Jenn-Air Dual-Fuel Range

Finally, after dealing with the crappy, original glass-top electric range in our house for as long as possible, I’ve had enough. Generally, modern glass-top electric ranges run the spectrum from crappy to very good. This old battlehorse was probably the very first one ever built, before the technology had progressed, so it had gotten a bit, well, slow over the years.

In fact, if I took your palm and placed it flat on the biggest burner on the range, turned that burner up to high, within 30-45 minutes you’d say, “Gee… I might need to start thinking about moving this hand in a little while”. Yes. It was that slow (well, maybe not really, but it was slow).

So, feeling flush from my recent ongoing adjunct teaching gig at Midwest Culinary Institute, I decided to purchase an upgraded range. And boy, did I!

After careful & considerable research, I decided on a Jenn-Air Stainless Double Oven Dual-Fuel Range. “Dual-fuel” means that the ovens are electric and the 5-burner continuous-surface cooktop is gas (pictured top right of this article). The larger of the two ovens is convection. The cooktop ranges from 600 BTUs to 16,000, so we’ve got a good spread there.

Chris, an guy specializing in such things, came to finish the gas line to the stove and to make sure that the ovens were perfectly level (Wendy had grown tired of lopsided cakes from the old oven). The old oven was quickly claimed by a guy from FreeCycle.ORG (a truly wonderful service if you’ve got stuff to get rid of) and was out of our lives.

The new stove is awesome. I am really, really happy with my purchase, and I got a great deal (and great service) from Bridgeville Appliance in Pennsylvania. Work with Jim there — he’s a nice, honest guy.

Here are some specs on my range…

Control Panel

• Customization options include control lockout and 72-hour Sabbath Mode.
• Bread Proofing protects bread dough from room temperature changes or drafts during proofing.
• Electronic oven controls with keypad entry activate with just a light touch.
• Electronic clock with timer provides a sleek look and easy operation.
• Auto Convection Conversion takes the guesswork out of convection cooking for consistent results.
• Drying feature makes it easy to dry fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers in the oven.
• Favorite Setting makes it easy to program and save the oven settings for a favorite family recipe.
• Cook & Hold setting keeps food warm in the oven for up to one hour after the preset cook time has expired.
• Keep Warm option keeps food warm while you’re waiting for guests to arrive or finishing up the meal.
• Delay-start cooking and cleaning puts your oven to work while you’re doing other things.

Cooktop

• Five sealed gas burners with lift-off burner caps provide easy cleanup and great cooking flexibility.
• Gas cooking surface provides the excellent heating control cooks prefer.
• SureFlame ignition protection prevents flame from being accidentally extinguished by drafts.
• Ultra high performance 16,000 BTU burner offers quick heat-up for boiling.
• Ultra low output simmer burner reduces to 600 BTUs for heating delicate sauces.
• Porcelain-on-cast iron burner grates are durable and stylish.
• Infinite surface control settings provide pinpoint temperature control for gourmet cooks.

Exterior

• Brushed stainless finish control knobs provide a sleek style accent that enhances any décor.
• Extra-large Panaview oven window allows you to see what’s cooking, without opening the door.
• Stainless steel towel bar oven door handle combines form with function for a distinctive look.
• Double oven cooking flexibility in a range that fits in the same space as a traditional range.

Oven

• Electric Two-Speed MultiMode convection oven provides Convect Bake, Convect Roast and Drying capabilities for outstanding results.
• Electric double ovens allow you to cook two different foods at two different temperatures.
• Two ovens allow you to cook two different foods at two different temperatures.
• Create-A-Space half-rack in lower oven converts from a full-width oven rack to provide extra room for a side dish.
• 5.22 cu. Ft. overall capacity provides ample space to cook an entire meal with ease.
• CustomClean self-cleaning oven enables you to match cleaning levels to soil buildup to keep oven sparkling clean.
• Bread Proofing, Drying, Cook & Hold and Keep Warm options expand oven capabilities.
• Upper oven is fully-equipped with bake, broil, toast and keep warm function to meet most of your basic cooking needs.

Performance

• Gas cooking surface provides the excellent heating control cooks prefer.
• Electric double ovens allow you to cook two different foods at two different temperatures.
• Infinite surface control settings provide pinpoint temperature control for gourmet cooks.
• Ultra high performance 16,000 BTU burner offers quick heat-up for boiling.
• Ultra low output simmer burner reduces to 600 BTUs for heating delicate sauces and melting chocolate.

Wednesday, July 16 2008 was a Wine Dinner event at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. It was hosted by Chef Matt Winterrowd and the cooking staff of The Summit restaurant, and they did a great job.

First Course
Scallops with gnocchi and fava beans served with Basa Blanco Rueda 2007

Soft-shell crab

Second Course
Soft shell crab with black beans, avocado, lime and chilies with Vega Sindoa Chardonnay 2006

Roasted Pork

Third Course
Roasted Pork with tomatillo, jicama and plaintain with Tres Picos Garnacha 2006

Grilled Wagyu

Fourth Course
Grilled Wagyu Hanger Steak with Porcini, Polenta and Pecorino and kale with Bodegas Volver Tempranillo 2005 and Altos De Luzon 2004

Cheese course

Fifth Course
Cheese Tray of LaSerena, raw sheep, Spain
Drunken Goat, Spain
Mrs. Quickes Cheddar, England
Bleu d/Auvergne, France
and white chocolate truffle with Jorge Ordonez Especial Muscat 2005

On June 24, 2008, version 2.1 of the hydrocolloid recipe collection edited by Martin Lersch was released. This excellent collection is a useful (and free!) resource for those of us interested in molecular gastronomy. See below for download links for the PDF of the current version as well as the previous two versions. A PDF reader is required to view or print this document. (Please see the note below about printing.)

Lersch describes this new version, excerpted from his blog post:

This new version includes corrections of typos, minor additions to the property tables, plus an important update in the gelatin section and a recipe for agar filtration.

Thanks to feedback from a reader there is also recipe now for agar filtration (based on a Spanish forum post). This works just like gelatin filtration, but is much faster. Apparently you get more or less the same results with regard to clarity, flavor and color.

If printing the collection, make sure the hydrocolloid properties table is rotated so it prints correctly. This table is presented in landscape format. The right most column of the first page is gelatin - if you don’t see it, try printing these pages again. The pages are optimized for printing on A4. If printing on Letter sized paper, make sure you check the “resize” or “fit to paper” option in your pdf reader.

Lersch, from the Forward of the new edition:

A hydrocolloid can simply be defined as a substance that forms a gel in contact with water. Such substances include both polysaccharides and proteins which are capable of one or more of the following: thickening and gelling aqueous solutions, stabilizing foams, emulsions and dispersions and preventing crystallization of saturated water or sugar solutions.

In the recent years there has been a tremendous interest in molecular gastronomy. Part of this interest has been directed towards the “new” hydrocolloids. The term “new” includes hydrocolloids such as gellan and xanthan which are a result of relatively recent research, but also hydrocolloids such as agar which has been unknown in western cooking, but used in Asia for decades. One fortunate consequence of the increased interest in molecular gastronomy and hydrocolloids is that hydrocolloids that were previously only available to the food industry have become available in small quantities at a reasonable price. A less fortunate consequence however is that many have come to regard molecular gastronomy as synonymous with the use of hydrocolloids to prepare foams and spheres. I should therefore emphasize that molecular gastronomy is not limited to the use of hydrocolloids and that it is not the intention of this collection of recipes to define molecular gastronomy.

Along with the increased interest in hydrocolloids for texture modification there is a growing scepticism to using “chemicals” in the kitchen. Many have come to view hydrocolloids as unnatural and even unhealthy ingredients. It should therefore be stressed that the hydrocolloids described in this collection are all of biological origin. All have been purified, some have been processed, but nevertheless the raw material used is of either marine, plant, animal or microbial origin. Furthermore hydrocolloids can contribute significantly to the public health as they allow the reduction of fat and/or sugar content without loosing the desired mouth feel. The hydrocolloids themselves have a low calorific value and are generally used at very low concentrations.

One major challenge (at least for an amateur cook) is to find recipes and directions to utilize the “new” hydrocolloids. When purchasing hydrocolloids, typically only a few recipes are included. Personally I like to browse several recipes to get an idea of the different possibilities when cooking. Therefore I have collected a number of recipes which utilize hydrocolloids ranging from agar to xanthan. In addition to these some recipes with lecithin (not technically a hydrocolloid) have been included. Recipes for foams that do not call for addition of hydrocolloids have also been included for completeness. Some cornstarch recipes have been included to illustrate it’s properties at different consentrations. Recipes where flour is the only hydrocolloid do not fall within the scope of this collection as these are sufficiently covered by other cook books.

All recipes have been changed to SI units which are the ones preferred by the scientific community (and hopefully soon by the cooks as well). In doing so there is always uncertainty related to the conversion of volume to weight, especially powders. As far as possible, brand names have been replaced by generic names. Almost all recipes have been edited and some have been shortened significantly. To allow easy comparison of recipes the amount of hydrocolloid used is also shown as mass percentages and the recipes are ranked in an ascending order. In some recipes, obvious mistakes have been corrected. But unfortunately, the recipes have not been tested, so there is no guarantee that they actually work as intended and that the directions are complete, accurate and correct. It appears as if some of the recipes are not optimized with regard to proper dispersion and hydration of the hydrocolloids which again will influence the amount of hydrocolloid used. It is therefore advisable to always consult other similar recipes or the table with the hydrocolloid properties. The recipes have been collected from various printed and electronic sources and every attempt has been made to give the source of the recipes.

Since recipes can neither be patented nor copyrighted, every reader should feel free to download, print, use, modify, and further develop the recipes contained in this compilation. The latest version will be available for download from this page and will also be announced on Khymos blog. I would like to thank readers for giving me feedback and suggestions on how to improve the collection. Feedback, comments, corrections and new recipes are always welcome to webmaster at  khymos dot org.

Download:

• Texture - A hydrocolloid recipe collection (version 2.1, June 2008) - 1.6 Mb
• Texture - A hydrocolloid recipe collection (version 2, May 2008) - 1.8 Mb
• Hydrocolloid recipe collection (version 1, August 2007) - 433 kB

One of the most important, in my opinion, events in Cincinnati is happening this week – 7 DAYS FOR SIDS.

7 DAYS FOR SIDS was launched after the tragic loss of Tatiana de Cavel to SIDS in 2002.

The program, which is the largest fundraiser for SIDS research in the country, was started shortly after. Chefs from all types of restaurants in the Cincinnati area donate their time and talent to raise money for this vital research. Retailers and other interested parties also participate in various ways.

Check out the website (http://www.7daysforsids.com) for the complete schedule, and support it if you can.

Because when we put an end to SIDS, we all sleep better at night.

Full disclosure: I am a member of the 7 DAYS FOR SIDS planning committee.

I earned my Certified Culinarian!

The Summit Room at Midwest Culinary Institute
Sensational Wine Dinner
January 8, 2008
Chef Alan Neace
Wine pairings by Chef Neace & Laura Landoll, Vintage Wine Distributors. Wine commentary, below, provided by Laura Landoll.

Champagne Welcome

Smoke-Roasted Corn Chowder with Petite Blue Crab and Shrimp-filled Morel
FOOD: Wonderfully silky, smooth chowder with a flavor that rich and full (there was smoked cheese in there), yet a light texture, topped with a nice garnish of a slice of morel mushroom that had been stuffed with blue crab and shrimp, then poached.
2005 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran, White Burgundy
WINE: Saint-Veran is very close stylistically to Pouilly-Fuisse, with its golden green hue, its intense fruity, flowery nose and its refreshing flavors. It can be enjoyed very young (two to three months after bottling). An independent, family-owned firm that is 125 years old — this is very rare today! Eleven of the world’s leading wine families, each a recognized leader in its region, have created an international association, named Primum Familiae Vini (”Leading Wine Families”) or P.F.V.

Cobenerro Crusted Sea Bass with Quark Spaetzle and Cucumber-orange Compote
FOOD: A generous portion of sea bass crusted with cobenerro spices (a Guatalaman spice blend), served with spaetzle that were crisp on the outside with a tender chew on the inside. The compote provided a brightness and acidity to the dish, and it was a very nice, complete flavor profile.
2006 Domaine Sigalas Santorini, Assyrtiko
WINE: Assyrtiko is one of Greece’s finest white grape varieties and is planted throughout Greece. It was first cultivated on the island of Santorini, where it has developed a unique character producing excellent A.O.C. wines. Assyrtiko has the ability to maintain its acidity as it ripens. It yields a bone-dry wine that has citrus aromas mixed with an earthy, mineral aftertaste due to the volcanic soil of Santorini. A light yellow color with green highlights citrus flavors, and a lemon intensity, particular of the grape variety.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salpicon with Oven-dried Cherry Vinaigrette and Elfin Greens
FOOD: A flavorful bound salad (a Salpicon is a chopped, bound salad) with quinoa (oh, I adore quinoa), presented in a base of a cucumber ring, garnished with micro elfin greens (no hobbits in sight), and presented with a crescent-shaped cracker. The dressing was painted on the plate, and was very flavorful and a good acidic compliment to the salad. A very nice presentation and flavor.
2006 Chateau de Campuget Rose Rhone, Syrah/Grenache
WINE: Chateau de Campuget, which belongs to the Dalle family since 1941, is producing A.O.C. Costieres de Nimes wines. Their vineyard, of 160 hectares, is situated in the heart of the A.O.C. area, between Nimes and Arles, a few kilometers from the right side of the Rhone river. Grape composition: 30% Grenache noir, 70% syrah. Its color is an intense peony pink. Its bouquet is very aromatic, with scents of small red fruits such as raspberries or black currants. In the mouth, there is a perfect balance between vivacity and mellowness.

Sumac-rubbed Roast Pork Tenderloin Roulade with Ratatouille, Haricot Vert, aromatic infused pear, chive fragranced polenta cake, and sauce diable
FOOD: Gosh darn it, not enough people use Sumac when cooking. Its delicate, slightly citrus-y flavor was a nice addition to the pork tenderloin roulade. The tenderloin was trimmed & skinned, and the edible cut-offs were made into a farce that was placed atop the tenderloin (secured using powdered egg whites — “meat glue“, as Chef called it) and wrapped in caul fat before being seared off and roasted. Each of the components of the dish — ratatouille, pear, polenta, and verts — paired well with the tenderloin and, taken all in one bite were tasty, but sometimes the flavor profiles were muddy when mixing & matching components. For example, pear + pork == tasty. Pear + pork + ratatouille == less so.
2006 Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir
WINE: A beautiful wine that truly expresses the terroir of the red, volcanic earth where it was grown. Aromas of red fruits, violets, clove, and tea leaf. Flavors mirror aromas with juicy bing cherry, lavender, earth, and mineral followed by an elegant finish that lingers with spicy cinnamon and clove notes. The mouth-feel is round and generous with a concentrated mid-palate and good acidity. Appealing now, but will further reward those who cellar this wine. This wine is Salmon Safe, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
&
2005 Consentino Winery, Sangiovese
WINE: Spicy, exotic red and black fruit with hints of clove in the nose. A vibrantly colored, rich and concentrated, yet brightly balanced wine on the palate. A round, rich, and balanced wine that evolves into an intense mixed berry sensation with ripe tannins in the center. An elegant white pepper note finishes this richly textured wine. Grape composition: 92% Sangiovese, 2% Petite Sirah, 2% Early Burgundy, 2% Merlot, and 2% Alicante.

Delicate Pistachio and Cranberry Cake with terrine of cream medley, Tellicherry red wine sauce, and chocolate decor
FOOD: I enjoyed helping Chef prepare and refine this recipe. The original concept was modified to substitute almond paste for the tardy pistachio paste, and we bumped up the flavor of the cranberry center by rethinking the filling. Each cake — which was individually made — required that batter be added to the silicone mold, a filling of thick, red cranberry gelee added, then the mold ‘topped off’ with a bit more cake batter, sealed, and baked off. When opened, the cakes oozed a ruby red center.
2003 Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls
WINE: Les Clos de Paulilles is owned and managed by the Daure family, the preeminent wine growing family of the Roussillon. The entire vineyard is hand-harvested when the Grenache has reached exceptional degrees of ripeness — a minimum of 15 degrees. The grapes are crushed but not de-stemmed into stainless steel vats. Neutral grape spirit is added during fermentation — a process called “mutage” — after the wine is allowed to macerate for a full six weeks. The wines are pressed after maceration. Bottling occurs the Spring following the vintage, and the wines are aged in-bottle in climate-controlled cellars for a minimum of two years. Dark black-purple red with intense blackberry jam aroma and succulent, rich flavors. A superb dessert wine. Grape composition: 100% Black Grenache.

This dinner was very successful, and set the bar for meals to come.

The Summit Room at Midwest Culinary Institute
Sensational Wine Dinner
December 11, 2007
Chef Arthur Leech

Tuesday, December 11, 2007 marked the inaugural Wine Dinner at Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. As part of the planning team, I worked with College administration, Samantha Smith (from E&J Gallo Winery) and Carmen Parks (formerly of Rondo’s restaurant) to organize this, the first of our monthly Wine Dinners. It was gratifying to see this event come to life, and to have it so well-attended (somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 people attended the event).

Chef Arthur Leech provided the following menu, paired with wines by Samantha Smith.

Hors d’Oeuvres
Barefoot Brut Champagne

Spicy Asian Pepper Seared Wild Caught Salmon with a fresh thyme lemon vinaigrette
Martin Codax Albarino, 2006

Granny Smith Apple Chestnut Soup with Saffron Creme Fraiche
Bridlewood Reserve Viognier, 2006

Duck Confit & Roasted Mushroom Potato Lasagna resting on sauteed baby spinach and raspberry braised beets
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, 2006
&
Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, 2004

Cheese Sampling of Brie, Compote, French Blue, and Manchego drizzled with Mission Fig Syrup
Bridlewood Reserve Syrah, 2003

Peach, Apple, and Golden Raisin Rustic Tarts with moscato and honey reduction, creme anglaise
Moscato, N.V.

The meal was neither too conservative nor too ‘wild’, which was appropriate for the first time. We, as a planning committee, needed to begin to understand our audience and where their tastes are.

I recently started reading Charcuterie & French Pork Cookery by Jane Grigson, originally published in 1967. It is both an interesting historical document and an excellent introduction to charcuterie. The recipes are classics and, while rather uncomplicated by today’s standards, still yield excellent results.

I am reading it because a chef-friend of mine is opening a new place this year, and she’s very interested in preparing charcuterie in-house and has invited me to assist them in getting up and running.

On Saturday, June 16, 2007, I worked in the kitchens of Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. It was a good evening to work — the Chef de Cuisine and one of the line cooks were both out. Adequate plans for coverage were made, though — the sous chef from one of Jean-Robert’s other restaurants worked the “middle” (between fish and meat), I was there, and there were two high school-aged girls volunteering as well. It’s rare to see volunteers there because the kitchen is so small, but the girls stayed mostly out of the way.

Before service, I assisted with general prep. When Chef arrived, he pulled me downstairs to assist him (it was fun for me in a weird way to re-assign my mise en place to the high-school girls) with butchery & fish mongering. I worked my way (slowly, Chef would tell you!) through several skate wings and beef tenderloins. I enjoy butchery and fish mongering and have some skill at it (though I am a little bit slow, Chef would probably point out again, poking me in the ribs with his finger), and it was nice to give these skills a workout — not something I get to do often. An added perk was that Chef worked with me for much of the butchery. We had a good conversation while we worked, a rare luxury in such a busy kitchen.

After cleaning up from the butchery, I moved upstairs and shadowed Abby on Hot Appetizers for service. I helped with the soup and ravioli dishes, and helped Abby wherever I could. I didn’t start out the evening very helpfully — the first thing I did was drop a sizzle plate loudly to the floor (”it’s going to be that kind of night,” I thought). I messed up a couple other things that put Abby in the weeds, but she was cool and collected through the first turn. Or perhaps she was just relishing the quiet because she over-celebrated her 25th birthday the night before… I got my shit together for the second turn and feel like I contributed. Since morel mushrooms are in season, we sold a bunch of them — more than 20 orders, I think.

At one point during service, we ran out of prepared skate so Chef pulled me from Hot Apps and sent me downstairs to fabricate a few more. I busted them out, brought them up to Chef, and cleaned up. After service, Chef said that he was impressed that I jumped out, did what was necessary, and jumped back in.

After service, Chef asked if I wanted a soft-shell crab, which is currently on our menu. I said sure (it is bad form to say no when a chef offers you food!). The fish guy (Rob) told me that he’d cook it but I had to prep the crab. So, I followed the instructions Abby told me: “Step 1: Cut off the face with these scissors. Step 2: Lift up the skirt and cut out the gills. Step 3: Pull the tab (near the crab’s butt) and cut it off”. Abby has a hard time getting past the “cut off the face” part, but that doesn’t give me a problem. In culinary school, I went around behind the chef-instructor’s back and dispatched the lobsters of squeemish classmates. On Valentine’s Day (we call it amateur night) at the restaurant, I had to prep, dispatch, and par-cook 75 lobsters. The prep involved inserting a “booty stick” in the lobster’s, well…, booty (to keep the tail from curling when cooked) before dropping it in boiling water. After a few minutes, they were shocked in icy water and I broke down the bodies and cut their faces off for garnish.

Rob pan-fried the crab and served it with sauteed vegetables including fennel & fingerling potatoes and a caper buerre noir over top. It was delicious! I noticed that any time I’d turn my back on the plate, bits of the crab would disappear as my co-workers snuck samples. Fine with me.

After service was over, I helped everyone break down their stations and prepare to shut down the restaurant for their “weekend” — no service on Sunday or Monday. I was ready to go out for drinks, but owing to the over-celebration the night before, no one wanted to indulge, so I headed home, tired but happy to have helped out.

Upon reflection on the night, I feel like I passed a threshold in the restaurant with my participation during prep and service. I am not currently able to articulate what threshold it was exactly, but it feels like something very positive. I really enjoy working at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s.

I’ve worked at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s a few times this year, and noticed that I failed to blog those visits. Back on Saturday, February 3rd, I worked at the restaurant and cut the daylights out of my left middle finger (see this picture for a diagram of the cut) with a new knife. With the assistance of Raymond, I got bandaged up (well, DUCT-TAPED up), gloved, and went right back to work. I finished my shift; something I am proud of. Once I got home, Wendy was able to treat the wound, bandage, and look after it — it has healed with only a tiny scar. Honestly, I was hoping for a more substantial physical rememberance of that event!

On March 10, I worked again at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. It turns out that it was a great night for me to work — one of the line cooks was on vacation, one of them went home sick (she was there when I arrived and looked like crap, so Chef said she could go home), and it was a moderately busy evening. As a result of my presence, there was enough staff to allow shifiting of responsibilities.

After quickly training me on the amuse bouche station (she’d completed all the mise en place for the station), Abby was freed to go work the apps station with Rob (who was covering for vacationing Sarah). Raymond ran the fish station for sick Amanda. With Abby checking on me, I was able to cover the amuse station for the evening. The amuse was an egg mimosa stack; a duck purse (cream cheese, duck confit, and duck liver wrapped in filo dough and baked); a small piece of toast, and pickled cucumber with a drizzle of sweet mustard under the duck purse and around the plate. A demitasse cup of rutabegga soup topped with chantilly cream and chives went along with it.

Another responsibility of the station is to begin the flow of order tickets from servers to the cooks, so once the servers took my amuse, I drew a line down the column indicating they’d been sent and hung the order ticket on the hanger bar on the line. From there, the order ticket moved to indicate what course the guests were enjoying, from cold & hot apps to their main dishes, then back to ‘my’ section of the hanger bar for desserts. I moved Karen’s awesome desserts down from the window to the pass table for Chef’s final examination before it went to the dining room. By keeping an eye on the tickets, the diner’s progress through their evening can be tracked at a glance — I had a couple friends celebrating in the restaurant that evening (hi Doug & Kevin!) and I was able to monitor their progress easily.

I also had responsibility for any cheese courses that were ordered. When a cheese order came in, I set up a long rectangular plate with 5 different types of cheese (including a spoonful of Epoisses de Bourgogne, Wendy’s favorite), a quinelle of pear chutney in one corner, and a blob of a citrus-rind-y dice in the other corner, and a drizzle of port reduction down the length of the plate. Cheese plates are served with three types of toast in a ‘cup with ears’ on an underliner.

Stationed where I was, I was elbow-to-elbow with Jean-Robert for the whole evening. He was in a good mood, and since it was a moderately busy evening, we had the opportunity to chat, which was very enjoyable. I also got to observe him finishing each plate and saw the care and detail he puts into each and every plate that goes out. He also allowed me to call in a bunch of orders.

It was a good night, but I was tired at the end of the shift so I cleaned my station and only had one beer before heading home.

Jean-Robert absolutely insisted that I post this picture of one of Cincinnati’s warmest, friendliest, and (generally) best-dressed people in a costume for a fourth of July party. The individual in question was careless enough to allow this picture to fall into my hands. Please excuse the rather low quality of the picture — it was scanned from a picture printed on a color printer. Perhaps the owner of the original picture would be so kind as to send me a high-quality digital file so I can replace it? That way, it would be easier for curious viewers to see the long flowing locks, the dog collar, the leopard skin pants, the studded belt, and the fur-lined jacket. And is that a lip-ring?  Would anyone care to guess who this character might be? (click the picture for a larger view)