~Poof~

Fine dining is a lot like a magic show- if you know nothing about the inner working of the restaurant, it is very easy to get dazzled by the show. And a lot of classic menu items are easy to get swept away by, even if they are the simplest thing in the world.

This is a huge reason of why I like studying food trends- while some is intensely impractical for a home cook, like some of the more complex French cooking (looking at you, Paté en Croute!); some items take minimal effort. One of my favorite comfort foods is mussels steamed in wine. It oozes sex and sophistication, while being incredibly versatile and adaptable to whatever is in your refrigerator.

It's literally as simple as throwing mussels into a pot with wine, butter, broth (or other liquid), and other aromatics. You can do whatever you want with steamed mussels. They're fantastic. Just get the liquid bubbling, throw the cleaned mussels into the pot, cover it, and walk away for 15min. Badabing badaboom, pot o' delicious.

I suppose I could also use the mussels as a metaphor. Occasionally you gotta take the random shit in your life, toss it together, and walk away for a bit to see what happens.  Most of the time? It is going to be far better than expected.

Chapter 2~

I've been in such a cool space lately! For the first time in months, things are honestly progressing on the up and up for me. I FINALLY have a place to live, and will be able to get my things out of storage for October. I have a job that I love, that challenges me in all of the right ways and actually supports me in my personal life. And while the transition is still a tad rocky, I'm doing well enough that I got to spend a week in New York City last week with some of my best friends on the planet. Even better, my current job will afford me the ability to do that more often, and travel elsewhere more easily! I'll finally be cooking at home again!!!

With that, I'm finally going to be able to bring a direction to this blog. At least once a week, I'll do a new recipe for y'all and the story that accompanies it. When I travel, I'll tell you about the amazing local products I find. And while I study for my sommelier certifications- well, you'll get an earful on how goddamn tired I am of drinking goddamn French wines, no matter how delicious they are. (Seriously, I love French wines now, but studying them makes me want to slam my head into their stupid limestone-laced terroir.)

It's a new chapter, and I can't wait to start writing it!

Up in Smoke

August in Atlanta is a beast. Humidity hangs in the air, making frequent showers a necessity. Cicadas rattle through the trees in the hot sun, and storms breeze in and out in mere minutes. It's the last screams of summer, before the whole city starts to cool in September.

This summer back home has been great. I have finally begun to strike a solid work- social life balance. Granted, I'm still hanging out with cooks, but who else would I ever want to hang out with? I had the pleasure of introducing a friend of mine from California to a group of motley industry folk a few nights ago, at a proper southern pig roast! Twenty or thirty of us cycled in and out of this party throughout the night, and it was such a perfect example of southern hospitality.

For starters, we had SO. MUCH. FOOD. Our menu consisted of a 45lb pig, at least a dozen steaks, 2 whole chickens, corn on the cob, smoked potatoes, massive zucchini, oysters, and charcuterie out the wazoo. Someone brought salad, but the poor thing lay neglected on the table the entire night. Beer and conversation flowed, and paper plates were ignored in favor of just ripping the feast apart by hand like Vikings. Smoke perfumed the air, and strangers bonded over the picnic tables. Stories were shared, and true to the climate, the skies opened up for a brief downpour (Thank god for covered pavilions!). It was really energizing to be around such positive people just having a great time. It was the perfect end to my summer.

Now I'm getting ready to start working at a new place- a restaurant I have revered for years, and can honestly say I'm proud to work for. I'll be serving tables, but this won't be like other restaurants I've waited at: this is one of the greatest restaurants in the southeast (if not the country). This is my food nerd dream career step! So cheers to perfect closures and new beginnings! This fall is going to be fantastic.

Habitual Offender

I've never gone out of my way to eat healthy. With an extremely lucky win in the genetics lottery, I've gotten a great metabolism; and working in restaurants has kept me in a perpetually active lifestyle to maintain my bony size 4 butt. So I have never been ashamed of guzzling the occasional Big Gulp™ or chowing down on leftover fried chicken in bed at 2am. However lately I have noticed my tastes changing. I'm craving foods I was very 'meh' about before, and my desire for "normal" boxed grocery fare is on a sharp decline.

Part of it, I'm sure, is the fact that I'm getting older and biologically, yes, tastes do evolve. But I'm sure there's more to it than that. Nine times out of ten, whatever I eat is based on where I happen to be living. My formative years in Maine was a lot of French-Canadian and culinary tastes that got stuck in the late 80's. Chef Boyardee™ also played a huge part. Moving to Atlanta, I was forced out of my comfort zone and got to seriously broaden my horizons- I discovered sushi, true Mexican cuisine, and ate more pork than I ever imagined. Southern cooking became a big part of my culinary repertoire, and I also got introduced to the concept of eating local. Now, amidst this particular evolution, I had no problem with fast foods. Sure, it wasn't "real" food, but if I was only paying a buck for something that might be a burger, I clearly wasn't expecting anything of quality. You get what you pay for.

Then I wound up in Northern California wine country. There were a couple fast food places, but they were always a hassle for me to get to. It was much easier for me to hit up a local farmer's market, maybe check out the brewpub around the corner, or chow down on rice and beans with the sweetest barista I knew. I spent four months eating better than I had in the previous 25 years of my existence. Then I came to Southern California.

I'm sure southern California has farmer's markets, and a great local dining scene. I am just having a bitch of a time finding it. I'm spending time living with people who are very successful career-wise, but when it comes to what they eat? Food is clearly just fuel to them, and not something they actually enjoy. They have more canned vegetables than they ever possibly eat, and cabinets overflowing with processed protein bars. My cooking for them is no end of frustration, because while they admit what I make is good, they are clearly more excited for Campbell's. They are the pickiest eaters I've seen outside of a kindergarten classroom. I love them, but if we stop at one more drive through I'm going to put a nail through someone's tongue. And they wonder why their diets don't work???

With any luck, over the next few months, I can have my eating habits rub off on them. I will hit the markets harder than I ever have before. I won't cook for them anymore- I will cook for me, and offer to share. I'm sick of poor eating habits. And maybe, just maybe, I can actually teach them something. If nothing else, my stomach will be happier.

Write Stuff

I've got writer's block. Like, BAD. Not for this blog, but I've decided to start a second, more food-focused blog, and I'm struggling with starting it. I want it to be like a combination of a review site and educational- kind of like a cross between 'No Reservations' and Alton Brown's 'Good Eats'. I want to make food as fascinating to other people as I find it. And I have plenty of material! I wind up ranting about food all day. It's just that I don't know how to introduce the topic to everyone. It's frustrating. Hopefully I can knock something out in the next week. In the meantime, if you have any food issues you're curious about, leave a comment below!

Sand and Tacos

"Variety is the spice of life".

One of the oldest clichés in the book. it's strange to think about, I've been in Southern California now for about... 3 weeks? I'm more comfortable now, however I'm still adjusting. I'm now working for my best friend's mom on a very temporary basis. However I feel like she wants me to work more full time. Well, both of them. I'm still not sure I want to make that commitment. I just got confirmation that my grant application was being considered, and part of me really wants to pursue that. However, I did tell V that I would be here as long as she needed me. It's just odd trying to strike a balance between what I think she needs and what I know I need.
I had something resembling a life up in Northern California. Now I have something resembling a life in Southern California. Both have their high points, I love the spaciousness and the quiet of Northern California. After 6 years in Atlanta, it was a refreshing, revitalizing break. Being back down in Ventura, after a less-than-admirable first visit, I really am loving this entire downtown beachy area. I love the laid-back atmosphere. And seeing as I'm only working a few days a week, I'm finding that I have a lot of time to myself. I'm not used to that.

It would be far easier to pursue culinary aspects up north. However it almost feels as though the South needs it more. Is that odd to say? After all, Los Angeles is one of the biggest food cities in the country. However when the surrounding "suburbs" are full of trash food like Taco Bell and Jack in the Box, what am I supposed to think? At least around Northern California, their better restaurants are still surrounded by really good produce and locally-conscious farmers.

I wish the right options were obvious. I'm really hoping they become so in the next few weeks. In the meantime... Beach tacos.

BEACH TACOS

Flour taco shells

Filling:
Fish fillets
1tsp cumin
Lime juice
Red pepper flakes
1tsp honey
Salt & Pepper
Torn cilantro
Coconut oil

Topping:
Shaved cabbage
Julienned zucchini
Julienned mango
Olive oil
Apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Filling:
Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a sautee pan. Sprinkle the seasonings over the fish filets, then sear them in the pan.
Topping:
Toss the cabbage, zucchini, and mango with splashes of olive oil and vinegar.
Assembly:
Really? It's a fucking taco. Figure it out and put it in your face-hole.

Chopped

I fucking called it.

No good comes from a position unintentionally given.

I found out tonight that the restaurant owners rehired not only their old chef back, but the entire old kitchen staff. All of whom walked out on them the first time around.

I am not about to play this game. I am so sick and tired of working for restaurants that are run by idiots. The few restaurants where I actually respected the management are all located in states I have no desire to live in, and frankly this is the last straw I had for cooking professionally.

I am staying long enough to find employment ANYWHERE else doing ANYTHING else. My knives are only coming out for people I actually like. I am too old to be bothering with this nonsense when I've seen enough places fail because of stupidity.

Mt. Everest

I am insane. That is the only explanation. Tomorrow is my last day at the brewpub I was farting around at, and Saturday is my first full day as "chef".

Literally.

Full day.

As in, today being my first day off training, and knowing that we are losing a cook at the new job Sunday, I took it upon myself to make a first draft of the schedule for next week.

I also learned today that the restaurant owners are Nepalese Sherpas. That have climbed Everest. Twice.

You know what else I learned? In order for my schedule to be what any other businesses consider normal full time, I need 2 more cooks. Otherwise? I am looking at.... oh, 70+ hours a week. I'm scheduled to come in at 3 on Saturday. For us to be properly prepared? I am getting my ass in there at least at 1pm. Probably earlier. I will have to be Nepalese Sherpa strong for the next few weeks. Now, on the plus side, I will be making goddamn bank. But there is being prepared for something, and then being pummeled with reality. Can I do this? Absolutely. No problem. Without question. Will I be OK?

...Well, right now I'm just going to relish the serenity of this quiet night, and silently apologize to my body and liver for the hell it is about to endure.

Memorial Day!

It has been soooooo long since I had such a perfect day like yesterday!  Originally, I was supposed to go camping with a friend Sunday night until this morning, a quick day trip to get the hell out of dodge and reset our brains. However, work needed me to work a double that Sunday, and I wound up being stuck there until 1am. So what did my friend and I do?

Splurged on a cabin.

We left for the cabin immediately after I got out of work and drove out to Helen, GA, where we had booked a place on Yonah Mountain. After nearly getting lost on the mountain at 3am, we finally found the place, and let me tell you, it was amazing. Beautiful wood flooring and a deck that overlooked a gorgeous Appalachian mountain range. Extra perk? Hot tub! We celebrated our arrival, then proceeded to pass out until 11am.
It was rough getting out of bed, but we didn't want to waste the entire day in bed, so we shuffled to the kitchen and made brunch.
Pro chefs make the best cabinmates. Breakfast that day was homemade biscuits with pimiento cheese and bacon, followed by some intensely savory bloody marys. To celebrate the holiday, we watched "Major Payne" with a few beers, and followed it up with hot tub time. Afterwe felt too lazy to function,  we rolled back inside to snipe at episodes of "Cutthroat Kitchen" (we both hate the show), then made our own take on pasta carbonara while I invented a cocktail- the Sunshine & Summertime! After hiking a bit and mor hot tub time, we ended our day with "Family Guy", wine, and perfectly cooked steaks. I passed out, blissed out, shortly after.

This trip is precious to me. It's not often industry folks really get time off to disconnect from work, and we had definitely needed a break. Plus I got to spend time with a dear friend I rarely get to see,  and once I go west, may not see again for years. Thankfully, at the very least I now have a signature cocktail that will remind me of this weekend for the rest of my life. Here's my recipe:

Sunshine&Summertime

2oz Vodka (We used Belvedere)
1.5oz Grapefruit juice
Splash of Amaro
1 egg white
Torn rosemary and sage
Pink moscato

Combine everything except the moscato in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously,  then strain into a wine glass. Add a splash of pink moscato and a large ice cube, and enjoy while cursing out the numbnuts on "Cutthroat Kitchen".

Surf n' Turf Saturday Night

So the guy from my last "Saturday night" post? Yeah. We're still seeing each other. And he's been just as awesome. I keep telling him I want to cook for him, but with our schedules, it's been close to impossible. Currently, I only have Saturday nights free to spend with him; and that's usually after a brunch shift that totally drains me. However, he's been fantastically understanding. Last Saturday, we grabbed Little Caesar's and just chilled at his place. Last night, he offered to cook for me!

When he picked me up, he mentioned we had to stop at the store- he had picked up some beautiful ribeyes earlier at the farmer's market, but needed to pick up a side dish. Apparently his green beans are magical,  so we stopped at the grocery store by his place to pick them up. On the way, we both decided we were a bit too hungry to wait and needed a pre-dinner snack. And something for dessert. We walked the aisles, snagging brownie mix (because if I didn't have energy to make a whole meal, dammit, I can do brownies from a box at least) and a shrimp cocktail platter.

We got to his place to discover the shrimp was frozen solid. So I set it under a tap of running water and got "baking" while he started dinner. Once the brownie mix was in the oven and he was halfway ready to start cooking, his mom called. Dinner got put on hold for a bit while he took the call, and I remembered an old quick-thaw trick for frozen cocktail shrimp I learned at a restaurant I used to work at. By the time he was off the phone (and 15 whole minutes after I could have had the shrimp thawed), we were decimating our snack.

Watching him cook, his technique could have used work. But I behaved and kept my mouth shut- after all, he was cooking for me! And you know what? It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it immensely. I'm so thankful he was willing to cook, and I hope he does it for me again.

*Andi's "no shit sherlock" shrimp thaw trick*
Put the frozen shrimp in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes.  Drain, then quick chill in ice water and drain again. Serve immediately
*I cannot guarantee this is the most food safe way to do this, but to my knowledge it hasn't gotten anyone sick yet.

Fishy! (In A Good Way!)

J cooked for me Saturday night! Hell, J stayed over that night! I suppose I should back up...

I recently moved into a new apartment, downsizing my life to a comfortable, manageable degree. My place now is easy to maintain, I get to spend more time with my dogs, and ultimately it isn't a Shame Shack of a residence as I had taken to calling the former. And, since I still talk to J (I know, I know, really ought to quit that cold turkey already!), I mentioned i was in a new place that I was actually proud of and he was welcome to visit anytime. He decided to come over Saturday.

Now, I know him. I highly doubted he'd show- after all, he was coming over after he left work (late-ass o'clock) on his restaurants' busiest service night. In fact, I was convinced he wasn't coming. So when he told me he was going to bring food and cook for me, I made alternate plans.

I made Forelle Blau, also know as Trout au Bleu based off of a Lower Saxon recipe. Live-tweeted it the entire time as well (follow me @andiwredonkulus). It turned out really well, and I flipped on reruns of 'A Cook's Tour' to doze off to. 10:17pm, I got a text- "Just left 15 min ago"

I was flabbergasted. He was actually going to show up? Hell, I was getting a second dinner?? (Food shows make me hungry) And show he did. With food. At about 12:30am. I didn't care, I was over the moon and starving at this point.  He wound up making me a shortrib dish that is popular at one of his restaurants, and I can see why- granted, it wasn't my thing necessarily (it used whole grain mustard, which I am nooot a fan of), but the fact that he cooked for me was incredibly sweet. And even better? In the morning we collaborated on a frittata, and that turned out goddamned delicious. I'm feeling really good about things with J! I might even have hope for a future with him again.

In other news, going to be spending my morning making a couple different condiments- a special German hot mustard that my former boss taught me, and Jägersauce for schnitzel that I'll be making later in the week. I'll live-tweet the Jägersauce around 12pm EST if you are interested! In the meantime, here's the Forelle Blau recipe I used.

Forelle Blau
*serves two*

2 whole trout, cleaned
1pt stock (fish preferably, but chicken works too)
1c white wine
1/4c white wine vinegar
Salt
Black peppercorns

Boil your liquids together. While those are getting started, tie your trout into a u-shape by tying their lower jaw to the tail. Put the fish in a deep, roomy pot. Pour your boiling stock mix over it, then season with the peppercorn and salt to taste. Cover, let simmer for 15 min, then serve. Quick, easy, and pretty tasty!

Eggs

Happy New Year!  And I am beyond excited to begin it. After an insane holiday season, I am ready to kick my year into top gear and really kick ass this year. I was lucky enough to have my immediate family in town, and we had a great Christmas day. I had worked the night prior, so they were kind enough to let me sleep in a bit- we opened gifts at 2, then proceeded to go make Christmas dinner. That consisted of a massive 8 pound ham and 2 trays of lasagna- very italian gorge-fest merged with my sister-in-law's ham tradition. We ate ALL afternoon. And we drank. All afternoon. We had a blast! My friend Robin even made an appearance with her amazing homemade pickles, an excellent wine, and toffee. Everything tasted fantastic,  and getting to connect with the family again made my day.
I did get an incredibly meaningful gift a few days afterward- my own copy of "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee. I had been borrowing my friend Darrell's copy for a few weeks, and the book fascinates me. It's essentially a big textbook about the science of food, and I loved it. Well, he was kind enough to get me one, and I couldn't be happier. It's incredibly informative,  and really helps me connect what I want to do with food with the actual reactions that will commence during cooking. It's brilliant. And it has taught me more about eggs than I ever thought. And that's just one small portion.
When I was in my culinary classes in high school, the second lesson after the Sanitation class was egg cookery. That class in particular sticks out for me for many reasons- for one, I remember being surprised that we were going to spend 4 hours just talking about eggs. And I was a little grossed out- we were focusing on fried and scrambled eggs, and I was not a fan at the time. Still not overly fond of them, to be honest, but I'll actually eat them nowadays. We went over basic breakfast preparations, and how to crack the egg one-handed, and how to flip the egg in the sauté pan sans a spatula. When I tried my first flip, my yolk and white somehow separated, flipped simultaneously, and then broke in the pan. It was surprising to watch, and I promptly forgot about it. Fast forward 8 years later, and I have found myself eating and cooking eggs more often than ever, especially completely different preparations than I have ever tried.
With my new book, eggs have become far less mysterious, and far more important to me. They are so incredibly versatile, and now that I know what the hell I'm doing with them, they are actually pretty tasty. I've found I make a freaking awesome Sunnyside-up.
It's a cool juxtaposition that eggs, the symbol of rebirth in some cultures, has also found itself at the biggest culinary steps in my life. And nowadays, I'm very interested to see what else I can do with them. So here's to 2014, y'all! Let's see where it takes us!

Stewed Mood

Got into a developmental mood last night. Decided it was time to work on my German cooking again and test out a recipe that I haven't tried before.  So, I busted out my Culinaria: German book, called up my hungry friend, and grabbed wine.

Decided to do a recipe based out of a region of Germany called North Rhine-Westphalia. The dish? Münsterländer Töttchen, aka Münsterland Veal Stew.  I picked it because for one, the ingredient list is relatively easy to find products. Two, I will readily admit I usually suck at making stew. In the past, I generally wind up with crappy thin soup with stringy, tough meat much like my father does. I wanted to see if I am genetically predisposed to shitty stew-making. For a side item, I chose spätzle, egg noodles I made time and time again when I worked in a German kitchen. The biggest difference with that would be instead of using an arm-busting noodle press like I had in the past, I would be attempting to use an old-fashioned "shaving" method.

The stew had me start off by essentially making a quick veal stock. Simple enough. Carrots, celery, onion, a bit of parsley and green onion simmering with some veal for an hour or so- child's play. The oddest part about that was the recipe called for the onion to be 'spiked' with one bay leaf and two cloves. What the fuck is a spiked onion? The book didn't say and Google just wanted to give me soup recipes, so I opted to just throw the cloves and bay leaf in with the rest of the stock veg.

While that was working,  I got my spätzle dough together.  Spätzle is a very simple noodle, just eggs, flour, a smidge of spices and salt, and water. The kicker is that the dough has to be incredibly thick and sticky, which can make it a beast to work with and a bitch to clean up. My dough ready, I got a pot of very salty water boiling and began to attempt to shave the dough off a wet cutting board to create noodles.  It was doable, but what a load of crap. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would much rather use the arm-buster. Shaving resulted in a lot of inconsistent sizing, which made pan frying later a bit sketchy. Anyway,  once the dough hit the water, it only took a couple minutes for it to cook and float to the top. Skimming the noodles out, I dropped them into a mixing bowl with ice in it to keep them from overcooking.  Once all of the noodles were made, I rinsed them and strained them, then coated them in olive oil to prevent sticking while I finished the rest of the stew.

Once the stock was finished,  I strained it and removed the meat, putting that to the side while I chucked the rest of the veg in the garbage. Grabbing a new pan, I proceeded to sauté chopped onion in clarified butter. The onion was supposed to cook until translucent,  but I got distracted and they wound up caramelizing a bit- oops. Whatever,  wasn't burnt! I then sprinkled flour over the onions, whisking it in, to essentially create an onion roux. Threw in some wine, a bit of the stock, the veal, and voila! A couple minutes reducing and I had a sexy looking stew. Seasoned it with a bit of salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard, and it was ready to eat.

Using the rest of my clarified butter, I pan-fried the spätzle umtil it was lightly crisped, then put the noodles in bowls and topped it off with the stew. A quick refill of the wine, and bam- chow time!

I was overall happy with the outcome,  though now that I've done it once, there's definitely stuff I would do differently next time. For starters,  have stock made ahead of time,  and make it really concentrated for a more robust flavor. I'd simmer the meat in the stock all day, get it really melt-in-your-mouth tasty, and then once dinnertime was actually on me it'd tuen into a 5-10 minute pick-up. Suuuuper easy. As for the spätzle,  I'm wishing for an arm-buster for Christmas. 

If you want to try this yourself,  look for the cookbook Culinaria: Germany. The stew is on page 214 and a good spätzle recipe is on page 330. Or e-mail/message me and I'll send it to you.

Prost, dahlings!

Nights at a Round Table

For supposedly being part food blog, I have done shockingly little writing about food. Probably because I have been eating like crap lately.  Between wonky scheduling and still clearing remaining debt accrued from lack of pay at former jobs, I've unwittingly been only eating maybe one, two meals a day. Oops. Not good. And the proportion of that that is fast food? J would be ashamed.

It's definitely a tough cycle to break,  though. I get home at the crack of dawn, maybe stopping for Waffle House if I'm starving. Sleep until 2pm, or 4 if it's been a rough night, then make myself a little something and back to work. If I'm lucky enough to have the day off and find myself with friends,  I may eat a bit more as a social thing, but for being so obsessed I can't seem to make time for it. Maybe that's part of why I am so fascinated- I never really get enough.

I love eating with friends, though. It just feels more, I don't know,  familial I guess. The best meals are the ones friends cook for me, though! Don't get me wrong,  I love cooking for my friends. But when they welcome me into their home and make me dinner? I will always be exceedingly greatful. I know the effort that a meal takes, and the value of food in the cupboard. So, much like I value time that people give me, I value any effort they put into feeding me exponentially moreso. And one of these days, when I'm rich and famous?  Every last one of them is getting something special.  I have no idea what, but it's going to kick ass.

Cautionary Tale

Anyone who asks me, I tell them under no circumstances should they ever become a cook-- unless they feel like being broke forever. Well, forever is a stretch, but it's usually long enough to feel like it.

I have been scraping by below the poverty line every time I take a cooking job. Cooking is -not- a good-paying job, unless you get INCREDIBLY lucky enough to become an exceptional chef. It's how many places keep menu prices as low as they are. Fair? No. But it's the reality of the situation. It's also why many line cooks are thin, bordering anorexic-looking. We are too busy putting in 60-80 hour weeks to try to make sure our rent, bills, and any other expenses we accrue get paid before we think about stopping to eat.

With my new part-time gig, I'm finally going to be able to knock out some of the debt I've accrued over 5 years of awful decisions. That excites me, it really does. Unfortunately, I still get hit with minor setbacks that completely rattle me. My phone service, for example, has been suspended at the moment. I won't have money for that for another week and a half. A year ago, I wouldn't have cared about that as much. Now, however? I'm supposed to see James tomorrow for the first time in over a month. I feel sick to my stomach. I hate this feeling- it's like being a terrible financial Sysiphus. I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but daaaaamn it's frustrating getting there.

So remember folks, unless you are prepared for the inevitable ulcers and stress-induced alcoholism, don't cook for a living. Cheers~

Sober St. Patrick's Day- an Introduction

For the first time in years, I am spending St. Patrick's day sober. Not intentionally, but crap happens. Today was supposed to be a gorgeous day, perfect for going outside and enjoying sunshine with my dogs. Instead, I have been granted clouds and brisk breezes, which has led to accidentally literally making myself ill with boredom. Which led to me starting a blog. Clearly a recipe for success! Well, here we are anyway.
They say to write what you know, so I suppose I should decide what that is.

Food.

I know about food. I'm a cook, and a total food nerd. I have shelves of cook books, chef memoirs, even cook comic books ('Get Jiro', anyone?). I get more excited about restaurants and industry news than I do about pop culture.

I also know a lot about dating. Specifically, long periods of shitty dating before finally meeting someone who meshes with me incredibly well. Extra-specifically, dating a chef. So I guess, by default, this blog will wind up being about my love affairs with food and, well, actual love affairs. Following still?

Now for our cast of characters- aside from myself, there will be at least two other people I can see myself writing about most frequently. The first is the guy I'm currently seeing, a fantastic chef who has been earning quite a bit of notoriety over the past two years (though I've only known him five months). The other is my boss, another excellent chef with a healthy heap of accolades. ...can you tell I like to surround myself with people with taste? For their privacy, I will refer to my guy as J, and my boss as Chef. It will just keep things simpler in the long run.

Aside from boredom, why am I bothering to start a blog? Well, I have been reading chef-related stuff all day, including the blog Desperate Chef Wives (http://www.desperatechefswives.com). Excellent material, all of it, but I was having a harder time relating. See, since I work in the industry, I wanted to find other women who could relate to my experiences- sharing similar hours, goals, ideology, and that sort of thing.

So, this is a perfectly selfish, self-serving blog. I want to find other lady line cooks like myself who happen to be dating "within the ranks", as Anthony Bourdain might say. So, here's to us, chickadees, wherever we may be hiding! And to the industry and fellow cooks we love so much.