Join me in giving #foodthanks this week

There is a very cool initiative underway in social media called #foodthanks. It's an effort to express appreciation to all those who provide our food. Obviously that ranges from the farmers to truckers to kitchen staff to chefs and many more. You can learn more about the effort, along with how you can help at www.foodthanks.com. For a little more background visit www.athleticfoodie.com. then join me in expressing your #foodthanks. Here's a cool visual created from the Twitter avatars of those tweeting about #foodthanks.

Chefs Under Fire–cool competition with Garrett as emcee

Garrett has a wonderful opportunity Monday night in Austin as he is the "celebrity" emcee for a very cool sounding cooking event, Chefs Under Fire. He's been studying and practicing all weekend. We will be sure to update here. Also check out the Chefs Under Fire Facebook page.

Asia comes to France–Garrett on Huffington Post

Check out the latest article from Garrett on Huffington Post Food. Pork buns meet French Chefs.

How I Learn from the Best Cooking in France

[caption id="attachment_1493" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="End-of-Week Chef Meeting"][/caption] Midway through my trip in France is here. It's hard to put into words all that I've learned, witnessed, tasted and smelled. I have a very inquisitive personality and want to know about everything. Anything I don't know or am unsure of, I ask about. As you can imagine I spend my days asking about everything... from how long does that stock cook, to what makes this sauce spicy, to why do you tie the duck that way, to how do you prevent butter from burning, to techniques for making a prune syrup for dessert. A short synopsis of what I do to learn:

1. As I work, I continually watch what everyone is doing. Check out how they use their knives, how long they keep the lobster in the water, at what temperature they steam bake the fish etc.
2. Between jobs I go around and look at what different cooks are doing and ask them about it. Many times I ask them about things I previously watched them do.
3. Upon arrival to each station I smell everything. I smell the raw ingredients, cooked ingredients, sauces, stocks, what have you. Often I'll smell something four or five times. Many times I'll come back later and smell it again, and the next day, and the next day.
4. I ask, where does this come from? When was it caught? How long will it last? You name it, I've asked it.
5. Taste, taste, taste. No matter what it is they're working on, with the exception of some raw proteins, I taste it. They strongly encourage me to taste everything. The first day at the restaurant Michel definitively told me I must taste everything because that is the only way to learn. What a splendid concept! Taste some of the best cuisine in the world, all day, everyday...mount up baby:)
6. If I missed something they're doing or want to know more, I ask to make it with them the next time they do it. They love teaching me.

The responses I get from everyone in the kitchen are so welcoming and happy. The guys love my passion for cooking and my desire to learn what they do. Roanne has been a heaven for me. I'm so thankful Michel Troisgros and his cooks have taken me under their wings. This has truly been a remarkable learning experience.

Bonjour from Roanne

Bonjour Y'all! Wow it's been a whirlwind since arriving in France. I set foot in Roanne in the afternoon and within a couple hours was working my tail off in the kitchen at La Maison Troisgros. Everyone here is super nice and has taken me under their wing to teach me what they know. Most of the cooks in the kitchen speak some English so that has been nice. I'm working hard at improving my French, but it is difficult. [caption id="attachment_1329" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Working with Precision"][/caption] The third day I was in Roanne I dined in the restaurant, courtesy of Michel (the chef). Sixteen courses later I was blown away by the quality and precision with which they create their masterpieces. I can't even call it food. Of course it is food but on a whole new level. I mean there are sometimes upwards of 15 steps that go into creating a single one of their dishes. If you're interested in seeing what I'm talking about follow my twitter feed as there are tons of pictures I upload there. My role in the kitchen is widely varied. Here's a list of some of the thing's I've done so far...

• Sorted through hundreds of tiny wild strawberries.
• Turned artichokes...considered to be one of the most difficult tasks in any kitchen.
• Helped prepare the sweet pea soup, which is almost ten different steps.
• Made croissants from scratch.
• Melted and tempered raw chocolate.
• Pan sauteed lobsters for the lobster dish (supervised of course)
• Boned lamb shoulders.
• Broke down pigeons.
• Squeegeed floors

[caption id="attachment_1330" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Beautiful Facilities Indoors and Out"][/caption] So many more I can't even explain here. I'm loving my time in France so far. The work is super hard and gives me even more respect for those who work in kitchens. Working on your feet for 15 hours a day is tough! The city of Roanne is the perfect size for me...big enough that they have a lot to do but small enough for me to get everywhere on my bike. Tuesday and Wednesday are completely off. Swimming is going great here. The pool is my release from the physical toll of work. I've been swimming five days a week and loving it. Hope y'all are well! Follow my twitter profile so you can really experience this incredible journey!!!

Photos from France continue

With the outdoor pool closing, Garrett has found an indoor alternative. We'll post photos when available. Meanwhile, two more from the kitchens of La Maison de Troisgros including the many young chefs. [caption id="attachment_1313" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fresh mushrooms from the French countryside"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1314" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Kitchen staff efficiently working together at La Maison de Troisgros "][/caption]

I Want My Nachos!!!

[caption id="attachment_1154" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Gooey. Salty. Fatty. "][/caption] But I never eat them. All that gooey cheese, fatty meat, over-the-top salt is just not what I (or anyone really) should be eating, especially when training. It got me thinking. Maybe when I get home I'll try to make some healthy nachos... Do you ever make healthy nachos? What do you put on them? Let me know!

Blogging for Bon Appetit

I've been extremely fortunate to meet some of Austin's best chefs and to be invited to participate in a kind of crazy event they hold once each month: Meaty Monday Madness. Today I even had a blog published about it at Bon Appetit online. I LOVE learning more about food.

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Dang Fruit Flies!!!

Pesky little fruit flies. No rotten fruit. No decaying carcass on my counter. So what's the deal? Why do these annoying little flies continue to invade my kitchen? I've even seen a couple upstairs and that got me riled up! After clearing my counters, putting things in the refrigerator and smashing as many as I possibly can in my fingers, I'd had enough. I did what anyone in the 21st century would do...when you don't know where to turn, ask your Twitter followers. I got an amazing number of responses on how to wipe out the population in my kitchen. A few of the best @Replies from the Twitterverse on fruit flies... @boblegault Fruit Flies. Cantaloupe in a small bowl, under plastic wrap, lift an edge. Flies can't escape. Take outside, or squish 'em. @breanne_d cup of vinegar, saran wrap the top & seal with an elastic, poke tiny holes in the top of saran wrap with a tooth pick :) @StretchChi sugar water in a jar. Cover with celophane and poke little holes. They crawl in but can't fly out. They die a very sweet death @Steffieflies Do you have any potted plants inside your house? They feed off fungus on the plants, so you might want to get a fungicide...

Flashback to meeting world-renowned Chef Daniel Boulud…and a glimpse of things to come in France.

The morning of Memorial Day I got a call on my phone...the screen read "Daniel Boulud (Mobile)". I was still lying in bed at the time and before I knew it I was on my feet screaming in excitement. I ran into the other room and took a deep breath before answering. Behold on the other end of the line was the man himself with his strong French accent. We spoke for a while about my swimming and what I have planned for this summer as well as his new restaurant in London and a new one he's opening in Singapore. Daniel went on to say... Well, let's take a quick look back to 2008 before getting into that: On a warm summer night in Beijing, after the swimming portion of the Olympics had finished, I had a chance meeting with a very special someone. As I finished a segment of The Today Show, I happened to run into world famous chef Daniel Boulud. My calm and collected demeanor instantaneously went to giddy and freakishly excited at first sight of him. I took no hesitation to introduce myself and begin a short conversation. Briefly I told him about my passion for food and cooking and how I would love to come to his restaurant in NYC in the fall. Before heading on the set to do a cooking demo he gave me his card and told me to email him when I wanted to come. The conversation which started in Beijing almost two years ago has formed into a very meaningful friendship, one that I truly cherish. [caption id="attachment_842" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="In the kitchen with Chef Boulud and staff at Daniel, NYC"] [/caption] In Beijing I also formed a friendship with Daniel's daughter, whom I met on the The Today Show as well. She took me to his newly opened restaurant in the heart of the city, La Maison Boulud. Since first meeting Daniel and shortly after delighting in his cuisine, I was hooked on the Boulud train. (Don't get any ideas. His daughter and I are just friends.) About a month later when in New York my sister and I ended up eating at his restaurant Daniel and had an incredible time. Since then I've built a much stronger relationship with Daniel. I'm so honored to have his friendship. In many ways surprising to me, he is happy to have mine as well. His daughter once told me, "one of the reasons he has gravitated so much to you is because he so readily sees your passion for food and cooking and he loves your work ethic to get better at it and to learn." As some of my readers know, last fall I had the privilege to do a month-long "stage" in Italy at Castello Delle Regine. (You can scroll back at my Cooking in Italy archives to see more on that. Thanks so much to my friends Adam Siegel and John Wise at The Bartolotta Restaurant Group for helping with that.) From there I did a short Stage with Daniel and his staff at "Daniel" for three days in NYC. My experience was unbelievable! You can read about it here! And more here. By the way, "stage" is a French term for training in a restaurant kitchen. Now back to Memorial Day 2010: After talking for a bit, Daniel gave me the news I had been waiting to hear...about France, about an amazing restaurant...about a kitchen he regards as one of the best in the world... about an opportunity for me to work as hard and learn as much as I ever have in my life... Here's a glimpse of where I'll be traveling to...