“On the Fly'' - a term we use often in kitchens to prioritize an order, fix a mistake or send a special dish out to a guest. This call out from a chef demands urgency and response. Multitasking cooks work briskly on the line with pivot instantly to prioritize something on the fly and then return to their task. When running kitchens I used “on the fly” to whip up something special for a guest’s birthday or anniversary the moment I learned of the special event. It is a way to extend a last minute gesture of kindness and love and exemplifies that it is never too late to make a magical moment happen or take the extra effort to fix a mistake.
I think of Flavor on the Fly a lot. In high pressured situations - not limited to restaurants or hospitality - we can all be faced with last minute “curve balls”. While being a head chef or private cheffing or catering I have faced a lot of these curve balls. Whether it be a broken oven / forgotten ingredient / sliced finger or all of the above I have had to get very good at pivoting in unpredictable situations. I have learned through panic and fear that when you take a beat to think - miraculous things can happen. I have learned this about cooking through trial and error. My chef notebooks were often full of what to do as much as what NOT to do. What lesson did I learn when I over cooked three steaks in a row during service? How do I emulsify a mayonnaise when it's 100 degrees outside at a farm dinner? Why did I throw out all of those tomato tops when I could have been making a vinegar with them? This week I bring you a recipe that stemmed from a curve ball I faced with a client. After hand rolling out dough, making mozzarella by scratch and sauce that I smelled for days - it was a gluten free curveball that meant I had a lot of work to do on the fly. This week we make Vegetable Lasagna together - a healthy lighter / gluten - free treat for the summer!
