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Ever seen Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef or any of the other reality TV food stuff?

The key to being a great... anything... is you need to have passion and pride in your work.

I was a bartender for 10 years. I have worked in several different establishments (none of them corporate owned) and I learned in a hurry that I was going to be making the same drinks for the same people every day during my tenure.

I have I think 2000 or so drink recipes, I've memorized over maybe 300 of them. I know how different wines taste, how different beers tastes, and I know what BRANDS of hard liquor tastes like, gin, whiskey, vodka and so forth. Considering vodka is supposed to be tasteless, you can see the difficulty telling the difference between Grey Goose and Absolut.

Do I know everything? no. There have been many a humbling experiences that I've had behind the bar. But I always worked to make myself be the best damn bartender that business ever had. When I was asked to make something I didn't know how to make, I would have to look up the recipe and then process what our bar had available to make said drink and then I would serve it and then talk to the customer to see how well I did. Most of the time I do well, sometimes I fail.

Every drink has it's own flavor and every bartender has their own style. Some focus on perfection, others flair. I even have had my own recipes pitched to establishments I've worked in.

My friends now consider me a booze hound, even thought I rarely drink anymore and haven't worked a bar in a few years. But I retained the knowledge and the passion. So when someone says "Hey, my mom's making lamb for dinner on Sunday, what should I bring." I would first ask how their mom prepares lamb, then recommend something like a California Red Zinfandel or a french burgundy of Pinot Noir and Syrah depending on what is served with the lamb.

How do I know? How am I so sure of myself? Did I spend a portion of my life in Napa Valley sampling the wines in the casks to see what the regional terroir gave to the grapes? No... I just do my research from time to time, I have a few whiskey wines and beers that I can swear by, and I know what to look for when shopping.

However if someone was to say... I'm looking for something coastal with a bit of spice and a mellow finish, I would officially be ********. I know wines, but not that well. But I REALLY want to know the right answer to that question.

So I say to you Tomo, don't sit on the sidelines and just learn technique. Head to the front and prepare for glory, show that driving passion that makes the difference between the pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and the one at bakery section of your local chain supermarket.

Ever try one of those supermarket cakes? the icing is like a butter cream of sugar whipped into Crisco, and the cake is like... chocolate flavored clay. That's a cake without passion.

Now make one yourself and see if you can tell the difference.

Ever thought of joining the services? Goodness knows you do well enough on the ASVAB you'll AIT in Nursing School.

And you'll have a nice job waiting for ya when you finish your tenure.

whats wrong with the flavor?

We shall discuss caking and baking in PM so we don't turn the college thread into a cooking class.

Tsukuri mashou tsukuri mashou
Sate sate nani ga
Dekuru ka na

I hope your grandmother gets better.
I have family in Rolla, though. My mom is originally from Mountain Grove (about an hour outside of Springfield).

For some reason I thought that because you lived outside of St. Louis you'd be like 7 hours from me or something.
That's weird. What a small world.

So it'd be more like 6 hours because my grandparents house takes 3 very long hours to get to.

We were talking about going to Columbia to go see Matisyahu in concert but then I realized you can only take the interstate for like 2 hours. Then I was out. Highways in Missouri are ick.

BTW, I found a backup: Lester L. Cox in Springfield, MO. It wouldn't be too bad to live in Springfield because at least there's something to do.