Monday Motivation

Let’s rewind this Monday to learn how our friend, the Chef on Safari, began his culinary adventures. We hope his story and recipes will inspire you to “escape” and enjoy life in the little, everyday moments. Will spicy food solve all of our problems? No. But  you can elevate your life and experience global flavors right in your kitchen with a little experimentation and imagination. Here’s to you – we hope this Monday Motivation inspires you to have a great week!

Monday Blues

Many people hate Mondays.

It’s the beginning of the work week, they’re still thinking about their fun weekend, and it’s impossible to stay positive when everyone around them says something along the line of, The weekend was too short. I can’t believe it’s Monday.

I, on the other hand, often forget what day of the week it is. In fact, if it wasn’t for my watch telling me the time or the date, I probably would never know.

I’ve been on what you would call a perpetual working holiday for over ten years.  I’m a chef by trade, and I operated a fairly successful catering business back in the day. I worked over 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and was a grumpy seasoned chef. You know the ones that apprentices are scared to make a mistake in front of and waitresses hate? That was me…

But all that changed!

A Much Needed Wake-Up Call

On a rainy Monday morning, after a particularly long weekend of overworking, my sous chef crept into my office and handed me an envelope. Inside was a plane ticket. If that’s not Monday motivation, I don’t know what is!

I found myself on a flight a week later going on my first true holiday in 8 years. For the next ten days, I was immersed in a new world that offered new culinary delights and showcased how enjoyable food could be if you open your mind to new ideas and techniques.

I was hooked! So much so, I returned from my vacation, sold my business and house and never looked back.

I became a chef on safari, travelling from place to place and working for free to learn of new recipes and techniques from other cooks and chefs around the world.

From the Blues to Motivation Central

You might wonder what on earth my story has to do with Monday.

Well, even if you’re not able to do what I did to say goodbye to those Monday blues, I can offer you this: I’ll take you on my food journeys, travelling the kitchens of the world, bringing you new stories, fantastic locations, awe inspiring photos, and creative dishes that will strengthen the mind and spirit.

I hope that by sharing my adventures with you, I might inspire you to create your own adventures in your kitchen with new dishes that open your mind to a new world.

For this reason, I’ve chosen to partner with the lovely people who created Chabé Sambal Chili Sauce. They have taken a 50-year family recipe that blends fiery Cayenne and Bird’s Eye chili peppers harvested from the lush, mountain-side farms of Indonesia with locally harvested fresh garlic and healthful ingredients to craft a sambal hot sauce like no other! Their sauce isn’t just about how spicy a sauce can be, but also how good-for-you ingredients can add the right amount of heat and flavor to your meals.

With my trusty bottles of sambal in hand, I’ve been able to experience the world with bold, satisfying flavor that pairs so well with global cuisines, and I want to share the different was on how to use sambal in the kitchen.

So today is a day of new beginnings and new starts. It’s a day where the week is before you and possibilities are endless.

Make this Monday one of the good ones and come on a journey with Chabé Sambal Chili Sauce and me, The Chef on Safari.

A Monday Motivation Recipe

I’m going to leave you with this to help face the challenges that the week may present to you.

A friend of mine, Cillian, owns a bar on the Beach In Da Nang City, Vietnam. It was a still windless night last Monday, and the heat of the day was still hanging over the bustling city. We were sitting behind the bar, trying to come up with a cocktail using excess amount of coconuts from the trees growing around the beachside bar. Click the link below for a cocktail recipe that will wipe away any Monday blues left over when you return home.

So go home tonight, mix this one up for you Monday motivation. Put on some trip/hop jazz and lay back. Tomorrow is Tuesday!

Chef on Safari!

Click Here to view recipe.