I am the master of a highly trained (even recognized as such by the Hong Kong Government) well behaved, chocolate labrador retriever named Cody.

Cody has been so well trained that he is allowed to walk anywhere in Hong Kong, without a leash. Actually he doesn’t need the leash, he is whip smart, obedient, very sociable, and totally devoted to remaining at my heel.

But where ever we go, grown adults will act terrified, jumping to the edge of the walk, grabbing their children up, screeching, or even running away in terror, at the “loose” dog who is clearly walking calmly at heel.

I wanted to find the Hong Kong statistics for this discussion, but they are harder to come by than I am interested in investing. So lets agree to use the USA statistics under the assumption that humans and dogs in both countries are not statistically different enough to change the results by any important factor.

So, in the USA in 2007: Note these are statistic s on only aggravated assault and murder, not on auto related death accidental death, manslaughter, rape, robbery or other forms of violence etc. Meanwhile this is all dog related injury and death.

People-attacking-people related incidents:
• 8.8 Mil. people (1 in 34) were the victim of aggravated assault.
• 17K (1 in 17.5K) were murdered.

Dog-attacking-people, related incidents:
• 800,000 (1 in 375) dog bites – including about a quarter that were work related (dog handlers and such).
• 31 deaths related to dog attack. 1 in a million.

To be clear, you are significantly more than 10 times as likely to be attacked by a human and more than 550 times as likely to be killed by a human than by a dog. So next time you see a man and a dog…I highly recommend you be wary of the man.

In recent times I have noted a disposition among Hotel and Venue human resources departments, where they seem quite reluctant to even consider hiring someone if that candidate does not have significant, recent, hotel or venue experience.  Similarly, I know more than a few restaurateurs who are reluctant to interview candidates who have “too high a ratio” of hotel or club experience. While it would certainly be going too far to try and draw parity between these practices and discrimination by race or gender; still it is a, discriminatory disposition based on rather arbitrary and irrelevant criteria, much the same as gender or race; and therefore not only unreasonable, but potentially bad for business.
The Wisdom of Crowds, a 2004 book by noted business columnist James Surowiecki, discusses groups of people, large and small, coming together in ways that make the work of the many, exceed the output of the best within that group. Certainly what should be the ambition of any company or business related team.
Surowiecki reckons that there are four key elements necessary to get groups to excel: 1. The group needs to have a diversity of opinion, wherein each individual member has private information to contribute. 2. The individuals need to be allowed to act with independence so that groupthink is avoided. 3. The group should be as decentralized as possible to allow people to specialize and draw on local knowledge. 4. There needs to be a method of aggregating the diverse talents and judgments into a collective effort.
 
Clearly, hiring only from within our own sub sector of the industry fails to meet at least three of the four criteria for making the group smarter than its brightest individuals, and therefore is a detriment to the collective output of the group. In The Wisdom of Crowds, Surowiecki attributes homogeneity of groups, overly centralized planning, imitative behaviors, confirmation bias, and peer pressure, as some of the key critical problems with the teams involved in such earth changing events as the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, and the failure of intelligence agencies that might have prevented the attacks on September 11, 2001.
 
Granted, in the food & beverage industry we probably do not have to worry about such significant threats (though we do deal quite a bit with danger). The truth is, we, as with any group, are better served by diversity and independent action, along with the regular influx of new ideas and information. These characteristics are the basis for all innovation.
 
It seems certain to me that the minor differences in process or system from Hotel and Venue to freestanding restaurant are frameworks for our industry that should be built in such a way that any employee could easily learn and adapt to them. If they are not, we, as senior management, had better get busy redesigning our systems to allow for more open hiring practices. After all we should be intending to hire the best cooks and servers, not just people who are best able to follow company policy and procedures.

To quote Collette, the tough but elegant chef, in the Pixar Animated Film, Ratatouille: “I just want you to know exactly who you are dealing with! How many women do you see in this kitchen? Only me. Why do you think that is? Because high cuisine is an antiquated hierarchy built upon rules designed to make it impossible for women to enter this world, but still I’m here. How did this happen? Because I am the toughest cook in this kitchen! I have worked too hard for too long to get here.”

And so, as life often imitates art, we our proud that, at the 2008 FHA, in Singapore, Hong Kong will be represented by our best, brightest and toughest, cooks, our own all women team.
As citizen chefs of Hong Kong we can all be gratified for the chance to show everyone working in this profession that there is equal opportunity for each talented chef to compete for their own pride as well as for Hong Kong in a friendly and professional manner. It also gives a great exposure for the Hong Kong young chefs in front of the international stage and shows the world how we develop our future successors.

As the Hong Kong Chefs Association mark such a historical event for Hong Kong and women chefs of the world. I’ll take a moment to ask for your financial sponsorship and support which will be integral to their success. The team will certainly repay your confidence with every effort and will work tirelessly towards a remarkable success in the competition. In any event, you will all be part of a special moment in culinary history.

Later this year Hong Kong will also field a team to the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt Germany.

To Donate for either event:
http://www.hongkong-chefs.com/Sponsorshipdrive2008.htm

Salt is a dietary mineral essential for animal life, composed primarily of sodium chloride.
Sugar consists of a class of edible crystalline substances including sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet.
I only bring the up this obvious “news” because this week on (alleged) “Top Chef” (we’re still on season 1 in Hong Kong) they let a guy who confused salt and sugar remain in the competition, while they kicked out someone who’s potato was not hot enough.
Every junior or apprentice cook has made the mistake of mixing salt for sugar or sugar for salt; once, and only once. From that day forward they never ever ever again make that mistake. For a head chef, in an internationally viewed competition, to make such a mistake and survive, throws scorn on all American chefs and the cooking industry as a whole.
Can I lodge a formal complaint and force them to change the name?

Today, I had he pleasure of being one of the panel judges for the Fu Hong Societies “Best Buddies” cooking competition.

Fu Hong is a society of integrated schools and centers for the education and integration of people who are mentally or physically handicapped.

The “Best Buddies” program is dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with mental handicap by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships with people who are not handicapped.

So during the competition handicapped people and their best buddies act as a team to prepare and serve a dish to the panel of judges. They are observed throughout the process and graded on team work as well as several factors of the actual dish.

I had a great time today, and I was especially pleased by both the very high level of food produced, much of it restaurant quality; as well as the peer to peer relationships so obvious with the many teams.

Best Buddies is an international organization, so if you find one in your area I highly recommend finding a way to participate. It is one of life’s pleasures.

I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to the Hong Kong Chefs Association, “Thank You Dinner” on March fourth. The traditional dinner is held each year so that the Executive Committee can take a moments reward for a long years work, as well as show their appreciation to the many people who through direct supporting roles, have helped the HKCA navigate the successes and challenges of the previous year.

The dinner was hosted by the HKCEC, Congress restaurant, and if you have the chance you must give it a try. The Congress is a beautiful restaurant and the highest caliber was demonstrated in all the food and service. If you do stop by, remember to ask Angus Cheng for a tour of his palatial office – as chef’s offices go it is quite a good one.

Helping the Congress restaurant to create our dinner menu, as well as then joining us for dinner, was Australian guest chef Mike Tafe.  Mike was quite knowlegable on “New Australian” cuisine, and shared with us his philosophy that for the chef, Australia is a “market basket” of culinary influences and ingredients from throughout the world. His recipes and presentations were indeed a wonderful culinary journey of flavors and textures that clearly proved his outstanding ability as a chef.

Chef Martin Yan, and his life long friend and associate, Chef Frank Wong, also joined us that evening. The two had rushed in from Shenzhen, where Martin recently launched his Culinary Arts Center. He was of course, exuberant in his description of the many activities and versatility of this new venue, offering on several occasions to host our Chef Association whenever we would like. Frank Wong was the mild contrast to Martin’s spicy nature, though oddly Chef Wong hails from that city of zest, New Orleans, where he owns and operates the restaurant Trey Yuen.

As can be expected all three guest chefs, added great season to the conversations around the table, making this an absolutely enjoyable dinner for the Committee Members as well as the several HKCA supporters that were able to attend. The dinner was topped off by Martin Yan’s promise that he would re-join the Hong Kong Chefs’ Association as a professional member, now that he is spending so much time in the area. Welcome, Chef; and a hearty thanks to all who attended this wonderful evening of cuisine and conviviality.

P.S Yes that is the back of my big bald head.

Earlier this week the Vatican released an updated list of 7 more deadly sins to cover some of the things not addressed in the original and complete holy work of an omniscient, omnipotent god. How come?

And thank god, literally, for that. I mean what with all the wars, pestilence, famine, death, destruction, rape, and murder, in dire need of attention; god, still took time out of his busy schedule (supervising I guess) to dictate a new list to the Pope or someone like him. Of course it would have been easier for everyone, if god had just shouted it out for all the world to know, but I digress.

We are lucky to have gotten any attention at all, as I said he seems to have his hands full. But, we are truly blessed to know that in addition to stealing, blaspheming, and coveting; god is also offended when we:

• Ruin the environment (does it have to be as big as Katrina, Mt. St. Helens, or an Asian tsunami, or is littering bad enough?).
• Carry out morally debatable scientific experiments. (As debated by whom?).
• Allow genetic manipulations which alter DNA (Like natural evolution or even solar radiation does?).
• Compromise embryos (Like a menstrual cycle?).
• Take or deal in drugs, (except of course the eucharistic port those pedophile priests imbibe).
• Become involved in social injustice which causes poverty or the excessive accumulation of wealth by a few. (How much wealth does the church hold, and how many has it kept impoverished with its dogma?).

I for one am glad to know that the Vatican has not forgotten about the pedophile priests which by all accounts still concerns them, but I am absolutely flabbergasted that god, through the mouth of the church, continues to put the tenuous life of a fertilized embryo above the dignity and rights of the mother, labeling all abortion a mortal sin.

Yep, jerks.

The Disperser sent me an email (above) regarding our little fledgling discussion below this blog post. Shame he seems to have thrown a bit of a drama queen fit and scampered off.

For the record again, this is not set up as or intended to be a discussion forum, it is a blog…my blog. I will not “turn off” commenting, as I consider comments welcome, but ongoing debate, especially when it ranges far afield takes my time away from what I want to use this, my bog for; and asks me to focus instead on rebuttal and argument. Thats not what I want to use my blog for, so comments that range into debate will be met first with an urge to end them, and if I think it is warranted a deletion of unwanted distraction.

I do participate actively in some forums from time to time to fulfill my occasional urge to work very hard not getting anyone to understand my point or convincing anyone that I am right. Here I just get to vent – simple as that. Its fine to comment if you do or don’t agree with me, chime in with a relevant anecdote, or even to point out where I have made error; but it is another thing entirely to attempt to engage in debate.

If you have the time to do that here then there are suitable other places to do so…however, if, like the Disperser, you have no time for that; please do not consider this a quick-lube sort of pit stop for hit and run debate, it is not wanted or needed.

That said, I am mostly glad and honored to have our lone wolf spend his valuable time commenting on my tripe – it is often flattering. So if I have offended his senses or given him the impression that his comment are of no worth to me, I sincerely apologize.

A menu for a job interview process I am going through:

Entree - Trio de Mer
Seared Blue-Fin Tuna with Mango Glaze
Belon, Oyster “Shooter” with Candied Chile & Lime 
Grey Goose Cured Salmon Tartar with Baguette Crisp
Main Course
24-Hour Lamb Rack with Raspberry & Mint Demi-Glace, Sauteed Pea Sprouts & Assorted Root Frittes. 
Dessert
Anjou Pear, Marseilles Fig & Thyme Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Seed Ice Cream and Pan Caramel.

If you haven’t found TED, you are missing out. TED is, like an old friend come round every day or so with news of the great wide world. TED fills your life with wonder, amazement, sunshine lollipops and rainbows.

TED is an incredibly encyclopedic series of video talks all sort of impromptu all short sweet and to the point, and all by the cutting edge people of our world, speaking about the things that they are doing and what passions fuel their work.

I have watched to about 1/2 of all the currently available TED Talks, and none have disappointed. I urge you to give it a try, visit with TED at least once a day you will live a better life because of it.

The above embed is one of the many fantastic talks, this one by Richard Dawkins, entitled: The Universe Is Queerer Than We Can Suppose – But it is just one of my many favorite talks from TED.