Welcome to my Blog

Welcome to my Blog.  It has been a while since I last blogged.  A chef's life is often a hard life - no time for other interests.  So, I have started a new one in the hopes that you will follow my journey.

I am currently the Executive Chef of Daffodil Bowl.  I have been here now for a couple of months, and there's been some changes.  I have been put to the task of shaking things up a bit (gently) -- taking an outdated short-order menu mostly comprised of prepackaged frozen convenience foods that one would normally find in the average bar and family entertainment center, and transforming the menu into something that is more sustainable, healthier, up-to-date with current modern cuisines, etc etc etc.

I guess that because I have worked in some of the more upscale dining establishments throughout two different counties over the years that have featured scratch cooking, I have forgotten how hard it is to transform a long-standing historic icon from one culinary format to another.  I have been met with resistance somewhat.  "Why can't we stick to bowling alley food?"  I never felt so defeated when I actually heard a staff member say this during a meeting.  

The funny part in all of this is, I didn't apply for this job.  I was approached one day just before Christmas.  I was looking to leave the last kitchen I was at for 18 months anyway, but I wasn't really looking very hard.  I met a couple, we sat down for coffee, went to a formal interview, toured what would become my tiny little kitchen, and left that meeting feeling not so broken any more.  I literally felt as though every ounce of my passion for this career was being sucked out of me.  The flame was reignited, and I turned in my two-weeks notice.  I left The Mill and didn't look back, no regrets...  It was my time.

I have my hands in many different projects:

Daffodil Bowl - The transformation of the diner menu.
Dream Lean LLC: Fitness meal prep.
Fitness Quest
Univera

Somehow, all of these entities are intertwined in some way or another.  Life is good.  I have stress, but it's not even nearly to the magnitude that it was at my last kitchen.  I've arrived to that point in my life that the stress that I am dealing with right now is actually healthy stress -- it is what drives me to do better each day.

Being a Chef often has health implications - sore body parts, injuries, stress that leads to an assortment of bad habits and poor lifestyle choices.  Back in the day, you were in at the crack of dawn, and out of there long after last call.  Somewhere in-between, you've forgotten to eat, you smell like sweat, cigarettes, french fries and spite, you probably could have had at least a gallon of water, and your only option for food is whatever isn't spoiled in the refrigerator, or one of the late night drive-thru restaurants.  The food a Chef eats often during long shifts may not even resemble the food they cook:  Taco Bell, Top Ramen, etc.  Or, in my case -- yogurt and gummi bears.  This really puts a strain on one's metabolism, along with multiple prescriptions for steroids because of repeated back injuries, a brain tumor, shingles, and I had a bout with pneumonia.  

What caused me to go from 132 pounds to over 250 though was 80% hormonal and 20% medication.  I was 132 pounds in 2008.

The owners of Daffodil Bowl are fitness-oriented.  They are amazing and inspiring people.  I found myself doing a lot of soul searching within my first week or two, and arrived to the conclusion:  My weight has gotten out of control, and it's time to take back my health.  Yes, they inspired me to ACTUALLY say, "HEY SIV, YOU ARE THE STEREOTYPICAL FAT CHEF, GET WITH THE PROGRAM, NOW..."  The other thing I need to change is to quit smoking; I'm trying.  Let's get through one thing at a time.

I began my journey last week, and started with one of the Univera packages.  Yes, I am a Univera Associate, so you may see some posts about Univera, but this is not all about Univera.  If you would like to check into the health benefits of Univera, please feel free to E-mail me, or click here to visit My Univera Storefront.  This is different from the other supplement programs out there.  Yeah yeah, I know, that's what they all say, right?  Check it out.  I am actually experiencing some pretty positive results from this.  I accidentally skipped a whole day's dose and suddenly my eczema is flaring up again.

So, that's why this Blog is here.  To follow my journey as a Fat Chef.  I hope that my followers will find some inspiration, as well as get some great cooking tips, nutrition information, and even some recipes.