Pulling Weight- Leadership in the Kitchen

June 8, 2019June 8, 2019 / The Black Hat Baker / 1 Comment

Good evening, friends and neighbors.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not comfortable using the term “chef” for myself even as a joke, and that I tend to correct others when they address me by it.

It’s not because of modesty or humility- false or otherwise. It’s because, by my own criteria, I have not earned that title.

Roughly every couple of weeks, someone on an online cooking group will pipe up with:

“What makes a chef a CHEF?”

or some other navel-gazing, masturbatory variant- and the responses tend to vary from the crude to the judgemental/equally navel-gazy, to my personal reaction:

“Oh for f***’s sake, here we go…”

You see, the answer is in the name. “Chef” literally means “chief.” “Boss.” “Head of Operations.”

It means “LEADER.”

How you got about leading is the real discussion that should be going on, rather than faffing about over what’s stitched on your jacket.

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Hands That Feed- A Night of Plenty for Those Who Need

June 1, 2019May 31, 2019 / The Black Hat Baker / Leave a comment

Good evening, friends and neighbors.

It’s been a while since I was in the “park blocks” of SE Portland. The stretch of greenery in the Culture District is home to a number of museums and venues before it terminates at Portland State University (and, on Saturdays, the PSU Farmers Market.)

Wednesday evening, I was beating feet up the sidewalk, past fresh-air takers and statues in the park. Like a Saturday morning, I was making my way toward the food… a display of Oregon’s artisans, and the produce of this foodie wonderland.

Unlike those Saturday mornings though, I’m not dashing toward the market. I’m making my way toward a museum… and I’m eating to feed others.

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20 Minute Vacations- Making Room For Yourself in your Life

May 25, 2019 / The Black Hat Baker / Leave a comment

Good evening, friends and neighbors!

With the warmer spring weather, I’ve been making a point of getting out on the deck a bit more (you may have noticed a theme in my Instagram recently…)

Let’s face it- when you’re in food service, a sunny afternoon on the porch is likely the closest thing I’ll get to a vacation for a while.

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“Anywhere I Lay My Head” – The Endless Quest for “Focused Chill.”

May 18, 2019May 17, 2019 / The Black Hat Baker / Leave a comment

Good evening, friends and neighbors.

Tonight I’m writing from a corner seat of The Nerd Out, which is- oddly- the right mix of quiet and busy.

My feeling has always been that if you are going to write about life, you should surround yourself with life. It’s why I do my best work in cafes and bars.

Tonight, though, it’s because I can’t get myself to relax and focus enough to write at home.