Customs and Cooking

 A chef usually has a special ingredient that they use to bring a "wow" factor to their dish.  An all time favorite of mine is a Chaud-Lent (in French meaning "hot-slow"). This dish is a stew that is prepared and slowly cooks throughout the day for a delightful dinner or overnight to have a hearty lunch. One of the magical aspects of this dish is that there are several different variants depending on taste and custom. Some like to incorporate potatoes. Others use beans and barley. A third group might use rice. Then, the choice of protein to use is endless. Stewing beef, ground beef, minute steaks, a whole half pound piece of smoked meat. Some even choose to use boneless chicken. I like to prepare mine as follows: - lightly coat a thin film of vegetable oil all over the inside of the crock-pot (I dab a paper towel in the oil and wipe the crock-pot throughout.) - two to three small onions diced and layered at the bottom of the crock-pot - add about half a cup of barle...

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words CUSTOMS and COOKING? Probably that there are some amazing recipes for various cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Close... My name is Michael Zobin and I have made my career surround the world of Customs Consulting and Compliance. But I have also established cooking as one of my current hobbies. So, I thought, why not intertwine the two. In this first BLOG post, I would like to ensure that any and all readers are aware of the following: All "CUSTOMS and COOKING" BLOG posts, opinions and items outlined are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer. Further, please feel free to share and quote from this BLOG but it would be appreciated if proper referencing is initiated. The world of Customs is like an intricate recipe. Too much salt and spice can bring a distinct variant to the taste and flavor of the dish being prepared. Similarly there are a vast amount of rules and regulations to foll...