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Outspoken Podcasting Chef, Sustainability Advocate and Farmer.

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Monday, September 29, 2003

And now for a bit of a Rant. . . .
Today is Monday--5 days since I did the symposium reception and STILL no check!  And with the rest of the mail I get an overdraft statement from the bank.  So, not only am I owed a bunch of frog hides, I just payed out $84 in charges for Insufficient Funds because I'm owed so much.  I also found out today that my account was $226 dollar off due to a new credit card company I'm working with.  I received a statement from them which I thought was a bill and paid.  Only they had already withdrawn the money without telling me such and I went and sent them a check, which they haven't returned.
    Oh, the joys of business.  Today is slow, so I thought I'd do something fun, but now I've got such a headache that I don't even want to do anything.  Nevertheless, I'd better scrub the kitchen down while nothing is going on, and before I get sidetracked or the phone starts ringing off the hook.

Sunday, September 28, 2003

    It has been a busy few days.  The chick are doing fine--all 25 of them.  Picnic food for 7 went off without a hitch, although I haven't heard from the client to see what they thought of it all.  Friday I spent a busy day on the mainland.  Too busy.  I stopped in at my favorite wine store to buy 3 cases and talk to my friends.  The strangest thing happened while I was in there.  Friday was not a great day for me--I had worked 14 hours on Thurs to get the picnic stuff together so I could deliver it on Fri Am early--on my way to the ferry to the mainland.  I didn't sleep well that night and when I awoke at 5:30 I had a raging head cold.  So tired and woozy I went off shopping for supplies for a dinner Saturday.
    By the time I hit the wine shop I was really tired.  I left the store with my wine on a trolley and loaded it into the car.  As I returned the trolley into the store a gal who was there shopping was rubbing something along the hair line of my two friends working inside.  She said she didn't want to leave me out, so I got the treatment as well--it turns out it was blue oil.  What ever it was, it woke me up and helped clear my sinuses.  I felt great as I drove off and headed home.  Later that night I delivered the wines to my clients and had a glass with them.  It went very well, and I layed out the menu I was to cook for them on Sat. evening.
    Saturday I slept in a bit, but I was up early enough to prepare a 6 course dinner for seven and head off to cook it at 4:30.  2 Mini Pizzas started off the meal as appetizers.  At about 7 I served a soup of forest mushrooms and corn.  Then an oven braised halibut with apples and leeks.  Roast beets with goats cheese followed allowing a break before the heaviest part of the meal--double width lamb chops on a bed of summer beans.  A simple creme brulee with berries capped off the evening.  I actually returned home earlier than usual and with a nice check in my pocket and the appreciation of some very stuffed people.
    Today is all about rest, so even though it is amazingly bright, hot and beautiful outside I'm taking it easy indoors.  I have a ton of stuff to get done, but it will all be there tomorrow, and the next day. . . . I should go out rowing and see what sort of fish I could catch, but today that even seems like too much effort.  
    Just enough energy, though for an afternoon mocha. . . .

Thursday, September 25, 2003

    On top of all else going on today, our new batch of 25 chicks arrived.  The old hens had all but stopped laying, and rather than feed them through the winter and get a batch of chicks in the spring we decided to feed chicks through the winter and get eggs for Easter, rather than Halloween of 2004.
    However, 25 needy little pets was not what today needed.  I am full bore baking for a picnic tomorrow.  Still, it is better they came then when I am away tomorrow.  Not much time to write this afternoon.  Fortunately no emails to answer, or ones that will wait and thank God the phone hasn't been ringing off the hook.  Blueberry Buckle in the oven soon; Lavender Madelines have just come out.  Though, I have searched the place over and can't find where the boxes are stashed.
   

It's all about communication. 
    The stars dapple the morning sky.  There is a chill in the air, so much so, that my car had trouble starting.  For a brief moment of panic, at 5:40 am, I thought I would be stranded.  That my car wouldn't start, that I would miss the only ferry home til 5:30pm.  That I would loose a day of work, and the dirty dishes and food in the cooler would spoil and be a horrible mess.  But the car started and I roared off into the dark, leaving behind a bad nights sleep in a functionary dorm room and one of the most singularly painful evenings of recent memory.
    My job--an appetizer reception for around 40 people (dropped from 50, last minute)--was to kick off at 8pm.  Usually there is some one around for these things setting up.  I arrive at 5:30 with nothing to do--most of the food was prepared and just needed to be presented in bowls, and platters.  1 hour's work.  I folded some brochures and case the dinning hall--a complete throw back to my boyhood days of summer camps. Only missing was a garbage can of bug juice.
    7 o'clock rolled around and I waddled into action--no one was around.  Oh, a few people had strolled through the hall, but they were apparently taking some sort of short cut and seemed startled when I said, "hello" from the dimly lit hall. At 7:45 my mobile rings--a grad student assistant to the prof who'd hired me was wondering where I was.  I was exactly where I was supposed to be, told so by the director of the facility--who, after playing phone tag for days, I realize hates her job and could care less where I was and who.  No, I was supposed to be up the hill, wait where I was and Grad Student would be down.  I continued to work, almost done with my presentations.
    Grad student enters the hall--could you move up the hill to where I am? 
    Does it look like it, I'm set up here, where I was asked to?
    It is now that I realise that this is someone whom I'd seen an hour ago.  She could of clocked onto who I was, I mean the chef's coats a bit of a give away.  Well, it was decide to move the scientists down to me--no prob.  I finish with the food as they enter--no words are spoken to me, but they dive into the food and that's what it's about.  However, in this Hall there is no where to be but where I am, between two tables where I can keep and eye on my platters and continue to stock them up.  I have a small, cheap microwave at my disposal but the kitchen is locked and off limits.  I head off to ready my keg tapping and beer dispensing set up.  Someone comes in and sets up a table and starts pouring wine and I notice people drinking beer--hey wait, I'm suppoed to be pouring beer!  No keg, only growlers.  Some how my sales pitch of perfectly dispensed keg beer fell on forgetful ears and instead of a pony keg showing up, several 2 gallon jugs have arrived.
    I'm a bit steamed.  without the keg stuff, I could have fit most of the food, etc into a boat and jetted across the channel--I live 5 min by water from where I was standing, but 1 hour by ferry and it's stentorian schedule.  Since the last ferry stopped at 8pm, I am stuck spending the night.
    The evening passes with my topping off platters and standing around, speaking to no one in particular, answering questions about the food. 10pm rolls around and I'm bored stiff.  Most people have cleared off, so I chance it and begin clearing and cleaning in the hopes it will drive everyone else out. It works.  I clean up and at 11pm I head up the hill to where I have a dorm room waiting.  As I get to the dorms I look into the common room where the meetings for the symposium will be held.  I stop in to talk to the gal who hired me.  She says look at what we just found--behind a set of doors is a complete kitchen with 4 ranges and 3 fridges and a large sink.  We could have had the reception in this facility and I could have cleaned up as I went and grilled my self something to eat from the bits and pieces I had--I almost never eat what I am serving, I've had them too many times.
I was befuddled and furious.  The director of the facility had been false with me, may she burn herself on soup! and, although the evening was a culinary sucess, every one enjoyed the food, I have yet to get paid which means I will be pissed off until the money is in the bank.  Thereon I can forget the occasion and chock it up to: get the bloody detail clearer and ask more questions.

    I'm almost half way home, we are chugging by dark, blobular islands cast in a bright orange glow.  Gone are the stars and the black night sky.  It is a peaceful way to commute--ferries.  If I were driving right now I'd have to have the high-beams on and be alert for deer.  Instead I can watch Rosey Fingered Dawn set the waters on fire and write to you.

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

    Almost everything is loaded in the car.  I have only a few more things to load, a couple of items to do and a list to tripple check.  Then wait.  Wait for the ferry to come and haul my traveling medicine show off to another island, so I can wow the scientists at this conference.
    Not my usual gig, but nice work if you can get it.  The day had been endless blue niceness, stretching out in all directions meeting the horizon and darker blue waters seamlessly.  Now it is overcast and the piercing sun is gone.  It is supposed to be nice this weekend, which will be welcome because I'm full up with work through Sunday.  Saturday is given over to a swish garden doo, including fresh pizza in the clients pizza oven and surf and turf for 7, 4 course with wine.  Once I get my head out of this conference and begin tomorrow's picnic food I can come up with what I'm going to serve.  I'll have to cram in a trip to the mainland on Friday to pick up wines, and supplies.  I'd like to go in on Saturday morning but the ferry schedule does not work out to get back in time to prep for the evenings meals.  4 hours isn't enough to hit the farmer's market, costco and all the stops to pull together a decent meal worth the effort and money. Not when 90% of the trip is driving and ferry travel.
    If I can find a connection tonight, I might check in with how the reception went.  I have to modify my website some,  so I'll work on that tonight, or watch Spy Game or something to pass the time and relax after work.  Not too late though, 5:30 am comes early when your catching a ferry home.  It is just something you cannot miss.  With a first come, first serve system it is wise to get in line early enough not to get bumped.

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

    The sun finally sliced through the morning's greyness and has brought with it a respectable day.
UPS did not bring the herbs I was waiting for, so I am hoping they arrive tomorrow in time for me to head off for the conference. Dinner has changed tonight, from the aforementioned Pasta with Arugula and Pumpkin to Roast Salmon with Lemon Basil Risotto to make use of some salmon left over from making Smoked Salmon Rillettes.
    I don't know what it is about today, but no matter how many espressos I've had I'm still dragging.  Two nights of the dog barking at mink hasn't helped.  I have the over ridding feeling that I should be doing many other things than this. . . .but then this feeling often plauges me.  I think, that over a lifetime, I have developed an inner sense of timing which generally allows me to waste more time than I think I have and still get projects complete on time.  Quality. . . .we'll let's not get into that.  Let's just say that at the end of the day I get very few complaints--most of them are from myself.
    I do hope someone is listening in on this drivel, although cathartic I am not sure how I feel about a completely pointless waste of time.
As for the garden, I think I will give it a miss this afternoon.  It is a beautiful day outside now, but there are menus to write, a cooking class to plan and some brochure material to edit.  Perhaps someday my kitchen will be in the garden as some sort of outdoor plein air restaurant or some such vision which is more practical as vision than reality.  It is warm enough today to perhaps allow the last of the green tomatoes to ripen a bit before they come off the vines.  Still, the apples trees around the island are laden and if there was a bit more crisp a note to the air the wind would breath CIDER.
    I'm afraid I am not a very patient person on the whole when it comes to season changes.  Perhaps it comes from thinking ahead to what will be fresh and in season at a given time.  October is already calling me, and I suppose I should begin giving New Year's eve some thought--I cook for 100 or so for an annual gala fundraiser.
    Fate has butted in again.  I must go and move some lumber out of the way so some firewood can be deliverd tomorrow while I'm away.  The wood-fired oven is a hungry beast at times--but oh, the salmon, turkey and roasts which come out.  Not to mention baguettes and the pizza. . . .I'd better get a move on.

Autumn has come, like a curtain falling.  Yesterday's blue sky and summer fog are gone, replaced by a cool wind and overcast, mist laden sky.
I don't mind it being so warm in the kitchen on a day like today.  This weekend's efforts of baking bread in the stone, woodfired oven were well spent during a sunny spell.  This week I must pull together food for a conference and an upscale end-of-summer picnic.  There is also planning to do for an upcoming cooking class at a local, mainland, kitchenware store.
The garden is in it's lasrt throes.  The end of the cherry tomatoes must come in.  Scads of Arugula and the few pumpkins which survived the drought will come in tonight for Roast Pumpkin and Arugula Paparadelle.
Speaking of roasting, I've got eggplants in the oven to look in on and some mushrooms to marinate.  Perhaps I'll put together a garden report later and tell you about the farmer's market from Sat.

Monday, September 22, 2003