Sunday, March 30, 2008  | Counting the Days
Current mood:  weird I’ve cast aside the idea of subletting my room, and have now set the plan in action to move all of my stuff to a storage facility down the block. I am dreading this, to say the least. At first glance, it seems as if I don’t have that much stuff, but it all adds up. The cookbooks alone will probably take about ten boxes to themselves. Ugh. Oh, and the CDs. Double ugh.
I’ve started counting the days, and frankly, can not wait to get on the road. I did have a good time out and about in the city last night, though. Linda and I met up at an art opening on Broadway and Broom. I’m not really an art opening kind of gal, but this one was somewhat interesting. It was art that was solely illuminated by natural lighting (i.e. candles). I guess the most interesting aspect of it was walking in from broad daylight into a very dark room with a lot of people milling about and some sitting at booths that were set up at each piece. I suppose you had to be there to get the full effect, though.
Next stop for us was Pravda, which I believe means truth in Russian. It’s a pseudo Russian bar/restaurant that I go to every once in awhile, whenever I need to get my fancy cocktail fix in. Linda, being a lover of all things Russian, was immediately game and seemed to enjoy the place. She had the scrambled eggs with caviar and toast points, and I had the beef stroganoff. She had a Russian Mary and then a chocolate martini, I had a spiced cranberry martini and a fig martini. Yum on both accounts. The plan was to attend some other art opening after grabbing a bite, but we discovered that it was a bit too late and decided to hoof it over to Motor City. Wise choice, I must say. We stuck around for a bit and made the call to Ed. Where to next? Off to the Levee for Lonestars and Jameson. Yay! Ed even had a Frito Pie, which is something that I always have marveled at.
The main event for the evening was going to Glassland to see Excepter play. More good times were had with Linda and Ed, but of course we couldn’t stop there. Next stop, Linda’s house, where of course I ended up crashing. Ah, New York on a Saturday night. Gotta love it, but I still can’t wait to leave.
I awoke at the ridiculous hour of 4:00 p.m. to a sudden urge to get breakfast at the Dominican diner down the street from Linda’s. We hoofed our way down the street, and put our order in for morir sonandos and roast pork mofongo. If you’ve never had morir sonando, I would highly recommend having one immediately. For the uninitiated, it is basically orange juice and milk mixed together. I know, it sounds vile, but it’s one of the best things in the world. Have one, now! The mofongo, on the other hand, left much to be desired. It’s basically mashed plantains and hominy with pork, and it is served with a sauce on the side. I found it to be dry and bland, and the pork skin was kind of grossing me out, which is strange considering how much I usually love it. Not my favorite Dominican dish, but I had to try it at least once. Now I know. The best part of the afternoon was when a family came in to dine with their toddler who immediately threw up upon approaching the table that was next to us. His father proceeded to chastise him for it, which I was absolutely blown away by. His father was shaming him, while his mother soothed him. Very odd.
Now, here I sit in my room, trying to piece together a plan to get all of my stuff over to this storage space. I am doomed.
 | Currently listening :
The Shepherd's Dog
By Iron & Wine
Release date: 25 September, 2007  | 4:23 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Friday, March 28, 2008 | Thank you, Mr. Manilow.
Current mood:  accomplished In less than three weeks, I will be leaving NYC to live on an RV with four guys, driving around the country cooking for some country singer by the name of Kenny Chesney for a grand total of FIVE months. The restaurant has been informed, now I just need to figure out what to do with my apartment.
Who wants to sublet my room?
 | Currently listening :
One Day You'll Dance for Me, New York City
By Thomas Dybdahl
Release date: 27 June, 2006  | 7:46 PM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Friday, March 21, 2008 | Chirp!
Current mood:  bored Chirp!  | Currently listening :
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
By The Byrds
Release date: 25 March, 1997  | 6:41 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Thursday, March 20, 2008 | Wings?
Current mood: gallant This is definitely not the way that I would want to go, but that just might be me.
MARATHON, Fla. - A 75-pound stingray killed a Michigan woman Thursday when it flew out of the water and struck her in the face as she rode in a boat in the Florida Keys, officials said. Judy Kay Zagorski, of Pigeon, Mich., was sitting in a boat going 25 mph when the spotted eagle ray, with a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet, leaped out of the water, said Jorge Pino, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The 57-year-old woman’s father was driving the boat on the Atlantic Ocean side of Vaca Key, Pino said. "He had absolutely no warning. It just happened instantaneously," Pino said. The impact likely killed the woman, but it was not immediately clear if she had any puncture wounds from the ray’s barb, Pino said. An autopsy will determine an official cause of death, Pino said. Spotted eagle rays can weigh up to 500 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 10 feet. They are known to occasionally jump out of the water but are not aggressive and use the venomous barb at the end of their tail as a defense mechanism. The rays are protected in Florida waters and are typically seen swimming on the water’s surface. "Rays jump to escape a predator, give birth and shake off parasites," said Lynn Gear, supervisor of fishes and reptiles at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. "They do not attack people. | |
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| Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | I Still Need to Perfect Those Scissors Kicks
Current mood:  cantankerous It seems to me that lately I get my best thoughts on the PATH train platform. If any of you have ever ridden the PATH train, I’m sure you wonder why or how thoughts would form in such a location. Is it the beige tiles on the pillars, or perhaps it’s the signage that’s so inspiring? Is it the drunk frat boys that get on the train at Hoboken and proceed to throw up whilst in transit? Well, tonight, it was none of the above. My head was so filled with the four different jobs that I’ve taken on at the restaurant, that I can pretty much say that there’s no room for other thoughts, PATH train related, or otherwise. I boarded the World Trade Center PATH train to find many NJ Devils and NY Rangers fans on board as well. Clearly, the Rangers won. Good for them, I suppose. That reminds me. I need to go to a hockey game before the season’s over. Who wants to go with me?
In other news, my trip is still on to go to North Carolina, but the artist that we’re feeding has been changed once again. First, no Van Halen, and then next, Def Leppard was off the list. Who are we feeding now? None other but Mr. Barry Manilow. At the rate that they’ve been changing things up on me, by the time I get to North Carolina, I’ll be feeding Raffi. Now wouldn’t that be exciting. I am sort of excited to see Barry Manilow, though, and I’m even thinking about staying down there for an extra day or two to hang out in the South. It’s been years since I’ve spent time in North Carolina, but I think I really like that part of the country. It seems that every time that I go down there I always meet really great people, and have a great time. Could I live in the South, though? Hard to say, but I’d have to go out on a limb and say probably not. First, it’s waaaaaay too hot. Secondly, what do you do down there? Also, it seems like people move really slowly down there. Having been in NYC for ten years, that would definitely take some getting used to. Also, I know the barbecue is great down there, but one does not live on barbecue alone. Or do they???
 | Currently listening :
The Plateau Phase
By Crispy Ambulance
Release date: 01 January, 1994  | 6:29 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Monday, March 10, 2008 | Rambling Randomly
Current mood:  determined
As I stood on the PATH train platform, watching a mouse devour a french fry that was almost as big as he was, I suddenly had an epiphany. Well, it wasn't so grand that it warranted epiphany status, but rather it was more of a random thought. It suddenly dawned on me that I need to stay put in NYC for at least the next year or two, and rock the restaurant catering thing, and also really put an effort into playing music again. It was a weak plan at first, but once I played with Hans, it seemed to make that much more sense. I really enjoyed playing with him, and I'm looking forward to learning the songs and actually playing some shows with them. Next step is to get together with the drummer, which I'm nervous about, but I'm sure it will all be fine. Granted, it's been a couple of years since I've really played with a band, and I am rusty, but I think I'll get back in the game rather quickly. Check out the band, if you like. They're called Career Club, and they're in my "top friends", somewhere. They also have a website, and the URL is www.careerclubmusic.com. Let me know what you think.
The Van Halen gig fell through, because Eddie VH is "sick". So be it. I'm still taking a trip down to North Carolina, though. Instead of the mighty Halen, I will be feeding - get this - Def Leppard! Sweet. Oh, how amused I am at the thought of feeding Def Leppard. I wonder if I can locate a t-shirt with a British flag on it for the festivities. You know those sleeves would be off in a heartbeat. After the Def Leppard show, I'll make my way back to the city, and hopefully will be able to line up some catering gigs for the restaurant. Anybody need a caterer out there?
Speaking of the restaurant, I've been working the line quite a bit, and as sick and wrong as it might be, I've actually been enjoying it! What? I never thought that I could ever, ever enjoy life on the line, but you know, it's not that bad. There are some moments when it sort of, um, sucks. As a matter of fact, one of those moments happened just the other day. One of the owners/chefs, in a fit of rage, hurled a cake mold across the room. That wasn't exactly a sunny moment in history, but we worked through it. I think. Sigh.
 | Currently listening :
Wipers Box Set
By Wipers
Release date: 16 October, 2001  | 12:47 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Wednesday, February 27, 2008 | The Briming of the Herring
Current mood: dorky At one point last summer I cooked at a festival up in Bridgeport, CT, and it was right on the LI Sound. Later in the evening, after all of the food was put away and we were done with whatever it was that we did, we all decided to take a walk down to the beach. As we all sat chatting and watching the ships in the distance, all of a sudden all of these silver fish started rising to the surface in big, undulating waves. Me, being from Minnesota, and never having that much exposure to the ocean (it kind of freaks me out, even though I've lived in close proximity to one for thirteen years, now) was in awe. I'm sure it's a normal spectacle to those who are from those parts, or at least those who have been exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite the spectacle for me, though. As soon as one group of fish retracted back to their watery depths, the next group of fish would surface in a shimmering, silver wave upon the surface of the water. It was beautiful.
The reason that I bring this up is because as I was perusing one of the eight billion cooking related books in my house, I came across a passage in a book simply called "History of Food". It was written by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat. The passage was actually written by another French person by the name of Jules Michelet, who was alive between 1798-1874. It's from "La mer" (The Sea), and the passage is entitled "The Briming of the Herring". I think they mean "Brimming", but I'm quoting verbatim.
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On Midsummer Night (the night of 24th to 25th June), five minutes after midnight, the great herring-fishing season opens in the northern seas. Flashing phosphorescence undulates and dances on the waves. 'There goes the briming of the herring!' is the traditional cry heard on all the boats. A whole living world has just risen from the depths to the surface, following the call of warmth, desire and the light. The timid fish like the pale and gentle light of the moon, the reassuring lantern which encourages them to celebrate their festival of love. They all come up together; not one remains behind. Sociability is the law of the herring race, and they are never seen alone. They live together, hidden in the twilight deeps; they rise together in the spring for their small share of universal happiness, to see the light of day, take their pleasure and die. Crowding in serried ranks, they can never be close enough to each other; they swim in dense shoals. 'It is as if the dunes set sail', the Flemish used to say. It looks as though a vast island has risen from the sea somewhere between Scotland, Holland and Norway, and a continent is about to emerge. An eastern section detaches itself and swims into the Sound, filling up the entry to the Baltic. In certain narrow straits, it is impossible to row; the sea is solid with herring. Millions of millions of them, billions upon billions. Who would venture to guess the number of those legions? There is a tale that in the old days, near Le Havre, a single fisherman took 8000,000 herring in his nets one morning. At one Scottish port they fill 11,000 barrels with herring in a night.
They advance like some blind, fateful element, and no destruction discourages them. Men and fish all fall upon them, but still they come, still they swim on...
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I'm thinking I wouldn't like to be a herring, so much, but that just might be me.
In other news, alphabetizing of the CDs took place. I'm all the way up to H, and I can't believe some of the stuff that I've forgotten. There's actually this band called Birdwatcher that I sort of wrote off when I first got the CD. I gave it a listen again, and it's actually quite interesting. Ambient and pretty at moments, with some somewhat extreme and noisy parts. A little bit of chaos amidst some beauty, if you will. Sort of like the "Briming of the Herring", I guess.
 | Currently listening :
The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn
By The Birdwatcher
Release date: 07 November, 2000  | 12:07 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Tuesday, February 26, 2008 | Scissors Kicks are Kinda Hard
Current mood:  indescribable Here it is, February 26, and I can't tell you a time when I've wanted February to end more than I do today. I returned the 16mm reels of Sunset Boulevard (which we watched the other night) back to the 53rd Street library in a steady and chilly rain, which really was threatening to be sleet. It held back long enough for me to make my way back to the awning of Radio City Music Hall so I could finish my conversation with my friend in LA, and remain relatively dry before I descended the subway stairs to make my way home. Wow, LA sounds pretty good right now - kinda - maybe not. Now that I think about it, it's probably raining there, as well. To think, I was supposed to be on my way to sunny Florida to do the first of this year's festivals with Kerry. I keep on saying this lately, but my, things do change fast around here.
Instead of Langerado in Florida, I'm doing a one-off gig in Raleigh, NC, cooking for Van f'in Halen. Instead of being surrounded by twenty-something neo-hippies and jam-bands, I'll instead be surrounded by aging rockers. Lucky, lucky me. I've heard that Eddie Van Halen is really difficult when it comes to food. What does this mean? Well, we all know the M&M story, I'm sure, (Was it take out the brown, or put in the green? I can't remember.) but how difficult is difficult? I kind of thought that David Lee Roth would be the difficult one, but maybe he's just eccentric. How big of a prick can he be if he was an EMT, though? Hmm. Food for thought? Probably not.
 | Currently reading :
Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine
By Harriet Beinfield
Release date: 30 June, 1992  | 4:49 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Wednesday, February 20, 2008 | "New" Pics
Current mood:  nostalgic In my attempt to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life (or at least the next year), I've decided to go through all of my stuff and purge, if you will. It's been very interesting what I've come across, including some pictures that were on a disc that I have long forgotten about. They are mostly of nothing, but I'm posting them anyway, just for kicks. They're also from about six years ago, around the time that I was graduating from culinary school. My, how things change.
8:41 AM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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| Monday, February 18, 2008 | Addendum to Mixing Paint or Playing Drums???
Current mood:  distressed
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers I noticed that in the last sentence of the aforementioned blog I wrote "pain stirrers" instead of "paint stirrers". I will leave it as such, and more than likely laugh every time I see it.
More on the subject of should I stay or should I go (re: tour cooking vs. NYC cooking). I've been talking a lot about this with quite a few people and still haven't been able to figure out what I should do. I spoke to my roommate last night about this, and the most interesting thing that he said to me was that he thought that I seemed much happier since I haven't been on the road - well, not necesarilly happier, but at least more grounded. Granted, he didn't know me very well when I first moved into this place, but I do consider him to be a rather insightful person. For Christ's sake, the guy meditates for six hours a day! He better have some sort of enlightenment.
I think the next step that I need to take is to have another conversation with this woman who wants me to do this tour. I also should probably have a conversation with Kerry, my old boss. He's been doing this tour crap for centuries, and he might be able to set me in the right direction. After all, being on the road isn't for everyone, but I certainly did love the year that I did it. I met some really amazing people, and actually had some great times. It's probably the hardest work that I've done, so there's a certain level of gratification that goes along with it as well. The other thing that I have to do is to look at the logistics of doing something like that. Six months is a long time to be away from home, and I certainly wouldn't want to be paying rent while I was away. Would I be able to find a subletter for my room, or would I just have to move out of my apartment? Ack! Also, there's the subject of this band that I might start playing bass for. Is this something that I'm looking for in my life? Ahhhh music. Oh, how I miss it, but is it enough to make me stay in the city? The other thing that I have to look at is what sort of quality of food is this company preparing. If I am asked to put something out like what we did at Bonnaroo (with Spectrum) last year, you can just forget it. Disgusting, but then again, I am a food snob. I admit it freely, and will continue to admit it.
Enough of me thinking out loud (or visibly, in this case). Time to listen to the aforementioned band's CD again, and absorb their music a little more. Maybe I'll redecorate my room or alphabetize my CDs tonight. That will give me some clarity - I hope.
2:12 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove | |
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