Fortune favors those who dare

On Monday night I wasn't in the best of moods. I was getting hungry but nothing that I had on hand sounded like what I wanted, I was lazy and generally grouchy. I knew what I was hungry for, I had a craving for Chinese takeout but I didn't want to make a special shopping trip when I'd settled in for the night. After pondering this for several minutes, I thought...I have a turkey fillet in the freezer that I need to use up...I have a wok, and I've done stovetop deep-frying at school a few times...I could make my own sweet and sour turkey, it should be pretty close to chicken. I just hoped that I wouldn't cause a grease fire and burn the house down. Finally, I got up the courage to give it a try. If teenagers at KFC can do it, why can't I? I put a few scoops of regular shortening in the bottom of my wok, which has a handy clip-on rack to put fried foods on once they're finished, started heating it up, and was happy to see it melting without a smokey mess! I thawed and cut up my turkey fillet, and after a standard breading procedure I dipped the first pieces in the hot fat. They turned golden brown, and cooked all the way through, I was almost beside myself with amazement! I threw the rest in, turning them over and draining the done ones, and made some rice and veggies to go with it. Dousing each piece in sweet and sour sauce, I sat down with my prize, feeling very self-sufficient and clever. As I was finishing up, the possibilities dawned on me. I can deep fry at home! Without burning the house down! What's the next thing any sane person would make after such an important discovery?

The next day I had off, so I awoke with one purpose in mind: I'm going to make doughnuts. I had a pretty simple sounding recipe in my Larousse Gastronomique, I had everything on hand, and I was ready to go! I halved the recipe since it was just for me, I didn't want to subject anyone else to my experimental cooking at this stage, so in a short while I had a bowl of yeast dough rising in my barely-on oven. I remembered when I was a kid I'd read the "Little House" books and I knew that in one they mentioned something about making doughnuts with a twist so they flip themselves. Well, either my dough was too heavy or I didn't have enough hot fat, but they didn't flip themselves. Oh well, I'd tried. I flipped them over with two spoons, careful not to spray grease all over the place, and figured it's not bad for a first try. I ended up making six, some were cinnamon twists, and some were the regular round with a hole in the middle. I made a basic powdered sugar icing with almond extract and drizzled it all over them. While they weren't exactly what you'd get at Krispy Kreme, I figured it was all right for a beginner. Next time I'd make the full batch, that might have thrown something off, I might also try kneading it a little longer. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Another cool thing that happened on Tuesday is that I found an ad in the paper, for experienced baristas. I called them up and set up a time to interview the next day. They're a small business that's looking to expand into another location, so the lady interviewing me was interested to hear that I have a degree in management as well as some experience in the field. They didn't promise anything, but just that they'd call me back on Friday either way. I like my job at Champps, but they're just not giving me enough hours to stay afloat. The chef has encouraged all of us to start looking for other jobs. It's too bad, but business has still been slow, and I'm lucky at this point to get more than 20 hours a week. Plus, I have a few years of barista experience, it would be nice to get back to my roots, as it were. I'll never stop pursuing a real restaurant career, though. Once people can afford to eat what I want to cook, I'll be able to find a job at a more upscale affair. Until then, I'll do what I can.

Tonight, I was trying to figure out what to do with the leftover turkey that I didn't cook on Monday. I only ended up using half of it. Then I was laying in bed thinking, and the idea for turkey sausage came into my head somehow. After reading up on it, I figured I could do it, so I went to the store tonight for some extra fat to cut into it and I was off to a good start. After finely mincing the meat and fat, I tossed it together with salt, pepper, allspice, poultry seasoning, caraway seeds (just a bit, they're a bit strong for me) and tarragon. I oiled my saute pan and threw it in, it turned out to be very good! Then I found I had some cranberries, and decided to make a cranberry chutney, which is pretty much the same as cranberry sauce only it's made with vinegar, brown sugar, and some extra spices. Now that I have those both made, once it gets closer to supper time I'm going to make turkey sausage crepes with cranberry chutney. Now how does that sound?

Keeping warm

Yesterday morning we got our first real snowfall, so I had to get out the door extra early to get to work on time. I was in such a rush that I didn't have time to have breakfast. When I got to work, I got a good start, I was cutting and portioning my chicken for the day, when one of the cooks, Juan, started throwing a bunch of veggies in a pot. I didn't even know what else was in it, he even cracked a few eggs into the pot and whisking them around. I asked him what it was, he said "egg soup". Since we didn't have anything like that on the menu, I was curious what he was up to. Then, just before opening, he told us that it was ready, to start dishing up, he'd made that soup for us! I was so happy, especially since I missed breakfast that morning. It was very spicy but I liked it. It had chipoltle and jalapeno peppers in it, so it had plenty of heat for a cold day! He claimed that it was a good hangover cure, but David and I both figured that it could be a good preventative measure against colds and flu, too. We were surprisingly busy for the lunch hour, considering the inclement weather, but I was able to keep up. After the lunch rush was over, I had a few little things to do before heading home, one of which was to make candied pecans. They smelled so good as I boiled them, it made me think in holiday cliches. Then I coated them in powdered sugar and dunked them in the deep-fryer. I wonder if I could do the same thing at home, only roasting them in the oven. That would be a treat!

I have the day off, thankfully. It's been steadily snowing all day today, they're talking about it reaching blizzard conditions tonight! I did some grocery shopping yesterday after work so I wouldn't need to go outside, watching it come down like this makes me especially glad I did. Not to mention being extremely grateful that my younger sister gave me her entire sweater wardrobe before moving out to California this summer. I can stay warm all winter and not wear the same three sweaters over and over. After work yesterday I picked up a few things at the store in case I decide to make beef stew for supper. It certainly seems like the right sort of day for it. That sounds good right about now. Hmm, tempt me!

So here I am, sitting at the computer with my hot chocolate, watching Everyday Italian, and enjoying a winter day indoors. Hope everyone stays safe and warm this winter! I'm ready for it!

The Beaujolais Nouveau is here!

While everyone else in the country camped out for a midnight screening of the latest "Twilight" movie, I was getting off of work and heading to the wine department of the local grocery store with one thing on my mind...I went up to the man working that department and asked, unable to conceal my excitement, "Excuse me, but has the Beaujolais Nouveau arrived?"

It's really quite nice, I like it a lot better than last year's actually. There's a certain brightness to it, a very pleasant fruitiness that doesn't come off as too sweet as some previous Beaujolais have done. They say that this year's press is the best they've had in 50 years. I'd definitely recommend buying it. I had mentioned it to a few people at work before I was able to get out and buy mine, and told them that I'd toured that region in France this past summer. The connection makes it even more fun, to think that I had been where the grapes were grown, it's pretty cool.

I had the day off today so I had a little fun with my Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. One of my favorite things to make with this dough is finger food. Just wrap up some tasty morsels into a little bundle, and that's what I did today. I had a package of little frozen scallops, which I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with when I bought them. I cut some of the puff pastry into squares and placed a thin slice of butter on each one. Onto that, I spooned on some finely minced celery, onion, and garlic. Four (thawed) scallops went on top of that, salt and pepper, and they were ready to wrap. They turned out to be very good! Simple yet tasty, which is just what I was going for. I still have plenty of dough left over, and with the holidays coming up I'll certainly find a use for it all. I might make napoleons with it, or make individual tartlet shells, that's what I love about puff pastry, it's so versitile!

Adventure always awaits!

This week I had the great opportunity to go to a holiday wine-tasting party hosted by Hy-Vee catering. It was a fun night, just the thing to get me out of the house! I dressed up a bit, even put on some makeup and was ready for a night on the town. Although it took a few extra turns to find the right building, the falling dusk and half-finished road construction were not exactly aiding my quest, I was parked in front just as people were starting to arrive. All of us were given a glass that we would be allowed to keep at the end of the night, and once I got up to the ballroom level, I hung up my coat and was given a map of the ballroom. Each table was listed, showing who was there to show off their wares, as well as a list of the wines they had to sample. A perfect way to remember which wines I'd taste throughout the evening and make future notes of what to buy the next time I go out shopping. I was happy to see that Glazer's Distributors were represented (although not by Joe and Jason, the Glazer's representatives that I'd met on previous occasions). I started off the evening with Hub City Brewery's Olde Brown Porter, which is surprisingly sweet. Same goes for their Oatmeal Stout, which pleasantly reminded me of Guinness. I'm Irish, after all ;-) After cleansing my palate I moved on to sample some lovely reds. Layer Cake Shiraz was the first wine I tried, it definitely lived up to its name. It has many flavors which unfold as it's sipped, as though delving through decending layers. Another that I sampled from the same table was called Inkberry, a mix of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The color was a deep dark shade of red-violet, very warm, just enough bite to the finish. One downfall that shiraz can be guilty of is its bitterness, but it was perfectly balanced by the cabernet. Well, at this point I've had a bit to drink, now it was time to scope out the finger food. At a nearby carving table, servers were making roast porkloin mini-sandwiches, which fortunately complimented my early-evening selections. Remembering a promise I'd made to a friend, my next wine selection was a pinot noir, which I drank in her honor.

I meandered around the room, nibbling whatever looked good, they had single portions of fettuccini alfredo, sushi, even a dessert table. It was all laid out in festive array, looking cheerful but not garishly so. At the next table, I sampled my first ever sauvignon blanc. It was quite citrus-heavy, and while I can see why some people would be drawn to it, it became rather cloying as I kept sipping. I was glad to finish with it and have some Red Muscat, which was something I'd never even heard of until that night. Back to the reds for me, it was sweet yet not overpowering. The next table had a selection of cheeses, bread, and dipping oils. These people sure know how to put together an elegant affair. There was a roasted pepper fontina of which I was particularly fond. What a treat! A mix of salty and sweet, so creamy yet sharp. I'll have to find out where to buy that, I bet it would be a hit at family Christmas in Wisconsin! That's half the fun of going, it gives me ideas for future culinary adventures. I mingled around, talked to a few of the chefs there, even accidentally ran into one of my readers! I was talking to a woman standing next to me, engaging in wine-humor ("This Merlot reminds me of my ex" "What, bitter anf fruity?") when I handed her one of my business cards and she said "I've read you!" so that was pretty cool! Yay for being recognized! At another table, I tried a wine that the representative billed as similar to a Beaujolais, which got me thinking, I wonder how this year's Beaujolais will be? I'll find out shortly!

On to more food, a spicy seafood dip with shrimp and crab and cream cheese, very tasty! Along with the requisite crab-stuffed mushroom caps, I had my heart's content of seafood. I wasn't shy about going back for more, either! Of course, I don't think anyone was. The last table was serving egg nog, it wouldn't be a holiday-themed party without it. Nice and rich!

As I was leaving, I was given a reusable wine tote to use the next time I go shopping, along with a few coupons and a shot glass! So, after sitting in the lobby for a while, sipping water as I waited for my head to clear a bit, I headed home. I'm so glad I got to go, and I'll definitely keep my ear to the ground for similar events in the future.

Today I got a nice piece of mail, a coupon for Pepperidge Farm puff pastry dough! I have tomorrow off so I'll definitely pick some up and play around with it. This should be fun! I'll definitely report on my doings :-)

High times, hard times

I've started sending out applications again, hoping for some part-time hours to fill in the gaping holes in my schedule. We've had a few good busy days at work this week, so maybe if it continues then they'll put more hours up on the board. The trouble is, it's not just Champps. Several restaurants and hotels in town have been suffering lately. There just isn't a steady flow of business that we can count on. They say that the recession has nearly run its course, and things will normal out again soon. I'm hopeful of that. I'm used to living cheaply, so I'm still okay. If I have to I can always cut my cable. That won't be a huge loss, there's never anything on anyway. I can't wait for things to turn around, though, that'll be nice.

It makes such a difference in the attiudes of my coworkers. This quiet period has been making us rather despondant. When we get a busy patch it's like we all come back to life, we're excited, moving around, happy to have a stream of tickets come chirping in. We had a nice lunch rush today; when the grill and saute station start getting orders in, I start bouncing on the balls of my feet, my eyes on my printer, waiting for my turn, anxious to dive in. It's always a satisfying feeling to take on a bunch of orders at once.

So we've had a few days of good business, and as a result I've picked up a few hours on Saturday and Sunday, I'm thankful of that, so maybe this will lead into more across the board. I will not lose hope. I started the day off in good spirits, chopping my lettuce while humming the finale of Les Miserables, just playing it in my head still gives me chills :-) There was an air of activity at last, things to do, preparations to make. I had my station ready and waiting in good time, my mise en place laid out, I even snatched some extra towels from the linen closet (they always disappear the second you turn your back!) After the lunch rush I was able to restock and clean up and finish my prep list to be out the door on time. As much as I enjoy staying late to pick up the odd extra hour or two, I don't want to just hang back when everything's done. I've had a good couple of days in a row, and I have tomorrow off. Time to tidy up, do the laundry, and read my cookbooks. On Wednesday before work, I'm taking my grandpa out to lunch, he served in India during World War II and always likes taking part in Veteran's Day festivities.

My day was made even better this afternoon when I checked my mail and found a package from a dear friend of mine, she'd sent me some cds of a mutual favorite singer, Catatonia. Not many people in the US have heard of them, but they take up a good portion of my iPod. Good stuff.

When the well runs dry

Since Halloween, this past week has been really slow. I'm not sure what's causing this sudden downturn in customers, we were doing just fine up until recently, but it's resulted in a lot of our hours getting cut. I've been sent home early just about every day this week, and getting completely cut out from the second half of what was supposed to be a double shift. Everyone's getting this, right up to the management. I hope things start turning around, but in the meantime I'll start looking for more work because I can't live on 25 hours a week. Luckily, my rent is paid, all of my bills are up to date, so I'm good for another month. By then, business will be back on track with the holidays, that's the upside of working in a restaurant with an adjoining hotel. I have to keep telling myself that this is just a temporary setback. Things will get better, we just have to dig our heels in, tighten the belt, and hold on. I also have to remind myself of how fortunate I am, compared to many people in the world. I have a roof over my head, gas in the car, food in the pantry, and my cat in my lap. I'm good at living within my means, I don't need much to be happy.

Last night we were busy for about an hour or so, if we can start getting some healthy rushes like that again then it will make all the difference. What puzzles me is that in the past few days they've hired a few new cooks and a dishwasher. If we're not doing that great at the moment, why would they build up the staff now?

When I was hired at Champps, the chef really talked up how busy they typically are, how much money they pull down per night on the average, so while it's possible that he was exaggerating somewhat to impress me, I'm assuming that this recent slump is not characteristic of the business. Things are bound to improve. We have a few parties booked this week, so that's a good sign. One of them is a wedding, so that's good money. I'm only scheduled to work until 8, but when I'm on the banquet side, 12-8 could easily mean 12-midnight. That would be great if I could get some hours that way. I'll even stay and wash dishes if they'd let me, or get prep done for the next day, whatever they could hand me. Cross your fingers for me!

Success with Honor

Well, after a trying night on Saturday, the Powers that Be arranged a respite for me. On Sunday morning I got in bright and early (yay four hours of sleep!) and had my station prepped, stocked, and ready for action! It's funny, I don't consider myself a morning person, but I much prefer the morning shifts than evening ones. Since I was so far ahead, I could actually take it pretty easy. I even had time for a cup of coffee beforehand. The lunch hour went smoothly, we were a well-oiled machine, and the previous night's meltdown was completely forgotten. At the end of my shift, I had my station cleaned up and restocked and ready for the evening crew well ahead of schedule. I was feeling good about things and no longer questioned my place in the kitchen. As a good end to the day, the chef told me that he'd just booked a party for Tuesday, which I was scheduled to have off, but would I like to pick up a few more hours this week? Hell yeah!

Monday, I was scheduled to work on the cold prep station. That's where all of the dessert prep, dressings, and various salsas are made. Again, the fates smiled on me, and when I got my list for the day I found that I didn't need to make any of my least favorite things. It's not that any of these recipes are hard, but some of them like the corn and black bean salsa (which is really good, by the way), are really messy and they take longer to make. I get along really well with the hot prep guy, Ray. He's a good guy to work with, he has a good attitude and is always happy at his work. We share ingredients freely between stations, so it's a real team effort. We both had a pretty easy going day of it, talking while we work, having a good time. A few days previously, I'd locked my keys in my car and he had tried to help me get it open. He didn't quite make it, but hey, he tried so I give him credit there. I got my pork loin seasoned and potatoes cut up and ready for the next day's party, and was out the door to enjoy the sunshine.

Today, I got to sleep in a bit, because I wasn't needed in until 9. When I got there, I took stock of what needed to get done for the party and got cracking. After conferring and confirming with one of the kitchen managers, I was ready to roll. It was a pretty small party, but it felt cool to be heading this one. The pork loins were already in the oven, I had already cut my potatoes so all I had to do there was steam, season, and roast them, and after that it was just the vegetable. Bang, bang, bang. I had it all done so that when my supervisor got there, all he had to do was walk around and sip his Red Bull. I felt good to have it all in hand, and for him to see that I could handle it. I had the plates and covers counted out and in the warmer, everything was ready for showtime. Plating went well, and I even got a taste. The new schedule came up for the week ahead. It seems I've proven myself to the chef, and he's giving me more hours, plus I got paid today. Life's pretty good, and I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be at the moment.

Then, as a topper for the perfect day, I faced down one of my fears. There was a hornet the size of my thumb buzzing around in my living room. After some general cowering, I opened the window, and for 20 minutes I tried unsuccessfully trying to coax it out. Finally, I summoned my courage and vanquished the interloper! Ha!