[this post was updated on 9/12/14 with the image of pete's final tattoo]
So it's no secret that I'm a man who likes his beets. They are my favorite vegetable for so many reasons. First, I love that most people think they don't like them and are turned off at the idea of beets. As a chef, it's such a perfect ingredient to change people's minds about. They are so colorful and delicious. Every good cook should know how to handle a beet.
One of the other big reasons was that Chef Thomas Keller said it was his favorite vegetable when being interviewed when I first started culinary school. I figured if it was good enough for him, well then it would work for me too.
But the main reason, the biggest, is a book called "Jitterbug Perfume" by Tom Robbins. You see Beets are serious things, but they just bring so much to the table. They kind of deserve a certain level of respect, don't you think? If it sounds like I've gone off the deep end, I suggest just reading the book. So in honor of my favorite vegetable and in hopes of finding out what all this tattoo stuff is about, I'll be having some beets immortalized on my arm come the 5th of September. Here's a rough sketch:
