Grant Achatz - Life, on the Line

Anyone interested in foods, restaurants and chefs will find Life, on the Line, written by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, a fascinating book. Achatz is the executive chef of the fine restaurant Alinea, a conceptually radical restaurant located in Oak Park, Illinois. He along with Kokonas are business partners and co founders of Alinea.

The book follows the rise of Achatz as a chef, who worked under his culinary mentor, Thomas Keller, executive chef and owner of the famous restaurant, The French Laundry. Achatz even named his first son, Keller after his mentor/chef.

In 2003, Achatz was named the new chef in America by Wine and Spirits. He received the James Beard Foundation Rising Star, Chef of the year in 2003. In 2005, Achatz and Kokonas opened Alinea, and within months it was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet Magazine.

Before opening Alinea, Achatz was diagnosed with Stage N Squamous cell carcinoma – tongue cancer. The prognosis was a grim one, where doctors agreed the only course of action was to remove the cancerous tissues, including Achatz’s entire tongue. Achatz undertook an alternative treatment of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.

The results of the treatment were that the skin peeled inside of Achatz mouth and throat, rapid weight lost, and the loss of his sense of taste. In all of this time, Achatz rarely missed a day at work. More astounding was that he trained his chefs’ to mimic his palate. Achatz learned how to cook with his other senses. His partner, Kokonas, confirmed that during all of this time, the food at Alinea was never better. After five months of treatment, Achatz was declared cancer free. A few months later, he received the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef in America award.

This is a book of courage, about a man chasing his dream of being a chef, fulfilling greatness in his field, facing death and triumphing over it. But it is also the story about how Achatz redefined the way we eat.

A Beach Wedding

My son and his fiancée made all their own plans for a simple beach wedding in Avalon, New Jersey. It took place on the 21st Street Pavilion on the beach. On Wednesday, we picked up a small three tier wedding cake with white frosting and miniature purple lilacs on the top layer and along the sides. It was a work of art.

Thursday morning, I drove a few blocks to Avalon’s Municipal Building to pick up the marriage license. I will also be a witness at my son’s wedding along with the mother of the bride. I find this an honor to witness my son’s wedding because I know he is finally happy.

The wedding itself took place on the pavilion where the guests could sit on the built in benches, surrounding the inside of the pavilion. I watched my future daughter in law walk barefooted along the sandy path, escorted by her step father. She was beautiful with her shiny, straight black hair blowing in the evening breeze, dressed in a simple but elegant dress. She had eyes only for my son and he reciprocated that look.

The civil ceremony took less then 15 minutes with a few family members. The elderly minister was sweet. Besides the vows, he imparted some words of wisdom to the couple. When the ceremony was over, we watched the newly married couple kiss and we clapped happily for them.

The 15 minute ceremony moved me and made me look toward a long married life for them. A life filled with love, laughter, and hope. There is nothing like a beach wedding. But there is nothing better then marrying someone you love and looking forward to a life together and growing old with that person.

Beach Vacation

Up at 5:30 a.m. Three stops along the way. New way (or one part was new). One wrong turn would lead us into a ghetto area around Rutgers University, a $5.00 toll, and two more additional tolls for a total of $9.00. Some traffic but we made it to our destination, Avalon, New Jersey (The Shore) by 1:00…just in time for check in.

The rental is not your typical beach house. But it is a beautiful one. It has big rooms, bedroom suites with their own bathrooms, a house that reflects how much the owners love it and have maintained it so well. It’s a beautiful sturdy house with a lot of beach stories and memories held within its walls.

We made our way to the Acme Super Market and shop for the week’s groceries and necessities. Other short stops at the Avalon Grocery Store to items we have forgotten. Ice cream cones are a necessity after our dinner and a little shopping at the Five and Dime store. Even a small shopping trip to downtown Stone Harbor at night. Personally the shopping in Stone Harbor isn’t much fun. Too many rude tourists, who make me, want to go back to Avalon and never go back to downtown Stone Harbor.

We spent everyday at the beach. Sitting on the shore, some boogie boarding, others playing near the shore line and jumping over waves, while in between huge holes have been dug for water, and some beach castle walls are on the sides of the holes. Eventually the holes are one, long one and a few other kids have come over to jump over the hole with my own grandchildren.

The beach seems to be enough for my two sons and their families. It is definitely enough for me. The beauty of the ocean, the crashing of the waves, the blue skies and expansive sandy shore are enough. I always feel content and happy at the beach. I never tire of my surroundings at the shore.

Besides the beach vacation, we celebrated my granddaughter’s 11th birthday with dinner and a cake that I ordered from one of the stores. It was one of the best cakes that I have ever had. Judging by everyone else…they enjoyed it too since there were no leftovers. My youngest son got married at the beach in a simple and joyful ceremony. This was followed by dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Of course the week was over way too soon but then there is next year to look forward to for another beach vacation.

Michael the Machine

My son is BIONIC! No, he’s not the Six Million Dollar Man but he is as close to a machine then any of my other children.

Growing up, Michael was the mischievous one with the infectious grin. He was the one who at five years of age, during a weekday morning, had a hernia operation. In the afternoon, he rode his big wheel down the driveway, across the street and down the cul-de-sac.

He broke his finger in 8th grade, while practicing football for the big All-Star game. He had it set and colored his cast black. The day of the game, he put on his uniform and with a scissor, cut off his cast and played the entire game.

When he was 27, Michael, was driving home from Georgia, the car veered out of control, and he was ejected through the open roof of the car. Michael landed on the grassy strip. He was life- flighted to the hospital. That would be his first flight on a helicopter, which I doubt he remembered.

Michael had a number of lacerations and stitches, a bruised kidney and broke a few vertebrae in his back. He ended up having back surgery, where they put in screws to hold the vertebrae in place and went through rehab. Within a year, he ran a full marathon.

A few days ago, I received a call from Michael’s wife, saying that he was in the hospital where he had emergency surgery to remove his appendix. I saw him a day after he had been discharged. Michael was getting around just fine and wasn’t taking any pain killers. We went out for lunch at a new restaurant by his house. Michael ordered an appetizer, sushi platter with soup and salad and a Mongolian beef dish with white rice. Later we drove through the Drive-In window at Dairy Queen, where Michael ordered chocolate malt and a banana split!

He assured us that he was still going to the beach, and he intended on driving. My daughter in law did most of the driving, while I did some. We stopped frequently so that the Bionic guy could walk around, as the doctor instructed.

Michael is an amazing kid, who is a well oiled machine, rivaling the Six Million Dollar Man. Without a doubt, my bet is on Michael!

What the Heck is my Cell Number?

How hard is it to remove the four digit pin number to unblock your Equifax credit account? Obviously, it is extremely hard. It will take a 45 minute phone call, being forced to listen to a music soundtrack from hell, that makes you want to blow your brains out, and talking to four different people who ask you how to spell your name, even Mary!

I went to the Verizon store to buy a cell phone with the help of my daughter. I found the phone I wanted, with a $50.00 rebate that I used on a phone cover, and one for my daughter, (hers was on sale for $5…so I felt generous), and the plug for the phone to use in my car. I liked the phone and the deal was pretty sweet. But when I had to talk to the Equifax people to find out my pin number…everything went down hill. I was on the phone for over 45 minutes. I talked to people with heavy accents, who I assumed lived in India or wherever they are hiding. I had to tell my name to four different people. I had to spell my name, give my middle initial, try to whisper my social security number (and I assume everyone in the Verizon Store now has it memorized), give my address and birthday, which I seem to grow older by every lousy song and every lousy minute that I spent on the lousy phone.

All the while I was standing up and leaning on the counter, where I wrote my blog, while watching eight customers come in and eight customers go out. I caught the eye of the cute clerk named Brandon, who was waiting on me and kept saying…I am sorry. Finally, I asked him how long they were opened. He responded not to worry, they were opened until 9. I hope I am not here that long but then there is a McDonald’s across the street. I bet I could run over, place an order and eat it and come back to the same miserable music playing.

Finally, when I had to spell Mary one more time, and was told I would have to be transferred again, I made the lady promise that I wouldn’t have to spell my name any more. No, she assured me, I will take care of it. She took care of it all right, when the final man that I would have to talk to asked for my name and we played the game a 4th time. He put me on hold longer then the two minutes her promised. It stretched to 15 or 20 minutes, and my daughter took my keys to run her errand. She returned a minute after I was given my sacred four digit pin number.

My daughter stared at me and said…”Why does this always happen to you?”

“Lucky,” I responded. Then I smiled and said watch this. Brandon started to type up my order when I said I changed my mind and he almost killed me.

“Joke,” I said. We all laughed.

I paid. I left. I am happy but I have one problem now…I have no idea what my cell number is. But the phone has a camera, and I feel pretty happy about that. I guess Brandon will be seeing me tomorrow!

Merry Baker

My Sunday before the bridal shower found me in my kitchen as the “Merry Baker.” I opted to don my apron and my pastry chef’s hat, so to speak. I baked and I baked. It took a long time to get everything that I wanted to make for the shower. I wanted to do something special, not just order desserts and pastries from a bakery shop, which would have been quite easy.

Well, to be honest, I did buy a few cookies from the store, but most of the desserts, I made. I have a killer recipe from one of my favorite chef’s, Mario Batali’s cookbook. I use his recipe so often that there are a number of baking stains on the page. I even know the recipe by heart, and have sort of adopted it as my own. Sorry, Mario.

Afterwards, I pulled out my recipe for Sherry Cake, which I use to make in the 70s. In the last five years, I resurrected this recipe and make it for family holidays. It has become a favorite dessert for my family, especially one daughter-in-law, who asks me to bring it along to her house for the Christmas Day dinner. The sherry makes the cake flavorful, and moist, and it gets better with time. That is, if it isn’t eaten right away, this is usually the case.

Then I tackled my famous lemon breads, which I usually bake at Christmas, and give them away as presents. My final dessert was Lemon Drop Cookies. The first time I made these cookies was for my daughter’s First Communion party. I remember eating so many of these cookies – that I vowed never to make them again. That didn’t last long, but I vowed to use my will power.

The bridal shower was for my youngest son’s fiancée, who by the way is a terrific young woman. The people attending were wonderful, as were their gifts. And let’s just say – the desserts were spectacular!

Black Squirrel - Unofficial Mascot for KSU

Capistrano has its swallows, Hinckley has its buzzards, and Punxsutawney has its groundhog. Kent State University in Kent, Ohio has its black squirrels. This year, 2011, marks the 50th Anniversary of when the furry critters were first imported to the campus via Canada. Early September, the black squirrels are honored at the annual Black Squirrel Festival, organized by the Kent Student Center Programming.

When I entered the campus as a freshman, two things were noticeable. First the sign on the campus grass which read…Grass Grows by the inches/Dies by the foot. I thought that sign was clever, and it made me more aware and determined to walk on the sidewalks and the pathways. The other thing was the presence of the black squirrels. I had seen grey squirrels, never black ones. These black squirrels were uprooted from Canada and brought to the campus and are now the unofficial mascot. Then the squirrels were few, romped around the campus, down the walks, ran over the grass and up the trees, and multiplied. Now they have their own festival! This year’s festival will be the 29th one dedicated to Kent’s black squirrel population.

Larry Wooddell, the campus ground superintendent and “Bill” Staples, a retired Davy Tree employee, are the two men responsible for bringing the black squirrels from Canada to Kent. In 1961,Wooddell became interested when he first saw the rare black squirrels in Chardon, Ohio, 30 miles east of Kent. Eventually they squirrels were killed off by predators. Staples discovered an abundance of black squirrels in Canada. Over a six-month period, Wooddell and Staples corresponded with the United States and the Canadian governments working on arrangements to bring the black squirrels to Kent. In early 1961, the men drove a station wagon and brought 10 squirrels, which were trapped by the Canadian wildlife authorities. The two brought them to the campus, released them and the legend of the black squirrels survived, adapted and now are part of the campus life and legend.