Something Different!!

Chacuterie, forcemeat, Galatine, Aspic, Galette are just a few words we seldom hear in the culinary world anymore. When I was a young chef just starting out all mentioned were mainstream and certainly the leads in the Garnde Manger Chefs arsenal, how things have change over the past 30 years and I believe it largely has to do with the health craze or phase us culinarians are going through. The challenge today is to offer as much "Farm to the table" cuisine as possible which is fantastic but nothing new. "Farm to the table" has been around since mankind took its first bite. As an old timer in the industry, I find the challenge more of creating offerings such as Chacuterie that are a little healthier than 30 years ago when most dined for the experience and love for food rather than totally being concerned with what one was consuming.
There is nothing worse than going to dinner with someone who condemns the creations of a chef for offering passion, I say if you do not understand that moderation is OK, then stay in the organic veggie isle at your local WF Market and leave the rest of us alone who understand the value, love and passion for what we create & consume, understand the balance of passion in our creations and that strive for pleasing our guests that understand and live with the understanding of moderation.
Why am I going off on this and where the hell am I going with this, do not worry I am asking this of myself as well. To answer is to give in and I refuse to give in when it come to creating in my kitchens. A well balanced kitchen offers something for everyone as the Chef creates with passion, understanding and love. As one that has done a large amount of catering I know and understand the balance probably better than some. Talk about a challenge, there is always someone who can not eat something due to allergy or belief and thinks that everything offered should be because of there issue even when they are not the host, which brings me to a simple question: If a guest has an allergy to say  peanuts, who is ultimately responsible if that guest consumes a passed piece of pleasure such as a Chicken Satay with a Thia Peanut Sauce. Is it the responsibility of the server to let every guest know there are peanuts in the sauce or is it the guests responsibility to protect themselves and ask the question.?? The answer may surprise you and will be revealed in a later posting.
Well it is off to the meat market and produce market this morning to see what kind of trouble I can find to create Charcuterie with forcemeats of a lesser fat content. HMMMMM maybe I will make my own.
If you can not find,understand balance, love and passion for cuisine then "Stray out of my Kitchen"......Have a GREAT DAY!!