Squeah Updated Kitchen Ready for New Year

Late Friday Dec. 23rd we were finishing up the clean-up and organization of the Squeah kitchen. On Dec. 1st we completely stripped everything out of the kitch in order to tile the floor and install a few more pieces of stainless steel components to replace some of our older wooden cabinetry.

Many thanks to the fine work of Nico, Rene, & Ty from Vladisco for the tiling, Bill & Lee from Vancouver Stainless, handy-work of Glen Warkentin, white tornadoes Natasha Neufeld & Sarah Giesbrecht, and others who helped us out along the way. Special thanks to the tireless work and expertise of Dan Friesen who spearheaded the renovation.

Here are some pictures of our new kitchen, open for business again on Tues., Dec. 27th.

Anti-fracture membrane in place, tiling begins

Kitchen stripped out of all equipment

Ty & Rene start tiling in the dish pit

Dish pit tiling almost complete

Dan deals with a one of the areas of rot that was found

Almost halfway done the tiling (baking area view)

Halfway point

Tilers putting on epoxy grout ("it's like grouting with bubble gum")

The dining room area where the contents of the kitchen was stored and cleaned

Tiling the cooler floor

Vancouver Stainless installing the new SS serving windows

Natasha cleaning the new serving counters

Sarah polishing up the steam table covers

Dan trimming off shelving legs

New floor and SS serving windows

New floor with dish pit and cooking area

New floor in workstation area

New floor and SS counter in baking area

Squeah Kitchen Renovations - Dec. 2011

The Squeah kitchen is closed down from Dec. 1-24 as we put in a new tile floor and install some additional stainless steel (baking counters and serving windows). Reid is spending a lot of time cleaning equipment since it has all been pulled out of the kitch and is sitting fully accessible on the dining room floor. <fun, fun, fun> We are planning on having everythign put back together by Christmas, and will be open Dec. 27 for the post-christmas/pre-New Years groups & Summer Staff Reunion Dec. 30-Jan. 1.

Grouting in progress

CMU Outtatown

In Squeah kitchen over the past few weeks, I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to invite fellow students from the CMU Outtatown program to help out and learn a few things!

It has been a great opportunity for me to get to know the students on a more personal level and share my passion for cooking.

During this block of time, I was able to teach these students how to make pappardelle noodles from scratch, braise brisket, and stuff french toast (which some of the students woke up at 6 in the morning for...impressive!). They also learned how to make stock, chicken jus, balsamic pearls, and how to plate desserts and get ready for a dinner service.

Though I've received many thank-you's for the time I've spent in the kitchen with them, I feel that I should give the biggest thank you to the students and leaders of CMU Outtatown.

This time of teaching has really taught me to remain passionate in what I'm doing and to answer the call of God in my life with all my heart, mind and soul. It has taught me to remember the real reason why I cook, which is to nourish people and allow them to experience what is possible with food. And it has taught me to remain humble and remember that I still have much to learn. For all of these things, I thank you.

I have been truly blessed over the past few weeks to cook and serve at Squeah, and to share my time with those who are actually interested in what I do for a living.

I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people I know, as every single day, I see the fruit of my labour through the smiles on people's faces as they eat the meals served at Squeah.

Thank you, Outtatown. You have touched my heart.

- Hiro

Edelweiss Kitchen

You know, I've been at Squeah for about a year and a half...
It's about time I took some time to cook in the Edelweiss kitchen.
This kitchen is designed to cook for 40 people max.
In the past few days, we hosted King David High School, and as a Jewish school, they had to meet the highest kosher expectations. With that in mind, a caterer was brought in, and Jill, Masa and I spent time in Edelweiss cooking for the staff.

At first, I was a bit hesitant, but as time passed, I came to enjoy the time spent in that kitchen. As it was small, it was easy to move around and efficiently laid out, and the meals went out well. It felt good to cook for the staff and do some special menu items that wouldn't work out for a large group.

Overall, it was a great experience.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

With the fast paced life of Summer behind us at Squeah Kitchen, it's time to transition into a bit of routine and regularity.

A rejuvenating vacation in Nanaimo has helped me to rest and re-focus on the task at hand this fall. With projects on the go including thoughts on a Squeah cook book, personal blog, Pig Gig Cookbook, and further renovations in the kitchen, this fall season will look very busy. All of this on top of catering to the rental groups at Squeah as well as progressing on Jill's apprenticeship...

At times, it seems overwhelming, but I realized one thing in the last days of my vacation: How lucky am I to have a job like this.

As a Chef, it's up to me to grow and learn and conitnue to master my craft. At Squeah, I can do that, with an ever changing menu and room to be creative and open about my passion.
As a Christian, it's about growing in my faith and learning what God has to teach me on a daily basis, while putting myself into an environment where I have the support of other believers around me.
At Squeah, I am surrounded by loving Christ-followers who in their very lifestyle portray a sense of community that feels like a breath of fresh air in this lonely world.

And as a Christian chef, it is my responsibility to seek God's call on my life in utilizing the giftings He has given me to bring glory to him.
My job at Squeah is the fulfillment of that call God has placed on my life.
At this moment, it has become very clear to me that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

How many people find that in this world today?

Not many. I'm one of the lucky few.

Green Thumbs and Moist Earth

Head Chef Hiro Takeda is spearheading the expansion of our successful herb garden from last year. A new plot has been recovered from nature beside the main lodge. Our main crops will be primarily herbs, with some root vegetables on the side. If you are visiting Camp Squeah and have a green thumb, ask us if you can spend some time in our garden. It is a great place for solitude and prayer.

Herb garden seen from the walkway

Herb garden with main lodge in the background

Stain·less Steel: (noun) A form of steel containing chromium, resistant to tarnishing and rust.

All new workstations are installed. Here are pictures of the new face of the Squeah kitchen. Oh, and our new convection ovens arrived as well...

New stainless steel wet workstation

Additional stainless steel workstation w/ overhangs

New stainless steel baking tables

New Blodgett convection ovens

Squeah Renovations – Phase 1

Monday morning. After a wonderfully hot and sunny day yesterday, today is a bit of a disappointment, with the clouds threatening a shower and a brisk cold breeze in the air.

However, today is an exciting day in Squeah kitchen. Today is the day that we put more stainless steel into the kitchen. With Vancouver Stainless fabricating new prep tables in the baking area and the main prep area, it was a time to say, “goodbye” to old prep tables that served dearly for many years, and say, “hello” to a new set of tables that will serve for the next era.

Masa (our new assistant cook), Reid, Dan (site manager) and I worked hard to put the tables in, and we are excited to start using them, beginning this weekend with our next group of the Spring season.

I had some wonderful thoughts going through my head of sometime in the future, where I could come back to Squeah kitchen one day and say, “Hey, I remember when these tables were put in.”

~ Yoshi

Yoshi's Big Pig Gig

 April 19^th was a significant evening for me. An idea that spawned months of planning would pay off.

The “Big Pig Gig,” a name creatively put together by Reid Nickerson, was an event that I put together with the help of Jill Teerink and the leadership of Camp Squeah. This dinner consisted of 9 different menu items, all featuring pork, with 8 sides and 2 desserts to round off the evening. At $20 a person, it was quite the bargain.

My relationship with Walter Bergen began last year up here at Squeah. He introduced himself to me while Emmanuel Mennonite Church was here for their retreat. Through talking about his work on Six Masters Farm, I became very interested in this man, and his passion for farming using the Christian mindset. His philosophy on farming mirrored those of mine as a chef, and I found comfort and interest in that.

After a visit to Six Masters Farm, I decided that it would be great if we could get his product into Squeah.

He was raising four pigs at the time, just for his own personal use, to try it out on the farm. I ordered my pig in February. 60 days later, it was time to prepare for the feast.

This was a great opportunity for me as a chef to see the ingredients I was preparing on a more personal level, and gave me a great opportunity to really appreciate what the cost is of my job.

The evening was a great success, with over 40 people in attendance, and all the menu items received compliments. It was great to have so many people who were willing to try every dish, and I’m sure it was a great experience for Jill, who is in her first year of apprenticeship. Despite the long hours, it was well worth the time we took to make this event possible.

My friends Stu and Mark were photographers for the event and we are planning on creating a cookbook with this event, both as a keepsake and as an educational tool to be used at Squeah kitchen.

The menu is as follows:

YOSHI’S BIG PIG GIG

April 19^th, 2011

All Pork supplied by Six Masters Farm

White bean Cassoulet with Smoked Hock

Thai Green Curry Shoulder

Ras el Hanout Roasted Tenderloin

Cranberry, Orange and Almond Cous Cous with Cilantro

Braised Belly with BBQ Soy Sauce

Hiro and Kari’s B&B Back Ribs

Braised and Broiled

Corn Salsa, Mashed Potatoes

Apricot, Fig and Raisin Stuffed Loin

Grainy Honey Mustard Sauce

House made Pappardelle with Smoked Belly

Peas, Mushrooms, and Parmesan

Grilled House made Sausage

Confit Leg Sandwiches

Cooked in Pork Fat

House made Rosemary and Roasted Garlic buns,

Iceberg Lettuce, Pesto Mayo

Stuffed Pulled Pork Shoulder Buns

Caramelized Onion Jam, Coleslaw

Sides:

Corn Bread

Creamed Corn and Caramelized Leeks

Sauerkraut

Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese, Blueberries, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Fresh Baked Bread

Coleslaw

Dessert:

Chocolate Ganache Tarts, Whipped Cream

Minted Watermelon Salad

Thanks to everyone for their support of this event!

~ Yoshi

the GFS experience

           
As a chef, the idea of big corporations was a tainted one. Just like a general consumer views

Wal-mart and Superstore as having pros and cons when it comes to selling product, so do chefs when it comes to companies such as Sysco and GFS. It’s nice when a delivery truck comes to your dock and delivers everything you need all in one shot, in boxes that are labeled and dated. It’s nice to go on the computer and be able to type in your order as quickly as checking boxes off a checklist, and having the option to order in advance, and having a delivery truck come with the exact order that you placed weeks prior. But there has to be some cons right? Can these big corporations really boast words such as organic, farm fresh and local? I thought that they couldn’t. If it came in a big truck, it was corporate and mass produced; if it came out of the ground at a local farm, then it was local and farm fresh. Would a tour at GFS prove my tainted views to be true, or false?

With over 800 employees and 300,000 square feet of space (60,000 of which is cooler space), GFS boasts an impressive food supply operation. Anyone who supplies food to as many restaurants, hotels and other food service establishments like GFS does has to have an impressive facility and system in place. From the beginning, we saw just that. The knowledge of the tour guides as they showed Reid, Jill and I around was incredible. They described the systems in place, the work the warehouse employees had to do, and even described the system used to record productivity among workers. As I took my first walk around the large warehouse, I saw glimpses of ingredients that I never thought to see in a place like this.

We met Bill Foster, the Marketing Specialist in the Produce department. When I think of a person in a management position in a section of a large supply operation, I think of a salesman, a businessman with a suit, slick hair, and sunglasses. When we first met Bill, he was a shorter man with thinning hair, wearing a standard navy blue work wear and a jacket. As he described his produce section, something was very evident. This is a man who loved his job and loved the product he was working with. Bill knew anything and everything about produce, about which farming operation it came from, how it was grown, why it was grown, and what it is typically used for in the industry. He explained why these products were chosen by GFS and how GFS not only has standards for quality, but also a passion for things that are organic and local. Cheeses from Saltspring Island, shimeji, hedgehog and black trumpet mushrooms from local farms, micro greens and baby vegetables from Evergreen Herb located in South Surrey, blood oranges, and even products like porcini powder, dried lavender, and white truffle oil were there. I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. How is it that a place that sells you a 50 lb box of jumbo carrots can also sell you beautiful chantrelles and organic shiitakes? I couldn’t believe it. Then Bill started talking about the different things he cooks at home using these products. Not only is he passionate about produce, he utilizes them every day in his own house to make dishes that made my mouth water! Feeling a bit ashamed to have made so many assumptions about GFS, we said our goodbyes to Bill and followed Brett Randall (our rep) upstairs to the show kitchen for lunch.

Lunch was just salt into my freshly opened wound. Chef Brandon Owen, Corporate Executive Chef of GFS and Certified Chef de Cuisine is a man that I immediately gelled with. To be able to talk with someone in the industry and speak of certain people we knew and places we had worked at was refreshing. He explained that the three most important things about food are flavor, texture, and color. Reid mentioned that it was funny to hear him explain things in almost the exact same way as we had discussed in the car just this morning; what was important for the chef, what was important about food. He cooked us dishes using GFS products and showcased the products in a variety of ways. As I have cooked in Sysco food shows before, I understand his job and had a great deal of respect for what he did. And he did it very well. Throughout the meal, I was grateful to hear Chef’s passion for cooking and for making things from fresh, and I was also grateful to hear where GFS’ pre cut products can be a positive thing in Squeah’s kitchen. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in making things from scratch. I have talked endless hours of the value of knowing where your product comes from in its raw state, and how you can gently coax flavor out of it with the application of heat. I have spent much of my time at Squeah defending the value of working together, prepping while building relationships. But Chef came up with a great point. Why spend all that time cutting romaine lettuce, washing it, and spinning it for Caesar salad, when you can spend more time teaching people how to make Caesar dressing? Now we do make our Caesar from scratch, but what he was saying was how to utilize time in the most effective way so those in the kitchen can grow in their learning? Is it important to know how to cut romaine properly for Caesar? Yes! Is it more or less important than learning how to make Caesar dressing? I would say both are equally as important! But if the summer staff spend every day cutting romaine lettuce for Caesar and then end up not having the time to learn the dressing, would it not be more effective to buy it in cut already? Or better yet, how about spend the first bit of the summer learning to cut these different types of ingredients to get an appreciation for where they come from and how to break it down to the form that we eat, and then buy it in the rest of the summer and teach them things that are more interesting? I do confess that I did not have the time I wish I did to teach the summer staff what I wanted to teach them, and they did not have the time to learn it as they were busy prepping veg trays, cookie dough, and fruit salad. With a quick question on favorite cookbooks to Chef Brandon (White Heat by Marco Pierre White, El Bulli cookbooks, and French Laundry by Thomas Keller) and a final goodbye to Chef and Brett, we were off back to Camp.

So what can I take out of this experience? Well first, I’m excited to hear about the different products that GFS has. Flatbreads, watermelon radishes, blue potatoes, heirloom tomatoes are a few that excite me. Second, I’m impressed at the GFS facility and now have a greater understanding of what they do (and I will be a bit more forgiving when they make a mistake, which seldom happens). Thirdly, and most importantly, it has changed my priorities in some ways as the Chef of Squeah. I will continue to make things from scratch. I will continue to do my best to teach people in Squeah kitchen the importance of the value of ingredients and how to take those raw ingredients and prepare them. More importantly, however, I will make a conscience effort to buy the best products suited for the job at Squeah. I will be more open to pre-fabricated ingredients if it’s fresh and prepared the way we want it.

The short of it is this; if buying a case of pre-peeled onions will buy me extra time to teach the volunteers of the summer the importance of a proper caramelization of onions for a perfect onion soup, I’m happy to say that I would not be opposed.

                                                                                                                     Hiro and Reid

Layering Flavors

As I stir in the last of the basil into the food processor at Squeah, my mind starts to ponder. I give the basil and olive oil puree a taste, and as delicious as it is, it’s empty. The flavors are there, but there’s no depth. It’s lacking boldness and strength. Yet as I take this puree and add spinach, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper, oh how the flavors develop! This pesto will be part of a creamy sauce which will top the Curried Yam and Roasted Cauliflower Agnolottis that will be served to the MCBC Camp Committee this weekend. Each delicate pillow of silky pasta dough filled and rolled by hand will be gently simmered, coated with olive oil, and garnished with chives, oven dried tomatoes and celery leaves.

How fascinating is it that the flavors of raw ingredients are so clean and pure, yet the addition of other ingredients enhances the original flavors to a level that is indescribable? I think it’s important to taste as you cook. People know that it is important to taste the final product, but it’s just as important to taste something that’s not done yet. Tasting a stock before it is turned into a soup or a sauce; tasting a balsamic vinegar reduction before the oil is added to make vinaigrette.

The ability to develop our taste buds is right in front of us as chefs. What does heat do to this ingredient? How will reducing this ingredient benefit that end product? If we taste as we cook, it will broaden our knowledge of these questions and through that knowledge, things are created. It’s amazing.

The layering of flavors; try it at home. Don’t be afraid to experiment.