New Version

Supposedly I am on a 'new version' of my same blogger...new and improved. Ha, we'll see. I wonder if you readers will notice at all?

Exclusively Yours Catering is getting a slow start in January, but that's to be expected...everyone is partied out from Christmas and New Years! On the other hand we have events scheduled as far out as June, with a bid in for a 2 day event in April for an Engineers Conference of sorts.

In March we will once again probably cater the food for the Tyler AIDS 'Matisse March Madness' fund raiser. We have done several things with Tyler AIDS Service (for free of course) we get food donations from our purveyors and then volunteer our time. Last October we did 'Dancing With The Tyler Stars' to help Tyler AIDS Service to raise funds. If you are wondering where are credits are on these links..we fall under the category: sponsored by local area chefs. But I guess that keeps us humble.

Mercy Ships is 'cranking up' again. Classes have already started for Introduction to Missions, and next I think its Medical Missions and another Gateway class starting up...so lots of work to be done in the kitchen at the IOC.

On a personal note, Stephanie has been sick off and on with a virus of sorts but as of current she is tired but doing well.

I am experimenting with my own versions of ice blended coffee drinks at home. And getting a fair amount of success in getting them 'Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or Starbucks' quality taste.

My picture slide show below this post will probably have some new pictures in the rotation coming in a few days.

Ah, time to get started at work....

Work, life, Christmas

[ 2 new additions to the family this year, wife Stephanie & nephew VJ - early Christmas presents are the best! ]

It has been a fast forward moment since being married last month...Time seems to be slipping away quite quickly.

It has been a good thing though. I have been working several venues...We keep things running here at The Oasis dining room at Mercy Ships IOC and have several catering jobs as Exclusively Yours Catering. Also being employed as contract work/consulting Chefs.

I recently completed my food safety manager training course to once again be updated and certified in food safety.

Stephanie recently had a birthday and I believe I did a good job as new husband helping her enjoy and celebrate her first year being married!

We both have a lot to talk about and discuss when it comes to relaxing a bit after work. We are both very different people, but at the same time we both have a lot of the same food and decorative tastes. (such as sushi and the colors and materials we like our furniture).

Christmas and New Year are upon us already and we both have busy work schedules...But I feel I really don't have any NEW resolutions to work on, or additional presents to buy...Just more time to enjoy my wife and meditate on Jesus birth and his life purpose here on this earth all those years ago.

Please try not to slip into that commercialized, stressed out, road rage, angry person this year...Take time to reflect on where this Holiday originated from.

Merry Christmas everyone...

*(as my niece Katy would say, lets make a Happy Birthday Jesus cake!) - Try celebrating a real birthday this year...Not just a 'holiday'.

Pictures

If you notice the 'Pictures' addition to the listing on your right hand side of this blog you can click on it to see my current photo sets that I am adding. I hope that you all enjoy the addition!

Tyrone

Yeah, Yeah

So I know its been awhile...

Let me just sum up and review. Eating places in downtown Dallas are plenty...And the Green Papaya (Vietnamese) is very good. Maybe if I have time I will come back to that with more info, maybe not?

Helping Gary run the kitchen here at the Mercy Ships International Operations Center has been good and they keep us busy with everyday meals, events, functions, and really anything else they can think of to incorporate food!

Catering has been good and we have reinvested a lot of the money in tweaking/fixing problems that occur or getting prepared for them in the future. Check out our website ExclusivelyYoursCatering.com . We can even bill you with a complete invoice by email and you can pay with your paypal or credit card by clicking a link in your email! (I know, we are big time now...Right?!) hahaha

Wedding plans are kick-in along at a good pace and things are really shaping up there, we (just me before the marriage) will be moving into an apartment the middle of next month so I can get everything unpacked and set up. Yes, we already have most of the furniture and YOU KNOW I got my favorite kitchen stuff packed up with me just ready to unload in a kitchen of my own, uh, excuse me...Our own.

My sister has just had another addition to her family, Victor Joseph...Her third child, my second nephew. Whew-hoo!!!!

And for those of my devote fans/readers (all 3 or so of you) please pray for my dads healing...He had an accident at work where he fell down and cut/hurt his head and eye (around eye is swollen, though I think it is not cut) and also broke his hand. And since his car is manual he won't be able to drive for awhile. For himself or my mom.

that's all folks...So much packed in such a short space.

Hook, Line, and Sinker

3103 Lemmon
Dallas, TX 75204

Old worn out boat motors hanging out on the porch/patio out front, small dining area with lots of 'fishin' paraphernalia all over, wooden shack with a 'wait to be seated sign AFTER ORDERING' sign gets you started.

No caviar, sauteed snapper, calamari, or turtle soup here...No way. But a good dose of catfish filets, jumbo shrimp, fried oysters, trout, salmon, and various combinations thereof, most of which is also available in the form of a Po' boy sandwich. Most every entree has the added bonus of being served alongside fries and hushpuppies, and plenty of grease-absorbing sides are also on hand, including stuffed jalapenos, pickled green tomatoes, grilled zucchini, and seasoned squash.

If indeed your calorie intake has not been exceeded, please do fill up with homemade pies ranging from sweet potato to coconut chess!!!

Of course you can have grilled or boiled! We wouldn't want to exclude all those people who can't consume all those 'luscious' taste enhancing lubricants...Now would we? No.

Stephanie and I personally enjoyed/shared the Boiled 1lb Crab Legs & 1lb Shrimp with corn (on the cob) and New Potatoes for $19.95. And just not to feel left out, we ordered a side of Onion Rings. MMmmm, Tasty...Its no wonder they leave a whole roll of papertowels on the table for you to clean yourself up with.

Maybe we'll try the pie next time.

I personally have got in the habit of not messin' with my taste buds while eating certain kinds of food, so I would say water would be a choice beverage to wash it all down with...And that's free!

Frescata (sandwiches from Wendy's)

Once again I love the play on words to bring about a 'new' and exciting sandwich menu to a dying heavily calorie and fat laden menu, in my opinion that is.

Just out of my own curiosity I could not get a translation from frescata from Italian, Spanish, French, or Portuguese. So I broke it down and tried again with Fresca (which literally means fresh in all these languages except French). Then I went with ta and got: your in French (which wouldn't work considering fresca meant nothing), ta meant nothing in Spanish (so that doesn't work), you in Italian, it to you in Portuguese.

So now lets see what we get...if we compromise between Italian and Portuguese we can get a phrase that says, 'fresh to you'. Which would work with the rest of the statement, New Frescata Deli Sandwiches.

Once again it is now up to you to investigate to see whether it is worth the 'hype' or the Italian/Portuguese interpretation.

New food marketing techniques drive me nuts...can you tell!!!

Crib, Shack, Hacienda, Ranch, Homebase, Bat Cave

Affordable Luxury
The right size and the right location. Discover a home nestled on rolling hills and enhanced by the beauty of our New Orleans style courtyards. Easy access to major interstates and minutes to major employment centers. Located in the heart of Huntsville's best restaurants and shopping areas. 2 pools and tennis courts...

And that, my friends, is the description of the apartments I am moving into the first of the new year!

I won't give you the name because you may just decide to drop by unannounced!!! Call or E-Mail first!

Anyways, I am happy about that...a definite answer to prayer.

Odds and Ends

I am now shopping for an apartment for the beginning of next year. Its kind of hard doing that when you don't have a (paying) job reference or lease history for the past 4 1/2 years!

My new (old) job is working wonderfully for me and I am expecting a pay raise by December or January.

No news in the relationship department, but then of course I am not spending any time worrying about that. I got goals, focus, vision, things that need to be accomplished in the next few months...and even further down the road.

Lately I have been reading the book, 'The Bible That Jesus Read' which has been very good for me and understanding Old Testament 'things'. I am about halfway thru with it...it came about that I chose this book after reading another book by the same author that I really enjoyed, 'The Jesus I Never Knew' by Phillip Yancy.

At work it has been like dusting off an old bicycle and riding it again only to discover there are a few new additions to it...but thats ok, because it doesn't take long to adjust to those either.

I am finally recuperating from a lung infection that has been sapping my energy for the last ten days and will venture back into the gym after taking a week off. Even though I have not been cooking or creating as much as I would like, I have still taken time to read from my culinary books and magazines as well as watch a lot of my favorite food network shows...so I am still learning and developing some new 'things' and dishes, recipes, menus...that I will be trying out when I get my own kitchen in January.

I have found that after our state went to a 'no-smoking' law in all the restaurants that I have been able to go back to a few hometown places that I started avoiding just because of the heavy smoke...which doesn't effect any of my friends that smoke because they never smoke while eating in an establishment anyway. They say it ruins the experience and taste of the food.

Now I wonder what ever gave them that Idea? Smart people they are (my friends)!

Life doesn't stop

Things are moving right along for me...After asking for prayer to get a better job I was offered one the VERY next day.

I am going back to work for a beverage company that I was employed with 5 years before coming to Mercy Ships...Yes, you guessed it. I am a BUD man again.

I only work about 4 days a week, BC/BS full medical and dental (company pays 60percent). Weekly paycheck...hmmm what else? We get all major holidays off and there is plenty of room for advancement.

Now I have time off to get involved with some local ministries and food drives. Not to mention entertaining for friends (nice way of using them for culinary test subjects), church projects, and a few things of my own!

Because of all the developments lately I have not renewed my website (so it will be dissappearing in November sometime) also I do not have personal access to internet (that works good) all the time so I will be posting all new developments here.

I have discontinued my 'we b cookin' blogspot for lack of outside interest (except for a few) and will now bring all my attention to keeping this blog up-to-date with what I am doing now-a-days.

I bid Mercy Ships a final farewell as I now permanently push on to work in other areas of ministry and missions. To all my friends made during 'Mercy Ships' we will still keep in contact and maybe a few visits now and then would be nice...but you know who you are because we still keep in contact now.

It seems to be a new season (literally)...and I feel GOOD about it!

A few things to know

Without going into a lot of detail (except where I want to explain) I had a little road trip with friends last week to Connecticut via Dayton Ohio, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, thru New York City (on the Bronx side) to Torrington.

Along the way I managed to eat Cheesecake Factory (In Philly - fish tacos, and apps.), Anthony's (Authentic Italian - had antipasto, homemade sausage, & gnocchi with Alfredo sauce), and Shieks (sandwiches inc. - 'kitchen sink' grinder or something like a cross between Philly cheese steak and subway sandwich). My friend Pastor Will (Valley Fellowship - my home church), his mom cooked us Korean food for a midnight dinner on our way back (she's full/100% Korean). All of it EXCELLENT! Just wanted you to know that. Another great culinary expedition without even trying...I just went along for the 'ride' and to help out. And a big THANK YOU! for all those who hosted us (just in case you stumble across my website and wonder why I didn't mention your names...but I thought that would be sharing to much without your consent).

Pastor Pat (The Dwelling Place - church) went to research some on William Penn and his lineage since he is a 'Penn' himself, hence the trip via Philly in PENNsylvania (actually named for William Penn's Dad, Lord William Penn...I think).

I guess I could have called this excursion, 2 Pastors and a Missionary?!

Yes, I took (unpaid) time off from work after only 2 months of working...Has it really been that long???

Life is a steady grind of routine and work for me lately...In a way that's good and bad. The bad being I don't really like my job and nothing else has opened up for me right now. The good? The obvious, having money, paying bills, yada yada...

In January (when all my commitments and responsibilities here at home are done) I am still considering doing mission or missionary work again...But this time I will probably try to go about getting financial support a different way. But right now this thought is only 50/50.

Really depends if anything opens up for me between now and then (January). One half of me wants to get a job (like one of those decent paying career jobs) and settle in looking for a house and maybe considering a wife and family later on..In that order. But of course this is all speculation, and the next day I wake up and want to dash it all go for broke working and traveling at minimum or no financial gain just to enjoy cooking and making a difference by surrendering myself to that kind of sacrifice (but really, what kind of sacrifice is it when it brings Joy to you and God?) and lifestyle. Which would God have me choose? That's yet to be decided...But I am looking for clues along the way and listening for His voice.

Pray, pray that I could at least get a job with better hours so I can be more involved with church and ministries here at home.

I am ashamed to say that even though I have cooked here and there since I have been home...I have not used my own culinary tools or brought my Executive Chef Attache Case (sounds fancy doesn't it? Knife and tool suitcase for travel...I didn't make that name up, that's how I had to order it) out of the trunk since I rode away from the Caribbean Mercy.

Its just not right I tell you!

One more thing...to Mr. Tom, I am sorry I haven't been coming to your Sunday School Class but with the job and hours I work I just can't make my body get up that early. I sincerely apologize.

My website will go 'offline' or be terminated next month...but I will still be writing on my 'bogspot' tyronebcookin.blogspot.com . That is FREE website space...plus I have less time to keep up with these things nowadays (and my parents have dial-up so it takes forever to upload website changes). Hahaha

Oregon, Ira, and excellent food

Just to recap a few things I have past without posts due to waiting on pictures to submit...

While traveling in Oregon (same trip as the redwoods, sand dunes, beaches, etc...) I was able to stop by and visit with Ira Krizo (and family) founder of the Christian Chefs Fellowship.

They have a nice B&B and restaurant Pine Hurst Inn (with a seasonally rotating/changing menu) within a terrific scenic and historic area giving it a wonderful backdrop for a nice night out and/or vacation to get away. I hear they might even have, or be, doing weddings and such in the future!

Excellent food, great place! Thanks for the hospitality! (please check out the links provided for more pics and info)

Public Library

You may find this a boring post but I am just realizing how much I missed our public library. I don't know what size or how it ranks in the nation but it is great!

We have movies, CD's, tapes, and of course books...But a million other things too! The library also has some of those oversized plush chairs that are very comfortable and hard to stay awake in unless you are reading a really good book, or the newest edition of Bon Appetit, Gourmet, or one of those other food magazines(OK maybe that's just me).

Our Library looks like a big fort and its about 3 or 4 stories high. I am not completely sure because some levels are used for conferences, meetings and such. The picture is real small too...But it was the only one I could find(I found a bigger one, so that is what you are looking at now).

The Library is close to the Wellness Center where I have rejoined so I can work out and exercise again after all these years...I have also got a cell phone now so I can have that mobility and ease of communication wherever I go. No, I will not give the number out publicly. You would probably call and text message me so many times I would loose all my money and good credit rating, not to mention alienate me from the rest of the world when they deactivate my phone! Ha!

Why is all this so important? Because as high as gas is I will be trying to walk everywhere and enjoy as much free entertainment as I can!!!

Oh yeah, still waiting on that job. Its great being home, seriously!

Found

I finally found the digital camera I lost...I packed it away with some stuff I thought I wouldn't be using for a few weeks.

So now that I have found it maybe I can get the pics downloaded and upload a picture of the watermelon I carved for my church's 25th Anniversary.

On another note: Some days it is just extremely aggravating working on my website...And in the end it just seems to be the difference between upper and lower case letters, one or two of them!!!

My software (frontpage) does not differentiate between upper and lower case letters in the html pages, but obviously my server which holds my website does! UGH!

I think I got it all straightened out now...



Ok, so the contour of the watermelon was tricky but all of the other watermelon had their prices written on them with permanent black markers...Not to elegant when they show up in the middle of your creation. And I told the sellers at the farmers market that too!