Susan Kopfler Rincon

My sister Susan had surgery today to relieve a heart condition.  Once completely recovered, there will be no worries about her heart making it through another six decades or so of life.  Jesus has blessed us with an amazing family and would like to take this opportunity to thank her for being such a great little-older sister, and hope she know what it means to have her in my life, a blessing.  Her heart is the size of the grand canyon, and have never received an ill word or a non well thought out gift, she really is amazing at gift giving.  So for any of you out there who come across my little-older sister, give her a smile to make her all ready big heart, that much stronger.

Cheers Susan, and I Love You.(so does Breaux).

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land.

It is the title to a song from the 1940’s by Arlo Guthrie, with words that resonate on today’s society.  The title in itself is telling us that we are a community of people.  At the foundation of our society we are all Americans, and unless you are Native American chances are your family heritage lies in some other country.  My family was originally from Germany, coming to the United States in the beginning of the 19^th century, and now I am a fourth generation American.  Not German-American, but American. 

Defining a country is the culture of the society within it.  So far we have been defined as a nation of fast-addicted solo eaters, but all that is about to change.  New Orleans has one of America’s oldest culinary traditions.  So engrained into the fabric of our culture, that at the world’s premiere culinary institute, two days were dedicated to learning the techniques which were invented in New Orleans, America is developing technique.

The next generation of American cooks and chefs will bring together some of the rich traditions which have started to take form across the country.  Our nation is reaching the point where indigenous cuisines, are being formed by the unique diversity of its population.  Yankee, New England, Piedmontes, Low Country, Floribbean, Gulf Coast, New Orleans French-Creole, Cajun, Tex-Mex, Southern California, Northern California, Pacific Northwest, Middle America, just to name a few of the different regional flavor profiles beginning to take shape.  Soon enough, eating local will be cheaper than the grocery stuff.  Rosemary costs four dollars in the supermarket, but can be found all over the city for free.  Just keep your eyes and mind wide open with maybe some shades, because our culinary future is bright America…eat it up.

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land, This Land is OUR Land.

On Food in Our Times

            As we progress in terms of business and education, the quality of life that we maintain for ourselves becomes very localized.  We know where and how we want to build our day, and we build it.  Different people will choose different hobbies and pastimes, which results in a gap between an individual and their kinfolk.  It becomes almost an imperative to find common ground to bridge the gap and re-establish the bonds we should be sharing with our neighbors.

            So that raises the question of how we bring people back together.  In order to answer that question you find something that we all have in common.  What do we, as humans, need?  It is a simple question with an answer that is as profound as your level of commitment.  I say nourishment and what do you think?  Do you think of freeze-dried ramen noodles with salt flavoring packets?  Do you think of fancy restaurants that charge more than you’re worth for an item whose name the average American cannot even pronounce?  Do you simply think food while imagery fails you?  The level of mysticism that surrounds the dining environment is such that we are more entertained by the cluttered wall of an Applebee’s, than the honest surroundings of a local restaurant run by honest people with no corporate say so.  But this isn’t about bashing the “man”.  This is about taking that mentality over by putting the power to choose in our own hands.  Is the only counterpoint to the corporate restaurant’s inferior quality a miniscule amount of food that costs an arm and a leg?  Is it possible to offer an enlightened approach to food in our times that revolves around accessibility without sacrificing quality and commitment?

            Any revolution should be treated like a flame.  In a flame’s infancy it can be put out by the slightest gust of wind.  However, if the flame is allowed to grow, it can eventually consume everything in its path.  We are building a fire that needs to be tended.  In order to tend this fire, we need networks with like-minded individuals.  As the network and philosophy behind it grows, so too does its influence.   We will watch as the quality of life shoots up in a positive direction for people who, before we began, believed themselves too poor for it.  We will watch as those who have become set in their ways discover new joys because of better options that present themselves readily.  And we will break our backs carrying not only the common man, but the ground from under his feet into a new age of food without him even knowing that he went for a ride.  And he will thank us and we will smile and say YoBreaux.

Brendan Costello

The State of American Gastronomy

I cook New Regional American Cuisine. 

Food in America

A Food revolution has begun.  We are gastronomically spoiled, as Americans.  And being spoiled myself, has led me to the see the characteristics very easily in our country.  But, I would like to change the state of gastronomic affairs in the United States by cooking, speaking, and writing.  We are a relatively new Country, as far as the world goes, and just need to be patient as our adolescent American cuisine moves into early adult hood. 

What do I mean by Gastronomy?  Gastronomy is the art and science of eating and drinking well.  Notice the dualistic nature of the definition, both science and art.  It is the science of measured temperatures and techniques, which allows an individual to apply heat to natural ingredients.  It is an art, where a chef views the plate as a canvas, and Mother Nature supplies the colorful paint of produce.  What is molecular gastronomy? It is a more science approach to food, breaking elements of cooking down to a molecular level, so that the chef may bend or break some of the rules set forth by Mother Nature.

Drinking well differs from drinking a lot.  It may sound contrived, but drink with purpose.  Wine can elevate a meal to new levels, adding an infinite amount of flavor profiles to your meal, with the simple task of opening a bottle.  Great wine does not have to be expensive, and have found joy in seeking out the value oriented deals of smaller producers in some of the more famous wine regions around the world, and even in our own country.  Many people probably don’t realize the effect prohibition had on our country.  Earlier last century, pretty much all of the wine in America dried up, except, of course for religious and personal reasons.  Imagine, for a decade wine and spirits were considered contraband.  We, as a people, need to enjoy a little wine. 

New Regional American Cuisine comprises the different flavor profiles, and nuances of each region in the United States.  For example, eating shrimp in Chicago seems silly, when there are a million cows running around and nothing but fresh water.  Understanding how amazing some product may be, or how easy FedEx food has become, it is a challenge to my cooking abilities to cook locally.  The ingredients are already chosen by the seasons, and the menu becomes easier to write.  A menu always has a story; it depends on the author as to how well it is written.

Eating well differs from eating a lot.  All it takes is patience.

YoBreaux

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