Gather in My Kitchen

August 2021

Let’s talk about having a positive work ethic. Most people claim to have a positive work ethic, and many people desire to have one but less than half of us actually possess it. I’ll let you in on a little secret. For me there are 4 steps to having a winning work ethic. I’m certainly no expert on the matter and can only tell you what works for me. Here we go.

Step one: Have a Plan! This simply means know your end goal and know the steps you plan to take to reach that goal. I start with treating my mind spirit and body right. That involves daily prayer, meditation, and physical exercise. If those things are in order, then positive energy fills every other aspect of my life including my plan.

Step two: Write it down! When I commit my thoughts and plans to paper through the power of the pen, I believe that I am helping to make them real. I can think about them all day long but once they are on paper, I take complete ownership of them and feel compelled to make them happen. There is something about putting my plans on paper that makes me feel responsible, accountable, and determined to see them through.

Step three: Visualize the end result and how it will make you feel! This is probably the most powerful step of them all. In this step I get to envision how I want my plan to take shape and what it would look like once I’ve accomplished it. I also get to imagine all the emotion and satisfaction the accomplishment will make me feel. I live in it for a few minutes then move on to the actual work.

Step four: Get on it! This is the final step of my work ethic process in which I actually execute my written plan. First, I eliminate as many distractions as possible, then I employ my standards of excellence and professionalism and applying them to myself, my staff and my clients. They include keeping my word, meeting deadlines and being timely, being a positive force, positioning all of us to win, being respectful and reliable. Basically, showing up as a servant leader in my daily life and encouraging everyone around me to do the same. Even with all my passion and dedication I’m not perfect, so I don’t let mistakes ruin my progress. I shift gears, find good in the situation and keep it moving until I reach my goal.

Below is an article that talks a little about my work ethic. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Meet Gason Nelson | Personal Chef and Business Owner

Recipe of the Month

Stuffed Enchilada Peppers

Serves 8 People

Ingredients

4 bell peppers, assorted colors
1 pound ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeños
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons minced oregano
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, picked for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Split peppers in half and clean out seeds and pith. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté beef until nearly cooked all the way through. Add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until golden. Add diced jalapeños, salt, chili powder, paprika, cumin and black pepper. Add oregano and enchilada sauce and reduce heat to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add about 1/2 cup of the beef mixture to each pepper, then add a layer of cheese. Repeat, topping the peppers off with plenty of cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and the peppers are tender. Take foil off and bake for 10 more min
Top with cilantro. Serve while warm.

Community Service

School is back in session, and I’ve been asked by several culinary schools and high school programs to be a guest speaker for their students. I have spoken to students in Miami, Houston, Baton Rouge and of course New Orleans. This year I will be adding California, Boston, and New York to the list. Each time I speak to culinary students I always find that one kid who has that “IT”. It’s usually the kid on the edge of their seat, hanging on to my every word. The one with the most questions and who stays after the assembly to tell me about their culinary journey and career plans. It’s that one student who always asks if he or she can do an internship with me or work with me once they finish school. That’s the kid I’m excited about mentoring because as a seasoned chef I believe it is my obligation to help mentor the next generation of chefs. In the past year I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to students via Zoom. This was exciting because I got to reach students who I otherwise would not have had the honor of connecting with. I have a very close group of chef friends that I consider my culinary family and we have all vowed to mentor culinary students to position them to win. I am really looking forward to speaking to the students this year because new culinary students are proof that our profession is thriving, and culinary creativity and innovation is alive and well.

Physical and Mental Fitness

Many of us limit ourselves by comparing ourselves to others. We don’t realize that we all have gifts and talents that are uniquely ours and that we should focus in on those talents to set ourselves apart.

We sometimes look at others and say to ourselves, I wish I had his status, or her income, not fully understanding or what that person had to endure to reach that status or earn that income.

I don’t know why we compare ourselves to others but what I do know is that by doing so we limit ourselves to that other person’s max level of accomplishment. If in fact we would just allow ourselves to be limitless by challenging ourselves to exceed our latest accomplishment without comparing ourselves to others we would then find we can soar far beyond the limits of others.

If you have cooking related questions for me, please send them to chefgasonnelson@gmail.com. Maybe your question will be highlighted next month.

– Chef Gason

Q & A

Is it ok to use a food product that is past its expiration date?

Janet G.

Silver Spring, MD

Answer

This is a great question, Janet! Honestly, I don’t practice using food products beyond their expiration date because I believe in using only the freshest ingredients when I’m cooking. However, there are certain products you can use for up to 3-6 months after their printed expiration dates. Things like salt, pepper, flour, sugar, some canned goods and cereals are ok to use for a few months after their stated expiration date. However, I’d steer clear of using any dairy, fruit, vegetables, bread, fish or meats after they have expired. In some cases, your milk, fish or meat may not look or smell bad but could possibly make you sick if eaten beyond the expiration date. The best thing to do in any case is to adhere to the printed expiration date whenever possible.