The Sounds of A Restaurant Kitchen

I had an interesting experience yesterday. I was in the kitchen at Cafe Flora, pureeing the lentils, onions and pecans for our pate platter and feeling vaguely irritated with myself for choosing a messy way of dealing with the several batches that needed to go in the robocoupe (a big food processor). I was tired at the end of a long shift and ready to go home and catch a nap before Mini-Me was up and ready for an afternoon of fairy-fireman-spin-dancing. (You'd have to see it for yourself).

Anyhow, I turned off the robo, and suddenly I heard every sound in the kitchen at once. It was one of those strange moments of hyperawareness. Behind me to the left, in the dish pit, I could hear plates banging, the dishwasher running, and accordions on Spanish language radio. In front of me, the brunch crew was prepping for the weekend and the radio was playing the Decemberists on KEXP. From my right came the whing-whing-whing sound of the big Hobart mixer straining to grate parmesan cheese, while a few feet farther was the low whir of a KitchenAid mixer churning icing. And behind me on the right I could hear the crackle of sauteeing while the line cook called orders to the pizza station and passed plates to the intermittent stream of servers coming in and out.

The funny thing was that rather than making me grumpier, all the noise completely lifted my mood. I could feel the whole rhythm of the kitchen as we went about our various tasks, wrapping up lunch service and preparing to hand off to the dinner crew. I felt my sense of place in the larger organism that is the restaurant and it was comforting.

Isn't it cool when those little spiritual moments sneak up on you from nowhere?

[where: 2901 E. Madison St, Seattle, WA, 98112]

Cheese and Grapes Four Ways

Cheese and Grapes Four Ways

I'm not really sure what got me on this track. Probably reading the completely insane El Bulli book that Sarina got me for Hannukah, although I certainly don't mean to invite any comparisons! Anyhow I was thinking about how many different forms grapes can take, and that made me want to pair several of them with cheese on the same plate. And then I've also been germinating ideas of dishes that combine or contrast industrially processed and "normal" foods. Not necessarily in an ideological way, not to make fun of the processed food, but just to let it speak for itself.

Anyhow, here is what I came up with for a first try:

1. Feta with quickly sauteed grapes, olive oil, and fennel pollen
2. Morbier  with cubes of wine gelee (made with agar agar so as to be vegetarian)
3. Shards of pecorino romano with 15 year aged balsamic vinegar
4. Kraft singles with Welch's grape jelly on a Ritz cracker

By the way, if you have a chance please check out my photo page on tastespotting.com, it makes a pretty cool visual index back to all of the recipes.

Jewish Christmas Tamales

The Christmas season is a funny time of year for us Jews. Hannukah was a couple of weeks ago, so now while everyone who is Christian is running around buying last minute gifts and then settling in for family visits, we're mostly chilling at home and trying to figure out how we can survive without an espresso bar for two days. Visit a Chinese restaurant on Christmas night and you'll find it full of Jewish folks polishing off big plates of mu shu.

Anyhow, I look at all this time off as an opportunity to take on cooking projects that are bit more labor intensive than usual. So when we were figuring out what to have for our weekly family dinner with my brother and his girlfriend and her brother (visiting from DC), tamales seemed like just the thing. And then while flipping through recipes on the web, I found out they are traditional Christmas fare! So I think we might have to make it our new Jewish Christmas tradition.

This is only my second time making them, and I stuck with Rockin Robin's excellent pictorial directions that I used last year. Of course I made my own vegetarian fillings, but she shows you just how to mix the masa, make the tamales, roll them, and steam them. The only thing I would add is that you should aim to spread the masa fairly thin on the corn husk so it doesn't overwhelm the fillings and the filling itself should be slightly saucy, not too dry. The MaSeCa brand of masa harina she recommends definitely has a better corn flavor than the health food brand I tried this time, I'm switching back next year.

I made two fillings this time. I can't really give you recipes for them since I didn't write anything down, but the first was roasted portabella mushrooms in a red mole sauce, and the second was roasted and peeled poblano peppers with corn (frozen), onions and cheddar cheese. We had them with refried beans, guacamole, and a delicious salad that girlfriend's brother made with honeycrisp apples and a stellar blue cheese.

If you go to make them, figure about 3-4 tamales per person, but you may as well make extra. They reheat easily in the microwave and freeze well. In fact I think I need a leftover poblano one right about now.

Recipe: Banana Muffins With A Crumb Top

Banana Muffins With A Crumb Top

Most banana muffin recipes seem too sweet to me. I want to taste banana, not overpowering sugar. This version is a composite of several recipes, putting together all the bits that we like (borrowing the most from this one at Allrecipes). Mini-me had a great time sprinkling on the crumb topping, which has a few flakes of sea salt in it.

By the way, how do you like that vintage Melmac serving plate? I have a few hundred pieces of the stuff, the remnants of an even larger collection from my post-college years. I think I'll start busting them out for more blog photos.

It occurred to me afterwards that caramelizing the bananas first to bring out even more of their flavor might be good. That or using some of the smaller, intensely flavored bananas that good stores carry these days. If anyone tries either of those ideas, please comment and let me know how it turned out!

Banana Muffins With A Crumb Top
Makes 10 muffins

    Dry:

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt

    Wet:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. unsalted butter, melted

    Crumb topping:

• 1/3 c.  brown sugar (preferably something delicious like Muscovado)
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/8 t. cinnamon
• pinch or two of flaky finishing salt (like Maldon), optional
• 1 T. butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease or line 10 cups of a muffin pan
2. Mix the dry and wet ingredients thoroughly and separately
3. Fold the dry into the wet, without mixing any more than necessary to combine. Overmixing will make them tough. Fill the muffin cups.
4. Cut the butter into the rest of the crumb topping ingredients like you were making pie crust, and then sprinkle evenly over the batter.
5. Bake about 20 minutes until a tester comes out dry.

Recipe: Brussel Sprouts with Seeds and Toasted Coconut

By the way, check out my page on tastespotting.com for a visual index of all the photos from the site. And be sure and press the "*" button on the pictures if you like them, so other folks will find 'em too!

This is the season for great brussel sprouts, and I've seen lots of great recipes for them. I decided to take my sprouts in an Indian direction the other night. It is pretty simple, I just shredded them and pan fried them with black mustard, black caraway, and cumin seeds, and toasted coconut. This dish is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. I served it with basmati rice, aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower curry), cucumber raita (yogurt sauce) and papadums.

Mustard and brussel sprouts are both in the brassica family, so the seeds really complement the flavor. The key, as always with anything in the cabbage world is not to overcook them, otherwise you will bring out unpleasant sulfury flavors.

Fresh green chilis, ginger, garlic, or onions would all be welcome additions to this dish.

Brussel Sprouts with Seeds and Coconut
Serves 4 as a side dish
Vegetarian, vegan if you use oil instead of butter, and gluten-free

• 3 c. brussel sprouts, trimmed and sliced thin
• 2 T. ghee or 1 T. butter and 1 T. oil
• 2 T. urad dal (optional)
• 1 T. black mustard seeds
• 2 t. black caraway seeds (regular caraway is ok in a pinch)
• 2 t. cumin seeds
• 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted to light brown (I'm sure fresh would be even better)
  
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 2 t. jaggery or brown sugar
• 2 t. garam masala
• fresh lime or lemon juice (to taste)

1. Microwave or steam the brussel sprouts for 4 minutes so they are nearly tender.
2. In a large skillet over high heat, melt the ghee or butter and oil
3. If you have ural dal (a type of Indian split pea) available, fry it until it starts to turn reddish brown (a couple minutes). This adds an additional crunchy element.
4. Add the mustard, caraway, and cumin seeds and fry until the mustard seeds pop for a few seconds
5. Add the brussel sprouts and stir-fry until cooked through (2 minutes)
6. Add the remaining ingredients, toss, and check seasoning

 

Cookbook Review: Tartine

Baking books are kind of a dime a dozen, right? And certainly recipes for brioche or banana cream pie are nothing extraordinary. If you want a basic recipe for pie crust or pastry cream, you don't need to look any further than Joy of Cooking, or recipezaar.com.

What sets a book like Tartine apart from the pack is the confident hand that you feel guiding you, whether through these fundamentals or more dramatic desserts like a Chocolate Souffle Cake or Panforte with Candied Quince. When I made the scones (pictured above) and the pumpkin tea bread (below), I just knew they were going to be first rate, not merely good.

In each recipe here, you aren't simply getting something that Joe from Poughkeepsie has made once or twice and is reasonably happy with. These are tried-and-true items that have been made hundreds or thousands of times at the bakery and carefully refined.

Most pages include a Kitchen Notes section to pass on tips for perfecting the technique or varying the ingredients. For example, one useful note tells you how to avoid lumps in your cake batter: don't scrape the flour off the sides of the bowl. Instead, lift batter up onto the sticking flour so it mixes in, and whatever is still sticking - leave it behind, and definitely don't scrape it into the cake pan.

The book has the thoughtful details that make using it much easier. Every recipe provides measurements both by volume (for convenience) and by weight (for accuracy), in both English and metric. The ingredients are separated out by component (i.e. one section for the custard, another for the crust), and set off visually from the instructions. A ribbon page marker is built in, and the cover is printed directly, without the usual paper dustjacket to be soiled and ripped.

As Alice Waters explains in her foreword, Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson first opened a bakery of their own at Point Reyes Station in Marin county. They later moved to San Francisco and opened Tartine in the Mission District, and folks have been lining up out the door ever since. I can see why, because the choice of recipes in the book really shows off the authors' point of view. The desserts are light on frills and big on seasonality and flavor. They have a rustic sensibility which appeals to most everyone.

Although I've only had time to bake the simple items pictured here, I'm very much looking forward to a chance to dive in deeper. Brioche Bread Pudding, Shaker Lemon Pie, Pastel De Tres Leches, Clafoutis, Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread... not to mention a few savory items like Gougeres, Pissaladiere.... time to preheat the oven!

Here's an a link to my Amazon store if you want to pick up a copy. I use the (minimal) profits from sales to pay for the blog hosting expenses.

Winter Green Dumplings in Shiitake Broth - Now Live At Cafe Flora

Winter Green Dumplings Shiitake Broth

Cafe Flora changes much of the menu seasonally, and every few months any of the employees can put up a dish for evaluation by the management team. I offered this dumpling entree and it just went on the menu a couple of nights ago. This is my first dish on a restaurant menu, so I have to say I'm pretty excited about it!

The dumplings are made with wonton wrappers, and filled with a mixture of mustard greens, kale, and ricotta. They are served in a deeply flavored shiitake broth with sauteed slices of fresh shiitake, and garnished with parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, lemon zest, and green onions.

I got the idea for this dish because I had some leftover shiitake broth from something completely different, and I was taken with the complex umami flavor. It made me think of a classic Italian tortellini in brodo (broth). But then the specific shiitake flavor lended itself to a Chinese or Japanese interpretation.

I don't normally care for "fusion" dishes, especially when it is done for shock value. What I hope this dish does is highlight the similarities between the cuisines (the wild mushrooms, spicy greens, pasta, and broth), and then pick up a little spin from each (the Italian cheeses and the Asian green onions).

So that's the story! If any of you are in Seattle and get a chance to try it, I'd love to hear you feedback. It is on the dinner menu only, probably for at least a month.

p.s. on 1/3/2008 - The dumplings got a review in the Seattle newspaper.

[where: 2901 E. Madison St., Seattle, WA, 98112]

100th Post Celebration

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Herbivoracious. When I started this blog, back in nineteen-ought-seven, my pal Burnsie, looking natty as always in his sateen knickers, offered me advice that every writer would do well to remember: "Just give the great unwashed a pair of oversized breasts and a happy ending, and they'll 'oink' for more every time."

Mmm, sorry, Simpsons reverie. What I meant to say was, when I started this blog 99 posts ago, it was a real shot in the dark. I had no idea how to do it, how much time it would take, or what would make for a good or bad post. I just knew that I needed a way to share my obsession with more folks than my (incredibly patient) family and friends. I've been passionate about great vegetarian food for  20+ years, and I know that there are lots of people who feel the same way. So many of you have been kind enough to comment on the blog or email me privately with encouragment and feedback, and that really keeps me going.

Anyhow, for a 100th post I figured it would make sense to look back and highlight a few favorites. Especially since there are new visitors all the time, this list might make a good starting point. By all means comment if you think some of these are duds or other ones belong here.

And most of all, thanks for reading, cooking, eating, and sharing!

	This recipe for Mujadara has been consistently one of the most popular on the site. The simple pilaf of rice and lentils with lots of caramelized onions is easy and nutritious, uses ingredients that are available year round, and has such an earthy, satisfying flavor.
	Edamame in an Edible Tofu Bowl is one of my personal favorites because it looks dramatic but goes together in just a few minutes. Oh, and I'm crazy about using circle cutters to present food. Don't ask me why, it just makes me happy.
	If I could eat one thing right this minute, it would be a bowl of real Middle Eastern hummus. This was from our big trip to Israel and Italy earlier this fall.
	One of the things that restaurants do which most home cooks don't consider is simple reduced sauces. Almost any wine, juice, vinegar, broth, cream, or any flavorful liquid you can think of can be quickly boiled down to intensify flavor and a thicker consistency so it can be served as a sauce. The Ginger Beer reduction in this recipe is a good example of something a little out of the box but very tasty.
	My theory is that the only folks who don't love eggplant parmesan are the ones that haven't had a good one. Gooey cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, well roasted eggplant, and a lively tomato sauce, what is not to love?
	These Caramelized Pear Cupcakes with Blue Cheese Frosting probably raised more eyebrows than most posts.
	Without a doubt, making the leap to take six months off from my regular job to intern at Cafe Flora has been one of the best things I've ever done. I can't even begin to write down everything I've learned. It has been terrific to work with the amazing and talented people there, and see what it would take to open my own place farther down the road.
	Couscous is a favorite because it is a snap to make, and this simple trick makes it come out much more fluffy and delicious.
	That looks more like cornmeal pancakes than Spicy Angel Hair Pasta to me, but you'll have to read the post to see the connection.
	Otsu Noodles have the subtle flavor of buckwheat soba and sesame paste balanced with refreshing cukes and green onions.

Carrot Love

We caught these romantic carrots in the act at Cafe Flora. I'm heartbroken to report that they were tragically separated and served with Portabella Wellingtons. Kind of a Romeo and Juliet story for the vegetable kingdom. Their love was never to be, but at least they had a last few minutes together on the prep table.

Recipe: Pie Dough and Ganache Cookie Towers

Let's consider the problem:

1. I have a bit of leftover flaky pie crust dough
2. I really want something chocolatey, but quick
3. I'm obsessed with circle cutters

Solution:

The cookies above. Recipe: Cut out pie dough with a successive series of cutters, starting at maybe 2.5 inches down to the smallest size you have. Bake til golden brown. Heat up a small amount of cream, pour it over finely chopped chocolate, wait a minute, whisk, spread on the bottom of all of the circles except the largest, stack 'em up, watch Get Smart reruns while unstacking and experiencing mild glee.

Extra credit:

Use a squeeze bottle to decorate a plate with any extra ganache.

Seattle Food Blogger Dinner (With Brief Review of Quinn's Pub)

Tuesday night we had a gathering of a bunch of Seattle food bloggers at the relatively new Quinn's Pub on Capitol Hill. I'd never met any of these folks before, so it was exciting for me to see everyone, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce you as well.

The night's organizer was the fabulous Keren Brown, author of the Savvy Savorer, which is also mirrored over at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as the Frantic Foodie. She has a knack not just for alliterative titles, but also creating very welcoming gatherings and bringing great treats to share. My favorite was the fig flavor of Greek Gods yogurt, but the Bacon Salt was good fun too. Who knew it was vegetarian?!? Keren was recently married in Israel and brought along her new husband Erez.

Then we have Katrin Rippel, who is actually not a blogger, but a specialist in menu translation and cultural customization for the dining and hospitality world. She's built her own company around this fascinating niche. She told me that she can look at a plate of food and see what state of mind the chef was in when they made it, which I thought was fascinating! Katrin brought homemade candies to share, which I'm fervently hoarding.

Next we come to Ronald Holden, author of the very popular Cornichon.org and connoisseur of aged grape juice. I asked him a question about Hermitage wine and he instantly described not just the style and general area of France it was from, but the layout of the town and vineyards. As someone who can concentrate that way on food but never had the brain for wine, I was thoroughly amazed.

Candace Dempsey writes both about eating and travel in her Italian Woman At The Table blog and in books. She also teaches other folks how to write about food via an Internet class. She brought me a special treat of cumin powder direct from the souk in Tunis which tastes unbelievable! Candace came with her friend Annie Beckmann, who is a writer and editor at Antioch University.

Chow Foods, operator of 5 Seattle restaurants, is lucky to have Naomi Bishop as their marketing coordinator. She's passionate about food, and you can read her about her personal cooking and dining experiences at The Gastrognome. Naomi is in no way gnome-like in real life. (Go back and read her blog name if that made no sense to you.

Rachel Belle isn't a blogger (yet?), she's a reporter and co-host of the popular Stick a Fork In It show on 710 KIRO radio. At the site you can download their short programs and listen to her amusing hidden-microphone banter with Dan Restione.

And last but not least, Jay Friedman, who is a staff author at Seattlest as well as a sex educator. Heck, sex and food go great together, makes sense to me! I hear he's also working on a one-man show, which I'm guessing will be hilarious. He got my Maldon Sea Salt in the gift exchange, can't wait to hear if he likes it as much as I do.

Quinn's was an ideal place to hold this get-together. They devoted a big communal table to us, giving us lots of space to share drinks and food There are a handful of vegetarian dishes on the gastropub style menu of relatively small plates.

I had a grilled romaine and bread panzanella-style salad that was super tasty, but I thought the bread could have been less soggy. My second dish was curried roast cauliflower, black lentils, and fresh mango with raita. Unlike many Seattle restaurants, Quinn's is not afraid to use salt properly, which I greatly appreciate, especially with drinks. I'm not surprised that the food is delicious, Quinn's is owned by Scott and Heather Staples, who also own the outstanding Restaurant Zoe.

So that's the roundup! I hope you'll check out the sites of some of our other fine bloggers and Quinn's is well worth a stop.

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Recipe: Double Crust Mac and Cheese

Double Crust Mac and Cheese on the Plate

Everyone knows that the best part of mac and cheese is the crunchy top, but it took Sally Schneider to do something about it. In The Improvisational Cook, Schneider makes the brilliant suggestion that you split your mac and cheese into two parts, baking half in a casserole and the rest in a thin layer on a baking sheet. When you serve it up, each person gets a small amount of each, and great crispy crunchiness ensues!

Now I tried her recipe as written once and it was super, but relies on a somewhat strange thickening technique for the sauce. Rather than making a normal roux-based milk sauce (Bechamel) and then adding cheese (which would then be a Sauce Mornay), she prefers to boil the pasta and then pull some of it aside and puree it with the milk. I guess that gives you the thickening power of wheat flour, but to me it seemed to lack a little something. Granted, that something is probably, um, butter, but for me this kind of rich mac and cheese is such a treat that if I make it I want it to be as great as humanly possible.

Be that as it may, the double crust idea is pure, unadulerated culinary genius. So here is my hybrid recipe with a traditional cheese sauce and the double top. Guaranteed to scratch your comfort food itch. It makes a great party dish because you can do it ahead, meat eaters will be just as happy to eat it as vegetarians, and kids and adults will be equally joyous.

Variations: depending on how much of a stickler you are for comfort food remaining untweaked, there is infinite room for improvisation here. You can use any cheese that melts well, any shape pasta you like, and any flavoring style, as well as adding vegetables. For example: spicy with fresh or dried hot peppers, luxurious with fresh truffles, or Greek flavors with lemon zest, oregano, roasted red peppers and romano cheese.

Also, you might want to check out the Presto Pasta Nights at Once Upon a Feast for more ideas.

Double Crust Mac and Cheese
Serves 6

• 1.5 lbs rigatoni (or other pasta shape of your choice)
• 6 c. milk
• 4 oz. butter
• 4 oz. all purpose flour (1 cup)
• 10 oz. gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 T. dried thyme or 2 T. fresh, leaves picked
• 12 oz. parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
• 2 c. breadcrumbs (regular or panko)
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 and put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
2. Boil pasta until al dente. Do not overcook. Toss with a bit of olive oil or butter.
3. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer, but do not scald.
4. In a skillet, melt the butter, add the flour, and stir until a toasty smell develops and the raw taste is mostly gone, 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir 1 c. of the milk into the flour/butter mixture (roux), then add all of the roux back to the milk and whisk over low heat until smooth and starting to thicken.
6. Stir in all of the gruyere, and two thirds of the parmesan, a handful at a time, until melted and smooth.
7. Add thyme and some black pepper.
8. Taste and adjust salt. I'm not giving a specific measurement because it depends a lot on how salty the cheese is.
9. Mix the pasta with the cheese sauce.
10. Put 2/3 of the mixture in a large buttered casserole and 1/3 on a greased sheet pan (or use a silpat).
11. Top both pans heavily with breadcrumbs and the remaining parmesan cheese. Use more than called for above if it seems like a good idea.
12. Bake for about 30 minutes until thorougly golden brown. If hot but not sufficiently browned you may want to use the broiler to finish the job, but watch it closely
13. To serve, give each person a portion from both pans (see picture above).

Double Crust Mac and Cheese After Baking

How To Clean a Kitchen - Fast!

As you might have guessed, my home cooking tends to somewhat ambitious meals, even on "school nights", and that sometimes leads to pretty substantial messes. Working at Cafe Flora confirms what I've often thought, I tend to work more like a restaurant cook even though I'm at home. The only tiny little problem with that is that I don't have a professional staff of stewards manning the dish pit to wash everything, sweep the floor and hose down the mats. I can dream!

In the meantime, I've developed a lot of theories over the years about how to clean up as quickly as possible after dinner. I can handle a normal mess by myself in 20 minutes, stem to stern. Here's how I go about it. Please comment and add what works for you, I'd always like to learn more!

1. Have a general plan of attack that you use each time, so you don't have to waste time deciding what to do. For me, I like to:
   
   • put away leftovers
   • get everything off the table and counters, move it towards the sink
   • load the dishwasher
   • wash pots and anything else not going in the dishwasher
   • wipe and dry the table and counters
   • heat up my cast iron skillets and oil them
   • vacuum the floor
   • clean the sink
   • take a last look around for anything I missed
2. Whatever system you use, work top to bottom. Do your table and countertops, then any mess on vertical surfaces, and finally the floor. That way you don't end up cleaning the floor twice, and you don't have to worry if you push some crumbs off while wiping the counters.
3. Save cleaning out the sink for the very last so that if if you rinse out a towel and drop some stuff in there, no effort was wasted.
4. While working within your plan, don't waste any steps. For example if you go to drop a load off at the sink, maybe you can come back with something from the drainboard that you can put away. Likewise, if you are going to get a storage container, stop and notice how many and what size you need so you can grab them all at once.
5. Go ahead and use some towels. Especially if you have a washer and dryer and can do laundry regularly, don't be shy about using 3 or 4 rags or towels to get the job done. Always have a dry one over your shoulder or on your belt or apron string so you don't have to search for it to dry off a knife or a counter. 
6. Bring some intensity to the process. Not that cleaning can't be fun itself, but presumably you have other things you want to get to. So clean it like you mean it! Just be conscious to put a little vigor into each move you make and actively try to pick up the pace. That doesn't mean you have to be running around in a panic, just with some focus and intensity.
7. Use the rinse cycle of your dishwasher. Just shove all the large scraps in the garbage, load everything in there, and press rinse (assuming it isn't time to actually run it). You'll save time and actually use less water than if you rinse each dish by hand.
8. If you are working with a partner, lay out a clear division of labor so that you aren't bumping in to each other or wasting time. When my brother and I clean, he takes the sink area and I do the rest of the kitchen, bringing everything to him so that he can totally focus on loading the dishwasher and washing pots. We frickin' kill it and the place is spotless in no time.
9. Finally, just because you are working with intensity doesn't mean it can't be fun! Put on some high energy music and enjoy the process of trying to do the work both fast and well. Believe me, it sounds like a dance club at work when the customers are gone and we are cleaning up after a full day of serving a few hundred folks. We all want to go home but that doesn't mean we won't have a good time finishing the job.

So what works for you? How do you get your kitchen deeply clean and have time left for Threes Company reruns?