Chefisphere

Resolutions and other urban myths (maybe a word on character)

2010-12-24T01:47:00.000-08:00

With the new year fast approaching, people tend to think about resolutions. I happen to be one of them although I cannot for the life of me, remember one that I have kept. Quit smoking...NOT. Go to the gym...ha ha. But, I think this year is going to different. I believe that I will commit to a New Years' Resolution that is attainable. One that, I believe is monumental yet so basically simple that ANYONE could achieve it without even trying very hard.

I vow to purge all of the crap out of my life. To rid myself of all negativity. To get rid of anything that can bring me down or just plain ruin my day. I vow to stop letting others dictate my mood on certain days. They are my days and my moods and I will have complete control of them.

For reasons beyond my own comprehension, I have, in the past and occasionally, allowed other people to dictate my life to me. That is hereby OVER. Other than my children (who have complete control over me. hehe) there is NO ONE so important that I cannot say 'no" to.

And now a word on Character.

I have always tried to conduct myself in a way that is upstanding and truthful. Granted I have slipped, hard, from time to time but for the most part I concider myself to be a pretty decent guy.

There are people in my life who are not and I am sick and tired of having to deal with them. My father taught me to be honest in business as well as in my personal life. It is sometimes a struggle but I think people who know me and know how I do business would say that I am the guy who almost always takes the "high road". I will let the others around me deal dirty, lie cheat and swindle. I may not always (perhaps never) get rich this way but I will go to bed every night with a clear conscience and sleep very peacefully knowing that I tried to do right by the people that I deal with every day.

My father also taught me that a handshake is as good as any signature on any document. I know that lawyers will disagree and that I am REALLY naive in that aspect, but it is who I am and it is something that I am proud of. I could not bring myself to swear any oath and lie. I couldn't bring myself to blatantly lie to someone just to win something or get ahead of someone.

Now I am no saint. I am VERY FAR from perfect and God knows I have told my share of lies. I'm bad at it and I have always been found out and they have always blown up in my face. I have also learned my lessons from these mistakes and have tried very hard not to repeat them and hopefully that says something about me. or not. Whatever! I am who I am, and if who I am is someone who gets taken advantage of, abused in any way, or hurt, it is my own damn fault and I will deal.

The point I am trying to make here is that I hope to instill some semblance of good in my sons. To teach them the difference between right and wrong. To teach them that they MUST be honest with people they deal with and that this is NOT a winner take all life. It is NOT all about who dies with the most money or property or equity. I will teach them that it is far better to be respected than to be feared. That it is better to live your life with a clear conscience. That it is better to leave this world knowing that people loved you and remember you for the good in you. Not for how much of an asshole you were.

What will you teach your children? How will they remember you? What will be your legacy on this earth?

I have known quite a few men with character far beyond what mine will ever be. I have great respect for these men and much admiration. I can only hope that my sons turn out more like them and I will name a few of them now. If you know them then you will surely agree. If you don't, beat a path to their doors and introduce yourself. You'll be better for it

Richard Sagar
Ron Guntert
Jerry Butterfield
Douglas Bradley
Larry Jaffee
Richard Bellof
Jeremy Gray
Damon Burke

Ther are many more than would fit into this space but these are the few that come to mind at this late hour. If I missed you I apologize You know who you are. (trust me they do and wouldnt admit it anyway)

Happy and prosperous new year to al of my friends.

Wine dinner and other random crap

2009-07-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

After last minute prep day, the Stagg's leap wine makers dinner was a great success. Guests feasted on Seared Blue fin tuna with compressed melon and Panganisian Sea salt - A salad of fresh summer fruits with a poppy seed and lime dressing (big hit) - Sous vide Dover sole scented with Tahitian vanilla and served with compressed Greens - Prosciutto wrapped Quail and a dessert of Raspberry injected chocolate pots du creme. (The wine wasn't bad either! hehe)

My halibut dish is a big hit and I think I'm gonna menu it for my upcoming summer menu revisions. It is Roasted with clarified butter and finished with a saute of heirloom tomatoes and asparagus with basil and Arbiquina olive oil.

Speaking of heirloom tomatoes, Mine are taking off like wild fire. The sweet 100's are growing like crazy and I have been harvesting about 2 pounds a week now, for the past three weeks.

The Brandywines and Green striped ones are starting to come in now and it looks like I'm gonna get about 30 pounds of them. Crazy. The ones I've picked so far are like sugar bombs. Really tasty

Sadly, I only got 1 artichoke and that was anemic at best. Better luck next year I guess. Almost as bed as the corn. Not being a professional farmer, I think I left the corn on the stalks a week too long and the corn I managed to pick was dried out and tough.

On a lighter note, Gabriel has gotten his front, top two teeth and has also found his tongue. Pretty freaking funny to watch him play with his tongue while he crawls around. He sticks it out and wags it a lot. Being 17 years since Zack was that little, I forgot how fun this is. I'm a dork, I know, but babies are an everlasting source of joy for me.

Next wine makers dinner is with Grands Amis. If you can make it to this one, you will have the privelege of hearing Jonathan Wetmore speak about his winery and about Lodi wine. He is a dynamic speaker with a great passion for Lodi wine. His wines are fantastic and I'm going to have a very special menu to pair with it.

Pine Ridge Wine Dinner

2009-06-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

So...needless to say, we blew the doors off this place Monday night with our fourth wine makers dinner. Pine ridge is a formidable winery with a great selection of Napa juice.

The first course was a fantastic way to start off the evening. A chilled salad of julienned scallops. I dressed the cut scallops with a Welsh sea salt that is infused with Tahitian vanilla, Spanish Olive oil, sherry wine and ground tellecherry pepper from India. I then vacuum sealed it and cooked it in my circulator, for an hour and 10 minutes at 128.7 degrees. The result was a phenomenal texture with a slight vanilla undertone that paired great with the Viognier. I finished the plate with lightly dressed micro herb salad, gelled mango and a pineapple and cane sugar gastrique.

Second course was, again, chilled. I wanted a cold soup but didn't want to do the 'normal stuff'. So, typically, I bit off more than I thought I could chew with this one. It was a chilled and deconstructed version of Avgolomono. Chrystal clear and perfectly jellied chicken consomme that I flavored with lemon and thyme. Sous vide cooked chicken breast that was quite buttery. Soft cooked quail egg (148 for an hour and a half), and puffed rice. Worked out perfectly with the Chardonnay.

Third course. With the Merlot I decided to go 'game". I made a duck confit that I flavored with a little coriander and nutmeg. pulled the meat, mix it with chopped Amarena cherries and marcona almonds. Wrapped it in caul and roasted the crepinettes for about 30 minutes. finished it with a macadamia croquant for a little crunch and a demi infused with blackstrap molasses. The molasses and the Merlot were perfect together

The fourth course was a bit extravagant. Kobe tenderloin, simply roasted, with a red onion marmalade, simmered wild mushrooms and roasted Heirloom potatoes. finished off with a Cabernet glasage and it went with the Napa cab. Nice pair!

For dessert I wanted to do a 'Mina" style trio dessert with strawberries. So...strawberry pain perdu, layered with roasted strawberries and a strawberry liquor, Strawberry compote flavored with amaretto, Fresh strawberries macerated in Cane sugar and vodka, and a clarified strawberry consomme shooter in an aperitif glass.

Next one is Stagg's Leap...July 6th Be here or you'll, again, have to just read about it!!!

Salmon and stuff

2009-05-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

So...it's that time of year again. The Alaskan Copper River Salmon season is opening up and we will be getting some of this "perfect' salmon in starting this weekend.
For those of you who don't know, Copper river king salmon is, to me, the best salmon on the market all year. For 12 hours about 500 boats are allowed at the mouth of the Copper river to net what they can and then it's done. The fish is fattened for it's impending swim upstream to spawn and the flesh is firm and pink and oily and delicious. Wonderful stuff. It is also about twice the price of "regular salmon".

We started our "family style" dinners last week, with a successful fried chicken dinner. Those who came (and there were quite a few) raved about the new concept. Check us out every Monday night this summer. Next week is BBQ night in honor of Memorial Day.

Pine Ridge Wine Makers dinner is scheduled for our June Event. Check out the website for details on times and $$

On a personal note...in March I planted 13 various heirloom tomato plants, 2 "Sweet 100' tomatoes, 12 corn, 5 snap peas, red bell peppers, jalapenos and artichokes. Last weekend the girls and I picked our first tomatoes and they were like candy. Its gonna be a home grown caprese summer at my house this year.

Farewell Old Friend

2009-03-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Short and sweet today...I am a VERY sad chef. I was in Los Angeles over the past weekend and was terribly saddened to hear of the demise of one of my favorite places in the city.

The Cook's Library is closing down after 20 years of serving chefs, home cooks, and collectors. I used to go there at least once a week and they received about a 20% share of my weekly salary. Other than Kitchen Arts And Letters NYC, no store that I have EVER been to carried the extensive inventory of books on and about cookery. I am sad to see them go.

You should know that it was a sign of the times. As I walked down third street, in West Hollywood, just past the Beverly Center, I was struck by all of the "For Rent' signs. approximately 1/3 of the storefronts are closed along that strip of land. Sad.

Now where am I going to spend all of my cookbook budget?

Books You Need

2009-02-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

After writing last weeks tome, I started thinking about books. I mentioned Joan Roca's book and, believe me, this is a book that any chef would be crazy not to own.

Let me say that I own approximately 700 cookbooks and books on and about food. I have read every one of them and have gleened unfathomable knowledge from them. Those books are my school, my hobby, my apprenticeship and my part of my passion. I will leave them to my children.

Anyone interested in cooking as a career or as a hobby will have a certain number of their favorite books that they constantly refer to for recipes or inspiration. At this point in my career and with my experience, I still refer to my library for inspiration on either presentation, product or technique. I'm lost without it.

It is in this vein that I offer the "list".

Escoffier - The bible of cooking. EVERY chef has it

Larousse Gastronomique - runner up to the Escoffier book. Again, Every chef has it.

Jacques Pepin's La Technique

Julia Childs' French Chef Book

Art Culinaire - Quarterly publication that is vital to any chef wanting to learn what all of the top chefs in the world are creating NOW. Fantastic stuff!

My last supper - Melanie Dunea. What a great compilation of "Last meal choices" by some of the worlds' best chefs

ANYTHING that Charlie Trotter writes.

Again, ANYTHING Rick Tramonto writes. This man is probably my favorite chef in the U.S.

El Bulli Cookbook by Ferran adria. Of course it'll set you back about $400 (and there are three of them) but it's money well spent. I recommend that you use your Ecomonic stimulus money for this one.

Alinea - Grant Aschatz. Art on a plate

Of course there are hundreds more but these are, in my opinion, the essentials. Happy shopping!

More Stuff: I am working on my next submission. Should be done in a couple of days. Last week I went to a Prosciutto party. No...we didn't eat it...WE MADE IT!!! What a great day! I have photos and a play by play. Lots of fun.

200+ for valentine's day so far. Should be a fabulous night.

New menu is rolling out after "V" day. I'll keep you up to date on that as well.

Cuit Sous Vide

2009-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

So...in my quest to perfect the everyday average chicken breast I have come to the conclusion that Sous Vide is the way to go.

For those of you who don't know, Sous vide is a cooking process whereby a product is cooked, in a vacuum, for a VERY long time At a VERY low temperature. This process keeps the product tender, moist, quite soft in texture, and locks in flavors that might other wise leach out in "normal" cooking processes. There is a whole chain of chemical and physical events that the product does (or does not) go through with this process but that is not important here. Whole books are dedicated to this cooking method so if you need to know more I recommend that you pick up a copy of Sous Vide Cuisine by Joan Roca. It'll set you back about $150 but it is money well spent.

So, back to the subject at hand.

I marinated a 12 oz chicken breast in a little soy and sesame oil for my first try. (when you vacuum seal proteins like this, the marinade is forced into the product at a much faster rate so long marination is unnecessary) After vacuum sealing the breast I cooked it at 158 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2 hours. Then I plunged it into an ice bath to rapid cool it. When I was ready to serve, it took just a few minutes in the broiler to bring it back to temp and I sliced it for presentation.

Let me tell you that this chicken was different from any other I have tried. the flesh was soft and supple. Reminiscent of a well done piece of salmon, in texture. The marinade was detectable right to the center of the breast but not in an overpowering fashion. The slightly salty flavor of the soy brought out the flavor of the chicken without masking it and without out taking over the entire flavor profile.

I am VERY pleased with this process and look forward to the next step which is trying to figure out how the heck to present and plate it. I'm thinking black "forbidden"rice! Maybe a nice ginger and lemongrass vinaigrette....

Til next time......

RH

Silk Purses

2009-01-29T00:34:00.000-08:00

So...it's been over a month since my last post. Bad blogger! Sometimes the words just don' t come that easy. Oh well...forgive me. Now, on with it!

I have been trying to think out of the box lately with the understanding that my clientele is firmly entrenched in a "meat and potatoes" mentality that is hard to get them out of. Stockton is not exactly the kind of place where it is easy for a chef to push the culinary envelope. Not that I have to cater to an unsophisticated palate, it's just that some Stocktonians are not very interested in the challenge.

I have to try to reach a balance between what they want to eat and what I want to cook. So, I take what's IN the box and try to move it out to the place that makes ME happy while still offering a menu that is easily approachable.

This brings me to where I am now...developing a new menu for roll out in mid February.

The last few days in the kitchen have been fun for me because I have been "playing with my food". I was thinking about beef and the current trend in the culinary world that is making use of, what one would consider, under appreciated cuts. "Baseball Steak", Bistro Filet", 'Hangar Steak" and "Butt Steaks" are all making a big comeback in many fine dining Establishments across the country. Mostly because of economic reasons, chefs are utilizing these cuts to make sure that the bottom line is at a reasonable level. The only problem is, is that none of that crap excites me. they are just not that tasty (well...hangar steaks are tasty but VERY ugly).

So, I asked my dad. Well...not really. He passed away 10 years ago. But, as I often do, I thought about what he liked.

SKIRT STEAK!!! that tasty belt of meat that is dead center on the plate (belly) of the steer. The only problem is that it is one of the "ugly" cuts. But, geez, it is probably the tastiest cut of meat short of the rib. What can I do to make a silk purse out of this little sow's ear.

If you've never had skirt steak, you have missed out on a fantastic cut of meat. it has long muscle strands like a flank steak but is less dense so it is MUCH more tender. I is also about 1/3 the price of rib eye so it is a cheap griller. Argentinians use it, marinated in chimichurri, for their churrasco and Mexicans use it for fajitas. The only problem for fine dining applications is that it is about 20 inches long and 2 inches wide. So, plating is an issue.

It is covered in a think fat and membrane cap that needs to be trimmed. Once trimmed the steak actually expands to about 26 inches. It takes marination very well and is one of the best grilling cuts I have eaten. So...I need to make 'ugly steak'. pretty. Time to break out the Activa.

Activa is a transglutaminase powder that, when applied to two or more pieces of meat or other protein, forms an unbreakable, cookable and sliceable bond. It is, in a phrase, Meat Glue.

So...here's what I did this morning. I took three pieces of skirt steak and two slices of Applewood smoked bacon. I pounded the meat until it was about 1/2 inch thick. then I dredged the meat and bacon in Activa and stacked it up...meat ...bacon...meat...bacon...meat. Vacuum sealed it and rested it in in the fridge. (Activa needs time to work its magic) then I cooked it, still in the bags, in a water bath at 158f for 15 minutes and quick chilled it. Then, I removed it from the bags, marinated it in our house "rub" and grilled it. It is utterly fantastic. I get a nicely grilled thick cut of meat that is infused with the smoky bacon flavor, perfectly pink, juicy and tender.

I love it when stuff works out on the first try.

More Stuff...

Greg is actually Superman. After undergoing rather major surgery, he is home, a week early, already recuperating and will be back at the restaurant in no time. "We miss you, man"

Better make your Valentines Day reservations NOW. We are booking up quickly.

Look for upcoming wine makers' dinners. We are gearing up for a whole series of them starting in the spring.

COMING SOON "Top Shelf at Le Bistro" is the new Jazz venue in our showroom. We have actual professionals turning the showroom into a first class jazz club.

Good Morning!

2008-12-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

I open my eyes and wipe away the sleep. Focus...Blink...blink again...there you are! Your face right in mine. Eyes shut, hands neatly tucked under your soft chin. You seem to have been left here by angels for me to behold.

I cannot take my eyes off of you. Your beautiful, soft skin glows in the light of the morning. Perfection! I am compelled to touch you. I run the back of my hand over your cheek and you stir a bit but remain asleep. I touch your hand and it closes around my finger, tightly.

After a small stretch and a slight groan, you open your eyes. You smile...no...grin! Ear to ear! I melt.

"Good morning, Gabriel". You answer, in your own language (not yet known by me) "good morning daddy"

RH

2008-11-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

I am a VERY bad blogger.

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing here for last few months but I promise that, within the next couple of days, you will see a newly inspired passage here.

Just thought you should know. I'm tryin!

New Junk

2008-09-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

When trying to concieve a new menu i have a process that may or may not be "Normal".

Of course the first thing I do is to think about the season. Currently, I am thinking about Autumn. You know...pumpkins, pork, squashes, braising, stews...Rich and hearty foods that still hold on to that little bit of summer recently past. Not quite the rich fatty winter food but no more of the light, etherial foods of summer.

The second step is ALL in my head. This is where I usually get into trouble. You see, my head is bigger than my staffs abilities, my vendors product lists, my kitchen and my budget...all combined. In other words...I have delusions of grandure! Let me 'splain...

When I get an idea in my head about a certain dish I would like to do, I have it ALL worked out in my head, first. I can see the dish in my minds eye exactly as I would want to see it on the plate. Problem is...my minds eye is near sighted, cross-eyed and slightly squinted. (and there might be an eye lash in there as well. I don't know) The dish, when first I try it on a plate, NEVER looks like I saw it in my head. What the fuck...

So...I re-plate it...re-cook it...re-plate it again....re- re-cook and so on. Until, finally, after a few times of trial and error...I give up and toss the entire dish, plate, pot, and idea in the fucking trash and give up on it. About then is when I get the right idea for the dish. The one I should have had in the first place and try it again. This time it works. This time it is a masterpiece. This time I'm gonna be in the chef's hall of fame. ...But my staff would NEVER be able to replicate it. So...back to the drawing board.

Don't get me wrong. I have an incredible brigade (of 4) in my kitchen. All of whom are well qualified and would be able to work in the best restaurants anywhere. There are just not enough of them for some of my culinary dilusions. Some of my bright ideas would take 6 hands and about 20 minutes per plate to serve. I only have two at a time and about 6 minutes per dish. I'm screwed!

So...I don't dumb it down...I scale it down. Lose a component or two. Simplify a piece of prep. Make it a bit easier to execute while still maintaining my level of expectation. This is usually when the whole thing miraculously comes together. When I'm at the "simplification" stage.

Here is what I came up with this time.

Spice lacquered Muscovy duck breast with Bulghur, lemon and coriander. Arugula and pistachio salad with a molasses gastrique. Sublime! ...and in only three days!

So...until next time

NO more trans fats!!!

New Stuff

2008-09-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

I know that it has bee a long time since my last post but I've been a bit pre-occupied with new baby and recovering mother. So, I hope you will forgive me and I promise to be more attentive to this blog.

WEll...baby's settled in to his new life in this world. Eating... sleeping...pooping...crying...(repeat ad infinitum) He is a beautiful little boy and his mother is more beautiful than ever. It never ceases to amaze me that a woman can be such an adept multi-tasker. Feed the baby... change the baby.....take the other kids to school...pick em up...take them to dance, t-ball, hip hop, parent teacher night etc etc all on about three hours of sleep a night. she is an amazing woman and such a wonderful mother. There are three very lucky little children in this house...and one VERY lucky man.

OK...So I'm back in the swing of things at the restaurant and am in the middle of developing a new menu to coincide with the grand re-opening of this phenominal eatery. The new items and new concept have me energized and totally pumped up with anticipation of the new Le Bistro! My entire staff is excited, as well, and are all putting everything they have into this endeavour.

The re-model is shaping up quicker than anticipated and is looking fantastic! This restaurant will be gorgeous! I will put this place up against ANY restaurant in the country both in look and design as well as in cuisine!

The new menu reflects just why I became a chef. Modern cuisine, delicious food, beautiful presentation and world class service! I believe that the food we are serving is the best in California and can't wait to introduce it to the community.

Some of the changes we are instituting are bold and new and will, I am sure, excite and entice our guests and broaden our cutomer base to be much more inclusive and approachable. Guests can choose whether they want to "graze" through the greatly expanded "appetizer and small plate" section or tackle the new and exciting and. may I say. utterly unique Entree selections.

So...spread the word...the New Le Bistro is only a few weeks away and we can't wait to have you here!

Until next time...Think "sustainability"

Chef Richard Hyman

Advise

2008-08-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

August 21st, 2008 My second son was born at 12:14 A.M.

At this time..On this planet...In this universe...there is not a happier man alive.

The only other day that I can remember being this elated was on November 21st, 1991. That was the day my FIRST son, was born. I hadn't smiled wider, felt more fulfilled, or was more proud than I was on that day. There was no human on Earth that I could have possibly loved more than my son.

Now, I am blessed with two of these days...Two sons. Two opportunities to reflect on the miracles of this world. Two ways to make all of my problems melt away into oblivion. It is, in a word, Awesome!!! I am a very, very lucky man.

The other night was quite astounding. It went from 0 to 60 in about 5 seconds. LOML was amazing. Nervous, excited, anxious. We sat around for about 5 hours just chillin in the room. the nurses were in and out alluding to the fact that we were probably going home soon to wait it out till Friday. (Scheduled C section) But...Gabriel would have none of that! by 11 or so, it was apparent that this was it!

So...into 2nd gear...prep for surgery. Not quite as easy to mentally prep as it is to physically prep a patient for this procedure. She was NOT expecting this to happen so soon. But....Et Voila! Welcome Gabriel!

My friend Sara came to visit us at the hospital and started to give advise to the little one and
we riffed on this for about an hour. We had fun and laughed a lot. (She is a freakin riot and we share the same caustic humor. she's also a pretty damn good chef)

So...Some advice for the new one...

1. Always listen to your mother. she is ALWAYS right...Your father...not so much.

2. Peanut butter and chocolate is a very good combination.

3. Fall in love...a lot!

4. Dialogue has, and always will, solve more problems than violence.

5. Plain M&M's are much better than peanut

6. The path to self fulfillment is paved with integrity, truth, and honor.

7. Always tell the truth...it's a lot easier than lying.

8. It's ok to cry

9. Laugh...a lot...out loud!

10. Have a sense of humor. If you don't have one...GET ONE

11. Study hard and go to college. Sounds cliche' but, believe me...It's important.

12. Never, EVER, EVER hit a girl!

13. Take care of your body. It's the only one you have and it IS a temple.

14. ...but ice cream is good!

15. Read books

16. Use sun screen

17. "The sure Thing" is the best movie ever

18. Surround your self with lots and lots of friends

20. Hard work pays off

21. Be true to yourself. Be true to your heart.

22. Pear jelly bellies are the best

23. Go outside and play

24. Be passionate

25. Be a Democrat

26. Be good

27. Recycle

28. Don't smoke

29. Don't be afraid to try new things.

30. Always remember that no matter how much you hate your parents...You love your parents!

31. .....and we love you....VERY MUCH

Two days and counting

2008-08-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

Friday at 6A.M. is zero hour! We go to the hospital to have the alien life form removed from
its incubation chamber and show its mysterious face to the world.

Stay tuned for postings complete with name (we still have no idea), pictures and other pertinent information that you may or may not care about.

Friday could not come fast enough! Believe me, there are times when I believe that he is trying to self extract. VERY busy little baby boy in there and I cannot wait to meet him!

LOML is doing well...patient beyond belief...sleep deprived and quite uncomfortable having had to lug the enormous growth attached to her abdomen around for the past nine months. Don't know how she does it, but I believe she should be sainted, knighted, enshrined in bronze and have a national holiday named after her for going through this whole thing like a real trooper.
She is quite amazing! I know...billions of other women have done this exact thing, but this is MINE and, as far as I am concerned, the only one that matters at this time. hehe

Anyway...this is all I have for tonight. I'll keep you informed, as I said. Can;t wait for Friday!!!

So...Until next time...Eat more fiber!!!
chef

Welcome

2008-08-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have moved my blogs to this site. Look forward to more readership and exposure here for my blogs. I'll keep you all posted !

Until then...Eat your vegetables!