Guest Chef Night -- The Big Day

Today is the "big day," the day that I officially -- albeit temporarily -- step back into a restaurant kitchen to prepare a four course meal for family, friends and guests at Rag's Italian Bistro.  I will be joined by Clare's father, Frank, who is a great cook in his own right, and who provided a lot of assistance in crafting the menu for this special occasion.  I would also be remiss if I did not mention two other people who have contributed a lot to this occasion ... my wife Clare and her mother, Geri.  Together, this meal is not so much about me, but about family.  Together, we have all worked very hard to prepare and present a great meal for everyone.

Photo courtesy of Clare

However, as I sit here typing this post, I have to admit that I am still a little nervous.  I have been running the entire kitchen process through my head, especially with respect to the main course.  We have an ambitious dish ... Couscous alla Trapanese.  We are not making just one couscous, but two couscous dishes so that we can accommodate the eating preferences of our guests.  That means two sauces and two couscous pots.  I've spent a lot of time thinking about how we will prepare both couscous dishes at once.  I think I have it sorted out, at least in my mind, but only time will tell whether it will work.

Despite my nervousness, I have a lot of added motivation for making sure that this meal is a success ... ten percent (10%) of the proceeds from every meal sold will be donated to First Light, which is a shelter for homeless women and children in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.  The mission of First Light is a very important one ... to work with homeless women and their children to create hospitality in a safe and nurturing community, to encourage them to find hope, to seek opportunity, and to grow spiritually, thereby achieving their full potential.  During the year, both Frank and Geri donate their time to First Light to prepare meals for the women and children.  

Well, I need to get back to the preparations.  Usually, I limit myself to one post per day; but, given the special occasion, I may try my hand at micro-blogging using the blogger app on my phone or twitter/facebook to provide updates as we prepare and serve the meal.  All of that assumes that I will have time to make such updates.  More to come about that ...

ENJOY!