Good chill day with the B. After a night of weird dreams about L and the restaurant's produce purveyor, had a doc appointment -- B and MiniB are all good and ready to drop whenever it happens. Went to a crappy but convenient lunch, saw a bad movie, did a slow wander back home. Cooked nice dinner. Ah, maybe it won't be so bad if I never go back to work and the bebe delays coming until it's 18 and ready for college....I keed, I keed. C'mon, bebe!!
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic chex with organic good milk, 3 cookies, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: noon, 2 veg dumplings, 2 spring rolls, a small tasting of pad thai, a small tasting of sesame noodles, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to Kelly & Ping with B after our doc appointment, I didn't want to but she did. I don't like the faux counter service -- it's set up like a full service restaurant, but they make you do counter service, it's annoying. On top of that, the food is overpriced and shitty. I ordered an $8.50 "Dim Sum Lunch Box" and form the looks of it, was worth closer to $5, just not that much food. On top of that, the small lump of sesame noodles were clearly prepared days ago, with the sauce dried out and tacky on the noodles. I tried to eat a "shumai", but what is traditionally filled with shrimp, pork or chicken tasted like....tuna? I spit it out, not sure if it was good or not. I tried eating some of B's veg pad thai, but it tasted underseasoned and a little bland. Wow, this place just sucks from begining to end!
PM SNACK: 1pm, popcorn, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Popcorn with B and the the B2B at the movies!
PM SNACK: 4pm, half a vegan ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
We stopped at Stogo for a cold desert, very underwhelming in the flavor department. They need to use refined sugar, palm oil and baked good that are less crumbly and more rich,
PM SNACK: 5:15pm, 1 homemade chocolate chip cookie, hunger 4/5
Each cookie is an ounce, so to call that a quarter bowl would be pushing it...
DINNER: 7:30pm, pan seared sea scallops over mushroom brown basmanti rice, salad, 3 cookies, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
K came over, fun to cook something nice, but really easy. Rice just needed a reheat, cookies already made, B made the salad. Quickly dredged the big ol' scallops in wholewheat flour, salt and cumin then into really hot oiled pan. Once a little brown on one side, flipped and into a 350 oven for about 3 minutes, came out perfectly tender and flavorful. While they rested, reduced some old white wine in the pan, then hit it with a wallop of butter and minced fresh dill and another dash of salt -- a simple pan sauce with a nice color and contrasting flavor. Just needed some stock to thicken it, but the left over floury bits in the pan did some work for me.
Tuesday, May 26
Monday, May 25
Life on Hold
After getting out of the house briefly to go up to Westchester for a BBQ and a nice bike ride to get home, felt like spending the day with Big B today, she's soooo pregnant still. We sat around and snuggled, took a walk in the neighborhood for a slice o' pizza, cooked up some very stocky rice and cookies. -sigh- I know I need to eat less, but it's sooo comforting!
BREAKFAST: 9am, smoothie, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Repeat of Saturday's smoothie: good yogurt, good milk, banana, grapes, cherries, blueberries, kiwi, freshly ground flax, salt, sugar, ice. If it was more in season, the sugar would not be necessary to balance.
AM SNACK: 11am, matzoh farfel, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B massacred the farfel yesterday, so it was either eat it or let it be in danger when B woke up...
LUNCH: 1pm, 1 slice of streetza, small softserve cone, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3pm, baby carrots, small piece of stinky cheese, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 6pm, brown basmanti rice cooked with stock and mushroom, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 9pm, homemade chocolate chip cookies, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 9am, smoothie, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Repeat of Saturday's smoothie: good yogurt, good milk, banana, grapes, cherries, blueberries, kiwi, freshly ground flax, salt, sugar, ice. If it was more in season, the sugar would not be necessary to balance.
AM SNACK: 11am, matzoh farfel, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B massacred the farfel yesterday, so it was either eat it or let it be in danger when B woke up...
LUNCH: 1pm, 1 slice of streetza, small softserve cone, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3pm, baby carrots, small piece of stinky cheese, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 6pm, brown basmanti rice cooked with stock and mushroom, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 9pm, homemade chocolate chip cookies, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Sunday, May 24
My stock brings all the Bs to the yard
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, matzoh farfel, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Not the lightest breakfast I ever had. Spent the morning cooking this up, based on the chicken stock I made yesterday. Put a good heaping spoonful of chicken fat in a wok, cooked it until it stopped bubbling -- all the water and impurities cooked off. Dropped in 2 cups of shredded carrot to soft, then 2 cups of minced onion and 2 cups of chopped portabello, dash of salt. Cooked till in smelled gooood and tasted sweet. Separately, 9 cups of crumbled matzoh, poured 2 cups of fresh stock over it and mixed by hand until absorbed.
This is where my stock kinda freaked me out a little, in a good way. I had the stock in the fridge in a large pot overnight, so all the fat came to the top and congealed, making it easy to spoon off into a container for separate use. I started spooning off the fat....and it got clearer, but didn't seem to stop....I realized that the stock itself was a bit...jelly-like! This is a good, good thing. Because I used three whole chickens with all the meat (minus the breasts), my stock now has a great deal of collagen -- the stuff of bone marrow and connective tissue that is incredible healthy to eat. Best thing, it has a fatty mouth feel but ads no fat, just protein! It's too intense to use as soup base, it has to be diluted, but when cooking something like risotto at full strength...oh my!
OK, OK, I soaked the matzoh while the salted veg was cooking off. Turned off heat, dumped soaked matzoh in the wok and mixed. Dropped a scoop of the mix into a bowl of 4 beaten eggs to raise the egg's temp, so when I dumped the eggs in it wouldn't turn into scramble. Coated the whole mess in egg, then dumped a table spoon of freshly grated ginger, a full bunch of minced parsley and seasoned with salt and a little pepper.
PM SNACK: 1pm, 2 ears corn with butter and salt, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Bought some corn yesterday, just curious. Good, not great.
LINNER: 2:30-6:30pm, corn chips, assorted dips, 2 thin slices of a large sammich, 2 hot dogs, 1 hamburger, 2 beers, water, 1 small canoli, a snippet of pepperoni, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Visited an old friend and her new husband up in Westchester, while B continued to bake the bebe. It was good to get out of the house and see some peeps. It's always weird when I go up there, really feel the difference between us 'city folk' and them 'suburb folk'. Still, some of my friends are newly pregnant, so a whole lotta bebe tawk was going down. I split at 6:30 feeling a bit bloated and achy. I wisely took my bike on the train up there, so instead of just turning around on the train, road down to Yonkers and took the train from there. I love biking. Freedom. Nice route, maybe take the HVS up there for our megaride this summer...
Not the lightest breakfast I ever had. Spent the morning cooking this up, based on the chicken stock I made yesterday. Put a good heaping spoonful of chicken fat in a wok, cooked it until it stopped bubbling -- all the water and impurities cooked off. Dropped in 2 cups of shredded carrot to soft, then 2 cups of minced onion and 2 cups of chopped portabello, dash of salt. Cooked till in smelled gooood and tasted sweet. Separately, 9 cups of crumbled matzoh, poured 2 cups of fresh stock over it and mixed by hand until absorbed.
This is where my stock kinda freaked me out a little, in a good way. I had the stock in the fridge in a large pot overnight, so all the fat came to the top and congealed, making it easy to spoon off into a container for separate use. I started spooning off the fat....and it got clearer, but didn't seem to stop....I realized that the stock itself was a bit...jelly-like! This is a good, good thing. Because I used three whole chickens with all the meat (minus the breasts), my stock now has a great deal of collagen -- the stuff of bone marrow and connective tissue that is incredible healthy to eat. Best thing, it has a fatty mouth feel but ads no fat, just protein! It's too intense to use as soup base, it has to be diluted, but when cooking something like risotto at full strength...oh my!
OK, OK, I soaked the matzoh while the salted veg was cooking off. Turned off heat, dumped soaked matzoh in the wok and mixed. Dropped a scoop of the mix into a bowl of 4 beaten eggs to raise the egg's temp, so when I dumped the eggs in it wouldn't turn into scramble. Coated the whole mess in egg, then dumped a table spoon of freshly grated ginger, a full bunch of minced parsley and seasoned with salt and a little pepper.
PM SNACK: 1pm, 2 ears corn with butter and salt, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Bought some corn yesterday, just curious. Good, not great.
LINNER: 2:30-6:30pm, corn chips, assorted dips, 2 thin slices of a large sammich, 2 hot dogs, 1 hamburger, 2 beers, water, 1 small canoli, a snippet of pepperoni, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Visited an old friend and her new husband up in Westchester, while B continued to bake the bebe. It was good to get out of the house and see some peeps. It's always weird when I go up there, really feel the difference between us 'city folk' and them 'suburb folk'. Still, some of my friends are newly pregnant, so a whole lotta bebe tawk was going down. I split at 6:30 feeling a bit bloated and achy. I wisely took my bike on the train up there, so instead of just turning around on the train, road down to Yonkers and took the train from there. I love biking. Freedom. Nice route, maybe take the HVS up there for our megaride this summer...
Saturday, May 23
I cook up stock, B cooks up a bebe
Starting to cook a little bit more to keep my mind off things. B is sooooo pregnant!
B was complaining that her steel-cut oatmeal took too long to make, and that she'd rather get quick oats; it tastes crappier, it has a lot less nutrition, but it takes 3 minutes to make in the micro instead of 30 minutes on the stove top. Urrrrg! So last night I boiled 8 cups of water, tossed in 2 cups of steel cut oats and a pinch of salt, turned off the heat and covered. This morning I reheated and stirred to mix up the liquid at the bottom, and within 3 minutes perfect oatmeal -- and enough to serve up for breakfast all week and some for the freezer. Take that, over processed evil quick oats!
B tasted my smoothie this morning and swooned about how good it was. Then she asked if she could make one with her selection of fruit....and her fat free yogurt and fat free milk. AAAIGH! What is so hard about understanding that FAT IS GOOD?!
BREAKFAST: 9am, Smoothie Supreme, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Smoothies are something I started experimenting with when I first started consulting Ilsa, who inspired me to start cooking for myself and eventually go to c-school. Up until then, I did not like smoothies, my only experience being what they produce in smoothie shops. When you do it for yourself, however, and you choose the best ingredients, all the ingredients you like, well, it's something else. I also realized when the summer was coming to end that a smoothie....is HIGHLY seasonal.
In this smoothie, all in the blender, without measure: the good yogurt, the good milk, vanilla extract, a very ripe banana, fresh blueberries, cherries, red grapes and kiwi, freshly ground flax seed, a pinch of sea salt, a few tablespoons of sugar and a couple of ice cubes to adjust. MOST rocking and satisfying.
AM SNACK: 11:30am, scoop of cinnamon ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Why am I desiring this? Why am I hungry? I didn't eat this without thought, but I did eat it wondering why I'm setting myself up to gain a lot of weight.
LUNCH: 1pm, stuffed rigatoni in wine sauce, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to the local market to pick up some cheese cloth to make a sachet d'espice for the chicken stock I'm making, figured I'd pick up something for lunch. Got a 10.5 oz bag of stuffed rigatoni, which are kind of like lined rectangular raviolis. It looked like a single portion to me, but according to the packaging, is 2.5 servings.
Upon consideration, while standing in the frozen aisle, of course, duh, this is two portions. My younger more gluttonous self would have regarded a 2lb bag as one healthy portion and one small portion, but this is sanity. So I got it, and made a small portion for pregnant B, and a larger portion for me. Even with eating maybe 1.75 portions according to the label, it wasn't a full bowl.
After draining the pasta, in the pot I heated some olive oil, tossed in some minced shallot and softened it, covered it in some old pinot grigio from the fridge and reduced until no more alcohol tickled my nose. While the alcohol was cooking off, dropped in a handful of sliced grape tomatoes. Pinch of salt, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, 2 cloves of garlic straight out of a press, then a bit pat of butter. By the time the butter melted with stirring, turned off the heat, folded in the pasta, serve. No need for grated cheese, as it was already cheese stuffed. B thought it was great, I thought it was a bit too sharp -- a dose of stock or glace would have mellowed it out. Maybe too much acid from the grape tomatoes? Maybe too much wine?
PM SNACK: 4pm, cinnamon ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Woke up from a nap with B, needed a quick pick me up
PM SNACK: 5pm, baby carrots and a little hummus, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6:30pm, popcorn, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE DINNER: 9:15pm, falafel sandwich, cup of vegan peanut butter fudge ice cream, small bite of way too spicey chocolate truffle, grape fizzy lizzy, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
B was complaining that her steel-cut oatmeal took too long to make, and that she'd rather get quick oats; it tastes crappier, it has a lot less nutrition, but it takes 3 minutes to make in the micro instead of 30 minutes on the stove top. Urrrrg! So last night I boiled 8 cups of water, tossed in 2 cups of steel cut oats and a pinch of salt, turned off the heat and covered. This morning I reheated and stirred to mix up the liquid at the bottom, and within 3 minutes perfect oatmeal -- and enough to serve up for breakfast all week and some for the freezer. Take that, over processed evil quick oats!
B tasted my smoothie this morning and swooned about how good it was. Then she asked if she could make one with her selection of fruit....and her fat free yogurt and fat free milk. AAAIGH! What is so hard about understanding that FAT IS GOOD?!
BREAKFAST: 9am, Smoothie Supreme, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Smoothies are something I started experimenting with when I first started consulting Ilsa, who inspired me to start cooking for myself and eventually go to c-school. Up until then, I did not like smoothies, my only experience being what they produce in smoothie shops. When you do it for yourself, however, and you choose the best ingredients, all the ingredients you like, well, it's something else. I also realized when the summer was coming to end that a smoothie....is HIGHLY seasonal.
In this smoothie, all in the blender, without measure: the good yogurt, the good milk, vanilla extract, a very ripe banana, fresh blueberries, cherries, red grapes and kiwi, freshly ground flax seed, a pinch of sea salt, a few tablespoons of sugar and a couple of ice cubes to adjust. MOST rocking and satisfying.
AM SNACK: 11:30am, scoop of cinnamon ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Why am I desiring this? Why am I hungry? I didn't eat this without thought, but I did eat it wondering why I'm setting myself up to gain a lot of weight.
LUNCH: 1pm, stuffed rigatoni in wine sauce, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to the local market to pick up some cheese cloth to make a sachet d'espice for the chicken stock I'm making, figured I'd pick up something for lunch. Got a 10.5 oz bag of stuffed rigatoni, which are kind of like lined rectangular raviolis. It looked like a single portion to me, but according to the packaging, is 2.5 servings.
Upon consideration, while standing in the frozen aisle, of course, duh, this is two portions. My younger more gluttonous self would have regarded a 2lb bag as one healthy portion and one small portion, but this is sanity. So I got it, and made a small portion for pregnant B, and a larger portion for me. Even with eating maybe 1.75 portions according to the label, it wasn't a full bowl.
After draining the pasta, in the pot I heated some olive oil, tossed in some minced shallot and softened it, covered it in some old pinot grigio from the fridge and reduced until no more alcohol tickled my nose. While the alcohol was cooking off, dropped in a handful of sliced grape tomatoes. Pinch of salt, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, 2 cloves of garlic straight out of a press, then a bit pat of butter. By the time the butter melted with stirring, turned off the heat, folded in the pasta, serve. No need for grated cheese, as it was already cheese stuffed. B thought it was great, I thought it was a bit too sharp -- a dose of stock or glace would have mellowed it out. Maybe too much acid from the grape tomatoes? Maybe too much wine?
PM SNACK: 4pm, cinnamon ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Woke up from a nap with B, needed a quick pick me up
PM SNACK: 5pm, baby carrots and a little hummus, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6:30pm, popcorn, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE DINNER: 9:15pm, falafel sandwich, cup of vegan peanut butter fudge ice cream, small bite of way too spicey chocolate truffle, grape fizzy lizzy, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Friday, May 22
Arepa! Arepa!
Did not eat well yesterday, but upon reflection, I am decompressing/recompressing. Decompressing from the go-go-go-go of the restaurant, recompressing for the go-go-go-go of the new iddy biddy bouncy bebe that is just around the corner. Can't wait to get my road bike back, now THAT is the supreme form of pressure release. Either that or drugs and infidelity, but homey don't roll like dat. Well, maybe and occasional special brownie...
BREAKFAST: 7am, half a toasted bagel & butter, baby carrots and cucumber, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
A breakfast my momma would approve of.
AM SNACK: 10am, small ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11:30, pork and bok choy dumplings, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
At my favorite dumpling joint on the way to the resto.
SNICKLE SNACK: 3:45pm, salad with seitan, dahl, peanut scone, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 7pm, baby carrots and small piece of Grayson cheese, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Funny how cheese that smells like farts actually tastes pretty good when paired with something slightly sweet. B got really upset when she got home, because her sense of smell is really sensitive right now and I can only imagine what she encountered when she got through the door. A big ball o' dirty socks, rancid poots and cheesy toes!
DINNER: 9:15pm, pork arepa, fish arepa, cheese and guac arepa, 1 beer, a few squares of chocolate, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
K expressed a whim for South American street food, and within 10 minutes we were sitting at the Caracas Arepa bar on 7th street. I love New York.
EVENING SNACK: midnight, scoop of cinnamon ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 7am, half a toasted bagel & butter, baby carrots and cucumber, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
A breakfast my momma would approve of.
AM SNACK: 10am, small ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11:30, pork and bok choy dumplings, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
At my favorite dumpling joint on the way to the resto.
SNICKLE SNACK: 3:45pm, salad with seitan, dahl, peanut scone, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 7pm, baby carrots and small piece of Grayson cheese, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Funny how cheese that smells like farts actually tastes pretty good when paired with something slightly sweet. B got really upset when she got home, because her sense of smell is really sensitive right now and I can only imagine what she encountered when she got through the door. A big ball o' dirty socks, rancid poots and cheesy toes!
DINNER: 9:15pm, pork arepa, fish arepa, cheese and guac arepa, 1 beer, a few squares of chocolate, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
K expressed a whim for South American street food, and within 10 minutes we were sitting at the Caracas Arepa bar on 7th street. I love New York.
EVENING SNACK: midnight, scoop of cinnamon ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Thursday, May 21
Pizza and burgers and donuts and ice cream and onion rings OH MY!
Picked up good donuts from the shop on my street, so I wouldn't have to deal with Starbucks or street cart pastry. From there, straight to the restaurant. L was in a better mood today than yesterday, we sat at the bar and went over several things, discussed new menu items, removing and revising old ones, designed an ad together for Edible Brooklyn, spoke in generalities about our future together. I pretty firmly said that until a few weeks after the baby comes, I want to strictly just do the graphics, light accounting and paperwares that no one else can do. After, we'll talk and see how we all feel. L invited me to stay for staff lunch, but it was still a few hours out, so I went home to be with the Big B.
After a few hours of nodding off and chilling, road my road bike up to Tudor City for an overhaul. The last time I took my bike in for this not-cheap procedure, my mom was dying, and by the time I got the bike back, she was gone. This time my bebe is getting ready to introduce itself, and in all likelihood when I get my bike back, it'll be all, "I LOVE TO SINGA!"
B joined me for a walk through Tudor City, we stopped at a crappy burger joint, took a bus home and picked up crappy ice cream from the CVS, in addition to newborn-sized diapers!! Blaaaag!
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10am, madeline, half a croissant, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, handful of baby carrots, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ha! Look! Vegetables!
LUNCH: 3pm, 2 slices, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 6:30pm, burger, onion rings, Dr. Pepper, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 8pm, 2 small ice cream cones, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
After a few hours of nodding off and chilling, road my road bike up to Tudor City for an overhaul. The last time I took my bike in for this not-cheap procedure, my mom was dying, and by the time I got the bike back, she was gone. This time my bebe is getting ready to introduce itself, and in all likelihood when I get my bike back, it'll be all, "I LOVE TO SINGA!"
B joined me for a walk through Tudor City, we stopped at a crappy burger joint, took a bus home and picked up crappy ice cream from the CVS, in addition to newborn-sized diapers!! Blaaaag!
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10am, madeline, half a croissant, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, handful of baby carrots, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ha! Look! Vegetables!
LUNCH: 3pm, 2 slices, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 6:30pm, burger, onion rings, Dr. Pepper, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 8pm, 2 small ice cream cones, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Wednesday, May 20
Mo' Balance
Class in the morning, nice when you have enough sleep. Went to the resto after, knocked out a few tasks in an hour then split, as L seemed really busy, distracted and grouchy. He called later when I was shopping for dinner, we're meeting tomorrow to talk. I haven't been out shopping for dinner ingredients in many months, it felt really good. I need balance.
BREAKFAST: 7:15am, good yogurt with cashews, honey and vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 9:30am, apple fritter, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, french bread, a few bits of cheese, a snippet of fish, 4 samples of wine, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, pickle, small piece of corn and spinach pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3:30pm, handful of cashews and chocolate chips, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7pm, homemade chicken soup, mashed potatoes and roasted brocolli, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Yomomma and Yobro came over to shower affection on B, so I whipped up some homemade food, which I have not done in quite a while. Chicken stock outta the freezer, quickly grilled some cut up chicken breast marinated in oil, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy and sake, dropped in the stock after boiling some pastina in it for 4 minutes, threw in some mandolined carrot and scallion, finished with some Streit's soup mandlin. Mashed potatoes, straight up country style, heavy cream, lots of butter and salt. Made some broccoli, but the market's broc was not up to snuff and used frozen, which did NOT work well in my recipe. They liked it, but it wasn't good.
BREAKFAST: 7:15am, good yogurt with cashews, honey and vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 9:30am, apple fritter, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, french bread, a few bits of cheese, a snippet of fish, 4 samples of wine, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, pickle, small piece of corn and spinach pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3:30pm, handful of cashews and chocolate chips, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7pm, homemade chicken soup, mashed potatoes and roasted brocolli, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Yomomma and Yobro came over to shower affection on B, so I whipped up some homemade food, which I have not done in quite a while. Chicken stock outta the freezer, quickly grilled some cut up chicken breast marinated in oil, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy and sake, dropped in the stock after boiling some pastina in it for 4 minutes, threw in some mandolined carrot and scallion, finished with some Streit's soup mandlin. Mashed potatoes, straight up country style, heavy cream, lots of butter and salt. Made some broccoli, but the market's broc was not up to snuff and used frozen, which did NOT work well in my recipe. They liked it, but it wasn't good.
Tuesday, May 19
No, not quite yet
Yesterday, Monday, was bizarre. We got to sleep after B was contracting all day, and when we woke up after a fitful night and morning, B felt....fine. Back to normal. Contractions gone. Worried, blown out from the emotional roller coaster from the craziness at work Saturday, the labor scare Sunday, Monday was just a haze of appreciating the wonderful B. Barely remember what I ate, but I do know I ate a pint of ice cream, and it did a number on my G.I. tract. Sheesh, I can't pound ice cream pints like I once did.
This morning started with an 8:30am appointment with the doc, and as I suspected, both B and the bebe are perfectly fine and normal and healthy -- she had contractions yesterday, but not more dilation, therefore it was "false labor". It was very exciting and nerve wracking, and not looking forward to having to freak out all over again soon. After the appointment we took ourselves out to Balthazar for breakfast, then I took off to the restaurant.
The restaurant was closed today, but we were a finalist in a meatball competition at a local food expo, sponsored by a lower-level foodie magazine. Was a weird vibe with L, he kinda knows he pissed me off and has been acting extra nice to me. I helped make the balls, and I sat with him and made a bunch of revisions to our menus. It was a quick drive up to the convention hall in Astoria. I've been to several food shows, mostly at Jacob Javits, and this was a much smaller-scale affair, but still a lot of stuff to eat. Mostly Queens-based restaurants and alcohol distributors, surprisingly little Greek food. Most of the meat balls entered in the contest were surprisingly mediocre, but there were a few that were actually amazing. Still, the ball that won was laughably crappy, which makes one wonder what the judges were thinking.
B is now at home until the baby pops, and I'm looking forward to cutting back my hours drastically at the restaurant until then, too. I want the transition at the restaurant to be smooth, so as not to give my team a hard time. As for L, whatever, but my team deserves my loyalty.
BREAKFAST: 8am, banana
BREAKFAST 2: 10am, french toast, bacon, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2pm, handful of mini meat balls, sprite, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
FOOD SHOW HAZE: 6-8pm, crunchy shrimp, several styles of meatballs, pastas, savory tibits, a few drinks of booze, a little gelato, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING WATERING: 10pm, quart
This morning started with an 8:30am appointment with the doc, and as I suspected, both B and the bebe are perfectly fine and normal and healthy -- she had contractions yesterday, but not more dilation, therefore it was "false labor". It was very exciting and nerve wracking, and not looking forward to having to freak out all over again soon. After the appointment we took ourselves out to Balthazar for breakfast, then I took off to the restaurant.
The restaurant was closed today, but we were a finalist in a meatball competition at a local food expo, sponsored by a lower-level foodie magazine. Was a weird vibe with L, he kinda knows he pissed me off and has been acting extra nice to me. I helped make the balls, and I sat with him and made a bunch of revisions to our menus. It was a quick drive up to the convention hall in Astoria. I've been to several food shows, mostly at Jacob Javits, and this was a much smaller-scale affair, but still a lot of stuff to eat. Mostly Queens-based restaurants and alcohol distributors, surprisingly little Greek food. Most of the meat balls entered in the contest were surprisingly mediocre, but there were a few that were actually amazing. Still, the ball that won was laughably crappy, which makes one wonder what the judges were thinking.
B is now at home until the baby pops, and I'm looking forward to cutting back my hours drastically at the restaurant until then, too. I want the transition at the restaurant to be smooth, so as not to give my team a hard time. As for L, whatever, but my team deserves my loyalty.
BREAKFAST: 8am, banana
BREAKFAST 2: 10am, french toast, bacon, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2pm, handful of mini meat balls, sprite, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
FOOD SHOW HAZE: 6-8pm, crunchy shrimp, several styles of meatballs, pastas, savory tibits, a few drinks of booze, a little gelato, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING WATERING: 10pm, quart
Monday, May 18
All is Dream
Woke up late, 8:45am. B woke me up and said she didn't feel well, cramps, sweats, she didn't sleep at all. I run around the corner and get her some Mylanta and Gatorade, but she's clearly not just going to get better. After the day I had yesterday, I couldn't just not show up with out my professional reputation questioned, so I called my momma-in-law to come down and look after B, while I took off at 9:30 sharp to get to the shop.
Got rolling at 10 sharp, L was in church so didn't show up until after 12. Good vibes with the crew, feeling it was going to be a good day, enjoying the rhythm of making a bucket of lemonade. L shows up in a good mood, a nice change from the head-crackings he was dispensing yesterday. All morning I was exchanging calls with B. Her mom got in about 10 minutes after I split, she called the doc, doc said to come in to be checked out. Around 1 o'clock the verdict is in: B is in the early stages of labor, and she needs to go home and chill until it's closer, then she'll be admitted. When I was told this, I was in the kitchen, and I pretty much pooped myself (not literally, though.) B was being all nice and saying that I didn't need to come home, but after thinking about it for about 15 seconds, what was appropriate was clear. I pulled L aside and apologized, but I got the call and I had to leave. After a day like yesterday, it felt a little awkward, but I had to just man-up and be with my wife.
Rode my friggin' tandem at top speed home, got there only a minute after they got in. B was all shweaty and achey but good. We ended up falling asleep on the bed most of the afternoon. Ate horribly, must eat better tomorrow while waiting for B's belly to do its thing.
Yesterday doesn't quite seem real. Today, even less so. Tomorrow, I imagine it'll only go more pear-shaped.
BREAKFAST: 10am, Manhattan Special, a handful of Italian cookies, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2:30pm, shrimp chowfun, egg roll, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 9pm, bagel and hummus, a little raclette cheese, pint of ice cream. 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Got rolling at 10 sharp, L was in church so didn't show up until after 12. Good vibes with the crew, feeling it was going to be a good day, enjoying the rhythm of making a bucket of lemonade. L shows up in a good mood, a nice change from the head-crackings he was dispensing yesterday. All morning I was exchanging calls with B. Her mom got in about 10 minutes after I split, she called the doc, doc said to come in to be checked out. Around 1 o'clock the verdict is in: B is in the early stages of labor, and she needs to go home and chill until it's closer, then she'll be admitted. When I was told this, I was in the kitchen, and I pretty much pooped myself (not literally, though.) B was being all nice and saying that I didn't need to come home, but after thinking about it for about 15 seconds, what was appropriate was clear. I pulled L aside and apologized, but I got the call and I had to leave. After a day like yesterday, it felt a little awkward, but I had to just man-up and be with my wife.
Rode my friggin' tandem at top speed home, got there only a minute after they got in. B was all shweaty and achey but good. We ended up falling asleep on the bed most of the afternoon. Ate horribly, must eat better tomorrow while waiting for B's belly to do its thing.
Yesterday doesn't quite seem real. Today, even less so. Tomorrow, I imagine it'll only go more pear-shaped.
BREAKFAST: 10am, Manhattan Special, a handful of Italian cookies, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2:30pm, shrimp chowfun, egg roll, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 9pm, bagel and hummus, a little raclette cheese, pint of ice cream. 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Saturday, May 16
Quit? Fired? Promoted? Demoted? What?
Today, I quit the restaurant. Well, not exactly quit. Not really fired. Maybe promoted? Demoted? A lateral move? Somewhere in between? I came in extra early this morning to get everyone going on prep, charging from 8:30am onwards. When L came in late, around 11:15, I felt pretty good about where we were at, ready to meet the charge of a busy all-day Saturday, but he started in from the first second.
Floor is dirty, clean as you go, bad habits, blah blah blah. I had everyone working in a straight ahead and orderly plan, banging out the tasks, but L was questioning whether I was watching them or not. What is this about? I just kind of stood there and stared dumbly, as I was expecting some acknowledgement that we were on it, and instead I was being shouted at for pretty much being incompetent. Very weird. A disconnect between what I perceive to be happening and what L perceives to be happening. He pretty much puts me on notice and says he doesn't like my style and that I'm not getting it and that I can't make pizza to save my life and on and on, it's now a bit of a blur. I let that sit through the lunch service and he continued.
It was a moment not unlike when I decided to end my cross country bike trip. After having everything that could go wrong go wrong at me on that trip after a month and a half, things had settled in and I felt great about what I had done...but it was enough. In this case, I felt like today I put more effort into getting this restaurant on track than ever before -- I came in 2 hours early, I got the troops rallied and organized, everything was clicking, front of house seemed to be coming together, L running late -- maybe he's loosening up a little? Only 4 hours sleep and little to eat, but a caffeine blast has me feeling sprightly. Today is going to be a good day!
The whiplash of such positivity and solidness to be turned around by such negativity and shakiness....it didn't make me mad, sad or angry. Just a light bulb that turns on, that illuminates the path to the "no duh!" thing to do. I even said it out loud, overheard by the pizza cook, after L's last blast at me. I said, "That's it. I think I've had enough." A couple hours later after lunch, I asked L for a private conversation, we went outside I presented back to him how I interpreted his criticism. I think he needs a kitchen manager who is an experienced pizza man, my lack of experience is affecting his moods which is hampering the restaurant, and how he was being too nice by not firing me. The words felt odd leaving my lips, but I was speaking in a different language, a language I've gained a little fluency in in the last 3 months or so....Louish. Pig Louin?
Anyway, I told him I wasn't going to screw him, and that my last day would be tomorrow. I'd be open to helping out with the other things I've been working on outside of the kitchen, but everything that has been causing him to raise his voice to me has to come to an end after tomorrow.
His tone changed, but then customers started coming in, he asked to continue this conversation later. By this point in the afternoon, several staff were asking me why I was so glum all day and I made the pointed decision to tell a few, in particular my team. This was not the most professional thing, but I knew it would force L's hand. In some dysfunctional relationships, the couple will build and build tension until a freak out, a big release, then start all over again. By going a little public with this would limit L's ability to patch up the damage he (or perhaps I) caused to our current professional relationship. Some thing's gotta change.
I worked in the kitchen prepping through the dinner shift, mostly avoiding the pizza and appetizer station. I did do some of that, also ran a delivery, jumping in where ever needed. When things cooled down, I sat at the bar with a friend of the restaurant and shot the breeze, before heading back close to 10 to ask L if I should take inventory, or show someone else how. He asked me if I wanted to leave, to which I replied no, I'm not ditching, I want to do the right thing. So I did inventory, organized the bottle returns, ran down various stuff with the team, everything was in pretty good shape all told due to the prep we got done in the morning. Had to slap myself on the back, as no one was doing it for me!
L & I spoke more this evening, he was a little annoyed that I had spoken to others but defended myself in Louisms -- it was the absolute truth, I had informed him first, and everyone who told him what they heard were all a little bit gossipy and exaggerating. I know some peeps from the restaurant read this blog from time to time (hey T!) so I won't go into the details of this discussion, other than that alternate roles are being weighed in my participation in the restaurant. That, and some down-the-rabbit-hole scenarios I had to dismiss out of hand. Oh the stories I'll tell! I really need to get to bed now, it's 2:12 am...
Oh, and this evening I weighed in at 210.8 pounds. Jeepers!
BREAKFAST: 7am, organic cheerios with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 8:30am-12:30am, a Manhattan Special, a bit of flounder and bread, water, lemonade, mandorla, a 1 oz meatball, a few Italian cookies, a few snippets of spinach, a slice of cucumber, a rootbeer, a cream soda, anger, pride, ego, ? bowl, hunger ?/?
AM SNACK: 1am, a canoli, an eclair, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
When you drop 5 lbs in a week, this is what you eat Saturday night/Sunday morning!
Floor is dirty, clean as you go, bad habits, blah blah blah. I had everyone working in a straight ahead and orderly plan, banging out the tasks, but L was questioning whether I was watching them or not. What is this about? I just kind of stood there and stared dumbly, as I was expecting some acknowledgement that we were on it, and instead I was being shouted at for pretty much being incompetent. Very weird. A disconnect between what I perceive to be happening and what L perceives to be happening. He pretty much puts me on notice and says he doesn't like my style and that I'm not getting it and that I can't make pizza to save my life and on and on, it's now a bit of a blur. I let that sit through the lunch service and he continued.
It was a moment not unlike when I decided to end my cross country bike trip. After having everything that could go wrong go wrong at me on that trip after a month and a half, things had settled in and I felt great about what I had done...but it was enough. In this case, I felt like today I put more effort into getting this restaurant on track than ever before -- I came in 2 hours early, I got the troops rallied and organized, everything was clicking, front of house seemed to be coming together, L running late -- maybe he's loosening up a little? Only 4 hours sleep and little to eat, but a caffeine blast has me feeling sprightly. Today is going to be a good day!
The whiplash of such positivity and solidness to be turned around by such negativity and shakiness....it didn't make me mad, sad or angry. Just a light bulb that turns on, that illuminates the path to the "no duh!" thing to do. I even said it out loud, overheard by the pizza cook, after L's last blast at me. I said, "That's it. I think I've had enough." A couple hours later after lunch, I asked L for a private conversation, we went outside I presented back to him how I interpreted his criticism. I think he needs a kitchen manager who is an experienced pizza man, my lack of experience is affecting his moods which is hampering the restaurant, and how he was being too nice by not firing me. The words felt odd leaving my lips, but I was speaking in a different language, a language I've gained a little fluency in in the last 3 months or so....Louish. Pig Louin?
Anyway, I told him I wasn't going to screw him, and that my last day would be tomorrow. I'd be open to helping out with the other things I've been working on outside of the kitchen, but everything that has been causing him to raise his voice to me has to come to an end after tomorrow.
His tone changed, but then customers started coming in, he asked to continue this conversation later. By this point in the afternoon, several staff were asking me why I was so glum all day and I made the pointed decision to tell a few, in particular my team. This was not the most professional thing, but I knew it would force L's hand. In some dysfunctional relationships, the couple will build and build tension until a freak out, a big release, then start all over again. By going a little public with this would limit L's ability to patch up the damage he (or perhaps I) caused to our current professional relationship. Some thing's gotta change.
I worked in the kitchen prepping through the dinner shift, mostly avoiding the pizza and appetizer station. I did do some of that, also ran a delivery, jumping in where ever needed. When things cooled down, I sat at the bar with a friend of the restaurant and shot the breeze, before heading back close to 10 to ask L if I should take inventory, or show someone else how. He asked me if I wanted to leave, to which I replied no, I'm not ditching, I want to do the right thing. So I did inventory, organized the bottle returns, ran down various stuff with the team, everything was in pretty good shape all told due to the prep we got done in the morning. Had to slap myself on the back, as no one was doing it for me!
L & I spoke more this evening, he was a little annoyed that I had spoken to others but defended myself in Louisms -- it was the absolute truth, I had informed him first, and everyone who told him what they heard were all a little bit gossipy and exaggerating. I know some peeps from the restaurant read this blog from time to time (hey T!) so I won't go into the details of this discussion, other than that alternate roles are being weighed in my participation in the restaurant. That, and some down-the-rabbit-hole scenarios I had to dismiss out of hand. Oh the stories I'll tell! I really need to get to bed now, it's 2:12 am...
Oh, and this evening I weighed in at 210.8 pounds. Jeepers!
BREAKFAST: 7am, organic cheerios with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 8:30am-12:30am, a Manhattan Special, a bit of flounder and bread, water, lemonade, mandorla, a 1 oz meatball, a few Italian cookies, a few snippets of spinach, a slice of cucumber, a rootbeer, a cream soda, anger, pride, ego, ? bowl, hunger ?/?
AM SNACK: 1am, a canoli, an eclair, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
When you drop 5 lbs in a week, this is what you eat Saturday night/Sunday morning!
Burnie
Saw the most fantastic picture of the baby in utero, totally B's chin, the strong Frankenberger cleft chin. Hrumph! Busy from 10am to midnight, then had to decompress with some of the staff after. I guess I should've just gone home and slept, but I'd be bouncing off the walls.
BREAKFAST: 8:45am, cornflakes and milk, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE 10am-midnight, a slice here, a slice there (L claims I burnt a pie, but it was only charred on the crust, still very edible), a snippet of gelato, a few glasses of lemonade, a short glass of beer, taste of dressed red pepper, several glasses of water, taste of prosciutto ball mix, a couple of cucumber wedges, a little really lame red velvet cake, ? bowls, hunger ??/?
Staff lunch was pepper and eggs, and eggs just turn my stomach, so my burnie had to do it for me.
LATE NIGHT SNORT: 1am, 1 pint of beer, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
I could've gone on, but between the buzz I got, knowing I had to do it again in 7 hours, and missing the very pregnant B, cut it short. Good thing I'm not 25, or I'd be out right now tearing dat sh@t up.
BREAKFAST: 8:45am, cornflakes and milk, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE 10am-midnight, a slice here, a slice there (L claims I burnt a pie, but it was only charred on the crust, still very edible), a snippet of gelato, a few glasses of lemonade, a short glass of beer, taste of dressed red pepper, several glasses of water, taste of prosciutto ball mix, a couple of cucumber wedges, a little really lame red velvet cake, ? bowls, hunger ??/?
Staff lunch was pepper and eggs, and eggs just turn my stomach, so my burnie had to do it for me.
LATE NIGHT SNORT: 1am, 1 pint of beer, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
I could've gone on, but between the buzz I got, knowing I had to do it again in 7 hours, and missing the very pregnant B, cut it short. Good thing I'm not 25, or I'd be out right now tearing dat sh@t up.
Friday, May 15
Never enough sleep, it seems
After conking out at 8:30pm, woke at 6pm feeling weird -- hungry, tired and energized at the same time. I suspect my body is fighting off a bug, but the adrenaline that the resto gives me has been smacking it down. Despite the full night of sleep, found myself dozing off during class.
BREAKFAST: 6:45am, yogurt with honey and vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Woke up hungry in a bad way, like my stomach in a knot. This helped.
AM SNACK: 8am, blueberry muffin, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Still hungry when I got to school. I hate Starbucks, but their pastries are so much better than the carts.
AM SNACK: 10am, can of Welch's Grape Soda, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Falling asleep, got this out of a school vending machine in hopes of waking up, did not help.
PM SNACK: 12:45pm, mediocre sicilian slice, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
We ordered a drier moz from our cheese maker, but what they sent yesterday was aged and too dry, so we sent it back. What we got today was fresher and looser, but drier and tighter than what we've been using. This slice was used with the aged stuff, and it truly made for an inferior product.
LUNCH: 4:30pm, small salad, gelato, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
L was making anything, so I just busted out some special salads for the peeps.
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, snippet of lemonade, taste of spinach, bite of cheese crisp, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNARF: 10:30pm, small scoop of gelato, a small cup of tap beer, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 6:45am, yogurt with honey and vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Woke up hungry in a bad way, like my stomach in a knot. This helped.
AM SNACK: 8am, blueberry muffin, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Still hungry when I got to school. I hate Starbucks, but their pastries are so much better than the carts.
AM SNACK: 10am, can of Welch's Grape Soda, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Falling asleep, got this out of a school vending machine in hopes of waking up, did not help.
PM SNACK: 12:45pm, mediocre sicilian slice, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
We ordered a drier moz from our cheese maker, but what they sent yesterday was aged and too dry, so we sent it back. What we got today was fresher and looser, but drier and tighter than what we've been using. This slice was used with the aged stuff, and it truly made for an inferior product.
LUNCH: 4:30pm, small salad, gelato, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
L was making anything, so I just busted out some special salads for the peeps.
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, snippet of lemonade, taste of spinach, bite of cheese crisp, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNARF: 10:30pm, small scoop of gelato, a small cup of tap beer, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Wednesday, May 13
Dark Chocolate Vs. Lost: Lost Wins
Was able to stay awake through class, mostly by telling L stories -- everyone really wants to meet him, and L himself has already volunteered to come in and talk to the class, but I dunno. It's like career day and your parents come to talk to the class, and you're afraid they'll do something dorky and embarrass you.
Like today -- I was rotating a pizza that was in back of a newly placed pie, and I foolishly didn't hook the pizza door open, so while I was jiggling the pie, I shook the door a little and it tapped me lightly on the hand, giving me a bit of a burn. I jumped and slapped the edge of the new pie with the peel, not enough to make it bad or unsalable, but L was there to scold me for being uncoordinated and out of shape and nonathletic and how bike riding isn't doing it for me and on and on a bit. I shrug it off, run my hand under some cold water, move on.
A few minutes later, I'm working on a yield test for a new recipe for prosciutto balls when L comes into the kitchen and scolds me some more for being weak, then runs me through his Qi Gong practice, which he strongly recommends I do every morning and evening to build up my strength and coordination -- he flexes his muscles and calves at me to show me what it's done for him. Then he hikes up his kilt and boasts that he's "U.F." today - Underwear Free, and how I should consider the practice. Ugh.
Dark chocolate usually gets me buzzing, but lying on the couch wrapped around the very pregnant B and her watching the extremely boring Lost/American Idol business, I passed out around 8:30pm without dinner.
BREAKFAST: 8am, chocolate cheese muffin, water .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Starbucks muffin to help me in my determination not to fall asleep during class. Was about to buy two pastries, but there were calorie counts on each item....the donut and apple fritter together were about 800 calories, while the muffin alone was 330. Ah, informed decision making...
LUNCH 1: 12:15pm, 10 pork & chive dumplings, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
At my favorite dumpling hole-in-the-wall on the way to the resto, as I got out 15 minutes early. At $2.50, can't beat it.
LUNCH 2: 4pm, slice o' white, slice o' red with meatball, red pepper and olive, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Chill staff lunch with dah fellahs and dah ladies.
PM WATERING: 6:30pm, quart o' water
PM INDULGENCE: 7pm, packet of Jaques Torres dark chocolate covered cornflakes, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Like today -- I was rotating a pizza that was in back of a newly placed pie, and I foolishly didn't hook the pizza door open, so while I was jiggling the pie, I shook the door a little and it tapped me lightly on the hand, giving me a bit of a burn. I jumped and slapped the edge of the new pie with the peel, not enough to make it bad or unsalable, but L was there to scold me for being uncoordinated and out of shape and nonathletic and how bike riding isn't doing it for me and on and on a bit. I shrug it off, run my hand under some cold water, move on.
A few minutes later, I'm working on a yield test for a new recipe for prosciutto balls when L comes into the kitchen and scolds me some more for being weak, then runs me through his Qi Gong practice, which he strongly recommends I do every morning and evening to build up my strength and coordination -- he flexes his muscles and calves at me to show me what it's done for him. Then he hikes up his kilt and boasts that he's "U.F." today - Underwear Free, and how I should consider the practice. Ugh.
Dark chocolate usually gets me buzzing, but lying on the couch wrapped around the very pregnant B and her watching the extremely boring Lost/American Idol business, I passed out around 8:30pm without dinner.
BREAKFAST: 8am, chocolate cheese muffin, water .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Starbucks muffin to help me in my determination not to fall asleep during class. Was about to buy two pastries, but there were calorie counts on each item....the donut and apple fritter together were about 800 calories, while the muffin alone was 330. Ah, informed decision making...
LUNCH 1: 12:15pm, 10 pork & chive dumplings, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
At my favorite dumpling hole-in-the-wall on the way to the resto, as I got out 15 minutes early. At $2.50, can't beat it.
LUNCH 2: 4pm, slice o' white, slice o' red with meatball, red pepper and olive, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Chill staff lunch with dah fellahs and dah ladies.
PM WATERING: 6:30pm, quart o' water
PM INDULGENCE: 7pm, packet of Jaques Torres dark chocolate covered cornflakes, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Tuesday, May 12
"More Better"
I had one of those rare days that started really good and then just got better as it went along. Woke up at 8, got the laundry in and sung the very pregnant B out of her sleep. Went over to Essex market to Shopsin's for breakfast, where Kenny Shopsin was holding court in the tiny dining room, explaining his technique for making and saving stock. ("Reduce it until it's...REDUCED! Get it in ice cube tray, and heat it up in watah." He's just like he is in the documentary.)
Then I popped in to the cheese counter right next door and introduced myself to Anne Saxelby, who is a total sweetheart. I heard her speak at school yesterday, but was too out of it and tired to interact. I asked her for cheese recommendations for pizza, and it turns out she's friends with Mark from Pizza a Casa, whom I assisted a class with at the Astor Wine Center. I ended up shootin' the bull with her for a while, getting a bunch of laffs with a few L stories. Good times.
Then some graphics work, then off to yoga with T, and a good snickle after. I really don't have enough T-Time in my life. Home to shower then off to the 'rant.
I totally forgot, but an old friend from high school came in and said there would be some friends from our graduating class coming in for an echo of the reunion I missed a few weeks ago, due to the hours I've been working. So 8 old compadres from 20-odd years ago materialized for a meal, and I spent the evening checking in on the kitchen and hanging out and catching up. It's quite frightening that one of them (hi D!) actually reads this blog and was quoting bits back to me. It was quite an honor that these folk from my not-so-recent past would take the time and effort to come to the place I've been chained to for the last 3 months or so and spend the evening. I remember myself as being a bit of an introvert, uncomfortable in my own skin and feeling out of place, but judging from the affection everyone seemed to have for each other (and lil' ol' me), perhaps my perception of self was a bit colored by the immature 17 year old me.
It just wasn't a day that happens every, errr, day. It could only be better if I spent more time with B. Or if she were to pop and release the baby unto the world. -sigh-
My two main kitchen workers, a Mexicana and an Afghani, have a limited grasp of English grammar, but both agree that when things are done properly, it is "more better." Today was definitely more better.
BREAKFAST: 9am, ricotta lime pancakes, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Shopsin's has about 1000 things on the menu, and about 30 pancake variations. These pancakes had ricotta and lime juice (and I suspect some grated rind) tucked pleasantly in the center of the otherwise ordinary pancakes, really filling and tasty. Gonna try this trick with my own homemade batter.
AM SNACK: 9:30am, snippet of cheeses
Anne sampled me some cheeses, all delicious, so I got a few quarter pounds of Grayson and Raclette to play with.
SNICKLE SNACK: 1:45pm, cup of dahl, vegan cesar salad, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4:45pm, 3 meatballs, sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a few glasses of mandorla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Then I popped in to the cheese counter right next door and introduced myself to Anne Saxelby, who is a total sweetheart. I heard her speak at school yesterday, but was too out of it and tired to interact. I asked her for cheese recommendations for pizza, and it turns out she's friends with Mark from Pizza a Casa, whom I assisted a class with at the Astor Wine Center. I ended up shootin' the bull with her for a while, getting a bunch of laffs with a few L stories. Good times.
Then some graphics work, then off to yoga with T, and a good snickle after. I really don't have enough T-Time in my life. Home to shower then off to the 'rant.
I totally forgot, but an old friend from high school came in and said there would be some friends from our graduating class coming in for an echo of the reunion I missed a few weeks ago, due to the hours I've been working. So 8 old compadres from 20-odd years ago materialized for a meal, and I spent the evening checking in on the kitchen and hanging out and catching up. It's quite frightening that one of them (hi D!) actually reads this blog and was quoting bits back to me. It was quite an honor that these folk from my not-so-recent past would take the time and effort to come to the place I've been chained to for the last 3 months or so and spend the evening. I remember myself as being a bit of an introvert, uncomfortable in my own skin and feeling out of place, but judging from the affection everyone seemed to have for each other (and lil' ol' me), perhaps my perception of self was a bit colored by the immature 17 year old me.
It just wasn't a day that happens every, errr, day. It could only be better if I spent more time with B. Or if she were to pop and release the baby unto the world. -sigh-
My two main kitchen workers, a Mexicana and an Afghani, have a limited grasp of English grammar, but both agree that when things are done properly, it is "more better." Today was definitely more better.
BREAKFAST: 9am, ricotta lime pancakes, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Shopsin's has about 1000 things on the menu, and about 30 pancake variations. These pancakes had ricotta and lime juice (and I suspect some grated rind) tucked pleasantly in the center of the otherwise ordinary pancakes, really filling and tasty. Gonna try this trick with my own homemade batter.
AM SNACK: 9:30am, snippet of cheeses
Anne sampled me some cheeses, all delicious, so I got a few quarter pounds of Grayson and Raclette to play with.
SNICKLE SNACK: 1:45pm, cup of dahl, vegan cesar salad, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4:45pm, 3 meatballs, sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a few glasses of mandorla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Monday, May 11
Monday Funday Again
A good day. Class in the morning, a graphics gig in the afternoon, dinner at Amorina with B and some school colleagues in the evening. Tomorrow, chores, yoga snickle and the restaurant in the later hours...
BREAKFAST: 7am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10:30am, 2 small pieces of funky cheese, slice of bread, hunger 4/5
At a talk with a cheese monger. Delicious raw milk cheeses.
LUNCH: 4pm, slice of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
At 99¢ Fresh Pizza by Port Authority, a god reminder how crappy crappy pizza can be
PM SNACK: 5pm, a snippet of Balthazar cookie
DINNER: 7pm, small slices of a variety of pizzas, a little pasta, onion tart and a sampler of desserts, 2 glasses red wine, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
At the restaurant I used to work at, really good vibes. Ah, to work at a smoothly operating and comfortably functional restaurant....
BREAKFAST: 7am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10:30am, 2 small pieces of funky cheese, slice of bread, hunger 4/5
At a talk with a cheese monger. Delicious raw milk cheeses.
LUNCH: 4pm, slice of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
At 99¢ Fresh Pizza by Port Authority, a god reminder how crappy crappy pizza can be
PM SNACK: 5pm, a snippet of Balthazar cookie
DINNER: 7pm, small slices of a variety of pizzas, a little pasta, onion tart and a sampler of desserts, 2 glasses red wine, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
At the restaurant I used to work at, really good vibes. Ah, to work at a smoothly operating and comfortably functional restaurant....
Sunday, May 10
Sunday Release
After working almost 15 hours on a Saturday at the restaurant, it was time to ride. Holy crap, it was time to ride. L has been riding me this past week, trying to get me to his definitively undefined amorphously specific and constantly changing standards on the pizza station, and criticising me in not a gentle way. It’s a good thing I’m an adult with a strong sense of self, or I would've gone the way of a rapidly increasing pool of ex-employees. I actually don’t mind the yelling...but he rides the line between effective and cruel.
There were some sweet highlights -- a very pregnant B came in with a few of her friends and it was great fun doting on them (and L comped the meal, which was nice and appropriate.) And Patrick and his gal came in, which was unexpected. L fired the hostess so I had to put on a clean and too-small t-shirt and greet and sit people, while wearing a kilt...yes, put out like a cheap street walker to pimp the pizza! Got out of there by 12, rode home, switched into spandex and met C (he who quit the restaurant weeks ago but I’ve made friends with, he’s just a kid) and we rode south to South Ferry, then a full loop around Manhattan, about 30 miles. We went to Veselka for a meal, was very busy, felt bad for the staff there, but I guess that's what you sign up for in a 24-hour resto. Home by 4:30am, sleep by 5, inspired by Server T made banana walnut muffins for the B and her family on mothers day by 8:30! Glad to be home, appreciating B’s huge belly. Any week now!
I miss my parents something fierce today. Only got 3 hours of sleep, then had a Mother's Day brunch/mini pre-baby celebration at cousin’s place. Was really nice to be a part of such a strong and happy extended family unit, even though it sucks that it makes me feel the loss of my own family that much more. Hopefully those feelings will recede when the mini-B is out and about!
BREAKFAST: 9am, 3 freshly baked banana walnut muffins, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Used this recipe, but only as a jump off. Added an egg, doubled the baking soda and the salt, melted the butter instead of softening, added eggs to the liquid rather than with the dry, added a little whole milk to add extra silkiness and moisture, used whole wheat pastry flour instead of straight whole wheat, pulled back on the nutmeg because I was freshly grating it, scraped out two vanilla beans instead of extract, and folded the wet into the dry minimally, so little that there were pockets of dry powder in the mix but I knew most would bake out. I usually don't improvise on a baking recipe until I make it once (so I know how my kitchen and equipment is influencing the results), but I just kinda vibed this one, inspired by some conversations I've been having with a server (and friend) at the resto who sounds like a pretty accomplished home cook. I think she was making these muffins, too, and sounded really yummy. Next time, though, out with the walnuts and in with the dark chocolate chips. Oh yes.
BRUNCH DAZE: 11:30am-5pm, a few pickles, a half bagel with cream cheese, lox, onion and tomato, a large number of chocolates and chocolaty things, a sip of booze, water, cheese and crackers, 2 bowl, hunger 4/5
Long day of grazing at B's cousin, lots of yummies, good vibes, compliments on my muffins, pizza talk. Went into the living room to take a nap, and when I woke up a few hours later, the whole family was around me, snacking, livin' it up, was very nice way to come out of a rejuvenating nap.
DINNER: 8:45pm, roast pork & tofu with rice, shrimp toast, wonton soup, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Comfort dinner horray!
There were some sweet highlights -- a very pregnant B came in with a few of her friends and it was great fun doting on them (and L comped the meal, which was nice and appropriate.) And Patrick and his gal came in, which was unexpected. L fired the hostess so I had to put on a clean and too-small t-shirt and greet and sit people, while wearing a kilt...yes, put out like a cheap street walker to pimp the pizza! Got out of there by 12, rode home, switched into spandex and met C (he who quit the restaurant weeks ago but I’ve made friends with, he’s just a kid) and we rode south to South Ferry, then a full loop around Manhattan, about 30 miles. We went to Veselka for a meal, was very busy, felt bad for the staff there, but I guess that's what you sign up for in a 24-hour resto. Home by 4:30am, sleep by 5, inspired by Server T made banana walnut muffins for the B and her family on mothers day by 8:30! Glad to be home, appreciating B’s huge belly. Any week now!
I miss my parents something fierce today. Only got 3 hours of sleep, then had a Mother's Day brunch/mini pre-baby celebration at cousin’s place. Was really nice to be a part of such a strong and happy extended family unit, even though it sucks that it makes me feel the loss of my own family that much more. Hopefully those feelings will recede when the mini-B is out and about!
BREAKFAST: 9am, 3 freshly baked banana walnut muffins, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Used this recipe, but only as a jump off. Added an egg, doubled the baking soda and the salt, melted the butter instead of softening, added eggs to the liquid rather than with the dry, added a little whole milk to add extra silkiness and moisture, used whole wheat pastry flour instead of straight whole wheat, pulled back on the nutmeg because I was freshly grating it, scraped out two vanilla beans instead of extract, and folded the wet into the dry minimally, so little that there were pockets of dry powder in the mix but I knew most would bake out. I usually don't improvise on a baking recipe until I make it once (so I know how my kitchen and equipment is influencing the results), but I just kinda vibed this one, inspired by some conversations I've been having with a server (and friend) at the resto who sounds like a pretty accomplished home cook. I think she was making these muffins, too, and sounded really yummy. Next time, though, out with the walnuts and in with the dark chocolate chips. Oh yes.
BRUNCH DAZE: 11:30am-5pm, a few pickles, a half bagel with cream cheese, lox, onion and tomato, a large number of chocolates and chocolaty things, a sip of booze, water, cheese and crackers, 2 bowl, hunger 4/5
Long day of grazing at B's cousin, lots of yummies, good vibes, compliments on my muffins, pizza talk. Went into the living room to take a nap, and when I woke up a few hours later, the whole family was around me, snacking, livin' it up, was very nice way to come out of a rejuvenating nap.
DINNER: 8:45pm, roast pork & tofu with rice, shrimp toast, wonton soup, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Comfort dinner horray!
When the Baby Comes, I'll Get More Sleep Then
Oh lordy. It's almost 5am and I need to get some rest. Just did a loop around Manhattan on the bicycle with a fellow restaurant worker, after a grueling 15 hour shift. I can't even begin.
BREAKFAST: 8am, purple gatorade, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 11:30am, slice of eggy breakfast pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, mayo-slathered corn on the cob with salad, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE 5-10pm, a few snippets of gelato, a piece of cucumber, a rootbeer, ? bowl, hunger ?/5
DINNER: 11pm, 3 slices of pizza, lemonaide, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
POWER DRINK: 12:30am, half a Manhattan Special
POWER DRINK: 2am, purple gatorade
DINFAST? BREAKNER: 4am, mixed fried perogies, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
At Velselka post-early morning ride.
BREAKFAST: 8am, purple gatorade, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 11:30am, slice of eggy breakfast pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, mayo-slathered corn on the cob with salad, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE 5-10pm, a few snippets of gelato, a piece of cucumber, a rootbeer, ? bowl, hunger ?/5
DINNER: 11pm, 3 slices of pizza, lemonaide, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
POWER DRINK: 12:30am, half a Manhattan Special
POWER DRINK: 2am, purple gatorade
DINFAST? BREAKNER: 4am, mixed fried perogies, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
At Velselka post-early morning ride.
Saturday, May 9
Do it again
Long but good day at the restaurant, it's nice to see things that were solved theoretically be put to the test and shown to be....working smoothly. Got to be up in a few hours so I can do it all over again...
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: noon, 2 slices of pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
An experiment -- L only uses pecorino romano on his pies and on this he used parmegano reggiano. Definitely an illustration in contrasts.
LUNCH: 4pm, crappy cheese ravioli, a little chicory salad, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a meat ball, a slice of sicilian, a snippet of gelato, a gulp of lemonade, a random bite of pizza here and there, a couple of house-made prociutto balls, ? bowls, hunger ?/5
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, scoop of chocolate gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 12:30am, pint of pork fried rice, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ahhh, the greasy pause that refreshes.
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: noon, 2 slices of pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
An experiment -- L only uses pecorino romano on his pies and on this he used parmegano reggiano. Definitely an illustration in contrasts.
LUNCH: 4pm, crappy cheese ravioli, a little chicory salad, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a meat ball, a slice of sicilian, a snippet of gelato, a gulp of lemonade, a random bite of pizza here and there, a couple of house-made prociutto balls, ? bowls, hunger ?/5
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, scoop of chocolate gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 12:30am, pint of pork fried rice, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ahhh, the greasy pause that refreshes.
Friday, May 8
You are feeeeling sleeeeepeeeee....
Woke up sleepy, didn't really get going until service time. Class was in a kitchen, with a chef instructor breaking down sides of beef and cooking up some yummies....I wish I'd been more awake for it.
BREAKFAST: 8am, sesame bagel & butter, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Wanted something other than sugar, but got so sleepy in class that...
AM SNACK 9am, peanut M&Ms, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
...I resorted to a chocolate dose to keep me up. Didn't quite work.
AM SNACK: 11:30am, 2 pieces of roasted beef tenderloin in espagnole sauce, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 1pm, 2 small slices of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, tuna fish sandwich with french fries,water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6pm, manhattan special, .25 bowl
DINNER: 8pm, 2 slices of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mistakes back to the kitchen, delicious mistakes...
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, glass of mandorla, glass of lemonade
EVENING SNORT: 10:30pm, small amount of tap beer
BREAKFAST: 8am, sesame bagel & butter, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Wanted something other than sugar, but got so sleepy in class that...
AM SNACK 9am, peanut M&Ms, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
...I resorted to a chocolate dose to keep me up. Didn't quite work.
AM SNACK: 11:30am, 2 pieces of roasted beef tenderloin in espagnole sauce, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 1pm, 2 small slices of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, tuna fish sandwich with french fries,water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6pm, manhattan special, .25 bowl
DINNER: 8pm, 2 slices of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mistakes back to the kitchen, delicious mistakes...
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, glass of mandorla, glass of lemonade
EVENING SNORT: 10:30pm, small amount of tap beer
Wednesday, May 6
I need to go food shopping
School, resto for a few hours, then the evening with the B, dinner and future baby related stuff. Almost fell asleep in class, gotta get more sleep tonight.
BREAKFAST: 8am, apple fritter and chocolate donut, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
From starbucks, just wanted something convenient and fast. Must try for some real breakfast tomorrow.
PM SNACK: 2pm, chocolate gelato, a meatball, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, 4 pork tamales, 2 slices of slightly burnt prosciutto pizza, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6:15pm, 4 tiny meatballs, a few spoonfuls of stinky pasta, water, .5 bowl, hunger 2/5
B was hungry, so we went to Bar Stuzzichini. They're a competitor in the same meatball contest my resto is in, so I couldn't help but try theirs. Not impressed, 5 half ounce balls in a little sauce, finished with grated cheese. Tasted a bit too breadcrumby and grainy, almost like the meat was an afterthought.
PM SNACK: 9:15pm, 4 little baggies of popchips from the 5 boro bikeride, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 10pm, nutella-like stuff and good peanut butter, .33 bowl, hunger 4/5
I really need to do some grocery shopping.
BREAKFAST: 8am, apple fritter and chocolate donut, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
From starbucks, just wanted something convenient and fast. Must try for some real breakfast tomorrow.
PM SNACK: 2pm, chocolate gelato, a meatball, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, 4 pork tamales, 2 slices of slightly burnt prosciutto pizza, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6:15pm, 4 tiny meatballs, a few spoonfuls of stinky pasta, water, .5 bowl, hunger 2/5
B was hungry, so we went to Bar Stuzzichini. They're a competitor in the same meatball contest my resto is in, so I couldn't help but try theirs. Not impressed, 5 half ounce balls in a little sauce, finished with grated cheese. Tasted a bit too breadcrumby and grainy, almost like the meat was an afterthought.
PM SNACK: 9:15pm, 4 little baggies of popchips from the 5 boro bikeride, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 10pm, nutella-like stuff and good peanut butter, .33 bowl, hunger 4/5
I really need to do some grocery shopping.
Tuesday, May 5
Good Monday
Woke up with minor Beard Belly, not as bad as I thought it would be. Nice to be able to be kinda conscious an hour before waking and being able to wrap my arms around a very pregnant B, and Rufus then getting on top and horning in on the snuggle action. Definitely the right way to start the day, when the day involves 13 hours at a restaurant. We stood by the window in the kitchen and I read "The Little Red Lighthouse & the Great Grey Bridge" to her, it reminded me how much I loved that book as a child and how I can't wait to read it to my kid then take them up the west side bike path to visit said little lighthouse.
L has been really psyched about the ramps we received from our produce purveyor, which are now in season. It's dead simple: Crust topped with mozz and olive oil only. Once baked to light golden brown, whole trimmed and cleaned ramps are pressed into the pie in a decorative fashion, then cut. The ramps are slightly cooked by the heat, and set off by the salt in the cheese and the flavor-enhancing oil.
Ramps kind of taste like a peppery scallion, but with a bit of a woodsy overtone. It tastes, well, wild.
After this weekend, the restaurant will be open on Sundays. B, give birth already!!
BREAKFAST: 11:30am, 2 slices wild leek pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, a handful of mini meatballs and bread, a slice of prosciutto pizza, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 8pm, beef tamale, .33 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 9pm, scoop of espresso gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of draft beer
L has been really psyched about the ramps we received from our produce purveyor, which are now in season. It's dead simple: Crust topped with mozz and olive oil only. Once baked to light golden brown, whole trimmed and cleaned ramps are pressed into the pie in a decorative fashion, then cut. The ramps are slightly cooked by the heat, and set off by the salt in the cheese and the flavor-enhancing oil.
Ramps kind of taste like a peppery scallion, but with a bit of a woodsy overtone. It tastes, well, wild.
After this weekend, the restaurant will be open on Sundays. B, give birth already!!
BREAKFAST: 11:30am, 2 slices wild leek pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, a handful of mini meatballs and bread, a slice of prosciutto pizza, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 8pm, beef tamale, .33 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 9pm, scoop of espresso gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of draft beer
Monday, May 4
Beard Belly Revisited
Interesting day. Bikeless, had to rely on public transportation to get me to school....and due to the rain and the lack of F service, ended up being 30 minutes late....I HATE being late. And I had to jet 2 hours early to get tickets to the James Beard Awards. I went last year and it was a bit mind (and belly) blowing. This year, the ceremony was an hour long and the food was a lot less plentiful, but it was still a gut-busting, intensely interesting time. I rolled out of there stuffed, but sober and comfortable enough to ride the bike home.
Oh, and after picking up tickets, I took a meeting in Chelsea which I'm not at liberty to discuss in this forum. Very interesting.
BREAKFAST: 7:45am, a horrible chocolate chip muffin off the street, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 8:30am, a few slices of fresh mozzarella, a little bread, olive oil, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
A student gave a presentation on moz, and brought in a few samples of the stuff they make in his restaurant.
PM SNACK: 2:45pm, a few spoonfuls of good peanut butter with nutella-like stuff, water, .25 bowl hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 4pm, 3 packets of popchips, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Free samples from yesterday's 5 boro ride. Trying to stay hungry for the evening's gorging.
JAMES BEARD GORGING: 9:30-11:30pm, various small plates including octopus terrine, organic pork sliders, bluecheese-topped brownies, conch cuban sandwich, chocolates, pickled shrimp, shrimp andouille, marrow on croute, weird chestnut terrine, spicy Korean salmon, wonderful chilled steak tartar in anchovy broth with shaved ice, oysters on the half shell, weird chocolate ice cream crunchy thing, bite of duck hot dog, a few sips of different cocktails, a half a beer, a few pellegrinos, a few things I'm forgetting, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5 to 1/5
Sunday, May 3
5 Boro
After 3 hours of sleep, got on the bike and met D for a 45 mile bike ride in heavy rain. I had plans to go out to the Cherry Blossom Festival and see a friend for dinner, but when I got home and ate and snuggled with a pregnant B, I fell fast asleep at 4pm and woke at 6am, with a short moment of wakefulness to eat some cheesy crackers.
BREAKFAST: 6:45am, organic cheerios with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 8am, 2 good donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
BIKE SNACK: 9:45am, puffed potato chips, a banana, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
BIKE SNACK: 1:30pm, puffed potato chips, cheesy crackers, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2:30pm, shrimp in garlic sauce, yellow rice, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ordered from a local Spanish joint, usually it's really good, but this time they forgot the black beans and the sauce tasted overpoweringly like raw garlic, blech.
PM SNACK: 10pm, 2 packs of cheesy crackers, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 6:45am, organic cheerios with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 8am, 2 good donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
BIKE SNACK: 9:45am, puffed potato chips, a banana, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
BIKE SNACK: 1:30pm, puffed potato chips, cheesy crackers, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2:30pm, shrimp in garlic sauce, yellow rice, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ordered from a local Spanish joint, usually it's really good, but this time they forgot the black beans and the sauce tasted overpoweringly like raw garlic, blech.
PM SNACK: 10pm, 2 packs of cheesy crackers, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Torn up
Long day at the restaurant, the weather was good and we were packed from beginning to end. Went smoother than previous Saturdays, as we all know a little bit more what we're doing, and was able to get out of there before midnight. Went for a drink in Brooklyn Heights after with the front of house manager and a server, then attempted to ride to a party in Greenpoint, but caught a flat and had to hoof it home. It's for the best, as I have to be up in 4 hours for the 5 Boro Bike Ride!!
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
NOON SNACK: noon, 3 small pieces of breakfast pizza with egg, prosciutto, and wild ramps, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, 3 small slices of shrimp pizza, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, lemon aide, a sip of espresso soda, a cream soda, .5 bowl, hunger ?/5
TIPPLE: midnight, pint of old speckled hen, .5 bowl, hunger ?/5
AM SNACK: 1:45am, chocolate spread and cashews, .33 bowl, hunger 5/5
Not much to eat in the house. Hrumph.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
NOON SNACK: noon, 3 small pieces of breakfast pizza with egg, prosciutto, and wild ramps, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, 3 small slices of shrimp pizza, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, lemon aide, a sip of espresso soda, a cream soda, .5 bowl, hunger ?/5
TIPPLE: midnight, pint of old speckled hen, .5 bowl, hunger ?/5
AM SNACK: 1:45am, chocolate spread and cashews, .33 bowl, hunger 5/5
Not much to eat in the house. Hrumph.
Saturday, May 2
Trout!
Business pretty much squashed at the restaurant due to weather. Gearing up for a slammed Friday, was nice to be able to just chill and get to know the staff a bit better, bond a bit and feel cozy. Of course, a dead day like this will kill a restaurant eventually, so I guess I shouldn't be too happy about it....but still, it's a grind. Got to see a friend after work who has been having a hard time of things, nice to be able to find time to lend her an ear. I would'vegone home, but the Sweet B was fast asleep! I look forward to catching her conscious on Sunday.
BREAKFAST: 9am, cashew cake donut, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: noon, small slice of Sicilian, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2pm, small amount of rootbeer float
Experimenting with what's on hand to make a new menu item.
LUNCH: 3:30pm, oven roasted trout, garlic bread, chicory salad, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L has really been getting into making staff lunch, a step away from the pizza grind. This time he ordered a case of whole trout, and he made them in a very rustic style, with the scales and fins on, just pre-gutted and cleaned. Pretty good.
PM SNACK: 5pm, 6 prosciutto balls, a sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Served up a mess of almost-too-old prosciutto balls to the staff, I ate a bunch because they were quite delicious.
PM SNACK: 7pm, small scoop of chocolate gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 10:45pm, Cesar salad with shrimp, 1 beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 9am, cashew cake donut, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: noon, small slice of Sicilian, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2pm, small amount of rootbeer float
Experimenting with what's on hand to make a new menu item.
LUNCH: 3:30pm, oven roasted trout, garlic bread, chicory salad, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L has really been getting into making staff lunch, a step away from the pizza grind. This time he ordered a case of whole trout, and he made them in a very rustic style, with the scales and fins on, just pre-gutted and cleaned. Pretty good.
PM SNACK: 5pm, 6 prosciutto balls, a sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Served up a mess of almost-too-old prosciutto balls to the staff, I ate a bunch because they were quite delicious.
PM SNACK: 7pm, small scoop of chocolate gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 10:45pm, Cesar salad with shrimp, 1 beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Friday, May 1
Lobster!
Set the alarm for 6, and turned it off in a sleepy haze. Around 7:15am, B peeped up apologetically, "It's after 7, don't you need to get moving?" That's perhaps the coolest, most lovely way to wake up late! She's so great, I can't wait to wake her up and say something like, "Sweet B, the Sweet P needs yer boobie now."
Restaurant was eerily slow yesterday, slow enough to be our least-earning day since we opened. I'm of two minds -- on one hand, it hurts because even though I only have sweat equity in this place, I want to see it thrive and go on. I feel responsible for it's well being, like I was the owner. On the other hand, so many choices were made before I came on, choices that in hindsight could of been made differently to make things a lot smoother now. Regardless, I'm learning a lot more there than I am in culinary management school.
Had a flair up among the rank and file in the restaurant today, a real test of my managerial competence. I think I handled it ok, was able to smooth the water with a few people who speak very poor English, but the test will really be going forward.
BREAKFAST: 8:15am, apple fritter and marble cake, Manhattan Special, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
A breakfast that wakes you. I knew I'd be sleepy, so I took the Special home from the restaurant last night.
AM SNACK: 9am, snippet of sourdough bread, tomato, moz, basil, olive oil
A taste from the basil presentation in class
LUNCH: 4pm, lobster tail with freshly made coleslaw and roasted corn, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A very odd staff lunch. L ordered a bunch of live lobsters for staff lunch, fortunately there was someone else in the kitchen who wasn't too squeamish about dispatching them. All my anxiety and ill feelings about killing lobsters came back up, just like in c-school. Holding the box, feeling them twittering and reacting to my movements, ick!
PM SNACKAGE: 5-10pm, a meatball, a cream soda, a slice of soda, a snippet of gelato, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 11:30pm, 2 slices cold pizza, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Restaurant was eerily slow yesterday, slow enough to be our least-earning day since we opened. I'm of two minds -- on one hand, it hurts because even though I only have sweat equity in this place, I want to see it thrive and go on. I feel responsible for it's well being, like I was the owner. On the other hand, so many choices were made before I came on, choices that in hindsight could of been made differently to make things a lot smoother now. Regardless, I'm learning a lot more there than I am in culinary management school.
Had a flair up among the rank and file in the restaurant today, a real test of my managerial competence. I think I handled it ok, was able to smooth the water with a few people who speak very poor English, but the test will really be going forward.
BREAKFAST: 8:15am, apple fritter and marble cake, Manhattan Special, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
A breakfast that wakes you. I knew I'd be sleepy, so I took the Special home from the restaurant last night.
AM SNACK: 9am, snippet of sourdough bread, tomato, moz, basil, olive oil
A taste from the basil presentation in class
LUNCH: 4pm, lobster tail with freshly made coleslaw and roasted corn, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A very odd staff lunch. L ordered a bunch of live lobsters for staff lunch, fortunately there was someone else in the kitchen who wasn't too squeamish about dispatching them. All my anxiety and ill feelings about killing lobsters came back up, just like in c-school. Holding the box, feeling them twittering and reacting to my movements, ick!
PM SNACKAGE: 5-10pm, a meatball, a cream soda, a slice of soda, a snippet of gelato, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 11:30pm, 2 slices cold pizza, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Wednesday, April 29
Quiet Long Day
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 street donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10:30am, 1 coffee bean, small piece of spinach bread, a fig with goat cheese dressing, a snippet of bacon
Presentations in class today, some presented with tastings of the product they were talking about. Whole roasted coffee beans remind me of whole cacao pods -- reminiscent of the final product, but tastes amazingly bitter and blunt.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, a small piece of calzone, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L made an amazing calzone today, perfectly balanced, crisp in the right places, gooey in the right places. Maybe a menu item?
LUNCH: 4pm, steak and onion sandwich, pickles, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Good and greasy, but enough with the red meat already.
PM SNACKS: 5-10pm, a meatball, a few snippets of bacon, a glass of lemon aide, a few snippets of mixed vegetables, a glass of lemonade, a taste of draft beer, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK 11:15pm, slice of local streetza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Felt hungry coming home, realized I had nothing for dinner after a slow night at the restaurant -- I could HAVE had another steak sandwich, but enough was enough. The only thing open nearby was...pizza. It wasn't very good, but good enough.
AM SNACK: 10:30am, 1 coffee bean, small piece of spinach bread, a fig with goat cheese dressing, a snippet of bacon
Presentations in class today, some presented with tastings of the product they were talking about. Whole roasted coffee beans remind me of whole cacao pods -- reminiscent of the final product, but tastes amazingly bitter and blunt.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, a small piece of calzone, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L made an amazing calzone today, perfectly balanced, crisp in the right places, gooey in the right places. Maybe a menu item?
LUNCH: 4pm, steak and onion sandwich, pickles, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Good and greasy, but enough with the red meat already.
PM SNACKS: 5-10pm, a meatball, a few snippets of bacon, a glass of lemon aide, a few snippets of mixed vegetables, a glass of lemonade, a taste of draft beer, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK 11:15pm, slice of local streetza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Felt hungry coming home, realized I had nothing for dinner after a slow night at the restaurant -- I could HAVE had another steak sandwich, but enough was enough. The only thing open nearby was...pizza. It wasn't very good, but good enough.
Tuesday, April 28
Tuesday Funday
Went to the restaurant, left at 5 so I could join B for a look-see at a pediatrician, who in the end was on vacation when we arrived....never confirmed the appointment, guess that won't happen. Still, nice to be able to have dinner with my pregnant wife and chill a little.
Got a call from Nickelodeon to work on a short-term good-money gig, first in a solid 6 months that I accepted, the other calls were for little one day day-raters which weren't worth interrupting my pizza life.
BREAKFAST: 11:45, 3 slices of pizza, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 3:45pm, 2 hotdogs with kraut and mustard, water, sprite, 1.25 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 6:30pm, 2 bites of streetza
On the walk down from her office, we got a slice out of the Vinnie Vincenz pizza truck on Union Square. It was a little burnt, with a bitter char. The crust was stretched unevenly, too thin in the middle, too thick toward the cornicone (yep, thats the technical term from the raised crust at the outer edges! I'm a geek!) and the cheese was on the edge of scorched.
DINNER: 7pm, hijiki tofu sandwich, large spinach salad with carrot dressing, water, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
At Dojo with the B, though because of it's vegan angle, needed an HVS.
EVENING SNACK: 7:45pm, half a street vanilla ice cream cone, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Got a call from Nickelodeon to work on a short-term good-money gig, first in a solid 6 months that I accepted, the other calls were for little one day day-raters which weren't worth interrupting my pizza life.
BREAKFAST: 11:45, 3 slices of pizza, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 3:45pm, 2 hotdogs with kraut and mustard, water, sprite, 1.25 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 6:30pm, 2 bites of streetza
On the walk down from her office, we got a slice out of the Vinnie Vincenz pizza truck on Union Square. It was a little burnt, with a bitter char. The crust was stretched unevenly, too thin in the middle, too thick toward the cornicone (yep, thats the technical term from the raised crust at the outer edges! I'm a geek!) and the cheese was on the edge of scorched.
DINNER: 7pm, hijiki tofu sandwich, large spinach salad with carrot dressing, water, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
At Dojo with the B, though because of it's vegan angle, needed an HVS.
EVENING SNACK: 7:45pm, half a street vanilla ice cream cone, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Monday, April 27
Monday Funday
Ah, Monday, my personal Sunday. I fell asleep last night around 7pm, after that 35 mile bike ride, too much meat for lunch and 4 hours of sleep the night before after a 70+ hour week at the restaurant. Only got a little drowsy at school.
Went down the street to R.U.B. for lunch, it's a restaurant we saw a show about in class, the trials and tribulations they went through to get open. It was surprisingly good, probably the best BBQ I've had in NYC, much better than the sloppy joints D has taken me to in midtown.
Visited Y briefly at her shop, but they are going through a renovation and I couldn't spend too much time. Rode up to Central Park and chilled for a few hours in the sheeps meadow before heading down to 42nd to catch a movie with D, then dinner with D and B. L cancelled our dinner meeting, but will reconvene Wednesday.
BREAKFAST: 5am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 8am, 2 street donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:15pm, pulled pork on rye, 3 little pickles, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7:30pm, bread with white bean dip, Cesar salad, a little octopus, spaghetti & a few lame meatballs, a slice of lame pizza, water, half a small portion of cheesecake, 2 bowl, hunger
4/5
Dinner at a non-descript Italian joint in Chelsea that offered pizzas, too thin and undercooked, lacking herbs and tasting flat. Nice to be out and not working, though.
Went down the street to R.U.B. for lunch, it's a restaurant we saw a show about in class, the trials and tribulations they went through to get open. It was surprisingly good, probably the best BBQ I've had in NYC, much better than the sloppy joints D has taken me to in midtown.
Visited Y briefly at her shop, but they are going through a renovation and I couldn't spend too much time. Rode up to Central Park and chilled for a few hours in the sheeps meadow before heading down to 42nd to catch a movie with D, then dinner with D and B. L cancelled our dinner meeting, but will reconvene Wednesday.
BREAKFAST: 5am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 8am, 2 street donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:15pm, pulled pork on rye, 3 little pickles, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7:30pm, bread with white bean dip, Cesar salad, a little octopus, spaghetti & a few lame meatballs, a slice of lame pizza, water, half a small portion of cheesecake, 2 bowl, hunger
4/5
Dinner at a non-descript Italian joint in Chelsea that offered pizzas, too thin and undercooked, lacking herbs and tasting flat. Nice to be out and not working, though.
Sunday, April 26
Sunday Funday
Got to bed at 4am, after doing a minor binge brought on by booze and not really eating dinner. Still, it was a minor thing compared how I'd stuff myself after drink in my earlier years. Woke up after 4 hours of sleep, intended to go back to bed but it was just too exciting to be lying next to my pregnant wife AND not have to get up and go, so we just spent an hour just talking and hugging and listening to old Brian Eno records. I sang tracks off of "Here Come the Warm Jets" to her belly, hopefully my kid won't like Miley Cyrus or whoever the teeny boppers are digging then.
Weighed in at 215.0 this morning. Huh, twenty pounds, I thought I'd be skinnier. By medical standards, I have to go to 185 to have a BMI of a non-overweight person! Don't think THAT will ever happen.
B went to a bridal shower and I finally got on the road bike. Met an ex-employee of the restaurant (a group rapidly growing in number) and E and we road out to Flushing Meadow in the 90 degree weather, really nice. Meat and beer was not my first choice of post-ride meal, especially since I had to ride a few miles after to get home. Got home around 6, fell asleep after showering around 7pm
DRUNKY SNACK: 3:30am, half a bagel with gender-specific chocolate spread, a banana walnut muffin, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM DRUGGING: 8am, 1 extra strength tylenol
A preventative measure, woke up slightly buzzed, so took this to keep a hangover in check.
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, toasted bagel with lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Deliciousness from the B. She can't cook, but she can prepare. -sigh-
AM BIKE SNACK: 11:30am, churro, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM BIKE SNACK: 12:30pm, most of a chocolate donut, bite of a cinnamon bun, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM BIKE SNACK: 1:30pm, 20oz of gatorade
PM BIKE WATERING: 2-4pm, a few quarts
LUNCH: 4pm, weiner shnitzel with German potato salad, kraut, 2 cups of beer, a bite of kielbasa, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After-ride meal at the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria.
Weighed in at 215.0 this morning. Huh, twenty pounds, I thought I'd be skinnier. By medical standards, I have to go to 185 to have a BMI of a non-overweight person! Don't think THAT will ever happen.
B went to a bridal shower and I finally got on the road bike. Met an ex-employee of the restaurant (a group rapidly growing in number) and E and we road out to Flushing Meadow in the 90 degree weather, really nice. Meat and beer was not my first choice of post-ride meal, especially since I had to ride a few miles after to get home. Got home around 6, fell asleep after showering around 7pm
DRUNKY SNACK: 3:30am, half a bagel with gender-specific chocolate spread, a banana walnut muffin, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM DRUGGING: 8am, 1 extra strength tylenol
A preventative measure, woke up slightly buzzed, so took this to keep a hangover in check.
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, toasted bagel with lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Deliciousness from the B. She can't cook, but she can prepare. -sigh-
AM BIKE SNACK: 11:30am, churro, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM BIKE SNACK: 12:30pm, most of a chocolate donut, bite of a cinnamon bun, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM BIKE SNACK: 1:30pm, 20oz of gatorade
PM BIKE WATERING: 2-4pm, a few quarts
LUNCH: 4pm, weiner shnitzel with German potato salad, kraut, 2 cups of beer, a bite of kielbasa, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After-ride meal at the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria.
Blown Thoroughly
Yesterday went well, so it was easier getting into the restaurant today. Not enough time to prep properly, and after a lunch service that went relatively smoothly, I found during dinner service it was one long game to catch up. I was in the back kitchen a lot leading a brigade of 3 others to put out the fires where ever they arose, whether than was making sauce, cutting cheese, making dough, cleaning and prepping garnishes, slicing toppings, keeping on top of the dishes, keeping delivery boxes stocked, and moderating between all the personalities involved. Hella fun, but after 14 hours two days in a row, I could see how people could burn out of this. The after-work drink really helped.
BREAKFAST: 8am, bialy with a little cream cheese and smoked salmon, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
B got some fish from Russ & Daughters for some brunch thing with friends, so I was able to indulge myself before the pressure cooker of a new restaurant on a Saturday.
LUNCH: 4pm, 2 slices of pizza, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Too busy for L to cook up something more off-menu, which is fine by me -- I think the pizza we produce is fantastic.
RESTAURANT HAZE: 4pm - midnight, sprite, a few prosciutto balls, a snippet of cucumber, a dry ginger ale, water, a glass of lemonade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
DEHAZING FLUIDS: midnight, pint of beer, one gin & tonic, 2 shots of whisky, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
The initial plan was to go home and recuperate, but people were going out, so after the kitchen crew finished up I followed after, aiming to be there a few minutes and ended up spending 2 hours and drinking way too much. It's nice when people cheer when you show up, hug you and kind of thank you for making their lives a little easier. I didn't let anyone buy me a drink, in fact I bought everyone one round, just seemed like the classy thing to do as a manager.
BREAKFAST: 8am, bialy with a little cream cheese and smoked salmon, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
B got some fish from Russ & Daughters for some brunch thing with friends, so I was able to indulge myself before the pressure cooker of a new restaurant on a Saturday.
LUNCH: 4pm, 2 slices of pizza, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Too busy for L to cook up something more off-menu, which is fine by me -- I think the pizza we produce is fantastic.
RESTAURANT HAZE: 4pm - midnight, sprite, a few prosciutto balls, a snippet of cucumber, a dry ginger ale, water, a glass of lemonade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
DEHAZING FLUIDS: midnight, pint of beer, one gin & tonic, 2 shots of whisky, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
The initial plan was to go home and recuperate, but people were going out, so after the kitchen crew finished up I followed after, aiming to be there a few minutes and ended up spending 2 hours and drinking way too much. It's nice when people cheer when you show up, hug you and kind of thank you for making their lives a little easier. I didn't let anyone buy me a drink, in fact I bought everyone one round, just seemed like the classy thing to do as a manager.
Saturday, April 25
Good day
Staff lunch is serious business, especially for those of us for whom this meal is the one real meal of the day. This one South American busser, a short little guy with a pronounced overbite and a slightly unnerving permanent grin always eats seconds and thirds, no matter what. Financially, this meal makes a big difference. It's fuel for the car, so to speak.
Friday in the restaurant went smoother than expected, with L only getting shouty in spots. We had two pizza men working the oven during the day, one whose days are probably numbered, another who started yesterday (from whom I'm getting good vibes). Hopefully tomorrow can go as smooth as today. After work tomorrow, a mega ride to sunrise! Then Sunday with the B and minipeazle!
BREAKFAST: I fergot
PM SNACK: 1pm, snippet of pizza
PM SNACK: 3pm, meatball
LUNCH: 4pm, half a medium pie with bacon and tomato, 1.25 bowl
Staff lunch were egg and pepper heros, and there was no way I could eat that, so I made myself a pizza, gave half of it to the hungrier side of the staff.
RESTAURANT HAZE: 7pm - 11pm, small sliver of Sicilian, scoop of chocolate gelato, bite of pizza, sprite, 2 glasses of mandorla, a little lemonade, pint of water, 1 bowl, hunger ?/5
AM WATERING: 1am, quart o' water
Friday in the restaurant went smoother than expected, with L only getting shouty in spots. We had two pizza men working the oven during the day, one whose days are probably numbered, another who started yesterday (from whom I'm getting good vibes). Hopefully tomorrow can go as smooth as today. After work tomorrow, a mega ride to sunrise! Then Sunday with the B and minipeazle!
BREAKFAST: I fergot
PM SNACK: 1pm, snippet of pizza
PM SNACK: 3pm, meatball
LUNCH: 4pm, half a medium pie with bacon and tomato, 1.25 bowl
Staff lunch were egg and pepper heros, and there was no way I could eat that, so I made myself a pizza, gave half of it to the hungrier side of the staff.
RESTAURANT HAZE: 7pm - 11pm, small sliver of Sicilian, scoop of chocolate gelato, bite of pizza, sprite, 2 glasses of mandorla, a little lemonade, pint of water, 1 bowl, hunger ?/5
AM WATERING: 1am, quart o' water
Friday, April 24
An easier way?
Tired. Class all morning, restaurant all day and night. Trying out a slew of new staff in front and back of house. Two pizzamen, one didn't make it through the afternoon, though the dishwasher/porter seems to be working out. L busting heads a little bit, mostly towards the end of the night, we were all a little crispy. Now the crush starts, then my weekend. There has got to be an easier way to lose weight.
BREAKFAST: 8am, blueberry muffin, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, pasta in cream sauce with peas, fruit tart, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACKS: 7-10pm, a couple of prosciutto balls, a couple of slices, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM WATERING: 12:15am, quart of water
AM SNACK: 12:45am, handful of cashews
BREAKFAST: 8am, blueberry muffin, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, pasta in cream sauce with peas, fruit tart, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACKS: 7-10pm, a couple of prosciutto balls, a couple of slices, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM WATERING: 12:15am, quart of water
AM SNACK: 12:45am, handful of cashews
Wednesday, April 22
We're either coming or going.
Class in the morning, a meeting with a career advisor at school, lunch with the B, 3 hours of chaos at the restaurant, a birthing class tour of the hospital where we'll be hatching the first member of our infant army, dinner at nice restaurant after, home.
Seeing three babies in the nursery, freshly born, was an eye opener. I don't like being in hospitals, and really don't like them since my parents passed -- it's where you go to die. The birthing room we were shown reminded me of the private room my mother was in -- she didn't like her hospital rooms, but the private room, with some wood panelling, she felt like it was somewhere where she could entertain guests without feeling too...hospital-ly and down. The room was nice, a thin slice of human kindness in a sterile desert.
Anyway, seeing those babies coming in in the same position my parents going out: totally unconscious, helpless, wearing diapers, hooked up to beeping machines, surrounded by loved ones with all thoughts on them. I instantly missed my parents something awful.
BREAKFAST: 8am, chocolate muffin, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
The Special got me buzzing, nice and awake for class.
LUNCH: 1pm, a few pickles, pastrami on rye, half a brownie, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Lunch at Eisenberg's with the B. All I can say is....oy. I want to like this place, but the food is crappadicka. The pastrami was clearly pre-sliced on a mechanical slice and heated up in a microwave. The pickles were sitting around awhile and the brownie was strictly Lil' Debbie.
RESTAURANT SNACK: 4pm, 1 slice of Sicilian, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 8:30pm, hummus and bread, a little salad, lamb shishkebab with potato and rice, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Dinner at Turkish Kitchen with the B after the birthing class left out early.
Seeing three babies in the nursery, freshly born, was an eye opener. I don't like being in hospitals, and really don't like them since my parents passed -- it's where you go to die. The birthing room we were shown reminded me of the private room my mother was in -- she didn't like her hospital rooms, but the private room, with some wood panelling, she felt like it was somewhere where she could entertain guests without feeling too...hospital-ly and down. The room was nice, a thin slice of human kindness in a sterile desert.
Anyway, seeing those babies coming in in the same position my parents going out: totally unconscious, helpless, wearing diapers, hooked up to beeping machines, surrounded by loved ones with all thoughts on them. I instantly missed my parents something awful.
BREAKFAST: 8am, chocolate muffin, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
The Special got me buzzing, nice and awake for class.
LUNCH: 1pm, a few pickles, pastrami on rye, half a brownie, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Lunch at Eisenberg's with the B. All I can say is....oy. I want to like this place, but the food is crappadicka. The pastrami was clearly pre-sliced on a mechanical slice and heated up in a microwave. The pickles were sitting around awhile and the brownie was strictly Lil' Debbie.
RESTAURANT SNACK: 4pm, 1 slice of Sicilian, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 8:30pm, hummus and bread, a little salad, lamb shishkebab with potato and rice, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Dinner at Turkish Kitchen with the B after the birthing class left out early.
85%
Despite having a lot of prep to catch up on, things went relatively smoothly today at the restaurant. Why, I actually enjoyed 85% of it...there are still many things wrong with the place, but I'm digging it. HVS and HVM stopped by, was nice, though I wish I could have come out and eaten with them.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 3:30pm, steak and onion sandwich, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACKS: 5pm-9pm, glass of mandorla, a meat ball, a few cucumber slices .5 bowl
PM SNACK: 10pm, slice of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, baby carrots and peanut butter, . 25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 3:30pm, steak and onion sandwich, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACKS: 5pm-9pm, glass of mandorla, a meat ball, a few cucumber slices .5 bowl
PM SNACK: 10pm, slice of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, baby carrots and peanut butter, . 25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Monday, April 20
I love good milk
Had class this morning and fell asleep a little during it. Had a wonderful lunch at HVS headquarters with the HVM -- supposed to go for an enervating bike ride but due to sheets of rain, we poked into a movie, in which I dozed off. After, the HVS and I yogasized but my body was just overtired and I found myself in child's seat more than usual, and shivasana did not come soon enough.
Had a meeting over a nice dinner with L and his daughters, I had the satisfaction of running through the entire list of our main issues. L seemed to connect with a lot of them, but not totally responsive to all of them. I did my thing, my conscience is clear.
BREAKFAST: 7:15am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Tried a new brand of organic unhomogenized whole milk, Thistle from upstate, damn tasty.
AM SNACK: 10am, apple fritter, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLELUNCH: 12:45pm, rice with seaweed, salad with lemon and tamari pumpkin seeds, mashed sweet potato, mint chip non-dairy dessert, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
The HVS made a sweet lunch, her best yet. The salad was perfectly dressed, the sweet potato was surprisingly moderate in its sweetness, and the rice was well salted, so that when it mixed with other things in the mouth, it just complimented everything well.
DINNER: 10pm, onion au gratin soup, cod with potato and chorizo, a bite of banana ricotta tart, water, a couple of pieces of bread, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Dinner with L and his daughters at Balthazar.
Had a meeting over a nice dinner with L and his daughters, I had the satisfaction of running through the entire list of our main issues. L seemed to connect with a lot of them, but not totally responsive to all of them. I did my thing, my conscience is clear.
BREAKFAST: 7:15am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Tried a new brand of organic unhomogenized whole milk, Thistle from upstate, damn tasty.
AM SNACK: 10am, apple fritter, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLELUNCH: 12:45pm, rice with seaweed, salad with lemon and tamari pumpkin seeds, mashed sweet potato, mint chip non-dairy dessert, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
The HVS made a sweet lunch, her best yet. The salad was perfectly dressed, the sweet potato was surprisingly moderate in its sweetness, and the rice was well salted, so that when it mixed with other things in the mouth, it just complimented everything well.
DINNER: 10pm, onion au gratin soup, cod with potato and chorizo, a bite of banana ricotta tart, water, a couple of pieces of bread, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Dinner with L and his daughters at Balthazar.
Sunday, April 19
Mandlen
My weight this morning was 215.2. When I set out to start losing weight more than a year ago, I was 235. My original goal was to lose 20 pounds, and for the last 6 months or so, I was stable at around 223, which was fine, but the last few weeks at the restaurant have driven me to eat less, and eat crappier. I need to work on that, but physically, I feel good and have my health, mostly -- not enough sleep and a linger cough, but that's pretty much restaurant life. I'm experiencing the grind....and I look forward to jumping tracks to the grind of a new lil' bebe.
I got in at 4am, after working 14.5 hours in the restaurant then riding about 30 miles round trip to Coney Island for hot dogs and some listening to the waves. The day at the restaurant started on a high note, then slowly slipped away inch by inch until coming to a complete crashing by the end. Friday was long, and nobody got enough sleep to start on Saturday. We open at 12 instead of 11:30 on Saturday, but its still not enough time to prep. L and his family were late by an hour, and by the time they arrived, I had everyone in and prepping, moving along well, got L in a good-ish mood. Then service started, we weren't finished with prep by a long shot, and we got slammed with too many customers, a system where only 1 pizza is made at a time, kept on running out of stuff, prepping to order, L started getting yelly at everyone, and on top of it, for some odd reason the air conditioning decided to not function and the temp in both the dining room and kitchen rose close to 90. We broke for lunch and closed the restaurant for an hour and a half. I had the guys do some prepping, but the dishes were backed up and as it turned out, even with a dishwasher, there wasn't enough dishes -- we had to serve on paper plates at one point in the night! We cancelled delivery, but L took an order for 17 pizzas anyway -- at 8:30pm, at the height of the rush! Things spiralled downwards, with the refrigeration in the back failing because of the excessive heat. Between moving food between units, suffering a lazy dishwasher and a delivery person who was sent back there to help but didn't do shit, L withdrawing and losing his energy and focus, the heat rising, my guys prepping and never catching up, and just wanting to hide in the cold walk-in refrigerated room and drink lemonade until it all just stopped.
The highlight of the evening was the HVS and a small gaggle of folks from my prior career stopped in to show support, that was really cool. I just things were more in control so I could spent more time with them.
BREAKFAST: 1pm, 2 small donuts, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, mixed gluten, mashed taro treasure boxes, spinach dumpling, sticky rice, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6:30pm, 5 pieces homemade french toast, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Didn't eat pizza today, but busted out some focaccia out of the freezer from the last pizza place I worked and made an awesome batch of french toast, dead simple: batter of milk, egg, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, pinch of salt, soaked the slices for 5 minutes, fried in butter, sprinkled with powdered sugar, hit the spot. Needed more salt.
DINNER: 8:45pm, shrimp soup with mandlen, bagel with hummus and a little tabouli, grape gatorade, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Took out some homemade chicken stock, added a dose of salt and curry, and lightly poached a handful of shrimp in it -- it's so easy to overcook shrimp, so difficult to undercook them. Added a handful of soup mandlen, which I picked up at the Streitz store around passover. They are small egg-based light and fluffy soup nuggets. I had them often at summer camp as a kid, everyone dug them, never saw them again until now.
I got in at 4am, after working 14.5 hours in the restaurant then riding about 30 miles round trip to Coney Island for hot dogs and some listening to the waves. The day at the restaurant started on a high note, then slowly slipped away inch by inch until coming to a complete crashing by the end. Friday was long, and nobody got enough sleep to start on Saturday. We open at 12 instead of 11:30 on Saturday, but its still not enough time to prep. L and his family were late by an hour, and by the time they arrived, I had everyone in and prepping, moving along well, got L in a good-ish mood. Then service started, we weren't finished with prep by a long shot, and we got slammed with too many customers, a system where only 1 pizza is made at a time, kept on running out of stuff, prepping to order, L started getting yelly at everyone, and on top of it, for some odd reason the air conditioning decided to not function and the temp in both the dining room and kitchen rose close to 90. We broke for lunch and closed the restaurant for an hour and a half. I had the guys do some prepping, but the dishes were backed up and as it turned out, even with a dishwasher, there wasn't enough dishes -- we had to serve on paper plates at one point in the night! We cancelled delivery, but L took an order for 17 pizzas anyway -- at 8:30pm, at the height of the rush! Things spiralled downwards, with the refrigeration in the back failing because of the excessive heat. Between moving food between units, suffering a lazy dishwasher and a delivery person who was sent back there to help but didn't do shit, L withdrawing and losing his energy and focus, the heat rising, my guys prepping and never catching up, and just wanting to hide in the cold walk-in refrigerated room and drink lemonade until it all just stopped.
The highlight of the evening was the HVS and a small gaggle of folks from my prior career stopped in to show support, that was really cool. I just things were more in control so I could spent more time with them.
BREAKFAST: 1pm, 2 small donuts, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, mixed gluten, mashed taro treasure boxes, spinach dumpling, sticky rice, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6:30pm, 5 pieces homemade french toast, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Didn't eat pizza today, but busted out some focaccia out of the freezer from the last pizza place I worked and made an awesome batch of french toast, dead simple: batter of milk, egg, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, pinch of salt, soaked the slices for 5 minutes, fried in butter, sprinkled with powdered sugar, hit the spot. Needed more salt.
DINNER: 8:45pm, shrimp soup with mandlen, bagel with hummus and a little tabouli, grape gatorade, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Took out some homemade chicken stock, added a dose of salt and curry, and lightly poached a handful of shrimp in it -- it's so easy to overcook shrimp, so difficult to undercook them. Added a handful of soup mandlen, which I picked up at the Streitz store around passover. They are small egg-based light and fluffy soup nuggets. I had them often at summer camp as a kid, everyone dug them, never saw them again until now.
Burnt
Holy crap, I'm crispy. Will write some stories tomorrowish.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, bottle of gatoraide, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mmmmm purple. Breakfast of champions.
LUNCH: 4pm, hamburger, potato chips, water, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
RESTAURANT HAZE 4:30pm-midnight, small slice of sicilian, multiple glasses of lemonaide and mandorla, a few bites of another slice, a sprite, water, a bite of gelato, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
DINNER: 2am, 2 hotdogs with kraut and onion, fries, 1 beer, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
At Nathan's in Coney Island, rode bikes with a fellow kitchen worker after. Well needed, haven't ridden a little distance in sooooo long....
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, bottle of gatoraide, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mmmmm purple. Breakfast of champions.
LUNCH: 4pm, hamburger, potato chips, water, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
RESTAURANT HAZE 4:30pm-midnight, small slice of sicilian, multiple glasses of lemonaide and mandorla, a few bites of another slice, a sprite, water, a bite of gelato, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
DINNER: 2am, 2 hotdogs with kraut and onion, fries, 1 beer, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
At Nathan's in Coney Island, rode bikes with a fellow kitchen worker after. Well needed, haven't ridden a little distance in sooooo long....
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