Last Meal

My last meal. Where would I be? What would be my scenario? Who would I would be with? To plan your last meal on the planet has so many different factors, and that to me is almost impossible to plan. First off, my last meal that I would taste as I exit this life would have to be alone. All the sensations would have to be surrounded with myself. Normally I would want to be around others, but if it was delivered my last meal, would want to solely connect with my senses. I would want to taste, smell, see and touch with everything I have. It must be a spiritual experience for anyone to leave this planet. You are born with no one so it seems appropriate to die with no one. Your last meal as well as your first should be by yourself.

My last meal would include my history and love for food into one plate. Growing up, my dad grew his own tomatoes and made his own tomato sauce. Literally, that has been my favorite meal of all time, and I have claimed to this day and it will be my last meal before I die. To have a home-grown tomato sauce is the quintessential part of life to me. Lightly tossed spaghetti with some sautéed ground meat and the delicious home grown sauce is heaven to me. It sounds so simple but it’s so complex and tantalizing to me, it’s the only thing I would want. I might be biased because it’s a special meal that my dad prepares every summer, but it holds a special in my heart indefinitely and I wouldn’t want any other meal.

This is not a deal breaker, but it would be the icing on the cake if I had some garlic bread and steamed broccoli on the side since this is a fantasy blog we’re talking about.

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Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The meticulousness and attention to detail in Jiro Dreams of Sushi is aspiring. Jiro is the epitome of what a hard worker should be. His routine is the same every day, his demeanor and mood is the same, and his attention to every detail is the same.

A child that is forced to be on his own at the age of seven, will make any person grow up fast and disciplined. There is not much room for making mistakes so when you do make them, you quick to learn right away from them. Jiro’s path in life and experiences has made him one of the best chefs in the entire world.

Watching this documentary not only made me want to binge on sushi, but it made me want to look at my surroundings and be more attentive to the littlest details. As he said the film, the attention that you give each and every day, the customer will always know that it will be the same each time. The way the food tastes, the ambience of the restaurant, and even where you put the utensils will encourage customers to return to something they know they will expect. A restaurant of only 10 seats and a restroom outside the premise doesn’t seem like the best setting for a restaurant to succeed, but Jiro has stayed consistent with is quality of standards and the service he provides to his patrons.

After watching the film, I looked at how I cook compared to him. If he was next to me watching me holding my knife even, I guarantee I wouldn’t last in his presence for more than 10 seconds. To be that matriculate to detail has got to be exhausting after a certain point. I mean he doesn’t even take any time for days off unless it’s a government mandatory holiday.

I feel bad for the older son, who started his apprenticeship following his dad at just the age of 19. He even admitted he hated it at first but stayed with it because of the amount of respect that he has for his father.

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Cooking Experiences

As a culinary arts graduate, I can confidently say that I am a decent cook. If you ask anyone about of what they know about me, they will almost always say that I am a great cook. People will come to me for advice about food, pay me to cater their parties, and even have me teach them how to cook. It’s very humbling to know that I have a passion and talent that everyone aspires to. But, it wasn’t always like that. In fact, I used to be terrified to even touch the toaster growing up.

My grandma and I would bake cookies together when I was a small child, but I would always be discouraged when it came to baking them in the oven. Stirring and measuring were just fine with me, but going anywhere near that oven would be halted by my phobia of the hot heat. It would drive my grandma crazy and I honestly believe now as I look back on it, that she must have thought there was something wrong with me. If she knew me today and what I’ve become, she would be in hysterics with disbelief. The scrawny, lanky kid that refused to punch down the toaster or boil water is now a culinary graduate.

My fear of cooking was not overthrown by culinary school. Ironically, I discovered my passion by working at a grocery store as the food demonstrator. It was the only position available at the time, and I was forced to learn how to cook and learn quick. My whole family are an amazing group of talented cooks and I have always been surrounded by good food, so fortunately I was knowledgeable enough to have the basics. Once I started to cook and then demonstrate to the customers, life changed for me. It’s been one of the best things for me by working for the demo team and I’m so grateful that it opened me up to an interest that I’m so passionate about that I’ve chosen it to be my career.

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