"i'm a little tea pot..."

i got the job!

project education tea begins friday. over the next few weeks/months i will be tasting and learning about the 150+ teas the teacup carries.

you know how your heart does that power-beating thing in your chest & you get really warm when you're really anxious about something? that was me when i looked at my phone & saw there was a voicemail from a missed a call from the teacup.

friday had gone REALLY well -at least, i thought it did. at the close of the interview, the owner & manager said they had narrowed their choices down to 4 people (including me!) for the two positions available & were pretty sure they could make their decision by that evening & would be making calls during the weekend, or at least notifying the potentials of their status by tuesday (which, by the way, i appreciate. i hate it when you have really awesome (1st, 2nd, 3rd) interviews, then never hear from the company again).

when i didn't hear from them friday evening, i began to (over)analyze the interview like it was a first date, wondering why he hasn't called yet. did i have something in my teeth? was i not the definition & perfect balance of wit & intelligence? was my enthusiasm read as desperation?

did i say something wrong? maybe i came across a little cocky & not humorously confident ["since i know you're going to hire me, what is the process of getting to know all these teas?"] or, perhaps more or less bribing them wasn't a good idea ["tea+me= cakes/goodies i'm working on...::wink,wink::"].

so. back to the voicemail. once i heard "we'd like to offer..." i was elated. i did a hop, skip, & a jump & rode that through sanitation class (which is taught by, in my opinion, a fear-mongering, intense bigot).

first kitchen injury

my microplane hand grater literally did the job this afternoon -while trying to slide the cover off mine, i grazed my thumb against the grating slits & it took off the top layer of skin. there wasn't any bleeding, but it's pink, raw, & stings.

(if you're looking for a grater/zester, i highly suggest buying microplane. it's a little more expensive, but a great kitchen investment.)

after cleaning & wrapping the wound, i had to put a cover over my thumb so i could continue working (i was in the middle of working chef berger's recipe of pear pudding. it smells like christmas.). the cover looks exactly like a condom & is rolled onto the finger like one as well, except it's 1/2" in diameter. i felt like i was in health class, practicing correct condom use on a banana.

my apron has just as much frosting as the cake

my first try at frosting & piping.

it took me a while to smooth the sides out & i'm fairly happy with the rosettes. i'm annoyed that the person who boxed it for me smudged two of the rosettes (as you can see).

it's a white velvet butter cake & chocolate italian buttercream.

waiting

my left forearm & both wrists ache. my shoulders are stiff. my feet hurt even though i've been wearing sound, made-for-work shoes vs. my usual funky heels. banquet/event waiting is a bitch.

it's not all bad though.

the people: i get to work with interesting people with various backgrounds & experiences.

there's *L, who spent the last 5 years working in chile for a non-profit group. *J, who puts in 110% has an alcoholic housemate who often goes into a violent rage before blacking out. *LW moved here with promises of a job & place to stay, only to find it was all a lie & is now couch-surfing while determining whether to stay or to go. there's the guy who is taking his chances & moving to maui to tend bar & surf after quitting his much hated banking job.

the food: the staff eats whatever the guests are served for the evening. i'm not a fan of banquet food; it's not bad, but it's not all that great...but what can one expect when feeding/serving upwards of several 100+ people at one time? however, there are a few gigs in which the food is pretty awesome. for instance, the wedding anniversary had an antipasti (cured olives & meats, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, thin, grilled asparagus stalks), a duet of steak & halibut, & custard fruit tarts. & because the owner of a local brewery is a member of the country club & is kind enough to donate...there were free beers for the staff (consumed after the guests left during break-down, not service. we're responsible.).

the guests/clients/event: while working benaroya hall, i got to see graham kerr, of 'the galloping gourmet' fame -he helped shaped my interest in food as a kid. i had the opportunity to listen to steve ballmer give an inspiring speech on the importance of investing in the community one lives in (emphasis on schools/education) & his response to a question regarding immigration (i wanted to hug him).

i saw an elegant celebration of a marriage for my first gig -bride fresh-faced & glowing. yesterday, i witnessed the lasting love of a couple celebrating 50 years of life together -arms entwined, eyes locked on the dance floor.

the pastry/baking program is what i hoped it would be.

my daily schedule:
7am-8am: theory
8am-1:20pm: lab
1:20pm-1:40: demonstration (when working w/chef berger)
2:00pm-4:30 (tues/thurs): safety & sanitation

theory varies throughout the quarter & reviews things like equipment, history of various pastries/breads, & basic food chemistry. lab is spent in the kitchen (♥♥♥) & is broken down into groups (cakes, pies, cookies, breads, etc..) of 3-4 people. we spend 2-3 weeks in each group & rotate through all sessions. the chef roams the kitchen guiding everyone's work & answers any concerns. during demonstration, chef berger will lecture briefly on a particular skill or food item. for instance, today he discussed pluots/plums/prunes & we sampled a fantastic plum cake/galette (shaped like a free-form tart, but on some amazing brioche) he made.

there are two instructors: chef berger & chef harris. chef harris teaches theory, but i haven't had much interaction with him yet. in lab, i report to chef berget (burr-jhay); he has an intimidating stance & stern look, but when he is joking around (which he often does...he made jokes about being regular during his prune speech) his facial features soften & you can't help but smile to yourself with his lilting accent. i haven't personally seen this side yet, but three girls in my class have already been berated a few times (supposedly, he yelled at the girls about their eclairs -"these need more filling, they are too light!"- & threw one on the table.) & i am anxious for the day when he gets chef ramsey on my ass.

at the end of the day, i am red from running around the kitchen, my hands feel dry from so many washings, & my feet hurt from standing all day; overall, i am exhausted, but i couldn't be any happier.

threesome?

i want to be 1/2 of a couple like white on rice couple.

they share a love of gardening, food, & travel.

pounding the pavement

please cross fingers & send positive thoughts my way on friday, sept. 26th at 2:30-ish; i have an interview with the lovely folks at Teacup (queen anne).

i haven't been as aggressive in finding a new job as i probably should be for a few reasons:

1. i want to gauge what i can handle while starting the baking/pastry program which will be consuming most of my life for the next two years.
2. i'd like something that will compliment my career goals, or pay more/hour (i'd rather not have to slave several hours for minimum wage unless i know it will get my foot in the door somewhere).
3. i've found a temp wait-staff agency that is extremely flexible to my schedule. they call in the mornings & fill me in on any opening for the next few days/weeks & i pick & choose to my needs.

although i don't mind playing wait-staff & love variety at work, i can see the gigs with the temp agency wearing on my sanity pretty quickly. i prefer that my job be outlined to a degree. a general example of an event: i show up at the specified time & location, desperately search for the evening's contact or other team members, then scramble around & try to be useful while the head honcho figures out what he'd like us to do. as much as i like free/easy money, i feel guilty if i've been hired for something & i'm not doing anything -i'd rather be at home not being paid than sitting around feeling useless.

also, i'm tired of being snapped at by the permanent wait-staff. no, i don't know where the extra linens are kept. no, i don't know where the bar-jacks are supposed to be set. no, i didn't know that this is how you guys normally do it because i'm just doing what your boss-man has shown me. i don't expect kindness, but i do expect some respect & loath condescension.

anyhow, the thought that i may get the opportunity to learn more about tea (history, culture, variety) is pretty thrilling.

also, i'm applying to become a reporter/editor for the campus newspaper -there is some compensation, but i am hoping it provides some experience writing as a professional (plugging ideas, researching, deadlines, quotas).

the picture of the knit ♥s has nothing to do with looking for employment. i just wanted to share. the one on the left has dead eyes (x_X) & looks a little rough because i don't know how to mattress stitch yet. the right heart was knit in the round.

early fall 2008 mix

i don't talk to you because...

i am baffled.

you are flaky. you are passive-aggressive. you are all talk & no action. you are smarmy. you get defensive. you like to pity yourself. & after initial contact, you're no fun at all.

the last conversation we had, i put you off after going off on your pathetic ass. we haven't had a conversation in over 6 months.

so why do you call & text to hang out as though everything is okay?

free ball-ing

mr. yarn ball boogie is, out of the goodness of his ♥, sending me a skein or two of some lovely magry yarn which is no longer available.

it's varigated white, bright cobalt blue, & sienna brown (think thai iced coffee). see how it pools in the scarf he's made?

i want to move to brooklyn just to be friends with him.

they won't replace guitar hero. yet.

grand theft auto IV is amazing. i still suck, but i've enough skill to now manipulate the controllers decently enough: i can steal cars; kick the crap out of innocent bystanders; & steal a car from cops while they're shooting at me.

i also ♥ katamari damacy. although the concept is simple enough, i am not so good at it -which sucks when the person you're playing with is getting 2-3x the needed growth of the katamari.

i'm anxious to try wii fit & play warioware: smooth moves while slightly inebriated.

"why can't you go home? aren't you good enough for your home?"

apparently, i'm not too shabby at miniature golf; i even surprised myself with a hole-in-one.

i'm hoping the next time i try this, it will be at one of those really tacky courses with animated obstacles & brightly flashing lights.

side note: while watching air force one, i was pondering on the presidential election...i wish we had (or there was a candidate) as bad-ass as the president portrayed by Harrison Ford. don't you want a leader who can pack a punch, fly an aircraft, & gets to the point ("get off my plane!")?

or, i'd more than happily settle for an upstanding man like president David Palmer, care of Jack Bauer.

luck of the tipsy

i won two games of darts. & i hit a bull's-eye (with several close ones to follow). i always thought the combination of booze + sharp flying objects as a game was a bad idea, but maybe that's the reason it's a bar game: skills sharpen after a drink or two.

i wish i had a cookie jar

i just made 2 batches (about 70 total) of chocolate chip cookies.

after the new york times printed commentary/recipes/archived articles on the humble cookie back in july, there were several weeks of debate on the best chocolate chip cookie recipe all over the food blogosphere.

at the time, i thought about joining in & testing batch after batch to find the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe. melted butter vs creamed. 12, 24, 36, or 0 hour chill in the fridge? chewy, crispy, soft....oh, the variations!

but it sounded like too much effort. & who would eat all those cookies? so, i decided to let everyone else do the work & i've been keeping tips aside for when i actually needed to make them.

from my research on others' bake tests, the jacque torres' chocolate chip cookie recipe (posted in the NY times) is a bit too sweet & too much waiting for results that are, essentially, equal to waiting 1/2 or less that time.

i've always baked the standard, almost instantly gratifying, mix-drop-voila version. since i needed to bake 2 batches anyway, i decided to try two variations:
1. melted butter & a chill in the fridge. (for a crisper cookie)
2. standard creaming method & straight into the oven (for a softer cookie).

result: although a bit more work & time, i think i'm going to do the melt & chill from now on. it produced a delicately crisp outside while maintaining a soft chewy inside (these are pictured above). the creaming method was delicious, but came out with a denser crumb...almost like cake, wich my mother preferred.

an overdue review on pamela's (or why i miss pittsburgh pt.1)

i'm not a breakfast person during the weekday, but come saturday & sunday mornings, i am a complete advocate.

there's nothing better than lazily waking up & getting together with a group of friends for brunch at home or a local spot to sip on some coffee & delight in fluffy eggs or cinnamon-y french toast.

although i have a few favorite breakfast nooks, none compares to Pamela's on walnut street in pittsburgh, pa. (i specify this shadyside location because i've been to the other locations in pittsburgh & they don't compare).

out of standard breakfast fare, pancakes aren't usually my first pick; however, my mouth waters at the mere thought of hotcakes served here. a little heartier than a crepe, these babies have a crisp edge which compliment wonderfully with the rest of the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth center.

if you're not a pancake person or don't mind carbo-loading it & hitting the ultimate food coma, order a side of the home fries. they are perfect. that is all i have to say about them.

although this place serves straightforward classics, they are done incredibly well....so if you're looking for something fancier/updated/different it's best to head elsewhere.