Monday, June 8, 2009

oh we are making this in two weeks. ps.
Oh working. 33 hours in 3 days is quite a feat. Especially when you are not used to working at 17 hours at a time. Which is what I did on Saturday. My feet killed me at the end of the night while I was standing in a barn's "kitchen" helping with catering for a wedding. All of the guests were wasted off of beer and mixed drinks and the bride kept complaining that she wouldn't eat until she got her pad thai. Which was the thing we couldn't give her because the kitchen didn't send the noodles. So 2 hours late the bride finally got it, although both Colleen and K made a lot of calls to local restaurants to get the substitute. In addition, K was not in the best of moods (probably because of the marathon of a day that lay ahead) and I didn't get yelled at, more like "alex, do you know what you are doing" tone. It was nice to have Colleen and Amanda AA there at the event though. The two of them were familiar faces that would tell me what to do. I felt out of my element not in a kitchen and dealing with people.

Working for K does give me a lot to think about when I am working though. Mostly about what is good to do with catering, what I like about catering, what I don't like and menus. I love her food, but I guess I have dealt with organics and healthy foodies for so long Aunt Mary's cookies and making everything with mayo and sour cream doesn't quite fit into my plan of ways for my future. I want to make food healthy, good for you, and delicious. In addition, I want to create a good environment. It's really good that I am working for her, I appreciate her more than she probably knows. It's a tough business, especially since my mother likes to point out all the negative aspects of this profession, like no summer, no nights free, feast or famine, etc. In addition to all of this I still want to do photography, wedding, commerical, etc. Seriously, if Food and Wine offered me a position to take phtoos or cook for them I would leave everything, even Pittsburgh behind and left to go where they wanted me.

Now, with the photos.



In explanation, I got burned twice in two days by the industrial oven. Only the thumb blistered slightly, but I sucked it up like a big girl. I am also driving my once gramma, then dad's lincoln contintial. Its a boat. Then there is the picture of you. I loved it, thus on here. Also, I did a photoshoot with Katelyn and Amber on Amber's roof.

I have to edit the photos, but not here in my coffee shop.

Monday, June 1, 2009


Here's a close up of the pasta, not that you needed one. For whatever reason, today completely wiped me. Perhaps it was because 4 people called me and the telephone exhausts me. Or maybe I am breaking down a little bit just from being in Cleveland alone.

Wednesday morning, however, I will be on a plane to DC, I'll get to see Laura, her boyfriend, and Julia, and I will probably be lots of hugs involved. You know, I never realized it until now how much human contact really matters. I haven't gotten a solid hug in almost two and a half weeks. A hug is just the best.

You know, it could just be this song, which I'm pretty sure is a Dylan cover:



Whatever it is, I'll be over it tomorrow.

I'm about to finish reading "The Abstinence Teacher"--my third book since I've been here. I hope the end is good!
So. Momma's birthday was on Sunday. We decided to go to the Hotel Bethlehem for her dinner. The dinner itself was less than par. My food, except for my starter and soup, everything had a weird taste. Luckily I didn't hold HB accountable, plainly because the fam and I went to Moravian bookstore to use a 15% discount my mom had for her birthday. I am always pleasantly surprised by the set up. This is the kitchen setup. But the design segment (beyond the bookstore) is just as amazing. I always get inspired. Lately, all I have been doing is reading design blogs. Really, I should be cooking. But I am getting distracted. I plan to make a quiche tonight with left over zucchini slices Karen gave me. I am making the dough tonight. Tomorrow morning for the quiche part.

Oh also I got a new book. It's pretty good. Though it does make me wish that you were here so we could make our own Friday Night knitting club. But alas, you are in Cleveland.
Oh and to explain last post, I was at Amber's. We did a photoshoot, I will show the photos later. I just have been too lazy to edit them. Also, I am trying to find a photographer to follow for wedding photography. I have been getting calls for future weddings to photograph, and I am scared I don't have enough experience to actually photograph it. So we will see. Anyway, AG danced with Becca, because she was a little down. It was awesome. Thus photo.

Saturday, May 30, 2009


i got a 6am call tomorrow. so i will explain tomorrow.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Tonight I made cauliflower.

From 101 cookbooks. And then I blogged about it.

I also left work early to get a haircut. I went to the Barber College about 2 blocks away. The thing about the Barber College is that it's only $4. And you can't beat that. But they're still in training. The intent of the photograph above was to show you how...uh...my hair looks. Not that's much different than normal, just not as good as when Cathy cuts it. It's also messed up in this picture.

Instead you get to see one o my my favorite paintings in the house and my giant basket, which is full of pillows and blankets. More than I could ever need or want.

After getting my haircut, I went to West Side Market and fell in love with the fresh pasta place. I've been searching recipes for squid ink pasta all night.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday--I fell asleep at 10.

Thursday, May 28, 2009


Its always the first day of going back to the kitchen that kicks my ass. So, last night I snuggled up and remembered that I should upload my day's adventures. Earlier in the day I headed off to Ikea to pick up dishes. I need plain white dishes for food photography. So here I am walking out of Ikea with 40 dollars of singles of a line of dishes. But I did get some good stuff. So what can a girl do? Also, because I have eaten terribly and put no protein in my body for the last few days. Tired, I decided to make lentils and onion. Oddly enough, I gained the lideas from a book I am reading called Crescent. The story just draws you in, and I have fallen completely for it.