FOLLOW YOUR PASSION....

You hear all the time about following your passion.  I remember advising a high school graduate getting ready to pick out their major for college that they should pick a major doing something that they love (although at 18 I don’t think there’s a texting and partying major, :D).  The point is to pursue your passion.  There is probably no higher achievement or greater happiness than earning a living off of what you love.  That’s not a job.  That’s not work.  That’s a REAL CAREER.  That’s smiling when you wake up in the morning (or afternoon, depending on your passion) to start working.  That’s smiling WHILE you’re working.  And even when it gets hard, you’re still driven because you’re doing what you love.

Well at some point, I had to put this into practice for myself.  I’ve been notorious for GIVING great advice and not taking it.  Well, I’m starting to put an end to that.  So I had to think.  What is my passion?  What do I love to do more than anything?  And it hit me.  Eating and cooking.  I mean, I’m a big guy.  I LOVE eating and LOVE coming up with new recipes (yeah, that’s a real fatboy admission right there, lol).  But what I love more is watching people enjoy something that I’ve made.  And I know so many people do too.  There’s nothing like that look when someone is really getting pleasure from something you’ve created.

So I’m getting my skills up!!!  Taking some classes, learning the art of presentation, improving my palette (I love that word!) and expanding the repertoire.  As I’m doing that, one of the first things I noticed was how ineffective I was cutting things.  I actually base that on watching those cooking shows and seeing the Iron Chefs chop things up like ninjas without as much as nicking a fingernail when the back of my hands look like Freddy Krueger woke me up.  So I thought this video on knife cutting techniques would help some people.  This guy, Norman Weinstein, makes it seem real easy, but the way he explains it and demonstrates it is very easy to follow.  He has a DVD that you can purchase and I suggest going out and getting it or taking a class on knife cutting techniques.  You’ll be surprised how much this helps and is the start with getting your culinary on.

GM