A fitting title, taken from a Rolling Stone song, to this long overdue post. There certainly is a lot of light right now, and it is shining brightly, coming from above. How wonderful it is to be open enough to receive this light! The lyrics of the song, at least the chorus part, are as follows: "May the good lord, shine a light on you, make every song you sing, your favorite tune, may the good lord, shine a light on you, whoa like the evening sun..."
Indeed. So for all of you out there, I offer these fitting words for you and all of those present in your life. I can't believe how much life has offered to me lately. I'll start with the yogic realm. I have been steadily attending the three hour Anusara practice in Polson recently. How amazing it is to practice yoga for three hours. It feels like drenching the body with a healing tonic of grace and power. As refreshing as the cool water on a hot summer's day, this amount of yoga speaks to the spirit and cools the tempest of the mind. The changes that evolve from this practice are barely recognizable from a short term standpoint, as they are as subtle as the wind gently moving across a still pond. Yet these same changes, when viewed from a longer period of time, are evident like that of a smile on the face of a loved one, with happiness abundant. Yoga seems to be just a practice, an ancient way of aligning with the divine, a way of positioning the body, mind, and heart, to receive what is already present in this amazing universe. There is no judgment, no goal, no competition, the idea is only to get on the mat and tune in to the frequencies of shakti and bhakti. A quick and easy translation would be that shakti is energy and bhakti is love. Who out there is not interested in tuning into energy and love? As part of being alive and recognizing our true existence and nature, energy and love have a way of defining not only a sense of purpose, but a sense of health and wealth, respectively. And that, dear readers, is one reason I enjoy the ancient practice of yoga. I hope to share this wonderful energy and love with all of you, through words, actions, and presence in the near future.
The beauty of all of this, to me, lies within the fact that I have made time for yoga. In other words it has become a priority to connect to this source. The benefits are immeasurable. Despite having a busy schedule, I have been able to manage that aspect of my life with relative ease and efficiency. I have a wonderful staff to thank for a large portion of assistance with this challenging task. The restaurant business can be a large multi-headed monster that so many often fall prey to, mainly employees, via drug and alcohol addictions, uncontrollable emotions, and unhealthy lifestyles. I too once felt the allure of escaping the stress and negativity with addictions of my own, only to find that any form of escaping what is, inevitably, exacerbated the stress. A vicious cycle of sorts. Now I am able to confront these same challenges with focus and determination. And like a climber of a mountain, I will not stop until I reach the top.
The report from the Restaurant front is fairly uneventful, nothing to crazy or out of the ordinary has taken place over the last month or so. We finally began to slow down, which is typical for this time of year, although business still is better than expected. This season is going to break records from previous seasons, so there is much to be happy about! July was a record month, August was a fantastic month, and now September is holding its own although far from the rocking action we experienced during the height of summer. There have been quite a few amazing dishes produced recently, and the feedback from guests is still, better than ever!
The taste of Whitefish took place last week and we won the People's Choice Award. It was fun to be there, except for the fact that I was sure the event started at 6pm. That certainty quickly faded when the place filled up at 5:30 and we were scrambling to get our stuff served! What a mess! Yet we pulled it together, like we always do, and blew the roof off the sucka!
I'll post the wine dinner from the other night as well, entitled James Beard goes to Europe, an 8 course delightful extravaganza:
*Poached Blue Shrimp, Cayenne Aioli, Preserved Lemon, Sorrel
*Cured Lardo, Frisee, Guanciale, White Balsamic, Tomato Oil
*Foie Gras Two Ways, Torchon with Flathead Cherries, Foie Cappuccino with Candied Pear-Whipped Duck Emulsion
*Duck Confit Ravioli, Fava Beans, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Heirloom Tomatoes, Black Truffles
*Dry Cured Mangalitsa Pork, Aged Sherry Vinegar, Endive
*Quail, Quail Egg, Fennel Pollen, Poultry Jus, Crisp Potatoes
*Braised Lamb Chops, House Cured Prosciutto, Matsutake Mushrooms, Fingerlings, String Beans
*Double Chocolate Bread Pudding, Plums, Ginger, Warm Spices
It was a fantastic dinner, something I was very proud of serving. If I were dining, I would have been in hog heaven (literally!). Between the Lardo, Guanciale, Prosciutto, and Mangalitsa Pork, it was phenomenal pork production. Not to mention the foie, lamb, quail, and duck. A lovely dinner!
Lastly I will finish on this note. I will be flying on a private jet to Napa Valley on Oct 2nd to taste wine for a couple of days! Then I'll be having dinner at French Laundry on the night of Oct 3rd. The 4th and 5th I will be in San Fran for a couple of days, probably doing more dining and experiencing what the city has to offer! What a treat! Yes, indeed, I am basking in the light! So make every song you sing, your favorite tune. And sing it loud!
