Master Chef Nephi Craig, part 2: Chef's table ten-course dinner is still cooking - those who will be served

This is the hungry group of people who will be fed on this night at the Chef's Table in the Sunrise kitchen by Nephi Craig and his all-Apache staff of cooks, waiters, waitresses and such. To enter the kitchen, Steven Titla, Matthew Titla, Veronica Titla and Melinda Ivans have passed right through the regular dining area where the regular customers will be waited on and served in the usual way.

This group will eat right in the kitchen - just yards away and in full view of the cooking line. They will be treated special and will be served ten courses - all based on Apache and foods of the Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere. The Titlas - mother and sons, are all from the San Carlos Apache Reservation, which borders the White Mountain Apache Reservation immediately to the south, separated by the Salt and Black Rivers. Melinda Ivans is from Seven Mile, a White Mountain community.

"I read about Nephi in the  White Mountain Independent," Veronica referred to a very positive, off-reservation newspaper review of a Chef's Table meal prepared by Nephi and staff. "I thought, 'Ahaa!' So I called, 'I want to make reservations.' He (Nephi) was telling me all about it. I was really excited - REALLY EXCITED. I thought, Apache food - Its going to be like the fanciest restaurant in New York City," she laughed. "I want to know what people mean when they say, 'oh, it's a seven course meal.'"

Ten courses - and it will be a three-hour experience. 

I must stress that even though the Chef's Table features Apache and other Native American foods, it is for everybody - about half of all people who have come to experience it have been Apache, the other half, non-Native. Nephi tells me that everyone who has experienced has been pleased.

Now... I know many readers have come back expecting to see the full-blown cooking story and might be a little frustrated with me to see just one picture - no cooking, no eating, just people entering the kitchen. I think when I have a substantial amount of material to work with, I had better stop saying, 'I will publish this tomorrow,' or 'by this certain time.'"

I have put in a great deal of time and work on this story today - and I still have a great deal of time and work left to put into it before I can finish it. It is more than a one day job.

But I will publish it tomorrow.

Oh, no! I just stated that I should not state things. But I will! I will! I will publish it tomorrow - barring any sort of calamity. I usually do my blog work late in the day, often not until evening or even night, but tomorrow I will start early, right after breakfast, so that hopefully I can get everybody fed by a decent hour.

Sorry about this. I'm afraid that's just how I am. It is not for a lack of work and effort. It is just bad estimating. Even after all these decades, my time estimation skills are just not so good. I always think they will be good, but they are not.

It is okay, though. It just gives readers that much more time to build up your appetites.

Comments

[Asta]

No need to make promises, Bill. I am pleased to read your blog just the way it is - and sometimes, it's good to allow my imagination to pretend that I'm right there, eating the ten course meal! :)

Asta