Persistencey

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Chef Kas

I don’t think “Persistency” is a word, I really don’t. Regardless of its actuality of being in the dictionary, persistency is one of the most important words there is. Everything is a continual progression over time. There is no other way. I am learning this. It is a hard lesson! Don’t try to sum up everything that has happened so far – this week, with this endeavor, this year, this life – because everything that will come will come from what you have already done! This moment is just a temporary pause until the next period of growth and change. And it is this fact that will always remain constant. If you are striving for it, then you will always be experiencing growth and change. Change is going to happen regardless, so why not embrace it? Why not strive to have the changes in your life be for your own good? So often it seems change is something struggled with, something against who we are or where we want to be. But that could not be further from the truth. I feel like anything I write I have not only realized, but am still continuing to realize and recognize as truth. There are profound levels to understanding life, and pretty much all of them come down to one central idea: don’t judge anything. Don’t judge anything that has happened, is happening, or will happen, because you simply don’t know. You have no way of knowing! Stop purporting to know, and instead, simply live. And this is where persistence comes into play. Because certainly there will be moments when life does not seem to be working with you, helping you move towards your goals. But how can you know that? If you don’t want to be on the path you’re on, then change it. But as long as you’re doing whatever it is you are doing, keep doing it, and BELIEVE that it will get you to where you want to be, somehow or another. And that “where” doesn’t have to be a defined place, but more a conceptual idea. Even as much as focusing on being happy, living the life of your dreams (not necessarily defining what those dreams are), then how can it not happen? Everything is happening towards where we want to be whether we know it or not. Of course, how can I know any of this? How can I, working to achieve my own dreams, write/say these things, when I am still in the process of all of it? But I think again, it all comes down to persistence (and consistencey – strongly intertwined). Belief and persistence are one and the same. If you believe it then keep going. Belief, time, and persistence are all it takes. What else is there?

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Let this happen

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Chef Kas

What is the purpose of our dreams, our desires?  Is it just to frustrate us, or are they there to make us want more?  To do more than what we’re capable of in this moment?  Is it really possible to do what we think we are capable of?  Is it wrong to want more, want so much more?  I feel like I need to achieve a certain level of success, it is something I am meant to do, and anything less will be, well, dissatisfying.  Is that wrong?  I want to go forward, to plow through life with a jackhammer, and not stop until I am where I want to be, and even then, keep going.

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Farming

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Chef Kas

I find myself entering the New Year with a great number of mental visions I want to create.  I’ve been thinking about these for weeks, if not months.  Now that the New Year is here, its up to me to Keep It Going.  I can’t overtrain and exhaust myself before the race even starts.  The race is not short, much longer than a marathon.  So pace yourself Adam.   Continue reading →

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Cleaning Out Drawers

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Chef Kas

Is there anything more annoying than cleaning out drawers? Cabinets, dressers, closets, bureaus… All same idea. The thing with this task, as anyone who has done it knows, you have to create a bigger mess in the short term to benefit yourself in the longer term. You have to pull out all the crap that you’ve been throwing in there, for God-knows-how-long (in my case, since I’ve owned the drawers, at least a year). But at the same time, you know, once you do it, your life will be so much better. You will find a calculator you’ve been looking for for months, the drawer won’t jam every other time you use it, there will be room to put things back in the drawer when you actually do need to take out something you’re looking for.

Drawers seem so much more appropriate than closets or cabinets. There is something about that opening, getting access to this world of things that somehow just ended up there that seemed like such a good idea at the time. You remember your justification for putting the things in there in there first place, but now you struggle with it. You’re torn between that original reason for it being there, and now knowing that you a) should keep the (insert thing here) and put it in a place where it will be “if you ever need it” b) just throw it out or c) leave it in the drawer in a newly organized fashion. Of course, the more crap (useful as it may be) stuff we just get rid of, the easier our lives seem to be. Its SO TEMPTING! to just keep that thing, because at some point you’re sure you’re going to need it, although we so rarely ever do.

Life can often be like that over-stuffed, jammed, unorganized drawer. And the easiest thing of all, of course, is just to leave the drawer as is. Don’t do anything about it. Just keep smashing the stuff inside and re-arranging it just enough so you can push everything around and maybe find what you need and then struggle to get it back shut. Because sometimes its just not worth making that mess. But once you do it – just pull everything out and do something with it, you’re always better off.

The funny thing that I, as so many others, struggle with, is what we “should” do. What will ensure the future that I want? What is it I need to do to make my dream happen? While we battle with figuring out what to do, we miss that if we just do something, we will be making process. In the path to any goal there are going to be missteps, there are going to obstacles, there is going to be learning, and there is going to be a process of discovery. That process, of just getting the drawer organized, starts with just pulling it all out, and getting into the pile of stuff. But in the end, an organized drawer is such a strange source of pleasure compared to the struggle we have become accustomed to. The best thing, when you’re not sure what to do, is just to do something. Complete a task to the greatest extent possible at that moment. Do something like clean out a drawer, that might have no direct connection with your goal, but it is an act that benefits your life, and has a definite beginning and a productive end. Put yourself into the midst of your life and start acting, keeping your eventual desired outcome in mind, without necessarily needing to understand how you are going to get there. Go for it, and accept the mess you might find yourself in for the short term. The mess will be sorted out, and with some work, the best possible order of things will come to pass. Just don’t think it is the last time you ever have to clean out that drawer – though a little maintenance goes a long way.

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A Daily Dose Of Awesomeness

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Chef Kas

I have a lot of goals. There are big, big things I want to achieve. I go hard at life, expending every ounce of energy I have, which sometimes is too much. But still, I need to make sure every day is filled with just a little bit of awesome.

I believe it is possible to get awesomer everyday. I also believe that awesomer is a word. A chef once said to me, “If you chase perfection, you will achieve excellence.” I love the idea behind the statement. Go for it. Be awesome, constantly. If you go for total awesomeness, you will achieve at least partial awesomeness.

Some days you don’t feel quite as awesome. Make sure you take care of your needs those days. Sometimes we push ourselves too hard, and I can be guilty of this as well. But sometimes we need to eat, and other times we need to digest. There are those moments, days, or even longer periods of time, when the best thing to do is just take a recharge. Okay, obviously if all you’re doing is a recharge, then its not a recharge. But when you need it, take it. Let me give you an example. Friday, I had 2 clients to deliver meals for, 18 meals total. I had also scheduled my massage therapist for Thursday night, who I barter with for another 4 meals. By my Steven Hawking-like math skills, that’s 22 meals. I had not done any of my prep before Thursday, so I went b to the w (balls to the wall) and got everything done I needed to by 5 pm Friday.

From there I met up with an old friend who got me a ticket for the Jay-Z/Kanye concert here in Vegas. We pre-gamed at his house, pre-gamed at the limo, pre-gamed some more at the concert, and post-gamed at IHOP. It was a fun night, but certainly didn’t make Saturday easy. Saturday I woke up to a disaster area kitchen (I had left myself with clean up duties the day before), and a show to do that night. In between I’d committed myself to getting our t-shirts made and visiting a client’s holiday party. I got home with 20 minutes to get ready for the live broadcast.

The show was awesome (if you haven’t seen it, check it out here http://tinyurl.com/76g8fbh), and I was buzzing after, until about 4:30 in the morning. I woke up once again Sunday with plenty to clean, which I wrapped up just for an afternoon of Capoeira with friends at a studio in my complex. After four hours of Capoeira it was on to another holiday party and watching the Giants somehow beat the Cowboys. I returned home Sunday night, got myself somewhat prepared for Monday, and went to sleep.

Today, those past 4 days caught up to me. My alarm went off at 8:30 and I argued with it. I needed the sleep, the rest, the recovery. I knew, in that state, there was little chance of being productive, of getting anything done. To do the work that I needed to, and would eventually do, I needed first to recharge. Its not my nature to think of rest as adding to my awesomeness. I think of it usually as adding to my laziness. But be honest with yourself. Address your needs. Go from there. I think before we can be more awesome, we must figure out where we aren’t quite so awesome, even if just in that moment. Sometimes just being good to yourself is the best way to be your best.

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Getting Through The Muck

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Chef Kas

Thoughts From My Brain
Chef Kas
12/11/11

Getting Through It
Sometimes a day just isn’t going your way. Agh! These can be the worst. No matter what you do, or what you’re doing, it seems life is working against you. Not gonna lie, I was kinda having one of those today. And being Chef Kas, and having the awesome and blessed life that I have (even on rough days), I got to stay in bed until about 3:30. And that was enough. I had been feeling a bit out of it, struggling with some “stuff”, and just feeling somewhat defeated. Sleeping isn’t always an option however, and sometimes you just have to wade through the muck.

But really, what is this all about? What do we have struggles for? Why can’t life just always be easy? And I really believe that life goes well when we are in our strengths, and perhaps doesn’t go well when we come up against our weaknesses. I was definitely mired in my weaknesses this morning, and without going into self-deprecating detail, it was about just accepting that I was struggling because these were areas of my life I am not yet good at.

Just like resistance training, however, the struggle makes us stronger. If we avoid the problem altogether, then of course we will run into it again, and probably once again falter. And in reality, we are not going to overcome our problems immediately the next time we encounter them, but we may be able to pass through them more quickly. This concept of *how long it takes to recover* is essential in my mind to success in any endeavor. If you can continuously improve the time it takes you to do anything – run a marathon, get over a breakup, clean your house – then you are getting better at it. Continuous improvement, actively living your life, is the key to success. When I’ve had this sort of an emotional lapse before it has taken me longer to get back on my feet.

I can see progress in myself in my ability to turn things around so fast. I am grateful to the people who help me, but in the end I am responsible for my own state of being. If I can make the turnaround that much quicker, eventually I’ll get to a point where I don’t even fall down. That is the goal.

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Health and the Holidays

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Chef Kas

After recently spending a week back in New Jersey – a week filled with food, family, and few moments to myself – I realized just how difficult it is to stay healthy during this holiday time. Not only are we surrounded by less than ideal foods, and others who may not be role models for health, but out of our comfort zones and routines, we get away from the things that keep us healthy and feeling good.

So over the next couple weeks I will suggest a few strategies for staying healthy and feeling your best this holiday season, so that if nothing else, you can enjoy this time of celebration, and not return to “real life” feeling the holiday hangover.

Do 1 thing every day
Our normal lives are made up of routines and habits. If you are successfully living a healthy life, there are certain things you do most, if not every, day. What are some of these? I start every day with a smoothie. I find it gives me energy and nutrition without bogging me down by eating too heavy early in the day. I also generally don’t consume anything when I first wake up, simply because I’m not at all hungry. While at my family’s house, there were bagels and cream cheese out each morning, as soon as I woke up. As much as I love this Jewish staple food group, it usually leaves me feeling heavy and lethargic. I liken a great deal of the holidays to offers of “free” food or otherwise. Just because you don’t hand over money for these things, doesn’t mean they’re free. You’re going to pay for it somehow.

So what’s the solution then? I’m certainly not saying don’t enjoy this holiday season. In fact, I encourage indulgence, to the extent that it makes you feel good. But I suggest incorporating one thing you’re already doing and maintain it throughout the holidays. Make it specific. By starting each day with a smoothie I was doing something to make myself feel good in the moment, maintaining a good habit, and setting my day in the right direction despite being out of my comfort zone.

Pick one thing that you’re doing in your day to day, or week to week life, something that’s working and makes you feel good. Figure out how to incorporate it in your holiday schedule, whether you’re staying at home or traveling. While you might not be “perfect”, sometimes its good to take a break. But it is important to keep yourself feeling good, and maintaining at least one of your good healthy habits can help to ensure that you do.

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Vermont, Burgers, and Terroir

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Chef Kas

I recently visited Vermont for my cousin David’s wedding.  It was a great time, good to get away from Vegas for a few days, and of course spend some time with my family.

For our rehearsal dinner, the couple had a food truck come in to feed us, with “good food fast,” rather than “fast food”.  The side of the truck read, “Grass-fed burgers,” which didn’t really make much sense to a few of us, as burgers don’t usually eat food – cows do.  

Nonetheless, this made me think about the concept of grass fed cows, and their resulting beef.  Though I can’t say for sure, it is entirely possible that the cows that produced these burgers were actually raised in Vermont. For those of you who have not been to Vermont, it’s a cool, green, mountainous place, with about 4 months above 60 degrees.  It is beautiful, but I’ll keep dry, warm Vegas.  I have been traveling up there just about every year since I was a kid, when my grandparents had a park model where they spent a good part of the summer.  I think Vermont is as close as we get to Switzerland here in the U.S.  Worth the trip if you haven’t been.

Grass fed beef is becoming more and more popular, but having it in Vermont made me wonder, where are these cows being raised?  In wine production, there is the concept of terroir – where the grapes are grown will directly affect the wine produced.  Many people think of this as solely the soil where the grapes are grown, but there are countless other factors as well, such as if they are on a hill, what the weather conditions were like in that year, how much of the vine was in the shade, and so on.  

Does this same concept apply to cows?  Are cows in Vermont getting a higher quality grass than say, grass fed cows in Nebraska?  Is the grass more nutrient dense?  Is there less chemical run-off in these unfarmed areas?  

Many of these questions are just for the asking, but they should be asked. Perhaps the next movement in our progress as a food culture is a new sort of “branding”, just as we have with wine.  Surely this sort of information will not come cheap.  Our food is quickly being separated between mass produced and produced at a premium.  Much of this may simply be another form of marketing, but many experts advocate these finer production methods.  Soon we might just have region and year labels on the hamburgers we order.

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Chef Kaz’s Kitchen #1

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Chef Kas

Hey everyone, here’s a video that I have up on YouTube. We are going to start hitting you with weekly cooking videos from Chef Kaz’s Kitchen. Feel free to shoot us any requests or thoughts you might have. Eat and Be Free!

Chef Kaz\'s Kitchen #1 – Portabella Fried Egg Sandwich

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Proposal

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Chef Kas

I am at last putting together my experience, knowledge, training, and expertise of a diverse number of connected subjects, which all connect to health, happiness, and healing.  My vision is to create a work, or works, with all of this information, which can will connect with whomever it resounds.
Continue reading →

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