That's What Bob's Cooking: A QUICK UPDATE........

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

A QUICK UPDATE........

QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT BOB’S BEEN DOING……

While I haven’t been posting much lately, rest assured I am still cooking. And I’m making plans for a lot of posts this coming year. But I thought I’d update you all with what’s been going on in my life.

It’s funny the path life takes you. In my career I’ve pursued the career fields of chef, pastry chef, deli manager, district manager, grocery manager, store manager, and most recently a position in Receiving, not to mention my budding catering business. After a couple of years in that position, I was approached to see if I was interested in becoming a Cheese Master at the Murray’s Cheese location at the store where I was working. An opportunity like this doesn’t come along often, and I just couldn’t pass up such great position.

Murray's New York

After evaluating what the position entailed, I realized that this position would be close to what I was doing when I was happiest in my career. That being said, I was selected for this position, but was asked to lead the shop at the new location being built a few blocks away. I jumped at the chance to work in a new store, and lead a team of passionate people, selling cheese and high end food products.

The Cheese counter at Murray's New York

For those of you who don’t know what Murray’s Cheese shop is, click on the link to be directed to their website. But to detail how I will be involved, here goes. Murray’s is a landmark destination in Greenwich Village store in New York. Kroger entered an agreement to place Murray’s location within their operations throughout the US. In February, Seattle Fred Meyer (a division of Kroger) will get its first Murray’s Cheese shop at the Newly remodeled Greenwood location.

What the Murray's Cheese Shop will look like at Greenwood Fred Meyer

In addition to this exciting news, some of you might remember that with the extra time I had, I took on another job last October (2011), merchandising sunglasses. Since it was a job where I work at my own pace, set my own hours and with my partner, Craig headed to Vietnam for the month of March, I knew I needed a little more to keep myself occupied while he was away. So I inquired about a position merchandising cookie and cracker products in grocery stores, within the area. I had intended to quit at the end of March, but time got away, and a little extra money is always nice. Fast forward to December, and I’m still working 3 jobs, and my catering business. With the new position at work, I have finally quit the merchandising job to focus more on my health, homelife and happiness.

2013 is the year of me. Not selfishly, just taking a year for better health, working out and eating better. More time with my partner, and spending more time on what I enjoy, cooking and writing this blog.

This is my commitment, to myself, to ensure that I post on this blog weekly, either what I’m cooking, selling or seeing. Here’s an exciting new year!

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My Complete Profile

I was born and raised on the East side of Portland Oregon, by two native and second generation, Oregonians, my Mom and Dad (Jack and Joan). Oregon, and the Northwest are deep in my blood. That being said, I have always had an interest in cooking. I would love to add a warm loving story here about how my Mom nurtured my love of cooking by setting me up on or near the counter top to help with whatever she was cooking. Well, that's not exactly the case.

Being a child of the 70's and 80's, I had a great exposure to classic foods like Spam, Tang, Rice-a-Roni and Hamburger Helper. While many of these premade, sodium roller coaster, treats where regulars on our table, my Mom would have to hold the title as "casserole queen". Casseroles are her favorite and her specialty. Whereas, my Dad was more of a spur of the moment kind of cook. His creations included many of the items from our makeshift pantry. Sometimes, i think he was thinking, "the more ingredients, the better it'll be!". I think my first attempt at cooking would have to have been making cookies, either peanut butter (with the criss-cross fork tine print on top), or chocolate chip cookies. Over the years I have made so many of both of these recipes, I have surely lost count.

During middle school, my Mom encouraged me to take Home Economics, thinking that all kids, boy or girl, should know how to cook out in this world. This sparked a growing interest in cooking. So when I entered my junior year of High School, at David Douglas, I enrolled in the culinary arts program, we called it Food Services I. This was a class that had been offered many years before, where the students ran a restaurant, The Kilt, during the lunch periods. Unfortunately, since the class had not been offered in several years, so we didn’t have enough students to open the restaurant, that year. Within the first few weeks of this class, my instructor asked if I'd like to be involved in an outside "club" (kind of like a version of Eagle Scouts) that was mentored by local business owners. It sounded interesting so I joined (not to mention it got me out of the first 2 periods of the day).

At our first meeting I was approached by Sylvia Poesdel, the owner of the Portland landmark restaurant, Sylvia's Italian Restaurant & Dinner Theatre. She asked me if I would be interested in an afterschool job, coming to work for her to learn the cooking/chef trade on the job. I jumped at the chance and started in October of 1985. During my senior year I rejoined the culinary arts program (Food Services II) and this year we were able to reopened the restaurant, which the rest of the students voted me to manage. I just absolutely loved it! I worked at Sylvia's until after I graduated, in 1989. I learned a lot about the restaurant industry, and I would have to say it would be one of just a few life altering jobs I have had throughout my career.

After high school, while I was working at Sylvia's, I applied to culinary arts school. The Two things kept me from continuing my career in culinary arts, were financial and having worked out in the field, I saw so many negative attributes to being a chef, I decided that since I love to cook, I wanted it to be a hobby, and not a drag to go work each day.

When I left Sylvia's, I worked at a hotel, then Safeway. From there I joined Fred Meyer in the Service Deli, and was quickly promoted to a manager. During the next 8 years, I worked throughout the Portland and Southern Oregon areas. In 1998, I earned a promotion to the regional specialist position (District Manager) in Seattle. During this career move, I learned so much about the Food Service industry. I was charged to develop a new service salad case program, as well as work on a new catering program. I had the opportunity to work with manufacturers to develop these new programs.

In 2000, I met the love of my life, Craig. I also, moved from the food service program to the grocery department as an assistant manager. In the capacity I learned to develop my management skills as well as managing inventory. By being the best in my category, I earned the position of manager, where I moved from store to store cleaning up and reorganizing as I went. I also was entrusted with training future Food managers for the region. At which point I was pursued by another company to run a store for them, and enter back into the restaurant industry. During these 3 years, I learned the Restaurant Supplier side of the business. While I enjoyed the time I spent in this opportunity, I yearned to go back to the Grocery industry, and spend more time with my first love, cooking, and writing about my adventures….in the kitchen!