FLORIBBEAN CUISINE!

I sit here listening to Marc Anthony, and La Boriqena comes on as I write this. It occurs to me that I have always wanted to have a passion for where I lived, as the Cuban/Puerto Rican population does. I was born in North Cuba. Yes, I know what I just typed, but North Cuba is North Miami. I was raised in Hollywood. I never looked at the food of Florida as Florida. It made me search for food in Florida, specifically South Florida. So, I asked you what food Florida is known for. I will wait while you figure out the answer. As you think, I want to throw a wrench in there; it has to come from only Florida, concept, food as in origin. I know I just made it hard, didn’t I?

Let’s look at this another way. If I told you cheesesteak, you would say what? Yup, in your head, you just said Philly! If I say crab cakes, you say what? Let me guess, you mumbled to yourself, Maryland. If I told you mudbugs and a hurricane, you would get my point. Yes, I know you said New Orleans, and you wanted me to acknowledge that. Great job.

Florida – I bet some of you were like – empanadas/patties/Cuban Sandmiches/ropa veja/bistec de Pollo/key lime pie/conch fritters/Bahamian snapper/ceviche/grouper Rueben/coconut shrimp…Now, let me start by typing this: if there is a COUNTRY’S name in the dish, guess what; that’s right, NOT FROM guess where. FLORIDA! Truthfully, almost everything on that list is not from Florida. Hell, we don’t grow key limes here anymore. Key Lime is a mix from when we did grow key limes and French cuisine – it’s a custard pie, folks. Side note: Coconut shrimp, whoever invented this dish, I want to throat-punch you! Does anyone know how much of a pain in the neck those are to make!!!

As I age like spoiled wine, I realize I am one of the luckiest chefs in the world. I live in a melting pot of Latin America! I am sitting on the doorstep of the next biggest thing in cuisine. I have no flipping clue what that is. If you thought it was me, sorry to disappoint. I am sitting here at the table drinking my coffee, watching, and helping to shape what tomorrow’s chefs will be like. I get to play in all of these different cuisines. I can do this because I respect CUISINE, the complete word, as in respecting the culture as well. I have never embraced my culinary upbringing. I am an Ashkenazi Jew and was raised as such. I always thought that the food was too sweet and lacked depth. It wasn’t because my family couldn’t cook; they all cooked. Well, two didn’t, my sister and my cousin Sharon.

Out of culinary school, I drifted to Asian and Italian cuisine. I loved Italian food and the togetherness that most Italian families had. It was similar to my family. Asian, well, it fit because of the trade with the Italians. Hell, if it were not for the Chinese, we would not have pasta!
My culinary journey continued, and I was then side blinded by FIRE! That is right, fire. Where there is fire, there is (yup, I heard you say that in your head)smoke. I fell in love with BBQ. I started taking my training in classical French cuisine/modern cuisine/Asian/Italian, and mixed-in BBQ. I began to realize what the cuisine of Florida is – it is one of many. It is one of the most diverse in the US; yes, I am biased; fight me! With all this diversity comes a tremendous responsibility that chefs need to realize. We need to keep the essence of the food true to its form, not to be hidden away.
Most importantly, we must have balance in each of our dishes. If it is bold, then you should have the yang of that. I am not here to tell you what the answer is; that is for each of you to figure out. Floribbean cuisine owes its beginnings to Chef Allan, Chef Mark, and Chef Norman. It is people like Chef Michelle and others who carry on the torch. It is time for us to celebrate our diversity in our communities. It is time to blend these bold flavors the world has never seen.

Come along on this journey. We will have great libations, mind-blowing flavor profiles, and incredible conversations. Every great story in history has started at a table with food around it. Please have a seat at my table; let’s create the next best adventure! Let’s discover what truly makes Florida cuisine so remarkable and so diverse.

The Kingpin

My Story Mental Health Suicide Awareness 09/10/2021

Yes, I know we are in the middle of a Pandemic. But, right now, in the US, we have an epidemic going on. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Today, September 10th is International Suicide Prevention Day, and that is why I am so passionate about this subject. It is a part of who I am. In 1988, I was eighteen years old. I can remember this like it was yesterday. I was standing in the kitchen, and my father was arguing with me about the SATs and school. He repeatedly told me that I would account for nothing. I would be nothing. Basically, I was being told that I was a piece of shit. Later that night, after work, I did not drive home but to a local marina. I went there with the intent to end it.

I was going to show my father. I was going to put myself through hell to make sure I stuck it to him! I was going to drive my car into the intercoastal—death by drowning. It happened as the car went down the ramp, and the water began to enter the car. I had this image pop into my head. It was my grandfather. He was going through kidney cancer, and if I did this, I would kill him. I slammed my brakes just in time. The back end started to float a little. I began to panic a little. The car's rear wheels grabbed, and I was able to back up. I did not want my grandfather's death on my soul.

In 2018, I told an abbreviated version of that story, never how I was going to do it. In fact, I have never told that story. I never told the therapist, not even my parents. I just told them I tried. There is a correlation with that year; Chef Anthony Bourdain completed suicide. 

I have been reflecting on why I haven't spoken about it. It is not like I haven't had some hard times since then. Back in 2003, my ex-father-in-law completed suicide. It was his third attempt. Ironically enough, I found out some interesting stuff about my family at that time. You see, one side of my family was asking in-depth questions. The other side was more silent. I found out that the quiet side had not one but two relatives complete suicide. We lost my Great Uncle and great-grandmother to suicide. I was always told stories about my uncle and how he saved lives. He was a Dr. I did not learn the truth about his death until I was thirty-three.

I feel more compelled to speak outwardly about mental health because of Chef Bourdain. Here is the quintessential thing about Chef: he was the most extraordinary culinary storyteller of our time. He brought people from different backgrounds and used a common denominator to find something to start a conversation. Food was that denominator. Chef taught us and taught me the power food has. Think about this: whenever some great event happens in history, I bet it was over great food. Chef had everything except peace from his demons. We, chefs, looked at Chef as one of us. We let him into our home to listen, to watch. He was like a buddy we would hang out with every week. To this day, his death affects me more than my father's death. I forgive my father for the way I let him treat me as a child. You read that right. Forgiving is power, and I forgive myself for beating myself up. In essence, Chef Bourdain lit a spark under my ass to tell my story. His death may be his most extraordinary story yet. His last story, his death, started a movement about mental health, one that has now spread to many. Think about this: his gift would be to save so many lives. We now have to start the conversation.

Today, September 10th marks International Suicide Prevention. Today, at your family meals, tell a story. Hell, tell mine. Let your staff know it's okay not to be okay. Have this open conversation with your team. Mental health needs to be talked about like any other medical condition.

If real men can eat quiche, then real men can express their emotions. Sharing Our Stories will help chefs and others. It is just about starting the conversation.  

Hello, I am Jeffrey Schlissel, and I almost took my life at the age of eighteen. I am grateful that I am here to tell my story. I have and still am making a wonderful life not just for my family but for others. Those others need to know they are not alone. You are not the only ones to have ever thought this way. You are not a coward for feeling this way. No, you are not insane. You need to express yourself to someone who can help. The reason you think this way is because of how society dedicates MENTAL HEALTH. The perception that culture has currently is what we need to change. "It's okay not to be okay." should be the new norm.

Those of us who have attempted are like the Phoenix. We are alive once more from the ashes of our old life to the fire of this new one.

Life has several ups and downs. It is how we recover from the downs that are our wins. Funny thing, we never have to recover from a win!

My Culinary Journey - I surround myself with people who have been treated negatively yet still have a positive mind!

Recently, I was asked why I cook. The person said, “I love cooking for those I know. I cannot cook for someone I don’t. It got me thinking; I do not know most of those that I cook for; in fact, I don't care. I got into the craft because of my passion for it. I love the artistry in cooking.

It is a mind fuck. How can we take simple ingredients that Mother Nature gives us? Mix them in a blender in our minds and mind fuck the guest to figure out what the fuck they just ate. It is like their taste buds have gotten gang-banged.

I have only recently come to terms with what kind of chef I am. What was the path that led me to who I am today? I make no excuses for who I am. Every fuck up that I did, made me who I am today. I am not ashamed of my weaknesses. I am not hiding behind anyone. If you choose not to like my food, that is your mindset. It is my choice to move on and focus on those who want more of what I can give.

I surround myself with negative people who have a positive outlook. They are fighters; they are winners. Think about that. Someone trying to better themselves with whatever negative hand they have been dealt with has to produce much more positivity than someone who has a positive surroundings. We all have choices in life; I intend to showcase my culinary talent. Showcase my culinary upbringing and showcase the flavors from my culinary journey. I have chosen to BELIEVE in myself and be me FINALLY! What is your choice?

PLANT-BASED VS. VEGETARIANISM

What is plant-based? What the heck is the difference between vegetarian and plant-based? Well, that's debatable. We all know a vegan is someone who doesn't eat any animal products at all. I am NOT going down the rabbit hole of PETA and such. You have vegetarians; this is where things get cloudy. There, in layman's terms, those that eat dairy/eggs, fish, no red meat, no pork. It's all made up and based on marketing. Plant-based business is worth $3.3 billion! 1% of the US population identifies as vegan, and another 4% identifies as plant-based or vegetarian. Plant-based is supposedly the cleanest form of vegetarianism. One author defines vegetarians as those who eat processed snacks and such, whereas plant-based eat only whole grains. The bottom line is that plant-based or vegetarianism is a lot healthier for some. It comes down to what your products have in them. If you need a degree in nuclear science to understand the label, step away! Eat healthily, eat full flavors and good fats in moderation. The more color on your plate, the more appealing to your eye, but most of all, your tastebuds! Maybe paleo and keep are the reasons we have a new term - plant-based!

Recently, I posted the pics on another social media platform. A" Vegan" chimed in about how I was promoting vegan when, in fact, the product(s) weren't. It seems that the Impossible Burger isn't vegan. That's right, not vegan. You see, the FDA made the company test the heme on animals to see if it's ok for humans. Now, mind you, the heme comes from beets (plant-based); all the other ingredients are plant-based. I don't mind opinions at all, but I had an issue when you accused me of promoting vegan food when I was promoting plant-based. To focus on how we waste our natural resources/how much produce is thrown away/how we raise our animals,/how much we are dependent upon nitrogen-based fertilizer s. Lastly, why is someone who cares about animal welfare eating a" burger" in the first place? #educateyourself #think 

“Most of the defects you never knew about, nor do I think you cared about, because you have a love of bacon..."

Being the Rabbi of Pork and having #baconcartel, you would think I would know everything about pork and bacon. Truth be known, I see a lot, but I never stop learning about pork. One thing that I pride myself in doing is learning about defects in bacon and the way they happen. Not all bacon is created equally. I know - can you believe that… what you get in the grocery store is not what restaurants get? ;-) Did you know that bacon can have defects? Yes, defects. But, not all deficiencies hamper the taste of the product. These defects include hooks, Lacy (sounds sexy, but it's not), tiger-striped bacon (injection marks), dark spots, and so on.  

Two defects that affect the flavor negatively are the following: dark spots are blood ruptures or blood clots; these are the defects that affect the flavor profile of the bacon and are the most serious. Retail bacon is different from wholesale because retail is a mass-produced product, but all the manufacturers are vying for your money. This can lead to the lowest standard denominator product. The manufacturers will overlook blood clots and sell the product as is.

The other defect that affects the flavor profile of bacon is known as an abscess. It is a dark greenish spot within the fat of the bacon. The other area can be affected by an abscess near or below the spare rib part of the bacon. Abscess abnormalities are dead skin or tissue, the blood flow is cut off, and the abscess can grow. So, there you have it, two defects that affect the flavor profile of bacon.  

What about the other ones? How do they happen? Well, that is how we produce the bacon. Bacon comes from bellies. Now, look at your belly and then those around you. Not all bellies are created equal. Most bellies, if not all, are put through a machine in a frozen state and then cut. The machine can produce defects like S curves, Hooks, and Dog ears when the belly goes in as it is pushed through. These types of blemishes don't necessarily mean off-tasting but affect the cooking of the product.

In wholesale, there are so many ways bacon is sold. 1) pork belly turns into bacon by going through a process and then being smoked and then cured. Retailers want to get as much product as they can on the shelf as much as possible, and they let the consumer try to figure it out. Wholesale has layout bacon, shingled, different size cut (as in thickness), cooked & slab. Then there is almost every kind of smoke, and do not forget whether it is nitrate-free or uncured. You see, the wonderful USDA says that if you do not use sodium nitrate to cure the product, it has to be called uncured. Some bacon producers are what I consider premiere or shabby chic producers. We will get to them all in later blogs, but let's concentrate on the basics of bacon for now.  

Part of how we get a great product is how the animal is raised. Pigs used to be known as "dirty animals" and were considered "disease-ridden." This is part of why my religion (and a couple of others) say they are "unclean." One of those food-borne illnesses that got people sick back in the day was trichinosis. In the US, trichinosis is virtually wiped out, and I'll get into this in detail also in another blog. One thing I should mention (which annoys me and has to do with marketing) pigs, as well as chickens, are never allowed to be given growth hormones, So when you see someone touting this as a reason to buy their product, think of the guy trying to sell you gluten-free water. Why are your US-raised chickens and pigs' growth hormone-free (?) it is federal law! Now, antibiotics are an entirely different thing. If the animal gets sick, they will give the animal antibiotics to get them better. There are other benefits to the farmer from giving antibiotics - again, I'll get into the details in another blog. They let that animal get better and then send it off to get "harvested" (let's be honest, the animal is SLAUGHTERED). If the animal gets spooked, then Lactic acid is produced, and the final product then becomes chewy and develops an "off" flavor. Those Dark Spots or blood spots are just that: the animal got spooked, and then they "harvested" the animal. Sidebar for a sec - we harvest vegetables and fruits we DON'T harvest animals; we raise them and then slaughter them. I will not sugarcoat things, folks: I am going to tell you how it is! That is just me. If you are squeamish about where your food comes from, are here to criticize the process, or those who choose to engage in it or have "virgin ears,"…. go ahead and stop reading now.

So, there are different breeds of pigs, and they are called heritage breeds. Some chefs want only a specific breed. But we can dive deep into heritage breeds and chef's love affairs with them on another blog.

You never knew about most of the defects, nor do I think you cared about them because you have a love of bacon. If you are like me, bacon gives you a lardon as well. Stay tuned for more #baconcartel.

Jeffrey “The Kingpin” Schlissel

AKA “Rabbi” Schlissel