Smiling Through the Stench

I just got the new issue of Time Out New York magazine (TONY for short) and the cover in bold typeface screams:

THE COOLEST JOBS (AND HOW TO GET THEM)

I tossed it, along with my knife kit, on the kitchen counter, locked our old, heavy door behind me and opened the fridge. I found a half full bottle (ahhh...optimism) of Sauvignon Blanc that I brought home from work and dumped its entire contents into a very large glass and kicked off my flip flops. I took a swig, set the glass on the bathroom sink and turned on the shower. I peeled of my sweaty, smudgy, flour dusted clothes and stepped in. It was only then, with the cool water raining on my face, washing away the days work, did I realize that I had been smiling the whole time.

Before I terrorize you anymore with images of me alone and grinning creepily in the shower, let me explain. Or at least wax poetic. Standing here, looking back at the past 9 years in which I searched and struggled and talked myself into jobs or career paths that I hoped would work out, trying to make square pegs fit in round holes, wishing I had that certainty that I was doing the right thing, it all makes sense now. I can identify those defining moments that led me to this point. I can see all of the choices, that at the time seemed like an exercise in futility, as key experiences that I needed to arrive at this moment. It's funny because some of the worst of the lot ended up yielding the biggest opportunities in the end.

I'll stop romanticizing now and just say I feel like a lucky girl who is getting what I want. And it only took me 9 years of looking to find it. I can use that TONY issue to line the proverbial bird cage because I'm finally working a full-time schedule for the first time in (cringe) three years. I'll be working 2 - 3 days each week at Food & Wine and 2 -3 days each week cooking a market driven, seasonal menu for the staff of Etsy. (If you aren't familiar with Etsy, you have to check out the website). For a better idea of the job, check out this article in the Wall Street Journal about the really cool chick (and chef) that I am working for. So, in short, I get to immerse myself in wine a few days each week and then I get to cook great food on the other days. Even better, I get to work week days and have a normal schedule and free evenings and weekends to spend with Mike.

Okay, I'm now convinced that a piano is going to fall on me as I walk down the street whistling happily. Or I've made everyone ill with my gushy bliss. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back to cursing out strangers and complaining about bad smells on the subway any second now. Oh seriously, speaking of, yesterday was like a game of "What the hell IS that?" - picture me looking like someone just farted in my face, which I do think was one round of the game on the C train. Other rounds included "I haven't brushed my teeth ever and you're stuck next to me on the F train", "Standing water that may be raw sewage", and "This actually burns". See? Back to my old self.

On another note, Mike's been taking really cool pictures lately with the Hipstamatic for iPhone app, so I am going to post some every now and then. The two here are of an evening walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Enjoy!

What I've Been Up To...And Then Things That Actually Matter

Oh where to start? We've had three really great classes in the past week, plus I spent the weekend living it up with an old friend from Buffalo, and then there was the disappointing conclusion to much anticipated Football Sunday...sigh. But I am not going to dwell on the Chargers loss because in the grand scheme of things, what does it really matter? Besides, Mike and I had a GREAT time at our new Charger game watching spot, MJ Armstrong's. Bolts banners everywhere, the San Diego Super Chargers song playing with every score, and literally hundreds of fans chanting, clapping, stomping and shouting, making the bar feel like it might explode. AWESOME.

I left off last week with a mention of our having free reign over a whole flounder, our first opportunity to be creative. It definitely rattled my nerves and I know I was not alone in feeling a tad anxious and unsure of the dish I was trying to turn out. Luckily, I was assigned an old familiar face as my current partner (Korean Spiccoli) and that helped me relax a little bit. The night ended up being a ton of fun once we got into the groove of cooking. My class produced the most beautiful plates that were equally delicious, it was both impressive and a source of pride that we all kicked ass. For my dish, I poached the flounder fillets in fish fumet (fish stock), white wine and some fennel and orange zest. I served it on a bed of sauteed spinach, surrounded it with an orange beurre blanc sauce and orange supremes (sections in which the peel and pith have been removed), topped it with some thinly sliced fennel sauteed in butter, blanched orange zest (to remove the bitterness)and garnished it with some chopped fennel fronds. It turned out quite well and gave me a little confidence boost that the dish I envisioned actually worked out. It was also very cool to see what everyone else had come up with and draw inspiration from their plates, garnishes and techniques. I know we made Chef Nic proud.

We also had a class dedicated solely to cheese on Friday. Do I need to say more? We watched a video on cheese (way better than the culinary math video that may have made me dumber for watching it), we tasted a variety of cow, sheep and goat's milk cheeses (plus their respective milks and yogurts to get an idea of the underlying flavors and progression with aging), and then we made our own ricotta and mozzarella. I could not have been happier until a classmate who works nearby kept passing me her aged goat cheese samples because she didn't like the flavor. Then I was even happier! Tonight, we had a lesson on pasta, risotto and gnocchi. Yes, this is my life.

I will spare you the details of my weekend eating, drinking and shopping with Trisha. We managed to cover a lot of ground, leaving a path of destruction in our wake, mostly to our bank accounts. It was a great weekend and one that should only be repeated sparingly, but I am far better outfitted for winter than I was a week ago. Not that I want to entice bad weather just so I can wear my new rain boots, belted trench and what Trisha and I call the sexy sweater. But when it does come, I will look good.

Putting all the fluff and day to day stuff aside, I do have something heavier weighing on my mind, something that puts things like football games in perspective. One of my dearest friends, my college roommate, the woman who introduced me to Mike, was Maid of Honor in my wedding and I in hers, and whom I consider to be a sister, is hurting and that means I am hurting. Although I can't begin to imagine how she feels and how she is coping, I know that she is drawing on the huge well of strength that she has within. She and her wonderful husband, Kris are recent parents to beautiful twin daughters, Kali & Maya. As if life with twins weren't eventful enough, Kali Jade was just diagnosed with neuroblastoma and began chemo this weekend. It's totally unimaginable that a tiny perfect little baby who hasn't even been on this earth for 6 months would have to battle something as daunting as the word that I just don't want to say. The prognosis is good and her mom and dad are thinking positively, but how can this not take it's toll? So, if you can do me a huge favor and send some loving, healing thoughts to sweet little Kali and her family, I would be grateful. Below is a picture of Kali (left) & Maya (right).