So this past weekend was our favorite fair. It's chock full of fun. We paced ourselves and even had a little break and let the boys go nuts in all of the leaves that had scattered the park. It has everything, livestock barns, crafts, 4H competitions performers, tractor pulls, fair rides and sooo much more. Eric got to go for the first time in three years. This is a big time tradition in our family. The one thing that attracts us more than anything is fair food. Moderation is okay right? Once a year to me is moderation to enjoy all of it's greasy goodness.
We could not make a decision on what we wanted. Soup in a bread bowl, Buffalo Burger, BBQ brisket, Burgers, hot dogs, fried everything, chili, bbq chicken, really huge turkey drumsticks. It came down to Italian sausage sub for Eric and a buffalo burger for me, hot dog for Gabe and cheeseburger for Sebastian. We passed the giant eclairs and our decisions were mostly because we didn't want to be too full for later.
We stayed till the very end of the day for the dessert auction. Now this is one thing we have never been to. Everyone who is interested gathers around the vegetable competition barn and out of the small door at the end the auctioneer walks outside with a microphone. All money collected is donated to the local food pantry so it all goes to a good cause. All entries and winners are auctioned off. There are bread, pies, cookies, cakes, tarts, homemade granola it is truly amazing. There are junior and adult cake decorating competitions the entries looked like something from a cake competition you would see on Food Network.
At this point in the day the boys had had it, they were exhausted! Eric was salivating and I was just curious. The first thing we bid on and won were homemade donuts. These were gone two days later. You really get into the fun of bidding, even if you don't win you start to develop a strategy. Bid for a dollar less than you think your limit is. Simply put the auctioneer always gets you before you say Uh oh I didn't mean to bid. Too late and he knows it! The boys started coming out of their fair coma when they saw orange cakes that looked like Halloween graveyards and a one that had a fondant fisherman sitting on a bridge fishing in a pond. We then won a homemade multi-grain bread that looked incredible. Since the auction I'm the only won who's been eating it.
Then came the cookies. well Eric is REALLY into peanut butter. I can't ever buy a small jar because it'll be gone in one sitting with a spoon. Out comes peanut butter and jelly picnic cookies. The cookie itself looks like a slice of bread but the peanut butter and jelly are baked in between the "slices". Eric salivated so badly his hand went up before the bidding even started. By this time we had begun a box of goodies the donuts, bread and now the cookies. I was enjoying myself having fun till all of a sudden the love of my life was placed on the auction block. A rather large Swiss chocolate cream pie with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shaving. My heart palpitated and I was a goner. Needless to say I won this pie and my empty plate is sitting right next to me as I type this. Eric told me on the way home, that my eyes had bugged out my jaw hit the floor and he knew it was over from there. There was no way I was going home without that pie!
The pie was a blue ribbon winner at the fair and in my stomach!!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
We're out of dessert! Do something!
One of the best times working at the entertainment venue was arranging the dessert table. When I see a doily it makes me think of chocolate. I absolutely loved taking the cakes out of their pastry boxes and cutting them in slivers small enough to feed a large army. After each slice I would drag the knife sideways down the edge of a clean square plate so that no crumbs would damage the perfect top of the cake when I cut the next piece. When I was finished arranging the table, I would find my carefully hidden square plate and with my index finger wipe the chocolate icing off and taste the delectable burst of ganache. This was a treat that I never told the other chefs about. Why do you ask? Because they are vultures and would have swooped in and stolen my plate if they knew. Since as a cook in a equatorial temperature kitchen you sweat profusely and eat little the taste of chocolate in my mouth was pure bliss. It ended with a very triumphant hand wash and a cat that ate the canary grin on my face.
The table always looked fantastic just before service like something you'd see in a display case. On some nights it was my duty to keep this table stocked with goodies, plates and forks. Sometimes I just had to tidy it's appearance. People LOVE their dessert and if you need any proof man the dessert table! One such night I was doing this very thing. I was running food for the buffet and keeping an eye on the dessert table. We started getting low on desserts when I told the head chef we were almost out. A frantic frenzy started in the kitchen as I was told to look in the freezer. Who cares about the meal give the people their sugar!!!!
This was a chance for me to think out of the box. Okay..... think back to mom, meme, aunties and the things they used to bring to family gatherings. With stealth that would make MacGyver blush I gather plastic wrap, floss and ranch dressing. In all seriousness I gathered whipped cream bags, angel food cake, frozen strawberries and a can of chocolate fudge. Through the innovative use of a microwave for defrosting and crumbling cake I did the impossible. In less time than it takes for a cook to have a butt break I created a trifle to the shock and amazement of the kitchen. I even had enough left to create a very quick plates of strawberry short cake.
At the end of the night I took a couple of victory laps around the kitchen as I brought in the last remnants of the trifle. The only thing that tends to happen when you have such a wonderful moment is that somewhere out of nowhere the thing you were looking for the most materializes out of thin air because the kitchen gnomes bring it out of hiding. There in the chefs hands from the walk-in came a triple dutch chocolate cake. The only thing I could do in regards to the hairy eyeball was say, "Well that's great we can use it tomorrow night!" That's why if you tell your chef you are out of something they tell you to "Look Again".
The table always looked fantastic just before service like something you'd see in a display case. On some nights it was my duty to keep this table stocked with goodies, plates and forks. Sometimes I just had to tidy it's appearance. People LOVE their dessert and if you need any proof man the dessert table! One such night I was doing this very thing. I was running food for the buffet and keeping an eye on the dessert table. We started getting low on desserts when I told the head chef we were almost out. A frantic frenzy started in the kitchen as I was told to look in the freezer. Who cares about the meal give the people their sugar!!!!
This was a chance for me to think out of the box. Okay..... think back to mom, meme, aunties and the things they used to bring to family gatherings. With stealth that would make MacGyver blush I gather plastic wrap, floss and ranch dressing. In all seriousness I gathered whipped cream bags, angel food cake, frozen strawberries and a can of chocolate fudge. Through the innovative use of a microwave for defrosting and crumbling cake I did the impossible. In less time than it takes for a cook to have a butt break I created a trifle to the shock and amazement of the kitchen. I even had enough left to create a very quick plates of strawberry short cake.
At the end of the night I took a couple of victory laps around the kitchen as I brought in the last remnants of the trifle. The only thing that tends to happen when you have such a wonderful moment is that somewhere out of nowhere the thing you were looking for the most materializes out of thin air because the kitchen gnomes bring it out of hiding. There in the chefs hands from the walk-in came a triple dutch chocolate cake. The only thing I could do in regards to the hairy eyeball was say, "Well that's great we can use it tomorrow night!" That's why if you tell your chef you are out of something they tell you to "Look Again".
You might be attached to a chef if...
You might be attached to a chef if...
... there are more pictures of food on your computer than your children
...chef coats and pants is the first thing you look for when birthday shopping and Christmas shopping
...instead of giving your chef a glass of water at home you hand them a pitcher
...the plates you use at home came from a restaurant (they were given to us when T.G.I.Fridays changed their plate design)
...You have a framed print hanging in your house of peppers, chef, cafes or tomatoes
...when you buy a car you have to consider if a cambro can fit in the trunk
...you find substitutions for everything (out of sugar for your coffee? Use the red sugar that you decorate cookies with. What's wrong with pink coffee?!?!?!)
...you can't cook in the kitchen together because you 120lb chef needs a 6 foot radius of space to work in.
...you've eaten things that would never enter your vocabulary escargot, chicken livers?!
...you know when your chef wants you to taste something, it's probably hot enough to burn your lips off.
...you know the food trends of this coming season simply because you are your chef's research assistant
(locally grown, gluten free, grass fed, foraged herbs and mushrooms, sustainable)
...you have more cookbooks in your home than your favorite online retailer.
...your chef has made you record every cookbook that is borrowed from your home.
...you have your own chef coat/pants/clogs/apron and hat
...you use monogrammed knives in your kitchen
...there are food magazines in your bathroom for reading material
...you place bets on who will win competitive chef shows and you are usually the winner (it's a rerun and you've seen it 5 times)
... there are more pictures of food on your computer than your children
...chef coats and pants is the first thing you look for when birthday shopping and Christmas shopping
...instead of giving your chef a glass of water at home you hand them a pitcher
...the plates you use at home came from a restaurant (they were given to us when T.G.I.Fridays changed their plate design)
...You have a framed print hanging in your house of peppers, chef, cafes or tomatoes
...when you buy a car you have to consider if a cambro can fit in the trunk
...you find substitutions for everything (out of sugar for your coffee? Use the red sugar that you decorate cookies with. What's wrong with pink coffee?!?!?!)
...you can't cook in the kitchen together because you 120lb chef needs a 6 foot radius of space to work in.
...you've eaten things that would never enter your vocabulary escargot, chicken livers?!
...you know when your chef wants you to taste something, it's probably hot enough to burn your lips off.
...you know the food trends of this coming season simply because you are your chef's research assistant
(locally grown, gluten free, grass fed, foraged herbs and mushrooms, sustainable)
...you have more cookbooks in your home than your favorite online retailer.
...your chef has made you record every cookbook that is borrowed from your home.
...you have your own chef coat/pants/clogs/apron and hat
...you use monogrammed knives in your kitchen
...there are food magazines in your bathroom for reading material
...you place bets on who will win competitive chef shows and you are usually the winner (it's a rerun and you've seen it 5 times)
Friday, November 9, 2012
How to have a long marraige to a chef
So, after seeing some posts on the married to a chef facebook page I got to thinking. Someone just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. For someone who is attached to a chef, it is not as glamorous as having your own personal chef. I know some people would argue with me but there are many times that I think being married to a chef is more difficult than being married to a 9-5er. If you are part of this club, you can have a laundry list of things you go through that no other "normal" marriages would. It got me thinking so much, that I thought I would do some research on chef marriages and find some good words of advice. It was not easy! You Google "chefs and marriage," and what you come up with is affairs or chefs cooking for a marriage equality event. No wonder it's so hard to find support! Kerilyn Russo's site, Marriedtoachef.com came up quite often too. ;) But, there are many of us that love being married to a chef and face it head on every day because every day is different, a new adventure. We NEVER get bored being married to a chef!
The marriage that popped into my head was the marriage of Julia and Paul Child. I found out so much reading about them. They could laugh together at an elaborate dinner that had love poured into it but turned out less than appetizing. They created their own traditions. Since they couldn't get things together in time to send Christmas cards, they sent their spectacular Valentine's Day cards. How many of us have to celebrate holidays on another day? They knew that holidays in the food industry are not normally for celebrating with family. We all go through this, yet they accepted it. They supported each other in what they loved most. It wasn't a one sided relationship. Sometimes, as spouses of chefs we pour ourselves into our chefs' careers. We can't forget ourselves. They want us to succeed just as much as we help them to. Paul's journal was a form of reflection. We should reflect on the achievements we have made over the time we have been married. Small victories add up to big things over time. How many of you have a chef who, in the beginning, was figthing for a job even as a fry cook just to get their foot in the door? Jobs were frequent, and at times brief. It's a huge achievement to still be a strong couple when your chef has multiple job offers at a time. As much as Paul was supportive, he was confident enough in himself that he could celebrate the moments when Julia was in the spotlight, and without envy. As a couple, we should celebrate those moments together. Julia herself admitted to keeping the passion in her marriage with her lunch time "breaks". You know what I mean. This can get put not only on the back burner but on the back of the stove, that dusty ledge where the egg timer sits. The words that ring true with me is "We are a team, we do everything together." Ah, the use of the word "we". Julia always recognized that behind a good chef there is a dedicated spouse/significant other. In the morning they snuggled in bed together; when he was not needed he did the things he loved. He could survive on his own, which most of us do on a daily basis.
I have found that many chefs' relationships are private, especially celebrity chefs. I would love to hear more about relationhips that have been successful and withstood the test of time. In restaurant years they are sometimes as short as the turn of an egg timer. What about those of us who want theirs to withstand the time of a Rolex that's been buried in a swamp for 70 years and is still ticking when it's found. Extreme, yes I know.
I think this is truly a question that has to be taken to the streets and will involve some interviews. Send me an email if you know someone who has been married/attached to a chef for a long time at: ninanottheship@gmail.com. In the meantime, I will be conducting extensive research.
The marriage that popped into my head was the marriage of Julia and Paul Child. I found out so much reading about them. They could laugh together at an elaborate dinner that had love poured into it but turned out less than appetizing. They created their own traditions. Since they couldn't get things together in time to send Christmas cards, they sent their spectacular Valentine's Day cards. How many of us have to celebrate holidays on another day? They knew that holidays in the food industry are not normally for celebrating with family. We all go through this, yet they accepted it. They supported each other in what they loved most. It wasn't a one sided relationship. Sometimes, as spouses of chefs we pour ourselves into our chefs' careers. We can't forget ourselves. They want us to succeed just as much as we help them to. Paul's journal was a form of reflection. We should reflect on the achievements we have made over the time we have been married. Small victories add up to big things over time. How many of you have a chef who, in the beginning, was figthing for a job even as a fry cook just to get their foot in the door? Jobs were frequent, and at times brief. It's a huge achievement to still be a strong couple when your chef has multiple job offers at a time. As much as Paul was supportive, he was confident enough in himself that he could celebrate the moments when Julia was in the spotlight, and without envy. As a couple, we should celebrate those moments together. Julia herself admitted to keeping the passion in her marriage with her lunch time "breaks". You know what I mean. This can get put not only on the back burner but on the back of the stove, that dusty ledge where the egg timer sits. The words that ring true with me is "We are a team, we do everything together." Ah, the use of the word "we". Julia always recognized that behind a good chef there is a dedicated spouse/significant other. In the morning they snuggled in bed together; when he was not needed he did the things he loved. He could survive on his own, which most of us do on a daily basis.
I have found that many chefs' relationships are private, especially celebrity chefs. I would love to hear more about relationhips that have been successful and withstood the test of time. In restaurant years they are sometimes as short as the turn of an egg timer. What about those of us who want theirs to withstand the time of a Rolex that's been buried in a swamp for 70 years and is still ticking when it's found. Extreme, yes I know.
I think this is truly a question that has to be taken to the streets and will involve some interviews. Send me an email if you know someone who has been married/attached to a chef for a long time at: ninanottheship@gmail.com. In the meantime, I will be conducting extensive research.
Adult Trick or Treating or The Hierarchy of Candy
So my children's birthdays came and went. The boys are now 3 and 6 and are they busy!! Busy is the nice word for wound like a top if you're curious. Halloween quickly approached and Gabriel wanted to be a ghost pirate (reusing his brother's Jack Sparrow costume) and Sebastian 24 hours before Halloween decided he wanted to be an Angry Bird. I used to be an anti-Angry Bird fan till I started playing it. My chef is addicted to it and is constantly playing it. Don't get him started on Angry Bird Season's or Rio.
So in 24 hours I made a costume for Sebastian. Trick or treating went smoothly and we had a blast. Once the kids were in bed, the war began. Luckily the boys are young enough that we can swipe candy and they don't notice, much. It all begins with the chocolate and I don't mean all chocolate. It's the Hershey's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Milky Ways, Twix and Kit Kats. They are the royalty from the plastic pumpkin bucket. Then comes the commoners Milk Duds, Whoppers, Nestle Crunch, Skittles, M&M's, gum, Twizzlers and Tootsie Rolls. Then you've got the bottom of the bucket. You have no name brand lollipops. Actually, all lollipops are the lowest of the low. You'll be holding onto these till Easter. Along with the lollipops and gum you have a lot of no name candy that you wouldn't eat when you were 7. Every so often you may get the holy grail of Halloween candy. These rarely are found in a bucket now a days. For example, full sized candy bars, those styrafoam UFOs that remind you of the wafers at church except that they are filled with little balls of candy, Squirrel Nut Zippers are up there too, the strawberry hard candy that we pick out of the bowl at the doctor's office, and every so often you might find a fireball.
I usually pick off all of the chocolate before Eric consumes 15 to 20 pieces in one sitting (I'm being nice). For the next few days we end up relocating the bucket a couple of times without informing the other or consolidating the two buckets into one.
This made me stop and wonder. If adults went Trick or Treating, what would we want in our orange pumpkin bucket.....full sized candy bars, definitely peanut butter cups and I would imagine all of things we used to get in our buckets when we were little. How many of you used to get caramel popcorn balls. Yes, I was one of them. The only thing I would pawn off onto my mom were Necco wafers. The dollar bills from grandparents never hurt either.
At first I felt guilty eating a piece here and there when my kids did all of the collecting but, I'm saving them from quite a few tooth aches. I'm preventing them from overloading on candy between now and Christmas when the kitchen table seems to blow up with food. For now I will sit and continue to rationalize our thieving behavior and put the bucket back on top of the fridge.
So in 24 hours I made a costume for Sebastian. Trick or treating went smoothly and we had a blast. Once the kids were in bed, the war began. Luckily the boys are young enough that we can swipe candy and they don't notice, much. It all begins with the chocolate and I don't mean all chocolate. It's the Hershey's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Milky Ways, Twix and Kit Kats. They are the royalty from the plastic pumpkin bucket. Then comes the commoners Milk Duds, Whoppers, Nestle Crunch, Skittles, M&M's, gum, Twizzlers and Tootsie Rolls. Then you've got the bottom of the bucket. You have no name brand lollipops. Actually, all lollipops are the lowest of the low. You'll be holding onto these till Easter. Along with the lollipops and gum you have a lot of no name candy that you wouldn't eat when you were 7. Every so often you may get the holy grail of Halloween candy. These rarely are found in a bucket now a days. For example, full sized candy bars, those styrafoam UFOs that remind you of the wafers at church except that they are filled with little balls of candy, Squirrel Nut Zippers are up there too, the strawberry hard candy that we pick out of the bowl at the doctor's office, and every so often you might find a fireball.
I usually pick off all of the chocolate before Eric consumes 15 to 20 pieces in one sitting (I'm being nice). For the next few days we end up relocating the bucket a couple of times without informing the other or consolidating the two buckets into one.
This made me stop and wonder. If adults went Trick or Treating, what would we want in our orange pumpkin bucket.....full sized candy bars, definitely peanut butter cups and I would imagine all of things we used to get in our buckets when we were little. How many of you used to get caramel popcorn balls. Yes, I was one of them. The only thing I would pawn off onto my mom were Necco wafers. The dollar bills from grandparents never hurt either.
At first I felt guilty eating a piece here and there when my kids did all of the collecting but, I'm saving them from quite a few tooth aches. I'm preventing them from overloading on candy between now and Christmas when the kitchen table seems to blow up with food. For now I will sit and continue to rationalize our thieving behavior and put the bucket back on top of the fridge.
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