Aaaaaaaaaand it's Winter. 9 degrees today and careers and hobbies seem like a lifetime away in the struggle to not be found in an ice floe in Central Park.
Temping away, catering and then huddling inside a cinema to watch Young Victoria. Life becomes a chapter in a Jane Austen novel midway through January until around March. And I'm not complaining.
It appeals to the maiden aunt in my soul. Which is down there lurking with swashbucklers, archaeologists, medieval royalty, chefs and mystics...
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas Eve
Just returned from five days in Woodstock where I was the chef for Christmas Eve dinner.
Sea Scallop Rumaki, Moules Marnieres, Prime Rib, Leg of Lamb marinated with Olive Oil, Dijon mustard, shallots and Rosmary, Goose stuffed with Braised Dates filled with foie gras and port wine reduction, Tarte Tatin, Tarte Fraise and Tangerine Flan.... and every wine under the sun.
Very successful and would do it again in a heartbeat. Great friends, food and drink in an idyllic setting. Certainly beat last Chrissy when I was by myself on my couch with a busted dvd of Sex & the City/The Movie. I was determined NOT to have to go through that again, thus--Gooseapalooza '09.
Next day was lamb stew and lamb sandwiches with Bearnaise sauce which does NOT keep well.
Have realized that my new favourite colour is egg yolk and sugar whipped into gold ribbons. :)
The hostess gave me her Breadmaker and three All-Clad pans which I hope to be buried with!
Five days of this was enough, because I swear... gout is imminent! I don't understand how the gourmets do it. Living like Louis XIV would kill me after a month. Anne Rice said, "The days of Wine and Roses are fabulous... but they're BRIEF!".
Got home last night and baked a loaf of bread. Didn't rise all the way, so will get to the bottom of that--and watched Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, which was just the most awful movie. You'd like to think that if you're gonna commit to a character that there might be SOME chance of redemption for him/her... Feh.
Anyway... tonight, it's supposed to drop into the single digits and we're gonna freeze our tuchii off.
Happy New Year everybody...
OH--if anyone knows anything about the complimentary technique classes at Williams/Sonoma, please fill me in. I want to go, but not if it's just a chance for them to hawk merchandise for an hour.
Sea Scallop Rumaki, Moules Marnieres, Prime Rib, Leg of Lamb marinated with Olive Oil, Dijon mustard, shallots and Rosmary, Goose stuffed with Braised Dates filled with foie gras and port wine reduction, Tarte Tatin, Tarte Fraise and Tangerine Flan.... and every wine under the sun.
Very successful and would do it again in a heartbeat. Great friends, food and drink in an idyllic setting. Certainly beat last Chrissy when I was by myself on my couch with a busted dvd of Sex & the City/The Movie. I was determined NOT to have to go through that again, thus--Gooseapalooza '09.
Next day was lamb stew and lamb sandwiches with Bearnaise sauce which does NOT keep well.
Have realized that my new favourite colour is egg yolk and sugar whipped into gold ribbons. :)
The hostess gave me her Breadmaker and three All-Clad pans which I hope to be buried with!
Five days of this was enough, because I swear... gout is imminent! I don't understand how the gourmets do it. Living like Louis XIV would kill me after a month. Anne Rice said, "The days of Wine and Roses are fabulous... but they're BRIEF!".
Got home last night and baked a loaf of bread. Didn't rise all the way, so will get to the bottom of that--and watched Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, which was just the most awful movie. You'd like to think that if you're gonna commit to a character that there might be SOME chance of redemption for him/her... Feh.
Anyway... tonight, it's supposed to drop into the single digits and we're gonna freeze our tuchii off.
Happy New Year everybody...
OH--if anyone knows anything about the complimentary technique classes at Williams/Sonoma, please fill me in. I want to go, but not if it's just a chance for them to hawk merchandise for an hour.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Went to meet an old friend last evening, her daughter (also an old friend!) and HER daughters who were taking David Howard's evening class at Steps on Broadway and 75th. I hadn't set foot in the studio in almost fifteen years, and it was nice to see that not very much has changed.
Scholarship kids still running the register (I used to do this), same antique wood furniture everywhere and the same social life going on outside the studios on the floor. The dancers look younger than ever and I stared into the same mirrors I stared in long ago.... Only a VERY different face looked back at me. Time... she's a bitch of a mistress...
David is a legend in the dance world and the dancers and artists he has created populate every major company in the world. Was lovely to see this icon and my old friend relive memories. He is rather physically feeble now, but his voice is still powerful and he demonstrates with his hands. He lost his studio in NYC as the rent skyrocketed to an unbelievable rate--as so many rents have done, and now teaches at Steps.
Getting to the studio was chaotic as some idiot on the subway slammed a box into my back and we got into a screaming match. The whole time I am cursing this cretin out, I am thinking, "Jesus man, lighten up, it's Christmas!", but yet my mouth kept going and god knows there was an audience. I was so embarassed I got out of the subway at 66th street and walked the rest of the way. Ho, ho, NO. Light a candle for my short, temper someone won't you please?!?!?
Heading up to Woodstock tomorrow to begin this cookfest.
Merry Hols, everyone.
Scholarship kids still running the register (I used to do this), same antique wood furniture everywhere and the same social life going on outside the studios on the floor. The dancers look younger than ever and I stared into the same mirrors I stared in long ago.... Only a VERY different face looked back at me. Time... she's a bitch of a mistress...
David is a legend in the dance world and the dancers and artists he has created populate every major company in the world. Was lovely to see this icon and my old friend relive memories. He is rather physically feeble now, but his voice is still powerful and he demonstrates with his hands. He lost his studio in NYC as the rent skyrocketed to an unbelievable rate--as so many rents have done, and now teaches at Steps.
Getting to the studio was chaotic as some idiot on the subway slammed a box into my back and we got into a screaming match. The whole time I am cursing this cretin out, I am thinking, "Jesus man, lighten up, it's Christmas!", but yet my mouth kept going and god knows there was an audience. I was so embarassed I got out of the subway at 66th street and walked the rest of the way. Ho, ho, NO. Light a candle for my short, temper someone won't you please?!?!?
Heading up to Woodstock tomorrow to begin this cookfest.
Merry Hols, everyone.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Winter Solstice
December 21.
The Winter Solstice.
CLEARLY the first day of Winter as the snow from the Northeastern Blizzard has backed up and it takes double the time to walk anywhere. Still sort of white.
It's insanely cold and time for the I Don't Care coat. The Ugly Betty coat. AKA the vomit-taupe, Michelin Man coat I bought at Daffy's for 7 bucks when I first arrived to counteract the elements in the bleak Midwinter. The coat I wore when I was meeting my roommate at The Color Purple on Broadway and while standing on 52nd St, he could see my approach from 47th Street. And had to check or buy another seat for.
The I DON'T GIVE A DAMN HOW I LOOK IT'S FREEZING SO GET OFF MY DRESS coat.
Sitting at my temp desk laden with Mucinex, Airborne, Advil and enough coffee to jump start Lazarus.
No auditions this week that I can go to due to this gig and the resounding cold that is pummeling my pulmonaries... and a HUGE case of the Mean Reds. Getting ready to abscond Upstate and start the process of Christmas Eve Dinner.
Definitely need to get out of the city for a bit, even if the entire time will be spent in front of a stove. Worse places to be!
The Winter Solstice.
CLEARLY the first day of Winter as the snow from the Northeastern Blizzard has backed up and it takes double the time to walk anywhere. Still sort of white.
It's insanely cold and time for the I Don't Care coat. The Ugly Betty coat. AKA the vomit-taupe, Michelin Man coat I bought at Daffy's for 7 bucks when I first arrived to counteract the elements in the bleak Midwinter. The coat I wore when I was meeting my roommate at The Color Purple on Broadway and while standing on 52nd St, he could see my approach from 47th Street. And had to check or buy another seat for.
The I DON'T GIVE A DAMN HOW I LOOK IT'S FREEZING SO GET OFF MY DRESS coat.
Sitting at my temp desk laden with Mucinex, Airborne, Advil and enough coffee to jump start Lazarus.
No auditions this week that I can go to due to this gig and the resounding cold that is pummeling my pulmonaries... and a HUGE case of the Mean Reds. Getting ready to abscond Upstate and start the process of Christmas Eve Dinner.
Definitely need to get out of the city for a bit, even if the entire time will be spent in front of a stove. Worse places to be!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Snow-dendum
Clearly I blogged too soon. The storm raged on for about 14 hours. a good foot of snow on the ground and traffic lunacy for all to see.
A bus went diagonally down Lefferts in front of the Kew Gardens Cinema as I was coming out of Me and Orson Wells. Cute movie. Zac Efron is ... well, he's just pretty as hell. You can't mince words there. And it was a good film about being an actor. How you must do it because there is nothing else you CAN or WANT to do. It's in your soul. You're a "God-created" actor.
And you take the good with the bad.
Would love to see a bit more good, but that's why we struggle. And hope.
As I am still besieged by weather, it's time to make those Bananna muffins and rehearse the Goose. I only get one shot at that.
A bus went diagonally down Lefferts in front of the Kew Gardens Cinema as I was coming out of Me and Orson Wells. Cute movie. Zac Efron is ... well, he's just pretty as hell. You can't mince words there. And it was a good film about being an actor. How you must do it because there is nothing else you CAN or WANT to do. It's in your soul. You're a "God-created" actor.
And you take the good with the bad.
Would love to see a bit more good, but that's why we struggle. And hope.
As I am still besieged by weather, it's time to make those Bananna muffins and rehearse the Goose. I only get one shot at that.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Snow?
Well... the BIGGIE was a smallie. So much for THE STORM OF 2010~!
I went to Tradefair to buy the goose and you would have thought the war had ended with the cashier lines to Long Island and the extremely freaked out, non English-speaking cashiers.
65 bucks later, goose in hand, we drove back through the snow to the house, made the Rosemary Bread (where DID Tim learn to knead dough????? Is this some Midwestern rite of passages we in the Northeast don't know about???), mulled the wine, popped on the fake fireplace and are waiting for ...THE BLIZZARD. If Winter's on the wing, then it's a pigeon, not a condor, that's carrying it.
I went to Tradefair to buy the goose and you would have thought the war had ended with the cashier lines to Long Island and the extremely freaked out, non English-speaking cashiers.
65 bucks later, goose in hand, we drove back through the snow to the house, made the Rosemary Bread (where DID Tim learn to knead dough????? Is this some Midwestern rite of passages we in the Northeast don't know about???), mulled the wine, popped on the fake fireplace and are waiting for ...THE BLIZZARD. If Winter's on the wing, then it's a pigeon, not a condor, that's carrying it.
Snow Day
Snowstorm moving up and over from the South and the Midwest.
This means, while the expected 12 inches accumulates, I will be baking bread.
Trying to, at any rate as yesterday's aborted attempt forced me out into the cold for two bottles of Malbec and an evening in front of Four Weddings and a Funeral because the "knead" attachment on the five dollar Sears Food Processor from 1983 (5 dollars at a yard sale) liiiiiies....
It was not bread, so much as Yeast Soup.
So, not to be thwarted, here we go again.
My housemate lectured that bread making is a process of love... the kneading and all. That might explain why I am not so into it. Perhaps my intimacy issues extend to carbohydrates as well.
Paging Dr. Freud to the kitchen... STAT!
Made Bananna muffins yesterday that were damned good. Added ground cloves, allspice and dusted the tops with brown sugar (oh--substituted two thirds of the called for sugar in the recipe with brown sugar as well). Damned good!
Trying to buy the goose today. May have to head out to Long Island with an axe if this doesn't work.
This means, while the expected 12 inches accumulates, I will be baking bread.
Trying to, at any rate as yesterday's aborted attempt forced me out into the cold for two bottles of Malbec and an evening in front of Four Weddings and a Funeral because the "knead" attachment on the five dollar Sears Food Processor from 1983 (5 dollars at a yard sale) liiiiiies....
It was not bread, so much as Yeast Soup.
So, not to be thwarted, here we go again.
My housemate lectured that bread making is a process of love... the kneading and all. That might explain why I am not so into it. Perhaps my intimacy issues extend to carbohydrates as well.
Paging Dr. Freud to the kitchen... STAT!
Made Bananna muffins yesterday that were damned good. Added ground cloves, allspice and dusted the tops with brown sugar (oh--substituted two thirds of the called for sugar in the recipe with brown sugar as well). Damned good!
Trying to buy the goose today. May have to head out to Long Island with an axe if this doesn't work.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Ho, Ho, Honk
Cooking a holiday dinner for anyone is sobering but agreeing to do so for a houseful of artists and foodies is just downright self-martyring.
Driving to Woodstock with a car full of baking accoutrements and a brine-ing, 12 pound goose is... well... Everest with bucket seats and a moonroof.
When I was a vegetarian, the most exciting part of the day was buying the tofu. Yes. THE MOST EXCITING. Since de-culting myself from the clutches of colitis, I have enjoyed myself far more. Yet the stress of making sure that others do the same seems never ending.
That being typed, part of the fun is the planning. Having a Virgo Ascendant ensures a hell of a lot of THAT. Having an Aquarian Sun ensures that I'll definitely be planning many things, but without warning I could take a left turn from crudite into the MidEast crisis.
If you're going to attempt something a bit off the beaten track, plan well in advance. The Grocery list has gone to the lovely and patient hostess upstate and another containing the same ingredients separated into which part of the store to find them was also attached. She has her work cut out for her.
Yesterday--here in Queens, I struck out to find the more obscure poultry. It's a little disheartening when you go to the butcher and ask how many days in advance one needs to order a goose to be met with a butcher that barely understands English. We move from disheartening to disbelief when said butcher mumbles the reply, "Goose? What is that.. . MEAT???"
When butcher number 3 offers the same in-credulousness, the thought of chucking the whole plan and ordering a pizza flares momentarily before lowering one's gaze, muttering, "Never mind", and heading out to regroup... and light up.
I'm beginnning to wonder if Dean & Deluca's exorbitance is due to translation fees rather than quality cuts.
Still--Goose stuffed with dates injected with garlic foie gras is something worth fighting for.
Driving to Woodstock with a car full of baking accoutrements and a brine-ing, 12 pound goose is... well... Everest with bucket seats and a moonroof.
When I was a vegetarian, the most exciting part of the day was buying the tofu. Yes. THE MOST EXCITING. Since de-culting myself from the clutches of colitis, I have enjoyed myself far more. Yet the stress of making sure that others do the same seems never ending.
That being typed, part of the fun is the planning. Having a Virgo Ascendant ensures a hell of a lot of THAT. Having an Aquarian Sun ensures that I'll definitely be planning many things, but without warning I could take a left turn from crudite into the MidEast crisis.
If you're going to attempt something a bit off the beaten track, plan well in advance. The Grocery list has gone to the lovely and patient hostess upstate and another containing the same ingredients separated into which part of the store to find them was also attached. She has her work cut out for her.
Yesterday--here in Queens, I struck out to find the more obscure poultry. It's a little disheartening when you go to the butcher and ask how many days in advance one needs to order a goose to be met with a butcher that barely understands English. We move from disheartening to disbelief when said butcher mumbles the reply, "Goose? What is that.. . MEAT???"
When butcher number 3 offers the same in-credulousness, the thought of chucking the whole plan and ordering a pizza flares momentarily before lowering one's gaze, muttering, "Never mind", and heading out to regroup... and light up.
I'm beginnning to wonder if Dean & Deluca's exorbitance is due to translation fees rather than quality cuts.
Still--Goose stuffed with dates injected with garlic foie gras is something worth fighting for.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
It has been raining for well over 14 hours.
Nothing to do but stay inside and be a domestic god.
Made Latkes in honour of Hannukah and brought some to my neighbor next door. Then crawled down to her basement to make sure her pilot light was on. I shudder to think what would have been expected of me had it not been.... "Uh... call the pilot light people??"
She shares the basement with a Chinese take away so the place looks like a hoarders' paradise.
Planned and stressed over Christmas Dinner and prepared for auditions that are looming in the coming week.
Getting up at five o'clock in the morning to warble and then capping the day off by catering a party I wasn't invited to is really not something that puts me in the holiday spirit, but then again neither is abject insolvency, so we do what we can.
Nothing to do but stay inside and be a domestic god.
Made Latkes in honour of Hannukah and brought some to my neighbor next door. Then crawled down to her basement to make sure her pilot light was on. I shudder to think what would have been expected of me had it not been.... "Uh... call the pilot light people??"
She shares the basement with a Chinese take away so the place looks like a hoarders' paradise.
Planned and stressed over Christmas Dinner and prepared for auditions that are looming in the coming week.
Getting up at five o'clock in the morning to warble and then capping the day off by catering a party I wasn't invited to is really not something that puts me in the holiday spirit, but then again neither is abject insolvency, so we do what we can.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Dinner, Mulching and all Things Domestique.
Well, it's cold. It went from a lovely Autumn day to, "Welcome to Neptune, your table is ready."
My bag was blown off my shoulder last night and went cartwheeling down 6th Avenue, through Herald Square and right in front of Macy's with me scrambling after it like a mad charwoman--giving the security cam quite a free show. Who needs the winos when you have an entertaining lunatic chasing his catering bag...
The temperature has dropped into the 20's with wind chill that only a Tlingit could love.
Christmas Eve dinner being planned. Marinated leg of lamb in Mustard, Olive Oil, Rosemary and shallots, Prime Rib, Goose stuffed with dates injected with foie gras, many vegetables, many starches, Tarte Fraise, Tangerine Flan, Tarte Tatin and SEVERAL cocktails.
We are upping sticks and heading to Woodstock to commune for five days of relaxation. Well... cooking IS how I relax...
Even though there is 8 inches of snow on the ground, I will be able to see how much the wisteria and Japanese Maple that I put in two years ago is doing.
If anyone has any tips on Wisteria, I'm all ears. This crap is growing at the same speed government workers move... And if the Japanese beetles come back next year, I'm becoming a cyber-gardener.
Happy Hannukah this evening!
My bag was blown off my shoulder last night and went cartwheeling down 6th Avenue, through Herald Square and right in front of Macy's with me scrambling after it like a mad charwoman--giving the security cam quite a free show. Who needs the winos when you have an entertaining lunatic chasing his catering bag...
The temperature has dropped into the 20's with wind chill that only a Tlingit could love.
Christmas Eve dinner being planned. Marinated leg of lamb in Mustard, Olive Oil, Rosemary and shallots, Prime Rib, Goose stuffed with dates injected with foie gras, many vegetables, many starches, Tarte Fraise, Tangerine Flan, Tarte Tatin and SEVERAL cocktails.
We are upping sticks and heading to Woodstock to commune for five days of relaxation. Well... cooking IS how I relax...
Even though there is 8 inches of snow on the ground, I will be able to see how much the wisteria and Japanese Maple that I put in two years ago is doing.
If anyone has any tips on Wisteria, I'm all ears. This crap is growing at the same speed government workers move... And if the Japanese beetles come back next year, I'm becoming a cyber-gardener.
Happy Hannukah this evening!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Twitching and Flinching and Stress, Oy VEY!
This is one of those weeks when I work three jobs and have auditions with monologues that I don't yet know.
I will probably answer the fork at my catering gig and ask the CEO here if he would care for more wine with his ... meeting.
If I don't break into a list of specials at the Noises Off EPA, it will be a surprise.
Full on anxiety attack in the night last evening. Oh, can't think WHY... a nice sixty hour work week, with the cancellation of health insurance pending on 12/7 and enough debt to make Nicaragua wince.
Funny... life upon the wicked stage ain't nothin' like a girl supposes, but I am so busy trying to live in this town and pay the bills on time, that the wicked stage only exists at the Gershwin and I am no where near it.
So... In the mean while... I'll cook something. Like one of these overpaid bankers over an open flame...
CHECK!
I will probably answer the fork at my catering gig and ask the CEO here if he would care for more wine with his ... meeting.
If I don't break into a list of specials at the Noises Off EPA, it will be a surprise.
Full on anxiety attack in the night last evening. Oh, can't think WHY... a nice sixty hour work week, with the cancellation of health insurance pending on 12/7 and enough debt to make Nicaragua wince.
Funny... life upon the wicked stage ain't nothin' like a girl supposes, but I am so busy trying to live in this town and pay the bills on time, that the wicked stage only exists at the Gershwin and I am no where near it.
So... In the mean while... I'll cook something. Like one of these overpaid bankers over an open flame...
CHECK!
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