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!

Venturing Forward

I'm not one to profess any sort of belief in fate. In fact, the idea of it, from a logic standpoint, is just downright silly. But occasionally coincidences stack up just enough to make me curious if the universe is trying to tell me something. And, being that I have a tendency to be a bit dense, sometimes it takes quite the smack upside the head for me to get it.

My week in Atlanta was an incredible whirlwind of reminiscing and reminders of why I left in the first place. The Food and Wine festival was an absolute blast, and every aching muscle and drop of sweat was worth it. It really brought attention to the sense of community amongst all southerners (be they Carolinian, Georgian, or anything else) that I've been missing so much. And then my world got an extra little shake up that solidified things for me. So I'm going back south.

Now, I am going to try to move to Nashville, but there is a very real possibility that I will be back in Atlanta for a few months before that happens- a lot is up in the air. But beyond that, I am finally ready to take advantage of some of the opportunities I pushed aside because I thought I couldn't hack it. I'm finally wearing my grown-up shoes, and I'm ready to create the life I want. Unfortunately, my wine studies may wind up taking a back burner, since the sudden move is going to utterly drain my meager savings, but I have a much better game plan for moving on, and moving forward. California has been an eye-opening, wonderful chapter, and I am finally ready to live for me again and not spite or misguided altruism. And this time, I am not getting waylaid by my tendency to take others emotional well-being on as my responsibility!

Flying High

I don't fly often, though I am lucky enough to do it more than most. And over the past few years,  I think I almost have the hang of it. I maneuver airports like a pro now. My travel shoes never include laces or clasps (though I am still nutty enough to wear these fierce "don't fuck with me" heels. And I finally began bringing my own freaking food, rather than relying on limp Au Bon Pain or Cinnabon. It occurred to me to finally do this after all of my food magazines ran essentially the same summer travel issue, and I decided to bring a little esoteric SoCal to my favorite SoEast hub. I've packed Cherimoya, an extremely perishable, ridiculously delicious fruit. I had frozen it prior to leaving, but I'm uncertain as to how well it's holding up. Hopefully when I make it to my hotel, I can re-freeze it.

That's the real beauty of cherimoya. It is a lush mix of flavors, all passionfruit, strawberry,  and vanilla custard; no preparation needed. In fact, the best way to eat it is frozen. It is such a delicate fruit, it is rarely seen outside of the areas it is grown in.  And that is why I'm attempting to bring it across the country. I want so bad to share it with my friends and family in Atlanta, it is a really incredible piece of produce! The reactions I anticipate and the 3 airplane bottles of liquor I have already consumed are what is made the tiny obnoxious child kicking my seat for the past 3 hours bearable.

I got stuck in Charlotte, North Carolina, waiting on my flight to Atlanta. It was delayed due to another flight being delayed,  so I managed to squeeze in an $18 (after tip) margarita.  Was it a good margarita? Not particularly. it was overly sweet and thin.  But for the temporary escape from "travel mode", and the fun bartender,  worth it. And I just found out the flight was delayed more. I think it is very safe to say that, while air travel is more convenient time-wise, I would much rather road trip any day. I've already had 5 vivid fantasies of hip checking grandma out of my freaking way, and elbowing small children in the teeth. In all reality, I love children and a select portion of the elderly population. But in all future travel endeavors,  it is probably safer for everyone concerned if I drive. Unless, you know, I pack 20 mini bottles. Those are WONDERFUL attitude adjusters.

Commute

When we last left your heroine (me), I was on the cusp of a major freak out in the Schwartz.  Since then, I have adjusted way better to a nomadic life, and as of yesterday,  finally unpacked my books in it to really organize and make it "home"!

The adjustment process was definitely weird for me. I found myself trying to be more social, and making more time to spend wih the Barista and an old friend from my Maine days that happens to be in Petaluma for the month. I did kind of revert to my old workaholic ways, but to a lesser degree han what it was. Currently,  I have a full-time job cooking at a brewpub in Healdsburg, and then when I'm not doing that, i drive an hour and a half souh to San Francisco where I work on a food truck. So while technically,  I am scheduled to work 7 days a week,  that really hasn't been happening. The food truck pays better, and will have some excellent potential benefits involved, but at the moment is far too inconsistent and iffy for me to commit to it. Like this week- I was supposed to work last night and today. I was told not to bother, business was too slow. So on the one hand, I have gotten to spend more time with my friends in Mountain View, and got some serious work done on a pet project of mine (more on that in a bit!), but I have lost out on a significant chunk of change that I could really use at the moment. However, it's not worth it to quit the food truck and find a more dedicated gig, because on Friday night, they are letting me work an event serving a country artist I am a huge fan of! Besides, this surprise time off is great for my mental health right now. Really focusing on me and forcing myself to deal with some things I have been avoiding is making me feel like I'm finally really growing into myself.

Now, as for that lovely pet project... I'm not going to really go into details until I have solid *stuff* to show off. Just know that it is everything I love about being a food nerd, and writing for it has energized me in a way I haven't felt in yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaars. Look for something... mmmm... next week. Pretty confident I'll have something to show for this silliness. :)

May the Schwartz Be Witcha!

My nomadic existence has become very very official!  Last night was the first night I spent in my new old van. She has been dubbed "The Schwartz", as she is such an old bucket of bolts she reminds me of the movie Spaceballs. The Schwartz is a 1990 Ford Econoline 150, with a scant 90k miles on her and an inability to reach speeds over 85mph. Frankly, I'm terrified to try and take her above 65, so my mom should be ecstatic about that. She is a tragically beautiful garbage heap of a van, with a very retro pale horrendous pink interior. My dog, Clooney, saw fit to baptize her by vomiting on the bench/bed where I sleep. Seemed appropriate.

Vomit cleaned, I proceeded to collect supplies for the actual act of living in this thing. I am truly Macguyver- I have created a campstove out of sterno pods and shit collected at Goodwill. So, I am lucky enough to be able to make hot water for my crap instant coffee and ramen! It's an exciting prospect.  Really,  the only thing I really wish I had in here right now is booze. Or other substances that happen to be medically abundant in the great state of California.  Because dude, even with my dog, sleeping in this thing is fucking surreal.

There's just this intense, isolating feeling going out alone. I finally have no real responsibilities, and I can run away from everything whenever I so desire. And that is awesome. But, at the same time, these nights when I don't have people to visit? Makes it that much lonelier. Clooney is a shitty conversationalist, and sleeps through half my rants anyway. I'd text or phone more, but the discovery that the Schwartz's electrical system isn't fully hooked up to support my car charger has made my phone that much more of a specialty resource. All there is to do once the sun sets is wait for sleep, and with my mind going a million miles a minute, it is waaaaay more difficult to do without chemical assistance. All of my wine is currently taking up a small bit of real estate in my new friend's (the Barista) garage to prevent temperature damage during my travels. Which is a great thing, I cannot thank him enough, but goddamn I could really use a drink.

...Hm. Apparently I just broke the back passenger door lock, permanently locking it. This keeps getting better!  :D

Forays into Viticulture

Ever felt like you've gotten into a dick-punching contest with Murphy's Law? That could very easily sum up my trip thus far. Getting out to California became the single most aggravating task I have ever brought upon myself. Long driving hours, heartbreak, desert, storms, sunburns, broken promises- you name it, it happened. However, I am lucky enough to have a handful of the most supportive, caring, sympathetic friends a girl could ever ask for- they helped me back up when I was sobbing in a shitty motel on I-5, and I will never forget that.

As it stands, there is extremely limited time and access to the Internet in order to post everything.  So, posts are going to wind up being clustered together and dated, like so...

9/5, late-night

I finally made it to the vineyard! Drove into the winery about 10pm, met some of the crew, and immediately got put to work sorting grapes. It was a great change of pace from driving all day! What we were doing was examining grapes that had picked earlier that day and were on the conveyor belt headed to a machine that destemmed and filtered out grapes that were too small. It was up to human intervention to filter out leaves, unripe or rotten grapes, and raisins. I felt a bit like Lucy Ricardo on 'I Love Lucy' sorting bon bons. I tried a couple grapes, and they were incredible- sweet and softly  supple. They were pinot noir, the specialty of this vineyard.
Heading to the vineyard itself, where I am staying,  is about an hour and a half away from the winery and up a mountain. Because of my laaaaate arrival, I couldn't really see any of the drive up- just enough to realize that the dividing lines are just guidelines up here instead of steadfast law. :)

9/6

Day one! We woke up at 5:30 am to begin picking. During the harvest,  I was given the job of runner- while the regular workers picked, I'd go around and exchange full bins for empty ones. I knew I was going to be hurting later 2min into the job- full bins weigh 45-50lbs each! We spent a solid two, two and a half hours picking in the early morning fog. Grapes are best picked in the early morning before the sun hits- it helps preserve the flavors in the skins.
After picking, we returned to the winery. Here, I parted to start the second half of my job here- as chef! I headed to the next town over, Healdsburg,  to begin shopping for dinner supplies for the next few days.  I was also given the best news any chef can get: "You have an unlimited food budget. Feed us, and feed us well." The freedom that allows me? Incredible! I tore through the store with abandon, picking up fresh butchered meats and screamingly in season produce. I had decided to make the first night's dinner a taco night, to ease into things a bit and guage how my cooking would be recieved.
Taco night turned out well enough, I mistimed a few things and had to improvise a bit; but meeting everyone was a lot of fun and I got to witness a cool wine aficionado game they play every night- Guess the Wine. We do a blind tasting of two bottles, one white and one red, and we try to guess the grape varietal, the area of origin, the vintage, and the producer. It is a reallt educational experience!
We returned to the winery late that night to catch a few z's before returning to the fields early the next morning.  I remember hitting the sack and having some of the sweetest dreams I've had in years. This is easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

New York, New York!

As I mentioned last post, I was in NYC! It was a very last-minute, fly by my ass vacation,  and it was just what I needed.

What had happened was, after I had been hired for the new gig, I had 4 days free between my last day at the old job and my first day at the new one. I had never been to New York City before, so I said screw it and got the flights arranged. After getting things mostly in order, I called J to share the news.

"Guess where I'll be Sunday?!"
"Wh-"
"NEW YORK CITY!!!!" (I was a little excited)

That's when he started laughing. "Really?? You are never going to believe this..."

He proceeded to explain he had been invited by one of his wine distributors to go to the city Sunday and Monday for a mset and greet and dinner. He wasn't sure if he was going to accept or not, but given the circumstances...

He had to do work stuff on Sunday, but we promised to spend all of Monday together.  So Sunday I flew up and walked all of the touristy parts I wanted to see- Chinatown, Little Italy, DUMBO, Brooklyn, Manhattan b the whole gamut. I saw an old improv friend of mine and got to catch up with him and meet a friend of his in a cute little Swiss café (can't remember the name to save my life, but they had phenomenal french toast). I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, that was a fun hike- I even learned something!

When you walk across the bridge,  if you are paying attention, you notice a number of padlocks randomly locked along the course of the bridge. According to a tour guide I was sneaking behind,  a local legend is, if you write you and your lover's name on a lock, hook it on and throw the key off the bridge, you two will stay together forever.  A sweet tale... and I'm curious as to how many of those couples are still together? Some of the locks have been there so long, they've been painted over with the bridge a few times.

In the spirit of adventure, I hadn't booked a place to stay for the night officially.  By the time I thought about it, buses to New Jersey (where I had been offered a couch) had stopped. Being on the broke side, I decided to test the motto, "City That Never Sleeps". I headed to Times Square, where I proceeded to people watch and caught some "visual poetry" on the big screens. Met some fun random people that gave me insight on the Square itself, lied to Spiderman (he was being a pushy ass), and saw the excitement of the area fade into a sparse, deserted street. About 3am, I was wandering around the perimeter of Central Park when I stopped to write a bit. That was when I met Carl. An Upper West Side local, we got chatting and he was cool enough to hang out and keep me company. We talked about our significant others, life, the whole shebang. He was a great example of New York hospitality,  and I am happy to have met him.

In the morning proper, I met up with J. We had brunch in Manhattan at a little Italian place that was more atmosphere than anything else, though it did have an impressive wine list. We then hopped a cab to Chelsea, where we booked a room at the Chelsea Lodge. Built in the 1800s, it is a ...cozy B&B for lack of a better description.  We napped, then went to the Chelsea Market. We tried doughnuts at the Doughnuttery, and later got dinner at The Meatball Shop. Almost immediately after,  we came across a little German café that I insisted we try. We had a blast- it was the first time in a LONG time we had spent so much time together. I was sad to say goodbye- the day had felt like a beautiful dream,  and I was being forced to wake up.

My last day in New York solo was spent bumming around Soho, then heading to Queens to the hostel I was staying in my last night. The trip was an awesome,  and I couldn't be happier I took it- it was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and get ready for my next big adventure!

Paint me a Birmingham..

I am in Birmingham, AL, today.

I came with the intention of surprising J today. Thankfully, my big mouth told him about it... On Monday. Which allowed him the opportunity to let me know he was too busy to see me. And left me with bus tickets to and from Alabama, that my drunk ass bought. Funny, no? I was half-expecting it, I have this kind of luck with surprises. So I said fuck it and took the trip anyway.

I gotta say, it has exceeded my expectations! Though I have been drinking most of the day. I got to see a good friend of mine, old coworkers, and chill in a hot tub for a bit! For the record, if you are traveling in the south, stay at Drury Inns and Suites- they have 5:30pm "kickbacks", which entails 3 free alcoholic beverages and free food from 5:30-7. Kicked. Ass.

I did also do a smidge of touristy stuff earlier- I checked out The Vulcan, a Birmingham landmark that is perched on a mountain where you get a magnificent view of the city. It was a cool stop- the statue is massive, and only wears an apron and sandals, so it moons the next town over.

I'm checking out Ona's Music Room now- a jazz club downtown. Live music, and a nice, dark atmosphere. Private, quiet, and just the kind of music to keep my crazy to a minimum. I already recommend it, and the band hasn't even started yet! Cheers, lovelies!

Ona's- http://www.onasmusicroom.com

Birmingham or bust?

So I'm going to Birmingham, AL, on Wednesday for the day! Going to try to hang out with J for a bit- in theory, his new place is opening that night, so I thought I'd go try and support! Plus I'd actually see what Birmingham has to offer. ...If anything, haha.

Mean of me? Yeah, probably. But I do want to give the city a chance. There has to be some reason people stay there, right? This is the whole reason I travel- to see places, and get to the root of what the draw is. That, and I do want to check out some of Alabama's food scene! They have one that's been developing at least 5 years now. I love eating. :)