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the bleu brick road: externship.
7 weeks left- 7 measly weeks…and then its just about over ‘n done with. School (the classroom portion anyway) will be finished and from there I happily move on to my externship. The grande externship is the final step, the end qualification before graduation and it requires that I bust my ass working in a restaurant (of my choice) full time for 6 weeks. So, I thought good and hard about what I wanted to take on and where I wanted to be…did I want upscale? bakery? what type of food? Sure, I pondered the many possibilites but deep down I knew all along which direction I would be going…back to my roots- back to vegan cuisine. These are the foods, the ingredients and the flavors that I get excited about. Lets be honest, anyone can make a dish tasty with bacon or butter but to forego the familiar crutch of animal fat/protein and make something just as equally if not more delicious takes true talent (not to mention copious amounts of creativity). Lucky for me, Seattle is home to one of the most stellar vegan restaurants I have ever had the pleasure of dining at- Sutra in Wallingford. The space is wonderful, their ethics solid, the staff lovely and the Chef can only be described as a magician- the man is ingenious, just gifted beyond belief. I spent some time in the Sutra kitchen with Chef Colin awhile back and always knew I would return. So it goes and here I am…my externship at Sutra begins in mid August.
Posted on June 17, 2010 ()
Seattle is home.
Im a yoga teacher.
My time is spent... horseback riding, writing and reading too much.
Some of my favorite books- Welcome to the Machine (Derrick Jensen), I Know This Much Is True (Wally Lamb), East of the Mountains (David Guterson), Whores and Other Feminists (Jill Nagle), Cunt (Inga Muscio).
I am drawn to...
The Southwestern portion of the US- cacti and desolate dry sprawling earth.
Photography- pictures of people mainly, black and white.
Music- Mostly country. And anything that I can dance to.
Foods that I never tire of- blueberries, figs, squash, tempeh, radicchio, avocado, red grapes, heirloom tomatoes, tahini, olives, walnuts, asparagus, eggplant, cherries, kale, apple butter, pears, mango, mushrooms, melon, brussels sprouts, collard greens, peaches...
I abhor factory farming. To know my food is of utmost importance-where its been, how it was raised...I respect the earth and myself too much to plead ignorance. The family farm is collapsing under the weight of big business. I want to take responsibility for my food and I feel our current system fails to do that. I fully applaud those folks that are still living off the land and providing for their families. Having worked on small farms in the past and seen firsthand what sustainable farming (animal & vegetable) looks like- its apparent that our current conditions are far removed from the original respectable idea. It shows in our tasteless food, our declining health, our damaged environment.
I'm a fan of spicy foods- Indian and Thai cuisine.
My drinks- red wine, dark beer and a good gin neat.
Dessert- nice dark chocolate in small amounts, a fresh piece of fruit. I don't have much of a sweet tooth.
Coffee- good ol' fashioned drip, an espresso or an americano...always black.
Cooking, eating, interviews, road trips and photographs- I share my adventures here. I feel fortunate as hell and immensely grateful for the opportunity to visit farms, sample restaurants and meet the truly lovely folks behind it all.
Questions/comments? Email me at: cherie@cheriepicked.com
