Woke up today on Paris time, which means 7pm in Korea and around 11am in Paris. No worries really. My mind is wondering more than usual. The 'pretty lady' from last night is still a stranger. Her eyes would wonder to my nose when we chatted. Maybe the lighting at the restaurant made my face look like a paradox of boxes. So at that moment I'd think of a joke. A lady like that doesn't need to wear make up. While walking to the train, I elbow checked her on how pretty she looked with make up, also adding that she didn't need to wear it. She knows that I start work again this Monday, so before leaving she said bye with elbow nudges back~ cute vomit.
Okay, back in the mix. I am officially a contestant in the online site Food52, the A&M Blog. It's creators, Amanda and Merrill have this awesome, one of a kind site that challenges home cooks to weekly themes. The contestants have one week to submit their recipe. Amanda and Merrill choose the top two and then they video record themselves cooking the recipes. From there, Food52ers vote on who wins. There are other recognitions besides the weekly contests to keep everyone happy. It's all in good fun, and at the end of the year a cookbook is made from all the winning recipes. They are currently on week 32, and you can see their production keeps getting better. Two thumbs up for these two ladies. The cooks are all well seasoned home cooks, and although I haven't submitted a recipe yet, I know that I'm against some discerning palates.
Gosh, I remember being obsessed with Amanda Hesser's food reviews for the Times; especially after she gave 1-star to Compass Restaurant. Wow, the kitchen crew had so much motivation and drive, and then the Times review really threw a wrench in our momentum. Actually, the review praised the Chef and her food. In fact, it was the "TGIF service" and the whole ambiance of the restaurant that made the critic not give anything above a single star. I remember the Sous chef crying, he's the chef now. Amanda's picture was posted on the wall, along with three other faces. The chef spoke to me about her liking eggs and anything French, and then jokingly told me that I should try to date her. The night the Times critic came to dine, we were all fired up. My duty was to sear a salmon roulade and 6 scallops~ "swanye chef, here you go". The crew was solid. I knew every knob in that kitchen~ but that was a long time ago. Moved to three other kitchens before finally deciding to go up to Hyde Park.
And now, the students are coming back from vacation. It's 7:15 am and a blueberry yogurt is calling. That with Korean style coffee (sweet) and a slice of toast topped with peanut butter. Today's a new day~ back in the mix...
No comments:
Post a Comment