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Come From a Place of Yes

Filed Under: About me, French Culinary Institute, Workon May 12th, 2010

This will sound very Oprah of me, but it’s true; if you want something, you have to constantly be thinking positive thoughts and creating an ora of acceptance. If you open yourself up to the universe and keep saying, “yes” you will reach your goals.

I read this great quote, and I can’t remember who said it, but it goes something like this, “Cynics are just failed romantics.” I think I’m both at times!

Despite my cynicism towards the job market the last couple months, I’m trying to look at things in a positive way. I’m trying to “open myself up to the universe” and let things come my way. Granted, lots of hard work, sleepless nights, and a do-anything attitude are needed to have things come my way. The best part is, I don’t mind working hard for a goal, I just have to keep reminding myself to say, “yes.”

Yesterday was one such instance where I was given the opportunity to say “yes.” A marketing employee from The French Culinary Institute was having a baby shower, and at the last minute I was offered to be the chef to cater the event.

By last minute, I mean I got the email at noon and I had to be there at four.

But what did I say … yes! Duh! Not only do I need the money more than the Greeks, but I’m always looking to network.

Low and behold when I show up, the party is being thrown by a very important, high powered, and incredibly lucky woman, who by chance used to work for one of my idols … an idol I’m struggling to get an interview with.

I passed out my card, did the best I could, cleaned the apartment until it was spotless, and PRAYED to God that this woman liked me. Best case scenario, I can connect with her later on. Worst case scenario, I got to cater another night and walked out with a little cash.

Not too bad for such a little word as “yes.”

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Culinary Guilty Pleasures

Filed Under: About meon May 9th, 2010

I’m all about being bad … at least when it comes to food. I eat too much, I drink too much, I work out too much (to counteract points a. and b.), and I definitely have eyes that are bigger than my head.

I love healthy lifestyle blogs, and tend to lead a pretty healthy life myself, but I’m not one to preach. This blog is about enjoy the “sweets” of life. When there are so many sours to everyday, why don’t indulge a bit?

Here’s a list of my culinary guilty pleasures, what are yours?

  1. I drink full-calorie dark beers in large quantities and convince myself they’re not worse for me than the Amstel Light drinks of the bar-world. You will never catch me with a Michelob Ultra.
  2. I spend hours in the supermarket. Sometimes I visit several a day. Perusing the aisles, wishing I could buy everything, and generally walking out with items I don’t need and/or can’t afford.
  3. When I cook for people, I don’t just cook, I entertain them. That means that everyone eats with real silverware and plates, I make every part of the meal (sometimes even the bread), and always make sure no one has an empty wine glass.
  4. I use more butter and salt than any healthy lifestyle blog would allow. Sorry.
  5. I make sure that every plate I make or eat not only tastes good but looks good. Why would you want to eat something that didn’t look good?
  6. I enjoy eating breakfast alone. It’s my time to recharge and get ready for the day. While eating breakfast alone is refreshing, eating lunch and dinner alone is sad, and hence always have plans!
  7. I try and eat out at one new joint every week, my list of “places to try” is over two pages on a Word Document. Sometimes I do two in one week .. and on weeks such as this, the rest of my week’s meals consist of either cereal or scrambled eggs because of my lack of funds. It’s worth every penny.
  8. Sweets always taste better when they’re made by someone else. Maybe it’s because I’m a perfectionist, maybe it’s because I think that more than any other food, baked goods are best enjoyed fresh.
  9. I buy organic produce and cage free/grass fed meat. It’s expensive, but, to me, it’s literally a moral obligation I have to myself but to the planet. I believe in the process of food before it hits your kitchen as being even more important than the process inside the kitchen itself.
  10. I eat dessert after every meal. Yes, I do. I know that sounds crazy, ask anyone. I mean this is the Diary of a Sweet Tooth.

Now, go and indulgence, life’s too short.

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Cake Cures All

Filed Under: About me, French Culinary Instituteon March 9th, 2010

Like all people, I have my up’s and down’s, but there’s one thing that I’m NOT good at, and that’s transition. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t fear the change, just the process into that new phase.

And it usually involves me spontaneously making a BIG decision … or the complete opposite, remaining stuck in my ways until the former happens.

So as an anxiety that change is upon me with graduation from school, the entrance of spring, my job search, etc., etc. I’m getting frazzled and moody. Granted, I’m aware that all these things are good, I just can’t wrap my head around how they’re going to turn out.

I’m a little type A, I like what I can control. What can I say?

So when these moods fall upon me, what do I do? Usually nothing. Literally, nothing. When you don’t know what to do, do nothing at all. And that’s exactly what I’ve been up to. Hard part is, when you write a blog about your everyday experiences, doing nothing isn’t an option.

But, just like all the great ideas that inspire me to JUMP into my new life phase and survive, often there are kitchen inspirations that surprise me …

Anyone in my class will tell you that I’m not the biggest “eater” when it comes to sampling our own desserts. Don’t get me wrong, many of them are good, but for me the point of dessert isn’t to shovel things in your mouth as you stand over the compost bin about to dispose of the day’s work. I like to sit, relax, and enjoy my dessert. And since there’s not much relaxing in the kitchen … I don’t eat many of our treats unless I’m at home.

But today’s cake shook me up.

Now, the types of desserts I like vary with season. Since my hands turn a lovely shade of “death” during the winter when I’m cold, my favorite option, ice cream, doesn’t seem like the logical choice. So, I opt for heartier, warmer options, one of them being hearty enriched breads.

Yes, I consider pound cake, muffins, cinnamon bread, etc desserts, NOT breakfast. So during the winter, I love cozying up to a bourbon apple sauce cake from Vesuvio or a warm sticky bun.

Today we made a Beaumes-de-Venise Cake which is a type of sweet wine cake made with olive oil, citrus zest, and grapes. Topped with granulated sugar, I enjoyed this cake during school AND after school. Having the best of both worlds.

So just like this “spring tease” that’s happening in New York, the thought of change is throwing me for a loop … but despite all this, it’s nice to know that a little piece of dessert can change my frown of confusion into a smile of happiness.

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Get me to the San Pellegrino Finals!

Filed Under: About meon February 4th, 2010

There’s no question how much I love food. There’s also no question to what extent I’ll go to get my dream job of getting to work with food everyday in some capacity.

Being a culinary student is temporary … unfortunately. But, that doesn’t mean my chances are nil.

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As a Featured Publisher of FoodBuzz, a social networking site for food blogs, (it’s fabulous, inspiring, and wonderful, check it out) that’s throwing a contest to become a finalist for the March 7th in Napa Valley, San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Finals!

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Ah, in the words of Rachel Zoe, “I [would] diiiiieee” to get accepted.

First off, Napa Valley is my all-time favorite place in this entire world. I’ve had my fair share of wine, scenery, food, and hospitality. But it’s not enough! So in honor of the contest I’m going to list the top 3 things to do with Pellegrino AND the top 3 things to do in Napa. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to enact these ambitions.

The Best Things to do with Pellegrino

1. Cure a hangover. A girlfriend of mine used to swear that Pellegrino (only in a glass bottle, not plastic) was the ultimate hangover cure. And to this day, I use this piece of advice, it works.

2. Making a delicious, low-calorie cocktail. A sub for soda (and the night before # 1), Pellegrino is a fabulous way to add bubble, fizz, and fanciness to a cocktail without adding calories or fat.

3. You’re supposed to drink 8 glasses of water everyday, but that’s boring! Pellegrino does the same job, and it tastes better and gives more of a kick! Try substituting the two!

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Top Adventures to have in Napa Valley

1. Rent a bike (don’t wimp out and get a car, or a driver) and bike to all the vineyards your sampling at. Warning: the helmet doesn’t look or sound like a good idea, but you’ll quickly realize it is.

2. Make reservations at multiple restaurants. Starting with say a 7 o’clock dinner, a 9 o’clock dinner, and an 11 o’clock dinner. Eat dinner at all three, you’ll never eat like this again. And yes, this is after a full day of drinking, you’ll revel in it. If you can’t get a reservation, sit at the bar, order apps, and chit-chat, smile, and laugh … you’ll get a table.

3. Never ever underestimate the power of making friends in Napa. It’s something about the sun, wine, and camaraderie that makes everyone friends that day. Chances are you’ll actually be connected to someone somewhere along your journey.

Thank you all for listening to my favorite things and wish me luck in making it to the finals!

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Cooking with Kids!

Filed Under: About me, Recipes, Workon January 14th, 2010

I’d like to mutually promote and highlight Metropolitan Sitters, a babysitting company I work for and in who’s site I was featured in this past week. Take a look at good tips for cooking with kids!

Here’s the recipe for Zucchini Bread (or muffins), that’s an adaptation from a Food and Wine Magazine version. This bread is delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack!

Zucchini Muffins (or Bread)

1 cup walnuts chopped (optional, but again, great way to teach kids a healthy food)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1 cup coarsely grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pan with tins. Toast walnuts until fragrant. This step can be done by the adult ahead of time or not at all. Not even a situation if omitting nuts.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add all wet ingredients. Fold in grated zucchini and nuts. Stir until batter is evenly moistened. Fill cups about 3/4 full and bake about 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow them to cool before the kids eat, enjoy!

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I Ain't No Gisele

Filed Under: About me, Lifeon November 15th, 2009

My room mate doesn’t love her job. But then again, do most people my age, or any age do? I don’t think I can give a resounding answer either way, but the stereotype of “hating” your entry-level job at 23, goes hand-in-hand with taking the 6 train and having happy-hour Thursdays in crowded mid-town bar.

I’m an odd ball, always have been. I get up most days before the sun, take the odd numbered and/or lettered trains to areas foreign to most upper middle class white bankers my age, and work my butt off, on my feet, all day. And I love it.

The biggest misconception about being a chef (or training to be one) is that it’s glamorous. There is no doubt that the squeaky-clean images on food network have promoted this notion, but more than that, food is something almost everyone loves. Loves to love, AND loves to hate. It’s the story of our nation’s obsession with everything from fad diets, food trends, and ideals that links our very society. But the actual craft of cooking is intense, and never mastered, just continually learned.

So between the Rachael Rays and the Ina Gartens of the world, there’s a vast divide within the food world. Everyone from the delivery guys, to the men who wash dishes, serve food, and prepare 4 star meals are part of this underground system of food workers. And they all work hard. Everyday. Everyday someone and everyone needs to eat.

Forget happy hours, forget sleep, forget dates, and forget holidays. Your new family is your food family. And if you’re lucky enough to love working it, and/or who you’re with, it doesn’t matter how unglamorous the job gets.

Case in point. On Thursday night The Dinner Belle catered an event to launch the newly Pop: The Genius of Andy Warhol, by a New York social club in the home of famous fashion designer. The host lived in a Soho loft that was bigger than my house. Large scale Warhols hung on every wall, in an awe inspiring, take-off-your-pants kind of way. Just as Andy would have liked.
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The party drew socialites, artists, writers, celebrities, and press. It was beautiful. Want to know where I was? Wearing an apron and pulling over 200 crab appetizers out of the oven until 11 PM at night for the rich and fabulous of New York’s downtown social scene. And I loved it.

It wasn’t glamorous. I wasn’t in any pictures, didn’t sip any cocktails, and sure as heck didn’t get to mingle with the tens of skinny beautiful women in sparkly cocktail dresses and Louboutin shoes. Nope, sure not. In the kitchen, working, and cooking BUT watching and listening.

I can’t tell you that what one person does for a living is more or less justified, but I can say this. If you’re lucky enough to find something that makes you tick, work at it. Keep going, and when you get tired (it happens, believe me I was “cooked” at 11 PM that night after being up since 5 AM) keep going.

And when you realize that you have to miss Thanksgiving for events and school, smile, don’t be bitter. Be happy that your friends and family are enjoying the joys of food on the holiday … and so are you in reality, just in a different way.

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