place in the cosmos limits their ability to do anything about it, except flail. we’re doing a great many things with them while we have them, and that period of time is as finite for us as it is for everyone else in the area.
porchetta
sunday night is newly “roast pork dinner night” at campagnolo, and i’m kinda responsible for roasting that pork. i’d like to thank the first two groups of patrons that were subject to my learning experience, because i really didn’t have a grasp of how to do it the best way. last weekend’s edition of the roast went better, however, and now i’m feeling pretty good about tender meat and preciously crispy skin.
honouring traditions
I do believe this post has been done before. However, ‘Farewell Lasagna’ is a tradition here at Roma, and traditions must be honoured.
Started by a Brother Jake, when a member of the kitchen is departing for new adventures, he/she must prepare a delicious lasagna for staff meal, and everyone is invited to sit down and enjoy. Pictured here is the Roma Crew, with an impromptu appearance from the Brother Jake himself.
I would personally like to thank everyone involved over the last year, here at Campagnolo Roma. It has changed my life, all for the better. Best of luck, Romans.
ramps
this year was the first year i’ve ever worked with ramps, but i’ve been hearing about them for quite a while now. the hype around these things is a little bit much, they are after all just another member of the onion family. don’t be confused, i do like ramps, but after all of that hype i found myself not head over heels, but merely glad to have something new to cook with. i suppose that’s the biggest deal about them, their newness. i’d liken the flavour of the bulbs to that of a scallion, but more garlicky. the greens were the best part and were useful in a raw state, as a pesto, lightly cooked, or on a pizza. i’d liken my experience with ramps to what it would be to be told that aliens do indeed exist and i would get to meet one, only to realize they’re just like us, but with slightly pointed ears. in summary, ramps are good, but i’m not about to get a tattoo of one.this year was the first year i’ve ever worked with ramps, but i’ve been hearing about them for quite a while now. the hype around these things is a little bit much, they are after all just another member of the onion family. don’t be confused, i do like ramps, but after all of that hype i found myself not head over heels, but merely glad to have something new to cook with. i suppose that’s the biggest deal about them, their newness. i’d liken the flavour of the bulbs to that of a scallion, but more garlicky. the greens were the best part and were useful in a raw state, as a pesto, lightly cooked, or on a pizza. i’d liken my experience with ramps to what it would be to be told that aliens do indeed exist and i would get to meet one, only to realize they’re just like us, but with slightly pointed ears. in summary, ramps are good, but i’m not about to get a tattoo of one.
super doofer 2.0
reheating barbecue takes some tender heat. thus the super doof 2.0 was born. an 80l hot tub now resides on sugar’s section.
*doofer etymology: coined by chef lee humphries, doofer can be applied to any object, action or person.
pasta party
an inconvenient departure has forced me into the role of sous chef/pasta maker at campagnolo for the time being. the truth is, i’ve been meaning to learn the role for some time, but never made a point of getting to it. so, for the last 5 days, i’ve been getting to know our noodles and the machine that makes them. we make 4 extruded noodles to supply both campagnolo and roma: spaghetti, tonarelli, rigatoni, and tagliatelle. there are recipes for each, but conditions like weather, humidity, and temperature effect the end product, and so the level of hydration needs to be tinkered with throughout production. there is a fine line between garbage and greatness, and it requires a keen eye for detail and immunity to monotony to stay on the right side of the two. the pasta machine, as well as the operator, are integral to our operations. aside from occasional visits from the rest of the team, i was more or less left to my own devices while rolling out the dough, hence the photo, which is a pasta portrait of one of our dishwashers, miles.
cure day
in the beginning, the cure was chef rb transforming whole pigs into various salumi and cured goods. he taught others to do things the right way, and now others continue in his stead. here we have a honey badger, a chef lrg, and a chef ted, all present in the wee hours of a thursday, getting things done.
making faces
i have plated a lot of food. sometimes i inadvertently make faces out of the food, and hilarity ensues. this adorable pizza was made on purpose, for a staff member. a bubble even formed to make a little nose.
happy pigs/happy cooks
we use sloping hill pork from the island. and as the previous post mentioned, we like to use all of them. before these ears wound up in the stock pot, they proved useful as props.
life is full of surprises
we put a half pigs head on the menu at dragon, not thinking that it would be a big seller. two weeks in a row, however, it has sold out. our pork only gets slaughtered once a week, so we can’t just run to the store and grab a couple pig’s heads if we get in the juice. lesson learned: we bumped the standing order up, and are ready for action.
