Weekend Dinner at Sweetie Pies

Last weekend I had dinner at Sweetie Pies with my girlfriend. She had catfish and I had smothered pork chops. We both really enjoyed ourselves and can't wait to go back. This was her first time ever going. Can you tell she had fun???

Creativity

What I'm making are called chicken pops. I'm preparing these little delights for a luncheon tomorrow, hosted by Ozzie Smith. This will be held for family and friends before opening day at Busch Stadium.

I am Chef Swag

My journey so for in the culinary field has been interesting. I met a lot of good people and learned a lot from those people. This best thing that happened to me since I've been sober was becoming a Chef. My life has made a drastic change for the better. Life is good, and being Chef Swag is even better...

Fajitas anyone???

I thought I would make something different for myself. I had the taste for fajitas. Chicken, shrimp, and beef was on the menu. Now I need to sell this...

ACF event at Budweiser Brewery

On this evenings event I volunteered to work for an organization called the American Culinary Federation. It was a very good experience. I enjoyed mingling with Chefs from all over. It was a good chance to ask questions and get feedback. The best part was tasting all the different types of food prepared. One dish I enjoyed was the shrimp and grits. The grits were creamy as the shrimp was spicy. Very good food to enjoy and get full off of.

Lunch at Busch Stadium

On the day of orientation for a position for the Luxury Suite Chef I was delighted to be able to try some of the different dishes that were prepared by the kitchen staff. A lot of people's plates were barely filled. All they could say was I don't like that or why they couldn't make regular food. I simply told those people, to enjoy food you have to have an open mind and a tasteful pallet. This was regular food for me. I told those same people if you think this is regular food then you would starve, cause the food we prepare in LS is exotic and they love it....

My Late Night Snack

Pear Cobbler is what I pulled out the fridge tonite. I couldn't sleep, woke up and had the munchies for something sweet. I felt like heating it up and adding a scoop of ice cream. This my friends is considered a late night snack. "Oh what a relief it is."

Late Nite Snack

Sometimes you have those nights when you just can't sleep. What do you you? Well I like to eat a ill something as I flick through the channels on my remote. Depending on what mood I'm in is what I'll make myself to eat. I mostly go healthy and eat fruit. If I'm feeling another type of way I'll eat what was for dinner. On those nights were I'm wanting something a bit different I'll make a Dagwood sandwich. What's your favorite late night snack?

Eating Rock Shrimp

I had the pleasure of trying Rock Shrimp for the first time. I bought them at a seafood store thinking they were like regular shrimp. These ocean gems are in fact miniature lobsters. I thought I could peel and devein them from the back like shrimp, but actually it's best to open them from the belly, clean them and broil them. The taste of these guys are wonderful...

Baking Cakes

Birthday cakes have really evolved over the pass 15 yrs. There are a lot of different designs, and shapes that are being created. Even the taste of cake has evolved with this new trend. A Chef friend of mine has really been exploring these different shapes and tastes. It does help if you like to bake. Personally I just wanna be able to kno how to bake and create nice pastries. Hats off to all the pastry chefs who create great cakes.

I love food

I'm the type of person that loves a good cooked meal. It can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner as long as its a good combination. The best part of any meal is the actual food staring at you and you staring back before you attack... That first bite until your last bite should give a feeling of satisfaction...

Dining at home

This past weekend I prepared a rather thick pork chop. Usually this thick cut porkchop can be easily dried out, however I made a brine(consisting of salt/water). I let my chops sit in this seasoned brine for 2 days. I must say that the pork chops turned out perfect for the dinner I prepared Sunday. By sitting in the brine it retained a lot of moisture.

Lunchtime #2

Today I figured that while I study I would make myself a nice light sandwich. My sandwich today for lunch consists of spicy chicken breast with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pickle. After eating this I was still able to study w/o being tired. One thing for sure I'm the one who controls what and how much to eat. I'm just glad to be bless with the gift of cooking. Now back to my books.

Bacon Bacon Bacon

I love eating bacon. I can eat bacon anytime of the day, on everything. Every morning I always eat at least 6 pieces of thick cut bacon. That is usually my breakfast; oh and I have a glass of O.J. Bacon Bacon Bacon, I LOVE BACON.

Breakfast

This morning I felt like making a good breakfast that would actually keep me fueled for the rest of the day. Breakfast really is an important part of the day. When you kno that you'll be on the run a lot, it's important to give yourself the proper fuel for the day....

My Mommas Cooking

This past weekend my mother let loose in the kitchen preparing her most famous dish in my eyes, Sourcream Noodle Bake. Other sides were: Greek Salad, Pork Steaks, and Dinner Rolls. I owe all credit to Minister Sonja B. McClendon for my interest in Culinary Arts. Now everyone that tastes her cooking, then mine, see where I've gotten my skills from. Food that's cooked from the soul. Love you Momma!!!!

Light meal

Lately I've been thinking that my eating habits, and portion sizes could be better. Usually my plate is filled all ovr with food, not to mention the fact that my choice of food could be more healthier. I feel my savory ways can take a back seat, cause my health and appearance is more important. From now on smaller portions, and more healthier choices for me.

Late Night Dinner

Well friends it's another late night dinner.  I have prepared one of my favorites, steak and potato. Its a tad bit late but I'll just work it off in the gym in the morning. I figure that I owe myself one for a long weeks work with my studies. I'll lay down in a few hrs after my food has digested. Til we meet again.....

Birthday Cake

Personally, I'm not a sweets type of guy. I prefer the meat and potatoes. By me being a chef I can't just make savory dishes, I have to be able to prepare anything, whether I like the dish or not. This cake here I made was for a beautiful young lady for her 39th Birthday. It didn't last long. Yes, I had a piece. I must admit, I don't eat a lot of sweets, but I really enjoy making them, especially for a pretty woman.....

Lunchtime

Well today I felt like havin a nice lunch, so I've prepared myself pot roast ovr homemade mashed potatoes. Its good being able to make myself good meals and them tasting good. I feel that if you enjoy food,  then take the time to learn how to prepare it right.... I LOVE FOOD!!!

Reheated food

Today was one of those lazy days where I reheat food. Is it me or does reheated food taste Damn near better than the moment it was made. Well it's like that because when ingredients in food settles its just able to take on its natural flavor. So never eat your food really hot, cause you can't really taste it. Let it chill....

Peach Lovers

This peach dessert is a very good and easy dessert to fix. I made this one evening on a humbug. The finished product was awesome, it's a must try.

Steakhouse vs Home

I can now appreciate a good steak. Not to discredit any steakhouses out there, but when you actually prepare a steak at home you can appreciate it.... I just saved at least $20. I'm just sayin.

Would you rather eat a homecooked meal over eating at a restaurant? I prefer to to make my meal from scratch. Don't get me wrong I enjoy going out and eating like the next person. I'm just into cooking it myself. I get a blast out of that.

Listeningto music while preparing food. I like listening to R&B, or Jazz myself. If your having a glass of Remy/ wine, then it'll be a nice time you can have while cooking. DDon'tforget to involve that special lady....

This past weekend I made smothered pork chops,rice,and green beans. I had a kid tell me she didnt like it, even though she didn't even taste it. Here'sa kid tht is only use to eaten chicken at her request. I told her that tthey'reother foods out here other than chicken. She tried it and ccouldn'tstop eating, lol. So the moral of the story is "DON'T KNOCK IT TIL YOU TRY IT"...

I made myself cheesesteaks last night. I must say that they came out perfect. I don't refer to them as Philly cheese because I'm not in Philly at the present time. I didn't have the bread I wanted, so I made due with the hoagie style bun that I used. Other than my different selection of bread, my cheesesteaks were a success.

Valentines Day was a great day for sharing an intimate meal with a date. A lot of people ate at their usual spots. The best thing I feel to do for a different dining experience Is to eat at a restaurant that you nor your date has eaten before. to me that's a more intimate meal. The way food is being marketed now it is worth the gamble to try new things. Be different, that's what I was always told.

One of the newest up and coming restaurants to have a nice breakfast and/or lunch is called The Egg & I, located in Des Peres. This restaurant has so many different ways to prepare eggs it's unbelievable. The price range is reasonable, the food is great and service is wonderful.

Angelos pizzeria to me, hands down is one of the best places to enjoy a pizza pie brick oven style. I don't know what they do or put on their pies but trust me its a good selection of meats, cheeses and sauce. I haven't tried anything else from there but the pizza. I'm not really concerned with anything else on the menu, but their pizza. It's an excellent choice if your interested in trying new places. It's located in N. County St. Louis...

I have a love for smoked meats. When done properly, you can experience a type of taste called Unami. Honestly I can only speak of maybe one restaurant here in the St. Louis area that has such great ribs. Pappy's BBQ is my choice. What are your choices of where you can get great smoked meats?

Well what can I say, I am Chef Swag and I'm an addict. My drug of choice is ''FOOD''. My latest problem with my addiction has been a taste issue. As a Chef we are suppose to taste our food before its served. I need to do just that, I tend to taste a little more than I should. My way of tasting is a plate for myself. I'm putting on the weight behind all this nonsense, LOL. I made a promise to myself that I'll just taste from now on, so I don't overdose on indulgence. To keep myself from relapsing I'll use little plastic spoons for tasting. ''YEAA'', hopefully it'll work. Pray for me.....
   Chef Swag

I'm loving me some seafood. My perfect seafood experience for me is shrimp(any kind of way), scallops, stuffed lobster and a nice broiled piece of fish... Now I can prepare my own seafood , but I have a few spots that do an excellent job preparing it. What's your favorite seafood spot?

My next venture in this culinary game for me will be a mixologist. That's not your average bartender. A mixologist is the person who comes up with fabulous drinks to go with elegant entrees. I enjoy a good drink with my meal. Its a lot more in depth than being a bartender.

Super Bowl came and went, and I must say it was a good event at my cousins' Matt & Denise Berry. We had a pretty good spread, and good drinks. It was very interesting to see how the carnivores liked the ribs, rib tips, and chicken. I hipped my cousin onto making a brine for the meats. The meats rested overnight, then we seasoned lightly and grilled to perfection. If you ever want to have extra juicy pork or poultry, the best thing for it is a brine. A brine is a mixture of salt and water. 1 c of salt to 1 gal of water. You can make a brine of really anything, just remember the ratio. I can give pointers to who ever needs a good brine.
   Chef Swag

My mother and I can't seem to come to an agreement on who between the two of us has the best macaroni and cheese. True indeed I got my recipe from her, I just tweaked it. She on the other does some tweaking herself. My latest tweak to my dish is adding lobster meat, then covering the top of my dish with Panko bread crumbs for a crunchy texture. I can't front though I get all my skills from moms, pops, and other family members. Always give props to moms.


Chef Swag

Nice dining in the Central West End area for a date would be where? Personally the only place I've been in down that way would be the Coffee Cartel. I'm not really a coffee drinker, but I tell you they have a very good selection and they serve good sandwiches. What's your favorite spot(s) in the CWE?

Good Food/Good Service Or Not

To all of the people who enjoy good food, whether it's at a party or at home, what make you come up with the dishes that you choose to prepare? When get my grub on it's usually that I have a taste for a certain type of dish. Lol, sometimes I find myself putting together dishes that I normally would get when I dine out. I mean I feel that if I can make it and it taste better than the place I normally get it from I'll stop getting that particular item from that restaurant. Since being a chef, I tend to find myself ordering food and if its not good I'll be ticked off, want an example? Here we go: I ordered simple cheese fries from Mother's Fish on Grand & St. L Ave., when I received my order of simple cheese fries I picked up one fry and the whole batch of fries came wit it. ''WHERE THEY DO THAT AT?'' you talking about upset, I was that and then some. Need I say that I got an attitude from the woman takin my order. All I wanted was my money back. My thing is if you can't make simple cheese fries right the first time, then I don't want nothing but my $2.50 back, please and thank you. So to start off my journey for good food and good service on a scale of 1-10, Mother's Fish gets a 0. Share wit me your dining disasters, and rate them good or bad.
      Chef Swag

This is an introduction into who I (Chef Swag) am. My name is Buford McClendon, I am a Chef studying at L'ECole' Culinaire for my Associates degree in International Cuisine/Baking & Pastries/Restaurant Management. I started this journey of cooking as a teenager into adulthood. I've held cooking positions at some very high end establishments. After a while at cooking and not getting the recognition for my experience I decided it was time for me to get more training and a degree (s) for my craft. In fact I felt the need to broadin my horizon and learn the management side of business to run my own establishment. I do a lot of food prepartions so please enjoy and follow me on this journey.


   Chef Swag