WHERE?

So, in order for there to be an Underground Supper Club there needs to be a place for it to be hosted. As I look around the internet I can't seem to find places that would allow something like this to happen, so it is looking more and more like it would have to be someones larger home, or things would have to be transported. As much as I want to go the catering route and have it all brought in and kept warm I would much rather have it prepared on site.

So the question still remains as to where we could host such an extravagant evening. I am going to keep searching on the internet for places to rent, and if anyone out there has any ideas please share because I would love to hear them.

I'm gonna WINE about it!

So just as I had gone through with alcohol and beer before I am going to go on my journey of wine with you all. It took me some time to even begin drinking wine at all. It took Kirsten to get me to start drinking it, well her and her parents. It started as something that I would just have a glass with dinner and not really think much about it.

Insert culinary school and starting to learn from two vastly different teachers. One is a Sommelier by way of certification and the other not so much. One of them was a great influence on me when it came to wine, and when we got to taste different wines of the world in class and pair them with food it was a very good experience. Getting the chance to taste from glasses that are made for the specific wine we were drinking. We had to fill out tasting notes for each and every glass that we drank.

Smell became one of the most important and confusing parts about tasting wine. Having to train yourself to take in a smell in small amounts and judge different levels of nodes that the wine is giving off. I can tell you in class swirling a glass and smelling it with small tastes made me feel REALLY PRETENTIOUS. Then I realized that I am getting a grade to drink good wines from a bunch of different places in the Old World wine regions. 

This year on Christmas, Kirsten and I made a whole menu for our friends that were over where we paired a different wines with each thing that we were serving and were able to create a great feast for us and our friends. It quickly became one of my favorite Christmas's that I have ever been a part of. 

Charity Beneficiary

So with the idea of the Underground Supper Club the reason why they are viewed as illegal is because of there not being any heath code inspections or tax being assessed on the sale of the food. Unlike others that are doing this to turn a profit my idea behind this is to do it for the experience and then taking the money that is made from the even and reallocate that to some of the local food drives or charities in the area. I have been doing some research on the different things that are going on in Phoenix for this cause but I have not found one yet that screams "this is the right one". 

I do not know if it is because I grew up rather poor, or without a father, but I have always found it very gratifying to help out when I can. Volunteering is something that always leaves a great feeling in your stomach that you are at least trying to do your part in the world. 

That being said I am kind of looking for some insight as to a place that would be good to partner up with both before and after I am able to do what I want to do in the Phoenix area. If any of the people reading this blog have a place that they could suggest, maybe even something that you are currently involved in I would be happy to take a look. 

Dietary Ristrictions

So I know that I have touched a little bit on what it is that I want this blog to end up in: running my own Underground Supper Club. With that being said a big part of what I want to do is go with some special menus that are going to be good for different types of people. I know in school right now I learn all of this fantastic french cooking, but I really take all that information and go home to try and create something that resembles the flavor in class without all the fat and calories that come with cream and butter. 

I like the challenge of having to create something within a set of restrictions. It can be very tricky to make something taste delicious without the things that appease every ones taste buds.So this is where I want to open my blog up to any comments or suggestions people may have of something that they would like to see done if they were to attend one of these dinner parties. Feel free to also include any type of pairing that is in mind; be it alcohol, wine, or beer. 

Aviation

I was just reading a the food blog on PhoenixNewTimes.com and came across this little guy. I wanted to share this with everyone because I think it sounds fantastic. Now, I just need to find these ingredients.  To read the story about it click here.

JK Grence

It has a hue better than this in person, I swear.

Aviation
Liquor geeks may be tempted to substitute Parfait Amour or Crème Yvette for the crème de violette. Try it if you want, but crème de violette is the way to go.
2 ounces gin
¾ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce maraschino liqueur (I prefer Luxardo; good luck finding anything else in the first place)
¼ ounce crème de violette

Shake everything with ice. Strain into a well-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry, if desired.

Food From the Past

So as I was sitting in class today trying to figure out what my next blog should be written about I remembered that earlier today I received an email from my uncle Dan. It was great to see him for the first time in about 7 years when we went skiing in Lake Tahoe in February. While he was there he was telling me about a picture that he had come across of my mom.


I was blown away at how young and beautiful she looked, we are guessing it is from when she was in her early 20's. Sadly there doesn't seem to be many pictures of her around. She passed away when I was 14 and a lot of things have been lost from moving around so much since then. 


As to why that little tidbit fits into my blog is that it made me think back to the food that I ate when I was a kid and how that has changed so much for me over the years. I refused to eat salad or almost anything green back then. My diet consisted of some sort of meat and starch with some broccoli or green beans that I would move around on my plate to make it look like I ate it. I did not eat anything that resembled spicy, and I wouldn't try anything other than what is now considered Diner food. And I would ALWAYS have ice cream after dinner.

Now-a-days I will eat the spiciest food someone wants to throw at me and curry is probably my FAVORITE thing to eat. Beets have become one of my favorite vegetables and sushi is not in my life enough. Kirsten is to thank for me deciding to start eating new things, and then I got to school and had to taste EVERYTHING. My palate has become something entirely different and I think that it is all for the better. There is so much good food to be conquered, mastered, and consumed. 

An Idea of What I Want to Start