Grapeseed Chef

Closing remarks

2009-06-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well I tried but I can't go on like this. Not enough business to stay open. I have a finacial uphill battle now on my hands. It is what it is now and time to move on. I am proud of my accomplishments here and I learned a lot. A lot about cooking, creating, business, and people. So I served my last dinner (55 persons) on Monday to my son Sam's 8th grade class and parents. It was a lot of fun and it brought back lots of memories of a place full of life and full parking lot. I handled all the cooking and my kids served. I am not giving up on grapeseed or gluten free, somewhere, somehow it will be considered a great thing and I am going to be there. God bless.

Carlos

More Interest?

2009-05-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

In the past few days I have had many customers interested in gluten free. A couple were celiacs that were impressed that I knew so much about the disease and what care i took in the kitchen in preparing. There were a couple that had relatives that were gluten intolerant and new what I had to offer. Some word of mouth is getting around. I made the best gf torte yet, I got it down. I made three of them. It is great with strawberries and a red wine, the Kiona Lemberger especially.

End Of April Already

2009-04-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

I just realized that it had been over a month since my last entry. What a crazy time. Spring breaks (3 different ones) and Easter came and went so fast. And so much stuff to do still. I've had a few large groups which help but I sure could use more. The big weekend of Spring Barrel was not as lucrative as years past. No one really seems to be all that excited about what the summer will bring, yet there is optimism. I've made some more in roads to the grapeseed offerings, I can make some fries and then melt gouda cheese with reisling grapeseed on them and they are delicious. I can't call them gluten free because my fryer is still used for breaded items. But there are other things that I have an idea about that I will try. I won over a few fans for grapeseed during the weekend - Seattle area wine tasters that were impressed at what I did, especially with the flour. I just hope I can get a break and get the word out faster somehow. The feeling I get, internet sites I visit, and the blogs that I read all have to do with cooking gluten free at home and to be careful when going out. Two hurdles that I see are that people tend to see gluten free food as not very exciting or delicious and gluten intolerant people are not ready to trust a commercial restaurant. There is a lot of work to be done.

Getting Slower and More Behind

2009-03-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

I wish I could start at square one all over again but that would not be possible. There is so much that I know now that I could make this thing work. More effective advertising, better kitchen management, food cost control, and lower employee costs. I get good customers just not enough and it is getting tougher and tougher. I can't cut back anything more, I am down to bare bones now. I still feel good about grape seeds but I lack direction right now. I wanted to change the name of the Blue Goose to PGF Grapeseed but right now that is on hold but still a dream.

The Latest to Date

2009-02-10T17:52:00.001-08:00

Supposedly this is the week that my seeds are being analyzed by real scientists. I am so curious as to what they will find. So hopefully I can write more about it next time.
People are also asking a lot of questions about the container that I got on my counter next to the cash register. I have written on it "grapeseed for the the sidewalks", which I do use when there has been ice or snow. It does work. Some customers said that it might snow tonight so maybe I'll get one more use this winter.
Business is dragging and I sense that others are to. Not much movement or advertisement for Valentine's day or Red wine and chocolate weekend. It will be an interesting barometer of things to come or not come. I have my specials lined up as I have been stocking up little by little so that I wouldn't have to come up with a wad of cash for food stuffs all at one time.
God is good.

Gluten Free Clam Chowder

2009-01-31T17:05:00.001-08:00

Yes it is true, I did not use flour to make a roux for the chowder this past Friday. I just kept messing around and found the right combination of gluten free flours to keep the rich flavor of my clam chowder. I ended up using brown rice flour and riesling flour. This makes the chowder a letter darker in color but it tastes great. I mentioned it to my customers and they said it was still wonderful.

Gluten Free Food Demand

2009-01-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

A genetic disorder causes a persdon's immune system to attack his own body if he eats gluten, which is found in wheat and many other grains. Even the trace amounts in many packaged and processed foods can cause a variety of symptoms and trigger a reaction that destroys sufferers' small intestine.

Diagnoses of celiac disease have risen; about 120,000 cases had been diagnosed by this fall, compared with about 40,000 in 2003. This year alone, more than 800 new gluten-free foods have entered the market — more than six times as many as entered five years ago.
Consumers also say the products have improved in flavor and texture as manufacturers have developed new ingredients and cooking techniques.
Experts trace the increase in diagnoses — which led to a boom in demand for gluten-free products — to the 2003 release of a landmark study by the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. It estimated nearly one in every 133 Americans, or about 2.3 million people, has the genetic disorder, although most are undiagnosed. The study helped spread awareness of the disease, according to Alessio Fasano, medical director at the center.
U.S. sales of gluten-free food, roughly $700 million in 2006, are rising 15 percent to 25 percent a year, according to research firms Mintel International and Information Resources Inc. Manufacturers expect sales to remain strong because celiac sufferers don't outgrow the disease.
Along with people who are allergic to wheat, people with celiac remain manufacturers' target audience, although some consumers believe gluten-free food may help other problems.

Gluten-free baking is difficult, requiring a blend of rice, tapioca and other flours and the addition of substitutes such as xanthan gum.

Using Expandex, a modified tapioca starch introduced in the U.S. about two years ago, imparts a texture more like wheat's, makes baked goods rise higher and improves their shelf life.

Gluten free customers

2009-01-18T12:57:00.001-08:00

This past week end I had a couple of customers that were very interested in Gluten free offerings. One was for breakfast and one for lunch. I have made it obvious of the gluten free options at dinner but not lunch or breakfast. So I guess i should change that, time is running out. I owe so much and so little is coming in. I get good customers just not enough. I really believe that gluten free is a way to go, God please guide me and quell my anxiety. It is so difficult not to be.
My friend State Rep Larry Haler had an information presentation yesterday afternoon, not many people but many topics were covered. The bills in the current legislature, economy, taxes, teacher-student legislation, farming stuff, state fees (liquor license). Larry does a good job educating people on the legislative process and it is a nice atmosphere to have a discussion. I also got to share my idea about using grapeseed for roads and sidewalks. Next idea...how about grapeseed kitty litter?

Cabernet Pork Strips

2009-01-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

I really miss my kids working here with me. It was so much fun having them here during Christmas, I am a very lucky man to have them. This week I debuted my latest grapeseed creation - Cabernet Pork Loin Strips. I use the jam/spread that I made from the Cabernet skins instead of the seed. It took me a while to make it look presentable. The meat is cooked in a small portion of butter and then a couple of spoonfuls of the Cabernet. Because it is in strips, the meat cooks through quickly and stays moisty tender. It gives the pork a little sweetness but the real surprise is when after a couple fork fulls the cabernet starts to take over the senses. It is served over a bed of rice pilaf which takes on the flavor of the sauce made from the cooking of the pork (buttery sweet). This is surrounded by slices of cooked apples. It really is a good combination. Also in my creating this dish I tried lots of different wines with it and found that the Platinum #3 from Kestrel is a perfect match. It has a honey flavor that is wonderful with the way that the pork is prepared. I have served it about a dozen times now and have the cooking technique down fairly well.
Now for the lamb creation...

God Bless 2008

2008-12-31T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well it is New Years Eve and I think I am ready for dinner tonight. I hope I get a lot of business. I made a prime rib and some roasted red potatoes. They are both seasoned with a new rub that I made up with two of the ingredients being chardonnay and merlot grapeseed (what else). The prime rib smells great and the potatoes are starting to give the restaurant a nice aroma.

This year has been one of the most trying I have ever had. The economy, employees, food costs, gas prices, college costs, but there were also laughter, good friends, prayers, great conversations, and God's grace. Nothing stands still and nothing stays the same. There is a lot of work for me to do and I will focus my actions on God's guidance. The world is measuring 2008 by the lack of economic success, which is true. To get me through all of that I have to look at it not through the world's measurment but through God's. God measures us not by success but by how faithful we were to him. God bless you all, 2008 wasn't too bad after all.

Gluten Free Chocolate Torte

2008-12-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

Well I perfected a new gluten free dessert. A chocolate torte that I adapted from a recipe that I found in a Latin American Cookbook. I used almond flour, Malbec flour (both which I ground myself) and reisling flour for the "Cake layers" and I added Merlot flour to the chocolate mixture for the inbetween layers. It is very good, I took it to a party last night and it was a hit. A classmate of my daughters likes it with milk. For those of legal age, a nice ruby port provides a nice pairing.

A New Dish

2008-12-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

I have been looking to get a good pork dish created using grapeseed. I finally found it but with a twist. I will be putting a Cabernet Pork on my gluten free menu. The cabernet that I am using is the spread/jam that I made from the grape skins. I made many versions before I came up with the right combination. I will be putting it on a bed of flavored rice that is a perfect match. I also got a great wine to match it. Coming soon...

Business is still slow. The combination of the economy and the snow is not helping things much but we have a good God and I lean on him for strength and guidance. My kids will be my only help for the next couple of weeks as Lucas and Andy are home from college and Carina is on break also.

Since I have so much grapeseed in the back patio, I swept some up today and ground it up and spread it out on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. I figure it has to be better than sand or salt. I got a big bucket of it here under the desk to use this winter. I don't think that is a crazy use of it, it is very practical and free.

More grapeseed pairings

2008-12-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

I got some new Smoked Gouda Cheese with Riesling Grape seed in it. It is wonderful cheese and it has been a hit here at the restuarant. The cheese has been aged about ninety days and the seeds have become tender and are easy to eat. They add a little more flavor to the cheese. There have to be more matches of cheese to seed.

Grape skin jam/spread

2008-11-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

Made a bunch of "jam/jelly" out of grape skins. Filled 60 jars with different varieties. I call them spreads because I didn't add very much sugar and no pectin. I wanted it to keep the character of the grape variety. Some are sweeter than others, some a little tart but all are wonderful. I have a Syrah Spread, Merlot Spread, Malbec Spread, Cabernet Spread and a 306 Spread (merlot, malbec, and cabernet). The cabernet has lots of character, very strong flavors. The Syrah is the sweetest, the Malbec is very pleasing, and the Merlot is better if blended. The 306 blend is the best. I have a couple of other blends in my cooler right now - Syrah/Merlot and a Cabernet/Malbec, both are very good. I have a lot of skin that will make quite a bit of spread. You can find it on sale at the restaurant and this weekend at Cowan Vineyards during Thanksgiving in wine country.

Radio Interview

2008-11-19T18:01:00.001-08:00

Was interviewed by KONA radio yesterday morning. They were interested in what I was doing with grape seed. I got a chance to talk about how I came up with the idea, that the various seeds do have a different flavor profile, and what creations I have come up with. So let's see if that creates a little curiosity and business.

I have been making some thick syrups/jelly from the skins. I did it on a whim and the results look positive. Of course there is a limited supply and time when I can get them so it is something I can plan for next year and another thing for the future Grapeseed Cookbook.

Grapeseed Harvest

2008-11-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

I have collected many varieties of seed this fall from a lot of wineries. It has been fun and it has been a lot of work to dry and separate the seed from the stems and skins. Then I have been saving the skins also do to something with them. Needless to say, my back patio at the restaurant is a big grape seed mess. I do have some thoughts of what I want to pair the new seeds with. So more work and more fun...