Sick & tired

This was the most grueling week and a half since I’ve been traveling. I started the time in Kingston, Jamaica doing 8 demonstrations in 4 days for Red Stripe beer. I flew from there to Atlanta, picked up my family, and headed straight to San Diego for their Food & Wine Fest. Then back to Atlanta to drop off the family, and a turn around to San Francisco where I met with Tyler Florence about a possible collaboration out there. I, officially, got sick on that trip. Right back to Atlanta for a few hours, and then to New York for a Top Chef Beard dinner.

I’m literally sick and tired.

The Beard dinner was killer.

CJ kicked it off with some canapes. Antonia Lofaso followed with a lobster ravioli. Lee Anne Wong did a goat cheese and truffle salad, Hung did a cod dish, Stephanie Izard came next with a duo of pork belly and duck. Dale Levitski put out a venison dish and I attempted a dessert of parsley root and Dr. Pepper.

Really well done. Not a lot of ego and an overall great time.

It’s time to reflect and prepare for the New Year.

The next few weeks will see me focus on Flip and the family. But I’m looking to bear down in 09 and get a few serious cuisine projects going. News to come!

The other side of Green

I’m totally stealing this blog title from a short film by my new friend Lisa Camille Robinson just gave me to view on my return trip from Jamaica. I’ll let you find it if you can, but it was the perfect reminder that happiness is usually a lot closer than you think. And that often the things we chase as symbols of happiness create problems that are hard to anticipate.

So thanks for reminding me that things are pretty good Lisa.

I’m traveling the country. Soon the world perhaps, growing a family, and doing what I love. Cooking, and OK, eating. I have people who love me around. And with dramatic ups and downs of this swaying branch of a career, I have a stout, strong foundation at it’s trunk.

So I’ve done a James Beard dinner in Philadelphia, and some work in Jamaica since we left off. And I’m heading to San Diego, San Francisco, and New York City all in the next 7 days.

Why ?

This is a question some people ask. So I’ll give it a shot.

As a working chef for the last 13 years, I’ve dreamt about some of the things I’m experiencing now. I get calls almost daily to do demonstrations, cook guest dinners, make appearances, help charities, lecture, provide culinary entertainment, help develop products, and speak.

I’m talking with investors, some who seem to share my vision. I’m meeting with restauranteurs who want me to design concepts. I’m pitching and working on making a few television shows happen.

All of this is very exciting. All of this is, at times, frustrating and like tonight, exhausting.

Honestly, some of it is to put bread on the table. But most of it is to learn, experience and grow as a chef/individual/business.

I’m sure there are a ton of chefs who have or are ready to call me a "sell-out" for working with big corporations, pursuing more TV and the like. I'll admit, a few years ago I may have been one of them.

But I can tell you, as with most things, cooking on the road and talking while doing it, presenting an idea or vision, and making it happen with the normalcy of things always going wrong, and constantly being in the public eye is, well, as tough as running a restaurant. Or writing a sentence thats not a run-on ( wink ).

I’ve traded in the challenges of cooking in 30 minutes, for those of sourcing liquid nitrogen in a country that has difficulty sourcing hot water. I’ve traded the bottom line driven restauranteur, for the bottom line driven event planner, and I’ve traded the chopping block for a room filled with not Padma and Tom, but network executives.

The grass is always greener...

rB

The Misadventures of Markus Cannon

I'm back from Jamaica from my participation in RTI. RTI is similar to Spring Break in Jamaica. Although my spring break experience is limited, I don't think our version would stand a chance in a competition.

What a trip! Since I am from New York and have a best friend that is Jamaican, I'm into dancehall reggae music and I would say that is a prerequisite to have fun down there (at least it helps). I brought Mark Nanna, now officially recognized in the Jamaican media as Mark Cannon, and since renamed Markus Cannon by me (http://jahkno.com/party-reviews/daydreams-was-more-than-all-white-for-rti ). This is my second trip to JA with Marco, and my third trip in the calendar year working with Red Stripe beer on innovation and events.

Our work had us running a molecular mixology bar at 4 of the main parties over the weekend. We learned many lessons from cooking / mixing for thousands of people at a time.

Mainly, it's as close to chaos, a good chaos mind you, that you'll want to get to.

And we hope we get invited back next year!

“Big Up” to Donette for handling us, and Safia for putting up with my relentless e-mails and text messages.

One of the featured drinks...

"My Thai"
some good jamaican rum (Not Appleton, as they are Red Stripes mortal brand enemy!)
mashed up cilantro, thai basil, lemongrass, ginger, mint
double the rum with a lime punch
and finish by floating some red stripe beer, ginger beer, or citrus soda
and if you have it, a swirl of some liquid nitrogen



As I thought about the events on the trip home, and how many people were at each one, I was really left with a very cool feeling about Jamaican people. I mean I didn't see one fight, one almost fight, nothing. And I can't even imagine the last concert or house party I was at that didn't produce some drama. The closest thing to a fight was Mark and I arguing over whether or not to go to an after party....... I won....... we didn't.


And BTW, the resort we were booked at was a nude resort. However, I couldn't convince Mark to trot down to the beach in only flip flops. You don’t get to do that often, I thought it would be fun.

Items left at hotel : a tee shirt and a pair of grey socks.